02x02 - The Pioneers

[bunniefuu]

[EERIE MUSIC]

Ah, hey. We got something.

Can't identify, there's no signal.

A Plane?

It's too erratic.

It's a m*ssile!

It's to slow.

MAN ONE: I think I know what that is.

It looks like it's down.
Northern Minnesota.

Get me the director of
Project Pioneer.

[PHONE RINGS]

Yes?

Are you positive?

Alright, don't do anything...

and don't notify anybody

I'll get right back to you.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

There's been a malfunction.

It's come down.

FLIGHT COM:
It's looks good at NASA One.

B-52 PILOT:
Roger.

BCS Arm switch is on.

FLIGHT COM:
Okay, Victor.

B-52 PILOT: Landing Rocket Arm switch is on.
Here comes the throttle.

Circuit breakers in.

STEVE:
We have separation.

B-52 PILOT:
Inboard and outboards are on.

I'm comin' forward with the side stick.

FLIGHT COM: Looks good.

PILOT:
Ah, Roger.

STEVE:
I've got a blowout in damper three.

SR-71 PILOT:
Get your pitch to zero.

STEVE:
Pitch is out. I can't hold altitude!

B-52 PILOT: Correction. Alpha Hold is off.
Threat selector is emergency.

STEVE: Flight Com. I can't hold it!
She's breaking up! She's breaking...

ANNOUNCER:
Steve Austin. Astronaut.

A man barely alive.

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.

We have the technology.

We have the capability
to make the world's first bionic man.

Steve Austin will be that man.

Better than he was before.

Better, stronger, faster.

[MAIN TITLE THEME]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[STEADY BEEPING, LOUD HISSING]

MUFFLED GRUNTING]

OSCAR: Don't you start telling
me about priorities.

I need a plane, and I need it right now.

Look, I don't care if it's a B-52,
you have it ready in 15 minutes.

STEVE: You know, it's amazing
what you can get with a few kind words.

It's an emergency situation.

We have to act fast, and we have to
keep it under wraps, Steve.

What is it?

I can't go into it right now.

Wait a minute.
What are you talking about?

I've got top security clearance...

It has nothing to do with security.
It's on a need-to-know basis.

And you may not
need to know.

Rudy will fill you in
as necessary.

Well, fill me in, Rudy.

We got a plane to catch, Steve.

Oh, he's got you doing it too, huh?

Steve, don't start in with me now.

Look, Oscar, I'm not one
of your eager beavers, you know.

Your problems aren't my problems
unless you got reasons.

Reasons that make sense to me.

Ride with me on this one, will you, pal?

I'm in a jam.

We both are, Steve.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Okay.

Let's go.

Well, we're flying northwest
at about 350 knots.

We're heading for Minnesota.
Northern part.

Superior National Forest.

What are you and Oscar
involved in up there?

A very secret experiment.

That's all you're gonna tell me?

Until we're on the ground.

What's in the little black box?

How you been, Steve?

Called you to come to a party
we were having at the lab last week...

but Oscar's office said
you were busy.

You know, Doc,
you haven't changed a bit.

Even when you're faking,
your bedside manner's terrible.

This is Oscar Goldman.

I'm gonna set up a base camp in the area
where the capsule went down.

I want 100 of your agents to meet me there
as soon as possible.

I want you to encircle the area,
and seal it off as soon as you can.

You got that? Good.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[EERIE MUSIC]

[BEEPING]

[MUFFLED GRUNTING]

[LOUD BANGING]

[LOUD GRUNTING]

[LOUD BANGING]

[METAL GRINDS]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

GRUNTING CONTINUES]

We're getting close.

I can tell you this now.
We're looking for a space capsule.

Space capsule?
We didn't have one up there.

Neither did the Russians.

Oscar and I did.

Is our bionic eye still working?

Yeah.
-Go take a look, huh?

[BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT]

Well?

Off to the right, there's something that looks
like a space capsule and some chutes.

That's it. That's it.
Alright, come on. Let's go down.

Wait a minute, Doc.
What's in the capsule?

