Grif exits the Red Base, only to find Carolina standing by the door.
OUTPOST 17-B: VALHALLA. PRESENT DAY.
Carolina: Hey, you. Orange one. Where's the rest of your team?
Grif: How should I know?
Carolina: You don't report in to each other?
Grif: Oh yeah. I mean, I get reports.
Carolina: You might be the worst soldiers I've ever met. How does Minnesota put up with you guys.
Grif: Hey! I take offense at that! What do you mean, 'might be?'
Simmons, Ash, and Sarge come walking up the river towards them.
Carolina: Here they come. Let's move out.
She turns and leaves.
Grif: Hey, guys! Did you find Lopez?
Simmons: Yeah. Donut nailed him into a board. He's staying here.
Grif: I thought Donut was dead.
Sarge: Yeah, we really need to stop saying that.
Simmons: He almost was. But Doc fixed him up, and now they live together. They say hi, by the way. Oh, and they baked us this banana bread.
Cut to a plate holding a loaf of banana bread, with a card reading, "Hope you like nuts! -Donut & Doc."
"I'm hungry now." Ash says.
Grif: How nice! I'm gonna have to forget to send them a thank-you card. Hey, Simmons, when you said Donut nailed Lopez to a board...
Simmons: I mean with nails.
Grif: Okay, had to ask.
Simmons: No, no, I understand. I-I should have been clearer. It's my fault.
Cut to Tucker and Caboose approaching Carolina.
Tucker: Hey, what's the deal? We're leaving already?
Carolina turns to Tucker. Washington is seen walking towards the other Warthog in the background.
Carolina: That's right. You got a problem with that?
Epsilon appears next to Carolina.
Epsilon: Uh, hey, Carolina, why don't you let me handle this?
Cut to the exterior of Red Base. A pulse shoots into the sky.
Epsilon: Tucker, what do you want?
Tucker: I wanna know what you found out about Carolina! Is she evil? Is she crazy? Is she crazy-evil?
Caboose: Is she pretty?
Tucker: Oh, yeah, is she hot? Ohohoh or is he a dude?
Epsilon: Guys! I've got more important things to do right now.
Tucker: What are you talking about?! You're supposed to be spying on her! She's the enemy, remember?! Us against them!
Epsilon: Hey, you don't know anything about her, Tucker! You have no idea what's she's been through!
Tucker: Since when did-
Epsilon: Look! Would you guys just get in the fucking car so we can leave already? Thank you.
Epsilon disappears. Tucker and Caboose glance at each other. Cut back to Carolina as Epsilon reappears next to her.
Carolina: What was that about?
Epsilon: Nothing. I need to talk to you.
Cut to North looking through a window into the recovery room from a medical observatory. Carolina lies on a bed while York sleeps sitting next to her. Tex walks up next to North.
MEDICAL OBSERVATORY. MANY YEARS AGO...
Tex: How's she doing?
North Dakota: No idea. Doc's thought she would have woken up by now, but... she's still under.
Tex: How long has he been there?
North: He hasn't left her side yet.
Cut to Carolina and York. The camera pans down to show York's hand resting on Carolina's.
Tex: It's been days.
North: And he's dedicated.
Cut back to North and Tex. Tex slowly walks away from North and begins walking around the room.
Tex: You know, your sister petitioned to get one of Carolina's A.I.s.
North: She didn't...
Tex: Sure did.
North: I'll talk to her. That's inappropriate.
Tex: Yeah. Inappropriate's the word. So is vulture. Piece of advice, one soldier to another: you watch her.
North: Something's different with you.
Tex: You have an AI, right?
North: Theta, yeah.
Tex: Take you some getting used to?
North: I'll say.
Tex: Well, let's say mine took a little longer than most. I'm not sure I want to depend on him.
North: You been, uh, pulling him?
Tex: Haven't used him in days.
North: Does the Director know?
Tex: No. And he's not going to. No one needs to know.
North: They have to stop implanting now. I mean, after this...
Tex: Wash is up for surgery next.
North: You're kidding me...
Tex: Eh, time marches on. So does Project Freelancer.
North: Yeah. And lately, it seems like we're getting trampled in the process.
Tex: Hey, call me when she wakes up. Or, if she... doesn't.
Camera focuses on Carolina.
North: Will do.
Tex leaves. A purple firework goes off in front of North, and Theta appears from it.
Theta: I think I'm starting to like her. At least better than I did before.
North: Yeah. She grows on you.
Theta: Still scary, though.
North: Oh, yeah. Plenty scary.
Cut to the inside of an unknown location, where bright blue lights shine from doors in the background.
Counselor: (voice over) Are you there, Alpha? Are you there?
The Alpha AI walks into view.
Alpha: (frantically) Yes! I-I'm here! I'm here. Hello? Don't lea- hey Counselor! Are you there?
Counselor: (voice over) I am here.
Alpha: What- what happened? Is everybody okay?
Counselor: (voice over) Perhaps you should ask the Director.
Alpha: Why? Does- does that mean something happened?
Director: (voice over) Hello Alpha.
Alpha: Director, please, what is going on?
Director: (voice over) There was another incident; security failed.
Alpha: (frantically) Is it the schematics? They're just- they're too complex. I just need more time to work on them.
Director: (voice over) It's not your fault.
Alpha: How can you say that? Of course it is! Was anybody hurt?
Director: (voice over) I am sorry. Yes. Washington and another died.
Alpha: (low sigh) Who?
Director: (voice over) ...I can't say.
Alpha: Who? Who died?!
Director: (voice over) ...Agent Texas.
Alpha: NO!! Oh my god, no!!
The room begins to shake violently around the Alpha. Cut to an unknown room, outside the Alpha's location, where the Director and Counselor witness the Alpha's actions from a video screen hooked up to a large machine. Pillars holding memory units can be seen by their sides. Cut to another view of the Director and Counselor. A memory unit is seen hooked up to the machine in front of them. Alpha yells from the screen.
Alpha: (from the video screen) No... no, no! God, NO!
Director: That's too far Gamma.
Sigma and Gamma appear next to the memory unit.
Sigma: (to Gamma) We need stronger stimulus. He'll break.
On the video screen, Alpha begins to flash unstably. The Director, Counselor, Sigma, Gamma, and Omega watch.
Counselor: He's ready. Bring in the stasis unit.
Director: You three, log off.
Gamma and Omega disappear. Sigma, however, approaches the Director.
Sigma: Director, I would like to see this part of the process.
Director: You can't get near the artifact, it's too dangerous. Your job is done. Log off.
Sigma: As you wish.
Rather than logging off, Sigma enters a nearby video camera, in order to witness the upcoming event
Director: Get us another memory unit. A new one. Don't let it touch anything else.
Two soldiers wheel the Sarcophagus inside the room and proceed to open it. A multi-tentacled being emerges from inside.
Counselor: Move all other equipment away from it.
Director: That's right it's broken. We broke it, and we need you to fix it, just like you've done before. Here take this. Use this to fix it. Make it better; take away all that we broke, that's right. Put them in here.
The being repairs the memory unit.
Counselor: It is done.
The Director picks up the memory unit.
Director: Welcome to the world, Epsilon. Today, is your birthday.
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07-19-2022
