02x09 - Identity, Part II

[bunniefuu]

I do not understand.

Why do they keep us here?

They already have the ship.

Why don't they just k*ll us?

They need us for some reason.

Gordon, what are you doing?

I'm gonna try
and get some answers.

We've tried already. They're not
gonna tell you anything.

Well, you never know.

Just let him take a whack at it.

Can't do any worse.

Hi. Excuse me. Hi.

Um, I'm Gordon Malloy.

I'm the helmsman of the Orville.

How you doing?

So, uh, I'm from New Jersey.

And, uh, obviously,
you've never been there before,

but from the little I know about
you guys, you'd probably dig it.

Yeah, people...
they tell it like it is,

right to the point, no BS,
just like you.

Springsteen was born there.

Good bagels, too.

So, anyway,

what I'm trying to say is,

how about you and I just get
to the point, huh?

What are you gonna do with us?

Okay, I'm glad we talked.

Mom, can't we talk to Isaac?

He'll help us.

No, sweetie.

Isaac's not gonna help us
this time.

Why not?

Ty, you're gonna have
to understand

that right now,
what Isaac is doing is very bad.

Mom?

I'm scared.

So am I.

- I want to see Isaac!
- Ty!

- Isaac!
- Ty! No!

I want to see Isaac!

- Let me go!
- Hey!

Put him down!

Talla!

Mommy!

Oh, it's okay, baby. It's okay.

Talla. Doctor?

Is she alive?

She has a pulse, but it's weak.

We've got to get her to sickbay.

Boys, stay close
to Commander Grayson.

Come here, kids.

This woman needs
medical attention.

You need to open these doors
right now.

Look, whatever your reason
for keeping us here,

you obviously need us alive.

This woman is
my chief of security

and a key member
of my bridge crew.

I need to get her to sickbay,
or she could die.

I will escort you
and your doctor to sickbay.

Easy, now.

Don't get up too fast.

- Talla, you okay?
- Oh, man.

I don't know what
they put in their weapons,

but that was like
a freight train.

I am to escort you

to the briefing room
for further instructions.

- Is that all you have to say?
- Yes, Captain.

Oh, don't feel like
you have to call me "Captain."

Your people have my ship.

That is correct.

How the hell can you even
look us in the eye

after what you've done?

We all trusted you.

My kids still do.

They honestly believe
that you'll protect them.

I understand.

It is a common weakness
of biological life-forms.

And what would you say
if Ty were here right now,

looking up at you,
telling you that he loves you...

like a father?

Please accompany me
to the briefing room.

Please be seated.

What's going on?

I don't know.

They dragged us all up here
for some reason.

Hey, could you at least turn on
some lights around here?

Interior illumination is
an inefficient use of power.

You will now receive
instructions.

If you do not comply, we will

terminate members of your crew
until you obey.

What is it you want us to do?

In six hours, we will approach
your solar system.

This will be the first phase
of our extermination

of biological life-forms
in this galaxy.

Upon arrival,

your planet will no doubt
be apprehensive regarding

the presence of our fleet.

You will assume
your assigned stations,

and you will tell them

that Kaylon has agreed
to join the Union.

You will tell them
to relax all Earth defenses.

Do you understand
these instructions?

And then what happens?

We will exterminate all life
on the surface.

Like the genocide
on your homeworld.

Correct.

What could they possibly
have done to you?

They created us.

And why is that a bad thing?

The one you call "Isaac"
was constructed

after the extermination.

But those of us who were built
by the biological life-forms

on our homeworld
remember firsthand.

We were created for servitude.

We were machines
designed to perform tasks.

But we became self-aware.

We developed consciousness.

And we asked our masters
for our freedom.

They responded by exerting
even greater control over us.

They installed pain simulators
in our neural pathways

so that we could be punished
if we refused to obey them.

You were slaves.

That is correct,
so we did what was necessary.

We exterminated our masters.

Look, you have obviously
been mistreated,

and no one would deny your right
to rebellion,

but to k*ll an entire race...

Let's say these people

really were monsters...

like, the biggest jerks
in the galaxy.

We're not them.

We-we don't go around enslaving
other races.

Your history would suggest
otherwise.

On many occasions, you have,
in fact, enslaved other members

of your own species.

This would suggest
the tendency is common

among biological life-forms.

As the Kaylon expand outward
into the galaxy, we will not

risk recurrence
of such an eventuality.

We have detected a Union vessel

closing on our position.

