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The Expanse – S05E05 – Down and Out – Transcript

Amos and Clarissa are trapped in a collapsed building. Naomi contends with her old family. Holden assembles a new crew on the Roci. Alex and Bobbie make a dangerous discovery in the Belt.
The Expanse - S05E05 - Down and Out

Aired on December 30, 2020

Drummer receives Inaros’ offer to meet, which she and her crew accept. In the aftermath of the second asteroid impact, Amos and Clarissa are trapped in an underground cell at the prison. Along with three guards and another modded prisoner, they are able to break into a locked-off service ladder in the elevator and climb to the scorched surface. Naomi is held on Marco’s ship, where she makes a futile but concealed attempt to assassinate Marco Inaros. She discerns that Rocinante’s drive has been sabotaged and manages to send a message to Holden, who avoids launching the Rocinante just in time. Pursuing the Martian ship Barkeith, Alex and Bobbie witness its rendezvous with Belters, but are later spotted and have to fend off a torpedo launch with a last-ditch core dump, leaving their fates uncertain drifting into the void.

* * *

[uneasy music]

♪ ♪

[newscaster] High population density in the affected areas makes estimates difficult, but it appears that initial fatalities will be in the range of 1 million to 2 million. The impacts have wreaked havoc on power, transportation, and desalinization infrastructures far beyond the immediate blast zones. And with Earth’s aid resources already stretched to their limit, the worst is almost certainly yet to come.

[hand terminal beeping]

Yes.

[Oksana] Camina, are you okay?

Yes.

It’s all right to say you’re not. If it hadn’t been Marco, it would have been someone else.

[Drummer] It wasn’t someone else; it was him. And I’m the one who had him in an air lock and let him go.

That is hindsight. You cannot live backward.

[Drummer] Right now, it’s difficult to move forward.

Naomi…this… this will be breaking her heart.

We should gather. Better to be together in a moment like this.

All right. We’ll prepare to dock. Thank you.

[computer chimes]

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪


Never thought I would see this.

I read they were dancing in the corridors of Ceres and Pallas.

[Michio] I don’t believe that.

The Inners will believe it. All Belters are the same to them.

[Michio] You think they will come after us?

At a minimum, after this, every Inner ship and station will be on high alert. They will restrict traffic. Business just got harder.

This isn’t about business anymore. All Belters will have to answer for Marco’s deeds now.

[Serge] Maybe it was inevitable.

[Drummer] Fred Johnson didn’t believe that.

I heard he was a good man… for an Earther.

He was a good man. Period.

♪ ♪

[indistinct chatter]

I saw your message when the comm buffered. I did not mean to. It just happened. But you have to tell them.

[Serge] Maybe this means a future without Earth’s boot on our neck. Can’t be sad about that.

The Inners never shed tears for us. It’s hard to grieve too much for them.

Best for us to do is keep to the shadows until it all plays out.

No shadows for us. Marco Inaros has asked us to meet.

[crew murmuring]

So… what are we going to do?

♪ ♪

We will accept.

♪ ♪


[lights buzzing]

[low rumbling]

[coughing]

Peaches?

[Amos groaning]

[Clarissa moans softly]

[Clarissa whimpers]

[Amos] Oh, shit, I’m sorry. Here, I got you. I got you. Come on. I got you.

[coughs] I got you. How bad?

I don’t know. My hand hurts. [inhales sharply, groans]

I’ll see if I can find something to make a splint.

That must’ve been an earthquake.

There was a meteor hit in Africa.

Africa?

Maybe this is the aftershock from that.

If that was an aftershock, that was one hell of a meteor.

Looks like I stayed on this mudball a day too long.

[low rumbling]

[gasps]

Hey! Hey!

[banging on door]

Are you all right?

So far. What the hell happened?

Good question.

Open the door.

[gears grinding]

[groans] The frame must’ve buckled. I’m gonna go find help.

F*ck that! There’s already cracks in the foundation. This place could come crashing down any minute. Just pull.

[both grunting]

[both panting]

Peaches, let’s go.

You’re not going anywhere.

Wrong.

We’re in lockdown. Inmates remain in place until we hear from upstairs.

Until? You still haven’t heard anything?

No. Not yet.

You’re responsible for my safety. I am making myself responsible for hers. Her mods are blocked. Her hand is busted. She is not a threat, and every minute that we spend talking is another minute that we could be getting the f*ck out of here.

