Awakening

[We're looking at a very dark and lifeless room, completely empty and seemingly devoid of life. It rocks with the sound of battle in the background every now and then. On one side of the wall, there is a capsule with a dark-haired girl inside it, completely covered with green gel, her eyes closed with sleep.

Suddenly, a panel on the wall, labelled, "Life Systems", starts to beep. The girl starts shaking, as the doors of the capsule open and a light inside the capsule comes on. Her eyes snap open. She glances around the capsule and outside. She has two beeping transmitters attached to her temples. She rips them off, and shakily stands up in the capsule, absorbing her surroundings. The room rocks again. She comes out of the capsule and looks around.

She spots a gray hatch across the room with a pad on it. She pushes her hand to the pad and sees a shower come on the other side of the hatch and goes in. She washes all the gel off and, still dizzy, stumbles around while the ship rocks on and finds a uniform and shoes.

Meanwhile, another person is waking up. A guy, about the same age, wakes up and confirms the fact that he has a hand, glancing at his gel-drenched body and looking disoriented.

The girl, with her new-found uniform, gets a drink and sips it eagerly.]

: Hey.

[Startled, she spins around. The guy is halfway through his uniform.]

: Sorry. [He puts on his shirt.]

: It's OK.

: Who are you?

: I'm, uh.... I can't remember.

: Me neither. Do you have any idea where we are?

: Well, we're...we are, uh... [spots capsules with other people in them] not alone. [She walks over to the other capsules.] Looks like some sort of medical station or a hospital.

[The capsules beep as they rotate. Another guy and girl come into view.]

: Seems more like a morgue to me.

: It's cold enough to be a morgue. [pause] Wait. I remember now. It's...Yuna. My name is Yuna.

: Yuna. I like that, nice name. Can you dig one out for me?

Yuna: You'll have to dig out your own name, guy, I'm drawing a blank.

[The ship rocks again. Yuna falls back on a table.]

Yuna: That's it, I'm outta here. [She starts toward the hatch leading out of the room.]

: Wait! What about them?

Yuna: If we get out alive we'll come back for them.

: We can't just leave them here!

Yuna: [already out in the corridor] Stay if you want!

[He opts not to, puts on the rest of his uniform and joins her out in the corridor, where she is wondering where to go. A circuit in the ceiling behind them goes out and they fall against the wall together, parting awkwardly.]

Voice: Emergency--report to Command Deck.

: Who is that? Can you hear me?

Yuna: Command Deck, Command Deck, I should know this!

: What?

Yuna: Not sure. C'mon. [She continues to walk.]

[The Command Deck hatch opens, Yuna and the guy on the other side of it. They stare at the screen, which is displaying star-filled space.]

Yuna: We're in space.

: Yeah. [pause] And we've got company.

[On the screen is a green ship, firing at them.]

Voice: I am unable to continue. Prepare for manual override in 4 seconds.

: Where's the crew?

Yuna: Must have abandoned ship.

Voice: I have released auto-control. Please take the helm.

: And do what? Damn it, can you hear us?!?! What are we supposed to do?

[The ship fires again. Yuna eases herself into the seat of one of the consoles and starts to slowly tap on the keys.]

: Don't touch that! You'll get us killed!

Yuna: I remember something.

: What are you doing?

Yuna: [She puts her hand on the navigational arm of the console. The sound of the engines powering up can be heard.] Getting us out of here.

: Oh, great, I didn't know you knew how to fly a spaceship.

Yuna: Neither did I.

: [Goes over to engineering console beside Yuna's] Whoa, slow down, take it easy, you're overthrusting on Fusion 3, you're going to blow...

Yuna: You remember something too.

: Yeah. But I feel like I should remember more!

Yuna: But you can't. So we're not perfect. Let's go with what we know.

[Another hit from the hostile.]

Yuna: All right, I'm going to blast us into, uh...

: Hyperspace. Do it.

Yuna: I need more power.

: Right. Uh...I'll divert from Fusion 2. [pause] It's not responding.

[Yuna starts looking at him oddly.]

: Um...must be the control bust, maybe I can re-route a bypass...re-routing...[He notices her.] What?

