“Photon Bullet”

Directed by: Steve Dubin

Written by: Michael Cassutt

Summary: While the seaQuest is studying a group of whales in the Pacific Ocean, Lucas visits Node Three, a high-tech information and communications base populated by a group of teenage genius computer hackers. The leader of the group tries to persuade Lucas to break into the World Bank so that they can re-direct funds for humanitarian causes.

Guest Starring:

Seth Green as Nick (Wolfman)

Sarah Koskoff as Julianna (Red Menace)

Tim Russ as Martin Clemens (Mycroft)

Co-Starring:

none

Featuring:

none

The twenty-first century ... Mankind has colonized the last unexplored region on Earth – the ocean. As Captain of the seaQuest and its crew, we are its guardians; for beneath the surface, lies the future.

- Chinese Military Computer Compound, Ulan Hoto, Manchuria, March 2010 -

(man fixes security camera, enters room using special glove, kills another man)

- Pacific Ocean on the North Equatorial counter-current, seaQuest DSV, bridge -

Miguel Ortiz: (Lucas walks over) ...I need you to get all its transmissions down to Westphalen and Levin. I need you to record – Lucas (pushes Lucas out of way) You’re, you’re distracting me, all right. (to scientist) I need you to get all the forward sonar sweeps. Send them over to Carlton.... (Lucas walks away)

Crewman #1: (bumps into Lucas) ‘Scuse me.

Lucas Wolenczak: Sorry. (walks down stairs)

Jonathan Ford: Get those two other screens up right away.

Crewman #2: Aye, sir.

Jonathan Ford: (Lucas bumps into him) Excuse me, Lucas.

Lucas Wolenczak: Sorry. (walks up other stairs, bumps into O’Neill)

Tim O’Neill: Lucas, do you mind? (Lucas steps aside, O’Neill passes, Lucas bumps into Hitchcock, Lucas steps aside, Hitchcock passes, Lucas walks back toward the navigation table)

Jonathan Ford: Well, if it goes down again, try rerouting the system, you never know. (bumps into Lucas) Do me a favor, (looks around, points) stand back there, behind the pool, please.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah.

Jonathan Ford: Thanks.

Tim O’Neill: Thank you. (Lucas looks dejected, leaves bridge)

Jonathan Ford: We're gonna need a sound wave pattern on the latest whale pod.

Tim O'Neill: Yeah, they're humpbacks heading south southeast but I don't think that should intersect seaQuest.

Ben Krieg: (exiting Mag-lev) No contest, he had the best arm in baseball.

Manilow Crocker: (exiting Mag-lev) You never saw Nolan Ryan. Oh, Lucas, you got that new routine program for the security system yet?

Lucas Wolenczak: Uh, no, Chief, actually —

Manilow Crocker: Don’t tell me you’re going to do something if you don’t intend to do it. All right?

Lucas Wolenczak: Yes, sir.

Manilow Crocker: All right. (Lucas enters Mag-lev)

Nathan Bridger: (walking over) Was that Lucas?

Manilow Crocker: Uh, yeah, Cap, sure was.

Nathan Bridger: I asked him to stay on the bridge. It’s supposed to be part of his training. (both enter bridge)

- seaQuest DSV, Lucas’s room -

Computer: Welcome to Internex. Identify yourself please. (Lucas types in ‘FRANKENSTEIN’) Thank you.

Frankenstein: (on screen) Wolfman, Wolfman, you lurking?

Lucas Wolenczak: You going to ignore me, too?

Wolfman: (on screen, howls) How now, Frankie?

Frankenstein: (on screen) Another game?

Wolfman: (on screen) No, I’m still licking my wounds from the last game.

Frankenstein: (on screen) Please, I’ve got some wounds of my own.

Wolfman: (on screen) Who beat you?

Frankenstein: (on screen) Nobody. I’m sick of being pushed around.

Wolfman: (on screen) Push back.

Frankenstein: (on screen) It’s not that easy where I am.

Wolfman: (on screen) Fine, if that’s the way you want it. (disappears)

Frankenstein: (on screen) Wolfman, Wolfman.

Computer: Thank you for using Internex. See you soon.

Lucas Wolenczak: (notices Darwin) Oh, yeah, sure, you got it easy. You can swim out of this trap, take off whenever you want to. (Darwin swims off) Exactly. (starts playing with flippers)

Nathan Bridger: (on PAL) Lucas, I need you on the bridge. (Lucas leaves)

- seaQuest DSV, bridge -

Nathan Bridger: (Lucas approaches) Why’d you leave?

