Ascension (2014): Season 1, Episode 1 - Chapter One - full transcript

𝒯𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓈𝓁𝒶𝓉e
𝓊𝓃𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓉 E𝒩𝒢LI𝒮H

So, what's this test
supposed to do?

Just say the first thing
that comes to your mind.

Father.

I was a baby when he
died in that fire.

Rage.

Ancient history.

Ascension.

Trap.

_

Chin up! Back straight!



I should be able to draw a line

from your earlobe to your ankle.

Jackie, the seams of your
stockings are a disgrace.

- Mmm!
- Never bend at the waist.

It's graceless.

Remember:

poised, elegant, confidant.

Don't you just love
their uniforms?

They always look so perfect.

I'm thinking about apprenticing.

If spending 6 months

learning to put on lipstick
and talk in a breathy whisper

is your idea of fun.

Not everyone aces
their Apt Test, Nora.



There's no way I'm gonna end
up cutting hair like my mom.

Besides, stewardesses get
all the prettiest clothes.

Have you seen Lorelei?

She said she'd be here.

Are you coming to
the party tonight?

To toast the glorious tin can?
No thanks.

Try not to drool on the
decorations, Nora.

Take off.

Hello!

Nixon! Bordeaux!

What's Bordeaux?

Wine.

There's only 25 bottles

of Château St-Cloud '59 left.

After tonight, there'll be 24.

So, do you have what I came for?

Mmm! Yeah!

I'll be in my cabin at 21:00
after your little party.

Your cabin off the
slaughter stalls...

Enticing!

Is that funny to you?

We had an understanding!

It's not funny, Stokes.

It's sad.

♪ Fly me to the moon ♪
♪ Let me play among the stars ♪

♪ Let me see what
spring is like ♪

♪ On Jupiter and Mars ♪

♪ In other words... ♪

Commander Gault!

Mrs. Vanderhaus, are you
alone this evening?

♪ In other words... ♪

It seems her husband

was assigned the
midwatch suddenly.

Lorelei... Captain's orders.
Not my idea.

In fact...

I'd say it's a shame that
your sister's unaccompanied

when she looks so
stunning tonight.

And you're stunning
too, of course.

Lorelei's not happy with me.

We both have issues

with the other's taste in men.

♪ In other words,
please be true ♪

Yeah, I'm just not feeling it.

♪ In other words, I love you ♪

The time has come for mankind

to take longer strides.

We must move further
down the line.

We must reach for the stars.

Imagine the greatest
journey ever undertaken,

a century-long sojourn
to a new world

completed by the grandchildren

of the brave souls who
embarked on this adventure.

Our eyes must be
focused on the stars

if we are to have any hope

of surviving this arms
race, this space race,

indeed, this human race.

Have you seen Lorelei?

No, no. I'm sure she's
around somewhere.

Esteemed colleagues, friends,

ladies and gentlemen,
I give you...

Ascension.

Lorelei!

Lorelei?

Lorelei?

Lorelei?

♪ And I think it's gonna
be a long, long time ♪

♪ Till touchdown brings
me around again ♪

♪ To find I'm not the man
they think I am at home ♪

♪ Oh, no, no, no
I'm a rocket man ♪

♪ Rocket man, I'm burning
out of fuse up here alone ♪

♪ And I think it's gonna
be a long, long time ♪

♪ Till touchdown brings
me around again ♪

♪ To find I'm not the man
they think I am at home ♪

♪ Oh, no, no, no
I'm a rocket man ♪

♪ Rocket man, I'm burning
out of fuse up here alone ♪

♪ And I think it's gonna
be a long, long time ♪

♪ And I think it's gonna
be a long, long time ♪

♪ And I think it's gonna
be a long, long time ♪

_

Dad!

Why is my father restrained?

Restrained. "The quality
of mercy is not strained.

It droppeth as the
gentle rain from heaven

upon the place..."

He was agitated earlier.
That's why we called.

His visitor seemed...

Visitor? I'm his only visitor,
and he barely knows I'm here.

I don't know the man, but
he's still on the grounds.

I passed him just outside
talking on his phone.

Why are you harassing my father?

You're the son, Harris.

Look, um...

I'm really sorry about what
your father's going through,

the stroke, and what
it's done to him.

It must be hellish
to see him that way.

I'm Mark Hayes.

