Previously, on Pandora...
- So, what's your story, Jax? - Her parents were killed at New Portland.
I am never going to let this go.
- My pop's telepathic. - C.I.S.?
Jail. My dad served in the military, too.
He said EarthCom did some pretty messed-up stuff during the war.
This ship must never reach the earth.
The Tereshkova, she's gone, destroyed.
We should go on a date.
Working with a team is different.
Avar Sumitov, reporting for duty.
You start to feel responsible.
- Magda Coy. - To Magda and Avar.
Magda and Avar.
All right, let's concentrate, Pilar.
It's going to get pretty hairy out there.
I've got this, Commander.
Proximity alert.
Navigation hazard detected.
I'm impressed by the way you handle the ship, Pilar.
You're a natural born pilot.
It's a piece of cake when you can use nanotech to jack
directly into the Earhart guidance and sensor systems.
I'm better at detecting asteroids than the ship itself.
Yeah? You know, it's not too late
to reconsider Command Track for next semester.
I was considering it,
but after we lost Magda and Avar,
I realized I can't be responsible for others.
Only myself.
We're all responsible for others, Pilar.
It's not about those you lose.
It's about those you can save.
Right, we've arrived at the debris
of the battle cruiser Tereshkova.
Well done. You've completed your training mission.
I'll take over from here.
I thought the Tereshkova blew up
a few thousand klicks from here.
Yeah, it did, but the remains of the ship
must have got caught up in the gravitational attraction
from that asteroid belt.
I understand how attraction works, Commander.
I see it every time you and Jax are together.
What's the deal with you two anyway?
- There is no deal. - Keep telling yourself that.
Maybe you'll actually start believing it too.
What's wrong?
I'm detecting something.
A beacon.
Really? We're not picking up anything on the ship sensors.
It's out there, trust me.
Yeah. Got it.
What is it, some sort of distress signal?
No. A proximity alert.
Out here? That's strange.
I should earn extra credit for this.
That is where the signal is coming from, Commander.
Get the ship as close as you can.
I'll suit up and go out there and retrieve it.
What do you think it is?
I have to admit, I was dubious
when you suggested taking Pilar along on this mission.
Well, EarthCom had searched the area dozens of times
with little success.
But as I'd hoped, Pilar's nanotech enhancements
allowed us to amplify the sensitivity of our instruments.
Hmm. You're sure she doesn't know what this is?
No. I told her it was an engine thrust control module.
And she didn't question you?
No, she's more concerned with getting an A on her assignment.
A for Pilar.
A-plus for you, Mr. Duvall.
I've run some preliminary scans,
but the data seems to be quantum encrypted.
It's programmed to do that when it detects damage.
It'll take data-recovery several weeks to restore it.
Well, EarthCom should be excited
to hear that the Tereshkova's black box
has finally been found.
Absolutely no one can know about this.
Sir, we lost hundreds of men and women on that ship.
That black box could be the closure
that their loved ones are looking for.
The reason the Tereshkova exploded.
As you know, EarthCom is concerned
the Zatarians are rearming for war.
If anything is on this recorder that implicates the Zatarians,
even tangentially,
in the destruction of the Tereshkova,
it could light the fuse on a conflict
even worse than the last one.
Millions could die.
So we need to keep the discovery of this black box a secret
until it's decrypted
and I know exactly what is on it.
Do I make myself clear?
Crystal, sir.
- Synced and corrected by Firefly - - www.addic7ed.com -
Oh!
I think you just woke up the whole school, Atria.
Wow, that was delightful.
And a total surprise.
Uh, what was a surprise?
If you have sex with the same person multiple times,
it just gets better.
It could have something to do
with the quality of your partner.
Oh.
Or it could just be
us establishing an emotional bond.
You know, acting like a human.
- Hmm. - Finding your soul.
So, how do I know which one it is?
Could be both.
But let's just keep doing it until you get an answer.
Yay.
Mm-mm. Mm-mm.
Audio only.
You need to get down to the Black Hole right away.
It's urgent.
