Destination Inner Space (1966)

[bunniefuu]

(dramatic music)

- Skipper.

This is Commander Wayne.

- How do you do, sir?

- You got here sooner than we expected.

- The department said it was urgent.

- Well, Dr. LaSatier seems to think so.

- And you don't, huh?

- Well, I don't know what to think.

There's something odd going on down there.

That's for sure.

Boatswain, prepare the service bell.

Now we can send you down
anytime you're ready.

- I'm ready right now, sir.

- Inform the sea lab
that the commander's here

and he'll be down right away.

- Hello, Sea Lab.

Hello, Sea Lab, this is top side.

Do you receive, over?

- [Man] This is Sea Lab.

Go ahead, top side.

- [Operator] Inform Dr. LaSatier

that Commander Wayne has arrived.

We're sending him down right away.

- I take it you've never
been aboard the Sea Lab.

- No, I haven't.

- Well, it gets a little
hairy down there at times.

I spent three days aboard myself,

but I guess you'll get used to it.

- Don't suppose you've ever
been aboard a submarine

cruising under an ice
cap, now have you skipper?

- (chuckling) Well no,
I haven't, I haven't.

- Gets a little hairy down there too.

- Well, I imagine so, Commander.

- The service bill is ready, Skipper.

- Good luck,
- Thank you, sir.

- I'll tell you what thing, Skipper.

I'm sure as heck glad
I pulled top side duty

on this project.

- Could be he'll be wishing he was back

aboard to his submarine
before this is over.

(suspenseful music)

(spool spinning)

(water splashing)

(bell ringing)

- Colonel Wayne?
- Yes, sir.

- I'm Dr. James, Company Medical Officer.

- How you do?

- This is Dr. Rene Peron,
our marine biologist.

- Pleased to meet you.

- Commander Wayne, Dr.
LaSatier is waiting for you

in the control room, and h*
Lee will take your things.

- Fine.

- Right this way, Commander.

- Well, all the comforts
of a luxury liner, huh?

- We do have some comforts.

- So I see.

(tense music)

- Commander LaSatier, Commander Wayen.

- You've arrived at the
opportune moment, Commander.

The object has returned.

It's moving closer.

(electronic beeping)

- How long has it been out there?

- Two hours.

Yesterday, it appeared for 15 minutes.

Last night, one hour.

I sent the mini sub out.

They may reach it before
it gets out of range.

- Do you mind?

- Okay.

- Mile and a half.

Is it always moving in the same direction?

- No, no pattern at all.

Five contacts we've made.

It's neither appeared nor
disappeared in the same direction.

- No motors, no screws.

You can rule out the
submarine theory, Doc.

- I already have.

At least the conventional ones.

- You know of any other kind?

- No, but I thought you might
know some new development.

- (chuckling) I only wish
you had a sub like that.

- I still say it's a whale
looking for a new home.

- (chuckling) No, Rene.

Whatever it is, it's not a whale,

but it does appear to be
looking for something.

- How can you be so
certain it's not a whale?

- Same way you're so certain
it's not a submarine.

Marine animal's been my life's work.

Let me show you.

(tense music)

(porpoises squealing)

commander Wayne, This is Dr. Wilson.

- How do you do?
- Commander Wayne?

- Dr. Wilson is our electronics expert.

One phase of operation here
is the study of communication

and sonar techniques of marine animals.

(porpoises squealing)

That sound is the voices
of a school of porpoises.

We've recorded a dozen
different kinds of sea animals,

including three kinds of whales.

Their voices are all within the
range of our ultra sensitive

receivers out there.

Now,

look at this.

- That sound signal is in
the 100,000 cycle range,

Commander.

- Ultrasonics, eh?

- Far beyond the range of the human ear.

- Can't hear it, we can only see it.

- From the mysterious object?

- Far beyond the range
of whales and porpoises.

Beyond the range of any marine
life that I'm familiar with.

- Now it'll move away.

Seems to stop transmitting

before it moves outta sonar range.

- The object has moved
away again, Dr. LaSatier.

They couldn't get close
enough to get a picture.

- Maddox would be pretty
disappointed if they didn't.

- Maddox?

- My head diver.

He and our photographer
are out in the mini sub.

I was determined to get
pictures of that thing.

(tense music)

(soft music)

(ominous music)

- [Maddox] Maddox to Sea Lab.