And I didn't mean to upset him.

I've admired Dr.
Enzmann for years.

I'm doing my dissertation
on his work.

You're an academic.

Yeah.

I'm finishing my Ph.D.

on the history of the
early space program.

It's tragic to me

that most people don't know
who your father is. He...

He inspired me.

He inspired me too.

Yeah, I guess it's kind
of hard to top a dad

who escaped from the Nazis,

and then developed
rockets for NASA, huh?

Hmm!

You ever hear of
Project Ascension?

I haven't heard those
words in years.

Your father was convinced

that the US could launch
an interstellar spacecraft

right then in the '60s with
the technology we had.

I mean, you can't go faster
than the speed of light,

so the original crew would
never see the new world,

but their descendants would.

Quite a dream Dad had!

I think he did it.

I was taking you seriously.

No, wait a minute! Look! Wait, wait, wait!
Look, look, look!

They had the means, right?
Kennedy was a fan.

Think of what it might be like!
A mission like no other!

And imagine the
people that went:

Hundreds of people
out there in space

in a world that never
knew the Summer of Love,

Betty Friedan, the autobiography
of Malcolm X, The Clash,

fresh from Father Knows Best
exploring the universe.

I work for the government.

Do you have any idea
how incompetent it is?

Do you really think that they
could do something like this

and no one would know?

Ascension was the military.

It was top secret.

What do you do?

I'm an engineer. I evaluate
government contracts.

Look, before you write me off,

go see one of your
father's old associates,

whoever's still alive.

Maybe they'll talk to you.

Thanks, but I'll skip
humiliating myself.

You could claim your
father's legacy for him.

This is real...

and the world should know.

Do you have what it takes

to make a difference?

Apply for a Safety Officer
Apprenticeship today.

Good morning, ladies!

On Ascension, safety
is our priority.

XO, sir, I've been
looking for you.

You weren't in your
quarters last night.

I didn't sleep there, obviously.

Is that an issue?

No, sir, of course not.

It's just, the captain's
been looking for you.

Carry on.

What happened?

It looks like she fell
and hit her head.

I'm sorry, Duke.

How am I gonna tell my
wife her sister's dead?

Every kid on this
ship knows this place

like the back of their hand.

What are you saying?

I'm saying it's hard for me to
believe it was just an accident.

Marks on her wrists...
It could be from a rope.

Wow! Agatha Christie
would be impressed!

Or have you been reading
Raymond Chandler?

All right, then!

You're chief safety officer.
What's your theory?

She had too much to
drink at Launch Day.

She came out here
for a midnight swim

like we all did when
we were kids...

- Hmm!
- Only she slipped.

Like Dr. Bryce
said, an accident.

Take her to the medical centre.

She's been out
here way too long.

You really believe this
wasn't an accident?

Look, I know it may
sound crazy...

I want you to look into it.

If there is the
slightest chance,

we need to be sure.

Captain, I don't have any
experience with anything like this.

Nobody does.

Vanderhaus is your chief
safety officer, alright?

Why don't you get him to do it?

Look, he hasn't handled
anything worse

than petty theft or
a drunken brawl.

Besides, she's family. He can't
even entertain the idea.

He won't be happy.

Look, I can't worry about
his feelings, Gault.

I have to take
care of 600 souls.

- And you don't want a panic.
- Exactly.

Imagine what it would do

if they thought a
neighbour was a killer,

so just keep this under the
radar for the time being.

- Are we clear?
- Clear.

Okay.

Attention, please! This
is Captain Denninger.

It pains me to report this,

but last night, we lost one of
our own in a tragic accident:

Lorelei Wright.

Those who knew her

said she was a beacon
of light and vitality,

a light that has been
extinguished all too soon.

Her passing reminds us all
of the fragility of life.

Our hearts go out to
those she leaves behind.

Thank you.

Is a full autopsy
really necessary?

I'll also need a blood
analysis for alcohol, drugs

and any other tests
you can think of.

Does the captain really believe

that Lorelei was murdered?

I'm looking into it,

but remember, the official story
is that it was an accident.

What the hell are
you doing, Gault?

I just have a few questions for Mrs.
Wright.

Hasn't my family
been through enough?

It's fine. If it's
important, it's fine.

Thank you, ma'am.

If there is anything I can do...

Thank you.

Had Lorelei been upset
about anything recently?

