Original subtitles

Music plays

chattering

Excuse me, sir.

Group sent me here, sir.

I've got one more op to complete and then I go home.

And he did say, sir...

Well, group said that, as your flight is one man short

and all my team have bought it, that you...

All right, sir.

Sorry, sir.

Chattering

chattering fades

distant whistling

Whistling grows louder

Whistling continues

All irregularities will be handled by the forces

controlling each dimension.

Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life.

Medium atomic weights are available...

Gold.

Lead.

Copper.

Jet. Diamond.

Radium. Sapphire. Silver. And steel.

Sapphire and steel have been assigned.

Distant whistling continues

It's up there. Yes.

How is sapphire? Oh, she's still asleep.

Are you going up there? Yes.

It's almost like an invitation. What?

Each time he starts to whistle one of his tunes. Yes.

Whistling continues

I'd like to say that...

Well, with the seance and what happened afterwards,

well, I could have been wrong.

About some things, that is. It was the darkness, you see.

Even the spirit of the schoolteacher warned us.

Yes, yes. Yes, she did. But I knew.

I knew the moment the darkness appeared

that we were dealing with something evil.

I sensed it. I felt it. Even the crucifix trembled.

And there he is up there inviting us once again.

Yes, but things are different now. Hm?

We know about him. We know his name.

Oh, yes.

So, you go back into the waiting room, take care of sapphire.

Whistling continues

but what about the darkness?

It's gone.

But it could reappear, couldn't it? It could, yes.

I thought so, that's why I got this. Thank you.

Whistling stops take care of sapphire.

All right.

Door closes, whistling resumes

Sammy?

Whistling continues

Sam?

Sam pearce?

Whispering that's your name, isn't it?

We know it is.

So there's no need for you to hide in the darkness any more.

Whispering continues

whispering stops

We don't have to hide.

But that's our privilege.

The privilege of the living.

Steel...

Whispering

Tully?

Yes? Is sapphire still in there with you?

Of course she's still in here. Check again.

Check again? Look!

Yes, she's still here. She's still asleep.

Whistling resumes

wind starts to howl

Whistling continues

Soldier whistles

Whistling continues

What's the matter?

What is it?

You said something earlier on about the subconscious.

The... the fact that it could be somewhere else.

I did, yes, between journeys.

Either that or the seance has had an exhausting effect on her.

After all, she was sent back a long way on her journey,

a great distance in time, and that can be very tiring.

You were right. Hm?

I've just seen sapphire on the platform.

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

I have just seen sapphire, or what looked like sapphire,

out there on the station platform with pearce and the others.

And it was as if...

..Sapphire was one of them.

Well, this subconscious, can it be seen?

As in, does it have a human shape? Yes!

I wouldn't have thought so, no.

Otherwise, it could hardly be termed the subconscious, could it?

All right, mr Tully, would you say it's possible

to have such things as ghosts of the living?

No.

Would you?

There are all sorts of theories about visual fallacies, but...

The seance hadn't quite finished. No.

I broke the circle. Yes, and here's the result.

I'm going to try and take a close look at the other one.

Don't worry, I'll look after her.

I realise how important she is to you.

I'll try talking to her. What?

Well, many medical practitioners

believe that talking to a patient who's comatose

can often prove therapeutic, even...

..Curative.

That's a good idea. You do that.

Sapphire...?

Sapphire?

It's no good, pearce.

No good.

You're still late, you see.

Over 60 years too late.

Oh, I wouldn't say that. I would.

Your war's finished.

It finished a long time ago.

A bit different to yours, then.

Yours has just begun.

You left me here, steel.

This is where you left me.

Well, we didn't exactly leave you. Right here.

So, now, I suppose I'm as much a part of this station as he is.

No.

Not sure of me?

Well, you can't exactly do a spot analysis, can you?

It's not your territory, remember?

Why shouldn't I be sure of you?

Because I know it's not in your nature to be sure of anything.

But I know you're sapphire. Oh?

And there is only one of you, isn't there?

Yes. Well, then.

Where's pearce gone? How should I know?

Well, you just said you're as much a part of this station as he is.

So I thought perhaps you'd know.

Well, I expect he's busy.

Busy? Busy waiting.

What for?

For others, of course.

Others, like him? Yes.

What, like the pilot and the young men from the submarine? Yes.

How many others? What?

How many others is he expecting?

I don't know.

One? Five? Ten? I said, I don't know.

A thousand?

I mean, there must be a lot of applicants, surely.

Anyway, steel, since you left me here, since you abandoned me,

I've had time to think.

Oh, yes? And realise.

Realise what?

That we shouldn't be here on this particular assignment.

No?

Our information was false.

Our briefing was wrong.

Those afterimages are harmless.

Harmless? Yes.

And they'll be gone soon, anyway.

So, why don't we just leave them in peace?

All right.

Let's leave them in peace, shall we?

Come on.

I haven't finished talking yet.

Oh, sorry.

Well, I suppose my interest in the supernatural started early.

When I was at school, I suppose.

Yes, I think it was when I was at school.

It started as a game, but I soon realised

that I was experiencing something more than that.

When the others have arrived, they'll all leave.

To go where? I don't know.

To go back where they came from? I don't know.

But I do know that they intend to leave.

Whispering

steel...

Would you mind looking at me when I'm talking to you?

Whispering continues

after all, there's no-one else here.

Only us.

