Quatermass II (1955) s01e04 Episode Script

Before we begin the fourth episode of "Quatermass II", we would like to say that it is not suitable for children or those of you who may have a nervous disposition.
Probing the mystery of the pseudo-meteorites that take a violent effect on humans with whom they come into contact, Professor Bernard Quatermass is led first to a top-secret synthetic food plant and later, in Whitehall, to an inquiry into the running of this establishment.
An inquiry that ends abruptly.
With the help of a senior civil servant, Fowler, and Ward, a public relations officer, who are disturbed by what they have learnt, Quatermass gains entry to the unfinished plant.
He discovers that building work is suspended there and production has begun of what seems to be synthetic food, pumped to a vast pressure dome, the first to be completed.
One of his companions finds a way into the dome.
When he emerges, he is covered with black corrosive slime.
Quatermass escapes with a sample of the slime.
Analysis shows that this synthetic food is a deadly poison to any living thing on the Earth.
Meanwhile, by radio telescope, the source of the meteorites has been located.
No doubt about this.
It's giving a firm signal.
- The asteroid? - Distance? Something over 500,000 miles - approaching the Earth.
By my calculations, it will go on doing so for four hours.
Then the asteroid, or whatever it is, will reach its nearest point.
- How near? - About 380,000 miles.
Sounds a lot, but astronomically it's next door.
Then it will move away and come again after 40 hours and so on.
That's the pattern.
If we're right about this, it's able to discharge these call them meteorites whenever it reaches the near point.
In this shell something travelled to the Earth alive.
Not as we know life.
Sustained in this cavity by a mixture of compressed gases.
Ammonia, methane and probably hydrogen.
The atmosphere to which it belongs.
Then when it emerged into the air we breathe, into oxygen, it couldn't live.
For a few moments, floating.
Seconds, really.
It came into contact with an object, a target, and then its energy was expended.
- As when one of them touched Johnny Dillon? - Yes.
I thought I saw it for a moment on his face before he collapsed.
Like a dark bubble.
- And then it was gone.
- What happens to a person affected? An instantaneous invasion of the whole nervous system and a violent shock to the brain.
A sort of mental sting? It may extend to a complete comprehension of the victim's faculties - his reasoning powers, his subconscious knowledge.
But what is certain is that something is implanted in him.
A new instinct.
- Submission? - To what? - By your theory, the thing dies moments later.
- It may not matter.
- Death not matter? - Do you know what a colonial organism is? Imagine a group mind.
A thousand billion individuals, if you like, with a single consciousness.
What one discovers transmits to the rest.
- More - the experience itself.
- By all of them? Simultaneously, wherever they may be.
- Doctor Pugh, you're in agreement? - Yes.
They first came probably at random.
A reconnaissance in force.
And a year later, phase two, the general offensive.
- How many there were in the world - Brazil, Siberia.
- We know of one incident.
- Winnerden Flats.
An out-of-the-way village, a small government research unit.
In a night, the whole area taken over.
- The inhabitants? - All of them, the trained personnel.
A plague spot defended by the victims! And now the plant's almost complete.
Waiting.
- Waiting? - To be occupied.
The pressure dome's already full of slime in readiness.
A small, tiny creature? But they The dome is so huge! - To accommodate a vast number of them? - More than that.
It might, in its own atmosphere, be able to change in size, mass and shape.
- Another 3 hours 20 minutes.
- Until it reaches the perigee.
The nearest point.
And then they can come, perhaps in force.
This time, the next, how long? It must be soon.
Whatever we do now, there will be no second chance.
We must break this conspiracy of silence with details.
We've got to make it known! - Isn't that straightforward? - No, they're a year ahead of us! - Will you go back to London? - Of course.
Be careful.
Check your position there first, then find out all you can.
- In the Ministry? - Remember Broadhead.
Act quickly.
And keep in touch with us here.
Hello.
Send a car round to Observatory Three.
If only it were more than an electronic trace.
If one could see Father! I believe there's something you've missed.
You might be entirely wrong.
You said an atmosphere of ammonia and methane, but a small asteroid can't hold an atmosphere.
- It's not a natural asteroid.
- Of course.
Sorry.
I'm being so stupid.
Yes, it would have to be, wouldn't it, a made thing? - From where those conditions do exist.
- In heaven's name, where?! - The outer planets.
- A frozen world.
With poisonous gases for air.
Life could exist there, and develop, until a time came when Probably one of the moons of Saturn.
800 million miles away.
Precision workmanship.
This would seal it.
Almost certainly airtight.
Gas-tight.
- Ward had this in his hand? - Yes.
Hmm.
About the same capacity.
- Only this is man-made.
- Made in the plant's workshops, probably.
- And kept in readiness.
- Protective containers.
Worse.
I stripped down the locking device.
It's an acoustic fuse.
Charge this with gases and one of those things - a kind of booby trap.
And now, Leo? We'd better warn our people here.
It's possible for these to turn up anywhere.
