It Came from Beneath the Sea

From her beginnings on a Navy drawing board,

through the months of secret field experiments out on a western desert,

then through the desperate search for new metals with properties she needed,

she was designed to be man's greatest weapon of the seas,

the atom-powered submarine.

Her engines were to be a miracle of speed and power,

her sides strong enough to withstand any blow,

her armament and firepower of greater force

than the worst enemy she might encounter.

The mind of man had thought of everything,

except that which was beyond his comprehension.

All right, griff, I'll take over.

- Good morning, captain. Had breakfast? - Yep. Orangejuice, bacon, eggs, coffee.

- How we doing? - I can't get used to this thing.

Just like an automatic elevator. Speed, 18. Steady on course.

Quite a bit of difference between this and the old-fashioned iron lung, huh?

Roomy? My gosh, this conning tower is just like a ballroom.

Take it easy, griff. It's still a submarine.

- Aye, aye, sir. - How about the men?

They should complain.

All they do is eat and sleep, press a button when there's some work to be done.

- How about you, captain? Satisfied? - Down scope.

Why shouldn't I be satisfied?

Three world records in the bag on our first shakedown cruise.

Listen to that music.

All we need is some champagne and dancing girls.

Shall I have the chief change the record, sir?

Yeah, you'd better, before we start chasing mermaids.

All right.

Macaninch, something a little more salty, if you please.

Salty, sir?

Yeah, let's get off this Hawaiian kick. It's even demoralizing the captain.

Aye, aye, sir.

Eight.

Pair of fives. Pair of tens.

- What's going on? - Yeah, what?

4' que pasa? I dig that.

There's another beep from the sonar equipment, sir.

Target bearing, 1-8-0. Range, 1-5-0-0.

There's nothing back there.

Sonar still picks it up, captain.

Beaflng?

It's dead astern, submerged about as deep as we are.

Looks like it could be following us.

Whales sometimes get playful out here in the pacific.

Scans bigger than a whale.

- Another sub? - Even bigger than a sub.

It's closing in on us, captain. You'd better take a look at this.

Conning tower to control.

Left 20 degrees rudder.

New course, 3-0-0.

Left 20 degrees rudder.

New course, 3-0-0.

The rudder is 20 degrees left, sir.

What would you call that?

Probably a short circuit in our sonar system showing up as an echo.

Check it.

L just did, captain. It's working all right.

- Shall I check it again, sir? - Never mind.

It's really gaining on us, whatever it is.

- Getting closer, huh? - As close as 500 yards.

Conning tower to maneuvering. All ahead flank.

All ahead flank, sir.

Give those atoms a poke. Give me everything you've got.

Aye, aye, sir.

Are we losing it?

No, sir. He just gained another 200 on us.

Give me a sonar image. I want to see what this thing looks like.

Griff, man battle stations.

Man battle stations!

Man battle stations! Man battle stations!

Man battle stations! Man battle stations!

Go to control and take the conn.

I want a zigzag course and the usual escape pattern.

Aye, aye, sir.

Now let's see what you got here.

What do you call that?

It's no whale, sir, that's for sure.

It's no ship, either.

Let me check that wiring again.

Keep me informed.

- Come left 3-5-0. - Left 3-5-0.

Sonar checks okay, captain.

Bearing, 1-2-0. Range, 5-0-0.

Can't seem to lose it, captain.

Range, 4-0-0.

What happens when it catches up with us?

When you're in command of $55 million worth of submarine, you don't gamble.

Range, 3-0-0.

- Stand by to take her deep. - Aye, aye, sir.

Range, 2-0-0.

Take her deep.

- Full dive on the bow plane, please. - Full dive on the bow plane, sir.

-10 degrees down bubble. -10 degrees down bubble.

- All planes are at full dive, sir. - Very well.

Resume course.

- Steer 3-3-0. -3-3-0, sir.

It's too close to get a range now, sir.

