01x02 - There's Always Tomorrow

[bunniefuu]

I believe, I believe there's a reason

There's a breach in the hull

Started going under, loot and plunder

Cut 'em down, cut 'em
Down at the knees, yeah

Cut 'em down to the bone

Just a lesser evil, born unequal

You show them where they belong

Tear right through them,
tear right through them all

We pretend in the darkness

We pretend the night
won't steal our youth

Singing me the sweet songs of seduction

Let me be the fool, fool, fool

Who will live and die for you

We pretend in the darkness

We pretend the night
won't steal our youth

Singing me the sweet
songs of seduction

Let me be the fool, fool, fool

Who will live and die for you

Y'all look like y'all seen a ghost.

I don't believe it.

Is it just an AI that looks like him?

- Some kind of sick joke?
- Dios.

Really?

I was trying to, you know,
lighten the mood.

Doctor, if you'd please.

Yes, perhaps I'd better.

Hello, everyone. If...

Okay, if we can compose ourselves.

I can explain,

if we could all simply...

Yes, there you go. Deep breaths.

Count backwards from 10, all right?

Some of you may recognize me.

I'm Dr. Weller of the Polity's
Experimental Science Unit, the ESU.

And what we're about to discuss is...

Um...

What phrase do you use here?

Eyes-only, top secret...

Breathe a word of this
and I will k*ll you myself.

Well, I was going to talk about
what the Union would do to you

but clearly your colonel
is the bigger thr*at.

Holding for laugh.

Nope? Well, moving on.

Chase, is that you?

Yeah, man, it's really me.

I'm alive-ish.

Spoilers! Skip, skip.

I prepared an entire
speech building up to that.

Oh! Skipping.

Fine, may as well cut to the...

Right. Uh...

Yes, this really is Chase.

His MR overlay, to be clear, but, yes.

We recovered him from his crash.

He's alive and nearby.

How is that possible?

We saw the crash.

Yeah, you sure you're not dead, man?

Wanna game later, Siege?

It's him.

- Focus, please.
- How?

How are you here?

Chase is the very first
in a very special R&D program.

Shortly before the w*r began,

we had an extraordinary
breakthrough at the ESU.

Chase had been identified
as one of the few

compatible candidates
in the entire world.

Less than one in a million, really,

so we kept an eye on him.

When the incident in New York occurred,

we rushed to his aid

and have since made
every effort to help his recovery.

In return, he agreed to help us

with our secret little experiment.

Okay, this was already
gonna be awkward, but come on.

Doesn't anyone wanna know why?

What we've been up to?

The new mechs we just saw.

The new mechs you just saw, yes.

We call them Holons.

So they're not drones,
and they're not RC?

No. But there's no place
for a cockpit, no pilot.

And if Chase is still in recovery...

Oh, there's a pilot.

If you wanna be precise,
there are no human bodies

aboard the Holons, no,
but they are piloted

by a decanted human mind.

What?

We are at the dawn of a new age,

one where it is possible
to digitize the human mind,

grab it, and send it across
a brain-computer interface

so it can run
on an electronic mainframe,

or "mind frame" if you will.

Maybe "Ebrain."

Yeah, all right.
I'm still working on it.

It's certainly better than "cyber dome."

I'm telling you, it's gonna catch on.

Chase here is the world's first human

to successfully achieve
what we refer to as gen: LOCK.

Phase one anyhow.

Which in this case means
he uploaded his mind

to the cybernetic brain
inside his Holon,

allowing him to operate the mech

much as though it was his own body.

Ms. Madrani here represents
the second such success.

It was she who inhabited the other
Holon that aided you earlier.

It's obviously a lot to digest.

We should leave it here for now.

The ESU will be staying with us

while they identify additional recruits
for the gen: LOCK project,

mostly greenhorns who will need
to be taught proper tactics.

That's where we come in.

The gen: LOCK team will embed with us
as we conduct joint training exercises,

possibly some field operations,

depending on how it all goes.

Treat them as you would
any other fellow unit.

Dismissed.

They based an AI off of him?
I'm still confused.

No, I think they're saying
that's actually him.

I don't get it.

Just give us the new mechs.

