"" " Battle stations." "All hands report to battle stations." "All hands report to battle stations." "" "  Let me out. !" "Let me out. !" "Let me on the side." "There you go." " You have a battle station, son?" " Uh-huh." "They need you there." " Now!" "  Captain, go." "Damagetoaft A. D. K. E. M. battery zulu- 1- niner." "" "  Fire Control, report to middeck 14." " Fire Control, report to middeck 14." "" "Short-range kinetic pods are loaded." "Laser cannon is charged." "Sector 4221, go." "I want that reactor report, Mr. Connor." "Reactor 11, this is the bridge." "Over." "Reactor 11, this is the bridge." "Over." "Come starboard 24 degrees,  30 degrees low. !" "Twenty- four degrees starboard,  30 degrees low." "58, this is Queen 6." "I want you to rain fire in five mikes!" "Roger that, Queen 6." "Let's get geequed." "" " Yeah!" "All right!" "" " Yes!" "We've got a bandit over the bow." " Lieutenant Gates?" " Torch it, Delta-niner!" "Electrical isn't stable." "We're down." "We're jammed!" " Backup systems." " Thirty seconds to kick in, sir." "  No, I'm down." "I'm down." " Son of" "Is that thing dead?" "If it's not, we are." "Hand crank the forward batteries." " Targeting computer is still down." " Then sight down the barrels!" "Fire mission, fire mission." "Forward atkin battery." "Tango-1-niner." "How long until backup is on line, Mr. Klein?" "  Mr. Klein?" " Ten seconds, sir." "Four, three, two." "Weapons system functional, sir." " Take that out of my sky." " Yes, sir." " No." " Colonel?" "It's harmless." "It would have killed us by now." "This has never happened in this war, sir." "A wounded enemy bird." "We shouldn't waste the opportunity." " Opportunity?" " To have a look." "Here's what we know." "The hull is a cermet composite impregnated with graphite, titanium...  aluminum trihydrate and molybdenum." "The spectroscope indicates" "What in the hell smells so rank?" "Rank, ma'am?" "It's the aroma of good luck." "We always come back when he wears it." "I could see if it was a Detroit Lions shirt." "How do we get in?" "M. R. scope indicates a chamber..." "located just behind the two vents on her fore structure." " What do you mean by "chamber"?" " Don't know." "Three meters behind it is another area." " For what?" " Don't know." "Bio-sensors indicate a slight reading in the second area." "What do you mean by "slight"?" "" " You don't know." "Thank you, Lieutenant." " Sir, we haven't finished with our briefing." " Yes, you have." " Sir, they need all available data." " No, they don't." "There's only one thing you need to know" "Anything that's ever been learned or discovered in all the centuries of life on Earth... means nothing right now." "No one can tell you what to be prepared for." "Your enemy has a dark, bloodthirsty heart." "Assume everything is dangerous." "If in doubt, kill." "I wish I was going with you." "Let's make it happen." "Guess they're gonna check out that Chig ship so we can see why we're gettin' our butts kicked." "What?" "This war ain't lost." " Yet." "" "Enemy craft, 200 meters and closing." "Forty, 30...  20, 10." " Play your hand, Wild Card." " Magno's on their way." "Easy, baby." "Easy." "Alien ship secured." "Clear for charge." "" " Stand clear." "Calling card." "We're through the hull." "Go!" "Go!" "At least Armstrong had an idea what he'd find on the moon." "Watchout,Hawkes." "It's slippery down here." "You guys okay in there?" "Yeah, yeah." "We're all right." "Go, Shane." "Are you all right?" "We're okay." "What is that stuff?" "I don't know." "I think they served it in my high school cafeteria." "Let's move out." "No!" "Cease fire!" "Cease fire!" "Are you all right?" "We got two Chigs down here." "They're dead." "You okay?" "What are you doin'?" "This is a fact-finding mission, right?" "Damn. !" "God." "You think I'm gonna get busted for doing that?" "  Not right now." "  We're getting a positive read back on this." "MyGod,we finally brought one back." "Goodjob." "Those people are Aero-Tech." "  What are they doin'here?" " Sewell." "The guy who had our Tellus mission classified "compartmentalized. "" "Theseguysknewthingsabout this craft before we even engaged it in battle." "I'll bet on it." " This area's restricted, sir." " Stand down." "Sir!" "This area's restricted!" "Sir!" "Sir. !" "This