"Radio SHADO Control." "No survivors." "Some evidence of UFO." "It must be that UFO that came in a month ago under a radar blind spot." "If it stayed underwater, it would escape deterioration in the earth's atmosphere." "Maybe they slipped in an underwater craft in component sections." "Possibly." "They seem to have perfected life maintenance in a liquid environment." "What do we do next?" "A detailed search of the entire area." " I'll go myself." " In Skydiver?" " What else?" " Wouldn't you rather I took over?" "Oh, that." "Well, the dictionary defines it as a morbid dread of confined spaces." " Skydiver's not that small." " And you're not always morbid." "Exactly." " Get me Skydiver's positional chart." " 'Yes, sir.'" "It's in the south Atlantic area." "About 400 miles south of St Helena." "Is there a rendezvous point where we could exchange the sub crews?" "There are dozens of small atolls in the area." "Mostly uninhabited." "Good." "I want to be aboard with the best available crew as soon as possible." "Switch to sea skim." "Pull ahead boats." "Right." "I'm needed below, sir." "My cabin is at your disposal." "Thank you, Captain." "Maintain sea skim until we reach search area." "Yes, sir." "D'you think we'll find anything?" "Well, it's hard to say." "The more I think about it, the more the theory stands up." "We know they've taken people from houses in broad daylight." " So it would be easier mid-ocean." " Right." "It's a big place to play cat and mouse." "Yes." "We'll have to make sure our claws are well sharpened." " How do you mean?" " We're trying to find them." "Let's hope the aliens don't think that we're the mouse." "Approaching B-17, sir." " Right." "Plot a search plan." " Yes, sir." " Lieutenant." " Sir." "I want a constant radar sweep and sonar sounding." "Yes, sir." " Straker." " We're making the first sweep, then we'll go under for a submerged circuit." "Carry on, Captain." "Let's make the most of the fresh air." " Starting vector search." " Course?" "019 veering to 023." "Decreasing sweep on 14 degrees port." "Right." "Maintain the watch, Colonel." "I'm going below." "Right." "Have you ever used this?" "I asked if you had ever used the escape hatch, Lieutenant." "Yes, sir." "Our navigator is the one you want to talk to about those." "Never mind." "Just familiarising myself with the ship." "Yes, sir." " How's it going, Nina?" " Fine, sir." " What is it?" " Large shoal of fish." " Sonar is our best bet." " You're the expert." " It's a tight ship, Captain." " Thank you, sir." "Sonar echo increasing." "What do you make of it, Lieutenant?" "Metallic object." "Moving quite fast." " 60 knots." " How far?" "2,000 yards increasing." "Get below, Colonel." "I'm taking her down." "Dive!" "Dive!" "Dive!" " What is it?" " An underwater craft, sir." "Moving ahead of us." "Altering course." "Veering to starboard." " 8 degrees." " 8 degrees starboard." "8 degrees starboard, sir." "Switch on underwater cameras." "Visibility poor, sir." "Rock formations." "We've lost it." " Anything?" " These rocks don't help." " Lieutenant Chin!" " Main systems still operating." " Surface!" " Load tanks 1 and 2." "One and two." " Looks bad." " Let's get him down below." "Easy!" "Malfunction on 1." "Keep trying those tanks." " Hold it!" " Shut down ballast." "That was the starboard turbo." " I'm getting a new signal." " Coming to finish the job." "It's heading away." "Toward the surface." " Can we launch Sky 1?" " We can try." "All right, Paul." "Alien craft airborne." "Pull it up, Paul." " It's no good." " What's its attitude?" "10 degrees." "It's enough." "Launch Sky 1." " Liftoff." " Roger." "Sky 1 airborne, sir." "Sky 1 to Control." "Target destroyed." "Sky 1 to Control." "Come in, Skydiver." "Contact lost, sir." "We're going down." "Turbines non-functional." " Shut down the reactor." " Yes, sir." "Prepare to switch to emergency power." "We're still going down!" "Emergency power!" "Crash positions." "Sky 1 to SHADO Control." "Over-flying last known position." "Still no radio contact." "Wreckage apparent." "Re-docking negative." "'Roger, Sky 1." "Proceed to nearest SHADO base." " 'Starting sub-smash procedure.'" " Roger." " Dye and marker buoy released, sir." " Good." "What about the power?" "We're not getting a warning alarm from the reactor, so the radiation shield must be OK." "That's something." "At least we're not gonna die from radiation exposure." "Right, by now, Sky 1 will have reported our position, so a rescue team will be on its