" Have you thought of names yet?" " Not yet." "Commander Straker, have a cigar, sir." "Thank you, Grey." "What's the occasion?" "You get a raise?" "I just became a father." " Congratulations." "How's your wife?" " She's fine." " Good." "Boy or girl?" " Twins." "Twins?" "You owe me another cigar." "Everything seemed to happen so fast." "The hospital didn't want to let us in." "She was only in the operating theatre a minute." "I never knew Caesarean section happened so quickly..." " Oh, no, I have to drive." " A toast." " Another one?" " Yeah." " What to this time?" " Champagne." " Come on, cut the cake." " Ahh, the cake." "Now... just hold it right here." "1, 2, 3..." "# Will you lay down a dollar or two... #" "Where to, sir?" "Oh, anywhere at all." "It's irrelevant, irrelevant." " Shall I sing some more?" " Do." "# You'll go round the bend when you come back again... #" "Ed..." "Alec Freeman, last of the clowns." "I'll be with you in a minute." " Where are you going?" " I'll be with you in a minute!" "Ed?" "What are you doing?" "Nothing!" " Ed!" " What?" "There's a car coming." "It's all right, we probably don't know them." "New suit." "New wife." "New husband." "New life." "Confetti check." "A" " OK." " May I take your bags, sir?" " Thank you." " Hello, sir." " Hello, there." " I have a reservation." " Ah, yes." "For my wife and I." "Mr and Mrs Straker." "Ah, yes." "If you'd just like to sign the register, sir." "Sorry." "Thank you." " Thank you." " Thank you, sir." "This way, sir." "Are you going to tell me, darling?" " Tell you what?" " The secret." "Oh!" "The secret." "Well, Mrs Straker, the way I figure it is if I tell you," " it won't be a secret any more." " Oh, come on, where are we going?" "Well, now, let me see." "I got the tickets right here." "I just can't make out what they say." "Now let me see..." "London, England to..." "I just can't make out that destination." "It could be anywhere." "Let me see..." "Are you expecting somebody?" "Compliments of the management, sir." "That's all right, sir." "I'll see you later." "Well..." " Confetti check?" " We blew it." "Oh, well..." " Cheers." " Cheers." "Gosh, I've no idea what the weather's gonna be like there." "I still can't remember where we're going." "'Passengers for BEA flight number BE 250 for Athens, 'please proceed to gate 6.'" " Well, come on, darling!" " You knew?" "How did you know?" "Well, I just happened to find a couple of tickets on the floor..." "Two tickets, on the floor?" " See, I was preoccupied..." " Colonel Straker." "Can I have word with you, please, sir?" "Please, it's important." "What's wrong, darling?" "Listen, sweetheart, I don't know how to tell you..." "What is it, Ed?" "I have to see General Henderson." "Now." "Now?" "But Ed...!" "It's all right, darling." "I understand." " I'm so sorry, sweetheart..." " 'Passengers for flight BE 250" "It's all right." "I married a colonel in the military intelligence." "That's part of your fatal attraction." "Come in!" "Ahh, Colonel!" "Good to see you." " How are they treating you, sir?" " Fine, fine." "Sit down." " Sorry to foul you up like this." " That's all right, sir." " How did your wife take it?" " She's fine." "That's what you need in this job, an understanding wife." "Let's get on with it, shall we?" "I'm stuck in this chair for another two months." "A lot of things are gonna fall on your shoulders." "The United Nations special committee meets day after tomorrow." " We get the decision then." " You want me there?" "Who else?" "'Turn around, Colonel.'" " Ahh, Colonel Straker." " Gentlemen." " Please sit down." " Thank you." "I should like to apologise on behalf of General Henderson for his absence." "He's still recovering from injuries he received in the car crash." "Thank you, Colonel." "No doubt you will make an excellent substitute." "Now, gentlemen, I suggest the best way for us to proceed is by a process of question and answer." "Colonel, as representatives of our respective governments we are being asked to approve the largest financial appropriation ever envisaged for a international project." "Two questions:" "Is the project, the whole project, absolutely necessary?" "And if it is, are we getting value for money?" "I believe the setting