Adventures in Odyssey

Host: Previously on Adventures in Odyssey.

Richard Maxwell: Hi, Mr. Riley.

Tom Riley: Richard Maxwell, why are you here?

Richard Maxwell: To warn you.

Tom Riley: Well, I thank you for the advice, and now I thank you to leave.

Dr. Blackard: Hello, Jason.

Jason Whittaker: Dr. Blackard. So, why are you in Odyssey?

Dr. Blackard: To run for mayor.

Jason Whittaker: Oh, come on, stop the charade.

Guest (Male): I heard you're on the lookout for Jellyfish.

Jason Whittaker: What if I am?

Guest (Male): It's just that Jellyfish has recorded everything that's happened: the bones, the vandalism, the recall, and who's responsible for it onto a laptop computer.

Dr. Blackard: What? Jellyfish, where's that laptop computer I gave you?

Rodney: If Blackard sees what Jellyfish has on his computer, the jig is up.

Guest (Male): I know. What are you going to do?

Rodney: Create a diversion.

Dr. Blackard: Well, well, Richard. Now you and Glassman take care of him. Jellyfish, where are we going?

Guest (Male): Just keep going up this road. Mind if I give you a piece of advice? Make sure you lock the door. See you!

Guest (Male): He jumped out! He must have rolled down the embankment. There he is. He ain't moving.

Dr. Blackard: So long, Maxwell.

Jason Whittaker: Mr. Allen.

Jack Allen: Jason, Eugene, and Tom. I didn't realize everyone was coming.

Tom Riley: Where is he?

Jack Allen: In intensive care.

Jason Whittaker: Do they know what happened to him?

Jack Allen: The doctor said it looked like Richard fell out of a moving car.

Jason Whittaker: Fell? Or was pushed?

Tom Riley: Is he going to be alright?

Jack Allen: They don't know. You can be sure Jellyfish is behind this.

Tom Riley: Jellyfish?

Jason Whittaker: He's the guy who's responsible for all the vandalism around town, although we haven't been able to prove it. He tried to rough up Lucy the other night, but Richard saved her.

Tom Riley: Saved her? Sounds like something he might do to her.

Jason Whittaker: Tom, I really think you're way off base about Richard. He's been trying to help us. My guess is whoever did this to him did it because he was being a nuisance, maybe getting too close to something. Come on, Eugene. I think we should do a little investigating.

Eugene Meltsner: Aye, aye, sir.

Rodney: Hey, nurse!

Guest (Female): May I help you?

Rodney: Yeah, I want to find out about a guy you brought in here, Richard Maxwell.

Guest (Female): Well, what would you like to know?

Rodney: I want to know if he's okay.

Guest (Female): I'm sorry, but I'm not permitted to discuss patients' conditions. You can go up to the intensive care unit on the second floor and ask there.

Rodney: Thanks for nothing.

Jason Whittaker: And then we'll have Billy tell them... Well, look who's here.

Rodney: Sorry, wrong elevator.

Jason Whittaker: No, you don't. Come on in, Rodney. There's plenty of room.

Rodney: Hey, let go. Cut it out.

Jason Whittaker: Push the button, Eugene.

Eugene Meltsner: Jason, what are you doing?

Jason Whittaker: Just push the button. Top floor.

Eugene Meltsner: If you insist.

Rodney: Leave me alone. I didn't do nothing.

Jason Whittaker: Richard Maxwell's upstairs looking like you did do something.

Rodney: Let go. You're an adult. You can't do this to me. Eugene, you're a witness.

Eugene Meltsner: Witness to what?

Jason Whittaker: Now you listen to me. You've gone over the line this time. One way or another, you can be absolutely certain you're going down for this. You and the Bones are going to jail. Stop the elevator, Eugene.

Eugene Meltsner: Yes, sir.

Rodney: Look, I had nothing to do with what happened to Maxwell. It wasn't me.

Jason Whittaker: Well, then who was it?

Rodney: It was Jellyfish, honest. I saw the whole thing. Maxwell went to Whit's End to get Jellyfish's laptop computer.

Jason Whittaker: Laptop computer? Now, why would he do a thing like that?

Rodney: Because it has stuff on it that could be useful to us.

Jason Whittaker: Us?

