www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Able 2014 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 HELICOPTER NEARS Good sleep? Not bad. So, where are we? Where'd they bring you from? Oh, Santiago. Left yesterday. So, you came Honolulu, Guam, Agat, here? Yeah. Long trip. Mm-hm. What kind of work do you do, sir? I'm a psychologist. Hey, a shrink, huh? Yeah. Why not? They've called in just about everything else. How do you mean? We've been ferrying people out of Guam for two days. Physicists, biologists, mathematicians, you name it. Everybody being flown to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. What's going on? They won't tell us. What did they tell you? They said there was a plane crash. You're called to crashes? I'm on a list of psychologists the FAA brings in when a plane goes down. So where exactly are we now? That's where we're headed, over there. Here. Take a look. MYSTERIOUS MUSIC What is that? DRAMATIC MUSIC Wow. All that for a plane crash? They never mentioned a plane crash. P.A.: ..to report on the main passageway. Any other gear, sir? No. I'd like to call my family. We'll get you in quarters first. We'll send for you later. I need to start immediately. It's critical I see them. Who? The survivors. I must see them in the first 24 hours... What survivors? Of the plane crash. Plane crash?! Listen carefully. I deal in post-traumatic stress and survival guilt. I should see someone who knows what's happening. Talk to the ship psychiatrist. I'm a psychologist. That's why I was sent here. I said I need a phone. Talk to Barnes. Fine. I will. Ted. Norman. Why are you here? Take your hands off. Do you know me? He will. Name your book. 'Astrophysics You Can Use'. It was book of the month. Never heard of it. Back in your quarters. Book of the month. You thought he'd read your book. You haven't changed. It's written for the layman. He's not impressed. Is there a phone in here? No. Would you stop? I've tried to call my wife for 15 hours. Wait, I... Beth? P.A.: All hands, make your flight quarters condition one stations for landing. Stay clear of the fantail. Remove all hats topside and clear... Goodman. Yeah? Been here long? Three hours. Welcome aboard. I tell you, this thing scares me. We're too late. Might as well send me back. Whatever damage is done to the survivors is already done. Hold on. We'll get to that. I don't know who or what you are. Who are you? Navy? Military? What are you? Ever hear of the OSSA? Yes. They don't know who I am. That should reassure you. Have you talked to anyone about this? The helicopter pilot. What did you tell him? That I was here to see the plane crash. That's my job. (Chuckles) Plane crash. Good! There was no plane crash. Spacecraft. Oh. A spacecraft. Well. I guess that explains a lot. NASA? That doesn't surprise you? At least it explains the secrecy. The secrecy's critical, Norman. You made that explicit in your report. What report? U.L.F. I wrote that for the Bush Administration. And that's our bible here - every jot and tittle. But that was a report about a possible encounter with an alien being. You want to come with me? Oh, boy. About three weeks ago, a ship laying fibre optic cable between Honolulu and Sydney hit an obstruction 1,000 feet under water. Cut this cable here clean as a shears. The navy got interested, sent out a search ship. It turned out that what did it was this. BEEP We took this with SLS - side-looking sonar. This is an aerodynamic fin longer than a football field, bigger than any known wingspan. This is the fuselage. This is ultra-high res, SLS bottom scan. Came in a week ago. There it is, buried under about eight yards of coral. There's something wrong with that measurement. Pacific coral grows one inch per year. You can set your watch by it. That's right. So, you're saying this spacecraft crashed in the year...um... 1709. You're saying this spacecraft crashed 300 years ago? 288. Well, that's impossible. Well, it's not impossible if this spacecraft came to earth from an alien civilisation. Whoa, whoa. You think this is an alien spacecraft? See? It's not impossible. It's ridiculous. We think there's an unknown life form on this spacecraft. That's why you're here. You're the human contact team recommended in the Goodman report. We have a biochemist to assess the physiology of the unknown life form, a mathematician, as that'll probably be our common language, and an astrophysicist to locate its place in the cosmos. Led by a psychologist? That's right. So nowadays little green men say, "Take me to your therapist"? Mm-hm. Listen up. "Contact teams meeting an unknown life form, or ULF, "must be prepared for severe psychological impact. "Stress reaction when confronted by unknown life "has not been sufficiently studied "and cannot be entirely predicted in advance. "But the most likely consequence of contact is absolute terror." That's from Norman's report. I'm sorry. Are these parameters correct? Yep. You're saying you have a fuselage from a spacecraft over half a mile long that crashed into the ocean 300 years ago and is completely intact? Right. The kicker is our sonar is picking up a low-level hum. Something's still running inside. Hold on. This coral couldn't grow faster? No. Isn't it what we're going to see? What?! Who says we're going down there? Harry, that's a joke, right? You're kidding. This is the greatest scientific discovery since Copernicus. It's bigger than Copernicus. The idea that we're not alone. It'll change everything. Physical evidence there's extra-terrestrial life. You don't want to see that? I resent this briefing very much. Oh, Jesus. And how's that, Harry? If Norman's report calls for a biologist, a mathematician an astrophysicist and a psychologist, then why are you here? Physical protocols start in half an hour. You wear glasses all the time? I just started wearing these... Are the glasses a problem? I don't actually need them. Clinically speaking, they're for reading. They're a crutch. I see fine without them. They say there's no problem but they didn't anticipate I'd be 1,000 feet underwater. You take prescription medication? No. Not at all? You know, once in a while I might take, like, a...PCNX or something if I'm nervous. Something like that. Not...not...ah...much. Knee surgery. Complete reconstruction of ACL, right knee. Still have a steel pin here, steel pin up here. Little medial collateral damage. I see you have a scar on your neck. Car accident. Were you drinking? Yeah. But I wasn't driving. Harry, I just want to apologise for putting your name on the list. What are you talking about? When I made the report, I just picked people I knew. And? I know Ted because of his father. Yeah, so what's up? Beth was a patient. OK. It's a bogus report. What?! Yep. Did you tell Barnes? No. You can't do that. That...that's fraud. Listen, they came to me, you know, new administration, political agenda. They said, "Look, in case of an alien invasion, dos and don'ts." Why didn't you just say no? $35,000. Paid the down payment on my house. New administration. They want to prove to the public they're doing something new. How'd you come up with this team - a marine biologist, an astrophysicist and a mathematician? Right. How? I don't know. Sounded good. Right? Made it come to me. OK, I forgive you, Norman. But I don't forgive you for Ted. He's a pain in the ass. Yes. I'll talk to him. You owe me. We'll be there two hours. You don't have to be around. He idolises you, anyway. I'll buy you dinner. I'm sorry. Alright. Your secret's safe. I can't believe this could happen. Have you called your wife? No. Why not? MAN: This will be a saturation dive. You're going to a habitat in 1,000 feet of water. A sub will take you to the habitat, you'll transfer aboard. At 1,000 feet, your body will be pressurised for that depth. You could take a quick dip, because the pressure wouldn't hurt. I wouldn't recommend it, because the water's so cold you'd suffer hypothermia and freeze to death in under two minutes. So you have diving suits. Your helmet has a rebreather for your air supply. Directly following this briefing I'll be taking you all to an on-board dive tank. Over the next eight hours you'll be trained in deep saturation diving and emergency procedures. If you return to the surface from 1,000 feet, you must commit to several days of decompression. There is no real quick return. There is a minisub for use as an emergency escape vehicle. But there must be a ship at the surface to mate to for decompression. Without decompression, your body would literally burst. Now, under these circumstances you are very well controlled. The dive has been planned well and professionally monitored... MACHINERY RATTLES MEN TALK OVER RADIO RATTLE STOPS MAN: ..two knots at 170 degrees. OK. Alright, the descent's going to take about 13 minutes, descending at 80 feet a minute. ROAR OF RUSHING WATER It's gonna get chilly. Try to relax. Oh, next time just tell us when you're going to push the button. MOZART HORN CONCERTO PLAYS, ECHO SOUNDER PIPS Mozart. 