“Chase Through Time” is episode twenty-four of season one of The Time Tunnel.
At the end of the previous episode, “Pirates of Deadman’s Island”, Doug and Tony had arrived somewhere when an armed man entered Tik-Toc control, shot the only person on duty and planted something in a console. Doug and Tony were in pain when a security check resulted in an alert.
Ray, Ann and General Kirk enter with guards. Kirk orders the facility sealed and Ann notices a problem with Doug and Tony and fix it. The killer comes out of hiding and, following a chase, takes Ray captive long enough to activate the Time Tunnel and escape through it.
Ray and Ann are trying to locate Doug and Tony when Ann notices the dead scientists notes, which have their location. The killer is probably in the same place. Kirk says the killer, Raul Nimon, joined a year ago and had the perfect cover. Sergeant Jiggs reports Nimon was scheduled for a leave of absence at midnight. They’ve found microfilm and instructions in his quarters, which are being decoded. Ann has located Doug and Tony in the Grand Canyon in 1547.
The instructions have been decoded and Kirk tells Ray they need to evacuate the complex. Nimon was instructed to plant a small nuclear device and destroy the complex after his espionage. The bomb will probably detonate after Nimon’s furlough was due to start. Doug and Tony need to find Nimon and get him to tell them where he hid the bomb. Jiggs is starting a search. General Kirk doesn’t want to risk people’s lives; Ray tells him to ask for volunteers. No-one leaves.
Kirk contacts Doug and Tony and fills them in. Tony suggests they draw Nimon to them with smoke. This works but Ann says Nimon is slipping out of phase. Before Doug and Tony can grab Nimon, he vanishes. Doug and Tony are sent after immediately; that was far easier than usual. They arrive in some corridors and a monitor comes on and a silver-faced person tells them not to move or they will be killed. The man comes with another and places them under arrest.
General Kirk is ordering that all non-essential personnel be evacuated. Jiggs has 200 people looking for it. They try to work out a likely detonation time. After furlough at midnight, because Nimon couldn’t get out prior to that, and about 3 hours to get out of range. Ray and Ann can’t find Doug, Tony or Nimon.
Two people pass Doug and Tony and their guards. The other two had their heads covered and their escort says they are workers. The city looks like an enormous beehive according to Doug. Their escort is a member of the ultimate human society and in this society, he is a soldier. They may call him Volkar. They have arrived in the most glorious era of man’s existence and will be given suitable work and quarters.
Volkar leaves and Doug comments some glory, some era. Another enters, Worker Z24A19. She is a gold skinned woman under her headpiece. She has food for 2 for an eight-day work period. It looks to be eight days of pills. She explains that the Masters are the rulers of the complex. They are all wise and her purpose is to serve. Yes, there has been someone like Doug and Tony present for many years, but she’s been forbidden to speak about him. She knows not what trouble, love or mother are; workers and soldiers ae grown from selected genes. Everyone is, except the Masters.
Volkar returns; Doug and Tony have been summoned by the Masters. They are taken to a control room where Nimon and a Master are. The Master says Doug and Tony need to reconcile their differences with Nimon and work with him. If they refuse? Pain is inflicted and they are taken back.
The woman says Nimon has been there for 10 years and has won great favour with the Masters., He’s building a mechanism for them. A time device it seems. They cannot leave their quarters; there is a forcefield. Nimon arrives and advises Doug and Tony to work with the Masters. Their only escape is through time and the Time Tunnel was blown to atoms one million years ago.
Ray and Ann are struggling to find them, until Ray suggests widening the scope more than 1,000 years. Doug and Tony need to get Nimon to confess where he planted the bomb or they will all be stuck. A different kind of episode this time.