Space: Above and Beyond s01e08 Episode Script

The Enemy

[Glen.]
First Lieutenant Damphousse, Vanessa Camilla Yes.
Lt.
Damphousse, this is a preliminary inquiry.
You have not been formally charged.
We're going to ask you questions to determine if the matter should be pursued.
Yes, sir.
You are suspected of the following offenses: Article 92 of the Uniform Code of MilitaryJustice- failure to obey an order or regulation and Article 99- misbehavior before the enemy.
At this time, Lieutenant, you should know that you have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can be used against you in a military court of law.
You have the right to an attorney which will be appointed for you if so desired.
- Do you understand these rights? - Yes, sir.
And I wish to waive these rights and make a statement.
In regards to Article 99- misconduct before the enemy- [Shane.]
Wild Card to Queen Six.
Requesting coordinates for cargo drop.
[McQueen On Radio.]
Queen Six to Wild Card.
- Drop yone is four klicks from bull's-eye on Vector 0-niner-0.
- Repeat.
Over.
- Bull's-eye is vector 0-niner-0.
- Roger that.
They say this planet didn't have what it took to become a star.
Looks angry about it.
[Paul.]
Visibility's 30 meters on a good day.
Sulfur dioxide atmosphere.
Ground temps average From what I've been told, we should be evacuating troops instead of sendin' 'em supplies.
- What do you hear? - This battle's been going on since the beginning of the war even though a lot of people think there's no strategic value.
One guy told me there's a high rate of M.
I.
A.
s.
I heard friendly fire.
Thousands of casualties, and neither side gains any ground.
It's got some weird hold on the brass.
They call it "Tartarus," the place beyond hell.
All right.
Lose the scuttlebutt.
Grab your gear.
Get ready to unload.
[Weapon Cocks.]
They travel 10 light years in a vacuum, and they're still alive.
Roaches'll outlive us all.
Got to give 'em credit.
I'll give them the back of my steel-reenforced boot.
We're about to touch down.
Go to black? Red.
Go to red.
[Alarm Blaring.]
[Man On Radio.]
Prepare for touchdown in 50 feet.
Forty feet.
Thirty feet.
Twenty feet.
Ten feet.
Five, four, three, two- Let's do it.
- [Man.]
Help.
Help.
- There's a guy out there! - Let me in.
! - There's another one! - Let him in! - Looks like a whole platoon.
- [Man Shouting.]
- [Alarm Blaring.]
- Come on! - [Panting.]
- Come on! - [Gunfire.]
Take cover! Tell the pilot to pull out! - I can't see anything! - [Shane.]
Shut the hatch.
! The flight crew's dead! The two left engines are dust! - There! - [Gunfire Continues.]
- How many Chigs are there? - [Cooper.]
I only see one.
And it ain't a Chig.
- He's one of ours.
- [Shouting.]
I can't get a bead on him.
! Visibility is, like, zero! - Why are we just sitting here? - He's one of ours.
Maybe he thinks we're an enemy ship.
Wang said you can't see.
He gunned down those marines.
They came from his position.
That guy's probably Section Eight.
[McQueen On Radio.]
Queen Six to Ace.
We've established geosynchronous orbit over your position.
Unable to descend due to high wind velocities.
Radio contact diffiicult.
Continue emitting homing beacon every five minutes.
Ace to Queen Six, in contact with friendly fire.
Repeat, friendly fire.
Please advise.
- [Radio Static.]
- [Gunfire Continues.]
I doubt he received transmission.
I'm receiving this guy's transmission, loud and clear.
If this grunt's so far gone to fire on us, I say we put him out of his misery.
We can't kill another marine.
We outnumber him.
We proceed in wedge formation and close in around him.
Right, right.
Contain him and bring him back.
- Roger that? - Fine.
Gear up.
[Gunfire Continues.]
Hawkes, let's move.
All right.
Watch your step.
Oh, God.
This way.
Watch out.
- Look over here.
- [Paul.]
They're all dead.
What the hell happened? God! I count 12 bodies.
[Damphousse.]
God.
Looks like the Chigs had a good day.
Watch your step.
[Distant Voices, Indistinct.]
####[Man Singing, Distant.]
What the hell is that? Where? Who? ####[Continues.]
[Paul.]
Where's it coming from? - [Rattling.]
- ####[Continues.]
[Cooper.]
What the hell is that? Where's that coming from? [Man Shouting, Screaming.]
- [Clattering.]
- [Gasps.]
- [Man.]
Mean as hell.
