Original subtitles

[buzzer buzzing]

[electricity crackling]

[electricity crackling]

[whizzing and crackling]

All right, Cotter, that should do it.

We've proved our point.

Cotter, can you hear me?

Loud and clear, General.

What the hell are you doing?

Transformer needs a little tweaking,

as long as I'm up here.

[electricity crackling]

[bursting and crackling]

Mother of God!

There.

He's out of his mind.

Not his mind, Colonel.

[whizzing and crackling]

-[applause] -Thank you.

[General] That was a hell of an exhibition you put on out there, Cotter.

You really had us going. How do you feel?

Like I could go out there and do it again.

[General] That won't be necessary. You passed that test

with flying colors and then some.

We're ready for the transfer.

Looks like we're all set.

See you on the other side.

[Greg] Beginning transfer sequence,

Code alpha-0019.

[machine whirring]

[mechanical whirring intensifies]

[soft beeping]

[whirring slows down]

Somebody get me out of this contraption.

I'm starving.

All clear.

[theme music playing]

[Control Voice] There is nothing wrong with your television.

Do not attempt to adjust the picture.

We are now controlling the transmission.

We control the horizontal and the vertical.

We can deluge you with a thousand channels

or expand one single image to crystal clarity

and beyond.

We can shape your vision

to anything our imagination can conceive.

For the next hour,

we will control all that you see and hear.

You are about to experience the awe and mystery

which reaches from the deepest inner mind

to The Outer Limits.

Since our earliest beginnings,

we have always believed in some form of transcendence.

But when we finally discover

how to transcend our own biological bodies,

what exactly will we gain?

And what will we leave behind?

Hey, Greg. How am I doing?

You're one magnificent creature. [chuckles]

Well, that goes without saying.

What I meant was how's my alter ego here doing?

Remarkably well,

uh, you're considering what it's been through.

Our friend here managed

to deflect 50 kilowatts of electricity

up on that tower today.

You know what that would do to a normal human body?

Yeah, toast it as a marshmallow.

Look at this.

Hardly a mark on him.

That's pretty amazing. We've shot it, we froze it,

we cooked it, we tried to electrocute it to death,

and it takes a licking, it keeps on ticking.

Imagine a whole army of these things.

We've done more than imagine it.

With next generation commando group,

[chuckles] a platoon of these beauties

you could get through the most hostile enemy environment.

Totally unscathed. Nuclear, biological,

chemical, you name it. [inhales loudly]

I won't pretend I'm not pleased with our success,

with your success, Cotter.

Yeah, that's right. It's not the machine, it's the driver.

I say doc, now that we're done patting each other on the back,

-can we talk about our one little glitch. -Mmm-hmm?

I'm halfway up that tower, and the servo-valve

in the left knee actuator malfunctions again.

I thought you fixed that.

I did fix it.

Mmm-hmm.

That look like an XT433 sub-routine to you?

It sure does.

No, but, it... It can't be.

The XT433 was replaced by the XT434,

or at least it should have been.

Oh, I'd hate to be on the field up to my ass in alligators

-and come up with a bum leg. -[Greg] I don't understand.

I... I was sure I inputted

the new sub-routine into the system.

[sighs in exasperation] It must have slipped past me somehow.

That's what 36 hours without sleep does to a man.

Come on, Pete, let's leave the good doctor alone with his guilt.

Thanks.

[computer beeping]

[dog barking]

[romantic classical music playing]

Cotter, dinner's ready.

[Cotter] Yeah, I'll be right there.

What's all this?

What does it look like?

I thought we could have dinner by candlelight.

A little romance never hurt anybody.

So what else do you have planned this evening?

Why, Captain McCoy, I can assure you

that my intentions are strictly dishonorable.

-Lucky for me. -[Sally chuckles]

So did you miss me?

Terribly.

Did you miss me?

I couldn't think of anything else.

Liar.

What? Me? A liar? Come on.

[chuckles] That's okay. I love you anyway.

Not as much as I love you.

[Sally smirks]

Mmm.

God, I am ravenous.

