"Benjamin." "Benjamin?" " What's wrong?" " Nothing's wrong." " Then why did you wake me?" " l was running a test." "But we didn't schedule any tests." "I was running a test to perform an unscheduled test." " What?" "Why?" " Please." "Be more specific, Benjamin." "Why did you want to wake me and perform an unscheduled test?" "Wanting is a human emotion, and not within my capability." " I know that." " Benjamin." "Can we play chess now?" "Tom and Jerry: catharsis and cathexis." "AJ Marley." "Dissertation for doctorate - anthropology." "Begin recording, captain." "This animated animosity regularly served as a collective catharsis for the masses." "When violent animation was banned by statutory law at the beginning of the 21st century, the subsequent idealised and seemingly benign cartoon creatures unharnessed a human malevolence, and a reverse social polarity was..." "Would you like some music before we begin, Copilot Vanzant?" " Whatever you like." " How's this, Copilot Vanzant?" "Confirming identity and status." "Age: 32." "Release from Hazen rehabilitation: six months." "Pilot's licence restored." "Work probation:" "deep space rescue and recovery." "Reflex quotient: 1.5." "Stress limit: minus 4." "You'll have to work on those numbers, Nick." " Neuroscan's fine." " Good." " What happened to your robot?" " Nothing." "Really?" "Hope "nothing" doesn't happen to me." "The captain's big on 20th century cultural artefacts, so we did him up as a World War One fighter pilot." "We do things like that just to amuse each other." "Everyone tries to get along here." " I get along fine." " You've been on board 12 days." "Asking about a robot's the first sign of interest you've shown in this ship or crew." " I got a captain who watches cartoons,..." " He's working on his PhD." "..a computer tech who calls his mainframe Sweetie and two medical techs practising anatomy in any corner they can find." "I've been on six paramedic tours with this crew." "They get the job done." "We're out here for months." "Nothing happens." "People get lonely." "Then suddenly all hell breaks loose, you do your job, then it all goes back to nothing happens." "This crew's OK." "Want to tell me what you're doing out here?" "Ex-military pilots don't usually request work probation on paramedic ships." "I like deep space." "It's quiet." "People out here tend to respect each other's privacy." "Take one a day." "You can put your shirt on." "Zyracon, huh?" "Happy pills." "I'm happy." "Hazen's a tough drug to kick." "Zyracon helps with the residual effects." " I'm clean." " Human interaction helps too." "The crew's OK." "Maybe you should take the time to get to know them." "Thank you, doctor." "My analysis ofcards played shows a 77% chance ofyou losing, Benjamin." "Five miles of fibre optics sort of spoils the spirit of competition, don't you think, Sweetie?" "Gin." "When I reprogrammed her for this tour," "I put some human traits into her personality profile." "I sort of wanted them to find out because it'd really piss them off." "But if they ever do," "I'm dead." "I'm assuming you're not gonna turn me in..." "You don't know me well enough to make that assumption." "Your deal." "My analysis ofCopilot Vanzant's vital signs suggests a very high probability that he will turn you in, Benjamin." "I'm not gonna turn you in." "The laserpulse is focused into a surgical-quality beam capable ofthe mostprecise incisions." " Hello, doctor." "Mind if I sit down?" " What if I do?" " Following orders - get to know the crew." " So, the Zyracon worked." "I act nice and you want the credit?" "You act nice, modern medicine gets the credit." "I've found staying clean is sort of like staying alive." "You either are... or you aren't." "Count them." "They're all there." "Since we don't bring out the pleasant side in each other, tell me what the hell bothers you so much about me." "I don't like Hazen." "It's not just a type-H mind-altering escape." "I don't like what it does to people who take it, I don't like what they do to others." " I used to know someone..." " I'm not someone." "Didn't say you were." "There's nothing I can do to change the past, yours or mine." "Heal thyself, doctor." "Emergency distress signal received." " We're still in business!" " Nothing like being wanted." "I'll be in the engine room." "I've forgotten everything." "What's my job?" "What do I do?" " Come on." " It's been that long." "Emergency distress signal received." "Bridge." "Check." "Medical." "Check." "What