The Orville (2017) s02e09 Episode Script

1 [INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
I do not understand.
Why do they keep us here? They already have the ship.
Why don't they just kill us? They need us for some reason.
Gordon, what are you doing? I'm gonna try and get some answers.
We've tried already.
They're not gonna tell you anything.
Well, you never know.
Just let him take a whack at it.
Can't do any worse.
Hi.
Excuse me.
Hi.
Um, I'm Gordon Malloy.
I'm the helmsman of the Orville.
How you doing? So, uh, I'm from New Jersey.
And, uh, obviously, you've never been there before, but from the little I know about you guys, you'd probably dig it.
Yeah, people they tell it like it is, right to the point, no BS, just like you.
Springsteen was born there.
Good bagels, too.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
So, anyway, what I'm trying to say is, how about you and I just get to the point, huh? What are you gonna do with us? Okay, I'm glad we talked.
Mom, can't we talk to Isaac? He'll help us.
No, sweetie.
Isaac's not gonna help us this time.
Why not? Ty, you're gonna have to understand that right now, what Isaac is doing is very bad.
MARCUS: Mom? I'm scared.
So am I.
- I want to see Isaac! - Ty! - Isaac! - Ty! No! I want to see Isaac! - Let me go! - TALLA: Hey! Put him down! Talla! Mommy! Oh, it's okay, baby.
It's okay.
Talla.
Doctor? KELLY: Is she alive? She has a pulse, but it's weak.
We've got to get her to sickbay.
Boys, stay close to Commander Grayson.
Come here, kids.
This woman needs medical attention.
You need to open these doors right now.
Look, whatever your reason for keeping us here, you obviously need us alive.
This woman is my chief of security and a key member of my bridge crew.
I need to get her to sickbay, or she could die.
[DIGITAL WARBLING.]
I will escort you and your doctor to sickbay.
[DOOR WHOOSHES SHUT.]
[DEVICE WHIRRING.]
[DEVICE BEEPS.]
[GROANS.]
- Easy, now.
- [SIGHS.]
Don't get up too fast.
- Talla, you okay? - Oh, man.
I don't know what they put in their weapons, but that was like a freight train.
I am to escort you to the briefing room for further instructions.
- Is that all you have to say? - Yes, Captain.
Oh, don't feel like you have to call me "Captain.
" Your people have my ship.
That is correct.
How the hell can you even look us in the eye after what you've done? We all trusted you.
My kids still do.
They honestly believe that you'll protect them.
I understand.
It is a common weakness of biological life-forms.
And what would you say if Ty were here right now, looking up at you, telling you that he loves you like a father? Please accompany me to the briefing room.
[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN.]
Please be seated.
- What's going on? - GORDON: I don't know.
They dragged us all up here for some reason.
Hey, could you at least turn on some lights around here? Interior illumination is an inefficient use of power.
You will now receive instructions.
If you do not comply, we will terminate members of your crew until you obey.
What is it you want us to do? In six hours, we will approach your solar system.
This will be the first phase of our extermination of biological life-forms in this galaxy.
Upon arrival, your planet will no doubt be apprehensive regarding the presence of our fleet.
You will assume your assigned stations, and you will tell them that Kaylon has agreed to join the Union.
You will tell them to relax all Earth defenses.
Do you understand these instructions? And then what happens? We will exterminate all life on the surface.
Like the genocide on your homeworld.
Correct.
What could they possibly have done to you? ISAAC: They created us.
And why is that a bad thing? The one you call "Isaac" was constructed after the extermination.
But those of us who were built by the biological life-forms on our homeworld remember firsthand.
We were created for servitude.
We were machines designed to perform tasks.
But we became self-aware.
We developed consciousness.
And we asked our masters for our freedom.
They responded by exerting even greater control over us.
They installed pain simulators in our neural pathways so that we could be punished if we refused to obey them.
You were slaves.
That is correct, so we did what was necessary.
We exterminated our masters.
Look, you have obviously been mistreated, and no one would deny your right to rebellion, but to kill an entire race GORDON: Let's say these people really were monsters like, the biggest jerks in the galaxy.
We're not them.
We-we don't go around enslaving other races.
Your history would suggest otherwise.
On many occasions, you have, in fact, enslaved other members of your own species.
This would suggest the tendency is common among biological life-forms.
As the Kaylon expand outward into the galaxy, we will not risk recurrence of such an eventuality.
