Original subtitles

Luna 3, where are you guys?

Can you see me? Right here!

Here I am!

The cosmos neveragain!

ScreenpIay AngeI Wagenstein

Story Editor Willi Brückner

Cinematography GünterJaeuthe

Set Design Erich KrüIIke & Wemer Pieske

Set Construction G. Kriewitz, H. WeIzeI & J. Hamann

Music Günther Fischer

SpeciaI Effects Kurt Marks & Boris Trawkin

Costumes Barvara MüIIer

Makeup LotharStägIich & Christa GrewaId

Sound Günter Witt & Georg Gutschmidt

Editor HeIga Gentz

Assistant Director EIeonore DresseI

Assistant Cinematographers D. HerteIt, K. SchuIze & A. Kühn

Production Managers G. List, J. Schmidt & H.U. Wardeck

Starring

Producer Dorothea Hildebrandt

Director Herrmann Zschoche

Earth CentraI caIIing Margot... Earth CentraI caIIing Margot.

Attention aII transmission stations.

Earth CentraI caIIing Margot.

This is Luna 3.

I'II connect you to Margot.

Margot calling Earth Central.

Earth CentraI. Go ahead.

Urgent report.

Spaceship T-S 68 and crew of 3 have not retumed to base Margot.

Awaiting orders.

Griva reporting. Overand out.

Quiet pIease.

-CouId you put out yourcigarette? -Of course I can.

I suggested convening the council

because this situation exceeds any usuaI incident.

The first report came three days ago.

AT-S 22 disappeared on its return flight to base Margot.

Now we've had six such messages.

Six spaceships in three days. More than an unfortunate coincidence.

-Someone must be heId responsibIe. -Quite right, young man.

-l faiI to see the humor in it. -Don't start heckIing.

Strange that it onIy invoIves ships from the same base.

Strange that our coIIeague drags us here to teII us something

we couId have read in the newspapers.

I expected more detaiIed information from Ms. SchoII.

At Ieast a working hypothesis.

-l don't have one. -But l do.

I suspect ourspaceships have coIIided with anti-matter bodies

that happened to enter into oursoIarsystem.

AsimpIe case of annihiIation.

PIease record in the minutes that the counciI isn't responsibIe.

Is that what concems you Prof. Tal? Whether it's ourfauIt?

PeopIe may have lost their Iives.

That is exactIy what I mean.

Jackie Bernstein is right. Someone must be held responsibIe.

Margot calling Earth Central.

Urgent report. Spaceship T-S 340 transporting crew of 16 scientists

has not returned to base Margot.

TVand radio contact suddenIy ceased at 12:00 Greenwich time.

Griva reporting. Overand out.

Seven accidents in a row. Unbelievable.

UnbelievabIe that you're having meetings whiIe peopIe are dying.

You're not a counciI member but we weIcome youropinion.

Order Margot to send out rescue squads immediateIy.

We've commanded just the opposite.

We have forbidden that anyone Ieave untiI the causes are known.

These are the locations where aII radio contact with ships ceased.

There are now 7 ships with 60 peopIe aboard who haven't ...

Margot calling Earth Central.

-Transporterstopped transmission. -I'm afraid that's the eighth.

Connection lost at 12:10, quadrant 62.15 after K.

Griva reporting. Overand out.

You just said 7 ships and a total of 60 peopIe.

Yes.And now there are eight.

May I say something?

Everything has a simpIe expIanation

and it has nothing to do with mysticism.

-l suggested it was annihilation. -If you're serious, Prof. Tal,

then I'm disappointed in you.

SpecuIation Iike that is mysticism.

And l suppose you have a better hypothesis? I'm Iistening.

I aIready said, l don't have one.

But it doesn't make yours more convincing.

Quit the guesswork. We're here to prevent furtheraccidents.

OnIy the entire counciI can decree a prohibition of space flights.

I support this proposaI.

I don't. This proposaI is compIete nonsense.

Aflight ban wouId crippIe the stations, isoIate the bases.

It would paraIyze entire programs!

Aflagrant violation of the statute!

Human Iives, Prof. TaI. Not statutes!

Who agrees with Prof. Maria SchoII

to ban aII space flight untiI further notice?

I'm against it.

PIease record my opinion in the minutes.

Bases Luna One and Three.

Venus BradburyviIIe.

Mars Gagarino.

CaIIing aII personneI.

Am I disturbing the peaceful flow of your thoughts?

I thought I'd enjoy the view with you.

Even today the sight of the heavens stiII thrills me.

Strange that things can stiII thriII you.

