Inside 'The Swarm' Page #7

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It's all my fault.

I threw firebombs at the swarm.

You've got a beautiful 6-pound

beautiful daughter.

Thank you.

I guess it's true what they say...

...that a woman sort of falls in love

with her doctor at this time.

I hope you will feel the same way

tomorrow. And the day after.

And all of the days after.

Paul!

Tomas! Tomas!

Helena.

Why this one?

In the whole damn world,

why this boy?

My God, Brad.

What good is all that science?

All that equipment at the base?

All those doctors?

What good are you?

I didn't mean that.

You know I didn't.

Paul was my first case

when I was the town doctor.

He wanted to be an archaeologist.

- He would've been a terrific one.

- I'm sure of it.

You didn't tell me three of the

four survivors at the base had died.

Well, you had other problems.

And, you didn't tell me there's a

syndrome of relapse among survivors...

...shortly after they've been stung.

A fatal relapse.

Some do recover.

A small percentage.

But some do.

Some.

Well, the odds are better than none.

Well, you dropped your poison pellets

and the Africans spit at them.

They're moving to Houston

faster than expected.

General, you should know the enemy is

always expected to do the unexpected.

- Dr. Crane.

- Major Baker.

Let's hear your rundown.

"Three steel mills,

seven oil refineries...

...two beet sugar plants

and a nuclear power center.

Plus 46 towns,

not including Houston...

...are now directly

in the path of the Africans."

We'll evacuate the towns,

and close the factories.

We'll have trouble with

the nuclear power plant.

They won't shut down voluntarily.

Millions in the area need the energy.

If we don't shut them down,

the bees will.

I'll check with Washington

for a directive.

I know executives at that plant.

I fought them in court

on environmental issues.

I'll fly in and talk

some sense into them.

It might be a lot quicker

than Washington.

Okay. You got it. Thank you.

Miss!

More bad news?

Everything we tried has failed.

Our last hope is your mass antidote.

How close are you?

I've tried it on all these rabbits.

It knocks hell out of them.

These are the only two still alive.

I'm on the right track,

but I need time.

If you can't perfect it, we might

just as well pack it in right away...

...and ship out to New Zealand.

What we need is something

that people can self-inject...

...if they get stung by an African bee.

And we need it right now.

I get the picture. First thing

tomorrow, I'll try it on a human.

Like who?

- We'll come up with volunteers.

- Like me?

Forget it.

It'll take two or three days

to convince...

...anyone how much we need humans.

- Meanwhile, I'm here and I'm convinced.

- I'm not ready for you.

- When I am, I'll let you know.

- Okay.

Will you please start eating

the food they serve here?

It has been measured to ensure you get

energy for the long hours you work.

What the hell does a man have to do to

get a beer and a pizza around here?

All a man has to do, Walter, is ask.

All my notes are right here, Brad,

on the desk next to the recorder.

They contain the exact instructions,

and I mean exact...

...on how to prepare

the antidote I developed.

Every experiment,

with its individual notes...

...and conclusions,

is documented in this text.

I'm going to test the serum on myself.

Why?

Because you're fool

enough to make me try it on you.

It's my antidote,

so it'll be my risk.

First, I'm going to inject myself...

...with the same input of venom I'd

receive from the stings of six bees.

That's double the amount anybody has

been able to take and survive.

Then I'll see if I'll still be able to

use the self-injector with my serum...

...or whether muscular stiffness will

make it impossible.

I'll dictate the rest of this to the

other recorder.

I'm all ready.

Physiograph is recording,

everything is laid out.

The weal is rising instantly.

Now, from the moment of

being stung, a frightened victim...

...medically inexperienced, would

need about 60 seconds...

...to get the self-injector

from pocket or purse...

...pull up a sleeve, waste seconds

hesitating, afraid of the needle.

Finally, put it in. I'm going to give

myself the same 60 seconds.

Heartbeat rising rapidly.

Heartbeat now 140.

The antidote is on the table

in front of me.

Fifty-five seconds since I

administered the venom.

I'm gonna start reaching for it.

It won't move.

My arm feels like

it's strapped to my side.

Heartbeat, 160.

Close to outer limit.

Dropping now.

Good.

Good!

Going to normal.

Dropping now.

Dr. Krim, what are you doing?

You missed the tough part.

How much did you take?

- About six stings' worth.

- Oh, Dr. Krim.

Respiration still high...

...but not abnormally so.

Well, let's see now.

I administered the antidote about...

...sixty-six seconds after

the venom was injected.

The antidote works.

- My God. It works.

- Dr. Krim.

Now here's something.

The four physiological responses...

...are swinging

from norm to some really...

...spooky levels.

They don't want to stay down.

In fact, they're turning bad.

All of them.

Heart rate, rising again.

Oh, my God.

Losing...

...respiration.

First sign, respiratory arrest.

Doctor.

Walter.

Oh, Walter.

There it is.

- I just don't understand your request.

- You will. You will.

Have you any idea of the consequences

if I ask to shut down?

- Less disastrous than not.

- Look at all this.

Don't you realize we supply power over

a 500-mile area and purify water?

I realize that. I don't think

you realize how critical this is.

There's nothing here that

could attract bees.

The infrared rays could

act like a beacon.

No, no, doctor. See this.

Billions have been spent to make

these nuclear plants fail-safe!

The odds against anything going wrong

are astronomical.

I appreciate that,

but let me ask you...

...in your fail-safe techniques, is

there a provision against killer bees?

Andrews here. Come in, Control.

Control, this is Andrews.

What's happening?

Control, go to manual!

- The bees. Let's get out of here!

- No, no, no! This way.

Crane?

Crane!

I've been authorized by the president

to close down your operation.

From now on, the war against the bees

will be under military direction...

...the way it should've been

from the first.

- What's the ETA now?

- General?

I'll say this for you, Crane,

you tried.

In spite of what you might think,

I kind of hoped you'd pull it off.

Arrange protective crating for the two

oscilloscopes and fly to Houston.

- I'll see you there with the equipment.

- I'll be there.

I haven't surrendered yet, general.

- estimating that 600,000 people have

already been evacuated from Houston.

Elsewhere, people stayed indoors

or went to church.

Between their prayers

they watched the weather.

There was good news for most

of the country other than Texas...

... temperatures continued plunging

and cold air...

... coming down an Alaskan front kept

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