Maddox to Sea Lab.

Do you read me, over?

- This is Sea Lab, we read you.

Go ahead, Maddox.

- [Maddox] The object
is moving away from us.

I think it's some kind of submarine.

Whatever it is, it's huge.

Tell Dr. LaSatier we're
gonna follow it, over.

- He knows he can't do that.

He's reaching his point of no return.

- Maddox, this is Sea Lab.

You know your tanks are half empty.

Return to the Sea Lab at once.

I repeat, return to the Sea Lab at once.

You're reaching your point of no return.

Am I making myself clear?

- [Maddox] Your message
is very clear, doctor.

Will comply.

- Doctor, is that a Hugh
Maddox you're talking to?

- Yeah, it's the best engineer
and diver I've ever known.

You know him, Commander?

- Yes, Doctor, I know him.

(dramatic music)

(water splashing)

- We were just getting into range.

- Couple of minutes more, Sandy,

and we'd have been breathing the water.

We were out there longer than I thought.

- Well, we should have
taken the extra tanks,

like I said.

You're always in such a hurry.

- Not always, honey.

Waited 30 years for you to come along.

- Then you won't mind waiting another 30.

- (laughing) Sorry, sweetheart.

Another two weeks to
wind up this operation,

then we're on our way to Miami.

- Got everything all
figured out, haven't you?

- That's why LaSatier hired me.

I'm an expert at figuring.

- What did you find out?

- Pictures will tell
you as much as I know.

- I only got a couple
of long shots, Doctor.

Unfortunately, we weren't
able to move in for a closeup.

- I wanna see them as soon
as they're outta the soup.

Don't bother to wait for 'em to dry.

- Yes, sir.

- Well, what do you think, Hugh?

Oh, some new kind of submarine.

- No, it isn't a sub.

We know that.

- How do we know that?

- The Navy didn't waste any
time answering my request.

They sent out their top submariner.

I think you know him, Commander Wayne.

- You're not serious.

- I don't understand.

- Welcome to the club, Doctor.

A lot of people don't
understand Commander Wayne.

- 70% Of the Earth's
surface is covered by ocean.

And we know less about it

than we do the surface of the moon.

Every day, our crew brings
in some new form of life

or plant like that

to be studied and classified.

Forms of life in the sea are endless.

- You're really serious
about this, aren't you?

- It's a serious problem.

There's enough food in the ocean

to supply the world's population forever.

The sea is a perpetual food factory.

And the specimen is under
the microscope, Commander.

- Oh.

Well, after a tour of
duty aboard a submarine

for a few years,

a man remembers that there are
a lot more interesting things

to study than seaweed.

- Like women, for instance.

Yes, if they look like you.

- And I suppose I'm just the woman

you've been searching for.

- You have a few of the qualifications.

- (giggling) Why don't you try the

you've got a beautiful mind routine

or the indirect approach,

you know, about becoming platonic friends.

- Well, somebody must have
given you a pretty bad time.

- Wrong again, Commander.

I just know a lot about men.

- I bet you do.

- For your information, I've
lived with five of them.

- Oh.

All at once?

- Yes.

I grew up with five older brothers

and they taught me all the tricks.

I heard it all, Commander.

- [LaSatier] Commander Wayne,
the photographs are ready.

Will you join me in the lab please?

- Right away, Doctor.

Now you listen to me, beautiful.

I happened to have grown up
with a couple of sisters.

Let me tell you something,

a brother doesn't always
tell his sister everything.

So you might have a few surprise
in store for you, Doctor.

Shove that under your
microscope and study it a while.

- Commander Wayne, just one minute please.

You special guest aboard Sea Lab.

What you want h* Lee
to cook you for dinner?

- Oh I don't know, h* Lee,
use your own discretion.

- Good, good.

How about porkchops?

Or a big, big steak?

- How about some seafood?

- Good, seafood.

Seafood, you mean fish?

- Yeah.

Fish.

- How h* Lee going to get fish?

Mr. Mike.

Just a minute, please.

Where you go with my fish?

- Your fish?

What's the matter with you?

These are priority specimen.

- Oh, for special dinner.

- Fish for dinner?

h* Lee, you better check in at sick bay.

- I think this one shows
more details, Commander.

- Doesn't look like any
marine animal I've ever seen.

