"All systems failing!" "Mayday, mayday!" "Life support critical!" "Firing tubes seven through nine... these are the last images i could transport, just before i went to 'stream." "Hull breach in scc!" "Core temp is critical!" "We're losing power!" "The ship under attack is commonwealth, thelancer's hope." "The attacking nietzschean fleet is from the planet almagast." "They died quickly." "They shouldn't have died at all." "There's been nietzschean activity in half a dozen systems." "I mean, this was a standard distress call." "I was sent to answer." "Next thing, there was a flotilla of battle cruisers." "Your duty was to get to the closest commonwealth ship, and you did that." "Thank you, sir." "We are five slipstream jumps from almagast." "Thelancer's hopewas closer." "Almagast." "Nietzscheans built the almagast shipyards into the best in the three galaxies." "Yes, by conquering the planet and using slave labor." "Well, they have a powerful fleet, plus an unequaled ability and ingenuity in the construction of weapons and defense systems." "No wonder everyone sucks up to them, including the Commonwealth." "Not today." "Not us." "Dylan... the cistaro system has five planets, three solid, two gas giants." "Planet almagast, closest to the sun, orbits at the edge of habitable radiation parameters." "Any closer, and it'd be alma toast." "The planet's strong magnetic field sHunts aside the worst of the solar radiation, dense atmosphere blocks the remaining solar wind." "Suns nourish life, which thrives in safety." "Much of the living and working on almagast is done below the planet's surface." "If they're so good at business, why would the nietzscheans attack?" "That's not good slave management." "Rommie, time to tarazed?" "A courier would take approximately 45 hours and return with orders from the commonwealth." "I can do it, sir." "No, we can't wait." "Lay in a course for almagast." "Uh, Dylan, let's think about this." "Nobody knows a thing about this place." "Harper, see what you can dig up." "I'll be in the core, where i always am." "Beka, take us to slipstream, please." "We are now approaching almagast." "There's a great deal of solar activity." "My sensors are down to 37% efficiency." "Standard orbit." "Dylan, i'm detecting no debris, no residual slip-core plasma, no evidence at all of a battle." "Lieutenant sabo?" "Sir, i escaped a full-pitched fight." "Perhaps the other side of the planet?" "These are the coordinates you gave us." "There's no sign of thelancers' hope, either debris or intact." "All right." "There's an explanation." "Let's find it." "Dylan, we're being hailed from the surface... the office of visitors and tourism." "Visitors and tourism?" "Onscreen." "Welcome to our system, commonwealth visitor." "I am shig, and... lipp-sett is my name." "Think of our planet as your own." "Hard to believe they dressed themselves." "Dylan Hunt, captain of the Andromeda ascendant." "We have reports of a battle involving your ships and a Commonwealth cruiser." "Battle?" "Not here." "We haven't had a commonwealth ship in this system since..." "Rommie?" "The ionizing radiation makes it difficult feed their coordinates into my slipfighter." "I'll take a squad down." "Permission to accompany, sir." "I wouldn't have it any other way." "Orbit approach vector alpha niner juliet." "Alpha, copy." "Vectoring approach formation seven, out." "Launch formation sequence." "Standing by." "Dylan, i've locked on to the coordinates of the entrance to their underground system." "Copy that." "I'll locate these two clowns and get some answers." "Understood." "There's a solar flare building fast." "I'm getting a rapid increase in solar wind pressure." "Dylan, you have to penetrate the atmosphere quickly." "A very large solar flare is approaching release." "Uh, that's not a solar wind, it's a solar hurricane." "Protect yourself, Rommie." "It's going to be a close one." "Switching to manual override." "Red, blue teams, on me." "Copy that." "Manual, bracing for impact." "We're locking down for radiation safety." "Rommie, give me ship-wide." "Ship-wide." "This is acting captain Beka Valentine." "We are locking down for toxic rad levels." "All crew are confined to shielded areas, on the double." "I repeat, emergency shielded areas." "All crew are in shielded areas." "Rommie, here comes one enormous electric eraser." "I know, Harper, i'm strong, but