Did she have a boyfriend?

All the boys were
interested in her.

That's no secret.

She didn't run around

like some lower-deck trash.

Can you think of any reason

that someone might
wanna harm her?

Oh!

Of course not! What
are you implying?

Duke, what is this about?

You know what? That's enough.

My family and I would
like to be alone now.

Of course.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Let me help you.

We told your mom you're here.

You were in a state of shock.

We gave you a sedative.

Christa?

Christa?

In the Glau Room,
they're watching.

They're watching!

Nora, chloral hydrate,
500 milligrams!

No, no, no!

The Globus sees all!

Nora, the sedative!

Is she going to be all right?

Yeah!

I think so. She
just needs to rest.

Nora, could you excuse
us for a moment, please?

I didn't wanna say
anything before,

but when I administered
Lorelei's psych-eval,

I found some troubling things.

Like?

Frustration, depression, rage...

She felt like her
life wasn't her own.

The crisis.

Usually, the crisis is a
normal part of coming of age.

We all have to
deal with the fact

that we have no control
over our destiny,

that this was chosen for
us before we were born.

It hit me when I was 14,

the unfairness that I couldn't
be a pro baseball player

or a secret agent.

Back on Earth, you could
dream as big as you wanted.

Your parents could allow any
illusions to die naturally.

There were an infinity
of possibilities to try.

We don't have infinity.
We only have the ship.

We're born in it. We die in it.

But with Lorelei, the
crisis seemed more intense,

unnerving in a way I've
never seen before.

I was afraid of
what she might do.

So, what's this test
supposed to do?

Just say the first thing
that comes to your mind.

Father.

I was a baby when he
died in that fire.

Rage.

Ancient history.

Ascension.

Trap.

We have a camera at the
entrance to Water Reclamation.

The beach is a blind spot.

There! This is the
time-stamp you asked for,

but as you can see,
nobody enters or exits.

How could Lorelei have gotten
down there without being seen?

There has to be another
way to the beach.

Pull video from the Commons,
track her movements,

find out where we lose her.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Gault?

May I have a word?

Emily, they already know I
wasn't in my cabin last night.

Coming to me here,
it's too risky.

I had to see you.

But of course!

I'm sorry about your sister.

There's something I
have to tell you.

Lorelei was seeing
someone: James Toback.

Why didn't your mother tell me?

He's from the lower decks. He
works in Water Reclamation.

She was embarrassed.

She wants to maintain this image
of Lorelei as a perfect lady,

but it wasn't the truth.

She was with James
the night she died.

I told her she had
to stop seeing him,

but she threatened to expose us.

You should've told me.

She wouldn't have done it.

Lorelei could be
selfish at times,

but not cruel, not like that.

The safety officers came
by Water Reclamation today

looking for me.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Calm down, James!

Lorelei's dead, and
they're looking for me.

What'd you tell them?

Hey, hey!

You need to learn
some manners, Pup!

Get him out of here!

Her blood-alcohol
level was elevated,

but not enough to
incapacitate her.

However, she did have
sexual intercourse

within hours of her death.

What about the marks
on her wrists?

Your XO might've been right
about those rope burns.

She had contusions on her torso
and a broken collarbone.

So it wasn't an accident?

I also found a fibre
strand in her teeth.

There is a good possibility
she was gagged.

And the autopsy revealed
another surprise:

a small puncture wound in
the roof of her mouth.

What caused it?

All right. Let me know if any new
information comes to light, OK?

Thank you.

Why is the good doctor
calling so late?

Should I be jealous?

What's that?

A bullet, which
begs the question:

How did a gun get on this ship?

It was a .22 Short,
I looked it up,

an uncommon caliber
even on Earth.

How'd it get on the ship?

There were no firearms
on the manifest.

- It must've been smuggled aboard.
- And kept hidden for 50 years?

Yet someone knew what
they were doing.

It wasn't powerful enough
to puncture the hull

or damage the hydraulic
systems, just enough to kill.

I put in an official
comment in the log

and made a communication
to Earth.

Why use the gun now?

The Rubicon, maybe?

Once we pass that
point of no return,

we won't have the resources to
be able to go back to Earth.

We're gonna have to continue
on to Proxima no matter what.

People are getting anxious.

Yeah, I'm ordering a
complete search of the ship.

