Original subtitles

That's it, Mr. Thorpe. Lower it away.

Aye, aye, sir.

Okay, boys, lower away.

Yes, sir, Bill. Everything's all set outside there...

for the next team comin' down.

First thing you know, you'll be calling up your real estate boys...

startin' to set up all your factories, high-rises, the works.

- Start right in polluting? - Yeah.

- A bonanza of opportunity. - Yeah, for everybody except swimming pool salesmen.

Here. Rest and recreate, Mack. You've earned it.

Haven't you learned yet, buddy?

You just can't do both at the same time.

- How you doing, old man? - You know a few gray hairs don't count, Doc.

It's what a man has in here.

That's why we're taking this electrocardiogram.

What's bugging you, Mack?

Stevens.

Oh, yeah. What are you gonna do, fire him?

I'm afraid I'll have to.

Excuse me, Doc.

But I want this man taken off my team.

- I'm sorry, Stevens. - Come on, Mack. So I popped my cork.

One of these days, it's gonna hit somebody.

You're trying to knock me out of a $100-an-hour job.

No.

Stevens, you just don't have the temperament for this kind of work.

- It's not up to you, Mack. - I think it is...

especially when he tried to hit his buddy with a wrench.

I'm sorry, Stevens. I'll see ya.

Okay, let's go.

Look, Doc, you make the rules. It's your word who works down here.

Well, you and Thomas go up as soon as you're ready.

I'll be on deck tomorrow morning. We can go over it then.

- See you guys up there. - Right.

Leah, Don MacKay and Bob Cousins up in two stages.

Minimum time in decomp for the test.

Okay, Hal.

Is Dr. Andrews there, Leah?

Bill Bradley wants some last-minute instructions.

- Dr. Andrews? - Uh-huh?

Thank you. Andrews here.

Have Bradley send up some more manganese nodules, will you, please?

Corporate request for Mr. Shepherd.

Engineer Bradley here. The corporation has spoken.

I wonder if Einstein meant his theory of relativity...

to encompass the relativity of beauty?

Has anyone ever observed, Dr. Andrews...

that you have a very fishy way of flirting with the ladies?

Decompression chamber two.

The divers are on deck, Dr. Andrews- Mack and Cousins.

Andrews here. You two all right?

Yeah, we're okay. Is this trip really necessary, Doc?

For the test of that last breathing mixture.

- You waited two stages coming up, right? - Yeah. We're growing gills.

Be the first in your neighborhood.

Take them down to 50 feet.

We can dispense with conservative decompression.

Steve?

Take it in easy stages.

Well, I guess maybe I should've stood up for him more, but-

It wouldn't have made any difference, Tom.

Mack's right. He's not cut out for the job.

Yeah, I know. But he was planning on gettin' married this time up.

- Girl comin' over from England. - Well, there's no law that says he can't.

- Have a good time ashore. - Thanks.

These are good.

Leah likes her specimens alive.

Yeah, well, nobody can say you don't qualify on that count.

Okay, Brad, ease off.

Oh, come on, Hal. When are you and Leah gonna get together?

As soon as she says yes.

Sometimes, I think I'd be better off just to forget the whole thing.

See ya up top, fellas.

- Same old headache, Dave? - Yeah.

Must be quite a mind-bender.

You know, you've popped your weight in aspirin since your tour began.

Dave?

It's like having a one-man plague.

I keep wanting to ask, hasn't anybody noticed how slimy the walls are?

The place seems to be getting smaller all the time.

I can remember when claustrophobia used to be just a word.

It didn't beat you. You fought this one to a standstill.

I'll talk to Dr. Andrews and get him to line up a replacement.

- You can surface right away. - Some of the stuff I tried, you know?

Transcendental meditation, deep breathing exercises...

even prayer.

Oh, well. At least I never once asked to be sent up, huh?

And don't think that won't go into my report.

Earthquake! Good God!

Ocean Lab, this is Triton. Do you hear me?

Ocean lab, come in.

Ocean Lab? Ocean Lab, do you hear me?

- Sound general quarters! - Aye, sir!

We've lost contact. The umbilical cable snapped.

Oh, no. Two men surfacing-

- Thomas and Stevens. - Oh, my God!

