01x01 - Tango Platoon

[bunniefuu]

Our galaxy - humankind

colonized space so long ago

that no one remembers which
came first - civilization

or the corporations.

But a centuries-old conflict
between the Grotto corporation

and our mortal enemy
- the mega corporation

known as Helion -

has led to endless wars
and broken planets,

making life for most on Grotto
planets, known as homeworlds,

a living hell
of indentured servitude.

And I was no different.

My only way out was to join
Grotto's army - the Reapers.

The Resource Exploration And
Procurement Engineer Regiment.

Also known as
the Salvage Marines.

Where the hazard pay is high

but the survival rate is low.

Sam! You with me?

You're holding up the line.
Again!

You're gonna
get us both written up.

Hey, sorry.
It won't happen again.

You do know this is
my last chance, right?

Can't afford
to lose this job.

You hate this job,
just as much as I do.

Hell, most days
even more.

It ain't that bad.
Shift's almost done.

Hit the bar
on the way home?

I gotta do something first.
I'll catch you there later.

Okay, big time.
I have no life!

We have a job

and, people,

when you provide
a service to the

Grotto corporation,

you are the hope, you are
the light, you are the magic.

People, you just
came here...

with your bodies
and your minds

and your commitment
and your faith.

You are the sustenance
of this mission.

You are the life, blood,
sustenance of my mission,

which means if you are ever down
in the cold, cold ground,

Grotto is down
in the cold, cold ground.

Yvonne White.

Yvonne White.
Recruitment will see you now.

..you want to
rectify?

Hop on a Reaper tug
and run the numbers.

People, this is a lock.
This is prepaid.

This is guaranteed.

This is the Grotto Corporation.
You wanna be a Reaper marine?

You sign up.

Samuel Hyst.

Samuel Hyst.
Recruitment will see you now.

..this is the job!

I can't hear you!

Look, it's not terribly uncommon
for somebody in your situation

to become frustrated
with their lot in life.

I get it.

You think that
this was a career

I wanted for myself?

I've crunched the numbers.
And at my current rate,

I'll never be able
to pay off my

life debt.

I'll just...
pass it on to my kid.

Like my father did to me.

That's just how
these things tend to go,

Mr Hyst.

You mentioned
something to me once.

You said, regardless
of my aptitude test,

there was always
another way.

If I was willing
to take the risk.

Reaper.

Son, that window closed
years ago.

There are no middle-aged
men just starting out

in Salvage Marines.

Why does
the Grotto care?

Dead at 25, dead at 45?
What difference

does it make?

To your wife and kid?
Plenty.

They're the reason
I'm here!

I wish you luck,
Mr Hyst.

People, when you
provide a service to

the Grotto Corporation,

you are the hope,
you are the light, you are

the magic, you are the...

Hey Stinger!
What gives?

Two more!

For Hyst.
And Takeda.

What's this?

Some kind of joke?

Don't tell me... the
anointed one's propaganda

finally got you duped?

Sura's pregnant.

Okay!

You just signed
your own death

sentence.

Then sign it with me.
Come on, it's only

a matter of time

before you wind up
in one of those

labor colonies anyway.

Your speeches
could use some work.

Could it be
worse than what

we're doing now?

Yeah, man.
I think it can.

I think it could be
way, way worse.

Do you even realize
what's out there, Sam?

Mercs... pirates...
monsters!

Don't believe
everything you hear

from off-worlders.

Do you ever stop to
think why it pays so well?

How they justify it?

Most people...

never come back.

That's the
whole point actually.

Sam?

Sorry I'm late.
I got caught up

at the bar with Tak.

Oh, that's fine.

Can you believe
it's been 10 years

since that photo of you?

No...
No, I can't.

I also can't
believe you used

that antique camera

you put together
with all those old parts!

I first saw you
through the lens

of that antique camera.

It brought us together.
I could never get rid

of either of you!

What's wrong?

Sura...

we need to talk.

Sura,
please come out?

I really think we should
finish talking about this.

What's there to talk
about?

Sounds like you already
decided for the three of us.

