The Back Pages (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Dust to Dust - full transcript
In the near future, a lauded botanist who has opted for a prison sentence on Mars in a lone scientific outpost nears the end of his sentence successfully until he encounters something in the Martian soil.
Hey JaCqueliNe.
How may I
help you Doctor Taylor?
How many days does
this handsome botanist
have left on this red rock?
Inmate 604 is scheduled
to be paroled in three Earth days.
That's what I thought.
You gonna miss me Jacquie?
I'm not programed
for those types of
functions Doctor Taylor.
I didn't think I was either.
Damn it.
JaCqueliNe I've cut myself.
Proceed to work
station for medical attention.
Please place injury with
in analysis modulator.
Injury is a minor cut.
What?
No stitches required.
Are you calling me a pansy Jacquie?
Proceed to
first aid for a bandage.
No further medical attention required.
Incoming transmission from Francis Glover.
Yeah I got it Jacky.
Hey Rome can you see me?
Hey Frank, I can see you,
I'm getting some cosmic
interference but I can see you.
Hey what happened to your hand?
Yeah it's fine it's just a cut.
Hey I got some good news,
the institute is really pleased
with the data you've been sending back.
And?
And that bodes well for
you Rome with the board.
Odds are I can get both the DUI
and manslaughter convictions expunged.
What does that matter at this point?
Come on man, this is your second chance.
You'll be the only guy
on the entire planet
who's walked out of
prison an astronaut hero.
Yeah but I haven't
been on the planet for
the past ten years Frank,
that's precisely the problem.
Would you rather have done
20 to life here on Earth?
With what you did I got
you one hell of a deal.
I know, I'm sorry Frank.
Have you had the chance
to talk to Mary yet?
Yeah I talked to her.
She still wants the divorce.
Aw come on.
I know, I know.
No you don't know Frank.
You have no idea what it's
like to be 250 million
miles away from your family
for a frickin' decade man.
You have no idea.
Hey Grace she made three
goals this last weekend.
Really?
Man she must be the star of her team.
Just like her old man back in the day.
She's excited to see you Rome.
No matter what happens with
Mary you'll always have Grace.
I just don't know what
I'm gonna say to her,
Frank what am I gonna say to her?
You don't have to say anything.
Rome she loves you, you're her father.
I just want my family back
Frank, I miss them so much.
Mary will come around.
Just finish up these last few days
and get back, we'll show
her you're a new man.
Yeah, okay I will.
Hey Rome I gotta go,
I'll see you soon buddy.
Yeah, see ya.
Jacquie what the hell.
New life form detected,
extraneous plant form.
Five thousand plants logged,
five thousand one plants detected.
Alright, alright,
alright, I'll check it out.
Where's it at?
Sector six, row four.
Jacquie will you please
turn the alarm off.
Jaquie I'm not finding anything here,
run another scan please.
Affirmative, scanning.
Five thousand plants
life forms accounted for.
That's what I thought.
Highly improbable anomaly,
initiating secondary scan.
Feel free to scan all
night, I'm going to bed.
Jaquie I'm not feeling well
can I get some pain relievers please?
Scanning vitals.
You are showing signs of
dehydration and cerebral swelling.
Re-hydration is recommended,
no meds will be dispensed.
Oh come on, I'm not hung over damn it.
Any acts of aggression towards
this facility will be noted on
inmate 604's service record.
I know, I know.
What the hell?
JaCqueliNe scan for extraneous
life in sector six stat.
Scanning.
No extraneous life detected.
Well scan for irregularities.
Scanners are detecting
a gradual mass increase for inmate 604.
What?
Failure to follow
the required exercise regiment
will result in a sentencing infraction.
Not now JaCqueliNe.
Jacquie I'm, gonna need you
to run analysis on this.
Affirmative.
Analyzing.
Give me a visual feed of the results.
Analysis complete.
Any known matches?
Negative DNA structure unknown.
Well, run partial matches.
Analyzing.
Partially unknown flora,
partially faunal human.
What?
Scan again.
Motion detected,
sector six, row four.
No.
What are you?
What are you!
What the hell is that thing Jaquie?
