Original subtitles

Tenzang, must you destroy him?

We do not wish it, but he's come again to destroy us.

Please, if there's a way to capture him.

We will try.

I've got to go with them.

Siku, help me find them.

Tenzang.

Tenzang, stop him.

Tenzang.

Hey, Matt, Matt Connor.

Kyle Norris, right?

Yeah, yeah, it's been a while.

Yeah, haven't you graduated yet?

Oh, yeah, I'm in the PhD program.

Yeah, well-

Anyway, I mean, you gotta be

pretty excited about all this.

It kinda validates your whole theory, doesn't it?

What does?

You mean you don't know?

I was out of town.

I got back.

This was waiting for me.

What's going on?

Matt, come on.

You gotta be in the VIP section.

What is this?

Oh, you'll find it.

Go ahead.

Take my seat.

It'll be worth it.

Thanks.

Ladies and gentlemen, the chairman emeritus

of the Department of Anthropology, Dr. Claire Collier.

Thank you, and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Four weeks ago, several Nepalese shepherds killed

a large Himalayan anthropoid.

This chance occurrence has put an end to the years

of controversy over the existence of the yeti

or the so-called abominable snowman.

I'm proud to announce that the remains of the animal are

here today and will be on display shortly.

By studying this animal, we are granted a very rare glimpse

back in time, back before the most ancient

of our known ancestors.

And let me stress that this is

a story of science and not sensation.

It is perhaps the most important discovery of the century,

and this is the story my staff

and I hope you will emphasize in your accounts.

Oops, sorry.

You may begin your questions.

Is it true that the creature killed or injured

a half dozen natives before his capture?

One Sherpa was, I believe, killed in a snow slide

along with the animal.

But aren't there other stories of attacks

by these monsters, attacks where deaths have been reported?

We are looking into the entire matter

of human confrontations.

However, this line of inquiry ignores

the momentous significance of this story.

If we could-

How would you compare this snowman

with the Hollywood versions?

I'm really not familiar with the Hollywood versions.

Doctor.

Well, now that you seem to have proof

that the yeti does exist, are there any plans

to actually track and capture a living specimen?

You mean an expedition, Mr. Connor?

The joint trustees of both the museum

and the university have stated that the chances

of finding another specimen are too remote.

Well, what do you feel?

You know full well that,

as an officer of the university,

I'm bound by their decision.

We've heard that no scientist

besides yourself have been allowed to examine the specimen.

Is that true?

You will each be provided with a press release

concerning what we feel are the scientific issues

raised by this unexpected find.

I trust that some of that material will find its way

into your reports.

Nice speech.

Matt, I've been trying to reach you for weeks.

Anything important?

Of course.

I'm very glad you came here today.

Well, I guess you had to invite me

under the circumstances.

Matthew, please.

Your dissertation on the yeti was judged by a panel

of the best scientists in the university system.

Looks like they were wrong.

We were quite apparently mistaken but not prejudiced.

Our decision was judged solely on your presentation.

Your thesis was speculative,

and you should have presented it as such.

You presented it as fact.

Which it is.

Which it wasn't at that time.

You knew what was required for you to get your PhD.

You bucked the system, and you were thrown off.

Academia is no place to make up your own rules.

You never understood my position.

I understood that the yeti existed.

I was right about that at least.

Not entirely, Matt.

Now, dammit, Claire, what are you people hiding?

Lloyd Trent, do you know him?

Sure, he's molecular biologist, gene mapping.

What's he gotta do with this?

We're working together at McLaren Hall.

I want you to meet us there tonight, please.

I need you there.

What time?

Please, I'll need more like three years

to piece this code together.

Besides what we-

Good evening, Matt.

Lloyd, I'd like you to meet a, an associate of mine,

Matt Connor.

Matthew Connor, a pleasure.

Fine dissertation, fine work.

I guess I'll have to update it.

That you shall.

So far, Matthew has no idea what we found.

I'd like your permission to take him into our confidence.

Oh, I have no objection,

but it's pretty soon to say anything about it.

Well, what can you say, doctor?

We're dealing with a very superior creature.

Superior in what way?

For survival.

He's a genetic pack rat, banded hair for camouflage,

the teeth, uh, the whole muzzle are feline.

