Out of the Unknown (1965) s04e08 Episode Script
The Man In My Head
1 [theme music plays.]
[groaning, gasping.]
[electronic ringing, bleeping.]
[gun clicks.]
How long? [Camber.]
Ten seconds.
[thud, clattering.]
Quiet.
Sorry, leader.
In his right hand pocket.
Three small stones and a fir cone.
Check.
Three one five? [Ira.]
Four seven two.
Blue stations? Sunrise.
All right, we'll go.
[distant humming.]
You ready? What's that noise? Machinery in the valley.
You all right? I can't remember what we're doing here.
[Brinson.]
Don't worry.
Nobody can.
[groans.]
[engine revs.]
[yelps and crashes to the floor.]
[man.]
Secure, secure! Take a look at him.
Follow my lead! [Camber.]
Tunnel one, clear.
[Stock.]
Tunnel two, clear.
[clattering.]
[Sanders.]
Tunnel three, clear.
[Brinson.]
High degree security.
[man cries.]
[Camber.]
Position secure.
[Brinson.]
Stand down.
Low degree vigilance.
Stock.
Leader? Get your lights working.
- How is he? - In pain.
Fulman? Fulman? [strained.]
I can't move.
What's wrong? My foot, I think I wrenched it when I ejected.
- What's he talking about? - Ejected? Yes, I know when I hit the ground I couldn't stand properly.
All right.
Just take it easy.
- How's he doing? - He is fine.
What does he mean ejected? You didn't come by plane.
I know.
ln essence, your subliminal briefing will be in two layers.
SB 1 , at the top of the unconscious if I may use the phrase, will contain details of the operation that you're going to carry out.
SB 2, however, [over broadcast.]
will be conditioned at a deeper level and will consist primarily of your cover story, should the operation be blown or aborted.
You may ask why this has to be fed into your unconscious.
Well, the answer is very simple.
Just as we have made great strides with subliminal briefing, so too has the enemy progressed with subliminal interrogation.
ln these circumstances, any story consciously contrived and presented, would stand no earthly chance of convincing the enemy.
He must think it crashed, that's why he keeps talking of ejecting.
Of course, it crashed.
That's why we're here, isn't it? Who are you anyway? Open your mouth.
Open your mouth.
The blocking capsule.
Itâs gone.
What are you doing? Itâs my foot.
Fractured.
It will be obvious that we cannot hope to reach SB 2 by means of cue words.
Because in the event of discovery, say, or an attack, who would relay them to you? No, in this case we have recourse to direct-action drugs.
A capsule containing a minute dose of CDP will be cemented behind your teeth.
And in the event of any trouble, you will break it simply by biting into it.
And if we're incapable of biting? Oh, a sudden jolt or blow on the head from behind all have just the same effect, that of dislodging the drug and opening the door to SB 2.
The wonders of science.
Instant cover story.
Yes, as you say.
So that's what's happened.
He's gone straight into the cover story.
He must have broken the capsule in the fall.
What will happen? Will we go on? Of course.
What are you talking about? Go on with what? We were supposed to give ourselves up if the plane crashed.
Fulman, do you remember me? Yes, you're Brinson, the leader.
That's right.
I lead.
Sanders, Stock, get Fulman down there immediately.
What is this place anyway? Don't ask me.
Are we supposed to blow it? Your guess is as good as mine.
Get your blanket.
You don't care about anything, do you? Only doing what I'm told.
What's the matter with his ankle? Is it broken? I don't think so, must have gotten a nasty wrench though.
That must have happened in the fall.
Or when he ejected from the crashing plane.
But that didn't happen, did it? Did it? He thinks it did.
Well, I don't believe it.
Don't you? Iâll tell you something.
Deep down in there you do.
[Camber.]
Sanders, come and take over here.
You don't know it yet, but you do.
Coming.
I must go now.
But the main surge chamber is through there.
Yes.
That is to say, beyond that wall it's just water? - Some of the time, yes.
- And in here? - What? - Water? Oh, yes, when the main chamber overflows.
- Comforting.
- Ha.
Is that what those watertight doors are for? Yes, when the water in there rises above a certain mark, then those doors close automatically.
Later, the overflow comes in from up there and disappears by raising this wall.
As you said, comforting.
Do we get a warning? Oh, yes, bells ring.
We take to our heels? But you need not worry about that.
Itâs never been used before.
How long have we got? Three hours.
Not much.
I must go now, Iâm on shift soon.
You work here? Yes, in the main power chamber.
Remember to leave it in time.
But what if we should need you? Why should we do that? Something may go wrong.
There is a way to contact me, you've been told.
But it's dangerous.
For you? For you as well.
Don't follow me now, there are guards everywhere.
- Ira? - Yes.
- Where are we? - Where? What country? Does it matter? What's wrong? I think we ought to abort the operation.
Abort? You give me your reason.
We're shorthanded.
We've all been programme-briefed to do a different job.
How are we going to manage without Fulman? The best we can.
Then we don't stand a chance.
Your nerves going already? Leader, listen.
[rumbling.]
What the hell is it? Itâs all right, it's only water, it can't harm us.
We ought to get out.
Get out? Oh, no.
This place gives me the creeps.
[beeping.]
A hydro-electric plant.
Eight hundred metres.
Where are you going? What are you doing? [beeping.]
We'll blow it.
We'll blow it good and proper.
Iâm looking forward to it.
Three hours, we have to work fast, though.
[Camber.]
Where's the leader? He went out there.
[Sanders.]
The point is, where do we detonate? There is no one there.
[Camber.]
Were you expecting somebody? Yes.
Yeah, I suppose, I came to.
I was standing out there in the passage, no one there.
Well, they must be late.
[chuckles.]
[Camber.]
When do we start, leader? Can't we get on with this? - We haven't got much time.
- What's wrong with you, Fulman? You, that's what's wrong, listening to voices in your heads.
Of course, you can't hear them, can you? [Fulman.]
You're damn right, I can't.
The point is, can you? [Camber.]
Do you think he's imagining it? Those people you went out to meet.
They probably don't even exist.
Look, you know we were told to give ourselves up.
Why are you disobeying orders? Leader, your visitors.
[Denman over broadcast.]
By overlaying your initial personality with one or two or even more sets of patterned behaviour, we've succeeded in greatly increasing your efficiency as fighting units.
Rumour talks of our cramming other people into your skulls.
This is simply not so.
