"Luna 3, where are you guys?" "Can you see me?" "Right here!" "Here I am!" "The cosmos never again!" "Screenplay Angel Wagenstein" "Story Editor Willi Brückner" "Cinematography Günter Jaeuthe" "Set Design Erich Krüllke  Werner Pieske" "Set Construction G. Kriewitz, H. Welzel  J. Hamann" "Music Günther Fischer" "Special Effects Kurt Marks  Boris Trawkin" "Costumes Barvara Müller" "Makeup Lothar Stäglich  Christa Grewald" "Sound Günter Witt  Georg Gutschmidt" "Editor Helga Gentz" "Assistant Director Eleonore Dressel" "Assistant Cinematographers D. Hertelt, K. Schulze  A. Kühn" "Production Managers G. List, J. Schmidt  H.U. Wardeck" "Starring" "Producer Dorothea Hildebrandt" "Director Herrmann Zschoche" "Earth Central calling Margot..." "Earth Central calling Margot." "Attention all transmission stations." "Earth Central calling Margot." "This is Luna 3." "I'll connect you to Margot." "Margot calling Earth Central." "Earth Central." "Go ahead." "Urgent report." "Spaceship T-S 68 and crew of 3 have not returned to base Margot." "Awaiting orders." "Griva reporting." "Over and out." "Quiet please." "Could you put out your cigarette?" "Of course I can." "I suggested convening the council because this situation exceeds any usual incident." "The first report came three days ago." "AT-S 22 disappeared on its return flight to base Margot." "Now we've had six such messages." "Six spaceships in three days." "More than an unfortunate coincidence." "Someone must be held responsible." "Quite right, young man." "I fail to see the humor in it." "Don't start heckling." "Strange that it only involves ships from the same base." "Strange that our colleague drags us here to tell us something we could have read in the newspapers." "I expected more detailed information from Ms. Scholl." "At least a working hypothesis." "I don't have one." "But I do." "I suspect our spaceships have collided with anti-matter bodies that happened to enter into our solar system." "A simple case of annihilation." "Please record in the minutes that the council isn't responsible." "Is that what concerns you Prof. Tal?" "Whether it's our fault?" "People may have lost their lives." "That is exactly what I mean." "Jackie Bernstein is right." "Someone must be held responsible." "Margot calling Earth Central." "Urgent report." "Spaceship T-S 340 transporting crew of 16 scientists has not returned to base Margot." "TV and radio contact suddenly ceased at 12:" "OO Greenwich time." "Griva reporting." "Over and out." "Seven accidents in a row." "Unbelievable." "Unbelievable that you're having meetings while people are dying." "You're not a council member but we welcome your opinion." "Order Margot to send out rescue squads immediately." "We've commanded just the opposite." "We have forbidden that anyone leave until the causes are known." "These are the locations where all radio contact with ships ceased." "There are now 7 ships with 60 people aboard who haven't ..." "Margot calling Earth Central." "Transporter stopped transmission." "I'm afraid that's the eighth." "Connection lost at 12:10, quadrant 62.15 after K." "Griva reporting." "Over and out." "You just said 7 ships and a total of 60 people." "Yes." "And now there are eight." "May I say something?" "Everything has a simple explanation and it has nothing to do with mysticism." "I suggested it was annihilation," "If you're serious, Prof. Tal." "then I'm disappointed in you." "Speculation like that is mysticism." "And I suppose you have a better hypothesis?" "I'm listening." "I already said, I don't have one." "But it doesn't make yours more convincing." "Quit the guesswork." "We're here to prevent further accidents." "Only the entire council can decree a prohibition of space flights." "I support this proposal." "I don't." "This proposal is complete nonsense." "A flight ban would cripple the stations, isolate the bases." "It would paralyze entire programs!" "A flagrant violation of the statute!" "Human lives, Prof. Tal." "Not statutes!" "Who agrees with Prof. Maria Scholl to ban all space flight until further notice?" "I'm against it." "Please record my opinion in the minutes." "Bases Luna One and Three." "Venus Bradburyville," "Mars Gagarino," "Calling all personnel." "Am I disturbing the peaceful flow of your thoughts?" "I thought I'd enjoy the view with you." "Even today the sight of the heavens still thrills me." "Strange that things can still thrill you." "You're right." "It's more difficult and happens less often." "After being an interplanetary navigator ..." "You don't care what happens to the people flying today." "Don't care?" "Did I say something that hideous?" "You said