What happened?
There was a crash.
One of the alien ships spit some kind of bioweapon in my eyes-
a gas.
What's wrong with Daddy?
Silas.
Kylie, come on.
Send Silas.
You need an antibiotic and steroid drops.
Silas won't know where to get them.
You're not going to find an open pharmacy, Lynn.
They're probably all ransacked or destroyed.
A small urgent care is better anyway.
There's one a few miles from here.
It's too dangerous.
Not having my husband well enough to protect us
is dangerous.
We need you well.
I need you well.
This is the only way.
Hello, Feena.
Shh! Quiet.
Are you lost?
No.
Buzz off.
Can I provide assistance?
A light, perhaps?
You want to help me?
Let me talk to Duncan.
The answer is still no, Feena.
Why? Because it might make me happy?
Because I do not project holograms for your amusement.
My amusement.
For someone so concerned with the human race,
you know next to nothing about it.
Why am I even talking to you?
You're not in charge.
Can't sleep either?
Sorry, I didn't know you were in here.
Room's big enough for two.
You overheard?
Hard not to.
Duncan was someone...
special to me.
The drone has his brain state.
So you came to the Obelisk to ask that he be reborn?
They said if we did what they asked,
they would give us more people.
You got the weapon.
We did what they asked.
So give us more people.
Couldn't agree more.
And if they're going to give us more people,
they might as well be people we care about.
Might as well.
You asked for Lynn and Kylie?
I didn't ask for anybody.
Why not?
I don't know how.
Abram says talking to it doesn't do any good,
plus I don't believe that whoever's on the other end
of this thing actually cares.
Then why did you come in here?
Because I want to believe.
Did you open the weapon?
I was going to ask you the same thing.
Abram wouldn't have.
Not without telling us.
You added something.
Herbs.
Don't ask me what they are.
I have no idea.
You put in random plants?
They could be poisonous.
The Obelisk would've stopped me.
Oh yes.
The wise and powerful Obelisk.
I've already eaten some.
It didn't kill me.
How comforting.
Mmm.
It's better though, right?
Yeah, it's not rib-eye steak, but it's better.
It's still gross, I know, but it's a flavorful gross.
We can't keep eating this three times a day.
Ezra went out hunting this morning.
If he has any luck, we'll all eat better.
Mmm.
But in the meantime, I'm a good chef though, right?
I mean, making something out of nothing!
It was a rock.
And you saw no one?
Mm-mm.
If you stole my food, I'd hit you with a rock too.
It doesn't matter that it wasn't our snare.
These are our woods.
Anyone who hunts here is a thief.
Fine, then.
Find this thief.
Take Duncan. He's healthy now.
What of the Reborns?
This object they unearthed?
It killed one of our own.
The safety of our people is my utmost concern as well, Jax.
Once we send our brother to the Ancestor,
we will find this object and destroy it.
You think we should open it more?
Not without Ezra.
D'you think it's a bomb?
Hope not.
Well, it looks like a bomb.
Ezra said he dug it up from the ground.
So who put it there?
Maybe no one.
Maybe it was buried by time, like those cars in the desert.
So it's from the invasion?
Maybe.
What's it saying?
Give me a second.
I've never seen most of these symbols before.
You're to go to the lake.
Alone.
Why?
They're giving us more people.
Maybe you should wait for Ezra.
That's not what the Obelisk said.
Since when do you obey the Obelisk?
It operates the force field.
That's reason enough to obey it.
Them, not it.
The Obelisk is a communication device,
not the thing speaking.
Whatever.
Are you sure they didn't say who they'd be giving us?
You think I'd keep that from you?
You must know.
You'll be depositing the brain states.
Sometimes he doesn't shut up and sometimes he does that.
If I bring him back in four pieces,
you know why.
What if you need help?
The Obelisk believes in me; Why don't you?
See what you can find out about that weapon...
without blowing yourself up.
Rabbit bones.
Someone ate well.
These tracks were made by a child.
It can't be a coincidence.
I ask for Duncan,
and then the Obelisk says it's giving us more people.
Seems cruel to give us someone else.
You have nothing to say?
Not even, "I can neither confirm nor deny."
This is why people dislike you.
You can remove the lid.
Okay.
We're supposed to beat the Skin Riders with this?
To understand the weapon,
you must first understand the Skin Rider parasite.
Its brain contains over 100 billion nerve cells
woven through an organic crystalline structure.
A crystal brain?
Why does it glow?
Due to the transference of charged particles
through the neural network.
Basically, the light means it's thinking.
Not a very smart evolutionary design.
Light would attract predators.