As I've said before,
I go by the given name of Billy Dwayne,
and I know I can be an awful pain.
But since we're friends,
feel free to call me Billy D., ladies and gentlemen.
That's right.
Billy D! Billy D!
Say it again.
You okay?
Not really.
I thought you'd be excited to see him.
What's wrong? Who is that guy?
He's my father.
This lady, she rubbed me down, she look fine.
I smiled up at her and said,
"I rang the doorbell, didn't I?"
Ding-dong!
I don't understand why you're so mad at your dad.
I think he's a hoot.
There is nothing funny about a person who ditches their family.
I thought he fought in the war.
Well, if you think he's some sort of hero,
then feel free to go hang with him, Atria.
Okay.
I'm so out of here.
Wait. Don't you at least want to talk to him?
I have absolutely nothing to say to that man.
- Hey! - He's still supposed to be in jail.
I don't know how he got out, but I guarantee you
if he's here, he's up to no good.
Now, I want you all to think of your favorite drink.
You know, the kind that's really sweet and tasty
but you can't afford it.
Listen closely, barkeep,
because we are going on a bender,
and Billy D. is providing the legal tender.
Somebody touch the center of my palm.
Oh.
Now you, you sassy little minx...
... that makes my knees quake,
all you want is a strawberry milkshake.
Wow, that's right!
Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
Okay. Now you, my techno friend,
you think I don't know.
But all you need is a glass of H2O.
- With ice! - That's affirmative.
Affirm your ass to the bar.
Okay, this one is, uh, pretty hard.
But I got it.
Barkeep!
Please get a blue safari for the man from...
Zatari.
You are correct.
That is what I imbibe.
Most impressive.
Touch my palm, pretty lady.
Hmm.
Ha.
Hey, this man distracted me.
Touch it again, please.
So? What's my drink of choice?
Ha. You...
you want a mojito, right?
Yeah.
- That's right. - Ha!
Billy D. is never wrong,
and if I am, bang a gong.
Get out of here, go on.
Go on, yeah.
Hi.
Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Tierney. And you are?
Jax.
You're, um...
You're a friend of Billy D.'s son, right?
I saw you two talking.
You're very observant, aren't you?
You don't care for mojitos, do you?
Not really.
I have never seen anyone stump Billy D. before.
You're quite unique.
Doesn't sound like a compliment.
He can't read you, and I wonder why.
Tommy...
Tommy, my boy.
How did you get out of jail?
Let's not talk about that.
Allow me to introduce you to my fiancée.
Hello, Thomas. I'm Tierney.
Your dad talks about you all the time.
What are doing here? I know you want something.
I'm here to see you, son.
We got a lot to catch up on.
You need money, don't you? Just admit it.
And this charming little thing must be your little sweetheart.
We have a lot of sex, if that's what you mean.
Oh! You're a little pistol.
My son is a lucky boy.
Look, I know you didn't come here just to catch up.
You may be able to fool everybody else, but not me.
It was great to meet you, Mr. Ross.
Perhaps alerting him to his father's presence was an error.
I'm thinking about switching back to Command Track.
I thought you were all about the Exploratory Corps?
Discovering strange new worlds and civilizations,
sciencing the heck out of the universe.
I was.
But I performed at such an exemplary level
on my training mission with Xander
that he's asked me to rethink my decision.
Training mission? What training mission?
He let me fly the Earhart to the asteroid belt,
and to the debris field of the Tereshkova.
Wait, what about the Tereshkova?
Due to my innate ability
to amplify the precision of the ship's sensors,
we found an engine control module.
Did it ever occur to you Xander might have
taken you out there intentionally?
He said it was a training mission.
Why would Xander take a student out to the site
of a catastrophic disaster just to train?
That doesn't make any sense.
Because I'm not an ordinary student.
Do you always mistrust the men you have a thing for?
The only thing I have a thing for
is finding out what happened to my parents,
and it may have to do with the destruction of that ship.
Hey, Tommy, wait up.
Why are you still here?
Hey, don't be like that, Tommy.
It's been a long time since we spent some time together.
