The Outer Limits (1995–2002): Season 4, Episode 17 - Lithia - full transcript

ARIEL:
When it came to pass
that the men of the Earth

could not make
peace among themselves,

and so took up arms
against one another,

the fires of hatred rained
down upon the land,

laying waste to all that
was good and gentle.

Those who survived
saw death and
destruction all around,

and it was called what? Hmm?

-Phoebe?
-The Great War.

Yes.

And in the days that followed
there was more death,

as a miasma called "fallout"
bore down upon the survivors.



But even then,
the men who had made
of Earth a fiery hell,

saw not the error
of their ways,

and so the Goddess raised
her mighty hand,

and wrecked vengeance
upon them,

and the men who remained
fell victim one by one,
to what?

-Nomi?
-The scourge?

That's right.

And the scourge cleansed
the Earth of evil,

singling out the men,
and leaving
the women unscathed.

And the Goddess
saw that the evil was gone
and the men were no more,

and she unfurled the fingers
or her hands,

and she made a sign of
blessing upon the females,

who now inherited
the sea and the sky,

the land and all its bounty,



and when the males
of the Earth had vanished,

so too did wickedness
and war and hatred,

and the peace and the glory
of her kingdom was restored.

And let us say,
"Praise Goddess."

ALL: Praise Goddess.

(MAN EXCLAIMING)

(GASPING)

(EXCLAMATIONS)

Shh, it's all right.

(PANTING)

(GROANING)
Help me.

(GIRLS SCREAMING)

CONTROL VOICE:
There is nothing wrong
with your television.

Do not attempt
to adjust the picture.

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We control the horizontal
and the vertical.

We can deluge you
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or expand one single image
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and beyond.

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to anything our imagination
can conceive.

For the next hour,

we will control
all that you see and hear.

You are about to experience
the awe and mystery

which reaches from
the deepest inner mind

to
--The Outer Limits.

CONTROL VOICE:
Evolution teaches
that the failure

of a species to adapt
will result in extinction,

but could an entire gender
fall victim to the same
immutable loss?

Feeling better?

Much, thank you.

I'm called Hera, the elder.

I see you've met
my grandchild, Ariel,
the teacher.

This is Sarah, the healer,
and Celeste, our baby nurse.

What is your name?

Oh, that's a good question.

You don't know your name?

Well, I'm still a bit foggy,
I've been in deep cryo.

You were frozen?

Hang on, a little bit of it's
coming back to me.

It was an experiment.
I volunteered.

-What's the date?
-March 9th.

-The year, what year is it?
-2055.

55?

40 years. It was supposed
to be six months.

Then you remember
the Great War?

I remember how it started.

I was in the service.

My name is Mercer,

Major, US Army.

We won, didn't we?

No one won.

How bad?
How many were lost?

Over 7 billion.

99% of the Earth's population.

-Oh, God.
-That was before
the worldwide starvation,

the attrition
from radioactivity,

and the scourge.

-GIRL: He's crying.
-That'll do, children.

Everyone, outside.

Come on.

Is this some sort
of girls' school?

No, this is our enclave,
Lithia.

So, uh,

where are your men,
in the fields?

I didn't see any
when I got here.

You might say
they're in the fields.

That's where they're buried.

So, my war
wasn't the last one?

Oh, no, it was
the last one.

-Something I'm missing here?
-The scourge.

It was a mutated virus
that killed only men.

It was men who brought the war
and it was men who
paid the ultimate price.

So, your town,
your enclave,

there are no men at all?

No. Not here,
not anywhere.

40 years?

No men.
What about those kids?

Even in your day,
the technology existed.

Frozen seed from
the last of the survivors.

There's enough stored
for generations.

But, even still, males
must have been born?

They didn't survive more than
a few days, weeks at the most.

I want you to tell me
this is a nightmare.

I want to wake up.

What I can tell you
with certainty, Major Mercer,

is that you are
the last man on Earth.

(CHILDREN PLAYING)

Phoebe, Phoebe, come here.
You saw him,

is he as handsome
as they say he is?

Well, I don't know, I've never
seen a real man before,
only the picture people.

He looked so strong.

-Did he?
-He can't stay here.

The Council won't allow it.

PELE: His arrival is a curse.

The Goddess is
unhappy with us.

HERA: Perhaps, but it
may also be a test.

A test of what?

Our goodness, our faith,
our morality.

How do we know he doesn't
harbor the same disease
which decimated the others?