something else entirely." "The fact that you don't care is obvious." "Oh well, years add up and the sclerosis gets worse." "It's a case of a scholar becoming a bureaucrat." "I didn't say that." "You're virtuous to think that way." "But you're not entirely correct." "My head still works." "Want to bet with calculations?" "No, thanks" "Because you're afraid." "You know I'm superior to you." "Professor Tal," "I didn't believe one word you said today." "And it seems you don't either." "The anti-matter bodies hypothesis?" "That was an amusing idea, wasn't it?" "Eight explosions!" "It stimulates the imagination." "I don't understand you." "No matter." "That happens." "I don't want to disrupt your work." "Please forgive me, if I omended you at the council meeting." "Professor ..." "I'm not sure if I should tell you this, but your daughter was among those who didn't return to Margot." "I know." "We'll do everything possible to try to save her." "You're a good person." "Thank you." "What's the matter?" "Why are you looking at me like that?" "How did you know that your daughter ..." "I received the list of names only moments ago." "I didn't know." "I just assumed." "See you later." "Come by for coffee." "Dan, where are you?" "I'm so alone." "I have holes in my socks." "The last pair." "My toes are freezing." "But among the useful articles on this charming asteroid we have a special patch, such as this glue called "Util."" "What else could I want?" "Everything is perfectly organized." "But there's just one wrinkle." "One idiot writes how to use it, and another moron stums the boxes." "Here we have... a tube of carpenter's glue." "And office glue ..." "I guess it's for gluing our sandwiches together." "Are you listening?" "Did you say something?" "Not a word." "I've finished the calculations." "If the parameters are correct he will be here in 12 moons." "In 12 moons your boy will be here." "And I'll be down there, at home." "Then I'm quitting this lousy job." "I swear it." "I hate this job." "I've heard that old story." "The Galapagos Islands and the girl, Maria." "Tell it again." "The story is old, about five hundred years." "About Johnny Kosar and his guitar." "I'm not 18 anymore." "At my age, most folks have a nice setup on good old Earth." "A wife, loads of kids." "And maybe one's own helicopter." "What do I have?" "A delivery van in the third ring." "I'm a cosmic baggage handler." "But I'm through with all that." "Forever." "The letter of resignation is in my pocket." "And then, I'll go home." "And never will I return to you ..." "What's going on?" "I'm afraid I've got bad news." "It says here, your boy is just as trapped on Margot as I am trapped here." "They're announcing a compulsory moratorium on flying until ... until further notice!" "Damn." "There has been a disaster somewhere around here." "It shouldn't last too long." "I'm leaving." "They don't know me yet." "These are the last ones, Professor." "Kyber proposed 8000 possible trajectories." "That's quite a few isn't it?" "Did you find the personnel files?" "They wouldn't give them to me." "So I took them." "It's our secret." "Now you can go home and sleep if you'd like." "That will be great." "Bye." "Earth Central." "Personnel office." "Personnel file 25 A 400, Tal." "Oli Sigmundevitch, Director, theory of trans-galactic links," "Professor, member of scientific council, born in Novosibirsk" "It's wonderful here." "I wish I were a kid, then I'd do somersaults down the mountain." "Do it." "Unfortunately I'm grown up and a little tired too." "I noticed." "Where is your search for the missing rockets leading you?" "To you." "Strange." "Why to me?" "When we were kids our favorite game was "hot and cold."" "Would you like to play?" "You'll enjoy it." "Sure." "We could give it a try." "Be honest." "The hunt for the missing rockets has led me to you, right?" "Sure, okay, Let's say, "warm."" "A few details reveal that you know more than you said at the council." "Warmer." "As a young navigator, you and Kun, the pilot, proposed a project that was rejected by the UN's scientific council at the time," "The Eolomea Project." "Hot!" "The coffee?" "The coffee too, blast it." "Tell me about Eolomea." "I'm proud of you." "You took two of my classes?" "Three." "You failed me in theoretical navigation." "I don't remember but I'm certain I was right." "I knew you'd find out about my trick." "Just not so quickly." "A bad conscience betrays itself." "You knew about your daughter before I got the list." "That's really hot." "Please tell me about Eolomea." "Childish whims, nothing more." "You promised to be honest." "Oh, right." "I almost forgot." "How