Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964–1968): Season 1, Episode 31 - The Condemned - full transcript

- All set, Tracy?
- All set, Admiral.

- Ready to launch test hull launcher?
- Ready, sir.

This hull has the same structural characteristic
as the Sear/few hull.

Theoretically, whatever it can take,
Seaview can take.

Now let's see.
All right, close 'er up.

All clear?

Launch the test hull.

- Where's Admiral Falk?
- He went aboard the carrier early this morning.

- Lee, find out when he's returning to Sear/few
- Three hundred feet.

- Yes, sir.
- [ Tracy] Test hull pressure 30 decibars.

Four hundred feet.



Fox, put me through
to Admiral Falk.

Everything all right, Archer?

Fine. We're exchanging atmospheres
inside the test hull...

to equalize the outside pressure.

We're at 5,000 feet.

Now ifit passes through
Seaview'; crush depth-

5,490 feet.

Test hull is 500 feet
below crush depth.

[Chuckles]
Well, there's no doubt about it.

Falk's atmosphere has prevented
that hull from imploding.

Thank you.

Admiral Falk's still on the carrier.
He's tied up in a press conference.

[Scoffs]
Press conference?

This is his project.
These are his tests.



He should be here.
Who does he think he is?

But we don't need
any of these preliminary tests.

That's not the point. He's a scientist
conducting an important experiment.

Now why the devil
does he call a press conference...

before the experimenfs
even half through?

His headline-grabbing
is a disgrace to the scientific community.

But as chairman of the president's
Inner Space Research Council...

he's expected to be
at these press briefings, isn't he?

Well, I'm not saying
I don't respect his achievements. I-

I just don't like
his constant grandstanding.

35,500 feet.

I must confess, Lee, to enable Seaview
to get to 36,000 feet...

I'd make a deal
with the devil himself-

or Bentley Falk.

Test hull's on the bottom.
36,200 feet.

- [ Nelson] Bring 'er up, Kowalski.
- Aye, ayexw.

[Creature Roars]

We're getting some slack
in the cable, Admiral.

That's probably
just bottom turbulence.

[Man]
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

Starflng Richard Basehart...

David Hedison.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

[Creature Roars]

[No Audible Dialogue]

Where the devil is Falk?

I'll find out-

Well, sorry I missed
the preliminaries---...

but those blasted reporters
wouldn't let me go.

Admiral.

You put that camera down.

All right.
Let's get on with it.

Admiral, over here, please.

- Uh, excuse me, Archer.
- Hmm?

Oh. Excuse me.

- How'd everything go, Archer?
- Oh, fine.

- Well, then we 're ready
- I think so.

Think? We're going down 30,000 feet, man.
You better be sure.

I'm as sure as I can be.

If anything went wrong down there,
we'd be crushed so small...

we'd fit in
the palm of your hand.

But that's all the reassurance
I get from my chief assistant.

Well, if there's any doubt in your mind,
postpone the dive.

Oh, we can't postpone
the dive, Admiral.

I mean, well, not since Einstein has a scientist
so captured the public's imagination.

And the big news magazines
go to press day after tomorrow.

You sound more like a press secretary
than an aide, Hoff.

There'll be no postponing.
Everything's okay. Right, Archer?

Everything's okay.

I'm glad we're not going
to disappoint the press.

- Excited, Tracy?
- I sure am,Admiral.

Well, I told you when you joined my team,
you'd make history-.

Hoff, take our picture so he'll have something
to show his grandchildren.

All right, Admiral.
Come on over here.

That's fine. Right here, Tracy.
That's good.

- Well, smile, Tracy.
- Lee.

You're the only one familiar enough
with the characteristics of this hull...

to detect trouble
before it becomes critical.

I'll be on the radio telephone
at all times.

The slightest hint
of danger to the hull...

you have the authority
to abort this mission.

Onlyl have
that authority, Admiral.

[Chuckles]
One word from Captain Crane...

and I'll haul you back up here faster than-
than Hoff can shoot pictures.

Is that clear, Falk?