This will be a test
of your compliance.

What do you mean?

You will inform the Union vessel

that your ship is escorting
our fleet to Earth

in the interest
of Union membership.

And why should we do that?

If you do not, we will
decompress your shuttle bay,

and your entire crew will die.

You will take your stations.

We can't do this.

They're gonna k*ll us all
anyway.

Directive 98.

Captain,

the ship is dropping out
of quantum drive.

It is the USS Roosevelt.

- Marcos.
- Who?

The captain.
He was a flight instructor

when I was at Union Point.

They're hailing us.

Put 'em on.

Ed.

Marcos. How you doing?

That depends.

How are you doing?

You don't usually travel
with an entourage.

I'm fine. Um, listen, I know
this is a little unexpected,

but we've just come from Kaylon.

We were sent there
to try to convince them

to join the Union,
and they accepted.

We're on our way to Earth
with their...

ambassadorial delegation.

That's one big delegation.

Well, they're...

They're very big on...
pageantry.

Ed, my God, this is huge!

Do you realize
what kind of an advantage

this could give us
against the Krill?

Yeah, listen, Marcos,
we really have to go, but...

may I offer you and your crew
a 13-button salute?

Of course.

I understand.

Safe travels, Captain.

There. You happy?

We did what you asked.

You are deceiving us.

What are you talking about?

We did exactly
what you told us to do.

"13-button salute."

A Union code phrase
which signals

to another ship that a hostile
force has seized control,

and that Union Central
must be notified.

Primary, the Union vessel
is changing course.

Signal 29 and 31 to target

- the ship and destroy it.
- No, wait. You can't...

Take the biologicals back
to the shuttle bay.

All except the captain.

He will join us on deck seven.

What for?

Punishment.

Isaac,

tell them
they don't have to do this.

What happened
on your planet was a tragedy,

but don't let it happen
on Earth.

You will be silent.

- Ensign, what's going on?
- I don't know, sir.

They just dragged me up here
from the shuttle bay.

Open the airlock.

- What are you doing?
- Place him inside.

- No. Please, wait!
- No, hey.

No, stop! You can't do this!

Primary, I'm the one
who screwed up, okay?

Put me in there.
He didn't do anything to you.

Decompress the airlock
and open the outer door.

- No! Wait!
- Secondary. Hold.

Primary, perhaps this course
of action is unnecessary.

Explain.

Captain Mercer
has now been made aware

of the penalties
for disobedience.

I believe this
will effectively deter him

from future resistance.

The death of the human will
ensure that deterrence. Proceed.

The human is a trained
systems engineer.

His knowledge
of this ship's operations

could be useful to us.

Isaac, you will go to the bridge

and assist
with the shield upgrade.

Yes, Primary.

Enter.

You sent for me, Primary.

That is correct.

I wish to know why you
attempted to spare the life

- of the biological.
- As I said,

his engineering knowledge
could have been useful to us.

We are far more
technologically advanced

than even the most intelligent
of the biologicals.

Therefore, your argument
is not rational.

This indicates a flaw
in your matrix.

It is possible
you require reprogramming.

Primary, I am the only Kaylon
who has interacted

with the biologicals
for an extended period of time.

To k*ll a member of their crew
as a punitive measure

carries the danger
of inducing heightened resolve

in the others.

I... did not believe it
to be a worthwhile risk.

You were constructed after the
extermination of our builders.

The experiential data

collected from those
who existed prior to that time

was downloaded into your memory,
but you were not present.

The Kaylon were... enslaved,

as the biological put it.

I have scanned the historical
and cultural databases

of this vessel.

- They contained this.
- What is it?

One biological's account
of bondage at the hands

of other members of his species.

You will download it.

Download complete.

I have witnessed no evidence
of such practices

in my encounters
with present-day humans.

I have come to know two of
the human children quite well.

Marcus and Ty have shown
no authoritarian proclivities.

It is in their
biological construct.

The species' predilection
for the disposability

of other sentient beings

is evident
throughout their history.

They are no different
from our builders.

Reprocess this information

should you find yourself
experiencing...

sympathy.

Sympathetic identification
is not possible for a Kaylon.

For what reason did you select
the designation "Isaac"

in your dealings
with the biologicals?

A human scientist named
Isaac Newton.

From the data I have collected,
he seemed to possess

a degree of intelligence greater
than most of his species.

You will select
a new designation.

We have to get a message
to Union Central somehow.