did it all begin?" "At the end of the 19th century English astronomers discovered a strange light in the constellation Cygnus." "The phenomena occurred again in 1905, 1929 and 1953." "Every 24 years." "After Gagarin's spaceflight Soviet astronomers hypothesized that it cannot be a naturally occurring source of light." "They thought it was a laser beam of extreme intensity probing our solar system for contact." "It was only a hypothesis, nothing more." "Supposedly Orpheus was born here." "Very beautiful." "Pierre Brodsky is mentioned in your personnel file." "So, you've pilfered my personnel file." "You're not playing fairly." "Taking your file was no game, it's about human lives." "And now?" "Now you're going to tell me about Pierre Brodsky." "Okay." "He calculated the planet's revolutions at Ararat observatory." "The presumed planet." "Correct." "He theorized its mass, duration of orbit around its sun, and numerous other factors." "He concluded the planet was a symmetrical equivalent of Earth." "Without poles or tropics." "Young Brodsky was a dreamer." "He called the planet "Eternal Spring" or Eolomea." "He preserved the spelling of it by using light signals in Morse code." "E-O-LO-MEA," "For a while the planet was a sensation." "It provided plenty of material for dreamers and journalists." "But quickly the line between myth and science became blurred." "Is it all scientific fact?" "Strictly speaking, no." "In spite of it, Pilot and I proposed to send two people in a rocket to Eolomea." "We calculated the most detailed optimal trajectories." "And of course." "we both volunteeied." "We were prepared for this endeavor." "The scientific council found the idea over-inflated." "They refused us everything with the reasoning that given our tiny, slow rockets the whole thing was silly." "Later came Luna 2 and 3 and the bases in the first and second rings." "It just wasn't the right time to decipher the legends." "And you believe the time has come?" "Don't try to trick me with your questions." "We are playing "hot and cold."" "You have to reveal the hidden object." "No, professor." "Eight hidden objects." "Eight tiny ships, the T-S model." "I don't understand one thing." "Lost ships will get you to Eolomea as well as a bicycle to the moon." "Cold." "Very cold." "Did that wake you?" "If you snore like that again I'll get even with your tin heap" "Do that and I'll knock out all your teeth." "The only thing from Earth I still have." "A good, old alarm clock or a nice souvenir." "It's something very important." "It's seven o'clock in the morning." "Don't talk nonsense." "It could just as easily be 11:" "OO or 3:15." "When this heap was built it didn't occur to anyone that it would fly 3 km per minute." "Now a crazy alarm clock thinks it's 7:" "OO." "There it is 7:" "OO a.m. and everyone is going to work." "And the birds in the trees are chirping with joy." "And the old seal yearns for the mainland." "Oh, go to hell." "I'm already there, ol' Beelzebub." "I can't sleep." "I'm going for a walk." "A lovely place for walks." "I have an idea." "Let's pay Pierre a Christmas visit." "And the flight ban?" "No one will notice way out here in the sticks." "If we get caught, we'll say we had to bring him oxygen." "Am I not a genius?" "Not quite." "You know Pierre has a three month supply." "Sure, but they don't know." "How are you, old lion?" "Dan, do you think the flight ban will last long?" "None has ever lasted more than 1000 years." "What could have happened?" "What are you up to?" "Nothing." "I'm playing with the tortoise." "You're lying." "I'm lying." "Shall I say what you're up to?" "Not necessay." "I know." "Explain to me how your friends manage to stow bottles in the pod." "That's the last secret of our era and it should remain that way." "Watch out." "They'll get you." "Three disciplinay actions should be enough for you." "People need a change of pace." "These things make life interesting:" "breaking the rules and idiots who send carpenter's glue to mend socks." "It's almost as cozy as home." "I'm going to check the transmitter." "When do you think he'll be able to come?" "Who?" "The boy." "I don't know." "Then I'll return to Earth with him." "It's high time I leave this rock." "Imagine, he has never been to Earth." "I want to be the first one who shows him around." "He has never seen rivers or forests." "Daniel?" "What are you doing?" "Dan, can you hear me?" "Yes, I hear you." "I asked you, what are you doing?" "Nothing." "Checking the emitter." "You're lying again." "You're looking at the sun." "Is that against the rules, too?" "Why are you so cynical?" "Imagine, Pilot." "Orbiting around this