For All Mankind (2019) s03e09 Episode Script
Coming Home
Hey, baby.
Sorry it's been so long
since my last message.
We've been working around
the clock to dig out the MSAM
and haul it over to
Happy Valley for repairs.
Basically sleeping over
there at this point.
I know that doesn't sound good,
but in a weird way,
it's, uh, helping me,
helping all of us to
move past what happened.
And I think we might actually be able
to get Popeye back in flying shape
in time for the next
launch window back to Earth.
Problem is, it's going to take a while
to make enough fuel to launch
with the equipment we have left.
Well, that and figuring out a way
to squeeze all nine of us in
there for the launch.
Gonna be as tight as an Apollo
capsule, but we'll get there.
Off this rock, once and for all.
Goddamn this thing.
What now?
Sorry. It's just
At this rate, with that
puny little fuel generator,
we'll be lucky to have enough propellant
to make our launch date next month.
Can't it work any faster?
Eh, it was never meant to
process this much methane.
It's like filling up a
jetliner with a soda can.
Takes time.
I know, I know. But have
you smelled the base lately?
Those toilets were not
made for that many people.
You think once we leave, they'll
ever send anybody back to Mars?
- Doubt it. Not in my lifetime anyway.
- I think you're right.
All we can do is try
and get this thing
ready in time for launch.
Roger that.
Oh. I'm due back at the sewer.
- Want me to send you anything?
- I already had my ration for today.
- Early bird gets the worm.
- Mmm.
Worm sounds about right.
Don't work too hard.
Roger that.
All right, what you got?
Ready? All right. Ah, ah, ah, ah.
That Yeah, you
got Okay, all right.
You're getting closer, Lou.
- Hey, Skipper.
- How's fuel production going?
Uh, "moving like molasses,"
as you Americans say.
Sort of like you.
Hey.
How's it?
Hey, hey, hey. I wasn't
finished with that.
Yeah, well, I got seniority.
Here you go, kiddo.
Ugh, that stuff makes me nauseous.
My grandson gotta eat.
So it's a "him" today?
You know, whichever way it goes.
- Edward is a great name. Girl or boy.
- Mmm.
I was thinking something like "Ariella."
Ariella? You want her to end up
selling bath beads and patchouli?
Hey, you're gonna need a lot of
homeopathic remedies in your old age.
- Astronaut Baldwin.
- Yeah?
You've been avoiding me. Again.
And failing again.
Follow me.
See? That's why no one
trusts a flight surgeon.
'Cause they're always
on the hunt for bad news.
You mean news like Mars radiation
could damage the child's DNA?
Or weak gravity could
impede its bone development?
Jesus, Doc. Go easy.
I will go easy after we get
her up to Phoenix for the birth.
It was not my idea to have a
baby on this forsaken planet.
Yes, as you remind me every day.
Mouth closed.
How is your wound, Commander?
Yeah, uh, cream helped
the pain. Thank you.
Good.
Have you figured out how to make
one of your pressure suits fit her
for the MSAM launch?
The hard shell's still a problem,
but NASA's got two teams
of their best and brightest
working on it around the clock.
Meaning they haven't
come up with anything yet.
So much for NASA's fabled ingenuity.
130 over 85.
Still higher than I'd like.
You should just use Soviet
suit. Material is more flexible.
- Yeah, that might actually work.
- Of course.
Activity?
She's either playing handball
or the bongos in there.
Do you want to hear?
Dad.
Now, by the time Kelly Baldwin
gives birth to America's
favorite baby Martian
two months from now
the child will have enough booties
to last a lifetime.
The decision to proceed
with the pregnancy,
which some regard as controversial
in light of the dangerous
conditions on the planet,
has nonetheless captured the
imagination of people around the world.
And that's why NASA wants the
baby to be born aboard the Phoenix?
That's right. People aboard Phoenix
experience full Earth
gravity, which is
And to distract us from the
disaster that it really is,
the Wilson administration
feeds the media tidbits
about Kelly Baldwin's Mars baby.
Does President Wilson really
think we're that naive?
You and I both know the
Mars program has been a fiasco.
This bill will restore a
system of checks and balances
by giving Congress direct authority
over the agency's budget
And give you the ability to
redline specific programs.
If I sign this bill, Congress
will defund the Mars program.
No one will go back, maybe ever, and
space exploration will slowly die.
If I were you, Madam President,
I would think less about space
and more about next year's election.
Your concern for my political future
moves me to the brink of tears, Dick.
Have you seen the homeless encampments
spreading across our major cities?
Filled with former oil and
gas workers, coal miners.
People put out of work by
helium-3 and nuclear fusion.
We need to fix things here on Earth
before we spend trillions
gallivanting to far-off planets.
The space program is making
life here on Earth better.
And I won't undermine all
the progress we've made.
So, go ahead and pass your bill, Dick.
And I will veto it.
I'm very disappointed to hear that.
Madam President, may I
speak with you in private?
As I'm sure you're
aware, a few months ago,
staff for Congressman
Willie Baron discovered
that your husband was having an
affair with a White House employee.
A slanderous rumor.
Congressman Baron failed to produce
a shred of evidence for one reason.
It never happened.
So your husband claimed under oath.
If we were to discover that Mr.
Wilson was lying to the committee,
you understand that he would
be open to a charge of perjury?
Where are you going with this?
Madam President,
is it true that you have a
recording system in the Oval Office?
We have a source who claims
that a recording system first installed
by John F. Kennedy is still in use.
Even if there was a
recording system in use,
those tapes would be protected
by executive privilege.
We'll see what the
courts say about that.
We are going to subpoena any
recordings made in this office
on the week of your husband's testimony.
If there was any attempt at a cover-up,
not only will he be
charged with perjury,
you will be impeached for
obstruction of justice.
You can't be serious.
Congress hasn't impeached a
president in more than 120 years.
This is a new low, even for you.
Well, that's rich coming
from a woman who
who had Karl Rove and Lee Atwater
to do her dirty work so her image
could remain as pure as driven snow.
