Andromeda s01e02 Episode Script
An Affirming Flame
Last time on Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda The Commonwealth starship Andromeda Ascendant is betrayed by the allies the Nietzcheans "It's a trapped!" Captain Dylan Hunt and his crew battle, but in a face of destruction, order all his crew to abandoned the ship and attemps to hide the starship in the black hole he's attack by his Nietzchean first officer but as they're fight the Andromeda is frozen in time Three Hundred Years Later The saver ship "Eureka Maru" and the captain Beka Valentine locage the Andromeda, into the fringe of the black hole the now revival captain Dylan Hunt accompaned only by the ship's Artificial Intelligent ANDROMEDA must to battle once again to save the ship "I'll take it from here" Some say the Commonwealth would have fallen even without Nietzchean treachery.
They underestimate both the Commonwealth and the Nietzcheans.
The Rise and Fall of the Systems Commonwealth Yin Man-Wei CY 11942 'bots down.
Deck 15, Deck 12, Deck 11.
Can it get any better? Team One, Deck Ten.
Now.
A Nietzchean.
Just when things were starting to look up.
Secure this corridor.
Right.
I've taken out every android and robot from here to deck nine.
Good.
Sensors are down, just like you asked.
And we found a way to disrupt the signals of the nanobots.
This Captain Hunt is completely blinded.
He's all alone here.
And now that he knows what he's up against, maybe we can convince him to surrender.
I'm not interested in his surrender.
Finish the job.
Kill him.
Still nothing.
They've cut off my internal sensors.
If I have any androids left outside command, I can't contact them.
We've gotta change tactics, take the fight directly to them.
Oh, great.
Clear.
Nothing like a Nietzchean when you need to clean house.
He got away.
How? He's a survivor.
He won't be easy to kill.
I hired you creatures to do a job for me.
I want complete control of this ship, and I want that High Guard fossil DEAD.
The long night has come The system Commonwealth, the greatest civilisation was fall and now one ship, one crew are about drive back the night, they'll gush up the light of civilisation on the starship Andromeda hope lives again AN AFFIRMING FLAME You're working too slowly.
The longer we stay in one place, the more likely we are to face a counter-attack.
Look, I appreciate paranoia, but if I don't get this right, we lose the entire ship.
What my young friend is saying is give us some space.
Did I ask your opinion? The universe does not always provide what you ask for.
The universe provides what you need.
Hey, if you guys are gonna kill each other, go ahead and be my guest, but don't get any blood on my gear, okay? Don't test me, Magog.
Who does he think he is? I assume he thinks he's a Nietzchean.
Very helpful.
Thank you, Rev.
Come on, spill.
What have you dug up so far.
What makes you think I've been trying to dig things up? I know you, Rev.
Where there's a will, there's a Wayist.
And you can't convert the heathens without knowing their names.
Wayists don't try to convert people.
We simply show them that they're already Wayists.
However, there's nothing wrong with satisfying a little intellectual curiosity.
He's Tyr Anasazi of Kodiak Pride.
According to his companions, he's a high-priced mercenary.
One of the best.
But From what I gather, his Kodiak pride was destroyed in a clan war.
My guess is he's trying to prove his genetic worth, so he can join a new family.
Great.
Not just a Nietzchean, but a Nietzchean with a chip on his shoulder.
Another of the universe's little jokes.
At our expense.
So what's it like being a mercenary? It sounds like it'd be a really tough job.
I guess it'd allow you to travel a lot, which is kinda nice, but it's not as if the locals will be happy to see you when you arrive, and I suppose that killing people is a very stressful way to make a living.
Would you shut up? I'm sorry, am I distracting you? I don't mean to, it's just sometimes I find that a little casual conversation.
.
Not another word.
Miss Killer Lady? Ma'am? That does it, you little How you doin'? Drop it.
Great.
Cyborg.
"Wait!" I hate cyborgs.
She's very quick.
Sleep tight.
Come on! Fine.
Be tough! What are you doin'? I need more ammo.
Nobody goes in the weapons locker without Tyr's or Gerentex's permission.
I'll ask for permission just as soon as I get my ammo.
How you doin'? I'd duck.
Down! You are lucky to be alive.
I don't think he wanted to hurt us.
He went out of his way to control the explosion.
He warned me that it was coming.
If he wanted me dead, I don't think I'd be here right now.
Why do I get the feeling we're on the wrong side? Hey, we're not on a side, ok? We're working for Beka, same as always.
Fine.
Then I say we quit.
Get out of our contract and leave.
Is that what you really want? Nightsider hearing.
It makes up for the eyes.
I asked you a question.
Leave her alone.
No, that's ok.
I meant what I said.
We should not be here.
This is his ship, and we should let him have it.
Now, I'm not going to speak for anyone else here, But I'm done.
I quit.
Well, if that's how you feel.
You mean, I can just leave? Oh, I insist.
In fact, I'll, uh Give you a hand! NO! Leston, side arms.
Don't move.
Eternal life grant unto her, and may perpetual light shine upon her.
Any more burning issues that need to be discussed? Good.
Mr.
Harper, unless I'm mistaken, your work here is done.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm done.
Then by all means, let's be going.
I find the smell of death quite distasteful.
Move it.
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on.
Hurry up Magog.
Go.
No respiration, no pulse, no brain activity.
There's nothing I can do.
So young.
