SeaQuest 2032 (1993–1996): Season 1, Episode 19 - Abalon - full transcript

22 hours, Commander.
How does it feel?

Like I'm breathing
through an old pair of socks.

My air's getting pretty foul,
Captain. How deep am I?

We've got you at 34,217 feet.

You're on the last level now.
We're almost home.

- What does it look like down there?
- Looks like lonely.

I'm starting to feel
kind of weird, Captain.

- How's he doing?
- Pulse, 2-10.

Blood oxygen, 43% of normal.
CO2's on the rise.

He could be feeling
a bit drunk.

Doc says you're doing fine.
Enjoy yourself. Go for a walk.



- It's a desert down here, Nathan.
- Take a camel.

Funny stuff, Bridger.

It's starting to get
a little creepy down here.

Settle down.
First stage is almost over.

You settle down, pal.
I want out of here.

Captain to Nathan? Bridger to pal?
What's next, insulting my parentage?

It's the C02 building up.

He's probably starting
to feel a little wiggy.

This guy could do a crossword puzzle
in a plane crash.

He's got the toughest psych profile
on the boat.

- Oh, my God.
- What is it?

Commander, what is it?

This sucks. I'm gone.

Override his DSL
surfacing system.



No way, Captain. I'm driving.

If you come up that fast your head will
come apart like a pizza in a Windstorm.

I've got him.

Okay, Commander,
breathe deep and slow.

Okay, I'm better.
I can make it, Captain. I'm sorry.

Just remind me not to invite you
to the office Christmas party.

You're an ugly drunk.

Take it slow now.
He still has a little gas in his head.

Halfway home, Commander.
Got you at 21,000 feet.

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.

Easy, Commander, slow down.

Come on, Captain,
this is a riot! I'm fine!

Amazing what a good night's sleep
will do, isn't it?

I wouldn't know.
Alright, Commander,

standardized test now.
Recess is over.

You know, Captain,
this thing is great.

We ought to get a couple dozen of them
and start an underwater football league.

There he goes again.

Every time he gets close to the 20 hour
barrier, he turns into Mr. Potato Head.

How deep am I, Captain?

- Deep enough. You're coming up.
- Come on, Captain.

- I want to try a handstand in this thing.
- That's it. Prepare for ascent.

Sounds of the rude world
heard in the day,

lull'd by the moonlight
have all passed away.

Shoo-ha da-bah
Thank you.

Bring him up before
he decides to play Vegas.

We're bringing you home.
Relax, enjoy the ride.

No problemo.

How are you doing, Commander?
Everything okay?

Commander?

Commander?

Are you there?

- Cmdr. Ford?
- Commander!

- Ford, what's wrong?
- Cmdr. Ford, are you all right?

What the hell's going on
with this guy?

Monitor these stats.
I'm bringing him up at speed.

Help me, Captain.

No. No.

- I can't.
- Why not?

Because.

How old are you?
Two?

- Where is it?
- Sanger Institute.

The janitor gave me the keys.
He owes me.

- For what?
- IRS wanted some dough.

Sol broke in, tapped his file,
and now he's getting a refund.

So you guys are felons?

Give him a break.
He's a working stiff.

Look, I told my old man I'm staying
on seaQuest this weekend.

You tell Bridger
that you're staying at my place

that we're studying up for
some grad school courses.

Biff, that would be lying,

- and I always tell Capt. Bridger
the truth. - Why?

Because it's the easiest thing
to remember.

Truth is a flexible perception
based on need, Lucas.

Julianna's gonna be there.

And Roberta told me that Julianna
wants to go all the way with you.

So don't wimp out, okay?

I can't lie.

So, it's a conference on the social
phenomenon of post-adolescence.

Julianna's gonna be there?

A mermaid?

Yes, sir.
It was a "her," sir.

It couldn't be a mermaid, Jonathan.
They don't make them.

It was a woman, sir.

She was swimming unassisted,
at a depth of over 30,000 feet.

She didn't have a tail or anything
like that, but what would you call her?

A hallucination.

Why didn't you report it
her, the first time?

I don't know.
I was scared, I guess.

This was a human being. And she was
down there just swimming around

breathing the water
in and out, like a

Okay, like a hallucination.
But Captain, I saw her.

She was real.
She even smiled at me.

Did you get her phone number?

Jonathan, we've never exposed anybody
to this level of depth stress.

I know what I saw, Doctor.

And that's what you want
in your report?

- It's a fact, sir.
- All right, Commander.