Yuna: Nothing. Just talking to yourself, that's all.

: You're the one that said we're not perfect.

Yuna: OK, here we go.

: Done.

Yuna: Ready? [He nods.] We're goin' in.

[They go into hyperspace and they relax.]

Yuna: Good work.

: Thanks, you too.

[He goes to the back of the Command Deck to the sensors and looks at the readout.]

: You know what? I think we lost them.

Yuna: We did?

: We took a lot of damage, but there's no sign of them. Um...

Yuna: What?

: I remember my name. It's Reb. Reb...Anderson!

Yuna: Well, Reb Anderson, do you remember where the crew went?

Reb: [gets something on the console before replying] I think we're it. Us and our four sleeping comrades.

Yuna: It can't be.

Reb: Take a look at this. [He points to the screen.] See? Both shuttles are still aboard, and here are the escape lifepods. Six of them--all secure.

Yuna: But if we're the crew then why can't we remember anything?

Reb: I don't know. I'll try the onboard computer, see what I can find out.

[He goes over to one of the consoles, then, as he's going to the other one, he has a near-collision with Yuna. They both try to go first, and Reb finally holds his arm out for her. He goes to the computer, and she goes to the lift behind the tactical console. She looks down the lift shaft.]

Yuna: Reb, this ship is huge. It goes down like nine or ten decks.

Reb: Ah, this is no good. No response from the computer.

Yuna: Can you fix it?

Reb: No. [pause] But I have an idea.

[They leave the Command Deck.]

[Back to the room with the sleeping crew]

Yuna: Reb, we don't even know who these people are.

Reb: True, but I'm betting one of them's a computer tech.

Yuna: We'll see.

[The guy that they saw in cryo comes out of the shower.]

: Commander Bren, sir, reporting for duty--[He gets dizzy and loses his balance.]

Reb: [takes his arm] Whoa, take it easy there. You'll be OK in a sec. Do you know anything about computers?

Bren: No. Who's the officer in charge here?

[Reb and Yuna glance at each other questioningly.]

Reb: I don't think there is one. As far as we can tell, it's a civilian vessel.

Bren: Terrific. [He leaves to get a uniform; Reb goes with him.]

[The girl they saw steps out of the shower next.]

: I don't remember signing on for this tour.

Yuna: You and me both. I'm Yuna.

: Hi, I'm.... I...don't remember quite much of anything right now.

Yuna: Well, you don't seem too worried about it.

: I actually feel quite...euphoric?

Yuna: [looking at her oddly] Euphoric?

: Ready to meet new and exciting challenges.

Yuna: [still with the weird look] Good. Here's one--do you know how to use the ship's computer?

: N-o. [She goes and gets a uniform.]

Yuna: [to Reb] Well, you're 0 for 2.

: Hey, where am I? Where can I get something to eat?

Reb: We'll take care of that in a minute. Do you know--

: Wait a minute. Status report, Gen.

Reb: Gen? Who's Gen?

: The onboard computer. Isn't she online?

Reb: Can you fix her?

: [takes a sip of a drink] Of course I can fix her, just point me to an access terminal.

[Reb gives an I-told-you-so look to Yuna.]

: I'm the genius of cybernetics.

Reb: Great.

: [dressed] I didn't get a communicator, did you?

Reb: No. [gives the uniform and shoes to Zak] Look, I need you on the Command Deck now.

: I'll go look for some.

Reb: By the way, what's your name, genius?

: Um...

Reb: Don't worry, it'll come to you.

: [lifts a tray off the top of a shelve] Ah! Here are my communicators. [Hands one to Bren]

[A cryochamber beeps as its doors open to reveal the last member of the crew--another girl.]

Yuna: Easy. Don't make any sudden moves.

[She cringes in pain and brings her hands up to massage her temples.]

: Headache... Hand me the biomedic scanner.

Yuna: This the one?

: Yes, that's the one. Thanks.

[Meanwhile, Gret has fun putting Bren's communicator on for him.]

: [switches on the scanner and brings it over her forehead.] Vital functions within limits. Metabolic contour looks solid. Neural activity normal. Must be post-cryonic disorientation. Hi, I'm Lise.

