Original subtitles

The LIFT

Dine under the stars superb views

Five thousand eggs every morning?

Brother, that's what I call an omelet.

I'm coming over next time you serve breakfast.

Our roosters would just go wild.

The hens would stop laying if they saw her.

Come on, pose.

Oh.

Hold still. Don't move around now.

Great!

Oh...oh.

Oh. Ah!

Oh, Rinus, you can never keep your hands off.

He'll get to you in a minute, honey.

Aah! Don't be rude, Claus.

Uh, excuse me, but the taxi will be here in just a minute or two.

You mean he came up in the lift?

You could go home in the taxi if you want to.

So long, kid!

Well, what do you think?

Do these farmers plan to stay up all night?

They're just about to head on home.

And about time. It's 1:00.

Those poor little chickens, all squeezed together in there.

Oh, now, they've got plenty of room.

Ew, well, I couldn't stand it.

Oh, no? We've got wonderful game cocks.

Hurry up. The taxi's waiting.

Hey, you guys. Wait. Do you know where the lift is?

Yes!

Ladies and gentlemen,

I sincerely hope you've had a nice evening.

Oh, thanks!

Wonderful time.

Did you press the button? Yeah.

Good girl. Oh, this way!

Here we go!

There you are!

Oh...

Anyone else?

Ooh!

Too much booze. I think I should have gone to the powder room.

You spilled more than you drank.

Let me see these.

Give a kiss.

Don't be so impatient.

Wait till we get back to the hotel.

Whoa!

What was that?

Must have been lightning.

Ooh! Wow, that was quite a bang, wasn't it?

Yeah, it sure was.

I guess there's a short circuit.

Come on, damn you. Come on.

We're stuck.

Ah.

Hello? Hello?

It doesn't work.

This doesn't work either.

I sure hope it doesn't take long, you know?

Two bottles of champagne and some good caviar.

What a joker.

Yup, we think it was just a fuse.

No, nothing really serious.

All right. Okay.

Verpoorten is going to check the fuses. It shouldn't take--

Sir, the lift is stuck.

Oh, damn.

Oh! Oh, it's so hot in here.

Come on, how about a little while we're waiting, huh?

You ate too many of those mussels.

You shouldn't have.

Yeah, right. So you're feeling sick, huh?

Think somebody's figured out we're trapped in this elevator?

Whew!

Look.

It's just sitting there.

It's between floors.

Oh. Power. Good. That should solve it.

The lift's not going, sir.

Huh?

That's trouble.

We'd better get some help.

Claus. A red light.

What? A red light is on.

What? A red light.

What? A red light!

Who cares?

I'm too damn hot.

Jesus, it's like a sauna in here.

What's wrong with him?

I don't know.

Huh?

Aah!

Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?

Are you there? They can't.

No one's there. Must have escaped.

Either that or they don't want to be rescued--

Quiet, you fools.

Are you all right?

I sure hope this is the right one.

So do I.

Yup.

Mm-mm, doesn't work.

Has to.

Let me out. I want to get out.

Rinus. Rinus.

Oh, God.

What's going on here?

I want to get out.

Oh, my gosh.

Don't you think we should call the police?

Eh? Don't panic. We just might be able to fix it ourselves.

Look, it's coming down. Huh?

Where do you think it'll stop?

The lobby. Come on.

L just hope nobody's injured in there.

Why do you think it started up again?

Who knows? These damn machines

will be the death of us all someday.

Which one did they get in?

The middle one, I think.

Ow. Bertie, what's this doing in the hallway?

Take this to your room right this minute.

I'm not telling you again. Oh, Mom!

But who's going to answer the emergency call?

Felix. Yeah?

Honestly, Felix.

You know, you could get him something

without batteries for a change.

Something quiet, like a book.

Why? For me.

You don't have to listen to that noise all day long.

I do.

You can see he has fun with it.

Hmm.

Well, that's a nice eye. Yup.

Nice color, too.

That's your own fault.

You know how jealous Louie can get.

All I did was smile at the guy's wife.

What's the big problem?

Yeah, but you don't know when to stop.

I beg your pardon.

I was just being friendly. Hmm.

Daddy, the truck's broken.

Daddy has no time for your ambulance.

Don't you, Papa?

Not now. After work.

But it'd be easy for you.

This morning's not convenient. Now, get dressed.

Sally's father has hair he puts all around the top of his head.

Oh, yeah? And how do you know that, sweetheart?

She showed me where he keeps it.

Really?

Bertie, don't read at the table.

You should be doing that in school.

But Daddy's reading.

Well, that's different. He's a grown-up.

When do I get to be a grown-up?

Soon enough. Karen, eat your breakfast.

Aww. Pop, will I grow hair on my chest when I'm older?

Big girls don't get hair. They get lumps.

What are those?

Chest things. I heard about them in school,

but I don't know their names.

Uh, breasts. They're called breasts.

Mommy, when do I get breasts?

When you learn not to talk at the table while we're eating.

I'll get it.

Hello?

This is the Adelaar residence.

Yes, he's here. I'll get him.

Just a minute.

Dad, it's for you.

Adelaar.

Good morning, boss.

Yeah? What happened there?

The air conditioning?

Yes, it can get pretty hot. No.