Rodney: Look, I don't like Jellyfish any better than you do, and neither does Maxwell. But he got caught by Blackard and Jellyfish, and they took him away. I followed them, and the next thing I know, Maxwell's flying out of the car and rolling down the hill. That's when I left.

Eugene Meltsner: How compassionate of you.

Jason Whittaker: I'm going to start the elevator now. By the time we get back to the bottom floor, you better have told me everything you know. You understand?

Rodney: Yeah.

Jason Whittaker: Okay, Eugene, let's get out of here. But take it slow and easy so we don't attract attention.

Eugene Meltsner: Right. I must say, Jason, that waiting in a darkened car in the middle of the night whilst you conduct covert reconnaissance on the Harlequin Theater, which at the moment is full of our enemies, is hardly my idea of a good time.

Jason Whittaker: I had to get a look at that laptop.

Eugene Meltsner: And did you?

Jason Whittaker: Only through a window. Jellyfish was working on it in the office, moving files around.

Eugene Meltsner: Well, at least that much is verified. I'll give him credit for one thing, though: he sure knows how to keep himself covered.

Jason Whittaker: Meaning?

Eugene Meltsner: The files he was manipulating had names like "Edgebiter" and "Bones of Wrath". I guess he has a pretty good record of what's been going on just in case things don't work out with Blackard.

Jason Whittaker: "Edgebiter"? As in the Edgebiter Company? As in the Edgebiter Company that has led to the scandal that has led to Tom Riley's recall as mayor?

Eugene Meltsner: Uh-huh. But the point is, Richard Maxwell had pretty good reasons for wanting to get ahold of that laptop. It could clear up everything and save Tom Riley's place as mayor.

Jason Whittaker: So essentially, Richard was injured trying to help Mr. Riley.

Eugene Meltsner: That's the way it looks.

Jason Whittaker: Perhaps someone should tell Mr. Riley.

Eugene Meltsner: Sounds like a good job for you. In the meantime, we have to figure out how to get our hands on that laptop.

Jason Whittaker: I'm sure you're aware of the myriad problems inherent in that desire.

Eugene Meltsner: I know, Eugene.

Jason Whittaker: Also, it will do us no good to merely see the information. For it to be truly useful, we must have a copy of it.

Eugene Meltsner: I know, Eugene. But unless you have the exact name of the file you're looking for, which we don't, you'll have to copy the entire hard drive—an often prohibitively long process.

Jason Whittaker: We won't have to copy the hard drive.

Eugene Meltsner: But how can we avoid it?

Jason Whittaker: The laptop has an infrared data port.

Eugene Meltsner: Really? Only the latest models are so equipped. But even so, I still fail to comprehend how that can help us.

Jason Whittaker: I have a device that will access data through an infrared port and transmit it to a receiver by high-frequency radio waves.

Eugene Meltsner: Indeed.

Jason Whittaker: The device is small enough so that it won't be noticed, but it has to be set up in line-of-sight with the infrared port on the computer.

Eugene Meltsner: Which means someone will have to go inside the office and set it up.

Jason Whittaker: Right. So the big question is: who can we get to go in there who they don't know, who hasn't had anything to do with this mess, and won't draw suspicion to himself?

Eugene Meltsner: I believe I know the very fellow we seek.

Bernard Walton: You want me to do what?

Eugene Meltsner: Just place an infrared transmitter in the office at the Harlequin Theater, Mr. Walton.

Bernard Walton: Eugene, have you been reading those science fiction magazines again? I warned you what they can do to your mind.

Jason Whittaker: It's not science fiction, Bernard. Here, you see this?

Bernard Walton: Yeah, looks like a paperweight.

Jason Whittaker: It is—on the outside. But inside is a device that will allow us to get some very important information off a computer in Edwin Blackard's office. Information that could clear Tom Riley and maybe explain what's been going on around Odyssey and Whit's End.

Bernard Walton: You mean the vandalism and everything?

Jason Whittaker: Precisely.

Bernard Walton: Well, I'm all for that, of course. But I think you guys are forgetting something.

Jason Whittaker: What's that?

Bernard Walton: I was Tom Riley's campaign manager. Don't you think that'll make them a little suspicious, too?

Eugene Meltsner: Perhaps. But I believe their suspicion will be lessened considerably because you were a window washer long before you were a campaign manager.