Attention, Mr. Thorpe. Launch the dory.

Circle and search. Two divers were surfacing.

- Aye, aye, sir. - Urgent, all divers.

Suit up immediately. Repairship-to-Ocean Lab umbilical line.

What's this all about, Doc?

We've lost contact with the Ocean Lab.

There's been an earthquake.

- We're going back down. Check us out. - You're not ready yet!

Oh, the hell we're not!

- I'm going too. - Leah, Leah.

Listen to me. It's too dangerous without propulsion vehicles.

- Mr. Thorpe? - Hal and I have been a team from the very beginning.

My dear, I know how you feel-

Well, then you know why I can't stay up here.

MacKay and Cousins are going down too. Assign all three to one team.

Be careful you don't go too deep.

Thanks, Mack.

- Divers away. - Aye, aye, sir.

Get more divers over, fast.

Aye, aye, sir. Suiting up now.

It's gone. It's gone!

What did she say?

Nothing but broken wires and cables.

Leah, are there pieces of the habitat...

the pressure chamber, anything from inside?

Pieces offering...

anchor cables some surveying gear.

Nothing from inside so far.

Had any signs of a hatch?

A-A-A broken port?

No. It's as if the entire Ocean Lab was swept away.

I'm gonna go deeper and check.

Newfoundland, sir.

Atoll. Atoll, Newfoundland. Earthquake.

- 7.5 Richter earthquake. - Send a Mayday, Briggs.

Advise Halifax we've lost Ocean Lab.

Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Halifax, this is Triton.

Whiskey-Zulu-Quebec-8-8-7-1 . Over.

Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Halifax, this is Triton.

Tidal wave affirmative. This is Glace Bay.

- Mayday! Mayday! - Tidal wave affirmative..

We have a cruiser arriving Sydney 0-6, 2300. Over.

You'd better grab this one, Lieutenant. We've got a Mayday from the Triton now.

Go ahead, Triton. This is Halifax Day Officer. Over.

Halifax, this is Triton. We're at fixed position...

at latitude 35 degrees, 45 minutes north...

longitude 57 degrees, 40 minutes west.

We've experienced undersea earthquake...

and have lost contact with Ocean Lab.

Repeat: Have lost contact with Ocean Lab. Divers unable to locate. Over.

You are over Muir Seamount. How far down was your equipment?

Less than 250 feet right on top of the guyot.

Now, we must have submersible rescue craft.

Ocean Lab has rescue hatches. Over.

Yes, sir. If she was thrown eastward by the quake, you could be in serious trouble.

She could've gone into the abyss. That's inaccessible. Or imploded.

We think our Sea Lab is intact.

They've only got breathing mix for seven days.

Repeat: Seven days. Less if they panic. Over.

Captain, you've got to understand our problem.

All ships in this area are on rescue service.

What about the company that made Sea Lab? They

must have other submersibles that could help.

Good thought. We'll contact them.

- Lieutenant? - Hold on.

Captain, submarine Onindaga is available and proceeding to you.

- They just picked up your Mayday. - This is Triton.

Roger. Good man. Send him along as fast as you can. Over and out.

I'll pick those flowers.

She's gone too deep, Doctor.

You're not flowers.

Leah. Leah, listen to me.

You are below your pressure limit.

Look at the color.

She's getting narcosis. Where are the companion divers?

- Leah?

- Leah, now, listen to me. You are too deep.

Swim up- UP-

Captain Williams...

they're bringing Dr. Jansen aboard now, sir.

- How do you feel, Leah? - Oh!

You'll survive.

Captain!

Two floaters comin' alongside in the day.

In you go, Leah. I'll keep you posted every minute.

- Who are they? - Thomas and Stevens.

Leah?

It was Thomas and Stevens.

Halifax, this is Onindaga.

Over.

Onindaga, this is Halifax. Go ahead.

Slow ahead together.

Captain.

Area of seamount unstable. Aftershocks frequent.

No signal or pinger detected in, uh, 42 hours of search.

Magnetometer's negative. Bottom scanners negative.

You have traversed the Muir Seamount how many times now?

This'll be coming up to three full passes.

All that's left is to start down into the trough.

Negative. The area's too unstable.

