I've seen most of the latest episode, but since most people probably
haven't, now would be the time to stop reading if you don't like spoilage.
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Well, this episode introduces us to what may be a recurring enemy, the
"Consensus of Parts", a sort of A.I. collective intelligence.
My first reaction was, "Aha! A Borg-like entity!"
Well, yes and no. Maybe the Consensus of Parts is a collective, but it
tolerates individuality. At least on a temporary basis. So though Borg
comparisons may be inevitable, I don't think they will be very useful.
Okay, here's a brief spoiler. Sorry, I have a pulled muscle and typing is
painful.
The ship comes upon a debris field. Hundreds of thousands of mechanical
devices. Some of them are drawn toward Andromeda and board through hangar
4. Dylan, Beka, and Tyr run down with weapons loaded. The parts come in,
they assemble, and they form a humanoid shape (which looks vaguely Borg-like).
The entity is HG-something or other. He has just been formed to extend an
invitation to the Andromeda to meet with the Consensus of Parts. Dylan
looks at Tyr and Beka for an explanation. Tyr says he thought it was a
myth. Beka says the Consensus of Parts supposedly lives in deep space,
between star systems, where most ships don't go, and preys on ships. HG
says they don't prey. They had heard of Andromeda and wanted to meet her.
The Consensus sent out 50 potential emisaries to wait at the most likely
places where Andromeda might next appear. HG is one of those emisaries.
There is some hemming and hawing and Dylan tries to decide whether to
accept the invitation, but eventually he agrees to let Andromeda interface
with HG. A huge data transfer occurs. Andromeda gets the coordinates for
the meeting point and they set out. During the trip HG hangs with the crew
and learns about them. Trance especially likes him.
When they arrive at the destination, a huge ship appears, VX-something or
other. VX greets Andromeda and sends a drone to talk to Dylan and the
ship. The drone orders HG to destroy itself immediately after HG whispers
a cryptic warning to Dylan. Dylan then gives the drone a guided tour of
the ship but it figures out he is not revealing anything critical. The
drone demands to meet with Andromeda, who must join the Consensus of
Parts. Dylan informs Andromeda, she gets angry, and they agree to send the
drone away.
HG, in the meantime, wants to have a wake before he disassembles. Dylan
agrees and HG gives parts of himself to the crew. Tyr thinks it's all
goofy but he is shamed into accepting a part. HG then disassembles and his
parts leave Andromeda. The crew put their parts in their quarters.
VX meets with Andromeda and she refuses the order/invitation to join the
Consensus. Dylan orders Tyr to escort VX off the ship. As Tyr and VX head
toward the hangar, the part of HG in Harper's quarters rises up and flies
toward a bulkhead.
The VX drone takes off, Tyr heads back toward command, and Dylan orders
Beka to leave the system. Suddenly, lighting systems flicker, Rommie
shudders, and people start grumbling. Harper drops what he's doing in the
machine shop and goes to check out Andromeda's systems.
Beka is unable to enter Slipstream and VX starts to fire upon the ship. As
Dylan wants to know what is going on, Harper wanders around looking at tons
of carbon-based "cables". He, Tyr, and Trance report that the stuff is all
over the ship. Harper finds that it begins with the component HG gave him.
When the crew try to rip out the cables, Rommie is weakened. Harper
deduces that HG reprogrammed Andromeda's drones to reconfigure her
systems. He is like a superfast cancer.
Unable to enter Slipstream, Beka takes evasive action. Dylan tries to
second-guess VX, assuming that VX had ordered HG to take over Andromeda,
but VX doesn't fulfill Dylan's expectations. Dylan realizes that HG has
been acting on his own. Dylan and Harper rig up some counter nanobots to
reconvert Andromeda's stolen systems. Trance discovers what they are doing
and gets upset.
As VX closes in on the ship, Dylan decides to let HG take over
Andromeda. He can't fight two enemies at the same time, and he decides to
gamble that HG can be reasoned with. When HG takes sufficient control over
Andromeda he explains that his survival functions got out of control. He
didn't mean to undermine Andromeda's system. So Dylan's judgement is
confirmed and he asks HG to enable the Slipstream drive. Beka enters
Slipstream and breathes a sigh of relief, because AI systems cannot pilot
Slipstream.
Unfortunately, Dylan observes, VX is able to pilot through the Slipstream
just fine. HG reveals that VX uses human neural tissue to make the
necessary intuitive judgements for piloting Slipstream. So Dylan orders
Beka to return to the debris field where they met HG.
There HG appeals to all the other drifting parts to form a new consensus,
and the parts agree. They converge on Andromeda and enhance the ship's
systems enough to destroy VX. HG then disassembles with the other parts
and they join with VX's remains to form Outlaw Consensus 1, a force which
is friendly to Dylan and the Andromeda.
After Andromeda and the Outlaw Consensus go their separate ways, Dylan and
Rommie talk briefly in the observation lounge, and Trance buries her
component of HG in her garden. She says a eulogy for him.
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