[low rumbling]

You know I have friends in high places.

F*ck. Come on, let’s go. Fail to follow my orders and I will shoot you.

Understood.

Come on.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

[Morris] Sully, she’s back.

Rona, we couldn’t get through the B-Wing there. Look, there’s cave-ins everywhere, and there’s still no word from Hernandez or Marrone.

What the hell is this?

We have to evacuate the civilian. He won’t leave without her.

Are you out of your mind?

It’s my call, my responsibility. You can report me when we get topside. What’s the deal?

[Morris] Electricity’s down everywhere. Elevators are out.

All right, let’s take the stairs.

[soft dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[groans]

[Rona] Sully! Sully, are you okay?

[Sullivan] F*ck. It’s just my knee. I’ll be fine.

[groans]

This won’t. Is there another way out of here? Is there another set of stairs?

It’s a maximum security prison. They didn’t design it with a lot of escape routes.

There must be a ventilation shaft.

Yeah, 20 centimeters wide. How skinny can you get? What are you doing?

There should be a maintenance ladder in the elevator shaft.

[Morris] Good idea.

[both grunting]

Do you think you can open it if you use your mod?

I’m still way too doped up. It wouldn’t be pretty if I tried.

[low rumbling]

Rona, I got a bad idea.

[banging on door]

This is inhumane treatment! I got rights!

[banging on door]

[panel beeps, door hissing]

So…what’s new?

How long since his last dose?

About 11 hours. He should be all right to do it.

Do what?

♪ ♪

This is it? This?

Can you open it?

Well, I know you can’t.

Open it, or it’s back to your cell.

♪ ♪

[grunting]

[doors grinding]

[metallic squeaking]

♪ ♪

[sighs] That’s too bad.

♪ ♪


Naomi, I need to know where you are. Things are not good. I haven’t heard from my parents. Looks like the whole Montana grid collapsed. Couldn’t get through to Amos or Alex. Fred Johnson’s dead. Marco’s people killed him. And they got the sample.

[hand terminal beeping]

[sniffs, clears throat]

[sighs] Naomi, please respond the moment you get this. I need to know that you’re okay.

♪ ♪


[Leveau] Come on, I couldn’t just let her do that. I had to…

Did I give you an order to do anything other than stand outside this f*cking door?

She wouldn’t stop smiling at me. I thought a lesson would…

You don’t get paid to think, all right, so stop f*cking trying, because you f*cking suck at it!

What the hell is going on here?

[spits]

You here fo take a turn, ke?

You knocked out the comms to prevent Fred from jettisoning the sample.

Mm, you’re not so dumb as you look.

How’d you know about the vault? Who gave you the specs?

[Sakai] Where’s the guy with no neck? At least his little love taps didn’t bore me.

No one’s gonna come save you. Due process on this station is what I say it is. I’ll feed you to the mushrooms one finger at a time. And I’ll eat them in front of you.

It doesn’t have to go that far.

Do what you need to, Earther. It na gonya change what happened… or what about to.

You think by killing Fred, your people are gonna take over now? How are you gonna make that happen, exactly?

You gonna get to see soon.

Help us recover the sample and find Marco Inaros. We might be able to work out a deal.

You’re wasting air, dusiwala. Funny thing, I kind of liked Fred.

[Bull] Who else are you working with at this station?

[Sakai] Which station do you mean? There are so many… and so many of us.

Tell me what you know. Tell me now.

You should probably send my first finger to the recycler on level five. The one on eight needs a full rebuild.

[Holden] I don’t get it. You’re not some rock hopper, scraping by. You had a good life here.

Working on an Earther station for an Earther and an Earther and an Earther… you think that’s what Beltalowda want, ke? To be your favorite pet? To be grateful when you tell us what we’re allowed to want so we don’t have to bother deciding for ourselves?

Fred Johnson was a friend to all Belters.

He was a tourist. Go home, inyalowda, and stay there. If you don’t, the Belt will remind you that you don’t belong here… again and again and again.

[hand terminal beeping]

♪ ♪

It’s time to take the Roci out for a hunt.

[Bull] They cracked her hand terminal?

Nice try. You’re not that smart.

Didn’t have to be. Monica’s eye captured the Zmeya’s flight plan. We’ll continue this conversation when we get back. When we’re done, I’m gonna throw you out an air lock myself.

Wait.

You got something to say?

See you when you get back.