- Is it possible that
Russians have developed

some new undersea craft?

- This isn't Russian.

Doesn't look like a submarine at all,

in the sense that we use the word.

- - Well, what then?

- You tell me, Doctor.

I'm gonna send a communique to Washington

and request that a naval
unit be sent to this area.

Meantime, I suggest that you
terminate your research program

until we can determine what this object is

and what it's doing here.

- Aren't you jumping to some
rather hasty conclusions,

Commander?

We have no particular reason to suspect

that this object represents danger.

- Maybe Commander Wayne is
used to making hasty decisions.

- Hello, Maddox.

Well, you do what you wanna do, doctor,

but I still think this is a
matter for military authorities.

- Commander, I have no
objection to your sending

a communique to the Navy department.

You can make any request you wish.

However, inasmuch as this is
a private civilian operation

under my supervision,

I do think it's up to me to
decide on its termination.

Not just the same as giving
orders aboard the Starfish,

is it, Commander?

- Dr. LaSatier, it's returning.

It's headed this way.

(suspenseful music)

- The range is two miles.

- [Doctor] And closing fast.

(electronic beeping)

- It's at a depth of 60 feet.

- If it stays on that course,
it's headed directly for us.

- I don't believe we have
anything to worry about.

If they intended to attack us,

they could have done it before.

- They?

- I'm receiving the signal again
at a much higher frequency.

- How much higher?

- It's approaching a million cycles.

- Don't you think you should secure

all watertight doors, Doctor?

- It doesn't seem to be
on a collision course

now, Commander.

- Well it must have a sonar system

that's steering it clear of us.

- I was thinking about ultrasonic
habitation, Dr. Wilson.

- You could be right, Doctor.

We're loaded with chemicals and gases,

which could become irradiated
by high frequency soundwaves.

- Sound emergency, seal
all compartments, Maddox.

(alarm blaring)

- Attention all personnel,

attention all personnel.

This is not a drill.

Go to your emergency stations.

(dramatic music)

(bird squawking)

- Passing right over us.

- Must be 50 feet in diameter.

- The line's gone dead, Doctor.

We're out of contact with top side.

- What about the air tubes, Maddox?

- Still intact.

- You get scared?

- A little.

- It's reduced speed, it's
dropping down to the bottom.

(electronic beeping)
(tense music)

- There's a deep trench out there.

Maybe that's where it's going.

- How deep?

- About a mile in some places.

- Maybe that explains why we
haven't detected it before.

- What do you mean?

- Those deep trenches,

they make a pretty good place to hide.

- You're inferring that they or it

prefers to remain unknown.

- Something like that, Doctor.

They wanted to, they could have
made an official appearance.

- It stopped moving.

- 2000 yards.

- Right at the edge of the trench.

- [Man] Signal stock, Dr. LaSatier.

- Now let's settle down.

Dr. Wilson, let me know
if there's any change.

Did you have much damage in there?

- Nothing but a few frayed nerves.

- Utility room from control.

Is everything all right
in your area, Dr. James?

- Everything except the air.

It's like a wet blanket.

- [LaSatier] Return to normal routine.

All personnel retire
from emergency stations,

open watertight doors.

Resume ventilation, Maddox.

(switches flicking)

- Mainline is open, pressure normal.

- You better get out there
and see what's happened

to our communication lines.

Take Tex along with you, right?

- Right.

- Commander, one of us better stay on duty

throughout the night.

- I'll take the first watch, Doctor.

- Right, h* Lee will
bring you some supper.

- Might as well relax, Ellis.

May take some time to
fix those radio lines.

- Yes, sir.

- Guess you feel right at home down here,

don't you Commander?

- In a way.

One big difference though.

Never had women aboard a submarine.

- (chuckling) Do you mind, Commander?

- Mind?

Best looking crew I ever served with.

- What happened between you and Maddox?

- Kinda like him, don't you?

- I guess I do, but I really
don't know him very well.

- Well, Maddox, isn't an
easy man to know, honey.

- Weren't you his commanding officer?

- Executive officer.

He was our chief engineer.

- Why did he leave the service?

- You'll have to ask him that, dear.

- Something happened on
board,your submarine, didn't it?

- That's right.

- What?

- I'd rather not discuss it.

- Or maybe you're ashamed to discuss it.

