“The Stinger” Directed by: Jonathan Sanger Written by: John J. Sakmar & Kerry Lenhart Summary: Lucas is knocked unconscious during a test run of the Stinger - a high speed submersible designed by himself and Hitchcock - when a competitor blows the vessel out of the water in hopes of destroying the seaQuest team’s chances in a UEO competition. The Stinger is stolen and chances for competing in the time trials look slim, so Bridger urges his people to work double time to first find the Stinger, and then to build a new one. Guest Starring: Dennis Lipscomb as Martin Tucker Jack Blessing as Edgar Gaye Matt Landers as Enzo Dinato Richard Herd as Secretary General William Noyce Co-Starring: Jonathan Nickols as Tom Green Ryan Alosio as assistant Anthony Powers as Tom Riley Mimi Lieber as Kellog Featuring: none The twenty first 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 - Nathan Bridger: Whew, that’s fast. Good work. Katie Hitchcock: Thank you, sir. I think we’ve conquered the draft problem. It can go faster, hold your breath. Nathan Bridger: I’ve been holding my breath since he got in that thing. Katie Hitchcock: A little more throttle. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Wha ha ha ha! Whoo hoo hoo! Whoo! Unbelievable! This is a great ride. Nathan Bridger: Hey, stop the hot-dogging. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Aw, come on, Captain, we designed it for this. Nathan Bridger: It's a prototype of a prototype. It's held together with bailing wire and duct tape. Now cut the acrobatics. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Yes, sir. Katie Hitchcock: We’re testing speed, Lucas, not maneuverability. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) I’m showing ninety-five. Katie Hitchcock: Speedometer’s way off, I got you at one ten. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) It’ll do one fifty. Nathan Bridger: Now, come on. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Captain. Katie Hitchcock: Hydrogear lab is supposed to have tested to one twenty. Nathan Bridger: That’s what their press releases say. All right, one twenty, but no more than that. Katie Hitchcock: Say thank you, Lucas, Captain’s giving you one twenty. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Thank you. Katie Hitchcock: On my mark. Nathan Bridger: Straight line, now, no turns. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Yeah, straight line, no turns. - truck, nearby on land - Tom Green: It’s fast, it’s gonna be hard to hit. Assistant: I can hit it, but how hard do you want? Tom Green: Just disable it, we need the technology. - sea crab - Katie Hitchcock: One twelve, one thirteen . . . Lucas Wolenczak (in Stinger) I’m, uh, I’m getting a little shimmy. Nathan Bridger: Well, slow it down. Katie Hitchcock: One fifteen . . . Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) OK, it’s smoothing out. Very cool. Nathan Bridger: Slow it down anyway. Katie Hitchcock: One ten, one hundred, ninety-five. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Ahh! Katie Hitchcock: Lucas. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Ahh! Nathan Bridger: Lucas. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Ahh! Nathan Bridger: Lucas. - sea crab, later - Katie Hitchcock: Lucas, can you hear me? Nathan Bridger: Well, we’ve lost audio and visual contact, we’re flying blind. - seaQuest DSV, bridge - Jonathan Ford: Mr. Ortiz? Miguel Ortiz: Nothing. Tim O’Neill: Stinger one, come in. Lucas, do you read? Manilow Crocker: No debris trail, sir; he either went up or down intact. - sea crab - Katie Hitchcock: Negative, if it’s not moving it sinks. Nathan Bridger: Concentrate your search on the bottom. Spread the WSKRS to the limit. We’ll cover this western reef. Six degrees port; climb that ridge, we’ll have a better view. - beach, nearby - Martin Tucker: (pulls Lucas out of water into boat, then onto beach) No, no, take it easy son. (activates homing beacon) - seaQuest DSV, bridge - Miguel Ortiz: I got him! He’s on the beach, he’s on dry land. Tim O’Neill: Captain, we got a fix on Lucas. He’s on the beach. Nathan Bridger: (in sea crab) Get a rescue launch to him immediately. Tim O’Neill: Aye, sir. Lieutenant Krieg, Lucas is on the beach. Ben Krieg: (on radio) We can be there in five. Nathan Bridger: (in sea crab) Have Doctor Westphalen standing by in the medical bay. We’ll all meet there. Tim O’Neill: Aye, sir. - beach - Martin Tucker: Well, tides are going out, your people should be here soon. Hey, hey, hey. Can you, can you hold this, keep the pressure on? Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah. Martin Tucker: Yeah? OK. You’ll be fine. Lucas Wolenczak: Sir, who are you? Martin Tucker: Oh, I’m a dreamer son, just like you. - seaQuest DSV, sea deck - Lucas Wolenczak: Is there gonna be a scar? Kristin Westphalen: No, you'll still have your beautiful baby face. Lucas Wolenczak: I don't want a beautiful baby face, I want a scar. Nathan Bridger: Next thing he'll want is a tattoo. Lucas Wolenczak: I'm gonna get a tattoo. Kristin Westphalen: He's still in shock. Lucas Wolenczak: I am not in shock. Nathan Bridger: Well you'll get your tattoo. Kristin Westphalen: No, no, no, you stay in bed. He had no right rushing around in that contraption. He's still a boy, Nathan. Nathan Bridger: Boy, he's a college graduate. Lucas Wolenczak: Where's the Stinger? Katie Hitchcock: A party's out looking for the Gazelle now. Lucas Wolenczak: I'm not calling it a Gazelle. Katie Hitchcock: And you're not calling it a Stinger. Lucas Wolenczak: Yes I am. Katie Hitchcock: Not while half of it's mine. Lucas Wolenczak: Well my half's the Stinger. Nathan Bridger: Both of you. This thing was built under the auspices of the seaQuest. This is my boat, I'll give it a name. Right now I'm calling it the contraption. You're damn lucky that fisherman found you, so stay in bed as the doctor says. Commander, return to your station. Katie Hitchcock: Yes sir. Nathan Bridger: You really gave us a scare Lucas. Lucas Wolenczak: I, uh, . . . Nathan Bridger: If he gives you any more trouble just let me know. Kristin Westphalen: Oh, he won't give me any trouble, he's a college graduate. Lucas Wolenczak: Captain, he wasn't a fisherman. He said he was a dreamer. Nathan Bridger: A dreamer, well. - sea launch - Ben Krieg: You don't send a boy to do a man's job. Tim O'Neill: Is this Crash Krieg? Come on, skipper let you pilot the seaQuest once and you backed into a volcano. Ben Krieg: It was uncharted. Tim O'Neill: How 'bout when you rolled the launch. Ben Krieg: Because of a riptide. Tim O'Neill: Stuffed a sea crab into the shoreline. Ben Krieg: That was a tsunami. Miguel Ortiz: This is where they lost contact with the Stinger. Ben Krieg: Hang on. Tim O'Neill: So you were trying to surf a tsunami. Ben Krieg: I'm a good pilot. Check my record. Tim O'Neill: That is your record. Miguel Ortiz: There's nothing there. Ben Krieg: You starting with me too. Miguel Ortiz: The Stinger, Lieutenant, it's gone. Tim O'Neill: Maybe it got caught in the current. Miguel Ortiz: Not here. Commander Hitchcock made it way too heavy to get tugged off by local currents. Look, that's about the width of the Stinger, like the tide dragged it — Ben Krieg: Toward the beach. Get us as close as you can to the shoreline. We're gonna have to scuba beyond that point. Tim O'Neill: seaQuest, we're getting wet to search the shoreline. - seaQuest DSV, bridge - Jonathan Ford: Thank you, Mr. O’Neill. Make your best effort, you know how much this means to them. Tim O’Neill: (in launch) Mm hmm, out. Katie Hitchcock: Well, did they find it yet? Jonathan Ford: Not yet. Katie Hitchcock: I got two days to get this thing back, get it fixed, or we don’t make the UEO qualifying trials. Jonathan Ford: Get a grip, Katie. You’re allowing your obsession with the Stinger to interfere with your obligations. Katie Hitchcock: It’s a Gazelle. I built it and I’m calling it a Gazelle. - seaQuest DSV, ward room - Kristin Westphalen: For fifty years science has been trying to mimic the movement of fish to cut turbulence. Lucas Wolenczak: And I did it. I designed perfect laminar flow. Nathan Bridger: Perfect laminar flow is the smooth movement of liquids over a solid body. You used it, you didn’t design it. God did, it’s called a fish. Lucas Wolenczak: What I mean is, it’s phenomenal. Nathan Bridger: It’s phenomenal if it works. Kristin Westphalen: Well it did work for a while. Come on, the Wright brothers’ first flight lasted for less than a minute. What we need here is some positive reinforcement. Nathan Bridger: What we need here is the truth. The Stinger was a failure, why? Lucas’s hot-dogging, or a design flaw? You and Hitchcock kept me at arm’s length on this project. Lucas Wolenczak: We wanted to surprise you, Captain. Nathan Bridger: Oh, you did. - beach - Ben Krieg: (into PAL) O’Neill. Tim O’Neill: (in launch) Go ahead, Lieutenant. Ben Krieg: (into PAL) Patch me through to the seaQuest. Tim O’Neill: (in launch) Mm hmm. Jonathan Ford: (on radio in launch) Commander Ford here. Tim O’Neill: You’re on. Jonathan Ford: (on bridge of seaQuest) Captain, we’ve got Lieutenant Krieg. Nathan Bridger: (in ward room of seaQuest) Put him through. Ben Krieg: (into PAL) Captain, the Stinger’s gone. I’m looking at evidence suggesting it was dragged from the water and carted off on a truck. Somebody stole the prototype. - seaQuest DSV, ward room - Edgar Gaye: (on screen) Competition for the UEO contract for a high-speed single seat submersible is secret. Nathan Bridger: I understand that, Mr. Gaye, but we have a situation, our prototype’s been stolen. Edgar Gaye: (on screen) Well, I sympathize, but I can’t violate the secrecy of the competition. Nathan Bridger: Well it’s no secret that Hydrogear’s in it. Edgar Gaye: (on screen) Yes, it is. That Hydrogear let leak their participation doesn’t change the secrecy of the competition. Nathan Bridger: Put me through to Secretary General Noyce. Edgar Gaye: (on screen) He’ll be at the qualifying trials, you can speak to him then. Nathan Bridger: No, no, no, I want to speak to him right now. Edgar Gaye: (on screen) So would twenty-five thousand other people. Nathan Bridger: I said now, Mr. Gaye. Edgar Gaye: (on screen) Are you declaring this alleged theft a military emergency? Nathan Bridger: No. Edgar Gaye: (on screen) Than you can see my problem. I wouldn’t put Hydrogear of any of the other competitors through to him either. Your involvement has been cause for complaints as it is, Captain. This is supposed to be a private sector contract. Any more allowances would be seen as giving you an unfair advantage. (screen goes blank) Nathan Bridger: Bureaucratic weasel. Put up the playback of our test run of the Stinger. Tim O’Neill: Yes, sir. Katie Hitchcock: (on tape) One fifteen . . . Lucas Wolenczak: (on tape) OK, it’s smoothing out. Very cool. Nathan Bridger: (on tape) Slow it down anyway. Katie Hitchcock: (on tape) One ten, one hundred, ninety-five. Lucas Wolenczak: (on tape) Ahh! Nathan Bridger: Wait, what’s that, above the Stinger? Play that back, frame by frame. Tim O’Neill: There was something else down there. We were too busy watching Lucas to notice. Nathan Bridger: What’s the next thing you remember? Lucas Wolenczak: Laying on the beach. The man triggered my homing device, put a handkerchief on my head, told me he was a dreamer, then he left. Oh, he, uh, grabbed a metal case out of the dinghy. Nathan Bridger: Not a tackle box? Lucas Wolenczak: No, it was the kind of case you carry electronics in. Nathan Bridger: More like a remote for whatever hit our Stinger. Have you got anything on the competition? Ben Krieg: The only competitor we can be certain of for the Stinger is Hydrogear Labs, Enzo Dinato’s company. Enzo Dinato: (on screen) I can’t talk about it other than to say that our prototype will become the standard for the high-speed single seat submersible. And that’s all I have to say. Nathan Bridger: Translation -- buy Hydrogear stock now. Ben Krieg: Institutional investors have driven Hydrogear stock up thirty percent in the last six months. I can’t get a fix on the other competitors, security’s locked down pretty tight. Lenco was thought to be in it, but then they filed for bankruptcy. Other companies were rumored to be in it early on but then they dropped out because of R and D costs. There is a garage outfit run by a former Hydrogear engineer, Martin Tucker. Lucas Wolenczak: That’s him, the dreamer. Ben Krieg: Tucker designed Hydrogear’s most successful products and there was a lot of acrimony when he left. He complained publicly about Dinato’s not sharing credit with him, not to mention the profits. Nathan Bridger: I know Tucker. He’s a maverick, he never shared anything with anyone in his life. I remember when I was designing seaQuest he was about a year ahead of me in research. I asked him some