Patterns of behaviour are not people.
By programming you to behave in a certain way in certain circumstances, we're not changing you, we're adding to you.
Believe me, if we wanted to achieve a quite different set of standards in the operation, we would have to add quite different people.
- Three seven three? - Blue stations.
Sunrise.
Well? I have no more.
I have.
in his back pocket, three small stones and a fir cone.
Three stones and a fir cone.
Put there after you took them off the guide.
Didn't know I had them.
I gave them to you on the way here.
Yes, you were programmed to.
It seems to me you've put an awful lot of reliance on Stock's unconscious.
Ah, but if subliminal briefing has taught us one thing, it's that the unconscious is far more reliable than the conscious.
What would you have done if the programming hadn't worked? Oh, my dear fellow.
I would have killed you.
Hine.
Doctor.
- Hydro-physics.
- Brinson.
Leader.
Strike Syndicate.
This is my second in command, Camber.
Oh, that's my assistant.
Lydia Hoggart.
She is a specialist in thermionic demolition.
Hmm, I can believe that.
So you're going to show us where to put the charge? Yes, we'll do our best.
We have one quite good suggestion already.
You've been here long? Only two hours more than you.
[Brinson.]
You've been working very hard.
Itâs our job to be ready for you.
What is this place exactly? Hydro-electric plant.
This is a throttled reserved surge tank with inclined secondary shaft, lined with steel and concrete.
Diameter ten metres, height 59 metres, area 57 square metres.
Upper expansion, 24.
5 by 13 by 10.
Now he knows.
Iâve been here before.
[door closes.]
Yeah? When I came looking for you.
Ah, we were probably next door.
Itâs a store room of sorts.
No guards? No, not here.
Itâs lucky.
That's probably why Ira brought us here.
You want to see this.
[rattling.]
Here, it's incomplete as yet, Iâm afraid.
Camber, take a look at this.
[Hine.]
All right, now, we're-- We're lying up here.
This tunnel here.
On one side, we have the reserve surge chamber.
And on the other side the main tank.
Now on this side, we have the two storerooms and then our greatest find so far, the lift shaft.
[Brinson.]
That's how we get to the blowing area? Well, we hope so.
We haven't had a chance to check it yet.
And where do we blow? Well, if our calculations are correct, here on the pipeline.
There is a geological fissure that will greatly increase the damage.
[chuckles.]
Practically shift the mountain.
How far down is that? Eight hundred metres.
As control predicted.
Right, collect Sanders and our gear.
[Fulman.]
Stocky? Stocky! [Stocky.]
What? Can you come down here a moment? Why? I need my cigarettes.
Where are they? [Fulman.]
With my gear, over there.
Can't you reach? No.
Come on, Stocky boy.
Iâd do it for you.
It'll only take you a second.
What's going on? What are you doing? You heard me.
What's going on? They're planting the charges.
Bloody fools.
- You've all gone mad.
- No.
You know they're disobeying orders.
What do you mean no? You know Iâm right.
Look, we're making a perfectly ordinary routine flight in a Strike 75.
By navigational error we crossed the frontier.
Shortly afterwards, our port turbo burst into flame.
We ejected and landed on the mountain.
You were just ahead of me.
You had difficulty finding the switch.
You must remember.
No.
Then what do you think happened? I don't know.
You don't know? There was a hut.
We were sleeping.
Then we were here.
Christ, you're far gone.
Look, Fulman, I must get back to the landing.
Iâm in the hands of a lot of lunatics.
Iâm right, you know.
The release switch was near your right foot.
You remember that, don't you? Shut up.
Going down.
[elevator whirring.]
What about guards? What? - Guards.
- One hundred.
Yes.
Yes, we saw some.
Nearby? We better ask Lydia, she saw them.
Two hundred.
On the second level.
Down here? I thought you hadn't been down here before.
Yeah, not below the second level.
Three hundred metres.
Unlined shaft, basalt surrounded.
Formation three ppp.
on the Grafton scale.
- Check.
- Were they heavily armed? - Yes.
- Four hundred.
[Hine.]
But then the second level does appear to be the main communication way with the power chamber at the foot of the mountain.
Let's hope we never have to use it.
Five hundred.
We're stopping.
What? It can't be.
Five hundred metres, there are three more levels yet.
[Camber.]
We're still stopping.
[whirring ceases.]
Correction.
We've stopped.
[Sanders.]
Five four zero metres.
[Camber.]
Continuing basalt.
- [Lydia.]
Check - Unlined.
- Check - Graded clay.
Formation two ppp on the Grafton scale.
Check.
[Sanders.]
What now? Can you work out how close we are - to the pipeline from here? - Just give me a few moments.
[Sanders.]
We could try the door.
What door? [Brinson.]
If you ask me, it's a dead end.
[Fulman.]
We took off from Exmoor at 22:00.
We flew Tours, Bern, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Limnos, Konya, cruising at mach 0.
98 at 10,000 metres.
Over Konya, Camber reported overheating in the port turbo-fan.
We had crossed the frontier in error, and Brinson was trying to correct us, when I noticed flames coming from the port turbo-pod.
[Fulman.]
Brinson ordered you to send a mayday message to base, and we ejected.
How can you say you don't remember? Did I send the message? Of course.
That's your job.
Radio Operator in the Air Force.
Then what am I doing in the Army? [Stock.]
There is only one way to find out.
No! Don't listen to that thing.
You've nearly found the truth for yourself.
Trust me.
Please, Stocky, I know what happened.
That thing's telling you wrong! Turn it off! [beeping.]
What? Turn it off.
You bastard.
You've been feeding me a lie.
We were never in an air-crash.
We came to blow up this place.
But how did we get here? Ask yourself that! I remember now, by sea! [gurgling, strained.]
No! [struggling, groaning [beeping.]
[panting.]
The pipeline's angle of inclination is 69 degrees, 2.
6 metres in diameter for 616 metres.
But how far off? At its nearest point, 313 metres.
He's right.
We can't get through this way.
[Hine.]
We'll just have to find some other place to blow it.
[Brinson.]
The power chamber.
- That can't be done.
- Why not? Itâs too risky.
Risky? Go and take fresh soundings.
No time, two and a half hours to detonation.
[sighs.]
How do you propose to get to the power chamber? The guide, Ira, she can show us.
No.
Then give me an alternative.
[gasping, panicking.]
[Sanders.]
Was he trying to get out? [Stock.]
