"This could have been us so many times." "Still can be." "Let's just get what we came for and get out of here." "Assuming what we came for survived." "Rommie, rom command of the magellan-melro." "Copy that." "These poor people." "Rommie, are you getting all of this?" "Tracking on command." "Well, lucky for us, zero radiation, and atmosphere is... normal." "Never occurred to me there'd be crew left, if you call dead "being left."" "They're not dead, not physically, but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, they're gone." "Who the hell did this?" "Beka, play back security file." "Check." "Command sequence..." "security file, stop." "File reverse to last motion detected." "Nietzscheans." "Surprise, surprise." "Pause playback." "Rommie, identify." "Subjects, nietzschean." "Alpha's identity... calleb voth, rakhshasa pride." "Resume playback." "Well, this explains why we haven't found the weapon." "What explains this?" "They were like this before the nietzschean pirates got here." "Alert." "Magog craft just entered the sector." "Scout ship." "Damn." "Did you see that energy pulse?" "That's what did it." "It came from something they were transporting, a device." "When they were hit in battle, it must have activated it." "It activated the weapon we were sent here to get." "End playback." "Revise..." "magog presence has multiplied." "It's a swarm." "Let's get these people back to themaru." "Fast, go, go!" "Andromeda, casting off." "When you have the magog in range, take them out." "They're coming on fast." "I don't know if we'll be able to make it back in time." "One of the moons off starboard... we can take cover there." "Take it." "Firing on the magog." "Tell me that was the last of them." "That was just the first wave." "We're not the only ones after that weapon." "The universe is a dangerous place, but in our future, my crew and i fight to make it safe." "I am Dylan Hunt, captain of theAndromeda ascendant, and these are our adventures." "From themagellan-melro was stolen." "Nietzscheans pirated the wreck before we got there." "Who are the nietzscheans?" "Well, their leader is calleb voth." "Identifies as an alpha." "Turns out that he's the brother of malea voth, the pride's true alpha." "The most powerful member of the rakhshasa military pride." "Yes, but a lousy sister." "She banished her brother and his followers to the primitive side of the planet." "That's why he scavenges for a living." "It is imperative we get the weapon back." "Understood." "Sooner the better, before the magog come back." "Oh, and trl-jema, i'll need every commonwealth record that you have on that weapon." "It's called "file d"... a planet-range sub-theta radiation generator." "It deletes consciousness in organic sentients by destroying neuron-linking functions of the brain, leaving the autonomic system intact." "Planet range, huh?" "That's huge." "Gives me a headache just neuron-linking about it." "A device that kills the mind no wonder the magog want it." "Yeah, delivers a protein source that won't fight back." "It was confiscated from a magog drift by the commonwealth, then studied briefly before the decision was made to relocate it." "That is what themagellan-melro was doing with it." "Affirmative." "It was being taken to an uninhabited planet so sticking it somewhere was supposed to keep it out of the wrong hands?" "No, sticking it somewhere was supposed to keep it from inadvertently harming anyone else." "Since confiscation, it has been activated two times." "Another brilliant commonwealth planet action... sticking it somewhere." "So what set it off?" "Scratch that." "Dumb question." "Whoever pushes the button doesn't remember." "Well, we do know the first activation was caused by a sudden, sharp motion." "The missile hit on themagellan." "The cause for the second activation, though, remains a mystery." "Show me those records." "There's got to be some more info on the second activation somewhere." "A tool so irresistible, yet unstable enough to destroy all those who would wield it... a gift to the magog from the abyss." "Maybe we should just let them have it and then let them have it again with a missile." "Wait a minute." "Here's something." "It's an unopened file, but... passlocked." "Andromeda, run sequence tests on it." "Let us know when you crack the access code." "Okay, people." "Now we know what it is, let's go get it." "Captain, as requested, i've been monitoring all communication on carva-rakhshasa, and just now have decoded a message sent from a military compound on the opposite hemisphere to calleb voth." "Project." "Father, i've been kidnapped by your sister, malea." "The price of my return..." "is a ransom, something called "file d."" "Please, father, give it to her." "She says it matters not that we're flesh and blood." "She will harm me." "And you, above anyone, know how good i am at harm, dear brother." "Makes you glad to be an only child." "Would it be crass if i said i can't wait to get a look at this thing?" "Right now, it's more important that no one gets a look at us." "Agreed." "Hey, check this out." "Cargo transports approaching carva-rakhshasa." "It's