The Swarm (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Episode #1.6 - full transcript
It's an entirely new species.
They seem to be spreading much faster.
The worms just happened to be
found where they would do the most harm.
There was a strange light and bursts
of sound before the Juno went down.
Secure the station, and get back here.
Everything has to be
by the book with her.
They can't be
occurring independent from one another.
There must be some connection.
We found an organic substance
in the brainstem of a whale.
Is the substance
causing the changes in behaviour?
The wavelength of the light and the
frequency of the sound are identical.
I was wrong not to trust you.
I am sorry.
-Stop!
-Charlie!
-No! Leave me! Let me go!
-We can't go.
Leave me! No!
Sigur, it's me.
I just wanted you to know...
I can't imagine a life
without you either.
...has also been devastated,
with early reports suggesting
several coastal villages
have been destroyed,
and more than 350 people
reported missing...
...whose own lives had been
irrevocably altered...
...not only here on the coast,
but all around the world.
The extent of the catastrophe
is still being determined.
More than 700 people are missing
in Trondheim, Norway...
...population trying to move inland,
away from the coasts.
Great Britain has also been devastated,
with early reports suggesting
several coastal villages
have been destroyed...
Charlie?
Sigur...
It's me.
I just wanted you to know...
I can't imagine
a life without you either.
Hello, Mr. Johnson? One question.
-Mr. Johnson?
-Thank you.
I'm really sorry, I'm late.
Can I go ahead?
I'm so sorry. Really sorry.
I'm sorry, I have to go ahead. I'm late.
Come closer. Please wait.
You can go.
If I could ask you to turn your
attention to the screen:
In red, you see where the infected crabs
first came ashore in Japan.
Ma'am, can I see your badge, please?
Following the infestation of
infected crabs swarming coastal areas
in South Africa, Brazil,
Morocco and India...
-How are you?
-Good. It's good to see you.
From the initial point of contact,
the bacteria has infiltrated
every source of water,
both man-made and natural,
everywhere it was introduced.
Forty percent of the Earth's
population lives on the coast.
If the swarms of crabs appear elsewhere,
we will be looking at one of the largest
displacements of human beings
the world has ever seen.
-Dr. Roche?
-Yes.
We have been aware of the effect
that warming of the ocean
will have on rising sea levels,
and the number of people who
will be displaced as a result,
as well as the effect it will have
on the pathogenicity of bacteria
as well as viruses, fungi, parasites...
Yeah.
Sigur, are you watching this?
I am.
I'm gonna call you back.
Dr. Roche, so...
The emergence of a more deadly strain
is unfortunately not a surprise.
No, it's not.
But what we could not have predicted
was that it would be carried ashore
by an invasion of an unknown species
which seems to have no other function
than to infect us
with the bacteria it carries.
Dr. Roche.
Are you suggesting that the crabs
deliberately polluted our waterways?
I'm not suggesting it, Mr. Peak.
The data is.
Hello?
Riku, hi, it's Sigur.
I'd like to talk to Dr. Roche.
Do you think you could arrange that?
-I'll speak to her this afternoon.
-Good, good.
Also, will Leon Anawak be speaking?
Or anybody from
the Vancouver Island Marine Institute?
He's not on the roster.
Why are you asking?
-I'd like to meet him.
-When?
As soon as possible.
Do you think there's a chance?
I'll see what I can do.
You here to tell me to get inland?
This is going to get worse
before it gets better.
This is our home.
I know.
I remember you out there.
Half the height you are now.
Running from waves,
your mother chasing you down the beach.
I reckon you were more at home out there
than you were between any four walls.
You're right.
Still am.
Yeah.
I appreciate the concern, Leon.
We all do.
But until Murray Cove is gone,
most of us will be staying here.
I am proud of you, kid.
There's a comfort in knowing
you're right where
you're supposed to be.
Thank you.
You really think moving inland's
gonna make a difference?
Safer than the coast.
I'm with Kit on this one.
I mean... Move inland? For what?
Facing it head on, on my own terms?
Sounds better to me.
-While I'm gone, you'll...
-Keep an eye on things?
Yeah, I'll do my best.
Let's just hope everything's
still standing when you get back.
Do us proud, kid.
Okay, so if we go on the assumption
that the attacks were not random...
Which I don't think they are.
Right, well, that would suggest
that they were strategic,
that they were part of an overall plan.
I know how it sounds,
I've racked my brain
to find another explanation.
And you can't?
No.
And what's more alarming
is that I think that
whoever's behind it is learning.
Learning?
The strain of bacterium
we found in the lobsters
was brought ashore by
the fishermen who caught them.
The infected crabs
came ashore by themselves.
You understand why I decided not
to mention that to the Council?
Well, as it happens, I agree with you.
As do several others.
Would you be free to meet?
-In Trondheim?
-No. In Kiel.
Institute for Marine Biology.
