"Landslides," "Earthquakes and other mysterious phenomena have occurred simultaneously in opposite corners of the globe." "Areas heaviest hit are reported to be the Euro Mountains and the Rockies." "The United Democracies have also reported title waves reaching a height of 160 feet, battering port installations along the coasts of all five continents." "Countless lives have been lost and property damage is impossible to estimate." "Top scientists at UD headquarters have been unable to locate any subterranean or atmospheric cause for these devastating phenomena which have been striking concurrently in different parts of the world, threatening the earth with incalculable destruction if it does not cease." "The latest theory is that the upheavals may be due to some gravity disturbance in outer space never before encountered." "Monday, March 19th, 10:00 A.M.," "Space Command Headquarters," "General Norton, Chief in Command arrives to begin the full-scale search of outer space to determine the validity of this theory and take all possible steps to halt the catastrophic destruction." "Look out General!" "It looks like it's our turn." "All right, all of you, back to your posts, back!" "Morning, Charles." "General Norton." "I'm very glad you could make it." "I just made it." "You can take my word for it, it was a rough trip." "But you, you look a mess." "I've been at this thing now for two days without sleep." "I've practically been living on Endodrine." "The worst is ahead." "You got my message?" "Yes, Chief." "I tell you Charles' it's absolutely incredible." "I don't know what to make of it." "I quite understand." "There'll be mass hysteria if it doesn't stop soon." "I've had the computer section on double shift." "It keeps coming up with zero." "We'll have to find it fast Charles." "I'm convinced it's a space problem." "Then you'll want to take a look at this." "It's from Schmidt's team." "They have a wild theory, and they're convinced that it's a space problem too." "I didn't want to advise UD of it until you got here." "Send out a top secret alert and arrange for a meeting." "And I want Jackson on this." "Yes, sir." "Section 342." "Signal out a 5-7, put all stations on alert." "Signal 5-7 on alert code." "Captain Danton, I read you." "Set this up for Commander Jackson on Gamma 1 please." "This is their show." "Returning to the major disturbances." "Those in authority estimate that thousands of families are homeless." "In European Coastal cities business districts has been almost totally destroyed." "Among other losses are fifty thousand pieces of mail washed away when the post offices were inundated." "Governments are having extreme difficulty maintaining order." "We've just received an announcement from the UD." "Commander Rod Jackson will be in charge of the survey unit to investigate the possibility of total space disturbance." "Turn that off." "Bonton." "... recently completed (neutron deflector to a space command post Gamma 1." "God help us." "We have an immediate 5-7 with full priority." "Of course, Lieutenant' priority it is." "5-7, that's top secret." "This really is trouble isn't it?" "Here's your code key and kill those newscasts." "Yes sir, Lieutenant." "Prepare for code transmission." "Commander Jackson and crew ready for take-off." "Prepare for arrival at fourteen hours." "Commander Jackson and crew report to Pad 9 for immediate launch to Gamma 1." "Commander Jackson and crew report to Pad 9 for immediate launch to Gamma 1." "Ready Commander." "May I have your ETA please?" "437, program now positioned for immediate launch." "Pulling cargo, three thousand tons." "Flying Jet Channel A at thirty-five thousand feet." "Will re-check during flight." "What are we supposed to be looking for?" "Has anyone told us that?" "No one knows." "But we're not picked up this deflector for nothing." "I can't figure it out." "What do they think we'll find out there?" "Flying saucers or what?" "Green and activated." "All phases checked." "Ready to launch." "Deflector cargo and Jackson crew here." "Read you." "ETA figures check out." "All systems go." "Pleasant trip commander." "Ready, pour it on." "11:30 A.M." "Commander Rod Jackson, veteran spaceman returns to Gamma 1 after picking up the deflector and orders for the most important mission of his career." "There she is, good old Gamma 1." "Read us Gamma?" "This is Gamma 1, we read your signal." "Systems functioning?" "Check, check." "Get set for light up." "Ready and waiting." "Switch all controls to station automatic." "Switching out." "Stand by for weight gain." "Standing by." "Do you read your cargo Commander?" "Cargo ball is on." "You're on our