01x06 - Up Is Down

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Motherland: Fort Salem". Aired: March 18, 2020 - August 23, 2022.*
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Set in an alternate America where witches ended their persecution over 300 years ago by cutting.
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01x06 - Up Is Down

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously
on Motherland:

A small, nomadic sect of witches
was recently discovered

in the desert region.
They possess profoundly
rare Seeds.

-Let me see your mark.
-Where's yours?

It's sexy-weird. Like us.

I have something
for you too.

I just always want to be able
to say hi to you.

My cousin's getting
married next week.
You wanna come with me?

This is the High
Atlantic function of the year.

The Dean was very impressed
with you.

Impressed with your medals
and the Bellweather name?

-Absolutely.
-I saw a balloon.

I think Scylla is Spree.

Scylla!

Scylla's gone.

They're here!

Abigail.

Abigail.

They had
blue shirts on.

Black pants.

No. Black shoes.

Okay. And when did you first

make visual contact?

I'm...

I'm pretty sure
they were caterers.

No.

I was using a sigil.

The door was locked.

Charvel just told me not
to worry about w*r College.

She just told me that,
maybe an hour before.

The screeching
was the problem.

Why don't you
have some water?

No, I didn't...
The sigil didn't work.

I... I tried
to Windstrike them off me.

Listen, Abigail,
are you sure you're okay?

We can take a break anytime.

I was supposed to help
Charvel into her dress.

That's why I was there.

She was so excited.

My mother came in.

There was blood...

...everywhere.

They pinned me
down to the floor.

They had their
arms around my neck.

They had a Kn*fe.
They pushed their knees

into my chest
and they held me down.

Witches tears. In a flask.

We can try this later.

I can do this.

I'm a Bellweather.

Let's keep going.

Are you sure you
wanna do this right now?

-Perhaps after you...
-Let's begin.

"The Balkan Composition."
Seed Sounds 48 and 57.
That's not what they used.

It matches the profile:
extensive disabling
of vocalization

-through high levels
of sonic dampening.
-I know.

I went up against it in Belarus
seven years ago, and I b*at it.

This was something else.
Next one.

Scylla was standing right
beside us, and then when we
turned around she was gone.

I just, I can't figure out
the exact moment.

It was chaos. People
were running everywhere.

Do you think she got
swept up in the storm?

-Is that possible?
-I don't know.

We need someone out there
looking for her, Tally!

I'm sure the Army has
an investigation going on.

Well, is Anacostia in charge
of finding out what happened?

-Because...
-I don't know, Raelle!

We have to wait.
We have to calm down.

Anacostia's always had it out
for Scylla and me.

Stop focusing on it.

-Abigail.
-Are you okay?

I'm fine. Standard procedure.

-You don't wanna talk?
-I just spent two hours talking.

-Adil.
-General Alder.

Thank you
for bringing us here.

We have the
finest Fixers in the world here.

You're in good hands.
I will do everything
in my power to help.

Once Khalida is well,
we won't trouble you any longer.

You're welcome here
for as long as you need.

All of Fort Salem
is yours as you see fit.

Please, take some time
away from the infirmary.

The grounds here will nourish
your body and your spirit.

-Is that the last one?
-Yeah, number 17. Illinois.

Leave her right here.

Came to check on your part
of the investigation.

Seventeen victims
from six different states.

-Civilians?
-We haven't gotten
through all of them yet.

But they were all k*lled
at the same time as Charvel

and they've all had
their vocal cords cut out.

In other words,
not civilians.

I can't say anything
definitive yet, but it is odd.

The Spree doesn't
k*ll other witches.

Except as collateral damage
during the rare att*ck.

I have to get in here to check
the rest of the vocal apparatus.

Hold this open for me, please.

See? That's where they
cut out the voice box.

Clean cut.

Izadora.

This is not
a typical vocal cord.

Cut the ear open.

The rest of you,
start with the ears,
then look for marks.

Tympanic membrane
with five mallea.

This ear is the same.

We can't confirm anything
without marks.

It's hard to see it,
but it's there.

A mark.

This one
has a mark too.

And it's pretty clear.

They are of the blood.

I didn't want to believe it,

but they're witches.

More than that.

They're Bellweathers.

The world's
falling apart, women.

We all know it,
we all feel it,

we've all seen it
in some way or another.

Today we'll be learning how
to drop into combat situations

without breaking our necks
or squishing our tatas.

We'll be employing Salva
to do this.

Observe.

All right. Ration up, soldiers.

What was it the Church
used to say about us?

That we met on hilltops
on dark nights

and kissed the ass
of a large hairy man and he
gave us whatever we wanted?

And Mr. Hairy Ass's
greatest gift to us witches,
so said the priests,

so lied the priests,
was flight itself.

I have some great news,
soldiers.

No one needs to kiss any ass
to fly anymore!

First thing you gotta do
is put the ration on your neck.

But don't do it
until I tell you!

-Private Raelle Collar.
-Yes, ma'am.

Why don't you go first?
You're the only one here
who has any experience.

