'Previously... ' This is what's been causing our hallucinations.
It's fractal. It's a fractal. Like my tomatoes.
She cut 'em down! Why, Jen?
I don't feel chosen. You are. Trust me.
- It's the coming of the rapture. - Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Beta.
There are seven of these containers.
Only one of 'em's full. Five other focused signals
have communicated with the Beta object over the years.
The Gamma object is on Venus, Delta on Mercury,
Epsilon on Europa, Zeta on the rings of Saturn
and Eta on the surface of Pluto.
It's gonna be our job to go pick these things up? Yes.
That is the primary goal of the Antares mission.
I'm second in command. I need to know what's going on.
I need to know what I'm doing.
This is history repeating itself.
We were there to pick up the Alpha object. Launch now!
Goss knew. Walker knew. Sharon knew.
Those that hear the Lord's trumpet will be saved.
And those that don't will be damned.
As an astronaut, you expect to face the unknown.
You hope for it.
If you're a true space junkie, you crave it.
Hell, that's what gets you into the game in the first place -
the face time with the ultimate stranger.
But then...
When you get up here and you're facing
a billion miles of darkness in every direction,
the dream's become a reality, and, er...
You know, that's-that's when it hits you that...
Did I make some kind of mistake?
Did it make some kind of mistake?
I mean, what...
What am I even doing up here
if I can't see or hear the thing?
I have no idea what this thing is.
That should scare me.
But the truth is, it doesn't scare me.
It kinda scares me that it doesn't scare me.
♪ Ooh, why are you doing your happy dance?
♪ Because I'm happy because I know I'm on the ship
â™ª You don't, I know I'm on the ship, you don't
â™ª I know I'm on the ship
♪ And you don't because it's fractal-riffic
♪ What? Because it's fractal-riffic! ♪
When you come face-to-face with the unknown,
you can't run away.
You have no choice but to deal with it.
Can you confirm that Sharon and Walker
were picking one of these things up on Mars? Yes.
And we're going back to finish what they couldn't do? Yes.
Full disclosure, Eve?
Except for that little detail? Ted -
Did they even know what the hell they were doing down there on Mars?
Or did you keep the real mission from them, too?
They knew what we knew, which was very little back then.
So we're experts now?
We've come a long way in understanding Beta.
Yeah, yeah. Well, it feels that way from up here.
How do we know the same thing's not gonna happen again?
The Mars mission failed because it didn't want Walker.
I knew it then, but I didn't have the authority to shut it down.
You have that now. Yes.
It was because of Mars
that I was given a voice on the Antares mission.
But right now there is no evidence of a problem with Venus.
So why do you keep hiding things from us?
How does it help to remind this crew of a-a horrific disaster?
You're all dealing with so much right now
emotionally, physically.
You need to stay focused on the task at hand
and look forward, not back.
I'm trying to protect you.
I'm trying to keep you safe.
I'm concerned about the medical side effects of Beta -
the heart plaque, hallucinations.
I'd like to understand what it might do next
and share the rest of our findings with Dr Mintz.
We need to keep medical hypotheses to a minimum.
And right now, Evram has to concentrate
on crew psych evals.
Mike - Surgeon, let's just stick to the plan.
Rollie, as first line of communication,
you need to report
on any unusual changes in crew behaviour. Copy that.
Changes will be subtle.
They're trained to keep their emotions in check.
And rebuilding trust may take some time.
So that's it? We're done talking about this?
What do you want me to do, Donner,
turn this ship around and go home? No. What I would like
is for somebody down in mission control
to admit that because they kept us in the dark,
we don't know what's going on. We're not ready for Venus, Ted.
Nobody down there even seems to care.
I do not agree with Eve's approach, Donner.
But believe it or not,
she does care about the success of this mission.
Is that your professional opinion or your personal?
Oh, you want to talk about the truth?
Yeah. Well, as a husband, I'm pissed.
I'm mad as hell.
But don't you ever accuse me
of letting my feelings get in the way of me doing my job.
D, I get it.
You lost Sharon. You don't want to lose Zoe, too. W-what -
You are not the only one who feels guilt about what happened ten years ago.
We all know what's at stake here. Do we?
You know, until we hear differently it's all systems go.
