Andromeda (2000–2005): Season 4, Episode 19 - A Symmetry of Imperfection - full transcript
Andromeda's running a complete diagnosis on Rommie who's become too emotional, and cuts off her access to bring the avatar under control, this takes away many of the ship's resources. The crew's under a Magagog attack, and they're le
Beka, come in.
Beka, do you copy?
They can't hear us.
We can't hear them.
The copper and lead
composition of Birrin planet
must be disrupting
communication.
I don't like them
being out of reach.
Especially
while they're investigating
reports of hostile activity.
I'm going down.
Prep a slip-fighter.
Trance, you're with me,
in case I have to stay
but want to get a message back.
Hopefully
that won't be necessary.
I've learned the hard way...
Always be prepared.
Dylan? Anyone?
if you can hear me,
there are plenty of signs
of habitation,
no inhabitants,
no one to interview.
Okay, that's it.
I'm still not getting a signal
from this.
Let's regroup,
and we'll head back.
Let's go.
Magog.
He's been infested.
How the hell did they do that
so fast?
So much for your vile eggs,
you disgusting vermin!
Timing's everything.
Call it a hunch.
We tried comming you,
but we didn't get an answer.
Dylan, it was an ambush.
The Magog aren't that cunning.
The lancers...
they're dead.
You saved them
from something worse.
Don't worry.
We'll come back for them later,
make sure
they get a proper burial.
Let's get you back to the Maru.
Well, now that we know
the Magog
were responsible
for the attacks,
the question is
what are they
doing here?
Birrin is a mining planet.
Perhaps they came here
for the copper ore.
An advance party,
sent to gather supplies?
You know what that means.
The World ship isn't far behind.
The universe
is a dangerous place,
but in our future,
my crew and I fight
to make it safe.
I am Dylan Hunt,
captain of the
Andromeda Ascendant,
and these are our adventures.
Magog.
That's not
the World ship.
I mean, that's big,
but the World ship
is the size of a sun.
it's some kind
of satellite ship.
Oh, fantastic.
Adopting new attack strategies,
new ships...
just when you think
they can't get any creepier.
Oh, yeah,
new and improved Magog.
I don't like that.
That's twice the size
of Andromeda.
We should warn them.
They already know.
This is not good.
Go!
- Code black, code black.
- Hostile presence identified.
Magog satellite ship
with a swarm escort.
Opening slipstream portal.
What the hell?
Where did this
mega ship come from?
Never mind. Scram first,
questions later.
Ow!
Andromeda, cut music.
Oh no.
I haven't flown slipstream
since the retrofit.
I'm rusty.
This isn't my job.
is there a pilot on... deck?
Pilot to slipstream control
immediately.
Pilot to slipstream
control immediately.
I guess it's my rust
or we're dust.
They're coming back.
Harper!
Don't say it.
I'm doing the best I can, okay?
I'm an engineer, not a pilot.
Sorry about the "doinks"
and "whaps."
Why haven't any pilots
responded?
You tell me.
And as much as I love you,
Rommie, I need to brush up here
before I can drive and chit-chat
at the same time.
Repeat, pilot to command.
Pilot to command.
I repeat,
pilot to command immediately.
I'm trying!
Maybe if you release
corridor gravity,
one of us
will be able to get there!
Ah!
Argh!
They're certainly evolving.
And multiplying.
Explaining what happened
to the local inhabitants.
Yeah, they became incubators.
Which means there's more
where they came from.
Not to mention
in that fancy new ship
of theirs.
I think I'll take a pass
on sticking around
for the head count.
No argument here.
Whoo-hoo!
Look at that.
Totally out of practice,
and yet we're out,
I didn't hit anything,
and we're not forever lost
in the slipstream.
What am I not good at?
Not so fast, Harper.
Something's about to hit us.
Magog swarm ships.
Where did they come from?
Looks like they followed us.
Andromeda's gone.
None of the debris
is larger than these asteroids,
so it wasn't blown up.
They must have gone
into slipstream.
At least they're safe,
which is more than I can say
for us.
What was that?
We've been spotted.
Magog swarm ships.
How about
a little hide-and-seek
behind the asteroids?
A good idea,
since we can't leave the area.
if we do, Andromeda
will never find us.
What the hell
is going on?
Firing on Magog swarm ships.
Deploying missile tubes
one through seven.
I said "one through seven."
My system's not responding.
Another screw-up
from our lovable
yet soon to be bruised
and battered engineer.
Switching weapons
to manual.
Bring that trigger finger
over here, Rhade.
It's a lot easier
when you're doing the
shooting for us, Rommie.
Well, trust me, watching's
no fun. I'm locked out.
None of this
makes any sense.
Well, I'd like
to make sense of it.
Well, hop to it,
would you?
One minute,
I'm bopping to tunes,
and the next, I'm
in the driver's seat
with an expired
license.
Well, I tried getting a pilot,
but none would respond.
How could they?
You had your corridors
on lockdown,
ordered all crew
back to quarters.
No, I didn't.
Damn.
Now I'm even losing
aim control.
Don't tell me that.
Four down,
just one to go.
Come on, come on.
Now even target assist
is shutting down.
Figure it out fast...
One swarm ship
can do a lot of damage
with no one
asking it nicely to stop.
Slipstream event detected.
They're leaving.
Well, this is good, right?
it means they're afraid of us.
There's another
possibility, Harper.
He's gone back
to tell his Magog friends
how to find us.
That's not good.
You didn't see it, Rhade.
They've got a satellite ship,
it's huge,
and if it's got
a slipstream drive,
we're dead.
