"One hour, 59 minutes and 50 seconds." "One hour, 59 minutes and 55 seconds." "Two hours." "And nothing." "First time in two days" "Pish's bounty Hunters haven't found us within an hour of exiting slipstream." "Looks like we finally ditched them." "We haven't been ditching them, we've been demolishing them." "Repeatedly." "Yet more always come." "Until now." "At least, it looks that way." "Okay, i don't know about the rest of you, but i'm going to take that shower i was headed to when all this hit the fan." "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stand down." "Shall i cancel shipwide alert?" "The crew is desperate for a break." "Cancel it." "Maybe that shower idea's not so bad." "Alone." "Slipstream events detected." "Identifying." "Don't bother, it's more of the same." "Bounty Hunters." "This time, it's restorians." "You're right." "Tell me this isn't happening again." "Battle stations!" "Offensive missiles, tubes one through 20." "Fire!" "Don't tell me i missed everything." "Take us to slipstream." "Rommie... that did it." "Now i know i'm right." "Captain, i scan every signal generated from this ship." "I didn't say i know how they were doing it, but those bounty Hunters keep finding us because someone is telling them where we are." "So you're saying we have a traitor on board." "Who do you think it is?" "I'm damn well going to find out." "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 the Andromeda ascendant, and these are our adventures." "So far, polygraph body-scans show nothing." "No one with stress levels beyond normal." "Although the readings may be skewed due to present circumstances." "Being on the run." "My stress level should be off the charts." "Actually, you're handling it very well... or you hide it very well." "I'm an enigma." "List all personnel who have access to override your systems." "That would narrow it down to these." "That's it?" "Oh, come on." "I can't believe any one of them would be doing this." "Rhade, being nietzschean, would be our most likely suspect." "He is genetically engineered to camouflage his emotions." "Trance?" "Never." "Harper?" "He would know better than anyone how to get a message past your sensors." "My heartbeat is like the divine." "It is the air." "It is the water." "My heartbeat is like the divine." "Not to worry, i got their numbers." "Resonance frequencies." "I'll fry their circuits with the push of a button." "On the other hand, you're probably asking yourselves" ""who designed these a.p. Converters?" ""So subtle, yet so complex in their conceptualization." "Who could it possibly be?"" "I got it." "I got it!" "I got it!" "Whoo-hoo!" "Trust in the Harper, the Harper is good!" "Whoo... and Beka." "Lately, she's been a little, well... testy?" "To put it mildly." "Scan your logs for footage and readings on all three." "Are you looking for anything in particular?" "Yes." "I want their physiological reactions to each time the bounty Hunters appeared." "Increased heart rate and blood pressure, but then again, so does the rest of the crew." "So everyone had the same reaction." "Your basic autonomic "fight or flight" response all the way across the board." "Check it again... but this time, before the attack has arrived." "To see if our traitor had a pre-action." "Correct." "On screen." "There." "I see it." "And a downward spike in body temperature every time." "[?" "]" "Ow!" "Hey, telema-schmuckus!" "Back off my glutemole and semptis." "What's it here for if not to eat?" ""Happy anniversary." To whom?" "You can read." "It's to Beka andthe maru." "It's been 10 years... three months, and nine days since her dad handed it over to her." "It was an important day." "Not necessarily a happy day, though, kind of bittersweet." "Then why are you doing it?" "Because she could use some cheering up, okay?" "I know it's technically not an anniversary, but it's the best i could come up with." "Curious sentiment." "The bitter part has been well exposed." "Beka certainly is impossible to communicate with." "Harper, can i ask you something?" "Were you going to invite me?" "Was there an invitation that Rommie, Dylan and Trance received that somehow was lost for me?" "Hey, hey!" "Like it matters now." "Well, as long as you're here, help me out, would you?" "Does that sign look straight to you?" "I just, i can't... you really are concerned." "Well, yeah, she's my number one bud." "I know, i know, she's been a bit of a... pain lately." "Going on and on about everything and everyone, complaining about me, even saying Trance is weird, and you... what did you do to her?" "You should hear what she says