way." "We all know the standing orders regarding the sub-smash." "We follow them, we'll be all right." "Let's get to it." "Colonel Foster," " the air systems and electrics." " Sir." " Lieutenant Lewis." " Sir." "Check the ballast tanks and the escape hatches." " Yes, sir." " Lieutenant Barry, see our communications are." "Yes, sir." " How are you feeling, Chin?" " I'll be all right, sir." "Good." "Are you up to going to stern with me and checking the turbines?" " Yes, sir." " Good." "We may get this old tub off the shelf before the rescue team gets here." "Yes, sir." "Albatross 25 to SHADO Control." "We have positive area location on Skydiver beacon." " Homing on signal now." " 'Roger, Albatross.'" "Another 50 minutes." "What do you think?" "No way of telling, sir." "Sub-smashes are always difficult." "I'd better check things out in the cabin." " Hello, sir." " Sir." "We'll be there in less than 50 min." "What are their chances?" "Hard to say." "By the time we get there it could be on the surface, waiting for us." "That's not likely, is it?" "The wreckage." "Until we get there, sir, it's anyone's guess." "Nearly through here, Commander." "How are things at stern?" "Not good." "One turbine completely blown, and there's damage to the reactor cooling plant." "That means we can forget the main power supply." "How long will the emergency storage batteries last, Chin?" "8 hours, and we can't recharge without the reactor." "How about the air supply, Paul?" "It's impossible to be accurate but..." "I estimate there's enough air for eight hours." "About the same as the batteries." "How are our communications, Lieutenant?" "Main radio knocked out, sonar and radar working." "The hydrophone on the marker buoy is active but the power is weak." "Lieutenant Lewis!" "I hope you've got some good news on those escape hatches." "Only number 3 is operational, sir, and that's got trouble." "It's working, but the systems check indicates damage." "And there's something wrong with the pumps." "It'll take over 90 minutes to empty that hatch." "One escape hatch in commission, and that's only usable every 90 minutes." " What about the missile tubes?" " No, no go, Commander." "The ship's angle rules them out." "The rock ledge is blocking the exits." "So it looks like number 3." "See if you can fix those pumps." " And double-check on those hatches." " Yes, sir." "Paul, I'll be in the Captain's cabin." "Can you get any more speed out of this thing?" "Not without blowing our engines to pieces." "You know Commander Straker pretty well, don't you?" "Yes." "Pretty well." "Well, Paul?" "We've checked it again, sir." "Looks pretty bad." "Well, we'll have to start making for the surface." "We've got to phase this carefully." "We're working with very little air and practically no time." "I'm worried about the outer door on 3." "There's indication of severe damage." " What about the pumps?" " Still no improvement." "With the reactor off, the power's very low." "What do we tell the crew?" "Forget it." "They've figured it out for themselves already." "Don't worry, Nina." "We'll get out all right." "You've been in this situation before, haven't you?" "Yeah." "It was a big boat." "Full crew, 69 men trapped on the bottom, but we all got out, and we will this time, too." "All right." "Let's go over the situation." "There's only one regular escape hatch still working, but its pumps are damaged, as well as its outside door." "But there is another emergency escape route:" "through the crash-dive flood tube." "Once its covers are blown, it can't be drained unless Skydiver surfaces." "So that means that we can only use it once." "That tube is pretty narrow, sir." "It's some crawl." "I know that, Lieutenant, but it means two of us will get out immediately." "That will leave three of us down here." "But if it takes 90 minutes to empty the hatch each time, we can all be out of here in four and a half hours." "Are there any questions?" "You said four and a half hours, but the air can last..." "You're forgetting, Lieutenant, the fewer people there are down here, the longer the air will last." "Have you decided on an order of escape, sir?" "Yes, I have." "Lieutenant Barry, you will use the crash-dive tube." "Yes, sir." " Lewis." " Sir." "You have first try the escape hatch." " But, sir..." " That's an order!" "Lieutenant Chin will follow you and then Colonel Foster." "All right, let's get to it." " Now, Nina." " Sir." "The crash-dive tube is the safest way out." "But it won't be easy." "When