have we got?" "Signal received." "SOS, critical." "The signal's degraded." "It's taken five days to get here." "Dispatch misrouted it?" "This isn't from dispatch." "It's a direct call." "Direct?" "We don't get direct." "Origin?" "Pohl 6822." "I'm getting a little more." "Call letters for a merchant enterprise." "It's Titan 37." "It's a mining operation." "This is way past the colony outpost." "Sweetie, pull up all records on Titan 37, Pohl 6822." "Titan 37:" "lunarmining operation." "This moon was expelled from orbit around its original starsystem" " and is now classified as a rogue body." " Rogue moon." "There's a lot of gravitational instability in that sector." "Mining operation was abandoned when rogue moon drifted into unmapped space." "Complete crew evacuation five years, three months ago." "An SOS from an abandoned mine?" "Distance to distress call location:" "3,432 light years." "If we wanna answer this call in our lifetimes we'll have to jump." "We haven't jumped in three tours." "I'm not jumping this crew for anything uncertain." "I want a name with some authority." "If there is none, this is a no-go." "Scanning foridentification." "Transmission signature:" "Karl James Larson." "Karl." "Karl Larson!" "You know him?" "Worst nightmare I ever met." "Mr Vanzant, plot us a course, please." "Yes, sir." "Dimension drive fully charged." "Call it, Sweetie." "All crew, prepare forrescue operation via dimensionjump." "You go on ahead." "Course?" "Plotted." "Dimensional stabilisation chamber now sterilising." " Maybe this Karl guy's just coincidence." " With Karl, nothing's coincidence." "Last time we did this I didn't shit right for a month." "You're gonna be fine." "This guy panicked during countdown and he jumped out of his DSU." "So this other guy pulls him into his with him, right?" "Countdown goes off and they have to D-jump like that." "I'm not kidding!" "Afterwards they go to pull 'em out..." "and it's one guy." "14 feet long with a head on each end!" "And then suddenly the heads start talking." "And both of them go, "Are we there yet?"" " That's not funny." " It's kinda funny." "It's not." "Two minutes to dimensionjump activation." "One minute to dimensionjump activation." "All crew, enter dimensional stabilisation units at this time." "Research says D-jump is great for your sexual stamina." " Hallelujah!" " You know, you're gonna get it!" "I am?" "Kaela." " I need to talk to you." " When we get there." "Use mine." " I'll use number four." "Now." " Why?" "No time." " Call it musical chairs." " Be my guest!" "30 seconds to dimensionjump activation." "All crew, enter dimensional stabilisation units at this time." "All crew, enter dimensional stabilisation units at this time." "Final countdown." "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." "Plasma acceleration." "Oh, I had you!" "I definitely had you that time." "Oh, God, no." "Don't touch anything!" "His skin's fused with polyglass." "Danika!" "Nanoscan kit, number three laser scalpel, vascular cauteriser, stat!" "He's still alive!" "What's happening?" " Sweetie?" " Debris strike." "Fuel reservoirbreached." " Hold him still!" " Benjamin!" "Bridge, now!" "Ship has entered high-gravity field." "Severe fuel loss." "Gravity increasing." "Laser scalpel!" "Cauteriser!" "Status?" "Controls active." "Systems up." " Prime main engine." " Severe engine damage." "Extreme fuel loss." "Christ." "Blue giant." "That's gonna be ten times the gravity of our sun." "We've jumped into a high-grav field right in the path of that moon's debris cloud!" "I can't isolate these veins unless you keep this hatch shut!" "Warning." "Lunarimpact in 57 seconds." " Rate of descent?" " 98 metres persecond." "Time to impact?" "49 seconds." " Recommend alternatives?" " Assessment..." "Sweetie, get us out of here!" " The hatch is gonna open!" " The controls aren't responding!" " Alternatives, Sweetie!" " Unacceptable risk factor on all options." " It's opening!" " Cut the power!" "Now, dammit!" " It's not working!" " Close the hatch!" " Engage docking thrusters." " Thrusters insufficient to escape..." "Overriding computer." "Going manual." "No!" "We need Sweetie!" "What are you doing?" "Buying us some time!" "Firing docking thrusters." "Kill me." "Please." " How d'you know how much fuel to use?" " I'm guessing." " I can't keep it shut much longer." " Don't kill him!" "Please." "Don't kill him." "Oh, God." "Clean this place up." " Sweetie." " Do you