Moscow: Cassiopea (1974) - full transcript

Gorky Film Studio

Moscow Sea

Please forgive me,
dear viewers,

for appearing
a little prematurely.

But as long as it has happened,

I consider it my duty
to warn you about something.

You've certainly seen before
the words on the screen

informing you
that any resemblance

to real persons and
actual events is coincidental

and has not been the author's idea.

On my part, I want
to bring to your notice



that all the characters
of our film

are presented under their
actual names

and the events
you'll be witnessing

have actually taken place
in the summer of the next year.

No, it is not a slip of the tongue.

Actually, this is about all
I can tell you now.

Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself.

In our film,
I'm performing special duties.

I am, so to speak, A.S.A. -

Acting Specially As.

MOSCOW - CASSIOPEIA

Written by
A. ZAK, I. KUZNETSOV

Directed by
Richard VIKTOROV

Director of Photography
Andrei KIRILLOV



Production Designer
Konstantin ZAGORSKY

Music by
V. CHERNYSHOV

English Subtitles by
T. Kameneva

Starring:

Innokenty SMOKTUNOVSKY
as A.S.A.

Vasili MERKURYEV
as Blagovidov

Lev DUROV
as Academician Filatov

Yuri MEDVEDEV
as Academician Ogon-Duganovsky

Pyotr MERKURYEV
as Academician Kurochkin

Misha YERSHOV as Sereda
Sasha GRIGORYEV as Kozelkov

Volodya SAVIN as Kopanygin
Volodya BASOV as Lobanov

Olya BITYUKOVA as Kuteishchikova
Nadya OVCHAROVA as Sorokina

Ira POPOVA as Panfyorova

And so, the Alpha star
in the constellation Cassiopeia,

also known as Schedar,

distant 71.42 parsecs,

that is 22 by 10 raised to 14th
kilometers,

has been chosen as the target
of our flight,

because
within the last eighteen months

the Karakan observatory
has detected over 2,000

modulated radio signals
at a wavelength of 21 centimeters.

This gives us grounds to assume
that there is intelligent life

on one of the planets
of the Schedar system.

The system of Schedar,
Alpha Cassiopeia.

Since modulated
radio signals

can be sent
by a highly-organized civilization,

I believe that this flight will give
the earthman a first in the history

of mankind opportunity to shake
hands with an intelligent creature

from another celestial system.

But the way is long in terms of
time and distance.

Given the speed nearing that of light,
the crew's flight both ways

will take about 52 years.

Therefore, it would be reasonable
to form the ship's crew

of persons no older than 14 or 15,

which will work for
the success of the expedition,

because its members
will reach Alpha Cassiopeia

in the prime of their life
and creative abilities,

that is, at the age of 40.

What prime of life?
40 is just ancient.

Well, he knows better.

Tolya Yamshchikov.

- Where's the tape-recorder?
- Lob hasn't come yet.

We're going to blow it without
a solemn march at the end.

We are.

I've got a tape-recorder,
a solemn march to crown the report.

Is this your work?

It was an experiment, launching
a rocket. I'll never do it again.

And what if you'd blown all
the windows out?

The academicians are in there.
I'm not letting you in.

- But I need to.
- And we don't need to.

In view of the foregoing,
I'm presenting a project to defend

"A Flight to Alpha Cassiopeia
on the spaceship "Dawn",

which is a Russian acronym of

"annihilator relativistic
nuclear starship".

I think that's all.
Any questions, please?

All right, your questions, please.

Go ahead, don't be shy.

Give it back.

A note?

Please.

Would you fly?
This will be for a lifetime.

With him, I would fly.

With whom would you fly?

Would you fly?
This will be for a lifetime.

With him, I would fly.

Who wrote this?

I got a question.

Go ahead.

How many bison
were there in America

when the first Europeans
arrived there?

The bison?

You may not answer,
you don't know that.

America was inhabited by
millions of bison. Where are they?

- They became extinct.
- People exterminated them.

Where's Przewalski's horse,
Steller's sea cow?

Kuteishchikova, what do
a horse and a cow have to do with it?

We're having a space meeting.

I understand, Kozelkov.

Sereda suggests that
we look for inhabited planets

in far-away constellations,
while people are doing everything

to turn our planet
into an inhabited one.

Kuteishchikova.

I mean that people should
put all their effort into

preserving the vanishing
species of animals on the Earth.

I think it would be wiser
if Sereda thought about that,

instead of wasting time on
inventing stupid relativistic engines.

That's all I wanted to say.

The bison are extinct.

The dinosaurs are extinct.

Time will come when we
become extinct, too.

You may go extinct, but
I have no plans to for the time being.

Why me?
I didn't mean that.

But why, comrade Filatov,
fly to Cassiopeia

when we have Martians on our earth?

