01x17 - The Stinger

[bunniefuu]

[BRIDGER WHISTLES]

Boy, that's fast. Good work.

Thank you, sir.
I think we conquered
the drag problem.

It can go faster.

Hold your breath.

I've been holding my breath
since we got into this thing.

A little more throttle.

[LAUGHING]

[WHOOPING]

[YELLING]

Unbelievable!
This is a great ride!

Hey, stop the hot-dogging.

Come on, Captain.
We designed it for this!

It's a prototype of a prototype.

It's held together
with baling wire
and duct tape.

Now cut the acrobatics.

Yes, sir.

We're testing speed, Lucas,
not maneuverability.

I'm showing .

The speedometer's way off.
I got you at .

It'll do .

Now, come on.
Captain.

Hydrogear lab is supposed to
have tested to .

That's what their
press releases say.

All right, ,
but no more than that.

Say thank you, Lucas.
Captain's giving you .

Thank you.

On my mark.
Straight line, now. No turns.

Yeah. Straight line, no turns.

[BEEPING]

It's fast.
It's gonna be hard to hit.

I can hit it,
but how hard do you want it?

Just disable it.
We need the technology.

[SIGHING]

...

.

I'm getting a little shimmy.
Well, slow it down.

.

Okay, it's smoothing out.

Very cool.
Slow it down, anyway.

... ... .

[WHIRRING]

[SCREAMING]

Lucas!

Lucas!

Lucas!

BRIDGER:
The st century.

Mankind has colonized
the last unexplored region
on Earth...

the ocean.

As captain of the seaQuest
and its crew,
we are its guardians.

For beneath the surface
lies the future.

[g*ns f*ring]

[PLUNGING]

KATIE:
Lucas, can you read me?

[SWITCHES CLACKING]

Well, we've lost
audio and visual contact.
We're flying blind.

Mr. Ortiz?
Nothing.

O'NEIL:
Stinger One, Come in.

Lucas, do you read?

No debris trail, sir.
He either went up
or down intact.

It's negative.
If it's not moving, it sinks.

Concentrate your search
on the bottom.
Spread the WSKRS to the limit.

We'll cover this western reef.

Six degrees port.
Climb that ridge.
We'll have a better view.

[GRUNTING]

[PANTING]

No, no. Take it easy, son.

[BEEPS]

[BEEPING]

I got him! He's on the beach.
He's on dry land.

Captain, we've got a fix
on Lucas. He's on the beach.

Get a rescue launch
to him immediately.
Aye, sir.

Lt. Krieg,
Lucas is on the beach.

KRIEG:
We can be there in five.

Have Dr. Westphalen
standing by
in the medical bay.

We'll all meet there.
Aye, sir.

[SIGHING]

[SEAGULLS CAWING]

Well, tide's going out.
Your people
should be here soon.

Hey.

[BEEPING]

Can you hold this?
Keep the pressure on it?

Yeah.

Okay. You'll be fine.

Sir.

Who are you?
Oh, I'm a dreamer, son.
Just like you.

Is it gonna be a scar?

No, you'll still have
your beautiful baby face.

I don't want a baby face.
I want a scar.

Next thing he'll want
is a tattoo.
I'm gonna get a tattoo.

He's still in shock.
I am not in shock.

Wait till you get the tattoo.

[KRISTIN LAUGHING]

You stay in bed.
He had no right rushing around
in that contraption.

He's still a boy, Nathan.
Boy? He's a college graduate.

Where is the Stinger?
A party is out
looking for the Gazelle.

I'm not calling it a Gazelle.
And you're not
calling it a Stinger.

Yes I am.
Not while half of it's mine.

Well, my half is a Stinger.
BRIDGER:
Both of you...

this thing was built under
the auspices of seaQuest.

This is my boat.
I'll give it the name.

Right now, I'm calling it
the Contraption.

You're damn lucky
the fisherman found you.

So stay in bed,
as the doctor says.

Commander,
return to your station.
Yes, sir.

You really gave us a scare,
Lucas.
L...

If he gives you
any more trouble,
just let me know.

Oh, he won't
give me any trouble.
He's a college graduate.

