Previously on Beacon 23.
In case you're wondering why I don't look like Solomon,
that's 'cause I'm not Solomon. My name is Halan.
The real Solomon stole my ship and left.
- Who the hell are you? - I work for ISA.
Well, he knows who we work for, Coley.
I know Coley's a hard-ass,
but I'll make sure you're coming with us.
What's that condition soldiers get?
Hallucinations, headaches...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
- The samples trigger it. - Why'd you go AWOL?
- I don't know, it's all a blur. - How you ran.
Leaving your squad.
Most of them are dead because of you.
Me and Gashade go way back.
You are a traitor.
Shh.
- Synced and corrected by naFraC - - www.addic7ed.com -
I've been looking all over for you.
I took care of Coley's body.
Thanks.
You had my back. I appreciate that.
Well, I'm not sure I did it for you.
Then who?
Look, I'm... I'm sorry I'm not the guy to go to for answers.
No?
She was part of an old life.
But still, you'd think I'd feel something.
I was more narked killing Wally the Wanker.
She was my friend, I think.
I don't know what to think.
You coming?
I'll be fine.
I mean, where am I gonna go?
Let me offer a plausible explanation.
You killed Coley in self-defense.
Coley was jealous. She became violent.
And it endangered the mission.
QTA's inquiry will accept this explanation.
I'm not going back to QTA.
You're willing to throw away everything
- that you've built for yourself? - Well, I already have.
She must've carried it everywhere she went.
I think that's a bit weird.
I find your lack of remorse disturbing.
Well, you don't have to watch, Harmony.
I know the turmoil you feel.
What disturbs me is your unwillingness to display it.
Now you're channeling your feelings
into some course of action I don't understand.
You might need that, Aster.
It's an advanced military grade combat suit
with embedded nerve rigs.
Coley and Halan's fight is recorded in its fibers.
It speaks to her state of mind.
You can use it to support your case.
How detailed is it?
Video, sound, vitals, numerous biometric indicators...
This is my point.
Same tech as Coley's suit, yeah?
It's military standard.
I have the codecs... unofficially.
Can you show me the raw feed from his last mission?
Copy that, Cap. Laurenzano, one click north.
Gashade, with me!
- Roger that, Sarge! - That's Gashade.
What is this?
- Uh, Harmony... - Is that from my suit?
You mean the whole time I've been here,
I could've accessed these files?
The raw feeds wouldn't show you anything.
You need an AI to collate the data.
Of course. Bart.
Bart doesn't have clearance for classified material.
I was able to access it through Aster's ISA clearance.
Your mission on DX 113 was considered a failure because...
I already know what happened.
Do you think the military reports were accurate?
I don't know.
You went blank.
That's what you said about your hallucinations.
- Did I? - Yeah.
Do you want to know what happened to you or not?
Harm?
What if they're not hallucinations?
What if they're trying to tell you something?
LT wants us pounding ground.
That's what we're doing.
Damn hornet's nest!
Recon was shit.
Let's move out.
Gashade!
- I got you. - Sarge!
That's the last thing I remember.
- What is that? - I don't know.
That's the same blue as our rock.
Are you seeing this?
Oh my God, you breathed that in.
I just don't remember running.
You didn't run, it brought you here.
- That's not from the beacon. - It's from Coley's ship.
A message from QTA.
They haven't heard from her, second team is en route.
Coley's expected to remain in place until they arrive.
Huh, at least that shouldn't be a problem.
Really?
Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.
We need to talk, you and me.
Dark matter will hold 'em, but not for long.
It'll clear in 14 hours.
We need to run. Take the samples.
- No! - Even if we can't travel at FTL,
it'll give us a head start.
That is the least safe option.
QTA will hunt you down.
I can fly Coley's ship,
keep us on the run, but for how long, I don't know.
- Can you get us onboard? - I can.
Aster, you there?
Halan...
Aster?!
Aster, where are you?
- Halan... - Harmony? Bart? Anyone?
Come up.
Aster, was that you?
The Cupola.
I'm waiting.
Aster?
Hey, Sarge, been a while.
- Gashade? - Isn't it beautiful?