You know, I'm beginning to regret
that I chose Seaview...

to be the first submarine ever
to go to the bottom of the sea.

You chose Seaview
because it's the only sub...

that has a chance
of making it to the bottom.

Maybe you're right.

I'm ready to dive, Nelson.

Good luck.

Thanks, Admiral.

- Don't be nervous. I'll take care of you.
- Thank you, sir.

Seal the compartment.

Good luck, Admiral.

Good luck, Lee.

- All the best, Archer.
- Thank you, Admiral.

- Prepare to launch the hull, Chip.
- Yes, sir.

- Test hull ready for launching.
- All clear?

Launch the hull.

Just breathe normally, Captain.

Whenever we exchange atmospheres,
we'll halt in our descent long enough...

for our bodies to adjust
to the new mixture.

If you feel the slightest discomfort,
let me know.

Admiral Falkwill then adjust the mixture
in your compartment.

Very well.

We're approaching
the 500-foot level.

Depth, 500 feet.

Check.

- So far so good.
- Mm-hmm.

One thousand feet.

Exchange atmospheres.

[inhales, Exhales]
I'm feeling a little dizzy.

Yes, that's to be expected, Captain.

You see, we've all
been through this before.

Admiral, give him one-half
of one percent more nitrogen-.

[Sighs]

That's much better.

- You all right, Archer?
- Fine, Admiral.

- How you doing, son?
- I'm fine, Admiral-.

Hull pressure, Captain?

Normal, sir.

We can proceed
to the next level, Admiral.

Very well.
Proceed to next level, Nelson.

We are approaching crush depth.

Hull pressure, Captain?

1,200 decibars.

Accelerate atmosphere
molecules, Admiral.

[ Clattering ]

What's happened?

Well, in order for them
to pass through crush depth...

they have to accelerate the molecules
of the atmosphere inside the hull.

As molecules speed up, the atmosphere
inside the hull becomes heavy enough...

to withstand
the pressure from outside.

- Hull pressure, Captain?
- Normal, sir.

We are below crush depth.

- Nelson. Come in, Nelson.
- Yes, Falk.

Did you hear that?
Wejust passed through crush depth.

Good. You've done it.

Of course.

Admiral, that, um,
talisman you're carrying...

that's Poseidon, isn't it?

You know
your Greek mythology, Captain.

Yes, the famous Falk bull.

Your father carried that with him
on his famous bathysphere dive, didn't he?

- How did you know that?
- I know all about that dive and about your father.

When I was a boy, I read his book a dozen times.
It got me interested in the sea.

What's the condition
of the hull?

[Lee]
Tight and dry.

Depth, 20,000 feet.

Pressure, 6,000 decibars.

Altering mixture.

- Hull pressure, Captain?
- Normal, sir.

Archer, ready to proceed
to next level?

- Ready.
- Tracy?

Yes, sir.

Here we go.
Nelson, proceed to next level.

- Depth?
- 36,200 feet, sir.

Seaview, verify.

Depth, Chip?

36,200 feet, sir.

Verified.

We're on the bottom.
Well done, all of you.

- How's the hull, Lee?
- It's perfect, Admiral.

The inside pressure exactly
equalizes outside pressure.

Congratulations to all of you.
We'vejust made history.

And, uh, congratulations,
Admiral Falk.

Thank you, Admiral Nelson.

I've beaten you, Father.

[Growling]

You may bring us up, Admiral.

[ Clattering ]

- What is it?
- Bad leak in the mixing valve.

- How bad is it? - We will lose
one-fourth of our breathing mixture-.-

before we can reach the surface.

You mean there won't be enough
for all of us to make it back?

That's exactly what I mean.

[ Falk]
Bring us up at emergency, Nelson!

Start emergency procedure!

Lee, tell me what's happening.

At this rate of ascent, we'll
need the decompression chamber.

What are you doing?

Without air, Crane will die!

[Gasping]

- You've worked out a decompression schedule?
- I haven't quite got it yet.

- Seal the chamber, Kowalski.
- Aye, aye.

Simulate 6,000 decibars
of pressure, Kowalski.

- Six thousand?
- Are you sure, Admiral?

