JAG (1995–2005): Season 4, Episode 7 - Angels 30 - full transcript

Ajax, this is Waverunner 212
approaching Waypoint Delta.

Roger, 212.

Come left to
heading one-six-niner

and descend to Angels eight.

Ajax, this is Waverunner
212, wilco. Break.

Slider, you ready
to head for home?

Right behind you, Karma.

Whoa. I got a contact... 1-7-5.

Five miles closing.

Opposite course, low.

Waverunner 212,



you are authorized to intercept.

Tallyho!

Slider, second
bogey's on the scope.

He's on our six.
We're sandwiched.

Get this guy off me.

Split. Break right.

He's got a lock!

I'm coming in behind him.

We got a lock.

What?

We got tone. Take the shot.

What? Splash this guy, Karma.

Get him off me.

Enemy fire. Missile inbound.



We're too close!

Our wing's on fire!

Eject! Eject! Eject!

Tensions remained
high in the Gulf today

after an American F-14 went down

in the no-fly zone last night.

Iraqis are claiming
an aerial victory.

The Defense
Department has confirmed

the loss of a Navy fighter jet

but has made no official
statement regarding what...

Working a little late, Ensign?

Yes, sir.

Well, why don't
you call it a night.

I'm sure whatever it
is can wait till morning.

I'll walk you to your car.

Thank you, sir. I'm just going
to wait a little longer here.

Heard from Rabb
and MacKenzie yet?

They should be
aboard the Coral Sea

within the hour, sir.

And Lieutenant Roberts?

I haven't heard from
Lieutenant Roberts,

and it's not like
him not to call.

Well... let's see...

he left Andrews
at 1400 our time.

Probably arrived Twentynine
Palms 1530 Pacific.

Been taking depositions
for several hours.

I'm sure he'll call soon.

I hope so, sir.

I don't mean to act like...

A pregnant wife worried
about her husband?

It's not very
navy-like of me, sir.

Ensign... the uniform
is made to fit a person.

Admiral, I don't know
what's come over me.

Hormones.

Sir?

You see this?

V.C. tried to cut my head off
with a machete... 39 stitches.

I didn't even know I was
bleeding for about two days.

But, uh... now, this...

that's an electric can opener.

Knocked me cold for six hours,

compliments of my ex-wife
in her second trimester.

So what are you telling me,

that I should stay away
from small appliances?

No. What I'm saying is

is that, um, what
you're feeling is normal,

and I understand.

I also know that
you need your rest,

and you need to eat properly.

Um... I'm going to, um...
Calisto's for a late dinner.

Why don't you join me.

I hate eating alone.

You do, sir?

Not really.

We'll go over that
Inspector General's report...

make it a business meal.

Thank you, Admiral,
but I told Bud

that I'd wait to hear from him.

Harriet, it could
be after midnight

before he gets a
chance to call you.

Tell you what... once
we get to the restaurant,

I'll call the base,
see if I can reach him.

You can do that, sir?
Admiral's privilege.

You know, Calisto's is
famous for their seafood.

You like calamari?

Well, I like it if they make
it with a mint sauce, sir.

Cravings?

Uh, I'm afraid so, sir.

Try not to make me
regret this, Ensign.

Welcome aboard.

I usually consider it a bad sign

when I see JAGs coming aboard.

But under the circumstances,
I'm glad you're here.

International incidents

require the utmost diplomacy.

I might need some
professional legal advice.

Sir, technically, we're here to
conduct a JAGMAN investigation

into the altercation which
resulted in the lost Tomcat.

However, the major and I
would be more than willing

to aid in any legal matters

that might arise
while we're aboard.

That's good, 'cause
if this thing turns ugly

and forces us into a
war, it's always nice

to have a couple of
lawyers around to blame.

We're at Condition Three here.

The CAG and I need the
crew focused on the job at hand

so I'd appreciate wrapping
up this investigation ASAP.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

You can report your
findings to the CAG.

Carry on.

CAG.

Commander Rabb...

you found your father.

That's right.

Did you know him, sir?

We flew a couple
of wild ones together.

Are you half the pilot he was?

I'd like to think so.

Maybe we'll see about that.

Yes, sir.

The ATO get you quarters.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

We were patrolling
the no-fly zone.

It was a typical flight...
If there is such a thing.

It's, uh...

it's basically four hours
of boring holes in the sky.

No contact, no nothing.