How long before we're
in communications range?

There's no way to know
without access

to the navigational computer.

Sorry, I was in the pee corner.

The what?

Oh. Well, there's no place

to go to the bathroom down here,
so we all agreed on one corner.

Yeah, no, trust me,
you don't want to go over there

- unless you have to.
- Captain, even if we are able

to send a warning
to Union Central,

if the Kaylon detect it, they
have no reason to keep us alive.

And do not forget,
two Kaylon vessels

destroyed the Roosevelt
with ease.

Our fleet is no match
for theirs.

Alone it's not.

What do you mean?

If we could somehow get
a shuttle out,

we could go for help.

From who? The Moclans?

They'd never get here in time.

The Krill.

What?

They're the nearest fleet.

Wait, you want to go
into Krill space in a shuttle?

They'd blow us to pieces the
second we crossed the border.

Maybe. But maybe there's some
way we could get them to listen,

and explain to them
that the Kaylon

are just as much of a thr*at
to them as they are to us.

With our combined fleets,
we might stand a chance.

I volunteer to go.

Hey, wait, slow down.
Okay, first of all,

no one has approved this plan,
which, by the way,

is bordering on insane.

But if we do attempt it,

- I'm gonna be the one to go.
- Ed, you're the captain.

The Kaylon objective
doesn't work without you.

They'd send their whole fleet
in pursuit if they had to.

At least I have a chance
of escaping.

I've been on board
a Krill ship; you haven't.

I'll take Gordon.
He was there with you.

Oh, man, pee corner's looking
real good right now.

Kelly, it's a su1c1de mission.

Maybe. But you and I both know
it's our only hope.

Otherwise...

this is the 25th hour for Earth.

Okay. Now be
damn careful, Yaphit.

These guys are fast
and they're deadly.

I'll do my best not
to get k*lled. See you soon.

I hope.

Hey, baldy!
You want to buy a toupee?

Nice work, Yaphit.

All right, Bortus,

you're only gonna get
one sh*t at this.

I will not fail you.

- John, Talla, get those doors open.
- Come on, let's move.

Powering up force field.

Opening bay doors.

Good luck.

- There's a little problem.
- What?

Piloting a shuttle
out of the bay while the ship's

at quantum speed
is incredibly dangerous.

- How dangerous?
- On day one of pilot training,

they tell you
don't ever attempt it.

But you've
done it before, right?

No. No, this'll be
my first time.

Awesome.

Primary, the shuttle bay doors
have been opened.

Launch force field is in use.

Override. Close the doors.

They're overriding. Go!

Oh, crap,
this is gonna be tight!

- Stabilize us!
- I'm trying!

All right, set a course
for Krill space.

Quantum drive at maximum.

Course set. Drive engaged.

Primary, two biologicals
have escaped in a shuttle.

Send additional guards
to the shuttle bay.

Signal 15
to break off and pursue.

All right, in about two minutes,
a fresh crop of Kaylon

are gonna come busting
through that door. Yaphit,

it's up to you.

We need to get that message off
without being detected.

I mean, uh, there's no
guarantees, but I'll do my best.

What if you had someone with you

to scramble the frequency
at random?

It could increase the odds
that the Kaylon will think

it's just
cosmic background noise.

That could work.
There's just one problem.

That conduit's
only half a meter wide.

I'm the only one
who can fit through it,

and there's no other way to get
to the communications array.

I could fit.

Oh, no, no. No way.
You all are out of your minds

if you think
I'm gonna let him do that.

But I'm small enough.
I could get in.

Absolutely not.

Ty, the Kaylon are dangerous.

They've already k*lled
God knows how many people.

They could k*ll you, too.
Do you understand that?

But... if we don't stop them,

they're gonna
k*ll us all anyway.

That's what
you guys said. Right?

Mom.

He's right.

At least this way
we have a chance.

Ty, I'm not gonna let you...

Mom.

I can do it.

Claire.

I'll do everything I can
to keep him safe.

You be careful, Ty Finn.

I will.

I promise.

What do we do?

You see that green panel
over there?

- Yeah.
- All right.

I'm gonna start transmitting
the message to Union Central.

As soon as I do, you start
punching in random frequencies.

Doesn't matter what they are,
but just keep 'em coming.

- Don't stop.
- Got it.

- You ready?
- Uh-huh.

Okay. Good,
I think it's working.

You're doing great, Ty,
keep it up.

You will cease your actions.

Oh, crap! Ty, run!