I think you know Katharina Lehmann.
Not well, but yes,
we have spoken a few times.
The thing is...
I promised my children I'd be back.
Yeah, I know it's a lot to ask.
-When?
-Tomorrow.
Okay, I'll be there.
Hey, Rahim. Leon Anawak's on his way.
Could you go down and meet him?
And bring him to the lab?
-Sure.
-Yeah? Thanks.
Leon Anawak?
Yes.
I'm Rahim Amir,
I work with Professor Lehmann.
-Good flight?
-Never flown on a private jet before.
You and me both. Please.
The cafeteria is shut, but we have
coffee and sandwiches in the office
if you'd like to eat something
before we get started.
You spoke to the others?
Yeah. Cécile, Leon...
-Professor Lehmann?
-No.
No, I thought it better
to wait for some back-up.
In recent days... weeks,
we have all seen things
that should not be.
And yet are.
Populations of marine species
growing at a rate so exponential,
it seems to defy biology.
Whales behaving as if possessed...
The eruption and channeling of water
from long dormant sites
over vast distances...
Species infected with
mutant strains of bacteria,
poisoning our water.
I believe something is behind the events
we've all witnessed firsthand.
Something that has weaponized
the seas against us.
If these... phenomena
are in fact connected,
if they're outside the bounds
of what we currently know to be true.
That they are somehow the work of
some sort of intelligent life force
which wants to drive us from the ocean.
Is that what you're suggesting?
Yes.
But...
But we've hardly scratched the surface
of what might be a
plausible explanation.
Professor Lehmann.
That's true, I agree.
But instinct tells me
this is something else.
Leon, I'd never question the importance
of following your instinct,
or how intuition has been the impetus
for so many breakthroughs in our field.
But to abandon
everything we know to be true...
and jump to such a conclusion?
Katharina, it's because
all I know to be true is no longer true
that I began to look elsewhere.
And I cannot help but think that
what's happening in the sea
is in some way a reaction,
a response, to what we have done to it.
Cécile, you are asking me
to unearth the foundation
on which my training,
my research, my teaching,
has been built.
I can't.
I'm sorry.
I shall let you to it.
But before I do, I must warn you.
This could be a very
dangerous road to be going down.
At a time like this,
with the world so unstable,
to suggest that we cannot
find the truth in science
as we know and understand it,
you must realize the level of disruption
that might be unleashed
onto the psyche of the world.
Professor Lehmann.
Charlie.
You really don't think there's
a chance that we're right?
It's not about chances,
it's about probability.
And when probability is low,
then it's wiser to proceed with caution.
-Which is not what you're doing.
-We don't have time for caution.
It's easy to say that.
But right now is the time
to be more careful than ever.
Your reputation is on the line.
All of theirs are.
What good will that do, if...
You still need a good reputation
if you want people to listen to you.
When you believe something is true,
you pursue it, despite the risks.
-I learned that from you.
-I understand your idealism.
But in my experience,
taking this kind of risk
tends to end badly.
The slots are all thirty minutes.
If your proposal is selected,
there is a follow-up with the council.
All supporting documentation
needs to be sent in advance.
Yeah, we're working on that as we speak.
Travel is getting
increasingly difficult.
I'll have my office make arrangements.
I will need the names
of those accompanying you.
Cécile Roche. Leon Anawak.
Charlie Wagner.
And Rahim Amir.
And Professor Lehmann?
Unfortunately, Professor Lehmann
won't be joining us.
She has a different view?
She does. Yes.
-But, Riku, I assure you...
-You don't need to assure me.
Professor Lehmann's name would've added
a credibility to your presentation,
but if your findings are sound,
they will speak for themselves.
Thank you. Thank you, Riku.
How long have you studied under her?
Professor Lehmann?
Three years.
Two more to go.
If I want to finish my PhD.
It's probably not the best time
to be making decisions about the future.
No, probably not.
When you spoke
in front of the Council...
You said we were looking at
the largest displacement of human beings
the world has ever seen.
I did, yes.
Do you think...
Do you think it's possible that
this intelligence doesn't
actually want to destroy us?
Do you think maybe it just wants
to drive us from the water
and keep us from coming back?
I would like to believe so.
I'd like to believe its intentions
are defensive and not aggressive.
But you aren't sure.
Right now, no, I can't be.
None of us can, unfortunately.
But I think we have all learned
to not hold too tightly to assumptions.
There'll probably be more.
"Once we've eliminated the impossible,
whatever's left, however improbable,
must be the truth."
Who said that?
Sherlock Holmes.
I think it fits.
What is that?
Just something my mother gave to me.
May I?
Does it mean something?
When I was little, I used to ask
so many questions.
I remember driving my mom crazy.
She'd limit the number of things
I could ask,
so I had to be more selective.
There came a point when I was
asking things she couldn't answer.
