The Six Million Dollar Man (1974–1978): Season 5, Episode 18 - Dead Ringer - full transcript
(THUNDER)
(SOFT MUSIC ON RADIO)
NEWS CASTER: We interrupt
our programming...
to give you a special news report
A low-pressure ridge is
lying just off the coast...
that is pumping moisture in from
the trailing edge of a hurricane...
that is slowly moving out to sea alter
devastating the west coast of Mexico.
Traveler’s warnings have been issued
for Route 5 and 395...
and for all secondary
mountain roads in the area.
There are numerous
reports of bridges out.
Motorists are urged to check with their
auto club or the Division of Highways...
for the latest information
on hazardous road conditions.
We now return to our
regularly scheduled program.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYS)
(TIRES SCREECH)
Play one of the best new FPS shooters,
search Steam for PROJECT WARLOCK
(LOUD CRASH)
(ELECTRONIC WHIRR)
(ELECTRONIC WHIRR)
(SIRENS APPROACHING)
FLIGHT COM:
It looks good at NASA One.
B-52 >PILOT:
Roger.
BCS Arm switch is on.
FLIGHT COM:
Okay, Victor.
B-52 PILOT:
Landing Rocket Arm switch is on.
Here comes the throttle.
Circuit breakers in.
STEVE:
We have separation.
B-52 PILOT:
Inboard and outboards are on.
I'm comin' forward with the side stick.
FLIGHT COM:
Looks good.
PILOT:
Ah, Roger.
STEVE:
I've got a blowout in damper three.
SR-71 PILOT:
Get your pitch to zero.
STEVE:
Pitch is out. I can't hold altitude!
B-52 PILOT: Correction. Alpha Hold is oil“.
Threat selector is emergency.
STEVE: Flight Com. I can't hold it!
She's breaking up! She's breaking...
ANNOUNCER:
Steve Austin. Astronaut.
A man barely alive.
Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.
We have the technology.
We have the capability
to make the world's first bionic man.
Steve Austin will be that man.
Better than he was before.
Better, stronger, faster.
(MAIN TITLE THEME)
(SIREN WAILS)
How is he, Rudy?
He had a severe concussion.
He should be up in about a couple of days.
You ought to see the other guy.
Hey, pal.
What happened?
I was on my way to your office
to get my next assignment.
Your next assignment was to
track down two enemy agents...
that slipped into the country.
They're scientists and they're
experimenting in bionics.
I was worried about you.
Are you all right?
What happened?
Car coming right at me
on the wrong side of the road.
In order to avoid it,
I had to go off the road and hit a tree.
Something funny happened.
Just... just before I passed out...
I saw somebody
about 50 feet away...
just standing there looking.
I can understand that.
People see an accident and
they just don't want to get involved.
Yeah, well this somebody
could have been my twin brother.
Steve, maybe it wasn't an accident.
Maybe these two secret
agents got to you...
before you got to them.
That man that you saw
50 feet away looking at you...
could it have been either
of these men?
No, I tell you, Oscar.
He could have been my twin brother.
Well, why don't you just take it easy.
We'll talk about the assignment
after you get back on your feet.
Excuse me, Oscar.
This will help you get
a goodnight's sleep.
What about my car?
Your car will be out of the repair shop
before you're out of here, Steve.
(ELECTRONIC WHIRR)
There he is again.
Hmm?
Who?
The same guy I saw after my accident.
Where?
STEVE: On the roof across the street.
RUDY: I don't see anything.
OSCAR: Neither do I.
He was there a second ago.
Steve, why don't you just
get some rest now.
I tell... I tell you he was there, Oscar.
Just get some sleep.
Rudy, what's going on here?
It's, uh... perfectly normal.
It's not unusual for someone
to have hallucinations...
as the result of a severe trauma.
Well, he's not in shock now.
The accident was yesterday.
Yeah. I know.
RUDY: Look, let's not worry about him.
He's gonna come out of it.
He's been through a lot worse than this.
You go ahead,
keep your appointment.
All right.
Keep in touch with me.
Okay.
Rudy, have you seen
Steve this morning?
No, Oscar, I haven't examined
him yet this morning.
I was just on my way to the hospital.
Don't release him too soon.
You know Steve.
He'll want to be up and out.
Well, physically, he's okay.
I checked his chart by phone.
What I'm concerned with is that
he continued to hallucinate last night...
according to his nurse.
He saw that figure again, eh?
No, but he insisted he had
seen it and that it was real.
Now, I suppose it could be
the effect of the sedative.
But, I think it's more than that, Oscar.
I... I think he's troubled somehow.
I'm afraid you're right.
Do what you can, Rudy,
to relieve his concerns.
You can be sure I will, Oscar.
Well.
How are you feeling this morning?
Physically? Okay.
What does that mean?
I saw my lookalike on that roof again.
The man you think
you saw at the accident?
Rudy, I tell you I saw him
outside that window again!
Okay. Take it easy, Steve.
You've got to believe me.
I'm not seeing things.
I know you looked out the window and you
didn't see anything and think I'm flipping out!
No. I don't think you're flipping out.
Well, then what?
I don't know for sure.
But if it's bothering you this much,
there's someone you could go and talk to.
Who?
Dr. Margaret Winslow.
She's a parapsychologist,
an extraordinary woman.
Her office is here in town.
I've been to many seminars with her
and she's brilliant.
Parapsychology is an exciting
new field with limitless possibilities.
Come on, Rudy.
Seances, crystal balls and all that junk?
What have you got to lose?
If you're certain you're
seeing things I'm not...
what have you have to lose
just by talking to her?
All right. Set up an appointment.
Will do.
To tell you the truth...
what happened to you
just after the accident is unusual...
but not without precedent.
