Mutant Copper ( TV story ) Mutant Copper was the eighteenth episode of series 1 of " K9 " . In it , K9 explored emotion further . Synopsis . The CCPC s hunt a rogue officer who has developed a personality and consciousness . K9 , Starkey and Jorjie take the rogue to Gryffen ' s mansion and hide him from the Department , only to face the mutant copper causing mayhem . Plot . A crowd of people including Jorjie and a friend watch a broadcast . The CCPCs show their new , greater powers for health and safety . They may now enter homes without permission , search without warrant and make the world safe for anyone who isn ' t guilty . Jorjie ' s friend asks about freedom . As the CCPC broadcast repeats , Starkey , with K9 behind the crowd , uses a device to interfere with it , mimicking the CCPC . Two CCPCs on patrol move towards the crowd . After the CCPCs leave , Jorjie introduces Starkey to her fellow agitator for freedom , Marcus . Starkey tells him he might know him as " Stark Reality " ; Marcus says he only knows what " JJ " has told him . Marcus , Jorjie , Starkey and K9 move on but are soon met by a CCPC with a damaged face and a different voice . As the damaged CCPC admires the bird s , four more arrive . The gang run away but run into more CCPCs . Jorjie asks Starkey where to hide from the surveillance but he says that they are in a part of the city that he is unfamiliar with . The damaged CCPC tells them to follow him but Starkey thinks that it is a trap . K9 confirms that there the damaged CCPC is leading them to a surveillance - free area . They hide behind bins until the CCPCs leave . K9 scans their CCPC ' s neural functions and finds his connection to Department Central Control has been turned off . He also finds traces of human DNA in his system . As the damaged CCPC looks through the bushes , Marcus says he ' s a type of " mutant " . K9 believes the CCPCs are pursuing him , not the team . Starkey wants to get rid of him . Jorjie asks the CCPC what will they do with him . He says he will be liquidated . Jorjie compares him to a lost puppy . K9 insists that cybernetic units aren ' t part of the animal kingdom . K9 says that he is not a dog and the CCPC is not a puppy . Jorjie decides to take him to the Gryffen House . When Starkey asks how they are to get him there , Jorjie suggests Mariah and contacts Darius . They go to Mariah and Jorjie introduces Darius to Marcus . At the Gryffen House , Gryffen takes a look at the CCPC ' s neural circuitry and finds implanted human DNA . K9 wonders why they would ruin a perfectly good cyborg . Gryffen tells him some wouldn ' t consider it ' ruining ' as the human element adds other dimensions : emotions , instinct , and intuition . Jorjie says they have to help him , but Gryffen says he ' s certainly not human and he ' s no longer strictly a robot . Because he loves birds , Jorjie decides to call him Birdie . Starkey warns that interfering with a CCPC unit is a maximum crime and even having him here could land everyone in detention facilities . Gryffen tells everyone to rest . They will make their decision in the morning . That night in Starkey ' s bedroom , K9 says humanity is " a mass of uncontrolled motivations and other brain aberrations " , and " the so - called modern human skull houses a Stone Age mind " . Human intelligence is not perfect , yet humans act as if it is the highest level of evolution and the worst thing that could happen to Birdie is to be turned back into a cyborg . Starkey tells him there ' s nothing wrong with being a cyborg if that ' s what you are , but Birdie isn ' t one or the other and doesn ' t fit in anywhere , even though he ' s dangerous to have around . Starkey can ' t help feeling sorry for him . Darius is going to brush his teeth when he spots Birdie behind him . He asks to borrow a toothbrush , but Darius tells him he doesn ' t have any teeth . Birdie asks to borrow teeth . Darius tells him to take being human one step at a time , even if he ' s excited ; start by going to sleep . In the morning , Gryffen finds Birdie has taught himself to make toast . K9 tells him " electrocuting bread is not rocket science " . Gryffen says his human initiative to learn is developing . June arrives . Starkey hides Birdie . June accuses them of interfering with the CCPC . Starkey tells her they didn ' t do anything and Gryffen says he was like that when they found him . There ' s only one place a Department cyborg ' s neural circuitry could be experimented on in this way : the Department laboratories . June insists she would have known . All experiments on Cyborgs are strictly regulated . Starkey suggests Thorne might be behind it . June confronts Thorne but he says it ' s an interesting story but doesn ' t confirm or deny it . June is suspicious . She asks why he has CCPCs scouring London for the rogue cyborg . He tells her the public could be in danger and it ' s his duty to find it . She warns him that if he has been experimenting with the CCPC , the people will know he is responsible . When she leaves , Thorne orders all CCPC units to override all existing command protocols and gives them a new priority : locate Birdie . Marcus arrives at Gryffen ' s house to learn how Birdie is and say how he enjoyed