seaQuest DSV (1993) s02e11 Episode Script
Meltdown
You know, I never considered myself an environmentalist, but the idea of somebody free-dumping biomass is really starting to tick me off.
I mean, we're looking at a two and a half acre crop loss if Sea Mine doesn't stop dumping by-product.
Yeah, well, we don't know it's Sea Mine, do we? Yeah, and we don't know there is no Santa Claus, either.
Hate it when I'm right.
Yeah.
The old man's gonna freak.
What the hell was that? You You don't suppose they had the nerve to dump while we're here, do you? God, I hope so.
Where are you going? We're gonna catch these guys red-handed.
Look.
They're circling back.
Now maybe the UEO will get off their butts and do something.
Turn around, Jenna.
Turn around.
What the hell is that? Jenna? Jenna! Jenna! Jenna! Commander Ford, you have a call.
Commander? Jonathan? Something wrong? Must be doing extra laps.
Commander, I!m sorry to disturb you, but you have an up-link on hold.
Take a message.
I tried that, sir.
Well, try again.
Jonathan, it's your father.
I know.
He!s been on hold a while.
Sir? What? Okay.
The Fitness Center? No, my quarters.
Secured line.
A secured line with his dad? They have a special relationship.
I guess.
Hello, sir? Mr.
Ford, I can put you through now.
Sir? Sir? Mr.
Ford? Nice.
Hello? Anybody there on that nice sandy beach? You waiting for somebody? Where!s my son? Who are you? I asked you first.
I got it, Tony.
Commander Ford, do you know this guy? Jonathan, who is this person? Person? Goodbye, Tony.
Dagwood, put this back where you got it.
Shame on you.
Where did I get it? Rick and Jenna are missing.
The bodies were never recovered.
When did this happen? Yesterday afternoon.
How's Ben taking it? Your brother!s a mess.
Rick and Jenna were good friends.
Dad I just don't think I can get away right now.
Jonathan, you know I wouldn!t call if I didn!t need you.
I!d handle it myself, but this new facility has all my attention.
I!ve got half the business leveraged into this start-up.
I can!t lose focus.
What about Ben? He's your chief operating officer.
If I came down there I'd be stepping all over his toes.
He and Mike Rainer hate each other.
Like throwing fuel on the fire.
This thing with Sea Mine South Atlantic has turned into a full-blown range war.
Mike Rainer likes you.
You!re a big shot in the Navy.
No, Dad, the UEO has got to stay neutral.
Jonathan, I!m not asking you down here in your professional capacity.
I!m asking you as my son.
Look, you made it perfectly clear to me a long time ago that my life!s work is not important to you.
Dad.
That is a much larger conversation.
Then let!s not have it.
Give me a couple of days.
That!s all I!m asking.
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Just don't let this get any uglier, Ben.
It's pretty ugly already.
I may not have Jonathan's finesse, but Rainer and his Sea Mine goons are diggers, and a cool head to them just makes an easier target.
Look, Dad, give me 24 hours, I'll have Sea Mine on their knees.
If you think I'm going to give you permission to retaliate, you're dead wrong, Ben.
Dad No! Now, I don't want you doing anything until Jonathan gets here.
Do you understand me? The pattern of ice pack breakdown is consistent.
You're sure it's just not a minor coastal disturbance? No, no, there's definitely a trackable pattern, and this is nothing minor.
The emergence of farming and mining in the area have completely altered the natural ecology.
Activity which has caused the water's temperature to rise.
There's still a ceiling of cold water running through it, though, right? No, see, that's the problem.
It's forcing warm water deeper along the trench, blowing it right back through our interior ice pack.
Those idiots in the farming and mining industries are destroying our ice caps.
Well, that's the price of progress, Lucas.
The gains of providing affordable food and mineral products to the world outweigh the seasonal anomalies of a single ice floe.
Besides, both industries are sanctioned by the UEO.
You know that logo at the top of your paycheck? Captain, with your permission, I need to take a few days off.
Is this your father's business? You know, the natural resources of the world belong to everyone.
Aqua farming and mining are signatories to the UEO Natural Resources Act.
We're supposed to stay neutral.
I understand that, sir.
But by staying neutral, the UEO is only fueling an explosive situation, a situation that's cost my father millions, as well as the lives of two of his research workers.
Maybe you should be there.
Permission granted.
Thank you, sir.
Oh! Sorry.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Are you going somewhere, Commander Ford? I have to go see my family, Dagwood.
You have to go see your family? You don't want to go see your family? Sometimes.
But not this time? I just don't always get along with them, is what I mean, Dagwood.
You don't like your family? No, no, no, I love my family.
It's just easier to love them from far away.
It's like when you go to a restaurant.
Going to families is like going to a restaurant? No, no, that's not what I mean.
I mean, we tend to be nicer to total strangers.