All those robocalls about Bill
Clinton's supposed secret love child,
and now you wanna claim the high ground?
What's your point,
Dick? Do you have one?
Sign the NASA bill.
It's the smart move.
Because if the press were to find
out about Larry's indiscretion,
your political standing would
evaporate even more than it already has.
And I'd easily be able
to override your veto.
Now, I don't want to go
that road if I don't have to.
But make no mistake,
I will use every tool at my
disposal to make this bill law.
Glad you could come.
To your garage?
I want you to look at something
and tell me I'm not crazy.
Jesus Christ.
During the rescue of the cosmonauts,
I discovered that their nuclear
engine design was almost identical
to an early version of ours.
Someone at NASA gave it to them.
Margo?
She's the only one who
had access to everything.
But But
Margo? Margo Madison?
She's the head of NASA.
She's been trying to beat the
Russians for three decades.
Why would she do this?
It doesn't make sense.
I don't know. But I can't
get this out of my head, Bill.
I feel like I really am going crazy.
Yeah, clearly.
This is like the lair
of a Batman villain.
Let me lay it all out for you.
If you still think I'm crazy,
I'll burn all of it.
I'm gonna need another beer.
I'm proud to announce that
we are about to begin production
on Calypso, which will be
ready to launch in 1999.
Unlike Phoenix, Calypso will
run on nuclear plasma propulsion,
and she'll have enough power
to travel to the Red
Planet almost anytime,
even outside the normal launch windows.
And we're building
two more just like it,
which will allow us to rapidly expand
our footprint on the Red Planet.
Over the next decade,
our base will grow to include
several mining operations,
a spaceport, greenhouses for crops,
and dormitories that will house
thousands of colonists in the new
Just stop there.
Need I remind you,
an entire fucking mountain
just came down on us,
wiping out nearly every asset we had.
Not to mention the
three people who died.
Yes.
But do any of you remember Jamestown?
Not the lunar base,
but the first permanent
English settlement in Virginia,
founded in 1607.
Do any of you know how many settlers
died in the first three years?
Eighty percent.
From disease.
From starvation.
From the elements.
Suppose the original settlers said,
you know, "This is
just just too hard.
Let's just forget about this new
world with its unlimited possibilities
and go back to Mother England
with our tail between our legs."
Could you imagine that?
My God, Dicky
you have lost sight of the big picture.
We found water.
Enough to sustain a colony of thousands.
It doesn't change the fact that
our stock price is in a free fall.
Antitrust lawyers at
DOJ are sniffing around,
and we just got back the
liability report from the accident
saying that one of our employees
caused the fucking landslide.
So on top of everything else, now
we're vulnerable to massive lawsuits.
The board has discussed this at length,
and we no longer share your optimism.
Helios has squandered billions
on this this fantasy of yours.
We've decided to pivot
back to our core business,
mining helium-3 on the moon.
There will be no more missions to Mars.
Guys, I know this is stressful.
No one is more keenly
aware of this than me.
You give me a little more time,
and I'ma pull us out of this hole.
I promise.
You couldn't keep it in
your pants for one term, Larry?
- One term?
- I I know I messed up,
but if Baron had more,
he would've used it.
It's It's go gonna
blow over. It'll be fine.
"Fine"? You lied under oath.
- Don't you get that?
- They set me up.
Plain and simple. It was a trap.
They didn't force you
to sleep with him, did they?
What is so special
about Jeremy Zielke that
you're willing to throw away
everything we've worked
our entire lives to build?
Our careers. Our family.
That was way worse than I remembered it.
What the hell do we do?
If they hear any of that, you'll
go to jail and I'll be impeached.
We don't need to give in on this.
It's your personal property.
It's protected by executive privilege.
No. They'll take it to the Supreme
Court, and we'll probably lose.
And if we do, it'll weaken not only me
but every president who succeeds me.
Okay, so, uh,
maybe we give the
appearance of cooperating.
Send them transcripts of the tapes.
Black out the incriminating portions
and claim they relate
to national security.
No one will buy that.
No.
Okay, suppose
Suppose the recording
device malfunctioned.
And for some reason, this
portion is just blank.
We don't know why. We're
not recording technicians.
You mean erase it?
That would expose us to
further charges of obstruction.
You're right.
And what happens when
Jeremy gets out of rehab?
They'll force him to testify.
Would he commit perjury for you?
Probably not.
He was
He was pretty pissed
about being cut loose.
There is one way out.
I'll call a press conference,
and I'll confess to the world
that I had an affair with Jeremy.
I'll tell them you
knew nothing about it.
That you didn't know that I was gay.
That it was all on me.
I betrayed my loving wife
whose only sin was falling
for a lying philanderer.
Hmm, Larry, you can't do
that. You'd You'd be a
What? A pariah?
A laughingstock? A national joke?
I'm getting used to that.
I can't let you do this.
Give me a chance to make things right.
And the vibrational
profile of their hydrogen turbopump.
The impeller blade pass
frequency is 2165 hertz.
Exactly the same as ours.
You'd think they would've shifted
it a few hertz to try and hide it.
Yeah, it's like they're
trying to fuck with me.
So I thought it might be Lainey.
She was there for the
whole impeller redesign.
And that's how I
eliminated you as a suspect.
You thought it was me?
You did leave NASA in a hurry.
Can't tell if I'm insulted or flattered.
Anyway,
after this process of elimination
Margo was the only one left.
It had to be her.
So, what do you think?
Please tell me I'm crazy.
You are not crazy.
We need to talk to
her. Find out why she
You have to go to the FBI, Aleida.
What? No.
- No fucking way.
- Bill
- you know what they did to my father.
- I know. You think I want this?
I love Margo as much as anybody,
but this is some heavy-duty national
security shit we're talking about.
Who knows how far it's gone?
I mean she's basically
a fucking spy, Aleida.
- Stop.
- She is.
It makes me wanna vomit,
but it's the truth.
You have to go to the FBI with this.
Bill, no.
- Hey, got a sec?
- Of course.
