seaQuest DSV (1993) s01e05 Episode Script

Treasures of the Tonga Trench

SeaQuest.
This is Sea Crab 1 on your fm dial.
We're leveling off at 3,300 feet.
Please confirm.
Negative, Sea Crab 1.
I show you at 3,299 feet.
That's 3,299, not 3,300.
Pick, pick, pick 35,000 feet of ocean and I'm off by one.
I'll tell you what.
I'll make up for it on the parallel parking portion of the test.
Now how does that work again on hills? Rudder into or away from the reef? Katie? What are you doing? You are doing something, aren't you? Oh, Lieutenant, I'm driving now.
You want help getting ready for the UEO Proficiency Drills? I'll help.
You want to act cute, save it for Capt.
Clayton, the UEO Inspector.
Not funny.
Katie, this is not funny.
You know what this does to me.
You mean that nausea thing? I'm sorry.
Okay.
Here's the drill.
No lights, no power.
Stabilize your vessel, ascend to 1,500 feet.
Hold your position there.
All right, I can do that.
Katie? Ben, what's going on down there? Oh, damn.
Oh, damn! Oh damn, damn, damn.
"Now I lay me down to sleep I pray Lord my soul to keep "If I should die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take" Amen.
Sea Crab 1.
Come in, Sea Crab 1.
Ben? Ben? The 21st century.
Mankind has colonized the last unexplored region on Earth the ocean.
As captain of the seaQuest and its crew, we are its guardians.
For beneath the surface lies the future.
Sea Crab landed and locked.
Lock-in collars secured.
Maintenance Team B report to Docking Bay 3.
Lt.
Krieg, wait a minute, please.
I'll be right up.
Okay, here's where we may have the problem.
Now what I want you to do is I want you to check the contacts of all life-support circuitry and then redo the oil packs.
Uh-huh.
Clayton will probably test at 4 degrees centigrade.
You think maybe now you can tell me what happened out there? Nothing.
A current, probably.
It must have been some sort of rip current.
Currents don't move the way you were moving.
It's a big ocean out there and maybe there are still a few things that you and I don't understand.
I need a favor.
No problem.
Just clear it with Clayton.
He's got me running biomass sweeps right now.
I spent the last hour out in a Crab.
I've gotta know if WSKRS picked up anything, you know, unusual.
A biologic, maybe? A biologic? As in, something alive? Yeah, something alive.
How unusual? A 10.
A biologic 10 unusual.
Sorry.
No, wait a minute.
Clayton had me running drills with Junior and Mother.
Loaner might have seen something when I wasn't monitoring.
Want me to check his memory? Thanks.
Let's go, seaQuest.
You're at Clayton time now.
Let's go, this is a water rescue drill! Ten seconds.
Let's go.
Come on, people.
Ensign, we gotta be in the water, in formation, inside of three minutes.
Twenty seconds.
Gigolo of the sea.
I assume we're talking about the fish.
It's a member of the angler family.
The male attaches itself to the female for life.
Lets her do all the work.
Not unlike the relationship this science contingent has with the military members of your vessel, is it, Capt.
Bridger? Proficiency Drill 7-7404! Your hypothetical: Vehicle distress, location and retrieval.
Prepare to move on my command.
That's two minutes, Mr.
Ford! I've seen better organization at a candy-tailed water ballet.
If I remember the manual, Captain anything under three minutes for this drill is considered excellent.
The Commander's men still aren't wet, Captain.
Complete prep and step up.
A natural sonar for rescue operations.
Congratulations, Commander.
Thank you, sir.
Your dolphin was out of formation.
Lieutenant? Mr.
Krieg? What did you find? Loaner's positioned 300 meters to the north.
You went south in the Crab went pretty deep, too.
And Loaner didn't pick up any biologics to the north? Anything unusual? Big mahi-mahi count? No, anything else? No, nothing.
You're sure? Yeah.
I'm sure.
Double-checked all programs? I'm sure.
Are you okay, Lieutenant? Yeah, I'm fine.
I'm fine.
All right, beat it.
Get out of here.
