Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964–1968): Season 1, Episode 21 - The Indestructible Man - full transcript

[Radio Frequencies Beeping]

[Morse Code Beeping]

[Man On Radio]
Tracking stations have made positive l.D.

M/SP-l is returning
to Earth's atmosphere.

Distance: 90,000 miles.
Closing fast.

Impact point estimated
3.00 north, 2.4 west.

Seaview, proceed immediately
to make recovery.

Thank you, H.Q. Probe.
Will do.

- Chip, set course 1-0-4. Proceed at flank speed.
- Aye, aye, sir.

This reportjust came in
from H.Q. Probe, Admiral.

M/SP-l's been spotted.
It's reentering the Earth's atmosphere.



- Where's the point of contact?
- Right here.

Brand, do you realize how far off
that is from the original estimate?

What difference does that make?

Man In Space Probe 7
is coming back to Earth.

We can reach the point of impact
in time, Captain?

We're racing toward it now,
Dr. Brand. We'll get there.

The first round-trip probe
into deep space, and it's coming back!

[Exhales, Chuckles]

Gentlemen, this project has
worked beyond my wildest hopes.

What about all those weeks
of silence when we lost them...

when we were cut off
from all communication?

Cosmic rays, solar flares-
Who knows?

We'll get all our information now
when we get our astronaut aboard.

[ Man On Speaker]
Capsule altitude: 40 miles.



Impact point
bearing 0-0-5, relative.

Range: 5,000 yards.

One degree right rudder.
Slow to one third.

Any minute now.

We should pick it up
one point off the port bow.

[Small Explosion]

Bring us alongside the splash point, Lee,
and crack the cargo hatch.

We'll load the capsule right into
the missile room before we open it.

Aye, sir.

Maneuvering, stand to.

[Chattering]

[Crane]
All secure, sir.

It's your baby, Doctor.
You blow the hatch.

Thank you, Admiral.

Gentlemen, this is
a moment for history-

the first voyager to return
from deep space.

Let's welcome him.

-[Signal Beeps]
-[Small Explosion]

[ Kowalski ]
It'; not a man. It'; a robot.

[Man]
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

Starflng Richard Basehart...

David Hedison.

Voyage to the Bottom
of the Sea.

Down scope.

We're at 9O feet
with a good trim, Skipper.

- Very well. Set a course for Santa Barbara.
- Come to course 0-1-0.

- All ahead full.
- All ahead full.

- Keep it this way until we get home, Chip.
- Aye, aye, sir.

Off the record, Lee,
what's the big rush?

We'll all feel better
when we dock at the institute.

Because of that thing
we picked up?

That thing, Chip,
might very well be...

the most important cargo
we've ever hauled.

Carry on.

[Sighs]
We're losing precious time.

How much longer
would you guess, Admiral?

Well, let's find out.

Laboratory, this is Nelson.
Report.

[ Man On Intercom ]
Laboratory, Admiral'

Radiation count is dropping
at a faster rate all the time-

four points in the last 70 minutes.

All right. Keep us advised.

- Four points? What is it now?
- Let? see.

That's, uh- It should be down
to safety limits...

within, uh, about 15 minutes.

A quarter of an hour.

- And we can't move.
- [Laughing]

You-You're like
an expectant father.

I know.

I know, but this project
is so important.

Think of it, Admiral-a robot
with an almost human sensory system...

that's gone into deep space,
and now it's come back...

just-just crammed full
of vital information.

It won't stay hot much longer.
Then we'll get at the debriefing.

Meanwhile, there's nothing
to do but wait.

I know.

Admiral...

the information stored
in that electronic brain...

can open up the pathway
for man to the whole galaxy.

[Geiger Counter Ticking]

Count's dropping.
It's well below safe levels now.

Good. How soon
can we start debriefing?

Anytime now.

I can't wait to get at the information
stored in those memory cells.

Neither can I.

How much can it tell us?

As much as we could learn
by going there ourselves- and more.

Sensations of sight, sound, touch-

all locked up in memory cells.

An indestructible package
of priceless information.

Whenever you're ready, Doctor-.

Oh. [Chuckles]
Yes, yes. Switch on.

[Computer Whirring]

- All right to come in?
- Yes, of course.

You'rejust in time to see
something really remarkable.

[Signal Fluctuating]

We're getting feedbacks...
from somewhere.

Oh, it's probably
other instruments on the sub.

- [ Fluctuations Continue]
- Captain?

Is it possible to shutoff
all electronic power on this boat?

- For how long?
- Well...

at least until we get a preliminary
reading- 1 O, 2O minutes.

It depends upon our trim.
I'll see how long we can hold it.