Now what I need from you
is for you to forget about Mars right now.
And please forget about Sharon.
Hey. Form 24 is in ten minutes.
So you good with Venus? I'm fine, Donner.
I must've burned through 600 red crayons
drawing that sky as a kid.
I get up here, the damn thing's orange.
Might've changed things for me.
What?
The colour of the sky - looks pretty on you.
You all right?
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, I'm... I'm fine.
I- I just, er...
I keep thinking about
my childhood best friend Tabitha.
I haven't seen her since I was eight years old.
Mm, random childhood memories.
You know, that's a textbook symptom of cabin fever.
Oh, yeah? Yeah. Day six of the last mission,
I was reciting chapter three of the Cub Scout guidebook.
"The Campfire - building it, enjoying it, putting it out. "
I was a lot of fun.
I'm sure you were.
Did you have a cure for cabin fever?
Well, they say that in times of extra-orbital crisis,
one helps a crewmate think of other things.
Mmm. Things. Mm-hmm.
You know, like... things.
Donner.
You know the rule.
That's another symptom, memory loss.
Guys, very sweet, But get a room.
You just work out?
Nope. But I'm about to.
What the hell you doing back there, lonely hearts?
You're sweatin' like a pig. You haven't lifted a finger yet.
Come on.
It's a first in history.
The American members of the Antares crew
will cast their ballots in real time,
nearly 45 million kilometres from Earth.
Universal frontiersmen and women,
but first and foremost,
loyal citizens of their country. Tara.
Stay tuned for US Election results
brought to you live from the reaches of outer space.
Let the countdown begin.
Well, somehow,
electing the new leader of the free world
seems rather trivial. Do you have a favourite?
Daddy's rule - never reveal your lovers or your politicians.
That's a wise man. Yeah.
Jen.
I'm Canadian.
Married to an American.
Which makes him Canadian.
OK.
Here you go.
OK, I'm gonna need some peroxide and an ice cube.
Nipple piercing?
Ew, that's nasty.
OK, Beta thought it was funny.
Just trying to lighten things up, guys.
Ooh!
Ahh. That's it.
Take this seriously. OK, fine. Here, look, I'm like a giant.
Paula's thumb looks really good.
Good enough to pilot the lander? Paula's busting her ass.
I didn't say she wasn't. WASS: OK, here, Check this out. This is cool.
Full lander rundown today, and Paula's at the wheel.
She'll ace it.
Well, then she's cleared.
How is it possible that we've gone through
a 2-month supply of dental floss in a day?
I don't know. I'm a toothpick guy.
No, I will not keep it status quo.
Form 24 will wait until we have a clear set of instructions.
Your instructions are to move forward.
Venus insertion tonight, Nadia.
Well...
Until someone tells me what this thing is,
this ship moves forward without me.
Hey, Arnel.
Mike! Answer's no.
You have no idea what I was gonna say.
Yeah, well, you show me something new,
I'll polish your Pulitzer. Oh. You're a funny man, Goss.
But I did have one small question -
something along the lines of why am I stuck doing a puff piece on the election
that half the crew are not eligible to vote in,
when ISO refuses to give a reasonable explanation
for the high security lockdown yesterday?
Solar flare drill. You got the memo.
Yeah, which seemed rather incomplete
given the trillions of dollars of public money being spent.
And what about that meeting?
Everyone seemed a little rattled.
Make-up on your collar.
Rapid swallow. Stress gesture.
That meeting was a standard protocol brief.
It's business as usual.
Great.
Then you'll have no problem giving me an exclusive
with the Antares crew.
Rest assured, Mr Williams,
this little puff piece you're doing
is as close as you are ever gonna get to my astronauts.
You like things in order...
According to plan,
by the book.
And suddenly with the reveal of Beta...
Poof. The plan has changed.
And that must bother you.
That must... Make you feel vulnerable.
Are we done?
I don't know. Are we?
Things have changed up here.
And they will continue to change.
How do you feel about that?
I feel lied to, I feel pissed and I feel stupid.
I knew we weren't being given the whole story.
I should've called this weeks ago. And what would you have done?
I would've asked the question we all should be asking right now.
What is this thing and what does it do? And what if they don't know?
Don't know or don't want to know?