I'll go over and take a look.

What's the address?

Mm-hmm.

14...

Yes, boss.

That's what I'll do. Goodbye.

Felix, are they going to be calling you at home now?

Somebody almost died in an elevator last night.

They want me to go over and check it out.

It's probably nothing serious.

Be careful. Mm-hmm.

See you later.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Uh, are you here for the lift?

Mm-hmm. Yes, that's right.

I heard there was quite a party here last evening.

Sure was. Almost their last party.

I'll phone the super. He's been asking about you.

Bush, it's Jim.

The guy from the lift company is here.

You want me to send him around?

Okay.

He's coming.

Uh...

You know, uh, you look like you had a little party yourself.

I walked into a door.

Hmm. Hmm.

Here's the man who can show you where everything is.

Bush. Adelaar.

The air conditioning in the lift

hasn't been working properly at all.

Youngbrood said one of the cages is broken down too.

Who? My boss.

Oh, yeah. The middle one here broke down.

But you can see it's working now.

It must have been caused by that storm.

Mm-hmm.

There's no electrical problem.

Something. It was working well before.

Ah, there you are.

Ravenstein, Nathan Construction Management and Development.

Real estate. Benilex Exploitation.

We manage this building. Adelaar.

Listen, I hope it won't take you too long to fix it.

Do you know that this is a brand-new elevator?

Well, I'm not sure I'll be able to help you.

Your air conditioning unit's in good shape.

Please, you must be joking.

Do you know that four of our guests passed out last night?

They almost choked to death in there.

Have a look for yourself.

Hmm. This is strange.

But there are four people in the hospital

who nearly suffocated in here.

There has to be a reason for this. What do you think?

I'll run tests on all the main electrical circuits.

I might find something there.

Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea.

You do that. We're most anxious to avoid

any other incidents of this type.

Bush, would you help him, please?

Mm-hmm. I'll be upstairs.

If you need me for anything, my office is on the sixth floor.

Mm-hmm.

Wait!

Oh! Thanks, Bush.

Hi.

Are you all right, Mr. Kraayevanger?

Yes, yes. I'm just a little winded.

That's all.

Uh-oh.

Oh, I don't want to forge this, do I?

Thank you. Yes.

Brain doctor. He used to be okay.

Pretty nervous fella to be a doctor.

Yeah.

Who else occupies the building?

Oh, all sorts. You name them, we got them.

Restaurant upstairs, real estate,

import firm, offices.

But most of it is vacant.

Well, that doesn't surprise me,

as much as rents have gone up.

I don't mind it empty most times.

Less to do, you know.

Ah. Here we are.

Uh, I believe this is 11.

Oh. I must have pressed the button for the wrong floor.

That happens to me quite a bit.

Eyes must be getting old.

The control panel is right back in the corner over there.

Ah. Oh, I see it.

I haven't opened it or anything.

Wouldn't know what to adjust if I did.

Would you look at that?

Two windows broken.

As if I don't have enough to do.

Oh, well, I'll clean up here later on.

Well? Anything there?

Nothing unusual.

No lightning struck here, that's for sure.

Yeah.

I could never do a job like that.

It's just too difficult.

You happy working with this stuff?

Oh, sure. It's easy once you're trained.

Mm, yup. And this thing, is this all part of it?

Oh, the microprocessor's in there.

That's what guides the lift. Oh, yeah.

Chips and all that.

Mm-hmm.

So you must have trained a long time.

Yup.

It's too bad that other guy went whacko on you.

Oh, Breuker.

Yeah. He was a very nice guy. I thought a lot of him.

Oh, and very conscientious.

He took a long time with that last checkup.

It seemed to be working all right.

Yeah, but you can't always be sure.

Hmm. Well, I'll leave you to get on with whatever.

While you're working, will the lift be turned off?

No. No, I don't think it's necessary.

Huh. Good.

I wouldn't like to walk up 14 floors.

Uh, if you feel like coffee, come by later.

I always have some. Huh. Okay.

Hmm. I'll do that.

There we go.

Does it work? Mm-hmm.

There. Now, be more considerate

of your mother, understand?

Mm-hmm. Oh, here comes mama.

All right, let's get ready for bed.

Come on. You too, Karen, and brush your teeth.

What's this? Why are you still awake?

Get moving.

Felix, it's 9:30 already.

Really? That late? Hmm, what do you know?

When you watch them,

the children never get to sleep on time.

Did you talk to his teacher?

Yup. He's getting along much better.

See? He's not as dumb as you think he is.

He just needed some time to get adjusted.

What was wrong with the lift this morning?

Oh, it wasn't serious.

I think it was only a short circuit.

But some people almost choked to death.

Yeah, they'd just come out of the restaurant.

I suppose it could have been what they ate.

The food there couldn't have been that awful.

Mm-hmm. Well, something else got to them.

The lift systems were perfect.

Hmm.

I guess that must have been it, then.

Don't throw that away.

What? The caps.

I'm saving the caps. The caps? What for?

You can win a trip to Hawaii if you have a hundred.

Now, why would you want to take a trip to Hawaii?

We vacationed on an island last year.

You're not very romantic anymore, are you?

No, no, I'm still that way.

In fact, I'd like to be on the river right now,

in the moonlight.