I'd have accepted that it was a hallucination
at the scene of the accident...
but the fact that it reappeared
at the hospital when my mind was clear...
Made you wonder?
Yes.
Cream and sugar?
Black, please.
It's probable you did see a spirit.
Doctor, I'm probably wasting your time.
I don't believe in spirits.
It's not an easy concept
for most people to accept.
But since you're here, why don't
we explore it a little bit further?
All right.
On the assumption you're going
to keep an open mind.
Doctor, I'm keeping an open mind,
but I'm just not worried about spirits.
Perhaps you should be.
At least for a little while.
Why?
I believe it's possible you did
have a psychic experience.
Of course, we haven't proved
anything yet, either way.
Why don't you tell me about yourself.
What do you do?
I'm a retread from the space program
on call for special assignments.
I used to be something of an athlete
and I still prefer participation to watching.
Family?
None living.
I've never been married.
And I don't see a ring on your finger.
You get an "A" for observation.
What's a "retread"
from the space program?
I had an accident several years back.
How serious was the accident?
Serious.
Did Dr. Wells treat you?
Yes.
Could I talk to him?
Well, I'll get him on the phone.
Have you ever been treated for anything
other than a physical ailment, Steve?
What do you mean?
Nervous tension, anxieties,
things like that.
Steve Austin.
Is Dr. Wells there? Thank you.
Uh, no.
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
SECRETARY: Dr. Wells,
Steve Austin is on the phone.
Thanks.
Hello, Steve.
Hello, Rudy.
I'm with Dr. Margaret Winslow.
She'd like a word with you.
RUDY: Put her on.
Thank you.
Hello, Doctor.
It's nice talking to you again, Dr. Winslow.
Thank you.
Steve tells me he was involved
in a serious accident several years ago.
Well, we're getting into
a classified area, Doctor.
You know, the Space program.
I understand.
All I need to know is...
was he clinically dead
for even a brief period of time...
as a result of that accident?
If you'll respect this
as confidence.
Of course.
Yes. He was clinically
dead for 52 seconds.
Really? For that long?
Well, thank you, Doctor, very much.
You're welcome.
Bye-bye.
What does it matter
if I was clinically dead?
It's the key that unlocks
the door to probability.
I don't understand.
You were a dead man
for a full 52 seconds.
I think what you saw...
The man who looks exactly like you...
Could be... what in essence is
your own spirit.
My what?
Your own spirit.
How can I have seen my spirit?
I don't even believe in them.
One of the things that makes
this field so difficult...
is that half of what occurs is real...
and the other half is
a product of belief.
Believers sometimes see
things that aren't there...
and non-believers, like you...
sometimes see things that are.
You see, it's theorized
that upon death...
the spirit will become
free from the body.
So what you're saying is
when I was clinically dead...
my spirit left my body?
That's right.
In 1927 a Miss Evelyn Thomas,
22 years old...
lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She was revived 27 seconds...
after she was pronounced dead.
Six months later she died...
suddenly, of no apparent cause.
She was in good health at the time.
Her pulse and blood pressure normal...
her heart undamaged.
Obviously, that's supposed
to mean something significant.
Well, to a paranormal investigator...
it might mean that after Evelyn Thomas'
spirit had left her body...
it discovered that it was forced
to wander in limbo...
when she came back to life.
Then you're suggesting that the spirit
caused the death of Evelyn Thomas...
so that it could remain free of the body?
That's right.
Another case, Willie Jones,
Chicago, Illinois, 1939.
He was clinically dead
for 29 seconds and then revived.
Eight months later, he fell out of
a row boat while fishing and drowned.
Anybody can fall out of
a boat and drown.
What you say is true...
but not a six foot tall man
in four feet of water.
Both these cases are documented
if you'd like to read about them.
In each of these cases, their spirits
caught up to them in less than a year.
I had my accident four years ago.
Why did it take my spirit
so long to catch up to me?
I don't know.
You were clinically dead for 52 seconds.
That's one of the
longest times on record.
That might make a difference.
That might make you very special.
It could be it's taken
your spirit four years...
to find your body
in order to destroy it.
Listen, why don't you think about it.
And if you can accept even 50 percent
of what I'm saying to you...
we can investigate it.
I'll think about it.
Okay.
You've been very kind.
Thank you.
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Are you all right?
An explosion.
All I remember is an explosion.
There was an explosion
outside your office door.
Do you know what caused it?
No. But...
(ELECTRONIC WHIRRING)
What is it?
You'd call it my spirit.
Do you see it?
Yes. I see it.
I'm going to settle this right now.
No, Steve. Don't.
Why? It's just standing there waiting.
Steve, you mustn't touch it.
Any physical contact
is very dangerous.
STEVE: It's gone.
I don't think so.
It's waiting somewhere.
(RADIO CHATTER)
Well, Doctor, you can take
a look if you like...
but I'm afraid your
office is a total loss.
Was anybody hurt?
No.
But you two are lucky to be alive,
I can tell you that.
Any idea what caused
the explosion?
Carelessness.
Deliveryman over there...
left a container of
highly volatile materials...
in the hall just outside
your office door.
It blew up.
That's the way most accidents happen.
Carelessness, pure and simple.
Especially with highly volatile fluids.
When will they ever learn?
Well, excuse me.
Come on, let's roll 'em up, men.
I'd like to talk to
the deliveryman, okay?
All right.
Excuse us.
I guess you're the folks
who were in the office.
Yes.
What can I say?
If I hadn't put that stuff down there,
I wouldn't be standing here now.
Well, it's lucky you
put it down, then, isn't it?
(SIGHS)
I wonder, do you remember
why you left it where you did?