I don't know.
He had my gun, you see.
Well, you had your knife.
Yes.
What happened then? Then it broke? Well Oh, I went for him with my hands.
Yeah? He says I was trying to tear his throat out.
Who says? I don't know because the man was talking at the time.
Oh, and it was the man who was telling you to kill him? But [chuckles nervously.]
there's nobody there, is there? I mean, we talk about this man in our heads.
But there's only me in there.
ln there, isn't there? Yes.
[Stock.]
Wow, that's what I don't like.
You see, because Iâve never been for anyone with my hands before.
And Fulman, I mean, he's a mate of ours.
Yeah, but, I mean, he's dangerous, like he is.
All the same, it's not as though he's lying because he believes one thing and we believe another.
You know, Iâve got this horrible feeling they don't belong to me anymore.
[chuckling.]
[Camber.]
But we're not at war with them, are we? What? These people.
I don't know.
But we haven't heard we are, have we? It may not be conventional war.
Doesn't that make a difference? Not to me.
We've been given our orders.
And that's enough for you? Oh, isn't it for you? You're not interested in why we're doing this? No.
You've just been briefed to blow up a hydro-electric plant in somebody else's country.
Briefed, that's a very euphemistic way of putting it.
We were programmed to do it.
We have no alternative.
I wonder.
What do you mean? We could refuse to listen to the radio.
But you can't do that.
I would like to try.
But why? What made you think like this? I don't know.
I think Iâm just getting fed up with being pushed around in my own body.
No, I won't countenance it.
You won't? As far as I know Iâm still in charge here.
You? Since when? Oh, since the commencement of the operation.
That's the first time I heard of that.
Are you sure? Or have you just forgotten? Doesn't say much for subliminal briefing if you can just forget the identity of commander.
No, no, you could have chosen to forget.
Why? Oh, I don't know, ambition, certain independence of thought, envy even.
What, of you? No, no, of my position vis-a-vis the operation.
You consider yourself a bit of a rebel, I think.
Iâve had moments.
Yes, but don't be too certain.
You may just have been programmed to think that.
This whole attitude may be the result of your briefing.
I doubt that.
Please yourself.
Mr.
Brinson may I just give you a word of warning? You and your men seem to be in danger of forgetting the first principle - of subliminal briefing.
- And that is? To forego all claims to your own identity.
And after all, what is identity, except the result of a certain pattern of behaviour? And you've been inculcated with more than one.
You mean, Brinson as I know must cease to exist? Exactly.
Well, there's one way to find out if you're right or not.
What are you going to do? Ira told me Iâve been programmed how to contact her.
Let's see if I remember.
[shrill bleeping.]
[whimpering.]
What is it? The water hammer.
[distant humming.]
When the power house has to produce less power, it decelerates violently, causing a backrush of water into the surge chamber.
[prolonged high-pitched tone.]
And what about that? [tone continues.]
[screams.]
Cover your ears! [Fulman screaming.]
[tone continues, almost unbearable.]
[beeping.]
[high-pitched tone ceases.]
[buzzing.]
We need you, now.
- No.
- Why not? Too risky.
- Okay, if this operation-- - Itâs no good.
You've met your match.
You should know, you met yours.
You have an alternative? That part of the operation is yours.
I was only told to guide you.
Very well then.
The responsibility is all mine.
We go for the power chamber.
Camber? Prepare the demolition packs.
- What have you brought? - Nuclear twin dogs.
Well? I think we've got trouble out here.
Right, I'll come.
How do you propose to reach power chamber? That's your problem.
[stomping.]
The red light, the red light.
Cut all switches.
The port fan is on fire.
Oh, where are we? Oh, God, will we eject? - Iâve never done it before.
- [Camber.]
What is it? Where the hell are we-- [Sanders.]
He was freaked out by the noise we just heard.
Iâm afraid.
[Camber.]
But it shouldn't have that effect.
It was only a noise.
It was more than that, an oscillation affecting balance what do we know of the blocking capsule-- [Fulman, whimpering.]
Stocky [Camber.]
It should last for 24 hours, that's what we were told.
And after that? [Camber.]
The personality should revert to normal.
[Brinson.]
Subliminal briefing? - [Camber.]
All gone.
- [Brinson.]
Everything? [Camber.]
Yes.
A sane man living in a mad world.
He'll be quickly out of touch with his surroundings.
He's not far off that now.
[Fulman whimpering.]
And us? Are we? Leader, does that mean he'll be mad? We don't know.
[Stock.]
But the capsule shouldn't do that, should it? I mean, they wouldn't want us to go mad.
That's war, Stock.
[Camber.]
Is it? We don't even know where we are.
[Brinson.]
Does that matter? [Camber.]
And who are these people? What have they done to us? Why should we blow up their hydroelectric plant? - [Brinson.]
Because we've been ordered to.
- And is that the end of it? Mr.
Camber, you are second in command of this strike operation and till it is completed, we will continue with it.
But why, when it doesn't make sense? Because we've been programmed to.
Well, we're not under programming now.
How do you know? Because I can talk like this.
We have a choice.
ln my mouth, Iâve got the same blocking capsule as Fulman had, we've all got it.
If we like, we can bite on it and withdraw from the operation in the same way as he has or else-- Yes? We can choose not to refer to the radio.
Oh, can we? Do you really think it's that easy, Mr.
Camber? Do you really think you're going to get through this operation without having to refresh your briefing? - Why not? - Anyway Iâd like to try it.
[Sanders.]
I think that could be dangerous.
I mean, it might be dangerous half of us listening to the radio and the other half not.
No, I think that's not what you meant.
All right, I think he's wasting his time.
I don't think they'd ever free us from the programming, why should they? To leave us some initiative.
The planners can't foresee everything.
Do you believe that? Do you mean that even now Iâm not me? Not Dave Camber of No.
1 Strike Force? - That's Hine's theory.
- Well, it's not mine.
I know what I'm capable of.
I know my weaknesses and I know my strong points.
Iâm in touch with my reality and I can recognise it.
[Sanders.]
You don't normally shout like that.
I think we're trapped in this thing and must go on.
We are automatons.
I believe the planners foresaw everything, even this conversation.
And the danger you spoke of? The danger is that even the planners are fallible.
[Fulman panting.]
Well? There is a way through there.
Level two? Yes.
That's where we blow it.
The place is crawling with technicians and guards.
[Hine.]
