The Time Tunnel s01e26 Episode Script

Cant you get them under control? Stabilize them.
Ann, refine your locator.
Im doing the best I can, General.
Were getting an interfering impulse.
Wevve lost eeem.
Ive got Doug and Tony again.
Lets try this way.
Oriental.
Sure is.
Mongolian.
Those were Mongols back there.
Its been a long time since Ivve studied Oriental history, Tony, but if my memory serves me right this is the emblem of the great Khans.
Genghis Khan? The Time Tunnel.
Enough! My men are sometimes hard.
But these are hard times.
I am a prince of the Mongols and it pains them when strangers fail to honor me.
Youre Genghis Khan? Genghis Khan is dead.
The whole world knows that.
I am Batu grandson and rightful heir.
The mantle of Genghis Khan belongs to me.
But I will do with it what he could not do.
I will conquer the world.
Asia, Europe- All will be crushed with my Mongols.
Your friend is of no importance to you now.
You have much to tell us.
Will it come easy or hard? The fort and its defenses- Where can we breach its walls? I warn you.
Patience is not one of our virtues.
Were travelers.
We- We come from a distant place.
I dont know anything about a fort.
You disappoint me.
You seem like such an intelligent man.
I couldnt help you if I wanted to.
Youre European.
You must be with Marco Polo.
Marco Polo? I dont know what yourre talking about.
We are not known for our gentle touch.
It would be wise of you to tell us all you know.
Again! Thirteenth century.
Latter part.
Eastern China or Mongolia.
Mongolia in the 13th century.
Genghis Khan.
The Golden Horde.
The building of the Mongol Empire.
Get a definite time fix.
Lets see exactly who it is werre dealing with.
Ann! Im sorry.
I just cantt stand to watch what theyrrre doing to him.
Ann, if were ever gonna get them out of there alive we cant do it without you.
Our impulse is weakening, and were losing contact.
Weve lost eem.
- Its all my fault.
I was- - Itss no onesss fault, Ann.
Our initial fix Just wasnt strong enough.
Ill reestablish contact.
A great victory, my lord Batu.
A patrol from the fort was riding for the mountain pass.
We caught them and cut them to pieces.
- And the European, he was with them? - Yes.
- Good.
- But he escaped with a handful of men.
- What? - Theyre cut off from the fort.
As good as dead.
You fool! Now your information becomes much more valuable.
I- I dont know anything about any fort.
I swear I dont.
You will tell me the secret of its defense and it will fall before me like everything else will fall before me! It is my heritage! Genghis Khans empire should be mine, and it will be mine! Why prolong their agony and your own with false heroics? The fort has been under siege for months now.
Their position is hopeless.
We both know that.
Tell me.
Tell me the word, so that it may end quickly.
The forts weak spot.
Tell me the section of the wall that can be bridged! I dont- Enough! Youve got the touch of a blacksmith.
Now itll be hours before he can talk.
Maybe never.
You, stay here.
You, come with me.
Tony.
Tony! Make no sound.
Youre not Mongol.
- Who are you? - Were travelers.
- Travelers? - Yes, we were captured.
And escaped from Batus camp? Yes, if thats what his name is.
If that has happened, then all things are truly possible.
The Mongols are probably tracking them at this very moment.
Go.
You look at the other trail.
The emperor Kublai Khan has an outpost fort across the plain.
I command there.
I am Marco Polo of Venice.
Why do you look at me so strange? Do I seem so odd? No.
No, its just that, uh your fame has preceded you.
Fame? Me? Why, yes.
The wonders of the Orient you brought back to Europe.
Why, youre famous the world over.
I have not been back to Europe since I began traveling through the Orient 12 years ago.
Who are you? Well, were just travelers, the same as you.
And how do you know so much about me? I was assuming.
I meet a man from Venice in the service of the Kublai Khan the first European to explore the Orient.
Why, its only natural for me to assume that the whole world knows who you are.
You have style.
But your words come too smoothly and too swift to be true.
Well, youre a traveler.
You must know that the truth is sometimes very hard to explain.