up of SHADO is as necessary as absolutely vital." "Every day we sit about and talk about it, the potential danger increases." "As to your second question," "I believe this breakdown of expenditure might be helpful." "A fleet of submarines?" "Base on the moon?" "Satellites?" "If I might point out, sir, these are alien spacecraft, possibly from another solar system." "Maybe you have been reading too much science fiction." "Earth is faced with a power threat from an extraterrestrial source." "This is an age when science fiction has become fact." "We need to defend ourselves." "And how long will it take to set up this defence organisation?" "We estimate 7 to 10 years." "10 years?" "!" "But you say, Colonel, the danger is imminent." "That's true but the organisation we need can't be set up overnight." "All I say is any delay only increases the danger." "The estimate for security is astronomical." " It's a vital aspect." " Everything seems vital." "How is SHADO to be organised regarding personnel?" "On strictly military lines." "We hope to recruit the best people available." " Internationally?" " Yes." "And who will command this international band of heroes?" "My government has stipulated it must be an American." "Yes, we know." " We're digging deep in our pockets!" " Naturally, naturally." "Gentlemen, we asked Colonel Straker here to answer our questions." "I suggest we let him do so." "There's no question in my mind, gentlemen." "There's one man for the job:" "General Henderson." "He's the obvious choice." "Any further questions?" "Thank you, Colonel Straker." "Monsieur Duval, I understand you have three daughters?" "Yes." "I pray that you never find yourself looking down at one of their mutilated bodies." "I hope that the next UFO incident is not in your home town." "Thank you for your time." "Well, gentlemen?" "It has been approved unanimously." "You've done a great job, Ed." "I thought I'd screwed it up, sir." "I was only in there 10 minutes." "All you've got to do now is work 16 hours a day for 10 years." "Sure." "There is another thing I had to tell you." "They appointed the commander-in-chief." " Who?" " You." " Me?" " Again, it was unanimous." "The French delegate, Duval, was particularly insistent." " But sir..." " Why not choose me?" "Come on, let's not kid ourselves, Colonel." "What sort of shape am I in?" "What about in ten years' time?" "Nonsense, General." "In a couple of months you'll be up and about, as fit as ever." "You can always refuse, but if you do it's gotta be now." "There'll be no turning back later." "Tired?" "Oh, no, no." "Wanna know something?" "I love you." "Do you?" "How much?" "That much." "This is a fine room." "Plenty of scope." "Yes!" "Let me see, the master bedroom's just above us here?" "Yes, with a small room to the left." "That would make a fine nursery." "Yes." "I like it." "I like it." "Hello, darling." " Had a busy day?" " That is an understatement." " You tired?" " No, not too tired." " Hungry?" " Yes." "Then I'll go and make you some supper." " The drapes are coming tomorrow." " Fine." "I've ordered a turquoisey-blue." "I hope you like them." "Turquoisey-blue?" "Oh, that sounds great!" "And the insurance agent came." "He's coming tomorrow evening." "Sorry, Mary, I have to work late tomorrow." "I won't be home until around 11." "But he's coming at 8!" "Sorry, I have to work." "I'll go and get your supper." "'Commander Straker and Colonel Freeman, sir.'" "Send him right in." "Gentlemen, nice to see you." " How are you, General?" " Fine." "Our first recruit, Alec Freeman." " Freeman, welcome to SHADO." " Thank you, sir." "I've glanced through your record." "Combat pilot, then air force intelligence, that's the background we need." "Ed, how do you like the office?" "Looks very nice." "I've been kicked up here to keep a fatherly eye on you." " I'm holding the purse strings." " That could be fun." "How is the building programme coming on?" "Fine, fine." "Sit down, Freeman." "The studio may be worth a visit in a couple of months." " It's quite a construction job." " Yes, it is." "The main problem is still finding the men to man it." "We're working on it." "Right." "Let's get down to business." "This could be a very late night." "Hiya, sweetheart." "That