Da'an is working on a biosurrogate project to allow disabled humans to transfer their consciousness to a new body. However, Zo'or has modified the biosurrogates into soldiers. A reporter sneaks into the building and accidentally awakens one of the biosurrogates. The biosurrogate kill him and a guard and escapes. Zo'or declares a manhunt for the biosurrogate, which is complicated by the biosurrogate not having a clear mission objective (since it's programmed to kill Jaridians) and possessing Jaridian weapons and cloaking ability. In order to help track it down, Liam brings in Sparrow, a disabled scientist who was supposed to be the first consciousness transfer test subject. The biosurrogate ends up killing several police officers and civilians, usually while defending itself. Meanwhile, Sparrow begins hitting on Maiya. She reciprocates, and he becomes even more determined to get himself a new body. When Augur hacks into Artelligent systems and purges all research data on the project and vaporizes the biosurrogates, he helps Sparrow transfer his mind to one of them. Sparrow goes to see Maiya at the club. Liam shows up there too, followed by the biosurrogate, who attacks him, perceiving him as a threat due to his part-Jaridian DNA. Sparrow tries to defend Liam, but the biosurrogate hits him with an energy blast. As the biosurrogate is strangling Liam, his shaqarava activates and kills the biosurrogate. Sparrow expires several minutes later.
- Brain Uploading: The purpose of Da'an's biosurrogate project is to allow disabled humans to regain full functionality by having their minds transferred to a new body. Zo'or has hijacked the project and turned biosurrogates into Super Soldiers in order to fight Jaridians. When he has trouble convincing one of the generals to agree to provide soldiers to the project, he tells him that a damaged biosurrogate's mind can be transferred back into the original body. He later suggests to Sandoval that the mind can simply be transferred to yet another biosurrogate. However, at the end, when Sparrow is dying, and Liam brings up the possibility of the reverse-transfer, Sparrow explains that Zo'or was lying. Such a procedure doesn't exist.
- The Collector: Augur turns the former Resistance headquarters into his personal art gallery. When Doors wants him to steal Artelligent research and sell it exclusively to him, Augur tells him he wants a rare art piece Doors has just purchased. Doors ruefully comments he isn't going to have much of an art collection if he has to keep dealing with Augur but accepts.
- Expy: Sparrow is pretty clearly an expy of Stephen Hawking.
- A Father to His Men: The general is understandably reluctant to order any of his men to become test subjects of Zo'or's biosurrogate project given all the irregularities in it. Zo'or wants President Thompson to order the general to do so, but Thompson will only do it once the escaped biosurrogate is dealt with.
- Genius Cripple: Sparrow became sick with an unspecified illness at the age of 18. He now has zero mobility outside of his sophisticated wheelchair, which he can control with his mind. His years of research are behind the biosurrogate project.
- Hand Blast: The modified biosurrogates are able to fire blasts of energy out of their fists.
- Realpolitik: When President Thompson asks why the Synod has yet to endorse him for reelection and why Zo'or made an offer of endorsement to Doors, Zo'or points out that he doesn't care who is in the White House, only that this person help Zo'or further his personal agenda.
- Super-Soldier: Zo'or's modifications to Da'an's biosurrogate project have turned the biosurrogates into this. The purpose is to transfer the minds of trained human soldiers into biosurrogate bodies, which would allow humanity (and the Taelons) to defend against any Jaridian attack. The biosurrogates are strong, tough, and are able to fire Hand Blasts. They are also programmed to detect Jaridian DNA. Liam wants to destroy all research on the project, while Doors wants to steal it to allow humanity to fight any alien, including the Taelons.
