Original subtitles

Peter, please...

Take Jack back to the car. l must get this.

Run! Run!

- Minister, Colonel Straker. - How do you do, sir.

A shattering business. We'll meet The Prime Minister at Chequer's.

We've been in communication with Paris, Moscow, and Bonn.

- The government has to approve. - The evidence is conclusive.

- lf l might... - Surely.

Colonel, it may speed things up.

My God.

The clincher is at the back...

lt's an enlarged frame from the cine film, sir.

- lt couldn't be a fake? - The film was found in the camera.

lt's genuine. Take my word for it.

Keep pace with the escort.

l'll take the file, sir.

- Good morning, sir. - Good morning.

- Good morning. - Miss Raland.

- The report. - Thank you. Messages?

lnformation. Q21 , answer negative.

Q46, satellite link effective.

Q97, zero-zero. The computer Read-outs available from today.

- Put them straight through to me. - Yes, sir.

Mr Freeman to see you, sir.

- All right, Mr. Freeman - The others call me Alec.

- So? - Aren't you jealous?

0bviously it doesn't.

But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

lt is the east and Juliet is the sun.

Voice print. Positive identification for 9-7, Alec R. Freeman.

- Good morning, sir. - Good morning.

You're new here aren't you? Must have passed all the tests.

- All of them - l bet

Won't keep you a moment, Alec.

- Trouble? - Why else would l send for you?

Take a look at this.

- That's Westbrook Electronics. - Yeah, what's left of it.

- Well, what happened? - For ten years we've had setbacks.

We've had accidents, miscalculations,

errors of judgement and other mishaps.

Let's put Westbrook Electronics down to...other mishaps.

- You mean a UFO? - Well, there's no proof.

Bang goes the Utronic project, just as we had something to locate them.

Don't panic, the Utronic equipment is safe, it wasn't in the building.

lt's intact, fully tested and ready for shipment. The breakthrough.

SHADO's Moonbase and other satellites have been ready for month

There have been sightings, but no interceptions.

We've got the teeth. Soon we'll have the eyes.

Freeman, you know how important this is to our whole organisation.

The Utronic design team and equipment

are ready in Los Angeles to be flown here to England.

l'm making you responsible for the security of the entire operation.

- l mean you... personally. - Right.

- You don't land S.S.T.'s often. - lt's part of the personal service.

Seagull to SHADO Control, confirm arrival at Stevenson Base, LA 0835.

- 'Take-off scheduled 1 100 hours.' - (Ford) Roger, Seagull X-Ray.

- Call Moonbase, will you? - Yes, sir.

- Status check... Targets... - Affirmative.

- Magnetic field? - Check.

- Saturation density? - Green.

- Resonator. - Affirmative.

- Code. - 0K.

- Fluctuation. - Affirmative.

Excuse me.

- SHAD0 Control for you, Lieutenant. - Right.

- Lieutenant Ellis. - Gay, l have some action for you.

'l want Moonbase put on yellow alert from

to track Seagull. lt's carrying SHAD VlPs and the Utronic equipment.

Let's keep everybody on their toes. Can't afford to take chances.

'Joan, announce a yellow alert for 10:45.' 'Yes, Lieutenant.'

And complete the status check.

l think this will be for real. l'm going to take a break.

- l'll be back about 10:30. - OK.

6Moonbase will be on yellow alert from 10:45, earth elapsed time.

Repeat 10:45, RRT.

All space trackers to be fully operational by RRT.

- Astronauts to be on stand-by - Joanna ?

- l'll be right with you, Lew. - There's no hurry.

l wanna run a computer check on the interceptor systems in ten minutes.

- Hi, Gay. - Hello, Lew.

- D'you think this could be it? - Looks like it, Lew.

An SST travelling at Mach 4 is a pretty tempting target,

particularly as it's carrying the new Utronic equipment.

- Hello, Ken. - Hi.

Gay, this alert, what do you think? Another false alarm?

- Don't think so, Mark. - So this time it could be real.

- Could be. - We all could use some action.

- l could use a cup of coffee. - Sure.

- Put Skydiver in the picture. - Yes, sir.

Message from SHAD0 Control, sir. Yellow alert at 10:45.

That last entry.

- Did you send it? - Yes, sir.

A refuelling schedule transmitted on security code B?

- Sorry, sir. - How long have you with us?

- Two years, sir. - Two years...

Long enough to know how important security is to SHAD0.

Look, this headquarters, controlling Moonbase, the

satellites and a fleet of submarines is eight feet below a film studio.

Now, 400 people work up there and no one of them knows all this exists.

l have to pretend to be the studio's chief executive.

No one even dreams what my real function is.

- That's what security is all about. - l'm sorry, sir.

- Sometimes it's pretty difficult. - Difficult??

So you think it's difficult, huh, Ford?

Well, l'll tell you when it gets difficult.

Have you ever thought about the victims of UF0 incidents?

Have you ever considered their parents, brothers, sisters?

What do we tell them? They can never know the truth,

so they live in agony for years, praying that some day

their loved one may turn up, clinging to a thread of hope.

Don't ever tell me that security's difficult.