Come on, Sam!
At least

turn off the damn light
if you're gonna barge in!

Nothing's been decided.
If you tell me to stay,

we'll stay.

Do you know,
we need this?

You know the debt
my father left me.

It's an
endless cycle. I...

I want our son
to know a better

world than this.

And I want our son
to know his father!

He will, in time.

Not if you
don't come back.

I love you.
I wouldn't

change these past
10 years for anything.

But we need this.

Won't have to work
the food lines anymore.

Well, that's good,
since you realize

I've been stealing

most of our food from
the lines all these years.

Seriously?
Of course.

What, you think
this film is cheap?!

How soon?

Within a week.

If Tak and I join up
before end of the

current cycle,

there's a good chance
we can go on tour

together

and maybe even end up
in the same squad.

So whose idea
was this anyway?

It was this or him
facing jail time again,

wasn't it?

It was my idea.

I don't think I could
do it without Tak.

I'm just glad you'll
have someone there

watching your back.

It's two years,
Sura.

Two years, and we're
outta this hell hole.

Two years...

I was beginning to think
you had second thoughts.

Oh, I'm way past
second thoughts!

But it's not like
I can let you go

through with this alone.

If anything were to happen
to you, Sura would m*rder me.

Where's your stuff?

What the hell do
I have that's worth

taking to space?

So long as
I've still got you

to kick around,

that's all
I really need, right?

..Or you're the government...

People!
You come to Grotto

'cos this is what it is!
We are Grotto!

We own this!

We desire this!
We finance this.

That's right.
You heard it right.

You heard the propaganda.

Yeah, we are
in the business of...

This where we sign
our life away?

Digi-card,
thumbprint.

-That's it?
-Welcome to the Salvage Marines.

Flight time duration

is one hour, 48 minutes.

Hear about
the meal plan?

Yeah, I'm gonna miss
my four-course meals.

Missing home
already?

I've... never actually
been out of the city,

if you can believe it.

But, uh...

this is what you've
always wanted, remember?

"See the galaxy."

You don't get it.

I've never
flown before.

Well, it serves you right -
for never doing

a stint of
hard, off-world labor

like your pal Tak here.

This is perfectly safe,
trust me -

you might die on the job
but it ain't gonna be today.

Just sit back and...

enjoy the ride.
While you can.

You know, my parents died
on one of these?

I-I think it's gonna be
perfectly safe.

I think
I'm gonna be sick!

Recruit veto 0167...

This starts now!
Let's go! Let's move it!

What you waitin' on?
Let's go! Come on! Come on!

Pull up that dress!
Let's go! Let's go!

Man!

I've seen some sorry lots in
my lifetime but... Whooo!

..you take the cake!

And look at you!

You two get on
the wrong boat?

Or are we just

that desperate for new recruits,
we'll take anybody?

He really enjoys this,
doesn't he.

He really does.

Provided you don't wash out
or get yourself k*lled

in basic training,

you 15 will comprise
Tango Platoon.

You got three squads,
you got three squad leaders -

Boss Taggart,

Boss Ulanti...

..and you got myself,
Boss Marsters.

Assignments will be given out

once we've had the ability
to evaluate your deficiencies.

But until then...

welcome to
the Salvage Marines.

All crew members that have

recently joined us

from the Gamma Region,
please report to the

medical assessment bay

for your injection.

I think I'll take
that guy if you don't want him.

You want him?

I don't know.
Looks like he's

been through some stuff.

I'll take him.

- I'll take the...
- I'm good.

It's the artificial grav
plating.

I feel different.
Not lighter or heavier,

just different.

Takes a few days to
get your space legs.

How long ago
did you sign up?

Just after graduation.

Tried to cut it
in food service

but it wasn't me.

That's what
my wife does.

Or did, rather.

That's why I'm here,
to a degree,

so that she
doesn't have to.

She's pregnant.

You know that's
why I picked you

for my squad, right?

Whereas others
might see your age as

a disadvantage, I don't.

You're here
with a purpose, Hyst.

You're gonna be a great
asset to the squad.

What about Takeda?
Why d'you pick him?

