The Lost World (1999) s03e16 Episode Script

Suspicion

Here we go.
Just a little more.
Just what I've been looking for.
How would you describe it, old boy? Looks like the Dean of Comparative Religion.
Stay the course, Campbell.
How old? Who made it? From the craftsmanship, it's a variant of similar figures made 2200 years ago by the Grooved Ware people from, ah, 6,000 miles away in jolly old England - which of course is impossible.
- Nonsense, Campbell! I'm the Dean of the Antiquities Department, and I say this is evidence of a cultural link between the old and the new world more than 1700 years before Columbus.
Professor Hamilton! What have you found, my dear? It isn't just a cave! It's the entrance to a temple! See? Look at these veins of crystal! And these passageways I mean, there's a whole network of them branching off from this one! They could go on for miles! Looks like some local natives have sought refuge in here fairly recently.
This doesn't look very native.
Made exclusively for Arthur Summerlee.
Wasn't he the botanist on the, uh, the Challenger expedition? George Challenger! The madman of Edinburgh? As I recall, he was searching for an unusual plateau in South America.
As I recall.
He was looking for dinosaurs.
A career-ending mistake if ever there was.
I'm much more interested in what's behind that unusual structure.
Professor! Shouldn't we photograph the wall first? So we have a record of its construction? Oh, by all means, Campbell.
Go fetch the camera.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
Nyby! Hawke! What was that? Perhaps we've discovered the ghost of George Edward Challenger.
Do you think it's some kind of burial urn? Open it and see? It is a burial urn! Who do you suppose he is? At the dawn of the last century A band of explorers searched for a prehistoric world Driven by ambition Secret desires A thirst for adventure And seeking the ultimate story They are befriended by an untamed beauty Stranded in a strange and savage land Each day is a desperate search for a way out of the Lost World Professor Hamilton! What's the trouble? - Can we help? - Don't go in there.
- There was a cave-in! - Emily! No, no, Campbell.
She's lost.
She never had a chance! The rest of that passage could collapse at any moment! You opened that wall! That's what caused the cave-in! There's nothing I can do! Now step back! - Professor Hamilton! - There she is! Miss Harper, Miss Harper! - Are you okay? - I'm not sure, we opened the wall.
My head.
Philistine! Ruined an archeological treasure and nearly killed Miss Harper! Get her back to camp! That might not be the wisest thing.
Why is that, professor? What happened in there? Nothing.
- I must be mistaken.
- Just like George Challenger, huh? In an another moment Alice was through the glass and had jumped - jumped - Lightly.
lightly down into the looking glass room.
That's very good, Finn.
We'll make a reader out of you yet.
Let me get this straight.
The girl in this story she went through a mirror, right? Into Wonderland.
Like your machine brought me here from 100 years in the future.
Now you can see why I thought you might like this story.
Yeah, but I really am from 100 and whatever years in the future, and this story is just made up! Yes.
But it's still interesting though, isn't it? And it gives us a lot to talk about.
How you and Alice might be the same.
Not unless this Alice lady goes into Wonderland packing some serious weapons! Alice in Wonderland with weapons! Come on! I mean, look at some of these freaks she runs into! I'm not saying she needs a machine gun or anything.
But an automatic pistol, and couple of knives even a crossbow.
Now that would make for an interesting story! Got any books like that? I believe Marguerite is more familiar with that type of popular entertainment.
And she and Roxton won't be back for another two days.
I hope they are having more fun than we are.
Oh, you can count on that! I tell you, I didn't see her, Marguerite! Of course you did! You only stepped on her bloody tail! Come on, move it! She's catching up! Take this.
And I thought ants could spoil a picnic.
Oh, fine.
We've lost our picnic basket and all of our food.
I'd say the first day of our little holiday is off to a marvelous start.
Look on the bright side, - Things can only get better.
- It's hard to imagine how.
For example, I could do a little hunting, build a nice hot crackling campfire, and we can sleep beneath the stars.
Oh, just you and me and a jungle full of ravenous raptors.
How could any girl resist that? Oh, ravenous raptors we can handle, Marguerite.
Unfortunately, John, on this plateau, it's never just raptors.
Well? The language is a novel form of proto-Phonician.
And not surprisingly, it's a warning.
Don't disturb the dead, and that sort of thing.
More like, don't release the dead.
Apparently whoever hid the urn in the wall thought the poor devil inside would return from the grave and resume his murderous ways? - What murderous ways? - Ah.
Not much in the way of gory details, I'm afraid.
All I can figure out is that the dearly departed was a leader of a band of well, a band of demons, I think it says.
Who committed all manner of unclean crimes in the guise of OF In the guise of what? It doesn't make sense, really.
One interpretation of the warning is that the demon in the urn can pass from body to body as easily as a man draws breath.
- Demonic possession.
- Superstitious claptrap.
No.
Not superstitious.
A primitive way of describing a real phenomenon.
Do you honestly believe that this thing is real? No, of course not, you fool.
But to a primitive people a disease organism might as well be a demon.
Something unclean that passes from person to person as easily as a breath.
What makes you think what happened to Miss Harper has anything to do with disease? When she opened the urn she collapsed in convulsions.
She must have been infected.
Germs and viruses can lie dormant for centuries.
Yes they can.
But no disease would affect her so quickly.
That's why you said there was a cave-in! You wanted us to abandon her, because you thought she was sick.
I thought she was infectious, I was thinking of the other members of this expedition.
You were thinking of yourself, professor! - You coward.
- I know what this is about.
- You're jealous.
- Excuse me.
I brought this for Emily.
This is not the time or the place, for us to settle our personal differences.
We have a colleague in distress.
We should do whatever we can to make her comfortable.
And how can we do that without knowing what's wrong with her? She could have contracted any number of jungle maladies before she entered the underground temple.
I suggest we administer sulphur and keep an eye on the symptoms.
In the meantime, the only thing we can be sure of, is that she is not possessed by.
Please, help me.
Don't worry, Emily.
We'll do whatever it takes.
Do you hear those birds, Marguerite? Time to rise and shine.
I haven't even been asleep yet.
Don't worry, it wasn't my idea of sleeping beneath the stars either.
Whoo! Raptors we can handle, Marguerite! Oh, come on, be fair.
There're at least around here last night.
Well, what did you expect? You threw a picnic basket at them! Why not just ring the dinner bell? Oh, for Pete's sake, Marguerite! I didn't do it on purpose! All I wanted was some time away from Challenger and Finn so we could talk and work some things out, that's all.
- Oh, John.
I'm sorry! - Oh! My back! Don't let that stop you.
- You sure? - Yes.
You are without a doubt the most adorable man I've ever met! Challenger? No! He wouldn't be so far from the tree house so early in the morning.
Oh, dammit! Who are these people? And what happened to them? No! I won't let you have it! You put down those guns.
Do it now! If you're smart, you'll leave while you can.
We're not going to let you two kill each other! If you really want to help, - kill Campbell now! - No! Kill him! He's the one who's possessed! - Possessed? - We opened a tomb, the demon that was trapped inside can take control of anyone.
And it's got control of Campbell! No! It's got control of him! He went through camp last night, slaughtered everybody! Until I'm the only one left.
All right, I'll make this offer once.
You both put down those guns.
We'll sort out whatever the problem is right now.
Or you both get shot and Marguerite and I will sort it out later.
It's entirely up to you.
Marguerite, on the count of three.
One TWO! All right! It's not in me! He's lying! It's not in me! First things first, Let's take a look at that nasty wound.
Stop you fool! John, what is it? No, no, no, no! You can't go near him! - Don't let him touch you! - Don't you understand? The demon! That's how it moves from touch alone.
It was in Campbell but now, it's in you.
So what do you make of their story? Well, they're exhausted probably delirious.
I certainly can't believe this entire camp site was destroyed in a single night! What, you believe in demonic possession? No, of course not.
Oh, good.
I just You just? Well, what are we going to do with them, John.
Campbell's leg needs medical treatment.
We can't leave Hamilton alone.
And neither of them is in any shape to hike back to the treehouse.
Well, a day's rest might be in order.
I know my back could use it.
Besides Hamilton says that somewhere hidden in all this mess is a map they drew of the cave system that led them through to here.
A way home.
It's the only part of the story I truly believe.
No.
It's the only part I want to.
Take it easy, Arthur.
Welcome to your new home away from home.
Did that kind of bug taste good? Oh, I'm sure I would not know.
Well, then if you're not going to eat it, you're going to make something from it? Medicine, jewelry? Eat Arthur! Make something of him! Good heavens, no! Well, if you're squeamish, I mean, I'll slice it up for you.
Doesn't look like it'll put up much of a fight.
Finn! That is quite enough! Arthur is well, he's like part of the family.
Which part? Help me! Please! Help me! That is not Marguerite! Hey! Over here! Help me! Great Scott! Is she being pursued? - She sure thinks she is.
- is after me! No, that's an electric fence! Don't touch the fence or you'll be electrocuted.
