Battle Beneath the Earth Page #3

---

I don't know.

These spectroanalyses reveal

exotic alloys that we don't have.

It's as simple as that.

I've talked to Caltech. They've got

their top lab men standing by.

- What about Professor Kebner?

- I've tracked him down, sir. In Chicago.

- Fly him out to the coast.

- Yes, sir.

Get the air base,

Flight Control.

You're on the line, sir.

Flight Control?

This is Hillebrand.

I have VIPs flying to Los Angeles,

top priority and utmost urgency.

Negate the weather.

Right.

The plane will be waiting.

Right, I'll get my gear.

Go with him. Guard him. Don't

let him out of your sight.

Yes, admiral.

Jon?

Reactivate your combat team.

Get reinforcements and

get back in that tunnel.

Fight, hold out, sabotage and do anything

to delay them until we're ready.

Yes, sir.

Get back, Grasso, we're

picking up your grease gun.

Nothing.

Okay. Pack it up.

Yes?

Ah.

General, they are back.

- How many men?

- We await further reports.

A determined enemy, no doubt. You

have reinforced the listening posts?

Yes, general.

And the bomb room?

It's been abandoned to

avoid further attacks.

New staging areas

have been prepared.

Logical. Very logical.

I thought so.

And so will the Americans.

My dear Chai, when will you learn

that logic is the American god?

Without logic, we

cannot function.

Military routine

clouds your brain.

Now is the time for something...

...completely and

uniquely illogical.

But, general...

Do not concern yourself.

Just keep me informed.

I shall be at the

advance supply depot.

Oh, admiral?

Low-frequency signal

is just coming in.

"No contact. Proceeding in.

Shaw."

Acknowledge, sir?

Acknowledge.

Ah, general, you do

us a great honor.

Production has started, I see?

On schedule.

Even the emergency oxygen

is being processed.

Provisions for the

Colorado force?

En route.

This location is perfect.

It abounds with every

type of raw material.

- Sufficient for our needs?

- Oh, yes.

Very soon now, we shall be

independent of the mainland.

Good.

Ah, yes, the Hydrosonic

Farm Project.

An experiment in forced

growth under solaric light.

A pleasant flavor?

Each tiny plant contains the

entire spectrum of vitamins...

...needed to sustain

the human body.

You have planned well, Kengh

Lee. Very well indeed.

One more item of interest.

Pure gold.

Enough to support our

needs for years to come.

I know, Pasadena, but

this is an emergency.

Hello? Yes.

Hold on, please.

He's on the line, sir. Phone 3.

Hello, Dr. Kramer. Admiral

Hillebrand here. How's it going?

Just a second.

It looks good. The metal problems are nearly

solved and we've started on the machine.

Well, how long will that take?

I can't tell. We're

working three shifts now.

Well, you must have some idea.

It's impossible to predict.

Don't push me, admiral.

I'm thinking what can happen

if we don't get your machine.

I know, but I can't

work miracles.

I think you can, doctor, and

we're counting on you to do so.

The admiral?

It's funny.

For years they've ignored me, and

now they expect the impossible.

It's Commander Cassidy, sir.

He's got the detector working.

Well, admiral, we've

filled in Kramer's blanks.

We can pick up any sound now.

Watch this.

Great.

- Yeah, but we're still in trouble.

- Well, how come?

Do you realize the fantastic amount of

activity that goes on in this country?

Heavy construction, mining,

digging, dynamiting.

All around us, 24 hours a day.

And you can't

isolate the sounds?

No, and it's driving

our computer crazy.

Oh, it starts off

normally enough.

Now watch what happens.

Yeah, I see what you mean.

No matter how hard it tries,

it can't perform its mission.

Kramer's original research took

place in unpopulated areas.

A factor we didn't consider.

It has me baffled.

Completely baffled.

This way.

Yes?

Ah.

Good.

Our plan works, they have

taken the left fork.

You see, Kengh Lee,

you worry needlessly.

One can always rely on the Americans

to be completely logical.

- Your preparations are complete?

- Yes, general. All is in readiness.

It's getting hotter.

Hey, commander.

Cover us.

Dummies!

Hey, commander.

Greenberg. Gloves.

They're inside.

- Radioactive waste.

- It's a trap.

- Everybody out. On the double.

- Come on!

- Let's get the hell out of here!

- Come on, everybody out!

Message coming through.

Emergency transmission,

direct voice.

Can't make it out.

It's a weak signal.

Hang on a minute.

There's too much interference.

Quiet! Everybody quiet!

Calling ADC. Calling ADC.

Come in, ADC. Come in, ADC.

Come in, Uncle John. We have

you but can't read you.

Repeat. We have you

but can't read you.

Column 9 has been ambushed.

Column 9, ambushed.

We are...

Sorry, admiral.

It's fine.

Any luck?

The battery's dead.

Wilson?

When we tried to pick up Shaw's

message, what interfered at this end?

Well, the background

noise in this room, sir.

And what stopped it?

Well, you did, sir. You

told them all to be quiet.

Exactly. And that's the answer.

Cassidy?

- Sir?

- Here.

Chinese.

We'll have to move on.

Come on.

Yeah?

All right.

Then the time's final.

Starting this afternoon,

at 1400 Zulu, agreed?

Well, that's it.

Everything's set.

From here on in, it's up to your machines,

Cassidy. They have their chance now.

Yes, sir.

Attention. Attention,

all miners.

All mining operations in

all shafts suspended.

Repeat. All operations

are suspended.

All shafts are closed.

We regret to announce that all

flights have been postponed.

Repeat. All flights have been

postponed until further notice.

Please check with

your ticket counter.

Repeat. Please check with

your ticket counter.

California reports Condition

Silent now in force.

Mississippi calling.

All stopped.

Roger, Colorado. Good work.

Colorado found the trouble.

They're going off now.

Can we hear from Vermont and

Texas? What's the delay?

Vermont's on the line. They've

located the quarry blasting.

- Expect to go silent in 10 minutes.

- Good.

- Texas. Let's hear from Texas.

- No response.

- Try them again.

- Okay.

All right, Vance, get

your machines working.

- We'll handle Texas.

- Sir.

- What's holding them up?

- You know Texas.

They're through on my line.

They claim they shut

down over two hours ago.

Texas.

It looks good. Very good.

Are you picking up the tunnels?

Yeah. This is it.

Switch over to visual on

the big board up above.

It's working. There's

the first report.

Near Phoenix.

Let's have an evaluation.

Underground noise moving east.

Direction:
070.

Estimated speed:
Eight

miles per hour.

One of their tunnel borers.

- Or a bomb trailer moving through.

- Mm.

My God, they're everywhere.

So our Commander

Shaw has escaped.

Yes, general. But many

Americans were killed.

All senseless deaths

without Shaw.

I wonder which gods

protect him so.

- The Placer mine?

- All entrances have been sealed off.

At least we have

closed the barn doors.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes