The Outer Limits (1995–2002): Season 5, Episode 3 - Small Friends - full transcript

(professor)
Always too big,

shrink a big circuit
down there,

that never works.

[electronic beeping]

[exclaims]

You can't just make 'em small.
You have to think small.

Dr. Morton?

Professor?

Huh?

It's time to call it a night.

Already?



I'm not done yet.
I just have to adjust
something here.

It'll be here tomorrow.
And so will you.

All right.

Think you can fix it?

If it was designed better,
I wouldn't have to fix it.

Yeah, Sure. Kid's stuff.

I don't know how you do it,
professor.

All right, Boys.
Shift's over. Let's go.

(man)
All right,
we're shutting down.

[alarm buzzing]

(man over P.A. System)
All inmates
return to your cells.

Lockdown in 15 minutes.

(Lawrence)
Hey, look, professor's
in the house.

Hey, professor
huh?



How much longer
do you think it's gonna be?

Aw, man, my tape deck.

Oh, yeah.

Uh, end of the week.
There's still
two ahead of you.

[men chattering]

(Gabriel)
Warden.

Put 'em to bed.

âªâª[man playing saxophone]

(Gabriel)
Knock it off, mozart.

(Gabriel)
All present and accounted for.

(Taylor)
What else is new?

[door closes]

[beeps]

All right, children.
It's safe.

We're gonna try something
new Tonight.

Something Magical.

[buzzing]

Look at you.

Oh, no stragglers.

[buzzing]

Make your Papa proud.

(male narrator)
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.

[birds cawing]

(narrator)
the longing for redemption

can express itself
in many forms.

And sometimes, indeed,
the greatest obstacle we face

is found
within our own conscience.

(board member)
Before the parole board

makes its determination,
Mr. Black,

do you have anything to add?

(black)
Yes, sir, I do.

Gene Morton
is not a common criminal.

He's a man of ability
and ideas.

A man who appreciates beauty.

A man of science.

And yes, Gene Morton is a man
who made a terrible mistake.

15 years ago,
in a moment of passion,

he took the life of someone,
who was trying to steal Credit

for his pioneering research
in micro-technology.

Dr. Morton envisioned a day
when tiny Machines

would build
microscopic computers,

cure disease
by Repairing individual cells,

transforming the world
as we know it.

He's earned the right
to realize that dream.

We owe it to him,

to ourselves,

to set him free.

Dr. Morton,
is there anything
you'd like to say?

No, I think
you've said plenty.

[birds cawing]

[clears throat]

Dr. Morton.

I'd like to ask a question.

When you think
about your crime,

when you consider
the life you took,

indeed, what you took yourself
away from,

if the situation
happened again,

do you think
you would do the same thing?

Are you asking me

if I think I'm capable
of killing again?

That's right.

I wish I knew the answer
to that.

If the situation
were truly the same?

I just don't know.

You know, professor,

if you were gonna sucker
punch me like that,

you could've at least
let me know.

I'm sorry, Walter.

But don't worry,

I'm sure
they'll do the right thing.

(Phillip)
Hey, Grandpa.

Look at you.

Every time I turn around,
you've grown an inch.

I missed you.

Are you comin' home soon,
grandpa?

Well, uh, that's not up to me.

Dad. You didn't even try.

Couldn't you have pretended
that it mattered.

Becky--

nothing changes
with you, Dad.

We'll see you soon.

Bye.

[sighs]

How did it go, professor?

Same as usual, Lawrence.

Ah, look on the bright side.

You have more time
for my saxophone.

(inmate)
Hey, professor,
you a free bird?

[men chattering]

(inmate #1)
COME ON, TITO.

[men shouting]

(inmate #2)
PUT IT UP, MAN, PUT IT UP.

Oh.

(inmate #3)
HEY, BROTHER!
GET UP TOP! JUST LIKE THIS.

(inmates)
Yeah.

Whoo!

Hey, professor.

You got money on this game?

If you really are a professor,
you must be rich, right?

Only in Spirit.

Well, either way,

you should have money
on this team, my team.

'cause it's got me on it
or at least, you know,

you ought to bet
a big pile of chocolate bars,

or a mess of beef jerky
or somethin'.

What the hell
is in Beef jerky anyways?

I don't think anybody Knows.

Sure, they call it beef,

but what is it? Mystery Meat.
Nobody knows.

I mean, not even you,
professor.

