LEDLOGIC - Blakes 7 - 0701

Blakes 7 - 0701 - Orac [ home ] [ prev ] [ next ]

Author: Terry Nation [ IMDB ]
Director: Vere Lorrimer [ IMDB ]

Excerpt from Blakes 7: The Program Guide by Tony Attwood

Following their encounter with the young Ensor, the crew of the Liberator decide to travel to Aristo in order to deliver the life-saving supplies to his father and also find out the true nature of Orac. Meanwhile, unknown to Blake, Travis and Servalan are making a similar journey. Whilst en route for Aristo, the members of the Liberator crew who have been on Cephlon begin to show all the signs of advanced radiation sickness. It is then discovered that there are no anti-radiation drugs on board, so the journey to Aristo is speeded up in hopes that Ensor will be able to provide them.

Upon reaching the planet, Blake and Cally, the only two not suffering from radiation sickness, teleport down although the ship's computers have been interfered with and a precise fix for the teleport system has been manipulated from the planet. They arrive on a sea shore and, following instructions from a strange flying computer, are led to the underground city in which the elder Ensor is dying.

Travis and Servalan, having been unable to penetrate the force field surrounding Ensor, decide to try going under it by using old tunnels beneath the city. These are now inhabited by strange reptilian creatures which delay but do not totally stop their progress.

Blake and Cally convince Ensor that his one chance of survival is to teleport back to the ship with them, where the operation he needs can be performed. But they are unable to teleport through the force field generated from Ensor's room and they too must make their way back to the shore. Just then Travis and Servalan break through a wall and, seeing Blake head for the underground route out of the base, take an alternative route which gets them to the surface before him.

Ensor suffers a final heart attack on the way and so dies, but not before he can pass the computer Orac over to Blake. On the surface, Blake and Cally are ambushed by Servalan and Travis, but before they can be killed and Orac stolen, Vila and Avon come to their rescue.

On the Liberator, the members of the crew suffering from radiation sickness receive the necessary course of radiation drugs and all gather round to investigate Orac's powers. It reveals itself to have the voice and personality of Ensor, and to require very specific requests for information, without which it refuses to act. Blake orders Orac to make one prediction, and in fulfillment of this order Orac projects a picture of the Liberator onto the ship's main screen. This image is then seen to explode. Although the crew then turn Orac off, they recognize that the prediction has already been made and presumably will come to pass, and they are left wondering what to do about it.

Review 10/15/2008 by ledlogic

ORAC, introduced in this episode, is definitely one of the more interesting characters on Blakes 7. Although it looks like a high school project gone awry, it really is like the Google searchbot of the future. It can access supposedly every computer in the Federation, and also, it appears to have not only artificial intelligence, but interstellar range. It also appears to have its own power supply.

See here for more information on Radiation Poisoning..

Script from hal9000.net.au

Transcription: Malcolm Mladenovic
Proofreading: Sue Clerc, Dave Owen

Dramatis Personae

Blake Gareth Thomas
Jenna Sally Knyvette
Avon Paul Darrow
Cally Jan Chappel
Vila Michael Keating
Gan David Jackson
Zen Peter Tuddenham
Ensor Derek Farr
Servalan Jacqueline Pierce
Travis Stephen Greif
Phibians James Muir/Paul Kidd

[Scene: Gan enters a room on the Liberator. He is obviously unwell. He takes what appears to be some kind of medication.]

[Scene: Liberator flight deck: Avon, Jenna, Vila are at the controls, Blake enters.]
BLAKE: How are you feeling, Jenna?
JENNA: I'm managing.
BLAKE: Zen, give me full recall of my supplementary to the flight log data. Vision suite, line one.
ZEN: Line one is linked and ready to accept.
BLAKE: Avon, I want you to listen to this. [Blake and Avon move to a small table and chairs in an alcove.]
AVON: What is it?
BLAKE: Just watch and listen. [On a recording play-back] Flight log entry four-three-one. Time co-ordinate six-six-two. Liberator was in range of the planet Cephlon. Scanner systems located a space vehicle which was clearly out of control. It was put on routine security surveillance and was identified as a Spacemaster series five. Retrieval pictures confirm. There was an explosion on board and the ship went out of control. Cephlon's gravity pulled her down into the atmosphere and she started to burn up. Two life support capsules ejected from the ship and our tracers followed them to impact. Vila, Jenna, Gan and Avon teleported down to the planet in an attempt to find the survivors. Both capsules were found. In the first the crewman was already dead. In the second a man called Ensor was badly injured. We teleported him to Liberator. Before he died he gave me a box containing micro power cells. He insisted that we should take these to the planet Aristo, since without them his father would die. He also spoke of something called 'Orac' and claimed the Federation was willing to pay one hundred million credits to obtain it. Verbal supplementary closes.
AVON: Well?
BLAKE: Well, if the Federation is prepared to pay one hundred million credits then Orac must be fairly important.
AVON: Unless, of course it's a magnificent swindle, but I suppose that's too much to hope for. [He winces as if in pain.]
BLAKE: You all right?
AVON: Ah, yes. I, I just felt a little dizzy, that's all.
BLAKE: My point is there's something we're missing in all this.
AVON: Well, I can't think what, it all seems straightforward enough. We know from the ship's log that it was returning to Aristo from Federation Space Headquarters, that the other passenger was a doctor and that they were carrying medical supplies. It all tallies with what Ensor said.
BLAKE: I don't know. I think it's the importance the Federation is placing on Orac that bothers me
JENNA: [To Blake] I've switched to automatics -- there's something I want from my cabin.
BLAKE: All right, Jenna. [To Avon] Let's take another look at the pictures of that ship on the main screen.
AVON: They're not likely to show us anything that we don't already know.
BLAKE: Maybe not, but let's check anyway. Zen, run the scanner file from the moment we picked up visual contact with the Spacemaster ship.
ZEN: Confirmed. Retrieval systems operating.
AVON: What exactly are you looking for?
BLAKE: I'm not sure yet. [Avon bends forwards] You quite sure you're all right?
AVON: Yes, of course I'm all right.