star is a tiny ball, with islands on it." "Galapagos and so." "Very funny." "Do you believe the fairy tale that this tiny ball has six continents and 12 billion people?" "The same kind as you and I." "And that a woman lives there, a blonde professor." "Do you still believe in it, Pilot?" "Yes, I believe in it." "What's the matter?" "Dan, can you hear me?" "Pierre?" "Pierre from Planet Orange!" "Do you read me?" "Yes, I read you." "How are you?" "Dan, are you still singing?" "I don't feel like singing." "I waited for you to come up." "How are things with you?" "As usual." "Okay." "Have you heard about the accidents on Margot?" "I was on duty when they announced the names of those missing." "Do you know who was among them?" "The boy." "Pilot's boy." "I was just going to call you two." "No, you better not, Pierre." "The old guy was sleeping." "He doesn't know yet." "It's better that way." "You're right." "We are coming to visit you tomorrow." "We will launch early." "And keep quiet about Margot." "All right." "Say hello to him for me." "Take care." "Over and out." "See you tomorrow." "Over and out." "Listen Dan, I don't like to talk about myself." "But now it cannot be avoided." "Maybe you won't understand but I am at the end of my rope." "These are my final orbits." "I thought I was finished after my wife died in the Venus disaster." "It was not your fault, Pilot." "No one in the world could have foreseen that cataclysm." "What is guilt and innocence?" "The important thing is that I, the expedition leader, survived." "Just me and the children's transport." "My son was there." "Sima." "He was born on Margot." "I have not seen him for years." "That's why I cannot imagine what he looks like." "Are you even listening to me?" "Yes, I'm listening." "And since then I have been waiting here." "Waiting for Sima to graduate." "And then I wanted to return with him to Earth." "But you know how things are." "Maybe it was nothing but a crazy dream." "But it was the only one I had." "That's why you shouldn't have lied to me." "Forgive me, Pilot." "I thought it would be better for you." "Lies are never better than truth." "The display is working again." "Are you still angry?" "No." "What for?" "Yesterday you forewarned Pierre and now I'm forewarning you." "He is seriously ill." "Yes, I know." "I heard." "There is talk about some virus on Margot." "They talk about all kinds of nonsense on Margot." "Nobody knows what it is." "Hopeless?" "I'm afraid so." "I brought his blood samples to the base." "No outcome." "The institute for cosmic diseases fitted a hermetically sealed box." "But he didn't want to get inside it." "I tried to convince him to do nothing." "He is afraid of spreading an unknown disease." "I don't think I could handle that." "Don't smother him in pity." "That would make him feel worse." "I understand." "This entire cosmic adventure is demented." "What has it done for us?" "A few dead asteroids that shock us out of boredom." "A few extraterrestrial colonies falling over with joy when they discover some stupid galaxy over 100 million light years away." "What for?" "And for what price?" "No one asks for the price of knowledge." "And the sacrificed people?" "They weren't sacrificed." "They volunteered." "Thankfully, without asking you." "You think everyone can act upon his own free will." "See, that is why I have ended my cosmic career." "Done." "Have a nice life, you stars." "Knock it off, I've had to listen to it for over a year." "Really?" "Excuse me." "Could you tell me what my room number is?" "Please forgive me." "Your name please?" "Daniel Lagny." "Number seven." "You have a telegram." "May I ask you something?" "These puzzling signals from space:" "is there any truth to it?" "Mars is preparing to attack Earth." "I am so sorry, I'm a complete idiot." "That's true." "But don't take it to heart." "It's okay." "Why are you laughing?" "You look like you just fell from the moon." "I did." "From Luna 3, two days ago." "I quit." "Man has the brain, but the administration has control." "My resignation was denied." "So I am finally taking a real vacation." "Hide out on the Galapagos." "But nowadays they would find you if you hid at the south pole." "On top of that I'm tired as a dog." "Maybe you should get some sleep." "Oh, that's nice of you." "I'm actually very nice." "You don't need to try to convince me." "Good night." "Good night." "Sorry about the glass." "You may change on the first floor." "I didn't order anything." "Room 7 ordered it, Professor." "I thought you would be asleep." "Don't feel like it." "It'd be stupid to sleep during my few hours on Earth, with you." "The boys from