Stop asking questions
and put on your parachute.

Better start circling.
This is where we wanna get out.

You made many jumps, Rudy?

Oh, not too many.

I didn't think so.

You're putting your parachute
on upside down.

[STEVE LAUGHS]

[FOOTSTEPS, DIDGERIDOO PLAYS]

[EERIE MUSIC]

[GRUNTING LOUDLY]

Steve, I don't think I can do it!

Just go!

My legs... they won't move!

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[RUSTLING GRUNTING]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[HEAVY BREATHING]

Hey, now, that's not too bad.
What a thrill!

[GRUNTING]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Whoa. Not so fast.

Sorry.

[BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT]

I saw something.

Where?

This way.

Here it is.

The hatch is open.

Yeah.

How do you suppose all
these branches got here?

You suppose it could've been
blown open on impact?

It looks like it was forced open
from the inside.

It would take some kind
of strength to do that.

[BEEPING]

Cryogenic chambers.

Oh, no.
-What's the matter?

Oh, my God. He's gone.

Who's gone, Rudy?

Get the hatch. Lock it quickly.

It's leaking nitrogen.
We gotta get it open fast!

[BREATHES]

Be careful of that liquid nitrogen.
It'll freeze anything solid.

Even your bionic hands.

Okay.

That valve over there is the nitrogen!

Turn it off, quick!

Turn it off!

[LOUD CREAKING]

We gotta work fast
if we're gonna save her.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Mr. Goldman.
-Yes.

Walker, sir. Please to meet you.

How do you do?

You've got your men
surrounding the place?

Yes, sir.
We got all the campers out too.

The entire area is closed off.

Good.

We're right here at six o'clock, sir.
-Alright.

Can you tell me what it is?

No.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[HEAVY BREATHING]

You and Oscar froze two astronauts
and put them into orbit?

Yeah. Only Congress doesn't know.

Just five of us and the launch crew.

If word ever got out, why they'd destroy
Oscar and everyone involved...

for daring to freeze living human beings.

That's why we couldn't tell you, Steve.

Now once I start to defrost it,
you know, you must not move your arm.

Movement would cause
a heat change, huh?

Right. Her body temperature was
instantaneously lowered...

to minus 270 degrees Fahrenheit.

At that temperature,
there's almost no molecular movement.

Every cell in her body
is as brittle and delicate as a glass flower.

If we don't get her temperature
back to normal...

she could have extensive cell damage.

Permanent cell damage.

You ready?
-Yeah.

[ELECTRICAL CHARGE]

It's working.

[FOOTSTEPS]

[HEAVY BREATHING]

[HEARTBEAT]

Pulse beginning.

So far, so good.

The two of them have been working
on suspended animation.

They developed
a cell-regeneration serum...

which seems to have virtually
solved all the problems...

of returning from
a suspended state.

At least it worked on laboratory animals.

The challenge was
to test it on human beings...

under actual space flight conditions.

It was their serum,
and they insisted on testing it.

Who's they?

David Tate, Nicole Simmons.

How long were they up there?

Just went up.

It was supposed to last a year,
but the capsule malfunctioned...

and they dropped out of orbit.

Respiration's coming up.

The crash must've caused
a malfunction in his chamber.

That's right.

Pulse is up to 40.

Respiration,


David's a dedicated scientist
and a good friend.

I hope we can correct
whatever's happened to him.

Temperature's up about right.
Color looks good.

Yeah. Keep that arm steady.

You can't move it
for a while yet.

What's going on here?

Government business,
Sheriff.

An army survival team
on a two day exercise.

Well, I don't see no uniforms.

It's an assimilation exercise.

I'll be glad to have Washington call
your office and confirm it.

Oh, yeah. Of course.

Well, I'm just checking.

Sure. Thank you very much, Sheriff.
We appreciate that.

Say, you need anything,
just give me a holler, huh?

Thank you, Sheriff.
Thank you.

Say, I got a couple of calls.

There was some UFO sightings last night.

Had you boys seen anything?

No. Walker?

Nope.

