I believe, I believe there's a reason
There's a breach in the hull
Started going under, loot and plunder
Cut 'em down, cut 'em Down at the knees, yeah
Cut 'em down to the bone
Just a lesser evil, born unequal
You show them where they belong
Tear right through them, tear right through them all
We pretend in the darkness
We pretend the night won't steal our youth
Singing me the sweet songs of seduction
Let me be the fool, fool, fool
Who will live and die for you
We pretend in the darkness
We pretend the night won't steal our youth
Singing me the sweet songs of seduction
Let me be the fool, fool, fool
Who will live and die for you
[Cammie] Are you mental?
[Able on PA] Dr. Weller, please report to Ops.
[Cammie] The Polity grabs us,
telling us there's a science project only we can help with.
We get shipped to the middle of nowhere
only to be locked in with a Union spy who tries to kill us.
But he only gets fried
because he tried to use the very same tech you're trying to plug us into.
And now we're supposed to carry on, la, la, la,
like nothing ever happened?
Do I have any of that wrong, Longshanks?
Privacy windows, please.
You have the gist of it, but I'd apply a less sarcastic tone.
I think sarcasm helps us see things more clearly.
[in Japanese]
[Able] Dr. Weller, please report to Ops.
I'll be there in a minute.
Valentina, you're quiet.
[Valentina] Sometimes it's simply fun to watch.
We're not here for fun.
You sure?
Look at this crazy party you've thrown.
And you invited a spy, now dead, a ghost, also dead.
I take offense to that.
Hosted by the absent-minded professor,
and the Union stray he took in.
You have no idea.
Yasamin.
- No idea the cost to be here. - [Valentina continues speaking]
- All because of... - I want to be here.
I want to fight them. Why are you here?
So do not lecture me about the cost of fighting.
It was not my Union!
Dr. Weller, you are urgently requested
to join Colonel Marin in Ops.
Mix into my lab again without permission,
and I will rewrite you to speak
only in Gilbert and Sullivan lyrics.
More of a Dylan fan, I suppose.
Well, this conversation has been delightful,
but I believe it's the Colonel's turn to berate me.
Chase, feel free to take over.
You can't make things worse, I don't think.
[sighs]
[door closes]
[woman on comms] Negative, we're falling back.
[guns firing on comms]
[Marin] Understood.
V103 and V104 will maintain suppression
until transports are past the 88th.
[woman] Yes, ma'am.
[Marin] I'm transferring you to Anvil Tactical,
they'll coordinate the withdrawal from here.
[woman] Acknowledged.
[Marin] Anvil Tower, Colonel Marin.
ETA till the medivacs arrive?
[man on comms] Two hours, ma'am.
We'll be ready to receive them in front of Hangar 2.
Page me when they land.
Damn it.
That didn't sound good.
It wasn't. Follow me.
We need to figure out your next destination.
That's funny, you make it sound like we won't be staying.
You're compromised.
Wherever Holcroft was sending you next, it's time to go.
Union knows you're here.
Then it's a good thing you transferred us, isn't it?
Where better to dig in
than at one of the Vanguard's biggest strongholds?
They'd be fools to attack.
They did just attack.
A Union operative replaced one of your recruits,
got onto my base with nanotech on him.
[exclaims in Spanish]
I can help with that.
I've had some thoughts about the signal they used.
It was a massive risk bringing you here.
It made sense when I thought
it would give us a better chance in the war,
but I do not believe the risk is worth
wasting time trying to make soldiers out of these children.
They are hardly children.
Let me go! Get me the fuck outta here! [grunting]
Nobody goes anywhere until the Doctor returns.
[Cammie groans]
[in Japanese]
Valentina, yo.
[in Japanese]
I would choose my next words very wisely.
[in Japanese]
Man, I'm just trying to warn ya, she'll kick your ass.
[gasps]
Act like adults, would you?
You're being ridiculous.
