The Groundstar Conspiracy

Ah!

Where is this son of a bitch?

Bender's out with a search party.

What's the damage?

Max Security corridor's all blocked off.

Equipment's on its way.

Excuse me, sir, they've located him.

- We've sent an ambulance there. - Where?

River Road about 300 yards.

Take me to the River Road, haul ass.

Here's his ID, here's what else he had on him, computer tape.

Got a lot of answers out of that slot machine.

- Did you get a look at his face? - What face?

I'll tell you one thing, I'm no plastic surgeon

but if I were I sure as hell wouldn't take the job.

Well, he should've run faster.

Whoever paid him to fix their computer's brain

might try to shut his mouth before he can open it.

Could make the play between here and the hospital.

Anybody tries.

All right, let's move it, move out!

Nicole Devon.

This house belongs to her, verified.

Family's summer place left to her last year.

Mother and father killed on the freeway the same week her husband filed for divorce.

Nothing yet to establish a prior connection with Welles.

- Coincidence? - Possible.

Yeah.

Mrs. Devon?

Mrs. Devon?

I'm sorry, Mr. Tuxan, she's out, I sedated her.

Great.

She was coming apart at the seams.

Get her a room at the hospital, max security, no visitors, no phone.

- Registered as? - Guest of the government.

- Step aside, Sergeant. - I'm sorry, sir, those are my orders.

Nobody beyond this point, no exceptions.

You're getting to be a novelty, a soldier who doesn't disobey orders.

Incredible.

Tuxan, Tuxan!

Tuxan!

- Mr. Gossage. - Would you mind telling your man here

exactly who we are?

Delighted.

General Hackett, the Air Force co-director of this project,

Mr. Frank Gossage, Civilian Director of this Project.

Carl Mosely, Public Relations Director.

- Sergeant Zabrinski. - Fine, fine, now that we're all pals

perhaps you'll direct the Sergeant to let us pass?

Can't do that General.

He's under orders to shoot any unauthorized person

who attempts to cross this line.

Unauthorized, who the hell gave such orders?

- I did. - Then resend them.

I'm not ready for that.

You could back off a bit, Sergeant, up here at earshot.

Yes, sir.

Now, Tuxan, you don't really mean to interfere with an Air Force General

and the Civilian Head of this entire project

and their performance of their duties?

Yes, I do until I release this area.

Well, uh, kind of takes care of that, doesn't it, General?

This whole thing never would've happened if the Air Force

had been in control from the beginning

without a lot of damn civilian crap.

It began with civilians.

It was my conception Senator Stanton fought for the appropriation

and I personally selected the staff.

And you blew it.

You both did

or I wouldn't be here.

I think I'm gonna have to talk to your superiors, Tuxan.

Sorry, General, I talk to them but they only talk to God.

Tuxan?

So you take the responsibility for the investigation, right?

I mean, just so we get this all straight.

- For the record. - For the record, yes, I take all responsibility.

Okay, okay.

Now that that's out of the way let's deal with my problem.

The press, radio, television, they'll be on me like ants on a pear.

What can I tell them?

- No comment. - That will hold them for about two seconds.

Like you say, that's your problem.

Well, you can at least tell us what you've got so far.

Seven bodies, one breathing, the other six were incinerated, charcoal.

We'll never know which part belongs to which

but the components add up to six.

- The seventh? - They're sewing him back together

so he can tell us how he did that.

- You think he set the explosion? - I know it.

We caught him with his pockets full.

Stuff he could sell for any price to any power in the world.

He robbed that computer blind before he blew it up.

- Who is he? - John Welles.

One of your handpicked personnel.

Henshaw!

Get some shots of the computer console, the tunnels are clear.

Right.

Tuxan, just a minute.

I selected key personnel, Roger Bidof was in charge of computer data,

Welles was his man.

Seven minutes before the blast I talked to Bidof.

Yes, gentlemen, I tap my own phone too.

Yes, I have to see you Tuxan.

As soon as possible about Welles.

- Welles? - One of our computer technicians on Galaxy Probe.

- Go on. - I can't.

Not now, but Welles isn't one of us he...

Welles must've walked in at the minute.

End of talk, end of Bidof, end of project.

- That was Bidof's voice all right. - Mhm.

My God, what a terrible thing.

I was on my way here when the lid blew off.

This John Welles, he's a man with impeccable credentials.

Impeccable credentials,

qualification, clearances, impeccable, forgeries.

You're saying that everything we know about this man...

Is false, pure and simple.

By documents we couldn't prove he was alive before January 17th.

The day he began here.

Tuxan.

Picked up an awful lot of information in a hurry,

how much of it can I use?

Not word one, it's classified.

Anything you release clears through me first.

You better give me some help, my friend.

Something official sounding.

Fact, fantasy, science-fiction, I don't care

just so it makes sense and I can release it within an hour, maximum.

All right, climb in.

- Zabrinski? - Yes, sir.

Business as usual.

It's not gonna work.

- No? - No way.

It's a very nervous world we're living in.

People want straight answers.

- So? - A gas stove and water heaters can blow up

from causes unknown.

Not an entire research computer complex and everybody knows it.

Nevertheless, that's your story.

Okay.

But what if missus... what's her name?

- Devon. - Devon, what if Mrs. Devon

decides to give her version of the story to the press?

I'll tell yah after I've heard it.

Tell you what, I'll tape it and we'll go over it later.

You can't get in hospital max security, your card won't work.

You're taking away my triple A clearance?

Nobody gets in but top medical and me.

You reprogrammed the hospital cardets?

Yes.

Feeling better, Mrs. Devon?

No, I'm not feeling better.

I feel very confused and vey edgy.

What's going on? What am I doing here?

How long have you known this man?

I've never seen him before.

Well, you saw him last night, he came to your house?

This is the man?

You don't recognize him?

He had no face, he was nothing but blood.

That's a man, what I saw last night wasn't even human.

But I'm sure you knew, you must've known it was a man.

I didn't know.

He could've been anything.

He could've been from outer space.

That's what you thought? That he was from outer space?

Yes, I suppose I knew he was a man.

- This man? - No.

Who are you people?

Why do you all insist I knew him before?

Because he came to your house last night.

The first night you were there, suddenly you show up and then he appears.

That's a coincidence?

Were you expecting him, Mrs. Devon?

Was he supposed to bring you something?

No!

He was hurt.

He came from God knows where for help, I suppose.

I ran.

I was frightened and I ran.

From God knows where.

You heard the explosion at Groundstar and you couldn't guess where it came from?

I didn't know about this place, I didn't even know it was here.

Mrs. Devon.

A space project this close and you didn't know it was here?

It wasn't, not the last time.

Don't you understand? I haven't been here in three years.

Then why last night?

Summer's a long way off.

I've already told one of your people, mister...

Tuxan.

This hasn't been the best of years for me.

I just wanted to get some peace and quiet.

I just wanted to get things together.

That's pretty funny, isn't it.

Thanks.

Well, is that it?

You may put on your shoes.

I want you to get a hold of Senator Stanton and Hackett.