Original subtitles

OSCAR (VO): Here are some scenes from Part One of "Deadly Countdown."

I don't want to hear that it's impossible.

Take it easy, Oscar.

I understand your problem.

I don't think you do understand, David!

We have an intelligence report that says there may be an attempt...

to sabotage the launch.

The best protection against sabotage is to schedule it earlier than anyone expects.

I want Colonel Austin and Dr. Russell up there in six days.

Delay the launch, we can't be ready in six days.

But be careful. Whatever you do, it has to look like an accident...

that causes a delay, not an FBI investigation.

Well, that just leaves the Saturn 1-3 or Steve Austin.

It's worth $25,000.

This is a satellite that we sent up last year.

The nation's Missile Defense Program depends on it.

It's beginning to malfunction.

Dr. Leah Russell, who designed the satellite's new brain...

will be your co-pilot.

She'll fine-tune the system after the link up.

(STEAM HISSES)

LEAH: I hope that's not too much steam.

Oh, no, that's fine.

I'm sorry... I...

The last time I bunked here it was kind of like West Point, you know?

That's also changed.

Yeah.

You must be Dr. Russell.

That's right.

Very pleased to meet you, Colonel Austin.

It's my pleasure.

I'll come back later.

Oh, I don't mind, if you don't.

I mean, we're gonna be living together in that space capsule for some time.

Well, I guess you're right.

Just $5,000 in here.

Oh, you'll get the rest...

when I get word that Steve Austin's been killed...

accidently.

He'll suffocate in there!

Do something. Hurry! Hurry!

(ALARM SOUNDING)

He's not getting any air!

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

You know, I just didn't think anything could compete with this view.

Okay, what is it?

Your crash...

Well, I guess I shouldn't have told you about it.

I want to know everything about you.

You said both your legs.

An arm and your eye, basically.

Space-age hardware.

Well, they are, but I'm not.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

I've been watching you, young lady...

you better stop bragging so much.

I'm proud of you.

She positively embarrasses me.

McGrath?

What's this all about?

It's about keeping your daughter alive.

What do you want? Money?

An explosion.

You're gonna blow up that rocket on the pad.

White Bird to Grey Fox. We are ready.

Let's patch into their flight computers.

(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT)

It's working perfectly.

One down and one more to go.

McGrath.

Daddy.

Melissa, are you all right?

She's depending on you, McGrath.

Negative response to that.

Maybe it's a faulty sensor.

Steve, I'm scared.

Abort!

Abort the mission.

(ALARM SOUNDING)

STEVE (VO): Now the conclusion of "Deadly Countdown."

FLIGHT COM: It looks good at NASA One.

B- 52 >PILOT: Roger.

BCS Arm switch is on.

FLIGHT COM: Okay, Victor.

B-52 PILOT: Landing Rocket Arm switch is on. Here comes the throttle.

Circuit breakers in.

STEVE: We have separation.

B-52 PILOT: Inboard and outboards are on.

I'm comin' forward with the side stick.

FLIGHT COM: Looks good.

PILOT: Ah, Roger.

STEVE: I've got a blowout in damper three.

SR-71 PILOT: Get your pitch to zero.

STEVE: Pitch is out. I can't hold altitude!

B-52 PILOT: Correction. Alpha Hold is off. Threat selector is emergency.

STEVE: Flight Com. I can't hold it! She's breaking up! She's breaking...

ANNOUNCER: Steve Austin. Astronaut.

A man barely alive.

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.

We have the technology.

We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man.

Steve Austin will be that man.

Better than he was before.

Better, stronger, faster.

(MAIN TITLE THEME)

So?

At least he's alive.

What is that supposed to mean?

It means his bionic systems aren't up to full output, but they'll be fine.

They don't damage as easily as the human ones.

What kind of damage?

A concussion. He has a bad smash in the head.

I've done all I can...

now he needs a lot of rest.

Well, will he be all right?

We'll know in 48 hours. By then, he'll either be up and around or...

Come on Rudy, let's hear it.

I'm not holding anything back, Oscar.

With this kind of injury there's always a danger of a hematoma forming.

Hello, Leah.

How is he?

He's sleeping. Rudy's with him.

It looks like he's gonna be all right.

I want to see him.

Wait a minute. He's under heavy sedation.

He may not come out of it for quite a while.

What do you say we have a cup of coffee.

I want to see Steve now. That's all I care about.

Leah, the important thing is to run this whole thing through your mind.

See if anything sticks, anything that...

Look, Mr. Goldman, I just came from three hours of debriefing.

I'm sick of running it through my mind.

If you don't care about Steve's condition, I...

Leah, I've known Steve Austin a long time.

