Fantastic Voyage Page #10

213INT. PROTEUS

Grant and the others respond to the ever-increasing speed and the

nearing Wall. They turn to Michaels, who, too, is aware of the change.

MICHAELS:

Captain -- correct your course --

and speed.

214INT. BUBBLE

Increasingly concerned as he works the controls and glances at the

gauges:

OWENS:

She won't respond! We're in some

sort of current!

215INT. PROTEUS

Duval moves to Michaels.

DUVAL:

(bewildered)

But that isn't possible.

MICHAELS:

Not in a sealed vessel like an

Artery.

(up at Owens)

Captain -- something must be wrong

with your controls!

OWENS'VOICE

(from Bubble)

No -- it's a current! It's too

strong -- I can't break out of it!

216INT. BUBBLE

Owens is trying to gain control of the sub. It begins to vibrate.

Startled, Owens peers out, trying to determine the cause, but the

beams reveal nothing ahead but an iridescent swirl of Arterial

elements which bounce back the light. The buffeting increases rapidly.

The Arterial Wall is clearly visible to the side, getting closer.

217INT. PROTEUS - IN BOW

Grant and Cora exchange startled looks as the membranes of the

Arterial Wall suddenly become visible in the spill of light from the

headbeams:
its connective strands arch Gothic-like, lost in the

darkness of the vaulted enclosure. The vibrations have now increased

so that all must hold onto stanchions for support.

218DUVAL AND MICHAELS

Gripping the console for support. Through the plastic windows to the

side they can see the Arterial Wall looming with menacing closeness.

They look at each other, unable to fathom the cause of the now-greater

vibrations.

219INT. BUBBLE

Owens is desperately trying to avoid a head-on collision with the

Wall, but the sub won't respond to any of his manipulations. The Wall

looms closer, the buffeting is worse.

220INT. PROTEUS

Smashing into the Wall directly ahead seems inevitable. Now the

connective strands almost fill the windows. Cora closes her eyes, in

anticipation of the fatal impact. And just when a collision appears

inevitable, the sub veers, narrowly missing the cable-like strands,

thick enough to support a bridge.

221INT. BUBBLE - PARALLEL TO ARTERIAL WALL

With Owens we see the sub swept close alongside the Wall. It is

evident the craft is out of his control, and that whatever averted the

collision has nothing to do with his attempt to steer it. The swirling

mass of particles up ahead begins to part. The vibrations [LINE OF

DESCRIPTION CUT OFF]

222INT. PROTEUS

Grant reacts as he sees the now-visible area ahead.

GRANT:

Whirlpool!... Strap yourselves in!

He grabs Cora, and against the buffeting, moves quickly to help her

toward her seat. Duval and Michaels instantly take their seats at the

console, begin getting into their harnesses.

223LONG SHOT - THE WHIRLPOOL - P.O.V. BUBBLE

Owens is appalled as in the distance, in the center of the channel, he

sees what appears to be an immense liquid centrifuge rotating at great

speed, the Arterial elements within it whipped about like the contents

of a mixmaster. Now the buffeting is reaching its climax. The sub is

inexorably approaching the rim of the whirlpool, with Owens

desperately trying to steer away from it.

224INT. PROTEUS

Duval and Michaels are in their harnesses.

225GRANT AND CORA

Slowed up by the intense buffeting, Grant is now helping Cora into her

seat. But before he can assist her into the harness, the sub is caught

in the whirlpool. The instant effect is that of a Carnival Whip. The

centrifugal force flings Cora out of her seat against the bulkhead.

Grant is spun around and slammed against the opposite part of the

bulkhead, and then onto the floor, with stunning impact.

226DUVAL AND MICHAELS

Pinned back in their seats, unable to get out and help as they see:

227GRANT AND CORA

Helpless in the whiplike rotation, Cora is thrust from the bulkhead

onto the floor. Grant manages to grab a stanchion, hold on. With his

free hand he reaches out for Cora, now prone on the floor. She extends

her hand, but a foot separates them. They desperately reach out to

each other as the centrifugal force pulls them farther and farther

apart... Grant takes the only possible chance or reaching her: he lets

go of the stanchion which sends him slamming against the base of the

seat. He grips the leg of the seat with one hand and grabs Cora's

waist with the other, just in time to prevent her from again being

flung against the bulkhead. She holds onto him with all her strength.

Grant strains to maintain his grip on the leg of the seat with his

free hand, which in effect holds them both against the centrifugal

whipping.

228INT. BUBBLE - TO INCLUDE WHIRLPOOL

Owens, too, is thrust back in his seat, powerless to move. The sub is

completely at the mercy of the whirlpool. A gauge on the panel is

registering in circles.

229EXT. PROTEUS IN WHIRLPOOL - LONG SHOT

Rotating at great speed, a tiny piece of flotsam caught in a

cataclysmic force which is inexorably spinning it toward the vortex.

230INT. SUB - CUTS OF PRINCIPALS

Reacting to the ROAR of the massive turbulence and the whirling

stream, which is seen through the windows. The centrifugal force keeps

them pinned to their positions, with Grant holding onto Cora as

before.

231EXT. PROTEUS - NEARING VORTEX

It is whipped around and down in the final circle -- and disappears

through the rapidly rotating center...

232INT. PROTEUS

The steeply angled dive causes greater strain on Grant as he keeps his

grip on Cora. Duval and Michaels are now thrust forward as if they

were in a gondola of a shoot-the-shoots making its steepest descent.

233INT. BUBBLE

In a similarly forward-tilted position, with Owens we see the stream

whipping by in a seemingly endless drop. And then ahead there suddenly

appears:

234LONG SHOT - FISSURE IN ARTERIAL WALL - P.O.V. BUBBLE

An immense crack through which some red corpuscles are streaming in an

eddy.

235INT. PROTEUS

From their prone positions on the floor, Grant and Cora react to the

huge fissure looming through the windows. Duval and Michaels exchange

looks, suddenly realizing what it signifies. Now the immense crack is

directly ahead.

236EXT. PROTEUS - FISSURE FROM WITHIN VEIN

As the tiny sub is swept out into the stream, where the blue

corpuscles are. Through the crack, a stream of red corpuscles are

whipping by on the other side. The angle of the dive now becomes less

oblique.

237INT. BUBBLE

The sub is caught in a less turbulent current, which results in its

gradually losing its angle and speed, permitting Owens to steer it

away from the center toward a more placid area.

238INT. PROTEUS

The sub is now level, moving much slower. Exhausted from the ordeal,

Grant sees it is safe to let go of Cora. He helps her rise. She stares

dazed at the bluish stream. Duval and Michaels, equally spent, begin

to get out of their harnesses.

238AEXTREME CLOSE SHOT - BENES' NECK

PAN over to the Miniature Tracking Devices.

238BTWO RADAR SCREENS - INT. TRACKING POST - MAIN OPS ROOM

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