Episodes
The Infernal Machine (Year 1 / Episode 21)
ITC Press Release
"THE INFERNAL MACHINE"
Original ITC press release
Machine or man? Alpha encounters one of the strangest mysteries of the universe - a living machine.
The strangest object over seen by man appears in the space sky. A huge spacecraft of some sort, but breaking every known law of aerospace propulsion. From it comes a voice. It is friendly, but appealing for help and for permission to land and, when given this permission, requesting a delegation and naming Commander Koenig (MARTIN LANDAU), Dr. Helena Russell (BARBARA BAIN) and Professor Bergman (BARRY MORSE).
Admitted to the craft, they find themselves in a room which is half a globe in shape with a floor kept level by gyroscopic action. As they stare at the complex mechanism all around them, they are probed by an intense ray of light. Lying on a couch is an extraordinarily ancient man (LEO McKERN) looking almost dead except for his bright and searching eyes. He introduces himself as "Companion" and addresses the mysterious voice as "Gwent". Everything, it seems, is Gwent. The whole machine is Gwent. Gwent is the machine. And the reasons for his approach to Alpha is to be found in a long list of urgent requirements.
His relationship with Companion is one of affection and bantering, cynical criticism. Companion tells his visitors "I have always been his Companion, I've grown old in his service. Companions die, but Gwent goes on. Forever."
Gwent dismisses Helena's appeal for Companion to be taken to Alpha for treatment: he is obviously desperately ill but still loyal to his master. And he dies. Gwent is immediately beside himself with rage and sorrow, and back on Alpha they see the machine rise and twist in what seems to be agonized contortions.
Koenig and Helena are then told that they will have to take the place of Companion. They are helplessly in Gwent's grip until Koenig realizes that Gwent possesses the equivalent of all the senses except for sight and that, because his energy is running out, he is weakening. Attempts to attack the machine from Alpha are repelled, and there is no alternative but for the essential supplies to be delivered. But by deliverately smashing a vital component, Koenig weakens Gwent even more and at last learns from the man-machine that he comes from a planet on which he was a scientist and has built this machine as an extension of himself, programming his entire personality into it., combining it with the superior ability of a computer's brain, all the might and power of such a machine. It has eventually taken him over completely.
The final battle of wits and determination between the Alphans and Gwent is launched.
NB All spelling and punctuation as in the original.
SCREENPLAY BY
ANTHONY TERPILOFF ELIZABETH BARROWS
DIRECTED BY DAVID TOMBLIN
Guest Star
LEO McKERN
with
CLIFTON JONES as DAVID KANO
ZIENIA MERTON as SANDRA BENES
NICK TATE as ALAN CARTER
GARY WALDHORN as WINTERS
Episodes are in production order.