Dismissed, go.
No, wait.
I gotta tell somebody.
It might as well be you.
Sit.
Where? Down.
Here.
Sit.
All right.
What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room.
You don't tell no one.
Got it? You're it, understand? The only person I'm telling.
So if anybody else finds out I'm gonna know.
How am I gonna know? Because you're the only guy I'm trusting this information with.
You understand? You're the only person that I can Have you ever known I mean, been absolutely certain that you were gonna die? Are you sure you don't want to discuss this with a priest or something? I looked out the window and I saw this thing coming right at me.
It was It was dark.
I don't know where it came from.
I don't know what it was.
But I just remember thinking to myself, "Ben "you are about to die.
" What did it look like? I don't know.
I don't know.
I mean you could see right through it, but not really.
But it had this energy, you know like static electricity running all through it.
And I don't even know how it grabbed me.
Head, tail, but the It had to be huge, and the power.
I mean I could feel it.
And, the thing of it is it knew exactly what it was doing.
It was intelligent.
Don't ask me how but I could tell.
Are you saying you were attacked by some kind of sea monster? Lieutenant, sea monsters don't exist, except in legends and fables.
That's what they said about Bigfoot.
Maybe you should talk to Dr.
Westphalen.
Sorry.
No way.
She'll think I'm crazy.
No, she won't.
And she'll try and find it and she'll get in the way.
Of what? What is it? I don't know.
Gem, mineral.
Something we've never seen before.
And unless I miss my guess, definitely worth a small fortune.
Are there any more? Are you kidding? There's a whole trench filled with them out there, and I'm the only We're the only ones who know about it.
Now, I'd be willing to share if you'd be willing to help.
It's a warm night.
The ocean's like glass.
And you're walking along the beach with a woman so beautiful so full of love your heart aches just to look at her.
You stop.
Take her hands in yours.
Breathe deep, as a gentle breeze caresses her face and tickles your senses with her sweetness.
And there alone under a canopy of stars, and the moon so bright you swear God must have poked a hole right through from heaven just to whisper inspiration in your ear.
You kneel.
Slide a ring on her finger and ask her to be your wife.
And tell me, Murray what kind of gem do you suppose is set in that ring? Hot number like that.
It better be a diamond.
At least two carats if I'm expecting any kind of reply to the affirmative.
A diamond outside at night? It's gonna look like a black hole on her finger.
No, you want sparkle.
You want dazzle? You need light.
Well, I've got your light, and a new jewel for a new millennium.
I call it Krieglight.
More rare than diamonds, more beautiful than rubies or emeralds.
The lovely woman on the moonlit beach, Murray, that's every woman.
And every woman's gonna want a piece of Krieglight dancing on her finger.
The glow, it's natural? Right off the ocean floor and 100%% organic.
No batteries or solar cells required.
And you can get me Murray, what I can get you is gonna depend a lot on what you can get me.
Listen, Benny I'm not prepared to talk numbers yet.
A few contacts in retail I have to confer with first.
But if this little sea gem is everything you say your life is about to change in a most dramatic way.
Excellent.
Just one thing, lose the name.
Krieglight sounds like something you hacked up from the back of your throat.
Thanks for the private line.
I owe you one.
Who else knows about this stuff? No one.
No one knows.
Just you and me and that's the way it's gonna stay, understand? Our secret.
Hey, Ben, if you can't trust me, who can you trust? Ready one and three, Commander.
One and three ready, sir.
Fire one and three.
Ready two and four, Commander.
Two and four ready, sir.
Fire two and four.
Ignition delay on burner four.
I suggest your cook bleed the gas line.
And speaking of your cook, P.
O.
Reilly, where is he? Well, you requested a spot inspection, sir.
P.
O.
Reilly wasn't informed his presence would be necessary.
I suppose there's an answer to my question somewhere in there? Mr.
Reilly has gone to the Launch Bay to check out a Sea Crab.
He's donating his personal time between breakfast and lunch to qualify in EVA proficiency.
Will there be anything else? You can count on it.
Seen Ortiz anywhere? No, sir.