We've been through a lot together.

He means a lot to me, too.

I'm sorry, I...

The Saturn V back-up bird and that satellite is just about ready to go.

You've got some flying to do.

Without Steve?

With Steve, if we have some luck in the next 48 hours.

MCGARTH (VO): Cleared for launch.

We should have had release valve cycling by now.

Abort. Abort the mission.

LEAH: Steve...

Steve, can you hear me?

Steve, it's Leah.

Leah...

Hello there.

Hiya, pal.

Oscar.

How're you doing?

You tell me.

You're doing fine.

But you've gotta take it easy.

The mission.

You let me worry about the mission.

You gotta rest and get well.

That instrumentation.

It has to be orbited.

What about a back-up crew?

There is no back-up crew on this mission, you know that, Leah.

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

Webster?

What's your problem?

Look, I kept my part of the bargain...

so now I want my daughter back.

But it's what I want that counts...

and I want your continued cooperation.

You miserable liar.

I'm going to the police.

I never should have cooperated with you.

Maybe not, but you've got no choice now.

You'll find out that I do.

Don't do anything foolish.

You'll find out we mean what we say.

And I mean what I say.

Now you take a couple of hours and cool off.

You made your point.

But it's gonna cost your daughter her life if you act on it.

That's your choice.

Take your hand off of me.

OSCAR: The Saturn V back-up vehicle will be ready in three days, Rudy.

We've got to get Steve on his feet.

If his brain scan is clear and if there are no complications.

That's not what I want to hear.

I can't help what you want to hear.

MCGRA TH: Clear for launch.

LEAH: Maybe it's a faulty sensor.

Steve, I'm scared.

MCGRA TH: Abort! Abort the mission!

MCGRATH: Steve?

Steve?

Hey, Steve, how're you doing?

Hey, Dave, heck of a flight, huh?

Steve, there's something I want to say to you.

It's okay.

I'll be out of here in a couple of days.

Well, um...

You see, I came here today because...

well, I don't know how to...

Steve, I don't know what to do.

You see, they've got...

Steve, I'm responsible for what happened.

MCGRATH: We should've had release valve operating by now.

We tried the hard line to the valves yet?

Abort. Abort the mission.

Steve, there's something I want to say to you.

STEVE: It's okay.

MCGRATH: Steve, I'm responsible for what happened.

OSCAR: Did you check all the security gates?

How about the police? Did you notify them?

Right.

I'm in David McGrath's office.

Thank you.

Did you find him?

He's not in the building. He's not on the grounds.

He was so weak.

Why should he leave the hospital?

I don't know, but fighting that sedative is the worst thing for him.

I'm going to look for him.

There are certain places he might be.

(DOOR OPENS)

Steve? Steve?

Steve, you've got to get back to the hospital.

Please.

Leah, the mission... there's danger.

The mission's fine. Easy, Steve, easy now.

No, no, McGrath, he... Talk to Oscar.

Of course.

Tomorrow. No.

Everything's okay.

No, McGrath, he knew.

He said... Let's go. Come on.

Well, the second impulse booster's going to be ready in just about 16 hours.

Perfect.

They can't possibly get the back-up bird launched before then.

Oh, look, just out of curiosity...

once we take over control of the satellite, where is it going to come down?

The Black Sea, that's all I know.

That's all I want to know.

It's incredible.

You've passed the 48-hour test like it's never been done before.

Does that mean I can get out of here?

Well, there's no hematoma.

There's no complications. I don't see why not.

Good.

Look, you guys have a lot of things to discuss.

I'd better get back to the lab.

Thank you, Rudy.

Thanks, Rudy.

Now, we'll get this mission back on schedule.

And what I want to know is what knocked it off schedule?

What caused that bird to blow?

Well, we haven't got anything solid, Steve.

We're questioning Richman.

He tried to kill you twice but he won't talk.

We're still running a check on him.

Any ideas?

I thought maybe you'd have some.

You endangered your life busting out of here.

You must have had a reason.

Nope. I'm a blank.

Leah said that you said some strange things on the roof.

I feel like I'm wearing socks that don't match and I'm the only one who doesn't know it.

Okay, let's hear it.

It's about David McGrath.

Her impression was that you thought that he was somehow involved in all this.

Dave? Something to do with the explosion?

That's what she said.

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

STEVE: I just came from the launch control tape room.

What were you doing there?

I was listening to this.

What is it?

It's a tape of the countdown.

You want to listen to it with me?

Well, then I'll tell you.

You called for an abort...

12 seconds before you could possibly have known it was necessary.

Now tell me why, Dave?

No, no, Steve. You're all wrong.

I wish I was.

But you made that decision before you had sufficient data.