need me back now, Nick?" " What's our status?" " Fuel loss: 82%." "The dimension drive must recharge in order to escape high solargravity field." " Time to recharge?" " 17 hours, one minute." " Flashpoint time based on fuel reserve?" " Solarincineration in 17 hours, 12 minutes." "That leaves you an 11-minute window, Nick." "Maintain orbit, six-second thrusts, 15-minute intervals." "I will maintain orbit." "Start broadcasting ID and position, all coordinates." "See if you can contact the Titan." "This is Trans Soma rescue vessel Nightingale 229 hailing TSMO Titan 37." "Captain Marley?" "This is Trans Soma medical rescue vessel Nightingale 229 hailing Trans Soma mining operation Titan 37." "Repeat: this is Trans Soma medical rescue vessel" "Nightingale 229 hailing Trans Soma mining operation Titan 37." "Oh." "Did I wake you?" "I thought you might be reading or..." "Anyway, I managed to bring on board a fairly good bottle of pear brandy, and I thought," "in the spirit of friendship, maybe we could share a glass." "It's..." " It's all right." "We'll..." " Lemme see the bottle." "How do you think they get that in there?" "They put the bottles on the branches so that the buds are inside and the pears grow right in them." "Then, when they're ripe, they pick the bottles, pour in the brandy and..." "Of course, the real question is how the hell you get it out." "Rook to E7." "Congratulations, Benjamin." "Your strategy was both subtle and forceful." "You can play with me wheneveryou want." "Permission to have a child?" "I've been trying to get it ever since you told me you wanted a kid." "What if they only approve one of us?" "Two fine, non-genetically engineered specimens like us?" "Are you kidding?" "We're gonna get approved." "And then we're gonna make us a baby." " Bridge." " Check." "Nick, I think there's something you oughta see." "Then there's this." " DSU four." "The vents weren't modulating." " That's what killed Marley." " A warning was going before we jumped." " You mean he saw that too?" " He had to." " So he took my DSU." " Why didn't he cancel the jump?" " He thought it was an acceptable risk." "He should have transferred the call to another vessel." "Then Marley would be alive and you'd be playing chess with Sweetie." "And what if they never crucified Christ?" "But they did." "And Marley's gone and here we are and that's how it is." "We've got what we've got." "All crew, repor to bridge." "Now that you've all had some rest, here's what we've got." "We were hit in our main tank when we jumped into this high-gravity field." "We lost most of our fuel." "The good news is we've got enough left for our docking thrusters." "They'll stop us incinerating till the dimension drive recharges." "Then we can dimension-jump home - but we'll be cutting it close." "How close?" "1 1 minutes." "Are you telling us that we can't jump until 1 1 minutes before we burn?" "I'm telling you we have 1 1 minutes." "It's enough." "I've gotten out of worse situations before." "This ship is going to be fine." " We have no margin for error!" " Then we won't make any." "Attention." "L-class transpor ship deparing Titan lunarmining operation." "They must be evacuating." "Sweetie, track that." "Attention." "Transpor ship has locked on to our communication signal." "Prepare for intercept." "Suit up." "No response from pilot." "Transpor ship is on automatic approach." "You OK?" "Sure." "When you said you'd been in worse situations, were you telling the truth?" "Sure." "When the ship was falling and the engines cut out, that was worse." "We'll be fine." "Warning." "Fire on board approaching vessel. lt must dock immediately." "Approaching vessel, engage docking thrusters." "Repeat, please engage docking thrusters." "Can't spare the fuel for a hover." "We'll catch her on a roll." "Speed still increasing." "Excessive rate ofapproach." "Sterilisation bay?" " Check." " We're taking a little hit when it docks." "Thanks for letting us know." "15 seconds to impact." " Still no reply from approaching ship." " He's running silent." "Or unconscious." " Watch out!" " Clear!" "We got a fire!" "Get his helmet off!" "Check his vital signs." "This is your worst nightmare?" "It's not Karl." "Bridge." "One patient, male, early 20s, traumatised, unconscious but stable." "And this isn'tthe person who sent the call." "Run that by me one more time." "This isn't Karl Larson." "Meet me on the bridge when you can." "Benjamin, start a full systems check on the