01x03 - Second Birthday

[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

[Cammie] Are you mental?

[Able on PA]
Dr. Weller, please report to Ops.

[Cammie] The Polity grabs us,

telling us there's a science
project only we can help with.

We get shipped to the middle of nowhere

only to be locked in
with a Union spy who tries to k*ll us.

But he only gets fried

because he tried to use the very same
tech you're trying to plug us into.

And now we're supposed
to carry on, la, la, la,

like nothing ever happened?

Do I have any of that wrong, Longshanks?

Privacy windows, please.

You have the gist of it,
but I'd apply a less sarcastic tone.

I think sarcasm helps us
see things more clearly.

[in Japanese]

[Able]
Dr. Weller, please report to Ops.

I'll be there in a minute.

Valentina, you're quiet.

[Valentina]
Sometimes it's simply fun to watch.

We're not here for fun.

You sure?

Look at this crazy party you've thrown.

And you invited a spy, now dead,
a ghost, also dead.

I take offense to that.

Hosted by the absent-minded professor,

and the Union stray he took in.

You have no idea.

Yasamin.

- No idea the cost to be here.
- [Valentina continues speaking]

- All because of...
- I want to be here.

I want to fight them.
Why are you here?

So do not lecture me
about the cost of fighting.

It was not my Union!

Dr. Weller, you are
urgently requested

to join Colonel Marin in Ops.

Mix into my lab again
without permission,

and I will rewrite you to speak

only in Gilbert and Sullivan lyrics.

More of a Dylan fan, I suppose.

Well, this conversation
has been delightful,

but I believe it's
the Colonel's turn to berate me.

Chase, feel free to take over.

You can't make things worse,
I don't think.

[sighs]

[door closes]

[woman on comms]
Negative, we're falling back.

[g*ns f*ring on comms]

[Marin] Understood.

V103 and V104 will maintain suppression

until transports are past the 88th.

[woman] Yes, ma'am.

[Marin]
I'm transferring you to Anvil Tactical,

they'll coordinate
the withdrawal from here.

[woman] Acknowledged.

[Marin] Anvil Tower, Colonel Marin.

ETA till the medivacs arrive?

[man on comms] Two hours, ma'am.

We'll be ready to receive them
in front of Hangar 2.

Page me when they land.

Damn it.

That didn't sound good.

It wasn't. Follow me.

We need to figure out
your next destination.

That's funny, you make it sound
like we won't be staying.

You're compromised.

Wherever Holcroft was sending
you next, it's time to go.

Union knows you're here.

Then it's a good thing
you transferred us, isn't it?

Where better to dig in

than at one of the Vanguard's
biggest strongholds?

They'd be fools to att*ck.

They did just att*ck.

A Union operative replaced
one of your recruits,

got onto my base with nanotech on him.

[exclaims in Spanish]

I can help with that.

I've had some thoughts
about the signal they used.

It was a massive risk bringing you here.

It made sense when I thought

it would give us a better
chance in the w*r,

but I do not believe the risk is worth

wasting time trying to make
soldiers out of these children.

They are hardly children.

Let me go! Get me the f*ck outta here!
[grunting]

Nobody goes anywhere
until the Doctor returns.

[Cammie groans]

[in Japanese]

Valentina, yo.

[in Japanese]

I would choose my
next words very wisely.

[in Japanese]

Man, I'm just trying to warn ya,
she'll kick your ass.

[gasps]

Act like adults, would you?

You're being ridiculous.

And you are nowhere near giving me
a single functioning squad,

when I was led to believe
I'd have my first full platoon by now!

I led you to believe nothing.

You knew how far we were
from mass production.

You could have more candidates
if you'd work on advancing gen: LOCK.

And I will,
but I can't do that, recruit,

and make the program field-ready
all at the same time.

I'm only one person!

I can't just clone myself.

Believe me, I've tried.

Your new recruits will wash out.

Benefit of the doubt, please.