- Mr. Morton.
- [On Speaker] Morton, Captain.

Stop all engines,
cut all main power banks.

Hold this trim as long as possible.

Aye, sir. We'll do the best we can.

Thanks, Captain.

[Nelson ] These instruments
seem to be all wrong.

I can't make contact.
It's not responding.

[Signal Fluctuating]

Doesn't make any sense at all.

- Anything?
- [ Exhaling]

Only gibberish.

If this thing were human,
I'd say that it was in a state of shock.

It's all in there!

All that information-
I can't get to it.

[ Morton On Speaker]
Captain, we're losing trim.

- We've got to resume power in the boat.
- Nu.

We've got to blow ballast.
We're losing trim.

- Give me just 1O more minutes.
- I can't risk 1 O minutes.

Give him another two minutes, Lee.
just one more try.

[ Morton] We've dropped to 1-5-0.
Rate of descent is increasing'

All right, Mr. Morton.
Stand fast. I'll let you know when.

Aye, sir.

Well, it's no-go.
It's still as fuzzy as ever.

Why? I put that brain in there.
I programmed it.

- Admiral, we can't wait any longer.
- Right, Lee.

Mr. Morton, restore all power.

Bring her up to 90 feet
and resume course and speed'

Aye, aye, sir.

I'll join you in the control room
right away.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

Don't blame yourself, Doctor.

Any one of a hundred things
could have affected it.

But I planned for all that-

the Van Allen belt,
cosmic rays, solar storms.

It was supposed to be immune.
Look at it. It's worthless.

No. The information's
still there. It has to be.

We'll find a way to get it out, but we'll have
to wait till we get back to the institute.

We don't have
adequate facilities here.

I can't just sit and wait.
Can? we call the institute?

We'll have them run some of this gibberish
through the giant computer.

Right now, we seem to be in need
of one or two giant answers-.

[ Door Closes ]

Hey, what's goin' on, Chief?

Search me.

You ought to see the way
they treat that thing.

I wouldn't be surprised
if they sent it to sick bay.

Yeah. I nearly fell over when they blew
the hatch and there was a robot.

- I thought we were picking up a man.
- Me too.

- Do you think it'; 5.22%?
- Safe?

- Havin' it aboard, I mean.
-just another hunk of machinery.

Sure, I know- Onlyl didn't like
the look of its eyes-.

What's the matter, Curley?
You afraid of robots?

Oh. You think they might
take overyourjob.

Nah. They ain't got
the intelligence.

[Sputtering]

Yes. Yes, that's right.

No, we're not ready to release anything
to the press just yet. I'll let you know-.

Dr. Brand is ready
with his instructions.

- Go ahead, Doctor.
- Brand here.

Look, I want a complete
original run-through.

That's right. Feed every scrap of data
we started this project with...

into calculating organs, mark-and-memory
organs and all programming organs.

Right.

I want a rundown on every corrective
measure taken for a stray course.

I want a file and cross file-

That's right, a file and cross file
on all circuitry systems...

breakdown of communications.

Right. Right, right, right.

[ Beeping]

Yes.

Yes, we have all the readings
straight now. Admiral?

[Clicks Tongue]
Not one deviation.

Calculation, memory,
programming- all positive.

That's not possible.
It doesn't make sense.

Check solars, magnetics, cosmics.

[Sighs]
Brand again.

Now, do this. Complete
computation on magnetic analyzer-

Hello?
Hello? Can you hear me?

- What's wrong, Sparks?
- [On Speaker] I don't know, Admiral.

The signal cut off

- [ Crane on Speaker] A dmzkal Come
to the control room. - Right away-

[Irregular Beeping]

I never heard
anything like it, Skipper.

- It's coming from inside the ship, not out.
- What is it, Lee?

Our instrumentation's gone wild.
Nothing's working properly.

Could your robot be doing something
to affect our equipment?

I don't see how. There's nothing in its
circuitry to affect your instruments.

If anything, this could explain
the trouble we've been having in the lab.

- I don't follow you, Doctor- - lfthere's
a malfunctioning transmitter on board-.-

- I don't follow you, Doctor- - lfthere's
a malfunctioning transmitter on board-.-

it could affect not only your instruments,
but scramble the robots sensors.

I doubt that very much- We don't have any equipment
aboard that could do anything like that-

- Well, not necessarily, Lee.
- It must be that. What else could it be?

There's one way to make sure.

Duty Electrician, lay down
to the master switchboard on the double.

If it's a failure in our telemetry,
it'll show up there-.

- And if it doesn't?
- [Man On Speaker] Reactor Room t0 Captain.

The atomic pile shut down. No reason.
We cant seem to find the trouble.