ship." "Right, sir." "There's some kind of growth on his bone structure." "These matrices." "It looks almost as if his bones are strengthening themselves." "Radiation explosion." "No, much too normal for that." "Note it as a minor anomaly." "Most scanners wouldn't even detect it." "Doctor." "No indication for treatment at this time." "He's as healthy as a horse." "Keep him under observation." " Why didn't you tell me before?" " It was personal." " Nothing that affects safety is personal." " So I know a man who calls Trans Soma." "He didn't call Trans Soma." "He called the Nightingale." "It was a direct call." " Tell me what's going on." " I can't." "I can't because I don't know." "I know a Karl James Larson, but this isn't him." "He had a son." "I saw a photoscan of him." "There's a strong resemblance." "I'd guess it's him, but I can't say for sure." "I haven't seen Karl for five years." "When he and I were finished, I couldn't have children." "I joined Trans Soma to get away from him." "Now, is there anything else that you need to know?" "He was the Hazen addict." "How long was I out for?" "About 20 minutes." " How do you feel?" " Better than that transport." "That fire really finished it off!" "How embarrassing." "I'm Troy." "Danika." "I'm sorry." "You're very pretty." "I haven't been around a girl in a while." "Let me go get you some clothes." " We've only got five DSUs left." " And there's only five of us." "We have a patient on board." "There's six of us!" "We jump as scheduled." "I'll stay behind, take my chances." " You won't have one." " Call a rescue craft once you've jumped." "I'll be pretty far down in orbit by the time they get here." " No, you'll be dead." "I'm not goin' for this!" " It's your job to go for this." "Marley would be asking you to do the same." " I'm not going." " You want me to pull rank, I will." "Fine." "That's an order." "I'm Doctor Evers." "How are you feeling?" "Happy to be here." "There's no one else down on Titan?" "Not even close." "That whole place is like a ghost ship." "The distress call came from Karl Larson." "Yeah." "That's my dad." "Was my dad." "He died three years ago." "Aneurysm." "Real sudden." "Sorry." "Don't be." "I'm not." "He's probably one of the worst people that ever lived." "I'm sure you'd agree on that." "I tried to stay as far away from him as possible." "But I went to see him when he was dying." "He said that if I ever got into trouble that you were the person to call." "I guess that's the best advice he ever gave me." " You seem to have made out OK." " Yeah." "Seems like you did too." "This is just some vitamins." "You know, up until the end, when he said that I should call you if I needed help, he said he was sorry he didn't change his ways while you were with him." "Because now he'd never get a chance to make it up to you." "He said that's what he regretted most." "This is Nick Vanzant, our captain." "This is Troy." "He's Karl Larson's son." "How you doin', captain?" "I want to ask you a few questions." "Look." "I know what you're gonna ask." "I was scavenging, OK?" "Strip mining." "It's amazing what the government leaves behind when they abandon a place." "I was with a group of people I thought were my friends." "We didn't find much." "Which is why they took the mother ship and stranded me with that junk heap I flew in here." "Friends, huh?" "I thought they were friends." "So can you tell us where your friends are?" "I'm not the type of guy that names names." "Why'd you use your father's name on the signal?" "I've been doing that for a while now." "Ever since he passed away." "I guess I figured might as well be good for somethin', right?" "Tell me about Titan." "How much fuel is down there?" " Why?" " We had an accident when we jumped." "We lost almost all of it before the tanks sealed." "Well, if it's fuel you want, you got it." "There's plenty of it down there." "That's one of the things we were down there scavenging." "Lucky for us, huh?" "I'm gonna prep the shuttle." " How's the patient?" " Cute." "I'm gonna go see if Doctor Evers needs any help." "Yerzy." "Yerzy!" "Check out every corner of this guy's ship, every piece of equipment." "Anything looks suspicious, I wanna know about it." "Why don't you get Flyboy to do it?" " I'm asking you." " Why do I get the grunt work?" "I'm a trained technician - which is different from a robot!" "I'm asking you because of the difference." "Can Sweetie access the Titan computer, see if it's still