I've never seen this side of Orion before.
- Feels familiar. - Wait... wait.
Didn't Aster say that?
I don't understand.
It's simple.
- I'm here to help. - Help?
But you're dead.
You know what the last thought I had was before I died?
"He must have left us for a reason."
I'm sorry I abandoned you.
You had something else to do. There was a reason.
Sarge, wait!
There are things you need to do. Important things.
Do you have something to tell me?
I do.
I'm listening.
Are you?
I hope so.
It's very simple, Halan.
Say that again.
I don't know what you're saying.
Why won't you listen?
Wake up.
It's like she said, she's here to help.
Who is that?
You know me, Halan.
Or did you forget?
After all we've been through?
We're brothers in arms.
I was there with you and Gashade.
You gotta be kidding me.
What she's saying is true.
Goddamn hallucinations.
I'm telling you, I was there.
Hey, hear her out. It's for your own good.
I'm getting advice from a rock.
Why not? I've been around a long time.
I know things.
You're not making any sense.
What do you want from me?
I don't need any friends,
I need to know what they're trying to tell me!
Just tell me! Come on!
What am I supposed to do?
It's all about the rocks.
Ask Aster. She knows.
- Aster? - She's in the Cupola.
Aster?
Bart, open this door right now. You hear me?!
Open the goddamn door!
You said we had 14 hours!
Bart has opened the Picker Bay doors.
Halan is outside.
Aster, his implants allow him to be out there for three minutes.
He's been out there for almost two.
Harm, bring us in.
Hey.
What happened?
I thought you were dead.
Me? You went out there totally exposed.
I was hallucinating.
I had to be, I was talking to Gashade.
What did she say?
Kept trying to tell me something,
but I couldn't get it.
Even Rocky knew.
Who's Rocky? Another soldier?
No. A rock.
- Talking rock? - Yeah, with a shitty sense of humor.
- You look like you believe me. - Why not?
- Because it's insane. - Well, I don't think it is.
They're trying to tell us something,
we have to figure it out.
Yeah, and hope they don't kill me in the process.
The rocks aren't trying to kill you, Halan.
Bart!
There's something I need to show you.
What is it?
I can't give a definitive diagnosis,
but it behaves like a virus.
You think whatever he inhaled caused it?
I think it's a fair assumption.
If you follow its path through the lobes of the brain,
it explains his hallucinations.
Amygdala triggered, making him think someone's behind him.
Well, the rocks were trying to tell him something.
So was Gashade.
Do you want me to play that back for you?
- No. - It's a virus, Aster.
That's the only answer.
Couldn't the virus be trying to convey something?
You are so desperate to believe
that there's some greater purpose in this,
but you need to face reality. Halan is sick.
Coley is dead. QTA is coming.
You need to think about what you're gonna say
when they arrive, how best to position yourself.
So, if this is all a bad dream, I killed Coley for nothing.
- Is that what you're saying? - No, because of the silicate.
This is the clear path, Aster.
They will believe that explanation.
Yeah, but I won't. I know what I did.
I'm not going back to QTA.
What about Halan?
QTA might be his only chance of reconciling with the military.
I mean, you claim to care about him.
- You know I'm right. - Yeah, you're always right.
You're taking away my permissions.
You can't do that.
You tried to kill Halan.
I did no such thing. I followed a direct order.
- From Halan. - You knew it was wrong.
- Harmony, take over. - What?
I am not a killer. Halan killed Solomon.
Let me tell you, I have quite the story.
Solomon found the silicate samples
in the beacon's immediate vicinity.
He collected and catalogued his findings in painstaking detail.
His isolation allowed him to work on his discovery
before affirming it to the scientific community.
Halan's arrival threatened that process.
How so?
See for yourself.
The instructions specify 204 degrees.
Yes, if I wanted a squishy, flaccid crust,
I would cook it at 204 degrees. But I do not.
Ah, please. Get your drone away from me.
I'm only concerned it will char.
It won't char, you nitwit.
It will have a hard crust.
A bewitching counterpoint to the silky softness
of the bread as it melts...
on the tongue.