Lucas Wolenczak: Captain, nobody wanted me here.

Nathan Bridger: I did. Did you mention that to anyone?

Lucas Wolenczak: No.

Nathan Bridger: Maybe you should’ve. This message§ just came in. It’s got a top UEO security clearance. SeaQuest is being ordered to Node Three Communications Installation. Lieutenant O’Neill?

Tim O’Neill: Um, Node Three is the central nervous system for all the major fiber optics highways across the Pacific. Everything from telephone calls to encrypted military information gets routed through there. Even the entire Internex.

Nathan Bridger: They also made a priority request for some OLA/5 modules.

Lucas Wolenczak: Optical Logic Arrays, we’ve got plenty of them.

Nathan Bridger: There’s also been a request for a visit from Mr. Lucas Wolenczak.

Lucas Wolenczak: Oh, I see, so as soon as there’s a computer problem I’m back in favor. Well I’m not going there and you can’t make me. There are such things as child labor laws you know. (Krieg clears his throat)

Nathan Bridger: Where’s this coming from?

Lucas Wolenczak: I wanna get paid. Everyone else gets paid, why shouldn’t I? What’s wrong with that? And I don’t want an allowance. I want a salary.

Nathan Bridger: OK.

Lucas Wolenczak: I’m the one that keeps everything running.

Nathan Bridger: Oh, really? Everything? (Lucas leaves)

- Melanesian Basin, depth 7000 feet, Node Three, docking bay -

Martin Clemens: (group exits launch, Clemens comes over) Captain Bridger, welcome to Node Three. I’m Martin Clemens.

Nathan Bridger: How do you do? Thank you. Uh, this is Lieutenant Krieg, Chief Crocker, and Lucas Wolenczak.

Martin Clemens: Frankenstein! (hugs Lucas)

Ben Krieg: Frankenstein?

Martin Clemens: Well, it’s hacker’s tag. We use it online, like a nickname. Frankenstein’s a legend. Oh, those must be the modules.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yes.

Martin Clemens: (takes box, hands it to girl) Thanks. Hey, I’ve got to show you something. You all can hang while we check out the modules, right? Not many people get a chance to see this. Come on. (walks down hall, all follow) I’ve got twenty-one sys-ops here, everyone a genius. Computers, the young learn on what their elders have built, find the keys to the next door. Who else is going to enjoy being trapped in a bubble on the ocean floor for a couple of years. They think they’re in a candy store where everything is free. Adults want more, families, cars, houses; never last more than a couple of months.

Lucas Wolenczak: (to other kids) Nice to meet you. Hello.

Nathan Bridger: Uh, Lucas.

Man on intercom: The interstellar virtual combat finals continues tournament play over network access three.

- Node Three, outside command center -

Computer: (scans Clemens’s hand) Martin Clemens, voice code please.

Martin Clemens: Mycroft.

Lucas Wolenczak: (surprised) Mycroft?

Computer: Mycroft, identity confirmed. (doors open)

Martin Clemens: (entering with group) No one knows how much bandwidth we’ve got. The last time we tried to figure it out we got lost at a hundred exabaud.

Lucas Wolenczak: Unbelievable.

Martin Clemens: The highest information density anywhere, anywhere. Have a seat. Some of the interface is voice activated. (holds out headset)

Lucas Wolenczak: Oh, thank you. (puts headset on)

Martin Clemens: All yours. Walk around, check out the neighborhood. You’re cleared to Level dot one, you can’t do any damage. (Lucas plays game, attracts crowd) The man’s a legend.

Girl: (into Clemens’s ear) They’re OK.

Martin Clemens: Modules check out fine, Captain, thanks.

Nathan Bridger: Good, uh, Lucas, um, I hate to interrupt . . .

Lucas Wolenczak: Oh, I don’t wanna leave.

Martin Clemens: He’s more than welcome to stay, Captain.

Lucas Wolenczak: Come on, Captain, we’re basically in the area, you know, with the whales. We’re just going around in circles. Why can’t I just stay for a little while?

Nathan Bridger: I, I understand that, but —

Manilow Crocker: Where can he go, Cap?

Ben Krieg: Looks like fun.

Nathan Bridger: Maybe a few days.