questions about a regenerating hull scheme. You know what he told me, he told me he wasn’t going to do my homework for me. Lucas Wolenczak: That’s what you said to me when I asked for help with the Stinger. Nathan Bridger: You didn’t ask for help, you asked for UEO money for an idea you and Hitchcock hadn’t even put on paper yet. Lucas Wolenczak: We put it on paper. Nathan Bridger: Yes, and I got you your money. I always knew Tucker was miserable, but I never thought of him as a thief. I think in order to find our Stinger, we’re going to have to find Mr. Tucker. - Tucker Technologies, Oxnard, California - Tom Green: (in a truck outside) Tucker Technologies, there it is. Martin Tucker: (hears Green enter) Oh . . . (takes bite of hamburger) Tom Green: I’m here for Hydrogear’s property, Tucker, and that would include you. Martin Tucker: (spits food onto Green) You caused that boy to crash, didn’t you. You’re a pig. Tom Green: And you weren’t out there spying on it? Martin Tucker: That’s exactly what I was doing, but I wasn’t out there to destroy it. Tom Green: (Load up the vehicle. (Tucker pushes him, grabs bar) No, no, don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt him. Martin Tucker: Don’t you get it? Dinato is nothing without me, and the UEO will know that as soon as the qualifying trials begin. Now get out of here. Tom Green: We are not leaving without you and the vehicle, Tucker. It’s in your contract. Martin Tucker: Oh, and when did you become a lawyer? Tom Green: Don’t force me to hurt you. Martin Tucker: You’re not gonna hurt me, Dinato would fire you. Tom Green: I carry following orders only so far. Now, put down the pry bar. Martin Tucker: No. Tom Green: OK, OK. (takes out voltage disk, throws it at Tucker, who collapses) - seaQuest DSV, gym - Jonathan Ford: (enters) You still here? Katie Hitchcock: No, it's not me, I'm a figment of your imagination. Jonathan Ford: Oh, you're in a good mood. Katie Hitchcock: You come in here, you ask if I’m still here; it’s obvious - I’m here. Jonathan Ford: All right. Take it easy. Katie Hitchcock: Take it easy. In less than a day and a half I have to produce a minisub for the UEO trials, but I don’t have one. I lost it. Bridger gets me two hundred thousand dollars in R and D money, and I lose the minisub. Jonathan Ford: Well, technically Lucas lost it. Katie Hitchcock: I’m in charge of the project, Jonathan. Jonathan Ford: Not according to Lucas. Katie Hitchcock: Well, Lucas could use a lesson in the hierarchy of project management. Jonathan Ford: And a girlfriend. Katie Hitchcock: Don’t you guys think of anything else? Jonathan Ford: Sure, sports. (pauses) Come on, Katie, you can always pay back R and D money. Katie Hitchcock: No, I make ninety seven hundred dollars a month, I have a condo that I can’t sell in L.A. You pay it back. (throws towel at Ford and leaves room) Jonathan Ford: I wonder why I’m single. - Hydrogear Industries - Enzo Dinato: Martin, are you all right? Mr. Green, this is my partner, I told you to treat him with respect. Tom Green: He took a pry bar to me. Enzo Dinato: Ah, well then, circumstances extenuate. Aye, Marty? You can leave, close the door. Hell of a design for a seventeen year old kid. Would have given you a run for your money. Martin Tucker: Five years ago I told you -- Enzo Dinato: I’m not interested in five years ago. Martin Tucker: I am. I told you, I told you this project was the future, but no, no, no, no, you told me, and I quote, “Shut up and get back to work on something that makes me money.” When I refused, you fired me. Enzo Dinato: I fired you, but I still own your ideas. Your minisub was one of them. That, my friend, was in your contract, which I paid off and as a result remains enforced. Martin Tucker: This is too much concept and not enough consideration. I mean -- I could beat this. And now I’m gonna leave and you’re not gonna stop me. Enzo Dinato: But my HS-3 stays here. Martin Tucker: You’re a common thief. Enzo Dinato: You want to make the qualifying trials, it’s going to be under the Hydrogear banner. Good to see you. Martin Tucker: I’ll go to the police. Enzo Dinato: No, you won’t. Come on, Tucker, we’re on the same team. That’s why we took you competition out of the race. (leaves) Martin Tucker: You know, your boss has the