about you." "Don't worry, most of it's not true, but look, Beka hasn't always had it easy, you know." "So maybe we can show some understanding if she's a little bit... difficult now and then." "So, 50-50?" "Huh?" "Partners like always?" "What?" "Come on." "Come on... come on... king of the nietzscheans?" "You must have seen Tyr's stash." "His booty." "He must have a hoard." "I saw some of it." "We could... argh!" "Just kidding." "Argh!" "70-30?" "Hey, guys!" "Guys!" "She's coming!" "What?" "She's early!" "Where's Dylan?" "Where's Rommie?" "Hide." "No." "Harper, no." "Ah!" "Harper?" "You wanted to see... surprise!" "Surprise!" "Surprise." "Anniversary?" "We needed something to celebrate, and guess what?" "You're it." "Harper... you're insane, you know that?" "Ah-ha, but you're smiling." "Nice going, guys." "You know what the secret to a surprise party is?" "Timing!" "You're late." "Come on in, grab some glutemole, if Rhade left any." "We're not here for the party, Harper." "I'm sorry i have to do this, but i have no choice." "Beka... i need you to consent to an exam and to answer a few questions." "What?" "Now?" "It can't wait." "Well, if you insist." "I'll have to resist." "Well... now, this is what i call a surprise party." "I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, you've got me wrong." "Your actions have just confirmed what i only suspected." "You want something, Beka." "Tell us what." "I don't know what you're talking about, or why you'd go to all this length to... hey, i had nothing to do with this." "All i did was plan a party." "Beka, if it is true you don't know what's going on, then lower your weapons." "Don't make it worse than it already is." "And i called Harper the insane one." "Boss, there must be some mistake." "Yeah, like have i ever lied to any one of you?" "Well... don't answer that." "Bek, we need to talk." "Oh, let me guess." "Before he left," "Dylan nominated you substitute scolder." "So does that mean that you deny that what you did was totally irresponsible and selfish?" "Trance, do you know the consequences of a guilty verdict on veris?" "What they call "rehabilitation"" "the rest of the galaxy calls "mutilation."" "Technicore will see to that." "What about the consequences for the rest of us?" "Come on, Beka, look me in the eye and tell me that you considered that, even for a nanosecond." "How about looking into eyes i haven't seen since i was barely more than a punk kid running simple scams." "I didn't plan this." "Nostalgia is not an excuse, no matter how you romanticize it." "Isn't it?" "Abel's an old friend." "He may be all i have left of the good old days." "Let's talk about what happened last time we encountered someone from the good old days." "Let's not." "Let's just say how about being my friend and showing a little faith in my judgment?" "Even if i think you're making a big mistake, and we're going to have to pay that price right along with you?" "Maybe that's what loyalty is." "What is it exactly that Beka has done?" "We have a mole on board, and Beka's behavior indicates foreknowledge of the attacks we've been sustaining." "That's vague." "Is it?" "If she has nothing to hide, why is she holding a weapon on us?" "Beka, stand down." "I never dreamt you'd lose faith in me so quickly, Dylan." "Someone's obviously set me up, and you've actually fallen for it." "Greetings, powerful woman." "What do you want, Tyr?" "I have information, Beka." "You'll end up on a slave ship or magog food if you stay on board the Andromeda." "Dylan, the portal's a way to control the abyss, and you've got to get out of here." "The entire nietzschean army is headed this way... to destroy you." "Listen, the magog are close, only months away." "We don't have as much time as we thought." "We'll get you out of there." "Yeah, well, you better hurry." "I have one angry nietzschean at the end of my barrel." "Not angry." "Disappointed." "I'll do it, Tyr." "I rendered that inoperable." "You will not stop me!" "Maybe this is all your doing." "It's no one's but your own, Beka." "Oh, spare me, Rommie." "You only know what you're programmed to." "You'll get a fair hearing." "Right." "I've had fair hearings, Dylan." "You've already convicted me, Dylan." "It's written all over your face." "I'm not calling you "captain."" "Dylan." "Dylan will be fine." "What now, captain?" "Now we find out why." "If Beka's actions are being caused by a chemical imbalance in her brain, we'll be able to see that." "You mean an imbalance she's causing in herself." "Flash." "It's the ultimate edge." "You'll love it." "Five milligrams today, five milligrams