“A Test of Time” is episode five of season one of Continuum.
In the previous episode, “Matter of Time”, the remaining members of Liber8 had teamed up with their leader, Edouard Kagame, even though Kiera had arrived on the scene at the same time. By Liber8 threatening to kill a baby unless she let Kagame go. Going by a flashback, it seems that Kagame was once opposed to violence, so he has changed a lot. Cameron has also finally met Alec in person, when he broke into her empty hotel room – perhaps not the smartest thing to do to someone you know is armed. Alec thinks he may able to fix the damage that Kiera’s suit suffered in “Fast Times”.
This episode opens once again in the future with Cameron and some other Protectors in an aircraft looking for a high value target that Liber8 is planning to hit. Kiera is worried that Sadtech, and her husband as a side effect, may be the target. There’s an explosion in a building near to them which damages their craft – the target was a Sadtech warehouse.
Kagame has decided to alter their plans, due to the presence of Cameron. He plans to undermine the Corporate Congress in the present (past?) before it is formed by recruiting new members, and without using violence as a first resort. Kagame plans to use strategy and knowledge to secure their future. He also seems to be making subtle digs at Travis’ leadership in his absence. Kagame plans to attack Kiera, but not the way she expects. Travis finds and kills a woman whilst Garza keeps an eye on Cameron. Nothing happens to Kiera.
The next day, Carlos comments that Kiera seems different, and Alec agrees with him (not that Carlos knows this) – her behaviour has changed since her suit was damaged. Less future cop according to Alec. Then she sees the report of the woman who was killed last night by Travis. Kiera tells Carlos that the woman – Lily Jones – has the same name as a witness in a case being built against Liber8, but she recanted her testimony and ran. This is obviously not true. What is actually the case is that the dead woman shares the same name as Kiera’s grandmother. Liber8 are targeting Cameron’s ancestors so that she won’t be born.
Kellog turns up at Liber8’s new base – bearing gifts. He says that he doesn’t bear any hard feelings against Travis’ attempt to kill him. Kagame says that Liber8 never attacks their own. One of the gifts he brings is money. Kellog looks to be spying on Liber8, for after the meeting he sends a text message to Kiera saying that they need to meet. Kellog confirms that Liber8 is after her grandmother. Kiera had threatened Lucas’ grandparents, so Kagame is using Kiera as an experiment to see if they are actually vulnerable if their ancestors are killed. And it makes sense trying it on an enemy rather than on one of your own.
Given that Cameron was not that important in the future, the question is how did Kagame even know her grandmother’s name? Kellog says that the guards were in on the escape – and that he doesn’t know how far the conspiracy went. With older-Alec by all appearances knowing what was going to happen in “A Stitch in Time”, it’s entirely possible he was in on it so that events in the past unfolded as he remembered them. This is perhaps something for the future (or past?).
Carlos is rounding up all the Lily Joneses in the area but Sonya gets a sample of Kiera’s blood, and therefore DNA – by stabbing her – so that Liber8 can go after the right Lily Jones rather than killing them all randomly, which Kagame doesn’t want. Sonya, however, suggests killing them and then checking the DNA.
When Kiera finds the Lily Jones who is her grandmother, said individual is perhaps not quite what she was expecting.
Things start to get more complex as other people’s ancestors get dragged in.