Earth: Final Conflict s04e12 Episode Script
The Summit
Previously Gene Roddenberry's Earth Final Conflict You wished to speak with me Zo'or.
Yes, I thought you should know that the Jaridians have not bothered to answers the peace initiative you sent them without my acknowledge.
Pursuing futile goals is a human attribute.
your thought has become infected.
Your thought has become infected.
I am losing contact with the Commonality.
Da'an is no longer Taelon Da'an is become an Atavus.
a distant primitive ancestor.
once cut off from commonality a Taelon had never returned.
I so can't believe that the creature I saw was Da'an.
it is the part of me, We all have a darkness within us even Taelons.
You wanted me Da'an? Thank you for coming on short notice, Liam.
I must take a sudden journey.
- I'll preflight the shuttle.
- No, I'm going alone.
I no longer require your services as pilot.
- It's my duty Da'an.
- Yes but I gave it to you.
Now, I relieve you of it.
Time has come for me to carry out my last duty.
Cancel my engagements.
This is one journey I must undertake in private.
It's against orders, but if that's what you want, I'll log in at the embassy and maintain your locator.
You'll have all the privacy you need.
You mis-understand.
This is my final journey.
Not Zo'or, not the synod, not even you may accompany me.
The mother ship tracks your energy frequency.
I can't keep her from doing that.
However I won't know where you are when you leave.
I am not deceived Liam.
I know you track me with a device developed by your A.
N.
A.
I have known for some time.
You're right.
You did nearly leave us at the mercy of the Jaridians.
So, after that we wanted to know where all the Taelons were at all times.
Our relationship has deteriorated to one of mutual distrust and fear, has it not? But it is time I overcame my fear.
If you really do need some privacy, then you can have it.
I control your tracker.
I'll shut it down for one hour or two.
Da'an.
Let me go.
I may overcome my fear.
I regret, I cannot overcome my distrust.
The immobilization field will neutralized in five minutes.
We will not meet again but my life was richer for knowing you.
Da'an what do you mean Da'an, that we won't ever meet again? Da'an! They have come to Earth with the promise of peace.
An alien race called the Taelons.
But there are those who resist these alien Companions, for the Taelons' true mission the secrets they hide will forever alter our world.
Transcription: Team Trad.
EFC The fate of humanity now relies on those who dare challenge the future of Earth.
Team Trad EFC: We can not search for Da'an from orbit the mother ship has amnesia.
What about the data banks? An unknown force stunned the pseudo neurons.
The data volatilized.
- All of it? - For now.
Most of the data may be recovered but not without great effort.
Again Major, Da'an gave you no indication of his destination? All he said was he needed privacy for a final journey.
Can't you track him by his personal frequency? - That's going to be a bit difficult.
- Indeed.
You see Da'an's frequency identity was stored in the data banks with everything else.
Da'an disappears, and we can't track him.
A remarquably bad coincidence.
What about the commonality? Do you still sense his presence? Yes, he is still with us but the commonality is not a compass, major.
I hope Da'an is not about to act on a morose impulse.
Can you characterize his mood? Remote, like he'd made his mind up.
He said it was a final journey.
My forensic experts hope to follow his I.
D.
Path.
I wish them luck.
Mine could not.
Is Da'an still somewhat popular on Earth? Very.
Calls are still flooding the embassy.
- The press is all over it.
- I'll put a stop to that.
No I welcome the public's help.
And I hope our good friend, major Kincaid will use his special insight to find Da'an when we cannot.
I shall equip him with a cyber viral implant, a surveillance CVI.
An implant? For the record Da'an specifically excluded me.
He doesn't want me to have one.
He did not.
But now that he is in need of our help I'm certain he would want you to have every advantage.
I don't think it's a good idea.
But I do.
In fact I insist.
Major Kincaid has been resourceful in the past.
But he has also demonstrated discontent with me.
I want him searching.
But I want him on your tether.
What's that? That is the sound of your new shadow, Major.
From now Everything you hear, I hear.
Everything you see, I see.
I hope we don't read same books.
- Hé Liam ! - Miss Palmer, don't get up.
Sorry to barge in like this.
Ha That's okay.
Listen Sat News is reporting Da'an is missing.
I know we weren't scheduled to meet until your speech next week.
My speech? - I'm not making a speech next week.
- I could swear we talked about Da'an attending.
But, then I guess everything I hear these days goes in one ear and out the other.
Ah, really? So, what brings you here? I just want to ask a favor Miss Palmer, as you say Da'an is unaccounted for, but he talks to you frequently about co-ventures so If you hear from him, or where he is would you let me know? Sure, you'll know the minute I do, Major Kincaid.
Good.
Because the minute I see him, the Taelons will know where he is and could stop worrying.
Okay, if that's what you want.
Is that what you want? I just don't want him out there without protection.
Just take a look out there.
So many places a Taelon could get into trouble.
It's terrible.
You don't see the things I see, miss Palmer.
No no, but I do see what you mean.
Welcome back to Rostok.
Our frontiers, it seems, keep expanding.
I've been admiring the view.
Thank you Chairman Federov.
I hope this experience aboard your space station is better than my last.
I could say the same for myself.
And you are not cold? It is -210 degrees in here.
My energy metabolism is far less reactive to temperature changes than yours.
Ah, Taelon understatement.
Our guest is arriving momentarily? I fear the battery charge on the I.
D.
Portal is not depleted.
I asume you came prepared? Portable cold fusion.
Lose no time tying it into your grid.
It provides 7 million dynes per second, convertible to any known form of energy.
And we shall need full power in a few moments.
Interior temperature increasing.
Do not remove any of your protection, Chairman Federov.
Not just yet.
- The portal is exploding! - Not exploding.
Using cold fusion provides the power needed to cross the intergalactic distances.
Our guest has travelled a long way.
The Jaridian, he's burning alive ! He must be returned to absolute zero or he will combust and vaporize the all of the space station.
- We must expose him to space.
- The interlocks will prevent this! Override them.
We have seconds the moment his heat subsides, restore the atmosphere or he will smother.
