"Scientific discoveries on the planet Venus are appalling and contradictory." "Only the imagination is capable of seeing into its mysterious depths." "And it may not be exactly as shown in our film." "But trust firmly in the ability the Soviet public to explore this planet with self-sufficient spirit." "Attention!" "Moscow calling!" "All radio stations of the Soviet Union broadcasting a TASS announcement." "Three spaceships of a Soviet space expedition  "Sirius", "Vega" and "Capella"  having travelled over 200 million kilometers are approaching Venus." "The cosmonauts are healthy." "To have come so far and to die near Venus" "We are still powerless against big meteorites." "I can hardly believe it." "I just talked to them." "Earth calling!" ""Sirius!", "Vega!"" "We are shocked at "Capella's" fate." "We have faith in your courage." "Enter the sputnik orbit." "Investigate conditions on Venus." "Communicate your execution plan." ""Arcturus" will be ready to take off next week." "It will journey four months." " Waiting is torture." " But you know the plan." "One ship remains in orbit with fuel." "Two land, for safety." "No one can land until "Arcturus" arrives." "Ships can't land, what about people?" "What do you mean?" "One alternative is for "Vega's" lander to land with Kern's robot." "To hell with the robot." "Let me land in the lander." "The lander doesn't return." "I know." "I'll work and wait for "Arcturus"." "I'll accomplish more than a hunk of steel." "Someone's got to see Venus with his own eyes." "What if something happens to you?" "I won't yell for help." "I'll put that in writing." "My life is my own." "Mr. Kern!" " What?" " We have a problem." "Wait a minute." "Half a minute!" "I can't believe they're gone." "They were lucky." "Instantaneous death." " Mr. Kern!" " You say well, sir." "Alyosha wants to land in a lander." "Why should "Vega's" lander be used by someone from "Sirius"?" "We understand each other." "What's it all about?" "Nothing special..." "Better to die usefully than wait for a meteorite to hit you or radiation disease to get you." " Earth won't permit a landing." " It must." " We can't wait for "Arcturus"." " Let's figure it out." "Without considering the danger." "The risk factor..." "Risk is standard behavior in space." " Figure it out with the help of your invention." " Okay." "My electronic brain has been waiting for real work." "Please do not joke at this time." "7, 12, 9, ..." "Hello, John!" "Wake up!" "Yes, sir." "Friend John, give us the best plan with landing with return with only "Vega" and "Sirius" present." "There are seven of us now, including you." "Ignore the danger factor." ""Vega" remains in orbit with one man  "Vega's" lander lands three." ""Sirius" lands three, making six in all." ""Sirius" takes five back." "The sixth remains on Venus." " Who remains?" " I do, sir being dead and the heaviest." "Mathematics is pitiless." "A rotten plan." "A good plan, but dangerous." "Who remains in orbit?" "According to that plan I'm the only one." "No one else can process the information and transmit it to Earth." "I'd always hoped for something different." "I worked so hard for so many years." "Sputnik,  then the moon." "You know!" " I hoped we'd be together." " What do you suggest?" "I don't know." "Look, Masha the International Association insists on the robot." "It will be a test for a whole trend in cosmonautics." " And I have to see Venus." " Don't I have to?" "Another world." "We've sent robots there, so many times in recent years." "We've studied the atmosphere, discovered oceans and continents measured the temperature." "But the robots don't tell us about the main thing." "Is there life there?" "Now man comes himself to find out to give an answer to this question." "Get ready to drop a beacon." "Surface pressure 2 and 3." "Cloud altitude 15." "Clouds of ashes above the coast." "Another carbon dioxide center." "A red glow can be seen through the clouds." "Thousands of new facts and nothing about the main thing -- who lives there." " There is life here?" " There is none." "Nothing living has yet appeared." "Perhaps the red glow is a lighted city." "It's a dead planet." "Intelligence has already destroyed itself." "Who is right?" "Robots can never replace man." ""Sirius"!" "Vershininin!" "Yes?" "I don't see a landing strip for "Sirius"." " Yes, the terrain is difficult." " Shall we change the place?" "No, the assignment is to land here." "I have a suggestion." "We don't need "Arcturus"." "From an altitude of 1 kilometer the lander will find you a landing strip." " What if it doesn't?" " They'll put up statues to us." "Who'll be the lander crew?" "Kern, the robot, and myself." "Masha will remain in orbit." "We'll leave the robot on Venus." " You've got it all figured out." " Long ago." "What