Captain, he wasn't a fisherman.

He said he was a dreamer.

A dreamer? Well.

[SIGHING]

You don't send a boy
to do a man's job.

Is this "Crash" Krieg?
Come on...

Skipper let you pilot
the seaQuest once and you
backed it into a volcano.

It was uncharted.

How about when
you rolled the launch?

Because of a riptide.
Stuffed the Sea Crab
into the shoreline?

That was a tsunami.

This is where
they lost contact
with the Stinger.

Hang on.

So, you were trying
to surf a tsunami?

I'm a good pilot.
Check my record.

That is your record.

There's nothing there.
Are you starting
with me, too?

The Stinger, Lieutenant.
It's gone.

Maybe it got caught
in the current.
Not here.

Cmdr. Hitchcock made it
way too heavy to be tugged out
by local currents.

Look...

that's about the width
of the Stinger,
like the tide dragged it...

Toward the beach.

Get us as close as you can
to the shoreline.

We're gonna have to scuba
beyond that point.

SeaQuest, we're getting wet
to search the shoreline.

Thank you, Mr. O'Neill.

Make your best effort.
You know how much
this means to them.

Out.

Well, did they find it yet?

Not yet.

I got two days
to get this thing back,
get it fixed...

or we don't make
the UEO qualifying trials.

Get a grip, Katie.

You're allowing your obsession
with the Stinger to interfere
with your obligations.

It's a Gazelle. I built it,
and I'm calling it a Gazelle.

KRISTIN:
For years,
science has tried...

to mimic the movement of fish
to cut turbulence.

And I did it. I designed
perfect laminar flow.

Perfect laminar flow
is the smooth movement
of liquids over a solid body.

You used it.
You didn't design it.

God did. It's called a fish.

What I meant was,
it's phenomenal.
It's phenomenal if it works.

And it did work for a while.

Come on, the Wright brothers'
first flight lasted
less than a minute.

Nathan, what we need here
is some
positive reinforcement.

What we need here is the truth.

The Stinger
was a failure. Why?

Lucas' hot-dogging
or a design flaw?

You and Hitchcock kept me
at arm's length
on this project.

We wanted to surprise you,
Captain.
Oh, you did.

O'Neill.
Go ahead, Lieutenant.

Patch me through
to the seaQuest.

FORD:
Cmdr. Ford, here.
You're on.

Captain, we've got Lt. Krieg.
Put him through.

Captain.

The Stinger's gone.

I'm looking at evidence
suggesting it was dragged
from the water...

and carted off on a truck.

Somebody stole the prototype.

[BEEPING]

The competition
for the UEO contract...

for a high speed
single-seat submersible
is secret.

BRIDGER:
I understand that, Mr. Gaye,
but we have a situation.

Our prototype's been stolen.

Well, I sympathize.
But I can't violate the
secrecy of the competition.

Well, it's no secret
that Hydrogear's in it.
Yes, it is.

That Hydrogear let leak
their participation...

doesn't change
the confidential nature
of the competition.

Put me through
to Sec. Gen. Noyce.

We'll be
at the qualifying trials.
You can speak to him then.

No, no, no. I want
to speak to him right now.

So would , other people.

I said "now," Mr. Gaye.

[SIGHING]

Are you declaring
this alleged theft
a m*llitary emergency?

No.
Well, then you can
see my problem.

I wouldn't put Hydrogear or
any of the other competitors
through to him, either.

Your involvement
has been cause for complaints
as it is, Captain.

This is supposed to be
a private-sector contract.

Any more allowances
would be viewed as giving you
an unfair advantage.

Bureaucratic weasel.

Put up the playback
of our test run
on the Stinger.

Yes, sir.

KATIE:
.

LUCAS:
Okay, it's smoothing out.

LUCAS:
Very cool.

BRIDGER:
Slow it down, anyway.

KATIE:
... ... .

[LUCAS SCREAMING]

Wait, what's that?
Above the Stinger.

Play that back, frame by frame.

[BEEPING]

There was something else
down there. We were too busy
watching Lucas to notice.

What's the next thing
you remember?
Laying on the beach.

