"You can say that again." "They're not geese." "Their speed's about..." "5,000 miles an hour." "Unidentified objects reported from St. Matthews station." "Speed, 5,000 miles per hour." "Course, 1-7-0." "Banks Island Station confirms unidentified objects." "This is the president." "Yes." "My verification code- 4-2-0-0-4-7." "Verifyyourself." "All right, General, go ahead." "How far are they from the DEW line?" "I see." "And confirmation is absolute?" "I order all systems to stand by for war alert." "If they cross the DEW line, destroy them... and their source." "And may God be with us." "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." "Starring Richard Basehart..." "David Hedison." "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." "0045 seconds." "Down scope." "0035 seconds." "0025 seconds." "0075 seconds." "005 seconds. 004 seconds." "003 seconds." "002 seconds." "007 second." "000." "Latitude zero degrees, zero minutes, zero seconds." "We are now crossing the equator." "Now hear this." "All hands." "All pollywogs... anyone who has not previously crossed the equator... and been welcomed into King Neptune's majestic domain... will report immediately to the crew's quarters... for the I 973 initiation ceremonies." "Well, Lee, shall we prepare to pay our respects to King Neptune?" "I was up all night polishing my sword, Admiral." "One!" "Two!" "Three!" "Look at Clark!" " That'; cola'." " Yes, but it's good for you." "Aw, come on, fellas." "Have a" "Oh, no, Patterson." "No feathers." "Come on." "Patterson, no- No." "Patterson, no- feathers." "Hello, sir." "Aye, I've never seen a mangler lot of pollywogs in all me days." "Have you, me damn' queen?" "No!" "And they're gonna frighten the royal baby." "You scurvy dare to make the royal baby cry?" " Admiral, what's the meaning of this?" "Sire" "Don't "sire" me." "This lot is an affront to my kingdom." "You, pollywog, approach the throne." "On your belly, pollywog!" "Has he no respect for the royal court?" "He is but ignorant, sire... though he is a lieutenant commander of the United States Navy." "Aye, then he's not one of your crew." "No, he's only temporarily." "I must confess... that ifCommander Corbett offends Your Majesty and the royal family..." "I am to blame for it." " Uh,you, Admiral?" "Had I but given him the marks he so richly deserved... in marine biology and chemistry" "when I had the enormous misfortune to have him in my classes at Annapolis- the lieutenant commander would not now be aboard the Seaview... to evaluate our fitness as a mission carrier." "Nor would he have frightened the royal baby." "Man all stations." "On the double!" "Move!" "Sloppy." "Slow and sloppy." "I'd hate to see the fitness rating we'll get for this one." "Now for the rest of this exercise, I want speed and precision." "I don't think it is an exercise, Lee." "He's every bit as surprised by it as we are." " Easy." " Ah, it's a short." "W5 m)!" "eyes!" "My eyes!" "Sick bay." "Doc, get up here fast." " Let me see, Kowalski." " I-l can't see, Admiral." "M)' EYES!" "My eyes!" " Who's there?" " Relax, Kowalski." "It's the doc." "Am I blind, Doc?" "Doc;" "Blind?" "An old girl-watcher like you, Kowalski." "Come on." "Easy." "The glass exploded right in his eyes." "I wish we could get him to a specialist." "Well, unfortunately we have more urgent business." ""Stand by."" "What does he mean stand by?" "This is no exercise." "Look at our missile officer." " Hekscared" " Why shouldn't he be?" "So am I." "You don't think there's actually gonna be a war?" "Well, let's hope it's just a plane off course... or maybe a flight of geese over the DEW line." "We don't have to start worrying, really worrying... until this goes on." "Then it's in the hands of one man- the president." "That's all right with me." "That's right where it should be." "He's the only man that can open the fail-safe, so a missile can be fired." "An unpickable lock on the mightiest arsenal ever created." "Exactly." "Rig for war alert." "All ahead flank." "Come to course 2-7-0." "Take her down to 2,000 feet." "Sparks, maintain radio silence." "Fail-safe officers... man your units." "Fail-safe officers, report." "Admiral?" "Ready, Captain." " Mr. Morton?" " Ready, Captain." "Commander Corbett?" "Commander Corbett!" "Commander Corbett!" "Corbett!" "Corbett!" "Ready, Captain." "Unlock fail-safe units." "Com mander Corbett, unlock your fai I-safe." "Corbett, unlock your fai I-safe!" "Corbett, report!" "What's wrong, Corbett?" "Corbett!" "Bill." "Bill." "This isn't an exercise, Admiral." "It's real." "I cannot destroy the world." "I can't." "It's not you." "It's not?" "Then who is it?" "It's me." "No." "No!" "Fifteen minutes to launch coordinates, Admiral." "What happened to Corbett?" "He couldn't activate his fail-safe unit." "He