Bad Luck Fish The Deep

GULL CRIES

THEY GASP, GLASS SHATTERS

Aaagh!

GULL CRIES

Good evening, Dolos.

William Nekton.

A pleasure, as always.

Ahem...

Oh, yes - the child is also here.

In the last week, three boats have sunk in the Sargasso Sea.

Oh, so sad. But life goes on, yes?

Two trawlers went down, and a solo yachtsman.

-We managed to rescue him.

-Heart-warming story.

If there is a medal for retrieving foolish yachtsmen,

I hope you receive it.

Why are you bothering me?

Those aboard the trawlers saw a purple fish before they sank.

The yachtsman mentioned the same fish.

The yachtsman said the fish was bad luck.

Do you know anything about this?

I know many things about many fish. Could you be more specific?

Ah... Very specific.

There - the bad luck fish.

-So it's a giant monster fish?

-This drawing is actual size.

Oh... According to the stories, the bad luck fish causes ships to sink.

Superstitious nonsense, of course.

But the legend goes back to the very first recorded sinking

in the Sargasso Sea, in 1521.

The first recorded sinking was in 500 BC.

Tell the child he is wrong.

According to a text in our possession,

a Phoenician treasure ship carrying precious artefacts sank in 500 BC,

in the exact same spot this latest yacht sank.

Very bad luck.

Mr Dolos, this fish is our only clue.

If we can work out why ships sink in the Sargasso, we can save lives.

Yes. Wait here a moment while I...

retrieve something.

Where's he going? Maybe he's coming back with more information.

ENGINE STARTS

ENGINE REVS

He's not coming back with more information.

-Nope.

-He's gone after the treasure ship in the Sargasso Sea.

-Yup.

-Can I gloat lots if we have to rescue him?

Absolutely.

My family are explorers.

We have been for generations.

While others look up to the stars, we know there are an infinite number

of things that shine in the darkness below.

There are things lurking in the seas that long ago

vanished into myth.

My family are explorers

and we explore...The Deep.

'The report has the trawler sinking

'at 22 degrees north latitude,

'66 degrees west longitude.'

I am at the location of the treasure ship.

-Where are you?

-'Stalled. Our engines are clogged with seaweed.'

I need a salvage crew, right now!

'Our boat ain't going anywhere, Dolos.'

Ridiculous! How could a boat be paralysed by seaweed?

'Just bad luck, I guess.'

ENGINE SPLUTTERS

You... Go away!

What?

LOUD GURGLING

Argh!

What is...happening?!

A water-activated distress beacon has just gone off.

-Ha! Dolos. Where is he?

-The exact coordinates of the sunken ship.

Ant, Fontaine? Go get him, and have fun.

Argh!

Argh! Help! Somebody, help!

Hello, Mr Dolos.

-Somebody ELSE help!

-Did the bad luck fish sink your boat?

The only bad luck is you two being here!

So you don't want us to rescue you?

Maybe...I do.

Argh!

We'll take you aboard the Aronnax.

Underwater? No, that is unnatural and disturbing.

-I will stay here.

-Huh! Are you scared of going underwater?

I am scared of nothing!

Come on.

Since we already picking up one grumpy-looking passenger,

-we may as well pick up another. As a sample.

-Fontaine,

are you sure you want to bring a bad luck fish on board?

Ant, nobody knows about this species.

-We should study it while we can.

-But all the boats that have sunk?

There's always a rational explanation.

An annoying child who says something almost sensible.

How rare.

Ohhh!

I will remain here,

where I can quickly escape from this giant underwater metal deathtrap.

'Ant, can you bring Dolos to the bridge immediately?

-'We need to talk.'

-I have far more important things to do

than socialise with your parents. Or you.

Especially you.

Hmm... Are you planning to steal our rover

and looking for sunken Phoenician treasure?

HE MIMICS VOICE

Dad, this could take a while.

Drag him if you have too.

I want to know exactly how his boat sank.

'I'll try. But I think he's scared.'

'I'm scared of nothing!'

Any debris or solid objects on sonar that Dolos might have collided with?

Nothing but seaweed.

Bad luck fish, huh?

Let's see if we can find what you really are in...

this.

D'oh! Ow! Oof!

