"Previously on Defying Gravity:" "This is what's been causing our hallucinations" "It's fractal, It's a fractal!" " Like my tomatoes" "She cut them down!" " Why Jen?" "I don't feel chosen" " You are, trust me" "It's the coming of the Rapture" "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Beta." "There's seven of these containers, only one of them is full" "Five other focused signals have communicated with the Beta object over the years" "The Gamma object is on Venus," "Delta on Mercury," "Epsilon on Europa," "Zeta on the rings of Saturn and" "Eta on the surface of Pluto" "It's gonna be our job to go pick these things up?" "Yes, that is the primary goal of the Antares mission" "I'm second in command, I need to know what's going on" "I need to know what I'm doing" "This is history repeating itself" "We were there to pick up the Alpha object." "Goss knew," "Walker knew, Sharon knew." "Those that hear the Lords trumpet will be saved" "And those that don't, will be damned." "As an astronaut you expect to face the unknown" "You hope for it." "If you are a true space junkie you crave it." "Hell, thats what gets you in the game in the first place," "The face time with the ultimate stranger." "But then, when you get up here, and you're facing a billion miles of darkness in every direction, the dreams become reality and you know, that's when it hits you, that..." "Did I make some kind of mistake?" "Did it make some kind of mistake?" "I mean what am I even doing up here if I can't see or hear the thing?" "I have no idea what this thing is" "That should scare me" "But the truth is, it doesn't scare me, it kind of scares me that it doesn't scare me" "When you come face to face with the unknown you can't run away" "You have no choice but to deal with it" "Can you confirm that Sharon and Walker were picking one of these things up on Mars?" "Yes" "And we are going back to finish what they couldn't do?" "Yes" "Full disclosure, Eve?" "Except for that little detail?" "Did they even know what the hell they were doing down there on Mars" "Or did you keep the real mission from them too?" "They knew what we knew, which was very little back then." "So we're experts now?" "We've come a long way in understanding Beta" "Yeah, yeah, Well feels that way from up here." "How do we know the same thing is not gonna happen again?" "The Mars mission failed because it didn't want Walker." "I knew it then but I didn't have the authority to shut it down." "You have that now?" "Yes" "It was because of Mars that I was given a voice on the Antarus mission" "But right now there is no evidence of a problem with Venus." "So why do you keep hiding things from us?" "How does it help to remind this crew of a horrific disaster?" "You're all dealing with so much right now, emotionally, physically, you need to stay focused on the task at hand and look forward, not back." "I'm trying to protect you." "I'm trying to keep you safe." "I'm concerned about the medical side effects of Beta." "The heart plack, hallucinations, I'd like to understand what it might do next and share the rest of our findings with Dr. Mintz." "We need to keep medical hypothesis to a minimum." "And right now Evram has to concentrate on crew psych evals." " Mike..." "Surgeon, lets just stick to the plan." "Rollie, as first line of communication, you need to report on any unusual changes in crew behavior." " Copy that." "Changes will be subtle, they are trained to keep their emotions in check." "And rebuilding trust might take some time." "So thats it?" "We're done talking about this?" "What do you want me to do, Donnor, turn this ship around and go home?" "No." "What I would like is for somebody down in mission control to admit that because they kept us in the dark, we don't know whats going on, we're not ready for Venus, Ted." "Nobody down there even seems to care!" "I do not agree with Eve's approach, Donner, but believe it or not she does care about the success of this mission." "Is that your professional opinion or your personal?" "Oh, you wanna talk about the truth?" "Well, as a husband I'm pissed," "I'm mad as hell." "But don't you ever accuse me of letting my feelings get in the way of me doing my job." "D, I get it, you lost Sharon, you don't want to lose Zoe too." "You are not the only one that feels guilt about what happened ten years ago." "We all know what's at stake here." " Do we?" "You know, until we hear differently, it's all systems go." "Now, what I need from you is to forget about Mars right now and please forget about Sharon." "Hey, (?" ") 24 is in ten minutes." "So, you good with Venus?" "I'm fine, Donner" "10 years earlier" "I must've burned through six hundred red crayons drawing that sky as a kid" "I get up here the damn thing's orange." "Might have changed things for me." " What?" "Color of the sky looks pretty on you." "You alright?" " Yeah" "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." "I