visionary abilities of a bat. Tom Green: And your minisub. Martin Tucker: Oh, yeah, well, every once in a while God lets the dumb get lucky, they need it. Keeps ‘em in the game, gives guys like me, uh, something to play around with. Tom Green: You try anything, Mr. Tucker, and you’re gonna get hurt. Martin Tucker: You learn how to talk tough like that by watching digital comic books? Tom Green: Uh, I think you should sit down. Martin Tucker: Oh, no, no thanks, I, I never could sit still. That’s why I made this and you guys didn’t. For you it’s all press releases and cocktail parties, huh? Me, I’m in it for the work. Tom Green: That’s enough, fellas. I’m not playing with you. Martin Tucker: Oh, no, but I’m playing with you. You see, it’s called plan ahead; I have and you haven’t. (high pitched noise) You know, it comes in real handy when you’re underwater trying to scare sharks away, but on land, uh, hmpm, raises hell with the dogs. Oh, and by the way, be sure and tell your boss, good to see him, too. - seaQuest DSV, ward room - Ben Krieg: You’ll have to do better than that, Bickle. Bickle: (on screen) Look, Krieg, I want a lecture on performance, I’ll ask my wife. Ben Krieg: How’s her eating disorder? Bickle: (on screen) Binge, purge, nag, marriage is like trying to paint a self portrait with mittens on. You can do it, but you ain’t gonna like the way you end up lookin’. Ben Krieg: I remember. Give me the numbers on Tucker’s purchases. Bickle: (on screen) Well, it’s like told you, the guy’d buy almost anything we put up for auction. I once unloaded two hundred barracuda decoys on him. Said he wanted ‘em to scare the surfers. You know, this guy could spend a little more time in the decompression tank. Ben Krieg: Maybe you’ll make room for him. Pull the bills of lading. Bickle: (on screen) Why? Ben Krieg: ‘Cause they’ll have his address, Bickle. Bickle: (on screen) Hey, good idea. Ben Krieg: I’m loaded with ‘em. Bickle: (on screen) The barracuda decoys went to an industrial park in Oxnard, sixteen nineteen frontage road. Ben Krieg: Thanks. Kiss the wife for me. Bickle: (on screen) You wanna thank me, you kiss her. - Hydrogear Industries - Enzo Dinato: Don’t tell me this, Mr. Green, not now. Tom Green: Tucker had some kind of alert rigged up. I think I’ve lost hearing in my left ear. Enzo Dinato: You’ve lost more than just a little of your hearing, Mr. Green. Tom Green: Well, what did you want me to do, shoot him? Enzo Dinato: If necessary, yes. Tom Green: I’m a production manager, Mr. Dinato, not a killer. Enzo Dinato: You are a guy who didn’t do the job, Mr. Green. Now get out of here. (enters office, dials number on vid-link) Tom Riley: (on screen) Mr. Dinato, what can I do for you. Enzo Dinato: Are we on a secure channel? Tom Riley: Of course. Enzo Dinato: I’ve got a problem. - seaQuest DSV, Bridger’s room - Nathan Bridger: (knock on door) Come in. Ben Krieg: (opens door) Captain, I found Tucker. Nathan Bridger: Where? Ben Krieg: About half an hour from here. Nathan Bridger: Great. Have Crocker send a squad of men over there immediately. Ben Krieg: Yes, sir. - Tucker Technologies - Tom Riley: I’m afraid that’s a waste of time, Mr. Tucker. Martin Tucker: Now, nothing a man puts together with his own two hands is ever a waste of time. Didn’t your boss tell you that? Tom Riley: Yeah, well, uh, I’m afraid he forgot to mention that. Martin Tucker: Heh, heh, of course he did. Well, this is private property, if you don’t leave I’ll have you arrested. Tom Riley: It’s not going to happen. I’m taking you back to Mr. Dinato. Manilow Crocker: Well, you’ve got that half right, you’re taking us to Mr. Dinato. Now this can go down one of two ways, easy, or hard; doesn’t make much difference to me. - Hydrogear Industries - Tom Green: Tucker stuck pretty close to the design he first drew up when he worked for you. You could claim that you paid for them. Enzo Dinato: But we didn’t pay for that one. Cannibalize it for technology, and then be sure no one finds it. - Hydrogear Industries, later - Manilow Crocker: (security group enters building, Crocker aims gun at ceiling) Stay where you are! (fires gun at ceiling) Don’t move! (sees Dinato sneaking away) Hold it right there! - Hydrogear Industries, a little later - Manilow Crocker: We found it, sir. Nathan