By Dawn's Early Light (1990) - full transcript

Come on.

Come on, babe.

- Close the door.
- What?

Close the door!

Come on, we gotta get going. Duty calls.

You've had all you can handle for one night?

I’ll never have enough of you, darling,
you know that.

This place got a breakfast deal?

This place? Sure. Just bang on the wall,
I'm sure you'll get something.

Now, now, don't knock it.

It's got cable TV and the price is right.



- And it's 30 miles from base.
- Come on.

It wouldn't do us any good if they knew
I was poking my right-hand man.

Is that what you're doing?

What I mean is,
we function professionally first.

Look, it violates PRP.

- You think nobody knows about us?
- Yeah, well,

whatever.

Look...

it's just best if we keep
an official distance, that's all.

Your official distance starts
when we get out of bed. I don't need that.

Come on, Moreau, darling.

You know you're the only
irresistible thing in my life.

- Cut me some slack
- Come on, darling.

I'm calling a cab.



That's dumb.

Why? You don't want them to see you
dropping me off - might violate PRP.

Erzurum control. Descend 35,000.
Contact Istanbul control.

..320 at two-five.

Alitalia 101,

Erzurum control.
New heading - tum left to 230 degrees.

Alitalia 101, understand.

Turning left to heading 230.

Chief supervisor, please.

I have an unidentified aircraft,
no Mode C identification.

- We have an ID on the missile?
- Not yet, sir.

We're just getting a line plot.

The missile's trajectory is north-northeast
from Turkey to the Soviet border.

Check our bases, Europe's satellite launches,
and call NASA.

Move the alert status to snow man.

- Cindy, congratulations.
- Thank you.

- How was the wedding?
- It was great.

I got some pictures.

We've been planning this for six months now.

We get everybody in from out of town

and they put us on alert duty
starting on our honeymoon.

They do that on purpose. Should've kept quiet.

Yeah, you could be sitting on Waikiki
right now, or in your hotel room.

Wait, if we were in a hotel room right now
I don't think we'd be sitting.

All our missiles are accounted for.
The Europeans report no launches.

This makes no sense.
I want a systems malfunction check.

I have checked, sir.

The target could be anywhere in that triangle.

Every damn target's in the Soviet Union.

Oh, God!

Sir, we have a nuclear detonation
in the Soviet Union.

I want absolute verification.

Come on, move! Hustle!

- Look who's here.
- Hi, Timmy.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

- So how's married life?
- I'm getting used to it.

Marriage is great, Rad.
But you gotta have one of these.

I'm not so sure.

Sir, a Soviet nuclear response is in progress.

We have positive verification.

Get me General Renning on the double.

Yes, sir.

And change the alert code to cocked pistol.

Hey, Lori, how's it going?

Missed you last night.

So how was Hopalong Cassidy?

Starting to drive me crazy.

He's so in love with himself,
I almost feel like I'm intruding.

He's a pilot, what else is new?

- That's bogus. We're all pilots.
- Yeah, but we're not guys.

All targets appear to be within
the United States, Alaska and Hawaii.

I'm putting us on combat footing.

We're moving up to attack conference

and I want the Psyop computer options
on this now.

Mr President, General Renning for you.

Fine. Put him through.

Sir, we are facing
an extremely serious situation.

I have asked for full attack conference

and we are moving from cocked pistol
to round house.

Is your EWO there, sir?

Why isn't the secretary of defence
making this call?

We've been unable to reach him.

You'll need your emergency war order officer.
We need the codes.

You should've seen that son of a bitch!

So, Major, what's going on with you
and Captain Moreau?

I don't know. She's OK.

She's great, as a matter of fact.

But she is an air force brat.

1 got a lot of respect for her.
I think she's a damn good pilot.

Do yourself a favour -
never sleep with an officer.

Mr President, an unidentified missile,
origin Turkey,

detonated over Soviet Donetsk at 0530 ZULU.

It was not fired by US forces,

yet the Soviets have launched
a strike against us.

There has to be a mistake. Turkey is NATO.

We wouldn't fire a missile at the Soviet Union.
Who the hell did?

We don't know, sir.

It could've been stolen, or a trick.

What are you saying?
Our relations couldn't be better.

Sir, I know it's hard to believe.

But we are in the secondary stages
of a Soviet counterstrike.

Our computers show a random attack
by Russian submarines,

swarm attack by land-based ICBMs.

We need your authority, sir.
We need the codes, Mr President.

We are under attack

This is Pearl Harbor.

Throw me a towel, will ya?

Hey, O'Toole, are you in here again?

- How was the honeymoon?
- Short but sweet.

She as good for you as she was for me?

You prick.

Shit.

Get me the Soviet president, the secretary
of state and my national security adviser.

There's no time for that, sir.

1 will not make a decision of this magnitude...

You don't have to.
Psyop has anticipated this.

We need your authority for the codes.

No, General, this is my responsibility.

1 will not act precipitously
on the basis of some goddamn computer.

The goddamn computer will be destroyed
in 21 minutes, sir,

along with everyone here.

Mr President, message coming in on
direct teletype from the Soviet president.

- We'll take that. Did you hear that?
- Yes, sir.

I also show...

a submarine-launched missile
directed vicinity Washington, DC,

arriving in less than seven minutes, sir.

General, I'm gonna read that message.

Sir, impact in less than six minutes.

You're wasting time, sir, your own.

I'll call you back, General. Sedgwick?

Get me Alice in the Looking Glass plane.

- Time for you to go, Admiral.
- Are we certain about this?

We have to have
at least two command planes in the air.

The navy doesn't like to abandon ship.

This is my ship. Yours is the E-4.

Admiral, are you waiting for me
to order you to go?

No, sir.

Goodbye, sir.

General, I have
Alice on the Looking Glass plane.

Alice, Harpoon is launched.

Your truck will be waiting outside, sir.

Good luck, son.

Shove it up their commie asses, sir.

- Alice.
- Yes, sir.

