The Last Ship (2014–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Dead Reckoning - full transcript

[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER
IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

[ALARM WAILING]

CIC, Bridge, what are we dealing with here?

EW reports it's an old version
of a Kirov-class guided-missile cruiser.

Nuclear powered
and possibly carrying warheads.

- I thought those were mothballed in the '90s.
- They're old and ugly, but dangerous.

With whom do I have
the pleasure of speaking?

I am Konstantin Nicolayevitch Ruskov...

a former vice admiral of the Red Banner
Northern fleet of the Russian Federation.

Messenger of the Watch, please go to my at-
sea cabin and grab me a book off the shelf.

- The one in Russian.
HOLLAND: Aye, captain.



CHANDLER [OVER RADIO]:
Admiral, I need to advise you...

that you are in United States territorial
waters and are standing into danger.

Withdraw seaward or you will be subject
to defensive action.

Commander Chandler,
I have pursued you across the globe...

but I wish no further conflict.

After you have met my demands...

you and your crew will be free to leave the
harbor and travel the Earth as you please.

- And what would those demands be?
- Oh, let's not be coy.

You have the primordial strain of the virus
that is killing the world.

You will hand it over to me, along with
Dr. Rachel Scott and all of her research.

Sorry, admiral,
but I don't know what you're talking about...

and the thing is,
I don't take orders from you.

Now, I'm gonna ask you one more time,
move your ship.

RUSKOV: As your Navy and your country
no longer exist...



there is no higher authority but me.

If you don't do as I say...

you and your crew will leave this harbor
atop a mushroom cloud.

You saw what happened to France.
You know what my ship is capable of.

CHANDLER:
Admiral Ruskov...

I suggest we meet somewhere face-to-face,
negotiate a peaceful solution to our problem.

It will be my pleasure.

Who else has been working on a vaccine?

- What, in the world? Everyone.
- What about the Russians? Were they close?

I mean,
nobody was making any real progress...

and I hate to say it,
but they're probably all dead.

If somebody had the primordial strain
of the virus, the stuff you found in the ice...

could they make a vaccine?

If they had the right equipment
and someone qualified to run it...

- but they'd be months behind us.
- I need to borrow Dr. Tophet.

Can you spare him?

- Out of the frying pan, huh, fellas?
- What? You joining the team?

Captain thought I'd be useful...

seeing as you're all playing
in my backyard.

And before the plague, Fufu Cantina,
that was the place, boy.

Old Juan Carlos, he made the best mimosas
locas. Heh. We gotta get some of that.

- God help us.
- There's no way to convince you not to go.

Konstantin Ruskov's a military genius.

Literally wrote the book
on modern naval warfare.

Maybe you can ask him to sign your copy.
There's only one way out of this harbor.

Every minute we sit here
gives that asshole time to dig in.

He's already dug in.
Meeting him is the only way.

I need to look him in the eyes.

Hey, Smith, Berchem,
establish the perimeter.

Masks up.

You needn't bother with the masks.
We're not infected.

CHANDLER:
Well, we'll test you just the same.

[GUNS COCK]

I'm unarmed.

[SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN]

Make a fist.

RUSKOV:
Hm.

How can you wear those costumes
in this heat?

Still, better than the Arctic, no?

CHANDLER:
The Arctic was bad for both of us, admiral.

As I recall, you lost five airships.

Helicopters are easy to replace.
Look around you.

The world is ours for the taking.

[DEVICE BEEPS]

QUINCY: He's clean.
- You see? Clean.

[RUSKOV CHUCKLING]

JETER:
XO, take a look.

SLATTERY:
They're mining the bay.

- We could scare them off with the 50 cals.
- Can't risk a firefight with CO off the Bridge.

TAO, Bridge. Get the hunter in the water.
Find me a clear route out of this harbor.

And spin tomahawks one through six.

If I don't hear from the captain in one hour,
we're unloading on that Russian son of a bitch.