area's restricted, sir." " Sir, what's with the civvies?" " Breaking down the ship." " Studying it, as you suggested." " Come on." "That was for us, the military." "We're the ones who'll use the information." "Aero-Tech can break down the ship and analyze" " You can't let them break it down!" " At ease, Colonel." "In half the time it would take us." " Hey, what does this do?" "Does this do anything?" " Hey, don't touch that." " What're you doin'?" " What about when you do this?" " Get away from here." "Guard!" "Guard!" "Guard!" " What are all these?" "McQueen, you've had an ulterior motive from the moment you said, "Go get it. "" " What are you thinking of?" " They reversed the ship's navigational computer." "It came from a planetary body in the Cerus region." "That is what I was thinking." "For six months we've been on the defensive." "We haven't been able to even mount an offensive... because until this moment we had no idea where they were based." "Now we know where they're from." "Let's pay 'em a hostile visit." "That information is not for public knowledge." "With you, it never will be." "Our planes don't have the range to reach the Cerus region." "This one does." " It'll be our Trojan horse." " You don't know how to operate it." "We'll learn." "You'd risk the destruction of this invaluable piece of technology?" "I would risk the lives of invaluable men and women... if it meant I could finally put it down their throats." "Look around you, sir." "Defeat is on every face." "Fear and surrender is on everyone's mind at home." "The secretary general is ready to give in." "I'm not." "It's a suicide mission, Commodore." "It's mass suicide if we don't do it." "~~~~" "Some rum, Colonel?" "Romantically, it connects me with the sailors of old who drank grog." "I don't want to send young lives to their deaths." "Most InVitros have a hard time..." "with love." "We don't get many opportunities to feel it...  or give it." "But I know I love those kids." "I don't want them to lose their young lives." "But I know the value of this mission." "When Jimmy Dolittle bombed Tokyo in World War II... in 30 seconds he gave every man, woman and child in the country hope." "Without hope, we can't win." "And if we lose... millions of people will lose their lives." "Pilots for morale." "That's how it breaks down." "This mission could turn the war around." "All right." "But it's not up to you, Ty." "It's in your pilots' hands." "~~~~" "I'd like to go along on this one." "You're grounded, Ty." "No way." ""With my mission now at hand..." ""my dear old town, my dear old people..." ""I now abandon everything and leave to protect this country." ""To preserve our eternal andjust cause,  I now go forth." ""My body will collapse like a falling cherry blossom..." ""but my soul will live..." ""and protect this land forever." ""Farewell." ""I am a glorious wild cherry blossom." "I shall return to my mother's place and bloom. '"" "These are the words of a man- your age, your rank- 118 years ago." "He was a kamikaze pilot." "He died foolishly... the next day." "He flew his Ohka plane into an American destroyer... gave his life...  for a lost cause." "I keep this in my flight suit at all times." "Sir, I'll volunteer." "West, if you had proof that Kylen Celina was still alive, would you give your life?" "I know she's alive, and I'll go because this is not a lost cause." "I'll go." " I'm in." " Me too, sir." "I ain't no kamikaze." "'Cause I'm comin' back." "Mr. Sewell, this craft is now under military supervision." "You know, no matter what you think, Colonel, we're after the same things." "Well, we are." "I have to admit your idea is brilliant." "The Trojan horse." "The greatest military maneuver in human history... and our enemy has no knowledge of its precedence." "But that's why we should be studying this technology... so we can build our own Trojan horse, instead of wasting it on a foolish act of bravado." "You lost two colonies in a foolish act of cowardice." "Act with your head, Colonel... not your heart." "That's why you'll never understand, Mr. Sewell." "One thing I do understand, Colonel, is you won't be going along for this one." "Is that a decision made from the heart or the head?" "McQueen." "This is my ship, Mr. Sewell." "As