Whom will you take? Ira and Sanders.
Nobody else? No.
[Camber.]
As long as he doesn't start screaming.
He should sleep.
Are you glad you're not going? With Brinson? I don't know.
I think you are.
I think you've lost faith in this operation.
Or have you just been programmed to think that? And what about you? Your faith? Do you want to see this place go up? Yes, I want to see it blown to hell, every stick and stone of it! And Iâd like to see him die underneath it all.
Who, Brinson? He is so sure of himself.
There's only one of him.
Don't be too certain.
[Brinson.]
Stand to.
- We're leaving.
- Iâm ready.
[Camber.]
Permission to accompany you, Leader? Permission to accompany me? - Yes.
- Why? I don't honestly know.
I felt impelled to say it.
And I feel just as impelled to turn you down.
If that was your briefing, tell it to try again.
Perhaps you ought to take him.
No, but I am taking Hine.
Hine? Why? There may be something for him to do in the power chamber.
Besides he'll be useful, carrying some of the heavier gear.
But you've got younger men for that, your men.
Strange, my briefing didn't seem to tell me that.
Well, good luck.
[Camber.]
And to you.
If we're not back in 90 minutes, make a break for it.
You've got your blocking capsule if necessary.
Some choice.
Mad in a sane world or sane in a mad one.
No, as the man said, we have no choice.
[whirring.]
[chuckles lightly.]
Ah, yes, yes, I feel very good, very good, very happy, rather hungry.
All right? Now remember what I said.
Do not get separated in the tunnel whatever happens.
Well.
And if you're challenged, let me do the talking.
I probably wouldn't understand a word they're saying anyway.
Where are we? - Where are we? - Yeah.
Near Kiraz.
Where the hell is that? Kurdistan.
Well, Iâll be damned.
[Camber.]
Go down to Dr.
Hoggart for a while.
She's making some food.
Iâm not hungry, Iâm feeling sick.
You're feeling empty.
Will they be all right, do you think? [beeping.]
They've left the lift.
From now on, it's all up to their programming.
[loud rumbling.]
[Stock.]
I don't really remember my mother because she-- Well, she died when I was only a little baby.
And they came along and they wanted to put us into one of those, erm, large blocks for motherless families.
But my dad wouldn't have it, he said institutions are never the same, that's what he said.
No, they're never the same.
Well, did you like dogs? Well, do you know, they wouldn't let us have our dogs in one of those places.
And I mean, can you imagine living in a large block for motherless families, without your dog? Itâs ridiculous.
How many did you have? Seven.
[giggles.]
[machinery whirring.]
[Ira attracts guard's attention.]
[thunderous explosion.]
It can't be them.
[beeping.]
[gasping, sighing.]
Do you think they they could still be building this place? Look.
[loud whirring.]
Itâs the turbine room.
Five horizontal Samsons.
They're about two years' old.
Russian modifications but American heat boosters.
They'll make a lovely bang.
What did you say? I said, they'll make a lovely bang.
Right, leave the packs here, we're clearing out.
What? What the devil are you talking about? What's the use of that? They'll do no sort of damage here.
They'll do enough! Now move.
[whirring.]
I demand an explanation! I insist-- [Hine.]
After all your efforts to get control of the operation, - you can't just throw it away.
- I risked my life for you! What about Ira? She's waiting to show us where to put the charges.
She'll have to take her chance.
Now move! I don't know what's happening.
I only know Iâve been through this before.
Itâs nearly time.
They should be here at any moment.
Itâs 20 minutes since they signalled to say they're returning.
What do you think went wrong? I don't know any more than you do.
Get on to the landing and keep quiet.
Why not use the radio and find out what you ought to do? No.
Then I may have to.
Then take it into the corner with you.
I never want to hear the damn thing again.
But they'll find a way of making you listen.
Oh, no, they won't.
Iâve still got some independence left.
[Fulman whimpering.]
Lydia, look after Fulman.
What are you going to do? Stand by to open the door for him.
Do you want to try the radio? Then we'll leave the thing together.
I don't think I was programmed to do that.
[alarm bell rings.]
[explosion.]
Camber, the doors! [bleeping.]
They're here! Don't let them in, they'll only be drowned! [alarm continues.]
- Itâs Ira! - Ira? Brinson, help me! [Ira screams.]
[machine gun fire.]
If it comes through, we can go up the ladder.
[explosions in distance.]
[Camber.]
Iâm sorry about Ira.
Request permission to listen to radio briefing.
Refused.
Request again.
[electronic bleeping.]
[smashing.]
[silence.]
What now? What do you hope to do now? [Brinson.]
Work this thing out as a human, not as a robot.
Itâs too late.
You've betrayed us already, you bastard.
[Ira over radio.]
Brinson, can you hear me? Ira? Where are you? They've got me outside.
[frantic.]
What's happening? [Ira.]
They have you surrounded.
You have to surrender.
Well? The radio fuse, is it beamed in? Of course.
Iâll show you if I've betrayed you.
Stand by to blow the charge.
No, you'll blow us up, too.
Does that matter? Yes! I want to give myself up! There must be another way.
No, it can't be helped.
[loud whirring.]
Leader, look.
Sanders, blow the charge.
Bastard.
The ammunition, like the charges, was fake I'm afraid.
Iâll count the operation out now.
Three, two, one.
The exercise is over.
Exercise? Yes, that's right.
Where are we? ln Wales, your training area is just across the valley.
But this place? You've been here many, many times before.
But, of course, your programming wouldn't let you remember.
We use this for all your tests.
You'd better get Fulman under deep therapy.
I think we may have overdone it a bit this time.
[Brinson.]
It was all arranged? Programmed? Yes, everything.
Every question, every doubt.
Even that kiss, everything.
But why? To test your programming under stress.
You were very good.
Iâm delighted with your progress.
[Denham.]
Your rebellion.
Excellent.
You were meant to do it.
Meant? Ah, Dr.
Spencer? The radios are too fallible.
For the next operation, let's try the receivers implanted.
Probably in the neck.
Can I help you, Captain? He recognised me.
An echo image only, we can soon erase it.
After all, think of the number of times already we've cleared you off his memory and then re-recorded you.
The resilience of the human brain is amazing.
Iâd still rather have a robot.
But think of the relative cost.
And what about replacements? This way, when Brinson is no longer serviceable, we simply go out and find another Brinson, and another, and another.
[whirring.]