we throw the control and the water comes in," " it'll hit you like a sledgehammer." " Yes, sir." "I know." "I used it once during training." " Good." "It'll only last for a second." " I'll manage." "The sooner you get out, the more air there'll be for the rest of us." "There's no chance of our surface vessel" " getting to the area ahead of us?" " Forget it." "We're on our own." "There's only a slight swell." "We'll be able to handle it." " All set." " Good." "Synchronise watches." "15:50." " Check." " Check." "We'll blow the hatch in 5 minutes, Lieutenant." "Good luck." "Thank you, sir." "See you topside." " Right, Lewis?" " Yes, sir." " I hope you make it." " We will, Lieutenant." "Flood three." " Hatch flooded, sir." " Check." "Negative." "Must be jammed." "It's open." "He's made it." "Nina should be in position now." "Prepare to detonate in... 20 seconds." "10 seconds." "Detonate." "They should be up by now." "Help me." "Help me." "Straker!" "We're all of us going to get out OK, aren't we, sir?" "Sure, Chin." " How's the head?" " I'll be fine" " when I get up to the surface." " Sure." "Sure." "Just hang on, Chin." "The rescue team will be here in no time." "Yes, sir." "What are his chances?" "He won't last 10 minutes in the water without help." "Try and rest, Chin." "We'll be out in one hour." " Straker." " 'Ed, it's me.'" "Alec." "Thank God." " 'We've got Lewis.'" " What did you say?" "I said, we've got Lewis." "He's quite safe." "He's explained the situation." "Ed, just hang on!" " Alec, have you got Nina?" " 'Nina?" "No.'" "She went out right after Lewis." "Don't worry, don't worry." "We'll find her." "Look, Ed." "You've got to conserve your air supply." "Just rest and stay as quiet as possible." "The divers are coming now." " 'They'll get you up.'" " Alec." "Alec!" "Power's failing." "I'll check the escape pumps." "They're slowing down." "Help me." "Straker..." "Someone!" "He's burning up." "It's all right." "Relax, Lieutenant." "Stop him, Paul!" "Paul, get that equipment!" "Lieutenant Chin!" "Lieutenant Chin!" "Lieutenant Chin." "Get him, Paul!" "Get him!" "Hold him!" "Hold him!" "He's out of it." "Straker..." "Help me." "Poor guy." "Death's never worried me before." " Right now I'm scared." " You're getting older." "How do you mean?" "The older you get the more precious life becomes." "You become aware of what life is." " It's time, sir." " All right." " Commander..." " Get moving!" " But, sir." " Colonel Foster, get off this boat." " Commander..." " You're breathing my oxygen." "In you go." " How does it look?" " She's jammed fast, sir." "The only way of moving her is by heavy lifting gear." "We'd need a salvage vessel for that." "Can we get an air supply down there?" "Negative." "I was hoping to use the escape hatch but it's still flooded." "The pumps must have packed up completely." "It's hopeless." "You'll have to go down there again." " And get me a suit, will you?" " Sir!" " What you gonna do?" " I don't know." "But we're gonna get him out of there somehow." "Help me." "Someone... help me." "Help me." "Johnny!" "Johnny!" "Mary." "Mary!" "I never want to see you again." "The cover..." " The cover, it didn't..." " It's OK." "It's OK." " We're sending them down now." " 'Right." "'And send down some more lights.'" "Right." "'Air pressure... 'falling." "'Oxygen count... 'down to 15.1." "'Emergency power... 'failing." "'Commend..." "Captain and crew." "'Note for Dr Schroeder." "'Subject: myself." "'Pulse rate 105... 'claustrophobia: negative.'" "Don't think the book..." "If it had to be anyone..." "I'm glad you're here." "I mean," "I'm glad... it's you." "'Therefore, we commit ourselves 'to the deep," "'Returned to corruption." "'waiting for the day of resurrection, 'when the sea shall give up her dead.'" "I don't believe it!" " So that's the way it happened." " You just blew us out of the water?" "What else could we do?" "It was Holden's idea." "The divers got in through the missile tubes." "That's the way it happened." "I'm afraid the visitors will have to leave now." "I'm sorry, sir." "No smoking." " Well, back to the salt mines." " Bye." "Oh, thanks for the cigars, Alec." "Well, Nina, we were pretty close down there." "Yes." "If there was anything I said, which, well..." "Or didn't say?" "That's what life's all about, I guess." "The things we never say." "Well, they're kicking me out of here." "I'd better go and pack my toothbrush." " You'll be back on Moonbase soon." " Yes, sir." " Take it easy, Nina." " Bye."