seaQuest DSV (1993) s01e21 Episode Script
Such Great Patience
Very exciting.
No one has ever reached the epicenter of an undersea earthquake less than an hour after it's happened, let alone a 9.
2.
Instant creation of a 1,500 foot cliff that stretches 200 miles.
This is gonna be wild.
WSKR on the west flank malfunctioned and just crashed into the bottom, sir.
That's the second one, Mr.
Ortiz, in almost the same place.
I can't explain it, Commander.
Well, adjust course.
I want to take a look at this wall.
Come starboard eight degrees, Mr.
Shan? Some kind of a headache, sir.
I'm having trouble focusing.
Mr.
Rader, take his position.
This is the fifth headache that's been reported, since we've been down here.
Rock.
Water.
Captain.
He's doing it again.
Fire, cloud unit, center.
What is it, my friend? Fast, voice, hurt.
He's hearing things.
We have no idea what he's talking about.
O'Neill.
I'm at a loss to explain it, Captain.
Sensors show a sound out there, but I can't find it.
High frequency, well out of our acoustical parameters.
Is it something he could hear? Technically, no.
It's out of his range, too.
Declination, luminescence ecliptic.
Do you understand this? People words.
Not dolphin.
I want this sound traced, gentlemen.
I want to know what it is.
Aye, sir.
Captain.
You'd better warn the crew, we may be here for some time.
These sedimentation layers are so clearly marked.
The timeline is as precise as I've ever seen it.
What are we looking at? This layer used to be the bottom of the ocean about 900,000 years ago.
Wow.
Captain, aftershock coming.
It's a big one.
Sound collision.
Head us into the epicenter.
Nose down.
This is Cmdr.
Ford.
Brace for shock wave, bow to stern.
Closing all water tights.
All hands brace for collision.
This is the coolest thing I've ever seen.
Isolate this picture.
No one sees this except the Bridge.
Done.
That looks like some kind of a ship? A spaceship? No such thing.
There is now.
Captain, if what you said about the age of that rock is true That ship must be a million years old.
Or more.
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.
What's your take, Captain? We're convinced now that the sounds coming from this alien ship are giving the crew headaches.
And you don't consider that a threat? What? Migraines? Aren't you being a little pie-in-the-sky, Bridger? And that noise is coming from an alien ship that you know nothing about.
That's true, General.
On the other hand, it has been entombed in this rock for over a million years.
Well, I still expect you to follow procedures.
We didn't spend millions developing an alien-encounter program so you could make it up as you go.
And another thing.
I want that kid Lucas Wolenczak off the boat.
Why? He doesn't have the necessary security clearances.
I need him.
I know this is an amazing discovery and everyone wants to be part of it but that's not enough.
You see, Darwin somehow is picking out words from this alien signal.
And Lucas is my vocal link to Darwin.
He plays you like a drum, Captain.
Just once, I'd like you to recognize my authority and follow orders.
When I get back, we'll have lunch.
Okay, Chief, this is the last of them.
Shuttle MR-3 is set to launch in 15 minutes.
Shuttle MR-3 is set to launch in 15 minutes.
Hey, Lucas.
What happened up there on the Bridge? Why are we being off-loaded? I can't tell you, Sheppard.
It was something.
What, are you getting in line with us? I'm not sure yet.
Good luck.
All science personnel Everything is all set, sir.
Okay.
All science personnel check in with the deck officer before departure.
Surface fleet's in position, sir.
When this launch leaves, we'll be down to thirty-two military personnel and 26 science.
Anything else? No, sir.
Carry on.
Set up the laser saw and the oxygen compressors in the launch MR-5.
And let's get all of these hand held scanners down to the science lab for calibration.
We've logged on board everything you asked for, Cap.
Ready to get under way.
Environmental suits? Yes, sir.
Right here.
All external damage has been repaired, sir.
Thank you.
Lt.
Freebur, report to docking bay two.
Lt.
Freebur, report to docking bay two.
Listen do you think that you "play me like a drum"? Could I consult my lawyer? You can stay.
All right! Get with O'Neill on that signal.
Cmdr.
Keller, welcome aboard.
Glad to be back, Commander.
Scott, how are you? Nathan.
General Thomas is hemorrhaging up on the aircraft carrier.
How'd you keep his alpha commandos off this mission? I said a welcome wagon with a gun doesn't make a very good first impression.
What if something out there is still alive? Then we're the luckiest sailors in history.
What if they attack us? Every uniform thinks alike.
Well, you wear one.
Yeah, for exploration.
Not for conquest.
Captain, I have to raise the possibility.
Listen, think it through, Commander.
If these extraterrestrials applied the same technology it took for them to get here to war we're toast.
No matter what we do.
Gentlemen, we prepare for the worst, hope for the best, right? I'll make a deal with you.
You don't shoot anything till I've had a chance to say hello.
All sea craft departures must have code four authorization.
O'Neill? Painkiller for the headaches.
Come on, not even a needle.
I don't need it, I'm leaving on the launch.
You're not trying for the expedition? Tim? Dr.
Westphalen, can I ask you a question? Sure.
Do you believe in God? Sometimes.
Well, if we're created in God's image then who created intelligent life on other planets? God.
I was always taught to believe that we were the whole deal.