And sometimes, even harder to accept.
But there is one truth that you can accept, Marco Polo and that is that we are your friends.
Yes, you do have style and thats one thing a Venetian can appreciate.
Mongols are coming, following their trail.
- Can your friend travel? - Yes, Ill see to it.
I think not.
- Its a pity your journey must end here.
- Wait.
You cant leave us here.
You friend cannot travel quickly enough.
- Will you leave him? - No.
I thought not.
Loyalty is a luxury, a luxury I cannot afford at this moment.
Well done.
I didnt appreciate being hung out for bait like that.
Lets not quarrel over a successful maneuver.
There are enough unsuccessful ones to stew over.
Besides, now we have horses for your friend.
We can get him back to the safety of the fort.
Memories of the rack linger.
I am afraid the pain will linger also.
You still havent told me who you are.
Sarit.
There must be more to it than that.
Sarit doesnt seem to be enough for a girl as beautiful as you.
Well, wait.
Dont go.
Im still a sick man, you know.
I think you are now well on the road to recovery.
Yeah.
- Well, how are you feeling? - All right.
A little stretched.
Having a nice convalescence.
Yes.
She is very beautiful, isnt she? Yeah, very.
You sent for me, my lord Batu? Marco Polo and the others are safely back inside the walls of the fort by now.
We did everything we could.
We searched the countryside.
I did not call you here for excuses, Ambahai.
The fort has been too strong for us to take.
But I have found a way to increase our power tenfold.
- Princess Sarit.
- But, my lord- With Kublai Khans daughter in my power, I can force a marriage make my claim that much more secure.
Then all the Mongol tribesmen will Join behind me in a full-scale war and Genghis Khans empire will truly be mine! But she is safely within the walls of the fort.
And you will bring her here to me.
But, my lord, the walls will be guarded.
Heavily guarded.
We have been trying to breach those walls for months.
There is a time for force and a time for cunning.
I make a very impatient bridegroom.
A thousand campfires and as many Mongols set to breach these walls.
Well, your defenses seem strong enough, and theyve held so far.
Yes.
But with a Mongol, its always something new something unexpected.
Wait, please.
There is so much I have to tell you.
Gentlemen.
Id say we could use some privacy.
Wouldnt you? Tony, what do you say you forget about this little walk in the moonlight? Since when did you start doubling as scoutmaster? Look, I know Sarit is a beautiful girl, but stop and think where we are.
Were right in the middle of nowhere, and a thing like this can get out of hand.
- Doug, man, youre way off base.
- Why dontt you face it? - Youre getting involved.
Cantt you see the signs? - So, what of it? Am I supposed to stop living because Im in the 13th century? - Look, Im not trying to tell you how to live- - Well, then dontt.
Youre wise in seeing the danger.
Theyre from different worlds.
Nothing could ever come of it.
Yes.
They certainly are from different worlds.
Marco would you be shocked to learn that Tony and I are from another world? No.
Im not ridden by superstition like my Venetian colleagues.
I have seen too much traveled too far.
I mean, from the world of another time- the past or future.
Time.
Who knows what time is? Even Aristotle was puzzled by its nature.
You are here.
I can touch you.
Youre in my time.
And you mean that my friend and Sarit, even though they are from different times might fall in love? Can they not touch each other? Well, at least we have the year.
- 1287.
- 1287.
Now, if we could only get exact location coordinates.
Didnt the computers have anything? No.
No exact location.
Marco Polo was in the service of Kublai Khan for over a dozen years service ranging all over China and Mongolia.
It was to have been a secret.
But somehow, Batu learned her true identity.
It is not merely a girl called Sarit who has been taken.
- She is the Princess Sarit.
- Princess? Daughter of Kublai Khan.
I was escorting the princess to Venice to study the ways of Europe.
Our caravans got as far as this fort.
We could get no farther.
A single man might be able to get in and out of Batus camp just as they got in here.
- Ill need Mongol clothes.
- For two.
This was to be your first return trip to Europe? Yes.
Carrying goods back that youve gathered here including a certain black powder.
