The Avengers (1961) s02e12 Episode Script

The Big Thinker

1 (theme music playing) (static buzzing) (machinery humming) (gas hissing) (coughing) (wrench clanks) It's very kind of you to spare me the time, Dr.
Clemens.
Not at all, Mrs.
Gale, but you have caught us at a most unfortunate moment.
We are in the middle of a breakdown.
Oh? Now tell me, what is your interest in computers and Plato in particular? Plato? That is what we call him.
Oh, the computer's in this building? Plato is this building, Mrs.
Gale, the whole building.
This is his power plant there, air conditioning there.
That's to keep his mind cool, see that he doesn't run a temperature.
Oh, I'm quite serious.
Now, you see these pipes.
Now, that's refrigeration.
- Mm-hmm? - Yes.
Uh Well, some parts of his brain run at four degrees absolute.
Yes, well, it's pleasant enough for us in summer, anyways.
We live inside him.
You talk about him as if he were a person, not a machine.
Hmm.
So we do.
I'm sorry.
Now tell me, what help can we be to an anthropologist? Well, I'm interested in translating dead languages.
Mm, but you do realize, of course, that we are still - at the experimental stage? - Mm-hmm.
Ah, Dr.
Farrow, come and rescue me before I'm persuaded into some wild scheme worse than you and your ballistics.
Uh, Dr.
Farrow is, uh, an astronomer.
Oh, but of course you know one another.
I forgot.
- (man shouting, background) - Yes, we do.
How do you do? Not nearly well enough, I'm afraid.
Tell me, have you managed to sell our director the idea of using our machine for translation purposes? No, but I'm trying.
I'm afraid you can't sell us anything at the moment, because we're strictly non-functional.
Yes.
Have you found out the cause of the breakdown? Farrow: Cooling, I think.
But Brensall's not in yet, and he always yells blue murder if we open up the memory unit without him.
Oh, and of course the boy wonder is, uh, at his best, which doesn't help.
- Monday morning, you know? - Oh? Who's the boy wonder? You better come and see for yourself, Mrs.
Gale.
For an anthropologist, this should be quite an education.
Come on, try again.
What - Brensall - Where the devil is he, then? Look, he should have been here hours ago.
- It's half past.
- How should I know? We certainly can't get started till Brensall opens up and lets us get at the freezing system.
What's the matter? What's the matter? How should I know what's the matter? It's in here.
Oh, maybe a mouse got in the pipes.
Anyway, it's it's Brensall's problem, not mine.
- Oh, Jan? Janet? Janet, dear? - What? Will you punch something through for me? - What would you like? - Uh, anything.
Uh, say 4 x 316 squared, all squared, okay? (types) Fine.
Uh, let's see, that's, uh, 17589 1929783 04 oh, and so on and so forth.
Well, either you're both right or you're both wrong.
That's all right.
So we can both add up.
Punch something else, will you? I want to try the transfer circuit.
Uh, uh, division, right? Divide 3259 by 263, how about that? Right.
Fire it.
- He does it in his head? - He does.
So that if anything is wrong with Plato, he does correct him.
Let's see, that's, uh, 12.
391 634 98098 Does it recur? No, 82 Hello, hello.
What have we here? A charming visitor.
Do you want to see me perform again? Cathy: I think it's marvelous.
Thank you.
I'm sorry about that.
Take no notice.
Oh, uh, Dr.
Hurst, Mrs.
Gale.
Both: How do you do? I, uh, see what you mean about the boy wonder.
Dr.
Clemens, this is becoming impossible.
I'm neither blind nor deaf, Hurst.
Well, what can we do for you? Are you on a conducted tour or have you brains with it as well? - Dr.
Kurtz, please.
- Oh, now, please.
Run away and play with your toys.
There's a good boy.
I've got brains with it, as it happens.
Marvelous.
What do you want to know? Are you always like this or haven't you had breakfast? Oh, take no notice of me.
I've just dropped blood pressure, that's all.
They'd have me out of here in a shot, only I'm the only one who really understands old Plato here, you see? I know what makes him tick.
They haven't time to train up anyone else.
Isn't that so? You haven't time to train anyone else.
Or come to that, the, uh, the material.