Which is why human hosts are instructed to cover and
protect their parasite.
Creepy.
The light intensifies
when one Skin Rider communicates telepathically with another.
They can read each other's minds?
No,
but they can send messages and information
across short distances.
How far a distance?
A few hundred meters at most.
What does the weapon do?
It breaks down the ionic bonds and crystal lattices.
It shatters the crystal.
Like turning glass into sand.
The weapon is not intended for individual Skin Riders, however;
But rather, for the Ancestor...
A repository of all the memories of their civilization.
They store their memories outside of their bodies?
When a Skin Rider dies,
the crystal is removed and then added to the Ancestor so that
the life and knowledge of that Rider will forever be preserved.
That's actually a beautiful concept...
In a horror movie kind of way.
Where is this Ancestor?
Hidden somewhere near.
You and the others must find it and destroy it.
Now what?
Yeah.
I'll just wait here, then.
Whoever made these arrows gave zero consideration to accuracy.
I might as well be throwing rocks.
Should you be messing with that?
Yellow says it's safe.
Where's Feena?
Before you get angry, hear me out.
Lower the force field.
The instructions were for Feena to go alone.
I don't care what the instructions were.
Lower the force field.
The Obelisk controls the force field, Ezra,
- not me. - Then tell the Obelisk to let me out.
I don't speak to the Obelisk.
Communication with them is one-way.
They speak to us.
If there's a way to send them a message,
I don't know what it is.
So we're trapped in here.
- Why? - Perhaps the Obelisk
does not want to endanger more than one of you.
One of those people out there could be my wife or daughter.
Feena is capable,
or the Obelisk would not have chosen her.
And you're okay with this?
I don't like it.
They're giving us more people.
That's what matters.
What matters is that we still get to act like human beings.
We lose that, they haven't restored anything.
HEY!
Grab the rope!
I got you.
Come on.
I've got you.
Lynn?
Are you hurt?
No.
No, I woke up on the water.
Ah!
- What? - What is wrong with you?
Verification complete.
Welcome, Lynn.
Are you all right?
What was that?
- What happened? - It's a long story.
I'll let Ezra explain.
- Ezra? - Your husband.
- Do you remember him? - Yes, of course.
Do you remember me?
- Have we met? - Not like this.
Your brain state doesn't record new memories, apparently.
My brain state?
I'll explain later.
I'm Feena, a friend.
I'm here to help you.
This is too easy.
Collect the Sparks.
Give them to me, and I will let you live.
I know you.
Quickly, to the settlement!
- What about the others? - The Sparks won't make others.
- Not now. - Bu-
- Hurry! - Come on!
Duncan.
You're alive-
Are you all right?
Run!
- This way. - Ah!
- Come on! - Ah!
Get up.
I can't keep up. My foot...
You have to. Come on!
No, they'll catch us both because of me.
Here. Take my shoes.
- No! - There's no time.
- How far is Ezra? - A few miles.
Go to him. He'll come for me.
I'm not leaving you.
Yes, you are.
A tranquilizer.
How humane of your drone to treat me like an animal.
Where's the other one?
Ran off.
Then find her.
Filtered rainwater.
A man who shares his waterskin shares his life.
I don't even get a thank-you.
Perhaps the Sparks didn't weave your brain properly.
Wouldn't be the first time they made a mistake, but,
no, I think that stupid arrogance is just who you are.
What are Sparks?
Ah.
The little synapses are firing after all.
Sparks are water creatures.
They made you.
You were dead.
Now you're not.
Comes as a shock, doesn't it?
What do you mean, "made me"?
"Wove you" is more accurate.
From organic matter in the water, air, stone.
Neat trick, huh?
- That's not possible. - No?
Check yourself.
Got any scars, birthmarks, tattoos?
Not anymore, you don't.
You're the new and improved Lynn.
So you do remember me.
My human does.
But it's been a lot longer than you think.
Look around.
Does it look like we're still fighting the Karik?
Do you hear any warships, people screaming and dying?
That's because the invasion ended...
four hundred years ago.
Jameson, cover that corner!
Help.
The Karik won that war.
You humans went the way of the dinosaurs.
You say that like you're not human.
That surprises you.
That's because humans are arrogant.
If it's intelligent, if it can speak,
you assume it must be human.
You look human.
Nobody's perfect.
Then what are you?
Impatient.
Your feet are cut.
Put them in the water.
Keep them there.
Don't move.
They heal.
If they find damaged tissue, they mend it.
They can even penetrate your pores
and repair strained muscles.
See for yourself.
The Reborns put them here.
I want to collect them.
They'll come to you...
If your foot is bleeding.
