Recap / Extinct E 07 Of Two Minds

The Skin Riders attempt to penetrate the settlement, and Jax returns from the ancestor.

Teaser

The Reborns tie up Duncan as the other Skin Riders attempt to break down the door. Ezra decides to go speak to his brother through the door, but Silas speaks up via Duncan, using the parasites’ link. Ezra asks where Kylie is, and Silas insists that they open the doors before he’ll discuss terms. When questioned how they can know he’s telling the truth, he doesn’t answer directly, but reveals that many people, including Lynn and Kylie, left the settlement, wanting to get away from the Skin Riders and the virus. The Reborns realize this means that there are other humans besides the ones buried at the settlement and that Kylie may be among them… if Duncan is telling the truth.

Act 1

Lynn says that Duncan lied to get into the settlement, so they can’t believe what he says now. Feena responds that the Skin Rider let him take control, and so Duncan wasn’t actually lying, but Lynn points out that they only have the Skin Rider’s word on that. Abram says that Yellow Drone didn’t find a grave for Lynn or Kylie, so it’s reasonable to believe that they had left the settlement. Lynn says that doesn’t prove it: they might not have been reborn previously, and Yellow Drone hadn’t checked all the graves. She wants to believe that Kylie is alive, but is very much aware that Duncan is playing with their emotions.

The Skin Riders have stopped trying to get in. Feena says that the best way of getting answers about what happened to the previous settlers is to figure out a way to cure Duncan, since he was at the settlement before, and Abram agrees. Ezra tells them that the real Duncan surfaced when his parasite fell asleep, so maybe they could incapacitate Duncan’s. He thinks Lynn might be able to figure out a way, but she points out that she doesn’t know anything about the biology of the parasites. Ezra says it might be the way to find Kylie, and Feena says Duncan would want her to try. She decides they have a point and agrees, and Ezra asks Feena to stay with her while he and Abram barricade the door.

As they work, Abram and Ezra discuss what they can do. They have access to water and heat in the settlement, but need organic materials for the Sparks to create food, which they need to get from outside. Abram says the forcefield had blocked some of the tunnels within the settlement; now that it’s down, it could provide a “back door” out. Ezra reminds him that the Skin Riders all used to live in the settlement, so if there were another way, they’d know about it.

Jax returns from the Ancestor cavern, and Silas fills him in on events. Jax asks why Duncan hasn’t opened the doors for them if he’s inside the settlement, and Silas says he met resistance. Jax worries that he’ll give up information if he’s been captured, and that they’ll freeze outside the settlement if they can’t get in. He says the better way is to use the drone to strengthen themselves, so they are better prepared to confront the Reborns. Jax has started to reprogram Red Drone, but it is more advanced than the drones studied by the Ancestors. They won’t know if they can succeed without a test subject, but Silas reassures him that they’ll have plenty of those once they get inside.

Silas shows him a shipping container used as an outbuilding that has equipment that Jax can use to work on the drone. Jax protests that they have a more pressing issue: the other Skin Riders know they can’t break down the door and may mutiny, especially if their leader is becoming more human. Jax says that since Ezra came, Silas has behaved differently. Ezra was their prisoner twice, and both times, Silas didn’t infect him. Jax realizes that it was Silas that released Ezra the first time, not Duncan. Silas tells Jax that this is the last time he will forgive his insolence, and leaves.

Lynn tells Duncan that she wants to talk to his Companion, not Silas, and asks about the physiology of the parasite. It threatens to harm Duncan if they touch him. Lynn attempts to examine him anyway, and Duncan suddenly convulses with pain. It subsides after a few moments, and the parasite says it will be much worse if they do it again.

Abram and Ezra continue to barricade the door. They realize that if there are survivors, it explains who buried the dead. Abram tells Ezra about the grave without a corpse: it contains a smashed drone. Ezra asks Abram to find Yellow Drone to see what it knows about the buried drone.

Lynn arrives and tells Ezra that the parasite can inflict pain on the host. She explains that the nerve centers for pain are found throughout the body, and that when she was infected, the tendrils spread in every direction, not just toward her head. She deduces that the parasite is not localized to the neck, but may infect the whole body. This would make it much more difficult to remove. Ezra says they should have Yellow Drone scan Duncan when they find it, and in the meantime, they shouldn’t tell Feena about this.

Lynn asks Ezra if he thinks Kylie is alive. He says the drones say they have her genome and brain state, so he believes it’s possible. Lynn points out that even if they did find Kylie, she’d already have a mother: the previous version of Lynn; she wouldn’t need another.

Flashback: Ezra, Lynn, and Silas talk with other survivors at a makeshift camp. The people there were attacked by the Karik two hours previously, and a five-year-old girl was taken by them toward the west. Ezra says he and Lynn will go after them to try to rescue the girl, while Silas stays and helps the people at the camp. Ezra tells Lynn that rescuing her won’t bring Kylie back, but Lynn says they might be able to bring back someone else’s.