controls." "Take it away." "Start the check out in the decompression zone." "Attention cargo personnel, attention cargo personnel." "Unload red horse cargo on, on ramp two without going beyond the limits of your stations." "Remain within station limits." "I think I'll go over to flight control and help them set up that deflector." "Yes, the sooner the better." "Right." "Latest earth news bulletins to all space installations." "Strange atmospheric conditions continue to cause major disturbances around the various positions of the earth." "Many major cities have been affected by various atmospheric phenomena." "Due to the record tides which flooded these large masses of the earth, many cities have been forced to evacuate their populations..." "Rod, what's happening on earth?" "Aren't you supposed to be in there with your section?" "...scientists have been unable to account for the atmospheric conditions now effecting... 5-7 coming in Commander." "Kill that newscast please." "Anybody find anything?" "Not yet sir." "This could mean only one thing." "What could mean only one thing?" "The 5-7." "It could mean anything or nothing." "I have a feeling." "We operate on facts, not feelings Lieutenant." "In the meantime' how about getting this 5-7 out to every relay outpost in the quadrant as soon as it comes in?" "We ready Joe?" "I'm pre-setting now." "We're nearly go." "Go when ready." "Here, honey' this is top priority." "Okay." "The code key is coming through." "It's coming in now Lieutenant Sanchez." "Okay, Joe." "There's nothing in this we don't know from the newscasts." "They might as well of sent it in the clear." "They're code crazy down there." "Are you prepared to transmit?" "It's all a go except Outpost Echo." "I get only intermittent signals." "Get a check on Outpost Echo circuits and keep trying." "Right." "Lieutenant, aren't you prepared to transmit?" "Yes, Commander." "I've decided to send this one in the clear if you don't mind." "In the clear?" "Transmit it in the clear!" "But this was a coded signal." "You heard me." "Prepare to transmit Joe." "In the clear?" "Yes, in the clear." "Oral to Visual," "Oral to Visual." "In the clear." "Visual to Oral." "Visual to Oral." "In the clear." "You know, a Commander is not supposed to show his edginess." "Lieutenant' when I want personality advice," "I'll go to Psychometric." "Yes, Rod." "Commander if you don't mind." "Yes, Rod, uh, Commander." "Lieutenant Sanchez, may I remind you, you're not serving on some space lugger or a 1980 cruise jet, this is Gamma 1 and I'm in command." "And I don't want questioning of that command even by raised eyebrows." "I read you Commander." "Then read this." "Two days ago I asked you to issue certain orders to your section." "I issued them." "Did you really?" "I ordered all newscasts from earth blocked out on this station." "Station morale is low and you're not helping it with those newscasts." "I know, sir." "Then why did I get here and find..." "We had to monitor the newscasts to give a feed to Captain Dubrovsky." "He was very anxious to..." "Doby." "Captain Dubrovsky again." "Lieutenant' those newscasts will stay blocked out totally until I give new orders' and I want to see Dubrovsky in my quarters." "He's on peripheral tour." "When he gets in." "Yes, sir." "Terry?" "Yes, Commander?" "Bear with me Terry, sometimes a Commander tightens up to hide his edginess." "I'm sympathetic Commander." "If any messages come in," "I'm in my quarters." "13:45 hours." "UD headquarters conference room." "Schmidt makes his report to the key United Democracies Security Command." "The film clips show the extent of new damage to coastal installations after the strange seismograph readings." "So much for terrestrial manifestations." "On this map of the asteroid belt, you see the area which showed signs of agitation." "This agitation concurring with our disturbances here on earth makes the seismograph readings even more mysterious." "We've got to get at the explanation for these asteroidal manifestations." "Now here is where I think my team has produced a really sound argument and I would like my colleague," "Mr. Danton' to explain it to you." "It's all yours Charles." "Well let me say first that we were confronted with what seemed like nothing but random disturbances having no connection with terrestrial manifestations." "However, by some intricate computer probing, we have determined a definite pattern." "Now, assume I'm pointing to the field of the disturbance force which has shown to be always along this tangent line." "The time of the event, correlated to the earth's rotation' indicates that the disturbances acted along the same