Yuna: Hi, Lise. I think you're going to be just fine.

[Command Deck; the Computer Genius is sitting at the computer console, typing. Reb and Bren are also there.]

Reb: The hostile came blasting at us, and we took a pounding but we managed to get into hyperspace.

Bren: Why didn't you wake us during the attack?

Reb: There was no time. At least we lost them.

[The weapons console beeps.]

Bren: Think again.

Reb: What?

Bren: There's something right behind us.

[Reb walks over to take a look.]

Reb: Uh, scan it.

Bren: I can't. Not without the computer.

Reb: Any luck there, genius?

: Almost.

Bren: Almost isn't good enough! Work faster.

Reb: Bren, he's dealing with a ton of subsystems here, let's cool down.

Bren: Cool down? There's something following us, I want to know what it is.

: I got it! [He starts to laugh.] WOW!

Reb & Bren: What?!?

: My name. I remember my name! It's Zak!

[Bren looks at Reb, exasperated.]

Reb: Zak. Great. Nice to meet you. Now, the computer, PLEASE?

Zak: Oh, yeah. Right, sorry. [types for a second] All right, here it is.

[() materializes.]

Bren: What's that?

Zak: It's Gen's holographic image.

[She disappears without saying a word.]

Bren: Oh great, what now?

Zak: [slaps the console in frustration] I almost had it.

[Lise and Yuna are in the "meeting room".]

Lise: I had a vague image of the Copernicus colony. I think that's where I got my medical training.

Yuna: You're a doctor?

Lise: Yeah. Internal medicine, pathology, general and thoracic surgery...

Yuna: Do you remember anything else? You know, like how we got here?

Lise: [shakes her head regretfully] Sorry.

[The only person still without a name walks in with a plate of food and places it on the table in the centre of the room.]

: Hi, I'm Gret--and that's it. As the playwright said, the rest is silence.

Lise: [curious expression] Playwright?

Gret: Yes. Shakespeare? Hamlet? Act five, scene two?

[Lise and Yuna's expressions don't change, so Gret walks to the other side of the table as Reb and Bren come in from the Command Deck.]

Reb: 'Kay, looks like we still have a hostile on our tail.

Yuna: Are you sure?

Bren: Well, it's still out of range, but it's showing up on the tactical scanner. [grin] Hi, I'm Bren.

Yuna: You check the weapons systems?

Bren: Sure. Eleven quantum resonance cannons, three--

Yuna: No, no. I mean, do you remember how to lock on and fire?

Bren: You give me [?something to erase?] and I'll show you.

Yuna: Too bad you weren't in my life an hour ago.

Reb: Whoa, hold on, you two--we're not going to sit here and slug it out with this hostile.

Yuna: Who says?

Bren: Best defense is a good offense.

Reb: And a good offense could get us all killed--our shields are out--

Bren: All the more reason to strike first.

[Reb snorts and walks away.]

Bren: I don't understand what the problem is.

Gret: Has anyone tried to communicate with them?

Reb: No, we were just a little busy dodging a hostile alien--we didn't have time to talk.

Gret: So we just blast away in return.

Reb: No! [He starts pacing around the table.] We establish a game plan, we have to exhaust all our options first. First, with Zak we'll try and get the computer up and running, second--

[Just as Reb is passing Yuna, she holds up her hands in protest.]

Yuna: Hold it! Nobody put you in charge.

Reb: [taken aback by the disruption in his brainstorm] Nobody put you in charge either.

Yuna: I was awakened first, right? That puts me in charge.

Reb: Oh, so you want to fly the ship and be the captain?

Yuna: Well, since when was the mechanic the captain?

Reb: Mechanic!?!?

Bren: Obviously, neither of you have command experience.

[Reb just glares at him before stomping away.]

Lise: Don't tell us, you want to be in charge.

Bren: It's not a question of want, it's a question of ability.

Reb: [mocks an understanding look and speaks sarcastically] O-h.

Lise: OK, let's have a vote.

Gret: Thank you, Lise, but I don't think we have time for democracy right now.