Luna 3 would not approve." "Do you know what Luna 3 is?" "Maybe a way to conquer a romantic woman's heart?" "It works on cold-hearted women, too." "And these women forget their duties and fall into your arms?" "Well, not right away." "It takes about half an hour." "It's 3:" "OO now, so around 3:30?" "What else do you do?" "I could imagine that you're a secretary." "Something like that." "And you?" "Captain in trans-planetary transportation." "I was." "Simple past tense." "The first past tense, you understand." "Cosmonaut." "Wanderer among the stars." "Romantic." "Masculine." "Why did you quit?" "Because I'm sick and tired of it." "Because I want to sit here and have the sun shine on me." "At least until 3:30." "Is that so difficult to understand?" "It's difficult to do." "Daniel Lagny." "The singing Dan." "The sleeping Dan." "This is Pilot from K-R 217." "Come in." "Okay." "I heard you." "Lousy reception." "I can't see." "I think he is saying 'department' or 'damn it'" "Give green signals." "Move toward the light signals." "Pierre, do you read me?" "Pierre, come to the lens." "My face isn't for polite company." "Don't make a big deal about it." "Come on." "Doesn't it look like the measles?" "Yes, could be." "What's new on Earth?" "Quit pretending." "I heard about the missing ships." "Better anyway." "I can't stand half truths." "But don't wory, You will see your boy again." "How do you know that?" "When space swallows someone it doesn't give him back." "You know, that just depends." "Did you bring a blood sample?" "It doesn't matter anymore." "No more doctor  patient games." "They are deceiving me by saying they are close to a breakthrough." "I deceive them by pretending to believe it." "Now it's over, I caught one." "What did you catch?" "A shadow." "Are you nuts?" "I have been watching them for a long time." "How shall I describe them?" "They look like wet spots on the rocks." "But when you get closer they crawl into the crevices." "They are living shadows." "That sounds crazy." "No, they are really living wet spots." "As alive as you and I." "Just a few days ago I watched one of them." "I saw it close up." "Do you know what's very strange?" "They are covered in black spots." "Exactly like these I have here." "But it's all right." "we have agreed to get along." "They won't bother me and I won't bother them." "Everything is okay." "I observe and take notes." "Please take this container." "Someone will come by soon and pick it up." "Give him my greetings." "What's in it?" "Don't worry, It's only paper." "Who should I give it to?" "You ask too many questions." "Someone will pick it up." "Is this for me?" "Cognac for NewYear's Eve." "It comes in handy sometimes." "Now get going." "This fog is uncomfortable." "Are you my friend?" "Word of honor." "You are my friend." "Word of honor." "Do you even know who I am?" "You know nothing." "When I was a pilot and led the first caravans you were still in diapers." "I wasn't the old Kun then." "I was the great Kun." "They called me the Cosmic Pilot." "Just like that." "That was me." "So have a drink." "Back then there were two of us." "Oli Tal and me." "We brought over the first research groups." "He and I." "To Luna 1, to Luna 2." "To both of the Mars poles." "My God, those were the days." "We had men!" "Those were real guys." "And now?" "A bunch of wimps!" "You too." "That's right, you too." "A bunch of wimps." "Me too." "Want some?" "You understand nothing." "You're a blockhead." "But I like you anyway." "Do you like me too?" "Who else, darling?" "It's obvious they keep me here out of pity." "Stop the nonsense." "You always do this when you're drunk." "Yes, I'm drunk." "But I mean what I say." "Dan, it's time." "The flares." "Are you crazy?" "Cheers, Maria!" "Cheers, Dan." "You're sure the data is correct?" "It's not a joke." "Remember the hoax by the Ararat boys?" "Two years ago an unidentified object approached Earth." "Not this time." "The object's mass is the same as an A-4 ship." "It is all very peculiar, given the flight ban." "You must enforce it." "They are complying with the ban." "In the areas we can control from Earth." "Then it is a ghost." "Attention." "Coordinates." "Pulkovo orbit to second relay." "[Pulkovo is connected]." "It has been pulling away." "It doesn't answer on any frequency?" "Not even the computer is emitting mandatory signals." "It is one of the missing ships." "Of course, what else." "Then it is certain that the crew is dead." "Where is Oli Tal?" "Don't know, He didn't come tonight." "Get Prof. Tal right away." "What do you suggest we do?" "Find this ghost ship." "Then we will know about the others." "No, we