Moon Zero Two (1969) - full transcript

Moon Zero Two calling
Moon Control.

Moon Zero Two,
this is Moon Control.

Zero two, to Moon Control.

Two minutes from outer approach.
Request landing instructions.

Zero Two,
we have you on radar.

Dial 1-5-7. Decelerate at 1.8-G.

Zero Two. Understand.
1-5-7 and 1.8-G. Over.

Snap it up Zero Two. This is Pan Am Moon
Express and we're just 10 minutes out.

That is your hard luck Moon Express.

First come, first down.

And... you are, an hour
behind schedule.



Here we go then.

"Will all passengers traveling on
interplanetary flight 0-0-9"

"to Mars, please assemble at L-8."

- Are you a resident of the moon sir?
- No.

Have you read the Customs Regulations?

Regulations are perfectly
clear on this point.

There is a 30 percent import duty,
on all electronic equipment.

For the third time, this is
not electronic equipment.

Not with a meteorite hole
like that in it.

It's legitimate salvage. United Nations
Space Charter 37... uh, B.

But, uh, a bit about the objects
which might prove a danger to nagivat...

Alright, what is it?

Which include any communications
or other satellite,

which will have cease to function.
That thing hasn't given a squeak in a week.



Haven't you notice? Nobody has been
able to radio on to Farside

ever since it blew out.

Yes, I've noticed you read the book.

...and it isn't even my job. Hm?

"Pan Am Spaceways announce that arrival
of flight X-7 Moon Express from Earth."

If you're Moon Zero Two,
I should sell that thing along

with all the other space
rubbish you collect.

You're a bloody menace.

I don't think I caught the name.

I'm the second office of the Moon Express.
You delayed for us nearly 2 minutes.

If you took off on time,
you might land on time.

- I don't see that my...
- I thought you were seeing

our passengers through customs.

I was just telling this man...

You can't tell this man
anything about anything.

Now see to the passengers.

One of the future captains of the universe.

Thank god not all of them make it.

Dan, get this over to the scrap yard.

With your permission.

And don't take anything less
than 12,000 moon dollars for it.

I'll try.

I just got time for a shower.

- Uh, I wanna talk to you Bill.
- Eh, on then

- My name is Taplin.
- Please...

...turn and face immigration identification
computer, please ma'am.

Sorry.

- Is there a message for me?
- The Message Desk is over there.

Thank you.

Good evening Mr. Hubbard

I', m sorry Mr. Hubbard.
I hope you enjoyed your trip sir.

No more or less than a hundred
other trips I've taken.

That's a nifty little charmer.

J.J. Hubbard?

So that's a 100% Hubbard?
Is he always like that?

Sort of, with the likes of us.

- What does he want up here?
- Oh, I don't know.

Probably wants to buy a
hundred percent of the moon.

If it was mine, he could have it.

Cheap.

Listen, I was talking to personnel
back at Earth Base.

They'd still like you back in
the corporation, Bill.

Are they starting exploration flights again?

- No, but uh...
- When they outfit the first flight

to Mercury, tell them to call me.

Come on Bill. You know
the answer to that one.

They can build the engines,
but where do they find the stuff

to line the rocket ships
for a journeys like that?

We've got regular flights to Mars and Venus.
What more do you want?

I'm not coming back into the
corporation on passenger runs.

I'm a space pilot. Not a
mechanically minded wet nurse.

Thank you very much.

Someone has to be a passenger pilot.

What's that you say?

I said, someone has
to be a passenger pilot.

Can't hear you.

Forget it.

I'll buy you a drink.
Back in town. Right?

Oh, um. Sorry miss. This area is
out of bounds for passengers.

Um, I'm looking for mister...
Captain Kemp.

Oh. Ah, well he's in there.
He's uh...

...doing something just at the moment,
but he won't be long.

You go right in.

Thank you.

Where's the...

What are you doing here?

I was looking for Captain Kemp.

This place is reserved for Space
personnel only.

I'm sorry.

Are you Captain Kemp?

Will you go away?

- Are you?
- NO!

"Monorail to Moon City
will depart in 7 minutes."

Otto? Otto got killed?

A couple of days ago.

How?

Retro-engine. Failed on landing.
That's what I heard.

Went straight in. Crunch

They ought to put that thing outside
where people could read it.

Passengers wouldn't like it.
It would worry them.

Hmm... I suppose so.

Did you get the 12,000?

