The Terror (2018) s01e07 Episode Script

It's a locomotive engine in there.
Imagine the sound of that.
- Will it let us sleep, do you think? - Don't you worry.
We'll be so knackered, it would take this whole shebob sinking to wake us.
Next in line.
Good morning to you.
Have you your orders for me? Any tips, sir, for a first-timer? The advice I'm about to give you holds whether it's your virgin voyage or your twentieth.
Then I'm keen to hear it, sir.
When the ship sets sail, be sure you're aboard.
Here you are.
Sir.
See you in a month's time for first muster, Mr.
Hickey.
Next up, step forward.
Some of what these men have packed is impractical at best, Francis.
If we're to make it inland before winter, this cannot hold.
It's a long march, James.
There will be time to reconsider.
Things will drop away.
To ask these men to see these bits of who they are as one more threat to them No.
Let them get some miles behind them before we ask them to do that.
But these first miles are some of the hardest miles, and we don't know yet if the advance party made it to shore.
Exactly.
The first land camp must be up by now.
Maybe they will have dinner We don't even know if they made it back to shore, Manson.
We would have heard word by now if there was an attack.
Somebody would have come back.
There's almost 50 of them.
It could be attacking now.
If it comes, it comes.
All you can do is make sure you're not the one in its jaws.
Thank you, Mr.
Hickey.
I hope I'm stood next to you when it comes.
You've just given me permission for a good shove.
It's been waiting for us to do exactly what we're doing.
There's no defenses out there.
Fear is a choice, Billy.
Ignorance is a choice.
As is believing Lieutenant Fairholme is on his way back with help.
Or that these natives are our friends.
- Gently with that one, please.
- It's all right.
Has Mr.
Bridgens seen you today? Aye.
The mandragora is no longer helping? I'm sorry for that.
Mr.
Bridgens, I'll increase the dose the rest of what we safely can, or try another remedy, coca wine or a stronger tonic.
These might put you in a bit of a haze, but it could be worth it.
Are these our own choices, Cornelius, or are they being made for us? What are you asking, Billy? They also told us the lemon juice would ward off the scurvy.
I heard when it gets bad, the gums pull back.
Scars dissolve and open back up.
No, no, no, no, no.
Say what's on your mind.
You're among friends.
Am I? We could make a go of it for ourselves, couldn't we? A smaller group.
Because 40 men are going to be too slow on that ice, let me tell you.
Well, the ice will be slow-going regardless.
- But once we make land - Then it would be better to wait until the larger group hauls all the supplies to solid ground.
It would, yes.
That gives us time, then, to think things through.
I suspect there are others who would be friendly to this.
It would be good to find a few more.
Sort the ranks out of this in advance.
We're leaving enough food to see you through winter.
Enough coal to last that long as well.
It will be enough if all of you berth back here.
A thaw may yet surprise us.
If it does, sail south past King William and hug the shore.
That is what we will be doing as well.
If you make it back onto the charts at Cape Herschel, sail east into the strait here that cuts King William off from the mainland.
It's either landblocked or, as I believe, open.
Either way, go no further.
The mouth to Back's Fish River is just here.
We will signal from the mainland side if we have yet to cross then from the King William side.
But if you do not see any sign of us by September 1st, it means we are already inland and you should turn around and sail hard out and away.
Any version of this, you realize, makes you men the first to complete the Passage.
I hope it happens.
I do.
The sacrifice that you men are making deserves a great reward.
You needn't worry yourself, sir.
If we're to perish, we prefer to do it here, under English blankets and smelling English coal.
Not out there in that void.
That's reward enough.
Bid your farewells to the others, then.
Find our assigned sledge and settle your personals.
This next bit a captain does alone.
So I've heard.
The men are behind you, sir.
Very much behind you.
Friend, mother, lover, all the things they say a ship is to a captain and they miss the only thing that matters.
Confessor.
This ship knows everything about me, Thomas.
In '37 when George Back wrecked it, tugged it home across the Atlantic she was barely afloat.
No one could believe she kept herself up.
She may well triumph.
Give the word, Lieutenant Irving.
Forward, men! - What do you report, Mr.
Hartnell? - Just more spinning, sir.
But we are definitely on Lieutenant Little's tracks.
They're windblown and the ridges have shifted, but they're definitely still intact.
He's got a feeling for it, this one.
Very well.
I'll continue to rely on your eyes.
Help us find our way safely, Mr.
Hartnell.
Yes, sir.
Right, move it on.
Move the boat.
Lead them off, Lieutenant.
Everyone.
Including you, Mr.
Hickey.
Mr.
Collins.
Is Mr.
Morfin camped near you? He's in the tent just next, sir.
And how are you faring, then? Well enough? Actually, I don't know how any of us could be "well," really, with what's happened.
Here.
What's the worst of it, Collins that you would be willing to share? It might help to say it out loud.
I've tried, sir.
Well, you haven't tried with me.
It's relentless.
If you don't sleep you're no good to anyone.
Take the watch over there.
I didn't want to go to Carnivale.
I compelled myself to go.
I compel myself to do everything now.
I have to try to convince myself that there won't be any problems.
And then there are.
There are a lot of problems now.
In the dive helmet it smells of grease.
Did you know that? No.
It's a problem to be in my job and be Be what? Afraid of the smell of grease.
I can smell it everywhere.
I didn't used to think about it, like sawn wood from all the coffins Mr.
Honey's built.
My father used to be a belly builder.
He made the wood parts for pianos.
I used to play in the shavings.
Now I have a different sense of that smell.
And now I can't stop smelling Carnivale.
The smoke, you mean? More the meat.
The boys who died they were cooking.
Like fillets grilling.
Some of them were my friends.
I was screaming, "Help them! Help them!" But my mouth went dry to wet the second I smelled them.
I couldn't stop it.
I'm sorry for it.
My nose and my stomach, they don't know horrible from supper.
But I do.
I do.
Captain.
Come.
Sorry to disturb you.
The matter we discussed, the tins, sir.
What about them? The hunting parties you proposed, might they begin now, please? Out here, on the pack? What do you propose we hunt? Seal, bear.
It takes years for a Netsilik to learn seal hunting.
You know that.
The men cannot continue to eat these tins, sir.
They must.
For now.
- I know it's unhelpful to hear.
- Profoundly unhelpful sir.
Mr.
Wall is preparing the next round as we speak.
Every tin consumed, our situation is The moment we set foot on King William Island, I will commence hunting parties.
Who knows? We may get lucky with some caribou.
That you and Lieutenant Gore found none a year ago does not mean we can't fare better now.
We share a burden, you and I.
Keeping this.
One line.
One line.
Scrub up.
How much do you want to wager that dog's rations are equal to ours? He's earning his keep, I reckon.
I've got you! I've got you! That's it! That's it! You shouldn't be on any watch you haven't got the bottom for, Morfin! I'm sure he'd relieve you of watch duty if Mr.
Goodsir knew you Oh, good Christ.
Our sweep this morning was further out than yesterday's dog watches, or Morfin here would never have seen it.
Can you make out who they are? It's Lieutenant Fairholme's sledge party.
Who else has seen this, or knows? Just us four now, sir.
On pain of a full court martial, no one is to hear of this until such time as Captain Fitzjames and myself decide to share it with the men.
Yes, sir.
Eighteen miles.
That's all they made.
Our rescue.
Halt! Halt! We'll have to go up in switchbacks.
We should send the first runner group to set the belays.
Aye, but there's no telling what the other side will give us.
I mean, this here might be the handsome face of it.
And the hopeful one.
You're right.
I'll go first with James.
We'll sight what we sight and report.
Even the flag's up.
We needn't have worried, Francis.
If we have luck finding game we can spend several weeks here.
It would be best to tamp down every trace of illness before continuing.
It was a hard trip, even for the halest in our party.
I never want to feel ice under my boots again.
If we make it out of this all these men deserve medals in gold.
If we make it out of this, the men deserve every gold thing there is.
Did you sight anything at all on your trek here? We saw no signs of the creature, if that's your question.
Sir.
Lieutenant.
The perimeter's drawn now, but it's not loaded.
How do you mean, Sergeant? I'd like to recommend arming some additional men in camp.
Even with our camp tightly pitched, the size of the perimeter still concerns me.
