Andromeda s03e12 Episode Script

The Dark Backward

intruder alert.
code red.
intruder alert.
officers down.
intruder alert.
intruder alert.
code red.
intruder alert.
code red.
intruder alert.
officers down.
code red.
code red.
[ alarm blaring .]
okay.
that did not work.
the universe is a dangerous place, but in our future, my crew and i fight to make it safe.
i am dylan hunt, captain of theandromeda ascendant, and these are our adventures.
let's try again.
well? well what? i have been tweaking the bio-feedback on the navigational control.
did you notice how much smoother the ride was? oops.
i noticed that.
yeah.
captain, i'm detecting an object to starboard.
three meters long, distance, 15 Is and closing, speed, 50 psl.
that's a sneaky object.
and fast.
andromeda, define "object.
" is this an asteroid, a comet, what? unknown.
it is non-responsive to hails and exhibiting hostile behavior.
it's on an intercept course.
if this thing hits us at that speed evasive maneuvers.
ecm to maximum.
[ alarm sounding .]
no good, it's still gaining.
you're kidding.
all right.
defensive missiles, tubes one through five.
pdls on standby.
is that really necessary? it's chasing us.
that is rude.
let's teach it some manners.
if you please, sir, the target is locked.
thank you, rommie.
fire.
the missiles have intercepted the target, and the target is still there.
we missed.
i didn't miss.
the missiles intercepted the target and then kept going, as if it was never even there in the first place, and now it's gone completely.
uh, guys, did we invite any guests onboard recently? not again.
because i've got one standing right in front of me.
about eight-foot-12, not much into conversation.
hey, whoa, whoa hey, i just got that fixed.
harper, back off.
security force is on its way.
let them handle the intruder.
all right.
make sure you tell them to use excessive force.
dylan, please, it's incredibly dangerous.
we have to stop it.
trust me.
tyr, meet with the security team on deck 12.
"trust me" dylan yeah.
i've got something weird here.
beka! why come here to kill beka? does it know that she's the one, or is it just making calculations? let's find out.
beka! dylan yeah.
i've got something weird here.
uh, guys, did we invite any guests onboard recently? and now the target is gone completely.
fire.
i'm detecting an object to starboard.
captain, i'm detecting an object to starboard.
three meters long, distance, 15 Is and closing, speed, 50 psl.
that's a sneaky object.
and fast.
andromeda, define "object.
" is this an asteroid, a comet, what? unknown.
it is non-responsive to hails and exhibiting hostile behavior.
it's on an intercept course.
evasive maneuvers.
ecm to maximum.
[ alarm sounding .]
no good, it's still gaining.
okay.
defensive missiles, tubes one through five.
pdls on standby.
fire.
the missiles have intercepted the target, and the target is still there and now, it's gone completely.
uh, guys, did we invite any guests onboard recently? because i've got one standing right in front of me.
not again.
hey, hey, leave that alone.
i just got that fixed.
harper, back off.
security is on the way.
let them handle the intruder.
maybe we should step back, give it some space.
i'll agree.
we have no idea what it will do next.
we might wait.
and let it do god knows what to our internal systems? i don't think so.
tyr, meet with the security team on deck 12.
that's a plan as well.
harper, hold your position.
security's on the way.
make sure you tell them to use excessive force.
andromeda, any luck analyzing our intruder? i'm sorry, dylan.
my internal sensors are returning the same infeasible target solutions.
it doesn't make any sense.
that thing is either here or it's not.
it can't be both.
keep trying.
oh, for pete's sake all right.
harper, what's going on down there? mr.
harper.
tyr, report.
rommie, get that transmission back.
just kidding? hold it.
dylan yeah.
i've got something weird here.
beka, get down! tyr, get back up here.
right.
time to pick on somebody your own size.
tyr, switch to plasma bursts.
beka, you okay? yeah.
swell.
dylan i'm afraid i have bad news.
harper he is still alive, but i'm afraid there is little i can do.
understood.
i've seen harper through some pretty bad scrapes, but that it wasn't supposed to be like this.
i've lost crew before.
i still have nightmares about the day vexpak died.
somehow, this is different.
well, harper is still alive.
i haven't given up on him yet, and neither should you.
i know, but i just i can't get over the feeling that it should be me on that table, not him.
there's a way that this won't happen to any of you.
i've been analyzing the micro-fragments from our intruder, and what i've found is well, it's weird.
define "weird.
" well, for starters, this armor is ancient.
my best estimate is that it's over so this thing has been running around since before the birth of the old commonwealth? not quite, which brings us to the weird part- these fragments are getting younger by the second.
they appear to be moving backward through time.
well, that's not weird, that's impossible.
could you have made a mistake? no.
okay, smarty-chips, say you're right.
say this thing is moving through time in reverse.
what do we do now? that's the problem- it knows what we're going to do before we do it.
harper's vital signs are becoming unstable.
no.
harper, no.
respiratory failure.
cardiovascular failure.
no, please! harper is dead.
no! harper's vital signs are becoming unstable.
no.
respiratory failure.
respiratory failure.
harper's vital signs are becoming unstable.
cardiovascular failure.
cardiovascular failure.
no! harper is dead.
harper is dead.
harper is dead.
no! no! no! no.
i can't save you, i can't.
i can't save you.
no! harper no no, no! say this thing is moving through time in reverse it knows what we're going to do before we do it beka, get down! it doesn't make any sense.
that thing is either here or it's not.
just kidding? fire.
i'm detecting an object to starboard.
captain, i'm detecting an object to starboard.
three meters long, distance, 15 Is and closing, speed, 50 psl.
that's one sneaky object.
and fast.
andromeda, define "object.
" is this an asteroid, a comet, what? unknown.
it is non-responsive to hails and exhibiting hostile behavior.
it's on an intercept course.
okay.
defensive missiles, tubes one through five, pdls on standby.
fire.
the missiles have intercepted the target, and the target is still there and now, it's gone completely.
uh, guys, did we invite any guests onboard recently? hey, hey, whoa, i just got that fixed.
harper, back off.
security's on the way.
let them handle the intruder.
harper, no.
just get out of there.
trance, what- you heard the lady, mr.
harper.
get your butt out of there.
the intruder is systematically shutting down my diagnostic sensors, and not just on deck 12.
i've got blind spots all over the ship, mainly in sensitive areas.
that thing is making one hell of a mess.
it's actively covering its tracks.
now we'll have to uncover them the hard way.
tyr.
dispose of our intruder by any means necessary.
[ cracks .]
maintain fire discipline, and control your- do you think you're the first one to try and kill me? you'll have to work harder.
god help him.
the intruder has appeared in the slipstream core.
it's slaughtering the crew and overriding the core systems.
i- no! it's actively covering its tracks.
now we'll have to uncover them.
trance, what- harper, no.
just get out of there.
uh did we invite any guests onboard recently? i'm detecting an object to starboard.
captain, i'm detecting an object to starboard.
three meters long, distance, 15 Is and closing, speed, 50 psl.
that's one sneaky object.
and fast.
andromeda, define "object.
" is this an asteroid, a comet, what? unknown.
it is non-responsive to hails and exhibiting hostile behavior.
it's on an intercept course.
if that thing hits us at that speed evasive maneuvers.
ecm to maximum.
no good, it's still gaining.
defensive missiles, tubes one through five, pdls on standby.
you're wasting your time.
all right, trance.
no games, no riddles, no cryptic hints from possible futures.
tell me what you know.
that thing out there wants to kill us, and nothing you can do will destroy it, believe me.
now, i don't know what this creature is or why it is doing this, but i do know that it can tesseract through space, and move backwards in time, so that it knows our next move before we even make it.
now, all i can tell you is to get harper out of there, get beka to move away from that pilot's station, and to tell everyone onboard to set their force lances to full plasma blast, because that is the only thing that will even begin to slow this thing down.
that's all i know.
thank you, trance.
that was admirably straightforward.
beka? uh, guys, did we invite any guests onboard recently? because i've got one standing right next to me.
about eight-foot-12, not much into conversation.
hey, hey, hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, i just got that fixed.
intruder alert.
crew down on the command deck.
intruder alert.
crew down on deck 12.
intruder last seen on deck 16.
[ beka .]
:attention, all hands.
form squads and attack the intruder.
too late.
[ andromeda .]
:intruder alert.
intruder in the slipstream core.
evacuate.
warning.
exotic matter pulser has been activated.
uncontrolled slipstream event in progress.
[ beka .]
:all hands, abandon hope.
harper.
i just don't see any other way.
too late.
that's all i know.
uh, guys? did we invite any guests onboard recently? because i've got one standing right in front of me, about eight-foot-12, not much into conversation.
hey, hey, leave that alone.
i just got that fixed.
harper, back off.
security's on the way.
let them handle the intruder.
if there was any other way but i still don't see it.
oh, for pete's sake all right.
just kidding? if i had more time, i i just don't see it.
all i can see is death.
no.
harper's vital signs are becoming unstable.
respiratory failure.
no cardiovascular failure.
no! i'm sorry, trance.
harper is dead.
harper i'm so sorry i'm so sorry.
i can't believe he's gone.
poor harper tell me that this all works out okay, trance, that it means something in the end.
i wish i could do that, but i can't.
it's from the future.
that's all i can say.
how do you live with it? live with what? choosing one life over another.
i know i've done it before, dylan, but never when the loss of life has really just killed me inside.
this is tearing me apart.
we control our own choices, trance.
nothing else.
the rest the rest is fate.
it appears that the creature has resumed its sabotage of the ship.
all hands, this is the captain.
code black.
battle stations.
just because we can't see it doesn't mean it's not there.
keep scanning.
okay, that's it, i'm doing this in person.
beka, it would be safer if you stayed.
trust me.
status? we've got something, deck 40, section seven.
tyr, talk to me.
moving into position and awaiting orders.
[ dylan .]