just, I keep thinking about my childhood best friend," "Tabatha, haven't seen here since I was eight years old." "Mmm, random childhood memories, you know that's a textbook symptom of cabin fever." " Oh yeah?" "Yeah." "Day six of the last mission I was reciting chapter 3 of the Cub Scout guide book." "It was the camp fire:" ""Building it, enjoying it, putting it out"." "I was a lot of fun." " I'm sure you were" "Did you have a cure for cabin fever?" " Well, they say that in times of extra-orbital crisis one helps a crew-mate to think of other things" "Mmm." "Things." " Mm hmm." "You know." "Like things." " Donner, you know the rules." "Another symptom." "Memory loss." " Guys, very sweet." "Get a room." " Did you just work out?" "No, but I'm about to." "What the hell are you doing back there, Lonely Hearts, you're sweating like a pig and you haven't lifted a finger yet." "Come on." "It's a first in history, the American members of the Antares crew will cast their ballots in real-time, nearly 45 million kilometers from earth." "Universal frontiers men and women, but first and foremost loyal citizens of their country." "Tara." "Stay tuned for US election results brought to you live from the reaches of outer space." "Let the countdown begin." "Although somehow electing the new leader of the free world seems rather trivial." "Do you have a favorite?" "Daddy's rule: "Never reveal your lovers or your politicians."" " That's a wise man." "Yeah." "Jen" "I'm Canadian" " Married to an American" "Which makes him Canadian." " Okay" "Here you go." "Okay, I'm gonna need some peroxide and an ice cube." "Nipple piercing?" " Eww, thats nasty." "Okay, Beta thought it was funny." "Just trying to lighten things up, guys." "It's in." " Take this seriously." "Okay fine, I'm like a giant, look at this." "Paulas thumb look really good." "Good enough to pilot the lander?" "Paula's busting her ass." "I didn't say she wasn't" "Full lander rundown today, Paula is at the wheel." "She'll ace it." "Well, then she's cleared." "How is it possible that we've gone through a two months supply of dental floss in a day?" "I don't know, I'm a toothpick guy" "No, I will not keep it status quo." "Form 24 will wait until we have a clear set of instructions." "Your instructions are to move forward." "Venus insertion tonight, Nadia." "Well, until someone tells me what this thing is, this ship moves forward without me" "Mike!" " Answer is "No"" "You've no idea what I was gonna say." " Show me something new I'll polish your pulitzer" "You're a funny man, Goss." "But I did have one small question." "Something like "why am I stuck doing a piece on an election half the crew are not eligible to vote in", when" "ISO refuses to give a reasonable explanation for the high-security lockdown yesterday." "Solar flare drill." "You got the memo." " Rather incomplete given the trillions of dollars of public money being spent." "And what about that meeting?" "Everyone seemed a little rattled." " Make-up on your collar." "Rapid swallow." "Stress gesture." "That meeting was a standard protocol brief." "It's business as usual." "Great!" "Then you will have no problem giving me an exclusive with the Antares crew" "Rest assured, Mr Williams, this little puff-piece you're doing is as close as you are ever gonna get to my astronauts." "You like things in order." "According to plan." "By the book." "And suddenly, with the reveal of Beta, poof, the plan has changed." "That must bother you, that must make you feel vulnerable." "Are we done?" "I don't know, are we?" "Things have changed up here." "And will continue to change." "How do you feel about that?" "I feel lied to, I feel pissed and I feel stupid." "I knew we weren't being given the whole story, I should have called this weeks ago." "And what would you have done?" "I would have asked the question we all should be asking right now" "What is this thing and what does it do?" "And what if they don't know?" "Don't know, or don't want to know?" "Your pilot is handling it well." " She will come around." "Yeah?" "Nadia Schilling is the only candidate in ISO history with a 137% attendance record, I don't she quits that easily." " And neither do you, you're really not gonna let this thing go?" " No, cause we're making all the same mistakes we made on mars, Ted." "The hallucinations that Zoe's having" "Sharon had those." "Paulas thumb, remember when Walker had his health problems, he had angina, shortness of breath" "Beta didn't want Walker, and they didn't listen." "Maybe it doesn't want Paula?" " Beta chose Paula, it didn't injure her thumb." "Says who?" " If she's not the one it will let us know." " Like it did with Sharon and Walker?" "I should be piloting that lander, Ted, tell me you don't believe that." "What I believe is that I'm doing the right thing by letting it play out." "Now I have to believe that." "That is all I have." "Whats wrong?" "Hey, what are you looking