The sub bay is still a mess. Dark. A few battery-operated lamps. Flatbed is back, floating in the moonpool.

Toshiko and Owen are in deep concentration, piloting the two ROVs in a damage survey of the rig. Jack comes up behind them, check her screen first. Big Geek's Monitor shows a view of the aft section of the rig. The drilling derrick had collapsed across Cab Three, totalling it. A girder is jammed through its acrylic front dome.

"Right through the brainpan." Toshiko says flatly "Deader'n dogshit, boss."

Jack says softly to Owen "Where're you?"

"Quarters. Level two." Owen mutters back, concentrating as his third eye moves through the water.

Little Geek rises up through the open central hatch, pivoting in a circle to scan the flooded interior.

The interior of the structure is a shambles. The lights of the little robot fall upon a figure... Perry. Lying on the deck, almost looking like he's asleep.

"That's Perry." Owen says flatly.

Jack lets his breath out slowly "That's it then. Eugene, Harris, Dietz, and Perry. Jesus."

Owen gestured at the screen "Do we just leave him there?"

"Yeah, for now. Our first priority's to get something to breathe."

.

.

..

.

John and Ianto, in suits and helmets, drop down from the glare of the moonpool onto the dark sea floor under the rig. Walking, they pull their umbilicals behind them and head out through the twisted wreckage. Little Geek follows along like a dog at their heels. They settle beside a valve assembly at the base of the wrecked module.

"Johnny, you tie onto this manifold. There's some tanks on the other side; I'm gonna go check them out" Ianto points.

JOHN

"You watch yourself." John replies as he begins to attach one end of a coiled-up high-pressure hose to a manifold.

Ianto takes the other end of the hose and moves off into the darkness. Little Geek goes with him faithfully.

.

.

.

Cab One is hanging from the overhead crane while One Nigh works to repair it. Jack is nearby, tending hose for the divers and handing her tools. Talking while they work. Owen is across the moonpool running Little Geek.

"Gimme a three-eighths socket on a long extension." Toshiko says, he hands it to her "So there you were…"

"There we were, side by side, on the same ship, for two months. I'm tool-pusher and we're testing this automated derrick of his. So, we get back on the beach and... we're living together."

"Doesn't mean you had to marry him."

"We were due to go back out on the same ship. Six months of tests. If you were married you got a state-room. Otherwise it was bunks."

"Okay, good reason. Then what?"

"It was alright for a while, you know. But then he got promoted to project engineer on this thing, couple years ago".

Toshiko pauses to glance at him "he went front-office on you. Tighten that for me, right there. That's it."

"Well, you know Ianto, too damn aggressive…Son of a…!"

He's jammed his fingers with a wrench torquing down a bolt. Whips his hand out.

"he didn't leave me..." Jac finally says softly "he just… left me behind."

She puts her arm around his shoulders, somehow managing to be fraternal, maternal and suggestive all at the same time.

"Jack, let me tell you something. He ain't half as smart as he thinks she is." She smiles and pretends to kink Ianto's air-hose.

Across the chamber, Owen scowls as Little Geek's screen starts to go haywire with interference. "Hey, Ianto, you reading me? Over."

.

.

.

John is working on one side of the wrecked module while Ianto is on the other, out of sight. Ianto is standing on the bottom at the base of the wreckage, checking valves on a rack of oxygen bottles amongst the wreckage. Right at the edge of the canyon wall. Behind him is a sheer drop to nothingness

"Yeah, Owen, I read you. What's the matter?"

The reply is GARBLED by a wash of static. Then, for no apparent reason, Ianto's helmet light begins to dim out. Little Geek's lights fade. His motors whine to a stop.

John's lights drop to candle glows.

The emergency lights are dimming, like a brownout. Jack grabs the diver intercom mike.

"Yan, how're you doing? Ianto?"

Ianto fiddles with his lights and transceiver pack. "John... I got a problem here. You there? John?"

Behind him, SOMETHING rises from the depths.

It is the little vehicle he almost collided with at the Montana wreck.

It comes right up behind him. He doesn't know it's there. It hovers sideways like a hummingbird, as if curious, trying to get a better look. He becomes aware of the pulsing glow on the ground around him. He turns slowly. He reacts as the glowing, pulsing apparition is reflected in his faceplate.

A more powerful glow washes up onto him from below.

His eyes go down. He gasps, absolutely stunned...above the edge of the wall, AN ENORMOUS SHAPE RISES SILENTLY OUT OF THE DEPTHS. Over sixty feet across. It looks like a blown glass manta ray, its transparent outer hull housing interior structures of great delicacy and complexity, pulsing with a blue-violet glow.

Ianto stand before it, unable to move. Absolutely rapt.

Captivated by its ethereal beauty. It begins to turn, majestically, one rounded wing passing only a few feet above him. He reaches up. Touches it as it passes over him.

Ianto is without fear, completely mesmerized.

The thing completes its turn and dives gracefully down along the wall. He is gently lifted by a backwash of turbulent water.

About that time, Ianto remembers he has a still camera, a little Nikon.

He fumbles to set focus and exposure with his bulky gloves as the beautiful machine glides into the depths. Gets all set for a shot and... WOOSH! The little 'scoutschip' whizzes past him from behind, startling him.

