The Outer Limits (1963–1965): Season 1, Episode 13 - Tourist Attraction - full transcript

The capture of a legendary, ancient monster in a Latin American lake obsesses a dilettante U.S. adventurer and the country's ego-maniacal military dictator. The adventurer wants glory & fame, the general craves the tourist influx. The amazing powers of the creature, the reverence of locals for it, and the ideals of both countries' scientists stand in the way of the power-crazed adversaries' schemes.

There is nothing wrong
with your television set.

Do not attempt
to adjust the picture.

We are controlling
transmission.

We will control
the horizontal.

We will control
the vertical.

We can change the focus
to a soft blur

or sharpen it
to crystal clarity.

For the next hour,
sit quietly,

and we will control
all that you see and hear.

You are about to participate
in a great adventure.

You are about to experience
the awe and mystery



which reaches from
the inner mind to...

In man's dark
and troubled history,

there are vestiges
of strange gods.

This stone statue
was once such a god

a thousand years gone by
in the central mountains

of Pan America.

Today, new gods
have emerged.

The god of power,
the god of money.

The Republic of San Blas
lies west of the Orinoco basin,

slightly north of the equator.

Its principle exports
are coffee, copra, mahogany,

mace, and saccharin.

In a hundred-odd years,

the reins of government
have changed many times,



in blood and fire and death.

The last
of these revolutions

was led by General
Juan Mercurio,

the most absolute and powerful
ruler of them all.

Only the Indians who live
close to old gods

in the volcanic uplands
are unimpressed.

They have seen the coming
of conquistadors,

with the power of their guns
and flashing flags;

The revolutionaries,
with the power of their zeal

and willingness to die;

The Americans, with the power
of their money and bulldozers,

with their summer houseboats
in the crater lake of Aripana,

with their gadgets
and machines and devices.

This is our deep-water
research center.

Closed-circuit TV,
hydrophones...

Oh, and this is
sounding gear.

Ceramic transducer,

capable of sending out
half-millisecond pulses.

Now, each pulse
can be traced

on this precision
graphic recorder.

The principle's
pretty much like a...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I understand the principle.

Let's see how it works.

OK. All right,
Skipper,

let's get it
in the water.

Hey, who does a lady
see around here

about getting
her back oiled?

Evans, give her
a hand, huh?

Sure, Mr. Dexter.

Evans, come here!

You're going down?

I just saw
something.

Like what?

I didn't get too good
a look at it,

but it had hands
and feet.

I just saw it,
Mr. Dexter.

What is it?

I don't know exactly.

A lungfish.

Get me my spear gun.

Well, lungfish
won't bother you.

Are you
a betting man?

Yeah, I could use
a nice hat.

If the thing I saw
is a lungfish

or any other kind
of fish you ever saw,

you got yourself
a brand new Panama hat.

There he is.

How long
have you known him?

Oh, about a week.

He sent a lawyer down
to buy out my outfit,

but I wasn't
about to sell.

Then one day,
he came down himself.

Next thing I know,
he was the boss,

and I was
the General manager.

Little birds
have been known

to fly right into
his pockets.

The fact is, I'm really
not a businessman, anyway.

What are you?

Heh.
I'm a marine biologist.

Well, you must be
pretty good at it

if he kept you on.

John Dexter only keeps
the cream of the crop.

And, uh, what crop

are you the cream of,
Miss Arthur?

Me? Oh, well,

I came with
a little magazine

he bought up
last year.

And by the way,

anybody who rubs my
back with suntan oil

automatically
is entitled

to call me Lynn.
Rules of the house.

More, please.

I, uh...

I didn't know
he had a magazine.

Oh, he doesn't,
not anymore.

We did an article
on him.

He didn't like it,

so he bought
the magazine

and canned
everybody.

Everybody but you?

Well, I was
a special case.

I wrote the article.

And he told me
this job was open,

so I, uh, took it.

Well, what do you
do down here?

Resident secretary.

That's sort
of a den mother

with shorthand.

I live here, keep
the house running,

send in
weekly reports

of all of his
Southern hemisphere

companies,
and, uh...

Generally await
his pleasure.

Moving through the deeps,

protected only by a tank
of air and a hunting spear,

the scientist explorer
descends beyond

the San Blas shelf,
but all unknown to him,

the observer
is himself observed.

Hidden in the sinuous
rills of seaweed,

sightless eyes,
blind for centuries,

stare out of the abyss.

The legendary
creature of the deep,

sensing through nerve
receptors in its skin,

becomes aware of
the alien invader... Man.

We got another
bottle of air?

You haven't
got time, Dex.

We're due at
the General's at 7:00.

Ohh, I forgot
about his nibs.

You, too, Tom.
It's cocktails.

Hope you brought your
drinking shoes along.

Sorry,
I got a date.

Oh, with...