Come on. Don't be afraid.

I'm not afraid.

How did we not
know about them?

The Spree knew.

Their connection
to the Bellweather Matriline

has been lost to time,
maybe from dodging

or intermarriage with civilians,
which could be why
the mark is so faint.

I doubt they knew
they were witches.

The Spree k*ll civilians.

They hardly ever
target their own.

This is
a disturbing new strategy.

Sarah, this is a deliberate
targeting of my family.

They tried to k*ll Abigail once,
they could try it again.

We'll keep Abigail safe.

As far as the public knows,
17 civilians
were k*lled by the Spree.

We'll keep the rest of the
information to ourselves.

We will release it
when the time is right.

-Are you even looking for her?
-An investigation
is in progress.

I know you hate her,
but she could still be alive.

Hate, love or like have nothing
to do with it, Private.

We are investigating every
angle without bias,
and she's not been found.

You're acting like I'm crazy!

I'm not crazy!

We were all standing
there together, you saw her!

You saw her,
and then she was gone!

Is that in your investigation?

The investigation
is above your pay grade, Collar!

Leave it to us!

Abigail...

Fine.

You don't have to talk to me,

but you can't keep
pretending nothing's wrong.

I'm not pretending.
Okay? I'm fine.

No one could go through
what you did and be fine.

It's what soldiers do
every day.

Maybe if you stopped being
a soldier for five minutes,
you'd see you're a mess.

And you won't get better
until you face it
and find your center again.

What kind of weepy-peepy
Norcal nonsense is that?

-Excuse me?
-You wanna make flower rings
and sing to the Goddess too?

Don't talk to me like that.

I'm sorry.

I'm a beehive right now.
Just don't poke me.

-Abigail Bellweather?
-Yes, ma'am?

General Bellweather
requests your presence
in the Administration building.

Thanks.

Um, lead the way.

How do you know
for sure all those dead witches
are Bellweathers?

They have our Bellweather mark.

So I have to have a bodyguard?

What happened at the wedding
is a message we have
to take serious.

-I can handle myself, Mom.
-Bridey is one of our most

decorated and highly
trained soldiers.

I wouldn't trust you
with anyone else.

Are you getting
a bodyguard too?

They only went after
Bellweathers
of child-bearing age

who can continue
the Matriline.

Please, Mom.

People are already
staring at me

like they're waiting for me
to have a breakdown.

I don't want to bring any
more attention to myself.

I won't say it again.

This is for your own protection
and you will accept it.

I strongly advise you
to use this time to learn
from this fine soldier.

Dismissed.

I don't know what you've
been told, but I have
very high scores in Basic.

I've mastered every training
exercise we've been taught.

Did you see that?

They're mocking me
because of you.

Do you even talk?

When the time is right,
I've been known
to say a thing or two.

Okay.

Stop!

Did you touch that?

Why? Is it dangerous?

No, no. It's just better
if it's left alone.

Well, what is it?

Let's just say
it's part of a mushroom.

Hm.

I'm actually here because I'm
looking for my girlfriend.

Scylla Ramshorn.
I'm Raelle.

Let's talk in my office, Raelle.

I already know
how to do this.

Great. So consider
this extra practice.

-Don't let your guard down.
-I'm not.

-Concentrate.
-I am!

Control first. Then speed.
Again.

Focus!

I know how to do this.

Okay, why can't I do this?

I let my guard down, didn't I?

I let my guard down.

Sergeant Quartermain!
Excuse me!

-Yes, Craven.
-I wanted to ask you
about next steps.

-Next steps?
-After finding Scylla.

You did the right thing by
reporting what you saw, Private.

You don't need to concern
yourself with anything else.

-I feel... I do need
to do something.
-There's nothing for you to do

but to continue
with basic training.

But I know that Scylla is Spree
and I know Raelle loves her.

And I cannot pretend
that nothing happened.

You will say nothing
because you have
nothing to tell.

How can I be a sister to her
and a liar at the same time?

You are a soldier
protecting our nation, Craven.

That's all you need
to know for right now.

Do you mind?

-Thank you.
-Mm-hm.

Could I ask you
a personal question?

-Sure.
-Why isn't your eye fixed?

You don't have to talk about it
if you don't want to.

We were in the Cordillera
Blanca range, in the Andes.

My unit and two others.
Coming down through a pass
that looked wide open.

But it wasn't.

The att*ck came
from all sides at once,

and they were throwing
everything at us.

Snow Devils, Razor Hail,

lightning strikes bigger
than I'd ever seen.

I could tell where some of it
was coming from,
a rocky ledge off to the left,

and I hit it hard.

Best Windstrike I ever did.

Knocked the whole thing down.

But what I didn't see...

...is that the debris
was gonna trap one of
my unit on the other side.

There was no way to get to her,
no way to save her.

She knew we had to go,
she could hear the storms,

she knew what
we were up against.

So the rest of us
fought our way out.

But we had
to leave her behind.

I lost my eye on the way out
and never got it fixed.