After all, there are millions of him outside.
[explosion.]
[groaning, gasping.]
[electronic ringing, bleeping.]
[gun clicks.]
How long? [Camber.]
Ten seconds.
[thud, clattering.]
Quiet.
Sorry, leader.
In his right hand pocket.
Three small stones and a fir cone.
Check.
Three one five? [Ira.]
Four seven two.
Blue stations? Sunrise.
All right, we'll go.
[distant humming.]
You ready? What's that noise? Machinery in the valley.
You all right? I can't remember what we're doing here.
[Brinson.]
Don't worry.
Nobody can.
[groans.]
[engine revs.]
[yelps and crashes to the floor.]
[man.]
Secure, secure! Take a look at him.
Follow my lead! [Camber.]
Tunnel one, clear.
[Stock.]
Tunnel two, clear.
[clattering.]
[Sanders.]
Tunnel three, clear.
[Brinson.]
High degree security.
[man cries.]
[Camber.]
Position secure.
[Brinson.]
Stand down.
Low degree vigilance.
Stock.
Leader? Get your lights working.
- How is he? - In pain.
Fulman? Fulman? [strained.]
I can't move.
What's wrong? My foot, I think I wrenched it when I ejected.
- What's he talking about? - Ejected? Yes, I know when I hit the ground I couldn't stand properly.
All right.
Just take it easy.
- How's he doing? - He is fine.
What does he mean ejected? You didn't come by plane.
I know.
ln essence, your subliminal briefing will be in two layers.
SB 1 , at the top of the unconscious if I may use the phrase, will contain details of the operation that you're going to carry out.
SB 2, however, [over broadcast.]
will be conditioned at a deeper level and will consist primarily of your cover story, should the operation be blown or aborted.
You may ask why this has to be fed into your unconscious.
Well, the answer is very simple.
Just as we have made great strides with subliminal briefing, so too has the enemy progressed with subliminal interrogation.
ln these circumstances, any story consciously contrived and presented, would stand no earthly chance of convincing the enemy.
He must think it crashed, that's why he keeps talking of ejecting.
Of course, it crashed.
That's why we're here, isn't it? Who are you anyway? Open your mouth.
Open your mouth.
The blocking capsule.
Itâs gone.
What are you doing? Itâs my foot.
Fractured.
It will be obvious that we cannot hope to reach SB 2 by means of cue words.
Because in the event of discovery, say, or an attack, who would relay them to you? No, in this case we have recourse to direct-action drugs.
A capsule containing a minute dose of CDP will be cemented behind your teeth.
And in the event of any trouble, you will break it simply by biting into it.
And if we're incapable of biting? Oh, a sudden jolt or blow on the head from behind all have just the same effect, that of dislodging the drug and opening the door to SB 2.
The wonders of science.
Instant cover story.
Yes, as you say.
So that's what's happened.
He's gone straight into the cover story.
He must have broken the capsule in the fall.
What will happen? Will we go on? Of course.
What are you talking about? Go on with what? We were supposed to give ourselves up if the plane crashed.
Fulman, do you remember me? Yes, you're Brinson, the leader.
That's right.
I lead.
Sanders, Stock, get Fulman down there immediately.
What is this place anyway? Don't ask me.
Are we supposed to blow it? Your guess is as good as mine.
Get your blanket.
You don't care about anything, do you? Only doing what I'm told.
What's the matter with his ankle? Is it broken? I don't think so, must have gotten a nasty wrench though.
That must have happened in the fall.
Or when he ejected from the crashing plane.
But that didn't happen, did it? Did it? He thinks it did.
Well, I don't believe it.
Don't you? Iâll tell you something.
Deep down in there you do.
[Camber.]
Sanders, come and take over here.
You don't know it yet, but you do.
Coming.
I must go now.
But the main surge chamber is through there.
Yes.
That is to say, beyond that wall it's just water? - Some of the time, yes.
- And in here? - What? - Water? Oh, yes, when the main chamber overflows.
- Comforting.
- Ha.
Is that what those watertight doors are for? Yes, when the water in there rises above a certain mark, then those doors close automatically.
Later, the overflow comes in from up there and disappears by raising this wall.
As you said, comforting.
Do we get a warning? Oh, yes, bells ring.
We take to our heels? But you need not worry about that.
Itâs never been used before.
How long have we got? Three hours.
Not much.
I must go now, Iâm on shift soon.
You work here? Yes, in the main power chamber.
Remember to leave it in time.
But what if we should need you? Why should we do that? Something may go wrong.
There is a way to contact me, you've been told.
But it's dangerous.
For you? For you as well.
Don't follow me now, there are guards everywhere.
- Ira? - Yes.
- Where are we? - Where? What country? Does it matter? What's wrong? I think we ought to abort the operation.
Abort? You give me your reason.
We're shorthanded.
We've all been programme-briefed to do a different job.
How are we going to manage without Fulman? The best we can.
Then we don't stand a chance.
Your nerves going already? Leader, listen.
[rumbling.]
What the hell is it? Itâs all right, it's only water, it can't harm us.
We ought to get out.
Get out? Oh, no.
This place gives me the creeps.
[beeping.]
A hydro-electric plant.
Eight hundred metres.
Where are you going? What are you doing? [beeping.]
We'll blow it.
We'll blow it good and proper.
Iâm looking forward to it.
Three hours, we have to work fast, though.
[Camber.]
Where's the leader? He went out there.
[Sanders.]
The point is, where do we detonate? There is no one there.
[Camber.]
Were you expecting somebody? Yes.
Yeah, I suppose, I came to.
I was standing out there in the passage, no one there.
Well, they must be late.
[chuckles.]
[Camber.]
When do we start, leader? Can't we get on with this? - We haven't got much time.
- What's wrong with you, Fulman? You, that's what's wrong, listening to voices in your heads.
Of course, you can't hear them, can you? [Fulman.]
You're damn right, I can't.
The point is, can you? [Camber.]
Do you think he's imagining it? Those people you went out to meet.
They probably don't even exist.
Look, you know we were told to give ourselves up.
Why are you disobeying orders? Leader, your visitors.
[Denman over broadcast.]
By overlaying your initial personality with one or two or even more sets of patterned behaviour, we've succeeded in greatly increasing your efficiency as fighting units.
Rumour talks of our cramming other people into your skulls.
This is simply not so.
Patterns of behaviour are not people.