Emergency failure Breach of station environment.
Docking seals broken.
Greetings, Da'an.
I had no intention of making such a grand entrance.
Greetings, Balvak.
Welcome to the planetary system of Earth's sun.
Considering the occasion your entrance was appropriate.
First I thought he lost his mind but he was trying to let me know he couldn't talk.
San Sandoval I assume, watching my eyes and ears.
Meaning? They implanted Liam with a surveillance CVI.
I was slow to figure it out then I saw the scar on his neck meanning Sandoval can hear everything he hears and see everything he sees.
He might even know where Da'an is, but can't tell me, yet.
Are you sure you want to drink that, cafeine, dairy fat and refined sugar? If you tried to get a permit to sell it as a drug, they'd throw you in jail.
Not now, Street.
Find Da'an.
I'm just saying they've got those genetically engineered, cafeinefree beans going now, you should check it out.
Genetically engineered, well, you're a mass of contradiction.
Consistency is the hobgoblin of the little minds.
Okay.
- Da'an is gone.
- We know that.
- What about Liam's A.
N.
A.
tracker? - Offline at 18.
31 last night.
Then thirty seconds later, somebody used the embassy I.
D.
Portal.
Da'an? I can't tell.
In fact whoever it was, scrambled the portal logs but the A.
N.
A.
has had a tap on there for about a month.
- You're not supposed to know that.
- I'm not supposed to know a lot of things all of them fun Do you think the Taelons know about the tap? If they do, they're keeping it quiet.
Then assuming it was Da'an, they don't know he portaled out toward a sector near alpha centauri, then proxima centauri, then - False trail.
- A good one About, 600 intermediate portal bounces crossing and recrossing itself until the data log got fried.
He's gone through the looking-glass.
Da'an wiped his energy signature from the whole embassy, erased his entire calendar and his personal notes, back to when it was built.
I suspected as much.
Well, what doesn't he want us to know? You've been with him a couple of years, Major.
You must have an idea.
Come on Sandoval! You know what it's like to be a protector.
Watch a Taelon 24 hours a day, you still won't have a clue what's going on inside that skin.
I knew what Da'an wanted me to know.
I cloned the hard drive.
More than a zetabyte.
It's Mostly in taelon.
Statistics, historical library materials.
Nothing original.
Take it back to the lab, and have a computer chew it up anyway.
We're gonna find him.
Major, if you're hiding anything, Zo'or will hook you up to a fear amplifier and forget about you.
Be smart.
Don't waste your time on ancient history Major.
We've got our own problem.
Major Kincaid, I hope it's a good time.
I compare the list of Da'an's recent contacts with Doors personnel.
I wonder if you could use it.
Welcome to the Liam cam.
for very select audience it's on Sandoval's CVI frequency.
So how are you picking it up? That's Carlos.
Is one of my irregulars.
He's packing a pirate CVI antenna.
Well, with an antenna that small, he needs to get close.
Turn it off, I mean what's the point? Da'an was always Liam's guardian angel.
He kept Zo'or from putting an implant in Liam's first place.
No wonder, Da'an didn't want Zo'or along on his dates.
So to speak.
And now Zo'or got what he wants.
You know maybe we shouldn't sweat it.
I mean, Liam has a bug in his head but he knows it.
All he has to do was lay low until they find Da'an and Zo'or will take it out.
Assuming they find Da'an, and assuming Zo'or feels like it.
Now we got we got to get it out of him somehow.
Now we can't do it with a pair from needlenose suppliers.
And Whoever does the operation is gonna be live and in living colour for Sandoval to send his goons after.
Until we do, Liam is neutralised in fact he is dangerous.
Sure as anything he's gonna bump into an ANA agent or someone from the resistance still in deep cover.
Are you listening? I do have one Sort of idea.
It's wild but it's not impossible.
The only problem is, we can't ask Liam's permission to try it and could get him killed.
Major Kincaid! Sorry I'm late, I got held up.
Miss Palmer, You said you have something for me? It's not mutch but I searched our e-mail system worldwide for everyone Da'an's talked to at Doors in the past month.
Maybe it'll help.
Let's hope so.
I've got some work to do, but I'll catch you later.
Sam, another beer, down here! Kincaid! So Da'an called.
Said he was concerned about our Colorado farm.
that's where about right now.
We're using Taelon hybrid corn.
The Doors' ethanol project will acccounting on it.
Did he say why he was concerned? Problem With the gene sequence.
You want to come down here? I could show you better than I could tell you.
Ok I grab my suttle, I'll be out there in 20 minutes.
- We ever met? - No, sir, but I do look forward to.
Intruder alert.
Entry denied.
- How is he doing? - He's got the lungs full of stun gas.
What do you thinks? He looks sopeaceful.
Yeah, Well, he won't be, when he finds out who gassed him.
Come on.
Three of you take the back and set up a perimeter.
When do you begin? As soon as Balvak awakens.
Measuring the life force is the greatest Taelon taboo.
How far I have fallen? I covet life beyond all else, but I have less time than it will take us to orbit this planet.
I only hope, I use it well.
He has not stirred.
No.
If he endures he is our last chance to avert the bloodbath dooming both of our species.
If not We have reached a pitiful end.
Sandoval's computer keeps pinging Liam but.
As long as he's conked out, his CVI's offline.
Well that stun gaz should kick him down for at least an other hour.
We better move faster than that.
The longer Liam's blacked out on Sandoval's big screen the more suspicious Sandy's gonna get.
This is Augur's pet project he left me full specs.
One crazy physicist named Creighton built the original design.
Quantum teleportation in its rawest form.
- Which doesn't quite work, I hear.
- Not reliably.
It get there but he might still be here.
Two places at ones, two identical independent energy states.
That's quantum physics in a nutshell.
Creighton built his quantum impeller by hand.
It's one of a kind.
But how does this help Liam out of the CVI problem? I'll cut the teleportation in half cycle.
We should get two Liam Kincaids Two exact independent replicas in quantum coexistence.
And if we don't? Liam's atoms will be scattered around greater D.
C.
Look, I told you, my advice is to let it all blow over.
We're taking a hell of a risk with a man we both like and he can't tell us no.
But it's your call.
Okay, don't look.
I expect a fair amount of photon discharge.
Now.
I'll be damned.
I knew the math was there, but - Wow! - Amazing.
They look just alike.
Congratulations.
Lucky it worked the first time because it's the last time the impeller is toasted.
But Our new Liam, call him Liam2 has an electron half an orbit out of phase.
It's perfect.
Why out of phase? Better for the big bad wolf not to see you and Sandoval's CVI can't connect with this one.
But it's too good to last.
How long do we have? Ordinarily coexistence shouldn't last longer than a nanosecond.
But in this case, a few hours tops.
Unknown intruders disabled Major Kincaid with stun gas outside the D.
C.
shuttle garage.
We've lost CVI contact.
It appears they have abducted him.
Why would they do that? I'm looking into it.
I cannot recall in our long association if you have ever simply stated that you failed.
I'll find him Zo'or.
Major Kincaid is not the issue.
He has been mine for too long.
In the march of time, it hardly matters.
There is a revolt underfoot.
Da'an is formating a jaridian invasion.
Come.
We are using mental symbiosis to regenerate the data pods.
Data shows that our robot satellite were vectored to form an interdimensional portal around the freedom space station.
- Federov's space station? - Indeed.
It's now hidden in the rings of your sixth planet.
Saturn? Why Saturn? We created the rings around that worthless gasbag two million years ago.
Pulverized a few moons as a shield for our probes so we could keep an eye on you.
An excellent hiding place, as Da'an well knows.
- Surely you can track the I.
D.
path? - Yes.
Someone or something portaled in from the vicinity of Tau Ceti.
The Jaridian home world.
If they have a portal near Earth they can bring a war fleet and that's the end.
As I said, a revolution right under my feet.
Go to Saturn, find Da'an and kill him.
Twenty cc's polyadrenalin We have restablish communication with Major Kincaid's CVI.
What happened? We'll sort that out after we get you to the hospital.
You're a companion protector.
We're losing him.
I need a taelon plasma pack stat.
- Better get down there - Be cautious with Kincaid until you have killed his benefactor we do not need his death to complicate things.
But once Da'an is dead do as you please.
F.
B.
I we need to talk to this man.
We just pulled him out of a shock spire.
He may have a concussion.
- Take him to D.
D.
R for evaluation.
- When I'm done.
I'm fine, just a little dizzy.
Your CVI was inoperable for a couple of hours, Major.
If you say so the last thing I I remember was a grenade in my face.
I was watching.
I was on my way to Colorado to run down Da'an's recent contacts.
Forget Colorado.
Da'an's most recent contacts come from star system Tau Ceti.
Your Companion is a Judas Major.
He is in private negotiations with the Jaridians from month.
If that's true, then it's gotta be a reason.
Of course.
Traitors always have reasons.
Selfish ones.
But now that he's gone over to the enemy, he longuer needs a protector.
I'll take your weapon Major.
I'm on active status what's your authority for take my gun? I'll think of something.
How about sick leave? He tell me you need medical observation.
Maybe some xrays, a little sleep.
Perhaps, but as your employer I want the best possible care for you.
.
aboard the mother ship.
Put him in a lock down cell.
All right Major, come with me.
Hold it ! I'm protected by the Companion decree.
He can't just arrest him, or me.
You can't interfering it would ruin everything, just relax.
It's just hard to watch ! I can't believe I don't feel any connection.
It's like I'm watching an impostor, a good devil.
- Which one is the real me, Renee ? - Both of you evidently identical and independent.
Ok? It's was called looking-glass physics.
There are mirror images of everything we don't know it.
Except Sandoval cannot eavesdrop on this one.
Yeah Then why do I still feel this alien thing inside me, huh? I've never seen Da'an in that mood.
He said he had a duty to perform that.
- He'd never be back.
I didn't tell Zo'or that though.
- Sounds suicidal.
But if that's it.
Why not go into death stasis.
I mean, Why disappear? Hold it, what's that? - It looks sort of Taelon and sort of Jaridian.
It's an atavus They're protospecies that split in two about eight million years ago.
The Taelons still have atavus D.
N.
A.
It's their dark side.
Just like we have lizard D.
N.
A.
Da'an was doing historic research.
The blue symbol must be a bookmark.
Luckily he forgot to remove a few Sandoval ignored all of this? He was looking at Da'an's present.
But I think the past is just as important.
- Da'an was researching an atavus name.
Ra'maz.
- Never heard of him.
What's I had seen that Ra'maz is matter close to a religious icon as the taelons have.
- One of their gods? - Or one of their Devils is more like it.
Their fear of Ra'maz is mythic.
Just imagine: Satan Hitler and Genghis Khan all rolled into one.
But how does eight million years ago relate going on to today? That's where all is started See, Ra'maz was this leader of an immortality cult.
He found a way to isolate the core energy.
By becoming Taelon, they extended their lives by a factor of 200.
Good run, but not exactly immortal.
Better than the Jaridians.
The atavus who became jaridian got the short straw.
- Their lifespan was cut by two-thirds.
- Which started the war.
- Long war.
Her, he left a note to himself.
"Can I put together what was rent asunder in time? Can we?" Maybe not suicidal Maybe desperate.
Put together Haven't the taelons and the jaridians tried everything they could think of to recombine? Including using human D.
N.
A.
Nothing works, nothing so far.
Da'an.
I am here, Balvak.
I should be dead.
Where are we? Aboard a primitive space craft designed by the humans.
It will suffice for our purpose.
This feeling my body heat it threatens to go out of control again to burn alive Can you imagine? I cannot.
Our death is inutterably cold.
Our final moment is upon us.
Shall we begin? Would you quit staring at me? If you want to be of any use, why don't you tell Sandoval, I can't help him in here.
Major there is no need to shout.
I can hear every word.
Careful, Major.