You have your battle plans,
impact projections?

- Clear as a bell, sir.
- Print them out.

- We won't have computers much longer.
- We've taken care of it, sir.

I know.

I'll try to check back in with you again, Charlie.

My clock says SAC goes in 19 minutes.

We'll be here, General.

Mr President, by now you will know
a nuclear device was detonated

over the Soviet city of Donetsk.

At that time it appeared the missile was
launched by NATO forces from Turkey

and our defensive system
retaliated automatically.

We now realise the missile was launched
by dissident members of our own military

who fear our vastly improved relations

and who conspire to overthrow
this government

and force war between our two countries.

Our missiles are targeted
for your long-range bomber bases,

an ICBM complex in Montana,

the NORAD facility of Cheyenne Mountain,

and the SAC command at Omaha.

A single warhead is directed
at Andrews Air Force Base.

The target is symbolic as this is the base
from which you would leave Washington.

To be blunt, Mr President,
you now have three choices.

Accept the damage and we will stop.

Your second choice

is to respond with a limited counterattack

that inflicts on my nation
a similar amount of damage.

We will each lose between six and nine
million people in such an attack.

This is acceptable to us.

Get your hands off me.

Get some hustle in there, gang!

1 release this is a tremendous price to pay,

and I know all too well

the enormous military and political pressure
you will be under

to take your third option -

to respond massively.

Let's scramble. Start battery on.

If this is your ultimate decision,

1 will have no choice but to reply
with total nuclear commitment.

Didn't you forget your towel, Lieutenant?

These fucking drills.

1 urge you to look at the tremendous gains
we have made in the last few years.

Let us not allow human error
and the technology of the Coid War

to destroy our hopes and our world.

- Start all engines.
- Start all engines.

Good start, all engines. Generators all working.

We're now on internal power, clear checks.

Come on, let's go.

Come on, O'Toole, let's go.

Major O'Toole's soaking wet, sir.

That's for goddamn sure.

We'll dry him off as soon as the drill's over.

I know you think it's real every time
the siren goes off but let's get this over with.

You'd better think it's real, it's simpler that way.

Sky King, this is Cable Car.

Stand by to copy
your Red Dog Five message.

Message is - Alpha Golf Hotel...

India Delta.

Authentication time is 200605 ZULU.

Authentication is Sierra Foxtrot.

1 say again. Sky King, this is Cable Car.

What's the drill? Do I shut 'em down?

Message is - Alpha Golf Hotel India Delta...

Pilot, EW.

This is a valid, I repeat, valid launch message.

Authentication is Sierra Foxtrot.

Radar copilot, verify.

Copilot radar. That's valid.

Roger, confirm. It's a valid launch message.

Prepare for scramble. Take off.

Copilot ready?

Copilot ready?

Ready.

Navigator ready?

Ready.

Sir, two minutes before Andrews is hit.

- Do you understand?
- Yes, I do.

I want a response designed
as closely as possible to the Soviet attack.

Under no circumstances are their losses
to exceed ours. Do you understand?

Sir, we believe the Soviet military
are running things now.

You are being conned on a level
unprecedented in human history.

General, I will hear no more of this.

You instruct the computer.

I will activate the codes
through the proper civilian authorities

as the law stipulates.

- I have code trinity.
- That's a match, Captain.

Code trinity.

Code trinity.

"Strike assigned targets if not recalled
prior to positive control point."

All right, you heard it.

Any questions?

Any jokes?

Any prayers?

Mr President, are you all right?

Sedgwick... All right here?

- Danny, are you all right?
- Yes, sir, thank you.

Where do you think they hit us?

Sounded like northwest of here. Andrews...

What kind of damage?

This time of night?

I'd say 50,000 people just died.

Situation room.

Omaha's back, sir.

The White House, sir.

General, I'm putting you onto speaker.

They overshot Andrews by 13 miles, sir.

The blast wave rolled up Rock Creek Park
and took out Walter Reed hospital.

My father was there.

I'm truly sorry, General.

A father should die before his son.

The hospital wasn't the target, you were.

You're lucky, Mr President.
You'll get what I won't - a second chance.

I don't follow you, General.

Sir, this is just for openers.

They'll go for our bases
and destroy our offensive capability,

then mop up our cities with their bombers.

You get a chance to save the world
from those bastards.

Shit.

- Draw your curtain, Moreau.
- Negative.

I am not pulling my curtain.

Close it or I'll close it for you.

There's too much commercial traffic, Cassidy.

Ah, hell.

Son of a bitch.

- Tyler, what the hell was that?
- I don't know.

Major!

Major.

What the hell was that? Major?

Knock it off, everybody.

Jesus...

- Moreau...
- Oh, God.

My eye, ...

I can't see out of this eye.

Moreau, I need you now.

Come on, darling, pull yourself together.

- Major!
- Shockwave.

Shockwave. Brace.

O'Toole! Lieutenant!

Major! Lieutenant O'Toole is hurt.

Hooker, stay in your seat.

Ten, eleven, twelve...

Nose down. We're gonna stall, dammit.

- We gotta get her up.
- Gauges malfunctioning.

- We're gonna stall, Cassidy.
- No way.

We're gonna stall. Give me the airplane.

We're gonna stall.
Give me the fucking airplane.

Darling, I owe you one.

Major, O'Toole is dead.

What?

Shockwave threw him
into the instrument panel.

He didn't have his hamess on.

I think he broke his neck.

Shit.

Radar, gunner, what's our status?

I've got one detonation at six o'clock, ten miles.

And I've got one 15 miles dead ahead.

Fairchild is gone, sir. The base is destroyed.

Negative. I don't show that.
Nothing happened, the base is still there.

What the hell's going on with Tyler?
He can see Fairchild's gone.

Tyler doesn't have much to go home to now.

I need the president now.

General, don't you consider it possible
that the Soviet president was sincere?

- 1 believe he is.
- Mr President,

as God is my witness, it makes no difference.