tomorrow, and the next day, you will be selling your first born for just one milligram more." "Joke's on you, sparky." "Five more jumps." "Five more jumps, sparky." "Walk away." "You were never here." "You're doing flash." "I don't believe it." "Flash?" "Beka, come on, you know what that stuff does to people." "People kill over that stuff... their family and friends." "Did you know that 82% of people on prison planets are flash addicts?" "Do you know what?" "They tell you that kind of stuff just to scare you." "Sure, to scare you out of killing your neighbors." "Look, i'm not going to pretend this crap is good for me." "I know first-hand what flash can... i'm using miniscule doses for a limited time." "It's medicine." "You're withdrawing from a very powerful drug." "It's bound to be uncomfortable." "Uncomfortable?" "Rev, every nerve ending is on fire." "My skull is two sizes too small." "I want to rip my skin off with my fingernails." "I was thinking, maybe it would be better to taper off slowly, you know?" "Safer." "I just need you to get me a couple of drops." "I promise, i promise, just a taste." "Beka, this will not end your pain." "It will merely postpone it." "It's funny." "I'm always the one that has it all together, but right now i just... i just feel shattered into a million pieces." "Never thought i'd say this, but i'm almost hoping it is flash." "If it is, we'll find out right away." "Hemispheric rendering complete." "Projecting map." "Beka's neural pathway seems intact." "Synapses, too." "When did it happen, Beka?" "Hmm?" "Commencing security file playback." "Subject, Beka Valentine, uncharacteristic behavior." "Stop playback." "Surveillance data session terminated." "Let's look at her ventral pathway, temporal lobe." "Enlarging." "Nothing." "Hmm." "Beka's brain seems to be 100% healthy... physically." "Looks like we're at a dead end." "Dylan, there is something..." "something odd." "Increase scanning zoom." "Increasing." "We're at the molecular level." "This is not natural." "Looks like they're alive." "We have seen this before, Dylan." "The gateway to the abyss." "She's a direct link." "Hundreds of them, and they're expanding." "Taking over her mind." "Their micro-chemical makeup is enormously complex." "I'm processing at 10 times the normal rate and have only been able to identify two components... simmondsium and muilamium." "Those are radical isotopes..." "footprints of the abyss." "But how?" "When did this happen?" "Why her?" "It must have happened when Tyr had her in the eighth dimension." "Darkness!" "I am lost!" "Did you bring me to this spot for a purpose?" "I am leader of the nietzscheans!" "The reincarnation of drago musevini!" "Do you hear me?" "I came here by accident!" "There's no way out!" "Except for her!" "She will bring you Dylan Hunt!" "In return, you can get me out, alive!" "That's what it is." "She's been possessed." "The abyss has her." "It's not your fault." "Of course it is." "I'm captain of this vessel." "The abyss was sending messages through Beka, through different space and time." "It doesn't matter." "She's my responsibility." "Your pulse rate is rising, captain." "It's uncharacteristically negative." "You want negative?" "Check out those radical isotopes in Beka's brain." "Now, i want them out." "I should have seen it when i was there." "Dylan!" "I know you're nearby!" "Here she is!" "I'll give her to you, and you give me the map!" "Come and get her, captain!" "Show yourself, if you dare." "We'll see how insolent you are the next time we meet." "That'd be right about now." "You can't kill me here." "I've made a deal with the abyss!" "Then you're already dead... and these cuffs... won't hurt a bit." "Ah!" "Beka..." "Beka!" "It's me." "It's Dylan." "Beka... we need to get her back to the ship." "Beka... focus!" "Dylan." "Think of being back on board the ship." "Beka... you are already here." "You are already home." "Trance." "Come back to the light." "You are safe." "We all present and accounted for?" "Almost." "There's no accounting for Rhade." "Beka?" "Welcome back." "This place has never looked so good." "You never looked so good in it." "Thanks." "You put yourself in the line of fire for all of us." "Yeah." "Now, let's get the hell out of here." "Good idea." "I would eject her from the ship." "Straight out an air lock, sir." "Permission to speak freely, nietzschean style, of course." "It has the logic of utility." "Just because it works doesn't make it the right thing to do." "Beka is still in there somewhere." "So is the abyss." "That's right." "You know, if we could just reach in there and