Your pilot's handling it well.
She will come around.
Yeah? Nadia Schilling's the only candidate in ISO History
with 137% attendance record.
I don't think she'd quit without a damn good reason. Neither do you.
You're really not gonna let this thing go? No, cos we're making
all the same mistakes we made on Mars, Ted.
The hallucinations that Zoe's having. Sharon had those.
Paula's thumb?
Remember with Walker and his health problems?
He had the angina. He had the shortness of breath.
Beta didn't want Walker, and they didn't listen. Maybe he doesn't want Paula.
Beta chose Paula. It didn't injure her thumb. Says who?
If she's not the one, it'll let us know.
Like it did with Sharon and Walker?
I should be piloting that lander, Ted. Tell me you don't believe that.
What I believe is that I'm doing the right thing
by letting it play out.
Now I have to believe that. That is all I have.
What's wrong?
Hey. What are you looking at?
Hey. What's the matter?
Do me a favour.
Don't strain yourself.
See all this right here?
I got it.
Story of my life.
"Moving day Ted. "
You know you're gonna owe me when we get back home, right?
Hot beer and cold pizza.
Sharon was up all night last night.
I did the manly. supportive thing - let her keep me up, too.
Nervous about that last walk?
One of us is.
You talk to Goss about Walker's breathing?
This morning.
Gave him the thumbs-up to do his own self eval.
Whoa. Don't worry. I got it.
Oh, man, you know what he's gonna say.
He wants another crack on the rover.
Did they run his med band at MC?
That's what they said.
You know Goss isn't gonna clear him unless he's OK.
They're old air force buddies. Walker says he can fly,
Goss offers him a scotch and an extra pillow.
Hey, you know what? If he's not 100%,
I should be on that rover with Sharon.
Absolutely not, because you are just trying
to get out of packing this place up.
I think I'm doing a good job, too.
Right, and take a nice Sunday ride on Mars with your lady.
Perfect weather for it.
Mm. You're not going.
This means no.
- Thrust translation. - Four jets.
Balance couple.
On.
Starting landing sequence.
30 metres.
20.
TCA throttle, minimum. Mode, control set.
AGS Reading 400 plus 1.
Stand by.
Stand by for...
Simulation complete.
Touchdown. Whoo-hoo! You rock, Paula. Flawless.
Two more days.
I can't believe it's finally happening.
Yeah, I wish we were all this excited about Venus.
Natural brightest spot in the night sky,
named after a Roman goddess.
What is not to love? Has Donner said anything to you about the mission?
No. Why?
Since we found out about Beta,
he's been looking at me like, um...
I don't know, like he really doesn't want it to happen.
Well, he's just being cautious. It's understandable, especially now.
Yeah, I think he's already written the headline -
"Naive geologist incinerated while picking up alien rock. "
Beta isn't alien, Zoe.
Don't you see?
It's God. It's God sending us a sign that our faith will be rewarded.
He will guide us.
That and five years of brutal ISO training.
My mom gave me a St Christopher when I was confirmed.
Your mom?
Yeah. An Episcopalian astrologer.
Go figure.
Well, don't let Donner shake you.
We're in God's hands in this lander, not just mine.
I was planning to wait for your birthday, but, um, cold.
I'm really not in the mood...
Warmer.
.. for games right now.
Toasty.
OK. Toasty.
Oh, you're hot. You're hot. Scorching.
What's this?
You'll see.
It's beautiful.
It's your birthstone.
Aquamarine. It means "courage".
They were out of "nervous wreck"?
Babe, I...
I know everything is heavy -
everything that you're dealing with.
Rollie, there is a thing on board with us -
OK, a thing that you knew about
and just forgot to mention to me.
So while this is thoughtful and sweet...
it doesn't make that right.
Jen...
I did what I had to do, and I'm sorry.
I'm your wife. All right, how many times do you want me to say it?
Cos I will as many times as it takes. I am sorry.
I know you're furious right now,
but you can't keep shutting me out.
I gotta roll.
Good chat with Rollie?
Where have you been?
Ah, argument with Rollie.
I was helping Paula practise in the lander.
Yeah? How's she doing?
Great, in a... weird church-y sort of way.
