This document is part of the Ocean Girl Archive — Last update: 2011-10-23 — source — meta
| Brett: | Boy, how far down did you get? I lost sight of you. |
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| Jason: | One eighty-eight five. |
| Brett: | That’s deep! Some toy. |
| Jason: | Bet you I can make 200. |
| Brett: | You’re not going back under? |
| Jason: | One more time. |
| Brett: | Jase, I’m starving. |
| Jason: | Tell me something new. Just keep your eye on the cable. |
| Brett: | Just don’t do anything stupid. |
| Brett: | Idiot. I told you not to go down again. What happened? |
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| Jason: | Let’s get out of here. |
| Jason: | Neri. Hey, Neri. |
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| Neri: | Hello! I come! |
| Brett: | Neri. |
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| Neri: | Was not expecting you. Is good to see you. |
| Jason: | Good to see you too. How are you settling in? |
| Neri: | Oh, was good of you to build. |
| Jason: | Yeah, not bad, eh? Just the thing for this kind of weather. |
| Brett: | I don’t know, Jase. Feels a bit suss to me. |
| Jason: | Gee, it’s setting in early this year. |
| Neri: | You spoil me. I am used to the wet. But thank you for building me a good house. |
| Brett: | Yeah, if it stands up. |
| Jason: | It will. It’ll help keep your visitors dry anyway. |
| Brett: | Just as well, too. Jase’s got water on the brain. |
| Jason: | Hey, I wasn’t imagining that, okay? |
| Neri: | Imagining what? |
| Jason: | Neri, something really bizarre – scary happened out there. |
| Brett: | On line. |
| Dianne: | Brett, where are you? |
| Brett: | Anyone else there? |
| Dianne: | Only Winston. |
| Brett: | Oh, okay. With Neri. We got caught in the storm. |
| Dianne: | Great day you chose to try out that helmet. |
| Jason: | Hi, mum. Might as well stay here now. |
| Dianne: | As long as you’re back in the morning. Something pretty surprising’s turned up. |
| Brett: | Oh? What? |
| Dianne: | We’ll talk about it in the morning. |
| Jason: | Okay. |
| Brett: | Hey, Winston. Check out the palace. |
| Neri: | Hello. |
| Winston: | Hi, Neri. Congratulations. All the comforts of home. |
| Brett: | See ya. |
| Dianne: | I wonder what they’ll think of it. |
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| Winston: | Oh, they’ll be knocked out as Brett would say. You know, this is still holding me up. I am most perplexed. |
| Dianne: | What, in the same area? |
| Winston: | Everywhere else is re-charted. I can now account for every tectonic change under the ocean since the earthquakes. Except here. Right in our own backyard. I can’t get an image. It’s as though something’s interfering with the scan. |
| Dianne: | Strange. |
| Jason: | This incredible blinding light, right out of the blue. And then these shock waves. It was right out of control. |
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| Brett: | You were so far down. You must have been hallucinating. |
| Jason: | This was no hallucination. |
| Neri: | You said where? |
| Jason: | Out over the mako abyss. |
| Neri: | Mako? |
| Jason: | It’s the name they give one of the big trenches in the ocean. Way out beyond the reef. |
| Brett: | Yeah, just about due east. |
| Jason: | Why? Do you know something? |
| Neri: | No, just know sometimes. Something out there feels different. |
| Jason: | That was close, huh? |
| Brett: | I told you. |
| Jason: | What are you laughing at? |
| Jason: | Commander? |
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| Brett: | Of ORCA? |
| Dianne: | Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? |
| Jason: | No. |
| Dianne: | They sort of hinted that if if I did applied, I’d have a better than even chance of getting it. |
| Jason: | So… |
| Dianne: | It’s just not my scene, striding about, issuing orders all day long. |
| Brett: | You’ve been doing it to us for years. |
| Jason: | And you are just about the most senior officer here. |
| Dianne: | In the natural science field. That’s what’s just a little bit bit tempting. If they do want a scientist as a commander, then it suggests the focus of ORCA might swing back to its original purpose. |
| Brett: | So, no more plans for an ORCA city? |
