"Why couldn't I got the job in Hawaii?" "At least there's action there." " This volcano's been dormant for how long?" " Give it a rest, Jeff." "All you two do is argue." "There's nothing better to do in this mountain." "Keeps me from yawning to death." "Well, you could save your energy and try not to talk." " You'd like that, wouldn't you?" " Oh, yeah." "So would I." "Fine." "This whole mountain is gonna blow." "Ryan and Fred, they're still at the top collecting samples." "Get them on the radio now." "We got to clear out." "Ryan, this is base camp." "Copy?" "Ryan, this is base camp." "Copy?" "Ryan, this is base camp." "Get down here now!" "Nothing." "These things were working earlier." " You can't go up there." " Lisa's coming with me." " You won't make it." " I'm not leaving them." "Call the helicopter evac team and then pack up all our equipment." " We'll be back before you're finished." " Hurry." "Iceland Transport." "Copy?" "Iceland Transport, requesting emergency evac." "Copy?" "This is Iceland Transport." "Repeat request." "This is US Geo Survey Team, Trollsvotin, requesting immediate transport." "Copy?" "On our way." "ETA five minutes." "Emergency evac gives you two minutes load time, then we're out of there." "Copy that, Iceland Transport." "We'll be ready." "Ryan!" "Let's pack it up!" "I can't get through to base camp, and these temperature readings are rising pretty quick." "Okay." "Jeff." "Jeff, where's the evac team?" "The copter's on its way." "Get down here now!" "My case." "Oh, no." "Let's get out of here!" "Just like that, in the span of a heartbeat, we see the Earth go from her most serene and bucolic to her most violent and destructive." "Our planet was forged out of this primordial struggle of the elements, earth, air, fire and water." "And so, volcanic activity today, while less frequent, tells us that the battle continues." "Mr. Taylor, welcome back." "These images were recorded in Hualalai, in 2000." "They are spectacular, beautiful, but proof at the same time of how unpredictable and unmerciful nature can be." "All of these events remind us that our survival as a species is dependent upon our ability to understand and adapt to the planet's ongoing evolution." "Hence, vulcanology, despite Mr. Taylor's earlier assertion to the contrary, has nothing to do with Mr. Spock or the Starship Enterprise, but rather is the study of the Earth's blood pressure." "Its life force carries us from our distant past right up to the present, and tells us much about our future." "I know I went over but I did want to give you guys a sneak preview of what you have to look forward to next semester." "Remember to put your term papers on the desk on your way out." "As always, I look forward to being shocked and awed by your brilliance." "Dr. Shepherd?" "Sorry, do you have a sec?" "As of two minutes ago I've got a whole week's worth of them." "What can I do for you, miss..." "Briana Chapman, I was in your thermodynamics lab last semester." " You're one of my grad students?" " I was, but then I sort of shifted gears." " Is that so?" "To what?" " Geochemistry actually." "Well, glad to hear it." "We can use all the help we can get in that field." "That is exactly why I wanted to talk to you." "I heard about your expedition that you're taking to Iceland over the break?" "I don't suppose you heard about that trip from my illustrious TA, did you?" " Christopher?" "Did he tell you about me?" " No." "But you're definitely his type." "I want to come with you." "Sorry, I've already filled my quota of student volunteers." "Oh, well, I happen to know that your chemist dropped out last minute." "Do me a favor." "When you see your friend, Christopher, tell him I'm gonna wring his neck." "I can do this job." "It's not gonna be some clean, controlled environment, you know." "We're gonna be taking samples, doing field analysis on the fly." "And I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty." "And I've spent time at volcanoes." "My family had a reunion in Hawaii last year, and I spent the whole entire time at Mauna Kea and my Aunt Grace was not very happy about that." "I'm sorry, I'd never get it past the trustees." "Oh, but I'm not looking for a recommendation or a credit." "I just really want to get some more field experience under my belt." "Nobody can fault you for lack of enthusiasm." "Look, if I were to agree, there would have to be conditions." " Such as?" " No recommendations or credit." "I'd expect your very best at all times." "You'd have to buy your own plane ticket." " Okay, you win." " Thank you!" "Oh, you will not regret this." "I could hug you right now." "And when I publish my first book, you are so getting a shout out in the foreword." " Can I give you a tip?" " Don't hug you?" "Bring warm clothes 'cause it's very cold and be on time 'cause we're leaving first thing in the morning." "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." "Thank you!" "I'm telling you, this girl's amazing." "She's smart." "She's funny." "She's cool." "She's a Hottie McNaughty." "What?" "That's what you said." " Phil." " By the way, why don't you try consulting with me next time before using your job as an excuse to pick up girls?" "That's unfair." "I honestly thought that she'd be a valuable member of the team." "Meaning what?" "She already shot you down once?" "Well, I kind of had a thing for her and then I kind of had a thing for her roommate." " It's complicated." " Yeah, with you it usually is." " But you're not upset, right?" " No, no." "I do have a few things I'd like you to take a look at during the break." "Tough but fair." "I'm gonna go check in with the pilot." "Good to see you're still doing your part in putting the T and A back into being a TA." "Look, I know you're upset about our little boys' club getting busted up." "But I'm telling you, even you will like this girl." "She's really smart." "Well, given that she's apparently managed to resist your dubious charms," "I rather like her already." "Damn, Phil, you weren't kidding." "No, Phil, I wasn't." "Hi." " Jacques, Kai, this is Briana." " Hi." " Nice to meet you." " I'm Kai." "Bri." " Can I give you a hand with that?" " Sure." "This way." "Okay." "No way she goes to Raven." "Believe me, I'd have noticed." "Maybe if you spent more time outside and less time in your room pirating porn DVDs." "Hey, bro, that