She gave me that.
She said it was a symbol.
For the unknown.
Of course it was just for me,
to ease my mind.
Did it work?
For a while.
But...
I don't think I'm the kind of person
who could accept the unknown.
Neither am I.
Enough?
Yes.
Why whales?
Grew up on the ocean,
in British Columbia.
It's part of the culture there.
I think most people remember being kids,
in boats, on the beach,
seeing the burst of an orca's spray
or the flick of a grey's fluke.
I saw an orca,
when I was in the Shetlands.
I kept going back out
for a couple of days,
hoping to see it again, but I never did.
They're a lot shyer
than most people think.
What?
Professor Lehmann hates it
when we talk about animals like people.
But we all do it.
I don't think people realize
how similar they are to us.
They'll travel weeks, months,
to meet a whale whose song they heard.
The devotion to each other.
I don't see how you can perceive it
as anything but fascinating.
As beautiful.
To recap, Dr. Johanson,
and please tell me if
I don't get this straight.
You and your team believe
that the catastrophes of the past weeks
are more than linked.
That new species of marine life,
bivalves, crustaceans,
to name a few, have mutated
to carry out deliberate attacks
on humanity?
That's correct.
And that certain species
of whales have been altered
on a chemical and biological level,
prompting them to act
with total aggression,
with no regard for their own well-being
or even survival.
To push us inland,
to make coastline of every country
around the world uninhabitable.
And all of this,
all of it,
is the work of an...
An intelligence.
Such as an alien intelligence?
I didn't say alien.
We have many intelligent species
on this planet, Dr. Johanson.
We do.
But we believe that
this intelligence surpasses
anything we've seen in other species,
perhaps even our own.
What we are seeing,
the alteration of existing species,
the creation of new ones,
is far beyond anything
that we are able to do.
Perhaps will ever be able to do.
Can we assume, Dr. Johanson,
that you have considered
other, less original ideas?
I have.
I think we all have.
Many times.
A lab experiment gone wrong.
Decaying nuclear waste containers
leaking radioactive material
into the ocean.
A hostile state.
Bio-terrorists
genetically modifying species
to use in a coordinated attack...
As many as I'm sure
you've asked yourself.
And if you've come up with
some plausible, less original idea
that explains all the phenomena
that we have witnessed,
then please tell us.
Because we have not.
Nor, by the presentations
we've heard so far, has anyone else.
And this new intelligence,
could I ask what
you are calling it, or them?
For the time being, I have taken
to calling them the "Yrr."
-The Yrr?
-Correct.
How would you proceed in the event
that we consider your thesis?
I would suggest, as a first step,
we try to establish contact.
-Contact?
-With the Yrr.
And if you were able
to contact them, Dr. Johanson,
what would you say?
What I would say to any invading force
that I stood no chance in combatting:
I'd ask them to stop.
And do everything I could
to try to come to terms.
One final question, Dr. Johanson.
You're on the faculty of
Trondheim University?
I am currently on sabbatical.
And you have been consulting
for Hovedstad Energy.
Correct.
Which financed your research?
They financed the trip during which
we discovered the Sirsoe methanicola.
Are there other sources of funding?
The Mifune Foundation has offered
to cover our travel and accommodation.
But you haven't received any support
from the institutions
with which you and your
colleagues are associated.
No.
Not at the moment, no.
If there are no other questions?
Thank you, Dr. Johanson.
Thank you all.
Y'all do come up
with some interesting stuff.
Alicia did promise
it would be worth the trip.
And she did not disappoint.
Sam looked into the sound we picked up
when we tagged the whale.
They're all variations of rhythms,
clicks, scratches,
all the same pitch and frequency.
All earmarks of a language.
The question is what kind of language?
I trawled through our records.
ERIEL keeps logs of sounds
that originate from the Earth
as well as the galaxy.
We picked up the same signal.
From space?
Much more close to home.
Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean.
Now I'm checking with colleagues
at other organizations around the world
to see if
they've picked up anything similar.
-What do you think?
-About the Yrr?
I think...
I wouldn't be much of an astrophysicist
if I didn't think it were possible.
And if I asked, would you join us?
What would you say?
The team we have, we all know the water,
but none of us could do what you do...
Would I join you?
Yes, I would.
Thank you for coming.
Mr. Mifune, your six-fifteen.
Dr. Johanson.
Fifteen-minute slots, huh?
You must be a busy man.
Fifteen-minute slots
so my meetings stay on point.
Over the years I have come to realize
that time management
is as valuable a skill as any.
It allows me to spend time on the things
I'm truly passionate about.
I'm sorry to hear the council
did not approve your mission.
So am I. Although I can't say
that I'm surprised.
You may not have convinced them,
but you have convinced me, Dr. Johanson.
I have made my fortune
off the planet's gifts.
Including its oceans.