I've been going through our financials
since the board meeting, and
I think
we need to face reality here.
We can't keep this company solvent,
let alone expand our footprint on
Mars, without an infusion of cash.
And we need it fast.
I'm guessing you have something in mind?
I think that our best
move to generate revenue
and get us out of this hole
is we sell Phoenix to NASA.
Absolutely not.
Are you kidding?
Besides, they'd never go for it.
They will.
What are you talking about?
I approached some people
that I know within the agency
and quietly floated the idea.
And the response was really positive.
- They feel as though
- You approached NASA
without my permission?
Your permission?
I'm COO of this company.
You told them we're so desperate
for cash, we'd be willing
- That is not what I said at all.
- But they can put the pieces together.
You just gave Margo Madison
all the ammunition she needs
to publicly humiliate me.
I am trying to save your company
our company from insolvency.
- We don't need anybody's help.
- The numbers don't lie.
No, but they don't always
tell the full story.
Have some faith, Karen.
Christ. Look.
The rendezvous radar must have
taken a beating in the slide.
Without that
Popeye won't be
able to dock with Phoenix.
Maybe it's not that bad.
Help me get this housing off.
Oh, shit. Shit! Shit! Shit!
Primary integration card is toast.
And the spare is aboard Phoenix.
Might as well be on Jupiter.
Will, does Sojourner have a
rendezvous system we can use?
Negative. Um, it was a
part of the original design,
but it was never installed.
- Why not?
- Well, we weren't planning on docking
with anything on this mission,
and, uh, we were in a big-ass hurry
to catch you guys and launch in '94.
Oh, yes. Free-market competition
pays dividends yet again.
Yeah.
What are we gonna do?
We can't dock with Phoenix.
We'll miss the next
launch window to Earth.
We'll be stranded here.
We can't fabricate
one of these ourselves?
Unless you want to go
to Kyiv for the parts.
It's a damn shame Helios didn't
buy their rendezvous systems
from the good old US of A.
Yeah, and Popeye won't
get close enough to Phoenix
for dock and capture without it.
Pity we didn't take this
Kurs unit from the Soviet ship
before we cut her loose.
Well, there are more of
them already here on Mars.
- There are?
- Where?
We have five
Kurs Novaya-Aktivnaya units
on the surface of Mars.
They're on sample-return probes
we were hoping to retrieve
with our Mars ship.
The problem is,
the closest one is over 1,500
kilometers from Happy Valley.
The trip would take a
month if everything goes right,
and we can't wait that long to
get Kelly Baldwin up to Phoenix.
Miss Catiche,
didn't Russia sell your rendezvous
system to other countries?
It is true.
We sold Kurs units to India,
Turkey and to North Korea.
Bill, does Helios have a way
of accessing the locations
of every Turkish, North
Korean and Indian probe
that's been sent to Mars?
Uh, sure. Yeah, one second.
How far is the closest?
So this one here
is 89 kilometers out.
It looks like it belongs to
the People's Republic of Korea.
That's the probe they
launched in the '94 window.
I remember it docked in low
Earth orbit, probably to refuel.
Which makes it pretty certain that
it has an automated docking system.
It will be Kurs-NA.
Or a clone of it.
I'd say we have a winner.
North Korea approved this?
Better to ask for forgiveness
later than beg for permission now.
This goes against almost
all of our safety protocols.
We can only spare one rover.
It's nine hours each way,
far beyond walk-back range.
Sounds like fun. Sign me up.
Sorry, Ed. You're more familiar with
the Helios systems than anybody
- Oh, come on.
- and we need those working
to get off this planet.
No, no. I'm not risking
any of your people on this.
Kurs-NA is a newer design,
and Baranov isn't familiar
with the new iteration,
and Mayakovsky's required
here for pregnancy.
The rovers are NASA gear.
Will is working on the MSAM,
so the choice is pretty clear.
You and me.
I can't fucking believe you did this.
Just hear what she has to say.
Here you go.
- Thank you.
- Welcome.
Look, whatever you
think is gonna happen,
you should know I don't
care much for the FBI.
I wouldn't either if I were you.
Bill told me what
happened with your father.
It wasn't right.
Well, isn't that nice?
What else did you share with
your little friend here, Bill?
- I'm just trying to help you.
- Ah, gee. Thanks.
I know this is
not an easy position to be in,
and I am truly sorry about
what happened to your father.
Frankly, I don't blame
you for not trusting us.
And I'm guessing it's just a
coincidence that they had you talk to me,
of all the agents.
I'm sure it's not.
Look, the FBI is not perfect.
But you and I, we
both took the same oath
when we started working
for this country,
to support and defend the
Constitution of the United States
against all enemies,
foreign and domestic.
And I know you care
about what happened here,
or you wouldn't have
reached out to Bill.
I don't care what the fuck you say.
I'm not helping you.
That's your choice.
You don't have to cooperate,
but we're moving forward
with this regardless.
The case file is open. We'll get
to the bottom of what happened.
And at some point, you'll be
called to testify against her.
- Is that a threat?
- No. It's a fact.
So be it.
Come on, Aleida. Just sit
down. Just hear what
I don't wanna hear another word
out of you. Do you get that?
You're fucking dead to me.
Aleida? Aleida!
What's the matter?
Are you okay?
I don't know what
to do. I don't know what to do.
Are you in trouble?
My daughter.
No, Papa.
It's nothing.
I'll figure it out.
There
There, there, there
My Graciana
Don't cry.
Don't cry, my love.
Graciana?
No, Papa.
It's your daughter, Aleida.
Not Mama.
I know.
I know, my daughter.
Everything will be all right.
Everything will be all right.
Danielle, how many spare
batteries do you think we need?
We'll be back by tomorrow. The
extra weight will just slow us down.
I'd rather have the
juice and not need it.
Solar cells can break,
and I don't fancy an 89-kilometer
walk back home. Do you?
Happy Valley. Phoenix.
Happy Valley. Phoenix.
Phoenix. Happy Valley.
Priority uplink from Helios.
It's the drilling accident
investigation report.
