Cliff's crashed pod still remains where it first landed, smouldering in a pile of dirt and twisted metal, in middle of the park on the south side of town.







Inside the pod, Cliff has repaired his little shrine to Mesa and his son. The scattered papercraft animals restored to their places, the photo of his family recentered on the wall.





He kneels in front of it with his shoulders slumped. Moon-Soo and Clip stand behind him, concerned; Moon-Soo carries Allen in his arms.


Clip
* ...Is that your family?

  Cliff Mason
Yeah.

Clip
* They, um. They look really nice!

  Cliff Mason
...

Moon-Soo
* clip... why don't we give him some space?
* i'll bet there's some impressive future technology on this ship, we can give that a look.

Clip
* Yeah... yeah, okay.

Moon-Soo
* c'mon. let's try this way.

  Cliff Mason
Moon-Soo, wait--
Before you go.

Cliff calls out to Moon-Soo as he hovers in the doorway.


  Cliff Mason
Do you really think this is it? All this grief... it never goes away?
Am I never going to be better than the man I am now?

Moon-Soo
* cliff.
* i'm seventeen years old.

  Cliff Mason
Right, yeah.
Right.





Moon-Soo is gone. Cliff is alone with the photograph on the wall. To be judged, by his wife, his son, his younger self.





  Cliff Mason
What would you think of me now?
I can't even... I don't know what you would say.


  Cliff Mason
I just want them to be safe.
It's turning me into someone I don't want to be.
I don't... want to be a killer, anymore.


  Cliff Mason
But someone has to. Right?
It has to be me?


  Cliff Mason
I want to hear your voice again.
You would know how to make it make sense.
Please, what I wouldn't give...


Cliff glances back, sensing Clip hanging in the doorway.

  Cliff Mason
Clip... hey, I think I do need space right now.

Clip
* Nah, not Clip.

But Clip is plainly not themself: they hold themself wider-stanced, more boisterous, and they have that characteristic green glow behind their eyes. They're possessed!

Clip
* Call me Rex!
* I don't believe we've been acquainted!