Mines. I hate fricking mines.

I told Moscow it was suicide
and that we must remain at sea...

if we're to survive this plague,
but they insisted.

All ships must return to homeport.

And so I took matters into my own hands.

You're looking at the last admiral of the
last ship of the once great Russian navy.

So the uniform we wear matters no more.

Well, it matters to me.

Whether mine is one of a dozen
or the last ship to survive...

- We're all sailors of the United States Navy.
RUSKOV: Of course you are.

Still, that we're here is cause to rejoice, no?

You got a funny way of celebrating.

Firing a nuclear weapon at France.
How many people you think you killed?

- Five, 10 million?
- France was already dead.

That missile was meant to stop you...

to keep you from refueling and sneaking
home with a vaccine in your pocket.

We have no interest in keeping the vaccine
to ourselves. It's for the world.

Do you know what was going on
in the world...

while you were playing your war games
in the Arctic?

The virus spread like an invisible fire,
destroying everything in its path...

bodies piled up sky-high.

The fear spread even quicker
than the virus itself.

Turned country against country,
brother against brother...

governments against their own people.

Sixty million Chinese were murdered
in three days...

like they were culling so many piglets.

The world is not worth saving.

So, what, you wanna keep
the vaccine for yourself?

What I want is of no concern to you.

Well, I don't have it. Not yet, at least.

And you won't, because you're missing
an ingredient only I possess.

Now, you will give me what you have...

the primordial sample,
your research and Dr. Scott...

or you die in Cuba.

You won't fire on my ship
as long as we have what you want.

This little game of chicken you're playing
now will only cause millions more to die.

So why don't I lead with my best offer?

[GUNS COCK]

A sample of the primordial virus.

With my compliments.

- I'm sorry. That will not do, not at all.
TEX: You heard the captain, Boris.

You ain't getting our scientist.

Don't be foolish, captain. You cannot win.

I'll go. I'll go with him.

- I can do what's needed, I'm capable...
- No. Not him.

Dr. Rachel Scott, she's the one I want.

Well, that's not gonna happen.

RUSKOV: I can outlast you
and your band of cowboys.

My ship has enough nuclear fuel to patrol
this harbor for the next 25 years.

Then you get nothing, admiral.

And while you're sitting out there...

you can wonder
how I'm gonna feed my men...

when the Americans have all the food
on the island.

Viktor.

[SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN]

GREEN: Drop it!
BURK: Drop it right there!

[GASPS]

One mouth less to feed.

GATOR: RMS picked up over a dozen mines
blocking the only channel out of here.

We can kill the ones we need,
but not without making a lot of noise.

You were right.

Ruskov was using the extra time
to strengthen his position.

It's not like we could just sneak out
of the harbor.

Even under cover of night,
we're glowing big and bright on his radar.

We've got the world's best fighting machine
and an entire naval base.

Find us a way out of here. Green,
I want a tactical plan. Work with Tex.

He's not Navy, but he knows the island
and he can fight.

BOTH:
Yes, sir.

Doctor, Admiral Ruskov said
he had something you don't...

something you can't make the vaccine
without. Any idea what he was talking about?

He's bluffing.

So, what would you like me to do now?

You said you were close to a breakthrough
in the vaccine. Keep working.

That's all that matters.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[DISTANT UPBEAT MUSIC
PLAYS OVER SPEAKERS]

JETER: We're at GQ
and the Russians are having a party.

They must still keep vodka on their ships.

You know, I wasn't even supposed
to be on this ship?

I was two days from reporting
to shore duty in Portsmouth...

and some last-minute change of orders
put me on Nathan James.

I guess that makes you lucky, huh?

GATOR:
I think I found a way out of here.

Navy used to send frigates
through this canal all the time.

TEX:
They stopped dredging that a while back.

From what I heard, it's all gunked up
with coral and rock.

That's why the Russians didn't bother
mining it.

- It's too shallow for us to get through.
- For a DDG.

