The Outer Limits (1995–2002): Season 5, Episode 6 - Joyride - full transcript

( astronaut )
With a view like this,
I don't know why

the capsule isn't
made out of glass.

( control )
Enjoy it -- last spin
on the merry-go-Round.

Reentry insertion window
minus 21 minutes,

10 seconds.

I made it, Madeline.

Aspire seven, we're reading
a little bit of drift.

1.5 degrees per second.

Should I correct it manually?

Negative, we're going
to stay fly-by-Wire.

Initiating one pound
yaw left thrust.



Looks good...

it's stabilizing.

( signal breaking up )

Say again, control.

I'm getting break up
on Broad band h-F.

Roll horizon Scanner's down.

What the hell?

There's some kind
of pyrotechnics out there.

It's not coming from the craft.

It's coming towards it.

My god,
there's something out there.

It's getting inside.

( heavy, panicked breathing )

I've got to abort.



I'm going to reenter.

Switching to Manual.

Firing retros.

( heavy breathing )

That was
the last we heard

from aspire seven,
on that mission.

Until we regained
control, brought you back,

and the drogue chute opened.

It must be very painful
to listen to that,

even if it was,
what, 38 years ago?

Well, what's painful,
colonel...Wayne,

is that after four decades

I'm still having trouble

convincing people
of what happened to me.

You've had enough time
to think about

what caused you to send your
craft spinning out of control.

Looking back,
what do you think it was?

I know what it wasn't.

It wasn't what nasa said
it could possibly be.

It was not oxygen deprivation,
it was not space dementia,

I didn't black out,
it was not an epileptic seizure.

The data didn't corroborate
your version.

Clearly you have some theory.

Something was trying
to reach out to me that day.

Whether it was a friend or foe
or another world I do not know.

And if I had not panicked,
I might have found out.

That's why it's important
I go back up again.

It's the only way any one
of us will ever, ever know.

Colonel Harris,

while we'll be selecting
one of the original astronauts

for this shuttle flight,

there have been some
reservations expressed

about your suitability
for this mission.

I'm no spring chicken--
I don't claim to be.

But I am
in reasonably good health.

I think she was referring
to your mental preparedness.

The record does reflect that

you were institutionalized
after your original flight.

If enough people call you crazy

it becomes
a self-Fulfilling prophecy.

However, that was past history.

I have submitted here

psychological evaluations.

( congresswoman )
and then there was

the incident where you
hacked into a pentagon computer.

I was only looking
at my own files.

In fairness to colonel Harris,
those charges were dismissed.

Thank you.

One more thing
I am curious about.

You indicated this morning

that it is, in your words,
"Now or never."

Yes, ma'am.

The planetary alignments
during my flight

were virtually the same

as will be in the next
scheduled shuttle launch.

They will not be the same

for another 24 years,

at which time I'll be dead
and buried, or should be.

So it is "Now or Never."

Uh, well, that...
that should do it.

The committee should be making
its decision shortly.

Please,

I need to know.

We all need to know.

Thank you, colonel Harris.

Mr. Powers.

How'd it go?

Did they turn him down?

Let's just say
you should make room

in your own space flight
for one more passenger.

That's fine.

( control voice )
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.

The burden of solitude is
a mighty one,

be it a lone voice
echoing in the dark,

or the cry of humanity
in a desolate universe.

( Wayne )
I did everything I could.

Your application will be
considered for future flights.

Talk to them again,
will you?

You can make them
change their mind.

I'm sorry, Ted.

( knocking )

Yes?

Who is it?

( man )
Colonel Harris?

Colonel Harris,
I wonder if--

No more interviews.

I'm not a reporter.

I represent
Carlton powers,
powers industries.

Yeah, so?

I understand you want
to go back into space.

Come on in.

Our aerospace
division

has an orbit capable
space plane.

Yeah, xr-141.

No booster,
single stage to orbit.