But it wasn't your fault
that she d*ed.

It was w*r.

She was my sister.

Without her I would never
see life the same way again,

so I decided I didn't
deserve two eyes.

And she said that Hannah
was a total sad sack afterwards

-and could
barely croak out a song.
-Mm-hm.

I feel bad for her,
but you'd think she'd
know better by now.

We hear the same thing
every day.

"Your unique and precious
vocal cords

need special care, ladies."

Tally.

Hm? Yes. Sorry.

-Are you thinking about Gerit?
-No.

Have you not
heard from him?

It's okay if you haven't,
with the whole Hilary thing.

No, I have my mind
on other things, Glory.

Sorry. O... okay.

The whole point of being
a soldier is to defend
our nation with all of yourself,

even the parts of you
that are ambivalent.

Are we still talking about me?
Because I've been working on...

It isn't your fault, per se,
if you can't tell
the whole story.

If you can't be completely
honest due to circumstances
beyond your control,

-simply don't focus on it.
-Okay. I won't.

-Focus on what you can do
and not what you can't.
-Totally.

And if you've already
done everything you can do,

if you're doing your duty,
then you can just
forget the rest

-and trust that
it will all work out.
-Sure. I mean... yeah?

-Thank you, Glory.
-Uh...

Any time.

I just, I can't eat,
I can't sleep.

And I feel like
I'm going crazy because nobody's
taking this seriously.

I've asked Anacostia,
I've asked my unit.
And I just...

I mean, you were her teacher,
what do you think?

Raelle.
Grief is stubborn and wild.

Like an untamed animal.

Sometimes you have to let it
run all over the place
until it wears itself out.

What does that
have to do with Scylla?

I think truth
is the best medicine.

What truth?

I don't know all the details,
but I do know this.

Scylla
was k*lled in the storm.

I'm so sorry, Raelle.

General Alder.

I wanted to check in.

Your sister is improving.

Yes. A little.

The songs your people
sing remind me of those

my own family carried
for centuries.

I would very much
like to learn them.

The songs you carried
were never meant

to be released
into the world.

Ah.

You mean in Salem,
way back when...

We will remain the final
stewards of our songs.

I would like to be alone
with my sister now.

I'm glad you
and your sister are safe.

What's wrong?

You look sick.

Raelle?

Scylla's dead.

What?

What?

What is it?

Scylla's dead.

What? No.

Who told you that?

Her Necro teacher.

Scylla was swept up
in the storm.

We were supposed
to go to the beach.

Her lighthouse.

We were supposed to go
to the beach.

She was going to take me to the
safest place she'd ever been.

That's where she is.

She's not dead.

She's at the lighthouse.

Right?

Doesn't that make sense?

-Okay.
-Go to the safest place?

Doesn't that make sense?

Yes.

Yeah.

No!

No...

Abigail. Hey.

Abigail, wake up.

What happened?

Why are you in here?
Get out!

-Abigail, you had a nightmare.
-I did not.

I had a leg cramp.
Everyone's overreacting.

Stop hovering!

Go back to bed.

Maybe you can go
to the infirmary.

-Why? What for?
-Leg cramps.

-Are you making fun of me?
-No.

No one is making fun of you.

Hey. Abs.

Abigail.

I've never felt less powerful
than I am right now.

I've never been this way.

It's not going away.

Grief's stubborn, Abigail.

And wild.

You're gonna be okay.

I'm sorry about Charvel.

I'm sorry about Scylla.

Um...

Anyway, thanks.

I, um, forgot my medal
at barracks.

You are not supposed
to be in here.

Why can't I find
anything today?

Because you're
disorganized?

I definitely didn't
leave my Salva here.

It's empty.

- Check yours.
- -Why?

Just check.

-What the hell?
-Where's Raelle?

-I can't take you off base.
-It'll only take
a couple of hours.

I have strict instructions
to remain in Fort Salem.

And I have strict instructions
to defend and protect my unit
at all costs.

-You can file a report.
-No!

We are the only ones who
can find and save her.

She's on an impossible mission,
and she's alone right now
and suffering.

Bridey, listen.

When I met Raelle, I thought
she was a shitbird that
would take my unit down.

But it hasn't
turned out like that.

Raelle is my sister,
and I know that you
understand what that means.

You weren't able
to save your sister, and I can't
imagine what that feels like.

Please don't
make me find out.

Let me do what you
wanted to do, Bridey.

Let me save my girl
and bring her home.

- Raelle, wake up!
- -Raelle!

Wake up!

-It's okay. Come here.
-Where's Scylla?

-We're here. We got you.
-Scylla's not...
Scylla's not here.

-We have to get back to base.
-Abigail, look.
She contacted me.

Raelle,
there's nothing there.

-Abigail...
-We have to get you back.

Let's get back to base.

Stop, stop!

She's alive!

She's not dead!

How did you plan
the wedding att*ck?

Okay.

If you're not
going to talk with us...

Maybe you'll talk
to someone else.

Hello, Scylla.
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