mother nature, as you call her, is much stronger." "Catch you on the flip side, guys." "Bracing for emp burst." "This'll take up a few minutes of my time." "Systems temporarily shutting down." "Re-booting." "Op sys enabled." "Dylan... damn!" "Red team, blue team, come in!" "Blue team, come in!" "Okay, boys, good luck to us all." "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." "What i wouldn't give for a kick-starter." "Come on, catch!" "Bad news all around." "It's been a good life!" "Control systems engaged." "We are confined here until the radiation drops to safe levels." "I have detected that Dylan has made a successful landing at the entrance to the underground system." "That's a relief, and the others?" "Of the eight, four have landed safely, but the ships are incapacitated." "More death." "There's something else." "Something else?" "[Sighs]" "Various psychotropic agents were retrofitted into my auto-defense system." "It's far more effective than my previous system." "Gas." "Odorless, colorless, designed to disorient intruders." "You didn't." "I did." "And i breathed it." "I'm moving us over to the lee side of the planet." "We may find some protection from the solar hurricanes there, but i may still have some problems." "At least Dylan is safe..." "i think." "Rommie!" "Damn technology." "I'm captain Dylan Hunt, and you..." "must be the welcoming committee." "We are the welcoming committee, captain." "They are the security detail." "Again... lipp-sett." "And again, shig." "Of course, visitors and tourism." "Your reputation precedes you, captain." "We were surprised to learn that theAndromeda survived the recent nietzschean conflict relatively unscathed." "We were lucky." "I'd wager luck had nothing to do with it." "Am i right?" "Well, i'm investigating a more recent nietzschean conflict." "We haven't had a hostility in this system for the last 19 months." "Huh." "I have a commonwealth courier who says differently." "In my experience, they don't lie." "I'm sure he believes what he saw." "Well, high guard my heart." "What a magnificent physical specimen you are, captain... for a human." "Am i right?" "All those extraordinary tales of your physical prowess." "I'm sure many will find your presence here inspiring." "Thank you, but right now, i only want to talk to your security chief." "And why should we let you?" "Because you represent the commonwealth?" "Or perhaps because you command a high-guard battleship?" "No, because... i'm a tourist." "[Giggles]" "Look, you won't ally with us, that's fine, but you don't want to be an enemy." "History has shown, captain, that alliance with your commonwealth leads to ruin." "We don't cultivate enemies, captain Hunt." "Well, there's no percentage in that, is there?" "We are in stationary orbit." "We're safer in this sheltered area, but i'm still vulnerable to shut-downs." "Rommie... when did you change the color of the walls down here?" "Harper... oh." "Harper, use a respirator." "I've had a gas leak." "Hallucinogens." "A-ha, i knew it, because i've got seven fingers on my left hand." "[Alarm sounds]" "We're bracing for another emp." "Harper... no one is to leave shielded areas." "Multl-spectrum sensors detect tracking lasers off the starboard beam." "They're targeting us." "Us?" "They're targeting me." "Another solar flare is building." "I am surrounded by enemies." "Beka..." "Rommie, defensive missiles, tubes one through 40." "I would also like gluon-plasma missiles in aft tubes 48 through 60." "Gp missiles are overkill at this point." "That's exactly what i'm going for." "Solar flare has lifted from the sun." "Impact in five seconds." "Trance, could you keep an eye... systems temporarily shutting down." "We're under attack!" "It's your ship, captain." "That's not possible." "Beka, anything going on up there i should be aware of?" "Tell me you are not firing on this planet." "Beka..." "Beka!" "Dammit." "I know my crew, and they are not firing on your people." "I'm getting reports of hundreds of hits all over our planet." "Your ship is... i don't believe that!" "You don't believe your own eyes?" "Get me to my slipfighter." "I'm returning to my ship." "I can't allow you to do that." "What, you'd prefer Andromeda to destroy your whole planet." "Take my ship, then." "It's faster, i guarantee." "I'll take my own ship." "You'll never make it to your ship!" "We have no