So all systems go? Yeah. She passes Mintz's test this afternoon,
and Paula, the big guy and I are going to Venus.
You know, I can't blame her for being weird, though.
Everything that's happened with her thumb?
Oh, and, "By the way, there's an alien thingy on board.
"And guess what? It has friends. "
Mm, Donner got to you, too? Zoe, we just found out
that the ISO is using this ship as a courier service.
Jen, it's science. I mean, this is it.
It's science that we scientists can't study or touch or...
Jen?
Can we just rewind back to the girl talk?
All right, like how you've been avoiding me all morning?
Why don't we just say
that it actually has nothing to do with you?
How about we say we share a lab, you went nuts
and massacred your pet tomato experiment a few days ago,
and, er, it's professional courtesy to make sure I'm not next?
Jen, I am kidding.
Zoe, I can't see it.
I can't see it. I can't hear it.
I can't see Beta.
Thank you very much indeed.
Uh, Mr Poe?
Would you, er care to comment on the election festivities?
People going through the motions.
Election? Come on, as if they actually have a choice. Right. True, very true.
But then it's a big distraction, isn't it,
from what's happening on the ship?
I can read the faces on the floor.
Something's going on.
See, that's that thing about high security.
We're not allowed to talk about it. "It. " so there is something.
Come on, Arnel.
Six years.
Every movement, body function and thought process closely monitored,
pressures many, rewards dubious.
Can't be easy.
They're highly skilled astronauts, Trevor.
No matter what the crisis,
the Antares crew are trained, and they'll be fine.
I was talking about you.
- Sharon? - Lewis to base.
Lewis to base. Sharon?
Donner?
Walker has chest pains. Sharon?
Come on, Sharon. You gotta keep movin'.
Donner...
We are gonna figure this out, all right?
There's some reason for this. Eve said it wants what it wants.
Well, then it clearly doesn't want me.
I mean, if it chose us, then maybe it made a mistake.
Maybe I'm not even supposed to be here. That is crazy.
Is it? I'm a biologist. Eve said it's organic.
If anyone should be able to see it, it's me.
It's gonna be OK. We're gonna figure out the reason.
Did it tell you that?
If you are meant to communicate with Beta, it will happen.
And what, in the meantime, just shut up, grow more tomatoes?
I mean, nobody in the crew even likes tomatoes.
It's symbolic, really. They're sitting there in the galley rotting away.
I don't understand how you are not totally freaked out by this.
I- I don't know. I just - I feel really positive.
Wow, again with the "me. " Jen, the Venus walk is in two days.
This mission - it means everything to me.
Forgive me for not berating myself for feeling positive about it.
How is it that me not seeing Beta has suddenly become about you walking on Venus?
No, no, I am trying to help here.
Go help Paula.
What's up?
Um...
It's Jen.
Hallucinations?
No, no. Nothing like that.
She's...
She's angry and she's not talking to me,
and she's fighting with Zoe.
Well...
emotional withdrawal is perfectly normal
under the circumstances.
Yeah, well, not for us. Not for Jen.
You know, when we got married, we made a rule.
We could get angry, fight,
slam doors, sulk, whatever.
But in three hours' time,
we would come back and discuss it,
try to work it out.
Or screw.
Well, are the three hours up?
No. No, they're just starting, actually.
You know, I know Jen.
She'll come around.
You're not voting? I think I'll pass this time.
But it's your constitutional right.
Sure, just like it was our choice
to be part of the Antares mission. Arnel.
Six years of undergrad, two PHDs,
five years of training.
You have to believe that there's a higher purpose in all of this.
I know you've sacrificed a lot for ISO. We all know that.
Eve said that the Antares crew was chosen,
that it was all predestined.
What did I sacrifice for, Ajay?
I never even had a shot.
MUSIC: "Start A War" by The National
♪ Do you really think you can just put it
♪ In a safe behind a painting, lock it up and leave?
♪ Do you really think you can just put it
♪ In a safe behind a painting, lock it up and leave?
♪ Walk away now
♪ And you're gonna start a war
♪ Whatever went away, I'll get it over again
♪ I'll get money, I'll get funny again
♪ Whatever went away, I'll get it over again
♪ I'll get money, I'll get funny again
♪ Walk away now
♪ And you're gonna start a war... ♪
May I have a word? Now?