And you're the smartest
son-of-a-bitch in this place.

(tito)
Hey, Lawrence! You gonna talk
or you gonna play?

Hey, hey, hey.
I'm up. I'm up. Cool.

Tito, do you know?
What kind of meat
is beef jerky?

You don't even know
how you're gonna get
your sorry ass by me.

I'll tell you what I know.
I know you're meat, man.

Oh, it's all mystery meat
to me.

The meat you can't figure out,
you can't escape from,

meat that just keeps on comin'
and comin' and... ohh!

What, you want some of this.
Come on, come on. Come on.

Ow! Damn it!

[gasps]

(Lawrence)
aw, man,

I'm-- I'm really sorry, man.

It--it was a total accident.

I just got that.

(Lawrence)
Ah, um.

Maybe I could--
I could buy you
a brand new One or somethin'.

my brother gave me that.

It had my name on it.

(professor)
Hey, Marlon.

Maybe I could fix it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah,
the professor,
he fixes things.

No, no. This is your problem,
not his.

Let me take a look at it.

Walk away, professor.

Unless you want this
to be your problem.

It's basketball, man.

People run into people.

But people don't run into me.

You son of a bitch.

[groaning]

Come on,
you just got out of the box!

You don't wanna go back in.
Take it easy!

(Gabriel)
Marlon, just walk away!

[grunting]

Tomorrow morning,
I want it fixed.

Or you're goin' down.
You know what I'm sayin'?

you're goin' down.

It was an accident.

(inmate)
How you gonna fix that,
Lawrence? You're dead!

Got it fixed yet, little man?
Look hi-tech to me.

Ain't that right, professor?

Professor!
You gotta help me here!

I don't know
how to fix this damn thing!

This ain't nothin' for you!

Man, you could do it
in your sleep!

[inmate laughing]
Please, you gotta help me!

You know what he's gonna do.
He's gonna kill me, man!

Do you hear me?
He's gonna kill me, professor!

You can't do this to me!

How can you do this to me?

[alarm buzzing]

[men chattering]

[crickets chirping]

[buzzing]

[zapping]

[grunts]

[humming]

[whooshing]

[buzzing]

[inmates chattering]

[man laughs]

[birds cawing]

(inmate)
15 laps, now.

(inmate #2)
GOOD BALL, MAN.

(inmate #3)
HEY, MAN.

(inmate #4)
THROW THAT BALL RIGHT, SISTER.

(inmate #5)
THROW IT, THROW IT.

(inmate #2)
HEY MAN, what'S GOIN' ON?

WHAT the hell is this?

You pullin' somethin' on me?

You said fix it by mornin'.
it's still mornin', ain't it?

Yeah, well, this isn't over.

I'll see you later,
little man.

[man shouting]

Of course they denied
your parole.

You didn't give them
any choice.

They asked me a question.

I had to give them
an honest answer.

You're not supposed
to tell a lie. Right?

That's right.

Go get yourself a soda, ok?

Ok.

Here you go, sweetheart.

[people chattering]

Dad.

What's wrong?

It's just we're not exactly
having an easy time right now.

Look, Beck,

they're talkin' about
giving me a little raise.

I--I know
I don't send you much, but...

it's not about the money, Dad.

Phillip needs a man
in his life.

Dad, he adores you.

Don't you want
to spend some time with him
outside of this place?

Maybe it's for the best.

If he got to know me better,
maybe he wouldn't like
what he finds.

Hey, hey, I almost forgot.

I got something for you.
I made it.

Some little army Men.

That's not army men.
That's a tank.

I know! They're inside.

[rattling]

Cool.

[men chattering]

(inmate)
one more.

Professor, you got a minute?

Less every day.

You've been avoiding me.

That was one strange night
last night, don't you think?

Every Night here is strange,
by definition.

You know what I mean.

Why don't you
just leave me alone.

Because I like you, professor.

You remind me
of my uncle Walter.

He was a weird old dude,
just like you.

You must have made him
very proud.

You wanna tell me
what the hell that was
in my cell?

You got what you wanted.

Why don't you just forget
about it?

You start sendin' pixie dust
across the tier

and fixing things
while I'm asleep.

I didn't want to see you
get hurt.

And if you
keep talkin' about this,
I could get hurt.

Look, whatever it is,

it won't go
any further than me.
I promise you.

I should've never helped you.

You had to professor,
because that's who you are.

Oh, you don't know
squat about me.