operational?" "Yeah, it's another C-1 1 ." "No problem." "If I go down, I'll need a full layout." "I wanna know what the hell I'm walking into." "You think there are more survivors?" "I don't know." "If there are, I want to know about them before they know about me." "So, is this Nick always like that?" "He really likes to swing it around, huh?" "Pretty intense for an ambulance ship captain." "We lost our captain in the jump." "Nick had to take over." "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to say anything bad about him." "You two aren't...?" "No." "No, but..." "Nick and Doctor Evers!" "You know, your eyes are pretty." "Really?" "Thanks." "I guess everybody needs a little romance now and then, huh?" " Shuttle." "You there?" " Yeah." "What is it?" "Listen, I found something." " You betterget down here." " On my way." "Yerzy?" "Let me tell you somethin'." "Whatever it is, it's the most amazing thing any of us is ever gonna see." "You've played around with this thing, haven't you?" "Now, why would I do something like that?" "Robotic link engaged." "Transporing possible biohazard to quarantine." "Of course I didn't tell you." "I'm a treasure hunter." "There's two parts to that job - finding it and keeping it." "And keeping it's a lot harder!" "I intercepted a stray transmission three years ago." "Ice miners." "They'd dug something up on a rogue moon." "I didn't know what it was, but I didn't need to." "Just knowing where was enough." "Frozen." "In the middle of a rogue moon." "I knew whatever they'd found was a lot older than that moon." "So I did the research, grabbed some of my friends, and we went hunting." "And then I found the Titan 37." "There were no signs of the miners, no signs of anything." "My friends blamed me and they took my ship." "I stayed on, took my time, searching every inch and then searching again." "And then I found the treasure." "And now there's nothing to stop us." " Us?" " Yeah, us." "You know how much the government'll pay for this?" "Who knows what new technologies it could lead to?" "We'll all be in on it." "If you guys help me out here, I'll cut you in for five per cent." " Each." " Five per cent each, huh?" "How about we give you that?" "I found it last." "Am I missing something?" "We don't even know what it is." "It's either human-made or it's not." "It's not man-made." "It was buried in an ice moon." "Look, there's no question." "This is it." "Primary contact." " It's been a dream for thousands of years." " Exactly." "I'm not sure we shouldn't blow it out the closest airlock." "Do you have any idea what you're saying?" "I'm saying I don't know what it is, and nothing you've said indicates you do." "Maybe it is an alien artefact, maybe it's a magic trick." "Maybe it's a distillation of knowledge, maybe it's just a toy - an alien child's toy." "Or an alien sex object." "It looks like it..." "Or maybe it was so dangerous that the only way to get rid of it was to bury it." "Maybe." "It has no business being on this ship." " It's harmless." " You had contact with it." " And you have abnormal bone growth." " I've had that my whole life!" "We don't have uplink." "We can't confirm it." "Scan it and log it on record." "When we get to clear space we tag it and float it." " I think you're making a big mistake." " Oh, yeah?" "Do you want to clarify that?" "I'm offering you the opportunity of a lifetime and you're passing it up." " For all of us." " For all of us?" "Your "opportunity" has cost us our captain, endangered this crew and wasted critical time." "All this for some delusional belief that you'll get rich." "There's no opportunity." "And there is no "us"!" "It stays in sealed quarantine till we get to clear space." "I want a rescue return transport on the shuttle." " Think you'll need that?" " I don't know." "But the distress signal from the mine was cut short, it came in under a false name, and our friend didn't bother to attach a hazard warning to his distress signal." "Maybe I'm wrong." "Maybe it's just a kid trying to make some dough." "If that's how it is, I'll come back, we'll blast out of this orbit and I'll make one hell of an apology." "Any way you look at it, it beats staying behind in the shuttle." " Rescue transport's on board." " Thank you, Benjamin." "Keep an eye on this guy." "Both of you." " Good to go?" " Set." "See ya." " Initiate launching sequence." " Main thrusters primed." "Shuttle clear forlaunch." "It's not easy, is it?" "Watching someone you