Original subtitles

[ Clicks Teeth ]

Hmm.

This is Nelson.

Ask Captain Crane to come to my cabin.

Aye, aye, sir.

Sounds like the admiral's opened his sealed orders.

I'll see what he wants. Hold the fort.

Mr. Morton, there's something you should know about.

What is it? We're getting a red light on the E.C.S. board.

And what's wrong with our Environmental Control System?

I'm not sure, sir. The problem seems to be in the missile room.

- Could be a radiation leak. - You better check it out and report to me in person.

Aye, sir. Kowalski, you go with him.

Aye, aye, sir.

[ Knocking ] Come in.

Sit down, Lee.

Whatever I tell you now is not to be repeated outside this cabin.

I understand. Mm-hmm.

You have any idea what we're carrying in missile silo number four?

All I know is a top-level crew installed something there...

just before we sailed. That's all I knew until now.

It's a live warhead, a neutron bomb.

A neutron bomb? I didn't know they perfected those yet.

Neither did I. But right now we're sailing around...

with the most powerful destructive force ever developed.

It's over there.

[ Clicking ]

It's a radiation leak.

[ Clicking ] From inside.

[ Clicking Continues ] Let's have a look.

- Hey, it's sealed. - Sealed?

Maybe I can pry it open.

[ Electrical Popping ]

[ Electrical Humming ]

[ Humming Continues ] I don't like that sound.

Me either.

Mr. Morton, emergency! Missile room!

We've got to deliver that bomb all the way to Cook Atoll?

Mm-hmm. By 0700 hours Thursday without fail.

That's more than 3,000 miles away.

Well, you better get a move on. Skipper, this is Morton.

He's here with me, Chip. Go ahead.

We've got a radiation leak in the missile room.

One of our missiles is going wild.

The one in silo four.

[ Man ] Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

Starring Richard Basehart,

David Hedison.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

- What happened here? - Radiation leak, sir.

When I tried to open the inspection door-- Ah.

This inspection door is sealed.

It obviously means it's not to be tampered with.

Sealed? Why, sir?

There are a lot of questions, I know, about this new weaponry but very few answers.

Uh, Kowalski, do you think that you could bring the counter over here?

[ Clicking ] All right. All right, that's enough.

The radiation's coming from inside the silo.

Can it be repaired?

Well, I can't even look for the trouble with a sealed inspection door,

certainly-- certainly not without a careful study.

Where is that specialist in the Pentagon?

I haven't seen him since we sailed.

Chip. Neither have I.

All right.

This is Nelson.

Will the Department of Defense specialist come to the missile room.

Acknowledge.

Department of Defense specialist to the missile room.

Acknowledge. No.

Chip, what quarters did you assign him?

Number three on "A" deck. That's right. I brought his personal gear there myself.

Kowalski, go find him. Bring him here. Aye, aye, sir.

[ Humming Continues ] Is that as dangerous as it sounds?

Well, it shows every sign of going critical.

Now, you two go up to the control room.

I'm gonna be certain we hold to the course as set.

Keep me posted. Right.

Chief.

[ Humming Continues ] Sir?

Remember, this inspection door is sealed.

Hmm?

Aye, sir.

Admiral, this is Kowalski.

Yes, Kowalski. Have you located him?

No, sir. I'm in cabin number three now.

No sign of the technician, except for his luggage.

Captain Crane is back in the control room. Report this to him.

Tell him I want a search party to find that technician...

and get him here at once. Aye, aye, sir.

[ Sighs ] Um, what's your name, son?

Jackson, sir. Hmm.

Jackson, report to the control room.

- Tell Captain Crane you're to join in the search party. - Aye, aye, sir.

Uh-huh.

Admiral, uh,

what if, uh, something happened to this guy?

What if we can't locate him?

It could cost the ship and every man aboard.

Our orders are to hold on this course...

and proceed for Cook Atoll at full speed.

We've got to be there by 0700 hours Thursday morning.

