(SIRENS AND LOUD CITY NOISES) I understand, Phil, but they won't leave me alone. Calm down. Calm down! Don't let 'em intimidate you. (MAN ON PHONE) You don't know what he's capable of. Frankly, I'm more concerned about her. Don't be. I can take care of her. Good. I got a train to catch. Hello, Jordan. Rose? Wh-- What are you doing here? Just give me ten minutes. The decision has been made. There's nothing to talk about. Jordan, please! All these years, I've never asked for anything. I'm sorry. No. You're not. OK, come on Lucas. - Where are we going? - It's a surprise, OK? What kind of surprise? (TELEPHONE RINGS) (BUTTON BEEPS) Is that him? Come on. Come on. (PA) Final boarding for 6 PM Toronto to Chicago, Track One. (CHATTERING) Go on Lucas, our seats are just down here. (CHATTERING) She's got no power so it's done. That grave was dug years ago. Sorry. Ah, here. This way. (CHATTERING) You're not seriously gonna make me wear this the whole way? Just coz we're eloping, doesn't mean we have to skip the fun! My mom's gonna kill me. Your mom loves me. Tell her it was my idea. I haven't been on a train since I was a kid! It's so cool! When I was teaching in Japan, I rode on high-speed trains all the time. You lived in Japan? You've never mentioned it! OK, OK, but this is the first high-speed train in North America! (PA) Final call for the Apollo, departing Track One. You are gonna be so excited when you see the ocean. Is he on-board? Good. Be prepared for anything. And I don't need to remind you what's at stake here, right? Let me know when he's secure on arrival. (DOOR HISSES) (DOOR HISSES AND SHUTS) Ready to go here, Ratch? What do you say? Ready to go, Keith buddy. Take her away. Don't wanna mess with my groundhog day. (ENGINE'S SOUND GROWS LOUDER) (INAUDIBLE SIGH) Where are you goin'? It's almost supper. Just taking the truck out. Been actin' up. Can it wait 'til tomorrow? What if it breaks down-- Mary. I just need to get out. I'm alright. She's pretty, right? Too late! She's mine. (WOMEN GIGGLE) Hey Lucas. You want a snack? Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching the US border. Please have your documents ready. Passports, please. Hey. Thank you. Passports please. Your passports please. You're travelling without Dad today? Oh, uh... Do you have a letter from the father? We're just gonna visit family. Have a safe trip. (PA) Final call, doors are now closing. Tonight, I have Diana Bright who is running for Governor of Michigan. Let's talk about the Apollo. Miss Bright, you campaigned against the Apollo and now it's a huge success. Well, you call a piece of steel barrelling through the state with a glorified button-pusher at the helm a success. It's dangerous. But you're down in the polls with just days to go. Days are all you need in politics. (KNOCKS) V8 or V6? V8. Oh. Freedom of the road, little man. Why are your hands tied together? See, this guy here was, uh... Was trying to run away but I caught him. (KNOCKS) What's the hold up in there? (LOUD CRASHING) Lucas? (BRAKES SQUEAL) Lucas?! Oh! Stay close, Lucas. Dispatch to Apollo, what the hell's going on, Keith? Someone pulled the emergency brake. Computer's not telling me which cab. A computer malfunction, it can't be. Just ignore the blasted thing. You need to re-arm the brakes. You remember, right? Yeah, I remember. Thanks for the confidence though, Ratch. (PEOPLE IN CABIN WHISPER) (HISS AND THUD) (HISS) No idea why those brakes were thrown. Mysteries of modern technology continues. - Apollo, you ready to roll? - Brakes are set. 90 PSI on the tail. (RATCH) Sounds good, Apollo. Let's roll. (CHATTERING) (SPEAKER) Sorry about that, folks, but we're A-OK. Settle in, make yourself comfortable and we'll have you in Chicago in no time. Apollo on the move. Pick it up K, I got the 278 coming your way. Mom, we just think it's more romantic than eating chicken with 200 cousins, you know? No, she's not laughing! She feels bad too. (CLANGING) Mom? Later. (PEOPLE CHATTER) Ease up there Apollo, you're headed for the big curve. I'm trying but the brakes aren't responding. (SCREAMS) (WORRIED CHATTER) What the hell are you doing, slow down! I can't! The computer isn't working! (LEVEL CROSSING BELLS RING) No! (CRASHING) Keith! KEITH! (ECHOES) Keith! (SHOUTS AND SIRENS WAIL) (HELICOPTER WHIRS IN DISTANCE) (PEOPLE CHATTERING) (SIRENS) (SHOUTING) (HELICOPTER WHIRS) (COUGHS AND SPLUTTERS) Everyone says nothing ever happens here and-- - Are you OK? - I'm sorry, who are you? - My name-- - She's with me, Sheriff. Sheriff McCullogh this is Kendra Malley. - Here to investigate the crash. - You're working with the FTSA? So it seems. Do we have a passenger update? 