Absolutely.
Here are my figures.

I couldn't believe it myself
until I double-checked the log.

- Six thousand decibars, Kowalski.
- Aye, aye, sir.

[ Hissing 1

- How is Admiral Falk?
- We're not sure yet about any of them.

Pressure, Kowalski?

Pressure, Kowalski?

Four thousand decibars.

Admiral, I don't think they can stand
another 2,000 decibars.

What chance will they have if
we hold them at this pressure?

None. They'll die.

In that case, Kowalski,
increase the pressure.

Yes, sir.

This is no time
to be shooting photos.

- But this is an historic moment, Admiral-
- Only if he dies-.

Now get back.

Pardon me, Doctor.
I hope you can issue a short statement...

on Admiral Falk's condition
for the press.

There'll be no press releases
sent from this submarine, Hoff.

Oh?

That's going to create
something of a problem, Admiral.

What kind of a problem?

Why, naturally, I radioed the news
to Washington immediately.

They've already released
the story of the tragedy to the press.

And I promised a medical statement
on Admiral Falk's condition...

would be issued every six hours.

I understand the president himself
wants to hear.

One man is dead and three others
are fighting for their lives.

You're turning the whole thing
into a publicity circus. I don't like it, Hoff.

I'm sorry, Admiral,
but I was only following orders.

- Whose orders?
- Well, Admiral Falk's, of course.

I find that hard to believe.

The admiral has so often walked with death,
that he gave me specific instruction”.

that in case of just such an eventuality as this,
nothing should be held from the press.

He also leave you instructions
for the funeral?

Of course.
The admiral is very conscious of history.

Well, I'm not. There'll be
no medical bulletins from this submarine.

You'll have to wait till you get home
to hold your press conferences.

You will, of course,
explain that to Admiral Falk.

Oh, I'll be happy to...

if he lives.

- How are they, Admiral?
- We almost lost them at 6,000 decibars.

At 4,000, I, uh-l think they're gonna make it-
Did you find anything, Chip?

The master cylinder was defective
right here around this worn spot.

Gas collected, expanded under
the tremendous pressure and burst the packing.

Then it was the breathing mixture
that was at fault.

No.

And nothing wrong
in Tracy's compartment?

Nothing I could find.

Well, we won't know how he died
until they can tell us.

Anything else?

Oh,just this.
I found it on the floor.

[Whispers]
Crane.

Crane.

Archer. Archer.

- Hmm.
- Archer.

Don't cry out.

We're in the decompression chamber.
Understand?

Mm.

We're about to prove
your theory, Archer.

We're about to open
a new world to man.

A world with riches undreamed of.

You'll be rich, famous.
Do you understand?

And you realize
why I had to save us.

The four of us
would never have made it.

I had to do what I did
so you can continue your work.

You must understand that.

I understand you... perfectly, Falk.

You're afraid I'll tell
how Tracy died.

I won't.

If I could bring him back
by exposing you, I'd tell.

Not out of any childish sense
of right or wrongs”.

but only for the pleasure
of destroying you, Falk.

That's a pleasure you've denied
yourself for many years, isn't it, Archer?

I denied myself
many things for science-

honor, self-respect...

dignity.

I can deny myself the pleasure
of your destruction.

How noble of you.

[No Audible Dialogue]

- How are you, Lee? Okay?
- Much better. Thanks.

Good. Well, I, uh,
thought we'd lost you.

- No such luck, Admiral.
- How do you feel?

Considering everything,
we're fine.

Well, you 'll be outta here soon.
You 're in the final stages of decompression.

Oh, uh, by the way, we found this
on the floor of the test hull.

Thanks, Admiral.

Well, we proved the atmosphere
equalization process works.

No question about it.

It was not a conclusive test.

It certainly was.

But a man died, Falk.

Yes, a man died, sacrificing his life
so we could carry on this project.

When he saw Captain Crane
pass out...

Tracy realized the four of us
would never make it back.

He knew he was
the most expendable man in the crew.

So he closed the intake valve
in his compartment.

That's strange.
When we found him...

