01x12 - Assignment Two: Part 6

[bunniefuu]

(Men talking and laughing)

Excuse me, sir.

Group sent me here, sir.

I've got one more op to complete
and then I go home.

And he did say, sir - Group said -

that as your flight is one man short
and all my team have bought it,

that you'd...

All right, sir.

Sorry, sir.

(Chatter and laughter continues)

(Chatter fades)

(Man whistling Pack Up Your Troubles
In Your Old Kitbag)

(Whistling continues)

(Whistling continues, echoing)

'All irregularities will be handled

'by the forces controlling
each dimension.

'Transuranic 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.'

(Whistling continues)

- It's up there.
- Yes.

- How's Sapphire?
- She's still asleep.

- Are you going up there?
- Yes.

- It's almost like an invitation.
- What?

- Each time he starts to whistle.
- Yes.

I'd like to say that...

with the seance and what happened
afterwards... I could have been wrong,

about some things, that is,
it was that darkness.

Even the spirit of the schoolteacher
warned us.

Yes. Yes, she did.

But I knew the moment
the darkness appeared

we were dealing with something evil.

Even the crucifix trembled.

And there he is up there
inviting us once again.

- But things are different now.
- Hmm?

- We know his name.
- Oh, yes.

You go back to the waiting room.
Take care of Sapphire.

- But what about the darkness?
- It's gone.

- But it could reappear.
- It could.

- That's why I got this.
- Thank you.

Take care of Sapphire.

All right.

(Whistling continues)

Sammy?

Sam?

Sam Pearce.

- That's your name, isn't it?
- (Overlapping voices)

We know it is so there's no need
for you to hide in the darkness.

(Voices fade)

We don't have to hide.

That's our privilege.

The privilege of the living.

(Sapphire) Steel.

(Voices resume and fade)

Tully.

- Yes?
- Is Sapphire still with you?

- Of course she is.
- Check again.

- Check again?
- Look!

Yes, she's still here, still asleep.

(Man whistling
It's A Long Way To Tipperary)

(Wind blowing)

(Explosions)

(Whistling continues)

What's the matter? What is it?

You said something earlier on
about the subconscious.

The fact that
it could be somewhere else.

Yes, between journeys.

Either that or the seance
has had an exhausting effect on her -

she was sent back a long way.

- You were right.
- Hmm?

- I saw Sapphire on the platform.
- Sorry, I don't understand.

I've seen Sapphire out there on the
platform with Pearce and the others.

And it was as if...
Sapphire was one of them.

This subconscious, can it be seen?

- You mean a human shape?
- Yes!

I don't think so. Otherwise it
couldn't be termed the subconscious.

All right, Mr Tully,

would you say it's possible
to have ghosts of the living?

No! Would you?

There are theories
about visual fallacies but...

- The seance hadn't quite finished.
- No.

- I broke the circle.
- Yes, and here's the result.

I'm gonna try and take a close look
at the other one.

Don't worry, I'll look after her.

I realise how important
she is to you.

- I'll try talking to her.
- What?

Many medical practitioners believe

that talking to a patient
who's comatose can prove therapeutic,

even curative.

That's a good idea. You do that.

Sapphire.

Sapphire.

It's no good, Pearce.

No good. You're still late, you see.

Over 60 years too late.

- Oh, I wouldn't say that.
- I would.

Your w*r's finished.
It finished a long time ago.

A bit different to yours, then.
Yours has just begun.

You left me here, Steel.
This is where you left me.

- We didn't exactly leave you...
- Right here.

Now I suppose I'm as much
a part of the station as he is.

No.

Not sure of me?

You can't exactly do a spot analysis,
can you? It's not your territory.

Why shouldn't I be sure of you?

It's not in your nature
to be sure of anything.

- But I know you're Sapphire.
- Oh?

Well, there's only one of you,
isn't there?

- Yes.
- Well, then.

- Where's Pearce gone?
- How should I know?

You said you're as much
a part of the station as he is.

- I thought you'd know.
- Well, I expect he's busy.

- Busy?
- Busy waiting.

- What for?
- For others, of course.

- Others like him?
- Yes.

Like the pilot
and the men from the submarine?

- Yes.
- How many others?

- What?
- How many others is he expecting?

I don't know.

- One? Five? Ten?
- I said I don't know.

A thousand? I mean, there must be
a lot of applicants, surely.

Anyway, since you left me, since you
abandoned me, I've had time to think.

- Oh, yes?
- And realise...

Realise what?

That we shouldn't be here
on this particular assignment.

No?

Our information was false.

Our briefing was wrong.

Those after-images are harmless.

- Harmless?
- Yes! And they'll be gone soon.

So why don't
we leave them in peace?

All right.
Let's leave them in peace, shall we?

Come on.

I haven't finished talking yet.

Oh. Sorry.

I suppose my interest
in the supernatural started early.

When I was at school, I suppose.

Yes, I think it was
when I was at school.

It started as a game but I soon
realised that it was something more.

When the others have arrived,
they'll leave.

- To go where?
- I don't know.

- Back where they came from?
- I don't know but they will leave.

(Darkness whispering)

Steel.

Would you mind looking at me
when I'm talking to you?

(Whispering continues)

After all, there's no one else here.
Only us.

I spent a great deal of time
as a lad...

going to churches
and places like that.