Jason Whittaker: What Eugene means, Bernard, is that you haven't been involved with Tom lately, right?

Bernard Walton: Not because I haven't wanted to. I just didn't know how I could help.

Eugene Meltsner: But now you do. All you have to do is set the paperweight behind the laptop computer on the desk.

Bernard Walton: On the desk, huh? That makes sense. Edwin Blackard's desk has so many awards and knick-knacks on it they'll never realize this is even there.

Jason Whittaker: Exactly. The device will gather the data in the laptop and transmit it to a van down the street. We'll do the rest.

Bernard Walton: Yeah, but won't they know you're copying files from their computer? What if they come in and try to use it?

Eugene Meltsner: If they try to look at a file we're looking at, an error message will appear.

Bernard Walton: Oh, then what?

Eugene Meltsner: Then they may assume that the computer has malfunctioned and shut it off. Or they may realize that somebody else is looking at their file. Either way, if that happens, we're in trouble. But it's a risk we'll have to take.

Bernard Walton: Would it help if I got everybody out of the room for half an hour or so?

Jason Whittaker: Can you do that?

Bernard Walton: Can I do that? Boys, tomorrow morning, just sit back and let the master take over.

Dr. Blackard: It is mind-boggling, Professor Bovril. Simply mind-boggling.

Guest (Male): Let me see if I understand you correctly, Professor Bovril. You're saying that the uses of this mineral go far beyond my application.

Guest (Male): I'm saying your application doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. I have inserted the mineral's chemical structure into more than 30 different formulae previously thought untenable. At least on the computer, they all work.

We will have to conduct tests in the laboratory to make certain, but this mineral may very well be the most incredible discovery of the past 100 years.

Dr. Blackard: Wonderful. Simply wonderful. First things first, though. We must have control. Then we'll be able to...

Bernard Walton: Hello! Anybody here? Edwin! It's me!

Dr. Blackard: What in the world is that?

Guest (Male): I don't know.

Dr. Blackard: Excuse me.

Bernard Walton: You ought not sneak up on a fellow that way.

Dr. Blackard: Can I help you?

Bernard Walton: No, no, just wanted to let you know I was here, Edwin.

Dr. Blackard: I'm not Edwin. I'm Dr. Regis Blackard, Edwin's brother.

Bernard Walton: Really? Scratch my ears and call me Sparky if you two ain't the spitting image of each other.

Dr. Blackard: How kind. Now, if you don't mind.

Bernard Walton: You say that's right. You're the one that's running for mayor, now, ain't you?

Dr. Blackard: Yes, but at the moment, I'm very busy.

Bernard Walton: Well, I'm right glad to meet you. I'm a loyal voter and a hard-working citizen, and I just want to shake your hand.

Dr. Blackard: Thank you. I thank you very much, Mr...

Bernard Walton: Walton. Bernie Walton. I got to tell you, you made some great speeches over the last couple weeks. Great.

Dr. Blackard: Well, it's nice of you to say so, Bernie. Meeting someone such as yourself is always such a unique experience. Now, if you'll excuse me, Bernie, I'm really quite busy.

Bernard Walton: Oh, don't mind me. I'll be out of your hair in no time.

Dr. Blackard: Out of my hair?

Bernard Walton: Yeah, just as soon as I wash your windows.

Dr. Blackard: Wash my windows?

Bernard Walton: That's what I do. Bernie Walton, window washer. Didn't Edwin tell you?

Dr. Blackard: No, he didn't.

Bernard Walton: I come every Tuesday at nine except past couple weeks.

Dr. Blackard: Well, how nice for you. Listen, Bernie, as much as I appreciate it, I don't need my windows washed.

Bernard Walton: Are you kidding? Of course you do. I mean, just look at them. They're dirtier than a kid in a mud puddle.

Dr. Blackard: Well, then I don't want my windows washed.

Bernard Walton: Well, that's not up to me.

Dr. Blackard: I know. It's up to me.

Bernard Walton: No, you'd be wrong there. That's up to Edwin.

Dr. Blackard: Edwin?

Bernard Walton: He's the one that signed the contract. He's the only one that can break it.

Dr. Blackard: Well, I'll tell him that you did a wonderful job.