Martin Clemens: (laughs) Great, let me walk you back.

Nathan Bridger: (to Lucas) Have a good time. I’ll call you, tomorrow.

- Node Three, hallways -

Nathan Bridger: Oh, it’s great for him to be with kids his own age. He doesn’t even have a toothbrush.

Martin Clemens: Captain.

Nathan Bridger: Once he sits in front of a computer he won’t even eat.

Ben Krieg: I think what the Captain wants to know is, shouldn’t you have some chaperones around here or something?

Martin Clemens: We’ve got a support staff of five, plus Wendy. They clean up for us, make sure we’ve got enough food and air and generally take care of the administrative drudgery. There’s nothing to worry about, Captain.

Nathan Bridger: OK, you know where to find me. (shakes hands with Clemens)

Martin Clemens: OK, we’ll see you. (Bridger, Krieg, and Crocker enter launch)

- Node Three, command center -

Martin Clemens: (entering) Come on, come on, come on. Meeting and greeting later; hacking and cracking now. Let’s go. Julianna, Nick; Frankenstein, meet Red Menace.

Julianna: Hi.

Lucas Wolenczak: Hi.

Julianna: My real name’s Julianna.

Lucas Wolenczak: Lucas.

Martin Clemens: And Wolfman. (Nick howls)

Lucas Wolenczak: (surprised) No!

Nick: Yeah. How now, Frankie?

Lucas Wolenczak: It’s really you.

Nick: Yeah, but my name’s really Nick.

Lucas Wolenczak: Nick.

Martin Clemens: Work.

Nick: OK, see you in a bit.

Martin Clemens: Photons, zipping around inside tendrils of glass. Our job is to make sure they go where they’re supposed to.

Nick: The money’s moving, fifty seconds.

Martin Clemens: We sift the light through our fingers like pure white sand.

Nick: Forty-five, we’re gonna miss it.

Martin Clemens: What do you think of the world, Lucas? Is it good, bad?

Lucas Wolenczak: It sucks, basically.

Martin Clemens: If you could make it better, would you try?

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah, sure I would.

Nick: Thirty seconds. (Clemens sits down at computer and starts working) Twenty-five.

Martin Clemens: This is a foreign aid fund account in the States. The money was intended for humanitarian purposes in Asia. But it’s moving, to a blind account in Geneva.

Nick: Fifteen.

Martin Clemens: Held by a defense minister of the East Asian Confederation.

Nick: Ten seconds ... five.

Martin Clemens: Got it. I’m putting it where it’s needed, in a hospital in rural China, where it’ll buy vaccines and bandages.

Lucas Wolenczak: You don’t even worry about getting caught!

Martin Clemens: The money’s already stolen, who’s going to complain? In a world where people are hungry, people are greedy, people kill each other, we’re taking a quiet stand. It’s social engineering. What do you think of the world, Lucas, if you could make it a better place?

- seaQuest DSV, sea deck -

Kristin Westphalen: When my daughter was seventeen she shaved off half her hair and died the other half bright orange. And to this day I’m convinced she only did it to irritate me. I mean they have to irritate you, it’s their job, however bright they are.

Nathan Bridger: Well, Lucas is bright all right, and I can’t stop falling into the trap of being parental. You’d think after having done this once before I’d know better.

Kristin Westphalen: He just wants to be with kids his own age. It’s an age where any decision is better than the ones we make for them. In fact, the less we like it, the better. Why don’t you give him a call?

Nathan Bridger: Oh, no, no, no. He’d think I was looking over his shoulder. How’s he doing; is he having fun; are you behaving yourself? Nah, it just bothers me that right now I know more about those whales. (points at screen)

Kristin Westphalen: Maybe you’d like the WSKRS to follow Lucas around.

Nathan Bridger: That’s not a bad idea.

Kristin Westphalen: Nathan!

Nathan Bridger: I know that being on your own is on every teenager’s agenda, but that doesn’t stop you from worrying.

Kristin Westphalen: Oh no, that never stops. One of my daughter’s degrees is in nutritional biochemistry, and every time she comes to see me I can’t stop myself from telling her what she should be eating.

- Node Three, dining room -

Julianna: Pizza and burgers are good but the sushi never thaws right in a microwave.

Lucas Wolenczak: How’d you get here?

Julianna: I was always good with numbers. I skipped a couple grades and graduated from college when I was sixteen.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah, sounds like me.