That life topped-out with man.
And now, it's like, my beliefs are unraveling.
No, they're not, Tim.
Come on.
You believe in family, friends, strong morality, yes? Yes, well nothing out there invalidates those.
When I was growing up I always felt like a traitor as a kid in church.
Because I secretly hoped we weren't alone.
Well, don't feel guilty for getting your wish.
But you have to make your own decision.
I've never run from anything in my life.
Applying Earth's aerodynamic principles, I'm taking a wild guess that this is how the alien craft would look like, with the rock cut away.
How the hell did they move a ship that big through space? That's just one of a thousand questions I want answers to.
She's over a mile long.
How did they get it up to light speed? Wrong concept.
Even if it went a million times light speed most galaxies would be out of reach.
We've theorized curved space loops and inter-dimensional wormholes.
Bottom line, Nathan: I want to see their technology.
I want to see inside that cockpit.
Can you imagine if I got to go over there? You'd have to promise not to hug them.
May not be part of their culture.
I've spent my whole life believing in nothing but the unbelievable.
I mean, what do they look like? Did they crash here by accident? Where are they from? Are there others coming? I have to know.
Would you mind if I submitted your name to the Captain? All right, people, here we go.
Lieutenant? Lucas and I have isolated the alien signal.
It's an overlapping pulse in a high microwave frequency.
But it's gonna take a lot of math to decipher it.
Ortiz, Hitchcock, this is where you come in.
I want you to go in and bend and twist that signal see if there's any rhyme or reason for it.
Doctor? Let's not forget what we're dealing with.
We don't want to bring back an exotic virus.
We've got enough of our own, I think.
The first sign of pain, headache medicine is available at stations all around the boat.
The boarding party will consist of the following: Chief Crocker will assist Commander Keller and provide security.
Me? Lieutenant O'Neill, you will continue to track down the source of the signal and standby to be interpreter if necessary.
Aye, sir.
Filling out the rest of the team and photographing the expedition will be Lt.
Krieg.
For the rest of you who volunteered, thank you very much.
All right people, that's it.
Let's get back to work.
Sir, besides turning the camera on and off, what do I bring to the party? Enthusiasm, Lieutenant, enthusiasm.
Yes, sir.
I'd like to go.
Oh, I bet you would.
On the other hand, I'm pretty grateful just to be here.
Uh-huh.
We'll watch it here together.
Captain, we're approaching the alien ship.
You okay, Chief? Give me a break, will you.
Commander, we're going to try for a flush fit on that smooth section below the fin.
Clear.
Air seal's positive.
The second seal.
Welcome to Earth.
Scan the hull for Dr.
Westphalen.
Aye, sir.
seaQuest, you reading visual? Loud and clear, Ben.
Great.
These little sparkles look like sand.
Silicon, Lieutenant.
One of the most prevalent substances in the universe.
Talk about your common ground.
Contaminant reading: zero.
Looks clear, Commander.
What do you think, Nathan? It's your call, Scott.
Let's open her up, Chief.
Alien-encounter program official record.
One million years imprisoned in rock makes finding life improbable.
Yet, the existence of this ship is spectacular proof that we are not alone.
This is a section of the ship's skin.
They've found a way to organize silicon.
Imagine being able to grow crystals into any shape you want them.
Do you have any guesses about these haphazard ones? It could be heat shields, like the ones we use on our spacecraft.
Hmm.
Almost got it.
We're all through, Commander.
Just take an atmosphere reading.
Heavy silicon compounds.
Large concentrations of xenon and argon.
Traces carbon, helium, parts per million asbestos.
Not breathable, but it's not gonna corrode our suits, either.
Do you still want to go inside? Try and stop me.
Aren't I supposed to say something for all mankind, here? Something Something important? What comes to mind? This is big dark.
And I am very happy to be here.
It's not very poetic, but it'll do fine.
Chief, somebody has to stay here attach a permanent hatch here, carrying a weapon.
I'd prefer you stayed on the launch.
That's a good idea, Commander.
Give me a radar map of what this place looks like.
Aye, sir.
It looks like a network of pipes and conduit connecting the systems.
The compartments all funnel back like an oil tanker or a cargo ship.
Yeah, but what kind of cargo? Maybe they came here to collect zoo specimens, dinosaurs.
Maybe they didn't come here to collect anything.
Maybe they brought life.
The doors to those compartments are much too small for much of anything to fit through.
Except liquid.
This could be 99%% fuel tank and 1%% cockpit.
Maybe whoever shot this off didn't expect it to come back.
One-way ticket to a new world.
Crashing into the ocean wasn't what they had in mind.
Think of the courage it took to ride this rocket away from home for the last time.
Nathan we're going to detour into one of the side compartments.
Keep in touch, guys.
Right.
Let's move out.
Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke.
A lifetime with these guys and I'm still not sure if I'm ready for this.
Stay close.
Visual contact in single file.
I want continual readouts, and don't touch anything you don't have to.
This is unbelievable.
What is this place? For the first time in my career, Lieutenant, I don't have a clue.
If you made this up, they wouldn't believe it.
That substance that Keller has could be fuel residue.
My people will have it on the screen by the time we get to C-Deck.
Pensive? Reflective.