Argh!

Huh?

Ha! That was just a case of poorly stacked books.

And a bit of clumsiness on my part.

But definitely not bad luck!

Right, Geoffrey?

Looks like the bad luck fish are taking an interest in the Aronnax.

Will, they're not bad luck fish.

That's absurd. They have all the luck of regular fish.

DEEP RESONANT POP

Ow!

Ohhh...!

-Did we hit something?

-No.

-I don't know what this is.

Let go! DOLOS GIBBERS

Hey! Stop that!

Dolos, what are you doing?

Getting out of this deathtrap!

Whoa! But you don't know how to drive a rover!

Do too!

-We're still dropping.

-Why?

-I don't know.

Huh?

No!

-Argh!

-Whoa!

We're in freefall!

Huh?

See? Your submarine IS a giant underwater deathtrap!

No!

Mom, Dad? Are you OK?

Talk to me! Is everyone all right?

Ugh...

Uhhh...

We're fine, Ant.

Ant, can you hear me?

The purple fish, it's inside Geoffrey's tubes.

It's inside the Aronnax!

-Bigger problems here, Fontaine.

-But, Mom...

Some systems are off-line. Navigation, heating...

-Lighting.

-We have to get that fish off the Aronnax.

Fontaine, you can't possibly believe this was caused by a bad luck fish?

I didn't, but then we brought one on board,

and five minutes later we were stuck on the bottom of the sea.

That seems like bad luck to me.

Look, we need to focus our energy on restarting the engines.

You're right. You and I will work on the engines.

Fontaine, take care of that fish.

-Not you too?

-I'm not saying the fish is bad luck,

I'm just saying I want it off our sub.

We should be searching for treasure, not wasting our time...

We're going to rescue my family. You can help or you can complain.

-I choose to complain.

-I choose to say "Be quiet - I'm concentrating."

I choose not to take orders from children!

Why do you keep doing this? You know you can't drive!

Whoa!

Ow!

Just a coincidence, Fontaine.

The ocean floor here is unstable.

Do you think it could collapse entirely?

I think we should find a way to surface as quickly as possible.

Just stop it, Dolos.

Were going the wrong way!

YOU are going the wrong way.

I am going MY way.

Look - the bad luck fish!

You are trying to distract me.

I only stop for Phoenician treasure.

-Get back. Back, back!

-Dolos, you have to listen to me.

-Are you talking about treasure?

-No!

-Then, no, I don't.

Aaaargh!

-Oh! Argh!

-Argh!

Let me drive!

You'll make us...

crash!

OK, restarting engines.

That seems like a good sign.

So, let's get out of here.

-We're not moving.

-Our ballast still isn't venting.

We need to release water.

-We're too heavy.

-The release pipe is blocked?

It must be. Which means we need someone on the outside.

The ocean floor will be blocking the movable door,

but there are other ways. I'll head out.

Yes!

Heh-heh.

I've got you now.

Whoa!

Oh...

It's not bad luck.

Just a matter of time before I tripped over this mess.

Aw, poor Geoffrey.

The bad luck fish sure has a crush on you.

Huh...

Maybe we can help each other out.

Well, we're stuck.

Not good. This is not good.

-HE GASPS

-The fish!

It's true! It's all true!

They are bad luck!

-They are cursed!

-Stop panicking.

Think of the treasure.

It seems to outweigh your fear of being underwater.

My fear of being stuck in here with you is even greater!

'Ant, your father needs your help clearing the ballast release pipe.'

We are stuck. You are on your own.

Ignore him. We'll get out of this.

We'll see you soon. Rover out.

There's dive gear. We can get outside and cut through the seaweed.

We? Out there?

Ha! I pass.

Fine. Me.

No! The fish have caused us to flood!

Just calm down.

We need to flood the rover to open the canopy.

I'm taking this laser. We can still talk through the masks.

Do we have to?

-Faster!

-You could try being a little nicer.

I tried that once.

It was not profitable.

Whoa! You don't scare me.

You're just a fish.

Dolos, try the engines.

That button, there.

Yes. Now, pull back on the throttle. Dolos? Pull back on the throttle!

-Dolos, come back!

-'Come back?