Conning tower to maneuvering. All stop.

We're getting a radiation warning signal. Where's it coming from?

Not from our reactor, sir.

It must be. Recheck your reactor.

Reactor shield okay. Engines okay. Nothing hot in here, sir.

What happened to us?

I don't know.

All you men okay?

Okay, but let's find out where that radiation is coming from before we all fry.

It's coming from outside the ship. Look!

- I don't figure it. - I can't either, sir.

Haven't got time to try now. Our sonar system's out. Fix it.

Maneuvering. Let's pull out of here!

All ahead full!

All ahead full, sir!

But we're standing still!

That's not the engine's fault, sir.

Keep pouring it on. You okay, griff?

Okay here, sir.

Surface!

Pull main ballast!

Still no luck, captain. We're fouled tight.

Hand me that thing.

I want two aqua-lung volunteers to blast the sluice.

Get in your gear and stand by the escape hatch. Take a demolition charge.

- I'll take over. - Aye, aye, captain.

Anybody hurt?

Mac took an awful crack in the head here, captain.

Come on, Mac.

- How do you feel, Mac? - All right. What's a fractured skull, anyway?

Is that damn thing still going?

Not afraid of a little radiation, are you, Mac?

I've heard it makes you so you can't have children, sir.

Mac was married just before we left port, captain.

Congratulations, Mac.

Thanks, captain. We're counting on a family, sir.

We won't hang around down here any longer than we can help it.

Volunteers are ready now, sir.

Hand me that thing.

I'm gonna rig in the bow diving plane to see if that will free us. If it won't...

Just cross your fingers. Rig in bow diving planes.

Aye, aye, sir.

That's doing it. Full rise on the stern planes.

Full rise on the stern planes. Aye!

We're loose, captain!

Speed's increasing. We're coming up, sir.

That's a relief.

Stand by to surface.

Stand by to surface. Aye, sir.

What's on your mind, griff?

Stern planes are fouled. Show signs of radioactivity.

- Tell those swimmers to stay clear? - I did, sir.

What did you find down there?

A chunk of stuff caught in the stern diving plane, sir.

- What kind of stuff? - Rubber-like, captain.

What'd it look like?

We didn't get too close because of what the exec said about the radioactivity.

- Looked more like a fish to me. - It was more like a barrel.

- A barrel? - Yes, sir.

I believe it's stuck there till we get into dry dock.

She's jammed solid, sir.

All right, you men go below and get yourselves some coffee.

- Aye, aye, sir. - Aye, sir.

What's your guess, griff?

I was just gonna ask you, sir.

Privately?

Privately, I'm keeping my mouth shut and I'm advising you to do the same.

The next time I cruise in these waters,

I'm gonna have torpedoes onboard and warheads on them.

How about officially?

Officially?

Shakedown cruise completed, X-ray.

Struck submerged object, X-ray.

Damage minor. Putting into Pearl for repairs.

Have it coded and passed on to operations.

Aye, aye, sir.

And just hope that that's the end of it.

But that was only the beginning.

When commander mathews brought the atomic submarine

into Pearl harbor for repairs,

the defense department found itself confronted with a problem

beyond the scope of Navy manuals.

What was the nature of that nameless substance

found caught in the damaged diving planes?

A substance so strange, so inexplicable and alarming

that the best minds in the nation had to be called upon to solve the problem.

Behind the guarded door where the secret lay hidden,

and for the first time in their lives, three people met.

Couldn't be a mistake.

You think so, professor? It's tissue, all right.

- Where'd it come from? - Some living creature.

You mean all that hunk came from one living creature?

That's right.

You mean that's not all one animal? There's more to it?

A great deal more.

Well, it would be dead now, wouldn't it?

I doubt it.

Must be pretty big.

Enormous.

Doctor, what kind of a sea beast would be that large?

What do you call it, so I can stop calling it "it"?

I have no idea.