| Dianne: | Oh, no. No more empire building. That’s been completely scrapped. Anyhow, I’m due at mainland headquarters tomorrow so I’ve got until then to decide. |
| Jason: | Well, we’re right behind you. Either way. Right, Brett? |
| Brett: | Yeah, yeah. Whatever. |
| Winston: | Just here. The satellite isn’t getting anything back. The radar waves just seem to fizzle out. |
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| Cass: | Well, what frequencies have you tried? |
| Winston: | All the standard ones. |
| Cass: | It says here that waves in the gamma band can penetrate all known radar defence systems. |
| Winston: | I thought you were studying part one this semester. |
| Cass: | I like to peek ahead. |
| Winston: | But what sort of defence system could there be down there? Defence against what? |
| Cass: | I don’t know. But what have you got to lose? |
| Winston: | Well, I suppose I could give it a try. Now, let me see… |
| Brett: | Hey, Cass. Guess what’s happening with mum. |
| Cass: | Shhh. He’s concentrating. |
| Winston: | Transmitting. Now, the co-ordinates for the mako abyss. |
| Brett: | Mako abyss. |
| Cass: | Yeah. That’s where he can’t get a reading. |
| Winston: | Not just yet. But look, look… Goodness gracious. A perfect square, deep in the ocean. Surely too symmetrical to be anything in nature. |
| Jason: | That’s where the light was. That’s where it happened. I told you. |
| Richter: | Agent Shelby. |
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| Shelby: | Sir. |
| Richter: | You’ve read the brief? |
| Shelby: | Yes, sir. Thoroughly, sir. I’ve given this a lot of thought. |
| Richter: | Sit down. |
| Shelby: | These radio signals… |
| Richter: | We’ve been picking them up for some time. Here is the wave pattern intercepted by our 6-90t satellite. The signal is originating from outer space. |
| Shelby: | Originating? |
| Richter: | Exactly. And it’s in no known language or code. Targeting right here on Egypt. |
| Shelby: | Yes, sir. Clearly an alien presence here. |
| Richter: | This is absolutely top secret. For the last three weeks, someone or something in Egypt has been intercepting that signal and sending something back. |
| Shelby: | No kidding. |
| Richter: | Do you want the assignment? |
| Shelby: | I’m your man, sir. |
| Richter: | Good. Operation code name sphinx. Get packed. You leave tomorrow. |
| Shelby: | Sir. |
| Richter: | Your partner will be – agent Hauser. |
| Shelby: | Elly Hauser? |
| Winston: | It is what you call a magnetic anomaly – when the radar picks up an object of non-organic origin. And in the mako abyss – where you experienced these phenomena when diving. |
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| Cass: | It’s one heck of a coincidence. |
| Winston: | I think we should take a closer look. A direct sonar sweep from the ocean surface. |
| Jason: | When? |
| Winston: | No time like the present. |
| Winston: | The sonar device. It’s almost reached 200 metres. Look. Our magnetic anomaly. Just down head. |
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| Jason: | Look! It’s happening again. Winston! |
| Jason: | What did you see? |
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| Neri: | Light. Bright light. |
| Winston: | Is that all? |
| Neri: | It was beautiful. |
| Jason: | Yeah? |
| Neri: | But when I go near, it stop. Will go again. |
| Jason: | Neri, you’re crazy. You’ve got to keep away from here. |
| Neri: | No, I must go back. |
| Jason: | No, Neri. All right, but you’re not going down without me. |
| Hauser: | PRAXIS – top clearance. |
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| Shelby: | Agent Hauser. |
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| Hauser: | Agent Shelby. |
| Richter: | I am aware that there have been certain tensions in the past. |
| Hauser: | Yes, sir. |
| Richter: | But I regard you both as being top of your field and it is just because you have different skills that I want you on this together. A lot of persistence will be needed as well as a maximum of subtlety and restraint. Remember, you may very well come face to face with extra-terrestrial biological entities. |
| Hauser: | You really suspect an e.B.E. Presence? |