[Scene: A corridor. Jenna walks slowly along and stops just as Cally comes round the corner.]
CALLY: Jenna, what is it? what's the matter?
JENNA: I don't know. I, I feel terrible. One minute I'm all right, and then, then it comes over me again.
CALLY: Oh, you've obviously got a fever. Come on, I'll get you to your cabin.

[Scene: Return to Avon and Blake on the flight deck, watching the playback of the explosion of the Spacemaster ship. Vila is also watching.]
BLAKE: Zen, hold it there. Now then, play it back, slowly. There! That's it, that's what's been bothering me.
VILA: I don't see anything special.
AVON: It's in the wrong place.
BLAKE: Exactly. The explosion's in the forward section. Now, you thought it was a neutron burn out but that's nowhere near the engine housing.
AVON: All right, but it doesn't make any difference, does it?
BLAKE: Zen, I want a sensor reading for that moment. Full spectrum analysis.
ZEN: Confirmed.
VILA: What are you trying to prove?
BLAKE: Ensor went to Federation Space Headquarters. He wanted medical assistance. He also wanted to sell something of enormous value.
VILA: Orac.
BLAKE: Right.
AVON: Whatever that is.
BLAKE: We can presume the sale was made because he told us they're prepared to pay a fantastic price for it. Now, they start on the return journey....
ZEN: The data you requested is now available.
BLAKE: All right, let's have it.
ZEN: Sensor readings for selected moment are as follows. The explosion registered one point three. Disturbance peaked at one one five. Spectral analysis of residual vapour confirms presence of geritan explosive.
BLAKE: Conclusion?
ZEN: Probability is that a small explosive device was detonated in the gravity compensator controls.
AVON: Sabotage.
BLAKE: Yes.
VILA: But why?
AVON: Presumably so that the Federation could get their hands on Orac without paying a hundred million.
BLAKE: That's the only thing that would make sense.
VILA: So they'll be on their way to pick up Orac as fast as they can go, and that's fairly fast actually.
BLAKE: Yeah, not as fast as us.
AVON: Ever the optimist. [Cally enters.]
CALLY: Blake.
BLAKE: What is it?
CALLY: Jenna is very sick. Gan is, too. They've both got the same symptoms.
BLAKE: What's wrong with them?
CALLY: I want to make a test. [She walks over to Avon and Vila] Avon, give me your hand. [She runs an instrument that sounds like a Geiger counter over the back of Avon's hand. It clicks noisily.] [To Vila] Now yours. [She does the same with Vila, with the same result.] The same as the others. They've all absorbed heavy doses of radiation.
VILA: Radiation! All of me?
CALLY: The four of you went down to the surface of Cephlon, but you stayed down too long -- far beyond the tolerance limits. You need treatment and you need it quickly.
VILA: Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get to the surgical unit.
AVON: Relax. We'll all go onto a massive dose of decontaminant drugs. In a week or two we should all recover.
CALLY: Not possible.
BLAKE: Why not, Cally?
CALLY: There are no decontaminant drugs on the ship. I've checked. There is nothing that will counter radiation sickness.
BLAKE: Are you sure?
CALLY: I'm sure.

[Scene: Gan is in a cabin. We see him listen to the following conversation over the intercom.]
BLAKE: Our only hope is if they have a supply on Aristo.
VILA: But if they don't?
BLAKE: They will have.
VILA: But if they don't?
BLAKE: They will have.
AVON: There's no point in hiding it, our condition will deteriorate rapidly. If we don't get drug treatment very soon, we shall die.

[Scene: Switch back to the flight deck.]
VILA: Die? I can't do that.
AVON: I'm afraid you can. It's the one talent we all share, even you.
VILA: I think I'm going to ... [He rushes off.]