Sending it over now.
Finally. They took their
good sweet time about it.
- Got it, Phoenix.
- Roger. Phoenix out.
What does it say?
It's wrapped up in a
bunch of bureaucratic verbiage,
but bottom line, they're
calling it an operator error.
Who?
They're putting it
on Nick Corrado for, quote,
"failure to correctly
monitor housing pressure
and take appropriate action
at reservoir penetration,"
end quote.
Typical
cover-your-ass move.
Yep, blame the dead guy.
Then you can't be sued
for building crappy gear.
- Same in the Soviet system.
- This is bullshit.
But to put that on Nick?
I mean, it's bad enough
the landslide killed him,
but n-now they're trying to pin the
whole thing on him? It's not right.
I mean, how'd they even
come up with that report?
Yeah, this whole thing,
it's a load of bullshit!
Yeah?
Heard about your plan to sell Phoenix.
Ah. Dev told you?
Well, we're not exactly
speaking at the moment.
Like you, I've got contacts at NASA,
and they're very keen on this idea.
Yeah, I know. Come on in.
I tried to sell Dev on the idea,
and he just wouldn't listen.
He's changed.
Quite a bit since we first met.
At MIT, right?
Intro to Nuclear Physics.
Where you two first figured
out how to crack nuclear fusion.
Yeah, and back then
everyone was desperate
to be the one who finally
figured fusion out.
Trouble was, nobody could
make the reaction last.
Until Dev.
He figured out a way to
bring helium-3 nuclei together
and keep the reaction going.
And brought the world
cheap, clean energy.
Watching him work, I knew I was
in the presence of greatness.
He was unlike any other
engineer I'd ever met.
So, what happened? Why are you
two always at each other's throats?
Hmm, simple.
I'm the only one who tells him "no."
The little word no one likes to hear.
- Especially not Dev.
- No. No.
The man's been swallowed
alive by his own myth.
And now so will this company.
Unless we move forward with your
plan, selling Phoenix to NASA.
I've already pitched
the idea to the board.
- They think it's a stroke of genius.
- And Dev is never going to approve it.
That won't be an issue. We've
decided to remove him as CEO.
You I'm sorry, you're firing Dev?
He'll still have a seat on the board,
but strictly in an advisory capacity.
Who are you going to get to replace him?
You.
- Lar?
- Huh?
Hi. What time is it?
It's a little after 9:00. You
You want me to take him up to bed?
No, no, that's okay. I can
do it. Oh, come on, pal.
You ready?
Ready? Three, two, one.
Oh, my gosh. You're heavy.
Goodness gracious.
Larry?
About tomorrow
You don't have to do this.
We can find another way.
We've been over that.
There is no other way.
I wanna do this. I need to.
Hello, everyone.
Uh, thank you for coming
on such short notice.
Um
Uh
I'd like to share something.
Uh I, uh
Um, I have something I'd like
to share with you all. Um
Good morning.
First of all, I would like to thank
the American people for their support
over the last two years.
Together, we have achieved great things.
Making America energy independent,
sharply reducing greenhouse gases
and developing new technologies
that will assure the United States
remains a dominant superpower
well into the 21st century.
And, of course, there was our
first manned mission to Mars.
And despite the recent casualties,
our journey to the Red
Planet will go down in history
as a remarkable achievement,
equal to the Lewis and Clark expedition,
Ferdinand Magellan
circumnavigating the Earth,
and Aleksei Leonov landing
on the moon in June of 1969.
And yet, after all we have accomplished,
I come before you today
to confess that I have failed you.
Because I lied to you.
And in doing so, I broke
the covenant of trust
that is essential between a
president and the American people.
I not only failed to tell you the truth,
I also failed to
protect the men and women
serving bravely in our armed forces.
I failed to stand up for some of
our most vulnerable fellow citizens
who have faced acts of
prejudice and discrimination.
And I failed to defend the rights
and the dignity of Will Tyler,
a brave American hero
serving his country on the surface
of Mars at this very moment.
And I failed someone very close to me
because I was afraid to
stand up and tell the truth.
I failed because I feared
what people would think of me,
and I failed to trust the
compassion and judgment of you,
the American people.
I underestimated you.
And for that, I am truly sorry.
I cannot correct my past mistakes,
but I can stop lying to you
right here, right now, and
give you the simple truth.
I'm gay,
and I have been since
the day I was born.
Reactions to President Wilson's speech
have varied across
the political spectrum,
with rallies in every major city.
Some have marched in support of
the nation's first gay president,
while vocal counterprotests denounce
her as a dangerous influence.
The Wilson Administration
followed the president's
address to the nation
with an announcement today that
she will sign an executive order
to allow gay men and women to
openly serve in the military.
She also announced she will bestow
a presidential medal
of freedom on Will Tyler
for his extraordinary
service to his country on Mars
and for his courageous
stand on gay rights.
Well, holy shit!
- About time America came to her senses.
- Nice work, Ellen.
I have something to say.
You're a brave man, Will Tyler.
I'm honored to be your friend.
Um
Thank you, man.
All right, enough of
this. Let's start drinking.
I'm sure Kelly'd wanna hear
about this. Have you seen her?
She's in the jungle.
Kel, you have no idea what
President Wilson just
Kelly! Kel!
Kel! Hey, hey! Sweetie?
Doc! Get in here!
- Mueller, bring the medkit!
- Yes, sir!
Kelly?
Her heart is pumping too fast.
Hang in there, kiddo.
Rover 1, Happy Valley.
Rover 1, Happy Valley. Come in.
Happy Valley, rover 1.
We've had an emergency here.
Kelly's condition has
taken a turn for the worst.
What's going on?
The doctor says she has preeclampsia.
We need you back here with
the Kurs system, and fast.
We are less than 15
minutes away from the probe site.
We will be back as soon as we can.
Roger.
Looks like one of your old Soyuz ships.
People's Republic of Korea
isn't shy about borrowing designs.
What matters is it has a Kurs antenna.
Well, let's get it and go.
Danielle?
What in the hell?