Now, you knew, Dave. You had to.

There's no other way that could have happened.

Steve...

Dave McGrath, a saboteur?

Well, what happened?

Melissa?

Yeah.

They've got her.

They're gonna hurt her if...

Dave, why didn't you tell somebody?

I had to blow up that rocket, Steve.

Can you understand that? I had to!

I understand.

Who has her? Where? Do you know anything?

Very little.

I met with a man but...

Can you describe him?

Yes.

OSCAR: His name is Webster.

He's the man that gave Richman the money to kill Steve.

Is that the man, Dave?

Steve, I'm scared.

Is that the man?

Yes.

We tracked him down through the money.

$5,000 deposited in five different accounts.

All on the day before your accident.

All in cash.

All in bills tracing back to the same bank, Webster's bank.

Any leads on where they might be holding Melissa?

David, we're gonna have to take you off this project because of your part in it.

Wait a minute.

I'm not going up in that rocket without Dave in Mission Control.

There's gonna be an investigation, Steve.

We'll support David, but there'll be charges and under the circumstances...

I think we'd better... I mean what I said.

All right.

But you'll be relieved of your duties after Steve takes off.

I know.

The only think that worries me now is Melissa.

Don't worry about Melissa.

I'll get every available agent in the area.

You can't do that. She'll be killed.

I don't think you understand.

OSCAR: We'll find her, David.

We won't endanger Melissa's safety.

She's my daughter and I say we don't take any chances.

We have to.

I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking she's been killed already.

The longer we wait, the less chance we have.

I'm just afraid some overzealous hot shot'll find her and go busting in there...

and then she will be dead.

Wait a minute, Oscar.

Maybe Dave's right.

One man might have a chance and give us more control.

Who did you have in mind?

I'll keep a low profile and check out Webster quietly.

Steve.

Let him try, please.

Okay.

Johnson has him under surveillance.

You can reach him by radio.

Good luck.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

LEAH: Steve!

Steve, where have you been?

McGrath and Oscar collared me.

We've been holding the life support system test for over an hour for you.

Look, I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do.

I've gotta go. Melissa's been kidnapped.

Melissa?

Yeah. Oh, no.

Don't worry about it. I'll get in touch with you.

You heard me.

I got a call from a little friend in my bank.

They've traced the bills. They're asking questions.

Relax, you got nothing to worry about.

I'm telling you they're on to me.

What can they prove? That you deposited some money in an account?

Hey, that little lady we're holding...

she's never seen you but she can put the finger on me.

Do we still need her?

No, I think she's bought us all the insurance she can.

We don't need to control McGrath anymore.

What do you want to do?

Well, I want to make sure that she never gets the chance to point that finger ever.

What do you have in mind?

There's only one way I know of to keep that finger from pointing.

Okay. If it makes you feel better.

But I don't want to upset our client.

These international spy boys don't like publicity...

so make sure she isn't found.

Be careful, they may have a tail on you.

Okay.

(TIRES SQUEAL)

(HORN HONKS)

Hey, Montez, crank it up in there.

Sounds like you got a problem.

It's called a tail.

I'm coming to see you but I picked up some company.

Want me to tell him he's not welcome?

Yeah, put him in the drink...

I think he'll get the message.

Lead him by Bailey's place, by the canal.

He's on his way back there now.

(TIRES SQUEALING)

Thanks.

Let's go.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Didn't expect you 'till tomorrow.

We've gotta close up shop right now.

And the girl?

She goes for a deep dive.

(BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT)

Okay, young lady, we're gonna take you to see your father.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Steve!

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(WHISTLING THROUGH AIR)

Ahhhhh!

Steve?

Melissa. I was so frightened.

Are you all right? Yeah.

It's okay now. You're okay.

MELISSA: Dad, I'm so glad it's over.

It's all fine now.

Thank God, you're all right.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

You all right?

Well, I think so.

Are you sure? Well, I'm fine, Oscar.

Good.

Well, Melissa...

You're all right? Good.

All systems were a go out there today.

Sure were.

Good.

We'll proceed with the launching as scheduled.

You mean you still want to go ahead after everything that's happened?

The priorities of this mission haven't changed, David.

But Oscar, how can you risk it?

Whoever is working against us is still out there, is still trying.

I know, I've been talking with security.

It'll be so tight that no one will penetrate it.

Nothing can stop us now.

We're programming splash down to occur 15.7 miles off the coast.

Copy that, coordinates will follow.

Now, tell your people to package the payment.

Hard currency, ten million.

You got that? All right.

I've got good news. What do you got?

They freed the girl.

What? Who?

That guy Austin. He's something.

Now the whole thing's a bust.

