The First (2018) s01e07 Episode Script
The Choice
1 [TING.]
[TUNING FORK RESONATING.]
[RESONATING CONTINUES.]
[TUNING FORK RESONATING.]
I hear it.
[RESONATING CONTINUES.]
How bad you want this.
[WIND WHISTLING.]
How bad you need this.
How close it is.
[TUNING FORK RESONATING.]
How far away it is.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
Dear Madam President we the undersigned, the crew of Providence 2, remain fully committed in body and spirit to carry out our mission despite the formidable risks we face.
During our years of training, our families and the American people have placed their faith in us.
[MUFFLED, DISTORTED.]
We humbly ask that you place your faith in us, as well Allow us to fulfill the destiny of all humankind [CLEARLY.]
as we pave our way to the future.
Thoughts? Objections? - You want us to sign now? - No.
We can wait and see how it goes tomorrow.
Anything else? Okay.
Oh nine hundred, work room.
[FAINT RINGING.]
We'll need to keep this confidential.
Of course.
[WHIRRING.]
All right.
Enlarge times two.
[BEEPING.]
Cam off.
[WHIRRING.]
Oh.
Okay.
- All right.
- I've been having sinus issues.
I thought it was just me trying to equalize in the tank, but it was the rupture.
Mm-hmm.
Um, treatment? 0.
14 mils of Ciprodex, twice a day.
The retrofitting cost to resume service launches just for the sake of making pennies.
That's not something that we've I'll take pennies over nothing, unless you want to start talking outright sale.
We need some ideas about alternative I will pull together some financials and see what a scale-back looks like.
How soon can you have that for us? I could probably have a rough draft ready by tomorrow if absolutely necessary.
All right.
I'll let everyone know.
- Okay, thanks.
End call.
- [BEEP.]
Is everyone willing to sign? Everyone has spoken to their loved ones.
Good.
Hopefully, we won't have to use it.
Come on.
I'll walk you out.
- Trouble with the board? - Oh, yeah.
Uh, tell Rosen to pull up the full asset portfolio.
I-I'll I'll see him in a minute.
Um, I had to fight off a mutiny after the first mission, and I can feel another one brewing.
How about you? Have you spoken to who you need to? I've written her several times, but she hasn't responded.
- Huh.
- Has she said anything to you? No.
She keeps to herself.
Well, if she's wearing out her welcome, you know Of course not.
You know I'd say if she was.
Maybe you should do more than write.
Come and visit.
It's an open invitation.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
[RHYTHMIC TAPPING.]
Yeah.
N-No.
We don't need to rush anything.
If it is just two hours, then that's fine.
But if it's any more, then I really think we should consider No.
Okay.
Is that a three-three-two? Uh, yeah.
I'm doing additive meters.
That's very good.
Jason, are you on? Not on the table.
No, no, it's just my son.
Um, so, yeah, we should get Samantha onto this.
Tell the press there'll be a two-hour delay for a minor course correction on the rover.
Eitan, you give her the language, okay? I'll be out of pocket for half an hour, and, uh, then I'll check back in.
Okay.
End call.
Phone off.
Hello.
Nicole.
This is lovely.
Thank you.
Um, I hope you haven't stopped playing the piano.
I haven't heard you practice.
- Your piano's out of tune.
- I-Is it? Well, I'll get the piano tuner to come tomorrow, then.
- Amanda?! - She's not here.
Where is she? [INSECTS CHIRPING.]
[LAUGHTER.]
Thank you.
[LAUGHS.]
Hey.
It's dinner.
Look.
Denise is teaching me.
That's really good.
Can she eat with us? No.
No, no, no.
I'm not hungry.
You don't have to eat, then.
You can just sit with us.
- Amanda, it's your family time.
- So? Uh, let her be.
She said she's not hungry.
Come on.
Dinner will get cold otherwise.
I know you have good intentions, but I'd prefer if I know, I know.
I'm really I'm sorry.
No need to apologize.
Just some boundaries.
I don't get much time with them when they're here, so Yeah.
I get it.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
Hey, I don't I don't know if she wants this, but here.
She's got a great hand.
[CHUCKLES.]
So, your dad mentioned that he'd been trying to reach out.
Um You might want to consider writing back.
Have a good night.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS.]
[MUSIC CONTINUES FAINTLY.]
[BOTTLES RATTLE.]
[REFRIGERATOR DOOR CLOSES.]