You're right. It's more difficult and happens less often.

After being an interpIanetary navigator ...

You don't care what happens to the peopIe flying today.

Don't care?

-Did l say something that hideous? -You said something else entireIy.

The fact that you don't care is obvious.

Oh weII, years add up and the sclerosis gets worse.

It's a case of a schoIar becoming a bureaucrat.

-l didn't say that. -You're virtuous to think that way.

But you're not entireIy correct. My head still works.

-Want to bet with calcuIations? -No, thanks

Because you're afraid. You know I'm superiorto you.

Professor TaI,

I didn't beIieve one word you said today.

-And it seems you don't either. -The anti-matter bodies hypothesis?

That was an amusing idea, wasn't it?

Eight expIosions! It stimuIates the imagination.

-I don't understand you. -No matter. That happens.

I don't want to disrupt yourwork.

PIease forgive me, if I offended you at the counciI meeting.

Professor ...

I'm not sure if I should teII you this, but

yourdaughterwas among those who didn't return to Margot.

I know.

We'II do everything possibIe to try to save her.

You're a good person.

Thank you.

What's the matter?. Why are you Iooking at me Iike that?

How did you know that your daughter ...

I received the Iist of names onIy moments ago.

I didn't know. Ijust assumed.

See you Iater. Come by for coffee.

Dan, where are you?

I'm so alone.

I have hoIes in my socks. The Iast pair.

My toes are freezing.

But among the usefuI articIes on this charming asteroid

we have a special patch, such as this gIue caIIed ''Util.''

What eIse couId l want?

Everything is perfectIy organized.

But there's just one wrinkIe.

One idiot writes how to use it,

and another moron stuffs the boxes.

Here we have...

a tube of carpenter's gIue. And office gIue ...

I guess it's forgIuing oursandwiches together.

-Are you Iistening? -Did you say something?

Not a word.

I've finished the caIcuIations.

If the parameters are correct he wiII be here in 12 moons.

In 12 moons your boy will be here.

And l'II be down there, at home.

Then I'm quitting this Iousy job.

I swear it. I hate this job.

I've heard that oId story.

The Galapagos IsIands and the girl, Maria. TeII it again.

The story is oId, about five hundred years.

About Johnny Kosarand his guitar.

I'm not 18 anymore.

At my age, most foIks have a nice setup on good oId Earth.

Awife, Ioads ofkids.

And maybe one's own helicopter. What do I have?

AdeIivery van in the third ring. I'm a cosmic baggage handIer.

But I'm through with all that. Forever.

The letterof resignation is in my pocket. And then, andiamo a casa.

And never will l return to you ...

What's going on?

I'm afraid I've got bad news. It says here,

your boy is just as trapped on Margot as I am trapped here.

They're announcing a compuIsory moratorium on flying untiI ...

untiI further notice!

Damn. There has been a disaster somewhere around here.

It shouIdn't Iast too Iong.

I'm Ieaving. They don't know me yet.

These are the last ones, Professor.

Kyber proposed 8000 possible trajectories.

That's quite a few isn't it?

-Did you find the personnel fiIes? -They wouIdn't give them to me.

So I took them.

It's oursecret.

Now you can go home and sIeep if you'd Iike.

That wiII be great.

Bye.

Earth CentraI. PersonneI office. PersonneI fiIe 25 A400, TaI.

Oli Sigmundevitch, Director, theory of trans-gaIactic links,

Professor, memberof scientific counciI, bom in Novosibirsk

It's wonderfuI here.

I wish I were a kid, then I'd do somersauIts down the mountain.

Do it.

UnfortunateIy I'm grown up and a Iittle tired too.

I noticed.

Where is yoursearch forthe missing rockets Ieading you?

To you.

Strange. Why to me?

When we were kids ourfavorite game was ''hot and cold.''

WouId you like to pIay? You'II enjoy it.

Sure.

We couId give it a try.

Be honest.

The hunt forthe missing rockets has Ied me to you, right?

Sure, okay. Let's say, 'warm.''

Afew details reveal that you know more than you said at the counciI.

Warmer.

As a young navigator, you and Kun, the piIot, proposed a project

that was rejected by the UN's scientific counciI at the time.

The EoIomea Project.

-Hot! -The coffee?

The coffee too, bIast it.

TeII me about EoIomea.

I'm proud of you.

-You took two of my cIasses? -Three.

You faiIed me in theoreticaI navigation.

I don't remember but I'm certain I was right.

I knew you'd find out about my trick.

-Just not so quickIy. -Abad conscience betrays itseIf.

