Original subtitles

You think he's ready? That's less than four days. It used to take far longer.

That was before they invented this.

The ultimate in sensory deprivation

Sound and light insulated.

Within ten minutes, you're hallucinating.

Half an hour, and you think it's a day and a half.

In California, they do it for pleasure

Ready?

Right.

I want you to just listen my voice now.

Relax and let your limbs go loose.

We're going back, back when you were young.

Further back on the journey,

back, when you were five years old.

You broke your arm, remember, on the swing in the park.

Back again, back again.

Your third birthday.

Further back still.

Now you are two years old.

You're walking, talking...

Further back still.

Further back.

Your first birthday. "Mama", you say.

Mama, mama!

And you pull yourself up by the table leg.

And stand by yourself.

Further back again!

Six months old.

One month old.

And now...

back to when your world began.

You're being born,

emerging into the world.

Striving, struggling to leave the womb.

- Argh! - Forcing your way out.

Newborn.

Morag.

I'm sure they do that for pleasure in California, too.

Morag.

I've already... conditioned her as his trigger.

Now she's his mother image as well.

His first love.

- It's just like Phillips. - Phillips?

Major Phillips.

Army scientific officer.

He even committed suicide for Morag.

A newborn child.

"White paper, void of all characters, without any sense,"

as the philosopher Locke said.

He can be grown up again at any speed I choose,

and I can implant anything I want on the way.

- Anything we want. - Of course, of course.

I wouldn't dream of using him for my own amusement.

I should hope not.

You're here because your psychic powers could accelerate our own scientific methods.

But any interference with the target programe could be extremely dangerous.

And we wouldn't want any innocent people to get hurt.

Shut the door.

I know it's late, but it won't take a minute.

I don't mind telling you

that your stupid escapade with the army nearly had us closed down.

Personally, I'd have have been glad to see you in a glasshouse for six months,

but Scott-Erskine wanted you out.

- Someone had to take positive action. - Positive? Phillips committed suicide.

Phillips was murdered!

All right.

You just find a jury that believes in murder by mind control.

The point is this. Department 7 is funded by the Goverment.

And they don't take kindly to you raking up dirt about army activities.

Army activities have turned my brother into a vegetable!

Rubbish!

Look, Tom, you're with us at Scott-Erskine's insistance and not because I want you.

But while you are here, you'll listen to me.

London's decided that from now on all of us are under strict surveillance.

Any activity, any movement has to be top-level clearance.

- From when? - From yesterday. Thanks to you.

You haven't forgotten I'm going to Paris?

Paris, when?

Tonight. To the Mayer Institute.

I spoke to you about it last week.

Yes, yes, I do remember something.

I didn't realise it was so soon.

Everything is in good order. My desk is clear.

We'll make you pencil monitor next term.

I could do with a few days in Paris.

You don't go more than ten miles from Princess Street. Official.

- Nine o'clock. You're pushing it a bit, aren't you? - I had some things to tie up.

Did Martindale really know about your trip?

Well, perhaps I did tell him when his mind was elsewhere.

- What is it? Quick mid-term breather? - You're as bad as he is.

The Mayer Institute is one of the leading centres for research in sensory deprivation.

- It's a week of serious work. - And you're leaving tonight?

Why not to take the shuttle in the morning?

Because French Air Traffic Control are one of their everlasting go-slows

and I really don't fancy hanging around Heathrow for a day and a half.

It's all been fixed. Sleeper to King's Cross, boat train to Paris in the morning.

Plenty of chance to meet tall, dark, handsome lover.

Oh yeah, between Darlington and Peterborough

It's a British Rail sleeper, love, not the Orient Express.

Have you got time for a drink?

Uh-uh, I'll only just to make it. I brought my bag in to save going home.

Come on, then, Shanghai Lil. I'd better run you to the station.

I've got wheels again and plenty of spare time. What have got in this?

Work.