Well, I was headed for the chemistry lab
at the back of the building.
Yes, but why there?
Why that particular office door?
I was headed for the stairway...
I started...
Well, to tell the truth,
lady, I don't know.
Maybe I should've left it
in the van, but I didn't.
Look, there was no way I could've known
that stuff was gonna go up like that.
I tell you one thing, from now on,
someone else can haul it.
Hey, I am really sorry about
what it did to your office.
I know. It's all right.
Well, I better get back to it.
Steve, can I impose on you
to drive me home?
Sure. No trouble.
You think there's more to it
than even he knows.
Possibly. I'm just trying to put
together the pieces of the puzzle.
Nice.
Government issue.
So this is where my taxes go.
I turn here?
Uh, no, no.
It's a little bit further.
Steve, you believe there's a logical
explanation for everything, don't you?
Up until I met you I did,
now I'm not sure.
To understand
psychic phenomenon...
to deal with things paranormal....
you must begin with belief
in the possibility of their existence.
Oh, you turn right
at the next street.
Uh, you did seek me out,
didn't you?
One of the more intelligent
things I've done lately.
Thank you very much.
It's the apartment
right there on the corner.
(UNLOCKS DOOR)
Well, here we are.
Please make yourself comfortable.
Can I get you a drink?
Oh, coffee. Coffee's fine.
Okay.
Um, I believe we haven't
got much time.
Time for what?
To make contact with your spirit
so I can help you deal with him.
That explosion?
I don't believe it was an accident.
I don't know any deliverymen
that are out to do me in.
Black, right?
Right.
Besides, if he had planted it, he'd
hardly have waited around to apologize.
I don't think he could help himself.
I think that container would have
exploded no matter where he left it.
That's what I figured
you'd think.
I believe your spirit dictated his
actions in an attempt to kill you.
What I'd like to do is try
and make contact with it now.
If we can control that meeting...
if I can confront it,
I might be able to neutralize it.
Listen, spirits have been
known to take command...
to make people do things that they're not
even aware of what it is they're doing...
like those two case histories
I told you about in my office.
How do we make contact?
By what you might call a séance.
I prefer "psychic communication."
You're still fighting me.
Look, I just can't buy
"psychic communication."
You have to trust me.
All right, what do we do?
Good. Help me with the table.
I want to warn you about something.
There is an element
of very real risk here.
Remember, I said that spirits
sometimes have taken command?
Don't worry about me.
I just wanted you to know.
Okay. Grab that chair.
You sit here.
The lights are only
a device to help you.
I want you to focus...
and fix your eyes on
the wall behind me.
Now, I want you to
concentrate on my voice.
Put your hands flat on the table.
All right.
Now don't look at me.
Concentrate on the lights.
If you feel sleepy,
don't fight it.
We are going back in time.
Days... weeks....
months... years...
turn back...
fold in on one another...
back in time to another place.
You are part of the space program.
It's a special day.
You remember that day.
Hours... seconds...
before the accident.
B-52 >PILOT: Circuit breakers in.
STEVE: We have separation.
B-52 PILOT:
Inboard and outboards are on.
I'm comin' forward with the side stick.
FLIGHT COM: Looks good.
PILOT: Ah, Roger.
FLIGHT COM: Okay, Steve,
winds are down to about five or six knots.
Keep it coming left, Steve.
STEVE: Okay.
Okay, coming out of the gates.
FLIGHT COM: Okay, looks good.
Pull it left, Steve. Five more degrees.
Drawing energy, Steve,
and you're heading right for the turn point.
STEVE: Okay.
FLIGHT COM: Got you coming
through 17,000 feet...
MARGARET: Something's gone wrong.
There is something wrong.
STEVE: Pitch is out. I can't hold altitude!
B-52 PILOT: Correction. Alpha Hold is off.
Threat selector is emergency.
FLIGHT COM: Don't take any
chances, Steve.
STEVE: No sweat.
FLIGHT COM: Crowded out there.
Give him some room.
MARGARET: You're going to crash...
there's no way to avoid it....
FLIGHT COM: Okay, take her
any place you want.
You will die...
and your spirit will be released.
(GASPS)
STEVE: Coming in at 207 knots.
(GASPS)
STEVE: Get that chopper out of the way!
(RADIO CHATTER)
(PANTING)
You will go into a coma.
(RADIO CHATTER)
You will not come out of it.
FLIGHT COM: This is NASA One.
Get that fire truck out there immediately.
No, no, no.
STEVE: Flight Com. I can't hold it!
She's breaking up! She's breaking...
(GRUNTING)
Hey!
What happened?
Take it easy. Take it easy.
I was taken over by the spirit,
wasn't I?
Must've been auto suggestion.
You're still doubting it?
Look, all I know is
you tried to kill me.
But it took control of my thoughts, my...
Steve, it took control.
Maybe we oughta give this up.
Wait a minute.
You can't stop now.
But I tried to kill you.
Oh, but you didn't.
Hey, how about a refill on the coffee?
Okay.
I'd like to make a fresh pot.
It'll take a few minutes.
No hurry.
Okay.
(WATER RUNNING)
(ELECTRONIC WHIRRING)
It's back.
What?
It's back!
No! Steve! No!
(ENGINE STARTS)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
What happened?
I'm not sure.
Somebody was driving this car.
Somebody... or...
something.
OSCAR: So you've had a couple of
experiences you can't explain, eh, Steve?
Well, I'm familiar with the theory...
that destructive thoughts can be projected
through others into destructive actions...
but I am much more
at home with the premise...
that somebody very mortal...
and very clever
is trying to kill you.
What do you know about
Margaret Winslow?
She's a very bright woman with
impressive credentials in her field.
That's all?
Oh, come on, Oscar.