rip it out of her." "And i thought she was simply out of her mind." "Rhade, you're brilliant." "Thank you." "Rommie, get Harper down here." "I want the two of you to make a credible simulation of Beka's mind." "We could create a convincing v.r. Environment, but it would depend on the purpose." "Convincing enough that Beka, in the abyss, would think that it's really her unconscious." "A mixture of real and unreal elements... imitating memories, dreams." "In this case, a nightmare." "Parts of it would need to be abstract, others, familiar." "It would be more of a static model than a dynamic one, but we could color it with enough of Beka's life on board to make it seem like organic sentience." "And then?" "We lure the abyss out of Beka's mind into the simulation." "Bait and switch." "Along inter-neural pathways that link Beka's brain with the brain that Rommie and Harper have created." "Precisely." "And the bait?" "Well, that would be me... but we need to proceed with caution." "We still don't know how the abyss got in Beka or... what it's done to her." "Report all stations!" "What the hell?" "We are on the other side." "Everyone is all right." "Harper?" "Every time i look, i get a different reading, boss." "...i'm fine." "My head is just spinning a little." "Boss?" "Boss!" "Rommie, give me readings." "I'm getting no readings." "My systems are nominal." "Systems are nominal." "I have lost my entire crew." "Unable to register a record of defense as there is zero input or stimulus." "As there is zero input." "Once the abyss has been forced out of Beka, there is only one way to ensure that it will remain in the computer simulation and not try to get back into Beka, and that is to make her unappealing." "Dead is unappealing." "That is about as good as your first suggestion." "Not if we drop her core temperature low enough." "It will give us extra time to reanimate her intact." "Possibly." "And with Beka gone, the abyss no longer has consciousness to feed off of." "It would be forced to flee." "And consciousness is what it wants most?" "This is dangerous, captain, but it could succeed." "Right." "So to save Beka... we have to kill her." "This is newer v.r. Tech." "The interface is more direct, but it means that it's much more dangerous for you." "If anything happens to you while you are in v.r., your body in reality will respond in the same way." "Thank you." "We've kept it simple, concentrated on things we could be sure of..." "Beka's awareness and memories while onAndromeda." "The psychological construct will be recognizable to you." "The synaptic threshold will be at the end of corridor 63 delta." "Once you lead the abyss there, we shut the bulkhead and trap the abyss inside the recreation." "In theory." "Then we revive Beka." "Now, it is also possible that the abyss will realize it's inside a recreation, and with Beka being dead, go after the only consciousness left... yours." "It's a chance we'll have to take." "When the abyss moves, it will be as fast as thought." "Then i'll have to be faster." "Let's do this." "Beginning cryogenic process." "This is different." "The subconscious projections are a nice touch, Rommie." "I didn't create those." "Impulses from Beka's mind must be leaking into the simulation." "She must be partly conscious." "Not for long." "Cryogenic process 79% complete." "I'm at the threshold interface." "Cryogenic process 93.3% complete." "One minute to flatline." "Five seconds until Beka flatlines." "And she's gone." "Beka?" "Beka?" "I'm here." "I'm cold." "Let me take you to safety." "I can't." "I'm not free." "You can fight this." "Remember how tough you are?" "Come on." "We're almost safe." "Where are you taking me?" "Beka, i told you that... no." "Something's wrong." "None of this is right." "There's that old sparkle in the eyes i recognize." "You cannot defeat me." "I've waited for this." "Your future is mine." "Sorry, i'm already spoken for." "Dylan's vitals are dangerously high." "We have to revive Beka in 28 seconds." "Dylan, exit now." "Dylan, you have to exit now." "I'm a little... busy right now." "If you can bleed, you can die!" "We must revive Beka in 10 seconds." "Do it!" "Come on, do it." "Just wait, Harper." "Dylan, exit now!" "Now!" "Dylan, do you copy?" "It's gone." "Get me out of here." "Bring her back!" "Initiating reversal." "It worked." "It's gone." "I detect no mass in Beka's constructed mind, no traces of any radical isotopes." "Come on, Beka." "Her temperature is rising, but her other vitals are waning." "It's not working." "Something's blocking her autonomic impulses." "I saw the damn thing go!" "Come