long as I command her... no one will insult the men and women who serve aboard her." "Get your staff and get off my ship, sir, now." "What the hell are you staring at?" "You got a mission to fly." "I haven't had to read this much... since Bougus made us read that nude dead people book." "You wouldn't, by any stretch of the imagination, mean The Naked and the Dead?" "Hawkes is right." "Enough reading." "He never did tell me what "frug" meant." " Did you like that book?" " Yes and no." "John Fante is my favorite 20th-century author." "Ask The Dust is one of my favorites." "No one's ever heard of him." "I hate to break up the book sale,  but can we get to flying'this thing?" " How?" " No wonder." " It's" " It's missing." "" "Mass ratio equals empty ship plus fuel mass over ship mass, right?" "Okay." "But then itjumps to this equation...  which determines velocity increments." "Ah!" "Points "B'"and "C'"are missing." "" " Something's been omitted." "I want that little geek." "Sir, those Aero-Tech guys are taking off about right now." "I'll get him myself." "No, it's all right, sir." "Military types like to do that sort of thing." "Yes, sir." "No, it doesn't matter." "I got everything we need." "Yes, sir, that- Yes, sir, that's correct." "I'm on my way." "We're ready for you, sir." "Stand clear." "Channel 437, you are cleared for departure." "Channel 437, roger." "Thank you." "Colonel, look at this." " " "Sewell wiped the numbers we need to fly the bomber." "We'll have to get 'em ourselves." "Thisvehicleappearstooperate on several advanced propulsion concepts." "I feel like I'm being digested." "Looks more to me like a bladder" " A full bladder." "It's launched by an electromagnetic accelerator." "As it travels long distances...  the craft appears to fly by pellet stream propulsion." "It's amazingly fuel-efficient." "What we will hopefully use to launch this vehicle...  are electromagnetic Ramscoop engines." " Hawkes!" "Work with us here." " Oh, man, it spooged me." " 'Phousse, hand me that flashlight." " My battery's dead." "Oh." "Batteries are dead." "Switch is off." "West, take the light." "It turned off." "Now give it to me." "It must be a bioelectric conducting gel." "Those holes are filled with it." "Think a body part goes in there?" "Pray it's only the arms." "If I feel anything that might be a prostate, I'm out of here." " Oh." "" "Oh, yeah." "I can get into this." "Hey, I wonder how you start it." "I think you just found the ignition." "Itappearstheenemyworked together like an orchestra to pilot the craft." "Forexample, "the bladder, '"as you call it" "Two people work in unison to control thrust, yaw." "We'vebeenherefivedays , and we're nowhere. !" "Launch window is in 10 days." "You people have got to work together." "Ten days." "The craft partially operates on our bioelectrical systems... which means, kind of, that when we're in there, the machine and the operator become one being." "We're like parasites." "Like how we all have parasites in our large intestines which allow us to process" " Uh, Paul" " Whatever." "I think in a week we'll be flying this thing." "It's startin' to feel less and less like a suicide mission." "  " "Colonel McQueen?" "I just received an update from Trajectory and Orbital." "In regard to the alien ship's port of origin... launch window closes much sooner than projected." " How soon?" " Tomorrow morning,0700 hours." "This mission means more to McQueen than morale." "He knows the precedence in military history." "McQueen was born with a K" " Bar and a Corps tattoo." "Can you imagine if he was anything else?" "Like a plumber?" "Okay, listen up." "This one's in the kitchen." "I'm here to fix your faucet, so check your six." "I'm gonna replace the strainer part,  and I'm gonna replace the washer." "It's gonna be a real knife fight." "Now, I'm gonna utilize a monkey wrench... and perhaps even a plunger." "And when I'm done,  you'll have water." "It'll be hot, and it'll be cold." "And one more thing" "It's okay to be scared.|" "S" " Sir, I" " Sir" "It, uh" " It's the greatest form of flattery, sir." "It's tough to follow a dog act." "Mission's been changed." "Launch window closes at 0710...  tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" "But we" "I know." "We're not ready, but it's on." "As marines, we pride ourselves on training and preparation." "I know this mission has had very little of both." "I, uh" "I know this isn't exactly the mission you signed on for... so anyone who does not show...  on the flight deck at 0615... will not be held accountable." "Time will be 2125." "Ready." "Ready." " Hack." "" "Wang." "You ever surfed before?" "I'm from Chicago, Coop." "There aren't a lot of tasty waves on Lake Michigan." "I'd like to try surfing when we get back home." "Damphousse, you do it one more time..." "I swear I am gonna stick my flight helmet in it." "What?" "You know, it's driving me crazy, okay?" "I have a temporomandibular joint disorder, okay, from battle stress." "Shane, relax." "Her doctor told her to do that." "She looks like..." "Jerry Lewis." " Oh." "  Shut up, Wang." "And if you don't like it, leave." " Leave?" " Get out." " I'm stuck with you." "'Phousse, she didn't mean that." " It's just... the moment." " Whatever." "Kind of an odd time to feel the need to be well- groomed." "Don't you think?" "McQueen gave me that book on kamikazes." " The one with the poem." " Yeah." "They used to clip their nails... and put them in undecorated wooden boxes for burial back home... because there wouldn't be anything left." "So... you're goin'?" "Before now I used to think... there was a chance we could come back." " Before now." " We can win this war." "A successful strike would make everyone believe... again." "If that's what it takes." "If not us, then who?" " ~~~~ " "  Who's there?" " McQueen, sir." "Come in." "~~~~" "Anyone who shows up in the morning is dead." "You know that." "If one doesn't show" "Hell, sir, even if they all do, please, I have to go." "After all we did to your people... why would you give your life?" "I would consider it my gift to you, sir- to have you wonder why I did." "Who am I to tell any man... what he should give his life for?" "You're the commander of this ship." "I play this one to forget just that." "Colonel, I pray your gift is one I never actually have to receive." "That's like taking me with you." "It's November 19." "Sunday back home." "On Sundays this time of year I used to lay in bed and watch the morning football game." "And then I'd go out... when the light was just right." "Golden." "Autumn." "I grew up in San Diego... and people said that there are no change of seasons in California... but there are." "I can always feel it." "Always." "There is just this... cold, inevitable edge in the air... the light, the colors." "It's as if the Earth were letting you know...  that summer was gone...  there's no getting it back." "Winter's coming, and there is nothing that you can do to escape it." "A lot of people say that they fall in love in spring." "Not me." "I always fell in love in autumn." "It is just the most-|" "Romantic, sexy... desperate" "And I'll never see it again." "This enemy could kill every last person on Earth...  and there would still be autumn." "I'm going tomorrow morning to make sure that there is always someone there to feel it." "What?" "I don't get it." "It's, like... you know, when I think about not goin'... and I see in my mind all you guys dead... it's like I miss you." "What's all that about?" "It's, like, what's the point of sitting around here feeling that way?" "Lieutenant." "Lieutenant." "I was just thinking about, uh" "Yes?" "Well, if the alien craft is essentially a cognizant being... what would be your hypothesis regarding the" "Well, would it allow us, as intruders... to attack its point of origin, its home?" "I don't know, Lieutenant." "I'll tell you what's bothering me." "The controls operate via bioelectrics." "I suppose electrical current is electrical current, but" "You're not wearing that shirt again, are you?" "Isn't it incredible that our bioelectrical makeup could operate a life-form... which evolved in such a distant... and so different an environment as Earth's?" "I, uh... didn't come here to talk about this." "Oh." "Do you want my hypothesis on why you did come here?" "It's, uh... kind of the going rate for me... to finally meet someone who... interests me... the night before I leave on a suicide mission." "I heard you didn't have to go." "It's 0615." "We launch in 45 mikes." "Heroes or fools." "That's a determination others will make in hindsight." "But by being here now,  we make that determination for ourselves...  