Salvation (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Another Trip Around the Sun - full transcript
Darius and Liam work to invent a theoretically impossible piece of technology to divert the asteroid, and Grace risks everything to help Darius. Also, Liam heads home to Boston to track ...
Ladies and gentlemen,
tech pioneer Darius Tanz.
Sir, my name's Liam Cole.
I'm a student at MIT.
In 186 days, an asteroid's
gonna collide with Earth,
and we're all gonna die.
Previously on Salvation...
What about you? What important
save-the-world work
are you doing at MIT?
I'm creating a map of space.
Professor Croft, it's Liam.
There's something there that was
- not there three months ago.
- Really?
People need to see this immediately.
911? My professor, he disappeared.
I'm onto something
that someone, somewhere
doesn't want public.
The sky is falling,
and you may be the only person
that can do something about it.
You run DOD point
- for all things NASA.
- Is there a problem?
Depends on whether a
planet-killing asteroid
is heading our way.
Grace Barrows, DOD Public Affairs.
You wanted to see me?
Dr. Eduard Acosta discovered an asteroid
large enough to cause an
extinction-level event.
So what is the plan?
A gravity tractor.
That would deflect the asteroid
through gravitational pull.
I'm sorry. I never wanted
to burden you with this.
You're confident this will work?
Yes. You don't have to stay.
I can't leave, but if I stay,
no more secrets.
There was a burn test today.
- And how'd it go?
- Perfect.
Not sure what they were
testing, but they failed.
What the...?
You're right, Darius. The
government's plan won't work.
You said the technology
doesn't exist yet.
If you're so damn smart, invent it.
Come work with us.
Hi. Where can I put my stuff?
Okay. Uh, passport,
antibiotics, cell phone charger... ooh,
and the ambassador's cell number.
If you have any problems,
he's a personal friend.
Mom, it's Africa, not Jupiter.
But I'm just a Skype away.
Okay.
What's happening?
I'm sorry. I should have told you.
Told me what?
Happy birthday.
Okay. Whoa, hey, there's fire here.
Oh. Sorry.
Sorry.
- Bad dream.
- Yeah.
Bad night, apparently.
You all right?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I must have just
conked out on the couch.
I'm still working on your birthday gift.
Oh.
But in the meantime,
gluten and dairy-free for the woman
that likes to live on the edge.
Thank you, baby.
Make a wish.
_
So Darius Tanz
left the embassy ball
with a Pentagon flack
and a kid from MIT, and
you think that's a story?
They had a secret
meeting in his compound
in the middle of the night.
not The Washington Post.
We do not have the money
to fund goose chases.
A Pentagon employee was
murdered the next day.
My guy at Metro Police
slipped me the file.
His name's Walter Carnahan,
he was in satellite operations
with top security clearance.
- So what's the autopsy say?
- There was none.
Someone's trying to keep this quiet.
The question is why?
_
Happy birthday, boss.
Thanks.
Older but not wiser.
Delivery just came for
you, but there was no card.
Secret admirer?
Oh, yeah. You know me,
got them lining up out the door.
Thank you for the flowers.
What flowers?
Hey, I, uh, I also got
you a little something.
You didn't need to...
No.
I did.
A4 security badge.
Oh, the way to a woman's heart.
If you're gonna be on the task force,
you need the highest level clearance.
So I can tell you everything.
The rocket test failed, Grace.
Oh.
I couldn't tell you before,
but now...
No more secrets.
No more secrets?
So...
Your birthday dinner.
You know, once upon
a time, we had plans.
Mmm. Well, you just gave me
the highest level clearance.
What would it look like if
anyone thought we were...?
Yeah, I know, I know.
- We need to keep this professional, but...
- Mm-hmm.
We could have a professional dinner.
Could we? Really?
Yeah.
Come on, I don't want you
to be alone on your birthday.
Me, neither.
Yeah?
They're ready for you.
As we're all aware,
the rocket test failed.
We can't launch a gravity tractor
up to the asteroid in time
to divert it off its path.
But our planetary
defense team has a viable
alternative plan.
Dr. Strauss.
Thank you, Deputy Secretary.
After reviewing the alternatives,
we believe that this
is the next best option.
The IO Probe.
A NASA spacecraft
currently orbiting Jupiter.
The plan would be
to redirect it from Jupiter's orbit,
and propel it into the asteroid.
The impact
could alter its trajectory just enough
for it to miss Earth.
Throwing rocks
at an oncoming train, a bold strategy.
I'll be right behind you.
You have an issue with this plan?
Yes. In a word,
it stinks... That's two words, actually.
What Captain Planet here
fails to mention is
that a high-velocity
kinetic impact could just as easily
smash our asteroid friend
into several pieces...
Now you've turned one problem into ten.
It's raining asteroids, each of which
may cause cataclysmic damage.
I take it that you have a better idea?
You had it right the first time:
the gravity tractor.
Send it up, do a fly-by,
the mass of the GT pulls the
asteroid off its trajectory.
No muss, no fuss,
- no loss of life.
- Darius,
I just said, we don't have
- the technology...
- Not yet.
All we need is a working EM drive,
and I can build it.
An electromagnetic drive?
You're insane.
You're not the first to say so.
What exactly is an EM drive?
Liam?
A rocket can only carry
so much fuel.
Right? So you get one big initial
push from the thrust, and that's as fast
as it's ever gonna go.
But with an EM drive,
the force is small but it's constant,
so it keeps accelerating,
getting faster and faster as it goes.
With an EM drive, we can get to the moon
in hours instead of days,
to Mars in a few weeks
instead of months,
and to our asteroid friend here,
with just enough time
for a gravity tractor...
You had it right the first time...
To save us all from extinction.
No one has ever built
a working EM drive.
It violates the laws
of Newtonian physics.
And-and Newtonian physics
violated Aristotelian physics
back in the day, you know,
laws were made to be broken.
I-I could drone on about
pilot wave theory and
quantum vacuum fluctuations,
but seeing as we have
approximately 181 days
left to live, I'd rather just
go off and build the damn thing,
if you don't mind.
