Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964) s01e06 Episode Script

[Clicking.]
[Chattering.]
- [ Woman Screams.]
- [Shouting.]
What's the position now? [ Man.]
!t's over Seattle, sir,.
Interceptor missiles, alert.
It's over San Francisco, sir.
It's over Los Angeles, sir.
It's heading south from San Pedro, sir.
We're getting a fix on it now, sir.
There it is, sir! On target Ready on target.
Interceptor missiles, stand by.
I wouldn't wait too long, General.
I'd feel a lot better about this, Tobin, if I knew what it was and where it came from.
Well, we know that it's penetrated our radar screen, ignored our signals violated just about every international security regulation in the book.
Isn't that enough? [ Man .]
She's turning out to sea, sir.
She seems to be losing altitude.
Missile Number One, start final countdown.
Don't look so guilty, General.
From the Aleutians all the way down to Los Angeles this thing's got people hiding under their beds screaming for help.
- If we don't stop it now- - [Man .]
There she goes! [ Man #2.]
six, five, four, three- Stop the countdown! Hold your fire! [Man.]
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Starflng Richard Basehart David Hedison.
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Admiral, we're just coming up on the lightship.
Fine.
As soon as we clear the straits, we'll start taking samples of seawater.
A message, Admiral.
We'vejust been handed a new assignment.
Plot a course to this position immediately.
- What's it mean? - I don't know, except for the time being we're back in the navy! Steer course 2-7-0.
All ahead flank.
Course 2-7-0.
All ahead flank.
Admiral, we're at the exact latitude and longitude you ordered.
- What happens now? - We're to rendezvous with someone here.
[ Kowalski On Speaker.]
Captain, this is the bridge.
Helicopter approaching off the starboard quarter.
Very well.
Have a detail on deck to receive transfer of passenger.
[ Kowalski .]
Aye, aye, sir.
- A message from the helicopter, sir.
- Thank you.
Well, our passenger is Rear Admiral Walter Tobin.
- You know him? - [ Laughs.]
“Trigger-happy“ Tobin, the scourge of the seven seas? You know him.
[ Tobin.]
This thing dropped down out of the Aleutians.
Made a halfa dozen passes across the nation and scared the daylights out of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
We finally got a fix on it.
Before we were able to launch a missile - the thing dropped out of sight into the sea.
- That'; the last you heard of it? We dispatched the /efi'ers0n and the Madison to look for it, but they never got a sighting.
However, we have reason to believe that the Madman got close.
Why? She reported making a metal contact at 3,500 feet but seconds later, she was swept into some sort ofan undersea vortex.
Her last report said she was breaking up and she was unable to get out of the current.
- Lost? - Yeah, well, I'm afraid so.
- And now weTe to pick up where Madrkon left off.
- Exactly- We're headed for the Madison'; last reported position.
Now, we've got the whole They'll join us as soon as they can get here.
And the, uh- the Seaview will function as my flagship.
Is there anything else you can tell us about this, uh saucer or whatever it is? Well, there's nothing much more to tell, except we don'! know how many more there may be.
It's, uh- It's ourjob to get it before it gets us.
SAC will police the skies, and our nuclear fleet will police the waters.
So far, the saucer has eluded every attempt to capture it or identify it.
And since that it refuses to acknowledge any of our signals or warnings we must assume that it's hostile craft and act accordingly.
The n2 w has commissioned the Seaview for this mission because this vessel has greater speed, maneuverability and firepower than any ship afloat.
Now, we hope to track down the saucer and force its surrender.
Thank you, gentlemen.
That'; all.
All right, men.
Return to your battle stations.
Attention, all hands.
This is the captain.
Remain at your battle stations and proceed under rigid combat conditions until otherwise notified.
Now that's the neatest trick of the week- [Scoffs.]
Chasing a flying saucer with a submarine.
[Chuckles.]
Prepare to dive, Mr.
Morton.
Maintain depth at 500 feet.
Aye, sir.
Prepare to dive.