[Scene: a laboratory/living quarters. An old man, Ensor, is looking at some fish in a tank. There is a loud sound of bird song.]
ENSOR: [chuckles] Hello, my little ones. Hmm, ah, you hungry then, are you? Let's give you something to eat, then, mmm? [He chuckles again and turns his attention to the plant next to the tank.] Oh dear, you're a bit dry, aren't you, mmm? [He turns on a water spray for a few seconds.] That's better. That's better, that's better. [He winces in pain.] Ooh! Ugh! [He reclines in a chair. Almost immediately a buzzer on his watch goes off and he gets back up again. He crosses to a hanging bird cage that contains a metal bird. He turns off the bird song and then fits some kind of connector on the end of a cable to a plate on his chest. A meter registers about halfway -- just into the green.] Oh. Not good, not good at all. Very little time left. Ohh. [He picks up a glass of blue liquid. There is a sound of something electronic starting up.] Oh, yes, what is it? Have you something to report?
ORAC: A space vehicle has made a surface landing about seven miles inland.
ENSOR: My son's ship?
ORAC: No.
ENSOR: Ah, stupid question, I apologize. Had it been his he would have contacted us by now. Have you identified the ship?
ORAC: Federation. Two passengers now disembarked and proceeding on foot towards this section.
ENSOR: Is the defense zone operating?
ORAC: Yes.
ENSOR: Then they won't get far. Anyway, ensure that security regulations are fully maintained. Ah! Can't be too careful in my state of health. [He switches the bird song back on.] Ohh. Uggh. Sleeping seems to reduce the energy drain fractionally. Might as well prolong me life to the very limit. [chuckles] One clings to it, clings to it. Keep your eye on the two from the Federation ship.
ORAC: They might attempt entry through the tunnels under the old city.
ENSOR: Oh, they can't us reach that way you know that, those tunnels are crawling with phibians.
ORAC: I was suggesting it might be more humane to warn them of the danger.
ENSOR: Had they been friendly they would have tried to make contact before landing. They didn't. Therefore they are not friends. Therefore they are enemies. What could they want here, hmmm? Ha. Only one thing. You, Orac, my friend, you. Oh no, let the phibians have them.

[Scene: The planet's surface, on the sea shore. Travis passes an obelisk and examines a plant.]
SERVALAN: Travis -- here! [He comes over and opens a trap-door amongst the rocks.]
TRAVIS: There must be an easier way to get into the laboratory than this.
SERVALAN: The surface force barrier is impenetrable. We must go under it.
TRAVIS: Let's see the old man's map again.
SERVALAN: We go straight along this passage, turn right at the junction, and then straight on.
TRAVIS: Yeah, they begin to run below sea level there. Let's hope they're not flooded.
SERVALAN: Well, let's get started.
TRAVIS: Right. [They go down some steps into a tunnel. Travis looks around.]
SERVALAN: Travis!
TRAVIS: Huh?
SERVALAN: It's this way. [They walk through wet tunnels, there are loud breathing sounds in the background.]

[Scene: Liberator: Avon is watching a planet go past. He reclines in a chair. Gan is also resting in the room. Blake enters.]
BLAKE: I've had Zen run through the reference banks. A remarkable man this professor Ensor -- very impressive list of achievements.
AVON: Yes, I know. When he was eighteen years old he developed something called a Tarriel cell. It led to a whole new generation of computers. Every computer in the known worlds now contains Tarriel cells. He also engineered and developed a lot of radical new concepts in computer technology, so that even the most advanced computers are based on his work. It's a surprise to me that the Federation ever let him go.
BLAKE: They didn't -- well, not exactly. [Cally enters.] [To Cally.] How are they?
CALLY: Well, much the same. Until they get treatment the only change can be for the worse.
BLAKE: Who's at the controls?
CALLY: Jenna is.
BLAKE: Well, we're nearly there, another hour.
AVON: It's ironic isn't it -- we are racing to deliver medical supplies that will save a man's life in the hope that he will have medical supplies that will save ours.
BLAKE: Zen gave me something else that would explain why he needs those micro power cells. Zen, report -- medic information 'Ensor'.
ZEN: It appears that Ensor took a vacation on a frontier planet. While there he suffered a massive heart attack. Medical facilities were primitive. The only available transplant was a mechanical heart powered by microcells. They have a life of about forty Earth years.
BLAKE: All of which happened about forty years ago.
CALLY: But didn't they substitute an organic unit once he got back?
BLAKE: That's just the point, he never did get back. He disappeared. He and his four year old son simply vanished. They've never been heard of since.
AVON: Until now.
CALLY: And all the time they've been on Aristo.
BLAKE: Cally, we'd better get ready to teleport down.

[Scene: Liberator flight deck. Jenna is at the controls, Blake enters.]
BLAKE: D'you think you'll be up to handling things in here?
JENNA: Ohh, assuming you don't take too long.
BLAKE: Zen, surface conditions?
ZEN: Tolerable. The land masses are arid and support only primitive plant life. Nine tenths of the planet is covered by water which is highly acidic. The level of the oceans is constantly rising and they now virtually cover all traces of the cities built by early civilizations.
BLAKE: Life forms?
ZEN: Life is evolving in the oceans. An amphibian species have begun to develop.
JENNA: Anything else?
ZEN: This constitutes all available data.
JENNA: Well, at least there won't be too many natural hazards for you to deal with.
BLAKE: I'll go and get kitted up.
ZEN: Data amendment. Retrieval systems have located further information. There has been one exploratory expedition put down on Aristo. Neither of the two members ever returned. Their disappearance remains unexplained. Amendment ends.
BLAKE: I wonder what happened to them?