And I believe it's my duty
to repay the favor,
by doing all I can
to undo the damage we have done,
and limit the damage done in the future.
Which is why I would like to
fund a new venture.
If you are prepared
to accept my support.
I would like to back your mission.
I, like you,
wish to know if what you say is true.
Does this "Yrr" exist?
I didn't think this day would come.
I... doubt any of us did.
But now that it has,
it's up to you to decide
whether or not
you want to go through with it.
Samantha, Alicia: We've just met.
But the high regards
with which Leon speaks of you,
and of course
what I know about your work,
I have no doubt
that your joining us would be
of great benefit to our mission.
We sail in forty-eight hours.
Once on board, there'll be a
complete communication black-out.
This is to protect
the security of our mission,
and whatever we discover.
So, those of you who can go home
and make it back by the time we sail,
well, this could be your last
chance to say goodbye.
Because there are no guarantees.
I can't guarantee
the success of the mission.
There are no guarantees
that we will make it back alive, so...
Those of you who feel that you
do not want to carry forward,
I think I speak for everyone
when I say I understand.
I understand,
and it will in no way reflect
poorly on your character.
But for those who do,
I'll see you at the airport.
Excuse me?
I think I'm going to call it a night.
It's been a long day.
Thank you.
Charlie, I...
You're not coming.
I wish I could.
I wish I were like you, but I'm not.
Of course you are.
What are you talking about?
The mission will not succeed
or fail based on my input.
But it may without yours.
I'm going to go home.
I'm going to meet Max
and head down to Mom and Dad
and see my new niece
and ride it out with them.
And you can come and tell me about it
when you get back.
It's Mom.
I didn't mean to wake you.
Alicia.
It's a shame that it took this long
for you to get invited
to a proper conference.
My conferences are proper.
Wait, you never get to stay
in hotels like this.
Good thing you didn't marry me
for the perks.
That would have proven
very disappointing if I did.
Look, it's Mom.
Stop talking nonsense...
Mom, what are you doing...
You didn't say you were coming.
I thought
you were coming back last week.
I'm sorry, I had to stay
in Geneva a few days longer.
-I spoke to Dr. Coletti.
-There's nothing to worry about.
Yes, I know, but...
It's a simple procedure.
A couple days' rest and I'll be fine.
You should have someone in the house,
just until I get back.
You're not staying?
I have to go on a research
mission to the Arctic Ocean.
The Arctic Ocean?
You want to go out in the ocean? Now?
It's my job.
You come back to tell me not to worry,
then give me a reason to worry.
Since when do you need a reason?
You worry all the time.
Of course I do. I'm your mother.
This running around,
all over the world...
-Alicia, this is not living.
-I'm living my way, Mom.
Not yours. That doesn't mean it's wrong.
I want you to be happy.
To do whatever gives you joy.
But I also want time
to speak to my daughter,
I want her to tell me about her life.
Next visit, I promise.
But for now, can we just
enjoy our time together?
Cook? Listen to music?
Yes, but I'm cooking.
-And picking the music.
-Okay.
If you say no, I won't...
Do you really think I'm gonna say no?
Sam, who do you take me for?
I don't know what will happen out there.
You don't know
what'll happen here, either.
You know what I mean.
Sam, this is something that
goes beyond what you or I want.
Will you be proven right?
Who knows?
But you're doing your part
to find an answer.
And God knows we need answers right now.
Hey.
And I will be here,
waiting for you, when you get back.
I made a list of the people
I deal with at the bank.
My lawyer has a copy of my will.
Okay.
She set up a trust for the children.
You're an executor alongside her.
Okay, fine, yeah.
I wrote down the name
and number of their doctor,
she has a list
of all their immunizations.
And the names of their teachers.
And...
I promised Isabelle we would
take a trip for her birthday,
if she improved her grades...
-Why don't we do this later?
-No, we need to do this now.
Why?
Because I can't leave without knowing
that if something happens,
they'll be taken care of.
-You don't have to go.
-I do.
No, stay. We're safe here.
If we are right,
if there is something out there,
and we don't figure out
a way to get it to stop,
nowhere will be safe, for anyone.
I hardly know them.
I don't know what they like,
what they don't like.
Who their friends are,
what they do
when they're alone. I mean...
We never talk,
all we do is dance around each other,
afraid to say the wrong thing.
They're still getting to know
themselves at this age.
You'll catch up.
You know that.
I know.
What time do you need to leave?
First thing in the morning.
-I leave these with me.
-Okay.
Thank you.
Well, I think we'd better play
that game.
Okay.
-Who has first go?
-I do.
-I did double five.
-Okay.
I have first go, I always have first go.
No, you're last.
Sigur, it's me.
I just wanted you to know...
I can't imagine a life
without you either.
Sigur, it's me.
I just wanted you to know...
I can't imagine a life
without you either.
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Captain, this just came in.