So they're lumbered with me.
Anyway, uh, what's your line? Anthropology.
And you call that a science or an art? An art.
- Well, you'll pass.
- Will I? Yes, yes, I'm sure you will, Miss, uh? - Mrs.
Gale.
- Oh.
I'm a widow.
I oh, I am sorry.
My husband was killed some years ago on our farm in Africa.
Uh, look, I, uh, I have to go up to town tonight, and I well, I wondered if you'd like to come.
Uh, we could have dinner, and then there's this party.
- Oh, really? - Well, yes.
Otherwise it only means Little Miss Blue Eyes over there.
Well, all right, all right.
Forget it.
Anyone seen Brensall, hmm? Anyone? - No, not a sign of him.
- All right, well, that does it.
I'll fix it meself.
You got the key? Please? Thank you.
Oh, uh, do you want to come and have a look - at our holy of holies? - Oh, yes.
Well, come on, come on.
Open up.
(machine whirring) Hold it.
Hold it.
Come here, quick! No, quick.
Don't you move.
(machine shuts off) (kicks door) Come in.
Yes, all right.
Put it down.
(sighs) Look, the outer door was locked.
You'll admit that.
No.
Look, it could have slammed shut on the catch.
And the emergency circuits? The gas leakage detector? The alarm system? Why weren't they working? Brensall was working on the electrics.
He might have disconnected them temporarily.
There is a safety drill, Dr.
Farrow.
But I suppose you wouldn't know about that.
After all, you're only a An outsider.
Yes, I know.
Well, you haven't been here very long, have you? And it seems to me you're jumping to conclusions.
What we want are facts.
Surely the police are looking into the whole affair.
- Isn't that enough? - I want more than the police.
I want full security protection.
But, my dear fellow Right.
Sit down, sit down.
Have you ever tried to run a secure establishment, Dr.
Hurst? It's like fighting a boa constrictor.
Maybe so.
But you must admit there are people wandering about here I'll vouch for Mrs.
Gale if that's what's worrying you.
Yes, but she does know of Brensall's death.
Exactly.
And how do we know she's not talking - to the newspapers right now? - Oh, for heaven's sake, man.
She's a scientist, a professional.
I doubt very much whether she's gone running off to talk to the press or to anyone else for that matter.
(lively jazz playing) There you are.
Beat that.
Steed: Not bad.
Now here we go.
Farrow you know.
Who else? There's a Dr.
Hurst, a bit of a military man.
He's in a panic.
Wants MI5, the navy, anybody.
You he can have.
Not me.
I'm off to the Middle East tonight.
- Oh, that's not so good.
- It's lousy.
Why is Farrow there? He's an astronomer, isn't he? Yes.
He's using Plato to check some calculations on star velocities.
Mm-hmm.
What about this young lad Kearns? I'm going to a party with him tonight.
Really? I shouldn't have thought he was your type.
How would you know? He's my best contact at the moment.
I'm, uh, cultivating him.
Come on, you'll have to do better than that.
Cultivating, eh? Shall we call it that, hmm? - Come along.
- Patience.
I'll get there.
He's an objectionable young man.
Of course.
You're staying right out of it? Yeah, but you go right ahead, Mata Hari.
You just, uh, send me a postcard, hmm? Now, that's better.
You think I'm wasting my time.
No, of course you're not.
This thing is a computer, isn't it? Very high speed, about 100 times faster than anything else, so I understand.
I did have it all explained to me.
Low-temperature stuff.
Cryogenics? Cryo well, what's it used for, anyway? Nothing yet.
Go on.
You're not gonna make it, you know.
I'll give you one use for it.
Missile interception.
High-speed flight path calculations.
Nobody's been able to do it yet.
Looks as though Plato might, which in turn means Same old thing.
The technical race.
Anything you can do, we can do better.
So it would be worth sabotaging.
Of course it would.
Worth Brensall's life? I'm afraid so.
And you better keep an eye on young Kearns.
He's an ideal target for subversion.
Take one young conceited scientist, little pressure here, little there, talk to him, a few indiscretions, a bit more pressure, and (bell rings) (laughs) You're so right.
Over the edge.
So keep an eye on him.
What are his interests, apart from, uh? I don't know.