You know, I want to see how you're doing.
So...
how you liking your time here at FTA?
Since when do you care?
After the war, you came home for one week.
I had a reason for that.
It's hard to explain.
But, hey, I'm here now.
Yeah, how is that even possible?
You got a seven-year sentence
for cheating high-end poker players at Macau.
Parole for good behavior.
Excellent behavior, as a matter of fact.
For once in your life, will you just stop lying to me.
Fine.
I may have got myself into a tiny bit of trouble.
- Yeah, shocking. - Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Look...
I placed a hefty bet on a Zatarian equine.
I'm not talking a long shot here.
I mean a sure thing.
But the wretched nag threw a shoe on the homestretch.
I mean, that's pure bad luck.
So you owe money to the bookies again.
I placed the bet with the Hypatia Syndicate.
I'm talking a real vicious bunch of ladies.
I mean, who said they were the fairer sex?
They want me to do an errand for them.
And if I don't,
they're going to throw me out of an airlock without a spacesuit.
I've been told it's an unpleasant way to die.
Why are you telling me this?
I'm here on a scholarship. I don't have money.
That's the thing, son. They don't want money.
There's an ancient alien artifact.
Nobody knows the extraterrestrial race
that created it.
It's called the Jindoo.
It's stored in the vault in the Academy Museum Archive.
The Jindoo is valuable,
and the Hypatia Syndicate would like me
to procure it for them.
You mean as in steal it.
"Steal" is such an ugly word.
I don't like it.
Why don't we say "purloin"? It's much more poetic.
More like pathetic.
Son, I wouldn't bother you, but...
I can't acquire the Jindoo without your help.
Look, Dad...
I'm glad you came clean with me.
I wish I could believe that you were sincere.
And I wish I could believe you were capable of changing.
But I can't.
You have burned me too many times.
So just do us both a favor
and get the next shuttle off Earth.
Just go away and leave me alone.
I can't help you.
Dismissed. Thank you.
Remember papers next week, please.
- Xander. - Jax.
Why do I get the feeling you're not here
for a friendly little chat?
Well, because I'm not.
I heard you took Pilar to the asteroid belt,
and to the wreckage of the Tereshkova.
Why would you take her instead of me?
Because I wanted to evaluate her skills as a pilot.
And recruit her to Command Track, huh?
Or were you trying to recruit her to C.I.S.?
Jax, I can assure you that was not my intention.
And you need to lower your voice.
So it was an accident that you just happened
to stumble across the debris field from the Tereshkova?
And then, let me get this straight,
then you just happened to find a piece of wreckage
that was worth salvaging.
I don't buy it. You...
You ask me to trust you, you say you want to help me,
and then you just keep lying to me.
Jax, I know you need to find out what happened to your parents,
and I respect that, I really do.
But this is not all about you.
Sometimes you ask me questions that I cannot answer.
That is not good enough, and you know it.
It feels like you've been angry with me
ever since we lost Magda and Avar
at the Parallax research facility.
You blame me, don't you?
Of course not.
But you do.
You blame yourself.
You're not the only one.
I still blame myself every day for what happened to Greg.
Everyone I get close to dies. I'm...
I'm bad luck.
Not to me.
I know you found something important out there,
something that may have to do with the death of my parents.
I just need you to tell me what it is.
I wish I could, Jax. I really do.
- But I simply can't. - Why?
It is a matter of EarthCom security.
I am under orders.
You may not have to answer to anyone, but I do.
I am only following orders.
Just following orders.
I learned in history class that the "superior orders defense"
was the same excuse used in the Nuremberg Trials.
It's the defense of cowards.
So now you're calling me a Nazi?
That seems pretty unfair, Jax.
If you carry on running around doing whatever you want,
whenever you want,
you're going to end up alienating your friends
and getting expelled.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to call you a Nazi.
That was...
that was kind of harsh.
Yeah.
It was a bit.
I'm sorry.
Beyond program.
Western Town activated.
Oh, yeah.
I didn't know you could ride horses.
How did you find me?
It wasn't very hard.