Thanks.
Ben.
Hey.
Whoa.
Stop avoiding me.
We need to talk.
I'm not avoiding you, and I'm just merely looking for Ortiz.
And talk about what? You shortcut through the gym, didn't you? I know you, Ben.
Something happened out there in that Sea Crab yesterday.
You're trying to act like it didn't.
Okay, so something happened.
I'll tell you all about it, be happy to.
But not now, because now I've got to find Ortiz gotta get over to the Launch Bay, get back in a Crab because you know what they say once you've been thrown, you gotta get right back in the saddle otherwise you know what's gonna happen? It's gonna Ah, Lieutenant Krieg! I guarantee, I will accompany you to that Launch Bay and personally see to it that you don't go anywhere in anything until you tell me what happened out there.
Hmm? All right.
But I need you to promise that what I'm about to say, stays between you and me.
No one else knows.
Promise? Promise.
I promise.
Have you ever known I mean, been absolutely certain that you were gonna die? Marine topography team set to launch in 15 minutes.
Marine topography team set to launch in 15 minutes.
Make way, up ladder.
Sea Crab 3 is set for deep sea video imaging detail.
Sea Craft 3 is set for deep sea video imaging detail.
Sea Craft 2 is set for Acoustic Engineering Team Problem.
Hey, Miguel.
Sea Craft 2 is set for acoustic engineering team problem.
What's going on, one of Clayton's drills? Come on, let's see.
See what? Glowing rocks.
That's what you've got in the bag, isn't it? You told him? No.
I did.
They wouldn't let me take a Sea Crab by myself.
Well, how did you hear about it? Krieg.
He told me no one else knew.
That surprises you? Must have told Reilly.
I heard him talking about it at breakfast.
Well, actually, I might have mentioned something about it to Reilly.
Anyone else you might have told it to? All right, I talked to Nevins and McGhee, too.
What, it's a crime to share the wealth? McGhee? You might as well have broadcast it to the whole boat.
Nice going, Lucas.
Oh, me, like you didn't blab it to him? Come on, let's see what's in the bag.
Get your hands off, all right.
Get your own.
I just want to see them! Okay, all right.
Now listen to me, who's your pal? You were until you blabbed.
Come on, let's just see them.
Look, you're gonna What are you doing? Come on, you're gonna spill it.
I just wanna see them.
Unbelievable.
No, no, no.
This is not good.
Not good.
Between you and me, huh? I swear, I did not tell these people.
Save it.
What are you doing? You do the same.
Put them back in.
Oh, man! I need a Sea Crab.
Now.
I'm sorry, Commander, but they're all out.
Then I suggest you get on the phone and get one back.
Am I making myself clear? Aye, aye, Commander.
Incredible.
And you weren't even going to tell me? And I'm sorry, but I'm willing to make up for it.
If you just get a second Crab for me I'd really appreciate it, I'll give you 10%%.
Five, 5%% of everything I collect on the first load.
I don't want any percent of any load you collect.
Your shiny rocks don't interest me.
I want to see the creature you saw with my own eyes.
You have no idea what a discovery like this could mean to all of us.
The creature.
Yo, people! Ortiz, everybody, listen up.
Can I please have your attention please? I don't know what you've been told but there are potential dangers to what you're doing.
You see, I've been out there and well, what I'm trying to say is that we're not alone down here.
And there's something that I can't really describe.
But it's big.
And I'm not sure it really likes us and wants us messing around out there, you see.
I've been out there, Lieutenant, and I didn't see anything except these.
Yeah! Ben, Ben, we've all heard about your sea monster.
Now, you're gonna have to come up with something a whole lot better than that if you expect to keep all this for yourself.
Yeah! Fine.
If you don't want to believe me, don't.
But if we're going to be partners in this then let's do it right.
So first thing we gotta do is get organized.
Work in shifts, keep teams moving around the clock.
O'Neill, you'll be in charge of scheduling.
Next, no one neglects their duties.
Capt.
Bridger or Clayton suspect anything we'll be shut down for sure.
Got it? All right, then.
Leave your names with Mr.
