First broadcast 6th January 1981.
Sapphire and Steel receive a puzzling assignment at an apartment complex where time is poised to attack.
David McCallum ... Steel
Joanna Lumley Joanna Lumley ... Sapphire
Catherine Hall ... Rothwyn
David Gant ... Eldred
David Collings ... Silver
Sapphire and Steel receive a puzzling assignment at an apartment complex where time is poised to attack.
David McCallum ... Steel
Joanna Lumley Joanna Lumley ... Sapphire
Catherine Hall ... Rothwyn
David Gant ... Eldred
David Collings ... Silver
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:30Oh
00:32Oh
00:58Rough winds
01:02I
01:14Deal with
01:29Day 27
01:32Experimental project
01:35Es stroke 5 stroke treble 7
01:39urban examination and observation
01:42time of day
01:438 12 a.m
01:45old time
01:47month January
01:49old calendar
01:51year
01:541980 ad
02:02Oh
02:32Oh
02:48All irregularities will be handled by the forces controlling each dimension
02:52Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life. Medium atomic weights are available. Gold, lead, copper, jet, diamond, radium, sapphire, silver and steel. Sapphire and steel have been assigned.
03:22It's still winter.
03:41Eldridge and I seem to be adjusting quite well to the cold weather. So does the baby.
03:47Our temperatures are normal.
03:49That's living inside of course.
03:52Comparatively civilized system of heating.
03:57Outside. I'd hate to imagine how we'd survive outside.
04:02I only have to look out to feel
04:05threatened by it.
04:22I
04:53This is the top floor.
04:55And it must be here.
05:22Oh, and I wanted to report a transference failure.
05:32Eldridge said it was not important at this stage.
05:36But it is to me.
05:39After all, I am responsible for the domestic side of this experiment, am I not?
05:45You see, we stopped receiving supplies of nutrition
05:50two days ago.
05:53And
06:05It's probably some simple breakdown that you've already noticed back there, so I suppose there's nothing to worry about.
06:13We still have some supplies left. I'll try to make them last.
06:16We don't mind making a study of 20th century food, but we shouldn't like to have to eat the stuff.
06:37Living room.
06:47This place hasn't been lived in for months.
06:51We're too late. 86 days. What? It's been empty for 86 days. It happened 86 days ago?
06:58No, we would have been told.
07:03People from another time, people who shouldn't be here.
07:07What would 86 terrestrial days mean to them, one way or the other?
07:10We would have known.
07:12If something had happened to them, we would have known.
07:15This whole planet would have known by now.
07:18You've searched this whole building, every floor, every room.
07:21I know, but they're here.
07:22Well, what are these people? Invisible?
07:25Microscopic?
07:27I don't know.
07:29But whoever they are, I know they're somewhere here.
07:33And whatever it is that intends to attack them?
07:36I don't think it's even started.
07:38The kitchen.
07:408.28 a.m., day 27.
07:48Still?
07:51They are here.
07:58Breakfast.
08:01Breakfast.
08:03Breakfast.
08:05Breakfast.
08:06Breakfast.
08:0920th century style.
08:13Steel?
08:17There would have been actual items of food.
08:20There would have been eggs, real eggs.
08:23Natural bread.
08:26Natural butter.
08:30And probably some kind of preserve.
08:32A girl?
08:33No, not quite a girl.
08:37A woman, yes, a woman.
08:41You mean you can hear her?
08:42No, I just know she's here somewhere.
08:45And a man, there's also a man.
08:48Well, where are they?
08:49Wait.
08:50There's a third one.
08:53A child?
08:55No.
08:57A baby.
08:59Yes, it's a small baby.
09:06A baby?
09:08Here?
09:09Yes.
09:11Well, can you hear it?
09:13No.
09:15Can they hear us?
09:16I don't think so.
09:18But whoever they are, the atmosphere is normal, it feels normal.
09:25Yes, well, it's far from normal.
09:28I'm going to check the building again.
09:31No, Steel.
09:33I said they're here.
09:37Here?
09:39In this room?
09:41No.
09:44In another time?
09:46Where?
09:50Above us.
09:55They're somewhere above us.
09:57And as well as having to prepare
10:03and cook this food for the morning meal,
10:06our dear housewife and mother of the late 20th century
10:15would have been organising her evening meal at about the same time.
10:19In other times?
10:21Yes.
10:22Would have been organising her evening meal at about the same time.
10:25On the roof.
10:27They're hiding on the roof.
10:30No.
10:32They're not hiding.
10:34In, say, nine out of ten homes,
10:37the main task in the preparing of that evening meal
10:43would have been the melting of, or the restoring to its proper temperature,
10:47the principal element of that meal.
10:49And that principal element would almost always have been
10:55the piece of dead animal.
11:19Come on.
11:49No!
12:05What happened?
12:15The attack has started.
