The Time Tunnel s01e01 Episode Script

Please fasten your seat belt.
Senator Clark.
Were landing.
Mobile Tic-Toc 1 to Tic-Toc Base.
Permission to enter.
Code: Red Lion.
Tic-Toc Base to Mobile Tic-Toc 1, Permission granted, - Dr.
Phillips.
- Jiggs.
This is Senator Clark.
This is Master SergeantJiggs.
the ramrod of our security forces.
Glad to meet you.
Senator.
- Ill take that.
please.
- Security.
Senator.
Senator.
There are over 12,000 personnel quartered in each of those complexes, Each complex is over 800 floors deep.
You know.
Phillips.
every time I check your budget figures I ask myself the same question- Is time travel really worth all this? Senator.
the control of time is potentially the most valuable treasure that man will ever find.
Well.
its certainly the most costly.
Will you come with me.
please? Senator.
Hang on.
Were going into free fall for 800 floors.
Theres much more to see below.
Itll be over in a few seconds.
Senator.
- An old friend of yours.
I believe.
- Leroy.
- Hello.
Leroy.
- Woody.
My.
its been a long time.
How did they ever get an old dogface like you out of the mud? Huh.
Worst paratroop officer I ever commanded.
I told him to go into politics.
where he couldnt hurt anyone.
Come on.
That was meant to be a gag.
not a dig.
Now whats all this investigation nonsense? Well.
I think you can guess why Im here.
Woody.
Of course.
Come over here a minute.
Did you ever see anything like this before in your life? No.
I cant say that I have.
Thats what Imm here to talKabout, General.
I think Tony ought to be in on this.
- Where is he? - In the Tunnel.
This way.
So thats the monster thatss cost us all this money.
hmm? Yes.
Senator.
Well.
Leroy.
what do you think? - Pretty expensive toy.
- Toy? Hardly a toy.
Senator.
According to your reports all youve ever sent back in time are mice and monkeys.
- So far.
yes.
- How do you know they werent just disintegrated? Disintegration would cause some residue in matter.
Have you ever returned these animals to this laboratory safe and sound? - Not yet.
no.
But- - Then so far as we Know this whole thing might be just a fancy disappearing act.
- Isnt that true? - Actually.
at this point- Youre guessing, Doctor, and, so far your guessing has cost the United States government 71/2 billion dollars.
This way.
Senator.
Tommy! Could you come out here a minute? Doug.
Its gonna work.
I just finished the polarization.
and it just feels right.
- Take a look.
- Senator Leroy Clark.
this is Dr.
Anthony Newman.
- Excuse me.
Senator.
- Doctor? You seem a little young for that title not to mention being number two man on this project.
His youth is only a disguise.
Senator.
Inside is an old genius struggling to get out.
Im glad you were interested enough in our project to pay us a personal call.
Senator.
Lets just say I dontt like to scrap billions of dollars by just sending a memo.
- Scrap? - Tony.
The senator feels our experiments havent shown enough success to warrant the time and money invested.
- But were so close now.
- Close to what.
son? To sending a man back in time and returning him.
of course.
Well.
then do it.
No more promises.
boys.
I want a fact I can grab hold of.
- By when? - When? You and the general have been on this for 10 years.
Youve been with the project almost seven, I say the time is now, You mean today? Thats right.
because tomorrow afternoon Imm flying back to Washington to write you a blank check or cut your umbilical cord.
Leroy.
We are not ready to risk a life.
Doug.
Let me try it.
Absolutely not.
We just give up.
Is that it? Weve put our lives into this project.
Im not going to commit murder and Im not going to allow you to commit suicide just to satisfy a budget.
Thats no answer.
Thatss not even science.
Excuse me.
He seems a little emotional for a scientist.
Anything else you want to show me? - Plenty.
- Leroy.
we havent even begun.
Senator.
This is a red alert! Red alert! All Time Tunnel personnel report to their stations on the double! Its Tony.
- Cant you stop him? - Not now.
Hedd burn alive.
- George.
start the countdown.