(tense music)

(ominous music)

- And in compliance with your request

for more detailed information,

I am proceeding to the
area of the unknown object

to investigate.

Will report my observations
upon my return.

Signed, Commander Wayne.

That's about all, Ellis.

Doctor, did any of the crew man volunteer?

- They all did.

You forget, Commander, that
our main purpose in being here

is to explore the unknown.

- Good.

- Maddox will go with you.

- Maddox?

- He's the most experienced.

- I left the Starfish,

I told you what would happen
if I ever saw you again.

- Forget it, Maddox.

Forget it.

- I'll never forget that
day as long as I live.

I've thought about that
day for three years,

over and over again.

It was five men pounding
and clawing at that door,

trying desperately to get out
of that flooding compartment.

They were just kids, Wayne,

and you were on the
other side of that door.

You didn't make a move to help 'em.

- You know why I couldn't open that door.

- I only know one thing,

you closed that door on us and
left us to drown like rats.

You think I can ever forget that?

- Well, you managed to escape.

You think I'll ever forget that?

Listen, Ms. Welles,

you're gonna stay behind
me in the aquasphere.

I'll take the camera.

- Commander Wayne, I take
my orders from Dr. LaSatier.

- Maddox, I don't know
what's happened in the past

between you and the commander,

but whatever your differences,

they'll have to wait until
this operation is concluded.

Is that clearly understood?

- Understood.

(tense music)

- Good luck, Commander.

- Thanks, Doctor.
(electronic beeping)

(water splashing)

(dramatic music)

(motor rumbling)

(tense music)

(ominous music)

- Better keep your gear on.

(eerie music)

Must be near freezing in here.

- [Maddox] What do you think?

- [Wayne] This craft
looks extraterrestrial.

- A spaceship?

- Yeah, it's completely automated.

Remotely controlled probe ship.

Probably sent here to study our oceans.

- Look at this.

Looks like a container of some kind.

- That light feels like a heat lamp.

- Looks like I be ceramic
or some kind of glass.

- Well, whatever it is, I bet
it came from that compartment.

- Well, it might be a fuel
tank that's been ejected.

Cold as ice.

- Maybe it's a container for specimens.

They might have come
here to collect samples

of our sea life.
- Hmm.

- You all right?

- There's something
creepy about this place.

- Yeah.

- Why don't we get back to Sea Lab?

- Better leave that thing here, Maddox.

- Until I hear differently,

Dr. LaSatier is still in
charge of this operation.

He didn't send me along
just to keep you company.

(tense music)

(water splashing)

(counter ticking)

- 35 kilocycles, really ups the sound.

It's there, nonetheless.

I'd say it's an instrument
package, Commander,

but don't ask me what it's for.

- Something to do with the
ship's guidance system.

- Or power plant or observation equipment,

or who knows what?

- Well, there's one way to find out.

Cut it open.

- Now, Listen, Doctor, you're a scientist.

I understand your curiosity,

but I don't understand your logic.

Now this ship must have
traveled through space

millions of miles to get to this planet,

obviously with a very good reason.

We're dealing with
something totally alien.

That capsule, as he said,
might contain just instruments

or something simple like that.

On the other hand, it
might contain something

quite beyond the realm
of our understanding.

I'm fairly certain there
about two dozen more

aboard that ship.

- That's exactly the point, Commander.

We're here to explore the unknown.

- Now listen, Doctor.

I was sent out here with the authority

to take over this project,
if it became necessary.

Now I don't want to
exercise that authority.

But until I hear from the Navy department,

nobody aboard this installation

is gonna tamper with that object.

Do we understand each other?

- I believe we do.

- Good.

- You might say we've been told off.

- You might.

- And you might say that
he's absolutely right.

actually a very porous substance.

It's probably a.

(eerie music)
- Probably a what, Rene?

- Looks larger.

Looks like it's growing.

- It's two inches longer
than it was only an hour ago.

(counter ticking)

And the signal has
increased 10,000 cycles.

- Doctor, How can a matter
like that be growing?

It's a solid.

- Is it?

- It's obviously a
material made up of cells,

and they're multiplying.

Just as they do in living plant or animal.

- Well then it's gotta
be feeding on something.

- Heat, possibly.

The commander said it was very cold

inside of that spacecraft.

- And it might be feeding on our air.

