Brain Eaters, The (1958)

[bunniefuu]

(intense music)

(ominous music)

[Glenn] A few weeks

ago, Riverdale, Illinois

was just another quiet small town.

Then on that Saturday,

shortly after midnight,

a living nightmare began.

(intense music)

(man groans)

(steam hissing)

(engine rumbling)

On Sunday about an hour

before a nightfall my fiance

and I were returning from

the trip to her family's home

in the country.

Our wedding date was set,

everything was right with the world.

We were on the way back to town to tell

the good news to my father.

(expl*si*n booms)

(intense music)

(light dramatic music)

All of them, dead.

What is it?

I don't know.

48 hours later in Washington,

a hastily summoned UFO

committee anxiously awaited

to see a special screening

of top-secret Army films.

Delaying the proceedings

was the late arrival

of senator Walter K. Powers.

All right let's go.

Lights.

A ravine six miles south of the town

of Riverdale, Illinois.

48 hours ago discovery was made

of a great cone-shaped object.

The cone stands 50 feet high,

has a base diameter of 50 feet.

The nature of the cone,

undetermined, origin, unknown.

Efforts made to determine

the composition of the cone

by Dr. Paul Kettering, principal scientist

for Project Damper have proven futile.

The surface of the cone

has a total resistance

to pressure, heat, acid.

Coincidental with the

discovery of the cone

is the brutal slaying of several

of the town's leading citizens.

Townspeople questioned provided stories

of strange sightings on or about the time

of the discovery of the cone.

One report cited the appearance of

a fiery horse-drawn chariot in the sky.

All reports, inconclusive.

As of this report, the

origin and the nature

of the cone remain unknown.

Lights.

I don't know whether

you gentlemen are aware,

but I'm directed from

the executive branch.

I've been given a free hand

in the matter of this ship.

I want some action, I have the

people's interests at heart

but I will not have my hands

bound by lack of all the facts.

Dan, call the hotel and

tell them to pack our things

and call the airport and charter a plane.

We're heading for that

little town of Riverdale.

I want to see this thing firsthand.

Call the Signal Corps, get

General Prescott on the line,

say that Walter K. Powers will

not tolerate departmental interference.

But if that spaceship film

has been doctored in any way,

he stands in a very shaky position.

Lay it on thick, I want him

to keep so busy cleaning out

his own closet that he

won't find time to get

in my way out there at that ship.

I'll use the old investigation

threat, that always works.

Good.

Garret, Jared, I'm going

to poke so many holes

in that spaceship fairy tale the lid

will be off in 24 hours.

(intense music)

(plane engine roaring)

[Glenn] Washington had wired

ahead that Walter K. Powers

was to arrive in Riverdale to take charge

of the spaceship investigation.

Powers requested that there

be no publicity whatsoever.

- Mr. Powers?

- Yes.

Dan Walker.

How are you?

Where's the Mayor?

Well he's not here Mr. Powers.

I'm his son, Glenn Cameron.

We wired ahead, why isn't he here?

We've had some disturbing developments

here in town, Mr Powers.

As of last night we've got

three murders on our hands.

The Mayor?

No, at least we're hoping against it.

He's disappeared though,

there's no word of any kind.

Sounds to me like a

department of law enforcement

has an abundant supply of bunglers.

Do I have transportation?

All right, let's get out

to that ship or cone,

or whatever it is.

(pensive music)

(intense music)

[Glenn] Entering the

restricted ravine area,

I had the feeling that

we were being watched,

although there wasn't a soul around.

The sheriff had instructed his men to keep

the woods clear of curiosity seekers.

Every precaution was being taken

to safeguard scientific

equipment and the scientists

whose work had to continue unhampered.

Gentlemen, this is Alice

Summers, Dad's secretary,

she's helping Dr. Kettering

with his paperwork.

Alice, Mr. Walter K. Powers.

- How are ya?

- Dan Walker.

How is it coming along?

Well Dr. Kettering is all

set to go inside the cone.

You mean no one's been inside yet?

What's the holdup?

System, Mr. Powers.

That thing may have

dangers we don't know of.

