Wayist Verse
CY 1015
"Chaos and the Stillness of It" is episode 20 of Season 5.
Synopsis[]
Fire dances across the surface of Seefra-4 as the advancing sun creeps closer. The Andromeda Ascendant makes its way to Seefra-2 for the last evacuation and Dylan Hunt tasks Rommie and Doyle with finding Seamus Harper. He then talks with Telemachus Rhade about what to do with Trance Gemini's impostor but then Burma interrupts on the comm. He intends to kill Harper purely for the sadistic pleasure of making the crew suffer. Dylan gambles with a bluff that Burma can do what he pleases and shuts off the monitor. Back to the matter at hand, Dylan plans on returning to Methus-2, the last place Trance seemed normal. Leaving Beka Valentine in charge, Dylan and Rhade head for the doomed sun. Beka handles incoming grievances from the overcrowded locals on Seefra-1 while Rommie scans the planet.
Harper is dragged before Burma, bleeding and beaten. Thinking Dylan cares nothing for his chief scientist, Burma blackmails Harper directly. Get them aboard Andromeda or Burma fires on the refugees landing at the port on Seefra-1. With a heavy heart, Harper takes them aboard at spear point, hoping the rest of the crew can help. Burma is intimidated by the high-tech surroundings but steels himself to his task. Harper tells him all the internal sensors are disabled and is thanked with a strong backhand from Burma. He sails across the room and watches in amazement as the cult leader enters all the proper codes. All it takes is one look in Burma’s eyes and Harper knows what has happened. The thugs drag Harper away and begin planting charges around the ship.
Doyle and Rommie argue as they walk towards the hangar. Each wants to go to the surface to search while the other stays behind but their argument is cut short when five of Burma’s guards step into their path. The two have their work cut out for them against these seasoned warriors. Doyle is surprised to see Trance simply watching instead of helping, and the moment’s distraction almost costs her the fight when one thug appears right behind her. She throws him into the wall and the two androids mop up. Beka arrives moments later with weapon in hand. It’s not difficult to figure out what’s happened and they rush to find Harper. They try the med deck first but find nothing. Thinking he may have left a message, they check the computer but are locked out. Intruders appear at the doorway. The fight that follows is a close one, with only one guard slipping away. Doyle finds one thug placing a bomb and throws herself at him, pretending to be a lost evacuee. He is suspicious but softens as she goes into hysterics. As he takes the bait, Rommie performs a quick scan on him and then she and Doyle flatten him. Beka finds the explosive device he was about to plant and Rommie reveals shocking news. Her scan of the keyboard Burma used revealed the Radical Isotopes in him. Somehow, the Spirit of the Abyss has come to the Seefra System and taken over the sect leader. Beka is clearly shaken but soon her fear turns to anger. She threatens the guard with his own explosive until he gives up Harper’s location. They find him beat up and motionless, but still alive. Beka heads to command to confront Burma while the others search for the remaining explosives.
Rommie has turned off Methus-2 using the Vedran codes, leaving it safe for Dylan and Rhade to plunge through the mantle to the tunnels inside. The latent sun is heating up quickly and smoke drifts through the corridors. As they navigate their way through the labyrinth, tunnels crumble behind them and fire rages behind the doors. Time is quickly running out as the voracious sun draws near. They finally reach the fusion chamber but find only the container in the centre of the room and the cloak Rhade saw Trance wearing when they were here last. Thick smoke drifts inside, hiding anything within. Dylan vents all the gases, revealing nothing, and now time has run out. There is no hope of getting out, but Dylan refuses to give up on his friend. He blasts each wall with his force lance until he blows a hole in a holographic door. Trance falls through the opening, weakened but alive, and falls into his arms. She regains strength quickly from her nearby sun and Tesseracts them to the Eureka Maru; the three of them escaping just as Methus-2 is swallowed up.
Beka finds Burma planting his explosives on command. When she calls his name, he turns and she instantly recognizes the evil in his eyes. He speaks her name as though he knows her, and indeed, the evil inside recognizes her easily. In a flash, he is across the room and in her face, disarming her. Trance’s impostor arrives in the doorway and watches Beka’s futile fight with amusement. Burma easily commands the fight, rushing in to beat her and moving away before she can strike back. He quickly wears her down and once her guard falls, both he and Trance stand menacingly over her. Just in time, Rommie and Doyle rush in and grab Burma. Despite their speed, he is able to slip away and a tense standoff ensues. Burma is ready to take his pick when Dylan and the real Trance walk in. Rommie and Doyle duck out of the way as Beka and Dylan pound Burma’s body with shots until he explodes. Trance lowers her cloak and turns to her doppelganger. The two face off and do battle in a brilliant light, blinding the others. When it is over, Trance is weakened but victorious and her evil impostor, defeated for the moment, vanishes from the room.
The crew stands on command, watching with uncertainty as the Vedran sun drifts towards Seefra-1. Everyone holds their breath as it slowly moves into place and finally stops. The crew welcomes Trance back. They have finally reunited as a team, something they have all missed.
Trivia[]
- The title is a contradiction as chaos does not have the "stillness" of being motionless.
- The most clearly relevant quote would seem to be this from Deepak Chopra: "In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you." There is also an image from Friedrich Nietzsche from "Thus Spoke Zarathustra": "One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."
- Dylan uses or calls a bluff.
- ”Chaos and the Stillness of It”
- ”Harper/Delete”
- ”Pride Before the Fall”
- ”The Banks of the Lethe”
- ”Una Salus Victus”
- ”Vault of the Heavens”
- ”Waking The Tyrant's Device”
Memorable quotes[]
- Rommie: "We're not the droids you're looking for." (While waving her hand in a "Star Wars" Jedi mind trick fashion.)
- Doyle: "What is that?"
- Rommie: "I don't know but it didn't work!"
Production Information[]
| Production Number: | 522 |
| Aired: | April 29, 2005 |
| Writer By: | Naomi Janzen |
| Directed By: | Martin Wood |
| Created By: | Gene Roddenberry |
| Developed By: | Robert Hewitt Wolfe |
| Executive Producers: | Majel Roddenberry Josanne B. Lovick Adam Haight Kevin Sorbo Bob Engels |
| Producer | Sherry Gorval |
| Production Designer | Brian Kane |
| Intro | The Universe is a dangerous place. But in our future my crew and I fight to make it safe. I am Dylan Hunt, Captain of the Andromeda Ascendant, and these are our adventures. |
Starring[]
Regular Cast[]
- Kevin Sorbo as Dylan Hunt
- Lisa Ryder as Beka Valentine
- Steve Bacic as Telemachus Rhade
- Gordon Michael Woolvett as Seamus Harper
- Laura Bertram as Trance Gemini
- Lexa Doig as Rommie
- Brandy Ledford as Doyle
Guest Star[]
- Jim Byrnes as Virgil Vox (voice)
- Hiro Kanagawa as Burma
- Kevan Ohtsji as Burma's Lieutenant