Cut it...
Or I will.
I wanted to wait for you before.
But if we would've,
the force field would have remained closed
and neither you nor Feena could have left.
Is that what the Obelisk told you?
You think I'm making this up?
I think you're being manipulated.
Do you ever question what they tell you?
Consider what they're asking?
If we disobey them, there are consequences.
Did the Obelisk tell you that too?
Or did you just feel it?
I don't know why they picked me, all right?
I don't know why I feel their messages and you don't.
Why they let me know things.
But here's one thing I know on my own:
The human race is more important than you.
Or me, or your wife, or any of us.
And if they're trying to preserve that,
trying to restore our species,
then yeah, I'm on their side.
You can call it manipulation or foolishness.
Call it whatever you want.
But it's not going to stop me from doing whatever I can
to bring back more people.
Once you have your companion,
once we've opened your mind, you'll understand.
And you'll thank me.
Wait!
I don't understand.
You want the cloth?
Here.
I don't know what you mean.
You want me to cover my eyes?
This is a blindfold.
I'm not going to cover my eyes.
All right, all right, all right.
Now what?
Did you make this?
For me?
Thank you.
Oh, they fit perfectly.
You even have them in my color.
What do you think?
Thank you.
Mmm.
It's good jerky.
So where's your family?
Do they live nearby?
Do you not speak English?
Español?
Français?
Deutsch?
I don't speak any of those either,
so it wouldn't really help us.
Do you have a name?
My name is Lynn.
Lynn.
What's your name?
My husband lives nearby and I need to get to him.
His name is Ezra.
Do you know Ezra?
My daughter would be about your age.
Does it always take this long?
Reconstituting a human body is a delicate process.
Are you going to tell me to trust the Obelisk
like Abram does?
Abram isn't your enemy, nor is the Obelisk.
HEY!
It's Feena.
Open the gate!
What happened?
The Skin Riders took Lynn.
- Where? - A creek near the lake.
I tried to get her to come,
but she stalled them so I could get back to you.
- Can you take me there? - Yeah.
Take down the force field.
If someone is taken by the Skin Riders, Ezra,
they are taken.
There is nothing you can do about it.
Yes, there is.
What are you doing?
Getting my wife.
You think breaking the Obelisk
is going to shut down the force field?
- We'll find out. - No, we won't.
THINK for a second!
You can't take on the Skin Riders alone.
- She's my wife. - And how're you going to find her?
You think they're waiting for you at the creek?
They're gone by now.
- Well, then, I'll track 'em. - And end up in their hands as well.
Don't you see? The Obelisk is protecting you.
Whose side are you on, Abram?
The side that doesn't want to see you get killed
without accomplishing anything.
I won't allow you to strike the Obelisk, Ezra.
What, are you going to shoot me with a dart?
That's up to you.
Where are you going?
To find another way out.
That's a really good impression.
I love playing with you,
but I've got to find my friends,
so I can't stay he-
Who are you?
I'm a nurse.
You were injured.
I gave you something for the pain.
Red Hawk, this is-
Where's my radio?
I already tried.
Red Hawk, Red Hawk, this is Viper 6.
Do you copy?
Where are my men? There were four of us.
The others are in the corridor.
You're the only one that made it.
So you moved me?
They were coming.
Thank you.
There's shrapnel in your leg.
I need to remove it.
I'm going to get back to my unit.
You're not going anywhere.
There's a ship parked right outside,
not one of ours.
We're stuck here for now.
How bad is the leg?
If I don't treat it now, you'll lose it.
All right.
Do what you need to do.
You lost a lot of blood.
This isn't the best way to do this,
but we're sort of short on options.
You're giving me your own?
We're the same blood type.
- I already checked. - Isn't this a clinic?
Don't they have blood here?
I don't know how long the power's been out.
I can't radiate it before I give it to you, but...
I assure you, I'm clean.
I'm not worried about that, ma'am.
It's Lynn.
Thank you, Lynn.
Okay.
Okay, give me a sec!
I'm not as young as you.
Is this the way to your people?
I hope you know where you're going.
Oh!
Jax!
We lost her.
Tracked her for a couple miles,
but she slipped through.
She'll be back at the settlement by now.
I don't need a weapon to kill you.
You're like children!
I'm tempted to let you two kill each other.
You found your thief?
I see.
So you've accomplished nothing.
The day wasn't a total waste, then.
Ah.
Nice to see someone taking the initiative.
Is it operative?
It will require s-some repairs.
Because you didn't think to subdue it gently?
Have enough sense at least to get out of the rain.
No.
Not until I have what I came for.
