Previously on "The Ark"...
I really did think I loved you, Will.
Trust: She’s gone.
You’re a giant knot of tension. It’s not helping you heal.
- Don’t touch me like that! - Hey.
Maddox wanted superior humans.
Augmenting humans with nonorganic devices.
Eva: And the only ship in the galaxy
with spare parts just abandoned us.
We left Ark 3 pretty intact.
Dropping out of warp.
We’re out of FTL, but I don’t see Ark 3 or stars.
Couldn’t have wished for a smoother transition.
What the hell just happened?
He just vanished into thin air.
How is that possible?
Guys, there’s something really weird.
There’s no Ark 3 outside, and there’s no stars.
- It’s weirder than that. Brice just vanished. - What?
(music playing)
Will?
(music playing)
(sighs) Will!
(British accent) Thank God. Where have you been?
Why were we woken early? Are you cured?
Cat?
You’ve not called me Cat in years.
Come on. Come on, Brice.
The computers keep fritzing. I can’t identify where we are on the navigation system.
Navigation won’t work.
It operates by charting the stars, and there are no stars.
It’s like we’re stuck in some sort of void.
Something must have happened when we dropped out of warp.
Something that caused a person to vanish?
- What the hell could that be? - Did we even drop out of warp?
The thing is, I don’t see the warp bubble out there.
I don’t see anything out there.
Are we sure the cameras are still working?
They’re working. I ran diagnostics on them.
Lane, my quarters are intact.
This is so weird.
There’s literally nothing out there.
Strickland: Strickland to Captain Garnet.
Please report to the mess hall.
Garnet: This really isn’t a good time, Felix.
It’s, um-- it’s urgent.
So what’s so urgent?
Cat?
Um, I don’t believe we’ve met,
but, please, call me Catrina.
And she’s British?
Catrina: Yes, Commander Lane.
We’ve discussed our shared Oxford upbringing.
- Commander? - She keeps asking why the ship is so damaged.
Yes, what’s happened?
Did we crash while I was in stasis?
It wasn’t damaged when I went into cryo.
Why is everyone looking at me like that?
Especially my husband.
He’s looked like he’s seen a ghost
- ever since I found him. - Your husband?
So she says.
Catrina, um...
...how exactly did you end up here?
Um, well, the last thing I remember was going into cryo with Will.
And then I woke up, and the ship was damaged,
and everyone’s acting so strange.
Well, we’re acting so strange because--
God, uh, how do I say this?
You died.
Except, you were American, and we were hardly married.
I don’t know what to say.
Okay, clearly this is tied to whatever happened
when we dropped out of warp and Brice disappeared.
- Brice? - Yeah, Lieutenant James Brice.
- As in the lunar colony hero? - What are you talking about?
James Brice? Died ten years ago thwarting an Eastern Federation attack?
Wait, what did you say?
Do you mean the old NASA lunar colony?
Yeah, he saved hundreds of lives on that mission.
But that never happened. No one survived.
My father died in that attack.
Okay, your father didn’t die. I know him well.
Is this some kind of a sick joke? Who are you?
Garnet: Spence.
Hey, we gotta get to the bottom
of what happened to Brice.
Captain, how can we trust anything she says?
Alicia: It’s like an alternate history.
Catrina, what Ark were you on
- when you went into cryo? - Ark 1.
Okay, bear with me here, but perhaps the lack of stars outside
means we never completely dropped out of warp space.
Maybe somehow we got stuck between two quantum-based alternate realities.
- What? - Are you talking about
quantum entanglement hypothesis?
Yes! It suggests that two particles
can become entangled in such a way
that they share a single quantum state.
I know it’s hard to imagine, but it’s like
there’s two versions of Ark 1, and we got entangled.
- Is that a real thing? - Trust: Yes.
Physicist Erwin Schrodinger is most famous
for this thought experiment involving a cat in a box.
- Cat in a-- - And physicist John Bell, in the 1960s, proposed a way
to experimentally test whether quantum entanglements were real.
So how do we get un-entangled?
I don’t know.
But I’ll work on it.
Notice the swelling and the tension around the joints?
It’s gotten worse since yesterday.
- More ice and compression? - He needs an arthroscopy.
Yes, thank you for your input, Dr. Kabir.
