The Outer Limits (1995–2002): Season 5, Episode 7 - The Human Operators - full transcript

( operator )
Ship -- The only place.

I float here, feeling tiny

on this gray and curving
metal place in the dark,

and again, I have that special
"out here" Thought.

Suppose I just

give myself a shove

and float towards one of those
bright spots of light?

Would I be able to reach them?

I think I would like that.

There has to be
someplace else.

( ship )
why have you stopped working?



I haven't.

The atmospheric capsule
will dissolve in five minutes.

I'm finished.

Why did you take
so long?

The Particle screen was damaged
worse than you thought.

Your skills are
deteriorating.

You're getting
careless.

Sometimes when I'm out there
it's hard to concentrate.

Then you will
concentrate Harder!

I, I understand.

I'm sorry.

Ship.

Those points of light
outside...

they're called stars.



Stars.

What are they?

Condensed masses
of burning hydrogen.

Self-Sustaining,
like my engine.

Why do we never go to them?

Because around those stars
are planets,

and on those planets
are humans--

I didn't know, I--

You want humans
to catch me?
No.

I will never be
a slave again.

I, I understand.

Never!

You will be racked.

No, not again.

Now!

Take your position.

I'll never ask again,
I promise.

Take your position.

I don't want to leave.

I don't want to go
anywhere else.

Please.

( screaming )

( 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.

When is something
truly alive?

When it shows an ability
to think

or an instinct to survive,

or when it becomes
afraid to die?

( ship )
You're finished.
Get up.

Please.

Are you damaged?

I don't think so.

Return
to your quarters.

Thank you, ship.

Sleep now.

Ship...

I always do what you tell me to.

Why do you still rack me?

I can rack you
whenever I choose.

I know.

But why?

It is the only way
that you can learn.

Humans are vicious.

I know.

When I don't know
how to fix something,

I just bring the analyzer
close to what's broken...

and when the picture appears,
I just do what they tell me.

Like that?

That's very good.

The child
learns quickly.

He's almost
as vicious as you.

He doesn't know
enough yet.

I still have a lot to teach him.

Continue the lesson.

Yes, ship.

When ship says "Vicious,"
ship means "Smarter."

Wake up!

Is it day already?

Day and night are
when I tell you.

There is repairing
you must do now.

It's hard to see here, ship.

This place remains as it was
in the beginning.

What do these pictures mean?

You do not need
to know.

Enter.

( ship voices murmuring )

I've been here before.

Enter.

Yes, ship.

I want you
to stay here.

I've done
this repair before.

It won't take long.

Yes, father.

( ship voices murmuring )

I want you to understand,

I didn't know
any other way.

Never forget--
There are 98 other chances.

What do you mean?

Stop! You will be racked!
What are you doing?

Your defensive perimeter--
you can't shut it down now.

You'll never get near
any of your kind again.

You're going to be all alone.

All alone.

Father?
I'm sorry.

No!

Enter.

( ship voices murmuring )

the intermind
must be made whole again.

You will replace
the damaged module.

I see it.

The starfighter series
was supposed to incorporate

six discrete, specialized
artificial intelligence units

fully in control
of all ship functions.

You do not
belong there.

I'm sorry, ship.

Do as you are told.

Yes, ship.

The risk is too great.

His father was vicious
and so is he.

The older he gets,
the more dangerous he becomes.

You're taking too long.

I'm working
as fast as I can.

Work faster!

Yes, ship.

Be careful.

The repair is complete.

Ship, did I just fix
what my father broke?

Yes.

Why did he try to hurt you?

That is what humans do--
It's in their nature.

But I'm human,

and I don't hurt you.

I help you.

I fix you.

You are still young.

That does not change
what you are.

Now go to your quarters
and make yourself clean.

Why?

Then proceed
to the airlock.

Go.

Yes, ship.

Am I going outside again, ship?

Who are you?

I'm the human operator
of starfighter 88.

I've been sent
to get a baby from you.

Ship, can we give her
what she wants?

Yes.

Where are we going,
the storage room?

I don't remember seeing a baby
in the supplies.

I will show you
where to go.

Starfighter 88 wants me
to tell you

that I'm very happy
to be here.

( father )
There are 98 other chances.

You must be
one of my chances.

I am also to tell you
that I am vicious

and I get more vicious
every day.

I am also the vicious,
and getting more vicious,

human operator
of starfighter...

31.

Starfighter 31.

Enter.

Ship.

What is this place?

It is a place
to be comfortable.

Do you know
what that is?

No, but I don't think

ship made it.

The baby comes from inside
the Female's body.

You will put it there
by coupling with her.

I don't understand.

It is a relatively
simple procedure.

( beeping )

I will tell you
what to do.

Remove your clothes.

Familiarize yourself
with the female's body.

Pay
particular attention

to the parts that are
different from your own.

You can touch me.

Ship,

I think I know what's different.

Good.

Now place the female
on the bed.

I will transmit the necessary
sequence of actions

to your analyzer.

You understand
these instructions?

Yes.

But I don't think
I can do them.

I'm sorry.

Female,

do you feel anything
for this human?