on, Beka, breathe." "Breathe, Beka!" "Breathe, damn it, that's an order!" "I used to think either you were born unpleasant, or something made you that way." "I find you confusing at best, but i came here to learn, and i think the real Beka has much to teach, so... if you can hear any of this, you might want to consider waking up," "even just to say i told you so... all right, sleeping beauty." "Here's a good one." "Remember when we caught the fluorescent leeches?" "You dared me to eat one, thinking i actually would." "Remember how sick i got?" "All over themaru?" "Well, you probably don't want to remember that, but me?" "I guess i just can't stop thinking." "Maybe i won't own an entire planet inhabited solely by women." "It's unnecessary, and too much responsibility." "Besides, they'll be all over me anyway with that treasure." "If it's gems, i say we... keep the best, and sell the rest." "Now, that's thinking." "What a kick, huh?" "Hidden treasure, power-sucking moons, hungry magog, it's like bedtime stories my nana told me." "But i would bet she didn't believe they were true, mr." "Harper." "If there is treasure, it logically follows that i deserve it, therefore, we could find it and be filthy rich." "Knock yourself out." "Be my guest." "Hunt away for your treasure." "Priorities." "Markings match the red fedorov, lost 316 years ago." "Rommie, what was the cargo on the fedorov?" "Cargo listed as serial quantum chips." "Serial quantum chips?" "Sheesh!" "Those babies are only the fastest, smallest microprocessors ever built, virtually unobtainable since the fall of the commonwealth." "They're probably worth a... treasure!" "Treasure!" "Jackpot." "Jackpot." "My luck." "And mine." "Who knew they'd be ruined by years of exposure to cosmic rays?" "How can the only options be poor and alive, rich and dead?" "For now, Harper." "Someday, you may be able to buy your mom those shoes." "Yeah, maybe." "Then again, she always wanted a blender." "That she's in pain and vomiting doesn't make sense." "Retching, actually." "I have no further information for you, captain." "Captain!" "Rommie, report." "Analysis... impeded readings... may suggest multiple radical isotopes." "Rommie, shut down all but vital functions." "Should i get Harper to initiate manual override?" "Rommie, tell me you're still in control of the ship!" "It's venting oxygen from the ship." "Complete depletion in 15 minutes." "I want everyone on supplemental oxygen." "That won't stop the ship from becoming a vacuum." "No, but it will buy time, what little we have left." "Five minutes of oxygen remaining, and still depleting." "Trance has presented me with this option." "It's a little bit tricky, so i'd like your opinion." "Well, sir, Trance is a mystery, but she understands the abyss in ways none of the rest of us do." "I even suspect she may have played a part in defeating it before." "Can she defeat it inAndromeda'sv.r.?" "I wonder." "The question becomes can you risk losing Rommie, Beka, and Trance, and survive with only Harper and me?" "I think it is a mystery that answers are found." "You must trust the only remaining source of it in order to save the whole of it." "Rhade, permission to speak freely more often... once we have more oxygen." "Oxygen level will deplete in four minutes." "Now, i can pull you out if you feel you can't do it." "I can do this." "Rhade?" "Activating v.r." "I have it with me." "We will defeat you!" "Light, illumination, creation." "There is no place where light cannot be born!" "Bring it." "Trance?" "Tell me you're okay." "Were you able to... i saw the abyss, but i'm not sure if it's gone." "Oxygen generation restored." "All systems normal." "I think it's gone." "Rommie?" "I missed you guys." "Hello, Beka." "Hello." "You look like you're feeling better." "Yeah." "It's all a blank, you know... since the party." "Hmm... i, uh, keep wondering what it must have been like for you." "Being possessed by the abyss?" "Strange... but also beautiful." "Beautiful?" "Well, that's a disturbing surprise." "I can't describe it exactly." "I mean, there was sorrow beyond anything, and fear." "It was kind of like..." "a half-forgotten dream." "Huh... well, let's make it a completely forgotten nightmare, and i'll be happy." "It's odd." "You know, my time in the dark helped me see the light." "Well, of course, it's the law of polarity." "It's like good and evil." "The two are mutually exclusive, and you're forced to choose between them." "I've made my choice." "Good... because we've got a battle ahead of us, and you have got the helm." "Aye, aye, captain Hunt." "Yeah, i said it."