02x03 - Moffett's Ghost

[bunniefuu]

The wolf has come down from the north.

(Narrator) Next, on Airwolf.

We're closing on an aircraft, String.

Weapons went to combat mode.

Dom, get control of that autopilot.

Too late.

Airwolf's in a steep dive, flat out.

I created Airwolf, and I will destroy it.

Are you okay, Dr. Burton?

Okay!?

This is the ride of a lifetime.

(Dominic) You ain't seen nothin’ yet, Doc.

My buddy’ll snake this baby through
those passes like Jean-Claude Killy.

[radar beeping]

(Stringfellow) How's our radar profile, Dom?

(Dominic) Back to . .

As far as radar's concerned, we're invisible.

(Burton) Isn't it sad we have
to sneak past our own defenses

in order to make progress toward peace?

From what you told me, the Russian
scientists are even more covert.

They're very brave people.

Every year, they risk a life in prison

by breaking away from the official
expedition for a few days

to meet with me.

Our little informal meetings have helped

cool down the arms race a lot, I think.

Amen to that.

Of course, if I'm still on that island

when that Russian mother ship returns,

I may be joining them in that prison.

Don't worry, we'll pick
you up. You got my word.

(Dominic) Bering Sea dead ahead, String.

So long, Alaska. Hello, Russia.

Bye-bye, Doc.

Okay, okay. Have a good trip.

See you later, Dr. Burton.

Course is , due south.

[laughing] Boy, give me a palm tree any day.

I'm with you, Dom.

(Marella) No sign of ‘em.

(Michael) Halfway home and NORAD
never knew they were there.

[rapid beeping]

What the…

Sir, you better take a look at this.

All of a sudden, there are a lot of
targets where there shouldn't be.

What?

What was it, a malfunction in the system?

I sure hope so.

(Dominic) I don't care what anybody says.

I feel good about this mission.

Hear, hear.

Dr. Roger Burton is a unique individual.

If his work with the international
scientific community

didn't have to be conducted in secret,

he'd have won a whole fistful
of Nobel Peace Prizes by now.

Yeah.

I'd sure hate to see a man like
that fall into the wrong hands.

It'd be a tragedy.

And a propaganda nightmare.

That's why you've got to duplicate
your performance on Friday, Hawke.

You don't have to convince me of that.

Any… any problems with Airwolf?

You know, that's the third
time you've asked me that.

It's just a simple question.

Michael doesn't ask simple questions.

Marella was monitoring the
NORAD map when you came south.

How cozy. She had her eye on us.

Well, I couldn't exactly
see you, but…

well, there were several stray targets.

No one could explain them.

They appeared, disappeared…

"Several"?

From you?

Exactly .

Well, again, nice work.

We'll be watching for you on Friday.

And hoping we don't see you.

[door closing]

You know, I didn't wanna say anything before,

but those Airwolf computers
were a little screwy.

Yeah.

Look, let's sleep on it.

We'll play test pilot between
now and Friday, check it out.

Good idea. Hey, you got another beer?

(Stringfellow) How's it looking, Dom?

(Dominic) Good as gold back here.

You ready to try autopilot?

Come on, come on, baby.

The nav system's refusing to engage, String.

We're engaged now. Here comes autopilot.

Hey!

What happened?

The autopilot changed course on us.

It can't do that.

It can't, but it did. The course is due north.

Do you suppose it wants to
go back to the ice and snow?

Well, do you think getting
close to the North Pole

has something to do with it?

Maybe.

Well, let's just let her fly for a while.

See what's happening.

Okay,

but I'd feel better with a thumb
and fingers on the stick.

We're gonna have to change
course and soon, String.

The Air Force test range is dead ahead.

Disengage, we'll come left and go around.

Disengaged.

No, it's not. I haven't got control.

It won't disengage.

We're closing on an aircraft, String.

Weapons went to combat mode.

Dom, get control of that autopilot.

Too late.

Oh, my God!

We k*lled that crew, String.

No, it was a drone. A target plane.

I've got control. It released.

Yeah, but let's get this baby back to the lair

before something else happens, huh?

My thoughts exactly.

I'm sorry, String. I'm over my head with this.

No, you're okay, you're just…

Old-timer?

Come on, why don't you finish the sentence?

Hey, you work the keyboard just fine.

Especially for a guy who
crank-started his first car.

I'll crank-start you.

You know, I can't even type a letter.

So, how are we gonna pick
up Dr. Burton on Friday?

The computer controls and monitors

every system aboard Airwolf. You know that.

We're gonna fix it.

Oh? And what if we can't?