We'll switch to auxiliary and surface.

- Try to trace down the trouble.
- Aye, aye, sir.

All those systems couldn't
have failed at the same time.

Engineering, this is the captain.

Send repair teams to check
the ship from stem to stern.

- All cabling, all wiring systems- everything.
- Aye, aye, sir.

- Mr. Morton, surface the boat.
- Aye, aye, sir.

Ten degree up bubble.
Stand by to surface.

[ Heavy Footsteps]

[Screaming]

- Gyro's out.
- Chip, take over.

Chief, stabilize the gyro fast.

That hatch must have sprung loose
on the first list...

and caught him head-on.

Take him to sick bay. Tell Doc we'll want
an autopsy. There'll be an inquiry.

- Aye, sir. Come on, Curley.
- Admiral'

The robot's gone.

I went down to the laboratory
to check him out again.

There's no sign of him-
He's gone.

Of course. We should've known
when everything started malfunctioning.

All right, men,
give me your attention.

You'll work in groups of two. You'll search
the ship, compartment by compartment.

Admiral.

You're all armed.
Use your weapons if you have to.

To tell you the truth,
I don't know what efiect it?! have.

lust be alert and report regularly.

- Okay, that's it.
- On the double, men.

- Why are those men armed, Captain?
- For protection, Doctor.

They were ordered to use their weapons,
to shoot the robot. Why?

I want the information in your robot's
sensors every bit as much as you do.

What good is the information going to do
us ifit sinks the ship with all hands?

Come now, Admiral.
It couldn't possibly do that.

- It wouldn't even make the attempt.
- I hope you're right.

- [ Morton On Speaker] Skipper.
- Yes, Chi p.

We got up to 85 feet, but our controls have
jammed, and we've got negative buoyancy

Unless we can free them,
we're going down again.

- Stay with it. I'll be right there.
- Doctor.

- [Computer Whirring]
- It's receiving you, isn't it, Brand?

Yes, it's receiving me,
all right, but-

Well, can you get
a fix on it, locate it?

Something seems to be
scrambling our signal.

Or maybe it'; scrambling our signal.

That's impossible. I'll try again.

Are you all right?
Are you hurt?

No. Look at that.

It's ruined.

Yeah. Looks like
it's up to the men.

Now, watch it, Curley.
It could be anywhere.

I told you I didn't like
the look in his eyes-.

Benson.

He's been hit by his own bullet.

Get him outta here,
and I'll coverya.

You report-
I'll take care of him-.

Captain Crane. Captain.

- This is Crane. Report.
- Kowa/ski. I'm at Frame 84. We ran into it.

Benson fired at point-blank range.

The bullet bounced offit,
came back to hit him.

Seal off the corridor and get out of there.
And get Benson to sick bay.

Aye, aye, sir.

It-lt's no use.
It's beyond repair.

- I'll have to rig something. - [Morton on
Speaker] C ap tazh. M/e ire loszhgr pressure.

Temperature readings
are dropping all over the ship.

It's ice cold.

You go ahead, Admiral.
I'll stay here as long as I can.

It's as though
the air conditionings gone mad.

We're down to 3O degrees throughout
the boat, and it keeps on dropping.

Missile Room. What's your
temperature reading there?

[ Man On Speaker] Twenty-three degrees.
We're freezing, Skipper.

- Break out cold-weather gear for the whole crew.
- Aye, aye, sir.

Engineering. Get a repair party to
the air revitalizing room on the double.

Get that central air-conditioning
system under control.

I just checked our depth.
We're at 250 feet and dropping fast.

Unless we find a way to blow ballast, we're
gonna be on the bottom in a matter of minutes.

- Chip, how's Engineering doing with the
hand pump? - They're still working on it-

Last report was
the forward tanks are clear.

- Once we clear the main tanks, we'll
have positive buoyancy- - Keep on it-

- Cold weather gear, sir.
- Thanks, Curley.

- Give me one for Dr. Brand.
- Yes, sir.

Lee, come along.
I'm going to the lab to see Brand.

Maybe between the three of us...

we can find some way
to outthinkthis machine.

Since it won't respond to commands,
I've been concentrating on pure detection.

But every time I start
to get a fix on it...

it does something else
to throw me off.

- You talk as if it were doing it deliberately.
- That's nonsense.

I know what that machine can do. I know
what it can't do. I built it. I programmed it.

Exactly. That's why I think
it's been reprogrammed.

How could it have been?

You said you lost all control
when it passed through the Van Allen belt

Radiation may have affected
its central control system.

Not with its sensors completely insulated
against maximum-plus radiation.

[Scoffs]
Well, something's affected it!