- Martians?
- Sure.

It's written right here
how they caught a Martian.

To disguise himself, he was
selling sodas in Moscow.

Don't believe everything
that is being written.

Especially in sci-fi literature.

How did you arrive at 52 years?

I allowed for the time of acceleration...

Sereda's project is
of theoretical interest.

But why invent anything
when we have a cheap fuel, H2O?

Using the energy of
the world's ocean, we can turn

our planet
into one gigantic starship

and fly to Cassiopeia,
to the Great Bear.

- You go a bit too far.
- Stop that circus.

I'm demonstrating the power of water.

Stop it!

See what a huge reserve of energy?

What's happened?

Nothing's happened.
Write on.

Why be so severe?

He was conducting
a scientific experiment.

Sorry, you just don't know him.
He's got to us up to here.

Well, you know better.

Let's continue our trip
to Alpha Cassiopeia.

Basically, the calculations are correct.

The project's flaw is
an enormous duration of the expedition.

While the flight lasts,
the Earth will live 500 years.

- At that point we're powerless so far.
- Why so far?

Will we ever be able to
break through the light barrier?

Of course not, the laws
of physics are still valid.

They are just being
defined and elaborated.

But I said "so far",
because nature

is not only our adversary,
but our assistant, too,

in achieving our goals.

It puts barriers on our way,
but it also has bypasses.

But to make such a bypass,
we must know more.

We still don't know definitely
how our universe is organized,

what are the properties
of space-time.

But we already know
that space is distorted,

that the shortest distance between
two points is not a straight line,

and perhaps it is in the peculiarities
of our space structuring

that we should look for an answer
how to get from one place to another

faster than light.

Here's a graphic model
of such possibility.

We can move back and forth
along the tube.

A traveler,
for example, a beetle

wants to get from one end
of the tube to the other.

He has a long way to go.

If he knew
that the tube was rolled into a ball,

that his destination was quite near,

he would just have to gnaw through
the walls and get at his destination.

I'm confident that, if not we,
then someday you

will know how to gnaw
holes in space.

You mean this project is already
outdated?

No, on the contrary.
This is a very interesting project.

We've been studying the problems of
going out into big space for some time.

And it is very significant
that our today's conversation

is taking place here, in Kaluga,
the city of the great Tsiolkovsky.

And now I'll answer to you,
Kuteishchikova.

You're right, of course.

The humankind must
preserve animals on the Earth.

But we already broke into space.

And today, the space problems
have become our earthly cause.

Your project is very
interesting, Viktor.

But I want to
ask you a question.

It was Ira who wrote the note.

- Is it true?
- Not at all.

Well, what do you see?

Straight ahead is Sokolova.

To the right are Shishova and
Bychkov. They're from the 4th grade.

No one else, it's too early.

One parsec,
how many kilometers is it?

About 31 .000.000.000.000
kilometers.

Quite a lot.
Your Okorokova is coming.

Milka.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- Have you done Russian?
- Yes.

- Let me see it.
- You haven't done Russian?

I have. I just wanted to check it.

Sorokina's coming.

Julia.

What?

Nothing.

Julia wrote the note.

She's been mad about Vitka since 2nd
grade. Still blushing in his presence.

I think if a person blushes
she wouldn't write notes.

You think it's Varya?
She doesn't care a thing about Sereda.

She's quite a personality herself.

Girls, what if it was Milka
who wrote the note?

I've been long past the age
when they write notes.

Shishova, Popova - that's the 9th.

Tsinskaya, Fufurina - the 6th.

- Do you know everybody at school?
- I get confused about first-graders.

Ivanov, you're on the fence again?

- Heavy?
- No, it's good.

- The overloads are over.
- Mom, just a bit more.

Go and have breakfast now.
Pashka, you'll be late for school.

Let's go wash up.

Mom, pass me the salt.

Quiet, Lyola has a test today.

Bon appetite to all.

The "Dawn" starship will be equipped

with an annihilator relativistic
nuclear engine...

Turn it on.

I've got a test today.

According to the calculations,
this engine...

I have a test.

...nearing the speed of light.

No space vehicle has ever
picked up such speed before.

Turn off the radio now!

The crew will be formed up
of teenagers no older than 14.

Dad, did you hear that?
Did you hear what he said?

And what did he say?

What's the matter with you all?!

Why is Ira putting
porridge into my shorts?

Quiet!
We have a test!

How many kilometers do you think
are there to the Great Bear?

You'd better look, you'll ask
your questions later.

I'm looking.

Oh, Kuteishchikova's running.

- Hi, Varya.
- Hi.

What if it was I
who wrote that note?

Why are you staring?

Let me see your Russian.

Will you give me your Russian or not?

At last we're witnessing
the great moment.

Sereda hasn't done his homework.