You know, friends, waiters.
We tend to behave better, we have more patience, we don't drive them to distraction.
You know, familiarity breeds contempt.
None of this means anything to you, does it? The part about the restaurant does.
A little.
I like restaurants.
I guess we're just more at ease showing our bad side to people who have to love us.
It's complicated.
No.
I get it.
We have family because we have to drive them to distraction, where there is a restaurant that we go to to be nice to people who don't have to love us.
Exactly.
Mag-Lev engaged.
Be seated to avoid injury.
Thank you, Commander Ford.
Next stop, Docking Bay 2.
Anytime, Dagwood.
I don't know, Ben.
It doesn't sound like something your father would go for.
We have to take care of ourselves, Paulie.
Nobody understands that better than my father.
Hey, Paulie! Iced tea over here.
Hey! Jonathan, when'd you get here? I just got here.
Good to see you, man.
Sit down.
Finish your dinner.
Thanks.
How's your mom? She's good, she's good.
I'll tell her you asked.
Let me get you another one of these.
Ben? I'm fine.
Paulie's on aerators tonight.
He's gotta go.
Since when do we run at night? Since you've been gone.
Paulie.
Yeah.
Another time.
Okay.
Look, Ben, this wasn't my idea.
It's okay, Jon, I understand.
It's not like it matters.
Well, it matters to me.
I just don't know what to do about it.
I mean, you and Dad are entitled to your own relationship, even one that sucks.
I just don't see why ours has to suck, too.
You're not around that much.
Well, maybe I can do something about that.
No, Jon, you're not around that much.
So what difference does it make how we get along? And so far as the old man seeing you as the only answer to the problems he can't solve Well, I can't do much about that.
I make good decisions when I'm allowed to, Jon, and I can be very effective.
Thank you.
Dying.
Dying? Who's dying.
Sea lions, schools, many dolphins.
He's been like this all morning.
What is it, my friend, huh? A predator? An orca? Bigger than orca.
Bigger? An eating mammal? Eating fish.
Scaring dolphin.
Okay, where is this big fish, Darwin? Near land.
Warm water.
Comes from cold water.
Likes warm now.
You know, maybe that activity in the South Atlantic has stirred up a pod of killer whales.
But he says it's not killer whales.
So what is it? Missing? What the hell's Paulie doing out there in the middle of the night running aerators? I thought that with all that's been going on, we should be running nighttime back-ups.
With all that's been going on, we should be staying the hell in our homes at night.
Paulie's got a family.
Yeah, we know how important family is to you.
I've been on with the Coast Guard all morning.
I gave them a full description of the launch and the aerator grid.
But so far there's no sign of Paulie or the boat.
Dad, Ben was just trying to do his job.
I can handle this, Jon.
Mr.
Ford, there's a call from Mike Rainer here for you.
Mr.
Ford? Yeah? Mr.
Rainer? Your father around, Jon? I!ve found something I believe belongs to you.
You want to send someone to get it? Looks like chop slammed it against the struts all night.
That still wouldn't account for this.
I don't know what did this.
I'm sure you don't.
Hey, junior, maybe you ought to tell me why you had a man at my rig in the middle of the night.
Don't try and turn this around on me, Rainer! I'm not turning nothing around.
Guys, guys.
Look, I'm totally clean on this, Jon.
I had nothing to do with any of your father's accidents.
Nothing.
Now, maybe some of my guys off-loaded a little waste before they got completely outside the shelf.
But sabotage? Not while I'm in charge.
Look, maybe you got a loose cannon on your hands you don't know about.
Well We know for sure your father has one.
And whatever sabotage you think we're responsible for doesn't justify this.
This explosive was strapped to the strut of my rig.
Thank God it hadn't been set yet.
Now, I'm willing to let this go, Commander, but you tell your old man no more of this bull, or I promise, it will get ugly.
What the hell did you think you were doing? Jon, wait.
You know, at least, if you're gonna do something that stupid, have the guts to do it yourself.
You gonna tell Dad? No, I'm not gonna tell Dad.
You're gonna tell Dad, right after you tell Paulie's mom.
Rainer's not behind the attacks, Dad.
He's been dumping biomass in my beds.
Why should I believe this man? Mr.
Ford, you wanna have a look at this? Mike Rainer may not be the planet's best friend, but he knows the difference between cutting corners and the cost of human life.
Look, I didn!t come down here to take sides.
I!ve done all I can.
I've really gotta get back to seaQuest.
Dad? Jonathan! Where are you? I don't know, but I'm about three miles west if you're heading towards the Trench.
Why? You gotta run, son! You gotta run as fast and as hard as you can, and don't slow down! Run? Run from what? Dad? Dad! Run to the kelp beds, son! What? Hide in the kelp! Now! Oh, my God! Dad, that's the biggest alligator I've ever seen in my life.
