04x08 - Legacy

Episode transcripts for the TV show "For All Mankind". Aired: November 2019 to present.*
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Sci-fi series that explores the twist of what would have happened if the global space race had continued?
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04x08 - Legacy

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[RADIO HOST] Good morning, Garden City.

This is J.R. Bonner playing you
all country all the time.


And now here's a snazzy golden oldie

guaranteed to get
that old ticker pumping.


"That's All It Took" by Gram Parsons.

[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS]

[GRUNTS, SIGHS]

- Morning, hon.
- Mmm.

Sleep all right?

Fine. You?

♪ That's all it took ♪

Was up all night. This damn hip again.

♪ The mention of your name ♪

♪ And all my love for you ♪

♪ Burst into flame ♪

♪ I tried so hard ♪

♪ To let you go, but look ♪

♪ How I still tremble at your name ♪

♪ That's all it took ♪

♪ That's all it took ♪

♪ To make me know that I still care ♪

♪ It seems my heart just can't give up ♪

♪ The dreams we used to share ♪

♪ I tell my friends I'm happy ♪

♪ But they read me like a book ♪

♪ And when today... ♪

- [TEACHER] Morning, Sergei.
- Morning, Cliff.

- [CAR ALARM CHIRPS]
- Got brownies today.

- [SERGEI LAUGHS]
- Good stuff.

- You're a lucky man, Cliff.
- [BELL RINGS]

So here we have a 3D diagram
of an electrical field.

So, who can tell me what is voltage?

♪ That's all it took ♪

♪ To make me yearn ♪

Harry?

♪ For your embrace ♪

Uh.

♪ I guess I might as well admit ♪

♪ No one can take your place ♪

Voltage is the potential difference

between two points
in an electrical field.

[LAUGHS]

Aw. That was sweet. Look
what somebody did for me.


It's crooked on this side though.

[SPOUSE] What do they call this flavor?

- [AUDIENCE LAUGHING ON TV]
- [GRUNTS] Peanut butter swirl.

You like it?

Yeah.

Very good.

Thanks. Maybe on
Overrated Photographer's Day,


I'll buy you a shammy for your head.

[IMITATES LAUGH]

♪ Your name that's all it took ♪

[MARGO ON TV] I made
the decision to defect...


to the Soviet Union in 1995,

after many years
of dissatisfaction and disappointment


with both NASA and the
American government.


The space program I joined in 1966
had changed over the years


to value profit above human life,

and was more dedicated
to spreading propaganda...


[SPOUSE] Isn't this the wildest thing?

They thought she d*ed
in that bombing years ago.

The one in Houston. Remember?

I have kept my silence
for the past eight years...


- Yes, yes. I do.
- ... in order to not distract

from the historic work that Roscos...

[STUDENTS SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY, LAUGHING]

[STUDENT] Uh. Mr. Bezukhov?

- [LAUGHING CONTINUES]
- Mr. Bezukhov?

[CLEARS THROAT]

So, uh, as you can see,
the current is not always constant.

[CHRISTINE FRANCIS] Police
held back a mass of protesters

so that Madison's car was
able to enter the campus.


Despite the cries from some
to have Madison arrested,


NASA Administrator Eli Hobson
issued a statement that


he considers Madison a key
player in the M-7's efforts


to capture the Goldilocks asteroid.

[HORN HONKS]

[PATRONS SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Italian Roast.

[ED] Mm-hmm.

Hey, thanks for taking the time.

Yeah. Yeah, look.

Whatever this is about, Ed, I, uh,

I appreciate that you stood your ground.

You didn't cross the line
like the rest of them.

But when you come to me and you say
you and Dev Ayesa wanna talk,

I start to wonder how committed
you were to our cause.

The reason doesn't matter. Mars matters.

And this fight isn't over.

Seems to me like the people have spoken

and they told us to take a hike.

Uh. Sometimes it's up
to a few enlightened

individuals that lead the many.

Enlightened, huh? [LAUGHS]

[LAUGHS] We can both agree
on that Dev's a f*cking assh*le.

There's no way around it.

But he's brilliant.

Just hear what we have to say.

Can I help you?

This establishment is hereby shut down

by order of the base commander

for contravening the M-7 charter.