If Vanderhaus and his Jackboots
start flipping over beds

and rooting through underwear
drawers, it will cause a panic.

What do you think will happen

when the crew finds out a
murderer's on the loose?

If you tip our hand with a scavenger
hunt, the killer will dump the gun.

Give me a chance to find him.

Anyone else gets hurt,
it's gonna be on you.

Have a friend feeling blue?

Sign them up on...

Lucy, I'm home!

I placed the treasure

of cinema and
literature before you,

and this is all you remember.

I came looking for books about
how police solve crimes.

"The voice of thy
brother's blood

crieth unto me from the ground."

Or I suppose sister
in this case.

There are no absolute
secrets onboard this ship.

Someone always knows,

and someone always
talks in the end.

I heard a rumour about you.

The captain wanted me
to investigate Lo...

The rumour about
you and a woman,

a woman not lawful
for you to love.

Who said that?

You know how these stories end.

Camelot's gone, the
heroes are dead

and the woman enters a nunnery.

It's always stories with you. I
came here to talk nonfiction.

Police manuals were written
for people on Earth

where cops walk the beat,

and there's an infrastructure in
place to deal with criminals.

- Then what do you suggest?
- Try Philip Marlowe.

He walked the mean
streets alone.

Read detective stories?

That's your idea?

They made a number of movies

if you're too lazy
to turn a page.

There's also Hitchcock,
Fritz Lang...

Okay, movies! I got it!

What did Lorelei watch?

She liked movies like
Beach Party or Gidget,

anything with blue skies
and sandy beaches.

There was something else.

This is the last thing
she checked out.

The night of the fire.

Are you ready to
open old wounds?

I can take it.

I learned from the best.

The video card... She kept it.

Why?

What are you doing here?

It's okay. Don't leave.

Lorelei brought me
here sometimes.

If she brought you here,
she must've liked you.

Or maybe she just wanted
someone to paint the clouds.

You painted those?
She told me she did.

Lorelei said that if
she was born on Earth,

she would've lived on the
beach and surfed all day.

Maybe one day, we'll
see a real one.

We'll never touch the land,
much less see a beach.

That's not true.
We'll get there.

We'll be old, but we'll see it.

Face it. Our
grandparents screwed us.

They sent us on a one-way
ticket to nowhere.

How can you say that?

This ship was a
trillion-dollar payday.

50 years ago, a bunch of
people lined their pockets,

and then sent us
out here to die.

They sent us here

to ensure life would
go on no matter what.

Read the history books.

People on Earth weren't saints.

Lorelei told me some
of the lower-deckers

didn't believe in the mission.

I guess she meant you.

We're all going to
the same place:

nowhere.

And none of us have a choice.

I think you're a little crazy.

Probably.

You know how deep
that tank goes?

40 metres, maybe?

That's wrong.

It goes all the way to hell.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Whoa! Where are you going?

I'm finished.

Well, I'm not! Get back here!

I'm gonna give back those
silk dresses you gave me.

It's not polite
to return a gift.

As the captain's wife,

it wouldn't be proper to
dress too extravagantly.

Yeah, well, when I'm captain,

you can dress as extravagantly
as you like, okay?

Yeah, and when is
that gonna happen?

The council has moved

to unseat my husband 3 times
already, unsuccessfully.

Well, that's before
this girl died.

An accident in Water Reclamation

isn't gonna change anything,
except to put up guard rails.

It wasn't an accident.

That investigation
into her death?

Strictly covering their ass.

My sources think the
girl was murdered.

Please! Your sources
are paranoid.

They think your husband is
deliberately downplaying this,

making it seem pro forma,

when, actually, this
is quite serious.

- To prevent a panic.
- Hysteria, fear...

Let me tell you this.

Any man who can't
control his ship,

does not deserve to
have the word "Captain"

in front of his name,

so why don't you come back here
and finish what you started.

It is fun to keep a man waiting.

You know what else is fun?
Surprises.

Because finishing
what you started

is never as good as
starting something new.

I love the way you think.

They found her lying
there like that.

She hasn't said a word.

Thank you for calling me.

You know, when I was
pregnant with Nora,

I would come up here

and daydream about
what Proxima was like.

I'd imagine plants and animals
I'd never seen before.

I like your necklace.

It's a seahorse.

There aren't any
in the aquariums.