Fortunately I don't feel your pain.
And you will experiencing more of that I assure you.
Now I've run the calculations twice, and you're stable but, I don't know how long it'll last.
I wonder if I can make three of you.
- One for me.
- Don't even think about it.
Liam did you chek your mail there's a coded message from two hours ago.
Play it.
Incoming resistance traffic.
Mother ship cipher.
Authorization to decode We have this mothership code since the amnesty The deep coverages and the board still have it for emergencies.
Kincaid, permission to decode.
Decode the data back I was close enough to hear.
It's all about a portal near Saturn the freedom space station.
That's all I can give you, Now.
I know her, Lisa Sagrentino.
She'd never break cover unless there was no other way.
What's that about the "Freedom", it's a mothballs it's space junck, they stripped the reactors for it.
Makes sense Da'an has used Federov before.
It's gone.
The freedom is off the A.
N.
A.
near Earth tracking net.
How is that possible? Like you said it was in a dead orbit.
- Did it come down? - Not according to this.
But it could have collided.
They monitor millions of things up there.
Look, I know how to find out.
I still got the code of Federov's private I.
D.
Portal.
Stealth code.
You think his portal still active, I mean that is if the Freedom is still in one piece.
I know Mikael, he always leaves himself a back door.
See you can set up a link.
- I found it and it's got power.
- Where is it? Well it's not in Kansas, anymore.
No security alert? Maybe nobody's home.
Delighted to see you again, Renee.
I was unable to bid you farewell at our last meeting.
Shame.
You're looking spectacular as always.
Thank you, nice suit.
I'm pleased you noticed.
And I always enjoy the Major's company.
Save it Federov you're supposed to be in your house to rest in Rostok.
Events have intervened.
Last week Da'an wired me an immense sum to prepare the freedom for this trip.
So he calls it a summit meeting.
A summit? For what reason? If you ask me Absolution.
He wants a clear conscience before he dies.
He thinks this will ***.
Where is Da'an, is he here? Perhaps.
Meaning? I will let you judge.
They are about to begin.
After you.
- How did the jaridian get here? - He is Da'an's guest and the leader of their peace movement I gather.
So they're joining the reverse of when Ra'maz split them apart.
So goes the theory.
Da'an believes this is the moment of equipoise, when both Taelon and Jaridian revert to an equal energy state.
- Equal enough to allow them to join their energies? - Yes.
And for some reasons this jaridian is willing to test it with him.
No It's not a test.
It's all or nothing.
Can we stop it? Not now.
It's working.
Atavus! The first true Atavus in eight million years.
Amazing.
Collision warning Unknown space craft Collision imminent.
This is the taelon battle Cruiser, M'thra We're sending a boarding party through your shuttle hatch.
Offer no resistance and you will not be harmed.
Sandoval.
Watch up! I thank you.
Da'an suggested this would happen.
Alas, I have business elsewhere.
You may share my portal if you like.
Forget it they got enough power to trap the I.
D.
path.
from that thing.
Portal out now, you'll fall right in their hands.
No.
Not this! Nooo! Sandoval's outside in a battle cruiser.
And You just killed some of his storm troopers.
You were warn.
In 60 seconds, my troops will rush your ship firing proton scatter guns.
Surrender or die.
It was too late.
Balvak was closer to death than I was.
We were almost one but we failed.
Not totally, for a moment you became one again.
Now, we've got to get out of here.
Sandoval's got our I.
D.
Portal trapped.
You tried to save our lives, Da'an.
but I have a strong hunt right now, you may want to die, but I don't neither just Renee.
You got to tell us what we need to do.
I may want to die, but I will not.
Not soon.
In death, Balvak gave his energy to me.
Enough for a long life.
I am cursed.
Come we will go together.
They've trapped the I.
D.
path.
Our power is too low.
We will use the energy levels which brought Balvak here.
We will transition, without harm.
They gonna be here, in 30 seconds come right after us.
Mickëal what's your power source? Cold fusion in the grid, there.
Perfect let's rig it to go critical as soon as we're gone.
No it's too risky we can't time it close enough.
Those are Volunteers guards, the main battle troops they'll have nuclear suppressors.
As soon as they're aboard, they'll shut down the core.
You go ahead.
- I'll hold them off.
- You no match that kind of firepower! It doesn't matter.
I'm not me, remember? I'm a spare me.
You trust me I'll trigger that fusion reaction at exactly the right moment.
You don't know what'll happen, you're coexisting.
If you die, your other self might die, too.
No If I don't do this, then we all die.
Now get going.
This is a very brave thing you're doing, Major.
Good luck and godspeed.
Renee, we must go.
Liam, I do not comprehend the reason for your sacrifice but understand the motive.
I, too, was willing to die to save my own.
I honour you, "frushnow" Major We'll see you.
Count on it.
I'd back that crate up, Sandoval.
There's gonna be a loud bang.
The explosion knocked out the cruiser's data recorder.
Sounds like you were lucky to get out of there youself.
How many megatons did you say? Nearly 400.
It takes a lot more than that to knock out a M'thra class cluser.
My point is, there was a brief communication from the space station.
A voicecom on a link.
Voice? Yes, of course.
You're in detention on the mother ship, weren't you? And that was your responsibility, right? I know Zo'or demands complete accountability from his jailers.
Those things come out a lot easier than they go in.
Yeah, trust you won an one.
You know Zo'or would have left in you, if Da'an hadn't made him take it out.
So, Da'an's a hero, he comes back with the cinders of a dead jaridian.
Zo'or has to give him a medal.
Zo'or's still trying to prove Da'an sabotaged the data banks.
Yeah, I'll never do it.
I'm sure Da'an wants to tell the synod that Balvak was a hero, but he damned him as a spy.
He did that for you.
But I guess it evens out.
You gave your life for Da'an and for me.
No, no, no, no see that wasn't me, that was actually quantum Liam, - A wellknown hothead.
- True.
I told Da'an this morning what happened, so he wouldn't keep looking at me funny.
Yeah.
I wonder what it was like, though.