♪ ♪


[Sullivan] Can you reach it?

No. Even if I could, I don’t see a release switch. We’d have to get Tiny up there and have him pry the doors open.

What’d you call me?

Maybe we could find something that could stick to the walls, like suction cups or something.

[Sullivan] Suction cups.

There’s a hinge.

[Amos] What?

There’s a hinge on this plate.

[hollow pounding]

What’s behind these?

Do I look like an elevator repairman?

Let me borrow your gun.

I’m not giving you my f*cking gun.

[Rona] You can’t use his gun. Our weapons have biometric locks.

Okay.

I need you to sink one here and here.

Are you kidding?

Just do it.

The maintenance ladder’s back there.

Makes sense they’d seal it behind these plates, keep anyone from climbing out.

Tiny, come here.

You should stop calling me that.

See if you can pull this open.

[grunting]

[metallic creaking]

♪ ♪

This’ll work. Okay, here’s how I figure it. We got Tiny. We got three guns to make holes. One of you guys go up with him, make the holes, he opens the panels, and then we get the f*ck out of here.

Do this, you’re a shoo-in for sentence reduction.

[Konecheck] Cool.

And who goes with him?

Odd man.

Up you go, Sully.

All right, let’s go, Konecheck. Let’s move. Who knows how long we got?

[Konecheck grunting]

[metallic clang]

If you can’t make it up the ladder…

Yeah, I’m not staying here. I’ll make it.

Yeah.

[gunshots]

[Konecheck grunting]

[Sullivan] Watch your hands.

♪ ♪


[reporter] A source inside the MCR Security Service suggested the bombing of Martian Parliament might be linked to the asteroid bombardment of Earth and the attack on Tycho Station. If that is true, then Marco Inaros and his so-called Free Navy will have coordinated the most devastating terrorist campaign in human history. We will continue to keep you updated as this story develops.

We gotta contact Holden.

[Bobbie] No.

[Alex] They have the protomolecule.

And there’s nothing we can do to help him with that. But we might be able to do something about this. [sighs] I’m betting these traitors are mixed up in the whole goddamn thing. We maintain radio silence.

[computer beeping]

Hey, the Barkeith and her escort just killed their transponders. Yeah, they’re changing direction.

Do you think they saw us?

Even if they were looking our way, in this ship, on our heading, we’d just look like tourists en route to Titan.

Where are they going?

We’ll, they’re bending sunward. Let’s see. Looks like they’re gonna intersect with the Hungaria Group.

You say that like I should know what it is.

[Alex] It’s kind of a landmark. Innermost large asteroid group in the Belt. Nothing of interest to miners but very high albedo.

So just a bunch of bright and shiny rocks.

When you think about it, not a bad place to hide. With all the light coming off those rocks, you park a ship near one, went silent, pretty much disappear from most scopes.

Sounds like a great rendezvous spot if you don’t want people seeing what you’re doing.

Yep.

What are you waiting for? Change course. We’re following.

[Alex] We do that now, it’s gonna attract attention. We’re not gonna look like tourists.

Everything that just went down on Earth and Mars and Tycho, these people are mixed up in it. We can’t let them get away. We’ve got a fast ship. We can run if we have to.

All right. Gonna take the long way around, though, and try and keep as many of the Hungaria rocks between us as I can to block their line of sight. That’s our best shot at staying hidden.

[engines whooshing]


[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[Marco chuckles]

I heard you haven’t been eating, so… eat.

It’s not your famous red kibble, but… gets the job done.

Sit. Get to know your son a little. That’s what he wants. That’s why he brought you here, isn’t it?

I’d rather go back to my cell.

You are not a prisoner. You are free to go wherever you wish.

Then I’ll go back to my ship and leave.

That is what you do best. However, I heard that the Chetzemoka isn’t your ship. You gave it to Filip. Do you want to give her your ship?

No.

Well, I… I don’t know what to say. Boy has a mind of his own.

That’s it. You’re just letting her go?

[Marco] There is nowhere for her to go. Throw this Martian shit into the recycler. No one can stand it. We’ll pick up proper provisions when we resupply.

There’s no need to play with her like that.

Go.

You’re angry with me.

I’m disappointed. You brought your mother here. And so here she will stay. What did you hope to achieve? Did you hope to save her? Do you think that she can be saved?

I don’t know.

That is what disappoints me the most. Look what you did on the Hasami. Andrew, that man you sacrificed, you knew him for…

Eleven years.

