- A man seeks to increase his intelligence and become a world-renowned scientist, but his quest results in the deaths of other researchers.
- A low-IQ man, Harry Breaden, uses a cursed antique--a trephinator--to steal the intellect of museum doctors. The process eventually kills them, and lets Harry continue his initial victim's research. One of the museum doctor's is Jack's former fiance, Viola Rhodes, who has met up with Jack again and the two decide to marry.—Gislef
- Dr. Vincent Robeson is developing research of improvement of the brain at the Museum of Science and Natural History, His subject is Harry Braeden, who has the IQ of 58 only. When his friend, Dr. Maxwell, arrives at his laboratory, Dr. Robeson explains his research of brain enhancement. In the basement, Dr. Robeson shows an antique trephinator that could exchange brain and spinal column fluids, making the subject more intelligent. Harry overhears the explanation and, when Maxwell leaves the place, Harry subdues Dr. Robeson and transfers his fluids to him. When Ryan receives a correspondence about the trephinator, he learns that Dr. Robeson bought the cursed equipment and they go to the Museum to retrieve the trephinator. Jack meets Dr. Viola "Vi" Rhodes in the Museum, and he becomes happy to see her since Vi was his fiancée twenty years ago. Ryan learns that Dr. Robeson died and his assistant, Stewart Pangborn, is ahead of his experiments. But soon they learn that Pangborn is Harry Braeden, and he continues his crime spree to achieve more brains of scientists to increase his intelligence. Further, Vi is working with him.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- At the Museum of Science and Natural History, Dr. Vincent Robeson monitors Harry Braeden, a test subject, as Robeson conducts brain enhancement research on Harry. Harry is unable to complete the simple test with blocks. Harry's supervisor, Dr. Maxwell, comes in and Robeson explains that Harry has a barely functional IQ of 60. Robeson says that he's working on something bigger than the evolution of intelligence and needed help, and asks if Maxwell wants to assist him. He leads Maxwell off to see what he's working on, and tells Harry to keep working on the test as he leaves with Maxwell, saying that not even the museum knows what he's doing.
Frustrated, Harry tears the electrodes off of his head and goes out.
Robeson leads Maxwell to the basement and shows him to a secluded lab. Harry secretly follows them and looks in. The two scientists look at the brain suspended in solution. Robeson explains that it belongs to a lowland gorilla. Harry listens as Robeson tells Maxwell that the brain interfaces with computers, and he's discovered how to transfer intelligence to a computer. He can enhance the impulses and feed them back into the brain, making it smarter. Maxwell is impressed by the test results, which show the gorilla brain is smarter than Harry. Robeson wants Maxwell to develop manipulators for the brain, and Maxwell says that he'd like to but he has to go to London for a month. Maxwell notes that the project could change the world, and Robeson asks him to keep the project secret. Once Maxwell agrees, Robeson takes him to see something else.
Harry hides and Robeson takes Maxwell out into the basement to show him an antique trephinator that he purchased. Trephinators were used to relieve fluids from the brain and spinal column. Some quack modified it, claiming that it could transfer intelligence from one subject to another. Harry listens as Robeson explains that the donor and the recipient set in opposing chairs and arms with needles would swing down into the bases of the skulls of both subjects. The spinal fluids would then be transferred from the donor to the recipient. The donors would die within hours, all autonomic functions ceasing.
Maxwell leaves on his trip to London, and Robeson sees Harry. Harry grabs Robeson, says he doesn't want to be stupid anymore, and shoves Robeson into the donor's chair of the trephinator. After strapping Robeson in, Harry sits in the recipient's chair and triggers the mechanism. Robeson's spinal fluids are transferred into Harry's brain, and Harry grows smarter as Robeson mumbles incoherently.
A month later at Curious Goods, Ryan gets the mail. There's a letter from Tanganyika about the trephinator. As Jack laments the rigors of his age, Ryan reads the letter and confirms that Robeson purchased the trephinator. Robeson has returned to the nearby museum, and the trio go there to recover the trephinator. Once there, Jack confirms that Robeson was hit by a car a month ago, right outside the museum. He sees Dr. Viola Rhodes and goes over to greet her. Viola is thrilled to see Jack, and explains that she'll be working there for a while.
