This document is part of the Ocean Girl Archive — Last update: 2011-10-23 — source — meta
| Jason: | Hey! |
|---|---|
| Pilot: | What’s that? |
| Jason: | I thought I saw something. |
| Pilot: | Couldn’t be. None of these islands have ever been inhabited. You ORCA crew are going to be on your own out here. |
| Brett: | Oh, mum! |
|---|---|
| Jason: | What is this? Devil’s island? I’m working out some way to get off fast. |
| Dianne: | Excuse me. I heard that, Jason. |
| Brett: | Hey, guys. |
| Winston: | Ah! |
| Dianne: | Hello. |
| Winston: | Dr. Bates. How was the flight? |
| Dianne: | Oh, fine thanks, Winston. Boys, this is my new assistant, Dr. Seth. |
| Winston: | Jason, Brett. Right? Welcome to ORCA. |
| Jason: | Yeah, you’re welcome to it too. |
| Winston: | (Laughing) this way. Jason, there’s an old Japanese saying. The carp smiles at the surface for he has seen the wonders below. |
| Jason: | What does that mean? |
| Winston: | How would I know? I’m from India! (Laughing) |
| Brett: | Coolness! |
|---|---|
| Zoe: | Hey, I’ll get you for that. |
| Commander: | Walk, don’t run. Walk. |
| Dianne: | Brett, would you come over here, please? You’re going to get lost. |
| Brett: | How long have these other kids been here? |
| Winston: | Not long – most of the families have moves in last week. Come on. |
| HELEN: | All new residents, please proceed directly… |
| Winston: | Oh, no, no. This way. The computer over here. This is HELEN, our master computer. She really runs this place. Bates family. |
| HELEN: | Bates, module lima. Level 5, cabin 14. Have a nice day. |
| Winston: | Good, no? Come on. Lima 5. Ah, commander Lucas. May I introduce Dr. Dianne Bates? She’s one of our top marine biologists, specializes in animal communication. |
| Commander: | Doctor. |
| Dianne: | Commander. |
| Commander: | Are these two yours? |
| Dianne: | Yes, I think so. |
| Commander: | Well, just remember – this is a vessel at sea as far as I’m concerned. Not a kindergarten or a playground. Obey the rules. Don’t skylark – and you’ll have no trouble. If you’ll excuse me. |
| Winston: | Come on. |
| Jason: | Oh, great. We’ve signed on with captain bligh. |
| Winston: | Up ahead, we have the aquaculture labs. And on the next level, the mining and oil companies have their labs. |
| Jason: | Labs! Is that all there is in this place? |
| Dianna: | Jason, that is the whole point of ORCA. To put marine laboratories right in the ocean itself. And you should be proud to be a part of it. |
| Jason: | Get a grip, mum. |
| Dianna: | Well, you can consider yourself lucky. We’ll only be here six months and you can get back to the mainland occasionally. But who knows, one day people may live in cities like this permanently. |
| Jason: | Well, they’ve got my sympathy. |
| Brett: | Where are all the buttons? |
| Winston: | Level three, please. |
| Brett: | Wicked! |
| Winston: | This way. No, this way I think. Yes. |
| Brett: | This is cool! Like being on a space station or something. |
| Winston: | 12…13… Oh, 14! This way. Here we are. Ha-ha. Here we are. Welcome to your new home. Ta-da! Ha-ha, please. |
| Dianne: | It’s not exactly what you’d call roomy, is it? |
| Brett: | This is my room right? Cool! |
| Boy: | Hey, Ludwig! Me and a bunch of the guys are going to play an old initiation trick on that new girl from level kilo. Want to be in it? |
| Winston: | I think you’ve crossed wires, son. |
| Winston: | There’s still a few hiccups with our communication system. In fact, there’s still a few teething problems. |
| Jason: | Aaah! What’s wrong with the stupid thing? You’re gonna get wet. |
| Brett: | Try doing it this way. Simple. |
| Dianne: | Never mind, Jase. Look – you boys have to put on your uniforms anyway. |
| Brett: | Cool! |
| Jason: | Forget it. |
| Winston: | Orders, Jason. |
