The Monster That Challenged the World Page #2

---

OH.

HEY.

2 MINUTES.

YOUR WIFE AND:

UNBORN CHILD:

ARE STARVING.

A MINUTE AND A HALF.

[Sighs]

WHAT A LIFE!

DID I EVER TELL YOU

THAT I DETEST THIS LAB?

THAT HUSBAND OF MINE

EVEN HAS:

"TOP SECRET" STAMPED

IN RED INK IN THE MIDDLE

OF HIS CHEST.

HE DOES. "SECRET,

SECRET, SECRET."

YOU CAN'T

SPEED UP SCIENCE.

I GUESS NOT.

WOULD YOU LIKE:

TO HOLD MY LADYBUG?

HMM?

I SAID, "WOULD YOU LIKE

TO HOLD MY LADYBUG?"

CERTAINLY.

IT'S A PRIVILEGE.

HONEY,

DON'T BOTHER HIM.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

DOESN'T SHE HAVE

PRETTY SPOTS:

ON HER BACK?

YES, SHE HAS.

[Doctor]

COMMANDER?

IT'S JUST A

SIMPLE MARINE SECRETION,

ALTHOUGH THERE IS

SOMETHING THAT PUZZLES ME.

I'D LIKE TO RUN

ANOTHER SERIES:

OF TESTS ON IT TOMORROW.

I'LL CALL YOU.

I'LL WAIT

FOR YOUR CALL.

YOU CAN GET ME:

ON 254.

254?

THAT'S RIGHT.

MY LADYBUG.

YOU FORGOT MY LADYBUG!

MAYBE IT'S

ON THE FLOOR SOMEWHERE.

[Gail]

DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

SANDY, YOU CAN FIND

ANOTHER LADYBUG.

BUT I DON'T WANT

ANOTHER ONE, MOMMY.

I TELL YOU WHAT,

WHEN I GET HOME,

I'LL SEE IF I CAN

FIND HER.

IF I DO, I'LL BRING

HER BACK, OKAY?

OKAY.

HE'S CUTE.

I GUESS SO.

DID YOU MENTION THAT

YOU WERE AVAILABLE?

SOMEHOW:

IT DIDN'T COME UP.

IF I WERE YOU,

IT WOULD HAVE.

YOU'RE A CHARACTER.

READY TO GO:

HOME NOW?

I GUESS SO.

I'M LEAVING NOW,

DOCTOR.

'NIGHT.

EXCUSE ME.

THAT'S OKAY.

JUST CONSIDER ME

A PIECE OF FURNITURE.

SANDY,

COME HERE.

LOOK. I'VE GOT

A SURPRISE FOR YOU.

I FOUND HER:

FOR YOU.

THANK YOU.

I'LL GIVE HER

A GOOD TALKING TO.

I WOULDN'T BE

TOO SEVERE ON HER.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

GOODBYE.

GOODBYE.

CMDR. TWILLINGER?

THAT'S RIGHT.

NATE BROWN.

HOW DO YOU DO?

YOU KNOW JOSH PETERS,

SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

WE'VE MET.

I'VE BEEN WITH THIS

OFFICE FOR 15 YEARS,

BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN

ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

HAVE YOU, JOSH?

AFRAID NOT.

I'VE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE DIE

IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

WHAT CAUSED IT?

IT'S HARD TO TELL.

A PUNCTURE WOUND,

I THINK.

BOTH BODIES:

TAKEN FROM THE SEA

WERE TOTALLY DRAINED

OF BLOOD AND WATER.

WHAT WOULD:

MAKE THAT HAPPEN?

I HAVE NO IDEA.

THE WOUND COULD'VE BEEN MADE

BY ANY SHARP OBJECT

AND NATURALLY:

THE BODY WOULD BLEED.

BUT SIMPLE BLEEDING

WOULDN'T CAUSE THIS.

IT HAPPENED NEAR

THE RESEARCH LAB?

YES. BUT THEY SAY

THERE'S NO CONNECTION.

MAYBE.

TAKE A LOOK:

AT THE MICROSCOPE.

YOU'RE LOOKING

AT A PIECE OF SKIN.