160 on board, 60 fatalities so far. Our little hospital can't handle this. They're taking most of the injured to Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. There's still over a dozen unaccounted for. OK, let's go. (SHOUTS AND HELICOPTER WHIRS) (THEO) Oh my God. What's the plan for recovering the black boxes? We go in as soon as the Fire Department says it's safe to do so. OK. So, a high-speed train collides with an oil-tanker on a sharp curve. Yeah, the truck must've stalled on the track. Terrible luck if it did. Driver still behind the wheel, never made it out of the cab. Kendra, this is um... - Parker. - Right. - Hi. - I'll be running the mort op. I'm setting up morgue and lab near the hospital in town. OK, tell me. What do we know about the train operator? Keith Sheffield, killed at impact. Let's get a tox-screen done on him. What about the rail-traffic controller? Bill Ratch. Yeah, he's at Rail Control in Detroit. - Can we have him brought here? - Yup. Let's have Sheriff McCullogh run these plates please. Yeah, you got it. Let's have his remains picked up. - OK. - Put that at the top of your list, please. Why is that? Coz the truck is in park. Suicide by train? And take all these people with him? Yeah, but an oil-tanker this size, it should be no match for a 600 tonne train. The Apollo should've sailed right through it. OK, what about the commuter train in Glendale? It got taken out by an SUV. Yeah, but the other vehicle was pushed into a switch that sent the train off the tracks. Right. OK, so, uh... Maybe the train operator, he misjudged the curve, he came in too fast and set the train off the tracks. Not on the Apollo. I mean, on it is an automatic control system. Maybe it could've prevented a collision, but it should've slowed the train down enough to prevent a derailment. Maybe mechanical brake failure? Or software. OK, um. You know what, I'll put a call into URSA and get them to send us the onboard data. - Jordan Cole's company? - Yeah, the genius himself. - Good luck with that. - I'll circle back around, OK? (HELICOPTER WHIRS AND SIRENS IN DISTANCE) (WOMAN) I think I see something! (MAN) Flashlight! (SIREN WAILS) OK. Brakes are in open position. Car-bracing casing seems intact. It's very difficult to see the entire length of the system. Let me see if I can-- - Ah! - Help me. It's alright, it's OK. Hey, we need some help here, please! - (WOMAN) Someone's moving! - What's your name? - Vivian. - Alright Vivian, my name is Kendra. -And this is-- This is Gail. And Gail is gonna be with you, alright? - It's OK just calm down. - Where's Devon? - AH! - (MAN) ..find out... Uh. (SOBS) (SOBS) Devon! (SOBS) Ah! We need a stretcher! - Never gets easy to deal with. - Hey! Hi! Kendra, this is my colleague, Charlotte Jenson. Hi. It's an honour to work with you Miss Malley, I'm a big fan. Kendra, please. What have we learned from the survivor interviews? Well, they're all saying the same thing. The train stopped out of nowhere and then started up again. Crash, boom, bang. Or, I'm sorry. Collision, explosion, derailment. Watch your backs! Coming through! Hey guys, hold on! - Law officer? - A US Marshal. Special Agent Ellen Hunter, FBI. - Are you the crash investigator? - Yeah, Kendra Malley. Was the marshal transporting a federal prisoner? That's classified information, but your crash just became my crime scene. Look, I appreciate your need for confidentiality-- Listen, set a perimeter. Make sure no one walks away from this crash-site without being ID'd by us. And move, everybody. He can't be that far, move it! Any information pertaining to the fugitive is on a need-to-know. Yeah, I understand that but if that train