In the arms of a girl.

All right, please put it where I told you.

Well, where do you want it?

Right next to the coffee.

Hmm.

We'll probably win a trip to the bottling plant.

Oh, you!

Mr. Speckingood,

I wonder if you could tell me something about the view.

The view, you say? Yes.

The view from the apartment.

It's for my mother, of course.

Oh.

Well, it's fantastic, I can assure you.

On one side is a huge forest as far as the eye can see.

And on the opposite is the blue water

of the Mediterranean Sea.

But we've gone over this many times, Mr. Vink.

You have to make a decision about buying this apartment.

Yes. I agree.

But it's so expensive.

I'm not sure I can afford the mortgage.

It's well within your budget, Mr. Vink,

and you'll never regret purchasing this apartment.

Don't forget, it's a surprise for my mother.

Yes, I know.

The poor dear, it'll be her birthday soon.

92. Mm-hmm.

Then this is really not the time to postpone, Mr. Vink.

I have the contract all made out.

You can use my pen if you like.

Uh, no, thank you. I have my own pen.

Now then...

if you'll just sign here.

Yes.

Thanks.

And one more here, please.

Do I have to sign again? Yes.

It's for our administration.

Oh.

Here you go. Sign right here.

Good. Ahem.

So, you're going to enjoy this place for many wonderful years.

Believe me, you've made the right decision.

Do you know your way to the lift, Mr. Vink?

Don't worry about me. I can find it by myself.

And say hello to your mother.

I will, thank you.

MLVMH Huh?

Your pen. You forgot it.

Did I? How careless of me.

It's a souvenir that has great meaning.

I don't know how I could have forgotten it.

Thank you. You're welcome.

Good day, Mr. Vink.

Good day.

Huh?

Uh, did you say something?

What? No, I didn't say a word.

I apologize.

Now for an update on the latest world news.

Three o'clock. We have two more hours to go.

Hey, would you like a drink?

A drink?

I hope you won't mention this.

Here, this helps me get through those long hours.

No, thanks. I don't drink much.

Huh? No one told me you're a man who doesn't like to have a drink

now and then.

Well, in that case, I guess I'll just have to drink alone.

Tell me, what do you do to amuse yourself?

Chase after girls?

Uh-uh. Actually, I'm engaged.

Oh, you have a fiancée. That's right.

We're getting married in a few weeks.

You are? You're not planning to live it up before then?

Let me tell you something.

When I was in the Navy,

I literally had a girl in every port.

And I racked up a hell of a score in those days.

So much so that now I'm what's called immune to penicillin.

What is it?

Thought I heard a noise.

Hey, don't get so nervous.

Of course, I understand why you would be.

It's so close to your wedding.

Wonder what it was.

Rats. That's it.

You hear about the time they found an elevator

full of dead ones in here?

Huh? They found dozens of them inside there.

If you're looking for excitement,

you better find yourself another job.

The lift.

There's someone in the building. The lift is moving.

Oh, that's very funny.

But you're right.

Look at that. It's heading up.

Let's go UP-

Huh? We'll grab him when he gets out.

Come on.

Hey, wait for me.

He's on the 10th floor. Aww!

He got out. He's on the 15th.

That's the restaurant, isn't it?

Maybe it's a party.

Are you all right?

Uh-huh. I'm going up.

Huh?

Oh!

Keith!

Keith!

What is it?

There's someone down there.

There's a man in the shaft.

Aah!

Help me, damn it!

Help me!

Help me. Get me out. Do something, quick.

I'll call the police. Do you have the number?

What?

Jesus, the lift's coming down.

The lift.

Get me out. Oh, God!

It stopped, Keith.

Keith, where are you?

Keith?

All right, it's moving again. Help!

I used to work the vice squad.

You get numb.

It's a pity.

One time, one of those psychopaths

picked up a girl on the street, took her to his place

and gave her a sleeping pill so she'd keep quiet.

Then he went to work with a drill.

Black & Decker, I think it was.

He was actually able to cut her in half.

I skipped lunch that day.

You can understand why.

Ah, I got used to it later.

Thanks.

Yeah, there are a lot of lunatics running around.

Well, it may be routine to you,

but I'm not used to something this horrible.

I still can't believe that that poor man was decapitated.

Who could have predicted it?

They told me that these lifts were safe,

that there was nothing that could go wrong.

And now a thing like this happens.

This isn't the first accident I've come across with a lift.

And it won't be the last one either.

I don't much like lifts. I prefer the stairs myself.

They're a lot safer.

It's too long a time in a small space,

and I suffer from claustrophobia.

That's why I became a policeman, not a criminal.

I would much rather put others in cells

than wind up myself in prison.

Do you know how many victims get stuck in these lifts in a year?

No idea.

A hundred?

Two?

Come in.

Ah, Schmidt.

I was just asking this gentleman here how many people he thought

got stuck in elevators every year in this country.

Tell him.

250,000.

That's unbelievable.

250,000.

In our country alone. That's a fact.

That's per year.

Schmidt, have you been to the hospital yet?

Yes. The night watchman hasn't said anything coherent yet.

The doctors say he's suffering from a severe shock,

and it may be a while before he can tell us anything useful.

That doesn't help us much, does it?