I expect I shall find out tonight.
Oh Dealer takes one.
- Two.
- Two? Another one.
Shall we have a drink first? It's all out of house percentages, of course.
I'll have a gin and tonic, please.
Well, will you play or will you watch? - I'll watch.
- Fine.
I'm worth watching.
Good evening, Nino.
Let's have one gin and tonic and I'll have a Uh, no.
I think I'll stuff it for a while.
Very wise.
Well, I've got an edge.
Why lose it? - You a good poker player? - Isn't everyone? No, I'm not all that good, but I have a few things that keep me ahead.
You know, I can, um, remember the cards, calculate the odds.
Oh, yes, of course.
Is it practice? No, it's not practice.
It's it's something you're born with, like being a-a musical genius.
Look at him, for instance.
He's drawing to fill an inside straight.
Now, do you think he knows the odds against it? - I doubt it.
- But you would.
Well, yes.
Yeah, I would, yeah, after a couple rounds.
I see.
It's useful.
Well, I think we could all do with a drink.
Shall we take a couple of minutes, then? Yes, sir.
Our young friend has arrived.
Who's the girl? Well, I don't know.
I've never seen her before.
Well, if nothing clicks in your photographic little mind, she can't be anyone important.
- No? - No? Look, maybe she just likes him.
You think so? Maybe.
Anyway, you talk to her.
Young Master Kearns is going to have rather a heavy evening, and I don't want anyone whispering words of advice into his sweet little ear.
He's not bad.
Do you think you can manage him? He's not dry behind the ears yet.
Anyway, you talk to her and mind your own business.
Now, she's not bad, I might go for her myself.
That'll be the day.
Right.
Here we go for the kill.
Cocky, aren't you? (chuckles) I love you, too.
Just watch.
Good evening, gentlemen.
Is there room for me? Sure.
You feel lucky again this evening? I told you, luck has nothing to do with it.
It's all up here.
How much? Well, uh, I'll have 30.
For a start.
Good.
Anyone feeling nervous? - Man: Ha.
- Right.
Are we sitting comfortably, then? Good.
Then I'll begin.
All right, here we go.
Grass widow? (chuckles) We all are.
You've never been here before, have you? No.
Well, somebody's got to hold his hand, I suppose.
It's usually a little blonde from where he works.
I'm so sorry.
That was rather clumsy, wasn't it? I'll survive.
I don't mind.
Well, I would.
I think he's dishy, darling.
But that's all there is to it.
If only he didn't have quite so much - Well, anyway, have a drink.
- Thanks.
I've got one.
For heaven's sake.
Do better than that, darling.
He's away for the evening.
Believe me, you might as well get something out of it.
Nino, darling.
See you.
Thank you.
This buys you a mink tonight.
See, I told you.
Watch me.
Right.
Yeah.
Didn't I tell you? Luck has nothing to do with it.
It's all up here.
Now, then, let's see.
Where are we? Ah, yes.
Let all the small guns leave, huh? No, quietly, huh, without any fuss, and make room for the big boys, hmm? - Good evening, gentlemen.
- Good evening.
Oh, will you excuse me a minute? I want to have a word with my bird.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I know how formal you are.
How's it going? Don't you think you better stop while you're ahead? Oh, never, darling.
Never.
- You all right? - All right? I'm ballistic, sweetheart.
I'm ballistic.
- Watch.
- I'm watching.
You do that, huh? Marvelous.
You do that.
Now, then, where were we? Ah, yes.
Well, now, gentlemen.
From here on in, it's going to cost a great deal to play with me.
There you are, Sheba.
Take your time.
Come on.
Do you want it? There you are.
There you are.
Come on.
Well, good evening.
Please excuse the intrusion.
I just dropped in to feed the dog.
And to see how the party went.
I thought you were supposed to be in the Middle East.
Change of plan.
I'm here to protect you from assault.
Not that I think you need it.
How is young Junior? Bad.
I'll see him into the bedroom.
Then I know he'll be comfortable.
You'll do no such thing.
Can I give you a hand? Oof.
(gasps) (grunts) There we go.
- What happened? - He played poker.
- And? - He lost.
He hadn't got his mind on the game, I expect.
- How much? - About £500, I think.