And you are nowhere near giving me a single functioning squad,
when I was led to believe I'd have my first full platoon by now!
I led you to believe nothing.
You knew how far we were from mass production.
You could have more candidates if you'd work on advancing gen: LOCK.
And I will, but I can't do that, recruit,
and make the program field-ready all at the same time.
I'm only one person!
I can't just clone myself.
Believe me, I've tried.
Your new recruits will wash out.
Benefit of the doubt, please.
We haven't even begun their training yet.
The problem is more fundamental.
Look at their files.
Their lives were in disarray to begin with.
Now they're in shock with the very first attack.
By their very nature, gen: LOCK candidates
are the most resilient, adaptable people you'll ever meet.
They'll get past this.
I guarantee, they'll become the best fighters
you've ever seen.
[Valentina] I'm not here to fight.
I was told I was needed for scientific research.
Well...
Yeah, research, on how to fight better?
I was in the resistance against the Union
even before New York.
I've been fighting one way or another my whole life.
I'm done now.
And you'll need more than that android
if you try to stop me from going.
You want to leave?
Gen: LOCK will give us the edge we need to strike back.
More revenge.
What's that going to solve?
War never changes anything.
People themselves are the problem
and more fighting won't alter that.
I've done my bit.
Let the world tear itself apart.
I'm going to live it up while I can.
I'm going to leave a beautiful corpse, an open bar tab
and no regrets.
[Julian] Self-fulfilling prophecy.
[speaks Russian]
You're gonna go live it up like there's no tomorrow,
which is gonna make sure there's no tomorrow.
I can guaran-damn-tee you'll have one last regret
as the Union nano hits wherever you been partying at.
You'll think, "Maybe I could have changed this and I didn't."
[Weller] It's a bit late for regrets now, isn't it?
Let's not forget, the Union wouldn't be hunting us
if gen: LOCK hadn't been militarized.
They would come for you, one way or the other.
Even if you'd stayed on the West Coast.
Six months from now, you'd be dead or conscripted,
and the Union would take gen: LOCK anyway.
Six months?
That's Command's estimate.
Six months till the Polity is pushed out of North America,
unless we turn the tide.
Go tell your recruits, see if that motivates them.
Even if you don't trust me, listen to the Doctor.
Trust him.
I trust no one. It's why I'm still alive.
[door opening]
[Weller] In a way, she's right. You all are.
I'd like to start over.
Wouldn't we all?
I'm glad you don't blindly give trust.
Sign of a reasonable mind.
But we do need to start somewhere.
Let's get to brass tacks.
You are all we've got.
Way to sell it.
We need you.
You have an opportunity no one else has.
To master this new technology. And in doing so,
perhaps turn the tide of the war.
You think we're gonna Luke Skywalker the war for you?
That's a very nice fairy tale.
[in Japanese]
I wouldn't want it any other way.
If you want to return to your previous lives,
I'll tell the Colonel anything you want.
That you were incompatible after all.
You'll be free to go.
All I ask is that you try gen: LOCK one time.
Can't say I'm crazy about trustin' my brain
to a piece of tech that killed a man right in front of us.
It does do something besides kill us, am I right?
[Weller] Hmm.
Chase, you're still mixing in from your Holon?
A-ffirmative.
Why don't you let our Vanguard friends know we're ready for a lesson?
Yaz, would you mind uploading?
Go set up the playground.
Of course, Doctor.
Caliban?
Are we to use the hanger?
It's such a beautiful day, let's hold class outside.
Please, set up over by Hangar 2.
Anvil Ground, this is ESU2.
Huma is waking up, taxiing to Staging Area One.
[man] ESU-2, Anvil Ground, clear taxi,
hold at 3-5 right for landing traffic.
Taxi and hold, ESU2.
[beeps]
[Cammie] That's a... It's a...
What is that, anyhow?
[in Japanese]
That's the biggest drone I've ever seen.
She's controlling it from here?
She is the mech now.