[Alarms start going off and there is a loud sound of equipment failure. They all go to the Command Deck--Yuna to navigation, Reb to engineering, Bren to weapons, and Lise and Gret hang back.]

Zak: Don't look at me, I didn't do that.

Reb: [goes to console] Fusion 3's failed, we're down to one working power plant.

Yuna: It's not enough to sustain hyperdrive.

Lise: Meaning what?

Reb: Meaning we're going to drop back into normal space.

Bren: With the hostile right on our tail.

Yuna: Bren, get the weapons ready.

Reb: Wait!

Yuna: What for?

Bren: Port and forward weaponry is non-functional.

Yuna: All right, I'll keep the hostile on our starboard side.

Reb: Listen to me, Fusion 1 is still OK, it'll keep us in hyperspace for 10 more minutes.

Yuna: At which point we'll overload and then where are we? No, better to take our shot now. Bren, prime the starboard guns. I'll kill the hyperdrive.

Reb: No!

Yuna: That's how it is.

[Reb doesn't accept it and, in a frenzy, turns to the console behind him and hastily slaps a few buttons. Bren's screen flashes twice and then goes blank.]

Bren: Hey. Tactical's down!

Reb: Right. I locked in a bypass.

Yuna: Override it!

Bren: I don't know how!

Yuna: Are you crazy?! Power up the guns NOW!!

Reb: Sorry, that's how it is.

[Bren rises up threateningly from his seat at weapons, staring menacingly at Reb.]

Reb: What're you going to do, break my arms?

Bren: If I have to.

[Reb simply crosses his arms defiantly and sits as Bren jumps over his console, while Yuna takes off her headset and gets between Bren and Reb.]

Yuna: All right, stop it! Everybody, just relax.

Bren: He's trying to take over!

Gret: Well, I say he's succeeded unless someone can crack a bypass in the next ten minutes.

[Bren goes nose-to-nose with the still-smug Reb and shoves a finger in his face.]

Bren: If this was a military ship, you'd be facing a court martial.

Reb: You're absolutely right. But it's not a military ship, is it Bren?

[Bren stalks back to his console.]

Reb: Zak, forget about fixing the computer for now. Get me the recent log recordings. Pull up the hostile's first attack and play it for Bren--maybe he can find a weak spot. [He walks over to Lise.] Now we have to try and open up communications with them.

Lise: [walks up to one of the consoles] I know this console. It's, uh...it's, uh...it's environmental control! Life support. So that means that one [points to the one to the right of it] must be communications.

[Reb goes to Gret now, who is standing in front of the communications console.]

Gret: It doesn't look familiar.

Reb: Well, you knew about these [gestures to the communicators], give it a shot.

[She turns on the monitor and starts to type.]

Gret: Well, what do you know? It feels familiar.

Reb: Good. Lise, can you see if the escape pods are still operational?

Yuna: Now what, are we abandoning ship?

Reb: No, I have an idea.

Lise: Life pods are all operational.

Bren: [snaps his fingers] Look. [points to the screen, which is showing the alien firing] Here's a replay. You see that? After she fires it takes a second for her shields to regenerate.

Reb: [eyes light up] Right! And I'll bet this little hyperchase is draining her power reserves like crazy.

Gret: I'm not getting any response from them.

Yuna: I guess they just don't like us.

Bren: With their shields that slow to regenerate, we might have time to land one punch.

Reb: Yes! If we let her fire first.

Yuna: With our shields down? Great idea.

Reb: No, there's more. Can you drop us out of hyperspace and make us look disabled?

Yuna: Yes.

Reb: Good! Do it! Show them our port side.

Bren: No good--port side cannons are down.

Reb: I know, that's exactly what I want them to see. Lise, get ready to eject the lifepods.

Lise: Aha. They'll think we're abandoning ship.

Gret: It's a sure sign of surrender and so she'll stop attacking!

Bren: She'll more likely fry the pods.

Reb: Exactly. And that is our chance to get a shot in. [He starts typing at the console.] Right. Bren, I'm giving you your power back. Don't miss.

Gret: Do you really think they're going to shoot at defenseless lifepods?