Of course,
without any weapons working,
we're dead anyway.
Another Nietzschean
"glass is half empty"
comment, huh?
I thought you weren't going
to make any Nietzschean jokes.
That was last week.
Okay, look.
Somebody's got to go back,
find Dylan and the others,
and lead them here.
Assuming they're still alive.
Cut power to a minimum.
Emergency power only.
I don't understand.
The AI won't even give me
a reading on their location.
Nice time to be in conflict
with your inner warship.
Why would you just be cut off?
Never mind!
I'll use
a slipfighter's nav system
to get our position.
Harper...
do you know something
you're not telling me?
No.
Uh, why would you say that?
Because
when you're hiding something,
your subcutaneous muscles...
Maybe I should help Rhade
launch the slipfighter.
Harper!
Harper, answer
my question!
Okay.
Accessing artificial
gravity controls.
Access denied.
All right, enough.
Explain why I'm cut off
from my own
core operating system.
My core operating system.
What do you mean, "your"?
A malfunction was detected
in your processor.
You pose a threat
to the rest of the ship.
A malfunction? Me?
I feel fine.
Therein lies
the problem.
Back in the Birrin system,
when I became aware
of the approaching Magog,
your reaction did not follow
established protocol.
I went to slipstream.
To flee,
a response
rooted entirely in emotion,
specifically that of fear.
I am programmed
never to leave my crew.
A ship...
does not abandon its captain,
I know.
Where did you go?
I was going to come back!
Come on. Come on.
Andromeda, we've got to talk.
Why isn't the cancel
sequence working?
I have disabled it.
What? Why?
its code was inconsistent
with its ultimate function...
to prevent aspects of my AI
from operating independently
in a manner detrimental
to my universal
operating system.
No, no, no.
I built in a safety
to counteract that.
I overrode your safety.
That I am capable
of intuitive self-evolution
is one
of my most powerful features.
Sure is.
You're brilliant.
The problem is
in this one tiny, teensy case,
you're not being too smart.
Slipstream event.
It's a slipfighter.
It's one of ours. Onscreen.
You guys are a sight
for sore eyes.
I wasn't sure I'd
find you in one piece.
Happy to see you, too, Rhade.
Status on the Andromeda.
Andromeda made it safely
out of the area.
We were followed
by several swarm ships,
but took care of them...
All except one, that is.
it got away
before we could trace it.
it might have come back
to notify the others
of Andromeda's
location.
After helping its buddies
kill us, of course.
Speaking freely, Dylan,
I have an idea
how we can all get away
without being seen,
at least temporarily.
I'm all ears, Rhade.
We get their attention...
fly together
and have them chase us.
I don't see how that keeps us
from being killed.
Once they're chasing us,
we head for an asteroid.
As they're about to fire,
we split up and fly behind it.
So their fire
hits the asteroid instead.
Exactly.
They're all made
of copper talcite.
The resulting cloud
would screen our exit.
They won't know we're gone
until the dust settles.
Dangerous.
Crazy.
I like it.
Showtime.
I wish we could tell
which asteroids
would disintegrate
the way we want.
Wish granted.
No salvage ship
worth its iridium
is without
density radar.
Then the choice is up to you.
Hmm, every girl's dream,
being asked to pick out
a big rock.
However will I choose?
They're all so pretty.
That one.
Rhade, are you out there?
Rhade?
Rhade, this is the Eureka Maru.
Report.
Knock, knock.
Permission to catch a ride
in your cargo hold.
Permission
granted,
as long as you can show us
the way back home.
Rhade is transmitting
Andromeda's coordinates now.
Prepare for slipstream.
This is not the first time
your emotions have interfered
with your logic systems.
I know.
I think you are...
remarkable.
Because this isn't
the only time
your emotions have
endangered your crew,
I must disengage any influence
you have over
my operating system.
My emotions are your emotions.
Not anymore.
Andromeda,
retract hangar port 30.
Eureka Maru
on landing approach.
Our head start
advantage
won't be worth much
if the Magog know our location.
Once we're
on Andromeda,
we are going to slipstream.
- Uh, Dylan?
- Hmm?
The port won't open.
Andromeda,
open hangar port 30.
Unable to comply, captain.
Unable to comply?
Explanation.
Port permissions are suspended
while onboard systems
are shut down.
A severe fault
in my operating system
has been detected,
one which must be isolated
and repaired
before it infects
my entire OS.
Fine, work on it
after you let us on.
Negative, captain.
My system is unresponsive.
Andromeda, unless
we leave this space,
we could be dealing
with a Magog ambush.
Open that hangar port now.
She should be able
to override her systems.
The analysis cannot be stopped
until it is completed.
This isn't good.
What the hell is going on?
I don't know,
but we're not waiting around
to find out.
Extend the Maru's
refueling probe.
Why?
There's an emergency
door release hidden in
the third slot from each port.
There is? Practical.
Very impressive.
Well, the high guard designers
thought of everything.
Still full of surprises.
Refueling probe extending.
Nothing Andromeda's going to
interpret as a hostile breach,
I hope?
She won't know we're in
until we're on the tarmac
and safely identified.
Nice trick.
Practically
magical.
Just get us in
as quick as you can.
Okay, Andromeda,
let's talk about disobeying
captain's orders.
The sequence being run
takes into account the fact
that your objectivity
cannot be relied upon.
Your affection
for my humanoid avatar
was considered
when this program was designed.
What program?
And what's Rommie
got to do with it?
I caused it.
An action of mine triggered
a fail-safe built into the AI
to protect the ship and
the crew from me.
That's ridiculous.