[Scene: The laboratory. Ensor is reclining with his eyes closed.]
ORAC: An unidentified space vehicle is maneuvering to take a fixed orbit which threatens our security zone. What action do you wish taken? [pause -- There is no response from Ensor.] In the absence of further instructions I shall institute full security procedure.

[Scene: Liberator flight deck. Jenna is at the controls.]
ZEN: Transit complete. Liberator is in stationary orbit within teleport range of the planet Aristo. All circuits are. All circuits are. All circuits are. All circuits are.
JENNA: Zen!
ZEN: [Zen's voice slows and trails off.] All circuits are. All circuits are. All circuits are.
JENNA: [Into intercom.] Blake, quickly! [Blake and Cally enter. Blake fiddles with some controls.]
JENNA: I've done all that. [The background lighting turns red.]
ORAC: [Through Zen.] You will identify yourselves and state clearly the purpose of your intrusion.
BLAKE: Specify recognition code.
ORAC: I repeat, identify yourselves and state the purpose of your mission.
BLAKE: This is the spacecraft Liberator. We have medical supplies for someone on this planet.
ORAC: You will explain the circumstances governing your previous statement.
BLAKE: We went to the aid of a crashed spaceship. Before he died the pilot asked me to deliver some micro power cells. He said they were vital to save his father's life.
ORAC: Your explanation is satisfactory. I am aware that you have teleport facilities. I will set co-ordinates for a surface landing. On arrival you will await further instructions. That is all.
BLAKE: That is all! Jenna, institute a thorough check of the circuits.
ZEN: All circuits are now free of interference and full function is restored.
CALLY: What happened?
ZEN: Preliminary research indicates that all computer functions were temporarily under external control.
JENNA: But that's impossible!
ZEN: Logic units concur that it is impossible.
BLAKE: But it happened anyway.
ZEN: Logic units concur that it happened. Investigation of this paradox is continuing.
JENNA: I don't like it. A force that can take over the computers could easily take over the ship.
BLAKE: We're not going to find out about it standing here. Are you ready, Cally?
CALLY: Yes, I'm ready.
BLAKE: [Into intercom.] Avon, can you handle the teleport?
AVON: [On intercom.] What's going on?
BLAKE: Just get down there. Jenna, switch to automatics, then go and rest in your cabin. Come on, Cally.

[Scene: Liberator teleport section. Cally and Blake enter, followed by Avon.]
AVON: Blake!
BLAKE: What is it?
AVON: Look at the locator.
BLAKE: It's setting the co-ordinates.
AVON: By itself. It looks as if our computers are being over-ridden again, being programmed from another source.
CALLY: Perhaps we should move out while we've still got a chance.
AVON: While some of us have still got a chance.
CALLY: Oh, I forgot. I'm sorry, Avon.
BLAKE: Frankly, I doubt whether we could even if we wanted to. From what we've seen already it's obvious that machine could totally immobilize us.
AVON: Then let's get on with it.
BLAKE: [To Avon.] If you feel well enough, could you try and stay by the teleport?
AVON: I have no plans to go anywhere else.
BLAKE: All right, put us down.

[Scene: The planet's surface. Blake and Cally land near the obelisk.]
BLAKE: Some sort of obelisk, I suppose.
CALLY: Well, what should we do now?
BLAKE: Wait for further instructions -- there's not much else we can do. Let's take a look around.
CALLY: Blake!
BLAKE: What is it?
CALLY: Look. [She puts her hand up to show some sort of barrier. Blake does the same.]
BLAKE: It's a force barrier. The question is are we on the outside unable to get in or....
CALLY: On the inside unable to get out.
BLAKE: Yeah.

[Scene: The tunnels. Travis and Servalan are moving through them.]
SERVALAN: Travis.
TRAVIS: Uh?
SERVALAN: Listen. What is it?
TRAVIS: I dunno, but it's been behind us since we started.
SERVALAN: Let's keep going.
TRAVIS: Look, the tunnel's blocked.
SERVALAN: Well, can we get through?
TRAVIS: I'll go and check. [He goes forward to inspect the blockage, then returns.]
TRAVIS: The roof looks as though it may cave in at any moment.
SERVALAN: Well, we knew there would be risks.
TRAVIS: Well, let's hope they're justified.
SERVALAN: They are. When we deliver Orac to the Federation they will be very grateful, and very generous, and it will be our success, ours alone.
TRAVIS: Keep watch, I'm going through.
SERVALAN: Right. [Travis moves off -- Servalan looks uneasy as she hears various 'roars' from the tunnels.] Travis! Travis!! [Suddenly a clawed hand is placed on her leg.] Agh!! Travis! Travis, help me! [Travis shoots the creature. Servalan is shaking]
TRAVIS: Are you hurt?
SERVALAN: [Still shaken.] No. What is it?
TRAVIS: I dunno -- some kind of lizard. We can get through. You have to crawl, but it widens out again later. The rewards and credit, remember? I'll go first, shall I?
SERVALAN: No, Travis. You will follow me. [They continue on. Cut to the surface and then back to the tunnels. Servalan is looking round, then stops and stares suddenly. We see a pair of skeletons.]

