Outcast - Recap

Sheppard is trying to explain to Ronon the Earth practice of "ice skating" without much luck, when Sam Carter tells him that his father died of a heart attack on Earth. As Sheppard prepares to head back to Earth, Rodney stops by to give his condolences. He'd like to go to Earth with Sheppard but has to go on a mission. Sheppard heads for the gate room to find Ronon who insists on going with his teammate. They arrive at the estate of Sheppard's father where the rich and powerful have gathered for his wake. Ronon heads for the free buffeet while Sheppard chats briefly with his younger brother Dave, who wants to talk more later. Sheppard's ex-wife Nancy also comes over and it's clear their relationship isn't on good terms.

After Sheppard goes to his father's coffin, he's approached by a woman who introduces herself as Ava Dixon. She says she worked for a subsidiary of Henry Wallace's company and asks to talk to them in private. As they head out, Dave approaches Sheppard and is disgusted with the fact he's going so soon. It turns out Sheppard didn't want to follow the career path his father had laid out on him and ended up going into the Air Force, while Dave had to take care of the family business. Now Dave figures that Sheppard is there to contest the will and get everything. Sheppard says he isn't and angrily takes off.

At a diner, Ava explains that she was working with Dr. Richard Poole on a secret nanite project, and they managed to create a Replicator. When the company underwent investigation after the situation with Wallace, Poole tried to shut the Replicator down but it knocked him out and fled, killing any guards that got in his way. That was three weeks ago: now the Replicator is on the loose with no way to find it.

Sheppard, Ronon, and an assault squad capture Pool who refuses to cooperate. They take him up to the ship and try to get the access codes for the Replicator's programming, but Poole refuses unless he's granted access to the Replicator once it's captured. Sheppard refuses and Ava offers her help, warning that the Replicator isn't programmed for social interactions and could kill anyone at any time if it perceives them as a threat. Sgt. Bates, a former Atlantis soldier who received an honorable discharge and joined the IOA, works with them and they bring in Dr. Lee. Using the thread of Ava going to jail, Sheppard forces Poole to cooperate. Using the information provided, Lee manages to create a tracking device that tells them the Replicator's location within a five-block radius. Sheppard and Ronon take the assault squad in along with Poole and Bates. They split up to search the area and Poole knocks out Bates then contacts the Replicator. He asks it to shut down voluntarily and explains they have a tracking device, but it refuses and kills him, then escapes.

The Replicator alters itself so they can't track it, then tries to make its escape. They shoot it repeatedly and inflict some damage, but it ends up diving into the nearby harbor. While Lee tries to locate it, Sheppard and Bates figure that Poole had a buyer lined up for the project. Sheppard contacts Nancy to see if she can provide him with any information. She refuses, saying that his secretiveness is what led to their divorce. Ava also doesn't know anything about anyone that Poole may have been in contact with.

Lee manages to decode the security files on the project and discovers a personnel file on Ava... that shows she died in a car accident a year ago. Realizing she's a Replicator, they go after her only to find she's disappeared and left an apologetic note. It turns out there are two sets of Replicator blueprints: male and female, military and social. Sheppard gets a message from Nancy: she decided to get him the information, despite the fact it might cost her her job. She also says she poked into Sheppard's records and realizes he's connected with something major, and tells him to be careful.

Going over Nancy's files, they locate a stockpile of neutronium which the Replicator can use to repair itself. They discuss ways to take it out but the only way they can come up with is extreme heat. Sheppard has an idea and they stake out the warehouse. The Replicator bursts in and attacks them, but Ava comes in and manages to hold it off long enough for Sheppard to attach a tracking device to it. He then calls up to the ship for transport, and they beam the Replicator into a low-Earth orbit. It falls into the atmosphere and burns up.

Now Sheppard has to decide what to do with Ava. Later he meets her in a park and they chat, and she thanks him for helping to get her released. As she walks off, Sheppard disappears. Ava's consciousness was downloaded into a virtual reality inside a computer while her body was scrapped. Sheppard then goes to see Dave, who welcomes him in.

Later, Sheppard and the others considers what to do with the captive Ava. Later, Sheppard meets with Ava who has been released as long as she doesn't work in any field of science. She admits she's scared to deal with the new emotions she has but says they may meet again. She then walks away as Sheppard disappears... and reappears in the real world. They've stored Ava's consciousness in a virtual reality and scrapped her physical body. Sheppard then goes to see Dave, who invites him in.

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