We haven't even
begun their training yet.

The problem is more fundamental.

Look at their files.

Their lives were in disarray
to begin with.

Now they're in shock
with the very first att*ck.

By their very nature,
gen: LOCK candidates

are the most resilient,
adaptable people you'll ever meet.

They'll get past this.

I guarantee,
they'll become the best fighters

you've ever seen.

[Valentina] I'm not here to fight.

I was told
I was needed for scientific research.

Well...

Yeah, research, on how to fight better?

I was in the resistance
against the Union

even before New York.

I've been fighting one way
or another my whole life.

I'm done now.

And you'll need more than that android

if you try to stop me from going.

You want to leave?

Gen: LOCK will give us
the edge we need to strike back.

More revenge.

What's that going to solve?

w*r never changes anything.

People themselves are the problem

and more fighting won't alter that.

I've done my bit.

Let the world tear itself apart.

I'm going to live it up while I can.

I'm going to leave a beautiful corpse,
an open bar tab

and no regrets.

[Julian] Self-fulfilling prophecy.

[speaks Russian]

You're gonna go live it up
like there's no tomorrow,

which is gonna make sure
there's no tomorrow.

I can guaran-damn-tee
you'll have one last regret

as the Union nano hits
wherever you been partying at.

You'll think, "Maybe I could
have changed this and I didn't."

[Weller] It's a bit late
for regrets now, isn't it?

Let's not forget,
the Union wouldn't be hunting us

if gen: LOCK hadn't been militarized.

They would come for you,
one way or the other.

Even if you'd stayed
on the West Coast.

Six months from now,
you'd be dead or conscripted,

and the Union
would take gen: LOCK anyway.

Six months?

That's Command's estimate.

Six months till the Polity
is pushed out of North America,

unless we turn the tide.

Go tell your recruits,
see if that motivates them.

Even if you don't trust me,
listen to the Doctor.

Trust him.

I trust no one.
It's why I'm still alive.

[door opening]

[Weller] In a way, she's right.
You all are.

I'd like to start over.

Wouldn't we all?

I'm glad you don't blindly give trust.

Sign of a reasonable mind.

But we do need to start somewhere.

Let's get to brass tacks.

You are all we've got.

Way to sell it.

We need you.

You have an opportunity
no one else has.

To master this new technology.
And in doing so,

perhaps turn the tide of the w*r.

You think we're gonna Luke Skywalker
the w*r for you?

That's a very nice fairy tale.

[in Japanese]

I wouldn't want it any other way.

If you want to return
to your previous lives,

I'll tell the Colonel anything you want.

That you were incompatible after all.

You'll be free to go.

All I ask is that
you try gen: LOCK one time.

Can't say I'm crazy
about trustin' my brain

to a piece of tech that k*lled
a man right in front of us.

It does do something
besides k*ll us, am I right?

[Weller] Hmm.

Chase, you're still
mixing in from your Holon?

A-ffirmative.

Why don't you let our Vanguard friends
know we're ready for a lesson?

Yaz, would you mind uploading?

Go set up the playground.

Of course, Doctor.

Caliban?

Are we to use the hanger?

It's such a beautiful day,
let's hold class outside.

Please, set up over by Hangar 2.

Anvil Ground, this is ESU2.

Huma is waking up,
taxiing to Staging Area One.

[man] ESU-2, Anvil Ground, clear taxi,

hold at 3-5 right for landing traffic.

Taxi and hold, ESU2.

[beeps]

[Cammie] That's a... It's a...

What is that, anyhow?

[in Japanese]

That's the biggest
drone I've ever seen.

She's controlling it from here?

She is the mech now.

Her mind has uploaded
to the cyberbrain.

Huh.

Okay, that's kinda cool when it works.

It works fine,
provided you are psychologically fit

and neurologically compatible
with the system.

[in Japanese]

Might as well put your brain
in a microwave.

