(Train hooting)
(Saxton) The following report to the Royal Geological Society
by the undersigned, Alexander Saxton, is a true and faithful account
of events that befell the Society's expedition in Manchuria.
As the leader of the expedition,
I must accept responsibility for its ending in disaster.
But I will leave to the judgment of the honourable members
the decision as to where the blame for the catastrophe lies.
(Man whistling)
(Wind whistling)
(Train whistle)
- I'm sorry, there isn't a seat left. - My name is Saxton, Alexander Saxton.
If you will check, you will find the telegram I sent you three weeks ago
instructing you to reserve accommodation.
- (Phone ringing) - There's nothing I can do.
Hello? Yes.
Well, well, look who's here. Professor Saxton, I presume?
- Doctor Wells. - And what are you doing in Shanghai?
- I might ask you the same thing. - I'm just collecting a few specimens.
Miss Jones, let me introduce Professor Alexander Saxton.
He dabbles in fossils and bones.
Glad to meet you, Professor.
Miss Jones has been assisting me. Bacteriology, excellent technician.
(Chuckles) For a woman, he means.
(Speaks Chinese)
Excuse me.
Two private compartments to Moscow, if you please.
- Two, you say? Will that be all? - And three crates of animals.
- Impossible. - I know I'm asking you to perform miracles.
But perhaps this will help.
Thank you.
It's called "squeeze" in China. The Americans call it know-how.
And in Britain, we call it bribery and corruption.
Now, sir, excuse me.
You! Get out!
Halt! Sir Alexander Saxton?
- Yes. - Captain 0'Hagan, sir.
General Wang told me to find you and to make myself useful.
Um... um... now I remember! I do have Your Excellency's ticket.
- Your... your ticket, right here. - Thank you.
(Chanting)
And the Lord have mercy on his soul.
Not that he deserves it, the dirty thief! You have his things?
- You knew him? - Krasinsky, the locksmith?
He could open any trunk with a hair pin.
A thief? But he was blind!
Blind? He could spot the police well a mile away.
I'll be dammed.
The work of the devil!
Can I be of any assistance, Father?
- This is yours? - It is, but I demand an explanation.
Whatever you have here is unholy and must be destroyed.
Inspector Mirov. What is in there, Excellency?
Fossils.
What is a fossil?
A stone.
Stones?
There wouldn't be something valuable in there like gold?
Gold?! It's a laboratory specimen.
No value to a thief.
Where there is God...
there is always a place for the cross.
Even on this stone floor, just so.
But Satan is evil and where evil is, there is no place for the cross!
- Rubbish! A conjurer's trick. Captain. - Yes, sir.
You get your men to put the crate on the train.
Ready?
Lift it up. 0ff you go.
(Bells tolling)
- Where is crate C? - It's over there, sir.
Oh, yeah. Come on.
Be careful with this one.
Follow me!
(Snarling)
(Engine whistling)
What are you going to astound the scientific world with this time?
You'll read about it in the Society's annual report.
- It's a remarkable fossil. - Fossil?
But you've got something live. I heard it.
- You're mistaken. - You won't need to feed it, then?
The occupant hasn't eaten in two million years.
That's one way to economise on food bills.
Baggage man.
- Alinka, what's the matter with you? - Yes, Countess?
- You have a safe for valuables? - Yes, Countess. I shall make out a receipt.
Excuse me.
Alinka's afraid of something. What do you have in that crate?
Oh, nothing that would interest Alinka, Madame.
Normally she likes Englishmen.
- All we Poles do. - I am honoured, Madame.
Oh, yes, England. Queen Victoria, crumpets, Shakespeare.
I admire Poland, Madame, I believe that there is a bond between our countries.
My husband, the Count Petrovski, says that in the 15th century
your King Henry betrayed us to the Russians, hm?
I hope you and your husband will accept my profoundest apologies.
She's really afraid.
I wonder what it is.
May I escort you back to your carriage, Madame?
(Train whistle)
Yours?
Oh, thank you. Excuse me.
Yes?
I was on the platform before, when that mad monk was carrying on.
- Yes? - I'm an engineer, a scientist.
And this is ordinary chalk.