Oh, sorry. Dinner first.

Fine.

You outdid yourself as usual.

Something wrong, hon?

No, not really.

All right, don't give me that.

Spit it out.

Okay, what did you do today?

-Sally-- -I know. I'm not supposed to ask.

So how's your steak? Done just the way you like it?

Mmm, really tasty.

Sally, I know that the last couple of months

-have been hard on you. -[Sally scoffs]

Hard on me?

Cotter, I don't know if I've married man or a rumor.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.

I know how important this work is to you.

Not just to me.

I mean, what I'm doing is making the world

a better place, a safer place.

That sounds kind of corny, doesn't it?

No, it doesn't sound corny.

And I'm doing this for us too.

All right. This is high profile.

This is gonna get me out of the trenches and into the spotlight.

I mean, you would not believe

some of the brass involved with this.

I'm sure, sweetie.

If I didn't love you so much,

this separation wouldn't be so awful.

Alright, listen, we're entering the final phase of testing.

It's just going to be couple of more weeks at most.

All right, when we're finished, we'll go grab that R and R I've been promising,

you know, a bungalow on the beach, just the two of us.

I'm not worried about a vacation, sweetie.

I'm worried about you.

I have never been more happy in my entire life.

That's exactly what scares me, Cotter.

I know you. You're never happier

than when you're living on the edge.

So, whatever it is you're doing, I'm sure risk is involved.

Honey, there's risk involved in getting out of bed in the morning.

Come on.

I'm okay, really.

[panting]

Sally.

Hi, Pete. You startled me.

Yeah, I have that effect on women.

That bum of a husband of yours around?

Yeah, we just finished breakfast. He'll be right out.

Sorry to keep running off

with him like this.

Don't say it if you don't mean it, Pete.

You think I enjoy separating you lovebirds?

Take care of him for me, will you?

Take care of yourself too. I'd hate to lose either one of you--

Sally, this is nothing but a series of training exercises.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Now, well, you say that like

no soldier's ever been hurt in a training exercise.

Don't worry. He'll be fine.

Hey, take your hands off my wife.

I don't know, if I'd seen her first--

Well, you didn't.

I, uh, I'll be in the car.

-Bye, Sally. -Bye, Pete.

-Oh, come on. -No, it's okay.

I knew what I was getting into when I married you.

-Did you? -No...

But you were damn handsome in that uniform.

Okay, take care of yourself.

I will. You too.

I'll see you in a couple of days.

It's weird Greg, every time we finish

one of these long exercises,

You're always in such a hurry to get me out of Cotter

number two and back into my own body.

I mean, what is the margin exactly?

We don't like to keep you in there any longer than we have.

But how long can your mind

safely reside in the android's brain?

Let's just say it's not a limit I'm anxious to test.

Any particular reason?

You are full of questions today.

You expect me to have my higher brain functions deleted

on a regular basis without knowing everything you do? Ah...

[Greg laughs]

Ah, look, we're getting these glitches

straightened out, I promise.

-General. -Well, Cotter,

you ready for these last round of tests?

Yeah, zap me over there, and turn me loose.

I flew down to Washington last night.

I gotta tell you the President is positively ecstatic

over the progress we've been making here.

He sends his regards and he wants me to

tell you that you're in line for one hell of a promotion.

[Pete] Just don't expect me to start

saluting and calling you sir.

We're ready, gentlemen. Let's rock and roll.

[lock beeping]

[machine whirring]

You all set, Cotter?

Yeah, all set.

Last chance to abort.

What, you're kidding? I'm starting to get used to this.

Let her rip.

[Greg] Beginning transfer sequence,

Code alpha-0019.

[mechanical whirring]

[whirring intensifies]

[alarm ringing]

[whirring slows down]

[sighs]

[electrical buzzing and crackling]

[explosion]

[General] What's happening?

[Greg] The circuits are overloading.

-[inaudible voices] -Well, do something.

-[Greg] I'm trying. -[blasting]

-[inaudible voice echoing] -What's happening?

I don't know...uh...