perfect." "Let's join the convoy." "Intersecting raider transport vector." "Keep moving." "As sensitive as file d is, they wouldn't have moved it far." "My guess is it's just past that salvage there." "So far, i only count one guard." "Sheesh." "Peace of cake." "They weren't expecting company, not this soon, anyway." "Hey, big boy." "Hey, big boy." "Oldest trick in the book." "Leave that." "Take the other one." "You." "Move." "Come on." "Move." "Harper." "Souvenirs later." "Faster." "Come on." "Hurry up." "Stop right there." "Drop it." "Drop it." "Faster!" "Now, that's the oldest trick in the book." "Now, mr." "Harper, did you increase the dna identification charge in my force lance?" "Maybe, just a little." "That's what i thought." "Sorry about that." "Let's go." "Drone transport." "I think we found it." "A drone transport's internal gravity can be zeroed out." "Right, motion-canceling vault." "Our disinherited nietzschean may be poor, but he's no dummy." "Well, so much for plan a." "Snatch and run is out of the question." "How about a plan b?" "We've already got a plan b... grab the kidnapped kid, use him as a bargaining chip." "You're going to kidnap a kidnapped kid?" "Yeah." "How about a plan c?" "I've got one." "I'm getting a little concerned about file d's spotty activation record." "With us this close, if that thing goes off?" "Let's just say for my twilight years, i saw me living out my days on a pleasure drift in a hammock built for three, not winding up as a magog nursery with a head full of liquid brain-o." "We're well aware of the risks, mr." "Harper." "What if i could get inside, boss?" "Get my hands on file d, see what makes it tick?" "Maybe i could deactivate it." "Come on, once i'm inside the drone, no one's going to come near me." "I'll be as safe as can be." "Hell, i'll be even safer than out here." "Dream on, Harper." "One misstep, and your iq's my ring size." "There's no way we're leaving you here." "Yes, you are... because you already thought of this, didn't you?" "You're just waiting to see if i'd volunteer." "Because it's so dangerous, you weren't going to make me go in there unless i was willing, right?" "This is why we brought him?" "I knew it." "As good as he is at everything i can possibly think of, i can always read his bluff." "No offense, boss, but when it comes to cards, you're a lousy player." "Thank you, but what counts right now is how good of an engineer you are." "Look at it this way... if i screw up, you won't be able to." "I won't." "I swear." "Famous last words." "Who asked you?" "Good comeback, Harper." "Just make sure you come back alive." "Piece of cake." "Well, if anything goes wrong, you contact us." "Nothing's going to go wrong." "I know." "We'll draw their fire." "Good luck." "After you." "After you, i insist." "Hey!" "Well, that's one problem taken care of." "Now we have to convince calleb to hand over file d willingly." "And how are we going to do that?" "Outsmart him?" "I hate it when we have to outsmart nietzscheans." "It's even more exhausting than beating them up." "Yeah, but it's a lot less painful." "I think we lost them." "I think you're right." "Oof, i'm out of shape." "Rommie, Trance, prep themaru." "Get ready for takeoff." "So what's next on this "outsmart them" plan?" "Well, i'll distract malea while you re-kidnap the kid." "Sounds easy enough." "In theory." "We've got guards after us in slipfighters." "What do you want to do?" "You know what i want to do." "So much for a stealthy exit." "No, no, no, no, this might work to our advantage." "Good shooting." "Thanks." "I have orders to make sure the atmospheric activator is... activating." "Fine, don't believe me, call kalomar yourself, but if the delay makes this thing megatriangulate, it's not my brain that's going to be erased over it." "Better give me your name, just in case." "Thank you." "I won't be long." "Megatriangulate." "How do i think this stuff up?" "I have general malea voth." "Will you accept a forward?" "On screen." "Captain Dylan Hunt." "I thought that was a high guard ship i saw up there." "I'm a little busy right now." "Came to talk to your brother about his piracy habit, but we didn't exactly get a warm welcome." "Why would you?" "We haven't been part of the commonwealth in over three centuries." "Yes, that's true, but trade relations with homeworlds that are members are important to you." "You buy fuel from casropei." "You sell munitions to ler and vol-tae-o." "No need to play the boycott card, captain." "Come and talk to me." "I'll tell you all about my brother." "And i thought my family was dysfunctional." "Dylan." "This is malea voth's main compound." "High-res imaging shows a large cellblock and a sky port." "I used deep probe radar to obtain a floor plan of the stronghold." "There is one occupied cell in a vacant wing." "She's got him in isolation." "Beka, take us in." "All right." "Get in, grab the kid, and get out." "I'll keep malea distracted as long as i can." "Dylan, be careful." "What, me, be careful?" "Trance, i'm only the decoy." "You three are the main attraction." "Really?" "I always wanted to be a star." "Good luck." "Here." "Goodbye, high