How do you explained it not writing on that crate?
Hypnosis. Yoga.
These mystics can be very convincing. They can even hypnotise themselves.
The fresh food we will pick up, who will pay for it, sir?
Hmm? Oh, just keep an account of how much you spend. Er...
lf... um... someone were to drill a little hole in this crate during the night
and take a look at what's inside, I'd be very grateful.
(Guard) That's in order.
Help me.
In what way, Madam?
- Is this number 8? - That's next door, Wells' compartment.
There, there, don't cry.
Everything will be all right.
Excuse me.
Sorry, dear fellow, I'm afraid you're in the wrong pew. Here, number 8, do you see?
8A, lower berth.
8B, upper berth.
Don't worry. I was supposed to have this compartment to myself.
- If you don't mind. - Sorry if I'm in your way.
Excuse me, I have no ticket and I have to get out of Shanghai.
- I'm sure I can make it worth your while. - The young lady's in trouble.
What do you suggest we do about it?
- Couldn't you double up with somebody else? - Miss Jones?
I'm sure we can all get along very well together.
(Man whistles tunefully)
(Clinking)
(Key drops on floor, padlock rattling)
(Tuneful whistling)
(Whistling)
(Whimpers)
There's the stink of hell on this train, even the dog knows it.
When the Englishman comes to call, what should I wear?
Sure of yourself, aren't you?
The blue one with the décolleté...
or perhaps the red one.
You are jesting with her immortal soul.
That's why we keep you, Pujardov. 0ur immortal souls are your concern.
(Whimpering)
She is afraid of something.
- Tell me, Pujardov... - Yes?
Which do you think I should wear for the Englishman?
- The red or the blue? - Enough!
- I forbid you to talk this way. - You forbid?
Forgive me, Your Excellency.
In my concern for the spiritual welfare of the Countess, I forgot myself.
I will pray for humility.
Pray hard, Pujardov or you'll find yourself praying for a job, too.
Hail Father and The Son and the Holy Ghost...
(Eerie whistling)
Oh, it's the piece I was playing. I wonder who it is.
(Plays piece on the piano)
(Train whistle)
(Distant door opening)
You wish to see us?
I thought one of you might know what happened to the baggage man.
- I haven't the remotest idea. - What about you?
Perhaps it had something to do with what's in that crate.
I agree with you. He was trying to open it when something happened.
What?!
- Fortunately, he was interrupted. - Yes. By whom?
Why are you so worried about it being opened?
It may be my fault. I asked the baggage man to take a look. I was curious.
It was no concern of yours.
0r of yours.
Goodnight.
One man dead, another missing. It's time we opened this box.
You'll do no such thing!
Give me the key.
Konev, see if you can open the crate with that.
Go ahead!
My God... it's the baggage man.
- What was in there?! - I told you, a fossil.
Part ape, part man. It lived two million years ago.
Are you telling me that an ape that lived two million years ago
got out of that crate, killed the baggage man and put him in there,
then locked everything up neat and tidy and got away?
- Yes, I am! It's alive, it must be! - Lock him up.
We'll search the train and find it, whatever it is, and destroy it.
- But if it's alive... - I want this kept quiet!
I don't want to panic the passengers.
(Muffled scream)
My glass is empty.
Oh, forgive me, my mind was elsewhere.
What is it?
I'm sorry, I can't tell you.
- Good evening. - Good evening.
Good evening.
Haven't we met?
I don't believe so.
Yes, at the Governor's palace. General Wang.
You're mistaken.
0f course. I beg your pardon. It was somebody else.
What's the matter?
The eye of that fish, it's white.
Naturally, it's boiled.
Boiled... yes.
- Is it true you're a doctor? - Ask me when I've finished my dinner.
- It's urgent. - What are the symptoms?
He's dead, you saw him. - Oh, that one.
There's nothing I can do for him.
Now there's one more dead. One of my soldiers, same white eyes.
- I want to know the cause of death. - Who's dead?
Keep your nose out of it! You didn't hear anything.
Excuse me.
Is Professor Saxton's fossil still at large?
I think the fossil or whatever it is escaped, jumped off the train.