Take it, we're splitting.

Why are you standing here?

Who do you think
could write it?

The crew is being formed up
of teenagers no older than 14.

I just heard it on the radio
with my own ears.

Annihilator,
relativistic, nuclear.

- You got something wrong.
- No, I didn't.

Have you done algebra?
Let me copy it.

But it's impossible!

You should've heard the announcer's
voice. The crew is being formed...

This is English.
I need algebra.

I'll take English, too.

Vitya, let's go to Moscow.
There're so many applicants!

This is chemistry. I need algebra.

Have your algebra.
Let's go.

Guys, where're you going?

Chin up!
Open your eyes.

Can you hear me?

Are you all right?

You've done too much rotating.
Get out.

Enough for today.

- What do you want?
- Do they select guys here?

No more.

Why?
Have they already selected them?

They have.

- And the girls, too?
- The girls, too.

- And you, too?
- Me, too.

- But why?
- Why?

I've got a phenomenal memory.

I can memorize 10 pages
of printed text

after reading it only once.

A phenomenon.
Your name?

Mikhail Kopanygin.

- Kopanygin.
- Coming.

Get out of here, you're too late.

Careful.

We're too late.

They've already selected. We're late.

Let's go to Filatov.

Sergei Sergeyevich will be sorry
you've missed him.

All we talked about yesterday
was your project.

We had Academician Blagovidov here.

Academician Blagovidov
was just delighted with your project.

He was going oh's and ah's.

Come on Sunday.

Sergei will be home for sure.

But today he'll be back very late.

Excuse me, I got to run.
Goodbye.

Goodbye.

What do we do?

We'll wait.

Wait, Pashka. When did you hear
that radio program? At 7:40?

About that time. Why?

- We don't have to wait for Filatov.
- Why not?

Kozelkov, what you heard was
"The Pioneer Dawn" program

telling about my
fantasy project.

The crew is being formed up!
And I bought it all, too.

Coming to Moscow,
like some idiots.

We believed Kopanygin
like babies.

And they're just having here
a cosmonautics club.

Right, "The Pioneer Dawn".

You see, it was
some blackout with me.

Oh, if only now...

- Why the fireworks?
- I don't know.

- Looks beautiful.
- Yes, beautiful.

Don't get scared. I think I can
help you, but before that...

I would appreciate it,
and believe me I will return the favor,

if you helped me find
a young man named

Viktor Sereda.

- I'm Sereda.
- You're Sereda.

He's Sereda.
And who are you?

It doesn't matter.

I'm performing special duties,
I'm, so to speak, A.S.A.

Now that's much better.

- Hell's bells!
- Pinch me.

It hurts!

And now, please,
follow me.

Where to?

I would appreciate it
if you spared me the necessity

of answering the questions
I'm not authorized to answer.

- I'm not going alone.
- He's not going alone.

Well, what the heck!

Let's go all together.

And where's my jack...

Well, let's go.

You're getting carried away, as usual.
He's just a boy.

A boy?

And what if this boy is a genius?

Tell me, have you ever thought of it?

Or you think
it was Sergei Sergeyevich's idea,

or mine, for that matter?

He suggested it, the boy.

His idea of preserving antimatter
is one of a genius.

I'm asking you to address
this boy from now on

by his first name and patronymic.

- What's his name?
- Vitya.

Viktor.

Sorry, Kolya, I don't know
his patronymic.

I ask you to immediately find out

and inform me of the first name and
patronymic of this boy from Kaluga.

A boy!

Vasya, may I note
that the great Mozart

played the most complicated pieces
on the harpsichord at the age of 3.

I will also take the liberty to note

that a harpsichord is not
a starship, and even not a piano.

And l'm afraid that your Vitya
from Kaluga is not a Mozart.

Please, excuse me, Vasya,

but I know more than you
about the difference between

the harpsichord and the starship.

And enough of that.
Let's get down to business.

Tell me what exactly you doubt,
what you're afraid of.

I don't know what Vasili's afraid of,

but l'm afraid that you're planning
something beyond the kids' competence.

- The children won't cope with it.
- Precisely.

For the first time man encountered
an extraterrestrial civilization.

And who's going to represent the Earth?
Children? Boys and girls?

Excuse me, but by the time

they reach the area of
Alpha-Cassiopeia,

they'll be about 40. They'll be
adult, educated people,

hardened by
a complicated space flight.

Let me remind you

that only you were invited
to see Academician Blagovidov.

You wait here.

Only you.

I'm not going without Pavlik.

There're academicians in there.
You shouldn't be so stubborn.

Viktor Danilovich Sereda.

Young man,

you should be more careful while
entering unfamiliar premises.

Allow me to introduce
my friend,

Viktor Danilovich Sereda.

