Original subtitles

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(GEARS TURNING)

(SIRENS WAIL)

(PHONE RINGS)

Oscar Goldman speaking.

Hello, Oscar? Roy Palmer.

We've got big trouble! All four wells are on fire!

On fire?

Roy, how did it happen?

You know how important this experiment is!

We've got to save that well! Do you hear me?

We've got to save it! Do whatever it takes. Anything at all.

What it's going to take is a miracle!

Look, I'd better get back out there. I'll call you later.

(CLICK, DIAL TONE)

(FIRE CRACKLING)

(SIRENS WAIL)

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)

OSCAR: This is the geological chart of the entire area.

Stoney Creek Reserve.

That's where you're running tests of the new oil well recovery process?

Right, and if the process works...

oil pools that have been commercially impossible, can be reactivated.

And old, played out wells that have been shut down for years...

can go back into production again.

And today, what, with the energy crisis...

We didn't need this fire.

Luckily, we caught that one in time.

Believe me, it took a miracle.

What was that?

A one in a million break.

A desert whirlwind literally sucked the flames away from the well.

But we can't hope for a miracle next time.

You sound sure there'll be a next time.

This project has had its enemies since it was first proposed, Steve.

But, Oscar, why would anybody be against a process...

that would give us new oil resources?

That's what I want you to find out.

You've got until midnight of the 13th.

That's when the appropriation bill ends, and the Stoney Creek Reserve project...

will be dead.

Yeah, but today is the 10th.

Good luck, pal.

Thanks.

(TIRES SCREECH)

Thanks for the lift.

WOMAN IN JEEP: Help!

Help! I can't stop! Brakes are out!

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(LOUD SCRAPING)

You okay?

Whew! How close can you cut it?

What happened?

I guess the old jalopy just about had it.

We've been holding it together with...

bobby pins and rubber bands for so long now.

I came barreling over that hill up there, and all of a sudden, there were no brakes.

You know, it just hit me! What you did.

How in the world did you do that?

You hit some soft dirt back there. That's what really slowed you down.

Yeah, but, still... How did you do that?

These letters on the back of your Jeep...

SLAG?

I made them up.

They stand for "Save Lungs from Awful Gunk".

Are you an environmentalist?

There's a whole group of us here trying to save the reserve.

We've got a ranch, back over there.

Save the reserve from what?

The oil drillers.

This is a beautiful, unspoiled area.

Can you imagine what it's gonna look like with oil wells all over it?

And bulldozers tearing up the ground, filling the air with a lot of...

Gunk?

Exactly! But we're going to stop the polluters.

We've even sent letters and petitions to Washington.

We'll picket.

We'll do whatever it takes to stop them.

What, like setting fires?

Yeah, maybe.

Why don't you help?

Yeah. Come on over to our ranch...

listen to what SLAG is all about.

We can use all the help we can get.

I may take you up on that later.

Are you gonna be okay? Can you get back to your ranch all right?

It's all right. It's just a couple of miles. I can jog it.

One of the guys will come back to work on the jeep.

Save Lungs from Awful Gunk.

(KNOCKING)

STEVE: Mr. Palmer?

Yes?

Mr. Palmer, I'm a rigger.

They told me in town you had a couple of guys in the hospitals after the fires.

So I hitched a ride out. Sure could use work..

You had much experience on rigging crews?

Well enough.

What's your name?

Steve Brett.

Okay, Steve. I'll give you a week's trial.

Thanks. You sure won't be sorry.

We're not gonna do much here till we get some replacement equipment.

But stick around. There's going to be a truck going up to Discovery Well 3.

You ask for Jensen. He'll get you started.

Right. Thanks a lot.

Looks like you fellas had quite a mess here.

Yeah, we got it pretty well cleaned up now.

Made quite a big candle.

Hey, Susie. Hi, Jim. How are you?

ALLISON: Susie! Susie!

SUSIE: Allison!

Allison?

What happened to you? And where's the jeep?

First I need a drink of water, Susie.

Then I'll tell you all about it.

(DIALING)

Congressman Lomax, Roy Palmer. It's urgent.