And what would it take to
“build the damn thing”?
$2 billion.
To start.
Okay, a request that large
would have to go through
congressional oversight.
The White House doesn't want us
raising any red flags in Congress.
Any leak, at all,
could cause widespread panic, anarchy.
Especially when there's no proof
that this thing actually works.
They said the Manhattan
Project would take ten years.
They did it in two.
They got together the
greatest minds on Earth,
and they did it because they had to.
I'm sorry, but this is
no time for bureaucracy.
Darius is saying he has
a plan to save us all,
so let him do it.
Or at least try.
All right.
Half.
I'll get you half.
The world's going to be
reduced to a ball of ash
in six months, but no,
let's all play but the rules.
- Darius, stop.
- Yeah, well, I agreed
to work with the Pentagon.
I thought it'd be a two-way street.
He just got you a
billion dollars in there.
- That's something.
- You told me you'd do whatever it takes.
Get me what I need.
Fine, what else do you need?
100 kilos of enriched uranium.
Oh! Let's make it 1,000
while we're asking.
You're insane.
Why does everyone keep saying that?
- It's kinda true.
- No one is going to approve
the transfer of radioactive
bomb-making materials to you
without asking questions
that we can't answer.
Exactly. Grace, bureaucratic red tape
will kill us before the
asteroid ever gets here.
We need to think bigger
than the government does
and move a hell of a lot faster.
So what are you suggesting?
We both know Harris is
one of a handful of people
with access codes that would allow
for the transfer of nuclear material.
No, he'll never agree to this.
I know.
So you want me to go behind his back.
Betray my boss.
Your "boss"?
It's treason.
This is where rubber meets road, Grace.
You want to help me save
the human race or don't you?
So, in order to save the world
we need a billion dollars we don't have,
uranium we can't get,
and technology that doesn't even exist?
So far, so good.
If Superman caught the
villain on page two,
what fun would that be?
Fun? That's what this is?
Darius, the satellite
team needs five minutes
and the telecom group sent design specs.
Push everything. You have the TID?
This opens up any door at Tanz.
Almost any door.
Hey, so about
those three impossible tasks...
You see roadblocks, I see challenges.
Well, no, Newton's third law
isn't a roadblock, it's a brick wall.
I've had a team working on
EM drive for three years.
We've made progress, I just need help
to expedite it over the finish line.
- What kind of help?
- Malcolm Croft.
My professor?
He's been experimenting
with EM drive theory.
Yeah, I know, but he's
gone, he's gone AWOL.
It's not so much him
we need as his research.
It may be the missing piece.
Well, my buddy Diego was Croft's T.A.
I can call him and see what he knows.
Oh, you'll do better than that.
- You're going to Boston.
- I am?
Helicopter's waiting out back.
- Helicopter? But I...
- Hate airplanes. Yeah.
- Helicopter.
- No, I hate sky.
You know, and the potential to
fall out of it. I like trains.
Yeah, why don't you
just saddle up a snail?
It's not like the fate of the
world's hanging in the balance.
- This is...
- Some walking-around money.
You never know when
it's gonna come in handy.
- Where are you going?
- To find a billion dollars.
Why bring Darius in if
you're not gonna give him
everything he needs to get the job done?
Two billion dollars?
What else has he got on his
shopping list... nuclear weapons?
- And if he did?
- I'd say no.
Grace, I want Darius
to succeed. We all do.
But this is a government-run operation
under the tightest veil of secrecy.
There's protocol here.
What good is protocol if
we're all dead in six months?
Harris.
Okay, send it in.
I got to take this.
Yes, Mr. Vice President.
Catherine.
Darius.
What's so pressing it couldn't wait?
Let me guess. You're busy saving
the world again.
Someone has to.
Yeah, still amazes me.
All you've built.
We built.
To think it all started with a deal
signed on a cocktail napkin.
And a weekend in Fiji.
But you didn't ask me here
to walk down memory lane.
What if I told you I'm embarking
on the biggest project
I've ever undertaken?
One that could pay financial dividends
for centuries?
How much do you need?
A billion, to start. You'd get
one of the first seats to Mars.
Why don't you just come
up with the money yourself?
I've already emptied my
own pockets for this one.
Your passion gets in the
way of your business sense.
Nothing's worth doing
unless you're willing
to lose everything.
And you have. Twice.
But I'm not willing to lose everything,
so perhaps you should
show me what you got.
That can be arranged.
Diego?
Dude, I thought you went
to work for Darius Tanz.
- I-I did. I am.
- You lucky sack.
You know you're the envy
of every student on campus.
- Is it epic?
- Epic does not capture.
Look, I can't explain, but have
- you heard from Croft?
- No, man. I guess
that, uh, sabbatical thing was real.
He bounced. Don't
think he's coming back.
- Did he leave behind any of his research?
- Cleaned out his office.
You know how paranoid he was.
He'd never leave anything behind.
The EM drive... did you
work with him on that?
Yeah, for, like, ten
minutes. It was a dead end.
Croft said it was kind
of like trying to fly
by pulling yourself up by your hair.
- Only works in cartoons.
- Crap.
Although, there was this one time
he took all his T.A.s out for dinner,
and had a little too much to
drink, and started rambling
about having a super secret
backup hidden at his place.
Backup drive?
Like I said, paranoid.
Dude, you rock. Thank you.
Hey, uh,
whatever happened to that
girl with the notebook?
- What's her name?
- Jillian.
What if no one
comes?
You finished a novel.
That's an accomplishment.
You got to get used
to sharing your work.
Yeah, my self-published
work, 'cause no one wanted it.
And I'm reading it in
my parents' bookstore.
Hey, what about that boy
from, uh... from MIT you met?
You could invite him.
He moved to D.C.
Ah. That's too bad.
Yeah.
_
_
_
Grace, press briefing in ten.
Thank you.
Setting the table for
renewed military cooperation
between the United States and India.
