The Thing from Another World Page #6

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I believe it was able to ingest...

...the canine blood with which

it was covered. I believe...

You mean...

You mean it lives on blood.

- This is the best we could find.

- This should work.

- Where are you going?

- To find our visitor, if we can.

One moment, captain!

Check the storeroom again.

Bolt any outside doors.

Captain, when you find

what you're looking for...

...remember it's a stranger

in a strange land.

The only crimes were those

committed against it.

It woke from a block of ice, was attacked

by dogs and shot by a frightened man.

- All I want is to communicate with it.

- Fine, provided it's locked up.

If we catch him, let me take his picture

before somebody makes a salad of him.

Sure, Scotty.

- Bob, get up on there.

- What's up? Looks like a lynching party.

- Have any visitors?

- Not a soul.

I got part of a message from the general.

He said to wait on Mr. Scott's story.

What's the difference?

Nothing's going out anyway.

- What are you looking for?

- Couldn't come in here.

- Who?

- The man from Mars.

You mean he's alive and loose?

Keep your door locked. Use your axe

if you have to. Gun's no good.

What do you mean the gun's no good?

Now, look...

Eddie.

Hold it, captain.

- There's something in here, all right.

- You're a little off base.

That's the mineralogy lab.

Radioactive isotopes are in there.

Your Geiger's reacting to a roomful

of uranium ore samples.

Yeah.

- This door's locked.

- Dr. Stern has the key.

- Oh, yes.

- What's in here?

The greenhouse. The Eskimos have

a weakness for our strawberries.

- Strawberries at the North Pole.

- Excuse me.

Mac. Bob.

Look under these tables.

Bob, check that outside door.

- Door's locked, sir.

- Nothing up here.

We're still batting zero.

- Well, doctor?

- Captain, l...

- Nothing up that other corridor.

- Any suggestions, doctor?

- He's obviously not inside.

- We'll start looking outside...

- Close the door, please.

- Never mind.

Captain, half an hour outside now is all

we can stand. We'd better do it in relay.

- You're right, Dr. Chapman. We'll work out...

- Would you close the door, please?

We have to tell General Fogarty

what happened.

We're liable to become famous.

So few people can boast they've lost a flying

saucer and a man from Mars all in one day.

Wonder what they'd have done to Columbus

if he'd discovered America, then mislaid it.

Bunch of butterfingers.

Gentlemen, I just happened to notice...

Look at these moles.

They're wilted.

The only thing that could...

A blast of icy air

if that rear door was opened.

- Have a look at that lock, professor.

- Yes.

- 10 or 15 seconds of exposure would do it.

- Exactly.

What would that lead you to?

That it may have been...

- In here.

- Without a doubt.

Dr. Carrington, you were right.

The lock's been forced back into position.

The key's gone. Someone has entered

and gone and locked the door from...

- From the outside.

- Look. See how it glistens in the light?

It's a smear of...

- Plant sap. From the wounded arm?

- You don't suppose...?

Open it, please.

- One of the sled dogs.

- Not even cold yet.

- Doctor, doesn't it seem kind of...?

- Shrunken. Is there any blood in there?

- None.

- No blood.

- No blood?

- Its blood has been drained.

Everything falls right into line.

What could be more natural for such a being

than seeking out the only open earth nearby?

It came here for refuge, heard us and ran.

- It's been here. It will come back again.

- We better tell...

I don't agree. It's far better

if science rather than the Army...

- Are you sure this is the best thing to do?

- I'm sure we can communicate with it.

It's wiser than we are. It's our only chance

to talk to it, to learn so many things.

- Dr. Carrington is right.

- Surely you understand that, Stern.

Will you two stand guard

here with me tonight?

- Surely, doctor.

- All right.

Stern, tell Dr. Auerbach and Dr. Olson

what we've found.

Ask them to come back

and relieve us in the morning.

And tell them, please,

to confide in no one.

- Any luck, captain?

- Lee, you better get some more coffee ready.

- Find anything, captain?

- Not a sign.

- Barnes flushed a polar bear.

- Sure did.

- Scare you?

- Not after I saw it was only a bear.

- Too cold out there for that.

- You didn't find anything.

I didn't think you would.

When we lose them, they stay lost.

Not that it makes much difference.

Nothing's coming in on the radio.

- Tex, you got something?

- General Fogarty's running a temperature.

This came in clear 10 minutes ago,

then it got fouled up again.

"Fogarty to Hendry: Take all precautions to

preserve aircraft carefully until my arrival."

Same to same. "Use same precautions

with corpses of any occupants."

Same to same.

"Forward detailed description of aircraft.

Measurements, approximate weight

and so forth. Important."

"Fogarty to Hendry: Why haven't

you answered? Want immediate answer."

Same to same. "Radio silence unnecessary.

Reference message Fogarty to Hendry.

Acknowledge immediately.

Waiting report. Silence confusing."

Same to same. "Acknowledge."

- Same to same...

- Acknowledge at once.

- I gather he wants to hear from me.

- There's nothing for me? I don't believe it.

How can a man get to be

a general without...?

In the greenhouse...

See...

- Barnes, watch that corridor.

- Bring the first aid kit.

- Captain, this is my job.

- Bob, better start warning the rest of camp.

- Does that speaker system work from here?

- Yes. The left switch runs to all rooms.

Attention, everybody in camp.

Bolt your doors.

Our visitor has returned and is dangerous.

Stay where you are until notified.

Stay where you are.

- Easy. It'll be all right.

- What happened, doctor?

In the greenhouse,

I was working. I couldn't see.

Then a blast of cold air,

and I heard Olson scream.

- When I turned, the thing struck at me.

- Go on.

I don't remember. My head...

I must have fallen.

When I came to, I saw Olson and Auerbach.

They were...

Give him some more of that. Get those axes.

Go ahead, doctor.

They were both hanging from the beams

upside down, dead. Their throats were cut.

- I crawled...

- Was it there when you left?

I couldn't see.

- Here you are, sir.

- Wait, Pat! I want to get a picture.

Wait a minute. He could get out

of the greenhouse through the outside door.

- We can get to it through the generator room.

- You two go with him.

- You mean go in?

- Seal the door with anything you can find.

That's better.

- Easy. Give them time to get in there.

- Pat, I want a picture.

- You get back with the rest.

- Don't be silly.

- It'll cost you a drink.

- I'll buy him a beer.

- Ready, Bob?

- No, but go ahead and open it.

Get something to prop this door, something

short enough to get under this bolt!

- Get your picture, Scotty?

- No. The door wasn't open long enough.

- Want me to open it again?

- No!

- Bring a hammer and some spikes!

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