Ice Station Zebra

Separation at 04:29:45 Zulu.

It's down.

04:31:15 Zulu.

Twenty-one west, 85 north.

McClusky's Bar.

Hold on.

Thank you.

Hello.

Yes, it is.

Right. Be right over.

- Evening, Alfred. - Good evening, sir.

- Evening. - Evening, sir.

Come in.

- Hello, sir. - Well...

...hello, Jim.

- Here. Sit down. - Thank you, sir.

- Pour you a drink? - Yes, thank you.

I'm a bourbon man myself, but when in Scotland...

- Mists of the Scottish moors. - Mm-hm.

Does it for me.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

Jim...

Just how much do you know about Ice Station Zebra?

Just what's been in the papers.

Drift Ice Station Zebra.

British civilian weather station up at the North Pole.

- They're in some sort of trouble up there. - Trouble, yes.

They've been sending distress signals, but too weak and garbled to make sense.

There's something that's gone wrong up there, that's for sure.

Some kind of fire or explosion...

Several men killed, the rest of them dying from burns and exposure.

- It's pretty rugged. - Yes, sir.

And they can't be reached. Not by rescue planes.

The entire polar cap is completely socked in with an ice storm.

Might not clear up for days, weeks.

No chance for the survivors, I suppose.

There's a chance. See, you're going up there to get them out.

Those orders will come through normal channels.

- Yes, sir. - There's more to it. That's why I'm here.

Those men up there must be pretty important.

They're not the reason you're going.

They're just the excuse.

- Well, then, what is the reason, sir? - Well, I can't tell you that.

But I can tell you this:

It is important, Ferraday. Vitally.

Well, sir...

...if I'm going up there, I don't know why...

- Your passenger knows. - Passenger?

That's another reason why I'm up here. To give you his orders in person.

Those won't be coming through normal channels.

- That's his name? - Mm-hm.

There's another name in there that'll impress you more.

Second page at the bottom.

All right, sir.

I'm impressed.

Not enlightened...

...but impressed.

My car's in the alley.

I'll just be a minute.

We won't send you up there completely in the dark, Jim.

I don't know the whole picture.

But I can give you a few details. Not many.

You'll have to try and get the rest from your passenger.

Yes, sir. By the way, sir, when do I meet him?

I mean, where is he now?

Bridge, control. Main propulsion tested satisfactorily.

Bridge, aye.

Bridge, control, from the navigator. Recommend course 210 after clearing.

GEORGE 210 after clearing, aye.

Bridge, control. All alarms test satisfactorily.

Bridge, aye. Regard all alarms.

- Have them send the inner harbor chart. - Aye, aye, sir.

Control, send up the chart for Holy Loch.

Harbor chart coming up, sir.

- What's the tide situation? - Flooding. Slack ebb begins 2325.

- Lieutenant Walker? - Yes, sir.

I'm Hansen, Operations.

Put your men down at forward hatch.

- Everybody up forward. - Aye, aye, sir.

All right, grab your gear and follow me, men.

They're young.

They all are.

Rescue mission, seems a little odd to send Marines.

Here's our passenger.

Maneuvering watch is set, captain. We're ready to get underway.

Okay, George.

What's the weather forecast off western Scotland?

More of the same, captain. Intermittent showers, state-three sea.

Winds, westerly, 8 to 10 knots.

- Very well. - Captain.

- This is Mr. Jones. - Welcome aboard, Mr. Jones.

- Thank you. I'll try not to be underfoot. - We appreciate that. We're overcrowded.

Tell George to single up. We'll be getting underway in a moment.

- Ed, we'll skip the trim dive. - Sir.

- This way. - Refreshingly informal, your Navy.

On submarines, anyway, living as close as we do.

We operate on a first-name basis.

My first name is Captain.

Be it ever so functional.

- I'm putting you here with Mr. Hansen. - Your operations officer?

I'll drop in from time to time to make sure you're...

Here, captain?

Comfortable.

Here. Keep this with you.

This is a nuclear submarine, as you know.

We'll check you from time to time for radiation.

That's very kind of you.

You know, Mr. Jones...

...it isn't every day that somebody as important as Admiral Garvey...

...flies from London to Holy Loch...

...to personally hand me a copy of somebody's orders.

What are you up to?

Isn't it there?

It does say:

"Mr. Jones is to be taken into your fullest confidence...

...and will be extended every facility and all aid..."

That puts a great deal of responsibility on me.

It's a stunning character reference too, don't you think?

And it is signed by the chief of naval operations.

You must be delighted to know what a trustworthy fellow I am.

But there's not a word here, Mr. Jones, about...

...why, or your part of the mission.

- Question of explaining me to your men? - No.

- But there has been some speculation. - I see.

That door soundproof?

More or less.

Yes.

And...

...is it true, captain, that aboard United States naval vessels...

...no whiskey is ever served?

I'm to extend to you every facility...

...short of endangering the submarine or the lives of the crew.

That could include a pint of medicinal whiskey.

If you happen to be seasick.

I am. Habitually.

All right.

Now... about your mission.

I wouldn't insult you by swearing you to secrecy.

I think the most expedient thing, since you have your orders, is to obey them.

Short of endangering my ship or my crew?

May I ask, captain, when we'll reach the ice barrier?

Yes, you may ask.

Bridge, control.

Diving officer reports ship rigged for dive and checked.

Captain has the word, control.

Sounding, 68 fathoms.

68 fathoms, aye.

- Go ahead and dive. - Aye, aye, sir.

Dive.

- Hatch shut. - Periscope depth, Ed.

Periscope depth, aye.

- All ahead two-thirds. - All ahead two-thirds, aye.

- Answering ahead two-thirds. - Very well.

- Bow planes rigged out, sir. - Very well.

- Give me 15 degrees down. - Fifteen degrees down arm.

- Blow negative to the mark. - Blow negative, aye.

Maneuvering, control. Injection temperature.

Injection temperature, aye.

Bring her down 10 percent.

Control, maneuvering.

Injection temperature, 47 degrees.

- All ahead one-third. - All ahead one-third.

Answering ahead one-third.

- Zero bubble. - Zero bubble, aye.

Sounding, 74 fathoms.

- Pump from auxiliary to sea. - Pump from auxiliary to sea.

Pumping from auxiliary.

Coming on the track now. Watch it. Watch it.

At periscope depth, captain.

Very well. Thank you.

We have an escort, Mr. Jones.

A Russian trawler?

The innocent and inevitable Russian trawler.

Just happens to be in our neighborhood.

Packed to the gills with radar, sonar and radio equipment.

Control, sonar.

Target bearing 195...

...medium screws, no turn count.

No other targets.

Very well, sonar. Try to get a turn count on him.

Turn count, aye.

You get a good diving fix?

Right, sir. We're putting it through the inertial system now.

- Final trim at one-third speed, captain. - Very well, Ed.

What's our target doing, radar?

Mark. Bearing, 195.

Range, 3000.

Looks like we have the beginning of a temperature gradient at 50 feet.

Take her to 300 feet, Ed. Hold your speed as is.

- No point in giving him a demonstration. - Three hundred feet, aye.

Make it 300 feet. Give me 20 degrees down.

Three hundred feet, 20 degrees down, aye.

Sir, this message just came in.

Thank you.

Attention, all hands. This is the captain. A Norwegian freighter...

...has just picked up another distress signal from Ice Station Zebra. Quote:

"For God's sake, hurry." Unquote.

The rest of the transmission is garbled.

So somebody's still alive up there.

The last estimated position of the British camp was 85 north, 21 west.