Can Kettering come down from up there?

[Alice] Well he and Dr. Wyler

are making a test just now.

What kind of test?

A sonic test.

They're sending sound

impulses into the tunneling

to determine its length.

Hmm.

I'm going up there.

[Alice] Mr. Powers, Dr.

Kettering may not like that.

Dr. Kettering?

You must be Walter K.

Powers, I'm Dr. Wyler.

I can see that.

What's the matter with him?

Is he hard of hearing?

39.1 ratio test, negative.

Check.

[Kettering] Yeah, hello

Powers, I'm Paul Kettering.

You know why I'm here.

I want action.

Good, we can use some.

So far our batting average is zero.

Not quite zero, I understand the ship

had some kind of markings.

They were destroyed.

That's impossible.

First let me say we haven't

determined whether it is a ship.

And as for any markings,

before a single hand touched

that cone it was photographed

from every conceivable angle:

black and white, color,

still, motion picture,

spectrographs, everything's

open to your inspection.

Who took these photographs?

My staff and I.

Look, this thing is indestructible.

To remove any markings, you'd

have to alter the surface,

and that, Mr. Powers is impossible.

Nothing's indestructible,

give the wind enough time

and it can wear away a mountain.

(electrical zapping)

Now, as you can see, not a mark.

I've tried everything science knows of:

diamond bit drills, metal eating

acids, all with no success.

Where does that opening lead?

As yet we don't know.

A ship has to have a control room,

place for an engine of

some kind, place for fuel,

living quarters.

Yeah well since we can't

determine what it's made of,

you can scarcely expect anybody to know

what its function is.

Since we haven't found out

what's on the other side

of the metal by penetrating

it we can't find out

what sounds inside the tunneling.

Watch this.

(g*n banging)

(ricocheting g*n fire)

What, what's it mean?

It means the tunnel is cyclic.

Is what?

The point of origin

becomes the point of return.

I can do without the double-talk.

I don't like to push you, Kettering,

but you science boys tend

to get all wrapped up

in your test tubes and the obvious things

escape your attention.

I've got to have something to report.

I want action, not theories.

I want to know what's on

the inside of that ship.

Well I suppose now's

as good a time as any.

Don't you think it wise to be armed?

(light dramatic music)

Come on now, what's really

on the inside of that thing?

I don't know.

(intense music)

Dr. Wyler, it has been a long time.

Could anything have gone wrong?

I don't know.

How long has he been in there?

Too long.

(dramatic music)

Listen!

(Kettering panting)

Kettering, are you all right?

A little worser for wear.

What did you find?

Nothing.

Nothing?

It's tunneling all the way through,

spiral like a toy railroad train,

up and down over and over again.

Well the thing has some

purpose, what's it for?

I don't know.

(phone ringing)

Hello?

Hold the line.

Glenn, it's the Sheriff.

Yeah?

The Mayor's back!

(intense music)

(man sobbing)

Hey, Glenn, he's still up there.

Let's go up.

Hey Ryan, stay put

and keep your eyes open.

Leave me alone, leave me alone.

(suspenseful music)

Dad, are you all right?

Dad, you had us worried.

You left no word.

I left word with Alice.

Alice, didn't you give him my message?

Mayor Cameron, you

didn't say anything to me.

Oh, didn't I?

I'm sure I had.

Where you been all this time, Mayor?

Cameron, I'm Walter K.

Powers down from Washington.

I'm here to keep this

spaceship business in check.

Don't you think you picked a bloody

a poor time to absence

yourself from office?

Washington is not

running this town, I am.

Dad, Mr. Powers is only trying to help.

Are you siding against your father?

Sorry Dad, but you don't look well.

I, I feel fine.

You do look the kind

of pale, Mayor Cameron.

I'm not sure you're welcome

in this town anymore Dr. Kettering.

Now hold on, Cameron,

if I have to push my

weight around, I will.

Riverdale's not a republic,

it's part of the U.S.A.

One telephone call for

me and this town goes

under martial law.

Now, let's not make-

- Get out!

All of you, get out!

Mr. Powers please wait.

