The War Between the Land and the Water (2025) s01e03 Episode Script

All over the world, humanity
reacts to the simple fact
the species that came
before us has woken up.
We would speak
..with him.
We're putting an enormous
amount of pressure on one man.
Tissue samples.
"Know thine enemy."
It'll be the death of the energy
industry, of your livelihood.
We'll be sliding into recession.
We cannot hear, or see, or breathe,
so tell me why we should live
like this for just one day longer.
- Mum!
- Oh, my God!
They're cleaning up the ocean.
The plastic, the pollution -
all of it, they're giving it back.
All across Manhattan,
the sky is raining plastic.
They're declaring war.
Our next meeting will be here.
Romanche Trench, one of the
deepest waterways on the planet.
Will you meet us, Barclay,
at the bottom of the ocean?
OK.
Let's go, people.
Welcome to Blackport.
We don't have much time,
but we've appointed the best
naval training personnel to
prep us for the descent.
They'll be doing everything
they can to prime us,
both physically and mentally
..monitor our stamina,
heart rate and blood pressure
..and help get us used to the water.
We'll be descending to the rendezvous
point in this submersible,
to a depth of 8,000m, five miles down.
Our journey will take
2 hours and 17 minutes.
The submersible is currently on a
launch vessel with warship escorts,
bound for the descent point.
On the dive will be the Ambassador,
myself, Captain Mackie for communication,
Ms Tso for science and technology and
our two diplomatic
representatives, Mr Singh
Oh. Ravi.
..and Mr Campbell.
Ted. It's a pleasure.
Have we ever been this deep before?
Smaller missions of one or two people.
Nothing of this scale.
And I bet they were trained specialists
with years of experience.
We have days to prepare for this.
Yeah, of course there's a risk.
What we're doing today is unprecedented,
but this is the toughest
submersible on the planet.
This is Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
to launch vessel.
Captain Gaitz, how are we doing?
Just finishing final checks.
MAN BARKS INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-launch checks complete.
Submersible ready for deployment.
Things go wrong all the time.
What if it springs a leak?
That kind of pressure,
you'll be crushed to death,
pulverised in an instant.
Oh, just keep your voice down, will you?
If you do this,
you might never come back.
TV: Deep sea pressure compresses
air-filled spaces in the body,
leading to lung compression
and potential collapse
Now, once we arrive at the descent point,
Homo Aqua will transfer
us to their environment.
Well, what about the descent?
Are they helping us with that?
For the descent, we're on our own.
We're not alone.
- We're never alone.
- Sorry?
We're a team.
- OK.
- Yeah.
HE BREATHES HEAVILY
Transfer by helicopter is at 0600.
Indemnity forms need signing,
and legal have noted you haven't
replied to their emails.
You do need to make sure
your will is up to date.
TV: What he lacks in
experience and expertise,
Dupont appeared to
make up for in passion.
His unconventional communication style
in such crucial peace negotiations
So, this is it, then.
..seems to have convinced the
Aquakind Ambassador
- Do I get a hug before I go?
- ..but questions remain
It might take weeks to clean the roads.
The city's been shut down.
You can't go anywhere.
Yeah, well, it's lucky you're
back here, then, isn't it?
We're at war.
I know. I'm going to sort it.
How?!
How are you going to sort anything?
Do you know what they're
calling you on TikTok?
- Oh, I don't really care
- They're saying you're useless.
Traitor. Boot-licker.
Bleeding-heart puppet,
too thick to negotiate.
- That's not fair!
- It doesn't matter
cos either way, we're screwed!
Either wither they kill
us or we kill ourselves!
I hate the lot of you!
DOOR SLAMS
They're worried sick about you.
Yeah, I know.
I'm sorry, but I promise you,
I'm going to be fine.
No, no, no, no, no, please, please.
Please, don't.
I've got this, OK?
I can do this.
I mean
for God's sake, I nursed
Mum through cancer, didn't I?
Didn't I?
Bloody hell, if I can get through that,
oh, I can get through anything, can't I?
