Inside 'The Swarm' Page #8

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the Africans confined to Texas.

This is Frank Blair.

Who would've thought bees would be the

first alien force to invade America?

- Where are you going, sir?

- Air Force Headquarters.

Now, without the president's

authority, how can you possibly help?

Well, the least I can do is try.

General.

Hello, Crane.

- Doctor.

- General.

I'm really glad you're here

for the finale.

Is there anything I can do to help?

I'm not sure, but come with me.

- Very impressive.

- There'll be no more Africans...

...at least in Houston.

- You found a way to stop them?

I hope so. If we do it here,

we can do it anywhere.

This is a dress rehearsal, a procedure

for future African challenges.

This is Houston computerized,

and this is Houston.

You see, the bees have formed almost

a complete circle. Billions of them.

- That's what we've been waiting for.

- Waiting for what?

The battle plan is to get them all

into one area and then zap them!

Take a look over here.

- Captain. Doctor.

- Major.

You planned your arrival perfectly.

Here they come.

Freeze it.

- Prepare to use the neutracide!

- Neutracide?

Use that and nothing will grow

there for 10 years!

Why worry about shaving when

somebody's about to cut your head off?

Leader One to all aircraft. Deliver

your cargo on target. Now!

- They're coming through.

- They have learned to live with it.

I was afraid of this.

They've become immune

to any pesticide.

The occupation of Houston has begun...

...and General Slater is the

first officer in history...

...to get his butt kicked

by a mess of bugs!

You got any of that birdseed left?

As I said before, they're high

in potassium, low in sodium.

And as I said before, terrific.

How long can they live in the city?

If they get food and water, they might

just decide to stay here forever.

The Defense Department in Washington

has just confirmed the tragic news.

With the approval of the White House,

as a last resort...

... the city of Houston will suffer

man-made burning before daybreak.

This decision was reached

in accord with all opinions...

... from the armed forces

and scientists involved in the...

... fruitless countermeasures

being attempted...

... to destroy the killer bee which

has brought the West to a standstill.

The burnout is scheduled

to be handled within minutes.

Light them up.

Move out! Move out!

Burn them out!

Listen. They're still out there.

Billions of them.

It's as if it were their city.

Even though Slater's been at it for

24 hours with every soldier he can get.

You talk about the bees

as if you admired them.

I do. They never fail to astonish me.

It's as though a broad range

of contingencies...

...has been planned for by the creator

and programmed into them...

...for an endless future.

Making them the true inheritors

of the Earth.

A world without people.

Maybe the creator was equally

obliging toward us...

...and programmed into us the ability

to beat them.

Well, I wish he'd give us a clue.

Here, let me.

Right there, that's lovely.

- This is better than 8 hours' sleep.

- How would you know?

Listen. Listen.

- What is it?

- The bees.

Why are they making that sound?

That's the hunger tone.

It causes them to mass together...

...as if by community they can destroy

their enemy. Cold, hunger, anything.

I wonder if there is another sound

that's part of their ritual...

Helena? Helena,

are you all right, love?

Helena, what's the matter?

Darling?

I don't know what else we can do.

I'm very sorry.

Please God, let her live.

Sir, can we really count

on a scientist who prays?

I wouldn't count on one who doesn't.

- You can forget the dossier.

- Yes, sir.

Street Fighter to Topkick!

Come in Topkick, come in.

Topkick, can you read me?

You two, come here.

I can't get through.

Too much interference! Damn bees!

Listen, get back to headquarters.

Tell Slater we need reinforcements! Go!

You wonder, don't you?

Houston on fire.

Will history blame me or the bees?

- My compliments, general.

- On what, for God's sake?

On being able to maintain a

long-term historical perspective.

Well, Crane, at this point

there's no other viable perspective.

- Our time is up.

- Not quite, general.

We're ready with a final experiment.

Please don't give up.

- Okay.

- Thank you.

We'll do another half dozen of these,

get some sleep and start after lunch.

Okay.

What's this? We've not had this

before. Look at this, doctor, look.

Something's coming. Here we go.

We've done it.

- I don't believe this.

- Yes, we have.

General, we've done it.

Look, we've got a match.

We discovered two identical

sound patterns.

What has that

to do with killing bees?

What you are hearing is the African

bee's mating sound. But listen.

This was made by the alarm system,

not the bees. But they sound alike.

The alarm system at the missile base

drew them in.

The similarity confused them.

When it stopped, they left.

I don't understand.

The sonic alarm system happens

to be an exact duplicate of the duet...

...between the queen and the young

queen challenging her.

- But bees can't hear.

- That's right. They go by vibration.

The alarm felt like the vibration

of a ritual they had to attend.

Then you're saying our alarm system

attracted the bees into the complex.

Right. We'll use this very sound

to pull them out of Houston.

Okay, I'm convinced.

Kill the bees! Don't hit the man!

No! Get it up!

General? General!

- What is going on?

- The bees are inside!

Now what?

- You two get going!

- Not without Helena.

We'll take care of her. Use that new

weapon you've come up with.

Slater. Dodge Airfield.

Code seven. Fast!

- General!

- Get out!

I'm going to get Helena.

You know what has to be done!

Major!

There's no time for that! Let's go!

Put this around you. Drop them!

- Newman!

- Go, Brad! Go!

Move out!

General!

Dr. Crane, this is Dodge Field,

Air Tower Number Two.

We read General Slater's instructions

loud and clear.

We're prepared to assist in every

possible way. Come in, Dr. Crane.

- Do you read me?

- Affirmative.

Load the choppers with the sound horns.

Spread the oil slick. Acknowledge.

- Roger.

- Out. Let's go.

To all Air Force tankers. Spread

your oil over the Gulf of Mexico.

Four minutes to flaming.

- Ready.

- Fine.

- Is this right?

- Is there one on the side?

- Yes, sir.

- Well, please hurry!

Won't the noise drown out your sound?

No, it's an entirely different

sonic level.

All set, sir.

Rescue Five to Alpha One.

Come in, please.

Ditch sound floats!

Rescue Five to Alpha Two. Come in.

Rescue Five to Alpha Three.

Pilot, get us to the firing point

as quickly as you can.

Here they come!

Operation Sonic Drop complete.

All clear.

Okay. Thank you.

Fire it now!

Fire one! Fire two! Fire three!

Fire four! Fire five!

Did we finally beat them?

- Or is this just a temporary victory?

- I don't know.

But we did gain time. If we use

it wisely and if we're lucky...

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