Fantastic Voyage Page #16

As Reid starts to remove the OVERLAY MAP OF THE HEART from the

Radarscope:

REID:

Why not? They had a choice of over a

billion Alveoli...

382LONG SHOT - PROTEUS IN PLEURAL CAVITY

The lone voyager is proceeding in a calm sea. Its headbeams reflect a

yellowish cast, which becomes increasingly warm and sunny during the

scene.

383INT. BUBBLE

Owens glances at the Repeater. The co-ordinates show the sub is

traveling toward the apex of the Pleura, to the north, which is

bounded by an undefined area simply marked "Lymphatic." A sense of

absolute serenity seems to pervade. Abruptly:

384SMASHED LASER TRANSISTOR

as it is placed on the edge of an array of disassembled parts.

385INT. LAB SECTION - WORKBENCH

Cora is putting the tiny transistor down. Then, with a tweezers, she

takes out the last part: a hair-like strand of wire. To Duval, who is

beside her:

CORA:

And a broken trigger-wire...

386INT. LAB AND STORAGE SECTION

Grant and Michaels are standing at the doorway, reacting to:

DUVAL:

(fingering the parts)

A smashed transistor. No way to fire

the lamp... Well, that's the end of

the laser.

Grant and Michaels exchange looks.

GRANT:

(to Cora)

You must carry spare parts --

CORA:

Not anything built into the chassis.

(with guilt)

If it hadn't come loose --

MICHAELS:

That's beside the point now.

(to Duval)

I don't see the sense of going on.

CORA:

We must!

MICHAELS:

With no laser --

GRANT:

(to Duval)

Isn't there another surgical

procedure you can try?

DUVAL:

No, there's no other way.

Before Michaels can answer, Grant squeezes into the compartment, picks

up the broken transistor.

GRANT:

(to Cora)

If you had a transistor about this

size and power output, and a thin

enough wire --

(of laser)

-- could you piece it together?

CORA:

No, it requires such absolute

precision --

GRANT:

A surgeon might...

CORA:

Oh yes, I'm sure Dr. Duval could. If

we had the parts.

GRANT:

I've got a source. All I have to do

is tap it.

At their blank looks, he turns and moves into:

387INT. PROTEUS

As he goes to the wireless and begins to unscrew the panel, Michaels

suddenly realizes:

MICHAELS:

Grant -- wait a minute -- you're not

going to dismantle the wireless?

GRANT:

Just one little transistor and a

circuit wire is all it takes.

MICHAELS:

But that'll knock out our

communications! We'll be cutting

ourselves off from the outside.

GRANT:

They'll still be able to track us by

radar, because of the radioactive

fuel.

He moves to the panel, revealing a maze of electronic parts.

GRANT:

Well, sir? Which is it? The

wireless, or Benes' life?

MICHAELS:

(finally)

Send the following message...

387A

388INT. CONTROL TOWER

A LUNG OVERLAY MAP is now on the Radarscope. Reid and Carter see the

Grid Officer is moving the replica of the Proteus into the next

quadrant of the Pleural Cavity.

An incoming message is heard. The Wireless Operator takes down the

message. As the tapping stops:

CARTER:

(reading)

'Cannibalizing wireless to repair

laser. This is last message.'

Reid and Carter exchange grim looks.

CARTER:

Incommunicado... Now they're really

on their own.

Reid moves to the window overlooking the OPERATING ROOM. As he looks

down on Benes and the little Tracking Devices weaving back and forth

across his chest:

REID:

(quietly)

We can still track them -- but

that's all we can do.

Carter joins him. As they both look down:

CARTER:

Something told me I got into the

wrong end of the bus1ness.

(answering look)

Space...

389

390TINY TRANSISTOR AND STRAND OF WIRE

In the palm of Grant's hand. Cora's fingers delicately pick up both.

CORAlS VOICE

(o.s.)

The transistor will do. But the

wire's much too thick.

391INT. LAB AND STORAGE SECTION

Duval is picking up the original wire with the tweezers and placing it

on a contrasting surface during:

GRANT:

Nothing closer.

As Cora turns to the workbench:

DUVAL:

I may be able to scrape it thin

enough. Cora, get me a number eleven

scalpel.

She puts the transistor and wire down on the workbench and moves to

open a medical kit. Duval takes the wire and places it between two

small clamps on the workbench. Cora extracts a scalpel, gives it to

him. Duval swings a magnifying glass over the strand as Cora trains a

light on the wire. Duval bends over. Peering through the magnifying

glass, he slowly begins to scrape the strand with the scalpel.

392GRANT AND MICHAELS

They exchange looks. Then Grant turns away.

393INT. PROTEUS

Grant leads the way to the bow. As they look out:

GRANT:

Looks like the sea, at dawn.

MICHAELS:

We're safe -- long as it remains

that color...

(answering look)

We're in the Pleural Sac.

(indicating arched dome

far above)

It keeps the Lungs from rubbing

against the Wall of the Chest up

there. When those membranes become

inflamed, we wind up with Pleurisy

-- and a wracking cough.

GRANT:

Cough? If he can kick up a storm by

just --

MICHAELS:

His Pleura's in fine condition. It

should be clear sailing through this

area.

GRANT:

Let's hope... So far, somebody's

tried to sabotage this mission

twice.

He glances back in the direction of Duval. Both drop their voices so

that Duval and Cora can't hear:

MICHAELS:

(startled)

Sabotage? I don't understand...

GRANT:

I saw the laser just before we

started. It was fastened down

securely. You don't suppose what

happened was an 'accident?' Any more

than my safety line snapping after

it was tied off to the sub?

MICHAELS:

You have no right to blame Duval --

GRANT:

That line was tampered with...

MICHAELS:

(agitated)

I -- I don't know what to say. I

know he's under a cloud, but there's

not a more dedicated man in the

entire medical profession.

GRANT:

You still never know what's going on

in anyone's mind...

MICHAELS:

(with finality)

I can't believe it. Whatever

happened was an accident.

GRANT:

Two in a row?

MICHAELS:

It's possible --

Grant looks at the Minute Recorder. It now reads .

GRANT:

Thirty-two minutes left...

(back to Michaels)

But chances are we won't have to

wait that long for try-number three.

OWENS' VOICE

(from above)

Look at those Walls up ahead!

Grant and Michaels look out through the bow. Grant reacts amazed as he

sees:

394ENTRANCE OF LYMPHATIC DUCT - P.O.V. BOW

A huge tube-like structure looms up. The Walls are transparent,

composed of a single layer of squamous cells with round nuclei. Since

the color of the stream is now predominately yellow, the globs create

the impression of innumerable:

GRANT'S VOICE

(o.s.)

?!

395INT. BOW

As Michaels moves to the console:

MICHAELS:

(with smile)

We're entering the Lymphatic System.

Those are nuclei of cells, lining a

Duct.

GRANT:

(puzzled)

I always had an idea there was only

one System. The Circulatory.

MICHAELS:

The Lymphatic System drains off

excess fluid from the Tissues.

Without it, we'd all swell up like

balloons. He reaches the console,

begins to take out a new chart.

396INT. BUBBLE

The new chart suddenly becomes visible on the Repeater as it is spread

out below. Owens reacts to the labyrinth.

OWENS:

Looks like quite a Navigation

problem...

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