Dayna quotes from Blake's 7

Dayna

Don't you ever get tired of being right?

Only with the rest of you being wrong.

[as the surface of the planet Terminal is being rocked by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions] All pilot systems are green. Count is two minutes and running. Better strap down tight, I haven't lifted these into orbit too often.

Dayna

How often?

...once.

Vila

When was that?

...in about one minute and forty five seconds.

If we last that long.

Dayna

Cheer up, Vila. You've got a lot of very bright associates too.

Vila

Oh yeah? Name six.

What is it, Orac?

You asked me to report any extension of the Federation Command Network. Magnetrix Terminal 406 is now programmed in.

What planet does the terminal serve?

Helotrix.

[Astonished] Helotrix?!

It is the main terminal for the planet Helotrix. The fact is checked and confirmed.

That means the Helots are back in the Empire. But they aren't the sort to cave in so quickly. It took the Federation years to subdue them on the first expansion.

Dayna

They've retaken Lubus and Porphia Major in the last few weeks. If Helotrix has gone, that means the Federation now control most of Sector 4.

Vila

If they keep expanding at this rate, Avon, we don't have as much time as you thought. They'll be knocking on the door in a couple of years!

How are they doing it?

Vila

I don't know. But maybe we should start running now.

Soolin

[after Avon and Tarrant have left to put Vila's "force wall atmosphere" plan into action] Out of the mouths of drunks ...

Vila

[standing up, instantly sober] Drunk? Who's drunk?

Dayna

You are.

Vila

Show me how to get drunk on plain water and I won't waste time.

Dayna

Well then, why pretend?

Vila

Because, my lovely Dayna and Soolin, no one ever tells someone who's drunk to volunteer.

Vila

I don't like to work in main drive chambers! Especially main drive chambers that are separated from space by one of Slave's force walls.

Vila

Plasma bolt fired.

Soolin

Thirty seconds to impact.

[over communicator] One more connection to--

[shocked] What are you doing?

Programming in the main circuit drive.

Dayna

You can't do that! That main drive will fire as soon as she makes the final connection!

Soolin

Fifteen seconds.

We can outrun that bolt. She's dead either way.

At least now we can outrun the opposition. That should make you happy.

Dayna

What about Dr. Plaxton?

Who?

Random fluctuations in circuit pulses.

Cause?

External influence.

[Over comm from Scorpio] We've nothing visible on the detectors or the scanners.

Dayna

Could they be faulty?

Detector and Scanner circuits record normal function.

So how is it external?

Dayna

A freak magnetic storm?

That would have been observed.

Vila

[Over comm from Scorpio, panicked] So what have you observed?

A paradox.

In other words, nothing.

Correction: the pulse influences are external to the circuits, but could be internal to the craft.

Tarrant, what have you got up there apart from yourself, a half-wit and a corpse?

A box.

I'm glad we didn't get too close.

Dayna

But after all that, we go home empty-handed.

Vila

Er, not entirely empty-handed. (He produces Belkov's necklace) Well, I saw it lying about, seemed a pity not to take it. After all, Belkov won't be needing it where he's gone.

Let me see that.

I have bad news for you, Vila. (He smashes crystals with his gun butt) It's a fake. (Savagely) End game to Belkov!

Orac, teleport.

Teleport? I am not programmed. Three squared to the principal.

Dayna

Oh, no.

I love you.

Vila

Orac!

My emotions are deeper than the seas of space. One times one is only possible in the ultra-dimensional.

Turn Orac off.

I love you.

Off!

We will be lovers for a little while, or maybe for a long while, who knows?

Soolin

I do. [Pulls key]

[Discussing a plan to rescue Tarrant and escape the hold the plant has on the ship] Where we are now, we are causing massive atmospheric disturbance. Let us get closer. Let us make it worse. Eventually there may be enough of a build-up to create some kind of rain.

Soolin

Or to knock us out of the sky.

This is not just a rescue mission for poor gallant Tarrant! While the sand remains active, the planet will not let go of us. The instruments are unreliable. We have Virn hanging on our heels. How do you think we are going to get away?

I take it that means yes.

Dayna

Well, how could we refuse, Avon? You are the dominant male, aren't you?

The mine on Zerok, it's underground.

Dayna

Like most mines.

It's all clear. Maybe Vila should be here, to give us his professional opinion.

Vila?

Dayna

He's one of us. He stayed on Scorpio.

Soolin

In case of misunderstanding.

This Vila, is he, uh...

He's a thief, and a good one. But we don't need Vila to tell us the obvious, do we? That no one, but no one allows a fortune like that to travel in an unarmed crate with just two plainclothes guards! So what's the snag, Keiller!?

Nobody is indispensable.

Soolin

You needed a figurehead. He was it. Or am I wrong?

You are right. But then figureheads aren't too difficult to come by. Any idiot can be one.

Dayna

Heh. On your feet, Vila. This could be your big moment.

Any idiot within reason, that is.

You going to tell us what we've got planned, Avon?

Vila

We know what we've got planned. Running away is what we've got planned.

Dayna

A strategic withdrawal is what we've got planned.

Vila

There's a difference?

Oh, yes. A strategic withdrawal is running away -- but with dignity.

Vila

So lay in a course and let's get the dignified hell out of here.

That isn't the plan anymore, though, is it Avon?

I think we can do better.

Vila

Does that mean safer?

In the end, winning is the only safety.

Vila

It doesn't mean safer. I didn't think it would.

So what does it mean?

It means I think we can find ourselves another figurehead, someone we can use to unify and expand the Rebel Alliance.

Soolin

Just like that.

More or less. He is strongly identified with rebels, you see, and very popular with rabbles. They will follow him, and he will fight to the last drop of their blood. [smiles] Idealism is a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use.

Dayna

Someone like you.

So where do we find this useable idealist?

According to Orac, he is on a frontier planet called Gauda Prime.

Soolin

Gauda Prime?

You know it?

Soolin

Yes, I know it. It's a bad place to be. No self-respecting idealist would be found dead there.

I imagine that is what HE is trying to avoid: being found dead anywhere.

Look, are you going to stop playing games and tell us who it is, Avon?

Vila

It's Blake, isn't it? You think you've found Blake.

Orac, what proof do we have that Blake is on Gauda Prime?

That is where his trail ends.

What trail? Explain.

The chain of cause and effect amounts to a trail, if you can follow it.

Vila

I can't even follow you.

Everything has an effect on everything else around it. It is not easy to trace one line through the pattern of infinity. But in this case, I have. Blake is on Gauda Prime.

How long have you known?

[smiles] Long enough.

Dayna

Before Zukan.

Oh, yes. And the answer to your next question is, yes, I would have left Blake where he was and said nothing if things had gone according to plan.

Oh, I must try and work that into the conversation when we meet him.

Vila

If we meet him.

Soolin

Still not convinced?

Vila

You tell me what a line through the pattern of infinity is, and I'll tell you whether I'm convinced or not.