- the, uh, intake valve in his
compartment was open. - Of course.

When I realized what
that boy was trying to do...

I immediately reopened it
from the master panel.

It was too late.

I never saw a more heroic act.

He gave his life for this project.

Yes, I'm certain
Tracy's last thoughts...

were of the admiral
and this project.

And I take my oath that his sacrifice
shall not have been in vain.

We'll dedicate Seaview'; dive
to the bottom in his memory.

How soon can Seaview
begin the dive?

- The Seaview dive has been postponed.
- Why?

Because I wanna make another dive
with the test hull first.

We've had enough tests.
It's time for the main event.

As head of this project,
I say we take Seaview down.

You may be the head of this project,
but this is my submarine.

It doesn't go down
until I say it does.

That's your final word, Nelson?

It is.

Captain, how can
we make him understand?

The tests were all successful.

[ Knocking ]

Come in.

- Oh, hi, Lee. How you feeling?
- Well, a little weak.

But at least I'm back on my feet.

A couple of days rest
you?! be fine again.

You know, I don't think
we should send that test hull down...

for at least another week,
do you?

That'd make it about the, uh-
Let's see, the 27th.

♪♪ [ Vocalizing]

Well, why are you
looking at me like that?

I'm just trying to find a way to convince you
that we don't need any more tests.

Mm, not a chance.

Don't you want Seamew
to make the dive?

Look, I want Seaview to make this dive
more than I've wanted anything in my life.

Why else doyou think
I'm putting up with that egomaniac?

- Then let's do it.
- Not until I'm convinced the system works.

It does work.
The test hull withstood the pressure perfectly.

There was a malfunction
in the breathing system.

Just a defective valve. The odds of that
happening again are a million to one.

A life was lost.

Not lost. I was there.
I could have died myself.

If it weren't for Tracy,
I would have.

That's just my point.
I don't wanna risk even one life...

until I'm absolutely convinced
that the system works.

How can you be convinced
of anything?

All right, Lee.
You've made your point.

The decision is mine.

Falk may be willing to risk failure
for the sake of publicity, but I'm not.

You resent his headline-grabbing so much.
I wonder if you want the dive to succeed.

What do you mean by that?

Are you-
Are you trying to say...

that I'm jealous of Bentley Falk?

Of course not, Admiral.

[Clacking]

Thank you very much.
Now.

Falk, what's the meaning of this?

“The president requests
that Admiral Harriman Nelson...

cause no further delays
to Admiral Falk's project.“

Seems quite clear.
You have your orders.

Captain, I believe we can begin
preparations for the test dive.

Proceed, Captain.

Well,we go, but I wanna
tell you one thing, Falk.

If there's the slightest hint of trouble,
I'll abort this dive, orders or no orders.

And I'll see to it that you're held
personally responsible.

Admiral.

We're about to make history.

Seaview'; going
25,000 feet deeper...

than any submarines
ever gone before.

This is a great moment
for you and me.

There's nothing to worry about.

[ Roars]

Cylinder pressure, constant.

Check.

Ready in a moment, Admiral.

Archer, I wanna be briefed
on every step of this dive.

Very good idea, Admiral.

The computer is programmed
to maintain...

the right breathing mixture
for each depth level...

and to control
our rate of descent...

so that our bodies have time to acijust
to the different pressures at each level'

- [ Lee On Radio] Admiral.
- Yes, Lee.

We're 200 feet
above crush depth and holding.

Very well.

Let's get it over with.
Exchange atmosphere.

Exchange atmospheres.
Check.

[Electrical Surge]

Atmospheres exchanged.

Breathe normally.
There's nothing to worry about.

Wejust exchanged atmospheres.
Breathe normally.

- Krypton, three million P.S.l.
- Check.

- Ship's atmosphere exchange completed.
- Good.

What's the reading now, Archer?

Breathing mixture 95% nitrogen,
5% oxygen at present level.

Fool. You light a cigarette,
you'll blow us sky high.

I'm sorry, Admiral.
I forgot.

You forgot.
Go sit down and shut up.

- But, Admiral, the pictures.
- Forget the pictures.

