Sina Najafi

Part 1 of 2. Daniel Graystone, a computer engineering genius, owns a large corporation that is spearheading the development of artificial intelligence. His unwavering professional pursuits are driven to extreme measures when personal tragedy strikes him and his wife Amanda: their strong-willed daughter Zoe dies in a terrorist bombing fueled by an underground religious dogma. Unbeknownst to her parents, the teenager had been dabbling in these radical teachings, which were secretly propagated by her school’s headmistress, Sister Clarice Willow. Also living on Caprica but deeply entrenched in a cultural heritage that sets them apart from the rest of civilization, is the Adama clan, helmed by Joseph Adama, a renowned criminal defense attorney - with questionable ties and sometimes-devious methods - and father to William and Tamara. When Joseph’s wife and daughter perish in the same attack that befell Zoe Graystone, Joseph’s path crosses Daniel’s, and the two become united in their grief. Soon, Daniel lets Joseph in on a sinister secret: Zoe, a computer genius in her own right, had been experimenting with perilous virtual reality technology along with her friend Lacy, and created a life-like avatar of herself, a perfect digital copy. Obsessed with the possibility of seeing his daughter again, and preying on Joseph’s shared emotions, Daniel implores his new confidante to help make Zoe’s vision a reality. Appalled by the ethical implications of recreating a soul, but aching to bring his own daughter back to life, Joseph complies...and the fate of the human race is altered forever.

In the wake of the MagLev bombing that killed his daughter, Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) plunges himself into work. He tries to figure out why he can only create a single intelligent robot, not understanding that the answer lies within the fact that part of his daughter survived the explosion and is closer to him than he could imagine. Consumed with grief, Amanda Graystone (Paula Malcomson) is obsessed with discovering who her daughter really was, and slowly begins piecing together the details of Zoe’s life. Zoe (Alessandra Torresani), trapped in the robot body, turns to her friend Lacy (Magda Apanowicz) for help. At the same time, Headmistress Clarice Willow (Polly Walker) - a secret member of the shadowy "Soldiers of the One" terrorist group - is also focused on Lacy, putting the girl under pressure from all sides. In the episode's culmination, at a memorial service for the victims of the train disaster, Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) confronts Daniel about the loss of his own daughter. Before they can come to an understanding, they are interrupted by a stunning public announcement from Amanda Graystone, who has become convinced that her daughter Zoe was to blame for the terrorist action.

Following Amanda's (Paula Malcomson) public revelation that their daughter was responsible for the MagLev tragedy, the Graystones must face the wrath of angry Capricans. For Daniel (Eric Stoltz) this includes a confrontation with Sam (Sasha Roiz) and Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) in which Joseph demands that Daniel reunite him with his daughter's avatar -- the essence of his daughter Tamara (Genevieve Buechner), living on in virtual space. Daniel also realizes he can't deal with his grief in private -- this is all going to play out on a public stage. At the same time, Zoe Graystone (Alessandra Torresani) adjusts to living life in a robot. She hopes her friend Lacy (Magda Apanowicz) will help her escape to another planet -- neighboring Gemenon. Lacy is concerned, however, that she is rousing the suspicions of headmistress (and STO leader) Clarice Willow (Polly Walker). While in V-World, the girls meet a frightened Tamara Adama who doesn't understand what she is or how she came to be here. At the Global Defense Department, Agents Duram (Brian Markinson) and Youngblood escalate their efforts to track down the terrorist group responsible for the bombing.

The avatar of Tamara Adama wanders V-World, scared, lost, and unaware that she died nearly a month ago in the MagLev bombing. Falling in with a group of gamers, Tamara discovers a new side to V-World -- New Cap City, a place where people live random lives of violence and crime in search of the game’s elusive meaning. Forced into aiding a digital crime spree, Tamara befriends a young gamer, until she discovers a devastating secret that threatens everything she knows. Joseph, realizing he hasn’'t been emotionally present for Willie’s grief, tries an impromptu fishing trip to bond with his son. The trip reveals new layers of torment for Willie and leading Joseph to the conclusion that, for both their sakes, he may need his Tauron roots more than he realized. Daniel, after his public promise to forgo future holoband profits, finds himself fighting for his professional life.

Rival industrialist Tomas Vergis arrives on Caprica demanding a meeting with Daniel, threatening to reveal proof that Daniel stole the chip that is key to the U-87 Cylon, and Graystone's military contract. Vergis whirls up a publicity storm that steals the heart of the Caprican public, and surprisingly serves up a friendly offer to Daniel that could save Graystone Industries. But there's a catch to his proposal that could haunt Daniel for years to come. Clarice, panicked that off-world STO leadership has been backing a rogue named Barnabas, steps up her plans to acquire Zoe's avatar program and may find her answer through befriending Amanda. Meanwhile, wanting to fulfill her own promise to Zoe, Lacy goes with Keon to meet the enigmatic Barnabas, opening herself up to a new world of danger. After the revelation that the avatar of his daughter Tamara is still lost in V-World, Joseph starts his quest to find her in a virtual world he knows nothing about.