The Chinese, in accordance with our treaty,
have hit the Russians.

We don't know if the Soviet president
is in control.

All communications to the Soviet Union
are down, Sir.

- What does Psyop suggest?
- A two-part sequence.

Launch half our ICBMs targeted
at Russian silos.

Their computer would be hard-pressed
to tell which of our silos are hit.

How will the Soviets respond in this scenario?

Woe cannot read what must be
extreme political confusion in Moscow.

What would our computer say?

In a normal situation, it would predict
they would launch their ICBMs massively.

At what targets?

All our bases, military targets.

And cities?

Some. More than likely.

Excuse me, sir.

Mr President.

Mr President, the Soviets have initiated
a second launch.

- At us?
- We can’t tell.

Are you suggesting we wait?

This facility - SAC - goes in three minutes.

If we don't hit them hard and hit them now

we may never get a second chance.

- Sir.
- I repeat...

there is a second Soviet launch.

Mr President, we have to get you out of here.

Please, sir.

I'll go with the computer.

We will launch according to procedure.

Tom.

Do you think the president was sincere?

Please don't torture yourself.
We have to leave.

- Do you think he was sincere?
- Please, sir.

General, I have the authenticator card.

Day word, cottonmouth.

Command word, trinity.

Action word, Jericho.

Oh, God.

- Be careful.
- Yeah, I know.

OK I got him, I got him.

Nav copilot, are we on course
for our control point?

Not really sure where we are.

Tyler, check your coordinates
and your heading.

You do your job, Radnor, and I'll do mine.

All right, everybody, listen up.

We're under EWO, emergency war orders.
Understood?

We got a mission to complete. We are EWO.

Am I reaching you ham heads?

We will proceed to our positive control point
and hold for orders.

Let's get these curtains open.

- How about turning on the heater?
- Tyler.

Glad you could join us.

Hey, Hooks, you think you can
handle O'Toole's toys for us?

- I think I can handle it.
- Well, congratulations.

You just received the first
battlefield commission of this war,

or whatever the hell this thing is.

I'll take the job, Major.

You can keep the bars.

Stay down, Mr President.

Mr President, we're gonna run to the chopper.

- Where are the shots coming from?
- Just people, sir.

- You got the last train out of town.
- We go now, sir.

He's in.

Harpoon, I don't know
if the president will reach Andrews.

All our military bases have been hit.
Who's available to succeed?

General, we've been unable to contact
the vice-president and the cabinet.

We're sure of the secretary of the interior -

he was at a wilderness preserve
near Baton Rouge.

- The FBI looking for him?
- And the army.

E-4 is two hours from touchdown
in Baton Rouge.

Alice, you're reading our new
target projections in the Soviet Union.

I got everything I need, sir.

And our current impact areas of the US?

Yes, sir.

I've done about all I can.

You and Harpoon take it from here.

- And buddy...
- Yeah, Clay?

Happy hunting.

Sir, we can't make it to Andrews, it's not safe.

I thought they missed Andrews.

That's correct but we can't get a plane in.

We're going to try for Dover.

Mr President,

the second Soviet launch...

we were mistaken.

It was directed against the Chinese, not at us.

So by launching at the Soviets,
we've kicked things up a little.

It looks that way.

The Soviets have started to kick us back now,

so it looks like we've entered
another level of escalation.

Tom, I've got to turn this thing off.

- Can you reach the command plane?
- We can try, sir.

Mayday, Mayday!

What the hell is that?

It's Conway Twitty.

Tyler's picked up a civilian radio station.

Tyler, tum the damn thing off.

All right! You hear that music, Major?

That's life down there, sir.
This whole thing's simulated!

It's a drill!

It's pretty convincing
but I knew you guys were joking.

Tyler, damn you.

Quit worrying. It's a drill. Who gives a shit?

Tyler, they're dead.

Everybody, you got that? They're dead.

You're still alive, you got a job to do,
80 turn off the fucking radio and do it.

Way to warm them up, Cassidy.

I don't need that from you.

Only the very low frequency seems to be
working consistently.

The other systems on board two or three
work off and on, the rest are still down.

Did Harpoon pick up the secretary of interior?

Touched down five minutes ago
but it was a risky landing.

I wouldn't have taken the chance.

We had to, Sam.
The President's chopper is confirmed down.

We need a civilian leader.
He's next in line in succession.

Sir, we don't know who else is still alive.

We're not even sure
Harpoon's after the right guy.

What are we sure of? What's with the B-52s7?

The last we knew,
15 of them were still flying, sir.

Only half of them airborne refueled.

Smoking again, sir?

We have the secretary of interior.

- Has the secretary been swom in?
- He has, sir.

- Mr President.
- Barely.

Are you injured, sir? You need assistance?

Just get the secret service boys,
then we can get our asses out of here.

Please follow me, sir.

Mr President, Harpoon.

I'm sorry that the band won't be
playing Hail To The Chief.

Follow me.

How bad is it?

Under the circumstances, it can't be very good.

Are we losing the war?

I'm not sure that that's the issue, Mr President.

You need to be briefed.

Tell you what, Radnor, I hate this job.

I just wanna get my MBA, and I'm out of here.

Back to a nice, quiet, sane life.

I can't handle these war games any more.

OK, mission briefing. Irkutsk.

- Targets.
- Targets?

Come on, Tyler. Are you with us?

Satellite tracking station,
heavy industry, electronic.

Civilian population?

Tyler, Russians, how many?

- Just under a million, sir.
- That's good. Hang in there.

Irkutsk gets one megaton ground burst,

departing initial point, inbound to target.

Roger, inbound to target.

Heading 230, altitude 500 feet
above ground level.

- Release airspeed 385 knots.
- Check.

Bomb release two-zero seconds from my hack.

Ready?

Ready, hack.

Two-zero seconds to bomb release.

Escape heading straight through 230 degrees.

OK Straight down Karl Marx Street.