Nikolai Kirillovich Blagovidov.

Vitya.

- Did you hurt yourself?
- No, not at all.

Vasili Anistiforovich
Ogon-Duganovsky.

- It may happen with anyone.
- Vitya.

Aleksandr lvanovich Kurochkin.

Nice meeting you.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Are you the Ogon-Duganovsky,

the author of the famous
cosmogonic hypothesis?

Are you familiar with my hypothesis?

Not only familiar,
but I completely agree with it.

See, Vasya?

Let's get down to business.
Please.

Have a seat.

Only yesterday, it was
a fantasy project

of Kaluga schoolboy
Vitya Sereda.

And today, it is the basis
of the project task

of the first spaceship

heading for the distant star
of Alpha, constellation Cassiopeia.

I don't believe it.

Children should keep silent
when grownups are talking.

- I'm sorry.
- He's kidding.

You're entrusted with working out
the final project,

together with Academician Filatov

and his lnstitute
of Space Travel.

I must admit,
dear Viktor Danilovich,

that I had some doubts
about your candidacy.

But now, having
met you personally,

I withdraw all my objections

and, as an astronomer,
I can't but be pleased

with a fortunate choice of
exactly Alpha-Cassiopeia

as the object of research.

Moreover,
here, in our close circle,

I can inform you that the character
of the signals we receive from there

makes us suppose

that some civilization
from the depths of space

is addressing us.

Yes, us.

That's why your project
will get

all the support
from the astronomy center.

Unfortunately, I have
to add to this ointment

a big fly.

As a biologist, l'm definitely opposed

to sending to space
children under 16,

for their bone and muscular
system is not formed up yet.

Academician Kurochkin is wrong.

How old is he?

About 15.
You mean he's older?

He's not 14 yet.
Acceleration.

Our generation is developing
faster than the preceding one.

All right, l'll take care
of Academician Kurochkin.

In the meantime,
start to select the crew,

train and work.

Excuse me, please.

I'll keep you just a moment.
Please.

Sign for receiving it.

Right in this square,
please.

You have a fine handwriting.
Thank you.

Top secret

Excuse me, how did you manage...

Look, where did he disappear?
Some miracle.

Center of Cosmonaut Training

It's a hell of work.

Yuri Petrovich had you rotated
real fast.

Good for you,
you can endure 5 g-force.

And numbers poured out of you,
like from a calculator.

You have the seventh sense
developed just awesome.

Vitya.

- You're here again?
- Yes.

I told you not to come,
nothing will come of it anyway.

Yesterday I got the 2nd category
in gymnastics.

I can live without food for 2 days.
l've tested myself.

Don't you understand
that I got to fly?

There's nothing I can do.

The crew have been selected
and approved.

Stop coming here. You got it?

- But I have to help them.
- Whom?

The extraterrestrials.
Come on.

Sorry, I can do nothing.

Look, maybe it was Okorokova
who wrote the note?

No, you've checked her
handwriting yourself.

Yes, I have.

We've gathered here
because of unexpected complications

related to the make-up
of the starship's crew.

The crew make-up was fixed
by the scheme "three plus three".

Three girls and three boys.

But today it became known

that, unfortunately, the candidacy
of Lena Kashkina has fallen away.

- Why?
- Lena Kashkina's fallen away?

Yes, fallen away.

Lena Kashkina's grandmother
did not give her consent.

And since it's necessary
to have all close relatives' consent

to the flight,

Lena Kashkina is out.

What shall we do?
Cancel the flight?

Since at the last meeting,

at the suggestion of
Viktor Danilovich,

we approved Mikhail Kopanygin
as a member of the crew,

the boy who has a phenomenal memory
enabling him to memorize

10 pages of small print text
after reading it once,

I would recommend the board
to look at these documents.

Top secret

Mishka + Katya = love

A fine candidacy.

What's the girl's name?

Yekaterina Sergeyevna Panfyorova.

Winner of Olympiads of
Young Archeologists, Hydrographers,

Crystallographers, graphers... graph...

One.

I've been authorized to inform you,
Yekaterina Sergeyevna,

that the selection board
approved your candidacy.

Congratulations. You will fly.

Where?

To space.

- Four.
- Excuse me, "four" what?

Four pancakes.
Flying to space, is it for long?

No. Well...
for your whole life.

Whole life?

To be more exact,
for about 50 years.

All right, I'll fly,
but only on one condition.

Great, we accept your condition.

How do you know what the condition is?

Your condition is that
a boy should fly with you.

Right.
And you know who the boy is?

You can be sure that you're already
flying.

1, 2, 3, 4...

127

128

And so, our starship,

created by the efforts of designers,
engineers and workers,

will enable the crew
to make

a many-year trip to Alpha
Cassiopeia and come back.