guard." "Just doing a little... reminiscing." "Hmm..." "let's see how well you do against the real thing." "I'm surprised at your skill, considering you've never played before." "Us kludges are good at a lot of things." "It's your nietzschean arrogance that blinds you to that fact." "Stop." "Off." "This current mission you're on, this attempt to suppress my brother's piracy, seems rather a banal assignment for an officer of your station." "What's the real reason you're here?" "To distract you... while my crew penetrates the security of your compound." "It's impossible." "I'm just doing my commonwealth duty." ""Duty."" "Now, that's a quaint concept." "It's odd you still cling to it after your exposure to tyr anasazi." "You are that Dylan Hunt." "Well, tyr's philosophy made an impression." "That it failed to influence was probably very frustrating for him." "Frustration isn't nietzschean." "It's too exhausting, but then you wouldn't know anything about exhaustion, would you?" "Lady, i am ready when you are." "Okay, body heat monitor." "That must be how they keep track of the prisoners." "That means they'll know if the boy's gone." "Great, now we need a plan d and a file d." "We need a decoy." "I'll stay." "I should." "I can regulate my body temperature to match his." "You can?" "Well, then," "Dylan wouldn't want you alone, and i have almost no body heat, so the sensors wouldn't register me, that is if you don't mind getting kallah out all by yourself." "I think i can handle him." "I do not wish to be disturbed." "What about sprung?" "10 seconds." "I used to do this in five." "Well, i have 91.5 watts, by my count." "So explain to me how nietzschean loyalty lets you treat your brother this way." "We're a complex race." "We have complex relationships." "He and his followers have come in useful for target practice." "Well, if your guys shoot as well as you play, calleb has nothing to worry about." "Oh, really?" "Really." "Nice game." "I will find out why you're here... and next time we play, i'll win." "Next time we play, it'll be for real." "Two ampoules of neural suppressant should keep him asleep till the fat lady sings." "Make it three." "My chat with malea voth was a nietzschean refresher course." "Three it is." "So now what?" "We send calleb a creepy message of our own?" ""File d, or junior gets it"?" "He'd know damn well we're not good for a threat like that." "Unlike his loving sister." "That's for sure." "Well, let's get our special guest back to theAndromeda." "Check, and lifting off." "Full thrust." "Malea's patience will be wearing thin." "I wonder how Harper's doing." "Let's find out." "Mr. Harper, do you copy?" "I'm here, boss." "We're assuming no news is good news?" "Sorry." "I lost track of time." "You guys should see this thing." "File d is like a news flexi with a supersize power source attached." "It's so unimpressively simple and inconspicuous... it's a work of art." "Well, just keep us posted." "Any problems, we'll be back in a hurry." "Intercepting a new message from malea voth's compound en route to her brother calleb." "Talk about being impatient." "Project." "Stalling isn't going to make this go away, calleb." "Now, i'm giving you until sunset to deliver the ransom to my compound." "If you fail, you'll wish he'd never been born." "Sunset?" "That's nothing." "Wait till she finds out her nephew's gone." "Rommie and Trance have a solid evac plan." "The bigger concern is calleb." "If he gives in to his sister before i get to him, it's all over." "Especially for Harper." "Damn." "Change course." "We're heading back to calleb's side of the planet." "Vectoring new trajectory." "Andromeda, contact calleb voth." "Tell him i'm on my way to see him about his son." "One of the sentries." "Get up, boy." "Time to eat." "I said do not wish to be disturbed, you damn mechanized bolt module." "Fine." "Starve, then." "I love when you do your impressions." "We should spend more time together." "Dylan Hunt." "An escort." "How thoughtful." "Anyone there?" "Hello?" "Anyone there?" "I'm not just talking to myself here." "Go ahead, Harper." "Just checking in." "So are you making any progress?" "Well, i hit it with a neutron ray." "I've got to hand it to whoever thought this thing up." "I couldn't have done better myself." "File d sends out a homing signal when it's activated." "Mm-hmm." "I thought you were there to find out what else makes it go off." "I'm getting there." "I'm getting there." "Why the disrespect?" "All we know is it could happen at any second." "Thanks for the reminder." "So... how is it you could possibly know that my son has been kidnapped?" "My ship intercepted a ransom transmission from your sister." "Hmm." "The all-powerful Andromeda ascendant relegated to eavesdropping." "How the mighty have fallen." "No, we came here looking for you about something you borrowed from the commonwealth." "File d." "I was going to use it to help me reclaim everything my sister stole from me... my cities, my armies, history, culture." "Now i'm forced to use it to reclaim the one thing i thought she could not take... my flesh and blood." "Well, then i've got