Original subtitles

- Okay, Venus?

- Okay, Steve.

- Right. Let's go.

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music increases)

(rockets boom)

(engine squeals)

(rockets fire)

("Fireball XL5" theme music)

(computers tick)

(siren bell blares)

- [Announcement] Emergency red! Ground crew on alert.

Standby. Emergency!

Emergency red!

(siren blares)

(door bangs)

(vehicle squeals)

- What's going on, Commander Zero? What's the trouble?

- We've got a damaged patrol ship

coming down on remote, Steve.

- Remote? You mean the crew are not in control?

- That's right, Colonel Zodiac.

The pilot managed to bring XL27 close to Earth,

but then, he must have passed out.

(engine rumbles)

(engine hisses)

- [Lt Ninety] Main retros fired by remote, Commander.

- Roger, Ninety, bring her nose up.

(spacecraft squeals)

- Landing gear down.

Hey, it's stuck.

(spacecraft hisses)

(explosion booms)

(dramatic music)

- Well, she's down.

Fire tenders are standing by.

- Get some clothes on, you two.

We'll take a look at XL27

and find out what's happened to her crew.

(dramatic music)

- Ready with the flashlight, Steve?

All the lighting in the ship seems to have failed.

- [Steve] Yeah, Matt. I'll lead the way.

(footsteps tap)

(dramatic music increases)

(dramatic music crescendos)

- What's it all about, Steve?

- Looks as though they've been hit by a coma ray.

Better contact Venus, Matt.

They're gonna need medical attention, but fast.

- Okay, Steve.

Right, give me Dr Venus. Emergency.

- From the scorched dent on the side of the ship, Steve,

I'd say it was a pretty powerful weapon that caused this.

- Yeah, Commander. A ground-to-space coma cannon, | reckon.

But why?

(suspenseful music)

(moves to dramatic music)

- The co-pilot's out cold, Steve.

- The skipper too.

Oh, wait a minute. He's stirring.

Look, he's got something in his hand.

(dramatic music)

"Planet Zavia. Danger."

- Okay. Let's get back and figure this thing out.

See what Venus's medical report has to say.

- [Commander Zero] That's Zavia's location. Sector 29.

And XL27 was patrolling that sector.

- | guess they noticed something strange

and went down to check.

- But Zavia's an ice planet. Completely uninhabited.

What could XL27 find there?

- Well, they certainly wouldn't find a coma cannon anyway.

- Anything's possible on this crazy universe, Steve.

How can you be sure what's going on up there

if you don't check?

- That sounds like your marching orders, Colonel.

I'll alert ground control to prepare Fireball XL5

for takeoff. - Thanks, Lieutenant.

- Zavia,

that's a long way away.

(foreboding music)

(vehicle rumbles)

- The diggings are going well, Cardre.

Soon, the underground base will be ready.

- Yes, Rader.

You may begin dismantling the coma cannon.

We will not be needing it again to protect our workings.

- No. No-one will be able to see them

when they are covered in ice and snow.

- By the way, | did not congratulate you

on the excellent marksmanship with the coma cannon

when you hit that Earth patrol spaceship.

- Yes. Yes, it was rather a good shot, wasn't it?

| expect that ship is now floating in space, lost forever.

(dramatic music)

- What's taking Venus so long with that medical report?

- Oh, here she comes now, Commander.

What's the news, Venus?

- Well, it was a coma ray all right, Steve.

- Did they come round at all, Venus?

- No, Commander Zero. | reckon they'll be in the coma

for at least a month.

- Well, we can't wait a month.

You'll have to play this one as it comes along, Steve.

- Okay, Commander. We're on our way.

(engine revs)

(spacecraft squeals)

- Fireball XL5 liftoff A-okay, Commander.

- Roger, Lieutenant. Now, I'm going home to bed.

Boy, what a night this has been.

(trumpet blares)

- Pop. Hey,

wake up, Pop.

- Oh. Oh,

what time is it?

Six o'clock?

Let me get some sleep, will ya?

- But Pop, it's snowing outside.

- | don't care if it's raining

duck-billed platypuses from Mars...

Snowing?

(dramatic music)

| don't believe it. | just don't believe it.

This is some kind of dream, that's what it is.

I'm dreaming.

- Firing main retros, Matt. Ready to disconnect nose-cone.

- Roger, Steve. Robert is in central control cabin.

