The Expanse (2015–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - The Big Empty - full transcript

Previousy on The Expanse...

Picked up a Mayday. Looks
like a light freighter.

Calls itself the Scopuli.

We're obligated to check it out.

- It's pirate bait.
- Purge the logs.

We never received that signal.

I have something for you.

Little lost daughter case.

So what's my contract exactly?

Find Julie Mao. If she's still here
on Ceres, detain her and ship her home.

Kidnap job. My pleasure.



Anybody grew up this far from the sun

won't give a good goddamn
what planet you're from.

Real sky over your head and real
gravity holding you on the ground,

they don't trust you.

That distress call we never received,

it was logged with HQ.

Holden, you'll head up
this rescue, or salvage.

Put a shuttle team together.

So, just for the record, guys,

I don't wanna be here right now.

This must be the beacon that called us.

Forwarding you an A-1 tight
beam from the Canterbury.

Torpedo launch!

Canterbury, burn like
hell, you got incoming.



Real lemon works best,

if you could ever get your hands on one.

It's a crucial part of the formula.

Neutralizes acidity, adds body,

balances pH.

Something like that.

Here.

A perfect cup of coffee.

Ah!

- It's an acquired taste.
- Yeah.

- So, wait and see.
- Yeah.

Hey, what's your name?

Ade.

I'm the new navigator.

Jim,

there's something you should know.

Hoss.

Hoss!

Debris field. Buckle up!

I'll try to drive us out of it.

How bad are we gonna catch it?

Pretty bad.

Right, sweetheart. You
know how much I love you.

Airlock breach! We're losing pressure!

Somebody close the hatch! I'm on it!

Somebody shut that damn airlock!

Son of a bitch.

We're through.

Do we still have scopes?

Damn straight. Do not lose that ship.

What?

- Jesus, you're not...
- We're going after them.

- Buddy, I don't think...
- We're losing them!

Don't do it, Alex.

They just dusted 50 of our friends.

Well, let's not make it 55.

Alex, I'm telling you
to go after that ship.

What if they don't like being followed?

They slip off that screen,
they're gone forever.

They'll get away with this.

What is wrong with you? I gave an order!

You think rank matters now?

Get up, I'll do it myself.

Get up!

We're not going anywhere.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Whoa, whoa!

Let's just take a deep breath
here, people. All of you.

Water ration exceeded.

Water ration exceeded.

They're trying to thirst us out.

- Who's that?
- Earth, Mars.

The water shipment's not late, copain.

They're holdin' it back.

You seem pretty sure about that.

Water means life.

One shipment late, you got protests.

Two shipments late,

you got dead people in the street.

And it's gonna get worse.

Mark my words.

Christ.

"Father, bother, poured hot
coffee in the parking lot."

"Father, bother, poured hot
coffee in the parking lot."

Home. I'm home.

Show me my files.

Copy all files.

Replay my last messages.

I tried to give you the best of all worlds,

and you choose to live
like some filthy handmaid

among the riff-raff of the Solar System.

Since you have no
intention of returning home,

I'm forced to consider
selling The Razorback.

You're naive, sweetheart.

It's time to come home.

Please. I'll make everything right again.

Jesus. Spare me.

Show me my replies.

You're so blind and so condescending

and you're never gonna change.

If you won't take yourself
seriously as an adult,

then why should I care
about being your child?

You want to sell The Razorback? Do it.

You can't buy me off or control me anymore.

Maybe what you hate about me the most

is that I remind you of yourself.

Keep it up, partner.

You'll get there.

_

Is it true that you had a
Belter up on hooks for 20 hours?

He's an O.P.A. smuggler and a terrorist.

The Secretary-General...

He didn't want to talk...

The Secretary-General has
publicly disavowed gravity torture.

If you want to talk to that Belter,

you put him in the tank.

You know who I am?

I've heard of you, yes.

Many interesting tales.

You're well-spoken for an O.P.A. soldier.

Because I'm a Belter, I'm naturally O.P.A.?

I'm just a citizen of the Belt.

I work for the future of my people

as you do for yours.

Then for the future of both our people,

I need to know how you got your hands on

restricted stealth technology

that could destroy the
balance in the system.

You mean the balance
between Earth and Mars.

Either way, it's a lousy deal for Belters.

The O.P.A. demands
legitimacy through violence.

They haven't earned it any other way.

No? You talk to me
through a piece of glass,

you see my body which can no longer survive

on the very planet that
bore my great-grandmother.

Earth has created a race
of exiles out in space,

who have no homes to return to.

Should this go unanswered?

I don't mean to make you afraid, madame.

