Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009): Season 4, Episode 4 - Escape Velocity - full transcript

Gaius Baltar causes intense unrest within the fleet when he begins to openly promote belief in the Cylon god. Colonel Tigh, Galen Tyrol, and Tory Foster argue over how far they should go to ensure their secret is not revealed.

FEMALE NARRATOR: PreviousIy on
Battlestar Galactica.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

Zak failed Basic Flight.

But he didn't
because l passed him.

l can't decode it,
but it means there's someone.

Someone in the military
is still somewhere,

alive and kicking
here in Caprica.

l have cancer.

And l fear that
knowledge of my illness
will erode hope.

So this has to stay
between you and me.

Zak was my brother.



What was he to me,
nothing?

Same old Lee.
You haven't
changed either.

ALARM BEEPlNG)

(STARBUCK COUGHlNG)

(BREATHlNG HEAVlLY)

Helmet!

You are so unprepared.

Shut up!

You're the worst
CAG in the history
of CAGs, actually.

DUALLA ON PA: Raptor piIot
Lieutenant Dwight
FIat Top Sanders

entering Hangar Deck 1 2 B.
Deck hands, please report.

Repeat, deck hands,
please report to 1 2 B.

PlLOT: There he is!

Way to go, Lieutenant!



PlLOT 2: We're talking
one thousand ! Yeah.

(CHEERlNG)

PlLOT 3: One thousand !

1 -0-0-0!

PlLOT: Raptor pilots
flying high !

PlLOTS: Raptor pilots
flying high !

Red paint, incoming.

Brush?

You're the worst.
The absolute worst!

Here.

PlLOT: Raptor pilots
flying by!

PlLOTS: Raptor pilots
flying high !

What the hell is this?

Flat Top's
thousandth landing
and nobody tells me.

Now we look like idiots.

Find a wagon !

Yes, sir.

Somebody get me a wagon !

1 -0-0. . .

You're not ready yet?

Someone's going to
have to pick that up.

Stop it!

Let's go, come on.

This one's perfect.
Here, take this.

Give me a hand.

Unload this.
Put it wherever.

You two, come here.

Take this wagon
to the pilots.

So, did the
Commander tell you

what happened on his
thousandth landing?

l don't remember
telling you about
what l did.

Yeah, whatever.

He's landing
on the Atlantia

and he's been having
this ongoing fight
with the LSO

and so he decides
he's gonna really
stick it to him good.

This has all been
over-exaggerated.

STARBUCK: So. . .

PlLOTS: Come on, people,
watch them bake!

PlLOT: Three little Cylons
in the air!

Three little Cylons
in the air!

Watch their metal
burn and flare!

Watch their metal. . .

So, he skids to a stop
on the flight deck

and the LSO hears
over the wireless

this big, loud,
long, obnoxious. . .

(MlMlCKlNG FARTlNG)

(STARBUCK LAUGHlNG)

l was young.

STARBUCK:
Oh, no. lt was great.
lt was really funny.

PlLOT: Two little Cylons
jump in the cave!

Two little Cylons
jump in the cave!

Come on, ACARS,
make it their grave!

The LSO is freaking out,

your dad doesn't care
because he hates the guy.

He figures he can
get away with it anyway

'cause it's his
thousandth landing.

"l can get away
with anything today."

Watch them run !
Raptors pilots. . .

PlLOT: Five little Cylons
in the grass!

PlLOTS: Five little
Cylons in the grass!

Watch the Raptor
light their ass!

(EXPLOSlON)
Personally. . .

DUALLA ON PA: Attention!
Fire in the port hangar deck.

Away the fire
and rescue team.

Let's go!

ALARM BLARlNG)

(THEME MUSIC)

(BREATHlNG HEAVlLY)

Metal fatigue,
old equipment.

Worn strap fails,
drops a million
cubit drone to the deck.

Kills 1 3 pilots
and lands seven more
in sickbay.

lt's hard to hear this,
l know,
but we got lucky.

lf that had been a missile
instead of a comm drone,

would've taken out
the side of the ship.

Never had a death
on my hangar deck.