| Jason: | Look, I’m not walking around like some geek space cadet and that’s it! |
| Brett: | Ta-da! |
| Dianne: | There you are. Look you both look very dashing actually. Now, who wants to come do some exploring with me? |
| Brett: | Yeah. |
| Jason: | Count me out. I’ve seen enough as it is. |
| Dianne: | Suit yourself. |
| Winston: | You don’t appear to be looking forward to your stay in ORCA, Jason. |
| Jason: | Look, I wasn’t given any say in this. I was just dragged away from my mates, my aeroboard, my laser blades, everything – to be buried alive in this dump. And for what? I mean, how much more is there for you guys to learn? |
| Winston: | We haven’t even scratched the surface yet, Jason. There are things under the sea we don’t even know about yet. |
| Zoe: | (Kids talking) Hey. Yeah, you. What level are you on? |
|---|---|
| Brett: | Lima. |
| Zoe: | Same as us. You’re not the kind of kid that would get in trouble are you? |
| Brett: | Well, sometimes. |
| Zoe: | Good. You’re in. Zoe and Froggy. Sit down. |
| Damien: | Yeah, some people don’t really like it here for the first few days at ORCA. But after that, you get used to it. |
|---|---|
| Jason: | Yeah, well, I don’t plan on staying here long enough to get used to it. As soon as I’ve helped my mother bag a whale – I’m out of here. |
| Damien: | A whale? |
| Lee: | Hi, Daggy. |
| Damien: | Good day, Lee. |
| Jason: | Nice. |
| Damien: | Yeah, but she’s also the commander’s daughter. I tell you, if you ever did anything to get up his nose |
| Winston: | good, well done. Excellent shot. |
|---|---|
| Jason: | Yeah, well she made me put in a million hours practice. |
| Winston: | Now, this is the real one we’re going to use. It’s very expensive. It’s important that you hit the whale here – behind the head. If we’re going to monitor the brain waves, it’s important we get as close as possible. |
| Jason: | Are you sure it’s not going to hurt it? |
| Winston: | No, no, no. It’ll only feel a slight discomfort. When it hits the whale, the shaft falls off but the monitor cannot be removed. |
| Jason: | And you really think you’re going to hear the whale through this. |
| Dianne: | Oh, more than that, we hope. I mean, all we know is the humpback sings and it must be some form of communication. By recording the brain patterns at the same time – we may eventually learn what the songs mean. |
| Jason: | Get real, mum. |
| Dianne: | Jason, you may laugh but this could be the beginning of understanding their language. And – who knows. Eventually we may be able to even talk to them. |
| Winston: | Incidentally, I think we’ve found our target. A lone male in the area, I’ve been monitoring for the last couple of weeks. From the initial soundings, he’s been singing like a bird. |
(Whale sounds)
| Brett: | Come on, mum. I’ve never seen a whale up close before in my life. Please! |
|---|---|
| Dianne: | All right. You can help Winston. |
| Brett: | Cool. |
| Winston: | Dianne. |
| Dianne: | Yeah? |
| Winston: | There. At that size, it’s almost certainly our boy. He’s back in the area. |
| Dianne: | Get the gear, Jason. Come on, Brett. We’ve got to get this tracking system – |
| Commander: | Hold it right there. What’s going on here? |
| Dianne: | We’re just tagging a whale, commander. |
| Commander: | You’re not intending to let the child use this weapon. |
| Dianne: | He has done his permit course and the teacher said he was the best she’d ever seen. |
| Commander: | With all respect, Doctor, under the circumstances, I can’t authorize this. |
| Dianne: | Show him, Jason. |
| Jason: | Don’t worry. It’s only a dummy. |
| Dianne: | Satisfied, commander? |
| Commander: | (Clearing his throat) I don’t want anyone anywhere near him when he’s firing. Understood? |
| Brett: | That guy’s got a definite attitude problem. |