But I know you, dumb-ass Punk.

Always lookin' for the angle.

Shootin' off your mouth.

Always lookin'
for the easy way out.

Selfish,
just like all the rest of 'em.

Well, I guess
you got me figured out,
huh, professor?

Listen, now, you figure this.

If you wanna keep
your little buzzy-assed
magic things a secret,

you better share
that secret with me.

[bIrds cawing]

I save your Butt,

and you threaten me?

That's prison for you.

It's one ugly place.

All right.

Tonight in the clean room.

After the last shift.

You gotta be a trustee
to get in there.

You leave that to me.
I'll fix it with the Warden.

And don't go
shootin' off your mouth
about this,

or the Deal's off.

(Lawrence)
There's cameras
all over this place.

How come they can't see
what you're doin'?

once this is on,

[bleeping]

it screws up the cameras
completely.

All they can see in here
now is snow.

They think I don't know.

All right. I get it.

Now tell me, what--
what the Heck is this
all about? I mean--

shut up.

And listen, for once.

Those things you saw
in your house,

they're M.E.M.S.

Micro electro
mechanical Systems.

Machines.

Uh-uh. No way.

They weren't machines.

It--it was more like--

a swarm of fireflies.
I know.

They're that small?

Smaller.

And this
is what controls them.

[bleeping]

[buzzing]

Oh!

Hello, children.

[whooshing]

It's something
I like to call them.

Made them from microscraps
from the assembly line.

Stole fabrication time
whenever I could.

It took me years.
But once I understood how,

it got easier.

And the things they can do.

[M.E.M.S. whooshing]

[humming]

[buzzing]

(professor)
go ahead. You can touch 'em.

Don't worry, they don't bite.

[chuckling]

(professor)
watch this.

They can even generate
enough heat to boil Water.

Those little models
in your house,

you didn't make 'em?

No. They did.

Just like they fixed
your C.D. Player.

Satisfied?

Oh, yeah.

Now that you know about them,

you have to realize this is
a tremendous responsibility.

Nobody can know they exist.

The M.E.M.S are not ready
for the world.

Look ready to me.

How would you know?

They have a lot to learn.

And nobody can teach them
but me.

I won't let anyone else.
I won't let them.

Sorry.

So, um,

how many are there
in a swarm like that?

[water bubbling]

Dozens.

Here,

take a look.

Here.

(Lawrence)
oh! You gotta be kidding me!

(professor)
See that little
turbine impeller on top?

That's how they move.
Like dust.

Dust.

One jolt from that impeller,
and they ride the winds.

There's a real advantage
to being small.

Well, I gotta tell you,

I don't get it.

Well, don't worry about it.
It's a very sophisticated
technology.

No, that's not what I mean.

I mean, you know
how to put these things
together,

and tell them to do
whatever you want,

and you're in this place?

Let me give you some advice.

Never Let yourself think
that you really know anyone.

Outside, I'd never be allowed
to keep this a secret.

Somebody
would take them from me

and--and--
and use them for war

or to make money.

Because That's what people do,
they use things.

They use each other!

If that happened,
I'd--I'd never have a chance.

To do what?

To atone.

(man over P.A. System)
Lockdown in one minute.
Inmates return to your cells.

[inmates chattering]

What do you want?

Well, you know, professor,

I got me a theory.

What the hell are you doing?

Testin' my theory.

[alarm blaring]

[gasping]

Come on, old man,

(Marlon)
Show me what you got!

You're g0nna die in there,
professor.

Do what you gotta do.

[alarm ringing]

[Professor gasping]

[Professor coughing]

[men shouting]

(inmates)
Fire!

[coughs]

[crickets chirping]

(professor)
Sorry I can't be more help,
Warden.

The place was on fire.
I was desperate.

All I remember
is pulling on the door
as hard as I could.

You pulled open the door
to your cell?

(guard)
Look at this?
You gotta bundle that up.

(guard #1)
EXCUSE ME, SIR.

didn't happen to doctor
the wiring on that lock
recently?

No, sir, Warden Taylor.

'cause that would cause
a fire like this.

I wouldn't know.

People are saying
you might have some kind of
lock-picking Mechanism.

An electronic switch
To open your cell
any time you want.

You know my record.

I do,
but I can't take any chances.

Gabriel.

It's clean.

[guard chattering]

The work you do
gives you certain privileges.

But you start abusing
the privileges

and they will disappear
in the blink of an eye.