That wasn't it.

Maybe it's the heat.

Watch it closely.

I'll be with Commander
Wayne, if you need me.

- Dr. Wilson, do you think that X-ray

would penetrate that shell?

- I don't know, but it's worth a try.

(dramatic music)

(glass shattering)

It's almost doubled in size.
(otherworldly humming)

- Ultrasonic waves.

- If they become intense enough,

that acid bottle will shatter.

Get Dr. LaSatier, hurry!

(suspenseful music)

(doctor screaming)
(glass shattering)

(container crashing)

- [Man] Quick, get some gas masks!

- Rene, get Dr. James.

- Help.

- Mike, help me get him into the berth.

- Hey Maddox!

Ensign for you!

Hurry up, cut the ventilators.

(dramatic music)
(otherworldly humming)

(extinguishers spraying)

(suspenseful music)

(creature growling)

(glass shattering)

(electronic beeping)

- Last light, Doctor.

We've gotta get everybody
outta here, fast.

- That's a watertight compartment.

There's no immediate danger.

- That's not what I mean.

- Where's Tex?
- He's in there.

Wait a minute, Maddox.

Don't go in there.

- Why not?
- There's something in there.

- What?

- Some kind of an amphibious
animal come outta that capsule.

It attacked Tex, I couldn't get him out.

- Outta my way.
- Listen to me.

(fists punching)

- Break it up.

Break it up.

All right, cut it out, both of you.

You know you can't open that door, Maddox.

You wanna flood the whole Sea Lab?

- There should have been plenty of time

for both of them to get out.

He's a real pro at leaving men trapped

in flooding compartments.

- I told you it attacked Tex.

There was nothing I could do about it.

- You expect anyone to believe that?

- I don't give a damn what you believe.

(creature smashing)
(dramatic music)

(alarm blaring)

Better radio for help
before it's too late, Doc.

- Amphibious animals.

(receiver tapping)

- Skipper, there's something
wrong with the lines

of the Sea Lab.

Top side to Sea Lab, top side to Sea Lab.

Are you receiving?

Are you receiving, over?

(suspenseful music)

Lines are dead, Skipper.

- You're using the hydroponic transmitter?

- Sea Lab to top side.

Are you receiving me?

- This is top side.

Go ahead, Sea Lab.

- Attention, top side.

This is Commander Wayne.

Send this message.

Office of Naval Operations, Washington,

Attention Admiral Bradford, urgent.

(monster smashing)

(man screaming)
(water splashing)

Request you send surface
units to this area immediately

equipped with depth charges and.

- Would you repeat?

Would you repeat?

(monster growling)

- [Wayne] Attention
Admiral Bradford, urgent.

Request you send demolition
units to this area immediately

to destroy submerged spacecraft.

End of message.
(creature roaring)

(man screaming)

Hello, top side.

Please repeat that message.

Hello, top side, top side?

This is Commander Wayne,
please repeat the message.

Hello, top side.

Please repeat the message.

Hello, top side.

Please repeat the message.

- Monster seems determined to isolate us.

- Or annihilate us.

Doctor, I think you better
close those window guards.

If that thing can break
out, it can break in.

- You think it'll try to attack us?

- Doctor, I think that thing
will do everything it can

to try to prevent anyone from
knowing of its existence.

- Maybe it's not as
dangerous as you think.

Maybe it's more afraid of us
than we appear to be of it.

Any animal will defend itself, Commander,

especially a primitive one.

- One thing I'm certain of, doctor,

that thing is not primitive.

I bet you it's a lot
smarter than both of us.

- But that's all the more reason

we should try to communicate with it.

(Rene screaming)

(suspenseful music)

(gate slamming)

- Well, you still think it's
frightened of us, Doctor?

- I had no idea.

Do you realize the importance
of this phenomenon, Commander?

- I realize that danger we're in.

Anything at all, Ellis?

- No, sir.

Something must've happened
to their equipment.

- More likely something happened to them.

(alarm blaring)

- That's why.

The surface pumps have stopped.

- How long will the
emergency air supply last?

- About 12 hours.

A little longer if we're conservative.

- Dr. Wilson has a severe
cerebral hemorrhage.

We'll have to get him
into a hospital at once.

- There's nothing we can do about it.

We've lost contact with the surface crew.

- I don't understand.