I'll bring the corpse to medical, just to be sure.
I didn't want it to come to this.
You didn't kill her, Dylan.
They did.
Still one death too many.
I'm ending this now.
Damn it.
I never should've let her on this deathtrap.
I should've left her on the Maru.
She's the E.
S.
officer, Beka.
We needed her here.
Don't blame yourself.
Who am I supposed to blame? I hired her, I trained her.
She trusted me, and now she's dead.
She knew the risks, Boss.
You explained them to her dozens of times.
I don't even know who to talk to about this.
Did she have family? Parents? Do you know? She wasa very private person.
Private? She was positively clandestine.
Yeah, whenever I'd ask her about her name what it really was in her native language she'd tell me I couldn't pronounce it, and when I'd try to pry anymore, she'd cover it up.
In all my travels, I have never seen or heard of a species quite like hers.
And now, I fear I never will again.
OK, I say we kill 'em.
Gerentex? Who do you think? I can rig up an explosive using your shock wand Violence begets violence.
Yeah, well, I say it's time we started begetting.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hold it.
Even if we could take out Gerentex, and I have my doubts about that, what do we do about his posse? Well, I was thinking a REALLY big bomb.
Harper, I advise you.
Consider carefully this path that you would choose.
The place to which it leads is very dark If you murder Tyr and the other mercenaries, you'll be no better than Gerentex.
Of course I will.
He'll be dead.
More likely, you'll be dead.
No.
If we're gonna get back at Gerentex, we're gonna do it smart.
Place the shake charges along that bulkhead.
The ship's main computer core is located right on the other side.
What's this? It's not on specs.
It's a basketball hoop.
If you ask nice, I'll show you how to play.
Kill him.
I don't think so.
This is my court You play be my rules! You can't beat me.
I don't have to.
Like I said.
My court, my rules.
Brexos? Brexos! That's two down.
I assume he's been taken prisoner.
All Hunt wanted was to prevent us from setting those charges.
Capturing Brexos was abonus.
This is getting so tedious.
He is only one man! He's one man fighting a guerilla war.
He knows the terrain, he's got superior weapons, and excellent tactical ability.
You sound like you admire him, Anasazi.
As I said, he's a survivor.
Well, then, I guess it's Harper to the rescue.
Lucky for you I'm a freakin' genius.
Oh, your system is finally in place at last? In a couple of seconds, I'll have the Andromeda's central computer eating out of my hand.
Jane's Encyclopedia for Basic Armed Combat Maneuvers.
Anyone? Oh, shut up.
Your loss, rat-face.
Beka! What's the good word, Boss? Channel's open.
Now comes the fun part.
I'm in.
Go, Harper, go.
Do you believe this is wise? Hey, Gerentex wanted Harper to take over the ship.
The only difference is, who is he taking the ship over for? Now I want you to get into the control array.
Once Harper has this thing housebroken, I want to teach it a few new tricks.
Man, this place is a lot bigger than I expected.
All right, you stay alert.
I'll keep an eye on things here.
Think them'lltry somethin'? You count on it.
Can you rewrite the command nexus? Of course I can.
If I can find it.
Maybe I can help.
Oh, crap.
Welcome to my mind.
Now, go home.
What happened?!? The ship.
She's alive! What? And she is ticked off.
I copy.
Leston, it's Tyr.
Go ahead.
Meet me on Deck 12.
We've got to blow the computer core.
We don't have any explosives.
Then we'll shoot our way through, but either way, that computer is coming down.
You're the expert.
I'll be there inAuuuuhgh! Leston? What's your hurry? Leston? Take the scenic route.
Hey! What are you doing? Adios.
Anasazi! Valentine! What is going on over there? Gerentex, looks like you've got a little problem, here.
What? That A.
I.
, the Andromeda What about her? I think she's trying to come in.
Well, disconnect the system! Uh, she's not just using the computer.
She's also coming in through the comm-line, the airlock controls.
.
Prep for launch! Now! But, Beka and Rev will just have to take care of themselves, won't they.
Unless you want to end up like your little purple friend.
The airlock! Rev! Damn it! Gerentex is abandoning us.
Andromeda, what was that? They've left the hangar.
I think we've won.
We're clear.
What about the Andromeda? She's dead in the water.
Good.
Move.
What-whawhat are youwh-what the?!? Now, let's see.
I believe THIS is the forward thruster, right? You're on a collision course! Yes.
A gentle tap.
What was that? I have a bad feeling about this.
And we'll let gravity do the rest.
Gravity? The black hole.
You know, this may sound petty to you, But if I can't have the Andromeda, no one can.
This is not good.
The black hole.
We're headed straight in.
Do you know what's happening? Behold the beast.
What do we do? You're the survival expert.
Why don't you tell me.
Agents are totally off-line.
We're falling back into the singularity.
I can't compensate.
How long until we hit the event horizon? Less than an hour.
It's just been one long day.
So this is your brilliant idea? Put ourselves into cold storage? If the stasis field protects us, we may survive long enough to be rescued.
We may even emerge on the other side.
The idea that black holes have exits into other universes is completely unproven.
It's a chance.
Look, even if your plan works and we don't get torn apart by the tides or fried by radiation, We could be frozen in time like Hunt was.
By the time we get out, hundreds of years may have passed.
I don't care if we wake up when the suns have all burned out and the universe is winding down to die, So long as I'm there to watch.