Don't shoot. Don't shoot!
Sorry it's been so long
since my last message.
We've been working around
the clock to dig out the MSAM
and haul it over to
Happy Valley for repairs.
Basically sleeping over
there at this point.
I know that doesn't sound good,
but in a weird way,
it's, uh, helping me,
helping all of us to
move past what happened.
And I think we might actually be able
to get Popeye back in flying shape
in time for the next
launch window back to Earth.
Problem is, it's going to take a while
to make enough fuel to launch
with the equipment we have left.
Well, that and figuring out a way
to squeeze all nine of us in
there for the launch.
Gonna be as tight as an Apollo
capsule, but we'll get there.
Off this rock, once and for all.
Goddamn this thing.
What now?
Sorry. It's just
At this rate, with that
puny little fuel generator,
we'll be lucky to have enough propellant
to make our launch date next month.
Can't it work any faster?
Eh, it was never meant to
process this much methane.
It's like filling up a
jetliner with a soda can.
Takes time.
I know, I know. But have
you smelled the base lately?
Those toilets were not
made for that many people.
You think once we leave, they'll
ever send anybody back to Mars?
- Doubt it. Not in my lifetime anyway.
- I think you're right.
All we can do is try
and get this thing
ready in time for launch.
Roger that.
Oh. I'm due back at the sewer.
- Want me to send you anything?
- I already had my ration for today.
- Early bird gets the worm.
- Mmm.
Worm sounds about right.
Don't work too hard.
Roger that.
All right, what you got?
Ready? All right. Ah, ah, ah, ah.
That Yeah, you
got Okay, all right.
You're getting closer, Lou.
- Hey, Skipper.
- How's fuel production going?
Uh, "moving like molasses,"
as you Americans say.
Sort of like you.
Hey.
How's it?
Hey, hey, hey. I wasn't
finished with that.
Yeah, well, I got seniority.
Here you go, kiddo.
Ugh, that stuff makes me nauseous.
My grandson gotta eat.
So it's a "him" today?
You know, whichever way it goes.
- Edward is a great name. Girl or boy.
- Mmm.
I was thinking something like "Ariella."
Ariella? You want her to end up
selling bath beads and patchouli?
Hey, you're gonna need a lot of
homeopathic remedies in your old age.
- Astronaut Baldwin.
- Yeah?
You've been avoiding me. Again.
And failing again.
Follow me.
See? That's why no one
trusts a flight surgeon.
'Cause they're always
on the hunt for bad news.
You mean news like Mars radiation
could damage the child's DNA?
Or weak gravity could
impede its bone development?
Jesus, Doc. Go easy.
I will go easy after we get
her up to Phoenix for the birth.
It was not my idea to have a
baby on this forsaken planet.
Yes, as you remind me every day.
Mouth closed.
How is your wound, Commander?
Yeah, uh, cream helped
the pain. Thank you.
Good.
Have you figured out how to make
one of your pressure suits fit her
for the MSAM launch?
The hard shell's still a problem,
but NASA's got two teams
of their best and brightest
working on it around the clock.
Meaning they haven't
come up with anything yet.
So much for NASA's fabled ingenuity.
130 over 85.
Still higher than I'd like.
You should just use Soviet
suit. Material is more flexible.
- Yeah, that might actually work.
- Of course.
Activity?
She's either playing handball
or the bongos in there.
Do you want to hear?
Dad.
Now, by the time Kelly Baldwin
gives birth to America's
favorite baby Martian
two months from now
the child will have enough booties
to last a lifetime.
The decision to proceed
with the pregnancy,
which some regard as controversial
in light of the dangerous
conditions on the planet,
has nonetheless captured the
imagination of people around the world.
And that's why NASA wants the
baby to be born aboard the Phoenix?
That's right. People aboard Phoenix
experience full Earth
gravity, which is
And to distract us from the
disaster that it really is,
the Wilson administration
feeds the media tidbits
about Kelly Baldwin's Mars baby.
Does President Wilson really
think we're that naive?
You and I both know the
Mars program has been a fiasco.
This bill will restore a
system of checks and balances
by giving Congress direct authority
over the agency's budget
And give you the ability to
redline specific programs.
If I sign this bill, Congress
will defund the Mars program.
No one will go back, maybe ever, and
space exploration will slowly die.
If I were you, Madam President,
I would think less about space
and more about next year's election.
Your concern for my political future
moves me to the brink of tears, Dick.
Have you seen the homeless encampments
spreading across our major cities?
Filled with former oil and
gas workers, coal miners.
People put out of work by
helium-3 and nuclear fusion.
We need to fix things here on Earth
before we spend trillions
gallivanting to far-off planets.
The space program is making
life here on Earth better.
And I won't undermine all
the progress we've made.
So, go ahead and pass your bill, Dick.
And I will veto it.
I'm very disappointed to hear that.
Madam President, may I
speak with you in private?
As I'm sure you're
aware, a few months ago,
staff for Congressman
Willie Baron discovered
that your husband was having an
affair with a White House employee.
A slanderous rumor.
Congressman Baron failed to produce
a shred of evidence for one reason.
It never happened.
So your husband claimed under oath.
If we were to discover that Mr.
Wilson was lying to the committee,
you understand that he would
be open to a charge of perjury?
Where are you going with this?
Madam President,
is it true that you have a
recording system in the Oval Office?
We have a source who claims
that a recording system first installed
by John F. Kennedy is still in use.
Even if there was a
recording system in use,
those tapes would be protected
by executive privilege.
We'll see what the
courts say about that.
We are going to subpoena any
recordings made in this office
on the week of your husband's testimony.
If there was any attempt at a cover-up,
not only will he be
charged with perjury,
you will be impeached for
obstruction of justice.
You can't be serious.
Congress hasn't impeached a
president in more than 120 years.
This is a new low, even for you.
Well, that's rich coming
from a woman who
who had Karl Rove and Lee Atwater
to do her dirty work so her image
could remain as pure as driven snow.
All those robocalls about Bill
Clinton's supposed secret love child,
and now you wanna claim the high ground?