Forget "can't." There's
no such word as "can't."

Okay, but we'll need help.

I don't even wanna hear his name.

As much as I hate to, we've got
to go with Archangel on this.

No way.

Look, why don't we get a bunch
of his whiz-kid computer types

and bring them down here blindfolded

and put them to work and… and…

Yeah, and then we got
the Firm's people in here.

How do we get them out?

Look, if we can't program Airwolf's computers,

how are we gonna know what
they're gonna put in there?

My friend, there comes a
time in everyone's life

when you've gotta put your trust in somebody.

We can't fix her. Archangel can.

We have no choice.

Maybe we do.

(Karen) Good.

Don't overcompensate, now.

Good.

All right, now concentrate.

[Stringfellow clears his throat]
A hard right turn.

You're not concentrating.

Sorry, Dr. Hansen. We have visitors.

Visitors?

Dr. Hansen, you might remember me.

My name is Stringfellow Hawke.

Stringfellow Hawke.

I wonder if we might have a few words.

Take a break, Stan.

You seem to have changed quite a bit

since the last time I saw you.

Well yes, I lost a few pounds.

Changed my programming, so to speak.

You seem about the same, though.

Maybe a little older.

[snickers]

This is my friend Dominic Santini.

Pleased to meet you.

Hello.

So, what did you wanna talk about, Hawke?

Airwolf.

Oh, that was such a tragedy,
the way it was lost.

It was so far ahead of its time.

I always suspected
Charles Moffett was unstable.

You haven't heard the rumors, then?

I mean, among the intelligence community?

I'm not in the intelligence
community. How could I hear them?

Well, the rumor is that Airwolf has survived

and that Archangel is using
it for special missions.

Why are you telling me this?

Because Airwolf's computer system

has serious problems,

and I understand that you
worked on the original program.

So, you're still with the Firm?

Not exactly.

I don't understand.

I'd be more than happy
to explain it all to you

if you'd promise to help us.

Well, I…

I don't know.

Give me some time to think about it.

Would it be all right if we
come back after a while?

Okay.

Thank you.

Just a dull, dedicated, scientific type, huh?

Well, the lady's changed, just a tad.

[scoffs]

This is Charles Henry Moffett.
I am the creator of Airwolf.

And this is my last will and testament.

(Stringfellow) It's a special
meeting of scientists

that have taken place for several years.

They help defuse world tension
by sharing information.

(Karen) The Russians would
do a double back-flip

if they knew this was going on.

So would our own government.

That's why we've gotta get him
out of there in days.

Well, here we are.

It's beautiful.

Sorry about the blindfold.

No, it's better I don't know where we are.

Yeah, we didn't want you to end up
playing questions with the Firm.

[computer beeping]

Did you guys leave the computer on?

[computer buzzing]

This is my last will and testament.

Airwolf has been instructed
to engage this special program

if it failed to receive a
code from me at this time.

I must assume that I am imprisoned or dead.

So, what will I leave this tacky,
money-grubbing world to remember me by?

I leave a machine out of control,

a machine worthy of that
insane world of theirs.

The wolf has come down from the north,

and your fat little town is safe no longer.

This is Charles Henry Moffett.

This is my last will and testament.

Airwolf has been instructed to engage…

Hey, can we shut him off?

…if it failed to receive a
code from me at this time.

Moffett foresaw that he might
lose control of Airwolf.

He protected himself like this.

He really was a genius, you know.

Twisted genius.

Gives me the creeps.

It's like a ghost. Whoever
heard of a haunted helicopter?

We see a lot of this in the computer trade.

It's called a logic b*mb.

Mamma mia! Not only a ghost, but bombs, too?

I'll give you the classic example.

A guy is fired from a company
with a computerized payroll.

But before he leaves, he plants a logic
b*mb in the central programming.

Now, when the computer senses that his
name is no longer on the payroll,

it's instructed to disrupt the company,

say, by adding a zero to
everybody else's check.

Someone making $ is suddenly making $ , .

It can be darn hard to dig out,
too, if it's planted deep enough.

Can you do it?

Well, I used to play a lot
of chess with Moffett.

I usually won.

This is no chess game.

In a way, it is.

You see, for every move I make,

he may have already programmed a counter-move.

Say, if I turn him off today,

it triggers a signal to come back on
tomorrow, when I don't expect it.

Complicated.

Stick with me, kid. Like I said,
we played a lot of chess.

Hey, maybe we'd better get something to eat.

Good idea.

Do we get a campfire?

What kind of high tech-er are you?

We got a gas stove.

Oh, come on. Let's have a little romance.