- We'll show 'em how to fight.
- So he's actually on base?

You're telling me I can have
another beer with that dead bastard?

Only if you pour it in his t*nk.

Wait, y'all drive tanks too?

Hey, Chase!

Hey, Chase?

He's probably still mixed
into the briefing room.

He should return shortly.

Can I...

Uh...

You're always gonna win
the best scar competition,

- that's for sure.
- Thanks, amigo.

Not sure I wanted the honor, though.

'Sup, Chase?

You're looking good.

You lost weight.

'Sup, Migas?

- He calls you "eggs?"
- "Crumbs."

It was supposed to be "huevos."
We should tell her the story.

Come on, man! I just met her.

You know, he wasn't all there
before he wasn't all there.

Hey.

I have suspected.

So I'm just gonna ask.

No regen?

I mean, I know this would be a lot,

but there have been cases that...

Union nanotech.

Nasty stuff.

On the other hand,
if it hadn't infected him,

he wouldn't have lasted long enough
for us to find him, but no.

For all the ESU's new
techniques, it's too much.

I do not know if or when Chase

will be able to leave the t*nk,
physically, anyhow.

Whenever y'all are
done with the melodrama,

- just let me know.
- Yeah, in a minute.

So you looked for him,
helped him, above all others.

Why?

Gen: LOCK has been pressed
into service so early,

the process is still in
such a nascent, raw state.

It requires a very
unique nervous system,

a tremendous amount
of neuroplasticity in order to work.

But to be gen: LOCK compatible
and already have

a stellar career
in combat aviation, hmm?

That makes Chase one of the most
important pilots in history.

One. I said one, didn't I?

This isn't your moment.

Wait, when was this compatibility check?

Sorry, that's confidential.

No, I'm joking.

You were tested ages ago,
all of you really.

Anyone who worked for the Polity.

Oh, come now.

You don't think your health
is the only thing

being screened at your, you know,

your health screenings, do you?

The things they inject you with

and all the extra data
they collect that...

That you are presumably welcome
to inquire about

to your medical officer.

Moving on. Chase passed the Weller test.

And yes, he named it after himself.

When you invent technology that changes
the course of human history,

you're welcome to name
your procedures however you like.

Ah! Reminds me.

Some light reading.

- What's this?
- The Colonel didn't tell you?

During our stay,
you're pulling second shift

as the head of Holon maintenance.

You've got a thousand or three systems
to begin familiarizing yourself with,

and then we'll move on
to the outer armor.

You still here?

You might want to get cracking.

I'll need a tour around
one of these Holon things.

Deal.

Chase, it's good to have you back.

Thank you.

I'm not sure
how I expected this day to go,

but it could have been worse.

You sure about that?

There's always tomorrow.

That's the spirit!

No, I mean you should always be ready

in case things are worse tomorrow.

Our new recruits arrive tomorrow!

I know, yes.

Good night.

You all right?

Fiveby.

See you when you get up.

Music.

Give me Night Tunes Three.

Razor 2-7 on final. Anvil approach.

Pad is 3-5 left. Clear to land.

Now that's a big f*cking cairn.

I thought a cairn was a tomb.

It's a pile of rocks.

Yeah, that usually serves
as a monument or tomb?

Well, it's not like they've been
winning the w*r lately, have they?

That's because we haven't started yet.

You want to get on the front lines?

A ranger pretty much
lives on the front lines.

What about you?

I like fights I can win.

If you don't think you can win,
why are you here?

That's one of life's great mysteries,
isn't it?

Doesn't matter where anyone goes now.

They're coming for you.

We're somewhere all right.

Ms. MacCloud.

Iida-san.

Ms. Roma... Romanyza...

Valentina.

Specialist Sinclair.

Welcome to the Anvil.

So good to finally
meet you all in person.

That's a hell of a way to say hello.

That's nothing.

Wait till you see
what he does to you next.

I was joking.

He wasn't.

Caliban will stow your gear
in the hangar.

The hangar?

Don't we get bunks?

Not if you're not staying.

Okay, everyone who cannae ken what's up

with the mad scientist here, say "aye."

Aye.

Yes.

Aye.

I do get ahead of myself.

Apologies.