- Prepare to dive.
- [Man .]
Close all main valves, tank vents.
Stand by to blow tanks.
- Ballast tank's full.
- Close the vents! - Flood negative.
- Dive.
Metal contact, bearing 7 -7- 7.
I can't identify it, sir.
Must be something new.
That's strange.
- You running a tape on this? - Yes, sir.
Feed it into the computer.
We may be able to isolate the wave pattern.
[ Man.]
Sonar blips, sin Starboard quarten.
- [ Beeping.]
- There's no apparent activity.
Whatever they are, they're not going anywhere.
Mr.
Morton, slow to one-third.
Slow to one-third.
You betterjuice up your torpedoes, Captain.
Ready torpedoes one, two, three and four.
Missile Room, ready torpedoes one, two, three and four.
[Chain Clanking.]
[ Man .]
Torpedoes at the ready, sir.
Activate sail and nose cameras.
Television activated, sir.
Vegetation.
Looks like a lot of ocean garbage to me.
I always said mermaids make lousy housekeepers.
[ Nelson.]
Those plants have been ripped out by the roots.
Takes an awful lot of power to do that.
[ Crashing.]
Hey, isn't it- isn't it a bit turbulent for this depth? [Scoffs.]
For any depth.
Maneuvering, what's shaking us up like that? [ Man On Speaker.]
Don't know, sir.
It's like a whirlpool out there.
Heavy pressure on the rudders.
All ahead.
Two-thirds steady on course.
Sir! Here's the results - What's this? - We're picking up a high-decibel sound.
We're hoping to isolate the wave pattern and identify the source.
Seems to be getting much closer now, sir.
We're caught in a whirlpool! We'll never hold our course at this speed.
All ahead flank! We've dropped another 200.
This currenfll spin us right into the vortex.
- It'll take us down below our crush depth! - We're at maximum power, Admiral.
We'll need more than maximum to break out of this.
Reactor Room! Put strontium pellets in all conversion chambers.
Maneuvering- [ Sighs.]
we're out of it.
- 5m; to one-thwck - [ Man On Speaker.]
Aye, aye, sir.
With pleasure.
- Damage Control, report.
- [Man On Speaker.]
All systems g0, sir.
[High-pitched Beeping.]
Admiral, we're getting awfully close to something.
[Static.]
Captain Crane, theyTejamming our radio.
Here, listen! [Static Continues.]
We're losing TV signal too.
Let's get to the observation nose.
[Static Continues.]
Reports from the computer prove that the sound is coming from some kind of electrical force- heat, measured in solar units.
Sunlight at the bottom of the ocean? Our fuel could be measured in solar units too.
Uranium-BS, strontium-90, any form of nuclear- [Pulsing.]
Walt- [Pulsing Continues.]
Maybe they're trying to communicate with us.
Maybe they are.
How do we communicate with them? Something tells me they'll find a way.
[ Man On Speaker.]
Radio signals are silent, sir.
Tubes one, two, three and four are ready for firing.
Very well, Chief.
Stand by.
[ Pulsing Continues.]
The torpedoes, Nelson- What the devil are you waiting for? - A reason to use them.
- I order you to fire-.
Nelson, this is a civilian vessel.
You've been commissioned by the United States Navy to- To make contact.
To defend ourselves only if attacked.
So far, I haven? seen that saucer commit any act of aggression that warrants- Look at that thing shine.
- Can you believe it? - What's it made of? [ Men Muttering.]
[ Beeping.]
[Crashes .]
What happened to the lights? Cut in the emergency generator.
Damage Control, report! - What'd we hit? - Hey sonar'; out.
- Hey, the computer's gone! - [ Men Clamoring.]
All hands, stand fast! Break out the battle lanterns.
- Power's gone.
[Sighs.]
- Admiral Nelson! Captain Crane! All systems are dead- all of'em.
No power, no lights- nothing' Switch to manual plane controls.
We'll hold our trim by hand.
Aye.
aye, sir! What about our ventilation system? Nothing.