Uh, well, I did manage to deduct from what the man said

that there was a third party in the building when this occurred.

The two of them were chasing someone.

Someone in the building? A burglar?

I couldn't make sense of what he said.

Could that third party be the cause of this?

Could be, yes.

We'll check out the possibility that it was a burglary.

For the time being, we'll have to wait.

As soon as our friend can talk,

then we can start a real investigation.

He seems to be our only chance.

Yes.

And the blind man? Uh, yes.

Marius Vink.

He must have fallen down the shaft yesterday.

He was in the building to see Mr. Speckingood,

the real estate agent.

I checked it out.

Looks like another accident.

Hmm. Did the lift mechanic come?

Uh, yes. He started working earlier.

He should be done soon.

How are you doing?

Fine.

Who's asking?

I'm Mieke de Beer of the New Review.

The New Review?

I see it sometimes in my neighbor's birdcage.

Our readers are found in many strange places.

You arrived here a little late.

I took all my photos this morning.

I thought no one was being allowed in this morning.

Yes. I've been warned.

This is very interesting.

Are you with the Rising Sun?

No. I'm with the lift company. Rising Sun does electronics.

Will your readers find that interesting?

It's for my personal collection.

Uh-huh.

You've been working all day. That's what someone told me.

That's true.

What's that?

It's air circulation going through the shaft.

It causes vibrations in the lines.

Oh.

It's nothing really to worry about.

Uh-huh.

Are you still around?

I thought I asked you to leave.

Okay, okay, I'm ready to go.

That's an interesting tie you've got.

It's been a pleasure, gentlemen.

Good afternoon.

She's aggressive, isn't she?

I'm sorry, Mr. Adelaar. Regulations.

They're strict here. Mm-hmm.

The boss wants to know how far you got.

I double-checked all your main electrical circuits.

Yes, mm-hmm. You see? I told you he was good.

That's the most likely place for a failure to begin.

But I couldn't find anything wrong.

It's functioning normally.

Too bad we can't say the same about the victims.

The, uh...

the access controls how the doors work.

They're all in order.

But I haven't had a chance to give it all

a thorough inspection.

I should examine the entire shaft,

but that would take days.

The whole time it would be out of order?

That's right. Most of the week, I'm afraid.

I read about an accident this week

that involved two automobiles.

There was a terrible smash-up.

A traffic light was broken, and you won't believe why.

Tell him.

What was the cause, Schmidt?

Uh, a mouse.

Yeah. They found a mouse.

Hiding in the power box, where he had destroyed

the master relay.

I can't believe that mice caused what happened to the lift.

It's possible. I wouldn't be surprised.

A lift can't go up by itself. Don't you agree?

Yeah.

What's the big idea?

I was hoping to catch a ride from you,

if you're heading into town.

Do you regularly break into strangers' cars?

Not too much. Some were unlocked.

Hmm. Where to?

The Greek Tea Room.

That's perfect. It's on my way home.

I pick the most convenient spots.

You look very serious.

Oh, yeah?

What's actually wrong with the lift?

The cops seem to think it could be mice.

Of course. They always go the easy way.

The accident is very tragic, and we will investigate.

Meanwhile, everyone is warned

to beware of old, dangerous elevators.

That's their story.

And you don't buy it.

No. There's more to it than that.

If there was more to tell you, they would have.

Thought you might know something.

You've been misinformed.

Something is going on here. No one gets beheaded on a lift.

A loose relay, perhaps?

What makes you say that?

The door guard, he told me.

One of the lifts was stuck last week, he said.

That was separate from this.

Too bad. Why?

It would have made a nice story.

A real masterpiece.

How many freak accidents happen in lifts?

I don't know. It's riskier driving a car.

These days, elevators have all sorts of safety devices

designed to prevent accidents.

But what if some other really horrible things

had already occurred?

Wouldn't they keep it quiet?

A Plot?

Want a cigarette? No, thanks.

Oh, is this your family?

- Your wife's pretty. - Yeah.

Been together long?

Almost 10 years.

Oh. That's quite a while.

You've been a lift mechanic that whole time?

About as long as you've been a journalist.

Isn't that a tiring job?

All day long, up and down in a shaft?

Yeah, it's tiring sometimes.

Come by, and we'll go up and down together.

Okay, okay. I'll keep quiet.

Well, I see you read it yourself.

My own stuff.

You can drop me off over here.

I thought you wanted to go to the Tea Room.

Actually, this will be better for me.

Thanks so much. I appreciate the ride.

Yeah. Sure. Anytime.

Do you live here?

What?

I said, do you live here?

Here? This is the office. I work here.

Ah. I thought you lived here.

No.

Why would anybody live at their office?

Yeah. I might have time--

Yeah, if you have any news about the lift,

call me at the magazine, okay?

Okay. Bye!

I'll do that. See you.

All right!

Your wife has really picked this up.

And look, they're beating our pants off out there.

Hey, do you think they're practicing on the sly?

Not a chance. She's got talent.

Hey, Felix, how about that?

Felix?

Huh? What?

Would you forget about work?

Hey, don't look so sad.

It's not your fault.

These kind of things happen, you know?

How do you feel? Fine.

We're going to get drinks. What do you want, Felix?