Can't somebody go out
and see what's wrong?

- We know what's wrong, Dr. James,

we just don't know exactly
what to do about it.

- If you don't hear
from me within an hour,

we'll know there's nothing
we can do about it.

Ellis, stand by that receiver.

Oh, Mike, get me one of your
best spear g*ns, will ya?

- You can't go out there
alone, that's suicide.

- Do you know what this
place is gonna be like

in about 12 hours after the air gives out?

- When the air gives out?

- Pumps are out, we're
on the emergency tanks.

(locker slamming)

- Now listen,

Tell Dr. James to have Dr. Wilson ready.

I'm gonna try to get
the diving bell working.

- Commander, you cannot
go out there alone.

- I'm pretty good with
these things, Commander.

- Okay, Mike.

(suspenseful music)
(creature roaring)

Watch it, Mike!

Watch it!

- Help!

(Sandra screaming)

- Maddox, flood this hatch.

Doc!

- Take it easy, Mike.

Let's get him in the infirmary.

- All right.
(somber music)

(tense music)

What time does the supply
vessel arrive tomorrow?

- Usually arrives about noon.

- We'll never hold out that long.

- Even if we could hold out,

I don't know what they could do for us.

- We're gonna have to close
up more compartments, Doctor.

- We're down to the minimum now.

- What about the biology lab?

- Commander Wayne,

that lab is full of
valuable marine specimens,

most of which will die without air.

- So will we.

Maddox,

close off the biology lab.

Close it off!

And we can close off the infirmary too.

We can move Mike, Dr. James
and Dr. Wilson in here.

- Commander, Dr. Wilson
no longer needs any air.

(door knocking)

- Well, how is he?

Any better?

- Worse.

Fever's gone up.

- Well,

a scratch, it doesn't look that bad.

- No, it's more than that.

- What's that, from the amphibian?

- Mm hm.

A carrier of some kind of unknown disease,

unknown to me anyway.

- Maybe that explains its
reason for being here.

- Trying to escape a plague

that's threatening to wipe
out its own civilization.

- It's a possibility.

Is that contagious?

- I don't know.

I've prepared a serum that might help,

but I don't know.

If it is contagious,

that one creature could
start a major epidemic.

- Well, imagine what a dozen might do.

Uh, have you found what
you're looking for?

- Mm hm.

- Any of the rest of 'em know about this?

- Do you think they should?

It's enough to worry about already.

How much time do you
think we have, Commander?

- I don't know.

Roughly, I'd say eight hours.

- Well, I know you'll do
everything humanly possible.

- Doctor, I think you better
inoculate the rest of the crew.

They don't have to know what it is,

tell 'em it's a tetanus shot or something.

- If you flex your muscle
more, it won't hurt so much.

- Thank you, nurse.

(spear clattering)

- You no like black
dragon tea, Miss Sandra?

- No like.

- No like.

- How many spear g*ns do we have

in the utility room, Maddox?

- Oh, about half a dozen.

- Good, I want you to gimme a hand

with the welding equipment.

You too, Ellis.

- Yes, sir.

- We're gonna set a trap, Doctor.

- We're the ones in a trap,
like rats and a sinking ship,

if you know what I mean, Commander.

- You know, I've just about
had it with you, Maddox.

You wanna go into this thing?

Okay, let's go into it.

- Now, What's that supposed to mean?

- You know what it means.

When are you gonna quit
lying to yourself anyway?

Don't you think I know
what really happened

aboard the Starfish.

- Are you trying to say you didn't lock us

in that forward room?

- No, I admit that.

I had no choice.

It was either seal off that
room or flood the entire ship.

- Sure, and left us to drown
in a flooded compartment.

- You managed to escape, Maddox.

Why couldn't the others?

- You don't know what
you're talking about.

- Oh yes I do.

There was an escape chamber
that compartment, Maddox.

There was a chance for
every one of those men

to get out of there.

I knew that when I sealed off
that room, they knew it too.

But something went wrong, didn't it?

You panicked, didn't you?

- You are crazy.

- Am I?

You got in that escape
chamber first, Maddox.

There was a chance for every
man to get in that chamber.

But you got got there first, didn't you?

And you slammed that
hatch on 'em, didn't you?

- Sure, sure, I got there first,
but they didn't follow me.

They were trying to get
out that door you closed.