When did you first spot the MiG?

I didn't.

Bear picked the first
one up on his radar.

Bear... that's, uh, your
RIO, Lieutenant Brian Hass.

That's right. He must have
been crawling across the sand

on his belly because
he came out of nowhere.

Popped up, made a gun
run at us and ran for home.

What do you suppose
provoked him into attacking?

There was no provocation, Major.

That's just it...
It's a no-fly zone.

No, the Iraqis came
in looking for a fight.

The first one was a decoy

so his buddy could
sneak in behind us.

The second MiG got
right on Slider's tail.

We flew in behind him.

I got lock and tone, but
Karma didn't fire, ma'am.

Well, why not?

I don't know, Major.

I kept yelling at
him to take the shot,

but he kept saying,
"What? What?"

Like he didn't hear me, ma'am.

Next thing I know,
he's going kamikaze...

Flying straight at the MiG
like he's going to ram him.

I'm screaming for Karma
to take this guy out.

Suddenly, the MiG fires

so I... punch off flares
and chaff, brake hard.

Next thing I know,

I've got this bucking
bronco turbulence.

And I... see this
explosion in the mirror.

Figured it was the missile.

It was Karma going
down in a ball of fire.

Karma's yelling, "Eject! Eject!"

There's smoke in the canopy.

I reach up, grab the handles,

but my eyes are closed.

Next thing I know, I'm
screaming into my mask

and feeling ice-cold
air on my face.

One thing I don't understand.

You had a lock on the MiG.

Why didn't you fire? I couldn't.

What, you had a
missile malfunction?

Why not go for the cannons?

That's a good
question, Commander,

which I-I don't have an answer.

You've been in combat.

You know how fast things happen.

I saw Slider was in trouble.

I couldn't fire,

but I knew I had to
get the MiG off his tail.

And all I could think to do

was to get in between
him and the enemy.

So I lit up the afterburners,

and I popped up
right in front of him.

That's damn heroic flying.

It was damn
stupid is more like it.

I misjudged the closure rate.

I sheared off my wing
tip in the collision...

went into a spin, spraying
fuel, which ignited...

we were a giant,
tumbling fireball.

Man, you must have
had a guardian angel

looking over your
shoulder that night.

Yeah.

Some-something like that.

MacKENZIE: So far
everyone's statements

corroborate.

You don't agree?

What?

I know that look.

What look?

That "I don't agree" look.

Something with
Commander Rice's statement

isn't sitting right.

I want to talk to
his plane captain

about the condition
of his Tomcat.

What did you say
to Commander Rice?

Excuse me, sir?

Your investigation... What
are you charging him with?

We've just begun
the interviews, CAG.

We're not charging
him with anything.

Then why did Lieutenant
Commander Rice

resign his commission?

Oh, you hungry, sir?

I was.

I'm eating for two now.

Two what?

Let me fix you
something to eat, sir.

It's the least I can do

after you bought
me dinner last night.

You know, Ensign,
I ate bugs and toads

in the jungle, and
I still wouldn't...

What is that smell?

Sardines, maybe?

Sir, breakfast is the most
important meal of the day.

Let's face it, men just don't
have the stomach for pregnancy.

Yeah.

Side number 212
was my plane, sir.

I got my name put on
her just last Thursday.

Well, congratulations,
Petty Officer Moses.

That's quite an honor
for a plane captain.

Yes, it is, sir.

I take as much pride
in keeping these planes

in the air as the pilots
do in flying them, sir.

So, when I say that
plane was working properly

before she left the deck,

you've got my word
on it, Commander.

Well, then, how do
you account for the fact

that Commander Rice was
unable to fire his missiles?

I-I can't, sir. If the
commander said

he couldn't fire,
then he couldn't fire.

All I know is that
everything was working

when she left the deck.

That plane was used in a
missile exercise the day before,

and she performed
flawlessly, Commander.

Thanks, Moses, and,
uh, I hope you get

your name on a new plane soon.

Me, too, sir.

Yes?

CAG showed me your resignation.

And I guess you
want to know why.

I don't see as I
have much choice.

Look, from what I've
determined so far,

you've done nothing to
warrant a resignation...

unless you haven't
told me everything

that happened that night.

Well, I tried.

But I'm not sure I know myself.

I just talked to
Petty Officer Moses.

He tells me that your aircraft
was in excellent condition.

Did one of your
missiles misfire?

