The Quatermass Xperiment

(The Quatermass Xperiment)

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The rocket « Q1 » belonging to a space program directed by the Professor Bernard Quatermass crushes on Earth in the English countryside near London. Rescue teams quickly arrive on the spot. Despite the very high temperature that still rules around its shell, the scientist orders the rocket remote opening so as to come in assistance with the survivors.

Quatermass discovers only one survivor - The Quatermass Xperiment
Quatermass discovers only one survivor

Victor Carroon, one of the three astronauts who participated in the operation, is the alone survivor to gets out of the huge rocket that has travelled 1500 miles up in space. By penetrating inside the rocket, Quatermass and his team discover with stupor that Green and Reichenheim have disappeared.

Quatermass and Briscoe understand that Carroon has undergo some physionomistic transformations - The Quatermass Xperiment
Quatermass and Briscoe understand
that Carroon has undergo some
physionomistic transformations

Quatermass, who refuses to spread the affair, transfers the survivor in state of shock in his private laboratory so as to undertake some examinations. His associate, the Dr. Gordon Briscoe, and he have to attempt to determine the causes of the accident and to elucidate the mystery of the disappearance of the rest of the crew. The two men notice that the poor astronaut with an empty look has sudden

some physionomistic transformations that they think are the direct consequences of his trip in outer space. Carroon has transformed into a real zombie having lost speaking usage.

Some deep investigations inside the rocket unveil the existence of a sort of gelatinous matter of vegetable origin presents in its double partition. Briscoe takes a sample that shows an astonish vivacity and the thing seems to proliferate at a breathtaking speed. The scientist is now persuaded that the thing brought from space, mysterious universe still unknown of Man, could cause his loss.

Under the insistence of inspector Lomax, in charge of the inquiry on the disappearance of the two astronauts, and the Dr. Gordon Briscoe, Quatermass resigns to transfer the patient in a London hospital so as to realize new examinations.

Despite precautions taken by Quatermass aiming to prevent whoever to approach the astronaut, Victor Carroon escapes, help by is wife Judith. Analyses of the space flight videos and the proliferation in vitro of the thing, allow to assert that during his trip in space, Victor Carroon contracted a kind of virus that contaminated him and operates now on him an horrible mutation. The man is in the process to transform little by little into a unspeakable thing half-man half-plant. He wanders in the suburb of London and, to feed, absorbs the vital energy of all these who cross his way, provoking their instantaneous death...

The monster is seen in the Abbey of Westminster. - The Quatermass Xperiment
The monster is seen in the Abbey of Westminster.
 Spoiler ! the end of the story is revealed below…

Quatermass and the inspector Lomax launch in the search of fugitive. The inquiry on a zoo attack allows them to find his steps while he was attempting to hide in the abbey of Westminster where a live television broadcast is under realisation by BBC. But the astronaut has lost his human appearance. The thing has ended its transformation to become now a huge plants whose pores are ready for leave the reproduction's fruits of its kind.

It is necessary to get rid of the monster before it reproduces ! - The Quatermass Xperiment
It is necessary to get rid of the
monster before it reproduces !

Fortunately, the police forces are going to stop the monster in time. By requisitioning a great part of the London energy, the police services will electrocute the monster and thus put an end to its threat for humanity. About the Professor Quatermass, he is well decided to renew the experience and to launch a new rocket.

DoctorSF's Words

Adventures of the professor Quatermass found their origins in an English tv series of 1953 The QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT. The success of the series drove the author Nigel Kneale to write four other adventures destined for the big screen. QUATERMASS (1955), QUATERMASS 2 (1957), QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1967) and finally QUATERMASS CONCLUSION (1969).