Original release date: December 8, 2023
An asteroid is discovered swinging away from Jupiter towards Mars. Density measurements show it to be heavy in metals, especially iridium which makes it valuable to the base and humanity, but politically difficult because Russia is currently the number one supplier of the metal. President Gore claims that he discovered the asteroid, further complicating the issue. The Mars team is tasked with pulling it into Mars orbit, which has to happen on a tight timeline and means everyone needs to work extra hours. Miles is doing well with his Mars rock business, but his partner figures out what’s going on. Dev decides to go to Mars, leaving Aleida behind to run Helios and taking Kelly with him so she can train her crews en route. Kelly has second thoughts about going, not wanting to leave her son, and she asks to take him on the mission. Dev agrees, partially because his mother abandoned him. During a training mission, a crew member sees Ed Baldwin’s tremor and reports it to Danielle. After some serious deliberation, she confronts him about the condition. When he argues with her, she removes him from flight status and as XO. A series of flashbacks show Danielle’s series of visits to the exiled Danny (from season 3) as his condition deteriorated until he committed suicide on the Mars surface.
* * *
[radar beeps]
[typing]
[aide 1] Sir, there’s something you need to see.
[aide 2 speaks Russian]
[aide 3] The asteroid must have decayed from a near-Jovian Trojan orbit, which is why we haven’t been able to see it until now.
Looks like it passed too close to Jupiter on its last go-around and was redirected into the inner solar system.
[Margo] It appears to be coming in on an elliptical Mars-crossing orbit.
Looks like it’s about 1.1 kilometers in diameter. Not huge as these things go.
And based on our orbital analysis of its moon, the density of the asteroid is seven grams per cubic centimeter.
Means it’s full of metal, for sure.
A special analysis tells us this asteroid likely contains a colossal amount of…
[in Russian] Iridium? Very rare on Earth. And we already control most of it.
Mmm. Not this much.
A conservative guess is 70,000 metric tons.
[in English] Our estimates indicate there’s more iridium in 2003LC than has been mined in the entire history of Earth.
Iridium is going for about 294 a gram.
Based on current mass estimates, that’s worth upwards of…
[Christine Francis] …twenty trillion dollars and nicknamed the Goldilocks asteroid.
If it is able to be harnessed and its iridium mined in Mars orbit, economists predict it will lead to another technological revolution here on Earth.
[Chase] President Korzhenko has expressed skepticism that the asteroid is in fact made of iridium at all, insisting that the USSR remains the only reliable supplier.
[McGann] Let me remind you what happened after NASA’s last great discovery, Helium-3.
Job cuts, protests, domestic terrorism.
[news anchor] …traveling through space at tens of thousands of miles per hour.
And the window to capture it is closing quickly.
In approximately six months, the asteroid’s new trajectory will send it out of reach for good.
[crew chattering]
[chattering continues]
[Palmer] Commander Poole.
Commander.
[sighs]
What time is it?
It’s nearly 1:00 a.m., ma’am.
But I thought it best to wake you.
What’s happened?
Something incredible.
[Gore, through speaker] This asteroid, it’s an amazing discovery.
It is going to improve life on Earth immeasurably.
But if we fail to secure this valuable resource for the American people, it’ll not only be a black mark on my administration, but on this country.
I assure you, Mr. President, we are doing everything we can to bring this one home for all of us.
Good. I have faith in you, Eli.
Especially with how you handled the Zakharova situation this past spring.
I’ll let you and Ron hash out the details. Keep me posted.
[line clicks]
Ron, I think you and I…
So, how soon can we announce the plan to harness the asteroid?
I’m sorry?
I don’t need to remind you that
the president is headed for a tough reelection battle.
And the more the American people know about what Goldilocks will do for them, the better his standing will get.
Well, I hear you, Ron. I do. But we have to be very delicate here.
I’m already drowning in calls from the other M-7 nations wanting a bigger piece of this pie.
Not to mention, the Soviets feel threatened because iridium happens to be one of their biggest exports.
We’re on the same page here, Eli.
The last thing we want to do is antagonize our partners.
Good. Because the only way we’re gonna get this thing is if we all work together.