- [Voice, Indistinct.]
- [Man Shouting.]
- [Gasps.]
- [Man.]
Never, never, never quits.
- Go.
[Man.]
"E"- Every day.
####[Continues.]
## [Ends.]
"M"- Mean as hell.
"A"- All the time.
"R"- Rough and tough.
"L"- In the mud.
"N"- Never quit.
"E"- Every day.
Marine Corps! Whoo-yaah! - [Shouting.]
- Get down.
! - Take cover! Take cover! - [Shouting.]
[Shouting Continues.]
[Damphousse.]
He's out.
! He's out.
! U.
S.
Marines! Drop your weapon! I don't want to kill you! But I want you to, sir! - He said drop it! - Put it down, Lieutenant.
! [Shane.]
Now.
! - How afraid are you? - Pull it together, Marine.
- We're here to help you.
- How afraid are you? There is nothing to be afraid of.
- Myself.
- [Cocks Weapon.]
I'm afraid of myself.
We all are! [Shouting.]
[Shouting Continues.]
[Screaming.]
We never once returned fire.
Did you give the sergeant an opportunity to explain his actions? Sir, you could've given him a light-year and he couldn't have explained his actions.
[Glen.]
Then, Lieutenant, perhaps you could explain yours.
It was the light.
The Chigs have wired this area with buzz beams.
Watch your step.
Move out in the direction you came.
Check your six.
Do it.
[Whiyying, Explosion.]
- [All Screaming.]
- [Whirring.]
What is this? Get back to the ISSCV! Move.
! Move.
! Move.
! What the hell happened out there? It was lightning.
Some kind of volcanic lightning.
I swear I heard a mechanical noise, like it was coming out of a gun.
They were hot.
I felt it through my suit.
My head! It's like a headache, only back here.
- I feel it too.
- I'm burned! Get McQueen on the radio.
Tell him to get in here now! - Joker to Queen Six, respond.
Request immediate evacuation.
- [Static.]
[Typing.]
Blood.
I'm bleeding! What, you've never seen your own blood before? - Get this thing off me.
Get it off! - What's your problem? Blood.
There's blood on the suit.
'Phousse, all this going on, you're afraid of a little blood? Get it off! Get it off! Get it off! Get it off! - Get it off! Get it off! - 'Phousse! - Get it off! - Settle down.
Settle down.
Settle down.
- It's okay.
It's okay.
- What the hell is wrong with me? Easy.
Easy.
Wang's calling McQueen.
We'll be out of here soon.
Wang, what are you doing? What are you doing? It's dead.
I killed it.
That bug's not all that's dead.
- [Electricity Arcing.]
- And I'm not just talkin' about the radio.
That marine was outside, so whatever's affecting us comes from out there.
The lights.
Okay.
- How bad is it? - The control board's cracked.
Without it, the beacon can't go up.
- They're never gonna be able to find us.
- Thanks to you.
If I could get another uplink prom I could jury-rig it enough to restore communication.
The marine at the perimeter, he had a radio on his field pack.
That's right.
A T-1540 L.
O.
S.
Satellite.
There should be a cluster of uplink proms in a compartment in the bottom of the dish.
- We only need one.
- We have to go back out.
If we don't go out, we'll never get out.
The prom looks like this.
You check for the green wires where they cross with the red.
- What are you tellin' me for? - I'm not goin' out there.
What? You got a date or somethin'? There's blood out there.
- What? - If one goes, we all go.
My suit's ripped.
There's no way I can repair it in time.
I need to fix it before we're evacuated.
- I can handle it.
- Okay, let's move.
- Whoa.
Where's your helmet? - It's harder to breathe with it on.
The atmosphere is 80 percent sulfur dioxide.
- You'll be dead in 30 seconds.
- Put it on.
We're goin' out.
[Grunting.]
Dereliction in the performance of duty is grounds for court-martial.
Lt.
Damphousse was the communications offiicer and therefore responsible for the operation and repair of the radio.
- Is that correct? - Yes, sir.
Did she refuse to go outside the ship to facilitate the repair of the radio? Does that accurately describe her actions? It describes her actions, but not her.
Tell us about the bunker.
- It's getting darker.
- Kill the light! - You're makin' us a target! - [Glass Shatters.]
- Next time you turn it on, it's gonna be your head I smash! - Stop! Look out for those mines.
Come on, Wang.
Hurry up.
It's gettin' tough to breathe out here.
- Just give me a minute.
- We don't got a minute, bug man! Shut up! Shut up! He can't see.
He needs light.