We're only eight Marines now, and it would be a help to us to bolster our numbers, armed.
- Who first comes to mind? - I've put some thought into it.
Armitage, he's a crack shot, as is Crispe.
Manson's up to it, seems to me.
Seeley, Coombs.
Mr.
Hickey would be a good help.
We'll hold off on that.
Sir, I recommend that we It will be a waxing moon tonight, yes? Near to full.
We'll be able to see miles in every direction.
If something comes hunting us, there will be time to ring the alarm and arm more men, even from sleep.
The site was well chosen.
It's going to be difficult to surprise us on such level ground, hm? Aye, sir.
We can revisit this, but for the moment the armory is closed past arms for marines and officers.
Aye, sir.
I do understand why he makes that request, sir.
As do I.
The reason is sound.
Some of those names are not.
I am trying.
Who's that now? Somebody, help us! That doesn't promise well.
Help! There's no attack, men.
It's Morfin.
He staggered out and just collapsed, sir.
What do you need, Morfin? I need you to shoot me.
Will you do it? Will you, please Put me down.
John.
My head.
Cut it off.
Put it with the others.
No one is going to put you down.
Private, be careful! No one fire! No one fire! Mr.
Morfin is in great pain.
He'd like us to end it for him.
Do not.
Weapons down.
Down.
I have options, Morfin.
Things to try.
We discussed this.
I have wine of coca, for instance.
That will certainly be a tonic for you now we're stopped and camped.
John.
John.
If Dr.
Goodsir thinks that wine of coca will help it's worth trying, isn't it? You'll never get yourself back to Gainsborough if you don't try everything.
Gainsborough, yes? Where your people are.
Seaman Morfin, lower your weapon.
That's an order.
You're clear, Sergeant.
Carry Mr.
Morfin to the stores tent.
Bury him in the morning.
Lieutenant Hodgson, will you oversee it, please? Go back to your tents, men.
Try to get some sleep.
The night you accompanied Mr.
Hickey to subdue Lady Silence.
Is there more to that story than we've heard? Were others involved, even indirectly? You have my trust, Mr.
Hartnell, but you needn't answer if it puts you in a corner.
It's not that, sir.
There was a fourth man.
Sergeant Tozer? No, sir.
Watch Mr.
Armitage.
We'll watch him together if you're willing, Mr.
Hartnell.
- My apologies, sir.
- It's all right, Jopson.
Thank you, Mr.
Hartnell.
We'll speak again.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
You should have fetched me when you woke to dress, sir.
I couldn't sleep.
You should have fetched me for that, too.
I have the drops Dr.
MacDonald mixed for you last summer.
And how does it feel, not being fetched for drops or drawers? Miserable, sir.
That is my job you are shaving away.
You should also know that Mr.
Hoar reports that Neptune is missing again.
He says he thinks he may have left the gate unlocked.
Well, he'll come back when he's hungry.
Sir.
I need to hold a command meeting this morning for Captain Fitzjames and the lieutenants.
I'll let you gather them.
Oh, thank you very much, sir.
We have an emergency with our tinned provisions, gentlemen.
Not just rotting.
Dr.
Goodsir has discovered a more insidious issue, which has been silently undercutting all of us for years.
It's how they were manufactured.
All the cans? Every single one of them? Hunting parties begin today.
One south, one east.
Each party will have two officers and four mixed men.
They will surely have concerns about traveling any distance in such small numbers, but it is a risk we urgently need to take.
If we're unable to find game, sir? Then we will proceed as we have and keep moving south.
I'll take south.
Lieutenant Irving can take east.
You'll stay in camp with Commander Fitzjames and myself.
We need to start planning the fresh-water parties.
But that leaves only three lieutenants, sir.
Because it is needed, and because it is deserved, I am making a promotion this morning.
An emergency measure, if you will.
But one that is wholly sincere.
To my knowledge, this has never been done.
But then much of what we are now doing has never been done, so I don't want there to be any confusion over this.
Someone on this expedition has earned our trust, respect and confidence in a way that merits absolute a place at this table.
Well, gentlemen, we have a new lieutenant to welcome this morning.
James.
Let me clarify, Jopson.