relevant quadrant of Gamma 1 which is our remotest space station." "Now..." "It's urgent sir?" "Yes, sir." "Please continue." "I'll be back in a moment." "Danton, are you saying it's a wild planet within Gamma 1 's gravity quadrant?" "Precisely, sir." "What is it Janet?" "Dad," "I've been trying to reach you for days." "I've been meaning to call you." "You've kept Rod two months past the normal tour." "Janet, I will not go through all that again." "Rod is our number one space post commander right now." "Try to understand that..." "We just got a report." "There's an emergency on Gamma 1." "All right Doby, calm down and give it to me slow." "We were out checking on a report of a gyro disturbance when all of a..." "On B level?" "On B level." "And?" "There was a wind." "A wind?" "Have you gone out of your mind?" "That's right' there was a wind." "But don't take my word for it." "You'll find out." "I can tell you when it happened." "It was like a real twister." "The whole section buckled right out of shape." "I wasn't prepared for it so I ordered everyone back in as fast as they could." "Lieutenant, where do you think you're going?" "Standing operating procedure Commander, a Communications Officer is assigned to every mission that's not routine." "Okay." "And then?" "The guys were sucked right off." "The tie line snapped like that." "How many?" "Three of them." "You couldn't reach them?" "It was too risky." "Okay, let's move out." "Check out." "Gravity environment equal." "On my orders then." "In a few minutes they'll be beyond our gravity pull." "If we're going to get them we'll have to do it fast." "Hook up the line Terry." "The rest of you, link together." "Rockets on my signal." "Checker feed is a constant one hundred propulsion." "Count down on my out." "Chain up over there, chain up." "Out." "Fourteen hours." "Lieutenant Terry Sanchez," "Gamma 1 Communications Officer, stands watch as the rescue operation begins." "Approximately one thousand feet away three men are caught beyond the gravitational pull of the space wheel and are being tossed about like leaves in the wind." "You're at your limit Doby." "Okay, pull him in." "Give me your hand, you made it." "Pull him in quick." "His jets are running out." "I'm going to try to haul him in." "You're crazy Rod." "Don't go in alone." "I'm coming with you." "Go on in." "That's an order." "You'll make it." "I can't do it!" "Keep trying!" "I can't break through." "When I give you an order you obey it." "When I give you an order." "The two of us might have saved the boy but you had to do it alone." "I could've been of some help." "You could risk your life, but not as my senior officer." "Only Commander plays the hero." "Why, you think maybe I'd of chickened out?" "Shut up, you hear?" "Shut up Doby?" "Is that all you can say?" "I wonder if you realize" "I'm now in orbit for..." "All right Doby," "I got my own worries." "Poor old Rod." "Knock it off I said." "You got worries trying to work out that silly love life of yours." "Shut up, I mean it." "I, I have got a wife" "I, I have got a wife and a little kid down there." "Three months I haven't seen them." "48 hours I asked you for." "Would you give me 48 hours?" "No, not you." "You're too busy dodging Norton's daughter." "You don't know what worries are." "I've had just about enough." "You got worries, huh?" "You and that no good, two-bit ground chick." "Dubrovsky, you've been with me for five years, and you're an A-okay officer except for one thing' you never learned how to take orders." "I'll tell you right now, you're signing your way out." "If this insubordination continues" "I'll have you grounded." "Commander Jackson to Telecom." "Urgent UD call." "Commander Jackson," "Commander Jackson." "Jackson to telecom." "Commander Jackson to telecom." "Urgent UD call." "Commander Jackson," "Commander Jackson." "You idiots." "Just look at you' the world's coming apart and you two..." "Commander Jackson to telecom, urgent UD call." "Commander Jackson." "Commander Jackson." "It's only Norton who's waiting on the telecom to speak to you." "The General?" "The Chief himself." "Commander Jackson to telecom." "Urgent UD call." "Is that clear?" "Yes, Chief." "Also there's no further need for transmission security." "All signals will be in the clear." "Right." "There's no time, nor need for coding." "Do you read that?" "I certainly do." "I want an around the clock sweep of your quadrant." "In full gear?" "Use every facility you have." "Chief, I, I hate to ask but, but what are we looking for?" "That's the one thing you haven't made clear." "There's a theory that it's a wild planet." "Now I've heard everything." "Set up