"Gyro, sluggish." "Guidance, okay." "Oil temperature is 2O degrees high." "Captain, I suggest you rig a hose." "Get a constant spray ofwater on the port propeller shaft bearings." " Aye, Admiral." "Shall I decrease speed?" " There's no reason to." "Ifshe's going to burn out, there's no better time than on a shakedown cruise." "Engine room, rig a hose, cool the shaft bearings." "Aye, aye, sir." " You're down 1 O degrees to the bow." " Blow main ballast." " Blowing main ballast." " The angle ofinclination is increasing." "Blow bow ballast." "Blowing bow ballast." " All stop." " A/lstop." "She's out of trim." "Easy,jim." "You're not being evaluated..." " only the ship." " Thanks, Admiral." "Inclination reduced." "Bubble... zero degrees." "All ahead full." " You ever see that beforeJim?" " Never." "Neither have I. Let's have a look at sonar." "Interference." "Lots of it, Captain." " Any indication of its source?" " Whatever it is, we're in the center of it." "Gyro compass deviating 1-7-0 degrees." "Check for malfunction." "We're in some kind of a force field." "Radio our position to ComSubPac." "Jones, radio our position to ComSubPac." "Fathometer shows we're above a mountain range- peaks 300 feet, hollows 36,000 feet,." "An uncharted area, deeper than the Marianas Trench... with mountains higher than Mount Everest." "Interference, dead ahead, affecting guidance control, Captain." "UP Periscope!" "Coelentera." "The biggest school I've ever seen." "They're scattering." "Here, have a look, Admiral." "It's incredible." "They're gone." "We're picking up a lot of electromagnetic radiation from those mountains, Captain." "Electromagnetic radiation." "I'd give a lot to have core samples." " All stop." " Aye, sir." "Aye, Admiral." "It'll give me time to check guidance controls." "Fowler, get ready for a diving mission." " You're gonna be the admiral's diving buddy." " Aye, sir." " Ready, Fowler?" " Ready, Admiral." "Escape room, notify control room when divers are clear of the ship." "Diver clear, sir." "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." "Starring Richard Basehart..." "David Hedison." "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." "Guidance control malfunctioning, Captain." "Blow all ballast groups." "Can't blow ballast." "No response from compressors." " All ahead full!" " We've lost maneuvering speed." "No, Fowler!" "Our only chance is to keep our heads." "With these things stinging us!" "With that down there!" "If we don't get out of this water soon, we won't last long." "Get out of the water?" "Slip out of your wet suit." "But whatever you do, don't lose your air tanks." "Aye, sir." "Oh, what's the use, Admiral?" "Won't that thing just come to the surface after us?" "I doubt it." "I'm- I'm more worried about them." "They sense the sharks." "Don't panic." "Use your repellent." "Lash your scuba tanks to the end." "Cinch her tight." "Good work, Fowler." "It's about 300 miles to the nearest shipping lane." "I hope she holds together." "Jackson!" "On the double, j ackson!" " Yes, sir?" " What's the meaning of this?" ""Seventh Fleet cannot locate Neptune."" "We know her position." "They're not looking." " It's been only 12 hours." "Only 12 hours?" "That sub should have been located and the survivors picked up by now." "There are no reports ofsurvivors." "Harriman Nelson is on the Neptune." "We went through Annapolis together." " I'm sorry." " Sorry?" "You'll all be sorry if I don't see results." " Now get this message offimmediately." "Yes, sir." " Hello,joe." " Lee." "It's good to see you." " It's tough luck about Admiral Nelson." " ls there any word?" "Not a thing." "Suppose you want to see the Old Man." " That's why I'm here." " Right now, he :an't tell you anything more than I can." " I still want to see him." " I wouldn't advise it." "Even on his best days, he eats junior officers for breakfast." "This is not one of his best days." "He's sore as a boil." "All right." "I'll tell him you're here." "Come in." "Commander Crane, sir." "Captain of the Seaview." " Oh, Nelson's man, eh?" " Yes, sir. ls there any news?" "No." "He's a sailor." "Ifthere's a way, he'll find it." "Sit down, Commander." " What about the message?" " Aye, sir." " "Weather, South Pacific area-"" " I can read, Commander." "Sorry, sir." "That's south, north." "We sail north by northwest." "Three hundred miles." "We've got a good current." "Ah, clumsy!" "I'm-I'm sorry, Admiral." "How long can we go without food, sir?" " That depends." " On what?" "How many excess