I've done that.
I meant action.
Future developments.
I want a general alert sent out to all sections.
Basic preparation of the rocket to begin at daybreak.
Check number seven! Check number eight! - Quatermass! It's totally inoperable! - My decision, Leo.
- There's only a limited chance.
- I'm aware of that.
Even with a rocket with 100% performance, but with this! We both know its potentialities.
It'll turn into a death trap, an atomic bomb! Is that how you intend to use it? Quatermass! I have no intention of using it if it can be avoided, but it's got to be ready! - Firing Base.
- Now, you know what I want from you.
- Trajectory calculations.
- A fix on the asteroid.
Exact position of the perigee, all possible interception lines.
- I've already told you - I'm not listening to reason! - Father? - Who is it? - A journalist.
Says you wanted to speak to him.
- Is his name Conrad? - Yes.
- Then I do want to speak to him.
- I didn't know.
- Quatermass here.
- What in heaven's name does he intend to do? - No, it is NOT the rocket project! Something much more important.
Since we last met, a lot of things have changed.
What do you know about the project at Winnerden Flats? - Nothing? You've never been there? - No.
No, I haven't.
I've heard of it, of course.
It's something top secret, isn't it? Synthetic food? It hardly seems like my line of country, but still, if I'm the man you want, I Mm? Which scare? The flying objects last year? Of course I remember.
One thing at a time, sir.
We were talking about There's some connection? Yes, go on.
Uh-huh.
Yes, I'm sure we've got a lot on the files.
I'm doing that right now.
- Hurry with that! - OK, Mr Conrad! Can you give me any idea what the story is? No.
We'd better meet as soon as possible.
This afternoon.
This is much more important! Let me see.
There's a prefab town a few miles away from the plant.
Yes.
Yes, I see.
All right.
I'll meet you there at that time.
Yes, I'll come alone.
I promise.
Yes, I'll be there.
But can't you give me? - Ah, that was quick.
- I am quick.
- Too quick.
Where's the rest of it? - Eh? - This is all there was? - It is.
Honest.
You can look for yourself.
All right, all right.
Get along with you.
There must have been more than this.
Funny.
- How are you, sir? Am I late? - No, no, no.
I left my car some distance away.
I thought it might be recognised.
I've been looking around.
- A drink to start with? - Mr Conrad, I've a lot to tell you.
You'll probably have many questions.
We'd better drive around for a while.
- All right.
- Then we'll have our drink.
I know a pub and some people I think we ought to meet.
- "Are there whiskers on it?" - That's what she said! Mac, you're the one for them, you foul-minded old Did you hear it? Are you too shocked to give us another round? Four Extra Strong.
She could better it herself.
Whiskers! There you are, Mac.
It's this decent man's silver wedding tomorrow.
The way he's taking them, you'd think he was getting married! Well, what's it to be? - After that, a double Scotch at least.
- Two large Scotches, please.
- Everybody here seems to be normal enough.
- They probably are.
- Well, cheers.
- Ah, wait a minute.
This isn't a night for letting it go at that.
Now, where's Mrs Mac? - She's far gone in gossip.
- Well, has she a drink at her? - Hey, Mrs Mac! - Oh, let her be, Paddy! That's better.
Keep the party together, eh? Now, what was it, Mrs Mac? - Ah, that's a sensible drink.
- You'll have me under the table! - Get her a glass of water.
- One glass of water for Mrs McLeod.
- Black with a head on it! - Don't, Paddy.
She's not a drinking woman and she'd be a weight to carry! Tomorrow's our silver wedding.
Have one with us.
Oh, no, these drinks are on me.
Will you take the orders, please? No, I'm intruding on your party.
A silver wedding is something I never had the fortune to reach.
Mr and Mrs McLeod? I'd like to celebrate yours.
- That's a decent thing to say.
- Your poor wife.
- I said you had a sad face.
- Come and sit down with us.
- That's very kind of you.
- That's right.
Make yourself at home.
Oh, Paddy! You'll be the death of me! I shouldn't take it, you know, really.
It just rises up here.
But tonight's something special.
The eve of our wedding - 25 years ago! Here's to you both.
And the golden wedding.
- Here, you can't drink to yourself.
- Oh, dear! It must have risen already! - I haven't seen you.
Been at the plant long? - I don't work there.
A visitor? We don't get many.
That's what I always say.
We're right away from the world.
- Just a plant in the marshes.
- There's two cinemas.
- Sometimes I wish you'd never taken this job.
- You've had enough.
You probably know his name.
The columnist Hugh Conrad.
- He writes in our paper.
- Hey! Look who's here.
The fact of the matter is I'm planning a new series of articles on what it's really like to work in a big plant.
- You want us to tell you? - I do.
It's terrific.
The best jobs a man could ask for.
Do you know what they pay unskilled men? - Ernie! Haven't you noticed these? - Ah, to the devil with them! Listen, mister.
We're construction workers.