Must've been some large
sh**ting star, Sheriff.

You know, last night
was a very clear night.

Oh, yeah.
That's right.

[ENGINE ARTS]

And the serum's
working perfectly now.

No, Nicole. Don't try and talk.

Your vocal chords need to
get used to the circulation.

Keep that arm still.

We did it.

Hey, I told you not to talk.

Hows David?

What's the date?

Has it been a year?

You came down sooner than expected.

Oh, what happened?

Rudy, am I alright?

Listen. Get the data
from the, uh...

on board computer.

Hey, I want you to stop being a scientist.
Just be my patient.

You need to get
some strength back.

Hows David?

Well, we're not sure.

He broke out of his container
and then he left the capsule.

Oh, no. Oh.

Too much serum. It's too fast.

Cells...

All kind of cells would be regenerating
too fast. We have to find him.

No, it's going to be okay.
I'm sure David's perfectly alright.

I'm gonna check
the computer tapes.

and see what dosage
of a serum to give her.

[BEEPING WINDING]

ls your arm generating the power
to work the defroster?

Yes.

Then it has to be atomic powered.

That's right.

Your arm's bionic.

Two years ago, I was part of an
experiment that Oscar and Rudy tried.

So far, it's worked.

One of Oscar's experiments...

called in to help another one
of Oscar's experiments.

Kind of makes us family,
doesn't it?

Sort of.
Country cousins.

What's your name, cousin?

Steve Austin.

Of course.

That's a pretty gutsy thing
you and David did.

Thank you...

for saving my life.

This makes me feel very strange.

It's like looking into the eyes
of a heart surgeon...

who's performing a transplant on me,
you know what I mean?

Yes, I do.

You know, I've never met anyone
who's been an experiment like me.

How does it make you feel?

It makes me feel a little less alone.

You know...

I don't know what's happened
to me or David...

but I would do my experiment
over again in a minute.

Would you do
your experiment over again?

You bet.

[RUSTLING GRUNTING]

Well, you got the right amount of serum.

All you need now is
an anti-coagulant...

and all your vital organs
should return to normal.

What about David?

He got too much serum.
It must've happened in the crash.

What's it gonna do to him?

Well theoretically,
man only uses about 10 percent...

of it's potential mental
and physical ability.

In David's case,
the excess serum that he got...

could've cause a sharp increase
in that percentage.

We have to... we have to find him.

You're not going any place.

[SIGHS]

She's alright.

The anti-coagulant is sending
more blood to her head...

but she'll be
much stronger soon.

[HEAVY BREATHING]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

If you move that arm now,
it could be fatal.

How much longer?

Just a few more minutes.

[LAUGHS]

My feet are tingling.

[GRUNTING IN DISTANCE]

What's that?

I don't know.

[LOUD GRUNTING]

Oh, David. Oh, no.

David, it's me. Rudy Wells.

[YELLS]

Hold that arm there!

David, you got too much serum.

The cells regenerated too fast.

[DAVID GROANS]

Oh, Nicole!

David. David?

Let me try to reverse the process.

Rudy Wells calling Oscar Goldman.
Rudy Wells call...

David! David, they're
trying to help you!

Oh. Oh, my God.
Did he k*ll Rudy?

STEVE: No, I think he's alright.

Calm down.

We have to get David.
We have to bring him back here.

I'll bring him back
when Rudy says I can leave you.

But we can't wait.

We have to wait.
I'm not gambling with your life, you hear?

Uh-oh.
What's gone wrong now'?

I thought we got rid of 'em.

Come here.
I wanna talk to you.

Did Washington call you, Sheriff?

Yeah, I heard from 'em,
but that ain't why I'm here.

I got a problem. Listen.

Is there something going on out there
that you ain't told me about?

What's your problem?

A couple of campers come straggling
into a Ranger's station last night.

Up at Crest Lake.
Said they was attacked by a wild man.

Said he was dressed in a silver suit,
and he was strong as anything.

Sheriff, my men didn't see anything.

Now you know how these campers are.

OSCAR: They get a few drinks,
they'll see anything in those woods.

