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Tabor Ulrich................Victor Buono
Gundy.......................Brooke Bundy
Tish Sweetly................Nancy Hsuen

Admiral Nelson, may I present...Admiral Nelson.--Tabor Ulrich

Falknomatt, Switzerland, 1976. In a medieval castle, Nelson is talking with a large man in a motorized wheelchair--Tabor Ulrich, a fellow scientist and creator of sophisticated cyborgs, who has built a cyborg factory within the castle. He and Nelson discuss the cyborgs, which Ulrich insists are not man's equal but his superior. "Mechanically superior," amends Nelson; "Well, none of them has written a sonnet yet, if that's what you mean" says Ulrich, laughing. He shows Nelson the final step in android creation, adding living organic tissue--the android now looks human but has no individual identity. Nelson finds it all a bit frightening; Ulrich agrees. The tour continues, and Ulrich shows Nelson a completed cyborg, musing "male and female he created them." However, he says, sometimes there are problems; Nelson says the same thing happens with sophisticated computers--they become neurotic. Ulrich says that with cyborgs such problems can be dangerous, showing Nelson an ultrasonic furnace and destroying a flawed, faceless cyborg in it.

Nelson is understandably shocked by this act. Ulrich wants him to see his masterpiece, showing him a 6X5 foot computer (note: in 1967, when the show was made, this would have been a remarkably small machine). Nelson is impressed, and Ulrich asks his assistant, the beautiful blonde Gundy, to switch it on. Nelson notes that the computer understands aural and visual data; Ulrich says it does even more--it will process sensory data as well. He then asks Nelson a favor; he says that like himself, his computer has an insatiatble appetite (taking a bite of the food he is always surrounded with to emphasize the point)--but the computer hungers for knowledge. Nelson is not interested in providing Ulrich with his own mental stores of data, saying jokingly that this is one Swiss bank he doesn't want to make a deposit in. Ulrich, however, won't take no for an answer; two cyborgs grab Nelson and drag him to the machine, fastening him to the computer. Ulrich advises him not to fight the process, to give in to it. Gundy turns on the machine, and Nelson screams.

Later, Ulrich is still eating; he supervises a scientist as Nelson stands by angrily. As they watch, a new cyborg is created, and when the finishing touches are completed, we can see that it was made in the image of Nelson.

Nelson wakes up, lying on a table, dressed in white; Gundy offers him something to drink but he turns her down. He stands up and sees that he is in chains. Ulrich says he has more to show him, and brings in the cyborg Nelson, telling Nelson the cyborg lacks only his human frailties. He then orders the cyborg to leave immediately for the Seaview, which it does. Nelson asks why Ulrich would want to take over the Seaview; Ulrich replies that Nelson's submarine has the firepower he needs to bring the world under one government, that humans obviously cannot govern themselves, and that it must be done by the coldly analytical cyborgs. It will be their world. "Run by you," says Nelson; Ulrich pauses, thinks, and says the cyborgs will be guided by him. He is the one man in the world who can save it. It is his duty.

The cyborg Nelson takes the Flying Sub to NIMR; Nelson's secretary tells the cyborg that Crane is waiting for him on the Seaview.

On the Seaview, the cyborg Nelson tells Crane to be ready to put to sea the next day, telling him that the ambassador has told him there has been trouble at the peace conference. Crane is surprised--all the reports he had seen indicated that things were going well. The cyborg says that's not so, all participants are secretly making preparations for the inevitable. Crane then asks about International Bionics, Ulrich's company; the cyborg Nelson says it's fabulous and praises Ulrich's work profusely; Crane asks about Ulrich--is he as fat as they say? The cyborg says no, he's fatter! He tells Crane that the FS1 contains a crate that needs special attention, a new computer.

The cyborg Nelson unpacks the computer and installs it. Back at Ulrich's castle, Ulrich watches the Seaview's control room through the computer; he says that now that the Seaview is at sea, he can issue his ultimatum to the nations of the world. Nelson says it won't work--the Seaview will be notified by radio--but Ulrich smiles and tells Nelson that the computer is a complete environmental simulator; as soon as it was hooked up, the Seaview was cut off from the outside world. Nelson responds that if the world powers can't contact the submarine, they'll hunt it down, blow it out of the water. Ulrich points out that the Seaview's defense will be directed by Nelson's own skilled mind in the cyborg's body. He hands Gundy his napkin and she takes his dishes away as he leaves.