Sit down and shut up.

Yes, sir.

I've never seen you refuse to have
your picture taken before, Admiral.

Adaption completed. We are now ready
to accelerate atmosphere molecules.

All hands, this is the admiral.

You've all seen the small purple lights
placed in every compartment of the ship.

In a few moments,
those lights will be usedm.

t0 enable Seaview's hull
t0 withstand the pressure of the dive.

Though the effects are quite startling,
there's nothing to fean.

Stand by.

- [ Electrical Surge]
- [ flattering]

You all right, Archer?

We're ready to dive, Admiral.

Very well.

Lee, take 'er down.

Depth, 5,000 feet.
Crush depth, Captain.

The hull pressure's normal.

At what depth
do we exchange atmospheres again?

17,400 feet.

I'll be right back.
I wanna check the ship-.

How soon do we touch
bottom, Archer?

Ninety-six minutes, sir.

Can you get along
without me for a few minutes?

I'll manage.

Come along, Hoff.
I wanna make some arrangements.

- It's 98 degrees in here.
- And getting hotter.

What's our temperature reading?

Nearlya hundred degrees
and rising.

- Ever get this hot on the test dive?
- No, it didn't.

- We maintained a constant 7O degrees.
- Stop the dive.

- Why?
- 'Cause our temperature's not normal.

- Somethings wrong.
- Yes, with your air cooling system.

Chip, check the cooling level.

Patterson, check the blowers
and the ducts.

Aye, aye, sir.

Archer.

Archer?

Archer.

Archer. Archer.

Archer, you can't die now.

You haven't done it yet.
I haven't gotten to the bottom.

Archer, wake up.

Wake up.
Come on, Archer.

Archer, you've got to do something
about the temperature in here.

Come on.
You can do it.

Come on. That's it.
That's it, Archer.

On your feet.
That's it.

It's not our system.
There must be something wrong in-

What's wrong in here?

We'll take care of it.
Nothing serious.

Nothing serious?
The temperature's 130 degrees.

You say it's nothing serious.
You're a fool, Falk.

Why aren't you doing
something, Archer?

I'm only the assistant, Admiral.
You're the inventor of this device.

You should know more about it
than anyone else.

Would you like to take over?

[Switches Clicking]

There. That should take care
of the temperature.

Should be at normal
in a matter of minutes.

Lee, continue the dive.

[Lee On Radio]
We're on the bottom, Admiral.

How's the hull holding up?

Perfectly.
We haven't had so much as a pin leak.

Good. Take 'er up to 200 feet
and hold there.

Yes, sir.

- That was fine work, Archer.
- Thank you, sir.

Do we have time to go up
to the observation nose and take a look...

before we have to surface again?

Yes. But we shouldn't stay down here
more than five minutes.

After that, decompression time
increases logarithmically every minute.

All right. Let's go.

It's a whole new world, Admiral.

A world of perpetual night.

Mm, fascinating.

It reminds me of a line that
Admiral Falk's father wrote...

“The abyss is where
your nightmares live.“

My father was a much better writer
than he was a scientist.

“Nightmares are the dreams
of the ignorant.

My dreams have conquered the sea.“

Well, congratulations, Falk.

Thank you, Nelson.

Oh, by the way, I was on the phone
with the president when we reached bottom.

He was thrilled.
Said he felt he was right here with us.

What's the matter
with you, Archer?

We've done the impossible.
We're heroes.

There's only one hero, Falk.

You. You've done it.
All alone.

Bentley Falkjr. conquers the sea.

Bentley Falkjn,
the greatest scientist in the world.

Bentley Falkjr. is the- the-

Admiral Falk, get a chair.

Archer. Archer, wake up!

Archer.

He's dead.

Digitalis?

Did you know he had
a heart condition?

He can't be dead.
He can't be.

Archer, wake up.

Did you know
he had a heart condition?

Of course not.

Admiral, look.

[ Roars]

[Roaring]

Engine Room,
all back, emergency.

Control Room,
switch on nose camera.

[ Roars]

Engine Room, more speed.