O'Neill, and report at your assigned times.
Okay, let's go get them, guys! Eighty-eight military.
It's ridiculous.
A vessel this size should carry twice that.
What for? Our main focus is research and exploration.
If anything, we should beef up the science staff.
Oh, now that would be smart.
Maybe you could add a trained whale to your little dolphin show.
Be realistic, Captain.
You need personnel who can carry their weight in a crisis situation.
I don't think I understand what you mean.
Good God, man.
I'm talking conditioning, stamina, training.
Your average tech-head simply isn't strong enough.
Captain, I command this boat.
But first and foremost, I consider myself a man of science, a tech-head.
It shows.
What's that supposed to prove? You do it.
You're wiry.
Thin.
I'm talking muscle mass.
Brute strength.
Strip to the waist.
Let's see what you've got.
What? As Captain you lead by example.
Muscle tone's an indicator of discipline and diet.
Agreed.
But as UEO Inspector, I think you should set the example for me.
I have nothing to hide.
I do 250 sit-ups a day.
Three hundred.
And 100 pushups.
Aha! One-fifty.
And 25 of those, one-armed.
Great upper body strength flat gut and the buttocks of a 16-year-old.
You don't believe me, do you? Feel for yourself.
You think I'm kidding? I've cracked walnuts with these cheeks.
Commander could you please call the Launch Bay and have a Sea Crab stand by? I just spoke with them, sir.
All Sea Crabs are presently in operation.
This had better not be a delay tactic.
No, sir.
We have a team fully prepared to demonstrate repair techniques on the outer skin.
We just have to wait for the next available Crab.
Very well.
Perhaps we can settle a few things while we wait, Captain, mano a mano? Call us when you're ready.
Why are all the Sea Crabs out at one time? I don't know, sir.
But I certainly intend to find out.
Hurry up.
One more day with this guy, I'm going to go nuts.
What's the matter? You afraid you gonna be gobbled up by Krieg's sea monster, huh? No.
I just had this strange feeling.
It's nothing.
Never mind.
Swimmers, on your mark.
Get set, go.
Nice race.
Yeah.
I thought you were gonna outreach me at the end.
I was surprised I was even allowed to finish second.
Are you suggesting that the Commander's call was biased? No, I am suggesting that you enjoy your victory while you can.
We still have work to do, and the feeling may not last.
Did you do anything to provoke it, bring it out? No, I did not provoke it.
Nothing? No sudden moves? You didn't turn on a light? No, no lights.
Okay.
Well, maybe I just didn't go deep enough into the trench.
Maybe.
What was the reading on the depth gauge when the creature let go of you? Oh, wait, no.
Better.
What direction did it go when it left? Up? Down? North? South? East? I don't know, I don't know, Katie.
But it's like we're married again, all of a sudden.
You push, and I'm supposed to come up with answers that I don't have.
Pushing is just part of the job.
So is finding answers.
Ben, it's the only way I can help.
So you still believe me? About the creature? Yeah.
No one else does, you know.
I believe you.
Thanks.
Uh-uh.
Mine.
They're all the same.
Oh, Nice try.
Mine are better.
Trade? Uh-uh.
Three for two? Oh, that's nice.
Little Miss Shiny-rocks- don't- Interest-me suddenly has to keep the best for herself.
Two.
I went out and I took two.
Besides, they're for my mom.
You know how she likes this kind of thing.
Ben! We gotta talk.
We? Guys, what are you doing? Hey.
Guys! No, no, no, stop right there.
Now we all agreed the rocks stay together, it's safer that way.
Sorry, Lieutenant.
There's been a change of plans.
We talked it over.
It's nothing personal, Ben.
We just felt that we really don't trust you with the stuff.
We decided? Yeah, sure on the west ridge.
Who "we? " Ahem.
All of us, we.
Now look You ever think about airing this place out once in a while? I'd like to air you out of here right now.
That goes for all of you guys.
All right, come on.
Get out of here.
Come on, let's go.
Come on, now.
Are you suggesting that I don't recognize my own rocks? All right, guys.