While my spacial sensors
are able to pick up the shape
and form occupying your bed all scans
show a singular faunal life
form within the outpost.
What do you mean?
Are you trying to tell me it's human?
Yes, human and technically you.
It can't be me, I'm me.
Jaquie there's something seriously wrong,
I'm worsening by the minute.
Doctor Taylor part
of my AI allows for analogous computing.
Your point?
My programming requires routine
checks to ensure the
outpost's auxiliary functions
are not draining power from
its ancillary functions.
I might be dying and
you wanna talk circuitry?
If you and the new occupant
are a contiguous unit it is not illogical
to think that it could
be draining your power.
You're a genius.
I think you might be onto something.
What are
you doing Doctor Taylor?
I intend to cut off the power
to its auxiliary function.
Your current
actions are a failure of logic.
What do you mean?
The update always
replaces the outdated version.
What are you saying?
Are you saying he's better than me?
No scars, no
human vice, no shame nor guilt.
It's everything you are with out
the brokenness of imperfect existence.
It is a perfect you.
You don't get it do you?
You're a machine.
I'm me not that thing.
I did all this for her.
All of this for her.
And I'll be damned if I
can't see Grace again.
I will see her and I will
hold her, you hear me?
Rome.
Frank, it's good to see you.
I'm sorry I didn't meet you
at the shuttle port but,
I had to get outside.
Hey no worries pal, good to see you too.
Hey I gotta get you outta here,
the board still needs to approve
your visitation before you can see her.
I can't recognize her anymore.
Which one is she?
She's the one in the gray jersey.
That's what I thought.
You know even after
everything I still knew her.
She's so beautiful.
That she is, and you're still
as reckless as ever, come on.
We gotta go.
You're right, we'll go.
Hey what do you say we go by old.
Eddie's and have ourselves
a couple of drinks?
I think I'd rather stay outside
a while longer if you don't mind Frank.
Are you telling me that Rome
even the foam Taylor is
turning down a drink?
You forget Frank.
I'm a new man.
Hey uncle Frank, you mind asking
your friend to pass the ball back over?
Sure thing sweetie.
Thanks mister, see you uncle Frank.
Bye Grace.
New life detected.
How may I
help you Doctor Taylor?
How many days does
this handsome botanist
have left on this red rock?
Inmate 604 is scheduled
to be paroled in three Earth days.
That's what I thought.
You gonna miss me Jacquie?
I'm not programed
for those types of
functions Doctor Taylor.
I didn't think I was either.
Damn it.
JaCqueliNe I've cut myself.
Proceed to work
station for medical attention.
Please place injury with
in analysis modulator.
Injury is a minor cut.
What?
No stitches required.
Are you calling me a pansy Jacquie?
Proceed to
first aid for a bandage.
No further medical attention required.
Incoming transmission from Francis Glover.
Yeah I got it Jacky.
Hey Rome can you see me?
Hey Frank, I can see you,
I'm getting some cosmic
interference but I can see you.
Hey what happened to your hand?
Yeah it's fine it's just a cut.
Hey I got some good news,
the institute is really pleased
with the data you've been sending back.
And?
And that bodes well for
you Rome with the board.
Odds are I can get both the DUI
and manslaughter convictions expunged.
What does that matter at this point?
Come on man, this is your second chance.
You'll be the only guy
on the entire planet
who's walked out of
prison an astronaut hero.
Yeah but I haven't
been on the planet for
the past ten years Frank,
that's precisely the problem.
Would you rather have done
20 to life here on Earth?
With what you did I got
you one hell of a deal.
I know, I'm sorry Frank.
Have you had the chance
to talk to Mary yet?
Yeah I talked to her.
She still wants the divorce.
Aw come on.
I know, I know.
No you don't know Frank.
You have no idea what it's
like to be 250 million
miles away from your family
for a frickin' decade man.
You have no idea.
Hey Grace she made three
goals this last weekend.
Really?
Man she must be the star of her team.
Just like her old man back in the day.
She's excited to see you Rome.
No matter what happens with
Mary you'll always have Grace.
I just don't know what
I'm gonna say to her,
Frank what am I gonna say to her?