Hey. He flew the same sort of
space ferry you got, didn't he?

Uh huh. His was a little bit older.
That's all.

How much longer are we
to beget sitting here?

Leaving right away Mr. Hubbard.
Magazine?

Coctail.

For you sir?

He doesn't drink and he
can't read.

- Janie.
- Hello Bill.

- You look great.
- New uniform.

Uh, same ol' me on the inside, though.

- Got a seat?
- One up front for the captain.

This is Captain Kemp, Miss Taplin.

- You said...
- I am always at a disavantage

when I haven't got any clothes on.

I never noticed.

Well? What did you want to see me about?

The receptionist at the Space Port, told me
you would fly over to Farside, occasionally.

I wondered if you know my brother.
Wally Taplin.

He's a miner.

Mmm... No, no I don't think I know him.

He was supposed to meet
me at the Space Port.

He's probably waiting at Moon City.

That's what the man said.

We'll check it out when we get there.
You're first time up here?

Mmm, yes.

Then I suggest you look up front.

My god it's so bleak.

No air. No vegetation.
One sixth gravity.

14 days sunlight.
14 days night.

I suppose bleak is as good a
way as any way to describe it.

We're all foreigners here.
We always will be.

Perhaps we should've never have come.

The monument there is where
Neil Armstrong landed back in 1969.

Power stations. They turn sun
light into energy.

- And the ice mines.
- The what?

Ice mines.

There are layers of ice, a mile's down.

Melted into water, and you drink it.
Break it into oxygen, you breath it.

A hydroponique laboratory.

Plants that process oxygen.
When they die, we eat them.

There's nothing like it anywhere else.

It's funny to think that,
with no air out there.

Nobody could just open up a window.

Or stroll about and
feel rain on their faces.

Captain Kemp. I'm afraid
we have no reservation

in the name of Mr. Wallace Taplin.

Nor have we any messages
for a Miss Clementine Taplin.

However I have reserved
room 3-2-8 for you miss.

Thank you.

Well, 'could be he's just late.

The monorail doesn't go any
farther than Moon City,

so he'd be coming by Bug.

Bug?

It's a way you get around up here.

They run convoys of them over to
Farside to bring back the minerals,

but it's a slow business.

Where's his claim?

Spectacle Crater.

Oh yes, that's here.
There in darkness at the moment.

The nearest base is Farside 5.

Now that's at least 2,000 miles
to moon city. 6 days by convoy.

That means it takes longer to get
from one side of the moon to the other

than it does to get here from earth.

- That's right.
- What about your space ship?

Ferry. It's only a moon ferry.
Slow, but I can do it in 20 minutes.

I Suppose I ought to go see
when the next convoy arrives,

but I can send a radio message, can't I?

- U-huh.
- To see if he has left.

Well no, uh. Well you could've last week.

You see, we use a ring of
communication satellites

for relaying waves around the curve,

but one was hit by a meteorite.
so we are out of touch with

Fareside right now.

21st Century.

It'll still be the same in the 25th.

I suppose so.

Thanks for your help anyway.

Oh come on. It's not
as bad as all that.

Splurge out. Buy yourself a
new outfit. You'll feel better.

Welcome to the Galaxy Boutique.
Can I help you?

Jupitor jumpsuit?

Space captain William H. Kemp
reporting to agent Elizabeth Murphy

of the Lunar Bureau of Investigation.

For immediate interrogation.

Trust you to get your timing wrong.

I'm on duty in half an hour.

Well... we'll have time to talk,
anyway.

How did the trip go?

Spend a dollar, make a dollar.

Big business.
I suppose you heard about Otto.

It happens all the time.

I wish I had a dollar for every time
I've heard you say that about a pilot.

It doesn't seem to happen
to corporation pilots.

Not you too.

I just had Harry on to me a while back.

I'll tell you what I told him.
I'm not going back into the corporation.

- When I gave up exploration flights...
- They gave up killing pilots.

I'd lose my job if I let you see this.
So I wont.

Please explain delay.

Submitting evidence for grounding
Space Ferry Moon Zero Two.

Urgent. Repeat. Urgent.

They're really out to get me.

Not you Bill. Your ship.

You know it isn't safe anymore.

Space travel is still fairly new.

And the public isn't sure about it.

They can't see the difference
between your old Space Ferry

and the Corporation Express.

So any crash is bad news.

Otto's crash has really turned the heat on.