- How did you know that? - Exploding powder, isnt it? No.
- But you said this is your first trip.
- Yes, it is.
Well, then you must have the powder.
I know you have it.
What if I do? Well, I could use that powder to help get Sarit back.
- Use it? How? - As a weapon.
The noise and smoke as a diversion.
- A weapon? - Yes.
It might make the difference between saving and losing her.
Ill get you the Mongol clothes and the black powder.
Theres still time for you to head back to the fort, if you want.
I thought we came out here to do a job.
I came out to do it.
I have a personal interest here.
Just how personal? It could be that Ive found something here that interests me.
It could be that youre just trying to talk yourself into something.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
All I know is, for the first time, Ive been thinking that it wouldnt be the worst thing that ever happened if I didnt get back to the Time Tunnel.
They mustve really stretched you out of shape back there on that torture rack.
I can think of a lot of things worse than spending the rest of my life here.
Thats dream talk, Tony.
What you need is something to shake you back into reality.
Now, remember that everything that were going through- everything thats happening to us here and now- itss all in the past.
Sarit, Marco Polo, Batu- Theyre all dead and theyve been dead for 700 years.
No, youre wrong, Doug.
Our present is here and now.
Its always been here and now.
Youre wrong.
Now, look, Sarit does not exist for us.
Our reality is 168.
Our real existence is back in the present of the Time Tunnel Complex.
And what if its not? Whatss to stop me if I were to make my existence here and now? Even then, you and Sarit wouldnt have a chance together.
- Why? - Youre from different worlds, different times.
Eventually, all this nonsense would wear out and youd realize that you had both settled for a whole lot of nothing.
Can it be that Tonys really falling in love? Impossible.
A pretty girl, a dangerous situation.
Just a romantic impulse.
Were losing our fix again.
- Theyre fading.
- Wevve lost them.
You know, I think he really is falling in love.
Get that fix back.
Were gonna try to transfer them.
Maybe we shouldnt.
Well, I mean, if hes- If hes found someone that he could be happy with- I mean, you know, really happy with- maybe we dont have any right to take him away.
Now, you must eat first, my princess.
It would not look right for my intended bride to be all bones pressing on flesh.
I would lose honor amongst my tribesmen.
What would they say if they thought I ate well and you did not? Huh? One must have honor before it can be lost! I approve! I approve.
You have spirit.
I like it.
A Mongol chieftains bride-to-be should have spirit.
Yes, some spirit.
Some.
Some, but not too much, ah? Ah! After her! Bring her back! I knew you would come for me.
I knew, and I was not afraid.
Any objections? And if I did have, would it, uh, make any difference? No.
This will not be the first time a friendship has been broken over a pretty girl.
No.
But it would be the first time that it was over a girl that neither man could win.
- Well? - We could not catch them.
The princess is back inside the fort.
You blundering fool! She is the key to my joining all the tribes of Mongolia into one unbeatable fighting force! I have dreamed too long of regaining all the empire that should be mine and dreams of conquest do not die so easily.
I have a destiny to fulfill, and it will be done.
Ill have that girl back and Ill destroy that fort as well.
Go.
Go, and send riders out.
Tell them to gather all Mongol warriors who will fight with Batu and share in his plunder.
Go! The time gradient is coming in stronger now.
There.
Were making contact again.
- Mongolian horsemen.
- Thousands of them.
- Ray, how strong is your fix this time? - Quite strong.
Strong enough to send some artillery back to that fort? - Send back cannons? - Precisely.
Cannons and shells.
No.
Youre talking about transporting several tons of equipment, General.
No, the Tunnel could never handle that.
Well,just some mortars.
Enough shells to break up that attack.
A thousand pounds at the most.
I still dont think we could handle it.
Ray, that fort-Tony and Doug dont stand a chance without help.
Were gonna try our best to give it to them.
Theyve been gathering for hours.
How long do you think before theyll attack? Almost anytime now.
And Id say the advantage is all theirs.
Now, Ray! Our time-space coordinates mustve been way off.
Without artillery support, they dont stand a chance.
