It’s Halloween.
Donner narrating:
"One of the first things you learn in training doesn’t come from a manual.
It’s instinctual, Darwin-type stuff.
Never show weakness
Paul’s thumb, now reattached is healing. Mission control surgeon, “Slightly elevated heart & temperature is, but she’s infection-free.”
Paula: “Nothing’s keeping me off Venus”
At Mission Control Eve is really sweating.
Nothing here means nothing.
Episode 7 - Fear
The crew is due to do a commercial for the Comet Candy Co.
Not much enthusiasm from our heroes,
but it means 10 billion dollars for the Antares program (for post mission scientific research).
Donner narrating:
“Everything is A-OK. All systems go. Ready for lift-off.
Everyone astronauts knows the rules of the jungle.
Limping antelope don’t go into space,
they stay on earth, where they’re killed and eaten.”
We see a scene with Eve 5 years earlier having a “pulse” due to Beta.
Present day - she’s telling Ted about it.
Eve: "Are you feeling flush or feverish?
Ted: "Yeah, a little.
Eve: “Well, you may experience more intense hallucinations.”
Episode 7 - Fear
The crew’s complaining about having to do the commercial.
But for 10 billion, they’ll smile for the camera.
The commercial is “tricking or treating in space”
Oh No !!
Donner’s hallucinating again.
First, his helmet sits on the shelf clean and sparkling,
then it’s covered in red Mars dust.
Then, not so much again.
A cool throwaway line:
Nadia: We’re astronauts living in a tin can hurtling through a vacuum.
OK, something new.
Now Nadia is seeing things.
She sees a man dressed like a crewmember.
He looks like Nadia. He has a beard, but he looks like maybe her twin?
Nadia: “Who are you?”
She goes after him.
She freaked.
Episode 7 - Fear
As the crew prepares for the Halloween space walk,
Zoe hears the crying baby.
Donner is really sweating
Zoe is sweating.
At Mission Control Claire, the doctor
tells Eve that that Zoe just had a “hard spike” and that she’s getting the same readings
for Ted, Paula, Minitz and Donner.
The doctor also says they’re all running low-grade fevers.
Eve: “So am I.”
She is sweat-covered.
Eve is also hallucinating. She’s seeing rain, and mud-covered children, looking at her accusingly.
Nadia is still chasing after the man she saw.
She can’t seem to catch up with him.
He is always just a little bit ahead of her.
Nadia is also sweat-covered.
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Episode 7 - Fear
Ok my internet connection is acting up.
BooWoo, I’ll have to continue Ep. 7 tomorrow.
Ok, to continue…
Episode 7 - Fear
Meanwhile back at Mission Control-
Goss, Eve and Claire are talking-
Goss: “So Beta is causing these hallucinations.”
Claire: “We’re not sure how many of them are actually hallucinating. But they’re experiencing something.”
Eve: “And I’m experiencing also.”
Goss: “Why now? What is it trying to do?”
Eve: “We’re about to bradcast live to millions of people around the world. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”
Goss: “What would it have to gain?
Eve: “We’ve been hiding it - from the crew, from the world. Maybe it wants to be revealed.”
Goss: “No. Not now. Not on its terms.”
Eve: “Do we have an alternative?”
Goss:” Only one."
Mike Goss keeps thinking he’s in charge of the Antares mission, but he’s not, not really.
Episode 7 - Fear
Mike Goss’ alternative:
He calls the Comet Candy guys in for a meeting. Goss, Claire & Eve tell them that the current lot of libido inhibitors that the crew is using is contaminated and may have a chemical reaction that acts like a psychotropic. Which means there is the potential for disorientation and mild hallucinations.
Goss: “In the meantime, I don’t think anyone wants to jeopardize the safety of our crew for a candy commercial.”
That was some fancy footwork.
Meanwhile, back on Antares, Nadia is wild-eyed and sweaty.
She’s still trying to track down the man she saw. You know she recognizes him.
She bumps into Minitz.
She gasps and says: Oh, it’s you. You scared me. (She breathing hard)
Minitz: Scared you? Really? You?