shall we say?" "I wish I were with them." "It's reckless!" "Prepare a well-substantiated report for headquarters." "..." "Perhaps we'll get permission." " Ready?" " Yes." "Go!" "I envy you, Shcherba..." "You too, Allan Kern..." "I understand you, Captain." " Good luck!" " Bon voyage, my friends." "Goodbye." "They're approaching." "Storm clouds..." "Lightning." "We're turning the controls over to John." "A sheer cliff ahead." "I'm climbing." "Oh, excellent." "It's amazing!" "The ground is covered by thick clouds." "We're using the locator." "It's bad so far." "Here!" "A flat strip in a hollow." "Hard ground..." "Good for landing." "We're dropping the beacon." "Land in quadrant 73." "We're being carried away." "There's water below" "We'll land in a swamp." "Projecting rocks." "Chances of destruction 90 percent." "I'm landing." "Ilyia Vassilievych?" "Masha, do not worry." "They've landed." "We got an image on the screen." "We'll contact them at the next orbit." "Shcherba!" "Hello?" "Kern, hello?" "Shcherba, Kern, hello?" "It looks bad." "Get ready." "We'll land now." "It's calmer at night." "Quadrant 73." " Masha?" " Yes, I'm here." "Masha, we're going to land." "You're remaining all alone in space." "Masha, dear!" "Watch us with the locator." "You know what to do." " And remember the instructions." " I know..." "Look, Masha..." "If we lose our lives keep yourself together." " I understand." "May I cut the connection now?" " You may, my dear." "It's hardest for the one who's alone." " Earth!" " Flight headquarters permits you to land at any time." "Do not risk lives." "We wish you luck." "The whole country is with you." "Earth!" "Headquarters!" "We're landing as planned." "Quadrant 73 chosen by lander." "We assure the Soviet government,  the Party, and the people that we'll do all we can to justify their trust in us." "If anything goes wrong, help Masha." "She's alone." "Ilya, it's time." "I'm removing the antenna." "Switching on the autopilot." "Quadrant 73." "Direct course by beacon." "We have arrived on Venus!" "Quadrant 73." " What a strong downward pull!" " Not used to it." "The ground is level." "Our scouts chose well." "Good landing." "We're stable!" "Feels like the Earth." "I'm lifting the shades." "Give us some light, Roman." "A dense fog." "Let's look around with the locator." "There's a cliff 200 meters away and some sort of protuberance here more rocks." " I'll switch on the outside microphones." " Okay." " Hear that?" " Yes." " What is it?" " Be quiet." "Let's not lose time." "Roman, use the infrared viewer and locators." "Then we'll transmit to Earth." "Turn on the weather station, the bio-detector, and also the seismograph." "Do everything according to Plan 1." " When Masha appears above the horizon, inform her we've landed." " Oh, I'll boast!" "We'll boast when we've rescued the others." " Do we start at dawn?" " Yes, at 6 a.m." "I'm standing!" "May I walk a few steps?" " Careful, feel your way." " Sure." "An ordinary stone... ordinary water..." "I can hardly believe it." "Alyosha, turn back." "Just a moment." "Oh!" "Ilya Vassilievich!" "Masha found the lander." " Are they alive?" " She located two metal objects." "One is moving... the robot, probably." " No word?" " The radio may have broken." "Alyosha!" " Get up!" " I can't break free!" "Courage!" " Alive?" " Alive!" "The spacesuit is intact." "I'll photograph it." "There's life here." "That's the important thing." "You're in too much of a hurry." "We arrived just in time." " How'd you find out?" " We heard a voice." " So did I." " Strange!" "Anything's possible on Venus." " What else did Masha say?" " What else should I say?" "I was so worried about you all." "I'm so happy." "I sang songs and then I flew about the cabin." "I took off my magnetized shoes and flew." "Masha, we'd like the information." "Sorry I lost my head." "They're in the quadrant beyond the red glow." "That's 32 kilometers away from you across the gulf." "Is that clear?" " Get the cross-country car ready." " That's a long distance for it." "What do you suggest then?" "Not to land on Venus in landers." "Are they alive?" "Masha!" "Masha, couldn't the robot have begun to move by itself?" "No." "I understand you." "It could not have." "It wasn't assembled." "They assembled it there." "Stop!" "Okay." "Imps of the devil!" " Quickly!" " Hold on another minute." "That was some blow, John." "Okay!" "Course 110." "Stay on the cliff." "Stretch a cable across." " Execute the orders." " Yes, sir." "Ordinary men cannot conquer these wild planets." " Men of steel are better suited." " A small tank would be more practical." "But a robot is much better." "You go first." "I'll help." " Shall we stop?" " Yes, let's look around." "Ilya Vassilievych, look - there's another one." " It looks like a brontosaurus." " I'll