| Dianne: | Come on. We’ve got a whale to tag. |
| Winston: | (Whale sounds) Looks like he’s starting to come up. |
|---|---|
| Dianne: | All right, Jase. Get into position. |
| Brett: | Can I go with him? |
| Dianne: | Brett, you heard what the commander said. Come on. You’re up top with me. |
| Winston: | There! Two o’clock! |
| Dianne: | See him, Jason? |
| Jason: | Yep. |
| Dianne: | Stand by. We’re going to try and move up on him. Nice and steady, okay? (Whale sounds) |
| Brett: | I think he’s spotted us, mum. (Whale sounds) |
| Winston: | He’s starting to run! |
| Dianne: | Hold on, Jason! We’re gonna chase him! Here, take over. |
| Winston: | Left. Right. No wait, wait. |
| Dianne: | Cut it! Well? |
| Winston: | Right over him. |
| Dianne: | Tell Jason to load up and stand by. |
| Brett: | Mum says load up and stand by. |
| Jason: | Okay. |
| Dianne: | I just wish there was some way we could let this poor fellow know we don’t mean him any harm. |
| Winston: | He’s coming up again. Behind us. |
| Dianne: | Port 180! |
| Winston: | 40 metres. 35. 30. |
| Dianne: | Hold it there! This is it, Brett. |
| Brett: | Get ready. |
| Jason: | Ready. |
| Dianne: | Wait, wait, wait. |
| Brett: | Fire! |
| Neri: | No! |
| Brett: | Fire, mum said. |
| Neri: | No! |
| Dianne: | Fire! What is wrong with him? Jason shoot! Jason! Give me that! I think I got him. What happened to you? Why didn’t you shoot when you were supposed to? |
| Jason: | There was a girl. |
| Dianne: | There was what? |
| Jason: | There was a girl in the ocean. She just appeared. And she was in the way. |
| Dianne: | Then where is she now? |
| Jason: | I dunno. |
| Dianne: | Uh huh. I think I lucked out. But we’ll have to wait ’til we get back to the lab to be sure. Can you tell him to head straight back to ORCA? And as for you, young man, we will be having a very long talk, believe me. |
| Jason: | But mum. |
| Dianne: | I don’t want to know, Jason. |
| Jason: | There was a girl. |
| Winston: | Working? |
|---|---|
| Dianne: | No. |
| Winston: | Yes? |
| Dianne: | Nothing. |
| Winston: | (bangs on monitor) (Whale sounds) |
| Dianne: | It works. Winston, we did it! Listen to that. |
| Winston: | Ah, beautiful. |
| Dianne: | But it is no thanks to you, Jason. What you did out there could have set us back by weeks. |
| Jason: | I didn’t mean to. |
| Dianne: | Ever since I accepted this position, you have been sulking. I have put up with it because I understand there are a lot of things you have to give up. Including the occasional weekend spent with your father. But to deliberately try to mess up a major part of this project just because you are cheesed off at having been here is unforgivable. |
| Jason: | I didn’t! |
| Dianne: | Then why didn’t you fire when you were told? |
| Jason: | Because the girl was in the way. |
| Dianne: | Oh really, Jason! If you’re going to invent some sort of excuse, at least make it vaguely believable. I mean, we were in the middle of an ocean. What would a girl be doing out there? |
| Jason: | I don’t know. But she was. |
| Dianne: | Look. I am not even going to dignify this by arguing. We’ll talk about it later, all right? When I have had time to cool off. |
| Jason: | But mum, there was. I tell you! |
| Winston: | Jason, there’s an old saying. When the tiger roars, the wise rabbit flees. |
| Jason: | And what does that mean? |
| Winston: | It means get out while the going’s good. |
| Brett: | There’s one thing that explains it all, of course. You’ve finally gone crazy. |
|---|---|
| Jason: | I’m not crazy, you little creep! |
| Brett: | That’s so crazy. people always say… |
| Jason: | Listen, I did see a girl. I dontʼ know how, I don’t know why. But, she must be out there somewhere and I’m going to prove it. Even if I have to stay here the rest of my life. I’m not leaving until I find her. |