- That's a damn lie,
Maddox, and you know it!

You once told me how you
never could forget the faces

of those five men, how they
clawed and pounded on that door,

trying desperately to escape.

How could you know that, Maddox,

if you were inside that escape chamber?

I'll tell you how,

because it was the escape chamber

they were trying to get into.

You could see them through
the window of the hatch.

Yes, You could see their faces, Maddox.

Just kids, remember?

Crying out to you for help.

But you didn't make a move.

- You're lying to cover up for yourself.

- Am I?

Then how come we found the escape chamber

locked from the inside when we
finally brought the Starfish

to the surface?

And why did we find two of those men

with their broken, bloody
fingers still clinging

to the outside of that hatch?

- I don't know!

- Yes you do, Maddox!

- No I don't!
- Listen to me.

Every man gets scared sometime, someplace.

Every man has their breaking point.

You can stand just so
much and then you crack.

Now you're no less a man for that, Maddox.

But listen to me, you're gonna be a man.

You're gonna stand up
right now and admit it

or else you're through.

Now spit it out!

- When I

got into the escape chamber,

something inside me snapped.

I slammed the hatch and locked it.

And then I froze.

I could see them, those
kids trying to get in,

but I couldn't move.

I k*lled 'em, Commander.

I didn't mean to.

I was a.

That's why I left the service.

After that, I couldn't stand
to look the rest of the crew

in the eye.

I didn't have the guts
to admit I was a coward.

- No one's calling you a coward, Maddox.

(hand patting)
Come on now.

Give me a hand, we haven't got much time.

(solemn music)

- You know something, Hugh?

Until a minute ago. I
couldn't find much in you

I really liked.

Now, I think I could
fall in love with you.

Come on.

Commander Wayne needs your help.

(dramatic music)

- Everything okay, Doctor?

- Okay.

We're ready.

- Good, now be very careful
of these trigger lines.

Everybody clear the room.

Don't come back til I give you the signal.

Batten down those hatches behind you.

I said everybody clear the room.

(crowbar scraping)

(crowbar tapping)

(suspenseful music)

- What he trying to do?

- He's using himself as bait.

(water splashing)

(creature roaring)

- Get back!

Probably wounded

Ellis, gimme a hand.

- What do you intend doing?

- I'm going after it.

We'll never get outta
here til it's finished.

(sonar beeping)

(tense music)

(dramatic music)

(water splashing)

(ominous music)

- Let's suit up, Ellis.

- Yes, sir.

(solemn music)

(eerie music)

(suspenseful music)

(creature roaring)

- You've got to get it
to the Marine Institute

as soon as possible.

- Welcome back on board again, Maddox.

- Forget it.

You looked a little short on crew.

- Okay, hit it with
those tranquilizers, Doc,

and keep him knocked out.

He still has a lot of fight in him.

Let's get to the surface and
get the air pump started.

Ellis, stand by the hydrophones.

Be ready to leave

as soon as we get the
dining bell operating.

Remember, keep this hatch secure.

(creature groaning)

- One shot will be enough.

Anymore might k*ll him.

He's near enough death now.

- But Doctor, the commander said--

- Commander Wayne is not
interested in scientific research.

I am.

(dramatic music)

- Let's get this gear off.

(tanks crashing)

Listen,

you see if you can get the pump started.

I'll check the radio shack.

Go ahead.

(suspenseful music)

(somber music)

We're too late, Hugh, he's dead.

- Well, the air pumps are okay,

but he's fouled up the
winch in the hoisting crane.

We can't operate the bell.

- Are there any expl*sive on this barge?

- Might be.

They used dynamite to
clear away the coral heads

when they were building the aquasphere.

Why?

- Won't be able to contact the Navy

until the supply ship
arrives in the morning.

That might be too late.

- You're thinking about the
other capsules on the spaceship.

- That's right.

Let's see if we can find that dynamite.

(ominous music)

(water splashing)

Two of these oughta be
enough to blow this, Maddox.

- Sandy,

get the automatic timer from
the photographic enlarger

and bring it to the mess hall.

(tense music)

(compartment sliding)

- Do you really think
you're doing the right thing

here, Commander?

I mean, don't you think we
should take the opportunity

of studying this entire
phenomenon before it's destroyed?

- Doc, do you think the
best way to prevent a w*r

is to wait until the
enemy drops a b*mb on you?