You've just seen
the command module.

Let's continue our tour.

What were the principles
of selecting the crew?

Given the longevity of the journey,

the key to its success is the crew's
psychological compatibility.

This is a very serious question.

Academician Kurochkin
could have answered it.

But, unfortunately,
he left for Central Africa.

Though it's no problem, we'll speak
to one of the crew members

who is in charge of
the biological side of the expedition.

I would ask everybody
to come to the bio-center.

Please.

Girls.

- Hello.
- Hello.

Let me introduce to you the
exobiologist Varvara Kuteishchikova.

Space doctor Julia Sorokina.

Your questions, please.

What were the principles
of selecting the crew?

I mean
the psychological compatibility.

Children's magazine "Pif".
Pardon, madam.

I've got a quest...
This question.

Mademoiselle Kuteishchikova,
what made you,

the principal opponent
of Sereda's project,

decide to participate
in this expedition?

I've devoted my life to biology.

The elder comrades
convinced me

that my participation in this
expedition is necessary for science.

And l'm ready to do everything
for the sake of science.

And you, Mademoiselle Sorokina?

I've always been an ardent supporter
of Vitya Sereda's project.

My cherished dream is going to
come true -

l'm flying with Vitya
to Alpha Cassiopeia.

How many mice have been
used in the biological experiment?

I'd like you
to answer my question

about the crew's
psychological compatibility.

Four of the six crew members
are students of the same class.

We've been friends for 7 years.

Of course, we all
have different characters,

but we're united by a common goal,

mutual respect
and the sense of responsibility.

Perhaps that's why we so easily

passed the test on compatibility
by a special program.

Yes, she wrote the note.

Julia?
Well...

She's alright.

Even her glasses don't spoil her
very much.

And then, at this age...

In one year she may
change completely.

And in the future
she even may be beautiful.

And Varya may become quite plain.

An excellent machine.

The ship is just cool.

Vitya, take me along
before it's too late.

It is too late.

All kinds of unexpected things
might happen in flight.

Say, the water will evaporate.
What will you do then?

I'll think of something.

Fedya, you're incompatible.

You must be grateful that I let
you come to the ship today.

Just think, Sereda.
You can't do without me.

Lay off, Lob.

Want me to tell you a secret?

I invented a universal glue.

It glues up everything.

Let me demonstrate it.

A magic glue.

Try to tear it off.

You can't go to space
without this glue.

How many times did I say
not to let him come near the ship!

I don't want to see you here again!

Please, go on.

What do you say about your expedition?

Get away from here.

- What's the matter?
- Nothing.

No admittance under 16

And what's this?

Sorry, but it is
our professional secret.

Lead the guests on, act the host.

I want you to pay attention to
the device

that, I think,
might be of interest to you.

Come here, please.

That device is
an object of our pride.

This is the device.

It is a portable thought detector.

Should the expedition
members have good luck

to encounter the inhabitants
of other planets

with an absolutely different
form of language communication,

this unique device
will come to their aid.

Please, say a few words
in your native language.

Terrific!

The translator machine
is nothing new.

Allow me to set
a more complicated task

to your thought detector.

Take this damned thing away from me.

You'd better have offered me
a good bone.

It's so noisy here. l'm tired and
want to go home.

Fabulous!

Please excuse me, but the time
of our press conference is up.

I have to continue working
with the starship crew.

Goodbye.
You'll be shown out.

Natasha, see our guests out.

Excuse me, just one question.

What is KO?
It should be OK.

KO is Kamera of Outcleaning.

Getting into this camera,
all refuse and rubbish

that accumulate in the ship

are being automatically packed
in hermetically sealed packages.

Something like our milk
cartons, the triangular ones.

Only 20 times larger.

And they're thrown out into open space.

- I'm sorry but...
- Don't worry.

It will not litter the outer space.

The point is that a package
self-destructs in 24 hours.

Now, friends, please proceed
to the exit.

Nice meeting you.

Today l'm going at last to let you in
on the secret of this door.

This is your wardroom.

Surprise.

We wanted to alleviate your
living beyond your native earth.

That's why we created
this wardroom.

Here you can rest,
go in for sports,

celebrate holidays,

your birthdays.

On these stands
you can recreate

a hundred versions of nature's
nooks familiar to you,

your familiar premises.

I'm going to punch the code of
one of your familiar interiors.

What is this? My apartment?

Yes, Pasha, this is your apartment.

There're the apartments of
each of you here.

Wow!

What's this finger?

We had this pointing finger
simulated at the request of A.S.A.

And this is one of the places
in Middle Russia.

Mishka, the grass feels just like real.

- Can I touch the water?
- Go ahead.

And stroke the tomcat?

Here he is again.
All right, stroke him.

- Is he real?
- I don't know.