No air- Not a bit of it.
There's no air, sir.
- [ Chattering.]
- There's no air.
Let me check my instruments over here.
- Nothing seems to be working.
- Nothing's working here! - It's dead here.
- There's no air coming out of here either, sir.
- Take it easy.
We'll be okay.
- Kowalski, we could suffocate! This isn't working either.
- Nothing's working.
- Kowalski! - Can we get to the surface? - With what? We got no power.
Hey- We're moving.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
We're moving.
Hey, we're moving! Must be some kind of magnetic force.
It's pulling us up along with the saucer.
There's a lot of water between here and the surface and very little air.
I told you we should've used those torpedoes when we had the chance, Nelson.
Sparks, save the oxygen.
We need all we've got.
[ Morton.]
You men okay? You all right over here? Stay relaxed.
You all right? [Gasping.]
I can't breathe.
It's closin' in.
- Ha ve t0 get out of here.
We gotta do somethir? f - Relax- - We gotta do somethin', sir! - Relax! - Come on.
Take it easy, sailor.
- What are you all standin' around for? - We gotta do somethin'.
- Take it easy, Cook! Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
- Everybody all right in here? - We're okay, Chief.
We gotta get air in here.
We're all gonna die! What do you thinkyou're doin'? Get down from there! Simmer down, boy! - We're all gonna die.
We gotta get out of here.
- Get back! - I don't want to die.
- You're gonna be all right.
- No, we're not.
We're all gonna die! - We 're gonna be all right! No, we're not! I'm sorry/Junior.
Break it up, men.
Come on.
I said, break it up-.
It got a little- it got a little tense for a minute, sir.
All right, men.
Give me your attention.
As you know, the powefs gone.
The air supply has been cut off.
But we seem to be heading for the surface.
The saucer'; heaziing up and taking us with it.
What happens when and if we get to the surface I don't know.
- Will we make it in time, Captain? - I don't know, Kowalski.
We're moving slowly but at least we're moving.
There's a good chance that we'll get to the surface before the oxygen gives out.
Now, save your breath- [Sighs.]
And your energy and remain at your stations.
Okay.
Wouldn'tya call this an act of aggression? Keeping us prisoner, suffocating us? Easy, Walt.
There's no future for short-winded men.
One word- All we needed was one word to prevent this - and that was the order t0 fire.
- What difference do you think that would've made? Our torpedoes- They can blast any ship afloat out of the water.
Even that saucer? Well, it's worth a try anyhow.
Look, they rendered us helpless completely helpless with one ray of light! What do you think they would've done if we had been the aggressors? [ Crashing.]
- Now what are they up to? - I don't know.
Admiral, we're at dead stop again.
What do you think our depth is, Lee? Well, from the looks of the water I'd say, uh, 400 or 500 feet.
We have 1O diving masks aboard.
We can save that many men if worse comes to worst.
Admiral, look! [Pulsing.]
- What is it? - It looks like some sort of a weapon.
- It's going above us.
- I wish there were some way we could get a better look- Chief, get on the hydraulic lift.
See if you can crank up the scope by hand.
- Aye, aye, sir.
Patterson, give me a hand.
- Aye, sir.
[ Rattling.]
[ Rattling Continues.]
- What was that? - There's something on the hull, Admiral.
- Get that periscope up.
- Aye, aye, sir.
Let's go.
[Gasping.]
[Gasps.]
Come on, Patterson- Put your shoulder in it-.
- Okay.
That's enough.
Hold it.
- [ Gasps.]
Well, what is it? That thing we saw approaching, Walt, has settled down directly over the hatch just aft of the sail.
- It's almost like an escape chamber.
- Ora bomb! - Chief, I want a volunteer to go up to Room C-'I - Kowalski, bring along alight.
- [ Kowalski .]
A ye, aye, sir.
- Hand me that dog wrench.
- Aye, sir.
It's hollow.
There's air above.
Yes, and it could be filled with gas.
Lee, you and the others get out of here and close that watertight door behind you.