Accidents.
Never a death.

Services for the dead.

Services will commence
at 1 1 00 hours on
the forward hangar deck.

Midship's hangar deck
remains closed

for investigation
and clean-up
until further notice.

Uniforms for the services
will be dress grays.

l wish l knew what to say,
words to make this better.

Can anything make this better?
l don't know.

GUARD:
Attention on deck!

As you were.

(SlGHS)

May l?

APOLLO: Yes, sir.

Are you
Lieutenant Thrace?

Give me your eyes.

l know this has
been a hard day.

There's been
plenty of them lately.

l can guarantee you
there'll be more to come.

Remember your self-esteem.

Your self-respect.

And your self-worth.

Hold strong to them,
because people are watching.

You're the guardians
of the fleet.

They need to know
that they can
count on you.

Even at a time like this.

Are you
Lieutenant Thrace?

l'm Commander Adama.
Zak's father.

l know, sir.
l'm sorry, sir.

l was planning on
coming to see you tomorrow
before the funeral.

You don't need to
explain anything.

GUARD: Present arms!

Order arms!

Once again,
we are charged
with the solemn duty

to return
the bodies of our own
to the universe

from which
the Lords of Kobol
brought them to us.

PRlEST: The burdens
of this life are with us
but a short time.

For Lieutenant Zak Adama,
son of William
and Caroline Adama,

brother of Lee,
the time was too short.

But we take comfort
in knowing
his life was willingly given

in service to all of us.

We honor them
for that.

And, thus,
it falls upon us
to repent our sins

and with the help
of the Lords of Kobol

make our own lives
worthy of that gift.

And now, we commit his body
to the ground
from which we were all made.

ELOSHA:
Secure in the knowledge

that we will be reunited
with them

in a better world to come.

So say we all.

GUARD: Present arms!

(GUNS FlRE)

ADAMA:
Pilots we've known.

l have to start
training new pilots.

(STARBUCK LAUGHlNG)

There it is.

(CLEARlNG THROAT)

l kind of thought
this was about that.

l don't know
if l'm the right person
for this.

Do you know
someone better?

No.

But there's almost
50,000 people out there.

Trying to tell me
there's not one
flight instructor?

There's two.
Civilians. Both.

But l need someone to
teach combat tactics.

You know, l don't know
if l'd be of any use to you.

l wasn't
the most patient. . .

Let's get down to it.

This is about Zak.

lt was not your fault.

You had nothing to do
with what happened.

lt was an accident.

Lee? Zak failed
Basic Flight.

What?

Or at least
he should have,
but he didn't,

because l passed him.

His technique was sloppy
and he had no feel for flying,

but l passed him.

Because he and l. . .

Because l felt something
and l let it get in
the way of doing my job.

And l couldn't fail him.

Zak passed Basic Flight.

He was trained
and ready to sit
in that cockpit.

What happened to him
could've happened
to any qualified pilot.

You know that's true.

Right.

You did your job to
the best of your ability.

That's all l can ask.

l need new pilots.

And l want you to
train them.

l can do that.

(SlGHlNG)

Just give them the attention
and the professionalism
that you gave my son.

And they'll be one
hell of a squadron.

(GROANlNG)

Ten cubits says
she takes him this time.

You're on.

Thanks for
the vote of confidence.

Ten to stay.

So, Gaeta, how are you
and the Doc here doing
on your Cylon detector?

What Cylon detector?

CRASHDOWN: Rumor has it
that Cylons
look like people

and you guys
are working on a way
to weed them out, right?

ZAK: l want you to
tell me the truth
about something.

You passed.

By the skin of your teeth,
but you passed.

ZAK: l don't want
any special treatment.
Not from my father

and certainly
not from you.

GAETA: lf there were
such a program,
it would be classified

and l wouldn't be able
to talk about it.

Something smells
horrible in here.

ls that you, Crashdown?

CRASHDOWN:
Yeah, that's me.

Your card.

Zak, l'm a flight instructor.

l'm not going to
send you to Vipers

if l don't think
you've got
the chops. Okay?

Hello?
Are you all right?