Captain reflective, scientist reflective or explorer reflective? Little boy reflective.
It's just our nature not to want to be alone in the universe.
Do you think oceanography will be important after today? Or geology? Funny how everything can change in an instant, isn't it? You know who's not fazed one iota by any of this? Lucas? His generation grew up expecting this.
It's not a revelation, it's a confirmation.
Maybe we can learn from that.
Roll with it, dude.
Yeah.
Lieutenant, which way is the source of the signal? Last I had it, that way.
What's the matter? Remember when you were a kid, and your church would have those haunted house fundraisers at Halloween? Yeah, I loved those things.
Scared me to death.
Sir? I'm picking up a strange vibration from the alien craft.
Scott, abort the mission.
What do you mean, "abort the mission"? Scott, now.
We're making progress without any obstacles.
Commander, the alien molecules are vibrating doubling in intensity every fifth of a second.
The crystalline structure that makes up the ship is becoming unstable.
You're talking implosion.
Very possible.
Can you tell when it started? Judging from our acoustical data, I'd say the moment we cut into her hull.
A self-destruct mechanism? Maybe.
Suppose they didn't want their technology to fall into the wrong hands? Oh.
You better update the General.
He'll think of this as some kind of a secret weapon.
Move it, Scott.
I'm coming back here, Nathan.
I'm gonna see their cockpit.
Let's go.
Let's retrace our path out of here.
As soon as your med team okays them aboard, we're out of here.
Which way from here? Give me a readout.
Vectoring.
This way.
No, Ben.
You're all turned around.
Maybe everything is.
What the hell happened? Cmdr.
Keller? There's no incoming signal.
I'm not showing anything.
Get them back on line.
Lieutenant, put the camera down.
Why, I'm getting some great stuff here.
Put it down.
He thinks you've got a weapon.
Oh.
Hello.
On behalf of all our people, I welcome you.
You are not authorized to risk more lives for your own scientific curiosity.
I want you to destroy whatever's over there while there's still a chance.
I can't do that.
That is a direct order, Captain.
It's one I can't follow.
Then you're relieved of command.
Fine, I'll wait for your arrival.
Get me Crocker.
Have you heard anything more from Cmdr.
Keller, chief? Nothing, Cap.
I haven't heard a word.
But we've lost contact.
I think you'd better go in and get them, Chief.
Aye, sir.
Well, "Join the Navy, see the world", and then some.
Captain? seaQuest? Anybody still reading me? Yo, put that thing down.
I don't wanna have to fire I assume that you know where we are.
Earth, the outer edge of the Orion arm thirty thousand light-years from the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
Coma Berenices? That's your constellation.
Something's happening here.
Did we do something wrong? Don't do this, guys.
Oh, God.
Any report, Commander? No contact with the boarding party.
Our sensors aren't penetrating.
Captain, the launch is returning.
Thank God.
seaQuest to launch MR-5.
Medical and security to launch bay.
Shuttle MR-5 has arrived.
Docking bay three.
Shuttle MR-5 has arrived.
Docking bay three.
Open the hatch.
Yes, sir.
Shan to Bridge.
How are they, Mr.
Shan? They aren't, sir.
There's no one on the launch.
How could that be? The computer says the launch was not on autopilot.
It was driven back.
Captain, I'm showing someone inside our reactor.
Engine room! Engine room here.
Who's in the reactor? Inside? No one, sir.
I've got the same thing over here.
Someone breached weapons bay for a second.
Not really an image, more like an echo of one.
I've got them now in propulsion.
Telemetry guidance.
Stem to stern.
There's more than one.
Your plans ready? Let's do it.
Mr.
Shan, engine room, code four.
What about the signal? I've broken it down into fragments.
It's totally random.
I've zeroed in on the wavelength.
It registers in an area of Darwin's brain we never thought had to do with speech.
Can he read it? Well, maybe.
I have to filter it.
Let's put you in your room.
Put a guard on him.
Seal down the Bridge.
These auxiliary lights aren't working, either.
Let's tether up.
Let's go.
We've lost contact with 16 crew members.
We have confirmed sightings.
What does it look like? Like, "Oh, my God! " and "No! " That's all our people have time to say before we lose contact.
Crew quarters, galley, gym.
He's looking us over.
For what? I haven't the foggiest.
Maintenance and engineering! All right, let's set up a checkpoint, right here.
Med bay? Nothing can move that fast.
Where are all my people? The report said it was here! Don't shoot! We we won't hurt you.
Nathan, it doesn't register! My scan shows nothing in front of us! Why are you here? We are friendly.
Mr.
Shan.
Nathan, that's sand! It's hot! Commander, are you sure this is the right way? It's the only way, Lieutenant.
This reminds me of a science fiction story I read when I was a kid.
These explorers found a downed space ship, just like we did.
And then, after they went inside, it took off.
The ship hadn't crashed after all.
What happened to the people? They were dissected, eaten.
They were? Oh, I get it.
You okay? Uh-huh.
Tim, you all right? Not really.
Hang on.
I'm gonna pull you up.
No I think you better come down here.
This new life form is fascinating.
There doesn't appear to be an interacting intelligence or freedom of will.
Meaning what? They're fluid.
The alien's actions are also rhythmical.
It was earlier hypothesized that Mr.
