[loud rumbling]
[silence]
[Niko gasps]
[instruments whirring softly]
[door opens]
What?
No, no. I gave you plenty of time to get out.
[sighs] You did.
Then what the fuck are you still doing here?
Iara trapped me this side.
Iara?
[laughs]
Of course she did! Because you tortured her!
-[laughing] -Yeah, well, she is half Achaian, so…
[sighs]
It may not be the worst thing though.
-Niko, it's okay, you don't have to-- -No. I'm serious.
I think I have a plan.
[Mackenzie] Why this spot to release the Achaian orb?
[Erik] Well, look around you. There used to be a smelter here.
Then the premature births started, the weird respiratory problems,
weird cancers.
It's been gone a few years.
[Mackenzie] We won't be killing anything?
[Erik] Nothing that's not already dead, no.
[Singh] 2.6 kilometers from base.
[Erik] Yeah.
Should be a safe distance.
[Seth] Drop it in there?
[Erik] Uh…
Yeah. When we're back at base camp.
Then apocalypse. Right, Singh?
If it ignites our atmosphere, sure.
We could also open a rift in space-time that allows the Achaia
-to invade our planet-- -We've-- we've taken all the precautions.
[radio chatter]
Ready to show us your secrets?
I'm ready to get out of this soup before it eats through my waders.
-[bleeping] -[air hisses]
All right. Locked and loaded. Let's clear out.
[bleeping]
Moment of truth.
On your go.
All right. Dropping… now.
[computer beeping]
I'm picking up surface waves, emanating from the drop zone.
Yeah, all magnitudes are below a three.
Tremors are slight.
Feel them?
[low rumbling]
-[loud rumbling] -I felt that.
-What do you think's happening? -[alarm bleeping]
[Erik] I don't know.
I'm not sure, but the Achaia aren't known for their subtlety.
Everyone!
Oh, Jesus!
[heavy rumbling]
[rumbling subsiding]
[insects buzzing]
[leaves rustling]
[birdsong]
[Singh] Shouldn't we send a drone out first, or at least suit up?
[Amos] Good idea. There might be poison ivy.
Ah, if there's any alien toxins, we've already been exposed.
[device whirring]
An entire forest. Mature growth for miles, just…
out of nowhere.
There's zero contaminants in the soil.
I lived in Colombo
and led a bioremediation project there for a start-up.
We invented a chemical compound that was able
to break down petroleum hydrocarbons at an accelerated rate.
Took 12 months for us just to get grass to grow again.
This-- this is…
This is a gift.
"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts."
-Maybe they're not our enemies. -So, they're our new best friends?
What Nani is saying is that this is incredible.
But is it really worth never leaving our solar system?
Well, if this is what the Achaians are offering, then why bother?
[Erik] Overpopulation, for one.
Colonies on Mars are well and good, but what humanity really needs is a new home.
New homes.
That would take decades to establish.
When what the Achaia are offering will improve the lives of billions now.
Tell me, Erik, how are we supposed to say no to that?
[Amos] A miracle is an event that violates the laws of nature.
So many days, we are just collecting data,
but today, we got to witness something special.
120-year-old cedars grow in seconds?
-Pretty fucking cool. -Or it's a pretty cool magic trick.
Yeah. Laying it on a little thick there.
Oh, like, "Greeks bearing gifts?"
Ooh. Now we won't get to fuck up the galaxy
-the same way we fucked up Earth. -Really?
You think humans would be better off
with the paternalistic guidance of an advanced alien species?
Yeah. I'd like the oceans not to be acid, the ice caps back.
Oh, and Australia to be habitable again, as does 99.9% of everybody else.
Okay. Well, then 99% of people are short-sighted.
-My goddess, you're a snob. -Listen. You both are right. Okay?
The Achaians can save the planet,
and it feels like we might have new landlords.
Doesn't matter, anyways.
'Cause we're not the ones who decide on their offer.
[alarm siren blares]
What now?
-Ohh… -There's an anomaly in the Jovian system.
What the hell is that?
-What's the situation, Erik? -A massive energy buildup past Jupiter.
-Of what, we don't know. -If you had to guess?
-A wormhole? -A wormhole?
I mean, we use wormholes all the time.
It's how we're receiving a live feed from over 700 million kilometers away.
Yeah. But those are micro wormholes.
-[Erik] Yeah. -Nothing like this.
What if the orb was a distraction?
While we're admiring all the new trees,
a whole fleet of Achaian ships are coming towards us?
I need to call upstairs. He'll want a threat assessment.
I'm picking up an instability within the anomaly.