Turn her on three-one-zero.
We're having guests.
They seem to be spreading much faster.
The worms just happened to be
found where they would do the most harm.
There was a strange light and bursts
of sound before the Juno went down.
Secure the station, and get back here.
Everything has to be
by the book with her.
They can't be
occurring independent from one another.
There must be some connection.
We found an organic substance
in the brainstem of a whale.
Is the substance
causing the changes in behaviour?
The wavelength of the light and the
frequency of the sound are identical.
I was wrong not to trust you.
I am sorry.
-Stop!
-Charlie!
-No! Leave me! Let me go!
-We can't go.
Leave me! No!
Sigur, it's me.
I just wanted you to know...
I can't imagine a life
without you either.
...has also been devastated,
with early reports suggesting
several coastal villages
have been destroyed,
and more than 350 people
reported missing...
...whose own lives had been
irrevocably altered...
...not only here on the coast,
but all around the world.
The extent of the catastrophe
is still being determined.
More than 700 people are missing
in Trondheim, Norway...
...population trying to move inland,
away from the coasts.
Great Britain has also been devastated,
with early reports suggesting
several coastal villages
have been destroyed...
Charlie?
Sigur...
It's me.
I just wanted you to know...
I can't imagine
a life without you either.
Hello, Mr. Johnson? One question.
-Mr. Johnson?
-Thank you.
I'm really sorry, I'm late.
Can I go ahead?
I'm so sorry. Really sorry.
I'm sorry, I have to go ahead. I'm late.
Come closer. Please wait.
You can go.
If I could ask you to turn your
attention to the screen:
In red, you see where the infected crabs
first came ashore in Japan.
Ma'am, can I see your badge, please?
Following the infestation of
infected crabs swarming coastal areas
in South Africa, Brazil,
Morocco and India...
-How are you?
-Good. It's good to see you.
From the initial point of contact,
the bacteria has infiltrated
every source of water,
both man-made and natural,
everywhere it was introduced.
Forty percent of the Earth's
population lives on the coast.
If the swarms of crabs appear elsewhere,
we will be looking at one of the largest
displacements of human beings
the world has ever seen.
-Dr. Roche?
-Yes.
We have been aware of the effect
that warming of the ocean
will have on rising sea levels,
and the number of people who
will be displaced as a result,
as well as the effect it will have
on the pathogenicity of bacteria
as well as viruses, fungi, parasites...
Yeah.
Sigur, are you watching this?
I am.
I'm gonna call you back.
Dr. Roche, so...
The emergence of a more deadly strain
is unfortunately not a surprise.
No, it's not.
But what we could not have predicted
was that it would be carried ashore
by an invasion of an unknown species
which seems to have no other function
than to infect us
with the bacteria it carries.
Dr. Roche.
Are you suggesting that the crabs
deliberately polluted our waterways?
I'm not suggesting it, Mr. Peak.
The data is.
Hello?
Riku, hi, it's Sigur.
I'd like to talk to Dr. Roche.
Do you think you could arrange that?
-I'll speak to her this afternoon.
-Good, good.
Also, will Leon Anawak be speaking?
Or anybody from
the Vancouver Island Marine Institute?
He's not on the roster.
Why are you asking?
-I'd like to meet him.
-When?
As soon as possible.
Do you think there's a chance?
I'll see what I can do.
You here to tell me to get inland?
This is going to get worse
before it gets better.
This is our home.
I know.
I remember you out there.
Half the height you are now.
Running from waves,
your mother chasing you down the beach.
I reckon you were more at home out there
than you were between any four walls.
You're right.
Still am.
Yeah.
I appreciate the concern, Leon.
We all do.
But until Murray Cove is gone,
most of us will be staying here.
I am proud of you, kid.
There's a comfort in knowing
you're right where
you're supposed to be.
Thank you.
You really think moving inland's
gonna make a difference?
Safer than the coast.
I'm with Kit on this one.
I mean... Move inland? For what?
Facing it head on, on my own terms?
Sounds better to me.
-While I'm gone, you'll...
-Keep an eye on things?
Yeah, I'll do my best.
Let's just hope everything's
still standing when you get back.
Do us proud, kid.
Okay, so if we go on the assumption
that the attacks were not random...
Which I don't think they are.
Right, well, that would suggest
that they were strategic,
that they were part of an overall plan.
I know how it sounds,
I've racked my brain
to find another explanation.
And you can't?
No.
And what's more alarming
is that I think that
whoever's behind it is learning.
Learning?
The strain of bacterium
we found in the lobsters
was brought ashore by
the fishermen who caught them.
The infected crabs
came ashore by themselves.
You understand why I decided not
to mention that to the Council?
Well, as it happens, I agree with you.
As do several others.
Would you be free to meet?
-In Trondheim?
-No. In Kiel.
Institute for Marine Biology.
I think you know Katharina Lehmann.