I spent a great deal of time as a lad

going to churches and places like that.

My hobby in those days was brass rubbing.

And other lads of my age were involved in sporting activities.

But not me.

Whispering

tell me what happened. Happened?

Well, you say you want to talk. I do.

Well, then, tell me what happened when you were left behind.

Well, I suppose I was given the chance to understand.

To understand pearce and his friend? Yes.

And to sympathise with them? To an extent, yes.

And to find them harmless.

Yes.

I've always allowed myself to have an open mind.

To believe that one can approve and accept something

without necessarily having to understand it

is, for me, the first essential

before a man can have a supernatural or religious experience.

Whispering

a mind that is closed cannot be receptive.

Whispering

what about the power? What power?

The darkness, remember? Oh, yes.

Is it also harmless?

Yes.

We were wrong about that as well? Yes.

So, in a way, it was fortunate that I was left behind. Why fortunate?

Well, because of what I've learnt, the truth.

Steel, aren't you pleased with me?

What? Yes.

Well, you might at least show it. You might at least congratulate me.

All right, I congratulate you. Thank you, steel.

Thank you very much.

I'll just go and fetch mr Tully, shall I?

Distorded clanging

I'm sure he'd like to congratulate you, too.

Well, there's no need to fetch Tully.

He will be here.

He will be with us soon.

Whispering

I've often felt that I was the wrong age

for proper psychical achievements.

A friend of mine once told me that cats, children and old people

have the best results.

Whispering continues

perhaps that's because they have the time to be patient,

the time to be tolerant.

So, in a way, i'm...

..Looking forward to reaching 70.

Even getting into my 80s, if it means I find success.

Don't you think so, steel? Yes.

As soon as mr Tully arrives, we'll pack up and leave.

I thought you'd agree.

After all, we have such a fine working relationship, don't we? Yes.

One of the best, right?

That's probably because we know each other so well. Of course.

And can anticipate each other's thoughts and moods. Exactly.

So there's never any real need

to even ask each other questions. Never.

Even though there's one particular question

that keeps nagging inside the head.

Like the one that's inside my head right now.

The one that's crying out for an answer.

Well, perhaps it doesn't need an answer.

Oh, but it does.

Ask it.

Ask your question.

If you're the sapphire...

..That I have grown to know and to love...

..Who is that person?

Distorted voices

what person?

That person in the waiting room with Tully.

I suppose I'd be quite prepared to go on until I was about...

Distorted voices oh, my god...

Steel!

Distorted voices

I beseech thee, o lord, who, by thy great mercy,

defend us from all perils and dangers of this night.

Distorted voices

I couldn't get another plane.

It's my little kid's birthday tomorrow.

Who's going to look after the garden?

I said your war had just begun, didn't I?

By thy great mercy,

defend us from all perils and dangers of this night.

Light the darkness, o lord...

Steel cries out

wind howls

Gunfire and explosions

Light the darkness, o lord.

Oh, please, leave us alone, I beg you.

Wake up. You must wake up.

We haven't harmed you. I haven't harmed you.

Oh, please... Please, let us go.

I promise... I promise that I'll leave.

I'll go now. I promise that.

I'll... I'll leave.

I'll leave you in peace.

Oh, thank you.

No, I'm sorry, I didn't understand.

I'm sorry.

Just me, you mean?

You mean...

..Just me?

Sapphire!

I'll...

I'll get help, sapphire!

I will, I'll get help!

Distorted voices

Steel!

Steel?

Steel, they...

They said I could leave, steel.

They... They said I could go.

Well, I'm going.

But don't worry, I'll...

I'll get help.

I'll...

I'll send back help.

Distorted voices

distorted voices

Distorted voices continue

Men chatter and laugh

excuse me.

I need one op.

Just the one.

Then I'm off home on leave.

I don't mind what I fly.

I'll go tail-end Charlie, it makes no difference to me.

And I know you fellows are flying two short, so...

Really? Can't any of you use me?

Please!

Excuse me, sir...

Distorted voices

distorted voices continue

Rifle clicks

I've been allowed to leave.

Rifle clicks have you, now?

Yes.

Trigger clicks

I reckon you'd better leave, then.

But this seems to be the only remaining exit point.

That's right. Over the bridge.

Yes.

I noticed just now that, well...

..There were others down on the platform.

Who are they? Just others.

Oh.

When I first came here two months ago, I said that I was your friend.

I still am.

I said then that I wanted to help you. And I still do.

My dear boy...

..Whatever it is that has this shameful hold on you, I...

Distorted voices

Distorted voices grow louder

distorted voices continue

gunfire and explosions

Gunfire and explosions continue

There'll be a detail out here before dawn.

A wire detail.

They might find you.

Or what's left of you after the next barrage.

Gunfire and explosions continue

then again, they may not come.

I mean, you can't blame them.

Even the stretcher-bearers won't come out here.

Whistle of an incoming shell

explosion

Sammy...

Gunfire

pearce.

Private s pearce.

You should have left us alone.

We were causing no harm.

We just wanted what was owed to us, that's all.

Man: Pearce, come on!

You asked me once, remember?

You asked me to sit and talk with you.

Well, I've sat and I've talked.

On my terms, for a change, and not yours.

It's going to be a favourable winter.

It will slip into spring like it was one and the same.

And then it'll be eastertide.

Gunfire

anyway...

You'll be leaving here soon.

You've got no choice.

Gunfire and explosions

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