So, shall we invite her in? Miss Harper, I am stunned that an entire archaeological expedition could ascend to this plateau without mishap.
The only mishap was getting lost in the caves at the base of this plateau.
And these caves they brought you out where? Somewhere in the jungle.
I don't know how far away from here, but I was running all night.
Because IT was after you.
There were 20 of us on my dig.
And when I escaped, there was only me and two others left alive.
Because of this dead guy in a jar.
It was a demon! Listen to me! I'm supposed to graduate next year and become a woman of science and reason.
What I saw last night what that thing what it did to my colleagues and my friends.
What else can it be but a demon from hell? I've come to understand that on this plateau, the supernatural and the scientific are often two sides of the same coin.
We will help you, Miss Harper.
Thank you, Professor Challenger, I knew you would.
At least they were telling the truth about being exhausted.
Umm, No.
What's this? Turning down coffee? - Fresh off the plateau.
- Not right now.
What's on your mind? Well as outlandish as their story is, from everything we've seen on this plateau, we can't just dismiss it out of hand.
Oh, I see.
Well, Marguerite, if one of them was really possessed by a murderous demon, why wouldn't they just kill the other? They had the guns aimed at each other, point-blank.
No matter who fired first, they both would have been shot! And what good is a dead body to a disembodied demon! You DO believe them.
Is that why you wouldn't take a drink from the canteen after me? Is that why you don't want this coffee? Are you afraid to touch me? No, of course not.
Well, but what, Marguerite? Am I to think that after all this time, you don't know who I am? That you look at me and think I'm possessed - like some kind of monster? - No, John! No.
You're the same person you've always been.
I can see it in your eyes.
- Oh, damn this plateau! - It brought us together.
Yeah.
And it keeps pushing us apart.
Only if we let it.
Get away from him! Move! I will not let this demon live.
- There is no demon! - Not in me there isn't.
And why would any demon want to possess a body as weak as Campbell's.
Not when you and your friend here so healthy and so strong! I'm not even going to count to three.
Even that hesitation proves that the demon is not in you.
Otherwise a single shot would kill both of us, and make your deception so much easier.
Which means I was right all along.
The demon is in Lord John Roxton! - Let him go.
- Not before I make sure that he can't infect anyone else.
No! No! Last chance! John! Get down! Go back to hell where you belong! Get down! No, don't touch me! Stay away! There's no bloody demon.
Bravo, bravo! Damn fine performance! Oh, no.
Miss Krux, that's not how it goes.
You put down the weapon or I'll put down Lord Roxton.
Come on.
That's better.
Oh, do you see the wonderful possibilities here? Miss Krux has relinquished the weapon in order to prove to me that she's not the one possessed by the demon.
None of us is possessed.
But you've all made contact direct, skin to skin.
So maybe Miss Krux is the one and she's merely thrown her weapon away to convince me that the demon is in one of you two! You're not making sense, Campbell.
Oh, Hamilton, is that you? Or is that the demon talking? Which one? Listen, if the demon was in one of us, wouldn't he have killed the rest of us by now and been done with it? No, no.
I learned the answer to that last night.
You see, as powerful as the demon is, he's only as powerful as the body that he inhabits so from what I've just seen, that makes it you, Lord Roxton.
Oh, well that's very clever.
So what you're saying is that if three of us combine our might, and attack it with a rock pick or shoot it enough times.
Yeah, that's right.
Then the demon would be trapped in a lifeless body once again.
Which is why he went through the camp and killed everybody last night, to prevent us from rising up against him.
There's only one way Campbell could know about it.
- He's the demon! - I've got the gun.
And as the lady said, if it was me I would have shot you all by now.
Now that all depends, doesn't it? Well, now we are getting interesting.
Two scientists, and it's the hunter who comes up with the theory.
Please, tell me, what were you saying? It all depends? It all depends, on what a demon from hell could possibly want from any of us.
Oh.
Oh, that's very perceptive.
What could a demon want from us? Obviously not a band of archaeologists.
All right, all right! Look, none of us have the answers.
But you DO still have the rifle.
So, what are we supposed to do now? It's quite simple, we wait.
The demon has been buried for 2200 years.
So, whatever it is that he wants, I doubt that he will be patient.
Challenger, it's not that I don't think you're a genius and everything.
That seems only fair.
But what if Harper is right? What if there really is a supernatural killer back at her camp? I mean, why go anywhere near the place? Because with knowledge comes responsibilities, Finn.
What knowledge? What responsibilities? Because we know that there might be a murderous entity lose upon the plateau, we have a responsibility to stop it from killing again.