'Horn Concerto in E flat.' K-447. (Hums) RADIO OPERATOR: Sensub One to Habitat. Show us at 200 feet. Habitat at 300 feet. How you holding up there, Captain Nautical? I'm loose. You're loose? I'm loose. CRAFT LURCHES I'm uptight. NORMAN: We OK? Don't worry. We're in the river now. What river? It's a temperature/salinity differential that flows like a river inside the ocean. We're in the ocean, and there's a river? That's right. You OK? No. Right now I'm not OK. Please don't touch me. We're both nervous, yes? (Hums) Would you cut that out, please, Harry? You're having a stress reaction. That's Harry's stress reaction. HULL CREAKS Those noises we're hearing - that's normal? Those noises are the pressure of the water attacking the integrity of the sub. You know a little something about that, don't you, Norman? How the pressure can attack your integrity. Come on. Be nice this trip. Were you nice last time? You, ah, you two want to sit together? Oh, my God. Norman, look at this, look at this. Jesus. That's just the fin? MAJESTIC MUSIC That's the Habitat. The navy moved it in in sections and set it up as a base of operations as soon as the spacecraft was discovered. It's manned by two naval personnel and it'll be your home while we investigate the spacecraft. HARRY: Yeah, well, it ain't the Motel 6. RADIO: Approaching docking bay from R-4. WOMAN: All personnel to Sensub port. Engaging lock area. Sensub One, you are now depressurised. We're going to pressurise you now. I know it's hot in there, but you'll feel coolness. That's the helium. NORMAN: Helium? Was I the only one paying attention? (Squeaky voice) Oxygen is a gross gas. Same family as fluorine and chlorine. Hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid. That's why we're breathing helium down here. Because oxygen at any level higher than 2.3 becomes toxic. (Squeakily) Run that by me again, Ted. I don't speak balloon. (Laughs hysterically in squeaky voice) Oh. That's my voice. The helium resonates differently with my vocal cords. (Sings squeakily) # Follow the yellow brick road. # (All laugh) Alright, kiddies. Cut it out. The voice regulators are behind you. Put them on. The navy dive team's setting up a hydraulic robot in the airlock outside the spacecraft and we'll use that to open its door. Is that the door? Yeah. We used sonar imaging to pinpoint it before the navy divers went down. TED: How tall is that robot? NAVY WOMAN: Five feet. Roughly the same as an aeroplane door. BARNES: Excuse me, Ted. Isn't that worth noting? Excuse me. Tell them our team is in place and ready, OK? Navy Dive, our team is in place... Has anyone considered we shouldn't open that door? Why do you say that? We assume aliens will be green or insect-like but basically human. What if they exhale cyanide gas? It's perfectly plausible. Or live forever like a virus or yeast? Why assume an unknown life-form would want to kill us? Something that couldn't be killed wouldn't think it right or wrong. It wouldn't have a concept of it. Instant eradication is discussed in serious science. You did put that in your report? Oh, it's...it's in there. BARNES: Yeah, good. Get us the ETD for team's departure to surface. Tell them we're in ready, and thank them. Habitat to Navy Dive, our team's ready to take over. The Sensub ready for your return to surface. Thanks for your help. We'll tell you what we find. I'm not too thrilled at the prospect of this, you know. What if you need the bathroom? Go down your leg, Ted. Really? You can urinate in these? You can. Question is, would you want to? MYSTERIOUS MUSIC BREATHING FROM SCUBA MASKS OK, let's go. Alright, Fletcher. We're at 1,022 feet. The ambient temperature, 31 degrees. Heading out north north-west, 330. It's a firm bottom. Intermittent coral. Ah, ha, ha! This is great, you guys. Wow. GRAND, MYSTERIOUS MUSIC MUSIC CRESCENDOS Look at the size of that thing. Oh...my...God. You see that tunnel? That's where we're going. Into the heart of darkness. SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC We're in the coral pipe now, Fletcher. Approaching the airlock. I'm feeling pressure in my ears. Is that normal? Just use your equaliser. Little better. BETH: You know, the most toxic creatures on earth live down here. The venom of a land animal is nothing by comparison. Even the weakest sea snake is invariably lethal. Is that supposed to make me feel good, Beth? BARNES: This is our airlock. It'll take us from a wet to a dry environment. We're assuming the inside of the ship is sealed. This thing is enormous. TED: It's not budging. BARNES: Turn it 45 degrees. (To herself) What's happening, guys? Is that piston broken? Can you get the suction cone clamped to the door? BARNES: Maybe it's the hydraulics. Pressure messes things up at this depth. Time for a demonstration in basic physics, gentlemen. What is it, Harry? Take a look. It's chipped. Alright, it's chipped. So what? You said this thing wasn't damaged when it crashed, and this titanium alloy was so super-strong you couldn't hurt it. I did. How come it chips when this scientist hits it? Is there heat coming off this thing? You're right. Get out of there, Beth. Back up. Just a minute. I mean get back NOW. HARRY: Jesus. Anybody else wonder who the hell opened that door? SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC NORMAN: How did that happen? BARNES: I'm not sure about the atmosphere. Helmets stay on. (Whispers) Alright. We come in peace. I always wanted to say that. Alright, Fletcher. Inform the navy we gained access to the spacecraft. There is a hell of a lot of radiation shielding in here. Huge grids of catwalks and plumbing and... ..a lot of steam. It's endless. We'll stay in touch here. Somebody's been here. What? Well, there's footsteps and they ain't ours. TED: Whoa. Well, Norman? Time to turn back? NORMAN: I'm a little curious. BARNES: Let's form two squads, or we'll never cover the territory. Split up? He's got a point. Only got about a half hour breathing time left. Ted and Harry, you come with me. Beth, Norman - stick together. Come on. I think whoever built this place would call that 'divide and conquer'. If whoever built this wanted us dead, we'd be dead already. These guys appear with a grant to study psychological effects of an alien invasion. I told Harry. You made up the report? Not entirely. I did research on half. Who did the other half? Well, I...I borrowed from...you know, good writers. Isaac Asimov, ah, Rod Serling... Rod Serling? Who would think anyone reads those government reports? What are the odds on that? I show up, half the Pacific fleet is here. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to tell you. Would this fall under the same category as, "Gee, Beth, I thought you knew I was married"? I don't think we have enough oxygen... I...ah! What? Oh, my God. Did you push something? No. It's really fast. CONSTANT BREATHING LOW RUMBLING NORMAN: That must be the cockpit. Hold on. BARNES: Look, Harry. Cross-stress bracing on the outer hulls. All axes supported. Look at this stuff. This is interesting, huh? Soft and strong at the same time. It's, like, better than rubber, better than steel. HARRY: You seem to know lots about this stuff. I studied aeronautical engineering at MIT. Isn't that where you got your PhD? TED: It's where I got mine - three of them. I hated MIT. Envy? Puberty. How old? First PhD, 18. Damn. One year, Harry. You beat me by one year. Let's push on. Let's go. They didn't say how heavy these things were out of the water. Look at this! Come here. EERIE MUSIC "Trash - Basura." Trash? (Screams) Oh, God. Jesus. It's human. You mean humanoid. No, Norman. I mean human. Blunt force trauma. You can see by the direction that the fracture runs he was hit in the back of the head. What's in his hand? I don't know. What is it? Um... Smokehouse almonds. Oh, my God. It's an American spaceship? Can't be an American spaceship. It's 300 years old. There weren't even Americans let alone spaceships. It can't be, but it is. OK. Let's see if there's some kind of flight recorder or, uh, data computer, where we can ring up some kind of flight history. where we can ring up some Wow. I mean... Norman, look at this. It's in English. Come here. OK. OK. Good. ELECTRONIC BEEP Right there. And there. Oh. MYSTERIOUS MUSIC Look at the dates. It can't be. Could be. It could be 2043 or 1643. I don't know which one is weirder. 