Yuna: We'll know in a minute.

Reb: As soon as she fires I'll power us back up. Roll us over to starboard side.

Yuna: [sigh, still slightly reluctant] Hang on everybody, I'm gonna make this a rough one, so it looks good.

[They exit hyperspace, the ship "sliding" on one side, seemingly adrift.]

Reb: Gret, any sign of the hostile?

Gret: Not yet. [pause] Wait. There she is.

Yuna: We're in position.

Reb: Release the pods.

[And they're off. They fly aimlessly around the ship until they find their own courses away from it. The hostile starts to fire at them. Everyone waits in anticipation as the screen follows the different pods, until one is hit and destroyed.]

Reb: Yuna, go...

[The ship rolls over.]

Reb: Fire...!

[Bren doesn't miss. Zak pumps a fist in the air and yells. Everybody cheers and claps.]

Yuna: She's makin' a run for it!

Reb: Yuna, bring us around. Bren, we've got just enough power for one more. Let's give them a going-away present.

Bren: Gladly.

[Another couple more hits. More cheers.]

Yuna: Great shot!

Bren: Thanks.

Gret: Her shields are out, she's heading into hyperspace...she's gone!

Zak: Can I get back to some real work now? I almost had Gen up and running.

Reb: Go for it. Lise--can you get the escape lifepods back?

Lise: I think so.

Zak: Wait a minute guys.... Here she is.

[Everybody turns toward the hatch. Gen materializes.]

Zak: Gen. So good to see you.

Gen: Thank you, Zak. I've suffered some severe damage. I don't know how long I can sustain this interface.

Zak: You look fine to me. I'll fix you if you need it.

Gen: [Her image fluctuates slightly and you can pretty much see her "working" and "thinking".] I know. You're well-qualified. But you were all awakened from cryosleep prematurely. As a result, your memories are incomplete.

Lise: Why? Cryosleep shouldn't cause this kind of amnesia.

Gen: The attack forced a deviation from the primary mission profile.

Bren: What primary mission?

Reb: Gen. [He gets up from his console.] Why are we here?

Yuna: [also gets up] Who are we?

Gen: [a slight jamming sound] Hello. I am a holographic projection of a biocybernetic artificial intelligence system. My full name is Genesis DX37, but I'm commonly called Gen. I have been designed-- [she suddenly stops talking, and her image is frozen stiff--she isn't doing anything.]

Yuna: What?

[Zak furiously types trying to find out what's going on.]

Gret: Zak, do something with her.

Reb: Zak. Get her unstuck!

Zak: [grits teeth] I'm trying.

[Her image completely disappears.]

Zak: [exasperated sigh] OK, that does it. Now I have got a ton of work to do, so--

Reb: Good. Do it. I'll help.

Yuna: I'm dying to know what our primary mission is.

Gret: Well, we'll find out sooner or later, but as far as I'm concerned, we've already accomplished our primary mission.

Lise: What's that?

Gret: Same as every all other living organism's--we survived.

Reb: Yeah, we did. For now.

Review

My experience is slightly biased because the first time I saw this I didn't think very much of it (it was during the part when Yuna asks, "Where the crew?"), and so the first time I saw it in its entirety was after I'd seen the entire season. But it seems like a good start to the series. I liked the mysterious undertone to it, and the arguing about command was nice too. This episode also started a lot of things in the series that would be seen in future eps, like Reb and Yuna, Bren and Gret, crew conflict, and Gret's sarcasm; although Reb and Yuna seemed a little too quick. Little things like the arguments could've stayed, but the bumping into each other seemed a little much.

This also started off the whole Reb Saves The Day Trend. In this one it was OK, since they had to have something to base the de facto captain attitude on.

Of course, one of my worst nitpicks was the half-hour format. The first time I saw it I checked my TV listings to make sure that it was, in fact, only a half-hour, because I couldn't believe it! Not only because it's hard to have a good dramatic story in 20 measly minutes, but because there could have been so much more! There could have been a bit more character development, and the ending wouldn't have been so quick either--they could have shown more teamwork in a longer sequence.

Still, a fairly good beginning. And I love that music! =D

Pictures