1.11 The Pearls That Were His Eyes
Beka Valentine receives a distress call from her beloved Uncle Sid, but to her disdain realizes that he has become Sam Profit, a big business tycoon.
Episode Synopsis
Captain Dylan Hunt and the crew of the Andromeda Ascendant receive news of a merger between two of the largest cargo companies, Trans-Galactic Shipping and Quantum, putting private cargo carriers out of business. This news concerns Beka because she was an independent cargo carrier. Beka receives a message from Sid Barry, whom she refers to as Uncle Sid, a former business partner of her father's. He wants to see Beka as soon as possible. Dylan is worried about Beka going back to Diphda Five by herself, as there is a dangerous solar storm headed straight for their path. She is determined to go, as she feels she owes it to her father to pay off one of his debts.
Beka readies the Eureka Maru to leave for Diphda Five, and finds Trance on board. Trance decides to tag along to make her trip safer. Once they arrive on Diphda Five, Trance is amazed at human youths. These young people wear dark sunglasses that cup their eyes. Beka explains to Trance that they are on a substance called Flash --a synaptic enhancer that makes humans faster and smarter, but when abused, has dangerous side effects.
Beka and Trance continue their journey and meet a group of Heavies --genetically altered humans who can withstand high-gravity worlds. Beka flashes a picture of Uncle Sid and asks if anyone knows him. The Heavies approach Beka and Trance, making rude comments and passes at them. The two women prepare to defend themselves, and fight them off. Finally, the group of thugs give up and take them to where Uncle Sid lives.
A huge penthouse with large bedrooms and amazing furnishings shocks Beka. She wonders how Uncle Sid could afford this kind of luxury. Suddenly a call is transferred into the room for "Mr. Profit." To Beka's surprise, Uncle Sid and Sam Profit are the same person. Beka now wonders why he summoned her for help and becomes suspicious of his intentions. They discuss old times, and Beka reminds Sid that he and her father are the ones who taught her that big companies are bad business for small shipping companies like the one that he and her father shared. Beka finds out that Sam Profit wants data that Beka's father had never given back to him. Profit offers Beka ten million guilders for her father's personal journals and video records. She insists she does not know where the encoded data is or what is on it.
Sam and the Heavies capture Beka and Trance, holding them captive. Sid reminds Beka that her father was a Flash addict, and drops a dosage of Flash into Beka's eyes. After hours of being locked up and feeling the effects of the Flash, Beka recovers and discovers a way for her and Trance to escape out a window. The Heavies break the door down and the girls fight them off, finally escaping out the window and through a trap door on the Eureka Maru.
Back on the Eureka Maru, Beka reveals a secret to Trance - she knew all along where her father's data was. When Beka was younger, her father made nanobots that changed the color of her hair. In the process, he had broken down the encoded information and stored the data within those nanobots. Sam discovers this, and appears via transmission. Beka threatens to expose him to the media should he misuse the information.
Synopsis from AndromedaTV