The man triggered
my homing device...

put a handkerchief on my head...

told me he was a dreamer,
then he left.

Oh, he grabbed a metal case
from the dinghy.

Not a tackle box?
No.

It was the kind of case
that you carry electronics in.

More like a remote control
for whatever hit our Stinger.

Have you got anything
on the competition?

The only competitor we can
be certain of for the Stinger
is Hydrogear Labs.

Enzo Dinato's company.

I can't talk about it,
other than to say
our prototype will become...

the standard
for the high-speed,
single-seat submersible.

And that's all I have to say.

Translation:
"Buy Hydrogear stock, now."

Institutional investors
have driven Hydrogear's stock
up %...

in the last six months.

I can't get a fix
on the other competitors.

Security's locked down
pretty tight.

Lenco was thought to be in it,
but then they filed
for bankruptcy.

Other companies were rumored
to be in early on, but then
they dropped out...

because of R&D costs.

There is a garage outfit run
by a former Hydrogear
engineer, Martin Tucker.

LUCAS:
That's him!

The dreamer.

Tucker designed Hydrogear's
most successful products.

And there was
a lot of acrimony
when he left.

He complained publicly
about Dinato's not sharing
credit with him...

not to mention the profits.

I know Tucker.
He's a maverick.

He never shared anything
with anyone in his life.

I remember when I was
designing seaQuest...

he was about a year ahead
of me in research.

I asked him some questions
about a regenerating
hull skin.

You know what he told me?

He told me he wasn't going
to do my homework for me.

Well, that's what you
said to me when I asked you
for help with the Stinger.

You didn't ask for help.
You asked for UEO money...

for an idea
that you and Hitchcock
hadn't even put on paper yet.

We put it on paper.
Yes, and I got you your money.

I always knew Tucker
was miserable, but I never
thought of him as a thief.

I think in order to find
our Stinger, we're going to
have to find Mr. Tucker.

Tucker Technologies.

There it is.

[BLOWING]

[SHUTTER RATTLING]

[EXCLAIMS]

I'm here
for Hydrogear's property,
Tucker...

and that would include you.

You caused that boy to crash,
didn't you?

You're a pig.
And you weren't out there
spying on it?

That's exactly what
I was doing, but I wasn't
out there to destroy it.

Load up the vehicle.

Don't hurt him!

[TUCKER GRUNTING]

Don't you get it?
Dinato is nothing
without me...

and the UEO will know that
as soon as
the qualifying trials begin.

Now get out of here.

We are not leaving
without you and the vehicle,
Tucker. It's in your contract.

Oh? When did you
become a lawyer?

Don't force me to hurt you.

You're not gonna hurt me.
Dinato would fire you.

I carry following orders
only so far. Now put down
the pry bar.

No!
Okay.

Okay.

[BUZZING]

[TUCKER GROANING]

You still here?

No, it isn't me.
I'm a figment
of your imagination.

Oh, you're in a good mood.

You come in here, you ask me
if I'm here. It's obvious,
all right. I'm here.

All right.
Take it easy, Katie.

Take it easy.
In less than a day and a half
I have to produce...

a new sub for the UEO trials.

But I don't have one.
I lost it.

Bridger gets me $,
of R & D money...

and I lose the mini-sub.

Well, technically,
Lucas lost it.
I'm in charge of the project,
Jonathan.

Not according to Lucas.

Well, Lucas could use a lesson
in the hierarchy
of project management.

And a girlfriend.

Don't you guys ever think
of anything else?

Sure. Sports.

Come on, Katie.
You can always
pay back R&D money.

No.

I make $, a month.

I own a condo,
which I can't sell,
in Los Angeles.

You pay them back.

[EXCLAIMS]

I wonder why I'm still single.

[HONKING]

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

Martin, are you all right?
Mr. Green, this is my partner.

I told you to treat him
with respect.
He took a pry bar to me.

Well, then, circumstances
extenuate, aye, Marty?

You can leave. Close the door.

[ENGINE STARTING]

Hell of a design
for a -year-old kid.

It would have given you
a run for your money.

Five years ago...
I'm not interested
in five years ago.

I am.

I told you... I told you
this project was the future.

But no, you told me,
and I quote:

"Shut up and get back to work
on something
that makes me money."

When I refused, you fired me.

I fired you,
but I still own your ideas.

Your mini-sub was one of them.

That, my friend,
was in your contract...

which I paid off and,
as a result,
it remains in force.

No, this is too much concept
and not enough consideration.
I mean...

I could b*at this.

Now, I'm gonna leave
and you're not gonna stop me.

But my HS stays here.

You're a common thief.

You want to make
the qualifying trials...

it's going to be under
the Hydrogear banner.

Good to see you.
I'll go to the police.

No, you won't.

Come on, Tucker,
we're on the same team.

That's why we took your
competition out of the race.

You know your boss has
the visionary abilities
of a bat.

And your mini-sub.

Yeah, well,
every once in a while,
God lets the dumb get lucky.

They need it.
Keeps them in the game.

Gives guys like me
something to play around with.

You try anything, Mr. Tucker,
and you're gonna get hurt.

[LAUGHING]

You learn how to talk tough
like that by watching
digital comic books?

I think you should sit down.

Oh, no. No, thanks.
I never could sit still.

That's why I made this
and you guys didn't.

For you,
it's all press releases
and cocktail parties.

Me?

I'm in it for the work.

That's enough. Fellows.
I'm not playing with you.

Oh, no? But I'm playing
with you. You see,
it's called, "plan ahead."

I have, and you haven't.

[HIGH-PITCHED WHINING]

[GROANING]

You know it comes in
real handy...

when you're underwater
trying to scare sharks away.

But on land,
raises hell with the dogs.

Oh, and, by the way,
be sure and tell your boss:
"Good to see him, too."

[BEEPING]

KRIEG:
You're gonna have to do
better than that, Bickle.

Look, Krieg. I want
a lecture on performance,
I'll ask my wife.

How's her eating disorder?
Binge, purge, nag...

Marriage is like trying
to paint a self-portrait
with mittens on.

You can do it...

but you ain't gonna
like the way
you end up looking.

I remember.
Give me the numbers
on Tucker's purchases.

Well, it's like I told you,
this guy'd buy almost anything
we put up for auction.

I once unloaded
barracuda decoys on him.

Said he wanted them
to scare the surfers.

You know, this guy could spend
a little more time
in the decompression t*nk.

Maybe you'll make
a little room for him.

Pull the bills of lading.
Why?

Because they'll have
his address, Bickle.

Hey, good idea.
I'm loaded with them.

The barracuda decoys
went to an industrial park
in Oxnard...

Frontage Road.

Thanks. Kiss the wife for me.
You want to thank me,
you kiss her.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

DINATO:
Don't tell me this,
Mr. Green, not now.

Tucker had some kind of
alert rigged up. I think I've
lost hearing in my left ear.

We've lost more than
a little of your hearing.

Well, what did you want me
to do, sh**t him?

If necessary, yes.
I'm a Production Manager,
Mr. Dinato.

Not a k*ller.

You are a guy who didn't
do the job, Mr. Green.
Now get out of here.

[BEEPING]

Mr. Dinato,
what can I do for you?
Are we on a secure channel?

Of course.
I've got a problem.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Come in.
Captain, I found Tucker.

Where?
About a half-hour from here.

Great! Have Crocker
send a squad of men
over there, immediately.

Yes, sir.

I'm afraid that's
a waste of time, Mr. Tucker.

Nothing a man puts together
with his own two hands
is ever a waste of time.

Didn't your boss tell you that?

Yeah, well, I'm afraid
he forgot to mention it.

Of course he did. Well,
this is private property.

If you don't leave,
I'll have you arrested.

That's not going to happen.
I'm taking you back
to Mr. Dinato.

Well, you've got
that half-right.

You're taking us
to Mr. Dinato.

Now this can go down
one of two ways: Easy or hard.

Doesn't make
much difference to me.

Tucker stuck pretty close
to the design he first drew up
when he worked for you.

You could claim
you paid for them.
But we didn't pay
for that one.

Cannibalize it for technology,
and then be sure
no one finds it.