I mean a third lieutenant.
There is some modicum of protocol that must be observed, even here.
Look at your face.
Congratulations, Jopson.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Did you hear about Lieutenant Jopson? It's best if we keep our talk low.
Very well.
What do you think happened to Morfin last night? What was it? He was tired of being in pain.
It made him desperate.
Because he was ill.
Ill how? Scurvy.
I suppose.
Enough men are showing sign of it.
- It's not scurvy.
- Dr.
Goodsir said Dr.
Goodsir's lying to you.
To all of us.
As is the captain.
And not only about this.
What happened to Morfin is happening to all of us.
And Goodsir, Crozier, know it.
It's going to keep happening, as long as we're eating from the tins.
Something in them is making us weak and weird, building up in the body.
And how do we know this? An Erebite heard Mr.
Goodsir telling doctors MacDonald and Peddie something of it at Carnivale.
But no one told you.
But if that's true what can we do about it? We have nothing else to eat.
We're moving further south now.
- More chance of running into game.
- Then we'll be spared.
Say we catch a ring seal.
Let's say we catch three.
Red meat.
Fresh meat that can get us off these tins.
What happens on that day, when you've finally got a decent plate of meat in front of you? Who is that? Who? Lieutenant Hodgson, it's not a man.
Though it did belong to one.
- What have you done? - Just keep listening.
I know this will make sense to you.
Maybe only to you.
With even this amount of meat, we could have a capital meal, right now, the three of us.
We could make it last several days.
Under Crozier's plan, we divide this meat into nearly 100 portions, until each of us gets next to nothing.
Now, even if we find game, even bigger game than this, with the help of Crozier's Esquimaux "friends" it would have to be in numbers we can all agree are next to impossible.
Crozier's plan is bootless.
And you know it.
God, blind me.
You've made a mistake, Mr.
Hickey.
This dog was our alarm against the creature.
It broke its front leg on the rocks.
I found it.
And I put it down.
I'm not asking you to believe me about that.
What are you asking me? There will be a moment when the numbers make sense to more of the men.
And when that moment comes we need an officer who sees things clearly.
I'm not a captain.
I'm not made of that.
You can be whatever you need to be now.
Survival is a nasty piece of business.
But we do what we have to do.
We reconfigure.
We reinvent.
We rearrange.
Let me be your lieutenant in a new arrangement.
Let us get out, together.
Let's put our hope in our own hands.
Because what I have to tell you next is going to stamp out most of the hope you've been given.
A mate of mine was stationed on a ship in Baffin Bay for two seasons and said caribou doesn't have the tallow beef does.
The taste is strong and tastes more strongly of what is the animal's diet.
Would that be rocks here, then? The word "diet" comes from the Greek diaita.
"A way of life.
" We've an hour left before we need to return.
Let's cover more ground.
I'll go east with Mr.
Armitage and Mr.
Pocock.
Farr, Hickey, you're with me.
We'll go south, walk half an hour, then turn back.
We'll meet at this spot.
Lieutenant.
My God! Stay here.
I'll approach them alone.
We don't want to spook them.
The captain said so, didn't he? My name is Lieutenant John Irving of Her Majesty's Royal Navy.
John.
John.
Koveyook.
Koveyook.
- Koveyook.
- Koveyook.
Koveyook.
John.
John.
John.
My friends and I, we are are We're looking for game.
Food.
Food.
Food.
Food, yes.
Yes.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You stay here.
Please.
You stay.
What happened? Hickey! Hickey! Hickey! Head down.
Welcome aboard, Mr.
Morfin.
Glad to be here, sir.
Thank you.
Head down.
I see my signature here, but I don't Oh, I've grown a beard.
- I thought it would be smart.
- Yes.
- It can't hurt, where we're off to.
- That's what I thought.
- Head down.
- This way? - Yes.
- Thank you.
Yes? Cornelius Hickey, caulker's mate.
Your new home, Mr.
Hickey.
Once you've unpacked, check in with Mr.
Darlington, the caulker.
- He's on the orlop.
- The orlop, sir, is? It's the deck just below.
Have you been on a ship before? Not like this one, sir.
A change of pace, then? A change of everything, sir.