The corporation chases the bureau,
and the bureau chases me.

And suddenly I'm running.

If it'd been anyone else.

I'd have them grounded
a month ago, you know that.

I know that Liz, but it's still the
only space ship I've got.

The corporation will take you back.

You're still one of the
best pilots they ever had.

For once you get yourself
grounded for safety reasons.

They won't touch you with a radar beam.

They daren't.

I'm still not a passenger pilot.

Bill. The exploration is over.

It'll never be over

As Mercury and the moons of Jupiter,
and maybe not to Saturn yet,

but Uranus and Neptune.

There are a lot of stars out there,
and if the corporation doesn't

dot it, somebody else will.

And you'd rather get yourself
killed on some star

than stay alive here on
a tacky old moon.

Anyway, you can't ground me.
Otto's dead.

Who's going to do the
emergency local flights?

You need my ferry now.

If I had to make the final decision,
I must decide to save your life.

For whom?

I'll give you one week more.

I'm not going to cover for you any longer.

Get yourself a major overhaul,
or a new space ship.

Or you're on the ground.

I miss him too.
He is a very good customer.

- and a good man.
- and a good pilot.

As pilots go, he went.

Moon Flower. Double.

This is Latin American week,
It's an old fashion pampas punch.

First one's on the house.

It still tastes like distilled rocket fuel.

It is still, distilled rocket fuel.

How much is cost this week?

Uh, $35.00 a shot.
You see. We're a long way from...

A long way from Scotland.
I know.

Well Otto, I'd like to have said
"goodbye" in scotch,

but I haven't got 35 bucks a shot.

Isn't it about time you got hungry?

A good point my captain.

And so the galant space
engineer passes into the great

unknown of Joe's Old Time Moon Hush House,

Perhaps, never.

He was Otto Von Bech's engineer for
a couple of years, before he came to me.

Maybe he's just glad to be alive.

Sure, all engineers are crazy.

What did you call this? Pampas Punch?

Tastes more like Tijuana brass polish.

That's no way to treat a phone, friend.

I bought it a drink.
What more can a man do?

A gentleman wants a word with you.

You can tell him to go to hell and stay.

Mr. Hubbard wants to see you.

Old hundred percent Hubbard?

Why didn't you say so?

You can go a 100% to hell.

Let's just go and see Mr. Hubbard,

Convince me.

I'm convinced.

Well, throw.

Community chest. Go to jail.
Move directly to jail.

Do not pass "Go". Do not collect $500.

Would you stop sucking your thumb?

What are you going to do?

I'll go to jail.

Now while you are in jail, I foreclose
on the mortgage and I bankrupt you.

That leaves you 19,000 short.

You owe me 17 cents.

Whitsun, deduct it from her salary...

and don't forget the interest.

Hmmm... That will be Harry with our guest.

After you.

Ah, scotch.
Now why didn't you say so?

Look, tell your man not to play
with guns on the surface floor.

One shot and we'd all been
breathing empty space.

So that's why you didn't try
to take it off me up there.

Well there had to be a reason, didn't there?

How your reputation didn't
exaggerate, Mr. Kemp.

Perhaps I should apologize
for turning a man like Harry,

to fetch the pilot who
was the first man on Mars.

Oh, you're that 'Kemp'.

Soda?

A long time a go.

And now, you're flying a 10 year old space
ferry and salvageing dead satellites

to sell to the junk yard.

- It's a living.
- Hardly Mr. Kemp. Hardly.

Will you stop fiddling with that thing?

But I've never been to Switzerland.

The only thing worth seeing are the banks.

I think you knew Otto Von Bech.

I knew him.

And I believe you are the only other
pilot on the moon with a ship for charter

Otto was going to do a little job for me.

- Now.
- Now?

Do you know asteroids, Mr. Kemp?

The remains of a planet which
explodes that was never formed.

Some of them grains of dust.
Some the size of small moons,

and everything in between.

Hundreds of thousands of them, all wondering
around the sun in strange orbits.

Some never named, never charted.

The orphans of the solar system, Mr. Kemp.

And you want to become a father.

You can't setup a mine on an asteroid.

The cost of flying the equipment up.
The supplies.

Bringing the ore back.
It never pays.

Not mine it Mr. Kemp.
Land it.

On the moon.

Land it?

You mean crash it, and that's
against the law in a big way.

Yes, because some young pilot
might drop it on Moon City.

Well, we don't do things that way.