school ain't cheap, a guy's gotta make a living." "All right, we're all here." "Let's get this show on the road." "So, I don't understand." "Why Iceland?" "Yeah, man." "All I know about Iceland is that it's all, well, ice." "That's Greenland, Phil, you jackass." "We're going to Iceland because it's been estimated that a third of all the lava that's ever flowed upon the Earth, has come from there." "And there was a team of geologists exploring a crater there that have gone missing." "Well, that sounds more like a job for the Icelandic Search and Rescue, Phil." "Except seismic reports show that apparently there was a sudden eruption when they disappeared." "And that the professor has a theory that the volcano that we're visiting is actually a few million years older than the experts say it is." "The government gave him a grant to prove it." "So what if we prove it?" "It's not like we win a car or something." "Science is about the search for truth, not glory." "I didn't say they had to name a national holiday after my ass." "All I'm saying is if I'm gonna be spending my break freezing my butt off in the ice land of nowhere, instead of living it up in Miami or Cabo," "I at least want to see some real action, you know." "Well, it is the most volcanically active country on the planet." "Maybe you'll get your chance." "I thought I read somewhere that Grjmsvõtn hasn't blown its top in like 700 years." "She hasn't." "And we are a go for geothermal and seismic, Phil." "Looks like she's sleeping like a baby." "Copy that, Phil." "Dr. Shepherd, this is amazing!" "I feel like I'm in another world or something." "You and Jules Verne." "Voyage to the Center of the Earth." "This was their point of origin." "You couldn't ask for a more pure, active example of Earth's ongoing evolution." "And on that note, should we get back to work?" "Unless, of course, any of you fancy spending the entire afternoon basking in the stench of rotten eggs." "All right, Kai, you wanna hold down the fort?" "We're gonna be taking some samples." " Yeah, try not to eat all the food." " Yeah, copy that." "So, let me ask you something." "What is the deal with you and Kai and the Phil-Phil thing?" "It's just a thing." "Oh, is it like a girl thing or just-haven't- been-in-the-group-long-enough thing?" "Easy, Miss Insecurity." "No, I dated this PT major last year and for some weird reason she didn't like Kai." "So, whenever he called the apartment, he called himself Phil." "So, then I started calling him Phil all the time and he started calling me Phil all the time." "And it just sort of stuck." "Jacques, check it out." "Looks like an ammonite which would place this site at the Mesozoic at least if not the Devonian which means bravo, Professor." " So, what is the deal with Dr. Shepherd?" " What do you mean?" "I don't know, he's just kind of..." "He's married." "Oh, he's married?" "Separated." "I guess she got tired of chasing him into smoldering holes in the ground." "That definitely felt like a tremor." "Kai, talk to me." "Was that us?" "No, I got a spike but I don't know where it came from." "Hang on, we're offline!" "Break must have jarred the receptacles." "There's definitely some activity going on." " What happened to the 700 years?" " I don't know." "I guess there's hope for Jacques yet." " I can get it." " Kai, contact the chopper." "I don't know what this is but we're not gonna wait around and find out." "CJ!" "Bri!" "Way ahead of you, Doc." "Not again." "Mayday!" "Mayday!" "This is Exodus expedition." "Go ahead, Exodus." "What is your emergency?" "The volcano's become active." "We need immediate extraction." "Do you copy?" "Copy, Exodus." "Emergency evac is on its way." "All right, Jacques, let's go." "We're out of here." " Wait a minute, sir." " You gotta know when to walk away." "Let's go!" " It isn't worth it." "Now, come on, move!" " I can get it!" " Let's go!" " I can get it." "I got it!" "Here." "Team Exodus." "Team Exodus, this is Iceland Transport." "Do you copy?" "Copy, Iceland Transport." "Rescue chopper is en route." "ETA, five minutes." "Copy that, Iceland Transport." "Kai, what's the ETA on that chopper?" "It's getting kind of hot down here." "The guy said we're looking at another five minutes." "Wind's been picking up big time." "Keep going!" "We're right behind you!" "The heat vents are melting the glacier, sir." "That means..." "If it collapses, you and I are a permanent part of the landscape." "So keep climbing." " We'll never make it." " Yes, we will." "Now, come on!" "Come on!" "Let's go!" "Come on, Jacques, it's just a little further." "Come on." " We got to get out of here!" " There's two more people down there!" "If we don't get off this rock now, we'll never make it out alive!" "All right, guys." "Let's go!" "You can do it." "Come on." " Thank you." " Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine." "But since you're the one looking for some action, might I suggest that the next time you go inside the volcano and I'll stay at the top with the equipment." "Hey, man, if it had been my fat ass down in that crater, it would have been a deep fried pork rind right now." "We should be so lucky." "Oh, my God!" "Look at that!" " I've never seen anything like it." " Nobody ever has." "The fact that it went off today definitely supports Vallian's Exodus theory." "Volcanic activity has subsided for now, but the skies remain choked with smoke and ash, and fallout has been experienced as far away as Sweden." "With the death toll now at an estimated 3,400, this eruption in Iceland is being called the worst volcano-related disaster since the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991." "Meanwhile, scientists believe they have traced the source of the activity, centered mainly on Iceland's western peninsula, to the apparent accidental rupturing of several natural gas vents by an offshore drilling operation in the North Atlantic late last week." "She's pretty." "Yes, she is." "Is that your wife?" "For now." "I'm sorry." "Christopher told me." "Is there anything he hasn't told you?" " You wanna talk about it?" " About what?" "My TA's astounding ability to share the intimate details of my personal life with others?" "No, I meant your wife." "He told me that you guys are separated." "I don't know, maybe I could help." "Yeah, I doubt it." "Well, have you tried calling and apologizing?" "I did actually try a couple times, but I just couldn't get past the listening to her voice on the answering machine part." "So, try again." "Yeah." "No, I know, you're right." " Hey, can I ask you something?" " Sure." "Two dormant volcanoes, I mean completely dormant, erupt violently within days of each other." "Coincidence?" "Good luck with the phone call." "Yeah, I didn't think so either." " Hey, Melanie, is he here?" " He's inside." " Good to see you." " Good to see you." " How are you?" " Good." "How's Natalie?" "She's fine." "I guess she's fine." "I hear she's fine." "Actually, you'd have to call and ask her yourself." "Maybe then she'd pick up the phone." "It's like I told you, you can't spend the rest of your life going down in those holes without screwing everything up." "You're one to talk." "I don't exactly see you slowing down." "I lost some mobility, you lost a marriage, big difference." "Some would argue that marriage is a loss of mobility, but I'm not saying that." "Anyway, how are things at USGS?" " Kincaid still a jerk?" " Yeah." "He was a jerk when you two were my students and he was a bigger jerk when I told him where he could stuff it." "So, yeah, he's still a jerk." "You what?" "I quit." " You're kidding me." " You remember what that place is like." "You get to be my age, you run out of patience for all politics." "It's a young man's game now." "And I could never get used to the idea that one of my former students was now my boss." "Wow, I had no idea." " When did all this happen?" " Four months ago." "And you would have known if you'd pick up the damn phone once in a while." "Me?" "You're the one whose phone was disconnected." " Oh, that." " Yeah, that." "What's with the sheets?" "Are you going somewhere?" "Yeah, we're flying to Honshu." "On Wednesday?" " Wednesday, yes." " Wednesday." " Planning on staying awhile?" " As long as necessary." "Well, with that in mind, take a look at this." "Grjmsvõtn?" "Quite a mess, so I hear." "It is." "I was there." "And the word is you took along a team of rug rats." " They're great scientists, Oscar." " I'm sure they are." "You always could pick them." " What is this?" " You tell me." "Kataigua, Ecuador." "And 48 hours later five near simultaneous eruptions in Iceland, four of which hadn't made a peep in years." "It's the kind of thing you've always talked about." "You were right about Exodus and this is the start of it." "No, it's not." "What do you mean, "No, it's not"?" "If these aren't the initial indications of Exodus," "I'd love to know what the hell it is." "The first eruption happened here, five weeks ago off the coast of Spain, then here, two days later at Aratonga in the South Pacific." "Then nothing, nothing for weeks to the point where I began to think that everyone else was right and I was just grabbing at straws." "Then earthquakes here, here and here." "Of course, I hadn't counted on Iceland until some time next week, and Kataigua was a surprise." "So?" "So this cannot be the start of Exodus because Exodus already started." "You got to do something with it." "Just take it to Kincaid." "Kincaid said the USGS doesn't have the time or the resources to prove some old crackpot's hypothesis." "I'm done trying to prove anything to people who don't want to listen." "Well, isn't that what you're going to Mount Fuji for, to get proof?" "Unless you're secretly hoping that the myth of the Fountain of Youth isn't a myth." "You already said it, Peter, this was my last work and no one cares." "Then to hell with Kincaid." "Go over his head." "Take it to the Hill." "It's the same game everywhere." "You of all people should know that." "I understand if you don't want to do it, but at least give me a shot." "You know what's at stake here." "Take it." "Take all of it." "You and I both know where I'm going and why." "I don't want to end my life in some hospital room." "I'm going back to the frontline." "Goodbye, Peter." "CJ, I need you to look up a number for me." "Stephen Daugherty at the Bureau of Disaster Relief and Awareness." "Yeah." "Call me back as soon as you can." "All right." "Dr. Shepherd, are you saying that you can accurately predict where and when these eruptions will occur?" "Given the proper resources, yes." "Right now, all we're looking at are generalities, probabilities." "The point here is what some may see as a coincidence," "I think, is the Earth trying to tell us something." "And in my experience, when that happens, it's usually a good idea to listen." "My apologies, gentlemen." "Peter, I believe you know William Kincaid from the US Geological Survey." "Our paths have crossed, yes." "Would you like me to recap?" "Thanks, but I'm sure I'll be able to catch up." "Please, continue." "Basically, we're seeing a massive increase in activity on a worldwide scale." "Now, I don't believe that these are a succession of random volcanic events." "I think they're part of a pattern, which if ignored, could have serious consequences to the future of life on this planet." "Peter, tell me you're not here to sell us this Exodus crap again." "What's Exodus?" "It's a half-baked theory first put forth by Dr. Shepherd's mentor, Oscar Vallian." "Yeah, it's anything but half-baked." "What Dr. Shepherd is suggesting runs contrary to theories the global scientific community has unanimously subscribed to for nearly half a century." "Volcanoes don't just erupt." "There are warning signs weeks, sometimes months in advance." "The global scientific community unanimously subscribed to the Flat Earth theory, too." "I understand that this sounds far-fetched, but in order to understand Exodus you have to see the bigger picture." "Something has happened at the Earth's core causing it to expand." "The tremendous pressure that has been displaced is now working its way through the Earth manifesting itself in these accelerated eruptions." "The traditional warning signs no longer apply, not here, not to this." "And what exactly is this "something" that has caused the core's expansion?" "Or does your theory not cover that?" "It could be any number of different things." "What is causing the pattern is beside the point." "Look, we can figure that out later." "Right now we need to figure out how to stop it." "Dr. Shepherd, I'm afraid I just don't see the emergency." "How else can I put it?" "There are 