Dad there is something the matter.

What is it?

I said said get out and

keep away from that door!

Wait a minute, what's going on here?

What is that on the

back of your neck, Mayor?

There's...

There's nothing on my neck.

I say there is.

Do you mind if I take a look at it?

Don't go near him.

Why don't you give the g*n to Glenn?

He's your son, surely you trust him?

All we wanna do is help you.

Dad, may I have the g*n?

(intense music)

(g*n shots)

(Cameron groans)

What's that on his neck?

(quiet music)

What did you find out?

Well I wanna wait and

hear what the doctor

has to say before I draw any conclusions.

You're so tired, you

gotta get some rest.

I'm all right.

Well, what was it?

Well, we can't say yet.

We'll know in a moment.

Oh, it's all right doctor, go ahead.

Now none of you should

feel any sense of guilt

about the Mayor's death

because of the sh**ting.

What do you mean?

He would have died anyway.

It works like this Powers.

That thing on the back of the Mayor's neck

had two piercing instruments.

They attached themselves to

the central nervous system

at the base of the neck.

And we don't quite know how

it worked but when the thing

was crushed and the instruments withdrawn,

they secreted something

in the form of an acid.

This acid destroyed the

Mayor's nervous system.

So without the sh**ting,

death would have ensued in,

well what would you say, Doctor?

24 to 48 hours.

Just enough time for

the acid to do its work.

You mean if there any

more of these things around,

and they get on somebody's

back, the person will live

only so long as the

thing is left untouched?

That's it, because once

this thing attaches itself

to the victim's back, well the

victim isn't human anymore.

[Doctor] Are you going to

tell the others about this?

Well I have to tell then something.

This is to be kept strictly

confidential, Doctor,

will you make your report out that way?

I understand.

If you need me, feel free

to call upon me, will you?

I will, thank you, Doctor.

All right, we're sitting on a powder keg.

I want you to listen closely

to everything I have to say

and not repeat a word to anyone.

(intense music)

Notify all the men

we're on a 24-hour duty.

If anybody wants me,

I'll be out at the cone.

(intense music)

(car engine roars)

(door thuds)

(knee thuds)

(dramatic music)

(light dramatic music)

(engine rumbling)

(pensive music)

This is the piece we got off the Mayor.

A reflex action like a snake.

You cut a snake in half

and the two pieces go off

in different directions.

How long can it do that?

I'd say till their

cellular structure begins

to break down I suppose.

Sickening.

Your hands are like ice.

Why don't you get some rest?

I can manage here alone.

I'd feel less guilty if you did.

[Alice] About the

parasites, do you think there

are many more of them?

Why don't you let me worry about that.

Can't you get some rest?

I can't, I want to help.

All right then, let's get back to work.

(ominous music)

Impeding the mouthparts,

rupture the cells,

convey the food to the

stomach by a pumping action.

(light dramatic music)

(Kettering grunting)

Paul!

(Kettering groans)

Ugh, it's breaking open the skin!

Hit it with something, hit it!

(intense music)

(clipboard slapping)

(Kettering panting)

(phone ringing)

Hello?

Kettering, Wyler.

I've got an idea about this cone out here.

I don't know why I didn't

occur to me before.

Yes, can you get out here right away?

Yeah, okay I'll be right over.

Wyler's come up with something.

We have to pick up the

others and go right away.

[Glenn] It didn't take Kettering long

to round up the others.

Once again we were on the

way to the restricted area.

Wyler had come up with a new angle.

Of course we all hoped

that it was a solution

to the mystery of the spaceship.

As we entered the woods,

we discovered that

the roadblock signs had been

removed from the highway

and there wasn't a guard on duty.

At least we didn't see one.

What is it?

Look.

Are you thinking the same thing I am?

Hello!

Hello!

Most of model rockets, those that are

in the planning stage

today come in sections.

Let us just say you have

one section for control room

and living quarters, then you

have two more fuel sections.

As the fuel sections become needless,

empty of fuel, they're

cast off, jettisoned,

simply dead weight.

This cone's a fuel section, is that it?