pounds you carry." "I don't have much." "Oh, you got five or 1 O pounds." "Remember, every pound of excess fat is worth two meals." " Give me that hook." " Hook?" "Oh, yeah." "Listen, there are enough parts in that drill core for a hundred hooks." "You want some more?" "No." "Not right now." "JM Humming]" " Ouch!" " Those" " Those hurt." "They've stung me all over." "Got in my wet suit, got in my hair." "Let me see." " They're like bee stings." "There's dozens of them." " Yeah." " You better keep them cool with seawater." " Right." " No!" "No!" " Thirsty." "Gotta have water." "Well, not seawater." " L-l think I got something." " Huh?" "Get him." "Get him." "Hold on to him." "Don't lose him." "Don't lose him." "Feels" " Feels like a heavy one." "Be enough food there for days." " Get my knife ready." " Aye, sir." " Don't lose him." "Don't lose him." " I-l thinkl still got him." " Get him!" "Get him!" " Here she comes." "Here she comes." "Five, six pounds." "You know, raw fish isn't too bad." "The natives live on it." "Well-Well,we're gonna be living on it too, for a long time." "It's night here." "It'll be night in the Pacific in another couple of hours." "You know!" "How do you know?" "Warm and safe aboard your carrier?" "Get more planes in the air!" "Find them!" "There are only 200 planes in the area." "Each of them has to search 500 square miles ofsea." "If they don't find them tonight, they'll search again tomorrow, and the day after..." " and the dayafler that" " We don't even know ifthere were survivors." "And we can search every square inch of the area, and we can hope, Commander." "Hope that they survive the night." " Bring her around to port." " Aye, sir." "Port?" "Over there, Fowler." "Are we gonna come out of this?" "I mean, are we gonna make it, sir?" "Ha!" "We've been pretty lucky so far." "It just swallowed the Neptune." "I never heard ofanything that big, sir." "It's not a single creature." "It's a whole system of creatures organized into one giant." "But that big, sir?" "Something in the force field... must have stimulated its ability to grow." " I won't know until lgo back." " Not me!" "I won't go back for anything!" "No, sir." "There must be something we can do." "This not knowing" "What can you do?" "The Neptune went down 6,000 miles from here." " There must be something." " Why?" "Men have gone down with their ships for hundreds ofyears." "Good men, brave ones." "Men like Nelson and the crew of the Neptune." "And there was nothing anyone could do." "Don't they teach that anymore at the Naval Academy?" ""Storm..." ""heavy seas prevent... further search."" "Fowler!" "Hold on, Fowler!" "Come on!" "Fowler!" "Fowler!" "Fowler!" " G000' morning, Captain." " Oh, good morning." "There's a call from Admiral Starke." "Yes, Admiral?" "Yes, sir, any word?" "I just received instructions from the Secretary of Defense... to place the Seaview in temporary commission... with orders to investigate the loss of the Neptune." "Then there's no word?" "Ifthere had been, I would have told you!" "Oh, Commander." " I'll board the Seavfew and give you my orders within the hour." " Yes, sir." "Oh, and Commander- I run a tight ship, old navy." "Spit-polish and the brig." "Tell your men." "Yes, sir." "That's all I need." "Captain Bligh!" " Fire one!" " Fire one." "One, two, three, four... five, six, seven" " One fired" " Seven seconds." "Two seconds too long." "Sloppy drill, Captain." "Torpedo Chief." "You'll be a seaman if you don?" "move faster than that." "Yes, sir." " This is not a navy ship, Admiral." "What's that?" "Let up on the men, Admiral." "You've been on them for days." "I don't run an old-navy, spit-polish and brig ship." "I was new navy." "So were my men." "And so was Admiral Nelson." "You're forgetting that this ship is on active status now, Captain." " Captain!" "Captain!" " Yes, Sparks?" "A call for you, Captain!" "Yes?" "Crane speaking." "Put this call on the intercom." "Admiral, is that you?" "Yes, Lee." " Lee?" " Yes, sir?" "On your way to the Neptune, stop by the Honolulu Naval Hospital and pick me up, huh?" "Aye, aye, sir." "I hearjiggs Starke has taken over the Seaview." "just till you get aboard, you old pirate." "Then you're back on temporary duty yourself." "I've been trying to pound some navy discipline into this crew ofyours." "Oh, uh, let's just keep relaxed, huhJiggs?" "Well, sure, Harriman." "See you in a couple of clays." " Oh, boy." " That's great." "Sol drifted" " Well, half-drifted, half-sailed for two more days... till