No.

I didn't fire.

Why not?

I was given an order not to.

Somebody ordered
you not to fire?

Gogo and Slider
were both yelling at me

to take the shot,

but I heard another
voice telling me not to.

There's nothing in
the radio transcripts.

No one has even mentioned this.

I don't think they heard it.

Look, I know how that sounds.

That's why I haven't said
anything sooner, but...

I kept trying to tell myself

that it was fatigue
or my ears popping

or misinterpretation.

Hell, maybe I'm going crazy...

but I know what I heard.

It was an order.

It was very clear
and very insistent...

that I not fire.

GOGO: We got a lock.

What?

We got tone. Take
the shot. What?

Splash this guy,
Karma. Get him off me!

Enemy fire! Missile inbound!

I've played it every which
way about a hundred times,

and I still can't hear anything.

Rewind it a bit. There.

I'm coming in behind him.

We got a lock.

What? We got tone.

Stop. You hear that?

His RIO says she has a
lock; he responds by saying...

"What?"

"What?"

When I questioned
Lieutenant Binder,

she said that Karma was
acting as if he couldn't hear her.

Yeah, but he was on a hot mike;

he could hear every
breath she took.

He responded to
everything else she said.

Yeah, except to take the shot.

Maybe he heard something
else the recorder didn't pick up.

What? Like another
radio transmission?

You know, Tomcats
broadcast on a UHF frequency.

If the Iraqis had an analyzer

in one of their AWACS aircraft,

they could access
our frequency...

Not only to the
point of listening in

but to transmit as well.

If the pilot heard
an order not to shoot

at a critical moment
and he hesitated,

it would be the difference

between surviving
a dogfight and not.

Yeah, but even so,
any radio transmission

would still have been recorded,

unless... well, unless they've
developed a new technology

that can beam a transmission
right into someone's brain.

I'm going to beam
something into your brain.

You're starting
to sound like Bud.

Let's send this to Washington,

have the audio experts
back in Suitland analyze it.

Maybe they can find
something we can't.

Yeah, I'll put a call into Webb.

If they have developed
a new technology,

he may have the inside track.

Sir.

Dr. Sanders?

You caught me.

Haven't you heard?

The surgeon general says
those things will kill you.

Well, I only smoke one a
week for medicinal purposes.

Helps get the taste of
jet fuel out of my mouth.

Uh-huh. I'm Harm
Rabb, JAG Corps.

I wonder if I might ask
you a few questions.

Shoot.

I'm investigating the Iraqi-
Commander Rice incident.

I, uh...

I was wondering if there
was anything abnormal

in the commander's
medical background.

What exactly are
you looking for?

Well, the...

the commander
reports hearing a voice.

A voice?

He hasn't come to me
complaining about hearing things,

if that's where
you're going with this.

Was the commander on
any kind of medication?

Undergoing treatment?

Drugs of any kind?

Commander Rice
is in good health.

I gave him a complete
physical after the mishap.

What about his mental condition?

He was a little shook up.

Who wouldn't be?

You've been in the
cockpit, Commander.

You know better than
most, that navy pilots

operating off a carrier

are subjected to more
physical and mental stress

than any other
aviator in the world.

The stress of night carrier
landings in bad weather...

is enough to kill most people.

Make them hear voices?

I'm not a psychiatrist.

But it is my medical opinion

that Commander
Rice is not crazy.

We all hear voices inside
our head, Commander.

It's called our conscience.

That's an interesting
theory, but the Iraqis

don't have any AWACS.

Actually, CAG, I
checked with DOD...

I'll qualify that.

The Iraqis don't have any
AWACS flying this week.

They're supposed to have a
couple of old A-50 Mainstays,

one of which is used for parts

and the other one flies
about once a month,

and when it does,
we know all about it.

And there were no
AWACS in the air

the night of the
incident? Just ours.

Could we have sent
that order accidentally?

Our AWACS monitor

a number of different
radio transmissions at once

and they send information
to numerous ships

in the carrier battle
group, correct?

What if they somehow
sent the wrong transmission

to the wrong place?

It wouldn't be the first there
was a foul-up aboard an AWACS.

It doesn't work that way.

I think the commander
knows that as well as I do.

CAG, all I really know right now

is that Commander Rice
received an order not to shoot,

and I'll be damned if
I can figure out why.

Well, that's where
you're wrong, Rabb.

