War of the Worlds · Season 1
General Wilson is taking care of the joint military forces board of inquiry. I'm told that, unofficially, of course, the board is predisposed to lay the blame on an unnamed terrorist organization.
A whole lot closer to the truth than they'll ever realize.
I'm just glad all of this is behind us.
Is it? Is it really?
Our Council allows us no margin for failure.
The primitives have proven to be unexpectedly clever.
Their cleverness will not save them. We will improvise.
As long as we meet the deadline.
I have a difficult time accepting that the instrument of our salvation has also become our damnation.
The concept is foreign, but we cannot ignore the inevitable conclusion, comrades. The radiation which gave us a second life... is slowly killing us.
We seem to be faced with a most challenging dilemma.
Our analysis indicates – the high level of radiation needed to protect us from the indigenous bacteria of this planet causes our metabolisms to heat to dangerous levels.
Our scientists seem to have a firm grasp on the obvious. Tell us something we don't already know!
Isn't there anything you can do to disperse the heat?
We are doing our best, Advocate. As you have seen, the treatments are slowing the degeneration process.
But not reversing it.
Unfortunately not. This planet's natural resources contain different elements than those on our planet.
The lower classes are all alike. Excuses for every shortcoming!
But Advocate, it takes time for a species to adapt to a new environment.
We don't have time! In our weakened state, our invasion will fail.
As it is, we are already too weak to separate from this decaying flesh.
Perhaps if you sought the guidance of the Council...
No! Our leaders must be protected from such negative news. They must hear only of victory!
Since your medicines have proven inadequate, you will find a more effective method of dealing with this killing heat.
Solutions, not excuses!
As you wish, Advocate.
As we order, scientist!
Without tissue samples, most of this is just educated guessing, but I think I understand how an alien blends with whoever happens to be unfortunate enough to get in its way. It's a combination of osmosis and cell-phase matching. Watch. Through osmosis, alien cells invade the human body. These cells then spread out, seeking human cells that they can bond to. This bonding allows all the genetic information from the individual human cells to communicate to the alien cells.
Killing the human cells in the process?
Yes, but apparently not before it absorbs all of the intelligence of the human victim.
We're talking Night of the Living Dead here, folks. Not only do these guys get to pick our brains; they also get to use our bodies as a perfect disguise.
I don't call open sores and radiation sickness a perfect disguise. I mean, it's not exactly difficult to spot these things in a crowd.
For now, maybe. But it's only a matter of time until they figure out a better way to protect themselves, and conceal themselves.
If any more of them are still around.
Such progress is a positive sign.
We still... [weakens, struggles to stay alive and strong] We still have so much to do...so little time.
You have to stay strong! The Advocacy will be severely weak and without the three of us...!
Mrs. Pennyworth sets a wonderful table, don't you think?
Yes. She and Mr. Kensington have made us all very comfortable.
You never know it, but Mrs. Pennyworth was a very valuable asset in the American section of Berlin during the last war. Her husband did the same thing with the Brits! [chuckles] Rumor has it they met one night when they were both trying to infiltrate the Russian sector. Oh, that woman has seen a lot of history. Even helped brighten some of the two. And this house has had its own share of history as well. A few nuclear physicists lived here in the early days of the Manhattan Project. And just before you, we kept a KGB defector here. I wonder who the next occupants will be.
[laughs] Harrison, does that sound suspiciously like an eviction notice to you?
I wouldn't look at it that way, Mr. Drake. All missions eventually come to an end, and that's why I'm here...to thank you all, personally, for a job well done.
I'm sorry, General, but the job isn't done!
Well, I'm completely satisfied with everything you've accomplished.
We've hardly accomplished a thing.
Uncle Hank, I can't believe you're cutting us off!
Suzanne, your own research suggests the aliens were susceptible to radiation poisoning.
How do you know that? I haven't released that data yet!
I don't think it takes a scientist to realize that any of those creatures that weren't blown up with their ships have died from radiation poisoning.
General, if you shut us down now, you're going to be repeating the same mistake that was made 35 years ago!
On the contrary, the aliens are finished! And now, I suggest you all get on with the rest of your lives.
How much of this is your doing, Colonel?
The General asks me to make reports; I make reports. I'm just doing my job, Doctor.
I wish to God you would let me do mine!
We still lack an adequate coolant. Liquid nitrogen would be the ideal substance.
Why are you not producing the substance?
We have tried, Advocate. This planet's atmosphere contains ample amounts of the nitrogen element. But converting the nitrogen into a useful form is beyond the scope of the materials we have on hand.
If you're incapable of manufacturing what we need, then you will acquire it in another way.
And quickly! Before permanent harm comes to those who are still alive!
I will not allow submersion into this pool to become our destiny as well!
After all this time, the suits are finally completed!
Completed, yes. But completely useless without some form of coolant.
Our attempt to steal the liquid nitrogen from the rocket facility was at best poorly conceived!
Desperate times call for desperate measures! My own body temperature has risen to untold levels!
So has mine! If we cannot survive, who will assume the mantle of the Advocacy? I fear there are not three worthy candidates from among our ranks.
Then pray that our current attempt at the refrigeration plant meets with success.
To Life Immortal.
For once, our scientists have accomplished what is expected of them.
It will be interesting to see if they will rise to the challenge of maintaining their success.
Our production of the liquid nitrogen is exceeding your quotas, Advocate.
Then we will increase the quotas, Commander. Now isn't the time to grow lazy or complacent!
Have your engineers double their output.
We have been away from battle for far too long.
It will be good to resume.
The failure of our comrades to maintain control of the refrigeration plant is something of a setback.
Agreed. But it's hardly cause for serious concern.
We have more than enough coolant to see our invasion through to its victorious conclusion.
To Life Immortal!
Harry, do you remember Clayton's study of the alien eye?
Vaguely. Why?
Because the way these things see us is more like...this doohickey little Saint Nicky.
Harrison, we're wasting our time.
Hang in there, Suzanne.
But she's mad.
Oh, yes, dear. Quite mad! And so would you be if you lived in a world all topsy turvy. I told them the aliens would be back and they didn't believe me. They said I was insane. So they hooked electrodes up to my brain 'til I couldn't even remember my name. Bzz, bzz, bzz! Rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. This is not Spain, Harry.
What are you trying to tell me, Sylvia?
This is someplace on Earth. As seen from...outer space.
These workers are loading cargoes of death onto these trucks. Sound like sensationalism? You'll wish it was. These steel drums are filled with what they call in the business hot stuff. Radiation waste – radiation waste that will remain lethal for over a thousand centuries. Their destination: a Government toxic waste storage facility high in the mountains at James Pass, over 800 miles away. And if there's an accident along the way, the thought is positively chilling. These and other shipments are rolling time bombs on our nation's highways.
The logistics of this operation are complex.
Complex or not, our war can be won if we are able to move among the Earthlings undetected.
Be thankful that they're childishly casual with their nuclear materials. Stealing what we need should pose no problem.
True, but we still haven't found a secure location to revive more of our sleeping brethren.
Nor do we have an adequate supply of suitable humans whose bodies we might use.
One problem at a time, comrades! It's a puzzle with many pieces. We deal with the nuclear materials first.
Can you enhance this image digitally?
Does a computer download in the woods?
These quotes come from Wikiquote's War of the Worlds pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