What he What I saw in those final moments? Well don't be in such a hurry.
You'll find out one day We all will.
Yes, I thought you should know that the Jaridians have not bothered to answers the peace initiative you sent them without my acknowledge.
Pursuing futile goals is a human attribute.
your thought has become infected.
Your thought has become infected.
I am losing contact with the Commonality.
Da'an is no longer Taelon Da'an is become an Atavus.
a distant primitive ancestor.
once cut off from commonality a Taelon had never returned.
I so can't believe that the creature I saw was Da'an.
it is the part of me, We all have a darkness within us even Taelons.
You wanted me Da'an? Thank you for coming on short notice, Liam.
I must take a sudden journey.
- I'll preflight the shuttle.
- No, I'm going alone.
I no longer require your services as pilot.
- It's my duty Da'an.
- Yes but I gave it to you.
Now, I relieve you of it.
Time has come for me to carry out my last duty.
Cancel my engagements.
This is one journey I must undertake in private.
It's against orders, but if that's what you want, I'll log in at the embassy and maintain your locator.
You'll have all the privacy you need.
You mis-understand.
This is my final journey.
Not Zo'or, not the synod, not even you may accompany me.
The mother ship tracks your energy frequency.
I can't keep her from doing that.
However I won't know where you are when you leave.
I am not deceived Liam.
I know you track me with a device developed by your A.
N.
A.
I have known for some time.
You're right.
You did nearly leave us at the mercy of the Jaridians.
So, after that we wanted to know where all the Taelons were at all times.
Our relationship has deteriorated to one of mutual distrust and fear, has it not? But it is time I overcame my fear.
If you really do need some privacy, then you can have it.
I control your tracker.
I'll shut it down for one hour or two.
Da'an.
Let me go.
I may overcome my fear.
I regret, I cannot overcome my distrust.
The immobilization field will neutralized in five minutes.
We will not meet again but my life was richer for knowing you.
Da'an what do you mean Da'an, that we won't ever meet again? Da'an! They have come to Earth with the promise of peace.
An alien race called the Taelons.
But there are those who resist these alien Companions, for the Taelons' true mission the secrets they hide will forever alter our world.
Transcription: Team Trad.
EFC The fate of humanity now relies on those who dare challenge the future of Earth.
Team Trad EFC: We can not search for Da'an from orbit the mother ship has amnesia.
What about the data banks? An unknown force stunned the pseudo neurons.
The data volatilized.
- All of it? - For now.
Most of the data may be recovered but not without great effort.
Again Major, Da'an gave you no indication of his destination? All he said was he needed privacy for a final journey.
Can't you track him by his personal frequency? - That's going to be a bit difficult.
- Indeed.
You see Da'an's frequency identity was stored in the data banks with everything else.
Da'an disappears, and we can't track him.
A remarquably bad coincidence.
What about the commonality? Do you still sense his presence? Yes, he is still with us but the commonality is not a compass, major.
I hope Da'an is not about to act on a morose impulse.
Can you characterize his mood? Remote, like he'd made his mind up.
He said it was a final journey.
My forensic experts hope to follow his I.
D.
Path.
I wish them luck.
Mine could not.
Is Da'an still somewhat popular on Earth? Very.
Calls are still flooding the embassy.
- The press is all over it.
- I'll put a stop to that.
No I welcome the public's help.
And I hope our good friend, major Kincaid will use his special insight to find Da'an when we cannot.
I shall equip him with a cyber viral implant, a surveillance CVI.
An implant? For the record Da'an specifically excluded me.
He doesn't want me to have one.
He did not.
But now that he is in need of our help I'm certain he would want you to have every advantage.
I don't think it's a good idea.
But I do.
In fact I insist.
Major Kincaid has been resourceful in the past.
But he has also demonstrated discontent with me.
I want him searching.
But I want him on your tether.
What's that? That is the sound of your new shadow, Major.
From now Everything you hear, I hear.
Everything you see, I see.
I hope we don't read same books.
- Hé Liam ! - Miss Palmer, don't get up.
Sorry to barge in like this.
Ha That's okay.
Listen Sat News is reporting Da'an is missing.
I know we weren't scheduled to meet until your speech next week.
My speech? - I'm not making a speech next week.
- I could swear we talked about Da'an attending.
But, then I guess everything I hear these days goes in one ear and out the other.
Ah, really? So, what brings you here? I just want to ask a favor Miss Palmer, as you say Da'an is unaccounted for, but he talks to you frequently about co-ventures so If you hear from him, or where he is would you let me know? Sure, you'll know the minute I do, Major Kincaid.
Good.
Because the minute I see him, the Taelons will know where he is and could stop worrying.
Okay, if that's what you want.
Is that what you want? I just don't want him out there without protection.
Just take a look out there.
So many places a Taelon could get into trouble.
It's terrible.
You don't see the things I see, miss Palmer.
No no, but I do see what you mean.
Welcome back to Rostok.
Our frontiers, it seems, keep expanding.
I've been admiring the view.
Thank you Chairman Federov.
I hope this experience aboard your space station is better than my last.
I could say the same for myself.
And you are not cold? It is -210 degrees in here.
My energy metabolism is far less reactive to temperature changes than yours.
Ah, Taelon understatement.
Our guest is arriving momentarily? I fear the battery charge on the I.
D.
Portal is not depleted.
I asume you came prepared? Portable cold fusion.
Lose no time tying it into your grid.
It provides 7 million dynes per second, convertible to any known form of energy.
And we shall need full power in a few moments.
Interior temperature increasing.
Do not remove any of your protection, Chairman Federov.
Not just yet.
- The portal is exploding! - Not exploding.
Using cold fusion provides the power needed to cross the intergalactic distances.
Our guest has travelled a long way.
The Jaridian, he's burning alive ! He must be returned to absolute zero or he will combust and vaporize the all of the space station.
- We must expose him to space.
- The interlocks will prevent this! Override them.
We have seconds the moment his heat subsides, restore the atmosphere or he will smother.
Emergency failure Breach of station environment.