What's your point,
Dick? Do you have one?
Sign the NASA bill.
It's the smart move.
Because if the press were to find
out about Larry's indiscretion,
your political standing would
evaporate even more than it already has.
And I'd easily be able
to override your veto.
Now, I don't want to go
that road if I don't have to.
But make no mistake,
I will use every tool at my
disposal to make this bill law.
Glad you could come.
To your garage?
I want you to look at something
and tell me I'm not crazy.
Jesus Christ.
During the rescue of the cosmonauts,
I discovered that their nuclear
engine design was almost identical
to an early version of ours.
Someone at NASA gave it to them.
Margo?
She's the only one who
had access to everything.
But But
Margo? Margo Madison?
She's the head of NASA.
She's been trying to beat the
Russians for three decades.
Why would she do this?
It doesn't make sense.
I don't know. But I can't
get this out of my head, Bill.
I feel like I really am going crazy.
Yeah, clearly.
This is like the lair
of a Batman villain.
Let me lay it all out for you.
If you still think I'm crazy,
I'll burn all of it.
I'm gonna need another beer.
I'm proud to announce that
we are about to begin production
on Calypso, which will be
ready to launch in 1999.
Unlike Phoenix, Calypso will
run on nuclear plasma propulsion,
and she'll have enough power
to travel to the Red
Planet almost anytime,
even outside the normal launch windows.
And we're building
two more just like it,
which will allow us to rapidly expand
our footprint on the Red Planet.
Over the next decade,
our base will grow to include
several mining operations,
a spaceport, greenhouses for crops,
and dormitories that will house
thousands of colonists in the new
Just stop there.
Need I remind you,
an entire fucking mountain
just came down on us,
wiping out nearly every asset we had.
Not to mention the
three people who died.
Yes.
But do any of you remember Jamestown?
Not the lunar base,
but the first permanent
English settlement in Virginia,
founded in 1607.
Do any of you know how many settlers
died in the first three years?
Eighty percent.
From disease.
From starvation.
From the elements.
Suppose the original settlers said,
you know, "This is
just just too hard.
Let's just forget about this new
world with its unlimited possibilities
and go back to Mother England
with our tail between our legs."
Could you imagine that?
My God, Dicky
you have lost sight of the big picture.
We found water.
Enough to sustain a colony of thousands.
It doesn't change the fact that
our stock price is in a free fall.
Antitrust lawyers at
DOJ are sniffing around,
and we just got back the
liability report from the accident
saying that one of our employees
caused the fucking landslide.
So on top of everything else, now
we're vulnerable to massive lawsuits.
The board has discussed this at length,
and we no longer share your optimism.
Helios has squandered billions
on this this fantasy of yours.
We've decided to pivot
back to our core business,
mining helium-3 on the moon.
There will be no more missions to Mars.
Guys, I know this is stressful.
No one is more keenly
aware of this than me.
You give me a little more time,
and I'ma pull us out of this hole.
I promise.
You couldn't keep it in
your pants for one term, Larry?
- One term?
- I I know I messed up,
but if Baron had more,
he would've used it.
It's It's go gonna
blow over. It'll be fine.
"Fine"? You lied under oath.
- Don't you get that?
- They set me up.
Plain and simple. It was a trap.
They didn't force you
to sleep with him, did they?
What is so special
about Jeremy Zielke that
you're willing to throw away
everything we've worked
our entire lives to build?
Our careers. Our family.
That was way worse than I remembered it.
What the hell do we do?
If they hear any of that, you'll
go to jail and I'll be impeached.
We don't need to give in on this.
It's your personal property.
It's protected by executive privilege.
No. They'll take it to the Supreme
Court, and we'll probably lose.
And if we do, it'll weaken not only me
but every president who succeeds me.
Okay, so, uh,
maybe we give the
appearance of cooperating.
Send them transcripts of the tapes.
Black out the incriminating portions
and claim they relate
to national security.
No one will buy that.
No.
Okay, suppose
Suppose the recording
device malfunctioned.
And for some reason, this
portion is just blank.
We don't know why. We're
not recording technicians.
You mean erase it?
That would expose us to
further charges of obstruction.
You're right.
And what happens when
Jeremy gets out of rehab?
They'll force him to testify.
Would he commit perjury for you?
Probably not.
He was
He was pretty pissed
about being cut loose.
There is one way out.
I'll call a press conference,
and I'll confess to the world
that I had an affair with Jeremy.
I'll tell them you
knew nothing about it.
That you didn't know that I was gay.
That it was all on me.
I betrayed my loving wife
whose only sin was falling
for a lying philanderer.
Hmm, Larry, you can't do
that. You'd You'd be a
What? A pariah?
A laughingstock? A national joke?
I'm getting used to that.
I can't let you do this.
Give me a chance to make things right.
And the vibrational
profile of their hydrogen turbopump.
The impeller blade pass
frequency is 2165 hertz.
Exactly the same as ours.
You'd think they would've shifted
it a few hertz to try and hide it.
Yeah, it's like they're
trying to fuck with me.
So I thought it might be Lainey.
She was there for the
whole impeller redesign.
And that's how I
eliminated you as a suspect.
You thought it was me?
You did leave NASA in a hurry.
Can't tell if I'm insulted or flattered.
Anyway,
after this process of elimination
Margo was the only one left.
It had to be her.
So, what do you think?
Please tell me I'm crazy.
You are not crazy.
We need to talk to
her. Find out why she
You have to go to the FBI, Aleida.
What? No.
- No fucking way.
- Bill
- you know what they did to my father.
- I know. You think I want this?
I love Margo as much as anybody,
but this is some heavy-duty national
security shit we're talking about.
Who knows how far it's gone?
I mean she's basically
a fucking spy, Aleida.
- Stop.
- She is.
It makes me wanna vomit,
but it's the truth.
You have to go to the FBI with this.
Bill, no.
- Hey, got a sec?
- Of course.
I've been going through our financials
since the board meeting, and
I think
we need to face reality here.
