This document is part of the Ocean Girl Archive — Last update: 2011-10-23 — source — meta
(music)
| Richter: | Neri? I can’t say I’ve heard of any Neri. |
|---|---|
| Paul: | She was picked up yesterday by two of your agents. |
| Richter: | No. In any case, what our agents do is strictly classified. You know that. |
| Paul: | I was there when she was captured. |
| Richter: | Stick to oceanographic research, commander. I’m told you’re very good at it. |
| Brett: | Liar! |
| Jason: | Yeah, well, they’d have to deny it, wouldn’t they. They’ve got no legal right to hold her. |
| Dianne: | PRAXIS have always been able to bend the law, Jason. What’s next? |
| Paul: | I try my usual contacts. External affairs. Interpol. All the big guns. |
| Dianne: | That could take forever. If only we could get some sort of message to her. Some sort of comfort. |
| Brett: | She won’t give up, that’s for sure. Not Neri. |
| Jason: | Yeah, well, there’s one thing I can do for her. I’m gonna hide this. Somewhere Malakat and Shersheba can never find it. |
(music)
| Doctor: | You can’t stay silent forever. We must communicate. Whatever it takes. |
|---|---|
| Shelby: | Tried using a truth serum? |
| Doctor: | I don’t think that would be advisable. |
| Shelby: | We want the facts, doctor. The a to z of life on another planet. |
| Doctor: | I’m not sure what effect a truth serum would have an a creature from another planet. |
| Shelby: | Well, there’s no harm in trying. |
| Doctor: | And if it produces a paradoxical reaction? Psychosis? Mania? |
| Shelby: | We restrain her. |
(music) (Whale sounds)
| Brett: | Boy, he’s really sweating it. |
|---|---|
| Jason: | He knows she’s in trouble and he wants us to do something. |
(music)
| Hauser: | It’s all right. You can leave. I’ll keep an eye on her. |
|---|---|
| Neri: | Help me. |
| Hauser: | Help you do what? Escape? I’m afraid that’s out of question. You’re being monitored by cameras at all times so there’s no way out of this place. We’re 200 metres below ground, this was originally built to serve as a nuclear fallout bunker. I came to thank you for saving my life, but that is it, I’m afraid. |
| Neri: | Water. |
| Hauser: | I’m sure we can manage that. |
| Shelby: | Did you get anything out of her? |
|---|---|
| Hauser: | No. |
| Richter: | Very disappointing, doctor. |
| Doctor: | Actual verbal language is less important than the physiological data we need to compile. The subject’s highly economical use of oxygen for example. Her ability to communicate with whales. |
| Shelby: | That’s all very well from a medical point of view. We need to question the subject. We need names, dates, facts, figures. |
| Doctor: | Yes, in due course. But first we must address ourselves to the biological and commercial possibilities inherent in the specimen. |
| Richter: | Commercial possibilities? |
| Doctor: | We may be able to splice some of the specimen’s characteristics onto the DNA of human life forms. If PRAXIS had exclusive rights to such a process. |
| Richter: | Good, very good. A good point. |
| Hauser: | Neri is not a specimen, doctor. She’s a living compassionate being. And [?] splicing and grafting her DNA– |
| Shelby: | You’re out of line, Hauser. |
| Hauser: | I don’t care. |
| Richter: | But I do, agent. It means you’re getting personally involved with the investigation. |
| Hauser: | All I want is for Neri to be treated with some dignity and respect. |
| Richter: | I think you need some time off, young lady, and the sooner the better. |
| Shersheba: | They’re such incompetent fools. |
|---|---|
| Malakat: | Yes, breaking into their security system was laughably easy. |
| Dianne: | Any news? |
|---|---|
| Paul: | Nothing. I’ve tried every diplomatic channel. They’re giving me the full scale run around. |
| Jason: | PRAXIS don’t answer to diplomats, dad. You’re wasting your time. |
| Dianne: | That’s enough, Jason. Your father’s doing everything he can to– |
| Paul: | No, no, he’s right. To a degree. PRAXIS is a law unto itself and unless we beat them at their own game… |