When Ulrich is gone, Nelson asks Gundy for help, but she says she doesn't know how to help him. When she is occupied elsewhere, he takes some food from Ulrich's table, palms a knife and slips it up his sleeve. He says that she's so quiet, it's hard to know what she's thinking. Gundy replies that she thinks of Dr. Urich, and sometimes she thinks of Nelson. Nelson tells her she is very lovely, and very kind, and thanks her. She says he is welcome, and leaves.

Later, Nelson walks through the castle, chained to a faceless cyborg. Ulrich pulls up beside him in his wheelchair. He tells him that the world rulers are refusing his ultimatum, and the president of the United States has sent out ships to find and destroy the Seaview, as have other world leaders.

On the Seaview, the crew feels the force of the attacks as the ship rocks from the blasts. Crane asks to talk to someone in authority, but of course the computer routes the radio call to Ulrich's castle, where a cyborg tells him that the peace conference failed eighteen hours ago and they expect a strike on the United States at any moment; the Seaview is to proceed to its missile coordinates to fire a retaliatory strike--they're on their own. Shortly thereafter, Crane shows the launch coordinates to the cyborg Nelson, who feeds data into the computer.

At his castle, Ulrich tells Nelson that a hundred ships have not been able to find the Seaview. Nelson asks if Ulrich thinks it will be that easy--the Seaview's missiles can't be fired by simply pressing a button. Ulrich doesn't seem concerned. Gundy, who has brought Ulrich another meal, starts to lift the lid of the tray but Ulrich says no. He tells Nelson he has to leave for a short while, then calls Gundy, who starts to remove the tray of food. Ulrich stops her, telling her to leave it for Nelson, who must be famished. She turns back and looks once more at Nelson before leaving. After Ulrich and Gundy have gone, Nelson goes to the tray as if to eat, and drops the tray lid; when the faceless cyborg who has been guarding him bends to pick it up, he takes the knife from his sleeve and attacks. After a struggle, Nelson defeats the cyborg, takes its keys and frees himself, then looks into the command post where the messages from Seaview have been routed He tries to open the sonic furnace. Just then, Ulrich pulls up in his chair and tells Nelson that since he is so interested in in the device, he'll let him study it up close. He'll be safe as long as he doesn't go near the sonic beams.

On the Seaview, Crane tells the cyborg Nelson that they'll be at their launch coordinates in two hours. They've lost the destroyers that were after them, and the sub has suffered no damage. He tells the cyborg that not knowing is "bugging me"; after a pause, the cyborg replies "Me, too." Crane turns on the radio, and finds one station signing off and telling its listeners to go to the emergency channel; they then pick up Radio Moscow (both channels are of course broadcast from Ulrich's castle), and Crane asks Kowalski to translate--Kowalski says that according to the radio the Russians are expecting a nuclear attack and telling people to head for fallout shelters. Sharkey passes out belts (note: I'm not sure what the significance of this is, perhaps a scene cut by the SciFi Channel cwould explain it?) to the crew, repeating over and over that he can't believe it, it isn't possible. Crane tells the cyborg Nelson he's going to get Tish on the videophone. The cyborg looks confused--"Tish?"

Ulrich watches this exchange on his viewscreen, and tells the cyborg operators to inform the cyborg Nelson that Tish Sweetly is the NIMR radio operator. They do so, and the cyborg says "Yes, tell Miss Sweetly what's going on." Ulrich explains to Nelson that since Nelson himself always referred to the young woman as Miss Sweetly, the name "Tish" wasn't in the cyborg's memory banks. They watch as Crane calls Tish, who tells him that it's terrible. When Crane asks why she hasn't gone to the shelter, the cyborg Tish tells him that she was going to but wanted to save some of Nelson's notes. Crane tells her to forget the notes and save herself. The cyborg tells him "All right, I'm going. I love you both!" and signs off.

Back at Ulrich's castle, faceless cyborgs push the motionless cyborg Tish off to the side in her chair. Ulrich tells Nelson that by the time the Seaview reaches its launch coordinates, the crew will have no doubts that they are at war.

On the Seaview, the fail-safe officers are alerted to man their units, and the crew quickly moves to do so. Crane and Nelson approach the missile control panel. Crane takes his failsafe key, on a chain around his neck, inserts it in the panel and turns it; Nelson does likewise, and the panel opens, revealing the missile controls.

Ulrich mentions to Nelson that, a few months ago, the designer of the fail-safe mechanism made a donation to Ulrich's memory bank. Of course, it was not entirely his own idea....