'Unknown entry event'. Press it. It's OK. Sure? Yeah. DRAMATIC MUSIC WONDROUS ETHEREAL MUSIC Oh, Norman. JOYOUS ORCHESTRAL MUSIC POWERFUL MUSIC MUSIC RAPIDLY CRESCENDOS SILENCE RADIO: This is Barnes, Norman. Yeah, I...I can hear you. I, uh, I can't explain it but I...I think we're inside an American spaceship. It gets better. MAN: Look around. As the Favourites come out, it begins. Observing with an eagle eye. Mastering the art of stashing. Oh, brilliant move, Gran! Cadbury Favourites. TED: What the hell is it? BARNES: Whatever it is, it seems to be what it was designed for. Go into space and gather things like this and bring it back. But back from where? HARRY: Don't get too excited, Ted. probably say 'Made in Korea'. Somehow I doubt that, Harry. No doors. No hinges of any kind. I'll bet you, if you put a laser micrometer on this thing you'd find that it was a perfect sphere. I mean perfect, under a thousandth of an inch. That's a message in and of itself. Really? What do you mean? Well, when Pope Benedict asked Giotto for a drawing to prove his worth as an artist... ..Giotto drew a perfect circle. Freehand. Perfection. It's a powerful message. BETH: I know what the Zen masters would say. What's that? This ball wants to be caught. Nah. Nobody built this thing looking into their third eye, Beth. They went to lots of trouble and not for nothing. Something put this thing out there to get picked up and brought here. Remember the Trojan horse? It could be a trap. Don't you think that's slightly paranoid? No. I'm putting a video camera on this thing to keep an eye on it. NORMAN: Can I ask you something about this reflective surface? Yeah. It appears to be mercury, doesn't it? Except mercury's liquid at this temperature. No. That's not what I'm talking about. What worries me is that it's reflecting everything but us. I hate to be the one non-scientist that picks this up, guys. Do you know what I mean? What do you think it is? I don't know. Whatever it is... ..it's alien. OK, an American spacecraft, materials and technology more advanced than anything we know of crashes into the ocean. If it crashed, why wasn't it damaged? The materials are obviously superstrong. If that's the case, how come it chipped when you banged on it? OK. Better. It didn't crash, it arrived - 300 years ago. From where? Not from where, from when. You're saying this thing took a wrong turn? Yeah, that's right. I mean, what if the craft inadvertently flew into a black hole? It arrived in our past from its present. What about those flight recorder dates? 43, 47. That has to be 2043, 2047. That image you saw on the monitor - from what you described, that sounds like a black hole. We know what a black hole is. I don't know. It's a collapsed dead star with so much gravity it acts like a huge vacuum cleaner, sucking everything into it - light, interstellar dust, time. Time? It's possible but not plausible. It's more than probable. It's rudimentary astrophysics. We just haven't been able to fly into one and prove it. PHONE RINGS I just got off the horn topside. They're expecting a bad blow up there. And they're pulling us out. Pulling us out? Wait. What do you mean? What does that mean? What part of 'pull out' don't you understand? Extraction. We're leaving. No. That's ridiculous. I mean, we haven't even begun to scratch the surface here. If you've ever seen a Pacific cyclone, what we call a tornado is a little fart. I suggest you go to the dormitory and take a nap. You'll need to lower your metabolism before we start the decompression. You're leaving a time-travelling spacecraft at the bottom of the ocean? I'm following my orders. We're the welcome wagons for the aliens. There's no aliens. It was all made in America. What's your point? I'm a biochemist. There's no life here. What's wrong with you? That doesn't mean there's nothing to learn, to explore. Jesus. She's right, Ted. You guys are the human contact team for an unknown life form. There is no unknown life form. So we're pulling out at 0900. Will you say something to him? What? Don't you have an opinion about this? I'm delighted we're going back up top. Do you know what I mean? This may look like a roadside diner but my ears won't pop. If I pull this from my neck, I sound like someone's squeezing my testicles. Let's go home. GENTLE MUSIC Barnes is wrong, you know. What do you mean - wrong about the storm? No. About the sphere. What about the sphere? It's alive. Why do you say that, Harry? There's something inside it. How can there be anything inside it? There's no door, no seams. The sphere chooses what it will and won't reflect. Doesn't that seem like the actions of a conscious being to you? OK. Pop psychology. You want to know what this is really about? I think, for whatever it's worth, you're angry towards our friend Ted in there because he figured this out before you did. (Chuckles) You really think so? I don't know. This is my first underwater session. You're right. Ted did figure it out first, didn't he? Good shrinkage. (Sighs) We're all gonna die down here, you know. What? What? You see, it's curious... Ted did figure it out - time travel. And when we get back we're going to tell everyone. How it's possible, how it's done, what the dangers are. But then why, 50 years in the future, when this spacecraft encounters a black hole does the computer call it an unknown entry event. Why don't they know? If they don't know, it means we never told anyone. And if we never told anyone, it means we never made it back. Hence, we die down here. Just as a matter of deductive logic, Norman. Damn. I wish I could get inside that sphere. ALARM SOUNDS What's wrong? Talk to Mr Barnes. Where is he? Video feed room. Where's that? I don't know where the hell everything is. Where am I? What's going on? I don't know, Norman, you tell me. ALARMS BLARE CONTINUALLY What the hell's he doing? I don't know. Do you know? No. I don't. I need to know what you know. Nothing. He said he wanted to go inside. We are inside. You mean outside? He said inside. Inside what? Inside the spacecraft? I think inside the sphere. The... DARK ORCHESTRAL MUSIC JOYOUS ORCHESTRAL MUSIC Holy shit. Oh, my God. Did he go inside? I don't know. I don't think so. What's going on? He didn't just disappear. I don't know. I think it's a glitch in the video. Give me playback. You'll have it in a minute. You knew he'd do this yet said nothing? I didn't think... You didn't think! It wasn't possible... Where are Beth and Ted? I don't know. You don't know? I woke up, heard bells ringing and started running. I'm not getting an image on that, sir. Impossible. I got a cable. They'll arrive in 25 minutes or less. The logical explanation is the sub's at the surface. Is it also possible your sonar's messed up? OK. Let's calm down. Alright? He didn't disappear. We aren't going to leave him. That's right. We aren't leaving without him. I'm not losing a civilian on my watch. You've screwed up our trip to the surface. We aren't going to the surface. We're not? Harry, we aren't going up. Harry, can you hear me? Harry, can you hear me? Harry. You know, Norman, this isn't a triage situa... Norman? Norman. Alright. Go find me Ted and Beth. MUSIC BUILDS DRAMATICALLY Norman. Norman, stop. I'm still getting no reading on the sub. Forget the goddamn sonar, Teeny. When Beth and Ted get here, keep your eye on them. Make sure they don't go anywhere. DRAMATIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC What the hell? Harry, can you hear me? Harry. Harry! Harry! Harry. Harry! Norman, is he alive? Barnes, we have a problem. Harry's out cold here. His pulse is normal. All his vitals are normal. But... I don't get it. Harry. ECHOING INHALING SOUND SWELLING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC Hello. Hello! JUBILANT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC ELECTRICITY HUMS Norman, can you hear me? We lost video here. Can you hear me, Norman? Norman? Well, that tears it. What, sir? We're on internal power. I don't follow you. They cut us loose, Teeny. For some reason the sub turned back. Break out your five-day deodorant pads. We're here for the duration. We're here for the duration. CONSTANT BEEPING Everything's normal. What's going on? Is he alright? Yeah. Is it true - did he go inside? What did he say? Oh. He didn't say. He can't talk. He's aphasic. He's asleep, Ted. He went inside the sphere and didn't say anything? There's no door, no entry. How did he get in? LOW RUMBLING BARNES ON P.A.: Can I have your attention, please? We've lost contact with the surface. The Habitat is now operating solely under internal power. We have plenty of food, oxygen and fresh water to sustain us until the storm is over, and we re-establish contact with the surface. But until that time, this mission is subject to emergency authority, under my command. BLUESY MUSIC SONG: # I'm making believe that you're in my arms # Though I know you're... # I'm gonna take this out to the minisub, sir. You up on the duty roster? Yes, sir. Alright. Where's she going? It's procedures. Everything in the Habitat is videoed. So every 12 hours we take the video storage out to the minisub and press the reset button. The idea is if something happens to us and we don't reset it, the sub goes to the surface automatically. So if we're all dead, they at least have a partial record of what went wrong. Cheerful thought, huh? Mind the store a minute. I'm going to the head. BREATHING APPARATUS SOUND (Sighs) EERIE MUSIC CONSTANT BEEPING What the hell's that? KEYBOARD CLICKING COMPUTER STOPS SQUEALING TEENY: Wow. It's so beautiful down here. So tranquil. Wow. Oh, this is beautiful. It's hard to believe we have a typhoon 1,000ft above our heads. Hey, it's snowing down here. Can you see this? There's got to be a million jellyfish down here. Oh, man, this is really beautiful. Hey, these jellyfish are getting a little friendly. I'm having a hard time seeing. What am I supposed to do? Hey, guys, you getting this? It's getting a little thick down here. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. MICROPHONE FEEDBACK MICROPHONE FEEDBACK FLETCHER ON P.A.: I can't see... Hello. Hello. They're starting to stick to my faceplate. Fletcher, this is Dr Fielding. Swim through them. They're harmless. Hey, guys, these jellyfish are everywhere. Fletcher, get out of there. What are jellyfish doing at 1,000ft? Hey, guys, I think they feel the heat from my body. I can't get 'em off of me! They're stinging through my suit! Fletcher, I want you back at the Habitat on the double. They're on my legs! Come back to the Habitat. Oh, no, they're... They're inside my suit! (Speaks incoherently) Keep moving. Just keep moving. (Screams) Oh, my God. Help me. (Screams) They're killing me! Come on, help me! Come on! (Screams) DRAMATIC MUSIC (Screams) (Chokes) MUFFLED CHOKING SAD MUSIC Edmunds. Yes, sir? Come on down here. Something happened to Fletcher. FRENETIC HIGH-PITCHED SOUNDS MUSIC CRESCENDOS Oh, God. When I was five, I went on a boat with my father. He told me not to jump in the water, so I did. And, uh... I...I, uh... Oh, my. I jumped right into a school of these guys. Not this big, though. I think every one of them had a shot at me. I don't know what this lady felt, but... Man, it went beyond pain. It was... It was... I've been afraid of them ever since. Would it make you feel better if I told you this wasn't exactly a jellyfish? What do you mean? I mean, jellyfish like this are unheard of. I don't know what this is, but it isn't God's creation. MYSTERIOUS MUSIC LOW RUMBLING RUNNING SHOWER (Harry sings) (Sings) # Come to me # Come to me # Bali H'ai # Bali H'ai # Bali H'ai... # BARNES: Come in. Hello. Norman. Hi. Hi. Have a seat. Do you want some coffee? No, thanks. How well do you know Dr Halperin? I taught at UC San Diego years ago. She came for her Masters. Don't take it personally but I'm assuming she wasn't a romantic interest. Don't take what personally? She's a tall, vibrant, younger woman. What's your point? You knew her as a patient. I'm not at liberty to discuss that. You understand. I understand that an exotic gas environment 1,000ft below the water with no lifeline to the surface is about the most dangerous environment on the planet. If there's a problem, I gotta know about it. Beth is fine. Beth is fine? Yep. Beth's fine. She's very fine. OK. Read this and tell me what it says. Are these my actual notes? What does it say? How... Does it say 'suicide attempt'? She was having problems... And 'electro shock therapy'? Isn't that what it says? What's your point? Didn't it seem important to tell? You were willing to jeopardise these people's lives to have someone here who could be mentally unstable? Are you aware of the term 'overreacting'? We're 160 fathoms down. We've got a nutbag who can flip out and crack up. You selected the team. Why didn't you tell me? Writing this report I didn't know we'd be 1,000ft underwater. 1,000ft or 10ft - it doesn't matter. Why didn't you mention Beth's mental history? It wasn't pertinent. That wasn't your call. It was and still is. It was a passive attempt. A passive attempt? People who really want to kill themselves get a gun or go over a bridge. They don't call their boyfriend and say, "I took 20 Nembutal." She took 20 yellows. You're saying she's perfect. KNOCK AT DOOR What is it? Come in. What? It's Harry. What - he's awake? He's really awake. Mmm. Man, oh, man. Barnes, you're gonna have a real problem with me. As long as my good buddy Norman keeps cooking like this, I ain't goin' nowhere. This toast is good. Bacon...better. But these eggs. Oh! These eggs are fantastic. Mmm. Norman, what did you put in these eggs? Ah... No, wait! Don't tell me, 'cause I... (Sniffs) Mmm. Like, ah, parsley? Right. Chives? Tarragon? Yeah. And... (Sniffs) Mmm. What is that? Mmm! Chervil? Is that chervil? Yes, it is. (Laughs) I'm glad you like it, Harry. Yum! I LOVE eggs. Well, they sure seem to cheer you up. Harry, that thing with you and the sphere, do you remember what happened? Yeah. I went inside. How'd you get inside? There's no doors. There are doors all over this place and we can't get out. We're still here. Yes, we are. You didn't answer my question, Harry. Norman. Yeah? Why are you looking at me like that? Harry, are you saying we shouldn't still be here? Where's Teeny? I thought she did the cooking here? She had an unfortunate accident, Harry. She was killed. Killed? How? Jellyfish. BEEP (Incredulously) Jellyfish? That's strange. Yes, it is strange, isn't it? Here you go, Harry. Whoa! Little onion rings... No, it's not onion rings. Mmm. Good, though. Guess what it is. What? Calamari. (Heaves and chokes) You alright? (Coughs and splutters) Come on - cough, cough. (Wheezes) You're doing it wrong. I know what I'm doing. Bring it up, Harry. Come on. (Grunts) Bring it up! He's trying tell you something. He's trying to talk. Stop it! Bring it up! Ted! Listen! He wants to say something! (Coughs) God, I'm not choking, you asshole! See! I hate squid. (Softly) I hate squid. I'm sorry. I was trying to help. (Groans) You OK? (Breathlessly) Yeah. Harry, let me ask you something. Before you went into the sphere, you were convinced we were gonna die down here. (Laughs) Yeah, I remember that. Do you still believe it? (Laughs) You afraid of dying, Norman? ELECTRONIC WHIRRING SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC Bullshit. What? You know he's hiding something. What! He was inside the sphere! Whatever he saw, he's not telling. He doesn't remember... Come on, Norman! You bought that?! Yes. No. That whole food thing was a diversion. Think about it - the guy's willing to risk our lives because he doesn't want to share information. He's researching his new book. He wants to win a Nobel prize. You don't? No! Well...ye... I mean, you've known me since I was 17 years old. I would LOVE to get the recognition... Do you know how respected you are? I'm not! What have I done? I've written one 'Fun with Dick and Jane' book on physics. For Christ's sake - Niels Bohr, he published the 'Quantum Theory of Atomic Structure' by age 28. Einstein, relativity - 26. Newton, gravity - 23. In physics if you haven't done it by the time you're 35, you probably never will. This isn't to do with your competitiveness with Harry? Harry! Harry. 19 - wunderkind. Yeah, I rest my case. Mr Barnes wants to see you, Ted. There's something wrong with the computer system. ELECTRONIC WHIRRING BARNES: Well, try purging it. I tried. It just keeps coming back. Is it buffer memory discharge? No. I ruled that out. I think the helium is getting to the chips. Probably a saturation effect. If that's true, what are our options? Changing all the chips. If we run this place on manual, it'll be a long four days. Hey, boss. Harry. Ted. Mm-hm? Figured it out yet? It's a saturation effect, Harry. I don't think so. It if was the saturation effect, it'd be random. What do you mean? Well, this has a pattern. SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC See? Like a code. A code from where? How'd you do that? How'd you SEE that? Try binary. (Thoughtfully) Binary. WHIRRING INTENSIFIES Ah, see? Letter breaks. (Types) Harry, do you think this is coming from the sphere? Don't know. Harry, this mission is classified ultra top-secret. Anything you translate is for my eyes only. (Laughs) If you were IT, how would you know our alphabet? The same way it's configured on a keyboard. But reflected in an orb, spherically. A keyboard - but spherical. Take a keyboard, wrap it around a sphere, then - starting at the centre key 'G' - number the letters spiralling out. HARRY: Ted, you're the man! I got it, Harry. Still got it, still got the juice. Keyboard. They let you keep