She wants to solve this as much as we do.
That's true. It checks out.
You checked her out?
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
OSCAR: Yes?
SECRETARY: The security officer
is here for some reports to sign.
Show him in.
Margaret Winslow is part
of the action, Steve.
You know as well as I do that
as long as you work for us...
your private life
belongs to us, too.
Since when?
Thank you.
Since I've come to the conclusion...
that those two spies that slipped
into this country want you dead...
or alive.
Give me a motive.
The secrets to bionic surgery.
I wouldn't be much good to them dead.
Don't be too sure.
Rudy Wells tells me that an autopsy
will tell them all they need to know.
Then give me a full briefing
and put me back on duty.
I've assigned Bronson and Smith
to the case.
You have another 48 hours leave.
Okay, Oscar. Maybe you're right.
Maybe I have to clear my mind...
because there are still a lot
of unanswered questions.
Questions that I want answered.
Hi. You're prompt.
It's one of my vices.
Just when I thought I met
the perfect man.
Be kind of dull wouldn't it?
A perfect man?
(THUNDER)
STEVE: Storm's blowing in.
MARGARET: There's time enough.
We both know what happened
last time we tried this.
Only this time, please,
keep your eyes on me, just in case.
That won't be hard to do.
There's one thing I can't understand.
How is it you never married?
I'm a bad risk in a high risk business.
Or maybe it's because
you're married to your work.
That could be it.
What's your excuse?
Maybe it's because
I've never met a man like you.
Keep that up, I'm gonna
forget why we're here.
Is it much further?
Just up ahead.
(THUNDER)
This is where I was
forced off the road.
Ended up here against
that pine tree.
Where was the spirit
when you saw it?
I don't know. I was pretty punchy,
but I think it was off in that direction.
Can you be more exact?
Just past the big pine tree.
All right. I'm gonna go and try
and make direct contact.
No matter what happens,
don't interfere.
Please, just stay here.
Are you all right?
Yes. I'm fine.
We know you are here.
We feel your presence.
We reach out to you.
We ask you to Show yourself.
We beseech you
to Show yourself to us.
(ELECTRONIC WHIRRING)
Margaret!
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Come on.
Get into the cabin.
Be quiet, you'll find out.
Would you please tell me
what this is all about?
Weather pose a problem?
Some interference maybe,
but they'll get the message.
Who'll get the message?
If you think I'm worth kidnapping,
you're terribly mistaken.
I only have a small insurance policy,
and I'm behind on the premium payments.
Any luck?
Not yet.
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Will you sit in this chair, please?
Now.
(RADIO STATIC)
We never thought Colonel Austin
would go to you for help.
It was a lucky accident
that we used to our advantage.
Sit.
Good.
Anything yet?
'Fraid not. The weather is
giving us a lot of difficulty.
Keep trying.
Sit back on the chair, please.
Put your hands at your sides.
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(RADIO STATIC)
Hope we haven't made you too
uncomfortable, Miss Winslow.
You have.
Sorry.
(RADIO STATIC)
(SIGNAL BEEPING)
Message received and understood.
Now what?
We wait.
For what?
For Steve Austin to see you,
and come to your rescue.
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Who are you?
And what do you want with Steve?
What is that?
Relax, Doctor.
It's all in the interest of science.
What kind of science uses lethal gas?
I assume it is lethal?
Lethal to him, but harmless
to bionic circuitry.
There are forces at work here
more deadly than lethal gas.
We spent a great deal of time studying
parapsychology before starting this project.
I agree, Doctor.
There are psychic forces
more deadly than lethal gases...
however, they're not a part
of this operation.
What do you think?
It should work perfectly.
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
You see him, yet?
I thought I saw him, but...
Nothing.
Think he might be lost?
No, I believe our plans
have made sure that won't happen.
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
There he is.
Okay.
OLDER SPY: If you feel
like screaming, be my guest.
(BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Poison gas!
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(COUGHING)
(COUGHING)
Are you all right?
Yes, I'm fine.
But I don't understand
what's happened.
Well, it's a long story.
STEVE: This is the way they did it, Oscar.
They had these laser beam projectors
set up wherever they needed...
to make me see the image.
They also had it on a timing device...
so that they would go...
on...
and off.
Well, they made
full confessions.
It'll be a long time before
they see their country again.
Did they fill in all the blanks?
Yes. They paid the deliveryman
to leave that container outside of your door.
And the car that drove itself?
That was a remote control device.
What about when I went off
the road and hit that tree?
Steve, that was the start
of their master plan...
to make you think you were
beginning to hallucinate.
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
Yes?
SECRETARY: Mr. Goldman,
you're wanted upstairs immediately.
I'll be right there.
Steve, you've got 24 hours off...
and then I'm going to
expect you back on the job.
Well, I didn't expect you
to expect anything else, Oscar.
What a pleasure
to meet you, Doctor.
Thank you.
It's nice to meet you, too.
See you later.
Well, I think I should be
saying goodbye, too.
What? Good bye?
It's been quite an experience
and I think I need a little vacation.
So, I'm gonna take off
for a few weeks.
Well, Margaret, I'm glad things
worked out the way they did.
I'm just sorry that they didn't work out
the way you expected.
Well, Steve, we both now know
what you went through...
was not a psychic experience,
only plotting.
I told you right off
I didn't believe in spirits.
I knew there had to be
a rational explanation.
Ag reed.
There was a rational
explanation in your case.
But there was no rational explanation...
for those two case histories
I told you about in my office.
The thing I regret is that
you may find it hard to believe...
and to trust me again.
I may always find it hard to
believe in psychic experiences...
but I'll always trust you.
Thank you.
Well, goodbye.
Good bye.
