"Good morning, Mr. Phelps." "Last night, one of our SAC bombers crashed behind the Iron Curtain." "The plane's fail-safe mechanism did not destruct and has been taken to the Vatzia Institute, which is headed by the brilliant American physicist Paul Shipherd, who defected several years ago." "If Shipherd succeeds in disassembling the mechanism, he will learn the key to our entire fail-safe system." "Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to recover the fail-safe before Shipherd can take it apart and bring Shipherd back." "As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions." "Please dispose of this recording in the usual manner." "Good luck, Jim." "Fail-safe was supposed to explode in midair 90 seconds after the crew bailed out." "It didn't." "And after the plane went down, they recovered the fail-safe intact, huh?" "Yes." "Still set to explode if anyone who doesn't know the procedure tries to disassemble it." "The problem is Shipherd." "He's brilliant." "He's so brilliant, he might succeed." "Jim, why don't we just make sure it explodes?" "No, our people have to have it back." "They have to find out why it didn't destruct in midair." "This is the institute." "Here's the entrance, main-security control." "It is the only way in or out of this building." " Will we be searched?" " Only going out, Willy." "Where is the shredder?" "The shredder is here in the subbasement." "There are chutes leading to it from all over the building, including Shipherd's office and the infirmary." "Now, the fail-safe itself is set here, in a concrete chamber, so that they can work it with a remote-control manipulator, protection in case somebody makes a mistake." "I hope you and Rollin don't make any mistakes." "We've been over the manual with Barney a hundred times." "Now, you two will be replacing two ordinary American citizens who fit our needs and who agreed to cooperate." "So when you arrive in Vatzia, you will be Charles Langley, his wife, Janet." " Janet Langley, M.D." " Rollin, here are your pills." "Thanks, Jim." "Is there anything else we should know about the real Langleys?" "No, only that they've been touring Central Europe for several weeks." "In other words, they were...?" "We were there before the incident?" "Yes." "Now, the State Department has been alerted to give you the VIP treatment when you arrive." "This is your invitation to the Foreign Ministry reception." " Right." " Well, that's it, then." "The crew of the B-52 made it safely across the border." "We're keeping them under wraps while we bring back the pilot to be captured." " Good luck, Jim." " Hope the chute opens." " Sir." " Paul, would you care to have one?" "Oh, thank you, I don't drink." "Paul, I would like you to meet Professor Langley and his wife." " Would you come with me?" " Why, certainly, yes." "Professor Charles Langley," "Dr. Janet Langley, Paul Shipherd." " How do you do?" " Mr. Shipherd." " How do you do?" " Just Paul." "I know you scientists will have a great deal to talk about, everything far over my head, so if you will excuse me." "Well, how are things in the States?" "I didn't think you cared, Mr. Shipherd." "You're right, I don't, really." "Perhaps it'd be more to the point to ask how you like our country." "Well, the people are quite friendly and the climate may be better than what we have in Minnesota." "How do you like it here, Mr. Shipherd?" "Well, professor, I'm sure you'll understand when I say that, to me, nothing is more important than my work." "In this country, science and research aren't all gummed up by the profit motive." "I like it here because I can work here." "And we are making important advances." "As a matter of fact, I read your paper on the theoretical limits of breeder reactors, and I found it brilliant." "Why, thank you." "You are in the field of nuclear research?" "No, no, I manufacture an electronic unit for our government." "Which, of course, I'm not allowed to talk about." "But I do know enough about reactors to know that you must have a magnificent facility." "Yes, I designed every inch of it myself." " I would love to see it." " I'm afraid it's what you call classified." "I see." "Which is probably why it's not on the itinerary your government has laid out for us." "Seeing as that we're leaving tomorrow, it doesn't much matter anyway." "Well, the first step is to open it." "What's your opinion?" "We have ruled out all but two of the procedural possibilities." "And of the remaining two, this seems to be the most logical." "And the computer comes to the same answer." "You're both wrong." "We'll do it the other way." "But the computer..." "The men who designed that fail-safe are aware that we have computers." "A computer's logic is perfect." "So they very cleverly design a procedure that is logically imperfect." "But I'm not going to be fooled." "Do as I say." "Proceed with the alternate method." "So it is clearly understood:" "If this device explodes, the responsibility is yours." "I'll be sure to discuss it with you then." "Now, get