Julianna: And every other kid here. This is a great place for me to be on my own for the first time.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah. Well, as for me, I didn’t fit into my parents' idea of a lifestyle, so they put me on seaQuest. Captain Bridger sends them a report card every couple of months; I don’t even think they read ‘em. What about Wolfman?

Julianna: (takes food out of microwave) Well, he’s a slow learner; they didn’t let him out of MIT until he was seventeen.

Martin Clemens: (as Lucas and Julianna sit down) Scared you this morning, didn’t I?

Lucas Wolenczak: You really are Mycroft.

Martin Clemens: You were two years old when I crashed the Arpanet. That was the first autoimmune virus. Brought down the entire US defense system for twenty-four hours. They were talking peace, but they freaked when their weapons stopped working. I spent three years in juvenile rehab for that hack.

Lucas Wolenczak: Then?

Martin Clemens: Then I got cozy with corruption. Then I came here. That’s all. (leaves)

Lucas Wolenczak: What’s, uh, “cozy with corruption”?

Nick: The government, he worked for them for a while and then he just disappeared, sort of flamed out. He saw something bad. Anyway, then he got the job at Node Three when it went on line three years ago.

Lucas Wolenczak: Doesn’t this, uh, social engineering stuff scare you guys?

Nick: Well, it’s not really worth doing if it doesn’t scare you, right? I mean, that is why we came here.

Lucas Wolenczak: Right.

Nick: Oh, you should stay away from that sushi, I mean . . .

- Node Three, command center -

Martin Clemens: Menu three, function one. Vocal command.

Lucas Wolenczak: Menu three, function one.

Martin Clemens: Brazil, after the civil war old blood started seeping up through the earth; graft, corruption, intimidation. Brazil.

Lucas Wolenczak: Brazil.

Martin Clemens: This function monitors all our data traffic for items relating to Brazil. Diplomatic messages, bank transfers, news reports, everything is synthesized into a topographic map of social stress. The higher the peaks, the more intense the colors, the greater the stress. Now, filter for election fraud.

Lucas Wolenczak: Now, these are areas where the data indicates trouble.

Martin Clemens: Right. Pick one.

Lucas Wolenczak: They’re cheating.

Martin Clemens: Make it right.

Lucas Wolenczak: (works at computer for a minute) I’m inserting a monitoring virus into their voting systems. It’ll alert us if there are any more problems.

Martin Clemens: Very nice. The people speak, and now they are heard. (laughs) You made a better world. (Lucas laughs, looks at Julianna, she laughs, Lucas looks at Nick, Nick gives OK sign)

- Node Three, hallway -

Julianna: How did you get into the local nets? There must have been five bridges between them and us. (to Nick) Did you see how he did that?

Nick: Uh, yeah, I was there, actually.

Julianna: Bye, Nick.

Nick: Oh, right. (walks off)

Julianna: You were terrific.

Lucas Wolenczak: Thank you.

Julianna: This is my stop. (points to door) Bye. (kisses Lucas on cheek, goes in room, closes door, then opens door) OK, come on in. (Lucas enters) It’s so great to have you here.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah, incredible.

Julianna: I had no idea, you know. (sits down on bed) When you’re just words in cyberspace you imagine what someone's like. I had this image . . .

Lucas Wolenczak: (sits down) An image? What kind of image?

Julianna: I expected brilliance, not cute.

Lucas Wolenczak: You, uh, you think I’m cute.

Julianna: Yeah, but all I had was your little Frankenstein picture on the screen. Not a positive reinforcement. When Nick and I were hacking the UEO codes we guessed what you’d would look like.

Lucas Wolenczak: What UEO codes?

Julianna: We didn’t need any OLA/5 modules, we’ve got a rack of spares. Nick and I sent that message to bring you here.

Lucas Wolenczak: That’s impossible, you can’t break the UEO codes or even get on to their encrypted data link.

Julianna: We didn’t need a data link ‘cause it never went through UEO. And the codes are just numbers.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah, they’re in triple keys, each forty digits long. I don’t believe it.

Julianna: It’s true.

Lucas Wolenczak: Why?

Julianna: Wolfman wanted to meet you.

Lucas Wolenczak: So now I’m cute and stupid.

Julianna: Don’t you like being here?

Lucas Wolenczak: I just want to know what’s going on. Julianna.