- Where'd you go?! - I'll be right back.
[BOTTLE CAP RATTLES.]
Hey.
Hey.
Are you worried about tomorrow? Oh.
Can't worry about things that you can't control.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
Do you think it'll work? It's a fix that's never been tried before, but if it doesn't work, our odds are not so good about getting back.
How much? One in five that we get stuck there.
- Jesus.
- Yeah.
Would you have let Mattie go with those odds? Mattie would've made up his own mind regardless.
But what would you have said to him? We're friends, Tom.
Good friends.
But I'm not your wife.
And I'm not your daughter.
She's the one you should be asking, not me.
- I've written her.
- And? Nothing.
- Still? - Yeah.
[PRESS CORPS SHOUTING QUESTIONS.]
Rover primary systems nominal.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
We can expect a brief signal drop-off as we switch to rover and HAB camera feeds.
Good morning.
Morning.
Standing by for rover guidance initiation.
The Mars Ascent Vehicle known as the MAV has been on the Martian surface for nearly four years.
Its purpose is to return the astronauts to their orbiting transit vehicle - Hi.
- Hey.
Aren't you supposed to be in school? I told Mom I was sick.
fix the malfunction by using a survey rover to short-circuit Are you watching? - and reboot its computer system.
- Yeah.
You should come watch at our house.
- The screen is way bigger.
- [CHUCKLES.]
We can see the power line and the Yeah, your mom doesn't really want us spending She's not here.
The footage you're seeing is a [TUNING FORK RESONATES.]
[PIANO NOTE PLAYS.]
[PIANO NOTE PLAYING.]
Screen on! [TV CHANNELS CYCLING.]
The command would have reached the rover several minutes ago.
We're just moments away from seeing the footage of the result.
Kathy, what's the feeling like there in Mission Control? Everyone's eyes are glued to the big screens up front here.
You can feel the anxiousness and anticipation in the viewing area.
There's a lot riding on this months of work and testing, hundreds of engineers and support staff working around the clock because the future of the Providence 2 mission is on the line.
Drill spin initiated.
Drill at speed.
Drill lowering in three, two, one.
Stand by for intermediate contact.
Contact with the cord.
Penetration in three, two, one.
Drill-bit vaporization confirmed.
Stand by for MAV systems reboot.
[ONLOOKERS MURMURING.]
We have a signal.
Reboot initiating.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
That's the magic.
The same.
Stop! Stop! [APPLAUSE STOPS.]
- Show me all the sensor data.
- W-What's going on? [KEYS CLACKING, BEEPING.]
It's the same as before.
LOX levels and sensors.
- Clear the room, please.
- Essential personnel only.
Everyone else please exit the control room.
Oh, boy.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
All right.
Let's let them have the room.
Come on.
Come on.
Let's go.
[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES.]
briefly came back online before they lost contact again.
Kathy, any new developments on your end? They've asked all the media and invited guests to exit Mission Control.
No one from VISTA or NASA had officially briefed us yet, but a few people I've spoken to have That was the worst-case scenario.
I could have cooked the numbers to make it more palatable, but I wanted to be straight with you.
It's more than three times the approved parameters.
Internal NASA guidelines, not required by the funding legislation.
Bob is willing to override with your approval.
What if a doctor told you there was a one-in-five chance you'd die during elective surgery? The astronauts are electing to risk their lives.
I have a letter here confirming their commitment to do so.
Well, maybe they're prepared to take that gamble.
I'm not.
Imagine the responsibility the astronauts shoulder the years of training, the toll it takes on their families, the personal sacrifices that they've endured.
And then they strap themselves to a rocket, and they risk their lives in an attempt to accomplish the greatest pioneering feat in human history.
That's five people fulfilling the destiny of eight billion.
I'm asking you, as the most powerful person on this planet, to help us get to another one.
One in five.
Yesterday, that was theoretical, and today it's a reality.
So before you sign this letter, I want you to take one more night to reconsider one more night to talk to your loved ones and to make sure that your name belongs on this piece of paper.
I've promised the President unwavering commitment, and I need to know that I'm telling her the truth.
Well, in either case, no later than tomorrow at noon.
We'd like to give you more time, but the momentum can shift in D.
C.
, and we got to beat that.
And you come on your own.
If you choose not to, no judgment, no questions.
[WHIRRING.]
[KNOCKING ON GLASS.]
[WHIRRING STOPS.]
