As they fly over,
Kai suggests that the sudden appearance of the building is connected to their proximity to the center of the universe. The laws of probability break down there, and fog and buildings are certainly improbable.
Regardless of its origin,
Stan argues for returning to the Lexx and continuing to the center, "where we have a slim chance of saving our lives before the universe gets completely eaten by Mantrid's drones in just a few days."
Xev's curiosity trumps Stan's cowardice. The gates of the building open and they fly the moth inside.
Overture! Light the lights
They discover that the structure is a theater. Suddenly, the lights come up, music begins playing, and a group of actors appear on stage. They look like colorfully dressed versions of Kai. They begin singing:
Closed behind our mighty shield
Beyond which none can fly
This world is safe from pain and strife
We need not fear the sky
We have not fought for countless years
We have no need to cry
War and death are forgotten fears
Here we never die
Xev and Stan are at a loss to explain the spectacle before them. Kai tells them, "I know what they are about."
Something familiar, something peculiar
The song continues:
We close our eyes and shut our ears
We must never, never try
To break the bonds of this holy sphere
Or we will surely die
Kai explains, "They are singing about my planet: Brunnus-2."
The Master of Ceremonies appears and announces, "As our universe comes to its end, we are telling the most important story that ever happened in its vast history."
The pageant is "a tragic chronicle of heroic destiny." Specifically, "It is the story of Kai, last of the Brunnen-G."
The doorway to paradise
The Master of Ceremonies tells his audience, "The Brunnen-G were a race of romantic warriors, forever famous for leading humankind to victory in the great Insect Wars." This victory came at the cost of their planet, "so they abandoned it for a new home in the Light Universe."
After settling into their new home, the Brunnen-G built a defensive shield around their planet to segregate themselves from the rest of the universe. During their self-imposed exile, they unlocked the secret of never-ending life.
Though effectively immortal, the Brunnen-G became "afeared of everything and anything, for partaking in any activity at all could threaten their precious and ageless bodies."
To illustrate, the players present a musical conversation between a pair of Brunnen-G lads and a couple of their elders:
LADS
Dull, dull, dull
Your lives are oh so dull
You stay inside your sealed house
And cower like a frightened mouse
Dull, dull, dull
Your lives are oh so dull
You sit inside your bunkers
With filters all around
What kind of a life is that
When you spend it underground?
You never venture outdoors
You always stay inside
What kind of a life is that
When all you do is hide?
Dull, dull, dull
Your lives are oh so dull
ELDERS
Young, young, young
How stupid are the young
A brick could fall upon your head
We'd rather stay indoors instead
Young, young, young
So foolish are the young
LADS
Dead, dead, dead
You spend your lives in bed
You stay inside and shake with fear
Should a nasty germ come near
Dead, dead, dead
We'll take the chance instead
You never watch a sunset
Or see the light of day
What kind of a life is that
When you keep it locked away?
You've become pathetic shadows
Of what once you were
What kind of a life is that
Ten thousand years with her?
Dead, dead, dead
We'd rather live instead
ELDERS
Young, young, young
How foolish are the young
A brick could fall and crack your skull
We're better off by being dull
Young, young, young
We do not trust the young
LADS
Dull, dull, dull
You are extremely dull
Come join the Cabaret
According to the Master of Ceremonies, Kai was one of the few young people - "Newborns" - in Brunnen-G society. He felt imprisoned by his people's retreat from life.
The Master of Ceremonies invites Kai to join the company on stage in order to "Sing your own song." Before accepting the offer, Kai asks the Master to explain who the players are.
The Master tells them, "We appear in your reality from time to time to put on our little show." He repeats his invitation.
Kai argues that while he knows the story, he doesn't know the words to the players' songs. The Master of Ceremonies assures him, "When you are on the stage, the words will find you."
