The Andromeda Strain Page #9

within a narrow range of pH.

A very narrow range.

On either side of the

tolerance range, no growth.

Nothing, right?

It's exterminated.

Dutton, our troubles are over.

Look at your console.

It grows within

a narrow range of pH.

A very narrow range.

If your blood's abnormal,

if it's too acid or alkaline,

Andromeda can't survive

in the body.

So breathe as fast as you can.

Go into respiratory alkalosis.

Yes, fine.

That'll shoot your

blood chemistry to hell.

It's what happens to the baby

when he cries too much,

or the old man on Sterno.

How do you feel?

Okay.

A little dizzy, but okay.

He can't keep breathing

like that forever.

He'll hyperventilate, pass out.

We've got to get him something

to alkalize his blood.

We can't in there.

Charlie!

That cage... in the hot room.

Right in front of you.

It's alive!

The rat's been exposed as long as I have.

Longer. I exposed it to the cultures

before the seal broke.

Precisely.

Andromeda's mutated

to a noninfectious form.

Holy!

Where does that gasket lead?

Central core.

It connects all the labs.

The gaskets are decomposing.

It's Andromeda.

Next sector.

There's no substation in this sector.

Level 5 is sealed.

Level 5 is sealed.

Emergency procedures are in effect.

When the bomb goes off,

there'll be a thousand mutations.

Andromeda will spread everywhere.

They'll never be rid of it.

There are now five

minutes to self-destruct.

What about the other levels?

Can't tell. Each sector seals off

when it's contaminated,

even the elevator.

The defense system is perfect.

It'll even bury our mistakes.

What about the central core?

The core's equipped with safeguards.

Like what?

Gas, lasers,

to prevent escape of lab animals.

What would my chances be?

They don't exist for anyone

anywhere if you stay here.

How do I get into the core?

Through that service port.

Go ahead.

I'll ride shotgun for

you in main control.

I can't monitor the lasers here.

Karen, get me a scalpel.

There are now four minutes

and 30 seconds to self-destruct.

Cut it off!

Cut the panel off.

Karen, cut it!

Come on. Hurry up.

Hey, Doc, you ain't leaving

us here, are you?

The lasers are tuned low

for small animals, Mark.

You can make it if you're not

hit along the spinal cord.

There are now

four minutes to self-destruct.

That's the

ladder across from you.

Go before the gas starts.

There are now three minutes

and 30 seconds to self-destruct.

That's the gas. Keep going.

The sensors have picked you up.

Get moving.

Duck!

Keep going.

Duck!

Keep going.

Duck!

There are now

three minutes to self-destruct.

No, it's no good.

The level's contaminated.

You'll have to go to 3.

Go to 3!

There are now two minutes

and 45 seconds to self-destruct.

Sway! Weave!

You're zeroed in. Duck!

There are now two minutes

and 30 seconds to self-destruct.

Keep going! You'll make it.

There are now two minutes

and 15 seconds to self-destruct.

Fight the effect. It's mostly shock.

You've lost some time,

but you can still do it.

See the door?

There are now two

minutes to self-destruct.

There is now one minute and

There is now one minute and

There is now...

You're in an airlock.

Turn the wheel.

...one minute and 15

seconds to self-destruct.

No, not that one.

The one near the door.

There are now

There are now 55 seconds to self-destruct.

There are now 50 seconds to self-destruct.

Where is it?

There are now 45 seconds to self-destruct.

Come on. Where is it?

Help me!

There are now 40 seconds to self-destruct.

There are now 35 seconds to self-destruct.

There are now 30 seconds to self-destruct.

There are now 25 seconds to self-destruct.

Twenty seconds,

Self-destruct has been canceled.

Congratulations.

I take it the bomb didn't...

No, it didn't.

Eight seconds to spare.

Hardly even exciting.

What's happening?

The supercolony's now off the coast

and moving southwest across the Pacific.

Apparently Andromeda

hasn't turned lethal again.

At least there haven't been

any reports of bizarre deaths.

We're applying an adaptation

of your antidote to it.

Cloud seeding.

We're seeding the clouds above Andromeda

with silver iodide.

The raindrops will carry the

organism into the ocean,

and the alkaline reaction

from seawater should kill it.

Just as acids or alkali

in the blood stopped it.

This

cloud seeding business,

you absolutely sure it worked?

You better be.

All reports indicate

the experiment was successful.

Then

we can feel confident

your so-called

biological crisis is over?

As far as Andromeda's concerned, yes.

We have the organism at Wildfire

and we continue to study it.

We now know beyond a doubt

that other forms of life

exist in the universe.

Thanks to Scoop.

Yes.

However, with this new knowledge,

there's no guarantee

that another so-called biological crisis

won't occur again.

Hmm.

What do we do about that?

Precisely, Senator.

What do we do?

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