was derailed to free a fugitive, then I do need to know. Look, I get it. You're used to being your own boss so this is gonna be a little awkward. Actually, I'm used to having a boss. In fact, I sent my last one to prison. Oh, we're gonna get along just fine. But you're still not gonna tell me the name of the fugitive? I'll tell you when I find him. - She's blocking us. - So what do we do now? - Find a workaround. - Yep. (SIRENS) (SHOUTING) Oh. How many people? Early reports are 60 dead. Oh. And more wounded and traumatized. You know what they'll say. They'll say she's making political gains on the coattails of tragedy. Governor Martin is only five points ahead of you in this race. He backed this train, you opposed it. He can't mudsling his way out of that. You play this right, you'll be the come-from-behind kid. You are just like your father. Everything is an opportunity. Isn't that Diana Bright? She's running for Governor, no? Didn't take long for this crash to become political. Doesn't everything? Politicians always make everything political. (TELEPHONE RINGS) Howard? You're not gonna answer, are you? - Who's Howard? - Hello Howard. Well, you've been avoiding me. Yeah, I've been busy. I still am. Ah, yes. That must be the reason you've missed all my calls. The BBC has been reporting that you've been put in charge of the Apollo crash. Happy to offer my services? No that's OK, I, uh, have a team that I can trust. Ah. Yes. - Howard, I have to go. - Kendra, wait. - I'm sorry. - Yeah, so am I. ..lies to cover his own crimes. I'd like to discuss the terms of my cooperation. (SIRENS) - Hey. You good? - Yeah. Command centre is just over here. Excuse me. Wow. Damn. OK. Well, this is us. Hello everyone. My name is Kendra Malley. The FTSA have asked me to step in. I'm sure you've just heard that the FBI now has jurisdiction over this investigation but our job here remains the same. To find out why the train crashed and to identify those responsible. People are dead, families are grieving, so we'll need to pull together to find them answers. Theo? The Apollo is the first high-speed automated train in the US and the first crash. This makes our investigation unique. Now, so far our work-in-theories as to what caused derailment. Number one, obstruction, 'ie' the oil tanker on the track. Number two, automation software malfunction. Number three, driver slash dispatch, 'ie' human error and number four, mechanical failure. And given the presence of the FBI and their missing fugitive, number five, criminal interference. (TYPING) So, you think sabotage? Do you think someone killed all these people on purpose? - That is a possibility. - Wow. So we need to check out the onboard CCTV footage to see if we can find a face to our missing fugitive. OK, I'll do that. OK. Open minds, clear heads. So, these are the passengers still missing. - How old's the boy? - Lucas Miller, age eight. Let's make sure that the Sheriff and all his people are aware that there's a child missing. And uh, here's the satellite image. OK. That's interesting. The bend looks even sharper from above, there's no way the train sensors would've picked up the truck. Yes. At that point, it would've been too late. Oh, the rail-traffic controller. He goes by Ratch. Sure. Thank you for coming in Mr Ratch, I... I know this is an emotional night for you. Me and the operator worked together for 20 years. And to call his wife... I'm sorry. I'm here to find out what happened, Mr Ratch. Did the operator communicate anything to you in the moments before the derailment? He said, um, it's not working. What do you think he meant by that? Computer that's supposed to work the brakes. Was... Was that your observation, that the automated system had failed? Well, the train didn't slow down, did it? So, you figure it out. What about the emergency stop? - Who activated that? - I don't have a clue. And after the emergency stop, wasn't it the train operator's responsibility to manually re-arm the brakes? Keith got out, he through the lever to open. He said he did, I know he did. - But the train failed to slow. - It's not coz of Keith. Do you know how fast the train was travelling when