04x01 - Ghost in the Machine

[bunniefuu]

You tired?

Want to ride in one of the vehicles?

I can do it.

[ Sighs ]

You know, the best football players use hill training in the off-season.

Walter Payton used to say that you got to climb until your legs feel like sand.

Who's Walter Payton?

And then until they feel like water. And then stop?

And then keep climbing until you can't feel your legs at all.

[ Grunts ]

He ain't heavy. He's my brother!

[ Laughs ]

You gonna make it up this hill, old man?

Old man? Whew.

I've already been to the top. I'm on my second lap.

How long have we been traveling, anyway? 20 days?

22.

And a half. But who's counting?

[ Laughter ] I'm gonna get you!

Lexi, careful!

I got her, I got her.

Guess this beats Brazil.

Look, Maggie.

You've been weird with me ever since Karen.

Did what I had to do, Hal.

Watch this.

Jeanne: Dad!

[ Horn honks ]

Eyes front, soldier!

[ Laughs ]

Is that the green light to blow off a little steam, Colonel?

Affirmative, Detective. Blow at will.

I heard that.

[ Sighs ]

I'm just happy to be home.

If that's what we're calling this.

We're here, bro.

We made it.

Oh, Charleston. Home sweet home.

All right.

What about you, sweetheart?

You ready to go home?

We don't all have to die here.

Oh, no.

[ Engines whining ]

Weaver: Countermeasures now!

Spread out!

[ Laser fire, indistinct shouting ]

[ g*nf*re ]

Aah!

Scramble!

Let's go! Let's go!

Move, move! Over here!

[ g*nf*re ] Fall back!

Lexi! Hold my hand.

They're fencing us in!

Take her!

Anne: Lexi!

Anne!

Lexi!

Lexi! Lexi!

Mommy! Where's Matt?

I don't know! Find him!

Lexi!

Let me go! It's okay!

Lexi! No! No!

Lexi!

Tom!

[ High-pitched ringing ]

[ Muffled g*nf*re ]

Matt, run!

[ Soft music plays ]

[ Music continues ]

♪ Falling Skies 4x01 ♪
Ghost in the Machine
Original Air Date on June 22, 2013

[ Blows ]

I think that's right.

Weaver: I told you. It can't have her!

You think throwing me in solitary is gonna stop me?!

I'll have your skitter balls on a skewer!

All six of them! Hey!

Those flying things. Hey! Dan, is that you?!

Come to collect us every day!

Tom: Dan!

Dan, it's Tom! Tom!

Tom!

Where are you? Over here.

Tom?

[ Laughs ]

Oh, man!

I'm so glad you're still alive!

Oh, yeah. Right back at you.

You have no idea.

It's been very quiet in here.

What happened to everything, man?

The Volm, your friend Cochise...

What's with the vanishing act?

See, I knew they'd betray us, huh!

Let's not be so quick to judge. We don't know everything.

How's your heart? What?

Nothing wrong with my heart. Don't worry about my heart.

Ain't nothing wrong with my heart.

You just promise me one thing, Tom.

You don't let those things get you.

Here's one now.

[ Chittering, screech ]

What the hell are they?!

I don't know.

I don't want to know.

[ Hissing ]

[ Woman screams ]

Give me that food!

I need this food! Get off me!

No! I have a baby!

Give it to me!

[ Buzzing ]

[ Screeches ]

I ever tell you I wanted to be a fighter pilot as a kid?

No. You didn't.

I'm sure that's a great story, though.

Now, wise up, Top g*n. It's almost time.

Hey, man. How do we know that thing ain't watching us?

Doesn't make a whole lot of difference.

This right here is probably about to k*ll us, anyway.

[ Clatter ]

[ Skitter growls ]

All right.

Now, hold on. This is my dad's idea.

This could be dangerous.

I ought to be the one that throws it.

Relax, man. Your dad's right.

Electricity is electricity. Physics is physics.

We're just gonna blow that breaker, short out that little, green fence.

Ain't no different from the time I tried to pirate free power in my sister's trailer.

Whole block went dark.

Besides, I got the better arm.

Oh, please.

All right. On three now.

