Fail-Safe

fail-safe (adj.)

also failsafe, fail safe "safe against failure," 1945, originally in reference to aircraft construction, from fail (v.) + safe (adj.). The novel about a nuclear attack caused by mechanical error is from 1962.

KIRK: 

Why would a Starfleet Admiral 

ask a 300 year old frozen man for help?

KHAN: 

Because I am better.

KIRK: 

At what?

KHAN: 

Everything. 

Alexander Marcus needed to respond 

to an uncivilised threat in a civilised time, 

and for that he needed a warrior's mind, 

my mind, to design weapons and warships.

SPOCK: 

You are suggesting the Admiral violated 

every regulation he vowed to uphold 

simply because he wanted to exploit 

your intellect.

KHAN: 

He wanted to exploit my savagery. 

Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mister Spock. 

You, you can't even break a rule. 

How would you be expected to break bone? 

Marcus used me to design weapons, 

to help him realise his vision of a militarised Starfleet. 

He sent you to use those weapons. 

To fire my torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet. 

And then he purposely 

crippled your ship in enemy space, 

leading to one inevitable outcome. 

The Klingons would come searching 

for whomever was responsible, 

and you would have 

no chance of escape. 

Marcus would finally have 

the war he talked about. 

The war he always wanted.

KIRK: 

No. No. I watched you open fire 

in a room full of 

unarmed Starfleet officers. 

You killed them in cold blood!

KHAN: 

Marcus took my crew from me.

KIRK: 

You are a murderer!

KHAN: 

He used my friends to control me. 

I tried to smuggle them to safety by concealing them in the very weapons I had designed, but I was discovered. 

I had no choice but to escape alone. 

And when I did, I had every reason to suspect that Marcus had killed every single one 

of the people I hold most dear. 

So I responded in kind. 

My crew is my family, Kirk. 

Is there anything you would 

not do for your family?

Prof. Groeteschele: 

Excuse me. Every minute we wait works against us. 

Now, Mr. Secretary, now is when 

we must send in a first strike.

Gen. Stark: 

We don't go in for sneak attacks. 

We had that done to us at Pearl Harbor.

Prof. Groeteschele: 

And the Japanese were right to do it. 

From their point of view, we were their mortal enemy. As long as we 

existed, we were a deadly threat to them. 

Their only mistake was that they 

failed to finish us at the start, 

and they paid for that mistake 

at Hiroshima.

Gen. Stark: 

You're talking about a different kind of war.

Prof. Groeteschele: 

Exactly. This time, we can finish what we start. And if we act now, right now, our casualties will be minimal.

Brigadier General Warren A. Black: You know what you're saying?

Prof. Groeteschele: 

Do you believe that Communism 

is not our mortal enemy?

Brigadier General Warren A. Black: You're justifying murder.

Prof. Groeteschele: 

Yes, to keep from being murdered.

Brigadier General Warren A. Black: 

In the name of what? 

To preserve what? 

Even if we do survive, 

what are we? 

Better than what we say they are? 

What gives us the right to live, then? What makes us worth surviving, Groeteschele? 

That we are ruthless enough 

to strike first?

Prof. Groeteschele: 

Yes! Those who can survive are 

the only ones worth surviving.

Brigadier General Warren A. Black: 

Fighting for your life isn't 

the same as murder.

Prof. Groeteschele: 

Where do you draw the line 

once you know What The Enemy is? 

How long would the Nazis 

have kept it up, General, 

if every Jew they came after 

had met them with 

a gun in his hand? 

But I learned from them, 

General Black. Oh, I learned.

Brigadier General Warren A. Black: 

You learned too well, Professor. 

You learned so well that now 

there's no difference between 

you and what you want to kill.

The Sash of Rassilon

Engin, that Sash is a 

technological masterpiece. 

It protects its wearer from being 

sucked into a parallel universe — 

All he needs now is The Great Key and he can regenerate himself and 

release a force that'll obliterate 

this entire stellar system. 


Don't you realise 

what Rassilon DID? 

What the Eye of Harmony IS? 

Remember? ‘That which balances all things.’

It can only be the nucleus 

of a black hole. 


Spandrell, all the power 

of the Time Lords devolves from it. 

‘Neither flux nor wither nor change their state’.

