Inside 'The Swarm' Page #2

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- Now that you're here, just fine.

Nicely said.

Everything's looking pretty, Maureen,

including you.

Thank you, Clarence. The wire

and the pliers, please.

Felix, think that rigging

is going to keep my banner up?

Just because you're mayor of Marysville

doesn't make you an engineer.

Don't be worrying about my rigging.

She'll stay up in a hurricane.

I was thinking how corny your banner

reads. Makes us look like hicks.

Nobody asked you

to retire here, you know.

Clarence, that's not nice.

We've been doing fine with our

Flower Festival...

...until this master mechanic genius

came to tell us how to run things.

Well, actually, the sign is sort of

hicky. That's what people expect.

The hammer too. That's why

thousands flock here each year...

...to see the parade and our beautiful

flower floats.

That's right. We'll grant this

isn't Pasadena.

It isn't the Rose Bowl.

It's a country-town imitation!

I'll tell you one thing

I do approve of.

This year's theme: "Love."

- Now, that was Clarence's idea.

- That's right.

Well, everybody's got to have one good

idea now and then...

...even Clarence.

- Now look, Felix...

Mom, Dad.

This way! Quick!

They killed my mom and my dad!

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

We'll do the best we can, sir,

and thank you, sir.

General Thompson coming on-screen.

Dr. Crane, your credentials

have been authenticated.

Nothing more?

While I confess to being surprised...

... but the president has placed

you in direct command...

... of all operations relating

to this emergency.

What are the limits to my authority?

- None. General Slater.

- Yes, sir.

You will provide full cooperation.

You will give him equipment, whatever

facilities and manpower he needs.

All this is to be made available

to him without question.

- Without question, sir?

- Affirmative.

- Dr. Crane.

- Yes.

The president's adviser,

Dr. Connors...

... told me he'll be calling

you within an hour...

... and I'd like to join

in wishing you good luck.

Thank you.

Major, when you checked

the nonlethal equipment in my van...

...did you come across

a beat-up briefcase?

- Yes, sir.

- Are you familiar with its contents?

Yes, sir. An inventory of the contents

is in the process of being typed.

Correction, sir. Was being typed.

Thank you. I want the particular file

that I marked "Personnel"...

...to give to General Slater.

- Yes, sir.

While you're about it,

could I have my leather pouch?

- The one with the sunflower seeds.

- Sergeant...

...would you get the items

he requested?

The file contains names, addresses

and numbers of everyone I want.

Just tell them the war I've always

talked about has finally started.

- That's all? They'll drop everything?

- I'm counting on it.

- Anything else?

- Yes. In that briefcase...

...there is a list of equipment. Get

the Pentagon's top procurement man...

...and get everything on that

list not later than tomorrow.

Why here?

Because we're setting up here, general.

Time is the one thing we're short on.

Now, I want to talk

to the survivors, please.

- Take Dr. Crane to Captain Anderson.

- Yes, sir. Come with me.

Yes.

Brother.

Major...

...I believe you were an investigative

officer in Intelligence, right?

That's correct, sir.

Okay, I'm assigning you

to this Dr. Crane...

...as his personal military liaison.

Watch every move he makes.

Build me a dossier on him.

I can't believe he just happened

to be here at the moment...

...a swarm of bees hit this complex...

...and that he'd already prepared

with such remarkable foresight...

...a list of personnel and equipment

to be flown in here.

It does seem strange, sir.

- Stay with the son of a b*tch.

- Yes, sir.

This man is the most stable,

but his heart rate is still 120.

Take another blood sample

just before Dr. Krim gets here.

That would be three hours

at the outside.

Infirmary, Major Baker.

Well, hold on a minute.

Captain Anderson?

Dr. Anderson.

Oh, my God!

- I'm leaving right now.

- What is it?

The bees killed all

the Durant family except Paul.

- I must go to him.

- I'll go with you. Major, you drive.

Paul Durant.

- C-4.

- Thank you.

There's a bee in here! Please, help!

There's a bee in here!

- Relax, Paul. Take it easy.

- Get him away! Kill him!

- Paul! Paul!

- Doctor, would you let him go, please?

- Do what he says, Tomas.

- Back away. Back away.

Paul? Paul? Listen to me.

- There is no bee in this room.

- Yes, there is.

You are having a nightmare.

Only a nightmare.

Can you hear me, Paul?

The bee is not real.

Paul, I promise you it isn't.

Now, reach out and it will go away.

You'll see.

Now, please, Paul, reach out.

Reach out, Paul.

Please trust me.

Reach out, further. Go on.

There. You see, Paul?

- No bee.

- Everything I tried failed.

I was afraid I was going to lose him.

I know how special he is to you,

so I called you.

- Thank you.

- How many times was he stung?

- I removed two stingers.

- Well, that's one break.

- He's not full of venom.

- But he's delirious...

...muttering about this giant bee.

- It was big! It was really big.

About half the size of this room!

It's gone now, Paul. It was only

in your mind, and he won't be back.

- I have to go.

- Dr. Crane...

...thank you for helping me.

Contact the complex, please.

Two things:

General Slater must assign helicopters

to start a search...

...radiating from the site where

the Durants were attacked.

But the helicopters must take

no aggressive action.

We're gathering information, not

attacking.

- Clear?

- Clear.

Second item:
Have the complex call me

the moment Dr. Krim is about to land.

Here come your choppers, as ordered.

Thank you, general.

No, thanks.

- High in potassium, low in sodium.

- Terrific.

Sergeant, start your patterns.

Start your dispersal pattern

in sectors A and B.

Report immediately

any sighting of swarms.

Roger.

- Tell us what you're looking for.

- I'm looking for bees.

Unfortunately, they washed down

the Durant car before we got to it.

Look.

Doesn't look like a bee to me.

Plastic.

It's a piece of a plastic cup.

There are pieces all around here.

Look. There, there.

What's so significant about that?

I'm afraid to speculate...

...but I think the bees did this.

You saying these bees

eat plastic?

No, no.

But I'm wondering.

Honey bees have a weak mouth.

They couldn't break

the skin of a grape.

But it looks like this species

is tearing up plastic cups...

...possibly to line their hives.

Now, if this is true,

they didn't just get here.

I mean, the invasion didn't

just now begin.

They have been here some time.

Breeding. Increasing.

So?

Well, suppose these bees...

...are using plastic to

insulate their hives.

No bee is that smart.

Suppose these African bees are.

Walter!

Got a message for you

from Mrs. Krim.

Carol is furious at me

for dragging you back to work.

She says I'm not the only

immunologist in the world.

That's what you always told me.

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