Oh, I don't know. A beer, I guess.

Do you want a tonic, dear?

No, I feel like--

No, that'll just make you even fatter.

All right, then I'll have a tonic.

I keep letting his pants out around the waist.

Felix is down in the dumps. Have you talked to him?

I can't figure him out anymore. He takes his job too seriously.

Can I help you, please?

Two red wines, a beer and a tonic.

Are you two getting along all right otherwise?

Who, Felix and me?

Why do you ask?

Are you sure there isn't someone else?

Someone else? Some other woman?

It happens quite often in a marriage.

No. Felix doesn't fool around.

What an idea.

Well, you never know what can happen.

No. You don't know Felix.

All right, you would know better than anybody

if your husband's reliable.

I made it clear a long time ago to my husband.

If there's ever another woman, he'd have to choose.

Either she goes, or we say goodbye.

He's behaved himself all this time.

He wouldn't dare play around.

I found it. Hey, Hans.

This is the piece you said you were looking for, right?

That's great. Now I'll be able

to stay late and work overtime.

Thanks.

Enjoy yourself.

An extensive overhaul? Isn't that going too far?

We have a lot of other work to do.

I'm afraid it's unavoidable. Something's wrong with it.

I'm sure you're trying to be thorough, Felix,

and that's commendable, but we have no spare time.

Besides, the police think it was a one-time accident.

Since it's working now, I think you should drop it.

I just want to know what's really going on there.

What happened isn't normal.

The lift is in order.

Breuker gave it a checkup last month, inside and out.

He spent several weeks on the job.

He was completely satisfied.

I understood he found quite a few problems there.

Where'd you hear that, Felix?

You know, around.

You know that this is our latest model.

It's equipped with the latest electronics and safety devices.

Long years of research went into it,

and at great cost.

No wonder the maintenance is taking time.

It takes longer to get the feel of it.

And the maintenance book?

Just what do you mean?

There was no sign of a maintenance book.

Really?

It must be there. Have you looked everywhere?

No, I couldn't find it.

Well, I wouldn't know where he put it.

I'll ask Steensma about it. That's his job.

As far as your job goes, it's complete.

If there's anything wrong with that lift,

then Breuker would have discovered it.

I want you to take a few days off.

What for? I never felt better.

Listen, Felix, in a few months

we'll have that merger with the Americans wrapped up.

That's going to mean more work for everyone.

This is no time to bring up problems.

Problems? I'm just trying to do my best for you.

You're a good repairman. One of the finest we have.

And while I'm thinking about it,

you're due for a promotion.

I'll try to put in a good word for you.

We'll have a talk later.

Yes, You ng brood speaking.

Oh, that would be inconvenient just now.

You know what? I'm going to retire

and let my mother-in-law work.

Now that's a good idea.

Hey, Felix. Hey, Spiekie.

Hi. I've got some great news.

You know that blonde in Administration?

Blonde? Yeah, in Administration.

I've got a date with her. Ha! Who hasn't?

They say she shaves herself down below.

Really? It grows that fast, huh?

I'm going to find out for sure soon enough.

Trust me.

Damn. Salami again.

Fourth day in a row.

Did you know Breuker at all?

Breuker? A little.

I went to see him in the sanitarium last week.

He's in pretty bad shape. He's completely out of it.

What's up?

Nothing, really.

Would Breuker be the type of guy

to sabotage one of the elevators?

Him? I don't think so.

You know, loosen a few bolts or anything.

Out of spite for someone he didn't like.

Nah. Breuker wouldn't.

He was a weird type of guy, but he loved to fix lifts.

I was his helper on a couple of jobs,

and all he ever talked about was work.

Nah, Felix, you must be thinking of another guy.

Strange, though. Admit it.

For someone to change his whole life

from one day to the next?

Mm, well, it happens all the time.

Some people are okay one minute,

the next thing you know it's goodbye, folks.

Spiekerman.

Hmm? Come over here a minute.

Ugh. Sure thing, chief.

Why don't you pay him a little visit.

Maybe he's feeling better now.

Spiekerman!

Coming, boss.

I know that, Karel. I forgot about it, sorry.

No, we're partners. Of course we are.

I'll send the quotation for you.

It's going to work.

Yes, say hello to your lovely wife.

That's good.

Fine, I'll see you later.

He never does.

What? Say hello for you.

Oh, no?

Well, you don't think he knows what we're doing, do you?

No way.

That man's all tied up in his job.

And so are you.

You've got to relax a bit more...partner.

Oh, what is it now?

The personnel. I wouldn't want them to find out about us.

Oh, what's wrong? You never used to worry.

Your secretary's out to lunch until 2:00, isn't she?

We must use discretion. Come, come, come.

Now, relax and enjoy this.

Nobody will discover us.

Feel like a drink?

Hey, what if Ravenstein sees you?

Huh? We don't have to worry about him.

He's getting his rocks off.

Oh, yeah. I forgot.

It's Wednesday.

Let's get comfortable on the couch, dear.

Where's your daughter? Her?

She's playing outside in the hallway there.

Now, don't worry.

Mm. You're wearing black underwear.

Just for you.

Huh?

Why did you scream?

What have you been up to?

Look what you've done to your doll, brat!

Come with me. You're always into mischief.