Starboard three!

I'm sorry, Doc.

- Come in, Mack. Come in. - Thank you.

I was, uh, just dozing, I guess.

- Waiting is sure hell, isn't it? - Oh!

Awful.

Coffee, Doc?

No, I-l don't think so. Thank you, Mack.

Triton, this is Onindaga. How do you hear me?

This is Triton. Hear you loud and clear.

Captain, I've got Triton.

We've completed our search.

The results are negative after four days, 11 hours.

We request your permission to leave the area.

We regret having been unable to help you.

We think Neptune two is better equipped as a search vessel.

We hope it arrives soon. Wish you the best of luck.

Best of luck to you too, Captain.

We thank you. You did all you could.

- Welcome to Canada, Commander Blake. - Ex-commander.

Haven't had a uniform on in four years.

Well, I'm Norton Shepherd, Triton Enterprises.

Uh, no coat?

I left it at home in Atlanta.

- How is it down there? - Warmer.

- Well, we'll be flown to the disaster site. - Uh-huh.

Neptune's on its way.

Yeah, well, I hope those people on the Triton...

- aren't expectin' any miracles. - Ah, but they are.

- This is very bad timing, Mr. Shepherd. - Why? ls something wrong?

Well, the Neptune, it's had a complete overhaul...

but hasn't had a sea trial yet.

Well, I'll tell you. If fit does spring a leak...

you'll be the first to know.

Well, when you're workin' a mile down, you don't spring a leak, Mr. Shepherd.

You implode. No survivors, no remains.

How'd you like to cruise up to the yacht club in that?

Hmm.

At 120 meters there is considerable debris...

here at the lab site.

Now, our divers have been as deep as equipment permitted...

and the navy submarine has worked the slope of the seamount...

to, uh, 500 meters.

Our problem is strictly one of time.

If the pressure hull is still intact...

there's life support remaining, oh, I'd say...

for just under 48 hours.

Doctor, I'm sure this has occurred to all of you...

but if someone were still alive in the Ocean Lab, wouldn't he have activated a pinger?

- May I answer that, Dr. Andrews? - Please do, Leah.

Commander, because of its size, the navy sub

couldn't possibly have cruised low enough...

to see if the lab had fallen into a fissure or a deep growth.

As for a pinger...

we all know that sound underwater is scattered by obstacles-

by fish, by rocks, by plankton.

And in spite of what you see here, the top of the seamount is really very rugged.

I'm aware of all that, Doctor.

Commander!

Your submersible...

can cruise into areas that sub could never go.

If your Ocean Lab did go into the trench...

no ordinary pinger would be operative at that, uh, pressure.

But we have no proof either way.

As long as that clock says there's still hope, we've got to try.

We have 47 hours 51 minutes, 26 second's.

No argument, Doctor. We'll try, all right.

But just for the record, the purpose of this dive...

is to find and photograph proof of the loss of the environmental structure...

for the insurance underwriter.

Good God, man!

There are three men down there who may still be alive.

- Now, let's get our priorities in order. - Oh, come-

The Neptune has not had a sea trial since its overhaul.

There's also a danger of aftershocks, landslides.

Now, I don't know your three friends...

but I will know the men who are diving with me in the Neptune...

and they are my responsibility.

And whenever there's a choice...

their safety comes first.

Now, Captain, I would like to meet my crew. Excuse me.

Ready the hoist.

- Medium oxygen mixer. - Medium oxygen mixer. Check.

Lighting control circuit.

Lighting control circuit. Check.

- Stern access. - Stern access. Check.

Bottom scanner.

Bottom scanner. Check.

- D.C. Load generator. - D.C. Load generator. Check.

CO, detector.

- CO, detector. Check. - All right, let's take her down.

Muir Seamount coming up.

I'm gonna see if I can get some pictures.

Holding at dead slow.

Neptune to Triton. Neptune to Triton.

- Come in, please. - Come in, Mack.

We're approaching the site, Dr. Andrews.

We're startin' to take photographs.

That site was damn close to that slope.

It's almost as though somebody was lookin' for trouble.

We were lookin' for trouble.

Believe it or not, we were trying to determine what causes earthquakes.