Ordinance 3.57, prohibiting
the sale of contraband.

Geez, Palmer.

Everyone was having such a good time.

All right, move it out.

This is totally out of line.
You're just a sad little man

trying to squeeze authority
out of bullshit.

Please submit a formal written complaint

to your direct supervisor, worm.

Jesus. I know they took
the strike kind of personal.

But this whole security detail
thing, it's... It's overkill.

It's bullshit is what it is.

- [GUARD] Who's your reporting officer?
- You can't go anywhere anymore

without somebody checking your ID badge,

asking what you're up to.

It's a scare tactic. Pure and simple.

Trying to keep us in check.

Which is why I'm telling you
you've got to hear him out.

- [ELECTRICITY CRACKLES]
- [SAM] I don't know.

What the hell is that?

Hey! What's going on in here?

Oh. Hey, Sam.

Orders from on high.

They're sealing off access
to sub-levels four and five.

"Crew safety".

Yeah. More like they're
afraid us peasant folk

will find another place to organize.

You said it.

Even got us hard-wiring
lockouts on the elevators.

Seems like our noble commander
is learning from her partners

and taking a page out
of that Soviet playbook.

When in doubt, you cr*ck down.

[TECHNICIAN] You guys
can go up in this one.

Thanks, Sparks.

[CRACKLING CONTINUES]

All right. I'll hear what
you have to say.

[MECHANICAL HUMMING]

How did Massey take it?

[SIGHS] Skeptical.

But, uh, wouldn't you be?

Yeah, but she's the key
to this whole thing.

None of the others will go along
with it if she says no.

At some point, we have to get
on the same page about...

[ED] The hell?

- Kel.
- Dev!

I've been practicing
that new magic trick.

[DEV] All right.

[SIGHS] Kel, what's, uh...

Hey... [STAMMERING] ... what
are you guys doing here?

Tell me you didn't forget.

No, of course not.

I'm taking a hopper to Korolev Crater

to get my seekers up and running.

I told you I'll be gone for three days

and you said you'd watch Alex.

Yeah, of course.

[KELLY] All right, kiddo. Give me a hug.

- I love you. [KISSES]
- Love you.

You'll have all kinds of fun with
your grandpa while I'm gone.

This is his medication.

And the schedule. And
a list of our family rules.

Jesus, Kel.

No crust. [SIGHS]

This is crazy. I mean, no wonder
the kid's afraid of his own shadow.

Really? You're going to chime in

on parenting techniques at this point?

You've never watched Alex before.

Hey. I raised two kids.
Including you, remember?

- Alex is different.
- Yeah. Well, then maybe you should, uh,

you know, maybe take him with you.

A methane hunt is full
of drills and dynamite.

It's no place for
a seven-year-old, okay?

And you don't have much else
going on here anyway.

So I'm throwing you into the deep end.

Sink or swim, remember?

Oh, that was terrible advice.

But okay. Let's do it.

Dev, I will contact you
when I get to Korolev Crater.

Good hunting.

Hey, Mom.

Hmm?

You'll come back, right?

Of course I will.

Three days. Have fun.

All right.

We're gonna need a babysitter.

Yep.

Gentlemen.

[MARGO] Come in.

- Got one of each, huh?
- [SCOFFS]

Lucky me.

[CHUCKLES]

I wanted to see how you're settling in.

Fine.

- Thank you.
- [HOBSON] Good, good.

Well, we're gonna be
getting started soon.

I thought I might, uh, show
you to the conference room.

Ah.

- [PERSON 1] ... the cat dragged in.
- [PERSON 2] Moscow Margo, huh?

Nuri! My God.

It... It's good to see you.

Hello.

I, um...

Uh, I heard you were project manager.

Congratulations.

Yep.

If you'll excuse me, I'm running late.

She's very busy.

Shall we?

We're at a crossroads, people.
So I won't mince words.

This asteroid is far too vital
to our countries

to let another screw-up
like that strike happen again.

Security will be airtight
from here on out.

I have asked the Soviet Union's
chief project engineer

for the 2003LC Capture Mission,

Margo Madison, to brief us on the plan.

Miss Madison.