It's a crocodile, Jon.
Now, I want you to listen to me very carefully.
Dad, I can't stay here.
It's gonna take the top off.
Jonathan, there's a filtration system about 60 feet to your starboard.
When I tell you to, I want you to make as wide a sweep away from it as you can, and make a run for the beach! I'll never make it.
At a dead start I need end of that thing to another.
You can make it, son.
Because in five seconds, I'm gonna blow up the filtration tanks and release 40,000 gallons worth of fertile seed flagellate.
Plankton? A 200-foot crocodile is trying to eat me, and you want to attack it with spores? Now, Jonathan! Now! He's going for it.
Captain, this is Commander Ford.
I think the situation in the South Atlantic officially falls under the auspices of the seaQuest.
Let's get you out.
Well, the tracking and depth sensors are totally shot.
The internal ballast system has to be completely refit, but she'll live to sail again.
Lucas, I take back everything I ever said to you about the cost of titanium siding.
A quarter of an inch is all that stood between me and being that thing's lunch.
Come on, Commander, a 200-foot crocodile? You know how everything underwater looks a little larger than life.
Jonathan, it's not unusual for some species of salt water crocodile to grow in excess of 30 feet.
No, no, no.
Guys, guys.
His head was 30 feet.
I know what I saw.
Dad, anytime you want to pipe in.
Well, if it's as big as you say it was, then what you probably saw was this.
A lizard.
Yeah, it's a very big lizard.
It's a Deinosuchus.
It's a post-Jurassic predecessor of the modern crocodile and alligator.
That's what I saw.
That's it.
That's what's been terrorizing us.
This isn't Ben's fault.
Get out of here.
That thing, out there where I swim? It's just a theory.
How would a creature like that survive today? Well, with the activity in the South Atlantic and the rising temperature, I'd say we probably thawed this thing out of a million-year-old block of ice.
The lizard got hurt.
One of you science-heads ought to have a field day with this.
What is that? Piece of Wally gator.
Captain, if one of these things has been reanimated after 100 million years, there could be more.
Well, there's only one way to find out.
Scatter-Com away, bearing 298.
Miguel? Recording at 2,000 meters.
No frequency backwash.
Clean? As a whistle.
Okay.
I got final.
Final is good to go.
Captain, I'm reporting a final on all marine activity in the region.
I'm uplinking your board now.
Thank you, O'Neill.
Well, except for the usual pods of migrating marine life, Captain, I'd say we're talking about an isolated case.
Good.
Well, sort of good.
I mean, there's still at least one of those things out there we've gotta take care of.
We can't kill it.
Look, this thing is amazing.
What's amazing, Lucas, is its appetite.
Ask Darwin how he feels about it.
Captain? We're lucky it hasn't destroyed an entire village.
Which is not to say it won't.
Area of attacks have been fairly contained.
Cold-blooded reptiles tend to be territorial as long as there's food in the area.
Well, there's not much we can do about the marine population, but we can evacuate the human population.
You mean the villagers.
I mean everyone.
For how long? For as long as it takes.
This area is a vital piece of my operation, Captain.
I paid a fortune for these rights.
Millions in research, and millions more in manpower and equipment.
Fine.
You tell the bank I'm defaulting on my loan because of a 200-foot crocodile.
Well, 170 anyway.
Evactee Provo is cleared for departure at Dock 2.
Evactee Provo is cleared for departure at Dock 2.
Get those cargo sleds now.
Yes, sir.
Hold that line.
Clear this area right now.
Everything all right? Yeah, everything's cool.
Thanks a lot, man.
We're clear all the way up to the cove, Commander.
I've got flyers out to all the locals.
Everyone seems to be taking the evacuation in stride.
Good.
Listen, why don't you take the shuttle back up to the docks with everybody else, help keep a lid on things up there? I gotta tell you, Commander, it's a pretty impressive little empire your family's got here.
Just how rich are you? Well, that's a pretty rude question.
I got a ruder one.
Oh.
If you're so rich, how come you keep working? Because I like ordering guys like you around.
Now, move it.
Don't take it so hard, Dad.
With any luck, in a few weeks you'll be back in full operation.
That's not what I was thinking.
I came very close to losing you.
The hardest fate to imagine is losing a child.
Well, you'd still have Ben.
I take it that's your way of telling me that I should stop being such a jerk to your brother.
No, sir, I would never dream of telling you what to do.
Then I guess that's your way of telling me also that while I'm at it, I could stop being such a jerk to you.
Very funny.
Thanks.
You know what else is funny? You coming all the way down here to help me keep going.
Now you're shutting me down.
Come on.
You and Ben can ride back with me in the launch.
Fine.
What the hell is this? Hey, we're getting ready to roll here.
Need some help? Yeah, sure, man.
Thanks a lot.
You know, I think I may owe you an apology.
Oh, not as far as I can see.
I probably owe you one.
At least one.
Which one are you talking about? Oh, you know.
The one where I dumped this gig in your lap, stuck you with the old man's dream.
Oh, that one.
You know, I didn't stick around because I didn't know what else to do with my life.
I stayed because I actually like agricultural work.
You have got to be kidding.
And given half the chance, I know I can do it better than Dad.
Did you ever tell Dad this? What, you think I'm crazy? Dad.
Don't move, son.
Hey! Hey! Here, you miserable lizard! No, Ben! No! Come and get me, you oversized handbag! Dad? Stupid kid.
Come on! My God! Dad, he's got Ben! Dad! Down here! Help! Help! Crocodile eggs.
Any sign of our crocodile? No, sir, nothing yet.
Nothing at all.
What do you mean? Well, the shelf is usually teeming with jack, yellowtail, schools of tuna, but it's completely dead out there.
It's been that way all morning.
How many eggs were down there? I didn't hang around long enough to count, but I'd say a dozen, maybe more.
That was a stupid thing you did, Ben.
Getting that thing to go after you.
You're welcome.
You missed a golden opportunity.
With me out of your life, you could've run the business any way you wanted.
I don't want you out of my life, Dad.
Just out of the way.
Dagwood.
Dagwood, no.
Dag Dag Okay, okay.
Thanks.
Welcome.
Sir, a UEO reconnaissance plane spotted our crocodile.
Where? She's sunning herself.
Sunning herself? Well, she's standing guard over her nest.
What are we gonna do? I hate to think what'll happen if some of those eggs hatch and these things start swimming out to the open waters.
Well, I've got good news and bad news.
According to the DNA found in that reptile's skin, our crocodile was, and is again, a healthy three-and-a-half year old.
Three years old? Doctor, the life expectancy of the Deinosuchus was 120 years.
They were known to lay eggs several times a year, every year for the entire course of their lives.
And that wasn't the good news? She's sterile.
Is or was? Always has been, according to her blood grouping.
So those eggs are infertile.
Mmm-hmm.
That poor thing is standing defense for babies that will never be born.
So what happens to Mom? I don't see that we have a choice.
I mean, as healthy as she is, with her longevity, she's gonna wreak some pretty major havoc on our food chain.
We've gotta kill her.
No.
You can't kill her.
Put her back.
Dagwood, I wish it was that simple.
It is.
Put her back where we got her.
Where did we get her? Wait a minute.
He's right.
We just put her back.
How are you gonna get her back 100 million years? That's not where she's from anymore.
She really came from the ice floe.
Well, we do have enough liquid nitrogen on the boat to put her back to sleep.
Re-freeze her? It's the most humane way, Commander.
We gotta first get her off the island.
Darwin!s got her, sir.
WSKRS? Bodyguards in position, sir.
Come on, my friend.
Don't take chances.
Sir, we've lost the crocodile.
Where'd she go? Where's Darwin? Darwin's fine, sir.
Keep a WSKR on her, Lieutenant.
Don't let her get too far from the boat.
Aye, aye, sir.
Don't do it.
Don't do it.
Stay close.
Ready the hatch.
Ready, sir.
Darwin's inside, sir.
Good.
You ready, Mr.
Ortiz? On your order, sir.
Okay.
Now.
Got her, sir.
Vital signs slowing down, heart rate, temperature.
All activities in stasis.
She!s asleep, sir.
Any time, Lieutenant.
Aye, aye, sir.
She's secured, sir.
Thank you, Commander.
Take us through the Drake Passage.
Let's put her to bed.
Maybe some day she'll come back.
Maybe she will.
We're ready, Lieutenant.
Dr.
Smith said it might smell for a few days, but the mineral output you'll get when those eggs rot should be worth it.
Sorry, I had to thaw 100 million year crocodile out to get you to come visit.
Oh, you knew I was gonna show up eventually.
Somebody's gotta pull you two apart from time to time.
Well, I guess I'll say goodbye to you now.
Goodbye? Where you going? Nepal.
Nepal? Well, what's in Nepal? I don't know.
I've never been there.
What? I'm taking a year off, Jon.
Giving Ben the chance to find out what he can do without me.
That's great.
Congratulations.
Thanks.
Congratulations to both of you.
You take care of yourself, son.
I will.
All right, man.
You're gonna do great.
Throw it back, please.
Please, throw it back, please.
Yo, sir.
Bring it back, please.
Hi, I'm Rosalind Allen.
We all know Darwin is a dolphin, but do you know what separates him from his relative, the porpoise? Well, one difference is their rostrums or noses.
A dolphin's rostrums are elongated and beak-like, while a porpoise's is shorter and more blunt.
Their teeth are also different.
A dolphin!s are conical, while a porpoise!s are shaped like spades.
Generally, porpoises are found in colder waters, while dolphins are a familiar sight along the warmer waters of our coast lines.
See you on the next adventure of seaQuest.
I mean, we're looking at a two and a half acre crop loss if Sea Mine doesn't stop dumping by-product.
Yeah, well, we don't know it's Sea Mine, do we? Yeah, and we don't know there is no Santa Claus, either.
Hate it when I'm right.
Yeah.
The old man's gonna freak.
What the hell was that? You You don't suppose they had the nerve to dump while we're here, do you? God, I hope so.
Where are you going? We're gonna catch these guys red-handed.
Look.
They're circling back.
Now maybe the UEO will get off their butts and do something.
Turn around, Jenna.
Turn around.
What the hell is that? Jenna? Jenna! Jenna! Jenna! Commander Ford, you have a call.
Commander? Jonathan? Something wrong? Must be doing extra laps.
Commander, I!m sorry to disturb you, but you have an up-link on hold.
Take a message.
I tried that, sir.
Well, try again.
Jonathan, it's your father.
I know.
He!s been on hold a while.
Sir? What? Okay.
The Fitness Center? No, my quarters.
Secured line.
A secured line with his dad? They have a special relationship.
I guess.
Hello, sir? Mr.
Ford, I can put you through now.
Sir? Sir? Mr.
Ford? Nice.
Hello? Anybody there on that nice sandy beach? You waiting for somebody? Where!s my son? Who are you? I asked you first.
I got it, Tony.
Commander Ford, do you know this guy? Jonathan, who is this person? Person? Goodbye, Tony.
Dagwood, put this back where you got it.
Shame on you.
Where did I get it? Rick and Jenna are missing.
The bodies were never recovered.
When did this happen? Yesterday afternoon.
How's Ben taking it? Your brother!s a mess.
Rick and Jenna were good friends.
Dad I just don't think I can get away right now.
Jonathan, you know I wouldn!t call if I didn!t need you.
I!d handle it myself, but this new facility has all my attention.
I!ve got half the business leveraged into this start-up.
I can!t lose focus.
What about Ben? He's your chief operating officer.
If I came down there I'd be stepping all over his toes.
He and Mike Rainer hate each other.
Like throwing fuel on the fire.
This thing with Sea Mine South Atlantic has turned into a full-blown range war.
Mike Rainer likes you.
You!re a big shot in the Navy.
No, Dad, the UEO has got to stay neutral.
Jonathan, I!m not asking you down here in your professional capacity.
I!m asking you as my son.
Look, you made it perfectly clear to me a long time ago that my life!s work is not important to you.
Dad.
That is a much larger conversation.
Then let!s not have it.
Give me a couple of days.
That!s all I!m asking.
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Just don't let this get any uglier, Ben.
It's pretty ugly already.
I may not have Jonathan's finesse, but Rainer and his Sea Mine goons are diggers, and a cool head to them just makes an easier target.
Look, Dad, give me 24 hours, I'll have Sea Mine on their knees.
If you think I'm going to give you permission to retaliate, you're dead wrong, Ben.
Dad No! Now, I don't want you doing anything until Jonathan gets here.
Do you understand me? The pattern of ice pack breakdown is consistent.
You're sure it's just not a minor coastal disturbance? No, no, there's definitely a trackable pattern, and this is nothing minor.
The emergence of farming and mining in the area have completely altered the natural ecology.
Activity which has caused the water's temperature to rise.
There's still a ceiling of cold water running through it, though, right? No, see, that's the problem.
It's forcing warm water deeper along the trench, blowing it right back through our interior ice pack.
Those idiots in the farming and mining industries are destroying our ice caps.
Well, that's the price of progress, Lucas.
The gains of providing affordable food and mineral products to the world outweigh the seasonal anomalies of a single ice floe.
Besides, both industries are sanctioned by the UEO.
You know that logo at the top of your paycheck? Captain, with your permission, I need to take a few days off.
Is this your father's business? You know, the natural resources of the world belong to everyone.
Aqua farming and mining are signatories to the UEO Natural Resources Act.
We're supposed to stay neutral.
I understand that, sir.
But by staying neutral, the UEO is only fueling an explosive situation, a situation that's cost my father millions, as well as the lives of two of his research workers.
Maybe you should be there.
Permission granted.
Thank you, sir.
Oh! Sorry.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Are you going somewhere, Commander Ford? I have to go see my family, Dagwood.
You have to go see your family? You don't want to go see your family? Sometimes.
But not this time? I just don't always get along with them, is what I mean, Dagwood.
You don't like your family? No, no, no, I love my family.
It's just easier to love them from far away.
It's like when you go to a restaurant.
Going to families is like going to a restaurant? No, no, that's not what I mean.
I mean, we tend to be nicer to total strangers.
You know, friends, waiters.
We tend to behave better, we have more patience, we don't drive them to distraction.
You know, familiarity breeds contempt.
None of this means anything to you, does it? The part about the restaurant does.
A little.
I like restaurants.
I guess we're just more at ease showing our bad side to people who have to love us.
It's complicated.
No.
I get it.
We have family because we have to drive them to distraction, where there is a restaurant that we go to to be nice to people who don't have to love us.
Exactly.
Mag-Lev engaged.
Be seated to avoid injury.
Thank you, Commander Ford.
Next stop, Docking Bay 2.
Anytime, Dagwood.
I don't know, Ben.
It doesn't sound like something your father would go for.
We have to take care of ourselves, Paulie.
Nobody understands that better than my father.
Hey, Paulie! Iced tea over here.
Hey! Jonathan, when'd you get here? I just got here.
Good to see you, man.
Sit down.
Finish your dinner.
Thanks.
How's your mom? She's good, she's good.
I'll tell her you asked.
Let me get you another one of these.
Ben? I'm fine.
Paulie's on aerators tonight.
He's gotta go.
Since when do we run at night? Since you've been gone.
Paulie.
Yeah.
Another time.
Okay.
Look, Ben, this wasn't my idea.
It's okay, Jon, I understand.
It's not like it matters.
Well, it matters to me.
I just don't know what to do about it.
I mean, you and Dad are entitled to your own relationship, even one that sucks.
I just don't see why ours has to suck, too.
You're not around that much.
Well, maybe I can do something about that.
No, Jon, you're not around that much.
So what difference does it make how we get along? And so far as the old man seeing you as the only answer to the problems he can't solve Well, I can't do much about that.
I make good decisions when I'm allowed to, Jon, and I can be very effective.
Thank you.
Dying.
Dying? Who's dying.
Sea lions, schools, many dolphins.
He's been like this all morning.
What is it, my friend, huh? A predator? An orca? Bigger than orca.
Bigger? An eating mammal? Eating fish.
Scaring dolphin.
Okay, where is this big fish, Darwin? Near land.
Warm water.
Comes from cold water.
Likes warm now.
You know, maybe that activity in the South Atlantic has stirred up a pod of killer whales.
But he says it's not killer whales.
So what is it? Missing? What the hell's Paulie doing out there in the middle of the night running aerators? I thought that with all that's been going on, we should be running nighttime back-ups.
With all that's been going on, we should be staying the hell in our homes at night.
Paulie's got a family.
Yeah, we know how important family is to you.
I've been on with the Coast Guard all morning.
I gave them a full description of the launch and the aerator grid.
But so far there's no sign of Paulie or the boat.
Dad, Ben was just trying to do his job.
I can handle this, Jon.
Mr.
Ford, there's a call from Mike Rainer here for you.
Mr.
Ford? Yeah? Mr.
Rainer? Your father around, Jon? I!ve found something I believe belongs to you.
You want to send someone to get it? Looks like chop slammed it against the struts all night.
That still wouldn't account for this.
I don't know what did this.
I'm sure you don't.
Hey, junior, maybe you ought to tell me why you had a man at my rig in the middle of the night.
Don't try and turn this around on me, Rainer! I'm not turning nothing around.
Guys, guys.
Look, I'm totally clean on this, Jon.
I had nothing to do with any of your father's accidents.
Nothing.
Now, maybe some of my guys off-loaded a little waste before they got completely outside the shelf.
But sabotage? Not while I'm in charge.
Look, maybe you got a loose cannon on your hands you don't know about.
Well We know for sure your father has one.
And whatever sabotage you think we're responsible for doesn't justify this.
This explosive was strapped to the strut of my rig.
Thank God it hadn't been set yet.
Now, I'm willing to let this go, Commander, but you tell your old man no more of this bull, or I promise, it will get ugly.
What the hell did you think you were doing? Jon, wait.
You know, at least, if you're gonna do something that stupid, have the guts to do it yourself.
You gonna tell Dad? No, I'm not gonna tell Dad.
You're gonna tell Dad, right after you tell Paulie's mom.
Rainer's not behind the attacks, Dad.
He's been dumping biomass in my beds.
Why should I believe this man? Mr.
Ford, you wanna have a look at this? Mike Rainer may not be the planet's best friend, but he knows the difference between cutting corners and the cost of human life.
Look, I didn!t come down here to take sides.
I!ve done all I can.
I've really gotta get back to seaQuest.
Dad? Jonathan! Where are you? I don't know, but I'm about three miles west if you're heading towards the Trench.
Why? You gotta run, son! You gotta run as fast and as hard as you can, and don't slow down! Run? Run from what? Dad? Dad! Run to the kelp beds, son! What? Hide in the kelp! Now! Oh, my God! Dad, that's the biggest alligator I've ever seen in my life.
It's a crocodile, Jon.
Now, I want you to listen to me very carefully.
Dad, I can't stay here.