those? Here, you want 'em? (Scoffs) Alright - Ted, Ted. (Clicks fingers) All we gotta do now is plug in the numbers. (Types) (Gasps) (Gasps) Friends, in the 8,000 years of recorded history THIS is a first. You are now online with an alien intelligence. You're kidding. You must have messed up the translation. No, I don't think so. If this translation is right, this alien sounds like an idiot. That's something to consider - a stupid alien. They must have 'em. I will admit the message is a little childlike but actually it's quite perfect. It's short, to the point, non-threatening. Kind of the way you talk to a small child or a dog. COMPUTER WHIRRS Look at this. He's making a speech. SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC (Laughs) OK, ask him for his last name. What? I want a full name for my report. I'm not putting in my report that I lost a crew member on an expedition to find an alien named Jerry! Harry, we should tell him we're enjoying it too. Ask him where he's from. (Types) Where...are...you...from? WHIRRING I think Jerry's channelling Deepak Chopra. (Laughs quietly) Journey from WHERE? (Types rapidly) Journey...from...where? WHIRRING (Gasps) He's happy. He's crafty. (Types) What happened? Oh, damn! I think we lost him. We're not alone. We are definitely not alone. Harry, it's trying to make contact with us. Well, whatever it is, it was inside that sphere. Now it's out and free to act. What do you mean by that? Free to take over our computers, call us on the phone, knock on the door if it wants. (Gasps) A physical presence. What are you thinking about, Norman? Where he said, "I am happy"... Don't you want Jerry to be happy, Norman? Honestly? Yeah. What's on your mind? I would be happy if Jerry had no emotions whatsoever because the thing is once you go down that road... ..here's Jerry, an emotional being cooped up for 300 years with no-one to talk to - none of the socialisation, the emotional growth that comes from contact with other emotional beings. So? What happens if Jerry gets mad? SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC HOLLOW THUMP NORMAN: Edmunds, what's that sound? Did you hear it? THUMPING ECHOES Hear that thump? (Urgently) Edmunds, what is that sound? Edmunds, can you hear me? Did you hear that thump? THUMPS CONTINUE You're an amazing woman, Beth. I wish I'd known you before. Norman told me were quite a... Norman told you what?! Let's put it this way - if Jerry could read your mind... ..he'd be bored with ours. THUMPING SOUNDS ECHO Edmunds, what is that sound? Edmunds, can you hear me? THUMP! Barnes? Barnes, this is Norman. There's no answer from Edmunds - there's some strange noises. Something's going on. Barnes? SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC FOOTSTEPS RACE Norman? Beth? I can't see very clearly but it looks like Edmunds is on the side of the Habitat. I'm not getting anything on sonar but watch yourselves out there. OMINOUS MUSIC Beth? Norman? Would you hit your call-back buttons, please. BETH: What did you tell Barnes? About what? About me, Norman. You told him I took 20 Nembutal and tried to kill myself. Didn't you? He had my notes. What should I do? Mm-hm. Did you tell him who I called, Norman? SLOW THUMPS Oh, God! OMINOUS MUSIC Norman? Come in. Beth? Norman? Beth? Did you guys find that thumping yet? SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC (Screams) Oh! Oh! Ugh! Oh! SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC INTENSIFIES Beth, I don't get it. What could have done this to her? My God! Norman, she's like a rag doll. Her body's been completely pulverised. Oh, my God! "..would have tentacles 27 feet long. "That would make a formidable monster." PENSIVE PIANO MUSIC Well, come on. What? Beth? What is that? What does this mean? Talk to me! What does this mean, Beth? Norman, there's something up there! You guys, I'm getting a reading on the sonar. SONAR BEEPS You're not alone out there. What the hell makes eggs this size?! Come on, let's go! Alright, alright! Norman, let's go. Come on, let's go! Alright, alright. Alright. What the hell is going on?! Norman, it's 80 yards and closing. Get out of there. SONAR BEEPS Ah! What the hell?! What the HELL IS THIS?! Come on, Norman! Come on, let's go! 60 yards. How close are you? SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC Come on, Beth, what is it? What is it? (Yells) What the hell is this?! 40 yards! Move, move, move, move, MOVE! Come on, Norman, come with me. Let's go! Where is it? What is it? 20 yards! Move! SONAR BEEPS ECHO ELEGANT PIANO MUSIC SONAR TICKS STEADILY I need a report, Beth. I dunno what's going on outside. There are eggs everywhere. You should've brought one back. I wasn't up for an Easter egg hunt. Maybe that's what Edmunds was doing. I want to talk to Jerry. EERIE CLUNKING If we talk to this thing, we need a game plan. We need an objective - know what we're addressing. We have to be specific. Oh, my God. Jesus! Jerry? Jerry? Ah, can you hear me? Oh, shit! Jerry, you've heard everything we've been talking about? Well, that's great. Jerry, hi. This is Ted here. Ah...you know, I'm the guy who actually... ..decoded the keyboard thing... Shut up! Tell him we need to discuss this together - alone. Je...Jerry? Jerry, use your words. (Quietly) He's mad. Jerry, use your words. Let's just pull the plug. It may not be that simple. Easy - we leave him alone, he leaves us alone. Phtt! Maybe he doesn't want to be left alone. He's been down here in isolation for 300 years. Maybe Jerry's lonely. Lonely?! SONAR CLICKS REPEATEDLY What's that? BOTH: Shh! It's our sonar. It's picking up something outside. Jerry, we all think that you're a fascinating and wonderful entity and we wish to talk to you for hours and hours, Jerry. You know that, don't you? Jerry, in your great understanding and...and...wisdom you must know that entities such as ourselves... ..need to be private. We have to talk alone some time. Oh, no. We're... Jerry, you know what it is? Jerry? CLICKING CONTINUES Jerry? Where did he go? Shit! Something's clogging everything up out there. SONAR CLICKS AND BEEPS It's back. Positive thermals on the inline perimeter. (Types) THUMP! What's that? THUMP! Something hitting the sensor grid. Do we have any defences? There's high-voltage electricity to run along the Habitat's skin, but doing that starts an electrical fire. Peripheral sensors activated. I'm going to try to image it on the fast-acting sonar. We're building an image - 80 yards, closing fast. Jesus Christ! It's 40 feet long. 50 yards! Re-imaging. That's the same image I saw when you were looking for Edmunds! It looks like a giant squid. A squid the size of the entire Habitat? There's no such animal. Yes, but that doesn't mean it isn't here. Re-imaging, 30 yards. THUMP! What the hell's going on, Barnes? I don't know. Jerry? Jerry...ah...Jerry, if you can hear me - it's Norman - if we've made you angry... BEEPING, HISSING We got a pressure drop! Ted, go to the control room! Why? Just go, please! GO! I'll tell you. REPEATED THUMPING OK, what's that...sound? What is that? Sounds like it's above us. I know where it is, but what...what is it? THUMPING ECHOES REPEATED BEEPING OMINOUS MUSIC RATTLING, CRASHING ELECTRICAL HISS WATER POURS I'm in the control shaft. We got a leak in here! Hello! CRASH! Jesus! ELECTRICITY HISSES Ted? Ted? Holy shit! Ted, can you hear me? Yeah! Increase the positive air pressure and drive the water out, OK? Increase the pressure?! Won't that use up the air supply? If the Habitat is full of water, you'll be dead! Open the red gate valve. TENSE VIBRATIONS Ted, the pressure is dropping. We'll be crushed! Find the red knob, Ted. It's the only one in the room! Got it! DRAMATIC MUSIC Alright, good. Good. We're getting positive pressure. Alright, not too much now. Start to ease it back. ELECTRICITY ZAPS Arggh! OMINOUS MUSIC LOUD WHINING ALARM SOUNDS Ted, turn it back! The pressure is too high. Ted! We're going to explode! Can you hear me? Let's go! Ted! Turn it back! ALARM SOUNDS, VIBRATIONS INTENSIFY CREAKING, GROANING We're there! Norman, can you hear me? I got him, I got him! What?! Norman, turn the red gate valve. Which way? Clockwise. Close it! Done! Barnes, we're still leaking! That's not the outer shell leaking, it's the internal pipes. We're OK. ELECTRICITY ZAPS THUNDEROUS RUMBLING Jesus, what the hell is out there?! SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC Norman, listen to me. Whatever it is, it's not letting go. Pull the green lever marked 'High Voltage Defence System'. No! He said it would start a fire. Don't do it. Barnes, you said it would start a fire! We're gonna die down here! Pull it! Barnes, do you hear her? Don't listen to her, she's crazy. Pull the lever. Oh! (Gasps) ELECTRICITY ZAPS Norman, pull