The Puppet Masters Page #2

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What we need to know

is who we're fighting

and how to fight them.

Is that clear to both of you?

It's one o'clock. In two hours

I'm calling a meeting at the office.

Make sure you have

something for me by then.

Brad, cover.

OK, Jim, tape this.

And get a water sample.

I'll be damned.

- Do you want me to wait?

- No. I'll check you out later.

- Any trouble in lowa?

- Not like you people had.

I heard you had to take a couple

of people out.

These weren't people any more.

You shoot, they just keep on coming.

Any word on Deitman and Truly?

- Has anyone told their wives yet?

- Not yet.

So what are we looking at here?

It seemed something organic

had eaten its way into the earth

below the water table.

Now, whatever was hiding

in that fake saucer was moved.

A hole filled with water was left.

What's your guess? How many of those

things could have been in that hole?

Based on the size of the cavity,

could have been thousands.

I don't know if this counts for

anything, but...

that kid said 320 people had gone

through that ship about 11 hours ago.

What's the population of Ambrose?

10,001.

- All right, Mary, let's go.

- OK.

Please keep in mind

we were a little rushed.

Here's the creature, with an incision

along its ventral surface.

The first thing that stands out

is the complexity of its neo-cortex.

In a human, brain tissue accounts

for about 5% of total body mass.

But in this creature,

and here's the brain tissue,

it accounts for about 60%.

This black tentacle, which we saw

jet across Barnes's office,

contains a probe. An interface

between the creature and its host.

The probe penetrates the brain

while these hooks here and here

lock into the spinal column.

Together they override

the human nervous system.

Wait. Are you saying that these slugs

are using us like puppets?

Exactly.

You didn't mention whether

the creature has eyes. Does it?

We haven't been able

to locate any sensory organs.

Anything else?

We found human DNA and protein

inside the creature.

They're able to adapt to whichever

life form they're riding on.

We breathe oxygen

so they breathe oxygen.

The two systems merge.

Can't we exploit this

potential weakness?

What affects the host

might also affect the parasite.

We must find something

they're vulnerable to and we're not.

The people being ridden

seemed stronger than normal.

We think they boost adrenaline

production into their host.

Like injecting nitro into

a car's fuel line.

The car will run faster

but the engine will burn out sooner.

It's really quite a remarkable

organism.

Much more efficient

than anything on earth.

Look how elegant

the cartilaginous structure is.

Incredible. It doesn't use

haemoglobin in oxygen transport.

It uses a chlorophyll derivative.

Jeez, Graves. He sounds like

he wants to f*** the thing.

Shut up, Holland.

Dr Sefton, do you have any idea

how we should proceed?

This was a preliminary postmortem...

When did you quit smoking?

- Must have left them in the car.

- Stop him!

Jesus. He's got one on him!

Security!

Alex, go upstairs!

Secure the exit.

Bonnie, call 334, main gate.

- Come on, upstairs.

- Main gate.

Alex!

- Where is it?

- I don't know.

- Harris, get a medic.

- Right.

- Sam?

- We got him.

I guess that thing

jumped onto whoever it ran into.

Put your gun down, Sam. Slowly.

Take off your shirt.

Thank you.

Well, let's find it.

Search everybody.

Right, everyone's accounted for.

- One of the aliens...

- This was on Jarvis.

It contains every emergency

contingency we've drawn up since '59.

One of the alien life forms

is loose in the building.

We have to presume that it's riding

on the back of one of us.

Sam, show them your back.

Sam is clean.

Holland. Gorman.

Miss Haines. Everybody.

Miss Haines. Everybody.

What about you, sir?

Yeah, she's right. You're not exempt.

Stop her!

Gannet, Beasley, come on!

Miss Haines!

Miss Haines! Come back here!

Let go of me!

- They're down in the kitchen.

- Hurry up! Let's go down!

Damn! I lost it!

Forget it. Forget it.

I lost it.

It was too quick.

It went up through there.

I want that thing found tonight.

Turn the building upside down,

but find it.

- Miss Haines?

- Sam, get cleaned up.

I want every second of Jarvis's time

accounted for.

I want to know everything he was

up to since we left lowa.

Go and get a medic, will you?

God...

He's been like this

since you brought him in.

In many ways he's exhibiting

classic withdrawal symptoms,

much like you'd find

in a drug addict.

Are you saying he was actually

addicted to having that thing on him?

No, he's saying

that the presence of the thing

satisfies some need or other.

Thanks, doc.

Jarvis is cold turkey

and Miss Haines is in a coma.

- All victims will react this way?

- How would you react?

One minute you have this huge brain,

the next moment you don't.

Think of it.

It'd be a lot easier if they had

a live specimen to work with.

- What do you think these things are?

- Let's have a look.

They almost look like antennae.

What are they receiving?

Or transmitting, for that matter.

Radar, maybe. Or sonar signals,

like bats.

Do you think that's how the aliens

are able to recognise each other?

Yeah?

- You're the manager of the building?

- Yeah. Can I help you?

I need to get inside the apartment

of NeiI Jarvis.

Yeah, sure.

Just a second.

I'll be right with you.

Do you have a crowbar?

No, I got the keys.

Up this way.

Anybody here?

Hello?

These arrived this morning for

Mr Jarvis.

- I let the delivery people in.

- Give me a hand.

Yeah, sure.

Iowa. I wonder what that's all about.

What the hell are those things?

The president's scheduled appearance

at the digital age conference

has drawn harsh criticism

from Senator Allen,

who categorised the visit

as blatant grandstanding.

Make sure the magnetometer's cranked

up early. We don't want delays.

Has headquarters given us

the name of our post standers?

Yes.

I need more agents on that balcony.

- And all along this perimeter.

- OK.

Long time no see.

Good to see you, Bruce. This is

Evan Greenberg, one of my agents.

- How are you, Evan?

- Hi.

What brings you down here?

I understand the president

is scheduled to appear here.

If everything goes as planned.

There's a situation developing

that I think you need to know about.

Can we talk in private?

Yeah. Come on.

OK. Now, Sam, what's this all about?

What the hell are you doing?

Please take your seats. The opening

session is about to begin.

- Good to see you.

- Welcome, Mr President. This way.

Get him.

Alpha One, he's headed your way.

Watch where you're going.

Bruce, will you tell me

what's happening here, please?

Clear?

Dead.

Are you all right, sir?

Andrew.

What in God's name is going on?

Damn! There! There he is!

Stop! Hold it!

Stop!

Again.

Watch out!

Hold up.

Jesus, that was close.

- You think he would have shot me?

- Of course he would.

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