[g*ns COCKING]

[g*n f*ring]

CROCKER:
Stay where you are!
Don't move!

Hold it right there!

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

CROCKER:
We found it, sir.

BRIDGER:
How does it look?

Well, you know those
big old puzzles you used to
get at Christmas...

had about , pieces,
that nobody
could put together?

Pretty much like that,
I'm afraid.

What about Tucker?

It wasn't Tucker, Cap.
It was Dinato.

Tucker's fine.

We're bringing his mini-sub
back for the trials.

I'm sorry
about the Stinger, sir.

I know they worked
awful hard on it.

Yes, they did.

Are you sure
you ran the numbers
on the stress configurations?

Are you sure you weren't
pushing the Gazelle
past its limits?

[SIGHING]
Yeah. I'm positive.

And it's not a Gazelle.

Well, I'm not
calling it a Stinger.
That's sexist.

What's sex got to do with it?

Not sex, sexist.

A guy name for a guy thing,
like chainsaw,
screwdriver, boxing.

What are you gonna call boxing?

A multi-handed contact sport?

I'd call it stupid.
Yeah, well,
I'm calling it a Stinger.

I call it a Gazelle
and I'm gonna get b*at up.

I think you'd better
call it Gone.

You haven't found it?

I'm sorry.
It's been destroyed.

What are we gonna do now?

I don't know.

But unless you two are willing
to stand up and juggle
in front of these people...

you better have
something to show
for the moneys invested.

Captain, it wasn't our fault.

Hey, these are adults.

"The dog ate my homework"
defense doesn't work here.

What was your alternative?
Sir?

You didn't have one?
No.

Well, I guess we're gonna
have to build another one.

In hours?
Why not?

You've got the materials,
you've got the plans.

Krieg can get you
anything else you need.

Or you can start
practicing your juggling.

[SIGHING]

How come when you get cents
you don't call someone else?

I got a thing
for men in uniform.

I'm gonna need two gallons
of fiberglass resin,
a pound of titanium rivets...

feet of flex tube,
a spool
of waterproof wiring...

G rating.
What are you guys building?

A big fish. Can you do it?
Of course,
but you're gonna owe me.

I'll turn you on
to a great divorce lawyer.

Some lawyer. You got
to salute your ex-wife.

[LAUGHS SARCASTICALLY]

Throttle control.
Operational.

Vertical stabilizer.

We had to wire
around that one,
we didn't have an extra gauge.

What about the horizontals?

They're gonna have
to work off
the water-brake read-out.

Does the water brake work?
I hope so.

Are we gonna make it?
I don't know.

If we're lucky.
You don't win
one of these on luck.

I'm starting to figure that out.

Anything I can do to help?
No, thanks.
I brought it this far.

I mean, we all did, Captain.

Why don't you get some sleep?
We can handle it.

Okay, just thought I'd ask.

Good luck.
Thanks.

Thank you.
See you soon.

Not bad, kiddo. Not bad.

ANNOUNCER:
They're at
the starting line...

and we're moments away
from the start of the
Underwater .

The track is fast and wet,
and Lucas Wolenczak...

the young rookie from Buffalo
appears to be
the crowd's favorite.

And they're off. What a start,
Lucas Wolenczak takes the lead
into the first turn.

MAN:
UEO shuttle, you are clear
for final approach.

WSKRS assuming
assigned positions.
Surge and currents minimal.

Perfect conditions, sir.
Thanks.

Mr. Secretary.
Hello, Nathan.

Good to see you.
How are you?

Oh, my Appointments Secretary,
Edgar Gaye.

No, not the Mr. Gaye
that wouldn't put me through
to you the other day?

Really?
Well, yes...

It's just a temporary position.

I don't think
that'll happen again.

Well, what do you think?

Well, they've had
duplicate components
for all the parts...

but it's taken them hours
to put it together.

Is there any danger to Lucas?

We've done round-the-clock
structural tests on every
joint and hydraulic system.

I hope not.
Oh, good.

What "round-the-clock
structural tests"? You've only
been finished a few minutes.