Any other questions?
Hey, Frank. New tie?
Your wife has good taste.
Thank you, everyone.
Ms. Barrows, can you comment
on the recent murder of DOD
employee Walter Carnahan at his home?
For reasons of privacy,
we cannot comment
on personal employee matters.
Thank you.
Professor Croft?
Oh, I can't believe... this is my life.
911? My professor...
His place is trashed,
and he didn't show up for class.
Damn.
Hello?
_
What are we looking at?
The Tanz Goliath 2 rocket.
- They failed.
- Shut it down, Carn.
Shut it down!
Excuse me. I'm looking for Carnahan?
- Who?
- Walter Carnahan. This is his station.
D-Do you know what happened to him?
Beats me, I'm the new guy.
Pete.
Grace?
Did we kill Walter Carnahan?
Harris.
Grace, listen to yourself.
You really believe
the U.S. government carries
out hits on its own people?
I don't know what I believe.
I just know my friend is dead.
Why would the government want
to kill a low-level sat tech?
Maybe he accessed files
he wasn't supposed to.
What files?
I don't...
Hey, hey, Grace.
Look, with everything we know,
it's easy to get paranoid.
But there's nothing here.
Maybe you're right.
_
_
Grace.
Oh. I, uh... I'm so sorry,
your assistant sent me up.
She said you were
finishing up a meeting.
And we are. Grace
Barrows, Catherine Adams.
Grace is my government
liaison for the Mars project
- I was telling you about.
- Yes.
- Nice to meet you.
- Catherine and I
have been intertwined for many years.
She funded my very first creation
and possibly my next.
Good to see you again, Darius.
- I'll be in touch.
- Soon, I hope. Um...
I'm meeting Mark Cuban tomorrow
and you know he doesn't like
to share the wealth.
You didn't tell me there
was any competition.
There's always competition.
Lucky for me, I always win.
I'm not even gonna ask.
Good, 'cause I'm not gonna tell.
Now, I assume you're here for a reason.
You were right.
We can't trust the government.
We have to do this ourselves.
Uranium.
I know where to get it.
She tried to cover, but I could tell
she was rattled by the Carnahan thing.
If I could just talk to her in
person, just the two of us...
Oh, yeah, I'm sure she'll go for that.
Maybe Ms. Barrows needs
a little motivation.
Okay, we both just got promoted.
Please do not do anything stupid.
Are you kidding me?
I'm gonna put us on the map.
Don't screw this up.
This is grim.
Well.
It's all right.
Today, there's four people.
Next time, there will be eight.
Get 'em.
Okay...
_
Hi there.
Thank you all for coming.
I'm Jillian Hayes
and this is Shadow Side.
Thanks, Dad.
Hey, guys.
Do you want to make some quick cash?
What you talking about, man?
"Vel Durok had been stranded before.
Once in Yosemite, when
a freak snowstorm hit.
Another time when she was
in the Gobi Desert when her camel died."
"She always managed to
outrun fate, to cheat death.
But now she was over two
light-years from home,
trapped alone on the
shadow side of a planet
that as yet had no name."
_
I wasn't sure you were game
after our last conversation.
Neither was I.
What changed your mind?
Things.
You sure the government can't track
what we're doing here?
This computer, this room,
is surveillance proof.
I should knowб I built it myself.
Okay.
There are a handful of
uranium storage facilities
around the country.
This one's our best bet.
The WIPP.
A Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
Out near Wallops.
20 miles from here.
They store radioactive waste
from nuclear weapons processing.
So, you've enlisted Harris to help?
No, his hands are tied.
But mine aren't.
You're stealing the code.
Every day Harris is issued
a new authorization code,
allowing him to approve the
transfer of nuclear material.
Now, I can get into the WIPP facility,
but I can't get the
uranium without that code
and it expires at midnight.
And he keeps it in his briefcase
secured with a biometric lock.
Yes.
How are you gonna access it?
We're having dinner tonight.
Look, this is a complex plan.
There's no guarantees.
But you wouldn't be
here if you didn't think
you could pull it off, would you?
Darius, I don't want
Harris implicated. Okay?
If anything goes wrong, I take the fall.
You sure about this?
Am I sure?
I've been a rule-follower
my whole life.
I never drive alone in the carpool lane.
If it says ten items
or less, I have less.
And now I'm considering stealing uranium
from the United States government.
And betraying a man you love.
Am I sure?
Absolutely not.
But like you said, we're talking
about the fate of the world.
The rule book just went out the window.
This just came for you, hand-delivered.
Thanks.
_
So glad you could join me.
You have the subtlety of a hand grenade.
You know there's nothing going
on between me and Darius Tanz.
What do you want?
- The real story.
- Okay.
Amanda, you've been a
journalist for, what...
five minutes?
And I hesitate to use
the word "journalist."
I have a master's in
Journalism from Columbia.
- I interned at the Post.
- Well, then
you should know real reporters
don't publish fake news.
A DOD employee with high
security clearance was murdered.
That's not fake.
Yes. A robbery gone wrong.
Yeah, so wrong that his body
was released to his family
without a formal autopsy?
That's at the M.E.'s discretion.
Happens under the
rarest of circumstances.
This falls way outside normal protocol.
I bet you could find a
conspiracy in a game of solitaire.
I spoke with Walt Carnahan's sister.
She said he was troubled
about something that happened at work.
Troubled how?
He saw a file he wasn't
supposed to see, apparently.
Project Atlas.
Atlas? I've never heard of it.
She said if anything happened to him,
that it wasn't an accident.
Look, Amanda, I've never heard of Atlas.
And what happened to
Walt Carnahan is tragic,
but it's not a conspiracy.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have to be somewhere.
Oh, and feel free to
publish those photos.
Red's my color.
Yeah, right here is fine.
- Thanks. Keep the change.
- Hey, thanks.
- Professor Croft.
- Shh, shh, shh.
It's not safe. Come on.
When you left,
I called my friend at NASA
just to check your math
and about two hours later,
these spooks show up,
no warrant, no nothing.