Package deal.
Who better to keep

that ex-con in line

than the best friend
who's got everything

to lose?

Over the next
12 weeks of basic training,

you will be instructed
on weapons, operations and

assessment, marksmanship,

hand-to-hand combat,
salvage tool specifications,

spot-and-seam welding,
and zero G gravity performance.

Now, if that seems like a lot
to learn in not a lot of time,

you are correct.

Your training will continue
off-world aboard the tug

until you either retire...
or you die.

It never ends.

The purpose of these
next three months

is for us to assess
which of you is worth

the investment.

But before we can
even do that, we have to

whip you into shape.

The temperature
out here reaches

50 standards by midday.

Stay hydrated.
Stay alive. Good luck.

This is the job!
THIS IS THE JOB!

For your
information, this training

facility is a simulation

duplicating the exact
environment of your first

scheduled mission.

Make the best of it.

Come on!
You're gonna push

harder than that if you
wanna make my squad, reaper!

You kidding me?!
Come on!

Keep it goin'.

Chest to the ground...

Move it!

Move it!
Move it!

Come on! Get it done!
Come on!

Come on, move your candy asses!
Let's go!

Give it!
Give it!

Go!
Move!

Move! Move!
Move!

You are disgraceful!

Get up!

I wish I could say
I've seen worse first days

but that was an utter
sh*t show out there!

Good news, folks.
You get another chance tomorrow.

That, and you'll never get
a better night's sleep

than you will tonight.
I guaran-a*s-tee ya.

What a day.
Yeah.

Yeah, alright.
Let's, er...

Why don't we just address this
already.

Get it over with, yeah.

I'm Tak this here
is sad sack Sam,

and we're well aware
that we're both too old

to be new recruits.

But the joke is on you lot
since we're all probably

going to be dead within
six months but at least

we've lived a bit.

He's right. Life expectancy
of a Reaper sucks.

Best thing you can do
is stack your money

in case you get out,

and make every moment count
in case you don't.

What about you?
What's your story?

Come on!
Let's go squad by squad

- get to know each other -

before we cash out
or crash out.

I'm Yvonne white.
Uh, my husband, uh, did this

and it didn't turn out
so well,

and now I'm here
doing this so that

our son doesn't have to.

Meal plan.

That's your name?!

No! Patrick.

Grew up in one of Grotto's
Legacy institutions.

Legacy institutions,
huh?

That's just a fancy word
for, uh... orphanage?

But I guess
it beats "Sorry, kid,

for k*lling your parents."

That's my story too.

My dad died serving
with the Reapers.

Left my mother and I
when I was an infant.

She died of lung cancer,
working the lines.

Didn't want to saddle me with
another lifetime of debt so...

she took her own life.

In the end, I incurred
debt anyways.

So I guess this is my one
chance to get free of it.

I don't know about
all that.

I couldn't wait
to get off that

damn planet

sick of working on
the line and breathin'

in those fumes.

Harold Mar.

Like
Mar industries?

Yeah.

My family's rich
but they're crazy.

I'd rather die
with you guys than

live with my family.

What about you?
If I didn't know

any better, you actually
seem happy to be here.

I guess they
got me with the

'life of adventure' bit.

You know?
Yeah,

I want to see the galaxy.
Leave grotto behind.

I hate to be the bearer
of bad news but...

The name's Virginia.

..there is no leaving
Grotto behind.

What about you?
What's your story?

I'm here for the adventure.
And to get the hell off

of Grotto homeworld.

There nothing for me
down there.

I'm Jada Suk.

Well, you won't believe
how I actually ended up here.

So I was in line
over at the forge and...

As you were.
Finish your meals.

Relax. We get
plenty of rest.

Tomorrow is
going to test you

like never before.

In fact, if half of you are
still around by month's end,

I'll be impressed.

Well, I guess
you figured us for

safe bets.
Eh, boss?

After all, you must have, eh...
chosen us for a reason?

Maybe I got
last pick.

I like her.
Uh-hum!

Where the hell
do you think

you're going?

You heard the boss.
I'm going to turn in.