By programming you to behave in a certain way in certain circumstances, we're not changing you, we're adding to you.
Believe me, if we wanted to achieve a quite different set of standards in the operation, we would have to add quite different people.
- Three seven three? - Blue stations.
Sunrise.
Well? I have no more.
I have.
in his back pocket, three small stones and a fir cone.
Three stones and a fir cone.
Put there after you took them off the guide.
Didn't know I had them.
I gave them to you on the way here.
Yes, you were programmed to.
It seems to me you've put an awful lot of reliance on Stock's unconscious.
Ah, but if subliminal briefing has taught us one thing, it's that the unconscious is far more reliable than the conscious.
What would you have done if the programming hadn't worked? Oh, my dear fellow.
I would have killed you.
Hine.
Doctor.
- Hydro-physics.
- Brinson.
Leader.
Strike Syndicate.
This is my second in command, Camber.
Oh, that's my assistant.
Lydia Hoggart.
She is a specialist in thermionic demolition.
Hmm, I can believe that.
So you're going to show us where to put the charge? Yes, we'll do our best.
We have one quite good suggestion already.
You've been here long? Only two hours more than you.
[Brinson.]
You've been working very hard.
Itâs our job to be ready for you.
What is this place exactly? Hydro-electric plant.
This is a throttled reserved surge tank with inclined secondary shaft, lined with steel and concrete.
Diameter ten metres, height 59 metres, area 57 square metres.
Upper expansion, 24.
5 by 13 by 10.
Now he knows.
Iâve been here before.
[door closes.]
Yeah? When I came looking for you.
Ah, we were probably next door.
Itâs a store room of sorts.
No guards? No, not here.
Itâs lucky.
That's probably why Ira brought us here.
You want to see this.
[rattling.]
Here, it's incomplete as yet, Iâm afraid.
Camber, take a look at this.
[Hine.]
All right, now, we're-- We're lying up here.
This tunnel here.
On one side, we have the reserve surge chamber.
And on the other side the main tank.
Now on this side, we have the two storerooms and then our greatest find so far, the lift shaft.
[Brinson.]
That's how we get to the blowing area? Well, we hope so.
We haven't had a chance to check it yet.
And where do we blow? Well, if our calculations are correct, here on the pipeline.
There is a geological fissure that will greatly increase the damage.
[chuckles.]
Practically shift the mountain.
How far down is that? Eight hundred metres.
As control predicted.
Right, collect Sanders and our gear.
[Fulman.]
Stocky? Stocky! [Stocky.]
What? Can you come down here a moment? Why? I need my cigarettes.
Where are they? [Fulman.]
With my gear, over there.
Can't you reach? No.
Come on, Stocky boy.
Iâd do it for you.
It'll only take you a second.
What's going on? What are you doing? You heard me.
What's going on? They're planting the charges.
Bloody fools.
- You've all gone mad.
- No.
You know they're disobeying orders.
What do you mean no? You know Iâm right.
Look, we're making a perfectly ordinary routine flight in a Strike 75.
By navigational error we crossed the frontier.
Shortly afterwards, our port turbo burst into flame.
We ejected and landed on the mountain.
You were just ahead of me.
You had difficulty finding the switch.
You must remember.
No.
Then what do you think happened? I don't know.
You don't know? There was a hut.
We were sleeping.
Then we were here.
Christ, you're far gone.
Look, Fulman, I must get back to the landing.
Iâm in the hands of a lot of lunatics.
Iâm right, you know.
The release switch was near your right foot.
You remember that, don't you? Shut up.
Going down.
[elevator whirring.]
What about guards? What? - Guards.
- One hundred.
Yes.
Yes, we saw some.
Nearby? We better ask Lydia, she saw them.
Two hundred.
On the second level.
Down here? I thought you hadn't been down here before.
Yeah, not below the second level.
Three hundred metres.
Unlined shaft, basalt surrounded.
Formation three ppp.
on the Grafton scale.
- Check.
- Were they heavily armed? - Yes.
- Four hundred.
[Hine.]
But then the second level does appear to be the main communication way with the power chamber at the foot of the mountain.
Let's hope we never have to use it.
Five hundred.
We're stopping.
What? It can't be.
Five hundred metres, there are three more levels yet.
[Camber.]
We're still stopping.
[whirring ceases.]
Correction.
We've stopped.
[Sanders.]
Five four zero metres.
[Camber.]
Continuing basalt.
- [Lydia.]
Check - Unlined.
- Check - Graded clay.
Formation two ppp on the Grafton scale.
Check.
[Sanders.]
What now? Can you work out how close we are - to the pipeline from here? - Just give me a few moments.
[Sanders.]
We could try the door.
What door? [Brinson.]
If you ask me, it's a dead end.
[Fulman.]
We took off from Exmoor at 22:00.
We flew Tours, Bern, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Limnos, Konya, cruising at mach 0.
98 at 10,000 metres.
Over Konya, Camber reported overheating in the port turbo-fan.
We had crossed the frontier in error, and Brinson was trying to correct us, when I noticed flames coming from the port turbo-pod.
[Fulman.]
Brinson ordered you to send a mayday message to base, and we ejected.
How can you say you don't remember? Did I send the message? Of course.
That's your job.
Radio Operator in the Air Force.
Then what am I doing in the Army? [Stock.]
There is only one way to find out.
No! Don't listen to that thing.
You've nearly found the truth for yourself.
Trust me.
Please, Stocky, I know what happened.
That thing's telling you wrong! Turn it off! [beeping.]
What? Turn it off.
You bastard.
You've been feeding me a lie.
We were never in an air-crash.
We came to blow up this place.
But how did we get here? Ask yourself that! I remember now, by sea! [gurgling, strained.]
No! [struggling, groaning [beeping.]
[panting.]
The pipeline's angle of inclination is 69 degrees, 2.
6 metres in diameter for 616 metres.
But how far off? At its nearest point, 313 metres.
He's right.
We can't get through this way.
[Hine.]
We'll just have to find some other place to blow it.
[Brinson.]
The power chamber.
- That can't be done.
- Why not? Itâs too risky.
Risky? Go and take fresh soundings.
No time, two and a half hours to detonation.
[sighs.]
How do you propose to get to the power chamber? The guide, Ira, she can show us.
No.
Then give me an alternative.
[gasping, panicking.]
[Sanders.]
Was he trying to get out? [Stock.]
I don't know.
He had my gun, you see.