Sometimes it gets pretty close to home.

- Yellow alert in two minutes, sir. - Be right with you.

Stevenson Base, this is Seagull X-Ray. Liftoff check complete.

Roger, Seagull X-Ray. You are clear to go.

- Nina... 10:45. - Right.

Brakes off.

Airspeed building, 130, 140.

160, take off speed.

This is Moonbase calling SlD.

Space lntruder Detector, pass your message.

Seagull X-Ray carrying VlPs and Utronic equipment is airborne.

Track the aircraft. Watch out for UFOs.

Please pass your code so your instructions can be complied with.

- Stand by to receive code. - Standing by.

Thank you, your code is correct.

l have Seagull X-Ray on scanners.

lt is on course. Speed 1500 knots.

Moonbase computers confirm course correct.

Maintain tracking.

- Hydroplanes check complete, sir. - 0K. Steer zero-four-two.

- Maintain present speed. - Maintain speed. 40 knots.

Take over, Bill. l have to do my stuff with the passengers.

- Herr Mahler. Good morning. - Ah, Colonel.

l'd like to congratulate you and your team.

- This could be the breakthrough. - Not my team, Colonel.

May l introduce our chief designer, Virginia Lake.

- How do you do? - Well...

For the first time, l wish l was flying subsonic aircraft.

- The trip would take longer. - Just in case anyone's interested..

- l'm Bill Wade. - How do you do?

Well, looks like you're the answer to all our prayers.

- Would you like to see the Utronics - Your equipment is fabulous...

- But l am familiar with it. - Really?

- The Utronic beam is really fast. - Almost instantaneous.

We'd be able to detect UFOs flying many times the speed of light.

- Go on. - Our Moonbase lnterceptors will

have a chance to destroy them before they reach the earth.

- Very good. - l could tell you more over dinner.

Hadn't you better get back to your little seat up front?

l suppose so. l'll be seeing you.

Colonel...

You were right. You are familiar

with the equipment.

- Everything OK? - Yes, sir.

- No sign of any activity. - Good.

- l'll be in my office. - Right, sir.

Red alert. Red alert.

UFO 428.146 Green.

Got it. 428-146 Green.

- Speed? - Sol 8.

- Trajectory termination? - Coming up...

Moonbase to Shado Control.

Predicted trajectory termination in North Atlantic.

Speed Sol 8, ready for intercept. Out.

- lnterceptors, go! - Right.

Moonbase to all Shado stations...

UFO sighted, 428-046 Green. Report.

Attention to defense systems... This is maximum security alert.

Repeat: Attention to all defense systems. Red alert!

Speed one and a half million miles per second.

Range seventy five million miles.

- 75 million miles - Maintaining speed Sol 8.

Red 129 zero 46.

- Trajectory? - Still as predicted

- l have green on 1 , 2 and 3 - Moonbase to interceptors.

- Stand by to set missile control. - Right.

Computer read in... 1 zero 1 ...2-6-4... 1 -1 -zero...

Missile timing 2-4-9-6.

Missile program completed.

Range 8 million miles closing.

Seven million miles.

Missile firing five decimal four seconds...

Detonation confirmed.

Negative. lt's through.

Don't just sit there, warn Skydiver. And get me Alec Freeman.

Shado Control just informed me

that a UFO is approaching the North Atlantic.

We must assume that this aircraft is their target.

We're going to reduce height and take advantage of the cloud cover.

We'll have to reduce speed in dense atmosphere, but so will the UFO.

Possibly that increases Shado's chances of intercepting it.

Yes it does. l'd fasten your seat belts if l were you.

Look, don't worry. lt'll be OK.

Anyway, we have a dinner date. l wouldn't let anything interfere.

Thank you...

UFO entry visible speed range...

Radar and visual alert!

U.F.O. on radar track Speed Mach 5.

That God for atmosphere. lt's the best protection we have.

l have a postive radar fix.

Well, it's up to Skydiver now.

- ln position, sir. - Right. Stand by!

- 3, 2, 1 , 0. - Launch stations!

- 1 , 2 and 3, ready. - Ready for take-off, sir.

- Okay. Lift-off stations. - Checking boosters.

Standby for lift-off.

Ready for take-off.

SHADO Control from Sky One. Airborne.

- Position zero-two-zero red. - Roger.

- Air speed down to 600 knots. - Right. Lower heat shield.

l don't like it. These clouds don't give sufficient cover.

- Sky 1 to Seagull X-ray- over. - Peter, am l glad to hear you.

- What's your position? - Right above you: 20,000 feet.

Sky 1 to Seagull X-ray. Have UFO on screen. Closing rapidly.

- Roger. 10 degrees port. - Right.

UFO at 12 o'clock! You're the target. Coming in to attack.

UFO entered cloud layer. Keep a sharp look-out.

Hold her! Hold her steady!

Sky 1 to Shado control... Reporting direct hit on UFO

- lt's gonna crash into the sea. - Good shooting Sky-one.

- Alec, are you OK? - l've aged about 5 years, but OK!

Sky 1 , follow her down. Use your reconnaisance cameras.

Roger. Will do.

lt went straight under.

lt seems to be breaking up.