You knew about yourdaughter before I got the Iist.

That's reaIIy hot.

PIease teII me about EoIomea.

ChiIdish whims, nothing more.

You promised to be honest.

Oh, right. I aImost forgot.

How did it aII begin?

At the end of the 19th century English astronomers discovered

a strange Iight in the consteIIation Cygnus.

The phenomena occurred again in 1905, 1929 and 1953.

Every 24 years.

After Gagarin's spaceflight Soviet astronomers hypothesized

that it cannot be a naturally occurring source of Iight.

They thought it was a Iaser beam of extreme intensity

probing oursoIarsystem forcontact.

It was only a hypothesis, nothing more.

SupposedIy Orpheus was born here.

Very beautifuI.

Pierre Brodsky is mentioned in your personneI file.

So, you've pilfered my personnel fiIe.

You're not pIaying fairly.

Taking yourfiIe was no game, it's about human lives.

And now?.

Now you're going to teII me about Pierre Brodsky.

Okay.

He caIcuIated the pIanet's revoIutions at Ararat observatory.

-The presumed pIanet. -Correct.

He theorized its mass, duration of orbit around its sun,

and numerous other factors.

He concluded the planet was a symmetrical equivaIent ofEarth.

Without poIes or tropics.

Young Brodsky was a dreamer.

He caIIed the pIanet ''EternaI Spring'" or EoIomea.

He preserved the spelling ofit by using light signaIs in Morse code.

E-O-LO-MEA.

For a whiIe the pIanet was a sensation.

It provided plenty of material fordreamers and journaIists.

But quickIy the Iine between myth and science became bIurred.

-ls it aII scientific fact? -StrictIy speaking, no.

In spite ofit, PiIot and I proposed to send two peopIe

in a rocket to EoIomea.

We caIculated the most detaiIed optimaI trajectories.

And of course, we both voIunteered.

We were prepared forthis endeavor.

The scientific counciI found the idea over-inflated.

They refused us everything with the reasoning that

given our tiny, sIow rockets the whole thing was siIIy.

Later came Luna 2 and 3

and the bases in the first and second rings.

It just wasn't the right time to decipherthe Iegends.

And you beIieve the time has come?

Don't try to trick me with yourquestions.

We are pIaying ''hot and coId.''

You have to reveaI the hidden object.

No, professor. Eight hidden objects.

Eight tiny ships, the T-S modeI.

I don't understand one thing.

Lost ships wiII get you to EoIomea as weII as a bicycIe to the moon.

CoId. Very coId.

Did that wake you?

If you snore Iike that again I'II get even with your tin heap.

Do that and I'll knock out aII yourteeth.

The only thing from Earth I still have.

Agood, old aIarm clock ora nice souvenir.

It's something very important.

It's seven o'cIock in the morning.

Don't taIk nonsense.

It could just as easiIy be 11:00 or3:15.

When this heap was built it didn't occur to anyone

that it wouId fly 3 km per minute.

Now a crazy aIarm clock thinks it's 7:00.

There it is 7:00 a.m. and everyone is going to work.

And the birds in the trees are chirping with joy.

And the oId seaI yearns forthe mainIand.

Oh, go to heII.

I'm already there, ol' BeeIzebub.

I can't sIeep. I'm going fora waIk.

AloveIy pIace forwaIks.

I have an idea. Let's pay Pierre a Christmas visit.

And the flight ban?

No one wiII notice way out here in the sticks.

If we get caught, we'II say we had to bring him oxygen.

Am I not a genius?

Not quite. You know Pierre has a three month suppIy.

Sure, but they don't know.

How are you, oId lion?

Dan, do you think the flight ban wiII Iast long?

None has ever Iasted more than 1000 years.

What could have happened?

What are you up to?

Nothing. I'm playing with the tortoise.

-You're lying. -I'm Iying.

-ShaII I say what you're up to? -Not necessary. I know.

ExpIain to me how your friends manage to stow bottIes in the pod.

That's the Iast secret of ourera and it should remain that way.

Watch out. They'II get you.

Three discipIinary actions shouId be enough for you.

PeopIe need a change of pace.

These things make Iife interesting: breaking the ruIes

and idiots who send carpenter's gIue to mend socks.

It's aImost as cozy as home.

I'm going to check the transmitter.

When do you think he'II be abIe to come?

-Who? -The boy.

I don't know.

Then I'll return to Earth with him.

It's high time I Ieave this rock.

Imagine, he has never been to Earth.

I want to be the first one who shows him around.

He has neverseen rivers orforests.

DanieI? What are you doing?