I could mount some GLMs on a RHIB...

sneak up on their 180 and launch
a few HE grenades over their stern.

It's gonna take more than that. Tex,
what kind of assets are available at Gitmo?

Army's facility has mortars,
vehicle-mounted weapons.

- I got the keys. I'll get y'all a Bradley tank.
- You get us in, we'll do the rest.

Before we do anything,
I want that canal scouted. Ruskov's no fool.

He knows we're gonna be looking
for another way out.

Aye, sir. If we start here...

BERCHEM [OVER RADIO]:
This is beautiful.

It reminds me of my honeymoon video,
at least the footage I let people see.

Too much information.

Berchem, it's probably comments like that
that led to your divorce.

[BERCHEM CHUCKLES]

Tex, how long to get the guns
from the armory to the top of the hill?

- A couple hours.
- Good.

BERCHEM: It's not deep,
but the canal looks better than we thought.

Only real problem's that outcropping,
probably coral.

It may give us a tight squeeze.

SMITH [OVER RADIO]: Yeah, we'll have to
blow the coral to get a clean path.

Hang on. I'll take you to the surface.

We could blow it,
but it'll make a hell of a boom.

- Contact!
BERCHEM: Dive! Dive!

- No.
BERCHEM: Smith's been hit. Smith is hit.

No! No!

[GUNFIRE]

Berchem! Smith! Berchem, come in!
Berchem!

Berchem, come in.

Berchem! Smith!

Ruskov.

- Have you reconsidered my offer?
- Look out your window, starboard side.

Put them in the drink.

TAO, Bridge.
One round, 10 yards off the bow.

- TAO, Aye. Break, surface.
- Surface, aye.

Killing track 81652 with guns,
10 yard forward offset. One round HEPD.

Consider that a warning,
which is more than you gave to my men.

Next time, I won't miss.

I am disappointed in you, captain.

You're not the leader I imagined.

[IN RUSSIAN]

I will sink you.

[IN ENGLISH]
This is an Arleigh Burke destroyer.

It was built to fight. You better know how.

CIC, this is your captain.

Prepare to fire again on my order.
This time, I want a direct hit.

Guns, surface.
Cover track 85150 with guns.

[BEEPING]

Five...

[MAN YELLS IN RUSSIAN]

Four...

Guns, aye. Cover track 85150.
Target acquired.

[MAN YELLS IN RUSSIAN]

Three, two...

- one.
- What do you want?

Shut your weapons down.

Back out of the harbor and over the horizon.

I don't wanna see your ugly ass ship
out of my front window.

Very well.
You have 24 hours to turn over the doctor.

If you attempt to leave or are planning
another brilliant sneak attack, we'll see you.

Twenty-four hours, captain.

CIC, XO. Cease track.
Train mount 5-1 to ready air.

[IN RUSSIAN]

We should've blown them out of the water.

As soon as they're over the horizon...

send a search and recovery team
for Smith and Berchem.

They're standing by.

[IN RUSSIAN]

This new thermal cycler is a godsend. We'll
absolutely be able to identify the gene.

How's it coming with that centrifuge?

I was worried that the humidity on the isla...

- Quincy, what are you doing?
- I need you to come with me now.

- What...?
- Just go! Move!

- Damn it! Why are you doing this?
- Let's go!

- Get down the stairs. Now move.
- Quincy...

have you gone insane?

- What is it that you want?
- Getting off this ship. Now shut up.

- Quincy, you'll destroy all the samples!
- I said shut up!

Now jump-

- You've got to be kidding.
- I don't wanna hurt you...

but that's exactly what will happen
if you don't do as I say. Now jump.

MAN 1:
Hey! What are you doing?

MAN 2 [OVER PA]: All weapons stations
topside, report unusual activity to the FPO.

Security rover to the Bridge.

All weapons stations topside,
report unusual activity to the FPO.

Help! Somebody! He's got a gun!