Have I given you the
impression that I'm afraid?

Then why waste your time on a
meaningless courier like myself?

You're too modest, child.

Someone entrusted you to
transport pieces of the holy grail.

The question is, who?

There are places far worse than this.

And I imagine there is a mother somewhere

who'll love to see her boy again.

Est cela ça, madame.

I understand.

We all have our duty.

_

We've got a dead radio and
about four hours of oxygen left.

Alex, how much burn do we have?

I could get us maybe a third of
the way to Ganymede Station, maybe.

Or get us right to the
edge of the shipping lanes,

and then we'd have to pray
someone tripped over us.

It won't happen.

With a dead transponder,
we're just like space trash.

What's wrong with the radio?

Board's cooked, and I'm guessing

the antenna array up
top has seen better days.

See if you can improvise another board.

I'm gonna go outside and see what's what.

Great. We'll wait here.

I don't mean to be a bad
news bull or anything, but

the airlock's done.

The outer door's gone.

Then we'll have to vent the ship.

Are you outta your tree?

We'll lose all oxygen in the cabin.

Everything depends on fixing that radio.

We're wasting time.

There you go. Calling the shots again.

I'm going outside. You
got a problem with that?

Amos, go with him.

Whoa! Let's just hold on for one second.

We don't have to go outside.

We're safe right now.

We open those doors, we're done.

The ship could crack
apart. I'm telling you...

- Shed?
- I'm just... If we open those doors...

Please, just listen to me. Listen to me!

If we go out there, we're gonna die.

Hey, hey, hey!

You're in shock. You're in shock.

You know the symptoms. You know
the symptoms. Just breathe. Breathe.

Deep... breathe. Breathe, breathe.

All right.

There.

There. You chilled?

Okay.

Now, we're gonna go outside,

and we're gonna fix the antenna,

and we're gonna make some
noise and get rescued.

Okay. Okay?

Yeah.

Watch your step, boys. We're on the way.

How's it looking out there?

Well, it could've been worse.

It can always be worse.

Okay. It's worse.

Captain was pissed you weren't around.

She wanted this dealt with.

Yeah, it must be my week.

New Earth partner.

Drawing all the "hot" cases...

Your attention, please.
The Air, Water and Power...

Well, it's about time.

Expected you an hour ago.

It's a long hoof from the Medina, sir.

A week ago,

those dead patches started appearing.

My guess is, the Greigas
are stealing water again.

Some Belters clearly don't respect

the green space's role in
recycling the air and the water.

Not to mention the embarrassment
it causes the Governor.

You seem sure it was Belters.

The criminals here tend to be.

You're new here, aren't you?

We'll get right on that, sir.

Maybe if everyone in Ceres had this view,

they'd respect you more.

There.

Now, you can make your own view.

Oh, shit!

You're an Earther.

And I don't even know where you're from.

We're gonna be space trash in a few hours

and you wanna start a friendship?

If you don't think we're gonna
make it, what are you doing up here?

Naomi told me to, so I am.

As far as I'm concerned, she's the cap now.

♪ Till I lost my Clementine ♪

Alex, send me some juice to E-12.

- ♪ How I missed her... ♪
- Alex?

Alex!

Oh. E-12.

Copy that.

There you go, sugar.

You doin' okay up there?

I'm doing as good as dew on
a mornin' full of sunshine.

Hey, what's the deal with you and Naomi?

You two an item or something?

An item?

Hey, it's none of my business, but...

You must think I'm
pretty stupid, don't you?

I mean, you're right.

I can take a core apart and put it
back together with my eyes closed.

But ask me whether or not I should rip your
helmet off and kick you off this bucket,

and I couldn't give you a
reason why I should or shouldn't.

Except Naomi wouldn't like it.

Could you pass me the drill?

Thank you.

♪ Then I lost my Clementine ♪

Alex, what are you doing?

I'm bringin' her home, honey-pie.

- Hey.
- One more, two... and we'll be together.

Just one trip to Ganymede, sweetheart.

Oh, don't be like that,
sugar, I said I'm comin' home.

- Alex.
- Shed, what's wrong with him?

He's, uh... he's hypoxic.

Oh, shit!

His breather's crapping out!

Damn it! How long can he hold on?

Oh, oh, shit. We're losin' him!

We're coming back in.

Negative. We don't have
enough oxygen to vent again.

Shed, take care of him! Do something!

We're in a vacuum! He's in a suit! I...

What do you want me to do?

There's no spare!

Shed, you're a medic! Act like one!

Hold on, buddy.

Listen, I'm hooking our breathers up, okay?

So we can share air.

So you can breathe off mine, okay?

