Infiniti (2022) s01e05 Episode Script

Ainsi parlait Zarathoustra

1
You said they were dead
and the station was empty.
Then they must have come back.
If they did come back,
Gilga would know it.
Anna.
He was a friend of my mother.
He was on Mir with her.
BELINSKI:
REVA: I think Mason was right.
All it takes to hack into
a clunker like Courier 15
is a powerful radar antenna
and a good relay engineer.
Balkhash and Gilgamesh
are both of those things.
They didn't come back.
They're still up there.
They tried to silence me
and they killed my boy!
I'm gonna find them
and I'm gonna kill them.
REVA: In 1997 the crew evacuated Mir
and yet even after the evacuation
there was a presence on board
as if someone had stayed behind.
(SHRIEKS) No!
Man come, but the man,
he have demon in eye.
Xi?
Where are the others? Are they dead?
(GUNFIRE)
No!
SLAVEK: This is ISS.
This is a message in a bottle.
It's the right frequency.
They're broadcasting
to the whole country.
MAN: Does anyone know
Schrodinger's cat?
First cat to go up in space?
(CHILDREN LAUGH)
No, that was a dog.
Schrodinger's cat was the name that
Mr Schrodinger gave to an experiment.
And he was a scientist
and he studied the world
of quantum physics.
Now, you remember what atoms are?
Yes.
They're little bricks that all of us
are made from.
Well, these bricks themselves
are made out of even smaller bricks,
so small, in fact,
they can actually exist
and not exist at the same time.
They're in what's called
a superposition.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACH)
Sothis is where the cat comes in.
To explain his discovery,
Schrodinger imagined
that he locked a live cat
(LAUGHTER)
..in a box
..with a radioactive
quantum particle.
If the radioactive particle is there,
the cat will die in a few hours.
But if it isn't there,
the cat survives.
But so long as the box is closed,
there's no way of knowing
if the cat's alive or dead.
According to his theory,
so long as the box is shut,
the cat is dead and alive
at the same time,
same as the particle.
You got it?
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
Where did you learn
to speak Russian like that?
You know, I've been thinking about
your proposal.
This ceremony you mentioned.
Do you still want to bring me along?
(GENTLE MUSIC)
You sure you want to go?
Let's go.
You're not taking your cat?
How do you know it's still alive?
(LAUGHS)
I don't.
I justhope it is.
(HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRR)
If Xi came down,
why not Kurz and Slavek?
You saw the message. It came today.
I know.
Does Emil know?
Emil, are you with us?
EMIL: Lydia told me everything.
Emil!
Still full of surprises, I see.
Belinski's men tried
to kill me here.
Yes. Internal security
has been compromised.
Gilgamesh betrayed us and probably
tried to destroy the assets.
The Cosmodrome is finished.
Is the mission maintained?
Who says those who did this
will stop there?
No-one.
But one thing is certain.
If anybody finds out
that the Soyuz came back,
then the rescue mission is over.
And whoever they are, they win,
and nobody knows what's
happening up there right now.
So what do we do?
Go for it.
Go for what?
You said it.
If it turns out that they came down
there will be no rescue
and we will never know the truth.
There's only one course of action.
Lie.
(FEF SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(DOOR OPENS)
You are free.
So I'm no longer the bad guy?
You are, but an innocent one.
My computer.
(TENSE MUSIC)
You just sealed your own fate.
Baikonur's history. So are you.
Notify Houston
and fire up the engines.
We're going home.
RECORDING: The batteries
are near empty.
This is a message in a bottle.
Pleasehelp us.
At 7:45 UTC yesterday morning,
the ISS crew answered us.
It's a message from space,
a call for help
that we cannot ignore.
In spite of recent assertions,
NASA is out, so is China.
The Cosmoros Agency
which I represent
with support from the French CNES
has decided to go forward
with the rescue mission.
Anna Zarathi just completed
her quarantine in optimal conditions.
She's focused on
one single objective -
to bring our crew back alive.
She's ready. And so are we.
We will launch in 12 hours
as planned.
A launch prepared
in less than 10 days
is unprecedented.
(JOURNALISTS ALL TALK AT ONCE)
Director Durkhov,
it's been reported that the chief
security officer of the Cosmodrome,
Mr Viktor Belinski,
has been issued with
an international arrest warrant.
Can you confirm this?
I have no comment about that.
(JOURNALISTS ALL TALK AT ONCE)
James Everett, 'Houston Times'.
The Cosmodrome seems plagued
by deep-seated issues.
Would it not make sense
to rely on the efforts
of the Chinese-American
rescue mission?
I mean, they're planning to send
a robot up next week.
Next week will be too late.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the ISS requested Anna Zarathi.
We'll give them Anna Zarathi,
and, God willing,
she'll bring the crew down alive.
Thank you for your time.
(JOURNALISTS ALL TALK AT ONCE)
(MAN SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(UNSETTLING MUSIC)
(FLIES BUZZ)
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
ISAAK:
FEF:
(UNSETTLING MUSIC)
(PHONE CHIMES)
(PHONE RINGING TONE)
ISAAK:
(EMIL SPEAKS FRENCH)
(ANNA CRIES)
(PHONE RINGS)
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
Hey.
(ISAAK KICKS METAL)
ISAAK:
ISAAK:
(UNSETTLING MUSIC)
Fef.
(MAN EXCLAIMS GRUFFLY)
(GRUMBLES INDISTINCTLY)
(UNSETTLING MUSIC)
MIKHAIL: We think
they are here aboard Unity.
Destiny and Columbus are down.
Same goes for the Soyuz modules.
They're out of juice.
As you know, the station's in a spin,
so docking is impossible.
We'll have to position
inside escort mode
and embark the crew
into our module.
Unless I'm mistaken, the module
was designed for three people.
With Anna it will be four.
They'll have to squeeze in.
The Soyuz is being modified urgently
to accommodate four.
And another issue -
the crew spacesuits are located here
in the Cygnus module.
The suits are therefore inaccessible.
What about the Orlan suits?
They are for
extravehicular operations.
Too bulky to slip through
a Soyuz hatch.
So how are we going to travel?
Nobody can survive in the void
more than 45 seconds.
The Sokols are a lot less cumbersome.
They're made for
a pressurised environment.
They will provide 15 minutes
of protection under zero atmosphere.
You'll have to wear one
and deliver three more.
We'll position you here, ISS
stationary, about 10 metres away,
away from the debris.
You push out, fly over, secure
yourself, you deliver the suits,
you all come out.
In Sokol suits?
Either that or the robot.
(LYDIA SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(POIGNANT MUSIC)
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
ISAAK:
(SOMBRE MUSIC UNDER RHYTHMIC PULSE)
(GRIMLY PURPOSEFUL MUSIC)
MAN: T minus five minutes.
MAN ON RADIO: Preparing to launch.
This is rescue. Roger that.
T minus three minutes.
Ignition of
auxiliary power generators.
Just do an ignition check.
(RUMBLING AND WHIRRING)
(BEEPING)
(BEEPING SPEEDS UP)
Anna, is everything OK?
Ventilation of the distribution
of the liquid oxygen circuits.
(CLANKING AND SQUEAKING)
Anna, are you OK?
Everything OK.
(BEEPING SLOWS)
Pressurisation
of the liquid oxygen tank.
I believe this is the one.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
(THUMPING AND WHIRRING)
Switching on the orbiter's
autonomous motor.
10 seconds to lift-off.
9, 8,
7, 6,
5, 4,
3, 2, 1.
Ignition.
(LOUD EXPLOSION)
MAN ON RADIO: Lift-off.
WOMAN ON RADIO: We have lift-off.
All systems go.
(ANNA GRUNTS REPEATEDLY)
(MEDITATIVE AMBIENT MUSIC)
Who are you?
You don't just lock up cats
in boxes, do you?
KURZ: No.
I also take cosmonauts
into irradiated zones.
(CHUCKLES)
And do you do that often?
Yeah.
But this time is special.
I love this land.
There used to be dozens of towns
like this one.
Busy with schools, movie theatres,
bowling alleys.
Then independence came,
the Russians left,
the desert returned to its home.
The desert always wins.
I could live here,
in the steppe.
What about you?
Me?
Do you have any plans?
For afterwards?
You don't know.
As far as I can remember, I've
always wanted to go into space.
It has been my only dream.
(DULL METALLIC THUD)
(ANNA BREATHES HEAVILY)
RADIO: Orbiter launch successful.
(ALL EXCLAIM WITH RELIEF)
(MEDITATIVE AMBIENT MUSIC)
(DULL METALLIC THUD)
This is for you.
It's from space.
(SPEAKS FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
We were never here, understood?
(BOTH BREATHE HEAVILY)
Alright?
Yeah.
Take one of these.
It's for the radiation.
Trust me.
(AIRY MUSIC)
RADIO: Anna to Mikhail. You
should have a visual on the ISS.
My God.
Anna, it's Emil. Can you see it?
The station's badly damaged.
There is debris everywhere
and the solar panels
have broken off.
No sign of life.
OK.
Easy now.
Maintain a safe distance.
RADIO: Go into escort mode.
Maintain Soyuz at 10 metres.
You want to sync
to the rotation of the ISS.
(THUD)
(BEEPING)
(ANNA BREATHES HEAVILY)
Please.
(RAPID BEEPING)
(BEEPING SLOWS)
ANNA: ..target over 10 metres.
RADIO: Station keeping.
(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(SIGHS)
(MAN SPEAKS RUSSIAN)
(INTENSE MUSIC)
RADIO: Station keeping 10 metres
confirmed.
ANNA: Escort mode achieved.
Moving out to the orbital lock.
Opening the hatch.
Hatch opened.
EMIL ON RADIO:
Alright, Anna, you're there.
(ANNA BREATHES HEAVILY)
It's so beautiful.
Look at the sky.
Have you ever seen blackness
that black?
Have you ever seen whiteness
that white?
(ANNA GASPS)
The silence.
EMIL: Can you feel the sun? Can you
feel its rays coursing through you?
Pure energy.
(TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND CHANTING)
KURZ: Once dead,
the body's deemed impure.
It must be covered in wax
to avoid polluting the earth,
the fire and the water.
Three days after death
..the soul is blown away by the wind.
That's why they put the bodies
at the top of the structure.
The sun and the vultures
do the cleaning up.
Starting with the head.
For them it's the home of the soul.
The spirit.
As long as it's still there
..the dead aren't really dead.
ANNA: Same as the cat.
Same as the cat.
Zarathustra claimed
the gods didn't exist,
or else they were long dead.
So to which god are they praying?
The sun.
(MAKES WHOOSHING SOUND)
Truth is, for me
this isn't just a religion.
Zoroastrian priests
were builders, engineers,
doctors, scientists.
Science is a religion.
Going to space is a miracle.
Zarathustra preached
a religion of science,
my religion.
Our religion.
Your mother didn't give you
the name of your father.
She gave you the name of a god.
Looks like he wants to talk to you.
(WOMAN MAKE SIPPING SOUND)
EMIL: Anna?
(ANNA GROANS)
Ready for the big jump?
Ready.
(TENSE MUSIC)
Leaving the Soyuz now.
(ANNA CRIES OUT)
(ANNA BREATHES HEAVILY)
Ugh!
Ugh!
(STATIC BUZZES)
EMIL: Anna, what's going on?
Anna?
Anna?
It's OK.
It's OK. Everything's fine.
I've reached S-2.
I'm proceeding towards the cupola.
Take the dish.
(SOMBRE MUSIC)
Here.
(UNSETTLING MUSIC)
MAN: You are the daughter of Rola.
Yes.
Not a pretty sight, is it?
What happened to you?
Flew too close to the sun,
just as you're about to.
You mean
..in space?
I mean infinity.
(UNEASY MUSIC)
We all know that infinity exists
outside of us.
(ANNA GRUNTS)
But I've discovered
that there also is
a second infinity
..within ourselves
..and just as filled with stars.
But all those stars in actual fact
are only one.
What do you mean?
They are as leaves on a tree.
Each leaf is unique
and yet it's identical
to all the others.
Each leaf is connected to a stalk.
Each stalk to a twig.
Each twig to a branch.
Each intersection represents
the various courses
our lives could have taken.
For each intersection in our lives
there exists a new version
of our existence.
As many versions
as leaves on a tree.
As many leaves as universes.
As many universes
..as there are
..stars.
(SIGHS)
Oh!
But all the stars in the end
..are only part of the same tree.
(INTENSE MUSIC)
They form
..the one
..and only
..sun.
(MUSIC STOPS)
(ANNA BREATHES DEEPLY)
EMIL: Anna, what's going on?
Captions by Red Bee Media
(c) 2022 SBS Australia
Previous EpisodeNext Episode