Plus, the full ecology shtick-

biological research, sediment sampling.

Tests and evaluation of navigation and homing devices...

deepwater fishing and farming, full-scale housing.

'Cause all God's children gotta have food and a place to live.

Cruising at 100 meters.

Cruising, 100 meters.

- Right, Mack. - Log time and depth as he gives it.

- Aye, sir. - Now, Mr. Shepherd...

I'll show you just about where they are now.

They're getting nearer here.

Descending, Dr. Andrews.

Three knots.

Aftershock.

Sounds like a hailstorm.

Neptune to Triton.

Neptune to Triton. Do you hear? Over. We've lost contact.

Neptune, do you hear me?

- Sharp aftershock. - Mack, Cousins, come in!

Neptune to Triton. Do you hear me? Over.

- Easin' up any? - Not yet.

Look at that stuff. It's gettin' heavier.

Neptune. Neptune, come in, please.

Can you hear me, Neptune.

If you do get contact, order them up.

Full port thruster.

Full port thruster.

- How's she handlin'? - Can't get her away from that damn cliff.

Ease back on the port thruster.

Easin' back on the port thruster.

I think she's clear.

Neptune to Triton. Neptune to Triton. Come in, please.

Neptune to Triton. Neptune.

Oh, come on, fellas. Get off the line, will ya!

- Doggone fish. - Repeat?

- Leah! - Will you repeat?

- Is that you, Mack? - Yeah, this is Mack.

- We're doin' just fine. - Excuse me.

Commander Blake.

Blake here.

350 meters. Surveying slope. Over.

Dr. Andrews expects more aftershocks, Some Severe.

Strongly recommend you surface. Over.

Repeat: Suggest you abort the dive. Over.

Negative. We've just gone through a river of sand.

Avoiding cliffs and danger spots.

I'm continuing the dive.

Thanks, Skipper.

No gung ho gesture intended, gentlemen.

I wanna find what I came for.

But if this dive gets any stickier...

I'll abort it fast.

You can count on it.

Huh.

Hey, Skipper, can you hold it here? I think I picked up something.

Come here, will ya?

Hold it on 1 -5-3.

- I'm gonna go out and take a look. - Right.

It's metal, all right.

It's below us and maybe a little to port, Mack.

Okay.

We're locked on it.

- See him? - Yeah, I see him.

Damn ocean's a junkyard.

Triton, this is Neptune.

- Do you hear me? - Go ahead, Neptune. Yes, we hear you.

We are discontinuing our search.

Received your message.

We'll try again tomorrow.

Shouldn't take no more than 10, 12 hours to recharge our batteries.

Negative. All we can do now is go deeper.

How do you think we would have stood up under that sand avalanche...

with another 500 feet of water on top of us?

Yeah, but that was in that narrow canyon.

- The farther out we go in the trench- - The less there is to see.

Unless you look straight down.

And I'm afraid that's just where the Ocean Lab is.

And if it's that far down, it's imploded.

I'm sorry, gentlemen.

That's it.

Triton, this is Neptune. Stand by. We have extremely low battery voltage.

What time do you estimate breaking surface?

We're on auxiliary batteries now.

Estimate surfacing-

Thirty-three minutes, sir.

- Thirty-three minutes. - Hold it down!

Listen to that!

An echo, Mr. MacKay. Inversion layer.

No. Not on this wavelength, Commander. And not on a keel-fixed transponder.

I am familiar with the equipment, Mr. MacKay. I supervised its installation.

Well, good. Then I can talk in shorthand. We're going up, right?

- Right. - Inversion layers are fixed.

Listen to that. There is no Doppler effect.

Triton, this is Neptune.

I am halting the ascent for further investigation. Will advise.

In view of your power situation, suggest you-

Will advise.

It's something.

I don't know. It's awfully weak.

There are six sets of conditions that could create that sound...

all of them natural, not man-made.

Yeah, but you heard it too, Commander.

Mack, take a look down here!

Those imprints in the sand- by the sea growth. Do you see them?

Bring it around to port a little, will ya?

There it is coming up here now. Look at the imprints in the sand.

We had an earthquake, Mr. MacKay.

Yeah, but it could've been made by the Ocean Lab.