What if his arrival
is a blessing?

Miranda, please.

Well, of all the world's
enclaves, he finds ours.

There's only one devil.
Would his arrival be
a blessing too?

I just don't think we should
react out of ignorance.

I mean, what if he's been sent
to restore the balance?

(CHUCKLES)
There was no balance
when men ruled, Miranda.

Believe me,
I was there, I know.

I have no fondness for one
who worships destruction,

but I believe that if it was
a woman who came to us
hungry and in need,

we wouldn't turn her away.

Ariel's right, we are measured
by our generosity
and kindness,

and we can't possibly
make an exception
just because he's a man.

I still think we're making
a big mistake.

-Pele, we can't starve him.
-No, I'm serious.

-(BELL RINGING)
-A message from the Council!

Greetings, Lithia.

Greetings, Pontella.

I wish I were bearing
better news.

The austerity measures we
instituted the last solstice,

-
won't be lifted
as I had hoped.
-(SIGHING)

There were weather-related
shortfalls in the crops
of many of the enclaves,

yours included.

Rations will have
to be cut by another 10%,

and the tithe will be
increased a like amount.

We hope this will not
impose too much of
a hardship on your citizens.

We'll manage, Pontella.

We're sure the Council
wouldn't institute these
measures without good reason.

Thank you for your
understanding, Hera.

More austerity. There's
barely enough as it is!

All the more reason
to banish the man.

You have to tell them
eventually, you can't keep
something like this a secret.

No, but we don't want
to cause a panic.

Now, we'll deal with
the newcomer without
the Council's assistance,

for now.
Is that agreed?

Pele?

Agreed.

(ROOSTERS CROWING)

(GRUNTING)

I've been sent to wake you.

-What time is it?
-Time to work.

(SIGHS)

Good morning.

This is how you
grind your wheat?

Ever since
the waters diminished.

Here, you can take
the outside position.

(WORKERS PANTING)

Men can't be trusted,
you heard what Hera said.

Hera's memories grow dim.

The war killed everyone
she ever loved, believe me,
she remembers.

-Are you jealous?
-Why, should I be?

Of course not.

But what's
the matter with you?

I'm exhausted.

Come here.
I'll wash your back.

(MOANING)
(GASPS)

Sorry.

They said that I was supposed
to shower before the meal.

That's all right,
the shower's for everyone.

-Miranda!
-What?

Pele!

Don't be shy,
we're all one family here.

When the waters
powered the wheel,

we processed three times
the amount of grain we do now.

What happens to the grain
you don't get to?

Some of it goes bad,
most of it we give away
before it does.

When did the river dry up?

When they repaired
the old dam upstream.

Who did?

Hyacinth Enclave.

They're trying to restore
portions of a century-old
hydroelectric power plant,

and they're hoping to be
able to barter power
the way we do flour.

Let me get this straight,
this other enclave,

they dammed up your river
and now your
paddle wheel won't turn.

That's right, but you can't
blame them for what they did.

Really? Why not?

Their soil is poor.

They can't produce
food for themselves,
much less to trade.

Besides, we can still use
labor to turn the wheel.

I'm sorry, but where I'm from,
that's highway robbery.

They have children, as we do,
and a larger population.

They have to survive too.

I understand, but not
at your expense.

I mean, you can't take care
of the whole world, you have
to look after your own first.

Those are the very beliefs
that led to war.

You know, in my day,

these rural paddle wheels
sometimes had an electro-
mechanical system as a backup.

Ours did once, but it's been
broken for a long time now.

Yeah? You mind if
I take a look at it?

Be our guest,
but we don't have
the electricity to power it,

even if repairs
could be made.

Well, what about those
power lines I saw?

Relics of the apocalypse,
Major.

Your apocalypse.

MERCER: So, uh, Ariel,
do you do much traveling?

What for? Everything
we need is here.

What about over to
that other enclave,
the one with the dam?

Miranda's
the trade representative.

She's visited Hyacinth on
a number of occasions, why?

I don't know,
just thought maybe,

sometimes curiosity might
get the best of you.

I'm curious about you.

You got questions, fire away.

-What was it like?
-What's that?

Life before I was a popsicle?

Well, Hera's told us about
the world before the war,

but her perspective
is that of a woman.

Well, we had our problems.

I don't mean between nations,
I know all about that.

I mean, between men and women.

Oh, yeah, we called that
the battle of the sexes.

(CHUCKLES)
The battle?