- I'm gonna crack this hatch.
- I'm staying.
[Clanging.]
[Sighs.]
Here.
[Straining.]
[Straining Continues.]
What's up there? What do you see? It's empty.
It's very much like one of our escape chambers.
As a matter of fact, I think that's exactly what they intended to use it for.
Escape to what? - I don't know.
- [ Tobin.]
Don't g0 up there! We can't last much longer at 400 feet with no air, Walt.
I consider this device a clear invitation.
It may be our only chance to save this submarine, and I intend to accept.
- [Cranej/V/go with you.
- It's too tiny, Lee.
There's only room for one! He's making himself a target.
Well, that's the last we'll see of him-.
[Pulsing.]
Hello? Anyone here? Hello? Hello! Welcome, my friend.
We have been expecting you.
Why do you stare like that? Does my appearance offend you? [Breathing Heavily.]
Who are you? Who are you? To your mind, an alien.
Then you do come from another planet? I am.
Does that fact startle you? We have been studying your planet for some time- your language, custom, characteristics.
You are dangerously sensitive to anything you do not understand.
How-How do you mean? My own physical appearance, for example.
By your standards, it would be repellent-.
So, I have assumed the likeness of the one creature that could not possibly offend you.
I have also mastered your language.
I'm impressed.
You know, you have more human traits than you realize.
Including the most obvious trait of all- fallibility.
We are far more advanced than you are but we do make mistakes.
Our being here is one of them.
Then your landing was a mistake? [Scoffs.]
A serious blunder.
That blunder has lost us one of our submarines and almost caused a worldwide panic.
- That was unintentional! - Your attack on the Seal/few- Was that unintentional? Attack? Oh, yes, the ion ray.
Its effects will wear offin about an hour.
Look, an hour may be too late! Without power, my men have no air.
They'll die unless they can surface! I see.
I cannot surface.
We have one chance- a breathing device that operates without power.
It's called a snorkel, but it won't work under 1 O0 feet.
Very well.
I will see that your craft is brought up to that depth immediately.
Thank you.
But why can't you release us? I give you my word we won't attack.
We have no means of evaluating your word.
Your men will have air.
I can promise you nothing else.
But since you are in effect our prisoner perhaps we do owe you an explanation.
On our way through your solar system we miscalculated the orbit of a large meteor.
The resulting collision ruptured a line in our fuel system-.
That is why we are here.
- What do you plan to do? - We have plans, I assure you.
You are obviously a man of courage.
Otherwise, you would not have accepted the invitation that brought you here.
Are you also a man of curiosity? I'm a scientist, if that term has any meaning for you.
Avast meaning.
lam delighted to hear it.
We're wasting time.
The men on my submarine- Will soon breathe again! It has already been arranged.
[Man On Speaker.]
d/rect/ybe/0wme, sir- the sauce-rand the Seaview.
Depth- 380 feet.
Any response to your signals? Negative, sir.
lfthe Seaview could answer, she would.
All right.
Rejoin your squadron.
Stand by to attack.
[Gasping.]
[Coughing.]
Do you see anything yet? Nothing.
Let me watch for a while.
Captain, you gotta do something.
The men can't breathe.
We're doing the best we can.
Skipper, we're moving! Hey, we're moving.
We're rising.
I think we're heading for the surface.
- Patterson, get on that scope and pump it up! - Aye, aye, sir.
Murdoch, stand by to crack aft hatches.
- Williams, do the same thing forward! - Aye, sir.
Chip, I want you to stand by and get your crew topside.
[Sighs.]
We've stopped at periscope depth.
That's no help.
We need air.
- Chief.
- Aye, aye, sir.
- Get a detail to crank up the snorkel tube.
- Right away, sir.
Chip, pass the word to the crew.
We're gonna get a tube to the surface.
We'll hand-pump enough air through the ventilating system to keep us alive.
Now go ahead! SnorkeFs on the surface, sir.
Fresh air.
[Exhales.]
