Salvation

This asteroid was only the size of a small house,

but generated a force 30 times greater than the bomb at Hiroshima.

How did we miss it, Neil?

Carol, there are thousands of dangerous Near Earth Objects out there.

The problem with meteors like the one that exploded over Russia?

We just don't even know they're there until it's too late.

Ladies and gentlemen, MIT alumnus and tech pioneer,

Darius Tanz!

Hey! Watch it!

DARlUS: How many ways are there to die?

Sure, there's, you know, grandma-kicks-the-bucket,

small-bore stuff, but I'm talking about the big kahuna.

Pandemics, nuclear wars, global warming, fast food.

There are infinite ways to die, of course.

You and me we're all gonna go, somehow, some way.

But the human race... the human race doesn't have to.

I know we all appear to be safe and cozy here

on our post-Paleolithic pedestal, but I assure you, things can change.

Rapidly.

- Dude. - Sorry. I was in the lab all night.

DARlUS: There have been at least five mass extinction events

in the last few hundred million years, people.

Five.

If we don't want to end up like the dinosaurs, we need an exit strategy.

That is why colonizing Mars is not just a pipe dream.

It's a necessity.

Now, I can see all these skeptical MlT faces looking back at me, thinking,

"Will you give me a job after graduation?"

Maybe. Maybe?

Well, except for the guy who got here late, the one without the shoes.

But seriously, we've put all our eggs into one cosmic basket.

If the universe decides to plant its big old ass into that basket...

...we're toast.

Crazy. - Thanks.

We can't go up to him with our resumes now, Shoeless.

Many have tried to approach the king. Few make it past the castle gates.

He always stays at the Royale.

We should go over there and pitch him ideas.

Way to get noticed.

Zoe, breakfast is ready!

I'll be home around six-ish. We can have an early dinner.

- Mom, you forgot. - Graduation rehearsal.

How is the speech going? Want me to take a look at it?

- No, I got it under control. - I kind of do this for a living.

Mom, don't micromanage.

And please don't give me that "I'm so proud of you" look.

This is the "I'm gonna miss you" look.

Duke is only 262 miles away. That's what I keep telling myself.

Hey, um, Dad was wondering

if you're gonna use that extra ticket for graduation?

- - That's Kira. I got to fly.

- Just call him. Please? - Okay.

Are you bringing a date to our daughter's graduation?

No, I wasn't planning on using it, Mike. That's not the point.

These tickets are for family.

Because I don't think either of us should bring a date, Mike.

The day is about Zoe, not about us.

I can't talk about this right now. I'm walking into a meeting.

Grace, why don't you start?

We had a non-combat related death in Germany, a warrant officer.

Worked lntelligence at Fort Gordon.

Okay, draft a press release once the family's informed.

- Will do. - Jordy, I need to brief SecDef

on Russian military moves.

As of 0400, the Russians began deploying at least three divisions,

about 50,000 troops, to the Ukrainian border.

They claim we've been making some unusual moves with some of our nukes.

Okay. Grace, have your team release a statement to the media.

Stress that this is just routine maintenance of the nuclear arsenal,

and our Russian friends are bent out of shape over nothing,

but say it nice, like you do.

- Certainly, sir. - Okay. The world is safe for today.

Grace? A word in my office?

So, I have some news.

Your transfer request came through.

Where'd you hear that?

Well, I'm fairly high up at the Pentagon, in case you forgot.

They need someone to run Public Affairs over at Fort Myer.

This is perfect. I'll be just up the road.

And you won't be my boss anymore.

- We can finally be out in the open. - Mm.

- No more sneaking around. - Yeah.

You can meet Zoe, I can meet Dylan.

We can be a normal couple.

Although, you know, sneaking around was kind of fun.

- I'll miss having you here. - Mm.

- You'll have me everywhere else. - Yeah.

Come in.

Sir, the Joint Chief's on the line. I'm told it's urgent.

Send it in.

Spicy chicken burritos, extra salsa, extra avocado?

- Yeah, that's me. - Dude, the three-body problem

- is unsolvable. No one's ever done it. - No one's done it yet.

Oh, and I suppose you're gonna be the one?

So far, your algorithm has turned up jack.

Josh, you wouldn't know a recursive algorithm

if it bit you on your asymptote.