It's gonna take the top off.
Jonathan, there's a filtration system about 60 feet to your starboard.
When I tell you to, I want you to make as wide a sweep away from it as you can, and make a run for the beach! I'll never make it.
At a dead start I need end of that thing to another.
You can make it, son.
Because in five seconds, I'm gonna blow up the filtration tanks and release 40,000 gallons worth of fertile seed flagellate.
Plankton? A 200-foot crocodile is trying to eat me, and you want to attack it with spores? Now, Jonathan! Now! He's going for it.
Captain, this is Commander Ford.
I think the situation in the South Atlantic officially falls under the auspices of the seaQuest.
Let's get you out.
Well, the tracking and depth sensors are totally shot.
The internal ballast system has to be completely refit, but she'll live to sail again.
Lucas, I take back everything I ever said to you about the cost of titanium siding.
A quarter of an inch is all that stood between me and being that thing's lunch.
Come on, Commander, a 200-foot crocodile? You know how everything underwater looks a little larger than life.
Jonathan, it's not unusual for some species of salt water crocodile to grow in excess of 30 feet.
No, no, no.
Guys, guys.
His head was 30 feet.
I know what I saw.
Dad, anytime you want to pipe in.
Well, if it's as big as you say it was, then what you probably saw was this.
A lizard.
Yeah, it's a very big lizard.
It's a Deinosuchus.
It's a post-Jurassic predecessor of the modern crocodile and alligator.
That's what I saw.
That's it.
That's what's been terrorizing us.
This isn't Ben's fault.
Get out of here.
That thing, out there where I swim? It's just a theory.
How would a creature like that survive today? Well, with the activity in the South Atlantic and the rising temperature, I'd say we probably thawed this thing out of a million-year-old block of ice.
The lizard got hurt.
One of you science-heads ought to have a field day with this.
What is that? Piece of Wally gator.
Captain, if one of these things has been reanimated after 100 million years, there could be more.
Well, there's only one way to find out.
Scatter-Com away, bearing 298.
Miguel? Recording at 2,000 meters.
No frequency backwash.
Clean? As a whistle.
Okay.
I got final.
Final is good to go.
Captain, I'm reporting a final on all marine activity in the region.
I'm uplinking your board now.
Thank you, O'Neill.
Well, except for the usual pods of migrating marine life, Captain, I'd say we're talking about an isolated case.
Good.
Well, sort of good.
I mean, there's still at least one of those things out there we've gotta take care of.
We can't kill it.
Look, this thing is amazing.
What's amazing, Lucas, is its appetite.
Ask Darwin how he feels about it.
Captain? We're lucky it hasn't destroyed an entire village.
Which is not to say it won't.
Area of attacks have been fairly contained.
Cold-blooded reptiles tend to be territorial as long as there's food in the area.
Well, there's not much we can do about the marine population, but we can evacuate the human population.
You mean the villagers.
I mean everyone.
For how long? For as long as it takes.
This area is a vital piece of my operation, Captain.
I paid a fortune for these rights.
Millions in research, and millions more in manpower and equipment.
Fine.
You tell the bank I'm defaulting on my loan because of a 200-foot crocodile.
Well, 170 anyway.
Evactee Provo is cleared for departure at Dock 2.
Evactee Provo is cleared for departure at Dock 2.
Get those cargo sleds now.
Yes, sir.
Hold that line.
Clear this area right now.
Everything all right? Yeah, everything's cool.
Thanks a lot, man.
We're clear all the way up to the cove, Commander.
I've got flyers out to all the locals.
Everyone seems to be taking the evacuation in stride.
Good.
Listen, why don't you take the shuttle back up to the docks with everybody else, help keep a lid on things up there? I gotta tell you, Commander, it's a pretty impressive little empire your family's got here.
Just how rich are you? Well, that's a pretty rude question.
I got a ruder one.
Oh.
If you're so rich, how come you keep working? Because I like ordering guys like you around.
Now, move it.
Don't take it so hard, Dad.
With any luck, in a few weeks you'll be back in full operation.
That's not what I was thinking.
I came very close to losing you.
The hardest fate to imagine is losing a child.
Well, you'd still have Ben.
I take it that's your way of telling me that I should stop being such a jerk to your brother.
No, sir, I would never dream of telling you what to do.
Then I guess that's your way of telling me also that while I'm at it, I could stop being such a jerk to you.
Very funny.
Thanks.
You know what else is funny? You coming all the way down here to help me keep going.
Now you're shutting me down.
Come on.
You and Ben can ride back with me in the launch.
Fine.
What the hell is this? Hey, we're getting ready to roll here.
Need some help? Yeah, sure, man.
Thanks a lot.
You know, I think I may owe you an apology.
Oh, not as far as I can see.
I probably owe you one.
At least one.
Which one are you talking about? Oh, you know.