(END THEME MUSIC)
(SOFT MUSIC ON RADIO)
NEWS CASTER: We interrupt
our programming...
to give you a special news report
A low-pressure ridge is
lying just off the coast...
that is pumping moisture in from
the trailing edge of a hurricane...
that is slowly moving out to sea alter
devastating the west coast of Mexico.
Traveler’s warnings have been issued
for Route 5 and 395...
and for all secondary
mountain roads in the area.
There are numerous
reports of bridges out.
Motorists are urged to check with their
auto club or the Division of Highways...
for the latest information
on hazardous road conditions.
We now return to our
regularly scheduled program.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYS)
(TIRES SCREECH)
Play one of the best new FPS shooters,
search Steam for PROJECT WARLOCK
(LOUD CRASH)
(ELECTRONIC WHIRR)
(ELECTRONIC WHIRR)
(SIRENS APPROACHING)
FLIGHT COM:
It looks good at NASA One.
B-52 >PILOT:
Roger.
BCS Arm switch is on.
FLIGHT COM:
Okay, Victor.
B-52 PILOT:
Landing Rocket Arm switch is on.
Here comes the throttle.
Circuit breakers in.
STEVE:
We have separation.
B-52 PILOT:
Inboard and outboards are on.
I'm comin' forward with the side stick.
FLIGHT COM:
Looks good.
PILOT:
Ah, Roger.
STEVE:
I've got a blowout in damper three.
SR-71 PILOT:
Get your pitch to zero.
STEVE:
Pitch is out. I can't hold altitude!
B-52 PILOT: Correction. Alpha Hold is oil“.
Threat selector is emergency.
STEVE: Flight Com. I can't hold it!
She's breaking up! She's breaking...
ANNOUNCER:
Steve Austin. Astronaut.
A man barely alive.
Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.
We have the technology.
We have the capability
to make the world's first bionic man.
Steve Austin will be that man.
Better than he was before.
Better, stronger, faster.
(MAIN TITLE THEME)
(SIREN WAILS)
How is he, Rudy?
He had a severe concussion.
He should be up in about a couple of days.
You ought to see the other guy.
Hey, pal.
What happened?
I was on my way to your office
to get my next assignment.
Your next assignment was to
track down two enemy agents...
that slipped into the country.
They're scientists and they're
experimenting in bionics.
I was worried about you.
Are you all right?
What happened?
Car coming right at me
on the wrong side of the road.
In order to avoid it,
I had to go off the road and hit a tree.
Something funny happened.
Just... just before I passed out...
I saw somebody
about 50 feet away...
just standing there looking.
I can understand that.
People see an accident and
they just don't want to get involved.
Yeah, well this somebody
could have been my twin brother.
Steve, maybe it wasn't an accident.
Maybe these two secret
agents got to you...
before you got to them.
That man that you saw
50 feet away looking at you...
could it have been either
of these men?
No, I tell you, Oscar.
He could have been my twin brother.
Well, why don't you just take it easy.
We'll talk about the assignment
after you get back on your feet.
Excuse me, Oscar.
This will help you get
a goodnight's sleep.
What about my car?
Your car will be out of the repair shop
before you're out of here, Steve.
(ELECTRONIC WHIRR)
There he is again.
Hmm?
Who?
The same guy I saw after my accident.
Where?
STEVE: On the roof across the street.
RUDY: I don't see anything.
OSCAR: Neither do I.
He was there a second ago.
Steve, why don't you just
get some rest now.
I tell... I tell you he was there, Oscar.
Just get some sleep.
Rudy, what's going on here?
It's, uh... perfectly normal.
It's not unusual for someone
to have hallucinations...
as the result of a severe trauma.
Well, he's not in shock now.
The accident was yesterday.
Yeah. I know.
RUDY: Look, let's not worry about him.
He's gonna come out of it.
He's been through a lot worse than this.
You go ahead,
keep your appointment.
All right.
Keep in touch with me.
Okay.
Rudy, have you seen
Steve this morning?
No, Oscar, I haven't examined
him yet this morning.
I was just on my way to the hospital.
Don't release him too soon.
You know Steve.
He'll want to be up and out.
Well, physically, he's okay.
I checked his chart by phone.
What I'm concerned with is that
he continued to hallucinate last night...
according to his nurse.
He saw that figure again, eh?
No, but he insisted he had
seen it and that it was real.
Now, I suppose it could be
the effect of the sedative.
But, I think it's more than that, Oscar.
I... I think he's troubled somehow.
I'm afraid you're right.
Do what you can, Rudy,
to relieve his concerns.
You can be sure I will, Oscar.
Well.
How are you feeling this morning?
Physically? Okay.
What does that mean?
I saw my lookalike on that roof again.
The man you think
you saw at the accident?
Rudy, I tell you I saw him
outside that window again!
Okay. Take it easy, Steve.
You've got to believe me.
I'm not seeing things.
I know you looked out the window and you
didn't see anything and think I'm flipping out!
No. I don't think you're flipping out.
Well, then what?
I don't know for sure.
But if it's bothering you this much,
there's someone you could go and talk to.
Who?
Dr. Margaret Winslow.
She's a parapsychologist,
an extraordinary woman.
Her office is here in town.
I've been to many seminars with her
and she's brilliant.
Parapsychology is an exciting
new field with limitless possibilities.
Come on, Rudy.
Seances, crystal balls and all that junk?
What have you got to lose?
If you're certain you're
seeing things I'm not...
what have you have to lose
just by talking to her?
All right. Set up an appointment.
Will do.
To tell you the truth...
what happened to you
just after the accident is unusual...
but not without precedent.
I'd have accepted that it was a hallucination
at the scene of the accident...
but the fact that it reappeared
at the hospital when my mind was clear...