[Scene: The surface. A bright object approaches the camera over the sea. It is a ball-shaped object previously seen in Ensor's lab. It approaches Blake and Cally who are sitting next to the obelisk.]
ORAC: You will stand up. You will stand up! [They do so.] You are carrying weapons, you will remove them.
BLAKE: We'd prefer to keep them with us.
ORAC: You will remove them.
BLAKE: No! [There is a small explosion on the ground in front of them.]
BLAKE: We will remove them.
ORAC: You will make greater speed. Hurry. Hurry.
CALLY: How do we get through the barrier?
ORAC: You will follow me.
CALLY: Versatile, isn't it?
BLAKE: Let's hope it's still around when we want to get out of here. [Blake raises his communicator.]
ORAC: It is too late to contact your ship. You are now inside the barrier. Signal transmission through the energy screen is not possible. You will follow me.

[Scene: Liberator. Jenna enters the teleport area where Avon is seated at the controls.]
AVON: You were told to stay in your cabin.
JENNA: Any word?
AVON: Nothing since they called in to say that they were down safely and waiting.
JENNA: How long ago was that?
AVON: A little over two hours.
JENNA: We should have heard by now. [There is a groan from nearby. Avon moves the teleport bracelet holder to discover Gan behind it.]
AVON: Not you as well. What are you doing down there?
GAN: I don't like being on my own. Especially if I'm about to die.
JENNA: That's cheerful.
GAN: Sorry.
AVON: Is Vila on his way as well?
GAN: No, he's doing his best to convince himself that he feels fine. Says we'll just remind him that he doesn't.
AVON: Sometimes he shows distinct signs of intelligence. Why don't you return to your quarters. I'll let you know the moment I hear anything.
JENNA: I'll stay. I think it's better if there are two of us standing by.
GAN: Better still if there are three of us.
AVON: Better still if you... [He stops abruptly. They look at each other and then all settle down to continue waiting.]

[Scene: The surface of the planet. Blake and Cally are walking along. A black cylinder rises from the ground.]
ORAC: Make haste and approach the transporter.
BLAKE: Transporter!?
ORAC: Move forward. [They approach it.] You will now enter the transporter. [Blake walks around it.]
BLAKE: There's no door.
ORAC: You will enter the transporter.
BLAKE: Look, I'm getting fed up with taking orders... How are we supposed to get inside this thing?
ORAC: The girl will go first. Move to the other side of the transporter. [Cally moves to the other side of the cylinder, but when Blake follows her she has vanished. Then it opens with her inside.]
BLAKE: I thought you started without me. [He steps in.]
CALLY: So did I. [The door closes.] I said that thing was versatile.
BLAKE: Maybe we should try and capture it. Perhaps Avon would like it as a pet. [The transporter sinks down some distance and then stops.] We seem to have arrived. [The door opens and closes after they exit. They move along a corridor to a junction.]
CALLY: Shall we split up and search?
BLAKE: No, we'd end up looking for each other as well as Orac and Ensor. Come on.

[Scene: Travis and Servalan still in the tunnels.]
TRAVIS: Let's check the map.
SERVALAN: We're almost there.