Bernard Walton: You mean you'd lie?

Dr. Blackard: Oh, no, no, no, of course not. Look, why don't I just go ahead and pay you, and then you can wash the windows later? Or better yet, not at all. Just consider it a bonus.

Bernard Walton: No, sir. I couldn't do that. Bernie Walton has never reneged on a contract in his life, and I ain't about to start now.

Dr. Blackard: Oh, all right. All right.

Bernard Walton: Great. Let's see, I got my bucket, squeegee, and cleaner, mask and goggles, and I'll just start right in here.

Dr. Blackard: The office? Can't you start somewhere...? Oh, good grief. What in the world is this smell?

Bernard Walton: Smell? You must mean my cleaner. "Dirt Be Gone", best stuff in the business.

Dr. Blackard: I can't breathe. It's stinging my eyes.

Bernard Walton: Yeah, it's pretty strong. That's why I wear the mask and goggles, you see. Listen, why don't you guys just go on into the theater, and once I'm finished, wait about half an hour, 45 minutes, and come back in?

Dr. Blackard: Yes! Yes, all right. I've got to get out of here. Come on, Professor.

Guest (Male): My computer!

Bernard Walton: Don't worry. I cover everything up with towels and stuff first. It'll be all right. You go on. I'll close the door so you won't have to smell it anymore. See you in a few. Right. All right. Take the device and set it behind the computer on the desk. Okay. All right, guys, it's up to you now. I just hope this thing works.

Jason Whittaker: Are you sure, Eugene?

Eugene Meltsner: Positive, Jason. I've searched through the laptop's hard drive four times now.

Bernard Walton: All right. Mission accomplished, boys. You got anything yet?

Jason Whittaker: Nice job, Bernard. No, we haven't. At least not what we wanted.

Bernard Walton: What?

Eugene Meltsner: Jason is right, Mr. Walton. The information we seek is not here.

Jason Whittaker: There's nothing about Edgebiter or the recall or the vandalism. You can see for yourself. All that is here are a batch of chemical formulae.

Bernard Walton: What does this mean?

Jason Whittaker: Either we've accessed the wrong computer...

Bernard Walton: There was only one computer in the room.

Jason Whittaker: Or Richard was wrong.

Eugene Meltsner: Most interesting.

Jason Whittaker: Did you find something?

Eugene Meltsner: Nothing in our search, but I have noticed something peculiar about these chemical formulae.

Jason Whittaker: What?

Eugene Meltsner: They all seem to have a common denominator. You see, this equation here appears in every single one.

Jason Whittaker: So?

Eugene Meltsner: Perhaps nothing. But I believe I've seen that equation before.

Jason Whittaker: Eugene, I don't see how this...

Eugene Meltsner: Yes! I know where I've seen it before.

Jason Whittaker: Where?

Eugene Meltsner: Right here. The college's lab report on the unusual mineral in the underground railroad tunnel.

Jason Whittaker: What? Just whose computer have we tapped into here? Bernard, who was in the theater?

Bernard Walton: Blackard, of course, and someone he called Professor Bovril.

Eugene Meltsner: Most interesting.

Jason Whittaker: What is it, Eugene?

Eugene Meltsner: I'd have to run tests to be certain, but in each of these formulae, the mineral appears to act as a catalyst.

Bernard Walton: A catalyst what? What is that?

Eugene Meltsner: Put simply, without the mineral, none of these formulae would work. Or at least they wouldn't work very well.

Jason Whittaker: But the report says the mineral by itself is inert, useless.

Eugene Meltsner: Inert. Of course! That's what he meant! The silent one.

Bernard Walton: The silent one?

Jason Whittaker: Something Reverend Andrew told me when I was in the Imagination Station. I have a transcript here in the computer. Ah, you see? He said the locals called the mineral "the silent one".

The Indian word for it is Rukoo. Unfortunately, that was part of the code Richard and I couldn't completely salvage. Rukoo. Rukoo! Rukoo, of course! That's how Dad could work with it so effectively. It was right under his nose.

Bernard Walton: Yeah, right under his nose. Now, wait a minute, Jason. It's getting so you can't tell the players without a program here. I thought Glassman was the one who wanted to get into the tunnel under Whit's End.