You do realize
that this mess hall

turns into a cantina
after hours. Right?

It was nice meeting
you all.

I'll see
you bright and early.

Hey! I wasn't sure
I'd actually get to

hear from you tonight.

Yeah, long day.
What do you

think so far?

I think it's...
gonna be really hard.

You can handle whatever
they throw at you, Sam.

I know you can.

I mean...

being away from you,
it's...

it's gonna be a lot harder
than I thought.

Don't worry.

It'll get easier.

We love you
though!

I love you too.

Down!

Up! Down!
Up!

Down!
Up! Down!

Oh, you can all to

a push-up now?!

Up! Down! Up! Down!

Let's go! Let's go!
Clockwork! Clockwork! Clockwork!

There we go!
There we go!

Start over! Start over!
Figure it out!

I have to admit.
I'm a little disappointed.

Not one of you
has dropped out yet.

Life does not grade on a curve,
ladies and gentlemen,

and neither do I.

I will make one of
you maggots drop out,

I guaran-a*s-tee ya that.

It's time to see
what you're made of,

Reapers.

-This is the job!
-This is the job!

- This is the job!
-This is the job!

- This is the job!
-This is the job!

- This is the job!
-This is the job!

Why the long face,
mate?

Maybe because you only call
when it's bad news.

Uh, come on, Sam.
You know my job as

a Grotto debt manager

is to look after ya,
help you manage

your debts

and any new ones
you might incur.

I plan on wiping out
that debt as soon

as possible.

Yeah, right.

Let's deal with
one debt at a time,

shall we?

I can see here that
you put in a formal enquiry

for a unit
on Space Station, pier 13.

Yeah.
I'd like to

transfer my wife there
after the baby is born.

Interesting.

Baen 6 not good enough
for your family, Hyst?

Uhm, Now that I have
a child on the way,

I thought it'd be nice

if my wife didn't have to work
the lines anymore.

You know, change of pace.

Yeah. Well, just make sure
you to live long enough.

You're no
spring chicken, Sam.

You don't want to leave
a mountain of debt

to your unborn son.

I'll keep that
in mind.

Make sure you do.

You want out?
Or another round?

Listen I'm easy.
I'm

up for it.
Come on,

let's do this, mate.

Okay!

Come on, mate!
This is, uh...

Dodger time.
Watch this.

Ooh!

Ooh. Yeah. That ugly...
Ugly dice.

Yes.
Had a bad day!

Sorry about that.
Are you sure, Dodger,

you wanna continue playing?

Yes,
I'm sure.

Are you completely sure?
'Cos I won't give you an

out again.
Last chance--

Just throw the dice, okay?
Let me worry about that..

Alright!

Come on, son!

No!
What's going on?!

Twin sevens!
Wins every time.

Cough 'em up, Dodger.

Yeah, well...
Cough 'em up.

Enjoy this one.

Hey, kid.
Mornin'!

Hey, mate.
What's going on, son?

Eh... Holo-dice really
isn't my thing.

Oh, come on, Mar.
We all know that you got

spare credit to kick around.

I don't know if I want
to play. I don't know.

Mar, you're looking
extra lucky today.

Give it a go.

Come on. It's fun.

It's easy.
Too easy!

Okay.

Okay, alright.

Right, so explain the
objective of this game.

Oh, it's very simple.

If you're the one that's
holding the holo-dice,

that means you are
the sh**ter.

Oh! Okay, so if I'm
sh**ting the dice, I'm

the sh**ter.
I'm keeping up.

That's what
I just said.

Okay, yeah--

He'll pick it up
quick.

So if you are the sh**ter,
all you have to do

is roll a higher
combination of number

than the previous player.

At the end of every
round, whoever has

the highest number...

Wins!

Oh, you did that together.
That's cute.

Well, feel free to
come and see our lounge act.

We play every Sunday.

But before that,
we make bets

each round, okay?

Okay.
Every round.

Okay?

Now, if you want to up the ante,
you can in between every throw.

And of course that
means the other players,

we can match that wager.

And the sky is the limit
when there is a sky.