On the bright side, looks like you'll have company.
So, that's the situation.
It's your choice.
You can go back into stasis with Tyr, or you can help me save the ship.
I'll take "None of the above".
Anything? Some of my peripheral systems are back on-line, but still no power to the engines.
Well, that's a start, anyway.
I'd wish you luck, but I doubt it will help.
Wait.
I'm coming with you.
Listen to me.
Let them go.
Perhaps they'll make it.
We'll make it.
Let's go.
Let's go! Dylan! Someone just launched an escape pod.
Patch them through to me here.
They're headed straight for the singularity.
They'll never make it! We've gotta help them.
Even if I were fully functional, it would already be too late.
They're gone.
There was nothing you could have done.
You keep saying that.
You said it about the fall of the Commonwealth, you said it about that girl dying, and now this! But I don't buy it.
Dylan.
Scan the ship.
Lock onto the intruders.
I want to know how many of them are left.
Only three, all in medical.
Do you want me to contact them? No, I'll do it myself.
Understood.
They'rehold on.
What is it? I have a surprise for you.
All I'm asking is for fifteen minutes.
Help us figure a way out of this.
Look, if it doesn't work, you have plenty of time to get to stasis.
Every second I'm out here is an unnecessary risk.
The stasis chambers won't help.
We're headed straight into the singularity.
The AG Field won't last past a few thousand kilometers, and once it's gone, the stasis generators will be ripped to shreds and so will you.
If you want to survive, you only have one option.
You work with me.
You do exactly what I say.
And if we're very, very lucky, we might just get out of this in one piece.
I'd listen to him if I were you.
Trance.
You're alive.
But how? Thanks to Dylan and his ship.
They saved me when everyone else had given me up for dead.
Now if you listen to them, maybe they can do the same for you.
So, what's your plan? Nova bombs? You're carrying Nova bombs? The Andromeda's a High Guard ship of the line with a wide range of combat capabilities.
Y-you'll have to excuse us.
It's just the we've never met anyone who could blow up a sun before.
The Systems Commonwealth never used Nova bombs in combat.
As far as you know.
You didn't know what you were salvaging? No.
Although I'm beginning to suspect that Gerentex did.
Obviously, we underestimated him.
FORTY Nova bombs! Have you any idea what could be achieved with that sort of fire power? Nothing but destruction.
That's all Nova bombs are good for.
How much longer? Two minutes.
Three at the most.
Done.
Armory ready.
Wait for my mark.
Three light seconds away.
Weapons station ready.
Ready.
What is that? It's the tide.
It's starting to pull the ship apart.
If you stare too long into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you.
Any minute now.
It's now or never.
Initiating Nova deployment sequence.
Let's bring it.
Acting First Officer Beka Valentine.
Nova deployment authorized.
Zero Zero Strike Red Zero.
Acting Armsmaster Trance Gemini.
Nova deployment authorized.
Uh Retro Nine Blue Strike Five Nine Five.
Fire Control Officer Tyr Anasazi.
Arming Nova weapons one through forty.
Execution code nine five over seven blue five.
ARM.
Ready for your final order.
Captain Dylan Hunt, commanding officer.
Nova deployment authorization ten break alpha strike strike strike.
They're ready.
Missile tubes one through ten.
Fire.
Second salvo.
Fire.
Third salvo.
Fire.
Fourth salvo.
Fire! All missiles away.
What's that? They've launched some kind of missiles into the black hole.
Nonsense.
Nothing can affect a singularity! Almost nothing.
How many? How many?!? I dunno.
Looks like forty? Forty? God, their insane! Get us out of here! Big deal! What? What's the big deal? Just do it! Detonation in ThreeTwoOneDetonation! Fiat Lux.
Oh no.
They've created a white hole.
I don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound good.
It's the reverse of a black hole.
It's a miniature Big Bang! Oh God, we've got to get to slipstream before it hits us! Thanks, that part I figured out all by myself, rat-brain.
Destroying the AG Field.
Hold on, everyone.
This is gonna hurt.
Hunt! Power up the engines.
We've gotta get out of here before it collapses back in on itself.
I know.
I know.
The force of the explosion is over ten million tera-tons.
Radiation dampers are out.
Radiation will reach lethal levels in less than three minutes.
I can't believe it.
They're still in one piece.
Forget them! Just get US out of here! Yes, sir, Mr.
Fearless Leader, sir.
Transitting to slipstream in three seconds THREE! The white hole's becoming unstable.
Normal gravitational fields are returning.
Come on.
Here comes the riptide.
Just a few more seconds.
My engines are at fifteen percent over maximum We're almost far enough out to enter slipstream.
They're going to overload.
Slipstream NOW.
Transitting to normal space.
We're clear.
We made it.
Well I'll be damned.
It's over.
I owe you one.
Thanks.
I couldn't have done it without you.
Careful.
He might bite it off.
You're too kind.
I think you just made menu.
Rat-faced weasel took my ship! We matched the Maru's course, but it isn't in the system.
And look at this.
Pion particles.
A big spill right on the edge of the slipstream nexus.
Young Master Harper's work.
A trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow, if you're willing.
Wait a minute.
Uh let me get this straight.
You forced your way onto my ship, then you tried to steal my ship.
And now, after I saved all your lives, you want me to help you retrieve your ship.
She's like that.
Don't take it personally.