- I mean, we really
haven't tried to understand

its purpose in coming here.

- Doc, maybe you haven't
thought about this,

but wherever this thing came from,

land animals like ourselves
could be its natural enemies.

Maybe it's here trying to
avoid the destruction by man.

Well, whatever it is, we can't
afford to take any chances.

Let's go.

Ellis, get some more
chains, bind its legs.

Now, if I were you people,

I'd stay far away from this thing.

That means all of you.

(chains rattling)

- Not this time, Sandy.

I mean it.

- You might need help.

- I said no.

I'm sorry about the way things turned out.

- It doesn't matter.

I told you that.

- Matters to me.

It matters to you too, you know it.

We can never have anything together now.

- Don't you.

- Every time I'd look at you,

I'd be reminded of the coward in me.

- It's over.

Don't t*rture yourself.

- No it isn't.

Maybe it'll never be over.

When this mission's finished,

I'm going away somewhere
new and get a fresh start.

- That won't be so easy, Hugh.

- Maybe not,

but facing you and the others,

that's not easy either.

It's the only way for me, Sandy.

You know that.

- [Wayne] Are you ready, Maddox?

(air hissing)

(water splashing)

(tense music)

(water splashing)

- Wait a minute.

(motor whirring)

(air hissing)

(eerie music)

(suspenseful music)

(ominous music)

(Rene screaming)

(creature roaring)

(crowbar crashing)

- No, Doctor, stay away!

(creature roaring)

- Ellis!

Ellis, call Commander Wayne

and tell him the amphibian has escaped.

Hurry!

- - I can't.

The hydrophones won't work now.

(electronic beeping)

(suspenseful music)

(tense music)

(suspenseful music)

- All right, we've got
about three minutes.

(water splashing)

(Sandra screaming)

(creature roaring)

- Get ready to make a
run for it, both of you.

- No, no!

- Get back!

(creature roaring)
(tense music)

- Now, hurry!

- No, don't!

- Wayne, get here while
you still got a chance.

- Come on, put these on.

(g*n firing)

(ominous music)
(creature groaning)

- [Maddox] Get over here!

(water splashing)

(box clattering)

(flare whooshing)

(creature roaring)

(b*mb exploding)
(dramatic music)

(solemn music)

(tense music)

(bell ringing)

- Mike's on his way to
Miami by Naval helicopter.

The others are waiting
aboard a supply ship.

Where's Dr. LaSatier?

- He's in a control room.

He's pretty upset about having to leave.

- Well, he won't be when he
hears the news from Washington.

Well, ready to go, Doctor.

- Commander, I think I ought
stay here and supervise

the repair operation.

- Well, I don't think that
headquarters would like that.

- Headquarters?

I don't understand.

- Well, I contacted the Naval Department

from the supply ship,
gave 'em a full report.

The news reached the
president within minutes.

He's expecting you at the White House

for a press conference as soon
as a plane can get you there.

- What am I gonna tell him?

We destroyed the first
creature from another world.

- It had to be done,
Doctor, you realize that.

- I realize it.

I also realize how little
we know of any other world

except our own.

It's ironic.

Here we are all set to put
men on totally alien planets.

And we're completely unequipped
to understand a creature

from one of those planets.

That amphibian was our ultimate
opportunity, and we failed.

We don't know any more now
than we did before it arrived.

- You're wrong, Doctor.

We now know that somewhere in space,

there's a civilization of beings equal to,

if not superior to ourselves.

We never knew that for certain before.

We also know that somehow
we have to find a way

to communicate with those beings,

if we ever encounter them again.

That's what you have to tell 'em

at the press conference, Doc,

that you are the one man with
the knowledge and experience

to find that way.

That you are ready to tackle

the most important research
program of our age.

- Commander, don't you
think we're being a little

inconsiderate keeping
the president waiting?

(light music)

- Did anyone ever tell
you you're quite a guy?

- Oh no, that's not a
very novel approach, Rene.

Why don't you try the,

oh, you're just the kind of
man I've been looking for one

or perhaps the platonic
friendship approach.

- You think you know it all, don't you?

- Oh, I know a little.

- Well, Commander,

you still may have a few
surprises in store for you.

- Really?

Like what.

- The direct approach.

(romantic music)

(upbeat music)