Here, I'll feed you.

You ready? Yeah.

One... two... three.

[ Electricity crackles ]

We need more power.

[ Sighs ]

Where's the closest Walmart?

Time.

[ Stopwatch clicks ]

6 grenades, 18 seconds. Not good enough.

Prep it again. Anne, you don't have to...

Reflexes, technique. Again.

Pack up your gear.

We're moving out in 20. Anne!

You don't think maybe you should give the men some rest?

Or at least establish a link with the Volm?

The Volm picked up their mother ship and left three weeks after they got here.

That was months ago.

You're still waiting for them to come back home with the ice cream? I know.

And you've done an amazing job stitching this team together from a million spare parts.

All right, but you're running us ragged.

Almost three days, no sleep?

Do they sleep, Anthony? I don't.

My daughter is still missing.

I just got an update from our scout 1,800 klicks west from here.

Looks like our sharpshooters taking out those Beamers on their supply routes have the enemy scrambling.

They're using old semitrucks to transport materials to their bases.

18-wheelers and a CB radio?

Huh. They trying to trick us by going analog?

How reliable is this? Tight.

The truck they've pegged will pass three miles from here.

If this is confiscated a*mo, this can answer some prayers.

What time are they due to come through here?

9:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Looks like you'll get your wish, sleepyhead.

Oh, my God.

You're awake!

Don't move.

Ben!

Maggie!

What happened? Where am I?

I was so worried you were gonna leave us.

It was a frontal-lobe coma, but luckily Lourdes was able to stabilize... whoa.

Where's Hal? Where's Matt?

Dad! Dad! They're not here.

Lexi was... where's Lexi? Where's L... where's Lexi?!

Ben, you need to rest.

You're gonna see her soon.

Ben... you're not gonna believe it.

[ Indistinct shouting ]

Welcome to Chinatown.

I... don't any of these people know there's a w*r on?

The w*r hasn't touched us here.

What are you talking about?

Lourdes: You're up. Lourdes.

She said you would be.

You look amazing.

You want to see Lexi?

I'll bring you to her.

The fact is, there is no w*r here.

This is a place committed to peace, to nonviolence.

You can commit to whatever you want, Lourdes. The Espheni...

The Espheni haven't come near this refuge.

We've been here months.

They've att*cked every other region surrounding us.

Swept humanity clean everywhere but here.

Now, how do you explain that?

Come on.

Hey! Lexi!

Lexi! Lexi!

Lexi: Ben?

Don't you recognize your sister?

It's me.

Lexi.

I don't understand.

Lexi was a little girl.

I've changed, Ben.

How? It's n...

I really don't know.

What is that?

It means unity.

Unity with... with who?

For all three of us, Ben.

Everyone's ready for you.

Thank you.

I'm so glad you're feeling better.

Lexi: Isn't it funny how you had to protect me and now I have to protect you?

What do you mean, you have to protect me?

I thought you explained this to him, Lourdes?

That's the reason we're all here...

To protect each other, to live peacefully without w*r.

No, um, no. Wait a minute.

I'm taking you out of here right now.

We're gonna go find Hal and...

[ Breathing heavily ]

Ben, you're still not well.

You'll be safe here.

I promise.

Just...

No, wait. Stay away from me.

Tom: 1,006, 1,007, 1,008, 1,009.

10.

Man: They're dropping food!

[ Indistinct shouting ]

All right, all right! Back up! Back up!

Y'all know the rules!

Are you deaf, huh?!

Get your hands off of that. That's mine!

Hey! What the hell you doing, man?

Get the hell out of here!

If you haven't noticed, it's food drop, junior.

I'm just trying to survive the hell hole your father put me in.

Shut up. Hey! Hey! Stand back!

Some friend you turned out to be!

That was before you started hoarding food!

All right. This ain't doing anybody...

[ Motorcycle approaches ]

[ Screeching ]

Tom: All right, you bastards. I see where you're coming from.

Whoo!

[ Skitters screeching ]

[ Skitter hissing ]

Okay.

The first two came from behind the old bank building.

Next one came from the southeastern alleyway.

At least a half a dozen skitters coming from the southwest.

