Space: Above and Beyond

Tonight we stand beneath a new heaven.

After 150 years of calling out...

the silence of the universe assures us that life is unique.

We are alone.

You and I...

are among the first to bring life to the stars...

to this planet...

the farthest any human has ever ventured.

I know there are those at home who say...

that we are here only as a status symbol.

Others say that we are fortune hunters...

or that we're running away.

But I know we're here because of faith-

faith in each other, in a better world.

The rocket fuel that brought us here can be burnt away...

but our belief in ourselves, in one another-

in the future-

never can be: Never will be.

Aw, come on, Buyy. What is it?

- - It's okay, Buyy. It's just a meteor shower.

Mayday! Mayday! This is the Vesta Colony.

Repeat, Vesta Colony.

We're under attack by unidentified craft. Many are dead.

[Screaming, Shouting Continues]

"T"minus 40 seconds, and counting.

- 82 tank pressuriyation okay. -

- Roger. Out. - Tellus, this is Control.

A.P.U. Start is go. You are on your onboard computer. Over.

Roger. Out.

Tellus, you are go for auto sequence start.

Lock your visors and initiate O2 points.

Roger. We copy. Tellus out.

We are "T"minus 20 seconds and counting.

- Auxiliary power units start. - Go.

Roger, A.P.U. We copy. Tellus out.

"T"minus ten, nine...

eight, seven, six, five...

four, three.

Countdown hold. "T"minus three seconds.

- Tellus, you are go for launch. -

Simulated launch sequence complete.

Reset countdown to nine hours, 15 minutes, 12 seconds.

You are go for launch.

- -

Vesta Colony never ran this smooth.

They're still having problems. We lost communication with Vesta this morning.

If I'm this pumped by a test launch, I won't need a rocket.

Final countdown.

I know.

Most people don't know if their dreams will ever come true.

Ours is definitely nine hours and two minutes away.

Attention, colonists Aprey, West, Celina, Brown...

Glick, Gonyaley, Hyan, Larly, Mannesis, and Gatharian...

report to Governor Overmeyer's offiice immediately.

Over there.!

Hey!

Check him.

I knew it. A Tank. I smell 'em like an animal.

I told the foreman not to hire him. Get him up.

I had two uncles die...

in the A.I. War 'cause the Tanks wouldn't fight.

The InVitro platoons were dissolved when I was a kid.

I had nothing to do with it.

Then you're even more worthless.

I never asked to be born.

Great.

Then you can ask to die.

Go on. Ask.

Ask.

Hey, get off the car.

- You gotta protect me. - What the hell are you doing?

- Get out! Get out of there! - Drop it!

He's crazy, sir. He's a Tank.

What'd you do?

Go on, get out. You're setting him off.

Drop it.!

- He tried to hang me. - I said put it down.

Damn InVitros are all alike.

"InVitros"? Call him what he is-a Tank.

We're told to report immediately...

and then they make us wait two hours?

The others didn't have to wait.

Good afternoon, sir. The launch simulation went perfect.

We are still a go?

I know you are aware of the growing rights movement for InVitros...

those conceived and born in artificial gestation tanks.

Sir, we have every right to support the InVitros.

They're human beings, sir, just like us only conceived from parents who never lived.

Last evening the Tellus Board of Governors...

was issued a directive from the United States Senate.

The launch will be scrapped...

unless ten InVitros are on board.

Given the severe limitations on weight...

rations, and personnel capacity-

Are you saying we're being replaced?

It is my sincere regret to inform you...

that one of you...

will not be on board.

- One of us? - Nine colonists have been released.

- Postpone the mission. - If we don't go in six hours...

the forecasted wormhole passage to Tellus...

won't be open for another 12 years.

They're not even trained. Send them on the next colony.

The next colonial mission won't be ready for five years.

There are members of Congress who need to look good now.

- We'll both resign. - You have a commitment to execute vital assignments...

on this mission, duties which one of you could cover...

but for which no one else is trained.

Not to mention the severe legal consequences...

of breaking your contract.

Besides I know you both.

It's your dream to go to space.

The dream was to go together.

I'm on record as saying this directive stinks.

I fought it all the way.

Rather than issuing an order...

I'm allowing the two of you to decide who shall remain.

There is, uh, an alternative for one of you.

There is a possibility the Marine Corps Space Cavalry...

may be assigned duty as Colonial Sentries.

You want us to bet our lives on a possibility?

We did everything you told us.

We followed the rules.

We gave the program everything we had.

These InVitros didn't train.

These senators haven't sacrificed.

Why should we pay for a mistake they made before we were even born?

You're letting them throw away our lives. We believed in you.

Now the only thing you can believe in...

is each other.

Please arrive at your decision by 2130 today.

They're coming. The lights.

Shane, take care of them. Remember how I told you.

- - The A.I. 's, they're here. Hurry.

- I love you. -

- -

- -

Everyone's saying good-bye to their families.

I never thought we'd be saying good-bye to each other.

Then let's run away.

To a life of what?

Because we broke our contract, no one would employ us.

We'd be indentured servants to the Colonial Program for 20 years.

Did they keep their word to us?

The program was all I ever believed in.

And now there's nothing.

You believed in equal rights for InVitros.

Not at the expense of our rights.

We've trained, we've sacrificed, we've dreamed...

together.

Well, maybe we have to find another dream.

We can't spend the last hours we have together as victims.

We have to somehow take control.

Gantry 4, complete final preparations.

Gantry 4, complete final preparations.

Hydroponics loaded and secure.

Ground personnel clear launch area.

Ground personnel clear launch area.

All ground personnel clear the launch area.

Ground personnel clear launch area.

Tellus report. Ignition primary launch sequence.

Mission Com, this is H.P. Com.

We're getting an abnormal CO2 imbalance on level 22.

What's going on?

Got him.

- Nathan? - No, Kylie. It has to be you.

I wrote this for when you are going to land.

- I can't leave. - I'll find you.

- Come on now, don't fight it. - I will find you!

Nathan?

- I believe in you. -

Why'd you enlist?

Just did.

My name's Nathan.

- Hi. Shane Vansen. - Hi.

Mike Pagodin.

Vanessa Damphousse.

Damphousse. Damphousse- is that, like, French for something?

Probably...

but my friends just call me "damn fool. "

It's got a tough ring to it.

My friends call me Pags, like I'm a dog or something.

Nice to meet you, Pags.

Yeah, you too.