- Miss Jones, I shall need your assistance. - Yes, well, at your age, I'm not surprised.
- With an autopsy! - Oh, well, that's different.
Very curious.
A genetic defect, obviously.
- Scalpel. - Uh-hm.
Can you keep that still.
- (Man) What is he doing? - Trepan.
Don't get up, please.
I see you have decided to dine alone, Sir Alexander.
I've eaten in worse circumstances and in worse company.
Handsaw.
Here you are, Doctor.
You're in bad humour because you've lost your box of bones.
That "box of bones", Madame, could have solved many of the riddles of science.
If the theory of evolution is confirmed, if the science of biology is revolutionised,
if the very origin of man is determined...
I have heard of evolution, it's... it's immoral.
It's a fact... and there's no morality in a fact.
And what about the baggage man and that poor thief at the station?
- What about them? - They are dead.
Was your creature responsible for that?
Probably.
And you don't care?
A baggage man and a thief?
You're right, Madame,
I don't care as much as I should.
Can you tell me how he died?
Smooth as a baby's bottom. You saw this man today and he was normal?
- Absolutely. - It must be a mutation, a freak of nature.
What's so special about this brain?
Learning and memory are engraved on the normal brain,
leaving a wrinkled surface.
This brain has been drained, the memory has been removed
like chalk erased from a blackboard.
- (Knocking) - Come in.
Thank you. It's all yours.
I won't be long.
Miss? It's Doctor Wells.
Miss, are you all right?
Miss, are you there?
(Gunshot)
(Creature growling)
(Snarling)
(Gunshot)
(Knocking)
Come in.
Feeling better?
Yes.
Anything wrong?
That woman who was killed - the engineer, you know, the chess player,
he told me that she was an international spy.
- Yes, I know. - Oh, you do?
Well, could that fact have had anything to do with her death?
What do you think?
Doctor Wells and I performed an autopsy on her.
Her brain was completely smooth, just like the baggage man's.
Everything had been erased. I have a theory about this.
I'm only a policeman, Professor, I don't have much education.
Well, I'll make it simple.
Supposing that creature, the one you killed,
was capable of taking ideas directly from other people's brains
and transferring them to its own.
- You mean it sucked other people's brains? - Absorbed, through the eyes.
That was our first clue. The eyes going white.
Then if the beast had absorbed your brains,
all of your education would have gone into its brain.
It would have been as clever as you.
Much more so because what it had taken from me
would have been added to the learning that it already had.
Professor, spy, baggage man, thief.
What was the creature looking for?
Well, that we'll never know now that it's dead and yet...
What?
A creature like that...
how would it ever die?
- Inspector? - What is it?
I found this. The animal had it.
- (Saxton) The animal had it? - Give it to me!
- It belonged to Count Petrovski. - How do you know?
I saw him put it in the safe.
Steel - harder than a diamond. That's why the spies are after it.
The French, German, English. But they are wasting their time.
What really matters is the formula
and that, gentleman, is safe... up here.
What happened to the girl? The spy.
She's dead. The fossil or whatever it was killed her.
- But there's no more danger. - The beast is not dead.
I put four bullets into him.
You think evil can be killed with bullets?
Satan lives.
The unholy one... is among us!
Oh, Shalom, Shalom, Shalom. Oh, Shalom.
Specimen jar.
- What do you expect to find in the eye fluid? - I don't know.
- Why, this is incredible. - What?
It's the last thing the creature saw!
- The police inspector. - The image has been retained in the fluid.
Exactly. The creature's visual memory is located not in its brain but in the eye itself.
Can you identify anything?
It's a brontosaurus!
A pterodactyl.
(Train whistle)
(Saxton) Incredible.
This is not a map.
(Saxton) It can only be the Earth seen from space.
I hope I'm not intruding. People on the train are becoming afraid, Professor.
People on long journeys become bored, Madame. They crave excitement.
- Then there's no more danger? - It's all finished.
And what about your science? The evolution you were talking about?
Look for yourself.
Come here, Pujardov.
There's something I want to show you.
Look.
(Russian)
It is the Holy Writ.
On the second day, he created the earth.
Where did you get it?
There, from the creature's eye.