Airwolf has been instructed to
engage this special program

Yeah.

…if it failed to receive a
code from me at this time.

I must assume that I am imprisoned or dead.

So, what will I leave this tacky,
money-grubbing world to remember me by?

Oh, shut up.

[beeps]

That was the craziest thing I have
ever done, landing on that sub.

A submarine?

A big one.

In the middle of the Pacific, their
computer had a nervous breakdown.

I was a freelance troubleshooter
with a Secret clearance.

So, hours later, there I was,
doing my Harry Houdini imitation

from a chopper slung
feet above a rolling deck.

You get it fixed?

Oh, sure.

But for the next days, I was the
lone female in a crew of -plus men

who had all been on patrol for days.

Uh-oh.

(Karen) I learned one thing.

What's that?

Karate.

Seriously, though, they were all gentlemen.

Is that the salt, Dom?

Oh, yeah sure.

Say, if you don't mind,
I've been meaning to ask you

about that experiment that you
were running in your lab.

Oh.

I'm working on a program
that would enable a man to fly

by merely thinking the maneuvers.

A right bank, a dive, whatever.

And land in a crosswind and pluck
a kitten out of a tree, huh?

You can scoff.

But in years, the way
you fly will be obsolete.

Excuse me,

but I've been hearing that word,
"obsolete," most all of my life.

And you know what?

We still dig holes with shovels.

So, if you had it your way,

there'd be hundreds of combat
pilots with nothing to do?

Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something to do.

Like they used to say, "Make love, not w*r."

They'll probably come up with a
computer to improve on that.

Maybe.

But like Dom says, "We still
dig holes with shovels."

(Karen) Okay Moffett, round .

Airwolf has been instructed
to engage this special program

if it failed to receive a
code from me at this time.

I must assume that I am imprisoned or dead.

(Gilson) I have a bone to
pick with you, Archangel.

General Gilson, what a pleasant surprise.

What takes you so far from the beaten path?

I am hot and I am tired and I
want some straight answers.

As soon as I hear a straight question.

Well, how's this?

Are you testing some kind of stealth
aircraft in NORAD's northern sector?

"Stealth aircraft"?

You know what it means, invisible to radar.

Answer the question.

We are testing nothing.

Then why did my big board
light up with false targets

the same day you people started
monitoring our operations?

I don't know.

The Pentagon agreed to provide
your Firm with that information

over my personal objections.

Now, I'm warning you.

If you're doing what I think you're doing,

I'll have whatever it is sh*t out of the sky.

I hope we understand each other.

Now, why are you looking at me like that?

You know what I have to do about Airwolf.

I have no choice.

I must assume that I am imprisoned or dead.

So, what will I leave this tacky,
money-grubbing planet to remember me by?

I leave a machine…

[Karen screams]

[sparks crackling]

What the…

- What happened?
- Are you okay?

Electric charge.

Electric charge? It tried to electrocute you?

Yeah, isn't that great?

Well, that's a significant clue.

I think Moffett's ghost is done for.

I think you've been working too many hours.

How about some fresh air?

That sounds like a good idea.

Well, nothing like a change
of scenery, is there?

Yeah, I guess we don't need this anymore.

Oh.

It's pretty here.

Yeah.

Hawke?

Uh-huh?

Let me ask you something.

How do you remember me from those days?

Dedicated, worked long hours,
committed to the project.

It was my whole life back then, work.

The project, the team, the job.

At home, I felt dead.

Yeah, I can hardly believe how
much you've changed since then.

That time I spent on the submarine

That was back when I looked so terrible.

And the whole time I was aboard,

they all treated me like one of the guys.

I hated that.

Well, they sure wouldn't treat
you like one of the guys now.

Let's go on back.

Okay.

(Karen) Valley of the Gods.

What?

Nothing.

Do it.

No.

No!

Accept that.

Good.

Now pay attention.

This is my last will and testament.

Airwolf has been instructed
to engage this special program

if it failed to receive a
code from me at this time.

Now goodbye, Charles Henry Moffett.

…or dead.

[roaring]

{whooping]

All right!

She's starting to feel like her
old self. Kick ‘em on, Dom.

Kick on the turbos, let's give
this lady a ride for her money.

Okay.

Oh, wait a minute, String.

You got traffic dead ahead.

Slow, single engine.

Hey, Dom, what's going on?
Did you switch on autopilot?

I hate to say it, but we
still got ghosts back here.

Impossible, I erased that entire menu.

Well, the computer doesn't know that.

(Dominic) Oh, no!

The computer now is showing that
private plane as a target, a MIG- .

Dom, cut it off.

I can't.

Try “cancel, double M”.

…and testament.

(Stringfellow) It tried to k*ll those people.

(Karen) It missed?

No, we replaced the live a*mo
with blanks, just in case.

Now it's turning north.

Always north.

Hey, can you get us back in control?

Auto-engage override is isolated?

I cut it out completely,
including the diffuser channel.

Type this, direct to CP.

U-U-U- - , disengage.

Nothing.

Now it's chasin’ birds.

Try U-U-U-COMDEC- - .

Try it.

(Stringfellow) I've got it.

Get us down fast. That won't last forever.

I don't know what to say.

I'm sorry.

Well, at least no one was hurt.

It had me completely faked out.

It must be tied to every system aboard,

like some disease spreading.

Are you saying that Airwolf
will never fly again?

Well, I'm gonna take it up again.

I gotta get Dr. Burton.

Look, if I had a more powerful computer,

I might be able to override this
one and cancel out the program.

If I can get one on such short notice.

I leave a machine out of control,

a machine worthy of that
insane world of theirs.

The wolf has come down from the north,

and your fat little town is safe no longer.

This is Charles Henry Moffett.

Moffett. Now Moffett's ghost?

Aren't we ever gonna be free of this maniac?

We wondered the same thing.

And what does that psychotic riddle mean,

"The wolf has come down from the north"?

It's a colloquialism from a novel by…

Thank you.

Our expert says there's more levels.

We don't even know what he wants yet.

Well, whatever he wants, we know it isn't good,

and until we can sort out those
computers, Airwolf should be grounded.

Perhaps we should have some of
our experts take a look at it.

Fat chance. You don't mean take
a look. You mean take back.

And we already had an expert look at it.

Well, not a very good one,
judging by your last flight.

What happens if the next target
it mistakes for a MIG-

is in fact a ?

Every piece of armament has been taken off her.

Suppose Moffett had a kamikaze streak?

People's lives are at stake here.

Your lives!

What about Dr. Burton's life?

We will attempt to provide the Doctor
with another means of transportation out.

I promised the man that I would pick him up.

In Airwolf.

You are impossible to talk to.

Dom.

The computer equipment your
expert asked for is on the ramp.

These are some classified,
detailed designs of Airwolf.

I thought you might like to
show them to your computer man.

Thank you.

She must love one of us, String.

The one is Airwolf.

Take care.

This is Charles Henry Moffett.
I am the creator of Airwolf.

And this is my last will and testament.

After talking with Hawke and Santini,

I'm convinced there's no turning them away.

They will fly Airwolf.

I can't imagine anything more terrifying

than that machine under Moffett's control.

God knows what he's programmed it to do.

If you can fix Airwolf with
absolute certainty, do it.

But if there's even the slightest question,

in a compartment in the rear of
this unit is a homing beacon

and a small expl*sive charge with a detonator.

You will activate the beacon,
and our personnel will move in.

If they attempt to lift off,

expl*sives placed on the rudder
will safely disable Airwolf.

Dr. Hansen,

we are all counting on you
in this unpleasant business.

Say, "Good morning."

Good morning.

Did you fix her?

I don't know.

Well, you tried.

Wait.

We can't wait any longer, honey.
We got a passenger waiting.

I just told you, I don't know if it's fixed.

We'll disconnect the
electronics and fly it cold.

It's been done before.

Moffett's programming could override that.

You touch anything in there, including
the radio, and you're inviting disaster.

It'll be okay.

No!

I've planted an expl*sive,
and this is the detonator.

Now get away, I'm warning you.

Why?

I have my orders.

What do you mean, "orders"?

I'm sorry, Hawke.

I know how important Airwolf is to you.

Your brother and everything.

She's with the Firm.

I suppose Mr. Clean is on
his way up here now, huh?

I've activated a homing beacon.

Where is it?

Stay back, I will detonate this.

And that means Moffett
wins and Dr. Burton dies.

I can't help that.

Oh, yes, you can. You can
put that down right now.

It's too risky.

You know, you've talked about a lot of things,

like how to take control of
your life. Well, then, do it.

Either push that detonator or let's go.

If Moffett's still in that
machine, we need you.

The decision's yours.

(Marella) Jericho , this is
Angel . We're within miles.

Homing signal still strong and closing.

(man) Angel , this is Groundskeeper.

Angel , this is Groundskeeper.

We're locked onto Dr. Hansen's homing device.

Good. Don't lose it, whatever you do.

Roger, Marella.

Howdy. Fill her up?

Or did you come here to see the -headed snake?

