Journey to the Center of the Earth

Volcanoes, the foundries of the earth, ladies and gentlemen.

Where the very wheels of planetary evolution

still turn.

And where, I am here to tell you,

you will find the only viable doorway

to the Inner World.

Doorway to what?

The Inner World!

Egyptians, Greeks, the Norse, Romans,

all told of vast, inhabitable regions

beneath the Earth.

The same people who gave us science, logic, astronomy.

This volcanic bubble, if you will,

is just one of thousands that weave a path

to the Earth's core.

Estimated at over 3,000 miles across,

and as high in places as 5,000 feet,

you could slide the entire United States into it.

If one had a proper craft,

it could descend into a live volcano.

- Is this a joke? - No, they could descend into a live volcano...

...where enormous temperatures,

where enormous temperatures weaken the geological crust,

just the solid side of liquid.

Then, a sonic blast of suitable amplitude

could open a momentary doorway to the Inner World.

It's, it's very clear. It's possible.

It makes me crazy when they call you a lunatic or crackpot, dreamer.

Why won't they believe?

Closed minds can't be forced open.

Put a move on it. I've got a surprise for you.

They really call me a dreamer?

Put... Wherever you want.

Ah!

Behold,

the Geo-Explorer .

Will it work?

There's only one way to find out.

Forward, ever forward.

T-minus 52 minutes and counting.

Confirm?

The rate of lava shift seems like it's rising fast.

That's a roger, mountain base.

Confirm on lava shift, Firebird.

No question, chief.

Lava flows over to north base.

Check, check.

And we're showing a new breakup

near the south wall, Firebird.

Can you check it out?

Acknowledged. On our way to confirm now.

Don't know how close we can get with these temperatures but--

Center dome is letting go, people.

Repeat, center dome is now letting go.

Oh, my God, it's gonna blow!

Control to Harlech.

It looks like it's got be now or never, Jim.

Your call.

This is Firebird. That's a roger on south wind break-up.

I'm going in closer to eyeball on the dome.

Ooh, it could be any minute now.

Chris! Collins! Put a move on!

It's happening now! This is it.

This is it!

I'm telling you, Collins, all you got do is just wait.

My uncle will go along with it.

No, Chris. Once your uncle sets his mind on something,

that's it.

All non-essential personnel

must clear the area. Repeat, all--

We're going in, Collins. Now!

Uncle Jim, take me instead.

No! We have been through this.

No, wait.

If we wait any longer, nobody will go in.

But Collins says the decision is yours.

- He'll stand aside if... - Buckle up, Collins.

- Aye, aye, sir. - Sorry, Chris.

I need you here.

You know all the work I've done,

all the research.

You're the only one who understands,

who believes like I do.

If something happens, I need to know

there'll be someone who'll carry on,

maybe come and get me if I get lost.

Wait.

Hand here!

T-minus 20--

Take this.

Now you gotta come home, 'cause I want it back.

Forward.

Ever forward.

This is Control to Geo-Explorer .

Jim, do you read me?

Roger, Control. Report now.

Confirming launch coordinates.

The sooner the better, boys.

Comin' hot and heavy down there, now.

Thank you, Firebird.

Raise Geo-Explorer into launch position.

T-minus 60 seconds.

Mobile units, this is Control.

Confirm telemetry and tracking from your position, please.

T-minus 45.

We got him. It's working.

That's a roger. Thank you. Jim?

Coordinates confirmed.

Beginning engine reignition check now.

Control, this is mountain base.

Seismic activity increasing fast.

Suggest you launch as soon as possible.

Repeat, as soon as possible.

It's gonna blow!

T-minus 15 seconds.

Control, our readings indicate

the eruption has started.

- Can you confirm, Firebird? Affirmative.

Eruption has begun. It's gonna rip wide open any second now.

No, it's too soon.

No! No!

Jim, we're not sure you can launch in time.

I won't turn back now.

We're going in, damn it.

All units, evacuate now.

Prepare to fire engines, on my mark.

Central crater's going down, Control.

You've got 10 seconds, maybe less.

Geo-Explorer , this is Control.

Final countdown, engage.

Ship turning in the final launch angle now.

All systems are go,

and you are ready for release.

Good luck, Jim.

Now!

Ship is away. Repeat, ship is away.

Geo-Explorer , this is Control.

Do you copy? Over.

Jim, this is Control. Come in, please. Over.

Firebird, this is Control.

Can you confirm ship status? Over.

Negative, Control.

Not a chance in hell.

Geo-Explorer , this is Control.

Do you copy? Over.

No way they lived through that.

I'm sorry, Mr. Turner.

Chris?

Chris?

Mr. Turner?

Mr. Wentworth will you see you now.

Yes, yes.

Yes, he is. He'll have to call you back.

Mr. Turner, would you follow me, please?

Mr. Wentworth is ready for you now.

Welcome, Mr. Turner.

Thanks for coming.

Thank you, sir.

Your uncle's theories are a hobby of mine.

Brilliant man, Jim Harlech.

Unorthodox, yet a free thinker.

Priceless commodity, a mind like that.

Which is why you are here.

Exactly. Now, sir, I have

factored out my uncle's seismic predictive methods.

We're aware of your results.

Excuse me.

Uh, Christopher Edison Turner, Dr. Margo Peterson.

Oh, I'm sorry. You know one another?

We've met.

Dr. Peterson and I come from opposite sides of the, uh,

scientific tracks.

Why is she here?

Dr. Peterson is head of my research division.

I thought you were aware of that.

No, sir. I, uh, I wasn't.

I'm a futurist, Mr. Turner.

I'm concerned with where we're going.

And we're rushing headlong into oblivion.

Pollution, overpopulation, apathy.

We live in a planetary community, Mr. Turner.

While my father was making billions

destroying the surface,

I used my, uh, allowance

to tunnel under it.

Life in outer space is centuries off.

Inner space is not.

You are not the only one, for varying reasons,

who is intent on going under.

Whereas I am the only one

rich enough to risk paying for it.

And that's why I'm here, sir.

And this is how I'm gonna get there.

Four crew, powered by thermo-steam turbines, once we're under.

And this is gonna render all previous tunneling technology obsolete.

Sonic blaster.

Behold,

the Avenger .

A hundred and eighty-two feet long,

two hundred tons fully loaded with a four-inch thick, solid titanium hull