Pratik Handore
Syfy’s ‘The Ark’ is a science-fiction drama series that follows the crew of Ark One, a deep space travel spacecraft. It is created by Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner. In the series premiere episode, the crew of Ark One wakes up from cryo sleep after their ship runs into trouble. However, the inciting incident is laced with mystery, and the actual cause of the accident or the reason for the crew waking up ahead of schedule isn’t explicitly explained. If you are looking for an explanation about the reasons behind the crew awakening and the breach in ‘The Ark,’ here are our best theories on the matter! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Forced Cryo-Awakening
The series premiere episode of ‘The Ark,’ titled ‘Everyone Wanted to Be on This Ship,’ opens with the crew of Ark One forced to wake up from their cryo-sleep. In the series, Ark One is a deep space travel ship on a mission to colonize a distant planet, Proxima B. However, when they are in the final year of their five-year travel, the crew is suddenly awakened after the ship’s system detects an unidentified breach. It is implied that Ark One was struck with an obstacle that shifted it from its target course.
The breach forces the crew to wake up from their slumber and take physical charge of the ship’s operations. While it is not explicitly stated in the first episode, it is evident that the ship’s protocols dictate the crew should be awakened in case there is a breach that puts Ark One-off course. Therefore, it is safe to say that the crew is awakened to correct the ship’s course. Moreover, the breach threatens the crew’s life, and several high-ranking officers are killed. Therefore, awakening from their cryo-sleep also seems to be a fail-safe to save the crew’s life.
Time-Travel Collision: Sci-Fi Speculation
From the get-go, it is evident that the crew of Ark One awakens after the breach caused by an unidentified incident that knocked the ship off course. However, the cause of the breach is not specified. In one scene, two characters discuss possible causes with each other. One of the two causes stated in the first episode is that Ark One hit an asteroid on its way to Proxima B. The breach destroyed the ship’s cryo bay and storage compartment. Therefore, it is possible that the breach was caused by the ship hitting an asteroid.
The second possible cause is stated to be a fuel tank explosion. While it is certainly possible that a fuel tank explosion occurred, the ship’s diagnostics do not report a loss of fuel. Therefore, we can rule out a fuel tank explosion for the time being. Later in the episode, Jasper Dades questions the presence of Susan Ingram, a Commander who was placed in the cryo bay with low-ranking officers. The conversation implies that a conspiracy caused the breach. It is also stated that Ark One has the highest probability of colonizing a planet and saving humanity. Therefore, the ship is of prime importance to humanity’s chances of surviving the desolation of the earth.
We theorize that the breach was a manufactured incident caused by someone trying to jeopardize the ship’s mission. That would also explain why a critical portion of Ark One was strategically destroyed during the breach but not the entire ship. However, who or what is behind the breach remains to be seen. The show’s promotional material implies using sci-fi plot devices such as faster-than-light travel. Hence, it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility that Ark One collided with another spacecraft, possibly accidentally traveling through time.
Read More: Where is SyFy’s The Ark Filmed?