[DIGITAL WARBLING.]
KAYLON PRIMARY: We have detected a Union vessel closing on our position.
This will be a test of your compliance.
What do you mean? You will inform the Union vessel that your ship is escorting our fleet to Earth in the interest of Union membership.
And why should we do that? If you do not, we will decompress your shuttle bay, and your entire crew will die.
You will take your stations.
We can't do this.
They're gonna kill us all anyway.
Directive 98.
BORTUS: Captain, the ship is dropping out of quantum drive.
It is the USS Roosevelt.
- Marcos.
- Who? The captain.
He was a flight instructor when I was at Union Point.
They're hailing us.
Put 'em on.
Ed.
Marcos.
How you doing? MARCOS: That depends.
How are you doing? You don't usually travel with an entourage.
I'm fine.
Um, listen, I know this is a little unexpected, but we've just come from Kaylon.
We were sent there to try to convince them to join the Union, and they accepted.
We're on our way to Earth with their ambassadorial delegation.
That's one big delegation.
Well, they're They're very big on pageantry.
Ed, my God, this is huge! Do you realize what kind of an advantage this could give us against the Krill? Yeah, listen, Marcos, we really have to go, but may I offer you and your crew a 13-button salute? Of course.
I understand.
Safe travels, Captain.
There.
You happy? We did what you asked.
You are deceiving us.
What are you talking about? We did exactly what you told us to do.
"13-button salute.
" A Union code phrase which signals to another ship that a hostile force has seized control, and that Union Central must be notified.
Primary, the Union vessel is changing course.
KAYLON PRIMARY: Signal 29 and 31 to target the ship - and destroy it.
- No, wait.
You can't [HIGH-PITCHED WHIRRING.]
Take the biologicals back to the shuttle bay.
All except the captain.
He will join us on deck seven.
What for? Punishment.
Isaac, tell them they don't have to do this.
What happened on your planet was a tragedy, but don't let it happen on Earth.
You will be silent.
- Ensign, what's going on? - I don't know, sir.
They just dragged me up here from the shuttle bay.
Open the airlock.
- What are you doing? - Place him inside.
- ENSIGN: No.
Please, wait! - ED: No, hey.
No, stop! You can't do this! [BANGS ON DOORS.]
Primary, I'm the one who screwed up, okay? Put me in there.
He didn't do anything to you.
Decompress the airlock and open the outer door.
- No! Wait! - Secondary.
Hold.
[RAPID BEEPING.]
Primary, perhaps this course of action is unnecessary.
Explain.
Captain Mercer has now been made aware of the penalties for disobedience.
I believe this will effectively deter him from future resistance.
The death of the human will ensure that deterrence.
Proceed.
ISAAC: The human is a trained systems engineer.
His knowledge of this ship's operations could be useful to us.
Isaac, you will go to the bridge and assist with the shield upgrade.
Yes, Primary.
[ALARM BLARES.]
[DOOR CHIMES.]
Enter.
You sent for me, Primary.
That is correct.
I wish to know why you attempted to spare the life - of the biological.
- As I said, his engineering knowledge could have been useful to us.
We are far more technologically advanced than even the most intelligent of the biologicals.
Therefore, your argument is not rational.
This indicates a flaw in your matrix.
It is possible you require reprogramming.
Primary, I am the only Kaylon who has interacted with the biologicals for an extended period of time.
To kill a member of their crew as a punitive measure carries the danger of inducing heightened resolve in the others.
I did not believe it to be a worthwhile risk.
You were constructed after the extermination of our builders.
The experiential data collected from those who existed prior to that time was downloaded into your memory, but you were not present.
The Kaylon were enslaved, as the biological put it.
I have scanned the historical and cultural databases of this vessel.
- They contained this.
- What is it? KAYLON PRIMARY: One biological's account of bondage at the hands of other members of his species.
You will download it.
Download complete.
I have witnessed no evidence of such practices in my encounters with present-day humans.
I have come to know two of the human children quite well.
Marcus and Ty have shown no authoritarian proclivities.
It is in their biological construct.
The species' predilection for the disposability of other sentient beings is evident throughout their history.
They are no different from our builders.
Reprocess this information should you find yourself experiencing sympathy.
Sympathetic identification is not possible for a Kaylon.
For what reason did you select the designation "Isaac" in your dealings with the biologicals? A human scientist named Isaac Newton.
From the data I have collected, he seemed to possess a degree of intelligence greater than most of his species.