Shed, what's happening?

Okay. Hold on, buddy. Come on.

Hold on, Alex! Come on.

Yeah, there it is! Breathe! Breathe, Alex!

Breathe it in. Breathe.

Just keep breathing. We're buddy-breathing.

It's all gonna be good. It's all good.

Shed, you got this?

No one else dies today.

If we don't get that radio
back, we all die... today.

Okay, Alex. My turn, buddy.

I just need a couple of breaths.

Ah, that's the stuff.

How's Alex doing?

He's hanging in there.

What does that mean?

Means he's hanging in there!

Get on with it. Hurry up.

Don't look at it.

Just think about something else, okay?

Like your kid. Think about your kid.

Swinging on a...

Swinging on a swing or something.

You're trying to distract me.

Hey, guys.

We're running out of...
we're running out of air.

Now?

No carrier.

Ah, piece of shit!

We have connection.

Get back in here now!

Come on.

- Go!
- Pressurizing.

Ow!

What the hell did you do to me?

You saved my hide, partner.

You crazy son of a bitch.

Ah, no problem.

I need him sent to Luna
for deeper interrogations.

Let the team here go another
round, they'll break him.

They have a budget, it's
already shot to hell.

And unlike you, I have to grovel

and promise and deliver to get reappointed.

This concerns me? How?

You're two heartbeats away from
running the government on this planet.

Yet you're accountable to
no one. How does that happen?

This boy isn't some hapless smuggler.

I believe the O.P.A may be
trying to obtain stealth weapons.

Everything is not an O.P.A. plot

and if Earth can't
afford a stealth program,

how can a bunch of rock-tossers?

They can't...

Unless they've found
a new friend like Mars.

Cold war is a bloodless war.

Mutual distrust and complete co-dependence.

Nobody wants to change that.

Least of all Mars.

That's another thing.

I want every Martian weapons
facility under a microscope.

They are.

You know, your Belter will
like gravity on Luna better.

That's the only thing he'll like.

I'm afraid for him.

Heaven help your enemies, Chrisjen.

Heaven help us all

if Mars and the Belt decide
to share a toothbrush.

Bold move, I'll give him that.

What?

The cold war is over,
this is something new.

The antenna's working but
our signal's still too weak.

The transmitter was severed
from the power grid. It's done.

This just keeps getting better and better.

So we just blew an hour of air
for a radio that doesn't even work?

Can't we rig ourselves an amplifier?

We're gonna need a shitload of power.

Take everything apart.

Be fast and be careful, we're
inside of a limb with a pin here.

If it has a battery, a power pack,

any charge capability, it goes into a part.

I'm sorry, does anyone
need a back rub first?

Last one.

Even if someone hears our SOS,

they're gonna think we're pirates.

Well...

We're gonna just have to pray there's
another caring soul out there like Ade.

Ade? She's why we're
in this shit right now.

If she hadn't gone and logged
that stupid distress call...

Hey!

You don't know what you are talking about.

You wanna keep your teeth in your mouth...

We're wasting air.

Give me a hand over here, will you, buddy?

You want to unburden your soul,

do it on your own time.

On the remotest chance
we get off this alive.

We have enough problems right now.

Yes, sir.

You know that guy was telling you to go...

... hump yourself.

- Yeah.
- Geez... Really? I hadn't realized that.

I've got plans for it, anyway.

Not even gonna ask.

Nice tat.

Your boss lets you wear your
colors like that, out in the open?

Boss has one just like it.

Here's the one. Feeds the
south-east corner of the gardens.

- This guy?
- Yeah.

Look it, here.

Sensor box should be to your right.

Amateurs.

But you gotta admire their
stones for hittin' the park.

Where did you say this pipe diverts to?

Twelfth Level, condenser
grid. It's in a warehouse.

Even water like this today,

Belter loader gonna want it.

Huh? Hmm?

Sa baka.

It's good! Good.

We can sell it.

Let's make some money!

Star Helix, don't move!

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Be smart.

Come on, kid.

Huh?

Is that everything you got?

Hey... Hey!

Doing my work, cop.

Hey, whoa, whoa!

What are you punks doing
stealing up-tunnel water?

Free sample.

All piss and vinegar.

You know, you're lucky

it's us chasing you and not the Greigas.

They would feed you your fingers,

for playin' in their district.

Greigas gone.

This is our turf now.

Nobody just abandons their
territory to a bunch of street punks.

You see, the Greigas were smart.

They'd siphon a little
water, and sell it off...

Nobody's the wiser.

But you, you gutter punks.

You screwed the golden goose.

- Mmm?
- Okay, man.