Ortiz's pending implosion was part of the ship's self-defense mechanism.
Could he be part of that system? Possibly.
It's a robot? I would say more a hologram, a projection, like myself.
I call attention to your earlier encounter with the alien.
Notice the sand residue when it passes through the bulkhead.
Could this be silicon magnetics? Unproven, though that would be an answer.
Just as our magnets attract iron theirs could attract free-floating molecules of silicon which pull together into the shape that we see.
So, while his magnetic field could go through that wall the material that he attracts can't.
Right.
That would explain why it scans as an echo.
It's not really there.
Could we stop him? I'm afraid with our technology that might prove impossible in the time left.
Then we have to talk to him.
Look at this.
Your headache back? Yeah.
Mine, too.
This looks like the source of their power.
How can their signal still be broadcasting after a million years? I don't think a million years means too much to them, Lieutenant.
Help seaQuest.
Yes.
Thank you.
Very cool.
That's your signal to us.
Do you recognize it? We can't figure out what it means.
Rock, water fire, cloud center unit.
That's That's Darwin.
He's a dolphin.
Lucas.
Breathe, breathe.
Chief Shan.
What the hell is that? Bridge? Propulsion, guidance, and life support systems have been shut down in sequence, sir.
We're dead in the water.
Can you float us? Negative, ballast control's gone.
Great.
I sped the signal to the highest frequency we can manufacture.
It's still not making any sense.
Maybe it's the wrong direction.
Slow it down.
Might make a difference.
Why? A million years ago, human beings weren't anything more than glorified apes.
They weren't even in this part of the world.
The most intelligent creatures then, brain weight to body size Dolphins! Yes.
That's who the alien wants to talk to! Hold it.
Lucas, get on it.
Darwin, come to the Bridge.
Come to the Bridge.
Good heavens! This is very humbling.
They're not here for us.
Do you understand this? Yes.
Distance from rock-water planet to fire star, equals one unit.
The Earth's distance from the sun is one unit.
They're establishing a mathematical equation.
Distance from fire star to center of fire star cloud is one, nine, then eight zeros.
The distance of our sun to the center of the galaxy is one billion, nine hundred thousand times that.
Yeah, that's right.
That's an astronomical unit.
Send message of cooperation.
We will come again.
There are numbers now.
Many numbers.
Coordinates.
They want an invitation to return.
Captain.
It's trying to protect Darwin.
Tell him we're your friends.
Tell him you understand his message.
That's why we're all here.
Extraordinary.
Scott, do you read me? Nathan, you won't believe what's happened.
I'll match you story for story.
But right now, you've got about We're sending another launch.
I hear you.
Hang on.
It's the cockpit, Commander.
Oh, dear God, give me insight.
Let me understand what I'm looking at before they destroy it.
Cmdr.
Keller I think you should take a look at this.
The Lord works in strange and mysterious ways.
Commander, it's time to go.
Sir.
That's Cmdr.
Keller, Krieg and O'Neill heading back.
But I think you better take a look at this.
Are those life forms? That's what I thought, sir.
But I wanted another opinion.
Well, you've got it, Mr.
Ortiz.
Pinpoint that location.
Aye, sir.
Scott, we've got 34 signs of life about eighty yards from your position.
Extraterrestrials? That's the exact number of crew unaccounted for.
Including Crocker.
Let's go get them.
Wait a minute, Commander.
Something's going on here.
They're disappearing off the alien ship.
They're gone, sir.
Bridge.
Come on, guys.
Stick to the center.
We're there, Captain.
We made it back to the launch.
The launch is safely aboard, sir.
Engage, full speed reverse.
It just dissolved.
This meeting has not taken place.
If anyone has a problem with that, please leave now.
We feel that these aliens want to have peaceful and intelligent encounters.
Why do I get the feeling you're talking to me? I'm talking to everyone.
Everyone who's wearing a uniform.
Look, we think that it's best, if they do come again that they be greeted with understanding.
In their words "cooperation".
In other words, by us.
We're not gonna tell the military guys in the UEO what happened.
That means we're going to have to alter the data disks.
We're going to withhold the location of the aliens' galaxy? If the UEO doesn't send an invitation, how would the aliens know to come? We send it ourselves.
That's why you had us align the WSKRS in a stacked array.
That would allow for a pinpoint transmission of a microwave signal at maximum power.
This is galaxy M-100.
It's a bright light behind the Cook nebula, here.
Now, they come from the end of this spiral arm.
Circling a red giant sun, 40 million light-years away from us.
But the romantic in me hopes they're set up to receive our signal in less time.
What would this message say? Lucas? "In the spirit of cooperation and knowledge "the residents of our planet welcome and invite you.
" Darwin's translated it.
With seaQuest as the return address.
Agreed? Permission to transmit, granted.
Commander.
You figured it out, Nathan.
You send the message.
You've shown such great patience.
Now hurry.
Hello, I'm Bob Ballard from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Although tonight's episode was pure fantasy we continue to wonder about the possibility of life on other planets.
For the last 33 years, scientists have used radio telescopes to eavesdrop on the universe hoping to detect radio signals from intelligent life.
One such radio telescope located in Puerto Rico is pointed at nearby stars waiting to hear a distant "hello".