all your nuclear and deflector apparatus." "Any questions?" "No, sir." "Yes, the news." "I'm afraid the men have lost touch since we blacked it out." "You can go ahead with it." "Thank you, sir." "Rod' it may be all your show." "I'll do my best sir." "Let's get started..." "Oh, Rod?" "Yes, sir." "By the way," "I'm sending you a visitor." "Janet." "...SAMU has placed its total space transport facility at the disposal of interplanetary..." "I'm not sure glad they resumed the newscasts." "And so the world breathes somewhat easier today as it experienced a lull in the onslaught of disasters." "Yeah, Gamma 1, go ahead." "...subsided to nearly normal once again." "No seismic disturbances of any consequence..." "There's an emergency Lieutenant." "Repeat to Echo." "Gamma 1 to Echo." "Can you hear me?" "Gamma 1 to Echo." "Repeat." "Kill that." "All right Echo, if you hear me form a relay connection to Delta 6." "Keep trying." "Gamma 1 to Echo." "Gamma 1 to Echo." "Repeat." "Repeat." "Echo come in." "There's distortion in your signal." "Rod, are we trapped up here in space?" "Terry, don't say things like that." "I was," "I was thinking." "Soon there'll be no earth to go down to." "There'll be no place to go." "How long will we be able to hold out up here?" "I don't know." "At least we're together." "You'll never see her again Rod." "Janet's coming up here." "Up here?" "Norton arranged it." "I'm engaged to her Terry." "I'm aware of that." "Not that I want to be." "Can't you keep her from coming here." "I'm afraid, it's too involved for that." "Oh." "20:30 hours." "Communications have been interrupted between Gamma 1 and UD Headquarters." "Rumors concerning the wild planet cause panic across the earth." "Meanwhile observation Outpost Echo has spotted something." "...that the outer space theory is correct." "The United Democracies have reported that they will withhold judgment until they hear from Commander Jackson on Gamma 1." "This has been the latest UD statement." "The next broadcast will be one-half hour from now or immediately on the receipt of any further information." "Any word from Jackson?" "Last word received by telecom was concerning Echo." "Later we checked but we were unable to establish any contact whatsoever." "That's fantastic." "Why wasn't I informed immediately?" "Now look, if this goes on" "I'll have to go up there myself." "I'm sorry General but we have been trying all morning." "It's not easy without relays." "I blocked every possible circuit I could find sir." "Well that settles it." "I'll leave for Gamma 1 at once." "Lieutenant, keep up your efforts," "I'm counting on you." "Thank you." "Let's go Schmidt." "Commander?" "Commander?" "I think we may have something." "Here's some nectro sir." "Oh, thank you, Lydia." "Raise the console." "This is Echo." "Gamma 1 we need help." "This is Echo." "Do you read Gamma 1?" "(natural body nearing our position." "We're being pulled by a gravity." "Raise your levels Echo." "We're losing control Gamma." "We're losing control." "Get me General Norton." "Headquarters cut out completely two hours ago, sir, and we've had no contact since." "Why didn't you tell me before?" "Commander I..." "Put me through to Ranger Eddie." "Ranger Eddie," "Captain Anderson reporting." "I want a recon squadron green in ten minutes." "And I mean green all the way." "Green it is sir." "Get me the navigation." "Commander to navigation." "Commander to navigation." "Navigation," "Sergeant Franklin reporting." "Up-wing Sergeant." "Yes, sir." "Get this'" "I'll be go in ten minutes with a recon squadron." "You'll give me a heading for Echo." "Echo, yes, sir." "On my signal you will put us on automatic as far as Echo's orbit." "Yes, sir." "Here's power control." "We've been reading you." "Control, it's go in ten minutes." "One squadron recon, automatic to Echo's orbit." "I want you put us there in an hour." "Did you say one hour sir?" "That's right." "But, sir, these ships weren't built to take that speed." "It's dangerous." "There in an hour, don't argue." "But regulations won't allow me to exceed the limit." "On my signal you'll give us maximum power." "Yes, sir, maximum power." "Joe, I'm playing a wild hunch about Echo." "Keep close contact." "Yes, sir." "Captain, I want you to... 48 hours." "That's all I asked for, to remember." "Commander, his town was destroyed." "His boy was saved, but, his wife was killed." "He just got the news." "Asbeth, check." "Lieutenant Peters' we will need all weapons ships from all squadrons alerted." "We are green at ten minutes to rendezvous." "Check, sir." "I want the deflector and all the fire power you've got." "Including anti-matter?" "Including