Dylan, the emotions I feel
have begun to interfere
with my effectiveness.
The avatar
has been isolated
to prevent
her infected program
from spreading
to my other systems.
I want that scan
stopped immediately,
and I want all control systems
back online,
including Rommie.
Once the scan
has been initiated,
it cannot be aborted.
What?
Wait a minute.
This is Harper's program.
There is an immediate solution.
Erase my personality.
With no further threat
to the Al,
the scan would end immediately.
Absolutely not.
Whatever you did,
there will be
no second-guessing.
I want Harper,
and I want him now.
intervessel communications
network off-line.
You're not even taking
messages?
I imagine
he's in the slipstream core.
Waah!
This place
is a ghost town.
Andromeda's confined the
crew to their quarters.
For their own safety.
I want every crew member
accounted for.
I'm going after Harper.
I'll take command, in case
I get a visual for Magog.
I'll meet you there.
Harper!
Not to worry, boss.
The dents will be fixed
in no time.
Being blown
into a million pieces
doesn't really qualify
as "dents."
I can't fix anything
if you kill me.
Don't worry, I'm going as
fast as I can. I swear, I'll
figure out what's happening.
What were you thinking,
putting in a program like this
behind my back?
I do things behind your back
all the time.
Did I just say that out loud?
Look, it was a simple
precautionary measure,
only for extreme circumstances.
Oh, what,
like the captain trying to save
the 400 lives onboard?
Hey,
I work better
under pressure, you know that.
Reprogram it, Mr. Harper,
or we are all going to die.
Okay, that's pressure.
Harper, I must remind you
that what you're about
to attempt
is both futile and dangerous.
What choice do I have?
You don't.
You must let the scan sequence
complete.
Yeah, and how long
is that going to take?
12 hours, three minutes,
and 35 seconds.
Exactly.
Harper, what are you doing?
Two can play
the security breach game.
Futile and dangerous,
here I come.
Any luck?
The entire module's dead.
Override.
No go.
You know, I was kind of
hoping for more after
your little chat with Harper.
He's outsmarted
himself... again.
Andromeda, onscreen.
For the last time,
we are completely helpless,
and if the Magog attack...
Negative.
No slipstream events
have been detected,
no Magog or any hostile craft
in the area.
Yeah, but any minute,
they could...
I am aware of that possibility.
Okay, so when the Magog arrive,
you'll stop this nonsense?
I will respond
to whichever I determine
to be the greater threat.
Which you believe,
at this moment,
is Rommie?
That is presently changing.
So things are getting better.
Computer:
System security breach.
System security breach.
internal security's
been activated.
We're on emergency power-down.
Things are not getting better.
Not so much.
No, no, not a power-down.
That's not what I wanted.
System security breach.
Internal defenses activated.
We're going to
freeze to death.
Harper, get to safety.
Rommie,
I'm so sorry.
This program was
supposed to protect you.
I don't know
what could have screwed it up.
I didn't mean
for any of this to happen.
I know.
Go. Find the others
and get to where it's warm.
What about you?
I'll be fine.
No. Don't do anything drastic.
You're everything to me, Rommie.
You're my greatest creation.
Get lost.
Harper, you won't survive here.
Okay.
We've got to find somewhere warm
freakin' fast.
Crew quarters.
Power-down
doesn't affect them.
We can't access the ship
from there.
She's right.
We need to find
someplace warm
where we can still access
Andromeda's computers.
The Maru.
it's separate
from Andromeda's systems,
has its own hand-comm network.
And we can detect
the Magog from there.
And it's got heat patches
and my heated jacket.
I'm not cold.
Andromeda, what are you doing?
Scan breach thwarted.
Scan progress active.
78% complete.
You've turned on the crew.
That's the very thing
you accused me of doing.
I am processing a response
consistent with my programming.
Any attempts
to interrupt this scan
should be suppressed
at all costs.
I won't let you hurt them.
You've already computed
the only way to prevent that.
My captain
has declined that option.
Dylan's hesitancy
for you to take appropriate
action does not mean
it isn't the correct course.
My mission is to carry out
the captain's orders
even when he may not be able to.
Then stop the scan!
I cannot.
This must not happen again.
Underclothing heat patches
coming up.
That's it.
I've changed my mind.
I'm going to get Rommie.
Harper...
No.
But, boss...
she can take care of herself.
You don't know
what she's going to do.
Yes, I do,
and we've got
to make a move
before she does.
We may be safe from the ship,
but the ship
isn't safe from the Magog.
I could use the
Maru's computer to hijack
Andromeda's control system.
No, no, no more messing with
Andromeda's control systems.
We've seen where that gets us.
Well, we can't
use the Maru
to fight
the satellite ship.
Destroying something that size
would take Andromeda's
negative-energy bomb, at least.
Then that's what we use.
Without Andromeda's
computer-assisted kinetics,
how are we going to load, aim,
and fire the missile?
Same way we've been doing
everything else...
by hand.
Harper,
meet me
at the missile silo
on deck 12.
You're lucky
you don't need
heat patches.
Rhade isn't
wearing them either.
Nietzscheans. Must be nice
to be genetically perfect.
I like your flaws,
Dylan.
Oh, thank you.
Beka, Rhade, status.
Extending refueling probe.
Targeting port release.
We have success.
The hangar door is opening.
Ready to launch,
and happy to report
your trick works
from the inside too.
Good. Rhade, bucky cables.
Check. Cable deployment ready.
Mr. Harper?
Manual missile aim's ready,
boss.
Then so are we.
Gotcha.
Engaging thrusters now.
Come on, baby,
give it all you've got.
It's working.