Ten seconds.

And...

five, four,

three, two, one.

And...

bomb away.

Pushing over. Levelling at 500 feet.

- Tail to the blast.
- Bye-bye, Irkutsk.

Bye-bye, little babushkas.

Drill complete.

Good practice run, guys. We're on time.

Sir, we're now 75 miles
from our positive control point.

You think it's gonna be that easy
on a real city?

Yeah.

No problem.

Moreau, I'm gonna tell you something.

You're a damn good pilot.

You're the best I've had in that right seat.

I never thought you would fuck up
but you are fucking up right now.

No, don't go. Please.
I've got the president here.

Please!

It appears that the Soviet attacks
have been limited to our military installations.

Wherever they border population centers,

I assume that we have
considerable casualties.

- Have they hit our cities yet?
- No, sir.

Communications are down, but apparently
it has been an even exchange.

- Even so far.
- Mr President...

we have to make a decision very soon.

Our bombers - will be here,
at their positive control points.

If they are sent in, they will reach
their target areas in four to six hours.

Why haven't they been sent in?

Sir...

if we don't turn this thing off,

Soviet bombers will be roaming
through this country taking out our cities.

Admiral, excuse me, sir, if I may.

Mr President, I'm Colonel Fargo.

What do you do around here?

Soviet capabilities expert, sir.

It may be that the admiral is
overestimating the enemy.

Most Soviet bombers are so old
they still have propellers.

Minnesota Air National Guard
could knock 'em down.

Do you want to get on the telephone
and order them into the air?

Every transistor in Minnesota is burned out.

Mr President, we won't be able to stop
half of those Soviet bombers.

They will destroy our cities at will.

And we'll send our bombers over there
and do the same to them.

Most of ours were caught on the ground, sir.

They hit more of our installations
than we hit theirs?

Sir, this is not the kind of war where
you add up the score to see who wins.

Believe me, winning is everything.

I agree, Mr President.
You haven't gotten the whole picture.

In a minute. What about our subs?
How many warheads we got down there?

- Almost 6,000, sir.
- 6,000 nuclear warheads.

Shouldn't we launch them
before their bombers hit our cities?

Our submarines are issued orders
instructing them to run with their radios off

so that they cannot be tracked.

In about seven hours they will surface
and listen for new orders.

If they hear nothing, they'll fire.

Why wait seven hours?

A missile hits its target in 30 minutes

but the bombers require
nearly eight hours to hit theirs.

So the bombers are slow, natural pauses,

giving you and the Soviet president
time to turn off this war.

Sir, you have a copy of his message
in your folder.

He offers to accept
an equal amount of damage

- to the Soviet Union.
- Yes, I see.

And we're supposed to take his word for it?

Mr President, historical fact -

the Soviets have always been willing to accept
massive losses to achieve victory.

Colonel, this isn't the 1950s.

They're not looking for new worlds
to conquer any more. Mr President...

I have a very hard time believing
that the Soviets want this war.

Recall some of our bombers

and see how the Soviets respond.

Well, I...

There is another solution.
Cut the head off the chicken.

Hey, Rad.

Radnor.

What?

I'll say it happened, OK?

1 will. I'll say it happened.

But you gotta meet me halfway on this, OK?

What do you say, buddy?
Just meet me halfway on this.

Shut up.

Just meet me halfway, Radnor.

It happened, OK?

But not to Timmy, OK?

It happened to Annie
but it didn't happen to Timmy, OK?

Cos I never...

I never said goodbye to him, Radnor.

Hey, Tyler.

How you doing down there, buddy?

Dammit!

Oh, shit.

Hang on here, we got bogeys, 12 o'clock.

Bogeys, my ass. Them's bandits.

- Shit.
- Distance, velocity.

30 miles and closing very fast.

We have two...
Correction, we got three bandits.

Systems check. Chaff and decoys -
we'd better look like an amada.

- Chaff and heat flares released.
- 25 miles.

20 miles.

Must be Foxbats. Specs?

Top speed on a MiG-25, mach 2.8.

Range 1500 miles one way.

- 15 miles.
- Armaments?

Two heat-seeking missiles, range ten miles.

Two radar-guided missiles, range 15 miles.
No cannon.

Ten miles.

We have two missiles launched.

More decoys and chaff, Hooks.

You got it.

Shit.

They're going to the decoys.

All right!

Yeah! Two missiles down.

Hang on to your shorts.
Breaking right, coming round to our rear.

- Still got more missiles.
- I know.

- Are you with me?
- You bet.

Taking her down low.

The most powerful enemy can be defeated

only by the utmost effort
and by seizing every opportunity.

Lenin said that, sir. The Soviets live by it.

I believe if we call back our bombers,

the Soviets would see this
as a sign of weakness.

That's a dangerous speculation.

Let him finish, please.

Sir...

- May I go to the map, sir?
- Of course.

Sir, these red dots represent
Soviet leadership bunkers.

Inside, you'll find the party hierarchy -

the presidium, the KGB,
the president himself.

They are the head of the communist body.

Cut off that head and the body dies.

They've got a massive arsenal. We don't know
whose finger's on the button.

We can order our B-52s
on a grand tour of the Soviet Union.

This is madness, sir.

Yeah, we got madness piled on madness.

Colonel, what would you do
about the Soviet bombers?

Recalling our bombers won't stop them, sir.

Sir...

we have some fighters left,
we have thousands of commercial jets,

- we can ram their bombers.
- You're joking.

- Is that possible?
- Sir, there is no defence.

They have over 300 bombers.
And what about their ICBMs?

Take out these red dots, there won't be
anyone left to fire the ICBMs.

Sir, we are wasting time here.

Use the pause.

Settle things down.

The best defence - cut off the head
of the Soviet chicken.

Harry Truman said he felt like
a bale of hay landed on him.

I feel like I got the whole damn bam.

I need a moment alone.

Coming up to the next turn point.
New heading will be 225.