the lever! What are you trying to pull? Don't do it! Do you hear her?! Don't listen to her! Pull the goddamn lever! Don't do it - it could start a fire. Pull it! Wait a minute! It'll eat the oxygen! Don't do it! CRASH! CRASHING, VIBRATING We've got failures everywhere, Norman. We're taking on water! It'll start a fire. There's no way out. Shut up! What am I gonna do? Don't pull it! You're gonna be squid food. Pull it! What am I gonna do? We're falling apart! NOISES CEASE SILENCE We're OK. You don't have to be right all the time. Yeah. Right? Yeah. OK? OK. Anybody got some Antol? ALARMS BEEP Oh, God! Norman, we got a fire in the com room. Get up there. I'll meet you with gas masks. LOUD, CONTINUOUS ALARM DRAMATIC MUSIC Where's the fire extinguishers? Over here - one's there. I got it! How do you work it? Pull the pin! Are there any more? I saw some in the door. DRAMATIC MUSIC COMPUTER: Now, alert, alert. Emergency doors now activated. Now, alert. Door secured. Now, alert, alert. Emergency doors now activated. OMINOUS MUSIC Harry! Harry! Harry, wake up! What are you doing? Harry, wake up! Shit! SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC COMPUTER: Now, alert. Emergency doors now... Arggh! Now, alert, alert. Emergency doors now activated. Section secured. It's coming through the ceiling pylons! Get to it through the cafeteria! OK, I'm going up! Get back! MENACING MUSIC Don't, Jerry, don't. SMASH! Whoa! NOOOO! Jesus! Norman! Norman! Are you OK? Hang on! Get out! (Grunts) SMASH! Arggh! Shit! Norman! Get out! AAARRRGGGHHH! EXPLOSIONS BURST SILENCE SOFT ELECTRICAL ZAPPING CLICK! This is Norman, Jerry. Can you hear me? Jerry, hear me. It's Norman. Is that you, Jerry? It's Norman. Jerry, who put out the fire? Jerry, who put the fire out? He's dead, Barnes is dead. He got cut in half by a door. We put him in a body bag. I know. Something happened to Ted, Jerry. I can't. I can't. It's not in my power. There was a fire, and, uh... And I froze. I... I didn't help him. I wanted to, but I didn't help him. I knew him since he was 17 years old, and I let him go. But I'd like to deal with this later. MYSTERIOUS MUSIC You made that, Jerry? No, no, no. That's...that's alright. No, Jerry, Jerry! Very important - nothing more right now, please. OK? Jerry, you have to stop. Jerry, listen to me - this is...this is critical. Your...your manifestations injure our entities. Pretty soon, there'll be no entities left to play with and you'll be all alone again because...because you can't control yourself. Because with all your power, you don't have the power to stop, do you, Jerry? OMINOUS MUSIC What name do you want? Jerry? Jerry? What name do you want? Jerry? EERIE MUSIC Hi, Harry. How you doing? Norman! Can you believe what happened? What? You know - the attack on the Habitat. You know there was an attack on this place? No. I... I must have slept through it. You slept through it? (Laughs) I was dead tired. So, uh...smoke didn't bother you? All the leaking, you know? Norman, you ever read this book, '20,000 Leagues under the Sea'? Found it in the john - probably somebody's misguided attempt at levity. I always loved this book! Could never get past page 87, though. Too scary. You know, you seem strangely detached, given our predicament. I don't know, Norman. All your panic and running around - what have you accomplished? You knew I was running around? You seen, uh...Beth? No. Thought she was with the others. What others? Barnes and Ted are dead, Harry. There's nobody left down here that knows how to run the place any more. Fire screwed up the electronics. We've used up most of our reserve gas. (Sighs) You're reading your book. FOOTSTEPS APPROACH Somebody has to go reset the minisub. If you don't reset it every 12 hours, it'll float to the surface, remember? I'll go. No. I'll go. You sure? Oh, yes. If the storm clears, you know, it might be our only way back out. Can I talk to you for a second? Uh-huh. I don't want Harry anywhere near that minisub. You think he'll leave without us? He's already left without us. Harry's in a whole other place. He slept through the attack - you don't find that a little strange? Hmm? Well, I guess it's just you and me, babe. You and me, Beth? Yeah. I'll keep my eye on you from the control room. OMINOUS MUSIC Reset... Reset, where are you? There you are. EERIE MUSIC Beth? Beth, are there supposed to be bubbles... ..coming out of the... out of your tube? Hey, I think I have some bubbles coming out of my hose or something! Beth? Beth, can you tell me what to do? It's fogging me all up here! BETH! There's something wrong here! I gotta get out of here! Tell me what to do! What do I push? Beth, where the hell are you? Help me. Help me. DRAMATIC MUSIC Help me. Help me. Beth! I'm talking to you! Beth! Beth! Beth! Beth! I'm talking to you, Beth! Tell me what to do! I can't...I can't breathe here! Hey, watch out for that rock. It's me. Harry. Harry? Come around the rock... Harry! Go to the right of the stanchion. Tell me what to do, Harry! I'm hurting! Come around which way? I can't breathe, Harry! Yes, you CAN breathe! You just have a faulty valve. It won't kill you - there's plenty of gas. I can't see where I'm going! See the airlock? It's right in front of you. I can't! I can't! I can't, Harry! Harry, are you there? I can't breathe. Please... EERIE MUSIC (Screams) 1 Where is she? Slow your breathing, slow down. You're going to hyperventilate! She said she'd keep an eye out for me! I couldn't find her. I thought she was with you. (Coughs) Where is she? Where is she? (Whispers) Did she tell you she was going out? No. Beth? Norman? I can't hear you. If she can't hear you, why'd she answer? Beth, what are you doing? I went looking for food. We're out of food. I was just up there - there's stuff everywhere. There's plenty of food! Looking for food in the spacecraft - little odd, don't you think? What's odd about it? If there WAS food, wouldn't it be at least 300 years old? I was hoping for a cryogenic freezer - maybe a bottle of Bordeaux? She's lying - she's lying about everything. Is Harry up there with you? MYSTERIOUS MUSIC Why don't we just talk when you get back? Meet me in the galley. I'll buy you a cup of coffee. There's still coffee, isn't there? Very funny. I'll take mine black, like my mood. Alright, see you soon. We got two ingredients here - Beth and this underwater environment. Put 'em together, you got one big-ass bomb. HARRY: Lucky for you I came by when I did. Hey, how'd it go in the minisub? It was a little disconcerting out there, actually. Oh? Yeah. Weren't you supposed to be watching out for me? Yeah, but Harry said he'd take over for me. You sat down at the...monitors. What happened? I was in trouble. Where were you? What's going on? What's going on? Well, going out to look for 300-year-old food in that spaceship when there's plenty of food here isn't exactly normal! Plenty of food? There isn't any... Dah-dah! A veritable horn of plenty! MYSTERIOUS MUSIC He must have hidden it. You think I hid all that food? I don't know what's going on here, but... I was standing... I was standing right here and there was no food in the cupboards... And there was no food in the...fridge. WHY, Beth? Why would Harry do that? Why would he set you up? I don't know, Norman! I just... You don't know? I'm telling you, I was standing here, and this food was not here! Calling Dr Halperin, Dr Beth Halperin! Please return to reality. Shut up! OK, you can see what he's doing to me! You were supposed to watch out for me. You think Harry said something he didn't and the cupboards are empty when they're full. Clinically, that's evidence of a psychotic break. I am NOT crazy, Norman! What are you gonna do, write me a prescription and get rid of me again? It's not that convenient down here! I am NOT psychotic! How about a MINI psychotic break? That's not fair! Beth! WHAT? I'm down there, I can't breathe, I'm hyperventilating - the man saved me! But... Wait a minute! You want me to believe he set you up! Why? This isn't 'Alice In Wonderland'! Remember? "Just you and me, babe"? Is it unrealistic to think that at this point, you're a danger to yourself, you're a danger to us all because of your anger toward me, which happened, whatever it was, 10-15 years ago, which is so distorted in your head, I was out there, you almost got me killed. The man saved my life - you now want me to disbelieve Harry? Yes, I want you to disbelieve Harry! I want you to look at me and believe me for one time, Norman! Look at me. Am I telling the truth? You weren't there, Beth. You wanna believe Harry, Norman, then that's fine, OK, because he's done everything but part the sea for you since we've been down here, OK? But I'm telling you that HE is NOT telling you the truth. This is not about