Rassilon stabilised all the elements of a black hole 

and set them in an 

eternally dynamic equation 

against the mass of the planet. 

If the Master interferes, it'll be the end not only of this world, 

but of a hundred other worlds too.

Drake’s Clean

“With his last act of Cruelty,

The Joker had tainted us all

with Compromise and Deception.

I suppose he had the last laugh after all.”

Commissioner Barbara Gordon 

Terry McGinnis: 

How could you do it to me, Bruce?!

 

Bruce Wayne: 

The only thing that matters is The Mission. 

You know that.

 

Terry McGinnis: 

What about people, Bruce? 

Dick, Barbara, Tim, Selina - 

they all loved you, but eventually 

every single one of them left you! 

Ever wonder why?

 

Bruce Wayne: 

Not for an instant. 

They quit because when it came down to it, 

they didn't have the heart for The Mission. 

Are you about to quit too? 

It doesn't really surprise me.

Tim Drake :

You might as well show yourself.

I heard you a mile away.

I'm no Boy Wonder anymore,

but that old training never goes away.

Even at my age.

The Batman :

Tim Drake. 

You heard about Bruce?

Tim Drake :

Barbara told me. 

That was too bad.

The Batman :

You're not too broken up.

Tim Drake :

I had nothing to do with it,

despite what you think.

When the Joker reappeared,

I was as surprised as anyone.

Barb told you the gory details?

The Batman :

More or less.

Tim Drake :

Look, it's been almost 40 years.

It wasn't easy, but I managed

to put it to bed and go on with my life.

You'll have to do it yourself one day. We all did.

We gave our best, but that wasn't 

good enough for The Old Man.

The Batman :

Regrets, Mr. Drake?

Tim Drake :

When I was younger, part of me 

thought I would go on and on

and someday...

Ah, capes, costumes, playing hero. It was kids' stuff.

Bruce probably did me a favor.

I was so sick of it, I never wanted 

to see that Robin suit again.

Some things never change.

The Batman :

Were all of you bitter 

when you left?

Tim Drake :

Comes with The Territory.

Look up Nightwing. 

Has HE got stories…..

The Batman :

Drake's clean.

But The Batman of Zur-En-Arr MIGHT.

Bruce :

What’s THAT supposed to mean?

The Batman :

It means You're A Suspect. 

If Fail-Safe is right, we should 

admit the possibility that this 

Robot may have some sort of 

power over you — 

to make you do things, 

to make you forget.

Bruce :

I don't know what to tell any of you, 

'cause I don't know what the plan is.

The Batman :

No, but The Batman of Zur-En-Arr might. 

There's only one way 

we're gonna defeat this Robot. 

We need Tlano.

We NEED His God-Damned SAVAGERY…

Batman :

 [restrained in a prison cell]  

One Question: Why?

Justice Lord Batman : 

Because You and 

Your Friends couldn't do 

What Needed to be Done. 

There are mercury switches 

at your hands and feet — 

Any motion, and I'll 

know about it.

Batman : 

You've thought of everything.

Justice Lord Batman : 

No. Just everything 

YOU’ll ever think of.

••••••

The Flash : 

You figured a way out of here?

Batman : 

No.

The Flash : 

Don't you mean 

“Not Yet”?

Batman : 

No. I mean, 

“Not going to.”

••••


Batman : 

How'd you get out? 


The Flash : 

I sped up my heartbeat 

'til it looked like it flatlined. 


Batman : 

I didn't know you could DO that. 


The Flash : 

Neither did I — But I had to come up 

 with something if you

weren't going to. 


Batman : 

I couldn't. 

Not with him anticipating everything 

I could ever think of. 

But who could anticipate you?

32     INT.     CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Connor's lying on his bed, reading something, when there's a knock at the door. He stands and goes to answer it. He opens it to find the Beast standing outside his place.

BEAST

Hello, Connor.

Fade to black.

ACT IV:

33     INT.     CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Resume. Connor runs away from the Beast toward a beam, which he runs up, gaining momentum to use against the Beast when he turns his body and kicks it in the face. He lands on his feet in front of the Beast. The Beast growls. Connor leaps into the air to kick it again, but the Beast grabs his foot and proceeds to fling him back and forth against the ground. The Beast lets go of Connor's foot, grabs him by the chest, and throws him across the room and out the window.