- [all gasp]
- So, who wants to give it a go?

Iida-san?

[in Japanese]

[smirks]

What?

I just never met anyone
named after a kazoo, is all.

That's what I said.

[in Japanese]

Miss Romanyszyn? Val?

Valentina, please.

And not yet, thanks.

Oh! Piss. Really?

Can you give me a few days
to QC your code, at least?

Fortune favors the bold.

[groans]

Okay, we get it, you still got game.

[Julian] I never lost it.

You, on the other hand, never had it.

Man, I might actually get bored.

Maybe if you turned off Aim Assist?

[Julian] I don't know what
you're talkin' about.

What are those for?

[Yaz] Presents. Are your
Vanguard companions joining, or not?

[Julian]
I mean, yeah, they're supposed to.

Joint training and all that.

Yeah, here they come.

Then you don't think this is weird?

I didn't say that.

[Jodie] I think it's weird.

I mean, I wanna be
welcoming and all, but...

Please, let it go.

I will find a way to talk to him.

You want me to tell him about us?

Do I need to do it?

Are you out of your mind? Let's go.

Chase and Yasamin are downstairs,
ready to catch you.

Are you ready, Miss MacCloud?

[sighs] Down the rabbit hole.

Let's do this.

Clear your mind.

Listen to your breathing.

The goal is to lower heart rate
and blood pressure.

Just relax.

Just be.

You should sense a pulse,

a repeating pressure
you've never felt before

at the edge of your mind.

That's gen: LOCK's sync signal,
looking for you.

Give into it, reach for it,
go to that sensation.

Go to the light,
grab it and then hang on.

Kazoo.

If I wink out,
you can have my manga collection.

[in Japanese]

What's wrong with you?

[Cammie chuckles]

[Cammie] Hiya. How ya doin'?

Don't mind me, just learnin'
how to walk [chuckles] again.

Oh! This is incredible.

[people chattering]

[singing "Happy Birthday" in Gaelic]

[exclaims]

Jesus, I'm tall!

[Julian]
Well, yeah, you're almost four stories.

No, I mean, I'm really tall!

Like, my legs are wrong or something.

[Weller on comms]
You have a new center of gravity.

Your legs are longer,
proportionally speaking.

I only had enough time
to design one frame

to give you all, so I went
with some idealized ratios,

plus some stylistic touches.

You'll adapt over time.

[Cammie exclaims]
My bits are showin'! Whoa!

[Yaz] Who's next, Doctor?

[Kazu in Japanese]

[Weller] You have a variety
of physical feedback indicators

coming from all over the Holon.

[Valentina] I can work with this.

[Weller] Condition and perception
all looking good.

No signs of cyberattacks yet, excellent.

Let's everybody gather outside,

and we'll get going on engram formation.

Oh, and [chuckles]
happy second birthday, everyone.

As many happy returns as possible.

Welcome to your new bodies.

Impervious to organic damage by virtue

of having no organics on board,
and a wide, wide variety

of benefits due to
running your mind as code.

There's so much we'll need to go over,

but for now, just go play.

- [Julian] Kazu, think fast!
- [grunts]

[Kazu in Japanese]

[Cammie] No, footballs are round.

[in Japanese]

[Julian]
Batter, batter, batter, swing, batter.

[siren wails]

Oh!

[Cammie] Valentina, you're it.

[Valentina] Come here, little bunny!

[exclaims in Gaelic]

[grunts]

Huh?

[Weller] Gen: LOCK recruits,
meet your new drill instructors.

After today,
they will begin your education

in weapons, team combat tactics

and paying attention, please, Cammie.

Sorry. Sorry.

[Weller]
They've had years of field experience

and they are very generously
donating their time

to train you up.

So, heed them well.

[in Japanese]

You're gonna teach us in those?

- [Jodie] Listen, you.
- Normally, I'd train our pilots

on simulators,
but that's not gonna work for you.

School starts for real tomorrow.