This can’t be seen as just an American…
You just focus on getting Mars whatever it needs to get that asteroid.
We’ll handle the rest.
[Danielle] Goldilocks is heading toward us and hauling ass.
So, we need to design and launch this capture mission inside the next ten weeks, or else she gets away.
That means pedal to the metal for everybody.
And all personal matters are gonna have to take a back seat.
Dimitri, how many more wranglers do you think you’ll need to corral this thing?
Still waiting on protocols, but at least ten more.
Gonna have to ramp up microgravity certification for many of my people.
All right.
If we’re to have a hope in hell of pulling this off, I strongly suggest that we curtail all but essential operations and start stockpiling argon.
Are you suggesting that we slow down training operations?
[Ed] Well, absolutely.
Rushing around with our hands flapping in the breeze, hoping we can wing it, is not going to get this done.
Well, rushing around with our hands flapping wasn’t what I was proposing, Ed.
Well, it sure sounded like it to me.
Can I speak with you for a minute?
Well, of course.
Let’s just get one thing straight.
That attitude of yours, it ain’t gonna fly.
What, I’m supposed to rubber-stamp any harebrained idea of yours that washes over the transom?
This is not about harebrained ideas, Ed.
Ah. Then what is it about?
[sighs]
Let’s just get this out in the open. All right?
Ever since I sent Svetlana Zakharova back Earthside, you’ve been fighting me tooth and nail.
I say “left,” you say “right.”
It has slowed operations on Happy Valley to a crawl these past few months.
You’re my XO.
We have got to be on the same page.
Sending her back was a bad call.
[sighs]
It hurt morale.
It was my call to make.
We don’t have to see eye to eye on this to get this thing done.
But we need to get this thing done.
This asteroid, Ed, it could change everything for people back home.
Isn’t that why we’re up here in the first place?
Look, I want to get this rock as much as you do.
Okay.
Then let’s cut the shit and make this happen.
[laughs]
[speaks indistinctly]
I’ll get this round.
Four glasses, comrade.
Uh, excuse me, Miles.
Can I put in order for these cotton shirts?
Other fabric, it, uh, give me rash.
Sure thing.
Grazie, comrade.
Thank you.
Next time he calls me comrade, I’m going to punch him in the face.
[chuckles]
Glass for you.
Ooh.
I don’t like him.
He’s not good enough for Samantha.
[chattering]
[Ilya] Okay, Milosh. What is next on the list?
All right, all right. Let’s get back to it.
Okay, so, today’s haul. I got another order from Staley for Odor-Eaters.
He will not shut up about this.
Oh, and, uh, Lee keeps asking me about updates on his wife.
We should let him know where we stand on that.
So, uh, where do we stand?
Has your guy gotten the wife out of North Korea?
JAXA’s next cargo launch to ISP is in a couple of weeks.
Unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to bring her up, after all.
It’s too risky, Milosh.
Low profile. Remember?
Okay, but you told him we were gonna get it done. And I told him that too.
If he finds out that we were…
Last thing we want is to anger him.
Korean business has been very good to us.
So, we must wait until right time to say right thing.
Hmm?
You mean lie to him?
You worry too much, Milosh. [chuckles]
Remember, Ilya knows best. Eh?
The capture mission’s just the tip of the spear.
They’re gonna need us to make hundreds of thousands of liters of fuel, replacement parts…
We’ll be mining that thing for decades.
They’re gonna have to build Happy Valley out big time.
Thousands more workers.
Right, it’s like, uh, gold rush. No? Bonuses, overtime, hazard pay…
Well, I heard that we’re gonna be working round the clock.
Double shifts. Six, seven days.
And I mean, they’re asking us to do this in half of the time of what we should have.
Samantha’s right. We must be careful.
But it is also an amazing opportunity, no?
Perhaps you will be assigned to the Ranger crew again.
Glass half full. That is how you say it?
[laughs] Something like that.
To Goldilocks.
[reporter] Eighty-four percent of voters who own cell phones say they support a proposed state ban on the use of handheld phones while driving.
Alex, we’re leaving for school in five minutes.
[Alex] Okay.
Peanut butter jelly not proper lunch.