Come on. Ready.

I put your stuff in the berth.

First carriage. Handy for getting off in the morning.

Bye.

I'm sorry. I..

I just thought that...

No need to wait for the off.

Excuse me.

Sorry.

I'll... I'll see you next week.

Is the buffet this way?

Not on this train, madam. Sorry, but would you like tea or coffee in he morning?

Tea, please.

Good old British Rail.

I was told not to expect the Orient Express.

Can I offer you a drink?

I always travel prepared for the worst.

Oh, no thanks very much. I'm not desperate.

I didn't think you were,

but if you'd like a nightcap...

Yes, all right, that'd be nice.

Roy.

Oh, Tom. Come and have a look at this.

It's Calder's material. He thinks he's found someone with eidetic imagery.

What's that?

It's often confused with photographic memory.

There is a very small percentage of people, usually children, who can image so strongly,

that to all intents and purposes, there's no retinal or cortical distinction

between their imagined image and looking at the real thing.

Look, you've been looking at that for about 25 seconds.

I'll turn it off.

Now, how do you remember it?

- Well, there's... demons... - I'll tell you.

You probably have a fleeting, fading mental image.

If you wanted to describe it, you'd find yourself talking silently to yourself.

But someone with eidetic imaginery

simply continues to look at the picture.

There.

On the screen. Not in the mind.

Their imaging is as strong as normal vision.

And they'll be able to tell you almost every detail in it.

So?

Imagine someone with eidetic imagery working in the Intelligence.

No need for miniature cameras, transmitters.

No need to "borrow" documents.

Everything is stored instantly

and never any evidence.

Want to try it again?

No. I want to talk you.

I had a very strange dream last night.

About Anne.

At least, it seemed like a dream, but I felt I was seeing it on the TV screen.

She was being threatened by someone and I...

Things went black.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in my armchair at seven o'clock in this moring.

What made you feel that you were seeing it on the TV screen?

Because it wasn't like a dream up there.

It was out there in the screen.

Like your eidetic images.

Tom, it's only been a few weeks since Julia died.

I made a special study of bereavement shock once.

75% reported realistic dreams, nightmares in which their partner was threatened.

But this wasn't Julia, it was Anne.

I've noticed you've seemed to be confusing the two of them recently.

Understandable, being such close friends.

I'm sure Anne is in trouble.

Tom, suppose it wasn't a dream.

Suppose you did see something on the TV screen. Could have been frek interference.

We've a file that thick of people who have heard voices when the TV closes down.

And every one of them, every one,

turned out to be taxis or the police or aircraft or some genuine high-frequency source.

OK, but suppose it was a dream.

It was you who showed me I could receive dream images.

Not complex tales of woe.

If we phoned the airport every time one of our dream panel reported airline disaster,

there'd never be any planes flying.

You're not going to do anything about it?

Oh, Tom, even if I wanted to do anything, I couldn't.

By my reckoning, she's only just getting out of Dover.

She won't be in Paris until early this evening. And then there's a 40 km drive to the institute.

If it'll make you feel any better, we'll put a call through in the morning, OK?

OK.

Ah, bonjour Madamoiselle Reynolds.

I thought you might like to see the newspaper, no?

Is this the Mayer Institute?

Of course. I'm Masson. I'm the director.

I see.

- We thought this might have happened. - What?

I gather you slipped getting off the train at Gare du Nord.

Pah, our French stations, they do not have the platforms like you in England.

You were unconscious for quite a while.

That would account for the absence of one of my shoes. I don't recall it.

That is what I meant. What is the last thing that you remember?

Er... getting on the train at Edinburgh.

That was the night before last.

It is a classic case of concussion.

You don't remember anything for almost 24 hours before you had the accident.

- How is your head now? - It's all right, I think.

I just feel a little unsteady.

Bon, �a va.

As soon as you're feeling better, you will find my office

and then I will show you around and we can arrange your programme. � bient�t.