Katya, don't get carried away.

- Why?
- You may dig into the sky.

Well, let's go.

Can we have a stadium simulated?

I think you can.

- And a rocky shore?
- If you try real hard.

And a zoo?

Try it, try it.

You mean that anything
can be simulated here?

No, not everything.

Well.

You're familiar with the entire
ship now.

My mission has been completed.

I'd like to wish you all,

your commander
and scientific supervisor

a sound and healthy sleep.

Tomorrow you start.

The night is gone, as the pain is gone,

Earth is asleep, yes, let her rest.

The Earth has to go a way as long

As life, as we have to go in our quest.

I'll take along this big world,

Every day, every hour that has passed.

Should I forget something,

The stars may not accept us.

Should I forget something,

The stars may not accept us.

I'll take along the earthly birds'
singing,

I'll take the splashing of forest
springs,

I'll take the summer showers'
lightning,

The snow-clad fields, the whisper of
winds.

I'll take along this big world,

Every day, every hour that has passed.

Should I forget something,

The stars may not accept us.

Earth - "Dawn" - Cassiopeia
Six pioneers of the Universe

The Russians are carrying out
a fantastic experiment.

Six young cosmonauts, members
of the Pioneer Organization,

are becoming the pioneers
of interstellar flights.

Our crew will be
in flight for 50 years.

Fifty years by the clock
of our starship.

While on Earth, hundreds of
years will pass in meantime.

And our envoys will be welcomed
back by future generations.

It is a space trip
beyond the Solar system.

For hundred of years now the Soviet
starship has been flying

towards the star of Alpha,
constellation Cassiopeia.

The young people have
stood all the tests

and, by their characteristics,
fully meet

present-day requirements.

We have to interrupt our program.

You took advantage of my trip
to Africa. Stop the flight.

- Are you all right?
- Yes, l'm all right.

Don't worry, the crew has
gone through all the tests

and, by their characteristics,
fully meets your requirements.

I know, you deliberately
sent me to Africa.

Not exactly.

Try to understand, I haven't
finished my experiments on mice.

Experiments on mice...

He's all right.

Your student, Varvara Kuteishchikova,
has successfully finished them.

And still, I emphatically protest!

I congratulate the "Dawn" crew

on the successful completion
of the flight's first stage.

According to the telemetry data,
all systems are working.

Varvara, do you hear me?

Yes, Aleksandr lvanovich.

How many experimental mice
have you had?

Twenty-seven.

- All our mice?
- All ours.

- How many have survived?
- All twenty-seven.

And Pafnuty, too?
He was so weak.

Pafnuty is alive.

- Alive?
- Yes, alive.

All right, fly on.

Congratulations, guys,
on the start of the expedition.

We're leaving the Solar system.

Everybody get to
carrying out your work tasks.

Prepare for starting up
annihilator engines.

Well, guys, we got there.

Attention all on board, we've
reached the rated speed.

Are we really flying
at the speed of light?

Almost.
I'm amazed myself.

Now we're entering
the state of weightlessness.

- Just like in movies.
- Shall we swim?

Go on, swim, bathe in extreme
sensations.

But hurry up, in 5 minutes l'm
switching on the artificial gravitation.

Girls, how are you doing?

Everything's all right here.

Everything's normal.

And you, Varya?

Wait a minute.

Where is it,
your weightlessness?

Disconnect your magnet shoes
and push off real hard.

Hi!

Hi! Hi!

Just terrific!

Isn't it terrific, guys?

There it is, the weightlessness!

All the water and fish have
jumped out of the aquarium.

Kuteishchikova, I've
never expected this from you.

Cover it from above.

Your time is up.

Switching on artificial gravity
field at a 10-minute warning.

Catch it, or the fish
will flop on the floor.

You can catch it in a pan.

Wait, it's going to smash.
Don't switch it on.

Varya, l'm swimming to help you.

Look, a tape-recorder.
Where from?

Surprise

What happened there?

Hurry up over there.

What about me, guys?

Damn!

Are you all right?

- It must be that damned glue.
- You need help?

I'll manage myself.
Go to the Surprise.

Vitya, help me!

Turn on the magnetic shoes.
Use your brains.

Hi!

Well, you're all we need now!

Don't be angry.
Why are you angry?

Don't you see that a man
is hanging upside down?

Get down now!

- I can't.
- Disconnect the shoes.

They're glued up.

- Hello, Fedya.
- Hello.

Everything has poured out of you.

How did you get up in the sky?

Tricks of weightlessness
and my indispensable glue.

I'm here by accident.

What do you know!

- Unlace your shoes.
- Right.

Attention all units!

The artificial gravity field
is being brought into effect.

Fedya, don't unlace.

Fedya, hold on!

Guys, l'm falling!
Take the finger away!