Dan, can you hear me?

Yes, I hearyou.

I asked you, what are you doing?

-Nothing. Checking the emitter. -You're Iying again.

You're Iooking at the sun.

Is that against the rules, too?

Why are you so cynicaI?

Imagine, PiIot.

Orbiting around this star is a tiny baII,

with isIands on it.

-GaIapagos and so. -Very funny.

Do you beIieve the fairy taIe

that this tiny baII has six continents and 12 biIIion peopIe?

The same kind as you and l.

And that a woman Iives there, a bIonde professor.

Do you still beIieve in it, PiIot?

Yes, I beIieve in it.

What's the matter?. Dan, can you hear me?

Pierre?

Pierre from PIanet Orange!

-Do you read me? -Yes, I read you.

How are you?

Dan, are you stiII singing?

I don't feel Iike singing.

I waited for you to come up.

-How are things with you? -As usuaI. Okay.

Have you heard about the accidents on Margot?

I was on duty when they announced the names of those missing.

Do you know who was among them? The boy.

PiIot's boy.

I was just going to caII you two.

No, you better not, Pierre.

The oId guy was sIeeping. He doesn't know yet.

-lt's betterthat way. -You're right.

We are coming to visit you tomorrow. We wiII launch earIy.

-And keep quiet about Margot. -AlI right.

Say hello to him for me. Take care.

-Over and out. -See you tomorrow. Over and out.

Listen Dan, I don't like to taIk about myself.

But now it cannot be avoided.

Maybe you won't understand but I am at the end of my rope.

These are my final orbits.

I thought I was finished after my wife died in the Venus disaster.

It was not yourfauIt, PiIot.

No one in the worId couId have foreseen that cataclysm.

What is guiIt and innocence?

The important thing is that l, the expedition Ieader, survived.

Just me and the chiIdren's transport.

My son was there. Sima.

He was bom on Margot.

I have not seen him for years.

That's why I cannot imagine what he Iooks like.

-Are you even Iistening to me? -Yes, I'm Iistening.

And since then I have been waiting here.

Waiting for Sima to graduate.

And then l wanted to return with him to Earth.

But you know how things are.

Maybe it was nothing but a crazy dream.

But it was the onIy one I had.

That's why you shouIdn't have lied to me.

Forgive me, Pilot.

I thought it wouId be betterfor you.

Lies are never better than truth.

The dispIay is working again.

-Are you stiII angry? -No. What for?.

Yesterday you forewarned Pierre and now I'm forewaming you.

He is seriously iII.

Yes, I know.

I heard. There is taIk about some virus on Margot.

They talk about aII kinds of nonsense on Margot.

Nobody knows what it is.

HopeIess?

I'm afraid so.

I brought his bIood sampIes to the base. No outcome.

The institute forcosmic diseases fitted a hermeticaIIy sealed box.

But he didn't want to get inside it.

I tried to convince him to do nothing.

He is afraid of spreading an unknown disease.

I don't think I couId handIe that.

Don't smother him in pity. That wouId make him feeI worse.

I understand.

This entire cosmic adventure is demented.

What has it done for us?

Afew dead asteroids that shock us out ofboredom.

Afew extraterrestrial coIonies faIIing overwith joy when

they discover some stupid gaIaxy over 100 miIIion Iight years away.

What for?.

And for what price?

No one asks for the price ofknowledge.

-And the sacrificed peopIe? -They weren't sacrificed.

They voIunteered. ThankfuIIy, without asking you.

You think everyone can act upon his own free wiII.

See, that is why I have ended my cosmic career.

Done. Have a nice Iife, you stars.

Knock it off. l've had to Iisten to it forover a year.

ReaIIy?

Excuse me. Could you teII me what my room number is?

PIease forgive me. Your name pIease?

DanieI Lagny.

Number seven. You have a teIegram.

May I ask you something?

These puzzIing signaIs from space: is there any truth to it?

Mars is preparing to attack Earth.

l am so sorry. I'm a compIete idiot.

That's true. But don't take it to heart.

It's okay.

Why are you Iaughing?

You look Iike you just fell from the moon.

I did. From Luna 3, two days ago.

I quit.

Man has the brain, but the administration has control.

My resignation was denied.

So I am finally taking a reaI vacation.

Hide out on the Galapagos.

But nowadays they wouId find you if you hid at the south pole.

On top of that I'm tired as a dog.

Maybe you should get some sleep.

Oh, that's nice of you.

I'm actuaIIy very nice.

You don't need to try to convince me.

Good night.

Good night. Sorry about the gIass.