Well, Alex loves it, so…
…central to the initial race to Mars, is finally going himself.
Dev Ayesa has announced
he is finally making the journey to the red planet later this month.
Ayesa talked with reporters today…
Shit.
…outside his Helios offices.
[Dev] I simply felt that as CEO of Helios, with everything unfolding on Mars as it has, that I should take a more hands-on role up there.
What’s going on?
Guess you haven’t heard the news?
That might be something you wanna tell us before announcing it to the whole world.
It was a spontaneous decision.
You going to Mars was a spontaneous decision?
Yes.
[Aleida] Dev, I know out there you can do whatever you want and people kiss your ass regardless.
But in here, in these offices, we’re actually trying to get shit done, and you throwing this kind of curveball…
I know.
And you and your team have been killing it developing the asteroid capture plan, but the real action is up there.
And as leader of this company, I got to go where I’m needed most.
So, if you’re up there, who’s going to handle all the M-7 negotiations for Goldilocks?
No way. I’m an engineer, I’m not…
Aleida, don’t worry. You’ll be great.
Now, Kelly, we need to talk about robotics.
So, I guess the astrobiology program just gets shunted aside.
Back burner yet again, right?
On the contrary.
I’m escalating the timeline.
I want your team’s personnel and equipment with me when I go.
Okay. The seekers can be ready, but I doubt my expedition team will be.
I was counting on another six weeks to bring them up to speed.
I have a fix for that.
You come with us.
What?
[Dev] You train your team en route.
By the time we arrive, they’ll be ready to hit the ground running.
[scoffs] Dev, I-I hear what you’re saying, but I can’t just drop everything and go to Mars with you.
Why not?
I have a son.
I-I’d have to leave him behind for what, six months, a year. Maybe longer.
You have spent 15 years on the search for life.
It would be a shame to drop the ball when you’re this close to the finish line.
But it’s up to you.
Meanwhile, I got a few loose ends that I need to tie up before I go, so I will be out of pocket for a couple of days.
A couple of days? But we’re right in the middle of revamping capture protocols.
[Danielle, through radio] Ranger. Happy Valley.
Ed, I see that you made some changes to the Ranger-2 crew list.
You know that needs to be run by me first.
[line clicks]
Come on, Danielle.
You know as well as I do that the mission commander customarily picks his own crew.
This isn’t NASA in the ’70s, Ed.
Ultimately, I’m responsible for getting Goldilocks into Mars orbit.
Affirmative. Now, what’s the problem?
Disregard of protocol, for one.
This should have been run past me before being distributed, but let’s just…
Let’s put that to the side, all right.
This crew list, it’s cherry-picked based off of what metrics?
Well, after the commissioner’s blame-game report about the Kronos clusterfuck came out,
I thought it would be good to shake things up here and there.
So, some crew members were replaced and others were deemed mission essential.
Like you as commander?
Yeah.
Experienced commander. Battle-tested. It sounded like a goddamn winner to me.
But hell, if you wanna micromanage me like this, we can start all over. No problem.
Negative, XO. Negative.
Your crew stands.
Just give me more of a heads-up next time. Happy Valley out.
[line clicks]
[Ed] Goddamn it.
Switching back to manual for attitude control checkout.
[crew member 1] Copy that. We’re go for RCS manual test.
[Ed grunts]
Uh, hold on that test for a minute.
Standing by, Ranger.
You okay, sir?
Yeah, I’m fine.
Don’t forget to cross-check the reactor temps before we disembark for Phoenix, all right?
Aye, aye.
You gotta go. You can’t give this opportunity up because you have a kid.
You think guys ever have to do that?
Course not, but Alex is different.
You know that.
With his health issues and…
He just needs me here.
He has his grandma.
[scoffs] Yeah, and she’d probably love it if I left, so she can take him back to Russia the first chance she gets.
I just couldn’t live with myself if he felt like I was abandoning him, you know.
Hey.
Kids are more resilient than you know.
I just don’t want him to end up hating me.
Oh, he’s going to hate you no matter what. Believe me.
Is that supposed to make me feel better?
It’s just what happens.
You give them life, you give them everything from yourself, and then they end up looking at you like you’re the most vile human that ever lived.
