The Questor Tapes

A team of top scientists builds the android Questor without understanding its alien components. Emil Vaslovik disappears, leaving behind a damaged programming tape whose contents are largely erased. The team improvises by substituting their own programming to bring Questor to life.

When the body is completed, the android awakens and adds cosmetic refinements, transforming from an 'it' into a 'him'. Questor then leaves the lab to search Vaslovik's office and archives, identifying himself as 'part of Project Questor'. This marks the first step toward becoming more human.

Questor seeks Vaslovik and compels Jerry Robinson to accompany him in the search. Darrow, the project head, overrules Robinson by using a fragment of a clue from the original tape to pursue Vaslovik. Robinson, the only team member who has actually worked with Vaslovik, is dragged along.

Questor learns there is a nuclear generator in his abdomen that will overload unless Vaslovik is found. He suspects the clue about an aquatic vehicle refers to a boat, adding urgency to their quest. The team presses on as the countdown tightens.

The duo travels to England to follow Vaslovik's trail and escapes custody along the way. They seek the aid of Lady Helena Trimble, who had worked with Vaslovik, hoping she can help locate him. The search becomes a race against time and confinement.

Questor deciphers a clue pointing to Vaslovik's location, but a British soldier machine-guns him in a park. The near-fatal interruption damages Questor and forces a retreat back to the laboratory for repairs. The countdown remains, pushing the team to fix him quickly.

Back at the lab, Questor is badly damaged and his fusion reactor is at risk of a catastrophic overload. Darrow presents Robinson with a choice: embed a homing transmitter to guide rescue or relocate Questor to safety away from danger. Robinson agrees to the beacon plan and begins repairs.

Robinson implants the transmitter and they sprint to a waiting jet to pursue Vaslovik. Darrow follows with the intention of ensnaring the android, but his role becomes a distraction as the mission escalates. The team heads for a rendezvous with Vaslovik's trail.

The beacon and pursuit lead them toward a mythic reference—the boat that Questor interpreted as Noah's Ark. They race across borders and oceans in a desperate flight toward Mount Ararat. Time is critical as the android's reactor timer ticks down.

Arriving at a concealed cave within Mount Ararat, Questor and Robinson encounter Emil Vaslovik, who reveals that he is also a successor android. He explains the 'Masters' and the long lineage of androids built to safeguard humanity, as well as Questor's unique lifespan.

Darrow arrives with military forces and intends to destroy Questor. After hearing Questor's case and the truth of his mission, he begins to realize humanity's potential and agrees that Questor should fulfill his purpose. He becomes a pivotal ally in the android's mission.

To ensure Questor's survival, Darrow takes the transmitter and escapes in a jet, telling the military to think the android is aboard. His sacrifice misdirects pursuit, allowing Questor and Robinson to move forward. The beacon's signal vanishes as the jet disappears.

Robinson and Questor watch the sky as the transmitter proceeds, and Questor finally voices an emotion with the line, 'I wish that I could not.' This marks a turning point in Questor's humanity. Despite the loss and danger, their mission continues.

With the beacon system in place and Darrow's sacrifice behind them, Questor and Robinson commit to their mission to help humanity. They set out together into the unknown, ready to face whatever comes next.