1,500 volcanoes on the surface of the Earth." "Some of them are active and some of them are dormant." "Over 150 of them are located in North America alone." "If they erupt, and I think they will, we are looking at cataclysmic devastation." "What's your worst-case scenario?" "Gentleman, I think it's my duty to point out that none of Dr. Shepherd's so called theory has yet to be proven." " Dr. Kincaid..." " He could be completely wrong." "...please allow Dr. Shepherd to answer the question." "Worst-case scenario?" "The extinction of everything living on the planet." " How long do we have?" " Months?" "Thank you, Dr. Shepherd." "I believe I've heard enough." "I want you and your team to go over his data, see if there's anything to it." "If there is, come up with a list of possible solutions." "I'd be glad to." "Thank you, gentlemen." "You're an alarmist, Peter, just like the old man." "Still, that was quite a presentation you made back there." ""The extinction of every living thing on this planet." Compelling!" "Oscar Vallian write that for you?" "You're not even gonna review my data, are you?" "Oh, no, I'll review it." "I'll review it very carefully and prove that your little theory is complete crap." "And the amazing thing here is that, by doing that, I'll be doing you a favor." "How's that?" "Have you forgotten what tends to happen whenever you start jumping the gun?" " Sangurahua, Sagurajima." " I was doing my job." "If those volcanoes had erupted, tens of thousands of people would've died." "Yes, and instead millions of dollars were lost." "And those same people were placed in a state of fear and panic for no reason." "I guess I'm missing your point." "My point is you have a long history of being wrong." "I'd imagine, by now, you'd be quite used to it." "There she is, just in time." "Morning, Harv." "Here you go." "There's a couple of Danish in here with your name on it." " Oh, Natalie, you know I shouldn't." " Yeah, I know you will." "I don't care what Lorraine says." "I like a man with a few extra pounds on him." "Hey, you missed all the excitement around here this morning." "It seems like Old Faithful decided she didn't like her name anymore." "What do you mean?" "Not so much as a burp since yesterday afternoon." "So, what are they gonna do?" " In a word, nothing." " Nothing?" "I guess the government's decided to sit around with their thumbs up their butts till we're all knee deep in lava before they decide to do something." "A little more eloquent explanation." "Thank you, Kai." "The government wants proof." "I guess we have to get it for them." "Look, as you guys all know, Oscar Vallian is the mind behind this theory, right?" "Well, guess what?" "He thinks Mount Fuji's gonna erupt within the next three weeks." "I want you and Kenogi to go back to Tokyo." "Kenogi, there's a car waiting for you outside." "Yes, but I'm not finished with my work." " Just go." " Yes, ma'am." " I said both of you." " Oscar." "You're a young woman, and you have your entire life ahead of you." "You've been my entire life for 1 2 years." "I'm not going to leave you now." " Melanie." " Don't say anything." "I'm staying." "And to that end he's going off to Honshu to gather data directly." "In the meantime, I'll be going to Ecuador." "If our theory is correct, then these recent volcanic events are like dominos in a long chain, each linked to a tectonic plate through a series of interconnecting fault lines." "Our job would then be to ascertain not only why all of this is happening, but which faults are being affected and which volcanoes are likely to go off next." "I'm not gonna lie to you." "This is gonna be dangerous." "So if any of you have any reservations, especially after what happened in Iceland, believe me, I'll understand." "It's not even an issue." "Count me in." "Me, too." "Well, seeing that it's the only chance we've got at proving any of this, we don't have much of a choice, do we?" "Yeah, if we're gonna be working with you, does that mean we're exempt from everything else?" "Because I got this major biochem paper due next Tuesday and..." "What?" "I'm just asking." "But I'm totally in." "Good." "Hi." "Sorry, I guess you're out or else you're standing there listening to this waiting for me to hang up so you can hit "delete."" "Which I can only assume is what you've done the last three times..." " Hey." " Hey, you answered." "Right, shouldn't you be climbing into some smoking hole in the ground?" "Okay, forget it." "I guess this is a bad idea." "I shouldn't have called." "Well, what did you expect this to be like, Peter?" "Oh, I don't know, I guess civil would have been too much to hope for." "Fine." "Let's start over." "How are you?" " Well, I've been better." " Why?" "What's the matter?" "I had a run-in with Bill Kincaid today." "Kincaid." "How's he?" "As slimy as ever." "But look, I didn't call to talk about him." "Then why did you call?" "To hear your voice, to see how you're doing." "Well, this is a little out of character, Peter." "Are you sure that's the reason?" "Yeah, why?" "So, how you doing?" "How's life at Yellowstone?" "Well, apparently Mother Nature's decided to make my life a living hell with fire season in the middle of winter." "But other than that, everything's fine." "Peter, you sound weird." "Are you sure you're okay?" "What?" "Yes." "Just worrying about you." "Listen, I should really get going." "They have me supervising the sunrise trail walks three times a week, so..." "Well, it was great talking to you." "Nice to hear you finally say something other than," ""Hello, this is Natalie." "Please leave a message after the beep."" " Take care of yourself, Peter." " You, too." " Good night." " Bye." "Hello, you've reached the voice mail box of..." " Peter Shepherd." " After the tone, please leave a message." "Peter, I just want to give you a last message." "It's good to be on the frontline again." " Oscar, we gotta go." " No." " Let's go, Oscar." " It's too late." "No." "It's good to be on the frontline again." "Hi." "Try this instead." "I'm sorry about your friend." "Maybe he wasn't there." "Maybe he got out." "No." "He was there." "He knew it was gonna happen." "It was what he wanted." "To die?" "He didn't have anything left to give." "He sacrificed everything." "Family, career, for a theory that nobody would pay any attention to." " But they're