But Jelena needs to learn and you need to rest.
Do you want me to die of boredom?
I want you to get better.
And who exactly put you in charge?
I did. When you nearly died mere days ago. Remember that?
I walked yesterday, remember? Let me help.
You walked a meter with my help and pooped out.
You’re not ready to be on your feet working with patients.
I need something to occupy my mind. I’m bored.
How about occupying your mind with trying to sleep?
It’s what you need.
(groans)
Ow.
(distorted, staticy chatter)
(chatter continues)
Open it.
Stand on the back wall away from the door.
They said you wanted to see me for some sort of emergency?
- Better be a big one. - Do you hear that?
Hear what?
I’ve been hearing voices ever since we dropped out of warp.
Please. Please let me follow the voices.
I can hear the most distinct voices coming from over there.
There’s no one in there. Maybe there’s something wrong with your implants.
Or this is just a ploy to get time out of your cell.
I’m not lying, and I’m not crazy. I’m really hearing voices.
Someone just said, "Who are you?"
Sounded like Mr. Trust.
"No one seems to bloody believe me."
That sounded like Lieutenant Brice.
I think that when we dropped out of FTL,
we became entangled in an alternate reality version of Ark 1
that also dropped out of FTL at the exact same time in the exact same place,
- which is wild to think about. - Yeah, wild.
- What are the odds? - The odds are actually pretty good.
There are probably infinite versions of Ark 1,
many on exactly the same path that we are.
The thing I can’t figure out is
of all the people on the ship,
why were Brice and Catrina the ones to leave their reality?
That is the most important question we should be focusing on.
I agree. I know that you’re working
- awfully hard, Allie-- - Alicia.
But could you possibly go any faster, dear?
I really would like to go home.
- I think Kelly heard Brice’s voice. - What?
She claimed to be hearing voices, and when she repeated the words to me,
- the phrasing really sounded like Brice said it. - How is that possible?
Hold on, let’s consider the source here.
- Kelly is a pathological liar. - And a murderer.
I would agree, but with Kelly’s posthuman ears,
maybe it’s possible she really did hear something.
- You have a posthuman on board? - Yes.
My first job at Trust Corp was researching
the physiological impacts of posthuman medicine.
It’s how we met.
In my work, I found that posthumans
with artificially augmented senses
could smell things that only dogs could smell
and could hear frequencies
that would be inaudible to the rest of us.
And if we’re entangled in each other’s realities--
- It’s certainly possible. - So Brice is alive.
Way to get her hopes up.
Well, it’s not as if she’s communicating with the dead.
But didn’t you say Brice is dead in your world?
Yes. He died a hero saving the lunar colony,
and apparently I’m dead in your world.
So you filled each other’s spaces in the other’s reality.
- Is that possible? - Well, even if that were true,
there would be no way of swapping people back across quantum realities.
- It’s impossible. - I think it’s clear given recent events
we don’t know what is possible and what isn’t.
Catrina, can I get you something?
The old Cat used to really love nail polish.
Would that be of interest to you?
Excuse me. Might I be able to meet this posthuman that you mentioned?
Maybe I could give you some insight into her history and abilities.
That’s a great idea. We’ll have her brought to med bay.
Well, I’ll escort you just to make sure you don’t get lost.
Uh, not so fast, Mr. Trust. We need you here.
Please. She’s Cat. I want to spend as much time with her that I can.
Do you always have a guard?
I’m not exactly trusted around here.
Hmm. Gathered that. It’s a shame, really.
In my world, you’re beloved by everyone.
Tell me more about our life there.
How do they get it so right there and so wrong here?
Well, when I met you, you were quite insecure, really.
Brilliant, but unsure of yourself.
You told me that I steadied something in you.
Always said I was the key to your happiness.
Maybe I should have married you and not Helena.
Helena Davies? That manipulative...
...scientist who tried to bring down Trust Industries?
Well, she was, uh-- but manipulative?
- That’s a strong word. - I don’t know about in your reality,
but in mine, it’s the perfect word.
Well, she did kidnap me to put me on this ship.
But I did cheat on her at every opportunity,
so perhaps we weren’t the best fit.
Well, the Will I know cut ties with her 20 years ago.
Oh, God. I really hope my Will is okay.
He’s a good man there, eh?