Harry. Is it? Who's this about? He didn't tell you what's inside the sphere, did he? You didn't tell him, did you? You didn't tell him what's inside the sphere. And how would you know that, Beth? MYSTERIOUS MUSIC Did you go inside the sphere? Answer me! Did you go inside the sphere? Why won't you answer me, Beth? It's a question. (Whispers) You don't want to talk to me. Remember? Answer a question! What do you think, Harry? You think she went in the sphere? Here. You dropped your book. EERIE MUSIC Jerry, what isn't Harry telling me? Jerry, I know you're there - you're always there. What's inside the sphere, Jerry? Harry is reading this book, '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'. What makes me nervous is that after page 87... ..it's all blank pages. Why? Why did he go into the sphere... ..and come out like this? Why? Why? Why, Jerry? Why is this book half a book, Jerry? Why? Why? What's going on? He's got g=1 - that's right. He's got b=2 - uh-huh. He's got h=3. That's not right. Harry's got the code wrong. H doesn't equal 3. DRAMATIC MUSIC NORMAN: Harry not only makes it real for himself, Beth - he makes it real for you and for me, he has made it real for everybody. It's really frightening, because you don't know whether it's really real or whether he's made it real for us to believe it's real. And it's because of the sphere. OUR Harry? Our Harry is Jerry? Come on, Beth. I'm just as tired as you are. Come on. I know you can get this, OK? Harry said he couldn't get past page 87 'cause he said it was too scary, OK? There's nothing on the pages. Where's the rest? Read what's on page 87. "According to calculations of some naturalists, "one of these animals only six feet long would have tentacles 27...feet long. "That would make a formidable monster." What does Harry hate? Squid. And when he read that, it scared him. Getting the picture? Remember all those... jellyfish that attacked, right? What was Harry doing then? Sleeping. He was dreaming. And this is the really wild part - what he dreamed... Happened? It happened. Oh. You're telling me that because Harry went inside the sphere, he now has the power to manifest his dreams, his...fantasies? Manifest! He manifested it. He made it happen. We'd better not piss him off. It's not that different from a child, right? A child imagines that what it's imagining happens. But it doesn't. But with Harry, it does! And it's not only real to Harry, it's real to us all. What I can't understand is ever since he went in the sphere, the sphere has some power that projects Harry's every subconscious thought onto the computer! It prints it out! We interact with it! We thought it was Jerry. It's not Jerry, it's Harry! Harry's Jerry! Does Harry know this? No! And you went in the sphere and nothing happened. Obviously, I didn't go in the sphere. Beth, you never went inside the sphere? You didn't go in there? I was so angry at you. I wanted you to be scared. Maybe you had a right to be. Thanks. You're sure you didn't go in there? I don't know about you, but I don't really feel like dying down here. We'll find something to put Harry under. We can put him into a deep, unconscious sleep. Dreamless sleep, I hope. A dreamless sleep, yes. How do we do that? I got a bunch of drugs up there. Fancy that. MAN: Look around. As the Favourites come out, it begins. Working as the Dream team. Nice! Ah. The flirt. Classic! Cadbury Favourites. Diphenyl paralyn? Burns. Ephedrine hydrochloride? Motion sickness. Um...Valdamet? Ulcers. You might want to keep that. Syntac. Syntac is a synthetic opiate. It's a painkiller. Oh? I might want to keep that. What about parasultrin? Really? I got paracintrichloride. THAT'S an anaesthetic. Do you combine it? About 20ccs of this one, six of this one, you're in business. Here's some more paracintrichloride. Good. It'll knock him out for three to six hours. SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC (Whispers) What's going on? (Whispers) OK, go back to sleep. AARGGH! (Pants) Jeez, I didn't know it was that fast-acting. We didn't kill him, did we? I don't think so. OK. OK? COMPUTER BEEPS (Sighs) Come on, come on, come on! Here we go. It's a code. How the hell do we dec...? Oh. It's decoding itself. Weather conditions normal, surface support vessels return. Six hours and counting, we're out of here. It's over. (Sighs) If you trust it. You know me - I believe everything. OMINOUS MUSIC TINNY MUSIC, RUNNING WATER SONG: # Don't get around much anymore # GURGLING, HISSING SOUNDS TERRIFYING MUSIC AAARRRRGGGHHH! GET OFF! Get off! GET OFF! Get off! (Screams) Get off! Get off! Get off! Get off! Get off! Get off! Get off! AARRRGGHHH! GET OFF! (Screams and moans) They're Beltry sea snakes, Norman. They're the most poisonous snakes in the world. But they're nocturnal. They're only dangerous at night. BETH: Norman, can you meet me at the lab, please? I have something I need to show you. Norman? Beth. Beth, what are you doing? I'm here. Beth? What are you doing? Beth! Beth? Hey, Beth! What are you doing? Why are you locking me in? BETH! Norman, you manifested the snakes. What? Norman, up here! Up here, Norman! You're the only one who could be manifesting these snakes. and look on the table! See the hypodermic needle? Yeah. I want you to inject yourself, Norman. I...what? It's the same thing we used to inject Harry. Beth, we gave Harry the stuff because he was manifesting... Norman, you're manifesting your fears. The jellyfish, now the snakes. OK, the squid thing was Harry, but he's in a dreamless sleep. It couldn't be him. You're the only one left. What do the snakes have to do with me? I didn't go in the sphere. See the jars, Norman? I put the snakes in there and they disappeared before my eyes. Who's manifesting them, Norman? You are. Hey, I don't have anything... If you don't use the hypodermic needle, I'll have to defend myself. I'd remember if I went in the sphere! Don't make me do this! I don't want to! I didn't manifest anything. I didn't manifest the squid, I didn't manifest... SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC Why are you taking the gas out of the room? That's my air! Beth, what's with this water?! Norman, think it through - whose childhood fears were the jellyfish? Jellyfish? Remember, Norman? Remember? Wasn't exactly a jellyfish - jellyfish like this are unheard of. Anybody can be... can be afraid of jellyfish. Lot of people are afraid of jellyfish! Isn't it possible that you went inside the sphere and you just don't remember? I didn't go inside the sphere. You would've seen it on the video. I didn't go inside the sphere. Yes, you did. BARNES: Norman, is he alive? Went inside the sphere and you just don't remember. That's the problem. DRAMATIC MUSIC It's not me! I'm not gonna use it! Inject yourself with the hypodermic needle. Oh! Those are snakes, Norman. See? It's all fear. It's just a fear. Norman, you can make it go away. Just use the hypodermic needle. Then it will go away. The ships will come. We'll get out of here. Beth! What are you doing?! You're going to kill me! Oh! Norman, you can stop it. Try to pull yourself together, Norman. Your fears are gonna kill all of us. DRAMATIC MUSIC Please, Norman, don't open the hatch. You'll freeze to death in the water. No! Norman. NO! Norman, you'll kill yourself. Don't open the hatch. FRANTIC DRAMATIC MUSIC MUSIC STOPS BUBBLING SOUND MUSIC SLOWLY BUILDS EERIE ORCHESTRAL SOUNDS I know enough not to get killed down here. Are you the most qualified in your field? What exactly are your qualifications? Why are you here? (Echoes) What are your qualifications? Why are you here? (Echoes) Why are you here? DRAMATIC MUSIC You almost got me killed. (Echoes) Killed... Why are you here? You're a danger to all of us. Hey, Dr Halperin! Come back to reality. VOICES ECHO FRANTIC, DRAMATIC MUSIC COMPUTERS SQUEAL EERIE STRING MUSIC (Gasps) (Coughs) (Moans) (Moans) (Inhales sharply) BUILDING, FRENETIC MUSIC (Screams) AAAHHHHH! (Barnes' voice echoes) Beth... MECHANICAL SOUND CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! (Beth moans) (Mumbles incoherently) (Cries) (Beth sobs) NORMAN: Beth. Beth? (Sobs) What are you doing? Not my... Beth. (Speaks incoherently) Beth. GENTLE MUSIC Norman? Are you real? As real as the water that almost drowned me. You tried to kill me. What are you doing there? Beth, you went into the sphere. Didn't you? DRIPPING WATER NORMAN: Beth. Beth. You want to answer me? I don't know what to think, Norman. I just... I feel like I can't breathe. I'm losing it, you know? I'm trying...trying to keep it together. But, I... What's going on? Why did you put me out? Just what are you guys up to? You went in the sphere, Harry. So did Beth. So did I. I think. And if so, what? Everything that we feel, everything that we