We've been wasting our time.

The control section's some place

else, maybe miles away.

Not miles away, simply out

in space, floating perpetually.

Well we know this is

not an American project.

This cone is a useless piece of junk.

We're wasting our time here.

So, it's come down to the parasites.

What about it, Kettering?

Well we can't handle it single-handed.

I didn't ask you, my

job here is to help keep

a damper on this thing.

We don't want a nationwide

panic on our hands.

You got to keep this thing down to rustle.

Now, just how much of a threat are they?

Well, some of this

is fact and some of it

is scientific hunch.

Give us a rundown and never

mind pulling the punches.

All right, they're parasites,

that means they need something

or someone to live on.

On their own, most parasites would die.

Well, they tried animals,

why didn't they settle on animals?

That's the rub.

They wanted more than just life.

They tried animals through ignorance.

They didn't understand earthly forms.

They didn't know which

animal, including man,

was best suited for this environment,

so they experimented, trial and error.

[Elaine] You mean they can think?

It chose the Mayor,

that shows they can think.

These things take over a man's mind

and he becomes a a robot,

a machine taking orders?

Except for one thing.

It may not show on the outside,

a victim may act normally.

Well they haven't moved

in on us in force yet.

If we can find out where they're nesting,

we may get the jump on them.

There's another part to this

ship and we've got to find it.

Glenn, this is your town, draw up a map,

outline search zones.

I'll call the Sheriff and have

him get his men organized.

(phone ringing)

(ominous music)

Can't reach the Sheriff.

No matter, this calls

for the state militia.

I'll wire the Governor.

What about the folks in town?

They'll know something's up

if you call in the militia.

You have a local radio

station, don't you?

I'll arrange for the radio

station to make an announcement.

We're having a civil defense drill,

nothing to get excited

about, just routine.

Well here's the map.

It's not a good job, but it's a map.

You're not gonna start

a search now are you?

Why not?

Oh, I just thought...

Well, perhaps you're right.

And I thought we'd break

up into three groups,

first thing though we ought to

get the girls back into town.

We're in on this too.

We'll search on our own

if you won't take us.

I'm not gonna stay

in town all by myself.

Okay, now change it around.

Kettering, you and Alice

can take this area.

Powers, Dan Walker, and

Wyler can cover this area.

Elaine and I will work here.

And I think we ought to agree:

if anyone finds a trace of

the other part of the ship,

go to the city hall,

we'll meet back there.

Nobody should act on his own.

- We need weapons.

- We have 'em in our supplies.

All right, we've wasted enough time.

Let's go.

(ominous music)

(light dramatic music)

Paul, what if we should

come upon something,

this other part of the ship?

No funny business.

We'll report back to the others.

Are you scared?

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't.

(ominous music)

I think we should have

held off up on this search.

Would you mind telling me why?

Because if there's

another part of the ship

and we do find it, we

couldn't do very much

about it though could we?

You don't talk very much do ya?

That's why he's my assistant.

Now you take parrots, they're

great talkers, lousy fliers.

(intense music)

(serious music)

(Elaine screaming)

(intense music)

(leaches hissing)

Power company man.

(intense music)

Is he?

Yes.

(leaches hissing)

What you're hearing now

is the cause of his death.

The smartest thing for us

to do is to get out of here.

(serious music)

(door banging)

(Elaine screaming)

It's all right, the wind slammed shut.

It's locked!

- Oh no!

From the outside!

(leaches hissing)

Glenn, there's somebody out there!

I hear breathing!

(intense music)

(leaches hissing)

(g*n banging)

(leaches hissing)

He's still breathing.

(leaches hissing)

Something's burning, there's a fire!

Something's burning!

Glenn!

(intense music)

(glass shattering)

(Elaine coughing)

(Elaine screaming)

(g*n firing)

(Elaine coughing)

(intense music)

(Elaine coughing)

Well, we've all had an object lesson on

how not to conduct a search.

I guess we'll call a halt

until in the morning.

Powers, did you contact

the Governor on getting

the state militia out again?

I had trouble getting

the telegrapher out of bed,

he's on his way to the office now.