[Scene: Blake and Cally reach a closed door]
CALLY: It looks similar to the transporter. [It opens.]
BLAKE: And just as disconcerting. [They enter the laboratory and look around.]
CALLY: Blake, look. [The ball-shaped mobile is on a table.]
ENSOR: [Entering.] Ah, at last. The energy cells, have you brought the energy cells?
BLAKE: Yes, yes, yes, we've got them. Now, are you all right?
ENSOR: Well, of course I'm not all right. If I was all right I wouldn't need you. It's certainly taken you long enough to get here. Ah, it's typical of you morons in physical medicine.
CALLY: Oh, look, you don't understand.
ENSOR: Always has to be a mercy dash, doesn't it? Not enough to simply arrive, do your work, and then get out, ooh no, no, it has to be a drama.
BLAKE: We got here as quickly as we could.
ENSOR: I don't want to hear your feeble excuses. Now let's get on with it. I've developed a system of electronic anaesthesia that I shall administer myself. Shan't need your filthy drugs. Now, you can start carving me up as soon as you like.
CALLY: Look, you must listen to us, we...[drowned out by Ensor]
ENSOR: Press the red switch, will you. [Blake presses the red button.] The RED one! [Blake presses the green one.] Now you'll have to work quickly. An implant operation can't be done in ten minutes you know. The last time I checked it showed there was very little in reserve.
BLAKE: Professor, what are you doing?
ENSOR: The instrument isn't entirely accurate, but it does give a, an indication. Well, I suppose you enjoy this sort of thing. Hmm? Boosts your egos to have the power of life and death, adds to the mystique with which you medics like to surround yourself. All right, now, which of you is the surgeon? Oh, come on, speak up, which of you is the butcher?
BLAKE: We are not medics, I'm afraid.
ENSOR: What?
CALLY: We went to the aid of a spacecraft that had crashed, one of the crew was already dead and the other man was dying, but before he died he asked us to get these to you.
ENSOR: Both men dead, you say?
CALLY: Yes.
ENSOR: One of them was my son.
CALLY: I'm sorry. He tried desperately to reach you. He did everything he possibly could.
ENSOR: Oh, such a waste. He had a good mind. Death is such a waste. You were with my son when he died?
CALLY: Yes.
ENSOR: It's always too late, isn't it? I wonder if he knew how much I loved him?
BLAKE: I think he did.
ENSOR: Oh I, I'm sorry if I snapped at you. It's, it's just my way. Thank you, for doing all you could to help.
CALLY: We were hoping you might be able to help us.
ENSOR: Mmm, what is it you want?
BLAKE: The four of my crew who went down to help your son suffered from high doses of radiation. Now, unless they get decontaminant drugs they also will die.
ENSOR: Ah, couldn't be easier. Whole cabinet of drugs over there round the corner -- you'll see it. Take all you want, help yourself. [Cally goes off in the indicated direction.] Can't stand them, myself. Filthy things, drugs. Ohh.
BLAKE: Listen, how long have you got before these power cells run out?
ENSOR: Thirty minutes, at the very outside a couple of hours.
BLAKE: Well, then there is still a chance. If we can get you back to our ship then we may be able to perform the implant ourselves. I mean, it's a relatively simple operation -- our computer can instruct us.
ENSOR: You have the facilities to perform an operation?
BLAKE: Liberator has one of the finest surgical units you've ever seen.
ENSOR: Might be possible, I suppose.
BLAKE: Well, come with us, you've got a chance, stay here you'll die certainly.
ENSOR: I'll do it. I'll do it. Ahah, it will be strange to leave this place, you know. I, I haven't been away for over forty years.
BLAKE: [Handing him a teleport bracelet.] Put this on.
ENSOR: What is it?
BLAKE: Well, if you can, er, get rid of that force barrier then we can teleport you directly from here.
ENSOR: Ah, it's not practical.
BLAKE: Why not?
ENSOR: Oh, if I were to disconnect it now it would be, ooh, five hours before its dissipates and I haven't got five hours. No, no, we've got to get to the surface.
CALLY: [Returning.] Blake, I think I've found enough for everybody.
BLAKE: Oh good, at least the others will be all right.
ENSOR: Well, I'm ready, shall we get started?
BLAKE: Well, wait a minute. There is something else.
ENSOR: What?
BLAKE: What about Orac?
ENSOR: Orac. Of course, yes, I can't leave Orac here.
CALLY: That was the message we were to give you. Your son says 'The Federation is willing to pay a hundred million for Orac'.
ENSOR: [chuckles] They're willing to pay are you? Well, he's worth ten times that much. Now, come on you, help me, help me, help me. I'm gonna get him out of here. Quick. Quick. Come on. That's it. Careful. Careful. Careful. Put him over here, yes. Now, you should be able to carry him between you.
CALLY: This is Orac?
BLAKE: A hundred million for that?
CALLY: Is it a computer?
ENSOR: It most certainly is not. It is a brain, a genius. It has a mind that can draw information from every computer containing one of my cells. Orac has access to the sum total of all the knowledge of all the known worlds.
BLAKE: You mean it can draw information from any other computer without a direct link?
ENSOR: Precisely that, yes. Now are you going to stand there and listen to a lecture or might you consider it more important to try and sustain my life? Now, will you put him in there?
BLAKE: Oh, yes, I'm sorry.
ENSOR: Careful, careful, careful. That's right. You better take that. Right. Ahh, just a minute. You'd better take that.
BLAKE: What is it?
ENSOR: It's a simple on/off device that activates Orac. Use it and Orac will advise you of every detail of the operation you intend to perform. Now, shall we go? [They leave the room, but Ensor turns back to his plants] Ahh. Just a minute, just a minute. Ah. [He waters plants.] Yes, goodbye my plants, goodbye. I shall miss you. The only real vegetation on this whole benighted planet.
BLAKE: Ensor.
ENSOR: Huh? Oh, yes. [He heads for the door, then turns back yet again to feed the fish.] Ah. [chuckles] I nearly forgot you, my little ones, there you are, oh ho ho that will have to do. That will ha...
BLAKE: [Interrupting] Ensor!
ENSOR: I shall be back soon -- goodbye, goodbye.

[Scene: Travis and Servalan next to a hatch]
TRAVIS: It's not good, it won't shift. It's solid.
SERVALAN: What are you going to do?
TRAVIS: I'm gonna use a charge. Right, let's take cover.

[Scene: Ensor, Blake and Cally in a corridor]
ENSOR: No. This way, this way.

[Scene: Switches back to the charge on the hatch, which goes off]
ENSOR: What was that?
BLAKE: Get back to the lab. [He goes off.]
CALLY: Can you help me carry this?
ENSOR: Yes, yes all right..
CALLY: Come on.
TRAVIS: Come on. [He steps through as Blake turns the corner into the corridor] Blake! [He fires and misses. He and Servalan follow Blake] Which corridor did they take?