Scheduled to launch
in six months.

That's what
the press thinks.

We're ready for
the inaugural flight now.

And Mr. Powers has extended an
invitation for you to be aboard.

You're not jerking my chain?

Excuse me?

You're not jerking me around,
are you?

I assure you, this is
completely on the up and up.

What do I have to do?

Your tea, Mr. Powers.

Thanks, George,
put it there.

I've got to hand it
to you, Ted --

Mind if I call you "Ted"?

No.

Guys like you

who squeezed
yourself into a tin bucket,

and let them shoot you

into the stratosphere

with computers
that could hardly cut it --

that took guts.

Not like these hot shots
we have nowadays.

Were you a pilot?

Yes, sir.

Best years of my life.

Matter of fact, some days
I'd give up all this

just to hit Mach three
in a blackbird.

You know,
I'm going to copilot

the maiden flight
of the daedalus.

But don't worry.

The damn thing's so automated

that you can't leave the head
with your zipper down.

( laughing )

Not to look a gift horse
in the mouth,

but why'd you pick me?

You're the real deal, Ted --
A mercury astronaut.

I'm billing you
as a host lecturer.

I won't lie to you.

This flight is going to make
the privatization of space

a reality.

And I learned long ago
the value of promotion.

Look at the hoopla surrounding
the Glenn flight.

Two of my passengers had
their names drawn out of a hat.

Won a contest.

Hell, I'm even taking
a reporter along for the ride.

And I'm part of this circus?

You were snubbed
by the shuttle committee,

and the controversy
surrounding

your original mission --

You can't buy
publicity like that.

You know what they say about me?

No worse than they say about me.

Just a lot of damned Fools
shooting their mouths off.

I stopped listening
to them years ago.

I have a feeling
you did the same thing.

And you're willing to launch
around my time window?

The bird's ready,
you're ready,

I'm ready -- Hell, yes.

What do you say we break out
something stronger and make it

official?

No, no!

No!

No, no, no!

No, no!

Ahh!

No.

No.

Ahh!

Let's face it, Wayne,

I was the pariah
of the mercury program.

The black stain of the project.

Nobody wanted to talk
to me after I came back.

Well, I suppose by implication
that includes me.

No, you were doing
the best thing for the mission.

You were the only one
who came to see me

when I was in the rubber room,
except for my wife.

You two see
each other any more?

Oh, a couple of times since
she's gone back to Maryland.

Well.

No, go ahead.

Well, I didn't ask you out
just to congratulate you, Ted.

I have something
to get off my chest.

That experience that
you went through in '63...

what I mean is,

you weren't the only one
to go through something

they couldn't explain.

What are you talking about?

Well, I'm not talking
the whole nine yards.

Not everything
that you saw, but...

I was on my sixth Orbit

just coming up over
the subsahara...

and I saw lights

outside the capsule.

And at first
I thought it was the straps

burning off the retro-Pack,

but it wasn't.

You said nothing, and you could
have changed everything.

I know,

and god knows

it's been weighing on me
all these years.

Hey, Buddy.

It's okay, it's okay.

Listen, Ted.

You son of a bitch.

I understand,
but the truth is that

I was afraid for my career.

I was afraid that
I wouldn't get to suit up again.

Why'd you decide to tell me now?

I think it's important
that you know

that somebody else
understands

this overpowering urge you have
to go back out there.

There's somebody else
who needs some answers.

My god, you cut your hand.

Get out of here!

There he is -- Mr. Powers,
are you trying to show nasa up

by heading into space
before the shuttle flight?

Nasa's got
the resources

of the entire
government behind it.

I'm just a lowly
entrepreneur

trying to advance
the cause of science.

Some of his
colleagues are

claiming
that he's delusional.

Does this
concern you?

If I had a dollar
for every insult
hurled at me,

I'd be
a richer man.

No, it does not
concern me.

Colonel Harris is a man
with a mission -- So am I.