What are these doing in here?

What?

These big glass jars.

Don't touch it!

Unless I miss my bet, these jars

are connected with the parasite.

How?

The Mayor is the only person

with one of these on him yet.

On their own the parasites

can't move around

from one place to the other rapidly.

They just aren't made that way.

Now, we're gonna have the

Mayor plant these jars

where they would do the most harm.

And in each jar, a parasite.

You've hit it on the head, Kettering.

Now we know what to look for.

I'm gonna send that wire.

(phone line clicking)

(phone ringing)

Telegraph office.

[Powers] This is Powers.

Sorry to pull you out of bed.

This is urgent.

Urgent and confidential, is that clear?

All right, what's the message?

Governor Clinton, State Capitol.

[Man] Governor Clinton, State Capitol.

Situation urgent, phone me

at once, here at Riverdale.

Signed Walter K. Powers.

Hello?

Hello?

Yes, I'm still here.

[Powers] Have you got that message?

Yes, I've got it.

Situation urgent, phone me at once,

care Riverdale, signed Walter K. Powers.

[Powers] That's right,

I want that sent direct.

It's already there.

Good.

Thanks for getting out of bed, good night.

(telegraph tapping)

Everything peaceful here.

Spaceship pure bunk.

(intense music)

(door rattling)

(doors thudding)

(intense music continues)

(light music)

(window rustling)

(leaches hissing)

(light dramatic music)

(tense music)

(light dramatic music)

(engine rumbling)

[Kettering] If they've got her,

at least she's still alive.

We'll find a way.

No, it can't be.

If I k*ll that thing, that

means that we have to k*ll her,

and if we let it live that she'll be

a menace to everyone else.

Where to now?

Out to the cone, where else?

I though we gave that up.

I haven't.

How about you?

I think you may be right.

When we got to the ravine still

another mystery greeted us.

Dr. Wyler and the others

had discovered a dying man

who presumably came from

inside the spaceship.

Kettering recognized the

man as Professor Helsingman,

who vanished with an entire

scientific expedition

five years ago.

Elaine, there's a medical

kit over in the tent,

will you get it for me please?

Will he live?

No, but he's going to as

long as science can make him.

Why did the thing go away?

Why did it leave him?

A car with a bad

engine, would you buy it?

He's got a bad heart, it's the same thing.

With that parasite

off his back he'll die

in a matter of hours.

During that time he'll

make trouble won't he?

He'll be out of his mind.

Yes, we'll have to tie him up.

Wyler, will you go get us a rope?

He came out of that

cone, no doubt about that.

Yes, but was he in

the cone to begin with,

or did he go into the cone?

Let's get him to a hospital,

we might get something out of him yet.

Every minute counts.

Wyler, I want you to set

up some detection equipment

on top of the scaffolding

next to the hatch.

I wanna know if so much as a mosquito

goes in or out of it.

I'll get right on it.

(intense music)

Where were you last night?

We could have used you.

I don't know, I must have

been out of the office.

Why'd you take those

two men off the roadblock?

Let's face it, Kettering,

if somebody wanted

to pass the roadblock all

they have to do is skirt it.

Plenty of woods on both

sides of the highway.

That's why I took 'em out.

Well I want those two men

and was stationed up there

put down here at the foot

of the scaffolding, okay?

I'm cooperating.

Good.

Your name is Helsingman,

you were a professor

of biochemistry at

Wallingsford University.

I studied under you.

What are the parasites?

Where do they come from?

What do they want of us?

You disappeared nearly five years ago.

Where have you been all this time?

You were given up for dead.

Where is Dr. Cole who vanished with you?

Kettering.

He knows it's you, Kettering.

Get him to talk, you've got to.

Helsingman, are the

parasites from the cone?

What is the secret of the cone?

Carboniferous.

Carboniferous.

Carboniferous?

Carboniferous age.

What's the Carboniferous age?

200 million years ago,

a coal and oil forming period began.

Geologists refer to it

as the Carboniferous age.

It was the age of insects,

giant dragonflies,

two feet in wingspread,

all kinds of insects,

mammoth in size.