Ah, now I get it.
We protect the rest of the people on this plateau, and they pay us protection money! No, not exactly.
Are you saying you help people without expecting to be paid? That's right.
Now I really do feel like I've stepped through the looking glass.
What the hell was that? This is my new invention.
The electromagnetic field distortion detector.
It's a modified mine detector, but with unique improvements to make it much more sensitive.
Naturally I'll have to make adjustments to the acoustic feedback settings.
This is the ideal thing for finding buried metal well, metal that is conductive at least.
Does this have anything to do with going back to that girl's camp? Well, if the unknown murderous entity is back at the camp, then this will be perfect for Harper in her archaeological investigations.
What's to investigate? I mean, everyone in the camp is dead! People die, Finn! But there are some things, like science, that live forever.
Challenger could figure out how to detect the demon.
We're not leading anyone back to the treehouse for obvious reasons.
What was that, Miss Krux? Did I detect a hint of impatience? What, after several millennia you're anxious to get out again? Why don't you give it a rest, Campbell.
I just thought I heard George Challenger's name mentioned.
Then he is still alive.
Absolutely unstoppable.
Well, how is Arthur Summerlee? Actually, we'd hoped he'd already made it back to London.
Not that I heard.
- We found his hat.
- What? Where? We found his hat in the underground temple where we found the burial urn.
Take us there.
Take you back to the demon's lair? - No chance.
- And why not? Are you afraid we might discover something there? Something that might help us identify the demon find out what it really wants.
Seems to me the only person who wouldn't want us to go into that temple would be the demon himself.
Well, all right.
Let's go.
Which is precisely what the demon would do if he didn't want us to know he's the demon! Why don't you lead the way, professor.
Hey, Challenger.
Ready when you are.
Oh, I'm ready all right, I have everything I need now.
John? It's Arthur's all right.
Is this the hat he was wearing when he fell off the cliff? Or the one he lost when that baby T-Rex chased him away from the sulphur bed.
A Tyrannosaurus Rex? Only one kind I know of.
I might owe Challenger an apology.
You? Apologize? So I take it that this is the scene of the crime? This is the tomb that Hamilton tore apart without proper methodology.
A wall's a wall! And this urn was behind it? I wouldn't touch what's inside it.
That's how Harper became the first to be possessed.
- Harper? - One of my students.
In more ways than one.
From Harper the demon jumped into Carpenter then Carpenter murdered Nyby and Hawkes, without any of us knowing anything was wrong.
And then And then into everyone, one after the other.
Every fight, every punch was a chance for it to switch bodies.
Well, why keep switching? Because it's like archaeologists tearing apart an ancient tomb, He's jumping from body to body searching for something more valuable.
There were two of those.
They sealed the urn.
Iron.
Legend has said that iron has power over supernatural beings, but There's something written on it.
- Yes.
- It's a warning, Release not the demon within.
You can read proto-Phonecian? - She can read anything.
- What else does it say? Oh, nothing good.
Apparently this demon was the leader of a horde of demons.
John, you don't suppose that's what it's looking for the other demons what if they're trapped in their own burial urns nearby? Well, how would demons go about finding burial urns of clay.
Sealed with bands of iron.
I know who the demon is.
Why don't you tell us outside.
Stay where you are! The demon was buried here, and here it shall remain! You still believe I'm the demon, Not anymore.
Not until I realised it was in Miss Krux.
What? - Put the rifle down.
- I'm afraid I can't do that.
What makes you think it's in me? Proto-Phonician languages are my specialty.
But even I had trouble translating what was on the band.
You read it as though it was your native tongue! I told you before, Marguerite can speak anything! The power of language is the demon's power.
No, Hamilton! No! I was only trying to save us.
So am I.
You didn't have to do that! Yes, I did.
Campbell was the demon.
- You couldn't have know that! - I suspected it all along.
And then when he condemned you simply because of your knowledge of linguistics, well it was so obviously a smokescreen to deflect suspicion from himself.
The same argument could be used to explain what you've just done! But if I was the demon, would I do this? No, no, no, It's quite all right, as long as no one makes direct contact with Campbell's dead body.
The demon is trapped in it forever.
The nightmare is over.
Lord Roxton, Miss Krux we've won.
I'm sorry.
I don't recognize a thing from last night.
Until I reached your treehouse, I don't remember anything clearly.
Oh, well, we can't say we didn't give it a shot! No, no, we have to continue in this direction.
Challenger, why? I mean, do you know something she doesn't? There are a complex series of caves not too far from here, that we haven't thoroughly explored yet.