We can't keep this company solvent,
let alone expand our footprint on
Mars, without an infusion of cash.
And we need it fast.
I'm guessing you have something in mind?
I think that our best
move to generate revenue
and get us out of this hole
is we sell Phoenix to NASA.
Absolutely not.
Are you kidding?
Besides, they'd never go for it.
They will.
What are you talking about?
I approached some people
that I know within the agency
and quietly floated the idea.
And the response was really positive.
- They feel as though
- You approached NASA
without my permission?
Your permission?
I'm COO of this company.
You told them we're so desperate
for cash, we'd be willing
- That is not what I said at all.
- But they can put the pieces together.
You just gave Margo Madison
all the ammunition she needs
to publicly humiliate me.
I am trying to save your company
our company from insolvency.
- We don't need anybody's help.
- The numbers don't lie.
No, but they don't always
tell the full story.
Have some faith, Karen.
Christ. Look.
The rendezvous radar must have
taken a beating in the slide.
Without that
Popeye won't be
able to dock with Phoenix.
Maybe it's not that bad.
Help me get this housing off.
Oh, shit. Shit! Shit! Shit!
Primary integration card is toast.
And the spare is aboard Phoenix.
Might as well be on Jupiter.
Will, does Sojourner have a
rendezvous system we can use?
Negative. Um, it was a
part of the original design,
but it was never installed.
- Why not?
- Well, we weren't planning on docking
with anything on this mission,
and, uh, we were in a big-ass hurry
to catch you guys and launch in '94.
Oh, yes. Free-market competition
pays dividends yet again.
Yeah.
What are we gonna do?
We can't dock with Phoenix.
We'll miss the next
launch window to Earth.
We'll be stranded here.
We can't fabricate
one of these ourselves?
Unless you want to go
to Kyiv for the parts.
It's a damn shame Helios didn't
buy their rendezvous systems
from the good old US of A.
Yeah, and Popeye won't
get close enough to Phoenix
for dock and capture without it.
Pity we didn't take this
Kurs unit from the Soviet ship
before we cut her loose.
Well, there are more of
them already here on Mars.
- There are?
- Where?
We have five
Kurs Novaya-Aktivnaya units
on the surface of Mars.
They're on sample-return probes
we were hoping to retrieve
with our Mars ship.
The problem is,
the closest one is over 1,500
kilometers from Happy Valley.
The trip would take a
month if everything goes right,
and we can't wait that long to
get Kelly Baldwin up to Phoenix.
Miss Catiche,
didn't Russia sell your rendezvous
system to other countries?
It is true.
We sold Kurs units to India,
Turkey and to North Korea.
Bill, does Helios have a way
of accessing the locations
of every Turkish, North
Korean and Indian probe
that's been sent to Mars?
Uh, sure. Yeah, one second.
How far is the closest?
So this one here
is 89 kilometers out.
It looks like it belongs to
the People's Republic of Korea.
That's the probe they
launched in the '94 window.
I remember it docked in low
Earth orbit, probably to refuel.
Which makes it pretty certain that
it has an automated docking system.
It will be Kurs-NA.
Or a clone of it.
I'd say we have a winner.
North Korea approved this?
Better to ask for forgiveness
later than beg for permission now.
This goes against almost
all of our safety protocols.
We can only spare one rover.
It's nine hours each way,
far beyond walk-back range.
Sounds like fun. Sign me up.
Sorry, Ed. You're more familiar with
the Helios systems than anybody
- Oh, come on.
- and we need those working
to get off this planet.
No, no. I'm not risking
any of your people on this.
Kurs-NA is a newer design,
and Baranov isn't familiar
with the new iteration,
and Mayakovsky's required
here for pregnancy.
The rovers are NASA gear.
Will is working on the MSAM,
so the choice is pretty clear.
You and me.
I can't fucking believe you did this.
Just hear what she has to say.
Here you go.
- Thank you.
- Welcome.
Look, whatever you
think is gonna happen,
you should know I don't
care much for the FBI.
I wouldn't either if I were you.
Bill told me what
happened with your father.
It wasn't right.
Well, isn't that nice?
What else did you share with
your little friend here, Bill?
- I'm just trying to help you.
- Ah, gee. Thanks.
I know this is
not an easy position to be in,
and I am truly sorry about
what happened to your father.
Frankly, I don't blame
you for not trusting us.
And I'm guessing it's just a
coincidence that they had you talk to me,
of all the agents.
I'm sure it's not.
Look, the FBI is not perfect.
But you and I, we
both took the same oath
when we started working
for this country,
to support and defend the
Constitution of the United States
against all enemies,
foreign and domestic.
And I know you care
about what happened here,
or you wouldn't have
reached out to Bill.
I don't care what the fuck you say.
I'm not helping you.
That's your choice.
You don't have to cooperate,
but we're moving forward
with this regardless.
The case file is open. We'll get
to the bottom of what happened.
And at some point, you'll be
called to testify against her.
- Is that a threat?
- No. It's a fact.
So be it.
Come on, Aleida. Just sit
down. Just hear what
I don't wanna hear another word
out of you. Do you get that?
You're fucking dead to me.
Aleida? Aleida!
What's the matter?
Are you okay?
I don't know what
to do. I don't know what to do.
Are you in trouble?
My daughter.
No, Papa.
It's nothing.
I'll figure it out.
There
There, there, there
My Graciana
Don't cry.
Don't cry, my love.
Graciana?
No, Papa.
It's your daughter, Aleida.
Not Mama.
I know.
I know, my daughter.
Everything will be all right.
Everything will be all right.
Danielle, how many spare
batteries do you think we need?
We'll be back by tomorrow. The
extra weight will just slow us down.
I'd rather have the
juice and not need it.
Solar cells can break,
and I don't fancy an 89-kilometer
walk back home. Do you?
Happy Valley. Phoenix.
Happy Valley. Phoenix.
Phoenix. Happy Valley.
Priority uplink from Helios.
It's the drilling accident
investigation report.
Sending it over now.
