The Outer Limits (1995–2002): Season 2, Episode 22 - The Sentence - full transcript

What are you
looking at?

I'll kill you!

No!

Sarah, are you
all right?

Why did you leave me
in there so long?

It's hard to believe,
but it's only been

a few seconds,

But...

No,

It felt so real,

For all perceptible
intents and purposes,



it was real,

and therein,
Mr, And madam senators,

lies the future
of our penal system,

There is nothing wrong
with your television,

Do not attempt to adjust
the picture,

We are now controlling
the transmission,

We control the horizontal,

and the vertical,

We can deluge you
with a thousand channels

or expand one single image
to crystal clarity...

And beyond,

We can shape your vision

to anything our imagination
can conceive,

For the next hour,



we will control
all that you see and hear,

You are about to experience
the awe and mystery

which reaches from
the deepest inner mind

to
The Outer Limits,

Crime and punishment...
An age-old dilemma,

Man has long sought a solution
to society's ills,

but at what point does
the punishment itself

become a crime?

That is why
senator Walston
was able

to ride in tandem
with the subject,

but only
up to 17 seconds,

But it felt
so much longer!

Exactly,

The subject's only been
in this program for a few hours,

but in his mind,
he's serving the 25th year

of his life sentence,

SBR adjusts

the brain's
cognitive sense of time,

The total effect allows
the subject to experience

many years
within a single hour,

And what if
senator Walston

had ridden in tandem
longer than 17 seconds?

It hardly seems
like enough time...

The simulation would adapt
to her brain's neural net,

She would have to stay for
the rest of the subject's run,

A life sentence,

Yes,

Because the time compression
experienced by the person

riding in tandem,

17 seconds represents
a much longer period of time,

more than enough time
to disengage from the program,

So, for the prisoner,

there really is
no hope of parole,

Yes, but consider
the alternative,

Compared to what convicts
encounter

in today's correctional
facilities,

with the new tougher crime laws
going into effect,

diminished appeal
and parole options,

our prisons are becoming
increasingly overcrowded,

inhumane,

completely bereft of
reformational value,

Bereft?

There have been some advances
during my watch, doctor,

Holographic psychology,
compu-nutrition,

the bill for the electro-stim
security system

I introduced in Congress
last year,

Well, shocking prisoners
into submission

hardly constitutes
a step forward, senator,

Is that so?

By which I mean,

my sensory bypass
rehabilitation program

incorporates both penalty
and reform conditioning

for a fraction
of your current prison budget,

Billions less,

Senator,
you must consider,

while these people are paying
their debt to society,

society is falling
further into debt,

With SBR, repeat offenders
of violent crimes

will become
virtually non-existent,

If you'll excuse me,
the program's complete,

Keep a good distance
from the subject,

Cool-down takes
several seconds,

Cool-down?

Exit takes several seconds
for the program to disengage

and the brain's sensory
perception to return to normal,

This is
a common response,

When the subject realizes
that he's been given

a second chance, that his
whole life is in front of him,

an emotive outburst
often follows,

You can take the subject,

My God,

What happens to him now?

He'll be remanded to
a halfway house for observation,

But we have a 95% success rate
for rehabilitation

covering a group of inmates
of 200,

Eventually that man will
re-enter society

as a productive,
taxpaying citizen,

He is a new man,

They seem impressed,

What do you think?

Senator Meade
is a hard sell,

but I heard them
talking

about SBR going
online nationally

as early
as next year,

Well, why wouldn't
they back it?

Pilot program's achieved
too high a success rate

even for senator Meade
to ignore,

I think I did it!

Congratulations,

I mean,
we
did it,

No, no, no,
it was your vision,

Yeah, at the start, but
you've been a big part of this,

In fact...

Dana, without you...

There you are,

Nasty habit, Jack,

Dr, Elwin,

I'd like to hear more
about this project from you,

Um, I think that Dr, Henson
is better qualified,

You two are a team,
aren't you?

Please, the next subject
is being brought in,

I didn't do it,

I said, let me go!

Does this happen
often?

Well, this
particular subject

doesn't fit
our usual profile,

I'm innocent!

Please, please, let me go,

Mostly we have

repeat offenders,
hardened criminals,

Usually we see a great deal
of bravado in here,

Not this time,

A few hours,
he'll be a new man,

Jack, are you sure
we should proceed?

His anxiety will put
his vital signs

outside
the perimeters,

He'll be calm
in a moment,

Begin sentence,

I didn't do
anything wrong,

Will he be put
in the same prison

as
the last convict?

The computer creates
each individual experience

from the subject's
own mind,

No! No!

Don't!

It assesses what stimuli
will be the most effective,

and then builds
those very situations,

Sort of a custom fit,

Doctor,

What is that?