- Mountainous terrain after that point.
- Roger that.

Come on.

Come on, you bastards.

Motherfucker!

Yeah! I got one!

I got you, you son of a bitch.

- 100 feet.
- Too low. Coming up.

- How you doing, guys?
- We're still online.

Significant terrain, ten o'clock.

High terrain seven miles dead ahead.

We still got bandits. Six miles and closing.

All they gotta do is stay clear
of Hooker's guns.

I don't think they're scared.

I'll do a loop, come back on top of them.

- They'll die of heart attacks.
- Or our wings would snap off.

- High terrain five miles ahead.
- We got all our percentages.

Radar copilot, arm the first bomb.
Arm bomb one.

- Are you nuts?
- High terrain ahead.

We drop the bomb,
the ridge will shield us from the blast.

Arm bomb one, dammit!

Moreau, you're too damn smart
to die so young.

Hey, Hooker, are the bandits in formation?

- They're closing fast.
- Are they in formation?

- Yes, sir!
- OK, you guardians of democracy,

our copilot's just come up with a real winner.

Don't do that.

My son says you got
the president down here.

You gotta get the president
to a military hospital...

with a radio.

Radar pilot, arm bomb one.

Manual release on my hack.

You have nuclear consent.

Roger. Manual release sequence,
standing by your hack.

5.5 miles and closing.

We'll be over the ridge in 40 seconds.

Let's close them.

30 seconds.

And five, four,

three, two,

one...hack!

Hack 30 seconds to detonation.

- Bomb away.
- Manual release, bomb away.

Plus 15 seconds.

Bandits five miles and closing.

Plus 25.

Plus 30 seconds.

Come on, baby. Come on.

Shit, it's a dud. We've got a load of duds.

Come on, darling!

- Detonation!
- Yeah, all right!

Watches?

- Plus 40 seconds.
- Bandits?

Plus 45 seconds.

Tyler, did the bandits get through?

Plus 50 seconds...

Frightening little kick in the butt.

Still no bandits?

Nothing came through that, Major.

Cassidy, what are you doing?

- I'm gonna take a look.
- Negative, I don't wanna see it.

Take the plane, Captain.

I've got it.

- Ma'am, I'm sorry but...
- We've got the president.

Ma'am, I don't have time for this.

Come on, boy, show him, show him.

God... Officer! Let's get this man inside!

Come on, let's go, let's go.

Mr President.

Harpoon, do you think I'm scared?

You were a few minutes ago, sir.
I hope you are now.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm scared.

I'm scared of losing.

We're going with the grand tour.

- Sir...
- History can't wait.

I hope there will be a history to hear you.

Where are you going?

To my quarters, sir.

Admiral.

Sir, aren't you forgetting something?

The card.

You'll need this.

Orders to the bombers
go through the Looking Glass plane.

The code at the top
proves that you're authentic.

The colonel will give you the word code.

Did you really forget to give me this?

I'm not really sure, sir.

Good luck

Thank you. I think I'm gonna need it.

Yes, we'll all need it tonight.

The president's legs are crushed,
this man has a fractured arm and head injuries.

Can we get more ice, please?

Just relax, Mr President.
You'll feel better in a minute.

- What's with the IV?
- Lactated ringers, two milligrams of morphine.

Give him two more milligrams.

No morphine.

Take it easy. You'll be OK, soldier.

- Alice here.
- Condor speaking.

E-4. Day word.

- Cottonmouth.
- Command word.

- Trinity.
- Action word.

- Jericho.
- Do you have your card?

-I do.
- Upper right-hand comer.

Please read the last three digits.

7C2.

- C for what, sir?
- Charlie.

Second line, middle sentence.

6D62.

- D for what, sir?
- Dammit!

All you people waiting
on World War 4, Alice?

- Wish to issue an order change, sir?
- 1 sure as hell do.

Did Harpoon give you the signal code?

He's temporarily incapacitated.

Can I give you some advice, sir?

- I'm getting plenty of that down here.
- I'm sure you have, sir.

The situation is fluid.

We've gotten our first coded messages
from the ground. Garbled but coded.

We're getting our communications back.

Good. That's good news.

Now, I'm ordering 2-1 Zebra.

We're getting things back. I'd orbit and wait.

Then you orbit and wait. I have no time.

The Russians have too many missiles,
the colonel says they're out of control.

Fargo?

With all due respect,
I'd run this past Harpoon first.

Alice, implement 2-1 Zebra.

Yes, sir. It'll take a few minutes, sir.

- Are you stalling me, Alice?
- No, sir.

But new assignments, priorities...
We're saying too much.

Alice, get your tail moving. Fast.

We got a 2-1 Zebra.

Jesus. You're kidding.

I wish I was.

Captain.

So tell me what I already know.

Orbit and await orders.

Feel like we're going around in circles?

This is one circle
I'm not sure we should complete.

You're not suggesting treason,
are you, darling?

Why don't presidents have
a personnel reliability programmer?

Jesus, don't get on that now.

Well, who did this?

I bet you no president ever went through
our reliability programmer.

You think the Politburo's got
psychological screening?

- None of them would've passed.
- It's hard to find perfect people.

None of us passed tonight.

You are getting philosophical
in your sunset years.

Hours. Sunset hours.

Major, we've got another message coming in.

Gonna be orders to go back to Spokane.

This is Pitstop 2, please identify.

Please speak English.
Get the boss on the double.

This is a priority channel.
You're required to identify yourself.

1 am attaché to chairman
of Supreme Soviet.

The president must speak
to your civilian leader.

- What have you got, Hooks?
- Message is 2-1 Zebra.

What the hell's 2-1 Zebra?

Dammit, Moreau, what's going on?

- The grand tour.
- What?

"Precision bombing
of political-military infrastructure.

"Target Soviet city of Cherepovetz.

"Primary relocation site of Soviet president,

"chief of KGB,

"minister of defence,

"commanding general
of Soviet rocket forces."

Leadership bunkers.