Not well, but yes,
we have spoken a few times.
The thing is...
I promised my children I'd be back.
Yeah, I know it's a lot to ask.
-When?
-Tomorrow.
Okay, I'll be there.
Hey, Rahim. Leon Anawak's on his way.
Could you go down and meet him?
And bring him to the lab?
-Sure.
-Yeah? Thanks.
Leon Anawak?
Yes.
I'm Rahim Amir,
I work with Professor Lehmann.
-Good flight?
-Never flown on a private jet before.
You and me both. Please.
The cafeteria is shut, but we have
coffee and sandwiches in the office
if you'd like to eat something
before we get started.
You spoke to the others?
Yeah. Cécile, Leon...
-Professor Lehmann?
-No.
No, I thought it better
to wait for some back-up.
In recent days... weeks,
we have all seen things
that should not be.
And yet are.
Populations of marine species
growing at a rate so exponential,
it seems to defy biology.
Whales behaving as if possessed...
The eruption and channeling of water
from long dormant sites
over vast distances...
Species infected with
mutant strains of bacteria,
poisoning our water.
I believe something is behind the events
we've all witnessed firsthand.
Something that has weaponized
the seas against us.
If these... phenomena
are in fact connected,
if they're outside the bounds
of what we currently know to be true.
That they are somehow the work of
some sort of intelligent life force
which wants to drive us from the ocean.
Is that what you're suggesting?
Yes.
But...
But we've hardly scratched the surface
of what might be a
plausible explanation.
Professor Lehmann.
That's true, I agree.
But instinct tells me
this is something else.
Leon, I'd never question the importance
of following your instinct,
or how intuition has been the impetus
for so many breakthroughs in our field.
But to abandon
everything we know to be true...
and jump to such a conclusion?
Katharina, it's because
all I know to be true is no longer true
that I began to look elsewhere.
And I cannot help but think that
what's happening in the sea
is in some way a reaction,
a response, to what we have done to it.
Cécile, you are asking me
to unearth the foundation
on which my training,
my research, my teaching,
has been built.
I can't.
I'm sorry.
I shall let you to it.
But before I do, I must warn you.
This could be a very
dangerous road to be going down.
At a time like this,
with the world so unstable,
to suggest that we cannot
find the truth in science
as we know and understand it,
you must realize the level of disruption
that might be unleashed
onto the psyche of the world.
Professor Lehmann.
Charlie.
You really don't think there's
a chance that we're right?
It's not about chances,
it's about probability.
And when probability is low,
then it's wiser to proceed with caution.
-Which is not what you're doing.
-We don't have time for caution.
It's easy to say that.
But right now is the time
to be more careful than ever.
Your reputation is on the line.
All of theirs are.
What good will that do, if...
You still need a good reputation
if you want people to listen to you.
When you believe something is true,
you pursue it, despite the risks.
-I learned that from you.
-I understand your idealism.
But in my experience,
taking this kind of risk
tends to end badly.
The slots are all thirty minutes.
If your proposal is selected,
there is a follow-up with the council.
All supporting documentation
needs to be sent in advance.
Yeah, we're working on that as we speak.
Travel is getting
increasingly difficult.
I'll have my office make arrangements.
I will need the names
of those accompanying you.
Cécile Roche. Leon Anawak.
Charlie Wagner.
And Rahim Amir.
And Professor Lehmann?
Unfortunately, Professor Lehmann
won't be joining us.
She has a different view?
She does. Yes.
-But, Riku, I assure you...
-You don't need to assure me.
Professor Lehmann's name would've added
a credibility to your presentation,
but if your findings are sound,
they will speak for themselves.
Thank you. Thank you, Riku.
How long have you studied under her?
Professor Lehmann?
Three years.
Two more to go.
If I want to finish my PhD.
It's probably not the best time
to be making decisions about the future.
No, probably not.
When you spoke
in front of the Council...
You said we were looking at
the largest displacement of human beings
the world has ever seen.
I did, yes.
Do you think...
Do you think it's possible that
this intelligence doesn't
actually want to destroy us?
Do you think maybe it just wants
to drive us from the water
and keep us from coming back?
I would like to believe so.
I'd like to believe its intentions
are defensive and not aggressive.
But you aren't sure.
Right now, no, I can't be.
None of us can, unfortunately.
But I think we have all learned
to not hold too tightly to assumptions.
There'll probably be more.
"Once we've eliminated the impossible,
whatever's left, however improbable,
must be the truth."
Who said that?
Sherlock Holmes.
I think it fits.
What is that?
Just something my mother gave to me.
May I?
Does it mean something?
When I was little, I used to ask
so many questions.
I remember driving my mom crazy.
She'd limit the number of things
I could ask,
so I had to be more selective.
There came a point when I was
asking things she couldn't answer.
She gave me that.
She said it was a symbol.
