ADMIRAL_CHRISTIE ADMIRAL_HALSEY AMBASSADOR_KOTUVA ARACHNOID_ALIEN_1 ARACHNOID_ALIEN_2 ARACHNOID_ALIEN_3 BORTUS CHARLY CLAIRE CONSUL_SEDJIK ED GORDON ISAAC JOHN KELLY MARCUS NURSE_PARK TALLA TY WALLA WOODSON ED Sorry to keep you all waiting, but trust me, this is gonna be worth it. GORDON We're getting a pool table in the mess hall. ED No. We’ve been assigned to pick up Vice Admiral Christie from Outpost 35, and then transport him to rendezvous with a Krill vessel. Once there, the Admiral will begin negotiations to allow Union access to the Naklav sector. CHARLY That's on the other side of Krill space. KELLY Correct. Union ships have never had a conduit. Until now. ED Early indications are that with treaty negotiations going smoothly, the Krill may be willing to permit passage. Which means, entire regions of unexplored space are gonna be wide open. BORTUS Does he believe we can trust them? KELLY That's the word. Christie's one of the top Union diplomats. He was the guy who negotiated the Din'jon Accords. JOHN So, if this all goes through, will we be able to get in on it? ED Well, we were the ones who shepherded the Lak'vai Pact, and we are an exploration vessel. So, I would say our odds are pretty good. TALLA Doctor? TALLA You okay? CLAIRE Uh, oh. I-I- I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well last night. ED Any questions? ED Gordon, set a course. GORDON Aye, sir. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Dr. Finn? CLAIRE Admiral. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Whoa, at ease. What's with the formality? CLAIRE Standing at attention in the presence of an admiral is Protocol 101. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well, can I come in, or do I need to make an appointment? CLAIRE No appointment necessary. CLAIRE It's been a long time. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE It really has. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE It's amazing to see you. And this. Your own sick bay. I always knew you'd be successful, but Chief Medical Officer on a Union starship. Boy, you must've had some top-notch professors. CLAIRE One or two. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well this one is very proud of you. CLAIRE Thank you, sir. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Please, it's Paul. CLAIRE Admiral Paul. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well, I'm as shocked about that as you are. CLAIRE Oh, I'm not shocked at all. You always had the heart of an explorer. It was only a matter of time before you left the university for the universe. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well, most of my time now is spent behind a desk, so whenever a mission like this comes along, I jump at the chance. And I must admit, seeing your name on the crew manifest gave me a little extra incentive. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well, you look healthy. Time's been good to you. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Maybe on the outside. But you know what they say, "Unmarried men look younger, feel older." ADMIRAL CHRISTIE You're as beautiful as ever. CLAIRE Save your charm for the Krill. You're gonna need it. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Speaking of which, I'm scheduled to brief your captain on tomorrow's negotiations. How about we get some dinner afterward? A lot of years to catch up on. CLAIRE Actually, I promised my kids I'd stay home tonight and watch a movie with them. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE You, uh, y-y-you have kids? CLAIRE Two boys. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Um, I'd love to meet them. CLAIRE Maybe it’s best if we just stay focused on the job at hand. There’s a lot at stake here, and I don’t think either of us need any distractions. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE R-Right. I didn't mean to push. I was just excited to see you again. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Um, for what it's worth, uh, it may be 25 years too late, but.. I'm sorry. CLAIRE I don't want to keep you from your briefing. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Right. No distractions. WALLA CONSUL SEDJIK I fail to see the purpose of this gathering. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE W-Well, diplomatic receptions are an old Earth custom. Think of it as a way for us to get to know each other before the real work begins. ED I think I speak for everyone here when I say we very much hope that this temporary alliance will become permanent. AMBASSADOR KOTUVA Do not hope too fervently. Once the Kaylon are crushed, the alliance will be dissolved. Only then will we celebrate. KELLY Well, still. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Ladies and gentlemen, a toast. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE It's not every day one gets a chance to be part of history. But tonight, history is being made in this room. As we prepare to begin an epic journey into unexplored realms, we also take the next step toward healing the wounds of the past and forging a new path toward lasting friendship. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Here's to a better future. CLAIRE Hey, I'm gonna take this bottle somewhere else. You wanna join me? KELLY God, yes. KELLY Can you handle this alone? I'll owe you one. ED Yeah. I'll just stay here and give myself cirrhosis. KELLY I feel like we should make this a weekly ritual. CLAIRE You and me, draining a bottle? KELLY Why not? CLAIRE No argument here. CLAIRE CLAIRE You know, there's a line from a very old book I once read: "It is only with greatest care that memory can be kept from becoming a prison or a gallows." KELLY I'll go along with that. CLAIRE You know, I was married once. KELLY What? CLAIRE Mm-hmm. KELLY You were married? CLAIRE Yep. KELLY How come you never told me this? CLAIRE Um, I don't talk about it often. KELLY Who was the guy? KELLY Wait. KELLY No. CLAIRE Yeah. KELLY Admiral Christie? Are you serious? You were married to Admiral Christie? CLAIRE It was a long time ago. I was a medical student at Union Point. He was one of my professors. We started seeing each other at the beginning of my final year. Kept it a secret until I graduated, and then, six months later, we got married. CLAIRE The official story was that we'd only been together a short time and then rushed to the altar, but I don't think anyone was fooled. KELLY Never in a billion years would I have pegged you as someone who'd hook up with your professor. CLAIRE Everything forbidden is sweet. KELLY So what happened? CLAIRE Long story short: I don't think he really wanted a wife. He wanted someone young and smiling to come home to at the end of the night after a long day's work. Which was sort of how it was when I was still in school. But, once the ranks were dropped, I was looking for a partner. He was looking for a bed warmer. I gave him an ultimatum, and he walked away. KELLY Were you devastated? CLAIRE At the time, I was crushed, yeah. I questioned everything about myself. Every way I turned it over in my head, I kept feeling like I was the one at fault. Like I'd made a huge mistake. But, when I remember it now, it's like I'm watching someone else's daughter. I'm sad for her, but I know she needs to learn her own lessons. KELLY It must've been really hard seeing him again. CLAIRE Oh, in a weird way, I think it was harder for him. KELLY Well, yeah. I get that. The pain can be worse when you're the one ending things. CLAIRE Personally, I'd always rather be dumped than be the dumper. KELLY Same. CLAIRE Anyway. Different lifetime, on to the future. KELLY Well, maybe one of the Krill is single? CLAIRE That's a thought. And, hey, there's two of them. KELLY Mmm. CLAIRE KELLY I-- I can't date anyone who dresses more glam than I do. CLAIRE Okay. Fair enough. KELLY AMBASSADOR KOTUVA We have considered your request for passage through our territory and we are prepared to grant it. But there are certain conditions. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE We're listening. AMBASSADOR KOTUVA There is an uninhabited planet in Union space that is rich in harcarium. We use it in our propulsion systems. We wish to secure extraction rights. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Where? CONSUL SEDJIK The third planet in the Obrall system. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well, I think that can be arranged. I'll need to get approval from the Union Council, of course. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Passage will be allowed for one vessel alone. If there are no incidents, we will consider further allowances. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well, I don't think anyone here would object to getting the first solo crack at unexplored space. ED No, sir, we would not. CONSUL SEDJIK While in our space, your vessel will follow this course to the Naklav sector. Any deviation will be forbidden to you. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Not exactly the quickest way to get there, but it shouldn't be a problem. Anything else? CONSUL SEDJIK Upon entry into our territory, a tracking beacon will be installed on your ship so we can monitor your coordinates at all times. KELLY That would be a violation of our security protocols. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE I think it's all right, Commander. We really don't have anything to hide. Captain? ED I'm sure we can find a way to accommodate. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE We have little to no information about the regions beyond your space that we intend to explore. Anything your cartographers could share with us would be greatly appreciated. Especially concerning the Kalarr Expanse. AMBASSADOR KOTUVA You do not intend to enter the Expanse. KELLY Why wouldn't we? AMBASSADOR KOTUVA It is a domain of evil. ED What do you mean? AMBASSADOR KOTUVA Demons dwell within the Expanse. KELLY Could you be a little more specific? AMBASSADOR KOTUVA The Anhkana warns of shadow realms. Gateways to the depths of the underworld, where demons lie in wait to possess the souls of those who dare to stray within their reach. They corrupt all that is holy. Within their grasp, even the most righteous can be forced to commit unspeakable acts of depravity. ED Do you have any direct evidence that these demons really exist? AMBASSADOR KOTUVA It is written in the Anhkana. That is all the evidence we need. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE We appreciate the warning, and we’ll take every precaution. But that area covers more than half the sector. We are explorers. So if it’s all the same to you, we’d like to see for ourselves what’s out there. AMBASSADOR KOTUVA We will not stop you. But do not expect us to save you. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Consul. Ambassador. We wish you safe travels, and we wanna thank you again for your generosity. I know I speak for the entire Union when I say there's no greater gift than the promise of new knowledge. CONSUL SEDJIK Sala tallo ka vaspa ko loy. TALLA What does that mean? CONSUL SEDJIK It is a prayer for those who are about to die. ADMIRAL HALSEY The question is: do we take their warning seriously? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Tom, you’re kidding, right? I mean, consider the source. ADMIRAL HALSEY I’m just suggesting the possibility that their claim, absurd though it may be, could indicate the presence of some real threat. And because they’re Krill, they process it through the lens of their religion. KELLY Which still doesn't give us much of a road map. I mean, their religion is confusing, to say the least. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE All religions are confusing. How do you think the priests stay in business? ADMIRAL HALSEY Did they offer any concrete evidence to support their claims? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE No. In fact, from what we gather, none of their ships have ventured into the Expanse in more than a century. ED The copy of the Anhkana we have in our database has a few passages about shadow realms. Lots of colorful language about soul-sucking demons with eight eyes and huge fangs. Horror movie stuff. ADMIRAL HALSEY And if this were a horror movie, I’d say don’t go into the house. But obviously their religion has a powerful influence over their perception of reality. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Agreed, but it should not stand in the way of Union exploration. We need to seize the opportunity while we can. ADMIRAL HALSEY Ed, what do you think? ED Well, visions of horror always have mortal origins. If there is something out there, it's not supernatural. KELLY Could still be dangerous. ED Exploration always carries risk. I say we risk it. ADMIRAL HALSEY Very well. I look forward to your reports. WALLA ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Hello there. CLAIRE Hi. Uh. I hear congratulations are in order. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Word travels fast on this ship, huh? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE May I sit? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Cozy place. CLAIRE I come here to work whenever I get tired of the office or when my kids are driving me crazy. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Mmm. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE You know, it reminds me of that little bistro we used to go to on King Street. What was it called? CLAIRE Café Noir. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Yes. Some fun times there. CLAIRE So, when do you leave for Outpost 55? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE I'm not leaving. I'm coming with you to explore the Naklav sector. CHARLY Isn't that a little unusual for an admiral? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Oh, yeah. They love keeping us behind desks, but, um, this is too big to pass up. CLAIRE I hope your decision didn’t have anything to do with me. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE No. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Not entirely. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE But you have been on my mind recently. CLAIRE Is that. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE I take it with me whenever I travel. Brings me good luck. CLAIRE You kept it all these years. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Selayan sunstone. Not the kind of thing you just toss away. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE It's too rare. It's too special. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Do you still have yours? CLAIRE Paul, uh. I’m happy to talk about the mission with you. But I-- I don’t wanna dredge up any more of this. The hurt ran really deep for me, and I had to work very hard to dig it all out. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE But there's no vestige? No small wisp of feelings still there? CLAIRE I'm sorry. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Just for luck then, okay? BORTUS All departments report ready, sir. TALLA The Krill have given us final clearance. We're good to go. ED Okay. Gordon- KELLY Aren't you forgetting something? ED Right. I didn't prepare anything. CHARLY What's the matter? KELLY It's traditional for the captain to give a ship- wide announcement at the beginning of a new voyage. You know, like a little pep talk. ED I was gonna write something last night, but I-I was just too wiped. KELLY Just speak from your heart. That's all the crew wants. ED All hands. This is the captain. We’re about to enter unexplored space. I know you’re all just as excited as I am, and I know you’re all going to do your best. So let’s give this everything we've got. And may the force be with you. ED How was that? KELLY Perfect. ED Set course and engage quantum drive. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Isaac? ISAAC That is correct. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Admiral Christie. ISAAC I am pleased to meet you, Admiral. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Am I interrupting anything important? ISAAC Yes. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Oh. ISAAC I am upgrading the scanner array for our journey. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well, I won't take too much of your time. I must admit, I was a little dubious about meeting you. A Kaylon serving on a Union ship. After what happened. But I read the after-action battle report. I see that you've saved a lot of lives. I commend you for that. ISAAC Thank you, sir. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. ISAAC The entirety of my official report is available in the ship's computer. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE No, not about the battle. About Dr. Finn. ISAAC I’ve heard from a few folks on board that you two were... involved. ISAAC That is accurate. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well, you know, I was with Claire, too. A long time ago. ISAAC Then we share a common experience. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE After all this time, she's moved on, but I'm afraid that I haven't. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE I hope you don't mind me telling you this. ISAAC No, sir. I have observed many such paradoxes in human relationships. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Well, I'm gonna be blunt. I was hoping you could give me some insight into what makes Claire happy these days. ISAAC Dr. Finn values her children above all else. She has often stated that she would sacrifice her own life for them. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Oh. Go on. ISAAC Her career as a Union medical officer is also a crucial part of her identity. She is highly empathetic and takes great satisfaction in helping others. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE She always has. ISAAC Her recreational interests include music, dancing, fine dining, rain showers, and sexual relations. Her preferred mating positions include- ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Whoa. Whoa, that's plenty helpful, Isaac. Thank you. ISAAC Am I to understand that you find it a challenge to process her daily absence? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Yes. You could say that. ISAAC It is another common experience we share. CHARLY Passing the outer border of Krill space. GORDON Folks, welcome to the Naklav sector. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE First Union ship ever to come this far. KELLY Check it off the career bucket list. ED Isaac. Analysis of that star cluster. ISAAC An OB association, approximately two million years old. Seventy-eight blue giant stars, along with several dozen F, G, and K stars in later stages of evolution. CHARLY Reminds me of Vegas. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Any life signs? ISAAC I am detecting 347 habitable planets. But so far, no indications of intelligent life. GORDON Wow, it really is Vegas. TALLA Captain, I’m picking up what looks like a distress signal. ED Location? TALLA Bearing 001 mark 12. Distance: 16.4 light- years. BORTUS That is inside the Kalarr Expanse. KELLY I'm assuming it's no one we know. TALLA Negative, sir. ED What about long-range scans? ISAAC The Expanse appears to be almost entirely empty space. There is one star system approximately 30.6 light-years from the coordinates of the distress signal. KELLY Afraid to go in? ED Burke, set a course. CHARLY Aye, sir. GORDON Approaching the edge of the Expanse. CHARLY There are no stars. BORTUS How far does it extend? ISAAC Scans indicate at least 800 parsecs. ED Take us in. GORDON Entering haunted house. CHARLY We're approaching the coordinates. GORDON What the hell is that? BORTUS I am detecting no propulsion systems and only minimal power. It appears to be a space station. ED Send a hail. TALLA No response. KELLY Maybe whoever it is can't respond. They could be injured. ISAAC The interior is pressurized and there is a breathable atmosphere. ED Admiral, what do you say? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE I wouldn't miss it for anything. ED Talla, you're with Kelly and I. ED Bortus, you have the conn. Tell Dr. Finn and Chief LaMarr to meet us in the shuttle bay. BORTUS Aye, sir. KELLY Anything resembling a docking port? JOHN There's a large module towards the middle of the structure, seems to be mostly empty. Could be a shuttle bay. ED Take us in closer. TALLA Looks like they know we're coming. ED Ahead slow. JOHN Really? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Either that or we turn around. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Look at the walls. KELLY John? JOHN It's an alloy of some kind, but it doesn't match anything on record. CLAIRE It's almost like it's organic. ED Let's keep moving. ED Life signs? TALLA Nothing. ED All right, fan out but don't go far. Let's search the immediate area. CLAIRE Better not touch anything. KELLY Sorry. JOHN I think I found the source of the distress signal. JOHN Some kind of automated beacon. TALLA Maybe they got the help they needed and forgot to turn it off. JOHN Maybe. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Captain, look at this. ED There's energy flowing through them. ED Could be some kind of power relays. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Whoa. ED What happened? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE I don't know. It moved. ED Moved? How? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE It opened up. It expanded for a moment. ED Might be safer to analyze the data we have before we go any further. ED Mercer to Grayson. It doesn't look like anybody's here. Let's head back to the shuttle. KELLY Acknowledged. JOHN Isaac and I have gone through these readings a dozen times. All we can tell you is that the station is made out of some kind of highly advanced biotechnology. How it works, or why it’s there? You got me. TALLA Do you think it's abandoned? ISAAC According to scans, there are no life-forms currently on board. ED Well, at least not life as we know it. GORDON What do you mean? ED Well, it's possible there are some life-forms that are so different our scans can't even recognize them. CLAIRE It’s a valid point. One of the fundamental questions in astrobiology is what comprises life? For all we know, the outpost itself is a life-form. CHARLY Sounds like kind of a stretch. BORTUS There are creatures on Talarius Seven that look like rocks. However, they are living organisms. KELLY So, what do we do? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE We'll continue to explore the region. If we get lucky, maybe we find something or someone who can shed some light on- CLAIRE Admiral! What's wrong? CLAIRE Paul! CLAIRE He's having some kind of seizure. CLAIRE Help me turn him over. CLAIRE Oh, my God. CLAIRE Twenty milligrams of diomine. CLAIRE All right. He's stabilized for now. ED Doctor, what the hell is wrong with him? CLAIRE Something is rewriting his DNA, and it's happening at an alarming rate. CLAIRE This growth, it contains photoreceptors and a retinal nerve. It's almost like it's a partially-formed eye. KELLY Can you reverse it? CLAIRE I may be able to slow it down, but I don't know if I can stop it. ED Whatever happened to him over there, it's something our bio-scanners missed. CLAIRE I need more information and I need it now. ED This is it. TALLA Anything? ED Some micro-particulates of some kind. JOHN LaMarr to Captain. ED Go ahead. JOHN There's something going on over here. ED What is it? JOHN The distress beacon we found is broadcasting a new signal. TALLA What kind of signal? JOHN The coordinates of this outpost. ED Let's get back to the ship. NURSE PARK Doctor! ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Claire. CLAIRE Take it easy, Paul. You're in sick bay. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE What's happening to me? CLAIRE You were exposed to something on the station. We're trying to figure it out. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE I feel so strange. CLAIRE Are you in pain? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE No. I-- I'm just scared. CLAIRE Nurse, would you give us a moment? NURSE PARK Of course. CLAIRE Paul, I'm gonna find out what's causing this. CLAIRE And I'll make a deal with you. You get better, and I’ll make you some of that chocolate soufflé you used to love. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Oh I hated that soufflé. CLAIRE You did? ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Yeah. CLAIRE Well, you used to eat it all the time. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE You were so proud of it, I-- I didn't have the heart to tell you. it tasted like dried leaves. CLAIRE Well, then, either you get better, or I will serve it to you for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE The ring. It's in my pocket. If I die, I want it with me. CLAIRE You're not going to die, Paul. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Please. ADMIRAL CHRISTIE Thank you. CLAIRE I'm going to save you. I promise. ED Shuttle to Doctor Finn. We found something. ED We'll need your eyes on this, but it looks like the admiral was exposed to a bacterial spore of some kind. It doesn't match anything in our database. TALLA We're bringing it to you for analysis. Recommend decontamination upon arrival. Just to be safe. CLAIRE Acknowledged. CLAIRE Paul? CLAIRE Finn to bridge. Admiral Christie is gone. KELLY What do you mean "gone"? CLAIRE I mean he's not in sick bay. KELLY Bortus, alert security. BORTUS Commander, someone is accessing main power. KELLY Who? BORTUS Unknown. They are initializing a dampening field. KELLY Override. BORTUS I cannot. They're using level nine command codes. GORDON The Admiral? BORTUS I am locked out. JOHN Captain, look. KELLY Bridge to engineering. ISAAC All systems are inoperative, Commander. GORDON Engines, too. You can hear it. KELLY Can you tap into auxiliary power? BORTUS Not from the bridge. I will need to go to engineering. KELLY Isaac, go with him. NURSE PARK It's no use. We've lost main power. CLAIRE I'm gonna go check on my kids. Keep an eye on sick bay. NURSE PARK Yes, Doctor. NURSE PARK Doctor? NURSE PARK Hello? NURSE PARK Doctor? ARACHNOID ALIEN 1 ED Mercer to Orville. Mercer to Orville. Kelly, can you hear me? JOHN She can't. Looks like all systems are offline. There’s a ship-wide dampening field in use. TALLA What's causing it? JOHN No idea. But once we're on board, comscanners and weapons are gonna be useless. ED We're gonna have to dock manually. JOHN I'm gonna go to engineering. See what I can find out. ED All right. Be careful. CLAIRE Boys? Are you here? CLAIRE Ty? CLAIRE Marcus? MARCUS Mom? MARCUS Mom? TY We should go back. Mom always says if there's an emergency, we should wait in our quarters. MARCUS Look, I don't want to sit in my room staring at the window at all that darkness. It gives me the creeps. Come on. We gotta find her. TY KELLY GORDON You got that power cell out yet? KELLY No. They really jam these things in here. GORDON Try twisting it. KELLY I did. GORDON Well, usually if it doesn't pop right out, it means you're doing it wrong. KELLY Thanks. You're a huge help. ED Kelly, what's going on? KELLY Somebody's shut down all power. We think it may have been Admiral Christie. TALLA Commander, there's something else. That outpost is transmitting a homing signal. CHARLY To where? TALLA We don't know. It's a wide-range broadcast. CHARLY I don't like the sound of that. ED What are you doing? KELLY Trying to pull the power cell so we can check internal scanners. It won't budge. ED Well, if it doesn't pop right out, it means you're doing it wrong. ED What? JOHN I'm pretty sure I can restore auxiliary power if I can find the source of the dampening field. BORTUS How can we accomplish that without internal scans? JOHN I'll use the only scanners I got right now. My eyes. It's got to be in one of the engineering conduits. I just need to find it. BORTUS There are 132 engineering conduits on this ship. JOHN Then I better get started. ISAAC I will assist you, Commander. JOHN Can you notify the bridge? TY Mom? MARCUS Mom? TY Mom? MARCUS Mom? TY Maybe she went home. I'm going back to our quarters. MARCUS Fine. TY Come with me? MARCUS I already told you that I'm not-- ARACHNOID ALIEN 1 ARACHNOID ALIEN 1 TY What is that thing? MARCUS I don't know. WOODSON Marcus? What are you doing back here? MARCUS Did you see it? MARCUS See what? TY The monster? WOODSON I don't know what you guys mean. But there's no one else here. It's okay. Come on out. Come on. MARCUS There's something else here. We both saw it. WOODSON What did it look like? MARCUS I don't know. Like a spider. But big, like, as big as you. WOODSON Well, there's nothing here now. MARCUS Oh, why did the lights go off? WOODSON We're working on figuring that out. TY Can you help us find our mom? WOODSON Of course. You guys stick with me and we'll look for her together. MARCUS Mom! CLAIRE Ty. CLAIRE Marcus. TY Mom! CLAIRE Oh, thank God. MARCUS Mom! CLAIRE Are you okay? What did we talk about when there's an emergency? You're supposed to wait in our quarters. TY But there's a monster. CLAIRE What? MARCUS There's something on board. Some kind of creature. It got Lieutenant Woodson. TY We have to hide. CLAIRE Let's get to the bridge. ED And then what happened? MARCUS It sprayed him with something. And that's when he started to change. KELLY Can you describe it? MARCUS His face. There were big black shiny eyes. And his skin was-- It was like it went all rotten. GORDON That sounds like what happened to Admiral Christie. ED Demonic possession. TALLA Huh? ED The Krill warned us that this part of space was inhabited by demons who would take possession of your soul. Something like this. I mean, it's exactly how they would interpret it. CLAIRE The microbes that Paul was exposed to on that outpost almost immediately started rewriting his DNA. Turning his cells into- KELLY Another species. CLAIRE When the Admiral escaped sick bay, his transmutation was accelerating. He must have infected others. What Marcus described is most likely a more potent version of the microbes. CHARLY Reproduction? CLAIRE That's my guess. It may be that their, uh, natural means of procreation is to hijack the bodies of other life-forms. Like a parasite. Only much more aggressive. BORTUS Then the distress call we received. KELLY It was a mating call. GORDON Oh, man. CLAIRE There's no telling how many of our people have been infected. We need to contain the spread as quickly as possible. BORTUS Commander LaMarr was attempting to restore power from within the engineering conduits. He is likely unaware of the alien threat. TALLA I'll find him. JOHN Isaac, I think I found something. ISAAC Do you require assistance? JOHN I can't override the Admiral's command codes, but I might be able to rig a work-around and get auxiliary power back online. Stand by. JOHN Boom. There it is. JOHN No communications yet, but we got life support, interior illumination, and backup systems. Anything more is gonna take some time. ISAAC I will alert the bridge. BORTUS Captain, we have minimal power. CLAIRE Sir, I have to get to sick bay. If there's a counteragent I need to find it and fast. KELLY Bortus, go with her. And see if you can gather a security detail to man the perimeter. BORTUS Aye, sir. CLAIRE Stay here, kids. ARACHNOID ALIEN 1 JOHN TALLA Hey! ARACHNOID ALIEN 2 TALLA Come and get me, assholes! ARACHNOID ALIEN 3 JOHN Hey! Hey, can anybody hear me? I need help! Hey! Somebody! JOHN Oh, Isaac! Thank God. You gotta get me out of here. ISAAC Commander, why are you in the brig? JOHN Just get me out of here. We gotta get to the bridge. JOHN Come on. JOHN Okay, boom. Communications are back online. I had to divert power from life support, so nobody breathe too heavy. ED Mercer to Finn. CLAIRE Finn here, Captain. I'm in sick bay. ED Were you able to find anything? CLAIRE