I’m sorry. I’m… I’m sure that isn’t easy.
What goes around comes around.
I really put my poor dad through the wringer.
Well, I’m sure he’d be very proud of you now.
Aleida Rosales, power broker.
God. Oh, God, no. It’s gonna be a disaster. Just you watch.
I don’t know. I think you have it in you.
Come on. Can you imagine me sitting across from all those M-7 reps?
Yes, I can.
Look, I remember my mom when she first bought this place.
Okay, she’d never run a business before in her life.
I asked her if she was nervous. She said, “There are always a million reasons not to do something. You have to find the reason to do it.”
[Gore] The American Space Program is central to that.
And during my time as your president, I took the initiative in discovering this incredibly valuable asteroid, 2003LC.
A discovery that will change our country and our world for the better.
President Gore today appeared to take personal responsibility for the discovery of asteroid 2003LC.
The Kremlin has denounced Gore’s claim of personal responsibility for the asteroid discovery as an outrageous attempt to take credit for a Soviet achievement.
But here now, other achievements claimed by Al Gore.
Number ten, was first human being to grow an opposable thumb.
[audience laughs]
Number nine, while riding bicycle one day, accidentally invented the orgasm.
It looks like the president has stepped in it again.
Next he’ll want to name the asteroid “Tipper.”
My advice, Al, leave the discoveries to the scientists and stick to doing what you do best, ruining our economy.
What the hell is he doing? This is a dance, Ron. A delicate dance.
I don’t control what the president says. You know that.
Don’t give me that shit. It was a prepared speech.
He was reading off a fucking teleprompter.
He likes to improvise sometimes.
This is going to destroy all of the goodwill that we have built up with the Russians.
And do you have any idea of what the other M-7 nations are gonna…
Yeah, and none of it matters if we lose to Bragg in ’04.
Oh, so that’s what this is all about?
Of course it is.
You and I both know that Bragg would be a fucking nightmare for NASA.
Not to mention the country. So, let’s get off our soapbox.
Fuck.
Oh, shit.
I don’t see how Ranger is gonna despin something as big as Goldilocks.
The ion engines just don’t generate enough thrust.
I hear ya.
I hear ya.
All right, people. Let’s keep thinking on this. In the meantime,
I wanna see some hard data from those 3-D torque simulations by tomorrow.
Thanks, guys.
All right. Thank you.
[Palmer sighs]
Palmer.
Yes, ma’am.
You gonna lurk round my door all day long, or you gonna tell me what’s on your mind?
[sighs]
Uh. Do you mind if I…
Go ahead.
Take a seat.
[Palmer clears throat]
What’s on your mind?
Well, I, um…
First off, I-I-I just wanna say that, uh,
Admiral Baldwin,
he’s basically a hero to me.
I was seven when the Russkies beat us to the Moon, and my dad and I, we saw all those congressional hearings.
When Admiral Baldwin took the blame for losing the Moon, he was talking about honor.
He was talking about taking responsibility even when it’s difficult.
[sighs]
When we were out on Ranger, I, um… I saw something.
And God’s honest truth, I-I-I wish I hadn’t.
But I did.
And now I feel compelled to report it.
Okay.
Admiral Baldwin has a tremor or something with his right hand.
And I could tell he was trying to hide it.
He had to halt a training exercise because of it.
Are you saying that Ed is hiding a medical condition?
That is what I suspect, Commander. Yes.
That is a very serious accusation.
I know it is.
But I also know what I saw.
I just thought you should know too.
[sighs]
All right. That’ll be all.
Yeah. [clears throat]
[Palmer sighs]
[sighs]
[device beeps]
[door lock clicks]
[Danielle] Now, make sure to ration this.
It’s gotta last you another four weeks.
Danielle?
Can I please come back?
Please.
I’ll stay in my rack. I’ll-I’ll…
I’m sorry.
I know it’s hard,
but this is how it’s gotta be.
You know that.
[Danielle sighs]
Help, Captain. They’re shooting us.
[imitating gunfire]
Abandon ship. We’re going down.
[imitates ship crashing]
Help! I’m on fire. [shouts]
Hey, baby.
Hi, Mommy. Do you wanna play with me?
