Original subtitles

you

Listen, Steve, I just heard the funniest joke. I'm sorry, I'm in a frantic

hurry. No, listen, it'll only take a second. You see, it's about this vicar

the... Good morning.

Please go on with your story. No time, vicar.

Tara, this is Teddy Shelley, a very old friend of mine. Tara King. We really

must go, Teddy.

Where are you going?

We're going down to Teddy's church. There's been a very strange death there

we want to look into it. Oh, how strange.

Well, if Archaeological Society are conducting a dig actually under my

of course the church itself stands on the much earlier site.

You'll end up the lesson. We'll explain later.

Well, can I come?

No, I want you to see Harvey Truman. He's an expert in electrical sciences.

him that, ask him how he got there. On we go, Teddy.

Oh, but, Peter... What about that vicar joke? If it's the one, ours was a quiet

wedding, the vicar had laryngitis, I've heard it.

Vicar about?

Good morning, Major Starr. I know he's in London.

Trying to drum up interest in what's happening down here, I imagine.

It's a waste of time.

We can handle our own affairs perfectly well.

We've not done so well so far.

Greer is dead.

Yes, well, that wouldn't have happened if I'd been running the show.

All affairs have been too haphazard.

He's disciplined, organizing.

What have you got there?

I found it last night.

It looked like a bracelet, or at least it was a bracelet.

Well, the metal seems to be fused.

No corrosion or tarnish.

Could have happened fairly recently.

Where did you find it?

In the North Tunnel.

Well, it's the same damage as on Greer's lantern.

Be a feather in our caps if we can settle this affair before Shelley gets

Come on, show me where you got it.

Another way to Teddy comes back.

Nonsense, girl.

You don't win medals waiting for the other chap to be heroic.

Now, come along.

Jackie Lenton.

Now, stay close to me at all times.

Which way now?

I think it's straight on. No, wait a minute. Oh, come along, girl, come

Don't move!

What is it?

By your foot.

A track of some sort.

What the deuce could make a trail like that?

Come out of there.

Or went in there.

Let's get going.

Oh, it's Bill Reston.

I'd forgotten he's down here.

He's working the next section.

Fetch the doctor, I'll see what's happening.

Bless you.

Thank you.

The lamp, Professor?

Yes, the lamp. Well, it's drained.

Totally drained of power.

What about the case?

Alloy. High melting point.

Snuff? No, thank you.

I say, you couldn't tell me what caused this, could you?

Intense heat. Oh, yes, great heat.

But you notice the wrapper of the battery isn't marked. It's not even

May I ask you something?

What caused this?

Well, that's what I want you to tell me.

Yeah?

Well, in that case, I'd better get back to the lab with it. If I may, I'd like

to run a few tests.

Of course. Meanwhile, you wouldn't like to hazard an educated guess.

Guess?

Well, it is only a guess, mind, but I'd say this has been in close contact with

the high discharge of electrical energy.

Frankly, I think we should call the whole thing off.

Seal up the tunnels.

Certainly not.

This could turn out to be one of the most important archaeological finds in

country.

Put this village on the map.

Maybe so.

But two people have died.

All the more reason why we should go on.

Find out how.

And why.

You're all acting like frightened children.

Phillips.

How about you?

I say we go on.

Williams?

Yes.

Good chaps.

Well?

I know I speak for Inger.

And we're against it.

Well, that's three to two at the moment.

Brett, where do you stand?

Well, there may be dangers, but...

I would like to uncover some more Stone Age tools for science, you know.

Good man.

Good.

Well, let's get our campaign organized.

That divides the work areas.

We'll go down and mark out the sections.

Well, come along, Brett.

I'm not going to be the one to break my first order. We work in pairs.

Check your London.

It's getting late.

Teddy should be back by now.

Don't worry, he'll be here.

Quick, that's not the right...

At it again.

Star and Brett are down there.

Yes. We'll need some more light.

After you, Daddy. The cloth is better acquainted with the rocky path.

But you'd all stay here.

Britt,

try and understand me. This is most important.

Britt, can you hear me?

We have to find out what it was you saw in the tunnel.

He's banned.

Has he been able to speak yet?

No.

Any trace of Major Stone?