500? What were you doing, encouraging him? Oh, he doesn't need encouraging.
He can calculate the odds.
He can follow the run of the cards.
Of course, they ganged up on him.
No cheating? No playing off the bottom? Nothing so cruel.
Just a little combination play.
They fixed my drinks.
It was a nice party.
Nice people.
Well, I suppose I better pay that 500.
Oh, and remember what I said about bringing pressure to bear.
- I wasn't joking.
- You want me to pay it for him? Yep.
Then we can find out where the opposition lies.
By the way, what is the opposition? I don't know.
Could be a man called Broster and a girl, but I'm not sure.
They could be just gambling sharks.
Well, try and find out.
The banks open at 10.
I'll leave the rest to you.
Be good.
All right, all right, all right, all right.
Let's run it through again.
Then we'll run the test tape.
Look, are you sure you're all right? I still think you should go and get some rest.
Come on, you silly cow.
Come on, come on, will you? - We haven't got all day.
- Dr.
Kearns.
Apologize at once.
Yes, of course.
I'm I'm sorry, Janet.
I didn't mean it.
And now I think you better take a walk until you've got rid of this mood, and I don't want to see you back here again - till this afternoon.
- Yes, sir.
Certainly, sir.
And who's gonna feed Plato his instructions? - Dr.
Farrow.
- He's nuts, you know.
He's in London or somewhere.
That's why he gave them to me.
Well? I bow my head in shame.
I'm in a filthy mood, and I shouldn't take it out on you.
- That's all right.
- Right.
Shall we get on, then, big chief? We have a schedule to keep.
Hello.
What are you working on? - Ballistic calculations - All right! Load 'em! (printer clacking) Hello, Cathy, luv.
How's your head today? We certainly hit the bottle last night, didn't we? It wasn't a a particularly good night for either of us, was it? Not outstanding.
Ohh.
Is he running okay? I-I think so.
Hold it a minute.
Ooh.
(softly) Of course.
It's overheating.
Yeah, you better switch off, Jan.
Switch off.
- Switch off! - I have.
(clacking continues) The pod, idiot.
Here, look.
Come here.
Look here and see.
Look.
Just a little pressure there.
Is the power off, Jan? - Yes.
Nothing's happened.
- What? What do you mean? (clacking continues) Yes, you have done.
Sorry, sorry.
More relays? Let me get the fuses.
Now look here leave that.
It's all right.
Leave that.
Look.
Just pull these out now.
It's all right.
Go ahead.
(indistinct) Agh! Cathy! - Oh-hh.
- Cathy.
Well, what are you going to do about it? Relax.
Everything's fine.
The computer's out of action for a couple of months at least.
And what about the girl? I'm afraid she's fond of the little Yes.
How fond? £500 worth? I'm afraid so.
Oh, do be careful.
Look, you mind your business, I'll mind mine, and everyone will be happy.
Master Kearns will be quite receptive when I've had a few more IOUs out of him.
A Mrs.
Gale to see you, sir.
- Show her in, will you? - Yes, sir.
Be a good girl.
Relax.
Come right in.
You look better and better every time I see you.
Well, may I get you a drink? No, thank you.
Let's get, uh, this over first, shall we? Very well.
You're quite sure? You know, you could do better than Mr.
Kearns.
- He suits me.
- Pity.
If you cared for it, I could arrange something for you.
I run other things besides poker games, you know.
I'm sure you do.
- Don't misunderstand me.
- I don't.
No? All right, then.
Why not have dinner with me tonight? Thank you, but I have to get back to work this evening.
No drink, no dinner.
Then, uh, how about a little flutter for this before you go? Just once.
Win or lose.
Why not? Thank you.
After you.
Snap.
Would you like me to try for an ace? I expect you've trimmed the short sides for the aces.
Clever.
Dead clever.
Goodbye, Mr.
Broster.
There's nothing in there.
Come on, let's try the kitchen.
- Mm.
- Quick! Someone's coming in.
Stand where I can see you.
Well? I don't know what to say.
Well, that's a change.
Sit down.
Now I'm going to phone the police.
No, don't! Perhaps you'd like to tell me what it is you're looking for.
I don't know, really.