time!" "Our fighters can be launched from underground." "We are master shipbuilders, captain." "Our slipfighters can make the ida-prime to milpas run in less than 17 hours." "Right." "Lead the way." "All right, let's see what you've got." "Andromeda, i'm on my way." "Copy that, Dylan." "Communications still suffering interference." "Oh, great." "I've got company." "Four nietzschean fighters, heading one-seven-one." "That is an intercept vector." "Dylan, my systems aren't functioning in this emp environment." "Well, why should i be surprised?" "Okay, great, i'm on my own." "Let's hope there's not another solar flare while i'm stuck out here." "They're following me." "Check that." "They're mardupian, and they're firing on me." "Okay, let's play." "All right, there's one more down, and three more to go." "Rommie, do you read any debris from those explosions?" "Debris is scattered throughout the combat area." "That's strange." "I circled back, and i don't see anything." "Play the game!" "Who would've bet the human could beat four to one odds?" "Rommie, i took some hits in the fuel lines." "I'm losing power." "Sounds like we have a crash landing situation." "He survived the first." "Can he again?" "I bet on that." "I raise with my own asteroid, rich in titanium, already in tow, smelting facilities available, fungible value of 3.6 units." "Decisions, bets, wagers?" "Before he enters the atmosphere, please." "Get on with the game!" "I don't know if you copy, Rommie, but i've got nothing on control surfaces." "There's no place to land." "I'm ejecting." "Track my beacon." "I hate when that happens." "No." "You're under arrest, captain Hunt." "Many died, others were hurt in your attack." "Yeah, well, i'd like to see all these dead and wounded before i take responsibility." "Do you think we're making this up?" "Well, i think you might be." "Yes." "Then what do you think..." "of this?" "Take a good look, captain." "Your crew, your ship, your missiles." "A completely unwarranted genocidal attack on our assembly." "Your arrogant commonwealth intruding into our world." "We were investigating the loss of one of our ships to your forces." "Now, let me to speak with my crew." "Too late." "Your crew and theAndromeda are already bidding us farewell." "Apparently the ion storm shut down your al long enough for us to get some good clear shots." "You're making this up." "Captain Dylan Hunt, you are found guilty of provoking hostilities in our system." "You are accused and convicted of mass murder, and shall be executed forthwith." "Take him away." "Digestive enzymes, heated and enriched." "We like to keep them lean and hungry." "They don't actually feel hunger, but they love to eat." "This is just a head game." "You are the game." "None of this is real." "What is real, what is not?" "Who can tell?" "You're not even giving me a fighting chance." "Exactly." "As you can see, captain, death takes its own sweet time here." "Let the new phase of the games begin!" "What's the game?" "Gentlemen, place your bets." "As you're aware, captain, sometimes one eats, sometimes one is eaten." "I'll give you the fact..." "that this all seems... real." "Perhaps you can... persuade us into letting you go, or maybe he could make a run for it." "But maybe then, where you run to will be your death." "Who can tell?" "Please, just..." "just give me a moment." "I'd like to be able to collect my thoughts, please." "You see?" "He is breaking, my friends!" "About to make his fatal mistake!" "What do you wager?" "Next will be prayer." "Who bets he starts praying?" "To a god!" "One of his own imagination, no doubt." "Go ahead, captain." "Pray." "Well, here i am, approaching my inevitable end as confused and vulnerable as when i came into this universe, and now, as i'm about to leave this beautiful, wonderful, and happy life... a life i've been most blessed in," "i'm afraid..." "i am so, so afraid that i'm going to have to..." "do... this!" "Come here!" "Stand back or i'll have his head!" "You'll never make it back to your ship." "That's a "tell," pal." "You just told me my ship still exists." "Activate." "All right, you're going to take me to my... ship." "Uh... hi there." "You know, i'm guessing this force lance isn't going to work here, so i'm unarmed, and, uh, he's... he's an idiot, so we can do you absolutely no harm." "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait." "See, your