Could I have some tea or coffee or something?

But, pardon, you have already had your breakfest.

Au revoir.

Ah, there you are.

You'll be relieved to hear that Anne phoned.

- What did she say? - That she arrived safely.

And asked if somebody would use her computer time to check the Zener results.

How did she sound?

She phoned earlier before I got in. Switchboard took the message.

I've just checked the switchboard.

They didn't speak to Anne herself. The lines were busy when she tried to phone,

so she got the Institute's operator to pass the message on.

So?

I was puzzled by the second part of the message.

Anne's very conscientious about computer time.

Which is why she asked Jackson to do that job before she left. It's in her notes.

That's odd.

So I phoned the institute myself.

I spoke to the director.

Anne's is not there and they're not even expecting her.

He knows nothing about any visit arranged by the Department.

Extension 827, please. Martindale.

Just exactly what do they do at this Mayer Institute?

Yes. Martindale.

It's probably nothing, but I thought I'd better check.

I gather you arranged for Dr Reynolds to spend a couple of days at the Mayer Institute.

What?

Oh.

- What? - Yes, last night.

According to her, it was all arranged through your office.

I see.

I'd be grateful.

London know nothing about it.

Bonjour Madamoiselle Reynolds. Feeling better?

- Fine, thanks. - Bon. How do you like our establishment?

I'm sorry I had to have Monsieur Versinge show you around, but I got tied up.

It's very impressive, thank you.

The Mayor of Paris keeps us well provided.

Now, your programme. Do you mind if I make one or two suggestions?

- Not at all. - �a va.

As you know, Monsieur Freud thought that a psychoanalyst,

in order to treat his patients with sympathy and insight,

it was essential for him to undergo a course of psychoanalysis himself.

Yes.

We arrived at much the same conclusions with regard to our work.

It is almost impossible to understand

the phases a person undergoing sensory deprivation passes through

without having experienced it oneself.

Indeed, I, personally, do not think that it is possible

to even grasp the definitions we employ without having experienced it oneself.

All of my research staff, and that includes myself,

before conducting any research, act as subjects themselves.

I see.

I can't compel you, of course.

Dr Masson, I came here to find out about your work.

And if that means taking part in it, well, so much the better.

Bon. Let us go along and meet Dr Dressler.

Thank you.

The house used to belong to the Mayer family themselves. Have you seen the grounds?

Only from the window.

Ah, you must. They are quite impressive.

- Dr Reynolds? - How do you do?

Heinrich Dressler.

We've checked everything. We've been through all the office signals for the last fortnight.

Nothing. I've had Paris send a man down to the Mayer Institute. Nobody.

- What about the travel arrangements? - All done by phone or telex using our codes.

Our codes!

- You should have checked. - How was I to know?

You're not supposed to. You're supposed to leave that to me.

All movements to be approved.

As far as I was concerned, she had your approval.

If it wasn't in writing, you should have followed procedure.

Absolutely, without exception.

And where is Crane? I asked you to have him here.

He said he'd be here.

Could you find Mr Crane? Tell him we're waiting.

I'm beginning to be sorry you brought him into the Department.

He seems to feel he can do as he likes.

I'm sorry we have to keep this dress on.

But we find that erm...

recognisable features tend to encourage an unwanted dependence.

Oh, yes, of course.

So, short of dressing you in cotton wool,

or using our flotation chamber,

this is the closest we can get to minimal sensory stimulation.

It's actually quite comfortable. I just hope it's warm enough.

I think you will find it warm enough. Now, the headphones.

- So. - Thank you.

They have their own micro transmitters so there are no leads to distract you.

And the eyepiece.

Thank you very much.

Just to minimize the visual stimulation.

When we come to the visual testing, just slide them up.

We will tell you over the headphones when to do that.

Now.

So.

- Now I will lead you. - � la chambre blanche.

"The white room?"

You were expecting "the black room" no doubt?

