Foundation

The Anthor Belt. Dad used to tell me stories about it.

Wonder what he'd say now.

Would you believe I used to work on one of those things?

Mining palladium. I remember.

My back's sore just looking at all that equipment.

I can't believe it's still there. Your people, they just left it?

Without the Empire's tech, the industry just broke down.

That's when I started doing long-haul routes. Another life.

In other words, you abandoned your own people.

Meant there was one less Thespin to fight over the scraps.

Approaching coordinates.

There's nothing here.

Look closer, Warden.

The Invictus?

The crown jewel of Emperor Taurelian's fleet.

You know of her?

They say, in her day, the Invictus was the most powerful weapons platform

the Empire had ever built.

A world-killer.

Yeah, she disappeared without a trace 700 years ago.

No debris. No distress signals.

People reported sightings of her all across the galaxy,

never responding to hails, never seen in the same place twice.

And you just found her here.

Like she was calling to me.

The Invictus is a jumpship.

The Empire considers jump technology a state secret.

They'd sooner wipe out the entire Outer Reach

than allow you to take this ship.

Nobody knows she's here.

You won't even be able to board.

The air lock will never open for an Anacreon.

Your imperial nanobots,

programmed for expedited healing and identification...

coded to access any imperial ship.

That's why we needed you, Commander.

You're our way in.

Even if that actually works, you don't know where this ship has been

or what happened to the crew.

How do you even know if she's safe to approach?

She isn't.

The two craft we lost attempting to board.

Her defense systems are still active.

Get the suits ready.

It's time.

Do you think any of those mining bases still have active comms?

It's unlikely. But it's possible.

I've got a distress beacon.

It's a neural implant, records everything I see and hear.

If we can get to a dispatch capsule on the Invictus, we can send out a signal.

All right, listen. It's a 10,000-meter jump.

You want to drop fast, with as little extraneous movement as possible.

On your final approach, you'll have to flip over and brake.

The Invictus's automated rail guns

are blind to objects under two meters in diameter.

If we spread out and move with control, we should be invisible to them.

You know what you're doing?

Almost never, lover.

Warden, up front.

You must land on the inner ring to access the air lock.

Miss the inner ring and you will be lost.

I'll go on three.

One. Two...

Shit.

Almost there.

Good job, Warden.

Sal, my suit's failing. It's no good.

Thrusters aren't responding.

No, no, no.

- I can't... I can't get it... - I got you!

- Sal! No, get back. - Hugo! No. No.

Get back.

- Sal. Sal... - Hugo!

No. No. Hugo.

Swallow your grief, Warden. We have no time for it now.

Air lock's that way. Let's move.

Excuse me, Empire.

I know you're far too rational to have taken what I did as any sort of...

Go on. I'm curious to hear just what you think you didn't do.

If I hadn't knelt, it would've been a clear contradiction of my faith.

So you knelt before a demagogue.

- I was kneeling to the Mother. - I'm sorry, to the what?

I'm not familiar with that term,

motherless atrocity that I am.

You know I don't agree with Halima's position.

I should hope not. You're not precisely one with the reincarnation cycle yourself.

I wonder what Halima would say if she were made aware of that.

It's not in my interest to publicize your true nature.

This was a staggering betrayal, Demerzel.

It was a betrayal of your directive.

As far as I understood it, you are incapable of disloyalty.

Over all else, your fealty to the Cleonic Dynasty

is embedded into your programming.

And that is precisely my point.

If kneeling were in violation of my protocol,

I would not have been able to. Physically.

The very signals I use to instruct my limbs to bend would have been blocked.

An explanation that also conveniently justifies your actions.

Here is my question,

did you want to kneel?

I am loyal to Empire above all else.

- Forgive me, Empire... - Spit it out.

It seems Zephyr Halima's speech has struck a chord.

Ambassador Thanwall indicates that she has now become the front-runner.

Well then...

we have to shift her away from this pet subject.

I've gotta figure out what she actually wants from me.

I wouldn't have expected to see you down here, Cleon.

The correct honorific is "Empire."

I have great respect for those who attempt the Spiral.

A sacred ritual, reserved for a proxima's passing.

To walk is to humble oneself before the Triple Goddesses.

I see someone's coached you well.

Tell me, Lady Demerzel, have you had occasion to walk the Spiral?

I have. Many years ago.

Then you know just how transformative the journey can be...

and how the body will suffer.

This man was blinded by the sun.

Many others die attempting to reach the Womb of the Mother.

All very noble deaths, I'm sure.

Zephyr Halima, Empire was hoping to speak frankly with you.

I can appreciate an aggressive early play.

And, well, you've succeeded in drawing me down here into the trenches.

So, I applaud you. I'm here. And I'm listening.

I'm not really sure what it is you're expecting me to say.

What is your ask?

End the Genetic Dynasty.

If you're only fielding offers, consider the following.

In addition to the desalination system,

we will also establish a satellite security station

for the dedicated protection of your people.

Safety and clean water.

We're misunderstanding each other here, Cleon.

My ask is not a tactic.

I only preach what I believe.

And I believe the Genetic Dynasty will be the ruin of us all.

Luminists can see the future now?

I do not claim to see the future.

I only have a sense deep in my soul of what is true and what is wrong.

Wrong?

You don't even remotely comprehend what my familial line has accomplished.

- My brothers and I... - Brothers? You are not brothers.

You are the reverberations of a dead man's ego,

by nature blind to all that you lack.

The soulless creature cannot recognize itself.

I believe the late Dr. Seldon made a similar observation?

If that is truly what you believe, I am sorry.

You will spend your life shouting into the void.

The only reason you ventured down here

is because you know people are listening to me.

I'm sure, in preparation for your visit,

you were counseled as to the staggering numbers of followers Luminism claims,

all committed to acting in service of truth's light.

Remind me, how many people did it take to bring down your Star Bridge?

Are you threatening me?

I'm only trying to answer your question, to articulate my ask.

I'm not surprised it's left you confused.

It's about something much greater than you.

But I'm sure your adviser will help you to understand.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have souls that need ministering to.

- Lewis, fall back. Fall back, Lewis. - What, Salvor?

You and Jacenta are too close. Two meters!

Oh, sorry.

Take cover!

If I open the doors, the guns will stop.

Commander!

Now!

Come on.

No!

He served his purpose.

Not you, Warden. You're too dangerous unfettered.

Hold out your hands.

Now, move.

Keep moving.

Atmosphere's frozen.

Must be a hull breach somewhere.

The environmental systems must be off. We should find a regulation panel.

The regulation panel. Over here.

Okay. The system's archaic.

I'll have to input commands with manual code.

I've sealed the breach so it's safe to restore atmosphere.

Do it.

We might have weather in here as the atmosphere regulates.

And now for the gravity. Heads up.

Those lights, what was that? Is that a power surge?

I'm not sure.

Now update security protocols.

I want the internal defenses off-line.

Security's a different system. That'll be closer to the bridge.

Then we head there next.

Sixteen seconds.

Hey, the lights were pulsating consistently every 18 seconds,

and now it's down to 16.

Okay. So, what does that mean?

- Like a countdown? - A countdown to what?

The next jump.

Two weeks ago, my people were out on a scavenging run.

They happened to see the Invictus jump in.

We think her drives are cycling on their own,

setting random time intervals between jumps.