The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

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1

This is Operation Experiment.

A secret base far north

of the Arctic Circle.

Experiment was the code name for this

top-priority scientific expedition.

These men arrived here

on X-day minus 60.

It has taken them the full

two months to get ready.

Today is X-day.

It is now H-hour minus 59 minutes.

There is less than an hour left.

The plane must arrive at its rendezvous

200 miles away in exactly 58 minutes.

There can be no margin for error.

There can be no second chance.

This is the rendezvous. The forward

observation post where scientists...

...and their aides check equipment

and wait for the plane's approach.

It is now H-hour minus 81 seconds.

At H-hour minus 75 seconds,

the radar antenna flashes the word.

There it is! Azimuth: 63 degrees.

Airplane sighted: 13 hours, 11 minutes.

Azimuth:
63 degrees.

Speed:
approximately 350 mph.

Professor Tom Nesbitt and Col.

John Evans, military liaison, tensely wait.

The timing is perfect, thus far.

It is now H-hour minus 56 seconds.

Every man here knows his job.

He does it quickly, efficiently, silently.

The men are ready.

The equipment is ready.

It is now H-hour minus 52 seconds.

Operation Experiment to Y-3-4-7.

Operation Experiment to Y-3-4-7.

Over.

Y-3-4-7 to Operation Experiment.

Now leveling off.

Ground speed:
360.

Approaching IP.

IP means initial point.

The next 26 seconds determine whether

these men have succeeded or failed.

Now we count the seconds.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six...

...five, four, three, two, one.

Charlie, look!

Col. Evans, there's something

strange on the radar screen.

- What's the matter, Charlie?

- Right here, sir. A foreign object.

- It's gone.

- What's gone?

- I don't know, sir.

- It silhouetted like 500 tons, at least.

- Where is it, then?

- I don't know, sir.

- Are you sure we saw it?

- We saw something.

Maybe the shock tossed something

in front of the antenna.

Yeah, that must have been it.

Eight weeks of preparation,

and it's all over in a second.

Jack, when energy of that magnitude

is released, it's never over.

What the cumulative effects of these

atomic explosions and tests will be...

- ...only time can tell.

- You mean scientists can't tell, huh?

The world's been here

for millions of years.

Man's been walking upright for

a comparatively short time.

Mentally, we're still crawling.

This test will add to our knowledge.

Wouldn't you say so, Ritchie?

That's right.

You know, every time

one of these things goes off...

...I feel we're helping to write

the first chapter of a new Genesis.

Let's hope we don't find ourselves

writing the last chapter of the old one.

- You sound like a man who's scared, Tom.

- What makes you think I'm not?

Here are the figures, Tom.

We'll leave for the observation

post in about an hour.

- Good. Loomis?

- Yes, sir?

- Get the equipment ready.

- Yes, sir.

And you, gentlemen. The moment your Geiger

counters indicate heavy radiation, you'd turn back.

Turn back? Colonel, we'll run back.

There isn't a hero in the crowd.

Post 16.

Shall we try to go around, sir?

No, wait here for us.

We'll go up on foot.

- What's your reading?

- 19.7. We'd better get out.

I'll check post 17. You take 18,

and I'll meet you back here.

Make it fast.

Sgt. Willistead.

What?

But they've gone on foot.

Okay.

- What's the matter?

- There's a blizzard coming up!

Tom!

Tom! Tom!

Tom!

Tom!

Tom, I can't move.

Something's wrong with my leg.

I'm coming down.

- Have they reported back yet?

- No, not yet. We're waiting.

Tom, Tom! Get out, Tom!

A monster!

- A prehistoric monster!

- Quiet, quiet. Don't struggle.

I'll get you out, George.

Don't worry.

Doc! Hey, doc!

Put him right over here.

- Give me my bag.

- Yes, sir.

And get some blankets

off those other beds.

How is he?

- Where's Professor Ritchie?

- Still missing, sir.

- What happened?

- We don't know.

We saw the flares and doubled-time over to

post 18. The whole shore was breaking loose.

- We grabbed professor Nesbitt just in time.

- We never found Ritchie.

Colonel, we have to get Nesbitt

to a hospital in the States.

- He's in a bad way.

- Right.

Get word to the main base.

We want a plane right away.

Ritchie, I'll get you out.

I'll get you out.

The monster...

Hurry, it's coming!

Watch out, the monster!

The monster!

Hello, Professor Nesbitt.

How do you feel today?

Fine. Where is Col. Evans?

Did you reach Col. Evans?

He'll be here any minute now.

I'd like you to meet Dr. Ingersol.

He wants to ask a few questions, if you

don't think it would be too hard on you.

- Questions?

- I'm a psychiatrist, Professor Nesbitt.

I thought together we might

get to the bottom of this.

You think I'm crazy too. I know

my story may sound fantastic, but-

Throughout history, people have claimed

that they've seen monsters.

There was the famous Loch Lomond

monster, you'll probably recall.

Then the green serpents

off the shores of Ireland.

As far as I can remember, not one of them

was ever caught or even photographed.

I'm not inclined to let my imagination

run away with me. I'm a scientist.

All right.

Then, as a scientist, it shouldn't be

inconceivable to you...

...that the mind can withstand

just so much pressure.

The shock of seeing your friend dead,

your own predicament...

...was too much to bear. So that you

momentarily lost contact with reality.

It's a phenomenon which was

not uncommon during the war.

But Ritchie wasn't dead when

I got to him. He tried to warn me.

Two people don't share

the same hallucination.

Hello, Tom. How are you?

- Thawed out?

- Jack, I'm glad you're here.

I'm having a hard time convincing

these people that I'm not an idiot.

I was in Washington making my report.

I was trying-

What did they say about the animal?

I want to be in on any

expedition going after him.

Tom, I didn't tell them about the animal.

Why not?

It should've been in the report.

I went back to Post 18. I tried

to reconstruct what happened out there.

I couldn't find a thing.

No tracks. Nothing.

Nothing?

I'm sorry. I wish

I could say I saw something.

The blizzard.

There was a blizzard, remember?

The snow must have blown over

and covered everything.

- Check me out of here.

- You are in no condition to leave.

It's imperative that you have rest.

- How can I rest?

- Professor Nesbitt, I've encountered

this sort of thing before.

You've undergone a tremendous shock.

You've got to stay in bed.

I see. And that makes it official?

I'm afraid it does.

So long, Tom. You do what the doctor says.

We'll get together as soon as you're on your feet.

That won't be too long.

What about that sound I heard?

In your condition, it could have been

anything. The wind. Anything.

No wind ever made a sound like that.

Captain. Captain!

Are you deaf, man?

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

What's going on

in our turbulent world today?

Oh, death and politics. The comic pages are

the only thing that make sense anymore.

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