yesterday with Jorjie . Gryffen alerts everyone that the CCPCs are hunting Birdie , and agrees he can ' t hide there . Jorjie , Marcus and Darius say that they can ' t just kick Birdie out of the Manor and Gryffen agrees . K9 suggests that as Birdie ' s problems result from mixing human and cybernetic , they convert him to one or the other . If Gryffen says full conversion to human is impossible , they should make him fully cyborg . Gryffen says that they ' ll need a new control cortex and he has nothing like that . K9 suggests getting one from the Department laboratory ; Birdie ' s identity chip will gain him entrance . Birdie confirms he knows the layout of the Department laboratory and can guide K9 . Starkey says it ' s too great a risk and asks if it ' s worth it . K9 says Birdie isn ' t one thing or the other and doesn ' t fit in anywhere and even though he ' s dangerous to have around , he can ' t help " feeling sorry for him " as Starkey points out , although he does not feel . Gryffen prepares to remove Birdie ' s identity chip and attach it to K9 . Later , K9 makes his way to Department HQ and through the rooms . Gryffen notes all the CCPCs in London hunting for Birdie works in their favour , as the building is deserted . Birdie guiding him , K9 finds himself at CCPC storage , where he sees several CCPCs . Starkey thinks its a trap but the CCPCs aren ' t moving . K9 scans them and finds they are decommissioned , scheduled to be liquidated . Gryffen determines they are failed experiments . K9 finds a control cortex and takes it . Thorne is contacted by a CCPC who says a CCPC ' s identity unit has been activated and is exiting Department HQ . Back at the house , K9 confirms he has destroyed the identity chip and the Department can ' t track them . Gryffen detaches Birdie ' s head but is interrupted by Thorne and his CCPCs , demanding entrance . Gryffen tells Darius and K9 to hide Birdie , who reattaches his head . A CCPC shows Thorne the equipment Gryffen used on Birdie . Thorne orders the CCPCs to arrest them and they put them in cuffs . Thorne orders them to find Birdie . Darius , K9 and Birdie hide in the garage , where Birdie suggests he turn himself in . K9 notes his human element is developing as he shows the human compulsion to sacrifice himself for others . Darius decides to get Birdie out of the city . K9 says he has a plan and tells Darius to push the the car into the lane . Thorne intercepts Birdie ' s signal and orders all CCPCs to the garage . They arrive , only to find K9 with Birdie ' s voice . He tells them it ' s a diversion , Thorne realises they ' ve escaped . Jorjie realises Marcus told Thorne Birdie was in the house , which was why he wanted Birdie to be kept here . Gryffen realises that ' s how she knew about Birdie . Jorjie asks him why and Marcus says because of a chance of a reward and a job at the Department . He tells her he plans to fight the system from the inside and it pays well . Jorjie tells him he ' s only interested in creds . He says he has to live on something and human beings aren ' t robots . She says he betrayed Birdie . He says he was going to split the reward money with her . She says she doesn ' t want it . Thorne and his CCPCs arrive . He assures them Birdie , K9 and Darius won ' t get far . Gryffen tells him to remove the cuffs and asks what the charge is . Starkey says there ' s no evidence of Birdie . Thorne shows Gryffen the stolen cortex . Gryffen thanks him for the loaner . Thorne says K9 broke into Department HQ and stole property . Gryffen corrects him : he borrowed it and he didn ' t break in , he entered . Thorne says K9 did this using a stolen identity chip . Gryffen again asks him for evidence as Starkey says there ' s no law against borrowing cortexes . Thorne says he has a witness in Marcus . Jorjie says Marcus was having him on to make a fool of the Department as he always does . Marcus asks for his reward . Marcus tells him that Birdie was here . Thorne is outraged at this new name , while the others claim he made it up . Thorne demands Marcus tell him where he is . Marcus tells him he doesn ' t know . As Thorne leaves , Marcus asks Jorjie to tell him . Jorjie refuses and tells him to stop calling her " JJ " . Later , Jorjie is embarrassed she could be so wrong about someone . Gryffen tells them that human relationships , as beautiful as they are , can be difficult and he sometimes envies K9 as he doesn ' t have to deal with them . They are contacted by Darius . He shows them Birdie , who bids them goodbye . K9 asks how his human element feels . Birdie says it feels scary because he has to make decisions for himself but also beautiful for the same reason . K9 promises to Birdie he will be kept in his memory banks . Jorjie apologises to Darius for earlier ; he doesn ' t have to be a protester to make a difference . The team all say goodbye , Birdie says goodbye to Darius as he leaves " free as a bird " . Darius records him admiring the beauty of nature , especially the birds . References . " to be added " Story notes . Ratings . " to be added " Myths . " to be added " Filming locations . " to be added " Production errors . " to be added " Home video releases . This episode is featured in the following DVD sets :