just couldn't do it." "Every soldier who ever went to war knows that moment." "It's one thing to be a crack shot in the rifle range." "It's another thing to pull the trigger when there's a man- a real man, a human being- in your sights." "When the chips were down, they pulled the trigger, didn't they?" "Most of them." " Some of them couldn't." " Corbett is not a coward." "He just started to wrestle with his conscience at the wrong time." "He should have done that before he'd taken his oath ofduty." " Admiral" " Yes, Lee?" "No one, none of us, knows how we'll act when we have to pull that trigger." "Give him another chance." "Assuming we have another chance." "I'll have to think about it, Lee." "We're 11 minutes from launch coordinates, Lee." "It's unthinkable, Admiral." "It" " It can't be happening." "It may not be." "We won't know until we cross the fail-safe line then send up the antenna." "If the antenna doesn't receive an abort order... it's happening." "Sure we got all these bombs and missiles and stuff." "But so have they." "I mean, the way I figure, it's a standoff." "I put a loaded pistol against your head... you got one against mine- who's gonna pull the trigger?" " You know somethin', Patterson?" " What?" " I don't much like lookin' like this when it happens." " I know what you mean." " You do?" " Sure." "It's like when I was a kid." "My mom always used to say..." ""Don't go out when you're dirty." "Always look right." ""You might get into an accident." "And what will the ambulance guy think ifyou're dirty?"" "Yeah, that's it." "Yeah, well, don't worry how you look, Clark." "Nobody's gonna see us again." "Not ever." "Uh, Captain, some of us were wondering, sir, whether  whether there was any news from home?" " No, nothing, Clark." " Captain" " Yes?" "You would tell us if you heard anything?" "Now, look, l-l'mjust as anxious to hear as you are." " Yes, sir." "Clark." " Yes, sir?" " You have a family?" "Admiral, everybody's got a family." "I got a wife, a couple of kids... my mother, my father, couple of brothers, couple ofsisters." "Boy, have I got a family." "I just wish I knew how they are." "That's all." "Well, I should think they're wondering about you too, Clark." "Yeah, sir." "I'll bet they are." "Eight minutes to launch coordinates." "We're in enemy waters now, Captain." " Sonar, keep your ears open." " Yes, sir." "Can you see anything, Kowalski?" "Anything at all?" "Ah, what's the difference now?" "I got maybe an hour, hour and a half... then boom." "So what's the difference?" "The next hour and a halfare critical to whether you'll ever see again or not... that's the difference." "Assuming of course there is no boom." "Now, keep your eyes open." "Captain, destroyers at bearing 1-7... speed 4O knots, range 5,000 yards." "Keep on 'em." "All hands, rig for depth charges." "Repeat, rig for depth charges." "It doesn't look any better." "You all right?" "Yes, sir." "I can't understand it." "You're navy, Annapolis." "This is what you've been trained for." "You've gone through this a hundred times." "Practice runs." "Games, like when we were kids." "This is no game, Admiral." "This is real." "I know." "The missile officer knows." "There was no practice alert scheduled for this run." "This is doomsday, Admiral." "Doomsday." "Ifit is, we didn't start it." "What difference is it who started it?" "It's one thing to carry a big stick." "It's another to bash someone's head in with it." "I just couldn't do it." "But you could." "Couldn'tyou, Admiral?" "You think because I could do what I had to do, I don't feel?" "I don't feel for the millions" "Our job is to provide the bone and muscle... of our country's deterrent power." "If we fail in that, if we freeze in the clutch... then our country's defenseless." "You failed your country once before." "Don't ever fail her again." "Launch coordinates, Captain." "Steady as she goes." "All engines stop." "Can you think ofany reason to delay firing, Admiral?" "No reason that has any military relevance." "Missile Room, release fail-safe antenna." "AHSWGFS, HHSWGFS." "What did you say?" "I've spent all my life trying to find answers." "But there's no answer to this." "Admiral" "Yes, Lee." "Nothing." "There's nothing to say." "Destroyers 2,700 yards." "Mr. Morton, come to course 0-9-0." "Come to course 0-9-0." "Antenna buoy at surface." "No abort signal, Captain." "Start firing procedure, Lee." "All hands, this is the captain." "The attack's been canceled." "We're no longer on war alert." " Repeat" " Come on, Doc." "Whatcha waiting for?" "All right, you guys." "Get to work and clean these babies out." "Hey, Captain." "Captain!" "All right men, quiet." "Quiet down!" "Enemy destroyers closing fast." "We're in theirwaters, and they don't know why." "They won't waste time asking