- The eye of Satan! - Nonsense. There's a scientific explanation.
Do you know it?
No.
Not yet.
Before the fall, before Satan was banished from the throne of God,
the Evil One looked down from heaven and did see...
Rubbish!
Pujardov!
- Pujardov? Where is he? - I don't know.
He's gone mad.
- I'll look in the baggage car. - Right.
- Looking for the thief, Miss Jones? - You know about it.
What's all the fuss?
You get back that eye and there's a thousand roubles in it for you.
A thousand rubbles for an eye?
There's something in it.
- Pictures. - Pictures of what?
Pictures of the earth in prehistoric times. Pictures of the earth seen from space.
Who else has seen such pictures?
Dr Wells, Professor Saxton and that pretty Countess.
I see.
Have pity, have pity.
Are you going to kill me?
Fool. There's nothing in your head of any use.
Another killing.
- (Man) Stop the train! I want to get off! - (Woman) There's no law!
Quiet! There's been talk about getting off the train.
- Well, you can forget it. - I'll complain to the authorities.
- I'm not one of your muzhiks! - I'll shoot anyone who tries to stop the train.
Shoot?! Shoot?! You stupid Russian!
(Inspector) Who else has seen such pictures?
(Dr Jones) Dr Wells...
Professor Saxton...
and that pretty Countess. Wells, Saxton and the Countess.
Wells, Saxton and the Countess Wells, Saxton and the Countess...
Wells, is this creature dead or not?
If it is, who killed Miss Jones?
- Do you have any idea? - No, Inspector, I haven't.
I've asked the conductor to wire ahead to stop at the next station.
What's the idea?
Tell me who you are.
Tell me. I will serve you.
I want to help you.
It's like some contagious disease.
Well, if there's a disease, there must be symptoms.
- Fever? - You could take everyone's temperature.
The eyes, why do their eyes go white?
Do you think it's true what they say about those horrible white eyes?
Oh, that part is true enough.
- Ah, Inspector, there's only you now. - What about me?
Your eyes. We must examine your eyes, too.
Certainly.
Perhaps you should test for radiation or other invisible rays.
X-rays? Well it's a thought, but on this train how would we go about it?
- Are you a scientist? - An engineer, but I try to keep up with things.
That's to be admired.
Inspector, I suggest you tell all these people to stay together, in groups or in pairs,
so that if anything does happen to anybody, then somebody can raise the alarm.
On no account must anybody be left alone.
(Engine whistle)
(Ringing)
News of the train.
The train will be here in exactly...
um... 14 minutes.
(Man) 14 minutes?
Yes, Your Honour, that's what it says here.
Doesn't say it in words, Your Honour, but in code. It's like another language.
I know about telegraph, Little Papa.
I know about trains, I know about electrical currents.
On your feet, everybody!
Outside, full pack! Even though I still believe in God, I don't like to be made a fool of!
No, Your Honour.
I wouldn't do that.
Tell me, Little Father...
do you believe in the devil?
Yes.
Ah, good, send a telegram.
Tell them that Captain Kazan,
he knows that a horses has four legs, he knows that a murderer has two arms,
but still the devil...
must be afraid of one honest Cossack, hm?
Earth's gravity, you know how to measure it?
How to measure gravity?
What I would like to know is can gravity be overcome?
If you mean, can man get beyond the gravitational field of the earth into space,
not yet, but any day now.
Someday?
There is a mathematics professor, his name is Chelkovsky.
He has ideas about rockets, machines that can fly free of the earth's gravity.
You know him?
Chelkovsky was one of my teachers, he was like a father to me.
But why would a man like you be interest...
What do you think is behind all this, Excellency?
Look at this. That's what we saw under the microscope.
- Shows the Earth as it might look from space. - What does it mean?
It means that millions of years ago something, some form of intelligence,
came to the Earth from another planet.
The atmosphere of the earth was new to it, different.
- But it learnt how to survive. - How?
By entering into the body and brain of an Earth creature.
The fossil that I found and brought with me.
And this thing from another planet survived in the fossil?
- Then came to life again? - Exactly.
Go on, Professor.