paying attention now." " Lf it's not too late." "Is that your wedding ring?" "Symbolic, huh?" "Hanging in limbo." "That's an interesting concept, wedding ring purgatory." "I wanted to apologize for what I said the other day about your marriage." "It was none of my business." "There's this really serious genetic condition in my family called Foot in Mouth disease." "You ought to get that looked at." "Sorry." "I was just trying to help." "It's not that I don't appreciate it." "It's just that," "I don't know if my failed marriage is really appropriate student-teacher conversation." "Well, technically we're not really supposed to be drinking beers together, either." "But then again, I'm not your student this semester, so maybe we're in the clear." "Can I ask you what happened?" "Basically, I spent the first two years of our relationship chasing after her." "And then I spent the first three years of our marriage chasing after volcanoes dragging her with me." "It was all pretty much about my world." "And I guess she got fed up with that, took off to go find a life of her own." "I screwed up." "You really want her back." "Nothing makes very much sense without her, but I haven't figured out how to fix it." "Well, like I said before, you could try apologizing." "I have a hard time admitting when I'm wrong." "Although, as someone pointed out to me recently, I should be used to it by now." "You just admitted it to me." "I don't know, maybe if you give it some time and you admit to her, you guys can have another chance." "Maybe." "But can I give you a tip?" " Don't hug you?" " No." "Don't wait too long." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "The sudden eruption of Mount Fuji has not only destroyed much of the island, but has trigged several tsunamis, the biggest in this part of the world since 2004, placing an estimated 60°/o of the coast of China underwater." "The death toll is likely to be in the hundreds of thousands." "And breaking news from Africa." "The first major eruption of Mount Kilimanjaro since the last Ice Age." "Many fear the danger from these eruptions may be compounded by storm clouds creating a highly concentrated form of acid rain." "He never said anything about Africa." "And he told us Fuji wouldn't go off for another month." "But he did say it would erupt." "He's grabbing at straws." "Well, maybe you should consider grabbing a handful or two yourself." "There's definitely some major rocking and rolling going on down the lithosphere, but it ain't from this site." "He's right." "It looks like the epicenter's maybe a mile, a mile-and-a-half northwest of here." "That would place us somewhere in the vicinity of this area here." "According to this, there appears to be a series of mines, copper mostly." "Let's do it." "What is it?" "It says," ""This site is closed until further notice per order of the Arakuna Mining Company."" "Well, it works for me." "I guess we're leaving then?" "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "Whoa!" "What did you say to him?" "I said we're scientists, that the company sent us." "For heaven's sake, tell him we're not trespassing!" "Well, we sort of are, dude." "Ask him what happened." "He said that there were some men working at the mine a few weeks ago when the earth began to bleed fire." "Worse than fire, it was like it was poison." "Poison?" "Oh, we're not going in?" "Go ahead and set up, Kai." "Everyone else, stay close." "So, this is what Hell's like." "Guys, this is definitely it." "I'm showing hotspots all over the place down here." " Well, which way do we go?" " I'm not sure." "The map doesn't seem to show this particular juncture." "Heat's definitely stronger in this direction." "Anyone else feel like these walls are closing in?" " Definitely getting tighter in here." " It's also getting hotter." "This is it." "Wow, it's a magma chamber." " Looks like it's rising pretty fast." " Yeah, a little too fast." "Let's get some rock and vapor samples and then get the hell out of here." "That's the best idea I've heard all day." "Do you think the radiation's coming from the magma?" "We won't know until they run the core samples but the levels are extremely high." "It's no wonder they closed this placed down." "Guys, just as an FYI, I'm starting to pick up some major burps on the seismo." "Copy that, Kai." "Bri and I are already making our way back to you." "Jacques and CJ are wrapping it up." " Wait a moment, CJ." " What is it now?" "You know, I'm not so certain this tunnel's supposed to be here." "Our location is nowhere to be found." "This just doesn't make sense." "According to this map, this tunnel simply does not exist." "Okay, Magellan, how do you explain the fact that we're standing in it?" "I can't explain it." "Unless..." "Unless what?" "Well, I'm just beginning to wonder if this isn't a tunnel but rather a..." "This isn't a tunnel!" "It's a lava tube!" "Jacques!" "Jacques!" " Where's Jacques?" " He's gone." "He didn't make it, Kai." "The doctor said that the burns are mainly superficial except for on his leg." "They're gonna have to set it, perform a skin graft, but he's gonna be okay." "Good." "You can't blame yourself for what happened down there." "Jacques and CJ knew the risks." "We all did." "The point is I never should have put anybody at risk in the first place." "But that's the job, right?" "Look, Kai is upstairs right now analyzing the samples we got." "We have a better handle on where and how the magma flow is affecting the fault network." "He didn't die for nothing." "None of this is for nothing." "I believe that, have to." "Oh, my God." "Much of the historic city of Rome lies in ruins following the simultaneous reawakenings of Mount Etna and Vesuvius." "The Pope has proclaimed that he believes this global devastation may be the beginning of the End of Days." "Well, it's all happening just like you said it would." "They wouldn't listen." "It's a matter of time." "Where is this from?" "Crater at St. Sebastian." "That's from down in the mine." "Numbers threw me off at first, too." "I mean, mad viscosity and crystallization levels." "I ran the test twice." "They're for real." "Well, what's with this?" "Trace levels of radioactive material, 43.7, 48.4?" "Those, too." "Whole chemical compositions of both samples were out of whack." "I mean, it looks more like..." "Like it would if