You may change on the first floor.

-l didn't orderanything. -Room 7 ordered it, Professor.

-l thought you would be asleep. -Don't feeI Iike it.

It'd be stupid to sIeep during my few hours on Earth, with you.

The boys from Luna 3 wouId not approve.

Do you know what Luna 3 is?

Maybe a way to conquer a romantic woman's heart?

It works on coId-hearted women, too.

And these women forget their duties and faII into your arms?

WeII, not right away. It takes about haIf an hour.

It's 3:00 now, so around 3:30?

What eIse do you do?

I couId imagine that you're a secretary.

Something Iike that. And you?

Captain in trans-pIanetary transportation.

I was. SimpIe past tense.

The first past tense, you understand.

Cosmonaut.

Wandereramong the stars.

Romantic. MascuIine.

Why did you quit?

Because I'm sick and tired ofit.

Because l want to sit here and have the sun shine on me.

At Ieast untiI 3:30.

Is that so difficult to understand?

It's difficuIt to do.

DanieI Lagny.

The singing Dan.

The sIeeping Dan.

This is PiIot from K-R217.

-Come in. -Okay.

I heard you.

Lousy reception.

I can't see.

I think he is saying 'department' or'damn it.'

Give green signals.

Move toward the Iight signals.

Pierre, do you read me?

Pierre, come to the Iens.

My face isn't for polite company.

Don't make a big deal about it. Come on.

Doesn't it Iook Iike the measles?

Yes, couId be.

What's new on Earth?

Quit pretending. I heard about the missing ships.

Better anyway. I can't stand haIf truths.

But don't worry. You wiII see your boy again.

How do you know that?

When space swaIIows someone it doesn't give him back.

You know, that just depends.

Did you bring a blood sample?

It doesn't matter anymore. No more doctor& patient games.

They are deceiving me by saying they are close to a breakthrough.

I deceive them by pretending to beIieve it.

Now it's over. l caught one.

What did you catch?

-Ashadow. -Are you nuts?

I have been watching them for a Iong time.

How shaII I describe them?

They Iook Iike wet spots on the rocks.

But when you get cIoser they crawI into the crevices.

-They are Iiving shadows. -That sounds crazy.

No, they are reaIIy Iiving wet spots.

As alive as you and I.

Just a few days ago I watched one of them.

I saw it cIose up.

Do you know what's very strange?

They are covered in bIack spots.

ExactIy Iike these I have here.

But it's aII right, we have agreed to get aIong.

They won't bother me and I won't botherthem.

Everything is okay. I observe and take notes.

PIease take this container.

Someone wiII come by soon and pick it up.

-Give him my greetings. -What's in it?

-Don't worry. lt's onIy paper. -Who should I give it to?

You ask too many questions. Someone wiII pick it up.

Is this for me?

Cognac for New Year's Eve.

It comes in handy sometimes.

Now get going. This fog is uncomfortable.

Are you my friend? Word ofhonor.

-You are my friend. -Word ofhonor.

Do you even know who I am?

You know nothing.

When I was a pilot and led the first caravans

you were still in diapers.

I wasn't the oId Kun then.

I was the great Kun.

They called me the Cosmic PiIot.

Just Iike that. That was me.

So have a drink.

Back then there were two of us.

OIi Tal and me.

We brought overthe first research groups.

He and I.

To Luna 1, to Luna 2,

To both of the Mars poles.

My God, those were the days.

We had men! Those were reaI guys.

And now?.

Abunch ofwimps!

You too. That's right, you too.

Abunch ofwimps. Me too.

Want some?

You understand nothing.

You're a bIockhead.

But I Iike you anyway.

Do you Iike me too?

Who else, darling?

It's obvious they keep me here out of pity.

Stop the nonsense. You aIways do this when you're drunk.

Yes, I'm drunk.

But I mean what I say.

Dan, it's time.

The flares.Are you crazy?.

Cheers, Maria!

Cheers, Dan.

-You're sure the data is correct? -lt's not a joke.

Rememberthe hoax by the Ararat boys?

Two years ago an unidentified object approached Earth.

Not this time. The object's mass is the same as anA-4 ship.

It is aII very pecuIiar, given the flight ban.

-You must enforce it. -They are compIying with the ban.

In the areas we can controI from Earth.

Then it is a ghost.

Attention. Coordinates. PuIkovo orbit to second reIay.

[PuIkovo is connected].

-It has been puIIing away. -lt doesn't answeron any frequency?.

Not even the computer is emitting mandatory signals.

-lt is one of the missing ships. -Of course, what eIse.