questions." " Let's go up and give 'em the answers." " Mr. Morton, prepare to surface." " Sparks." "Radio we're surfacing." " Prepare" "Captain, this is Missile Control." "Number Four won't deactivate." "The fuse is set for detonation at zero feet." "Whatever you do, don't surface!" "If we can't talk, let's run." "Let's get out of here." "Maneuvering, come to course 1-4-0." "All ahead flank." " Doc" " Easy." "Easy." "Easy, Kowalski." "Corbett, you making any headway disarming Number Four missile?" "Negative." "Fuse is still jammed." "It will blow up at surface." "We got the whole fleet after us, Captain." "Engine Room, can you give me any more speed?" "She's breakin' records now, Skipper." " How much room beneath us?" " We're on the bottom now." "They've got us in a circle." "We can't fight back, and we can't outrun them." "Got a bad one, Captain." "Can control the water, but the main vents in the ballast tanks are sprung." "The trim's gonna be a bit sloppy." "That's the least of our worries, Chief." "Any progress, Corbett?" "No, sir." "There's no way to deactivate the fuse" "Our only hope is to find a lonely place, go deep, and fire it." " The fail-safe. lfwe" " No, sir." "Only the president can reopen it." "The first thing we've got to do is lose those destroyers." "Lee,jam their sonar so they'll have to rely on hydrophones." "Start up the mini-sub." "Full speed." "Engine Room." "Chief, I want you to reduce engine speed gradually till I tell you to hold." "A little more, Chief." "It's gotta sound like Seaview on their hydrophones." "Okay, Chief, hold there." "And stay on the line." " Get that thing launched." "Keep the motors running." " Yes, sir." "Prepare to launch mini-sub." "Let's hope theystart following it instead of us." " Okay, launch." " Launch!" "Okay, Chief, stop all engines." "Lee, we'vejust launched the mini-sub as a decoy." "Keep a fix on those destroyers." "Captain, I've picked up another sub on the hydrophone." "Don't worry." "it's one of ours." "It worked." "They're following the mini-sub." "Chip, let's get underway." "Full ahead." "Come to course 1-4-0." "All stations, report damage." "Any luck?" "I can set it to detonate wherever you want beneath the surface." "There's no chance of our surfacing until we get rid of this baby." "What will our firing depth have to be?" "About 4,500 feet for a surface blast." "No surface blast." "We detonate at 1,000 feet below surface." "But Why?" "To detonate at 1,000 feet below the surface... we have to fire at... 4,700 feet." "Can Seaview go that deep?" " It's just possible." " Possible?" "You mean you'd risk every man aboard to conceal a nuclear accident... to prevent the world from knowing that fail-safe is fallible?" "No, Commander." "Nor will I risk the lives of this crew to honor the Test Ban Treaty... which we violate if we detonate at surface." "But I will not pollute the atmosphere with our mistake." "I will not poison the air, the earth." "Better risk the lives of this crew than generations to come." "But this morning, you didn't hesitate to push the button." "Because long ago, under conditions less nerve-racking than we faced this morning... strategists and statesmen formulated a plan." "A plan which you, as a military man, have sworn to follow." "lfplans made during periods ofcalm... are not followed, to the letter, in times of stress... we can only face chaos." "Our survival as a nation and as individuals... requires we rely upon reason and not emotions." "Our security, Admiral, also requires an informed public." "The world should learn, as I did this morning, what doomsday would really mean... what a nuclear accident means." "Then maybe we'll throw away these monstrous toys before they destroy us." "If you want to sound the trumpet, Commander, do it." "But not in that uniform." "And not aboard Seaview." "We detonate at minus 1,000 feet." "Yes, sir." "I see no other solution, Mr. President." "Now let me get this clear, Nelson." "You're asking me to open the fail-safe system long enough to let you fire one missile... which will explode 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the sea?" "You realize I can't open your fail-safe without activating the entire system." "During the 3O seconds that you require... any general or colonel or admiral... could conceivably fire the weapons in his command." "Actually, we've cut our required time to five seconds." "The exact moment when the fail-safe system will be opened... will be known only to you and me." "What about the Pentagon?" "Won't they know?" "No, Mr. President." "All we will know is... the spot which we have selected as free ofshipping for the firing." "Seaview should reach the firing site in 24 hours." "Nelson, you know what I'm risking to save your ship?" "Yes, sir." "Get in touch with