I am running out of time and power and patience.

Now we are resuming our ascent.

Pictures then!

I'll circle once and then surface. You better take 'em on the run, mister.

Activate that.

There. There. Now, those markings could've been made by the Ocean Lab.

If the lab slid by that area...

it would have left far more disturbance than that.

Look there.

Flora not found at that depth.

I believe it's a species of Macrocystis...

we were cultivating at the Ocean lab site.

I believe you're right, Leah.

There's no other way that specimen could get there...

unless the Ocean Lab dragged it.

Now take a good look at that rock wall. Vertical.

And what do you think would happen if we close on that wall...

during another aftershock?

We've got friends down there. Any risk is worthwhile, and we're running out of time.

Panic and time are inseparables, Doctor.

Now why don't you try Looking at this situation...

with a scientific detachment?

Doctor.

I don't mean to be unkind.

Uh, you are involved with Dr. Hamilton, is that correct?

Yes, Commander, that is correct.

And so much for your scientific detachment.

There is a way of going down that would, uh...

lessen the danger, if you'll agree.

You could dive tethered using the bridle and cable.

Aw, tethered- like a dog on a leash.

It would cut way down on our range.

Well, you can see a long way through those ports. It's better than nothing.

You wanted insurance. Now you've got it.

There's plenty of cable. The equipment's good, so there's no problem.

All right. To the end of the cable.

But I want someone on board who can make an accurate, scientific evaluation...

of that damn piece of seaweed.

Dr.Jansen is the authority in that field.

I would have bet on it.

All right, hand me up the tether hook.

Okay.

Tether attached. Hoist away.

Neptune to Triton.

We have nothing on the bottom or the side scanners, Dr. Andrews. Over.

Understand your search is negative. Over.

I heard it again. Did you hear that, Dr. Andrews?

You probably picked up the thin beam of a scattered sound.

No, it's the pinger. I'm sure.

Well, what about the visual? The-The bottom? The displaced growth?

Not a thing. Nothing yet.

Leah, take a look at this.

Now, that growth right down there- You see it?

I can't tell from here. Let's move closer.

Oh, no. We're at the end of our cable now.

Isn't there anyway to get in so I can get a better look?

And if you did make a positive identification, what would that prove?

That somebody passed this area on the way down.

Down is a hell of a long way.

You're quitting.

We made an agreement. We struck out.

Get your hands away from there!

- Take the controls. - Got it.

Main power port. Main power starboard.

- Full starboard thruster. - Full starboard thruster.

- Flooding the port ballast tank. - Bottom pressure's okay.

- Full port thruster. - Full port thruster.

Flooding the main starboard ballast tank.

Comin' in on an even keel.

Port and starboard thrusters full.

Reduce speed to dead slow.

Reducing speed to dead slow.

Maintain course.

Do you know what you did, lady? You know what the pressure is at this depth?

And do you know what could have happened if we'd gone deeper?

We would have been crushed like an egg!

Oh, come on, Skipper. We're loose now.

The hell with playing it safe.

Okay. We're in this together.

But I want you all to remember:

I anyone of us goofs, we have had it.

Understood?

Neptune to Triton. I have released the cable.

I'm investigating further.

- Coffee, Skipper? - No, thanks.

- Mack? - Oh, thanks, Bob.

- No, thanks. - Dr.Jansen?

Yes?

Is this close enough for you?

It's Macrocystis. I'm certain.

Look at that. That Ocean Lab must have gone down into that fissure.

I think we better go down and have a look...

before that seawall winds up in our lap.

Hey, look! Those yellow marks.

Then they did come this way.

Three-second pulse.

Very narrow band.

I'm sure it's the pinger.

Hey, hey, look at that!

Take a look at this coming up.

You see that? Broken right off at the top.

Hovering.

Mack, get over here.

- What's the matter? - Help me out with these controls.

Hey. We're caught in a current.

I never felt one at this depth before.

We'll put her at full ahead.

I'm at full ahead.

Hey, hey, Skipper! Watch it! We're gonna hit!

Check for damage.

Pressure's holding.

- Check the lock-out chamber. - They're still not answering.

Lock-out chamber's okay.

I think we're coming out of it.

Just like that.