- Sixteen, 15 - 12, 11, 10- - Whats happening to him? Hes in a radiation freeze.
Its the first step in his relocation.
- four, three, two - Pray that it works.
one, zero,! All right.
Start location probe.
Jerry.
see if you can synchronize the time curve.
Ray.
give us a power-and-distance ratio.
- Ann.
find what specific radiation Tony is.
- Ill try.
Well.
where is he? He could be living in yesterday or next week or a million years from now.
- How do you know? - Youve got your guinea pig.
Sen- - Doug! - Take a sock at me if itll make you feel any better.
But Id still like to know whatss going on.
Tony just finished developing that radiation bath.
That was the blue mist you saw just before he disappeared, In theory.
this should give us a magnetic fix- like a homing device- to enable us to locate him in time.
In theory.
What if it doesnt work? Then hell be lost in time for the rest of his life.
- Are you hurt? - Ive made it.
Hmm? You are hurt.
Ill call someone.
Oh.
no.
no.
Im- Imm fine.
Really.
But you had a very bad fall.
I.
uh- I didnt look where I was going.
Its a pretty big ship.
Its supposed to be the biggest ever built.
It doesnt look so big in the middle of all this water.
does it? Are you.
uh- You are American.
arent you? - Huh? - Are you American? Oh- Oh.
please.
Why dont you sit down? Oh.
yes.
uh- Yes.
I am.
- Anthony Newman.
- Althea Hall.
Do all Americans adopt the vigorous life just to please your Teddy Roosevelt? - Teddy? - Mr.
Roosevelt.
Oh.
no.
I guess I should have put on a jacket.
I didnt think it would be so cold.
Then youve never spent April in London.
I do hope itll be warmer when we reach New York.
Is that where- That is.
are you making your first trip to New York? As a matter of fact.
I am.
Does it show? Oh.
no.
No.
of course not.
I- I just wondered.
Not that Im one of those Europeans who think there are still.
uh cowboys and Indians in New York.
But it is the other side of the world.
isnt it? - That depends on which side you start from.
- Touché.
I havent noticed you in the dining room the past three days.
Are you a man of mystery.
Mr.
Newman? Ive.
uh.
been eating in my cabin- catching up on some work.
Well.
its bad luck to work on Saturday nights particularly when its the 13th.
- Saturday.
April 13.
- Are you superstitious? Oh, no, No, Ive just been worKing so much Ive lost all track of time.
Well.
I think I better get that jacket.
See you again, Miss Hall, Titanic? - Any luck? - No.
not yet.
Doug.
weve collated the automatic settings that Tony used.
The energy he employed could not have sent him more than a hundred years forward or back in time- probably less.
- Ann.
reduce your limits.
- Only a hundred years forward or bacK, That means you have to pinpoint him across 200 years.
compared to the countless billions of years of time.
Yes.
I suppose so.
Well.
what happens if you find him? Tony and his immediate environment will be relayed into the Tunnels recorders and reproduced instantly on the image area.
and reproduced instantly on the image area.
- You mean well be able to see him? - See and hear him.
- Would he be able to see us? - No.
but hell know what werre trying to do.
He might communicate with us on the assumption that weve found him.
- Ray.
- I Know, Doc, Im beginning to get some irregular coordination.
Sounds like bells.
- Captain.
- Good afternoon.
Captain.
I must speak to you.
Its very important.
Yes.
of course.
Youre.
uh-Yourre Mr.
- My name is Newman.
sir.
but that doesnt matter.
Captain.
I must tell you something.
Yes.
of course.
Mr.
Newman.
What did you want to say? I dont know how to say it without sounding like Imm out of my mind.
Come.
come.
my dear fellow.
Youre dissatisfied with your accommodations or the food or- or perhaps youve misplaced something and yourre afraid itsss been stolen.
- In any case.
I assure you- - Captain.
this ship is the Titanic, Is that what you had to tell me? What I mean.
sir.
is the Titanic sank.
It struck an iceberg and was lost.
Sank? This is our maiden voyage.
sir.
