So, doc, now that you work for NASA, how do like us?
Shariff Kind of like winning the lottery, isn't it?
I was just happy that they didn't cut the funding to my research.
How long was your training?
Shariff Including holidays?
So, what is this scanning system?
Shariff Oh, nothing, Matt, it's just a new set of eyes to scan the edge of the universe.
It's designed for hospital use, but this one's a prototype.
Listen, they don't bankroll prototypes, even for your pretty blue eyes.
Right now your eyes are bloodshot.
Shariff Kowalski! Is this great or what?
[Shariff jumps and floats away from the Shuttle, laughing and flapping his arms. A safety tether attached to his waist tenses and brings Shariff to an abrupt stop, snapping him back like a bungee cord.]
And to think he went to Harvard. Gotta admit one thing. Can't beat the view. So, what do you like about being up here?
The silence. I could get used to it.
Houston, I have a bad feeling about this mission.
It's the same feeling I had about Mardi Gras in 1987.
That is affirmative. Surprisingly, Control hasn't heard the Mardi Gras story. Please proceed.
Well, it's day one and I'm bumping my way down Bourbon Street looking for a sister of a friend of mine. The streets are full of people, I'm thinking there's no way I'm gonna find this girl...
R Ryan
Proceeding to override.
Then all of a sudden, I look up, and there she is, and I'm about to yell out and I see she's holding hands with a short hairy guy in board shorts and a Margaritaville shirt. And then I realize that this guy is not a guy, that my girl is holding hands with a—
ISS, this is Houston. Explorer, this is Houston.
Explorer Captain: Go ahead, Houston.
Mission abort. Repeat, mission abort. Initiate emergency disconnect from Hubble. Begin re-entry procedure. ISS, initiate emergency evacuation.
Explorer Captain: Copy all, Houston, and in work. Matt, immediate return to Explorer. Repeat, immediate return to Explorer.
Copy, Explorer, prep airlock.
Explorer Captain: Airlock engaged. Ready to receive.
Debris from the missile strike has caused a chain reaction, hitting other satellites and creating new debris. Travelling faster than a high-speed bullet up towards your altitude. How copy?
Copy all. [to Ryan] Put a bow on it, Dr. Stone.
R Ryan
I can't. The board is still initializing.
I'm not gonna ask you again.
Not one second, now. Shut it down. That's an order!
R Ryan
Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm done, I'm done.
Explorer Captain: Kowalski, initiate emergency disconnect from the Hubble.
[thrusts himself to the base of the Hubble]
All right, Shariff, let's do this.
Shariff Roger, Matt.
Well, we have a full-on chain reaction. It's been confirmed that it's the unintentional side effect of the Russians striking one of their own satellites.
Shariff They shot down their own satellite?
Right of disposal. Most likely a spy sat gone bad. Now it's shrapnel. Explorer, ready to disengage H.S.T.
Explorer Captain: Locks releasing in three, two, one.
[The locks attaching the Hubble to Explorer release. Matt and Shariff give the Hubble a push away from the cargo bay]
Explorer, new data coming through.
What's the blowback, Houston?
It's not good. Most of our systems are gone. Debris chain reaction is out of control and rapidly expanding. Multiple satellites are down and they keep on falling.
Define multiple satellites.
Most of them are gone. Telecommunication systems are dead. Expect a communications blackout at any moment.
R Ryan
Kowalski, visual of debris at nine o'clock.
Half of North America just lost their Facebook.
Explorer, repeat, expect a communications blackout at any moment.
Explorer Captain: Copy that, Houston.
[A piece of a BSE satellite, spirals toward them]
Explorer, this is Kowalski, confirming visual contact with debris, debris is from a BSE sat.
Shariff Heads up!
[More debris begins hurtling by at high speeds]
To repeat, I have—
R Ryan
Dr. Stone requesting faster transport.
We have to go, we have to go, go, go!
Kennedy reports meteorological conditions no-go for re-entry— [transmission cuts off]
Explorer Captain: Houston, Explorer. Copy.
R Ryan
Explorer, Dr. Stone requesting faster transport to bay area. Explorer, do you copy?
Explorer, permission to retrieve Dr. Stone.
Explorer Captain: You are a go, Kowalski. Houston, this is Explorer, copy? We've lost Houston. We've lost Houston.
[Kowalski thrusts himself over to Ryan]
Unstrap. Look, we need to get the hell out of here.
Shariff Need some help there, Matt?
R Ryan
[A piece of debris strikes Shariff in the head, killing him instantly]
It's stuck!
Man down! Man down!
Explorer Captain: Houston, this is Explorer, copy? Houston, this is Explorer, copy? Kowalski, report—
[A large piece of debris pierces strikes the right wing of Explorer, shattering it, and the shuttle begins to roll, carrying Ryan with it]
Explorer has been hit! Explorer, do you read? Explorer, over? Explorer!
[Another piece of debris hits the robotic arm and detaches it from the shuttle. The broken piece of the arm spins away with Ryan attached to it]
Astronaut is off structure, Dr. Stone is off structure! Dr. Stone, detach!
You must detach. If you don't detach, that arm's gonna carry you too far. Listen to my voice! You need to focus!
I'm losing visual of you. In a few seconds I won't be able to track you. You need to detach. I can't see you anymore! Do it now!
R Ryan
I'm trying, I'm trying...
[Ryan detaches herself from the arm and is sent hurtling into the void of space]
Houston, I've lost visual of Dr. Stone. Houston, I've lost visual of Dr. Stone.