Yep. Just like that.

Hey, Skipper, swing it around the port a little, will you?

Incredible.

Listen.

That's a ping, all right. And it's on automatic.

But where the hell are they?

In all my days of diving, I've never seen anything like this.

Look at the size of this stuff.

The light is iridescent.

At this depth, that's phenomenal.

Circle until we find that sound again.

This is fantastic.

It's coming in again.

E.D.O. is only 1 -5-O-7-5.

Why, hell, that puts them Less than 300 meters away from us.

Anything on the bottom scanner?

- Bottom scanner's negative. - What about sonar?

Variable.

Nothing.

Not a trace.

- They've only got about two hours' life support left. - Maybe less.

Not much hope.

What's the outside temperature?

That's strange. The deeper we go, the hotter it's getting.

You know, there could be some volcanic activity deep down.

Hmm. Maybe that explains the size of that stuff out there.

But where is that lab?

What's that sound?

- Dr.Jansen. - Holding.

You know what they are?

Yes. They're all familiar.

But they're huge.

Well, they look harmless enough.

- Let's keep going, Mack. - Right, Skipper.

Cousins, you better get yourself something to eat.

Depth-3-O-7 meters.

And those jawfish!

The ones I've seen have only been two inches long. Look at them!

There's something we ought to be thinking about.

When are we gonna be willing to call it quits?

We got 90 minutes' battery power left.

We're gonna need half of that to get to the surface.

Let's go the limit.

Okay.

- Hold it right here. - Holding.

Magnetic reading. Metal object right below us.

You wanna take over, Skipper? I'll go out and take a look-see.

- Careful. - Right.

I've got it too. And it's close.

Mack. Watch yourself. There's some big game out there.

Just keep that hatch close.

Any sign of him?

Nothin'.

Man! Did you see that?

What, Mack?

Never mind. Hey, Bob.

This piece is definitely off the Ocean Lab.

Looks like a piece offering off an outside locker.

We're getting out of here. Man your stations.

- Anything? - No, sir.

Oh.

Are you sure you know how to work that bloody thing?

Yes, sir.

I'm sorry, lad. Sorry.

Damn it.

According to my figures...

they've just run out of life support in the Ocean Lab.

Ooh, I pray to God I'm wrong.

- Get out of here, boy. - Hold on.

Give it all you got.

Full thruster.

Listen to that thing.

- Trigger fish. - Where?

I never knew one of those things to be friendly.

We better play dead.

- There he is. - Stay away from that port.

- Get over! Get over! - Don't move.

Stay away, boy. Stay away.

- Get out of here. Go on. - Shh.

Think we should move on?

No, no, no, no. Don't move it.

He'll ram us for sure.

Son of a gun.

- He's coming at us again! - Hold on!

Cousins, get over here. Mack, emergency power.

Right.

No power, no control, nothing!

Let's hope she settles on an even keel.

Mack, give me a hand here.

- What's that noise? - Catfish. We're in a school of' em.

Well, it's still hot.

We're approaching the bottom.

Ah, you rascal!

Let's try this.

Now try it.

Nothin'.

Look.

- Hey. - Yeah?

- Looks like the voltage regulator's gone. - It's one of the ICs.

- Got a spare? - Component box.

He's pushing us.

Hey.

All right, try it now, Mack.

Stand by.

Cousins, I'll take over.

We're goin' over!

No sign of the pinger.

We have 15 percent power left.

I'm sorry, but we have to surface.

Let's take her upstairs.

Listen.

That's got to be close.

Let's go get 'em.

It's in the Ocean Lab.

It has to be.

I hope so too.

There it is! Over to port!

Oh, my God.

No sign of anyone.

The hatches have blown. Maybe they're using their reserve tanks.

Can't we circle the area?

We sure can.

There they are-1 :00.

They're alive.

Those eels-They've got 'em trapped.

Maybe we can draw 'em off.

Cousins.

They're low on air. Hamilton and Bradley are buddy breathing.

Moulton's drawing the eels off.

He's trying to help the others get away.

God! The eels! They're attacking Moulton!

Cousins, we've got two of them-

Bradley and Hamilton.

That's great, Skipper.

- Let's take her upstairs. - Yes, sir.