me when you reach your destination." "Hold her steady, Lee." "Real steady, Admiral." "Steady, Lee." "That does it." " Will he see?" " Heshou/a'." "There's no corneal damage." "He'll be up girl-watching in another week or two." "Get him back as soon as you can." "We need him." " What's the matter?" " Our main ballast vents were damaged." " It's hard to keep trim." " What's our depth?" " Two hundred feet." " Take her up to periscope depth." "I want to make sure the area's clear before we get rid of that missile." "Mr. Morton, come to periscope depth." "Mr. Morton, come to periscope depth." "Periscope depth, aye, sir." "Take her up to 9-0 feet." "And carefully." "That missile's still set for surface detonation." "If we broach" "We're at periscope depth, Admiral." "Steady." "Up scope." "Steady." "Hold her steady!" " Radar, anything in the air?" "All clear, Admiral." "Down scope." "Take her back down." "Lee, I'm still worried about that trim." "So am I." "Let's go down." "Sparks, make that call for me." " Pipe it through the scrambler." "I'll be in my cabin." "Yes, sir." "Right away." "What about it, Sparks?" "Good." "Yes, Mr. President." "Nelson here." "I assume you've reached your destination, Admiral?" "Good." "You're ready to fire?" "We are... five minutes from firing, sir." "That is, if!" "permit it?" "Of course, sir." "I've given this entire fail-safe business a great deal of thought... in the past 24 hours." "I'm worried about the human factor." "Yesterday, the Russians launched 25 missiles simultaneously." "They carried nothing more dangerous than communications satellites." "But they neglected to notify us- a human error that almost caused us to go to war." " Yes, sir." " In releasing your fail-safe, Nelson..." "I'm leaving you no room for human error." "That's the way it must be." "There can be no mistakes." "l understand, sir." " Submerge t0 your firing depth." "I shall open the system in precisely... five minutes for five seconds." "Good luck to you and your men." "Minus 1,000 feet." "Yes, sir." "Ten, nine, eight, seven... six, five, four... three, two, one." "System open." "Unlock units." "Did you catch it, Corbett?" "Missile under manual control, Admiral." "Lee, take her down to 4,700 feet." "Take her to 4,700 feet." "Dive to 4-7-0-0 feet." "She's still keeping the water out." "Ready, Corbett?" "Ready, sir." "Fire!" " Damage Control, report." " Missile Room" "Main vents jammed." "Air bubble in ballast." " We're ballooning." " Comet"!" "Missile Room." " Did you fire?" " Did/ft have time." "We're at, uh, 4,400 feet." "Is it safe to fire now?" "Negative." "We'll be up to detonation depth in three minutes." " Damage Control, any luck?" " She's jammed tight." " What's your plan?" " Plan?" "We've had it." "There's got to be a way." "We're not going to have a nuclear accident, Corbett." "Ca n" "Can we roll her past 9O degrees and fire downward?" "No." "The guidance system will prevent firing... unless the attitude of the submarine is normal." "Can we defuse her magnetically or electronically?" "If we could, then so could an enemy." " The fuel, c-can we" " That's it!" "What's our present depth?" "1,800 feet." "I think we can." "Besides, what have we got to lose?" "If I canjust" "What are you doing?" "Bleeding out the expellant gas but leaving just enough... so the missile will blast clear of the sub... then fizzle out and sink to the bottom." "I hope." "What's our depth?" "1,400 feet." " Depth?" " 1,200 feet." "Corbett!" " Corbett, what happened?" " I disobeyed orders." "I didn't change it." "I left it set for a surface blast." " On whose authority?" " On my authority!" "As a man." "As a human being." "I've just discovered I have a commitment that takes priority over this uniform." "People have a right to know what almost happened." "Pray." "Missile slowing." "It stopped at 200 feet beneath the surface." "It's falling to the bottom." "820 feet." "That's cutting it close." "Too close, Chip." "Too close." "Much too close." "Bubble on artificial horizon." " Sighting on polestar." " Polestar." "Time 2:04." "Mark." "Angle- 18 degrees, 22 minutes, three seconds." "Verify sighting." "Mark." "1-8, 2-2, 0-3." "Sighting verified as accurate, Captain." "Thank you, Mr. Morton." "Confirm our position with inertial navigation and log it." "Aye, aye, sir." " You wanna talk about it?" " What's there to talk about?" "Well, you gave him a second chance." "He blew it." "And now I have to order a court-martial." "I'll have to testify against him." "Then he'll be dishonorably discharged." "You know, it's ironic, Lee." "Ifhe'd obeyed orders, we'd all be dead now." "By disobeying orders, he inadvertently saved our lives... but he wrecked his career." " It could even have been worse." " Yeah." "Yeah, it could really have been doomsday."