Don't touch me!
What's happening?
Doctor, that is it in the picture.
The clock!
They're in control!
Take them out of here.
They're condemned to the pits.
Come on, get out!
Out of the way!
Get out!
Stand by, work shift.
Stand by at the pits.
Work shift, standing by.
The strangers are being sent to you for pit labor.
Put them in the danger gang.
Your orders are correct, pilot.
The strangers must be sent to explore the new gas reserve.
They are dangerous people.
They must be dissipated.
Yes, Control.
You will forget all that happened.
Yes, Control.
The colony enjoys hard work and happiness.
We will not tolerate the evil of such strangers.
Yes, Control.
You must serve the colony.
Keep watch on your friends,
on your friends and if you see anything suspicious report to me immediately.
yes pilot.
dreadful did you hear that rhyme? the man who wrote that ought to be sent to the
danger gang not us. all right that's enough. ah are these the three strangers? yes yes
might call us that. they've been allocated one seven six shift. oh very
good I'll recall their shift leader. what an extremely remarkable place. what
efficiency. whatever do you make? silence. I thought this was a mine you know where
you dig up coal. ah yes but here you see the rock foundation is the type of salt.
now at depth it's generated gases over the years and these gases are extremely
valuable. don't bother to explain to them just get them to work. I will he don't
send a lassie and an old man down to dig. old? what do you mean old? I'm not old Jamie.
you'll do as you're ordered. here's the leader of their shift sir. very well report any irregularities to me.
me doc how did you get here? oh they threw me out of the correction hospital.
apparently I'm a hopeless case. why did they send you here? one remaining
punishment they could think of. to work in the danger gang for life. for a life?
don't worry you don't survive long in this atmosphere. it's the gas. it gets
everywhere. creeps into your lungs. when you're down there you're right in the
thick of it. come on me doc take them to their work. what's the hurry? you don't
want me to call the guard you? all right all right we're going. but we are
entitled to a supervisor on this shift. oh yes that's true. yes well I'm leaving
this man. hmm well yes I suppose that's all right. but it's much safer up here
isn't it me doc? it is. I see. I'm perfectly capable of working in the pit.
thank you. Polly can have the safe job. you stay up here doctor. I wouldn't know what to do.
well I'm not sure I understand all this machinery myself. do you not think you
might make better use of the opportunity doctor? what do you mean? oh yes.
yes I'll be supervisor. what was all that? nothing. absolutely nothing. come on.
oh you're gonna issue them with masks aren't you? you aren't taking them down
there without any protection. surely you could have seen to that. oh yeah you better
take this checklist. but I would have liked a mask. it really is remarkable.
most interesting. yes I suppose with a little adjustment. hello Ben.
don't go. come in. don't be afraid. I have nothing to be afraid of. no of course not.
wasn't your fault you betrayed your friends. the voices tell me what to do.
voices may not be right Ben. I do what I'm told. yes no that's why you're here
isn't it? to spy on me.
what does control want to know this time? can't you answer me? you know Ben this is
very unlike you. I don't know what you mean. it is my duty. it's hard for you to
struggle against the voices isn't it Ben? but I warn you if you spy on the others
watch out Jamie doesn't catch you. he's not so tolerant as I am.
hurry up put on your equipment. they shouldn't make glasses to the work of men.
the danger gang will do us their to. it's a punishment for their failure to
cooperate. we do all the dirty work. we go where the gas is worst. it's your own
fault. me doc. you've made control. alright alright forget it.
I prefer control poisoning my lungs than they're trying to poison my mind.
it's a gas strike. go on help with the cable there. go on hurry up.
let's re-alarm this gaffer. what does he mean? he means they've struck so much gas they can't
channel it off. when it reaches a certain density that alarm bell goes. come on
quick way...
Get under the studs!
Get away from here! Away!
Jamie! The head of the cleave has been...
...pressed. Now put your mask on. They're in your pocket.
Right, now, help me with this.
It's there. There. There!
No! Hold it! Hold it, Jamie.
Right. Right.
What's it all for?
For the poisonous gas which we mine from the bowels of this planet...
...which kills us if we breathe it.
It's toxic. No one knows what it's used for.
Yes.
Now one must assume that the relative connection is constant.
Let me see.
Ah.
Yes. I think that's right.
I should give myself ten out of ten.
I'm going to have a look at the other side.
Ah.
Yes. I think that's right.
I should give myself ten out of ten.
I think that's right. I should give myself ten out of ten.
Oh, you did give me a turn.
Where did you find it?
What?
The formula.
In my head. You know.
Don't lie. That is a secret known only to three people in the colony.
And you're one of them, that's it.
Naturally.
And you're not asking me to believe that in a few moments...
...you have been able to work out a formula...
...which it has taken our combined computers years to perfect.
It does seem rather a tall order.
Yes, of course, I know what you've done.
You've broken into our secret files, haven't you?
I wouldn't know how to do that. Take a look.
Well, you must have seen the document. That's the exact computation.
Really?
In that case...
Do you really mean to say that you worked that out by yourself?
Well, I did have a little assistance.
Yes, I thought so. Who was it?
Oh, no, no. Oh, no, no. A person.
No, I simply mean that I took readings from the various dials.
They appeared to be related, so I worked out the principle that controlled them.
It was simple, really. Like doing a sum backwards.
Backwards?
Yes. You know, given the answer, what's the question?
Wipe it away. And get it off there before anybody else sees it.
Oh, well, if you insist.
Oh, there now. If anyone follows that formula, there'll be an almighty explosion.
X to the power of Y is dribbled into two threes of six.
Get it off.
What are they doing?
We call that probing.
We're not looking for more gas.
Oh, yes. We never stop.
There's a door here. Where does it lead to?