and it's neither." "Time to go." "Wang?" "That's all right." "It's a good day to die." "The dim glow falling upon the dried blood...  of Union brothers in the Manassas eve...  still guides our path." "Constellations, hidden by fierce Pacific storms in the Bataan sky..." " remain obscured by rain." " Good luck, guys." "The stars-a billion...  for every life laid down in Vietnam- still shine on us and will guide those who follow." "What dead guy wrote that?" "I wrote it." "Ten-hut!" "Stand at ease." "Sir, should we not return, may we ask that you tend to these remains?" "This is how we go- live or die." "Let's make it happen." "Wang, did you wear the shirt?" "No, I" " I kind of got lucky without it." "Lieutenant." "I got you a present." "It's yours when you get back." "Home Base?" "Home Base, this is King of Hearts." " We're in the slot." " You are good to go, King of Hearts." "Expect vector 235 five mikes after departure." "Rogerthat." "2- niner- 6, 2- niner- 7- 0 in five mikes." "Switch frequency to 323. 1." "Squawk is 5154." "Roger. 5154." "See you in a few hours." "Godspeed, Wild Cards." "Wang, man the bombardier station." "All right." "Look alive." "We're across the von Braun Line." "This is behind enemy lines." "We got bandits." "They've spiked us." "We are a target." " Lock 'em!" " No." "It's a recognition code." " Send it back." " Roger that." "Sending it back." "It worked, sir." "They think we're one of them." "Whew." "We got a long way to fly." "I'm reading a satellite in our ballpark." "It's a sentry." "If we take this ship much closer, we might as well just ring the Chigs' doorbell." "It'll let us pass." "It worked before." "I'm sending it the recognition code." "  It locked on." " Return the favor." " Locked." " Should we send them another recognition code?" "The hell with it!" "They're gonna find out we're here sooner or later." "This is Lieutenant Nathan West... 58th Squadron, United States Marine Corps, planet Earth." "Open wide, you Chig bastards!" " Hoorah!" " Hoorah!" " Yes!" " Whoo-hoo!" "Get that cluster missile ready, weapons!" " Get us a target, pilots." "  We're entering their atmosphere." "We're spiked!" "We've got missiles off the rails- six o'clock, eight o'clock,  five o'clock. !" "Lock on!" "Lock on!" "Hold it steady." "  Steady, damn it. !" " You want steady, or you want a missile up our pipes?" "We can't lock on." "Steady out!" "We're losing her!" "I've got us a target!" "  Lock on. !" "Lock on. !" " Target is locked!" "Come on." "Smoke their Chig asses!" " Remember the Tellus Colony!" " Fire!" "Missed." "We missed." "How could we miss?" "Break right!" "Break right!" "Missiles on our six." "Break right!" "Eight Fox 3's on our six, closing fast." " Juke, damn it!" "Juke!" " We are juking!" "The ship-|" "It's dying." "That tile." "Shane, hit it!" "Hit it!" "Colonel, Wang, get up here." "We found an escape pod." "437starboard landing port cleared for arrival." "Roger." "Thank you." "Report, Connor." "No radio contact since transmission was broken off at 1123 hours." "I want to see a bomber on that LI DAR screen, Mr. Klein." "I'd like nothing better, sir." "Mr. Connor, remove Mr. Sewell from the command center." "I'm here, not only on behalf of Aero-Tech, but at the behest of theJoint Chiefs, sir." "Commodore." "We have the results of the long-range scan of the Cerus system." "Any traces of that bomber debris?" "Can't tell at this distance." "The signal's corrupt." "How near do you need to be to get a clear signal, Gates?" "With the interference of the Butterfly Nebula...  we need to be within half a million M. S. K. 's." "That would place our aircraft within range of Cerus." "Sir, Intelligence reports...  the Chigs have an entire division in the Cerus system." "I can't risk 15,000 lives... on the chance that six marines may be alive." "Set a course for the Draconis system." "Set a course for Cerus, sir." "Set a course for Cerus." "You won't be disappointed." "Sir, I know that you are aware that I know." "Set a course for Cerus." "Mr. Donne, I may be signing a pact with the devil... but set a course for the Cerus system." "Watch your hands." "Watch your hands."