( woman )
with all the embracement
of cubism,

and his fierce rivalry
with picasso,

one would expect even more
vigor in his painting.

But the surprise is
there is a serenity to this work

that's fairly atypical
for this stage

in the artist's life.

Excuse me.

I'll catch up with you
in a moment.

Ted.

Madeline,
I'm sorry to--

what are you
doing here?

I'm sorry
to disturb you,

but it's
kind of important.

Still doing
your volunteer work, huh?

One wants to feel useful.

I guess you heard
about my flight.

I've already been approached
by the reporters.

Can't say it
brings back

fond memories.
I know
what you mean.

I didn't sleep half the night
thinking about what we had

and what we lost.

I can't do this.

Don't get me wrong.

I've given up trying to rehash

what we went through,

what I put you through.

No tears
for me, Ted.

I was just another bystander.

You were

a one-Man train wreck.

Remember this?

You gave it to me --
You had a premonition

things wouldn't go right.

What is it you want, Ted?

To be just not alone.

I've been in that angry room
of mine over 30 years.

This is a chance to break out.

This is a chance
to find some answers.

You're going
to drive yourself crazy.

All that anguish, confusion--

It's all part of the past.

It's over.
Like us.

It didn't happen yesterday.

It was more than 30 years ago.

People change.

I've changed.

I've got to go, Ted.

God speed.

As I told you in the first
pre-Flight briefing, uh,

your variable tension
Magnetic Boots will hold you

on the deck
when we're at zero gs.

So you'll have
to forgive me for any

discomfort
you might feel.

These god awful
unisex outfits
I find painful.

Considering
what I paid
for this ticket,

you could have
popped for a designer.

Well, you'll have to forego

the high fashion

for a couple of days, lil.

Now, then,

you all have your
own private sleeping quarters,

but if you're like me,

you won't spend much time
in the Sack.

Our newlyweds
might have

a different idea.

( Carlton )
Once we're in orbit
we'll be doing

31 laps around the big marble.

We'll be logging three quarters
of a million miles

at an average orbital

altitude of 136 miles.

That's about
30 miles short

of your apogee
on the mercury.

Couldn't we go
to a slightly higher orbit?

The flight plan
is pretty tight.

We haven't zeroed out
the risk factors,

so we'll stick
with the program.

I'll start
the pre-Flight checks.

What's the reason for
the high orbit, colonel Harris?

I'd just like to

visit the old neighborhood.

Call me a sentimental fool.

I wouldn't be the first,
now, would I?

No offense intended.

Mr. Reece is covering our trip
for
the national scope.

You're paid to be contentious.

What can I say?
Rotting Minds want to know.

( Sullivan )
Strap in.

Launch window begins at 0900.

Well, see you folks in space.

Lock and load.

What?

Put your belt on.

You're not scared, are you?

Relax.

Do you think Carlton Powers
would be going up with us

if there was
any real danger?

Yeah, I guess you're right.

Nice, deep breaths.

You'll be fine, I promise.

I just
keep thinking

about that teacher
on
challenger.

We're light years ahead
of that technology.

Don't worry.
Okay.

( control )
Roger, daedalus, we read
primary fuel tank at 100%.

You're "go" For weather
down range.

Fuel cell check complete.

Thruster gyros are 508.

Engines ready to fire.

This is control --
Check list complete.

Daedalus, you're still "go."

T-minus 2 minutes and counting.

Tell me you love me, ty.

Of course
I love you.

We've got to be
the luckiest couple
in the world.

You really mean that?

You know how many people
entered that contest.

A free trip
into space --

What are the odds?

( tv anchorwoman )
We are moments away

from a whole new era
in Private space flight.

( control )
t-minus one minute.

( anchor )
There may up to 12 flights
over the next three years.

T-minus 30 seconds.

Pulitzer prize
minus 6 months and counting.

