- Dr. Stuart: Artificial intelligence has made tremendous gains since the invention of the silicon chip. At this stage, robots can only respond to stimuli. It bumps into something, it turns. We're trying to create independent actions.
- Clark Kent: Is there any way to put that into English, doctor?
- Dr. Stuart: Certainly. We're trying to get them to think.
- Lana Lang: A machine can't think.
- Dr. Stuart: Let me see if I can change your mind.
- Dr. Stuart: So where is he?
- T.J. White: Well, maybe I exaggerated a little bit. I mean, nine times out of ten, Superboy is on the job where I'm concerned. Oh, wait. This is the day he plays backgammon. Can't pull him away from that. I-I... I mean, I heard him say it once, he said "T.J., don't ever get in trouble on my backgammon day." So I guess we'd better just head back to town. What do you say?
- Clark Kent: A man was killed. I mean, we saw the body.
- Professor Myers: So you said. All right. How long will it take you to get the film developed?
- [seeing them share a nervous glance]
- Professor Myers: It did occur to you to shoot Superboy and the seven-foot-tall robot going at each other head-to-head?
- T.J. White: Oh, yeah, yeah! Some incredible shots. I mean, awesome stuff. But, uh...
- Clark Kent: Dempsey took the film.
- Professor Myers: Mr. White, what is the photographer's number one rule?
- T.J. White: Um, always carry a blank roll of film in your pocket.
- Professor Myers: That's right. In case they ask for the film.
- T.J. White: Now, what do you think is funnier? The left-handed smoke salesman joke or the sneezing penguin joke?
- Lana Lang: I didn't understand the sneezing penguin joke.
- Clark Kent: I did.
- T.J. White: You didn't laugh.
- Clark Kent: But I understood it.
- Professor Myers: So, this bigwig with military intelligence tells you guys to keep your mouths shut, so what do you do? You take your notes and dump them on my desk.
- Clark Kent: I remember the first day of class, you told us, you said we have to learn to deal with intimidation.
- T.J. White: A-And follow our instincts, huh?
- Professor Myers: I know, but you realize if this Dempsey character checks out, we all could be jumping into some hot water? I mean, the fact that the Shuster Herald is a college paper won't cut any ice with the military intelligence.
- Dr. Stuart: Some students from Shuster. A few weeks ago, I promised them an interview.
- Colonel Dempsey: Just the thing we need today.
- Dr. Stuart: If I turn them away at the last second like this, it looks like we have something to hide.
- Colonel Dempsey: What we have is something hiding from us, remember? With no explanation of how it got out of the lab.
- Dr. Stuart: Perhaps something disturbed it, or someone who should have known better by now.
- Colonel Dempsey: Again with Carl? He wouldn't jeopardize the project.
- Dr. Stuart: Then why is he missing, too?
- Lana Lang: How does this thing work?
- T.J. White: Oh, you see where it says "test" right there?
- Lana Lang: This one right here?
- T.J. White: [the flash on his camera goes off] Ow!
- [Clark laughs]
- T.J. White: Yes, that one.
- Clark Kent: See, I laugh.
- T.J. White: It wasn't funny.
- Lana Lang: Well, I should know how this works if you guys are gonna pass me off as your assistant.
- Clark Kent: You know, Lana, you didn't have to come along. I mean, we're stuck with this assignment. Unless, of course, you're really interested in Dr. Stuart's research.
- Lana Lang: Stuart, shmuart. I've heard the Modudyne Corporation gets half its funding from military contracts.
- Clark Kent, T.J. White: Term paper!