Julianna: You said you were sick of being pushed around. (kisses Lucas)

- Node Three, command center -

Julianna: (Lucas and Nick playing game on computers) He’s great.

Nick: You reprogrammed these games so that I couldn’t win. (Lucas laughs) Try this.

Lucas Wolenczak: Got ya. (crowd cheers)

Nick: No. (Lucas laughs)

Julianna: Mycroft. (game ends, crowd disperses)

Martin Clemens: (entering) Has anyone ever beat you? I was like you, too smart, too young to know it. And it hurt too, in here. I didn’t have the same places to hide, my sanctuary was in the streets, so I, probably see things through different eyes. You know what this is? It is my apology.

Lucas Wolenczak: You mean the Arpanet crash.

Martin Clemens: No, I got more than even for that, three years in juvie. I’ve seen bad things, Lucas. Bad things at the end of my fingertips.

Lucas Wolenczak: What bad things?

Martin Clemens: Pain, death, right out there, and I said, enough. What I do now is to end the pain. (pushes some buttons, screen changes) I need you, to get access to the World Bank transaction network.

Lucas Wolenczak: That’s the best-engineered, best-protected network ever built. It’s impossible.

Martin Clemens: Like hacking UEO codes?

Lucas Wolenczak: No, that’s just hard.

Martin Clemens: This isn’t a pleasure cruise where you can hack simple things like the Brazilian voting nets, and show us how good you are at games. Games are over. I brought you here for this. The World Bank transaction network is the arterial channel through which the real money flows. Money, with a capital M. It's not a mortgage on your house or even Apple Computer buying Microsoft. This money controls armies, governments, even confederations. It is the fulcrum on which our world balances, and through which we can reshape civilization. And end war, an end to greed, and hatred; money is their fuel. If we can control the World Bank, we can make them unaffordable.

Lucas Wolenczak: What do I have to do with this?

Martin Clemens: You’re better than us. We’ve all tried, and failed. (picks up headset) Make the world better, Lucas. Open the door for me. (Lucas takes headset, begins working at computer)

- Node Three, command center, later -

Lucas Wolenczak: It’s impossible. (sits back)

Nick: Come on, Lucas, you’re so close.

Julianna: I know you can do it.

Nick: Hysteresis signaling?

Lucas Wolenczak: Specifically trapped.

Julianna: Anthorder derivative?

Lucas Wolenczak: Nah, too many solutions.

Nick: Try a reduction algorithm.

Lucas Wolenczak: That could work. (works at computer) We’re in!

Martin Clemens: Yes! (laughs and celebrates)

Nick: All right. (Lucas and Julianna kiss) Good work, Lucas.

Martin Clemens: You did good, you can stay. (leaves, Lucas and Julianna kiss, Nick hugs Lucas and Julianna)

- seaQuest DSV, Lucas’s room -

Tim O’Neill: (Bridger looking through music discs, intercom beeps, O’Neill on loudspeaker) I’ve got Lucas, sir.

Nathan Bridger: Put him on.

Tim O’Neill: (on loudspeaker) Aye, aye, up on visual.

Nathan Bridger: Hey, Lucas.

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Hi. What’re you doing inside my room?

Nathan Bridger: Oh, I came to see if I could find that Sidney Bechet collection that you, uh, never returned to me. And, uh, (turns screen to bed, sits down) Darwin wants to say hello.

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Hi, Darwin, how’s it going?

Nathan Bridger: He misses you. Everything OK?

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Oh, this is the greatest place on Earth.

Nathan Bridger: Ah. (laughs)

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) All the kids are great, I love it.

Nathan Bridger: How long you think you wanna stay there?

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) A while.

Nathan Bridger: OK, but I think you ought to tell your parents.

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Oh, my parents don’t care.

Nathan Bridger: Well, that’s immaterial. It’s appropriate for you to tell them what you’re going to do. That’s your responsibility.

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Yes, but they don’t care.

Nathan Bridger: But you have to care. That’s what we’re talking about.

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen, kid knocks on door) Yeah, I’ll, uh, I'll think about that.

Nathan Bridger: I’ll check with you tomorrow, all right.

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Bye bye.

Nathan Bridger: Bye. (screen goes blank)

Darwin: Lucas leave pod?

Nathan Bridger: Yeah, maybe.

Darwin: Big ocean, big fun.

Nathan Bridger: Did sound like he was having fun, didn’t it?