Well, it looks like we're
just about at the Bering Sea.

How do you feel?

Alive.

Scared, but alive.

[helicopters approaching]

Where's Mr. Santini?

We've had a crew change.

Dr. Karen Hansen, this is Dr. Roger Burton.

Welcome aboard, Doctor.

Did you get a look at those gunships?

Those helicopters were headed west.

(Stringfellow) Then we'll head north, over
the Pole, and come down the East Coast.

(Karen) Why not back the way
we came, toward Alaska?

We've gotta return Dr. Burton
to Washington immediately.

We're approaching the coastal ATIS.

We'll have to use the computers.

(Karen) Hawke, we can't take the
chance that Moffett is really gone.

And I can't risk flying
into US territory blind.

Let's try it.

All right, keep your fingers crossed.

(Karen) We're coming online now.

(Air Traffic Controller) I have a
bogey penetrating US airspace.

Scramble jets and intercept.

(Pilot) Baker flight, airborne.

Hawke, I have jets vectoring on us.

Unidentified helicopter, I am on your tail.

Identify yourself at once. Over.

Unidentified black helicopter,

identify yourself at once. Over.

What will you do?

We can outrun them with the turbos.

Yeah, for a while.

They'll report us to the Air
Command, and it's a long way home.

We'll have to talk to them.

(Stringfellow) Air Force pursuit,

we are on an unscheduled intelligence
mission for the United States.

We are unarmed.

(Pilot) Follow me to a
landing zone and set down.

Air Force, my course is…

[static buzzing]

(Pilot) Acknowledge my
transmissions or I will fire.

I say again, I will fire. Over.

Air Force pursuit, do you read me?

[static buzzing]

(Pilot) They're not acknowledging.

Moving into att*ck position.

Holy! Look at that.

Max thrust. Let's go.

Hawke, what are you doing?

I'm not doing anything.

(Pilot) Topped out. I'm at ceiling.

We're gonna need help with this guy.

Watchdog, Watchdog, this is flight Baker.

Watchdog, this is flight Baker. Do you read?

Quite an elevator ride.

Is everybody okay?

Yes, I'm okay. Did it…?

Yeah, it put us right into a power climb.

What is "it"?

(Karen) Our onboard computer.
It's out of my control.

(Stringfellow) Well, then, take it back.

I can't. Oh, my God.

Moffett's taking control of the ship's systems.

(Stringfellow) Where are the jets?

(Karen) Directly below us.

Can they hear us?

No. They're trying to radio for
assistance, but Moffett's jamming.

This is Charles Henry Moffett,

and this is my last message to all of you.

I created Airwolf, and I will destroy her.

Airwolf goes back to the womb with a boom.

Check and mate. That's all, folks.

Oh, my God.

What is that?

He's projecting.

Russian bombers!

(Karen) He's making us a target for NORAD.

(Stringfellow) More than that.

Those bogeys are to create
confusion so we can get through.

Didn't you hear him? He's targeted
us to k*ll Langley. The Firm!

There are thousands at that one facility alone,

and when Langley starts to defend itself,

a lot of people will die.

[siren wailing]

(Stringfellow) Jericho Approach.
Jericho Approach, come in.

Archangel, talk to me.

I'm broadcasting in the clear. Come in.

It's no use. Moffett's jamming us.

He'll know. He'll have to know.

Archangel, talk to me.

You know what we're up against. It's Moffett.

Get me General Gilson, please.

It's not what we think that
matters, it's what NORAD thinks.

What are you gonna tell him?

To disregard the radarscope.

He may not disregard.

General, this is Archangel.

The radar tracks you're getting are false.

I repeat, false.

You were right about my project.

I was testing an aircraft.
Something went wrong.

It is sending out those tracks.

There are no Russian missiles.

One plane is doing all that?

It's an extraordinary aircraft.

General, you've got to believe me.
What you're getting is…

I warned you.

I think we've got one chance,
people, the purge control.

Maybe we can freeze Moffett out.

Yes, yes, do it!

Make no mistake,

what depressurizing the cockpit
at this altitude will mean.

(Stringfellow) I remember an offer
to overhaul a certain helicopter,

no questions asked.

You name the time and place.

(Karen) Just send us the parts.
We'll take care of it.

The question is, will it
ever be free of Moffett?

(Karen) It is already, The extreme
cold purged all programming.

It's a blank slate now, like a
child waiting to be taught.

Yeah, and I know a real good teacher.

Well, just promise me one thing.

Will you leave out the story
of the big, bad wolf, okay?

[chuckles] Yeah.

You got it.