Nicky thinks you're a policewoman.
Policewoman? That's a rapid change.
He thinks you're probably trying to get into his gambling business, and if you were, he'd have to pack up and get out.
So he had to make certain.
So he told me to come round here to find out whether you were or not.
- Oh, really? - Well, it's the truth.
It's nowhere near it.
Now, I'm going to make some tea.
I expect you'd like some, wouldn't you? After that, we'll try again.
See if you can do better next time.
Good evening.
Oh! - Well? - Well what? Well, I asked what are your views about getting security in? Security? You mean, uh, men in trench coats and hats? No.
Uh, I don't think so.
Ta.
Look, I think I should tell you Now, look, I've got some work to do even if you haven't, all right? I think I should tell you that Dr.
Clemens takes a very serious view of your behavior last night and over the past few weeks.
Look, you can tell the old man for me that Dr.
Kearns may have had a hangover, but he's still on the ball, you know.
There's a faulty program! Did you get that?! There was a fault on the test tape.
No.
So you see for yourself, Mrs.
Gale, we are still unable to be of any use to you.
You still haven't found out the cause of the breakdown yet? It's rather technical.
Oh, I'm sorry.
You'd rather I minded my own business.
No, not at all.
Now, will you excuse me for a moment? Look after Mrs.
Gale, will you, Dr.
Farrow? And mind, don't go playing with fire again.
Plato is in a very ugly mood just now.
Right.
I'll bet.
Well, you win.
Farrow, keep an eye on Kearns, will you? - You know what I mean.
- Yeah.
Hurst, a moment, please? There's some sort of security flap on.
Dr.
Hurst thinks we're being sabotaged.
Sabotaged? How? Well, what it comes down to is that the test program that Dr.
Kearns fed in was the wrong one.
It wasn't the one I loaded in.
Instead of the usual test calculations, Plato carried instructions to erase all the memory banks.
- To erase them? - Mm-hmm.
Three or four months' work all stored in there, gone, wiped out.
Now we have to go back and start all over again.
I see.
Dr.
Clemens and Dr.
Hurst think it's Kearns' fault.
And you? Well, he has been drinking.
Yes.
He's been losing money at poker, too.
Oh, has he? Oh, I didn't know that.
Well, he could have made a mistake.
- But I didn't.
- If you say so.
Look, it was more than that.
I was there.
Things blew all over the place.
Ah, yes.
It was very odd, wasn't it? You see, the last person to put in the fuses put in all the wrong values.
And who was the last person to check the fuses? Me.
Is that true? I don't know.
I never know whether he's just saying something for an effect.
Well, there's not much point in hanging round here.
- Would you care for a drink? - I'd love one.
Good.
Well, cheer up, luv.
It might never happen.
- Have an apple.
- Ah.
- Jimmy? - Huh? You didn't do it, did you? It wasn't your fault.
- No, it wasn't.
- What do you think happened? I think, uh, I think we're being got at, luv.
That's what I think.
- Now, then, uh - Jimmy? Huh? Oh, give me the meter, will you, luv? Oh, ta.
You don't really care very much, do you? That better? Uh, now give me an input reading, will you, on, uh, three, four and five? - Janet? - Yes, Dr.
Clemens.
Run along, you.
All right.
I'll see you tomorrow morning, then.
Uh, right.
Now let's try six and seven, okay? - Dr.
Kearns? - Oh, sorry, sir.
I didn't know it was you.
What can I do for you? I want you to pay attention to me.
After due consideration, we have come to the reluctant conclusion that you are disrupting the Plato project.
Disrupting? You mean sabotaging, don't you? No, not at all.
Any question of sabotage is a separate issue, and we're dealing with that.
No, I'm talking about you, Dr.
Kearns.
Your rudeness, your irresponsibility, your general lack of maturity.
All these, I'm afraid, make you quite unsuitable for the project at this particular moment of crisis.
And so? Well, temporarily you are relieved of your duties.
Thank you very much.
I'm sorry.
Good night.
I'm not going, you know.
- I beg your pardon? - What did you hire me for? Hmm? Not my manners, surely.
You hired me because I understand Plato.
I know what makes him tick.
Nobody else does.