Take the finger away now!

Don't panic, Lob,
I'll put something under you.

This bathtub, for one.

You couldn't even
put the bathtub properly.

You landed perfectly.

Oh, how hot it is!

Everyone report immediately to
the Surprise class module.

The crew is late for studies.

One has to study even here.

Under the bridge, the water from
melted snow

ran murmuring down the gutter.

The falling soft snow

was covering the rutted road.

It's Varya.
Her 'a' has a long tail.

But her 's' is quite different.

So it's not Varya.

And not Julia, either.
Definitely not Julia.

Look at her 't'.

And all her letters
are somewhat potbellied.

Perhaps that girl remained on Earth?

Moccasins or mocassins?

We're in space, not on Earth.
Use your brains.

Why use brains?
One should know that.

For the next lesson,
take paragraphs 298 and 299.

Goodbye.

- You wrote all of it?
- Yes.

Are you dumb or what?

Pashka, this is Proxima Centauri.

That's what it's like, the nearest
neighbor of our Sun.

How long do we have
to fly to Cassiopeia?

Yeah...

And who wrote
that damned note?

An inexcusable spinelessness.
Why did you let Lob stay on the ship?

You're like a baby.
What else could I do?

Sacrifice a reconnaissance capsule
and send him back to Earth.

He may ruin
the entire expedition,

and we won't come into contact
with an extraterrestrial civilization.

As a matter of fact, you made
a mistake back on Earth

when you let him into
the ship with the journalists.

- Who could know then?
- You!

Misha + Katya = love

Who wrote this?

I'm asking,
who wrote this?

I got fed up with it back on Earth!

And I demand

that the one who wrote this
would apologize to Katya.

Because all this is not true!

Why should I
apologize to her?

Because.

No way. Who is she
for me to apologize to her?

- Oh, who is she?!
- Some penguin in love.

Stop it, boys!

Stop!

All right, defend yourself!

Hurry, girls.

We must stop them.

Refuse thrown out

Be careful,
man in space.

Attention,

man in space.

Man in space.

Dangerous for life.

Man in space.

Oh, look!

Man in space.

He is going to die.

Be careful,
man in space.

Guys, he tumbled out
into the disposal camera.

Man in space.

Switch the field of gravitation force.

Turn that voice off,
we can see it for ourselves.

Have to hurry, we're entering
the area of Proxima Centauri activity.

We still can pull him back.

Pashka, what about the field of force?

I can't understand it myself.

Switch it to the maximum.

Right.

Got it.
We've hooked him.

Attention, in this situation

the field of force
can't hold the object.

He broke loose.

Oxygen in the package
will last for 20 minutes.

In 20 minutes he will
be melted by Proxima Centauri.

His skin must be cracking now.

Guys, where's Fedka?

Vitya, where's Fedka?

There's enough oxygen for 15 minutes.

And what will happen then?

It's clear.

The ship's field of force has been
broken by Proxima's magnetic storm.

What do we do?

I'll go out into space.
Help to direct me.

I'll go out into space.

I'll go out into space.

Control our movement,
check the speed and distance.

Vitya, you've
got 14 minutes.

- And what will happen next?
- Shut up!

What is it, Pasha?

It's a hydrogen emission.

We're in trouble.
Vitya won't make it.

Should he come back?

Attention, Vitya. Distance 200.

- Switch on acceleration.
- Right.

You're deviating. Lateral 3,
switch on the left one.

Right.

Switch on lateral,
switch course ones in pairs.

Doing it.

You're going all right.

How much time I've got?

Too little.
Distance 10, speed 12.

Turn off acceleration.
Braking.

Got it.
From now on l'll work on my own.

In a minute, the emission will be here.
Its speed...

Hush, Mishka.

Hush.

Vitya, step on it, hurry up!

Lob seems absolutely crazed.
Ugh! Isn't it hot!

Hurry up!

Wait a minute.

It was written "KO" there. I thought
it meant Kamera for Overseeing.

And this was Kamera of Outcleaning.

KO! KO!
A Knockout Oaf - that's what it means!

Kopanygin, your opinion.

Send him back to Earth,
or we'll get to hell with him.

Kozelkov.

I hate to waste
a reconnaissance capsule.

But I don't see any other choice.

- Kuteishchikova.
- I do want to waste a capsule.

From the moment he appeared here,
we began to fight.

We may do a lot of foolish things
and ruin the expedition.

Send him back to Earth.

Sorokina.

I don't know what to do with him,
but first we have to cure him.

I suggest

that we let Lobanov stay on the ship.

- Are you serious?
- Yes, absolutely serious.

Well then...

I think
Sorokina is right.

The question of Lobanov's staying
on the ship is still pending.

Now everybody go and rest.

Good night.

Good night.

Turn on the soothing impulse.