Join us on the next exciting episode of seaQuest DSV.
No one has ever reached the epicenter of an undersea earthquake less than an hour after it's happened, let alone a 9.
2.
Instant creation of a 1,500 foot cliff that stretches 200 miles.
This is gonna be wild.
WSKR on the west flank malfunctioned and just crashed into the bottom, sir.
That's the second one, Mr.
Ortiz, in almost the same place.
I can't explain it, Commander.
Well, adjust course.
I want to take a look at this wall.
Come starboard eight degrees, Mr.
Shan? Some kind of a headache, sir.
I'm having trouble focusing.
Mr.
Rader, take his position.
This is the fifth headache that's been reported, since we've been down here.
Rock.
Water.
Captain.
He's doing it again.
Fire, cloud unit, center.
What is it, my friend? Fast, voice, hurt.
He's hearing things.
We have no idea what he's talking about.
O'Neill.
I'm at a loss to explain it, Captain.
Sensors show a sound out there, but I can't find it.
High frequency, well out of our acoustical parameters.
Is it something he could hear? Technically, no.
It's out of his range, too.
Declination, luminescence ecliptic.
Do you understand this? People words.
Not dolphin.
I want this sound traced, gentlemen.
I want to know what it is.
Aye, sir.
Captain.
You'd better warn the crew, we may be here for some time.
These sedimentation layers are so clearly marked.
The timeline is as precise as I've ever seen it.
What are we looking at? This layer used to be the bottom of the ocean about 900,000 years ago.
Wow.
Captain, aftershock coming.
It's a big one.
Sound collision.
Head us into the epicenter.
Nose down.
This is Cmdr.
Ford.
Brace for shock wave, bow to stern.
Closing all water tights.
All hands brace for collision.
This is the coolest thing I've ever seen.
Isolate this picture.
No one sees this except the Bridge.
Done.
That looks like some kind of a ship? A spaceship? No such thing.
There is now.
Captain, if what you said about the age of that rock is true That ship must be a million years old.
Or more.
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.
What's your take, Captain? We're convinced now that the sounds coming from this alien ship are giving the crew headaches.
And you don't consider that a threat? What? Migraines? Aren't you being a little pie-in-the-sky, Bridger? And that noise is coming from an alien ship that you know nothing about.
That's true, General.
On the other hand, it has been entombed in this rock for over a million years.
Well, I still expect you to follow procedures.
We didn't spend millions developing an alien-encounter program so you could make it up as you go.
And another thing.
I want that kid Lucas Wolenczak off the boat.
Why? He doesn't have the necessary security clearances.
I need him.
I know this is an amazing discovery and everyone wants to be part of it but that's not enough.
You see, Darwin somehow is picking out words from this alien signal.
And Lucas is my vocal link to Darwin.
He plays you like a drum, Captain.
Just once, I'd like you to recognize my authority and follow orders.
When I get back, we'll have lunch.
Okay, Chief, this is the last of them.
Shuttle MR-3 is set to launch in 15 minutes.
Shuttle MR-3 is set to launch in 15 minutes.
Hey, Lucas.
What happened up there on the Bridge? Why are we being off-loaded? I can't tell you, Sheppard.
It was something.
What, are you getting in line with us? I'm not sure yet.
Good luck.
All science personnel Everything is all set, sir.
Okay.
All science personnel check in with the deck officer before departure.
Surface fleet's in position, sir.
When this launch leaves, we'll be down to thirty-two military personnel and 26 science.
Anything else? No, sir.
Carry on.
Set up the laser saw and the oxygen compressors in the launch MR-5.
And let's get all of these hand held scanners down to the science lab for calibration.
We've logged on board everything you asked for, Cap.
Ready to get under way.
Environmental suits? Yes, sir.
Right here.
All external damage has been repaired, sir.
Thank you.
Lt.
Freebur, report to docking bay two.
Lt.
Freebur, report to docking bay two.
Listen do you think that you "play me like a drum"? Could I consult my lawyer? You can stay.
All right! Get with O'Neill on that signal.
Cmdr.
Keller, welcome aboard.
Glad to be back, Commander.
Scott, how are you? Nathan.
General Thomas is hemorrhaging up on the aircraft carrier.
How'd you keep his alpha commandos off this mission? I said a welcome wagon with a gun doesn't make a very good first impression.
What if something out there is still alive? Then we're the luckiest sailors in history.
What if they attack us? Every uniform thinks alike.
Well, you wear one.
Yeah, for exploration.
Not for conquest.
Captain, I have to raise the possibility.
Listen, think it through, Commander.
If these extraterrestrials applied the same technology it took for them to get here to war we're toast.
No matter what we do.
Gentlemen, we prepare for the worst, hope for the best, right? I'll make a deal with you.
You don't shoot anything till I've had a chance to say hello.
All sea craft departures must have code four authorization.
O'Neill? Painkiller for the headaches.
Come on, not even a needle.
I don't need it, I'm leaving on the launch.
You're not trying for the expedition? Tim? Dr.
Westphalen, can I ask you a question? Sure.
Do you believe in God? Sometimes.
Well, if we're created in God's image then who created intelligent life on other planets? God.
I was always taught to believe that we were the whole deal.
That life topped-out with man.