[ Weaver moaning ]

Weaver: Put Jeanne down!

Jeanne!

Dan? It's okay, Tom.

It's nothing. I just...

Oh. I... go back to sleep.

It's nothing.

See, I knew there was something special about Jeanne those flying things wanted.

But I begged them to take me. They wouldn't.

They flew away with her.

I att*cked them! Came after them.

They got me, and they threw me in here.

Listen, I'm working on a way out of here.

Out of the whole ghetto.

They'll k*ll us long before we escape!

Unless we k*ll them first.

It's not about k*lling us anymore.

I mean, think about it.

I've been in solitary for two months.

They know I'm a thr*at.

And yet they continue to feed me, keep me alive.

They're not using the eye worms anymore, are they?

No, they want us lucid. They want us sane.

Why?

Sometimes conquering armies find uses for their prisoners.

So, we've gone from being a nuisance to a resource?

Resource? For what? I don't know.

[ Inhales deeply ]

But something's changed.

[ Grunts ]

They need us. So...

What do we do?

I'm still thinking about it.

All right. Well, you keep thinking.

Let me know when you think up an AK-47.

Narrator: Indigenous peoples of hundreds of worlds have always prospered once accepting the Espheni as their kindred brethren.

We feed the hungry, shelter the desperate, unite former enemies.

The free exchange of natural, intellectual, and biological assets promotes a harmonious coexistence with the Espheni and its longstanding credo.

Protection, charity...

All: Brotherhood.

Narrator: You are the new coalition, but beware.

When we hoard supplies, disseminate propaganda, or, most egregiously, hide or protect the rebel dissidents, conflict is inevitably prolonged.

So be resilient.

You are the next generation to walk the Espheni path.

You are the future, and only you can bring us all...[/i]

All: Together.

[ Chairs scrape ]

Kent: New coalition.

Who's hungry?

All: I am, team leader.

He's kidding, right?

We haven't eaten since yesterday. Shh!

Line up!

What is the earth?

The earth is a gift.

The new coalition must protect it with our Espheni brothers.

Joined together, we will build a beautiful world.

How do we feel about the old ways?

Skip: Adults in hiding must let go of the old ways for the good of many.

We pledge to rescue them by reporting the whereabouts to... to, uh...

I-I-I'm sorry, team leader. I...

I guess you'll do better next time.

Let's finish Skip's thought for him.

What about our parents?

My parents are dead!

The skitters k*lled them.

These are all lies!

[ Whistles blow ]

[ Whistles stop ]

Mira, you're new around here.

There is a lot of false propaganda you have to unlearn.

It'll all make sense to you soon.

Eat.

Mr. Mason!

How could you let her say something like that?

I'm sorry, team leader.

I haven't had the chance to explain to her about... are you making excuses?

I wanted you to lead this squad.

She'll come around, team leader.

I'll see to it. That's more like it.

Eat up.

Have you gotten used to the fact that there's no kids around here anymore anywhere?

What the hell is that about?

I got missing kid brothers, Tector.

I don't want to think about that.

It's all I ever think about.

Gilligan: Did I do something wrong, Skipper?

Skipper: Of course not.

Sit down. Here. Take my chair.

What do you want to talk to me about, Skipper?

[ Laughs ]

You got to be kidding me.

Gilligan, you never had

$3 million before.

Where'd you get all this stuff?

Get the hell out of here now!

I didn't think so. Hal: Jesus.

Are you with them?

You trading information for skitter favors?

I ain't trading anything with anyone.

You forget, junior, I've been in jail before.

I understand how to work the system.

Now, get the hell out of here.

We just thought you could help us. There is no more us.

Next time you want to reinvent the rat race, find yourself another rat.

Come on, Pope. Just lend us your genny.

We need 3,000 Watts.

No.

Whose side you on, anyway?

Same side as always, Hal. Mine.

Gilligan: No, sir, I haven'tkipper: Didn't think so.

Don't let that door slam you in the ass on the way out. Let me tell you something.

You're gonna find a big change in some of the people around here.

What do you mean? Well, take this morning, for example...

Hey!

All right, all right! Hey! Hey!