Docking seals broken.
Greetings, Da'an.
I had no intention of making such a grand entrance.
Greetings, Balvak.
Welcome to the planetary system of Earth's sun.
Considering the occasion your entrance was appropriate.
First I thought he lost his mind but he was trying to let me know he couldn't talk.
San Sandoval I assume, watching my eyes and ears.
Meaning? They implanted Liam with a surveillance CVI.
I was slow to figure it out then I saw the scar on his neck meanning Sandoval can hear everything he hears and see everything he sees.
He might even know where Da'an is, but can't tell me, yet.
Are you sure you want to drink that, cafeine, dairy fat and refined sugar? If you tried to get a permit to sell it as a drug, they'd throw you in jail.
Not now, Street.
Find Da'an.
I'm just saying they've got those genetically engineered, cafeinefree beans going now, you should check it out.
Genetically engineered, well, you're a mass of contradiction.
Consistency is the hobgoblin of the little minds.
Okay.
- Da'an is gone.
- We know that.
- What about Liam's A.
N.
A.
tracker? - Offline at 18.
31 last night.
Then thirty seconds later, somebody used the embassy I.
D.
Portal.
Da'an? I can't tell.
In fact whoever it was, scrambled the portal logs but the A.
N.
A.
has had a tap on there for about a month.
- You're not supposed to know that.
- I'm not supposed to know a lot of things all of them fun Do you think the Taelons know about the tap? If they do, they're keeping it quiet.
Then assuming it was Da'an, they don't know he portaled out toward a sector near alpha centauri, then proxima centauri, then - False trail.
- A good one About, 600 intermediate portal bounces crossing and recrossing itself until the data log got fried.
He's gone through the looking-glass.
Da'an wiped his energy signature from the whole embassy, erased his entire calendar and his personal notes, back to when it was built.
I suspected as much.
Well, what doesn't he want us to know? You've been with him a couple of years, Major.
You must have an idea.
Come on Sandoval! You know what it's like to be a protector.
Watch a Taelon 24 hours a day, you still won't have a clue what's going on inside that skin.
I knew what Da'an wanted me to know.
I cloned the hard drive.
More than a zetabyte.
It's Mostly in taelon.
Statistics, historical library materials.
Nothing original.
Take it back to the lab, and have a computer chew it up anyway.
We're gonna find him.
Major, if you're hiding anything, Zo'or will hook you up to a fear amplifier and forget about you.
Be smart.
Don't waste your time on ancient history Major.
We've got our own problem.
Major Kincaid, I hope it's a good time.
I compare the list of Da'an's recent contacts with Doors personnel.
I wonder if you could use it.
Welcome to the Liam cam.
for very select audience it's on Sandoval's CVI frequency.
So how are you picking it up? That's Carlos.
Is one of my irregulars.
He's packing a pirate CVI antenna.
Well, with an antenna that small, he needs to get close.
Turn it off, I mean what's the point? Da'an was always Liam's guardian angel.
He kept Zo'or from putting an implant in Liam's first place.
No wonder, Da'an didn't want Zo'or along on his dates.
So to speak.
And now Zo'or got what he wants.
You know maybe we shouldn't sweat it.
I mean, Liam has a bug in his head but he knows it.
All he has to do was lay low until they find Da'an and Zo'or will take it out.
Assuming they find Da'an, and assuming Zo'or feels like it.
Now we got we got to get it out of him somehow.
Now we can't do it with a pair from needlenose suppliers.
And Whoever does the operation is gonna be live and in living colour for Sandoval to send his goons after.
Until we do, Liam is neutralised in fact he is dangerous.
Sure as anything he's gonna bump into an ANA agent or someone from the resistance still in deep cover.
Are you listening? I do have one Sort of idea.
It's wild but it's not impossible.
The only problem is, we can't ask Liam's permission to try it and could get him killed.
Major Kincaid! Sorry I'm late, I got held up.
Miss Palmer, You said you have something for me? It's not mutch but I searched our e-mail system worldwide for everyone Da'an's talked to at Doors in the past month.
Maybe it'll help.
Let's hope so.
I've got some work to do, but I'll catch you later.
Sam, another beer, down here! Kincaid! So Da'an called.
Said he was concerned about our Colorado farm.
that's where about right now.
We're using Taelon hybrid corn.
The Doors' ethanol project will acccounting on it.
Did he say why he was concerned? Problem With the gene sequence.
You want to come down here? I could show you better than I could tell you.
Ok I grab my suttle, I'll be out there in 20 minutes.
- We ever met? - No, sir, but I do look forward to.
Intruder alert.
Entry denied.
- How is he doing? - He's got the lungs full of stun gas.
What do you thinks? He looks sopeaceful.
Yeah, Well, he won't be, when he finds out who gassed him.
Come on.
Three of you take the back and set up a perimeter.
When do you begin? As soon as Balvak awakens.
Measuring the life force is the greatest Taelon taboo.
How far I have fallen? I covet life beyond all else, but I have less time than it will take us to orbit this planet.
I only hope, I use it well.
He has not stirred.
No.
If he endures he is our last chance to avert the bloodbath dooming both of our species.
If not We have reached a pitiful end.
Sandoval's computer keeps pinging Liam but.
As long as he's conked out, his CVI's offline.
Well that stun gaz should kick him down for at least an other hour.
We better move faster than that.
The longer Liam's blacked out on Sandoval's big screen the more suspicious Sandy's gonna get.
This is Augur's pet project he left me full specs.
One crazy physicist named Creighton built the original design.
Quantum teleportation in its rawest form.
- Which doesn't quite work, I hear.
- Not reliably.
It get there but he might still be here.
Two places at ones, two identical independent energy states.
That's quantum physics in a nutshell.
Creighton built his quantum impeller by hand.
It's one of a kind.
But how does this help Liam out of the CVI problem? I'll cut the teleportation in half cycle.
We should get two Liam Kincaids Two exact independent replicas in quantum coexistence.
And if we don't? Liam's atoms will be scattered around greater D.
C.