Corner of the sky
As Kai mounts the stage and steps into the light, his uniform changes to match the colorful costumes of the other players. The music rises, and Kai sings:
As I am a younger man
And I dream of distant lands
I wonder where I could learn more
Go beyond these ancient walls
Go beyond these ghostly halls
Go beyond
And beyond
CHORUS OF ELDERS
Kai you are so young and green
[KAI: To explore]
You do not see what we have seen
The dangers are too many to ignore
Stay behind these ancient walls
Stay within these ghostly halls
Stay behind
Stay behind
KAI
I do not mean you disrespect
[CHORUS: Close the door]
This life is not what I expect
All I know is I must explore
Go beyond this life of waste
Go beyond this bitter taste
Go beyond
And beyond
Go beyond
I want more
Memory
Xev asks Kai, "Did all this really happen?" Kai smiles and tells his it did.
Stan doesn't care if it happened or not. He wants to leave the theater.
The Master of Ceremonies continues his narration. He explains that while the Brunnen-G were ageless, "the life contained within them was decadent and worthless." Conveniently, the company has a song that illustrates his point:
It's a funny thing how time flies
Six thousand years go by so fast
What ever happened to what's his name?
Refresh me on the past
Hello to you my father
Or maybe you're my son
Perhaps she is my mother
Or maybe you're the one
There's too much to remember
Our heads are far too full
I don't know who I was before
And likely never will
Teacher, lawyer, fireman
Was that me or was that you?
Baker, butcher, garbage man
We haven't got a clue
KAI
I'll go beyond these ancient walls
I'll go beyond these lifeless halls
Go beyond
I want more
One hand, one heart
The Master of Ceremonies tells his audience that the young Kai was in love. He invites Xev to assume the role of Kai's lover, and she agrees despite Stan's objections.
Before introducing her character, the Master of Ceremonies recounts the Newborns' discovery of weak points in their planet's defensive shield. Looking out through these gaps, Kai and his peers saw a universe in chaos.
Kai determined to travel beyond the shield to discover his world's destiny. Before leaving, he met with his lover.
Xev's hair and outfit transform into the Brunnen-G style. Kai sings to her:
I have come here to tell you
That I have to go away
Destiny is calling me
So I cannot stay
I may not return
But I have to know
What the future holds
So I must go
I've come here to tell you
That I must leave today
KAI'S LOVER
If you must leave me
Then I guess that you don't care
And should you return
You know I won't be there
Close your eyes
Stay here with me
You can't save our world
From its destiny
So leave me, Kai
Just say goodbye
For I no longer care
KAI
If only she could understand
Things aren't what they were
I wish that she'd care for me
Like I care for her
If I could make her see
That our world is gone
There may never be
Another dawn
If only she could understand
That I care for her
KAI'S LOVER
If only he could understand
How my heart is true
If only he would care for me
But there's no more I can do
I wish that he
Would choose to stay
To be with me
Not go away
If only he would understand
But there's nothing I can do
BOTH
So I say farewell
To you
Those magic changes
Xev tells the Master of Ceremonies that she would have gone with Kai. He reminds Xev, "But you're not her."
The Master of Ceremonies invites Stan to join the production. He refuses.
He tells Xev and Kai that he is leaving. Xev responds, "Farewell, Stan."
Kai tells her that staying means abandoning hope of survival. Xev explains, "If I have so little time left, then I want to spend it doing something that I'm enjoying."
Stan returns to the moth. Kai follows him. His uniform is back to its normal hue.
He asks Stan to wait for Xev, but Stan refuses. Kai returns to the stage.
Before Stan can take off, the show continues.
The Master of Ceremonies announces, "In search of answers, Kai went beyond the Brunnen-G shields to the tiny planet of the Time Prophet." This revelation serves as both exposition and song cue.
TIME PROPHET
Time begins and then time ends
And then time begins once again
It is happening now
It has happened before
It will surely happen again
KAI
Prophet I have come to you
Here on this uncertain moon
Do we Brunnen-G have any hope
Or are my people doomed?