Are you related? No, we work together.

How's he doing?

Unfortunately, there's been no change.

Oh.

It's been mystifying us.

He sits in the middle of the room every day.

Seems he has a fear of walls.

Good morning, Mr. Breuker. How are you feeling today?

You have a visitor.

Uh...

Pull up a chair here if you feel like it.

What's wrong with his hands?

Well, that happened last week.

He smashed the television screen in the ward room,

then became hysterical.

- Something got to him. - Look how lovely she is.

Call me when you want to go.

He's sedated quite heavily.

You can ask him questions, but he might not answer.

Hello.

How are you?

I'm Adelaar, from work.

The lift company?

Um...

maybe I shouldn't have done this, but I need help.

Breuker...

Breuker, what happened to the lift?

The book is missing.

Breuker, Breuker,

you'd been working on that lift for quite a while.

Who took the book?

People have been killed.

You must tell me what you know.

Please, what's happening with the lift?

Give it to me.

No, you can't have it.

Get away from me.

Go away. Go away.

Ah, your colleague just left.

Colleague?

Yes, from the computer company.

He took forever.

He went up to check the electrical installation.

He told me that these lifts are extremely complicated.

Yeah, well, that's for sure.

He's been up to all sorts of mischief.

The lift's been out of order for an hour.

The whole hour?

Mm-hmm. Yup.

Yeah. That happens a lot.

These jobs take a long time.

You won't repeat the exercise, I hope.

No, I just came by

to make sure the lift's in good working order, that's all.

Oh. He scared me.

My feet are killing me walking up all those steps.

That's all there is.

There's nothing else on the Rising Sun in our files.

Can you make anything of it?

They're one of the largest multinational companies

as far as electronics are concerned.

Did you know that?

Hmm.

There's nothing bad in that.

No. They've...

they've been accused of bribing politicians,

and some industrial espionage.

Ha! No surprise there. That's true of most of them.

They've been on a television show recently.

Rising Sun? Mm-hm.

Some kind of scientific program.

Huh. When was that?

Um...last week, I think.

Didn't you see it?

No.

But I bet someone else did.

Hmm. Well, let's get all this cleaned up.

Then you can tell me why you're so upset.

Okay, I think I understand.

In a lift, you have a mechanical section

and an electronic section.

Now, the electronic section guides the lifts

and sees that they don't all stop at one floor

at the same time.

It also controls the doors.

That's pretty much what it does.

The brains of the entire installation.

And you feel that could be the cause of all this?

Mm-hmm. Rising Sun installed all the electronics.

And what your co-worker stumbled on drove him mad?

Yup. I think so.

But what could have been so awful

that it would drive him crazy?

I don't know.

He might also have a loose relay.

Please don't make jokes about it.

Sorry.

Forgive me. Why are you so worked up over this?

This lift does things it shouldn't.

I've done things I shouldn't.

Yeah, but you're not a machine.

Thank you.

Look. It's Felix.

Hey...

Hey!

He's with another woman.

Oh, yeah.

I knew it. I knew he had a girlfriend.

That no-good shit.

Come on. Hmm.

Hmm.

What about going to the police?

Ha. Nobody would befieveit

I don't have any proof.

Those clippings weren't very helpful, were they?

I've got some idea who I'll be meeting with.

What time is your appointment? At 1:00.

Okay, that's good.

What do you mean? Hey, don't you get it?

What's to get? I'm coming with you.

I can't take a reporter along to see them.

And why not?

All right. Don't start anything.

Mm-hmm.

Mr. Von Hauten, you are

urgently requested to go to the Accounting office.

Can I help you?

Good afternoon.

I have an appointment.

What's your name?

Adelaar. Felix Adelaar.

Uh, the appointment was made by phone this morning

to see Mr. Kroon, the head of our research department.

Mm-hmm. You're right on time, sir.

He hasn't got his beeper. I'll go and get him for you.

Will you wait here, please? Mm-hmm.

Put away that camera. Are you nuts?

Why?

You're going to get us

thrown out of here, that's why.

You're Mr. Adelaar, I guess.

Kroon.

Uh, I thought you'd be alone.

Well, this is my colleague on this.

She's been quite helpful. Colleague?

Uh-huh. Well, unusual work for a woman.

Really?

Uh, now, then, I'm sorry, I don't have much time.

Someone who works for your firm

checked the electrical installation

on one of the lifts I was repairing this week.

It's possible. We check all our installations regularly.

It's routine.

We also do it after consulting our clients.

We've just been wondering

if something hadn't checked out right.

With our electronic installation?

The computer guidance system.

Hmm. Out of the question. It can't be that.

Our microprocessing systems always have strict tests

in difficult circumstances.

Don't forget, our reputation's at stake.

Yes.

I only understand a little about electronic layout myself,

but couldn't something have gone wrong?

Mr. Adelaar, surely you know

we install electronic installations

all over the world.

For lifts, factories, hospitals,

military installations, nuclear reactors.

We're everywhere.

Uh, we're spending a fortune on research.

We value our reputation.

We simply can't afford to make mistakes.

Our microprocessors are 100% reliable.

Is this where they're made?

Hmm? What?

The microprocessing systems.

Some of them. Most come from Japan.