anti-matter." "Very good, sir." "Have the Captain get some sleep." "Yes, sir." "Doby'" "I'll have Perkinson relieve you." "Yeah." "We're set here." "Communications are go." "Automatic lock is go Lieutenant." "You're checked out." "Do you read me?" "Loud and clear." "Rod, I'm afraid." "I don't read you." "I could go with you." "I don't read you." "You're go Commander." "22 hours." "Commander Rod Jackson has set forth an answer to Echo's desperate call for help and if his hunch is right he will see for himself the horror stalking outer space." "Whatever it is, it has avoided detection by the powerful video scopes scanning the skies." "Gamma 1 to Jackson." "Commander we have set your speed on automatic." "Captain, in a little while the Commander will be ready for the free fall with full complement and fully loaded." "They are now one-half hour from rendezvous and running into a gravity pull that is taking them through a new heading." "Keep them at the same speed and heading, lock them into our own telemetry at 08:00." "Before rendezvous we'll take them over." "Recon Gamma' keep your flight course on 0800." "Are you check?" "Are you check?" "I'm check all right." "As Jackson sets controls for maximum speed, the last stage disaster alert grows near on earth." "A few hours ago" "Schmidt promised UD officials to resolve the problem in two days." "(now two days will be much too late." "General Norton arrives on Gamma 1 to see for himself." "Open your sights." "The old boy is coming in." "Norton?" "Himself." "I'm getting their approach signals now." "Gamma 1 to UD 4, give us your orbit." "Orbit on 250." "Controls on automatic." "Open latch." "Do you read?" "We do." "Then proceed to door 7." "Get him in Joe." "Close aerator." "Come in on gyro." "Come in on gyro." "But why did Jackson go and have to lead the flight." "He has officers for that." "His place is here." "Why didn't he tell me at least." "We've been unable to get through to your headquarters General." "Headquarters is a shambles." "They're setting up a temporary base." "Who's next in command here?" "Captain Perkinson in Operations." "That was wind." "Up here." "They're not going to hold much longer." "That last shot did it." "The auxiliary just as bad?" "Yeah." "They're both way out of balance." "If we let them run they'll both tear loose." "Go get some metal straps and bars." "We'll try to balance the main gyro." "Right." "Get with it, Norton." "Have operations give a general alert." "In five minutes we'll be without gravity for a short time," "I hope." "Got that?" "We've got visitors Captain." "Okay." "Get set to turn it off." "I'm General Norton." "Captain Perkinson, Operations." "Are you in command on the station?" "During this watch, but I'm leaving on the next expedition." "I want a full report on what this command has done about the mission it was assigned and how far you've gotten." "Very well, sir." "I want to know what you've discovered and what steps you've taken." "Right now we have serious trouble here and I was hoping to fix it General." "As soon as it's fixed report to me." "As for trouble, it's down below, and if we don't find a way to get it stopped, it'll be too late." "Captain, if we don't find the reason and stop it dead in its tracks, we won't have to worry about troubles ever." "And it's not a matter of days, but hours." "Gamma 1 personnel ready for gravity loss." "All other systems okay." "Commander Jackson and crew, we now follow your Apollo cruiser deadlocked on a course for Echo." "Your time for rendezvous with Captain Perkinson on Delta Able 2." "You're on automatic control at pre-set speed." "(notify variations and corrections." "Lieutenant?" "I think I've got something here." "Communications." "Communications." "Direct your sensoroscope on Lobe." "I, I've got something from Lobe." "Lobe?" "Repeat." "Ready for anti-gravity." "Now!" "Repeat it." "Small astro body at about 400,000 miles from Phoebe in a line to Archus." "Give us coordinates." "It's not more than twenty-five miles in diameter but it doesn't have a fixed course or speed." "We've got readings." "I wish they'd fix the gyro." "And the damn thing seems to be hollow." "Gamma 1 space station, gravity pull uncoordinated." "Try it now!" "Gravity pull coordinated." "All units are shifted sir." "Commander Jackson requested another ship with Captain Perkinson." "It will be leaving in twenty minutes." "Will you be going sir?" "No." "At plus two hours thirty minutes, recon squadron, all systems A-okay." "Take care Walt," "I've got to go." "She's your baby." "Yes, sir, good luck sir." "Thank you." "General, we have contact with earth again." "With