[SIGHING]

KRIEG:
Lucas?
Yeah, what?

Nervous?
Not now. I like being in here.

I trust this thing.

Good to know.

Feeding you course telemetry.

KATIE:
Okay, Lucas. Game plan.
I say we go for it.

I say we put on a good show
and score points for design.

I wanna win.

Yeah, well so do I,
but if this thing craps out,
we lose.

Then we can call it a Gazelle.

Just stick to the routine.

No improvisation.

Good luck.

All set, sir. WSKRS ready
to evaluate data.

O'NEIL:
Tucker's on Channel ,
Lucas on , sir.

Now, these are
performance trials for UEO's
private sector development...

of a single-seat
underwater submersible...

minimum top speed,
miles an hour.

Hey, are you sure Dinato can't
see me from his jail cell?

[CHUCKLING]

Compulsory maneuver
number one: Single roll
and reverse direction loop.

On a mark.
, , , mark.

Wow, that guy's good.

Very stable around
a tight center of gravity.

It's all yours, son.
Good luck.

Mr. Wolenczak? Are you ready?

Wish me luck, Darwin.
I'm gonna need it.

Mr. Wolenczak, are you ready?

Ready.
, , , mark.

[EXCLAIMS]

Lucas, how's it holding up?

It's very smooth.
Good.

Just keep the Gazelle
in one piece.

It's a Stinger.
Yeah.

[BEEPING]

[CHUCKLING]

Hard to believe he's a teenager.

Try winning an argument
with him sometime.

All right, gentlemen,
that concludes
our compulsory trials.

One final test...

then we take your boats
back to the Honolulu lab
for schematic appraisal.

Hey, son?
Yeah?

No matter what happens,
you did a hell of a job.

Thank you.

Mr. Tucker, Lucas,
I have starting
coordinates for you.

Ten miles, flat out,
as fast as you can go.

Any questions?

Nope.
Nada.

Watch the WSKR.

Look for my taillights, pal.

Okay, good job, Lucas.
Come on.

Come on.

Go, son.
Come on, Lucas. Come on!

Two and a half miles gone.
Quite a way to go.

KATIE:
Talk to me, Lucas.
It's hard to steer.

It's supposed to be,
you're going .
Draft off his wake.

Okay.

Okay, you've got it, Lucas.
Come on.

ORTIZ:
Five miles to go.

Yes!

Yes!

[LAUGHING]

[BEEPING]

[WHOOPING]

Come on, you've got him.

ORTIZ:
Three quarters gone.
Home stretch.

[CHUCKLING]

Commander, I'm losing thrust.

[ENGINE FALTERING]

Oh, man.

Come on, catch up. Catch up.

[LAUGHING]

Looks like Tucker got himself
a very lucrative UEO contract.

You did a hell of a job,
Commander.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

KATIE:
I don't understand
what happened. It was just...

Are you a little glum?

Look, you were magnificent
today. You should be
very proud of yourself.

I lost.

You think winning is everything?

As opposed to what?
Doing better next time.

Experience is what you get
when you don't get
what you want.

Hey.

Don't give up.
You've got a great future.

Thanks.
BRIDGER:
Hey.

No congratulations, Lucas?

Congratulations, Mr. Tucker.
You built a great fish.

So did you.

And check your oil injection
valve placement.

I'm surprised you didn't
see that with a blindfold on.

I did.
What?

If you knew,
why didn't you tell us?
Did we discuss the theory?

Yes.
Did I show you
the books and the files?

You let us lose.
No.

Lucas didn't read
the material, and neither
did you, Commander.

And sometimes
we learn a lot more
by losing than winning.

Yeah.

You can call it a Gazelle,
Commander.

[LAUGHING]

Hello, I'm Bob Ballard
from the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution.

Lucas' Stinger vehicle
in tonight's episode is still
a flight of fantasy...

but Tucker's single-seat sub
is a real vehicle
known as the Bosch...

and will be available
in the near future.

Research now underway
at Woods Hole
and MIT has discovered...

that by wagging its tail,
a fish can control
its turbulence...

and use less energy to swim.

As a result,
"fish-like" vehicles are
one step away from reality.