What is it with you? Huh? You've been staring at me all day.
Frankly, it's creeping me out.
You having a dream again? No.
Then what? Paula can't pilot that lander.
I have been with her all day. No, Zoe -
Her reflex scores are through the roof. Zoe, I'm telling you,
this is the Mars disaster all over again,
unless we start doing things the right way.
The right way or your way?
You're not going to Venus without me.
Walker should've never been on that rover, OK?
He wasn't supposed to be there.
That's why the mission failed, because the thing rejected him.
The object caused the storm on Mars? That's from Eve.
OK? Plus I was there, and I didn't know
the signs to look for at the time but I do now,
and they were there.
Sharon was hallucinating in the hab
right before she was scheduled to that walk, just like you are.
She was hearing things. She was seeing things.
What things? Things. Personal things.
Stuff. Like Mintz was talking about. The...
The... There was a storm, OK?
She had an accident when she was a kid.
There was a thunderstorm in the woods,
and there was a friend of hers - a little girl,
got lost and she didn't make it back. Sharon...
She took it to heart. She thought it was her fault.
So when we were in the hab, she would hear thunder.
What have you been hearing?
Huh?
I'm sorry. It's n - I can't.
All right. It doesn't matter.
Listen...
There'll be other missions. You don't have to do this one.
Um... I am going to Venus,
with Paula,
and it's going to be fine.
What if you're wrong?
Then I'll be wrong. But I am not Sharon.
I don't need you to save me.
Jen, did you take the straws?
Yeah. Symbolic gesture
of how much it sucks to be on this ship right now.
You all really look like you need a drink.
And the election results are coming in.
Major Tom's. My treat. Already there.
Yeah, me, too, soon as we finish up with Paula.
Yeah. We'll meet you in a few.
Mike Dodd, line three. Mike Dodd, line three.
Hey, do me a favour. Go get a coffee, will ya?
What's up, Ajay?
Jen, it's me.
Tricky.
It's, um...
Two hours and three minutes, baby.
Jen, please.
What do you want me to say, Rollie?
That I have no idea what I am doing on this ship?
Of course you know what you're doing.
You're a biologist. This is the mission of a lifetime.
I can't see it.
Rollie, I-I can't see it.
I can't hear it. I-I can't...
You can't see Beta?
OK. Look...
I don't know how this thing works or why,
but if it didn't want you on the ship,
you would know it.
It chose you, Jen. I am so sick
of hearing that from everyone.
What have I been chosen for?
Am I up here to be some kind of sacrificial lamb?
Jen, I know you're scared.
I'm scared, too.
But it's not me you're angry with.
It's the universe, and that is an unfair match.
Well, what do we do after three hours up here, Rollie?
What then?
Welcome back on this exciting electoral day.
We have a result out of South Carolina now...
Thumb dexterity.
Nominal.
Muscle memory.
Nominal.
Good work, Paula.
Run through mode control, and you are good to go.
Elevated pulse.
It's to be expected under the circumstances.
Flight parameters have been... What? No, no, no, no.
- Simulation failed. - Wait. Hold on.
Hold on.
And restarting landing sequence.
Flight parameters have been... No! Simulation failed.
Restarting landing sequence. Evram?
Zoe, what's happening?
Uh, I'm not sure. Let's just give her a minute here.
Her BP is up.
I'm seeing stress in her extremities.
Flight parameters have been... I don't know.
Simulation failed.
My thumb.
Oh, Paula.
Paula failed.
Looks like you're the pilot.
Open up, Wassenfelder.
Not dee-cent!
I don't care if you're wearing chaps and a plunger. Let me in.
Meow.
Straws and dental floss?
It's a... mechanical model...
Yeah, of an N+1 dimensional universe
arising from quantum fluctuation,
said quantum fluctuation being the alien Beta.
Yeah, I just wanted to be able to grease my calculations
without MC tracking my every cha-cha on the computer.
You know what I'm saying? So then you know what Beta is?
Oh, no, not a clue. No. I mean, it's everything,
you know, and nothing. It's here. It's there. It's -
it's us, them, it's the universe. It's -
Screw the physics haiku.
I need to know what it's for, what it does.