it was taken directly from the Earth's core." "There's something else." "Who do we know at the USGS?" "Why?" "What's happened?" "When I went online to compare all this stuff to our databases from Raven," "I had problems getting into the server." "It looked like someone had hacked into our system." "I did some back-hacking and they got copies of everything we had." "While I can understand how you might feel somewhat angered by whatever injustice you may feel has occurred..." "You're damn right I'm angry." "You had no authority to do this." "I assure you it was done for the common good." "Look, there's still time." "If you just listen to me, I can help you." "Your help will no longer be necessary." "My people have compiled everything into a workable theory which we will be presenting in Washington tomorrow." "So that's it?" "Last week you didn't believe in Exodus, now you're stealing it." "Goodbye, Doctor." "So, now what?" "Listen, Dr. Shepherd and Kai need you more than I do at this point." "Okay?" "I know, I just..." "I'll be fine." "Trust me." "Bri, we gotta go now if we're gonna catch that plane." "Okay." "Make sure you don't hook up with any hot Columbian nurses while I'm gone." "Yes, I'd like to speak with Stephen Daugherty please." "Based on what we have seen so far with regard to these eruptions, while indeed the problem is dire, Mr. President, it is not insurmountable." "The key will be to relieve pressure from within those volcanoes that have yet to go off." "Excuse me, this is a closed meeting." "Stephen, this meeting's been going on for half an hour now." "Who are these people?" "Mr. President, I'd like to introduce you to the man who first brought the Exodus theory to our attention." "Dr. Peter Shepherd, sir." "And these are two of my research associates," "Briana Chapman and Kai Senakoia." "I was under the impression that Dr. Kincaid was the leading authority in all this." "With all due respect, sir, Dr. Oscar Vallian is the leading authority on Exodus." "He and I worked very closely together for many years." "I assure you, Dr. Shepherd, the problem is in capable hands." "Now, may I suggest you take the science club field trip elsewhere?" "Mr. President, Dr. Kincaid's evidence is incomplete." "I can prove that." "Ridiculous." "You stole it off our server in the first place, remember?" "Kai." "Excuse me, Mr. President." "There have been some new developments, developments that Dr. Kincaid knows nothing about." "As a result, he's likely to draw the wrong conclusions." "And this is not a situation we can afford to make mistakes with." "All right, we'll adjourn." "We'll meet back here in five minutes." " Thank you, sir." " Don't thank me yet." "I don't know what you've got, but boy, it better be damned good." "Now, I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I want to talk to the two of you immediately." "There you are." "I thought we lost you for a sec." " Is everything okay?" " Fine." "Okay, Kai, why don't you run ahead and get things set up for us?" " We'll be right with you." " Sure thing." " Sure you're okay?" " I don't know, that depends." "Is it normal to throw up before you're about to present your theory on how the world is gonna end to the President of the United States?" "I don't know." "It's the first time for me, too." "But I will say I made a point of steering clear of the Chicken Florentine on the flight up." "All right, ready to go knock this one out of the park?" "Yeah." "So, these layers surrounding the Earth's core serve as both filters and conductors for the heat and radiation that are essentially the fuel that makes the planet run." "And it's been running pretty well for a very long time, but there is one variable that Earth hadn't counted on," "us." "By releasing toxins and radiation in ever increasing quantities on the surface of the Earth, man has sped up the internal processes of the planet generating an excessive heat at the core." "It's caused an expansion to take place." "It's pushing its way out into the molten outer core." "It's leading to these large-scale volcanic events." "Basically, it's like the Earth is trying to get rid of a really bad case of double burrito indigestion." "Now her explanation I understand." "As fascinating as all this may be, Doctor," "I'm afraid the purpose of this meeting isn't to determine how this began, rather how and when it's going to end." "Sooner than you might think." "Well, that's a pretty bold statement considering we haven't seen anything remotely resembling what you've been talking about." "I mean, not here, not in this country." "I'm afraid that's about to change, and not just in this country." "If you look here, you'll see fault lines radiating out from the Earth's core coursing through the planet, linking together with tectonic plates like veins and arteries." "These points indicate where eruptions have already occurred." "And you might notice that they've all taken place along a major fault line which puts pressure on various plates, particularly the Pacific and the North American." "What does that mean to us?" "That we can expect increased eruption patterns in Hawaii within the next 24 hours followed by both volcanic and seismic activity along the Rockies all the way up into Alaska." "And that's just for starters." "This is a recent satellite image of the atmosphere." "Now, based on the current rate at which these eruptions are occurring, here's a projection of how it will look in two days." "One week." "Two weeks." "Are you trying to tell me that we could be looking at another Ice Age?" "If these eruptions continue unabated, yes." "And how are we supposed to shut down every volcano on Earth?" "Believe it or not, I actually have a plan." "We're all ears, Doctor." "The planet is going to continue to discharge this volcanic material." "The question is where do you want it?" "On the land or under the ocean?" "And what are you suggesting, Doctor?" "Rather than letting the planet decide where and when to erupt, we release the pressure for her." "How?" "We would need to develop a somewhat more sophisticated oceanographic floor plan, but we would pick strategic geological targets to detonate a series of charges along, creating vents in the sub-aquatic lithosphere that would release the rock and magma," "reducing the pressure and allowing the plates to realign themselves." "And