a good book?" "All right, I'm sorry I didn't telephone." "I got tied up." "Do you know what time it is?" "Why didn't you go to bed?" "Because just occasionally I'd like to see my husband!" "Maybe even talk to him!" "Things have been hectic but they'll break soon, Mary." "Ed, this is our home, we're supposed to be trying to build something!" " Mary, Mary..." " No, Ed!" "How am I expected to take this work, work, day and night?" "!" "Because it's necessary!" "Next you won't even bother to come home at all." "That's not a bad idea." "Then maybe I'd get a decent reaction from my wife!" "I'm sorry, honey." "I didn't mean that." "Look, I need a break." "We both need one." "What do you say we go out sometime next week and paint the town red?" "What do you say?" "Confetti check?" "A" " OK." " Block's nearly finished." " Yes." "What happens then?" "When it's finished a government department's moving in." " Income tax, probably." " All that for the sake of security?" "How can you cover the excavating of 2 million cubic feet of earth?" "I hear they're installing a voiceprint ID mechanism." "I tried the prototype last week." "It identified me as a female technician from Dublin." " They said it's a teething problem." " Well, you do look like one." "A female technician from Dublin." "Nice to see you smile again, Ed." "Hello, fellas." " Hello, sir." " Hello, sir." " How's it all going?" " Slow but we'll get there." " We can make it up later." " Good." "That's what I like to hear." " Let's take a look at the office." " See you later." "Well... it's all beginning to take shape." "Yes, this is it." "SHADO HQ." "The nerve centre of the whole organisation." "You know, Alec, setting all this, the delays, the problems, security, personnel, a thousand details, a hundred hold-ups, sometimes seems like we're fighting a ten-headed monster." "And what drives you on?" "Fighting the monster." "I don't know." "Something inside me, I guess." "It's called dedication." "Pig-headedness would be nearer." " How's Mary?" " Mary?" "She's fine." "Fine." "No, she's not, Alec." "She's..." "She's problem number 1." "Alec..." "I want to tell her." "You can't do that." "Not everything, just enough for her to understand." " It's impossible!" " She's got to know." "She's got to realise how important all this is, how much time it takes." "How else can I make her understand?" "It's out of the question, you know it." "What can I do, Alec?" "There must be something." "But there isn't." "Do you really want to risk Mary's life?" "That's what you'd be doing." "I don't like this any more than you but you know what Security are like." "Make the CIA look like Sunday school teachers." "If you told Mary and they found out..." "The security of this, billions of dollars, outweighs any individual." "You, me, Mary, anybody." "You can't tell her." "It's the safest way." "The only way." " Hello, darling." " Sweetheart." "Looking very, smart tonight." "Thank you." "How was work?" "About the same as yesterday and the day before that..." "What did you do today?" "Oh, nothing very much." " Drink?" " You know I don't drink." "This is... an occasion." "You mean...?" "Here, you, you sit down here." " I have to make a phone call!" " You're not working tonight?" "I have to get onto that decorator, get him to paint that nursery blue!" "Pink." "Blue." "We're working night and day, General, why shouldn't some fool subcontractor do the same?" "A week?" "I'll give him 3 days to deliver." "Right." "Goodbye." " We can't find the fault, sir." " Keep checking." "Don't look like that, you're not the only one with a home to go to." "Put me through to Supply." "All right, switch on again." "Yes, yes." "Let me know as soon as you can." "Thanks." " Trouble on the computer interface." " Oh, no." "Let's hope it's just a plug-in circuit and nothing more serious." "0218434." "Oh, it's you, mother." "How are you?" "Yes, yes, I'm fine." "Yes, I went to see him today." "He confirmed the first week in April." "Of course." "Ed." "No, he's working late." "Yes, I..." "I know, Mother, but..." "It's his job, he..." "No, I'm..." "No, mother, don't be silly, of course there's not another woman." "No." "Yes..." "Look, I've got to go." "I'll ring you