On behalf of the ESU,
thank you for all your time thus far,

testing for our program.
But you're not done.

Not quite yet.

But we passed.

You advanced to the finals,
but there are some things

we can only know if we deal
with each other eye-to-eye.

If it doesn't work out,

you'll be on your way home
on the next transport.

"Home," says he.

And we just got off the plane.

Mind if we refresh first?

Each minute we waste here
is another minute

before you meet your future.

Go!

Suit up and I'll catch you shortly.

Did he say "suit up"?

He's like a kid on Christmas morning.

Which makes us what?

His new puppies?

You're the new lab rats.

Come on.

It's cool.

Once you get to know her she's...

Nah, she's pretty much the same.

So that's the rest of 'em, huh?

I swung by the lab last night.

- Saw Chase.
- Don't you start.

Don't.

Whoa! Wait, what are those?

I'll catch up with y'all.

Come on.

Wait, wait, wait!

Hey.

- I...
- Why didn't...

We were...

They told us you were...

You let us believe...

You think I had a choice?

Biggest secret in the whole world.

You think they were just
gonna let me call my friend...

We were more than...

Four years with nothing.

Four years of me working to this,

a chance to be here, to see you again.

You're not even really here.

I am, but you gotta trust me.

I don't know what
you want right now, but...

Trust you?

I can't say I've worn
a uniform like this.

Cool, what even is this material?

And it's got what?

What are these optical fiber circuits?

And they all lead back up to...

Please, just suit up.

We will explain as we go.

I like it.

Ma'am, we have a possible
intruder situation.

Isolate them, now.

Do it quietly.

So if things don't work out,

we at least get to keep the suits?

You know, a souvenir?

They are prototype body armor

the ESU has been developing
for the Vanguard.

But let's wait for the doctor
to explain...

Freeze!

Hands in the air!

Did we fail already?

Did you think we weren't going
to catch a Union spy in our own base?

Yes, I was from the Union, but...

Huh?

If you'd please call Dr. Weller,
he can explain.

Lady, we're talking about him.

Screw it.

Secure her too and
we'll sort it out later.

You couldn't have
waited like ten more minutes?

Seal the room!

Sound the...

Huh?

Cammie, make yourself useful!

Hmm.

We should be fighting them together,
but, no, you were weak.

Okay, I'm starting
to get the alarms working.

The hell?

Get him! Sinclair!

The shite's a spy!

You don't know how good you had it.

- Boo!
- Huh?

No, Doc! Wait!

Whoa! Easy.

You will not take him.

You understand you're aiming
at the most important mind

in the entire Polity.

Hmm? Oh! Me.

I'm certain she's aiming at you,
but that's nice of you to say.

Well, Yasamin.

You were right about
how today could go...

Don't worry.

There's only one thing he's here for.

I got this.

- Well, this is exciting.
- Shut up.

I very much doubt you could
falsify test results,

so either they turned you...

Shut up.

Or you're not really Sinclair.

Cal, start gen: LOCK.

Emergency override.

There we go, progress.

Presumably you k*lled him then?

What is your plan anyhow?

No, I'm really curious.

What do you want?

How do you think you'll get away?

The answer's one and the same.

Down! Get down on the ground now!

Yeah, I really don't
think that's happening.

Just once,

could an engineer
follow naming conventions?

Hey?

'Sup?

Excuse me.

40-foot-tall dude coming through.

Okay, I'll just finish up later.

Okay, which one is he gonna grab?

Well.

I know someone who'd very
much like to say hello to you.

Open that door!

I suggest everyone stays
very, very still.

Here's the deal.

I want a Holon.

Order the droid to upload me,
or I turn the smoke loose.

What happens after that is on you.

We're really not here
to negotiate with you.

I'll be leaving here
with one of the brains,

with me running on it.

But if you upload, you leave your body.

Colonel, he clearly has the upper hand.

Now!

Order him now or I do it.

Come on, come on.

Caliban, plug in this gentleman
and initiate gen: LOCK.

Destination, unit two.

Absolutely not!

What the hell? Where are you?

Guys, how's it going in there?

Guys?

And that is why you want
to be gen: LOCK compatible.

So, who wants to go next?

Any takers?