finallyl reached the shipping lanes." "Oh, it's good to be back in uniform, Lee." "Fowler's mind was completely gone." "He was haunted by the coelenterate and his buddies aboard the Neptune." "What's the matter, Lee?" "You look like you lost your best friend." "You know, the Neptune might have made a fight of it if she could have maneuvered." "But her control circuits were shorted out, and she was helpless." "And the captain did not blow ballast." "I saw that." "And she- she lost maneuvering speed and" "Let's go, Lee." "Oh, I forgot." "They put me on cortisone." "They wanted me to stay here for tests, but, uh, we've got work to do." "Don't you think you should listen to them?" "You've been through quite an ordeal." "No." "No, no." "All I need is a little sea air." "It does a man a world of good." "Come on." "Glad to see him back again." " Thank you." "Thanks." " Glad to have you back aboard, Admiral." " It sure is, Admiral." " There's no one I'd rather turn command over to, Harriman." "Captain Crane is in command of the Seaview." "Well, not while she's in the navy, and there are two admirals aboard." "Right, Captain?" "Let's get under way, Lee." "The sooner this mission is accomplished... the sooner we become civilians again." "Right, sir." "Stand by to answer bells." "Tell me what happened to the Neptune, Harriman." "Oh, Lee." " Join us when you clear the harbor." " Right, sir." "Bridge, ready to answer all bells." "Cast offlines." "No." "No,jiggs." "I'm certain it was neither captain or crew error." "When the Neptune'; control circuit shorted out, she had to rely on manual controls." "Mm." "And she couldn't respond fast enough to the emergency." "I'll buy that." "Yeah, to one emergency, perhaps." "But not to both the forced dive and the coelenterate." "Tell me more about this creature, Harriman." "Well, it's-it's not just one creatureJiggs." "It's-lt's millions of creatures all combined to form one central organism." " Like a Portuguese man-of-war." " Exactly, Lee." "Uh, sit down." "Sit down." "Like a Portuguese man-of-war only much bigger." "More than a thousand feet across." "A thousand feet across?" "Well, why not?" "I would speculate that the radioactive energy in the force field... has stimulated this organism's ability to combine." "It could go to two, three, even four times its present size in time." "Oh, come now." "You've been adrift too long, Harriman." "Isn't it possible you're exaggerating?" "Admiral Nelson doesn't exaggerate." "You see, it's like the Seaview, Admiral." "Now, all of us- the crew, you and I." "Now inside, we're like individuals." "But outside, we're like one big creature." "Precisely, Lee." "But there's one important difference between Sear/few and the coelenterate..." " other than size." " And what's that?" "It has only a central nervous system." "It can only respond." "But we have a brain, many brains combined." "We can do more than respond." "We can think." "We can function together as a team... and that's our strength." "Now, here we are, Chip." "Now, check out this line right here..." " from this point on aft." " Right." " Crane, can I see you a minute?" " Yes, sir." "Carry on, Chip." "Give me a full report." " Crane, you're an academy man, I believe." " Yes, sir." "Then I assume you've been indoctrinated in naval customs and traditions." " Fully, sir." " I've been watching you, Crane." "The way you handle your ship, the way you treat your men." " I've been aware of your interest, Admiral." " Meaning you disapprove." " Oh, no, sir." "Meaning, uh, you seem to disapprove." "Well, I do." "You're lax, sir." "You show a definite tendency toward an easy informality that makes for a loose ship." "Why, uh,just now, I heard you address your exec, uh, by his first name." "Yes, sir." "Chip and I are good friends." "When I give him orders in front of the crew, I call him Mr. Morton." "Alone, I use his first name." "Now, unless I've received bad instruction at Annapolis..." "I believe it's up to the captain to set the attitude of the ship's company... especially aboard a submarine." "I consider your answer insubordinate, Commander." "It's about time you learned a few truths about your attitude with your superiors." "Captain Crane, will you please join Admiral Nelson... in the control room at once." "Byyourleave, Admiral." "The Christmas tree on the Neptune reacted the same way." "Some electrical interference, Captain." "Gyrocompass deviation 100 degrees." " They range from 300 feet to 36,000 feet." " Incredible!" "The Neptune