That's drawing it pretty fine. We can do it...

as long as we get this missile problem cleaned up.

Excuse me, sir, but I can't find that technician anywhere.

And the admiral wants an immediate search party formed.

- Very well, Ski. You take charge of the detail. - Aye, aye, sir.

- What do you make of that? - I don't know.

Are you sure you saw him come aboard?

Positive. [ Explosion ]

Circuitry room!

Circuitry room!

Circuitry room, report!

What's wrong down there? Where's the circuitry room crew?

Somebody's got to be down there!

Let's go.

Take over, Chip. I'll see what's going on down there.

Aye, sir.

[ Explosions Continue ]

[ Explosions Stop ]

Is it okay, sir?

[ Coughing ] Well, it's under control.

Well, what happened? What-- What caused it?

The connectors shorted out.

It's just an-- Just an accident.

A million-to-one chance.

[ Coughing ]

Huh? Lighting control circuits are blown.

They'll all have to be rewired.

Yes, sir, but what I'd like to know is...

what happened to those guys on the circuitry room watch.

I've been asking myself the same question.

Give me the name of every man that was supposed to be on this watch.

I want a full report. Aye, sir.

Skipper. What happened? How did we go out of control?

I was just on my way to find out. Have you found that technician yet?

No, sir. I've got the search party organized, and we're covering this section right now.

Well, find him. That missile has to be neutralized.

Aye, sir.

Chief. Sir.

What's the matter with the circuitry room gang? What took so long to fix that malfunction?

They didn't fix it. The admiral did.

He's in there right now checking the lighting control circuits.

Ah, very well.

This station's supposed to be manned.

Well, it wasn't. I've got the chief checking into it now.

What's happening on this ship anyway?

We can't find that technician, and now the whole circuitry watch walks off its post.

I think we better call a meeting of all the ship's officers in the ward room.

We got to tell them how vital this mission is.

Yeah. I'll see to it right now. Good.

[ Sonar Beeping ]

Course correction. Helmsman, five degrees right rudder.

[ Beeping Continues ]

Helmsman, when I give an--

Wait a minute.

Sparks, wha--

Chip, I want you to--

Either I've blown my stack, or the whole control room crew's gone AWOL.

Come on, you guys. On the ball. We got a lot of ground to cover.

I said come on.

All right, you guys. Come on!

Skipper, this is Kowalski.

Skipper, do you read me? What is it, Kowalski?

Skipper, you're gonna find this hard to believe, but I lost the search party.

[ Clicks ] Tell him what we've lost.

[ Inhales ] Uh, now, look, Kowalski,

exactly what happened?

Well, I'm not sure, sir.

They were following me down a corridor,

and I went around the bend with them right behind me,

but they never came around that bend.

I turned back to look, and--

Go on.

Kowalski.

Kowalski, do you hear me?

Kowalski!

Kowalski, do you hear me? Kowalski!

[ Crane ] Reactor room, report.

Reactor room.

Sick bay, this is the captain.

Doc? Do you read me?

Acknowledge.

[ Clicking ]

Attention, all hands. This is the captain speaking.

If anyone on board hears my voice, call the control room at once.

If anyone on board hears my voice, call the control room at once.

It's no use. Obviously, nobody is going to answer you.

I'm afraid you're right.

But this is impossible. An entire crew just doesn't vanish into thin air.

Well, apparently, Chip, this one did.

Or maybe they all gathered together someplace aboard ship,

a mass protest meeting of some kind.

What? Not this crew. No chance. I know these guys.

There isn't one man, not one, who wouldn't carry out any order you gave him.

- Then where are they hiding? - All right, all right. That's enough. Both of you.

That missile's trouble enough.

Captain, I'd like permission to go over the ship from top to bottom.

If there's a single guy goofing off someplace, I'll find him.

Might be a good idea. Very well, Chief.

Now, keep in close touch with the control room. Let me know what you find.

