Fantastic Voyage Page #18

As all remain frozen in their positions:

414ATRACKING DEVICE PAN

with it to:

414BEXTREME CLOSE SHOT - BENES' EAR

CAMERA MOVES IN on the Ear, until it fills the screen.

415

415APANEL OF PROTEUS

The red warning lights are flashing, the needle of the TEMPERATURE

GAUGE is in the danger zone. The SPEEDOMETER is nearing zero.

415BINT. BUBBLE

Owens is working the controls, apparently without avail. He glances

anxiously ahead, sees:

415CEXT. COCHLEAR DUCT - ENDOLYMPHATIC STREAM - P.O.V. BUBBLE

A huge clear area. In the distance, a few drifting Antibodies. There

is nothing evident that should be giving the Proteus any difficulty.

415DINT. BUBBLE

As Owens looks back with grave concern to the panel, the SPEEDOMETER

needle drops to zero.

415EEXT. COCHLEAR DUCT - LONG SHOT

The Proteus is sinking to the bottom.

415FINT. PROTEUS

Duval and Cora are back in the lab Section, working on the laser.

Grant is beside Michaels at the chart. Both look up as the Proteus

touches bottom with a slight jar.

GRANT:

(up at Bubble)

What's wrong, Skipper?

OWENS' VOICE

(from Bubble)

What I was afraid would happen. The

stuff we passed through -- that

looked like seaweed --

MICHAELS:

Reticular fibers --

OWENS' VOICE

(from Bubble)

It clogged the intake vents. We're

not getting any propulsion.

GRANT:

Well, there's only one thing to do.

As he moves to put on his Breather Pack, Cora appears in the doorway

of the Lab Section. She looks anxiously out of the bow windows. In the

distance, several Anti-bodies can be seen.

CORA:

You're going out there? With those

Antibodies --

MICHAELS:

(to Grant)

No danger of attack, as long as you

don't trigger them off by any injury

to the System.

Grant nods, steps into the Escape Hatch, closing the door behind him.

The light flashes red. Cora remains at the bow windows, looking toward

the drifting Anti-bodies, with apprehension.

415G

416EXT. VENTRAL HATCH

Grant is dropping out of the opening, causing the attached seaweed-

like fibers to come loose and drift off.

417WITH GRANT

He swims toward the bow, reaches the propulsion intake vents. As the

clogged vents come into view:

OWENS' VOICE

(over audio)

How's it look?

GRANT:

I could use a lawnmower...

418-

455

455AINT. BUBBLE

Owens glances at the Minute Recorder.

OWENS:

How long do you think it'll take?

GRANT'S VOICE

(over audio)

Quite a while.

455BINT. PROTEUS

Cora turns from the bow windows. The Antibodies are still in view.

CORA:

Wouldn't it be quicker if we all

helped?

MICHAELS:

(with glance at Minute

Recorder)

Yes, there's no time to spare. And

those fibers can be quite tenacious.

He moves to the Escape Hatch with Cora, both strapping on their

Breather Packs. She glances at Duval, still in the Lab Section.

DUVAL:

I'd better use the time to finish

repairing the laser.

Michaels and Cora step into the Escape Hatch, adjust their swimming

masks.

456EXT. PROTEUS - BOW

Grant is pulling the seaweed-like fibers out of the intake vents. He

works fast at what seems an endless task.

457INT. BUBBLE

Owens is watching the TEMPERATURE GAUGE. The needle is still in the

danger zone.

458EXT. PROTEUS - BOW

Michaels and Cora swim up to Grant, join him in yanking out the long

clinging tendrils. All work quickly as possible.

459INT. OPERATING ROOM

Absolute silence. The immobile Surgical Team and Technicians create a

tableau-like effect. The forced silence and the inactivity causes

several to sweat with tension. All are focusing on the Tracking

Devices, now weaving back and forth at Benes' Head.

460INT. CONTROL TOWER

Reid and Carter are at the window overlooking the OPERATING ROOM. The

Communications Aide turns to them. They react with misgiving as they

hear:

COMMUNICATIONS AIDE

Report no movement of the Proteus

since entering Quadrant 74, Level D.

Reid and Carter exchange grim looks, move to look down on the MAIN OPS

ROOM. They see the little Proteus is in the quadrant of the Cochlear

Duct. Carter glances at the Minute Recrder. It now reads .

CARTER:

Twenty-four minutes left. Maximum.

This is just what we need -- another

delay...

He sees an ant crawling along the table, in the direction of a few

spilled grains of sugar. Automatically, he starts to bring his thumb

down to crush it. But he stops just in time. Reid looks at Carter

curiously as the latter carefully picks up the ant and puts it on the

railing so it can crawl out of harm's way.

REID:

(with smile)

You'll wind up a Hindu. Respecting

all forms of life -- however

small...

461

462EXT. PROTEUS - BOW

Loose tendrils are flowing about the hull like drifting seaweed. But

the vents seem to hold an endless amount. Grant, Cora and Michaels,

working at an exhausting pace, keep pulling out more and more clumps

of long fibers.

463INT. BUBBLE

Eyes on the TEMPERATURE GAUGE, Owens reacts with relief as he sees the

needle beginning to swing away from the danger zone.

464INT. OPERATING ROOM

Nothing moves except the little Tracking Devices on their silent

bearings. But the ordeal of absolute silence and no movement is

beginning to tell on all. Particularly:

465SURGICAL CHIEF

An older man, corpulent, he is sweating profusely under the strain.

The headband of his Surgical Cap is wet. Automatically, he brings his

rubber-gloved hand up to wipe the perspiration away, stops, as he

glances at the patient o.s.

466EXT. PROTEUS

Many loose tendrils now about the hull attest to the progress of

cleaning the vents. The three keep working.

467INT. BUBBLE

The needle of the TEMPERATURE GAUGE is now almost out of the danger

zone.

467AINT. MAIN OPS ROOM - SUB GRID MAP

The sub is not moving. The Minute Recorder reads .

467BINT. MAIN OPS ROOM - SHOOTING TOWARD CONTROL TOWER

Reid and Carter are at the window, looking down into the room.

468

469EXT. PROTEUS

The last of the fiber clumps is now being removed.

470SURGICAL CHIEF

Rivulets of sweat are streaming down toward the wrinkled corners of

his eyes, causing him to blink.

471FEMALE SURGICAL AIDE

Seeing his extreme discomfort, she follows the usual procedure of

reaching for a towel on the instrument table.

472TOWEL

A surgical scissors is partially tucked within the folds.

473INT. OPERATING ROOM

The scissors is not visible from the Aide's angle. As she pulls the

towel gently off the table, careful not to make a sound:

474SCISSORS

Dislodged from the table. CAMERA WHIPS with it toward the floor. On

the shattering impact:

475FLASH CUT - BENES' EAR

It fills the screen, the sound reverberating o.s. Instantly:

476EXT. COCHLEAR DUCT

The vibrations send the Proteus flying through the clear sea, as if

struck by a cataclysmic undersea force. (NOTE: Until the end of this

sequence, the vibrations keep on as if they have set off

reverberations in endless echo chambers.)

477GRANT

Flung in one direction.

478MICHAELS

Hurled off in another direction.

479CORA

Whipped away from all the others.

480OWENS IN BUBBLE

Clutching the panel for support.

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