We find that a totally light, but featureless environment produces a similar effect.

But much more rapidly.

One problem with the black room was the amount of time subjects spent asleep.

Oh, yes, we replicated some of those experiments ourselves.

Useful, of course, for when they woke up,

they had no idea whether they'd been asleep five hours or five minutes.

And that is the first effect you will notice.

Your biological clock,

it will break down

and you will lose all ability to assess time.

And see eternity in a beetle's wing.

That's it now, we are nearly there.

On, on.

Come, come.

So.

There.

Now, then, allow me.

Your eyes will light adapt quite quickly.

Like coming out of a cinema on a sunny afternoon, huh?

Exactly.

Now, then, as far as possible,

you should remain on the foam couch.

But don't make any special effort to keep still.

Feeling comfortable and at ease, much more important.

Now...

- This is your control panel. - Thank you.

We will tell you how to use it over the headset in due course.

And the headset will also enable us to detect any change in your blood pressure,

in alpha rhythm and so in, it's all built in.

All those training wires done away with.

Yeah. Now, then, when you are sure you are comfortable

on the couch,

then put your eyepiece down,

put on the headphones, of course,

and we will acknowledge.

Then you simply wait for the intructions.

And do not worry if it seems a long time. Right?

I nearly forgot.

The panic button.

This red button at the bottom here, it activates the door lock.

But I do not think you will need it.

Goodbye for now.

Goodbye and thank you.

Perfect.

Her compartment was empty in the morning, then?

You're not her husband, are you? Or her boyfriend?

No.

She went to this fella's compartment for a drink.

I was at the door of the next compartment, so I couldn't help but overhear.

Oh, yeah.

When I didn't see her come out, I thought,

I don't want to cause too much of a fuss about things like that. They're grown up people.

- Was the man there in the morning? - His door was locked, so I assumed he was.

- They both were. - But you didn't check?

I had a double shift to do on Monday.

So you didn't actually see either of them leave the train?

I didnae want to hang around.

We were in late as it was. We were stuck at Dunbar for over an hour.

- Why? - Search me.

Something on the line, the guard said.

Ah, she's beginning to wake.

She's been asleep just under the hour.

Been in two-and-a-half hours altogether.

Touch more white noise.

Awake.

Dr Reynolds.

I wonder, would you estimate for m the time you have been asleep?

Um...

Ten hours?

Good. Now...

...can you slide up your eyepiece, please?

Thank you.

Remember the control panel you have with you?

- You have it? - Yes.

Good.

Now, you will see four buttons on it, marked A to D.

- Yes. - Good.

Now, I want you to press each button in order.

The buttons will activate a projector

and you will see the slides on the screen. Right?

Now. I want you to press button A.

And what do you see?

A face. A man's face.

B.

What do you see?

Another face. A woman.

Good. And C?

A man again.

Different.

And now D.

Woman's face.

Young woman, quite pretty.

She looks a bit worried.

Ja.

Now then,

this is what I want to do.

You press any button you choose.

But you must hold the picture for 20 seconds.

And you have to judge the time for yourself.

Right?

So, you press any button you choose, hold the picture for 20 seconds. You've got that?

- Yes. - Good.

Now, then, just press each button once again and then we are ready.

That's the same woman, but a different picture.

Ja. That can happen.

Now, when you are ready,

choose a button and hold for 20 seconds.

Even the experts opt for the varied one.

They seem to think it'll make it easier to resist conditioning.

And the truth is,

it is exactly the opposite.

But you have no proof Anne didn't reach London.

You took me on for my extra perceptory power. I've felt all along something was wrong.

So, you think she might have left the train earlier?

Not "left". I think she was taken from it.

Are there any scheduled stops?

Berwick and Dumbar. For picking up passengers only. I put my money on Dumber.

Why?

The train was held up just outside the station.

The track had been deliberately blocked.

Children? Vandals?