Frequency 15, amplitude 3.

Good night.

Why did you turn on
the cheerfulness impulses?

I thought
it would be good for him.

Lie quietly,
I switched on the impulse of sleep.

Those idiotic impulses.

Here's your shirt.
Good night.

It's good, it's tickling.

Well, enough of that.

I had no second thoughts about flying.

For a lifetime.
And he?

He pays no attention to me.

He simply doesn't notice me.

Boys always hide
their feelings.

And Mishka is very reticent.

He said all this was not true.

It doesn't matter what he said.

If you want to know,
it was... it was...

What was it?

I wrote this stupid thing
on the blackboard.

- You?!
- Yes, l!

And Fedka didn't give me away.

He saw me writing it,
and didn't tell anyone.

I'll take the memory of fields wide
and far,

I'll swim in the ripe, thick hay.

And there, far off, by the blue star,

The Earth's Sun will light my way.

I'll take along this big world,

Every day, every hour that has passed.

Should I forget something,

The stars may not accept us.

Should I forget something,

The stars may not accept us.

No admittance under 16

Some secrets, you know.

All right, l'm going to bed.

I may go to bed,
or I may not go to bed.

And what's this?

What are you doing?

Pafnuty.

Pafnuty!

You've killed Pafnuty!

Get off the controls!

Attention,

the computer could not
establish the cause of

what's going on.

Exceeding the speed of light.

lmpossible.

Sergei Sergeyevich, the radio
contact was broken at 00:08.

Our attempts to
reestablish it all failed.

What do you think
could have happened?

I think the cause
is purely external.

A black hole, perhaps?

What have you got?

Since the loss of contact,
all astrophysical observatories

have been watching
the area A-12-46.

So far I have no
comforting information.

Continue observation.

Well, how is it, Nadyusha?

At the moment of the loss of
contact, the ship was here.

We sounded out the entire
square A-12-46.

The "Dawn" wasn't there,
it vanished almost instantaneously.

Do you think it's a disaster?

I don't know, but it really
looks like a black hole.

Alive.

I'm confident that, if not we,
then someday you

will know how to gnaw
holes in space.

Engines on braking.

Engines on braking.

Engines on braking!

Engines are on braking

What's happened to us?

This is not our sky.

The Earth.

Of course, it's the Earth.

Look, an old man.

Don't you recognize me, my friends?

Somehow you resemble
Sergei Sergeyevich Filatov.

Are you his father?

No, this is myself.

What's happened to you?

Nothing special.
I've just grown old.

It's been 27 years since
our last radio contact.

And people do age.

But what happened to you,
we don't know.

For 27 years our scientists have been
racking their brains, with no result.

Some believe you got
into the Tachyon Spiral,

others suppose that you found
yourselves in the subspace.

In any case, while
we didn't have contact with you,

you were moving at a speed not
envisaged by the laws of physics

and unknown to mankind.

But let's not lose time.

I'm ceding to the head of super-
long-distance communication lab.

Hello, guys.

You, probably, don't recognize me,
but we knew each other very well.

I mean you, Vitya, and you, Julia.

And with you, Kuteishchikova,
we sat at the same desk in school.

Milka Okorokova?

Yes, guys, it's me.

Vitya, it was cruel of you
not to take me along.

Why cruel?

It was me who wrote that note.
Remember?

You?! Ma'am...

I checked the handwriting by your
copybook. lt was not you.

I deliberately wrote it with my left
hand, for no one to have guessed.

Your flight had such an influence on
me that I became a radio astronomer.

I'm forty already
and have two kids.

I named my younger son Vitya,
here he is, after you.

And my daughter's name is Varya.

Milka.

She looks just like Milka.

Guys, the researchers
at my laboratory

succeeded in decoding the signals

that are still coming from
the area of Alpha-Cassiopeia.

There was a catastrophe
on one of the planets,

which threatens
to destroy a civilization.

Something is threatening
the thinking creatures.

You have to help them.
Do you hear me?

Vitya! Vitya!
Do you hear me?

Yes, we hear you.

If Milka is 40 now,

then they all will not be there
when we return.

Einstein's paradox.
Even first-graders know that.

You knew it, too, when we took off.

I understand, guys.

Honest, I understand everything.

Send me back to Earth.

I have no right to fly with you.
It was all my fault.

- He got it.
- At last.

It's too late now.

No capsule will
ever make it to the Earth.

I don't want to spoil
everything for you.

Lock me up somewhere and don't
let me out until we return.

l'm incompatible.

Incompatible?

We're so damned far from home.
Why speak of incompatibility?

I don't think we should lock him up.

I'm sure he can become
the seventh member of our crew.

I agree.

So do I.

Me, too.

I agree, too.

Well, let it be so.

End of Film One.