Finally. They took their
good sweet time about it.
- Got it, Phoenix.
- Roger. Phoenix out.
What does it say?
It's wrapped up in a
bunch of bureaucratic verbiage,
but bottom line, they're
calling it an operator error.
Who?
They're putting it
on Nick Corrado for, quote,
"failure to correctly
monitor housing pressure
and take appropriate action
at reservoir penetration,"
end quote.
Typical
cover-your-ass move.
Yep, blame the dead guy.
Then you can't be sued
for building crappy gear.
- Same in the Soviet system.
- This is bullshit.
But to put that on Nick?
I mean, it's bad enough
the landslide killed him,
but n-now they're trying to pin the
whole thing on him? It's not right.
I mean, how'd they even
come up with that report?
Yeah, this whole thing,
it's a load of bullshit!
Yeah?
Heard about your plan to sell Phoenix.
Ah. Dev told you?
Well, we're not exactly
speaking at the moment.
Like you, I've got contacts at NASA,
and they're very keen on this idea.
Yeah, I know. Come on in.
I tried to sell Dev on the idea,
and he just wouldn't listen.
He's changed.
Quite a bit since we first met.
At MIT, right?
Intro to Nuclear Physics.
Where you two first figured
out how to crack nuclear fusion.
Yeah, and back then
everyone was desperate
to be the one who finally
figured fusion out.
Trouble was, nobody could
make the reaction last.
Until Dev.
He figured out a way to
bring helium-3 nuclei together
and keep the reaction going.
And brought the world
cheap, clean energy.
Watching him work, I knew I was
in the presence of greatness.
He was unlike any other
engineer I'd ever met.
So, what happened? Why are you
two always at each other's throats?
Hmm, simple.
I'm the only one who tells him "no."
The little word no one likes to hear.
- Especially not Dev.
- No. No.
The man's been swallowed
alive by his own myth.
And now so will this company.
Unless we move forward with your
plan, selling Phoenix to NASA.
I've already pitched
the idea to the board.
- They think it's a stroke of genius.
- And Dev is never going to approve it.
That won't be an issue. We've
decided to remove him as CEO.
You I'm sorry, you're firing Dev?
He'll still have a seat on the board,
but strictly in an advisory capacity.
Who are you going to get to replace him?
You.
- Lar?
- Huh?
Hi. What time is it?
It's a little after 9:00. You
You want me to take him up to bed?
No, no, that's okay. I can
do it. Oh, come on, pal.
You ready?
Ready? Three, two, one.
Oh, my gosh. You're heavy.
Goodness gracious.
Larry?
About tomorrow
You don't have to do this.
We can find another way.
We've been over that.
There is no other way.
I wanna do this. I need to.
Hello, everyone.
Uh, thank you for coming
on such short notice.
Um
Uh
I'd like to share something.
Uh I, uh
Um, I have something I'd like
to share with you all. Um
Good morning.
First of all, I would like to thank
the American people for their support
over the last two years.
Together, we have achieved great things.
Making America energy independent,
sharply reducing greenhouse gases
and developing new technologies
that will assure the United States
remains a dominant superpower
well into the 21st century.
And, of course, there was our
first manned mission to Mars.
And despite the recent casualties,
our journey to the Red
Planet will go down in history
as a remarkable achievement,
equal to the Lewis and Clark expedition,
Ferdinand Magellan
circumnavigating the Earth,
and Aleksei Leonov landing
on the moon in June of 1969.
And yet, after all we have accomplished,
I come before you today
to confess that I have failed you.
Because I lied to you.
And in doing so, I broke
the covenant of trust
that is essential between a
president and the American people.
I not only failed to tell you the truth,
I also failed to
protect the men and women
serving bravely in our armed forces.
I failed to stand up for some of
our most vulnerable fellow citizens
who have faced acts of
prejudice and discrimination.
And I failed to defend the rights
and the dignity of Will Tyler,
a brave American hero
serving his country on the surface
of Mars at this very moment.
And I failed someone very close to me
because I was afraid to
stand up and tell the truth.
I failed because I feared
what people would think of me,
and I failed to trust the
compassion and judgment of you,
the American people.
I underestimated you.
And for that, I am truly sorry.
I cannot correct my past mistakes,
but I can stop lying to you
right here, right now, and
give you the simple truth.
I'm gay,
and I have been since
the day I was born.
Reactions to President Wilson's speech
have varied across
the political spectrum,
with rallies in every major city.
Some have marched in support of
the nation's first gay president,
while vocal counterprotests denounce
her as a dangerous influence.
The Wilson Administration
followed the president's
address to the nation
with an announcement today that
she will sign an executive order
to allow gay men and women to
openly serve in the military.
She also announced she will bestow
a presidential medal
of freedom on Will Tyler
for his extraordinary
service to his country on Mars
and for his courageous
stand on gay rights.
Well, holy shit!
- About time America came to her senses.
- Nice work, Ellen.
I have something to say.
You're a brave man, Will Tyler.
I'm honored to be your friend.
Um
Thank you, man.
All right, enough of
this. Let's start drinking.
I'm sure Kelly'd wanna hear
about this. Have you seen her?
She's in the jungle.
Kel, you have no idea what
President Wilson just
Kelly! Kel!
Kel! Hey, hey! Sweetie?
Doc! Get in here!
- Mueller, bring the medkit!
- Yes, sir!
Kelly?
Her heart is pumping too fast.
Hang in there, kiddo.
Rover 1, Happy Valley.
Rover 1, Happy Valley. Come in.
Happy Valley, rover 1.
We've had an emergency here.
Kelly's condition has
taken a turn for the worst.
What's going on?
The doctor says she has preeclampsia.
We need you back here with
the Kurs system, and fast.
We are less than 15
minutes away from the probe site.
We will be back as soon as we can.
Roger.
Looks like one of your old Soyuz ships.
People's Republic of Korea
isn't shy about borrowing designs.
What matters is it has a Kurs antenna.
Well, let's get it and go.
Danielle?
What in the hell?
Don't shoot. Don't shoot!