Original subtitles

Previously on Ascension

- I don't know who killed her. - Who was she afraid of?

- It's who was afraid of her. - Sometimes, I think I know things.

Like I can still feel it, underneath everything.

Your fiefdom is built on your being able to convince me that you have complete control.

[Enzmann]: You think I don't have total control?

The minute they doubt the validity of their environment

is the minute the experiment fails.

Ascension is a lifeboat for humanity.

[Stokes grunting]

[Crew]: I pledge allegiance

to the flag of the United States of America

and to this mission to which we're bound,

one people under God

for the hope and future of humanity.

I heard an assistant in maintenance

wrote that ridiculous pledge.

The words aren't the point.

Those children need to hear what we heard, that they're heroes,

and that this ship is humanity's last best hope.

Do you remember when we were that age,

searching for our place in the world?

I was applying for the stewards, knock-kneed and nervous.

And you were on the fast track to navigation.

Who would've thought we'd be here at the top of the pyramid?

You did, if I remember correctly.

You had a grand design.

I still do.

We don't know what we'll find

when we reach our new home world in the Proxima system,

so the Terra Chamber is used to simulate

different environments that we might encounter.

[Chuckling]

You really know your way around out there.

Thanks!

I'm apprenticing with Dr. Choi.

Oh, pretty and smart!

All right!

If you'll all follow me,

we're off to the Legacy Seed Banks.

[Cell phone ringing]

Director Warren.

Harris! You should be receiving a file any minute now.

What is it?

A CV for a consultant I'm sending over.

We've never had a murder onAscension before.

You could use the help.

This is the most important endeavour

in human history, Katherine.

I won't let it be ruined by your watchdog!

Play nice, Harris.

You've built your own private kingdom,

but remember kings can be deposed.

[Computer equipment beeping]

So, what's this test supposed to do,

rate the amount of crazy of everyone onboard?

[Juliet]: Just say the first thing that comes to your mind.

Ascension.

Trap.

Father.

I was only a baby when he died in that fire.

I meant how you feel about it.

It was an accident.

A cobalt generator malfunctioned,

and 20 people died.

The captain saved the XO and Ophelia.

Most people think the psych-eval was designed

to assess personality.

You know what its true purpose is?

To determine one's breaking point.

You're talking about the crisis?

Realizing you've met everyone you'll ever meet

and that you've seen every place you'll ever go

can make anyone panic.

What's troubling you?

I don't think Stokes did it.

Aaron, part of life on this ship

is the compact we make.

Even if you're right and the murderer is still here,

perhaps the best thing we can do is to go on with our lives.

And what if he kills again?

[Humming]

[Beeping]

I see you served as a military investigator

for nearly 10 years.

Exactly how much did Katherine tell you about the project?

She described it as a sociological experiment.

Ascensionwas designed to test the long-term viability

of intergenerational space flight.

As far as the crew believes,

they're halfway through a 100-year journey.

And one of them is a murderer.

I'm convinced we have the killer in custody.

Obviously, Director Warren isn't as confident as you are.

Exactly how do you plan on investigating a murder

when you can't visit the crime scene,

never question a witness, never review the evidence?

Well, I certainly wouldn't grab the closest suspect

and hope for the best.

Other-than- honourable discharge.

I assume it also tells you why.

It was 2004. You weren't asked, but you told.

Did it feel like a stain on your honour to be silent,

that lying to your comrades diminished you?

Are you worried about my morality?

Not at all.

Anyone who's spent a few years

working for Katherine

must have accumulated a number of things

they've learned not to tell.

Dr. Enzmann, think of me

as a consultant sent down from corporate.

I'll file my report, and I'll be out of here in a few days,

a week at most.

You'll find the project a well-oiled machine.

Your time here will be nothing if not uneventful.

It might even be a little boring.

Well, I hope so. Makes my job easier.

This is your blue badge.

You can only speak to other blue badges.

If a person with another colour badge

tries to interact with you,

please report it to security immediately.

Blue badge, got it.