Aye, aye, sir.

Well, fortunately, the automatic guidance system's working.

Chip, I want a 180-degree course change. We're heading back to base.

Wait. Wait. Belay that.

We've got to go back. There's no other choice.

We are staying on the course for Cook Atoll at full speed.

Without a crew and a bomb that might explode at any minute?

That's right. We're operating under sealed orders from the president himself.

I'm going to read you this.

"The above orders are to be followed to the letter...

"in spite of any or all contingencies.

"All subsequent orders will be disregarded...

until the mission is completed."

And with that, gentlemen, I rest my case.

It doesn't leave much room for argument, does it?

None whatsoever. We accepted the mission. We carry it out.

But we've got a neutron bomb in the missile room ready to explode.

- What will happen if you can't bring it under control? - If it goes, we go too.

But, sir, if Washington knew what might happen--

You, uh, heard the paragraph I just read.

But under the circumstances, Admiral,

how can you make any sense out of an order like that?

Quite easily.

As far as I'm concerned, the moment I broke the seal on those orders,

the Seaview and every man aboard became expendable.

I'm going to the missile room to see what I can do.

[ Slow Knocking ]

Who's there?

[ Knocking Continues ]

Come on out. You hear me? Come on out of there.

[ Knocking ] I'm warning you.

[ Knocking ]

All right. I'm coming after you.

[ Knocking ]

[ Electrical Humming ]

- It sounds worse. - It is. It is worse.

Is there, uh-- Is there any hope of stopping it?

Well, at this point, I couldn't even make a guess...

and just-- just wondering if I dare take the risk of breaking the seal...

on this door. Do you think that might trigger it?

I don't know. That's the whole point.

I have absolutely no information on this weapon.

Well, how many people do have the necessary information?

Just a handful. And they're not about to pass it on to me, if that's what you're thinking.

There's still one thing we can do.

Fire the missile into the sea or up into the stratosphere.

It'll explode safely. No. I can't.

Here. Come over here.

It's on fail-safe. Mm-hmm.

The missile can be fired when the president presses the button and not until then.

Is there any way to reach him by radio?

Tell him about the crew vanishing...

and that warhead threatening to explode.

My orders are explicit on that too.

We're to maintain complete radio silence.

Those orders again. It's like a death sentence.

It may turn out to be exactly that.

[ Humming Continues ]

[ Beeping ]

Admiral, this is Chief Sharkey. I'm in the circuitry room.

Somebody's been here and soldered the connections. I was just wondering if--

Admiral, do you read me? [ Clicks ]

Admiral!

[ Clicks ] Crew's quarters, if any of you guys--

Crew's quarters, reply.

Crew's quarters!

♪♪ [ Pop ]

♪♪ [ Continues ]

♪♪ [ Continues ]

♪♪ [ Stops ]

Man, that's hot.

Hot.

They're all hot.

Okay. Now, some of you guys are here.

Now, come out here where I can see you.

You hear me? Come out!

Come on out!

Come out! Co--

Come on out!

Come-- [ Grunting ]

[ Grunting ]

[ Sonar Beeping ]

We're holding our course at least. Some comfort.

If anything happens to our automatic equipment, we're dead.

[ Bell Ringing ]

Obstacle dead ahead. [ Gurgling ]

[ Gurgling ]

[ Gurgling Continues ]

[ Ringing Continues ] Collision screen. Close it.

Hang on.

[ Ringing Continues ]

[ Ringing Stops ]

The board's clear.

That collision alarm must have been some sort of short circuit.

Whatever I saw through that window wasn't a short circuit.

It must have been our imagination. It had to be.

What about this empty control room? Is that our imagination too?

No. Chip.

We've got to face facts.

We're in the midst of a pure nightmare.

We've got to keep fighting. Yet what are we fighting? What's the answer?

How many of us are left? You, me, the admiral, the chief.

Who's going to be next?

Where is Sharkey anyway? He was supposed to keep in close touch.