Because the only one
who is going to be damned

by your investigation
is Commander Rice.

All we're trying to do here

is find out the truth about
what happened, Captain.

And what makes you
think you haven't, Major?

Do you think me or my
pilots are lying to you?

That this is some
sort of a cover-up?

No, sir.

But if everyone
is telling the truth,

why did Karma resign?

Ask him.

How you doing, sir?

I'm okay, Bear. Thanks.

Scuttlebutt says
you're resigning, sir.

Well, you know what they say

about scuttlebutt.

Yeah, it's usually true.

You got something
to say, Slider?

No. I let my actions
speak for me, sir.

And what's that
supposed to mean?

Look, you got something to
say, spit it out man-to-man.

You forget about the
gold oak leaves here.

See, obviously, you forgot
I saved your ass up there.

You almost got us killed,
along with your RIO.

Yeah, but I didn't.

No, you didn't. Not this time.

This time you got lucky.

You arrogant...

Hold on there.

Whoa, hey, hey. Hey, hey.

Take it easy.

Slider, walk away.

What's going on?

I don't know. Ask
the Lieutenant here.

He's got all the answers.

Which one do you want?

I'll take the cute, single one.

Kidding.

Lieutenant, the major will
escort you to your stateroom.

♪ But you said enough ♪

♪ I got a lot of love
I've been saving up... ♪

How did you know
where to find me?

Gogo says you've
been coming here a lot

since the incident.

Yeah. I didn't even know
where the ship's chapel was

until two days ago.

You know that the
major and I are, uh...

we're here to help you
in any way that we can.

We all make mistakes.

If your resignation
has anything...

I didn't make a
mistake. That's just it.

That's what makes
this so difficult.

I'm not following you.

I did the right thing.

I did what I was told.

Look, Commander...

we have found no evidence

substantiating your claim

of another radio transmission.

Well, you won't.

It wasn't on my radio.

It was in my head.

And he told me not to fire.

Who told you not to fire?

I don't know.

I think maybe...

it was God.

Who in the hell took my dinner?

Admiral...

uh...

that was me, sir.

You ate my risotto?

No, sir.

Where is it?

I tossed it, sir.

Y-you tossed my risotto?

Y-yes, sir.

In the garbage.

Sir, there were things
growing in that fridge.

Ensign...

there was nothing
growing in my risotto.

I'm sorry, sir.

I...

I couldn't help myself.

I just had to clean
out that refrigerator.

I... think I'm... nesting.

There's no nesting in JAG Ops.

There also is no crying.

I'm sorry, sir.

Stop crying, Ensign.

That is an order.

Please.

I'm trying to, sir.

Sims, my office, now.

Yes, sir.

MacKENZIE: God
told him not to fire?

That's what Commander Rice said.

Did he say why?

The commander?

God.

I don't know, Mac.

He's not talking to me.

No, he's given up on you.

Wouldn't be the first time

hearing strange voices was used

as a criminal defense.

True, but... didn't
you once tell Bud

that you thought you
heard your father's voice

guide you through a landing?

This isn't about me, Major.

All right.

So you don't believe
in guardian angels?

Well, certainly not
guardian angels

who tell fighter
pilots not to fire.

"There are more things in
heaven and earth," Harm,

"than are dreamt of
in your philosophy."

Oh, thank you, Major Hamlet.

It's not like we
could subpoena God

to give us a statement
anyway, is it?

"Did you order Commander
Rice not to fire?"

Harm?

And, remember,
God, you're under oath.

Harm!

Thank you.

I think it's time we
sought the advice

of a higher power.

What, the Admiral?

Higher.

I knew a man who
made pornographic films

until one day, God told
him that it was time to stop.

He's doing missionary
work in New Guinea now.

You knew this man

before or after God
spoke to him, Padre?

So, in your opinion,

the... hand of God can just...

reach out and touch somebody?

Most definitely.

You don't think
that when I was a kid

playing war in my
backyard with my buddies

I stood up and said, "I
want to be the chaplain."

It doesn't work that way.

Most clergymen and women

that I know experience
some sort of calling.

Well, we're not
talking about a calling.

Commander Rice is convinced

he heard something
tell him not to shoot.

Why is that so hard to
believe, Commander?

It's my job...

and I would hate to believe

that Commander Rice
is using the voice of God

as an excuse to
not perform his duty.

Commander Rice is not like that.

With all due respect,
sir, how would you know?

Till the other day,
Commander Rice

didn't even know
where the chapel was.

That's right...

but I've been playing
cards with this man

since the beginning
of the cruise,

and it's been my
experience that you can learn

as much about a
man in a poker game

as you can in a confessional.

So, if Commander Rice said

that he heard a
voice telling him

not to shoot down that
enemy, I believe him.

Now, whether that
was the voice of God...

that's between Commander
Rice and the man upstairs.

Unless the man upstairs
is a woman, Padre.

Amen to that, Major.

I always wanted
my name on a plane.

Me, too.

I think you should reconsider
your resignation, Commander.

I have... a thousand times.

Believe me, it's
the hardest decision

I've ever made
in my entire life.

It was not a rash decision.

Oh, I didn't mean
to imply that it was.

Why'd you stop flying, Rabb?

Night blindness.

You ever wonder
why that happened?

I don't think it
happened for a reason.

I think it just happened.

Well, what if it
happened for a reason

that was beyond
your understanding?

I mean, you've
helped a lot of people

as a lawyer, right?

I'd like to think so, yeah.

Well, then, perhaps that's
what you were supposed to do.

I mean, maybe you
got night blindness

and became a
lawyer so you could...

I don't know, help
people like me.

I mean, what if
there's a grand scheme

that we're only occasionally

privy to now and then

and this is God's
way of telling us

he's got other
plans for our lives?

That scares you?

Oh, hell, yeah.

Yeah.

I live in a world governed
by the laws of physics.

Okay, g-force,

centripetal acceleration,

Bernoulli's principle...

These are my ten commandments.

There's no room
for God or angels

or anything like that.

I think there's a lot
of people out here

who would disagree with you.

Why isn't this
happening to them?

I don't talk to God.

Why is God talking to me?

I don't want to stop
flying... It's what I live for...

But I don't ever want
to hear that voice again.

How can I help you, Commander?

I'd like to get Karma
back in the air, sir.

Why on earth would
you want to do that?

He's already tendered
his resignation.

Well, sir, I believe
his resignation

was tendered prematurely.

Since when do you speak
for Commander Rice?

I don't, sir...

Karma is damn good...
He's one of the best...

And I hate losing pilots

whatever the reason,

but when a driver
decides to quit,

there's nothing you or I
can do about it, Commander.

The last thing I want
is somebody up there

who's not totally committed
to what he's doing.

I had a pilot once who swore

Ann-Margret used
to dance on his wings.

What did you do, sir?

Nothing.

I don't care if he sees a
chorus line of Rockettes

as long as he gets the job done.

CAG...

I think the commander
is scared, sir.

Hell, Commander,
we all get scared.

Fear helps a pilot focus
on the important things...

The things that can kill you.

Yes, sir, that's true,
but at the moment

my findings are inconclusive.

I'd like him to fly
a similar mission.

This wouldn't be a ploy

to get yourself up
in one of my planes,

would it, Commander?

No, sir.

However, it would
be advantageous

for me to be in the air
at the same time, CAG.

Uh-huh.

Okay, Rabb, you got
one hour in the air...

but I want Slider
in your backseat.

The last thing I want right now

is to lose another plane.

You won't regret this, sir.

Thank you.

You better hope not.

I'm sorry.

Am I interrupting?

Uh, no. Not at all, Commander.

I was... just going
to the wardroom.

You know where to find me?

Thank you.

Okay.

I spoke to the CAG.

He, uh, he's agreed to let
us re-fly your last mission.

Why would I want to do that?

You told me you lived
to fly, Commander.

I'm giving you the
opportunity to get that back.

Maybe I don't want it back.

And I don't believe
that for a minute.

I'm a pilot, remember,
Commander?

I know what it means to fly,

and I have yet to meet a driver

who would trade that feeling
for anything on this earth.

What about things
not of this earth?

There's a logical explanation
for what happened up there.

And if there isn't?

How'd you get your call
sign, "Karma," anyway?

I survived a couple
of real close calls

as a young pilot,
and they used to say

the only thing that saved
me was good Karma.

Maybe they were right.

Look at it this way...

Flying a Tomcat is probably

one of the most dangerous
jobs on this earth.

Who needs a higher power more

than the men who drive them?

Hell, it may be the reason

you're here talking
to me right now.

And if that voice
you heard was God,

he told you not to fire.

He didn't tell you not to fly.