- [Steve] Maintain orbit around Planet Zavia, Robert.

- Maintain

the course.

(nose-cone booms)

(engine squeals)

(suspenseful music)

- Well, what do you think, Matt?

- It sure seems peaceful enough.

- [Steve] Not a thing in sight.

How could the XL27 run into trouble here?

- [Matt] | dunno, Steve. But one thing's for sure,

we've gotta crack this mystery wide open.

(ice cracks)

(dramatic music)

- Oh, my head.

Venus, Matt, you both okay?

- Well, | do feel a bit tooty, Steve.

But what happened?

- Seems likely, we chose a bridge crevasse to park on.

Our weight snapped the ice bridge and bingo.

We've fallen into an underground cavern.

- Hey, Matt, Venus, listen.

(water trickling)

- Why, it's,

it's running water!

- And look, Steve. Steam.

| thought | felt warm.

- [Steve] That's mighty strange.

A hot water stream on a frozen planet?

- Let's go along it and find out where it leads.

(suspenseful music)

- [Venus] Straight ahead, Steve.

There's a bend in the tunnel.

- [Steve] Yeah, be careful.

You never know what's waiting for us round there.

(dramatic music)

- [Matt] Steve, looks like a door, iced over.

- [Steve] Let's have a try at thawing it out.

Might prove to be real interesting.

(laser hisses)

Well, there's no reception committee waiting for us, Venus.

We'll leave our jet mobiles here. Come on.

This place has been cut by machines.

What can its purpose be?

- There's another door up ahead.

- Say,

it must open by rays.

- Well, let's hope there's no-one watching us

with vutonic eyes.

- We'll soon know.

(dramatic music)

(globes beep)

- Matt, it's some kind of nuclear reactor.

- Yeah, Steve, it's where the hot water comes from.

- But what does it do? Generate power or what?

- That's what | aim to find out.

- | can help you there, Earth-man.

Will you and your colleagues come with me, please?

(dramatic music)

Now, we have made you quite comfortable,

| want to know who you are and what you are doing here.

- My name is Steve Zodiac, Colonel Zodiac.

As to what we're doing here,

| might ask you the same question.

| guess you're responsible for what happened to the XL27.

- Right first time, Steve Zodiac.

It was our high-powered coma cannon that did the damage.

You are lucky, Colonel, that we dismantled our cannon

before you arrived.

We did not realise the patrol ship

would make it back to Earth.

- Before we dispose of Colonel Zodiac and his companions,

| think they would be interested

to see what we are doing here, Cardre.

- [Cardre] Ah, yes.

(dramatic music)

(deflector hisses)

- [Rader] We have deflected the sun's rays.

Earth is freezing.

- [Steve] Why, you crazy fiends!

They'll all die!

(dramatic music)

- [Commander Zero] It's getting colder, Lieutenant.

What's Jock doing about the heating?

- He's fighting a losing battle, Commander.

Nothing can stop this freeze up.

It's as though the sun's rays aren't reaching Earth anymore.

- [Steve] You'll never get away with this.

You can't deflect the sun's rays forever.

- We don't need to. A month will be quite sufficient time

to destroy every living thing on Earth.

- Why? Why do this to Earth?

- | came to your planet Earth three years ago

with more of my people from Planet Jedum.

- Oh yes, yes, | remember. The Jedum delegation.

They tried to stir up trouble amongst the leaders on Earth.

- Yeah. But your plans failed, didn't they, Cardre?

You thought you'd take over Earth

while we were fighting amongst ourselves.

- Yes. | must say we underestimated

the peaceful unity of you Earth-men.

You saw fit to banish me and my people from Earth forever!

But now,

we shall get our revenge.

Rader,

take them to the ice jail.

- Yes. At once, Cardre.

(Cardre chuckles)

- [Cardre] | have released your bonds, Zodiac.

Don't try to escape. You will regret it.

- [Venus] What does he mean?

- | don't know, Venus.

- Hey, he sure is right.

There's no way out except through the door

or through that tunnel.

- [Steve] So we have this choice.

We stay here and let Earth be destroyed

or we chance the tunnel. What's it going to be?

- Venus?

- Come on, Steve. Let's chance it.

- | don't like this.

The ice under our feet feels like it's not too safe.

(they scream)

- [Venus] Help, I'm falling!

- [Matt] Steve!

Where are you?