Run everything we have through the computers.
Weve got to get an exact fix and try to transfer them to safety.
Yes, sir.
Batu has an army massing outside.
- I can see them from my window.
- You cant stay here.
Ill talk to Marco Polo.
There must be some way for you to get out.
It pleases me that you worry.
It gives me pleasure to see that you care.
- Did you locate them? - No.
But in his memoirs, Marco Polo mentions a fort he once commanded in the Mongolian province of Chahar.
Chahar.
Did you get that, Ray? Get the proper coordinates and zero in.
No, wait.
Now, to transfer Doug, yes.
But I still say we have no right to try to take Tony away from there.
Well, if hes found happiness, who are we to take him from it? Would he want us to? Dont be foolish, Ann.
Tony is one of us.
Hes from here and now.
That girl is from the 13th century.
- Nothing would ever come of it.
- Are you two so completely certain of that? I was uncertain enough to run a few questions on Sarit through the computers.
The information is sketchy, but there are some things known about her.
She was the only daughter of Kublai Khan and she married a dark-haired, fair-skinned stranger from a far, distant place in the year 1287.
- Theyre all dark-haired.
- Yes.
But are any of them fair-skinned? Well, nobodys gonna marry anybody unless we get some help back to that fort.
Its Batu under a flag of truce.
Bring him to my quarters.
I greet you, Marco Polo.
In peace? Or in war? In peace.
It gives me great sadness that so many brave men will die this day.
- A sadness matched by my own.
- Then let us avoid this bloodshed.
I pledge the safety of every man in this fort on one condition.
Sarit, you hold a thousand lives in your hand.
No.
We can beat them off.
Well fight.
Do you take orders from homeless strangers? I take orders from Kublai Khan and my conscience.
And does your conscience say that all your men must die when they can all live? - If you give her up- - You lie! Youll try to kill us either way.
Will you swear that no one will be harmed? - I give you my oath.
- Yes, but will you keep it? What of the oath you made Genghis Khan and your father and your brothers? You broke them when it pleased you.
Youd break this one too.
Youre right, Marco.
His only goal is to conquer Asia and Europe and then the rest of the world.
If you refuse me everyone within these walls will die.
You are refused! So be it.
Ready now.
Shoot! Arrows will never stop that charge.
And we cant get any help back to them.
Dont you have a transfer fix yet? That was an order, Ann.
I want Tony and Doug transferred out of there and I want them transferred fast.
Yes, General.
The reading coming up is 128.
3.
Good.
Exact time-and-location gradients are leveling.
Our fix should start coming in strong.
Hold your arrows! - That couldve been worse.
- It will be.
It may look like theyre retreating, but theyrre not.
Theyre only falling back to regroup their forces.
Theylll hit again.
And next time, even harder.
I know.
We cant surrender.
We cant retreat.
That leaves only fighting.
Doug.
Back there in the fight- Thanks for, uh, keeping me alive.
If you save a mans life, yourre responsible for him.
You have to help him - even if it means telling him things he doesnt wanna hear.
- You mean about Sarit? - Yes.
Cant you understand? - Ivve been thinking about the Tunnel.
What Im talking about has nothing to do with the Tunnel.
Its got everything to do with it.
Its not that I changed my mind or dontt know what I want.
But the Tunnel, whether I like it or not, can take me out of here at any time.
Thats right.
Theress nothing you can do about it.
So, if you really care about Sarit the only honest thing you can do is to say good-bye.
Yeah.
But what of honor? And duty? I say give him up.
To serve what honor? What duty? A duty owed your father.
My father.
He thinks only of his armies and his empire.
And so must you.
The daughter of an emperor cannot follow the dictates of her heart.
Why not? Let Kublai Khan look to his sons for help.
They will one day have his throne.
And you- You think you can defy your fate? Sarit, listen to me.
You are a princess of Cathay.
You are the only daughter of the Kublai Khan.
You have a destiny to fulfill and a duty to your people.
And none to myself? I saw your moment of uncertainty when Batu offered to spare the fort if you would give yourself to him.