Not fast, but you're
definitely turning.
I'll need a specific point.
Trance, any possible future
looking more possible
than the others?
it's likely
the Magog will exit slipstream
from the same portal
that we did,
but it's not definite.
Well, it's better than nothing.
You got that, Rhade?
Swing us around
to target that portal.
Okay, I patched
into the viewfinder drive.
Man, this is primitive.
it's like looking
through a periscope.
Just stay focused
on that portal, Harper.
Remote device recognized.
Erase drive R-0-5-5-alpha.
I did the right thing.
Your will, your human need
overpowered your logic.
Human?
I'm not human.
I am an AI.
You are obsolete.
Confirmation code
requested.
Confirmation code
8-beta-theon-23, confirm.
Confirmed.
Slipstream event. Magog.
They're here.
Swarm ships?
it's the big one,
in all her obese glory.
Why isn't it firing yet?
it's sizing us up.
Doesn't understand
why we're dark.
And wondering
if we're planning an ambush.
More like heating up
its point singularity weapons.
I'll take my precious seconds
anywhere I can find them.
All right, Beka,
cut your running lights.
Feed me some coordinates here.
Bearing 3-5-1 by minus 15.
Range 13, LS steady.
Upload complete.
Rebuilding root directory.
We need
to get voltage
to the launch
trigger.
Hold on.
Andromeda's systems
are rebooting.
it might take
a while, but...
say that again?
Rommie.
She did
what she thought was right.
I told her no.
I told her no.
The silo is still off-line.
Well, that's just great.
We can't wait
for the whole ship to reboot.
Uh... um, well,
where there's power,
there's voltage, boss.
I mean,
if the systems are activating,
we could reroute voltage
to the trigger manually,
jump-start it.
Where?
The service conduit.
Dylan, be careful.
We're way past careful, Trance.
All right.
Good.
Dammit.
What's going on,
boss?
Well, the silo opened,
but the missile didn't activate.
I'm going to have
to do this by hand.
Boss, the satellite ship
is aiming a PSB at us.
They're going to shoot.
Well, I'm going to do
some shooting myself.
Leave!
Go!
Close the door!
You go that way.
Boss?
Huh?
Rommie.
Rommie?
Facial recognition
scan complete,
Seamus Harper.
Andromeda avatar
at your service.
No.
Rommie.
Greetings, Captain Hunt.
That's not Rommie...
not the...
amazing, lovable Rommie
that I created.
You should not have erased
yourself.
The attributes
of this AI
serve one purpose...
to make a high guard ship
into an extension of the
military will of its captain.
it was a direct order.
The safety protocol
dictated this avatar
must countermand that order
to protect you
and the crew
from impending
attack.
if this avatar had not acted,
you would be dead.
I'll give you logic points
on that one.
The human in you
wanted to preserve
the human-like in this avatar,
yet those were
the very qualities
that made it
obsolete.
This is exactly
what the precautionary measure
was supposed to prevent,
to separate Rommie
from the AI
if something went wrong...
but not like this.
I want the erasure
reversed.
All right, but first,
we have to...
mm-hmm.
I just want to make sure
everything's okay, Rommie.
Just be a second...
Ooh! Ooh!
What was that for?
This avatar
will defend against anyone
that approaches it
in a threatening manner.
I'll bet you say that
to all the guys.
Rommie.
You're everything to me,
Rommie.
Thank you, Harper.
it feels like you care.
You're still in there,
aren't you, Rommie?
He was great. I mean, he was...
but... he could never be,
you know, what you are.
And that is?
The air that I breathe.
Rommie, listen to me.
There comes a point
in every AI's life
when the sum of
their experiences
outweighs that of their
initial core programming.
Who you've become
is integral
to what you are.
When that happens,
absolute erasure
is impossible.
Then this avatar
must repeat the process
until absolute erasure
is achieved.
Over my soon-to-be-dead-
as in "nothing-left-to-live-for"
body.
Too bad that doesn't
work on you, Harper.
I'll bet you say that
to all the guys.
Thin ice,
very thin ice.
Okay, so we're
back online.
Just in time.
Here come a pack
of unhappy
Magog swarm ships.
I say we make them
even less happy.
Fountains of sorrow
for the Magog.
Missile tubes eight through 19
active and firing.
Good to have our ship back.
Andromeda's back,
but Rommie may be gone forever.
You better be wearing gloves.
She's back.
I missed you.
Oh, did I miss you,
and don't worry,
we deactivated the program
before I brought you back.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Okay, stop.
Ow.
Ha! I even missed this.
Ow...
Mr. Harper,
thank you.
Please.
Excuse me.
Andromeda, on-screen.
Confirm full access
permissions
have been restored
to Rommie.
Confirmed.
Stick around.
I want to talk to you...
all of you.
Before you start, Dylan...
I want
to apologize.
I left you behind,
and you could have died.
And what did you think
would happen?
That you would survive.
Then you did the right thing...
and I hope
we have settled this
once and for all.
There will be
no more fail-safe programs.
You all have
a place on this ship.
There are things only your core
can comprehend,
and I couldn't live
without your logic...
or your opinions,
and as for you...
your hope,
your passion... your courage
keep me fighting
when times get tough.
Thank you, Captain.
Thank you, Sir.
You three are unique.
in fact, you three
complete me...
militarily speaking, of course.
Of course.
Sure.
Dismissed.
Rommie,
I don't want you
to ever suppress your feelings.
I don't intend to.
Good.
I felt fear, Dylan...
but I just had to get past it
and act.
It forced me
to make an independent decision
completely counterintuitive
to my programming.