Well, you had your knife.
Yes.
What happened then? Then it broke? Well Oh, I went for him with my hands.
Yeah? He says I was trying to tear his throat out.
Who says? I don't know because the man was talking at the time.
Oh, and it was the man who was telling you to kill him? But [chuckles nervously.]
there's nobody there, is there? I mean, we talk about this man in our heads.
But there's only me in there.
ln there, isn't there? Yes.
[Stock.]
Wow, that's what I don't like.
You see, because Iâve never been for anyone with my hands before.
And Fulman, I mean, he's a mate of ours.
Yeah, but, I mean, he's dangerous, like he is.
All the same, it's not as though he's lying because he believes one thing and we believe another.
You know, Iâve got this horrible feeling they don't belong to me anymore.
[chuckling.]
[Camber.]
But we're not at war with them, are we? What? These people.
I don't know.
But we haven't heard we are, have we? It may not be conventional war.
Doesn't that make a difference? Not to me.
We've been given our orders.
And that's enough for you? Oh, isn't it for you? You're not interested in why we're doing this? No.
You've just been briefed to blow up a hydro-electric plant in somebody else's country.
Briefed, that's a very euphemistic way of putting it.
We were programmed to do it.
We have no alternative.
I wonder.
What do you mean? We could refuse to listen to the radio.
But you can't do that.
I would like to try.
But why? What made you think like this? I don't know.
I think Iâm just getting fed up with being pushed around in my own body.
No, I won't countenance it.
You won't? As far as I know Iâm still in charge here.
You? Since when? Oh, since the commencement of the operation.
That's the first time I heard of that.
Are you sure? Or have you just forgotten? Doesn't say much for subliminal briefing if you can just forget the identity of commander.
No, no, you could have chosen to forget.
Why? Oh, I don't know, ambition, certain independence of thought, envy even.
What, of you? No, no, of my position vis-a-vis the operation.
You consider yourself a bit of a rebel, I think.
Iâve had moments.
Yes, but don't be too certain.
You may just have been programmed to think that.
This whole attitude may be the result of your briefing.
I doubt that.
Please yourself.
Mr.
Brinson may I just give you a word of warning? You and your men seem to be in danger of forgetting the first principle - of subliminal briefing.
- And that is? To forego all claims to your own identity.
And after all, what is identity, except the result of a certain pattern of behaviour? And you've been inculcated with more than one.
You mean, Brinson as I know must cease to exist? Exactly.
Well, there's one way to find out if you're right or not.
What are you going to do? Ira told me Iâve been programmed how to contact her.
Let's see if I remember.
[shrill bleeping.]
[whimpering.]
What is it? The water hammer.
[distant humming.]
When the power house has to produce less power, it decelerates violently, causing a backrush of water into the surge chamber.
[prolonged high-pitched tone.]
And what about that? [tone continues.]
[screams.]
Cover your ears! [Fulman screaming.]
[tone continues, almost unbearable.]
[beeping.]
[high-pitched tone ceases.]
[buzzing.]
We need you, now.
- No.
- Why not? Too risky.
- Okay, if this operation-- - Itâs no good.
You've met your match.
You should know, you met yours.
You have an alternative? That part of the operation is yours.
I was only told to guide you.
Very well then.
The responsibility is all mine.
We go for the power chamber.
Camber? Prepare the demolition packs.
- What have you brought? - Nuclear twin dogs.
Well? I think we've got trouble out here.
Right, I'll come.
How do you propose to reach power chamber? That's your problem.
[stomping.]
The red light, the red light.
Cut all switches.
The port fan is on fire.
Oh, where are we? Oh, God, will we eject? - Iâve never done it before.
- [Camber.]
What is it? Where the hell are we-- [Sanders.]
He was freaked out by the noise we just heard.
Iâm afraid.
[Camber.]
But it shouldn't have that effect.
It was only a noise.
It was more than that, an oscillation affecting balance what do we know of the blocking capsule-- [Fulman, whimpering.]
Stocky [Camber.]
It should last for 24 hours, that's what we were told.
And after that? [Camber.]
The personality should revert to normal.
[Brinson.]
Subliminal briefing? - [Camber.]
All gone.
- [Brinson.]
Everything? [Camber.]
Yes.
A sane man living in a mad world.
He'll be quickly out of touch with his surroundings.
He's not far off that now.
[Fulman whimpering.]
And us? Are we? Leader, does that mean he'll be mad? We don't know.
[Stock.]
But the capsule shouldn't do that, should it? I mean, they wouldn't want us to go mad.
That's war, Stock.
[Camber.]
Is it? We don't even know where we are.
[Brinson.]
Does that matter? [Camber.]
And who are these people? What have they done to us? Why should we blow up their hydroelectric plant? - [Brinson.]
Because we've been ordered to.
- And is that the end of it? Mr.
Camber, you are second in command of this strike operation and till it is completed, we will continue with it.
But why, when it doesn't make sense? Because we've been programmed to.
Well, we're not under programming now.
How do you know? Because I can talk like this.
We have a choice.
ln my mouth, Iâve got the same blocking capsule as Fulman had, we've all got it.
If we like, we can bite on it and withdraw from the operation in the same way as he has or else-- Yes? We can choose not to refer to the radio.
Oh, can we? Do you really think it's that easy, Mr.
Camber? Do you really think you're going to get through this operation without having to refresh your briefing? - Why not? - Anyway Iâd like to try it.
[Sanders.]
I think that could be dangerous.
I mean, it might be dangerous half of us listening to the radio and the other half not.
No, I think that's not what you meant.
All right, I think he's wasting his time.
I don't think they'd ever free us from the programming, why should they? To leave us some initiative.
The planners can't foresee everything.
Do you believe that? Do you mean that even now Iâm not me? Not Dave Camber of No.
1 Strike Force? - That's Hine's theory.
- Well, it's not mine.
I know what I'm capable of.
I know my weaknesses and I know my strong points.
Iâm in touch with my reality and I can recognise it.
[Sanders.]
You don't normally shout like that.
I think we're trapped in this thing and must go on.
We are automatons.
I believe the planners foresaw everything, even this conversation.
And the danger you spoke of? The danger is that even the planners are fallible.
[Fulman panting.]
Well? There is a way through there.
Level two? Yes.
That's where we blow it.
The place is crawling with technicians and guards.
[Hine.]
Whom will you take? Ira and Sanders.
