The Lost Missile

The world is one minute away from the start of a hydrogen war.

At 12:01 North Europe time.

A blazing unidentified missile-like object appears on a foreign sky-search TV screen.

Origin unknown.

Countdown on their hunter-type rocket.

This rocket is designed to track, find, destroy.

Strelia!

The terrible object has been diverted into an orbit by the explosion.

It streaks across the northern curve of the Earth at an altitude of only five miles.

A wild missile loose on the surface of the

Earth, Burning a track five miles wide below it.

It is morning in New York.

A busy spring morning.

In suburban New York is the Great Havenbrook Atomic Laboratory.

Top military research is conducted here.

A 5 billion-volt atom smasher is the heart of Havenbrook.

This is Joe, a solid fuel rocket built to carry a

hydrogen warhead, mightiest weapon in the world.

Job is not yet completed.

Final detail on the warhead is still to be done.

The man responsible for the warhead, David Loring.

His assistant, Joan Wood, this is their wedding day.

Oh, honey, Jove is almost finished.

Wouldn't you rather wait?

I'd rather have a wedding than lunch any day.

A lunch hour isn't very romantic.

David, every time we set a date, a new project comes along.

First, they were the nuclear vectors.

Then we had to perfect the new metal for the third stage of Joe.

Now a hydrogen warhead.

You know how important it is?

Yes, I have.

I know.

But so were we.

Oh, David.

Couldn't we stop thinking about all this for just a little bit?

Beats me how a girl's so used to facts and a work.

Can't get used to them in a private life.

Look at us.

We fall in love over coffee at midnight.

We work 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

David.

I meant it when I said we get married today or not at all.

Well, good thing we got machines to do some work around here.

You got the figures in the warhead ready, Dave?

They sure are.

Look, kids, I hate to do this, but I can't get away now.

Oh.

How can we get married without a best man?

We'll be back in an hour.

We're serving sandwiches on the way back.

The big brass from the Pentagon are in with the boss right now.

Where are the figures, David?

Well, here they are.

You'll have to explain them yourself.

Joan hasn't had a chance to make up a report yet.

They're just out of the computer.

And we're getting out of here right now.

Good luck, kids.

Thanks, Joe.

Oh, by the way, the third stage of Joe was completed this morning.

I don't know how the way Joe looks, doesn't he ever sleep?

He's working too hard.

Maybe when his child is born, he'll take a vacation.

Come, let's hurry.

Command to fire missiles is halted.

Computer's top urgency report indicates object not from any American base,

but its origin is still unknown.

The wild missile boils across the Bering Sea toward the North American continent.

Continental Air Defense Command called Kornan.

This is the center of the security and defense of

the United States against attack from air or space.

The eyes of American Continental Defense are radar eyes.

They search for a thousand miles or more from Texas towers anchored far out in the

Atlantic, from radar planes on Pacific Patrol, from picket ships on continuous duty.

The farthest outposts of Conad's watching eyes are the North Canada radar stations

called Dew Line, distant early warning line.

As cold as ever outside, How's it going?

Oh, it's quiet.

Hey, what the heck is this?

Scandinavian Airlines Flight 576, isn't it?

That's flight 576, he's 90 degrees off course.

I've ever called the patrol plane in check.

This is Keyhole Advance to SpyGlass 7.

Come in, Spyglass 7.

Spyglass 7 to Keyhole Advance.

Come in.

You've got a UFO at 90 degrees.

west on your course.

Investigate.

This is no Scandinavian Airlines flight.

What do you mean?

This thing's traveling at 4,000 miles an hour.

4,000!

Call Spyglass 7 to haven't got all his television camera.

Keyhole advance to Spyglass 7.

Transmit UFO on your television.

camera over this is spy glass seven transmitter ready get the still camera

connev want some pictures of this i'm

online with a tv camera the sky's getting bright he has it on interception course

get that picture now come in spy glass seven come in

Buy that picture to Conad and hurry.

Yes, sir.

Red ball to Conad.

UFO 400 miles from due line.

Keyhole advance.

Latitude, 64 degrees, 22 minutes.

Longitude, 148 degrees and 15 minutes.

Altitude, less than five miles.

Speed?

Over 4,000 miles per hour.

Repeat, over 4,000 miles per hour.

picture will be transmitted to you immediately.

That's only six minutes from here.

We can have it sized down for you in less than two hours.

David, do you like it?

Very nice.

There was one other here that I liked.

Honey, for Pete's sake, just get one that fits.

It isn't very important.

It isn't very important.

Sweetheart, I didn't mean that way it sounded.

David, I just don't seem to understand you.

What's so important at the lab that we can't?

and take a few extra minutes and go to another store and find a ring that fits.

There's really nothing as important to you as your work, is there?

Believe me, you are as important to me as my work.

David, you win.

We're not getting married today.

All right, if you say so, but we've also got to get back to work.

Don't you even care?

Of course I care.

And you're also a scientist.

Yes, and I'm a woman.

Are you misinterpreting everything I say?

Well, am I?

We decide to miss lunch and get married, fine.

But all you can think about is a hydrogen warhead.

Well, I'm sick of it.

I guess I was expecting you to insist to drag

me off to the church, not back to the lap.

Well, marry your hydrogen warhead.

But I'm quitting my job, David.

You'll have to find somebody else for both marriages.

I'll take the ring.

She seemed a little upset.

Yeah, she sure was.

At Conad reports from Deuline take precedence over all else.

So there's a confirmed report of a UFO with the characteristics of a missile.

Check the Canadian defense officer.

Give me the Canadian defense officer.

We have confirmed report of the UFO characteristics of a guided missile.

Royal Canadian Air Force jets are ordered into the sky to intercept.

Fighters have not intercepted rockets since the defense of London in World War II.

The missile is only five miles up, but these

flyers do not know of its million degree heat.

Got any more figures?

Yes, sir.

Speed 4078 miles per hour, altitude 24 ,200, vector unchanged.

The photo is on its way, sir.

The UFO is definitely a missile.

Photo is on its way.

That's about all.

I hope you can stop it.

I figure we've got about...

Put me through the keyhole advance.

Victor unchanged.

Speed remains static, 4078 miles per hour.

Keyhole advance doesn't respond, sir.

Thank God there was a keyhole advance doesn't respond, sir.

Predicted course over Great Slave Lake, west shore of Hudson Bay, passed to

Ottawa, latitude, 38 degrees, longitude 75

degrees, directly over metropolitan New York.

Conat to the Pentagon.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff are called to an emergency meeting.

The first responsibility of these men is 175 million American lives.

They have a second responsibility to advise the president.

in the event of war.

Pentagon puts all America forces on yellow alert and get ready for red alert.

Dave.

Dave.

How about it, Joe?

Hotline, just opened to the Pentagon.

Red hot, situation yellow.

Anybody know why?

Why?

Whoever knows why or what?

Your section is to keep an open line to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Now, there are about 10 sections at the lab on that open line.

What's wrong?

Joan.

Oh, I forgot.

Congratulations.

Where is the Bronx?

She decided I was in love with a hydrogen warhead, not a woman.

No wedding, no lunch.

Doesn't she understand?

Doesn't she know we're in a boat headed for

Niagara Falls and you're trying to stop us?

She knows.