I've got to be strong
for everyone else, right?
Cos everyone's counting on me.
Kate, Salt and Kirby
The whole world!
You don't have to be strong for me.
Barbara
Barbara, I'm so scared!
SOBBING
I'm sorry, Dad.
THEY CRY
Right, that's it. OK, now.
You all right?
- Yeah?
- Yeah, sorry.
- Ravi?
- Hm?
- Are you OK?
- Mm-mm.
I've been a diplomat for three months!
Three months! I'm
I'm not cut out for this.
Of course you are.
You're going to come back a hero.
You know that, right?
This'll set us up for life.
Speaking tours, book deals, the works.
Do you think I'll get
a girlfriend out of it?
They're going to be queuing up, mate!
All you've got to do is hang in there.
You know, sometimes I can hear my
life coach. "Hold the line, Ted."
That's what he'd say
in moments like these,
moments of fear, of self-doubt.
"Believe in yourself,
trust in fate and hold the line."
Guy got struck by lightning. Dead at 50.
Seriously?!
HE LAUGHS
What's in the box?
Diplomatic gift
..from all nations.
And what are Homo Aqua
supposed to do with a globe?
They see the world from
underneath, right? From the depths.
Never like this.
Where are they going to put it, Ted?
Who knows? Maybe they've got,
like, coral mantlepieces.
Aren't you fazed by any of this?
We're going to be fine. Wood floats.
In the words of a great man
.. "We can be heroes."
Let's save the world.
Seal the hatch.
Control to all units.
We are clear.
Confirm lock.
Captain Gaitz, handing
control over to you.
OK, let's pick it up.
Let's move it out.
Taking you off the ship now.
Good luck, everybody.
Good luck to you all.
Vessel looking stable, sir. Over.
Deployment is go.
Control to deck. All readings are stable.
We are good to go. Over.
Are you OK, Ted?
Oh, yeah, terrific. Yep.
Gently
Prepare for release.
- This is it.
- Mm.
On my mark
In three
..two
..one.
Mark.
THEY BREATHE SHAKILY
And we're off.
HEAVY BREATHING
How long's it been?
- Seven minutes.
- Oh
Gone dark already. No sunlight.
Imagine living like this all the time.
Anyway, we're fine, aren't we?
Can I get a "Yes, Ted"?
Yes, Ted.
I've got some team-bonding
word games if anyone's interested.
No, thank you.
How did you end up here anyway?
Oh
There was a diplomatic lottery
for the two last seats and
..India won.
Or lost, depending on how you see it.
LOUD CLATTER, RAVI GASPS
There was rumours flying around
that the draw was rigged,
that most people had their names
removed cos they didn't want to go.
I mean, one way to look
at it is we're pioneers,
like those early astronauts.
You know, where would we be if they
hadn't taken that "one giant leap"?
LOUD CLATTER
THEY EXCLAIM
What the hell is that?!
It's adjusting to the pressure.
Are you sure?
It's OK, Ted. Just breathe.
Oh, I'm-I'm breathing. I'm-I'm fine.
HE EXHALES
What do you think we'll get for dinner
when we're back on the ship tonight, hmm?
Think they'll spoil us?
They bloody should!
No, it'll just be canteen
sandwiches again.
It's tough being a hero!
LAUGHTER
Is this? Is this water?
This this is water!
There is water in here!
- Ted
- Radio the ship!
Ted, calm down. It's condensation.
How the hell do you know?!
Because I read page six
of the safety briefing!
Yeah. Sorry. I
I guess if there was a breach,
this thing would implode
before we knew about it, so
Can everyone just shut up now, please?
LOUD CLATTER
The economy's already tanking.
If we start closing shipping lanes,
the effect could be catastrophic.
- Hello.
- Sorry, sir.
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.
OK.
It is a directive of the United Nations
that Unit have a voice in
any emergency discussions.
Sorry, we started a little early.
A lot of people couldn't make it.
Some of the Cabinet are joining remotely.
With respect, it's a phone call.
I'll catch up. Please, carry on.