headquarters?" "Yes, sir, they have a temporary set-up working." "Did you say you wanted Dr. Schmidt?" "Yes." "We're ready here." "If you don't need me, sir," "I'll get back to my section." "All right." "We don't need any introductions do we?" "Is that you Schmidt?" "You've got the report on the space body seen by Echo and Lobe." "What do you think of it?" "You are making a mistake." "It's a body so lacking in density, moving at too slow a speed." "I know Schmidt." "Yet it's there." "It's not possible for such a body to cause the disturbances we're having on earth." "I can only pray that you're wrong." "Commander this is Magivers in recon ship Lobe, no sign of Echo, sir, but we've been tailing something." "It looks like an oversized asteroid." "It has a strange phosphorescent quality." "It could be, it could be our baby." "What the devil is it?" "Look at that burst of gas." "How could something like that be up here without our knowing it?" "All right." "I guess that's it." "Let's move." "Ride my tail." "Recon Able to flagship, we are maintaining course." "Commander Jackson," "Recon Able to flagship on Gamma 1." "We've made contact with Lobe, no sign of Echo." "I think we've spotted trouble." "Luminous asteroid body." "We're very close now, object moving on our tangent." "Correct our position by twenty-two degrees on your quadrant six." "Here's the crew manifest and here is the ordinance TOV." "It checks out so I'm going." "But Captain the Commander said..." "I know what he said." "Doby, you can't." "The flagship, Terry, goes with photon power." "I'll be there in no time." "Rod gave you orders." "Terry, I've got to." "I want to see this horror, whatever it is." "I want to fight it with my bare hands if I have to." "I want to kill it." "Do you have space for me?" "It's contrary to orders you know but I think we'll find a seat for you." "Sergeant, this can't be correct." "According to your TOV you've got anti-matter bomb packs on this cruiser." "Yes, sir." "That's a capital offense." "You know perfectly well that only the president himself can order the use of anti-matter." "Who did this?" "Where is Captain Dubrovsky?" "He left with the last cruiser." "He left!" "Why wasn't I notified?" "You may go." "Magivers here Commander." "I'm getting in close." "The surface looks slightly shrouded." "The thing shimmers in spots." "There are jets of gas or vapor." "It's strange." "Hold it Magivers." "I see asteroids coming." "Recons, ease off." "A thousand and thirty." "01:00 hours." "Unexpectedly a school of asteroids come toward the reconnaissance squad." "There is no set course to the direction or speed of an asteroid which makes trying to dodge them very difficult." "Jackson is too pre-occupied with this new danger to fully realize that Outpost Echo seems to have disappeared out of the sky." "The body has slowed down." "The asteroids seem to have slowed down too." "They're turning around." "The asteroids are being pulled back by that thing." "Is that, the flagship?" "How come the flagship's here?" "Answer." "I knew Perkinson was coming but I didn't ask for the auxiliary flagship." "Do you read me or not?" "Who's got the flight?" "Flagship of Gamma 1." "Flagship to Recon Leader." "Cruiser fleet in position and on target." "Dubrovsky." "Doby," "I gave you orders to stay on the station." "You big dope." "Okay, flagship, now that you're here," "I'm mighty glad to see you." "We can count on the load of one Jupiter and that Perkinson dud in his beat-up Apollo." "I'll ride him out of the blue." "Doby'" "I'm going to try to hold this thing with the deflector then we'll try landing on it." "I'm a light year ahead of you." "All nuclears okay." "If that damn thing comes at you' shift and shift fast!" "I'll shift okay." "Better give me target range Commander." "It's approximately a thousand miles but it could change unexpectedly." "Commander Jackson," "Magivers here." "I think we're in trouble." "Magivers, what are you doing so close to that thing?" "Get out of there." "Watch out for those blasts." "I'd prefer you to get out." "Did you hear?" "I'm pinned down." "I feel the ship's not under my power." "It's pulling us." "Stay aloft." "Read your retros, don't get clogged Mac." "Fire retros." "Rod, I see it now." "It's solid." "The dark areas look solid." "We have to have help." "You could try landing on it Rod." "Just go on trying to retro the jets." "We're being pulled in." "We need more retros, Mac." "My God!" "They're being pulled in." "They're in trouble!" "Doby!" "There must be a way to kill this thing." "Our relays are jammed up." "We're moving in." "Will you rescue?" "Put the automatic jets in." "Insert automatics." "Magivers