Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

Since biblical times, man has witnessed and recorded...

...strange manifestations in the sky...

...and speculated on the possibilities of visitors from another world.

Today, from the skies of California, the fields of Kansas...

...the rice paddies of the Orient, the air lanes of the world...

...come persistent reports of UFOs, Unidentified Flying Objects...

...which we have come to know as flying saucers.

In Dayton, Ohio, the Air Intelligence gathers data from all over the globe.

Ninety-seven percent of the objects prove to be of natural origin...

...while three percent still are listed as unknown.

The Air Force is aware of the widely held belief...

...that some could be flying saucers from another planet.

While there is nothing conclusive in the evidence...

...the probing and digesting of information about UFOs...

...continues unceasingly.

As a result, the Hemispheric Defense Command in Colorado Springs...

...issued an order:

All military installations are to fire on sight...

...at any flying objects not identifiable.

But the military wondered...

...whether their scientific know-how and weapons...

...would be effective in any battle of the Earth vs. the flying saucers.

July 16. To Internal Security Commission. Re: Sky Hook.

Progress report from project director Dr. Russell A. Marvin--

And Mrs. Dr. Marvin, without whose inspiration and criticism...

...this report couldn't be written.

Married two hours and already she's claiming community property.

Now that you're married, you don't have to sneak up on me.

You always had eyes in the back of your head.

-It's not safe when driving. -But pretty.

I thought intellectual giants were supposed to be backwards and shy.

My third-grade teacher, Miss Hickey, said I was a quick study.

You're starting something you're not going to be able to finish.

Yeah.

Yeah, today, I've got a hot date with a three-stage rocket.

Now, please, no interruptions.

Because of recent scientific advances...

...it is now possible to realize an ancient dream:

The exploration of outer space.

To prepare for this stride forward, we are assembling data...

...on conditions at atmospheric levels beyond those hitherto explored.

To collect this data, unmanned observation posts are being sent up...

...in multiple-stage rockets, hundreds of miles above the Earth's surface.

There, swinging in endless orbits around our planet...

...will be 12 tiny man-made satellites, or moons.

They will report to us by radio the primary information needed...

...to prepare the way for our ascent into space.

The effects of gravitational loss, showers of meteoric dust...

...the fierce, undiluted heat of the sun, the cosmic radiation.

All will be studied and analyzed.

At the present time, we have launched 10 artificial satellites...

...or birds, as we call them. We--

-Do you hear something? -Hear what?

-I don't hear any-- -Listen.

Pull over.

Russ, it was a saucer?

A flying saucer?

Well, we saw what appeared to be a flying saucer.

That's all we can say.

We saw it. We heard it, both of us.

What more do we need to know?

Well, we have to have time to think, to evaluate this...

...before we sound off.

Let-- Let me have a light.

Of course, it wasn't a saucer at all.

I just shake like this all the time.

Carol, I want you to transcribe these notes for my report.

-Yes, boss. -But there's one little thing first.

Now that you're married, Dr. Marvin, the first thing you've got to learn...

...is no more passes at the secretaries during business hours.

All right.

-or birds, as we call them. We--

Russ.

The saucer sound.

It's on the tape.

You forgot to turn it off.

I remember now. I turned it off afterwards.

Well, that's one piece of concrete evidence.

Rocket Number 11 will be launched in 20 minutes.

We'll leave it for now.

Come on, we've just got time to get to the bunker.

General Hanley reporting to Project Sky Hook.

Make it fast, I'm in a hurry.

Nobody allowed in. There's a rocket taking off now.

That's what I want to stop. Let me speak to Dr. Russell Marvin.

West Gate to Bunker Number 2.

Dr. Marvin.

Bunker Number 2, Marvin speaking.

This is the West Gate, sir. General Hanley wants you.

Put him on. Carol, it's your father.

-Calling from Panama? -No, right here at the project.

-Hello, Russ? -Hello.

Well, welcome home, general. What's the news from Panama?

It's bad, I'm afraid.

Listen to what I found before you send up another rocket.

Can you possibly put it off?

I can't, we're tied to a definite schedule of launchings.