Jason Whittaker: No, it's not Glassman. It never has been. It's Blackard. I know exactly what he's after. Eugene, I need you to make several copies of the information you got from Blackard's computer.

Eugene Meltsner: Where are we going?

Jason Whittaker: Back to Dad's house. How are those copies coming, Eugene?

Eugene Meltsner: I'm just finishing the third one.

Jason Whittaker: That's enough for now. We're almost at Dad's house. The two of you need to take the van and go watch Whit's End. Eugene, use the car phone to contact Billy. Tell him to have the Israelites surround the place.

Eugene Meltsner: With the outer fencing still up, we won't be able to get very close.

Bernard Walton: I know how to get closer. There's a maintenance road leading in from the other side of the park. I use it all the time. It's pretty secluded, too. We can get in and watch without being noticed.

Jason Whittaker: Good. Now keep an eye out for any trucks leaving the area. Record their license plate numbers and call me.

Bernard Walton: What are you going to do?

Jason Whittaker: I've got some things I need to tend to. I'll be around. Now, take off. And be careful.

Bernard Walton: Jason, you be careful.

Eugene Meltsner: Indeed.

Jason Whittaker: Don't worry about me. Go on now. Right. To the batphone.

Guest (Male): Odyssey Police, don't move.

Jason Whittaker: What? What's going on here?

Guest (Male): Jason Whittaker?

Jason Whittaker: Yes. What is this?

Guest (Male): Lieutenant Shaw. Come with us, please.

Jason Whittaker: Where?

Guest (Male): Police station. We need to ask you a few questions.

Jason Whittaker: Questions? About what?

Guest (Male): Making death threats against mayoral candidate Dr. Regis Blackard.

Jason Whittaker: What?

Jack Allen: Jack.

Tom Riley: Hi, Tom. Doc said Richard's out of the coma.

Jack Allen: But he's sleeping.

Tom Riley: I thought maybe he and I could have a little talk. Then you know?

Jack Allen: Eugene told me. It's taken all day to sink in. I feel pretty foolish. All this time, I've refused to forgive him, and now I find out he's got this way trying to help me. I'm responsible for this.

Jack Allen: No, Tom. There's no point in compounding the problem by taking on blame that isn't yours.

Tom Riley: But it is mine. If I hadn't treated Richard so badly, this wouldn't have happened.

Richard Maxwell: Are you guys going to talk all night? I'm trying to sleep.

Jack Allen: Richard.

Richard Maxwell: Hi, Mr. Allen. Mr. Riley. Nice surprise.

Jack Allen: Yes, it is. I believe he has something to tell you. I'll leave you two alone.

Tom Riley: So, you turned out to be quite a hero.

Richard Maxwell: Some hero. I got caught. Pretty sloppy.

Tom Riley: Look, it might be better if you don't talk right now. But just listen for a minute. I never meant for things to end up like this. I let my stubbornness and my pride get in the way.

I've sinned against you, Richard. Against you and against God. I just hope that somehow... well, I hope you can forgive me.

Richard Maxwell: Nothing to forgive. I deserved it.

Tom Riley: No one deserves to be treated like I've treated you. Let's forgive each other, okay?

Richard Maxwell: Okay.

Jack Allen: Tom, Richard, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to have to go.

Tom Riley: That's all right, Jack. I can stay here with Richard for a while. What's going on?

Jack Allen: The police have taken Jason into custody.

Tom Riley: What?

Jason Whittaker: All right, Lieutenant, we're here. Now, will you please tell me what this is all about?

Guest (Male): It's about this cassette tape, Whittaker. Blackard's people delivered it to us a couple of hours ago, and it's pretty serious. Listen.

Dr. Blackard: Jason.

Jason Whittaker: So it really is you.

Dr. Blackard: In the flesh.

Jason Whittaker: Why are you still alive?

Dr. Blackard: Now, Jason, just calm down. What did I ever do to make you so angry with me?

Jason Whittaker: Stop the charade. You don't know what you're getting into. Mayor of Odyssey? You'll never win.

Dr. Blackard: Please, I just want to live a normal life.

Jason Whittaker: You can't hide. Stay on your toes, Doc. I'm going to be watching you.

Guest (Male): What am I supposed to make of that?

Jason Whittaker: I can't believe this.