at?" "Hey." "What the matter?" "Do me a favor." "Don't strain yourself." "See all this, right here?" "I got it." "Story of my life. "Moving-Day Ted"." "You know you're going to owe me when we get back home, right?" "Hot beer and cold pizza." " Sharon was up all night last night." "I did the manly supportive thing, let her keep me up too." "Nervous about that last walk?" " Well, one of us is." "Did you talk to Goss about Walkers breathing?" " This morning." "Gave him the thumbs up to do his own self-evaluation." "Don't worry, I got it." "You know what he's gonna say." "He wants another crack on the rover." "Did they run his med-band in Mission Control?" "That's what they said." "You know Goss isn't gonna clear him, unless he's okay." " They are old Air-Force buddies," "If Walker says he can fly, Goss offers him a Scotch and an extra pillow." "Hey." "You know what, if he's not a hundred percent I should be on that rover with Sharon" "Absolutely not." "Because you are just trying to get out of packing this place up." "I think I'm doing a good job too." " Alright." "Take a nice Sunday ride on Mars with your lady." " Perfect weather for it" "You're not going." "This means no." "Thrust translation?" "Four jets." "Balance couple?" "On." "Starting landing sequence." "Thirty meters." "Twenty." "TCA throttle minimal mode control set." "AGS reading four hundred plus one." "Standby." "Standby for..." "Touchdown!" "Woo hoo!" "You rock Paula." "Flawless." "Two more days." "I cant believe its finally happening." "Yeah, I wish we were all this excited about Venus." "Natural brightest spot in the night sky, named after a Roman goddess," "What is not to love?" "Donner said anything to you about the mission?" "No." "Why?" "Since we found out about Beta, he's been looking at me like," "I don't know, like he really doesn't want it to happen." "He's just being cautious." "It's understandable." "Especially now." "Yeah, I think he's already written the headline:" ""Naïve geologist incinerated while picking up alien rock."" "Beta isn't alien, Zoe." "Don't you see?" "It's God." "It's God sending us a sign that our faith will be rewarded." "He will guide us." " God and 5 years of brutal ISO training." "My mom gave me a St. Christopher when I was confirmed." " Your mom?" "Yeah." "An Episcopalian astrologer." "Go figure." "Well, don't let Donner shake you." "We're in Gods hands in this lander." "Not just mine." "I was planning to wait for your birthday, but..." "Cold." "I'm really not in the mood..." " Warmer ...for games right now." " Toasty." "Okay." "Toasty." "Oh you're hot." "Scorching." "What's this?" " You'll see." "It's beautiful." "It's your birthstone." "Aqua Marine." "It means "Courage"." "They were out of "Nervous Wreck"?" "Babe, I know everything is heavy." "Everything that you're dealing with." "Rollie, there is a thing on-board with us." "A thing that you knew about, and just forgot to mention to me, so while this is thoughtful and sweet, it doesn't make that right." "Jen, I did what I had to do." "And I'm sorry." "I'm your wife." " How many times should I say it, because I will, as many times as it takes, I am sorry." "I know you're furious right now, but you can't keep shutting me out." "I gotta roll." "Good chat with Rollie?" " Where have you been?" "Ah, argument with Rollie." "I was helping Paula practice in the lander" "Yeah?" "How is she doing?" " Great, in a weird churchy way." "So all systems go?" " Yeah" "If she passes Mintz's test this afternoon, Paula, the big guy, and I are going to Venus." "You know, I can't blame her for being weird though." "Everything that's happened with her thumb, oh and, by the way there's an alien thingy on-board and guess what?" "It has friends." "Donner got to you too?" "Zoe, we just found out that" "ISO was using this ship as a courier service." " Jen, its science." "I mean, this is it." "It's science that we scientists can't study or touch or..." " Jen?" "Can we just go back to the girl talk?" "Alright, like how you've been avoiding me all morning?" "Why don't we just say it actually has nothing to do with you?" "How about we say we share a lab, you went nuts and massacred your pet tomato experiment a few days ago, and it's professional courtesy to make sure I'm not next?" " Jen, I'm kidding!" "Zoe, I cant see it." "I cant see it, I can't hear it." "I can't see Beta." "Thank you very much, indeed." "Ah, Mr Poe." "Would you care to comment on the election festivities?" "People going through the motions." "Election?" "Come on, as if they actually have a choice." " Right." "True, very true." "But then its a big distraction isn't it from whats happening on the ship?" "I can read the faces on the floor." "Something is going on." "See that's the thing about high security." "We're not allowed to talk about it." "It?" "So there is something." "Come on, Arnel." "Six years." "Every movement, body function and thought process closely