We can't see.
No one can function in this darkness but you.
You broke the light, and now it's dark! [Nathan.]
Shane, listen to yourself.
Don't you go on me.
We can't get all weirded out here.
We got to hold it together at least until we get the uplinked prom back to the ship.
- [Woman's Voice, Indistinct.]
- You hear that? - Hear what? - [Woman Crying, Distant.]
Crying.
A girl.
She's in pain.
Crying.
There are hundreds of marines out here.
They're all crying.
She's close.
She's real close to me.
West.
West! Where did he go? West, where the hell did you go? [Crying Continues.]
I'm Nathan West.
I'm with the 58th Squadron.
We're here on a resupply mission.
- [Crying Continues.]
- Do you hear that voice? I hear a lot of voices.
Can you tell me- This battle, those lights- Do you know what's going on here? You shouldn't have to ask.
You've been here before.
Anytime you awake in the dark in a cold sweat moments before, you were here.
Who are you? I'm not me anymore.
The light took me away.
Here the light is an enemy an ally with the darkness.
There's no place to run.
There's no escape.
There are 10,000 battlefields in this place.
I've lost a battle.
I've lost the war.
And you'll lose too.
We almost lost you in the ground fog.
Nathan, what are you doing? [Distant Man's Voice, Indistinct.]
There was a sergeant in here.
He was telling me about those flashes oflight.
I can't see.
- What is he doing? - Don't know.
- But I ain't going in there.
It's too cramped.
- And too dark.
[Nathan.]
Come in here, now.
! If we go together, you'll be all right.
Do you see any roaches? [Shane.]
Oh, my God! Oh! [Cooper.]
Well, what killed 'em? The Chigs? [Nathan.]
Each other.
What is this stuff about remaining silent? Answer the question, Hawkes.
Each of you wrote in your report that 10 trained marines killed each other for no apparent reason.
They had their reasons.
They might not have known 'em and you might not understand it, but they had their reasons.
If you weren't there, how do you know? I was there and I was almost one of them.
That's all, Lieutenant.
He couldn't explain his actions.
"It wasn't her.
I was almost one of them.
" It's like they can't explain what happened down there.
I think it's obvious, Colonel.
They won't explain what happened.
They're covering for Damphousse.
They're covering for each other.
- [Paul.]
They killed each other.
- They killed each other? Are you sure it wasn't the Chigs? No.
This is an M-590 impact wound, fired from point-blank range.
This lieutenant died from multiple stab wounds.
She did it.
K- bar's still in her hand.
He's got the same burns that- Say it, Wang.
That we all have.
I don't mean nothin' by it.
I'm just sayin'- What he's sayin' is that we have to assume we've all been exposed to it.
The sooner we accept it, the sooner we can focus on not giving in to the effects and ending up like them.
All right.
We all got burned by those lights.
- And that's when Damphousse started freakin' out.
- And Wang.
You weren't exactly displaying the nerves of a brain surgeon! Shut up.
! We're all a little scared here.
All right! And we all had headaches in this area.
That's where the amygdala area is.
Come on.
Why do I know I ain't gonna be followin' this real good? It's a collection of neurons that houses fear memories.
Injections in that area decreased posttraumatic stress in A.
I.
War veterans.
Now, I swear I heard an electronic pop before the flashes, like a bomb.
What if the Chigs have developed a weapon that could effect the area of the brain that houses fear memories? It would increase our phobias to the point of complete incapacitation.
An electronic nerve gas that causes us to turn on each other.
Well, why not just carpet bomb the area? Why bother investing troops into battle when you've got a weapon that causes the enemy to turn on itself? Can you imagine a large-scale weapon like that deployed over New York or Los Angeles? Actually, you might not be able to tell any difference.
The Chigs must know fear.
Right.
How can you take advantage of a weakness unless you know the power in using it? The Chigs must know us.
If the pain in the area has decreased, then maybe it wears off.
Yeah, might.
But our resistance would be lower if we get hit again.
- Our fears will intensify.
There it is.
- [Explosion.]
[Shane.]
If we go out, we could get hit by those lights.
We've got to go back out.
We have to fix the radio to get the hell out ofhere.
[Paul.]
And we've got to get back to Damphousse.
Okay.
All right.
But if we get hit, we have to get each other through.
The only way we're gonna be able to get through that fear is if we acknowledge it.
But this thing, it's beyond fear.
[Liquid Dripping.]
[Dripping Continues.]
[Dripping Continues.]
[Yells.]
[Dripping Continues.]