Now, you must be
something else in a courtroom.

I hold my own.

Harm!

Make sure you're home
before the streetlights come on.

Well, I'll do my best, Mom.

Are you ready, Rabb?

Always, Rice.

You?

Let's do it.

Ajax, this is Waverunner 204.

Please say again.

Ajax, I did not hear
that last transmission.

Please...

Karma, who are you talking to?

I don't know. I'm getting a
garbled signal from the AWACS.

I don't hear anything.

Waverunner 204, this is 209.

You're drifting off course.

According to our flight plan,

we should be coming
to a heading of 1-5-8.

Forget the flight plan, Rabb.

We got contacts.

What's he talking about?

Waverunner 204, this
is Waverunner 209.

We have nothing
on our radar. Break.

They're using a cloaking device.

Say again?

I got three coming
in fast, 12:00 high.

They're Klingons.

Klingons?

We've been picking up some
strange radio transmissions,

and they're way off course, sir.

They're on button two.

This is Panther Strike
calling Waverunner 204.

You boys lost

up there?

Better strip your mask.

Waverunner 204,

acknowledge.

Panther Strike, this is

Waverunner 209.

204 is in trouble.

Can you get a visual?

Affirmative.

We've heading
in for a closer look.

Karma, Bear, can you hear me?

Can you hear me?
Can you hear me?

Karma? Bear? Acknowledge.

They can't hear you.

Their masks are off.

Looks like they're no conscious.

Why would they both
take their masks off?

Must have had a
bad batch of oxygen.

Contaminated O2
explains the voice

Karma thought he heard
telling him not to shoot.

Must have been caused
by oxygen deprivation.

One of the symptoms of
anoxia is hallucinations.

Does this mean our
O2 is bad as well?

I don't think so,

but if you see Ann-Margret
dancing on the wing,

start screaming.

What?

Panther Strike, this
is Waverunner 209.

Karma and Bear have
taken their masks off.

Suspect bad oxygen.

Repeat, O2 system
has malfunctioned.

This is the CAG.

Suspend all flight operations

until further notice.

We might have a
contaminated oxygen plant.

Get Doc Sanders up here ASAP.

I want somebody down there

inspecting that
equipment yesterday.

Sir, what if Harm's
oxygen was contaminated?

Don't worry, Major.

If the commander's
oxygen is bad,

he can fly below 10,000 feet.

Well, what about
Karma and Bear, sir?

Come on, Karma, wake up.

Bear! Listen to me, Bear!

How are you feeling, Rabb?

I'm fine, sir. CAG: Slider?

Yeah, I'm good, CAG,
but Karma and Bear

still aren't responding.
Keep trying.

Better take a look at this, CAG.

What's wrong, sir?

Their current
course will put them

in Iraqi airspace in
about 20 minutes.

How long can
they fly this course

before they run into resistance?

If we spooked
them the other day,

they may leave us alone,
but if we ticked them off,

they may be in the air already,
looking for another dogfight.

We have nothing on radar.

Just like the other day.

CAG, we got trouble.

Bear's starting to
go into convulsions.

He's experiencing
the secondary stages

of severe anoxia.

Their brains are being
starved for oxygen.

Everyone reacts differently,

but usually the
hallucinations come first,

then lack of consciousness,

convulsions and
eventually death.

What's your fuel state, Rabb?

1,100 pounds, sir.

In 20 minutes, Karma's
plane runs out of fuel

and starts a descent.

Once he drops below 10,000 feet,

they should regain consciousness

which may give them
enough time to punch out.

Yeah, if the Iraqis don't
shoot them down first.

Rabb can't run interference.

Isn't there a way to
disengage the autopilot?

Well, there's a thought, Major.

Why don't we just eject them?

But until they start making

F-14s with remote
controls, we're SOL.

Major, perhaps it
would be more useful

if you followed up on
the contaminated oxygen.

Aye, sir.

Damn JAGs.

She's only trying
to be helpful, CAG.

I know. That's just it.

She may be onto something.

MacKENZIE: How
could the oxygen supply

become contaminated?

The carrier's O2 plant

compresses ambient
air into liquid oxygen.

It's tested daily, because

if an O-ring in the
compressor ruptures,

the oxygen will become
contaminated with oil.

Here's your culprit, Major.

A $40 million
aircraft compromised

by a 50-cent O-ring.

Major MacKenzie?

Sir, we found the problem.