It's your report. Thank you.

- Did you think you were a little hard
on him? - He's a career officer.

- That's why we gave him the test.
- So you don't think it's possible?

Kristin. A mermaid?

Perhaps someone has moved
ahead of our known technology.

I mean, Darwin, his speech,
that's a breakthrough.

He's a dolphin whose sounds
are translated through a computer.

If he sits down to a piano and starts
playing, that'll be a breakthrough.

- What are you looking for'?
- What do you think, sir?

- I think you need some time off.
- I know what I saw.

I'm going to pull you off these DSL tests.
Replace you with Hitchcock.

I've never been taken off
a project in my life, sir.

It happens to everyone.

I think you need some shore leave,
and I want you to take this with you.

If you need anything, anybody,

you just push this
and we'll be there.

I don't want to see you
for 72 hours.

- What am I going to do up there?
- I don't know.

You'll drink a few beers,
look at some pretty girls, sleep in.

Give it a try.
It's not so bad.

Okay?

The social phenomenon
of post-adolescence.

Sanger Institute this weekend
on the social phenomenon

of post-adolescence.

You're up kind of late.

Yeah, I was on the computer,
taking some grad school

Talking about some grad school courses
with Biff Pickering.

- How is the Biff er? - Still Biffing.
- How's it going with the DSL tests?

- Still classified.
- All the good stuff is.

- I'll let you know as soon
as I get clearance. - No, it's okay.

- I mean, big deal, right?
- Yeah, it is a big deal.

Sorry. You're just not in the loop.

Captain, there's a conference at the
Sanger Institute this weekend.

I know a lot of the guys that are going.
I'd really like to attend.

What's it on?

Well, the social phenomenon
of post-adolescence.

Post-adolescence?

I didn't know you were interested.

Yeah, sounds great. Leave me a number
where you can be reached.

Could I take the Stinger?

I know how to drive it.

Okay. Just be careful.
Good night.

Good night.

- Hey, you don't knock?
- Relax, Ben, I've seen it.

- Seen what?
- Beach Girls of Barcelona.

You hide these
in your closet, in your cowboy boots.

What's a guy gotta do to get
a little privacy on this boat?

Hide stuff like that
in your sock drawer.

Can I borrow some cologne?
You got any?

What are you doing? Experiments
on Darwin's olfactory responses?

I'm going to a conference
at the Sanger Institute.

Wearing cologne?
What kind of conference?

It's just a conference.

Why the third degree?
Can't a guy just go to a conference

about post-adolescent phenomenons
without getting interrogated about it?

What, do you think it's going
to be an orgy or something?

Jeez.

Is that girlfriend of yours
going to be there?

I don't have a girlfriend,
Krieg.

And if Julianna
happens to be there

well, then it would
just be a coincidence.

Because nobody
is planning anything.

Oh.

You be careful with that stuff.
Last time I used it,

I almost had
to get married again.

So, is it really a conference?

Okay, it's a party-

The janitor gave
a friend of mine the keys.

- Lucas, this doesn't sound
like a good idea. - Ben, I'm already in.

If I don't go,
I'll look like a wimp.

And Julianna's gonna be there.

Oh.

Well, is there anything else
you want to borrow?

Uh

Yeah, if you got any.
Sure, I'd appreciate it.

You're not planning on doing
anything stupid, are you?

No.

But in case
I do something stupid

I want to be prepared
to do something stupid.

Although, I don't think I'm ready.
Neither do I.

- And you got plenty of time
to be stupid. - Yeah.

But in case stupid wins

I better be ready.

- How old are you?
- Almost 17.

You know how to use one of these?

I'm not that stupid.

Thanks.

Hey.

Take it slow, okay?
Growing up isn't a race.

That's easy for you to say.
You've already been stupid.

There she is.

And she wants you.
I can tell.

Come on, Biff,
she's not even looking at me.

You gotta go on instinct
with these things.

Hey, women are something
I'm good at.

She's a girl, Biff,
not a hard drive.

Trust me.

- Who's that?
- But he's taller than you are.

Thanks.

We looked everywhere for her,
Father. I'm sorry.

Mika's gone up top.

But why?

She wanted to see it.
There's nothing to see.

I can't let what's happening
up there happen down here.

This is the new world.
It's alive. Living.

What's left up there is dying.

Find her. Please.

But what if
she won't come home?

Mika's life is down here with us, Kaman.

Or she can choose
to have no life at all.

You don't own me, Lucas.