And now, it's like, my beliefs are unraveling.
No, they're not, Tim.
Come on.
You believe in family, friends, strong morality, yes? Yes, well nothing out there invalidates those.
When I was growing up I always felt like a traitor as a kid in church.
Because I secretly hoped we weren't alone.
Well, don't feel guilty for getting your wish.
But you have to make your own decision.
I've never run from anything in my life.
Applying Earth's aerodynamic principles, I'm taking a wild guess that this is how the alien craft would look like, with the rock cut away.
How the hell did they move a ship that big through space? That's just one of a thousand questions I want answers to.
She's over a mile long.
How did they get it up to light speed? Wrong concept.
Even if it went a million times light speed most galaxies would be out of reach.
We've theorized curved space loops and inter-dimensional wormholes.
Bottom line, Nathan: I want to see their technology.
I want to see inside that cockpit.
Can you imagine if I got to go over there? You'd have to promise not to hug them.
May not be part of their culture.
I've spent my whole life believing in nothing but the unbelievable.
I mean, what do they look like? Did they crash here by accident? Where are they from? Are there others coming? I have to know.
Would you mind if I submitted your name to the Captain? All right, people, here we go.
Lieutenant? Lucas and I have isolated the alien signal.
It's an overlapping pulse in a high microwave frequency.
But it's gonna take a lot of math to decipher it.
Ortiz, Hitchcock, this is where you come in.
I want you to go in and bend and twist that signal see if there's any rhyme or reason for it.
Doctor? Let's not forget what we're dealing with.
We don't want to bring back an exotic virus.
We've got enough of our own, I think.
The first sign of pain, headache medicine is available at stations all around the boat.
The boarding party will consist of the following: Chief Crocker will assist Commander Keller and provide security.
Me? Lieutenant O'Neill, you will continue to track down the source of the signal and standby to be interpreter if necessary.
Aye, sir.
Filling out the rest of the team and photographing the expedition will be Lt.
Krieg.
For the rest of you who volunteered, thank you very much.
All right people, that's it.
Let's get back to work.
Sir, besides turning the camera on and off, what do I bring to the party? Enthusiasm, Lieutenant, enthusiasm.
Yes, sir.
I'd like to go.
Oh, I bet you would.
On the other hand, I'm pretty grateful just to be here.
Uh-huh.
We'll watch it here together.
Captain, we're approaching the alien ship.
You okay, Chief? Give me a break, will you.
Commander, we're going to try for a flush fit on that smooth section below the fin.
Clear.
Air seal's positive.
The second seal.
Welcome to Earth.
Scan the hull for Dr.
Westphalen.
Aye, sir.
seaQuest, you reading visual? Loud and clear, Ben.
Great.
These little sparkles look like sand.
Silicon, Lieutenant.
One of the most prevalent substances in the universe.
Talk about your common ground.
Contaminant reading: zero.
Looks clear, Commander.
What do you think, Nathan? It's your call, Scott.
Let's open her up, Chief.
Alien-encounter program official record.
One million years imprisoned in rock makes finding life improbable.
Yet, the existence of this ship is spectacular proof that we are not alone.
This is a section of the ship's skin.
They've found a way to organize silicon.
Imagine being able to grow crystals into any shape you want them.
Do you have any guesses about these haphazard ones? It could be heat shields, like the ones we use on our spacecraft.
Hmm.
Almost got it.
We're all through, Commander.
Just take an atmosphere reading.
Heavy silicon compounds.
Large concentrations of xenon and argon.
Traces carbon, helium, parts per million asbestos.
Not breathable, but it's not gonna corrode our suits, either.
Do you still want to go inside? Try and stop me.
Aren't I supposed to say something for all mankind, here? Something Something important? What comes to mind? This is big dark.
And I am very happy to be here.
It's not very poetic, but it'll do fine.
Chief, somebody has to stay here attach a permanent hatch here, carrying a weapon.
I'd prefer you stayed on the launch.
That's a good idea, Commander.
Give me a radar map of what this place looks like.
Aye, sir.
It looks like a network of pipes and conduit connecting the systems.
The compartments all funnel back like an oil tanker or a cargo ship.
Yeah, but what kind of cargo? Maybe they came here to collect zoo specimens, dinosaurs.
Maybe they didn't come here to collect anything.
Maybe they brought life.
The doors to those compartments are much too small for much of anything to fit through.
Except liquid.
This could be 99%% fuel tank and 1%% cockpit.
Maybe whoever shot this off didn't expect it to come back.
One-way ticket to a new world.
Crashing into the ocean wasn't what they had in mind.
Think of the courage it took to ride this rocket away from home for the last time.
Nathan we're going to detour into one of the side compartments.
Keep in touch, guys.
Right.
Let's move out.
Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke.
A lifetime with these guys and I'm still not sure if I'm ready for this.
Stay close.
Visual contact in single file.
I want continual readouts, and don't touch anything you don't have to.
This is unbelievable.
What is this place? For the first time in my career, Lieutenant, I don't have a clue.
If you made this up, they wouldn't believe it.
That substance that Keller has could be fuel residue.
My people will have it on the screen by the time we get to C-Deck.
Pensive? Reflective.
Captain reflective, scientist reflective or explorer reflective? Little boy reflective.