No, no. I know these boys.
They were stone sober.

And they was scared to death.

There must be some
simple explanation.

Yeah, I'm sure too,
and I'm going in to find it.

I'm afraid that isn't possible, Sheriff.

If you go in there...

you'll interrupt those exercises
and I can't let you do that.

That's your problem, mister.

When some maniac attacks
people in my county...

I'm not telephoning Washington
or any place else.

I'm going in there after them.
Come on, let's go.

Stop him! Stop him!

Start moving your men in.

Alright, let's go!
Let's move out!

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Steve, this is Oscar Goldman.
Do you read me?

Rudy? This is Oscar Goldman.
Do you read me?

STEVE: Okay, the yellow wire
is disconnected from her neck.

Alright.

Now remove the green electrode
pacemaker from Nicole's forearm

Got it.
Wanna try and sit up?

Yeah.

How 'bout you, Rudy?
You feeling better?

I still feel dizzy.

Tell Oscar where we are, huh?

You're sure you're okay?

I'm a doctor, aren't I?

Just let me lie here
until the dizziness passes.

You want a medical name for it?

I've gotta try to find David.

No, no, no.
You should stay here too, Nicole.

No, I've gotta try
to get to David to help him.

Be careful, Steve.
Be careful.

You're sure you wanna come along?

Yeah, I've gotta try to get to him
before it gets any worse.

There's another reason
why we must try to find him fast.

What's that?

Oscar must have
the area surrounded.

With the radio smashed,
we can't tell him what's going on.

Is Oscar here?

Well, he must be.

If David stumbles
into some of Oscar's men...

They wouldn't hurt David,
would they?

Well, we can't be sure.

[BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT]

This way.

How do you know which way?

He left a trail of heat waves.

Heat waves?
-Yeah, come on.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[GRUNTING]

[LOUD GRUNTING]

Ahhh...

This is good.

He came at us
from out of the trees.

From over there.

Let's go.

You know you can't keep going like this.

I'm fine. Just give me a minute,
will you, Steve?

When I came back from space...

I didn't walk around the block
until I had a long rest and a thousand tests.

I'm okay.

Could you give a girl a hand?

You bet.

Which way?

This way. Come on.

Base Command calling Sector 6.
See anything?

No, not even a squirrel.

Roger. Continue on.

This is Sector 4.

It's all clear from the
base camp to the ridge.

We're proceeding
westerly along the ridge.

Roger, Four.

Sector 7 calling.

We've come upon a small lake.

We'll proceed slowly
along the eastern edge.

Roger, Sector Seven.

Steve? Maybe
he didn't come this way.

Yes, he did.

He went into the water here.

Steve?

Over here.

Oh, David.

His pulse is very fast.

listen, I'm gonna...

I'm gonna give him a shot
of the coagulant.

I hope that will
slow down his metabolism.

[HEAVY BREATHING]

What are his chances?

His chance...
his chances are not good.

David.

Didn't exactly work out
the way we planned it, did it?

Don't be frightened.
You're gonna be alright.

I hope so.

It's like...

It's like going in and out of a nightmare.

Listen, your vital signs are...

are coming back to normal.

Something's off. It's...

DAVID: It's like my...

It's like my whole
nervous system's out of sync.

God, I hope this doesn't happen to you.

This shouldn't have happened.

Oh, I'm cold.

Who are you?

Oscar Goldman sent me to help.

Oscar. Good ol' Oscar.

He didn't even... he didn't
want us to go up, remember?

Yes.

I had to talk him into it.

[DAVID GASPING]

I'm scared.

I feel like I'm not a human anymore.

David?

Try and relax.
We'll get you out of here.

[LAUGHS]

A level-headed scientist
getting pretty hysterical, right?

Probably a hot meal instead of dry...

instead of dry clothes is
all I'm gonna need.

I'll be just... good as new.

[DAVID GASPING]

MAN:
Okay, stay where you are, don't move.

That's alright, fellas.
Everything's under control.

I said don't move.

Sector 7 reporting.

We've located two men and a woman.

