| Original UK Transmission: | Monday 30th April 1990, BSB Galaxy |
"Ask? Ask! You're Top Banana now, Finbow. You don't ask!" - Eliot Creasy
Chantal tells James that they are still in the Jupiter system, caught up in a cloud of electromagnetic plasma, gas and debris, probably from a comet. He asks if she can get them out of it. She tells him she can't - but Eliot can. Later, in Comcen, Eliot refuses to even look at her findings.
Chantal and James try to convince Finbow of her findings. She shows him a patch of light with long dark markings that could be Europa. Given their course and speed, they should have expected to see Io six hours later - when they detected increases in sulphur and carbon disulphide. If they are travelling in an eccentric orbit towards Ganymede, they could use the gravity to boost the power of the rockets to throw them clear. Finbow tells them that they will have to fire the electron gun to prevent anymore lightning strikes.
Finbow tells James and Chantal that they will not convince Eliot to listen, nor could they get him off the bridge to do it themselves. James believes that this is their last chance before the CO2 levels become intolerable. Chantal tells him that their real problem is that fortyeight hours after orbiting Ganymede, the plasma ball will take them all on a one way trip right into the heart of Jupiter.
Sara and Herlinde complain about not being able to see anything from the Dome. Melody tells Herlinde that she is wasting her time with her petty arguments with Anna. Life's too short.
Eliot refuses to listen to Finbow and restates that the Ilea is moving nowhere. Finbow asks him if that is his last word.
In the Club, James tells Mercedes that Piers in on their side, but he must remain in Medicom as Victoria is feeling ill. Finbow enters and Alex offers him a drink.
In Comcen, a dozing Eliot is woken by Finbow and the delegation. Eliot orders them off the bridge, saying that he is still in command of the ship. When they refuse to go he tries to place Finbow under arrest, but Alex attacks him and hands Finbow the command autosec. Finbow enters in the log that he is taking command of the Ilea, and that Captain Creasy is relieved of duty.
In Medicom, James tells an angry Rosie that taking command was the only way. She wonders what they have done with Eliot.
As Finbow and Chantal prepare for the launch, Eliot reminds them that 'mutiny on the high seas' still carries the death penalty. Finbow tries to order him off the bridge, but Eliot tells him that he has made this personal, and with only the support of a few post grads, he asks Finbow who he thinks they will hang...
Alex tells Mercedes to pack her bags, as with Finbow in command, it will be easier to take the Command Module. Mercedes tells him to forget it.
In the common room, Timmy tells Sara that Melody is acting increasingly oddly. Melody tells Herlinde that she feels she has failed Timmy. Eliot enters and asks for the support of the students. Herlinde wonders why he is not on the bridge.
Alex tells Finbow that they should send him out in the Command Module first to risk fewer lives. He suggests Taking Mercedes as a navigator, but Finbow tells him to stay and take his chances with the rest of them.
With a drunklen Eliot asleep in the common room, Herlinde asks Sara why he has been relieved of command now. Why the sudden urgency unless something is happening that they don't know about. Melody tells them that she doesn't know anything.
Alex tells Mercedes that they have no hope without the Command Module. Petra announces the countdown to launch. Mercedes feels that there may be some hope for her yet.
With less than three minutes till the launch window closes and the electron gun on-line, Finbow orders Petra to move to stage one of the ignition sequence. The screen goes blank and Petra crashes.
Eliot wakes up in a deserted common room. His temper flares, and Rosie stops him from smashing a coffee jug.
Finbow discovers that Petra is crashing because they are overloading the electron gun and ignition systems. Petra comes back on-line, but crashes again. Finbow desperately attempts to commence ignition, but Chantal tells Finbow that they have missed the window - it is all over.
Rosie tells Eliot that she can't fight anymore. Eliot feels that she doesn't have to.
A resigned Chantal is wondering whether to load the Command Module with the data on the storm and launch it before they all die. Finbow, having studied the instruments, reveals that Chantal underestimated the bow shock deceleration by a factor of twenty. She checks her figures and Finbow tells her that they are still approaching Ganymede and have time to prepare before their launch window opens. Chantal wonders how they will stop the ignition systems and electron gun from setting off the safety overrides and closing down. James says that they should go to the expert...
In the common room, Timmy, still believing that he was responsible for causing Petra to crash when the storm first hit, tells Eliot and Rosie that he will never fool around with the computer again.
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