Made you wonder?
Yes.
Cream and sugar?
Black, please.
It's probable you did see a spirit.
Doctor, I'm probably wasting your time.
I don't believe in spirits.
It's not an easy concept
for most people to accept.
But since you're here, why don't
we explore it a little bit further?
All right.
On the assumption you're going
to keep an open mind.
Doctor, I'm keeping an open mind,
but I'm just not worried about spirits.
Perhaps you should be.
At least for a little while.
Why?
I believe it's possible you did
have a psychic experience.
Of course, we haven't proved
anything yet, either way.
Why don't you tell me about yourself.
What do you do?
I'm a retread from the space program
on call for special assignments.
I used to be something of an athlete
and I still prefer participation to watching.
Family?
None living.
I've never been married.
And I don't see a ring on your finger.
You get an "A" for observation.
What's a "retread"
from the space program?
I had an accident several years back.
How serious was the accident?
Serious.
Did Dr. Wells treat you?
Yes.
Could I talk to him?
Well, I'll get him on the phone.
Have you ever been treated for anything
other than a physical ailment, Steve?
What do you mean?
Nervous tension, anxieties,
things like that.
Steve Austin.
Is Dr. Wells there? Thank you.
Uh, no.
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
SECRETARY: Dr. Wells,
Steve Austin is on the phone.
Thanks.
Hello, Steve.
Hello, Rudy.
I'm with Dr. Margaret Winslow.
She'd like a word with you.
RUDY: Put her on.
Thank you.
Hello, Doctor.
It's nice talking to you again, Dr. Winslow.
Thank you.
Steve tells me he was involved
in a serious accident several years ago.
Well, we're getting into
a classified area, Doctor.
You know, the Space program.
I understand.
All I need to know is...
was he clinically dead
for even a brief period of time...
as a result of that accident?
If you'll respect this
as confidence.
Of course.
Yes. He was clinically
dead for 52 seconds.
Really? For that long?
Well, thank you, Doctor, very much.
You're welcome.
Bye-bye.
What does it matter
if I was clinically dead?
It's the key that unlocks
the door to probability.
I don't understand.
You were a dead man
for a full 52 seconds.
I think what you saw...
The man who looks exactly like you...
Could be... what in essence is
your own spirit.
My what?
Your own spirit.
How can I have seen my spirit?
I don't even believe in them.
One of the things that makes
this field so difficult...
is that half of what occurs is real...
and the other half is
a product of belief.
Believers sometimes see
things that aren't there...
and non-believers, like you...
sometimes see things that are.
You see, it's theorized
that upon death...
the spirit will become
free from the body.
So what you're saying is
when I was clinically dead...
my spirit left my body?
That's right.
In 1927 a Miss Evelyn Thomas,
22 years old...
lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She was revived 27 seconds...
after she was pronounced dead.
Six months later she died...
suddenly, of no apparent cause.
She was in good health at the time.
Her pulse and blood pressure normal...
her heart undamaged.
Obviously, that's supposed
to mean something significant.
Well, to a paranormal investigator...
it might mean that after Evelyn Thomas'
spirit had left her body...
it discovered that it was forced
to wander in limbo...
when she came back to life.
Then you're suggesting that the spirit
caused the death of Evelyn Thomas...
so that it could remain free of the body?
That's right.
Another case, Willie Jones,
Chicago, Illinois, 1939.
He was clinically dead
for 29 seconds and then revived.
Eight months later, he fell out of
a row boat while fishing and drowned.
Anybody can fall out of
a boat and drown.
What you say is true...
but not a six foot tall man
in four feet of water.
Both these cases are documented
if you'd like to read about them.
In each of these cases, their spirits
caught up to them in less than a year.
I had my accident four years ago.
Why did it take my spirit
so long to catch up to me?
I don't know.
You were clinically dead for 52 seconds.
That's one of the
longest times on record.
That might make a difference.
That might make you very special.
It could be it's taken
your spirit four years...
to find your body
in order to destroy it.
Listen, why don't you think about it.
And if you can accept even 50 percent
of what I'm saying to you...
we can investigate it.
I'll think about it.
Okay.
You've been very kind.
Thank you.
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Are you all right?
An explosion.
All I remember is an explosion.
There was an explosion
outside your office door.
Do you know what caused it?
No. But...
(ELECTRONIC WHIRRING)
What is it?
You'd call it my spirit.
Do you see it?
Yes. I see it.
I'm going to settle this right now.
No, Steve. Don't.
Why? It's just standing there waiting.
Steve, you mustn't touch it.
Any physical contact
is very dangerous.
STEVE: It's gone.
I don't think so.
It's waiting somewhere.
(RADIO CHATTER)
Well, Doctor, you can take
a look if you like...
but I'm afraid your
office is a total loss.
Was anybody hurt?
No.
But you two are lucky to be alive,
I can tell you that.
Any idea what caused
the explosion?
Carelessness.
Deliveryman over there...
left a container of
highly volatile materials...
in the hall just outside
your office door.
It blew up.
That's the way most accidents happen.
Carelessness, pure and simple.
Especially with highly volatile fluids.
When will they ever learn?
Well, excuse me.
Come on, let's roll 'em up, men.
I'd like to talk to
the deliveryman, okay?
All right.
Excuse us.
I guess you're the folks
who were in the office.
Yes.
What can I say?
If I hadn't put that stuff down there,
I wouldn't be standing here now.
Well, it's lucky you
put it down, then, isn't it?
(SIGHS)
I wonder, do you remember
why you left it where you did?
Well, I was headed for the chemistry lab
at the back of the building.
Yes, but why there?
Why that particular office door?
I was headed for the stairway...
I started...
Well, to tell the truth,
lady, I don't know.
Maybe I should've left it
in the van, but I didn't.
Look, there was no way I could've known
that stuff was gonna go up like that.
I tell you one thing, from now on,
someone else can haul it.
Hey, I am really sorry about
what it did to your office.
I know. It's all right.
Well, I better get back to it.
Steve, can I impose on you
to drive me home?
Sure. No trouble.
You think there's more to it
than even he knows.
Possibly. I'm just trying to put
together the pieces of the puzzle.
Nice.
Government issue.
So this is where my taxes go.
I turn here?
Uh, no, no.
It's a little bit further.
Steve, you believe there's a logical
explanation for everything, don't you?
Up until I met you I did,
now I'm not sure.
To understand
psychic phenomenon...
to deal with things paranormal....
you must begin with belief
in the possibility of their existence.
Oh, you turn right
at the next street.
Uh, you did seek me out,
didn't you?
One of the more intelligent
things I've done lately.
Thank you very much.
It's the apartment
right there on the corner.
(UNLOCKS DOOR)
Well, here we are.
Please make yourself comfortable.
Can I get you a drink?
Oh, coffee. Coffee's fine.
Okay.
Um, I believe we haven't
got much time.
Time for what?
To make contact with your spirit
so I can help you deal with him.
That explosion?
I don't believe it was an accident.
I don't know any deliverymen
that are out to do me in.
Black, right?
Right.
Besides, if he had planted it, he'd
hardly have waited around to apologize.
I don't think he could help himself.
I think that container would have
exploded no matter where he left it.
That's what I figured
you'd think.
I believe your spirit dictated his
actions in an attempt to kill you.
What I'd like to do is try
and make contact with it now.
If we can control that meeting...
if I can confront it,
I might be able to neutralize it.
Listen, spirits have been
known to take command...
to make people do things that they're not
even aware of what it is they're doing...
like those two case histories
I told you about in my office.
How do we make contact?
By what you might call a séance.
I prefer "psychic communication."
You're still fighting me.
Look, I just can't buy
"psychic communication."
You have to trust me.
All right, what do we do?
Good. Help me with the table.
I want to warn you about something.
There is an element
of very real risk here.
Remember, I said that spirits
sometimes have taken command?
Don't worry about me.
I just wanted you to know.
Okay. Grab that chair.
You sit here.
The lights are only
a device to help you.
I want you to focus...
and fix your eyes on
the wall behind me.
Now, I want you to
concentrate on my voice.
Put your hands flat on the table.
All right.
Now don't look at me.
Concentrate on the lights.
If you feel sleepy,
don't fight it.
We are going back in time.
Days... weeks....
months... years...
turn back...
fold in on one another...
back in time to another place.
You are part of the space program.
It's a special day.
You remember that day.
Hours... seconds...
before the accident.
B-52 >PILOT: Circuit breakers in.
STEVE: We have separation.
B-52 PILOT:
Inboard and outboards are on.
I'm comin' forward with the side stick.
FLIGHT COM: Looks good.
PILOT: Ah, Roger.
FLIGHT COM: Okay, Steve,
winds are down to about five or six knots.
Keep it coming left, Steve.
STEVE: Okay.
Okay, coming out of the gates.
FLIGHT COM: Okay, looks good.
Pull it left, Steve. Five more degrees.
Drawing energy, Steve,
and you're heading right for the turn point.
STEVE: Okay.
FLIGHT COM: Got you coming
through 17,000 feet...
MARGARET: Something's gone wrong.
There is something wrong.
STEVE: Pitch is out. I can't hold altitude!
B-52 PILOT: Correction. Alpha Hold is off.
Threat selector is emergency.
FLIGHT COM: Don't take any
chances, Steve.
STEVE: No sweat.
FLIGHT COM: Crowded out there.
Give him some room.
MARGARET: You're going to crash...
there's no way to avoid it....
FLIGHT COM: Okay, take her
any place you want.
You will die...
and your spirit will be released.
(GASPS)
STEVE: Coming in at 207 knots.
(GASPS)
STEVE: Get that chopper out of the way!
(RADIO CHATTER)
(PANTING)
You will go into a coma.
(RADIO CHATTER)
You will not come out of it.
FLIGHT COM: This is NASA One.
Get that fire truck out there immediately.
No, no, no.
STEVE: Flight Com. I can't hold it!
She's breaking up! She's breaking...
(GRUNTING)
Hey!
What happened?
Take it easy. Take it easy.
I was taken over by the spirit,
wasn't I?
Must've been auto suggestion.
You're still doubting it?
Look, all I know is
you tried to kill me.
But it took control of my thoughts, my...
Steve, it took control.
Maybe we oughta give this up.
Wait a minute.
You can't stop now.
But I tried to kill you.
Oh, but you didn't.
Hey, how about a refill on the coffee?
Okay.
I'd like to make a fresh pot.
It'll take a few minutes.
No hurry.
Okay.
(WATER RUNNING)
(ELECTRONIC WHIRRING)
It's back.
What?
It's back!
No! Steve! No!
(ENGINE STARTS)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
What happened?
I'm not sure.
Somebody was driving this car.
Somebody... or...
something.
OSCAR: So you've had a couple of
experiences you can't explain, eh, Steve?
Well, I'm familiar with the theory...
that destructive thoughts can be projected
through others into destructive actions...
but I am much more
at home with the premise...
that somebody very mortal...
and very clever
is trying to kill you.
What do you know about
Margaret Winslow?
She's a very bright woman with
impressive credentials in her field.
That's all?
Oh, come on, Oscar.
She wants to solve this as much as we do.
That's true. It checks out.
You checked her out?