Everybody.
No, they are for my mother.
Now cut that out.
Come on, come on.
These are mine, mine, mine.
Knock it off! Come on.
Did you hear the Lieutenant? What's wrong with you people? Look at yourselves.
You call yourselves friends? Well, friends trust each other.
You call yourself partners? Well, partners share.
Hey, look.
I know I can't tell you how to behave.
It's not my place.
But the way I see it, you got two choices here.
You want to act like mature, rational adults? Then drop everything, shake hands and walk out that door with your heads held high.
Or, there's the other way.
Where you could forget about how long you've known each other forget about teamwork, about faith in your fellow man or about how all the money in the world isn't going to erase the poverty that's choking in your rotting souls.
If you can live that way if that's what you want then do me a favor.
Take everything I've got and get out of here because I'm ashamed to share the same room with you.
Sounds good to me.
I can live with that.
Maybe I didn't make myself clear.
You can have the rocks but you can't have Murray.
Uh-uh.
Who's Murray? Murray Goldwater.
Krieg's buyer.
That's right.
And Murray has major contacts in fine jewelry.
And that spells money.
Big money.
But he'll only deal with me.
He's all yours.
We've been talking to an R and D group.
They think this stuff's gonna make a great light source for deep-sea colonies.
Buddy of mine markets novelty items.
Low cost, high volume.
Makes a bundle in mail order.
You, too? Greed.
It's human nature, Ben.
Why fight it? You better get a handle on this, or I'll shut you down.
You know it really does stink in here.
This is Capt.
Bridger.
We'll be operating lights out until further notice.
All hands please report to stations to begin emergency preparations.
This is Capt.
Clayton.
Your objective during this lights out drill is to demonstrate a tactile knowledge of your boat and its systems.
Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated.
Out.
Oh, we got to get to the Bridge.
Give me your stuff.
I'll hide them.
No, I got a better idea.
Why don't you give your stuff to me? If Clayton sees us with these, we're dead.
I don't know what I'm doing.
This is insane.
I could lose my commission over this.
Wait, hey, what am I supposed to do with these? Run.
Captain.
Captain.
Captain.
Aha! What was that? Sorry, sir.
We must have missed it.
What are you blind? There's a scofflaw on the loose.
A what? Hold it right there, Tinkerbell! What is it? I never saw anything like it.
Smells funny.
The little bugger's headed for the C-Deck.
Let's get him.
What's going on here, Lucas? Commander, lights on.
The drill's over.
Commander, lights on.
Aye, sir.
I was just checking up on some of Dr.
Westphalen's work.
Something about radiant flux and how it's impacted by marine conditions and deep pressures and that sort of thing.
Do you think he's trying to tell us something? Sir, I think I can explain everything.
An expert on radiant flux? I've obviously come at a bad time.
I'll tell you what.
Why don't you finish your drill? I'll leave, we'll talk later.
No, I want you to stay here and explain to me what's going on.
Am I making myself clear, Lieutenant? Sir have you ever known I mean, been absolutely certain that you were gonna die? Now what? Captain, please report to the Bridge.
Captain to the Bridge.
What is it, Commander? We've been struck, sir.
Still awaiting a preliminary damage report.
You have any idea who we're dealing with? It's a biologic.
A very large biologic.
Oh, no.
I'm picking up some kind of electrical interference.
It's coming around for another strike, and it's moving fast.
On my way, Commander.
Damage report when I get there, and have Dr.
Westphalen join us.
Talk to me, Lieutenant, talk to me.
I'd like to, sir, but I'm not sure you're gonna believe me.
Try me.
It's giving off a charge, sir.
Almost electrical.
WSKRS transmission's still breaking up.
Launch a probe, Commander.
Aye, aye, sir.
What do you think? Well, as bizarre as Mr.
Krieg's story sounds Ludicrous would be a better word.
Captain, I know what I saw, I think.
I believe him.
You do? You do? Yes.
Medusas, jellyfish, squid, they can all grow to giant proportions in the deep.
You see, the only thing that limits their size is their diet.
How big is this thing? Best guess.