Do you mean to say that you're going to hand over Plato to-to that bunch of half-wits? All right, let's take Farrow.
He's all right if he sticks to astronomy.
Then there's Hurst.
(laughs) That's a laugh.
Look, he's afraid of his own shadow.
So, what does that leave us with? That leaves us with our dear little Miss Lingfield here.
Oh, she should be at home in someone's bed, not-not pushing buttons here.
No, she can get together with that With that anthropology bird and talk knitting.
Listen, you can all talk knitting for all I care.
All right, look, if you want to do it, go ahead.
Go ahead, chase your spies, all right? But leave me alone, will you? I've got work to do.
If you want to get rid of me, if you want to throw me out, bring your security men to do it for you, okay? You've just made my point, Dr.
Kearns.
Good night.
Hello.
I heard there was some coffee always on the go here.
May I? It's over there.
Help yourself.
Thanks.
Would you like a cup? No, thanks.
Actually, I wanted to ask you something.
Go ahead.
Who are you, Cathy? I-I mean, what are you doing here? Oh, I thought you knew.
I'm interested in using your computer for translating dead languages.
Oh, I see.
You sound as if you didn't believe me.
Well, I think you ought to know that Jimmy and I Look, I'm not interested in Dr.
Kearns.
But if you are, you'd better stop him gambling.
I have tried, but Well, you tell me how.
Well, that's your problem, but stop him.
Otherwise he'll make a fool of himself.
He might even be risking his job.
Have they found you a room yet? Yes, but right now I'm going back to the computer block.
It'll be all locked up at this time of night.
I don't think so.
Dr.
Kearns is still working over there.
Oh, I see.
No, you still don't.
You coming? Why no lights? I don't know.
The door was unlocked.
Jimmy must still be around.
(printer clacking) - Can you smell something? - Yes, I can.
I Oh, you gave me a fright.
I'm sorry.
What's the matter? Well, I don't know.
There's something odd.
- What? - Well, the door's locked.
- Haven't you got a key? - Yes, I have one.
Yeah.
I left the door open when I came out, and my key's inside.
This is the duplicate key from Clemens' office.
Oh, and, uh, the emergency phone's been disconnected, too.
That's an understatement.
Phew.
It's hot in here.
And that smell is stronger.
Shall I switch on the fan? Practical.
Very practical.
(machine whirring) - Jimmy? - Huh? What? The temperature's going up.
It's overheating.
Well, uh, switch it off, then.
(switch clicks, machine continues whirring) What's wrong? I don't know.
I think there's something Two murders.
Or two accidents.
Who says so? Their own security people.
Well, and to think you are number one suspect.
Hey, careful.
Well, I should say the same to you.
Ah.
Now, Brensall was gassed or frozen or both, right? Right.
And Clemens, how did he actually die? It was a bare electric cable shorting against the inside of the air trunking.
And he crawled into it to keep his head cool, I suppose.
Well, what about your young man? Ha.
Kearns.
Well, where is he? He's vanished.
Vanished? Well, that's marvelous.
An entire scientific establishment has turned into something like "Slaughter on Fifth Avenue.
" The whole project's out of action, two men dead, the one person who knows anything about anything disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Oh-hh.
(sighs) Go and sit down.
Do you think you could manage to pour yourself a glass of wine? Oh-hh.
Parting present? Oh, why? You going away somewhere? I keep telling you, to the Middle East.
I should be there three days ago, but I was so fascinated by the mess you were making, I couldn't tear myself away.
I'm just interested in finding Kearns.
Ahh.
Bit cold.
How would you like it? Herbs? Cheese? Tomato? Ham? Plain.
And where's Kearns got to? I think he's panicked.
We've got to find him before someone else does.
Like who? The police.
Or anybody who wants him as badly as we do.
Mrs.
Gale? What about her? Of course.
She'll know where he is.
No.
On second thought (door closes) Good evening.
I left the door open to let the smell out.
Yes.
The place smells like a gas chamber.
- Perhaps you - What are you doing? Perhaps you tell me what you want and then get out.
I want to know your interest in Dr.
Kearns.
What are you offering in return? Dr.
Kearns.
We've got him.
You've got him.
Yes.
He's leaving the country.
Defecting, you know? You're lying.