And yet he can live on roughage if he has to.

The ear, canine, obviously sensitive.

You're talking transmutation.

Those species aren't even distantly related.

Exactly.

Either this creature split off so far back in time

before every rule we know about primate development or-

Or is manmade?

Well, let's say that it was a controlled mutation.

At least that's my theory.

It's too fantastic, Lloyd.

Claire doesn't agree with me.

The science required is decades beyond anything we know.

If we can discover how this creature crossed

the genetic barrier from one life form to another,

we'll unlock the mysteries of heredity.

A blueprint of life.

What about this violent behavior?

A further mystery and a very different one.

This creature must have been in a state

of chronic emotional arousal.

During dissection, we found a traumatic injury

to the brain.

I saw an intervention around the parietal lobe.

That wasn't done here? - No.

The trauma follows a trunk line right into the amygdala.

The emotional center of the brain.

The incision was crude,

but this unfortunate animal

while still alive suffered a brutal surgery.

Here, the frontal nerve connections were severed,

almost burned away.

These nerves connect the new higher brain

to the older primitive brain.

A surgery so barbaric, Lloyd, that it's hard to reconcile

with your theory of an advanced science.

But who, I mean who, who would-

We haven't any idea, but the brain centers affected

by that surgery were deliberately chosen.

You know you can't answer those questions

without a living specimen.

Which requires an expedition.

Are you still saying the university doesn't intend

to follow through with mine?

Matt, it's complicated.

The Nepalese consider the specimen to be here illegally

and demand its return.

Officially, we can't do anything.

And unofficially?

I've applied for an extended leave of absence,

which they approved immediately.

What about the financing?

Paragon Publishing.

I sent them your dissertation, details on the find,

a prospectus on the expedition, and a sketch for our book.

Our book?

I want you on this trip, Matt,

and I was hoping you'd do me the honor

of co-authoring a book on our return.

Well, I'm flattered, but does your publisher realize

how much money is needed to outfit an operation like this?

We're not going to climb Everest, Matthew.

We're searching for a yeti.

Of course, our base camp would have to be well supplied,

but only a few of us would set out from there

on one- or two-day treks.

We'll crisscross the ravines

until we pick up his tracks.

Well, when do we leave?

In a few days.

Enough time to get ready?

Claire, you know how long I've waited for this.

It's settled then.

And obviously, you have contacts in Nepal.

A former student.

She's a social anthropology PhD candidate

doing field work, studying the Sherpas.

Can we count on her?

She's the reason the yeti is here.

She slipped it out of the country

right under the noses of the local authorities.

What if we run into whoever did that bit of brain surgery?

We'll be careful.

And we're picking up some help.

We'll be meeting up with this fellow, Rondo Montana,

a big-game hunter.

He has his own plane, so we can get into Nepal

without going through customs.

Between safaris, he runs a kind tavern in Calcutta.

Must be around here someplace.

Nice neighborhood.

Yes.

This looks like the place.

I'd say so.

He's expecting us?

Of course.

Well, it is late.

Perhaps we should go to the hotel, come back in the morning.

Yeah.

I think I'll call his partner tonight.

Hey, money, money.

Ah, you didn't catch me in a very generous mood.

We want money, man.

For heaven's sake, give him the money.

The lady gives excellent advice, my friend.

Your money, please.

It's in my back pocket.

Now, you've got what you want.

Let's us go.

What's in your purse, lady?

Leave her alone.

Thank you.

You ought to be more careful around here.

I guess so.

Now, he'll have two headaches when he wakes up.

Here, souvenir of Calcutta.

Wait.

Well?

Mr. Montana?

Call me Rondo.

So I'm supposed to be expecting you, right?

Your partner didn't tell you?

What'd he charge you for the arrangements this time?

Nevermind.

Ned the leech, it's nice to hear he is still making a living

off his old friends.

I hate to break it to you like this,

but I've been outta the safari business for 12 years.

Mr. Montana, I'll be candid with you.

We haven't anyone else to turn to.

If you can't help us, can you recommend somebody else?

Well, that depends.

What are you two after, tigers, buffalo?

Something even more dangerous.

Particularly since we're not hunting to kill but to study.