12:19The attack has started.
12:50There may be another level.
12:52A rooftop apartment.
13:19A rooftop apartment.
13:49Grrr.
13:57Grrr.
14:01Grrr.
14:19Grrr.
14:46Hello.
14:50What's wrong?
14:54Nothing.
14:57Lean forward.
15:06Is this the last of the consignment?
15:09Not quite.
15:13Whatever it is, will you tell me, please?
15:15I mean, it's not as if they're likely to leave us stranded here in time, are they?
15:20I hope not.
15:22Did you hear that?
15:25Hear what?
15:27It stopped now.
15:29It was about...
15:31about there, just over there.
15:35What was it?
15:36People talking.
15:37Two people.
15:45Two people.
16:029.34 a.m.
16:04Day 27.
16:06There.
16:07It's there now.
16:08Voices?
16:10Only one voice this time.
16:11I'd like a signal back, please.
16:13I'd like to be sure that you can still hear me.
16:17Would you please signal back?
16:34Can you hear what it's saying?
16:37No.
16:39Careful.
16:41I don't trust this.
16:44Neither do I.
16:46What about the voice?
16:49Gone.
16:51What is it?
16:54Here.
16:59It's a wall.
17:13Help!
17:43Help!
18:13PHONE RINGS
18:43PHONE RINGS
18:51The wall ends here.
18:54It's a corner.
18:57There's more along there.
18:58What about your side?
19:00The same.
19:03Can you feel any windows or doors?
19:06No.
19:08Just a wall.
19:09Well, a wall texture.
19:11It won't signal back?
19:14No.
19:16PHONE RINGS
19:17What is the texture?
19:18Brick, stone, what?
19:20It feels like brick.
19:22And yet...
19:24And yet it has a composite strength.
19:26A strength like metal.
19:28It's homogenous.
19:30Oh, yes?
19:32All of one texture.
19:34Whatever this is made of, it's synthetic.
19:37Can you identify the substance?
19:40No.
19:41PHONE RINGS
19:44PHONE RINGS
19:45So, which one did you try?
19:48The master pan.
19:51Well, we usually get an instant signal back from that, don't we?
19:55Yes.
19:56Yes.
19:57Let's go.
20:09DOORBELL RINGS
20:11DOORBELL RINGS
20:23Experimental project ES-5-777.
20:31We have been told that certain people are experimenting with time.
20:36People from the not-too-distant past or the not-too-distant future.
20:40Am I right?
20:41That's right, yes.
20:43And consequently, as nobody should mess around with time...
20:46Except us.
20:47Except us.
20:49That these people are in danger.
20:52And, not only them, time itself is in danger.
20:56I think that it's a capsule.
20:59And that its crew is a family.
21:01A small family of three.
21:04And tell me something else.
21:05From what date, what...
21:08What time is that thing?
21:11I mean, give me an estimate.
21:16It's from the future.
21:19About...
21:211,500 years.
21:24Could we please have a signal back?
21:28Only we seem to have lost all means of communication with you.
21:32Also, the transference system seems to have broken down.
21:36We're getting no supplies.
21:39And we've our child here with us, remember?
21:42So, if you could try to signal back...
21:44I'm frightened.
21:48Frightened?
21:50Yes.
21:51Because there's something else.
21:54Something else is happening.
22:03Careful!
22:06It's all right.
22:08It's quite safe.
22:18And you say they're hallucinations?
22:21Yes.
22:23Well, I shouldn't worry.
22:25No?
22:26No!
22:27I shouldn't worry.
22:28No?
22:29No!
22:32You were trained to sense things.
22:36It was part of your studies, wasn't it?
22:38So that's bound to make you more receptive than the rest of us.
22:43Remember when you used to put your hands to the sides of your head
22:47and think hard so that you could gain insight...
22:49Eldridge!
22:50Eldridge!
22:51I mean, communication...
22:55Yes?
22:56I really am frightened.
22:58Frightened for all of us.
23:02All right.
23:04We'll talk to the others this evening.
23:07Yes.
23:08See what they think.
23:10This is a terrible part of time in which to be trapped.
23:13But we're not trapped.
23:14It's brutal. It's cruel.
23:16People like us, we never survive.
23:18But we're safe in here.
23:20We're protected.
23:22Nothing can possibly get in.
23:24Not in here.
23:26The things I felt.
23:27The things I saw.
23:28A pillow?
23:30How can we possibly be harmed or feel threatened by a pillow?
23:49Steel?
23:52Steel, there's something in there with them!
23:57What?
24:03Steel?
24:05Steel, can you hear me?
24:09Steel, come back!
24:13Steel!
24:16Steel, whatever it is, it's seen you!
24:19Steel?
24:21It's coming for you!
24:23Steel!
24:26Steel!
24:56Steel!
24:58Steel!
25:26Steel!