That bird files tomorrow, we got no control over McGrath.

Relax.

We needed control over McGrath to make sure the bird didn't fly...

before we were ready, right?

Yeah. Well, we're ready.

We got all the control we need, here and aboard the yacht.

And we'll have all the money we can ever spend...

the minute those trawlers pull that bird out of the Black Sea.

Yeah, but what about the girl?

With the girl free, if they had any doubts about flying that bird...

they don't have them now.

Well, that's great for you but they'll come looking for me.

In Northern Africa?

We'll be there tomorrow, pick up the money.

Who can get you? Or any of us?

Well, then everything's okay.

It's better than okay.

You made a brilliant move. Congratulations.

This time tomorrow, that satellite brain of theirs will be delivered...

and we will be retired millionaires living in North Africa.

(MAJESTIC MUSIC)

(RADIO CHATTER)

No, no, no. I want a full squad.

A full squad of men at that gate.

That's right. And double up on the beach patrol.

I want two men in each vehicle.

I want this place locked up tight.

No tours. No buses.

No visitors and no miscellaneous employees.

Anybody that's not directly connected with this launch, give them the day off.

If you have any suspicions, or any doubts, don't hesitate to act.

Any problems?

Nah. We're in good shape.

Let's tune in my favorite show.

MCGRATH: I'd like a status report on the crew now.

SUPERVISOR: We have them moving from the MSO Building to the van.

Okay, let us know when they're in their couches.

We've got some guidance input for them.

SUPERVISOR: They're on their way up the elevator now.

Turning it over to you, Mac.

(RADIO CHATTER)

Roger, we copy those coordinates.

You ready?

We take over control as soon as they make their final guidance check.

We're all set here.

Maintain that position.

Start the impulse booster.

(WHIRRING)

White Bird to Grey Fox.

White Bird to Grey Fox.

We're receiving the impulses perfectly, Grey Fox.

(WHIRRING)

Standing by for final guidance check.

Copy that. We'll be giving you some new numbers.

Keying-in revision code. Ready for update.

Coming across, copy the set. 6-8-8-2...

through 6-niner—7-5.

Okay, Steve. That's got it.

STEVE: Copy that. Guidance program revised and finalized.

LEAH: Everything else looking good from up here.

SUPERVISOR: T minus four minutes and holding, are we cleared for launch?

Cleared for launch.

Okay, you two, good luck.

Knew we'd make it eventually.

Never doubted it for a second.

Ready to transmit.

SUPERVISOR: That's affirmative, we're go.

(RADIO CHATTER)

(WEAK BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT)

Hey, wait a minute.

What is it?

What's the problem up there?

You guys down there...

there's something wrong up here.

You guys updating the guidance numbers again?

Negative on that.

Well, somebody is.

OSCAR: What is it, Steve?

The guidance computer, it's being reprogrammed.

That's impossible.

STEVE: Those signals are coming from somewhere.

See if you can get a fix on them, Dave.

White Bird to Grey Fox. White Bird to Grey Fox.

We have complete control now.

And it flies where we say it flies.

Hold the count.

SUPERVISOR: T minus 3:50 and holding.

I said hold the count.

SUPERVISOR: I did. Nothing happened.

There's an override.

You mean we have no control over the automatic count?

None.

You mean that bird is going and we can't stop it?

Exactly.

They didn't want to blow this one, Oscar.

They just want it.

We'll never find the source in time.

Well, we can try, get me a chopper.

You follow me out of here.

Head right for the elevator!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Hey.

Let's have the white room back!

SUPERVISOR: That's a negative.

We still have no control over the count.

Leah, hit the LET. We'll fish you out of the drink.

I can't.

The hatch is open.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

This is McGrath to Radar Control.

I want a triangulation fix on the radio beam interfering with Launch Control.

CONTROLLER: This is Radar Control, we copy.

Transmit triangulation to surveillance chopper on channel 13 point niner.

PILOT: Mission Control reports that Leah's trapped in the capsule.

She'll go up with the bird if we don't stop the launch.

We gotta go back and get her out of there.

PILOT: We've just past the midway point.

Come on, move it!

Yes, sir.

Hang in there.

60 seconds more and we have that bird.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Ahhhh!

In 15 seconds, that bird belongs to us.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Don't waste your time, fellas.

(RADIO CHATTER)

30 seconds.

MCGRATH: We have automatic initiation of propellant pressurization.

Confirmed.

MCGRATH: Release valve cycling starting now.

Affirmative.

(RADIO CHATTER)

Ten seconds. Good luck, smooth flight, you two.

Safe trip.

Three...

MCGARTH: two, one, zero.

Ignition.

Here we go!

(END THEME MUSIC)