- Node Three, Julianna’s room -

Nick: (Julianna and Lucas kissing, Nick enters) I got some brain food.

Lucas Wolenczak: Great.

Julianna: Thanks.

Nick: (sits down) Mycroft said we’ll be ready to grab control of the World Bank tomorrow.

Julianna: It’s so exciting.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah. Have you ever wondered what Mycroft did when he disappeared?

Nick: All the time. The man’s a complete enigma.

Julianna: The past has already happened. Today is always version 1.0. I don’t want to know.

Lucas Wolenczak: Would be a great hack. Finding out his past, what he was up to.

Julianna: You guys are nuts. Who cares?

Lucas Wolenczak: Oh, I do. The man’s a giant. Mycroft was the ultimate hacker. No one knows what he did or even where he was for three years of his life. Don’t you want to find out if the stories are true?

Nick: Yeah, like if he really did x-omega ciphers for the CIA.

Lucas Wolenczak: Nah, I heard he worked for NORPAC, running multiple object pathogens against the CIA. They never liked each other. We could go in through the Fednet, then down through the layers.

Nick: We write a sweeper. It follows along behind us and erases our trail.

Julianna: I don’t wanna hear this. (Lucas and Nick smile, go to door) Hey, you guys, (they stop) this is dangerous.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah, we’re hackers, we live for this. You can’t tell, it’s part of the code. (both leave)

- Node Three, command center -

Nick: (enters with Lucas, both sit down) Let’s go.

Lucas Wolenczak: I’m in.

Nick: Right behind you. Initializing sweeper object code, now.

Lucas Wolenczak: Searching, Clemens, Martin. Not getting any hits.

Nick: Try the Defnet bridge.

Lucas Wolenczak: Got it. Look at this. Clemens did work for NORPAC ... no, the CIA. (Julianna enters) Both of them, they had him working both camps. Had him connected to the Chinese border closing nine years ago. My parents were scared then. It's weird to see your parents afraid.

Nick: My mother used to cry all the time.

Lucas Wolenczak: I’m trapped out here, Nick, there’s too many fences.

Nick: Go under the Defnet.

Lucas Wolenczak: There he is, Mycroft, code name only. He was working a hack to countermand the Chinese military computer network. This information’s confusing.

Nick: The Chinese had a team of programmers working as Mycroft’s opposition.

Lucas Wolenczak: Oh man.

Nick: What is it?

Lucas Wolenczak: He, uh, he killed somebody.

Nick: What?! No way, it’s not possible. Mycroft removed 're: neutralization of enemy asset.' That could mean anything.

Lucas Wolenczak: No.

Martin Clemens: (appears on screen) Give me the rope. Frankenstein, Wolfman, stay. (enters a minute later and calls up image on screen of man killing another) I put a photon bullet, in his head. It was a time of great fear. The Chinese closed their borders, NORPAC and the other, newer confederations were strapping on their guns. But the speed of battle had outpaced human capacity. The new war would be waged by computers, and the fastest computers would win. But they needed a new kind of soldier, me. My job was to sneak inside the Chinese military computers, crash their programs, destroy their ability to fight. But every time I’d find a way in their programmers would slam it shut. I couldn’t break into their machines, so I decided to break into their people. I created a series of false communiqués, orders, memos, all designed to make the junior member of their team think his boss was working for our side. He reported it to his superiors but I intercepted everything and responded as if I was those superiors. I became his reality, and he had no idea. It was a game, as disembodied as Wolfman and Frankenstein on the Internex. It’s easy to issue an order to kill when it’s just another point in a game. My team thought I was a hero, but when I wouldn’t give them specifics on how I did it, in debriefing they removed me from the team. They told me there wasn’t any room for morals in a time of war. Tomorrow, I’ll answer them. Leave me.

- Node Three, Julianna’s room -

Lucas Wolenczak: This whole World Bank hack is so Mycroft will feel better about killing that guy. He has lost touch with reality.

Julianna: You’re scared.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah, yeah, I am, and you should be, too. It’s too complicated, we’ll never be able to contain the variables, even if it is morally right.

Julianna: It is right. Control of the World Bank could let us stop a country from going to war. Imagine how many people we’ll be able to help.

Lucas Wolenczak: Don’t you think we ought to ask first? And what happens if we screw up?

Nick: If we’re smart enough, and we’re careful enough, it’ll work. No one’ll even know.