I know we've had our differences

but I appreciate you all for coming.

If Sam hadn't twisted my arm,
I wouldn't be here.

Ditto. I sincerely hope this isn't
for some f*cked up game

like the one you played
to trash our strike.

That was an unfortunate and
difficult development for all of us.

But a necessary one.

That strike had to end

if we were to keep with the required
timeline to capture the asteroid.

But the four of you showed
that you have principle,

courage and that you won't
fold under pressure.

Stop blowing smoke
and speak normal, dude.

- Come on.
- [DEV] All right.

I'm gonna ask you to do something
that's never been done

by anyone in human history.

For the benefit of Mars,

for human space exploration
and for yourselves,

because it just might
make those bastards

on Earth finally take notice.

What do you want us to do?

Ranger's engines can only effect

small changes to the
asteroid's trajectory.

Just enough to bring it

near Mars.

Once it is there, Ranger
will again burn...

[DANIELLE] ... for exactly 20 minutes.

When the time comes, we
will slow the asteroid down.

Just enough for the gravity of Mars
to bend its trajectory

to speed it towards Earth.

[DEV] Unless Ranger burns
for 25 minutes instead of 20.

That will slow the asteroid
down even more

and allow it to be fully captured
by Mars's gravity

instead of merely
changing its direction.

And bring it into permanent orbit
around the Red Planet.

Where it belongs.

But how the f*ck does that happen?

Happy Valley doesn't have
anywhere near the computing power

of NASA or Roscosmos.

So we'll work out that burn
command down here.

NASA will uplink the data to Ops-Com

at Happy Valley.
They will then relay it...

... with our secure comm system

using our high-gain S-band antenna.

Ranger will pick up the signal,

confirm its validity with
this discriminator box

to make sure that it came from us.

[WORKER] We'd have to hack
into the Comsat.

Or maybe physically take control
of the satellite dish array.

Even if that were possible,

we still need Ops-Com to let us know

when Ranger reaches her burn point.

Unless we build our own.

Our own what?

Our own Ops-Com.

So we can send our own signal.

If the discriminator gives it a go,

it'll forward the command
to the engine control system,

and Ranger will initiate
the burn for Earth.

[SAM] The only way we can extend
the burn is by getting control

of the discriminator box on the Ranger.

[WORKER] She's right.

If the incoming signal doesn't have
the right authentication packet,

Ranger's comm system
won't even look at it.

So the key to this whole thing
is that discriminator box.

Finally, when Ranger launches
in two days we're gonna need someone

on their crew to swap it
out for our own.

An inside man.

Or woman.

Sam, when the time comes,

you swap out that discriminator
for our carbon copy.

[LAUGHS] Okay. Let me get this straight.

You want me to just swap out
a mission-critical component

in the middle of the ship,
surrounded by the crew.

- Sure. No biggie.
- If we're to pull this off,

we're all gonna have to do things
we're not comfortable doing.

Even if I could, they're not gonna
let me back on that crew.

Not after the strike.

Never say never.

She's gone.

Uh. Hold on. I... I'd rethink that.

Sir, that's Sam Massey.

She's one of the leaders
of the work stoppage.

I'm aware of who she is.
And I'm sure you're aware that

if I were to discipline, demote or

penalize in any way a labor organizer,

I'd open myself up to massive lawsuits

and a PR nightmare back on Earth.

No. I... I still don't...

Ravi. What do you think?

You're in command of Ranger,
it's your crew.

Massey was on Kronos.
We could use her experience.

If she can park her attitude.

[DANIELLE] All right.

Let's keep her on.

Massey's heart was in the right place.

And if anything, it'll
be an olive branch.

But I want you to go up there with
them. Keep an eye on things.

Aye, aye.

Well, we need a crackerjack engineer
to build out our control room.

[SAM] Rich might do it.

And we're gonna need an electrician

to pull power into our Ops-Com.

- Edmondson's the best there is.
- Sparks? Will she do it?

- I can ask.
- [DEV] Right. First things first.

If we're gonna build our own Ops,

we need the right equipment.

Consoles, processors,
servers, comm relays...

NASA's redundant to a fault.

I mean, every piece of
equipment has a backup.

