Mutant Copper (TV story)

Synopsis
The CCPC's are hunting a rogue officer who has developed a personality and consciousness. K9, Starkey and Jorjie take the rogue CCPC back to Gryffen's mansion and hide him from The Department, only to face the mutant copper causing mayhem.

Plot
A crowd of people including Jorjie and a friend watch a broadcast from the CCPC's showing their new greater powers for health and safety. The CCPC's now have the power to enter homes without permission, to search without a warrant, to make the world a safety place for anyone who isn't guilty. Jorjie's friend asks about public freedom. As the CCPC broadcast repeats, Starkey (who is with K9 behind the crowd) decides to use a device to interferre in it, mockingly impersonating the CCPC. Two CCPCs on patrol notice this and move towards him, K9 tries to warn him. Starkey and K9 move next to Jorjie. As the CCPC's look through the crowd and can't find the person they are after. After they leave, Jorjie introduces him to her fellow agitator for freedom, Marcus, Starkey tells him he might know him as "Stark Reality", Marcus tells him he only knows what "JJ" has told him. They decide to move on but are soon met by a CCPC, which has damage to it's face and has a different voice than the others. As the CCPC admires the Birds, four more arrive. The gang run away and are followed by the other CCPC. As they are met by two more, the CCPC tells them to follow him. The team hid behind several bins as the CCPCs leave. K9 scans the CCPC's neural functions and finds his connection to Department Central Control has been disconnected, he also finds traces of Human DNA in his system. As he looks through the bushes Marcus determines he's a type of "Mutant", K9 believes that the CCPCs are pursuing him and not the team. Starkey decides to get rid of him, Jorjie asks what will they do with him. The CCPC tells her that he will be liquidated, Starkey says they may just turn him back into a Robot, Jorjie argues that's even worse.

Jorjie compares him to a "Lost Puppy", K9 insists that robots aren't part of the animal kingdom, he is not a Dog and the CCPC is not a Puppy. She says that even if he saved himself he helped the others as well. When Marcus suggests taking him to a hiding place, Jorjie decides to take him to the Gryffen House. When Starkey argues how they are going to get him there, Jorjie suggests Mariah and contacts Darius. Later on, they go to Mariah and Jorjie introduces Darius to Marcus, Starkey and Darius are shocked he calls her JJ. At the Gryffen House, Gryffen takes a look at the CCPC's neural circuitry and find implanted Human DNA. K9 wonders why they would ruin a perfectly good robot, Gryffen tells him some wouldn't consider it ruining as the Human aliment adds another dimension, emotions, instinct, intuition. Jorjie says they have to have to help him but Gryffen says he's certainly not Human and he's no longer strictly a robot. Due to his love for Birds, Jorjie decides to call him Birdie. Starkey warns that interferring with a CCPC unit is a maximium crime and even having him here could land everyone in Detention facilities. Marcus says it's worth the risk, Starkey tells him it isn't worth the risk as he was once in one. Gryffen decides that everyone rests and they make their decision in the morning.

That night, in Starkey's bedroom, K9 tells him that Humanity is "a mass of uncontrolled motivations and other brain aberrations" and that "the so-called modern Human skull houses a Stone Age mind". His point being that Human intelligence is not perfect yet Humans act as if it is the highest level of evolution and the worst thing that could happen to Birdie is that he is turned back into a Cyborg, like himself. Starkey tells him that there's nothing wrong with being a Cyborg if that's what you are but Birdie isn't one thing or the other and doesn't fit in anywhere, even though he's dangerous to have around Starkey can't help feeling sorry for him. K9 tries to process that into a logical statement as Starkey goes to sleep. Darius goes to brush his teeth when he spots Birdie behind him, shocking him. He asks to borrow, Darius tells him he doesn't have any teeth, Birdie requests permission to borrow teeth. Darius tells Birdie to take being Human one step at a time even if he's excited. He tells him to start by going to sleep, Birdie then shuts himself down on the spot, Darius tells him to go upstairs.

In the morning, Gryffen smells toast and finds that Birdie has taught himself to make toast. K9 tells him that "electrocuting bread is not Rocket Science", Gryffen says that his Human initiative to learn is developing. June arrives at the door, who knows about Birdie and demands to enter. Starkey hides Birdie. June accuses them of interferring with the CCPC, Starkey tells her they didn't do anything and Gryffen says that he was like that when they found him. Gryffen determines there's only one place a Department Cyborg's neural circuitry could be experimented on in this way, the Department laboratories. June argues that she would have known, all experimentations on Cyborgs are strictly regulated. Starkey suggests Thorne might be behind it. When June asks Thorne at Department HQ he says it's an interesting story but doesn't deny it as it's his policy to neither deny or confirm. June is suspicious as Thorne has CCPCs scouring London for the rogue cyborg, he tells her the public could be in danger and it's his duty to find it. She warns him that if she finds out he has been experimenting with the CCPC the people will know he is responsible, he tells her if any experiments have gone on they are terminated know along with any evidence, except for the cyborg as June notes. When she leaves, Thorne orders all CCPC units to override all existing command protocols and gives them a new priority, to locate Birdie.

Marcus goes to see Jorjie at Gryffen's house to find out how Birdie is and how he enjoyed yesterday with her. Darius tells him he's a protester as well, Jorjie tells him complaining about Gryffen's cooking isn't protesting. Gryffen calls them and alerts everyone to the situation that the CCPCs are hunting Birdie. Gryffen agrees with Birdie that he won't be able to hide, Starkey asks what course of action they should take. Marcus and Jorjie argue against kicking him out but Darius says they should and asks for Gryffen's support, Gryffen doesn't agree but says that he can't be found here. K9 suggests that as Birdie's problems result from mixing Human and Cybernetic they fully convert him to one intelligence or the other. As Gryffen says that full conversion to Human would be impossible K9 suggests to convert him to fully cyborg.

Cast

 * K9 Mark 2 - John Leeson
 * Starkey - Keegan Joyce
 * Jorjie - Philippa Coulthard
 * Darius Pike - Daniel Webber
 * Professor Alistair Gryffen - Robert Moloney
 * June Turner - Robyn Moore
 * Thorne - Jared Robinsen

Production crew
to be added

Story notes
to be added

Ratings
to be added

Myths
to be added

Filming locations
to be added

Production errors
to be added

Continuity

 * Despite the fact K9 has shown emotions in previous episodes and in Doctor Who, his attitude towards them is reminiscent of that of the Daleks and the Cybermen.

Home video releases
to be added