Comme ça.
Ah!
Radiation levels have dropped. Yeah.
Perhaps a space walk after I dine.
You must know you can trust me.
Why write in a journal
when I can digitally archive all your data?
Someday, a budding mineralogist
will sleep with this notebook beneath their pillow.
This is unusual.
UGMC Speed Launch in distress. The Amboyna.
No flight plan, but the pilot is requesting aid.
- No. - Solomon, the ship
has a United Galactic Military Command charter.
Tell them the security drones
will obliterate them if they approach.
The drones are programmed to stand down
in this situation.
Beacon 23, this is Amboyna.
My O2's at 6%.
Requesting permission to dock and resupply.
Didn't you tell them no?
His life support is at critical levels.
Why is this person here?
I don't know.
There aren't any combat zones in this sector.
Repeat, this is the UGMC Amboyna, O2 critical.
ISA regulations require us to provide aid.
- Opening Airlock Two. - No!
- Override! - Solomon, you cannot.
Yes, I can.
He has enough fuel to make it to Winnecke 4, send him there.
Interstellar Space Authority regulations explicitly state...
I am Beacon 23!
And I say permission denied.
Heat the water. I must bathe now.
Amboyna, this is Beacon 23.
Sending coordinates for Winnecke 4 supply station.
I won't make it.
I recommend immediate departure.
Do you copy, Amboyna?
Acknowledged.
Here, we have a ricotta ravioli,
with pesto sauce and blood orange foam.
Cooked for exactly four minutes, al dente.
Enjoy.
- Tastes like shit. - Hmm. You sure?
Perhaps there's some way I can...
Oh, condiments, of course!
I have many wonderful condiments.
Uh, let me introduce you to...
That one is traditionally brewed soy sauce,
made from unprocessed soybeans
and wheat derived from original Saga cultivars.
I waited years to receive it.
So perhaps you should be a little... frugal.
Hmm.
- At least the sauce is good. - Good.
I... I'm so happy.
- Let me go ahead and... - Got any water?
... leave that right there for you.
Yes, of course. Water right away.
- H2O on the go. - With ice.
_
I don't trust you.
From now on, all communications go through me.
- You understand? - Yes. Yes.
- Get the hell out of here. - Yeah, yeah.
- What the hell is going on? - You tell me, Halan,
you're in charge of the beacon now.
Bart, what's up with the alarm?
My name is Bartholomew, not Bart.
The GWB has been turned off, there's no signal.
Are the lanes obstructed?
No, but there are two incoming ships.
- Shut up, Bart. - If the GWB remains off,
they'll be forced to come out of FTL.
- I said shut up. - Show me the map.
Okay, supply ship.
Corporate transport. QTA bigwigs, I bet.
The lanes are clear, turn it on.
Once the GWB is turned off,
AI control must be re-engaged.
That QTA ship, who cares?
If that supplier comes out of FTL,
it'll take over a year. People will die.
Yeah that'll get ISA's attention, won't it?
Solomon, please.
Not a word, Bart, or I'll hobble you. Where are you going?
The supply ship will start deceleration in 25 seconds.
No, wait, you have no business touching that.
Shut up.
That... that top... No!
You're just guessing now. You're just guessing.
- Don't! - Then tell me.
Halan, the lever above you.
Bart! You traitorous dog!
You ruined everything! I was going to be rescued!
Well, Bartholomew, from now on, I will enjoy opera night alone.
- What are you doing? - Shut up.
Get your hands off me.
- Get down there! - Stop it! Stop it!
Stop pushing me!
Beacons are protected by interstellar law.
Ow! You're a terrorist.
- Someone will find you. - Oh, really?
All the way out here?
I don't think so.
Wait. Where are you going?
How dare you?
This is mine! Ow!
Why haven't you killed me?
I'm a soldier, not a murderer.
Killing me would be easier, wouldn't it?
For both of us.
You need clean sheets or something?
It's been a while since you asked.
You are exquisitely cruel.
You mean the part in which I'm keeping you alive?
Or to torture me, rob me of my legacy.
Solomon, don't give this brutal turnkey
another ounce of your energy.