No. Deeds 13 for him.

It could be behind it.

Maybe even in it.

It's going to take a lot of work.

What is it?

Start to clear this away.

You better take me back.

There's no damage to this one.

That's odd.

I put new batteries in just before they took them down.

Yes, it is peculiar.

I'd better go and check the others.

Yes. You will excuse me, won't you?

Oh, how do you do? In all the excitement, we haven't introduced Steve,

Steve. Inger Tilson.

In a moment, you must tell me your life history. I would love to. But first...

You'll never guess what I'm doing.

Icing a cake?

I'm sending you another flashlight.

Show it to Professor Truman.

And you can reach me at 476... 6... 6...

7... 7...

Oh.

Where could it be in those tunnels?

I don't know.

Well, at least its activities are confined underground for the moment.

I only hope it stays that way.

He was under the fall.

Have you ever seen a wound like that before?

Never.

The pond.

They made a pond.

What is it?

Terrible.

I never saw anything like it in my life.

You'd better come, sir.

I suppose it could have been an explosion.

Salmon poachers often use dynamite. An explosion would throw up a lot of mud

debris. This water's perfectly clear.

I'd like the pool dredged. I can arrange that.

What are we looking for?

Anything.

Everything.

I'd like to drive back, roughly in that direction.

Bless you, bless you, bless you.

So cool, my dear.

This was a fresh battery, you see.

Oh, yes.

Well, it certainly discharged at a considerably greater speed than this

demanded of it.

Well, what shall I tell Steed?

Anything you like.

I can certainly think of no logical explanation.

I'll take it away with me and see if it gives me any ideas.

Right. Oh, I say, what a magnificent cake.

Did you make it yourself, my dear?

It's just something I threw together. It's nothing, really.

Nonsense. It's superb.

It's a work of art.

Oh, it's far too good.

It has to be eaten. It should be preserved for... for...

for...

What can I say?

Say nothing, Professor.

That's the way the cookie crumbles.

I alarmed you, Vicar.

I frightened you.

I didn't hear you come in.

I very liked my feet, you know. Yes.

Can I help you?

I'm sorry.

I beg your pardon?

I'm sorry for alarming you as I did.

Oh, that's all right.

What a charming old judge.

Norman? Late 11th century.

Feels like 12th for me.

Well, there was a much earlier structures on the same site. Definitely

century. Norman, I should say. Is that an accent?

Yes.

I imagine that might have taken human life.

Savage weapon from a savage past.

Yes, I sense it.

This has killed.

Yeah, well, it comes from a much more barbarous period.

No more barbarous than now.

The stone axe has become the gun of the bomb. Man has ever sought the perfect

method of destroying man.

Do you mind if I look round?

No, no, not at all, no. I promise you I won't disturb you.

I'm very light on my feet, you know.

This about ends the mystery tour.

Where are we?

It's an old quarry.

It's been abandoned for years.

Well, as we're here, let's have a look around.

All right.

Not one of the outstanding beauty spots in the country.

I don't know. I should think that hermits and recluses would find it

attractive.

I doubt if anybody's been up here for months, years.

Somebody or something has.

Those were made quite recently.

What's this, Vicar?

It leads to some tunnels.

May I go down? Oh, I'm afraid not, no.

Oh, there have been some unfortunate accidents.

Ah, yes.

Accidents.

I'd heard some gossip in the village.

I heard that those accidents were without explanation.

Well, we don't know the reason for them.

Inexplicable, though. Yes, inexplicable.

Bizarre. Bizarre.

Thank you very much, Vicar.

Most helpful.

You've been most helpful.

It's going to be all right.

I know where one of them is.

It has got ventilation holes.

And that's insulating material in two compartments.

What could it be, Steve?

Two very small Eskimos.

Do you think this has anything to do with what happened at the church?

I used to have a very favorite aunt, and she used to say, if Christmas had come

in August, chestnut stuffing would never have been invented.

And what does this mean? I haven't the faintest idea, but she was always saying

it.

Shall we go?

Have you found something?

Well, exactly matches the one missing on my bed.

Perfect.

Very amusing.

Steve, can you make anything out of this?

In an emergency, yes. I shall put it over there. We could use it later.

in the church.