monitored." "Many pressures, dubious rewards." "Can't be easy." "They're highly skilled astronauts, Trevor." "No matter what the crisis, the Antares crew are trained, and they will be fine." "I was talking about you." "Sharon?" "Sharon?" "Donner, Walker has chest pains" "Sharon?" "Push, Sharon, you got to keep moving." "Donner..." "We're gonna figure this out." "Alright?" "There is some reason for this." "You said it wants what it wants." " Well then it clearly doesn't want me" "If it chose us then maybe it made a mistake." "Maybe I'm not even supposed to be here." " That is crazy" "Is it?" "I'm a biologist." "Eve said its organic, if anyone should be able to see it, its me." " It's gonna be okay." "We're gonna figure out the reason." " Did it tell you that?" "If you are meant to communicate with Beta it will happen." "And what, in the meantime just shut up?" "Grow more tomatoes?" "I mean nobody in the crew even likes tomatoes" "It's symbolic really, they're sitting there in the galley, rotting away." "I'm trying to understand how you're not totally freaked out by this." "I" " I don't know, I just feel really positive!" " Wow, again with the "me"" " Jen, the Venus walk is in two days, this mission means everything to me" "Forgive me for not berating myself for feeling positive about it." "How is it that me not seeing Beta has suddenly become about you walking on Venus?" "No, no, I'm trying to help here!" " Go help Paula." "What's up?" " Uhm..." "It's Jen." "Hallucinations?" " No, no." "Nothing like that." "She's angry and she's not talking to me and she's fighting with Zoe." "Well, emotional withdrawal is perfectly normal under the circumstances." "Yeah, well, not for us." "Not for Jen." "You know, when we got married, we made a rule." "We could get angry, fight, slam doors, sulk, whatever." "But, in three hours time we would come back and discuss it." "Try to work it out." "Or... screw." "Well, are the three hours up?" " No, they are just starting actually." "You know, I know Jen." "She'll come around." "You're not voting?" "I think I'll pass this time." "But it's your constitutional right." "Sure, just like it was our choice to be part of the Antares mission" " Arnel" "Six years of undergrad." "Two PhD's." "Five years of training." "You have to believe there is a higher purpose in all of this." "I know you've sacrificed a lot for ISO, we all know that." "Eve said that the Antares crew was chosen." "That is was all predestined." "What did I sacrifice for, Ajay?" "I never even had a shot." "May I have a word?" "Now." "What is it with you?" "You've been staring at me all day, frankly it's creeping me out." "You're having that dream again?" " No" "Then what?" " Paula cant pilot that lander." "I have been with her all day, her reflex scores are through the roof" "I'm telling you, this is the Mars disaster all over again, unless we start doing things the right way." " The right way, or your way?" "You're not going to Venus without me." "Walker should have never been on that rover." "Okay?" "He wasn't supposed to be there, thats why the mission failed, because the thing rejected him." " The object caused the storm on Mars?" "That's from Eve." "Okay?" "Plus I was there and I didn't know the signs to look for at the time, but I do now, and they were there." "Sharon was hallucinating, right before she was scheduled to do that walk just like you are, she was hearing things, she was seeing things." "What things?" "Things, personal things." "Stuff." "Like Mintz was talking about." "There was a storm, okay, she had an accident when she was a kid." "There was a thunderstorm in the woods and a friend of hers, a little girl, got lost and didn't make it back." "Sharon." "She took it on." "She thought it was her fault." "So when we were in the HAB, she would hear thunder." "What have you been hearing?" "I'm sorry, It's not, I cant." "Alright, it doesn't matter." "Listen." "There will be other missions." "You don't have to do this one." " I'm going to Venus, with Paula, and it's going to be fine." "What if you're wrong?" " Then I'll be wrong." "But I am not Sharon." "I don't need you to save me." "Jen, did you take the straws?" "Yeah, symbolic gesture of how much it sucks to be on this ship right now." "You all really look like you need a drink, and the election results are coming in." "Major Toms', my treat." " I'm already there." "Yeah, me too, as soon as we finish up with Paula." "Yeah, I'll meet you in a few." "What's up, Ajay?" " Jen, its me." "That's tricky." "It's two hours and three minutes, baby." "Jen, please." " What do you want me to say, Rollie?" "That I have no idea what I'm doing on this ship?" "Of course you know what you're doing!" "You're a biologist, this is the mission of a lifetime." "I can't see it." "Rollie, I can't see it, I can't hear it, I can't..." "You can't see Beta?" "Okay, look." "I don't know how this thing works, or why, but if it didn't