Welcome to the SMCR Conway, I can now adapt to my new user. Nice to meet you, Conway. You may need to know while you have been familiarizing yourself the SMCR Sofala has sent multiple Tether requests, and is unhappy with your delay. Oh, shit. Right. Tether antenna at full power. You may need to know. a Tether station connects company vessels to corporate frequencies for deep space communications. I already know everything I need to know. Bringing up controls. Put me through to the Sofala, please. Complying. LINGARD: This is Lingard of the Sofala Come on, Hank. You are seriously slagging. If I am late with my shipment, I'll make sure it's your ass instead of mine. Captain, connecting Tether to your ship. Now. Ugh. You're new. And off to a slow start. Have you ever run a Comms station before, kid? My name is Mickie and I just graduated. Really? That's a pretty tough gig for a first timer. Fresh on deck in a brand new suit. If the job is too hard for you. I can find you an easier one on my ship. Well, I appreciate the concern. Wish I could extend the same courtesy, but my ship's a little full. Yeah. Full of duct tape the last Tech used to stay afloat. Now that you've seen the place, any questions? Quandaries? Regrets? Last chance to ask for help before I fly away. There's no shame in being in over your head, kid. Thank you for your concern, captain. But I know what I'm doing. I'm sure you were an A-plus student, but reality will continue to disappoint. Okay. Captain Lingard, the Sofala is now Tethered. Your communication is being cloned and sent to Company Comm on Earth via TWT amplifier. You are now cleared for deep space travel. Tether confirmed. Took so long, I forgot where I'm going. Oh, well, feel free to lodge complaints with my captain. Oh, wait. That's me. Captain? Is that why you took a solo gig? To call yourself Captain? Kid, all we have out here is each other. Shouldn't you be ordering somebody around? I think I'll take a nap. Okay. Don't let the boats or ghosts keep you up. Ghosts…? What ghosts? Captain. Hello? Oh, hell no. (garbled radio noise) Conway. Do we have a new transmission? No new transmission detected. Really? Day frickin' one. Whatever. Rehydrating your meal. (garbled radio noise) Rehydrating paused. (garbled "Can anybody hear us?") (garbled "Oxygen is nearly depleted") (garbled "Please!") Conway, you said we have no new requests. Correct. We have no new requests. So what is this weird signal then? You have not provided me enough data to answer that question. Conway, reposition the antenna toward the signal. What a terrible idea that would break our Tether with the SMCR Sofala and likely end your very short career. I'm the captain, and I know what I'm doing. A thank you would be nice. Nobody ever says thank you. Conway. Do it. It's your career, not mine. (garbled "SM… Rover..") Conway. Tell me you heard that. Specify. Is your command in reference to the weak signal? Yes! Yes! Thank you! I knew it was real. "This is the SMCR Rover. We suffered catastrophic failure our oxygen is nearly depleted. Please. Can anybody hear us? We need emergen–" (Signal cuts out) Rover? Rover, can you hear me? This is SMCR Conway how much oxygen do you have left? Rover, can you hear me? Rover, I can hear you. And I'm getting help. Conway, copy the SOS send it to the Sofala The Tether was disconnected by you. Remember? I was against it. Then I'll get it back. And then you can send it. The SMCR Sofala is for shipping, not rescue. Conway, the Sofala is closest. Lingard will understand. She has to. (sound of engine speeding up) You broke something. Shit. What isn't broken on this piece of garbage, Conway? Blaming the garbage increases your chance of fatal error. Conway! Multiple systems are malfunctioning, including artificial gravity. Oh, shit. You may need to know… What, Conway, what?! The engine is overheating. What? No, no! Engine overload in 72.3 seconds. You may need to know if you cannot shut us down the engine may explode. You will not survive. Conway, get the antenna back. Now. Complying. No! Engine overload in… Ten Nine Eight Seven Six Five Four Three… Are you sure you want to reboot? Yes. (engine shutting down) Conway? Conway, did that work? Programs rebooting normally. Antenna in position. Communication request from the SMCR Sofala. Yes. I mean, Conway, connect me and get the… the gravity back online, please. Artificial gravity rebooting. LINGARD: This is the SMCR Sofala. Tech, why did you break tether? I intercepted a call for help, Captain. Out here? Yes. A vessel reported dire need of assistance, and they're currently unresponsive. Captain, this is not what you're built for but I know we are all they've got. Acknowledged. Navigation. Full stop. Prep for a new heading. (SOFALA CREW: Aye, aye, captain.) Thank you, captain. Thank you. That's good looking out, kid. Sending you a copy of the S.O.S. from the SMCR Rover now. Repeat that. Did you say the Rover? Yes, captain. We don't have much time. Before their oxygen is depleted? Yes. Because of a catastrophic failure. Captain, how did you know that? When a signal is sent, it travels through space. On and on. Forever. Yeah, I know. Sometimes, a signal will reflect off objects. It bounces around. And lights up the receivers of every ship or station that happens to pass through its wake. The SMCR Rover did send out that S.O.S., but it was several cycles ago. All of their oxygen for the entire crew was vented into space. And nobody heard them? They were too far out. They were alone. Navigation fire it back up. Resume previous course. (SOFALA CREW: Aye, aye, captain) Captain. I… apologize for wasting resources and breaking Tether. I guess I don't know what I'm doing. We can't save the ghosts, Mickie. Our duty is to the living. That's why we're a crew. You're welcome to consider yourself a part of that. Acknowledged. One of your crewmates here might even have suggestions for turning a storage unit into a hooch machine. (SOFALA CREW LAUGHS) Tell them good looking out. Keep our Tether connected. We'll all look out for each other. Aye, aye, captain. Conway, commence night rotation. We'll get a fresh start tomorrow. Complying. Thanks, Conway. You are welcome, Captain.