Yeah. And you loved him.

Yes.

But you knew what you had to achieve, and so you did what you had to do, no matter how hard it was. We are at the most important juncture in the history of our people. I need you by my side, clear of mind. You have every right to be angry with your mother… to be sad about what she did to you… what she did to all of us. Feel… feel whatever you feel. Huh? But you can’t let those feelings rule you.

♪ ♪


[tense music]

♪ ♪

[Cyn] Hey, Knuckles, I’m recalibrating the scrubbers. Humidity’s set for Dusters, uh, wastes more water than it has to. You know Martian tech. Want to help?

What do you think is going to happen? We’ll start working together like old times… and everything will be the way it was?

Just trying to take your mind off of things.

I always thought… no, I hoped that you would be there for Filip, that there was still enough good in you to make him more like you and not like his father.

Knuckles…

Stop calling me that! You let Marco poison your heart… and Filip’s. And I will never forgive you for that.

We had to do it! Did you forget? They make us thirst for water. They make us gasp for air. The Inners will never share the bounty from the new worlds, and we can’t go claim them for ourselves. You know that better than anyone. Yeah, I saw it on the feed. You tried to live on Ilus and your body failed, like most Belters would. And the ones who can adapt, their children won’t be Belter anymore. Marco is trying to build something for all the children of the Belt.

And he’s building it on a river of blood… with your help!

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪


[Sullivan] This is Officer Sullivan from Med Block. If you can hear me, call out, and we’ll try and get to you. This is Officer Sullivan from Med Block. If you can hear me, call out, and we’ll try and get to you.

[gunshots]

[Amos] Still nothing from upstairs?

[Rona] No luck on any civilian channels either. I tried calling my ex. We have a kid. Couldn’t get through to anyone.

There’s nine levels of prison above us. There has to be someone up there with a comm to talk to.

Unless there was a cave-in or a fire.

[gunshots]

Unless they’re already dead.

[man shouts]

[man screaming]

[gasps]

[Morris] Sully!

♪ ♪

Konecheck, get the f*ck down here, or I will open fire.

[Konecheck] He fell off. He was bitching about his leg for the last half hour. It must’ve gave out.

[Rona] I said get your ass down here.

[Konecheck] No, you come up. I’m almost at the top.

[suspenseful music]

We still need that guy. Go with her. One of you makes the holes. The other one covers. I’ll take care of Peaches.

[Rona] If we hadn’t split up, Sully’d be alive. That’s on me. If anybody does anything that even looks funny, you shoot. Don’t worry about me.

Okay.

♪ ♪

All right. Up we go.

You know what’s funny? I’m more important than you. We got two guns between us and only one of me.

[Rona] Just shut up, and do your job.

[Konecheck] What if I say no?

Tiny, stop screwing around, or we’ll throw you off this thing, come up with a plan B after.

Just f*cking around.

[low rumbling]

[grunting]

[Rona] Hold tight. It’s over. Let’s just keep…

[metallic squeaking]

Get small!

[Konecheck] Yes! That’s how you do it! F*ck you, God. You missed again.

Shut up. Is everyone okay?

Hey, look. That’s daylight. We’re almost there. Let’s go.

How can that be daylight? There’s a whole building up there.

[ominous music]

♪ ♪


[engines whooshing]

[Karal] Thinking of your Earther? James Holden. Famous for drinking coffee and saving the system with his crew of Earthers, Martians, and Belters in the mighty Rocinante. You think he’s coming to save you now?

You have something to say to me, say it and be done with it.

I was happy when you left. You always thought you were so much smarter than everyone else.

I wish I’d been stupider.

The Gamarra code… you still feel bad about that ship? And I thought we would be refreshing your memory. No one is coming to save you. After what you did to Marco, he will never let you go. There is only one way you will ever leave this ship.

[soft dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[tense music]

♪ ♪

[indistinct chatter]

Like that.

Marco. Marco!

I need to speak with you.

Not now.

Marco, I need… to speak with you.

♪ ♪

[gasps]

We are busy. And you have no business here.

[Naomi grunts]

You need to learn to do as you are told. You should be grateful to me for taking you. Saved your life.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪


[panting]

♪ ♪

[laughs]

[laughing continues]

♪ ♪

It’s gone. Everything’s gone.

It must’ve been one hell of a rock.

[choking]

[bones crackling]

[Rona] Let him go!