Don't be stupid.

[guard chattering]

[alarm buzzing]

[beeping]

(professor)
It's all right, children.

You can come out now.

That's it. Don't be scared

[buzzing]

what's the matter?

You're hurt.

[bleeps]

How you doing, professor?

I'm busy.

Any idea why Marlon did
what he did?

Yeah. He's a psychopath.

He's seen them, Lawrence.
He knows.

(professor)
Oh, poor little Guy.

His impeller's broken.
Motion Controller's
almost Fried.

[sIghs]

I don't know
if I can fix him.

If it's so hard to repair,

why don't you
just build a new one?

Number 3 was one of my first.

I can't just throw him away.

When one dies,
they're all affected.
They need each other.

W-w-wait a minute.

You're trying to tell me
that these things
actually talk to each other?

They don't just talk,

they learn.

I gave them neurochips,
artificial intelligence,

so that they could learn
from their experiences.

Evolve.

Is that possible?

Who's to say what's possible?

Lawrence,
there's so much in this world
that needs mending.

So many broken machines,
broken bodies, broken hearts.

So much waste

and hurt and suffering.

When my children are ready,

really ready,

there's so much
they could make up for.

[M.E.M.S. buzzing]

[dog barking]

(Becky)
Hi, Sweetheart.

Hey, Where's my hug?

Phillip.

What is it?

I got in a fight.

Are you ok?

A lot better than Spencer.

Why are you fighting Spencer?
He's your friend.

He called grandpa a loser.

And you always said
family sticks up for family.

Grandpa's family, too.

Yes. Yes, he is.

[inmates chattering]

Hey!

We need to talk.

All right.

Alone.

Get lost.

Get lost!

All right, we're alone.

What happened last night?

You never said
you were gonna mess him up.

Well, you play with fire,
you might get burned.

Or didn't your mommy
tell you that?

This is
way out of control, man.

I--I think we should
just forget about it

a-a-and leave
the professor alone.

Uh-uh, little man.
You were right.

He's got what I need.

We do like we agreed.

Come on, 3,

you can do it.

[door opening]

(professor)
Attaboy.

What are you doin' here?
You're not supped to be here!

Oh, I agree.

That's why you
and your little worker Bees
are gonna get me out.

That's not what they're for.
I'm not gonna help you.

Really?

Maybe you better talk that
over with your daughter
and your grandson first.

Because what I can do to you
doesn't stop in this place.

You can't.
You know I can.

And you're gonna get me
out of this place,

and you're gonna do it
tonight.

Tonight?

Tonight.

You got that, professor?
Tonight.

He said he was gonna kill me

if I didn't tell him
How his C.D. Got fixed.

I had no other choice.

Just get out of here.

I need to talk to the Warden.

You might want to take
this call first.

Your daughter says
it's an emergency.

Becky?

(Becky)
I have a little problem here,
Dad.

What do you mean?
Are you and Phillip all right?

I'm scared. I need your help.

(professor)
Did somebody threaten you?

If they did,
I'll talk to the Warden.

I don't care
what happens to me.

No, please don't do that.

Is somebody there with you?

Yes.

God almighty.

If they hurt you
or Phillip--

That's what they said
they're gonna do,

unless you do what they want.

Dad, please,

(Becky)
Do whatever they say.

[phone clicks]

[whispers]
Sorry.

[keys bleep]

[door opens]

That was some trick
with the locks.

Yeah, shh. You get
your end done?

Yeah, I got
the guards cleared all the way
to the clean room.

After that,
you're on your own.
But if I don't get paid--

oh, I--I got your payment
right here.

You kill him,
and--and I'm out.
I swear to God.

You got no choice, remember?

I always got a choice!

Let-- Let go!

[officer groans]

You touch me again,

and your grandson dies.

And I'll do worse
Than kill your daughter.

Knock out all communications
in this place,

then figure out a way
to get us to the east Fence.

From here, I--

don't tell me
you don't know how.

This is Kid's stuff for you.

Get the flashlights,
little man.

[buzzing]

[electricity surging]

(professor)
That's the quickest way out.

We'll end up
just outside the fence.

Well, make 'em open up
the security locks
all along the way.

Now!

[bleeping]

(Marlon)
It's just where
he said it would be.

It's done.

Ok, come on!

Hurry.

[door closes]

[grunts]

[chains rattling]

[grunting]

Come on, old man, move it.