think, just... ..happens. That's what happened to the astronauts. The guy, the astronaut in the chair, what did you say about his head? He had...blunt force trauma. He got hit in the head. They went in the sphere one by one. They became more and more afraid of each other till they killed each other off and we're doing the same thing. I don't want to kill you, Norman. COMPUTER: Your attention, please. All construction personnel must exit the blast area immediately. Panther explosives are now activated. Mark 13 minutes and counting. Anybody want to tell me who that voice is? Yeah. They had explosives down here. Um, you know, to blow up the coral. So when I went out before, I set up a defence perimeter around the door of the spaceship. So something must have triggered it. What? Something from inside the sphere. There's nothing in the sphere, Beth. You know that. You've been inside it. Then what? I don't know. Then who? It's me. Oh, God. I was just thinking about the-the-the...the explosives. It just flashed inside my mind. It must have triggered them. It... I was thinking about wanting to tell you. You put explosives near the spacecraft? Yeah, I did. But they're about 100 yards away. There's a lot of liquid hydrogen left on that spacecraft. If it explodes, it will disintegrate everything. Minisub, now. Let's go. I hope there's a ship up there. DRAMATIC MUSIC COMPUTER: Your attention. All construction personnel must exit the last area immediately. Panther explosives are now activated. Mark 10 minutes and counting. DRAMATIC MUSIC DRAMATIC MUSIC BEEPING BETH: OK, let's go! Let's go! Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Move. Let's go. Come on. Move. Just keep moving. We're not going to make it. There's not enough time. Faster. Just keep moving. We're not out of time. We're not going to die here. Just keep moving. FRENETIC MUSIC COMPUTER: Now, alert. Alert. Your attention please... Let's go! Main power. Thruster. Let's go, Norman. Wait, wait, wait. It's not like I drive subs, Beth, OK? Yeah, well you're driving one now. SCRAPING METAL Oh, my God. What's going on? I don't know. Why are we inside the spaceship? I don't know. Let's go. Come on. COMPUTER CONTINUES WARNING We're not moving. Anybody hit the button? What the hell? Wait a minute. This was an elevator before, right? Which one of us is doing this? Oh, God. COMPUTER: Alert. Alert. Panther explosives are now active. We were here already. How much time we've got? Come on. Come on. It's a dead end. Where are we? An illusion. Doesn't look right, you guys. Come on. Beth, which way? Harry, where do we go? Where? Where's where, Norman? Around that corner? Down that corridor? And what's there, huh? Just another blind alley in the maze of our minds. Illusion. Maybe he's right, Norman. No, Beth. If we believe that, we're dead. Just go on. Leave me. You're not going to die down here. Come on. I'm not going to let you die. Come on! Come on! I'm not gonna die! SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC You have to push the button, Norman. I can't see a button. (Echoes) I can't see the button. It's no use. We die down here. COMPUTER: Panther explosives are now active. Running out of time. It all looks the same. I don't know where we are, what we're stuck in. We're stuck in the illusion that we could change the future. It's a dead end, Norman. Just like I said all along... ..we die down here. Maybe he's right. Maybe he's right, Norman. Maybe he's right. I'm not gonna die here. Beth's not gonna die here and you're not either. Look, just leave me. Harry, we're not in the spacecraft, we're in the minisub. This isn't real. This is your manifestation. Let it go. It's a dead end. We're not gonna die here, Harry. It's not our time. ALARM BLARES FRENETIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC Thank God we're out of here. Don't start celebrating yet. Why not? I don't think we're going fast enough. Fast enough for what? Underwater blasts create a suction that could suck us in. If the shockwave doesn't kill us first. COMPUTER: Alert. Alert. 20 seconds and counting. Panther explosives are now activated. CONSTANT BEEPING 640 feet. 630. 620. 610. Are you a religious man, Norman? Atheist. But I'm flexible. MUFFLED, DRAMATIC MUSIC (Moans) Pull up, Norman! Pull up! DRAMATIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC (Beth screams) Come on! Pull up! RADIO: This is Escort 7. We have sighted OSSA minisub, bearing 1-0-5. Repeat, bearing 1-0-5. Preparing to make contact for decompression procedure. Will complete condition report on contact. HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL NORMAN: What's going on? More of nothing. I want to thank you for saving my life. (Tiredly) Interesting life to save. You get some sleep. You get some sleep. I have no idea what to tell them when they debrief us. BELL RINGS IN DISTANCE My back is killing me. Next time I have to remember to stretch before I jettison from a minisub. We've been trapped in here for about three days. They want some explanation. We've got to figure out what to tell them. (Chuckles) Killer jellyfish, squid, sea snakes. And an alien being in the form of a giant titimic golden ball? Please. (Exhales) Look. We destroyed $100 million worth of equipment and people died. They want some answers. I want to know what you want to say. Harry, why aren't we dead? What? Remember what you said? "The future can't be changed." It can't. But in the spaceship they called it an unknown entry event. Unknown. Like we never got here ALIVE to tell them about it. You said we wouldn't survive, remember? If you can't change the future then we should be dead. We're alive. We're not dead. Yeah, and in about two minutes we'll be in a room full of military guys. They know about the sphere. We know Barnes contacted them before we lost contact to the surface. What do you want to tell them? Why bother? The sphere's destroyed. But we still have the power. Am I right? I don't know if I trust them with it. I don't know if I trust either of you. But I don't want to not be able to sleep afraid I'm gonna wake up with having manifested some... ..nightmare and there's all kinds of weird things in my apartment. That's a frightening thought. That's a frightening thought. Yeah. No kidding. So. If we still have the power... ..what do you want to do with it? 'Cause God knows what THEY'LL do with it. Are you saying you're worried about what will happen if it falls into the wrong hands? Frankly, I don't know what the wrong hands are. Or what's worse - the wrong hands or our hands. We are the wrong hands. OK? We proved it. Like, you know, the three of us are three enlightened people. We're intelligent. We even recycle our cans and our bottles. But when we got our shot, we manifested every mean, distorting, vengeful, paranoid thought you could think of. We did. Right? So you believe we still have the power. Of course we still have it. And that's the answer to the equation. We can't change the future. We're not dead. But they don't know. Why? I'm not following you. Because we have the power... ..to forget. To forget. Mm-hm. You want us to agree to forget? Wait. Are we sure that we want to do this? Yes. This is the greatest discovery in mankind's history, and we're whiting it out like it's a typing error? Norman. I'm sure. What about you, Beth? What's the matter, Norman? It's a little hard to let go of, you know? Yes. Something that could have been. This gift. The power to make your dreams come true. We're given the greatest gift in the history of mankind. We're given this magic ball. And it says, "Imagine what you will and you can have it." That's an extraordinary gift. But we're so primitive, we... We... We manifested the worst in us - because what we have inside us is what we have inside of us - instead of the best of us. What does that say about us? We weren't ready, Norman. We have what's called an imagination. I mean, I mean, look what we're capable of. We can... MELANCHOLY MUSIC We're not. We're not ready. You know, a long time ago... ..I did something very, very inappropriate with you. And I'm sorry. OK? OK. I don't have any answers, Norman. But these guys are coming. So let's... OK. We're gonna agree to forget. The sphere. The power. All that ever was. GENTLE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC I don't know how to start this, Harry. You're the mathematician. How about we just count to three? I couldn't have come up with that. What? OK. I'll start. HELICOPTERS APPROACH One. ORCHESTRAL MUSIC SWELLS Two. Three. Would somebody tell me what the hell that's supposed to be? HELICOPTER APPROACHES Why are you holding my hand? No. You're holding MY hand. UPLIFTING MUSIC MAJESTIC MUSIC MUSIC CRESCENDOS www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Able 2014