Ah, give him another few minutes.

Maybe he hasn't found anything worth reporting yet.

Let's hope that's all it is.

[ Grunting ]

Chief, I need your help.

Come to the missile room on the double.

Sharkey, can you hear me?

Chief, this is important. Answer.

Admiral, this is Crane. I'm in the control room.

Is Chief with you? No. Chip and I are here alone.

Well, where the devil is Sharkey?

Well, he's still searching the ship for those missing men.

I need him here. I've decided to break the seal on the inspection door,

and we're running out of time.

I'll come down and give you a hand. All right. But hurry.

Chip, uh, can you take the conn alone?

Well, there's nothing to do here but keep from disappearing.

Okay. I'll, uh-- I'll be back as soon as possible.

Chief?

Chief!

Admiral, the chief disappeared too.

Are you sure?

I can't find him any more than I can find the others.

And I just passed the crew's quarters. There's been a fight in there.

- What could have happened to him? - I don't know.

And I've stopped believing in what I see.

Chip and I just spotted some kind of, uh, a nightmarish thing through the nose window.

And it turned out not to be there at all.

If only we had time, time to think, time to track this thing down.

Now, give me a hand with the crowbar.

Look, Admiral, you probably know more about fail-safe than anyone in the world.

Isn't there some way we can bypass it?

Well, of course not. It'd make the whole concept worthless.

The only thing we can do is try to deactivate this in time,

and, frankly, I doubt if it's possible.

[ Switches Clicking ]

[ Bell Ringing ]

[ Ringing Continues ]

[ Gurgling ]

[ Gurgling Continues ]

[ Ringing Continues ] [ Gurgling Continues ]

[ Ringing Stops ] [ Gurgling ]

Skipper, it's starting to happen again, the same thing.

I'll get it.

Go ahead, Chip. What do you see?

Why doesn't he answer?

Chip. What do you see?

Control room, acknowledge.

What is it, Chip? What do you see?

- Chip Morton too. - [ Clicks ]

And that means there's-- there's just the two of us.

Mm-hmm.

Well, they say there's an explanation for everything, so there must be for this, but--

But what? What?

The control room's deserted now.

If anything happens to that automatic equipment--

I know. You better get back up there.

Well, what if you need me here?

I'll let you know if I do. Go ahead.

I don't know how long this will take.

[ Growling ]

[ Growling ]

Lee. I've got it open. I'll need your help now.

Do you read me? Come down to the missile room as fast as you can.

Lee?

Lee!

Lee?

Lee?

Lee!

Lee!

Where are you?

Where are you? What happened to you?

♪♪ [ Pop ]

♪♪ [ Continues ]

♪♪ [ Stops ]

[ Rattling ]

[ Rattling Stops ]

[ Beeping ]

[ Beeping Stops ]

[ Whirring ]

Flying Sub, who's down there?

This is Nelson. Reply.

[ Whirring Continues ]

[ Gun Cocks ]

Who's down there?

Come out and show yourself. Do you hear me? Come out!

Lee.

No. No. Lee.

[ Mutters ]

Where were you? Why didn't you answer the intercom?

[ Man's Voice ] Admiral Nelson.

Admiral Nelson!

Admiral Nelson.

Admiral Nelson?

[ Groans ]

Kowalski. Yes, sir.

Are you badly hurt?

No. No. No, no. I'm not hurt at all.

Are you sure you're okay, sir?

Yeah. How did I get out in this corridor?

I don't know, sir. I just found you lying here on the deck.

Hmm.

- And where have you been all this time? - Me, sir?

Well, I've been looking for somebody, anybody.

Till I came on you lying here, I thought I was the only one on board.

[ Chuckles ] So did I.

Well, at least there are two of us left.

I need your help in the missile room. There's a warhead there that has to be disarmed.

It could go off at any minute.

- What's happened to us, sir? - [ Chuckles ]

Believe me, Kowalski, I wish I knew.