If these are the same caves that Miss Harper came through, they may be our way off the plateau as well.
It won't hurt to give them a look.
Wanna bet.
What are you doing? I haven't touched Campbell's body.
It's wrapped in canvas.
Just yesterday I thought finding this plateau was the luckiest day of my career.
Well, you're not the first.
And the way this plateau attracts visitor, you won't be the last either.
Poor Campbell.
We were always at odds.
He knew I could always best him, but he still comes back for more.
What do you mean, you could always best him? Well, just that.
In everything.
Academics, published papers women.
So when you fought him in the temple, he would have known you were going to beat him.
- Mm.
- If Campbell knew it, - the demon knew it too.
- It must have.
Then why didn't the demon jump into you? I saw you grab him you were in contact, skin to skin.
But if if the demon wasn't in Campbell, then Then you killed an innocent man.
This is amazing! You found it! This is your camp? No, that's over there, passed those trees.
But this is the main excavation site.
And that's the cave that leads to the temple where Professor Hamilton and I found the urn.
And where he released the demon? Professor! Don't go down there! It's too dangerous.
- This is what I came here for.
- Challenger, wait! I mean, she could be right.
There's nothing in there that I can't handle.
Where I come from, dumb moves like this get you captured by slavers! Don't be ridiculous.
What do I know? I mean, that guy talks to beetles.
Let's go check out your camp.
I've made a terrible mess of things, haven't I? One way or another, we all have.
Perhaps now is the time to go back to the treehouse and get some rest, Challenger can go through your logbooks and reconstruct a route that will take us all home.
I only wish there was a for what I've done that it was as simple at that.
Professor Hamilton! Emily! - Finn! - You're alive! Good show! What are you doing here? Well this woman showed up with some story about some spooky demon killing all her friends, somewhere she couldn't remember.
But Challenger brought us straight to the source.
Challenger's here too? Yeah.
He's back in that cave all keen to use his new invention.
Well, which one? The electro-something field distortion something or other.
I don't know.
But it's supposed to be good for finding buried metal.
Iron.
The demon's in Challenger! What!? But the only way that's possible is if the demon jumped back into me before I ran from the camp.
That's why the demon kept jumping from body to body.
He was looking for someone with particular knowledge, someone who could help it find the rest of its horde! If anyone has that knowledge, it's Challenger! You put down that detector.
Or you'll do what? You want to possess someone? - You come into me! - John, no! I have miles of passageways to search, before I'm finished with Challenger.
But I'll keep your offer in mind, Roxton.
This is number 8.
and then we will rule the world again! Never! - Oh, you can't stop me.
- Maybe not, But I sure as hell can keep you in this temple! That's an intriguing choice of words, Roxton.
Maybe I should jump into you.
Or maybe into you.
Perhaps I just jump back into you again.
Hey demon guy! You know who I am? I know everything Challenger knows.
Good! Then you know I won't think twice about putting a bolt between your eyes if it means I get to go home safe and sound.
Finn, don't do it You stay out of this! You'd be shooting Challenger! I lived 22 years of my life without Challenger's help.
I think I can spend a few more without him.
What do you think you're doing? That's a dumb question for somebody who knows everything Challenger knows, I've seen this sound shatter glass, so I'm guessing it's going to do the same thing to whatever is in these cave walls.
I should have taken you first! Anybody who wants to avoid the cave-in, get out now! - Finn, no! - I started this! - No! - Come into me, damn you! Jump into me! - Harper, get back here! - No one leave! - Let's go! Get out! - No, I know what to do! We started this! You're right, we started this.
And we are the only ones who could stop it.
The demon is trapped! Whichever one it jumps into, the other one won't let go! So is this like a regular day for you guys or what? I suppose it's fitting, to bury archaeologists in their own excavation.
The members of Hamilton's expedition died in the pursuit of knowledge.
There can be no higher calling.
It's never easy, Marguerite so much death.
I wasn't thinking of death.
It's just that somewhere in the ruins of this camp is a map that could have sent us home! That map, was in Hamilton's logbook, which is in his backpack, which is buried under a few thousand tons of rock and guarded by a demon.
Or at least an energised life form, hitherto unknown to science.
Do you never give it a rest, do you? So much to learn.
So little time.
How can I rest.
Amen! Back at the temple you really had decided to shoot Challenger, hadn't you? Let's see.
Challenger's life, balanced against the lives of everyone else in the world.
That is not what I call a decision.
It's a foregone conclusion.
I don't believe you.
When you first arrived, you might have been able to do that.
But not today.
Not today.
But who knows about tomorrow.
*
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