For the unknown.
Of course it was just for me,
to ease my mind.
Did it work?
For a while.
But...
I don't think I'm the kind of person
who could accept the unknown.
Neither am I.
Enough?
Yes.
Why whales?
Grew up on the ocean,
in British Columbia.
It's part of the culture there.
I think most people remember being kids,
in boats, on the beach,
seeing the burst of an orca's spray
or the flick of a grey's fluke.
I saw an orca,
when I was in the Shetlands.
I kept going back out
for a couple of days,
hoping to see it again, but I never did.
They're a lot shyer
than most people think.
What?
Professor Lehmann hates it
when we talk about animals like people.
But we all do it.
I don't think people realize
how similar they are to us.
They'll travel weeks, months,
to meet a whale whose song they heard.
The devotion to each other.
I don't see how you can perceive it
as anything but fascinating.
As beautiful.
To recap, Dr. Johanson,
and please tell me if
I don't get this straight.
You and your team believe
that the catastrophes of the past weeks
are more than linked.
That new species of marine life,
bivalves, crustaceans,
to name a few, have mutated
to carry out deliberate attacks
on humanity?
That's correct.
And that certain species
of whales have been altered
on a chemical and biological level,
prompting them to act
with total aggression,
with no regard for their own well-being
or even survival.
To push us inland,
to make coastline of every country
around the world uninhabitable.
And all of this,
all of it,
is the work of an...
An intelligence.
Such as an alien intelligence?
I didn't say alien.
We have many intelligent species
on this planet, Dr. Johanson.
We do.
But we believe that
this intelligence surpasses
anything we've seen in other species,
perhaps even our own.
What we are seeing,
the alteration of existing species,
the creation of new ones,
is far beyond anything
that we are able to do.
Perhaps will ever be able to do.
Can we assume, Dr. Johanson,
that you have considered
other, less original ideas?
I have.
I think we all have.
Many times.
A lab experiment gone wrong.
Decaying nuclear waste containers
leaking radioactive material
into the ocean.
A hostile state.
Bio-terrorists
genetically modifying species
to use in a coordinated attack...
As many as I'm sure
you've asked yourself.
And if you've come up with
some plausible, less original idea
that explains all the phenomena
that we have witnessed,
then please tell us.
Because we have not.
Nor, by the presentations
we've heard so far, has anyone else.
And this new intelligence,
could I ask what
you are calling it, or them?
For the time being, I have taken
to calling them the "Yrr."
-The Yrr?
-Correct.
How would you proceed in the event
that we consider your thesis?
I would suggest, as a first step,
we try to establish contact.
-Contact?
-With the Yrr.
And if you were able
to contact them, Dr. Johanson,
what would you say?
What I would say to any invading force
that I stood no chance in combatting:
I'd ask them to stop.
And do everything I could
to try to come to terms.
One final question, Dr. Johanson.
You're on the faculty of
Trondheim University?
I am currently on sabbatical.
And you have been consulting
for Hovedstad Energy.
Correct.
Which financed your research?
They financed the trip during which
we discovered the Sirsoe methanicola.
Are there other sources of funding?
The Mifune Foundation has offered
to cover our travel and accommodation.
But you haven't received any support
from the institutions
with which you and your
colleagues are associated.
No.
Not at the moment, no.
If there are no other questions?
Thank you, Dr. Johanson.
Thank you all.
Y'all do come up
with some interesting stuff.
Alicia did promise
it would be worth the trip.
And she did not disappoint.
Sam looked into the sound we picked up
when we tagged the whale.
They're all variations of rhythms,
clicks, scratches,
all the same pitch and frequency.
All earmarks of a language.
The question is what kind of language?
I trawled through our records.
ERIEL keeps logs of sounds
that originate from the Earth
as well as the galaxy.
We picked up the same signal.
From space?
Much more close to home.
Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean.
Now I'm checking with colleagues
at other organizations around the world
to see if
they've picked up anything similar.
-What do you think?
-About the Yrr?
I think...
I wouldn't be much of an astrophysicist
if I didn't think it were possible.
And if I asked, would you join us?
What would you say?
The team we have, we all know the water,
but none of us could do what you do...
Would I join you?
Yes, I would.
Thank you for coming.
Mr. Mifune, your six-fifteen.
Dr. Johanson.
Fifteen-minute slots, huh?
You must be a busy man.
Fifteen-minute slots
so my meetings stay on point.
Over the years I have come to realize
that time management
is as valuable a skill as any.
It allows me to spend time on the things
I'm truly passionate about.
I'm sorry to hear the council
did not approve your mission.
So am I. Although I can't say
that I'm surprised.
You may not have convinced them,
but you have convinced me, Dr. Johanson.
I have made my fortune
off the planet's gifts.
Including its oceans.
And I believe it's my duty
to repay the favor,
by doing all I can
to undo the damage we have done,
and limit the damage done in the future.