Well, now this becomes more interesting.
How do you know we're lying? Because I know Dr.
Kearns rather better than you do, it seems.
You know we are lying because you know where he is.
Clarissa? What do you think you're going to do with that? - It's a gas pistol.
- Yes, I do know.
This kind is so messy, isn't it? Now you'll tell us where he is, or else we'll use that.
Well? How about it? Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear, the amateurs are still hard at it.
My dear, this is quite ineffective beyond the range of 3 feet.
- Excuse me, please, dear boy.
- Right.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Still not in the Middle East? It's funny you mention that.
I missed my plane.
Uh, is this Mr.
Broster? That's right, and this is Clarissa.
Oh, yes, I remember you told me.
Well, I'll leave them in your hands.
I think this belongs on your wall.
I hope you catch it this time.
- Catch it? - Your plane.
Oh.
Oh, that reminds me.
Do any of you know where Dr.
Kearns is? No? How about you, my dear? You're right.
He's vanished.
You'll hand them over to the police - when they arrive, eh? - That's the general idea.
Police.
Oh, hello.
My name's Carruthers.
Well, that's it, is it? We just close down, give up.
Well, if we'd done so in the first place, Dr.
Farrow, we might have avoided the death of our director.
I had hoped that you might admit I was right, but I suppose that's too much to expect.
Well, I suggest that you and you, Miss Lingfield, go on leave.
I, of course, will have to remain here to take charge of security.
And what about Dr.
Kearns? My dear young lady, I don't care where he is and I don't know.
He had the mind and the manners of an adolescent, and I'm delighted that he's out of the way.
His whereabouts are now the concern of the police.
Oh, by the way, that reminds me.
I have arranged that nobody from now on shall enter the unit without a pass.
That should mean we shan't see any more of your Mrs.
Gale.
Pity.
(grunts) Ah, that was stupid of me, wasn't it? If I'd have known I was dealing with an expert, I'd have clunked you with a spanner.
What are you doing here? Well, I just came to see if old man Clemens found out anything before they killed him.
How'd you get in? Ah, well, you see, that was dead clever of me.
- I never left.
- You've been here all the time? Yeah, well, I thought I might be next on the list, so I went to ground in the most useful place I could think of.
You seem to forget, I know this place inside out.
Now, look, do we cooperate, or you just gonna get in my way? You're a suspect for sabotage and quite possibly murder, so I'd like to know what you're up to.
Well, right now neither of us should be in here, so either tag along behind and shut up or stay out of my way, okay? (switches click) - (printer clacking) - You're making a lot of noise.
Nah, you could let off a bomb in here and no one would hear you.
You're right in the very heart of things.
It's just you, me and old Plato, and one of us was around when old man Clemens was killed.
So you think he was killed? Yes, I do and so do you.
Otherwise you wouldn't be here.
Do you what I'd do if I wanted to murder someone in here, hmm? Tell me.
Well, I'd fix up some sort of booby trap.
Like let's say a-a bare wire brushing against the inside of that air tunneling.
Yes, but then you've got to get your victim to crawl into the tunnel.
Oh, yes.
It's much better if I can get him to do that.
I mean, it looks more like an accident, doesn't it, than say, uh, well, say having him lying on the floor here.
Oh, yeah.
He'd have to get up there by himself.
Do you remember when we came in here you said you thought you could smell something? - Yes, I remember.
- Well, that's how I'd do it.
First of all, I'd lock the door, then I'd disconnect the emergency telephone.
- You remember? - Go on.
Right.
Well, then I'd arrange for a small escape of gas, say of the same type that killed Brensall, okay? Right.
Now, I'm the victim.
I smell the gas.
I know it's deadly.
I try to get out.
I try the door.
It's locked.
The telephone, dead.
Right? I begin to think maybe I'm not supposed to get out of here.
But remember, I know this place.
I know that even with that door locked, there is a way out of here.
It-it's risky, but-but I've got to try.
Out along the air tunneling.
So you start to crawl along, push against the live wire against the side of the tunneling, and that's it.
And it looks like an accident.
You liked Dr.
Clemens.
Yeah, I did, so let's get on with it, shall we? Get on with what? What are we supposed to be doing? Why do you think he was killed, huh? Because he found out the Plato project was being sabotaged.