T-minus ten,

nine, eight,

seven, six,

five, four,

three, two, one, ignition.

Aspire, this is Houston --
You're looking good.

Altitude: 36 miles...

daedalus, you are now

at maximum thrust.

You should reach

escape velocity
in one minute, 44 seconds.

( tv anchor )
All systems are
performing perfectly.

( control )
and we have a successful
launch of the maiden flight

of the reusable space plane,
the daedalus.

( Carlton )
Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to weightlessness.

You're free
to move about the cabin,

as long as you
keep your boots on.

I'm back.

Dear god...

I'm back.

It's more beautiful
than I ever could
have imagined.

Pictures will never
do it justice.

Is it just me,
or have all

the sci-Fi movies
I've seen

made me feel like I've
"been there, done that"?

I get the feeling, Martin,

the first words
you ever spoke were "ho-hum."

I wouldn't dare share
this with my readers,

but
entre nous,
--This isn't
outer space -- Not really.

It's a high altitude
concorde
without the flight attendant.

Fortunately,
I, uh, brought my own --

Customized for the occasion.

Not that I'd want to dampen
anyone's religious experience.

"despair is the scourge
of little minds"

Who said that?

I believe I just did.

It beats the hell out
of puerto vallarta.

The guys in the office are
never going to get over this.

It's, uh,
it's humbling.

You can't help
but feel so small.

Yeah, I guess.

Congratulations, friends.

We've all just made history.

Space is no longer the province
just of big government,

or the chosen elite.

And that's
a good thing?

Are you kidding?

Nasa sends a shuttle
into space --

Comes back minus
$40 million worth of boosters.

Private Enterprise tries

its hand -- Comes back with

a fully reusable craft.

Now, you tell me
who's got better technology.

I'll reserve judgment
till we're back
on
Terra firma.

It's a matter of priorities.

I've had my differences
with nasa, but...

their basic desire is still

to discover, to explore,

and to uncloak
the mysteries of space.

Come on, Ted.

They're not about
uncovering black holes.

They are the black hole.

I'll put my "R and d" people
up against nasa anytime.

You're both making
the same assumption.

Uh-huh, what's that?

That science will
provide all the answers.

What do you mean?

Take a look out there.

It's a big universe.

It's beyond arrogance
to believe

all of this
is quantifiable.

That every secret
will yield

to the prodding
and pushing of eggheads

who wouldn't know a Miracle
if it bit them on the asteroid.

Pretty heavy stuff
for a woman

who sells cosmetics.

Unless you're talking about
the divinity of Miracle cream.

Give it a rest, Martin.

Hey, come on.

I want to
show you something.

What?

Come on.

What is it, ty?

Oh, nothing, really.

I just found
all that talk
kind of Boring.

I was enjoying it.

Really?

I can think
of something else

you'd enjoy
even more.

Ty, this really
isn't the time.

Why not?

No one's going
to come in here.

It's time...

to join...

the ultimate...

mile-high club.

See that squall down there?

It's over the cape of good hope.

Talk about
your ultimate weather map.

Yeah, we had
to fight like hell
for a window

in the mercury capsule.

There were those
in the agency that felt

that astronauts were
merely backup.

Well,
maybe we are now.

This automatic pilot will
initiate reentry procedures.

Even land
if it has to.

What was that?

What?

I thought I saw
a flicker of light.

Probably just
a reflection off the glass.

Yeah.

Getting enough drift
for an attitude correction.

Going Manual.

Roll right 3.8 degrees.

Right yaw Thrust

two seconds.

Nice,

smooth as the small
of a woman's back.

Ending Manual control.

Returning to
computer flight program.

( Ted )
I remember the night
I was selected for the program

like yesterday.

I had a million things
on my mind.

Who would go up first?
If it was me, how would I react?

How would it change my life?

And then I walked

over to my car --
I didn't get in

I looked up, and all of a sudden
I saw a bushel of stars.