Every fruit, vegetable and grain from our ancestors

is stored in the Legacy Seed Banks,

where they'll be kept

for hybridization and transplantation

once we reach Proxima.

It won't be exactly the same as on Earth,

but it will be as close as we can get.

Now, over here,

they're measuring the pH levels.

Now, the pH levels have to match within 18%

for the seeds to take root.

Otherwise, nothing will grow, and we'll get to Proxima...

Admiring the view?

[Sighing]

Come on, you can't tell me that doesn't bring you back

to your steamy night in the landing craft.

Presley, I told you nothing happened.

Why not? You have your implant.

Doesn't mean I have to use it.

My advice: Keep your options open.

Have fun before the ship's computer matches you

with someone for mechanical procreation.

[Rawles]: What are you 2 ladies whispering about?

I'd hate to have to write you up.

Um, we were just talking about...

Seeds and fertilization.

[Laughing]

All right, kids, let's wrap it up!

We'll let maintenance finish cleaning out the mud traps

or whatever they're doing.

- Changing nutrient recyclers. - Huh?

If you wanna get technical.

Yeah, like I said, you're scooping out the mud.

If you don't change out the nutrient baths,

then the seeds don't gestate.

The seeds don't gestate,

then they fall back a generation,

and eventually we starve.

But I guess leading a tour is important too.

What's your problem, decker?

Huh?

[Students]: Oh!

[Male student]: That guy's crazy!

Somebody stop them! Hey!

[Groaning]

[Women screaming]

Tell me what happened!

Explosion in the Terra Lab.

[Alarm beeping]

[Whispering]: Jesus!

Pull the video. Work backwards from the explosion.

Track everyone in and out of that lab the last 24 hours.

[Alarm buzzing]

[Carrillo]: They're venting the flame.

- Get down! - Oh!

[Man 1 grunting]

[Man 2]: Give me a hand with this.

On the count of three.

[Man 1]: Ready?

- Now! - Now!

No future.

That's exactly what we'd have

if the rest of the Seed Bank was destroyed.

Get that washed up before someone sees it, all right?

Injuries?

Cuts and scrapes, smoke inhalation.

The crew's on edge, though. First Lorelei, then this.

Cobalt generator.

It was modified to blow when the circuit was tripped.

You think it was the saboteurs?

The closer we get to the rubicon,

the more brazen they become.

Why is it so goddamn hot?

The cooling system was damaged.

It's running at 20%.

The ship is only gonna get hotter!

Did you check with requisitions,

make sure they have all their generators?

15 accounted for, 12 others in use throughout the ship.

We should round them up, find out what's missing.

Despite what you may think, I'm actually good at my job.

Shut it down, you two.

We've gotta move quick, get our story out there,

or we're gonna have a lot of people asking questions.

What is our story?

[Denninger on video]: Attention, please.

The cooling system is undergoing repairs

because of a methane-gas explosion.

We are extremely fortunate that no one was injured.

Rest assured, the hazardous-material protocols

will be strictly reviewed

and enforced from this point forward.

Anyone who hasn't been evaluated

please line up against the wall.

[Both talking, indistinct]

Sure it's my turn?

There might be some officers with headaches

that need tending to.

It's first come, first served.

Not everything is about where you're from.

Seems that way. Right, Crouch?

I'll see you later.

[Inhales sharply]

Why did you get in a fight with Bobby Rawles?

You're something else, Nora. You know that?

Deep breaths.

Nora!

I have 3 patients that need vitals taken.

Wait, what about my heart?

You're clear to go.

Does it live up to your expectations?

Reading about it is one thing,

seeing it is something else entirely.

It's hard to imagine a world

without civil rights, a sexual revolution.

Vietnam, 9/11, those earrings that look like hockey pucks.

Or people like me?

Homosexuals?

They were left out by design.

It's not a matter of prejudice. Purely practical.

Anyone who intentionally avoids procreation would just be...

superfluous.

Superfluous or not, I'm guessing there's a few in there.

We tend to pop up where you least expect us.

So, what caused the explosion?