Tossed everything and I
escaped out the back door.
Your discovery has
rattled someone, Liam.
How did you know I was in your house?
A remote security camera.
Jesus, you really are paranoid.
Well, it turns out I have reason to be.
I have a way to protect us both,
but I need to know
where your research is
on the EM drive.
- The EM drive?
- Please, tell me you have
that research saved
to a cloud somewhere.
No, the cloud's not safe.
But this is.
What's on this?
Everything.
Professor.
We need to go.
Right now. Back door.
Here's to you...
and another trip around the sun.
Hopefully not our last.
Harris.
What's Atlas?
Where did you hear that name?
A reporter from Capitol Eyes.
Carnahan told his sister
if anything happened to
him, it was because of Atlas.
Grace, don't say that word to anybody...
ever.
Okay, I... I'm sorry. It-it's...
There are still things
above your clearance level.
You understand?
Yeah, yeah, of course.
Oh, my God.
- I'm so sorry.
- No.
It's okay. Uh...
uh, you know what, let
me, let me go change.
Okay.
Just give me a minute.
- Sorry.
- It's all right.
What gets red wine out?
Was it salt or peroxide?
Uh...
Hydrogen peroxide mixed
with dishwashing soap.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
You know, if you wanted my pants off,
you could've just asked.
Hey.
Grace, you're shaking.
Look, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to scare you.
Oh. You know, it's just
this-this job, you know...
the things we know.
Darius?
Right now?
It's almost 10:00.
Yeah.
Okay. Okay. I'll be there.
Darius has the money on the hook.
He needs me to sell our
collaboration to an investor.
Go, go. That's what's most important.
I wish I didn't have to
leave you on your birthday.
There's a lot of things we
wish we didn't have to do.
You go. I'll lock up.
Code 9-5-7-2-3. Charlie, Victor.
Authorizing transfer of four
P-9 barrels of Uranium-235
from the WIPP facility in Maryland.
This had to be tonight?
I'm just doing my
share, Deputy Secretary,
by selling my investor
on the Mars project.
And you don't mind lying to her
about where her money is really going?
If we beat this thing,
then Mars is a go.
If we don't, then...
a lie's a bit inconsequential,
don't you think?
Good evening, gentlemen.
I understand you have a proposal for me.
A4 clearance.
Yes, ma'am, what can I
do for you, Ms. Barrows?
95723 Charlie, Victor.
Your authorization code is
verified, looks in order.
Hope so.
Dragged my ass out of bed for this.
You just need to wait 20 minutes
until my supervisor can sign off.
I don't have 20 minutes.
Sorry, ma'am, but that's not...
Corporal Nevins,
I know you've got your
orders... I appreciate that.
But I've got my orders as well.
It's now ten minutes to midnight,
and my authorization
code's about to expire.
You saw my clearance level, correct?
- Yes, ma'am.
- Then you know my supervisor
is Deputy Secretary of Defense.
Not the world's most patient man.
If I go back to the
Pentagon empty-handed,
you know the first thing he'll ask?
"What was the stumbling
block, Ms. Barrows?"
I'm gonna have to tell him
the stumbling block was you.
Now, can we get on with this?
The United States wants
to see an American flag
on the surface of Mars
just as much as Mr. Tanz.
Tanz Industries will have full access
to previously classified
defense technologies
that could save tens if not hundreds
of millions of dollars in R&D.
We're talking advanced radar,
hyperlight composites,
and next-gen manufacturing techniques.
Imagine what we could
do with DARPA's toy box
at our disposal... you'd
get a piece of everything.
Ticket sales, patents on
the scientific research.
Evolving fields of
medicine, energy, physics.
Small contribution to
change the course of history,
don't you think?
Why the sudden spirit of collaboration
between Darius and the government?
Not to be cynical, but...
your relationship hasn't
always been so amicable.
Politics makes strange bedfellows.
We don't want anyone else
getting there first, do we?
And all you need from
me is a billion dollars.
Load it up, guys.
Yes, ma'am.
_
Oh...
That's the last one, ma'am.
Let's move out.
Stop right there!
Ma'am, you're not authorized
to be inside this facility
without my approval.
I'm sorry, Lieutenant, we
were on a tight timeline.
This is not proper protocol.
I'm gonna need to call your supervisor.
Supervisor?
Deputy Secretary Harris Edwards.
So this is what billionaire
scotch tastes like.
Between us, that's
hundred-millionaire scotch at best.
Come back after we save the planet,
I'll break out the really good stuff.
- Hmm, could have sworn that was me.
- No, that's me.
Sorry, I should actually take this.
Thanks for the drink.
Yes...
this is Harris Edwards.
Yes, sir.
Sorry for the delay.
You're all clear.
Just tell me we're one step closer
to saving the world.
The entire human race.
You were able to clone Harris' phone?
It's a Tanz phone, like all
government-issued phones.
One of my first big
contracts with the U.S. of A.
And you're sure there'll
be no blowback on him?
All communications related
to this endeavor have been
erased from existence.
Just one of the perks from
owning your own satellite fleet.
You really care for him, don't you?
Good night, Darius.
Oh, and Grace...
happy birthday.
And many more.
_
_
You got it? Croft's research?
I got you more than that.
Malcolm Croft.
Darius Tanz.
For a "C" student,
- you've certainly done all right for yourself.
- I get by.
I've been trying to crack
the EM drive for years.
And I'm not the only one.
Then let's compare
notes, see if together
we can't do the impossible.
Hey, what the hell, Darius?
Oh, this is Lazlo Simms,
my chief of security.
You put a tail on me?
Next time a heads-up would be nice,
so you don't scare the
living crap out of me.
A good businessman always
protects his assets.
Professor, you'll be
comfortable here, and safe.
Karissa, my assistant, she's downstairs.
- She'll... She'll show you to your room.
- All right.
Liam, what happened to the money?
You were right, it came in handy.
The girl?
He went to see her.
She's gonna be more of
a problem than I thought.