The board's holding an emergency meeting contingency plan if the President doesn't approve.
- Scale-down? - Yeah.
I mean, we didn't set out to make a boutique sat-launch service grinding for volume, did we? No.
No, we did not.
So, you should be thinking about a plan, your next step, if you haven't already.
Oh, no.
I'm dusting off my guitar.
[LAUGHS.]
This again? You don't even play the guitar.
Oh, you should hear my cover of "Kashmir.
" [LAUGHS.]
No, I shouldn't.
Anything but Zeppelin.
Jimmy Page is a god to me.
You sound like my dad.
He used to play "Zeppelin IV" around the clock my entire childhood.
Good man.
[LAUGHS.]
I got to say, you, um, you seem remarkably poised given that your life's dream might be going down the toilet.
- Steady stream of painkillers.
- Which ones? [LAUGHS.]
What's the alternative, running around like a headless chicken? It doesn't accomplish anything.
It's up to the crew now.
It's in their hands, not ours.
You have always been so supportive of me, and you've never put up a fight.
It's okay, though.
This is different.
So now's the time.
Oh, sweetie.
That handle.
There.
You see it? No.
The grub screw is loose.
Or the tumbler's not aligned.
It's not level.
We'll have to fix that before it drives me nuts.
Well, sometimes I look around, and I think there isn't one inch of this house that we didn't build together.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
Mostly you.
It's both of us.
[CHUCKLES.]
- Okay, yeah, mostly me.
- [CHUCKLES.]
It's gonna be pretty empty around here.
[CHUCKLES.]
It's a small price for changing the world, huh? [CHUCKLES.]
I love you.
You know that? So much.
I'll help you fix it.
The handle.
You were gonna fix the handle.
Right.
The handle.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
Come on.
- It's, uh, flat-head.
- Okay.
Flat-head and a-a and an Allen wrench.
Okay.
Well, you always end up asking for something else.
Here.
It's for you.
Fuck.
This isn't an unfair thing to ask.
It doesn't feel like you are asking.
I'm gonna be a single father for two and a half years.
- Maybe forever.
- Don't talk that way.
I have to talk this way, 'cause I have to wrap my brain around it which is hard enough.
I can't take care of your mom and the boys.
It's way too much.
She's becoming a full-time job.
I'm just I'm scared for her, all right, being in a place full of strangers? And I'm scared shitless I'm gonna lose my wife that the boys will lose their mother.
[BOYS SHOUTING PLAYFULLY IN DISTANCE.]
She's lived her life.
Theirs is just beginning.
Could you keep it down? She is going to hear you.
She's in her own world right now.
Look, if you don't want me to sign, then you say that you don't want me I'm not asking for that.
I'm asking that you let her go.
If we have to let you go I have to give all my energy to the boys.
Mom.
[CHAIR SLIDES.]
Hey, Mom, can I talk to you? I'll make friends.
[CHUCKLES.]
If it weren't you Okay, if it was one of the others, wouldn't you say something? - Wouldn't you take action? - It's just a second opinion.
One that you're completely ignoring! That is not true.
Matteo, you wouldn't even have told me if I didn't ask you like 20 times.
- I know what I'm doing.
- Okay.
I think you're being foolish.
You're being reckless and dishonest! Lay the fuck off me! I am making a judgment call.
I went to school for this.
I trained half my life for this, and that is why they are putting it on me to make these evaluations! Yeah.
Except you're giving yourself special treatment.
[SCOFFS.]
Special You know what? Just You don't know what you're talking about.
I get it.
You think that I'm just using this to keep you here.
I don't know.
Are you? Maybe that's part of it.
[SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE.]
I don't know.
Well, I don't expect you to wait for me, so if you need to move on, if we need to end this now Asshole.
I'm just saying this isn't fair to you, to ask that.
Matteo.
I love you.
Okay? I I'd wait.
And would I rather you stay? Yes.
I'm going.
- Oh, my God.
What are we doing? - I don't know.
[BOTH LAUGH.]
How your boys handling it? Well, it won't easy, but, uh, they have Todd.
- Your mom? - Not as great.
I'm sorry to hear that.
What about you? My mom's a prick.
- [LAUGHS.]
- And my dad's a bigger prick, Got no girl.
No time for friends.
So you guys are pretty much my family.
So I didn't lose a lot of sleep last night.
- Fuck it.