You mean the parasites

come from the earth?

They've survived in the

earth all this time?

Death, oh death!

(serious music)

Is he?

(somber music)

Then it's not a

spaceship, it's from below.

Put me through to the Governor's office

in the State Capitol.

Who shall I say is calling sir?

Powers, Walter K. Powers.

Put me through.

I'm sorry, sir, the lines are busy.

[Powers] Well, keep trying.

I'll keep trying, sir.

Operator?

I'm sorry, sir, that line's busy.

The Governor should

have called hours ago.

There's no doubt in his mind

as to the urgency of my wire.

Are you sure it was sent?

Positive that is...

Hello operator, connect me

with the telegraph office.

I'm sorry, sir, that line is busy.

Well how about my call

to the State Capital?

[Operator] I'm sorry

sir, that line is busy.

There's something funny going on here.

Hello, Operator, connect me with

the Water Commissioner's office.

I'm sorry, sir, that line is busy.

All right, Operator, thank you.

Well, that does it, they've

got communications tied up.

[Glenn] While Powers and

Walker went to the radio station

in an attempt to broadcast an

alarm to the State Capitol,

Kettering and I stopped at the

Telegraph Office to find out

if the Governor had sent a

reply to Powers' urgent message.

The place was dark, it seemed

as though it was closed

for the night, but

Kettering noticed figures

moving about inside.

The telegrapher appeared at the door.

Kettering asked him

about the telegram Powers

was expecting from the Governor.

The Telegrapher was angry, his

answer abrupt and negative.

Kettering demanded an explanation,

but was attacked instead.

(intense music)

(fist thudding)

(intense music continues)

(engine rumbling)

Are you all set?

This is Walter K. Powers in Riverdale.

This message is directed to anyone outside

the Riverdale area who can hear my voice.

I repeat, this message

is directed to anyone

outside the Riverdale area-

(leaches hissing)

(suspenseful music)

I'll go up and check the

recording device I set up

by the hatch to see if

anything's been up there.

You two stay down here and map out a plan

for searching the tunnel.

I don't know if I'd be of much help.

I never met a man who thought

so little of his own abilities.

Hi, has anyone been up near the hatch

since you two boys have been on duty?

Not a soul, sir, why?

Do you want one of us stationed up there?

No, no I was just checking.

We have equipment up there to detect

any movement around the hatch.

No one's been up there

sir, you can be sure that.

(intense music)

(machine humming)

(intense music)

Dan, Wyler, duck!

(intense music)

(g*n banging)

What's wrong? What are

they sh**ting at us for?

(g*n shots banging)

(man growling)

(g*n bangs)

(intense music)

(Elaine gasps)

(g*n bangs)

What is it? What happened?

What did you k*ll them for?

Look.

The parasite!

(Elaine screams)

They're still alive!

(g*n shots banging)

We'd better reload, we're

going inside the cone right now.

(serious music)

Where's Kettering and young Cameron?

Went inside the cone.

What?

(serious music)

(metal rattling)

Come in, gentlemen, you have no choice.

You may stop there.

Well, there's no doubt

you're Professor Cole.

I was Professor Cole.

[Glenn] What do you mean you were?

Now I hold a position

of a much higher order.

I presume you're like the others.

No will of your own, you take your orders

from that thing on your back.

There is nothing on my back.

[Glenn] That's what it tells you.

And these glass pillars,

there's nothing in them I suppose.

You speak directly to me.

We are in complete harmony.

We are inseparable.

There is no conflict of purpose here,

as there is among mankind.

We will not engage in combat,

nor violence of any kind.

Why should we, when we can scatter quietly

like seeds in the wind.

You mean spread like a

disease, like some vile plague

from the corruptions of the Earth.

Our social order is pure, innocent,

it has the exactitude of mathematics.

We shall force upon man a life

free from strife and turmoil.

Ironic that man should

obtain his long sought utopia

as a gift, rather than

as something earned.

You speak in riddles.

How many more are there in your world?

We that you see here are the founders.

Though few in number, we

shall organize man to aid us

in bringing the others to the surface.