- Nobody move! Nobody move!
- Quincy.

MAN 3: Hands up!
- Stay back!

- Drop your weapon!
- Stay back!

- Drop your weapon!
- Stay back!

MAN 4: Drop the weapon!
RACHEL: Don't shoot him.

Quincy.

Okay.

Okay.

Quincy, no!

If I open this,
the virus will kill everybody on the ship.

So put your weapons down and back away.

I don't know why you did this,
but I know we can talk this through.

We solve problems. That's what we do.

Rachel, you have to come with me.

It's you they want. Just you.

I'm not going anywhere.

You're gonna have to kill me too.

CHANDLER: Put your weapons down.
- Stay back!

RACHEL:
Give me the vial, Quincy.

QUINCY:
Rachel, they're not gonna hurt you.

They promised me.
So please, please come with me.

You're not gonna kill all these people.

It's not who you are.

Give me the vial?

Please?

QUINCY:
Aah! Aah!

MAN 5: We got him!
MAN 6: Secure that weapon!

I mean, he must've been talking
to the Russians all along.

That's how they were able to follow us.
He was my partner for almost 10 years.

I'm at a complete loss.

- What were his connections to the Russians?
- I don't know.

I mean, he studied there years ago. He has
friends, he has colleagues, we both do.

It doesn't make sense.

I told you,
I hadn't met him, not until yesterday.

So, what, were you two
like Facebook friends?

I need to see the captain.
My family is in grave danger.

We'll get to that. First you're gonna tell me
about your relationship with the admiral.

There is no relationship.
There never was a relationship.

Please, my daughter is a prisoner
on his ship.

You almost killed my entire crew,
so I recommend you start talking.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

[DOOR OPENS]

During the hysteria of the outbreak...

governments were pressuring their
biologists to withhold vital information...

research that could possibly contribute
to a vaccine. I disagreed.

And I began sharing information
with another scientist, Sergei Yumanov.

Sharing? You mean leaking.

You don't understand. While governments
bickered amongst themselves...

the virus was winning.
I couldn't let that happen.

Ruskov suggested he had someone
or something on his ship...

to help him make a vaccine.
Is that your friend?

Sergei's dead.

I'd been communicating with him
on the sat phone.

Then two weeks before the Russians
attacked us on the ice...

I called Sergei
and it was Ruskov on the end of the line.

He'd murdered Sergei...

and he'd taken my family,
my daughter and my wife.

It was a Brit that kept us in the harbor,
pretending to be CO of that UK destroyer.

- Quite a performance by your wife.
- Kelly had nothing to do with this.

Ruskov is using her to get to me
and more importantly, Rachel.

Listen. I did a stupid, stupid thing.

Do what you want with me, but please
don't make my family pay for my mistakes.

- Ruskov'll kill them if I don't do as he says.
- What exactly was your plan tonight?

I was supposed to take Rachel and the
samples to the other side of the beach.

There's a boat I can use to get us
to the Vyerni.

[CLASSICAL MUSIC
PLAYS OVER SPEAKERS]

And who am I impersonating at this
godforsaken hour, the Queen of England?

No, your work is done, duschenka. Now
it's up to your husband, and we will see.

See what?

If he loves his family as much as you say.

I must admit,
I have mixed feelings about his success.

I've come to enjoy our time together.

The Russians are expecting Quincy to
show up with Dr. Scott on a civilian vessel...

some time tonight while there's no moon.

The meeting will go off as planned
with a few differences.

Unless we completely cripple the Vyerni,
he'll still have retaliatory capability.

By then we'll be safely out of the harbor.

Smith and Berchem didn't die in vain.

They showed us we can make our escape
through the old canal.

Forgive me, but it's one thing
to send a RHIB through.

This is a destroyer. The water's
not deep enough. It's not possible.

- Exactly why the Russians won't expect it.
- At high tide we'll have 2, 3 feet clearance.

That canal is so narrow
we won't have any margin for error.