They want us to take out their big bananas.

I think somebody's going bananas.

- Request confirmation.
- You just get promoted?

Request confirmation.

- Do it, Hooks.
- Yes, sir.

What the hell are you looking at?

- You know what this means?
- Yeah.

We don't have to drop a million tons of TNT
on civilians. Isn't that better?

- You mean more satisfying?
- Damn right.

It'll help finish this faster.

Faster? You do not kill the enemy's leaders.

Somebody's gotta be there to tum it off.

Confirm 2-1 Zebra.
NCA code is henhouse.

Look up henhouse.

No.

What do you want me to do?
It won't make any difference.

- I know.
- Somebody will do it.

Cherepovetz will go,
with the president and the generals.

- I know.
- And New York, and everything in between.

I know but I'm not gonna do it. I can't.

- You can't?
- I won't.

You'd have turned a Minuteman key
without thinking.

They gave me time to think.

Damn you.

- Hooker, get out.
- Yes, sir.

What am I supposed to do?

Shoot you? Eject you?
Put you down on the ice?

Tum the plane, Major.
That's what I want you to do.

Tum the plane.

Cyanide.

You got it?

You are relieved, Captain.

Get the hell out of here.

Dammit, Moreau.

Don't leave me now.

So what's next?

God damnit, how the hell should I know?

We are at war, sir.

Under no circumstances
will I supply you such information.

I know your E-4 aircraft is flying.

Will you, for the sake of both our nations,

transmit the message
informing your president

that our president
wishes to communicate with him.

Look, mister, I will not supply strategic
information to any damn Russian.

This is the Soviet president.

With whom am I speaking?

You done good, champ.

We're not going in.

There's no purpose in it.

Yes, sir.

Tough down here, huh, guys?

My wife was a cop, Major.

I know, Rad.

She's a damn good one.

She protected us, Major.

I know.

You should be proud of her.

I protected her.

I am emergency war order ready, sir.

I know, Tyler, we all were.

We've been EWO for a long time now.

You turned the ship, you coward.

You coward!

You coward! Coward! Coward!

I'm sorry, Rad.

I know.

I'll take care of him.

Captain, this just came in.

Excuse me, sir.
One of our bombers turned, General.

- Who turned?
- Polar Bear 1.

Turned southeasterly.
The data's been confirmed.

We have to inform Condor, sir.

Yeah.

Course we do.

What was that all about?

Tyler and I had
a little failure to communicate.

Ty, are you all right?

I have no injuries, Captain.

I am EWO ready and you are cowards.

Connie.

Please, take it easy, sir.

Sir, it's me. It's me, Tom.

- Tom, where are we?
- FEMA bunker at Olney, sir.

- What's the matter with me?
- Your legs are broken.

I can't see, Tom.

Sir, did you look at the blast?

Did you see the blast?

Does anyone know
what's going on out there?

Excuse me, sir. Preliminary data show
that it could've been much worse.

Most of the targets were military

but a few cities were hit intentionally.

- Who the hell are you?
- Bascombe, sir.

Director northeast region FEMA,
retired army.

There is one more thing, sir.

About an hour ago,
we received a rather peculiar message...

on the radio from the Soviet Union.

The speaker claimed to be
the Soviet president.

Sir, I talked to him.
I'm sure he was an impostor.

He wanted us to patch him through
to the E4.

Apparently, an alternate E-4
made its way out of Omaha,

picked up a presidential successor
in Baton Rouge.

- Successor?
- Everybody thinks you're dead.

Including the Soviet president,
if the call was authentic.

Well, who's our president?

Apparently, the fate of the country
is now in the hands of...

the secretary of the interior, sir.

Jesus.

We've got Alice in one plane
and the Mad Hatter in the other.

What makes you so sure you're not
talking to the Soviet president?

He was too rude, sir, he was far too rude
for a national leader.

Rude?

You want to hear a national leader get rude?

What did he say to you?

Well, sir, ...

Oh, for God's sake.

He said Bascombe couldn't find his ass
with both hands and hunting dog.

From what you just said, I'd say you hung up
on the Soviet president.

Get him back for me, and quickly.

Yes, sir.

What is your state of readiness?

Speak, asshole. Are you ready?

Are you ready?

- This is strange, sir.
- What is?

I'm seeing more bandits
but they just turned back, sir.

What's going on?
Better go down there and check it out.

Roger.

Tyler!

What the fuck is wrong with you?

What are you doing?

What are you doing? You gotta take it easy.

You gotta stop this shit. Tyler, take it...

So, Alice, what do you do
when one of your crew goes gutless?

Condor, there are no precedents, sir.

To hell with precedents.
There are no precedents for anything tonight.

We send up interceptors
and bring them down.

- You shoot 'em down?
- First we try to force them to land.

Condor, sir, there's something
you should know.

The Soviet ears are opening.
We're getting bits of messages from Russia.

Why wasn't I told about this?

We can't make much of it
but they are rattled, just as we are.

- You think we're ratted.
- Yes, sir.

I'll let you in on a little secret, Alice.

What rattiest me most
are my own damn military geniuses.

In this one, sir, there are no military geniuses.

Really.

- General... He needs to know this.
- Excuse me, sir.

After Polar Bear 1 turned, the Soviet bombers
following them also turned.

- Any others?
- No, just the one squadron.

Moreau!

Moreau!

Breathe.

Breathe!

I'm gonna take her down
So we can get some air.

Sir, it could be that they're signaling
their willingness to stabilize at current levels.

Tum more bombers, see if they reciprocate.

No, Alice, we have one deserter,
they have a whole squadron.

- First time we've come out ahead.
- I read it differently, sir.

Tum the bombers, see what happens.

You don't understand what's going on here.
We stop now, we lose.

This president has the determination
to wage a nuclear war

until an acceptable outcome is achieved.

Acceptable to whom, sir?

Acceptable to me and the American people.

You put another bomber
on the hen house, fast.