weapons will work." "Don't... don't shoot." "Him, though, him i really don't care that much about." "All right." "How you guys doing?" "Place looks..." "looks familiar." "Are you okay?" "Are you awake?" "Well, I... i certainly hope so, or this would be one sucky dream." "Thank you." "Who are you?" "Well, you know, i think that question is a little too complicated for this particular situation." "Hey, how are you doing?" "Enough." "Look, what you..." "what you want to know, i can't tell you, and even if i could tell you, you wouldn't believe me anyway." "Who sent you?" "Where are you from?" "Oh, come on, like that makes a difference." "You from the planet mezzo-mana?" "Yes." "Oh, man, do i look like i'm from the planet mezzo-mana, huh?" "Hey, i got you on that one, didn't i?" "Oh, no." "Okay." "Look... i'm trying to think of the best way to put this." "I am from that door back right over there, but then again, you know, it doesn't matter," "see, you're just programmed to believe that you're real." "I'm tired of this." "Put the weapon down, old man." "It's a game." "It's only a game." "Shig, lipp-sett, i've got to tell you, the attempt to confuse is really well done." "Dylan?" "Mom?" "How lame is that?" "How lame is that?" "You think you know me so well?" "Well, how about the guys in black who appear out of nowhere, they steal anything you got, they knock you flat, and then they disappear again?" "Now, that, that would be a challenge!" "You want to impress me?" "Well, then, impress me!" "You've cost us a fortune." "Don't think i don't know that you secretly bet against the house." "Well, you shouldn't have said that the house would double odds if he shot the old man." "Enough!" "We have to recoup our losses." "He can't escape indefinitely." "He will die." "It's a pretty good recreation... with the sort of obvious mistakes i've come to expect from nietzscheans." "You want me to step outside." "Otherwise something would have stopped me by now." "You know, there are..." "there are others who are extremely interested in preserving things from the past... the collectors." "The collectors and nietzscheans." "Can you imagine?" "No." "I'm not going to go that way." "Maybe you are working together... on developing some kind of new... weapon." "Well, maybe, then... the only way out of this situation is to... disarm the weapon." "Yeah." "Game over." "Can you hear me?" "You know your name?" "Peaches." "I'm Dylan Hunt." "This is theAndromeda ascendant." "Rommie..." "Trance... it's good to see you." "Can you tell us what happened?" "Well... the solar flare went off, and, uh, i was battling to control my fighter." "This whole thing... this whole thing is... nietzscheans and collectors." "They're running a weapons test, most likely, using us." "They caused the solar storm?" "Directed bombardment of the sun, perhaps with highly charged protons." "I detected no such event." "No, see, the solar storm would have prevented that." "You were shutting down to protect yourself, and they... they... they knew..." "they knew... that that would happen." "You think that they're after you?" "Well, they're..." "they're after all of us." "Dylan, i believe you have been on Andromeda this entire time." "You never left." "My assessment is you were exposed to the psychotropic, got in your slipfighter to protect yourself from the radiation, and experienced all of this in your mind." "L... i see." "The aft hangar deck never opened in time for you to leave." "I'm very sorry, Dylan, but i'm compelled to isolate you in quarters until i can determine your ability to command." "Come on, Rommie... [alarm sounding]" "Intruders detected ship-wide." "Rommie, is that my force lance?" "Yes." "May i have it, please?" "No." "Rommie, give me my force lance, and that is an order." "Thank you." "Andromeda, intruder location." "Decks nine, 41, and 59." "All right, let's bring it." "Good to have you back, captain." "Agreed." "According to you, i never left." "Harper, what have you got?" "Hey, boss, nice timing." "I was just getting reacquainted with a charming blast from our magog past." "You remember my..." "my worst nightmare!" "[Screaming]" "Blood mist?" "Dylan?" "Harper?" "He didn't bite me." "At least i don't have to worry about any larvae." "Hold on, Harper." "Hold on." "I don't know." "Forecast ain't looking too good, boss." "I've got to tell you