| Dianne: | What, what is it? |
| Paul: | Probably nothing. Then again. |
| HELEN: | The information you have requested of PRAXIS facilities worldwide is protected. A password is required. Request password. |
| Jason: | Anyone got any ideas? |
| Paul: | What about the PRAXIS cabin here on ORCA? Has anyone searched that? |
| Brett: | Come on, let’s go. |
| Winston: | Excellent thinking, sir. The raven must look for wisdom to the owl. |
| Paul: | Winston, I don’t suppose you’d care to explain that. |
| Brett: | There isn’t really time, dad. Come on. |
| Paul: | What is it with that guy? The way he talks, you’d think we were all in a zoo. |
| Dianne: | Maybe he’s got a point. Oh, don’t worry about it, Paul. You always were a bit literal minded. |
| Shelby: | What do you think you’re doing? |
|---|---|
| Hauser: | Neri needs water or she’ll die. |
| Shelby: | Yeah, and I need my corn flakes every morning or I get very aggro but I’m not about to pull the plug, am I? |
| Hauser: | I’m sorry but I fail to see the connection between what you had for breakfast and her condition. |
| Shelby: | You got up Richter’s nose this morning, did you know that? He’s going to be watching you like a hawk from now on. And me! |
| Hauser: | I said what I felt. |
| Shelby: | Intelligence agents do not say what they feel. And this. You need clearance for this! Okay, okay, this is your call and you’re going to have to wear it. But as for you and me working as partners for the long haul, kiddo, include me out, okay? |
| Hauser: | Don’t call me kiddo. |
| Winston: | Try 1-6-0. |
|---|---|
| Cass: | Why? |
| Winston: | Because it’s the cubed root of 4,096,000. |
| Brett: | That’s a reason? |
| Winston: | And also it’s listed as a PRAXIS access code but obviously it’s much too long. |
| Cass: | That’s the reason. |
| Jason: | What is it? |
| Winston: | I guess I’d say locations of various operatives around the world. |
| Cass: | I’ll buy that. |
| Winston: | Next? |
| HELEN: | Attention officer Jason Bates. There is a personal call for you. A miss Shersheba. |
| Jason: | I’ll take it in the commander’s quarters, HELEN. |
| HELEN: | Affirmative. |
| Jason: | Keep trying. We’ve got to find where they’re hiding her. |
| Shersheba: | I just want to make you an offer. |
|---|---|
| Jason: | I’m really very busy at the moment. |
| Shersheba: | I’m sure you’ll be interested. Neri’s freedom in exchange for the golden ankh. You’re not saying anything, Jason. |
| Jason: | Neri’s being held by PRAXIS. |
| Shersheba: | Is she? Let me show you something. PRAXIS no longer have Neri, Jason. We have rescued her. But she’s very sick, perhaps even dying. If you don’t hand over the ankh, I can’t guarantee her future. |
| Jason: | What do you want? |
| Shersheba: | There’s a beach on the mainland, at the southern end of the promontory. Do you know it, Jason? |
| Jason: | Yeah, I know it. |
| Shersheba: | Be there in four hours – with the ankh – and we will release Neri. Otherwise, you may never see her alive again. |
| Malakat: | Good. Now we wait. |
(music)
| Cass: | I don’t like it. |
|---|---|
| Jason: | Yeah, me neither. But what choice do we have? |
| Winston: | Are you sure they have Neri? |
| Jason: | I saw her, didn’t I? |
| Cass: | I don’t like it, man. |
| Jason: | I have to give them the ankh or they’ll let her die. |
| Winston: | Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Neri say under no circumstances were you to give them the ankh? |
| Jason: | Yeah, well, if it’s between Neri’s life and just some… Thing. There’s no choice at all. |
(music)
(Beeping)
| Winston: | This is going to be a tad tricky. |
|---|---|
| Jason: | We’ve got two hours. |
| Hauser: | You’re still loosing strength. The water’s not enough, is it. |
|---|---|
| Neri: | What is happening to me? |
| Hauser: | You need sunlight. We’ve got to get you some fresh air. |
| Malakat: | A reasonable likeness. |
|---|---|