Yeah, well, you know, I'm still tinkering
with the practical implications.
I mean, this is next level stuff.
I just need a little time. And I don't have time, Steven.
Venus orbit insertion in six hours.
OK, well, you know,
isn't it enough to know you made the cut?
That out of every jerk in the galaxy, it picked us.
Picked us for what?
The greatest space mission
in, like, the history of humankind.
No?
Not good enough.
What happened to you?
You're the leader of the pack, the charger, nummer eins!
But you're not getting this?
This is the cool part.
This is where you finally get to charge.
What? What's that?
This is a gift from the Russians.
Ah, well, God bless the Russians.
Ah.
Na zdorovie!
Nasty over you!
Mmm. You know you knew all along
that you were gonna be going to Venus.
No, I-I wanted it, but, er...
I, er...
I don't know - hope I'm not wrong. What if I'm wrong?
Maybe you are.
I don't know.
You know, I so don't know anymore
that I don't even know what it is
that I don't even know anymore.
Yeah, I don't know.
So maybe this isn't about the mistakes we made on Mars.
Maybe... it's about second chances.
Hmm.
Paula, who cares about the stupid election coverage?
You don't need to do this, not now.
It's OK. I can totally do this.
Really?
Yeah.
One minute to air, Antares. Copy that.
It's really OK.
OK.
Yo.
Five... four... three...
two...
and we are live to air, Antares.
Hello, Paula Morales.
Hello, Tara. I am here on the Antares with the results
from the world's spaciest polling station - Venus.
Where I understand you'll be landing in a couple of days.
Well...
Not exactly, Tara. Uh...
You see, unfortunately... Why the hell don't they have the press release on Paula?
It went out two hours ago... my injured thumb is refusing to heal.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
Oh, that's OK. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
Like... like Job, I feel I am being tested, you see,
as if... Satan himself...
Were on this ship, and -
And that Satan is me.
Yeah, yeah, the, er, the little devil that just won't stop
picking on Paula, even, er, during election time, which -
which we are all, er, very excited about, er, because
it is time for the changing of the brass...
Get the producer on the line and wrap him up fast. That's right.
Wassenfelder's your man. Paula...
Is Mintz on this? As best he can.
We can't keep them prisoners, Mike.
They will continue to make calls, send messages,
fall apart. Who knows what they're gonna do next?
Frankly, I don't think it's the crew we need to be worried about right now.
So who will it be, Mike?
Who is going to leak this first?
With only eight of you up there,
it's crucial everyone lends a hand.
Yeah, we're all working side by side, you know?
Well, something's going on. That's supposed to be Paula up there, isn't it?
One down.
...back on earth are rooting for a speedy recovery.
We're astronauts.
Hey. Another round, please.
I'm fine.
I just can't believe you guys can't see it's evil.
We asked for the unknown,
and that's exactly what we got.
Well, thank you, but I just did what was necessary.
And congratulations on your second term,
Madam President.
It's the ultimate test, being thrust into the void,
armed only with our instincts...
Guided by a tenuous set of truths.
♪ Do you really think you can just put it in a safe
♪ Behind a painting, lock it up and then leave?
♪ Walk away now
♪ And you're gonna start a war... ♪
There's no turning back.
All we can do is keep moving forward,
gain strength from each other,
learn from our mistakes.
♪ Whatever went away, I'll get it over now
♪ I'll get money, I'll get funny again
♪ Whatever went away, I'll get it over now
♪ I'll get money, I'll get funny again
♪ Walk away now
♪ And you're gonna start a war... ♪
There are no promises.
No guarantees.
♪ We expected something, something better than before
♪ We expected something more
♪ You were always weird but I never had to hold you... ♪
Let's do this.
♪ Like I do now
♪ You were always weird
♪ But I never had to hold you by the edges... ♪
You take it day by day.
♪ Walk away now
♪ And you're gonna start a war... ♪
You hang on...
and you hope for the best.
♪ Whatever went away, I'll get it over now
♪ I'll get money, I'll get funny again
♪ Walk away now... Oh, my God.
♪ And you're gonna start a war... Oh, my God.
♪ Walk away now
♪ And you're gonna start a war. ♪
Donner...
Donner!
The sky is red, Donner.
It's red.