The Bleeding Edge

All right, Wubbo.

Let's take a look here, buddy.

-Okay, follow the light for me. -You're good.

I took shelter in the lava tube right next to base camp.

Okay, Wubbo. Let's take a look.

Muller, take care of Molly for me, okay?

I tried to reach Wubbo over the comm,

but there was no response.

And that was when the storm hit.

Molly, you okay?

Step up. Step up.

Right.

Do me a favor. Put some...

Molly, okay?

I've never seen anything like it.

It was like... the regolith was boiling.

All right, Wubbo. Let's see what we can do here, huh?

All right. Come on.

I knew Wubbo was in trouble,

but it wasn't safe to proceed with the rescue until the storm was over.

So I waited.

Two hours, 45 minutes. I waited.

You made the right call, Molly.

Will he be okay?

There aren't really any tests

that can tell us how much radiation passed through his body during that time.

But his dosimeter badge measured 200 rems.

What does that mean?

It's more than the maximum dose any person should get in a lifetime.

He will almost certainly develop cancer in the next few years.

I'm moving my return trip up to tomorrow so I can get him back to Houston.

Understood.

And I'm taking you back with me as well.

What? The hell you are.

My badge was green. I have two more months up here.

That lava tube gave some protection, but it wasn't ideal cover.

The approved amount of radiation for a six-month tour is 20 rems.

Your dosimeter's at 90.

Come on. I'm almost finished mapping the southern ridge of Stafford.

I know there's lithium there.

I'm sorry. My decision is final. We leave at 0900.

That's so easy for you to say.

You can't wait to get off this rock and start your cushy new desk job.

Nothing about this is easy, Molly.

Once you're recovered, you'll come back up. Six months, a year tops.

And Wubbo?

He's never coming back.

The Reagan administration continues to defend its decision to go to DEFCON 3

during yesterday's solar storm.

The escalation led to the 4th Bomber Wing's deployment near Soviet airspace.

Soviet premier Andropov criticized the actions as provocative

in a speech to the Duma earlier today.

Administration officials claim it was simply a cautionary measure.

But a growing number of critics here at home are questioning that rationale.

If that's true, why'd they rush the president onto Air Force One?

A solar flare brought us to the brink of war,

thanks to the saber-rattling policies of this administration.

And how's the power situation holding up?

Solar's picking up most of the slack

while we're getting the nuclear reactor back online.

What about life support systems? Got a lot of people up there.

Life support should be fine, but ice mining output's been affected.

And the advanced development operations for the Mars program

will have to be put on hold. Again.

And that's not all. During the scram, the fuel rods were damaged.

We're not gonna get more than another couple of months out of the reactor,

if we're lucky.

Okay. We'll have to send up more plutonium.

It'll be tight,

but I think the next Sea Dragon launch should get it there in time.

Certainly safer with an unmanned flight.

I'll alert Guam to implement nuclear transportation guidelines.

That'll have to be approved by the Pentagon first.

That'll take weeks. We'll miss the launch date.

I don't want Jamestown stuck in the dark because of red tape.

I don't want that either, Margo, but it is protocol.

And we may be back to DEFCON 5, but we still need to remain vigilant.

Good morning. I come bearing good news.

We could certainly use some.

So, after this storm fiasco,

the president thinks it's prudent to ease tensions with the Soviets,

show Americans he's a man of peace.

Sticking missiles on Pathfinder is probably not the best way to do that.

I know. I know. That's on hold. For now.

But I do want you to put together a proposal for a new mission.

An American astronaut and a Soviet cosmonaut

coming together to show our common purpose

with a handshake in space.

I'm sorry.

A handshake?

You dock the two ships, open the hatch, they shake hands on live TV,

Bob's your uncle.

Ed, I'll need some ideas on the crew,

people that best reflect what our country is all about.

Strength, freedom, maybe a young face in there for the MTV crowd.

Yeah. I'll see if Madonna's available.

There is no way I'm allowing our shuttle to dock with a Soviet craft.

They'll have access to our most classified technologies. We can't--

Margo, relax. It won't ever get to that.

We reach our hand out in peace,

and when the Soviets smack it away, we come out smelling like roses.

And they look like the aggressors.

It's a win-win.

Tom, I'm not sure if you've noticed,

but we've got a lot on our plate right now.

So planning a PR stunt that's never gonna happen

isn't exactly high on my priority list.

You'll figure out something.

It's what you do.

It's what you do.

Bet you're pretty excited to get down here and join all the fun, huh, Ellen?

Yeah, can't wait.

Signing off.

How we looking?

LSAM's prepped for launch.

Guess it's about that time then.

This is gonna be your last time up here, right?

Gonna miss it?

Four tours, 723 days.

I've had my fill.

Anyway, I think I can have more of an impact on the program down there.

Maybe start with getting us a working dishwasher.

I can't do the impossible, Al.

Right.

-Well, should we... -Yeah.

I hereby relieve you as commander of Jamestown.

I stand relieved.

Good luck down there.

Thanks.

Foster. Thank you.

Take care.

Price. Keep up the good work.

Fassi. Thank you.

-Geller. -Thank you.

Good. Don't be too good to him.

-Jonway. -Thanks.

And almost forgot the most important thing.

What are these for?

The liquor cabinet.

All right, ADI is to inertial.

Yep.

Check your errors and rates and medium.

I'm gonna kick off the maneuver. Item 27. Execute. All right.

Cobb, time to strap in.

All right.

-Engine mode 202. -202.

Come on, you little alien bastards. Yes. Yes.

You might as well give up. You're never gonna get it.

Bullshit. I'm almost there.

You're cheating.

No, I'm not. It's called hunting.

-Jimmy showed me. -Proud of you, Gordo.

Yeah.

I was right there.

-Right there. -One day.

One day you'll get it, buddy boy.

Shit.

Thanks.

You think she'll show up?

We'll see.

"And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves,

for the time of figs was not yet."

I didn't really know him that well.

Certainly had his demons.

Some guys just never get free of it, you know?

It's like they're still over there.

Poor Dani. Can't imagine what she's going through.

It's gonna take time, but she'll get through it.

Yeah. Just seeing her at the funeral, that was like...

Hey.

-Hey, there she is. -Hi, Bob.

-Hi, Bob. -Hi, Bob.

Sorry I'm late. The I-45 was jammed.

What the hell is that?

-Plants in a bar. What's next, huh? -I tried telling her.

-What'd she say? -She said it freshens up the place.

Oh, please. The place was fine the way it was before.

Come on, it was a dump.

Sure, it was a little rough around the edges, but it was ours.

-It had character. -It had roaches.

Roaches have character.

-I miss the pool table. -You never played the pool table.

I loved the pool table and the old chairs.

I loved those old chairs. The way they would wobble ever so slightly.

Yeah, you sure wobbled out of plenty of 'em.

How you holding up?

I'm okay.

-I just miss him. -Yeah.

Day by day. You know?

Day by day.

These last nine years, they were just so hard.

And Clayton, seeing him struggle like that,

and he was in so much pain.

I just...

You okay?

I'm fine.

Really, I'm just... I'm trying to get back to my old self.

Honestly.

Which is... why I...

What?