That means our first voyage.
I trust this is not some poor attempt at a practical joke.
No.
Captain.
its not a joke.
I swear to you.
How can I make you understand? Perhaps if you stopped talking nonsense.
Mr.
Newman.
Newman.
Newman.
I dont recall.
Are you in second class or third? Im not on the passenger list.
Captain.
Im Dr.
Anthony Newman.
My doctoratess in electro-physics.
Its a very impressive title.
Doctor.
Listen.
I know I sound insane.
but you must believe me- for the sake of thousands of lives.
I cant remember the exact hour and day of the disaster.
but itss history.
Stop this rubbish.
We are riding on a calm sea.
You talk about sinkings and disasters as though theyd already happened.
It has for me.
Captain.
I was born in 1938.
- If you insist.
- Captain.
Im part of a scientific team in the year 1968.
Weve been experimenting with time displacement.
Ive been sent back in time to this ship- to this moment.
month and year.
Mr.
Grainger.
this gentleman is a confessed stowaway.
Please see that hes confined till we reach New York.
Captain.
youll never reach New York.
Im afraid his peculiar ideas might alarm some of the other passengers.
I suggest you keep him incommunicado and under guard.
Yes.
sir.
Even if you dont believe me.
it wouldntt hurt you to change your course.
- Go farther south.
- Take him below.
Captain.
Not reach New York? Change our course? What sort of gibberish was that.
sir? I make him some sort of harmless crank.
Mr.
Grainger.
But there are other transatlantic lines which would not like to see us set a record on our maiden run.
I cant believe theydd go to these lengths.
but- - I think thatll be all.
Mr.
Grainger.
- Aye.
aye.
sir.
- Mr.
Grainger.
- Sir.
- Wire for further information on iceberg movements.
- We did.
this morning.
sir.
- Well.
confirm them.
- Aye.
aye.
sir.
Look.
Ray.
we need some pressure magnification.
A ship that size- it couldnt have been too long ago.
Anybody recognize it? I do.
Id know those lines anywhere.
Gentlemen.
thats the Titanic, - A picture of the Titanic, - No.
not a picture.
It is the Titanic, Then Tony must be on board.
When did the Titanic go down? Ann.
get the boys on the history computer to give us a complete rundown on the Titanic with pictures and cross-section diagrams.
I want tonnage.
speed.
equipment- the works.
Also.
the year.
day and minute she went down.
But Dr, Newman is alive now, in our time, How could he be affected by something thats happening at the beginning of the century? No, Hes living in that time zone now, Anything that happens to us wont affect him there but if hes on that ship when it goes down hell die along with the others.
- Just a few minutes.
maam.
- Thank you.
- How did you find me? - I just spoke to the captain.
Is it true that youre a stowaway? In a sense.
yes.
And that youre trying to alarm passengers with- with wild stories of the ships safety? Theres so much to explain.
I dontt know where to begin.
Tell me.
Why are you behaving like this? Do you know.
its been a peaceful trip up till now.
And then.
out of nowhere.
you- Well.
I dont understand.
I know you dont.
Ive just begun to realize how stupid I am to think anybody could possibly understand.
Would you let me try? - Im glad you were concerned enough to ask about me.
- Oh.
Althea.
do you believe in the future? I mean, that there really is a future for you,your children, manKind? Yes.
of course I do.
And obviously you believe in the past.
Everybody does.
But what if I were to tell you that the past and the future are the same? - You thinKIm raving, - No.
no.
I dontt.
I dont blame you.
Suppose I told you that time itself doesnt exist.
Its only motion we measure- the motion of the Earth spinning the orbit of the Earth around the sun.
- Tony.
Im sorry.
- Oh.
no.
no.
Im the one whoss sorry.
I frightened you.
You see.
all I wanted to do was for you to let me help you.
Sorry.
maam.
Captain said just a few minutes was all.
Oh.
Im just coming.
Thank you.
Why dont you let me tell the Captain that you didntt mean what you said and that you wont mention it again.
hmm? I cant promise that.
Althea not when I know whats going to happen.