on with it." "That's it." "We now have to remove the inner mechanism, and the key to that will be the sequence in which we withdraw the bolts that hold it in place." "That's going to be much more complex." "Start figuring the probabilities." "Paul, they have captured the American pilot last night." "No." " Where is he?" " He's here." " You mean here at the institute?" " Yes." "The chairman promised to turn him over to the American Embassy by noon today, but I thought you would like to talk to him first." " Good, Laso, very good." " He's in your office." "Colonel, my name is Shipherd, and I am going to ask you a few questions." "Warren Hayes, lieutenant colonel, United States Air Force, serial number FV1910453." "Yes, I understand that's the ritual reply, colonel, but let's dispense with that." "Well, colonel?" " You sound like an American." " Yes, I am." "Or was." "You know I'm not gonna tell you anything but my name, rank and serial number." "Colonel, we are merely men, and if our roles were reversed," "I have no doubt you would be as successful in getting the answers as I intend to be." "I'm merely suggesting we avoid any ugliness." "Now, when your plane went down, the fail-safe mechanism was not damaged." " We have it." " Congratulations." "I wouldn't try to take it apart, or you'll get your head blown off." "We've already opened it." "Yes." "And I intend to know as much about that fail-safe as your people do." "However, because of the destruct charges built into the mechanism, we must, of course, move very slowly." "Of course, we would be able to dismantle it eventually, but I'm an impatient man, Hayes." "I want to move rapidly." "And you can make that possible simply by giving us the coded sequence for breaking down the unit." "Well, I'm glad you finally told me what it is you're after." "For the simple reason that I can't tell you what I don't know." "Colonel, you are a command pilot." "You have been trained in the use and operation of the fail-safe." " But not how to take it apart." " You're lying, colonel." "I'm lying, like..." "I'm gonna tell you nothing." "You wanna find out how that thing works, you just write a long letter to Duluth, where they make it." "Guard, see that he's turned over to the American Embassy." "You're onto something, huh?" "I just wonder if we're not being put on to it." "Find out exactly where the Langley couple was at the time that plane went down." " Has he called yet?" " Not yet." " Do you think he will?" " I'm sure he will." "The embassy just received a report from the Vatzia Security Agency." "They will be delivering Colonel Hayes within the hour." " Great, Shipherd bit." " He sure did." " Well, I'll be seeing you." " I'm sure you will." " This is Professor Langley speaking." " Yes, this is Paul Shipherd here." "I have what I think will be very exciting news for you." "I've managed to obtain permission for you and your wife to visit the institute." "Oh, that's very nice." "We'd like that." "Unfortunately, my wife isn't here at the moment." "She's visiting the National Art Gallery." "Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that." "But I hope at least you'll be able to come?" "Are you certain it's allowed?" "Oh, yes, I've been able to obtain the necessary clearances." " I thought you wanted to do this." " Yes, of course we do." "However, there's another problem, we're due at the airport in two hours." "Well, I can have the Foreign Office book you on another flight." " What do you say?" " What can I say?" "I'm delighted." " Good." " Oh, there's one other thing." "I'm certain the American Embassy will insist on one of their men accompanying me." "Yes, yes, I quite understand that." "No, that's perfectly all right." " You bring him along." " Fine, fine." "Then I'll see you within the hour." "Goodbye." "How do you do?" "I'm Charles Langley." "Oh, yes, Mr. Shipherd is expecting you." "Professor Langley is here." "Yes, sir." "He'll be right down." "In the meantime, please sign this." "You can use those badges while in the building and return them as you leave." " Welcome." "I'm glad you could come." " Oh, so am I." "This is Jim Stoner of our embassy." "The State Department Security, Mr. Stoner, am I right?" "I'm just here to assist Professor Langley." "Yes, of course." "Well, shall we get started?" "Lead the way." "As you can see, we use the vault type of security here." "And this door, by the way, is the only entrance to the building." "Now, in here's the library, and in there's the infirmary, space-medicine research." "And on the floor above, the galleries for war games, strategy exercises and the like, in which we simulate time, environment and supply casualties, all factors of a given problem." "And this is your waste-disposal system?" "Oh, yes, yes." "You see, all papers from, oh, the computer printouts to doodling are sent into a shredder in the subbasement." "Now, these bins open into a chute which carries the material directly into the shredder." " Very efficient." " And very good security." "Yes." "This