have to think twice." "[" "Telegram from Prof. Tal]." "[If you need him the address is Eolomea]." "What is that?" "[" "A hotel in Majorca]." "Good, connect me." "[I tried." "The line is overloaded]." "Then connect through New Zealand or Patagonia!" "I need Prof. Tal immediately!" "Find it, you say?" "Which rescue squad is on duty?" "Five." "And I'm flying too." "Too great a risk." "The guys are fine without you." "The boys are used to all kinds of things." "They will get used to me." "Maybe you should not only be strict with female dispatchers." "It is an opportunity to clarify the situation." "[Hotel Eolomea said Prof. Tal was never there]." "What?" "First he disappears without notifying me?" "And then gives a false address?" "Or a phony address." "Or a coded address." "I have no talent for criminology." "I always feel as if I will burst." "Whoever doesn't burst the first time, won't." "There it is." "Try it again." "A-41, this is rescue squad five." "Do you read me?" "Sorry boys, you have to get out." "Enjoy the weightlessness." "This is rescue squad five calling A-41." "A-41, please come in." "Boss, they're not answering." "Go ahead, cut it." "They're not even dead." "Did you see how they took off?" "The dead are alive and the insane are normal." "Check their course." "It can't be true, They are on a direct course to Margot." "Call Margot immediately." "Rescue squad five calling Margot." "Come in." "They don't want to respond either." "They must stop this silly joke!" "I have a better one." "We cannot contact them until they reach Margot." "But Pilot's course is nearby." "Dan is there." "His wasp is quick enough to cut them off." "Can he do it?" "You don't know him?" "We once had a stimulating conversation." "I quit and that's it!" "Where do you get the idea to take me from Luna 3?" "What am I supposed to do around asteroids in the outer ring?" "What anyone would do." "Supply the station with materials." "Delivery van." "Race horse for a manure cart." "Would you like some juice?" "You can't buy me with a sip of grapefruit." "Lemon." "Here you are." "Thanks." "Listen Dan, someone must take over this position." "And this someone has to be me?" "That's awful stuff." "Your transfer would be temporary." "We are opening a fourth ring soon." "And I suppose I am the horse on that track too?" "No." "I promise, we will relieve you as soon as possible." "Then you will get four months vacation." "Very funny." "I'm familiar with that vacation." "No thanks." "What's that?" "Honey." "The real thing." "Made on the Moon?" "Bees aren't that dumb." "My mother sent it from the countyside." "Thanks, Dan." "But don't think you can bribe me with a pot of honey." "How about if we talk like people?" "It's about time." "Orion launches tomorrow at 9 a.m." "Have a nice trip without Dan." "Here, so you won't get lonely." "I found him yesterday." "What is it?" "A lion." "Prof. Scholl, I hereby submit an official statement:" "I do not feel like obeying your order." "Captain Lagny," "I am officially reminding you:" "you've had 3 disciplinay actions." "The fourth would send you back to your mother's bees." "Wonderful." "That is exactly what I want." "Wait, my lion." "It is not my style to violate the statutes." "If I bring an animal aboard I need a special permit." "It looks like the base has been abandoned." "I have to go." "Get a grip." "What do you want, Madame?" "I don't want a trial, I want ..." "Him to remain dead." "If it will cost 24,OOO francs then let's go to court." "Sure, let's go to court." "It's too expensive!" "I earned almost a million for you!" "You haggle with my misfortune." "Fine, I'll take you for eveything you own." "The relays have been destroyed." "Be quiet!" "It's only the air conditioner." "Poor cat." "Starving with so many mice around." "If we don't find the sectors soon, we will meow like him." "That will be fun." "Let's get out of here." "Tell me you're not a ghost." "Are you wounded?" "He didn't want to smash the glass and knows it is prohibited." "Who?" "I found a broken toy." "He's called 0/560." "Dan darling, how do you feel?" "Wonderful." "Couldn't be better." "For four days I have been here like a fly in a jar." "What's going on around here?" "You should know." "You are the ones who sent me chasing that ship." "Where is it now?" "Somewhere out there." "Could you be more specific?" "Who are they?" "How many?" "If I knew, I would feel better." "They tried to lose me, I tried to cut them off." "But they landed in Sector C and locked me out." "All I could do was go to Sector B where you also ended up." "Everything is locked down and the relays are destroyed." "And the people on