Guess we know who won.

-You didn't always fight?
-No, no.

Most of the time it was
pretty damn good. Thanks.

So was there someone special?

A wife?

No, I never did marry, but,

there was,
there was someone special.

Must have been very difficult
to leave her behind.

Yeah, it was.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean
to bring back bad memories.

No, hey, memories
are all I've got, or what
there is of them.

What about you?
With relationships, I mean.

There's no one,
if that's what you mean.

I was just wondering,
I mean, there's nobody
around here but women.

Don't flatter yourself,
Major Mercer,

those women
are very contented.

(GRUNTING)

I hope I'm not
interrupting.

Not at all. In fact, I was
just getting nowhere fast.

What a shame, I was hoping
we could elevate ourselves
from the status of oxen.

Listen, uh, Ariel
tells me that

you're the one in charge
of bartering with
the other enclaves.

Among other things, yes.

Well, how long before
this Hyacinth enclave
would be ready to

have electricity they
could trade with us?

-Us?
-Well, as it were.

Well, from what I'm told,

they're only beginning
to produce marketable power,

but it's controversial.
The Ruling Council's leery
of the whole idea.

Yeah, you get electricity,
before you know it,
somebody turns on a light.

You mock us, but our ways
have served us well.

Yeah.

(GRUNTING)

Why don't you take a break?

You must be tired.

Well, I've been resting for
about three or four decades.

A little hard work feels good.

Do you know
what else feels good?

PELE: Miranda,
are you in there?

Miranda?

I've got to go.

Come on.

-Hera, tell us a story.
-Oh, past your bedtime.

Just a short one, please?

It's all right, Celeste,
it's all right.

-Tell us about the olden days.
-Yeah, when you were young.

(GIGGLES)
Oh, fans of ancient history,
I see.

There were men
before the war, right?

Of course there were,
I even know that.

Did you ever fall in love
with one? With a man, I mean.

Yes, uh, I suppose, once.

A long time ago.

-Did you get married?
-We had plans.

What happened?
Didn't he like you?

Yes, he liked me very much,
but like most young men,
he chose to go to war.

Did he die?

-Yes, I'm afraid he did.
-That's sad.

-What was his name?
-Jason.

Was he handsome?

(CHUCKLES)
Yes, he was very handsome.

Do you miss him?

I still keep this to
remember him by.

-What is that?
-It's the locket he gave me.

Do you wish things were the
way they used to be?
With men and everything?

No. I don't waste my time
wishing for things like that.

I think Ariel likes
Major Mercer.

Oh, that's enough. (LAUGHS)

-(LAUGHS) Good night, Girls.
-GIRLS: Good night!

HERA:
Sweet Dreams.

What are you looking at?

Sorry, I was just, um...

I just have to know.

Know what?

What I have been missing.

Is that a problem?

Oh. No.

That's no problem at all.

Come here.

There you go.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(GENTLE MOANING)

(GASPS)

(SOBS)

MERCER:
The mill's motor is
almost operational.

It's not that we don't
appreciate your efforts,
Major Mercer,

but, as I told you, there's
no way we could possibly
power it.

With your permission, Hera,
I'd like to explore future
trade with the Hyacinth.

Flour for electricity.
Once they have Council
approval.

Miranda! We have gotten by for
two generations without a
power source.

But it doesn't have to be that
way.

It's by choice, Major
Mercer.

We choose not to
depend on machines.

Clearly, you don't understand.
You've never understood.

Men can't seem to grasp the
value of simplicity.

Well, we're not talking about
nuclear power, just a few
amps.

Please, Hera.

Well, as long as no pressure
is applied. I suppose there's
no harm in talking to them.

We've heard rumors of men
in suspended animation but
we thought they were myths.

I certainly never expected to
meet one.

Well, the pleasure is all
mine.

Now, what do you think of
our proposal?

-It's a just one, I believe.
-I wish it were simply a
matter of justness.

Even among our own citizens,

there is no consensus that
this undertaking was
a wise one.

And as you probably know,

the Ruling Council won't
allow us to go much beyond
testing our capacity

to produce electricity

until the ramifications are
fully debated.

Well, considering the
hardships your dam
has imposed,

I think you can make an
exception for Lithia.

All we're asking is that
you trade us a few kilowatts
of power per season.

If and when we get our
approvals, I promise you

we will give your enclave the
highest priority.

How long is that going to be?

The Ruling Council has asked
to study the matter for
another year, perhaps two.