Sure, bud. In a little bit.
I wanna talk to you about something first.
You know how I’m going to send my robots to Mars to look for those little microbes up there?
In the lava tubes.
That’s right.
Anyway, it… it looks like I might need to go with them.
To Mars?
But while I’m gone, you’ll stay here with grandma.
Why can’t I come?
Well, for one, you’re still in school, and space travel isn’t really for kids yet.
But Zack’s mom and dad took him to this hotel place on the Moon when we were in second grade.
Well, yes. But it only takes a day to get to the Moon, and it takes much longer to get to Mars.
How long will you be gone?
About a year.
I know it seems like a long time but it’ll go by so quickly.
You’ll see.
What if you decide to stay forever like Poppy did?
Aw, bud, I know this is hard but I’ve been on work trips before.
This one will just be a bit longer, okay?
Alex, come back. I…
Alex.
[shushes] It’s okay. It’s okay.
[shushes]
[Alex sniffling]
[in Russian] It will all be okay, little one.
It will all be okay.
[shushes]
[in English] Hey. Aleida, right? Aleida?
So nice to meet you.
I’m Brandt. Government relations.
And obviously, we’re going to be working pretty close together with everything that’s been decided.
So, we really need to finalize which senators we’re approaching to support our position with the M-7. Have you looked at the dossiers?
Yeah. Yes, I have.
Uh, still doing a bit more, you know, um…
Mulling it over.
Ins and outs.
You haven’t looked at it yet.
Have you talked to Dev at all about this?
I feel like he might have an opinion.
Mm-hmm. He, uh, told us we should just come to you.
So, uh, just take a look at those dossiers, okay?
[footsteps departing]
And, uh, this is the entryway and this is the living room.
You know, it’s not the biggest but it’s got a fireplace.
And there is the kitchen with this little, uh, eat-in nook there.
[sighs] It’s gonna be really nice cooking the girls’ breakfast in the morning before school.
[kids squealing, laughing]
[Sarah] I’m gonna get you!
[Mandy laughs]
[Mandy] Oh, and wait for the best part. [laughs]
This is Sarah’s room,
and over there, that’s Lily’s room.
[Lily] And this is my room!
[Mandy chuckles]
[Lily] No!
And, um, over there is our room.
I mean, um, my room.
Uh, but you know, when you get back we’ll talk. [chuckles]
Uh, anyway. [chuckles]
We’re just so excited, Miles.
I… I can’t believe that
we can finally buy our own house thanks to you.
Honestly, I… I never thought that we’d be able to do that.
[chuckles]
Okay. Gotta go. Bye.
[line clicks]
[Sam sighs]
[Miles] You okay?
Yeah. They, uh… They posted the assignments for Goldilocks.
Ah, shit. You didn’t get on the Ranger, huh?
Bastards, why don’t they realize…
No, no. I… I did. I, um… [sighs]
I… I got on. I am… [chuckles]
I’m on the crew.
Well, shit. That’s great, isn’t it? I mean, that’s what you wanted.
Yeah, I know. [chuckles]
I know. I’ve been banging my head against the wall these past few months, trying to get back out there, and now I…
[chuckles]
Miles, you should’ve fucking seen us out there.
We… All running up to that board, looking for our names, you know.
Praying we got a slot. Thinking that we won the… the fucking lottery.
When… When the truth is we are powerless up here, Miles.
That’s what I keep telling you.
Come in with me on this red obsidian thing.
It’s not too late.
People back home are paying anything to get a piece of Mars. That way you’re not putting your life on the line
for people who don’t give a shit about you.
No, I don’t know. I don’t think I’m there yet.
I’ve been wanting this my whole life, you know? I can’t just walk away from it.
Yeah, I get it.
[people chattering]
[Dev] Looking for Malaika.
She’s right over there.
Thank you.
William, move the left side up.
It needs to be straight.
Higher.
Well.
My goodness. What a nice surprise.
Come.
God be praised.
Let me look at you.
Are you hungry?
No. I already ate.
I came to say goodbye.
Goodbye?
I’m going to Mars.
We’re doing something important up there.
We’re building a new world and it’s a better world than this one.
You know you could try to change things here.