Methane buildup in the leach pits.

That seems quite volatile, 600 people in a pressure cooker.

It's the first incident we've had in 20 years.

Aside from the murder, you mean?

Project Apollo cost over 100 billion in adjusted dollars.

The Panama Canal took 27,000 lives.

On a project of this scale, setbacks are to be expected.

I'll need an office,

AV setup, access to surveillance,

crew files,

and, of course, the suspect.

[Beeping]

[Sighing]

The council's been complaining

about the captain's handling of the heat.

The mess hall will be cleaning out frozen stores.

Make sure the council gets first choice,

and deliver it personally.

Viondra!

You missed our lunch appointment today.

That'll be all for now, Jackie.

She wasn't to your liking?

Oh, I've grown accustomed to a much finer vintage.

Maybe too accustomed.

I've been thinking that it's time that we take a break

from our weekly meetings.

Oh no! That would truly sadden me.

I mean, I know the political winds have shifted,

and your husband has regained some measure of popularity

after bringing justice to Lorelei's murderer.

And, as they say,

to the victor goes the spoils.

I'm not a prize to be won.

I know, Viondra,

but the captain's statement today

about the explosion being a methane-gas buildup,

well, that's just gonna buy him a little more time.

Councilman, I don't know who is spreading these rumours,

but it was nothing more than an unfortunate accident.

Really? An accident?

Since when do accidents leave messages on walls, hmm?

So, I suspect it won't be very long until we're lunching again.

Wait for it. Yeah, this is the best part.

Bam! Man, that's gotta hurt!

[Chuckling]

[Krueger]: Excuse me!

Ms. Krueger!

How's that video system I set up for you? Is it all right?

It's fine! The elevator won't take me to the infirmary.

You need a red badge to get to lower levels.

Then get me a red badge. I need to question the suspect.

I'd also like to see the video of the methane explosion.

I thought you were here to investigate the murder.

What makes you think they're not related?

He suffered a complete psychotic break.

He put an orderly in traction his first day of consciousness.

Will he understand me?

He should be able to.

We're weaning him off his meds so he can eat.

[Lock buzzing]

Mr. Stokes?

Mr. Stokes, do you know where you are?

[Muttering indistinctly]

I'm in hell!

[Stokes roaring]

I'm in hell!

I'm in hell!

[Gasping]

Goddammit! I'm gonna kill every one of you!

I'm gonna kill you!

[Stokes screaming]

[♪ Woman singing bossa nova in Portuguese ♪]

Looks inviting, doesn't it?

Right now, there's almost nothing I'd like more.

The heat suits you.

Aaron, I'm sorry.

I'm with Duke now. I'm trying to make things work.

Are you happy?

I am. Yes.

You're a bad liar.

The heat is getting to people, William.

Fights are breaking out, public drunkenness.

Two of my girls had to fend off unwanted advances.

Right now, I have bigger concerns.

There are no bigger concerns than your constituency.

Rose knows it was a bomb.

He's gotten to someone in your inner circle.

Who do you think it is?

Could be an officer.

Gault pushed back during the investigation.

He's stubborn, I'll give you that,

but he's no traitor.

Loyalties shift.

He's a heartbeat from the captain's chair.

Better him than anyone else.

We need a distraction for the crew.

What do you suggest?

It's the first day of Ostara tomorrow.

I say we open the stores, bring out the good booze.

We have 2 weeks until the birth-list selection.

Why don't we push the boundaries a bit,

give them a night where we look away?

And Rose? Can you uncover his spy?

He's made it quite clear what he wants.

I'll leave the negotiations to you.

Krueger! Got the footage you asked for.

Does this include the radiation storm?

No, this is the methane explosion.

The radiation storm is in the drive I already gave you.

Go to the drop-down folder in the--

It's not all there.

Feeds from at least 5 of the cameras are missing.

Really? I'll look into it.

- Better get back, so here you go. - One second.

Aaron Gault.

Mmm-hmm?

He found the gun, right?

Yeah, the XO. He's a real climber.