No, we didn't bring any.

The only ones are back
in the oceans on Earth.

It's beautiful.

Christa,

you see that star cluster?

Alpha Centauri is binary, 2
suns orbiting each other,

but when we zoom in
a little closer,

we can see a third.

That's Proxima. That's
where we're going to live.

You're wrong. There's
no life there.

There! That's life. That's
where we have to go.

Everything else is death.

You didn't show up
for work last night.

Is that why your safety
officers pulled me in,

for playing hooky?

Where were you the night
of the Launch celebration?

- The hold.
- Drinking?

Actually, I go down there for
the intellectual conversation.

Your girlfriend was
murdered, James.

What are you talking about?

It was an accident.

Were you with her that night?

No! Yes, but early.

- We got in an argument.
- About what?

She didn't wanna go
to the party with me.

She say why?

No.

That's just who Lorelei was.

She made you feel like you
were living life on edge,

that things would fly
apart any second.

But it was worth it.

She made you feel like
you were truly alive.

On the medical report,

it says that Lorelei had sex
in the hours before death.

Well, I guess I
wasn't the only one

on the edge with her then.

You won't find your courage
in the bottom of a glass.

Are you calling me a coward?

I would never call

a hero of the inferno a coward.

I should hope not. We owe
these quarters to my courage.

Unless the thought of going back
to the lower decks appeals to you.

William, I'm trying
to be helpful.

Use this distraction

to ensure your place, our
place, going forward.

A girl was murdered, Viandra!

It's an opportunity!

The council is terrified
of insurrection.

Move decisively,
reassert your position.

Callousness is your least
attractive quality.

Yes, terrible, terrible me,
who took my joke of a job

and turned it into something
that will serve us both.

I doubt your girls
are as pleased.

My girls have made alliances

with nearly every powerful
man on this ship.

They enjoy their privileges,

and we enjoy the
favours they trade

and the information they bring.

I'd keep your head in the sand
if it makes you feel better.

I'll go on being the politician,

so you can pretend
to be the statesman.

Christa!

I'm glad to see
you're doing better.

Would it be all right to ask you
some questions about Launch Day?

Lorelei was gonna teach
me how to dance,

but I couldn't find her.

Do you know why she
went to the beach?

- She was afraid of someone.
- Was it James Toback?

- Not James. He was nice to her.
- Then who?

She wouldn't tell me, but
she said he knew the truth.

The truth about what?

Earlier, you told Dr. Bryce
something about Globus.

What does that mean?

Was it something to
do with Lorelei?

Dr. Bryce had me on
some kind of medicine.

Look, you can tell me.

But I'm a weirdo already.

Sometimes, I think
I know things.

What kind of things?

It's hard to explain.

It's like I can still feel it...

underneath everything,

behind everything,

like a skull under the skin.

Good morning, Nora!
Good to see you!

What is that?

You like it?

With full life-support system,
completely radiation sealed.

A couple of more tweaks,

it should be ready to
road test in Proxima.

Dr. Choi, I was wondering
if you've selected

all your apprentices
for terraforming yet.

I have now.

Try it now.

Now, I read your report.

You don't think the
boyfriend killed Lorelei?

No, I don't, sir.

This Toback kid's trouble.

Vanderhaus said
he's been detained

for fighting and
drinking in the past.

He's from the lower decks.
He's had it rough.

Find proof that he didn't do it.

Otherwise, he's our man.

Bullshit!

You put me in charge
of this investigation

'cause I wouldn't be
bullied, not even by you.

You owe me, Aaron, all right?

If the council loses confidence,

they're gonna push me out
of the captain's chair,

and you're not gonna
be far behind.

I'm doing this my way, sir.

If you wanna relieve me,
that's your prerogative.

You know, Aaron, if you and I
weren't born on this ship,

we could've accomplished
great things.

We are doing something
great, sir.

The captain who launched
and the captain who lands,

that's who history
will remember.

The guy in the middle,
who gives a shit.

Handle it your way
for now, Aaron.

- There you go, honey.
- Thanks!

Oh, Harris, that light
is still on in the car.

Harris, are you listening?
You said you'd get it fixed.

Uh, it's just a reminder.

I'll take care of
it this weekend.

Yeah, that's what you
said last weekend.

What are you typing?

It's actually called
texting, Dad.