[Glen.]
First Lt.
Vansen Shane Autumn, 5605103184.
You were the commanding officer of the supply mission.
- Yes, sir.
- Did you give Lt.
Damphousse an order to repair the radio? - Yes, sir.
- Did she willfully disobey that order? - Yes, sir.
- Was she physically incapable of executing the order? No more than the rest of us.
So, by your own words, Lt.
Vansen Lt.
Damphousse was derelict in her duties.
No, sir.
Lt.
Vansen, you are contradicting your testimony.
May I warn you that as commanding officer you may be held accountable for the actions of your subordinates.
Look- Sirs, I know that the point of all this is to get us to turn on one another but you are wasting your time.
- How's that, Lieutenant? - Because we already have.
[Shane.]
It's so dark out here.
[Paul.]
Hang in there, Shane.
[Nathan.]
The ISSCV should only be - Keep goin'.
- [Click.]
[Cooper.]
Do you hear that? I heard a click! Nobody move.
One of us stepped on a buzz beam.
It's me.
- Don't move.
- Oh, damn.
And I was just about to start doing the hustle.
- What do we do? - Shane, you got a field mirror? Oh, yeah.
I could use a touch-up just before being shredded into pieces.
We can deflect the beam.
Okay, left thigh pocket.
- What are you doing? - I'm trying to find the precise angle.
If it's a right angle, it deflects the beam down, not up, right? - Up, not down.
- Down is up.
Up is down.
- Oh, God.
- Ain't physics a bitch? Yeah, ain't it though? - It's getting darker.
- Stay with us, Shane.
Don't go off.
When Wang says "now," you go.
Almost.
Almost.
[Screaming.]
- Just get it off! - Don't move! - Get it off! Get it off! [Screaming Continues.]
- Hang on.
- Almost got it.
Okay, go! - [Paul Sobbing.]
- Get it off! - [Whirring.]
[All Screaming, Shouting.]
[Whirring Continues.]
- Come on.
Get back.
- [Shouting.]
Where is it? Use your cover! Use your cover! - [Woman's Voice.]
Nathan, find me.
- Get in here.
[Grunts.]
- I have to go back out.
I have to help her.
- Shut up! - [Door Closing.]
- [Shouting.]
- [Grunts.]
- It opens from the inside.
- Damphousse, open the door! - This ain't gonna happen.
Vanessa, open the door! - Damphousse, open the door! - I can't! You have to understand, I can't go into the room.
- Damphousse, open the damn door! - [Damphousse, Indistinct.]
- Come on! Open the damn door! - I can't.
Open the door! [Groaning.]
I know what we said out there.
I'm sorry.
But unless this door's opened, I'm gonna start throwin' out bodies! [Paul.]
This should hot-wire the door.
[Door Unlocks.]
Don't make me go in there.
- Vanessa, put it down! - Damphousse! I'm not goin' in there! - Don't do it, 'Phousse! - This is not us! There's a weapon.
We're all effected.
It's hard, but keep your head.
I have the part.
We need you to fix the radio so we can get out.
- There's blood on the floor.
- Fix the radio! Listen! Listen! Understand, I love you but if any of you try to make me go in there, I'll have to kill you! Fix the radio, or there's gonna be blood on the floor where you're standin'.
Stop this! Stop! This is not us! Now, if we do this, the Chigs win.
We can beat them.
Now, put down the guns.
All of us.
Vanessa, what if we cleaned it up? - I'll know it had been there.
I'm not goin' in.
- Okay.
But I'll talk Shane through fixing the radio.
- Okay, put down your gun.
- When McQueen evacuates us.
If McQueen evacuates us.
! - Shane! - I can't fix the radio if I can't see.
I'll turn on the lights.
Now, put down your gun.
I'm not turning over my gun when one is pointed at me! - Me neither! - I'm not only not giving mine up- - Cross this line, and you die.
- [Foot Scraping.]
So much for workin' together.
- Go to the radio.
Go! - Wang, the lights.
No.
That's a great space for roaches to hide.
Remove the control board panel.
In the upper left-hand corner, there's a blue plastic chip.
That's the frequency converter.
Beneath it, there's an uplink prom.
Replace it.
Increase the frequency range to 52.
1 gigaherty.
- [Whirring.]
- Okay.
Okay.
- Queen of Diamonds to Queen Six.
Come in, Queen Six.
- [Static.]
Turn on the beacon.
[Beeping.]
Queen of Diamonds to Queen Six.
Request immediate evacuation.
[Digital Beeping.]
