Fantastic Voyage Page #4

GRANT:

How will you know where the sub is,

at any particular moment?

REID:

Dr. Michaels -- our Circulatory

Specialist -- will serve as your

Navigator. He'll know just where you

are. And you can communicate

directly with us, by wireless.

Besides, the sub is nuclear-powered,

and we'll be tracking it just as we

would any radio-active tracer.

CARTER:

There'll be a team of Surgeons

standing by. We're prepared to

remove you immediately, should

anything go wrong. In any event, you

must be out within sixty minutes.

After that, you'll be in danger of

attack.

GRANT:

Attack? Who -- or should I say what

from?

REID:

Benes' natural defenses. White

Corpuscles -- Antibodies. Once you

begin to grow -- and become a menace

to the body -- you'll trigger them

off...

MICHAELS:

With all the unknown factors in the

body, I still say risking five lives

for one is something we should

reconsider --

CARTER:

We understand your concern, but

we've made our decision, Doctor. Any

questions? Anybody?

GRANT:

Just one, General...

CARTER:

Yes?

GRANT:

Where can I get a cab back to town?

No one responds to the attempted levity. Carter rises.

CARTER:

(to all)

Proceed to the Sterilization

Section.

Carter and Reid move out of the room through the door. The others go

out through another.

78-

80

80AINT. CORRIDOR

The five appear and stop before a cylindrical door with handles

similar to those in a vault, to give the effect of a sealed chamber

within. Over the door flashes:

The five reach the door. An electronic beam swings it open

automatically. They start in. As Grant moves past the sign:

GRANT:

How much can a man give to his

country?

The door swings automatically shut behind him.

81

82INT. CONTROL TOWER

A huge plastic bubble in the form of a truncated semicircle, with

glass panels overlooking areas not visible in the angle of the shot.

TECNICIANS in the uniform of the are seated at a desk-level

bank of monitors, on a slightly raised platform. They are checking the

numerous TV screens for focus. A cacophony of B-Beeps from the screens

underscores the sense of last-minute preparations. A COMMUNICATIONS

AIDE wearing headphones and throat microphone moves about. Carter

crosses to the Miniaturization Control Panel. Reid goes to the window

overlooking the OPERATING ROOM. Below, he can see Benes on the

operating table, a towel over his head. Surgical Aides are making a

last-minute check of the Thermal Blanket which encases him in three

sections. Reid presses a button on the wall beside the window.

REID:

Make the final preparations...

They begin to remove the towel from Benes' head. Reid turns away from

the window and crosses to the window overlooking the MAIN OPS ROOM.

With him we see a huge room, bisected by a floor-to-ceiling detailed

map of the entire ARTERIAL and VENOUS SYSTEM from rib-cage to skull,

to simulate the body of Benes in a prone position. Grid lines mark off

areas in relation to true North and South. TECHNICIANS are bustling

about with charts and reports which are coming in through headphones,

telephones, teletypes, batteries of Computers, Oscillographs, etc.

Encircling the entire floor are glass-fronted booths which enclose the

SPECIALISTS' POSTS. Reid turns to a Technician at the Master Control

Section.

REID:

(to Technician)

Heart.

The Technician flips on a switch. On a TV screen appears the INTERIOR

OF THE HEART POST, one of the glass-enclosed booths looking out onto

the MAIN OPS ROOM. Like all the Specialists Posts, it is concerned

with its particular area and nothing else: Blowups of the Heart in

great detail, X-rays of Benes' heart, its beat being recorded

electronically on a huge EKG chart which fills one wall and is in

constant operation via remote control. The HEART SPECIALIST is

standing before the EKG chart, while a TECHNICIAN twirls dials at a

panel. Reid can be seen in the closed TV circuit in the Heart Post.

(As in all subsequent TV communications.)

REID:

How's it look, Henry?

HEART SPECIALIST

(over TV)

Holding steady at thirty-two per

minute.

REID:

(to another Technician)

Respiration.

The Technician flips on another switch. On a TV screen appears the

INTERIOR OF THE RESPIRATION POST. Here everything relates only to the

lungs. In addition to cut-away sections where each small area assumes

the proportions of a detailed war map, there are banks of Benes'

X-rays, lit up in panels, plus immense calibrated charts labeled

INHALATION and EXHALATION, on which the rate is being electronically

recorded.

REID:

How's he doing, Jack?

The Lung Specialist is seen glancing at a chart.

LUNG SPECIALIST:

(over TV)

Respiration is now six per minute...

I wouldn't take him down any

further.

Another Technician flips switch in response to:

REID:

Hypothermia...

On a TV screen appears the INTERIOR OF THE HYPOTHERMIA POST, its walls

festooned with dials recording bodily temperature, before which

TECHNICIANS sit watching and making minute adjustments. The

HYPOTHERMIA SPECIALIST moves along, keeping a sharp eye on the various

zones labeled:
CIRCULATORY, RESPIRATORY, CARDIAC, RENAL, etc.

REID:

Any problems, Dr. Sawyer?

HYPOTHERMIA SPECIALIST

(over TV)

No sir. We're holding him at twenty-

eight degrees Centigrade.

Carter enters, moves to the Control Section to join Reid.

CARTER:

Where do we stand?

REID:

Medical's ready.

The Communications Aide with headphones moves up to them.

COMMUNICATIONS AIDE

They're in the Sterilization

Corridor --

83-

88

89INT. STERILIZATION CORRIDOR

Bathed in eerie ultra-violet light. The five are passing down the

corridor, in single file. All are dressed in khaki uniforms. Grant

moves ahead of Cora. As they reach a vestibule at the end, the door

swings open automatically. Grant starts to help Cora over the

threshold.

CORA:

Don't touch me. I'm sterile.

Grant grins. They move into:

90INT. MINIATURIZATION ROOM

A huge parquet area, composed of white octagonal modules. In the

center is the Zero Module, in red. Standing over it is a fifty-foot

craft. The angle and the distance renders its details indeterminate.

WHITE-CLAD TECHNICIANS wearing rubber gloves are seen working about

it. As the five come into the room:

CARTER'S VOICE

(on loudspeaker)

Please board and check all your

equipment immediately.

They look up, see:

91CARTER AND REID AT WINDOW OF CONTROL TOWER - THEIR P.O.V.

They can be seen, high above.

92DOWN INTO MINIATURIZATION ROOM - FROM P.O.V. CONTROL TOWER

Carter and Reid look down at the tiny figures below as they move

toward:

93THE PROTEUS - OVER THE ZERO MODULE

With Grant and the others, we now get the full impact of the

experimental sub at close range: sleek lines from the intake in the

nose sweep over a transparent plastic bubble atop the structure, and

then down to taper off at the stern under which are double vents. The

sub is supported by cradles, allowing it to stand free of the module.

Plastic windows in the bow afford the occupants a full view. A white-

Clad Technician hands Owens a small lead box.

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