| Shersheba: | It wasn’t easy, Malakat. I had to dress down to look anything like Neri. I have a much finer bone structure. And this skin is… I’m far more beautiful than she could ever hope to be. |
| Malakat: | Of course, highness. |
| Doctor: | Weakening. Perhaps it is due to a lack of sunshine. |
|---|---|
| Hauser: | It wouldn’t hurt to give her a little fresh air. |
| Doctor: | That’s strictly against director Richter’s orders. |
| Hauser: | You’re telling me, as a doctor, you’re prepared to stand by and watch her waste away to nothing? Maybe even die? |
| Doctor: | I’m telling you, as a doctor, that I’m committed to my duty to PRAXIS. The subject will not be leaving this bunker until we know everything there is to know about her. Then she will be paraded before the media of the world as a PRAXIS triumph. |
| Hauser: | She can scarcely be paraded if she’s dead, doctor. |
| Jason: | Be ready for anything. |
|---|---|
| Brett: | No worries. |
| Jason: | Company. You! |
| Brett: | I knew it! I knew it! Once a cheat, always a cheat. |
| Shersheba: | It feels so good. So good. |
| Malakat: | Princess Shersheba. May I? |
| Shersheba: | A touch only. |
| Malakat: | Yes! Yes. |
| Shersheba: | What? What? Malakat, have you gone mad? |
| Malakat: | The ankh is a fake! |
| Shersheba: | No, you’re wrong. |
| Malakat: | It’s a fake! We’ve been tricked. |
| Shersheba: | A fake? |
| Malakat: | These children are clever. To make such an accurate replica, they must have used the real one for a model. Which means… |
| Shersheba: | Which means we’re back where we started. |
| Malakat: | Which means perhaps the real ankh is being held on ORCA. |
| Brett: | You did a great job copying the ankh. |
|---|---|
| Winston: | But I still don’t understand. Why did they go to the trouble of dressing up Shersheba? |
| Jason: | Because maybe they don’t have the real Neri at all. |
| Brett: | But you saw her on screen. |
| Jason: | But what if Malakat and Shersheba hacked into PRAXIS? Actually picked up images of Neri where they’re holding her. |
| Winston: | Yes, yes, yes. |
| Cass: | If they can do it, we can do it. |
| Brett: | Hack into PRAXIS? You know they’ve got serious, heavy-duty data protection. |
| Winston: | I’m using the code to access their medical files. Yes, here. Today’s date. Primary examination of subject. Female, biological age in human human terms around 18. Atypical oxygen metabolism. |
| Brett: | It’s Neri! |
| Jason: | Yeah, Neri. But where, Winston? |
| Winston: | I’m working on it. I’m working on it. |
| Hauser: | See? It’s a lovely day. I’m afraid we won’t have long. Better? |
|---|---|
| Neri: | Yes. Thank you for helping me. |
| Hauser: | That’s okay. No, Neri. |
| Shelby: | The subject almost got away. Happy? You’re in a lot of trouble, kiddo. From now on, no more special treatment, huh? |
| Shersheba: | Sh. |
|---|
| Louis: | There was a lot of coming and going. Winston and Jason took off in the minifin. |
|---|---|
| Shersheba: | Took off where? |
| Louis: | I don’t know. |
| Shersheba: | Well, can you find out? |
| Louis: | I don’t know. Maybe. |
| Shersheba: | Maybe’s not good enough. I need to know. |
| Louis: | This way. This should be a log of the trip. |
| Shersheba: | Louis, you’re a genius. |
| Doctor: | I’ll have to give her medication before she reaches the point of no return. |
|---|---|
| Richter: | But if she does? |
| Doctor: | We have been compiling large amounts of data. |
| Shelby: | That’s not enough. |
| Doctor: | If the subject dies, she will still have made a significant contribution to medical science. |
| Neri: | Mother. |
| Jason: | What’s coming up, Winston? |
|---|---|
| Winston: | There are any number of PRAXIS facilities from which that medical report may have originated. So far, I have no idea which. |
(Beeping)
| Jason: | The ankh, it’s moving. |
|---|---|
| Cass: | It could be the tide. |
| Winston: | The tide hasn’t turned yet. |
| Jason: | It’s too deep for tidal movement anyway. Somebody’s taking it. |
(Static whine) (music)