Right. Now what's going on out there, Roy?

First I get the news that your fire didn't work...

and now you call!

I thought you oughta know.

A guy named Brett showed up, I caught him nosing around...

and I think he might be trouble.

What kind of trouble?

O.S.I. trouble.

That means that Oscar Goldman might be suspicious of something.

But why should he be?

I don't know.

I called him right after the fire so he wouldn't think I had anything to do with it.

Then this guy Brett shows up looking for work.

Next thing I know! catch him poking around in the ashes.

Look, I'll just give him his notice.

No, no, no.

Don't fire him.

That would only confirm Oscar's suspicions...

that is if he is suspicious.

I can't just let him run around loose.

Sooner or later, he's gonna find our tunnel and our loading chute.

Tell you what. It's simple.

We need another accident.

It's too soon.

I didn't mean an accident to the well. I mean to Oscar's agent.

I hear that working on an oil rig can be mighty dangerous.

Isn't that why you fellows always wear those hard hats?

(BUZZES) Yes?

SECRETARY: Congressman Lomax is here.

Oh, send him in.

Oscar. Bert.

Hate to bother you. No bother at all.

Please sit down. What's on your mind today?

Well, I've been getting a lot of static from the home district...

that Experimental Oil Recovery Project of yours at Stoney Creek.

You mean they're complaining?

Bert, if this thing works and we get a reasonable return on those marginal wells...

you'll be getting a lot of development money in that area.

That's exactly what these people are afraid of: new development.

(WORK CHATTER)

Give me a hand here, Vaughn, will you?

There you go.

But I've been getting hundreds of letters from them...

that petition with a large number of names on it...

phone calls almost daily.

What are they after?

To shut down your experiment.

Why?

To preserve the natural environment of the Stoney Creek area.

Bert, I've got an idea.

I've gotta fly up there tomorrow morning.

Not more trouble?

No, no, no. Just a slight personnel problem.

Why don't you come up there with me...

and explain to your constituents...

To SLAG...

The desperateness of the energy problem.

Oscar, that's not such a bad idea.

You've made me feel a lot better.

I need a spanner. Would you get one?

Heads up!

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

You okay?

Get me the sheriff's department.

Burgess? This is Roy Palmer.

We've got a little emergency out here that Lomax thinks we should take care of.

(BAR CHATTER, COUNTRY MUSIC)

Here you go, Betty.

What'll it be?

A draft.

Draft coming up.

Name's Howie. I own the joint.

Steve Brett.

Hi, Steve.

You're a lucky man, Howie.

Why am I so lucky?

If you get those oil wells going on the reserve out there...

you'll have a real bonanza in this place.

If they get them going.

What do you mean, "if" they get 'em going?

I hear there's a big movement to try and shut them down.

Oh. You must be kidding.

Everybody in Elkhorn is all for it.

Nah, if you shut down them oil fields you might just as well shut down Elkhorn.

STEVE: Well, I heard there's talk that somebody is...

Oh, you must mean them SLAG creeps.

That's the only group that's against the development of that oil field.

What's their beef?

Their beef? I'll tell you.

You been out to Stoney Creek?

Most of it is a dry, mangy nothing.

Cactus, chaparral...

Even the buzzards fly past it.

That is the natural environment that they wanna save.

Can't somebody talk some sense to them?

Why don't you try?

Now why did you do that?

Don't you want help?

Not from traitors.

I already know what you did.

You took a job on the oil crew.

News travels fast.

Look, I can explain that later, but right now! need to talk to you.

What is it?

I tell you what I think it is.

It's a pyro-chemical device.

Found it in the burned out well.

It still smells of chemicals. Which means that...

that well fire was no accident.

Oh, I see.

You think that just because we're against destroying the environment...

that we might've set it off, right?

Well you're wrong, Mr. Whatever-your-name-is.

We're fighting the oil drilling just as hard as we can...

peacefully and legally.

Right, Susie?

Right, Alison.

Come on.

Excuse me. I just...

You got special privilege or something?

You don't own the place.

Well, I was sitting here. Just wanna get my beer.

Look at that.