Crane and the others wait at the missile control panel. Over a loudspeaker comes the order to take cover. A crewman cracks, jumping up from his chair and trying to force Crane to fire the missiles. Sharkey stops him and the cyborg Nelson confines the man to quarters. The cyborg tells Crane sternly that he expects him to keep the men under control--there will be no more outbursts, and they will fire, but not until they reach their launch coordinates. Crane tells him they are 15 minutes from launch, then asks Sparks to see if he can pick up any radio signals from the States; what they find is a message from the president from a provisional capital outside Washington, urging any fighting men who can hear him to continue to fight.

Meanwhile, the cyborg Nelson has slipped off and reset the missiles. Ulrich shows Nelson a map of the new targets. Nelson looks, and is horrified, saying that 15 million people will be killed. Ulrich calls it an unfortunate but necessary sacrifice to guarantee the peace which will be possible only in the age of the cyborg.

The Seaview reaches its launch coordinates and stops. The cyborg Nelson says to prepare to file missiles one through three. Crane asks about four, and the cyborg tells him that he's holding it in reserve for a special target. He tells Crane to start preparing the missiles.

Ulrich tells Nelson, somewhat smugly, that the first three go to Washington, London and Moscow. If the world leaders still fail to cooperate, the fourth missile will be exploded where prevailing winds will carry fallout all over the northern hemisphere, killing half the world's population. Nelson angrily says that Ulrich claims to want to save the world, but he really wants to destroy it. "No," says Ulrich, "There will be survivors, who will embrace the cyborg as a saviour to lead them out of chaos into a new world of peace and prosperity." Nelson tries to change his mind--there are six minutes left, he can still radio Crane to abort the firing. Ulrich says he can't, as the Seaview's radio has been cut off. Then have the cyborg do it! insists Nelson. Ulrich responds that the cyborg is a free-thinking organism; he can only make minor physical adjustments, he can't change its mind. Frantic, Nelson says there must be a way. Ulrich thinks..."Only," he says, "if I were to kill him." "Then kill him!" shouts Nelson. Ulrich looks at Nelson in surprise, saying "That would be murder." Nelson laughs--Ulrich is willing to kill billions of people to achieve his end, but killing a cyborg would be murder? Offended, Ulrich says that he thought a scientist of Nelson's brilliance might be able to see things as he does, but he's no different than the common man--"Illogical, sentimental--there will be no place for you in my new world!" He bids Nelson farewell and activates the controls to close the walls on the sonic furnace, then starts to leave. Nelson begs Gundy to turn off the switch. Ulrich calls to Gundy, and she turns to follow. Nelson pulls a key from his pocket and uses it to escape from the furnace; he races over to Ulrich and pulls him from his chair onto the floor. He asks Gundy's help, saying he must reach the Seaview and destroy the cyborg Nelson, but she remains silent, torn. Nelson sits in Ulrich's chair, using it to ram the glass surrounding the control room.

On the Seaview, Crane tells the cyborg Nelson that they have two minutes until launch.

Ulrich tries to haul his bulk across the floor, dragging himself with all his strength, but it's slow progress. Nelson reaches up to the cyborg's physical control panel, pushing the muscle reset button at its hand.

Crane and the cyborg Nelson talk, Crane asking what they'll do; the cyborg responds that they will receive orders. Crane asks where the orders will come from--their country will have been destroyed. The cyborg repeats that they will receive orders, then start to build a new world. His hand, holding a pencil, starts moving, tapping uncontrollably. He tries to stop it with no success. Crane listens--the cyborg is tapping out the Morse code for "abort firing" and "kill Nelson." Crane grabs the cyborg Nelson by the shoulders, shouting "Why? Why should we stop the firing?" The cyborg calmly replies "I have no answer to that question," then punches Crane, pulls his gun, and says "Our orders are to fire on Peiping, Moscow, and Washington!" "Washington?" says Crane, pulling his own gun. The cyborg fires, runs out of ammunition, grabs a machine gun and starts shooting up the place. Crane shoots him between the eyes and shuts down the missile panel. Meanwhile, the cyborg's head has burst open, revealing its mechanical nature.

At Ulrich's castle, the cyborgs come after Nelson. Gundy shouts to him to shoot the control panel. He does so, and Gundy slowly falls to the floor. More faceless cyborgs run into the room, pause, and collapse. Ulrich hauls himself from the floor in one final effort, hurls himself in Nelson's direction, but misses and slams into a control panel, where he electrocutes himself and falls to the floor, dead.

Back on the Seaview, Nelson talks with Crane and the others, saying that Gundy was starting to feel emotions--she couldn't let the people of the world die. Ulrich's mistake was in making his cyborgs too perfect--but sometimes man's weaknesses are his strengths. Crane replies that that must be why the cyborg Nelson never ate--Ulrich must have considered appetite a weakness.