Yeah. The source appears to be blueshifting.
[Amos] Something is making its way through the wormhole.
Whatever it is, it's heading our way.
[energy roaring]
[Cas] William, stabilize us.
The tidal force of the wormhole is pullin' on us in every direction.
The FTL rings are bein' crushed against its edges. The torsion is increasin'.
[metal tearing and screeching]
Negative mass can't hold the throat of the wormhole open. It's collapsin'.
[rattling]
[bleep]
-Wait. Where'd it go? -Is there a problem with the signal?
No. All the feeds are fine. It collapsed.
Did anything make it through?
Uh…
[engines quietening]
Where are we?
We're in an orbit around Jupiter.
Wait. We made it?
We made it.
[Bernie laughs]
-[Bernie sighs] -Where's Richard?
I'm not reading any sign of him.
You're saying he's gone?
Like Niko?
[William] Uh--
With your blessing, Cas,
-I'd like to open comms with Earth. -No. Do not. That's an order.
-But our mission's-- -Exactly.
Our mission is to get our intel into the right hands.
Look, we have no idea what's been going on on Earth since we left.
So, until we do, we have to proceed with caution.
They will detect us. If they haven't already.
-Make sure that they don't. -Yes, Cas.
Today we witnessed an entire… ecosystem
sprout out of nothing in-- in seconds.
I mean, Achaian technology
-is leaps and bounds beyond… -[static crackles]
what humans are capable of.
We asked the Achaians to prove their good intentions.
I'd say they did. Wouldn't you agree, Dr. Wallace?
Well, it's pretty hard to disagree.
[Cas] End playback.
That was broadcast to the Martian colonies eight hours ago.
William picked it up.
Thank God Niko can't see this.
-[Bernie] We're too late. -We're not. Earth's still here.
But the Achaian charm offensive seems to be working.
So… we need a plan.
First, let's cloak all the data
that we found on weaponizing neutrinos against Achaian tech.
Only my bio-signature can open those files.
USIC will still know the Salvare visited a magnetar
and that you encountered a damaged Achaian ring.
And that's all they need to know.
What I wanna know is,
are they gonna see us returning as enemies or heroes?
Can Iara tap into the Artifact like she can the Achaian rings?
[Bernie] Where is Iara?
Iara, can you join us, please?
God, don't tell me we lost her too.
No, that's impossible. She's stored within our half of the ship.
She's in the particle accelerator.
Iara, join us now. That's an order.
William, what's going on?
[sighs]
[breathes deeply]
Hey. Niko chose to sacrifice herself.
-Richard had no say. -I know. I know!
I thought I'd forgiven him for interrogating me and torturing me.
I-- I actually admired him. I--
-He's the reason we're going home. -He'll die out there 'cause of you.
Why would I do that?
I wouldn't. I couldn't. I--
That's not me.
-I want her contained. -The firewall's already up.
It's the first thing I did when I realized--
[whirring]
[distorted] Wanna know what Richard looked like when he realized he wasn't coming?
First, panic.
Then confusion.
-Then when he realized he was gonna die… -What is happening to you?
[gasps] I don't know. Don't trust me.
I can't trust myself.
-[sobs] -Guys, look at this.
[whirring]
This is her last diagnostic.
The Achaian coding is on the right.
This…
this is now.
Jesus.
It's spreading.
It's consumin' her.
I can try and stop it. At least see if I can slow it down.
-And maybe-- -[gasps]
[distorted] I should have killed you too.
Or cut off your other leg.
You hurt me. Kept hurting me.
Watched me beg while you still did nothing.
Your behavior's repugnant 'cause your bodies are weak.
Just skin and secretions, pissing and shitting until you finally die.
-Try to save her. -Save her? What the fuck for?
Because she's our only shot at reopening that wormhole and saving Niko and Richard.
[door opens]
I mean, as far as I can tell, nothin' came through that wormhole.
So, you're saying this is some kind of intergalactic crank call?
No, I'm not saying that.
The White House needs to know if this presents a threat.
-The White House can ask the Achaians. -Erik, a data file's coming in.
-From Jupiter's moon, Ganymede. -Great. Get it up on the big screen.
Yes! Yes! It was her! Niko did it! The wormhole was her. It was her.
-[static crackling] -This is Cas Isakovic,
commander of the United States Interstellar Command ship the Salvare.
Accompanying this video
is a full data package of our mission to date.
Our FTL was damaged during transit through the wormhole.
So we will be completing our journey back to Earth using our impulse engines.
Unfortunately,
Commander Niko Breckinridge sacrificed her chance at returning home,
so we could have ours.