It's the subject's heart rate,

It's all over
the place,

We're going to stabilize him,

Stimulate the adrenal medulla,

I want a 50% increase
in epinephrine,

B, P, 's still 70 over 50,

Prompt the hypothalamus
to stabilize blood pressure,

He is dying, doctor!

Get him out of there!

I can't,

Turn the power off,

He's been in more
than 17 seconds,

The program is
running now,

Don't you have
a contingency for this?

This has never
happened before,

Unless...
What?

He claimed he was innocent,

What happens if an innocent man
is put in that thing?

I don't know!
Have the levels stabilized?

No, the same,
Jack, we have to do something,

Have you just endangered
an innocent man's life, Henson?

The program assumes guilt,

My work has been based on that,

Jack, we're losing him!

Over my dead body,

What are you doing?

I'm going in,

To do what?
To bring him out,

Once I'm in
there will be plenty of time,

Jack, if you can't
bring him out...

I know, I know,

I'm going to ride
in tandem

with Mr, izacks and talk him
back into an awareness

of being in
a simulated reality,

It might be possible

to bring him off the machine
without damage,

Jack,
are you sure?

I'll be right back,

Doctor...

Good luck,

Okay,

Ready.

The electro-stim
security system

will become operational
in 60 seconds,

Mr, Izacks,

I'm innocent, I swear,

Cory, can you hear me?

You have to listen,

This isn't
really happening,

You're not in prison,

This wound
hasn't happened,

You're sitting
in a laboratory

in a sensory bypass
program, remember?

You were
brought in,

You said
you were innocent,

I am,

I believe you,

You just have to remember
where you are,

This isn't reality,

Just remember,
you're sitting...

Get away from him,

He isn't real,

The knife wound
isn't real,

I only have
a few seconds...

Get the hell
away from him!

Just take my hand,
Remember!

You see?

That happened because I know
he isn't real,

This isn't happening,

You and I
are not here,

Take my hand...
Take it,

Show me you know
this isn't real,

Take it,

Three seconds to spare,

Dr, Henson,

Over here,
quickly!

I need an ambulance
to the research center

at west 3rd and march street,

I can't feel anything,

I think he's...

Do CPR,

One, two, three, four,

five,

One, two, three,
four, five,

One, two, three, four...

It's not possible,

He was all right,

He took a couple
of steps

and
then he just...

He collapsed,

Couldn't save him,

But I had him,

This boy is dead,

And you killed him,

Dana,

Dana, I did
everything I could,

I know,

I was just thinking
how this morning

we were on top
of the world,

Now...

There is no way we could have
anticipated this,

Researching it would have been
a waste of resources,

A waste?

Jack,

a man died,

Don't you feel the least bit
responsible?

SBR was developed
for convicted criminals,

Jack,
you should have seen it,

What did you say?

You should have accounted
for the possibility,

Of innocence? That is
the court's responsibility,

Courts make mistakes,
Jack,

They're human, like you...
Like your subjects,

I see,

They're my subjects now,

The project's all mine again,

I know in my heart
that the potential danger

to an innocent person
never crossed my mind,

Did it cross
yours?

Are you questioning
my ethics?

If it was
an honest mistake, no,

You think I knew
this could happen?

Dana,

you've been right beside me
from the beginning,

You've seen
violent felons changed

into functioning
human beings,

You've seen it
countless times,

How can you, of all people,
raise a question of ethics?

Someday SBR will be hailed

as one of the great
humanitarian breakthroughs

of this century,

Someday,
I guess my name will be

the only one
on the Nobel prize,

Jack Henson?

You're under arrest
for the murder of Cory izacks,

What is going on?

Dana! Dana!

I'll call
your lawyer,

Jack Henson, you are charged
with manslaughter

and reckless endangerment
of one Cory izacks,

How do you plead?

Not guilty,

Ms, Hall,

Your honor, I intend to prove
That Dr, Jack Henson

knowingly endangered the life
of an innocent man

and indeed
caused his death

for the purposes
of self-aggrandizement,

They said it had only been
an hour,

That's the longest hour
I ever knew,

What has your life been like
since then?

I can't sleep,

Sometimes I stay awake
for days,

I can't work,

I can't eat,

But without Dr, Henson,
you'd be in prison right now,

Wouldn't you have
rather had SBR?

I'd rather be dead,

I'm sorry,

could you repeat that,
please?

I said
I'd rather be dead,

Dr, Henson was driven,

but that was something
that I admired about him,

Driven to what?

What was he after,
in your opinion?

Success of the project,

To what end?

Um...

He wanted a Nobel prize,

Did you warn him

not to perform the procedure
with Cory izacks?

Yes, I did,

And what did he say?