Her mind has uploaded to the cyberbrain.
Huh.
Okay, that's kinda cool when it works.
It works fine, provided you are psychologically fit
and neurologically compatible with the system.
[in Japanese]
Might as well put your brain in a microwave.
- [all gasp] - So, who wants to give it a go?
Iida-san?
[in Japanese]
[smirks]
What?
I just never met anyone named after a kazoo, is all.
That's what I said.
[in Japanese]
Miss Romanyszyn? Val?
Valentina, please.
And not yet, thanks.
Oh! Piss. Really?
Can you give me a few days to QC your code, at least?
Fortune favors the bold.
[groans]
Okay, we get it, you still got game.
[Julian] I never lost it.
You, on the other hand, never had it.
Man, I might actually get bored.
Maybe if you turned off Aim Assist?
[Julian] I don't know what you're talkin' about.
What are those for?
[Yaz] Presents. Are your Vanguard companions joining, or not?
[Julian] I mean, yeah, they're supposed to.
Joint training and all that.
Yeah, here they come.
Then you don't think this is weird?
I didn't say that.
[Jodie] I think it's weird.
I mean, I wanna be welcoming and all, but...
Please, let it go.
I will find a way to talk to him.
You want me to tell him about us?
Do I need to do it?
Are you out of your mind? Let's go.
Chase and Yasamin are downstairs, ready to catch you.
Are you ready, Miss MacCloud?
[sighs] Down the rabbit hole.
Let's do this.
Clear your mind.
Listen to your breathing.
The goal is to lower heart rate and blood pressure.
Just relax.
Just be.
You should sense a pulse,
a repeating pressure you've never felt before
at the edge of your mind.
That's gen: LOCK's sync signal, looking for you.
Give into it, reach for it, go to that sensation.
Go to the light, grab it and then hang on.
Kazoo.
If I wink out, you can have my manga collection.
[in Japanese]
What's wrong with you?
[Cammie chuckles]
[Cammie] Hiya. How ya doin'?
Don't mind me, just learnin' how to walk [chuckles] again.
Oh! This is incredible.
[people chattering]
[singing "Happy Birthday" in Gaelic]
[exclaims]
Jesus, I'm tall!
[Julian] Well, yeah, you're almost four stories.
No, I mean, I'm really tall!
Like, my legs are wrong or something.
[Weller on comms] You have a new center of gravity.
Your legs are longer, proportionally speaking.
I only had enough time to design one frame
to give you all, so I went with some idealized ratios,
plus some stylistic touches.
You'll adapt over time.
[Cammie exclaims] My bits are showin'! Whoa!
[Yaz] Who's next, Doctor?
[Kazu in Japanese]
[Weller] You have a variety of physical feedback indicators
coming from all over the Holon.
[Valentina] I can work with this.
[Weller] Condition and perception all looking good.
No signs of cyberattacks yet, excellent.
Let's everybody gather outside,
and we'll get going on engram formation.
Oh, and [chuckles] happy second birthday, everyone.
As many happy returns as possible.
Welcome to your new bodies.
Impervious to organic damage by virtue
of having no organics on board, and a wide, wide variety
of benefits due to running your mind as code.
There's so much we'll need to go over,
but for now, just go play.
- [Julian] Kazu, think fast! - [grunts]
[Kazu in Japanese]
[Cammie] No, footballs are round.
[in Japanese]
[Julian] Batter, batter, batter, swing, batter.
[siren wails]
Oh!
[Cammie] Valentina, you're it.
[Valentina] Come here, little bunny!
[exclaims in Gaelic]
[grunts]
Huh?
[Weller] Gen: LOCK recruits, meet your new drill instructors.
After today, they will begin your education
in weapons, team combat tactics
and paying attention, please, Cammie.
Sorry. Sorry.
[Weller] They've had years of field experience
and they are very generously donating their time
to train you up.
So, heed them well.
[in Japanese]
You're gonna teach us in those?
