472 – Star Cops – An Instinct for Murder

This week we start a new series on Fusion Patrol:  The 1987 BBC Science Fiction Police Drama, Star Cops by creator Chris Boucher, who long-time listeners will know from his work on Blakes 7. What does murder and crime look like in the age of computers and space travel? And what constitutes being a good copper?  John and Eugene discuss. Episode Synopsis: The year is 2027, and two events far, far apart seem to parallel one another.  A man is swimming in a pond in England, while in orbit near the Charles de Gaulle space station another man is on a spacewalk.  Both are taken unaware by two assailants and killed. [expand title=”More…” swaptitle=”Less” tag=”strong”] On Earth police Chief Superintendent Nolan Spring has suspicions about the growing case.  The computer has ruled that it is likely an accident, but his instinct for murder tells him it may be something more.  He pushes his underling, Brian Lincoln to investigate further.   Spring’s boss; however, doesn’t seem to like him, nor does he wish to waste time and resources on a case that the computer has determined to be an accident.  He orders them off the case. On the space station, Flight Engineer David Theroux is also a part-time Star Cop, and he thinks there is something fishy about the recent death of the spacewalker.  It was deemed an accidental malfunction of the suit’s backpack, but his instinct for murder is telling him otherwise. Spring has been maneuvered into applying for the job of Commander of the Star Cops (AKA, the International Space Police Force) – a job he doesn’t want – but his boss is going to make sure he gets. Spring disobeys orders and orders Lincoln to continue investigating, which Spring takes astronaut training, and then an inspection tour of the Charles de Gaulle.   While there, Lincoln turns up clues, and Spring presses him to continue investigating.  In addition to meeting David Theroux, and discussing his doubts about the spacewalk accident, he also meets David’s friend, the Flight Controller. There’s also a popular politician on the station who goes for a spacewalk.  He too dies from a mysterious backpack failure, and uproar on Earth begins.  The Russians have a lucrative contract to maintain all the suit backpacks, and there are calls to break the contract and award it to someone else. To his chagrin, Spring, although he has not even been offered the job, gets assigned to investigate the death. He explains to David that the reason he thought the case on Earth was murder is because the body was too perfectly placed so that it appeared exactly as an accident.  A technique professional killers use to fool the computer analysis into making a determination of accidental death. After the information provided by David, he thinks something similar is happened up here.  The suits all appear to be well-maintained and should have a 0% failure rate.  People are killing 2% of the spacewalkers at a consistent interval to make the occasional murder, when necessary, indistinguishable from the background noise. As part of his training, Spring must learn to spacewalk and, against David’s recommendations, he decides to go for a solo spacewalk before he’s fully ready, but he admonishes David to keep a close eye out for anything approaching him. In the control room, it dawns on David – nothing can happen out there with the flight controller seeing it, therefore his friend the Flight Controller must be involved.  Realization comes too late, though, the gun at the back of his head stops him from warning Spring that two blips are approaching him on the radar. A dead spaceman is seen floating away. Now David must be disposed of.  The Flight Controller takes him to the airlock where he plans to stage an accident but, Spring, hiding in a spacesuit, cobbles the villain.  He had already disposed of the two killers with a medical laser because he had been expecting them. It’s revealed that a corporation was behind it because they would have benefited financially from unpleasantries. Back on Earth, with a job well done, Spring gets a surprise.  He’s been given the Commander’s job of the Star Cops.  He refuses, but he boss makes it plain to him.  You take it, or you’re finished her.  Lincoln, who did such a great job solving the drowning murder has been promoted to his old job and while they can’t fire Spring, they can find him some work in data processing.  Cornered, Spring takes command of the Star Cops, but he knows, it won’t be easy. [/expand]