I know that. What
are you texting?

- Nothing.
- I know what DIAF means.

It means: "Die in a fire."

A kid was giving me a hard time,

no big deal, so I
told him to DIAF.

- Hello!
- It's just words on a screen.

They're not just
words on a screen.

There's a world in here,
and when you type on it,

you become part of that world.

You change it.

You have to take
responsibility for that.

Harris, something's
happened at work.

Sorry about your shirt.
Your alibi checked out.

I felt the same way
when I was your age,

that I had no choice,

then I realized this is
what we have to work with.

We find meaning where we can.

You done?

White shirt, track him.

He's moving down the
central corridor.

Where's he gone?
I don't see him.

We lost him.

There, A-Deck.

Yeah.

He's headed to the beach.

What are you doing
down here, James?

You followed me?

You know more than
you're telling me.

So, where's the Launch Day
tape that Lorelei took?

I don't know what
you're talking about.

You know, I saw the movies she
watched: surf, sand and sun.

She loved nature. That's why
she was drawn to this place.

You call this nature?

Did you actually
watch those movies?

They took it all for
granted, the sky, the ocean.

They could run on
the beach for miles

without slamming
into a bulkhead.

This beach represents everything
that's fake about our lives.

For Lorelei to die
here, of all places.

I don't think she died here.

There's no video of anyone but
Lorelei coming down here.

There wasn't any
sign of a struggle,

and nothing explained the
marks on her wrists.

There's only one way in or out.

You're wrong.

There's more than one...

right here.

Stop it!

I know you're there!

Stop watching us!

Leave us alone!

I'm not afraid of you!

I'm not afraid of you!

I should tell you
where we're at.

Trust me, I'm up to date.

I'm getting memos
every 10 minutes.

- What if Warren finds out ab...
- She won't.

There's someone interested in my
father's work, a grad student.

He knows about Ascension.

How much does he know?

He was speculating to me what the
people on board would be like.

He was pretty convinced the
starship has been launched.

- We need to tell director Warren!
- No!

You're holding off telling
her about this guy,

You're holding off telling
her about the anomaly.

This thing could
blow up in her face!

This is my father's legacy.
I won't have it tarnished.

Harris, the crew isn't safe.

These people have spent
the past 51 years

dealing with the
rigours of deep space.

They're used to being unsafe.

This place is a maze. My
father told me about it.

Looks like someone's
been down here.

"N.F."

What do you think it means?

No idea.

What's this?

Rilke. "Love Poems to God."

All these pages are blank.

Here!

This is where Lorelei
was murdered.

Why would they bleach the pages?

Everything on board
is electronic.

Writing on a stenotab is a risk.

Well, this is the
water-filtration system,

the nav-computer blueprints.

A month ago, the nav
computer crashed.

Just last week, the water-
filtration system went off line.

- It's not a coincidence, is it?
- It was sabotage.

- Who are they?
- We're not sure.

But we suspect they wanna
force the ship back to Earth.

Sir, I'm the XO. Why
wasn't I told of this?

We believe the saboteurs have
their routes below decks.

So now I'm a security risk

because I wasn't born
in the upper decks?

Look, if the council knew how
close we were to insurrection,

it'd be Rose sitting
in this chair, not me.

Search the ship. Turn it upside down.
I want answers.

All right, Captain!

Hey, give me a hand here!

Attention!

Place all contraband on the
tables in front of you

and prepare to be searched!

What's a matter, Duke?

Didn't get this month's payoff?

Step aside, Stokes!

This isn't about Lorelei.

It's about the captain denying
the lower deckers a voice.

Stand down, and prepare
to be searched.

Better get your own house in
order before you come into mine.

I have it on good authority the
chief safety officer's wife

is taking another
man into her bed.

Which leaves only one question:

What's he got that you don't?

Radiation alert!

Stand down! Stand down!
Emergency protocols!

We're heading into
a radiation storm!

Hey! This is not over!

Radiation alert!

Let's go!

According to the ship's forward radar,
we're heading towards a massive

ion cloud, unlike
anything we've seen.

Ascension's been hit with cosmic
rays before. How's this different?

That was before we reached
our current speed.

The radiation caused by our
fractional speed-of-light velocity

will cause real fireworks.

- How long do we have?
- Half hour, maybe 40 minutes.