- [Jodie] Listen, you. - Normally, I'd train our pilots
on simulators, but that's not gonna work for you.
School starts for real tomorrow.
Doesn't mean we can't have some fun, though.
We're going to do a round of capture the flag.
New recruits, just one of you has to get past us.
Touch the flagpole back there.
We hit you, you're out.
Spread out on the other side of that line,
and let's get started.
- [Valentina sighs] - [Kazu] Hmm.
Hmm.
[all grunt]
Okay, let's go again.
You can use the nearby structures as cover, yeah?
[Cammie groans]
[Cammie exclaims]
[Leon] No problem, you're not expected to win right out of the gate.
Let's go again.
[groans]
Whoa! Whoa!
We're missin' one.
[Cammie] Huh?
Hmm.
Jodie, she got past you.
[Kazu and Cammie cheer]
Yeah!
[sighs]
[both sigh]
[chuckles] Did you see the look on her face?
Not that she's got a face, but...
[sighs]
All right, I think that's enough punishment for one day.
- Let's pack it in. - [Julian] Oh, no, we ain't quite done.
Let's show them the goal.
[Leon] Sorry?
[Julian] Let's show 'em what they can do once they're trained up.
Care if I give it a shot?
[Yaz] What are you up to?
What? It's cool.
All right, let's see what you can do.
Everybody reset.
Okay, let's...
[in Japanese]
Okay, well, I don't wanna get anywhere
near exceeding uptime, which is a concept for later.
Let's call it a day.
[aircraft approaching]
[Leon] All right, we gotta clear out.
Striders, back to maintenance. Gen: LOCK team.
Go do whatever it is you do to reset.
[Cammie] I've only seen it before on the news feeds.
[Valentina] You get numb to it when all you see are vids going by.
Needless aggression, unscrupulous greed, unchecked hate.
To have the images, the headlines, incessantly thrust at you,
hour after hour, years at a time,
you normalize to it.
They want you to go numb, become indifferent,
or lose yourself in distractions, for it to feel like
the evil in this world and all its machinations
are too big to challenge.
That loss of control leads to despair.
To re-engage, to claw back even the tiniest sense of control...
You don't have to save the world,
you just have to make a difference where you can,
with the opportunities you are given.
That's all I'm asking.
[Valentina] These ideals, you make it sound so simple.
[Weller] It's not.
I had such high hopes for how gen: LOCK could be used
to expand communications, understanding,
improve the human condition, all its potential.
And, of course, the first thing we do is weaponize it,
but maybe, just maybe, if we're made to fight,
we can apply it a new way.
Save more lives, protect those who can't protect themselves,
buy some time for others to end the war,
and after that, who knows what we can achieve together?
[Yaz] And build a better peace.
[Valentina] I'd still say you'd have to solve humanity itself.
[Kazu in Japanese]
[Julian] You can't, but you can step up when you see it,
and we got a very special chance to help
more than anybody else.
What is gen: LOCK if not the next step
in humanity's evolution?
And you can be the first to see where it takes us.
[Julian] You want in?
[in Japanese]
[Weller] More or less.
[Valentina] Will we have rescue duties?
Absolutely.
Won't be all you do, I suspect...
[Cammie] We get new toys?
As many as we can build.
[Cammie] Aye! Put 'er there.
[Julian] Aw!
Looks like we got a team.
[Cammie] We should celebrate.
[Kazu in Japanese]
[Cammie] No, gaming!
There's this level in Siege 2 I've been trying to beat,
you guys are gonna help me while I fight the dragon...
[Cammie chattering]
You didn't tell them about the six months.
No, couldn't bring myself to do it.
They have to choose for themselves,
not out of some clumsy guilt-trip.
Interesting.
I can't help but notice, you put them right next to
where the medivacs were arriving.
Oh! [chuckles]
Did I do that?
[singing] Colonel, you've a message from a modern major general
[whistling]
[Marin] What is happening to my base?