What are you doin'? Get back to the radio.
That sounded like an A.
I.
Transmission.
It was dark the night they killed my parents.
Dark.
Just dark.
Dark.
L- I could never lose that fear.
I could never lose that fear.
Oh, I can't.
L- I can't.
Shane, there's nothin' there.
Nothin: Nothin: It's just static.
You're telling me it's nothing? Don't tell me it's nothing! You're hearing your dead girlfriend's voice! - [Gunfire.]
- [Shouting.]
- Hold your fire! - It's just a bug! Just a bug? Just a bug? No.
! No.
! When I was a kid growin' up in that hellhole when I'd wake up, I'd see 'em on my pillow and on my face! I'm not goin'back there, man.
I'm not ever goin' back there, man! - So don't tell me it's just a bug, man.
- Get back.
Oh, are you feeling a little closed in? Get away.
I may have come into life in a box but I will make sure you go out in one.
Sayonara, baby.
[Groans.]
Stop it! Guys, this is not us! - They're making this happen.
- Make 'em stop.
Why don't you come in here and make 'em stop? [Blows Landing.]
It's just blood.
It won't hurt you.
- [Rumbling.]
- [Cooper.]
Chigs.
! [McQueen On Radio.]
Wild Card, this is Queen Six.
Wild Cards, come in.
- Come in, Queen Six.
- [McQueen.]
Where the hell have you been? We lost your beacon two hours ago.
We need immediate evacuation.
[McQueen.]
Roger that.
We're out here waiting for you of your position.
- That's across the minefield.
- You're across a minefield.
It's the only spot to set a vehicle down.
Now, let's move.
! The weather gives us about a five-minute launch window.
And, uh, watch your step.
- We can't handle that.
- What if we get hit by the lights? The minefield's only We felt the effects wear offbefore.
If we get out, we make it across, we don't get hit by the lights again we'll be okay.
Let's hold it together.
It'll be all right.
'Phousse, come on.
Come on, 'Phousse.
Let's go.
Come on, Damphousse.
The transport is here.
Let's go.
You can do it.
You can do it.
Let's go.
You're a marine.
[Yelling.]
Vanessa, don't! [Whizzing, Explosion.]
[Whirring.]
[Yelling.]
Hawkes! - We've gotta get through this! - Get his head! - Get his arms.
- [Cooper.]
No.
No.
We gotta get through this.
Keep it together, man.
- ## [Singing.]
- Stop! Stop, man! ## [Continues.]
A single line.
Step in Paul's tracks.
## [Ends.]
"M"! Mean as hell! - "A"! - For all the time! - "R"! - Rough and tough! - "L"! - [All.]
In the mud! - "N':! - [All.]
Never quit! - "E':! - [All.]
Every day! - "S"! - [All.]
Semper fi! Semper fi.
! Semper fi.
! Semper fi.
! Semper fi.
! - Colonel McQueen! - Help the others.
- [Distant Female Voice, Indistinct.]
- West! West! West! West! - Vansen, get back here! - [Voice Continues.]
- Tell the pilot to give us 30 seconds.
- Yes, sir.
[Voice Continues.]
Nathan, stop.
What are you doing? I'm- I'm afraid that I won't find her- that I'll fail.
Hey, it's not her.
It's not, Nathan.
The light's telling you that.
It's not you.
You-You know you'll find her.
Come on.
It's gonna be okay.
Come on.
- Let's go! Let's go! - Vansen, West, get in here! - Come on.
- Let's go.
Let's go! [Thrusters Rewing.]
- Queen Six to Home Base.
- [Man On Radio.]
Queen Six.
Go ahead.
- We're coming home.
- Roger that.
[Sighs.]
- They're gonna get me.
- Then they should get all of us.
Look, we all told them about the lights.
We've all got these burns, physical evidence.
They've gotta believe us.
If they believed us, there wouldn't have been an inquiry in the first place.
Look, it's what each of us didn't tell them.
That'll make the difference.
Whatever happens, I want you guys to remember that when we were in the thick Paul kept saying it- "This isn't us.
" But there was that small part that was us that kept us alive.
[Knocks.]
The inquiry panel has voted against any further investigation.
- They won't pursue charges.
- So, did you believe us? We believe you were subjected to an unknown Chig weapon.
If we've learned anything in this war it's that the enemy down there is capable of anything.
Get some rest.
You earned it.
Thanks.
They enemy was down there but it wasn't the Chigs.
[Man.]
Watch your hands.
Watch your hands.

Previous EpisodeNext Episode