get with it and don't lose your head." "Begin calibration to pull up." "You can soft land if you must you hear?" "Don't just sit there!" "Insert the automatic!" "Pull out, retro!" "God help us." "Listen Magivers, Werner, try to get out of there." "We'll moor and pick you up." "To flagship and other units, careful." "If that thing should turn recon shift." "Magivers, Werner, if you read, answer." "We can't move Rod." "Our controls don't react." "Rod, we got to go and get them." "Moored in position, prepare to fix." "You've got men on there alive." "Prepare to fix." "We can try to get them." "Prepare to fix!" "On your orders sir." "Recon, fall back." "Gravity's pulling us in." "We're sinking." "We can't' there are dark spots." "You could try landing, you could open our shoot." "Suggest, it's possible to land." "Suggest you use retros." "It's possible to land and attempt rescue." "Request you land." "No, request denied." "Have everything ready flagship because I'll be right there." "Do we take the anti-matter too?" "Yes, take it on." "Somebody's got to get that thing and blast it to pieces." "And I'm willing to make a try." "Recon squadrons Dubrovsky and Perkinson, fix and moor, then open portals." "Commander Jackson and recon crew have entered decompression chamber." "(now close all air portals." "Terry." "Welcome aboard." "What's new helium head?" "We've found it, that's what." "Commander, the deflector's in operation, we should have a stabilization reading soon." "This thing is obviously determined to crash its way through the universe." "We won't let it." "Why don't we turn the deflector on full power and blast that thing back into space where it came from and get rid of it once and for all?" "Because it would always be out there." "There'd be no peace." "If we can place it in the right spot, our only chance, Terry' is anti-matter." "It might blow us up too." "It's a big gamble." "For big stakes." "The whole world." "Commander, stabilization is go." "We can't guarantee how long we can hold her sir." "That's our cue." "I'm going with you." "No, Terry." "Not this time." "I know what the score is." "It's my duty to be there with you." "You need the best damn communications officer in the fleet, and that's me." "And you know it." "All right." "But it's every man for himself." "I want you to know you volunteered for an almost sure one way ticket." "Here's the plan." "We're going to try landing on that thing." "Magivers reported dark zoned areas where the surface shows greater solidity." "Now we'll have to explore to find the right place to plant the bomb." "And once that's done, we've got to get out of there and fast." "We'll try to get into Magiver's, ship, but wait for my orders on that." "I want no undue risks." "You'll all be hooked up with me." "We'll divide in two squads." "The anti-matter will be carried by Captain Perkinson." "You're all on your own with the exception of you Frank." "I want you to..." "Commander?" "Yes, Sergeant." "It looks like stabilizer resistance indicators are rising." "It looks like there's no time to waste." "We're going out at once." "You send word to General Norton." "I want an okay on the anti-matter." "Yes, sir." "Well?" "It looks like we ought to get over there." "And we'd better make it quick." "Let's go." "I'll brief you as we go along." "Send an urgent message to General Norton." "Specific request to employ anti-matter." "Gamma Flagship to space station." "Commander requests specific use of anti-matter." "He could blow himself up with that stuff." "I guess he knows that sir." "01:30 hours." "As Jackson moves with his team towards the asteroid, he realizes that its presence defies all scientific fact." "Despite its small size, it's gravitational pull was capable not only of drawing Outpost Lobe into it, but perhaps causing a wind in space never heard of before." "Jackson wonders whether this could've lead to a chain reaction of gravitational compensation all the way to earth." "Lobe must be hidden behind one of those gas shrouds." "It must be there somewhere." "But I can't see it." "You've got to try to get us out of here." "We're sinking." "We're being sucked down." "Jackson reports there is no extraordinary change of temperature at the planet's surface." "The heaving, gurgling magma is not a boiling substance after all, but a kind of cold gluten or jelly, the vapors coming from the blasters are cold gas." "These do not come from the craters, but are blown out, almost exhaled from the magma." "Stay close to me Terry." "I want to check the surface reaction to explosives." "For God sakes' Doby, watch out." "Oh, Frank, there you are." "Keep that stuff