The Skin Riders resume trying to knock the door down. Ezra sees a power conduit next to the door and gets an idea. He follows it to a power junction, and tries several switches until he finds the one that controls that conduit. He tells the others that they need Feena’s help, and that if the Skin Riders are going to hit the door, they’re going to hit them back.

Act 2

Feena welds a sturdy wire to the door, saying that it should work, assuming it doesn’t overload the generator and start a fire that kills them all. Ezra throws the switch, and on the next strike, the Skin Riders get an electric shock, stopping the attack for now. One Skin Rider got the worst of it, and is taken away for treatment. Abram has found Yellow Drone inside what he believes to be a charging station. Feena tries to activate it, but it won’t turn on, and Duncan says he disabled it. Ezra says it’s time to move Duncan, since everything they say is relayed to the Skin Riders. They lock him inside a cage in what seems to be a storage room. He flippantly asks if there’s any message he wants sent to Silas. Ezra says to tell him that he loves him and still believes in him, which gives Duncan (and Silas) pause.

Abram wonders if the Obelisk could help if they could figure out how to turn it back on. Ezra says he thinks the Obelisk isn’t particularly helpful beyond the forcefield, and right now it would just trap the Skin Riders in the courtyard. Still, Abram has had luck in the past, so they agree he should try.

Ezra finds Lynn and Feena. The latter reports that she has had no luck reactivating Yellow Drone, but as she says it, it suddenly lights up and begins hovering over the table. It says that it has changed its access codes, as Duncan has the old ones, but refuses to explain why he would have them. Lynn asks Yellow Drone to scan Duncan, and it does so. Back in the control room, it displays a hologram showing the parasite: it permeates throughout the entire upper half of Duncan’s body. It is so pervasive that even if it could be removed, Duncan would be killed in the process.

In a flashback, Ezra and Lynn track the Karik attack party back to a warship. They have no way to get inside and rescue the girl. Lynn wants to attempt to save her anyway, but Ezra insists that they’d be killed immediately. Lynn says she’s going anyway, and if he loves her, he won’t stop her.

Jax emerges from the outbuilding where he was treating the shocked Skin Rider, reporting that he is dead. He says his death was avoidable, and draws a knife, seemingly challenging Silas, but then turns the handle toward him, and says that someone should prepare him for the Ancestor. Silas takes the knife and goes to the outbuilding.

Abram has had no success in reactivating the Obelisk. Abram asks how Feena is doing, and Ezra tells him that it appears impossible to remove a parasite without killing the host, meaning that not only is Duncan beyond help, but so is Silas. Abram wonders where Duncan learned how to work the drones and the Obelisk, and Ezra remarks that if he was one of the first Reborns, he would have had around a decade to learn. Yellow Drone said that Duncan was “given” the drone access codes. Since Yellow Drone had no record of the settlement, his receiving the codes must have happened in his first life, before the invasion. Abram speculates it may have been Eleanor, the woman Yellow Drone showed him. Ezra starts: Abram hadn’t mentioned her name before now, and he knows it. Returning to the control room, he asks Yellow Drone to show a hologram of her. An image of a young woman appears, and Lynn reacts in shock as she recognizes who it is: Ezra’s mother.

Act 3

As Jax continues to work on Red Drone, Silas emerges and hands the crystal from their fallen comrade to him. Jax and Silas butt heads again on their current situation: Silas says the facility is almost theirs, but Jax insists they are not prepared to siege it. Silas storms off angrily, and heads for the cemetery, stopping in front of Ezra’s grave and remembering his words of love for him. Jax confronts him, reminding Silas that Ezra is not his brother. He brings him before the other Skin Riders and says that his human has gotten too much hold over him. Silas tries to order Jax removed from command, but no one seems to want to carry it out. Jax says Silas will be the drone’s test subject, and they will see if he is then fit to lead.

Reluctantly, Yellow Drone reveals that Ezra’s mother Eleanor was part of an initiative to preserve the human race if it went extinct. Ezra demands to know more, but Yellow Drone insists he lacks sufficient clearance. It does reveal that it finished scanning the graves, as well as the living quarters. It found DNA evidence showing that Kylie did live in the settlement, but was not buried there. Unfortunately, the only one present who could tell them what happened to her is Duncan. Ezra suggests the drone scan Duncan’s brain and see if it can determine where she went, but it says that the parasite is too deeply embedded for that to work. Lynn has an idea, but feels that they must have Feena’s permission, because it may kill Duncan.

Flashback: Ezra and Lynn have waited until nightfall, and are preparing to approach the Karik warship. Ezra volunteers to go first, and Lynn can follow if he makes it safely. Lynn admits to having been distant, and says that every time she looks at Ezra, she’s reminded of Kylie, and it hurts too much. But she’d rather hurt than lose Ezra, too. He assures her he’s not going anywhere. Ezra uses a camouflage shield to hide himself as he approaches the Karik ship, and successfully gets close to it; Lynn is soon by his side, and they approach the ship together.