And I then knew that it was

not a space race,
not about politics.

And science and technology was
really All about...

all about us.

All about us reaching up

and touching God.

That's pretty corny.

Are you
a religious man,

colonel Harris?

Not until then, no.

What about
when you went up?

Do you feel like
it happened?

Did you touch god?

It was close.

As in
"Close encounter"?

you "Saw the light."

It was in
All my reports, yeah.

You left off the attribution
to mother goose.

Martin!

Just trying to pin him down.

It was pretty muddled

in the official
debriefings I read.

It was not
an hallucination.

Nasa's psychological
evaluations say otherwise.

I've been called
everything

from a "nut-Case"
to a "cosmic Groupie".

usually by
people terrified
that their cozy

Little worlds might not
be so cozy after all.

One small step
for bi-Polar disorders.

You have all the tact
of a charging rhino.

( door chime )
Ted, it's lil.

May I come in?

I wouldn't let that slime bucket
Martin get to you.

You know, some people believe

that the whole human race was
seeded millions of years ago

by Visitors just waiting
patiently for us to mature

before they contact us.

Ted, tell me
what you saw back then.

Lights --
Beautiful Violet lights.

Where were they
coming from?

Everywhere, nowhere --
I don't know.

What do
you think it was?

They were growing.
They were changing.

Into what?

I don't know.
They were alive, they...

go ahead, Ted.

You're seeing it

right now,
aren't you?
No.

No!

( rumbling )

What was that?

( Carlton )
What the hell's going on?

We just rotated
and fired all
the aft thrusters.

Take it out of auto.

The computer --
It won't let me override.

What's that?

We're heading away from earth.

That's for sure.

How could something
like this happen?

Wait, the thrusters
are ramping down.

We're rolling
into earth orbit again.

( control )
You're on a trajectory to level
into earth orbit at 166 miles.

You can't break though, Denver?

We've tried everything.

We're locked out.
What about rebooting?

We've done it twice.

It doesn't have any effect.

You think it could be a virus?

Nothing we read here.

( Carlton )
I don't get it.

This is not the orbit
we programmed in.

Not the orbit we thought
we programmed in, anyways.

Are you saying
it's not a malfunction?

Whatever's overriding the flight

is following strict
navigational protocols.

What do we tell the passengers?

No reason to panic them.

Not yet, anyway.

Has anybody noticed
that we're

a lot higher than
we were before?

I sure as hell am.

We're on a wider orbit.

Did you persuade
the pilot to match

your altitude
on mercury?

It did it on its own.

So, this is what
it was like back in '63?

Less room.

Well, if you spot any
space spooks...

you don't know
when to quit,
do you, Martin?

I've never been
much of a quitter.

I've always been good at
recognizing them though.

Recognize this,
bucko --

The only reason
you cut people up

with that tongue of yours
is because you're afraid.

You've lost hope,
noble scrivener.

You're afraid that what might
be out there is out there.

I saw it -- it is.

We've established that.

I saw something that
no man was supposed to see.

Like Dorothy pulling back
the curtain on the wizard.

So now we follow
the yellow brick Road?

( Ted )
Don't treat her like that.

Don't treat her like some
hollow, plastic doll.

And don't mistake her compliance
for weakness or stupidity.

Treat her with respect.

What is it?

I feel dizzy.

It is getting
stuffy in here.

Oxygen levels are
dropping.

Can you Crank them up?

Nothing.

( lil )
Mr. Powers, please,

we need your help.

Be right there.

There's not enough
air in here.

Get me the emergency o-2.

Give her some room.

Come on, honey.

Breathe.

Oh, good,
she's coming around.

Where's colonel Harris?

It's locked.

How could it be?

Colonel Harris?

Ted?

Ted, are you there?

Ted, talk to me.

Ted, I need to talk to you now.

You don't have to do this.

We can talk about it,
just open the Hatch.

Damn.

Are we rolling?

We sure as hell are.

Lil, you try.

166 miles orbit.

Do you remember
that figure?

Exactly
aspire Seven's apogee.

Now we know what took
over the autopilot.

You invite a lunatic onboard

and now he's flying
the damn plane?

( lil )
Ted, can you hear me?

You've got to open up.

Yeah, we're almost...
almost there.

Almost where?

( Carlton )
Bypass the lock.

Try the redundant system.

No, no, no, no!
We're almost there.

No, no, no! Ahh!

I got him.

My god.

What?

Our navigation program.

He substituted his own.

That's why
the reboots failed.

Get that disk back in
the nav system and boot it up.

I hope
we're not too late.

Sir, if anybody is hurt

by your irresponsible behavior,
I guarantee

I'll prosecute you
to hell and back.

Once we get the program on line,
everything's going to be okay.

We're all going
to die, aren't we?

Nobody is going to die!

What's happening, ty?

This is insane.

We never should have gone
for something like this.

I should have trusted
my instincts.

I would have been happy
on a beach in mexico.

What about
what I wanted?

Or doesn't
that count?

Pumping oxygen to all cabins.

You know we were only a couple
of minutes from his destination,

whatever that was.

I wonder what
he's hoping to find.

The man's pathological.

You're not suggesting
we hang around to find out?

No.

The attitude control fuel
is at 20 percent.

We can't risk it.

Let's turn this baby around.

Firing right yaw thrust.

On my count.

Three, two,

one.

They're dropping down
to a lower orbit.

This is my last chance.

Lil, if there is any part of you

that believes
in what I am saying,

you've got to help me.

I don't know
what I believe.

You've got to help me.

Cut me loose.

Please, help me!

We are back in
the driver's seat, Denver.

You're "go"
For primary coordinates.

Amen.

( beeping )
What is it?

Somebody just entered
the air lock.

Where's Harris?

Patch me through.

Ted, I know you're upset.

Please don't do anything Rash.

No one needs to know
what happened up here.

I'll stand by you, I swear.

My god.

( Carlton )
There's no tether.

He came all the way up here
to kill himself.

Oh, my god.

Major Sullivan,

Patch colonel Harris
into the main cabin.

Daedalus --
Daedalus, do you read?

We hear you, colonel.

This was my choice.

I'll never have
the chance again.

( Sullivan )
I'm coming to get you.

( Ted )
No, look at your truster fuel.

You can't risk it.

Ted,

can you hear me?

Yes.

You've got to come back.

It's all right.

You did the right thing.

Tell Madeline that...

that I love her --

that I never stopped
Loving her.

Will you do that for me, lil?

I promise.

I'm not alone.

For the first time,
I'm not alone.

I know that doesn't make

any sense.

But I'm sure of it.

He's becoming delirious.

Oxygen deprivation.

Oh, my god!

They've come back.

They were waiting for me
all the time.

( lil )
What's that?

We have nothing to fear
from them.

I have nothing
to fear from them.

It's amazing.

It's wonderful.

They're all around him,
everywhere.

I understand.

I understand.

Understand what?

Ted, we want to know.

We need to know.

They were only sent to watch.

They never meant to interfere.

It's a gift.

They're giving me a chance.

Another chance.

Welcome home, colonel Harris.

I'm alive.

Of course you're alive.

It was a perfect flight.

Take it easy.

We're going to get you
out of there, okay?

What's the date?

It's September 16th.

No, the year.

What year is it?

It's 1963.

What did you expect?

It's only been

a day and a half.

Madeline-- My wife.

She's waiting
on the Carrier, sir.

Beautiful woman, your wife.

You're a lucky man.

Yes, I know.

I finally know.

( control voice )
Our lives are defined

by our choices --

Paths taken, worlds explored --

But once we commit, we can
never go back and choose again.

Or can we?

Captioning performed by

Western captioning service ltd.
Vancouver, B.C. 1999