Guest (Male): What?

Jason Whittaker: He set me up!

Guest (Male): Now, why would Blackard want to set you up?

Jason Whittaker: Because it's too hard to explain.

Guest (Male): Try.

Jason Whittaker: Okay. You want an explanation? There's a phone number you need to call.

Guest (Male): Your lawyer?

Jason Whittaker: No. The National Security Agency.

Guest (Male): Visitor, Whittaker.

Jason Whittaker: Visitor? Hello, Jason. Jack. Thank you, officer.

Guest (Male): Yeah, well, I'll be right outside.

Jack Allen: So, how are they treating you?

Jason Whittaker: Fine, fine. This whole thing is just so idiotic. It's totally idiotic. The very idea that I would threaten Blackard is just idiotic.

Jack Allen: I'm sure it'll all be cleared up soon.

Jason Whittaker: I know it. But it's not just that. It's just that I've been such a sucker. Trapped by a cheap trick. I walked right into it.

Jack Allen: You made a mistake.

Jason Whittaker: Yes, I did. So, aren't you going to say it?

Jack Allen: Say what?

Jason Whittaker: I told you so.

Jack Allen: Okay. I told you so.

Jason Whittaker: You didn't have to say it.

Jack Allen: You just told me to. You feel better?

Jason Whittaker: No. Oh, Jack, why didn't you just tie me up and lock me in the closet?

Jack Allen: I didn't realize that was an option.

Jason Whittaker: Look, I've been arrogant, prideful, reckless. A complete know-it-all.

Jack Allen: Well, not totally complete, obviously.

Jason Whittaker: Thank you. You know, I thought I could handle everything. That I knew how to fight it. But I don't. You were right. I was ignoring where the real battle is. Jack, can you forgive me?

Jack Allen: Jason, do you really have to ask?

Jason Whittaker: Of course I do.

Jack Allen: Thank you. Now, don't worry. I'm sure the police will sort out where the tape came from.

Jason Whittaker: I don't care about the tape. That's the easy part. Blackard pieced it together from a conversation we had when he first came back into town. It's the rest of it that has me concerned.

Jack Allen: You know, Jason, now might be a good time to tell me what's going on. It's not like you have anywhere to go.

Jason Whittaker: Fair enough. You're right. Jack, there's a lot I need to tell you. About me, Dr. Blackard, even about Dad. You may find it hard to believe, but it's all true.

Jack Allen: I'm listening.

Jason Whittaker: Before I tell you, though, I think that there's something we need to do. Something I should have been doing all along. Will you pray with me?

Jack Allen: Absolutely.

Jason Whittaker: Thank you. Father in Heaven, I really need Your help right now.

Guest (Male): This is Curt Morse, live at the Harlequin Theater, where mayoral candidate Dr. Regis Blackard is about to make a statement about Jason Whittaker. He's making his way to the microphones right now.

He doesn't look very well, very pale and stressed. He's at the microphones now, and here's his statement.

Dr. Blackard: Fellow citizens, I have been just as stunned and distressed as you have at the events that have transpired. Even as the incident was happening, I was hoping, praying that it was all a bad dream.

But it wasn't. I bear no ill will towards Jason. I believe he needs professional help. My sincerest hope in this situation is that justice will prevail.

Guest (Male): He's collapsed! Dr. Regis Blackard has collapsed! Somebody call an ambulance!

Host: What's the matter with Dr. Blackard? Is he faking it again? Will the police let Jason go? I'm glad he and Jack have made up and that Tom has forgiven Richard Maxwell after all these years. Finally, a few bright spots in the middle of all this intrigue and mystery.

How will it all turn out? There's only one way to know for certain, and that's to tune in next time. Meanwhile, if you want to write, just send your card or letter to Adventures in Odyssey, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80995.

Or in Canada, write to Box 9800, Vancouver, BC, V6B 4G3. When you do, ask about how you can get your own copy of today's episode. It's called "The Last Resort". Adventures in Odyssey is a presentation of Focus on the Family.

"The Last Resort" was written by Phil Lollar and Paul McCusker and directed by Paul McCusker. Our production engineer was Mark Drury, and our executive producer was Chuck Bolte. I'm Chris, hoping you'll join us again next time for more Adventures in Odyssey.