Believe me, you're the last person I want to ask for help.
I have no choice.
I'll do it.
On one condition.
Name it.
Not now.
When we're done.
You want me to do something for you, but you won't tell me what it is.
Do you want your ship back or not? I guess we have a deal.
All right, then! Let's go hunting.
Plus one-thousand thrones for slipstream piloting time and twenty percent hazardous duty bonus, comes to a grand total of 84,000 thrones.
Huh.
Are you quite done? Well, yeah.
Base pay times thirty days, plus expenses and overtime.
That pretty much covers it.
Then let me give you MY totals.
One million thrones for the location of the ship.
Fifteen million thrones for the purchase of special salvage equipment.
Five hundred thousand thrones for fuel.
And, surprise, an additional million thrones for research, bribes, and gifts to find an appropriate buyer.
Oh, yes.
Seven hundred thousand thrones for Tyr and his oh-so-helpful assault team.
What does that come to? Plus my eighty-four grand? A lot.
Eighteen million, two hundred thousand thrones for NOTHING.
PLUS my eighty-four grand! If you show me that bill one more time, I will make you copy it onto these walls in your own mushy blood! What's that? I dunno.
Somethings jamming our sensors.
Guards! Mind if we come in? Gerentex.
There you are.
We brought you Captain Hunt, just like you asked.
Sorry it took so long, but SOMEONE tried to feed us to a black hole.
Whatever he's paying you, I'll double it.
And kill us before we can get to the bank? No thank you.
It is written "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
" Don't just stand there! Get them! You don't have to do this, you know.
Oh, I think they do.
Variant of poison.
He'll be all right in a couple of hours.
It's, uh, Gerentex, right? Heh heh.
Yeah.
Well, frankly, Mr.
Gerentex, I don't have much of a problem with you.
Revenge isn't my style.
But I want you off this ship.
And I never want to see you again.
Ever.
Am I making myself clear? Perfectly.
Thank you for your consideration.
Lookin' for this? Thanks.
What an unpleasant individual.
I can cure that.
No.
Leave him.
Are you insane? Why would you leave a live enemy behind? This is my operation.
We do things my way.
I don't suppose there's anyone we can turn him over to for prosecution? Not likely.
Well, then, we'll put him in a life-pod and let him find his own way home, cripple the engines so it'll take him a few months.
That'll give him time to think about his mistakes.
The only thing HE'S gonna think about is how he'll screw the next people he works with.
Maybe.
But I won't kill a man in cold blood.
Captain Valentine, your ship.
Thank you.
Trance, get your butt down here.
We're leavin'.
Trance?!? I thought you might say that.
Trance! You're alive! You're alive.
Yes, well, people keep telling me so.
Uh, before you leave, there is one last thing.
My favor? All I want is ten minutes of your time of all your time.
Meet me on the observation deck of the Andromeda in one hour.
Oh, and you, uh, drop by the medical ward on the way.
That should sterilize the protozoa.
Apply this three times a day for a week and you'll recover.
Just out of curiosity, what would've happened if you hadn't treated this? Would it have, uh, left a scar? No.
It would've eaten every inch of your skin away until it was gone.
And then it would have started on your muscles, organs, eyes, and brain.
You'd have lived about five more weeks, and then all that would've been left are bleached bones.
Three times a day for a week.
Don't miss any spots.
Right.
Mind if I ask you a question? No.
When Trance got shot, how did you fix her? I don't know.
She didn't show any vital signs, so I brought her down here and monitored her, and thenshe got better.
That's our Trance.
She's done this kind of thing before? The whole coming back from the dead thing? No, that's a new one.
But, uh, let's just say it's not out of character.
You should get up to the Obs Deck.
I'll see you there.
Ten minutes.
I'll make this quick.
This isn't my time anymore.
I've checked your historical records, and since my time, life has gotten a lot harder.
Civilization is in tatters, the strong prey on the weak, there is no justice, there's no unity, there's no law.
I intend to change all that.
The Commonwealth wasn't just an institution.
It was a dream.
But dreams don't die.
And as long as I'm alive and in command of the Andromeda, neither will the Commonwealth.
You want to restore the Commonwealth? I think it's my duty to try.
But I need help.
I need a crew.
Us? Why not? You're smart, you're capable, and you deserve better lives than what you've got.
Now, what's wrong with our lives? Living from moment to moment with nothing to fight for but survival? Scrambling for the Big Score, the fast buck? You tell me.
If we agree to come along, how is that any better? It's a chance to do something important, something meaningful.
And it's more than that.
It's an adventure.
Maybe the greatest adventure anyone has ever seen, and if we succeed, you'll go down in history.
You'll be heroes.
And if we fail, we'll be dead.
In the end, we all die when our time comes.
Do you want to do this? When the Divine opens a Way, who are we to question? We're with you, Bek.
Whatever you say goes, butI think it might be kinda fun.
No offense, Beka, but have you seen the crew quarters on this thing? Showers in every room AND fresh coffee.
What do you say? If worse comes to worst, you can always leave.
You know, a lot of people will not be enchanted by this plan of yours.
Nothing worth doing is easy.
What the hell.
Beats doing salvage runs.
Looks like you got yourself a crew.
What about you? What about me? If we are gonna restore the Commonwealth, we have to restore it for everyone, including the Nietzscheans.