Schoolin' me on gangsters, que?

Yeah, dirtbag school's in session.

Listen... Pick all the pockets
you want, roll drunks...

But when you mess with the water,

that's when you're going down.

Maybe a couple of years on a
prison barge will set him straight.

Huh? Would you like that?

Do what you gotta do.

Hey... Hey!

Get out of here.

Stay away from the aqua.

Tell all your friends!

I did not see that coming.

Yeah?

How about this? You see that coming?

Yeah.

Madam, I apologize for calling so late.

There's been an incident
on the shuttle to Luna.

Go on.

The prisoner, Heikki
Sobong took his own life

by avoiding the high-gravity
injections from his crash couch...

It appears he broke free of his restraints,

during the critical phase of the ascent,

when he knew the guards would be
receiving their own injections.

I think, madam, he is making a statement.

Speak frankly, please.

Earth's gravity. We used it to hurt him.

He threw it back in our face.

You want to clue us in?

This beacon we answered
isn't pirate tech...

It's top-grade military stuff.

Serial stamp on the main board.

Martian Congressional Navy.

That makes no kind of sense.

It makes all kinds of sense.

That ship that attacked The Cant
wasn't tucked behind an asteroid,

it was hiding in plain sight.

A stealth ship... why would they
nuke a civilian ship without warning?

Because they can.

- You don't know what you're talking about.
- Whoa...

What the hell are we tangled up in here?

Who gives a shit?

Let's focus on staying alive.
We'll worry about Mars later.

Good so far?

Good signal.

We've got three hours of juice.

Well...

I guess all we gotta do now is

pop a cold beer, and wait to be rescued.

Nope.

Got no record of a
Razorback on these docks.

Any, um,

special hangar where rich
people keep their pleasure-craft?

On Ceres? Not last I heard.

Now, there's a girl I'm not
gonna forget anytime soon.

Yeah, why's that?

Uh, few rotations back,

some dock-jock was slobbering all over her

while she was prepping to ship out.

Eh, guy must've mistaken her
good manners for encouragement

and when he laid hands on her,

god damn, she planted him in the deck.

That girl had skills.

What ship was that?

Scopuli.

Dumpy old transport.

No cargo, just this
young lady and a few crew.

Send me the ship manifest, will you?

And transponder logs, et cetera?

She in some kind of trouble?

I'm sure it's nothin' she can't handle.

Alex?

Someone heard us.

- Someone heard us?
- Yeah.

Are they coming?

Just waiting for the bounceback.

What is that?

Ship en route.

How far?

It's almost 80,000 clicks.

It's gonna be a hell of a close shave.

We'll make it.

What? What is it?

The ship. It's Mars.

What?

The Donnager.

The flagship of the Martian Navy.

Coming to finish the job.

And we just told 'em where we were.

...continues to appear
for the freighter Canterbury

which disappeared while
responding to a distress call.

The Canterbury was reported to be
carrying ice, bound for Ceres station.

And the loss of that shipment has prompted

a drastic increase in water
rationing station-wide.

A spokesperson...

- Hey.
- Hey.

Good golly, Ms. Mao. You sure can pick 'em.

Find your lost heiress yet?

Well...

She's not on Ceres.

Shipped out on the Scopuli.

It just went dark right after take-off.

Vanished.

The week for vanishing ships.

You'd think a rich girl like her
would've had that birthmark fixed.

I don't know. If it was a birthmark,

her parents would have had it fixed.

That's a scar.

I don't think she wanted it fixed.

Why do you say that?

Oh, it's a badge of defiance.

Against everything she's supposed to be.

Wow. She tell you that herself?

Yeah, she did.

Listen, we're the only ones who
know what happened to the Cant.

We get on that ship and chances
are we're never comin' out.

Unless...

What are you doing?

Buying us insurance.

My name is James Holden,

speaking for the five
survivors of the Canterbury.

Our ship was destroyed answering a
bogus SOS from a ship called the Scopuli.

We recovered a false beacon and
identified it as Martian Naval technology.

- It was a trap.
- Are you insane?

We are about to be taken
aboard the MCRN Donnager.

- Alex, shut him down!
- He's locked us out.

He's locked us out! Hey, whoa, whoa!

You don't speak for us.

We intend to cooperate and hope
this means we won't be harmed.

Should I smoke him?

Say the word.

We're dead anyway.

Any such action will only confirm that
the Canterbury was destroyed by Mars.

It just needs to reach one ship,
one station. Then it'll spread.

Don't count on it.

Their jammers were in range.

You are prisoners of the
Mars Congressional Republic.

Move and you die.