The Outer Limits (1995) (1995)

Episode Overview

Title: Dead Man's Switch Plot: Ben Conklin has lived a solitary life since losing his parents at the age of twelve. This isolation is part of the reason General James Eiger chose him to spend a year deep within a bunker 11,000 feet beneath the Arctic ice, overseeing the controls of a doomsday device created by world leaders after the Hubble telescope detected 11 incoming alien ships. This device serves as humanity’s final defense against an extraterrestrial threat, and Conklin, alongside four other recluses in separate bunkers, must activate a dead man's switch to prevent the device from obliterating both aliens and humanity. Initially, the task seems straightforward, but as the alien fleet approaches and Conklin bonds with his fellow operators, he begins to question the dependability of the doomsday machine. Communication from General Eiger dwindles, and accidents start to befall his bunker mates. Conklin realizes he bears an immense responsibility.