The kindest, most decent man I know.
Look, don’t worry. I’ll figure this out,
whether in this reality or the other.
The only person in the universes
who could be smarter than me is me.
Probably true, but the other you would never say that.
Um, I just need a minute.
- I hear you’re British now. - What’s this about, miss?
It’s "doctor," actually.
One of my specialties back home is posthumans.
- Really? - May I?
Hmm, your heartrate is quite high.
Are you aware that her augmentations are on?
- What? - I turned them off after the trial.
No, doctor, they’re on, which is alarming.
If you leave them on too long, it can cause organ failure.
Yes, I’m aware of that, but I swear I thought I turned them off.
(beeping)
Why didn’t you tell me about the risk of organ failure?
I was going to. We just haven’t had a moment.
(beeping)
I apologize, Kelly. It won’t happen again.
- You’re done here. - Wait.
Is there more than one posthuman where you come from?
- Of course. - Who regulates their upgrades?
Turns their augmentations on or off, up or down?
They regulate themselves. Really, it’s quite simple.
Wait, these people don’t let you regulate yourself?
(Lane muttering)
- Alicia, where are we? - There’s been very little experimentation done
on breaking quantum entanglements.
- Trust: I did not! - (Catrina laughing) You did. You did.
I sang my wedding vows?
Are you gonna tell me that that other version of me can sing, too?
Oh, not one lick. Completely tone deaf.
But it was sweet.
(clears throat) Sorry.
Garnet: You were saying?
One possibility would be to create a quantum cut,
breaking the flow of quantum information between the two Ark ships.
- And how do we do that? - Our only option? Brute force.
- We have to move the ship. - Move the ship as in leave Brice behind?
- Nobody wants to leave him behind, but-- - But?
If we stay here and do nothing,
we’ll all die when we run out of food, water, and life support,
and we still may never get Lieutenant Brice back.
At least if we try this, we could break free
and maybe Brice and Catrina will return to where they belong.
- Maybe? - Eva. Eva.
This is insane. We’re not moving the ship
without any certainty it’s going to work.
I couldn’t agree more. It’s far too risky.
What if moving the ship causes us to go deeper into this void?
What other choice do we have?
Trying to move is our only hope.
Unless somebody has another idea?
What do you think Brice would want?
- Firing up the NEPS. - I do not approve of this.
Attention all personnel, brace for acceleration.
Yeah, hold on tight or you might disappear.
- Thought I’d leave that part out. - Wise.
Accelerating in three, two, one!
- What just happened? - It feels like we got pulled back
and snapped by a rubber band.
Like I said, impossible.
Well, what the hell are we gonna do now?
- All right, we ready? - Almost.
- How we looking? - Ah, good timing.
We’re just about to drop out of warp.
Because we’re doing it manually, we have to be precise.
Well, I’ll watch for visual confirmation.
Here we go.
Dropping out of warp in three, two...
Well?
Well, we’re out of FTL,
but I don’t see Ark 3 or stars.
- What? - I don’t know.
We must’ve damaged our cameras when we came out of warp.
I don’t think so, mate. I mean, couldn’t have wished for a smoother transition.
What just happened?
Eva, what’s going on?
Where did Garnet and Lane just go?
And why’s your hair like that?
- Ow! Jesus Christ! - (groans)
- What the hell? - Ensign Markovic, what’s going on here?
I was-- I was just protecting myself, sir.
This naked man showed up here out of nowhere.
Sash? Sash, Sash, Sash. Sash, relax, man. Relax. It’s me.
You better come up with a better line than that, you perv.
I’m not a perv! I’m not a perv! It’s me, Brice!
- Sweetheart, can you say something, please? - What?
Security, report to Engineering.
Come on, man, is that really necessary?
You just showed up naked with your junk hanging out, assaulting this woman.
Yeah, I’d say it’s necessary.
Look, I’m-- I’m really sorry about this Sash.
- Yeah, you better be. - No, I mean this.
(grunts)
- Medford. - What’s up?
An unruly crew member just showed up naked in Engineering.
He flashed one of the engineers, punched another, and ran.
Apparently, he looks like Commander James Brice.
- I thought he was dead. - Of course he is.
You take the lower decks, I’ll take the high.
- We’ll meet in the middle. - On it.