Vanderhaus, have your men clear the decks.
Announce radiation protocol.

Captain, the starboard blast
shields are not closing.

Without shields, the radiation
will burn the ship clean through.

Pump the grey water to the forward
tank, they'll act as a buffer.

Gault, assemble a repair team.
Get those shields closed!

Nixon, I need you!

Oh, what brings our esteemed XO

down to the lower decks?

Run out of people to
kiss your ass up top?

Nixon, you trained
as an electrician?

I need you onto repair.

You can't just come down here start
ordering us around. We got work to do.

Wrong, Stokes! I outrank you.

That's what that means.
Nixon, let's go!

Nora! Come with me to the beach.
I need your help.

Secure the cart. I'll catch up.

You heard the orders. We
have to go to our cabins.

Now's the perfect time.
No one will be watching.

- Lorelei told me she hid something there.
- Tell the safety officers.

They haven't been telling the truth,
neither is the captain. Come on!

All hands to radiation pods!

Okay, Captain, we're here.
Nixon's checking the electrical.

The converter's out.

We're gonna need
visual confirmation.

I need an ETA, Gault.

Anytime now.

OK, there it is! I see it.
Looks like A12.

A12. Got it!

We're wasting our time. The safety
officers already searched it.

It's here!

If they found the tape, Gault
wouldn't have asked about it.

What are you doing?

There's one place they
didn't look, in there.

I'm coming with you.

I've never seen
anything like it.

No time for sightseeing.

Captain, the shield
doors are closed.

Good job, Gault!

Nixon? Nixon!

- Nixon, can you breathe?
- Yeah!

- Can you hear me?
- Yeah! I'm good.

No tear. Pressure suit holding.

All right, get back to quarters.

It's about to get rocky.

They're pumping the tanks!

Move!

What is it?

It's the missing video
card that Lorelei took.

Come on!

Wait!

There's something
you need to know.

The night Lorelei died,

I saw Stokes give her something.

What?

A gun.

There is nothing
to be afraid of.

I won't be able to breathe.

Yes, you will. It's
a mild sedative.

It's gonna put you
right to sleep.

Come on! Hop on in!

The seahorse will guard you.

Where's Nora?

I thought she was with you.

Robert, they've
sealed the decks!

Nora's a smart girl, all right?

There are radiation
pods all over the ship.

We should go. Come on!

And when you wake, it'll
seem like a dream.

Radiation protocol!

Where are you going?

Follow me!

All hands to radiation pods.

Hurry!

Radiation protocol!

What the hell is that?

Get in! It's shielded.

My grandfather told me
once that back on Earth

you couldn't stare at the sun
without hurting your eyes.

We'll have a sun,
someday, three of them.

If we can get through
this, maybe.

This is Captain Denninger. We
are entering the ion cloud.

Make sure your mask is secure.
There's nothing to worry about.

It's just a little
stormy weather.

♪ Don't know why ♪

♪ There's no sun up in the sky ♪

♪ Stormy weather ♪

♪ Since my man and
I ain't together ♪

♪ Keeps raining all the time ♪

♪ Life is bare ♪

♪ Gloom and misery everywhere ♪

♪ Stormy weather ♪

♪ Just can't get my
poor self together ♪

♪ I'm weary all the time ♪

♪ The time ♪

♪ Yes ♪

♪ Yes, I'm weary all the time ♪

♪ When he went away ♪

♪ The blues walked
in and met me ♪

♪ If he stays away ♪

♪ Old rocking chair
will get me ♪

♪ ...the Lord above
will let me walk... ♪

♪ Can't go on ♪

♪ Everything I had
in life is gone ♪

♪ Stormy weather ♪

♪ Since my man and I... ♪

All right, I want status
reports from every department,

structural integrity analysis
of the reactor's shielding.

Yes, sir!

Captain, a word?

After we fixed the shields,

Nixon confessed something to
me about Lorelei and Stokes.

All right, ladies, how
are we doing, huh?

Yeah? Good?

Huh! Nixon!

Where is it?

Where's what?

We know you gave
Lorelei the gun.

Screw you! Ah, shit!

Clear?

Nothing up here!

Now look under there!

Sir?

I found something.

You son of a bitch.

You set me up!

Where have you been?

Your father and I
were worried sick.

I waited out the storm
in the terraforming lab.

Alone?

With James Toback.