He suggested that there was
nothing to worry about,

That Cory izacks
would soon be a new man,

But he was wrong,

Yes,

God help him,

Were you or were you not aware
of the potential danger

of putting an innocent person
through the simulation?

I have told you,
my concern was

with the penal system,
not with the judicial system,

Answer the question,
doctor,

Yes, the thought
crossed my mind,

All right? There,

I admit that much,

But not the repercussions,

I had no idea what would happen,

All I knew was that

it was an unexplored aspect
of the research,

Yet you proceeded,

Look,

it's not that difficult
to comprehend,

SBR is the answer to
our society's problems,

It is revolutionary,

And sometimes in a revolution,
you lose lives,

Do you have any idea
how many lives we're losing

in our prisons today?

There was an accident,
one accident,

compared to all the good

it can do,

Anybody can see
I didn't murder Cory izacks,

It was a mistake!

And if it weren't for an error
in the court's judgment,

it never would
have happened,

It's not my fault,

Dr, Henson,

Before I read
the jury's verdict,

do you have anything to add
in your defense?

No, your honor,

Very well,

Dr, Jack Henson,
I find you guilty as charged,

No,

Justice, Dr, Henson,
would be better served

if I could sentence you
to your own machine,

But 20 years is all
the law will allow,

So be it, with
no possibility
of parole,

Dismissed,

You have to appeal,

This isn't right,

Senator,
are you coming

to the press
conference?

No... You took a ride
on that thing,

You can tell them
what it was like,

Dr, Elwin and I
are heading down

to that torture
chamber right now

to dismantle it,

Dana, no,
Don't let them,

Dana,

Dana, help me,
please,

Dana,
we've got to appeal,

Please place

personal items
in the bin,

including all clothing,
accessories, currency,

Retain visual
or hearing aids,

Thank you,

Please continue
to station four,

Do not venture beyond
the blue line on the floor

or you will be penalized,

Please continue to cell

14653,

Let's play doctor!

I repeat, please continue
to cell 14653,

Please enter the cell,

Thank you,

Please, don't do this,

Shut up!

I hear you like
to torture cons,

That's not true,

Shut up!

Want to try again?

Come on, say something,

I've been hearing about
your little experiments

for a while now,

I know people
that got friends

that did time in your chair
and they got sent back here,

I got to tell you,

you ain't going to be
too popular around here,

It's not
what you think,

Shut up!

Lights out
in 10 seconds,

Lights out
in 5 seconds,

I hope you're in
for a long time,

'cause I'm not
finished with you yet,

Sleep while you can, Henson,

You don't got long to live,

I'm going to tear that smirk
off your face,

Who are you?

You treated my brother
like an animal...

Put him through hell,
then you killed him...

And you're going to pay
for that,

I didn't...

I got myself
put into this cell

so I could have the pleasure
of doing to you

what you did to Cory,

I- I tried
to save him,

Don't sleep, Henson,

Don't ever shut your eyes,

because I'll be there waiting,

Waiting,

Waiting,

Please follow the walkway
in single file,

For your portion,
please press 1,

Large portions today are
2 and 7,

For your portion,
please press 1,

We're sorry,

Port number 1 is empty,

For an alternative,
please press 3,

For second helpings,
press 4,

For dessert, press 8,

For beverages, press 9,

Jogging is
one of the best forms

of cardiovascular exercise
available,

Please stand
on the treadmill,

Calculating,

Maximum heart rate

for your age and size

is 195 beats per minute,

Optimal training zone is 166,

166... No, no,

Hey, no,

That's too fast,

Cigarette smoking

diminishes lung capacity,

Refrain from smoking,

Do not allow fingers to cross

the midline of your body,

Keep your arms
at a 94-degree angle,

This is...
No, this is too fast,

Would you slow this down?

This is too fast,
Stop!

To prevent injury,
make sure your heel strike is

well below
your center of gravity,

Keep breathing
fluid and relaxed,

I'm going to
hurt you bad, Jack,

I'm just waiting for
the right time,

I'm Dr, Glass,

You must be Jack,

Dr, Henson,

Dr, Henson, yes,

Well, how are you adjusting?

Adjusting?

The prison system is a joke,

There's no reform here,

I've only managed to retrieve
about half of my meals,

They malfunction more often
than they work,

It's all these cutbacks,

I don't know how much more
they can cut,

To whom do I complain?

You're the first person
I've seen who talks to me,

I'll see the machines are
looked at,

You have to eat...
It's ridiculous,

Thank you,

Would you also alert someone
to the fact that

the man in the cell next to me
is the brother of Cory izacks,

He intends to kill me,

The brother of your victim?

Not my victim...
I didn't kill anyone,

This man
thinks I did,

We don't have Cory izacks'
brother in here,

What do you mean?

I handle all the prisoners
on your block

and he's not here,

Who?