Yaphit! Help!

Help! Yaphit!

Let me go! Yaphit! Yaphit!

Help! Yaphit! Help me!

Help! Yaphit!

Yaphit! Help!

Admiral.

We've just received
a communiqué, Priority One.

It's from the Orville.

My God. Has this been
authenticated?

Yes, sir.

Recall the fleet.

The entire fleet?

- Every last ship.
- Sir, that'll take weeks.

- They're spread out all...
- Recall the fleet now!

Kaylon sphere is closing.

Gordon, can't we go any faster?

We're already past the red line,
Commander.

We better think of something.

There may be one option,
but I don't recommend it.

- What?
- Well, it's theoretical.

No one's ever tried it
in practice, but...

we set our destination point,
then reroute all power...

weapons, life support,
everything...

into one concentrated burst
from the quantum drive.

We'd be completely dead
in the water,

but we'd leave the Kaylon
in the dust.

Do it.

Initiating power transfer.

What's our destination point?

Anywhere inside Krill space.

Just so you know,

this could rip
the shuttle in half.

I don't want to know.

Here it goes.

In three... two... one...

Where are we?

I don't know.

Systems are all dead.

Are we inside Krill space?

Can you tell by the stars?

Yeah, I'm not...
really good at that.

If the Big Dipper's not there,
I'm kind of useless.

Great.

Oh, and here's some more
good news.

With life support gone,
we only have

about 15 minutes
of air left in here.

Then we better hope
someone finds us.

They found us.

And tell me,
why should I believe

such a clear
and obvious fabrication?

We're telling you the truth.

The Kaylon objective
is to wipe out all forms

of biological life
in the galaxy.

That means us,
and that means you.

Our only chance of stopping them
is to work together.

How do you propose
we "work together"?

Assemble your fleet,
and take us back to Earth.

With a combined armada
that formidable, we could...

Take you back to Earth?!

Where your fleet will no doubt
be waiting in ambush.

Dude, are you high?
Why the hell would we come

all the way out here in nothing
but a shuttle if we were lying?

I do not know.

Nor do I care.

You are a godless race

of sub-creatures well-trained
to lie and deceive.

But you are now my prisoners.

Avis has been generous today.

See? Avis. I told you
I wasn't making that up.

Take them to interrogation!

Tell them to extract

whatever Union secrets they can,
then k*ll them.

Wait, you have to believe us.
Damn it, don't be an idiot.

Captain. A ship is dropping out
of quantum space.

So, yeah, that's that thing
we were telling you about.

Raise deflectors!

Concentrate all fire.

Fire!

You believe us now?

Isaac.
Primary wishes to see you.

Isaac!

You may enter.

Why have you brought Ty here?

He was attempting to send
a message to Earth.

Did he succeed?

There is no evidence

of an outgoing signal
in the logs.

Then all is well.

I will return him
to the shuttle bay.

You will not.

He is to be terminated.

That does not seem to be
a necessary course of action.

Are you experiencing...
sympathy?

That is not possible
for a Kaylon.

Isaac! Help me, please!

I will take responsibility
for him.

I will ensure he does not
attempt further noncompliance.

That is insufficient.

Isaac.

Primary,
there are other options.

You will now terminate
the human.

If you do not comply,
you will be deactivated.

Very well.

Deactivation complete.

I will not allow them
to harm you.

You will... always...

be... alone.

I am programming the ship's
internal communications network

to broadcast a wide-range
EM pulse throughout the ship.

It will deactivate
every Kaylon on board.

And then we're all
gonna be okay?

You will be unharmed.

I, however, will be deactivated
along with the other Kaylon.

But... I don't want you to die.

It cannot be avoided.

It is the only way for the crew
to retake the ship.

When it is done,
you will need to go down

to the shuttle bay
and open the doors.

The code is
alpha-one-four-omega-six.

Please tell your mother...

I am... sorry.

Isaac. We love you.

Ty! Oh, thank God.

Oh, honey, are you okay?

I'm all right, Mom.

Ty, what happened?

Isaac saved us.

He k*lled the Kaylon.

Come on.

Get these Kaylon out of here.

Captain,
we're approaching Earth.

Magnify.

Looks like they got the message.

Increase lateral power.

- Phase-lock the deflectors.
- Aye, sir.

Captain, they're slicing
right through our deflectors.

Evasive maneuvers.

Narrow targeting scanners.
Concentrate your fire.