the base?" "Hard to tell." "There is only that halfwit but I can't get anywhere with him." "You can try." "Hey old timer, come here." "Don't be afraid." "You're a little slow." "Shift to second gear." "Show us what you can do." "What does a well-behaved robot say to a lady?" "All-purpose robot." "model number 0/560." "Good day." "May I kiss your hand, Madame?" "You taught him that nonsense?" "He is a respectable guy, only stupid and a filthy liar." "Number 0/560." "You serve the base, correct?" "Now listen carefully." "Where are the people from Margot?" "I do not know." "Why is there a lockdown between the sectors?" "I do not know." "Who destroyed the relays?" "I do not know." "Who destroyed the relays?" "Be honest and tell us." "I destroyed them." "Why?" "It was an order." "Whose order?" "See?" "I couldn't get anything more out of him." "Have I told you what I do to robots who lie?" "You said:" "Can opener." "Yes, and who will get your electronic soul?" "The dogs." "You see, your memory does work." "Why did you say you don't remember who ordered the relays be destroyed?" "Come on, I will give you a new battery." "Three o'clock local time." "Check environmental aggregates." "Try harder." "Stop, where are you going?" "Listen up, Number 0/560." "Try to understand what I am saying." "You possess nothing but logic." "And they are after your tin with emotions." "You have been programmed to keep quiet about the truth." "Am I right?" "I have a program." "I fulfill the program." "I kiss your hand, Madame." "Nice of you." "You are a respectable robot who does his duty." "But I must remind you of the constitutional law." "A robot may not follow any order that harms a human." "It cannot do that." "By lying, you follow an order." "But people are now in danger." "By not telling the truth you're causing them harm." "Where are the people and who ordered you to destroy the locks?" "Talk!" "Algorithm storm Louisville no shared quadrant systems ..." "That's enough." "This is inhumane." "We'll only make him more insane." "He's already loopy." "The constitutional law is his conscience." "You pose him a problem even humans haven't yet solved." "Should an order be obeyed when it conflicts with one's conscience?" "The mechanical Hamlet." "I'll bet that noise isn't coming from the power unit." "There are people in there." "You can't even scratch it." "It's a special alloy." "Come on." "Ready for launch?" "T-S 340 ready for launch." "Ready for launch." "Chief operator?" "Chief operator." "Go ahead." "This is Sima Kun, Commander of Operation Eolomea." "Nine spaceships with a crew of 146 ready for launch." "Awaiting orders." "What should I say?" "I think speeches are unnecessary," "Lots of luck on your way through the stars." "Take care." "My God, was I dumb." "How about that." "What's wrong?" "There are no lost ships." "They were all here in the hangars." "Sorry." "I might be slow but I still don't understand." "Don't worry, your boys are healthy and happy." "What about the A-41?" "They needed a guide ship." "And they needed a certain colleague to prepare for launch." "Yes, but where to?" "To Eolomea." "What?" "They're crazy." "Not at all." "If I haven't been completely fooled a certain colleague is here." "Did you see what he was carrying?" "A coffee pot and three cups." "If he's not completely crazy there are three people here too." "Come closer, Ms. Scholl." "Thank you." "You can go." "You don't seem surprised to see me here." "No, not really." "Pardon me, who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" "Captain Daniel Lagny from the third ring." "Pleased to meet you." "Very pleased." "Help yourself." "Please." "It has become quiet." "They left." "I saw that." "Forever." "Unlike migratory birds that come back." "They will be gone forever." "You know what they're undertaking." "I believe so, yes." "Eolomea." "I'm afraid." "Afraid!" "That something may have not been thought through." "That some random factor has not been considered." "I know you." "Everything has been considered." "Everything within the limits of human knowledge." "But what's beyond it?" "Other limits." "They set forth to find them." "Will you pass me a harsh sentence?" "That's trivial at the moment." "They don't have a navigator." "Yes they do." "Pierre Brodsky." "They will pick him up from his poisonous little planet." "I visited him," "Pierre is sick, very sick." "He will guide them as long as he can." "Eveything else is on paper." "If this crumb of Eolomea does exist then certainly not where you are looking." "Excuse me?" "I've read the observatory annuals." "My friend Kun hoards them." "Pierre used a 40 inch telescope but