a planet i'd love to sell you with a three-moon view." "Meaning?" "Well, you're fooling yourself if you think malea will hold up her end of the deal." "Hand over file d, then she'll have it and your son." "No." "He's a pawn." "Once she has what she wants... what she wants is to crush you out of existence, starting with banishment, then starvation, then ending with the death of your progeny." "No nietzschean would ever spill the blood of their own pride, not even my dear sister." "Imprison him..." "but kill him, never." "Well, then, maybe you'll be dead to him." "Months of brainwashing, of being taught to hate you." "His every meal and every breath depending on it." "The instinct for survival is strong, especially if you're a nietzschean." "I don't have a choice!" "Then i'll give you one." "You don't know my sister." "Yes, i do." "You have to be smarter than malea." "Don't pay the ransom." "You broadcast an offer across the galaxy, a substantial reward for the boy's safe return." "You'll have every bounty Hunter and mercenary this side of the nullification point on top of her like magog on a medic-drift." "And where in three galaxies do you propose i find this kind of money?" "Let me put it this way." "The commonwealth is very serious about getting file d back." "You want your son." "We want the weapon." "It's a deal that'll make everyone happy, well, except for your sister, of course." "I think we both know what would make me happy is having it all." "So what is it that makes you think you can trust me?" "L... i don't trust you, but right now, it's the only plan i've got." "You have my son." "That's why you're here." "That's why malea hasn't contacted me." "You came here to trick me, captain." "Very good." "Your grief is getting the better of you, calleb." "You don't know what you're talking about." "Where is he?" "On your ship?" "I know you have him." "I want my son, captain." "You can go." "We're done talking for now." "And, captain, don't forget what it is that i have." "You're not a sentry." "And you are not... i think we're finished here." "Yeah, i'd say the abort-mission parameters have been adequately met." "Dylan, you said to evacuate if we had a problem." "We've had four." "Get to the recon as fast as you can." "I'll send Beka." "I'm on my way." "What about you and Harper?" "I'm picking him up now." "Beka, as soon as you have Rommie and Trance, get back here." "Fast." "Dylan, your timing is perfect." "We're headed back now." "Something's very wrong." "No, my timing is not perfect." "Come on." "I've got the drone in sight, but i'm already at max velocity." "Faster." "You're sure that Harper's still inside?" "He'd have told me if he was leaving his post." "Does he know where he is?" "It's doubtful." "The drone's motion-canceling capabilities prevent him from sensing its movement and are likely keeping him protected." "The problem is there's nothing inside that drone to keep file d from sensing Harper's movement." "If he finds out he's in orbit and he starts to panic, he could set it off." "Oh, my god." "How do we keep that from happening?" "We don't tell him." "Are we to withhold all communication from Harper?" "No, he'd get suspicious." "I have been able to open the locked file per Harper's request." "In it, file d's additional activation parameters are outlined." "The secondary trigger." "Give it to me." "In addition to being activated by a disturbance, file d also has a sensor which registers electrochemical signals from the sinoatrial node." "It then synchronizes a delayed activation sequence to those signals." "Sinoatrial node signals... heartbeats." "File d syncs to a heartbeat." "Then file d will go off after a predetermined number of beats." "Does it say what sets off the countdown?" "Exposure to neutron radiation." "Harper used an n-ray on it." "Then it's already been triggered." "Well, then, it's a wise move not telling him about the danger he's in, now that his life depends on keeping his heart rate down." "Okay, listen up." "Once we re-establish communication with Harper, remember, we have to keep him calm and relaxed." "Yee-haw!" "This thing makes my heart go pitty-pat." "Boss, this is a sweet marvel of design." "Hello?" "Anyone there?" "Uh... we're on our way, Harper." "Why don't you just... take it easy." "Take it easy?" "That's unusual... and nice for a change." "Dylan out." "Finally, a little respect for the old Harper." "Just had to snuggle up to the universe's most dangerous weapon to get it." "Trance, anticipate its course." "Anticipating." "This thing's got major acceleration." "I know, faster, faster." "Dylan, it appears to be vectoring into orbit." "Really?" "Yeah." "Beka, turn us around." "We'll catch it on the flip side." "Hey, guys, it's your friendly but freezing engineer here." "It's getting a little cold." "I think i'll crack the hatch just a little." "No!" "Uh, uh... don't take any risks." "We don't want to blow your cover." "I just want to open my cover enough to let in a few rays." "Damn it, Harper, i gave you an order!" "It was nice while it lasted." "Dylan, incoming message from calleb." "On screen." "Captain, have you been