Totally got a thing going on with a married woman.

Best reality-TV show never made!

Don't they have any privacy?

Uh, pretty much... no.

So, how do you manage to miss a murder?

Well, there are blind spots. The killer got lucky.

Or he knew where they were.

I got repair crews using cobalt generators

on Decks 15, 21, the commons.

Have any been reported missing?

They're checked in when they're serviced.

Dwight handles it.

Dwight?

XO! What can I do for you?

I need to see the requisition log for your cobalt generators.

Yes, sir.

They're all accounted for.

This hasn't been updated in weeks.

[♪ Hip hop on stereo ]

You know, I enjoy your company,

though I can't say much about your choice of venues.

The tacos are to die for.

I'll take your word for it.

Your loss.

There's been a development, an explosion on the ship.

Enzmann's lying through his teeth.

He says it was an accident.

But I can tell from the limited access

that I've had to the footage,

it was a directional blast.

A bomb.- I think so.

They're doing everything they can to keep me in the dark.

He's feeding me the same B.S. that you did

about this being a sociological experiment.

You don't buy it?

Billions of dollars

to prove that 600 people in a tin can won't get along?

I could've told you that for free.

What's its real purpose?

Do you know the history of complex polymers?

Norplant, MRIs? Any idea where they originated?

You're saying that they all came from Ascension?

Put your brightest in a tin can for 50 years

with no outside interference,

and they'll change the world.

I'm not just there to investigate a murder, am I?

This is the first opportunity we've had

since his father's stroke

to get someone on the inside.

He's hiding something,

and the TC Group wants to know what that is.

Hiding something? What?

Something to do with the crew.

He's less hands off than he implies.

Experiments?

I look forward to your report.

And if you figure out who killed the girl, let me know.

I'm curious.

We searched the ship from bow to stern.

There's no sign of Dwight Crouch.

Why would he do it?

He's a lower-decker.

Well, that's not all.

He's an unclaimed.

How, with the implants?

Well, sometimes the implants are damaged or removed.

No family or status, no right of reproduction,

already an outcast.

God only knows what's going on in that kid's mind.

What about the other generators?

There's still one unaccounted for.

He's making another bomb.

[Humming]

[♪ '60s pop ]

Whoa!

Things might get out of hand later tonight.

Should I have the safety officers standing by?

No. Tonight, anything goes.

[Young woman]: Get me a soda?

Councilman Rose, can I offer you something cool?

Well, thank you, Viondra!

You look lovely.

But it's gonna take a lot more

than this distraction to appease the crew

once they find out what your husband's been hiding from them.

Careful, Councilman! We're all on the same side.

What would you gain by causing a panic?

Perhaps a change of direction, new leadership,

someone with vision.

Someone like yourself.

That would be in the hands of the council,

but I do appreciate your vote of confidence.

You know, I have the last of the ice in the officer's lounge.

If you care to join me,

I can offer you something a little bit more refreshing.

Viondra, I think you've forgotten.

You've taken a break from our weekly lunches.

Mrs. Denninger?

Yes!

Presley Delon.

I applied for an apprenticeship with you.

It's a very competitive program.

Oh, of course!

It's an honour just to be considered.

Still think this is not enough of a distraction?

I'm gonna get that apprenticeship.

Did it suddenly get even hotter in here?

Hey!

I, uh, better go get Nora something to cool down.

[Whispering]: Options!

Your mom give you the rest of the day off?

I don't work in the medical clinic anymore.

I was helping out until she finds a new apprentice.

She doesn't like me, does she?

Maybe she doesn't like me hanging around

with boys who get into fights.

Or maybe it's because I'm a decker.

Don't say that.

- Ascensionis a meritocracy. - Come on, Nora.

It's no coincidence

that people end up following in their parents' footsteps.

Those are the rules everybody knows.

And you don't like rules.

Would you rather I behaved myself?

Race you to the water.

[Whirring]

[Beeping]

You've gotta be kidding me!

You have anger issues.

No, I have frustration issues.