USUALLY WHEN:

A BODY IS LEFT IN WATER,

THE EPIDERMAL TISSUES

BECOME SWOLLEN.

BUT THIS IS:

LIKE LEATHER.

IT DOESN'T EVEN RESEMBLE

HUMAN SKIN ANYMORE.

SKIN ON A MAN:

OVER 100 WOULD HAVE

3 TIMES THE AMOUNT

OF MOISTURE.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER MAN

WE FOUND ON THE BOAT?

A STROKE.

A STROKE?

THERE'S A TECHNICAL

NAME FOR IT,

BUT THAT'S

WHAT IT AMOUNTS TO.

I DON'T

UNDERSTAND YOU.

WHAT COULD:

CAUSE A STROKE:

IN A MAN:

THAT YOUNG?

IN THAT AGE GROUP,

ONLY 2 THINGS

COULD CAUSE A STROKE:

VIOLENT ANGER OR FEAR.

YOU CAN:

RULE OUT ANGER.

HM-MMM.

IN MY OPINION,

THE MAN YOU FOUND

ON THE BOAT:

WAS LITERALLY:

SCARED TO DEATH.

DO YOU HAVE:

ENOUGH DEPUTIES:

TO POST A QUARANTINE

ON ALL THE BEACHES

UNTIL WE FIND OUT

WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?

YEAH. I'LL GET

RIGHT ON IT.

GOOD.

THANKS AGAIN:

FOR YOUR HELP.

NOT AT ALL.

YOU BOYS:

CARE FOR A SANDWICH?

GOT TUNA FISH:

AND MINCED HAM ON RYE.

NO, THANKS.

IT'S NICE AND COLD.

CLOSE THE BEACH?

I GOT 22 PEOPLE

STAYING HERE.

SORRY, WE'VE GOT ORDERS.

NOTHING WE CAN DO.

THAT'S SWELL.

SO EVERYBODY:

SHOULD GO HOME,

IS THAT IT?

DID YOU LOOK:

AT THE TEMPERATURE TODAY?

YES, WE KNOW IT'S HOT.

120 AT 3:
00.

SO NOBODY SWIMS.

WHAT'S WRONG

WITH THE WATER?

WE GOT A BULLETIN, MR. DAVIS.

THAT'S ALL WE KNOW!

OKAY.

[Telephone rings]

DR. ROGERS' OFFICE.

YES, COMMANDER.

JUST A MOMENT.

[Gail]

DR. ROGERS,

CMDR. TWILLINGER

ON LINE 1.

YES, COMMANDER.

YES, WE'RE WORKING ON IT.

WE HOPE TO:

HAVE SOMETHING,

LATE TODAY:

OR TOMORROW.

TOMORROW!

LOOK, DOCTOR,

THAT'S THE ONLY

CLUE WE'VE GOT.

I COULD HAVE SENT IT

TO SAN DIEGO BY NOW.

HOLD ON, COMMANDER,

DON'T PRESSURE US.

WE DON'T NEED IT.

I'LL CALL YOU

AS SOON AS I FINISH.

I'LL BE IN MY OFFICE.

I'VE JUST BEEN READ

THE RIOT ACT:

BY OUR FRIEND:

FROM NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

DON'T LET HIM

BOTHER YOU,

I'LL GIVE YOU

A CHARACTER REFERENCE.

I'M READY TO RUN

A GEIGER COUNT:

ON THE STUFF:

FROM LOS ALAMOS.

GOOD, GO AHEAD.

THAT'S STRANGE.

IS THAT THE STUFF

FROM THE BOAT?

YES.

WHAT'S IT REGISTER?

0.15.

AND YOUR LAST READING

ON THE SALTON SEA?

NORMAL,

0.034 CONSTANT.

THAT'S ODD. THIS IS

FROM THE SAME WATER.

WHY THE DIFFERENCE

IN THE RADIOACTIVITY?

WE'D BETTER RUN

A CHECK TEST.

HELLO, LARRY.

MRS. SIMMS.

BOB. WHAT'LL IT BE?

WE'D LIKE TO TALK

ABOUT YOUR BEACH.