Let's go to Mars! - [CHUCKLES.]
Okay.
[BOTH LAUGH.]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
[LAUGHTER.]
[FAINT RINGING.]
How long have you known about this? It happened when you flew me out to Houston, the day Tom had to leave early the pressure in the tank.
So, um, why didn't you say anything then? I didn't think it was a big deal.
It should have healed on its own after a few weeks.
Problem is, it keeps getting infected, probably because it's happened before.
The scar tissue slows the healing process.
The messed-up part is I probably wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for the [GUNFIRE.]
Syria.
It was my second tour.
We were ambushed.
I'm lying there.
All I can hear is this ringing, like a drill going into my head.
[FAINT RINGING.]
I knew right away it was my eardrum.
I see the tracers.
Then I see the stars.
They're perfect.
They're filling up the sky like they're protecting me, like they're telling me that I'll be okay.
[GUNFIRE CONTINUES.]
The pain went away.
I wasn't afraid of dying.
And that's when I knew where I wanted to be, what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
I guess this is the flip side.
We have a decision to make.
I've already made it.
I have to hold myself to the same standard as any other crew member.
You have to cut me.
I was practically on my knees to the President, and we have a crew issue? He thought it would work itself through.
A-And what happens if there's a medical emergency? Well, Matteo's confident in our triage training.
Between that and the on-board tech, we have enough redundancies in place.
Okay, so, what next, we just fast-track another doctor? No.
- Sadie.
- Tom and I discussed this.
If we introduce a brand-new element so close to the launch, there's no telling how it could have an impact on the team dynamic.
We need to inform the crew of this.
It may change their decision.
- It won't.
- How do you know? Trust me.
Trust me on this.
You've got that thing.
You'll make it.
I promise you.
[INDISTINCT ARGUING.]
They need to show something to the President sooner later than later.
So sign it.
We can talk about it more.
- With her sitting out there? - I'll tell her to go.
I can't do this right now.
I feel whipsawed.
It took so long to get used to you going, and then you weren't, and now But you knew I was an alternate.
So why are you even asking? Because you're my husband, and I And how am I even supposed to process this? - How do you expect me to - Ollie.
No.
I can't do this.
We can talk tomorrow.
Or not.
You can do whatever the fuck you're gonna do, but I can't I can't just put a brave face on it and say to you, "Go.
You have my blessing.
" Not that it really matters, does it? Does it matter, truly, what I think? I'll never have the opportunity to do work this important.
I can't pass that up.
I need this.
That hasn't changed.
Yeah.
Ollie.
Ollie.
[FOOTSTEPS DEPART.]
[PIANO MUSIC PLAYS.]
[MUSIC STOPS.]
Oh, hey.
I'll I'll go get her.
Mom! Hey, Tom.
- Nice.
- [CHUCKLES.]
- Does she know that I'm here? - Yeah.
She's She's out there, to the left.
[KNOCK ON DOOR.]
Denise? It's Dad! If you can hear me, I'm just gonna wait out here.
I don't know if you've been following the news.
Yeah.
Yeah, I saw.
So, I drafted a letter for the crew to sign and send to the President.
She told me.
Yeah.
They've all signed it.
I haven't signed it yet.
We can make it work.
No, that's what you told me.
Remember that night you got back from D.
C.
? You'd already decided.
I thought that we could.
Yeah, so did I.
We were wrong, huh? [BREATHES DEEPLY.]
Did you read any of my e-mails? Yeah.
There's so many times I wrote back to you in my head, but I just I-I kept coming up with the same thing "I need you here.
I don't want you to go.
" - Well, if you need me h - Oh, God, no.
I I just needed to say that.
So I can stop needing you.
I don't think you do need me, Denise.
They do.
The mission does.
Okay, so go! No one's stopping you.
I'm not stopping you.
But once you go, you're gone.
You're gone.
No texts, no e-mails.
Nothing.
Please don't punish me.
No.
I'm not punishing you.
I'm protecting myself.
Do you remember what you told me about Mom? We have to move on to survive? Now I have to move past you, too.
I need distance.
This is who I am.
This is who I've always been.
Yeah.
You are the choices you make, and you've made yours.
And I'm making mine.
- Well, if that's what you need.
- Yeah, it is.
I respect that as much as it breaks my heart.
Yeah.
Hearts get broken, right? Can we just Will you please sit, so we can just sit together a little while before I leave? No, Dad, we can't.
No.
If you don't walk away, I will.
[TUNING FORK RESONATING.]
[RESONATING CONTINUES.]
[TUNING FORK RESONATING.]
I hear it.
[RESONATING CONTINUES.]
How bad you want this.
[WIND WHISTLING.]
How bad you need this.
How close it is.
[TUNING FORK RESONATING.]
How far away it is.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
Dear Madam President we the undersigned, the crew of Providence 2, remain fully committed in body and spirit to carry out our mission despite the formidable risks we face.
During our years of training, our families and the American people have placed their faith in us.
[MUFFLED, DISTORTED.]
We humbly ask that you place your faith in us, as well Allow us to fulfill the destiny of all humankind [CLEARLY.]
as we pave our way to the future.
Thoughts? Objections? - You want us to sign now? - No.
We can wait and see how it goes tomorrow.
Anything else? Okay.
Oh nine hundred, work room.
[FAINT RINGING.]
We'll need to keep this confidential.
Of course.
[WHIRRING.]
All right.
Enlarge times two.
[BEEPING.]
Cam off.
[WHIRRING.]
Oh.
Okay.
- All right.
- I've been having sinus issues.
I thought it was just me trying to equalize in the tank, but it was the rupture.
Mm-hmm.
Um, treatment? 0.
14 mils of Ciprodex, twice a day.
The retrofitting cost to resume service launches just for the sake of making pennies.
That's not something that we've I'll take pennies over nothing, unless you want to start talking outright sale.
We need some ideas about alternative I will pull together some financials and see what a scale-back looks like.
How soon can you have that for us? I could probably have a rough draft ready by tomorrow if absolutely necessary.
All right.
I'll let everyone know.
- Okay, thanks.
End call.
- [BEEP.]
Is everyone willing to sign? Everyone has spoken to their loved ones.
Good.
Hopefully, we won't have to use it.
Come on.
I'll walk you out.
- Trouble with the board? - Oh, yeah.
Uh, tell Rosen to pull up the full asset portfolio.
I-I'll I'll see him in a minute.
Um, I had to fight off a mutiny after the first mission, and I can feel another one brewing.
How about you? Have you spoken to who you need to? I've written her several times, but she hasn't responded.
- Huh.
- Has she said anything to you? No.
She keeps to herself.
Well, if she's wearing out her welcome, you know Of course not.
You know I'd say if she was.
Maybe you should do more than write.
Come and visit.
It's an open invitation.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
[RHYTHMIC TAPPING.]
Yeah.
N-No.
We don't need to rush anything.
If it is just two hours, then that's fine.
But if it's any more, then I really think we should consider No.
Okay.
Is that a three-three-two? Uh, yeah.
I'm doing additive meters.
That's very good.
Jason, are you on? Not on the table.
No, no, it's just my son.
Um, so, yeah, we should get Samantha onto this.
Tell the press there'll be a two-hour delay for a minor course correction on the rover.
Eitan, you give her the language, okay? I'll be out of pocket for half an hour, and, uh, then I'll check back in.
Okay.
End call.
Phone off.
Hello.
Nicole.
This is lovely.
Thank you.
Um, I hope you haven't stopped playing the piano.
I haven't heard you practice.
- Your piano's out of tune.
- I-Is it? Well, I'll get the piano tuner to come tomorrow, then.
- Amanda?! - She's not here.
Where is she? [INSECTS CHIRPING.]
[LAUGHTER.]
Thank you.
[LAUGHS.]
Hey.
It's dinner.
Look.
Denise is teaching me.
That's really good.
Can she eat with us? No.
No, no, no.
I'm not hungry.
You don't have to eat, then.
You can just sit with us.
- Amanda, it's your family time.
- So? Uh, let her be.
She said she's not hungry.
Come on.
Dinner will get cold otherwise.
I know you have good intentions, but I'd prefer if I know, I know.
I'm really I'm sorry.
No need to apologize.
Just some boundaries.
I don't get much time with them when they're here, so Yeah.
I get it.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
Hey, I don't I don't know if she wants this, but here.
She's got a great hand.
[CHUCKLES.]
So, your dad mentioned that he'd been trying to reach out.
Um You might want to consider writing back.
Have a good night.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS.]
[MUSIC CONTINUES FAINTLY.]
[BOTTLES RATTLE.]
[REFRIGERATOR DOOR CLOSES.]
- Where'd you go?! - I'll be right back.
[BOTTLE CAP RATTLES.]
Hey.
Hey.
Are you worried about tomorrow? Oh.
Can't worry about things that you can't control.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
Do you think it'll work? It's a fix that's never been tried before, but if it doesn't work, our odds are not so good about getting back.
How much? One in five that we get stuck there.
- Jesus.
- Yeah.
Would you have let Mattie go with those odds? Mattie would've made up his own mind regardless.
But what would you have said to him? We're friends, Tom.
Good friends.
But I'm not your wife.
And I'm not your daughter.
She's the one you should be asking, not me.
- I've written her.
- And? Nothing.
- Still? - Yeah.
[PRESS CORPS SHOUTING QUESTIONS.]
Rover primary systems nominal.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
We can expect a brief signal drop-off as we switch to rover and HAB camera feeds.
Good morning.
Morning.
Standing by for rover guidance initiation.
The Mars Ascent Vehicle known as the MAV has been on the Martian surface for nearly four years.
Its purpose is to return the astronauts to their orbiting transit vehicle - Hi.
- Hey.
Aren't you supposed to be in school? I told Mom I was sick.
fix the malfunction by using a survey rover to short-circuit Are you watching? - and reboot its computer system.
- Yeah.
You should come watch at our house.
- The screen is way bigger.
- [CHUCKLES.]
We can see the power line and the Yeah, your mom doesn't really want us spending She's not here.
The footage you're seeing is a [TUNING FORK RESONATES.]
[PIANO NOTE PLAYS.]
[PIANO NOTE PLAYING.]
Screen on! [TV CHANNELS CYCLING.]
The command would have reached the rover several minutes ago.
We're just moments away from seeing the footage of the result.
Kathy, what's the feeling like there in Mission Control? Everyone's eyes are glued to the big screens up front here.
You can feel the anxiousness and anticipation in the viewing area.
There's a lot riding on this months of work and testing, hundreds of engineers and support staff working around the clock because the future of the Providence 2 mission is on the line.
Drill spin initiated.
Drill at speed.
Drill lowering in three, two, one.
Stand by for intermediate contact.
Contact with the cord.
Penetration in three, two, one.
Drill-bit vaporization confirmed.
Stand by for MAV systems reboot.
[ONLOOKERS MURMURING.]
We have a signal.
Reboot initiating.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE.]
That's the magic.
The same.
Stop! Stop! [APPLAUSE STOPS.]
- Show me all the sensor data.
- W-What's going on? [KEYS CLACKING, BEEPING.]
It's the same as before.
LOX levels and sensors.
- Clear the room, please.
- Essential personnel only.
Everyone else please exit the control room.
Oh, boy.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
All right.
Let's let them have the room.
Come on.
Come on.
Let's go.
[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES.]
briefly came back online before they lost contact again.
Kathy, any new developments on your end? They've asked all the media and invited guests to exit Mission Control.
No one from VISTA or NASA had officially briefed us yet, but a few people I've spoken to have That was the worst-case scenario.
I could have cooked the numbers to make it more palatable, but I wanted to be straight with you.
It's more than three times the approved parameters.
Internal NASA guidelines, not required by the funding legislation.
Bob is willing to override with your approval.
What if a doctor told you there was a one-in-five chance you'd die during elective surgery? The astronauts are electing to risk their lives.
I have a letter here confirming their commitment to do so.
Well, maybe they're prepared to take that gamble.
I'm not.
Imagine the responsibility the astronauts shoulder the years of training, the toll it takes on their families, the personal sacrifices that they've endured.
And then they strap themselves to a rocket, and they risk their lives in an attempt to accomplish the greatest pioneering feat in human history.
That's five people fulfilling the destiny of eight billion.
I'm asking you, as the most powerful person on this planet, to help us get to another one.
One in five.
Yesterday, that was theoretical, and today it's a reality.
So before you sign this letter, I want you to take one more night to reconsider one more night to talk to your loved ones and to make sure that your name belongs on this piece of paper.
I've promised the President unwavering commitment, and I need to know that I'm telling her the truth.
Well, in either case, no later than tomorrow at noon.
We'd like to give you more time, but the momentum can shift in D.
C.
, and we got to beat that.
And you come on your own.
If you choose not to, no judgment, no questions.
[WHIRRING.]
[KNOCKING ON GLASS.]
[WHIRRING STOPS.]
The board's holding an emergency meeting contingency plan if the President doesn't approve.
- Scale-down? - Yeah.
I mean, we didn't set out to make a boutique sat-launch service grinding for volume, did we? No.
No, we did not.
So, you should be thinking about a plan, your next step, if you haven't already.
Oh, no.
I'm dusting off my guitar.
[LAUGHS.]
This again? You don't even play the guitar.
Oh, you should hear my cover of "Kashmir.
" [LAUGHS.]
No, I shouldn't.
Anything but Zeppelin.
Jimmy Page is a god to me.
You sound like my dad.
He used to play "Zeppelin IV" around the clock my entire childhood.
Good man.
[LAUGHS.]
I got to say, you, um, you seem remarkably poised given that your life's dream might be going down the toilet.
- Steady stream of painkillers.
- Which ones? [LAUGHS.]
What's the alternative, running around like a headless chicken? It doesn't accomplish anything.
It's up to the crew now.
It's in their hands, not ours.
You have always been so supportive of me, and you've never put up a fight.
It's okay, though.
This is different.
So now's the time.
Oh, sweetie.
That handle.
There.
You see it? No.
The grub screw is loose.
Or the tumbler's not aligned.
It's not level.
We'll have to fix that before it drives me nuts.
Well, sometimes I look around, and I think there isn't one inch of this house that we didn't build together.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
Mostly you.
It's both of us.
[CHUCKLES.]
- Okay, yeah, mostly me.
- [CHUCKLES.]
It's gonna be pretty empty around here.
[CHUCKLES.]
It's a small price for changing the world, huh? [CHUCKLES.]
I love you.
You know that? So much.
I'll help you fix it.
The handle.
You were gonna fix the handle.
Right.
The handle.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
Come on.
- It's, uh, flat-head.
- Okay.
Flat-head and a-a and an Allen wrench.
Okay.
Well, you always end up asking for something else.
Here.
It's for you.
Fuck.
This isn't an unfair thing to ask.
It doesn't feel like you are asking.
I'm gonna be a single father for two and a half years.
- Maybe forever.
- Don't talk that way.
I have to talk this way, 'cause I have to wrap my brain around it which is hard enough.
I can't take care of your mom and the boys.
It's way too much.
She's becoming a full-time job.
I'm just I'm scared for her, all right, being in a place full of strangers? And I'm scared shitless I'm gonna lose my wife that the boys will lose their mother.
[BOYS SHOUTING PLAYFULLY IN DISTANCE.]
She's lived her life.
Theirs is just beginning.
Could you keep it down? She is going to hear you.
She's in her own world right now.
Look, if you don't want me to sign, then you say that you don't want me I'm not asking for that.
I'm asking that you let her go.
If we have to let you go I have to give all my energy to the boys.
Mom.
[CHAIR SLIDES.]
Hey, Mom, can I talk to you? I'll make friends.
[CHUCKLES.]
If it weren't you Okay, if it was one of the others, wouldn't you say something? - Wouldn't you take action? - It's just a second opinion.
One that you're completely ignoring! That is not true.
Matteo, you wouldn't even have told me if I didn't ask you like 20 times.
- I know what I'm doing.
- Okay.
I think you're being foolish.
You're being reckless and dishonest! Lay the fuck off me! I am making a judgment call.
I went to school for this.
I trained half my life for this, and that is why they are putting it on me to make these evaluations! Yeah.
Except you're giving yourself special treatment.
[SCOFFS.]
Special You know what? Just You don't know what you're talking about.
I get it.
You think that I'm just using this to keep you here.
I don't know.
Are you? Maybe that's part of it.
[SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE.]
I don't know.
Well, I don't expect you to wait for me, so if you need to move on, if we need to end this now Asshole.
I'm just saying this isn't fair to you, to ask that.
Matteo.
I love you.
Okay? I I'd wait.
And would I rather you stay? Yes.
I'm going.
- Oh, my God.
What are we doing? - I don't know.
[BOTH LAUGH.]
How your boys handling it? Well, it won't easy, but, uh, they have Todd.
- Your mom? - Not as great.
I'm sorry to hear that.
What about you? My mom's a prick.
- [LAUGHS.]
- And my dad's a bigger prick, Got no girl.
No time for friends.
So you guys are pretty much my family.
So I didn't lose a lot of sleep last night.
- Fuck it.
Let's go to Mars! - [CHUCKLES.]
Okay.
[BOTH LAUGH.]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
[LAUGHTER.]
[FAINT RINGING.]
How long have you known about this? It happened when you flew me out to Houston, the day Tom had to leave early the pressure in the tank.
So, um, why didn't you say anything then? I didn't think it was a big deal.
It should have healed on its own after a few weeks.
Problem is, it keeps getting infected, probably because it's happened before.
The scar tissue slows the healing process.
The messed-up part is I probably wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for the [GUNFIRE.]
Syria.
It was my second tour.
We were ambushed.
I'm lying there.
All I can hear is this ringing, like a drill going into my head.
[FAINT RINGING.]
I knew right away it was my eardrum.
I see the tracers.
Then I see the stars.
They're perfect.
They're filling up the sky like they're protecting me, like they're telling me that I'll be okay.
[GUNFIRE CONTINUES.]
The pain went away.
I wasn't afraid of dying.
And that's when I knew where I wanted to be, what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
I guess this is the flip side.
We have a decision to make.
I've already made it.
I have to hold myself to the same standard as any other crew member.
You have to cut me.
I was practically on my knees to the President, and we have a crew issue? He thought it would work itself through.
A-And what happens if there's a medical emergency? Well, Matteo's confident in our triage training.
Between that and the on-board tech, we have enough redundancies in place.
Okay, so, what next, we just fast-track another doctor? No.
- Sadie.
- Tom and I discussed this.
If we introduce a brand-new element so close to the launch, there's no telling how it could have an impact on the team dynamic.
We need to inform the crew of this.
It may change their decision.
- It won't.
- How do you know? Trust me.
Trust me on this.
You've got that thing.
You'll make it.
I promise you.
[INDISTINCT ARGUING.]
They need to show something to the President sooner later than later.
So sign it.
We can talk about it more.
- With her sitting out there? - I'll tell her to go.
I can't do this right now.
I feel whipsawed.
It took so long to get used to you going, and then you weren't, and now But you knew I was an alternate.
So why are you even asking? Because you're my husband, and I And how am I even supposed to process this? - How do you expect me to - Ollie.
No.
I can't do this.
We can talk tomorrow.
Or not.
You can do whatever the fuck you're gonna do, but I can't I can't just put a brave face on it and say to you, "Go.
You have my blessing.
" Not that it really matters, does it? Does it matter, truly, what I think? I'll never have the opportunity to do work this important.
I can't pass that up.
I need this.
That hasn't changed.
Yeah.
Ollie.
Ollie.
[FOOTSTEPS DEPART.]
[PIANO MUSIC PLAYS.]
[MUSIC STOPS.]
Oh, hey.
I'll I'll go get her.
Mom! Hey, Tom.
- Nice.
- [CHUCKLES.]
- Does she know that I'm here? - Yeah.
She's She's out there, to the left.
[KNOCK ON DOOR.]
Denise? It's Dad! If you can hear me, I'm just gonna wait out here.
I don't know if you've been following the news.
Yeah.
Yeah, I saw.
So, I drafted a letter for the crew to sign and send to the President.
She told me.
Yeah.
They've all signed it.
I haven't signed it yet.
We can make it work.
No, that's what you told me.
Remember that night you got back from D.
C.
? You'd already decided.
I thought that we could.
Yeah, so did I.
We were wrong, huh? [BREATHES DEEPLY.]
Did you read any of my e-mails? Yeah.
There's so many times I wrote back to you in my head, but I just I-I kept coming up with the same thing "I need you here.
I don't want you to go.
" - Well, if you need me h - Oh, God, no.
I I just needed to say that.
So I can stop needing you.
I don't think you do need me, Denise.
They do.
The mission does.
Okay, so go! No one's stopping you.
I'm not stopping you.
But once you go, you're gone.
You're gone.
No texts, no e-mails.
Nothing.
Please don't punish me.
No.
I'm not punishing you.
I'm protecting myself.
Do you remember what you told me about Mom? We have to move on to survive? Now I have to move past you, too.
I need distance.
This is who I am.
This is who I've always been.
Yeah.
You are the choices you make, and you've made yours.
And I'm making mine.
- Well, if that's what you need.
- Yeah, it is.
I respect that as much as it breaks my heart.
Yeah.
Hearts get broken, right? Can we just Will you please sit, so we can just sit together a little while before I leave? No, Dad, we can't.
No.
If you don't walk away, I will.