Did you get that?

- I hear you, sir.
- Put out general orders

to bring down Polar Bear 1.

- Did you hear that?
- Yes, sir.

You don't sound convinced, General.

I don't believe I am, sir.

Mr President, sir. We have the capability
to give the orders from here.

Fine, fine. We can send the orders from here.

I suggest you do that, sir.

Am I hearing you correctly?

- I believe you did.
- General...

you're fired.

They'll shoot you for this.

Sam, old friend,

I should find such an angel of mercy.

Radnor.

Hooks?

They're gone.

You OK?

How's the fuel?

96,000 pounds.

Not gonna get very far on that.

Yep.

Got any ideas?

Think we could make Bora Bora?

Maybe we ought a face reality.

If we're lucky, reality’s a firing squad.

If we're unlucky?

Planet of the apes, darling.

Remember 2-1 Zebra?

Did we do anything right?

We did what we had to do.

Did we do anything right?

- Mr President.
- Sir.

One of your bombers tuned

and, in response,
1 tuned a squadron of mine.

Now, I was not aware of that, Mr President.

But it certainly is reassuring news.

Unfortunately, Mr President,

the remainder of both our bomber fleets
continues to advance.

But this will be nothing compared
to the devastation from your submarines.

1 believe they operate
on a pre-programmed attack schedule.

- That is correct, sir.
- How long before they launch?

I can assure you, Mr President,
I'd tell you if I knew but I have no idea.

Mr President,

my situation at this moment is most difficult.

1 will no longer be able to control my forces

if you are unable to control yours.

Well aware.

Can you give me one hour, Mr President?

I'll try to turn those bombers around.

1 will do everything in my power.

But if the others here believe
for an instant that you are insincere

1 won't be able to give you two minutes.

Yes, I understand that.

Destiny be with you, my friend.

And God with you, Mr President.

Almost time for sunrise.

I don't know if I wanna see it.

Be glad something's here
we couldn't screw up.

I'm glad it's here.

I'm glad you're here.

- General.
- Yeah.

Excuse me, the president is on the phone.

- Condor.
- No, sir, the president.

Alice here.

This is the president speaking.

Hold on.

Hold on.

- Day word.
- We don't have time for that.

Give me the day word
or you're talking to yourself.

Day word, cottonmouth.

Command word, trinity.

Action word, Jericho.

Now you'll want the authenticator codes.

- Keep going.
- I don't have the cards, Alice.

I'm blind and I couldn't read
the damn things if I did.

Without that card, I don't know who you are.

You want to quiz me on the Brooklyn Dodgers?
Betty Grable's measurements?

- I'm disconnecting.
- General, this is the president.

We can play this by the book
and blow the world to smithereens.

Is that what you want?

Look, I need a patch through to the E-4.

The secretary of interior
thinks he's the president.

I need to talk to him about the submarines.
Do you understand?

Without those codes,
the E-4 won't give you the time of day.

You can give me the goddamn codes.

1 need a patch through to the E-4.
Will you do it?

- I'm sorry, sir.
- For God's sakes.

It's me, Charlie.
Look, we gotta stop this damn thing now.

It's down to us.

- Recall the bombers.
- What?

You heard me.
We have a new commander in chief.

Hey. Look down there.

These boys look serious.

I'd say real serious.

Polar Bear 1, this is Red Fox 1,

USS Midway Pacific battle group.

Jesus, we're famous.

That's us, pal.

We have NCA orders to escort you
to a water landing and rescue

or shoot you down.

Polar Bear 1, do you understand?

Sorry, friend. My partner here
is afraid of sharks.

Polar Bear 1, do you know what
a sidewinder will do to your crate?

Little short on humor.

Say, sailor, you wanna say goodbye
to the lady on my right here first?

We don't wanna do this, buddy.

The president is on the line, sir.

I've tuned the bombers but I cannot
issue orders to the submarines.

The air force cannot give orders to the navy.

The navy has two TACAMO planes
for communicating to the subs.

One with the Atlantic, one with the Pacific.

They'll take orders only from the president.

Sir, I must give you the authenticator codes.

- Condor.
- My God, is that what they call you?

I wouldn't stand for that, Mr Secretary.

Mr President?

Reports of my death have been
greatly exaggerated.

I'm told you've done a superb job
in my absence

and I congratulate you.

Now we must work together
to take the next step.

The bombers have already been tuned
but we haven't much time.

You tuned the bombers?

We must stop the submarines.
It's going to take the two of us.

We must give orders for a cease-fire.

Then we'll put what's left of our country
back on its feet.

The Russians have people trained
to sound like the president.

- Who is this?
- Do you want the authenticator codes?

I certainly do.

They could have intercepted
our communications by now.

The Russians may have the code.

Who the hell is this?

This is the president.

Johnny...

The real president would
do what's right for the country.

Shut up!

Two weeks ago, in a speech
I heard the president say,

"This is not the time to let down our guard
when it comes to the Soviet Union.

"Radical change brings chaos."

Tum back our bombers?

Stop our subs?

No.

Never.

I must be talking to somebody else.

You know damn well who this is.
You're making a monumental mistake!

Red Fox 1, this is Midway CIC.

You are clear to destroy Polar Bear 1.

- Roger that.
- You gonna eject?

I don't know.
If you jump, they'll pull you out.

- Lost you in the sun, Red Fox 1.
- I'm about two o'clock.

Listen to the play-by-play.

- I got you.
- You want a black hood?

Let's not get a bloody nose.

OK, Red Fox 1, pull in tighter.

- See 'em?
- Roger 2, got ‘'em.

- Three miles.
-OK, 1.

Let's go for it.

- Tom?
-2?

- Real shit duty, isn't it?
- Everything's shit duty today.

In we go, Red Fox 2.

This guy's got a lot of heart.

Everybody's doing their duty today.

Mayday! This is the Midway CIC.

- Midway has been hit.
- The carrier's been torpedoed.

Harpoon reporting, sir.

A question - who's authorized to issue
new orders to the submarines?

Only you can, using the TACAMO planes.

And if someone counterfeited the codes

so that they appeared to come from me?

I don't see how they could.

What happens if the TACAMO planes
receive conflicting orders?

What's going on, sir?
Did Alice turn the B-52s7?

I asked you a question, sir.

He did, he tuned them.

What did the Russian bombers do?
They tuned in response, didn't they?

You can't even consider using the subs.

Talk to me about conflicting orders.

The Soviets couldn't send a clearer signal.

What they've given us, Admiral,

is a clear military advantage.

Our subs against their remaining ICBMs -
no contest.

What happens if the TACAMO planes
get conflicting orders?

Your president asked you a question.

If both sets of orders have the proper codes

the planes will follow the original orders.

The subs will fire at 1400 ZULU.

That's all. You're dismissed.

This isn't about Russia any more.
You're destroying God's work.

You're dismissed, sir.

Freeze!

Shoot!

Bring down the plane, please, shoot.

How far from the E-4 are you?

120 miles, sir.

There must be some other way.

Afraid not, sir. If you can contact
the TACAMO planes,

you can bet E-4 can.

If the subs get conflicting orders
they will fire as planned in one hour.

I don't know what to say, General, except...

- thank you.
- No thanks necessary, Mr President.

Alice, will you call again before?

Before we ram 'em? Sure.

Here. Want one of these?

These are girl smokes, Sam.

My wife says they won't kill me as fast.

Red Fox 1, you're not gonna bring us down?

What's the point? Our carrier's gone,
we got no place to land.

Not gonna drag you down with us.

Why don't you tag along?

Palm trees, coconuts, native girls.

That's a negative, thanks.
We blew half our gas getting up here.

We'd be running on vapors
long before we got to paradise.

Ain't that always the truth.

- Say, Polar Bear.
- Yeah, Red Fox.

Later, when we come padding in,

won't you bring on those dancing girls?

You bet, Red Fox.

Good luck

Turn that thing off.

- You don't care about the radiation?
- No, I don't.

What should we care about now?

Smitty, care about catching E-4.

Colonel, I show an aircraft
less than 100 miles and closing.

You got an ID?

I believe it's the Looking Glass, sir.

What the hell are they doing?

Yes, Fargo.

Damn. Evade him.

Fire in number five!

Shut it down.

We got 'em on radar, sir.

We're flying the same speed.

They're dodging the hot clouds.
If we fly straight, we should catch up.

Gentlemen,

we must now regard the Looking Glass plane
as an enemy aircraft

manned by treasonous men.

Flanders, we'll look to you
to keep him off us.

No more flying around radioactive clouds.

- Yes, sir.
- That will be all.

Thank you. Dismissed.

Let's go.

Keep your eye on the pilot.

Are you all right, sir?

Yeah, I'm fine, Jack. Thanks.

Can the Russians be jamming us?

No, but they can listen
over their satellites, sir.

Where are they?

They've got one over the Atlantic
and one over the Pacific.

OK, we're in business. Get me a hook-up.

I'll be difficult but I’ll try, sir.

I'm getting nothing
from the TACAMO planes.

Try the low frequency channels.

There they are.

Where?

- Yeah, I see 'em.
- They're going on a straight course.

This is gonna make it tough.

- You're doing good, Smitty.
- Am I improving the odds?

About 90 to one.

Fire in number six

Shut it down.

- Done.
- Rudder.

- Got it.
- Altitude?

Are you kidding?
We gotta get rid of some bombs.

I've got them, sir.

Good work, Lieutenant.

Alice, we've made our way
through to the TACAMO planes.

Unfortunately, the E-4 beat us to it.

Conflicting orders.
The submarines will launch.

The TACAMOs want confirmation.
It'll take time to move the codes.

Can you catch them in five minutes?

Sorry, sir, we can't gain on them.

- Try.
- Of course we'll try.

- What the hell time is it?
- 1355 hours, sir.

Call us back in exactly two minutes,

1357 hours exactly.

We're counting seconds now.
The fate of this planet may be riding with you.

Yes, sir.

Smitty, bum out every fan in those engines.

We've got five minutes or it's all over.

It may not do any good, sir, but I'll try.

Will somebody give me a cigarette?

A real cigarette!

Full thrust all engines.

Roger that. We are still descending.

Dammit, we're not gonna make it.

Too rough to ditch, prepare to eject.

Wait!

We are holding altitude.

I think we've got a chance.

Roger that.

Looks like the storm's breaking up.

Excuse me, sir.

Yes?

Just reached the TACAMO planes.
You gotta bring your authenticator card.

How in heaven's name did you do that?

We went through two Russian satellites.
How's that for sticking' it to 'em?

- Good work. Let's get onto it.
- Excuse me, sir.

- Where the hell is Alice?
- Right on our tail.

Keep that bastard off us for 15 minutes
if you wanna win this war.

win?

I thought we were supposed to stop this thing.

- Sir.
- Yeah?

Non-filter, sir.

God bless you, Marie.

General, it's the president, sir.

General, I have the Kremlin on the line.

His people are monitoring
the E-4 transmission.

You have three, maybe four minutes.
Can you do it?

No, sir.

- You understand what this means?
- Yes, sir.

It's hopeless?

If the E-4 pilot makes a mistake,
slips up, maybe, but...

he won't, I know him. He's good.

Right now he sees himself
pursued by a madman.

- General.
- Sir.

Against your wishes, I'm going to thank you.

Not all our people's programming was faulty.

Because we're using an unconventional relay,
it'll take five or six minutes.

They don't want voice, they want it
on paper and in specific sequence.

Well, let's get on with it.

Thank you, sir.

Mr President. I think we got him.

Sir...

Do better next time, sir.

They've taken the chance to live.

It's OK to die.

Nobody's dying now.

Where do we go from here?

I don't know.

Welcome to tomorrow.

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