I was thinking of- of my stranger.
And not at all of the other lives in this fort? Of them too.
You see, my dear? You cannot escape your fate- to think of those whom fate has made your subjects.
The Kublai Khan needs your marriage to someone else for the good of all his people.
You may waver but no inner feeling can make you forget who you are or what you must do.
How can you be so sure when I am not? You will do what you must.
You all right? We might not be able to hold off another assault.
Marco Polo says there is always hope.
Is there always hope? No matter what happens it still has to be good-bye for us.
Yes, you are right.
It still must be good-bye.
I am the daughter of Kublai Khan and it was wrong of me to have forgotten that, even for so brief a time.
Neither of us should have forgotten.
But we did and we had our moment.
Well never repair that wall in time.
Well just have to double our men there.
Well, it could be worse.
We lost a section of the north wall.
But we still have enough men to make a defense.
Yes, but for how long? Theres nothing left to do but stand and fight.
Until were all killed? Batu hasnt left us much of a choice.
What if we try to win? What if we try to break the back of their charge before they even reach that wall? How? By magic? Yes, of a sorts.
That black powder that you have in your storeroom.
Well, thats harmless.
Itss used for fireworks and parades and festivals.
Until you mix this with it.
- Whats that? - This turns that black powder into an explosive strong enough to blow those Mongols right off their horses.
I need all the water jugs that you can find.
- What is it? - This is nitre.
It was scraped from the cellar walls.
Now, where we come from, its called by a different name.
Potassium nitrate.
And thisll stop the Mongols? Dead in their tracks.
One container, one horse and rider? Marco, if this is mixed properly one container will stop as many as 30 or 40 riders.
Impossible.
When I first saw those firecrackers of black powder I was amused when they crackled and popped.
I smiled at the thought of what entertainment they would give my countrymen.
But one container to kill 40 human beings at one time- Would you prefer that the Mongols killed us? No.
I will help you fill the containers myself.
Thats fine.
A good, strong fix.
Well be able to make a transfer in another few minutes.
General, I said well soon be able to make a transfer.
Homemade artillery shells.
Theyre probably gonna try to explode those containers with makeshift fuses.
Thatll never do.
Theyll misfire and never explode on target.
If theres one thing I hate, itss to see perfectly good hardware wasted.
Weve got to send something back to them.
Wevve got to! General, you saw what happened the last time we tried.
Yes, but we gotta send something lighter this time.
Something under a hundred pounds.
Get me Ordnance.
Ordnance? General Kirk here.
I want two boxes of percussion igniters and I want them here in the Time Tunnel Control on the double.
Are the catapults in place? Yes.
One small question.
Weve got the launchers and the shells.
Now, uh, how do we detonate them? With short-burning fuses and a prayer.
Well, it could work.
Its got to work.
Ready, Ann? Transfer.
Whats the matter? They weighed only half as much as the mortar and shells.
Theoretically, they should transmit.
Ann, what are your readings? Power and space-time gradient plus over three.
They shouldve gone.
Technical, on the double! Throw the circuit breaker, but dont lose the fix on Tony and Doug.
Hold it on the tower.
! Dont touch it.
! - Clear? - Clear.
All right, go ahead.
Were operational again.
- Circuits in.
- Hurry it up.
- Ready.
- All right.
Send them.
They must have a fix on us, Tony.
They knew exactly what we needed.
Itll work.
Now! Keep it up.
Were going to finish this day here and now! Now, Ann.
Transfer.
Whats the trouble? Feedback- a bad one.
Theyre frozen in time.
If we dont get them moving within a few seconds, theylll be burned to death.
- Can you send them back to where they were? - Well, we can try it.
- Reverse- - No! Ah, yes.
just as I expected.
Toys.
Mere toys.
Yes.
Simple.
Predictably simple.
Such a to-do about a commonplace bit of magic.
Hear me, you travelers in time.
It is I, Merlin, mightiest of all wizards, who commands you.
At a sign from me, you will leave the limbo of time and appear in this place before me.
Yes.
Welcome, gentlemen.
Welcome home.