(indistinct chatter)
When did they fix this place?
Sorry, mate.
Well, hello there, handsome.
Aren’t you supposed to be in Maintenance?
I’m on a break.
And don’t forget, stargazing date
in the observation deck tonight.
Well, how could I forget?
Plant Boy! It’s good to see you up and about.
Listen, mate, there’s something really weird going on, you know?
- Hey, stay there. - Huh?
- Don’t move! Stay there. - What are you talking about?
(music playing)
Move! Out of my way!
- Brice? - Yes. Thank you.
(sighs)
Seriously?
Oh, fine.
All right, come on.
You’re okay. Come on.
- There you go. - Brice?
- You’re all right. - Is that really you?
Yes. Look, Sharon, I don’t know what the hell’s going on here, right?
It’s like I’m in some kind of dream or something, you know?
I thought I’d never see you again.
Uh, you don’t look so good.
I think-- I think I need to take you to go see Dr. Kabir.
- Who? - Dr. Kabir.
Come on. Dr. Kabir.
Never heard of him.
No, this is-- this is too weird.
I think-- I think maybe something must have happened
when we dropped out of warp, right?
Because it’s like I blinked, right?
And now everything’s turned around.
Oh, I forgot how blue your eyes are.
- Hmm? - I remember thinking the same thing
when you asked me to marry you, and then you...
...you went and died on me.
Say what now?
Uh, okay. Wait. Sharon? Sharon?
Look at me. I’m very much alive, okay?
And secondly, right? We’ve never been engaged, okay?
We’re just friends. That’s it. So--
- How are you even real? - Sharon, listen to me.
I’m gonna need your help, all right? I’m gonna need your help.
I need to speak to someone who’s good--
with, like-- like, uh,
screwed up warp-space bullshit, you know?
Someone like, um-- like Alicia.
Do you know Alicia Nevins?
Alicia Nevins in waste management?
Yep. Sure, yep. Where can I find her?
Um, she’s probably on Deck 8.
- Deck 8. Right. - Wait, wait, wait, wait!
No, please. Don’t go yet.
I’m sorry. I really-- I really have to.
But you just get yourself to med bay, okay?
- All right. - (crying)
- Alicia! - Yeah?
Wow. You really work in waste management, eh?
- Do you need something? - Yeah, so-- so, look.
You don’t know me, but I know you,
and I really need your help.
If some toilet’s backed up, you can wait a few hours.
No, no. No, no. No, no, It’s not that.
It’s more, um, astrophysics
or, like, quantum mechanics
or some such shite.
What the hell are you talking about?
Okay, so, um-- so here’s the thing, right?
So I might be dreaming right now. Maybe I’m hallucinating.
I really don’t know, but something happened, okay?
And now it’s like I’m in some kind of
parallel universe or something.
But the thing is, right, you see, in my universe
you are, like, this total frickin’ genius, right?
And you solve all the problems.
So what I’m really hoping, really hoping,
is that maybe you can-- you can solve this one.
- So you’re saying in another universe, I’m a genius? - Yeah.
That is the weirdest damn pickup line I’ve ever heard.
Does it ever work for you? No. Oh, no, no, no.
No, I’m not. I’m not trying to hit on you, right?
- Have you smelt yourself? - Okay, goodbye.
That was a joke. That was a joke.
Um, Alicia, please, I mean, I really need your help.
Look if you need to know about water reclamation,
valve replacement, or the chemical make-up of urine, I’m your gal.
But whatever this is, I have no idea how to help.
But, I mean, haven’t you got, like, five degrees?
What? No, I couldn’t even afford undergrad.
Jeez, you’re talking to me like I’m freaking William Trust.
William Trust. Of course. Of course. You are brilliant.
- Where can I find William Trust? - That’s above my pay grade.
So maybe he hasn’t woken up yet.
- Don’t move. - Oh.
- Hi, babe. - Hey.
Look, I am really sorry to have to do this to you, Plant Boy.
(both grunting)
Why do you keep calling me Plant Boy?
(grunting)
- (electricity crackling) - (screams)
The asswipe cheated on me last week.
Hey, you still wanna hook up?
Maybe you could help me even the score.
Alicia, I truly, honestly was not trying to hit on you, okay?