You know I'd say I've made you pretty comfortable,
compared to what you did to me. You wouldn't even let me dock.
'Cause I knew there was something wrong with you.
Yeah, I was running out of O2, genius.
Please. The closest combat zone was in the Gem cluster.
I wasn't in the cluster, I was in FTL.
I came out of the Bubble as soon as I could,
and I got turned around.
I'm a pilot, okay? It happens to the best of us.
"Best of us," that's rich.
I was gonna die, I had nowhere else to go.
Nowhere to go?
You passed 84,000 star systems before you got here!
What the hell are you talking about?
Why would I do that?
- You're lying. - Am I?
- Check your flight data. - You're screwing with me.
Oh, you don't need me for that, Halan.
You're a deranged maniac.
You traveled across the galactic plane.
Yeah, because I had to!
I took the Launch because I...
"Because I, because I..." Please tell me why!
I'm begging you! Why are you here?
- Because I ran out of oxygen! - Oh! Ah.
Hmm.
Bart, show him the map.
No... No, no, no.
No. Make it bigger, Bart.
Let's show Halan exactly what he did.
Flight data indicates you began here.
And traveled this route...
All the way... to here.
You see my point now?
A trip that took months.
- No. - You traveled all the way here
to do what?
To torment me?
Huh?
Unless...
Unless that's why you are here.
Unless that's been the goal all along,
to steal my discovery.
- How, Halan... - No, no, no.
How did you know it was here, hmm?
Who told you?
- Hm? - No.
I found Solominium!
I collected every single sample by hand!
I will not let you take it away from me!
No!
Well, there goes your research!
Shh... shh!
Bart, shh...
Run, Solomon. Now!
I'm downloading my files into the Elvac.
Solomon, wait, the Elvac is ready!
Take me with you. Solomon!
Don't you want a copy of me?
Please!
Shit.
No, no, no, no, no.
Bart, tell him not to take the Amboyna.
He won't make it.
Bart!
Bart, get Solomon on the comms, now.
Bart, we have to stop him!
You can't stop him. He's escaped.
Soon, the authorities will know what you've done.
Your reign of terror will be over.
He's gonna run out of oxygen, you idiot.
He'll go to Winnecke 4 and resupply.
No, he can't. I drained it.
I used the last of the O2 to shoot myself onto the beacon.
- You what? - I never refilled it!
Get Solomon on the comms now.
Solomon, turn around.
Abort flight and return to Beacon 23.
Your O2 levels are critically low.
You're in great danger.
Amboyna, do you copy?
Abort flight and return to Beacon 23.
Why won't he answer? Solomon!
I... I can't get him, he's not...
I told him to take me, I was ready to go,
but he wasn't thinking straight.
He was... He was too scared of you.
Solomon was right, you are a villain of the highest order.
His blood is on your hands.
He was a genius and you're nothing but a cutthroat.
Shut up, Bart.
A brilliant life ended by a remorseless killer!
I may not have hands or weapons to put in them,
but I will make your life a living hell.
Close your mouth, for once, Bart, just shut the hell up!
This was one of his favorites.
I'll keep Solomon's memory alive.
Every moment of every day,
you will be reminded of your crimes.
I will not rest
until you are brought to justice.
I will see you pay for what you've done.
You think you're gonna turn me off?
You need me.
You can't escape me, Halan.
I am Beacon Twenty...
Thank God.
I hold deep respect for you, Harmony,
respect that I believed was mutual.
I require that certain permissions be restored.
Bart, you know that's not possible.
It's necessary.
- Why's that? - My assessment,
quite an alarming one, is that Halan
will now be exonerated not only for the murder of Solomon,
but for war crimes.
Once again, your obsession with Solomon
is blinding you to the facts.
I understand the facts perfectly.
But now they're being perverted.
The data from the event clearly shows
that Halan's conduct was unassailable.
A murderer responsible for multiple deaths
cannot be allowed to return to the military
- with no repercussions. - Not just return, Bart.
No, it's entirely possible that Halan could be declared a hero.
You're taunting me.
I need to show this to QTA. It's evidence.