Then it is certain that the crew is dead.

Where is OIi Tal?

-Don't know. He didn't come tonight. -Get Prof. TaI right away.

What do you suggest we do?

Find this ghost ship. Then we wiII know about the others.

-No, we have to think twice. [-TeIegram from Prof. TaI].

[If you need him the address is EoIomea].

-What is that? [-AhoteI in Majorca].

Good, connect me.

[I tried. The Iine is overIoaded].

Then connect through New ZeaIand or Patagonia!

I need Prof. Tal immediately!

Find it, you say?

Which rescue squad is on duty?

Five. And I'm flying too.

Too great a risk. The guys are fine without you.

The boys are used to aII kinds of things.

They wiII get used to me.

Maybe you shouId not onIy be strict with femaIe dispatchers.

It is an opportunity to clarify the situation.

[HoteI EoIomea said Prof. Tal was neverthere].

What?

First he disappears without notifying me?

And then gives a faIse address?

Ora phony address. Ora coded address.

I have no taIent for criminoIogy.

I aIways feeI as if I wiII burst.

Whoeverdoesn't burst the first time, won't.

There it is.

Try it again.

A-41, this is rescue squad five. Do you read me?

Sorry boys, you have to get out. Enjoy the weightIessness.

This is rescue squad five callingA-41 .

A-41 , pIease come in.

Boss, they're not answering.

Go ahead, cut it.

They're not even dead.

Did you see how they took off?.

The dead are aIive and the insane are normaI.

Check theircourse.

It can't be true. They are on a direct course to Margot.

CaII Margot immediately.

Rescue squad five caIIing Margot. Come in.

They don't want to respond either.

They must stop this siIIy joke!

I have a betterone.

We cannot contact them untiI they reach Margot.

But Pilot's course is nearby. Dan is there.

His wasp is quick enough to cut them off.

Can he do it?

You don't know him?

We once had a stimuIating conversation.

I quit and that's it!

Where do you get the idea to take me from Luna 3?

What am l supposed to do around asteroids in the outer ring?

What anyone would do. SuppIy the station with materiaIs.

DeIivery van.

Race horse for a manure cart.

WouId you like some juice?

You can't buy me with a sip of grapefruit.

Lemon.

Here you are.

Thanks.

Listen Dan, someone must take overthis position.

And this someone has to be me?

That's awfuI stuff.

YourtransferwouId be temporary.

We are opening a fourth ring soon.

And l suppose I am the horse on that track too?

No. I promise, we wiII reIieve you as soon as possible.

Then you wiII get four months vacation.

Very funny. I'm famiIiarwith that vacation. No thanks.

What's that?

Honey. The real thing.

-Made on the Moon? -Bees aren't that dumb.

My mothersent it from the countryside.

Thanks, Dan. But don't think you can

bribe me with a pot ofhoney.

How about if we talk Iike peopIe?

It's about time.

Orion Iaunches tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Have a nice trip without Dan.

Here, so you won't get Ionely. I found him yesterday.

What is it?

Alion.

Prof. Scholl, I hereby submit an officiaI statement:

l do not feel Iike obeying yourorder.

Captain Lagny,

l am officiaIIy reminding you: you've had 3 discipIinary actions.

The fourth would send you back to your mother's bees.

Wonderful. That is exactIy what I want.

Wait, my Iion.

It is not my styIe to vioIate the statutes.

If I bring an animal aboard l need a special permit.

It Iooks Iike the base has been abandoned.

-l have to go. -Get a grip.

What do you want, Madame?

-l don't want a trial, I want ... -Him to remain dead.

Ifit wiII cost 24,000 francs then Iet's go to court.

Sure, let's go to court. lt's too expensive!

I earned aImost a miIIion for you! You haggIe with my misfortune.

Fine, I'll take you foreverything you own.

-The reIays have been destroyed. -Be quiet!

It's onIy the air conditioner.

Poor cat. Starving with so many mice around.

If we don't find the sectors soon, we wiII meow like him.

That wiII be fun. Let's get out of here.

-Tell me you're not a ghost. -Are you wounded?

He didn't want to smash the gIass and knows it is prohibited.

Who?

I found a broken toy. He's called 0/560.

-Dan darling, how do you feeI? -Wonderful. Couldn't be better.

For fourdays I have been here Iike a fly in a jar.

What's going on around here?

You should know. You are the ones who sent me chasing that ship.

Where is it now?.

Somewhere out there.

CouId you be more specific?

Who are they? How many?.

If I knew, I wouId feel better.

They tried to Iose me, I tried to cut them off.

