Dan Gilvezan: Commander Dirk Courage

Quotes 

• [Commander Courage explains his plan to General McFarland and Dr. Lawrence, while watching on the screen at the Zone Generator of New York] 

  Dirk Courage : Well, what do you think?

  General McFarland : [hesitates]  It's... pretty risky, Dirk.

  Dirk Courage : Risk is what war is all about, General. Dr. Lawrence?

  Dr. Harold Lawrence : I can make a biochip that will do precisely as you suggest, Commander.

  Dirk Courage : Good, then it's settled.

• [Commander Courage, after being zoned and captured as he planned, is brought before Overlord] 

  Overlord : Do your Zone Riders know where you are, Commander?

  Dirk Courage : [being zoned, he cannot lie]  No.

  Overlord : Foolish of you... tell me, what is it that moves a man like you? Why do you keep fighting against fate?

  Dirk Courage : As long as one Zone Rider is left, it is not over.

• Overlord : [to Commander Courage, who is zoned]  I am going to win this time! Do you believe this, Courage?

  Dirk Courage : No.

• [Commander Courage watches screen showing various Zones around the world. Katerina enters the room, and places her hand on his shoulder] 

  Katerina Anastasia : Dirk, you... we all need rest.

  Dirk Courage : Overlord's Zones are everywhere, Kat. Separating countries, states, families.

  Katerina Anastasia : We are doing the best we can!

  Dirk Courage : We have to do more.

  [Commander Courage stands and heads for the door] 

  Katerina Anastasia : Where are you going?

  Dirk Courage : I... have some things.

• [Commander Couarge prepares for flight] 

  Wolfgang 'Tank' Schmidt : I do not understand why you cannot tell us what this mission is, Commander?

  Dirk Courage : I'm sorry, Tank. Top secret. All I can tell you that I'll be flying over New York.

  Katerina Anastasia : Commander!

  Dirk Courage : I know what I'm doing, Kat.

  [after receiving clearance to take off, Commander Courage flies to New York. As he nearly reaches his destination, he contacts M.C.C] 

  Dirk Courage : Courage to McFarland. Everything's going according to plan, General.

  General McFarland : Roger, Commander. Are you sure you wanna go through with this, Dirk?

  Dirk Courage : It's not a matter if 'I want', Steve. I have to.

  [the jet goes down through the fog and lands at Central Park. In the few moments that Commander Couarge still has control over his brain, he takes out a knife and cuts his suit, to make it look like it was accidently damaged. With this done, he becomes Zoned. He exits the cockpit and starts wandering aimlessly in the streets of New York, like the other Zoners] 

• Overlord : [takes off Commander Courage's helmet]  Do your Zone Riders know where you are, Commander?

  Dirk Courage : [being zoned, he cannot lie]  No.

  Overlord : Foolish of you... tell me, what is it that moves a man like you? Why do you keep fighting against fate?

  Dirk Courage : As long as one Zone Rider is left, it is not over yet.

  Overlord : [shakes his head]  Wrong, Commander Courage. It is over now! Give me your suit!

  [Commander Courage complies, takes off his suit, remaining in regular clothes] 

• [the Zone Riders make plan for rescue] 

  Ned Tucker : [looking at the monitor of his motorcycle]  It looks like this tunnel will take us directly under Overlord's headquarters.

  [Hiro and Ben start their motorcycles] 

  Hiro Taka : We will draw the guards' attention, while you find the way in.

  Benjamin Davis 'Ben' Franklin : And the way out!

  [Hiro and Ben drive away. Meanwhile, Overlord gives Commander Courage's suit to a Zoner] 

  Overlord : Take this to the lab. I want it analyzed completely. I am going to win this war, Courage! Do you believe that?

  Dirk Courage : No.

  [the Zoner starts analyzing the suit at the lab. Overlord contacts him] 

  Overlord : What have you determined?

  Zoner : Composition appears to be various synthetics. There is no initial indication of special properties.

  Overlord : Keep testing! We know there at least has to be Neutron-90 in it.

• [as Ned and Tank are halfway to the window, Katerina opens a door and sees Commander Courage, zoned, sitting in the room] 

  Katerina Anastasia : Dirk!

  [Caught in emotion, Katerina rushes to Commander Courage, abandoning caution. She gently caresses his cheek] 

  Katerina Anastasia : Oh, Dirk...

  [Overlord enters, pistol drawn. Katerina turns around, but too late. Overlord shoots her and she collapses. As Overlord prepares to shoot again, a shot knocks the pistol from his hand] 

  Overlord : What?

  [Overlord turns and sees Max standing at the doorway, shooting at him. Overlord drops on the floor, grabs his gun and returns fire. Katerina stands and helps Commander Courage get on his feet] 

  Katerina Anastasia : [to Commander Courage]  Quickly, we must get out of here!

  [while Max and Overlord exchange fire, Katerina and Commander Courage start to advance toward the door. Overlord notices them] 

  Overlord : No!

  [Overlord shoots three times at Katerina and Commander Courage. Quickly, Katerina drops Commander Courage on the floor lest he would get hit. One of the shots hit her, and she collapses again, crying in agony. As Commander Courage's body hits the floor, the tiny biochip on his neck starts transmitting again. At M.C.C., General McFarland and Dr. Lawrence see that the signal on the screen is back] 

  Dr. Harold Lawrence : It's Dirk! He's back online, and in Overlord's headquarters!

  General McFarland : Quick, trigger the command!

  [Ned and Tank nearly reached the window. Max and Overlord shoot at each other. Then, M.C.C. transmits a command in Overlord's voice to Commander Courage's implant] 

  Overlord : [the command in Overlord's is heard by Commander Courage via the transmitter]  Destroy the Zone generator! Let no one stand in your way!

  [Commander Courage, in his Zoned state, must obey any command given by Overlord, and he complies. He takes a pistol from unconscious Katerina's ankle-holster, and shoots at Overlord. The shot hits metal, spraying scraps into Overlord's face, and he collapses. Commander Courage stands and walks to the window] 

  Dirk Courage : [mumbles while stepping toward the window]  Must destroy... generator...

  [reaching the window, Commander Courage carefully aims the pistol toward the generator] 

• [Hiro and Ben fly the Eagle to Overlord's headquarters. Seeing the Eagle approaching, Tank shoots a flare. While the enemies are temporarily blinded, the Eagle's nose breaks the wall. The Zone Riders board Eagle, Max and Katerina supporting Commander Courage. Under heavy fire, the Eagle flies back to M.C.C. Soon afterwards, Commander Courage recovers from the effects of the Zone] 

  General McFarland : It was a good plan, Dirk. It almost worked.

  Katerina Anastasia : Few people are brave enough to face up to their greatest fears! But I still do not understand: why you did not tell us?

  Dirk Courage : [smiles]  I knew all of you would try to talk me out of it... and I was afraid I might let you do it.

• [last lines] 

  Hiro Taka : So, the war will go on.

  Dirk Courage : Yes, until we finally win. And we will win!

  [Commander Courage holds his hand forward, and the other Zone Riders place their hands next to his]