HE CLEARS THROA
The United States relies on maritime
trade and we will defend ourselves
vigorously against any
disruption to our networks.
The US military is arming
itself with sonic weaponry.
Sound cannons are used
for crowd control, but
we've adapted the
technology for underwater use.
We've identified key shipping
lanes we need to protect:
the English Channel,
the Panama Canal, the Suez.
Ultra-high frequency blasts could
disable or confuse Homo Aqua,
paving the way for
traditional weapons if required.
Sorry, why are we discussing
weapons? Our focus is on diplomacy.
And there is an armistice
agreement in place now
to stop further violence.
Someone's got to be the
first to break it.
Sir, our focus should be on diplomacy.
That's why six of our diplomats
are risking their lives today.
They're buying time,
that's all they're doing.
It's song and dance, smoke and mirrors.
The General's right.
We make decisions, here, in this room.
The Western Front, the Falklands, Iraq.
Wars are fought and won at this table.
They think they own the water,
but while they were splish-splashing
around 300 million years ago,
we crawled out of the water
..then we conquered it.
We built a civilisation that depends
on our oceans to power our homes,
feed our crops and keep us alive.
And keep you in business.
Sorry, but I agree with Kate.
Their civilisation is so ancient
and so powerful, aren't they a gift?
Couldn't they help solve not just
the climate crisis but so much more
IF we had them onside?
We're never going to get them
onside! They want us gone!
If they wanted us gone, I think
that would've already happened.
If they were gone, we could have
access to their technology.
Think of it - treasure
from the ocean floor.
This is a diplomatic crisis,
not a pirate raid.
That's what the West does best -
colonise and plunder.
I'm sorry, but
..I'm 60% water.
We all are.
Don't tell me we don't own the water.
If Homo Aqua want a war between the
land and the sea, we'll take the sea.
Sir, this kind of rhetoric
is irresponsible.
If you're trying to keep the peace,
you've already failed.
If you're not onside, we might
have to reconsider our options.
Diplomatic responsibility
can easily be transferred.
What, to you?
A global emergency committee
could guide Homo Aqua through
a peace process that puts
mankind first
- Sorry
- ..not UNIT.
but what is Sir Keith doing
in an emergency meeting?
He-He's not Cabinet or Agency,
and his companies, at this very moment,
are still pumping millions of litres
of sewage into our waterways.
These processes take time.
And don't get me started
on General Dussolier,
who leaked confidential
information to the press!
I think you need to calm down, love.
This is a national security matter!
The fact is we need industry
and our allies onside.
We can't do this alone.
What's going to happen down there?
Ravi, come on.
We've already said, we don't know.
So, what if this is a trick
and they want hostages?
We didn't take any hostages -
why should they?
Cos that's what happens in war.
Look, I promise you,
we're going to sort this, OK?
I don't know how we will, but we will,
cos my kid is not living through a war.
I never had kids
but if I get out of here,
I'm going to call my brother.
We haven't spoken for 20 years.
Good for you.
First thing I'm doing is
taking my family out for a meal.
- All 19 of us.
- 19?!
Yeah!
Yeah, and I'm paying.
LOUD CLATTER
Oh, it's so hot.
This suit
How deep are we?
All right, Ted, come on. Come on,
Ted, don't think about that.
I watched this show where they
made a human out of pig parts,
bones and meat and they put it
in a diving suit, and and they
they tested it for
deep-sea pressure
- and it
- Mr Campbell!
..and it just turned
to soup in a split second.
- OK, Ted, Ted, no-one wants to hear this.
- And I don't want to be soup!
TED SOBS
All right, OK. It's OK, you're OK.
Ted, come on! Come on!
Look at me. Just breathe.
Just breathe now.
Breathe now, please, with me, OK?
Slow and steady, with me,
cos we're a team, aren't we?
Yeah? OK.
THEY BREATHE SLOWLY
OK?
Thank you.
CLATTERING
Well, all six delegates should now
be descending to the ocean floor.
Meanwhile, emergency crews
continue to clear arterial roads
- through major cities
- Can you turn that off, please?