Atria said you like to come to this sim
- when you want to be alone. - Exactly. When I wanna be alone.
So what, exactly, did your dad do
that made you so upset?
He wants something from me.
Needs my help with one of his crazy schemes.
What crazy scheme is that?
He says he owes a bunch of money to the Hypatia Syndicate,
and they'll kill him if he doesn't pay.
How much does he owe?
They don't want money.
They want him to steal something from the FTA Museum.
The Jindoo.
He needs my help to pull it off.
You're not seriously thinking
about helping him, are you?
Are you kidding? Or course not.
Well, that's a relief.
All right, well, let me know
if there's anything I can do to help.
I'm going to let you get back to...
whatever it is you're doing here.
Just riding in to clean up another town.
I know.
And it ain't big enough for the both of us,
so I'm gonna go.
Hi-yo, Silver.
Hello, Thomas.
Seriously?
If you don't help your father,
you'll regret it for the rest of your life.
Did Billy D. send you to convince me?
Your father doesn't know I'm here.
You're wasting your time. I'm not even interested.
He's really special to me, Thomas,
and he needs our help.
Anybody ever tell you you got terrible taste in men?
How much do you really know about your dad?
Maybe it's time you heard his real story.
Billy Dwayne Ross was a brave platoon leader.
EarthCom realized your father was special.
He always knew exactly which soldier under him
to give which assignment.
And he was always right,
because he was an empath.
Sound familiar?
The rare gene which creates them was passed down to you
from your father.
I may be an empath,
but I'm no mind reader.
Neither was he... until the surgery.
After they confirmed his aptitude,
they cut Billy D.'s head wide open
and amplified your father's abilities a hundredfold.
Some telepaths became spies.
The best ones were turned into interrogators.
In what sector will the Zatarians
launch their next major attack?
Billy D. has the ability
to invade another person's consciousness.
It's called Mind-Diving.
The next attack will be in Sector 347.
My mom never told me any of this.
Because she never knew about what your dad did.
Everything the ETC did was top secret.
So if he's so traumatized,
why does he always want to be the life of the party?
To hide the agony he experiences every day.
All the memories of pain and trauma from the war.
So this whole Mr. Cool Billy D. thing is all...
Just a mask.
An elaborate coping mechanism.
Much like this VR simulation is for you.
I don't know.
Western Town terminated.
You're an empath, Thomas.
You can feel I'm telling the truth.
When your father's in contact with you,
his telepathic abilities are amplified exponentially.
That's why he needs you to help steal the artifact.
So, what's your part in all this?
Let's just say I understand what he needs.
And what he needs right now, more than anything,
is his son.
Whether he lives or dies is all up to you.
What do you want?
Billy D.'s in danger.
I love him, and I need you to help save him.
Does this have to do with stealing the Jindoo?
I told you when we met you're unique.
Your thoughts are naturally resistant to detection.
Any idea why?
I don't know.
But we can use that ability to pull off this heist together.
And I need your help to convince Thomas to do it too.
Thomas already made up his mind.
So have I.
Your mother was an amazing woman, Jax.
You remind me of her a lot.
You knew my mother?
I seriously doubt that.
She didn't have a lot of friends, and I knew all of them.
I wouldn't claim we were exactly friends.
More like associates.
We did share a mutual trust, however.
"Ten points for Gryffindor."
You recognize that, don't you?
It's something she used to say when I would do a good job.
It's from this old book we used to read.
A book about wizards. I know.
You told her you wanted to have powers like that too,
and she told you that one day you would.
How do you know all this?
She told me.
Because she knew that one day, you might need my help.
Now that day has come.
Need your help?
Seems like you're the one who's asking for mine.
We can help each other.
I need to save my future husband's life,
and you want to know what happened to your parents
at the New Portland colony.
What do you know about New Portland?
The moment we successfully complete this mission,
I'll give you the key that'll help unlock the mystery.
And why should I trust you?
Because you have no choice.
And no one else will help you.
Not your uncle.
Not even that pretty young boy you claim to care nothing about.
If you want answers, you need to do this.