It will take time, but

we have learned patience

in 200 million years.

We are not so well adjusted.

We've reached the end of our patience,

you're flesh and blood.

Drop it!

I said drop it!

(g*n shots banging)

Kettering, the leaches!

(leaches hissing)

Let's get out of here!

(leaches hissing)

(g*n shots banging)

(dramatic music)

Acquire everyone, up in the ravine fast!

(crickets chirping)

What are they waiting for?

Let 'em wait, we need the time.

Glenn, I've got an idea.

You think you can salvage that power truck

we saw stopped on the highway?

I might, why?

You think you can manage it alone?

We've gotta stay here and

keep an eye on the cone.

I'll do my best.

(door thuds)

What's that thing?

It's a harpoon g*n, more

or less, air pressure type.

The power company used

it to get their lines

over difficult terrains.

Have they tried anything yet?

Not a sign or movement.

It's too quiet, they're

setting up something,

I can feel it in the air.

Glenn, I'm going down the

other end of the ravine,

when I give you the

signal, you fire the g*n

and keep everybody clear of this cable.

When I get over the other

side, you secure the end

of this cable onto the end of

that heavy electrical cable

you saw in the back of the truck, okay?

(light dramatic music)

[Glenn] Kettering

reached a point directly on

the opposite side of

the ravine and signaled

for me to fire the harpoon g*n.

(g*n clacking)

(light dramatic music continues)

The next step was to tie his

end of the wire to a tree.

I wasn't sure of Kettering's plan,

but followed his

instructions nevertheless.

I made doubly sure that my end

of the wire was firmly tied

to the heavy electrical

cable from the power truck.

Then I signaled back to

Kettering and he started

to pull the wire on his side.

The electrical cable moved

out over the ravine until

it was strung but an inch

or two away from the cone.

What is all this, Kettering?

What's your plan?

You see those lines on top

of that high tension tower?

[Powers] What about them?

Those lines carry anywhere

from 60 to 80,000 volts.

They'd like nothing better

than an easy path to ground.

If it did, you'd see some

pretty fancy fireworks,

the kind that kills.

Ya gonna feed that

current into the cone?

Sounds good, there's just one thing.

What's that?

Who's going up there and

splice that cable onto it?

Suicide, plain and simple.

No, I'm against it.

He's right, Kettering.

I'm not going up there,

I can tell you that.

And we're not gonna let you do it either.

Nobody has to go up there.

What do you mean?

This will do it for us.

We'll sh**t the other end

of the cable up there.

All right, everybody, back

behind the power truck.

Kettering, do you want me to stay on?

Just say the word.

You want to?

No, but I intend to, just the same.

Kettering!

Look!

(intense music)

(leaves rustling)

Paul, you must listen to me.

What I had to say means everything to me.

[Kettering] Alice, whatever

you have to say it's not

of your own making.

No Paul, you're wrong,

I know what you're

thinking but you're wrong.

Alice, you must come

down, there's no time left.

There is time Paul,

you can give it to us.

Say it!

Go ahead!

Listen and believe.

If peaceful means fail

they'll be compelled

to use force, do you understand?

Alice, will you come with me?

I make you this solemn promise.

If it takes me the rest of my life,

I'll find a way to free you.

I believe in that so

strongly, I know I won't fail.

Never!

How can I ever think that I loved you?

(g*n banging)

(dramatic music)

(Alice screaming)

(dramatic music)

Glenn, fire the g*n!

That's m*rder.

He's as good as dead, he

gave the order, fire the g*n.

I can't.

Now you listen to me.

Either fire that g*n or give it to me.

Fire the g*n!

(suspenseful music)

(g*n shot bangs)

(electrical zapping)

(leaches hissing)

Nothing could have lived through that.

We have to make sure.

Let's get at it.

They're all dead, every last one of them.

No, there's still some

other people in town.

I'll attend to that, watch my dust.

We'll get them, or you

don't know Walter K. Powers.

(soft music)

Dan, Wyler, we've still

got a job to do, come on.

(somber music)

Oh, Glenn.

(dramatic music)