The Reborns bring Duncan to the control room, and Lynn tells him to remove his jacket. Yellow Drone darts his parasite, and he passes out within seconds. They place him on a table, and Lynn injects the parasite with Sparks. Yellow Drone explains that the Sparks will stimulate neurons that will wake Human!Duncan, while the parasite remains asleep. Duncan wakes, and appears to be free of the parasite. Lynn explains that they sedated it, and Duncan tells them to kill it. They object that it would kill him, too, and Duncan insists they do it anyway, but they won’t. Duncan deduces that they need information, and Ezra asks where the settlers went. Duncan asks Yellow Drone to show a map, saying they must hurry: the parasite is waking up.

Act 4

Duncan tells them where the people who left the settlement were going to meet, but he doesn’t know where they might have gone after that. He also tells them that there is a young girl named Raven that hunts in the forest who may know where they are. Lynn realizes it’s the girl that helped her before, shortly after she was woven. The parasite wakes up, and says he will hurt Duncan. Lynn says there are Sparks inside him who are working against him, but he says the body discards Sparks over time, so all he has to do is wait. They put him back in the cage.

Lynn says they can’t keep Duncan locked up, as the parasite will hurt him. As much as he doesn’t like the idea, Abram wonders if they shouldn’t kill Duncan as he asked, but Lynn can’t allow it. Abram says that their only hope is the Ancestor, but Ezra points out they don’t have the weapon. Yellow Drone is able to solve that problem, scanning lockers until it finds where it is. With the weapon recovered, Ezra says they’re not going for the Ancestor until they try to locate Kylie, but Abram asks how they’d deal with the Skin Riders outside. Feena says they haven’t heard them for a while, so perhaps they’ve left. Upon opening the doors, a couple of Skin Rider guards peek in and are quickly shot with arrows. Ezra and Lynn tell Abram and Feena that if they don’t return, they should destroy the Ancestor.

Flashback: Ezra and Lynn board the Karik warship. Their infrared scanners show them that a nearby container contains a small child, who they quickly free. Suddenly, they hear the ship’s engines, and realize that it’s preparing to take off. As they move to escape, they encounter Karik soldiers, who they manage to defeat. They exit the ship and watch as it takes off.

As they return to the Skin Rider camp, Silas tells Jax that his bonds are unnecessary, and that he’ll freely accept the surgery if it will make his Companion stronger. They enter a tent, and Jax sets Red Drone on a table as Silas sits next to it. The drone begins scanning Silas, and irregular glowing lines appear on his head. Suddenly, Jax hears a message from his Companion: two Reborns have been seen in the woods. He leaves the tent and gives orders to have them followed and their movements reported, but not killed.

Lynn and Ezra arrive at Raven’s home, but she’s not there. Ezra suggests they should continue moving north to the place Duncan told them. Meanwhile, Lynn visits Duncan, who hurls snide remarks at her. Lynn tells the parasite that she intends to fulfill her promise to Duncan: to kill the parasite. The parasite says she can’t do that, or she’ll kill Duncan, too. She responds that he’s already dead, but she’s got his brain state, so she’s free to kill him and bring Duncan back later. She opens the cage and orders him out at spearpoint. He tries to negotiate, but she insists on knowing where the Ancestor is. He refuses to tell her. She calls to Yellow Drone, who darts him, and he drops to the floor.

Act 5

Duncan wakes in the graveyard, and muses that Feena didn’t have it in her to kill him. He runs off, with Feena watching through binoculars. She tells Abram that Duncan’s left, and that the drone buried a tracking device deep inside him. Abram suggests that Duncan may not go to the Ancestor, but Feena is confident that he will. Abram compliments her smart thinking, but Feena’s upset that she broke her promise to Duncan to kill him.

As Ezra and Lynn walk, they remember returning the little girl to her mother, and holding hands as they witness them reunited. Suddenly, Ezra notes movement in a small cave, and Lynn recognizes it as Raven. She comes out, and Lynn introduces Ezra to her. Lynn tells Ezra that Raven helped her before because she knew her previous incarnation, and asks Raven if she can take them to Kylie. Raven begins walking, and they follow.

To Jax’s surprise, Duncan shows up at the camp. Duncan says they let him go because of “every human’s weakness,” love. Meanwhile, Silas wakes up to find that the drone disobeyed Jax: instead of rewiring the parasite to have direct control of the body, it has blocked the parasite’s connections, and the real Silas has resurfaced. The effect is unfortunately temporary; the parasite will attempt to grow aggressively to regain control, and the body will fight back against it. Within 48 hours, both will die. Red Drone says it saw in Silas’s mind that he wanted to be freed from the parasite, even if it killed him. Silas thanks it, and asks for his help escaping.

Raven suddenly runs away, and Ezra realizes they’re being followed by two Skin Riders. They reach a dead end, and Ezra turns and draws his bow. But the Skin Riders are felled by other, hidden archers before he can even release, to Raven’s delight. Numerous people emerge from hiding, and one of them demands that Ezra lower his weapon or they will be killed.