He completely misses the shot of the 'manta ship'. he pivots, trying to get a shot of the little one as it zig-zags down along the wall, fast as a meteor. CLICK. He get a shot a second before it disappears.

From around the flank of the rig module, John appears. Their com-sets come back to life, along with their lights.

"You better not say you missed that" Ianto snaps.

"Missed what?"

,

,

,

In the mess hall Ianto is sliding a film strip between his fingers, desperately seeking the shot. The shot is black with a little squiggle of light in the centre. Pathetic.

"Nice shot, Yan." Jack says sarcastically.

"What is that? You drop your dive light?" Sonny agrees.

The group is huddled around Ianto who has his freshly-processed slide roll laid out on the pinball machine, using it as a light table.

"Come on, you guys" Ianto defends "look, this is the little one right here. You can see how it's kind of zigging around."

"If you say so." Jack shrugs "It could be anything."

I'm telling you what is there. You're just not hearing. The impulses somehow aren't getting from your ears to your brainpan." Ianto is angry now and insulted "There's something down there. Something not... us."

he looks around. Sees a lot of scepticism in the eyes around him.

"Y'all could be more specific." John crews his face up as he stifles a giggle.

"Not us. Not human. Get it? Something non-human, but intelligent…"

"You mean like Saxon?" Owen points with wide eyes.

Ianto is reddening. Despite his conviction, this is really hard. "A non-terrestrial intelligence."

Non-Terrestrial Intelligence. NTIs. Yeah, I like that better then UFOs. Although that works too... Underwater Flying Objects." Owen is not really mocking him. He's actually into it. But it has that effect.

John is eyeing Ianto like he's never seen him before. "Are we talkin' little space friend here?"

Owen is still talking "Right on! Hot rods of the Gods. Right, Yan? Hey, no really! It could be NTIs. The CIA has known about them for years. They abduct people all the time. There was this woman I knew in Albuquerque who…"

"Owen, do me a favour... stay off my side."

Jack takes him firmly by the arm. Heads him out into the corridor. "Ianto, will you step into my office for a minute..."

He propels Ianto along the corridor, away from the mess hall doorway. They face each other in the narrow space. "Jesus, Ianto…"

"Jack, something really important is happening here."

Jack is still gripping his arm as he snarls "Look. I'm just trying to hold this situation together. I can't allow you to cause this kind of hysteria…"

"Who's hysterical? Nobody's hysterical!"

They're talking across each other, not connecting. Jack weary and frustrated. Ianto is cranked up with the afterglow of his encounter.

"All I'm saying is when you're hanging on by your fingernails, you don't go waving you arms around."

"I saw something!" Ianto defends, yanking at his arm "I'm not going to go back there and say I didn't see it when I did. I'm sorry."

"God, you are the most stubborn man I ever knew."

"I need you to believe me, Jack. Look at me. Do I seem stressed out? Any of the symptoms of pressure sickness, any tremors, slurred speech?"

"No."

"Jack, this is me, Ianto. Okay? You know me better than anybody in the world. Now watch my lips... I saw these things. I touched one of them. And it wasn't some clunky steel can like we would build... it glided. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Jack is stilled by his intensity. He moves close to him. Eyes alive and luminous.

Ianto whispers "It was a machine, but it seems almost alive. Like a... dance of light. Jack, you have to trust me... please. I don't think they mean us harm. I don't know how I know that, it's just a feeling."

"How can I go on a feeling?" Jack asks "You think Saxon's going to go on your 'feeling'?"

"We all see what we want to see... Saxon looks and he sees Russians, he sees hate and fear. Jack, you have to look with better eyes than that."

Jack has been taking this all in. His eyes tracking his face. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. It's so hard for him to do this, but "I can't, Ianto. I'm sorry. How can I?"

,.

.

.

In the mess hall later Saxon has Jack, Ianto and several of the rig crew gathered for a little summit. Ianto is withdrawn, sitting far from the others, a self-imposed exile. They're all wearing warm clothes and hugging themselves. Their breath shows in the air.

Saxon is giving orders "I want 'round-the-clock manning of the sonar shack and the exterior cameras. We need early warning if the Soviet craft try another incursion."

Ianto sighs, rolling his eyes "Gimme a break! Saxon, these things live three and a half miles down on the bottom of an abyssal trench! Trust me... they're not speaking Russian."

Saxon looks at him for a moment, then goes on as if he hadn't spoke. Turning to Toshiko "Why haven't you finished repairs on the hydrophone transmitter yet?"

"I was having my nails done."

Saxon is sweating, despite the chill. Keeps his hands clenched in fists so they won't see how bad the tremors have gotten. "Get something straight. You people are under my authority…"

John answers "Look, partner... we don't work for you, we don't Take orders from you, and we don't much like you. In addition to which your momma dresses you funny."

Saxon's eyes are straight razors. He slashes them from face to face. You can see him tightening up like a clockspring, losing control of the situation in front of his own men.

Jack defuses it. "'Fish'?"

"Yuh?" John answers to his nickname while still grinning.

Jack asks "Take the first watch in sonar. Owen, you handle the exterior surveillance. Toshiko, see if you can get that transmitter working for me, okay?"

"Gimme a couple of hours." Toshiko nods.

everyone leaves as Saxon stands … Winding tighter.