Ah! I get the joke
'cos there's no sky

in space

'cos it's a void
so we can't play...

Just throw
the dice, kid.

Alright.
You know,

this is, this is
a simple-minded game -

it's perfect for
you too, honestly.

Oh, you know what, let's do,
er... 200, 300 credits.

That work for a beginner bet?

200? 300?

Cool.
That's cool with me

if you're cool with that.

Yeah, yeah, you can
buy in with that.

It'll suffice.

Oh! Cool!
Game on!

Oh.

That's... what...

that's, that's
the seven-seven!

That's like...
that's, like 14,

right?

I-I can read
the numbers.

Oh. Okay.

Just... sh**t
again.

Beginner's luck!

Here...

I'm in!
Let's do this.

Come on, Dodger!

Oh... t-that means

I win again, right?

Ah, I think
I like this game!

I figured you'd be
long asleep by now.

It's late.

It is late!

You could be a little
bit less--

Less what?
Less WHAT?

You.

You knew exactly
what you were getting

when you dragged me
along on this little

pleasure cruise--

God!
Shut up!

I'm gonna turn in...
Turn in.

Goodnight.

Today is a combat simulation.

Direct contact
will have impact,

and pain simulators
will be engaged.

Wow! This sim program
is almost real. Unbelievable.

It's way better
than the enviro-games

back on the homeworld.

Knock off the chatter, Reapers.

This ain't no video game.

I got your back!
Go! Go! Go!

Everybody, get down!
Find cover!

Hyst, what's your 20?

I'm in the building...
on your 6.

Find your way
round back.

Circle round.
Flank these sons of b*tches.

Yes, ma'am

Return fire!

Go! Go! Go! Move!

Come on, you sons of b*tches!

Fire in the hole!

Alright, Reapers.
It's go time!

Move out.

Check your corners.

Don't rush it.

Nice and easy.
Nice and easy.

Alright, Reapers.
Stay frosty.

Hey!

Jada!

Leave me.
Finish the objective.

You're nearly there.

You're the best shot
we got.

You're coming
with us.

You crazy?
Look at my leg.

I need a f*ck' medic!

I'm as good as you're going
to get out here.

Hold on.
This is going to hurt.

I gotcha.

Let's go.

I got this.
Have at it.

Yeah, and I'd have
gotten more had I been

up there!

Hyst! Interesting
tactic out there.

No Marine left behind.
Right, boss?

It's kind of
thinking like that

will get you k*lled.

Enjoy the win.

Good job, team!

Nice field triage,
Hyst.

Looks like we just found
our new squad medic.

Great. Now look
what you did.

Let's get you home.

So... do you think
that 0600 actually

means 0600 tomorrow?

Or, eh...

0400?

I don't know, but I'm
going to go to bed a few hours

early, just in case.

Why wait?!

Leftovers are
up for grabs.

Is he for real?
It's not even 1900.

It's 'cos he partied
too hard on night one.

Rookie mistake!
Hey, we're all

rookies, even the old guys!

I'm not too far
behind him.

Think I'll hit the cryo bath
first.

Otherwise I won't be
able to make it tomorrow.

Sounds good.
I'll join you.

It's a lot colder in

here than I thought.

It's
minus 80 standards!

What did you expect?

I dunno,
but not this.

You know,
if you don't like it,

you don't have to stay.

I guess you missed
the sign coming in here

that says you're not
allowed to do this alone.

One too many new
recruits fell asleep

and in the morning,
clean-up crew found

a human popsicle.

You're messing
with me.

Guilty!

Cute.

So there's nothing
for you on Baen 6?

Nothing I'll
ever miss.

If I never set foot
on Baen 6 again,

I'd be just fine.

Well, I got bad
news for you.

Less than 10 hours,
you're going to be

back on Baen 6.

It's going to be another
'worst day of your life.'

Today wasn't the
worst day of my life.

It was one of
the better ones

if I'm being honest.

What about you?
You were so quiet

during dinner.

Is there anything
for you back home?

My wife.
We're pregnant.

That's why I'm here.
I-I told her two years,

not a day more.

