Regeneration ( TV story ) Regeneration was the first episode of " K9 " , the Australia n - produced spin - off series featuring K9 Mark 2 . The episode first aired in the UK as a special preview on 31 October 2009 . It was notable for featuring the original K9 Mark I , his ultimate destruction of , and his subsequent regeneration into , his Mark 2 body . Though the Mark I model was a nod to the classic " Doctor Who " series , licencing issues would prove responsible for its regeneration into a different model , and henceforth , references to the classic series would be limited to avoid these issues . Synopsis . In 2050 London , Starkey and Jorjie are trying to escape the police . They take refuge in a large detached house , the residence of reclusive scientist Professor Alistair Gryffen and a robot dog named K9 . After the battle with the Jixen , K9 performs a costly sacrifice that forces him to regenerate into a brand new body , but his mind may not have weathered the process . Plot . Two men arrive at the home and laboratory of Professor Alistair Gryffen to give him a case . The case holds technology from a " fallen angel " , a downed alien craft . They tell him the Department wants a full report in twenty - four hours . Elsewhere , a teenage boy named Starkey , who operates under the pseudonym of " Stark Reality , " is by an outdoor public display board terminal . He hacks in to post a dissident message . As he finishes , a teenage girl named Jorjie arrives and proposes , once again , working together . Starkey refuses . When she refers to him as Starkey he is surprised she knows his real name . She says she hacked his criminal activity file . She admires his work and wants to help . CCPC s arrive and the two take off together . They end up in an alley with police at each end . They try doors until they find one unlocked . Inside they find Gryffen ' s laboratory . They hide in the shadows and watch as he experiments with the space - time manipulator . When the youngsters try to leave , Starkey accidentally kicks the power plug from the wall and the machine goes haywire . Instead of the professor ' s lost family , four reptilian warriors come through the STM ' s beam . Starkey is hit with their mucus - like secretion . As Jorjie and the professor turn to aid him , a fifth being comes through the beam . It is a dog - like robot who , after distracting the aliens to allow Starkey to escape , informs the humans his power is running low and he must self destruct to destroy the four creatures . Starkey and Jorjie flee the building as Gryffen stays just outside the door , saying he suffers from a condition . Because the dog saved them , Starkey tries to help him , but is pulled back by Gryffen as an explosion rocks the room . They look inside to see the robot ' s parts strewn across the floor . Starkey picks up an oval , palm - sized object that seems to be active . The surviving alien goes down the stairs . A boy arrives and asks what ' s going on . He notices Jorjie and introduces himself as Darius Pike , personal assistant and supplier of ordered goods , a delivery boy as Jorjie puts it . She introduces herself . Starkey warns her not to use real names so she calls him " Stark Reality " . Darius comforts the distraught Gryffen and quietly places a call to the authorities while Starkey apologises to the professor . Just then the palm sized ovoid pulses and floats into the air . The parts of the robot dog are reintegrated and refashioned into a new , but still recognisable , design . The robot introduces himself as K9 and begins to recalibrate his systems , including his new flight system . K9 exits the building for a test flight as the police arrive . They arrest Starkey , informing him of a sentence of six months in virtual reality ( VR ) detention . As everyone leaves the lab , the lone surviving reptile warrior , which K9 called a Jixen , sneaks off into the shadows . Professor Gryffen works with K9 . K9 informs him his memory has been scrambled and he does not recall who he is . He also says the Jixen mucus is used to mark their enemies for tracking . Any Jixen that smells Starkey will recognise him as their enemy . In response to K9 ' s question , the Professor says the space - time manipulator was built from parts found in a fallen angel . Starkey is in a barren room wearing VR goggles . He sees a plain white room with no details . Jorjie appears , having used her own goggles to communicate with him . With the computer system she shows him images of aliens locked up and experimented on in a secret Department facility . He says some of them might deserve it . She tells Starkey the reason she wanted to work with him was to expose this facility to the public . Starkey points out that he is in detention and can ' t help her . Gryffen works on K9 and activates a piece of music which K9 doesn ' t recognise ; the damage to his memory is too great . He tells Gryffen he retains only fragments . He asks why the space - time travel device is here . Gryffen says the Department wants him to get it operating properly . Gryffen explains the ability to travel through space and time is enormously valuable . There is no limit to where you could go or whom you could bring . K9 asks whether he will be able to return where he came from if Gryffen fixes the device . Gryffen hopes he will . As Gryffen works on K9 , the robot makes a sound . K9 explains he was in his remote identification system . Once a sound is imprinted , he can hear it across dimensions . Soon after , an intruder alert level 5 goes off in the detention facility . They trigger the end of the VR session and Starkey turns to see the Jixen enter his cell . After he is again sprayed with the Jixen ' s mucus , a CCPC enters and is attacked by the Jixen . This allows Starkey to escape . Back at Gryffen ' s lab , Darius is tuning up Mariah , the professor ' s antique car . As Darius and the Professor discuss K9 and letting him stay there , Starkey enters the lab , covered with Jixen mucus . K9 ' s still - repairing systems identify him as a Jixen warrior . Only the professor ' s protestations and Starkey ' s repeating some of the first words he said to K9 cause K9 to stop and reconsider his actions . As this crisis is averted , June Turner , Gryffen ' s primary contact with the Department , arrives to discuss the explosion in the lab and the robot " dog " seen in the vicinity . She asks if the professor has seen Starkey since his escape . June makes it clear that capturing the robot " dog " is a Department priority and she expects the Professor to find him and bring him in for study . If he fails or refuses , his funding for the STM project will be ended . It will be dismantled and given to a more co - operative researcher . Gryffen tells her there is no need to do that . After she leaves , Starkey and K9 come out of their hiding place and Starkey thanks Gryffen . After June leaves , Starkey tells Darius that no one has ever stuck up for him like Professor Gryffen has . Darius agrees that the professor is a great guy . Starkey also thanks Darius for not turning him in . Darius tells Starkey there will be other chances . As Jorjie enters , K9 tells her about nearly " neutralising " Starkey . To apologise , K9 gives Starkey a special whistle that will call K9 to wherever Starkey is . Story notes . Production errors . " to be added " Home video releases . This episode is featured in the following DVD sets :