Jack and Viola exchange pleasantries, and Viola asks Jack to meet her later that night so they can catch up. She mentions that Jack said "no" to her once, and they talk about how they once were inseparable. Once Viola leaves, Ryan and Micki come, over, having overheard the whole conversation. Jack tells them who Viola is and how they were engaged once, twenty years ago. Viola is a linguist anthropologist and wanted Jack to go with her to Kenya. Jack refused and Viola went on her own. Micki suggests that it's never too late to pick up where they left off, and figures Viola isn't married. Jack worries that he's too old, and Micki assures him that isn't a problem.
Ryan found out that Robeson has an assistant, Stewart Pangborn, who has taken over Robeson's research. They go to talk to Pangborn.
Harry, using the alias "Stewart Pangborn", has brought in nutritional expert Dr. Verner. Verner confirms that the brain is stable and the solution needs constant monitoring or it could die. Stewart displays Robeson's mannerisms, and Verner notes that Robeson never mentioned that he had Stewart as an assistant. Verner comments on how Stewart has many of Robeson's mannerisms, and Stewart dismisses it as Robeson's influence on him. Stewart then shows Verner the trephinator, claiming it's a device to measure a person's intelligence by the size of their skulls.
As they leave, the trio enter the lab. Jack asks about the trephinator and Stewart claims it isn't there. He threatens to call security, and the trio quickly leave. Verner remembers Robeson telling him about the trephinator, and Stewart shows him the supposed skull-measuring device. It's the trephinator, and Stewart invites Verner to sit in it so they can compare skull sizes. Stewart triggers the arms and drains Verner of his intelligence.
The trio return to the lobby, and the near-mindless Verner staggers down the stairs and falls. The trio go over and call for an ambulance for Verner.
That night at the store, Micki points out to Ryan that Verner had a hole in the back of his neck. She suggests that they go to the hospital and talk to Verner. Jack comes in, dressed for his date, and Micki notices that he's wearing cologne. Jack says that he'll be home for midnight, and Ryan jokingly says that they'll wake up.
Jack meets Viola at a restaurant, and they talk about 20 years ago. He admits that his touring the world didn't get Viola out of his system, and says that Viola didn't have to return his engagement ring. They talk about Jack's former wife, and he says that they separated because she couldn't put up with his traveling. Viola admits that she never married, and has been sworn to secrecy concerning her current work. She says that she has to be back to work bright and early, and says that she wouldn't make the same mistake that she made twenty years ago.
At the shop, Ryan returns from the hospital after getting an autopsy report on Robeson. Micki admits that she couldn't get in to talk to Verner, and he died of what the doctors said was irreversible brain damage. His mental capacity had reverted to that of a two-year-old. Robeson's autopsy report showed that he had a similar puncture mark in his neck.
Jack drives Viola back to her hotel, and she invites him up to her room. They kiss and she says that she'll let him sleep, and then says they shouldn't pussyfoot around.
Enhanced with Verner's intelligence, Stewart monitors the brain solution and figures the next step is to make it talk.
Later, Jack returns to the shop and finds Micki and Ryan waiting for him. They say that they were worried about him, and ask if he's all right. Jack says that he's never better, and they explain what happened to Verner. They say that Verner and Robeson both lost their mental capacity, and Jack figures the trephinator is responsible. He suggests that they find out more about Stewart because he's the common factor between the two victims. Ryan asks if Jack is going to see Viola again soon, and Jack abruptly says that he's seeing her for lunch and goes to bed.
The next day, Viola meets with her new partner at the museum: Stewart. He thanks her for joining his research team, and Viola says that they can start to train the brain to speak in six to eight months. Stewart insists that it has to talk in less than two weeks, because he's unveiling the brain at the national science conference. He insists they have to have it talking in two weeks, and Viola warns they can't rush the project. Viola says that she's nothing she can do and goes to her lunch date with Jack.
As Viola leave, Stewart approaches her and apologizes for his attitude. He wants to show her the trephinator, but Viola says that she has to go.
Ryan and Micki come to the museum without Jack, Ryan noting that Jack has a lot on his mind. They sneak into the basement and go to Robeson's files to check for anything on Stewart. They find a file on Harry confirming that he was Robeson's test subject, and had an IQ of 58.
As the cousins leave, Stewart hears them and calls out to them. He wonders if Viola is there, and Micki realizes that Viola is involved with Stewart. The cousins split up and hide, and Stewart grabs a spear from the items. Micki hides in a crate, and Stewart hears the door creak. He pokes the spear at the crates behind which Ryan is hiding, but security calls him away over the loudspeaker.
Once Stewart leaves, Ryan gets Micki out of the crate. She moans in horror when she realizes a mummy was inside with her, and they check out Stewart's lab. They find the brain, and the security guard comes into the basement, looks around, and goes back upstairs.