Look, I told you, my advice is to let it all blow over.
We're taking a hell of a risk with a man we both like and he can't tell us no.
But it's your call.
Okay, don't look.
I expect a fair amount of photon discharge.
Now.
I'll be damned.
I knew the math was there, but - Wow! - Amazing.
They look just alike.
Congratulations.
Lucky it worked the first time because it's the last time the impeller is toasted.
But Our new Liam, call him Liam2 has an electron half an orbit out of phase.
It's perfect.
Why out of phase? Better for the big bad wolf not to see you and Sandoval's CVI can't connect with this one.
But it's too good to last.
How long do we have? Ordinarily coexistence shouldn't last longer than a nanosecond.
But in this case, a few hours tops.
Unknown intruders disabled Major Kincaid with stun gas outside the D.
C.
shuttle garage.
We've lost CVI contact.
It appears they have abducted him.
Why would they do that? I'm looking into it.
I cannot recall in our long association if you have ever simply stated that you failed.
I'll find him Zo'or.
Major Kincaid is not the issue.
He has been mine for too long.
In the march of time, it hardly matters.
There is a revolt underfoot.
Da'an is formating a jaridian invasion.
Come.
We are using mental symbiosis to regenerate the data pods.
Data shows that our robot satellite were vectored to form an interdimensional portal around the freedom space station.
- Federov's space station? - Indeed.
It's now hidden in the rings of your sixth planet.
Saturn? Why Saturn? We created the rings around that worthless gasbag two million years ago.
Pulverized a few moons as a shield for our probes so we could keep an eye on you.
An excellent hiding place, as Da'an well knows.
- Surely you can track the I.
D.
path? - Yes.
Someone or something portaled in from the vicinity of Tau Ceti.
The Jaridian home world.
If they have a portal near Earth they can bring a war fleet and that's the end.
As I said, a revolution right under my feet.
Go to Saturn, find Da'an and kill him.
Twenty cc's polyadrenalin We have restablish communication with Major Kincaid's CVI.
What happened? We'll sort that out after we get you to the hospital.
You're a companion protector.
We're losing him.
I need a taelon plasma pack stat.
- Better get down there - Be cautious with Kincaid until you have killed his benefactor we do not need his death to complicate things.
But once Da'an is dead do as you please.
F.
B.
I we need to talk to this man.
We just pulled him out of a shock spire.
He may have a concussion.
- Take him to D.
D.
R for evaluation.
- When I'm done.
I'm fine, just a little dizzy.
Your CVI was inoperable for a couple of hours, Major.
If you say so the last thing I I remember was a grenade in my face.
I was watching.
I was on my way to Colorado to run down Da'an's recent contacts.
Forget Colorado.
Da'an's most recent contacts come from star system Tau Ceti.
Your Companion is a Judas Major.
He is in private negotiations with the Jaridians from month.
If that's true, then it's gotta be a reason.
Of course.
Traitors always have reasons.
Selfish ones.
But now that he's gone over to the enemy, he longuer needs a protector.
I'll take your weapon Major.
I'm on active status what's your authority for take my gun? I'll think of something.
How about sick leave? He tell me you need medical observation.
Maybe some xrays, a little sleep.
Perhaps, but as your employer I want the best possible care for you.
.
aboard the mother ship.
Put him in a lock down cell.
All right Major, come with me.
Hold it ! I'm protected by the Companion decree.
He can't just arrest him, or me.
You can't interfering it would ruin everything, just relax.
It's just hard to watch ! I can't believe I don't feel any connection.
It's like I'm watching an impostor, a good devil.
- Which one is the real me, Renee ? - Both of you evidently identical and independent.
Ok? It's was called looking-glass physics.
There are mirror images of everything we don't know it.
Except Sandoval cannot eavesdrop on this one.
Yeah Then why do I still feel this alien thing inside me, huh? I've never seen Da'an in that mood.
He said he had a duty to perform that.
- He'd never be back.
I didn't tell Zo'or that though.
- Sounds suicidal.
But if that's it.
Why not go into death stasis.
I mean, Why disappear? Hold it, what's that? - It looks sort of Taelon and sort of Jaridian.
It's an atavus They're protospecies that split in two about eight million years ago.
The Taelons still have atavus D.
N.
A.
It's their dark side.
Just like we have lizard D.
N.
A.
Da'an was doing historic research.
The blue symbol must be a bookmark.
Luckily he forgot to remove a few Sandoval ignored all of this? He was looking at Da'an's present.
But I think the past is just as important.
- Da'an was researching an atavus name.
Ra'maz.
- Never heard of him.
What's I had seen that Ra'maz is matter close to a religious icon as the taelons have.
- One of their gods? - Or one of their Devils is more like it.
Their fear of Ra'maz is mythic.
Just imagine: Satan Hitler and Genghis Khan all rolled into one.
But how does eight million years ago relate going on to today? That's where all is started See, Ra'maz was this leader of an immortality cult.
He found a way to isolate the core energy.
By becoming Taelon, they extended their lives by a factor of 200.
Good run, but not exactly immortal.
Better than the Jaridians.
The atavus who became jaridian got the short straw.
- Their lifespan was cut by two-thirds.
- Which started the war.
- Long war.
Her, he left a note to himself.
"Can I put together what was rent asunder in time? Can we?" Maybe not suicidal Maybe desperate.
Put together Haven't the taelons and the jaridians tried everything they could think of to recombine? Including using human D.
N.
A.
Nothing works, nothing so far.
Da'an.
I am here, Balvak.
I should be dead.
Where are we? Aboard a primitive space craft designed by the humans.
It will suffice for our purpose.
This feeling my body heat it threatens to go out of control again to burn alive Can you imagine? I cannot.
Our death is inutterably cold.
Our final moment is upon us.
Shall we begin? Would you quit staring at me? If you want to be of any use, why don't you tell Sandoval, I can't help him in here.
Major there is no need to shout.
I can hear every word.
Careful, Major.
Fortunately I don't feel your pain.
And you will experiencing more of that I assure you.