want you on the ship, you would know it." "It chose you, Jen." "I'm so sick of hearing that from everyone." "What have I been chosen for?" "Am I up here to be some kind of sacrificial lamb?" "Jen, I know you're scared." "I'm scared too." "But it's not me you're angry with, it's the universe, and that is an unfair match." "Well, what do we do after three hours up here, Rollie?" "What then?" "Welcome back on this exciting electoral day, we have the results out of" "South Carolina now:" "Jane Kendrick is the projected winner out of South Carolina." "Thumb dexterity:" "Nominal." "Muscle memory:" "Nominal." "Good work, Paula." "Run through mode control and you are good to go." "Elevated pulse." " It's to be expected" "What?" "No, no, no, no." "Wait, hold on." "Hold on." "Restarting landing sequence." "No!" "Restarting landing sequence." " Evram" "Zoe, whats happening?" " I'm not sure, lets give her a minute." "Her blood pressure is up." "I'm seeing stress in her extremities." "I don't know" "My thumb." " Oh, Paula." "Paula failed." "Looks like you're the pilot." "Open up Wassenfelder" " Not decent" "I don't care what you're wearing, let me in." "Meow, Rrrrrr" "Straws and dental floss?" " It's a mechanical model." "Yeah, of an N+1 dimensional universe arising from quantum fluctuations, said quantum fluctuations being the alien Beta." "Yeah, I just wanted to be able to grease my calculations without Mission Control tracking my every cha-cha on the computer, you know?" "So then you know what Beta is?" "Oh, no, not a clue." "I mean it's everything and nothing, its here, its there its us, them, the universe..." "Screw the physics haiku." "I need to know what its for, what it does." "I'm still tinkering with the practical implications." "This is next level stuff" "I just need a little time." " And I don't have time, Steven." "Venus orbit insertion in six hours." " Isn't it enough that you made the cut?" "That out of every jerk in the galaxy, it picked us." "Picked us for what?" " The greatest space mission in the history of human kind!" "No?" "Not good enough." "What happened to you?" "You're the leader of the pack, the charger, numero einz, you don't get this?" "This is the cool part, this is where you finally get to charge." "What?" "What's that?" " This is a gift from the Russians." "Well, God bless the Russians." "Nasdrovja Nasdurouju you" "You knew all along that you would be going to Venus." "Nah, I wanted it." "But, I hope I'm not wrong." "What if I'm wrong?" "Maybe you are." "I don't know." "You know, I so don't know anymore that," "I don't even know what it is that I don't even know anymore." "Yeah, I don't know." "So maybe this isn't about the mistakes we made on Mars." "Maybe it's about second chances." "Paula, who cares about the stupid election coverage." "You don't need to do this." "Not now." "It's okay." "I can totally do this." " Really?" "One minute to air, Antares" " Copy that" "It's really okay." " Okay" "Yo five, four, three, two, and we are live to air, Antares." "Hello Paula Morales." " Hello Tara" "I am here on the Antares with the results from the worlds spaciest polling station, Venus." "Where I understand you'll be landing, in a couple of days." "Well... not exactly, Tara." "Why the hell don't they have the press release on Paula, it went out two hours ago." "...is refusing to heal." " Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." "Oh, that's okay." "The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away." "Like Job I feel I am being tested." "As if Satan himself were on this ship and and that Satan is me!" "Yeah, yeah." "The little devil that wont stop picking on Paula even, during election time, which we are all very excited about, because its time" "Get the producer on the line and wrap him up fast." "Is Mintz on this?" " As best he can" "We can't keep them prisoners, Mike." "They will continue to make calls, send messages, fall apart." "Who knows what they're gonna do next." "Frankly, I don't think it's the crew we need to be worried about right now." "So who would it be, Mike?" "Who is going to leak this first?" "Something is going on, that's supposed to be Paula up there, isn't it?" "One down." "We're astronauts." "I'm fine." "I just can't believe you guys can't see it's evil." "We asked for the unknown." "And that's exactly what we got." "Well thank you, but I just did what was necessary." "And congratulations on your second term, Madame President." "It's the ultimate test." "Being thrust into the void, armed only with our instincts." "Guided by a tenuous set of truths." "There's no turning back." "All we can do is keep moving forward, gain strength from each other, learn from our mistakes." "There are no promises." "No guarantees." "Let's do this." "You take it day by day." "You hang on, and you hope for the best." "Oh my god." "Donner" " Donner" "The sky is red, Donner." "Its red." "Synced, Spell Checked by Ikatiz"