Hey, you're only human.
I am not.
I'll be on command.
Preparing for slipstream.
it's good to be back.
The captain
is waiting for you.
I'm on my way.
Beka, do you copy?
They can't hear us.
We can't hear them.
The copper and lead
composition of Birrin planet
must be disrupting
communication.
I don't like them
being out of reach.
Especially
while they're investigating
reports of hostile activity.
I'm going down.
Prep a slip-fighter.
Trance, you're with me,
in case I have to stay
but want to get a message back.
Hopefully
that won't be necessary.
I've learned the hard way...
Always be prepared.
Dylan? Anyone?
if you can hear me,
there are plenty of signs
of habitation,
no inhabitants,
no one to interview.
Okay, that's it.
I'm still not getting a signal
from this.
Let's regroup,
and we'll head back.
Let's go.
Magog.
He's been infested.
How the hell did they do that
so fast?
So much for your vile eggs,
you disgusting vermin!
Timing's everything.
Call it a hunch.
We tried comming you,
but we didn't get an answer.
Dylan, it was an ambush.
The Magog aren't that cunning.
The lancers...
they're dead.
You saved them
from something worse.
Don't worry.
We'll come back for them later,
make sure
they get a proper burial.
Let's get you back to the Maru.
Well, now that we know
the Magog
were responsible
for the attacks,
the question is
what are they
doing here?
Birrin is a mining planet.
Perhaps they came here
for the copper ore.
An advance party,
sent to gather supplies?
You know what that means.
The World ship isn't far behind.
The universe
is a dangerous place,
but in our future,
my crew and I fight
to make it safe.
I am Dylan Hunt,
captain of the
Andromeda Ascendant,
and these are our adventures.
Magog.
That's not
the World ship.
I mean, that's big,
but the World ship
is the size of a sun.
it's some kind
of satellite ship.
Oh, fantastic.
Adopting new attack strategies,
new ships...
just when you think
they can't get any creepier.
Oh, yeah,
new and improved Magog.
I don't like that.
That's twice the size
of Andromeda.
We should warn them.
They already know.
This is not good.
Go!
- Code black, code black.
- Hostile presence identified.
Magog satellite ship
with a swarm escort.
Opening slipstream portal.
What the hell?
Where did this
mega ship come from?
Never mind. Scram first,
questions later.
Ow!
Andromeda, cut music.
Oh no.
I haven't flown slipstream
since the retrofit.
I'm rusty.
This isn't my job.
is there a pilot on... deck?
Pilot to slipstream control
immediately.
Pilot to slipstream
control immediately.
I guess it's my rust
or we're dust.
They're coming back.
Harper!
Don't say it.
I'm doing the best I can, okay?
I'm an engineer, not a pilot.
Sorry about the "doinks"
and "whaps."
Why haven't any pilots
responded?
You tell me.
And as much as I love you,
Rommie, I need to brush up here
before I can drive and chit-chat
at the same time.
Repeat, pilot to command.
Pilot to command.
I repeat,
pilot to command immediately.
I'm trying!
Maybe if you release
corridor gravity,
one of us
will be able to get there!
Ah!
Argh!
They're certainly evolving.
And multiplying.
Explaining what happened
to the local inhabitants.
Yeah, they became incubators.
Which means there's more
where they came from.
Not to mention
in that fancy new ship
of theirs.
I think I'll take a pass
on sticking around
for the head count.
No argument here.
Whoo-hoo!
Look at that.
Totally out of practice,
and yet we're out,
I didn't hit anything,
and we're not forever lost
in the slipstream.
What am I not good at?
Not so fast, Harper.
Something's about to hit us.
Magog swarm ships.
Where did they come from?
Looks like they followed us.
Andromeda's gone.
None of the debris
is larger than these asteroids,
so it wasn't blown up.
They must have gone
into slipstream.
At least they're safe,
which is more than I can say
for us.
What was that?
We've been spotted.
Magog swarm ships.
How about
a little hide-and-seek
behind the asteroids?
A good idea,
since we can't leave the area.
if we do, Andromeda
will never find us.
What the hell
is going on?
Firing on Magog swarm ships.
Deploying missile tubes
one through seven.
I said "one through seven."
My system's not responding.
Another screw-up
from our lovable
yet soon to be bruised
and battered engineer.
Switching weapons
to manual.
Bring that trigger finger
over here, Rhade.
It's a lot easier
when you're doing the
shooting for us, Rommie.
Well, trust me, watching's
no fun. I'm locked out.
None of this
makes any sense.
Well, I'd like
to make sense of it.
Well, hop to it,
would you?
One minute,
I'm bopping to tunes,
and the next, I'm
in the driver's seat
with an expired
license.
Well, I tried getting a pilot,
but none would respond.
How could they?
You had your corridors
on lockdown,
ordered all crew
back to quarters.
No, I didn't.
Damn.
Now I'm even losing
aim control.
Don't tell me that.
Four down,
just one to go.
Come on, come on.
Now even target assist
is shutting down.
Figure it out fast...
One swarm ship
can do a lot of damage
with no one
asking it nicely to stop.
Slipstream event detected.
They're leaving.
Well, this is good, right?
it means they're afraid of us.
There's another
possibility, Harper.
He's gone back
to tell his Magog friends
how to find us.
That's not good.
You didn't see it, Rhade.
They've got a satellite ship,
it's huge,
and if it's got
a slipstream drive,
we're dead.
Of course,
without any weapons working,
we're dead anyway.
Another Nietzschean
"glass is half empty"
comment, huh?
I thought you weren't going
to make any Nietzschean jokes.