Oh, it's with
professor Arrivelo

at the university.

Well, don't stay out
too late.

We're gonna get an early
start in the morning.

I'm gonna find that thing,
whatever it is.

All right,
all right.

Tell him to hang on.

I'll leave here
in the morning

and be in Rome late
tomorrow... tomorrow night.

No, it's all right.
I've got the prop jet

down here with me.
Bye.

You are leaving so soon,
Señor Dexter?

Yeah, a little trouble.

But you only arrived
last night.

You should stay here
for a while, relax,

see General Mercurio's
world's fair.

10 years of
Mercurio progress.

Very beautiful.

How's it doing?

Just between you
and me, Señor,

it is empty.

2 whole months now,

nobody comes.

Where are
the turistas?

What is the matter?

Get rid of your little
General Mercurio,

and maybe somebody'll
come down here.

Please, Señor!

You must never say
such things,

even joking.

Who's joking?

Please,
believe me, Señor,

even here,

General Mercurio has
big ears these days.

Mira.

My brother-in-law
last month,

just talking,
criticizing,

but, uh, pleasantly.

Of course,
everybody knows

General Mercurio
does a lot of good,

but does it badly.

Did you know
that the dam

he built
for San Blas,

it's already
crumbling

here and there.

And the university.

Such a... Spies...

Spies-on-spies
system.

My own
brother-in-law

was merely making
conversation...

How's miss Arthur
making out?

Is she behaving herself?

Well, tell him.

Don't just stand there.
Throw something.

Don't get too close.

Hooks like
a middleweight.

Señorita.

No, thank you.

The invitation
is for 7:00.

Yeah, let's go.

What's the trouble
with you?

"Is she behaving herself?"

Well, now, just think
that one over.

Do you think
I'm worried about

these five-and-dime
valentinos down here?

Behaving means
getting plenty of sleep

and 3 meals a day.

Do you know how many times
you've been down here

in the last 6 months?

Twice.

Once for 2 days and once
for a day and a half.

And now, you're
going to Rome.

This is business.

You know, sometimes I wish
I'd never heard of you.

You or your job.

If you want a pink slip,
write it yourself.

I'm not gonna
help you out.

And then I turned around
and I knew it was...

Mercurio!

Señor Dexter,
Señorita Arthur.

Ah, Señor Dexter.

General.

The lovely one.

What brings you
to San Blas?

I am testing some
underwater research gear.

Just bought up
a little firm...

Sort of a hobby.

Well, you've
come a long way

to practice
your hobby.

But then,
why not?

Permiso.

Señor Dexter, it has
been far too long

since we have spoken.

I think I can make it
myself, General.

Of course. I forget.

North American men
do not like to be touched.

Latins are different.

We do not feel
it is unmanly

to show friendship
or emotion.

I kissed my father until
the very day he died.

You didn't know
my father, did you?

No.

No. Of course not.

Once, he told me,

"Juanito, beware
of jeweled men."

And now,
I myself am a Jewel.

But of course,
he meant rich.

Like you, Señor.

And you.

I would be happier
in a barrio.

Believe it.

I only live this way
because my people want it so.

There is nothing that
I will not do for my people.

Nothing.

Clean streets,
electric lights.

And a beautiful
world's fair.

Now, 10 years ago,
who would have dreamed it?

Now, 10 years
of progress

is not just
an empty phrase, Señor.

See for yourself
what I have done.

A city in Latin America
second to none.

A university.

Now, this very palacio...

Rebuilt from ashes.

And here...

My dam.
Mercurio dam.

To supply power...

And to hold back
the flood waters.

I did these things
for my people.

Do you believe that?

If you say so.

You're a liar, Señor.

You think I'm a tyrant.

All Yankees do, true?

Not true?

Then why do the Yankees
not come to San Blas...

To my beautiful
world's fair?

Why?

What do you want
from me?

You're a man
of great influence

in your country.

I was thinking
perhaps a word

to a publisher
or two.

A pleasant article
about San Blas.

Even myself.

That's impossible,
Mercurio, and you know it.

We are very much
alike in many ways.

Ah, here's Señor Dexter.

Hi.

Señor.

What is this thing?

A very old god, Señor.

Very old
and very prominent

in the folklore
of our country.

It is said
that the ancient ones

could speak with him.

Hmm.

Has anybody ever seen
anything like that?

Occasionally,
Indian fishermen

in lake Aripana have
come back with stories.

Let's go. We've gotta
make it an early evening.

I'm gonna be diving
all day tomorrow.

What about Rome?

Forget it.
Something else came up.

All right, skipper.
That's deep enough.

All right, Evans,
let's go.

It must be down
there some place.

That's the sound
it made.

That sounds like
a dolphin.

But it can't be.
Not here.

Let's go down
and find out, then.

Tom?

Tom, are you
all right?

Where's
Mr. Dexter?

We saw something...

Something horrible.

Evans, what is it?

I don't know.

Oh, about that bet.
I like a loose weave

with a nice, broad brim.

Skipper?

All right, hold it.
Evans? Come on.

All right, get this thing
in the cold box.

Set it at freezing.

Now, let's get moving.
We've gotta take this

to the marine lab.

Yes, sir.

All right,
wait a minute.

Oh, here.

Keep your eye
on that.

It'll make a nice
little souvenir.

Ladies and gentlemen
of the press, please,

may I have your attention?

I am professor Arrivelo,

marine biology department,
university of San Blas.

Now, a few words
of explanation regarding

the being that you are
all waiting to see.

In 1938,
off the coast of Africa,

a native fisherman
pulled in his net one day

and astounded the world
with the discovery

of the Cylacon...

A fish thought to be extinct
some 50 million years.

In that room is a creature
whose line, in my opinion,

is half as old
as the world itself.

300 million years.

Please, Señor Evans.

The one that we
are most interested in:

The Ichthyosaurus,
or fish lizard.

Part crocodile,
part whale or dolphin.

Ladies and gentlemen,
it is my opinion

that the creature
in the next room

evolved directly from...

Well, where is the thing?

In the cold room, General.

Señor Dexter was wise enough
to freeze it instantly.

The press will also
be welcome.

You may bring
your cameras.

Well, he didn't waste
much time cashing in.

Yeah.

Listen, we gotta
fly that thing back

to the states frozen.

That means a big,
insulated box.

Plenty of ice.

Get in touch with
my pilot and tell him.

Right.
and find out

when we can get
out of this place.

Right.

Now, the creature seems
to be mainly aquatic,

but I would say
it has reached

a stage of evolution
where it can live on land

for short periods
of time.

But notice what you
might call the fingers.

It is a wonder Mr. Dexter
was not torn to shreds.

My spear was
in its shoulder.

Well, there is
no sign of a wound.

I want a man watching
this thing at all times.

No one is to move it.
No one is to touch it.

Understand?

Yes, your excellency.

You may now take
your photographs.

Enough.

I talked to the pilot.
He'll be fueled

and ready to go
by 8:00 in the morning.

Good.

Paco, I have a very
special job for you.

You are to stay
in this room all night

and do not let anyone
enter that room.

For any reason.
No one.

Orders
from the General.

Oh.

Now I want to show you
something very important.

Paco, this is the thermostat
for the cold room.

It is set
at the freezing point exactly.

Now, I do not want
the temperature

to go below nor above.

You understand?

Yes, professor.
No touch.

Bye now.

Hey, Paco.

Oh, Mario.
What you say?

What I say?

I come
to keep you company.

Checkers. vino.

Oh, fine.

Good.

Heh heh!

Ahh, good.

1, 2, 3, King.

Help!

Help! Somebody
come here, quick!

Help! Somebody
come here, quick!

Help! Help!

Somebody come in here,
quick! Help!

What's going on here?

That thing...
It got loose.

Don't shoot!
It won't hurt you.

It could have killed me,
but it stopped.

It tore a hole
right through that door.

Come on,
use the nets!

Keep away from its head.
It is like a stingray.

Go get professor Arrivelo.

Go and get him, quick!

How did it get out?
I would've sworn I killed it.

The temperature went
wrong in the cold room.

Paco says
it tore open the door.

Tore it open?

Well, pulverized it.

Why, this is
powdered iron.

Did you say
"powdered" iron?

It has been
subjected

to a tremendous
pressure

of some kind.

I would say it was
a concussion force.

But there was
no burn place,

and Paco said there
was no explosion.

They say it gave off
some kind

of high-pitched scream.

Like that sound
it's making now?

No, no. They say
it was different.

This sound it made
was loud enough

to break things.

Well, the only thing
I can figure

is some kind of
supersonic impulses

concentrated
into a beam.

Now, we've set up
an oscilloscope

to try to read
the frequency.

Does it give off
any kind of a pattern?

Oh, very definitely.

It's like
the distress cries

of certain species
of dolphins.

I'd say
it's signaling.

Mr. Evans,
you say it's giving off

a definite pattern
of sounds.

Like words?

Well, you could
call it that.

Then it might be possible
to talk with this thing?

It might be.

We've established
certain speech patterns

with dolphins.

A sound for come, go,
danger, distress,

and so on.

We tape these
and play them back

on underwater
amplifiers.

Now, the dolphins
do respond.

And as our taped
vocabulary increases,

so will our ability
to communicate with them

in direct ratio.

And this thing is
like a dolphin?

As far as sound goes.

You see,
the dolphin gives

a single tone-burst as
an information carrier.

But the harmonic pattern
with this one

is a lot more complex.

Professor Arrivelo,
what is your opinion of this?

For the record, sir.

If we can establish
communication

with this creature,
it will be beyond doubt

one of the most important
scientific breakthroughs

of the century,

if not of all time.

Mm-hmm.

Uh, General Mercurio
has stated his belief

that this thing will make
his fair the success

"it deserves to be."
Those are his words.

Do you agree
with him, sir?

Well...

I would not disagree
with the General.

However, I must add

that to think
of this marvelous discovery

as a tourist attraction
is to degrade and belittle

the world of science.

And it is to that world,
and that world alone,

that this discovery belongs.

It took a lot of guts,
his expressing

those anti-Mercurio
sentiments to the press.

Not to mention

in the presence of you,
Mr. Dexter.

Me? Why?

Well, you seem to be
a friend of Mercurio's.

What do you know
about guts, Evans?

I get the feeling that you
don't really fit in, Evans.

Am I fired?

You're fired.

Why? Just because
he thinks

you're a friend
of Mercurio's?

He knows why.

All right!

I froze down there
this morning.

Anybody can freeze.

You can't freeze
and work for me.

Well, what about
professor Arrivelo?

He's expecting me
to work with him.

Go ahead, but you won't
be working for me.

I won't pay you.

And when I look at you,
I won't even see you.

Can you take that kind
of arrangement?

I can try.

It took courage for him
to say that.

Women like that in men,
don't they?

They admire it.
That's all.

He'll be back in
the states by morning.

Does it make you feel
extra hard and powerful

to think that people who
are more human than you

are less magnificent
than you?

Lay off, Lynn.

Well, now, don't tell me
I've touched something.

There are a lot
of people around

who'd be glad
to come down here

and give me a bad time
for nothing.

I don't need it from you.
It wasn't part of our deal.

Oh, yes, I forgot.

That's your life story,
isn't it?

Every relationship
is a deal.

Well, I've been
holding out on you

in this deal, Dex.

Holding out what?

Oh, just
a few little things

that I couldn't
bargain with

even if I wanted to.

Love, pity, tears.

Exception noted.

Love, pity, and tears...
They're all yours, Lynn.

I don't need 'em.

You know, Dex, once...

About 5 million years ago...

I had the silly notion
that I was in love with you.

But it just isn't possible
to love a beautiful machine

that's self-sealing,
non-flammable,

impervious
to wind or weather.

You may not need love,
pity, or tears,

but I need
to give those things.

How soon can I move him,
Professor?

Move him? Where?

I'm flying him back
to the states.

We got a tank welded.

They're putting it
aboard now.

Don't worry,
it's for science.

I'll handle Mercurio.

It is not that.

The experiment,
to interrupt it now?

It has been talking
to us.

Listen.
Show him, please.

We set up
a 2-way microphone

at the interface
of the dam.

We are hoping
another creature will...

It's ranging noises.

What's the matter?

It sounds like
a school of them.

A school
of those things?

It's a well-known fact
that a dolphin will

try to rescue a member
of their species.

That's true
of most species.

A school of them.

And they're
getting louder.

This wall
must come out.

We can move the tank
on rollers.

Yes, your excellency.

This discovery
has been declared

a national treasure.

And it will be called
"Ichthyosaurus Mercurius."

Now, the people
of San Blas...

It belongs to me,
General,

and I've already made
other plans for it.

Guard!

If anyone touches
this creature

without my permission,

your orders
are to shoot to kill.

Dex, the truck's outside.
We're all ready to go...

Stop!

All right, get
that thing out of here.

We're taking it
to the plane right now.

Listen.

What is it now?

Let it go.

Let it go back
into the lake.

I think they're gonna
try to rescue him.

Well, we can't tell
what they might do.

They aren't going
to do anything.

Dex, please listen
to him.

Who knows what'll
happen to this town,

to all the people?

That's
Mercurio's problem.

Now, look. You brought
that thing here.

It's your problem, too.

All right,
it's my problem.

And I'm handling it.
Let's go.

OK, Jose,
untie the net first.

Carlos,
get the other side.

Dex!

Cut it loose!

Stressed and strained

by constant drilling
of ultrasonic beams,

the concrete face of the dam
cracks and faults.

10 million tons of pressure
builds toward ultimate collapse.

You looked pretty good
in there today.

To you?

That isn't the compliment
it used to be, Evans.

Do you really think
he's a coward?

He does.

And if he doesn't come
back here and face you,

so do I.

And so will you.

Don't get too close.

Rome?

What's the deal?

Let's play it by ear.

The forces of nature

will not submit
to injustice.

No man has the right,

nor will the checks and balances
of the universe

permit him
to place his fellows

under the harsh yoke
of repression.

Nor may he again place
the forces of nature

under the triple yoke of
vanity, greed, and ambition.

In the words of Shelley...

"Here lies your tyrant

who would rule
the world immortal."