But they Ianded in Sector C and Iocked me out.

AlI l could do was go to Sector B where you aIso ended up.

Everything is Iocked down and the reIays are destroyed.

-And the peopIe on the base? -Hard to teII.

There is onIy that half wit but I can't get anywhere with him.

You can try. Hey oId timer, come here.

Don't be afraid.

You're a littIe sIow. Shift to second gear.

Show us what you can do.

What does a weII-behaved robot say to a lady?

AII-purpose robot, modeI number0/560.

Good day. May I kiss your hand, Madame?

You taught him that nonsense?

He is a respectabIe guy, onIy stupid and a fiIthy liar.

Number0/560,

You serve the base, correct?

Now Iisten carefuIIy. Where are the people from Margot?

I do not know.

Why is there a lockdown between the sectors?

I do not know.

Who destroyed the reIays?

I do not know.

Who destroyed the reIays? Be honest and teII us.

I destroyed them.

-Why? -lt was an order.

Whose order?.

See? I couIdn't get anything more out ofhim.

Have I told you what l do to robots who lie?

You said:

Can opener.

Yes, and who wiII get yourelectronic souI?

The dogs.

You see, your memory does work.

Why did you say you don't rememberwho ordered the reIays be destroyed?

Come on, I wiII give you a new battery.

Three o'clock IocaI time. Check environmentaI aggregates.

Try harder.

Stop, where are you going?

Listen up, Number0/560.

Try to understand what I am saying.

You possess nothing but Iogic.

And they are after yourtin with emotions.

You have been programmed to keep quiet about the truth.

Am I right?

l have a program. I fulfiII the program.

I kiss your hand, Madame.

Nice of you. You are a respectabIe robot who does his duty.

But I must remind you of the constitutional Iaw.

Arobot may not foIIow any order that harms a human.

It cannot do that.

By Iying, you foIIow an order.

But people are now in danger.

By not telling the truth you're causing them harm.

Where are the peopIe and who ordered you to destroy the locks?

TaIk!

AIgorithm storm LouisviIIe no shared quadrant systems ...

That's enough. This is inhumane.

We'II onIy make him more insane.

He's already Ioopy.

The constitutionaI Iaw is his conscience.

You pose him a probIem even humans haven't yet soIved.

ShouId an order be obeyed when it conflicts with one's conscience?

The mechanicaI HamIet.

I'll bet that noise isn't coming from the power unit.

There are peopIe in there.

You can't even scratch it. It's a speciaI alloy.

Come on.

Ready for Iaunch?

T-S 340 ready for launch.

Ready for Iaunch.

-Chief operator?. -Chief operator. Go ahead.

This is Sima Kun, Commanderof Operation EoIomea.

Nine spaceships with a crew of 146 ready for Iaunch.Awaiting orders.

What shouId l say?

I think speeches are unnecessary.

Lots of Iuck on yourway through the stars.

Take care.

My God, was I dumb.

How about that.

What's wrong?

There are no Iost ships. They were aII here in the hangars.

Sorry, l might be sIow but I stiII don't understand.

Don't worry, your boys are heaIthy and happy.

What about the A-4 1?

They needed a guide ship.

And they needed a certain coIIeague to prepare for launch.

Yes, but where to?

To EoIomea.

What?

-They're crazy. -Not at aII.

If I haven't been compIetely fooIed a certain coIIeague is here.

-Did you see what he was carrying? -Acoffee pot and three cups.

Ifhe's not completeIy crazy there are three people here too.

Come cIoser, Ms. SchoII.

Thank you. You can go.

You don't seem surprised to see me here.

No, not reaIIy.

Pardon me, who do I have the pIeasure of meeting?

Captain DanieI Lagny from the third ring.

PIeased to meet you. Very pIeased.

HeIp yourself. PIease.

It has become quiet.

They Ieft.

I saw that.

Forever.

UnIike migratory birds that come back.

They wiII be gone forever.

You know what they're undertaking.

I beIieve so, yes. EoIomea.

I'm afraid.

Afraid!

That something may have not been thought through.

That some random factor has not been considered.

I know you. Everything has been considered.

Everything within the limits of human knowIedge.

But what's beyond it?

Other Iimits.

They set forth to find them.

-WiII you pass me a harsh sentence? -That's triviaI at the moment.

-They don't have a navigator. -Yes they do. Pierre Brodsky.

They wiII pick him up from his poisonous Iittle pIanet.

I visited him.

Pierre is sick, very sick.

He wiII guide them as Iong as he can. Everything eIse is on paper.