get a blood sample." " Take it from the tail." "Got it?" " Don't worry!" "Careful!" "And measure his temperature!" "He's only just realized!" "What did Masha say?" "The robot is moving towards us, but slowly." "Don't hurry." "There's oxygen for only 24 hours." "They must be looking for us." "Coming this way." "Through this hell?" "No!" "People are cowardly and selfish." "People know friendship." "We're sick." "I have a fever." "Infection has got in." "We've torn our suits badly." " Let's take some quinocillin." " No, we've no time to rest afterwards as prescribed." "It will pass." "Come on!" "How far is it to the other shore?" "10 kilometers across the gulf, 70 around it." "I'll cross this beautiful lake." " Listen." " Let's put down." "The same voice as before." "A squid of some sort." "There are plenty of beasts around." "What is that noise?" " It's a voice." " A woman, perhaps?" "You wish." " Remember Darwin!" " I don't understand what this has to do with Darwin." "How can Man appear in the dinosaur period?" "We're here." "We flew here!" "Ivan, Alyosha's right." "Man is a space flyer  so we can traverse time." " You cannot!" " Of course!" "Darwin theory applies to Man's evolution and not to his distribution among the planets." "That's in Tsiolkovsky's field." "I wonder why they keep you in the Academy of Sciences." "We're the first arrivals from Earth." "But there may have been others before us." " Who knows?" " Okay." "Come on!" "There's too much water from above." "My mechanism is in danger." "I need shelter." "Alright, John, look for a cave." "Yes, sir." " I can't stand it anymore!" " Buck up!" "We can't stop here." "We'll be washed away." "Come on, come on." "Hold on." "Just a little longer..." "Courage!" "Do not give up!" "John!" "Yes, sir." "I'm in a cave." "Brightness 3.2 lux." "You're a fine mathematician, John." "I feel I'm losing my mind." "According to the laws of mathematics   peace will reign in the world." "But what can we do to get out of here?" "The kingdom of peace, the kingdom of profit,  the realm of science." "No, Masha, they won't miss us." "They will never find us." " "Sirius" ..." " You can reach "Sirius" by car  in 37.2 minutes  over a paved road." " Ilya?" " Yes?" "Bad news from Masha." "The robot's disappeared." "That's worrying." "Look for them." "Maybe we'll hear their helmet radios." " There should be close." " I'll try." "I got them." "It's the robot." "He's talking nonsense." "Listen!" "...the cost of building a road to "Sirius" at Smith Co prices will be 57 million rubles." " The robot is out of control." " I'll try to contact them." "Hello!" "Hello, Iron John, whatever." "Can you hear me?" " The devil's doll doesn't answer." " The robot reacts only if politely addressed." "What a delicate one." "Hello." "Dear John, please  reply to us." "Audibility 46.5%." "Where are your masters?" "Where's Kern?" "Where's Shcherba?" "No masters." "Slavery is prohibited by the Constitution." "I'm a free, thinking machine." "Describe your companions' position." "Horizontal position." " Where are you?" " Beneath a stone archway." " They're in a cave." " That's why Masha couldn't locate them." "Hello, John  what are your companions discussing?" "About Masha, about world government  of which I'll be Prime Minister." " They're delirious." " It's a fever." " Perhaps a rip in their spacesuits." " We must act now." "Take the controls." " Yes." "Hello, listen carefully, John!" "Take the quinocillin from the medical kit..." "Quinocillin -- tube number 2." "9:15." "Transmitted all data collected by "Sirius" to Earth." "1:30." "Passed over car." "They were crossing the sea." "Something is flying towards us on the right." " What do you think?" " Changing form, rather solid." "Fairly compact." "Look!" " Looks like a pterodactyl!" " Pull down your helmets!" "It's dangerous." "Don't mess with this monster." " It's beautiful beast!" " Devil!" " Did you get a photograph?" " Yes." " Then fire the gun." " The mechanism's jammed." "Open the hatch and fire it manually." "A flying animal is attacking." "Nice shot!" "Transmit to Earth." "Hello." "What happened?" "Hello?" "What shall I transmit?" " It's invulnerable." " Let's submerge." "All right." "They've disappeared!" "The car's not designed for underwater." "It's the end for them." "What went wrong?" "If their spacesuits are intact, they'll get out." "What if they're hurt?" "I have to help them." "But if I land we won't be able to return to Earth." "Still, I must land." "I can land on the next orbit." "In an hour I will light the engines." "A whole hour to wait!" "I must think it out." "The Earth..." "Millions of people worked making a pyramid to the heavens of their work." "They placed us on the summit, trusted us." "Now everything depends on me alone." "And I don't know