OSCAR:
Let me speak to Steve Austin.

That's me. Let me talk to him.

Oscar. This is Steve.

Now we need quick medical
attention for Nicole and David.

[GRUNTING]

David.

Yeah, and pick up Rudy
at the capsule.

OSCAR:
We've already picked up Rudy.

It's happening again!

I've gotta stop it!
David. David!

[ROARS]

[MACHINE g*n]

Better get word to Oscar.
He'll wanna check him.

This man's in bad shape.
We gotta get him to a hospital quick.

STEVE: I'll have to stop him.

Whitman.

I know. Steve will find him.
We've gotta take care of you.

Oh, look, I'm perfectly fine.

Yes, well, there were times
when David seemed normal too.

What do you mean?

We don't know enough
about the effects of the serum.

I'm not taking any chances with you.
Come on. Get in here.

We'll give you a free ride.

[SIGHS]

Okay.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT]

[BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT]

[ROARS]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Ah. Ah.

Somebody help me!
The water's not working!

[GASPING]

[GASPING]

[ROARS]

You're one of them!

David, let me help you.

Now try and listen to me.

You did this to me!

I'm trying to help you.

David, try and listen to me.

You stay away from me
or I'll k*ll you!

I wanna help you.

[BIONIC SOUND EFFECT]

[DAVID GROANS]

[WELLS]

[ROARS, GRUNTS]

[ROARS]

[BIONIC SOUND EFFECT]

[GRUNTS]

[BIONIC SOUND EFFECT]

[ROARS]

[ROARS]

[g*nsh*t]

[WELLS]

[g*nsh*t]

[WELLS]

No! Don't sh**t!

Don't sh**t! It's a man!

We're gonna stop that thing
no matter what it is!

No!

[SPLASH]

He's a man! Don't sh**t!

[GROANING]

DAVID:
Please help me!

David, where are you hit?

Uh, in the back.
[GROANS]

I couldn't control it.

Now don't talk.
Just take it easy.

What am I going to save it for?

I'll go get the helicopter.

No, please.

Please. The water.
Help me to the water.

I'm burning up.

Sure.

[DAVID GROANING]

Ohhh

Oh, what a mess.

What a mess I made of it.

You.

You seem to understand
what I've been through, don't you?

I think so.

We learned a lot. Tell...

Tell Nicole to keep working.

Sure.

Ah, the pain...

The pain's gone.
Thank God for that.

Ah, tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I'll try again.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[EXHALES]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Nicole's gonna be alright, Steve.

We still have a great many tests to run
concerning the metabolism changes...

but I'm convinced that any damage
will be extremely minor.

She insists she's gonna
keep on testing the serum.

Where's Oscar?

I don't know.

Well, thanks, Rudy.

[JET ENGINE HUMS]

You heard the good news
about Nicole, huh?

[EERIE MUSIC]

Oscar?

Too much...

Too much to pay for something
called science... or progress.

Alright, I'm in government service,
but what am I?

What am I really?

I'm just a glorified public servant.

So why should I have the power
to send a man to his death?

Here I am alive, right now,
right this minute.

David Tate is dead.

What is it?
Am I better than he was? Is that it?

He knew the risk.

Come on, pal.

He didn't think for a minute
he was gonna get k*lled.

Look, you didn't force him,
Oscar.

Oh, come on.

It wasn't for nothing.

You know that serum can open up
a whole new world to research.

A way to increase man's
physical and mental potential.

Potential?

You're talking about man's potential.

A man has died here.

David Tate is dead!
Don't you understand that?

He's dead!

Yes, he's dead.

But you're still alive to finish
what you two started together.

Oh, come on now.

It takes two, Oscar.

You wanted him to do it.
But he wanted to do it.

In a way he was...
he was kind of a pioneer.

You couldn't have
stopped him if you tried.

I know you, Oscar. You're not
just a glorified public servant.

You're a man who has
to keep trying to find...

ways to improve things.

In a way,
you're a pioneer too.

Where would I be
if you weren't?

Come on.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[END THEME MUSIC]