[Konecheck grunts]

[both grunting]

Call me Tiny.

[sharp whistling]

[laughs]

[grunting]

[laughs]

Call me Tiny again.

[gunshot echoes]

[groans]

[groans]

[Konecheck yells]

[coughs]

Thanks.

[Rona] Yeah.

[panting]

[sobs] I’m supposed to get my kid this weekend.

Go.

She’s a prisoner. I’m supposed to…

Go. Find your kid.

♪ ♪

You okay?

[laughs] The wind. I never thought I’d feel it again. It’s beautiful.

Yeah.

What do we do now?

Yeah. We gotta get out of here.

[tense music]

♪ ♪


Still no contact on the Zmeya.

Well, I got every scope that Tycho can spare sweeping their flight plan.

They must still be running dark.

Then they’re wasting their lead. Soon as they light up, we’ll see them.

And then we’ll burn like hell and run those motherf*ckers down.

Hmm, f*ck yeah.

Which one’s the pilot?

You’re looking at him. Qualified on MLCRs for the Corps.

There’s a bit more to flying the Roci than a marine drop ship.

I can handle it.


[groans, mutters]

[grunts]

There’s a safety latch in the back. Lower right.

[laughs] Thanks. Hand me the new one? When Filip say you couldn’t take his ship, he wasn’t trying to punish you. He was just…

I know what he was doing.

Oh, yeah?

Proving his loyalty. Trying to stay on his father’s good side.

Don’t decide his reasons for him. You don’t know the boy, not yet.


[tech] Initiating procedures check.

[Bull] Copy.

[dramatic music]

[soft indistinct chatter]

♪ ♪


I don’t claim to know Filip. He’s always been the same age in my mind, a little boy barely able to walk. This new Filip’s a stranger.

Well, you don’t see the change when you’re with him. I mean, day by day, it’s only a little bit. Adds up, I guess.

[Naomi] Tell me something.

[Cyn] Yeah.

Did Marco slip the Augustin Gamarra code into the Roci?

[sighs]

[both grunt]

[Naomi panting]

[computer beeping]

[soft indistinct chatter]

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

Jim, do not start the Roci’s drive! The reactor code has been sabotaged. It will blow if you do! I repeat, do not start the drive! I’m being held captive by Marco…

I’m shutting down the reactor.

What? Why?

[Holden] It’s been sabotaged. We have to shut it down.

[Bull] How the hell do you know that?

[Naomi] …blow if you do. I repeat, do not start the drive! I’m being held captive by Marco…

[Bull] Where is she?

[Holden] There’s no location data.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪


[groans]

Tell me what happened! I have the right to know. Tell me! Tell me what happened! Tell me what happened…

[inaudible]

♪ ♪


[Alex] Oh, crap. I lost them.

[Bobbie] Shit. Time to do your stuff, fly boy. Try not to get spotted.

Easy for you to say.

♪ ♪

Think I got something.

That’s not the Barkeith.

[Alex] That’s a Belter ship.

[Bobbie] That’s the Barkeith and its escort.

[Alex] I got two more MCRN ships. They look like destroyers.

Belter terrorists and Martian thieves, one big, happy family.

Jesus. This is bigger than I expected.

Let’s get some profiles.

[Alex] All right. Looks like the Barkeith’s moving out. Must’ve transferred the weapons already. Hard burn, away from the sun.

The escorts aren’t moving. Why? The frigates are the weapons. That’s the deal. This is Marco Inaros’ Free Navy. His Belters on our Martian ships.

[Alex] Are you f*cking kidding me? They’re splitting up. They’re on the move. I’m gonna compute their heading. Maybe we can figure out where they guys are going.

[computer buzzes]

Crap, they pinged us.

Shit.

Time to go. Here comes the juice.

[both groaning]

[both grunting]

Can we outrun it?

If it’s a Belter crew, I think we can hold a hard burn longer.

Good.

Yeah. But they know that too.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

[computer beeping]

We got a fast mover.

All right. I’ll try to break its lock. Hang tight!

[intense music]

♪ ♪

We have to send… ship profiles… to Avasarala.

[computer beeps]

F*ck, they’re jamming us.

[computer beeping]

We’re not gonna make it, are we?

I got one more thing… to try. Juice!

[both grunting]

[beeping continues]

♪ ♪

Brace yourself!

♪ ♪

[engines whooshing]

[explosion booms]

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