Falk, we've gotta get off the bottom.
How long will it take?

Falk, we've got to
get off the bottom.

I'll need your help.

Well, how soon, Falk?
Let's hurry.

Admiral, we've backed into a canyon.
It's got us trapped.

Well, try to maneuver around it.
Now how soon, Falk?

Mr. Morton, all ahead full.

No, no. Archer said
the mixture blend switch should be off...

unless the computer's
malfunctioning.

Would you let me think?
Who designed this, Nelson?

Let's go up, Falk.

Yes.

All right, Lee, we're going up.
Stand by.

We made it.
It's not following us.

Apparently it can only
survive on the bottom.

If I, uh, seemed
confused, Admiral...

it was the, uh,
shock ofArcheFs death.

We were... very close.

[ Hissing 1

- What's that?
- I don't know.

- [Hissing Continues]
- [ S witch Clicks]

That's made it worse.

It's a pressure imbalance.
The pressure inside the hull's...

much greater
than the pressure outside.

We've got to compensate,
or we'll explode.

[ Hissing Continues]

We've got to equalize the pressure.

Lee, I'm switching to manual controls.
Take 'er back to the bottom.

Ballast Control,
flood all ballast tanks.

[ Roars]

Falk, what went wrong?

Tell me what's wrong, Falk.

Nothing could go wrong.

Nothing's been left to chance.
Archer told me so.

Archer told you?
But you were the head of the project.

You built this machine.
Who knows it better than you?

I don't bother with details.

I told Archer what I wanted and he built it.
It's all Archer's fault.

But you must know how it works.

I'm a scientist, not a mechanic.

I conceived the idea
for this machine.

The breathing mixture
was my idea.

Faik, who built this machine?
Who turned the idea into reality?

My idea. The name of Bentley Falk
will live forever in the annals of science.

Then tell me how
to get us back to the surface.

I can't. Don't you understand I can't?
I left the details to Archer.

I understand, Falk.
I understand you're a thief and a fraud.

That you've mkhonored
your Ether'; name.

My father. I've lived
in my father's shadow all my life.

I'm a bigger man than my father ever was.
Look at my achievements.

Look at the honors
that have been bestowed on me.

They belong to Archer
and to Hoff, your press agent.

I wonder if you've ever done
anything in your life foryourself.

He's wrong.
Tell him he's wrong.

[ Crashing]

[Roaring]

Fire a charge through the hull.

Mr. Morton, bring the reactors
to full power...

and fire a charge
through the hull!

[Screeches]

Can you get into position
to fire a torpedo?

Nota chance.
But a diving team might be able to do it.

They'd be crushed
the minute they left the sub.

[Lee]
Load our gear with Falk's gas mixture.

Assuming that works,
what would you accomplish?

We might be able to divert it
so you can slip by-.

That'd be suicide.
I'm gonna try to surface.

- Go ahead, Lee.
- Blow all tanks.

Take 'er up, slow and steady.

[Roaring]

[Roaring]

Give it everything we've got.

Fire charge!

[Roaring]

Falk! No, Admiral!

Falk! No, Admiral!

[Roaring]

[ Roars]

We're free. We've broken loose.
We're going up.

Stand by to exchange atmospheres.

[Switch Clicks ]

[Sighs]
Exchange of atmosphere is completed.

Congratulations, Admiral.

Proceed to the surface,
Mr. Morton.

- I tried to stop him, Admiral.
- Now take it easy, Hoff. Take it easy.

He was like something
I'd never seen.

He said he wanted to do something
really important for once in his life.

- Itried t0 stop him.
- He did something, all right.

By distracting the creature,
he saved the life of every man on board.

The Falklegend meant
everything to him,Admiral.

- Are you going to expose him?
- What good would it do?

Thank you, sir.

You can thank me by making sure
that Archer gets the credit he deserves...

as the man who made
Falk'; ideas work.

I will, Admiral.
I promise.

By the time I'm through,
Archer will be as famous as Falk.

By the way, Admiral.

Could you use
a good press secretary?

Come on, Lee.
I'm gonna need some fresh air.