[Scene: Blake, Cally and Ensor back in the lab]
BLAKE: Weapons?
ENSOR: I disapprove of weapons.
BLAKE: So do I, but I disapprove of dying even more.
CALLY: Is there another way out of here?
ENSOR: No, oh, yes, there is, we could go by the tunnels under the old city.
BLAKE: Well, let's go then.
ENSOR: But it isn't safe.
CALLY: But it might be safer than here. Show us.
BLAKE: All right, this way. Oh, it's locked.
BLAKE: Well, get it open.
ENSOR: Key, now where did I put the key?

[Scene: Servalan and Travis reach the laboratory door]
SERVALAN: Blast it open.
TRAVIS: Right, stand back. Keep clear. [The door is blown and they enter.] There, they've gone through another door. He's getting away! He's getting away!
SERVALAN: Travis, forget Blake -- find Orac, although they've probably taken it with them. [They search the room.] Travis. Look.
TRAVIS: What is it?
SERVALAN: [Pointing to a map she has found.] Now, this is where we are. In order to get to a surface exit they have to go back along this passage, along here up there and there's your surface exit. Now, if we go back the way we came, along here, we'll get there first and we can be waiting for them. Let's go.

[Scene: Blake, Cally and Ensor in the tunnels]
BLAKE: How much further?
ENSOR: Oh, some way yet. I, I shall have to rest soon.
CALLY: We should keep on moving, they could be right behind us.
BLAKE: Yes, without weapons we don't stand a chance. Look, you keep going. I'm going to stay here and try and bring the roof down -- block them off.
CALLY: Perhaps it would be better if we all stayed together?
BLAKE: Let me do it my way, Cally.
ENSOR: Come on.

[Scene: Teleport area. Avon raises his head and checks his watch. He activates the intercom.]
AVON: Vila.

[Scene: The scene switches to Vila in a cabin, reclining in a chair.]
VILA: What is it?
AVON: [On communicator] How do you feel.
VILA: You woke me up to ask me how I feel?
AVON: [On communicator] Can you walk?
VILA: Why should I want to?
AVON: [On communicator] Meet me in the teleport area in your surface clothes, and hurry.
VILA: [Opens the cabin door and bangs his head] Ohhh!

[Scene: Teleport area. Gan is asleep on the steps. Avon, in surface gear, enters and drops a gun on the console. Jenna wakes up.]
JENNA: What is it, what's the matter?
AVON: Cally and Blake -- they've been down on the surface for far too long. They must have run into some kind of trouble, see if you can wake Gan up.
JENNA: Gan, Gan, come on, wake up.
GAN: What, uh, what's wrong, Jenna?
JENNA: Blake and Cally, something's happened to them.
VILA: [Entering, in surface gear.] Where is he?
JENNA: We don't know.
VILA: He woke me up.
GAN: Blake woke you up?
VILA: Avon.
AVON: Vila.
VILA: What are you up to now?
AVON: You and I are going down to the surface. [He thrusts a gun at him.] Put that on.
VILA: Are you out of your mind -- I'm finding it hard enough just to stay on my feet.
AVON: Then crawl, but put that on! Gan, you stay here with Jenna. Make sure that one of you stays conscious long enough to beam us back up again.
GAN: Right.
JENNA: Listen, Avon, there's nothing you can achieve by going down there.
AVON: I don't intend to sit around and wait to die. Get ready to put us down. [To Vila, handing him some pills.] Take these.
VILA: What are they?
AVON: [He throws the remaining pills to Jenna.] They will help, for a while anyway.
JENNA: Ready?
AVON: Get on with it. [Vila is still not completely dressed, he is holding one boot.]

[Avon and Vila materialize on the planet's surface. Vila's bootless foot is in a puddle.]
VILA: Ohughhh. I've got a wet foot now.
AVON: Come on.

[Scene: The tunnels. Cally and Ensor are carrying Orac.]
ENSOR: Wait, wait. Wait a minute. I have to rest. [There is a roar from the tunnels.]
CALLY: What is that?
ENSOR: Uh, there are some creatures that live down here.
CALLY: Are they dangerous?
ENSOR: Oh, I don't think they'll harm us.

[Scene: Cuts to Blake still trying to bring down the roof of the tunnel, then switches back to Cally and Ensor.]
CALLY: Will you be all right for a minute? I'll be back.

[Scene: Cally leaves Ensor alone and goes back. She is attacked by a phibian.]
CALLY: Arghhh, ... [Blake hits the phibian over the head with a rock and it collapses, he and Cally then return to Ensor.]
BLAKE: Cally, check the way ahead's clear.
CALLY: Blake, look! [She points to some stairs at the top of which light is visible.]
BLAKE: Ensor! Ensor! [Ensor is dead].
CALLY: I am sorry. Just a little longer and we might have saved you.