The crew is given the same story as the Comet Candy guys. Some buy it, some just know it’s not true.
All the crew have fevers, except for Jen and Wass. (Who are also not having hallucinations)
The candy commercial:
The Comet guys of course push for it. They’ve already spent 1Billion on the program.
Some of the crew, Zoe, Jen, Paula definitely don’t want to lose the $10B.
The decision: All agree to put it to the crew.
The crew:
Jen: I feel fine. I’m perfect.
Zoe: Not about to lose those science dollars. Good to go.
Donner: Good to go.
Nadia: Good to go.
Ted: Good to go.
Minitz: Everyone is medically sound and unimpeded, as am I.
Claire to Eve: “Astronauts” (eye-roll)
Comet cany guys are happy.
Eve seeing the mud-covered children.
Episode 7 - Fear
Ok, it’s Halloween space walk time.
Minitz, Paula, Wass, and Nadia will stay on board to work the cameras and monitor vitals.
Ted, Donner, Zoe, Jen will EVA.
Nadia ready at the camera, is in a bad way, barely holding it together.
As the crew prepares to leave the ship. Paula begins to hallucinate.
She sees her beloved childhood pet, Hector, a German Shephard. She drops what she’s doing and runs after him. Minitz calls after her and follows her.
Paula sees her dog lying on the deck covered in blood, dying. She’s crying. Minitz is trying to convince her that her dog really isn’t there, that it’s a hallucination.
Just as he says that, Minitz also begins to have his hallucinations.
Episode 7 - Fear
Meanwhile the four in the airlock are waiting for the go signal. They are sweating like crazy and their heart rates are going up.
Donner sees red Mars dust boot prints everywhere - he says nothing, then- they’re gone.
Zoe hears the crying baby.
(Airlock opens)
Ted tries to leave the airlock, but is frozen in his vision of the Mars storm.
Zoe is hearing the crying baby.
Eve in Mission Control asks Minitz what’s happening.
No one is leaving the airlock. Minitz tells her he with Paula in the corridor.
Minitz: “The hallucinations - we can’t move.”
The Comet candy guys are freaking out.
Donner tries to talk to Ted, then he sees Sharon, one of the Mars astronauts in a red dust covered suit.
Ted, Zoe and Donner are immobilized.
Jenn, the only one unaffected: " What the hell is going on with all of you?"
Nadia, at the camera, can’t speak or focus on anything except the man she keeps seeing in the hatchway.
Finally Donner says: “Flight, we’re aborting. Copy?”
The candy boys are not amused.
After the 4 are back in the airlock, Minitz asks if anyone is still hallucinating.
Ted: “No.”
Paula: “I’m ok.”
Zoe: “I am a little bit, but I’m fine.”
Donner: (who sees that his helmet is covered in red dust) “I’m good to go here.”
Nadia: “So am I.” (She looks out of the corner of her eye and sees the “twin” man)
Wass looks around, “This is one screwed up Halloween.”
Pretty wierdly Funny.
Episode 7 - Fear
Donner narrating:
“There’s a reason no one likes to show fear. It’s taken as a sign of weakness, a festering wound. Being vulnerable leads to being dinner in a Darwinian world.
But there’s also the risk of hubris, of not knowing your own limits.
And that may be the biggest danger of all.”
Timeline: ASCAN training
There’s a wonderful, moving scene between Ajay and Zoe shortly after her miscarriage.
Zoe and Donner realize they have both been having
the same recurring dream for the past 2 months.
What does it mean?
What does Beta want?
Good stuff !!
Life intervened for awhile.
Looking forward to Episode 8 - Love, Honor, Obey.
Now that I have internet in my new place, I can continue with Episdode 8.
I have so looked forward to getting back to Defying Gravity.
Episode 8: Episode 8 - Love, Honor, Obey
Finally ! It’s been awhile.
Description:
An impending solar flare threatens the crew of the Antares with dangerous radiation, while the strange force in Pod 4 finally sends out a siren call that proves utterly irresistible.