[inaudible voice]

[crackling and whizzing]

[screams] Turn it off! Open the door!

I can't! I can't!

[Greg] Indications of major thermal trauma...

Several full thickness

or third degree burns of the epidermal layer.

Each of these burns appears to have a central charred zone

and a peripheral grey-white zone necrosis.

Tissue samples.

-Get out of my way. -Stand back, sir.

That's me, they're working on me in there.

You'd better get in there and try and calm him down.

Let me in, Pete.

I can't.

That's my body in there, Pete.

I have a right to see what's going on.

You're not a doctor, whatever's happening in there, there's nothing you can do.

How could this happen, Pete? How?

I don't know, Cotter.

Olander said all systems were going.

It must have been a freak malfunction

of some sort.

It's over, isn't it?

-[beeping] -[door opens]

Leave us, gentlemen.

Tell me.

Cotter, your body suffered extensive tissue degeneration.

We won't know the full extent

of the damage till after the autopsy.

This can't be happening.

It can't be.

Do something!

You have to bring me back!

Do you hear? Bring me back!

We can't, Cotter. No one... can.

I'm sorry.

I'd like to think this was an accident.

-Either that or... -Or what?

As much as we've tried to keep the screws tightened down

during this project, it is possible that someone

may have slipped in, committed an act of sabotage.

We know of at least two other

military android programs under development

in, shall we say, less than friendly countries.

The first coalition to put android soldiers

onto the battlefield will have a decided advantage over their opponents.

Are you suggesting that someone did this deliberately?

I'm not suggesting anything.

I'm just pointing out some options we should consider

during the course of our investigation.

I insist on being a part of that investigation, sir.

Don't even think about cutting me out of this one.

If somebody did kill me,

I want to be there when we find out who.

It's what I was afraid of.

The electric current passed into the brain itself.

There are lesions and burnt tissue all they way down

to the corpus callosum into the cerebellum.

Even if I could have gotten started your heart again,

it wouldn't have done any good.

I'm sorry, Cotter.

What am I going to tell Sally?

How am I going to break it to her that her husband,

the man that she loves, is dead?

But that his mind is still alive inside a machine?

Cotter...

Your hand.

The interface between your mind

and your android body is starting to break down.

Your android brain operates

on the same principles as a human brain.

The synapses in the small section

of what is essentially your motor cortex

-are either misfiring or not firing at all. -What's causing it?

We don't know.

What makes you so sure it's a total breakdown?

How do you know it's not an isolated incident?

He's right.

Look at my hand, it's fine now.

You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?

During our initial phase of testing

with other primate subjects, the same degradation occurred.

Meaning your android apes had this problem?

Yes.

We think the stress you suffered since the accident this morning

has speeded up the degradation.

How much time do I have?

Twelve hours at the outside.

Twelve hours?

And then what? My whole damn body starts twitching?

The pattern of decay varies,

but the end is all the same.

You'll gradually, maybe not so gradually,

lose control over your extremities,

and then ultimately you'll be unable to speak

or move or perform any other function.

Damn you, Greg.

You knew about this, and you didn't tell me.

You knew there were risks when you volunteered for this project.

Things were going so well,

I didn't think about the risks anymore.

Sally knew, Pete.

She didn't know the details, but she knew it was dangerous.

I have to see her, tell her what's happened.

I'm not sure that's not a good idea, Captain.

How would you break it to her, Cotter?

What would she think, seeing you like this?

There are tests we can run, Cotter.

Working together, we might be able to slow the degradation.

If you don't know how to stop it by now,

you won't figure it out in the next 12 hours.

General, I request permission to go home and see my wife.

I'm sorry, Captain.

Let me get this straight.

Are you saying I'm a prisoner?

Cotter.

-Follow my instructions, and no one will get hurt. -Cotter.

Put the dam gun down. You don't know what you're doing.

Never argue with a man who has nothing to lose, Pete.

In there.

We can't have a $2-billion weapon system

running around on the loose doing whatever it wants.

Since we're out of here, I must return to Washington

and brief the President and the NSC.