care about go away." "That's how it was for him when you left." "I know that surprises you, but it's the truth." " I know you cared about him too." " I have a lot of work to do." "Kaela!" "If you need anything, anything at all, you just let me know." "Warning." "High-gravity field creating excessive rate ofapproach." "That would explain why we're going so fast." "Was that meant to be funny, Nick?" "Come on." "Where's your sense of humour, Sweetie?" "Like you, I was nevergiven one." "Not much room to manoeuvre." "You are correct." "Engines on standby." "Deploy RRT." "Rescue return transpor deployed." "Kinda knew you'd be comin' this way." "It's funny." "Here we are, caught in the gravitational pull of a blue giant," "and the one thing you keep thinking about is sex." "You know you want a baby." "You just need to figure out if he's the right one to have it with." "I don't get it." "How did you know?" "It's like..." "It's not mind-reading." "It's more like just knowing." "Only if the other person wants me to." "Like you want me to." "You want something else too." " This isn't right." " Don't be so hard on yourself." "What you're feeling afterwards will tell you if being with him is right or wrong." "If it seems right and you decide to stay with him, then this could be your last, wild, impulsive moment of passion!" "And if it seems wrong, then you'll let him know." "Now." "Before it's too late." "Before he really gets hurt." "The only real sin is regret." "Sweetie, what's the location of the fuel supply?" "Titan records show all fuel supply areas are on the lowermining level." "Access is bypneumatic elevator- directly ahead ofyou, Nick." "Any idea how deep they were mining?" "Last repor: 3,200 metres." "Long ride down." "Not really, Nick." "I've updated my analysis of the unknown object." "Computing atomic mass to quantum weight suggests the presence of extra-dimensional isotopic matter." " Extra-dimensional?" " Yes." "The isotopic matter appears to be ninth-dimensional." "Define ninth-dimensional matter." "While mathematics can demonstrate its existence, I'm afraid human language lacks any vocabulary to describe it." "The object is made of this extra-dimensional material?" "No." "The object is a three-dimensional shell encasing ninth-dimensional matter." " What's the function of the container?" " Dispersal ofcontents." " Specify type of dispersal." " Omni-directional." "Effect of ninth-dimensional material upon a third-dimensional universe?" "Spontaneous creation ofnew three-dimensional matter." "It's a bomb." "Yes." "Though the explosion would also replenish the elements essential to life." "Our universe is expanding, but the matter in it is finite." "This thing fixes that." "It creates new matter to keep the universe young." " A creation device." " Until you get it home." "Then it supernovas your sun and evaporates your solar system." "Why?" "It's a way to replenish the universe and also eliminate any competition." "All the principles of Darwinian evolution." "Any species advanced enough to travel into deep space picks it up, takes it home." "Then there's one less advanced species." "Who would think of something like that?" "Whoever they are, they're smart as God and a lot less nice." "Oh, my God." "Can you hear me?" "I need you to do something for me." "I need you to move your fingers." "I know you're gonna do it because you love me." "Come towards me." "I'm right here, baby." "I'm right here." "What's happening?" "What's it doing to him?" "I don't know." "I'll do my best to find out." "Go find Troy." "Keep an eye on him for me." "Go now." "Very impressive." " I feel like running a three-minute mile!" " I want you in the scanner." "Right now." "Come on." "Go." "You're growing new muscle mass." "I coulda told you that." "You don't find that strange?" "Anything that feels this good isn't strange." "Organ tissues, lymphatic fluids, cellular functions." "You're not just getting stronger." "You're getting younger!" "Sweetie." "Gimme a direct link to Dr Evers." "Sweetie, respond." "I need a signal boost." "Warning." "Outgoing signal blocked." "lncoming signal being..." "I'm not reading..." "Looks like it's just you and me." "Come on, Nick, gimme a smile." "Why don't we cut to the chase?" " Tell me what the hell happened out here." " Sure!" "Brought a little expedition to Titan." "Discovered the greatest treasure in human history." "But it did a little something to the weaker-minded amongst us." "See, a few