You made me spill my drink.

Howie, draw the man another beer. I'll be glad to pay for it.

What do you think? We can't pay for our own?

I've taken all the lip I'm gonna take from you, fella.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(LOUD CLATTER)

(HANDCUFFS CLICK)

If you do anything...

I don't wanna have to use this thing but I sure as heck know how.

Better do what he says, Steve.

(HANDCUFFS CLICK)

(DOOR OPENS)

Hey, Buck! Hey.

Good to see you again.

Congressman Lomax, it's good to see you again.

Oscar Goldman, I want you to meet the last of the great frontier sheriffs.

Our own Buck Burgess.

Sheriff, pleasure to meet you.

Just call me Buck. It's sort of the custom around here.

All right, Buck.

Mr. Goldman is a big man in Washington.

Any more trouble since the fire?

No, not unless you wanna talk about that little fracas we had last night.

Fracas?

Yeah, one of the new men.

Oil Rigger. He got a little rambunctious at the sports club.

I got him cooling off back there.

LOMAX: Well, I've gotta shake a few hands, slap a few backs around town.

Care to come with me, Oscar, and meet some of my constituents?

Yes, but I have to make some phone calls.

Why don't you come back here in, say well, half an hour, huh?

Mr. Goldman, you make yourself at home and use my phone.

Thank you, Sheriff.

Come on, Buck. Let's take a walk.

Hi, Oscar.

What are you doing in here?

Cooling off. Like the man said.

How'd they get you in here?

I was set up. By whom?

I don't know them all, but I'm betting the Sheriff was one of them.

You sure?

Even before the dust settled, there was ol' Buck Burgess.

Johnny on the spot, with his cuffs ready to snap on.

Have you learned anything?

A little, not enough.

Somebody definitely set that fire.

Here's a piece of the pyro-chemical device they used to do it.

I've already alerted the oil firefighting unit.

They'll be standing by in case there's another "accident".

Well, I'd say chances are pretty good we're gonna need them.

Steve, do you have any idea why they started this fire?

That's what I can't figure.

You know, the whole town's behind our experiment.

They want the field open.

Except for the SLAG kids, of course.

But I don't think they'd start those fires.

Somebody's trying to stop this project. But who and why?

Well, if we knew why, we could figure who.

I figured one thing. I have to get you out of here if I'm going to get anywhere.

I'll tell the sheriff who you are and have them release you.

I don't think you should do that. Why?

Well, I can bust out of here as soon as you leave.

That way, they'll think I'm out of it. No danger to them. On the run.

I mean, if they know who I really am, they'll sit back and play it safe.

Yeah, maybe you're right. Won't smoke them out that way.

Have you got some place to hide?

Well, I know of one place I've already been invited.

Maybe I can even get us some help.

Good.

Take care of yourself.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Alison.

What are you doing here? What do you want?

I need your help. There's nowhere else to go, so I have to trust you.

Trust me? How?

(HORN HONKS)

Look, it's important that no one sees mejust now.

If the sheriff asks, I wasn't here, okay?

I really don't understand. Why?

I'll explain later.

ALISON: What's up, Sheriff? Have we done something illegal?

BUCK: No... Problem.

We had a little jail break a while ago.

One of them oil roughnecks.

Got a little wild last night at the Elkhorn Bar.

Came near to killing two men.

Is he armed?

Not that I know of.

But he's strong as an ox and dangerous.

If you and all your fine friends here keep your eyes peeled...

big blonde guy with a mustache...

you see 'em, you let me know real quick.

What's his name?

BUCK: Brett. Steve Brett.

But, that's not why we're here, young lady.

LOMAX: At least not all of us.

I'm Bert Lomax.

I'm your congressman. Hi.

And when I got your letters and your petition...

I was impressed.

I mean, really impressed enough to fly out here and meet with you.

Hey, that's great!

As an old campaigner, I learned long ago that it's, uh...

good to listen to the voice of the people.

Well, look, if you like, we'll go show you how in our opinion that oil field...

is destroying the environment.

LOMAX: Well, there's no need.

This is my home district.

I'm quite familiar with Stoney Creek.