Jack and Viola have lunch at a restaurant, and Jack notices that Viola is distracted. She says that she's considering the project she's with, and finally says that there's something wrong with the director, Stewart. Jack advises her to walk away from the project, but Viola says that it is real breakdown. She admits that she'll be around for a while, and Jack says that he hoped she'd be around permanently. Jack finally says that when he received the engagement ring back, it was the saddest day of his life. He takes the ring out of his pocket and hopes Viola feels the same, and tells her to take all the time she needs. Viola immediately accepts his proposal and Jack gives her the ring. Jack vows that they're going to spend the afternoon together and he won't let her out of his sight. Viola says that she can't take the time off.
When they return to the shop, Ryan and Micki try and fail to contact Jack. Ryan wants to go back to the museum and figures they need to find the trephinator rather than wait for Jack. Jack comes in and tells them that he and Viola are getting married. Micki says that Viola is in danger, based on the fact they saw papers with Viola's name on them at the lab, and Jack insists that they go to rescue her.
Viola returns to the museum lab and Stewart says that he wasn't sure if she was coming back. Viola assures him that the project means a lot to him, and she had a personal matter to attend to. Stewart asks her to give him a hand with something, and takes her to the trephinator.
The trio drive to the museum, and Ryan tells Jack what they've found. Jack tells the cousins not to "help" him, and says that he has to rescue Viola. He snaps at them and apologizes, and says that he can't lose Viola, much less to the trephinator. Jack figures they can't call the security guards because the guards don't care what Stewart is doing.
Stewart shows Viola the trephinator and claims that he's going to use the pump in the compressor for the brain chamber. He has Viola lift up one arm to see how it works, and when she does so Stewart knocks her out and straps her into the donor chair.
The trio arrive outside the museum and look for a way in.
Viola wakes up and Stewart triggers the trephinator. He transfers her intelligence to him and smiles in satisfaction.
The trio hear a door opening and follow the noise. They find Viola unconscious in an alleyway, spot the door, and Jack yells at Ryan to get it open. He figures they need to use the trephinator and reverse the process to save Viola.
Stewart is in his lab working on getting the brain to speak. It "talks", much to his satisfaction.
The trio manage to open the loading door that Stewart used to dump Viola, and they take Viola in with them. They go to the basement and looks for a safe place to put Viola before they find Stewart. Viola wakes up, and Jack says he won't let Viola die even if he has to kill Stewart. He sends the cousins to find Stewart in his upstairs office.
Once Ryan and Micki leaves, Stewart comes out of the lab. Meanwhile, Jack goes to search for Stewart and breaks into his lab, but Stewart isn't there. He finds a gun in a drawer and takes it with him.
As the cousins search for Stewart, Ryan tells Micki that Jack is doing what he has to, to save Viola. Micki refuses to let Jack kill Stewart. A guard finds them and puts them up against the wall.
In the basement, Jack finds Stewart, who ducks into the shadows. He manages to come up behind Jack and put a razor to his throat, threatening to kill him. Stewart takes the gun and releases Jack, and Jack tells Stewart that he'll have to give back what he stole from Viola. Calling Jack by name, Stewart says that he knows Jack from Viola's knowledge. Jack says that Viola would never shoot him, and Stewart says that he'll claim that he heard a prowler and shot him.
The brain-dead Viola comes up and stumbles into Stewart. Jack disarms Stewart, gets him a chokehold, and has Stewart take him to the trephinator. Stewart says that he can make Jack rich, then yells that there's no part of Viola alive in him. The two men struggle, and Jack manages to hit Stewart with a trephinator arm and knock him into one of the chairs. Viola pulls the lever releasing the arms, and one goes through the nearby window into the gorilla brain while the other goes into Stewart. The gorilla's intellect is transferred into Stewart, rendering him into an imbecile.
Jack goes to Viola, who dies in his arms.
Later at the shop, Jack tells Ryan that he thought he could save Viola and be with her. Ryan says that he understands, and Jack wishes he had done something different. Micki joins them and tries to comfort Jack, and points out that Jack tells them that they do what they can and that has to be good enough. Jack notes that he and Viola were apart most of their lives, and now she's gone somewhere else without him... again. Micki says that he has his time with Viola to remember, then leaves him to his grief. Jack says that now Viola knows if there's anything after, and tells her to wait a while for him so they can be together again. He takes out the engagement ring, puts it next to a photo of Viola, and walks away.
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