"Date With Danger" Part 2

(Original air date 02/27/78)
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Steve battles a computer intent on killing him
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Story: Wilton Schiller

Teleplay: Wilton Schiller & John Meredyth Lucas

Director: Rod Holcomb

With a gun trained on him Steve attempts to wiggle his way out of the messy situation by convincing the gunman to allow him to make the jump to the roof of the adjacent building. Banner agrees, knowing the man will make a leap to his death and thus making the fall look like a suicide.
When he realizes with astonishment that Steve is able to make that jump, Banner fires at him. The shooting distracts Steve and he ends up knocking himself on the head

As Steve staggers down the fire escape he is suddenly seized by a powerful dizzy spell that debilitates him to the point of falling onto the sidewalk below.


At the hospital, a nurse (Millie Berg) receives word of a new patient, named Steve Ankarios. Once the intern (Sal Ponti) finishes giving his diagnostic she types in the report to advise the ER. The message is intercepted and transmitted to the psychiatric ward instead with a warning of a dangerous psychopath to be kept in restraints. The orderly checks the bracelet before wheeling Steve to his room.


A heavily sedated Steve awakens in a padded cell with psychiatrist. Dr. Walter Ellis (Peter Mark Richman) sitting by his side. Steve begins to ramble about a mistaken identity and that he is in reality a former astronaut working for the OSI. He asks that Oscar Goldman be notified to clear the matter but can’t remember the phone number.
Back at the OSI Oscar grows concern by Steve’s absence. His suspicions of a possible abduction fall on Emily who, exasperated by his constant accusation, admits with crushing cynism that she is indeed behind Steve’s kidnapping and that later she intends to plant a bomb at Disneyland. She then hangs up on the frustrated man.


Two days later, Steve’s condition improves. He fibs about having no recollection whatsoever of pretending to being a former astronaut, knowing cooperation is the key to his release. He asks that his wife, Emily, be notified of his admission.
When Emily shows up at the hospital she is startled by Steve’s appearance. They play a convincing act of man and wife for the nurse’s (June Dayton) benefit. Once alone, Emily loosens Steve’s restraints and both casually exit the hospital as a patient and his nurse.


They stopped at a public phone booth to contact Oscar. Steve hurries and gives him the code of the secret meeting place then goes back to the car. Seconds after the booth explodes.


The computer provides the police with Steve’s location. They corner him at the entrance of a restaurant but Steve is quick to overpower the two officers with a bionic kick. He locks them in their car and enters the restaurant where he meets with Oscar.
Steve issues the hypothesis that Cloche may have accidentally omitted to delete classified information about himself in the Datamate computer. He suggests genius programmer Emily for the job of retrieving the data.


Emily and Steve spend considerable time searching the memory core to come up with Cloche’s address.
Steve shows up at the house and catches up with Bell just as he makes his escape through a window. The truth of the double identity is finally revealed.


At the OSI interrogation room, Bell has no other alternative but to spill the beans. He’s scared that the computer will have him killed should he be released, and therefore begs to be held in custody. He explains that the computer has now the power to rebel against anyone who is aiming at destroying it.
Steve drops by Datamate to seek Emily’s help in retrieving a list of likely clients that Cloche might have recruited for his illegal business. They come up with the name of David Fowler, a scientist working for the Ryker satellite project.
Emily brings forth the idea of programming a profile of herself into the computer, a new recruit who knows Cloche in order to force the hackers to reveal themselves. Steve is against the idea he deems too risky. But wicked Emily turns a deaf ear and executes her plan.


Outside, Steve runs into Banner who is doggedly intent on fulfilling his contract. The hired gun corners Steve in an alley but he’s the one ending up biting the dirt.


At her office, Emily receives an envelope containing an invitation to enter the 1978 Miss Computer Pageant. Bull’s Eye! She leaves Steve a message that the computer quickly disposes of by setting hers on fire.


Emily drives to the auditorium where she is supposed to meet with the sponsor of the pageant. Instead she gets trapped backstage in an electrified cage.
At the OSI, Fowler is interrogated on his involvement with the infamous George Cloche, namely Harold Bell, the brain of the outfit. Cloche’s goal was to reprogram the new satellite to enable him to gain control of the world’s finances and communications.
Oscar contacts Colonel Sumner (James B. Smith) at Vanderburgh Control Centre. He learns much to his dismay that the countdown is locked in and that consequently, they cannot abort the launch.


Steve visits the local telephone company to trace the line relaying Datamate to Vanderburgh to try and locate the illegal terminal that has a lock on the countdown.
With the information, Joe Canton is able to link the OSI computer to the launch centre, hoping to unlock the coordinates.


Steve then goes to the auditorium where, after dodging the sandbags thrown at him on stage, manages to free Emily from her cage and succeeds in destroying the computers in time to stop the launch.


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