I'm moving.

What are we gonna do now?
We're 10 miles from the city!

I got it covered.
Car's over the hill.

(guard)
hold it right there!

[guns firing]

[groans]

[alarm blaring]

Go! Go! Go!

[alarm blaring]

[dogs barking]

[thudding]

(Marlon)
Keys are under the seat!

[engine starts]

[door opens]

(Jimmy)
Damn, Marlon!

Grandpa!
Are you all right?

What happened?
What happened?

What the hell do you think?
Find me some bandages!

[panting]

[screams]

Show me!
Don't touch her!
Son of a bitch.

There's no need for that, man!

It's gonna be all right.

Ok, professor.

Now I want you to show me
what those things can do.

You better do what he says.

Now!

[buzzing]

What are they, grandpa?

(professor)
Just some friends.

Gimme that.

Oh, it's...

come to Marlon now.

It's not working.
It's not working.
What's wrong?

I'm not sure.

Well, fix it.

All right.

In the box.

Looks like your family
is a little bigger
than I thought, professor.

(Marlon)
from here on in, it's easy.

When we move we use your car.

I thought
we went our separate ways
from here.

What you thought
doesn't matter.

You got what you wanted.

Yeah, and now
I want some more.

I told you I'd help you
if you left my family alone.

Well, the way I see it,
we're partners now.

Your little friends
got us out of jail,

which means
they can get me into banks.

You show me
how to do that,

and I'll leave your family
alone some more.

I don't believe you.

I just saw you kill a man.

[gasping]

(Marlon)
So what makes you think
I won't do it again?

These are mine.

I control them, I control you.

You work 'em
how and when I say.
Do you understand me?

(Lawrence)
you can't be serious
about this.

Be careful, little man.

You're not looking
real necessary to me
right now.

Why don't you take
the happy little family
upstairs,

make sure they can't get away,

then go down
and load up the car, huh?

Come on, professor.
Come on, now.

[Professor groaning]

All right, bro!

Are they gonna hurt us,
grandpa?

No. I won't let 'em.

[grunts]

Becky, I'm sorry.

I wish, I could've been
a better father,

given Phillip a family
he could be proud of.

Then why did you
keep yourself in jail?

I killed a man, Beck.

Took him away
from his family forever.

Nothing can change that.

I had to try
to make up for it.

Dad,

being there
for the ones who love you

can make up
for a lot of things, too.

Gotta do this quick,
while they're outside.

Finders Keepers.

Marlon left
your little friends
on the table downstairs.

You know, I've always
been good with my hands.

I never should have let it
get this far.

I had a responsibility.

[grunts]

Thank you.

Thank me
by gettin' the hell
outta here.

Professor,
just want to let you know,

I'm sorry.

And just how sorry
are you now, huh?

I thought
you were a lot smarter
than that, little man.

[grunts]

[both grunting]

Go! Get out of here now! Go!

[police siren wailing]

(Marlon)
no, they are mine!

(Jimmy)
Where the hell do you think
you're going?

Marlon,
we gotta do something!

The Streets are crawling
with cops!

You!

Let her go.
You don't have a prayer!

Then neither does she.
You're gonna have to go
through her to get to me.

Ahh! You bitch!

No!

[Professor groans]

Dad.

Becky.

Dad, it's ok.

I know.

Here I go,

leaving you again.

Dad, no. You saved me.

You saved us both.

I wanted

to do so much more.

You're free.

You're ready.

Go.

[buzzing]

Dad?

Dad!

[M.E.M.S chattering]

What're they doin'?

Marlon,
they're gonna be in here.

Shut the hell up!

[grunting]

[Marlon groaning]

(Becky)
don't look, baby.

[explosive rumbling]

[grunting]

No, you don't understand, man!

They're like fireflies!

But they went
right through him, man!

(Jimmy)
You gotta believe me!

I-- I'm really sorry.

Your Dad was a good man.

Come on, let's--
hey!

There's no need for that.

He didn't hurt us.

[man chattering
over walkie-talkie]

He tried to help us.

[sirens wailing]

Hey, baby.

How are you doing?

I can't believe he's gone.

I'm gonna miss him.

Me too.

Are we gonna be ok?

We absolutely are.

Come here.

I love you.

Me too.

[door closes]

[buzzing]

(narrator)
it is said

that our lives are measured
by what we leave behind.

But for rich man and poor,

the most valuable legacy
of all

is love.