Well, that's a lovely sentiment, sir, but what's in it for me? Didn't Nietzsche once say : "The secret of reaping the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously.
" You read the right books.
I'm a man of many talents.
And high ideals.
Which, frankly, is a problem.
Still, I've worked for a great many fools in the past few years.
Perhaps it's time for something new.
In that case, welcome aboard.
All of you.
We're not saluting you, and we're not calling you captain.
Dylan.
Dylan will be fine.
They underestimate both the Commonwealth and the Nietzcheans.
The Rise and Fall of the Systems Commonwealth Yin Man-Wei CY 11942 'bots down.
Deck 15, Deck 12, Deck 11.
Can it get any better? Team One, Deck Ten.
Now.
A Nietzchean.
Just when things were starting to look up.
Secure this corridor.
Right.
I've taken out every android and robot from here to deck nine.
Good.
Sensors are down, just like you asked.
And we found a way to disrupt the signals of the nanobots.
This Captain Hunt is completely blinded.
He's all alone here.
And now that he knows what he's up against, maybe we can convince him to surrender.
I'm not interested in his surrender.
Finish the job.
Kill him.
Still nothing.
They've cut off my internal sensors.
If I have any androids left outside command, I can't contact them.
We've gotta change tactics, take the fight directly to them.
Oh, great.
Clear.
Nothing like a Nietzchean when you need to clean house.
He got away.
How? He's a survivor.
He won't be easy to kill.
I hired you creatures to do a job for me.
I want complete control of this ship, and I want that High Guard fossil DEAD.
The long night has come The system Commonwealth, the greatest civilisation was fall and now one ship, one crew are about drive back the night, they'll gush up the light of civilisation on the starship Andromeda hope lives again AN AFFIRMING FLAME You're working too slowly.
The longer we stay in one place, the more likely we are to face a counter-attack.
Look, I appreciate paranoia, but if I don't get this right, we lose the entire ship.
What my young friend is saying is give us some space.
Did I ask your opinion? The universe does not always provide what you ask for.
The universe provides what you need.
Hey, if you guys are gonna kill each other, go ahead and be my guest, but don't get any blood on my gear, okay? Don't test me, Magog.
Who does he think he is? I assume he thinks he's a Nietzchean.
Very helpful.
Thank you, Rev.
Come on, spill.
What have you dug up so far.
What makes you think I've been trying to dig things up? I know you, Rev.
Where there's a will, there's a Wayist.
And you can't convert the heathens without knowing their names.
Wayists don't try to convert people.
We simply show them that they're already Wayists.
However, there's nothing wrong with satisfying a little intellectual curiosity.
He's Tyr Anasazi of Kodiak Pride.
According to his companions, he's a high-priced mercenary.
One of the best.
But From what I gather, his Kodiak pride was destroyed in a clan war.
My guess is he's trying to prove his genetic worth, so he can join a new family.
Great.
Not just a Nietzchean, but a Nietzchean with a chip on his shoulder.
Another of the universe's little jokes.
At our expense.
So what's it like being a mercenary? It sounds like it'd be a really tough job.
I guess it'd allow you to travel a lot, which is kinda nice, but it's not as if the locals will be happy to see you when you arrive, and I suppose that killing people is a very stressful way to make a living.
Would you shut up? I'm sorry, am I distracting you? I don't mean to, it's just sometimes I find that a little casual conversation.
.
Not another word.
Miss Killer Lady? Ma'am? That does it, you little How you doin'? Drop it.
Great.
Cyborg.
"Wait!" I hate cyborgs.
She's very quick.
Sleep tight.
Come on! Fine.
Be tough! What are you doin'? I need more ammo.
Nobody goes in the weapons locker without Tyr's or Gerentex's permission.
I'll ask for permission just as soon as I get my ammo.
How you doin'? I'd duck.
Down! You are lucky to be alive.
I don't think he wanted to hurt us.
He went out of his way to control the explosion.
He warned me that it was coming.
If he wanted me dead, I don't think I'd be here right now.
Why do I get the feeling we're on the wrong side? Hey, we're not on a side, ok? We're working for Beka, same as always.
Fine.
Then I say we quit.
Get out of our contract and leave.
Is that what you really want? Nightsider hearing.
It makes up for the eyes.
I asked you a question.
Leave her alone.
No, that's ok.
I meant what I said.
We should not be here.
This is his ship, and we should let him have it.
Now, I'm not going to speak for anyone else here, But I'm done.
I quit.
Well, if that's how you feel.
You mean, I can just leave? Oh, I insist.
In fact, I'll, uh Give you a hand! NO! Leston, side arms.
Don't move.
Eternal life grant unto her, and may perpetual light shine upon her.
Any more burning issues that need to be discussed? Good.
Mr.
Harper, unless I'm mistaken, your work here is done.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm done.
Then by all means, let's be going.
I find the smell of death quite distasteful.
Move it.
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on.
Hurry up Magog.
Go.
No respiration, no pulse, no brain activity.
There's nothing I can do.
So young.
I'll bring the corpse to medical, just to be sure.
I didn't want it to come to this.
You didn't kill her, Dylan.
They did.
Still one death too many.
I'm ending this now.
Damn it.
I never should've let her on this deathtrap.
I should've left her on the Maru.
She's the E.
S.
officer, Beka.
We needed her here.
Don't blame yourself.
Who am I supposed to blame? I hired her, I trained her.
She trusted me, and now she's dead.
She knew the risks, Boss.
You explained them to her dozens of times.
I don't even know who to talk to about this.
Did she have family? Parents? Do you know? She wasa very private person.
Private? She was positively clandestine.
Yeah, whenever I'd ask her about her name what it really was in her native language she'd tell me I couldn't pronounce it, and when I'd try to pry anymore, she'd cover it up.
In all my travels, I have never seen or heard of a species quite like hers.
And now, I fear I never will again.
OK, I say we kill 'em.
Gerentex? Who do you think? I can rig up an explosive using your shock wand Violence begets violence.
Yeah, well, I say it's time we started begetting.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hold it.
Even if we could take out Gerentex, and I have my doubts about that, what do we do about his posse? Well, I was thinking a REALLY big bomb.
Harper, I advise you.
Consider carefully this path that you would choose.
The place to which it leads is very dark If you murder Tyr and the other mercenaries, you'll be no better than Gerentex.
Of course I will.
He'll be dead.
More likely, you'll be dead.
No.
If we're gonna get back at Gerentex, we're gonna do it smart.
Place the shake charges along that bulkhead.
The ship's main computer core is located right on the other side.
What's this? It's not on specs.
It's a basketball hoop.
If you ask nice, I'll show you how to play.
Kill him.
I don't think so.
This is my court You play be my rules! You can't beat me.
I don't have to.
Like I said.
My court, my rules.
Brexos? Brexos! That's two down.
I assume he's been taken prisoner.
All Hunt wanted was to prevent us from setting those charges.
Capturing Brexos was abonus.
This is getting so tedious.
He is only one man! He's one man fighting a guerilla war.
He knows the terrain, he's got superior weapons, and excellent tactical ability.
You sound like you admire him, Anasazi.
As I said, he's a survivor.
Well, then, I guess it's Harper to the rescue.
Lucky for you I'm a freakin' genius.
Oh, your system is finally in place at last? In a couple of seconds, I'll have the Andromeda's central computer eating out of my hand.
Jane's Encyclopedia for Basic Armed Combat Maneuvers.
Anyone? Oh, shut up.
Your loss, rat-face.
Beka! What's the good word, Boss? Channel's open.
Now comes the fun part.
I'm in.
Go, Harper, go.
Do you believe this is wise? Hey, Gerentex wanted Harper to take over the ship.
The only difference is, who is he taking the ship over for? Now I want you to get into the control array.
Once Harper has this thing housebroken, I want to teach it a few new tricks.
Man, this place is a lot bigger than I expected.
All right, you stay alert.
I'll keep an eye on things here.
Think them'lltry somethin'? You count on it.
Can you rewrite the command nexus? Of course I can.
If I can find it.
Maybe I can help.
Oh, crap.
Welcome to my mind.
Now, go home.
What happened?!? The ship.
She's alive! What? And she is ticked off.
I copy.
Leston, it's Tyr.
Go ahead.
Meet me on Deck 12.
We've got to blow the computer core.
We don't have any explosives.
Then we'll shoot our way through, but either way, that computer is coming down.
You're the expert.
I'll be there inAuuuuhgh! Leston? What's your hurry? Leston? Take the scenic route.
Hey! What are you doing? Adios.
Anasazi! Valentine! What is going on over there? Gerentex, looks like you've got a little problem, here.
What? That A.
I.
, the Andromeda What about her? I think she's trying to come in.
Well, disconnect the system! Uh, she's not just using the computer.
She's also coming in through the comm-line, the airlock controls.
.
Prep for launch! Now! But, Beka and Rev will just have to take care of themselves, won't they.
Unless you want to end up like your little purple friend.
The airlock! Rev! Damn it! Gerentex is abandoning us.
Andromeda, what was that? They've left the hangar.
I think we've won.
We're clear.
What about the Andromeda? She's dead in the water.
Good.
Move.
What-whawhat are youwh-what the?!? Now, let's see.
I believe THIS is the forward thruster, right? You're on a collision course! Yes.
A gentle tap.
What was that? I have a bad feeling about this.
And we'll let gravity do the rest.
Gravity? The black hole.
You know, this may sound petty to you, But if I can't have the Andromeda, no one can.
This is not good.
The black hole.
We're headed straight in.
Do you know what's happening? Behold the beast.
What do we do? You're the survival expert.
Why don't you tell me.
Agents are totally off-line.
We're falling back into the singularity.
I can't compensate.
How long until we hit the event horizon? Less than an hour.
It's just been one long day.
So this is your brilliant idea? Put ourselves into cold storage? If the stasis field protects us, we may survive long enough to be rescued.
We may even emerge on the other side.
The idea that black holes have exits into other universes is completely unproven.
It's a chance.
Look, even if your plan works and we don't get torn apart by the tides or fried by radiation, We could be frozen in time like Hunt was.
By the time we get out, hundreds of years may have passed.
I don't care if we wake up when the suns have all burned out and the universe is winding down to die, So long as I'm there to watch.
On the bright side, looks like you'll have company.
So, that's the situation.
It's your choice.
You can go back into stasis with Tyr, or you can help me save the ship.
I'll take "None of the above".
Anything? Some of my peripheral systems are back on-line, but still no power to the engines.
Well, that's a start, anyway.
I'd wish you luck, but I doubt it will help.
Wait.
I'm coming with you.
Listen to me.