We built it, but we've little enough idea how it functions! - That's left to the zombies.
- Zombies? - Men with special duties.
- Why "zombies"? They get special privileges.
Free living quarters inside the plant, free board, free That's an old labour dispute! They're maintenance men, permanent.
- And we hate their guts.
- They send us to Coventry all the time.
- They don't talk to you? - Never.
The security guards, what about them? They're just the same.
Special personnel, they call them! Special? Dirty, diseased I understand the plant's been closed to you all.
- We've been laid off, on full pay.
- All construction gangs? - Conrad - Tell me, the first of the pressure domes, it's completed, isn't it? All of a sudden, you know too much.
Put our names in the papers how we gave out secrets for the price of a drink? - I want to talk to you.
- You're trying to pump me! Fool! I might have known.
Listen, everybody, please.
I've got something important to tell you.
I'm not asking for information, I'm giving it.
- Please! - Don't listen.
Well, Mrs Mac, tomorrow night's the night.
We'll have you dancing a jig! - Oh, Paddy! - Let's go.
Oh, me brolly! I left it over there.
I love the dear silver that shines in her hair And the brow that's all furrowed and wrinkled with care I kiss the dear fingers so toil-worn for me Ohhh Maggie! - What happened, love? - Get back! Get your wife away from here.
- Conrad! - It came through the roof! - It's under the floorboards.
Get back! - Who are you giving orders to? - It's an overshot.
- An overshot.
- An overshot? - Things that fall outside the plant.
- Something to do with the process.
- It's not that at all! Let me explain.
- Listen, it's been explained to us.
- Explained? That these is just overshots.
Stones.
They mean nothing at all.
It's the first time one's done damage.
Here, are you OK, Mrs Mac? Is she all right? Just had a bit of a shock.
She'll get over it.
It's been explained! Concoct a name and then You believe me? Don't go near it! Listen, everybody.
I'm a scientist! It doesn't matter what you've been told - it is NOT harmless! - It's hollow.
It contains something dangerous.
- Who told you? I've investigated it.
And production at this plant is not a food, but a poison.
- A poison deadly to any earthly creature.
- What? - I can prove it! - You'd better! He says we make a poison! Zombies.
Look here.
This lady was nearly killed.
- She hurt? - No, but she's had a terrible shock.
- Have you nothing to say? - There will be compensation for the damage.
Well, how do you like that? Conrad, we've got to follow them! Look alive.
Come on, quickly! Listen.
- A truck.
- No, I don't mean that.
Meteorites.
We've got to get to the plant.
Where's your car? Careful, man.
You'll have us over.
Something's happening out there.
In the marshes.
Watch out! You've hit him! He's alive, but it's one of them.
He was trying to stop us.
Listen to them now.
They're coming in thousands.
See? Teams of men.
Out on the mudflats.
There and there.
Conrad! This is it! This is the night! Containers with their own gas supply.
If they put the meteorites in these things before they open They must be using them outside now.
Keep a lookout! It's worse than I thought.
Get back to London! Write that article as quick as you can! But get them to listen! Before it's too late! - What about you? - I'm going to get into the plant.
I've got to see what's inside those pressure domes! - Up you get.
Paddy, you coming our way? - I am.
- Listen.
- What is it? - Overshots make a noise like that.
- They'd have to be in vast numbers.
Must have been the car.
Look, it's that fellow.
Give me it! Give me a telephone! Have they had an accident or what? This is Winnerden 31.
I want to speak to London! - Fleet Street 10000.
Yes.
Quickly! Quickly! - Hey, are you OK? Well, can't you say? Hello.
Hello! Put me through to the night desk.
Hurry! Frank? Frank, this is Conrad.
Hugh Conrad.
Now, listen, I've got a story here.
Get it, every word.
Don't ask questions, just get it.
For the past year, this country, and probably others, has been under the influence of Look, Frank, you'll have to sub this to make it sound right.
Under the influence of something from outside the Earth.
Yes The things come in what appear to be meteorites.
Contact with them produces violent infection.
Ten minutes ago I became the victim of one.
I Oh, Frank, I can't I can't Are you getting this? Subjugation to the intention of the thing is widespread.
It's given rise to the production of a a protected colony at a place called Winnerden Flats.
No! It's not synthetic food! It's It's the re-creation of a world 800 million miles away! They're coming! At this moment in thousands! - What do you make of it? - I know what to do.
Mother, go home.
Here, Foster, Ernie, go round the houses, and get out the lads and up to the plant! Look, Frank, it's it's true, I tell you.
It's true! I've seen them! Frank, I I got hold of one.
I wanted to bring it back.
But it it went to nothing in my hand after it had Quatermass! Get Professor Quatermass! He's in the plant now! Alone! He's Quatermass! Quatermass! No Special personnel! Hurry! Special personnel, get those containers into the first birth chamber.
Hurry, hurry! All containers to the first birth chamber.
Stand by for next phase.
Hurry and stand by for next phase.
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry! Keep them moving.