I don't know who he is,

but every night since
I've arrived here,

he's kept me awake,

You just hear his voice?

Yes, but he's very real,
believe me,

I believe
he's real to you,

You don't understand,

I hear that you need me
to understand,

But a boy is
dead,

How do you feel
about that?

Feel?

Terrible,

It was a terrible accident,

I see,

What do you mean, "I see"?

What do you think I mean?

I think you're not listening,

What would you like me to hear?

That I shouldn't be here,

It may take time,

but the first step toward change
is to account for one's actions,

I told you...

To face one's
inner demons,

I didn't do...

You're a hologram,

Cutbacks,

Prisoner 63994,

please proceed
to the visitor center,

That's you,

My God,

Are you all right?

I'm-I'm fine,

You're here,

I thought you'd turned
your back on me,

I should have come sooner,

It doesn't matter,

You're here now,

How are you?

Have you been to the SBR lab?

Suppose there's
not much left of it,

I still have the schematics,

You know where they are,

You could probably
start rebuilding
the whole thing,

I thought I'd take
some time off...

Away from the project,

Of course,

Dana, it's so good to see you,

I think about you
so much,

I think about you
every day,

Jack,

Your appeal's been rejected,

I'm sorry,

The attorney was
going to tell you,

but I wanted you to hear

from someone
who cared about you,

Dana,
I never told you this,

I was always too clumsy
or too awkward, um...

Just don't...

I can get through this
if I just know that,

that you feel
the same way about me,

If I thought that,
that someday

you and I...

I wanted to tell you,

It happened so fast,

Who?

John Meade,

Senator Meade?

Dana, he did this to me,

I shouldn't have come,

This was a mistake,

I'm so sorry, Jack,

Forgive me,

Dana,

don't do this,

I'll get out of here now!

I swear it!

Dana!

For your portion,
please press 1,

For beverages,
please press 9,

For your portion,

please press 1,

For beverages,
please press 9,

Please return to your cell,
where you will be penalized,

I repeat,

please return to your cell,
where you will be penalized,

Hello?

Is anybody there?

Is anybody out there?

Computer, can you hear me?

How long have I been in here?

Guard!

This is just what
I was trying to change,

You can't steal
a man's life

and expect that he won't try
to get it back,

I just...
I need one more chance,

If I had one more chance,
I could convince them,

And I can't do that

when they're out there

and I'm stuck in this box!

This isn't right!

This isn't justice!

I could have helped
all those men out there,

You can't treat men
like animals

and expect them not to behave
like animals,

Okay, okay,

I won't try it again,

I'll do what I'm told,

I'll do whatever you...

I just don't want to be
alone in here,

Somebody must be listening,
so...

Talk to me!

Just let me go back
to my cell,

Tell me what day it is,

Answer me,

Thought I could change things,
leave my mark on the world,

I pretended
I was doing it

for the good
of the country,

but I always
hoped for...

Thought I deserved
some sort of reward

for my genius,

I thought of my subjects
as things,

objects that I was repairing,

They'd be better off,

And if one innocent man died,

compared to all those
who would be helped,

we would be saved
from violent crime...

I'm going to cut you, Jack,

I'm going to cut you open
while you sleep,

What's one life

compared to all that?

One life,

What's one life?

Please proceed to the
personal effects depository,

Jack?

You all right?

We were getting worried
about you, Henson,

It's been hours,

Hours?

No, no, no,
calm down,

Calm down,
It's okay,

You're
at the lab,

Cory,

He's at the hospital,

You saved him,

I saved him?

He's going to be fine,

To be honest,
that was

my biggest concern
about SBR,

but, um, you got him out,

It's not possible,

Jack, you didn't make it out
within 17 seconds,

I tried to get you out
the way you retrieved Cory,

but you were already riding
in tandem,

There was no way
of going in

without experiencing
the entire program,

There was no trial,

There was no prison,
there was no...

No ring!

It's all right, Henson,

The situation with the boy
was a close call,

but now that we know
there's a few glitches,

you can
address them,

You've gone
through it now,

Who could be
more of an expert?

And I think

we can push this thing
through Congress

and be expanding nationally
as early as next year,

You want to do what?

You've convinced us,

We think SBR could revolutionize
the penal system as we know it,

Guard, guard!

Jack, calm down,
it's all right,

It's not all right,

You're just going
through cool-down,

Let go of me!
Dana, Dana!

I was wrong!

You've got to destroy it!

Dana!
Destroy it!

Poor man,

He knew
he was guilty,

I'm sorry?

If he believed
he was innocent,

then the same thing
that happened to Cory

should have happened
to him,

He sentenced himself
to life,

Sometimes it is an easy thing
for a man to cry out

for retribution,

until he himself has walked
in the footsteps

of those suffering
the penalty.