| Level of Necessity | |
|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode 13 | |
| |
| Air date | January 14, 1996 |
| Written by | Matt Kiene and Joe Reinkemeyer |
| Directed by | Thomas J. Wright |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Who Monitors the Birds? |
Next Never No More |
Level of Necessity is the thirteenth episode of Season 1 of Space: Above and Beyond.
The episode aired January 14, 1996 on the Fox Network.
After experiencing an anomalous precognition which saved the lives of the 58th, Damphousse is investigated by Col Matthew Burke of Psi Ops. The colonel is convinced that she possesses psychic powers and deduces that only true mortal danger activates Damphousse's precognition. Therefore he joins the 58th in a very dangerous mission.
Summary[]
150 meters below the surface of the planet Daedalus, the 58th Squadron are crawling through tunnels when they run across the 46th Squadron, whose CO, Captain Kremens, orders the 58th to follow them into a new tunnel. However, Damphousse sees Captain Kremens surrounded by a colored aura and senses danger. She restrains the 58th from following the captain, thereby saving them from a Chig booby-trap, which claims the lives of all but one of the 46th squadron.
Back on the Saratoga, Damphousse tries to explain to McQueen what she saw, and he files a report citing anomalous intuition as the reason behind her actions. Meanwhile the 58th discuss the nature of intuition.
A shuttle arrives with Colonel Burke, who grills Damphousse about the recent mission, her personal life, and the reported anomalous intuition. He subjects her to various tests designed to find and/or measure psychic abilities. In order to test her further, he has the 58th assigned to another mission in the tunnels.
The 58th enters the tunnels to try to find and destroy a Chig ammo dump. In the tunnels on the way to the ammo dump, Lubin is killed, and Damphousse predicts that one more of them will die. They find the ammo dump and set their charges, but Damphousse has trouble making it back to the rendezvous point. Colonel Burke tries to save her, and is shot. Damphousse and Hawkes drag Burke out just as the charges go off. The tunnels fill with flames just as the 58th gets out, but Burke dies after telling Damphousse that he had seen the colored aura, too.
Back aboard the Saratoga, Damphousse and McQueen again discuss her anomalous intuition and what responsibilities it carries.
Cast & Characters[]
Main Cast[]
- Morgan Weisser as 1LT Nathan West
- Kristen Cloke as 1LT Shane Vansen
- Rodney Rowland as 1LT Cooper Hawkes
- Joel de la Fuente as 1LT Paul Wang
- Lanei Chapman as 1LT Vanessa Damphousse
- James Morrison as LTC Tyrus Cassius "T.C." McQueen
Recurring Cast[]
- Tasia Valenza as 1LT Kelly Anne Winslow
- John Wilkie as Chig (uncredited)
Additional Cast[]
- Kane Picoy as Lubin
- Richard Kind as Colonel Matthew Burke
- Timothy Dale Agee as Captain Kremens
Crew[]
Director[]
Writers[]
Executive Producers[]
- Glen Morgan (executive producer)
- James Wong (executive producer)
- Stephen Zito (co-executive producer)
Producers[]
- Tim McHugh (producer)
- D. Howard Grigsby (producer)
- Herb Adelman (co-producer)
- Ken Dennis (associate producer)
Music[]
- Shirley Walker