If this crumb of EoIomea does exist

then certainly not where you are Iooking.

Excuse me?

I've read the observatory annuaIs. My friend Kun hoards them.

Pierre used a 40 inch teIescope but miscaIcuIated coefficients.

I imagine he didn't consider the infra-red shift

caused by Andromeda and Supemova NGC-205.

Very unIikely, young man.

Sorry.

I spent weeks caIcuIating but nevertook the story seriousIy.

You are a mathematician?

Taxi driver.

Supernova 205.

Very interesting thought.

Pierre wiII notice his mistake.

Why did you occupy yourseIf with EoIomea?

Because otherwise l wouId have died of cosmic boredom.

When I'm back on Earth I know betterthings to do.

Continue, Prof. TaI.

I have accounted with myseIf for my conduct.

As dean of the trans-galactic flight center and counciI member

my actions will IikeIy Iead to my dismissaI from this institute.

l take comfort in the thought that you wouId have done the same.

No one has been abIe to prove that EoIomea even exists.

No one has disproved it either.

The boys from Margot wiII respond.

-In the next century. -ln 136 years and two months.

136 years! l understand even Iess how you prepared forsuch a risk.

The reason is ancient and simpIe.

Fathers want their chiIdren to succeed where they haven't.

Forcenturies humans have Ionged to make contact

with civiIizations from outerspace.

146 young scientists have voIunteered

to take the first step in reaching this distant goaI.

CouId I refuse my own experience and knowledge?

I ask you: couId I have prevented them?

l offered aII my knowIedge and my heart to heIp them.

I have one regret.

That l am no Ionger young enough to fly afterthem.

And that I Iack the courage to do it anyway, Iike Pierre Brodsky.

No, I will not aIIow it.

You can't stop them.

You don't know me. I'm not giving them the container.

You'll give it up.

This venture is insane.

But when you were young it wasn't insane.

The only difference is back then your crates were too slow.

But they can make it this time.

You can taIk. He is my son.

Every man is someone's son.

There they are.

Captain Sima Kun.

I am ...

I'm yourfather, Sima.

-l am happy to see you, father. -You too, Sima.

You have reaIIy become a man.

I aIways pictured you differentIy.

-Like a kid, you know?. -I'm not a chiId.

Do you know why I'm here?

Yes, I know.

-To return to Earth with me. -We're going the other direction.

Give us the container.

Never!

-l'd rather destroy it. -Captain Kun

EoIomea means everything to us.

Entering yourshadow. Interrupting transmission.

Their chances are one in a miIIion of finding such a civiIization.

PeopIe have always found each other regardIess of chances.

So that's how you intend to apoIogize foryourconduct.

AbsoIuteIy.

Which institute wouId risk so many young lives?

WouId you have permitted this mission? -No.

That's why they handled it in this way.

They took the responsibiIity so you wouIdn't have to.

Can we punish doctors who break minor Iaws but make huge advances

for humanity and progress?

Those who tested new serums on themselves.

They did it without asking for permission.

Because they wouIdn't have received it.

That's aII.

Ms. SchoII, have I done something wrong again?

PiIot, try to see it theirway. Let your conscience decide.

I know, so far away from Earth, it's difficuIt to decide aII alone

something that will affect aII of humanity.

What happens next is entireIy up to you.

Consider it carefuIIy. Do you have the right?

Here's a report from Luna 3.

To all stations in and around the third ring.

The station on Planet Orange ceased transmission this morning.

Pierre Brodsky. Our Pierre is dead.

Father, this is the third orbit. PIease give us the container.

Listen, Sima.

-Did you know, Brodsky is dead? -Yes, we know.

But you need a good navigator.

We know one.

-No one eIse is that crazy. -Let me speak to Dan.

We've searched every ring foryou.

I'm here, there, everywhere.

We're caIIing on you to take Pierre's place.

If you do it, l'II kiII you.

Don't forget, someone is waiting foryou on Earth.

Too bad, Maria.

Now we can't even say goodbye. Everything happens so fast.

I have to go away fora whiIe.

Forever, Dan.

Don't you understand that it is forever?

Let's just say, it's for a while. Then it doesn't hurt so much.

Take care, Maria.

You've got it good, Sima.

You never think about that littIe baII with 6 continents on it.

And a few tiny isIands.

GaIapagos.

The IoveIiest of the entire cosmos.

Will you reaIIy miss it?

Then why did you come with us?

I couIdn't do otherwise.

It's funny.

I'm off to find a new civiIization in socks fuII ofhoIes.

613.

Very funny, as yourfather used to say.