My hobby in those days
was brass rubbing.

Other lads of my age were involved
in sporting activities but not me.

(Whispering intensifies)

- Tell me what happened.
- Happened?

- You say you want to talk.
- I do.

Then tell me what happened
when you were left behind.

Well, I suppose I was given
the chance to understand.

To understand Pearce and his friends?

- Yes.
- And to sympathise with them?

To an extent, yes.

- And to find them harmless?
- Yes.

I've always allowed myself
to have an open mind.

To believe that
one can accept something

without having to understand it

is the first essential

before any man can have a
supernatural or religious experience.

A mind that is closed
cannot be receptive.

(Whispering continues, intense)

- What about the power?
- What power?

- The darkness, remember?
- Oh, yes.

- Is it also harmless?
- Yes.

- We were wrong about that as well?
- Yes.

So it was fortunate
that I was left behind.

Why fortunate?

Because of what I've learnt,
the truth.

Steel, aren't you pleased with me?

What? Yes.

You might at least show it,
at least congratulate me.

- All right, I congratulate you.
- Thank you, Steel.

I'll just go and fetch Mr Tully,
shall I?

I'm sure he'd like
to congratulate you too.

There's no need to fetch Tully.
He will be here.

- He will be with us soon.
- (Whispering continues)

I've often felt that I was the
wrong age for psychical achievements.

A friend of mine once told me
that cats, children and old people

have the best results.

(Whispering)

Perhaps that's because
they have the time to be patient,

- time to be tolerant.
- (Whispering continues)

So, in a way,
I'm looking forward to reaching 70,

even getting into my 80s
if it means I should find success.

- Don't you think so, Steel?
- Yes.

As soon as Mr Tully arrives,
we'll pack up and leave.

I thought you'd agree. We have such a
fine working relationship, don't we?

- Yes.
- One of the best, right?

- Because we know each other so well.
- Of course.

And can anticipate
each other's thoughts.

Exactly.

So there's no real need
to even ask each other questions.

Even though there's one question
that keeps nagging inside the head.

Like the one
that's inside my head right now,

the one that's crying out
for an answer.

Well, perhaps it doesn't need
an answer.

Oh, but it does.

Ask it. Ask your question.

If you're the Sapphire
that I've grown to know...

and to love...

(Darkness whispering)

...who is that person?

What person?

That person in the waiting room
with Tully.

I suppose I'd be quite prepared
to go on until I was about...

Oh, my God...

Steel!

(Whispering continues, intense)

Lighten our darkness, oh Lord,

and by Thy mercy
defend us from all perils.

I couldn't get out of the plane.

- It's my kid's birthday tomorrow.
- Who will look after the garden?

I said your w*r had just begun.

By Thy mercy defend us from
all perils and dangers of this night.

Lighten our darkness...

(g*nf*re, Steel screaming)

(Tully, muttering)
Lighten our darkness, oh Lord...

Oh, please, leave us alone,
I beg you.

Wake up, wake up! You must wake up.

We haven't harmed you,
I haven't harmed you.

Oh, please, please let us go.

L-I promise...
I promise that I'll leave.

L-l-I'll go now, I promise that.

L-I'll leave...

I'll leave you in peace.

Oh, thank you!

I'm sorry, l-I didn't understand.
L-I'm sorry...

Just me, you... You mean...

Just me?

Sapphire!

I'll get help, Sapphire.
I will, I'll get help.

(Whispering rises and fades)

Steel. Steel!

Steel?

Steel... They said I could leave,
Steel. They...

Th-They said I could go...

a-and I'm going but d-don't worry...

I'll-I'll get help,
I'll... I'll send back help.

(Whispering rising and fading)

(Whispering stops)

(Men talking and laughing)

Excuse me, I need one op.

Er, just the one
then I'm off home on leave.

I don't mind what I fly.

I'll go tail-end Charlie,
it makes no difference to me,

and I know you fellas
are flying two short, so...

really, can't any of you use me?

Please.

Excuse me, sir...

(Whispering resumes)

(Bell tolls)

(r*fle cocks)

I've been allowed to leave.

- Have you now?
- Yes.

Reckon you'd better leave, then.

But this seems the only exit point.

That's right, over the bridge.

Yes...

I noticed just now that... there were
others down on the platform.

- Who are they?
- Just others.

Oh.

When I first came here two months ago
I said that I was your friend.

I still am.

I said then that I wanted to help you
and I still do.

My dear boy, whatever it is
that has this shameful hold on you...

(Darkness whispering)

Down here?

(Whispering intensifies)

(Machine-g*n fire and explosions)

There'll be a detail out here
before dawn - wire detail.

Might find you... or what's left
of you after the next barrage.

Then again, they may not come.

I mean, you can't blame them.

Even the stretcher-bearers
won't come out here.

(Shell whistling)

(expl*si*n)

(g*nf*re continues)

Sammy...

Pearce. Private S Pearce.

You should have left us alone.

We were causing no harm.

We just wanted what was owed to us.

(Man) Pearce, come on!

You asked me once, remember?

You asked me
to sit and talk with you.

Well, I've sat and I've talked.

On my terms for a change
and not yours.

It's gonna be a favourable winter.

It'll slip into spring
like they was one and the same.

And then it'll be Eastertide.

Anyway, you'll be leaving us soon.

You've got no choice.