Original subtitles

FLIGHT COM: It looks good at NASA One.

B-52 >PILOT: Roger.

BCS Arm switch is on.

FLIGHT COM: Okay, Victor.

B-52 PILOT: Landing Rocket Arm switch is on. Here comes the throttle.

Circuit breakers in.

STEVE: We have separation.

B-52 PILOT: Inboard and outboards are on.

I'm comin' forward with the side stick.

FLIGHT COM: Looks good.

PILOT: Ah, Roger.

STEVE: I've got a blowout in damper three.

SR-71 PILOT: Get your pitch to zero.

STEVE: Pitch is out. I can't hold altitude!

B-52 PILOT: Correction. Alpha Hold is oil“. Threat selector is emergency.

STEVE: Flight Com. I can't hold it! She's breaking up! She's breaking...

ANNOUNCER: Steve Austin. Astronaut.

A man barely alive.

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.

We have the technology.

We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man.

Steve Austin will be that man.

Better than he was before.

Better, stronger, faster.

(MAIN TITLE THEME)

LEITH: This asteroid is not any more productive than any of the others.

It's useless.

There's no dilanthium here.

Doctor, our sensors show that there is dilanthium here!

Now I know you wanted to continue mining the moon...

but you found nothing.

It's there. Unlimited clean energy.

You think.

But O.S.I. knows the asteroids contain dilanthium.

That's why they sent us here.

Then where is it?

Well, if not here, there's thousands of other asteroids to choose from.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Dr. Leith!

Isn't that dilanthium?

In microgram amounts.

Certainly not worth mining.

It would hardly meet the world's critical demand for a practical supply.

But it is dilanthium.

It's useless.

I'm writing this entire expedition off as an exercise in futility!

But you can't do that. We did find dilanthium.

You're assigned to pilot the craft to this asteroid, nothing more and nothing less!

I know that.

But the mission is not a failure.

When the day comes that you hold a Nobel Prize in astrogeology...

you may make the decisions.

Until then, you are merely an accomplished astronaut and the decisions are mine.

But you're wrong about this.

We are finished here, Colonel. We're returning to Earth.

And that is an order.

Welcome back. Did you have a good trip?

Fine.

How about you, Doctor?

I was never was optimistic about mining asteroids.

But we did find what we went after.

I'm still convinced the moon is a potentially richer source of dilanthium.

Well, come on, the lab should have a preliminary report by now...

on the samples you brought back.

And Bess Fowler is heading up the analysis team.

That should please you.

Yes.

Been a while since you've seen her?

Couple of months.

Well, she's looking forward to it.

The sample from Asteroid L 123 yielded 5.7 milligrams.

The breccia sample from S 432, 8.3 milligrams.

That sounds right in the ballpark, Bess.

Hello, Rudy. Hi.

Steve! Hi.

I watched your reentry.

You set it down almost on top of the carrier.

Well, I hate long waits for pickup.

Hello, Dr. Leith.

Do you have the analysis?

Yes, the ore is low-grade and the sample yield varies considerably...

but the dilanthium's in pure form.

Well, that proves asteroid mining can be economically sound.

May I see the slide, please?

Of course.

Steve, can I see you in the lab?

Yeah, I'll be right there.

So how about a little dinner later?

I'd love to. Good.

Oh, Steve? What time?

Are you okay?

Oh yeah, I guess I've been in space a little too long.

I'll call you when I get through with Rudy.

Okay.

Well, I just don't know how normal humans put up with earth gravity.

I mean, I can hardly raise my feet off the floor.

We discussed that before I adjusted you.

I know. It was a mistake.

Look, if I hadn't toned down your bionics to handle zero gravity on the asteroids...

you could have forgotten your strength.

You'd have taken one leap and launched yourself into space.

Next time just trust me to remember, okay?

Okay. Now just get me back to normal.

Try that.

All right. Sit down.

We'll have to fix that.

Doctor.

Oh, Ted.

You're looking fit, Eric....

Feeling fit, Doctor.

I always prefer a public place for private conversations.

Less claustrophobic than a room with drawn curtains.

You've heard the plan?

You'll pilot the mission?

Well, that sounds a little dangerous.

It's five million dollars, Eric.

How many people would know about this?

Just the three of us.

Ted says it could cost a lot of lives.

Ted has a tendency to overreact.

He can fantasize.

But it is true, about it costing a lot of lives?

Possibly.

But then, you wouldn't earn five million dollars if it were an ordinary mission.

The question is: how much do you want that money?

A lot.

Go, Steve!

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

That's it!

You could of drop-kicked a field goal from a thousand yards.

Try your right arm again.

Ah...

What's the matter, Steve? Is something wrong?

No.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(PHONE BUZZES)

Yes?

WOMAN: Frank Tracey is here, Dr. Wells.

Send him in. Yes, sir.

Hey, Frank! How you doin'?

How are you? Good to see you.

Good to see you.

Hey, Frank! Hello, Steve!

I thought you were working in Hawaii.

Well, I was, until Oscar pulled me back to Washington and took away my sun tan.

What, a promotion?

Yeah, word is Oscar got kicked up a couple of top secret notches.

However, he's dropped this whole asteroid mining enchilada right in my lap.

So I'm afraid you're stuck with me whether you like it or not.

Now, Kennedy's getting a bird ready to fly you and the mining party back.

I've already spoken with Leith about heading the group.

Wait a minute. Why Leith?

He objected to asteroid mining from the time we took off until we splashed down.

Best qualified for the job, he's agreed to go.

I don't like the idea.

STEVE: It just doesn't feel right.

You don't like the idea? You don't like Leith?

Both.

Enough business, huh?

Who's gonna take me out to eat?

Sorry, but I made prior arrangements to check out a new analytical heat process.

But I'll take a rain check.

(SCREAMS)

Oh, did I wake you up?

What do you think?

Come on, lazy, I'm hungry.

All right.

I don't think the lobsters are ready.

I've been eating that space junk for a long time.

Now that I'm away from Dr. Leith, I think my appetite's coming back.

But let's not waste the day talking business.

All discussion henceforth will be limited to lobsters, wine or me.

Okay.

Hey.

The lobsters need turning.

Yeah, but I'm told that Texas doesn't allow Maine lobsters into their state...

unless they first pass a test that they do their own turning.

At least it's a little less frantic than our last dinner.

You were leaving that night for Japan, remember?

Your schedule made my whole beautiful dinner...

seem like a trip to a local one-arm diner.

Well, there's no reason to rush tonight.

Even less than you think...

since we're going to be spending the next few months together.

How come?

Dr. Leith invited me to join the mining team on the asteroid.

There's no lobster, no swimming pool...

but there are other compensations, right?

Maybe I can even bring along a bottle of this wine.

I think all we'll need is a romantic theme song.

Let's see, there's Moon Over Miami...

Moon In June, Moon Of Manakura.

Yeah, but we're going to an asteroid, not the moon.

Can I help it if song writers aren't alert to romantic opportunities?

How about My Heart Was Destroyed On A Small Asteroid?

That's terrible.

I know.

I'll try again.

FRANK: Well, Dr. Leith has picked his crew here.

He's asked for his son as Computer Systems Technician and Navigator.

Hal? Yeah.

Well, I don't mind Leith keeping it in the family.

He's young, but he's good and Bess has worked with him before.

Well, at least three-quarters of the team will be happy.

Well, that's what I want to talk to you about.

His pilot.

His pilot? Yeah.

Eric Muller?

Muller's a top pilot.

Look, there are a lot of top pilots, but I did the survey.

Steve, Leith picked him.

Well, just tell him it's my flight.

Bess assumes I was piloting.

I can't overrule the leader of an expedition.

No, you fly the support and supply mission.

Goes up midway through the project.

Now wait a minute. (PHONE BUZZES)

Yeah.

Mr. Tracey, Dr. Leith is here.

Send him in.

(DOOR OPENS)

Gentlemen.

Dr. Leith.

Doctor, I'd like you to reconsider your choice of pilot.

I don't want you on my crew.