TIME PROPHET
I look into the cycles of time
Not very clearly mind you
I gaze into the future past
And I see the Brunnen-G's doom
Kai, you'll be the last to die
And there is something else I see
The Shadow's order will be destroyed
At the hands of the last Brunnen-G
Time begins and then time ends
And then time begins once again
It is happening now
It has happened before
It will surely happen again
Something's coming
Kai shared the prophecy of doom with his people.
KAI
Gather round and hear my song
We've been deaf; we have been blind too long
Beyond our shield there lies a threat
It will spell our certain death
His Shadow is coming
His Shadow looms
His Shadow is bringing our final doom
We cannot hide; you must listen to me
This is the end of the Brunnen-G
Why don't you listen?
Why won't you hear?
Our final hour is almost here
Do you want to do nothing and close your eyes?
You're blind and mad if you're waiting to die
His Shadow is coming
I tell you its true
His Shadow will kill us; what shall we do?
Now is the time to prepare for war
Or are you unable to fight anymore?
Dear kindly Judge Your Honor
Watching from the moth, Stan mutters, "They didn't listen, of course."
From the stage, the Master of Ceremonies tells Stan that the Brunnen-G blamed Kai for "opening the doors to enemies that could destroy them."
BRUNNEN-G
What has this Newborn brought on our heads?
What kind of horrors?
What kind of awful dread?
He's broken the shield; he's broken the wall
This Newborn will bring certain death to us all
You are the one who invited this war
You are the one who has opened the door
What do we do with him?
What would be just?
If he is guilty, then kill him we must
Stan's mood mirrors that of the Brunnen-G. He says, "Yeah, well they're not any angrier than me. I am not waiting around for those two."
He launches the moth and heads back toward the Lexx
The Master of Ceremonies' voice follows Stan into space. He announces, "Kai was condemned to death by aging, a punishment that the Brunnen-G considered truly terrible."
This tune sounds familiar
Kai's lover visits him in his cell for a touching reprise of their love song:
KAI
You find me wasting here
You must think I'm insane
All I want is for you to know
I would do this all again
I simply had to do
What I had to do
But it never meant
I didn't love you
But why do you come see me here?
Is it to break my heart again?
KAI'S LOVER
While you were away from me
I nearly went insane
I spent my nights wondering
If I would see you once again
If I set you free
Will you be with me?
Do you want me?
Do you love me?
I can't stand to see you wasting here
I want to be with you again
BOTH
Two hearts are as one heart
And this one heart has two
As long as this heart beats
I will love only you
Time slips away
It fades away
And so we must
Live today
My heart beats for you my love
And your heart beats for me
And your heart beats for me
Stars, in their multitudes
Stan hovers in space between the theater and the Lexx.
The Master of Ceremonies continues the story. He explains that the Brunnen-G looked beyond their planetary shield and learned that Kai was right.
BRUNNEN-G
We have been living in a dream
We have been living in a dream
It's time to wake up and truly see
Our lives have been so empty until now
But death will come and free us
Death will release us
It all makes senseless sense to us somehow
For too long we've cheated death
The sweet relief of our final breath
Sweet relief
Sweet relief
We want it now
MASTER OF CEREMONIES [spoken]
Nobody cared about Kai anymore. Nobody cared about anything except their soon to be realized death
BRUNNEN-G
We welcome death with open hearts
We welcome death with open hearts
We feel life now that the dying starts
It all makes senseless sense to us somehow
So let us rejoice in our death
The sweet relief of our final breath
Sweet relief
Sweet relief
Sweet relief
Sweet relief
Kill us now
To your last dying day
Kai tells Xev that his people truly wanted to die.
The Master of Ceremonies tells them that the Newborn of the Brunnen-G thought "that the great people that saved mankind in the great Insect Wars should fight this new enemy."
Kai rallies his peers with a snappy production number:
KAI
We are the Brunnen-G and we once were great
And I must say to you it is not too late
We may die but we must fight
Let us act this very night
Why should we lay down and accept this fate?
