silence must be maintained
until they are out of the danger area.
- What's wrong, skipper?
- What l was afraid would happen.
That stuff we passed through
that looks like seaweed?
Yes, reticular fibers.
lt clogged the intake vents.
We're not getting any propulsion.
Well, there's only one thing to do.
What?
l'll see if maybe there's some way
l can clear those vents.
How long do you think it'll take?
Quite some time.
- Wouldn't it be quicker if we all helped?
- You're right. We haven't a minute to spare.
- Would you...?
- Oh, yes.
l'll stay behind.
l'd better use the time
to finish repairing the laser.
Why don't you start on the engines?
Report no movement of the Proteus
since entering 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 fibers.
Antibodies will attack any moment.
Grant?
The pressure. l...
- l can't...
- Get back to the sub. l'll get her out.
Hurry!
- Where are they?
- They're below the cells of Hensen.
lf the antibodies reach her,
they'll attack as if she were bacteria.
Open it! Open it before they get here.
l can't till the hatch is flooded.
They're tightening!
Please! l... can't... breathe.
l can't...
They've crystallized.
lt's all right, Cora. lt'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?
lt'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.
l thought l'd die when the scissors
dropped on the floor.
- lt's against my betterjudgment.
- To wait until it may be too late?
- l've done all l could with the laser!
- All l ask...
l'm only asking him
that he test it beforehand.
lf 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.
lt's ajury rig at best and we'll need
every second of use we can get out of it.
That's why l don't want to put extra
strain on it by running unnecessary tests!
- Dr Duval, l insist that you test the laser.
- l'll do nothing of the sort!
The operation is my responsibility.
l won't do it.
All right. As usual you want it your own way.
Only this time there's more at stake.
l know what's at stake, Dr Michaels.
lmagine! 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.
- lf 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.
l 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, deminiaturization 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.
l simply won't hear of it.
Captain, return to the removal point.
All right.
Grant, what are