Two years.
That's a long time

to be apart.

Doesn't it
worry you?

Would, if we hadn't
already put in 10.

Plus, there's shore leave
every now and then.

It's not ideal,
but nothing in life

ever is.

Honestly...

I'm more worried
about making it

through tomorrow.

From what
I saw today,

you'll be just fine.

Done already?

Yeah.
That's

all I can take.
You sticking around?

I'm gonna...
finish the cycle.

Don't fall asleep!

Night!

Tango Platoon, report

to briefing room on C Deck.

We've assembled you here

because we've received
marching orders from command.

Now, here to fill you in
we've got Grotto Corporation

representative Tyrol Giaus.

Thank you
for the introduction,

Boss Marsters...

Who's this
upper crust.

A Grotto drone
of the highest order.

Gives me the creeps.

He works directly for
Anointed Actuary Kelkis.

..joining up with
Grotto Hive Fleet 822

for an immediate operation.

This is a new
mission, not the one you've been

training for in our simulation

but we have given you
additional credits

and added a training
program for this mission

to your modules.

With that, I apologize

but any previously scheduled
shore leave is now cancelled...

..but you will be compensated
fairly of course.

This guy sounds like a real
stick-in-the-sludge, but...

that does sound
like such a bad

deal actually.

I'll take the
credits any day.

Easy for you to say.
Sura was expecting me

to visit.

As you already know,
Hive Fleet is a mobile factory

and refinery -

it can tear through
an entire planet

in a matter of months.

but it has limited
marine presence and security.

Sector 5633
was recently deemed necrospace -

high fleet did a sweep
and found this...

This...

is our objective:

this space Hawk is easily
a hundred years old or more

and was found floating
around in our sector.

It has been
infiltrated by scavengers.

One thing we do know
for certain is that it has

its own armaments and defenses.

From surveillance photos,
we can see

that the scavengers
have grafted most

of the Hulk together

as part of their plan to
weaponize this piece of space

junk to attack Hive Fleet.

Intel suggests
this docking bay is our

most obvious point of entry...

..but since they'll be expecting
us, we'll just punch

right through the hull.

From the looks
of those g*ns,

it seems more
like pirate clans,

not squatters.

You're
probably right.

It's unclear how much
resistance we'll face

but we'll be piercing
the Hulk with as*ault craft,

working our way to the core

and eliminating
all hostiles in order to take

possession of the fuel cell.

Now, you'll have the
duration of your trip

to get to know
your boarding protocols,

Grotto's regulations,

and please log any
additional training before

we commence salvage operations.

Alright.
Dismissed!

How's the leg?

Doc says
a week or two,

and I'll be back
to full strength.

Convenient!

Too bad it's not zero G -
you wouldn't be putting

any weight on it.

Yeah, maybe we should
log some hours together

before we arrive,

get the leg
in shape.

Later.

What?

Hey! Wait up.
Back there

when you realized
that you weren't

gonna see Sura,

you didn't
seem particularly

broken up about it.

You didn't even imply
that she was going

to be that upset,

only that she was
expecting you.

You're reading
too much into it.

Again, am I?

Yes,
you are!

Alright.
I just

think that you're
lying to yourself.

I also think that...
you will miss Sura

but... you're going
to miss Jayda and the

rest of us even more.

Sura's my wife,
my pregnant wife.

I'm going to be
a father soon.

Other than staying alive,
I can't focus on anything

else right now.

Yeah, I get that.
I'm just saying that,

uh, gotta be careful, Sam,

'cos you and...

Jada. You're
only getting closer.

Someone's gonna
get hurt.

Alright, come on.
We gotta suit up,

Reaper.

Today...

..I wanna take this back.

I wanna take it
all back.

Take it back.

Take back the reasons.

Take back the sacrifice.

Take back the blood.

Take back the readiness,
the engagement,

the minefields,
the kills, the sacrifice.

Take it back
And, Reapers...

..let's go with a shockwave!

Let's go in trial.
Let's take it back!

Take it all back.

Almost showtime,
people.

This is the job!

This is the job!

Grotto salutes you...

God bless you all.