Fantastic Voyage Page #5

TECHNICIAN:

Here's the particle, sir.

OWENS:

Everything aboard?

TECHNICIAN:

All squared away, sir.

Carefully holding the lead box, Owens starts up the ladder, followed

by Duval, then Michaels. Grant waves Cora to precede him. They reach

the monk's steps above the ladder, climb upward, then one by one

disappear through the hatch. Grant is the last one in.

94INT. PROTEUS

With Grant we see the interior. There are plastic windows in the bow.

In the center is the Navigation and Communications kiosk, which

contains charts, reports, and a wireless set. Four swivel chairs are

spaced about the kiosk. Behind it, a ladder leads to the Conning

Bubble above. Set in the rear of the kiosk is a watertight door

leading into the escape hatch. Behind the kiosk is a Lab and Storage

Section, not visible at the moment. No power of any kind is on --

lights or air-conditioning. The interior is illuminated by the light

coming in through the plastic windows. Duval, Michaels and Cora

instantly move to the kiosk and busy themselves examining the charts

and reports in the numerous pigeonholes. Owens hands the lead box to

Grant.

OWENS:

Hold this...

Grant takes the lead box. Owens removes a crank from the tool box,

inserts it into a hole in a circular trap door which reads:

Owens turns the crank. The lid of the trap door opens. A hollow cradle

comes up. Owens then opens the lead box by undoing two butterfly

screws. He removes the Seed Cage from within the box.

GRANT:

(not relishing thought)

Atomic fuel?

OWENS:

Nothing you could see with the naked

eye. But there's a microscopic

radio-active particle inside.

He puts the Seed Cage on the cradle and lowers it back beneath the

floor, by reversing the crank. During the above:

GRANT:

If it's no military secret, how can

a sub run on a microscopic particle?

OWENS:

They can't reduce nuclear fuel. But

once the Reactor's Miniaturized --

along with the submarine -- a

microscopic particle should emit

enough energy to activate it.

GRANT:

That's cutting it mighty close --

for a perfect fit.

OWENS:

It should work -- theoretically. If

it doesn't, the mission's off. The

craft's nuclear-powered. Except for

your wireless.

The lid of the trap door is now level with the floor. Owens removes

the crank, and taking the lead box from Grant, he puts both back into

the tool box during:

GRANT:

(looking about;

admiringly)

All in all, quite a canoe...

OWENS:

Designed for Piscatorial Research --

the Spawning Habits of Deep Sea

Fish.

GRANT:

Remind me to ask you about the love

life of an octupus.

He moves to the wireless, sees Cora smile as she goes through the aft

door. Grant begins tapping out a message.

95-

96

97INT. CONTROL TOWER

A WIRELESS TECHNICIAN is writing down the message heard coming in. He

tears it off his pad, hands it to the Communications Aide, who takes

it to Carter.

COMMUNICATIONS AIDE

Test message from the Proteus, sir.

(reading)

'Miss Peterson has smiled.'

REID:

That's an auspicious sign.

CARTER:

Confirm receiving.

98INT. PROTEUS

Grant is at the wireless, logging the incoming message. In the

meantime, Owens finishes battening down the entrance hatch. Duval is

studying medical reports, Michaels is spreading out the first of the

Navigation Charts, a very detailed map of the Vascular System of the

Neck and Head. As Owens crosses on the way to the ladder leading to

the Bubble:

MICHAELS:

Captain, how will you be able to

follow my charts --

(of Bubble)

--from up there?

OWENS:

On the Repeater.

Michaels looks at him blankly. Owens flips a button up and down of a

hooded device which is trained on the chart area. The small screen

remains blank.

OWENS:

Once the power's on, we'll be in

direct touch. Come, I'll show you.

Michaels moves with him to the ladder leading to the Bubble. Owens

stops, waves him to continue. Michaels goes up the ladder.

98AINT. CONNING BUBBLE

An ultra-sophisticated set of controls, consisting of a push-button

panel and an airplane-like steering wheel. The plastic affords a 360

degree view of the Miniaturization Room. There is room for only one

person. Owens remains on the ladder, so that only his head is within

the Bubble. Owens points to the identical Repeater on the Panel.

OWENS:

That's it...

MICHAELS:

(of controls;

ironically)

Looks simple to operate.

He sits down in the single seat.

98BINT. PROTEUS

Grant is moving aft. With him we hear:

OWENS'VOICE

(from Bubble; with pride)

It actually is, although the

controls are highly sophisticated.

There's a button for everything --

Grant enters:

99INT. LAB AND STORAGE SECTION

Originally designed for marine research, it still shows some of its

pre-adaptation structure: there is a series of glass-fronted

compartments, now labeled ANTIBIOTICS, ANTI-COAGULANTS, COAGULANTS,

MED OXY, etc. A wide counter runs the length of the compartment on one

side, suitable for working on specimens. A Ruby Laser sits on the

counter at the end, its plastic cover removed and to the side. At the

other is a piece of metal on a metal base. As Grant enters, he sees

Cora working with a set of very small tools, making minute adjustments

on the laser.

GRANT:

Bet you're pretty handy around the

house... Can you cook?

CORA:

(indicating oxy

containers)

We're pushing oxygen today.

GRANT:

I'll take some Laughing Gas, ma'am.

CORA:

(surprised)

You sound as if you're not looking

forward to it.

GRANT:

Well, it's not exactly a pleasure

cruise.

CORA:

I think it's the most exciting --

(with awe)

We're going to see things no one

ever saw before. The actual physical

process of Life itself -- not

something under a microscope... Just

think of it --

GRANT:

That's the trouble. I am. Being

shrunk...

CORA:

You may learn to like it.

She has finished adjusting the laser. She now lifts Grant's hand away

from the metal disc.

CORA:

Excuse me...

She presses a button on the laser. With startling suddenness, a thin

pencil of light shoots out, cutting a hole through the metal

instantaneously. Had Grant's hand remained, the beam would have gone

right through it.

GRANT:

For a nice young lady, you play with

the damndest toys, Miss Peterson...

She adjusts the intensity and thickness of the laser beam, each new

one cutting different size holes through the metal during:

CORA:

(with smile)

That'll teach you where to keep your

hand.

GRANT:

Now I know...

As she drills metal through again:

GRANT:

That could be quite a lethal

weapon... It could kill, not cure.

CORA:

Not in the hands of a great surgeon

like Dr. Duval. The beam of this

laser can be regulated to one

millionth of a millimeter.

GRANT:

I understand you've been Dr. Duval's

Assistant for quite some time... He

must've snatched you out of the

cradle.

CORA:

I've been with him since I got out

of school. He brought me into the

CMDF, over five years ago.

GRANT:

A long time, with one man.

CORA:

Not working for someone like Dr.

Duval --

She breaks off, realizing she may have revealed her feelings. She

switches off the laser, averts looking at Grant as she fits the

plastic cover over it. Into the silence, the wireless is heard as a

message comes in. Grant starts back into:

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