Fresh air.
Oh, man.
That's beautiful.
Oh, I finally found something I like better than girls.
[Laughing.]
Jets! They're gonna bomb the saucer.
- What is it? -jets.
[Electricity Crackling.]
- What's wrong? - You lied! [Explosion.]
[ Bombs Exploding.]
Where are you? [ Electricity Crackling.]
Where are you? Where are you? [Man On Speaker.]
the whole payload and it didn't even put a dent in that saucen.
All right.
Rejoin your squadron.
- Await further orders.
- [Man On Speaker.]
Roger.
Ova-rand out.
Detection reports Seal/few still in target area, apparently helpless.
Alert Squadron “B“ for immediate combat.
Contact 7th Fleet headquarters.
Tell 'em I want a destroyer flotilla and a supercarrier.
We'll hit 'em with everything we've got.
But, sir, what about our sub? My orders are to destroy the saucer at any cost.
If the sub is in the target area, it will be destroyed.
You gave me your word you would not attack.
That wasn't our sub.
Those were bombers.
Send 'em a radio message.
They'll hold off the attack and negotiate.
- We cannot contact them.
- Why? You speak our language perfectly.
Unfortunately, our communication system and your so-called radio are incompatible.
They cannot receive us.
Then what do you plan to do? Ride out the attack and wait.
I've already contacted another craft.
It is on its way here now with the fuel we need.
Until then, we are confined to your earthly atmosphere.
Another craft - like this one? - Similar t0 this one but more heavily armed.
That could be interpreted as an invasion, an act ofwar.
The war has already begun! It was not our choice.
Your people interpreted a simple mistake as an act of aggression.
When our next craft comes with the fuel we need I have no doubt that your people will consider it an invasion from outer space! Yes, I'm afraid they will.
And when the effects of the ion ray wear off lam quite sure that your submarine will turn all ofits arms against us.
You shouldn't worry.
You can always use that ray again.
Unfortunately, we cannot.
Our fuel reserve is draining off, and with it, our power.
Without power, we are almost as helpless as you are.
And if the bombers attack again Seaview will be blown to bits.
More than that Anotherattack upon us will bring retaliation.
' That will leave your planet a dead cinder in space.
There's a whole formation of jets up there.
They're just sitting up there! What are they waiting for? Why don't they pull the strings? - Maybe they know the admiraFs over with the saucer- - How could they know? Our radio's useless.
Be impossible for 'em to know.
How can you stand there and talk about an attack now? Look, Captain Crane.
You know as well as I know that a new attack upon that saucer would be the end of this submarine and every man aboard it! - Is that what you want, Admiral? - No, I don't! I'm under orders to track down that saucer and destroy it before it destroys our people.
And let me remind you of something, Captain.
We won't be the first men to die following orders.
The core of your fuel system- heat units, nuclear power.
That is right.
The same basic fuel used on your submarine.
Ourfuel consists of uranium dioxide enriched with uranium-BS.
Yes, I know.
We have already analyzed it.
That power is hardly adequate.
When we want more power, we use strontium-90.
In what form? Pellets- Strontium-9O pellets.
Primitive, basic but we have the means of converting strontium-90.
Solar units, right? Those pellets could give you the fuel you need.
Enough to boost us beyond the Earth's atmosphere.
After that, we could rendezvous with the spaceship that is on its way.
Let me go back to the Seal/few I'll see you get all the fuel you need.
I promise you that! You lied to us once.
Why should we trust you now? Your military commanders are already mobilizing for a full-scale attack.
When they do, they'll bring back a counterattack, and Earth will be destroyed.
- Do you want that to happen? - Not particularly.
Neither do I.
This is my home and I don't intend for you or anyone else to destroy it.
How is it to be prevented? By proving to you that you can trust me.
We'll need a few moments to convert the strontium a few moments to get our craft under way I promise you, I'll be back with the pellets before the attack.
[Pulsing.]
Do you really think they're going to attack, sir? I don't know.
They're waiting for reinforcements.