But they're all stored up on Phoenix
under lock and key.

We need a way to get all that
down here undetected.

[CHUCKLES] I... I think I know the guy.

[ED] Okay, good.

So are we doing this?

That went well.

I think so.

Eli has an interesting sense of humor.

He means well.

How's your family?

How's Javier? Is he still playing
the piano? Last time I saw...

Let's, um, get something straight.

When it comes to the work,

I will support you
when I think you're right.

And I will disagree with you
when I think you're wrong.

But you don't get to ask me
about my family or my son again.

Understand?

[DOOR OPENS]

[ED] Alex, it's Poppy.

Oh, hey. How'd it go?

Wonderful. We've been having
great fun together.

He helped me prune my blueberry
plants and my kumquats.

Well, Joanna. I... I can't
thank you enough.

Alex. Come on. It's time to go.

- Where is he?
- He's right back here.

He was a moment ago.

Alex.

Alex.

All right. You go that
way. I'll go this way.

Alex.

Alex.

Alex?

Alex.

Alex!

- [DEVICE BEEPS]
- This is Ed Baldwin. I'm looking for...

[JOANNA] Got him!

Alex! You can't... You can't
just run off like that.

What were you thinking?

Where'd you go?

I was looking for you.

You what?

I was looking for you.

Oh.

[SIGHS]

Hey.

Hey. Hey.

All right. It's okay.

It's okay.

[ED KISSES]

Hey.

Come on.

- [RADIO TUNING]
- [SHOW HOST] ... that which you've been...

[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]

[KNOCKS]

Coming.

- Right in here.
- Very good, ma'am.

[MILES] I don't know. Look,
to get this stuff off of Phoenix,

not only do I have to get in
on a cargo module undetected,

I gotta get it past Madam Mussolini's

new security measures down here.

What? Are you telling me
you can't do it, or you won't?

My guy can get it off Phoenix.

But getting it out of the
loading dock down here,

there's the problem. See all
this sh*t's flagged high-security.

So if it turns up in the dock, they're
gonna put it in secure lockup.

Where I got no access. No one does.

I mean, maybe there's a way around that.

But I don't know.

It seems dicey. What I got going on

right now, you know, it's low-risk.

I don't have that long left on my tour.

So when I get back Earthside,
I'm gonna be with my family,

sitting on a nice little nest egg.

You are thinking so small, Dale.

You know, my former
partner, he thought small.

Was always worried we'd
lose what we built up.

So he was on the defense.
Just like you're doing right now.

And if I let him make all the decisions,

we'd still be working out of our garage.

But we went from having a few
thousand dollars to our name.

Now I'm worth billions.

So, I ask you, Miles, do you wanna
be a millionaire or a billionaire?

- Billionaire, huh?
- I had to break through to him somehow.

Yeah, better go get Alex from Joanna.

[SIGHS] He is a good kid. He's so smart.

Yeah.

Hey, you two seem
to get along pretty well.

We haven't really clicked yet.

It'll come. You know, my dad
and I, we had our moments.

He was an engineer, right?

Oh, yeah. He loved to build things.

He had all these models.
Put them all over the den.

I'm a model freak too.
It's, uh, very calming.

You know, he had this one of a Gemini

spacecraft sitting
atop a Titan II rocket.

And I knew it was his favorite.

So when he was gone, I would
take it down off the shelf,

play with it when he wasn't around.

But one day,

- I broke it.
- Uh-oh.

- He peeled the bark off me for that.
- [LAUGHS] I bet he did.

But then he went out and
he bought a new model kit.

And he made me rebuild
it piece by piece,

while he looked over my shoulder
and instructed me.

And I felt

so close to him that day.

- That's nice.
- And when we were done,

that was the first time that he told me

about the birds that fly backwards.

The what?

Every winter you see whole flocks of
them flying north for the winter.

- Do you know why they fly backwards?
- Um, not a clue. [CHUCKLES]

Because they want to see
where they've been,

because that's how they know
where they're going.

Hmm.

I like that.

You know, someday, young
Alex is gonna look back at you

the same way that I look back at my dad.

So just be yourself.

Share your passion.

That's the greatest gift I ever got.