Nobody else? No.
[Camber.]
As long as he doesn't start screaming.
He should sleep.
Are you glad you're not going? With Brinson? I don't know.
I think you are.
I think you've lost faith in this operation.
Or have you just been programmed to think that? And what about you? Your faith? Do you want to see this place go up? Yes, I want to see it blown to hell, every stick and stone of it! And Iâd like to see him die underneath it all.
Who, Brinson? He is so sure of himself.
There's only one of him.
Don't be too certain.
[Brinson.]
Stand to.
- We're leaving.
- Iâm ready.
[Camber.]
Permission to accompany you, Leader? Permission to accompany me? - Yes.
- Why? I don't honestly know.
I felt impelled to say it.
And I feel just as impelled to turn you down.
If that was your briefing, tell it to try again.
Perhaps you ought to take him.
No, but I am taking Hine.
Hine? Why? There may be something for him to do in the power chamber.
Besides he'll be useful, carrying some of the heavier gear.
But you've got younger men for that, your men.
Strange, my briefing didn't seem to tell me that.
Well, good luck.
[Camber.]
And to you.
If we're not back in 90 minutes, make a break for it.
You've got your blocking capsule if necessary.
Some choice.
Mad in a sane world or sane in a mad one.
No, as the man said, we have no choice.
[whirring.]
[chuckles lightly.]
Ah, yes, yes, I feel very good, very good, very happy, rather hungry.
All right? Now remember what I said.
Do not get separated in the tunnel whatever happens.
Well.
And if you're challenged, let me do the talking.
I probably wouldn't understand a word they're saying anyway.
Where are we? - Where are we? - Yeah.
Near Kiraz.
Where the hell is that? Kurdistan.
Well, Iâll be damned.
[Camber.]
Go down to Dr.
Hoggart for a while.
She's making some food.
Iâm not hungry, Iâm feeling sick.
You're feeling empty.
Will they be all right, do you think? [beeping.]
They've left the lift.
From now on, it's all up to their programming.
[loud rumbling.]
[Stock.]
I don't really remember my mother because she-- Well, she died when I was only a little baby.
And they came along and they wanted to put us into one of those, erm, large blocks for motherless families.
But my dad wouldn't have it, he said institutions are never the same, that's what he said.
No, they're never the same.
Well, did you like dogs? Well, do you know, they wouldn't let us have our dogs in one of those places.
And I mean, can you imagine living in a large block for motherless families, without your dog? Itâs ridiculous.
How many did you have? Seven.
[giggles.]
[machinery whirring.]
[Ira attracts guard's attention.]
[thunderous explosion.]
It can't be them.
[beeping.]
[gasping, sighing.]
Do you think they they could still be building this place? Look.
[loud whirring.]
Itâs the turbine room.
Five horizontal Samsons.
They're about two years' old.
Russian modifications but American heat boosters.
They'll make a lovely bang.
What did you say? I said, they'll make a lovely bang.
Right, leave the packs here, we're clearing out.
What? What the devil are you talking about? What's the use of that? They'll do no sort of damage here.
They'll do enough! Now move.
[whirring.]
I demand an explanation! I insist-- [Hine.]
After all your efforts to get control of the operation, - you can't just throw it away.
- I risked my life for you! What about Ira? She's waiting to show us where to put the charges.
She'll have to take her chance.
Now move! I don't know what's happening.
I only know Iâve been through this before.
Itâs nearly time.
They should be here at any moment.
Itâs 20 minutes since they signalled to say they're returning.
What do you think went wrong? I don't know any more than you do.
Get on to the landing and keep quiet.
Why not use the radio and find out what you ought to do? No.
Then I may have to.
Then take it into the corner with you.
I never want to hear the damn thing again.
But they'll find a way of making you listen.
Oh, no, they won't.
Iâve still got some independence left.
[Fulman whimpering.]
Lydia, look after Fulman.
What are you going to do? Stand by to open the door for him.
Do you want to try the radio? Then we'll leave the thing together.
I don't think I was programmed to do that.
[alarm bell rings.]
[explosion.]
Camber, the doors! [bleeping.]
They're here! Don't let them in, they'll only be drowned! [alarm continues.]
- Itâs Ira! - Ira? Brinson, help me! [Ira screams.]
[machine gun fire.]
If it comes through, we can go up the ladder.
[explosions in distance.]
[Camber.]
Iâm sorry about Ira.
Request permission to listen to radio briefing.
Refused.
Request again.
[electronic bleeping.]
[smashing.]
[silence.]
What now? What do you hope to do now? [Brinson.]
Work this thing out as a human, not as a robot.
Itâs too late.
You've betrayed us already, you bastard.
[Ira over radio.]
Brinson, can you hear me? Ira? Where are you? They've got me outside.
[frantic.]
What's happening? [Ira.]
They have you surrounded.
You have to surrender.
Well? The radio fuse, is it beamed in? Of course.
Iâll show you if I've betrayed you.
Stand by to blow the charge.
No, you'll blow us up, too.
Does that matter? Yes! I want to give myself up! There must be another way.
No, it can't be helped.
[loud whirring.]
Leader, look.
Sanders, blow the charge.
Bastard.
The ammunition, like the charges, was fake I'm afraid.
Iâll count the operation out now.
Three, two, one.
The exercise is over.
Exercise? Yes, that's right.
Where are we? ln Wales, your training area is just across the valley.
But this place? You've been here many, many times before.
But, of course, your programming wouldn't let you remember.
We use this for all your tests.
You'd better get Fulman under deep therapy.
I think we may have overdone it a bit this time.
[Brinson.]
It was all arranged? Programmed? Yes, everything.
Every question, every doubt.
Even that kiss, everything.
But why? To test your programming under stress.
You were very good.
Iâm delighted with your progress.
[Denham.]
Your rebellion.
Excellent.
You were meant to do it.
Meant? Ah, Dr.
Spencer? The radios are too fallible.
For the next operation, let's try the receivers implanted.
Probably in the neck.
Can I help you, Captain? He recognised me.
An echo image only, we can soon erase it.
After all, think of the number of times already we've cleared you off his memory and then re-recorded you.
The resilience of the human brain is amazing.
Iâd still rather have a robot.
But think of the relative cost.
And what about replacements? This way, when Brinson is no longer serviceable, we simply go out and find another Brinson, and another, and another.
[whirring.]
After all, there are millions of him outside.
[explosion.]