- General McFarland: [the monitor shows how the shuttle was finally destroyed - when it was about to drop one more zone pod, a shot hit it on the inside] Then, one lucky shot got through, and that shot saved half the world - but only half! We bought some time, a chance to keep fighting. For the first time in history, all nations set aside their differences to fight a common enemy. Life goes on, in a sense. Would you like to explain, commander Courage?
- Dirk Courage: The Spiral Zone, as we call it, robs the will.
- [points at the monitor, which shows zoned people]
- Dirk Courage: It makes the victim easy to control, mindless. Troops can't go in - victims can't get out!
- General McFarland: Our one hope is commander Dirk Courage and his elite - Zone Riders. Outfitted with our only supply of neutron power suits, that let them enter the Spiral Zone. See for yourselves
- [the monitor shows Dirk Courage during combat]
- General McFarland: their codename: Zone Riders. Their leader: commander Dirk Courage - fearless, US special forces, congressional medal of honor, bronze star, purple heart.
- Council chairman: The Zone Riders are supposed to be our most powerful weapon in the fight against Overlord, but now - months after the team was formed - the Spiral Zone is as strong as ever!
- General McFarland: You can't expect to win a war overnight!
- Council chairman: Please, don't interrupt again, General.
- Dirk Courage: [to McFarland] It's OK, sir.
- Council chairman: This special committee has been convened to try to explain why the Zone Riders seem unable to defeat Overlord. I have here reports on several highly questionable command decisions, suggesting that the Zone Riders' failure is the result of poor leadership. You think you can explain your conduct to this committee, Commander?
- Dirk Courage: I'm, uhm, certainly prepared to try, Mr. Chairman.
- Council chairman: Could you tell this committee why the Zone Riders destroyed the only direct links with NY city?
- Dirk Courage: Yes, Mr. Chairman, I can. We were trying to stop Overlord from moving an engine to a waiting space shuttle in New Jersey.
- [a flashback from "The Shuttle Engine"]
- Dirk Courage: Eventually, we had to stop Overlord another way - but blowing the bridge and the tunnel were reasonable steps to take at the time.
- Ned Tucker: [snickers] You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, sir!
- [one of the committee members smiles at this remark. The chairman glares at him and then looks back at Commander Courage]
- Council chairman: Let me ask you about a bigger 'omelette', Commander: the Panama canal! Our most vital shipping link was recently closed to repair damage caused by the Zone Riders!
- Dirk Courage: It was necessary to destroy several locks in order to save the canal.
- [a flashback from "Canal Zone"]
- Dirk Courage: If the ship had exploded in the canal, the damage might have been permanent.
- Female commitee member: We understand, Commander, that one must take risks.
- Council chairman: But some risks are unacceptable! I believe you once ordered the surrender of the Zone Riders, our only defence against the Spiral Zone, in order to save a handful of people?
- Katerina Anastasia: [angrily] Mr. Chairman, it was hardly 'a handful of people'!
- Dirk Courage: [smiles at Katerina, then faces the chairman] I can explain that decision, Mr. Chairman. San Juan Porto Rico was about to be destroyed by the flood water of a giant hurricane. Now the only way to save the people of the city was to move them to higher ground, inside the Zone.
- [a flashback from "Ride the Whirlwind"]
- Dirk Courage: If I had it to do over, I'd take the same risk to save thousands of lives.
- [the committee members consulate among themselves in low voices]
- Council chairman: I have here complaints from several South American goverments, insist that their countries had suffered, and that the fight against Overlord has been hampered by the loss of electrical power from a typhoon dam. Can you explain, Commander, how the dam came to be destroyed?
- Dirk Courage: Yes, Mr. Chairman. We blew it up.
- [a flashback from "So Shall You Reaper"]
- Dirk Courage: The only way to take the fortress was to destroy its source of power
- [General McFarland nods in approval]
- Dirk Courage: I decided it was better to sacrifice the dam than to let such a tremendous power source fall permanently into Overlord's hands.
- Council chairman: I have one more question, Commander Courage. Is it true that on your own authority, without any regular trial and sentencing, you once sent an innocent civilian into the Spiral Zone? According to this, a man named, uhm, Malone...
- [Max furiously jumps on his feet when he hears the name of the ruthless mobster who was responsible to the loss of his family]
- Max Jones: 'Innocent civilian'? You must be out of your mind!
- [the chairman glares at Max. The other Zone Riders try to calm Max down]
- Hiro Taka: Please, Max.
- Council chairman: [knocking his hammer on the desk] You will come to order!
- Wolfgang "Tank" Schmidt: You're not helping, Max.
- Council chairman: [firmly] Sit down, lieutenant, at once!
- Max Jones: [sullenly] I'm sorry, *sir*.
- [Max sits down]
- Dirk Courage: We, uh, apologize for the interruption, Mr. Chairman. But your 'innocent civilian' Malone used his control of the railroads to help Overlord move people from one Zone to another. Lieutenant Jones' family was among the thousands of people that Malone sent into new Zones. Later, Malone himself became a victim to the system he created.
- [a flashback from "Zone with Big Shoulders"]
- [last lines]
- Dirk Courage: Now I may have exceeded my authority in doing nothing to stop the train, but I stand by the justice of my decision. If the committee thinks I should lose my command because of what I did, I have no choice but to accept their decision.
- [the Zone Riders wait impatiently outside the hall for the committee decision]
- Benjamin "Ben" Davis Franklin: [to Hiro] They've been in there a long time!
- Katerina Anastasia: [to Commander Courage] Dirk, I just want you to know, that whatever happens...
- [the door opens, and General McFarland steps outside. Everyone looks at him]
- General McFarland: I'm sorry, Commander...
- [McFarland smiles]
- General McFarland: ...looks like you're stuck with us.
- [McFarland warmly shakes Commander Courage's hand]
- General McFarland: Congratulations, Dirk! The committee voted in your favor.
- Dirk Courage: [sighs in relief] Oh, thank you, General!
- [the overjoyed Zone Riders cheer in delight, congratulating Commander Courage. The door opens, and the council chairman steps outside. He glares at the Zone Riders, grunts and leaves]
- General McFarland: [smiles] the vote was 6:1.
- [Commander Courage smiles]