We're more concerned with maintenance here at the factory.

I'm afraid that's all I can do for you, Mr. Adelaar.

I wouldn't mind seeing the assembly room while we're here.

Impossible. I'm very busy.

We also have a job waiting for us.

Yes, we're supposed to inspect a shaft.

A loose relay.

Thank you for your time. We appreciate it.

Glad to help out.

And if you need anything else, feel free to call me up.

Yes, I will. Do that.

You didn't sound very convincing.

You either. I hope I don't get in trouble.

Nervous, wasn't he?

Mm, he's too defensive to let on

if anything was really wrong.

Yeah. Something about that guy is very suspicious.

I didn't like him.

He didn't like you either.

At least you're even.

New recipe?

Not really, no.

It might be that it's burnt a little.

That can happen when it's been on the stove too long.

I couldn't help getting stuck in a traffic jam.

Bertie, take your cap off at the table.

Oh, Mom!

Papa, what's adultery about?

Hey, shh!

Adultery?

Well...

l'll tell you.

I'll tell you when you're a little older.

You should explain it.

What?

Yes, tell them what adultery's about.

You're such an expert on the subject.

An expert?

Don't act so dumb.

Somebody told me about that woman.

The bitch.

I didn't believe them, so I called the factory

and asked to speak to you.

They told me you've been out the whole afternoon.

What are you talking about?

You were having a good time with another woman, that's what.

I guess I'm not good enough for you anymore.

You must be tired of me.

Well, I'm not going to let you treat me

like some kind of doormat.

Adelaar.

Hello.

We're just having dinner.

Listen, I'll...

I'll have to call you back.

What?

Which professor?

The man who teaches computer sciences?

I never heard of him.

No. Won't tomorrow do?

All right, at the university tonight.

Mm-hmm. I know where it is.

See you there in a little bit. Bye.

So she's a student?

It's a misunderstanding. She's a journalist.

That's nice. Wonderful.

She goes to school on the side.

Now, finish up.

That's it.

Papa's friend is expecting him real soon.

We don't want to make him late.

This is a chip. According to some,

it's the greatest technological advance in the history of man.

According to others, it's the greatest threat.

This kind of electronic chip is only a few millimeters across.

Now, one chip has thousands of miniature components

all over its surface.

There are chips all around us these days.

Without chips, our society wouldn't be able

to function properly anymore.

Someday, we'll have chips installed bottom to top.

They'll be surgically implanted to regulate our blood pressure,

among other things.

This is a revolutionary concept, and it won't be long

before chips are used to take over

certain functions of the brain.

If I were an imbecile, and of course I'm not,

whoop, one implant.

And that's all it takes.

I'm as smart as anyone else.

Can you tell us about the computer in America?

A computer was created quite some time ago

in the United States.

It came equipped with the latest kind of chips.

The next thing they knew,

it began to go off all on its own.

Totally inexplicable.

A mystery to everyone concerned.

The computer started initiating its own brain patterns.

It began making its own programs.

It got completely out of control

and couldn't be stopped.

So they pulled the plug.

They couldn't figure out how to stop it,

so they dug a big hole and buried the computer.

They just covered it up.

But how could they be sure it was something in the chips?

No question. You see, in the last few years,

scientists all over the world have spent a lot of time

bringing down the size of these chips.

Now, computers used to be so big and bulky,

they filled up half the room.

I have a picture. Ah, here it is.

Would you believe this computer used to accomplish the same

as a chip does today?

It's not much elapsed time. About 15 years.

And the research has hardly started yet.

Everything just gets tinier and tinier.

And that is where the danger lies, in my opinion.

Under certain influences,

the programs of the chips can now be changed.

The tinier the chip, the more unstable

and less reliable it will become.

For instance, what type of influences?

Magnetism, static electricity, temperature,

ultraviolet rays, radioactive rays.

When a chip is exposed to these elements,

it may begin to break down.

Then you've got to find and quickly remove such a chip.

Should it continue in use,

the danger is it could reprogram itself.

They have now started to develop a new element: the biochip.

Chips that are no larger than a little molecule.

One time, they built a computer, an entirely experimental thing,

a prototype, with these chips

that were made completely out of protein.

Can you imagine that?

A chip made out of pure organic material.

Fantastic. You mean, it worked?

Uh-uh. It proved an awful failure.

It turned out the chips were so unstable and irregular

they instantly started to reprogram in the computer.

But the most fascinating thing of all was

these chips of protein lost control

and reproduced themselves over and over again.

The computer began to create its own chips.

It began to grow.

Can you believe it?

Yeah, tell me.

Did somebody bury that one?

I have no idea.

It might have committed suicide by now.

Solong.

Glad you were able to stop by.

Thanks, again. Good night. Good night.

Well, what do you think, Felix?

I don't believe any of it.

It's impossible for chips to start multiplying.

Why is that?

A computer that reproduces itself?

Are you sure your friend is really a professor?

He's one of the most brilliant people I know.

He doesn't have to make things up.

Sounds like a nut case.

He's an expert in this field. Rising Sun's installed

something like that in the lift, I'm telling you.

And your friend Breuker discovered it.

Then he must have flipped out.

Like I will if I listen to you.

You won't go along with it? So prove that he's crazy.