Bridger: (on screen) How’s it look? Manilow Crocker: Well, you know those big ol’ puzzles you used to get at Christmas, had about a thousand pieces that nobody could put together? Pretty much like that, I’m afraid. Nathan Bridger: What about Tucker? Manilow Crocker: Ah, it wasn’t Tucker, Cap, it was Dinato. Tucker’s fine, we’re bringing his minisub back for the trials. Sorry ‘bout the Stinger, sir, I know they worked awful hard on it. Nathan Bridger: Yes, they did. - seaQuest DSV, mess - Lucas Wolenczak: Are you sure you ran the numbers on the stress configurations? Katie Hitchcock: Are you sure you weren’t pushing the Gazelle past its limits? Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah, I’m positive. And it’s not a Gazelle. Katie Hitchcock: Well I’m not calling it a Stinger, that’s sexist. Lucas Wolenczak: What’s sex gotta do with it. Katie Hitchcock: Not sex, sexist. A guy name for a guy thing, like chainsaw, screwdriver, boxing-- Lucas Wolenczak: What are you going to call boxing? A multi-handed contact sport? Katie Hitchcock: I call it stupid. Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah, well, I’m calling it a Stinger. I call it a Gazelle and I’m gonna get beat up. Nathan Bridger: I think you better call it gone. Lucas Wolenczak: You haven’t found it? Nathan Bridger: I’m sorry, it’s been destroyed. Lucas Wolenczak: What are we going to do now? Nathan Bridger: I don’t know, but unless you two are willing to stand up and juggle in front of these people, you better have something to show for the monies invested. Lucas Wolenczak: But Captain, it wasn’t our fault. Nathan Bridger: Hey, these are adults. The “dog ate my homework” defense doesn’t work here. What was your alternate? Katie Hitchcock: Sir? Nathan Bridger: You didn’t have one? Katie Hitchcock: No. Nathan Bridger: Well, I guess we’re gonna have to build another one. Lucas Wolenczak: In twenty-four hours? Nathan Bridger: Why not? You’ve got the materials, you’ve got the plans, Krieg can get you anything else you need. Or, you can start practicing you juggling. - seaQuest DSV, ward room - Bickle: (on screen) How come when you get fifty cents you don’t call someone else? Ben Krieg: I got a thing for men in uniform. I’m gonna need two gallons of fiberglass resin, a pound of titanium rivets, fifty feet of flexible tube, a spool of waterproof wiring, G2 rating -- Bickle: (on screen) What are you guys building? Ben Krieg: A big fish. Can you do it? Bickle: (on screen) Of course, but you’re gonna owe me. Ben Krieg: I’ll turn you on to a great divorce lawyer. Bickle: (on screen) Some lawyer; you gotta salute your ex-wife. - seaQuest DSV, sea deck, by the moon pool - Katie Hitchcock: Throttle control? Lucas Wolenczak: Operational. Katie Hitchcock: Vertical stabilizer? Lucas Wolenczak: Uh, we had to wire around that one, we didn’t have an extra gauge. Katie Hitchcock: What about the horizontals? Lucas Wolenczak: Same thing. They’re gonna have to work off the water break readout. Katie Hitchcock: Does the water break work? Lucas Wolenczak: I hope so. Nathan Bridger: We gonna make it? Katie Hitchcock: I don’t know. Lucas Wolenczak: If we’re lucky. Nathan Bridger: You don’t win one of these on luck. Lucas Wolenczak: I’m starting to figure that out. Nathan Bridger: Anything I can do to help? Lucas Wolenczak: No thanks, I brought it this far -- I mean we all did, Captain. Why don’t you get some sleep, we can handle it. Nathan Bridger: OK, just thought I’d ask. Good luck. Lucas Wolenczak: Thanks. Katie Hitchcock: Thank you. - seaQuest DSV, sea deck, by the moon pool, later - Nathan Bridger: (enters) Not bad, kiddo, not bad. (leaves) Announcer in dream: They’re on the starting line and we’re moments from the start of the underwater five hundred. The track is wet and Lucas Wolenczak the young rookie from Buffalo, appears to be the crowd’s favorite. And they’re off, what a start. Wolenczak takes the lead into the first turn . . . - seaQuest DSV, bridge - Miguel Ortiz: WSKRS assuming assigned positions, surge and currents minimal, perfect conditions, sir. Nathan Bridger: Thanks. Hey. William Noyce: (entering) Hello, Nathan. Nathan Bridger: Mr. Secretary. William Noyce: Good to see you. Nathan Bridger: How are you? William Noyce: Oh, my appointments secretary, Edgar