..while the national curfew remains
in place for at least 12
A few days ago, the situation was dire.
We were staring down the
barrel of unprecedented
financial and energy crises.
Now it's catastrophic.
We cannot surrender
control of this planet.
Look what they did to us in 15 minutes.
If they wanted to,
they could wipe us out.
Unit are looking after
their own interests.
It is our moral duty to stop
Aquakind, however we can.
Harry, I know you have a
lot on your plate right now.
Alison has tests today.
I should be with her.
I already know you value my opinion.
And maybe my money.
The Generals have decades of
military strategy under their belts.
Let us guide you, take the pressure off.
When I became Prime Minister
I made a promise to my grandchildren
to leave this country
better than I found it.
Sir
if we don't win this war
and war is what it is
..there will be no grandchildren.
But we believe there is
a way through this.
A new stratagem, just between us.
We're calling it Severance.
I found some instant coffee.
And
..biscuits.
I won't ask you what you
had to do for those.
Ha! Yeah, best not.
HE SIGHS
They'll be OK.
But you look exhausted.
Well, I've had six hours' sleep
in three days.
This morning, I showered in a sink,
sent good people five
miles under the ocean,
then sat through a Cobra meeting
with a room full of warmongers.
You need a break.
They want to shut Unit out.
And if we lose control, who steps in?
Who decides the future of the human race?
Sorry, the submersible's entering
the deepest part of the trench.
Yeah.
Get me Captain Gaitz, I want
a situation report ASAP.
This is uncharted territory.
They're off the maps now.
This'll be the longest
night of our lives.
THEY BREATHE HEAVILY
LOUD CLATTER, THEY EXCLAIM
What's that? What's happened?!
I think we've stopped.
Are we? Are we on the seabed?
Negative.
This is SU-1 to surface.
Surface, this is SU-1.
Hello?
Is anyone there?
Oh, my God
LOUD CLATTER
We're moving again.
ALARM WAILS
Captain, what's happening?!
We're moving at 12 knots.
18 knots.
These readings don't make sense.
That's not possible!
30 knots! Something's taken control!
How are they moving so fast?
Captain!
What? Are they being dragged?
Mm, think so.
They're descending twice as fast.
Steve, how's the pressure?
Pressure is holding.
We've lost comms. Ping the transponder!
No response.
OK, do you feel that? Do you
feel like we're descending again?
Why is there no radio contact?
- I don't know.
- Oxygen's normal.
The cables are functioning. We're just
Cut off
..on our own.
- LOUD RUMBLE, RAVI EXCLAIMS
- What's happening?!
ALARM SOUNDS
ALARM STOPS
LOUD RUMBLE, THEY YELP
We've stopped.
And the pressure on the hull is 1,200hPa.
What, is that is that good or bad?
Well, that's like sea level.
That's the pressure on land,
except we're five miles down.
Five miles!
So, what, are we inside something?
LOUD RUMBLE
- RAVI YELLS
- The whole system's gone down!
- Oh, my God!
- Helmets on, everyone.
Backup should kick in any second.
This is a trap! They're going to kill us!
For Christ's sake, Ted! Shut up!
Oh, that's it? That's backup?!
There's something at the hatch.
It's them!
They're breaking in!
Brace positions!
Who's going first?
- Yeah
- Is it a cave?
I don't know. Wait there.
Oh!
Ah, bloody hell.
It's alive.
Temperature's 21 degrees Celsius,
which is impossible.
The atmosphere's breathable.
Not just breathable, it's perfect.
This place is incredible.
You can come out now.
Be careful, there's a drop.
It's some kind of membrane.
There's got to be billions of
tonnes of water behind this.
RUMBLING
One tear in that membrane
Watch your step, the ground's uneven.
If this is the ground.
LOUD WHOOSH
Ah!
What the hell was that?
- Decontamination?
- Everyone OK?
- OK?
- What is this place?
It's like
..nothing in the world.
It's like hell.
Welcome.
Where exactly are we?