Check it out yourself. What?

Well, the main computer that powers the lift

is in a metal box on top of the shaft.

So you want me to break in? Only to find out the truth.

Yeah, and it would make a great story for you.

Thank you, but I have enough problems of my own.

And one thing I don't need on top of everything else

is a fight with my boss just because

some weird friend of yours

makes up stories about computers that reproduce.

You're petrified, aren't you? Uh, yeah.

I guess that must be it.

Are you coming?

No, thanks. I'll find a cab.

You finished, Van Rooyen?

This isn't a circus. I'm tired of telling you that.

If you want to play a clown, do it on your own time.

Now, you got a job to do. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Hey, if you don't like it, then get the hell out.

I hope I see him.

All right, ladies, cut the gabbing.

Oh!

Well, you shouldn't have stuck it out in traffic.

Keep up the good work, ladies.

I'll be back for dress inspection

in a couple of minutes.

Huh?

What the fuck?

Where the hell did he go?

Van Rooyen?

Stupid jerkoff.

Good morning. Came early, hmm?

I have quite a lot of work to do today.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Me too.

Hmm? Hmm?

Ew. Ugh.

Hi, Spiekie. Huh?

You're early today.

You're supposed to be sick or something.

Sick? What?

Youngbrood had me take over for you.

Take over what? The lift.

In that office building.

You don't look sick to me.

No.

There something wrong there?

One of the cleaning people got into the shaft somehow

and got mangled in the works.

Dead as a doornail.

The cops think he's the one

who's been fooling around with the lift.

What the hell is happening around here?

Nobody told me about that.

Ah, Mr. Adelaar. I've been expecting you.

Yeah. I've just found out.

You've asked Spiekerman to fix that lift.

You've been removed from that job.

Is that right? Yes, that's right.

And there's one more thing you should know.

I put you on sick leave for a month.

You can't just force me off work.

Under the circumstances, you should have been fired.

You didn't even call us up to explain.

You just took off yesterday afternoon.

And to make matters worse, you had the nerve to pay a visit

to one of our business associates behind my back

and criticize him.

Have you gone totally off your rocker?

We have good contacts with the Rising Sun company,

and you go and tell them

their electronic installation's no good!

I'm sorry, but I didn't say that.

Spiekerman will be taking over for you a few days.

You'll have a chance to pull yourself together.

But it's my lift. And it's my reputation.

I expect you to keep away from that lift,

and women from newspapers!

Hey, what's wrong now, Felix?

With me? Nothing. It's the lift that's wrong.

I'll be giving it a checkup right after this weekend.

That's a bit too late.

But they know who did it now.

Like hell they do. The cleaning man.

No way. He had nothing to do with it.

What do you mean? Who do you think it was?

Felix. Hey, where are you going?

Huh.

You see, the man was dumb. Wasn't careful enough.

And that's what got him killed.

What made him do it?

Why did he have to play tricks with the lift like that?

Everything points in his direction.

Did you know he had a police record?

No, he never brought it up.

Of course. What does it say, Schmidt?

Auto theft and a robbery.

Also, public nuisance.

There you are. You can see he was the type.

It doesn't surprise me, though.

I always thought he seemed pretty unreliable.

Hmm.

But it's not easy these days

to find someone to do heavy cleaning.

Will you...here, sign this.

Yes.

There you go.

Yeah. Thanks.

I'm happy I was able to help.

If you need more information, I'll be around.

Yeah, we certainly will if the need arises.

In any case, we'd like to thank you for your cooperation.

It was nothing.

Thank you.

Well, Schmidt,

now that this problem's solved, we can get on to other things.

Where'd I put my travel brochures?

Uh, the upper drawer on the right.

Ah-ha, here they are.

Yup.

Ah.

Uh, but are you sure Van Rooyen was the guilty man?

Huh? I am. Aren't you?

When there was trouble with the lift,

that cleaning man had always been in the building

the night before.

But couldn't that be due to coincidence?

I don't believe in coincidence in this business, Schmidt.

I'm after facts, and the facts point clearly in one direction.

I'm just happy we could clear this up

before I go on my vacation.

Ah, this is going to be wonderful.

Tropical beaches.

What time does my flight leave Monday, Schmidt?

Sasha?

Hello?

What?

Where have you gone?

Oh, wonderful.

What about the kids?

Yeah, yeah.

Now, wait just a minute.

I don't know what's happened to you this time, but...

Well, how long do you plan to...?

Look, I'm not going to play any more of your stupid games.

L hope you're happy!

The lift is out of control.

We've made a few errors.

But when you started, you told me nothing could go wrong.

If anyone ever finds out, it will be disastrous.

Nobody will find out.

Yeah? My repairmen are extremely suspicious.

I should never have listened to you.

God only knows what you've been doing all this time.

There's been some problems.

They'll be solved soon.

Well, I don't plan to be responsible

for your experiments.

I want nothing more to do with them.

Oh, I'm tired.

I need some time away.

You're not well.

You'd better do that.

Huh?

What?

Aah!

You can't be left on your own, can you?

Um...

I guess it's all over.

I missed it.

Easy.

You slipped up. You're late.

How should I know the trouble you're getting yourself into?

What are you doing here?

It was extremely sick.

Oh!