Take it easy! I got this!

[ Grunts ] [ Groans ]

Stay down, junior.

You're gonna get hurt.

[ Spits ]

Boy, you coward.

Grow up, junior.

Boy, you are your daddy's son.

You sure that thing works as a detonator?

All a fertilizer b*mb needs to blow up is a radio frequency.

Let's move.

Anne: Okay.

We blow the bridge 100 yards before the truck reaches it.

I don't want my a*mo going into that creek bed.

Then we move into position behind it quickly.

Drop the driver before he knows what hit him.

Who do you think's driving it? A collaborator.

Okay, ready to blow the bridge?

Ready?

Now.

Bastards must have jammed the radio frequency!

d*ck, give me your shirt!

My shirt?

Now! Take it off!

Are you all right? I'm fine.

Let's go.

Anthony, open 'er up. Let's get that a*mo.

He's dead. Collaborator.

Anne?

You might want to see this.

[ Children whimpering ]

Hey. Get away from me!

You can't act like that around here.

You'll be on the first truck out. Good!

I don't want to be here. Shh.

Look, I'm trying to help you.

This is a re-education camp.

Don't you ever watch the History Channel?

Sure, I guess.

The Nazis had these youth camps to brainwash kids to be soldiers or spies or whatever.

Like Rolf?

Haven't you ever watched

"The Sound of Music"?

Sure, I guess.

Listen. A few of us are meeting in my room.

Dorm 337.

8:00 p.m. be there.

[ Grunting ]

Yeah!

Come on!

Yeah!

I'm not gonna sit around here and wait my turn to be exterminated.

I'm gonna find Jeanne.

Hey! I want to make a deal! Tom: Dan?

What are you doing?

I'm gonna find Jeanne.

She's out there all alone, Tom.

She's waiting for me. She wants to find me.

Listen to me. You need to calm the hell down right now.

I promised her. You're not thinking straight.

I need you, and pretty soon I'm gonna need you more than ever.

Don't do this.

[ Skitter hissing ]

Dan!

Don't do this!

There you are.

I know what you're feeling right now. Come on.

Look at me! Look at me!

Tom: You do this, they're gonna k*ll you, and you'll never find her.

[ Skitter hissing ]

[ Sighs ]

[ Growls, hisses ]

I'm gonna find you, Jeanne.

I'm gonna find you.

Denny: Have you seen this little girl?

N-no. Okay.

There aren't any harnesses on these kids.

Where the hell are they taking them and why?

I don't know.

But none of them have seen Lexi, but I'm gonna keep asking them.

And then what? Anne?

Then we split up.

We lead these kids to our checkpoint at Lake Moultrie.

And then?

Then the rest of us follow this road.

Wherever they were leading these kids, maybe Lexi's there, too.

Are you sure? No, I'm not sure, Denny.

But you guys have any better suggestions?

Been a long time, Cochise.

Too long.

I didn't think it was gonna take four months for this to light up.

Where have you been?

I would have gotten here sooner if I could, but I found this perimeter to be unexpectedly impenetrable.

No, I mean the Volm. Where the hell did you guys go?

Did your father turn his back on us?

My father doesn't consider you much at all when it comes to larger Volm operations.

Earth is not our only battlefront with the Espheni.

So, after all his talk about liberating humans from the yoke of the Espheni, he just... up and abandoned the whole deal, huh?

Yes. You are correct.

We did abandon you, but the greater Volm force had to go.

And now I feel your pain of displaced loved ones.

What are you talking about? Go? Where?

My father redirected our fleet to the Alicante 8 cluster.

It is where we hid our brood mates and hatchlings...

Our family... from the Espheni.

Hoping they would escape notice.

They did not.

We had to defend them or risk extinction ourselves.

We got about a minute before that thing circles back around.

And I've got a million questions, starting with how the hell do we get out of this mess?

How many Volm are left on earth? Is your father coming back?

A handful of Volm units remain, scattered about the globe, small recon teams.

We believe the Espheni are constructing a new power source, which would neutralize any further attempt to liberate humanity once and for all.

What kind of power source?

That is as much as I can say for now.