Oh, then you're not going to do anything?

You see, I really don't have to do anything.

What do you mean?

This oil project, it's strictly an experiment.

And if it doesn't produce results by midnight of the 13th...

and that's very unlikely due to recent developments...

the committee, on which I serve, will just let it...

quietly die.

ALISON: And what will happen to the reserve?

Well, I'll introduce a bill in the House...

to setting it aside as a natural scenic preserve forever.

All right!

SUSIE: We won!

We won!

(ALL CELEBRATE)

Well, I guess we better be getting back.

Unless you have something you wanna say, Oscar.

No, Mr. Lomax. I think you just about said it all.

And remember...

if any of you see that fellow, Brett, you give me a call.

Bye. Will do.

Thanks, Alison. What?

For not giving me away.

The sheriff did tell you about me, didn't he?

So you did break jail.

Are you dangerous like the sheriff said?

Depends.

Why didn't you tell him I was here?

Maybe you've forgotten how you saved my life. I haven't.

Thanks.

But now we've even! And besides, we won!

What do you mean?

Congressman Lomax is going to let the drill site die!

Close it down for good.

Wait a minute. Just like that?

I mean, not taking anything away from SLAG...

but a bunch of kids write a busy Congressman a letter...

and he flies right out here and agrees...

to shut down what might be a valuable national resource.

I mean, doesn't that make you wonder a little bit?

About his motives, you mean? His real reasons?

There's got to be something on that Stoney Creek Reserve...

that's more valuable to him, personally...

than developing a new oil resource for the nation.

Well, if you're right, that would mean he's just using us as a cover.

Steve: Well, it could be.

But I think we're too late already.

That's Number 2, it's up on the high plateau.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(SIRENS WAIL)

The fire only started a few minutes ago. How did the firefighters get here so quick?

I alerted them after the last fire. They were standing by.

Maybe you've given up on this oil reclamation project, Bert...

but I haven't.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Try to get the valve shut before Wednesday!

Brett?

Easy, Sheriff. He works for me.

Get that hose up over there!

Get that number two hose up at least a couple feet!

Take that nitro over the water!

PALMER: Get someone to hold that hose!

Shut that valve off now!

Get over there!

No! The other side!

Straighten the arm and straight up!

It's too low!

Two feet over there!

Over on your right and straight out! Three feet higher!

It's too low! Move it!

Come on! Clear the area!

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Nitro's about to blow!

We better take cover! Go on!

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(GEARS GRINDING)

(GROANS)

Just get up!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

You all right?

Yeah, I guess so.

That oil worker who pulled me out, Steve Brett.

His real name is Steve Austin.

He's an undercover agent for Goldman.

Then it's over.

Over?

Look, we've both already made millions of dollars.

Besides, the country needs this oil now.

You weren't talking about what this country needs...

when you first told me about that rich uranium pocket you discovered.

Or when you asked me to help market it through my friends abroad.

That was before I knew they were gonna use Stoney Creek...

to test Goldman's process.

Which has about 36 hours of life.

All we have to do is stall a little longer.

How? More fires? Maybe a couple of murders?

Whatever it takes.

If we start a fire, that firefighting unit will put it right out.

They can't fight a fire they can't get to.

You men! You're all under arrest!

This is a cease and desist order, filed yesterday.

You've been in violation for twenty-four hours.

PALMER: You better do what he says, men.

It's some kind of legal mumbojumbo...

but until we get it straightened out, we better go along with him.

Right. In the meantime...

I have to lock you up in that shed until I can transport you down to jail.

Come on.

Step right up in there. Come on. Let's go.

I'm sorry, Mr. Palmer, but, uh...

that includes executive personnel, too.

Once you get the fire started, take a hike.

I'll be up on that hill where I can cover both the access road and the well.

Steve!

Mr. Goldman!

(GASPING) The sheriff came...

arrested the drill crew!

Locked them in the equipment shed!

Mr. Palmer, too!

You all right? Yes.

(DISTANT EXPLOSION)

OSCAR: Steve!

Oscar Goldman to Fire Leader. Oscar Goldman to Fire Leader.