avoiding me?" "I'm anxious to make arrangements regarding my son." "Yeah, why don't you send that drone back my way, and then we'll have a discussion." "No discussions, captain." "We play by my rules." "Awaiting orders to capture the orbiting drone and bring file d to your beloved capital, tarazed, at which point it will be programmed to run into a bit of turbulence and released." "I don't think i need to tell you that anyone within planetary range will be killed, and when i go to retrieve my precious device, i do think that i will occupy your capital." "It's not as if anyone will be left to stop me." "I hope we understand each other, captain." "Dylan, we're being tracked by a magog scout ship." "Harper, we have to talk." "Hang on... 51." "Okay, i'm back." "I'm terrified to ask, but, Harper, what were you doing?" "Push-ups." "No push-ups!" "Enough with the micromanagement." "Captain, there is a swarm approaching." "Their craft are consistent with the magog." "Just when things were going so... well." "They're on an intercept trajectory." "File d has a homing signal." "The magog have picked it up, and they're following it." "Dylan, they're targeting the drone." "What?" "They're going to detonate it?" "It's a suicide mission." "You know, magog are the polar opposite of nietzscheans." "Rommie, open a comm channel with calleb." "If you're done licking your wounds, captain, i'm ready to make those arrangements." "Yeah, make the arrangement to have that drone sent back to me, and then we'll discuss your son's future." "Stupid and stubborn." "It's time to admit defeat, captain." "You've lost." "I've won." "Well, it really depends on how you define winning." "There are a swarm of magog targeting the drone." "I've got them." "They're already over the planet." "And with that drone still in orbit, its activation will kill everyone, including you, so i would call that a loss." "Another weak bluff." "Check for yourself." "If you'd like, we could keep file d very safe for you." "The drone is turning around." "Excellent." "The magog ships are already closing in." "It won't get here in time." "Then we have to get to it first." "Faster." "I'll get you faster." "A little consideration..." "is that too much to ask for?" "Just a little bit of space so i can do my thing." "Would it kill anyone?" "No." "Unlike this, if i can't disconnect the theta pulse generator." "The sequence has already started?" "When did that happen?" "Mr. Harper, things have just gotten a little complicated." "Uh, you're telling me, but nobody said this was going to be a cakewalk, right, boss?" "Yeah, uh, without going into details... uh... whatever it is, i'm sure you'll handle it like you always do." "I don't mean to cut you off, boss, but... i'm kind of in the middle of something here." "He's figured it out." "Dylan, i've got the drone, but it's going too fast." "It's going to crash into my cargo bay." "Target its two gfts with missiles." "The increase in mass will cut its velocity." "Uh... my heartbeat is like the divine." "It is the air." "It is the water." "My heartbeat is like the divine." "It is the air." "It is the water." "My heartbeat is like the divine." "Good work." "All right, Andromeda, take them out!" "It is the water." "I've got it." "I've got it, i've got it!" "Whoo-hoo!" "Trust in the Harper." "The Harper is good." "Whoo." "I did it." "I deactivated it." "I deactivated it." "What the... this is themaru." "He's fine." "Let's get back to theAndromeda." "Well, well, if it isn't the happy brother and sister." "You two put up a good fight." "You know, there's nothing easy about out-maneuvering nietzscheans." "Flattery won't get you anywhere." "I want that weapon." "File d is safe and sound." "Is that why you've called, captain?" "To gloat before leaving the system?" "Don't be such a poor sport." "You got your son back, didn't you?" "I didn't call to gloat." "I called to give you a warning." "There's a greater threat out there." "It's bigger than this weapon." "It's bigger than the magog." "Now, learn to get along or suffer the consequences." "Another threat?" "And what happens if we don't?" "Then you have no chance of surviving." "I just thought i'd let you know, because i'm one of the good guys." "Hunt out." "Mission accomplished." "Good work, everyone." "Oh, what's the status on the crew of the magellan-melro?" "The crew members are being transported to a research facility, and someday, perhaps, there will be a way to revive them." "And trl-jema has sent you a message." "She will offer her congratulations in person when you bring in file d." "Then i'll have to pass." "I've decided to keep file d here onAndromeda where i can keep an eye on it." "There's just one more thing we don't get." "Yeah, Rommie says you told her not to fire on the magog when you first knew that they were coming." "Correct." "Well, what if calleb hadn't buckled?" "Well, then the magog would have flown into file d and detonated it." "Killing us all." "He's graduated from bluffing with our lives." "He's moved on to roulette." "Well, i had to switch games." "You're the one who said i was lousy at playing cards." "Me and my big mouth."