- But, um-- but thank you for the save. - It’s Allie,
and you know where to find me if you change your mind.
(grunts)
No keypad.
Why-- why is there no keypad?
No, no, no. Come on, come on!
Oh.
(air hissing)
Please tell me you’re smart.
- Where’s Catrina? - Who?
- My wife. Where is she? - I don’t know.
And who are you?
I’m Lieutenant James Brice.
- He’s dead. - Yeah, yeah. So they keep telling me.
Which is why I need your help.
Because ever since we dropped out of FTL,
basically nothing is making any sense, okay?
People don’t recognize me or they think that I’m dead,
and no one seems to bloody believe me.
- Did you say you dropped out of FTL? - Yes.
- And no one knows who you are? - Well, that’s the thing, right?
That’s the thing. They think that they know me, but it’s not really me, okay?
It’s like some other, like, version, of me.
I know. I know that this must sound crazy.
- A quantum entanglement. - Huh?
I’ve worried our introduction to faster than light travel would inevitably create one.
It’s a quantum what? Sorry.
You may have found yourself
in some sort of alternative reality
created by the space-time bubble.
Yeah. I think maybe that.
You must be very overwhelmed.
Oh, yeah, just--
I’m so sorry this has happened to you.
I’ve gotta be honest.
I can’t really tell if you’re being genuine
or sarcastic right now.
Sarcasm is not in my nature, sir.
And I want to help you.
I should be staying in this cryo
until they find a cure for my Klampkins,
but this is far more important.
(grunts)
And I have a feeling that my wife’s disappearance
and your reappearance are connected.
Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Hang on, hang on, hang on.
Remember, you’ve gotta pressurize your suit first.
Ah, of course.
Did you just say you have Klampkins?
Yes. I tested a decarbonization technique on myself.
Didn’t end well. But at least I’m the only one who got Klampkins.
Look, um, just so you know,
a bite from a Mediterranean recluse spider
will have you right in no time. Well, uh, no.
First you need a shot of these two other ingredients,
but I can’t actually remember what they are right now,
But I’m sure, you being you, will figure it out.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
Not sure how you know that, but I’ll try it.
But first we have to solve your problem,
and for that we’re gonna need the help of Captain Lane.
- Oh, you’re kidding. Spencer Lane? - No.
So let me get this straight.
We dropped out of warp and found ourselves in a void,
and you dropped out of warp and found yourself here.
Yep, exactly.
But you died saving my life and many others,
so how are you here at all?
Well, that is pretty much the question of the day to be honest with you, mate.
We weren’t supposed to wake you until we found a Klampkins cure.
- My well-being is the least of our problems right now. - I think I’ve got it, Dad!
The reason we got stuck in a void has something to do
with the quantum mechanics of warp space-time.
You’re a bit late with that information, boy.
My apologies. This is my son.
- Commander Spencer Lane. Mr. Trust, you’re awake. - Commander?
He’d never have gotten that far without his old man.
Well, we can’t know that for sure.
We do know that we’d never be in our current situation
if it wasn’t for you and your theories.
It wasn’t my fault. We had to drop out of warp at Ark 3 to get the parts.
It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, now does it?
Captain, I believe what your son said before is true.
I think we’re caught between two alternate realities.
(distorted warbling)
- Did you see that? - Certainly felt it.
It’s like we saw a glimpse of another Ark 1.
What is it, Mr. Trust?
I think I know how to fix this.
I believe we just saw Ark 1
because they were trying to move in their reality.
But it didn’t work since the ship in this reality
- didn’t also move in the opposite direction. - Yes, that makes sense.
Our two realities are occupying the same time and space.
And the only way to separate them is by force.
One has to go forwards and the other backwards at exactly the same time.
How do we get the timings in sync?
Wouldn’t we have to communicate with the other Ark 1 somehow?
Exactly. So I’ll recreate the glimpse of the other Ark 1
by moving our ship in the same way that they did.
And we’ll use that small window of opportunity to send a signal.
And if we can see them, that means light waves
can pass between our realities, which means that a signal should go through.
- But what kind of signal? - A radio signal.
And we might have milliseconds, so at most, we’ll have time to send a binary file.
And hopefully the other Ark can figure it out.
- Hopefully? - Well, it’s the only way.
