Inside 'The Swarm' Page #3

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Ready to go to work, Dr. Krim?

Now I am, Dr. Crane.

- This is General Slater.

- Just let me know what you need.

Thanks, general.

We've got to move fast.

I agree...

...and in my opinion, the fastest move

is a quick knockout.

Not necessarily, general.

It's only the final result

that counts.

Thanks, Brad.

The hallucinations are disappearing.

None of the patients have had

a recurrence in the past few hours.

Well, you're doing everything you can.

- Keep these IVs going.

- Yes, sir.

Is there any other antitoxin

we could've used?

If the bees that stung them

were African...

...the answer's probably no.

Got nothing in our bag for them.

Cardiopep may have eased

their palpitations...

...but it's no final antidote.

Call me if there's

any change in these men.

- They don't look very good, do they?

- I'm afraid not.

You still refuse to oil this?

I don't intend to be

stuck in this thing forever.

Have you finally met

some miracle healer?

I'm studying Tibetan levitation.

In a few hundred years,

I expect to be able to float around.

- You still writing dirty books?

- Not this year.

Raunchiest thing I ever read...

...that paper of yours on the

mating habits of Bombus medius.

Those queen bees are something.

Sergeant, this is Dr. Krim.

The two officers

are Drs. Richards and Moore.

Until they finish their work,

you don't admit anyone.

Have someone oil these wheels.

You okay, Brad?

Yeah.

Go on. I'll handle this part

and call you when I'm ready.

Walter...

...thanks for coming over here

so quickly.

- Problem, doctor?

- About what?

Well, I noticed that Dr. Crane

seemed uneasy in here.

Can't imagine why he'd be uneasy

around all these dead men.

Can you, major?

Well, is he coming or isn't he?

Yes, sir, the general is coming,

but you have to wait outside.

What's this about

shutting off our water?

- Are you in charge?

- Yes, I'm General Slater.

Well, I'm Jud Hawkins.

I asked these tin soldiers

if I could see my son...

...and they tell me it's impossible.

Why do you think he's here?

Because he was stupid enough

to join your damn outfit.

Airman Mark Hawkins.

He's stationed here.

I want to see him.

I'm afraid that's not possible.

Not yet.

I'll tell you what makes it possible.

Me being the county engineer.

That makes it possible.

Do you understand me, general?

lmpossible!

I control all the damn water

in this county...

...and by God, I'll shut yours off

unless I get to see my son!

I'll shut this whole base down

in 10 minutes.

You won't even have enough water

to flush your toilets.

I'm not sure you have

the authority to do that.

Well, while you're checking

with your superiors...

...l'll be turning valves.

Now, you listen to me.

Word is, them same bees

that killed the Durant family...

...killed a whole lot of men

on this base.

I want to see my son.

I want to find out if he's alive,

and I mean right now!

All right, Mr. Hawkins.

Open it up.

Come with me.

Anything?

The toxic content in their tissue

is the highest I've ever found.

It's more virulent than the

Australian brown-box jellyfish.

If that baby taps you, you have

two minutes to say your prayers.

Well...

That's it, then?

Looks like your nightmare

has finally arrived.

The combined venom delivered by

three of these bees...

...may be a fatal dosage

to the average human being.

The victim would be unconscious

in a minute.

We've been losing the battle

against the insects for 15 years...

...but I never thought I'd see

the final face-off in my lifetime.

And I never dreamed that it would

turn out to be the bees.

- They've been our friends.

- Until this species evolved.

General Slater is outside with

next of kin of one of the dead men.

- He wants to come in here?

- It's imperative.

All right.

Oh, God! No!

I'm afraid you can't take him,

Mr. Hawkins.

The only way you can stop me

is to shoot me...

...and I'd thank you if you would.

Hubbard. Dr. Newman.

- Thanks for coming.

- Glad to help.

You should know I came reluctantly.

Well, that's better than not at all,

now isn't it?

This way, gentlemen.

Would you excuse me a moment?

When the others arrive,

give them 30 minutes to unpack...

...then have them go

to the briefing room.

Gentlemen.

Rude son of a b*tch, isn't he?

Never even introduced us.

You'd think he's a general.

- He's asked for the duty watch tapes.

- Why?

He knows there's an automatic

taping system in the duty room.

He wants to see just prior

to the attack.

I've already played them back.

Nothing that'll help us.

But let him hear it.

- Stay with him. Build up that dossier.

- Yes, sir.

So, what about Rita?

No more slinging hash.

I'm gonna marry her.

Just because you're gonna

have a kid.

I'd marry her whether we were

gonna have a kid or not.

At the tone, mark 0430.

We're scheduled to test

the alarm system...

... right after the 0430 mark.

Stand by. Activating.

- What alarm system is that?

- A fallback...

...in case we lose the phone lines

or radio contact.

What's that?

- Just the alarm.

- No, listen.

- Jerry, do you hear what I'm hearing?

- Yeah.

Duty officer.

Right away, sir.

A couple million chain saws!

- That came from the corridor.

- I'll go look.

Jerry! Behind you!

My God!

- Dr. Crane, they're ready for you now.

- Okay.

Keep the tapes on.

I want to hear them again.

- How's Paul?

- Recovering, thank you.

That's good.

Good morning, ladies, gentlemen.

Please forgive the haste and secrecy

with which you've been summoned here.

We've been invaded by a mutant species

of the African killer bee.

Crane, if I may.

Yes, Dr. Hubbard?

I was sent by the president to help,

but I think you're dead wrong.

I was one of the first people

sent to Brazil...

...when the killer bee

began proliferating.

We prefer to call this bee

Brazilian, not African.

I'm well aware of that, Dr. Hubbard.

I've been tracking

their progress north...

...and there is no evidence

whatsoever...

...that they've even crossed

Central America.

Apparently, they crossed

the Caribbean from Venezuela.

There were three hurricanes

in that ocean tract this season.

Any one of them could have

swept the bees in.

Much of this land is used

to cultivate flowers.

A perfect breeding ground.

With all due respect

to the men who died here...

...there's no proof that the bees

that killed them were Brazilian.

Or, if you insist, African.

What's important is what they are.

And what they are is a mutant species

of the original African killer bee.

Dr. Krim will explain.

The autopsies confirm

that the venom...

...is deadlier than anything

we've encountered.

It appears there's enough poison

in just four stings...

...to kill the average person.

I won't dispute

my learned colleague...

...but it takes 26 tests

to identify the African.

How many tests have you made so far?

Major.

You're looking at the final test

I made this morning...

...from the one dead bee

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