But I know the area better than anyone else.

I can do very well without the temperament and personality problems that you pose.

You question my decisions.

I assume that I still have the authority to select my own crew.

Yes, you do.

I've already explained to Steve he'll handle the support and supply mission.

That's fine.

This is your copy of the scientific material that I'm going to need.

It's been pared it down to an absolute minimum.

It'll have to be checked against the total weight figures.

Eric will go over that with you.

Thank you.

Well, it doesn't help much, but at least he was honest.

Well, what do you think?

It's all right, but fuel is gonna be the difficult thing to conceal.

Somebody's gonna notice that surplus.

Don't try to conceal it.

There are thousands of asteroids.

We may have to maneuver to every one of them.

Say I demand the capability for that.

What about Hal?

What about him?

You haven't told him the plan?

No.

And when he finds out?

Hal may have his head in the stars...

but I am his father.

As my son, he will do exactly as I say.

It's really the girl I'm concerned about.

She could be trouble.

She's close to Austin.

LEITH: Yes, well that's Ted's responsibility.

What am I supposed to do about the girl?

Not the girl, Austin.

He's been assigned to fly support during the mission.

He'd blow the whole plan!

LEITH: Yes, but you see, Ted is being cut in for a large amount of money.

And Ted is going to earn it.

He's going to see to it that Colonel Austin does not fly as scheduled.

Aren't you, Ted?

Look, when I agreed on joining you, I didn't plan on killing anyone myself.

Well, no one said anything about killing.

But accidents happen every day.

Don't they, Ted?

Step number one.

Now we have remote communications with Earth.

And now we set up step two?

Right.

There are these alternate bases on other asteroids just in case.

I've just had a call from Houston.

They've ordered us to abandon this project and go to the moon.

To the moon?

But that's already been tried.

HAL: Dad, you yourself, you sank a dozen sites.

On the light side of the moon...

but the dark side of the moon, the volcanic side...

LEITH: that's where the dilanthium is.

But that rock's too hard for anything but nuclear blasting.

Oh, we have the equipment, Hal.

But, Doctor, you must know the dangers of—-

There's no point in discussing it.

Frank Tracey at O.S.I. has given us our orders.

LEITH: Orders are orders.

Well, that's it, then.

ERIC: Stow all the gear as quickly as possible.

I'll begin our check.

Let's get moving.

I'm sorry.

Well, you convinced them.

Now, how do we get away with it?

By convincing Mission Control that we've never left here.

That antenna out there will pick up earth's signals...

and relay it to us wherever we are.

Their long distance call will simply be a little longer distance than they realize.

I've mapped it out from some photographs taken by the last lunar team...

as they made a pass at the dark side.

Now we come down and land over an opening into this section of cratered caves.

Eric?

No sweat. Can do.

We make the caves airtight and then pump in atmosphere from the lab.

What do you think, Hal?

That shouldn't be a problem setting up a connecting airlock.

We can come and go without having to suit up.

Bess?

Certainly will speed up our mining operations...

being able to function in a shirtsleeve environment both here and in the caves.

All right, the first thing we do after we land is set up the antenna.

Everybody into landing positions.

Eric, it's all yours, take it down.

CAPCOM: Houston, calling Pluto One.

Pluto One, do you read?

Pluto One, this is Houston. Come in, Pluto One.

Keep them occupied and down there.

LEITH: Houston, this is Pluto One.

This is Houston Control.

We are checking antenna alignment and communications.

Also wishing you a speedy return.

Thank you from all of us here.

Pluto One, out.

Excuse me, Doctor.

If that's Houston, I thought if Steve were there I would...

No, no, it was just the Houston controller...

and they were checking the alignment on our new antenna.

You'd better get your gear together.

They want us to start mining immediately.

Of course.

Which is Colonel Austin's plane?

I have some papers I don't want him to forget.

The Bonanza, sir. Third in line.

Thanks.

Hey, Frank.

I've been looking for you. Where's Rudy?

Rudy just took a commercial flight back to Washington about an hour ago.

I had to hang in here and try to make talk with these think-tank space brains.