Let them go.
Perhaps they'll make it.
We'll make it.
Let's go.
Let's go! Dylan! Someone just launched an escape pod.
Patch them through to me here.
They're headed straight for the singularity.
They'll never make it! We've gotta help them.
Even if I were fully functional, it would already be too late.
They're gone.
There was nothing you could have done.
You keep saying that.
You said it about the fall of the Commonwealth, you said it about that girl dying, and now this! But I don't buy it.
Dylan.
Scan the ship.
Lock onto the intruders.
I want to know how many of them are left.
Only three, all in medical.
Do you want me to contact them? No, I'll do it myself.
Understood.
They'rehold on.
What is it? I have a surprise for you.
All I'm asking is for fifteen minutes.
Help us figure a way out of this.
Look, if it doesn't work, you have plenty of time to get to stasis.
Every second I'm out here is an unnecessary risk.
The stasis chambers won't help.
We're headed straight into the singularity.
The AG Field won't last past a few thousand kilometers, and once it's gone, the stasis generators will be ripped to shreds and so will you.
If you want to survive, you only have one option.
You work with me.
You do exactly what I say.
And if we're very, very lucky, we might just get out of this in one piece.
I'd listen to him if I were you.
Trance.
You're alive.
But how? Thanks to Dylan and his ship.
They saved me when everyone else had given me up for dead.
Now if you listen to them, maybe they can do the same for you.
So, what's your plan? Nova bombs? You're carrying Nova bombs? The Andromeda's a High Guard ship of the line with a wide range of combat capabilities.
Y-you'll have to excuse us.
It's just the we've never met anyone who could blow up a sun before.
The Systems Commonwealth never used Nova bombs in combat.
As far as you know.
You didn't know what you were salvaging? No.
Although I'm beginning to suspect that Gerentex did.
Obviously, we underestimated him.
FORTY Nova bombs! Have you any idea what could be achieved with that sort of fire power? Nothing but destruction.
That's all Nova bombs are good for.
How much longer? Two minutes.
Three at the most.
Done.
Armory ready.
Wait for my mark.
Three light seconds away.
Weapons station ready.
Ready.
What is that? It's the tide.
It's starting to pull the ship apart.
If you stare too long into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you.
Any minute now.
It's now or never.
Initiating Nova deployment sequence.
Let's bring it.
Acting First Officer Beka Valentine.
Nova deployment authorized.
Zero Zero Strike Red Zero.
Acting Armsmaster Trance Gemini.
Nova deployment authorized.
Uh Retro Nine Blue Strike Five Nine Five.
Fire Control Officer Tyr Anasazi.
Arming Nova weapons one through forty.
Execution code nine five over seven blue five.
ARM.
Ready for your final order.
Captain Dylan Hunt, commanding officer.
Nova deployment authorization ten break alpha strike strike strike.
They're ready.
Missile tubes one through ten.
Fire.
Second salvo.
Fire.
Third salvo.
Fire.
Fourth salvo.
Fire! All missiles away.
What's that? They've launched some kind of missiles into the black hole.
Nonsense.
Nothing can affect a singularity! Almost nothing.
How many? How many?!? I dunno.
Looks like forty? Forty? God, their insane! Get us out of here! Big deal! What? What's the big deal? Just do it! Detonation in ThreeTwoOneDetonation! Fiat Lux.
Oh no.
They've created a white hole.
I don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound good.
It's the reverse of a black hole.
It's a miniature Big Bang! Oh God, we've got to get to slipstream before it hits us! Thanks, that part I figured out all by myself, rat-brain.
Destroying the AG Field.
Hold on, everyone.
This is gonna hurt.
Hunt! Power up the engines.
We've gotta get out of here before it collapses back in on itself.
I know.
I know.
The force of the explosion is over ten million tera-tons.
Radiation dampers are out.
Radiation will reach lethal levels in less than three minutes.
I can't believe it.
They're still in one piece.
Forget them! Just get US out of here! Yes, sir, Mr.
Fearless Leader, sir.
Transitting to slipstream in three seconds THREE! The white hole's becoming unstable.
Normal gravitational fields are returning.
Come on.
Here comes the riptide.
Just a few more seconds.
My engines are at fifteen percent over maximum We're almost far enough out to enter slipstream.
They're going to overload.
Slipstream NOW.
Transitting to normal space.
We're clear.
We made it.
Well I'll be damned.
It's over.
I owe you one.
Thanks.
I couldn't have done it without you.
Careful.
He might bite it off.
You're too kind.
I think you just made menu.
Rat-faced weasel took my ship! We matched the Maru's course, but it isn't in the system.
And look at this.
Pion particles.
A big spill right on the edge of the slipstream nexus.
Young Master Harper's work.
A trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow, if you're willing.
Wait a minute.
Uh let me get this straight.
You forced your way onto my ship, then you tried to steal my ship.
And now, after I saved all your lives, you want me to help you retrieve your ship.
She's like that.
Don't take it personally.
Believe me, you're the last person I want to ask for help.
I have no choice.
I'll do it.
On one condition.
Name it.
Not now.
When we're done.
You want me to do something for you, but you won't tell me what it is.
Do you want your ship back or not? I guess we have a deal.
All right, then! Let's go hunting.
Plus one-thousand thrones for slipstream piloting time and twenty percent hazardous duty bonus, comes to a grand total of 84,000 thrones.