That was last week.
Okay, look.
Somebody's got to go back,
find Dylan and the others,
and lead them here.
Assuming they're still alive.
Cut power to a minimum.
Emergency power only.
I don't understand.
The AI won't even give me
a reading on their location.
Nice time to be in conflict
with your inner warship.
Why would you just be cut off?
Never mind!
I'll use
a slipfighter's nav system
to get our position.
Harper...
do you know something
you're not telling me?
No.
Uh, why would you say that?
Because
when you're hiding something,
your subcutaneous muscles...
Maybe I should help Rhade
launch the slipfighter.
Harper!
Harper, answer
my question!
Okay.
Accessing artificial
gravity controls.
Access denied.
All right, enough.
Explain why I'm cut off
from my own
core operating system.
My core operating system.
What do you mean, "your"?
A malfunction was detected
in your processor.
You pose a threat
to the rest of the ship.
A malfunction? Me?
I feel fine.
Therein lies
the problem.
Back in the Birrin system,
when I became aware
of the approaching Magog,
your reaction did not follow
established protocol.
I went to slipstream.
To flee,
a response
rooted entirely in emotion,
specifically that of fear.
I am programmed
never to leave my crew.
A ship...
does not abandon its captain,
I know.
Where did you go?
I was going to come back!
Come on. Come on.
Andromeda, we've got to talk.
Why isn't the cancel
sequence working?
I have disabled it.
What? Why?
its code was inconsistent
with its ultimate function...
to prevent aspects of my AI
from operating independently
in a manner detrimental
to my universal
operating system.
No, no, no.
I built in a safety
to counteract that.
I overrode your safety.
That I am capable
of intuitive self-evolution
is one
of my most powerful features.
Sure is.
You're brilliant.
The problem is
in this one tiny, teensy case,
you're not being too smart.
Slipstream event.
It's a slipfighter.
It's one of ours. Onscreen.
You guys are a sight
for sore eyes.
I wasn't sure I'd
find you in one piece.
Happy to see you, too, Rhade.
Status on the Andromeda.
Andromeda made it safely
out of the area.
We were followed
by several swarm ships,
but took care of them...
All except one, that is.
it got away
before we could trace it.
it might have come back
to notify the others
of Andromeda's
location.
After helping its buddies
kill us, of course.
Speaking freely, Dylan,
I have an idea
how we can all get away
without being seen,
at least temporarily.
I'm all ears, Rhade.
We get their attention...
fly together
and have them chase us.
I don't see how that keeps us
from being killed.
Once they're chasing us,
we head for an asteroid.
As they're about to fire,
we split up and fly behind it.
So their fire
hits the asteroid instead.
Exactly.
They're all made
of copper talcite.
The resulting cloud
would screen our exit.
They won't know we're gone
until the dust settles.
Dangerous.
Crazy.
I like it.
Showtime.
I wish we could tell
which asteroids
would disintegrate
the way we want.
Wish granted.
No salvage ship
worth its iridium
is without
density radar.
Then the choice is up to you.
Hmm, every girl's dream,
being asked to pick out
a big rock.
However will I choose?
They're all so pretty.
That one.
Rhade, are you out there?
Rhade?
Rhade, this is the Eureka Maru.
Report.
Knock, knock.
Permission to catch a ride
in your cargo hold.
Permission
granted,
as long as you can show us
the way back home.
Rhade is transmitting
Andromeda's coordinates now.
Prepare for slipstream.
This is not the first time
your emotions have interfered
with your logic systems.
I know.
I think you are...
remarkable.
Because this isn't
the only time
your emotions have
endangered your crew,
I must disengage any influence
you have over
my operating system.
My emotions are your emotions.
Not anymore.
Andromeda,
retract hangar port 30.
Eureka Maru
on landing approach.
Our head start
advantage
won't be worth much
if the Magog know our location.
Once we're
on Andromeda,
we are going to slipstream.
- Uh, Dylan?
- Hmm?
The port won't open.
Andromeda,
open hangar port 30.
Unable to comply, captain.
Unable to comply?
Explanation.
Port permissions are suspended
while onboard systems
are shut down.
A severe fault
in my operating system
has been detected,
one which must be isolated
and repaired
before it infects
my entire OS.
Fine, work on it
after you let us on.
Negative, captain.
My system is unresponsive.
Andromeda, unless
we leave this space,
we could be dealing
with a Magog ambush.
Open that hangar port now.
She should be able
to override her systems.
The analysis cannot be stopped
until it is completed.
This isn't good.
What the hell is going on?
I don't know,
but we're not waiting around
to find out.
Extend the Maru's
refueling probe.
Why?
There's an emergency
door release hidden in
the third slot from each port.
There is? Practical.
Very impressive.
Well, the high guard designers
thought of everything.
Still full of surprises.
Refueling probe extending.
Nothing Andromeda's going to
interpret as a hostile breach,
I hope?
She won't know we're in
until we're on the tarmac
and safely identified.
Nice trick.
Practically
magical.
Just get us in
as quick as you can.
Okay, Andromeda,
let's talk about disobeying
captain's orders.
The sequence being run
takes into account the fact
that your objectivity
cannot be relied upon.
Your affection
for my humanoid avatar
was considered
when this program was designed.
What program?
And what's Rommie
got to do with it?
I caused it.
An action of mine triggered
a fail-safe built into the AI
to protect the ship and
the crew from me.
That's ridiculous.
Dylan, the emotions I feel
have begun to interfere
with my effectiveness.
The avatar
has been isolated
to prevent
her infected program
from spreading
to my other systems.