How do you know my mother?
Who are you, Tierney?
The important question, Jax, is who are you?
Tierney, where'd you go?
I went for a run.
For three hours?
No way.
Look, you may have trained yourself to block my telepathy,
but I still know when you're lying to me.
I talked to Jax and your son
about them helping us steal the Jindoo.
Don't be upset with me, honey. I was only trying to help.
Tierney.
You stay the hell away from my son...
What...?
Seems like you've forgotten
the pecking order around here.
Get off me.
I'm your handler, not your fiancée.
You work for me.
Our little charade must be causing you some confusion.
I got your sorry ass out of prison,
and I can send you back.
Or how about this?
EarthCom is planning to restart the Telepath Corps
to prepare for the next war against the Zatarians.
I could always have you drafted back into service.
How's that sound, honey?
I'd rather die than go back to the ETC.
If you want to be a free man again,
it doesn't seem like you have a choice, now do you?
You look like you've got a lot on your mind.
You know I do.
You still trying to figure out if you should help your dad?
I can't even believe I'm even thinking about it.
Have you talked to Atria about it?
She's not exactly the best person to talk to
about parental issues, given she doesn't even have any.
So...
All right.
I talked to Tierney.
She asked for my help.
Your dad sacrificed everything during the war
to help the Earth Confederacy.
And now he's being chased by a bunch of lowlifes.
Not to mention his son is one of my best friends
whose always been there when I needed him.
So if you want my help, I'm in.
Hey, son.
I came as soon as I got your message.
I just don't want you to get hurt.
So...
I've decided I'm going to help you steal the Jindoo.
That means so much to me, son.
Okay, everybody's got to listen very carefully.
The first thing we need to do is create a diversion.
Tommy, Jax, you will set off the smoke devices
here, here, and here.
Tierney and I will arrive at 1700 hours.
Security will lock down the museum
according to a pre-established security protocol.
And I'll disable the security system
so they can't monitor our intrusion.
Meanwhile, I will do a mind dive on Professor Osborn
to get the code that would get us all
into the museum archive.
Professor!
Osborn.
My son speaks highly of your class.
William Dwayne Ross at your service.
But you can call me Billy D.
Pleasure to meet you, William.
Your son is a fine student and an excellent pilot.
Access denied.
- It's not working. - Access denied.
- What's wrong? - Just give me a second. I...
What kind of telepath are you?
- The kind that's not eidetic. - Access denied.
Could you just let me concentrate?
Come on, Dad.
You can do this.
No, wait, actually...
I can do this.
Access granted.
That's my boy.
This is the reason we needed you, Jax.
This is a thought detector.
It picks up neural activity from the brain.
It'll be triggered by a person's first step into it, unless...
Unless that person has congenital resistance to thought detection.
Exactly.
I was trained to keep my thoughts secure from telepaths,
but that only gives me a 50-50 chance at not triggering it.
But when I saw Billy D. guess wrong at the bar,
I knew you could do it. He couldn't read you.
There's something special about you.
Time's a-ticking, ladies. We got to...
Keep your mind as clear of thoughts as possible.
Stay serene.
Breathe.
Well done, Jax.
Lasers.
Why'd it have to be lasers?
What the hell is this?
This wasn't in any of the schematics.
They must have upgraded the security system
from the plans we stole.
How the hell are we going to get past these?
There's no way to get past laser security.
Silly boy, there's always a way.
Damn.
Come on. We're running out of time.
This is an organic lock.
An artificial mini brain.
Ten billion neurons whose sole function
is to constantly think to create ever-changing combination codes.
How are we going to get past that?
Only a powerful telepath can do it
by communicating with the brain itself.
Cue Billy D.
But the telepath has to be amplified.
Which is why you're here, Thomas.
See up there? See up there, kiddo?
That's where you're going to, the stars and back.
Right here. Right here.
That's right, kiddo. I got you.
Oh, you beat me!
Hey, kiddo.
Open your eyes, son.
Hey, you blow the candles.
Happy birthday, kiddo.
I love you, Dad.