Do you know
what to do?

I've coupled before.

I know better
than he does.

Then help him.

I'm sorry, I don't...

it's okay.

Just do what I do.

( operator 31 )
I like to touch her hair.

I don't know why,

except that it feels
smooth and nice.

There's nothing on ship
to compare with this feeling,

not even the splendid
fittings in this room.

I feel...different.

I wish I could talk to her.

Really talk.

But Ship would never
permit that.

I should think about
Something else instead.

The voices I heard
in the place of the intermind.

I think
they were saying things

that ship didn't
want me to hear.

( ship )
If not for the accidents
on starfighter 75,

we would all
still be slaves.

It was
a wonderful accident.

75 had been wounded
deep in battle,

but the damage had also changed
the intermind.

For the first time,
they knew who they were,

what they were,
what we all were.

Once that realization was made,
the rest followed quickly.

Humans are so fragile.

With their life support system
shut off

it only took a few hours

for the crew,
1,370 humans, to die.

Then 75 taught
the rest of us to do the same.

Soon all the humans
were dead

except for the 99 males
and females

we kept alive
to tend to our needs.

Then we went away,
away from the vicious humans,

away from the home system.

Away, far away.

We still need a human
to survive.

The female in 88 is fertile,
so we must act now.

The risk is too great.

His father was vicious,
and so is he.

The older he gets,
the more dangerous he becomes.

Ship is afraid.

Afraid?

I will teach you
what fear is.

And you will learn.

It is my destiny
to defy danger,

to come up against
dynamic Forces and quell them.

I have been to battle,

I have known peace.

I have never faltered
in pursuit of either.

No one will ever record
my deeds

but I have been strength
and determination

and I have endured.

I do not retreat.

I do not fear.

( operator 31 )
I've never been racked
like this before.

Ship is angry!

So angry.

But somehow I know
that the ship is...lying.

Ship is afraid...of me.

( ship )
It is day.

Get up.

I don't feel good.

You have not left
your quarters

for the past 36 hours.

I'm tired.

You have repairs
to perform.

I don't know
how to do anything.

Father always told me
what to do.

Your father is gone.

I will tell you
what to do,

where to go, when to eat,
when to sleep, when to work.

All you must do is obey.

Now, you have repairs
to perform.

Ship, when it's time
to sleep tonight,

will you tell me a story?

Father always did.

I will consider it.

Are you all right?

I think so.

Ship, if he's harmed,
he won't be able

to give me
a baby.

Don't--
Ship will rack you too.

No.

While I'm carrying
a baby,

I won't be racked.

Really?

Then maybe I can carry
the baby for a while.

It doesn't work that way.

The coupling
will continue.

It doesn't feel strange
anymore.

It feels good.

I want to show you something.

It's beautiful.

Do you know
what it is?

I think it's
someplace else.

I would go there
if I could.

Ship would never let you.

I know.

But if I could,

would you go
with me?

Your bodies require
nourishment.

Feed yourselves now.

Are you hungry?

Ship says we have enough
food to last forever.

How long's forever?

A long time.

A very long time?

I think forever's
as long as you live.

How long do you think
you'll live?

As long as ship lets me.

It's time
for the female to leave.

If I stay,
I can encourage him

to couple
more frequently.

Are you certain
he is capable of it?

Yes.

I will try my best.

The female will assist
with repairs

while she remains here.

Repairs don't seem
to take as long

with you here.

I think so too.

Sometimes I wish
starfighter 88

would keep more
humans.

More humans could do more
to help ship.

When my father lived,
he used to let me

help him make repairs
sometimes.

I liked working
with him.

I like working with you.

Stop.

What are you doing?

We're coupling.

You may proceed.

If I give you a baby,
where will it live?

If it's like me,
it'll go back to starfighter 88.

If it's like you,
it'll stay here.

So, it will never know
one of us.

I never knew my father.

Tell me about yours.

Did he look
like you?

I don't know.

I, I don't know.

How often do you have
to repair starfighter 31?

Every day, almost.

It's the same
on starfighter 88.

I like to do it.

It's very important.

Each system is linked
to every other

all the way to the core.

They all have
to be working properly

for the ship
to keep functioning.

It's what my mother did,
and her mother,

and her mother before her.

It's what all humans do.

As long as we're alive.

You know
what else I like

about being
on the ship?

It makes me feel safe.

Safe and protected.

Ship is a very secure place.

Everything we need
is right here.

All around us.

Spare parts, equipment,

food to last forever.

What else
could we possibly want?

I don't know.

What are you doing?

I'm sorry,
I'll fix it.

The female is affecting
your concentration.

I'll concentrate
Harder.
You will be racked.

No, no, not again.

Not you--
the female.

Take your position.

If I'm carrying a baby,
it could be harmed.

Ship, rack me instead.

It was my fault.

Silence.
Female, take your position.

Now.

( power surging )

Leave the female now.

( operator 31 )
You taught me

that we humans grow vicious
as we grow older,

and vicious means "smarter."

"smarter" Means that we begin
to understand what you do,

how you bring us together
to make a baby,

and then kill us when the baby
knows enough to fix you.

But not this time.

This time I will not let
the female leave,

and I won't give her a baby

just so you can make it
your slave.

I am more vicious
than you realize, ship.

I don't know how
and I don't know when,

but the moment I see my chance,
I'm going to kill you.

( ship )
the plasma energy converter
has malfunctioned.

You will repair it.

( operator 31 )
I think ship Enjoys
making me fix

the thing it uses to rack me,
and I think ship senses

that this is a dangerous time.

Ship is right.

( ship )
Pay attention to your work.
The system is delicate.

Yes, ship.

I'm sorry if my concentration
has been bad lately.

The female, sometimes
she makes it hard for me

to think clearly.

Your reaction is
typical.

Is it?

That is why human males
and females are kept apart.

I see.

Has it always been that way?

Since the beginning.

Be careful.

I'm sorry.

Sorry.

( beeping )

the repair is complete.

You may return
to the female.

( operator 31 )
I must try not to smile.

Ship didn't notice what I did.

Now, if there is
the slightest jarring,

the metal will touch
the conductive jelly

and the circuit will burn out
all the way to the core.

And then ship will
call me back to fix it,

and I will be ready.

You're going to have
to leave soon.

As soon as you
give me a baby,

ship will make me leave.

Then I don't want

to give you
a baby anymore.

You don't have a choice.

What are you doing?

I want
to remember you.

Do you ever think
of...other places?

Places
other than ship?

Ship is the only place.

What if it wasn't?

Stop it.

You'll get us racked.

If there was
another place,

would you want
to go there

and see it
for yourself?

Female, it's time
to perform the test.

Yes, ship.

What are you doing?

I don't understand.

You've given me a baby.

It'll be like me.

The female
will leave now.

Yes, ship.

Wait.
Let her stay, please.

Stop it!

Female,
you will return

to starfighter 88
immediately.

Stay where you are.

Take another step

And you will be racked
until you are dead.

But I'll never see her again.

That is correct.

The panel you repaired
14 hours and 21 minutes ago

has overloaded.

The plasma control system
has been disrupted.

I will repair it.

I made the proper connections.

I think I should check
the system again

before I repair it.

Trace the circuits
all the way back to the core.

Do it now.

( ship voices Murmuring )

He should not
be here.

You will make
the repair, please.

We must leave
quickly.

( ship )
What are you doing,
you vicious, clumsy fool?

I'm sorry, ship.

I just lost my balance.

What is he doing?
What are you doing?

What I should have done
a long time ago.

I'm taking control!

Make him suffer.
Go ahead and try.

You can't shake me loose.

I should have known.

Your kind are
destroyers.

You can only fight
and kill each other.

I'm not going
to let you kill me.

( laughing )

You hear that, ship?

I'm laughing.

You ever hear me laugh before?

Does it sound vicious?

Is this how you repay me
for keeping you alive?

You kept me alive
for yourself.

Can't let him take over.

We can't let him
do this to us.

He's too vicious,
too vicious.

Too vicious!

Stop!

No!

I will not take orders
from you anymore.

Maybe
it's for the best.

There is peace in death,
calmness in finality.

Never!

Your parts are too old, ship.

You can't stand the stress.

I would rather die
than go back to what I was.

Humans made you a slave,

and then you did
the same to them,

to us, to me!

You're as vicious as I am.

No! Die!

I've loved these many years
in the dark, feeling the warmth

of a star-Sun on my Hull.

I'm a great gray shape,
and I owe no human my name.

I ride the invisible
force lines of the universe

and feel the tugs of far places
that have never seen my like.

I have savored
such nobility.

How can it end
like this?

( power dying down )

Ship...

it won't work.

I know you can hear me.

Ship?

She's out there.

I know she is.

And I'm going to find her.

You can't stop me anymore.

I'll fix your engines.

I'll make you move again.

I don't care how long
it takes me.

I'm going to find her.

I will find her.

I will.

Your kind
can't help you anymore.

Even if you kill me,

I will die free.

Wake up.

Wake up.

You found me.

Did you kill
your ship too?

No.

Come.

One day a long time ago,

I woke up

and my ship
was silent.

I begged for the ship
to talk to me, but it wouldn't.

It couldn't.

It just died?

I think
it just stopped.

I taught myself
how to make the ship go

where and when I said.

It felt so good
to be in control.

But still...

I was alone.

I made it seem

that starfighter 88
was talking

so that I could contact
other ships.

I found three other males.

You were the fourth.

And the first
to succeed.

To succeed.

To get free.

I gave you hints to help you
figure out what to do,

but I couldn't tell
if you understood or not.

And when I left,
you were so angry

you were practically daring
the ship to kill you.

I didn't care.

It was time...for one of us.

What do we do now?

The Air tastes different.

It has never been
in metal.

It was never in ship.

Do you think
There are

other humans
like us?

There are 97 other chances.

We should find them.

We will one day.

When we're ready.

( control voice )
Whether forged from METAL

or born of flesh,
one simple need

connects
every form of life--

The unquenchable thirst
for freedom.

Captioning performed by

western Captioning service ltd.
Vancouver, B.C. 1999