Original subtitles

Alan?

Darling?

Look, it's taken. Do you see?

I think you're right.

Reared from seed.

Hermisus Chlorys. The first in captivity.

And it will blossom too, I promise you.

You're a very clever girl.

Yes, of course I am. I caught you, didn't I?

Hey, you'll get me the sack. Come on.

Don't forget my good-morning kiss.

See you later.

I didn't know you had green fingers.

Economics. Law of supply and demand. Cut out the middleman.

Private enterprise. I'm growing my own buttonholes.

Oh? Why? - Well, it's got to start somewhere.

Morning Sunrise,

A fully fledged bloom of delicate russet tints.

In a haunting bouquet, for you, Mrs. Peel.

I sense a bribe.

Nonsense, I want you to get the first fruits of my labours.

What nasty situation have you got in store for me this time, hm?

You have your own built in early warning system you know.

A certain look in the eye. Roses.

Roses...

Roses? - Roses.

Ah!

The missing horticulturalists. - Bull's eye.

Professors Taylor and Knight, and Dr. Connolly.

All disappeared without a trace, right?

The score now stands at four.

Another one joined the merry van yesterday

Walked out of a greenhouse, trampled across a lot of prize plants,

and hasn't been seen since.

An old acquaintance of yours, Laura Burford.

Laura? - I'm afraid so.

You introduced me to her once. Fair, glamourous creature...

An expert in plant diseases?

One of the best. What do you think's happened to her?

Well, it's too soon to know. The whole thing's very baffling.

Four experts, all brilliant in their own field of horticulture, just disappeared.

Have you anything to go on? - Not much, what there is is tenuous.

They all disappeared in this area: Surrey.

Who told you about Laura's disappearance?

Carter. - Who?

I thought you knew.

She got engaged a couple of weeks ago to a chap called Alan Carter.

He's a botanist too.

I can't believe that she could go like this.

Like what, Mr. Carter? Exactly what did happen yesterday?

Well, nothing. One moment she was here, happy and excited, and then the next...

Did you see or hear anything?

No, but then I might not.

It's a bad habit, I'm afraid, but sometimes when I'm concentrating, I turn the volume down.

But it was the way that she went.

Do you see? Trampled the flower beds,

Smashed through frames of glass, destroyed months of research, almost as though...

Almost as though it didn't matter any longer.

Mr. Steed, I've got to go. There's a meeting of the Horticultural Circle.

Ordinarily I'd cancel it, but the president's ill and I've got to stand in for him.

Sir Lyle Peterson? - Yes, it's the first meeting he's missed for ten years.

Everything seems to be going wrong lately.

I would be grateful if you... - If I find anything, I'll be in touch.

Thank you. Do stay in here until the rain stops.

There was something I hadn't the heart to ask him.

Laura and another man?

It's possible. - Anything's possible.

For instance, it might just be coincidence.

Sir Lyle Peterson, an eminent horticulturalist missing his first meeting in ten years.

And his home is situated in Surrey Green.

My name is Steed. I have an appointment with Sir Lyle Peterson.

Yes, sir. Come in.

Sir Lyle will see you shortly, sir. - Thank you.

Would you wait here?

Come autumn, l hope to see more of you.

Well, that's all for the moment, gentlemen. There'll be further reports later today.

Ah, Miss Perkins, didn't have a chance before. Welcome to our little group.

If there's anything you want, don't hesitate to come to me.

Thank you.

Mr. Steed. - Sir Lyle.

Tree Preservation Society, isn't it? - That's right.

We can talk in my office.

Do you drink brandy, Mr. Steed?

If you mean am I accustomed to drinking brandy Sir Lyle, the answer is yes.

If you mean would I like one now, the answer is also yes.

Good.

Man differs little from plant life. Liquid nutriment is vitally essential.

I do so agree.

Difficult to survive without it. - And relatively unnecessary.

Thank you.

Your call interested me.

Trees are our national heritage.

Now indiscriminate felling, mutilation, this is criminal. It's an act of violence.

We think alike, Mr. Steed. - I'm so glad.

Because we're pressing the government to increase compulsory planting in cities and towns.

Now your name on our list of memberships would insure success.

You shall have it.

Thank you! And this is delicious. - I'm so glad.

You know, Mr. Steed, people often regard plants like these wax figures.

Passive, inanimate. - What pretty hair.

Yes. Real too.

Yet see how these plants climb.

For all we know they feel, perhaps even think.

I want to show you something.

My favourite plant, the Venus flytrap, devours insects.

It's quite a gourmet. Aren't you, my pet?

