Peterson.
That'll teach you where to keep your hand.
Now l know.
That could be quite a lethal weapon.
lt could kill, not cure.
Not in the hands of a great surgeon
like Dr Duval.
The beam from this laser can be regulated
to one millionth of a millimeter.
You've been Dr Duval's assistant
for some time.
- He must have snatched you out of a cradle!
- l've been with him since l got out of school.
He brought me into the CMDF
over five years ago.
- That's a long time with one man.
- Not working with someone like Dr Duval.
He's...
Well...
- Prepare for miniaturization.
- Positions, please.
- l still have something to check.
- Right. Mr Grant?
There are two seats under the chart table.
Would you pull them out, please?
Secure your safety belts.
Miss Peterson, this is your chair right here.
- Doctor, let me help you.
- No, it's all right. l can manage.
- Doctor?
- Yes, Cora.
l...
l wanted to say that...
What is it? ls anything wrong?
No, nothing. l... just wanted to say...
thank you for taking me along.
Thank you for volunteering.
Right, Mr Grant.
You can tell them the Proteus is ready.
- The Proteus? What's that?
- The name of this vessel.
Sounds better than calling it the U-91035.
Proteus reports all secured, sir.
Miniaturizer.
All stations, stand by.
All medical posts, stand by.
Check scanner. Computer 9-5.
Checks out on radar.
lnstruct computer for a plus 6-0-9.
Phase one.
- Colonel?
- OK to proceed.
Phase two.
Elevate zero module.
Lower zero module.
Halt and transfer.
HDR in order.
Elevate zero module.
We'll submerge manually.
Mr Grant, open induction valves one and two.
- Where are they?
- There's one port and one starboard.
On the bulkhead right behind you.
- l'll get the other.
- Fine.
- You ready?
- Yeah.
lnduction valve open.
Valve open.
Close valves.
Valve closed.
Right. That's all for the present.
- l can't breathe.
- Dr Michaels.
- Dr Michaels!
- l've got to get out.
lt's too late for that.
Now, we must go on.
l'm sorry. l...
l've got claustrophobia. l was...
l was buried alive in an air raid in England.
Two days.
l thought l'd got over it.
Please forgive me.
l'll really be all right now.
Come on.
You'll feel better once we're underway.
Thank you.
Lock and hold.
- OK, Colonel.
- OK.
Phase three.
All stations, 60 and counting.
- lnform Proteus they are at full reduction.
- Yes, sir.
- At full reduction.
- Right.
- That air feels good.
- Yes.
- Are you all right?
- Yes, l'm OK.
Mr Grant, tell them the Proteus is on power.
- Proteus on power, sir.
- OK, Don, it's all yours.
Phase four.
Elevate zero module.
Check thermal blanket.
Tracking.
Contact Proteus.
- Stand by for injection.
- Right.
lnject.
Tracking post.
The medieval philosophers were right.
Man is the center of the universe.
We stand in the middle of infinity,
between outer and inner space.
And there's no limit to either.
l never imagined
it could be anything like this.
- No, l always thought it was nothing but red.
- Only to the naked eye.
Those corpuscles carrying oxygen
give the stream its color.
The rest of the plasma's
very much like seawater.
- An ocean of life.
- End to end, 100,000 miles long.
Dr Duval?
What could those be?
That looks like
the molecular structure of proteins.
l don't agree.
- We should stop and investigate.
- l'm afraid we haven't time.
Captain, keep your present heading
until we're in the clear.
Arterial wall to the left.
- What's our speed?
- 15 knots.
You should reach
the main branching artery in two minutes.
Keep the wall at this distance
when you turn.
That should bring you safely
into the middle of the branch.
- Captain, correct your course and speed.
- She won't respond. We're in a current.
- That isn't possible.
- Not in a sealed vessel like an artery.
There's something wrong
with your controls.
No, it's a current. lt's too strong.
l can't seem to break out of it.
Whirlpool. Strap