It's a faulty O-ring
in the compressor.

Have it replaced, Moses.

Now, about your idea to
disengage the autopilot...

I was out of line,
sir. I apologize.

That's beside the point, Major.

Meet me in the ready room.

Have communication put a call
through to Grumman Northrop.

I need you to get an
engineer on the horn

who knows this plane inside out.

Me, sir?

It was your idea, Major.

Now find a way

to make it work.

Aye, aye, sir.

Sir, I've got Edmund
Carter on the line.

He's a programmer for
the F-14 flight system.

Put him on the speaker.

Mr. Carter, you're
on with Captain Ward.

Captain? This is
the deal, Carter:

I've got a Tomcat
stuck in automatic pilot

with an unconscious
pilot and RIO

headed into hostile territory.

How do we disengage?

The autopilot uses the
computer navigation system

to make hundreds of
course corrections a second

based upon the information it
receives from sensors located

throughout the plane.

So if those sensors
detect a significant change,

the autopilot will disengage.

What kind of changes
are we talking about?

Well, airspeed, for one.

Well, we can't slow them down.

All right, there are wing-level
sensors which will disengage

if they sense a change in
an angle over 45 degrees.

So if we can get
the plane's wings

up over a 45-degree angle,
the autopilot will disengage.

That's right. Thank
you, Mr. Carter.

Then the plane will go
into a graveyard spiral.

That doesn't sound good.

It's all we got.

If we can get them
down below 10,000 feet,

they should regain consciousness

and have enough time
to pull up or punch out.

How can you get the
wings past 45 degrees?

Bernoulli's principle.

Commander Rabb
can lift Karma's wing up

with his own wing... They
don't even have to touch.

The change in air pressure
caused by Rabb's wing

will lift Karma's wing up.

Once the computer senses
they're over 45 degrees,

the autopilot will disengage.

What if the wings do touch?

Then everybody has a bad day.

We only have one problem.

What's that?

Rabb.

The commander's a
good pilot, Captain.

That's the problem, Major.

You've got to be a hell
of a lot better than good

to pull this thing off.

You want me to what?

In order to disengage
the autopilot,

you need to tip their
wing up past 45 degrees.

Whose brilliant idea is this?

Actually, it began
with a suggestion

from Major MacKenzie.

I might have known.

The engineers have confirmed it.

It works on paper.

Unfortunately I'm not
flying a paper airplane, CAG.

The autopilot
will be fighting me

all the way.

We have no alternative.

If it doesn't work, you have to
turn around and come home.

All right, I'll give it a try.

You're doing good, Rabb.

Easy does it.

How's my airspeed?

We're matching
them at 453 knots.

All right, I'm in position.

Well, what are you waiting for?

Lift his wing, and
let's get this over with.

Aye, aye, sir.

Here goes nothing.

Easy, girl.

Easy.

What's going on, Commander?

Rabb?

With all due respect,
sir, I'm a little busy

right now.

I'll let you know
when it's over.

Flying lawyers.

We're approaching 45 degrees.

Just a little further.

We're past 45 degrees.

Come on.

It worked.

Karma's gone into a dive.

I'm going after him.

Come on, Karma, wake up!

We're passing through Angels 20.

Bear! Wake up, Bear!

Karma!

Angels 15.

Karma, pull up! They've
got about eight seconds.

Angels ten. We got to pull out.

Karma!

Pull up! Pull up!

He's climbing!

He's climbing!

Karma? Karma?

Yeah?

You okay, Karma?

I think my head's
going to explode.

What happened?

You had a bad batch of oxygen.

You blacked out.

We managed to
disengage the autopilot.

How'd you do that?

It's a long story.

Let's go home.

Commander Rabb, that was some

pretty damn impressive
flying for a lawyer.

Thanks, CAG.

Where's Bear?

He's gone to sick bay.

I'm headed over there.

You were right.

It was bad oxygen
from a ruptured O-ring.

Fortunately, Commander
Rabb and Slider's oxygen

was filled before it happened.

What about the first time?

Why was I the only one affected

if Gogo and I were
breathing off the same bottle?

The oxygen you were breathing

the night of the
incident was clean.

Then I wasn't hallucinating
when I heard the voice?

Not from anoxia.

But if it was God, I
still don't understand

why he told me not to fire.

I guess it just wasn't
your enemy's day to die.

Just like today wasn't yours.

Thank you.