Very partial to blue bottles, but can't abide the domestic house fly.

However, I have a treat for you today, specially imported.

Now, see how you like these.

Here, now then, you have that.

Now, now, now, don't snap.

That's right. One for you, my pretty.

There, that's choice.

And you, how about you, eh? How's that? Is that nice?

And you. All right, all right, here it comes.

There. Is that good? Is that good?

What an interesting gadget.

Yes, it's experimental.

Controls soil temperature and water supply.

There's no substitute for first class equipment, or brains.

You're certainly well stocked with both.

Oh, by the way, wasn't that Laura Burford I heard and surely Dr. Connolly, just leaving?

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, the cat's out of the bag, I see.

Well, the fact is, that I'm engaged on some research with great commercial possibilities.

New flowering shrubs. So...

Naturally I gathered the greatest team of experts I could find.

Perhaps I have been a trifle overcautious.

You're certainly very observant.

Well, the press has been full of them.

You say you know Miss Burford? - I've met her.

Then let's have her in.

Lennox, would you send in Miss Burford, please. - Right away, sir.

Oh, another? - Thank you, no.

I'd rather not sully such a perfect vintage with repetition.

Fascinating.

Ah, Miss Burford, come in. Come in, I have an old friend of yours here.

You remember? John Steed. I met you with Mrs. Peel.

Oh yes, of course, how are you? - More to the point, how are you?

I'm sorry? - I ran into your fiance the other day.

Frantic about you, he is. - Yes, I can imagine.

But it isn't often one gets an opportunity like this.

It's such an exciting project so when Sir Lyle called me I just dropped everything.

What exactly are you doing? - What?

The project? - Well...

As I told you, we're experimenting with a new flowering shrub.

Yes, a new flowering shrub. - Oh.

Well, I must be getting back.

So must I. I have some fledgling forests in Cambridge that I must attend to.

I'll send you those membership forms. - Please, do.

Lennox.

Imagine sitting on that.

If my car had a roof, I'd have gone through it.

You would have gone further than that. These barbs are deadly.

Wonder what we did to upset Sir Lyle? - Oh, I don't know.

Finding Laura and the others?

Whoops, you dropped it.

Where has it gone? - Underneath there.

I must say that oil derrick puzzles me.

Well, whatever they're drilling for, it's not oil.

There is no oil in Surrey. - You called the equipment company?

Yeah, Peterson placed two orders about a month ago.

One was for the estate,

And the other one?

Ah, got it. They're calling me back.

It was supposed to go to some farm or other, but at the last minute, Peterson cancelled.

Did they say why? - No.

Do you mind.

Yes, this is Mrs. Peel speaking.

Would you repeat that? Yes, I've got that.

Mot Farm, Denby.

Well, this isn't my idea of striking it rich.

No wonder Peterson cancelled his order.

Oop, mind the puddle.

Well, after you.

No, after you. - So kind.

It's a pleasure, Mrs. Peel.

I prefer the west wing. - This is not bad.

What for? - A pied-a-terre.

Steed?

Looks as though there's been a fire. - And there's something under there.

Steed. Mrs. Peel.

Well, we have a clear identification - And?

A spaceship, launched about a year ago.

And what happened to it? - A technical failure just after launching.

Poor chap died, up there, alone.

Five thousand miles up in the cosmos.

We tried to hush the whole thing up of course.

Since then, the ship and the body have been circling in orbit.

What caused re-entry? - Ah, that's the question.

Collision.

Collision? With what?

That, we are about to find out.

What on earth's that?

Looks like some sort of mad octopus.

Well, what was it doing up in the cosmos?

From the dent it made in the spacecraft, impact must have been enormous.

Probably weighs half a hundred weight. - Animal, vegetable, or mineral?

It's vegetable.

Vegetable?

These aren't tentacles, they're pappus.

Oh, pappi. - It's definitely vegetable.

Thirty years of botany, and I've never seen anything like this before.

But it is of vegetable origin?

Oh, of that there's no doubt. Come, l'll show you.

Now, look.

This is the seed case containing the embryo and reserves of food.

However, rather damaged in collision, I'm afraid.

And these are undoubtedly pappus.

Very observant of you, my dear.

Can you hazard a guess? Which family of plant life does it belong to?

Well, it's unusual, very unusual.

It's not tropical, of that I'm certain.

Of course I shall want a complete analysis. - Just a guess, Miss Sheldon.

Well, don't hold me to it, but l think it's a composite.

Really?

You know it better as a ''parachute seed''.

Dispersed on the wind,

like the common, or garden dandelion.