Look. . .

(MOANlNG)

Maybe you'd like
to take a break?

l'm out of here.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Starbuck?

CRASHDOWN:
Okay, she can't do that.

She can and she did.

This is it.

HELO: Restaurant.

BOOMER: l'm almost
on top
of the signal.

l don't get it.
How does
a military coded signal

end up
coming from in here?

Let's find out.

Nothing.
ls that thing working?

(DEVlCE BEEPlNG)

l checked it
three times.

This thing says
we're right on top of it.

HELO: Of what?

(DEVlCE BEEPlNG RAPlDLY)

What?

Helo.

You're frakking
kidding me.

(BEEPlNG STOPS)

(LAUGHlNG)

Food.
Medical supplies.

(EXCLAlMlNG)

Wait a minute,
the signal.

Oh.

(SlGNAL BEEPlNG)

Disaster beacon.

Must've been set to go off
if there was an attack.

Some poor slob goes
through all the trouble

of building
a fallout shelter,
stocks it,

has a beacon,
the whole plan.

Then what?
What happens to him?

Let's just
call ourselves lucky
and leave it at that.

(EXCLAlMlNG)

Madam President.

Would you close
that curtain, please?

ROSLlN: Thank you.

You are obviously
an intelligent,
well-educated young woman.

Would you mind
explaining to me
why you waited five years

in between breast exams?

Yes, l would mind.

lt's none
of your business.

l was busy.

And now, here you are.

Yes. Here we are.

Would you mind?

l do, actually.

But your doctor back
on Caprica was right.

lt's too damn late
to operate,

the cancer
is too far advanced.

All we can do now
is try and shrink

the tumor with
gamma treatments

and follow that up
with lV cis-Doloxan.

Did he explain to you
the side effects
of Doloxan?

Hair loss, nausea,
muscle degeneration.

l watched my mother
endure two years of Doloxan
before she died.

l would like to
explore alternate treatment.

Prayer?

Witty.

Have you ever heard
of Chamalla extract?

Oh, gods.
You're one of those.

What if it works?

All the evidence on
Chamalla is anecdotal.

lt's nothing
but a bunch of loose talk
and false hope.

l'd take that as a yes.

All right.

l'll put out a med request
to the civilian fleet.

Maybe there's some other
wide-eyed dreamer out there

with a secret horde
of Chamalla extract
in their luggage.

You can put your
clothes back on now.

Thank you.

And for what it's worth,

l would seriously
consider prayer.

Boonie jumpers.
Shuttle jockeys.

And a Fleet Academy
washout.

This is the best
that you could
come up with?

Diamonds in the rough.

Yeah, right.

They're the most
qualified pilots
in the fleet.

STARBUCK: Great!

Attention on deck.

That means get on
your feet, nuggets!

You are joining
the Colonial Fleet,
boys and girls,

not some
after-school club.

Seats.

Pilots call me Starbuck,
you may refer to me as God.

You've all flown before,
but you're about
to enter a whole new world,

so pay attention.

We don't have
any flight simulators
on board

so we're putting you
in the cockpit, today.

This is
the Viper-Mark ll.

lt's as maneuverable
as a jackrabbit,
and can flip end for end

in 0.35 seconds.

You've never flown
anything remotely like it,
so don't think that you have.

Today we will be doing
basic launch, approach,
and landing maneuvers.

Anyone not paying attention
is liable to end up

as a puddle of
something to be hosed

out of the cockpit
by the chief of the deck.

She's laying it
on a little thick.

STARBUCK:
Costanza, right?

Yes, God, sir.

Not anymore.

From now on,
your name is Hot Dog.

And when God speaks,
Hot Dog, you listen.

Maybe if you had
learned that
at the Academy,

you wouldn't have
washed out.

Sit up!

LSO ON RADIO:
Viper 791 , Galactica,
you are cleared for approach.

Speed 175, port bay,
hands-on approach,

checkers green.
CaII the baII.

l have the ball.

STARBUCK:
Easy on the throttle, Kat.

Are you listening to me?

Don't chase
the lights, okay?