Lucas Wolenczak: And what if we’re not, Nick? The entire transaction network will collapse, money will stop moving. A company will go bankrupt, a whole army won’t get paid, a government will be overthrown. I can’t even guess how many people we might hurt. But it’s wrong to let this happen without at least trying to do something. Otherwise, we’re as guilty as he is.

- seaQuest DSV, Bridger’s room -

Nathan Bridger: (into comlink) Yeah.

Tim O’Neill: (on comlink) Captain, Lucas calling for you.

Nathan Bridger: (into comlink) Oh, put him on.

Tim O’Neill: (on comlink) Aye, sir, on visual.

Nathan Bridger: You all right?

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Yeah, yeah, I’m, uh, yeah I’m fine. Captain, do you remember what you were telling me about responsibility?

Nathan Bridger: Yes.

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Well sometimes I can’t figure out if I’m doing the right thing.

Nathan Bridger: We all have to deal with that, even with experience and age. You learn by trying, you make mistakes, and you correct them.

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) What if you hurt somebody?

Nathan Bridger: Hurt them? How?

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Not, not directly, not like you hit them, but, but affected their lives somehow?

Nathan Bridger: The way we affect other people is all we leave, Lucas. It’s the message we send forward into the future.

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) OK.

Nathan Bridger: I think that once you know what that message is, what you want to say, then you’ll know how to behave. You got it?

Lucas Wolenczak: (on screen) Yeah, I got it. Thank you. (screen goes blank)

- Node Three, hallway -

Girl: (Lucas pokes head out of room) Come on.

Nick: (coming over) Lucas, it’s on, everybody’s in the room. Let’s go. (Lucas follows)

- Node Three, command center -

Martin Clemens: Waiting time's over. Today, we transfuse this web of blood with the pure light of morality. Capture every link, control every nexus. Then we write the rules. Better rules, for a better world. Initiate trap codes for the African Confederation. (group works at computers) There it is ... the Lagos Center. Excellent, excellent.

Nick: I’m losing band width out of Geneva. The node’s reset, I can’t trap the loop agents.

Martin Clemens: Trap the interframe tags.

Nick: Coming back. (quietly, into headset) Can you hear me?

Lucas Wolenczak: (quietly, into headset) Yeah, I got ya. Julianna?

Julianna: (quietly, into headset) I’m here.

Nick: (quietly, into headset) I almost lost that, there ... Lucas is right, the network is much too unstable.

Lucas Wolenczak: (quietly, into headset) If we let it come apart it’ll be chaos.

Julianna: (quietly, into headset) We’re almost there, we’ll make it.

Lucas Wolenczak: (quietly, into headset) Yeah, and then what? I’m gonna stop it. (works at computer)

Martin Clemens: (laughs, triumphantly) The World Bank Transaction Network, fully trapped . . . mine. (screens all go blank) What?

Lucas Wolenczak: I shut down the Node.

Martin Clemens: Put us back online.

Lucas Wolenczak: No, no, it’s wrong.

Martin Clemens: We’re on the doorstep of global synchronisity. (points to Lucas) You can’t stop me. I will not fail. (pushes kid out of way and sits down, works at computer) I’ve been here before.

Lucas Wolenczak: Yeah, you killed a man.

Martin Clemens: I made a mistake.

Lucas Wolenczak: You’re making us do it all over again. Am I nuts? We are affecting millions of lives, real people’s lives. This isn’t some game on the Internex where you see every consequence in neat 3-D graphics.

Martin Clemens: I’m destroying war, corruption; I’m ripping the heart out of greed.

Lucas Wolenczak: You can’t do that by changing numbers. These things won’t go away until we know each other, one by one, face to face. You said it yourself Clemens, it hurts in here. This is where you have to make it better.

Martin Clemens: You’re a child; you’ve never felt pain. I took a life.

Lucas Wolenczak: I’m not gonna let you take any more.

Martin Clemens: (screens all go blank again) No, no. (charges Lucas)

Julianna: Mycroft. (Clemens tries to strangle Lucas) No.

Nick: Get off him. (plays tape of man killing another, Clemens notices, lets go of Lucas, looks scared)

Lucas Wolenczak: It hurts because you can see his face. You knew who he was.

Martin Clemens: No, no I learned that lesson.

Lucas Wolenczak: You learned the hard way. But we don’t have to, we don’t want to. I don’t wanna hurt anyone.