-No. -She and Richard Ncube remain stranded
87 light years from Earth on the jettisoned half of the Salvare.
[gasps] No.
[sobbing]
Erik, I'm so sorry.
[Erik] I've reviewed all the data from the Salvare.
-Niko has over two weeks of oxygen left… -Mm-hm.
…in her half of the Salvare, maybe even more.
-Plus all the water and all the food. -Right.
So, unless something catastrophic happened post-separation,
it means she's alive.
-Yeah. -And we can save her.
I mean, that hybrid AI opened up a wormhole once, and she can do it again.
-Erik, it's not that simple. -Jesus Christ, Singh.
Why are you always shittin' on every idea?
You always let your fear override your curiosity.
-[sighs] -Look.
The hybrid AI tapped into a cosmic string.
A high-tension loop which was theoretical until now.
-I don't know how to find one. -She does.
And how do we get to it?
-The Salvare's FTL rings are damaged. -So do I just give up?
-Huh? Then what? What? -No. No, of course not.
What? What?
You know, my whole life is about finding the answers to impossible questions.
And…
I don't have one for you.
Maybe Erik should ask somebody else.
The Achaians saved your daughter.
Maybe you should ask them for another favor.
Niko's trapped in interstellar space.
So it would mean breaking our agreement.
Not if they're the ones flying out to save her.
[tinkling]
All right. You guys said you lost track of Niko. Well, here's her coordinates.
This is her last known location. Okay?
Look, I-- I know that I've asked for a lot from you guys.
And now I'm asking for one more favor.
Save my wife.
Please.
Open a wormhole, send out one of those rings, and bring her home.
Easy.
[sighs] Right.
[faint radio chatter]
So I guess that's that, huh?
Seth.
No. Do not go in there.
Do not go in there.
Seth, you are not prepared.
Do not go in there. Seth!
[gasping]
[sighs]
[door opens]
She seems to be stable.
I've thrown up a partition, but this Achaian coding, it is relentless.
-[Cas] Will it hold till we're on Earth? -And then what?
And then we fix you.
-And then what? -You stay on the Salvare.
William's already linked to the ship.
-USIC doesn't need two of us. -I need you.
So we tag-team the ship?
No new commander's gonna trust me. Not--
Not after what I've done.
And not being half Achaian.
Well, then, maybe that's your thing. Exposing Achaian secrets.
So they poke and prod and pull me apart, like you and Richard did?
Until I lash out and kill a few more people?
-No, there has to be somethin' else. -There isn't.
You can't free me. So you'll have to destroy me.
Even if we wanted to delete you, I'm not sure it's possible.
You have no other choice.
-We can think of somethin'. -There's no time, William.
I figured out why my Achaian half is overriding my human code.
-It's not hungry. It's searching. -For what?
Data, about the Achaia and their vulnerability to neutrinos.
All of your secrets. Everything you have locked away.
It's only a matter of time
before they realize you've discovered their greatest weakness.
[Mackenzie] You need this.
That's the thing I miss most about my wife.
She always knew exactly what I needed. Never had to ask.
If I was in your situation, I'd try to get back in there too.
Uh, how long were you guys married for?
[chuckles]
Fifteen years.
I lost Teresa a year and a half ago.
ALS.
I'm sorry.
Towards the end, she felt the treatments were killing her more than the disease.
Could've used some of this alien tech then.
I wonder, with all their technology,
if they found a way to cheat it.
Cheat what?
Death.
[rumbling]
[Erik] No, no, no!
No! Back! Back! Do not touch him!
Harper Glass killed a lot of people when she came out
-with an implant in her head. -He's right. Scan him first.
No need for that.
I accepted their gift.
My wife sacrificed herself for this planet,
and you let them take over your head?
That will be Niko's legacy.
Whoa.
What do you mean, "legacy"?
"Legacy"? What do you mean, "legacy"?
That when we needed the Achaia, she nearly sabotaged everything.
-What do you mean? -Cuff him. Take him to a secure location.
-Stay on guard. -What did you say?
What do you mean?
What'd they say, Seth?
What'd they say? What did they say?
Are they gonna save my wife?
-No. No. No! No. -Seth?
I finished downloading Iara's matrix into the shuttle's mainframe.
She's good to go.
Swear you'll find me.
Out there?
Shouldn't be too difficult.
Thank you for making me.
And thank you for letting me go.
[whirring]
[bleeping and whirring]
[Salvare] Depressurizing complete.
-[bleeping] -[air hissing]
Initiating takeoff in three…
-two… one… -[engines roar]
[engine sound fades]
[sighs]
Iara's contained?