You could make such a difference, Dev.
When you come back, there is a community…
I’m not coming back.
What do you mean?
I’m staying up there.
You’re still chasing your father’s dream, aren’t you?
I’m not doing this for him.
That’s what you tell yourself. But these dreams of space destroyed your father.
Space did not destroy him.
You did.
Everything that he did, he did for his family.
For our future.
He never recovered after you left us.
I never left you, my son. You know this.
I was there. Don’t you remember?
Oh, yes, I remember how I begged you to come with me.
And you wanted me to leave him with no one at all? I could never do that.
The truth is, he had already infected you with his disease of ambition.
Okay. God forbid anybody have any ambition.
Let’s just agree that you and I will never see eye to eye and part as friends.
You’re not my friend. You’re my son.
Stay here with me. With your people. Don’t turn your back on them.
You can do so much good for the young ones. They look up to you.
Harambee, right?
Everybody joining hands, working together for the good of the whole. You know, of all the lies that you told me, that one was the cruelest one.
But it’s okay because I see how people are now.
If you need anything,
just call this number.
I don’t want your money.
I never wanted it.
I just want my son.
Goodbye, Mother.
I understand how you feel and I apologize.
[chuckles] The president just got a little carried away, that’s all.
He made a grave insult to the honor of the Soviet Union.
I will issue a statement to clarify the Soviet Union’s crucial role in the discovery.
You must understand, Administrator Hobson, President Korzhenko also faces enormous political pressure.
Members of the politburo are urging him to go after the asteroid ourselves.
Irina, you know as well as I do that neither one of us have the capability to grab this rock on our own.
Are we really going to let an amazing opportunity like this slip through our fingers ’cause of one little screwup?
I think the best course, in the light of your president’s behavior, is to negotiate a new agreement that specifies…
[scoffs]
…how we will divide up the asteroid.
What is the point of previous agreements if we keep tearing them up?
It would mollify the hard-liners in our politburo, as well as Dev Ayesa at Helios.
Well, I am not opposed to a summit but we would have to include the other M-7 nations.
Of course,
and we will be more than happy to host them here in Soviet Union.
[chuckles]
With all due respect, Irina, I think a neutral location would be the most sensible in light of the nature of this conference.
I need to give Korzhenko some sign of your contrition if I am to lure him back to the table.
Administrator Hobson?
[sighs]
All right.
I will talk to the president.
Javi, come set the table.
[Javi groans]
You know, you wouldn’t even be alive if we didn’t do stuff like that.
Please stop.
[cell phone rings, buzzes]
[cell phone beeps]
Hello.
Hey, it’s Brandt. The M-7 just announced an emergency summit to hash out how much everyone gets of this asteroid.
Okay.
Thank you for the update.
It starts first thing next week, so…
But…
…you better start preparing.
Dev will already be on his way to Mars by then.
Yep. Pack warm.
You’re going to the Soviet Union.
[line clicks]
[cell phone beeps]
[whispering] Mommy loves you, Alex.
Always.
[Karen] God, I miss you.
I miss you so much. [chuckles]
I wish I could be there right now.
I do. Not that… Not that you need me.
Because you are so strong, and you got this, Kelly. You’ve got this.
You’re stronger than me.
Stronger than all of us put together.
You got this, okay?
And you are gonna be the best mom. [chuckles]
You are. I keep… I keep thinking about how nurturing you’ve always been.
From the day that your dad and I met you, you’ve nurtured everybody around you.
Even your dad and me. [chuckles]
[sniffles]
[sighs] I can’t wait to meet my little grandbaby.
I may have…
I may have already purchased the wallpaper and the crib for the nursery. [chuckles]
No, I know but I can’t help it. [sighs]
I love you… with all my heart.
[line clicks]
[sobbing]
Show me the angular velocity estimates for Asteroid 2003LC.
[sighs] That’s what I thought.
[Ed muttering] …goat rope.
We need your speech, babe.
Zay won’t admit it but he really wants you to be a big part of the ceremony.
You know, my mom blessed my marriage to his mother and now he wants you to bless his.
I know you got a lot on your mind up there.
All we’re seeing on the news is how important this thing is and how much y’all gotta do.