Otherwise, we are not to engage the enemy under any circumstance.

My squad is displeased that I have made this detour from our patrol.

They get nervous. They'll get over it.

I've got one more thing.

Hal is in here with me, but my sons, Matt and Ben, and my daughter, Lexi, and Anne... are lost.

I will look, but I can make no guarantees I will find them.

I know you can find them.

You found me.

One thing I have learned...

These ghetto camps are worldwide, Tom.

We do not know what the Espheni's new plans are for their human prisoners, but I'm afraid the human race is facing extinction.

I appreciate you putting yourself at risk.

Thanks, Chief.

Keep the faith...

Chief.

Now, what if we just took the damn zeppelin out?

[ Chuckling ] Yeah, right. Good luck with that.

Dingaan: You need more than luck, my friend.

Your first problem is getting through that defense perimeter.

And who the hell are you?

Dingaan Botha.

Phoenix utilities, Johannesburg.

I see you haven't heard of it.

No.

I saw the way you stand up to that clown who hoards the food.

I admire your ability to [Chuckles] take a punch.

Oh, funny guy.

Where'd you come from?

Breaking in, breaking out.

That's what I'm here to discuss.

Discuss what, now?

I've escaped from these ghettos before.

Richmond, Greensboro, Charlotte...

Each time, the black hornet found me, carried me to the next drop.

Each time, I escaped again.

There is a way out.

Weaver: Need me more than ever, huh?

[ Chuckles ]

So, Jesus, Mason. What the hell are you up to?

Sounds like you're feeling better.

[ Drawer slams ]

I found a way to sneak back into the general population.

Mm. I gathered that.

What I don't get is if you can get out of here, why the hell would you come back?

I told you.

I'm working on a way out of here.

For all of us.

What are we waiting for?

Still too risky.

We don't know enough about the enemy yet.

As long as they think I'm rotting in here with you, they won't suspect that I'm out there getting information.

You want to fill me in, Tom?

[ Water running ]

Where are my g*ns, Maggie?

I told you. We put down our g*ns.

I know Lourdes and the others are talking like religious freaks about peace and love, and I can't make any sense of what's happening to Lexi, but you can't tell me that you're like them, 'cause, sorry, I know you, and I'm not buying it.

I've spent every day for months walking this perimeter, looking for some sign of encroachment.

Nothing.

Look, Lexi says if we pick up our g*ns, they pick up theirs.

Maybe she's right.

Maggie.

Look, I've been running from the devil my whole life, Ben.

Been a fighter since the day I was born...

First against my father, then against cancer, against every stinking skitter and mech out there.

I'm still a fighter, Ben.

I'm telling you, there's no fight anymore.

I know you're not crazy, Maggie, but the minute a mech finds this place...

You want to see something crazy, Ben?

A few months ago, a mech did find this place, just after you were injured protecting Lexi.

I wanted to k*ll it or run.

A lot of people did.

But Lexi told us we didn't have to.

She kept saying, "Wait. Wait."

And then...

I swear to God, Ben, it was struck by a bolt of lightning.

It was a miracle.

Suddenly everything in the world seemed to stop.

I mean, I don't know how it happened.

It was a stormy night, but... Lexi said it was gonna happen, and then it did.

Maybe Lexi does have the answer to ending this w*r.

I mean, who... who am I to say she's wrong?

Who are you to say it?

They're not harnessing kids anymore because they've got a new plan...

To brainwash us until we don't even believe what we see with our own eyes.

We're pretending to go along.

For now.

But then we're gonna screw these guys hard.

You in?

Hell, yeah.

[ Gasps ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

Oh. That dream again?

It's a memory.

I'm on the Espheni ship.

And Karen... Is somehow touching me...

Inside.

[ Breathing heavily ]

I have to find Lexi.

I'm gonna create a distraction.

We're gonna build an escape plan...

...while they're out chasing phantoms.

You really think we can find a way out of here?

Put your family back together?

Not just my family.

Our family.

The 2nd Mass.

Well, count me in.

Well, that's good.

Better get some sleep, partner.

[ Sighs ]

'Cause pretty soon the gloves are coming off.

[ Beeping ]