Just as Miss Sheldon said, like hundreds of little parachutes.

Dispersed on the wind. Where does that little baby come from?

Mars.

Mars? - Or even the moon.

Recent photographs show whole areas of vegetation.

Does it also show some outsized dandelions?

- Mr. Steed? - Yes, Commander.

A message has just come through from the Air Ministry, radar control.

They've checked back and they've found that a meteorite was reported

on the fourth of last month.

Fits in with all this.

And do you think in fact the meteorite was a spaceship re-entering?

I'm sure of it. Well, I just thought you'd like to know.

Thank-you, Commander.

Fourth of last month? That's odd.

That's the day that Knight, Connolly and Taylor disappeared.

Is there any connection?

Whatever it is, Peterson's got it behind barbed wire.

Well, we could always cut our way through.

You go and have a chat with the locals, see what they know about it.

And you?

Mr. Carter!

Mr. Carter? - Oh, sorry.

Terrible weather we're having. I ran into your fiance.

Laura? Where is she? Is she all right?

She's quite all right, I've spoken to her.

Well, where is she? - She's with Sir Lyle Peterson.

If this is some kind of joke, I think it's of the worst possible taste.

Oh, that's where she is. She's working for him.

Working for him? But she loathes him.

Peterson's one of her pet hates.

Every theory he's ever had is diametrically opposed to Laura's.

She no more work for him than fly to the moon.

All the same, that's where she is, with Knight, Taylor and Connolly.

What are they doing there?

Same as her. They're developing some new flowering shrub, according to Sir Lyle.

But you can't lift or graft shrubs at this time of the year.

That's what I heard. All the same I should get Laura to explain it to you.

Call her.

What? After she walked out on me without a word?

Surrey Green, double 1, 4, 1.

Same again, John.

I'm looking for Joe Mercer, farm supplies. Is he here?

Yes, Miss.

Joe, there's someone for you.

Looking for me, lady? - Yes. My name is Mrs. Peel.

And I just bought a small holding near here. I gather you...

I gather you supply a friend of mine, Sir Lyle Peterson.

He's my best customer.

John! And a pint for the lady.

l supply him with everything: wire fencing, insecticides, and this stuff.

What's the polythene for?

Conserves heat and moisture, and helps seedlings to germinate.

Mind you, this is all I've got left, the same with the fertilizer.

He's had every ounce in the place.

Oh, thank you.

Cheers! - Cheers!

What's he growing up there? - I wouldn't know.

But I must have supplied him with 20 tons in the past month.

In fact, the last lorry load's just gone up.

Commander Davis!

Commander Davis, come here, come here.

Now then, take a look at that.

Go on. No, no, focus it, focus it. Now then, what do you see?

It looks like a sponge. - A sponge!

Oh, this is unbelievable!

History in the making!

What you see there are cells, brain cells.

This seed had an embryonic brain.

Oh, what a disaster that it was damaged.

Imagine, a plant that could think.

Think!

There, you see?

I've tried more than a dozen times. And there's never anyone there.

Maybe the phone's out of order. - No, I had it checked.

Are you sure Peterson was there? - He was when I left.

I've been thinking about what you said, about Peterson and Laura.

It doesn't make sense.

Why should she work for him? She's got a good job, and full research facilities.

Money. Brains are marketable, and Peterson wants the best.

But that's just my point.

Laura's clever.

She was a pupil of mine. That's how we met.

But she's got a lot to learn.

That wouldn't be sour grapes?

Look, if Peterson had approached me, I would have said no.

I'm surprised he didn't.

But for that matter, if I were looking for the most able botanists,

I wouldn't have picked Connolly, but Dr. Sheldon.

And why all this secrecy?

Why didn't she discuss the matter with me?

Well, ask her. - I would if I could reach her.

Well, I'll do my best.

Excuse me.

Yeah, Steed speaking. Hello?

I'm not going to wait any longer. I'm going over to Peterson's to see what it's all about.

And I'll break in if I have to.

Oh, Dr. Sheldon. Carter? Carter!

Yes.

You what?

Laura! Laura!

Laura!

Laura!

Laura!

And now, as our project is nearing completion,

I should like your reports, in order of priority.

Germination, Professor Taylor?

Satisfactory. Expected at 1800.

Under soil heating, Professor Knight?

The specified temperature is being maintained.

Irrigation, Dr. Connolly?

All channels tested, and working normally.

Excellent, excellent. And finally, pest control?

All preparations on schedule, Sir Lyle.

These cells. They're identical to the human brain cells.

Yes, but the shape.