Which is why I would like to
fund a new venture.
If you are prepared
to accept my support.
I would like to back your mission.
I, like you,
wish to know if what you say is true.
Does this "Yrr" exist?
I didn't think this day would come.
I... doubt any of us did.
But now that it has,
it's up to you to decide
whether or not
you want to go through with it.
Samantha, Alicia: We've just met.
But the high regards
with which Leon speaks of you,
and of course
what I know about your work,
I have no doubt
that your joining us would be
of great benefit to our mission.
We sail in forty-eight hours.
Once on board, there'll be a
complete communication black-out.
This is to protect
the security of our mission,
and whatever we discover.
So, those of you who can go home
and make it back by the time we sail,
well, this could be your last
chance to say goodbye.
Because there are no guarantees.
I can't guarantee
the success of the mission.
There are no guarantees
that we will make it back alive, so...
Those of you who feel that you
do not want to carry forward,
I think I speak for everyone
when I say I understand.
I understand,
and it will in no way reflect
poorly on your character.
But for those who do,
I'll see you at the airport.
Excuse me?
I think I'm going to call it a night.
It's been a long day.
Thank you.
Charlie, I...
You're not coming.
I wish I could.
I wish I were like you, but I'm not.
Of course you are.
What are you talking about?
The mission will not succeed
or fail based on my input.
But it may without yours.
I'm going to go home.
I'm going to meet Max
and head down to Mom and Dad
and see my new niece
and ride it out with them.
And you can come and tell me about it
when you get back.
It's Mom.
I didn't mean to wake you.
Alicia.
It's a shame that it took this long
for you to get invited
to a proper conference.
My conferences are proper.
Wait, you never get to stay
in hotels like this.
Good thing you didn't marry me
for the perks.
That would have proven
very disappointing if I did.
Look, it's Mom.
Stop talking nonsense...
Mom, what are you doing...
You didn't say you were coming.
I thought
you were coming back last week.
I'm sorry, I had to stay
in Geneva a few days longer.
-I spoke to Dr. Coletti.
-There's nothing to worry about.
Yes, I know, but...
It's a simple procedure.
A couple days' rest and I'll be fine.
You should have someone in the house,
just until I get back.
You're not staying?
I have to go on a research
mission to the Arctic Ocean.
The Arctic Ocean?
You want to go out in the ocean? Now?
It's my job.
You come back to tell me not to worry,
then give me a reason to worry.
Since when do you need a reason?
You worry all the time.
Of course I do. I'm your mother.
This running around,
all over the world...
-Alicia, this is not living.
-I'm living my way, Mom.
Not yours. That doesn't mean it's wrong.
I want you to be happy.
To do whatever gives you joy.
But I also want time
to speak to my daughter,
I want her to tell me about her life.
Next visit, I promise.
But for now, can we just
enjoy our time together?
Cook? Listen to music?
Yes, but I'm cooking.
-And picking the music.
-Okay.
If you say no, I won't...
Do you really think I'm gonna say no?
Sam, who do you take me for?
I don't know what will happen out there.
You don't know
what'll happen here, either.
You know what I mean.
Sam, this is something that
goes beyond what you or I want.
Will you be proven right?
Who knows?
But you're doing your part
to find an answer.
And God knows we need answers right now.
Hey.
And I will be here,
waiting for you, when you get back.
I made a list of the people
I deal with at the bank.
My lawyer has a copy of my will.
Okay.
She set up a trust for the children.
You're an executor alongside her.
Okay, fine, yeah.
I wrote down the name
and number of their doctor,
she has a list
of all their immunizations.
And the names of their teachers.
And...
I promised Isabelle we would
take a trip for her birthday,
if she improved her grades...
-Why don't we do this later?
-No, we need to do this now.
Why?
Because I can't leave without knowing
that if something happens,
they'll be taken care of.
-You don't have to go.
-I do.
No, stay. We're safe here.
If we are right,
if there is something out there,
and we don't figure out
a way to get it to stop,
nowhere will be safe, for anyone.
I hardly know them.
I don't know what they like,
what they don't like.
Who their friends are,
what they do
when they're alone. I mean...
We never talk,
all we do is dance around each other,
afraid to say the wrong thing.
They're still getting to know
themselves at this age.
You'll catch up.
You know that.
I know.
What time do you need to leave?
First thing in the morning.
-I leave these with me.
-Okay.
Thank you.
Well, I think we'd better play
that game.
Okay.
-Who has first go?
-I do.
-I did double five.
-Okay.
I have first go, I always have first go.
No, you're last.
Sigur, it's me.
I just wanted you to know...
I can't imagine a life
without you either.
Sigur, it's me.
I just wanted you to know...
I can't imagine a life
without you either.
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Captain, this just came in.
Turn her on three-one-zero.
We're having guests.