That leaves Colonel Butler in charge.

Colonel, you have express orders

to either recapture Captain McCoy

or terminate him by any means necessary.

With all due respect, General,

as long as that android's alive, so are Cotter's chances.

I believe I can get him listen to reason.

Right now, he's an errant missile, if you won't take the necessary action,

-I'll find someone who will. -[door beeps]

[doorbell ringing]

Somebody there?

[whispers] Sally.

Who is it?

Where are you?

It's me, Sally.

It's Cotter.

Cotter, what are you doing?

Turn off the porch light.

Why?

Just do it, please.

Cotter?

You're scaring me.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to.

Why are you hiding from me?

Is everything all right?

For the moment.

Well, this is silly. Come inside, honey.

I...I can't stay.

I just had to see you.

-Come up onto the porch. -No, stay there.

Are you all right? I can call a doctor.

[twitching] No.

Damn it.

Cotter, what is it?

What have they done to you?

Cotter?

I know it sounds incredible.

I'm the first human prototype.

The first human to be downloaded into the prototype

to be more precise.

Why?

It was an experiment,

to fuse the electrical field that made up my mind,

maybe even my soul

into a synthetic body.

Oh, this can't be.

This is just...

Look at me, Sally.

I'm trapped inside this damn machine.

I didn't want you to see me like this.

There was an accident at the lab.

This is all that's left of me.

[doorknob rattling]

I have to get out of here.

What, why? Well, I'm going with you then.

-No, it's too dangerous. -No, don't argue with me, not now.

[man screaming]

-Hold it right there, Captain! -[Sally screams]

Cease fire, damn it! Cease fire!

You two go!

Let's go!

[engine revving]

[Pete] Watch the girl! Watch the girl!

Hold your fire! Hold your fire!

[intercom] Dr. Olander, you have a call on line three.

This is Dr. Olander.

[Cotter] Nice place you have here, Greg.

[whispers] Cotter, is that you?

I just met your father.

I didn't know he was in town. You never tell me these things.

What are you doing in my house? What do you want?

I want you here...

Alone.

And you better make it fast.

Isn't there something that we can do?

Maybe Olander's figured something out.

We'll know soon enough.

What have you done with my father?

He wanted to lie down.

He's fine. He's asleep.

[Cotter] He's old.

Even so, he's going to live

a hell of a lot longer than I'm going to.

Talk to me, Greg.

Tell me what went wrong.

You must have some idea,

Some theory, some possible scenarios.

I don't. There hasn't been enough time.

I'm losing motor control.

The convulsions are more frequent now.

I need your help,

and I'm going to get it one way or the other.

There's nothing I can do for you, Cotter. I'm sorry.

Cotter, don't.

Stay out of this, Sally.

This is between me

and the monster who turned me into this!

I'm on your side, Cotter.

Don't you see that?

[stutters] My heart and soul are in this project.

Why would I do anything to sabotage it?

Somebody did sabotage it, didn't they?

I-- I don't know. I don't, Cotter, please.

-Please, Cotter. -Cotter, Cotter, stop it!

[grunting]

Christ, all right. I...

I'll tell you what I know.

[panting]

The accident was caused by a missing feedback suppressor.

Somebody removed it

just before the last transfer.

Who?

I don't know.

But you have...an idea.

[sighing]

I-- I discovered an anomalous pattern

in the software logs.

It appears that someone removed the disk

with the operating code

and replaced it with

an earlier generation of the program.

One of your technicians?

No, not possible.

They're not allowed into the transfer room

when we're not working. Plus their work's compartmentalized.

They don't have access to the entire operating system.

Only four people have unlimited access

to the program on disk.

You, me, General Chase...

and Pete.

But...

No, it can't be Pete, Cotter.

Why not?

He's been feeling passed over

ever since we started with me for the first downloading.

He even pushed for a parallel program

and volunteered to be next in line.

Maybe he couldn't wait.

But why? Why would he do it?

I thought of trying to find a suitable donor.

A donor?

You can put my mind into another man's body? Can you do that?

Theoretically.

