“In from the Cold” is episode eight of season one of Colony.
This episode opens with people in protective suits working on some large things. A noise signals a shift change, and one set of workers file out as another file in. One of those leaving is Carlos, Will’s friend who was sent to the factory in “A Brave New World”. Presumably, this is the factory. Carlos’ shift is eating when one starts coughing, then coughs up blood. Two people in red wearing masks drag him off into something – and there’s a panel on the wall saying ‘Gravity Normalised’. Which is a very odd thing to say. Later, Carlos is staring out of a window and his bunkmate says that it isn’t going to get any closer. For, as might be guessed, Carlos is staring at the Earth. But it’s not a space station that the factory is on – it’s the Moon.
Will is at home, and Katie asks what’s wrong, because he’s been staring at her all morning. In the previous episode, “Broussard”, Will came across a copy of Nostromo by Joseph Conrad in Broussard’s house – Broussard didn’t kill Katie as Quayle wished and, in return, after telling Will roughly where Broussard lived when it was discovered he was a customer of the Yonk, she rang Broussard in warning. He had come across the same edition hidden with Katie’s things at the Yonk. And that’s noticeable; people communicating with book codes need to do so with the same edition of the book.
Will tells their kids that he and Katie have something to tell them. That Charlie is alive, and he shows them a photo that Snyder gave him. The plan is to bring Charlie home; that’s the whole reason why Will went to work for the government. Gracie is happy; Bram, less so. Katie isn’t happy either; she feels Will should have discussed it with her first. He doesn’t feel there was anything to discuss, as there shouldn’t be secrets in their house.
Helena has come to see Snyder, to tell him that the chief minister of the Pacific Coast is coming to the colony to celebrate one year after the Arrival. Not a celebration; a performance review. Snyder welcomes such. Things are going very well. Since the Geronimo trial in “Geronimo”, there have been no signs of insurgents. Except, Helena points out, for the abduction attempt on Snyder himself in “Yoknapatawpha” An outlier that was fully handled by his counter insurgency team. Helena wants to know if Snyder’s colonists fear him. Yes, they were given the power to govern their own way, but they must maintain order. Snyder doesn’t believe in order from fear but from giving a decent quality of life. Presumably, he’s never read Machiavelli. Helena tells him he will get the chance to explain his policies to the chief minister. Because no-one else is doing it Snyder’s way.
Katie is talking to Rachel; the meeting watched by Rachel’s sons. Who know everything. Katie says Gracie is too young and neither Will nor Bram knows. What if Broussard had followed Quayle’s orders? Her kids need a mother. Katie wants out; half the cell is dead or gone and Broussard is blown. Was it worth it, the price they paid? Rachel says she will speak to Quayle; Katie has served her time. He will leave her and her family alone, or Rachel is out too.
At the DHS, Beau is digging into Broussard’s life when the phone in Will’s office rings. Beau asks Will if he’s going to answer it. Apparently, it’s the first time it’s rung since Will took over the office. The person on the other end – Quayle – says that he knows Will is looking for the source of the leak. It’s Will’s wife. Quayle wants a meet. So, Will heads out and recognises Quayle – Quayle being Broussard’s neighbour and Will having spoken to him. Quayle explains he runs Katie’s cell. He will hand over Broussard, and the rest of the cell, but keep Katie out of it, in exchange for a fully stocked pickup and passage outside LA. When Will returns, he asks Beau to talk a walk. And explains what Quayle said. Beau, understanding that Will is worried about Katie, asks what would happen if Broussard found out that Quayle was selling him out. Will explains the deal to Snyder, but calls Quayle a low-level operative. Snyder wants to meet Quayle face to face.
Broussard meets with another Resistance cell; they have, it sounds like, lots of information on the chief minister that Helena mentioned. Date, location, means of transport. Using proprietary tech. They also have a business plan. What they need is someone to handle the tactical side. Broussard passes this on to Quayle – and asks about Geronimo, since Quayle made out he was in contact with him and Katie told Broussard the truth. Quayle assumed – he claims – that Broussard saw through that. Will decides to use Katie to feed info to Broussard about Quayle’s betrayal. Broussard thinks that Will is manipulating Katie, which he is – he just happens to be doing it with the truth.
Bram had previously suggested to his teacher that is building a telescope that he would be able to get a high-quality lens for it. He didn’t explain how, but it would presumably be using the route under the wall Bram’s girlfriend showed him in “98 Seconds”. Now Bram has the lens.