And once the two realities finally disengage,
Catrina and Brice can return to their rightful places.
You sure about this, Mr. Trust?
I’ve run all the calculations twice.
You don’t fancy doing that a third time? You know, just to make sure?
I need this to work as much as you do. That’s my wife is over there.
Believe me, I’m as sure as I’ll ever be.
- (sighs) - Stand by for acceleration.
Brace.
Send the signal.
Well done, Mr. Trust.
Well, hopefully the signal will be received.
Hey. Can we talk?
So are you leaving?
Well, I’m trying to.
Anything I can do to convince you to stay?
- Look, Sharon, I know-- - I know.
I know you’re not really my fiancé.
I mean, you don’t really look at me the way he did.
But at least this way I can say goodbye.
Thank you.
This is so weird.
So that’s the signal?
- What? - I was so distracted
that I neglected to include which direction to go.
- Huh? - Well, hopefully the other version of myself
can figure out the correct direction to go in.
You forget to include the direction?
Well, that’s-- that’s just great. Well done.
Did I mention that the you in my reality’s a total arse?
- (chiming) - A countdown?
- What the hell does this mean? - We don’t have much time, whatever it means.
It’s a message. Brilliant!
Can someone explain to us why we just saw the other reality?
Did someone try to move the ship again without consulting me?
Okay, first of all, we don’t have to consult you on anything,
- And second, it wasn’t us. - It was someone in Catrina’s reality this time.
- My Will! - Probably. And they sent us this message.
Why would they send us a timer?
It’s a countdown to move the ship again.
We have to move both Arks at the exact same time.
But he didn’t tell us which direction.
Mr. Trust is probably navigating from the other reality,
and he would go forward, so we should go backwards.
Unless of course he’s anticipating that we would anticipate this move,
- so maybe we should go forwards-- - 20 seconds, Alicia.
Please don’t screw this up.
Alicia!
Garnet: Ten seconds, Alicia. Time for a decision.
- Which direction do you think you should go, Mr. Trust? - Forwards.
- Five, four, three, two... - Garnet: You got this.
- I’m going backwards. - Lane: ...one.
Brace!
The NEPS aren’t going to withstand it. We’re pushing too hard!
- We have to keep going! It’s the only way. - The only way to kill us!
- Brice: You miss me? - Oh, dear.
- Oh, thank God. - Garnet: We’re so happy to see you, Brice.
I mean, not this much of you, but you know.
- (Brice laughs) - Sasha, trousers.
- Don’t you ever do that again. - Oh, believe me, none of this was my choice.
The stars are back in the sky, and the system stopped glitching.
We did it.
(chatter, laughter)
Oh, it’s good to have you back, Brice.
Oh, man, it’s good to be back, pal.
Uh, listen, I have to ask.
Did you happen to see my dad when you were over there?
It’s just that Catrina mentioned he was alive on her ship, so--
Yeah, no, I-- I did, mate. I did.
Well, what was he like?
Well, I mean, he was the captain, you know?
- Seemed like a really great leader. - He was?
And you guys, I mean, you seemed really close, you know?
He seemed like he was really proud of his son.
Whew.
My apologies.
Kimi: Thank you.
(indistinct chatter)
Well, well, well.
If it isn’t the disappearing man.
I missed you, Lieutenant.
Who else am I supposed to stare at
in those endless council meetings?
- Run along, Kimi. - So the fancy lady from the other universe
mentioned that in her reality, you were on that lunar mission.
You know, the one that thwarted the Eastern Federation attack?
Mm. Would seem I’m quite the hero over there.
Hmm. I was just wondering,
were you on that mission in this reality, too?
Come on. If I was, nobody would’ve died, right?
Right.
- Thanks. - Thanks.
- Hope they didn’t spoil you with better food over there. - You know, it’s funny.
The one constant between all of the space realities
is that no matter where you are, the food is still crap.
I’m really glad you’re back.
- What? - What?
- You’re being weird. - I’m not being weird.
I’m just thinking about the you in the other reality.
- What was I like? - Oh, the same, you know.
I will say one thing though.
Hell of a good kisser.
What?
(music playing)
Brice: Approaching Ark 3.
Uh, do you guys see that?
There’s a shuttle docked there.
That wasn’t there when we left.
Which means...
Someone’s on Ark 3.