Exactly.
And what's more important, who was the saboteur? Well, that's not gonna help us now, is it? Oh, now, you seem to forget, I knew the old man.
Listen, he was a fighter.
He was locked in here.
All right.
He thought he might not get out, right? Do you know what I think he did? I think he talked to Plato.
And Plato's gonna talk to us.
He could have used almost any code, and if he did, it will be in there.
It's cold.
Yeah.
It's about 150 degrees below zero in there.
Right.
Now, then, you remember the last saboteur we had wiped out all of Plato's stored memories, so anything else that is in there now must have been put in later and more than likely by the old man, so what I am gonna do is I'm gonna punch out each memory unit in turn, then we go through there and see what comes out.
Right.
Now, then, let's start with this one, shall we? Nothing there.
Right.
Nothing there.
Let's try this one.
- (printer clacking) - Listen, what That's it.
(printer stops) Now what? I must have tripped the safety device.
It's all right.
Don't worry about it.
They'll have us out in a minute.
I hope so.
(printer clacking) I don't get it.
All the circuits are at normal.
That means the door was shut from the outside.
Well done.
Well, yes, but I don't see the point.
I mean, we're perfectly safe in here.
This room is airtight.
There's enough air in here to last us for about, say, 48 hours.
Supposing the alarm circuit isn't working again? No, well, somebody's bound to come by.
They'll see that the door's shut.
They'll have us out in a jiffy and Bob's your uncle.
All we've gotta do is just wait.
- You know something? - What? It's getting colder.
That's it.
Cathy, I'm an idiot.
Oh, come here.
(whimpers) Come here.
Let me see.
Oh, hold on a minute.
No, actually.
It's all right.
Don't bother about that.
Listen, you needn't - Come on, come on.
- Don't (gasps) Look.
Well, come here.
What are you gonna do? Well, I'm gonna try and get Plato to, ooh, to call for help for us if I can.
Cathy: Let me do it.
Just a couple more.
I don't know if this'll work.
I really don't know, but it's worth a try, let me tell you.
(printer humming) Emergency.
Main control room.
Oh, it's all right for you, Cathy, you know.
All women have an Have an extra layer of fat.
It's nothing personal.
You understand, don't you? - Shh! - Ooh.
Ooh.
I can hear something.
Cathy, can you hear me?! You all right?! (mutters) Just keep cool.
I can just hear something.
It's about time.
Come on, will you open the door! Who are you? What are you doing? I was just passing through, I assure you.
- Can you open that door? - Why? There are two people in it, Mrs.
Gale and Dr.
Kearns, I think.
(coughs) Look, put this around you.
Thanks.
- Dr.
Kearns, what is all this? - Somebody tried to murder us.
Goodness.
Here.
Take this.
- Never mind about that.
- Are you all right? Yeah.
Switch on Plato, will you? - Well, what happened? - It's quite simple, you see.
Someone murdered Clemens, and the same person tried to murder us.
Whoever it was, Plato knows who it is, and now he's gonna tell us.
(murmurs, indistinct) Are you okay? Is he all right? He can handle it.
Oh! - Are you all right? - Aah.
Yes.
Dead.
(switches Plato off) (whispers) Idiot.
You idiot.
Oh, you do look nice.
Ah, you've almost completely thawed out.
There we are.
Thanks.
I should never have left you alone.
A few more moments, and you would have been vacuum-packed along with your boyfriend.
- Why don't you go? - I'm just going.
I just dropped by to bring Sheba in here for you.
Will you look after me? Quarantine, you know? Where are you going? Oh, don't tell me.
Let me guess.
It couldn't still be the Middle East, could it? - My plane leaves in an hour.
- Hooray.
Now, look here.
Will you look after Sheba in this way? Half a pound of raw meat.
Up, Sheba.
Some seaweed powder and a special teaspoonful of cod liver oil and a long walk daily, okay? Fine.
Oh, by the way, have you got the IOU? - Yes.
- And that's all there.
Thank you, luv.
The £500? I don't want it back.
Buy yourself a fur coat.
You never know.
We might have another cold snap.
(whispers) Come here, Sheba.
(theme music playing)
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