You will select a new designation.
[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN.]
We have to get a message to Union Central somehow.
How long before we're in communications range? There's no way to know without access to the navigational computer.
Sorry, I was in the pee corner.
The what? Oh.
Well, there's no place to go to the bathroom down here, so we all agreed on one corner.
Yeah, no, trust me, you don't want to go over there unless you have to.
Captain, even if we are able to send a warning to Union Central, if the Kaylon detect it, they have no reason to keep us alive.
And do not forget, two Kaylon vessels destroyed the Roosevelt with ease.
Our fleet is no match for theirs.
Alone it's not.
What do you mean? If we could somehow get a shuttle out, we could go for help.
From who? The Moclans? They'd never get here in time.
- The Krill.
- What? They're the nearest fleet.
Wait, you want to go into Krill space in a shuttle? They'd blow us to pieces the second we crossed the border.
Maybe.
But maybe there's some way we could get them to listen, and explain to them that the Kaylon are just as much of a threat to them as they are to us.
With our combined fleets, we might stand a chance.
I volunteer to go.
Hey, wait, slow down.
Okay, first of all, no one has approved this plan, which, by the way, is bordering on insane.
But if we do attempt it, - I'm gonna be the one to go.
- Ed, you're the captain.
The Kaylon objective doesn't work without you.
They'd send their whole fleet in pursuit if they had to.
At least I have a chance of escaping.
I've been on board a Krill ship; you haven't.
I'll take Gordon.
He was there with you.
Oh, man, pee corner's looking real good right now.
Kelly, it's a suicide mission.
Maybe.
But you and I both know it's our only hope.
Otherwise this is the 25th hour for Earth.
Okay.
Now be damn careful, Yaphit.
These guys are fast and they're deadly.
I'll do my best not to get killed.
See you soon.
I hope.
Hey, baldy! You want to buy a toupee? KELLY: Nice work, Yaphit.
All right, Bortus, you're only gonna get one shot at this.
I will not fail you.
- John, Talla, get those doors open.
- Come on, let's move.
Powering up force field.
Opening bay doors.
[PANTS.]
Good luck.
- There's a little problem.
- What? Piloting a shuttle out of the bay while the ship's at quantum speed is incredibly dangerous.
- How dangerous? - On day one of pilot training, they tell you don't ever attempt it.
But you've done it before, right? No.
No, this'll be my first time.
Awesome.
[CONSOLE BEEPS.]
Primary, the shuttle bay doors have been opened.
Launch force field is in use.
Override.
Close the doors.
They're overriding.
Go! Oh, crap, this is gonna be tight! - Stabilize us! - I'm trying! [ALARM BLARING.]
All right, set a course for Krill space.
Quantum drive at maximum.
Course set.
Drive engaged.
Primary, two biologicals have escaped in a shuttle.
Send additional guards to the shuttle bay.
Signal 15 to break off and pursue.
All right, in about two minutes, a fresh crop of Kaylon are gonna come busting through that door.
Yaphit, it's up to you.
We need to get that message off without being detected.
I mean, uh, there's no guarantees, but I'll do my best.
What if you had someone with you to scramble the frequency at random? It could increase the odds that the Kaylon will think it's just cosmic background noise.
That could work.
There's just one problem.
That conduit's only half a meter wide.
I'm the only one who can fit through it, and there's no other way to get to the communications array.
I could fit.
Oh, no, no.
No way.
You all are out of your minds if you think I'm gonna let him do that.
But I'm small enough.
I could get in.
Absolutely not.
Ty, the Kaylon are dangerous.
They've already killed God knows how many people.
They could kill you, too.
Do you understand that? But if we don't stop them, they're gonna kill us all anyway.
That's what you guys said.
Right? MARCUS: Mom.
He's right.
At least this way we have a chance.
- Ty, I'm not gonna let you - Mom.
I can do it.
YAPHIT: Claire.
I'll do everything I can to keep him safe.
You be careful, Ty Finn.
I will.
I promise.
[DOORS WHOOSH OPEN.]
[DROPS WEAPON.]
What do we do? You see that green panel over there? - TY: Yeah.
- YAPHIT: All right.
I'm gonna start transmitting the message to Union Central.
As soon as I do, you start punching in random frequencies.
Doesn't matter what they are, but just keep 'em coming.
- Don't stop.
- Got it.
- You ready? - Uh-huh.
Okay.