Do you hear?

Fire Leader to Goldman. We read, over.

We've got another fire!

We've spotted the smoke. We're on our way. Over and out.

Good!

What about the Sheriff, Oscar?

One problem at a time, Steve. Let's get that fire out first.

I'm beginning to think this is all one problem.

(GUNSHOT)

DRIVER: Take cover, men! We got a sniper!

(GUNSHOT)

Fire Leader to Goldman. We got a sniper pinning us down!

I read you, Fire Leader. Where is he?

We can't see him...

but he sure as heck got a bead on us!

Did you take cover?

We're in a ditch.

I'd say that was a warning shot.

If he'd really wanted to vaporize us...

the truck's too big to miss.

Well, you better stay there. Don't take any risks.

I'm very happy to roger that, Mr. Goldman.

Well, I guess that just about does it, Steve.

Maybe not. You got anymore nitro?

Yeah. In back of the Jeep.

Let me have your field pack. Now wait a minute.

That nitro is unstable. One slip, Steve. One...

Then pick up the pieces and have me rebuilt.

Everybody okay?

FIREFIGHTER: We're okay over here, George.

FIREFIGHTER: Same here.

Just don't stumble. This stuff's murder.

Any sudden jar...

That enough to blow out the fire?

If you get it placed dead center.

Why do you want this small one?

I got an idea.

Steve, don't do it.

I'll think of something else.

Which could take hours, even if they could get past the snipers.

We do it now, or it's the end of the Stoney Creek experiment.

Which could mean SLAG wins, huh?

What do you think we are? A bunch of crazies?

All we want is what's best for the country.

Be careful, Steve.

FIREFIGHTER: Remember, real gentle with that soup!

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Oscar. I got the message about the new fire.

What's the situation?

The firefighters can't get to the well.

Well, I guess there's no chance?

Just one.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

My God! What was that?

Nitro.

What does that mean?

It means that they got Steve Austin.

And that was the one chance?

FIREFIGHTER: I'm afraid so.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT, CRACK)

Come on. Take cover behind the shed.

(MEN COUGHING)

You got a plunger in that shed?

Yeah. Jack, get that plunger.

I've brought enough nitro to blow out the fire...

but I'm gonna have to hurry before Burgess can stop me.

Can you use my help?

STEVE: Always room for an expert.

You ready?

Yeah. Let's go.

(GUNSHOTS)

He's got us pinned down here.

We're never gonna be able to get to that well.

Any way to detonate this nitro without using that plunger?

Maybe I could rig something up.

I'll need about an eight second delay on a detonator we can trigger from here.

Okay. I'm gonna need a power source.

Bob, give me that flashlight.

Does anybody got any tape?

Okay. I've rigged a dead man's switch out of the fuse filament.

It'll burn out about eight seconds after you throw the switch.

When you turn this flashlight switch on, you've got power.

And the nitro will blow?

Yeah.

Let's hope you're right.

(COCKS GUN)

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

I just got this back from analysis, Steve.

It's the highest grade pitchblende.

Uranium ore.

No wonder Lomax and Palmer didn't want us to drill for oil out here.

They've discovered something much more valuable than oil.

That nitro blast of yours...

exposed the deposits that they were mining at the other end.

Palmer didn't want to continue when the oil shortage started, but...

Lomax wouldn't hear of it.

The congressman's some kind of public servant, isn't he?

Yeah.

STEVE: F.A.C.E.? Face?

SUSIE: You like it?

What happened to SLAG?

ALISON: It's been superseded.

We've got a more important cause now.

Which is?

F.A.C.E. Fight Against Corruption Everywhere.

All right.

Well, you got a good start already.

By the way, Lomax...

Palmer, the Sheriff, one deputy, two oil riggers...

have all been placed under arrest.

OSCAR: Well, there's our chopper, Steve.

Good luck on your new cause.

Thank you.

Good luck.

Now you listen to me, pal.

No more stunts like that nitro explosion.

I swear I thought my heart had stopped.

If it ever does, I'll make sure you get a bionic replacement.

(END THEME MUSIC)