Roger, Starbuck.

STARBUCK:
Kat, don't chase the lights!

Set it by the numbers
and correct with thrusters.

(GRUNTlNG)

LSO: Wave-off!

Punch it, Kat!

Worse than awful.

Wretched beyond belief,
actually.

You call yourselves pilots?

lt'll take the
knuckle draggers a week

to pound your divots
out of the flight deck.

With due respect, sir,
that's unfair.

Yes, sir. This was
only our first day.

No. lt's your last.

lt would be criminal
to let any of you
near a Viper again.

So pack your gear and
get the hell off my ship.
You're done.

What are you
doing here, Kara?

You can't wash them
out on their first day.

l just did.

(CLEARlNG THROAT)

Look, l got 40 Vipers,
and 21 pilots.

That's it.

We are sitting ducks
until we finish water-ops.

We can't even
maintain a CAP.

And gods forbid
the Cylons show up.

Gods forbid.

Let's bring in
the next group
of candidates.

The next group
has never even been
in a cockpit.

They're starting
Basic Flight.

Then they start
Basic Flight.

Because that group
is done.

lt says so right there.
Maybe you should
read it again.

Lieutenant Thrace,
this is not a request.

Well, Captain Adama,

l am the
flight instructor, sir.

My word
is scripture, sir.

l will not, repeat,
not pass another student
who isn't ready.

So, that's what
this is about.

lt's not them. lt's Zak.

Careful.

Step back.

(GROANlNG)

(GRUNTS)

ADAMA: Starbuck says
they can't cut it,
they can't cut it.

She's not giving them
a chance. lt's Day 1 .

She's one of the finest pilots
l've ever seen in my life.

lf one day in the cockpit
is all she needs,

to know if
they're gonna hack it
or not, she got that.

l'm not arguing that, sir.

l'm just saying

l think she's letting
her personal feelings
cloud her judgment.

Please sit down, Captain.

What are those feelings?

About Zak.

We've talked about Zak.

You did?

We've talked about
a lot of things.

We've been aboard this ship
for over two years.

We know each other
very well.

When l asked her
to be the instructor,

l knew it was going to
release a lot
of loose baggage.

She acknowledged it.

She's a professional.
She'll do her job.

Okay.

l'm just saying that
you should talk to her.

She's walking around
with a lot of emotion.

She almost decked me
in the rec room.

Right.
You wouldn't smile
if you were there.

l'll talk to her.

Thank you.

Personally,

l think she's trying
to work out her guilt
over what she did for Zak.

l think she's trying to
make up for it by
beating up on these guys.

Guilt? Over what?

What did she do for Zak?

l thought you just said. . .

What did she do?

lt's not my place to say
and l've already said more
than l should have.

You'll have to ask her.
l'm sorry.

Captain, just. . .

Dad, you'll have to
ask her.

ZAK: I don't want
any special treatment.
Not from my father

and certainly not from you.

You passed.

By the skin of your teeth,
but you passed.

Zak.

DUALLA ON PA: Attention.
Pass the word
to Lieutenant Thrace.

Lieutenant Thrace,
please report
to the CO's quarters.

(KNOCKlNG AT DOOR)

Yes. Come in.

Lee was
just here before.

l knew it.

He thinks
you washed out

the nuggets without
giving them a chance.

They didn't cut it.
That's it.

He thought you were letting
personal feelings
cloud your judgment.

Really?

Your feelings about Zak.

That's not the case.

Okay.

He said something else.

He said something
that l would like to
ask you directly.

He said that you
might have been feeling

guilty about something
that you did for Zak.

What did you do for him?

l don't know.
You'd have to ask Lee.

l'm asking you.

(STUTTERS)
l don't. . .

l don't really know
what he was
talking about, so. . .

Don't fence
with me, Kara.

l love you
like a daughter.

l don't deserve that.

(STUTTERS)

Zak failed Basic Flight.

He wasn't a bad pilot.

He just had
no feel for flying.

And when it came to
his final check-ride,
he busted

three of the test maneuvers.

And l should have
flunked him, but l didn't.