I don't care about the rules.
If this is all the time we have left...
Come on, earring, please be in here.
Looks like I got a real story now.
tech pioneer Darius Tanz.
Sir, my name's Liam Cole.
I'm a student at MIT.
In 186 days, an asteroid's
gonna collide with Earth,
and we're all gonna die.
Previously on Salvation...
What about you? What important
save-the-world work
are you doing at MIT?
I'm creating a map of space.
Professor Croft, it's Liam.
There's something there that was
- not there three months ago.
- Really?
People need to see this immediately.
911? My professor, he disappeared.
I'm onto something
that someone, somewhere
doesn't want public.
The sky is falling,
and you may be the only person
that can do something about it.
You run DOD point
- for all things NASA.
- Is there a problem?
Depends on whether a
planet-killing asteroid
is heading our way.
Grace Barrows, DOD Public Affairs.
You wanted to see me?
Dr. Eduard Acosta discovered an asteroid
large enough to cause an
extinction-level event.
So what is the plan?
A gravity tractor.
That would deflect the asteroid
through gravitational pull.
I'm sorry. I never wanted
to burden you with this.
You're confident this will work?
Yes. You don't have to stay.
I can't leave, but if I stay,
no more secrets.
There was a burn test today.
- And how'd it go?
- Perfect.
Not sure what they were
testing, but they failed.
What the...?
You're right, Darius. The
government's plan won't work.
You said the technology
doesn't exist yet.
If you're so damn smart, invent it.
Come work with us.
Hi. Where can I put my stuff?
Okay. Uh, passport,
antibiotics, cell phone charger... ooh,
and the ambassador's cell number.
If you have any problems,
he's a personal friend.
Mom, it's Africa, not Jupiter.
But I'm just a Skype away.
Okay.
What's happening?
I'm sorry. I should have told you.
Told me what?
Happy birthday.
Okay. Whoa, hey, there's fire here.
Oh. Sorry.
Sorry.
- Bad dream.
- Yeah.
Bad night, apparently.
You all right?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I must have just
conked out on the couch.
I'm still working on your birthday gift.
Oh.
But in the meantime,
gluten and dairy-free for the woman
that likes to live on the edge.
Thank you, baby.
Make a wish.
_
So Darius Tanz
left the embassy ball
with a Pentagon flack
and a kid from MIT, and
you think that's a story?
They had a secret
meeting in his compound
in the middle of the night.
not The Washington Post.
We do not have the money
to fund goose chases.
A Pentagon employee was
murdered the next day.
My guy at Metro Police
slipped me the file.
His name's Walter Carnahan,
he was in satellite operations
with top security clearance.
- So what's the autopsy say?
- There was none.
Someone's trying to keep this quiet.
The question is why?
_
Happy birthday, boss.
Thanks.
Older but not wiser.
Delivery just came for
you, but there was no card.
Secret admirer?
Oh, yeah. You know me,
got them lining up out the door.
Thank you for the flowers.
What flowers?
Hey, I, uh, I also got
you a little something.
You didn't need to...
No.
I did.
A4 security badge.
Oh, the way to a woman's heart.
If you're gonna be on the task force,
you need the highest level clearance.
So I can tell you everything.
The rocket test failed, Grace.
Oh.
I couldn't tell you before,
but now...
No more secrets.
No more secrets?
So...
Your birthday dinner.
You know, once upon
a time, we had plans.
Mmm. Well, you just gave me
the highest level clearance.
What would it look like if
anyone thought we were...?
Yeah, I know, I know.
- We need to keep this professional, but...
- Mm-hmm.
We could have a professional dinner.
Could we? Really?
Yeah.
Come on, I don't want you
to be alone on your birthday.
Me, neither.
Yeah?
They're ready for you.
As we're all aware,
the rocket test failed.
We can't launch a gravity tractor
up to the asteroid in time
to divert it off its path.
But our planetary
defense team has a viable
alternative plan.
Dr. Strauss.
Thank you, Deputy Secretary.
After reviewing the alternatives,
we believe that this
is the next best option.
The IO Probe.
A NASA spacecraft
currently orbiting Jupiter.
The plan would be
to redirect it from Jupiter's orbit,
and propel it into the asteroid.
The impact
could alter its trajectory just enough
for it to miss Earth.
Throwing rocks
at an oncoming train, a bold strategy.
I'll be right behind you.
You have an issue with this plan?
Yes. In a word,
it stinks... That's two words, actually.
What Captain Planet here
fails to mention is
that a high-velocity
kinetic impact could just as easily
smash our asteroid friend
into several pieces...
Now you've turned one problem into ten.
It's raining asteroids, each of which
may cause cataclysmic damage.
I take it that you have a better idea?
You had it right the first time:
the gravity tractor.
Send it up, do a fly-by,
the mass of the GT pulls the
asteroid off its trajectory.
No muss, no fuss,
- no loss of life.
- Darius,
I just said, we don't have
- the technology...
- Not yet.
All we need is a working EM drive,
and I can build it.
An electromagnetic drive?
You're insane.
You're not the first to say so.
What exactly is an EM drive?
Liam?
A rocket can only carry
so much fuel.
Right? So you get one big initial
push from the thrust, and that's as fast
as it's ever gonna go.
But with an EM drive,
the force is small but it's constant,
so it keeps accelerating,
getting faster and faster as it goes.
With an EM drive, we can get to the moon
in hours instead of days,
to Mars in a few weeks
instead of months,
and to our asteroid friend here,
with just enough time
for a gravity tractor...
You had it right the first time...
To save us all from extinction.
No one has ever built
a working EM drive.
It violates the laws
of Newtonian physics.
And-and Newtonian physics
violated Aristotelian physics
back in the day, you know,
laws were made to be broken.
I-I could drone on about
pilot wave theory and
quantum vacuum fluctuations,
but seeing as we have
approximately 181 days
left to live, I'd rather just
go off and build the damn thing,
if you don't mind.
And what would it take to
“build the damn thing”?