There's a concept that
went out with flare pants.

- You don't.
- Who said I did? - You did.

No, I just asked
who that goon was with the perfect hair.

- He's not a goon.
- Oh, okay. A geek.

What do you guys
think of the party?

That bad, huh?

And you have
the perfect hair.

No, I don't.

- And you were all over him.
- I kissed him on the cheek.

Yeah, well, what's next?

He's my older brother, Lucas.

It was the only way my parents would
let me come here for the weekend.

And I wanted to be with you.

- Oh.
- So you don't have to be jealous.

- I wasn't jealous.
- Sure.

I was disappointed.

You won't be. I promise.

Hey, great catch today.

- Give me another.
- Another lime and soda?

Yeah. But this time,
in a taller glass.

- Tough week, huh?
- You don't want to hear about it.

You guys got
a ballet company in town?

Oh, sure,
next to the opera house.

This is a beach town, pal.
We got surfer girls and sun block.

What the hell,
make it a beer.

- Do you know her?
- No.

But you're a sailor on leave, right?
Take her to the ballet.

Hi.

Hello.

Hello.

You have no idea
how happy I am to see you.

I mean, for a while there,
I thought I was going nuts.

- I don't understand.
- And the guys on the ship did, too.

But I'm glad you're you.
You're real.

You're not a hallucination.

- You don't remember me?
- No.

- We met.
- I don't know you.

I mean, it was underwater
at 30,000 feet, but

That was me down there.

- How did you do that?
- I can't.

You don't understand.

This is wrong. I have to go.

Wait. I was

That's a hell of a technique.

Would you wait a second?
I just want to talk to you!

Wait!

Come on. Please!

- Hey, leave her alone!
- No!

Let her go!

I'm picking up an emergency
signal from Ford, sir.

But I can't make voice contact.

- Get me a location.
- Aye.

- All right, prepare the launch.
Let's go. - Yes, sir.

Vector us in, Lieutenant.

- That's Ford.
- You sure it's his, Cap?

Who else would put the date in
when they started to wear them?

Why don't you two start a search
down current, and I'll stay here.

Aye, Cap.

Where did you come from?

I live in the sea.

It's true.

Yes, it is.

The man you saw.
The man you saw in the ocean

he's my friend.
Will you help us find him?

Will you help us?

But he'll make me stay there.

No. I don't think so.
I don't think so.

"Metropolis". Fritz Lang's
wonderful film about the future.

- Do you know it?
- Afraid I must have missed that one.

Oh, unfortunate.
The man was a visionary.

I'm sorry you found us.

I think you've got that backwards.
You found me.

And you found Mika.

Do they balance beach balls
on their noses, too?

The new breed of men.
They spend their lives in paradise,

while you charge about the oceans
of the world in your wonderful boat,

trying to keep the peace
and feed the starving.

That's not the way it was meant to be,
Cmdr. Ford.

- How do you know who I am?
- This is my world.

I know everything.

Water is so much more than
you people think it is, Jonathan.

It's the natural conductor
of life, information, and energy.

Coursing through its currents are
all the memories and futures of man.

His poetry, his honor,
and his loss.

It is the lifeblood
of this planet.

And just like the blood in your body,
it knows everything about its own.

- Who are you?
- My children call me Abalon.

When I lived above,
I was known as Franklin Wise.

Dr. Franklin Wise?
The same.

- I've studied your work.
- I'm not surprised.

You were trying to develop
a way to breathe underwater.

- You had some success with rats,
as I remember. - And people.

Well, two of them died from the
experiments. There may have been more.

And how many dead astronauts
circle the globe?

You tell me.

You died in 1953.

My work was outlawed.
I had no choice.

What are you going to do with me?

You can leave, if you like.

How?

Well, we could turn you into a fish.

Something the matter?

No.

Nothing.

Do you like it in here?

I kind of feel like
I'm getting a tooth pulled.

Is this the first time?

No, I had a bicuspid yanked out
when I got braces.

No, I meant
You know.

This.

Is it yours?

Me, too.

No offense.

I really like you.

I'm a little nervous.

Roberta says you're supposed
to be nervous. That's a part of it.

Nervous and scared.
That's why it's so special.

- I think we just need to relax.
- Yeah.

Okay, who's the host?
Who's in charge here?

- Is there a problem here, Officer?
- Yeah.

Dr. Biff Pickering.
How can I be of help?

A doctor? Of what, pimples?

I'm conducting research
on the phenomenon of post-adolescence.

We're conducting research on breaking
and entering and disturbing the peace.

You got a dad?

- Yeah.
- How about we call him?

- Come on.
- That's it. Party's over.

Let's not do this, okay?

We're not ready.

I know.

Thank you, Lucas.

What are you doing
with my sister?

Nothing.

- Didn't look like nothing.
- It's true. We were doing nothing.

I wanted to do something,
but Lucas wanted to do nothing.

No, no. Look, it's my fault.
It was a mistake, and we know that now.

And I'm sorry.

Just get your coat, okay?
I'm gonna take you home.

And if I were you, I'd get out of here
before I twist your head off.

I'm gone.

- Look
- Don't even think about it, Ace.

Bye.

Primitive gills were grafted
to their backs and then their body tissues

were completely saturated
in highly oxygenated water.

They were able to survive
for approximately 24 hours.

Of course, these are just
the initial experiments done in the 1940s

before animal experimentation
was outlawed.

This is Dr. Franklin Wise.
Genetically speaking, Mika's father.

He headed up the project originally,
until his credentials were pulled.

Apparently he tried
the experiment on humans

and there were some fatalities.

According to our records,
he committed suicide in 1953.

Come left 16 degrees.
Back off power.

Corning left 16 degrees.

Reverse thrust.

Go gentle, 10%.

Reverse thrust, 10%.

We don't want to dent
the fenders.

We can't get her
off the rocks, sir.

Full astern at 50%.

Metabolism has slowed to 17%.

Prepare the water, please.

I'm picking up communication, sir.

All right, put it up.

- Welcome to Abalon.
- Thank you.

I'm Capt. Bridger
of the seaQuest.

I know who you are,
Capt. Nathan Hale Bridger.

We've come for our commander.

And you have my daughter.

Thank you
for bringing her home.

O'Neill, get him back.

He's got a communication
block on, sir.

Will you take us?

Yes.

This guy ought to fire
his interior decorator.

Yeah, tell me about it.

Please. This is my child.

I was so worried
about you, Mika.

I think you know me, Captain.
I'm still alive.

Does that surprise you?

All of this surprises me.

Faking my suicide
was a card trick.

Makes you about 135 years old,
doesn't it?

I expect to live
another hundred years.

I find the high ion content

and the low temperatures
at this depth prevent decay

possibly even death.

It's given me time
to perfect my work.

As you can see,
I've created my own children.

I've made them pure so they can thrive
in the bounty of the oceans.

But this time, they'll take care
of their world. Respect it.

This is the future, Nathan.

You're welcome
to share it with us.

Where is Cmdr. Ford?

Mika.

You will stay with us?

No.

- But this is your home.
- I want my commander.

Oh, God.

Hold it!

Kaman! No!

Let them go.

Mika's made her choice.

Goodbye, Mika.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Oh, yes, Captain.
Yes, it does.

I know you'll be coming back,
Capt. Nathan Hale Bridger.

Or others will.

Great!

Yes, Officer?

- Do you know a Lucas Wolenczak?
- Yes. What's wrong?

I just pulled him over for reckless
operation of a sub-surface vehicle.

The only Lucas Wolenczak
I know is attending a conference

at the Sanger Institute.

It's me, captain.

How do you feel?

Better.

I know what you did for me.
Thank you.

You're welcome.

Any idea what you're
gonna do next?

I'm not sure.
I've never been a real person before.

But Capt. Bridger told me
that if I needed any help

you would all be here for me.

We will.

Do you think
there's any chance that

we might be able
to go out sometime?

I don't think so.

Why not? ls there something
about me you don't like?

No. I think I could
like you a lot.

What is it, then?

Have you ever been
to the ballet?

What do you say
I take you sometime?

I'm sorry, Captain.

It's okay.

No lecture?

No.

Not for anything
as dumb as this.

Just don't do it again.

I won't.

Give me the keys
to the Stinger.

Here.

This yours?

Not exactly.

You can keep it, if you want.

I used to carry one of these
in my wallet when I was 16.

Carried it for years.

Why don't you carry this
in your wallet?

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

I'm Bob Ballard from the Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution.

The deepest point on Earth
is called Challenger Deep.

It's situated off the island of Guam
in 35,810 feet of water.

The pressure at this depth is
approximately eight tons per square inch.

In 1960, two people inside
the bathyscaphe "Trieste"

set the world's deep-diving record when
they returned safely from this great depth.

Join me on the next exciting
adventure of seaQuest DSV.