Cut to:

34     EXT.     STREET BEHIND CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Connor falls out of his window, landing on the street right as a black car pulls up. It's Angel's car. Gunn was driving, with Angel in shotgun. Cordelia, Wes, and Fred were in the back seat. Everyone gets out when the car stops.

CORDELIA

(goes to Connor's side) Oh, my God! Connor! (holds his bloody head in her hands)

Holding his coat over his head as protection from the light, Angel wants to go to Connor's side, but Gunn prevents him by pushing him to the shade of the building instead.

GUNN

Angel!

ANGEL

What happened?

CONNOR

The Beast. It's upstairs.

WESLEY

Maybe it need to do the ritual—

GUNN

In the place where Connor lives.

ANGEL

We'll figure that out later. Everybody gear up. Wes, you got everything you need?

WESLEY

Ready.

ANGEL

Gwen, go for the orb, the wings, whatever you can get your hands on. Can't let him finish the spell. Gunn, you and I'll keep the Beast busy long enough for Fred and Wesley to work the portal mojo. Cordy—keep him safe.

CORDELIA

(weakly from the street) Dad...

ANGEL

It's OK, Connor. I'm here now. Let's go. (they go inside)

Cut to:

35     INT.     CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Standing, holding the assembled artifact in front of him, the Beast breathes out black smoke into the orb which rests on two metal wings. He sets it down in the circle that he's drawn on the floor. Chanting now, he kneels and holds a bloody heart over it, letting the blood drip on the orb.

BEAST

(chanting) Ket sahv Ma'at. Ket sahv Mesektet. Ket sahv Ma'at. Ket sahv Mesektet.

Ket sahv Ma'at. Ket sahv Mesektet.

Angel bursts into the room, followed by Gwen, Gunn, Fred and Wesley. The Beast looks up at them, but does not stop the ritual.

FRED

He's already started.

Cut to:

36     EXT.     STREET BEHIND CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Standing now, Connor holds his hand to his sore ribs as he talks to Cordelia.

CONNOR

I should be up there. I can fight it.

CORDELIA

Don't worry, Connor. I'm sure they're doing OK.

They look up at the broken window of Connor's place.

Cut to:

37     INT.     CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Wesley and Fred are standing side-by-side, both holding books, chanting. Angel engages the Beast is a fight, but is easily overpowered. While the Beast is distracted with Angel, Gwen sneaks over to the artifact, but the Beast picks up a chair and knocks her down, causing her to drop the artifact. It breaks into its original pieces.

ANGEL

The orb—don't let it—

But his warning is too late, as the orb rolls away from her right to the feet of the Beast. The Beast smirks at Angel.

Cut to:

38     EXT.     STREET BEHIND CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Cordelia is still looking up toward Connor's place as Connor leans against the car. She gasps as another vision comes to her.

Cut to:

38a VISION

Standing in the field of bodies, the Beast speaks:

BEAST

You're a worthy adversary.

Cut to:

CORDELIA

Oh, no.

Cut to:

39     INT.     CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

The Beast is back in the circle he drew for the ritual, and begins chanting again.

BEAST

...Ahmun Semkhet. Vesh Ra'at Manjet.

WESLEY

Angel...

Wesley gets Angel's attention as the space in front of the Beast starts to shimmer.

ANGEL

Yeah, I got it. Everybody get ready.

Cut to:

40     EXT.     STREET BEHIND CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Still holding his wounded ribs, Connor tries weakly to walk toward Cordelia, leaning on the car hood as support.

CONNOR

What's it like when you pass out?

CORDELIA

What?

CONNOR

Things get dimmer, right?

CORDELIA

I guess. Wh—?

They both look up toward the sun as it starts to be blocked out by blackness.

Cut to:

41     INT.     CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

The Beast is chanting, while the shimmering portal forms in front of him.

BEAST

Ket Mesektet.

ANGEL

Now or never.

Angel, Gunn and Gwen rush the Beast, forcing it backwards through the portal. As he goes into it and disappears, the portal closes.

GWEN

We did it. Didn't we?

Cut to:

42     EXT.     STREET BEHIND CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

The sun grows steadily darker as blackness consumes it in the sky. Connor and Cordelia are outside, staring at it in horrified wonder. Cordelia gasps as another vision comes to her.

Cut to:

42a VISION

Standing in the field of bodies, the Beast speaks:

BEAST

Our strength is useless, divided.

Cut to:

43     INT.     CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Angel and gang walk forward to where the Beast disappeared.

FRED

Um, why is it still getting dark?

BEAST (O.S.)

I told you once...

Everyone turns to see the Beast standing in the doorway behind them.

BEAST

(walks toward them) 

You need not be my enemy...

Cut to:

43a MEMORY

Angel has a memory of the Beast speaking to him. It's the same scene as in Cordelia's vision, but this time he's talking to a long-haired Angel from yester-year.

BEAST

Join with me.

Cut to:

BEAST

Angelus.

Cut to:

44     EXT.     STREET BEHIND CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

In the newly darkened daylight, Cordelia receives visions of the Beast talking to Angelus.

CORDELIA

The answer is among you.

Cut to:

45     INT.     CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Angel and gang are at a loss for words. The Beast walks closer to them, then swallows the darkened orb.

BEAST

We'll meet again. Soon.

The Beast leaps out of the room through the window.

WESLEY

(looking skyward) My God. The Sun. It's gone. Completely obliterated.

Cut to:

46     EXT.     STREET BEHIND CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY

Cordelia and Connor are waiting anxiously by the car. Angel and crew come out of the building, and Cordelia runs to them.

CORDELIA

Angel, we have to talk.

FRED

I can't believe we lost the sun.

CORDELIA

Angel, I think I figured it out.

ANGEL

So have I. The Beast knows me.

CORDELIA

No, it doesn't. 

It knows Angelus. 

Am I right? While you were upstairs, it came to me. 

I wasn't having a vision of the demon, 

I was having a memory of it.

GWEN

How's that again?

CORDELIA

I told you, when I was a higher being, I'd experienced everything you'd ever done as Angelus. 

But since I've been back, my memory's been fading until the Powers decided to jog it, I guess. Angel, I saw you, long ago, standing in a field of bodies with the Beast.

CONNOR

You knew this thing, and you didn't tell us?

ANGEL

No, I couldn't come up against something like that and not remember.

GUNN

“The answer is among you”. It's what the little girl meant, isn't it? This was never about Connor, it's about—

FRED

Angelus.

ANGEL

I'm telling ya. I don't know this beast. I'd remember.

CORDELIA

Like you remember falling asleep before Manny got killed?

ANGEL

What?

GWEN

An inside job.

ANGEL

What's that supposed to mean?

WESLEY

It means You're A Suspect. 

If Cordelia's right, we should admit the possibility that this Beast may have some sort of power over you — to make you do things, to make you forget.

CORDELIA

And he has a plan. The rain of fire, taking down Wolfram and Hart, even blotting out the sun. I think I think now, those were only the first steps to something bigger.

ANGEL

I don't know what to tell any of you, 

'cause I don't know what the plan is.

WESLEY

No, but Angelus might. 

There's only one way 

we're gonna defeat this Beast. 

We need Angelus.

Fade to black.

In Loving Memory Of

Glenn Quinn

Fade to black.

Peter

Quo Vadis?

Peter

masc. proper name, 12c., from Old English Petrus (genitive Pet(e)res, dative Pet(e)re), from Latin Petrus, from Greek Petros, literally "stone, rock" (see petrous), a translation of Syriac kefa "stone" (Latinized as Cephas), the nickname Jesus gave to apostle Simon Bar-Jona (Matthew xvi.17), historically known as St. Peter, and consequently a popular name among Christians (Italian Pietro, Spanish and Portuguese Pedro, Old French Pierres, French Pierre, etc.). As slang for "penis," attested from 1902, probably from identity of first syllable.

 

The common form of this very common name in medieval England was Peres (Anglo-French Piers), hence surnames Pierce, Pearson, etc. Among the diminutive forms were Parkin and Perkin.

To rob Peter to pay Paul (1510s, attested in slightly different wordings from late 14c.) might be a reference to the many churches dedicated to those two saints, and have sprung from the fairly common practice of building or enriching one church with the ruins or revenues of another. But the alliterative pairing of the two names is attested from c. 1400 with no obvious connection to the saints:

Sum medicyne is for peter þat is not good for poul, for þe diuersite of complexioun. 