- [CAR ALARM CHIRPS]
- [LOCK CLICKS]

- [SERGEI] Hello, Miss Rosales.
- [GASPS]

Perhaps you don't remember me. I'm...

No, I remember you.

- What the f*ck are you doing here?
- I'm sorry, but...

I'm sorry for startling you, but...

You shouldn't be here.

Please.

Please, just give me a minute.

You're the only person
who might understand.

I begged her for that engine design,

but she would not help me, no matter
how much I pleaded with her.

There was no way we were going
to be able to launch at '94 without it.

I was, uh, told by the KGB

to go to her at the IAC conference

to do whatever I had
to to get the design...

but I refused.

So my handler sent two
men into her room.

They threatened to report

Margo to the FBI unless she cooperated.

And still, she would not give
them the engine design.

So,

that is when they began to
strangle me in front of her.

Jesus.

Margo didn't tell you about this?

[SIGHS] She...

She sacrificed everything along
with her honor to save my life.

For eight years...

she let us think she was dead.

For eight f*cking years
she never tried to reach out

- to tell us that she was okay...
- How...

- ... that she was alive.
- How-How could she?

A defector in the Soviet
Union is a glorified

prisoner. A bird in a cage.

I know. I know...

I just...

I don't know how to forgive her.

I understand.

But where would you
be today without her?

Think about this.

She believed in you, Aleida.

Just as she did me.

Please. Please.

Help me to speak with her.

- Poppy?
- Yeah, I thought you were asleep.

I'm scared.

You're scared?

There's nothing to be scared of.
You're safe in here.

Hey, what are you scared of?

You're not afraid of me, are you?

[SCOFFS]

Hey...

I love you, kiddo.

But you-you look like a bear.

I-I... I look like a bear?

[CHUCKLES]

Maybe I do.

Uh...

[INHALES]

You know, when your mom was your age,

she was afraid of the dark too.

You know what I used to do for her?

What?

I used to read her a story.

Would you like me to read you a story?

So this is a story about a sailor.

But in a strange land
far, far from home.

His name is Jake Holman.

"Chapter one.

'Hello, ship', Jake Holman
said under his breath.

The ship was asleep.

Didn't hear him.

He lowered his big, canvas,


and stood there in the moon shadow
of a brick wall

and had his first long look at her.

She looked stubby and blocky,

top-heavy down there at the edge
of the black, rolling river,

and she was all mountain.

Moon-white except for her
slender black smokestack,

that rose very high,
high as her two masts.


Four guy-wires slanted
down from the stack


like streamers from the maypole.

She had a stubby, shielded
g*n on her open bound


and a double, man-high
hand steering wheel


on her open fantail aft.

But in between, she looked
more like a house than a ship.


Her square, curtain windows
and screen doors


opened on a gallery main deck
like a long, narrow veranda.


And on the pipe rail boat deck,
under taut, white awnings.


It was after midnight.

They were asleep down
there, all but the watch".


You're welcome to have a seat.

[ALEIDA] They told me you'd be up here.

Chairs are different.

What you got?

[CLEARS THROAT]

It's, uh...

updated state vectors
from our tracking stations.

Seems there's some variation
from our predicted path

and what the network is seeing.

Let me take a look.

[CLEARS THROAT]

I'll, um,

go over these figures tonight
and let you know what I think.

Thanks.

[MILES] All right, let's go
over this plan one more time.


After what happened at the fuel plant,

you all know they've got these g*dd*mn

security checkpoints all over the base,

including the loading dock.

And nothing or no one goes in or
out of that room without a once-over.


So we can't just waltz in and
grab all this stuff off the shelves,


we got to be a little
more clever about it.


So we're gonna forge a requisition

for everything we need on our list.

My guy on Phoenix cargo haul

is gonna swap the package in for
something a little more inconspicuous.


All the electronics we need,

they'll be inside the containers
labeled cereal, cotton rounds


and dehydrated milk.

Each one of ours will have
a green and yellow bar code.


The security assholes,
they're all former m*llitary.


So stay alert and stick to the plan.

[GUARD] Hold up.

Req form, please.

Gonna need you to open up this box.

I don't know if I could've held
my cool like that, Miles.

- Tienes huevos, cabrón.
- Thanks, man.

Ilya always said, "Cover your bases".

All right. Looks like Christmas in here.

Welcome to Ops-Com 2, gentlemen.

I prefer "Ghost Ops".

Sounds way cooler.

[RICH] What? Where's it at?

What the hell?

Man, come on.

It's supposed to be here. Wha...

I'm guessing it's supposed to be
more than just cornflakes in there.

What was supposed to be in there?

Discriminator.

- f*ck.
- [DEV] Okay.

So, if it's not there, then where is it?

It's here, but it got sent
to the secure lockup.

Ah.

My guy on Phoenix must
have screwed up the boxes.

Yeah. Fortunately, it just
looks like a shipping error.

Can we get to it somehow?
Maybe bust the lock or something?

[MILES] No, it's electronic.
It's gnarly as hell.

There's no way we could
get through that.

There might be one other way, but...

No, it's too small.

What's too small?

Intake vent.

It's 12 inches across.

None of us are going to fit through it.

Huh.

Listen. Hey.

It's okay if you don't wanna do this.

It's okay. I want to.

[ED] You sure?

You sure, sure?

Okay.

[CLAMBERING IN VENT]

He's gonna be okay.

[DISTANT CLAMBERING]

You see the plate, Alex?

[ALEX] It's kinda dark.

Ah, this is stupid.

[BANGING IN VENT]

[ALEX] I'm in the room!

Okay. Okay, buddy.

Now look around and see
if you can see that box.

[ALEX] Okay, um...

Wha-What is it?

[ALEX] There's a shelf and
the box is on the top of it.

Okay... Can you reach it?

[ALEX] No.

[SIGHS] sh*t.

All right. Just come on back out here.

We'll find another way to get it.

[ALEX] I think I can reach
if I climb a bit.

[BANGING]

Okay, but... but be careful now, Alex.

- Th-That could be tricky...
- [ALEX CRASHES]

Alex?

Alex, you okay?

[BEEPING]

[DEV LAUGHS]

[ED] All right.

Look at that.

[SIGHS]

- There he is.
- [DEV] Hey, little man.

[LAUGHING]

Look at you.

Hey...

You are a brave boy. You know that?

You're a brave boy.

You scored big, little man.

[ED] Yes, you did.

Yes, you did.

[CRUMPLES NOTE]

Closing time. Gotta give you the boot.

[SIGHS] Okay, uh, thanks. Thank you.

Sorry about your friend.

If you're in town tomorrow,
stop in for our early bird special.

Okay.

[CRICKETS CHIRPING]

[CAR ALARM BEEPS]

[MARGO] Sergei.

Margo.

I'm...

I'm glad you came.

- I, uh...
- This can't happen, Sergei.

You have a life here now,
and I have a life over there.

No, no, no, no, no.

You don't understand.

It was difficult for some time,
but I'm finally starting to...

You are not safe, Margo.

The woman you know as Irina Morozova,
the head of Roscosmos,

she was my handler with KGB.

From the beginning.

All those years, she was the one
who sent me to United States,

the one who destroyed both of our lives.

You cannot go back there, Margo.

[DANIELLE] Ranger, Happy Valley.

We show a good departure burn.

No significant residuals.

[RAVI] Copy. Pre-valves
are confirmed closed.

Departure burn is complete.

Trajectory for 2003LC intercept
on target, people.

[ASTRONAUT 2 ON RADIO] Sinclair, please

double-check the surface contact angles.

Make sure we don't need
to increase cable tension.


[SINCLAIR] Copy, scooter.

We should be fine, but
I'll take another look.

[ASTRONAUT 4 ON RADIO]
Reading you five by on VHF.

[ASTRONAUT 5 ON RADIO] Actually,
let me know when you have

an updated state back quickly.

[SINCLAIR] Doppler shows closing
rate 12 meters per second.

[ASTRONAUT 5] Got it?
Guidance has accepted.

[SINCLAIR] Yeah, sure.
Control turn to auto.

[RAVI] Copy, Happy Valley.

Please confirm S-band, comm.

[ASTRONAUT 5] Confirming RTS...

RTS S-band at 1.53.

f*ck me.
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