- It'll be a full-scale attack when it comes.
- [K0 wa/ski.]
Hey Captain! Say, that thing's coming back from the saucer we saw from the observation nose.
[Thuds.]
I've only got a few minutes.
I'll explain the whole thing to you when I get back.
What makes you think they'll let you come back? I know they will.
They've got no reason to keep me prisoner.
It'd be a prize acquisition for them- an Earth creature, something to keep in a bottle on their laboratory shelf.
[Scoffs.]
You're talking nonsense, Walt.
Say, you said our radio will be working soon.
Good.
We'll announce to the entire world that you're back safe aboard the Seaview.
Then we'll get out of bomber range, and we'll blast that saucer apart.
Why, in the name of heaven, would we do that - even if we could? - You're forgetting one thing.
That saucer represents the greatest threat to our security in history.
Look- They didn't come here either as friends or enemies.
They came here by mistake, but I intend to see that they leave as friends.
I haven't got time to argue with you.
As soon as Crane gets here with those pellets- You forget those pellets, Admiral.
Our orders are to capture and destroy that saucer.
- Even ifit means destroying ourselves? - That'; the nature ofwar.
Any form of combat is a calculated risk.
At the moment, my only war seems to be with you, Walt.
Now get out of my way before- If you deliver those strontium pellets or allow that saucer to escape you?! be charged with insubordinationm.
for deliberately giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Admiral, here it is! All the strontium we could find.
[ Tobin.]
Forget it, Crane! Fuel stays here.
RearAdmiral Tobin seems to be our self-appointed savior, Lee.
He wants to make the world safe for disaster.
But we don't have much time.
We've got to deliver this fuel before the attack comes.
Our powefs coming back.
We can move, get out of bomber range before the attack or- or unless you'd rather see us all get killed? - I intend to keep my word to them.
- Stay put, Nelson! Captain Crane as your superior officer, I'm assuming command of this submarine.
I order you to put Admiral Nelson under arrest.
As you wish, sir.
By order of the United States Navy, Admiral Nelson you are to be confined to your quarters until further notice! Crane! Open this door! Open this door, I say! [Banging.]
Well, he's just signed our death warrant- I guess you realize that-.
I realize that Captain Crane has very likely saved the lives of all of us aboard including yours.
Welcome aboard, Captain.
Thank you.
Well, they've got their fuel.
Now we'll all be blown out of the water.
- I hope you're wrong, Walt.
- So do I.
[ Door Rattles.]
Uh, excuse me, sirs.
Captain Crane said you were having some trouble with this door.
Well, we can't do any good staying here.
Let's go.
Thanks, Chief.
Missile control board working.
[ Morton.]
Destroyer flotilla approaching.
- Bearing 0-9-0.
- The attack.
Sparks, is the radio working yet? We're getting morejuice now, sir.
I'm trying to get a message out.
Keep on it.
Planes are starting in.
Those planes'll make short work of us.
All naval units in position.
Pass the word to attack.
Sir? We've reestablished contact with the Seaview.
They report their captain's being held on the saucer as a hostage.
Notify all units to hold assault formations.
We'll give them 'IO minutes to retire to a safe distance.
-- then attack.
With one of our men aboard, sir? If they don't turn him loose in 'IO minutes- yes.
[ Man.]
Admiral, escape device approaching' It's Crane.
They're returning him.
Get him aboard, and we can attack.
Contact with device on hull, sir.
Come on! - [ Exhales.]
- You all right, Lee? Fine.
just fine.
Admiral, when I tell you whatl saw- I know, I know.
Believe me, I know.
Sparks, get me the commanding general of the attack force.
- Top priority! - You can't stop the attack now.
They've got their orders.
You better pray that saucer gets away in time.
[Rumbling.]
[Roaring.]
We haven't got a weapon that can touch it now.
Well, may- maybe it's just as well.
We can expect to see it again someday.
I hope they'll remember they were treated as friends.
They'll remember all right.
I wonder if we will-.