It's slow going here, sir. At least until you can get full power back up and running. KELLY We're working on it. Is there any other way we can help? CLAIRE Not unless you can get one of those creatures to agree to a physical. TALLA Hi, doc. I thought you could use this. CLAIRE Scratch that, Captain. We have a patient. GORDON Sir. Long-range scanners are detecting a vessel. Ten million kilometers and closing. ED Let's see it. KELLY Magnify. CHARLY Oh, boy. That can't be good news. KELLY John, how soon will we have quantum drive? JOHN Not soon enough. CLAIRE There's no recognizable DNA. CLAIRE Whoever this is, his genome has been completely transformed. I can't even tell what species he was. TALLA Is there anything you can do? CLAIRE If there was a fragment of his original genetic template, maybe. TALLA I'll assemble a security detail. We'll go after 'em one by one if that's what it takes. CLAIRE W-W-Wait a minute. I'm reading white blood cells. He was human. CLAIRE The cell count is low really low. BORTUS What does that mean? CLAIRE It means the transformative process takes an enormous toll on the body. Based on the scan, it must be at least a couple of weeks before their immune systems are back up to full strength. TALLA Then they have a weakness. CLAIRE I could create a synthetic virus. CLAIRE It wouldn’t have to be any stronger than the common cold, and it’d probably be fatal to them. We could disperse it in aerosolized form throughout the ship. They’d have no immunity. BORTUS What about us? CLAIRE You might get the sniffles. BORTUS I am prepared. ED Claire, even if this works, these are our shipmates we’re talking about. They didn’t ask for what happened to them. KELLY Are they still our shipmates? You heard her. They're a completely different species now. We don't even know if there's anything left of what they were. GORDON More importantly, it's us versus them. I vote for us. ED If there was some way we could communicate with them to give them a warning. KELLY A chance to leave peacefully. CLAIRE Maybe there's a way. CLAIRE Scan the ship for Selayan sunstone. TALLA What for? CLAIRE Just do it, please. CLAIRE It’s a rare mineral. Our wedding rings were made from it. Paul was wearing his. If he still has it, we may be able to locate him. KELLY And then what? CLAIRE If any small part of him still exists, maybe I can reach him. ED Doctor, you can't be serious. If he comes after you, there's no way we-- CLAIRE I know. I know the risks. Please, Captain. I need to try. TALLA I found a trace of something that could be sunstone. TALLA It's in engineering. CLAIRE Paul. CLAIRE It's me. Claire. CLAIRE I have to talk to you. CLAIRE You need to hear what I have to say. Your life depends on it. CLAIRE We’ve found a weakness in your biology. I’ve created a virus. You won’t survive, any of you. CLAIRE We’re prepared to use it if you don’t leave the Orville immediately. CLAIRE There’s a ship headed our way. We know it’s one of yours. Take your people and go. CLAIRE Paul, if any small part of you is still in there... I want you to try to remember when we were together. CLAIRE Remember how stubborn I was? CLAIRE Well, that hasn't changed. CLAIRE Take your people and go. CLAIRE Or I swear we'll destroy every last one of you. ARACHNOID ALIEN 1 Not Paul. ARACHNOID ALIEN 1 You will see. CLAIRE See what? ARACHNOID ALIEN 1 You will be of us. CLAIRE Finn to bridge. ED Mercer here. CLAIRE Prepare to release the toxin. CLAIRE Start with the engineering deck. ED Understood. WALLA ARACHNOID ALIEN 1 We go. CLAIRE Thank you. ARACHNOID ALIEN 1 Not forever. WALLA ISAAC Good evening, Dr. Finn. CLAIRE Isaac, wh-- what are you doing here? ISAAC I am checking on you. CLAIRE Excuse me? ISAAC I have observed that when a crew member aboard the Orville endures a traumatic occurrence, other members of their immediate social construct inquire how they are you doing. CLAIRE That's true. ISAAC How are you doing? CLAIRE I'm okay. ISAAC Very well. CLAIRE Wait. CLAIRE I hear the Admiralty’s suspended further exploration of the Naklav sector for the moment. ISAAC That is correct. CLAIRE Probably for the best. ISAAC I wish to offer my condolences on the loss of your friend. CLAIRE Well, that's very kind of you. CLAIRE Paul was a special person. I'm just glad I got to see him one last time. ISAAC He spoke favorably of you as well. CLAIRE You talked about me with Paul? ISAAC Our shared history of social and sexual intimacy with you provided a common frame of reference. CLAIRE CLAIRE Do you know, I have missed you. ISAAC Thank you, Doctor. CLAIRE Do you want to sit down?