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The seaQuest has been tasked with destroying a munitions plant, but upon investigation they learn that children have been living there unsupervised for the last three years. With their parents gone, the six children have depended upon each other for survival, but not without lasting trauma.
Kelli Martin (Life Goes On, ER) guest stars as Chloe, the eldest girl. When the crew realizes that one of the boys is near death with an embolism, she joins him on seaQuest with the twin boys and the youngest girl, but the eldest boy Zach–Christopher Pettiet–(Point Break, The Young Riders) refuses to leave.
Lucas meets Chloe and is instantly captivated. He’s also just thrilled to have others near his age on board the vessel. He learns that Chloe has spent the last few years taking care of sick children and getting little sleep. They go to his room so he can show her some games, but at Chloe’s request they listen to music. There was none at the plant, and she smiles at the sound of it. They dance.
Meanwhile, Hitchcock has befriended the youngest girl, prompting Krieg to make wisecracks about her biological clock. A later conversation reveals that he was never in love with Hitchcock; he was in love with the idea of them. He apologizes for his comment, and she opens up to him that she has started to think about having kids, but doesn’t see it happening and still having her own ship. The morale officer gives her a pep talk, and peace resumes between them once more.
The twins are running amok on the ship creating havoc for Chief Crocker. Krieg shows them the shell game, and they use it to antagonize Crocker and then throw him into the moon pool.
Commander Ford tries to lure Zach to seaQuest, but he still refuses to leave his home, to the extent of threatening the Commander in a ball pit. Life couldn’t have been too bad for the kids with a ball pit. Chloe realizes that Zach won’t listen to the adults and convinces Lucas to go back to the plant with her. But Zach only aims his weapon towards Lucas.
After talking with Westphalen, Bridger gets the idea to bring the full formality of the navy with him when he goes to the plant with Crocker. In full dress they order the crew to return to the ship and Bridger inspects Zach’s weapon before returning it to him. He also sadly informs him that they found the other children’s parents and his father. They were trying to return to the children when they crashed.
Chloe and Lucas share a kiss and say goodbye, and the children are awarded with civilian medals before leaving with the promise that they’ll stay together.
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The Science
Bob Ballard once again brings his expertise to the episode, this time discussing living underwater, as the children did for several years. He says the longest anyone has lived underwater was 70 days aboard a nuclear submarine. This is drastically less time than humans have lived in space. However, Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of the famous Jacques Cousteau, did live underwater a record-breaking 31 days in 2014.
Where are They Now?
After seaQuest, Royce D. Applegate (Chief Manilow Crocker) appeared in The Rookie, Seabiscuit, Gods and Generals, among other film and television appearances. Sadly, he died at the age of 63 in 2003 in a fire at his Hollywood home.