You don't have to say anything.
Rome she loves you, you're her father.
I just want my family back
Frank, I miss them so much.
Mary will come around.
Just finish up these last few days
and get back, we'll show
her you're a new man.
Yeah, okay I will.
Hey Rome I gotta go,
I'll see you soon buddy.
Yeah, see ya.
Jacquie what the hell.
New life form detected,
extraneous plant form.
Five thousand plants logged,
five thousand one plants detected.
Alright, alright,
alright, I'll check it out.
Where's it at?
Sector six, row four.
Jacquie will you please
turn the alarm off.
Jaquie I'm not finding anything here,
run another scan please.
Affirmative, scanning.
Five thousand plants
life forms accounted for.
That's what I thought.
Highly improbable anomaly,
initiating secondary scan.
Feel free to scan all
night, I'm going to bed.
Jaquie I'm not feeling well
can I get some pain relievers please?
Scanning vitals.
You are showing signs of
dehydration and cerebral swelling.
Re-hydration is recommended,
no meds will be dispensed.
Oh come on, I'm not hung over damn it.
Any acts of aggression towards
this facility will be noted on
inmate 604's service record.
I know, I know.
What the hell?
JaCqueliNe scan for extraneous
life in sector six stat.
Scanning.
No extraneous life detected.
Well scan for irregularities.
Scanners are detecting
a gradual mass increase for inmate 604.
What?
Failure to follow
the required exercise regiment
will result in a sentencing infraction.
Not now JaCqueliNe.
Jacquie I'm, gonna need you
to run analysis on this.
Affirmative.
Analyzing.
Give me a visual feed of the results.
Analysis complete.
Any known matches?
Negative DNA structure unknown.
Well, run partial matches.
Analyzing.
Partially unknown flora,
partially faunal human.
What?
Scan again.
Motion detected,
sector six, row four.
No.
What are you?
What are you!
What the hell is that thing Jaquie?
While my spacial sensors
are able to pick up the shape
and form occupying your bed all scans
show a singular faunal life
form within the outpost.
What do you mean?
Are you trying to tell me it's human?
Yes, human and technically you.
It can't be me, I'm me.
Jaquie there's something seriously wrong,
I'm worsening by the minute.
Doctor Taylor part
of my AI allows for analogous computing.
Your point?
My programming requires routine
checks to ensure the
outpost's auxiliary functions
are not draining power from
its ancillary functions.
I might be dying and
you wanna talk circuitry?
If you and the new occupant
are a contiguous unit it is not illogical
to think that it could
be draining your power.
You're a genius.
I think you might be onto something.
What are
you doing Doctor Taylor?
I intend to cut off the power
to its auxiliary function.
Your current
actions are a failure of logic.
What do you mean?
The update always
replaces the outdated version.
What are you saying?
Are you saying he's better than me?
No scars, no
human vice, no shame nor guilt.
It's everything you are with out
the brokenness of imperfect existence.
It is a perfect you.
You don't get it do you?
You're a machine.
I'm me not that thing.
I did all this for her.
All of this for her.
And I'll be damned if I
can't see Grace again.
I will see her and I will
hold her, you hear me?
Rome.
Frank, it's good to see you.
I'm sorry I didn't meet you
at the shuttle port but,
I had to get outside.
Hey no worries pal, good to see you too.
Hey I gotta get you outta here,
the board still needs to approve
your visitation before you can see her.
I can't recognize her anymore.
Which one is she?
She's the one in the gray jersey.
That's what I thought.
You know even after
everything I still knew her.
She's so beautiful.
That she is, and you're still
as reckless as ever, come on.
We gotta go.
You're right, we'll go.
Hey what do you say we go by old.
Eddie's and have ourselves
a couple of drinks?
I think I'd rather stay outside
a while longer if you don't mind Frank.
Are you telling me that Rome
even the foam Taylor is
turning down a drink?
You forget Frank.
I'm a new man.
Hey uncle Frank, you mind asking
your friend to pass the ball back over?
Sure thing sweetie.
Thanks mister, see you uncle Frank.
Bye Grace.
New life detected.