Gaye. Nathan Bridger: No, not the Mr. Gaye that wouldn’t put me through to you the other day. William Noyce: Really? Edgar Gaye: Well, yes -- William Noyce: It’s just a temporary position. Nathan Bridger: I don’t think that’ll happen again. William Noyce: Well, what do you think? Nathan Bridger: Well, they’ve had duplicate components for all the parts but it’s taken them twenty-four hours to put it together. William Noyce: Yeah, is there any danger to Lucas? Katie Hitchcock: We’ve done round the clock structural tests on every joint and hydraulic system. I hope not. William Noyce: Well, good. Kristin Westphalen: What “round the clock structural tests”? You’ve only been finished a few minutes. Ben Krieg: Lucas. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Yeah, yeah what? Ben Krieg: Nervous? Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Not now, I like being in here. I trust this thing. Ben Krieg: Good to know. Uh, feeding you course telemetry. Katie Hitchcock: OK, Lucas, game plan. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) I say we go for it. Katie Hitchcock: I say we put on a good show and score points for design. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) I wanna win. Katie Hitchcock: Yeah, well, so do I, but if this thing craps out, we lose. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Than we can call it a Gazelle. Katie Hitchcock: Just stick to the routine, no improvisation. Miguel Ortiz: All set, sir, WSKRS ready to evaluate data. Tim O’Neill: Tucker’s on channel eight, Lucas on nine, sir. William Noyce: Now, these are performance trials for UEO’s private sector development of a single seat underwater submersible, minimum top speed, one hundred miles an hour. Martin Tucker: (in minisub) Hey, are you sure Dinato can’t see me from his jail cell? Kellog: Compulsory maneuver number one -- single roll and reverse direction loop on a mark. Miguel Ortiz: Three . . . two . . . one . . . mark. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Wow, that guy’s good. Kellog: Very stable around a tight center of gravity. Martin Tucker: (in minisub) It’s all yours, son. Good luck. Kellog: Mr. Wolenczak, are you ready? Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Wish me luck, Darwin. I’m gonna need it. Kellog: Mr. Wolenczak, are you ready? Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Ready. Miguel Ortiz: Three . . . two . . . one . . . mark. Katie Hitchcock: Lucas, how’s it holding up? Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) It’s, uh, very smooth. Katie Hitchcock: Just keep the Gazelle in one piece. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) It’s a Stinger. Katie Hitchcock: Yeah. - seaQuest DSV, bridge, later - William Noyce: Hard to believe he’s a teenager. Nathan Bridger: Try winning an argument with him sometime. Kellog: All right, gentlemen, that concludes our compulsory trials. One final test, uh, then we take you boats back to the Honolulu lab for schematic appraisal. Martin Tucker: (in minisub) Hey, son. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Yeah. Martin Tucker: (in minisub) No matter what happens, you did a hell of a job. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Thank you. Miguel Ortiz: Mr. Tucker, Lucas, I have starting coordinates for you. Kellog: Ten miles, flat out, as fast as you can go. Any questions? Martin Tucker: (in minisub) Nope. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Nada. Miguel Ortiz: If you’ll watch the WSKR. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Look for my taillights, pal. Katie Hitchcock: OK, good job, Lucas, come on. Manilow Crocker: Go, son. Tim O’Neill: Come on, Lucas, come on. Miguel Ortiz: Two and a half miles gone. What a way to go. Katie Hitchcock: Talk to me, Lucas. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) It’s, uh, hard to steer. Katie Hitchcock: It’s supposed to be, you’re going one forty. Draft off his wake. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) OK. Katie Hitchcock: OK, you’ve got it, Lucas, come on. Miguel Ortiz: Five miles to go. Jonathan Ford: Yes! Tim O’Neill: Yes! Manilow Crocker: You’ve got him. Miguel Ortiz: Three quarters gone, home stretch. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Commander, I’m losing thrust. (sees Tucker win) Oh, man. Ben Krieg: Come on, catch up, catch up. William Noyce: Looks like Tucker just got himself a very lucrative UEO contract. Nathan Bridger: (to Hitchcock) It was a hell of a job, Commander. - seaQuest DSV, sea deck - Kristin Westphalen: You a little glum? Look, you were magnificent today. You should be very proud of yourself. Lucas Wolenczak: I lost. Martin Tucker: You think winning is everything? Lucas Wolenczak: As opposed to what? Martin Tucker: Doing better next time. Lucas Wolenczak: Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. Martin Tucker: Hey, don’t give up, you’ve got a great future. Lucas Wolenczak: Thanks. Nathan Bridger: Hey, no congratulations, Lucas. Lucas Wolenczak: Congratulations, Mr. Tucker, you built a great fish. Martin Tucker: So did you. And check the oil injection valve placement. I’m surprised you didn’t see that with a blindfold on. Nathan Bridger: I did. Katie Hitchcock: What? Lucas Wolenczak: If you knew, why didn’t you tell us? Nathan Bridger: Did we discuss the theory? Lucas Wolenczak: Yes. Nathan Bridger: Did I show you the books and files? Katie Hitchcock: You let us lose. Nathan Bridger: No, Lucas didn’t read the material and neither did you, Commander. I mean, sometimes we learn a lot more by losing than winning. Katie Hitchcock: Yeah. Lucas Wolenczak: You can call it a Gazelle, Commander. - seaQuest DSV, bridge, later - William Noyce: Hard to believe he’s a teenager. Nathan Bridger: Try winning an argument with him sometime. Kellog: All right, gentlemen, that concludes our compulsory trials. One final test, uh, then we take you boats back to the Honolulu lab for schematic appraisal. Martin Tucker: (in minisub) Hey, son. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Yeah. Martin Tucker: (in minisub) No matter what happens, you did a hell of a job. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Thank you. Miguel Ortiz: Mr. Tucker, Lucas, I have starting coordinates for you. Kellog: Ten miles, flat out, as fast as you can go. Any questions? Martin Tucker: (in minisub) Nope. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Nada. Miguel Ortiz: If you’ll watch the WSKR. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Look for my taillights, pal. Katie Hitchcock: OK, good job, Lucas, come on. Manilow Crocker: Go, son. Tim O’Neill: Come on, Lucas, come on. Miguel Ortiz: Two and a half miles gone. What a way to go. Katie Hitchcock: Talk to me, Lucas. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) It’s, uh, hard to steer. Katie Hitchcock: It’s supposed to be, you’re going one forty. Draft off his wake. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) OK. Katie Hitchcock: OK, you’ve got it, Lucas, come on. Miguel Ortiz: Five miles to go. Jonathan Ford: Yes! Tim O’Neill: Yes! Manilow Crocker: You’ve got him. Miguel Ortiz: Three quarters gone, home stretch. Lucas Wolenczak: (in Stinger) Commander, I’m losing thrust. (sees Tucker win) Oh, man. Ben Krieg: Come on, catch up, catch up. William Noyce: Looks like Tucker just got himself a very lucrative UEO contract. Nathan Bridger: (to Hitchcock) It was a hell of a job, Commander. - seaQuest DSV, sea deck - Kristin Westphalen: You a little glum? Look, you were magnificent today. You should be very proud of yourself. Lucas Wolenczak: I lost. Martin Tucker: You think winning is everything? Lucas Wolenczak: As opposed to what? Martin Tucker: Doing better next time. Lucas Wolenczak: Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. Martin Tucker: Hey, don’t give up, you’ve got a great future. Lucas Wolenczak: Thanks. Nathan Bridger: Hey, no congratulations, Lucas. Lucas Wolenczak: Congratulations, Mr. Tucker, you built a great fish. Martin Tucker: So did you. And check the oil injection valve placement. I’m surprised you didn’t see that with a blindfold on. Nathan Bridger: I did. Katie Hitchcock: What? Lucas Wolenczak: If you knew, why didn’t you tell us? Nathan Bridger: Did we discuss the theory? Lucas Wolenczak: Yes. Nathan Bridger: Did I show you the books and files? Katie Hitchcock: You let us lose. Nathan Bridger: No, Lucas didn’t read the material and neither did you, Commander. I mean, sometimes we learn a lot more by losing than winning. Katie Hitchcock: Yeah. Lucas Wolenczak: You can call it a Gazelle, Commander.