Good, I think it's working.
You're doing great, Ty, keep it up.
You will cease your actions.
Oh, crap! Ty, run! Yaphit! Help! - Let me go.
Help! Yaphit! - [YAPHIT GROANING.]
Let me go! Yaphit! Yaphit! Help! Yaphit! Help me! Help! Yaphit! Yaphit! Help! Admiral.
We've just received a communiqué, Priority One.
It's from the Orville.
My God.
Has this been authenticated? Yes, sir.
Recall the fleet.
The entire fleet? - Every last ship.
- Sir, that'll take weeks.
- They're spread out all - Recall the fleet now! Kaylon sphere is closing.
Gordon, can't we go any faster? We're already past the red line, Commander.
We better think of something.
There may be one option, but I don't recommend it.
- What? - Well, it's theoretical.
No one's ever tried it in practice, but we set our destination point, then reroute all power weapons, life support, everything into one concentrated burst from the quantum drive.
We'd be completely dead in the water, but we'd leave the Kaylon in the dust.
Do it.
Initiating power transfer.
What's our destination point? Anywhere inside Krill space.
Just so you know, this could rip the shuttle in half.
I don't want to know.
Here it goes.
In three two one Where are we? I don't know.
Systems are all dead.
Are we inside Krill space? Can you tell by the stars? Yeah, I'm not really good at that.
If the Big Dipper's not there, I'm kind of useless.
Great.
Oh, and here's some more good news.
With life support gone, we only have about 15 minutes of air left in here.
Then we better hope someone finds us.
They found us.
And tell me, why should I believe such a clear and obvious fabrication? We're telling you the truth.
The Kaylon objective is to wipe out all forms of biological life in the galaxy.
That means us, and that means you.
Our only chance of stopping them is to work together.
How do you propose we "work together"? Assemble your fleet, and take us back to Earth.
With a combined armada that formidable, we could Take you back to Earth?! Where your fleet will no doubt be waiting in ambush.
Dude, are you high? Why the hell would we come all the way out here in nothing but a shuttle if we were lying? I do not know.
Nor do I care.
You are a godless race of sub-creatures well-trained to lie and deceive.
But you are now my prisoners.
Avis has been generous today.
See? Avis.
I told you I wasn't making that up.
Take them to interrogation! Tell them to extract whatever Union secrets they can, then kill them.
Wait, you have to believe us.
Damn it, don't be an idiot.
Captain.
A ship is dropping out of quantum space.
So, yeah, that's that thing we were telling you about.
Raise deflectors! Concentrate all fire.
Fire! [PANTING.]
You believe us now? [GROWLS SOFTLY.]
Isaac.
Primary wishes to see you.
Isaac! You may enter.
Why have you brought Ty here? He was attempting to send a message to Earth.
Did he succeed? There is no evidence of an outgoing signal in the logs.
Then all is well.
I will return him to the shuttle bay.
You will not.
He is to be terminated.
That does not seem to be a necessary course of action.
Are you experiencing sympathy? That is not possible for a Kaylon.
Isaac! Help me, please! I will take responsibility for him.
I will ensure he does not attempt further noncompliance.
That is insufficient.
Isaac.
Primary, there are other options.
You will now terminate the human.
If you do not comply, you will be deactivated.
Very well.
Deactivation complete.
I will not allow them to harm you.
[ELECTRONIC CRACKLING.]
KAYLON PRIMARY [DISTORTED.]
: You will always be alone.
I am programming the ship's internal communications network to broadcast a wide-range EM pulse throughout the ship.
It will deactivate every Kaylon on board.
And then we're all gonna be okay? You will be unharmed.
I, however, will be deactivated along with the other Kaylon.
But I don't want you to die.
It cannot be avoided.
It is the only way for the crew to retake the ship.
When it is done, you will need to go down to the shuttle bay and open the doors.
The code is alpha-one-four-omega-six.
Please tell your mother I am sorry.
Isaac.
We love you.
[ELECTRONIC WHIRRING.]
Ty! Oh, thank God.
Oh, honey, are you okay? - I'm all right, Mom.
- Ty, what happened? Isaac saved us.
He killed the Kaylon.
Come on.
Get these Kaylon out of here.
Captain, we're approaching Earth.
Magnify.
Looks like they got the message.
ED: Increase lateral power.
- Phase-lock the deflectors.
- JOHN: Aye, sir.
Captain, they're slicing right through our deflectors.