it hit the curve? Fast. It's a high-speed train. I was looking for an exact speed please, Mr Ratch. We hit an oil-tanker sitting on the rails. What is there to understand? Are you trying to pin this on me? It's late. Why don't we, um... Why don't we pick this up in the morning, hmm? His job's one of the few the Union's been able to hold onto. - Do we have the black boxes? - No, still sourcing equipment. Speed it up? I need to find out how fast that train was going. I'll see what I can do. I'm gonna head over to Parker. - I'll see you at the crash-site? - Yeah, you got it. Miss Malley? I got an ID on that tanker truck driver. Walter Mack. He's a local. He and his wife live a stone's throw from the crash-site. Great, alright. I wanna speak to his wife, please. I'll see what I can do. I better get back on it. I got my deputies keeping an eye out for the boy in particular, and for the fugitive who's not supposed to exist. Listen, have they told you anything about the fugitive? No, but from the amount of troops they got on the ground, he's not up for shoplifting. (HELICOPTER WHIRS) It's alright, it looks like they've dressed it. You feeling dizzy? Why don't you have a seat over there. I'll come to you right after, I'll get you. Excuse me, sorry. I'm from the FTSA. Can you tell me where you have the deceased, please. Yeah. They've set up a morgue in the building out back. OK. Um, how is she? The pregnant one. We gotta do an emergency delivery but the OBGYN's an hour away. Then it's up to you. - First time for everything, right? - Good luck. - We've cleared an OR. - Ugh. Ah! - Let's go have that baby, huh? - Oh. OK. Ooh. (HELICOPTER WHIRS IN BACKGROUND) (PEOPLE WHISPERING) (SIREN) Kendra! Over here. Tox-screen on the train operator came back negative. Clean and sober. The tanker driver's remains are on the way. OK, and how many of the victims remain unidentified? Very few. Any chance the fugitive is among them? The FBI came in asking the same thing. Agent Hunter checked them all. According to her, he's not here, but they're still finding remains at the site. Would you let me know if there are any changes? - Will do. - Thank you. Can I get you anything? We... We were eloping to Chicago. It was my idea to take the train. (SOUND ECHOES) Stop, it's not your fault. There was a boy with his mother. He was so quiet. - Have you found them? - We're still searching. Why don't we get that arm checked, eh? I'll be back. (HELICOPTER WHIRS IN BACKGROUND) (OCCASIONAL BEEPS) I'll take the team in to get the black boxes when they say so. OK. Isn't that Jordan Cole? Yeah. Yeah, it is. Mr Cole! Mr Cole. Kendra Malley. I'm the lead crash investigator. You got here quick. I flew into Detroit the moment I heard. - Like a death in the family. - Yeah, lots of families. Can I get a copy of the passenger manifest? I may even know someone on the train. Yeah, we'll be releasing the names as soon as we notify next of kin. Thank you. If there's anything I can do to help. Actually yeah. We're waiting for your company to send us access to your automation software. - You won't find a problem there. - Regardless, Mr Cole. We're looking at all possibilities at this stage. Mechanical failure, human error. I need to know why my train crashed, Miss Malley. As do we, Mr Cole. Sorry, you have to excuse me. Mr Cole, Mr Cole! Can we get a statement please? This is a cartel tattoo. Radio silence on this. Matelona. That's Mexican cartel, right? Don't you have a crash-site to investigate? - Is this your fugitive? - No. But your fugitive is part of the Mexican cartel? Let's just say he's connected and now he's on the run. Excuse me. OK, let's roll back. Uh. Just after the emergency stop, and play audio please. Sure. (TRAIN OPERATOR) Sorry about that folks, but we're A-OK and on our way, so settle in and make yourselves comfortable and we will have you in Chicago in no time. Apollo on the move. Pick it up K, I got the 278 coming your way. Pause. There was a train behind them catching up. Right. So Ratch asked the operator to increase speed. Alright, so the train was speeding as it approached the curve but doesn't explain why it couldn't slow down. Right. Um. Well. These