UFO

Peter, please.

Take Jean back to the car. I must get this.

Run! Run!

Minister, this is Colonel Straker.

- How do you do, sir? - A shattering business, Colonel.

The Prime Minister's already at Chequers.

We'll be there in 30 minutes.

We've been in constant communication

with Paris, Moscow and Bonn during your visits.

I think the British Government's approval will be a formality.

The evidence is absolutely conclusive.

- If I might... - Surely.

Colonel. It may speed things up.

My God.

The clincher is at the back.

It's an enlarged single frame from the cine film, sir.

It couldn't possibly be a fake?

The film was found undeveloped, still in the camera.

It's genuine. Take my word for it.

Keep pace with the escort.

I'll take the file, sir.

- Good morning, sir. - Good morning.

- Good morning, sir. - Good morning.

- Good morning. - Miss Ealand.

- The report. - Thank you.

Messages?

Information. Q21, answer negative.

Q46, satellite link effective.

Q97, zero-zero.

The computer read-outs available from today.

- Have them put straight through to me, will you? - Yes, sir.

Mr Freeman to see you, sir.

All right, Mr Freeman.

The girl in reception calls me Alec.

So?

Doesn't that inflame you with jealousy?

Obviously it doesn't.

But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east and Juliet is the sun.

Voice-print positive identification nine-seven.

Freeman, Alec E.

- Good morning, sir. - Good morning.

- You're new here, aren't you? - Uh-huh.

- You must have passed all the tests. - All of them.

I bet.

Patrick.

- Morning, Alec. - Morning, Pete.

I won't keep you a moment, Alec.

- Trouble? - Why else would I send for you?

Take a look at this.

That's Westbrook Electronics, isn't it?

- Yeah, what's left of it. - What happened?

For ten years there have been setbacks.

We've had accidents, miscalculations,

errors of judgement and other mishaps.

Let's put Westbrook Electronics down to... other mishaps.

- You mean a UFO? - Well, there's no proof.

So bang goes the Utronic project...

just when we thought we really had something to track them down.

Don't panic, Alec. The Utronic equipment is safe.

It wasn't in the building.

It's intact, fully tested and ready for shipment.

The breakthrough.

SHADO have had Moonbase and the other satellites

operational for the past few months.

There have been a few UFO sightings, but no interceptions.

We've got the teeth. Soon we'll have the eyes.

Freeman, you know how important this is to our whole organisation.

The Utronic design team and the equipment

are ready to be picked up in Los Angeles and flown here to England.

I'm making you responsible for the security of the entire operation.

I mean you. Personally.

Right.

Well, it must be quite a while since you landed an SST?

Just let's say it's part of the personal service.

SHADO Control, this is Seagull X-Ray,

confirm arrival Stevenson Base, Los Angeles, 08:35.

Take-off scheduled 1100 hours.

Roger, Seagull X-Ray.

- Call Moonbase, will you? - Yes, sir.

Status check.

- Target. - Affirmative.

- Magnetic field? - Check.

- Saturation density? - Green.

- Resonator? - Affirmative.

- Code. - Okay.

- Displacements? - Go.

- Filters? - Check.

- Fluctuation? - Affirmative.

Reflex?

Excuse me. Right.

- SHADO Control for you, Lieutenant. - Right.

- Lieutenant Ellis. - Good morning, Gay.

I think I might have some action for you.

I want Moonbase put on yellow alert from ten forty-five

to track Seagull X-Ray.

Now, it's carrying SHADO VIPs and the Utronic equipment

so let's keep everybody on their toes.

- We can't afford to take chances. - Roger.

Joan, announce a yellow alert for ten forty-five.

- Yes, Lieutenant. - And complete the status check.

I think this is going to be for real.

I'm going to take a break. I'll be back about ten thirty.

Okay.

Moonbase will be on yellow alert

from ten forty-five, Earth elapsed time.

Repeat, ten forty-five, EET.

All space trackers to be fully operational

by ten forty-five EET.

Astronauts to be on stand-by.

- Joanna? - Be right with you, Lew.

No hurry. I want to run a computer check

on the Interceptor systems in about ten minutes.

- Hi, Gay. - Hello, Lew.

Do you think this could be it, Lieutenant?

Looks like it, Lew.

An SST traveling at Mach 4 is a pretty tempting target,

particularly as it's carrying the new Utronic equipment.

- Hello, Ken. - Hi.

- Hi. - Hi, Mark.

Gay, this alert, what do you think? Another false alarm?

Don't think so, Mark.

- So this time it could be real. - Yeah. Could be.

Well, I guess we could all do with a bit of action.

Well, I could do with a cup of coffee!

- Sure. - Thanks.

- Put Skydiver in the picture. - Yes, sir.

Message from SHADO Control, sir. Yellow alert at ten forty-five.

Right.

That last entry.

- Did you send it? - Yes, sir.

A refueling schedule transmitted

- on security code B?! - Sorry, sir.

- How long have you been with us, Ford? - Just over two years, sir.

Two years.

Long enough to know how important security is to SHADO.

Now look, this headquarters, controlling Moonbase,

the satellites and a fleet of submarines

is 80 feet below a film studio, right?

Now, 400 people work up there,

and not one of them knows all this exists.

I have to play games,

pretending to be the studio's chief executive.

No one even dreams what my real function is.

That's what security is all about.

I'm sorry, sir. Sometimes it's pretty difficult.

Difficult?!

So you think it's difficult, huh, Ford?

Well, I'll tell you when it gets difficult.

Have you ever thought about the victims of UFO incidents?

Have you ever considered their parents,

brothers, sisters?

What do we tell them?

They can never know the truth...

...so they live in agony for years,

praying that some day their loved one may turn up,

clinging to a thread of hope.

Don't ever tell me that security's difficult.

Sometimes it gets pretty close to home.

Yellow alert starts in two minutes, sir.

Be right with you.

Stevenson Base, this is Seagull X-Ray. Liftoff check complete.

Liftoff clearance?

Roger, Seagull X-Ray. You are clear to go.

- Nina. Ten forty-five. - Right.

Brakes off.

Airspeed building.

130... 140...

160. V1.

VR. Rotate.

This is Moonbase calling SID.

This is Space Intruder Detector.

Pass your message.

Seagull X-Ray carrying VIPs and Utronic equipment is airborne.

Track progress of aircraft until further notice.

Keep sharp lookout for UFO.

Please pass your code so your instructions can be complied with.

- Stand by to receive code. - Standing by.

Thank you, your code is correct.

I have Seagull X-Ray on scanners.

It is on course.

Speed 1500 knots.

Moonbase computers confirm course correct.

- Air speed 1500 knots. - Right.

Maintain tracking.

- Hydroplanes check complete, sir. - Okay. Steer zero-four-two.

- Steer zero-four-two. - Zero-four-two.

Maintain present speed.

Maintain speed. 40 knots.

Take over, will you, Bill?

I'm going back to do my stuff with the passengers.

Right.

Herr Mahler. Good morning.

- Colonel Alec Freeman. - Ah, Colonel.

I'd like to congratulate you and your team, Herr Mahler.

This looks like the breakthrough we've been waiting for.

Not my team, Colonel. May I introduce our chief designer,

Virginia Lake?

How do you do, Colonel?

Well... for the first time in my career,