And you brought tranquilizer rifles,

and nets, and cameras.

Right.

Yeah, I think I get it.

Either you're after wild elephants or the yeti.

How did you know?

I've been expecting it.

There's an expedition ahead of us?

None I've heard of.

They'll be coming.

There'll be no stopping 'em now

that they've supposedly caught one.

Supposedly?

From what I've read, nobody saw the thing up close.

So you think it's a hoax?

Well, if we could convince you that the yeti is-

That it's real?

Take a lot more proof than a couple of newspaper stories.

I admire your skepticism.

You'd make a good scientist.

Rondo, this is Dr. Claire Collier.

Did any of the stories you read mention

she supervised the dissection of the yeti?

This is no fraud, Mr. Montana.

Take it from a former unbeliever.

These, have a look at these.

What's the size?

Oh, didn't you find?

Oh, sorry, here, this one.

The yeti does exist.

One has been killed, and others have been sighted.

It's chancy.

People have been looking for over 100 years.

And they never found him,

because he didn't want to be found.

Now, something's driving him down the mountain

into human confrontation.

They say he's a man killer.

The specimen we have went through a mutilating surgery.

That's what caused the violent behavior you heard about.

Someone is capturing and maiming this creature

for God knows what purpose.

There can only be a few specimens left.

Extinction now before we can even finish describing

the animal scientifically would be a tragedy.

Please reconsider.

The delay in finding someone with your experience-

Set your watches 10 minutes ahead.

What?

The Nepalese are independent little guys.

They set their clocks 10 minutes ahead of everybody else.

That gives 'em a jump on the rest of the world.

Then, you'll do it?

Sure.

We don't want him sold in souvenir shops

for hat racks and umbrella stands, now do we?

Not at all, Mr. Montana, not at all.

Dr. Collier.

Kathleen, my dear, how are you?

Surviving, please come in.

Kathleen, here are our two co-conspirators.

This colorful fellow is Mr. Rondo Montana,

our tracking expert.

Rondo, Kathleen Reidel.

Good to meet you.

So you'll be our protector.

Good, I'm not the heroic type.

And I think you know Matt Connor.

Matthew Connor, should have realized you'd be coming.

Do I know you?

Your dissertation preceded you.

Who didn't you give it to?

I thought it might help Kathy in her research.

Your perspective was very insightful.

Now, we need more scientific criteria.

That's why we're here.

Is our guide somewhere about?

Siku.

Siku will be our guide.

Yeah?

How old are you, son?

If it's dirty, it'll freeze up in the snow.

You won't find another guide in this village

to take you into these mountains.

They scared of the yeti?

The people here never climb

without a ritual blessing from the llama.

And doesn't the llama approve?

He was killed just two days ago.

Yeti?

About two kilometers from the village.

Always we honored the ancient one.

Now, he has turned against us.

The yeti attacked suddenly, viciously.

The llama was, he was-

Kathy, how are we progressing at the camp?

Some supplies are still arriving.

We're nearly ready.

How far is it?

'Bout a day's climb.

Good, we'll start in the morning.

You ever handle one of these?

This would be yours.

Military, huh?

Kinda small, isn't it?

It's the best I could find on short notice.

Probably won't stop a yeti, but it might scare him off.

It's light.

It's easy to handle.

It's a good first rifle.

Uh, uh, no, no, it's a carbine.

First shot, you got slam the bolt back hard.

12 years is a long time, Rondo.

Why'd you quit?

Why'd I quit?

You know anything about safari hunting?

Not really.

In the old days, we would walk three, maybe four months.

We'd assemble in Nairobi, maybe 20 people, gun bearers,

skinners, camp boys, and the hunter himself.

Nowadays, it's a two-week vacation.

They scout the game from an airplane.

They chase it down in a jeep,

and then they get back to their hotel

in time for a gourmet meal and to mail some postcards.

Not very romantic.

Romantic?

I had this one regular client.

He wanted the entrance to his game room to be an arch

formed by the necks of two giraffe.

Well, I shot the first one.

When I went up to him,

the eyes of a dying giraffe can change a man, Mr. Connor.

It's a legend the natives have.

Anyway, times have changed.

Sport hunting's barely allowed anymore.

Most of us old-timers think it's better that way.

Big day tomorrow, you better get some rest.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

I didn't mean to.

Please enter.

Siku, I was wondering which is the trail

we would be following.

Below the northern ridge through Janana Hunetao.

What?

The forbidden palace.

Forbidden?

For my people.

Only Tenzang would go.

He showed me.

Is that your family?

I have no family.

I know what it's like to be alone.

Footprint.

Snow just stopped half an hour ago.

That footprint's fresh.

Yes.

It must be just up ahead of us.

Come on.

It'll be dark soon.

We'll have to wait till morning.

The yeti'll be miles from here by morning.

I've lived up here.

It's too dangerous to travel by night in these mountains.

Look, we've come too far to lose him now.

And what would you advise, Mr. Montana?

I say we pitch camp for the night,

start out in the morning.

Seems entirely sensible to me.

Kathy, let's help the man pitch the tent.

Siku.

You crazy?

Yeti.

Yeah, this damn fool coulda got us all killed.

Where was he?

He went over the side up ahead there.

Siku was only protecting us.

Listen, Mrs. Collier.

I've seen the look in this kid's eye

when he talks about the yeti, the look a man has

before he makes a kill.

- He's just a boy. - Yeah,

well, that boy wants to bag a yeti,

and he doesn't care who he takes down to do it.

Claire, everybody, over here.

Well, we don't know what it is,

but maybe we can find out something.

There are no rivets or fasteners.

Top looks like it's made of a solid piece of glass.

Must be a casting, but the size.

Yeti.

Watch your footing.

The snow's getting slushy around here.

Fresh track.

Must be.

The snow's melted all around it.

Ow, this thing is hot.

Avalanche.

Kathleen.

Collier, Dr. Collier, Kathleen?

I'm here, Matt.

I'm all right.

Ms. Reidel?

Oh, yes?

Good girl.

Oh, was I out long?

Just for a moment.

Oh, we were fortunate to land on snow.

Maybe the lama blessed us after all.

It could be.

Well, that was some fall.

Can we climb back out?

Not easily, we gotta find another way outta here.

Where's Siku?

Over here.

Come this way.

Well, maybe our other guide can get us outta here.

Gather up all the gear you can find.

Daylight.

It's looking good.

Doesn't look like too hard a climb.

Shall we see where we are?

Well, it's, uh, getting late.

After nightfall, we'll be warmer in the cave.

We'll climb out in the morning.

These rocks are warm.

Must be the sun.

Well, the sun's just come up.

These rocks have been warm all night.

What do you see, Matt?

This must be where they come from.

I don't see any reason to think otherwise.

Makes sense.

It's a big area, two, three miles wide.

Enough room for a yeti to hide, Rondo?

Enough for two or three, hell, probably four.

That river runs the length of the valley.

Be foolish not to take advantage of it.

Foolish indeed, Mr. Montana.

We can stash our cold-weather gear here.

Let's hang on to it.

No telling what the nights are like down there.

You coming, my dear?

What now?

We build a raft.

The forest is made up of mostly pine and redwood.

Topography seems to rule out the presence

of any volcanic activity.

Get enough pictures, Matt?

Oh, yeah, I got plenty a mile back.

Terrain hasn't changed much since then.

All right.

I want to get a sketch of those cliffs over there.

Why does she do all that drawing?

Why doesn't she just take a photograph?

Because, Mr. Montana, anyone can take a photograph.

Dr. Collier, look.

Where are those binoculars?

What is it?

Buildings of some kind,

more like huts, about a half mile that way.

How large?

Maybe large enough for a yeti.

What are they, some kind of yeti?

Claire?

Not at all.

They seem to be Pithecanthropus,

possibly even Australopithecus

from an early paleolithic period.

Oh.

Prehistoric man, Rondo.

Oh, yeah, well, maybe we'll meet

some of my old relatives.

Precisely, that's exactly what we must do.

Look at them, Claire.

They must have been living here unchanged for 50,000 years.

At least.

Rondo, can we find a, a hidden place where we can camp?

They're bound to find us no matter where we go.

We may even want them to,

but I want to do as much field work as possible

before they do.

Yes, a fantastic creature as strange in his way as the yeti.

That's what I was thinking.

Life forms developing in a controlled environment.

Yeah, maybe.

But every environment we know that has a stable climate

for millions of years has life

that hasn't changed for millions of years.

And we might expect to find an ancient species maybe,

but at least a species we know.

We're finding completely unknown ones.

Are you suggesting Dr. Trent's theory

of a controlled experiment?

We haven't seen any signs of that, Matthew.

Yeah, I guess so.

We've collected many questions today,

questions that may take whole lifetimes to answer.

To begin, we must be well rested.

And I, for one, am exhausted.

Goodnight, everyone.

It's time for me to fold, too, amigo,

your turn to stand watch.

Easy partner, and I'm sorry, Matt.

I didn't wanna wake anyone.

Thought you were in bed.

I heard that racket, too.

Sounded like the village was under attack.

We'll check it out in the morning.

Looks deserted.

What do you think, Rondo?

It seems quiet.

You wanna go in?

If you recommend it, yes.

Well, let's all be careful.

They might be watching us.

We'll cross downstream, and no talking.

Sorry, everyone.

It was one of the hominids.

What was he like, Kathleen?

I was too scared to notice.

You and him both.

A terrified chimp makes it sound like that.

I didn't mean to frighten him.

Oh, of course not.

I doubt it was you.

He was hiding in here all night.

He must have been half panicked by the time you spooked him.

Should we keep on going?

Might as well.

No point in keeping quiet now.

Claire, everybody, over here.

This is what we heard last night.

Looks deliberate.

Looks almost like defilement.

Another tribe?

Matt, look at the hands.

The skin, it's not human.

Many tracks here.

Kid's right.

There was a battle, all right.

Looks like our apeman friends were taken prisoner

and marched out of here, some of 'em anyway.

Yeti.

He has been here.

Then, he has a pretty good head start.

What are they, Claire?

Who could have made something like that?

This is the third one we've seen,

counting the first one we saw in the snow.

It's a pneumatic system.

Yes, that alone makes our questions

rather academic for now.

Rondo, how are we doing?

Closing on 'em.

Matt, all of you,

whatever lies ahead is something unknown

and very likely dangerous.

I shouldn't presume that all of us want to go on.

Don't worry, doc.

We're ready for 'em.

Oh, I have no doubt about that.

Kathleen, would you and Siku rather stay here?

Matt and I can-

Please, don't ask me to stay.

Very well then, let's proceed.

Electricity?

Undoubtedly, but what's the source of that power?

I know what the source is.

It's been right in front of us all along.

What are you getting at?

The river.

My guess is the entire valley's a hydroelectric system,

starting with those heat domes.

Matt, you may be right.

Those domes could be solar heaters

like furnaces melting ice from the mountainside.

Forming a river that ends up in a reservoir,

which generates electricity that keeps this place going.

It's fantastic.

Look.

Matt, the skin.

Half man, half reptile.

Can I have a minute?

Sure, we can use the rest.

His neck's been broken.

Yeah, maybe his back, too, and one leg here.

It's a safe guess what got him.

Finished?

Yes, just let me take a tissue sample.

Where's Kathy?

We should get moving.

Went that way.

Kathy?

Kathy.

Matt.

Hurry, Claire.

Kathy, what happened?

My God.

What is this place?

It's where the answers are, Rondo.

Star Trek.

We've got to get inside.

It may not be safe.

We must go inside.

We'd betray a priceless opportunity if we didn't.

- Stop. - What?

Behind us, listen.

It is gone now.

Mr. Montana, I will stay here.

Someone must guard against surprise.

- I don't think it- - No, Siku's right.

Someone should stay behind and guard our rear.

It's your turn to stand watch.

Now, any real action I expect will be up ahead,

but you be careful.

If you see anything funny, you fire off one round.

We'll hear you. We'll come running.

'Kay, partner?

Gotcha, partner.

Okay, let's go.

Careful.

This must have been beautiful once.

Over here.

This corridor's open.

Ooh, this place has been closed for a while.

We must be in the center of the ship.

Matt, what's that over there?

We may be looking at the pilot of this craft.

He's holding something.

- What? - In his hand.

Let's turn him up.

No, don't disturb him.

Matt, you can reach it.

It's metal.

Matt.

It's not real.

It's a projection, a hologram or something.

It's a speech, a recording of a speech.

Recording.

Thoughts from another world.

If only we could understand.

Look, that's the ship we're standing in.

Is it the Earth?

I think so.

Yes, look.

This gives us an idea of when they arrived,

100,000 years ago.

At least.

That's the thing we saw inside.

This is the key to their expedition.

Oh, this is so frustrating.

Biological engineering.

Systematic control of evolution.

Killed.

Killed by something monstrous.

Matt, you were right.

Creatures in this valley were developed

in a protected laboratory

for experiments without interference.

Experiments by scientists from another world.

An experiment that failed.

How could beings with this power

and knowledge leave such wreckage,

such desolation?

Something unexpected must have happened to them,

maybe disease, something foreign to them.

The alien seemed reptilian, probably cold blooded.

Warm-blooded mammals of the Earth might have shown

some biological advantages.

Advantages they may have wanted for themselves,

gene splicing, mutations.

Somehow it got out of control.

It's tragic, terribly tragic.

From the top of these mountains,

hundreds of centuries are looking down at us.

It's time to return home.

We have an important story to tell.

Dr. Collier, wait a minute.

If these experiments were performed thousands of years ago,

who's doing surgery on the yetis now?

Look out.

Dr. Collier.

Kathleen.

He's coming around.

Easy partner, don't make any sudden moves.

Show any excitement, they go crazy.

Be careful.

Well, what is it?

Freak of nature.

Matt, are you okay?

Yeah.

Where's Siku?

We don't know.

They must have surprised him before he could warn us.

Followed us for miles.

It's my fault.

I should have seen.

Don't blame yourself.

They're very clever.

Yeah, clever enough to fly a spaceship, I guess.

No, no, this is not the same alien

we saw in the spacecraft.

These must be drones or workers

probably brought here for labor.

Maybe they destroyed the others like we saw in the ship.

Yes, then without any guidance,

they must have regressed almost completely,

a whole culture lost forever.

Matt.

Kathy, don't worry.

We'll find you.

We gotta get outta here.

Check your pockets.

The knife, it's still here.

Didn't they search us?

Folds up.

Didn't see it was a weapon.

They didn't take this either.

Stash the knife, Matt.

Don't give 'em anything to be interested in.

That appears to be our destination.

Listen.

What do they intend to do with us?

Doctor, look.

I see it.

Behavior modification.

Comment?

They're worse than the bloodiest savages I ever saw.

Savages, of course.

Of course.

What? What is it?

Matthew, these aliens,

they're not a different species.

They're the same species,

cerebral, almost spiritual

without animal drive or, or desires.

That's the way they were, Matthew.

Now, they're combined

with a, a species so complex.

They didn't realize.

You can see the violent animal still within them.

Oh, God, help us.

Kathy.

Kathy, Kathy, are you all right?

Dr. Collier, be careful.

He understands.

He's intelligent.

I'll take care of Kathy.

You've got to destroy that machine.

Let's go before they cut us off at the door.

Look out.

Come on, Claire.

Claire hurry.

Let's go.

I can't hold 'em off forever.

Rondo, hold up.

Siku, go on.

I'll help her.

You have to leave me, Matthew.

That's not an option.

Go.

You must save yourselves.

Get the women to higher ground.

Where are you going?

Just go on.

They're coming.

Hurry.

Matthew.

You can do that later.

Just rest.

Matt, please.

This is Claire Collier speaking.

In an isolated Himalayan valley,

our party has discovered the remains

of an ancient civilization from another world.

There's far too much for me to say here,

far more that will need to be said.

Please believe everything that Matt,

Matthew Connor tells you

about what we have found.

A beast in the soul of man,

a legacy they were powerless to overcome.

I want you to leave me here.

Emotions so beautiful,

so human, and powerful,

for their world, too powerful.

Make them understand, Matt, how they came to this.

And Siku, so strong.

I'm very proud of you.

I'm sorry I won't be able

to write that book with you, Matthew.

But I know you'll find a worthy collaborator.

Your name will be on it with ours.

It will be such an important book.

She's gone, son.