Vertical Limit Page #2

because I'm the shy one.

No, no, no, seorita.

Here you go.

Have a drink on Mr. Vaughn.

What time's the laser show?

Is this thing on?

Howdy!

Everyone hear me all right?

No!

You're the lucky ones.

Welcome to the highest party

in the world!

Okay, maybe I did overdo it

just a bit.

Four years ago, I came here

with a dream to climb K2.

The toughest mountain in the world.

As most of you know,

that attempt ended in tragedy.

On Wednesday,

with the help of Tom McLaren...

...I intend to fulfill that dream.

And while I'm at it, take care

of some business, Texas style.

At 0900 hours, Greenwich Mean Time...

...the inaugural flight of Majestic

Air will fly over the summit...

...and we'll be there to wave them on!

To the other teams climbing,

I'd like to say be safe...

...and good luck.

Kick up your heels

and enjoy the barbecue!

What about the weather, Mr. Vaughn?

We hope for the best.

You know something we don't?

The weather closes in

and people die up there.

Or don't you have to worry about that?

Anybody who doesn't worry

about that is a fool.

Brian Maki did a high-atmosphere

analysis of the last 4 decades.

Most years there's a 9-to-12-day lull

before the fall storms.

On August 2nd, we calculate

an 82% chance of fine weather.

Give me odds like that

in the oil business, I'd be rich.

Who's the leader, Mr. Vaughn?

Who makes decisions that mean

other people live or die?

Who plays God, so to speak?

There can be only one leader.

It's always the best climber.

I've made it clear to everyone

that Tom McLaren is that man.

Even the Pakistanis agree.

They're giving you a 21-gun salute.

Okay, let's party!

Thanks for that, Elliot.

You climb as good as you talk,

we'll get you there.

You know that old guy

who was asking questions?

Montgomery Wick.

Remember Dad used to talk about him?

They were in the service together...

Of course, I remember.

I miss him, Annie.

I miss him just as much as...

I can't talk about it.

You never have.

There's nothing to say.

He's gone, Peter.

Look, you can blame me all you want...

...but that last cam would've failed.

It held the two of us.

You want to do this?

Okay, fine, let's do it.

You didn't give it a chance.

- He knew it wouldn't hold either.

- Of course he didn't.

We were his life.

He would've died rather than take

a chance anything might happen to us.

I think we owed him the same.

But I did what I thought was right.

If you're so right, why haven't

you climbed? Or been to his grave?

I'm not going up there for a TV show.

I'm going up there for him.

I want to be the person

he always wanted me to be.

When I'm up there, I feel close

to him.

I touch his soul.

Take care up there.

This is it.

Wish you were going with me.

Not this time. Take care up there.

It'll be a great day for Texas.

And Scotland.

What is it?

Spindrift coming off the top.

That's local. If something was coming

in, it'd show on the other peaks.

Your sister's fine, man.

You look after yourself.

You too. Thanks for everything.

Understood, Tom.

You guys take good care up there.

Thanks, base. Out.

Well, you heard it.

Computer model shows it's building.

That's a concern.

We're about an hour from

the bottleneck, right?

Let's kick it and get up there.

Gets any worse,

we'll shelter under the ice cliffs.

If it comes in fast,

we're totally exposed out here.

It's not fast.

He said it's slow-moving.

There's a 70% chance

it'll turn east and miss us.

I'm not gonna risk a storm.

Not at 26,000.

We're not suggesting anything stupid.

The weather could turn.

The odds are with us.

We're five hours from the summit.

We turn back now, that's it.

We've lost our window.

I know. Elliot, I'm aware of that.

It's my responsibility.

I won't let a marketing campaign

compromise our safety.

You think this is

about a marketing campaign?

Come on, Tom.

This is about getting to the top.

I don't give a sh*t

about the publicity.

This is a life statement for me.

We're only 500 feet from

the bottleneck. Let's keep going.

Okay.

Okay.

Let's go.

Lenticular cloud to the southeast.

Winds at 80 knots, rising.

Tom says he's going on.

What's base camp pressure?

Pressure's dropped two points

in four hours.

You made your case. We listened.

We decided.

It's too high a risk. Why am I here

if you don't listen to me?

I'll assess the risk. As to why

you're here, I wonder myself.

I'm Annie's brother.

McLaren's pulling them back, right?

We're on target. They're going on.

The wind's hit to the south.

What's your satellite show?

We've assessed the data.

We're going up.

It shows bad air coming in from India.

What the hell are you doing?

- How high are they?

- 26,000.

- What are you doing?!

- Warning my sister!

Leave it! That's enough!

Tom McLaren, come in.

Tom McLaren, this is base camp.

Do you copy?

Tom McLaren, do you read?

Come in, base.

You've got a major storm coming in.

You've gotta start down.

Who is this?

Peter Garrett.

You copy about the storm?

Where's Frank Williams?

Put Frank Williams on.

Skip here. We're looking

at the weather screens.

If this doesn't turn, you'll be in

big trouble. Turn back immediately.

Do you copy?

Yeah, I copy that.

Thanks, Skip. Out.

How we doing?

I'm pulling the plug.

We're going down.

- Just hold on.

- I'm sorry, Elliot.

You pay me to make these decisions.

I'm paying you to get me to the top.

Jesus! Elliot, you told me

I was in charge up here.

You are! Why are you vacillating?

Because some second-rate guide

got on the radio?

Nobody knows this mountain better

than Skip.

Skip Taylor's a hustler. He was

jockeying me to be in your boots.

Don't crap out on me now.

Come on, what did you think?

She'd just lift up her skirt

and pull her panties down for us?

Is this how you got up Everest twice?

I'm going down.

Fine. Fine.

Go down. Go on. Sit it out.

The storm will turn and you'll spend

the rest of your life living it down.

That should do wonders

for your business.

I'm sorry, can I? Please.

We're going back!

We don't have a choice!

We are dead on the ridge! Let's go!

F*** you!

Annie!

Annie, can you hear me?

I'm all right! I'm safe!

Elliot!

I'm fine! We're okay!

Avalanche!

Annie, are you there?

Can you hear me?

Come in, base, this is summit team.

Do you read me?

Anybody, do you read me? This is

the Vaughn summit team. Come in.

Summit team, this is base camp.

Do you copy?

Summit team, this is base camp.

If you're gonna do that,

do it outside.

Base, this is summit team.

Are you trying to contact us?

Here. Let me.

Oh, my God. That's Morse code.

My dad taught us when we were kids.

Said it could save your life.

Smart man, your father.

He sure was.

There's three of them.

Vaughn.

Tom.

Annie.

I'm sorry, Kareem.

You say there are three.

Maybe there are others.

Maybe.

Tell them we can't keep talking.

We gotta save power.

He's right.

What's he saying, Annie?

They're coming to get us.

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