$2 billion.
To start.
Okay, a request that large
would have to go through
congressional oversight.
The White House doesn't want us
raising any red flags in Congress.
Any leak, at all,
could cause widespread panic, anarchy.
Especially when there's no proof
that this thing actually works.
They said the Manhattan
Project would take ten years.
They did it in two.
They got together the
greatest minds on Earth,
and they did it because they had to.
I'm sorry, but this is
no time for bureaucracy.
Darius is saying he has
a plan to save us all,
so let him do it.
Or at least try.
All right.
Half.
I'll get you half.
The world's going to be
reduced to a ball of ash
in six months, but no,
let's all play but the rules.
- Darius, stop.
- Yeah, well, I agreed
to work with the Pentagon.
I thought it'd be a two-way street.
He just got you a
billion dollars in there.
- That's something.
- You told me you'd do whatever it takes.
Get me what I need.
Fine, what else do you need?
100 kilos of enriched uranium.
Oh! Let's make it 1,000
while we're asking.
You're insane.
Why does everyone keep saying that?
- It's kinda true.
- No one is going to approve
the transfer of radioactive
bomb-making materials to you
without asking questions
that we can't answer.
Exactly. Grace, bureaucratic red tape
will kill us before the
asteroid ever gets here.
We need to think bigger
than the government does
and move a hell of a lot faster.
So what are you suggesting?
We both know Harris is
one of a handful of people
with access codes that would allow
for the transfer of nuclear material.
No, he'll never agree to this.
I know.
So you want me to go behind his back.
Betray my boss.
Your "boss"?
It's treason.
This is where rubber meets road, Grace.
You want to help me save
the human race or don't you?
So, in order to save the world
we need a billion dollars we don't have,
uranium we can't get,
and technology that doesn't even exist?
So far, so good.
If Superman caught the
villain on page two,
what fun would that be?
Fun? That's what this is?
Darius, the satellite
team needs five minutes
and the telecom group sent design specs.
Push everything. You have the TID?
This opens up any door at Tanz.
Almost any door.
Hey, so about
those three impossible tasks...
You see roadblocks, I see challenges.
Well, no, Newton's third law
isn't a roadblock, it's a brick wall.
I've had a team working on
EM drive for three years.
We've made progress, I just need help
to expedite it over the finish line.
- What kind of help?
- Malcolm Croft.
My professor?
He's been experimenting
with EM drive theory.
Yeah, I know, but he's
gone, he's gone AWOL.
It's not so much him
we need as his research.
It may be the missing piece.
Well, my buddy Diego was Croft's T.A.
I can call him and see what he knows.
Oh, you'll do better than that.
- You're going to Boston.
- I am?
Helicopter's waiting out back.
- Helicopter? But I...
- Hate airplanes. Yeah.
- Helicopter.
- No, I hate sky.
You know, and the potential to
fall out of it. I like trains.
Yeah, why don't you
just saddle up a snail?
It's not like the fate of the
world's hanging in the balance.
- This is...
- Some walking-around money.
You never know when
it's gonna come in handy.
- Where are you going?
- To find a billion dollars.
Why bring Darius in if
you're not gonna give him
everything he needs to get the job done?
Two billion dollars?
What else has he got on his
shopping list... nuclear weapons?
- And if he did?
- I'd say no.
Grace, I want Darius
to succeed. We all do.
But this is a government-run operation
under the tightest veil of secrecy.
There's protocol here.
What good is protocol if
we're all dead in six months?
Harris.
Okay, send it in.
I got to take this.
Yes, Mr. Vice President.
Catherine.
Darius.
What's so pressing it couldn't wait?
Let me guess. You're busy saving
the world again.
Someone has to.
Yeah, still amazes me.
All you've built.
We built.
To think it all started with a deal
signed on a cocktail napkin.
And a weekend in Fiji.
But you didn't ask me here
to walk down memory lane.
What if I told you I'm embarking
on the biggest project
I've ever undertaken?
One that could pay financial dividends
for centuries?
How much do you need?
A billion, to start. You'd get
one of the first seats to Mars.
Why don't you just come
up with the money yourself?
I've already emptied my
own pockets for this one.
Your passion gets in the
way of your business sense.
Nothing's worth doing
unless you're willing
to lose everything.
And you have. Twice.
But I'm not willing to lose everything,
so perhaps you should
show me what you got.
That can be arranged.
Diego?
Dude, I thought you went
to work for Darius Tanz.
- I-I did. I am.
- You lucky sack.
You know you're the envy
of every student on campus.
- Is it epic?
- Epic does not capture.
Look, I can't explain, but have
- you heard from Croft?
- No, man. I guess
that, uh, sabbatical thing was real.
He bounced. Don't
think he's coming back.
- Did he leave behind any of his research?
- Cleaned out his office.
You know how paranoid he was.
He'd never leave anything behind.
The EM drive... did you
work with him on that?
Yeah, for, like, ten
minutes. It was a dead end.
Croft said it was kind
of like trying to fly
by pulling yourself up by your hair.
- Only works in cartoons.
- Crap.
Although, there was this one time
he took all his T.A.s out for dinner,
and had a little too much to
drink, and started rambling
about having a super secret
backup hidden at his place.
Backup drive?
Like I said, paranoid.
Dude, you rock. Thank you.
Hey, uh,
whatever happened to that
girl with the notebook?
- What's her name?
- Jillian.
What if no one
comes?
You finished a novel.
That's an accomplishment.
You got to get used
to sharing your work.
Yeah, my self-published
work, 'cause no one wanted it.
And I'm reading it in
my parents' bookstore.
Hey, what about that boy
from, uh... from MIT you met?
You could invite him.
He moved to D.C.
Ah. That's too bad.
Yeah.
_
_
_
Grace, press briefing in ten.
Thank you.
Setting the table for
renewed military cooperation
between the United States and India.
Any other questions?
Hey, Frank. New tie?
Your wife has good taste.
Thank you, everyone.