No idea. To my knowledge, those doors were never opened.
Could be an old shaft.
How did it need such a new door? It's so strong.
It's got...
Bob, you've made the connection?
Of course. Otherwise you wouldn't be here.
Now, be careful, Meadoc. There are other places worse than the danger gang, you know.
This is a high-pressure strike. You're going to need a stronger screw than this.
Don't touch it.
I know what I'm doing.
Oh!
I must have fainted.
Aye, you must have.
What has happened to him?
Oh, he's had a wee whiff of the gas.
Get him up. I'll look after him.
That's all right. Hang on.
How long do you think Ben was watching us?
I don't know.
Do you think he saw you take the keys?
Well, if he did, we're in trouble.
Yes.
It just means we'll have to make use of them as quick as we can.
But where, Jamie, and how?
Let's try that wee door first. Come on.
Give me the watch if anybody comes.
Right.
Look out.
OK.
Hey, you two, give us a hand.
All right.
I'd better go.
Just a minute, Polly. This key's panning.
Oh.
Good luck.
Aye, it fits.
Come on, Polly.
Come on, everybody. Lend a hand.
What's that?
It's impossible.
Is it more gas?
No.
It's an escape.
That bell means that someone has escaped down here.
It's Jamie.
Your friend. That door.
I'm going with him.
Hey, wait.
Don't leave me down here.
An alarm?
It's impossible.
No one ever escapes.
Calling pit guards.
Close exits to all gas shafts.
Stand by. A prisoner has escaped.
Shoot on sight.
But if no one can escape...
My keys.
My keys. They were on my tunic.
You must have dropped them.
Special guards to cover all exits to the old shaft.
With pilot's permission, they may have to go on forbidden ground.
Jamie?
Hello?
Who's there?
No permission is granted for the guards to go on forbidden ground.
Repeat, no permission.
They are not to cover the exit to the old shaft.
This is in use at this moment by control.
No one is to go in or near the old shaft.
Top priority.
You seem very emphatic about that.
Control knows best.
But what if your prisoner escapes that way?
What will happen to you?
I shall be punished.
Well, aren't you going to do something about it?
Control knows best.
Who has escaped anyway?
We shall soon find out.
It is Jamie.
How do you know that, Ben?
I saw him take the keys.
And you didn't report it?
No.
Why not?
I don't know.
I don't seem to be able to think straight.
Ben, you're recovering.
I always thought you were a tough customer.
Well done.
Control knows best.
You don't seem very sure.
Jamie took those keys.
I must report him.
Control knows best.
You know what's happened?
Yes, Jamie's got free.
By my calculations, he's got a very good chance.
Hold that for me, will you?
What do you mean?
Well, as I understand it, Jamie's in the old shaft.
Yes, that's right.
And for reasons of their own, Control don't want anyone there.
It's forbidden territory.
So you think he'll be all right?
I don't know.
I'll be able to tell you when I've tested this to see how lethal it is.
But what's that got to do with Jamie?
This planet has got a lot to do with everybody.
There now.
Yes.
Doctor, what on earth are you doing?
I'm trying to analyze this gas and I'm not having very much luck.
Is that the same stuff that we've been pumping out of the pits?
Yes, and they go to great efforts to get it.
The question is why.
Shh, somebody's coming.
Oh, I must find this.
Oh, the pilot's not here.
Let me help you.
No.
Always lend a helping hand.
A willing friend makes the task lighter.
I'll wait for the pilot.
If I'm going to tell anybody...
You are, aren't you?
I don't know what I'm going to do.
I've got these voices in my head.
Sometimes I think I'm just having a bad dream.
The voices are here to help us.
They are our friends.
That's it. What about my friends?
I'll see you're reported for this.
Is this one not an emergency?
The bell stopped.
Why has it stopped?
Because, young lady, the emergency's over.
Does that mean he's been caught?
It means they're closing in on him.
Thank you, but why didn't you tell this to a fissure?
You told me to report back to you.
I see. Very well.
The stranger who has escaped is in the old shaft.
Control will now give instructions.
All guards will leave the area of the old shaft.
No one must go near it, even in search of the stranger.
Do not approach its exit or entrance.
Do not go in.
Officials are to stand by at the gas center.
We will obey, Control.
Gas center standing by.
What transfers do you wish made?
Prepare for gas to be diverted into the old shaft.
Inspect connection immediately and report back.
The old shaft, Doctor. That's where Jamie is.
They're going to pour this gas into the old shaft.
Gas they value above all else.
What do you make of that, Polly?
Oh, for goodness sake, Doctor. What are you going on about?
Don't you see?
Control are not pouring this poisonous gas into the old shaft to kill Jamie.
They've quite another reason.
Doctor, you've got to do something to help him.
Before we act, we must think.
The Makara have come to the surface of this planet and not found sufficient gas in the atmosphere.
So they've had to get somebody to pump it up from down below.
But if it's life and death to them, why do they waste it?
Why divert it into the old shaft?
That's obvious, Polly, obvious.
Because there's something trapped down there they wish to keep alive.
Official reporting.
All connections have been tested.
They are all 100% serviceable.
Transfer of all gases may now be made to the old shaft.
Stand by for action.
I'm doing my best, Polly. I'm thinking at top speed.
There's a pattern involved here, a combination of pipes.
If I were to follow this one...
Stand by, gas officials.
All flow is to be channeled through systems 7 and 11.
7 and 11, now which are they?
All channels are ready.
Prepare to turn on at half blast.
All ready?
Go!
7 and 11, if that's the system in use, it must go from here round up to there.
Official is to increase pressure.
Too quickly.
Polly, I think I've found the gas flow.
Gas flow is being increased.
Turn on full pressure now.
In action.