-Well, that's not soon enough.
-I beg your pardon?

(ELECTRICITY BUZZING)

You're producing power now.
Why not share some of it?

Miranda, perhaps you can
explain to this man

what our code of honor is
about.

Oh, I know about your code
of honor. Take care of your
own first.

-Thank you for your time.
-Give our regards to Hera.

I want the hunters to
organize into small patrols.

-What kind of patrols?
-The man was armed with a
laser pistol.

I'm concerned about what he
might do.

You're not suggesting we
take arms against a human
being?

We will pray to the Goddess
that it never comes to that,

but it would be
irresponsible not to protect
ourselves.

We have redrawn the levies. It
will take effect immediately.

20% of your trade
goods will be collected for

the Ruling Council's
distribution.

Essentials and allocations
will continue to be
supplied on a need basis,

so please keep us current on
your supply status and your
productivity.

Until we speak again,
Praise Goddess.

ALL: Praise Goddess.

Well, so much for the
austerity measures being
moderated.

We can't possibly give the
Council another 20%.

Well, what would you have us
do, Miranda? Rebel?

Oh, is that a dirty word too?

I'll remind you that
you are here at our pleasure,
Major Mercer.

It would be unwise to place
any additional strain on that
relationship.

Right.

It's just that Miranda and I
passed the distribution poles
on the way back from the dam.

I don't understand. What's
the significance?

Well, the power lines running
into Lithia are just a
stone's throw

away from one of
their transformers.

Now, I could easily tap into
that transformer, hook us back
up,

and nobody's going to know
the difference.

You want to steal their
electricity?

There's enough power in that
river for both enclaves.

And you have just as much
right to it as they do. More,
because you had it first.

So who's stealing from whom?

We do not steal, Major Mercer.
We do not lie, we do
not cheat.

I did not ask to be here,
Hera, but I'm here.

Now let me do something.

(LAUGHS) I've known many
like you, Major.

You've always gotten your
way, you can't stand being
thwarted.

-Ariel!
-All I ask is you think this
through.

-Ariel! Just listen for a
second!
-Mercer!

You don't need her. You don't
need anyone. No one but me.

I'm your only convert, and the
only one who can bring your
plan to fruition.

There's some old cable locked
up in a storage shed.

I can get the key.

How's it going?

Almost there.

We did it.

Miranda, I couldn't have done
it without you.

You can thank me later.

-I'll see you in an hour?
-Yeah.

If you ever come near Miranda
again, so help me,

I'll carve you a new smile.

(MOTOR WHIZZING)

(LAUGHS)

Hera!

Hera, can you hear it?

The great wheel, it's
turning on its own!

What you did was wrong,
Miranda!

No good will come of it.

We can produce more
wheat in 24 hours than your
workers can in a week.

When the Ruling Council finds
out, we will be punished.

Mercer says we're already
being punished.

Don't you people see what's
going on?

There are enough resources to
go around. You Ruling Council

is going to squeeze the other
small enclaves just
like yours.

They're going to tax you
into oblivion. At least now,
you've got a fighting chance.

Women don't fight,
Major Mercer. We cooperate.

You think you have us all
figured out after five days,

but obviously you haven't
learned anything about
who we are.

What I do know, Hera,

is that no good leader would
stand by and watch
her community

slowly be taxed into
starvation.

I suppose we needed a man to
save us?

This is not about men and
women. It's about standing
up for our rights.

Since when did we
acquire the right to plunder
from our neighbor?

You don't want to survive?
I'll unplug the damned thing.

You don't see the irony
in this, Major Mercer,

your telling a community
of women how to survive?

When your gender has all but
disappeared?

(LOUD BANGS)

(GIRLS LAUGHING)

Wanna try it?

Let's go up a little closer!
All right.

Now, you just look right
through here,

sight right through there.

What are you doing?

Scoot, both of you.

Where did that come from?

Cryo-capsule. Soldier doesn't
go far without his weapon.

This is our day of rest.
You're disturbing the
tranquility.

-Hera wouldn't be happy.
-Hera hasn't been happy
since I got here.

Neither has anybody else,
no matter what I try to do to
help you.

-What about you?
-What does it matter what I
think?

-Oh, it matters?
-Why?

It does.

What wrong?

Nothing.

Yeah? You sure?

Now that wasn't so bad,
was it?

No.

It was good.

(MECHANICAL SQUEAKING)

The motor stopped working.

The electricity's been shut
off.