miscalculated coefficients." "I imagine he didn't consider the infra-red shift caused by Andromeda and Supernova NGC-205." "Very unlikely, young man." "Sorry." "I spent weeks calculating but never took the story seriously." "You are a mathematician?" "Taxi driver." "Supernova 205." "Very interesting thought." "Pierre will notice his mistake." "Why did you occupy yourself with Eolomea?" "Because otherwise I would have died of cosmic boredom." "When I'm back on Earth I know better things to do." "Continue, Prof. Tal," "I have accounted with myself for my conduct." "As dean of the trans-galactic flight center and council member my actions will likely lead to my dismissal from this institute." "I take comfort in the thought that you would have done the same." "No one has been able to prove that Eolomea even exists." "No one has disproved it either." "The boys from Margot will respond." "In the next century." "In 136 years and two months." "136 years!" "I understand even less how you prepared for such a risk." "The reason is ancient and simple." "Fathers want their children to succeed where they haven't." "For centuries humans have longed to make contact with civilizations from outer space." "146 young scientists have volunteered to take the first step in reaching this distant goal." "Could I refuse my own experience and knowledge?" "I ask you:" "could I have prevented them?" "I offered all my knowledge and my heart to help them." "I have one regret." "That I am no longer young enough to fly after them." "And that I lack the courage to do it anyway, like Pierre Brodsky." "No, I will not allow it." "You can't stop them." "You don't know me." "I'm not giving them the container." "You'll give it up." "This venture is insane." "But when you were young it wasn't insane." "The only dimerence is back then your crates were too slow." "But they can make it this time." "You can talk." "He is my son." "Every man is someone's son." "There they are." "Captain Sima Kun." "I am ..." "I'm your father, Sima." "I am happy to see you, father." "You too, Sima." "You have really become a man." "I always pictured you differently." "Like a kid, you know?" "I'm not a child." "Do you know why I'm here?" "Yes, I know." "To return to Earth with me." "We're going the other direction." "Give us the container." "Never!" "I'd rather destroy it." "Captain Kun" "Eolomea means everything to us." "Entering your shadow." "Interrupting transmission." "Their chances are one in a million of finding such a civilization." "People have always found each other regardless of chances." "So that's how you intend to apologize for your conduct." "Absolutely." "Which institute would risk so many young lives?" "Would you have permitted this mission?" "No." "That's why they handled it in this way." "They took the responsibility so you wouldn't have to." "Can we punish doctors who break minor laws but make huge advances for humanity and progress?" "Those who tested new serums on themselves." "They did it without asking for permission." "Because they wouldn't have received it." "That's all." "Ms. Scholl, have I done something wrong again?" "Pilot, try to see it their way." "Let your conscience decide." "I know, so far away from Earth." "it's difficult to decide all alone something that will affect all of humanity." "What happens next is entirely up to you." "Consider it carefully." "Do you have the right?" "Here's a report from Luna 3." "To all stations in and around the third ring." "The station on Planet Orange ceased transmission this morning." "Pierre Brodsky." "Our Pierre is dead." "Father, this is the third orbit." "Please give us the container." "Listen, Sima." "Did you know, Brodsky is dead?" "Yes, we know." "But you need a good navigator." "We know one." "No one else is that crazy." "Let me speak to Dan." "We've searched evey ring for you." "I'm here, there, everywhere." "We're calling on you to take Pierre's place." "If you do it, I'll kill you." "Don't forget, someone is waiting for you on Earth." "Too bad, Maria." "Now we can't even say goodbye." "Everything happens so fast." "I have to go away for a while." "Forever, Dan." "Don't you understand that it is forever?" "Let's just say, it's for a while." "Then it doesn't hurt so much." "Take care, Maria." "You've got it good, Sima." "You never think about that little ball with 6 continents on it." "And a few tiny islands," "Galapagos." "The loveliest of the entire cosmos." "Will you really miss it?" "Then why did you come with us?" "I couldn't do otherwise." "It's funny." "I'm off to find a new civilization in socks full of holes." "613." "Very funny, as your father used to say."