Ms. Barrows, can you comment
on the recent murder of DOD
employee Walter Carnahan at his home?
For reasons of privacy,
we cannot comment
on personal employee matters.
Thank you.
Professor Croft?
Oh, I can't believe... this is my life.
911? My professor...
His place is trashed,
and he didn't show up for class.
Damn.
Hello?
_
What are we looking at?
The Tanz Goliath 2 rocket.
- They failed.
- Shut it down, Carn.
Shut it down!
Excuse me. I'm looking for Carnahan?
- Who?
- Walter Carnahan. This is his station.
D-Do you know what happened to him?
Beats me, I'm the new guy.
Pete.
Grace?
Did we kill Walter Carnahan?
Harris.
Grace, listen to yourself.
You really believe
the U.S. government carries
out hits on its own people?
I don't know what I believe.
I just know my friend is dead.
Why would the government want
to kill a low-level sat tech?
Maybe he accessed files
he wasn't supposed to.
What files?
I don't...
Hey, hey, Grace.
Look, with everything we know,
it's easy to get paranoid.
But there's nothing here.
Maybe you're right.
_
_
Grace.
Oh. I, uh... I'm so sorry,
your assistant sent me up.
She said you were
finishing up a meeting.
And we are. Grace
Barrows, Catherine Adams.
Grace is my government
liaison for the Mars project
- I was telling you about.
- Yes.
- Nice to meet you.
- Catherine and I
have been intertwined for many years.
She funded my very first creation
and possibly my next.
Good to see you again, Darius.
- I'll be in touch.
- Soon, I hope. Um...
I'm meeting Mark Cuban tomorrow
and you know he doesn't like
to share the wealth.
You didn't tell me there
was any competition.
There's always competition.
Lucky for me, I always win.
I'm not even gonna ask.
Good, 'cause I'm not gonna tell.
Now, I assume you're here for a reason.
You were right.
We can't trust the government.
We have to do this ourselves.
Uranium.
I know where to get it.
She tried to cover, but I could tell
she was rattled by the Carnahan thing.
If I could just talk to her in
person, just the two of us...
Oh, yeah, I'm sure she'll go for that.
Maybe Ms. Barrows needs
a little motivation.
Okay, we both just got promoted.
Please do not do anything stupid.
Are you kidding me?
I'm gonna put us on the map.
Don't screw this up.
This is grim.
Well.
It's all right.
Today, there's four people.
Next time, there will be eight.
Get 'em.
Okay...
_
Hi there.
Thank you all for coming.
I'm Jillian Hayes
and this is Shadow Side.
Thanks, Dad.
Hey, guys.
Do you want to make some quick cash?
What you talking about, man?
"Vel Durok had been stranded before.
Once in Yosemite, when
a freak snowstorm hit.
Another time when she was
in the Gobi Desert when her camel died."
"She always managed to
outrun fate, to cheat death.
But now she was over two
light-years from home,
trapped alone on the
shadow side of a planet
that as yet had no name."
_
I wasn't sure you were game
after our last conversation.
Neither was I.
What changed your mind?
Things.
You sure the government can't track
what we're doing here?
This computer, this room,
is surveillance proof.
I should knowб I built it myself.
Okay.
There are a handful of
uranium storage facilities
around the country.
This one's our best bet.
The WIPP.
A Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
Out near Wallops.
20 miles from here.
They store radioactive waste
from nuclear weapons processing.
So, you've enlisted Harris to help?
No, his hands are tied.
But mine aren't.
You're stealing the code.
Every day Harris is issued
a new authorization code,
allowing him to approve the
transfer of nuclear material.
Now, I can get into the WIPP facility,
but I can't get the
uranium without that code
and it expires at midnight.
And he keeps it in his briefcase
secured with a biometric lock.
Yes.
How are you gonna access it?
We're having dinner tonight.
Look, this is a complex plan.
There's no guarantees.
But you wouldn't be
here if you didn't think
you could pull it off, would you?
Darius, I don't want
Harris implicated. Okay?
If anything goes wrong, I take the fall.
You sure about this?
Am I sure?
I've been a rule-follower
my whole life.
I never drive alone in the carpool lane.
If it says ten items
or less, I have less.
And now I'm considering stealing uranium
from the United States government.
And betraying a man you love.
Am I sure?
Absolutely not.
But like you said, we're talking
about the fate of the world.
The rule book just went out the window.
This just came for you, hand-delivered.
Thanks.
_
So glad you could join me.
You have the subtlety of a hand grenade.
You know there's nothing going
on between me and Darius Tanz.
What do you want?
- The real story.
- Okay.
Amanda, you've been a
journalist for, what...
five minutes?
And I hesitate to use
the word "journalist."
I have a master's in
Journalism from Columbia.
- I interned at the Post.
- Well, then
you should know real reporters
don't publish fake news.
A DOD employee with high
security clearance was murdered.
That's not fake.
Yes. A robbery gone wrong.
Yeah, so wrong that his body
was released to his family
without a formal autopsy?
That's at the M.E.'s discretion.
Happens under the
rarest of circumstances.
This falls way outside normal protocol.
I bet you could find a
conspiracy in a game of solitaire.
I spoke with Walt Carnahan's sister.
She said he was troubled
about something that happened at work.
Troubled how?
He saw a file he wasn't
supposed to see, apparently.
Project Atlas.
Atlas? I've never heard of it.
She said if anything happened to him,
that it wasn't an accident.
Look, Amanda, I've never heard of Atlas.
And what happened to
Walt Carnahan is tragic,
but it's not a conspiracy.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have to be somewhere.
Oh, and feel free to
publish those photos.
Red's my color.
Yeah, right here is fine.
- Thanks. Keep the change.
- Hey, thanks.
- Professor Croft.
- Shh, shh, shh.
It's not safe. Come on.
When you left,
I called my friend at NASA
just to check your math
and about two hours later,
these spooks show up,
no warrant, no nothing.
Tossed everything and I
escaped out the back door.
Your discovery has
rattled someone, Liam.