sank right there." "Take her down, Lee." "Sonar" " Keep alert for any large dense mass." " Aye, sir." " Mr. Morton, take her down." " Aye, sir." "Are you all right?" "Of course." "Why?" "Interference affecting guidance control, Captain." "We're sinking, Captain!" "Bow inclination- 4O degrees, dropping." " Blow all ballast." " We can't, Captain." "Our compressors are out." "Are the compressors still out?" "Yes, sir, We can't blow ballast,." "Gyro controls gone, guidance controls inoperative." "Captain!" "We'll try steering by the engines, Mr. Morton." "Engine room, port engines ahead one-third, starboard engines back one-third." "Still sinking." "Rate of descent- 1 O0 feet per minute." "Present depth- 225 feet." "We'll sink to the bottom if we don't get onto a plateau." "All hands, rig for collision." "That one's too sheer." "Engine room, starboard engines ahead full, port engines back full." "There's our landing plateau, Mr. Morton." "Engine room, all stop." "Speed- 2O knots." "Angle ofinclination- two degrees, still dropping." "Speed- 2O knots." "Angle ofinclination- two degrees, still dropping." "Too fast, Captain!" "Our problem, Admiral, is not enough speed to maneuver." "Engine room, port engines ahead one-third, starboard engine stop." "All stopped." "All right, here we go." "Hold fast." "Admiral Starke, brace yourself." "Dangerous maneuver, Captain." "Dangerous." "Obviously, Admiral, you didn't hear my order to stand fast." "Uh, Lee, I think I've figured out that radioactive field." "I suspect a large vein ofcarnotite ore." "Send divers out to get a core sample." " Uh, Lee." "Yes, Admiral?" "Have them hurry." "We're all vulnerable." "What'd I tell you,jiggs?" "Cranes the best there is." " You sent for me, Skipper?" " Sit down, Chip." " How long is the diving party gonna be out there?" " No more than I O minutes." "All right." "Then we got 1 O minutes to figure this out." "Now, how do we get our ship to the surface?" "That's a problem when we can't blow our ballast tanks." "What about the repair party working on the compressors?" "They're doing the best they can." "It may take them one hour or maybe two." " We'll just have to sweat it out." " Well, we can't risk it." "Ifthat thing down there decides it's time to eat again, that's all we need." "I know what you mean, but I don't have any answers for you." " There's got to be an answer." " I don't know where we'll get it." "Well, I do." "We've got a computer in the control room... that's full of answers to all kinds of impossible problems." "Now let's start asking it a few questions." "Ifit's carnotite, it's invaluable to our country's nuclear programming." "But ifit is carnotite... the theta emissions will have completely destroyed our control system." "Mr. Morton." "What's the level of our ballast tanks?" "They're full, sir." "We can't pump them out." "Your man Crane." "He's insolent." "He has no respect for his superiors." "You don't like him,jiggs, because you :an't scare the pants off of him." "Well, he's not my problem, Harriman." " I know." " Divers returning t0 Seaview." "Maybe now we can find out what's causing that radioactivity." ""Flood ballast tanks." "Full dive on all planes."" "Dive?" "The samples." "Take these to the lab." "Put them in the spectroscope." " It'll only take a minute." "So, report immediately." "Aye, sir." "Admiral." "Yes?" " What kind ofrazfioactiwzy?" " Electro-active." "All right, boys." "Get down to sick bay." "This radiation is powerful enough to destroy brain cells." "Electro-active radiation?" "Fowler was attacked by the coelenterates just before he got aboard the raft." "That's probably what killed him." " Admiral?" " Nelson here." "Sample verified as carnotite." "Carnotite!" "just as I figured." "It's, uh, it's a great discovery." " Good, Harriman." "Now there's only one problem." " What's that?" "To get out of here before your coelenterate gets hungry again." "Our problem is negative buoyancy." "Now, once we get off this plateau... we'll go straight down, unless we can pick up enough speed to maneuver." " How are you going to do that?" " According to the computer, our only solution is to dive." " Dive?" " Dive." "To pick up maneuvering speed." "How deep?" "4,400 feet." "That's 5O feet above crush depth." "That's right." "Now, we have to get the Seaview up to 30- 32.9 knots- knots, before we'll reach maneuvering speed." " It's our only chance." " What does the admiral think of this?" "Well, I haven't shown him the computer data yet." "Chip, does the, uh... does