As soon as they leave, we'll get it.

Well, there's nothing here that could account for killing the fish.

Except for a lack of water. We call it a night.

Come on, Inga. I'll walk you home.

Are you coming, Steve?

No, you two go ahead. I'll have a final look down below.

Right.

Goodnight, Steve. Goodnight.

Goodnight, Steve.

Goodnight.

Thank you.

All right, Steve.

A nocturnal visitor. You seem to be very anxious to get a hold of the news.

Isn't that part of the stuff we got out of the river?

What time's the next train to London?

About 15 minutes from now.

Good, we'll go. I'll get my hat. I'll send it to Tara.

There's no alternative now. We have to close up the tunnels.

I agree. I absolutely agree.

I'd like there to be one exception myself.

Too great a risk. Leave it alone, Steve. Forget it.

My most insatiable vice is curiosity.

Curiosity killed the cat.

Look, it led to the invention of anesthetics, the aeroplane, the wheel,

electricity.

Where's this powered from?

There's a small generator. We use it to light the main tunnels.

Those tracks of some kind.

I've noticed them before.

There's similar tracks near the pond and up at the quarry.

What do you think made them?

A little black box.

That again?

I thought you were on to something with that.

But remember, Brett was killed after you sent that thing to London.

Which proves?

Well, the box can't have done it.

Oh, there's more than one.

Bless you.

Would you care for a pinch, Miss King?

Oh, it's enough.

Oh, at my age, it's the only kind of pinching in which I can indulge.

To get back to the box, it appears to be completely enclosed in a

metal casing.

No joints.

Do you know, I'm very much afraid that I shall have to cut this open to find

out... What's inside?

Oh, well, I thought of that, so I took it to the labs and had it X -rayed.

well, uh -huh.

I said I thought of that, so I took it to the labs and had it X -rayed. Oh,

well, I like that.

Yes, yes.

Well, let's have a look.

You know what it is?

Not the faintest idea.

It's very interesting, but quite baffling.

Entirely baffling.

Miss King, this is very dangerous.

You should have it repaired as soon as possible.

What's that? The insulation has been stripped from this wire. You could get a

very nasty shock.

I've just had a nasty shock. That land's practically new.

God bless you. I'm afraid I may be getting a cold.

Well, never mind. Just think of all the money you'll save on snuff.

Yes. Yes, indeed.

Oh, yes.

Yes, thank you.

Oh, too good of you.

Thank you. A most perspicacious economy.

Thank you, Miss Kane.

Very good.

Goodbye, Miss Kane.

Bye.

Now, this is the general complex of tunnels here.

And these are the points where the unfortunate deaths occurred.

And the generator is situated here.

Right in the middle of things.

Do you think it's significant?

I think that what it generates is significant.

It generates electric power.

Inga, do you think that you could do a few of these things? Excuse me, Steve,

but... Speaking as a theological layman, could you tell me exactly what's going

on?

Well, take a city. London, for instance.

Its appetite for electricity is insatiable.

It gulps up millions of kilowatts and then converts them into heat and power

light. But if you stop feeding them, it begins to die.

That actually happened in New York.

That's right. All the lifts, the lights, the subways, they all ground to a halt.

Look, are you saying that whatever is down there is powered by electricity

and... When it runs out, it, well, just eats more.

I saw a demonstration once.

A robot vacuum cleaner.

It swept around the house, went back into its cupboard, automatically plucked

and recharged itself.

Personally, I prefer a switched -on Swedish au pair.

Yes, well, I think you're both on the wrong track.

I don't go along with this electricity idea at all.

If it turns out to be a poltergeist, Vicar, you shall exercise it. Now, I've

made a list of a few things here. If you could drive into town and collect them.

I'll go now.

Anything else?

Sit on the right -hand side of the car, but drive on the left -hand side of the

road.

Steed?

Look, this is my church.

I really do think I ought to come down there with you tonight.

No, Vicar, up is your... I mean, you baptise and bury them.

And I'll try and see that the interval between the two is as long as possible.

weeks, Mr. Kruger. For two weeks I am sitting in this mobile refrigerator

waiting for you to recover them.

Two of the boxes are still at large. Our contract code for total secrecy. But

I've explained the accident with a van.