| Shelby: | Well, something’s got to be intercepting those signals. I’ve done some preliminary calculations, sir, and I figure that according to the trajectories that our subject, or subjects, would have to be receiving the signal within one mile radius of here – just west of Alexandria. |
| Hauser: | That’s odd. You took into account the changed ionospheric factors recorded in the past two months? Latest report from the meteorological office. Taking those figures on board, I think you’ll find the reception point is a one mile radius of here. Just out of Cairo. In fact, near the valley of the kings. Check out the figures. |
| Richter: | You’re both on a secure flight to Egypt – in 90 minutes. |
| Malakat: | What have you found? |
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| Shersheba: | Nothing. |
| Malakat: | We must keep trying. Further upstream. |
| Shersheba: | I’m tired. I’m hungry. How much longer? |
| Malakat: | You must remember what we are seeking has been waiting for us for 5000 years. We must be patient, too. |
| Shersheba: | But no more this evening. At dawn. |
| Cass: | How do you know it’ll be open? |
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| Brett: | Cleaners. They’re doing the whole level. See. Far out. |
| Cass: | Oh man! Hey, check out the kitchen. Looks more like an operating theatre. |
| Brett: | Yeah! I’m really going to make myself at home. |
| Cass: | Your mom hasn’t even said she wants the job yet. Wow, neat sound system. What’s in there? |
| Brett: | What are you doing here? |
| Louis: | What does it look like? |
| Cass: | Have you got permission to be here? |
| Louis: | Have you? I suppose you think you’ll be living here with your mother? I hear she is applying. Let me tell you, my friend, it will be me, not you. |
| Cass: | Yeah? How do you figure that? |
| Louis: | My father is first officer, is he not? So, of course, he will be promoted to commander. You will please leave now. |
| Brett: | No, Louis. After you. Like, there’s one of you and there’s two of us. |
| Louis: | Okay. But it’s I who shall be back. |
| Brett: | Yeah, in your dreams. |
| Louis: | Father, Brett Bates thinks his mother is going to get the commander job. |
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| Danton: | Not now, Louis. I’m busy. |
| Louis: | But that’s probably where she’s gone. You did put in the application, didn’t you? |
| Danton: | Yes, yes. Officer Bates. You’re late. |
| Jason: | Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. |
| Danton: | I notice that you’ve requisitioned the minifin this morning. Why is that? |
| Jason: | Yeah, well, I need to re-check the electronic turbo… |
| Winston: | Regulators… |
| Jason: | For the maintenance report. Dr. Seth will be running the tests. |
| Danton: | I see. |
| Dave: | Everything in order, sir. |
| Danton: | Fine. Come on, son. |
| Louis: | Ask him! Go on! |
| Danton: | I understand your mother has gone ashore for a few days. |
| Jason: | Yes, sir. Mainland headquarters. |
| Danton: | Fine. Carry on. |
| Louis: | See! |
| Jason: | Down you go. |
| Winston: | Okay! |
| Jason: | Better not forget the minifin log. Can you hit those two red buttons? |
| Winston: | Oh, yes. Working. |
| Jason: | Buckle up. |
| Winston: | Now I know how a sardine feels. |
| Jason: | Okay. Hold on. |
| Jason: | [?] Brett? |
| Brett: | Yeah, getting you [?] clear. |
| Jason: | We're over the shelve, commencing to dive. |
| Brett: | Good luck. |
| Cass: | Yeah. |
| Jason: | This is it guys. Making[?] right into the mako abyss. |
| Jason: | Look. I can see Neri ahead. Where’s she going? |
| Brett: | What’s happening? Do you copy? We’ve lost them. |
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| Jason: | I can’t get trim. |
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| Winston: | Oh my goodness. |
| Jason: | It’s stopped. |
| Winston: | Oh, no. |
| Jason: | That’s okay. That’s the sound of our engines. |
| Winston: | This is better. |
| Jason: | She wants us to follow her. |
| Winston: | Where to now, I wonder? |
| Malakat: | Everything is in readiness at the river. Perhaps today will be the day. |
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| Shersheba: | Fortunate, isn’t is that, I’m such a good swimmer. |
| Jason: | Winston, am I seeing things? |
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| Brett: | It’s a pyramid. |
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