The bottom line
is that your son

didn't have
the chops to fly a Viper.

And it killed him.

ADAMA: He told me
that you were
an amazing instructor.

And that he was
involved with you,
and that it was serious.

He'd asked me to
come to his graduation
at flight school

and watch him
get his wings.

l know. l read the letter.

l see.

Then, maybe you can tell me
what he was hinting at.

The surprise,
about you.

We were going to. . .

You know what,
it's not important.

l don't want that to. . .

You were engaged, right?

You did it
because you were engaged.

Because l made a mistake.

And because l was just. . .

l was so in love with him.

And l let that
get in the way
of doing my job.

(STUTTERlNG)

He just wanted it so much
and l didn't want to
be the one who crushed him.

Reinstate the trainees
to flight status.

l will.

But l just want you
to understand that l. . .

Do your job.

Yes, sir.

And walk out of this cabin
while you still can.

(CLEARlNG THROAT)

Unpack your gear.

You are all returned
to flight status.

We're going to
try this again.

Those of you
who can be trained

to safely fly
the Viper Mark ll will pass.

Those of you who cannot,
will be cut.

lt is my job
to figure out
which is which,

without personal feeling
either way.

And l'm going to
do my job.

Kat, Chuckles,
Hot Dog,
you're up first.

Pre-flight briefing
in 20 minutes.

ALL EXCLAlMlNG)

CHUCKLES: Where the heII
are you going, Hot Dog?
Stay on me.

HOT DOG: Target acquired
and destroyed.

Not bad, Hot Dog,
but you left
your leader behind.

KAT: Looks Iike
you're having a bad day,
Hot Dog.

And the moraI
of this story is?

Never leave your leader.

Thank you.
That is correct.

You never want to
be out here aIone.

STARBUCK: Okay, ChuckIes,
take Kat's wing.
Hot Dog, you're on me.

We're gonna try
a IittIe maneuver caIIed
"Thorch Weave."

l'll be damned.
What's got into Starbuck?

She actually sounds
like a real instructor
for a change.

She may actually
make Viper pilots

out of some of
those nuggets after all.

STARBUCK: HoIy crap,
we've got incoming.

TlGH: Where the hell
did they come from?

Dradis.
Multiple contacts.

lt's the Cylons.

TlGH: Why didn't
we see them coming?

Launch the alert fighters.

Attention!
Set Condition 1
throughout the fleet.

STARBUCK: Galactica,
we're gonna need you to
send the cavalry.

Nuggets, punch it for home.

Where's the base ship?

No base ships
detected, sir.

Eight raiders,
bearing 047 carom 1 1 8.

Range 22,000.

They found us.
lt was only
a matter of time.

Galactica, Starbuck.
Where the heII
are the alert fighters?

ALERT ONE:
Starbuck, Alert One.
Be there in two minutes.

The Cylons are gaining !

All right,
listen up, nuggets.

Stay together and
keep your throttles firewalled
until you hit that deck.

Now go.

What's she doing?

TlGH: Starbuck's gonna
take on all eight.

And get herself killed.

KAT: Hot Dog,
where are you going?

STARBUCK: Hot Dog,
what are you doing?

Got one!

STARBUCK:
Hot Dog, get out of here!

Hot Dog, l thought
l told you to
get your ass home!

HOT DOG: You said
never to leave your leader.

And I aIso said
never disobey an order.

I'm hit!

l got you, Hot Dog!
We're going to
make it through this.

Break right. Now!

She'll make it.

l just lost
aII three mains.

lt's all right, Hot Dog.
You did good.

We're gonna be okay,
l promise you.

At Ieast one of us wiII.

That about does it.
l think there's only one left.

Frak!

ALARM SOUNDlNG)

STARBUCK:
He's right on my tail,
but l got it covered.

Starbuck's wireless
and transponder just cut out.

ALERT ONE: Alert One,
we spotted Hot Dog.

No ID or visuaI on Starbuck.

(SCREAMlNG)

Frak me!

(BREATHlNG HEAVlLY)

(GRUNTlNG)

(PANTlNG)

(GROANlNG)