[ Groaning ]

What was that? I don't know. It came from this direction.

[ Groaning ]

Hey. Chief. Chief.

Chief! [ Groaning ]

Oh, Admiral. Am I glad to see you.

What-- [ Groans ] What is this, some-- a dream of some--

some kind of nightmare or something?

I wish it were as easily explained as that.

What-- What happened here?

We thought maybe you could tell us.

I-- I don't know. I-I-I-I-I don't seem to be able to remember.

Sir, what's wrong with me?

We all seem to be on the same kind of fix, Chief.

There's some kind of strange force here that--

[ Morton ] This is the exec in the control room.

Can anyone on this ship hear my voice?

If you can, answer immediately. That's Chip.

Can anybody in this ship hear my voice?

This is the exec in the control room.

- Chip, I hear you. - Admiral, where are you?

I'm in the crew's quarters. I found the chief and Kowalski. They're here with me.

Well, where were they? What happened to them?

That's the same question they've been asking me.

Where's the skipper? I haven't found him yet.

Now, what's your trouble?

I'm getting a danger signal from one of the panels. I can't figure it out.

Could you take a look at it?

I haven't got time. I've got to get back to the missile room.

This may have something to do with the missile down there.

All right. I'll come up and check it out. Hang on. Aye, aye, sir.

What was that? For a minute I-I-I couldn't move.

I felt like I was walking in a dream. Yeah. Me too.

It's happening to all of us. It's just another nightmare to add to our collection.

Come on. We've got to help Morton.

[ Thud ]

Admiral. It's you.

All right, let him up.

I didn't know who it was. I swear.

Well, obviously. Who did you think we were?

Not who. What.

It-It-It was terrible, nightmarish.

I-I-I must have gone completely out of my mind.

Well, you seem to have a lot of company.

Now, come on. Let's get up to the control room.

[ Sonar Beeping ]

What is it, Chip? The warning system lights.

Everything looks normal to me. Well, that's just it.

Before I called you, sir, I was getting a definite alert signal.

Right after that, it disappeared.

That's the only part of what's been happening.

I don't know how to say it, but I think I'm going over the deep end.

Hmm. Well, one way or another, it's happening to all of us.

There's just no explaining it. I'm not so sure.

I think I could take a pretty good stab at explaining it.

Excuse me, Admiral, but how could a whole crew disappear?

They couldn't, Chief, obviously.

Yes, sir, but-but they did.

All you have to do is look around the control room, sir.

If they aren't here, where are they? I think I know what you mean.

We're seeing things that aren't really here.

Mm-hmm. Or vice versa.

And maybe that neutron bomb isn't even down there in the missile room.

Yeah, I think that's the root of all of our problems.

Our troubles started when we detected a radiation leak.

Now, I'm sure that there's a leakage of some kind of undetectable gas...

that has a psychedelic effect on the mind.

[ Beeping ] There it is again-- the warning light.

[ Beeping Continues ] Missile room, silo four.

The warhead is definitely going to blow.

How much time do we have? About two minutes.

There must be a way to get rid of that missile, fail-safe or no fail-safe.

[ Sharkey ] Admiral, look!

It's activated. We can fire. If there's time.

[ Rumbling ]

We ran out of time.

It can't reach a safe altitude before it explodes.

Hmm. A "well done" from Washington.

Seems our mission was successful despite the malfunction.

We reached the proper coordinates, and the missile exploded safely.

Well, that's nice to know. Now if they can only tell us what happened aboard Seaview.

They can, and they did. Oh?

They were monitoring us by telemetry.

They didn't know about the mass hallucination aboard, but they did spot the malfunction.

That's why the president released the fail-safe...

and allowed us to fire the missile before it exploded aboard.

Now, suppose the president had waited just a few seconds longer before he made his decision?

Well, we wouldn't be here discussing it now, would we?

Yeah, we live in a world of split-second decisions. Mm-hmm.