What Waits Below

The Earth is 6 billion years old.

Goliath, the largest known stalagmite in the world is over 900,000 years old.

Formed drop by drop it grew at the rate of one inch for every 1250 years.

To it's present height of 60 feet, or six stories.

250 years ago the difference in it's height was only the thickness of an orange peel.

2,500 years ago, before Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem...

The difference in it's height was only the depth of a cigarette carton.

900,000 years ago.

When the first drop of water fell on the cave floor.

And Goliath began to form.

Man as we know him today emerged.

And began to chip flints to make tools.

Goliath.

One of the wonders of the Earth.

Who can say what other such splendors might exist in caverns as yet unknown to man.

Forming...in the darkness, throughout all time.

What Waits BELOW

Directed by Don Sharp

Somewhere in Nicaragua. The Present.

George.

Just what the hell are you doing here?

Well I aint on a Club Med vacation!

Well.

If they saw us we...

- We can kiss our asses goodbye. - Relax Wolf, nobody saw me.

Especially the goon that I liberated this uniform off of.

Hey eh, guv'ner.

Care for a beer?

Oh come on, it's not even cold!

Cover me George.

Go!

Go George!

Move it!

Buenos dios amigos!

cigaros!

Nope, not that way.

Return fire!

Not so fast George.

- You want a lift? - And I was beginning to get worried.

What the hell are you doing here anyway?

Give you a job, you can name your own price! Oh and I haven't told you the best thing...

Caves, huge mothers and no ones ever been in 'em.

What the hell is this?

- Copper mines. - Is there a way out?

I'm working on it.

These guys don't give up

Caves.

Big caves.

If nobody's been in them...

how do you know they're there?

Tests.

Major Stevens will show you.

Hasn't anybody fragged that bastard yet?

Omega base camp. Belize, South America. Twelve hours later.

Well there may be caves around here but I don't see any way in.

A minor snag, we thought we found a way in but it turned out to be a dead end.

- Stevens put himself out on a limb again did he? - Just like old times, huh?

And if you and I don't find an entrance, he's going to get passed over again.

Tempting, isn't it?

What's this black spot on the map?

Anthropologists, a team of them have been excavating there, Stevens drove 'em out.

- Too bad you're late, Ben Gannon was with them. - What, THE Ben Gannon?

I don't think he knows anything about these caves though.

Ben Gannon can smell a cave.

That's too bad, I would liked to have met him.

I'm not overjoyed to have you here Wolfsen, unfortunately for you we need your experience.

Unfortunately for you, I need the money. What's all this about?

Have you heard of Omega Stations?

Extra-low frequency to send out long very slow radio waves that can be picked up just about anywhere.

Yeah. A group of transmitters, strategically placed

to create a network of signals that can be used as a navigational aid by properly equipped...ships

And Trident subs.

They don't have to surface to pick up the codes.

I see you've done your homework.

Now our experts have determined this site to be the optimum position for such a transmitter on both strategic

Fine. But what's the hurry? You expecting a war?

We're holding world-wide manuevers which provides us with an ideal opportunity to test such a system.

A base here will complete the necessary network for those tests.

Someone committed this site without first securing a place to transmit?

Well, there are...

factors involved which you wouldn't understand.

I would agree with that.

Well agree or not, I intend to see this site operational by the end of those maneuvers.

Major. Oh, excuse me major.

Major, this is uh, Mr. Wolfsen our speliology expert. Wolfsen, Major Ricardo Castillo,

Major, we are still having a problem with some of the people, especially Dr. Shelley

Barwell.

Now I told you, get those scientists out.

Tell them if they don't withdraw in 24 hours...

they'll be removed.

Yes, sir.

Wolfsen.

This is your time schedule.

Don't fall a minute behind.

Detail! Halt!

God how I love the army.

- Let me out here. - What do you mean?

Where do you think you're going?

Gonna fill in that blank spot on the map.

Hey, how's it going Frida?

Good to see you again.

Well look at this.

Hey listen, is Ben around anywhere?

Let's turn into a nice boy, and I know you don't enjoy doing this, so please say what you have to.

Ah hell, Frida.

You've got to be out of here in 24 hours.

Or else we're going to have to move you out,

now I don't want to have to do that

but my superior officers...

Well then we'll just have to speak to your superior, won't we?

Now?

Whoops, damn!

How's the water?

Bracing, it's a great place to cool off.

And to practice freestyle diving, that last one was a beaut.

Hell of a gentleman you are, you could've jumped in here to save me.

Maybe I can't swim.

The name's Wolf.

Wolf? As in big bad?

No, as in Wolfsen.

Leslie, as in Peterson.

My pleasure.

Haven't seen you around here before.

You camping or hunting?

Neither. I'm acting as a consultant for the army.

This yours?

All we need is another army half-wit.

Look we can offer you other equally attractive locations.

I'm sure you can, but this isn't a picnic.

We're finding exceptional artifacts,

millions of years old and we're finding them right here.

Dr Shelley.

Now, Major Castillo's government must consider economic, political factors.

Probing for valuable mineral deposits must take a priority.

Since when did limestone become valuable?

Major, I don't want to exceed my authority.

I'm sorry, a private plane will take you to the capitol where you can appeal to higher authorities.

- Now look... - Or I will be forced to revoke your visas.

You don't leave us many options, do you.

Rita! Rita!

We hit the jackpot, Ben found an opening.

- He did? - Yeah!

Where?

None of your business.

If you'll excuse us Major, we have a lot of packing to do.

And I'm sure you'll want to start searching for your...limestone.

Don't worry doctor, if there's an opening we'll find it.

No matter how long it takes us.

We're paying you to make sure it won't take long.

Your men have been over these hills for weeks, you haven't found a thing.

Ben Gannon knows more about caves than any man alive.

It'd be absurd not to ask for his help.

Of course I'm sure the navy

won't mind holding position 'til you're ready to transmit.

Wolf's right sir.

Alright, looks like I'm the one without any options.

You might lose your meal-ticket.

- I'm Dr. Shelley. - Wolfsen

I'd say we owe you one.

Ah, my swimming coach, am I still on your blacklist?

Well, I...

guess maybe there are intelligent life forms in the army after all.

All the artifacts we've found so far

have been concentrated in a single bed of sediment near our camp. Now why just there?

Was it the local hotspot in the paleozoic era?

Ben thought that the specimens were washed down from somewhere higher up.

But all my efforts to find the source were to no avail, the trail led nowhere.

Until today.

I must be blind. I covered this hillside 4 weeks ago and didn't see a thing.

Neither did we.

Well there was nothing to see until sometime within the last few days.

Your seismic tests must have triggered an inverse rockfall, creating the opening.

We can start moving in right away.

No, hang on, hang on. The footing down there could be extremely dangerous.

Ben's right, the floor's covered with loose rubble. Bring up the gear!

Let's do this thing properly. George and I'll get kitted up and take the first look with your permission.

Yes of course, of course.

- Well then, let's not lose any time. - We'll try not to.

Move it, we've only got about 3 hours of daylight left.

Slow and easy, this stuff could go any minute.

Looks like the slope drops off to a deep shaft.

It's snagged, there we go

Hey we're getting it.

You know this looks an awful lot like that...

George, you allright?

I don't know.

I think I'm upside down.

Secure the rope.

Can you see bottom?

Are you kidding? It's dark as the inside of a cow's third stomach in here.

- Better? - Yeah, yeah.

Thanks.

Rock coming.

Now!

2 seconds.

About a hundred feet.

Don't go away.

Stevens, we're ok now.

Right.

You've got enough rope.