that would work?" "It's just a theory but..." "And a rather poorly thought out one at that." "Look, I'm not saying it would be easy." "Even with precision detonations there would be aftershocks, significant wave activity." "The eruptions aren't just gonna stop overnight." "The change would be gradual but steady." "But given the depths of the thermally active regions I have in mind," "I believe that the aftereffects would be minimal especially when you consider the alternatives." "Wait a minute." "Dr. Shepherd, are you seriously proposing the global launch of nuclear warheads to stop a bunch of volcanic eruptions?" "Which goes against everything I've ever believed in." "But when your back is against the wall you have to fight fire with fire." "Mr. President, with all due respect, I strongly advise against..." "Look, Professor Plagiarism, you had your chance!" "Now, whether you want to admit it or not, we are running pretty damn low on options and time." "So if you have a better idea, I'm sure we would all love to hear it." "Atlas has shrugged, gentlemen." "Now what are we gonna do about it?" "Sorry about that." "I just couldn't help myself." "That guy is a first-class tool." "No, that's..." "Hey, I couldn't have said it better myself." " You want me to leave?" " Yes." "Oh, God, Peter, and go where?" "Look, if this is your way of convincing me to go back to New York..." "Natalie, I just told you everything I've been through." "Look, I don't want to argue with you." "That's not why I called." " Nothing is going to happen here." " You don't know that." "There hasn't been a major eruption at Yellowstone in years." "It doesn't change the fact that it's sitting right on top of the largest fault line in North America, the same one that I've been tracing volcanic activity on for the last three days." "Oscar's dead, Nat." "So is one of my students." "What?" "Oscar was at Mount Fuji when it went off." "Jacques was with me." "Oh, my God, Peter." "I'm so sorry." "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine." "I'd just feel a lot better if I knew that you were, too." "Peter, I don't know what you expect me to do." "And I don't know what to say." "Listen, I'm sorry about everything." "I was wrong." "What happened between us was my fault." "I know that." "Peter." "Look, I don't know how you feel about me at this point." "I don't know if we have another chance." "I just need you to believe me about this if nothing else." "Are you watching what's going on?" "They're showing footage of Hualalai." "I almost don't recognize it anymore." "The Governor has authorized the National Guard to begin mass evacuations following the eruption of virtually all of the island chain's volcanoes." " It's gonna get worse, isn't it?" " Yeah, it is." "Dr. Shepherd, there's an urgent call for you from a Stephen Daugherty." "Yeah, tell him I'll be right there." "Just one second." " Natalie?" " Yeah." "I'm sorry, I gotta run." "But I'll call you back as soon as I can, okay?" " Peter?" " Yeah?" "Just be careful, please." "I will." "Stephen?" "Peter, how long would it take you and your team to create your floor plan?" "With the resources we have at the moment, at least a week." "Naval Intelligence is expecting you within the hour." "They've been told they're working for you and you're to have full access to whatever you need." "You have 24 hours." "So the President accepted the plan." "You're good to go, Peter." "Good luck." "Okay, I'll be there." "So this is it, huh?" "Now, unfortunately we're not gonna be able to go with satellites today because of the cloud coverage." "So if we can get detailed maps of the Atlantic and Pacific basins," " that would be great." " Okay." "That looks like the Sea Beam project NYA was working on." "It is." "Wasn't that scrapped in the late '80s because of security concerns?" "It was, officially." "So officially you've never seen it." "If you take a look at this data map, you'll get a feel for the problem we're facing." "The nuclear division's setting the submarine's charges." "That corresponds to this which tells you this." "Yeah, right, I understand." "We should get initial data back in about the next 30 minutes." "Do they understand the time constraints that we're working with?" "Yeah, they certainly do." "All right, here's what we got." "We're still waiting on the specs on that." "Expecting a call from someone." "Okay, submarine fleets throughout the Pacific and Atlantic are being armed and moving into position as we speak." "Okay." "Well, we're closing in them." "I just want to make sure all the coordinates are 100°% accurate." "And that's why you're going to be working hand in hand with the Navy throughout this operation aboard two of its flagships, the Hyperion and the Reprisal." "Wait a minute, you want us to actually..." "Transportation's already been arranged." "I'll let you decide who goes where." "All right, you're gonna be our go-between." "Kai and I will relay information back to you in the text verifying potential hotspots." "Got it." "Listen, if something goes wrong..." " Dr. Shepherd, no." " Yes." "I want you to give this to my wife." "Tell her I'm sorry." "And that I didn't have time and I couldn't figure out how to..." "Just tell her I'm sorry." "Okay?" " Okay." " Thank you." "Is this absolutely necessary?" "It is if you want to reach the Hyperion inside of this week." "How long until we land?" "We don't." "Guys, you're sure this is a good idea?" " Captain Holloway, Dr. Peter Shepherd." " It's a pleasure." "You tell us where you want them and we'll do our best to hit the target." " Yes, sir." " We've set you up over here." "Show me what you've got." "Well, this is definitely a work in progress, but we've detected serious fumarole and vent activity in here, as well as along this ridge." "So, according to our calculations, the explosions should start taking place somewhere in this general area here." "That's gonna put us smack in the middle of the Marianas Trench." "I realize that, sir." " I hope you know what you're doing, Doctor." " That makes two of us." "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "That's it." "I'm sorry for the disturbance but we have a situation developing and we need you folks to proceed to the south exit as soon as possible." " Can we get dressed first?" " Yeah, that would be a good idea." "Hey, who