ABOUT MY BEACH?

I'M GOING NOW, MA.

ALL RIGHT. JODY.

JODY!

YES.

WHO YOU:

GOING OUT WITH?

YOU KNOW.

I SAID, "WHO?"

MORTY.

MORTY.

SURE,

I MIGHT HAVE KNOWN.

I GOT NOTHING AGAINST

SERVICEMEN,

BUT THAT MORTY'S

NO GOOD.

YOU HEAR THAT?

I HEAR.

MA, LOOK AT ME.

I'M A BIG GIRL NOW.

GROWN UP.

CAN'T YOU

UNDERSTAND THAT?

YOU WON'T PAY ATTENTION

TO ME ANYMORE.

THAT ISN'T

WHAT I MEAN.

I DON'T WANT

TO HURT YOU.

BUT THERE ARE TIMES

WHEN I'VE GOT TO

USE MY OWN JUDGMENT

ABOUT THINGS.

IT HAS TO BE THAT WAY.

PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND.

ALL RIGHT.

JUST YOU GET HOME EARLY.

I WILL.

I GOT A:

TERRIBLE HEADACHE.

[Jody]

I'M SORRY, MA.

GOODNIGHT.

YOU WERE SAYING?

ABOUT YOUR BEACH.

I'M AFRAID YOU'LL HAVE TO

CLOSE IT UP TEMPORARILY.

NO SWIMMING.

MORT?

MORT?

WHERE YOU BEEN?

MA, SHE'S--

MA WHAT?

NOTHING.

SHE'S SCREAMING

AT EVERYBODY TONIGHT.

FORGET IT.

PRETTY GIRL.

HA.

PRETTY GIRL,

WHERE'S YOUR SUIT?

UNDERNEATH, SILLY.

IT'S SURE

A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT.

DID YOU GET A LOOK

AT THAT MOON?

CATCH ME.

COME ON.

I'LL RACE YOU

TO THE FLOAT.

YOU HAVEN'T

GOT A CHANCE.

MORTY.

MORTY?

MORT.

MORT.

AH.

AH! AH!

AH!

I'LL TELL YOU

WHAT HAPPENED.

THAT BOY RAN OFF

SOMEWHERE WITH JODY.

I KNOW IT.

HE'S NO GOOD.

I WARNED HER.

I SAID,

"WHY DON'T YOU GO OUT

WITH A NICE YOUNG MAN?"

BUT NO, SHE'S JUST LIKE

HER FATHER WAS:

NO SENSE.

THE BOY DIDN'T

REPORT BACK:

TO THE BASE:

AT ALL LAST NIGHT.

ARE YOU SURE HE WAS

WITH YOUR DAUGHTER?

OF COURSE I'M SURE.

DID YOU SEE HIM?

I DIDN'T HAVE

TO SEE HIM.

JODY HERSELF TOLD ME

SHE WAS GOING OUT WITH HIM.

UPPITY AS YOU PLEASE.

AND AFTER ALL I'VE SACRIFICED

AND DONE FOR HER,

NOT A WORD:

OF APPRECIATION.

YOU'D THINK

THAT AT LEAST SHE'D--

MAY WE TAKE:

A LOOK AROUND?

NO, GO AHEAD.

HER ROOM'S IN THERE.

[Older child]

LET ME HAVE IT.

[Younger child]

NO, GIVE IT.

WAIT A MINUTE.

I DON'T CARE.

GIVE IT TO ME.

IT'S MINE,

I FOUND IT.

THERE'S SOME KIDS OUT THERE

WITH A SAILOR'S CAP.

WHAT?

SOME KIDS.

WHAT DO KIDS:

GOT TO DO WITH IT?

I DON'T KNOW.

GIVE IT TO ME.

I DON'T CARE.

COME HERE.

JUST A MINUTE, SON.

LET ME TAKE:

A LOOK AT THAT CAP.

DID YOU FIND:

THIS CAP?

THAT BOY, FREDDY,

WAS TRYING TO:

TAKE IT FROM ME.

YES.

WHERE'D YOU FIND IT?

OVER THERE.

IT DON'T BELONG

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes