The Thing from Another World Page #9

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- No time now. Move along.

Make way. Clear this out.

Clear this place.

- Where are those cutters?

- Here.

- Where's your Geiger counter?

- I got one too.

Go to the assembly room.

If you get anything, come running.

- Get me a pair of gloves.

- Use mine.

- Leave enough to hook the overhead wire.

- Got plenty.

- Here we are, lieutenant.

- Yeah, that ought to give us a ground.

- There she is, captain.

- Down to five degrees now.

- Perfect for skiing.

- Better get rubber boots, Scotty.

- Why?

- Insulation when they turn the juice on.

- Oh, yeah.

- There's a pair back here.

- Where?

- Wait. You won't need any boots.

When it comes, go back.

You don't belong out here.

I didn't belong at Alamein or Okinawa.

I was just kibitzing.

I also write a very good obituary.

Just ignore me, please.

- Capt. Hendry.

- Go ahead.

Just hooked this up.

Checking if it works.

Fine. Watch your Geiger counter.

- Mac, did you hear?

- Every word. I hope that's all I hear.

- So do I.

- Here's another message from Washington.

"Use every means to protect lives,

but take no steps against your prisoner."

Our prisoner.

- You can't ignore orders.

- Testify to that at my court-martial.

You're robbing science of the greatest secret

that's ever come to it.

- Go back.

- Knowledge is more important than life.

We've only one excuse for existing.

To think. To find out. To learn.

What can we learn from that,

except a way to die?

It doesn't matter what happens.

Nothing counts except our thinking.

We fought into nature.

We've split the atom...

That sure made the world happy.

Didn't it?

We owe it to the brain of our species

to stand here and die...

...without destroying a source of wisdom.

- Capt. Hendry.

- Civilization has given us orders.

- Get him out of here.

Oh, you fools. You'll never hurt it.

- Go ahead.

- I'm getting a Geiger counter reaction.

- What's your reading?

- Point two, but steady.

Watch it. Tell us any change.

Mac, anything your way?

- Not a glimmer.

- Watch it.

Here's the operating switch.

- How can it get cold so quick?

- Keep moving around.

- It must be zero.

- It was. Next stop, five below.

Come on, Mr. Martian, and get some

nice Scotch blood. One hundred proof.

- Nothing like it for babies.

- Tell him to cut it out.

No, no. Let him go on. I like

goose pimples. They keep me warm.

Did you get a picture of that thing

on fire?

No. I shot one while I was

falling backward over the bed.

Probably got the ceiling

and my big feet.

Capt. Hendry, going up a little.

Point four now.

- Hang on. Mac, any change?

- Just the same. Only colder.

- Means he's coming by the mess hall.

- Excuse me. I got an idea.

- What?

- Here we go again.

Your boy's pretty smart. He might see

these wires and think it over.

- Yeah.

- Lf he thinks too long, we're cold meat.

- What if we met him by the junction?

- Let him see us there and chase us?

The less light, the better.

Turn off this light and this one here.

Don't tell me I'm right.

Capt. Hendry, going up.

Point eight now.

- I'm getting some too.

- It's showing here.

- Both of you, back here. Come running.

- Halfway there.

If you speed up that generator,

can you get more out?

- Certainly do no harm to try.

- Bill and Tex, go with him. Nikki too.

- No.

- Good luck to you.

What's the matter?

- I was wishing we'd tested this thing.

- What if we haven't enough voltage?

- Keep swinging at its arms.

- One point two.

- It's on its way.

- I got a worry.

Report from the front,

McPherson has a worry.

- This is no joke.

- What?

- What if he can read our minds?

- He'll be mad when he gets to me.

- One point four.

- Keep moving around, you guys.

Keep it quiet.

I remember the first execution I ever

covered. Ruth Snyder and Judd Grey.

- Did you get a picture?

- No. They didn't allow cameras.

- One point six and going up.

- Don't move till he sees us.

Give him a chance to look.

Leave me room to reach that switch.

Stay away from the walls

when he hits the juice.

- Everybody got rubber boots on?

- Yes, sir.

One point eight.

I heard something.

It's getting near the top.

Get your posts!

All right. Ease back.

- What the...?

- The juice is off!

Carrington's turned off the generator.

Bob, bring a flashlight. Eddie,

hold him off as long as you can.

- Watch out. He's got a gun.

- Keep away. Keep away.

Keep away. I won't

allow you to destroy...

Turn on that generator!

Get back here, Eddie.

Eddie, get back!

Stay away from that wire!

I'm your friend. I have no weapons.

I'm your friend.

You're wiser than I. You must understand

what I'm trying to tell you.

Don't go farther. They'll kill you.

They think you'll harm us.

But I want to know you,

to help you. Believe that.

You're wiser than anything on earth.

Use that intelligence. Look

and know what I'm telling you.

I'm not your enemy.

I'm a scientist who's trying...

Hold it.

Wait until he gets right

in the middle of it, sir.

He's gotta be on that walk, captain.

Wait till he gets right

in the middle, sir.

- Oh, that's it. Stop. Turn it off.

- Let it go. We don't want any part left.

Well, you can get a picture now, Scotty.

- This will take a minute to warm up.

- Okay.

Is there any reason now

why I can't send my story?

- Only take five minutes.

- I guess it's okay.

You're looking better to me

than you used to.

- All done, Pat.

- Get everything?

Burned everything in Carrington's lab

and the greenhouse.

- Burned the arm too.

- How is Dr. Carrington?

He's got a broken collarbone

and a headache.

I'm not getting enough voltage.

- I'll check the generator for you.

- Good.

- Anybody want some coffee?

- No, but you can come in.

- You better have some. You look tired.

- He should look tired.

- He's had two things on his mind.

- We've only had one.

- Our worries are over, while our captain...

- Shut up.

Isn't there something you

can do about it, Nikki?

I don't know. You know, I'm getting

pretty fed up with the North Pole.

- How much does a captain make?

- Not much.

That's a good start. Go ahead.

- Enough to support two?

- Not nearly.

- Captain, you get flight pay.

- Some for each dependent.

- We can handle that.

- I won't be railroaded into anything.

I've got an idea.

- This is gonna work.

- You ought to settle down.

- There you are.

- It'd be much better for us.

Sure. Our captain always

getting into trouble.

- Remember that night in Honolulu?

- That was pretty bad.

- I don't know what they're talking about.

- He should light somewhere.

- See, they know what's best for you.

- Here we are. Plenty of voltage now.

Anchorage, from Polar Expedition 6.

Can you hear me? Over.

- Anchorage, reception clear. Stand by.

- Press the button and speak, Scotty.

Tell General Fogarty we've sent for

Capt. Hendry. He'll be here in minutes.

- Roger. Over.

- Are there any newsmen there? Over.

- The place is full of them. Over.

- All right. Here's your story.

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