The one where I dumped this gig in your lap, stuck you with the old man's dream.
Oh, that one.
You know, I didn't stick around because I didn't know what else to do with my life.
I stayed because I actually like agricultural work.
You have got to be kidding.
And given half the chance, I know I can do it better than Dad.
Did you ever tell Dad this? What, you think I'm crazy? Dad.
Don't move, son.
Hey! Hey! Here, you miserable lizard! No, Ben! No! Come and get me, you oversized handbag! Dad? Stupid kid.
Come on! My God! Dad, he's got Ben! Dad! Down here! Help! Help! Crocodile eggs.
Any sign of our crocodile? No, sir, nothing yet.
Nothing at all.
What do you mean? Well, the shelf is usually teeming with jack, yellowtail, schools of tuna, but it's completely dead out there.
It's been that way all morning.
How many eggs were down there? I didn't hang around long enough to count, but I'd say a dozen, maybe more.
That was a stupid thing you did, Ben.
Getting that thing to go after you.
You're welcome.
You missed a golden opportunity.
With me out of your life, you could've run the business any way you wanted.
I don't want you out of my life, Dad.
Just out of the way.
Dagwood.
Dagwood, no.
Dag Dag Okay, okay.
Thanks.
Welcome.
Sir, a UEO reconnaissance plane spotted our crocodile.
Where? She's sunning herself.
Sunning herself? Well, she's standing guard over her nest.
What are we gonna do? I hate to think what'll happen if some of those eggs hatch and these things start swimming out to the open waters.
Well, I've got good news and bad news.
According to the DNA found in that reptile's skin, our crocodile was, and is again, a healthy three-and-a-half year old.
Three years old? Doctor, the life expectancy of the Deinosuchus was 120 years.
They were known to lay eggs several times a year, every year for the entire course of their lives.
And that wasn't the good news? She's sterile.
Is or was? Always has been, according to her blood grouping.
So those eggs are infertile.
Mmm-hmm.
That poor thing is standing defense for babies that will never be born.
So what happens to Mom? I don't see that we have a choice.
I mean, as healthy as she is, with her longevity, she's gonna wreak some pretty major havoc on our food chain.
We've gotta kill her.
No.
You can't kill her.
Put her back.
Dagwood, I wish it was that simple.
It is.
Put her back where we got her.
Where did we get her? Wait a minute.
He's right.
We just put her back.
How are you gonna get her back 100 million years? That's not where she's from anymore.
She really came from the ice floe.
Well, we do have enough liquid nitrogen on the boat to put her back to sleep.
Re-freeze her? It's the most humane way, Commander.
We gotta first get her off the island.
Darwin!s got her, sir.
WSKRS? Bodyguards in position, sir.
Come on, my friend.
Don't take chances.
Sir, we've lost the crocodile.
Where'd she go? Where's Darwin? Darwin's fine, sir.
Keep a WSKR on her, Lieutenant.
Don't let her get too far from the boat.
Aye, aye, sir.
Don't do it.
Don't do it.
Stay close.
Ready the hatch.
Ready, sir.
Darwin's inside, sir.
Good.
You ready, Mr.
Ortiz? On your order, sir.
Okay.
Now.
Got her, sir.
Vital signs slowing down, heart rate, temperature.
All activities in stasis.
She!s asleep, sir.
Any time, Lieutenant.
Aye, aye, sir.
She's secured, sir.
Thank you, Commander.
Take us through the Drake Passage.
Let's put her to bed.
Maybe some day she'll come back.
Maybe she will.
We're ready, Lieutenant.
Dr.
Smith said it might smell for a few days, but the mineral output you'll get when those eggs rot should be worth it.
Sorry, I had to thaw 100 million year crocodile out to get you to come visit.
Oh, you knew I was gonna show up eventually.
Somebody's gotta pull you two apart from time to time.
Well, I guess I'll say goodbye to you now.
Goodbye? Where you going? Nepal.
Nepal? Well, what's in Nepal? I don't know.
I've never been there.
What? I'm taking a year off, Jon.
Giving Ben the chance to find out what he can do without me.
That's great.
Congratulations.
Thanks.
Congratulations to both of you.
You take care of yourself, son.
I will.
All right, man.
You're gonna do great.
Throw it back, please.
Please, throw it back, please.
Yo, sir.
Bring it back, please.
Hi, I'm Rosalind Allen.
We all know Darwin is a dolphin, but do you know what separates him from his relative, the porpoise? Well, one difference is their rostrums or noses.
A dolphin's rostrums are elongated and beak-like, while a porpoise's is shorter and more blunt.
Their teeth are also different.
A dolphin!s are conical, while a porpoise!s are shaped like spades.
Generally, porpoises are found in colder waters, while dolphins are a familiar sight along the warmer waters of our coast lines.
See you on the next adventure of seaQuest.