It's just our nature not to want to be alone in the universe.
Do you think oceanography will be important after today? Or geology? Funny how everything can change in an instant, isn't it? You know who's not fazed one iota by any of this? Lucas? His generation grew up expecting this.
It's not a revelation, it's a confirmation.
Maybe we can learn from that.
Roll with it, dude.
Yeah.
Lieutenant, which way is the source of the signal? Last I had it, that way.
What's the matter? Remember when you were a kid, and your church would have those haunted house fundraisers at Halloween? Yeah, I loved those things.
Scared me to death.
Sir? I'm picking up a strange vibration from the alien craft.
Scott, abort the mission.
What do you mean, "abort the mission"? Scott, now.
We're making progress without any obstacles.
Commander, the alien molecules are vibrating doubling in intensity every fifth of a second.
The crystalline structure that makes up the ship is becoming unstable.
You're talking implosion.
Very possible.
Can you tell when it started? Judging from our acoustical data, I'd say the moment we cut into her hull.
A self-destruct mechanism? Maybe.
Suppose they didn't want their technology to fall into the wrong hands? Oh.
You better update the General.
He'll think of this as some kind of a secret weapon.
Move it, Scott.
I'm coming back here, Nathan.
I'm gonna see their cockpit.
Let's go.
Let's retrace our path out of here.
As soon as your med team okays them aboard, we're out of here.
Which way from here? Give me a readout.
Vectoring.
This way.
No, Ben.
You're all turned around.
Maybe everything is.
What the hell happened? Cmdr.
Keller? There's no incoming signal.
I'm not showing anything.
Get them back on line.
Lieutenant, put the camera down.
Why, I'm getting some great stuff here.
Put it down.
He thinks you've got a weapon.
Oh.
Hello.
On behalf of all our people, I welcome you.
You are not authorized to risk more lives for your own scientific curiosity.
I want you to destroy whatever's over there while there's still a chance.
I can't do that.
That is a direct order, Captain.
It's one I can't follow.
Then you're relieved of command.
Fine, I'll wait for your arrival.
Get me Crocker.
Have you heard anything more from Cmdr.
Keller, chief? Nothing, Cap.
I haven't heard a word.
But we've lost contact.
I think you'd better go in and get them, Chief.
Aye, sir.
Well, "Join the Navy, see the world", and then some.
Captain? seaQuest? Anybody still reading me? Yo, put that thing down.
I don't wanna have to fire I assume that you know where we are.
Earth, the outer edge of the Orion arm thirty thousand light-years from the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
Coma Berenices? That's your constellation.
Something's happening here.
Did we do something wrong? Don't do this, guys.
Oh, God.
Any report, Commander? No contact with the boarding party.
Our sensors aren't penetrating.
Captain, the launch is returning.
Thank God.
seaQuest to launch MR-5.
Medical and security to launch bay.
Shuttle MR-5 has arrived.
Docking bay three.
Shuttle MR-5 has arrived.
Docking bay three.
Open the hatch.
Yes, sir.
Shan to Bridge.
How are they, Mr.
Shan? They aren't, sir.
There's no one on the launch.
How could that be? The computer says the launch was not on autopilot.
It was driven back.
Captain, I'm showing someone inside our reactor.
Engine room! Engine room here.
Who's in the reactor? Inside? No one, sir.
I've got the same thing over here.
Someone breached weapons bay for a second.
Not really an image, more like an echo of one.
I've got them now in propulsion.
Telemetry guidance.
Stem to stern.
There's more than one.
Your plans ready? Let's do it.
Mr.
Shan, engine room, code four.
What about the signal? I've broken it down into fragments.
It's totally random.
I've zeroed in on the wavelength.
It registers in an area of Darwin's brain we never thought had to do with speech.
Can he read it? Well, maybe.
I have to filter it.
Let's put you in your room.
Put a guard on him.
Seal down the Bridge.
These auxiliary lights aren't working, either.
Let's tether up.
Let's go.
We've lost contact with 16 crew members.
We have confirmed sightings.
What does it look like? Like, "Oh, my God! " and "No! " That's all our people have time to say before we lose contact.
Crew quarters, galley, gym.
He's looking us over.
For what? I haven't the foggiest.
Maintenance and engineering! All right, let's set up a checkpoint, right here.
Med bay? Nothing can move that fast.
Where are all my people? The report said it was here! Don't shoot! We we won't hurt you.
Nathan, it doesn't register! My scan shows nothing in front of us! Why are you here? We are friendly.
Mr.
Shan.
Nathan, that's sand! It's hot! Commander, are you sure this is the right way? It's the only way, Lieutenant.
This reminds me of a science fiction story I read when I was a kid.
These explorers found a downed space ship, just like we did.
And then, after they went inside, it took off.
The ship hadn't crashed after all.
What happened to the people? They were dissected, eaten.
They were? Oh, I get it.
You okay? Uh-huh.
Tim, you all right? Not really.
Hang on.
I'm gonna pull you up.
No I think you better come down here.
This new life form is fascinating.
There doesn't appear to be an interacting intelligence or freedom of will.
Meaning what? They're fluid.
The alien's actions are also rhythmical.
It was earlier hypothesized that Mr.
Ortiz's pending implosion was part of the ship's self-defense mechanism.