Hold it. There's a body...!

Please confirm. Did you say 'body'?

Yes. lt's a body...

- How's it going, Alec? - Rverything's fine.

Moonbase and other tracker stations will have

the Utronic system fitted and operational within a week.

Oh, that's great... You look tired, Alec.

- Why don't you have a drink? - Thanks, think l will.

- You never touch it, do you? - Self-control.

Maybe drinking needs more self-control...

- When does er...it...arrive? - Any time now.

- We've waited a long time for this. - Yes.

lt's been ten years.

Ten years since we've had the first confirmed UFO landing on Earth.

After a decade of speculation... reports, official denials.

When l was made Commander of SHADO l thought it would all happen.

You've done a good job. The best.

Well, l've tried. But how far have we progressed?

l mean what do we really know about UFOs? What are they?

Where do they come from? What do they want?

Mayland Hospital- Shado section. Your special patient has arrived.

We'll use under-ground corridor 32 to Shado medical center.

- Right. - Maybe we'll get some answers.

- Well done, Peter. - Thanks.

- You're wanted in de-briefing now. - Right. See you later.

How's the patient, doctor?

Alive, but in critical condition. Excuse me.

What are the chances of survival?

He was equipped with an apparatus so he could breathe liquid.

An attempt was made to restore normal breathing.

The problem is that there's still some liquide in his lungs.

Space travel in a liquid environment Just what we've been experimenting.

- Yes and apparently they've done it - l must ask you to leave now.

Right. Let me know the moment you have anything, doctor.

Commander Straker...

- ls he alive, Doctor? - Yes...

- Well? - Analysis has shown he is humanoid.

- You mean...like us? - More or less.

Body temperature 3 degrees below normal; blood pressure rather low;

muscular development poor. The skin has an artificial green coloration

probably absorbed from the liquid.

The interesting thing is that the hair hasn't picked up this tint.

Which suggests that the liquid contains biaphraphilic compound.

Also the eyes were protected by a plastic shell, which supports this.

We'll know more when we get the computer read-out from

the first medical check. lt'll be a few minutes.

A man...from a solar system perhaps a hundred million miles from Earth.

- lt's incredible! - What is?

We can't be sure yet, but this preliminary check shows

organ and gland transplants... heart, liver, left lung, thyroid..

- You know what this could mean? - lt's still theory.

Theory? Fact!

After ten years of possible, probable, and confirmed: fact!

Many times, mutilated bodies were found after UFO attacks.

Organs missing! Fact!

And the first alien we find shows organ transplants.

- The doctors aren't certain. - No. Not yet.

But l will bet that our proof lies at the end of that corridor.

Doctor Shroedor? lntensive care unit. We have an emergency.

l'm afraid he's dead.

- When can l have a post mortem? - 48 hours.

Make it 24. Not the details.

Just what really matters.

The rapid ageing isn't documented in the report.

We don't know why, but it has to do with the body and Earth's atmosphere

Let's concern ourselves with the 3 main questions regarding UFOs.

One - where do they come from?

The fact that the lungs were filled with an oxygenated liquid

seems to indicate a subjection to phenomenal acceleration.

A long time.. long enough for the skin to pick up the coloration.

All this seems to indicate an extended journey through space.

Perhaps several months at many times the speed of light.

Question number two... Who are they?

Obviously they are more advanced than man in science and technology.

But everything in this report seems to add up to a dying race.

Hereditry sterility was evident.

By using drugs they've found a way

to stop the natural ageing process.

They're also very intelligent; they knew the risk of our atmosphere.

Which brings us inevitably to question number three.

Why do they come?

This report indicates five major organ and gland transplants.

ln the case of the heart, it was of human origin.

lt came from Earth, gentlemen.

Therefore, they must come partly to obtain organ replacements.

There may be other reasons.

lmmagine a dying planet in some distant corner of the universe.

lt's natural resourcs are exhausted.

lt's inhabitants sterile; doomed to extinction.

A situation we might one day find ourselves in, gentlemen...

So they discover Earth: rich, fertil able to satisfy their needs.

They look upon us not with animosity but with callousness...

As we look upon our animals whom we depend on for food.

Yes...lt would appear that they are driven by circumstance

across a billion miles of space.

Driven on by the greatest force in the universe:

Survival!

The results of the tests, sir.

- There's no possible doubt? - No, sir.

Electronic tissue analysis is as positive as voice print.

- You wanted to tell me something? - Yes.

l wanted to have a word with you before you flew out.

- lt's about my sister, isn't it? - Yes.

l'm afraid she's dead, Peter. There's no longer any doubt.

l can't tell you how sorry l am.

- What happened? - You won't want to know the details

l think l'd like to know.

Your sister was last seen near a UFO incident nearly 10 years ago.

The alien's body from the sea was subjected to intense examination.

The heart was a transplant. The donor was Leila Carlin.

- What will you tell your parents? - l don't know...

You realize, of course, that they can never know the truth.

A funeral without a body.

A symbol of human compassion.

A long finger of tragic coincidence

treching across a billion miles of space.

ls this the beginning or the end?

Where does the universe end? And where does il begin?