How did you know I was in your house?
A remote security camera.
Jesus, you really are paranoid.
Well, it turns out I have reason to be.
I have a way to protect us both,
but I need to know
where your research is
on the EM drive.
- The EM drive?
- Please, tell me you have
that research saved
to a cloud somewhere.
No, the cloud's not safe.
But this is.
What's on this?
Everything.
Professor.
We need to go.
Right now. Back door.
Here's to you...
and another trip around the sun.
Hopefully not our last.
Harris.
What's Atlas?
Where did you hear that name?
A reporter from Capitol Eyes.
Carnahan told his sister
if anything happened to
him, it was because of Atlas.
Grace, don't say that word to anybody...
ever.
Okay, I... I'm sorry. It-it's...
There are still things
above your clearance level.
You understand?
Yeah, yeah, of course.
Oh, my God.
- I'm so sorry.
- No.
It's okay. Uh...
uh, you know what, let
me, let me go change.
Okay.
Just give me a minute.
- Sorry.
- It's all right.
What gets red wine out?
Was it salt or peroxide?
Uh...
Hydrogen peroxide mixed
with dishwashing soap.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
You know, if you wanted my pants off,
you could've just asked.
Hey.
Grace, you're shaking.
Look, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to scare you.
Oh. You know, it's just
this-this job, you know...
the things we know.
Darius?
Right now?
It's almost 10:00.
Yeah.
Okay. Okay. I'll be there.
Darius has the money on the hook.
He needs me to sell our
collaboration to an investor.
Go, go. That's what's most important.
I wish I didn't have to
leave you on your birthday.
There's a lot of things we
wish we didn't have to do.
You go. I'll lock up.
Code 9-5-7-2-3. Charlie, Victor.
Authorizing transfer of four
P-9 barrels of Uranium-235
from the WIPP facility in Maryland.
This had to be tonight?
I'm just doing my
share, Deputy Secretary,
by selling my investor
on the Mars project.
And you don't mind lying to her
about where her money is really going?
If we beat this thing,
then Mars is a go.
If we don't, then...
a lie's a bit inconsequential,
don't you think?
Good evening, gentlemen.
I understand you have a proposal for me.
A4 clearance.
Yes, ma'am, what can I
do for you, Ms. Barrows?
95723 Charlie, Victor.
Your authorization code is
verified, looks in order.
Hope so.
Dragged my ass out of bed for this.
You just need to wait 20 minutes
until my supervisor can sign off.
I don't have 20 minutes.
Sorry, ma'am, but that's not...
Corporal Nevins,
I know you've got your
orders... I appreciate that.
But I've got my orders as well.
It's now ten minutes to midnight,
and my authorization
code's about to expire.
You saw my clearance level, correct?
- Yes, ma'am.
- Then you know my supervisor
is Deputy Secretary of Defense.
Not the world's most patient man.
If I go back to the
Pentagon empty-handed,
you know the first thing he'll ask?
"What was the stumbling
block, Ms. Barrows?"
I'm gonna have to tell him
the stumbling block was you.
Now, can we get on with this?
The United States wants
to see an American flag
on the surface of Mars
just as much as Mr. Tanz.
Tanz Industries will have full access
to previously classified
defense technologies
that could save tens if not hundreds
of millions of dollars in R&D.
We're talking advanced radar,
hyperlight composites,
and next-gen manufacturing techniques.
Imagine what we could
do with DARPA's toy box
at our disposal... you'd
get a piece of everything.
Ticket sales, patents on
the scientific research.
Evolving fields of
medicine, energy, physics.
Small contribution to
change the course of history,
don't you think?
Why the sudden spirit of collaboration
between Darius and the government?
Not to be cynical, but...
your relationship hasn't
always been so amicable.
Politics makes strange bedfellows.
We don't want anyone else
getting there first, do we?
And all you need from
me is a billion dollars.
Load it up, guys.
Yes, ma'am.
_
Oh...
That's the last one, ma'am.
Let's move out.
Stop right there!
Ma'am, you're not authorized
to be inside this facility
without my approval.
I'm sorry, Lieutenant, we
were on a tight timeline.
This is not proper protocol.
I'm gonna need to call your supervisor.
Supervisor?
Deputy Secretary Harris Edwards.
So this is what billionaire
scotch tastes like.
Between us, that's
hundred-millionaire scotch at best.
Come back after we save the planet,
I'll break out the really good stuff.
- Hmm, could have sworn that was me.
- No, that's me.
Sorry, I should actually take this.
Thanks for the drink.
Yes...
this is Harris Edwards.
Yes, sir.
Sorry for the delay.
You're all clear.
Just tell me we're one step closer
to saving the world.
The entire human race.
You were able to clone Harris' phone?
It's a Tanz phone, like all
government-issued phones.
One of my first big
contracts with the U.S. of A.
And you're sure there'll
be no blowback on him?
All communications related
to this endeavor have been
erased from existence.
Just one of the perks from
owning your own satellite fleet.
You really care for him, don't you?
Good night, Darius.
Oh, and Grace...
happy birthday.
And many more.
_
_
You got it? Croft's research?
I got you more than that.
Malcolm Croft.
Darius Tanz.
For a "C" student,
- you've certainly done all right for yourself.
- I get by.
I've been trying to crack
the EM drive for years.
And I'm not the only one.
Then let's compare
notes, see if together
we can't do the impossible.
Hey, what the hell, Darius?
Oh, this is Lazlo Simms,
my chief of security.
You put a tail on me?
Next time a heads-up would be nice,
so you don't scare the
living crap out of me.
A good businessman always
protects his assets.
Professor, you'll be
comfortable here, and safe.
Karissa, my assistant, she's downstairs.
- She'll... She'll show you to your room.
- All right.
Liam, what happened to the money?
You were right, it came in handy.
The girl?
He went to see her.
She's gonna be more of
a problem than I thought.
I don't care about the rules.
If this is all the time we have left...
Come on, earring, please be in here.
Looks like I got a real story now.