Could he be part of that system? Possibly.
It's a robot? I would say more a hologram, a projection, like myself.
I call attention to your earlier encounter with the alien.
Notice the sand residue when it passes through the bulkhead.
Could this be silicon magnetics? Unproven, though that would be an answer.
Just as our magnets attract iron theirs could attract free-floating molecules of silicon which pull together into the shape that we see.
So, while his magnetic field could go through that wall the material that he attracts can't.
Right.
That would explain why it scans as an echo.
It's not really there.
Could we stop him? I'm afraid with our technology that might prove impossible in the time left.
Then we have to talk to him.
Look at this.
Your headache back? Yeah.
Mine, too.
This looks like the source of their power.
How can their signal still be broadcasting after a million years? I don't think a million years means too much to them, Lieutenant.
Help seaQuest.
Yes.
Thank you.
Very cool.
That's your signal to us.
Do you recognize it? We can't figure out what it means.
Rock, water fire, cloud center unit.
That's That's Darwin.
He's a dolphin.
Lucas.
Breathe, breathe.
Chief Shan.
What the hell is that? Bridge? Propulsion, guidance, and life support systems have been shut down in sequence, sir.
We're dead in the water.
Can you float us? Negative, ballast control's gone.
Great.
I sped the signal to the highest frequency we can manufacture.
It's still not making any sense.
Maybe it's the wrong direction.
Slow it down.
Might make a difference.
Why? A million years ago, human beings weren't anything more than glorified apes.
They weren't even in this part of the world.
The most intelligent creatures then, brain weight to body size Dolphins! Yes.
That's who the alien wants to talk to! Hold it.
Lucas, get on it.
Darwin, come to the Bridge.
Come to the Bridge.
Good heavens! This is very humbling.
They're not here for us.
Do you understand this? Yes.
Distance from rock-water planet to fire star, equals one unit.
The Earth's distance from the sun is one unit.
They're establishing a mathematical equation.
Distance from fire star to center of fire star cloud is one, nine, then eight zeros.
The distance of our sun to the center of the galaxy is one billion, nine hundred thousand times that.
Yeah, that's right.
That's an astronomical unit.
Send message of cooperation.
We will come again.
There are numbers now.
Many numbers.
Coordinates.
They want an invitation to return.
Captain.
It's trying to protect Darwin.
Tell him we're your friends.
Tell him you understand his message.
That's why we're all here.
Extraordinary.
Scott, do you read me? Nathan, you won't believe what's happened.
I'll match you story for story.
But right now, you've got about We're sending another launch.
I hear you.
Hang on.
It's the cockpit, Commander.
Oh, dear God, give me insight.
Let me understand what I'm looking at before they destroy it.
Cmdr.
Keller I think you should take a look at this.
The Lord works in strange and mysterious ways.
Commander, it's time to go.
Sir.
That's Cmdr.
Keller, Krieg and O'Neill heading back.
But I think you better take a look at this.
Are those life forms? That's what I thought, sir.
But I wanted another opinion.
Well, you've got it, Mr.
Ortiz.
Pinpoint that location.
Aye, sir.
Scott, we've got 34 signs of life about eighty yards from your position.
Extraterrestrials? That's the exact number of crew unaccounted for.
Including Crocker.
Let's go get them.
Wait a minute, Commander.
Something's going on here.
They're disappearing off the alien ship.
They're gone, sir.
Bridge.
Come on, guys.
Stick to the center.
We're there, Captain.
We made it back to the launch.
The launch is safely aboard, sir.
Engage, full speed reverse.
It just dissolved.
This meeting has not taken place.
If anyone has a problem with that, please leave now.
We feel that these aliens want to have peaceful and intelligent encounters.
Why do I get the feeling you're talking to me? I'm talking to everyone.
Everyone who's wearing a uniform.
Look, we think that it's best, if they do come again that they be greeted with understanding.
In their words "cooperation".
In other words, by us.
We're not gonna tell the military guys in the UEO what happened.
That means we're going to have to alter the data disks.
We're going to withhold the location of the aliens' galaxy? If the UEO doesn't send an invitation, how would the aliens know to come? We send it ourselves.
That's why you had us align the WSKRS in a stacked array.
That would allow for a pinpoint transmission of a microwave signal at maximum power.
This is galaxy M-100.
It's a bright light behind the Cook nebula, here.
Now, they come from the end of this spiral arm.
Circling a red giant sun, 40 million light-years away from us.
But the romantic in me hopes they're set up to receive our signal in less time.
What would this message say? Lucas? "In the spirit of cooperation and knowledge "the residents of our planet welcome and invite you.
" Darwin's translated it.
With seaQuest as the return address.
Agreed? Permission to transmit, granted.
Commander.
You figured it out, Nathan.
You send the message.
You've shown such great patience.
Now hurry.
Hello, I'm Bob Ballard from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Although tonight's episode was pure fantasy we continue to wonder about the possibility of life on other planets.
For the last 33 years, scientists have used radio telescopes to eavesdrop on the universe hoping to detect radio signals from intelligent life.
One such radio telescope located in Puerto Rico is pointed at nearby stars waiting to hear a distant "hello".
Join us on the next exciting episode of seaQuest DSV.