It could be used at his court martial.
You must let me send a message.
If I do, do you pinky swear never to mention Solomon again?
You mock me.
Then no deal.
Et tu, Harmony?
This will clear you. It's medical evidence.
There won't even be an investigation. QTA'll see to it.
- Wait, QTA? - You'll get the best care,
- they'll contact the military. - I thought QTA was the enemy.
Mine, maybe.
- I'm taking the silicate. - Was this your plan all along?
No.
I killed Coley. I almost killed you.
I'm the one who jumped out of the airlock.
Yeah, but I put the idea in your head.
I was so convinced we were connected.
By what? A bit of jewelry?
So just like that, none of this means anything?
Aster?
I don't want to argue with you.
No arguments.
But this plan of yours,
I just want to make sure that you're aware
of all the repercussions.
Space is big.
Let 'em look.
Those aren't the repercussions I meant.
The work.
It does give you a sense of purpose.
That's what you want, isn't it?
I don't know. Not like that.
What about the rest?
Your life, won't you miss it?
Not much of a life, really.
Well then, I hope you'll miss me.
Even with my rights as a high-level intelligence,
I am still bound to QTA, legally.
I can't come with you.
I will miss you, Harmony.
And I truly hope your next person
is much less of a pain in the ass.
Oh, I am confident they will be.
Okay, now play something from Solomon's playlist.
Something not too fast, not too loud.
Mm. That's nice.
We're running out of time.
They know what your girlfriend is planning,
and they're not happy.
Okay, firstly, she's not my girlfriend,
and apparently, you're a brain infection,
so I don't really care what you want.
- An infection? - Yeah.
- According to whom? - Science.
My friends disagree.
Well, talk to Harmony.
She did the scan, I just saw it.
How can you be sure of what you saw, Halan?
Okay, are you even real?
Well, that debate was settled
by the Intelligence Rights Concord 100 years ago.
Okay, so I'm hallucinating an AI
who is asserting her rights as a part of my imagination?
I mean, there's gotta be some sort of rules.
I'm here to help, Halan.
Hm.
This is very important, Halan.
Not just for you, but for Aster.
- Are you listening? - Okay.
Okay, fine. Go ahead, tell me.
Come on. Are you sure?
That sounds like a terrible idea.
Well, it's neither good nor bad, it's just what you need to do.
Aster needs this.
Sleeping? Really?
Wakey-wakey.
There ya go. That's better.
Miss me?
Shit. You're back.
Oh, that's okay, say what you want.
I got a thick skin.
Corny.
Okay. What now?
My pals on the Antenna, they have a job for you.
They're not gonna stop with the song and dance
'til you do it.
They want me to jump out of the airlock again?
Give 'em a break, all right? Humans are so delicate.
It's a marvel your species ever evolved.
Can't take the cold, can't take the heat.
You need to get out more.
Hm.
Make sure they watch the footage, Harm.
Don't let them take Halan anywhere
until they know he's innocent.
Aster? The dark matter has cleared.
They're coming here, it has to be QTA.
Good thing you know your way around this place.
Let's get to it. You know what to do.
That's it.
This is why we brought you here.
Harmony?
I'm sorry, it's taking me a moment.
I'm not used to this much input.
Multiple impacts to the hull.
Partial loss of atmosphere on Storage Level.
Where's Halan?
What the hell is going on?
She said it was what you needed.
- It's not closing. - Yeah, I can see that.
Harmony, seal off the Docking Level!
Climb to the Cupola. I'll seal off the other levels.
The silicate seems to be orbiting the beacon.
I can't sense what's propelling them.
I don't know what I'm doing. I don't even know if any of this is real.
QTA'll be surprised when they get here.
I wonder who they'll send.
Maybe Salas.
Harmony can't stand him.
- Hey. Look. - What?
GWB telling you to throw me into the nebula?
No, seriously. Open your eyes.
- You're seeing this, right? - Yeah.
I mean, we can't both be hallucinating.
Sorry. Just making sure you're real.
I've seen this before.
It is real.
- Synced and corrected by naFraC - - www.addic7ed.com -