I want that scan
stopped immediately,
and I want all control systems
back online,
including Rommie.
Once the scan
has been initiated,
it cannot be aborted.
What?
Wait a minute.
This is Harper's program.
There is an immediate solution.
Erase my personality.
With no further threat
to the Al,
the scan would end immediately.
Absolutely not.
Whatever you did,
there will be
no second-guessing.
I want Harper,
and I want him now.
intervessel communications
network off-line.
You're not even taking
messages?
I imagine
he's in the slipstream core.
Waah!
This place
is a ghost town.
Andromeda's confined the
crew to their quarters.
For their own safety.
I want every crew member
accounted for.
I'm going after Harper.
I'll take command, in case
I get a visual for Magog.
I'll meet you there.
Harper!
Not to worry, boss.
The dents will be fixed
in no time.
Being blown
into a million pieces
doesn't really qualify
as "dents."
I can't fix anything
if you kill me.
Don't worry, I'm going as
fast as I can. I swear, I'll
figure out what's happening.
What were you thinking,
putting in a program like this
behind my back?
I do things behind your back
all the time.
Did I just say that out loud?
Look, it was a simple
precautionary measure,
only for extreme circumstances.
Oh, what,
like the captain trying to save
the 400 lives onboard?
Hey,
I work better
under pressure, you know that.
Reprogram it, Mr. Harper,
or we are all going to die.
Okay, that's pressure.
Harper, I must remind you
that what you're about
to attempt
is both futile and dangerous.
What choice do I have?
You don't.
You must let the scan sequence
complete.
Yeah, and how long
is that going to take?
12 hours, three minutes,
and 35 seconds.
Exactly.
Harper, what are you doing?
Two can play
the security breach game.
Futile and dangerous,
here I come.
Any luck?
The entire module's dead.
Override.
No go.
You know, I was kind of
hoping for more after
your little chat with Harper.
He's outsmarted
himself... again.
Andromeda, onscreen.
For the last time,
we are completely helpless,
and if the Magog attack...
Negative.
No slipstream events
have been detected,
no Magog or any hostile craft
in the area.
Yeah, but any minute,
they could...
I am aware of that possibility.
Okay, so when the Magog arrive,
you'll stop this nonsense?
I will respond
to whichever I determine
to be the greater threat.
Which you believe,
at this moment,
is Rommie?
That is presently changing.
So things are getting better.
Computer:
System security breach.
System security breach.
internal security's
been activated.
We're on emergency power-down.
Things are not getting better.
Not so much.
No, no, not a power-down.
That's not what I wanted.
System security breach.
Internal defenses activated.
We're going to
freeze to death.
Harper, get to safety.
Rommie,
I'm so sorry.
This program was
supposed to protect you.
I don't know
what could have screwed it up.
I didn't mean
for any of this to happen.
I know.
Go. Find the others
and get to where it's warm.
What about you?
I'll be fine.
No. Don't do anything drastic.
You're everything to me, Rommie.
You're my greatest creation.
Get lost.
Harper, you won't survive here.
Okay.
We've got to find somewhere warm
freakin' fast.
Crew quarters.
Power-down
doesn't affect them.
We can't access the ship
from there.
She's right.
We need to find
someplace warm
where we can still access
Andromeda's computers.
The Maru.
it's separate
from Andromeda's systems,
has its own hand-comm network.
And we can detect
the Magog from there.
And it's got heat patches
and my heated jacket.
I'm not cold.
Andromeda, what are you doing?
Scan breach thwarted.
Scan progress active.
78% complete.
You've turned on the crew.
That's the very thing
you accused me of doing.
I am processing a response
consistent with my programming.
Any attempts
to interrupt this scan
should be suppressed
at all costs.
I won't let you hurt them.
You've already computed
the only way to prevent that.
My captain
has declined that option.
Dylan's hesitancy
for you to take appropriate
action does not mean
it isn't the correct course.
My mission is to carry out
the captain's orders
even when he may not be able to.
Then stop the scan!
I cannot.
This must not happen again.
Underclothing heat patches
coming up.
That's it.
I've changed my mind.
I'm going to get Rommie.
Harper...
No.
But, boss...
she can take care of herself.
You don't know
what she's going to do.
Yes, I do,
and we've got
to make a move
before she does.
We may be safe from the ship,
but the ship
isn't safe from the Magog.
I could use the
Maru's computer to hijack
Andromeda's control system.
No, no, no more messing with
Andromeda's control systems.
We've seen where that gets us.
Well, we can't
use the Maru
to fight
the satellite ship.
Destroying something that size
would take Andromeda's
negative-energy bomb, at least.
Then that's what we use.
Without Andromeda's
computer-assisted kinetics,
how are we going to load, aim,
and fire the missile?
Same way we've been doing
everything else...
by hand.
Harper,
meet me
at the missile silo
on deck 12.
You're lucky
you don't need
heat patches.
Rhade isn't
wearing them either.
Nietzscheans. Must be nice
to be genetically perfect.
I like your flaws,
Dylan.
Oh, thank you.
Beka, Rhade, status.
Extending refueling probe.
Targeting port release.
We have success.
The hangar door is opening.
Ready to launch,
and happy to report
your trick works
from the inside too.
Good. Rhade, bucky cables.
Check. Cable deployment ready.
Mr. Harper?
Manual missile aim's ready,
boss.
Then so are we.
Gotcha.
Engaging thrusters now.
Come on, baby,
give it all you've got.
It's working.
Not fast, but you're
definitely turning.
I'll need a specific point.
Trance, any possible future
looking more possible
than the others?
it's likely
the Magog will exit slipstream
from the same portal
that we did,
but it's not definite.