the admiral seem different to you?" "I mean, h-have you noticed anything?" " What do you mean?" " Well, when he, uh" "Lee, it was camotite!" "I guess I haven't lost my touch." " Let's blow ballast and get out of here." " We can't blow our ballast tanks." "Admiral, we should put a full down angle on the planes and dive." "Down angle?" "Lee, have you taken leave of your senses?" "Put a full up angle on the planes, all ahead full!" "Well, what about the computer report?" "Hang the computer!" "I designed this submarine!" "I know how she works!" "Full up angle, all ahead full!" "Captain, that's not a request." "It's an order." " I'm captain of this vessel." " You are relieved of that responsibility." "In the hospital, you said the Neptune foundered because she lost maneuvering speed." "I said nothing of the kind!" "You are relieved of your command!" "As captain of a private vessel, I cannot be removed." "This vessel has been commissioned by the United States Navy." "It's under naval rules and regulations." "I'm relieving you of command, Captain." "Mr. Morton, you will escort Mr. Crane to his cabin." "No." "This ship is my responsibility." " Lee, don't." " Mutiny is a hanging offense, Captain." "Before you can hang me, I'm gonna get this ship home." " Full down angle on all planes." "All ahead flank." "Aye, sir." "Captain." "Lee!" "I don't have any other choice." "All ahead flank!" "No." "Lee, don't." "It's down there." "Dive." "Repeat!" "Dive!" "Forty-three hundred feet." "Stand by to reverse angle on the planes." "Speed- 32.9 knots." "4,000 feet." "Pull up angle on the planes." "We're leveling off." "lust as the computer predicted." "She's moving up." "I$" "I" " I treated you like a brother." "You drew a gun on me." "Get out of here!" "Get out of my sight!" "Mr. Morton,you command the Seaview." "Set a course for home." "Yes, sir." "Jiggs, however temporarily... this was a navy ship when Captain Crane mutinied!" "I demand a general court-martial!" "But he was right." "He saved this ship and all hands." "It's a mutiny." "Mutiny." "He drew a gun on me." "See, he- he drew a gun on... me!" "Harriman, I think we should go to your cabin." "Oh, you were- you were rightjiggs." "Right." "You were right!" "Seaview is a loose ship!" "A mutinous ship!" "Mutineers!" "All of you!" "Come in." " Captain, a diver is dead." " Dead?" "He went out of his mind, sank into a coma and" "Well, what was the cause of death?" "I found his head covered with coelentera." "They emitted electric radiation, powerful enough to completely destroy the brain cells." " What about the other diver?" " He doesn't seem to have any signs of radiation... but he may develop symptoms days, even weeks later." "Symptoms?" "What kind ofsymptoms?" "Personality changes, at first, like allergies to certain drugs." "The symptoms are talkativeness... followed by depression, irritability." " And just before the coma, there may be a violent episode." " And then?" "Unlike drug reactions, which are reversible... irradiated brain cells are always fatal." "Oh, no." "Control room, what is it?" "The coelenterate, Captain." "Sonar's picked it up. it's closing in on us." "Crane, get up here on the double!" "Doc, take care of the admiral." "All hands!" "Man your battle stations!" "All right, pull yourselves together." " Stand by for orders." " Aye, sir." "UP 3COpe!" "All ahead full." "Come to course 2-2-0." "All ahead full." "Come to course 2-2-0." "All ahead full." "Come to course 2-2-0." "Reactor room, stand by to bring the reactors up to full power." "We're gonna hit the coelenterate with an electrical charge." "Ready the attack generators." "Take a look, Admiral." " Reactor room, report." " Reactor room ready, Captain." "Attack generators okay." " Very well." "Reactors up full." " Reactors ful/ up." " Attack generators ready?" " A track generators ready" " Excuse me." " Very well, Captain." "I'm holding until we're inside." "Then I can get a good shot at its central nervous system." "All right." "Ready, Mr. Morton." "Ready." " Fire one." " Fire one!" " Fire two." " Fire two!" " Fire three!" " Fire three!" " Fire four!" " Fire four!" " How is he?" " Resting." " Have you examined him?" " Yes, thoroughly." " [ CranejAnd?" " Physically, he's in fine shape." " His brain cells, are they damaged?" " No." "He had an allergic reaction." "Throw these away and he'll be as good as new." "He's navy, all right." "Old or new, it doesn't matter." "Oh, and so are you, Captain." "He should be proud." "He is." "Mighty proud."