I've got to go.

MERCER:
Yeah, they cut it,
all right.

Here.

-What do I do with this?
-Cover me.

Please. Stop what you're
doing and get down.

You can tell your people that
we're only taking what's
rightfully ours.

I said get down!

I said please!
Please, get down!

MIRANDA:
What do I do?
MERCER:
Stop her.

(CRIES IN PAIN)

Oh my God!

What have I done?

(GASPS)

Mercer!

They had a long bow
trained on me.

Miranda fired her weapon in
defense of my life.

I could be dead right now if
she hadn't had the guts to
shoot.

A citizen of Hyacinth would
still be alive

if it weren't for your
ill-advised marauding.

You want me to take the hit?
Fine.

I just want the chance to
make amends.

I want to bring Miranda
back safely.

But law, they have the right
to keep her.

And she could end up losing
her life because of my
mistake.

An eye for an eye is men's
idea of justice.

I'm going to bring her back,
Hera. With or without
your blessing.

I'll come with you, Mercer.

I'm not abandoning Miranda
now.

I'll come too. If you'll
have me.

You have your gall,
Major Mercer.

I didn't come here to cause
any trouble.

I just want Miranda back.

She slew one of our own.

-Where is she?
-She's alive and well.

But until the Council rules,
she will atone through her
labors.

Look, if you want to blame
someone, blame me.

I'll take her place.

Please, Major. How
could a man possibly take
a woman's place?

All right. Then we'll trade a
woman for a woman.

(WHISTLES)

(WOMEN GASP)

Bring out the wrongdoer.

WOMAN:
Bring the wrongdoer!

Now then. Nice and easy.

Let her come forward.

First, lay down your weapon.

Not a chance.

(BANGING)

Elysse! Run!

Hold it.
Right there!

(GASPING)

WOMAN: Stop it!

(WHEEZING)

(WHISPERS)
Enough!

I say enough!

(GASPING) I finally
found someone.

This is madness!

WOMAN:
Lay down your weapons!

All of you!

(WHISPERS)
It's not fair!

(GASPING)

HERA:
We beseech you, oh
Goddess, to lift up the souls
of our dearly departed.

And make of them a sign in the
heavens,

that they will always know our
love is constant.

(WOMEN WEEPING)

And to those who would
try to change us,

who would try to bring the old
ways back into our midst,

let this be a warning.

We will never, never
succumb to the Devil's
enticements.

Males worship death.
Females, life.

Men destroy but women
endure.

And let us say,
"Praise Goddess."

WOMAN: Praise Goddess.
Praise Goddess.

(WOMEN WEEPING)

Impetuous, stubborn,
you're so much like him.

I just came by to tell you
I'll be leaving at
first light.

Where will you go?

Someplace I can get
a second chance.

While you were gone
I reported to the Ruling
Council.

I told them all about your
arrival.

That's just all the more
reason for me to get the hell
out of here.

To my surprise, they knew all
about you.

You're not the only man on
Earth, Major Mercer.

There are 11 others.

They found you all in cryonic
suspension during an
excavation.

And they decided to place
each of you near an enclave.

And then arranged to have you
revived.

One by one.

-Go on.
-Well, it was to be an
experiment, you see?

They wanted to see what would
happen if men were
reintroduced into the world.

And from what they tell me, in
each case it was a disaster.

There was violence, jealousy.
Evil ran rampant.

You still don't understand,
do you?

That fact is for you, for
all men now and forever,
this was your second chance.

MERCER:
What I did, I did
because it was right.

If I find someone in need,
I want to help them.

I see someone in danger,
my instinct is to protect
them. To be strong.

It's who I am. I'm a soldier.
I'm a man.

MERCER: No!

Listen! Listen, we're not that
different!

Not down deep, we all want the
same things!

Just to be happy and live and
raise our children and love
each other!

Please! I don't want to die!

Please, just one more chance!

Just one more chance,
Hera, please!

Oh, God!

Goodbye,

Jason.

What did you say?
What did you call me?

MERCER:
I never told you that!
How did you know my name?

MERCER:
How did you know?

HERA: I'm sorry.

MERCER:
Wait!
How did you know my name?
Please!

Please! No! No!

No! Help me!
(SILENTLY) Please, help me!

(CRYING)

CONTROL VOICE:
The differences
between men and women have
been debated

among philosophers since
recorded history began.

If indeed males by their
nature are the aggressor,

it is this quality that
may one day be their undoing.