Careful, Jax.
Judging by that head wound,
you're not the only predator in the woods today.
There isn't another way out.
The force field is a sphere with the Obelisk at the center.
You're sure?
This wall is the same distance from the Obelisk
as the force field beyond the gate is.
Couldn't dig our way out of here if we wanted to.
It's my fault.
I didn't want to wait for you
because I thought if we went against the Obelisk,
it wouldn't give us Duncan.
But he's already alive.
He's a Skin Rider.
Like your brother.
He looked at me like he didn't know me.
And now that's going to happen to Lynn because of me.
You can't blame yourself, Feena.
I'm the one who left her out there.
And you did what she told you to do.
Believe me, it's never a good idea to defy Lynn.
I'm going to help you get her back.
We're going to help each other.
What happened?
I had to put you under.
Removing shrapnel doesn't really go well
when the patient is awake.
You say that like you've done this before.
I've helped with a few hundred trauma surgeries.
I'm lucky you were around, then.
What were you doing in here, anyway?
My husband needs medication.
Did you find what you needed?
Not exactly, but it might work.
Hopefully.
If you tend to him half as well as you tended to me,
he'll be okay.
What about you?
You married?
Yeah, nine days ago.
Really?
We were all set for our honeymoon and then...
this.
I haven't heard from her since they called me in.
You got kids?
A daughter.
She's five.
No kid should ever have to experience this.
Doesn't seem fair.
No, it doesn't.
What are they telling you?
We don't have any reception where we are.
Nobody gets reception.
Not anymore.
Believe me, it's a mercy.
Why? What's happening?
You stay close to your husband and daughter, Lynn.
Enjoy that as long as you can.
How do I talk to you?
How do I convey what we need to say?
You have to be a machine, but there are no keys,
no buttons.
We are breaking apart here.
And it's because of you.
If you aren't going to allow us to do what we have to do,
why bother bringing us back?
This means community.
You taught me that.
Don't you value that?
Community.
Yes.
That-That woman is one of us.
We cannot abandon her.
Mercy.
It is Ezra's wife.
Have mercy on him!
And her.
Does-Does this mean...
You hear me?
Or are you...
just repeating what I say?
You all right?
No, she isn't.
She's a reject.
The Sparks don't get it right every time, Lynn.
It doesn't happen often, but it happens.
They build the brain wrong or the vocal chords wrong.
And drones won't tell you the hard truth of it,
so I will.
You're nothing to them.
Nothing to the Obelisk, nothing to the Makers.
All they want is a tool.
And if that tool dies, they won't bring it back again.
Even if it's your wife.
Even if you beg.
Even if her death was their fault
because to them, she's just a tool.
Used and discarded.
Let the girl go.
That girl is a nuisance.
The drones and the Sparks don't show her mercy,
but this is how you do?
Don't lecture me like you know me.
I did know you once.
I'll help you gather the Sparks if you let her go.
I can catch you both anyway.
Not easily.
I like how you negotiate.
Go away, girl, before I change my minds.
Take this.
Don't look back.
Go, go!
You just lost your negotiating tool.
You lost the ability to cut my feet.
Come peacefully...
and we'll leave the Sparks for now.
Over here!
Sergeant! You two.
Over here!
Red Hawk, this is 2-1-Alpha...
Hey.
Ezra!
Lynn?
I got what we needed.
The humans killed our brother
with one touch of their weapon.
We offer them a companion to choose for them,
to remove from them the burden of discipline and self-mastery,
guilt and shame.
We offer them guaranteed joy and they give us this.
This brother will not be forgotten.
His memories will not be discarded.
His light will not be diminished.
With this knife, I remove his crystal.
Who will carry him to the Ancestor?
Who will honor him?
Preserve him?
Add him to the past?
May your feet be swift and your minds be clear.
Hello, Lynn.
I'm so glad you could come.
Whoa, you're-You're going too fast.
I-I need to-I need to write these down.
I can't learn that quickly.
I'm going to ask that whatever harsh feelings
you have for me
be set aside for a moment.
I'm making progress with the Obelisk.
I can write to them.
They're simple messages.
I can't articulate what I want to say,
but with a little study,
I might be able to ask them to let us out.
They don't have time for more study, Abram.
If they infected Lynn,
the parasite takes root quickly.
There's something else.
I found this notebook left by the settlers.
Crude paper.
They must've made it somehow.
Okay.
See all these notes?
All these pages?
Yeah.
This is my handwriting.
My shorthand.
That I created.
And...
I don't remember writing it.
What are you saying?
I'm saying I've been here before, Ezra.
I was one of the settlers.
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