Then there's the coral growth,
it'll rip our hull apart.

We blast ourselves a hole.

But, sir, the minute we move the ship,
Ruskov will see us on his radar.

- He's staring right at us.
CHANDLER: He's not.

He's looking at a red dot on a radar screen.
On that screen, we can be any ship in this port.

Let's prepare the Bridge team.

Lieutenant Foster. We need a female
for this mission. You grew up on a farm.

Can you still handle a rifle?

Qualified as expert marksman last year.

I can knock the nipples off a chicken
from a thousand yards, sir.

- Okay, you're on Alpha Team with Rowler.
FOSTER: Yes, sir.

Sir? I don't feel comfortable having
Lieutenant Foster on this mission.

- She's never seen action like this before.
- Objection noted, lieutenant. She's going.

Then I'm riding Alpha.

Sir, I've...

I've already lost two men
while standing on the sidelines.

Search team couldn't even recover
their bodies.

I need to be out there this time.

Thank you, sir.

[DOOR CLOSES]

SLATTERY: High tide
in exactly two hours and 48 minutes.

We're gonna take this ship
through the eye of the needle.

To avoid Russian radar...

we're gonna do it at EMCON Alpha One,
no sonar, no radar.

But we're up to the challenge.

Yes, sir. Let's get the low-vis watch team
on the bow.

MAN:
Sir.

GRANDERSON:
Sir, without radar...

we're gonna be awfully close
to that coral in order to hit the mark.

We won't get a second chance.

We'll just have to get it right the first time.

Aye, sir.

RUSKOV [IN RUSSIAN]:

[ALL CHEERING IN RUSSIAN]

Just keep your head down.

Keeping my head down's kind of gonna
defeat the purpose, don't you think?

[RADIO CLICKS]

We're good to go. Next radio click comes
when they're 500 yards from impact zone.

CHANDLER: Single up. When the master
chief's back on board, take in all lines.

Everyone watch the clock.
We're timing this down to the second.

ALL:
Aye, sir.

Last time I navigated by dead reckoning
was the sailing team at the academy.

I'm more nervous about being blown
out of the water.

On the bright side, with our radar turned off,
we won't see it coming.

[BEEPING]

- All right, Miller, find a spot right here.
- All right.

I don't mean to sound dim...

but how's a roll of aluminum foil
supposed to look like a 500-foot destroyer?

It's all about reflections, my man.

The James has low reflectivity,
which makes us hard to pick up on radar.

In fact, to the Russians...

we look about the same as a few square
feet of tin foil, pointed in the right direction.

[CHUCKLES]

- Master chief, you about ready?
- Yes, sir. On your order.

[MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Prepare to go EMCON Alpha One.

I say again...

all radar and radio transmissions
go down on my count.

Three, two...

one, Now.

Sir, all crew back on board.

Lieutenant Granderson,
all ahead one-third, 3 knots.

Make your course 1-3-5.
Engage prairie masker.

Aye, sir.
Helmsman, come to course 1-3-5...

all ahead one-third for 3 knots.

Course 1-3-5,
all ahead one-third for 3 knots. Aye.

Time to disappear.

St. Nicholas Point Channel light 2-6-2.

St. Nicholas Point Channel light 2-6-2.

- Corinaso Point Light 1-9-0.
WOMAN: Corinaso Point Light 1-9-0, aye.

- Gator, I need a report.
- Speed over ground 4.6 knots.

Course over ground 1-1-2.

I hold you at 50 yards right of track...

recommend course 1-0-7 to regain track.

Recommended course 1-0-7.
Helmsman, come left to course 1-0-7.

My rudder is left,
coming to new course 1-0-7.

What's our depth, Gator?

Four feet clearance beneath the sonar dome
to a rocky bottom.

If we're on track,
we should be hearing from them.

[RADIO CLICKS]

That's it. They're in open water,
500 yards out, 10 knots.

Calculated impact in five minutes.