are the air pressure readings in the brakes. I mean, brakes seem to be fine as the train starts moving. Air pressure reads 90 in all cars. (RATCH) Ease it up there Apollo, you're headed for the big curve. - (KEITH) Brakes not responding. - Hang on a minute. - Air pressure's going down. - PSI is sinking like a stone. Can you forward to the, um, to the crash? Sure. Woah, what the hell are you doing, slow down! I can't! The computer isn't working! Keith! (CONTINUOUS BEEP) (DIANA BRIGHT) We will not capitalize on this tragedy, but know this. Our campaign is staying right here in this town to make sure people hear our message. This is what happens when you invest in machines instead of the hard-working citizens of Michigan. (REPORTER) And her response to sources saying that speed was a factor in the crash. Don't fall for their smokescreen. When an automated train derails, you look at the automation. Amen. Kendra, you guys might wanna take a look at this before you go. Um. What is it? Well, I went through the CCTV footage that you asked me to do and I found this. OK, so here is some guy handcuffed to the dead marshal. That's the FBI's fugitive. Isn't that the missing boy? - Lucas Miller, yeah. - Yeah, they chat for a while. Then boom. The emergency brakes stop. That's interesting. Fugitive's immediate reaction was to protect the boy. - That's just a reflex, no? - Mmm. K, but look at this. Immediately, the two men look out the window for something. Or someone. - Still haven't found the boy? - No. OK. Thanks, Charlotte. (TELEPHONE RINGS IN BACKGROUND) (SIRENS IN DISTANCE) (SIGHS) (TELEPHONE RINGS) (HOWARD) Kendra? You got me this job, didn't you? The FTSA said, "we want the best." Um, I myself am not available unfortunately. Can't get on a plane because of this damn ankle bracelet. - You're out of prison? - Mmm! House arrest now. Getting on in years has it's privileges. - As does having connections. - (LAUGHS) Yeah. I've been watching the coverage. The tanker truck is an anomaly. Yeah. Couldn't have derailed the train on it's own. Strange it was there on the one night that something else would go wrong with the train. That's often when tragedy strikes. Sequence of events folding in on each other. Yes. Let me know if our connections could be of some use. Um. I really would like the opportunity to atone. I have to go, Howard. (HANG-UP TONE) (EXHALES SHARPLY) (EXHALES SHARPLY) It's alright. It's alright. You're gonna come with me, OK? It's OK. (ECHOED) Hey Lucas. (NORMAL) Just gonna check your eyes, OK? OK. (ECHOED) Mom! (ECHOED) Mom! Alright. Not a scratch on him, but he's in shock. - Thanks very much. - No problem. Lucas? My name's Kendra. I'm gonna help you find your mom. It's OK. It's OK, you don't have to say anything. (FAINT WHISPERING) It's OK. (FAINT WHISPERING) (TV) Jordan Cole, the entrepreneur behind the Apollo train, built his automation technology as a safer, cleaner answer to travel. (REPORTER) Mr Cole, what do you have to say to the victim's families? Everyone in URSA is mourning this loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been touched by this horrible tragedy. Can people still trust your technology? What happened here has nothing to do with my automation. Some people will say it is, they'll celebrate this. Truth will win out in the end. (REPORTER) That was Jordan Cole only hours ago, obviously shaken by the crash of the Apollo. A few short months ago, Mr Cole exhibited full confidence in the future of his technology. A path of rails already extends across this country. America built that. And we will build from that. The Apollo is a pioneer, forging the past with the future. (JORDAN COLE VO) A trailblazer like the rocket ship she's named after. And we are all on board. Let's take this journey together. (RINGING GROWING LOUDER) It's 6AM here in Rockwater, a town devastated by the tragedy but we must move on. This state has proven strong before and as both of our candidates are saying, we will strive through this. Governor Martin is speaking on his economic plan and candidate Diana Bright-- (DOOR OPENS) I need a ride out of town. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air.