Uh, actually, if we go back to second-year astrophysics...

Who taught the class? Pretty sure it was me.

Let's go back to first year. Um, who got the highest mark in advanced physics?

Excuse me. I'm gonna see if I can solve the, uh, the two-body problem.

Two-body problem is high school math, dude.

You're an idiot.

Hi.

- I see you remembered your shoes. - Yeah, yeah.

- I'm Liam. - Jillian.

- So you're not MlT. - Oh, is it that obvious,

or should I wear a dunce cap so people know?

No, I just mean that, you know, I haven't seen you around.

And that event was students and faculty only.

Darius Tanz is the greatest mind of our time.

So I snuck in. Sue me.

And what do you do when not committing felonious trespass?

- Guess. - Okay.

I'll say, um...

I'll say you're a writer.

- Sci-fi, perhaps. - Whoa. How did you know?

You're interested in the future of mankind, but you're not an MlT student.

You carry a notebook with a quote from Asimov on the cover.

"ldeas Die Hard"? I extrapolated from a set of known facts and got lucky.

- Honestly. - You are quite an observant guy.

Scientists need to be observant.

Especially when investigating new phenomena.

And what about you? What kind of, uh...

important save-the-world work are you doing at MlT?

I'm creating a live model of the solar system in real time,

based on gravimetric data.

- - I'm creating a map of space.

Sounds impressive. How's it going?

Anything worth doing takes time.

- So, in other words... - Yeah.

-...it's not panning out? - It's not panning out.

When you're passionate about something, time means nothing.

And you're passionate about celestial mechanics?

- Yeah, absolutely. - Yeah.

When two celestial bodies cross paths, it can, uh...

...it can change their trajectories forever.

So this is my apartment.

- I like it. - Yeah.

Magic.

- I don't usually do this. - I don't, either.

- Are you sure about this? - Yes means yes.

So that's how it is, MlT? Sneaking out?

No, no, no, no, no, it's not like that. My research.

Yeah, your research that hasn't generated anything in months?

Yes. No, I got a hit. I can't explain.

Can I call you? I'm gonna call you.

You are amazing and beautiful.

I can't wait to read your stuff. I'm gonna call you, I promise.

- - Professor Croft?

- - Professor Croft, it's Liam!

Liam. What the hell time is it?

- I got a hit. - You got a hit?

- Yeah. - I'm going back to bed,

if you're lucky, I won't remember this in the morning.

Sir, if I'm right, people need to see this immediately.

You've got friends at, uh, in Washington, at NASA you can call, right?

Washington? What? Are you drunk?

- Sir, that hurts. - Well, last month, you woke me up

with this theory that we're all living in a fractal holographic matrix.

- Remember that? - Yeah, well, I may have had a few

that night, sir, but this is different. There's a significant perturbation.

- Really? - Been running continual simulations,

and there's something there that was not there three months ago.

A slight miscalculation could taint the results.

Give me the data. I'll take a look.

Yes. It's already uploaded to your server.

Okay. Good. Well, go home, get some sleep.

We'll discuss this after class, which starts in about five hours.

Try to be on time for once, all right?

Oh, my God.

This is Malcolm Croft.

Yes, I know it's late, but this can't wait.

And finally, there have been some reports in the press and elsewhere

concerning movement of nuclear material.

This is nothing more than routine maintenance

required to keep our arsenals safe, secure and reliable. Yes?

Grace, are you saying Russian concerns are completely unfounded?

That's exactly what I'm saying, Russ.

What kind of routine maintenance requires moving nuclear weapons

- from the Utah desert to Florida? - Those missiles were due to be retired.

- Nothing out of the ordinary, Ms...? - Amanda Neel, Capitol Eyes News.

And not according to my sources.

Well, Amanda Neel of Capitol Eyes News, you may need better sources.

- - Moving on.

We had one non-combat related death in Germany.

US diplomat succumbed to injuries sustained while visiting Frankfurt.

That's it. 15-minute rule. Croft's a no-show.

- Let's get out of here. -

- - Professor Croft?

91 1? There has been has been a burglary, or a kidnapping,

or I don't... I don't know what.

But my professor, he... his place is trashed,

and he didn't show up for class. He left his glasses behind.

No. No. No, I'm not on drugs.

- I'm sorry, operator. I got to go. I... -