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
OSCAR: Yes?
SECRETARY: The security officer
is here for some reports to sign.
Show him in.
Margaret Winslow is part
of the action, Steve.
You know as well as I do that
as long as you work for us...
your private life
belongs to us, too.
Since when?
Thank you.
Since I've come to the conclusion...
that those two spies that slipped
into this country want you dead...
or alive.
Give me a motive.
The secrets to bionic surgery.
I wouldn't be much good to them dead.
Don't be too sure.
Rudy Wells tells me that an autopsy
will tell them all they need to know.
Then give me a full briefing
and put me back on duty.
I've assigned Bronson and Smith
to the case.
You have another 48 hours leave.
Okay, Oscar. Maybe you're right.
Maybe I have to clear my mind...
because there are still a lot
of unanswered questions.
Questions that I want answered.
Hi. You're prompt.
It's one of my vices.
Just when I thought I met
the perfect man.
Be kind of dull wouldn't it?
A perfect man?
(THUNDER)
STEVE: Storm's blowing in.
MARGARET: There's time enough.
We both know what happened
last time we tried this.
Only this time, please,
keep your eyes on me, just in case.
That won't be hard to do.
There's one thing I can't understand.
How is it you never married?
I'm a bad risk in a high risk business.
Or maybe it's because
you're married to your work.
That could be it.
What's your excuse?
Maybe it's because
I've never met a man like you.
Keep that up, I'm gonna
forget why we're here.
Is it much further?
Just up ahead.
(THUNDER)
This is where I was
forced off the road.
Ended up here against
that pine tree.
Where was the spirit
when you saw it?
I don't know. I was pretty punchy,
but I think it was off in that direction.
Can you be more exact?
Just past the big pine tree.
All right. I'm gonna go and try
and make direct contact.
No matter what happens,
don't interfere.
Please, just stay here.
Are you all right?
Yes. I'm fine.
We know you are here.
We feel your presence.
We reach out to you.
We ask you to Show yourself.
We beseech you
to Show yourself to us.
(ELECTRONIC WHIRRING)
Margaret!
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Come on.
Get into the cabin.
Be quiet, you'll find out.
Would you please tell me
what this is all about?
Weather pose a problem?
Some interference maybe,
but they'll get the message.
Who'll get the message?
If you think I'm worth kidnapping,
you're terribly mistaken.
I only have a small insurance policy,
and I'm behind on the premium payments.
Any luck?
Not yet.
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Will you sit in this chair, please?
Now.
(RADIO STATIC)
We never thought Colonel Austin
would go to you for help.
It was a lucky accident
that we used to our advantage.
Sit.
Good.
Anything yet?
'Fraid not. The weather is
giving us a lot of difficulty.
Keep trying.
Sit back on the chair, please.
Put your hands at your sides.
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(RADIO STATIC)
Hope we haven't made you too
uncomfortable, Miss Winslow.
You have.
Sorry.
(RADIO STATIC)
(SIGNAL BEEPING)
Message received and understood.
Now what?
We wait.
For what?
For Steve Austin to see you,
and come to your rescue.
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Who are you?
And what do you want with Steve?
What is that?
Relax, Doctor.
It's all in the interest of science.
What kind of science uses lethal gas?
I assume it is lethal?
Lethal to him, but harmless
to bionic circuitry.
There are forces at work here
more deadly than lethal gas.
We spent a great deal of time studying
parapsychology before starting this project.
I agree, Doctor.
There are psychic forces
more deadly than lethal gases...
however, they're not a part
of this operation.
What do you think?
It should work perfectly.
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(THUNDER)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
You see him, yet?
I thought I saw him, but...
Nothing.
Think he might be lost?
No, I believe our plans
have made sure that won't happen.
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
There he is.
Okay.
OLDER SPY: If you feel
like screaming, be my guest.
(BIONIC EYE SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
Poison gas!
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)
(COUGHING)
(COUGHING)
Are you all right?
Yes, I'm fine.
But I don't understand
what's happened.
Well, it's a long story.
STEVE: This is the way they did it, Oscar.
They had these laser beam projectors
set up wherever they needed...
to make me see the image.
They also had it on a timing device...
so that they would go...
on...
and off.
Well, they made
full confessions.
It'll be a long time before
they see their country again.
Did they fill in all the blanks?
Yes. They paid the deliveryman
to leave that container outside of your door.
And the car that drove itself?
That was a remote control device.
What about when I went off
the road and hit that tree?
Steve, that was the start
of their master plan...
to make you think you were
beginning to hallucinate.
(INTERCOM BUZZES)
Yes?
SECRETARY: Mr. Goldman,
you're wanted upstairs immediately.
I'll be right there.
Steve, you've got 24 hours off...
and then I'm going to
expect you back on the job.
Well, I didn't expect you
to expect anything else, Oscar.
What a pleasure
to meet you, Doctor.
Thank you.
It's nice to meet you, too.
See you later.
Well, I think I should be
saying goodbye, too.
What? Good bye?
It's been quite an experience
and I think I need a little vacation.
So, I'm gonna take off
for a few weeks.
Well, Margaret, I'm glad things
worked out the way they did.
I'm just sorry that they didn't work out
the way you expected.
Well, Steve, we both now know
what you went through...
was not a psychic experience,
only plotting.
I told you right off
I didn't believe in spirits.
I knew there had to be
a rational explanation.
Ag reed.
There was a rational
explanation in your case.
But there was no rational explanation...
for those two case histories
I told you about in my office.
The thing I regret is that
you may find it hard to believe...
and to trust me again.
I may always find it hard to
believe in psychic experiences...
but I'll always trust you.
Thank you.
Well, goodbye.
Good bye.
(END THEME MUSIC)