How do you think Lorelei
would feel about that?

Is Nora all right?

Yeah, honey, she's fine!

Christa, have you
seen my necklace?

I'm sure that I left
it on the dresser.

You did. He took it
while we were sleeping.

Christa, no one was in here.

Everyone was asleep.

The Globus never sleeps.

Why would I give Lorelei
the gun, then kill her?

This is a setup!

Why would anyone frame a
man who shovels pig shit?

You're not that important.

You chose me 'cause you
don't think I'm important!

You need a scapegoat!

What about after you're gone?

W-w-what do you mean
"after I'm gone"?

Come on, Stokes, you know
we can't even add a baby

without someone dying.

It'd be a luxury
beyond our means.

Nobody's gonna spend
precious resources

on the killer of a young woman.

Now, we'd have to do what every
small, isolated society does.

Exile you.

To where?

You're talking about spacing me.

Look, I don't know who killed her.
I just...

She asked for the gun. I gave it to her.
That's all!

Who was she afraid of?

Man, you really didn't
know her, did you?

The question isn't who
was she afraid of...

it's who was afraid of her?

So, the bad man has been caught,

and now the poor girl can
finally be put to rest.

I think a funeral
is just the thing

to bring this ship together.

Is there something you're
trying to tell me?

Do you remember when
we were paired?

That romantic day
when they told us

we were number one on each
other's genetic hit parade?

My mother was disappointed.

You didn't seem destined
for great things.

Yeah, she made that quite
clear at the wedding.

I'm glad you remember it.

I think of it often,

and how I told you that
night that I loved you.

I scared the hell out
of you, didn't I?

Poor man,

you were perfectly ready for
a business-like arrangement,

and I went and spoiled it.

I haven't found
Rose's informant.

It will require further digging.

We are talking about
your girls, aren't we?

Do you really wanna
know, William?

Mr. Gault?

Christa, yes?

I found this in my cabin, and
I thought you might want it.

It was Lorelei's,

and she told me her
boyfriend gave it to her.

Thank you, Christa.

Lorelei Wright's passing
reminds us of our place,

our limitations.

Individually,

we are but a small part
of something far greater,

greater, yet essential to
the survival of the whole,

essential to this mission...

essential to humanity.

We take great
strength in this...

as we consign her
body to the infinite.

Director Warren.

Harris, you think I
wasn't supposed to hear

that someone brought
a gun on board

because the ship
is 50 years out?

Come on!

Did one of our space heroes

actually commit a murder?

It would appear so.

Harris...

take care.

Your fiefdom is built

on your being able to
convince me and everyone

that you have complete control.

Once that erodes, let
me put it this way,

your life and the
life of this project

have the same expectancy.

Director Warren.
What a surprise.

Excuse me! Harris, a word?

We've got a problem.

I've got something of yours.

It probably should be in your
collection, shouldn't it?

You know, this belonged
to the first captain.

You know, people had no idea

how incredibly difficult a
journey like Columbus' was.

Astrolabes told latitude
but not longitude.

Reaching a new world

was like finding a
needle in a haystack:

pure, blind luck.

Is that why you had me
investigate Lorelei's murder?

'Cause you knew I'd
never suspect you?

I set you down this course,

and now you're ready
to distrust anyone.

You should've told me.

I couldn't help myself, Gault.

Lorelei was playing
me for a fool,

but I didn't kill her.

You have to believe me.

Oh, it looks like I'm a
little late for the funeral.

Just let the girl go, Stokes.

No, I don't think so. I'm
gonna go before the council.

Listen, you're only making
matters worse for yourself.

You think my cell door
just opened itself?

It's a lot easier to kill
someone in a manhunt.

I will get to the bottom
of it, I promise,

but for right now,
just let her go.

Someone came in the stockyards
during the radiation storm,

all right, planted this gun and...
and set me up!

No... no one was there!

Nobody could survive
the radiation.

Now listen to me.
Please, let her go!

All I know is I saw a boot print

after the storm where
there wasn't one before!

Stay here!

The control panel's locked!

You think I don't
have total control?

Every detail

from the movement of the stars
to the flushing of the toilets

is exactly as it would
be on the real journey.

The minute they doubt the
validity of their environment

is the minute the
experiment fails.

It is magnificent.

It's more than that.

Ascension is a
lifeboat for humanity.