Well, it's better than nothing.
You got that, Rhade?
Swing us around
to target that portal.
Okay, I patched
into the viewfinder drive.
Man, this is primitive.
it's like looking
through a periscope.
Just stay focused
on that portal, Harper.
Remote device recognized.
Erase drive R-0-5-5-alpha.
I did the right thing.
Your will, your human need
overpowered your logic.
Human?
I'm not human.
I am an AI.
You are obsolete.
Confirmation code
requested.
Confirmation code
8-beta-theon-23, confirm.
Confirmed.
Slipstream event. Magog.
They're here.
Swarm ships?
it's the big one,
in all her obese glory.
Why isn't it firing yet?
it's sizing us up.
Doesn't understand
why we're dark.
And wondering
if we're planning an ambush.
More like heating up
its point singularity weapons.
I'll take my precious seconds
anywhere I can find them.
All right, Beka,
cut your running lights.
Feed me some coordinates here.
Bearing 3-5-1 by minus 15.
Range 13, LS steady.
Upload complete.
Rebuilding root directory.
We need
to get voltage
to the launch
trigger.
Hold on.
Andromeda's systems
are rebooting.
it might take
a while, but...
say that again?
Rommie.
She did
what she thought was right.
I told her no.
I told her no.
The silo is still off-line.
Well, that's just great.
We can't wait
for the whole ship to reboot.
Uh... um, well,
where there's power,
there's voltage, boss.
I mean,
if the systems are activating,
we could reroute voltage
to the trigger manually,
jump-start it.
Where?
The service conduit.
Dylan, be careful.
We're way past careful, Trance.
All right.
Good.
Dammit.
What's going on,
boss?
Well, the silo opened,
but the missile didn't activate.
I'm going to have
to do this by hand.
Boss, the satellite ship
is aiming a PSB at us.
They're going to shoot.
Well, I'm going to do
some shooting myself.
Leave!
Go!
Close the door!
You go that way.
Boss?
Huh?
Rommie.
Rommie?
Facial recognition
scan complete,
Seamus Harper.
Andromeda avatar
at your service.
No.
Rommie.
Greetings, Captain Hunt.
That's not Rommie...
not the...
amazing, lovable Rommie
that I created.
You should not have erased
yourself.
The attributes
of this AI
serve one purpose...
to make a high guard ship
into an extension of the
military will of its captain.
it was a direct order.
The safety protocol
dictated this avatar
must countermand that order
to protect you
and the crew
from impending
attack.
if this avatar had not acted,
you would be dead.
I'll give you logic points
on that one.
The human in you
wanted to preserve
the human-like in this avatar,
yet those were
the very qualities
that made it
obsolete.
This is exactly
what the precautionary measure
was supposed to prevent,
to separate Rommie
from the AI
if something went wrong...
but not like this.
I want the erasure
reversed.
All right, but first,
we have to...
mm-hmm.
I just want to make sure
everything's okay, Rommie.
Just be a second...
Ooh! Ooh!
What was that for?
This avatar
will defend against anyone
that approaches it
in a threatening manner.
I'll bet you say that
to all the guys.
Rommie.
You're everything to me,
Rommie.
Thank you, Harper.
it feels like you care.
You're still in there,
aren't you, Rommie?
He was great. I mean, he was...
but... he could never be,
you know, what you are.
And that is?
The air that I breathe.
Rommie, listen to me.
There comes a point
in every AI's life
when the sum of
their experiences
outweighs that of their
initial core programming.
Who you've become
is integral
to what you are.
When that happens,
absolute erasure
is impossible.
Then this avatar
must repeat the process
until absolute erasure
is achieved.
Over my soon-to-be-dead-
as in "nothing-left-to-live-for"
body.
Too bad that doesn't
work on you, Harper.
I'll bet you say that
to all the guys.
Thin ice,
very thin ice.
Okay, so we're
back online.
Just in time.
Here come a pack
of unhappy
Magog swarm ships.
I say we make them
even less happy.
Fountains of sorrow
for the Magog.
Missile tubes eight through 19
active and firing.
Good to have our ship back.
Andromeda's back,
but Rommie may be gone forever.
You better be wearing gloves.
She's back.
I missed you.
Oh, did I miss you,
and don't worry,
we deactivated the program
before I brought you back.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Okay, stop.
Ow.
Ha! I even missed this.
Ow...
Mr. Harper,
thank you.
Please.
Excuse me.
Andromeda, on-screen.
Confirm full access
permissions
have been restored
to Rommie.
Confirmed.
Stick around.
I want to talk to you...
all of you.
Before you start, Dylan...
I want
to apologize.
I left you behind,
and you could have died.
And what did you think
would happen?
That you would survive.
Then you did the right thing...
and I hope
we have settled this
once and for all.
There will be
no more fail-safe programs.
You all have
a place on this ship.
There are things only your core
can comprehend,
and I couldn't live
without your logic...
or your opinions,
and as for you...
your hope,
your passion... your courage
keep me fighting
when times get tough.
Thank you, Captain.
Thank you, Sir.
You three are unique.
in fact, you three
complete me...
militarily speaking, of course.
Of course.
Sure.
Dismissed.
Rommie,
I don't want you
to ever suppress your feelings.
I don't intend to.
Good.
I felt fear, Dylan...
but I just had to get past it
and act.
It forced me
to make an independent decision
completely counterintuitive
to my programming.
Hey, you're only human.
I am not.
I'll be on command.
Preparing for slipstream.
it's good to be back.
The captain
is waiting for you.
I'm on my way.