was that?" "Why are you getting dressed?" " Natalie, are you there?" " Go ahead, Harv." "You want to explain to me why I'm getting reports from all over the place that you're telling people to evacuate the campground?" "Because I am." "Listen, I'm up here at Old Faithful with some guys from the university." "They tell me we have some ground declination, but I don't think that's any reason to panic." "No, it's deformation, Harv, which means there's magma moving beneath the earth and we do have reason to panic." "Natalie, why don't we just wait and see?" "Trust me on this one, Harv." "I'm headed over to Kapla Campgrounds." "I sent a couple of families there yesterday." "Get everyone as far away from the geyser as possible." "I'll be in touch." "Approaching a large hydrothermal field now, 160 by north 20." " Any chimneys out there?" " Take a look." "Have your pick, black or white?" "Iron saturation levels must be off the chart." "Definitely closing in on it." "Dr. Shepherd, someone on the com line for you." " You can patch in right here, sir." " Thank you." "Hello?" "Hey, Doc, how are things in the Pacific Rim?" "Well, cold and dark, but it looks like that's starting to change." "How are things on your end?" "Like I'm playing sub commander in the world's biggest bathtub, man." "You should have seen the look on the Captain's face when he realized he'd be entrusting the navigation of $6 billion worth of Navy equipment to a joker." "Well, why don't we try and keep that a secret for a while, all right?" "And remember we've got the Russians and the UK waiting in the wings." "So as soon as you sync up with Bri and finalize your coordinates," "I want you to forward them all around, all right?" "Aye-aye, sir." "I always wanted to say that." "Okay, Kai, target coordinates are good on One and Two, waiting for confirmation on Three." "Copy that." "Standing by." "What's the minimum safe distance from these kind of detonations?" " Two nautical miles." " Hope we make it." "This is either the smartest plan in the history of mankind or the dumbest." "Well, if it's the latter, we won't be around long enough to regret it." "What the hell was that?" "Sir, we've got multiple thermal spikes popping up all over the trench." "It looks like they want to beat us to the punch, huh?" "Load specials in tube one and two." "Flood and standby." "Load specials in tubes one and two." "Flood and standby, aye." "Come on, Peter, pick up." "Oh, my God!" "Damage report." "We're gonna need a hell of an overhaul when we put into port, Captain." "I wouldn't advise that we stay in the trench much longer." " Noted, XO, maintain course and speed." " Maintain course and speed, aye." "Open tubes one and two." "Standby for launch." "Okay, go." "Hyperion has her tube doors open." "She's ready to fire." "Torpedo status, Mr. Cartwright." "Torpedoes armed and ready." "Tubes one and two are flooded." "Tube doors are open." "Ready to fire on your command, sir." "Fire torpedo one and two." "Torpedoes away." " What was that?" " Torpedo two went off track, sir." "Number two torpedo has impacted with the trench wall." "Now what?" "Now we hope the first one penetrated deep enough to get the job done and the next ones don't miss." " Load specials, tubes three and four." " Torpedo one on track, sir." "Time to target, T minus three, two, one." "Signatures are weakening, sir." "Sea water's already cooling off the magma." "Looks like our plan is actually working." "Let's not pat ourselves on the back just yet." "We've still got our two biggest targets coming up." "Yeah, Kai, I read you loud and clear." "I just wanted to let you know Operation Heal the Earth has officially commenced here in the Atlantic." "I hope they got a crap load of champagne ready on ice back in DC, the good stuff." "Torpedoes three and four are away." "Kai, what happened?" "Kai." "Transmitting SOS on all frequencies." "This is the United States nuclear submarine, Reprisal, requesting assistance from HQ." "Maintain port side clearance, full right rudder." "Captain, I've lost all contact with my man on the Reprisal." "It's gonna have to wait." "Fire tubes three and four." "Fire tubes three and four, aye." "My fellow Americans, as you are well aware, for the past several weeks our planet has been besieged by a series of unusual volcanic eruptions." "These geological events have caused untold damage and loss of life all across the globe." "The world's top scientists have concluded that the Earth will continue to release magma at an increased startling rate." "However, there is hope, a possibility to bring an end to the devastation and destruction of our planet." "Earlier this morning, acting with the full cooperation of the United Nations," "I authorized a plan of action intended to counter the effects of these eruptions." "At this very moment, several American submarines in the Atlantic and the Pacific are working in conjunction with submarine fleets from other nations." "Twenty-two countries coordinating efforts to launch 44 nuclear-tipped torpedoes at various targets beneath the world's oceans." "If we are successful in our joint mission, and I have every confidence that we will be," "our way of life will be preserved for future generations." "However, planet Earth, as we know it, will be forever changed." "I ask you, regardless of your faith, to join me in a prayer for our families," "for our friends, for our heroes, and most of all, for our future." "Will we survive?" "I believe we are destined to do so." "May God bless us all." "It's stopping." " Hey, I didn't hear you come in." " I just got back." " You okay?" " Yeah." " I'm really glad you're here." " Me, too." "Are you having second thoughts about USGS?" "I don't want Kincaid's job." "I'm a teacher, not an administrator." "I only want to be with you." "Okay?" "As scientists, we study recent volcanic activity in the hopes of better understanding the way our world functions and to prevent the loss of life by eventually being able to predict these eruptions." "Shared knowledge among the nations of the world will prevent future loss of life." "Today, we are capable of learning more about Earth than ever before." "But without our humanity, our scientific progress helps no one." "The next time nature rebels, will mankind be ready?" "Have we learned from our past in order to protect our future?"