But you dont know.
Nobody knows.
You cant.
Thats it.
Hold those coordinates.
The captain said to Keep you quiet, If that means using chains.
mister.
I have them too.
Doug,! I dont Know if yourre picKing me up, If youre just getting sound.
Imm on the Titanic locked in a forward cabin just above the waterline.
Hes a prisoner.
Its 9:15 a,m April 14, 1912, I dont know when itss gonna sink.
but- Theyve got me locked up because I tried to warn the captain.
Hes right in the middle of the section that was slashed open by that iceberg.
- What about the date? - Lets see- TThe Titanic struck an iceberg late on Sunday evening.
April 14 and sank during the early hours of Monday.
April 15.
- Then hes got about 14 hours.
- Fourteen hours.
No.
he hasnt.
Senator.
Tonys locked in a room that could be flooded as soon as they hit that berg.
Were the ones that have 14 hours if werre going to try to save him.
What can you do? Theoretically, we can suspend Tony in his time zone and remove him from it, But.
during that suspension.
Tonys body processes- his heart, his breathing, his tissue regeneration- would all stop, Unless we can return him here or to some other time zone within seconds well kill him.
- Thats what yourre thinking.
isnttt it? - Not exactly.
There were over 300 men who survived the Titanic, Tony Knows what will happen, Ifhe were free on board, he could be one of those survivors, Yes.
but we cant free him by remote control.
- No.
but we could go back and help him.
- Doug.
no.
Yesterday.
you refused to let Tony do what he went and did anyway.
and you were right.
What do you expect to do now except die with him? What do you suggest? We just sit here and watch him die? At least my way hed have a chance.
Remember.
Ill appear there dressed for the period and prepared with the facts.
That reminds me.
Have Research get me a copy of a New York paper dated April 15.
1912.
You and I have worked together long enough for you to know that I dont give orders just to play soldier.
I know that.
Woody.
But.
just this once.
it might be the right thing to do.
Now.
we have a friend thats in danger.
Youre trying to protect me from that danger, I appreciate that, But ifTony werent back there.
this research would have come to a close.
Isnt that true? All right, Tonys risking his life to succeed where I failed.
If we dont have the faith in what werre doing here and the guts to back up that faith- Woody.
Dr.
Newman took off on his own like a madman.
If you let this man go.
its a cold-blooded responsibility you might have to live with the rest of your life.
Would you let me go if our positions were reversed? Probably not.
I turned Tony down.
But Im hoping yourre tougher than I am.
Prepare your briefing procedure.
Ill organize a countdown.
- Good luck.
Doug.
- Itll work.
Senator.
Doug.
your master guidance control has been programmed for an identical overlay with Tonys.
If you overshoot me a day or more.
Ill get there before Tony.
Or a day late.
and you wind up in the freezing waters where the ship sank with Tony on it.
Doug.
please.
Dont go.
I have to.
Ray.
youll be calling the scientific shots from this end.
Dont gamble unless you have to.
But if you do have to.
go for broke.
Dont worry.
Sixteen, 15, 14 eight, seven, six, five, four three, two, one, zero, Hey now! Whered you come from? Im sorry.
I guess I should get back where I belong.
Guess you should, Tourist, Oh.
Its all right.
Come on in.
Anything wrong.
son? - Oh.
excuse me.
sir.
- Its all right.
Imm just washing up.
Ah.
You didnt happen to see a little French boy with his pockets bulging with food.
did you? - Did you say food? - Yes.
sir.
His parents are immigrants in the third class.
Hes been raiding the dining room tables in the first class for leftovers.
Not that we blame the little fella.
but.
if you allow one.
theyll all descend on you.
- Of course.
- The little fella seems to have given me the slip.
Hes a clever little tyke.
Now.
who left this about? - Thats mine.
Thank you.
- I see.
sir.
Carry on.
- Its all clear.
- Merci, monsieur, Merci bien,! Oh.
youre very welcome.
Whatss your name.
young man? Marcel.
Marcel Corbeau.
Ah.
Well.