[Scene: Blake and Cally are on the beach. Blake closes the trap-door and puts a rock on top of it, then rejoins Cally.]
BLAKE: Call Liberator. [There is a small explosion nearby.]
TRAVIS: [with his gun-arm raised] Goodbye, Blake.
SERVALAN: Wait.
TRAVIS: I have waited. Too long.
SERVALAN: He's the bonus, Travis. Orac is the prize. [To Blake] Where is Ensor?
BLAKE: Ensor, like his son, is dead.
SERVALAN: It was to be expected. He survived longer than we thought was possible. That box -- Orac -- that's what we came for. If it does only half of what was promised it will give the Federation greater power than it's ever known.
CALLY: What are you going to do?
TRAVIS: What do you think I'm going to do?
BLAKE: I think you're going to kill me, Travis, with or without orders from the Supreme Commander.
SERVALAN: With orders, Blake. All right, Travis, go ahead. [Avon shoots Travis' gun-arm]
TRAVIS: Ah! Ah!
AVON: Don't move.
BLAKE: Good shot, Avon.
AVON: I was aiming for his head.
VILA: You took your time, what have you been up to?
CALLY: We had a few minor problems.
VILA: Did you bring the decontaminants?
CALLY: Yes, we've got them.
BLAKE: Tell them to bring us up.
VILA: Jenna, stand by.
TRAVIS: Well what are you waiting for? Come on, man. Why don't you kill us?
BLAKE: No, I've got a better idea: we'll get a message through to the Federation, tell them that you let us take Orac. I'm sure they'll be quite fascinated by your explanation. [Blake, Cally, Avon and Vila teleport.]
SERVALAN: You're in a lot of trouble, Travis.

[Scene: Flight deck.]
BLAKE: The other end's connected.
AVON: You want to give it a try?
BLAKE: Why not? Vila, switch to automatics. [Blake, Avon and Vila head for the couches where the rest of the crew are seated around Orac.] Oh, Activator. [He hands it to Avon who inserts it into Orac. The computer hums.]
JENNA: Well, for a hundred million credits you'd expect something a little more spectacular than that.
VILA: Try kicking it.
GAN: Are you sure it's fully switched on?
ORAC: Of course I'm properly switched on. Having depressed the activator button what else would you expect?
CALLY: It's his voice.
BLAKE: It's exactly as though Ensor were speaking.
ORAC: Surely it is obvious even to the meanest intelligence that during my development I would naturally become endowed with aspects of my creator's personality.
AVON: The more endearing aspects by the sound of it.
ORAC: Possibly. However similarities between myself and Ensor are entirely superficial. My mental capacity is infinitely greater.
JENNA: Modest, isn't he?
ORAC: Modesty would be dishonesty.
VILA: What's wrong with being dishonest?
ORAC: Is that a question?
VILA: Yes.
ORAC: The question is futile. Were I to say that I am incapable of dishonesty how would you know if I was being dishonest or not?
BLAKE: A question for a question. Well, you're capable of evasion, anyway.
VILA: I think I've heard enough. I don't like him. Orac, be a good junk heap -- shut up.
CALLY: I agree with Vila.
ORAC: Define the words 'Shut up.'
BLAKE: Stop talking. Do not speak. Be silent.
ORAC: That is better. Our relationship will be best served if your statements are free of ambiguity.
GAN: Let's switch him off and go back to work.
BLAKE: No, wait a minute, let's find out what he is capable of. Orac, what are your limits?
ORAC: They have not yet been defined. My knowledge is virtually infinite. My secondary ability is to logically process that knowledge and make accurate predictions.
CALLY: Are you saying you can see into the future?
ORAC: The words future, present, past are meaningless.
AVON: Define 'meaningless'.
ORAC: I have the capacity to predict events that have not yet taken place.
AVON: That is not what I asked.
ORAC: In the circumstances the question is meaningless. [Avon laughs.]
BLAKE: Now, that's ridiculous. Give us a demonstration.
ORAC: Demonstrate as a command is insufficient.
GAN: What does he mean?
AVON: He means, like Zen, that he requires specific instructions.
ORAC: Instructions are not needed if commands are succinct.
VILA: I'm getting tired of this. Go on, predict something.
ORAC: I will project an image on your scanner screen.
JENNA: Go on then, show us.
GAN: Hey that's us.
VILA: It's Liberator.
BLAKE: It's not much of a prediction, just travelling through space.
ORAC: It is not a prediction; it is an immutable certainty. Space vehicle will be destroyed.
JENNA: What!
VILA: You're not given to practical jokes are you, because that's not funny.
BLAKE: When's this supposed to happen?
ORAC: The event is not far distant.
BLAKE: How far distant?
GAN: There must be some way of making him tell us when.
AVON: Be more precise.
ORAC: The event is now even less distant.
VILA: I don't believe it.
JENNA: Zen, system status.
ZEN: All systems are functioning normally.
VILA: Yes, but Zen's only a machine.
AVON: So is Orac. [He removes the activator and throws it across the flight deck.]
VILA: That's all right, that's fixed Orac.
BLAKE: No, it hasn't.
JENNA: What do you mean?
BLAKE: We've forgotten something. The prediction has still been made.
JENNA: Blake! [the on-screen ship explodes] [end titles]