The Devil's Window (2)
(seaQuest DSV – Bridge)
Bridger: Status, Mr. Ortiz.
Ortiz: Feeding acoustical data directly into Communications.
Bridger: Lieutenant?
O’Neill: We’re getting responses, Captain, but there’s nothing even close. There’s a pod out there, but it’s not Darwin’s.
Lucas: Amazing, when dolphins bear their young, the females usually stay with their mother; their signature whistles change slightly so they can tell each other apart. The males usually leave; their whistles don’t change so they can find their way back home.
Bridger: (into comlink) How’s he doing?
Westphalen: (on sea deck, in moon pool with Darwin, into PAL) He hears the whistles, but, he doesn’t seem to care.
Ortiz: WSKR five is at the limit of its range Captain.
Bridger: Send it west.
Westphalen: (on sea deck, in moon pool with Darwin, PAL) Nathan, Nathan something’s happening.
Bridger: Repeat Darwin’s call.
Westphalen: (on sea deck, in moon pool with Darwin, who starts fighting) Oh, oh careful, careful, oh, quick, get him.
O’Neill: It has to be his pod, it has to be. (compares data with Lucas) Captain, I think we found Darwin’s mother.
Bridger: Darwin’s mother for sure?
O’Neill: According to the text.
(Sea Deck – Moon Pool)
Westphalen: Oh!
Scientist: Steady.
Westphalen: Oh! Careful, careful. Oh, quick, get him, get him.
(Bridge)
Ortiz: The dolphin pod’s moving towards us, Captain.
Bridger: Let’s meet ‘em half way.
(Sea Deck – Moon Pool)
Scientist #1: Underneath, underneath.
Scientist #2: I’ve got him.
Westphalen: Stay still, stay still.
Scientist #1: Watch out!
Westphalen: Darwin.
(Bridge)
Westphalen: (on comlink) Nathan, get down here.
Bridger: (into comlink) What’s wrong?
Westphalen: (on comlink) Darwin’s having a seizure. We can’t restrain him, he’s going to hurt himself, or us.
Bridger: (into comlink) On my way.
O’Neill: Uh, Captain?
Bridger: Come on. (leaves with Lucas and O’Neill)
(Sea Deck – Moon Pool)
Scientist: Let’s go, watch his head.
Bridger: (running in as group struggles with Darwin) All right we can let him go, let him go. Everyone out, everyone get out. Open the pressure door, and turn off the sonar relay.
Darwin: Bridger, Bridger.
Bridger: Just go, go. (Darwin swims away) Shut the door, pressurize the moon pool.
Ford: (over loudspeaker) Captain, we’re approaching the pod.
Bridger: Thank you, Commander. Open the hull doors, let him out of the boat. (all go to screen and watch sadly as Darwin swims out)
O’Neill: (as Bridger turns to go) Captain, it’s the WSKR that followed the pod.
Lucas: That’s Darwin, where are they taking him?
Bridger: I don’t know.
O’Neill: Shall I have the WSKRS follow them, Captain?
Bridger: No, no, we’ve delayed Doctor Young long enough. Commander?
Ford: (over loudspeaker) Captain?
Bridger: Set a course for the Black Smoker.
Ford: (over loudspeaker) Aye, sir.
Lucas: You think they can help him?
Bridger: I couldn’t even guess. But at least he’s going home.
(Sea Deck – Later)
Westphalen: We must test the sample containers again; I will not risk a repeat performance of the rupture during the initial phase.
Young: That was an aberration I tell you.
Westphalen: Not a single sample comes up until I am satisfied with the tests.
Young: Another day’s delay, what does it matter after all these years?
Westphalen: Raleigh, go … eat. Fill your mouth with something other than words.
Young: (walking away) Don’t worry, I’ll survive.
(Bridge)
Ford: We just completed the final check for the platform system. The first new set of sample containers from the Smoker will be coming aboard shortly. (pauses) Sir, you are really depressing everybody.
Bridger: (melancholic) Very good. Thank you. (gets up out of chair) I’ll go down to the moon pool, maybe some heavy lifting will be good for me. (leaves)
(Sea Deck)
Westphalen: (comlink buzzes, into comlink) Dr. Westphalen.
O’Neill: (on comlink) Doctor, you have a call from Malcolm Landsdowne in the ward room.
(Ward Room)
Malcolm: (on screen) What are you doing out there?
Westphalen: What do you mean?
Malcolm: (on screen) I mean I’ve identified some of the bacterial agents in Darwin’s blood. You’re working a Black Smoker. (on sea deck, Bridger enters and helps try to open the sample container) I don’t care if it’s classified, what do you want … a letter from my mom? (on sea deck, Bridger is still trying to open the sample container) The bacteria I can identify have only been found living around Black Smokers. There’s probably a dozen species in here no one’s ever seen. (on sea deck, Bridger is still trying to open the sample container) You saw what it did to your dolphin, you got anyone else out there playing with the stuff? (on sea deck, Bridger is still trying to open the sample container)
Westphalen: They’re bringing up the first containers of it now.
Malcolm: (on screen) I’d say you got a problem, Doctor.
Westphalen: (twirls to comlink) This is Doctor Westphalen … can you hear me? (on sea deck, Bridger is still trying to open sample container, pauses, goes back to work, dolphin leaps and knocks Bridger into water) Don’t touch the sample containers.
(Sea Deck – Moon Pool)
Bridger: (to Darwin) Well, nice to have you back. (sees another dolphin swimming toward him with seaweed) Well, hello, mama. (takes seaweed) Thank you.
(Sea Deck – Later)
Bridger: (looking into a microscope) OK, it’s, uh, seaweed.
Westphalen: Mostly, but there are indications of anti-bacterial properties, and do you see hints that it grew near a Black Smoker?
Bridger: But dolphins can’t dive down that deep.
Westphalen: Ah, if we knew all the answers we wouldn’t be scientists, we’d be gods. You know, I think it may be some kind of dolphin medicine.
Bridger: And Darwin’s mama’s brought it to us like chicken soup.
Westphalen: Yes.
Bridger: Listen, Raleigh’s about to send his magma buoy into a Smoker, wanna come along?
Westphalen: I think I’ll carry on working. I don’t think Raleigh or his ceramic suppository will mind my absence.
Bridger: Uuuuu. (leaves)
(Sea Deck – Even Later)
Lucas: (into vo-chorder) Why did you bring us the seaweed, Darwin?
Darwin: Swim.
Bridger: (entering) Anything yet?
Lucas: He wants to swim I guess.
Darwin: Swim Lucas, swim Bridger.
Bridger: Lucas will swim with you, I’ll swim with you later. What’s the seaweed for?
Darwin: Open dark.
O’Neill: Don’t look at me, why doesn’t that thing work better?
Lucas: I guess Darwin doesn’t think like us. The program can only translate what it understands.
Bridger: Objects and material things are easy; this is a red box, swim through the tunnel. It’s the irrational, the abstract that’s confusing. How do you explain joy? “Open dark” is the computer’s way of trying to attach meaning to something that we feel, but don’t really understand. Lieutenant.
O’Neill: (walking out) You know, I haven’t felt anything from Darwin since the bridge. I, uh, I feel like I … glimpsed at something wonderful but had it taken away. (enters Mag-lev with Bridger)
(Bridge)
Ford: Stand by. Doctor Young?
Young: Release the magma buoy. God speed on its quest.
Season One Transcripts