The Day the Earth Caught Fire Page #10

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worth of deliciously hot Coke.

Take that to Miss Craig, will you?

What's the matter, kid?

Oh, I'm all right, sir.

Holy smoke, look at

these temperatures!

Mexico delta, 145.6

degrees Fahrenheit.

USA, Texas, 141 .3.

Rome, 139.

This famine death count's

pretty terrifying, isn't it?

I just don't get this lack of water.

What about all this extra

polar ice that's melting?

Well, the heat's taking

it up as vapour.

Yeah, but doesn't it come

down again sometime?

It does. And when it does,

pray you're on high ground?

Hi.

All right, no hi.

- Dave, I just came from Battersea Park...

- Personally, I prefer Brighton.

Look, something's going on.

If you're not interested, to hell with it.

Unwind, for God's sake.

How do I know if I'm interested?

What sort of something?

Well, they're putting up long sheds,

you know, the army type.

And there's trucks full of

piping and shower bath fittings.

500 gallon water tanks complete

with purifying systems...

- Battersea Park?

- Yeah. And Hyde Park, Richmond,

Wimbledon, Highgate, Hampstead...

Most of the open spaces.

- You've seen them?

- Only Battersea,

but I talked to one of the drivers.

In the last few days he's delivered

similar gear to the others.

- For what?

- I don't know, I never got that far.

- The foreman came up shouting, "Security!"

- Any ideas?

- Yes. Community washing centres.

- Good God.

Why, you got ugly neighbours?

If that's right, it means there'll

be no more private water at all.

Correct. Just turn on your taps and

hear the rude noise of progress.

This is Davis. You got any

photographers down there?

Well, push them up here fast.

Mitchell, get on the Glasgow office.

I want a list of any similar sites in Scotland.

- You, Manchester.

- Right.

Tell them to check all main

towns north of Birmingham.

Bill, have a go at the ministries.

You might surprise something out of them.

If I do, they'll surprise

something out of me.

And what about us messenger boys?

Are we allowed to jump around a bit, too?

You've jumped, haven't you?

You've probably brought in a hell of a beat.

- But I'm not capable of writing it.

- Oh, relax, for...

This is Davis, sir. Stenning's brought in

a lead to something that could be big.

Well, it looks like they're

about to cut all running water.

Yeah, but I'd like him to talk to

you before he writes anything.

Well, they seem to be putting up

community showers in all the parks.

All right, I'll send him in.

Pete! Go tell the old man.

Well, we're getting pictures...

What about the hospitals?

Well, try them.

If it's going to happen,

they're bound to know about it.

They'll have made

special arrangements.

And if anything comes through

on the tapes, let me know.

- You actually saw these showers?

- About 50 of them at the Battersea Hut.

I wouldn't like you to make

guesses about things like this,

there's too much

panic about as it is.

Sorry, Clive Macreedy on

the phone from Moscow.

- Moscow?

- It's urgent. It's a very bad line.

A wonder it got through at all.

Clive? Hello? Clive?

Yes, I can't hear you.

Yes.

Yes, I've got it.

I only wish I didn't believe it.

I expect you'd like to come home now.

Is anything still flying?

Well, it's up to you.

You can if you wish.

Shall I get on with it?

- Conference, fast!

- Right, sir.

Jacko!

Conference! Jacko,

where the hell are you?

- Yes, sir?

- In here! Get a move on!

Miss Evans, get the old man.

I think he's at Cherkley,

but wherever he is, find him.

- Yes, Mr Stenning.

- Do you want me to wait?

You have a family, don't you?

I have a son.

I'd get him to the

country if you can.

I don't think things in the cities

are going to be too pleasant.

- I brought the dummy in case...

- Oh, you can tear that up.

On the direct line.

Good evening, sir.

Well, the Russians have just

about topped everything.

Macreedy got through from Moscow.

They held an international press conference.

Had their top scientists present.

They say that those two bangs

did more than alter the tilt.

They made an 11-degree

shift in our orbit.

And we're moving towards the sun.

Well, I can't see what

they'd gain by making it up.

They say Western scientists

have known about this all along,

but were trying to work something

out before they broke it.

It's not through on the agencies yet,

but it's bound to be any moment.

No, of course not.

No, that's the way I

was going to play it.

I'll have it put through to you.

Anyone want a recap,

or did you get it?

We got it, but what the

hell do we do with it?

To start with, it's two lines of

120-point across eight columns.

I'm not up on my sci-fi.

So, we're orbiting toward the sun.

- But how many billion light years...

- If that's true,

I'd say there's about four months.

Before what?

Before there's a delightful smell in

the universe of charcoaled mankind.

Do you really mean four months?

According to the temperature rises

in the last few weeks, yes.

- So that's the message, is it?

- About another 300 deadlines.

Is that what we say

in tomorrow's paper?

Tomorrow we report the news.

The facts. We leave prophecy

to the street corner cranks.

Bill, you and Sandy, start arranging

interviews with top scientists.

Cockcroft, Penny, if you can,

get a call through to Calcutta,

Haldane might break silence.

Pete, you get busy on

the "no water" angle.

Everything affected, sanitation,

electricity, power plants...

- Even down to car radiators.

- Will do.

And keep the tone of the paper

reasonably optimistic. Understand?

It's going to be all right.

That's it.

- Sir, there's an agency flash!

- Yes, we just had it.

In every possible way.

My home, please.

What's it all mean?

I was going on holiday next month.

Do you think I should cancel it?

Only thing to cancel is your life insurance.

Sell up and have an orgy.

- Nice public-spirited advice.

- Oh, do me a favour.

Can't anything be done, Mr Maguire?

Yes, there's something

you can do right away.

Pop off to the library.

Bring me everything

- they've got on melting points.

- Melting points?

Yes. The temperatures at which everything,

from steel to my glass eye, starts to melt.

Right.

I suppose it couldn't be a mistake.

It is. The daddy of all mistakes.

Funny how, when the chopper falls,

everyone just accepts it.

What else, when it's

your neck under it?

A fellow up in Leeds

says he's found a method

of extracting water

from the atmosphere.

Oh, as it were, he's been certified.

Jeff said to get the kid out of town.

It might be a bit easier in the country.

Yes, it might.

Couldn't get my old woman

away from her garden.

She's got about six

tonnes of sweet peas.

She'll be out buying black

market water for them.

Which reminds me, this is highly

illegal, too. Do you want a swig?

- No thanks.

- Quite right.

I suppose they'll do something,

won't they, Bill?

What?

Well, something!

They've gotta do something.

They can't just let... Let...

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