ELDERS
We are the Brunnen-G; we're waiting to die
We celebrate the death that will fall from the sky
KAI
We may die but we must fight
Let us act this very night
ELDERS
We are the Brunnen-G; we're waiting to die
In space, Stan begins to look troubled.
KAI
We are the Brunnen-G; do we have no pride?
We must stand and fight
Not commit suicide
Come with me and we will fight
Turn them back this very night
We are the Brunnen-G; do we have no pride?
ELDERS
We are the Brunnen-G; we're waiting to die
We celebrate the death that will fall from the sky
KAI
It is not too late to fight
Come with me this very night
Stan rolls his eyes at Kai's earnest plea.
ELDERS
We are the Brunnen-G; we're waiting to die
KAI
Will you come with me and fight?
NEWBORNS
We will come with you and fight
ELDERS
We are the Brunnen-G; we're waiting to die
KAI
We are the Brunnen-G; we deserve to die
Empty chairs at empty tables
As the Newborns run off stage, Xev tells the Master of Ceremonies, "I wish my character could change what happened."
He tells her, "The show is the show. The show never changes."
He continues his narration. He explains that the Divine Order had a weapon - the ForeShadow - that "could destroy entire planets with sheets of pure energy that it rained down onto them from space."
In the face of the Divine Order, "there was no hope of mercy, only certainty of death." In space, Stan ponders this news.
Kai and the other Newborns locate a cache of ancient weapons - insect craft - in a museum. They plan to use them to attack the ForeShadow.
KAI
If this should be our final stand
We will stand together with pride
We will honor the past, and fight to the last
It will be a good way to die
Alone in space, Stan is visibly moved by this song.
NEWBORNS
It matters not if the cause is lost
And we cannot stop the tide
We will fight to the end, and then fight again
It will be a good way to die
KAI'S LOVER
Our time is short
Our chance is grim
But I will not give in
To fear
I can face death
With an open heart
If I know that you
Are near
And if I must die
I'll be with you Kai
Full of pride
At your side
I live now for you my love
It's a good way to die
ALL
This moment will live on through time
If anyone ever asks why
The Brunnen-G did not fall on their knees
You will know they found a good way to die
Stan nods decisively. He flies back toward the theater.
Do you hear the people sing?
As the Newborns go into battle, they sing the Brunnen-G battle anthem. One by one, the players fall to their knees at the edge of the stage.
Kai lies at the center of the stage with the player version of His Divine Shadow standing over him.
Kai tells him, "The Brunnen-G will defeat you." His Divine Shadow pantomimes stabbing Kai to death.
The stage goes black.
When the lights come back up, actors in black robes bear Kai, now dressed in his customary black uniform, back onto the stage. The Master of Ceremonies says, "Kai died well."
If we shadows have offended
Stan gets out of the moth and applauds. He tells his friends, "It's time to go."
The Master of Ceremonies tells them that they do not need to leave. He explains that Stan and Xev have parts to play in the next act.
If they stay, the universe outside will end, but "our little show will go on." The Master of Ceremonies again tells Kai that his story is the most important in the history of the universe.
Stan speaks for all of them: "We don't accept." He tells his friends that the players are like the Brunnen-G, neither alive nor dead.
Xev reminds Stan that the universe is ending, and there is no guarantee that the center of the universe offers any chance of survival. Stan tells her, "It's better to die fighting than to die running."
He tells them that they should turn around and fight Mantrid.
Xev agrees. Kai tells his friends, "I found a good way to die once. I am happy for you to join me."
The crew of the Lexx joins the players for one last reprise. Stan finally lends his voice to the song:
ALL
If this should be our final stand
We will stand together with pride
We will honor the past, and fight to the last
It will be a good way to die.
The players disappear, leaving the crew alone in the deserted theater.
They return to the Lexx. The theater disappears.
Stan tells the Lexx, "Let's go get Mantrid."
As the Lexx flies off, a ghostly echo of the Brunnen-G anthem follows in their wake.
Return to the main review of this episode, or check out the SPACE.com Lexx episode guide.
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