In my opinion, this is the seed of a climbing plant.

A bean stalk. Now then, where are we?

Yes, the average bean is about half an inch long,

and grows, say, four or five feet high.

Proportionately, this would grow to...

well, say 200 times higher than the Empire State Building.

Charming prospect. - And think of the tendrils!

I'd rather not. - Reaching out for miles!

If it were allowed to seed, it would cover the earth in well...

a matter of weeks!

Well, there'd be no shortage of beans.

Ah, but this isn't the common, or garden vegetable.

If it has brains, it has reflexes.

These tendrils would move, feed,

protect it. Oh, I beg your pardon!

Now then, what puzzles me is it's digestive system.

To germinate, this would require tons of fertilizer,

enormous heat, and endless supplies of water.

Miss Sheldon, this has just arrived.

Ah ha, now I shall be able to tell you something.

A report from the laboratory.

I sent some specimens up for analysis.

Hydrochrome oxidase!

A chemical enzyme present in the tissue.

But enzymes are perfectly harmless.

Yes, but essential for growth.

We may think ourselves lucky that this was damaged.

Why?

On Earth, there's only one source of hydrachrome oxidase.

Man.

Man?

Yes, this was a man-eating plant.

If it had germinated,

it would have required us just as much as we require green vegetables.

Ah, it's lucky there's only one of them.

Increase temperature five degrees.

Please indicate rate of growth.

Three hundred and rising steadily.

Where's Miss Sheldon? - Collecting the herbicide.

Well if there is another seed, she'd better be quick or we'll all be on the menu.

That's only one of our problems.

Oh?

The missing horticulturalists, they must have been under some sort of spell.

How's that?

Well, take Peterson.

He orders supplies, a special drill for planting at the right depth.

Well, how did he know? He must have been directed.

No, those missing scientists were hand-picked by the plant.

Then why not pick on Alan or Miss Sheldon? They were much more qualified.

Why not indeed. Now, put that on.

Well, don't you recognize a deaf aid. - Pardon?

A deaf aid. - Who needs a deaf aid?

For breaking into the estate. Now go on, put it on.

But if Alan and Miss Sheldon... - ...were immune.

What did they have in common?

Ah!

Now, how does it work?

Well, it's probably a transistorized circuit. Acts as a barrier.

A barrier! Oh!

Yeah, well, don't lose it, will you? - Why not?

The plant's only man-eating.

Temperature to maximum.

This herbicide, you're sure it will work?

Oh, yes. Nothing more effective than propyonic acid.

A teaspoon full of this would kill a large oak tree.

Good. Let's hope the plant's no bigger by the time we arrive.

Excellent.

Excellent!

My friends, you've done well.

And I promise you your services will not go unrewarded.

Your experience will prove invaluable.

Have no fear. No fear.

Protection will be afforded to you all,

when we have complete control.

Where's the driver?

I'll give you three guesses. Come on, we'll park here.

Well, where is everybody?

The battery must have... Miss Sheldon!

Oh! Oh!

Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. How very extraordinary.

Oh...

Yucca Gloriosa. Oh, you should see it in the summer.

It's the roof, the foliage, the rate of growth is fantastic!

You can actually see it moving. - It's growing darker every second.

Peterson's office. The controls are in there.

There's the panel.

Don't touch that!

Get away from it, you hear me.

Get away from it!

It's taken them all. Everyone.

You try, but you can't resist it.

I'll get you a drink. - Thank you.

It's covered the whole building. In a few hours it'll seed.

Keep it in. It'll act as a barrier against the pull of the plant.

Now is there anything we can do? - Nothing.

How does this work?

It's too late for that. It's not a man. It's like some prehistoric monster.

The only chance is a powerful herbicide. - We've got some.

Miss Sheldon!

Where's the herbicide? - You had it last.

I'm all right. Thank you so much.

Look after her.

Mrs. Peel, don't you recognize me?

Apparently not. Ow!

It's all around this room, we can't get out. - The herbicide, get it.

What? - The herbicide.

Oh, yes.

For heaven's sake, hurry!

Come on!

Do you think it will work?

Steed...

What happened to...?

Oh, that? I'm a herbicidal maniac. Didn't you know?

Lunch first, I think, then a meander across the Surrey down,

through woodland glades,

just in time for tea and clotted cream with an old friend of mine.

He runs a nursery. Grows all sorts of things:

roses, daffodils, giant climbers.

What? - They grow as tall as this.

What are it's eating habits?

Strictly vegetarian.

Ho, ho... Boing!

Subtitles by: rick@peoplesguidetothecosmos.com