CHANDLER: We don't blast the coral until
Green and Foster have reached their target.

We wait until we see their blast.
Is that clear?

ALL:
Aye, sir.

ASMIK [IN RUSSIAN]:

Ruskov should see them by now.
Let's hope he buys it.

He already thinks he's won.

[IN RUSSIAN]

[ASMIK SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN
OVER LOUDSPEAKER]

[BEEPING]

GREEN:
We're hot!

[RADIO CLICKS]

Here we go.

[IN RUSSIAN]

MAN [OVER RADIO]: I have the reef visually
at about 800 yards off the port bow.

OOD, based on a good fix,
holds us at 20 yards left of track.

- Helmsman, come right five degrees rudder.
- Right five degrees rudder.

TAO, I'm gonna need to blast that coral.
What's your status?

BARKER [OVER RADIO]: Torpedo
armed, ready. Firing bearing set.

[BEEPING]

[ENGINE SLOWS]

- What are you doing?
- Just bail. I got this.

Danny, not yet. We're gonna be late.
Speed up.

Something happened.

GRANDERSON:
Impact is overdue, sir.

SLATTERY: Why aren't we seeing anything?
- Hang on.

That canal is too tight
to turn around in.

I can't slow down
without losing maneuverability.

We have to blast that coral, sir,
or it'll tear us apart.

Hang on.

- You can just bail.
- I'm not going anywhere. We gotta go.

[ASMIK SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN
OVER LOUDSPEAKER]

Come on.

- We're gonna hit the coral in 15 seconds.
- Hang on.

[ASMIK SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN
OVER LOUDSPEAKER]

Admiral?

[IN RUSSIAN]

RUSKOV [IN RUSSIAN]:

GRANDERSON:
Ten seconds, sir.

Come on.

[YELLS IN RUSSIAN]

Fire torpedoes!

[SHIP CREAKING]

DC Central, captain. Damage report.

MAN 1 [OVER RADIO]:
Bridge, DC Central. Initial report.

No apparent hull damage.

OOD, let's pick up our cargo
and get the hell out of here.

Aye, sir. All engines ahead two-thirds.

MAN 2 [OVER RADIO]:
Rescue boat moving to extract.

[IN RUSSIAN]

[ALARM WAILING]

[IN RUSSIAN]

BURK:
Nice work, lieutenant.

[ALL CLAPPING]

- Danny.
- We were late.

I could've blown the whole mission,
gotten all of us killed.

- But you didn't. And we got out fine.
- I lost my focus because of you.

Because of me? I didn't do anything.
You throttled down and wanted me to bail.

- No.
- Danny.

This is...
This is why we're not supposed to...

I love you.

Just stay away from me.

Did Ruskov have a backup plan?

In case you couldn't get Dr. Scott
off the ship?

I haven't the faintest idea.

So that's it, then?

They're dead.

- You killed my family.
- No, you killed your family!

You killed them and two of my best men
the minute you took up with Ruskov!

- I had no choice!
- You always have a choice!

You could've asked for help!

Instead, you took the fate of the entire world
in your hands and you almost threw it away!

And what would you have done?

If it were your family on Ruskov's ship,
what would you have done?

Answer me! What would you have done?

MAN:
This is ridiculous.

Come on. I can't believe this.

Ah, damn it.

Damn it. Elva!

[CLATTERING]

Elva, this is ridiculous.

[ALARM WAILING]

- You didn't get her, did you?
- No.

I thought we were all dead.
How bad is the ship?

- We'll fix it.
- Yeah, well, heh...

I mean, I need that woman
and I need the primordial.

[SQUEAKING]

- We'll get her and the virus, I assure you.
- Ah.

Damn it.

Do I need to send someone in
to help you clean up?

No, please. I'll do it.

Ah.

I hate how your men look at me.

Like I'm some sort of circus attraction.

Oh, I'm still waiting
on that microwave oven. I need mice.

[SQUEAKING]

[EXHALES]