Another Life (2019) s01e07 Episode Script

1 [INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
[ERIK MUTTERING.]
Do you always mumble like that? Or is it, like, a condition? All natural.
Marcus, chromaticity space? All done.
Mapped it out like you asked.
See? Great.
Uh, before I get into this, double check the numbers for me.
Nothin' personal.
It's just how we do things around here.
Oh, my God - Excuse me.
Erik Wallace? - That's me.
I swear to God, this office burns through an old growth daily.
- Egan Harrison, Secretary of Defense.
- Ah.
Mister Secretary.
Sorry, I got too many things on my mind, too much crap on my desk.
Uh this is Marcus, - and this is Singh.
- How do you do? And your son Sasha is on the Salvare with my wife.
He is.
I hope she's keeping him on his toes and not the other way round.
- Right.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Why don't you and I go for a walk? I feel like stretching my legs.
Uh yeah.
The kid in there Marcus? He's the brains behind the whole puzzle? Yeah, he recognized the pattern of gaps in the puzzle as being RGB hex code for white.
I know.
So explain this to me.
The idea is you shine a bunch of big bright lights at the Artifact? No, no, it's not as simple as that.
Marcus figured out where to place lights on the Artifact's upper structure.
So you do that and then what? You know, I'm not exactly a hundred percent sure.
We think it might be a key made of light that'll fit into their lock, like an answer to their question.
More call-and-response? Not really.
The next level of their puzzle.
I'm gonna go run some more simulations.
Why bother with simulations when you can work on the real thing? Light show starts at sundown.
Huh.
[MUTTERS.]
[MUTTERS.]
And then what? Ready? As ready as we can be.
Cut the work lights.
All right, firing up lamps one and two.
Jesus, it's working.
Here come the next two.
[HUMMING.]
Last one.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
- Velazquez, get the soldiers in position.
- Wait.
Wait.
.
- Hold on.
- Team A, secure the perimeter.
- Wait - Team C, fall back to checkpoint two.
Wait.
[HUMMING.]
[RUMBLING.]
[HUMMING.]
Holy shit.
It's ready to talk.
Is anyone gonna tell me what's going on out there? This is ridiculous.
Let me out! Who the fuck do you think you are, keeping me locked in here like some type of criminal? I don't know what America you were born in, but freedom of the press is back in style.
We are not going back to the old ways, and neither are my 250 million followers.
Nice to finally meet you, Harper Glass.
Where's General Dubois? General Dubois has been transferred.
Too many security breaches.
Have a seat.
Are you gonna call my lawyer, or am I? You started out as an embedded journalist during the war in New China province? I was a junior reporter.
You say "reporter," I say "fact checker.
" Yeah, well, everybody has to start somewhere.
Yeah, well, you were going nowhere until you broke a story about a refugee camp.
A solid piece of reporting another journalist had been working on days before he was blown to bits.
It was my story.
Perception, however, is, um fragile, wouldn't you say? Public perception? Very fragile.
You ever met my son Sasha? Once or twice.
Must be tough not knowing if he's still alive.
It was his idea to go on the Salvare, put his life on the line for his country.
- Were you aware of that? - Go out into space some rich kid.
Come back a hero.
It's good way to get in the White House.
Where he belongs.
But there are some people out there who are convinced that I'm the one pulling all the strings, when, really, the story should be all about him.
Ah.
You think I would compromise my reputation to push your political goals on my followers? Here's the thing about the truth, Harper.
It has an annoying way of getting lost in the shuffle.
Think about it.
Let me know if we can make your stay more comfortable.
[HUMMING.]
Look at you, playing with all your toys.
I was wondering when you'd show up.
Where you been hidin'? So, you did miss me.
Well, it's unlike Harper Glass to miss the story of the century.
Yeah, well I got tripped up in some red tape.
Oh, you met the new boss, huh? So, you're sending in a drone.
Are we about ready to go here? Yeah.
We were just waiting for you.
All right.
All right.
Final systems check.
All clear.
Check.
Let's go take a look.
All right.
[BUZZING.]
Okay.
All right, let's see what you're hidin'.
- What's goin' on? - Get the monitor back on.
- I'm trying.
It's not responding.
- Send in another drone.
- All I've got is signal loss.
- Guys, I've got a video signal.
- Sorry, camera's fried.
- No.
Wait, wh-what's that? Top right-hand corner? Oh, we got company.
Holy shit.