Deeper than any human has ever been.
You can remove your apparatus.
No, wait.
This environment has
been prepared for you.
Will you trust me, Barclay?
Yeah.
HE BREATHES HEAVILY
It's OK.
DRIPPING
The roof's leaking!
There is no roof.
What??
But you are safe.
Er
Yeah, I'd prefer to keep this on.
As you wish.
It's fatigue.
You're running on empty.
All this pressure, it's taking its toll.
Pretty soon, you're going
to be of no use to anyone.
I feel fine.
After 48 hours, the brain
and the body start to shut down.
I've seen it happen, and I'm
watching it happen to you.
If I reported you,
you'd be escorted from the building.
Except you wouldn't do that.
The delegates are miles beneath the
surface in radio silence for hours.
There's nothing else
you can do right now.
But soon as they're back,
we need you on form,
rested and ready for whatever comes next.
You're amazing.
But you're not invincible.
Either I take you home to rest
or I report you.
My apartment is a fully-equipped
comms hub. I'll work from there.
So, how is it light down here?
Well, many deep-sea
organisms are bioluminescent -
bacteria, plankton, species of fish.
So, are we, er
..inside an organism or?
I have no idea.
This is impossible!
Your world of steel and glass
and sunlight is equally impossible to us.
And is this is this is where you live?
No.
We are nomads.
All of the oceans and
waterways are our home.
They are curious, that is all.
So, d-d-do you all live here together?
Like, all the species?
There are the fish
..there are the titans
..the dolphins
..and us.
Ah, so it's, er
it's like a hierarchy, then?
Like a class system?
There are degrees of intellect.
Do not assume we think as one.
Oh! Oh, so
Sorry, sorry.
I
I just, er
This is a lot, and
Here, hold on to me.
Come on, come on.
Keep moving, keep moving.
Come on.
Hang on, where are the others?
Have the walls moved?
It's just you
..and me.
I feel like I know you
..or I'm going to know you
..or I've known you forever.
Is that weird?
I understand.
You're so warm.
And rough.
Can I, erm?
Can I touch you?
What do you feel?
Strength
..and beauty.
I don't know why you chose me
..for any of this.
The tides have drawn us together.
The undercurrents pulling us closer.
If you calm your mind
..you'll feel their power.
But your thoughts are noisy.
Can you read them?
Human emotions are so loud,
we cannot help but listen.
Your heart is racing.
Yeah, I don't want to mess this up.
Billions of people are counting on us.
You have good intentions.
We could make a difference, you and I.
End the conflict between our species
..before it's too late.
Yeah.
Barclay!
We thought we'd lost you.
Are you all right?
Yeah.
We are assembled.
Oh, my God!
Do not be afraid.
This is how it felt for you, meeting us.
Welcome
to our domain.
They're down there, on their own
..with no support.
Do you think, one day, we won't
need to keep us a secret any more?
I don't know.
I'm sick of hiding it,
pretending,
worrying about being transferred
to God-knows-where.
Alaska?
HE SCOFFS
You find it so easy.
The future of the human race
pivots on what happens tonight.
We don't matter.
How can you be thinking about us?
I think about us all the time.
Can't you not be commander-in-chief,
just for a few hours?
I don't know how.
PHONE RINGS
Leave it.
Shirley, hi. Any news from the delegates?
No, all quiet.
So, I ran some intel on the
people in that Cobra meeting.
Thanks.
I think I found something -
a repeated word in
diplomatic communications.
Does the word Severance
mean anything to you?
No.
It's never appeared before,
now it's been used 14 times
in the last two days.
Coded messages going back and forth.
"Severance," "Severance," "Severance"
GUNSHO
Kate?
DISTANT: Kate, are you there?
Kate?
Kate? Kate?
Kate, are you there?!
Kate!
This is for you.
MUFFLED: All right, you breathe.
You keep breathing.
All right?
All right.
I'm going to get help.
Darling, stay with me.
Please, don't go!
Please, don't leave me!
Don't leave!
I love you!
Your war
..is lost.
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