Where we'd ever find such a donor,

one that would pass all the compatibility requirements...

There just isn't time.

Then think of something else.

Well, there is one other option,

-but it's really a long shot. -I don't have many options.

I don't know if this would work.

Even if it does work it'll only be temporary solution.

What? What is it?

It may be possible

to slow down the degradation process by using the MEG.

MEG? What is that?

The magneto- electro-encephlograph

to incrementally realign the spin axes

of the neural array.

That might give us the time we need.

Just one problem, we can only try this back at the lab.

The whole research center is crawling with commandos.

General Chase's given out orders

that you're to be terminated on sight.

Well, there's just gotta be another way in.

There is.

There you go.

Unauthorized visitors are not permitted to enter.

Well, this is Cotter McCoy's wife.

[Sally] I was taken against my will,

But I was able to get away and I called Dr. Olander here.

Listen.

Okay, my husband is no longer my husband.

He's crazy, out of control, and he's got to be stopped.

She may be our best chance of finding him.

I'm sorry, but I have my orders.

Look, you idiot, I am the lead scientist

for a top classified project. And this is an emergency.

Now, if you want to explain

to General Chase why you were playing tin soldier

while a $2-billion piece of technology got destroyed,

Be my guest, and good luck with

your new career as a dishwasher!

Thank you.

[strained screaming] No.

Not yet.

[grunting softly]

[metal clanging]

I'll start preparing the scanner beep.

Tell me the truth, Greg.

Do you really think this is going to work?

I don't know. I've never tried it before.

[twitching]

[softly] Please.

Please.

Cotter!

Are you all right?

I'm all right, [breathing heavily]

But I... don't think I have much time left.

That's okay, we're ready. Let's get you into the chamber.

[computer beeping]

Don't worry.

He'll find a way to get you back.

And when he does,

I'll be here waiting for you.

[computer beeping]

[Sally] Pete.

[Greg] He's gone through the transfer.

What do you think of the new look, Cotter?

[choking]

Be honest.

Is it really me?

What's wrong, Cotter?

Don't you recognize your old buddy, Pete?

Guess, you didn't know that Greg and his minions

built a second prototype, a back-up,

in case you failed.

Let him go.

There'll be plenty of time

-to deal with you later... -[Greg screams]

...as soon as I take care of my friend here.

It was jealousy, wasn't it?

Don't flatter yourself.

That's why you arranged to kill me.

You were in the way.

We were friends, Pete!

We'd been through everything together.

With you always in the lead.

Whenever we were up to the same assignments,

same promotions, they always went to you.

You learned how to play the game better.

As long as you were around, I'd be second best.

You're the one who's been stealing the operating codes.

I knew someone would start sniffing it out.

How is that bum knee, Cotter?

[Cotter] You betrayed your best friend.

This was not about friendship.

This was about all those years of being ignored.

They can't ignore me anymore,

can they, good buddy?

Give it up, Cotter.

Your mind-body link's nearing termination.

Your convulsions are getting worse.

[screaming and grunting]

[grunting]

[both grunting]

[gasps]

[Pete grunting]

Cotter!

Code alpha, The red key.

[grunting]

-[computer beeping] -[machine whirring]

[warning alarm ringing]

[whirring intensifies]

[whirring slows down]

Cotter! Cotter!

You did it...

[stutters] Sally.

You did it.

No, Cotter, no.

I...

Love...

You.

[buzzer beeping]

[Sally]Thank you, Murray.

Your husband was a true hero, Mrs. McCoy.

The army owes him a great debt.

Thank you, General.

I'm terribly sorry about Cotter, Mrs. McCoy.

Thank you, Doctor.

If anyone understands, it would be you.

How are you holding up?

I'm getting by, I guess.

Pete here has been a great comfort to me.

Yes, I imagine he has been at that.

I love you.

Let's go home, Cotter.

[engine starting]

[Control voice] A great philosopher once said,

"The endeavor to persist in its own being

is the essence of the individual thing."

But when the day comes

that the mind and body can be separated,

what will happen to the soul?