This was a professional job.

Whoever did it, wanted that train stopped at Dunbar.

I want approval, official, seeing as I'm supposed to ask

to get the hell over there and find out what's happening!

I'll look after it from now on. I can't have any chance of you running amok again.

What the hell's that supposed to mean?

I sometimes doubt whether I did the right thing in taking you into the Department.

But if I booted you out now, much as it might satisfy to do so,

I'd be landed with the most enormous security risk.

So you stay here.

So what's at Dunbar?

- What do you mean? - Oh, come on.

You saw his reaction. He nearly fell out of his rolled umbrella.

He was just reacting to your hotheadedness.

Just what am I supposed to do, twiddle my thumbs?

Tom, don't you think I'm just as concerned as you are about Anne's safety?

- We should be doing something! - Well, trust Scott-Erskine.

I think he is onto something.

If you mess things up, you may never forgive yourself.

Ah, bonjour, Mademoiselle Reynolds.

I hope you did not mind my coming in unannounced.

We did not have a chance to meet last night when you arrived from London.

You had a good night's rest, j'esp�re.

So, as soon as you are ready, you'll find me in my office.

and I will show you around and we can arrange a programme for your stay.

I thought you might like to see a newspaper.

Au revoir.

And the blockage was the other side of the station?

Well, it had to be, didn't? There would have been a smash otherwise.

How did you know about it?

Someone phoned up about a quarter of an hour before she was due.

Said there was a stoppage on the line below the bridge about half a mile from here.

So, I got the signal turned to red and went up to have a look. Pile of sleepers.

What did he say, the guy who gave he warning?

Just said I'd better get the train stopped because there was a stoppage on the line.

- And he rang off. - What kind of accent?

Oh, I'm not very good at that.

Wasnae Scottish.

Maybe American or foreign. Just a bit different.

Anyway, he rung off before I'd time to notice.

- And the train was down there all the time? - Well, over on hour.

- Anyone get off or anything? - Just the guard. That's his job.

No-one else?

I was too busy up the line to worry about the train sitting there.

Do you mind if I walk down the line a bit?

- No, should be safe now. - Thanks.

Ah, good lunch?

What was that?

- There's quite a good restaurant at Dirleton. - Dirleton?

Just this side of North Berwick. Quite handy for Dunbar.

I haven't been to Dunbar.

Oh, I...

Look, if I need help, I'll ask for it.

First carriage.

And allowing for the engine.

- Find anything? - Erm... no.

- There's one thing been puzzling me. - What's that?

I thought I'd finish with you newspaper men, until that other fellow turned up.

- Other fellow? - Aye, the one in the Range Rover.

- Showed me a card. - Which paper was he from?

Oh, I couldn't tell you. Didn't really notice, to be honest. He was only here about five minutes.

I suppose you didn't notice which direction he went off.

Sorry. My, this is the most excitement I've had here for a while.

Well, let's hope it stays that way.

We will just slide this up, ja.

And then we are ready.

So.

Ah.

Two more days, that's all we need.

Isn't it dangerous trying to get things done so fast?

Well, of course it's dangerous.

Each new frontier is dangerous.

But time's against us.

We can't afford to take any longer.

Yes, but what about Shea? We worked on him for a month and he ended up uncontrollable.

It's a moot point whether Shea is uncontrollable.

Let's rather say that he's temporaly slipped the leash.

But Dr Reynolds, that's quite a different matter.

An expert, knows all about it.

Which makes it so much easier to condition her,

just when she thinks she's fighting it.

Now, Morag, my dear.

Let's see how far we can get today.

- Perhaps we should break for the day. - No, no.

She's reacting exactly as we want her to.

That's what it might be a good time to stop. If we push it, she may go over the edge like Shea.

Shea was ruined by your crude methods before I was ever brought in.

All I'm saying is that if we try to rush this,

we might end up with the same problem on our hands as we've got with Shea.

