Satellite in the Sky Page #5

...should be even more apparent

than it is at present.

[PANTING]

Get ready to cut six jets, Lefty.

Set, skipper.

I can't stand this much longer.

- Quiet, please, professor.

- But l...

Shut up.

Cut to Jets 1 and 8.

[JETS DECELERATING]

You've no right to talk like that.

- Sorry, I'm in charge. Here.

- You'll discover when we get back...

If you don't stop gabbering when I

work out force and velocity corrections...

...we won't get back.

- Is it all right to move?

Yes, you can do what you like now,

professor.

We lost two points to starboard on takeoff.

We cut the motors a little early.

- Get the figures as soon as you can.

- Okay.

I've established contact

with Thunder Hill. Message?

- Not yet.

- Mike.

Who is this guy Merrity?

I think I'll go

and have a look at the gyros.

Yeah, who is he anyway, Mike?

I'm sorry, I wasn't allowed

to tell you until now.

But the main object of this flight is

to release a new bomb known as T-1.

Purely as a demonstration,

and Merrity is here to do it.

- You mean the bomb's aboard the ship?

- That's right.

- I'm glad I didn't know that.

- The bomb is harmless until the fuse is set...

...otherwise they'd never

let those crowds watch.

They might have told us...

If you'd been told, you'd have

had to stay at Thunder Hill last night.

Ah, well, in that case... Eh, Lefty?

Well, where is she?

She said she'd be here.

- Like I told you, she didn't show.

- Now we got no story on the takeoff.

- We got the pictures...

- Get Mac.

- Where are you going with those?

- Sorry.

And so we carry on according to plan

with this one additional job.

MERRITY:
Commander Hayden.

- What's the matter?

Are you aware we have

another passenger onboard?

Larry, take over.

This is more like a bus service

than a spaceship.

Yeah, you can say that again.

I might have known it'd be you.

You're lucky to be alive.

You know this woman?

This is Kim Hamilton.

She doesn't approve of what we're doing...

...but opinions don't matter

when it's a question of getting a story.

This is an outrage.

I'm surprised you take it calmly.

No point in doing anything else.

I can't drop her outside,

much as I'd like to.

- You take it very sensibly.

- Sensibly?

I'd like to point out

that this crazy adventure...

...might have killed us all.

- What do you mean?

We might have precise limits

in the weight the ship could lift.

Any additional weight, we might never

have got clear of gravity.

- I didn't think of that.

- Of course not.

You storybook heroines

never think of things like that.

You only think of how clever you're being

and impose on others to save your necks.

- You need any help?

- Get a message away.

- Kim Hamilton aboard.

- Okay.

Make it clear she has no right to be here.

- Tell them she stowed away.

- Sure. I'll see it gets through.

Make sure you cover yourself,

whatever you do.

They should be in their orbit

very soon now.

What's the matter?

I'm just thinking.

You know what we've started?

The first step into space. Now that

we've taken it, we'll have to keep going.

- Would you want to stop?

- Of course not.

Yet as that Hamilton has been saying,

"Here we are, dashing out into space..."

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

Come in. "...before we've thought about

the problems we might meet."

Dr. Blandford, from the Stardust, sir.

Thank you.

- Good heavens.

- What's the matter?

Read it.

"Stardust to Control.

Maneuvering into free orbit. Stop.

Kim Hamilton stowaway."

How are we gonna explain this to Security?

I better get on them right away.

I'd better go and see

if I can get a message to Hayden.

- Security. But what can you tell him?

- That's right. What can I tell him?

Ross. The chief of security's

gonna chew my ears off over this.

But I can't help admiring that girl.

Yes, put me through, will you?

- How do we stand?

- According to the instruments, we're there.

If you cut the power now,

we'll just float in space forever.

- Would you like to try it?

- We need power to maintain gravity.

- Lefty.

- Yes, skipper?

Set two jets firing at minimum.

I'd rather like to have tried free fall.

Remember to alternate

every five minutes.

KIM:

Coffee, gentlemen?

You have enough provisions

to last a week.

Weight doesn't seem to be

of vital importance after all.

I said it might have been.

Professor, we're in our orbit now.

I'm on a ship that is,

not that might have been.

You take this matter lightly.

What you've done is little short of criminal.

I don't know under what breach

of regulation you'll be charged.

- Coffee, professor?

- But you will be.

You attractive women

think you've nothing to do...

...but wave your hips

and everything's forgiven.

- Commander, coffee?

- Thank you.

I'm glad you think I'm attractive,

but I assure you I wasn't waving my hips.

- Mr. Noble?

- Thank you.

- Lefty?

LEFTY:
Thanks.

You haven't asked me yet

why I came along.

I'm not the least bit interested

in why you came.

Another slap in the face.

I'm getting used to them.

I get the impression

you're not welcome around here.

- Are we still in contact with Thunder Hill?

- No. I think our last message got through.

Well, I certainly hope so.

Then they'll know that I'm on the job.

EDITOR:
Well?

- Sorry, no news.

She didn't even get home.

There's no sign of her at Thunder Hill.

When I let her cover this story...

...I must have been crazy.

- Courier.

Women, they've no nose for news,

no sense of responsibility.

I don't like them. In fact, I hate them.

Oh, brother. I love them.

- Where are they going?

- To release the bomb, I guess.

What bomb?

You don't know much

about that, do you?

It's some new atomic bomb

called the T-1...

...and setting it off was

what we really came up here for.

So it wasn't a scientific project, after all.

It's a scientific project. It's just that

the money was put up for the other thing.

You should have stayed. The newspapers

were given the whole story.

What did you think about it

when they told you about the bomb?

Well, I guess I didn't think much at all.

What about you, Lefty?

Well, I'm an engineer.

But if it's got to be exploded,

this is the place to do it.

MERRITY:
The explosion will be felt

over the world in a series of shock waves.

What damage will that cause?

It might cause strong wind,

gales in certain areas.

The density of the air will break up

the tremors before they reach the Earth.

Commander, it's 11:10.

The bomb, once primed,

must be released immediately.

- Start priming it.

- I need assistance.

I can't do it by myself. Noble, help me.

- That's all right.

- Release the shackles...

...and remove the fuse plate.

- Right.

Signal to me you'll cut the jets.

You, Noble, will fire the pilot rockets.

They will propel the bomb away

from the magnetic attraction of the ship.

- How long will it take?

- About two minutes.

I'll leave you to it.

So that's the bomb.

It's a pity so much time, money

and intelligence...

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