Meteor Page #4

has occurred somewhere in Siberia.

I believe that all of us here

are aware of that fact.

Would the Russian delegate tell us

what was the cause of the disturbance?

Mr President,

we would like to request a recess

while we consult further

with our government.

At my next mark,

it will be 2300.

- We are in test number 36.

- Good morning.

- Did you get any sleep last night?

- A couple of hours. You?

I played gin rummy and lost.

What's the Russian girl like?

Very nice, very brightand forget it.

I missed you.

...approaching X plus six minutes

on the attitude control test

and all station monitors are green.

With compliments.

I had them strip your bed

and puton some proper sheets.

- That's kind.

- I've got some decent soap,

because using the stuff here

is like washing your hands with a rock.

- Thank you. That's a pretty scarf.

- Thank you.

Will Jim Jackson

report to the security office.

His hours are confused.

- How about you?

- Oh, I'm all right.

System analysis team

will review power problems

at 0800 tomorrow in conference room.

- Should I wake him?

- Let him sleep. Have some coffe.

Commands for attitude

control updates programmed In Hercules.

How long have you been with him?

I've known him for ten years.

But I've only worked with him for five.

Why did you choose astrophysics?

- It chose me.

- How?

I was a telephone operator

at a centre for controller flight

in a cosmodrome

by Kannur in Middle Asia.

I knew your language

because when I was a child

my mother kept

giving me books in English

and telling me that one day

I would be grateful to her.

I suppose I am. Would you like one?

No, thanks. Go on.

Then, about ten years ago,

some British scientists came to Russia

to meet with some of our people.

Alexei Serich, our Sleeping Beauty,

needed someone to translate for him,

and they asked me.

His English voice.

When I finished,

he asked me to stay on with him

as interpreter and third assistant.

He was married to Olga Alekseevna then,

his firstwife.

- How many's he had?

- He's on his fourth.

He's sleeping alone now,

but just not very often.

You know,

it's very nice talking with you.

Thank you.

We've been talking for almost two days.

No. I've been talking

with you and Dubov.

I mean talking with "you", you.

- Very attractive.

- Thank you, again.

- Then...

- Then?

- Astrophysics.

- Oh!

Well, I realised

that space fascinated me.

Alexei Serich saw this

and he encouraged me.

He arranged for me to go to university.

And when I returned,

I was an astrophysicist.

- That's when I met my husband.

- Your husband?

He was a cosmonaut

We were together for three years.

And then he went

on an exploratory mission,

and he didn't come back.

And now? Is there anyone?

Nothing serious. Not really.

Dr Bradley,

Sir Michael is reporting on the monitor.

There are meteors over Central Europe.

Ah, Paul, the observatory

in Frascati is reporting.

There's a cluster big enough to track

coming in over Italy south of Pisa.

Speed of approach,

They've burnt up!

The clusters evaporated.

Frascati says that

not one of them got through.

The whole thing's been nothing more

than a gigantic fireworks display.

Thank you. That's the best news yet

We'll try and keep it that way.

Bradley!

I think we can assume

the emergency's over.

This one, and the emergency in general.

It's a pity the world's been sent

into a state of unnecessary panic.

There's your threat,

Dr Bradley, a fireworks display!

Tell this arsehole once and for all,

Orpheus will not burn up. It's too big!

We've got enough to deal with here.

We don't need any

additional aggravation from you!

Notone promise

of calamity has come true.

As far as I'm concerned,

not a single one will!

When common sense is restored

and the President has returned

the control of this centre to me,

I shall return to this centrel

He wishes to telephone

the Russian Embassy in Washington.

The USSR

is not unaware of the seriousness

of this situation.

We have, therefore, decided

to add to the power of Hercules

the considerable power

that we, ourselves, possess.

A satellite, developed before

the United States developed theirs.

But which we designed and constructed

for the purpose of defence

against possible disasters

such as the one confronting us now.

For that purpose only!

The USSR

will always support any exercise,

the primary object of which

is to the benefit of mankind.

- To Peter the Great.

- To the Russian cutting of red tape.

Peter the Great.

Dr Dubov would like to tell you

words he heard from a taxi driver

when he was last in America.

Walk the Dodgers!

Attitude correction complete.

Situation nominal.

This is Goldstone.

We have a realignment interrupt.

Realignment Interrupt. Copy.

Readjustment malfunction.

Deployment latch relay

on rocket three may he hung up.

We have to re-set.

Send back-up command

and update the guidance systems

to account for the delayed firing time.

Co-variance matrix

has been recalculated.

All Hercules

back-up systems are ready.

Attitude correction complete.

Situation nominal.

We wait till we see

the whites of its eyes.

It is eight hours since

a splinter struck the Swiss Alps.

Only now has the enormity

of what has happened begun to sink in.

There's never been anything like this.

Avalanches and storms

have destroyed whole villages,

but nothing on the scale of

what's here.

Help is coming from all over,

ambulances, helicopters,

rescue equipment and supplies.

Dead casualties are being taken

to churches and town halls.

Those still alive are rushed

to hospitals for resuscitation.

So many skiers and holiday-makers

here atthis time of year,

and many of them are unregistered.

There's no way of telling who they are.

Anyone who has reason to believe

that friends or relatives have been

in this area during the last weeks

should go immediately

to the Swiss emergency offices

that have been opened up

in Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich.

The tragedy has been heightened

by the loss of 12,000 contestants

in the cross-country marathon, which

started an hour before the splinter hit.

The cameraman and crew who shot

this film left the area by helicopter

only minutes before the disaster.

In the minds of people everywhere,

the question is,

where next and what about

the big one due on Sunday,

closing on Earth

at 30,000 miles an hour?

We can only hope,

as the President of the United States

has assured us,

that we are in safe hands.

This is Osman Ragheb In Zurich,

returning you

to the ABC Studios In New York.

My God.

As simply as you can, Mr Sherwood.,

what's the procedure now?

The satellites are orbiting

with Earth 22,500 miles out in space.

Since they are in different orbits,

and in order for them

to reach the target together,

they will have to be fired

at different times.

Peter the Great first,

and then 40 minutes later, Hercules.

Two hours after that, they will explode

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