Your robot's lost
all capacity to respond.

It's like having a maniac
loose on the ship.

Oh, it's worse than that, Lee.

It's a maniac that's been built
to be indestructible.

[ Machinery Churning]

There's our trouble all right.

Listen to that air conditioner.

As you were, men.

Come on.
Let's get outta here.

The air revitalizing chamber.
Of course.

Sir, I'm telling you- no farther away
from me than you are now.

Here's our chance.
Control Room, this is the captain.

Get all search parties to lay down
to “D“ Corridor on the double.

We've got the robot
trapped in Air Revitalizing.

Curiey, the minute I undog the hatch,
hit it with everything you've got.

Captain, if there's any chance
of taking it without destroying it-

There isn't. Go ahead, Lee.

This may do it. I've managed to concoct
a rather crude electronic ear...

that can pinpoint its exact location...

even behind a bulkhead.

All right, Doctor- I'll assign a couple
of men to tour the ship with you-.

Check every bulkhead
until you find it.

- See to it, will you, Chip.
- Yes, sir. This way, Doctor.

Temperatures down
another 1 O degrees.

- What's our depth?
- We're holding our own.

Engineering must be making some
progress with the ballast tanks.

Good. We'll fight our way
to the surface yet.

- [ On Speaker] Captain, this is Patterson.
- Go ahead, Patterson.

We're having trouble with the main
ballast-tank vents. They'rejammed.

We can? hand pump
any more water out.

We still need more buoyancy.

What could bejamming
those vents?

[ On SpeakerjAdmiral, this is Brand.
Can you hear me?

Yes, Doctor. What is it?

I've got it pinpointed
between the inner and outer hulls...

at, uh- Where are we?

- [Crewman] Frame 60.
- At Frame 60-

All right, Doctor.
Stay there. Keep a fix on it.

The main ballast tanks.
Could it have worked itself in there?

Must have.

Patterson, can we still flood
the main ballast tanks?

Yes, sir.
Wejust can't blow them.

[Sighs, Raps Table]

We've been working like dogs
to clear those tanks.

If we flood them again,
we'll go down.

- How much bottom under us?
- At least 6,000 feet- beyond crush depth.

If we flood the main ballast tanks...

the water might short-circuit it,
make it helpless.

- I say try it.
- Well, I hope you're right.

- Patterson, flood main ballast tanks.
- Yes, sir.

We're at 500 feet.

530.

560.

- 565 andho/zfing
- That's strange.

We're still holding at 565.

We've got full tanks and negative
buoyancy. Why aren't we dropping?

- [ On Speaker] Skipper. This is K0 wa/ski.
- What is it, Kowalski?

I'm in the corridorjust forward of the missile
room. Smoke's pouring from the airvents.

All right, Kowalski.
We'll sound the fire alarm.

- Get a detail aft.
- That's not smoke. It's steam.

Of course.
That explains our buoyancy.

The water in the ballast tanks
is being vaporized.

Temperature's rising in the boat.
It's above normal already.

First it freezes us.
Now it's roasting us to death.

Generator Room. What happened
to your auxiliary?

Hello. Generator Room!

Sparks, what's wrong
with the line?

What's wrong with communications?

- Dead.
- Let's get aft.

[Steam Hissing]

- [Coughing]
- Someone's there.

[Coughing]
Captain Crane?

- Dr- Brand, are you all right?
- Yes. I couldn't find my way.

- What happened to the lights?
- We're trying to find out.

- You lost contact with the signal again?
- Completely.

The frequency changed, the signal faded-
almost like a loss of power.

I couldn't reestablish contact.

Let's get forward to the observation nose.
There'll be less steam.

You go on ahead. I'll check the rest
of the boat- I'll join you later-.

Right. Come along, Doctor.

[ Footsteps Approaching]

- What's the appraisal, Lee?
- Complete blackout.

Our nuclear pile has quit cold,
and all communications are gone.

[Clicks Tongue]
We're dead in the water.

How can this happen?

There was nothing in its mechanism
to produce these effects.

Is it possible for a machine-
ifit's, uh, sufficiently sophisticated-

to-to go berserk...

to become paranoiac,
the same as a man can?

Absolutely correct,
but not my machine.

I built in too many controls,
too many checks.

Then my explanation's
the only solution.

That the Van Allen belt shorted
all its controls? I can't buy that.

I can't buy that either,
but it's happening.

That's not my fault. I didn't lose
contact until the blackout came.

Just a minute, Doctor.

You began to lose contact
just at the moment of the blackout?

Yes, or a moment or two after perhaps.

- Why?
- That's what we've been looking for.