something, in... in my quarters... it's my fault." "This is all, beginning to end, my doing." "Getting Harper in." "Keeping him in." "Beka, are you all right?" "Are you all right?" "I don't think so." "Take a look around you." "Things don't look so good." "You're spewing steam in every corridor." "Your systems are haywire... okay, Beka, point made." "I think Beka may still be suffering the effects of the, uh... you're not taking Harper away from me!" "Beka, i think you need to calm down." "No." "You need to calm down." "I need Harper." "Beka, come on." "You..." "Harper and i stay together." "We're under attack!" "Take my ship." "It's faster, i guarantee." "All right, let's see what you've got." "Do you read any debris from those explosions?" "Do you think we're making this up?" "It doesn't matter, because you're not real." "Rommie... are you still operating under emergency protocol?" "Correct." "Well, i think this situation proves that things are out of control." "You need to reestablish it under the protocol." "Correct." "Beka..." "i'm taking my force lance out, and i'm setting it down here on the table." "Rommie will confine me to my quarters." "Rommie, i have no objection to Beka staying here with Harper, just as long as she surrenders her weapon." "Hey!" "Very good, captain." "You made it back." "Hunt... the board has set odds based your skill... 300-to-one you'll lose this final round." "Shows what respect gets you these days." "You two... you're so smart, got the universe on a string." "Really, though, everything that you've risked so far has amounted to nothing more than a sucker's bet." "I disagree." "This is what we do, and we are the best." "We have created the greatest weapons and defenses that this universe has ever seen." "What else is there to do?" "You recreate." "Enjoy yourself." "Prima donnas." "What did you say?" "I said, prima donnas." "You're betting on what you can afford to lose, nothing on what you're afraid to lose." "Make a real bet." "Put your livelihood on the table." "I've put my life on the line each time, so why don't we raise the stakes?" "Your weapons inventory and the freedom of your slaves against my life." "If you are as great as you claim, you'd be willing to risk everything to prove it, wouldn't you?" "Well, wouldn't you?" "Come on, me against you." "Very well, captain, we'll take your bet." "You're free to go." "Your slipfighter is right outside the door." "Andromedaawaits." "Understand this, captain." "It's not us against you anymore." "It's you... against you." "[Laughing]" "And then what happened is that I... i threw Beka through the wall, which, you know, really wasn't a wall, of course, and then i was in the betting area with the nietzscheans again." "And after that, well, i was..." "here with you." "I think i understand." "I'm glad to hear that." "Rommie... i missed you." "You did?" "Yeah." "Really, really missed you." "Dylan?" "Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh... captain's orders." "Let her go." "She's way out of your league, pal." "He's right on time." "Well, we always were too hard on ourselves." "Yeah, that's what mom always said." "Rommie..." "Rommie." "Come on." "Rommie... what have you done?" "Thanks, Rommie." "You're welcome." "Yeah, uh... you know, when we were in my quarters, i, uh, i did what i did because, well, i wanted you to know that it was me." "Of course." "I recognized your biorhythms and your increased heart rate." "Ten seconds to all systems full." "Ap systems are ready, Harper?" "Well, i can't wait till you get back on-line." "So you can open the damn doors to this room." "Oh, i'm sorry, Harper, but that system is still off-line." "Well, at least the missiles are up." "Boss, fire a big one at the nietzscheans, a parting gift, one for the road, something for me to enjoy down here, huh?" "That's a negative, mr." "Harper." "They still owe the commonwealth 600 more slipfighters than we've already got in tow." "Full systems engaging in two and counting, and... mark." "Winning so many slipfighters for the cause of good, that's another mark for you in commonwealth history." "Trance, i'm just trying to do what's right." "Like winning freedom for the workers of Almagast?" "That's better than the slipfighters." "You've just spread a Commonwealth value, and on a bet." "Well, it just goes to show... anything is possible when you keep it... real."