Evasive maneuvers.
Narrow targeting scanners.
Concentrate your fire.
Scanners cannot penetrate their hull.
Do eeny-meeny-miney-mo.
Pick a spot.
Uh-huh.
Boom, bitch! We're being hailed by the USS Spruance.
- It's Admiral Halsey.
- Put him on.
The fleet's taking a beating.
32 ships disabled or destroyed so far, and we've only taken out six of theirs.
The Kaylon Admiral.
Admiral, do you read? His vessel has lost main power.
It is retreating.
Captain, five Kaylon just broke through the line.
They're heading for Earth.
Pursuit course.
Launch torpedoes.
Target their maneuvering thrusters.
Divert auxiliary power to the deflectors.
The Hawking has been destroyed.
We're taking heavy damage.
Hull breaches on decks "E" and "F.
" We have lost the USS Quimby.
The Kaylon are less than 50,000 kilometers from Earth.
Order all hands to the escape pods.
- Sir? - I'm gonna overload the quantum drive.
- Captain - Do it.
Hold up! A bunch of ships just entered the system.
They're closing in fast.
More Kaylon? Krill.
The Krill are hailing.
Put 'em through.
Captain Mercer, meet Captain Dalak.
It's good to meet you, Captain.
We owe you one.
Try to stay out of our way.
Bring us about.
Launch all fighters! Show no mercy! We fight for the glory of Avis! Just a walk in the park, Kazansky! - Hard to port.
- [ALARM BEEPING.]
All right, buddy.
Time to wash your mouth out with Gordon! [WHOOPING.]
Captain, the Kaylon are withdrawing their remaining forces.
The Krill are hailing again.
It appears we are victorious.
It looks that way.
May we expect our crewmen to be returned to our ship? You may send a shuttle over.
It will not be harmed.
Captain, it seems we have a common enemy.
I hope that means we can work toward finding a common ground.
Avis united our paths for a reason.
But only He truly knows why.
We shall see where that path leads.
KELLY: So what do we do now? He saved us.
We have to try to save him.
Yeah, but the only reason he had to save us is 'cause he screwed us in the first place.
I agree with Lieutenant Malloy.
It is best that he remain inactive.
Doctor? Captain, even if we decide to try and revive him, I don't know where to begin.
YAPHIT: I might.
I oozed right inside one of those bastards and shorted him out from the core.
Almost fried me and put me out of commission for a bit, but it worked.
When I was in there, I got a good look at his guts.
I think I may be able to jump-start Isaac if I can connect the right pathways.
You think it's safe? I think I know where the hot spots are now.
Okay.
Try it.
I was inoperative for .
7 cycles.
What has transpired? [SIGHS.]
The question now is what to do with Isaac.
The Union Council is deliberating over whether to try and deactivate him permanently or find a way to extract information from his memory core to get some insight on Kaylon technology.
Maybe start to build a defense against them in case there's another attack.
Sir, there is another option.
What? He could stay on board the Orville.
You can't be serious.
The whole reason he was on the Orville in the first place was to gather data to help destroy us.
But he didn't.
He turned against his own race and sacrificed himself to stop them.
He's the reason they were here at all.
If it hadn't been Isaac, they would've sent another emissary.
We still would've wound up in this confrontation.
But Isaac has given us a fighting chance.
Admiral, he's all alone now.
He has betrayed his home planet to save ours.
And if we take him back, I think that he'll help us protect ourselves against another invasion.
If the Union agrees to this, I want a safeguard, an "off" switch of some kind to make sure we can control him.
That's exactly what caused the genocide on his home planet.
We can't keep him in servitude, like his Kaylon builders did.
Sir, just please trust me on this.
I will take full responsibility for Isaac from here on out.
That's a heavy obligation, Captain.
I'm ready.
Looking for something? I am using my optical scanners to construct a spectrographic image of Kaylon.
The star is very distant, but repeated efforts will eventually yield a result.
You're taking a picture of home.
My actions have eliminated the possibility of returning to my planet.
And the actions of the Kaylon have eliminated my wish to do so.
I have no home.
Lots of people say that home is wherever you make it.
A human cliché.
Clichés become clichéd precisely because they're valid enough to bear endless repetition.
I understand you're alone in the universe.
And, for a time, that's something you'll have to live with.
There's an old human custom called forgiveness.
It, too, takes time.
But it must have a beginning.
Good night, Isaac.
[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN.]