(dramatic music)

(ice cracking)

- [Matt] Oh!

Well, guess we know now what he meant

when he said we'd regret going into that tunnel.

- Steve, Matt,

look.

- | think this chamber must be used

to collect the boiling water from the reactor.

- Yeah, that figures.

A kind of cooling system.

| hate to say this, but this place

is gonna be flooded with boiling water.

- And when the ice melts, the walls, they'll collapse.

- [Steve] Matt, help me out.

| might be able to reach that opening.

(dramatic music)

- The water is coming in faster now.

- [Matt] Can you, can you reach, Steve?

- |, | don't know.

If | could only get some sort of hold.

No, no, it's no good.

There's not a chance.

- Then we are finished.

Nothing, nothing will stop that water.

(water trickles)

- Hey, hey, Matt,

give me your belt. - But why?

- Don't ask any questions. Just give it to me.

- But what are you going to do?

How can the professor's belt help?

- [Matt] Here, Steve.

- Now, just watch and keep your fingers crossed.

(belt taps on ice)

- | get it. You're cutting steps in the ice.

- Well, |, | can't see a thing.

My glasses are all steamed up.

(tapping continues)

- Steve, Steve, you'll have to be quick.

The water's rising and it's getting hotter.

- I've just gotta make it.

I've just gotta!

Otherwise we'll boil and they'll freeze.

(dramatic music)

(moves to upbeat frantic music)

(ice crashes)

Nearly there.

Just, just a few more minutes.

- Hurry, Steve.

Hurry!

- Okay.

Okay, | think

I can

make it.

Quick! Follow me!

| can hear the walls cracking.

(ice cracking)

(dramatic music)

- Grab Steve's hand, where you can reach it, Venus.

- [Venus] Okay, Professor. You'd better hurry too now.

The water is coming in real fast now.

- Only a few more steps, Matt.

Make it fast. The walls are cracking.

- [Matt] Oh, okay, Steve, I'm nearly at the top,

I think.

But | can't see a thing.

My glasses...

Now, at least | can see what I'm doing.

- Well, what now, Steve?

- Well, we get back to our jet mobiles.

And then, we fix Cardre and his little scheme.

Let's hope we're not too late to save Earth.

(computer ticks)

- Lieutenant,

1, | guess we're done for.

(Commander Zero shivers)

- Y-yeah, Commander.

It was nice kn-knowing you.

Y-you had a few gripes.

Fact is, you were like a bear with a sore head most times,

but

it's been fun working with you.

- Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, you know my bark's worse than my bite.

It's been good having you around.

(dramatic music)

(jet mobiles whir)

(deflector hisses)

(engine revs)

- Lift-off A-okay, Matt. Prepare the nose-cone missile.

- Roger, Steve.

(spacecraft rumbles)

- Standby to fire missile, Matt.

(deflector hisses)

(missile whizzes)

(explosion booms)

- Okay, Matt, Venus,

let's get home and see what damage the freeze-up has done.

- We destroyed that deflector in time.

Everything will be normal when we get back to Earth.

- Well, | hope you're right, Matt.

(spacecraft hisses)

(engines squeal)

- How's it been down here while we've been away, sir?

- Stand to attention, Zodiac. I'll do the talking.

Why didn't you report in?

While you've been chasing rainbows in space,

we've been freezing to death!

- But Commander, we-

- Save it, Matt. He wouldn't believe you anyway.

At least not in his present frame of mind.

What you need, Commander, is a holiday.

- Yes, they tell me Switzerland is fun,

all that ice and snow

and skiing.

- Get out!

Leave me in peace!

| don't know why | put up with you XL5 clowns!

Get out!

- Okay, Commander, we're going,

but you just think about that Switzerland trip.

Crisp, cold ice, snow-

- Out!

Get out!

~ 1 wish | was a spaceman S

~ The fastest guy alive

< I'd fly you round the universe f

f In Fireball XL5 I

~ Way out in space together J

~ Conquerors of the sky

My heart would be a fireball

A fireball

f Every time | gazed into

~ Your starry eyes f

S We'd take the path to Jupiter

~ And maybe very soon J

¢ We'd cruise along the Milky Way ¢

¢ And land upon the Moon Jf

¢ The wonderland of stardust J

f We'll zoom away to Mars S

My heart would be a fireball

A fireball

£~ And you would be my Venus of the stars. J