elevator leads into our top-secret section, Mr. Stoner." "I'm afraid that only Professor Langley is going to be allowed beyond this point." "Mr. Shipherd..." "However, you are certainly welcome to wait right here in my office." "Laso." "My assistant here will be very happy to accommodate you." "This is Mr. Stoner, Laso." "All right, professor, I'll wait here." "I see you have a trans-world newswire." " It's in English." " Mr. Shipherd prefers it." " Would you like to see a magazine?" " Yes, please." "Now, in this room, we have something I think is going to interest you." "What might that be?" "A fail-safe unit taken from an American B-52 bomber." " You have one of our fail-safe units?" " You see?" " I knew it would interest you." " Well, how did you get hold of it?" "From a bomber which carelessly crashed within our borders." "We're in the process of dismantling it." " You won't succeed." " You seem quite certain of that." "Could it be because you manufactured the unit?" "Now I understand why you asked me here today." "You won't get any help from me." "All right, guard." "We're about to attempt to remove the unit from the outer case." "Of course, we'll use these remote arms, but there's still some danger." "Let me show you what I mean." " How did my wife get here?" " That's unimportant." "What matters is that we are ready to proceed." "Now, with your help, we can probably remove the device without exploding it." "If you refuse to help and we make a mistake..." "You cannot force him to make a decision like that." " His heart won't stand it." " I'm waiting for your answer, Langley." "Very touching, but it won't be that easy, Langley." "Whatever happens to your wife will be your responsibility." "No." "No!" "It must be shorting out." "Have you got a fire extinguisher?" "One down the corridor." "Better leave the door open to let some smoke out of here." "Start with upper-left bolt." "No." "Stop." "If you remove that bolt, the whole thing will blow up." "Then show us how to do it." "All right." "I'll show you." "Before I remove the bolts, the key must be in the lock." "I'll have to make a key." "This thing's out of order." "Keep an eye on my cart while I call for repairs." "Hello?" "Yeah?" "Yeah, a flat tire." "That is too bad." "No, no, I would not bother with that." "By the time you get it changed, it will be already quitting time." "No, I send another truck along to the institute." "Let's go." "Machina Werke, we have come to fix the shredder." " Yeah?" " Yes." "Both of you sign in here, please." "And while you're in the building, wear those badges." "Hand them back to us when you leave." "Follow me." "Open it, please." "Yeah, I see it now." "The blades are jammed." "I have to work up above." "Toss up a 19 mm ratchet." "Yeah." "Here it is." "Thanks." "Hey." "How long is it going to take?" "I go off duty in an hour." "I think we be finished by then." "Charles." "He has to have oxygen immediately." "Get him to the infirmary." "Fast." "No." "Keep her here." "I'm his doctor." "I'm the only one who can save him." "Now, you don't want him to die, do you?" "All right." "That man from the State Department's gonna wonder why you're here." "I'll answer all his questions, understand?" "Be sure you understand, because if he finds out about this, none of you will leave this building alive." " What's happened?" " Langley's had a heart attack." "Heart attack." "Stethoscope." "Perhaps we should wait out here." "I think I'd better be in there, in case anything goes wrong." "Increase the oxygen flow." " How is he?" " Not good." " Adrenaline, please." " Yes, doctor." "Ask him when he'll be through." "The guard wants to know how much longer." "Couple of minutes." "Shouldn't be long." " Cigarette?" " Thank you." "I will be downstairs if you need me." "He's losing heart tone." "He's dead." "Mr. Shipherd, may I speak to you a minute, please?" " Yes, yes, of course." " Privately." "Nurse." " Doctor?" " I'll be all right." "I think..." " Say, now..." " No, wait." "Find out how much longer it'll take." "Yeah." " Hey." " Yeah?" "How long before you are through?" "The guard is impatient." "Couple of minutes." "Shouldn't be long." "That does it." " There." "It is all fixed." " It's about time." "It's good." "Service department." "Mr. Stoner has a proposition that makes sense." "Yes, he felt that it might cause a misunderstanding between our two countries if it became known that Langley died here." "Since the institute wasn't on his original itinerary, he felt that it might be better if Langley died on a sightseeing tour." "But what about his wife?" "If you let her go, she'll tell everything." "The trouble with you, Laso, is you don't have a logical mind." "Of course she'll tell everything, and we will deny everything." "That's easier than trying to explain the complete disappearance of three American citizens, now, isn't it?" "Yes, Paul." "Well, if you please." "Perhaps you will allow me to accompany you to your hotel?" "Thank you." "I'll be back in a couple of hours." "Guard."