- It was right in front of us, and
we didn't recognize it- - What?

Its power source- light.

Everything that moves-
man, animal, machine- needs fuel.

Your robot feeds on light,
doesn't it?

That's true. It gets
all its energy from photocells.

Without light,
it can't function.

We can trap it now.
We have the bait.

[ Beeping 1

[Beeping Stops]

- Sealed off, Admiral.
- Will that compartment hold?

The men tried to make it
as secure as humanly possible.

What makes something human?

Sometimes a machine might gain
control of the man who made it...

but, in the end,
the man will win out.

I hope so.

The robot is more or less
contained right now...

but I don't know how long we'll
be able to keep it that way.

- Let? see what we can do t0 get
back t0 the surféce. - Aye, sir.

Now, Doctor...

we can't risk keeping that thing
around here any longer.

We've got to destroy it.

We can't do that.

The information it contains
is priceless.

Destroy that machine, you destroy
everything we've worked for- everything!

Look, don't you realize
it could still kill all ofus?

What happens
to your information then?

I know I can get it under control.
I knowl can.

- All I need is more time.
- No, no. I'm sorry, Doctor. You listen to me.

Right now, your robot is immobilized,
but it could reactivate at any time.

Now, we can't throw away the chance
to make sure it doesn't break loose again.

I can't take part
in anything like that.

Then I'll send an engineering detail
in there to hack it to pieces...

and have it blown out
the torpedo tubes.

No- Wait a minute.

All right.

Let me dismantle it.

- At least I can salvage part of it.
- Mm.

That's it.
You're gonna be all right.

- [Steady Beeping]
- You'll get your strength back now.

Your memory banks
will transmit...

and you'll give me all your secrets
the way you've been programmed to do.

[Irregular Beeping]

[Regular Beeping]

Transmit. You can understand
my commands. Obey them!

Transmit! Transmit!

No! Obey me!

Get back!

Get back!

[ Beeping]

Lucky he's alive.

- He meant to kill me.
- Easy. Don't try to talk.

[ Shuffling In Distance]

It's moving away.

A couple of you men get Dr. Brand
here to the observation nose.

Forty minutes to an hour to surface.

I hope we make it.

- How deep now?
- 465. Our rate of ascent is still the same.

What I'd give to broach
the surface right now.

Carry on, Chip.

[ Footsteps Approaching]

Thank you.

- Feeling any better?
- Yes, thanks.

You were lucky.

A mindless machine-
to do all that.

That robot
has a brilliant mind-

an electronic brain dedicated
to killing all ofus.

- That's a strange statement coming from you.
- No. Listen carefully.

Ig

I had to program it
with emotional reactions...

closely duplicating a man's behavior.

But something happened up there
in space' Something went wrong.

Now its whole intelligence
is dedicated tojust one thing-

our destruction.

[Crane On Intercom]
Admiral.

- Yes.
- I'm in the crew's mess.

Three of the men-
it was like before, only worse.

- How much worse?
- Take my word- not pretty.

[ Footsteps Approaching]

- Hear that?
- Yeah.

It's coming this way.

- Come on. Let's get aft.
- No. Wait a minute.

You go aft. I wanna see.

If it passes me, I'll get back
and report to the skipper.

Okay. Good luck.

[Scoffing]
Oh, thanks.

Have they dogged down all hatches
between it and the missile room?

Yes, sir, but that won't help.

That thing goes through steel hatches
like they were cardboard.

The missile room.

There's nothing we can do now.
It's getting stronger every minute.

Once it gets to the missile room,
there's no telling what damage it'll do.

Wait a minute. Wait. This may be
the best break we've ever had.

- I'm going there to meet it.
- Admiral, stay away from it.

You saw what it did to your men.

Yes. Yes, I did.

It's coming in here.

We're trapped.
Nothing can stop it.

He's looking
at the magnetic mines.

H' he breaks one of those loose-

[Timer Ticking]

He's activated it.

In 6O seconds,
the whole ship blows up.

Fifty seconds.

Douse those lights. I'll try to lead him
into the escape chamber.

[ Patterson]
Forty seconds.

Thirty seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Ten seconds.

- [ Water Rushing]
- Five...

four...

three...

two-

[Morton On Speaker] Captain, we've got
full power back all over the ship.

Take us to the surface, Chip.

We're heading home.

Well, it's gone now-

all its information with it.

What are you going
to do now, Doctor?

Do?

Create another one, Admiral,
send it up there.

Only this time, I'll insulate it
against any possible interference...

with its... personality.

Maybe with a prayer next time.

For the robot, Captain,
or for us?

[Chuckles]
Maybe for both, Doctor.

Maybe for both.