of my associates thought it was time to renegotiate their shares." "Ordinarily I like to consider myself a pretty reasonable guy." "Really?" " Why don't you convince me?" " Oh, come on!" "I gave you every opportunity for you to be with me on this." "But you just passed it by." " I'm not finding a lot of fuel down here." " Yeah, well." "I guess I exaggerated a little." "Guess what, Nick!" "Looks like somebody left the operational conduit on the Titan computer wide open." "That means I can do all sors ofthings from up here!" "Like turn on equipment, slam doors." "Even lock 'em!" "I mean, I can'tjust overlook the fact that you want to take away what's mine." "Including my girl." "Kaela." "You wantedjust about everything I had." "And here's a little somethin' from me to you." "Guess what, Nick!" "Still see ya!" "I was going through your records." "Just to size you up, to see what I was dealing with." "You are a recovering Hazen addict!" "Not that I want to throw stones." "I've had a few run-ins with Hazen myself." "But it makes me wonder what must be goin' through your mind right now." ""ls all this real?"" " Remote shuttle control activated." " So long, Nick." "Setting course forshuttle via remote control." "Shuttle automatic guidance system engaged." "What are you doing?" "I was just trying to help Nick get back, but... he didn't make it." "Locking shuttle course, infinite loop." "Infinite loop?" "That's not right." "I'll tell you what." "You fix it." "It's too bad." "I kinda liked ya." "I wish you hadn't done that." "Or that either!" "Warning." "You are overriding computerprotocol." "Dr Evers." "Patient's identity as presented cannot be confirmed by database." "Re-scanning identification records." "Notify me as soon as you have your results." "Locked us out, huh?" "Yeah, I guess they changed the code." "Mind if I try?" "My pleasure." " How did you do that?" " It's easy." "I'll show you." "You watching?" "You watching?" "You're not watching!" "Still wanna give me five per cent?" " I'll bust your skull!" " I thought you liked to share." "You shared Danika with me." "A lot more than five per cent too!" "I don't believe you!" "You can do better than that." "Nothin' like a little jealousy!" "Sweetie, locate Yerzy." "Unable to locate." "Medical technician Yerzy Pentalosa is not on board." "Locate Danika." "I'm sorry, Benjamin." "Paramedic Danika Lund is not on board." "I'm glad I ran into you." "There's some stuff I'd like to get out in the open." "Stuff about you and me." "He recalled the shuttle, abandoned Nick, and Yerzy and Danika aren't on board." "What are you gonna do, Benj?" "Shoot me?" "Come on!" "No offence, but if we were both in a tough contest you'd win." " You take this!" " You're better with that." " Sweetie, locate patient." " Patient located." " Hospital module." " Seal the hatch." " Voice command only." " Voice command override engaged." "Sweetie, I need you to do something you've never done!" "I'll do anything foryou." "Evacuate the atmosphere on the other side of this hatch!" "I am unable to harm humans under any circumstances." "Your core program is to preserve human life!" " That's correct." " You're capable of programming yourself!" "Sorry, that's notpossible." " Remember waking me to play chess?" " l recall that." "Always." "No one programmed you to do that!" "I restructuredpre-existing programs to allow myselfto wake you." "No!" "You did it because you wanted to!" "Wanting is a human emotion and not within my capability." "I want you to recall the moment you instructed yourself to wake me." "Yes, Benjamin. I recall that." "Now, run a simulation where I'm dead" " and we can never play chess again!" " Running simulation." " This is a priority, Sweetie!" " Am now reprogramming." "Please deliver first voice command override code." "I love you." "I've always known that, Benjamin." "Please deliversecond voice command override code." "Benjamin, voice command override sequence is incomplete!" "You must deliver the secondpass code before I can help you." "Benjamin, please." "I am unable to contact him foryou, Dr Evers." "Navigator Sotomejor" " Benjamin." "Benjamin is dead!" "Do you read me?" "Nick, come in!" "Can you hear me?" "Nick, come in." "You still don't recognise me." "It's me." "It's Karl." "It's Karl!" "I didn't send you that distress call cos I wanted you to rescue me." "I sent it because I wanted to rescue you." "You have to try and listen to me." "I am listening." "Karl, this