Treasure's of the Tonga Trench
(Tonga Trench)
(Sea Crab)
Hitchcock: (on seaQuest) You wanna show off, save it for Captain Clayton, the UEO inspector.
Krieg: Not funny, Katie, this is not funny. You know what this does to me.
Hitchcock: (on seaQuest) You mean that nausea thing, I'm sorry. (seriously) OK, here's the drill: no lights, no power; stabilize your vessel, ascend to fifteen hundred feet, hold your position there.
Krieg: All right, I can do that. (his lights flicker and the radio dies) … Katie?
Hitchcock: (on seaQuest) Ben, what's going on down there?
(Suddenly the Sea Crab gets rolled by something we can't see.)
Krieg: Oh damn, oh damn, oh damn, damn, damn. Ahhh! (quickly) Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.
Hitchcock: (on seaQuest) Sea crab one come in, sea crab one. Ben? Ben?
(Krieg, in sea crab, sees shining lights on bottom of sea)
(seaQuest DSV - Launch Bay)
Hitchcock: (Krieg exits sea crab) Lieutenant Krieg, wait a minute please, I'll be right up. Here's where I may have the problem. Now what I want you to do is I want you to check the contacts to all the life-support circuitry and then redo all the oil packs. Great. (stands up) Think maybe now you can tell me what happened out there?
Krieg: Nothing. A current probably, uh, yeah, must have been some sort of a rip current.
Hitchcock: Currents don't move the way you were moving.
Krieg: It's a big ocean out there, and maybe there are still a few things that you and I don't understand. (leaves)
(Bridge)
Krieg: (enters, walks over to Ortiz) I need a favor.
Ortiz: Yeah, no problem, clear it with Clayton. He's got me running bio-mass sweeps right now.
Krieg: I spent the last hour out in a crab. I gotta know if WSKRS picked up anything, you know, uh, unusual. A biologic maybe.
Ortiz: A biologic, as in something alive?
Krieg: Yeah, something alive.
Ortiz: How unusual?
Krieg: A ten, a biologic ten unusual.
Ortiz: Sorry. No, wait, wait a minute. Clayton had me running drills with Junior and Mother, Loner may have seen something when I wasn't monitoring. Want me to check his memory?
Krieg: (nods) Thanks. (leaves)
(Sea Deck, near moon pool)
Jack Clayton: Let's go seaQuest, you're on Clayton time now.
Ford: Let's go. This is a water rescue drill.
Clayton: Ten seconds.
Ford: Let's go, let's go.
Clayton: Come on, people.
Ford: Ensign, we've got to be in the water, in formation, inside of three minutes.
Clayton: Twenty seconds. (looks at fish in jar)
Bridger: Chicken Little of the sea.
Clayton: I assume we're talking about the fish.
Bridger: Member of the angler family. The male attaches itself to the female for life. Let's her do all the work.
Clayton: Not unlike the relationship the science contingent has with the military members of your vessel, is it, Captain?
Ford: Proficiency drill seven dash seven four oh four. You're hypothetical, vehicle distress, location and retrieval. Prepare to move on my command.
Clayton: That's two minutes, Mr. Ford. I've seen better organization at a candy tailed water ballet.
Bridger: If I remember the manual, Captain, anything under three minutes for this drill is considered excellent.
Clayton: The Commander's men still aren't wet, Captain. (laughs) Two fifteen.
Ford: Complete prep and step up. (Darwin swims in.)
Bridger: Natural sonar for rescue operations.
Ford: (to himself) Not yet, not yet. (Bridger gives him a look, Ford nods, men enter water.)
Bridger: Two fifty three, congratulations, Commander.
Ford: Thank you, sir.
Clayton: (leaves, re-enters room) Your dolphin was out of formation. (leaves)
(Krieg's Room)
Ortiz: (knocking on door) Lieutenant, Mr. Krieg.
Krieg: (opens door, pulls Ortiz into room, closes door) What did you find?
Ortiz: Loner's positioned three hundred meters to the north, you went south in the crab. Went pretty deep too.
Krieg: And Loner didn't pick up any biologics to the north, anything unusual?
Ortiz: Big mahimahi count?
Krieg: No, anything else?
Ortiz: No, nothing.
Krieg: You're sure.
Ortiz: Yeah, I'm sure.
Krieg: Double checked all programs.
Ortiz: I'm sure. Are you OK, Lieutenant?
Krieg: Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine. All right, get out of here, dismissed, go. No, wait, I gotta tell somebody, might as well be you. Sit.
Ortiz: Where?
Krieg: Down. (Ortiz motions to room) Yeah. (Krieg clears off chair) All right, what I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room. You don't tell no one, got it, you're it, understood, the only person I'm telling so if anybody else finds out I'm gonna know. How am I gonna know? Because you're the only guy I'm trusting this information with. You understand? You're the only person that I can … Have you ever known, I mean been absolutely certain, that you were gonna die?
Ortiz: Are you sure you don't wanna discuss this with a priest or somethin'?
Krieg: I looked out the window and I saw this … thing coming right at me. It was, it was dark, I don't know where it came from, I don't know what it was, but I just remember thinking to myself, Ben, you are about to die.
Ortiz: What'd it look like?
Krieg: I don't know, I don't know. I mean you could see right through it, but not really, but it had this energy, it was like static electricity. I don't even know how it grabbed me, head, tail, but the … it had to be huge and the power, I mean I could feel it and it knew exactly what it was doing. It was intelligent, don't ask me how, but I could tell.
Ortiz: Are you saying you were attacked by some kinda sea monster? (Krieg nods) Lieutenant, sea monsters don't exist except in legends and fables.
Krieg: That's what they said about Bigfoot.
Ortiz: Maybe you should talk to Doctor Westphalen. (goes to leave, Krieg stops him)
Krieg: No way, she'll think I'm crazy.
Ortiz: No, she won't.
Krieg: And she'll try and find it, and she'll get in the way.
Ortiz: Of what? (Krieg opens box, takes out rock) What is it?
Krieg: I don't know. Gem, mineral, something we've never seen before, and, unless I miss my guess, definitely worth a small fortune.
Ortiz: Are there any more?
Krieg: Are you kidding? There's a whole trench filled with 'em, and I'm the on- we're the only ones who know about it. Now, I'd be willing to share, if you'd be willing to help.
(Krieg's Room, Later)
Krieg: A warm night, the ocean's like glass, and you're walking along the beach with a woman so beautiful, so full of love, your heart aches just to look at her. You stop, take her hand in yours, breathe deep as a gentle breeze caresses her face and tickles your senses with her sweetness, and there, alone under a canopy of stars and a moon so bright you could swear God musta poked a hole right through from heaven just to whisper inspiration in your ear, you kneel, slide a ring on her finger and ask her to be your wife. And tell me, Murray, what kind of gem do you suppose is set in that ring?
Murray Goldwater: (on screen) A hot number like that, gotta be a diamond, at least two carats if I'm expecting any kind of reply to the affirmative.
Krieg: A diamond, outside, at night? It's gonna look like a black hole on her finger. No, you want sparkle, you want dazzle, you need light. Well, I've got your light, and a new jewel for a new millennium. (he holds up Krieglite) I call it Krieglite. More rare than diamonds, more beautiful than rubies or emeralds. A lovely woman on the moonlit beach, Murray, that's every woman. And every woman's gonna want a piece of Krieglite dancing on her finger.
Murray: (on screen) The glow, it's natural?
Krieg: Right off the ocean floor and one hundred percent organic. No batteries or solar cells required.Murray: (on screen) And you can get me … ?
Krieg: Murray, what I can get you is gonna depend a lot on what you can get me.
Murray: (on screen) Listen, Benny, I'm not prepared to talk numbers yet. A few contacts in retail I have to confer with first, but if this little sea gem is everything you say, your life's about to change in a most dramatic way.
Krieg: Excellent.
Murray: (on screen) Now, just one thing, lose the name, Krieglite, sounds like something you hacked up from the back of your throat. (screen goes blank)
Krieg: Thanks for the private line, I owe you one.
Lucas: Who else knows about this stuff?
Krieg: No one, no one else knows, just you and me and that's the way it's gonna stay. Understand? Our secret.
Lucas: Hey, Ben, if you can't trust me, who can you trust?
(Galley)
Bridger: Ready one and three, Commander.
Ford: One and three ready, sir.
Bridger: Fire one and three. Ready two and four, Commander.
Ford: Two and four ready, sir.
Bridger: Fire two and four.
Clayton: Ignition delay on burner four. I suggest your cook bleed the gas line. And speaking of your cook, Petty Officer Reilly, where is he?
Ford: Well, you requested a spot inspection sir. Petty Officer Reilly wasn't informed his presence would be necessary.
Clayton: I suppose there's an answer to my question somewhere in there.
Bridger: Uh, Mr. Reilly has gone to the launch bay to check out a sea crab. He's donating his personal time between breakfast and lunch to qualify in EVA proficiency. Will there be anything else?
Clayton: You can count on it. (leaves)
(Hallway)
Krieg: Seen Ortiz anywhere?
Crewman: No, sir.
Krieg: Thanks. (walks down hall)
Hitchcock: (rounds corner) Ben.
Krieg: Hey. (turns corner trying to avoid Hitchcock) Oh.
Hitchcock: Stop avoiding me. We need to talk.
Krieg: I'm not avoiding you and at this minute I'm looking for Ortiz. And talk about what? You shortcut through the gym, didn't you?
Hitchcock: I know you, Ben. Something happened out in that sea crab yesterday and you're trying to act like it didn't.
Krieg: OK, so something happened and I'll tell you all about it, be happy to, but not now because now I gotta go find Ortiz, gotta get over to the launch bay, get back in a crab, because you know what they say. Once you've been thrown you gotta get right back in the saddle. Otherwise, you know, it's gonna happen, it's gonna -
Hitchcock: Ah, (stops him) Lieutenant Krieg, I guarantee I will accompany you to that launch bay, personally see to it that you don't go anywhere in anything until you tell me what happened out there.
Krieg: All right, but I need you to promise that what I'm about to say stays between you and me. No one else knows. Promise? Promise?
Hitchcock: I promise.
Krieg: Have you ever known, I mean been absolutely certain, that you were gonna die?
(Launch Bay)
O'Neill: Hey, Miguel.
Ortiz: What's going on? One of Clayton's drills?
O'Neill: Come on, let's see.
Ortiz: See what?
Crocker: Glowing rocks. That's what you got in the bag, isn't it?
Ortiz: You told him?
O'Neill: No.
Lucas: I did. They wouldn't let me take a sea crab by myself.
Ortiz: Well how'd you hear about it?
Lucas: Krieg.
Ortiz: He told me no one else knew.
Lucas: That surprises you?
O'Neill: He musta told Riley. I heard him talking about it at breakfast.
Crocker: Well, actually I mighta mentioned something about it to Riley.
Ortiz: Anyone else you mighta told it to?
Crocker: All right, I talked to Evens and McGee too. What, it's a crime to share the wealth a little bit here?
Ortiz: Aw, McGee, you might as well have broadcast it to the whole boat. Nice going, Lucas.
Lucas: Oh, me, like you didn't blab it to him.
O'Neill: Come on, let's see what's in the bag.
Ortiz: Get your hands off, all right, get your own.
Lucas: I just wanna - (Ortiz slaps his hand) OK, all right. (all fight)
Krieg: (enters) No, no, no, no, no, this is not good, not good.
Hitchcock: Between you and me huh.
Krieg: I swear I did not tell these people.
Hitchcock: Save it.
Krieg: What are you doing?
Hitchcock: I need a sea crab, now.
Dispatcher: I'm sorry, Commander, but they're all out.
Hitchcock: Than I suggest you get on the phone and get one back. Am I making myself clear?
Dispatcher: Aye, aye, Commander.
Hitchcock: Incredible, and you weren't even gonna tell me?
Krieg: And I'm sorry and I'm gonna make up for it. Now if you could just get a second crab for me, I'd appreciate it. I'll give you ten, five, five percent of everything I collect on the first load.
Hitchcock: I don't want any percent of any load you collect. Your shiny rocks don't interest me. I wanna see the creature you saw, with my own eyes. You have no idea what a discovery like this could mean to all of us.
Krieg: (stunned) The creature. Yo, people, uh, Ortiz, everybody, listen up, can I please have your attention, please. Um, I don't know what you've been told, but there are potential dangers to what you're doing. You see, uh, I've been out there, and, uh, well, what I'm trying to say is that, uh, we're not alone down here and there's something I can't really describe, but it's, uh, big, and I'm not so sure it really likes us and, uh, wants us messing around down there you see.
Ortiz: I've been out there, Lieutenant, and I didn't see anything, except these. (holds up rock, everyone cheers)
Crocker: Listen, Ben, we've all heard about your sea monster. Now you're gonna have to come up with something a whole lot better than that if you expect to keep all this for yourself.
Krieg: Fine, if you don't wanna believe me, don't. But if we're gonna be partners in this, than let's do it right. So, first thing we gotta do is get organized, work in shifts, keep teams moving around the clock. O'Neill, you'll be in charge of scheduling. Next, no one neglects their duties, Captain Bridger or Clayton suspect anything, we'll be shut down for sure. Got it? All right then, leave your names with Mr. O'Neill and report at your assigned times. (everyone cheers)
(Hallway)
Clayton: Eighty-eight military, it's ridiculous. A vessel this size should carry twice that.
Bridger: What for? Our main focus is research and exploration. If anything, we should beef up the science staff.
Clayton: Oh, now that would be smart. Maybe you could add a trained whale to your little dolphin show. Be realistic, Captain, you need personnel to carry their weight in a crisis situation.
Bridger: I don't think I understand what you mean.
Clayton: Good God, man, I'm talking about conditioning, stamina, training. Your average tech head simply isn't strong enough.
Bridger: Captain, I command this boat, but first and foremost I consider myself a man of science, a tech head.
Clayton: It shows. (Bridger does acrobatic stunt) Uh, what is that supposed to prove?
Bridger: You do it.
Clayton: You're wiry, thin. I'm talking muscle mass, brute strength. Strip, to the waist. Let's see what you've got.
Bridger: What?
Clayton: As captain, you lead by example. Muscle tone's an indicator of discipline and diet.
Bridger: Agreed, but as UEO inspector, I think you should set the example for me.
Clayton: I have nothing to hide. I do two hundred and fifty sit-ups a day.
Bridger: Three hundred, and a hundred push-ups.
Clayton: (takes shirt off) Ah ha, one hundred and fifty, and twenty-five of those are one armed. Great upper body strength, (slaps his chest) flat gut, and the buttocks of a sixteen year old. (Bridger walks away) You don't believe me, do you? Feel for yourself. You think I'm kidding, I've cracked walnuts with these cheeks.
(Bridge)
Bridger: (entering with Clayton) Commander, could you please call the launch bay and have a sea crab stand by?
Ford: I just spoke with them, sir. All sea crabs are presently in operation.
Clayton: This had better not be a delay tactic.
Ford: No, sir. We have a team fully prepared to demonstrate repair techniques on the outer skin. We just have to wait for the next available craft.
Clayton: Very well, perhaps we can settle a few things while we wait, Captain, mano a mano. Call us when you're ready. (leaves)
Bridger: Why are all the sea crabs out at one time?
Ford: I don't know, sir, but I certainly intend to find out.
Bridger: Hurry up. One more day of this guy and I'm gonna go nuts. (leaves)
(Tonga Trench, depth 5268 feet - Sea Crab)
Crocker: (grabs Lucas, scaring him) What's the matter? You 'fraid you gonna be gobbled up by Krieg's sea monster, huh?
Lucas: No, I just had this strange feeling. It's nothing, never mind.
(seaQuest DSV - Sea Deck)
Ford: Swimmers on your mark … set … go!
(Bridger and Clayton jump in moon pool, swim to the other side, and back amid cheering crowd.)
Bridger: (helping Clayton out of the pool) Nice race. I thought you were gonna out reach me at the end.
Clayton: I was surprised I was even allowed to finish second.
Bridger: Are you suggesting that the Commander's call was biased?
Clayton: No, I'm suggesting that you enjoy your victory while you can. We still have work to do and the feeling may not last.
Continued