Anyhow, I have located them now.

So you tell me. Well, it's true. There's one in the church, deactivated.

And the other's in the tunnel.

Active. Very active.

It has already killed.

The electric organ plays unaccountably, though.

The box must be feeding on some part of its circuitry.

But I'll get it back tonight. I give you 12 hours.

If in that time you have not recovered the box, you can consider our contract

null and void. But I've invested time and money in developing those boxes.

Then, for your own sake, don't fail.

You can verify my authority at the number I gave you.

Yes. Now, have you got this clear?

All mains electrical power to the village to be cut off at 8pm precisely.

Excellent. Goodbye.

I think I've got everything.

Walkie -talkies.

Good. You have that one. Right.

How do these things work, Dean? Push that in, pull that out.

Hello, hello, hello. Hello, hello.

Is this what you wanted?

That is perfect.

The rest of the stuff is in there.

The boots, the gloves.

Yes, in that case, I think I'll get started.

Will you throw the rest down to me? Oh, right.

Mind your head, Steve.

Right? Right.

Hello, Tarkin.

Hello! Hello, Professor Troop. We're still... We're still...

I've interpreted the express.

Get out of your apartment. That box is lethal. It has one purpose only. To

destroy. Now, get out. Don't hesitate.

Just run.

It's gone.

Don't look for it. Get out.

Get out!

How do I stop it?

Professor,

how do I stop it?

The power's off. You have to enforce its power.

Make it run down.

Water is the only thing that will dissipate its power.

Water!

Yes, I'm fine, thank you. The box.

What about the box?

Well, it's passed out.

I think it's dead drunk.

Well, put it in a bath of water.

Oh, and get on to Steed. Yes, it's vital that you warn him. I'll call him right

away.

Hello, Teddy. Hello, Teddy.

I'm in position at the generator.

Anything happening up top?

Over.

The generator, eh?

He's making things too easy.

Hello, Teddy. Hello, Teddy. Are you receiving me? Are you receiving me?

Over.

They cut the power off to the village.

Too late.

My little box has all the charge it needs.

It's a Kruger, isn't it?

It was a Kruger at the Royal Establishment. What was it you were

projection of electric power through space?

Interesting theory.

Theory? I've done it. Proved them all wrong. My little boxes are the evidence.

Boxes designed to kill. With a high voltage charge.

A mechanical animal, living on electricity, able to seek it out and

Oh, yes, I've given it the power of movement, and most of all, the will to

And when you're ready, you'll release them around the country. Hundreds of

thousands of them.

Only you've entered a most ingenious way of attracting my buck.

Turning off the main's power so that it's compelled to feed at the generator,

then you intend to lure it on with that high -powered arc of electricity.

Bait for my hungry little killer.

Poison bait.

When it comes near this, it'll melt. But it won't.

Now it's my turn to make deductions.

You have not returned my fire, therefore I presume you are unarmed.

Steve, I've got to warn him.

Where is he?

I mean, the tunnel's down there.

Don't be asking for me.

Steve, are you all right?

Yes. I feel absolutely vibrant, not to say electrical.

Steve, what happened to the box?

The box?

Oh, hold on a sec.

It overheated.

By the way, don't worry about down there.

You can wander around your catacombs till kingdom come.

And I pronounce you both free.

A lot of diagonal lines.

And a blob.

But they're in black and white.

Can you move the aerial somewhere else?

Oh, where's your sense of adventure?

Wind in your hair? It's like conquering the Eiger.

Yeah, look who's doing the conquering. That's better.

Oh, got a picture?

No. But the diagonal lines and the blob are in colour.

Oh, lovely. I'll move the arrow back again.

See anything now?

Yes, a woman. Long flowing hair.

Oh. What's wrong?

It's not a woman at all. It's a dog.

Looks like an Afghan hound. Only saw her from behind.

Oh, lovely. Life in the country.

Picture any better now?

Slightly.

Well, I'll just move the area a little closer to the edge of the room. Now that

is getting better.

Keep going. Keep going. Is it any clearer?

Keep going. Keep going.

That's it.

Perfect picture.

Hold on. We have the manager. Very delicately after all. We don't want to

the picture.

Are you all right? I don't want to lose the picture.