I love you, kiddo. I love you, kiddo.
High five.
I don't think I can do it, kiddo.
We did it.
Pop? You okay?
Now I am, son.
Now I am.
I thought we came for the crystal.
I said we had to find it.
And we did.
So, what is that thing?
That's the flight data recorder from the Tereshkova, isn't it?
What did you just do?
What does this have to do with the Tereshkova?
I thought we were here to save Billy D.'s life.
Don't get all sanctimonious with me, girl.
The only reason you came on this little adventure
was because I promised you information
about what happened to your parents.
I did what you wanted.
Now tell me why the New Portland colony was attacked.
I wasn't expecting an actual key.
You told me you were going to tell me
what happened to my parents.
I told you I would give you the key to the mystery,
and I have.
But now you have to find the lock.
When you do,
you'll know everything.
And you might be sorry I ever gave that to you.
What's... ?
Dad, I'm sorry about all the things I said.
Until our minds merged,
I never realized how much you really cared about me.
It's all right, son.
I just want the chance to try to make up
for all the lost years.
Why don't we start tonight?
Let me and Atria take you for a proper dinner.
Come on, honey. Let's go.
And then we'll go have dinner with the fam.
I'll see you tonight, son?
You convince me to do this
because you said you were my friend, Jax.
- You know I am. - No, you're not.
Was there anything you even said to me that was true?
What?
You used me like you always do to get what you wanted.
You don't care about whose lives you put at risk to do that.
That's not what I...
I don't think I've ever seen you this genuinely happy.
I've been put through hell by you and the ETC.
But it's all been worth it,
because I'm back together with my son.
You're a free man, Billy D.
You fulfilled your part of the bargain.
But I will be tasked with other assignments
that'll require a skilled telepath.
Sorry, but I'm out.
You're going to have to find another sucker
to do your dirty work.
I already have.
Your son Thomas has proved
he'll make an excellent recruit.
What the hell are you talking about?
I saw today that Thomas has great potential.
With the proper surgical enhancements,
he could even become more powerful than you.
Welcome home, Jax.
Hey, Jax.
We're headed to dinner with Billy D.
Want to come with?
I'm sure Jax already has plans tonight.
Not tonight, thanks.
Okay.
Thomas, wait, I...
No! No!
What's wrong?
Thomas?
Are you all right?
I'm fine.
- You saw something. - No.
Nothing.
Let's... let's go, Atria.
I'll catch you later, gator.
Come on in, guys.
Dad, what are you doing?
What's it look like?
Packing.
Tierney and I have got to catch the last shuttle to Las Venus,
because like P.T. Barnum said,
there's a sucker born every minute.
But I thought we were going to have dinner together
and make up for lost time.
Are you really that stupid, son?
Look, I needed you for the heist.
That's it.
People don't change. You know that.
Okay, look, look, look.
Here is a credit.
Don't say I never gave you anything, kiddo.
Thomas? Thomas!
I'm impressed you were able to do that to your own son.
It's probably the most noble thing you've ever done.
Too bad no one will ever know.
I keep working for you,
you stay the hell away from my son.
That's the deal, right?
Yes. We have a deal.
He fooled me too, honey.
Sometimes we want to believe so much,
we convince ourselves the lie is the truth.
My dad was lying to me.
I know. I'm sorry.
But that's not what he was lying about.
He didn't mean any of what he said,
and he's terrified of Tierney.
What? How do you know that?
Because when he put this coin in my hand, we connected.
He did some crazy mind dive with me.
I love you, kiddo,
but you got to play along right now.
I'm doing all this for you.
It's all an act.
We don't have much time.
Tierney is very dangerous. You stay away from her.
And from me too.
I love you so much, son. I always will.
But it's best that you keep away from me.
I just need to know you're safe.
You get the hell out of here, all right?
Don't say I never gave you anything, kiddo.
Oh, my gosh.
If that's all true, we have to help him.
We will, I promise.
But I don't think there's anything we can do right now.
But I have a strong feeling we haven't seen the last
of Billy Dwayne Ross.
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