And God knows how we're going to solve that now.

As soon as we finish with Dr Reynolds, I want to have another go at Shea.

I think I know how to get him back again.

I think it may have been to late for that.

He's disappeared.

- What? - They're checking.

His door was left open. It looked deliberate.

Well, you'd better find him, you really had. The man is a killer.

Martindale.

What?

Invercaldy. Dunbar.

Yes.

Mr Crane.

I think we've met before.

Norton.

Right.

Drexel.

Drexel!

- Drexel! - What do you think you're doing?

- Don't you know how dangerous that is? - That was Masson. He said to stop everything.

We are not stopping now. She's nearly there.

If Masson says stop, we stop.

One more run and we've got her.

- Now! It's an order! - I am not stopping now.

I obey orders. Front Office want to know what you're up to.

They pick up Dr Reynolds. I take delivery. I don't ask questions.

No, but you're remarkably full of answers.

I'm already stuck my neck out by stopping work on Dr Reynolds. What else can I do?

Yes?

Send him in.

A friend of yours has come calling.

What the hell are you doing here?

- I got your message. - I didn't send one.

Someone did. I had a phone call. They said they were speaking on your behalf.

I suppose all we need now is for Crane to come blundering in.

I was coming to that.

What the hell is going on?

That goon was on the same train as Anne, the one she was supposed to be taking to London.

- I daresay. - Is that the best you can do?

What is this place anyway? A weekend retreat for your fancy boys?

Not ours. It's run by, shall we say, one of our allies.

I believe they've been vetting Anne.

"Vetting"? What's that a euphemism for?

Look, Crane, It's all been very tricky.

Officially, this place doesn't exist.

And for that matter, officially Department 7 doesn't exist either.

We've had to negotiate at ambassadorial level.

It's been... like a dialogue between two ghosts

What do they want with Anne in the first place?

They wanted to infiltrate our unit.

You just say they're our allies, for God's sake.

Formally, yes.

But in the field of mind control,

the first master it, masters the world.

It appears they were a little concerned that we might be ahead...

- Are you condoning what they have done? - Naturally not.

Because they are the big boys and we want to play with them from time to time

we depend on their co-operation.

If they decide to go in for a little bit of rule-bending, then...

Rule-bending? What the hell have they been up to?

Branwashing.

Mr Crane, we haven't been introduced, but my name doesn't matter.

- Would you like to see Dr Reynolds? - You're damn right, I would.

I don't think you can do that right at the moment.

- Why not? - They're still in the middle of procedure.

- It could be dangerous to interrupt. - I told Norton to stop over an hour ago.

The no-go light's still on outside.

- Outside where? - The processing room.

Look, you can sit down here all day.

I'm going to get the thing stopped. Let's go.

- I'm going in. - Not now. It could be dangerous.

- For whom? - The subject, of course.

Anne...

Drexel... You bastard!

Crane...

Your...

Your wife...

Nothing personal, old boy.

I just...

Orders.

When I think of what a close thing it was. A matter of minutes.

Forget about it. I'm fine now.

- You seem to be... - I said I'm fine.

Though I'm touched by your concern.

I don't think you realise how near you came to being completely brainwashed.

Like that other poor devil. Shea, was it?

Something must have gone very wrong there.

The only thing that went wrong was he escaped.

Acted out what he'd been programmed to do too early.

Don't tell me Drexel programmed the man to kill him?

He was after someone else. I suspect it was me.

- So why he did kill Drexel? - Who says he did?

It all happened in total darkness.

Roys said they found the man about a mile away

having shot himself with the same gun that killed Drexel.

And if he did kill him, why didn't they find the gun beside him?

All right. Let me ask you a question.

If he didn't kill Drexel, who did?

Someone with a motive.

There'll be an inquiry.

No, there won't. Too many embarrassed faces in the higher echelons.

They can't cover up a man's death. Two men's death.

Watch them.