:stand by.
trance? if there's anything i need to know, now is the time.
fine.
tyr, secure slipstream core.
i'm about to make our visitor reappear.
go.
the core appears to be unthreatened.
go away.
clear the deck.
acknowledged.
captain valentine, what is our distance to the nearest slip-point? uh seven light-seconds.
why? andromeda, count it down for me.
prepare to open a portal on zero.
acknowledged.
um, excuse me, but we think this thing is messing with our slipstream drive, right? yes.
well, now we're going to slipstream.
that's the plan.
am i the only one who sees a problem with this? a problem? a problem.
like, fiery screaming death.
that would be a problem.
four light-seconds.
just checking.
for old time's sake.
zero.
initiating slipstream event.
we're not dead.
don't be so surprised.
all right, we have an intruder.
really? onscreen.
it's not tesseracting.
maybe it can't.
the slipstream space and time don't mean much here.
there's no place for our friend to go to.
he is stuck with us.
um, he's not the only guy who doesn't know where he's going.
whatever he did to our biometric feedback relays, we're flying blind.
no, we aren't.
i have you.
themaru.
that's right.
tow theandromeda out of slipstream, only on my command.
okay.
all right, don't hold back.
plasma bursts, now.
you, go.
i won't ask you a second time.
tyr it's opening up a slip-portal inside theandromeda.
we'll be destroyed.
beka think good thoughts and i'll have us out of here before you know it.
it's going to be a bumpy ride, so stay sharp.
i'm about to eject the exotic matter pulser.
what's that? you say you've gone totally nuts? it's the only way to stop it.
without the pulser, he can't overload the core.
captain, the slipstream event sequence is not complete.
you have time to stop it, but you'll have to go to the core, as i've lost control of that part of the ship.
captain, we appear to be in the clear.
tyr stopped the overload sequence.
we appear to be in the clear.
where there's life, there's hope if you want to kill me, i'd prefer you give it some real effort and stop wasting my time.
warning.
uncontrolled slipstream event in progress.
that was it.
the last scenario.
our last hope, and we failed.
oh, i wish i had more time.
if only i had more time, to find that perfect possible future all i have is reality, and reality is never perfect.
there is one more way, one true thing to trust.
dylan.
i'm about to eject the exotic matter pulser.
it's the only way to stop it.
it's not tesseracting.
the slipstream space and time don't mean much here.
there's no place for our friend to go to.
initiating slipstream event.
trance, if there's anything i need to know, now is the time.
i'm detecting an object to starboard.
evasive maneuvers.
ecm to maximum.
no good, it's still gaining.
you're kidding.
all right.
defensive missiles, tubes one through five, pdls on standby.
is that really necessary? well, it's chasing us, and that is rude.
let's teach it some manners.
if you please, sir, the target is locked.
thank you, rommie.
fire.
missiles have intercepted the target, and the target is still there.
we missed? i didn't miss.
the missiles intercepted the target and then kept going, as if it was never even there in the first place and now the target is gone completely.
dylan please, it is extremely dangerous.
we have to avoid any confrontations between this creature and the crew.
trust me.
can't shoot it, can't shake it.
fine.
take us to slipstream.
slipstream, here we come.
there.
see how easy that is? problem solved.
dylan, we have a problem.
what, another one? there's an intruder in the slipstream core, and it's killing people.
the intruder is attempting to initiate an overload in the core.
we'll be destroyed.
tell harper to try and reverse it.
beka, you have the conn.
the rest of you, stay at your posts and await orders.
harper, i'm heading for the core.
if you can't stop the overload, i'm going to have to eject the pulser.
yeah, i'm doing what i can, but this thing works faster than a mobian pleasure-bot, which, let me tell you, is fast- a little too fast, if you know what i- harper, concentrate.
right.
concentrating.
ah, no good.
i'm locked out of the slipstream core's control systems.
i can't do anything from here.
that's not very good news.
yeah? well, uh, how about this? even if i were in the core, i couldn't stop the overload sequence.
it's too far gone.
i figure in about less than a minute, we're all going to take a slip-route to the pearly gates.
you did what you could, and now i'll do what i can.
dylan, what are you doing? you know what i'm doing.
you'll be killed.
it's not like we have a lot of options, andromeda.
i have to do this.
dylan, the core will not eject.
the intruder has overridden all manual systems.
this is going to be ugly, but you know what they say "any slip you can walk away from is a good one.
" didn't i order you to stay on the command deck? yes.
well, thank you for completely disobeying me.
oh, i'm having a really bad day.
the intruder has appeared off our starboard bow.
it's vectoring away from us.
it's gone.
for good, i think.
how can you be sure? because, from its perspective, it still hasn't found us yet.
excuse me? it's a long story.
i can't wait to hear it.
so, you experience a million possible futures in the time it takes me to blink my eyes, and each one of them looks, feels, sounds, smells, and tastes as real as the conversation we're having right here, right now? in a word, yes.
wow.
all right, here's my question.
if that's true, if each one of those futures is indistinguishable from each other and from reality on a quantum level trance, how do you know that any of this is real? i don't.

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