Lanfranc's "Chirurgia Magna," English translation, c. 1400

peter (v.)

"to diminish gradually and then cease," 1812, colloquial, of uncertain origin. To peter out "become exhausted," is 1846 as miners' slang. 

Related: Petered; petering.

Entries linking to Peter

petrous (adj.)

c. 1400, in anatomy, "very hard, dense," from Old French petros (Modern French petreux) and directly from Latin petrosus "stony," from petra "rock," from Greek petra "rock, cliff, ledge, shelf of rock, rocky ridge," a word of unknown etymology (Beekes says it is "probably Pre-Greek"). 

Used of certain bones, especially of parts of the temporal bone.

Peirce 

surname, attested from late 12c., from Old French Piers, nominative of proper name Pierre (see Peter) .

Pete

Pierre

Piers

The Selfishness of Self-Doubt

No, let him go —

If he's doubting himself, 

he won't be any good to us.

Save Your Servant

 

The Evil One :

Morning! You again. 

You've interrupted me.

 

Have you come to 

Save God's Servant? 

 

Well, I must Save Mine. 

My Son, The Gemini. 

He has Work to Do. 

Much more. 

 

But come in, 

Father Morning. 

Enter, night. 

This Time You're Going to Lose. 

 

Fr. Morning :

In The Name of 

The Father, 

and of 

The Son... 

and of 

The Holy Spirit. 

Amen! 

 

"Save your servant who 

trusts in you, My God. 

Let him find in you, Lord, 

a fortified tower in the face 

of The Enemy." 

 

"Our Father, who art in heaven... 

hallowed be thy name. 

Thy kingdom come. 

Thy will be done..." 

 

The Evil One :

I see, We are Praying now. 

Bright prayers. 

Do you think they will

Save You now, as before? 

 

Well, I can pray too. 

You feel my little orisons

creeping up your spine? 

 

The sweaty murmurs 

of my rosary beads. 

The Human Hearts 

I've taken into Hell. 

 

Fr. Morning :

"I cast you out, unclean spirit! 

Along with every satanic 

power of the enemy! 

Every specter from hell. 

In the name of our Lord,

 Jesus Christ. 

It is he who commands you. 

He who stilled the sea and the storm. 

He who flung you from heaven 

to the depths of hell! 

 

You Robber of Life! 

You Author of Pain! 

You corruptor of justice, 

and innocence, and youth. 

 

You Begetter of Death. 

Sworn Enemy of all 

The Human Race!

 

I command you —

 

Det. Kinderman :

 Allerton? Nurse... 

 

The Evil One :

Don't worry about Julie. 

We'll get her. 

 

Det. Kinderman :

Pray for Me, Damien. 

You're Free. 

 

The Evil One :

Did You Think to Save 

Your Friend, The Priest? 

 

Det. Kinderman : 

My God, help! Help me. 

 

The Evil One :

Have I helped 

Your Unbelief? 

 

Det. Kinderman :

Oh, yes. Yes, I Believe. 

I believe in Death. 

I believe in Disease. 

I believe in Injustice 

and inhumanity. 

And Torture, 

and Anger 

and Hate.

I believe in Murder! 

I believe in Pain!

I believe in cruelty 

and infidelity! 

 

I believe in slime 

and stink... 

and in every crawling, 

putrid thing... 

every possible ugliness... 

and corruption —

You Son of a Bitch! 

I Believe... 

in You. 

 

My God! Bill. 

My God! 

 

The Evil One :

You grow tiresome, Lieutenant. 

And foolish. 

Save Your Prayers. 

God is not Here 

with Us, now. 

There is only 

The Darkness, here. 

And Your Death. 

 

Fr. Morning :

Save Your Servant... who 

Trusts in You, My God. 

 

Det. Kinderman : 

You! Damien, fight Him. 

 

The Evil One :

Goodbye, Lieutenant. 

 

Det. Kinderman :

Damien! 

Fight! Fight! 

 

The Evil One :

You cannot win. 

He Dies. 

 

The Exorcist :

No! Bill, now! 

Shoot, now! 

Kill me now! 

 

We won... 

Bill. 

Stones

What links together The Plot, Principle Moral Themes and 

Ending(s) of the following classic movies….?

• It’s A Wonderful Life

• The Fly

• The Exorcist

• Exorcist III : LEGION