Wait a minute, there's something else I wanted....

Just a minute.

It's your privilege.

Hi, Dad.

-What is it, honey? -I just wanted to hear your voice...

...and tell you we were married last night.

-Married? -Forgive us for not letting you know.

I've gotta hang up. Let's have dinner tonight. Can you?

Don't forget. Bye.

Fourteen, 13, 12...

...11, 10, nine, eight, seven, six...

...five, four, three, two, one.

I know how the designer feels hearing a thing like this...

...but Project Sky Hook hasn't worked...

...the way the Defense Department hoped.

Tell me, how many birds have you sent up so far?

Eleven, counting today's.

How many are you in contact with right now?

Just one. Today's.

I admit we haven't been able to track them visually so far...

...but we'll correct that.

Don't be too sure of that.

We can certainly tune them in if they're up there.

What I'm trying to tell you is that they're no longer up there.

That wasn't a meteorite that fell on Panama.

It was the burned remains of Number 7. I made sure of that myself.

-What? -And Intelligence has reports now...

...that 1 and 3 fell over Africa...

...Number 5 around the North Pole, and 9 and 10 along the Andes.

The rest can be presumed to have been lost someplace at sea.

What happens to them?

Apparently they blow up in outer space.

Why? There's nothing explosive in them.

You can take it from me...

...when a rocket's blasted off, it should circle the Earth for a long time.

-That is, unless-- -Russ? Dad?

Unless what?

Unless something shoots them down as fast as we set them up there.

Why, no gun in the world can shoot that high.

No. No, of course not.

Bring spoons for your coffee.

My special barbecue.

That's to make up for not telling you about our getting married.

It was kind of sudden for us too.

Sudden? I've only been after him for a year.

I don't need to tell you, both of you, how pleased I am.

Well, I'm glad of that. I wouldn't like it very much if you weren't.

Thank you.

Russ, what were you driving at back there...

...about something shooting down one of the satellites?

General, we saw a strange thing this afternoon.

We saw what appeared to be a flying saucer.

-A flying saucer? -It nearly ran into us.

You're sure of it?

Both Carol and I are subject to the same atmospheric disturbances...

...that may have affected other observers...

...but there is a qualitative difference when you're a scientist.

We do have one piece of supporting evidence:

An accidental recording of the sounds it made.

The tape is in the lab at the project. I'd like you to hear it tomorrow.

-You both saw this? -Yes.

Excuse me.

From Captain Holoway, sir. Will you sign here, please?

-Who's Holoway? -He's on monitor duty this evening.

They've just lost contact with Number 11.

Russ, I'm sorry.

Is it still in range of our receivers?

If it hasn't been knocked down.

Look.

-What are those lights? -They're what the pilots call foo lights.

St. Elmo's Fire, in ancient times.

The superstitious regard them as omens of things to come.

The best science has made of them is that they're electric particles...

...agitated by moving air. Same principle as the aurora borealis.

There have been so many around the project, we take them for granted.

Bird 11 ought to be visible in the sky on its second lap around the world.

Look, there it is.

-Was that it? -Yes.

Surely you're not going to send up Number 12 tomorrow after this?

-I have to. -Why?

With a television pickup, cameras and microphone.

This time I'm gonna know what's happening up there and why.

Come on, let's finish our dinner.

Checking TV pickup. Getting a good image?

Fine.

TV's okay. I'll be down in a couple of minutes.

Tell them to hurry it up.

Do you notice anything different since you were here last?

-Soundproofing? -That's right.

You could fire a cannon off outside and not hear it down here.

Number 12 okay for takeoff.

As an old rocket man from way back, I'd rather watch from ground level.

Dr. Marvin. Dr. Marvin.

Marvin here.

You getting ready for a siege?

Russ and I are gonna take turns monitoring this one.

For days, if necessary.

Soundproof privacy and the last word in scientific solitude.

-Happy honeymoon, darling. -Thanks, Dad.

Prepare rocket for launching.

Prepare rocket for launching.

Rocket Number 12 will be launched in five minutes.

Four minutes to zero.