handy." "Where's Doby?" "I can't see Doby anywhere." "Doby?" "Doby come down here will you?" "Drop in the dark areas." "Just a few more charges Rod." "Captain Perkinson and Lieutenant Sanchez will follow me, the rest of you flare out." "Hey, Rod, there seems to be an entrance." "We're coming now." "Oh, Rod, look!" "Doby's caught." "Take this." "Hold on Doby." "We're coming!" "Doby!" "Doby!" "Forward everyone." "We've got to find that passage." "Frank, look." "I think we can get in through here." "It seems to be inactive." "Owens, get back and check deflector readings." "Tell them to hold this thing steady as long as possible without blowing us out into space." "The rest of you stand by out here." "Be careful, don't trust this." "It's not solid." "Let's go that way." "Don't step on these breathing valves and try to avoid touching the arteries." "Rod, it's getting harder to move." "Yes, the density meter is high and believe it or not, there's an oxygen count." "Incredible!" "The presence of oxygen is amazing but when attempts to call this information to the flagship fail," "Jackson realizes they have lost contact." "The pulsating motion becomes more pronounced." "This leads Jackson to believe they are approaching the core." "We're trapped!" "Their signals have stopped." "All right, let's go over that way." "The pulse seems to be coming from there." "It's closing up." "Let's try the other side." "It's closing up." "Let's backtrack." "Rod, my detonator," "I dropped the detonator!" "Oh, it's choking me Rod." "We've got one chance." "If we cut these arteries the shafts might open." "Come on." "But the detonator." "Get back here." "We can rig one up." "But how?" "I'll hook it to the thermal electric contact in my breathing apparatus." "Rod, look the arteries are healing already." "Frank, start rigging the detonator." "I'm going to hack this stuff." "Right." "Terry, unravel the cable." "Invert the poles Terry." "What are you doing?" "You can't." "Let go and do as I say." "Switch the terminals." "These things, whatever they are, heal up within seconds." "How are you doing?" "With the thermal couple to trigger it'" "I think it'll work." "Are you attaching it to your apparatus?" "There's no time to switch helmets." "Who said so?" "This is no suicide mission." "The auxiliary equipment is in my helmet." "But we can't take the risk of taking off your helmet even if there is an oxygen count, it's too low." "I wouldn't risk destroying your breathing apparatus either." "No, don't, don't take it off Rod." "Don't!" "No, the oxygen is too thin!" "Oh, God!" "Here, Terry, hold the bottom." "Here put this on." "That must be a new blast from the deflector." "There, it's stabilized again." "Are you all right Terry?" "Yes." "Frank!" "Frank!" "No, don't come near." "Everything will go according to plan." "The bomb will work all right." "Go, Rod." "Get out right now." "There's no time for that." "I'll hack at this stuff." "Get out Rod." "I don't mind." "It's okay." "Only take care of Doby's boy." "I, I wanted to do it but now' promise that you'll be there to take care of the kid." "Rod, he can't stay there." "Frank!" "I can't." "It's okay, go on." "Frank, oh!" "Rod' go while I can still handle this." "The cable." "Here." "Terry, will you go." "Oh." "Hurry, will you?" "Rod?" "It's all right, I'll make it." "Rod." "Hurry." "Get back up there." "We'll beat this thing." "Give me your hand." "None of them have come up." "All three are wearing identifiable headgear." "White is Jackson' red, Perkinson, checkered, Sanchez." "No trace or communication from the three as of their descent." "There they are now." "The first to surface has checkered headgear." "That would be Lieutenant Sanchez." "Tell them to continue communications." "We're still connected sir." "General Norton here' continue your report." "All I can tell you now is that two have come up." "Red headgear, it must be Perkinson." "And the third?" "I'll ask sir." "Gamma station to flagship." "Please confirm number of survivors." "Only two have surfaced." "Aid has already reached them." "Reconfirming, two have come up." "No trace of Commander Jackson." "Was that the anti-matter signal?" "It was sir." "General' the survivors are re-entering the ship." "We ask authority for anti-matter bomb contact." "All is now ready to release anti-matter." "General Norton, please confirm anti-matter contact." "Contact." "Today, earth, where peace and tranquility have returned, pays tribute to the bravery of Officers Dubrovsky and Perkinson, who courageously gave their lives for their country." "Ricky, your father was a great man." "Perkinson and he gave their lives to protect our universe."