quadrant 7-4 at level D.
24 minutes left, maximum.
This is just what we need. Another delay.
You'll wind up a Hindu.
They respect all forms of life, however small.
Help!
Please help!
There she is.
She's damaging those fibres.
Antibodies will attack any moment.
Grant?
The pressure. I...
- I can't...
- Get backto the sub. I'll get her out.
Hurry!
- Where are they?
- They're belowthe cells of Hensen.
If the antibodies reach her,
they'll attack as if she were bacteria.
Open it! Open it before they get here.
I can't till the hatch is flooded.
They're tightening!
Please! I... can't... breathe.
I can't...
They've crystallised.
It's all right, Cora. It's all right.
They're on their way again.
12 minutes left.
What a time to run out of sugar.
Looks like quite a way.
We'll reach the base of the brain soon.
From there it's not far to the site of the injury.
But we're running out of time.
Where's that light coming from?
It's from the outside world.
Filtering in through Benes's eardrum.
That puts us right here.
Which means we can head for
the subarachnoid cavity.
The Proteus has passed the inner ear and
is now in the channel leading to the brain.
I thought I'd die when the scissors
dropped on the floor.
- It's against my better judgement.
- To wait until it may be too late?
- I've done all I could with the laser!
- All I ask...
I'm only asking him
that he test it beforehand.
If it doesn't work,
it's beyond my power to fix it.
But if it does, there's no telling
how long it'll stand up.
It's a jury rig at best and we'll need
every second of use we can get out of it.
That's why I don't want to put extra
strain on it by running unnecessary tests!
- Dr Duval, I insist thatyou test the laser.
- I'll do nothing of the sort!
The operation is my responsibility.
I won't do it.
All right. As usual you want ityour own way.
Only this time there's more at stake.
I know what's at stake, Dr Michaels.
Imagine! They're in the human mind.
"Yet all the suns that light
the corridors of the universe
shine dim before the blazing
of a single thought,
proclaiming an incandescent glory:
the myriad mind of Man."
Quite poetic, gentlemen.
Let me know when we pass the soul.
The soul? The finite mind
cannot comprehend infinity,
and the soul which comes
from God is infinite.
Yes, but our time isn't.
- If my calculations are correct...
- Doctor, what's that up ahead?
That's it. That's the site of the injury,
that dark spot.
- We'd better get prepared.
- There isn't time.
I don't see how you could operate
and get out of here before the hour's up.
Captain, head for the removal point.
Removal point? What are you talking about?
We've only six minutes left.
Hold it, skipper.
- What happens if we overstay?
- Once time's up, deminiaturisation begins.
Then, within seconds, this ship will grow big
enough to become a danger to the system.
Then white corpuscles will destroy it
as they would any other invader.
How long will it take
to get from here to the removal point?
- About two minutes.
- That still leaves me four minutes to operate.
All you'll succeed in doing
is getting us trapped.
I simply won't hear of it.
Captain, return to the removal point.
All right.
Grant, what are you doing? My power's gone.
Dr Duval, get the laser.
I'm in charge. You were instructed
to take orders, not to give them.
- The situation has changed.
- Nothing has, so far as my authority goes.
We've got to get out of here now.
It's suicide. I'm not going to let him operate.
You're in no condition to make any decision.
You're not going through with this. I forbid it.
- I won't allow anyone to leave this ship!
- I'm going to do all I can to save Benes.
Don't you see whatyou've done? You've
given him a perfect opportunity to kill Benes.
- I don't believe that.
- Because of all his gibberish about the soul?
Camouflage, that's all that is, to blind
the gullible and cover up his real identity.
A