But, you know, it’s okay to step out of things for a minute.
Sometimes it helps.
I know whatever you come up with will be great.
Love you. [clicks tongue]
[line clicks]
[sighs]
[sighs]
Courtney, Isaiah,
I…
I wish I could be there with you all today.
I am so happy for you.
Marriage, partnerships… It’s, uh…
It’s…
[line clicks]
[no audible dialogue]
[Danielle] After this, there’s nothing left.
I have to tell him.
I’ll come with you.
Okay.
[Danielle] Danny?
Danny?
[knocks]
[Dev] Come in.
Do you have a minute, Dev?
Sure.
I’ve given it a lot of thought, and…
I want to go to Mars with you.
Our work is incredibly important to me and it’s important that it’s done right.
But here’s the thing…
I want to bring my son with me.
I know it sounds crazy with his health issues and all, but just hear me out.
I spoke to some of my former colleagues at NASA, plus the flight surgeons here at Helios, and they all agreed that Alex’s cardiopulmonary issues might actually improve on Mars.
His weaker heart won’t have to pump as hard in one-third gravity, and the higher oxygen concentrations inside the base will help offset his lower lung capacity.
Yes, the month of travel will be challenging, but space travel’s become safe.
Routine.
Besides, what seven-year-old wouldn’t wanna be weightless for a few weeks?
I’d tutor him in my free time so he’d still get an education.
He won’t interfere with the functionality of the base, and my dad will help look after him as well.
Dev, I am committed to doing my job to the best of my ability… but I can’t just abandon my son.
I hope you understand.
[Dev] ‘Course I do, and he’ll be welcome.
Thank you.
[door opens]
Milosh, how did we do today?
Great. That new deodorant is flying off the shelves.
I think that loading dock supervisor might be turning into a problem.
Hmm.
Faiza thinks she’s got a way around it but that, as they say, is tomorrow’s problem.
Yes. You’re right.
Tomorrow’s problem. [chuckles]
Pleasure.
Don’t you want to count it?
That’s all right. I’m sure it’s right.
[chuckles]
Let us drink.
To the success.
And to you, Milosh.
No.
To us.
Na zazdrovye.
[speaks Russian]
[clears throat] Every time.
[chuckles]
What’s this?
[door closes]
Ed, I’m…
[sighs]
I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I think it might be time for you to take a step back from flight duty.
Excuse me?
Might be for the best. You let somebody else command Ranger.
[scoffs] Who, like you?
No. It’s not about that.
I want you to let the doc take a look at your hand.
[scoffs]
My hand. For what?
You know what for.
This is totally out of line, Danielle.
I thought we were putting aside our differences, but I guess that was just a load of bullshit.
Ed, you have been commanding missions, flying missions, while concealing a potentially serious health condition.
All because what? You just… You just couldn’t let go.
I know my body. I know what works for it. I’m fine.
That is not your call to make and you know that.
You lied to me. How am I supposed to trust you?
Come on, Danielle. You know I’d never put anyone in danger.
I’m not so sure I do anymore.
You should’ve gone home a long time ago. Be with your daughter and your grandson.
Oh.
Is… Is that why you went home so quickly?
Hmm?
Be with your family?
Or maybe it was because you’re the one really running away.
Watch yourself, Ed.
Or what?
You’re already talking about clipping my wings.
What else is there?
You gonna exile me to that North Korean capsule?
Huh?
Give me a Bible to read?
Fuck you!
There it is.
Fuck you!
I have been putting up with your shit for the last 30 years!
Watching you make wrong decision after wrong decision, only thinking about yourself like you’re God’s gift to the cosmos.
Well, I have news for you, Ed Baldwin.
You are just a pathetic old man who doesn’t know when to call it a day.
Yeah. Well, unlike you, I’m not a fucking quitter.
No, Ed. And luckily, that is not your concern anymore.
You’re done.
[scoffs] What the hell you talking about?
You are hereby removed from flight status and relieved of your duties as XO on this base.
Come on, Danielle.
Don’t do anything you’re gonna regret.
I got a lot of regrets in my life, Ed.
This ain’t gonna be one of them.
[door opens]
[door closes]