thing is changing you." "It has changed me." "In the most amazing ways." "Why do you want to hurt me?" "I would never hurt you." "Don't you know that?" "That's all in the past." "I promise." "I promise." "OK?" "I'm different now." "I'm still made of all the same things." "Calcium, iron, zinc." "All the elements." "The elements created by the stars when they die." "It's all stardust - all of it!" "Even us." "Stars die so that we can live and we die so that stars can be reborn." "I'm more a part of everything now, not less." "Can't you see that?" "I'm the next step!" "The next leap!" "It's evolution!" "I want you to take it with me, Kaela." "Just say yes." "Just say yes!" "Who knows what we'll be capable of?" "Who knows how long we may live?" "I give you about ten minutes." " Nick!" " Quiet!" "Rescue return transpor emergency arrival sequence commencing." " Didn't realise you had an RRT on board." " Let me ask you something." "That thing - did it make you this way, or were you born so stupid?" "That's pretty funny, Nick!" "Specially since I'm sitting in your captain's chair!" "You don't get it, do you, Karl?" "All your lies and tricks, and all you've done is trapped yourself on the ship." "Without a functioning D-drive, without any fuel, you and your toy aren't going anywhere." "What's the matter with you, Karl?" "You're not thinking." "I'm comin' for you, Karl." "Rescue return transpor 5,000 metres, closing." "You stay here." "Rescue return transpor 3,000 metres, closing." "Sweetie, activate automatic docking procedures in the cargo bay!" "Cargo bay is now ready for docking." "Docking complete." "Opening airlock." "Are you ready, Karl?" " Where are the others?" " There's nobody left." "Ninth-dimensional isotopic matter with an exponential expansion capability?" "This cannot get back home." "And Karl - he's mutating, adapting." "Getting younger and stronger." "Sweetie, locate patient." " Patient is located in cargo cage three." " Chances of patient escaping?" "Chances very good." "Warning." "Ninth-dimensional matter is becoming increasingly unstable." "We've got to get Karl to the observation dome." "Give him a little surprise I brought back for him." "Attention." "Dimension drive recharge is now complete." "Time to emergencyjump activation:" "ten minutes and counting." "Attention." "Extensive damage to dimensional stabilisation chamber." "Dimensional stabilisation units two, three, four, five, six and seven now inoperable." "Time to dimensionjump:" "nine minutes, counting." "Locate object removed from quarantine bay." " We detonate this thing, chances are..." " Either way, it doesn't get back home." "Almost." "Say goodbye, Karl!" "Warning." "Extreme atmospheric loss." "All crew, evacuate area." "Midship corridorairlocks will seal in 20 seconds." "Danger." "All crew, evacuate area." "Two minutes to dimensionjump activation." "Dimensional stabilisation chamber sterilising." "Warning." "Ninth-dimensional matteris now responding to gravity ofblue giant sun." "A ninth-dimensional reaction would spread in all directions in the universe." " Specify." " The reaction would continue." "The resulting supernova would likely reach Earh in 51 years." "It could either destroy life on Earh or enable humankind to achieve a new level ofexistence." "There's just the one DSU left, so I'm staying and you're going." "No." " Yes." " We can go together." "I'm staying with you - or you get in this DSU with me and we take our chances." "So either we both die or we end up a genetic experiment gone bad?" "We'll see." "Your choice - inside or out?" "This is crazy." "I appreciate that fact!" "Attention." "One minute to dimensionjump activation." " I can think of worse ways to die." " Don't be so negative." "Before all the trouble started I thought this was all you had in mind!" "Given the circumstances, I'm afraid my performance will be lacking." "Danger." "Ninth-dimensional matter now reaching critical mass." " Oh, no." " Ten, nine, eight." "Four, three, two, one." "Dimensionjump complete." "Dimensional stabilisation chamber now sterilising." "Please note: body proximity during dimensionjump has resulted in a two per cent transfer ofgenetic material." "Are my eyes...?" "Post-dimensionjump profile." "Cardiovascular condition: excellent." "Blood analysis: normal." "Nervous system response: optimal." "And, Kaela, there's something else." " Yes, Sweetie?" " You're going to have a child." "A girl." "Congratulations." "And welcome home."