Star City

You okay?

Yeah, fine.

Is Valya home soon?

No. Remember I told you he's in Moscow for the night.

To meet this woman? The woman you saw him with?

No.

You were right. I was being foolish.

No.

What did she look like?

She wasn't even that pretty, to be honest. She was older than me too.

Did she seem Russian?

What do you mean?

Like, do you think she could have been a foreigner?

No. I mean…

I don't know. I couldn't hear them.

Why are you asking so many questions about her?

I'm just trying to help you.

I'd rather not think about it anymore.

Maybe…

Maybe it would be wise for you to go away for a few days.

Just to clear your thoughts.

So now you think he is having an affair.

I just… I thought about what you said, and…

It's the only thing that makes sense.

Does it?

Could you stay at your parents' dacha?

Tonight? Without even talking to him?

I'm sure he would just convince you it was all in your head.

Yeah, maybe it is.

If I were you…

If I were you, I'd leave without a word.

That way the guilt will eat him alive.

I'm gonna need some time alone, just to think.

You mustn't wait, Tanya.

It's too important to be complacent.

Complacent?

You… You know what I mean.

What? No, I don't.

I'm just trying to protect you.

I don't need your protection.

I need to think.

Perhaps… Perhaps you should leave.

- What are you doing? - You must listen to me.

He is not who you think he is.

He's betrayed his country, Tanya.

Oh, my…

He's working for the Americans, passing them information.

- H-Have you lost your mind? - It's the truth.

I wish it weren't, but he will soon be arrested.

And I know you. I know you had nothing to do with his crimes.

But if you are still here…

- Valya's a hero of the Soviet Union. - …they'll arrest you too.

- He's an officer in the Air Force. No. - Valya is a traitor, has been for years.

- Not possible. - It's hard to get your head around,

- but we do not have much time. - This is insane.

- I can help you. - You?

Even if anything you said was true, what are you gonna do? You're a secretary.

I'm not… Not exactly.

You work in administration.

I work in Building 12.

You're delusional.

I don't believe you. I… I want you to leave.

What are you doing? Stop.

Stop doing that.

They have been listening to you.

To everything.

This is not happening.

Just get away from me. Get out of my house.

You must leave Star City.

This doesn't make sense.

If they're listening, they'll hear. They'll know you've warned me.

They won't, because I'll get to the recording

before anyone else can listen to it.

Have you listened to us?

To me?

Oh, my…

Oh, my God.

I… I…

I need to talk to Valya.

No, you can't contact him.

You need to leave now, or they'll arrest you too.

But how can I?

I will help you.

They don't let anyone past the front gate without a pass…

I told you I'll help you.

I can get you a pass.

Meet me tomorrow at 11:00,

near Building 33.

You have to trust me.

Okay?

Hello.

Colonel Raskova is…

- What the hell do you think you're doing? - What are you talking about?

You know what I'm talking about. Arresting one of my essential people

and for what? For some… some pamphlet he picked up somewhere years ago?

Well, the general secretary's banned Fyodorov's work, and rightly so.

I don't have time for this. I need him.

You should be thanking me.

The ideas in that book are counter to the spirit of the revolution.

Lyudmilla, please.

Must we play these games?

- We know each other too well for this. - Do we?

You're punishing him because you want something from me.

I'm providing you with the security that this program requires.

That is the point of me, just as you said.

What do you want?

Chief Designer.

You all right?

I'm so sorry, Chief.

I was… I was reckless.

I put everything at risk, keeping that book.

Yes, you were. But it's been taken care of.

- How? - I agreed to certain terms

with Colonel Raskova.

She needed cover with her superiors.

So now you've compromised your integrity for my sake.

Life is compromise, Sergei.

Now come on.

We've got work to do.

Where are you going?

The Chief Designer has…

He's asked me to participate in a training exercise.

You just got back.

Yeah.

It's nothing, just studying the effects of long-term confinement.

Long-term.

Have you got another mission?

No.

It's training in Siberia.

Locked up with a few others.

You should be happy.

You're rid of me for nine months.

Nine months and you leave today?

- I meant to tell you. I just… I was… - Wanted to sleep with me first.

No.

What happened last night was…

It was wonderful.

You can't say no to the Chief Designer. You know this, Stasia.

It is just…

It's been some time since I had the opportunity.

Well, you will get another mission. I know you will.

Just be patient.

Don't worry.

When you come back from Siberia or wherever you're really going,

you'll find another whore.

There will be plenty throwing themselves at you.

Irina, please stay. Let me make you some tea.

I couldn't. We've al…

They'll hear, they'll know you've warned me.

They won't because I'll get to the recording before anyone else can listen.

…this woman. The woman you saw him with? Did she seem Rus...

Comrade, I need access to check the day pass records

for a subject Krasilnikov against my recordings.

Repeat the name.

Krasilnikov.

Very well.

Give this to the records officer.

MIRONOV APARTMENT AUGUST 11, 1970

As you all know,

all manned missions are closely monitored by the Security division,

and without approval from the First Office,

we cannot even get you out of Star City, let alone to Venus.

Which is why we've classified our launch as the unmanned delivery of

a Zenit weather satellite to Earth's orbit.

But you must still get to Baikonur undetected.

How? They've got this place locked up tighter than a frog's asshole.

You will be making the journey in this.

What is that thing?

It was designed to protect scientific instruments

from high pressures on the ocean floor.

And it'll do the same for us on the surface of Venus.

But before that, it'll be your home for the next two days.

You'll be sealed in here in Star City and then transported unseen to Baikonur.

You must be joking.

Comrade Chadha, it'll be the first of many a long period for you

spent in confined spaces, I can tell you.

I guess we'd better get used to each other's smell.

Once the bathysphere's been loaded onto the utility module on the tower,

you'll then be able to move down into the BIOS module,

then onto the orbital module, and then, of course,

finally onto the descent module for launch.

- Simple. - After orbital insertion,

you will rendezvous with a refueling module already placed in Earth's orbit.

Then you will conduct the trans-Venus injection burn

and be on your way before anyone is the wiser.

And then what? I mean, surely there'll be no way to hide us at that point.

There will be no further need for deception.

Especially when they realize we've reached Venus

before the Americans even knew such a thing was possible.

As a senior man,

naturally I should be the first onto the surface to plant the Soviet flag.

It's 460 degrees on the surface. You'd burst into flames.

Well, it wouldn't be the worst loss.

You'll only be doing a flyby of Venus and using its gravity

to adjust your trajectory back down to Earth.

While you're up there, you'll collect as much data as possible,

and then, of course, the bathysphere will be jettisoned

and sent down to the surface of Venus.

We can only hope that it will withstand the atmospheric pressure long enough

to transmit its data back to Earth.