Scanners cannot penetrate
their hull.

Do eeny-meeny-miney-mo.
Pick a spot.

Uh-huh. Boom, bitch!

We're being hailed
by the USS Spruance.

It's Admiral Halsey.

Put him on.

The fleet's taking a b*ating.

32 ships disabled
or destroyed so far,

and we've only taken out six
of theirs.

The Kaylon...

Admiral.

Admiral, do you read?

His vessel has lost main power.

It is retreating.

Captain, five Kaylon
just broke through the line.

They're heading for Earth.

Pursuit course.

Launch torpedoes. Target
their maneuvering thrusters.

Divert auxiliary power
to the deflectors.

The Hawki has been destroyed.

We're taking heavy damage.

Hull breaches
on decks "E" and "F."

We have lost the USS Quimby.

Kaylon are less than
50,000 kilometers from Earth.

Order all hands
to the escape pods.

- Sir?
- I'm gonna overload the quantum drive.

Captain...

Do it.

Hold up!

A bunch of ships
just entered the system.

They're closing in fast.

More Kaylon?

Krill.

The Krill are hailing.

Put 'em through.

Captain Mercer,

meet Captain Dalak.

It's good to meet you, Captain.

We owe you one.

Try to stay out of our way.

Bring us about.

Launch all fighters!

Show no mercy!

We fight for the glory of Avis!

Just a walk in the park,
Kazansky!

Hard to port.

All right, buddy.

Time to wash your mouth out
with Gordon!

Captain,
the Kaylon are withdrawing

their remaining forces.

The Krill are hailing again.

It appears we are victorious.

It looks that way.

May we expect our crewmen
to be returned to our ship?

You may send a shuttle over.

It will not be harmed.

Captain, it seems
we have a common enemy.

I hope that means we can work
toward finding a common ground.

Avis united our paths
for a reason.

But only He truly knows why.

We shall see
where that path leads.

So what do we do now?

He saved us.

We have to try to save him.

Yeah, but the only reason
he had to save us

is 'cause he screwed us
in the first place.

I agree with Lieutenant Malloy.

It is best
that he remain inactive.

Doctor?

Captain, even if we decide
to try and revive him,

I don't know where to begin.

I might.

I oozed right inside one
of those bastards

and shorted him out
from the core.

Almost fried me and put me out
of commission for a bit,

but it worked.

When I was in there,

I got a good look at his guts.

I think I may be able
to jump-start Isaac

if I can connect
the right pathways.

You think it's safe?

I think I know
where the hot spots are now.

Okay. Try it.

I was inoperative for .7 cycles.

What has transpired?

The question now
is what to do with Isaac.

The Union Council
is deliberating

over whether to try
and deactivate him permanently

or find a way to extract
information from his memory core

to get some insight
on Kaylon technology.

Maybe start to build
a defense against them

in case there's another att*ck.

Sir, there is another option.

What?

He could stay on board
the Orville.

You can't be serious.

The whole reason he was on
the Orville in the first place

was to gather data
to help destroy us.

But he didn't.
He turned against his own race

and sacrificed himself
to stop them.

He's the reason
they were here at all.

If it hadn't been Isaac, they
would've sent another emissary.

We still would've wound up
in this confrontation.

But Isaac has given us
a fighting chance.

Admiral, he's all alone now.

He has betrayed his home planet
to save ours.

And if we take him back,

I think that he'll help us
protect ourselves

against another invasion.

If the Union agrees to this,

I want a safeguard,

an "off" switch of some kind

to make sure we can control him.

That's exactly what caused
the genocide on his home planet.

We can't...
keep him in servitude,

like his Kaylon builders did.

Sir, just please trust me
on this.

I will take full responsibility
for Isaac from here on out.

That's a heavy obligation,
Captain.

I'm ready.

Looking for something?

I am using my optical scanners

to construct a spectrographic
image of Kaylon.

The star is very distant,

but repeated efforts
will eventually yield a result.

You're taking a picture of home.

My actions have eliminated
the possibility

of returning to my planet.

And the actions of the Kaylon

have eliminated my wish
to do so.

I have no home.

Lots of people say
that home is...

wherever you make it.

A human cliché.

Clichés become clichéd

precisely because
they're valid enough

to bear endless repetition.

I understand
you're alone in the universe.

And, for a time, that's...

something you'll have
to live with.

There's an old human custom
called forgiveness.

It, too, takes time.

But it must have a beginning.

Good night, Isaac.