Is that really him? Is that my son? [NIKO.]
Lucky us.
We get to see what happens to a ship.
[MAN.]
We have a few days before we enter, right? [NIKO.]
Yeah.
Why are you asking? [BEAUCHAMP.]
I could run diagnostics and do before-and-after comparisons.
- To discover what? - No idea.
That's what's so exciting about dark matter.
It's a mysterious subatomic glue that holds our universe together.
What? Do I have something in my teeth? No.
It's just nice.
Your excitement and enthusiasm is - William said you wanted me.
- Yes.
We're getting up to speed on what'll happen when we get to Canis Majoris.
I wanted to make sure that you met our new crew member.
Beauchamp, Sasha.
Thirty-one.
A last-minute addition to our crew.
An expert in treaty negotiations, which makes you an ideal diplomatic liaison to the aliens.
Hmm.
- Nothing wrong with being prepared.
- No, there isn't.
Like being prepared for what will happen when we enter that field of dark matter.
What can happen? It's nothing, right? It's literally nothing.
I don't like things I can't see.
We can't see anything inside.
These aliens.
What do we call them? Canises? Majorians? Anyways, for all we know, this dark matter is a it's a smokescreen.
It's camouflage.
What if it's chock-full of alien tech? What if it's a defense line? What if by crossing into it, we launch into an interstellar war? - What do we do then? - He raises a good point, Niko.
I'm here under the assumption that we'll meet these aliens and forge diplomatic relations, but - what happens if we trigger a war? - Protocol is clear.
If we deem the aliens to be a threat, we turn around, we head back to Earth.
And if we can't retreat? If we're forced to defend ourselves, can we defend ourselves? Like I said, we have no idea what's inside the field of dark matter but if it's something that needs to be dealt with How will we? The situation is under control, Sasha.
Okay.
Wow, you've really got a lot of stuff.
Yeah, well, I have my stuff and Michelle's stuff and Ian's stuff.
Their stuff should be either put back into storage or distributed amongst the rest of the crew.
Or given to their friends and family on Earth to remember them by.
I-I wasn't being heartless.
I'm-I'm just saying How about you don't say anything until you've been awake for longer than, what? Four days? I'm sorry about Yerxa.
We didn't always ever see eye-to-eye, but I'm saying, if it was my boyfriend Your boyfriend's alive - and safe on Earth.
- Husband, actually.
We got married before I left.
Well - congratulations.
- Thanks.
[SIGHS.]
- You need some help? - No.
- How you feeling? - I also don't need a check-up or an intervention or anyone's concern, Niko.
Look, Cas, I am trying to help.
Before you say you don't need help, you're about to drop that bag, so would you at least talk to Zayn? Do you think Michelle's the only person I've seen die? I watched my parents die, my brother, my sister.
And it never gets any easier, okay? Just all I am saying, take the time that you need, all right? Just - Yeah.
- Cas, here.
You're gonna need these.
Bernie snores.
You can hear him through the walls.
[SIGHS.]
[EGAN.]
We send in a a team.
Then what? Run in there guns a-blazin'? What if they're just showin' us what they think we want to see? It could be a hologram of your son, a projection.
Okay, but if they're playing mind games, we need to know, and if there's a chance Sasha's in there, we need to investigate it.
But-But we are not at war with these aliens, and if you send in soldiers and they start shooting, we will be.
So what do you suggest? Send in somebody from my team with a rudimentary grasp of their syntax.
S-Someone who can at least try to speak their language.
Fine.
Who's it gonna be? I know you said you wanted to do this, Singh-y, but are you sure? Five bucks says Elvis is in there.
Ah.
Kind of overkill, huh? Everyone just wants to make extra sure that you're completely safe.
This is a gift, Erik.
I mean it.
It's a dream come true.
- And besides, you have Jana.
- 'Cause I could ask Amos again.
Amos is a coward.
Here.
This is a powerful sedative.
If you run into any trouble, all you do is smash that on the ground.
Assuming alien physiology is the same as human physiology.
Right.
Let's get her helmet on.
Wait.
Wait.
[INHALES.]
[EXHALES.]
Hmm.
All right.
O2 is on.
Breathe normally.
- [HELMET SEALS.]
- [GASPS.]
No.
I can't breathe.
It's too small.
Get it off! Get it off.
Get it off.
Get it off.
Oh.
Oh.
[GASPS FOR AIR.]