Now I've run the calculations twice, and you're stable but, I don't know how long it'll last.
I wonder if I can make three of you.
- One for me.
- Don't even think about it.
Liam did you chek your mail there's a coded message from two hours ago.
Play it.
Incoming resistance traffic.
Mother ship cipher.
Authorization to decode We have this mothership code since the amnesty The deep coverages and the board still have it for emergencies.
Kincaid, permission to decode.
Decode the data back I was close enough to hear.
It's all about a portal near Saturn the freedom space station.
That's all I can give you, Now.
I know her, Lisa Sagrentino.
She'd never break cover unless there was no other way.
What's that about the "Freedom", it's a mothballs it's space junck, they stripped the reactors for it.
Makes sense Da'an has used Federov before.
It's gone.
The freedom is off the A.
N.
A.
near Earth tracking net.
How is that possible? Like you said it was in a dead orbit.
- Did it come down? - Not according to this.
But it could have collided.
They monitor millions of things up there.
Look, I know how to find out.
I still got the code of Federov's private I.
D.
Portal.
Stealth code.
You think his portal still active, I mean that is if the Freedom is still in one piece.
I know Mikael, he always leaves himself a back door.
See you can set up a link.
- I found it and it's got power.
- Where is it? Well it's not in Kansas, anymore.
No security alert? Maybe nobody's home.
Delighted to see you again, Renee.
I was unable to bid you farewell at our last meeting.
Shame.
You're looking spectacular as always.
Thank you, nice suit.
I'm pleased you noticed.
And I always enjoy the Major's company.
Save it Federov you're supposed to be in your house to rest in Rostok.
Events have intervened.
Last week Da'an wired me an immense sum to prepare the freedom for this trip.
So he calls it a summit meeting.
A summit? For what reason? If you ask me Absolution.
He wants a clear conscience before he dies.
He thinks this will ***.
Where is Da'an, is he here? Perhaps.
Meaning? I will let you judge.
They are about to begin.
After you.
- How did the jaridian get here? - He is Da'an's guest and the leader of their peace movement I gather.
So they're joining the reverse of when Ra'maz split them apart.
So goes the theory.
Da'an believes this is the moment of equipoise, when both Taelon and Jaridian revert to an equal energy state.
- Equal enough to allow them to join their energies? - Yes.
And for some reasons this jaridian is willing to test it with him.
No It's not a test.
It's all or nothing.
Can we stop it? Not now.
It's working.
Atavus! The first true Atavus in eight million years.
Amazing.
Collision warning Unknown space craft Collision imminent.
This is the taelon battle Cruiser, M'thra We're sending a boarding party through your shuttle hatch.
Offer no resistance and you will not be harmed.
Sandoval.
Watch up! I thank you.
Da'an suggested this would happen.
Alas, I have business elsewhere.
You may share my portal if you like.
Forget it they got enough power to trap the I.
D.
path.
from that thing.
Portal out now, you'll fall right in their hands.
No.
Not this! Nooo! Sandoval's outside in a battle cruiser.
And You just killed some of his storm troopers.
You were warn.
In 60 seconds, my troops will rush your ship firing proton scatter guns.
Surrender or die.
It was too late.
Balvak was closer to death than I was.
We were almost one but we failed.
Not totally, for a moment you became one again.
Now, we've got to get out of here.
Sandoval's got our I.
D.
Portal trapped.
You tried to save our lives, Da'an.
but I have a strong hunt right now, you may want to die, but I don't neither just Renee.
You got to tell us what we need to do.
I may want to die, but I will not.
Not soon.
In death, Balvak gave his energy to me.
Enough for a long life.
I am cursed.
Come we will go together.
They've trapped the I.
D.
path.
Our power is too low.
We will use the energy levels which brought Balvak here.
We will transition, without harm.
They gonna be here, in 30 seconds come right after us.
Mickëal what's your power source? Cold fusion in the grid, there.
Perfect let's rig it to go critical as soon as we're gone.
No it's too risky we can't time it close enough.
Those are Volunteers guards, the main battle troops they'll have nuclear suppressors.
As soon as they're aboard, they'll shut down the core.
You go ahead.
- I'll hold them off.
- You no match that kind of firepower! It doesn't matter.
I'm not me, remember? I'm a spare me.
You trust me I'll trigger that fusion reaction at exactly the right moment.
You don't know what'll happen, you're coexisting.
If you die, your other self might die, too.
No If I don't do this, then we all die.
Now get going.
This is a very brave thing you're doing, Major.
Good luck and godspeed.
Renee, we must go.
Liam, I do not comprehend the reason for your sacrifice but understand the motive.
I, too, was willing to die to save my own.
I honour you, "frushnow" Major We'll see you.
Count on it.
I'd back that crate up, Sandoval.
There's gonna be a loud bang.
The explosion knocked out the cruiser's data recorder.
Sounds like you were lucky to get out of there youself.
How many megatons did you say? Nearly 400.
It takes a lot more than that to knock out a M'thra class cluser.
My point is, there was a brief communication from the space station.
A voicecom on a link.
Voice? Yes, of course.
You're in detention on the mother ship, weren't you? And that was your responsibility, right? I know Zo'or demands complete accountability from his jailers.
Those things come out a lot easier than they go in.
Yeah, trust you won an one.
You know Zo'or would have left in you, if Da'an hadn't made him take it out.
So, Da'an's a hero, he comes back with the cinders of a dead jaridian.
Zo'or has to give him a medal.
Zo'or's still trying to prove Da'an sabotaged the data banks.
Yeah, I'll never do it.
I'm sure Da'an wants to tell the synod that Balvak was a hero, but he damned him as a spy.
He did that for you.
But I guess it evens out.
You gave your life for Da'an and for me.
No, no, no, no see that wasn't me, that was actually quantum Liam, - A wellknown hothead.
- True.
I told Da'an this morning what happened, so he wouldn't keep looking at me funny.
Yeah.
I wonder what it was like, though.
What he What I saw in those final moments? Well don't be in such a hurry.
You'll find out one day We all will.