Well, are you packed, ready to leave?

Yeah, what's up?

There's an erratic storm front moving in from the gulf.

I'd just as soon fly and get ahead of it.

All right. Can we pick up my gear on the way?

Yeah, sure.

O.S.I. Seven to National Control.

O.S.I. Seven, this is Nashville.

Hello, Nashville.

I'm bound for Washington.

I can't get on top of the storm.

My cockpit radar isn't much help.

Do you paint any clear spots between here and Washington?

I'd like to vector out of this turbulence.

Sony, all I can tell you is that you're not alone.

It's solid all over the Eastern Seaboard...

and from the reports we're getting from other stations...

it's happening all over the world.

What?

The rudder cable snapped.

She won't hold on aileron alone.

Give me your belt.

My what?

Come on, give me your belt!

I'm gonna try and control the rudder cable manually.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

This storm is incredible.

Steve, can you glide down through it or something?

I don't know.

But I have a chance if I can manage the rudder.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Washington Tower, O.S.I. Seven.

I'm on the glide scope but my instruments are erratic.

Do you have me on radar?

O.S.I. Seven, that's affirmative.

Our instruments are all over the place, too.

You should have the lights in sight in 30 seconds.

If not, use missed approach procedure, and good luck.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

Mic...

Washington Tower, O.S.I. Seven, I'm executing missed approach.

I will...

Cancel, I see the lights.

Throttle.

One more?

One more.

Okay, ease off.

Come on, baby, hold.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(TIRES SQUEAK)

Okay, ease a bit.

Mic.

Ground Control, this is O.S.I. Seven.

Congratulations.

You're the first plane down in an hour.

When you get through the water, take taxiway kilo 2-7 to the O.S.I. hangar.

O.S.I., Roger.

And thanks for the welcome.

Look, I'm sorry I had to call you back in on this, Oscar...

but whatever's happened to the weather is now becoming worldwide.

Any explanation from the meteorologists?

No. None.

There's a typhoon in Northern Japan.

There's a hurricane along the Eastern Seaboard.

There are tornadoes through the Midwest.

Australia reports tidal waves with massive destruction in Sydney Harbor.

Storms like those in both hemispheres at the same time?

Frank, what about some nation using weather as a weapon?

Every country that has the capability to modify weather...

they're in worse shape than we are.

(PHONE BUZZES)

Yes.

SECRETARY: Mr. Goldman, Dr. Tellman from Palomar University.

Put him on monitor one.

Am I on?

Mark, what's this all about?

Uh, we just had a report from Canberra Observatory...

about a perturbation in the moon's orbit, Oscar.

The figures are very inexact.

Our people here have computed a second perturbation...

and we've been trying to work out a theory.

The moon's orbit has actually changed?

Goldstone radar just confirmed that the moon is 18 kilometers closer...

to earth today than it was yesterday.

Does that mean the orbit's decaying?

Frankly, we don't know what it means.

But a change in the moon's orbit is probably what's causing earth 's weather.

What could shift the moon?

No idea.

But we're working on it.

Thank you, Mark. We'll keep in touch.

Thank you.

(THUNDER CRASHES)

There's no sign of any dilanthium in this batch...

and that last charge was the deepest blast.

It's there!

I know that it's there.

We'll have to go deeper.

(THUNDER BOOMING)

Steve, no let-up in the storms.

What would knock the orbit out? A massive meteorite?

Palomar has been running visual checks for new craters.

Yeah, on the front side of the moon.

But the dark side, faced away from Earth...

any reaction would have pushed the moon lower in orbit towards us.

They can't check that.

Well, what do we do?

We could prepare a satellite and send it up to take some infrared photos.

Rudy is checking on that possibility right now.

That'd take too long.

From the asteroids, Pluto One has a clear view of the back side of the moon.

And they carry a telescope.

Put me through to Houston, please.

Houston, Steve Austin, O.S.I.

Patch me through to Pluto One, please.

Houston Control calling Pluto One.

Pluto One, do you read?

Keep Hal and Bess down below and keep them busy.

Doing what?

Anything, start a fight, stand on your hands.

Only don't let them in here while I'm talking to Earth.

This is gettin' old.

Come in, Pluto One.

Pluto One.

Steve Austin, Doctor. We need your help.

Yes, Colonel, what I can do?

The weather system on earth has gone completely haywire...

apparently due to some extreme variation in the moon's orbit.

That's incredible.

We've no idea what's causing the problem and a visual search of the moon...

has come up empty.

We'd like you to scan the dark side from your position on the asteroid.

LEITH: Right away, yes.

Look for evidence of a recent massive meteor hit...

or some volcanic activity that might account for what's happening.

We'll get on it.

LEITH: I'll contact you as soon as we've had a look.

Pluto One, out.

O.S.I., out.

Doctor, is anything wrong?

Well, not that I know of. What do you mean?

Eric seems to be trying to keep me out of here.

What a strange idea. Why would he do that?

I don't know.

I think we're all getting a little tense, don't you?

Been cooped up here... a lot of pressures involved working in space.

You begin to imagine things.

I'm not imagining.

Well, perhaps not. No matter.

You're certainly always welcome, and if it happens again...

we will discuss it with Eric. Now, what can I do for you?

I've checked all the samples and there's no trace of dilanthium.

I'm afraid you've failed.

It's here.

We're just not deep enough. I'm going to 100 kilotons.

High yield nuclear explosives?

It's too dangerous.

I gave you the seismic readings on all the other explosives.

Bess, you are a brilliant analytical chemist, you are not an astrogeologist.

The last shot had more power than the upper safety limits...

put out by the International Nuclear Power Commission Report.

Now we can't risk it.

You've got to get approval from Earth.

I wouldn't dream of proceeding without authority.

All our figures have been verified by Earth.

You see, I'm not really a mad scientist bent on blowing up the moon.

Earth okayed the 100 kiloton blast?

I just said that, didn't I?

Would you have any objections to my contacting Houston...

and telling them of my concern?

I would have every objection.

LEITH: I don't mind your talking when you have some point to convey.

But now you seem to wish to infer that either I am lying...

or incapable of handling this mission.

LEITH: In either case, I won't have it!

I merely want to verify the figures on the blast reactions to date.

All figures have been verified.

And as long as I am leader of this group, I will issue orders and you will accept them.

LEITH: I will not have Earth given the impression...

that I'm incapable of handling an emotional female.

My being female has nothing to do with it!

You have a job to do.

It does not include pointless conversations with Earth.

LEITH: Now please get back to work.

When the supply and support mission arrives in six weeks...

you may, if you wish, return to Earth with them.

LEITH: I will arrange for your replacement.

I'd like you to do that.

Listen, I...

Sorry, she got by me.

Look, I warned you, we're gonna have to get rid of her.

After she's done what we need.

We have another problem.

What?

Ted's busted.

Well, you picked Ted.

He'll try again.

Oscar, I'm going to the dark side of the moon.

The what?

Leith is covering it. What are you going to find, Steve?

There's a limit to what Leith can see from the asteroid.

At one-sixth gravity, I can cover a lot of ground on the moon.

This time I'll go in at full bionic power.

Steve, I'm not sure it'll do any good.

Well, it's better than sitting here waiting.

The answer's got to be on the dark side.

I agree, but you have a problem.

The dark side is close to absolute zero.

RUDY: Your bionics don't function in extreme cold.

What about a miniature atomic heat module in the suit?

We have one, but we haven't had a chance to test it yet.

Let's call Houston, get Ted Harmon and have that space suit ready.

Let's give it a try, Frank.

How does it feel?

A little stiff, a little awkward. It'll be better in space.

Well, this is the standard heavy duty version.

The thinner two-skin one won't be ready until tomorrow.

I've had this one checked, though.

A computer study clears it to absolute zero.

Well, let's see what the computer knows.

Some moisture must have leaked into the chamber.

Door's frozen shut.

Let me try it.

No, we better have it pumped out first. The moisture might seal it again.

Well, I'll just have to reopen again anyway.

Come on, Rudy, we're wasting time.

All right.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(METAL CREAKING)

We're at minus 150 degrees Celsius.

How does it feel?

STEVE: Cozy.

Your thermal unit's fine.

Okay, we're gonna drop.

Minus 200 degrees Celsius.

RUDY: Minus 225 degrees Celsius.

Now how's it feel?

Just like being on the beach in Hawaii.

Warm surf.

STEVE: You ought to know about that.

All right, we're dropping.

We're going to 273 degrees Celsius.

The thermal unit's working like a charm.

It's condensation again.

I can't budge it, the door is iced up.

We gotta get him out of there right now...

the cold's gonna kill him in no time!

I'll get some help.

Come here.

Come on, lock out! Get out of the way! Get back!

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

You sure do make a fella worry.

Sorry about that.

I can't understand what happened to that space suit.

We'll find out, you can be sure of that.

Steve! Are you all right?

Yeah, I'm all right, Rudy?

Look, I want a complete investigation of exactly what happened...

to the space suit in there.

You got it.

Now we better get to the Bio-lab to warm up.

Look, I'll have plenty of time to warm up on the way to Kennedy.

I want to get to that bird and get to the moon.

What about the space suit?

I'll go with the double-skin model and hope for the best.

All right. The bird's ready.

It flies just as soon as we can get you to the Cape.

Let's go.

OPERA TOR: O.S.I. One reports second-stage separation completed.

Houston, put me through to Pluto One, please.

Pluto One, this is Houston, patch through to Oscar Goldman.

Houston, Pluto One.

Dr. Leith, this is Oscar Goldman speaking.

Colonel Austin has just taken off for the moon.

He will circle it and come down on his former landing site.

The computer will feed the coordinates of his flight.

Would you please keep a sharp lookout?

If you see any evidence of trouble on the moon, sun flares...

anything like that, please let me know so we can alter the flight plan.

Indeed we will.

Pluto One, out.

We will take very good care of Colonel Austin.

Anything yet?

No trace.

I know that it's here.

Would you like to check out my test?

We've dug another seven meters.

These are the new samples.

That's unbelievably hard rock.

Houston, this is O.S.I. One.

OSCAR: Down safe, Steve?

Safer than driving a car.

How's your weather?

Worse, if possible.

Well, it's like homecoming here.

Steve, are the scientific instruments still standing?

Yes.

I'm looking at the seismic detector.

The radar target.

The sun angle's right and I'm getting a big flare off the lenticular mirror we set up.

Do you know that mirror plotted your landing site to within five centimeters.

That's funny, the dividing line between the light side and the dark side...

seems a lot closer than I remembered.

Could that be caused by the change in orbit?

OS CAR: Could be.

Well, I'll be out of radio contact as soon as I cross to the dark side.

So, until I find something and come back, so long.

Good luck.

Steve, we're still checking for the flaw in that other spacesuit.

Now remember, your bionics can't function in extreme cold...

so be careful.

I will. O.S.I., out.

We know his co-ordinates and we know the pass...

where he'll be crossing the dividing line.

It's the only way through.

Austin is smart.

He won't be expecting any ambush...

but he's not gonna be any sitting duck.

He'll be crossing from full light into absolute blackness.

It'll take him a few minutes for his eyes to adjust.

That's when we get him.

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

(WHISTLING THROUGH SPACE)

LEITH: Let's wait for him on the dark side of the pass.

ERIC: I don't particularly like Austin...

but I also don't like killing in cold blood.

Not killing.

I don't want him dead.

I want him back on his lander blasting off for home.

That way no suspicions will be aroused on Earth.

How do you expect to do that?

We 'll wait for him by those rocks.

Then we'll shoot them down on him.

Make him think he's caught in a lunar quake.

Injure an arm or a leg, damage his space suit...

anything to force him off the moon!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

There he is.

LEITH: Bon voyage to Earth, Colonel Austin?

(BIONIC SOUND EFFECT)

ERIC: He's still coming!

LEITH: One more step, Colonel Austin...

and you're the first dead man on the moon.

(END THEME MUSIC)