Doesn't mean we can't
have some fun, though.

We're going to do
a round of capture the flag.

New recruits, just one of
you has to get past us.

Touch the flagpole back there.

We hit you, you're out.

Spread out on the other side
of that line,

and let's get started.

- [Valentina sighs]
- [Kazu] Hmm.

Hmm.

[all grunt]

Okay, let's go again.

You can use the nearby
structures as cover, yeah?

[Cammie groans]

[Cammie exclaims]

[Leon] No problem, you're not expected
to win right out of the gate.

Let's go again.

[groans]

Whoa! Whoa!

We're missin' one.

[Cammie] Huh?

Hmm.

Jodie, she got past you.

[Kazu and Cammie cheer]

Yeah!

[sighs]

[both sigh]

[chuckles]
Did you see the look on her face?

Not that she's got a face, but...

[sighs]

All right, I think that's
enough punishment for one day.

- Let's pack it in.
- [Julian] Oh, no, we ain't quite done.

Let's show them the goal.

[Leon] Sorry?

[Julian] Let's show 'em what they can do
once they're trained up.

Care if I give it a sh*t?

[Yaz] What are you up to?

What? It's cool.

All right, let's see what you can do.

Everybody reset.

Okay, let's...

[in Japanese]

Okay, well,
I don't wanna get anywhere

near exceeding uptime,
which is a concept for later.

Let's call it a day.

[aircraft approaching]

[Leon] All right, we gotta clear out.

Striders, back to maintenance.
Gen: LOCK team.

Go do whatever it is you do to reset.

[Cammie] I've only seen it before
on the news feeds.

[Valentina] You get numb to it
when all you see are vids going by.

Needless aggression,
unscrupulous greed, unchecked hate.

To have the images, the headlines,
incessantly thrust at you,

hour after hour, years at a time,

you normalize to it.

They want you to go numb,
become indifferent,

or lose yourself in distractions,
for it to feel like

the evil in this world
and all its machinations

are too big to challenge.

That loss of control leads to despair.

To re-engage, to claw back
even the tiniest sense of control...

You don't have to save the world,

you just have to make a difference
where you can,

with the opportunities you are given.

That's all I'm asking.

[Valentina] These ideals,
you make it sound so simple.

[Weller] It's not.

I had such high hopes
for how gen: LOCK could be used

to expand communications,
understanding,

improve the human condition,
all its potential.

And, of course,
the first thing we do is weaponize it,

but maybe, just maybe,
if we're made to fight,

we can apply it a new way.

Save more lives, protect those
who can't protect themselves,

buy some time
for others to end the w*r,

and after that, who knows
what we can achieve together?

[Yaz] And build a better peace.

[Valentina] I'd still say
you'd have to solve humanity itself.

[Kazu in Japanese]

[Julian] You can't, but you can step up
when you see it,

and we got a very
special chance to help

more than anybody else.

What is gen: LOCK
if not the next step

in humanity's evolution?

And you can be the first
to see where it takes us.

[Julian] You want in?

[in Japanese]

[Weller] More or less.

[Valentina] Will we have rescue duties?

Absolutely.

Won't be all you do, I suspect...

[Cammie] We get new toys?

As many as we can build.

[Cammie] Aye! Put 'er there.

[Julian] Aw!

Looks like we got a team.

[Cammie] We should celebrate.

[Kazu in Japanese]

[Cammie] No, gaming!

There's this level in Siege 2
I've been trying to b*at,

you guys are gonna help me
while I fight the dragon...

[Cammie chattering]

You didn't tell them
about the six months.

No, couldn't bring myself to do it.

They have to choose for themselves,

not out of some clumsy guilt-trip.

Interesting.

I can't help but notice,
you put them right next to

where the medivacs were arriving.

Oh! [chuckles]

Did I do that?

[singing] Colonel, you've a message
from a modern major general

[whistling]

[Marin] What is happening to my base?