And a giant squid has been known to grow to over 100 feet.
Captain, coming around again.
Should we try and target it, sir? No.
What? There are creatures down there that no one has ever seen, never even dreamed of.
I'm not about to destroy it without taking a look at it.
Prepare a speeder.
Captain, the creature is holding on.
It's wrapped around us.
It's blocking the Launch Bays.
Seal the hull doors.
I can't, sir.
They're stuck.
There's been a breach.
Sound general quarters.
Have security report to the moon pools.
Aye, sir.
All right, let's move, move, move.
On the double.
On the double.
This is not a drill, let's go, let's go.
Move it, move it! Quickly, quickly.
All right, Darwin, come on.
What have you seen, huh? Shining.
Sees the shining.
What kind of gibberish is that? Probably means bioluminescence.
Certain species that live in the dark create their own light.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Get her out of there before See to it she's all right.
All right, listen up to me.
I want a defensive perimeter set up around this pool.
I want you to arm your weapons and have them at the ready.
But nobody fires except on my command.
Understood? You two come with me.
Bill and Harry.
It's gone now, Cap.
We're standing by.
Did you see it? Like, was it blue like energy? Like static electricity? Like pure energy? Yes? Yes? Uh-huh.
I am no longer alone.
Dr.
Westphalen, what exactly might a creature like that feed on? If it's in the squid family, it would be a carnivore.
Meat eater? I'll vouch for that.
This thing definitely wanted me for lunch.
Threw you back though, didn't it? It's glowing.
Don't just stand there.
Shoot! "Sees the shining.
" What Darwin said, he was talking about us.
This creature sees us shining.
You see, squid are very attracted to light.
Commander, lights out immediately.
I want you to raise the probe light to high beam.
Get the creature's attention.
And then? Run.
It should follow you.
Follow me where, sir? Away.
Aye, Captain.
You still think our science team doesn't pull its weight? Oh, my guarantee, sir.
Top dollar.
Just mention my name, and Murray will treat you just right.
Oh, thank you, Lieutenant.
I'll do that.
Confidentially, Lieutenant I've always thought the supply officer is the glue that holds the boat together.
Well done.
Thank you, sir.
Well, that's over.
Clayton passed us.
What's your determination? I went through the data from the probe and it doesn't have the tentacles of a squid.
It is, however, related to Mr.
Krieg's glowing rocks.
The creature's bioluminescent.
Well, we saw that but it also must have a very steady diet of bioluminescent fish.
Because Krieg's gold is fecal pellets.
Wait a minute.
Are you trying to tell me the orbs are Yes, Mr.
Krieg.
Fish poop.
Glowing fish poop.
Oh, only for 48 hours.
Then the bacteria that was glowing will have died leaving Krieg with simply Fish poop.
You gave Clayton fish poop.
What do you know.
Easy come, easy go, huh? I gotta call Murray.
Captain, sir.
I think I've decided on a disciplinary action for you.
For what, sir? For what? For unauthorized use of EVA equipment for conspiracy to corrupt.
Corrupt? Captain, never, I mean I saw it as, and correct me if I'm wrong but a natural release from the pressures of having Capt.
Clayton on board.
Nice try.
I'm sure everybody got a little out of hand.
But you were the one who got the ball rolling.
And as an officer, you should have known better.
You're right.
I apologize.
All the same, you're confined to quarters.
Okay, not a problem.
I'll just finish my cleaning.
No.
No cleaning.
You're confined to quarters, as of now.
But, sir, didn't you hear? I mean Can't you smell? Yes, I can.
Twenty-four hours, Lieutenant.
Twenty-four hours.
Hello, I'm Bob Ballard from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Although the deep-sea creature we saw on tonight's show doesn't really exist recently we discovered an ancient fish we thought had vanished millions of years ago.
It's called the Coelacanth.
Now the light that deep-sea creatures produce is called bioluminescence.
It's created by a chemical reaction inside their bodies and it's highly efficient and gives off very little heat.
See you on the next exciting adventure of seaQuest DSV.

Previous EpisodeNext Episode