All simulation subroutines in my operatin' system
seem to be workin' as we hoped.
Iara thinks she's headed to outer space.
So the trick worked.
Yeah. For how long?
Indefinitely.
What happens if or when Iara realizes that she's just sandboxed
within the subroutines of your system?
We'll cross that bridge if or when we get there.
I can feel her, Cas.
Uh… Appreciate you keeping me conscious this time.
Shit must've hit the fan. We didn't think you'd call so soon.
[whirring]
Gotta make sure that big head of yours isn't hiding a spider.
-[device] No anomalies detected. I'm spider-free. But Seth Gage has one.
A spider. Doesn't seem too conflicted about it either.
So Homeland Security's compromised?
I-- I'm sorry. I would take you much more seriously if I could see your face.
The first stage of colonization is gifts.
-Power's next, then-- -All the way down to genocide. I know.
I'm not here to talk about the future of our alien overlords.
Why are you here?
Harper Glass.
What about her?
If you have her, I-- I'd love to see her.
She's the only one that can talk the Achaia into bringing my wife back.
Follow me.
Welcome. My place is yours.
Fuck you for the concussion.
Wait, wait. What's that?
It's an Achaian implant. It's real-time data.
Great. Where is she? Where's Harper?
Who says it's hers?
Because Harper and Seth are the only ones with those things in their heads.
She's killed people. You know she has.
She's killed some of my people too.
Which means?
It's a war, Erik. There are casualties.
-You ripped that out of her head. -We had to.
You just killed my wife.
Maybe we can help.
The data dump from the Salvare. We need access to it.
-That thing is not giving away secrets. -Oh. You know about the data dump.
There are others at USIC helping us.
We are done here.
-You're choosing their side? -No. I'm just not taking yours.
Well, we got him here, which is all that matters.
Plan B?
Plan B.
♪ All this fire I burn ♪
♪ It takes me inside ♪
♪ And it shows me what it learned ♪
♪ If I feel your love ♪
♪ Will you be my light above? ♪
♪ Oh, anythin' else will do ♪
♪ Than bein' misunderstood ♪
♪ 'Cause I believe
♪ I could ♪
♪ Feel as free as the winter truth… ♪
You're gonna be okay?
Yeah. Don't worry about me. I'm not alone.
I've got a spaceship full of astronauts to wake up out of Soma.
Well, you've also got time.
Do what you can with it. Under USIC's radar.
-I will do, Cas. -♪ Underneath my heart ♪
-♪ Is a simple man… ♪ -[Cas sighs]
We have no idea what we're walking into down there.
All I ask is that we keep any information about Achaian vulnerabilities between us.
Niko tasked us with protecting Earth.
So, until we figure out who to trust, I just…
Let's keep that information between us.
Understood?
-Sure. -Done.
Let's go home.
♪ …when I was far too young ♪
♪ I'm tryin' to be a lucky one… ♪
Send postcards.
Okay. I gotta get to Cas.
Use Niko as an excuse. Ask for a private meeting.
No, no, no. There's no such thing as privacy. Not with USIC.
I gotta get her in public where I can get her lost. Even for a couple minutes.
-[Singh] Mm-hm. -Nani Singh?
-Uh, yeah? -Please come with me.
I need to escort you off the site. You no longer have security clearance.
What do you mean, no longer has clearance?
She's second lead on my team.
-Those are the orders I have, sir. -It's-- it's okay. I'll get this sorted.
It's okay. I'll get this sorted. It's okay. Just one second.
Well, the way Singh constantly shit-talks the Achaia, color me surprised.
Nani doesn't work for the Achaia.
And neither do you.
Remember that.
A soldier just escorted my best scientist out of my lab.
-We've had leaks from inside USIC. -Singh? Disloyal?
Seth is concerned about Dr. Singh's negative attitude to the Achaia.
Seth? What does Seth have to do with anything? He's got an implant.
We wanted an emissary to the Achaia. Well, now we have one.
-And you trust him? -Oh, I don't trust anyone.
We made mistakes with Harper Glass. We'll do things differently this time.
Erik.
Mackenzie.
Are you two ready to welcome home our heroes?
[chuckles]
[engine powering down]
[radio chatter]
[Zayn] Oh! Can you believe it?
No, I can't. But we made it.
-Yeah. We did. -[Dillon] Hey.
Do you like hiking?
-Sure. Why? -I know this great trail down the coast.
Amazing views of the Pacific.
Once you get past the rattlesnakes and the black widows and…
-Really sellin' it. -[chuckles]
[Zayn] Think things will be different?