I know when I'm getting the runaround.

I haven't received the footage I've asked for,

half the floors are off-limits,

and I can only speak to someone

who has the same colour badge as me.

It wasn't a methane buildup.

Yeah, I know.

It was a bomb.

If it had been a methane explosion,

it would've been uniform and omnidirectional.

You lied to me, but that's what you do, right?

This whole project is one big lie told to 600 people.

I wanna show you something.

[♪ '60s pop ]

Lorelei thought it was all a mistake, didn't she?

What?

All of it.

The ship, the mission.

Is that what "no future" means?

Where did you hear that?

After the explosion, I saw it written on the wall.

It's something we say on the lower decks.

Whenever someone asks you why you're drinking or fighting

or doing anything against the rules,

you say "no future,"

as in: "Why bother? Nothing matters anyway."

Do you believe that?

I never said I didn't wanna believe in a future.

I just don't know if I can.

When my father started Ascension,

he'd bring me to work,

and I'd sit on his knee and watch their faces.

Are you familiar with her yet?

Juliet Bryce, the ship's doctor.

I grew up watching her.

I sometimes feel like I know her better than my own wife.

Same for the others.

This isn't some Petrie dish

being examined under a microscope.

This is family.

There's a man in the basement of this building

who lost his mind

when he found out the truth.

I'm attempting to protect the others from the same fate.

These people are heroes.

The fact that these people have no say doesn't bother you?

Does it bother a tribe in the Amazon

they've been denied sub-prime loans or reality television?

The crew of Ascensionis pure!

They went 50 years without a single homicide.

Name another civilization that can say that.

Regardless of what you think of all of this,

remember that at its heart, there's also her,

and ask yourself:

Had you been born on that ship,

would you want to know the truth?

[Door opening]

Emily wanted me to drop this off. They were Lorelei's.

I didn't hear you come in last night.

I slept on the beach. Everybody did.

Is that a new necklace?

Still haven't found the seahorse?

I looked everywhere.

You'd think it wouldn't be possible

to lose something on a ship surrounded by space,

but apparently I can manage it.

You like it?- Nice.

It's just funny to see you in something else,

like seeing Lorelei's clothes given to other people.

Lorelei put a lot of work into those clothes.

It would be a shame to see them pulled apart and recycled.

We had fun that night she first wore this.

Would it be wasteful to keep it,

not to wear, but to remember?

I think that'd be fine, honey.

I saw you with James Toback. Do you like him?

Why are you interested in my love life all of a sudden?

It's not all of a sudden, Nora.

You've just never had one before.

He's a friend.

I just don't want you falling

for someone you can't be matched with.

You want me to end up like you and Dad, pretending everything's OK,

when you're barely more than roommates?

Nora.

I'm not blind.

- Marriage is complicated. - Exactly.

If I don't get to choose who I'm matched with,

then I better have fun now.

[Knocking]

Come on in!

[Door opening]

Gault! What can I do for you?

I checked the requisition logs in the library just to be sure.

The fire on Deck 23 was also caused by a cobalt generator.

Well, that was 20 years ago.

Crouch would've been just a kid.

What if he isn't working alone?

What if the saboteurs have been around

longer than we've suspected?

What if Lorelei made the same connection?

- It might be why she died. - Well, Stokes killed Lorelei.

- Stokes tried to shoot me. - Are you surprised? He was a killer.

He didn't even know how to use the gun.

He panicked!

Or he was telling the truth, and we had the wrong man.

Aaron, you're a man of character.

That's why I made you XO.

That's why I put you in charge of this investigation,

because I knew you wouldn't stop even when I asked you to.

Character doesn't just mean going your own way.

A man of judgement knows those occasional times

when loyalty is more important.

Yes, sir.

Focus on the task at hand.

Find Crouch.

Sir?

You said that that my aptitude scores were good enough

to get any apprenticeship that I wanted.

This isn't a good time, Toback!

I wanna join OTS.

The Officers' Training School frowns on fighting and drinking.

With your behavioural record...