what to do." "The instructions forbid leaving orbit." "If I land, return to Earth will be impossible." "But why save fuel up here while they are dying?" "The instructions could not foresee everything." "My instinct tells me they need me down on the planet." "I must inform the Earth." "How difficult it is to speak calmly." "Let them listen to my last recording." "The instructions couldn't foresee everything..." "My heart tells me they need me there on the planet." "Hello, "Vega"!" "Masha Ivanova!" "Earth is with you." "Stay calm." "Do not leave orbit." "All will be lost!" "Have courage!" "Earth asks you." "Your Earth!" "My ..." "Earth!" "Remain in orbit, or all will be lost." "What should I do?" "Time is nearly up." "I must decide." "And I ..." "I cannot!" "It was easier to sink the car than to pull it through the water." "Yes, the current is strong." "Let's rest for a little while." "Interesting rocks." "I'll take a look." "They are like our fish." "Conditions resemble ours." "Surely, nature could not have arranged these rocks it looks like a road." "What if it is a sunken city?" "Gave me a fright!" "An entrance?" "Interesting!" "I hope the tenants are out." "What a strange stone." "Triangular." "I'll take it along." "Look at this!" " What is it?" " A petrified dragon." "Perhaps it's carved into the rock?" "Sculpted?" "What are you saying?" "Look!" "It's a glass eye!" "It's a ruby!" "Put in by intelligent beings." "Let's go back to the surface." "Give me the buoy." "What is the result, professor?" "It's volcanic porous iron." "It is oxidizing and..." " ...taking oxygen from the air." " So what?" "Man could extract his oxygen from this." "Want to start colonizing and earn the Nobel Prize?" "One can work for mankind without prizes." "This will be our vital oxygen." "Ready, sir." "John, play our favorite song." "Our favorite!" " Ilya!" " Yes?" "We'll have to wait until the car dries." "Patience, wait." "Ilya, that dragon with the ruby eye is made crudely..." " ...by a savage, perhaps." " Very likely." "But savages couldn't have flown to Venus." "Why not?" "Bobrov flew here." "Stop." "Savages couldn't have flown here but they could have developed here." " How is it possible?" " Imagine for a moment suppose intelligent beings had flown here and remained for some unknown reason..." " ...and lost contact with their own planet." " They would be dead supplies exhausted." "In an alien atmosphere and conditions, ..." " ...they would perish." " Some would survive but go native over time in the brutal fight for survival and adjustment to local conditions." "Thus began the decline of civilization." "Only the strong would survive." " And savages would appear among the dinosaurs." " Exactly." "Before the local apes, the future masters of the planet,  began to evolve." " Again?" " Sounds like a warning." "We're near the red glow." " Is the gun in order?" " Yes." "What a mysterious world." "A sunken city, and that ruby and that voice." "Who could have flown here before us?" "The inhabitants of another planetary system, perhaps?" "Or maybe the Martians?" "On Mars, we must fight for every drop of water." "Here there is water everywhere." "Maybe they tried to migrate from Mars, but failed and went native and now are advancing to civilization for the second time." "Perhaps Martians once came to Earth and we modern people..." "We can go now!" "I will find them!" " It's getting dark early." " No wonder." " Why?" " There's a cloud of ash over us." "A cloud of ash?" " A volcanic eruption!" " Yes." "So that's the glow." "Your lighted "city"!" " Rather inconvenient." " On the contrary!" "We can get samples of the lava and ashes." " Is the spectroscope in order?" " Yes." "We must look for a more elevated location away from here." "Shcherba, let's go!" "A pity to leave this magnificent spectacle." " Mister Shcherba!" " Yes?" "The lava is encircling us." " Did you get a spectrum?" " Yes." " From the crater edge?" " No." " Why?" " No, it was too late." " John!" " Yes, sir." " Take us across the river of lava." " Mount up, quickly!" " Audibility is improving." " What's he got there?" " Be quiet." " I hear radio contact I am giving our location as instructed." "The distance is 2 miles." " It's our men!" " Sure, who else would it be?" "And you didn't want to believe me." " Your machine is splendid." " Yes?" " It is." " At last, you admit it." "The temperature has reached 500 degrees." "Further movement while burdened endangers my mechanism." " What will we do?" " Disable the self-protection." " Where?" " Open the door, panel 5." "Break the wire!" " I don't know which one." " Let me do it." " I can't see from here." " I have to get rid of your weight." "Damned fool!" " He'll throw them into the lava!" " Quick!" "Leave us off here." " Okay, Kern?" " Hello, Kern!" "It