[Bernie] Well, it can only get better, right?
More grounded.
[laughs]
Wonder if my mom's gonna think you're funny.
Eh, moms love me. Is your mom, like, the sweet, doting type?
No. She's the "I survived two super typhoons, one tsunami,
and made it out of the refugee camp looking fierce" type.
Oh.
Well, uh… good thing I'm funny.
Yeah. Good thing.
The Salvare's mission took them over 90 light years away from Earth.
We lost many fine members of her crew,
and affected families have been notified privately.
But mourning is for another day.
Today, we celebrate the return of our heroes
and your loved ones.
Look at how little she is.
-Oh, my gosh. -[baby coos]
-She looks just like you. -[Dillon's sister] Oh!
-Pink and squishy-faced? -Well, yeah.
-[laughs] -[Dillon] I can't wait to spoil her.
I'll take her to Uncle Mel's.
-Get her a burger, apple pie. -Whoa. Hold your horses.
Let's wait until she's on solids.
Eh, all right.
[speaking Spanish]
-[chuckles] -[continues in Spanish]
[Bernie] Ma. Ma!
[speaking Spanish]
I wanna introduce you to someone who saved my ass more than once.
It's okay, Dad. Mom's beaten it before. She can do it again.
I know. She will. She has to.
Yeah.
Hey. Hi.
I'm sorry Niko's not with us.
We can get her back, right? Iara opened a wormhole once.
-She can do it again. -Erik.
Yeah. Just put me in contact with her.
-She's gone. -She's got two weeks of oxygen left, Cas--
Iara is gone.
We had to take her offline.
I'm sorry.
Can't the Achaia help you?
-You've done so much for them. -I haven't. They won't.
They don't need me. They got their emissary.
-He's got one of those things in his head? -You know about those things?
A little too well, yeah.
Was she afraid?
No.
She wanted me to tell you that she loves you and Jana, both, very much.
You finished it.
You brought 'em home.
She'd be proud of you.
I mean, she always was.
Her mission's not over. Not yet.
-I stored intelligence with William. -About what?
-If I could switch places, I would.
I'm sorry. Niko should be here.
-Right. -And here's our hero.
Welcome back to Earth, Commander.
Niko's the hero.
I just steered the ship back to land.
Erik.
Finish up here and meet me back in my office, okay?
Sure.
-Everything okay? -I'll be waiting.
Here you are. Home sweet home.
This is illegal. They can't hold us here against our will.
Well, hopefully these quarters are better than the Salvare's.
You're always lookin' for the bright side, huh, big guy?
I'd like to speak to whoever's in charge or a lawyer.
-[bleep] -[door opens]
[door closes]
[chiming]
[bleep]
-[bleep] -[lock clicks]
Come on in, Erik.
Close the door.
Take a seat.
No.
Uh… [sighs]
[Seth sighs]
So, Erik, why'd you give your bio-ID to our enemies?
-I don't know what you're talking about. -Well, someone hacked into USIC
-using your biometrics. -It wasn't me.
They downloaded the entire data package from the Salvare.
Erik, if it wasn't you, then who was it?
A group of self-styled resistance fighters tried to recruit me, twice.
Last night was the second time.
-What'd you tell them? -That I wasn't interested.
So, say I wanted to… meet these "self-styled resistance fighters…"
Well, they didn't exactly give me their address.
For obvious reasons.
No. I guess not.
Well, lucky for you, first thing I did when I took over the Achaian portfolio
was put a tracker on you.
All USIC staff, actually.
It's nothin' personal.
Care to go for a drive?
[yelling inside building]
[gunfire]
[shouting and groaning inside]
Let's go say hi.
[gunfire continues]
[groans]
-[man] All clear. -[radio chatter]
You're a fucking traitor.
More of a prophet, really.
See, I'm trying to save humanity, not sell it out.
You can take your implant and its message
and shove it up your ass!
You know, I'm actually quite happy with where it is.
Hmm. So…
you and your resistance have plans to disrupt the alliance
between the Achaians and the humans.
What are those plans?
And…
where is Harper Glass?
She's a friend of some friends, and…
well, the Achaians always look out for their friends.
You're not getting shit from me.
[gasps]
-[loud humming] -[whimpers]
[gasping]
You don't wanna do that.
[thud]
Uh…
Erik, you were tellin' the truth.
[sighs]
They wanted to recruit you, and you said no.
[gasps]
Yeah.
Just… be a bit more careful with your bio-readings.
-Okay? -Right.
The Achaians look out for their friends.
Advice?
Stay friendly.
[gasping]