The animal that you shot was only the host and, when that animal died,
the alien intelligence transferred somehow to another host.
It's alive... in someone on this train.
You're a very good detective.
You've discovered everything except who is now the host.
- That's our next step. - Thought this might come in handy.
- Oh, good idea. - Two of you together, that's fine.
- But what if one of you is the monster? - Monster? We're British, you know.
But you must have seen something.
I told you, I was asleep.
He knew about the white eyes, he told me.
When you fell asleep, the lights were on? And when you woke up?
- They were off. - Are you sure?
Positive. It was dark. I put the lights on. And that's when I found him... beside me.
When we did the test, the lights were on.
Master!
Inspector.
This steel at high temperatures, what happens to it?
It gets stronger. What temperatures, for example?
Ten or twelve thousand degrees.
Where on earth would you get such temperatures?
Nowhere on Earth.
(Brakes screeching)
The Tsar will hear of this! I'll have you sent to Siberia!
I am in Siberia.
This is Countess Irina Petrovska and I am Count Maryan Petrovski.
Oh, Your Excellencies, I am sorry.
0f course, the Count and Countess are exempt from our orders.
Please, escort them to their car.
Peasants. Peasants!
Are you a Countess?
I'm an American and I'm not accustomed to being bullied by foreigners.
That man, he's the one who wouldn't let us get off the train, he's responsible.
- Your Excellency, I am a Police Inspector. - Everybody is under arrest!
Including you.
Who are the killers? Who? Who are the trouble-makers?
Who are the foreign influences, huh?
Who?!
Don't worry, I'll smoke them out.
What's he raving about?
- You English believe in free speech, huh? - Certainly.
If instead of babbling nonsense, you'd investigate this properly...
This is outrageous!
So... you are a police inspector, huh?
Yes, Captain. Mirov is my name.
Mirov? Oh, Mirov!
That's a good Russian name, Mirov.
Tell me, Mirov, what do you know about all the filth that's going on here, huh?
- Filth? - Certainly you know what I'm doing here.
You just point out the suspects and I promise you I'll get the truth out of them.
You're mistaken, sir.
- Mistaken? - Fool!
Get back, get back!
Back! 0r I will put a curse on your heads!
He has the evil eye!
Beware of the wrath of Satan!
Fool, huh?
On your knees, monk.
We must stop this.
- He was trying to protect you, why? - He's mad.
- Who are you? - I told you, a policeman.
No!
You saw his eyes! One look at them and you're dead!
Come into me, Satan!
Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory!
Thy will be done on earth as it is in hell.
Now, anything! Anything that moves near that door, kill it!
- But what if the monk is innocent? - Ah, we got lots of innocent monks!
All right, let's move these peasants out of here! Quickly!
Everybody back to the baggage car. Hurry!
There!
He always kills in the dark, he can't play his tricks in a strong light.
- Take care of the others. - What about you?
- I'll be all right, go on. - Well, you take this.
(Train whistle)
You know, in spite of everything, Pujardov had a certain affection for you.
Yet you humiliated often, even in front of the Countess.
(Sobbing) He's dead.
You killed him!
If you want to kill Pujardov, it's too late.
- I'll see you hanged! - Ah, poor monk.
He loved you more than he loved the promise of heaven.
0ver there, quickly, over there! Irina, behind me.
It would be a mistake to kill me.
- Who are you? - In words, it's difficult.
I am a form of energy occupying this shell.
- Where do you come from? - Another galaxy.
I came with others like myself.
I was left behind. An accident.
I survived in protozoans, fish, vertebrates.
The history of your planet is part of me.
Pull the trigger and you will end it.
What am I to do with you?
- Let me go. - That's not possible.
It is possible.
I will teach you to end disease, pain, hunger.
Wait!
There is something more.
- Saxton! - (Gunshot)
Go!
Yahhhh!
(Irina screaming)
Let me go! Oh, no!
(Shrieking)
(Train whistle)
Saxton, thank God!
Stand back, please, make room.
Moscow says to stop the Express when it goes through the switching point.
Derail it? That means killing everybody on board!
That's what it says.
Maybe there's a war. Maybe it's war.
(Screaming)
(Eerie whistling)