is better to be a robot, or flesh and blood?" "Both are needed, evidently." " That's better." " Maybe." "Come on." "How's the radio?" " Where's Masha?" " Passing the zenith." "Nothing from the radio." "Why are they numbered?" "We hadn't named them yet." " I was hoping for one and instead there were three." " Daughters?" " Sons!" " A complete crew!" "Do you think intelligent beings visited Earth millions of years ago?" "There is no evidence of it." "Many of history's mysteries could be evidence." "The Stone Age drawing..." " ...on a cliff in the Sahara Desert." " That's right." "It shows a man wearing something like a spacesuit." "And the ancient iron column found in India." "The iron it is made of was made by a method unknown on Earth." "And the secret of Atlantis." "And the famous discoveries of ancient Egyptian astronomers?" " What other evidence do you want?" " None of that is evidence." "There is evidence in legends." "The descent of the gods from heaven, for instance." " It's not!" " Why not?" "How would a native here draw us?" "Perhaps as saints with halos and say that a god had descended from the sky, a god with leather skin." " And there's your local legend." " With illustrations!" "Space flights are an inevitable stage of development of life in the cosmos." "Worlds are not isolated." "The migration of life in space is as natural as seeds swept by the wind on Earth." "And branches of a single tribe of living beings are developing in the solar system." "The people of the Sun." "Then intelligent beings must be related." "Ah, to see the women of the other planets what are they like?" "Everything would become clear." "So learn to dream!" "Planet of Storms, thanks for all that you taught us." "Thank you for accommodating us." "Here is our tribute to you." "Our ship is waiting to return us home." "Our hearts beat to return." "Home, Friends!" "We go home with courage in our hearts." "Marshes, fields and woods ahead." "In our beloved country, our homeland, our land!" " Your squid is happy you're safe and sound." " Do not joke." " She is good and beautiful." " Tomorrow we'll try to catch her." "You're obsessed!" "If she's a Martian gone native, where are the others?" "And if you landed in some remote corner of the Earth..." " ...you wouldn't meet anyone in two days." " Yes you would." "The rest would be there, behind the mountains." "And the telephone hasn't been invented here yet." "Here we are." "We've carried out our mission." "Look at all this data!" "You take the most valuable: the plates and microsamples." "The stones go to the geologist." " Alyosha!" " Yes?" " Let's go to the radio." " At your service." " Vershinin, quick!" " What is it?" "Quickly!" "A recording of Masha's transmission from "Vega"." "Perhaps "Sirius" will receive this transmission." "The orders require me to remain in orbit,  that I wait and do nothing,  while my friends may be in mortal danger." "I'm violating the orders." "I am landing on Venus." "All is ready." "I'll fire the engine in one minute." " How could she?" " She didn't think." "A robot can think, not a woman." "May God forgive her!" " She's not in orbit." " She must be." " Hello, "Vega"!" " "Vega" could have crashed or sunk." " We'd better inform Earth." " Our only contact with Earth was through "Vega"." "Friends!" "I propose that Shcherba Kern and Alyosha remain here and encamp." "Roman and I will go into orbit find "Vega" and give you the coordinates..." " ...transmit out findings to Earth and summon "Arcturus"." " Okay." " Unload the camping gear." " We've got to lighten "Sirius" anyway." "What was that?" " An earthquake?" " The rocket has shifted." "The bluff is eroding." "The lake has broken through." "Look, a fissure!" "If "Sirius" collapses we're finished." "Quickly, prepare for takeoff." "Maybe we'll make it." "The radio must be here." "Roman, when was Masha's last transmission recorded?" "At 7:20." "Why?" "The locator recorded the "Vega" passing after that." " What?" " She has not landed!" " First, Masha, are you okay?" " Masha, what happened?" "I realized I was making a mistake." "I aborted the engine but the orbit has changed." "Then I located you near the red glow." "I called, but you didn't answer." " Now they needn't stay behind." " Correct." "Hello!" "Give us the new orbit." "Quickly!" "Hello!" "All aboard." " Who knows why." " Ivan, are you alive?" "Masha!" " Alyosha, activate the weather station." " Now." "Alyosha, hurry!" "Ilyia Vassilievych!" "Wait!" "We can't leave!" "Look!" "They're like us!" "Understand?" "Look!" "They resemble us!" "Do you understand?" "Wait!" "Where are you pulling me?" "I'm telling you that they're like us." ""Planet of Storms", till me meet again." "Our ships will return to you." "For we are the sons of the Earth." "We are the sons of the Earth!"