Huh.
Are you quite done? Well, yeah.
Base pay times thirty days, plus expenses and overtime.
That pretty much covers it.
Then let me give you MY totals.
One million thrones for the location of the ship.
Fifteen million thrones for the purchase of special salvage equipment.
Five hundred thousand thrones for fuel.
And, surprise, an additional million thrones for research, bribes, and gifts to find an appropriate buyer.
Oh, yes.
Seven hundred thousand thrones for Tyr and his oh-so-helpful assault team.
What does that come to? Plus my eighty-four grand? A lot.
Eighteen million, two hundred thousand thrones for NOTHING.
PLUS my eighty-four grand! If you show me that bill one more time, I will make you copy it onto these walls in your own mushy blood! What's that? I dunno.
Somethings jamming our sensors.
Guards! Mind if we come in? Gerentex.
There you are.
We brought you Captain Hunt, just like you asked.
Sorry it took so long, but SOMEONE tried to feed us to a black hole.
Whatever he's paying you, I'll double it.
And kill us before we can get to the bank? No thank you.
It is written "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
" Don't just stand there! Get them! You don't have to do this, you know.
Oh, I think they do.
Variant of poison.
He'll be all right in a couple of hours.
It's, uh, Gerentex, right? Heh heh.
Yeah.
Well, frankly, Mr.
Gerentex, I don't have much of a problem with you.
Revenge isn't my style.
But I want you off this ship.
And I never want to see you again.
Ever.
Am I making myself clear? Perfectly.
Thank you for your consideration.
Lookin' for this? Thanks.
What an unpleasant individual.
I can cure that.
No.
Leave him.
Are you insane? Why would you leave a live enemy behind? This is my operation.
We do things my way.
I don't suppose there's anyone we can turn him over to for prosecution? Not likely.
Well, then, we'll put him in a life-pod and let him find his own way home, cripple the engines so it'll take him a few months.
That'll give him time to think about his mistakes.
The only thing HE'S gonna think about is how he'll screw the next people he works with.
Maybe.
But I won't kill a man in cold blood.
Captain Valentine, your ship.
Thank you.
Trance, get your butt down here.
We're leavin'.
Trance?!? I thought you might say that.
Trance! You're alive! You're alive.
Yes, well, people keep telling me so.
Uh, before you leave, there is one last thing.
My favor? All I want is ten minutes of your time of all your time.
Meet me on the observation deck of the Andromeda in one hour.
Oh, and you, uh, drop by the medical ward on the way.
That should sterilize the protozoa.
Apply this three times a day for a week and you'll recover.
Just out of curiosity, what would've happened if you hadn't treated this? Would it have, uh, left a scar? No.
It would've eaten every inch of your skin away until it was gone.
And then it would have started on your muscles, organs, eyes, and brain.
You'd have lived about five more weeks, and then all that would've been left are bleached bones.
Three times a day for a week.
Don't miss any spots.
Right.
Mind if I ask you a question? No.
When Trance got shot, how did you fix her? I don't know.
She didn't show any vital signs, so I brought her down here and monitored her, and thenshe got better.
That's our Trance.
She's done this kind of thing before? The whole coming back from the dead thing? No, that's a new one.
But, uh, let's just say it's not out of character.
You should get up to the Obs Deck.
I'll see you there.
Ten minutes.
I'll make this quick.
This isn't my time anymore.
I've checked your historical records, and since my time, life has gotten a lot harder.
Civilization is in tatters, the strong prey on the weak, there is no justice, there's no unity, there's no law.
I intend to change all that.
The Commonwealth wasn't just an institution.
It was a dream.
But dreams don't die.
And as long as I'm alive and in command of the Andromeda, neither will the Commonwealth.
You want to restore the Commonwealth? I think it's my duty to try.
But I need help.
I need a crew.
Us? Why not? You're smart, you're capable, and you deserve better lives than what you've got.
Now, what's wrong with our lives? Living from moment to moment with nothing to fight for but survival? Scrambling for the Big Score, the fast buck? You tell me.
If we agree to come along, how is that any better? It's a chance to do something important, something meaningful.
And it's more than that.
It's an adventure.
Maybe the greatest adventure anyone has ever seen, and if we succeed, you'll go down in history.
You'll be heroes.
And if we fail, we'll be dead.
In the end, we all die when our time comes.
Do you want to do this? When the Divine opens a Way, who are we to question? We're with you, Bek.
Whatever you say goes, butI think it might be kinda fun.
No offense, Beka, but have you seen the crew quarters on this thing? Showers in every room AND fresh coffee.
What do you say? If worse comes to worst, you can always leave.
You know, a lot of people will not be enchanted by this plan of yours.
Nothing worth doing is easy.
What the hell.
Beats doing salvage runs.
Looks like you got yourself a crew.
What about you? What about me? If we are gonna restore the Commonwealth, we have to restore it for everyone, including the Nietzscheans.
Well, that's a lovely sentiment, sir, but what's in it for me? Didn't Nietzsche once say : "The secret of reaping the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously.
" You read the right books.
I'm a man of many talents.
And high ideals.
Which, frankly, is a problem.
Still, I've worked for a great many fools in the past few years.
Perhaps it's time for something new.
In that case, welcome aboard.
All of you.
We're not saluting you, and we're not calling you captain.
Dylan.
Dylan will be fine.