Look, a recommendation from the XO can go a long way,

particularly, if the candidate showed initiative.

It's the video card Lorelei took the night of the fire,

the one you've been looking for.

I'll take your request into consideration.

You're looking for Dwight, aren't you?

I have a good idea where you can find him.

You should check on Deck 23.

[Knocking]

What is it?

We've got a Deck 23 situation.

Reroute the turbines to the air recyclers.

- We need a vacuum seal now! - Yes, sir!

Where's my feed? I need eyes in there!

Rerouting to the handheld.

Speed up the cooling system. I need a 40° temperature drop!

- Is it the bomber? - It's Gault.

[Krueger]: Does he really need to wear that?

He'd be dead if he didn't.

I sucked all the air out of there.

Button it down, people.

No unnecessary conversation or movement.

Deck 23 was damaged years ago.

The other side isn't airtight anymore.

Theoretically,

a noise loud enough can be heard on the inside.

[Grunting]

[♪ Band playing jazz ]

[♪ Jazz ]

[♪ Man singing in distance ]

[Krueger]: What's he doing?

Gault's parents were killed in the explosion on Launch Day.

He never got over it.

Look at that.

[Loud bang]

Huh?

[Banging]

[Banging echoing]

[♪ Band playing in distance ♪]

Aaron, what are you doing?

[Breathing unevenly]

[Machine humming in distance]

[Groaning]

[Beeping]

Dwight, calm down!

All right? Just turn it off!

You killed my father!

Stokes was your father?

- You killed him. - It was an accident!

I almost went out the airlock too!

"Never trust an upper-decker." That's what he used to say.

He said, on Earth, there was no lower deck.

- Everyone was born the same. - That's not true.

My father didn't lie!

[Humming]

[Enzmann]: That bomb goes off,

it'll send a wave of shrapnel into us!

Evacuate to the secure room immediately.

What do you mean, evacuate? Gault?

You're gonna let him die?

The choice is between saving a man

and the entire project.

That's no choice at all.

You're welcome to stay in the blast zone,

but when this door closes, your blue badge will be useless.

Dwight, please! Turn it off! You'll kill everyone!

He told me about you!

You cheated, and you took his job,

and that's why he couldn't claim me!

[Both grunting]

[Air hissing and Dwight gasping]

Dwight, your oxygen's detached!

Let me help you!

[Both grunting]

[Panting]

[Grunting]

Make sure Ms. Krueger gets the raw footage.

I'd hate for her report to be incomplete.

So that's it?

A man suffocates

in a room that you sucked all of the air out of,

and it's case closed.

My father taught me dispassion was the best course.

The ship would right itself, he would say.

I'd doubt him every time,

but every time, he'd prove correct.

The purpose of the experiment isn't to protect them,

it's to learn from them.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

I'd like to get home for dinner,

even if it is 5 hours late.

I hope you're right.

About what?

The ship righting itself.

Because this project will make one hell of a mess

if it crashes.

[Sighing]

[Sighing]

[Horse neighing on TV]

You're awake.

I couldn't sleep.

Mitchum or Bogart?

John Wayne.

He was a man of character.

We are doing the right thing, aren't we,

pushing on no matter what?

Of course we are.

We're heroes.

[Sighing]

[Computer beeping]

The '63/70.

[Christa]: I like your necklace.

[Juliet]: It's a seahorse.

Oh, you're still up?

I'm sorry I'm so late.

I've been waiting up for you.

[Gasping]

Happy anniversary.

[Sighing]

I thought you'd forgotten.

[Gasping]

[Sighing]

It's been a long time since you've kissed me like that.

Leave the necklace on.

Next time onAscension.

Whoever brought a gun onAscension

put everyone else at risk.

I wanna know who it was.

- Captain? - She's a distraction.

I can endure anything but secrets between us.

Viondra! You're looking rather tense.

I wanna meet.

They used Kennedy's Advanced Education Initiative as cover

to abduct children.

- Tell me about the man. - I've seen him before.

- Where? - In the tunnels with Lorelei.

Open!