tomorrow." "Bye." "All right, let's try it again." "Seems fine." " Let's call it a day, eh?" " Yes, sir." "Good night." "And thanks, fellas." "It's late." "You can come back to my place, save you the drive." "Yeah, maybe, Alec, maybe." "I'll phone Mary and explain in the morning." "Mary!" "I was supposed to phone her 3 hours ago." " Hello, Mary." " Hi." " How do you feel?" " I'm fine." "Why aren't you in bed?" "I was waiting for you to come home." "For four hours, waiting." "What am I supposed to think?" " Come on..." " No!" "Why come home at all?" "!" "Why didn't you spend the whole night with her?" " With who?" " You tell me, Ed." "What a crazy idea, Mary." "Come on, let's go to bed." "Why is it a crazy idea?" "If it's so crazy tell me where you've been." " Come on." " Where have you been?" " You know I can't tell you!" " Oh, break the bloody rule for once!" " I'm your wife!" " And you know I can't tell you!" "I wouldn't..." "Just calm down and let's go to bed." "No!" "I have a right to know." " Mary, stop this!" " What's more important?" "Me or whatever you do until 3 in the morning?" "I'm going up." "I love you." "I'm going to have your child." "When he's born, when he's old enough to realise, will he have a father or a man he hardly knows?" "Someone he sees every now and then?" "Mary..." "I hope you still have a choice, Ed." "Perhaps you should decide before it's too late." "The control complex is fully operational." "All we need now are the technicians." "How are the first batch of recruits making out?" "Security checks, aptitude tests, six-month training, more tests." "It's a tough schedule." " The original 50 are now 8." " 8?" "The second batch seem to be doing better." "When will the first group finish their training?" "A few months." "It'll be spring, a good time to start." "Spring." "My son will be born in the spring." "Your son?" "How..." "Your place?" "My place." "Well, it's been a long hard slog but we're ready." "We're ready." "I know how hard you've all worked." "I think we can assume the worst is over." "And I want to thank you all." "Thank you, sir." "Mary!" "Mary?" "Mary!" "What are you doing?" " I'm leaving." " Leaving?" "You shouldn't be carrying that case." "I'm leaving you, Ed." "I've explained it all in the letter." "Wait a minute..." "If something's the matter I want to hear it from you." "I know." "Don't you understand?" "I know everything." "What do you know?" "Tell me what you know!" "My mother had you followed." "Go on." "You were followed to the flat... with the girl." "Oh, is that it?" "Don't touch me!" " Mary, darling, I can explain!" " Don't!" "It's dirty enough, don't lie..." "Mary!" "The man was here this morning." "He..." "He had a photograph with the time, everything." "Darling, I can explain!" " I don't want to hear!" " Listen!" " Give me my case." " You're gonna stay here and listen!" " What's going on in there?" "!" " I'm coming, dad!" " No, Ed, I've had enough!" " All right!" "I'll tell you everything!" " It's no good, Ed!" " This may sound crazy..." " Don't!" "Don't!" "Don't!" " Mary!" "Mary?" "Mary, what's the matter?" "!" "Open the door, Mary!" "God!" "Don't touch her!" "Your wife has an internal haemorrhage." "I'll have to perform a Caesarean section." "Doctor, if there's any complication..." "If you have to choose between my wife and..." "I understand." "It's a boy." " How's my wife?" " The doctor will be out in a moment." " How is she, Dr?" " As well as can be expected." " She'll be all right?" " Yes." " When can I see her?" " When she wakes up." " But only for a few minutes." " How's my son?" "He's fine." "Ed?" "It's me, my dear." "How do you feel?" "Fine." "Where's Ed?" "Ed said he had to go, he..." "He said he couldn't tell me why." "I know why." "Now, you just get well again and we'll sit down quietly with your mother and have a chat." "I'm sorry about this, Ed." "I wouldn't have done it if it hadn't been necessary." "Anyway..." "Congratulations." "There's too much cigar smoke around here, Alec." "Tell someone to turn on the fan and get rid of it." "Right." " Lieutenant Grey!" " Yes, sir?" "Take a week's furlough, starting now." "That's an order." "Right, sir." "As for the rest of us, let's do a little work while we celebrate."