- We double-click on - Daddy! Come here.
Give me a hug.
[BOTH LAUGH.]
Mm.
Mila said I could get some gummies if I ate my lunch.
She did, did she? - Yeah.
- That sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
You know this is a weird place, right? I know.
I know.
I'm sorry.
But this is really important, so I wanted to talk to you face-to-face.
- Mila, do you mind? - Of course.
So last night, the Artifact opened a door.
And so we sent in a drone to take a look around, and we think we saw one of Mommy's friends, someone that works on the Salvare.
- Is Mommy in there, too? - [INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER.]
I'm going in to find out and you're gonna stay with Mila.
I called Grandma B, so she knows what's up and where you are - When are you coming back? - Soon as I'm done.
- Could you die? - No.
No, honey, I'm not gonna die.
- I am just letting you know - I don't want you to go.
- If there was any other way - No, you are not going.
- Jana.
- Let's go for a walk.
- Don't go like Mommy.
- Jana.
It's okay.
Let's go get you some candy.
Daddy, please.
[RADIO CHATTER.]
Unh.
Do you want to? 'Cause I think I want to with you.
- Mm.
- Oh.
I'm sorry.
Did I do something wrong? Can we just can we just talk? What? Is this about your girlfriend? God, no.
I'm-I'm definitely into you.
Okay.
Me too.
- Unh.
- Jesus, August.
I don't understand.
I I thought you said that you wanted to.
I know, I know, I know.
- I-I just Look.
- Oliver? I need to feel something other than panic 'cause that's all there is on this ship.
I wanna feel something good with you.
I know.
- I know.
I know.
- You need to talk to me, okay? You need to tell me what you want, because I don't know what I'm doing.
I can't tell if you're angry or - if you're turned off or both - Look, I want to.
- Okay? But this is-this is just - It's what? Oliver, hey.
Okay, if it's not me, and if it's not your girlfriend back at home, then then what is it? Have-Have you never Well, not even with Melissa? We did it in VR.
Oh.
Yeah.
Let's see.
Four kilos of lentils.
Um two kilos of rice - and - Twenty-five kilos of quinoa.
Quinoa.
Not very popular.
That's a shame.
Quinoa is packed full of nutrition.
Yeah? Try growing some taste buds, then we can talk.
Why is this always a fucking mess? Why can't people just finish one box before they rip open another one? Excuse me.
Ah, nice.
Peanut butter.
Hey, do you mind if I take another one Yeah, I mind.
Stop.
Uh, we're rationin', Bernie.
Since when? Aren't the storage modules full of food? We're making sure there's enough food for the trip home.
So, can I get another bar? So, no.
Coño so fucking madre.
I fucking hate space.
Space sure as hell hates us, doesn't it? I don't even know how we're staying alive.
We weren't made to hurtle through a vacuum in a galactic submarine, yet here we are.
Here we are, about to enter a field of dark matter on our way to a planet full of aliens.
Is anybody else feeling a little concerned? Mission's the mission.
Fine but shouldn't we be figuring out a way to defend ourselves? I kind of find it hard to believe our whole strategy is just to cut and run.
- Any thoughts on this, William? - It's a question for Niko, not me.
- But what if something does go wrong? - [CAS.]
Sasha, please.
It's very difficult for me to count and listen to you panic at the same time.
My bad.
I'm sorry.
Carry on.
[CHUCKLES.]
Hey, asshole.
The bowl's not gonna wash itself.
[SIGHS.]
Wow, okay.
Sasha.
Sasha.
Hey, look.
I know you're stressed out.
I get it, but, uh I have somethin' that can help with that.
- Is this - Yep.
Basil and oregano.
Heh.
What is it really? Well [WHISTLES.]
[CHUCKLES.]
- What the hell, Bernie? - Shh.
- Those things fucked up Niko and Cas.
- Will you keep it down? It's fine.
Jesus, all right? I take the stamens off before they produce any pollen.
I just use the e-juice for the vape.
D-Don't judge me, man, all right? Leg hurts like a motherfucker.
This shit helps.
- If Niko ever found out - She won't if you keep your mouth shut.
So, uh William, huh? - Uh, what about him? - He's just a pain in the ass, always stickin' his nose where it doesn't belong.
"We're on rations.
" Fuck him and his rations.
Yeah, sometimes I wish I could just switch him off, you know? Good luck with that.
All I know is William's software is from, like, another dimension.
It's either that or the drugs talkin', so I think it's scary, being at his mercy.
I'm serious.
Look what happened when William failed.
We almost all died.
Michelle did die.
There's gotta be some off switch we don't know about.
If anyone knows how to turn William off, it's Javier.
He may not look like it, but the guy is a software genius.
But seriously, you need this more than I do.
[CHUCKLES.]
Standing by.
[HELMET SEALS.]
[GASPS.]
Hey, Amos, I'm okay.
Do you copy? [CLANKING.]
Amos? [WHIRRING.]
Hello! [RUMBLING.]
Sasha.
Sasha Harrison? [HIGH-PITCHED WHIRRING.]
[GASPS.]
[NIKO.]
How many nights did you spend working on that problem? No.
- What? You don't believe that it's me? - No, it's not you.
It can't be.
This was 20 years ago.
Our daughter was born on May 11th.
No, uh-uh.
That's too easy.
Okay.
Um we met in this room and you had that hair.
- It was terrible - You said you liked it.
[LAUGHS.]
That's because I was flirting with you, - which you were terrible at, by the way.
- No, I wasn't.
Oh, you were horrible at it.
We were friends for years - before I knew you liked me.
- I thought it was the most obvious thing in the world.
No.
It was It was not obvious at all.
- Come sit.
- Yeah.
Wow, right down to her perfume.
[INHALES.]
How do you know what perfume she wears? It's almost perfect, except her skin doesn't warm the scent the way that Niko's does.
- Hmm.
- [SNIFFS.]
How are you doing this? No, why are you doing this? Why are you conjuring up my wife? Do you have her? Her crew? I've seen you and Sasha.
- You have nothing to worry about.
- Is she safe out there? As safe as she can be.
Alive? - Yes.
- [SIGHS.]
Come with me.
Come on.
Come on, I won't bite.
All right.
The Yang-Mills existence and mass gap problem.
- [CHUCKLES.]
- You never did solve it.
No one ever solved that one.
No human, anyway.
What do you want? To make sure that you're happy.
- You and Jana.
- I'm not asking my wife.
I'm asking you.
The "you" creating this for all of my benefit.
All I want is to talk to you, to understand what you want.
To help.
- That's all you want? - Yes.
All the answers you need are right in front of you.
[SIGHS.]
You're going to love this.
- I mean, it's impossible.
- Nothing's impossible.
Oh my God.
How am I doing How are you doing it? I'm doing it.
I'm solving quantum gauge theory in four-dimensional space time.
- Holy shit.
- [JANA.]
Daddy? Just a minute.
Aah.
- Daddy? - Just a second.
Honey, I am this close.
Hey.
Hey.
You wanna help? You know me.
'Cause I could use that big brain of yours.
How about I write some math problems for you right over here, okay? Wow.
I don't understand.
Jana.
Jana, where are you going? Jana? [RUMBLING.]
[HYPERVENTILATES.]
I'm okay.
I'm okay.
I'm How long is she gonna be like this? Niko I know you're worried but you can't force this.
Cas will work through it.
Or not.
- But grief takes its own path.
- [FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.]
Thanks, Zayn.
A word.
I need you to be open.
I need you to tell me everything that happens when we reach Canis Majoris.
You've been briefed.
- Everything Niko.
- You don't have security clearance Bullshit.
I'm supposed to go down to that planet and talk to those aliens how? How do I do that if I have no clue what happens if I fail? Who the fuck do you think you are? - Excuse me? - Do you think I give a flying fuck what you do down there? I didn't want you on this mission, Sasha.
You are a liability.
The only reason you are here is because your daddy pulled so many strings that everybody said yes just to get him to shut the fuck up.
You are arrogant, entitled, lazy.
Let me tell you something.
A far better crew member died the other day, and if I could go back and trade her for you, I fucking would.
We don't have a replacement for you because we don't need you.
Stay in your lane.
Don't you dare fucking ask me again.
You're dismissed.
Has anyone told Jana I'm okay? - Did you see him? - My daughter she needs to know.
- She's waiting.
Did you see Sasha? - Yes and no.
- I don't know how they did it.
- Did what? It was like they used my memory to talk to me.
I-I It wasn't question and answer.
It was much more immersive than that.
I mean, they've got the complexities of human emotions down.
I mean, they are so much further advanced than us, They had me figured out before I realized what I was thinking - Erik, did you see my son? - Yes.
He led me inside.
But-But it wasn't the real him.
It wasn't the real Sasha, and it wasn't the real Niko.
It-It was like a hallucination or some sort of holography that makes our AI on the Salvare look like a flashlight.
They're okay.
They're fine.
They told me everyone on the ship is alive.
And you believed them? I-I mean, they haven't given me a reason not to.
How's this for starters? An advanced civilization mind-fucked you.
- No.
It's not like that.
- Yes.
They're simply curious.
They have questions, just like we do.
What questions? What did you tell them? It's like they were offering me everything I ever wanted to know.
Every question that I ever had about space and physics and What? I chose my daughter instead.
Yeah.
[ERIK WHISTLES.]
- Daddy! - I'm not gonna lie.
I've been thinkin' about this hug since I said goodbye.
- I'm so sorry I got mad.
- It's okay.
It's okay.
I know you didn't mean it, and I know you were just scared, but I got good news, okay? - Did you see Mommy? - No but the aliens they told me that she's safe.
What we're gonna do is stick together till Mommy gets back, okay? - Okay.
- Yeah.
You're going in.
I'm done watching from the edge of the fucking field.
- Does the President know? - I've made an executive decision.
I'm going in with back-up, and I'm coming out with answers.
We're gonna resolve this entire fucking mess.
- Right.
Suit me up.
- You're not going.
Oh, I am.
This is my story.
I can paint you as a man desperate, driven by his need to succeed at all costs or as a caring parent, willing to risk his life to save his son.
Your choice.
Fine.
Suit me up.
Now.
[HUMS.]
- Boop.
- [GIGGLES.]
As soon as this doctor signs the discharge papers, we are out of here.
- No problem.
- Erik? - Hey.
- Harrison's going into the Artifact.
- What? - He's armed.
- It's not just for show.
- Jesus Chris, he can't.
Honey, Daddy's gonna go talk somebody out of doing something really stupid.
- I'll be right back.
- Can I come with you? No.
Just stay with Mila, okay? I'm I'm really sorry.
[ARTIFACT HUMMING.]
Extraction team hold.
[GAME BLEEPING.]
It's stuck.
I can't get it to move.
You want me to try? Here.
I think the battery's just out.
I'll go find a plug.
[PULSING HUM.]
You lost? No.
Just lookin' for a place to cool off.
Cool off? This place is a sauna.
Hey, uh, so you were arrested multiple times as a teenager for hacking into various military and government facilities I'm not judging.
I know the inner workings of the political system.
- Things should - Sorry, what's your point? My point is, um people are hiding things from me.
From us.
Niko is.
Like what? Like what happens if this alien shit hits the fan and we have to fight back.
Are we really gonna turn tail and run? Is there no other option? I did some digging before we left Earth.
Yeah? Yeah.
Something called Operation Brimstone.
Top-secret.
What is it? You know we pull a bubble around the ship whenever we fly faster than light? Well, energy builds up in front of it, right? A-A lot of energy.
Whenever we drop out of FTL, we've gotta disperse that energy back out into space, right? Guess what.
It turns out we can aim that energy into a beam.
Like some sort of laser? Like some big laser that can blow up an entire fucking planet.
Last resort, mind you.
You know, if aliens turn out to be hostile or whatever.
Destroying a planet? Genocide? That's our last resort? - This is coming from the President? - President, yeah and your father, actually.
Is there any way to stop it? Well, the ship's our weapon, so you'd have to destroy the Salvare, heh, which is easier said than done.
William protects us from everything, from mechanical glitches, solar storms Unless you turn him off.
Can you turn him off? I need to get back to work.
What the fuck? Tell me how to turn him off.
Tell me how to destroy this ship.
No? Fine.
[PULSING HUM.]
Sasha? - Sasha! - [RINGING.]
[INTENSE RINGING.]
[SCREAMING.]
[CRASH.]
[RUMBLING.]
[HIGH-PITCHED HUM.]
[SOLDIERS GROANING.]
[GASPS.]
[CRASH.]
[INTENSE RINGING.]
[HEAVY BREATHING.]
[HIGH-PITCHED RINGING.]
[HUMMING.]
- [ROARING.]
- No! Help me! Erik! Erik? - [ERIK.]
No! - No! Aah! - Erik! - Jana? Jana! Jana! Oh, my God! Erik! Erik! [NO AUDIO.]
[CLOSING MUSIC PLAYING.]