'Or search for valuable Phoenician artefacts?

'Such a difficult decision(!)

'Bye-bye.'

Dolos! No!

Yes! Ha-ha!

The solar ski tubes aren't as smooth, but they do the trick.

Oh...

-What is it? Talk to me, Will.

-The pipe is bent and blocked.

It may be brittle. Heat it before you bend it back.

The air is coming up from below the seabed.

-It looks like it could collapse at any moment.

-'Then work fast.'

Will!

The gas bubbles - they're methane!

-Are you OK?

-I'm fine.

Methane, Kaiko. Highly flammable.

It makes sense.

Centuries of rotting seaweed...

Methane forms under the sea floor...

And as the bubbles rise they turn into foam, mostly air.

And air can't support boats.

We just discovered why all those ships went missing.

Will, I think we're about to join them!

Stupid seaweed.

How am I supposed to find a shipwreck in all of this?

You're lost, Dolos. You need to come back for me.

This is your fault!

Go! Go away!

'How is this my fault?'

I was not talking to you, child.

I'm turning on a beacon so you can come find me.

Ha! Unless you are a sunken Phoenician treasure ship,

-I have no interest in where you are.

-Ohhhh!

Now, where am I?

'It worked, Will.

'I'm venting the ballast.

'But the Aronnax isn't rising.'

Kaiko, we're running out of time.

Gotcha!

Bad luck fish, your luck just ran out.

I am not lost. I am not lost.

What? No...

That's impossible!

I'm going around in circles!

Argh! You! You did this!

-Go away! Go!

-'You can't blame the fish, Dolos.'

This isn't bad luck. You chose to look for the treasure.

You chose to take the rover. And you chose to abandon me.

Now you're lost and you've got no-one to blame but yourself.

SONAR BEEPS

There's no such thing as bad luck. You just made a bad choice.

Huh? Aaagh!

Hello, Mr Dolos.

You came back for me!

And now I'm making a choice to...

..let you drive.

Mm. Now you made a good choice.

And good things will happen.

-We'll find the treasure?

-That's not what I meant.

You will stop talking?

OK, the ballast is empty.

I'm going to try the engines again.

RUMBLING ROAR

It's no good. I'm giving the engines everything,

but the ship won't budge.

We've done everything we can, Kaiko. We may have to abandon the Aronnax.

Is this...as bad as it looks?

Very bad. There's no treasure down here at all.

The Aronnax is stuck in the ground, and the gas underneath is methane.

We're sitting on a bomb here, Ant.

Hm...

Dad? You know you have reservations about some of my crazier ideas?

This one, you're going to hate.

I hate it already and I haven't even heard it.

The methane bubbles form below the surface, right?

-Uh-huh...

-If we wait until a really big one forms...

Like that one?

Yes, perfect!

That will temporarily deplete the methane underneath.

-And?

-This then we ignite what's left.

OK, I've heard it now and, yes, I hate it.

Did you say ignite?

Ant is right. It will loosen the silt and free the Aronnax.

Your plan for our freedom is a massive explosion?

I did say no-one would like my plan.

Mom, I ejected the bad luck fish out of the solar ski tubes.

-Our bad luck is gone!

-We could fall through the seabed at any second,

and Ant is planning to save us by blowing us up.

OK, so maybe not.

Ant, it's time. Kaiko, fire up the engines.

DEEP ROARING

Igniting the methane in three...

..two...

..one.

HUGE EXPLOSION

Hold on!

Hang on, Fontaine.

Yes!

Way to not explode, Mom!

WHOOPING AND LAUGHTER

Everyone back on board.

Let's get out of here.

I just want to point out that we totally didn't get blown up.

I think it's safe to say there's no such thing as the bad luck fish.

We know why the ships sink now.

We can tell all vessels to avoid this area.

And I'm guessing those purple fish thrive in methane-rich water.

Hey, Fontaine, since I stopped being superstitious and started

making better decisions, I've had nothing but good luck.

I even made a new friend.

Oh... Don't touch me.

I wasted my time coming here.

There is no treasure.

You're wrong. We found the best kind of treasure there is - friendship.

Ugh! I feel sick!

Oh, that's OK. I'll look after you, good buddy.

This has to stop!