Im Dr.
Phillips.
Itss a pleasure to meet you.
Marcel.
Say.
Im looking for a friend of mine.
Hes supposed to be locked up somewhere in the third-class area.
- Would you know anything about him? - Friend? - An American.
- Ah! Oui, oui, monsieur, The Américain, - Good.
You think you could take me to him? - Oui, Come with me.
- Maybe you and I could figure out some way to get in to see him.
- Oui, oui, Here! Dont fool with that! Tony.
Hey, Tony, - Doug.
- Are you all right? That radiation gimmick of yours was great.
Tony.
We were able to home right in on you.
I could even pick up the sound of your voice right through those bulkheads.
I was able to pick this point in time exactly.
You were out of your mind to come here.
Now were both stucKon the ship, Leroy.
Leroy! Somethings coming through.
No, were not, I have this, The guards coming back.
Theyre together.
Ann.
regulate the probe for 50% less radiation absorption.
Its no good.
The captain wont believe it.
He thinks Imm some kind of conspirator already.
Hell say I had it printed.
- Why did you come here? - I had to.
You would have done the same for me.
- But you know this ship is gonna sink tonight.
- Maybe not.
Doug.
they wont listen.
I tell you.
I have tried.
Tony.
what if we were to get in to the ships wireless.
take it over? What if we were to wire for help before the collision? - Thered be no Titanic disaster.
- Exactly.
Youre not afraid to try.
are you? The first thing we have to do is take care of that guard out there.
All right.
He thinks youre in here alone.
Make some noise.
Let me outta this place! You hear me! I said let me out.
or Ill break a hole in this tub! What the devil? Youre asking for it.
all right.
Good afternoon.
gentlemen.
May I help you? The Dutch liners picked up our C.
Q.
D.
Get away from there! Stop him! What on earth? So.
its you.
I see you have a confederate.
- They were using the wireless.
sir.
- What? This is no longer a prank.
You are in serious trouble.
I promise you that.
I know you didnt believe my friend here.
and you wontt believe me.
But you can believe your own eyes.
This ship will striKe an iceberg at 11:40 tonight and go down, - The storys all here in tomorrowss paper.
- Take them below.
This time.
see that they stay there.
Captain.
youve got to believe me! Captain, were getting calls from many ships requesting our position and the nature of our distress.
Tell them to disregard all distress signals from this ship.
- We are in good order and safely under way.
- Aye, sir, Oh.
thank you.
- Come with me.
Mr.
Grainger.
- Aye.
sir.
- Would you wait outside for a moment.
Mr.
Grainger.
- Aye.
aye sir.
We have hit an iceberg.
just as the two of you predicted.
- How could you have known? - Captain.
the only explanation is the truth.
You see, we come from the year 1968, Weve traveled bacK through time to this moment, Whats happening here is history to us.
My reasoning cannot accept that.
In any case.
when we repair damage and reach New York perhaps a maritime inquiry can fathom your story.
Captain.
your ship is going down.
That is impossible.
This ship is unsinkable.
This ship is dead.
and so is everyone on board unless you give immediate orders to lower the lifeboats! Captain, weve warned you of the collision, Please believe us about this, What have you got to lose? Order those lifeboats away.
- Mr.
Grainger.
- Sir.
Order the crew to begin abandon ship procedure.
- Abandon ship.
sir? But- - Do as I say.
Aye.
aye.
sir.
Very well.
gentlemen.
With more than I cannot afford to ignore even the remotest possibility.
Your lifeboats will only hold about 750.
How did you know that? Well.
despite the fact that this ship was built and advertised as the vessel that could not be sunk your life-saving equipment is insufficient and inadequate, Are you telling me that only 750 will survive? Yes.
sir.
I see.
My mind will not let me believe you.
But I do believe in a God.
gentlemen.
If what you say is true.
then only the fact that you were here will save those who do survive.
I would have to consider that a miracle of Gods mercy.
In a way.
sir.
perhaps it is.
Captain.
do you think maybe we could all be of more help on the decks? Yes.
Yes.
of course.
It occurs to me now you may even know whether I will die tonight.
Yes.
sir.
Im afraid you will.
You dont know that you can remove them from their present time zone.
You might just kill them yourself.
Whats our choice.
General.
to let them die with that ship? Even if you do remove them.
you wont have any control after that.
Theyd disappear in time to any moment in the billions of years of the past or future.
Is that any worse than condemning them to certain death aboard the Titanic? I wonder.
- Check the lifeboats on the upper deck.
Ill see below.
- Right.
Help,! Help,! Mr.
Thomas.
Only women and children are to be allowed in the lifeboats.
- That order is not to be violated.
- Aye.
aye.
sir.
- Mr.
Martin.
- Sir! Advise the boiler room to evacuate all stations immediately.
Mr.
Williams.
Assign six able-bodied seamen to assist the passengers in steerage.
Aye.
aye.
sir.
Althea? What are you doing? The ship is sinking.
It doesnt matter for me.
- Althea.
- No.
Tony.
You dont understand.
Ive no right to take a place on one of those lifeboats.
Im not a rich girl on holiday.
Imm just an ordinary schoolteacher.
I spent the last penny of my savings for this trip.
What difference does that make? The difference is Im going to die soon anyway.
- What are you talking about? - Im ill.
Theres a growth inside my head.
Itss just a matter of months.
- Are you sure? - My doctor in London is sure.
He said theres a doctor in New York whoss working on a new type of brain operation.
Its called neurosurgery.
I think.
But its just a matter of months.
- Theres really no hope.
- Of course there is.
Neurosurgery is not a fad.
and its not hopeless.
Althea.
some brain operations have become as commonplace as taking out tonsils.
- Become? - Althea.
youll just have to trust me.
The chances that you can be helped are probably much better than you think.
Are you a doctor too? No.
I am not a doctor.
and youve no right to play God.
Im not even attempting to play God.
Youre deciding when itss time for you to live or die.
You donttt have that right.
You are asking me to believe in miracles.
I am asKing you to believe in life, not death, Althea.
please.
believe in me.
Marcel,! Marcel,! Time to take a ride now.
Women and children only! - Put this on.
- Whats going to happen to you? - Never mind that now.
Hurry.
- I wont see you again.
Come on.
miss.
if youre going.
Tony, theres trouble on A Deck.
Follow me.
Doug! Tony! - Freeze them! - What happened to them? Theyre alive- if the time transfer worked.
- Where? - We dont really know.
- Can we establish any limits? - Not with certainty.
- Hurry,! Theyre dying,! - Accelerate power.
The Tunnels gone blank.
Well.
wherever he and Doug are now at least theyre together.
But where? We couldnt begin to guess.
Leroy.
SergeantJiggs will escort you to the surface.
- A cars waiting for you there.
- Thanks.
Woody.
- Good-bye.
Doctor.
- Good-bye.
Senator.
and thank you very much.
sir.
Of course.
my committee will take no action on this until Phillips and Newman are safely back or beyond hope.
But I.
uh- I will have to give some estimate of their chances.
Were doing everything we can.
Were perfecting our technique and apparatus every day.
Id have to say.
without trying to be funny that its just a matter of time.
Well.
it always helps to keep a sense of humor about things.
- Good-bye.
Doctor.
Good luck.
Woody.
- Good-bye.
sir.
- Leroy.
- This way, sir, Ray.
Are you being optimistic.
or am I being pessimistic? Well.
General.
we know theyre still alive and weve started another location probe.
Which wont mean beans unless they can survive wherever they are.
This is Mission Control, We are at launch minus 60 seconds and counting, Launch minus 55, Minus 50, Minus 45, Launch minus 40 and counting, - Minus 35, - Its a rocket.
Tony.
if this is one of those early Canaveral jobs we could be blown up right here on the pad, Minus 25, Minus 20 and counting, - Its no use.
Itss locked off.
- Fifteen, Get down here quick.
Off your feet.
Ten, nine, eight seven, six, five four, three, two one-ignition,