You would havethe results of
2 years of research to help you.

We will have the most
experienced pilot on the moon.

So what's so special about one asteroid?

Well, you'll find out for yourself when you
get there, so I may as well tell you now.

Whitsun.

Too small to have either a name
or a number, the asteroid was

first photographed in 1998 when it
happened to pass close to the Earth,

but it was never investigated
or plotted, until 2 years ago.

This film was taken by Mr. Hubbard's
Astronomical Division.

The asteroid is barely 60 feet by 30 by 30.
Esitmated mass is approximately 6,000 tons.

Do you read spectrograms, Mr. Kemp?

Some of the easy ones.

- This, all looks like aluminum.
- Very good.

Quite similar to aluminum,

but an aluminum that has been
squeezed and roasted

in the heart of an exploding planet
hundreds of millions of years ago.

What is the name again, Whitsun?

A ceramic crystalline form of
corundum aluminum oxide.

Yes.

Sapphire, Mr. Kemp.

Sapphire.

6,000 tons of the gem stone Sapphire.

That's what's so special
about this asteroid.

Well?

Sounds like a nice profitable idea,

but it's still against the law.

Thanks for the scotch.

What we understand that you are
already in trouble, with the law.

One safety regulations.
The bureau wants to ground you.

Oh, come now Whitsun. That's
no way to treat our guest.

Mr.Kemp must be entirely free
to make up his own mind.

And just suppose I'd freely
make up my mind to come in.

And what do I get out of it?

A brand new space ferry.

- It could come in handy.
- Order one tomorrw.

But at that price, you could get your ship.
Get your own crew.

But not secretly.

You see, someone like myself starts to
outfit an expidition into space,

well it attracts questions.
Snoopers.

Investigations from the bureau.

But you. Well you just pop off into space
in one of your scavaging flights

No questions asked.

And a few days later, an asteroid just
happens to land on the far side of the moon.

And, since nobody has bothered to plot it.

Nobody can say that it didn't
land there naturally.

Meteors have hit the moon before.

I wonder if you would repeat that price.

A new space ship?
Just like that?

That's what the man said.

Are you sure you weren't as drunk as I was?

That's what I thought when I
got up this morning. So I called him.

- And?
- I wasn't drunk.

So what's all this about engines then?

They're for the asteroid.

Get up.

It seems when Otto was going to do the job,
he had an option on some old K-5's.

From a 'Mars Explorer'.

Your old ship.

They must be at least uh, 7 years old.

They still look pretty good to me.

Except for number three.

They never got the startup circuits right.

Giver her a thump and she'd light off early.

Or if you didn't thump her
she wouldn't light at all.

Mars was easy. She was a difficult fit.

Do we need all three?

Yes. They should be loading them right now,

but don't tell anybody.

"Pan Am Spaceways. Alt Express,
flight 83 will lift off in 20 minutes."

"Will passengers please
report to airlock 3."

You're leaving again pretty quickly Bill.

Us 'un-salaried' workers
have to keep working.

That looks quite a heavy load
you have there. What is it?

Oh, some experimental propulsion equipment.
I want to test in space.

We may have something really big here.

Bup, bup, bup bup!
Section 47-C, paragraph 1.

No information about commercial
or industrial secrets

need to be disclosed without the
authority of the 'Moon Code' 1.

Well, there's more than
one way to skin a cat.

Good luck Bill.

You'll have to marry that girl, Bill.

What do you mean "Have to"?

It might be better than
they'll throw you in jail.

I didn't tell her a lie just now.

Oh, you've got to that stage.
You better marry her anyway.

I asked you to stay out of
sight until we were ready.

We just came down to witness
the lift off of 'Earth Express'.

We understand it's a sight
no tourists should meet.

When will you be ready to lift off?

Yes, this time we can pay the bill.
Okay.

The pump valve on number two.
We're ready now.

- Passengers?
- He's got a computer in that brief case.

And Harry can help with the heavy work.

I'll get out there.

That's Mr. Kaminski, isn't it?
Your engineer?

What nationality is he?

Born on Earth.

It wasn't quite what I asked.

We're all foreigners up here.

Ready to go?
Without the pistol, please.

You don't take this off me twice.

Then the trip's off. If that
thing goes off in the ship,

we'd never get back to explain why.

Give it to me Harry.

Let's all hope we have a profitable trip.

Let you know in about 4 days.

"Will Mrs. H. Walker please
report to immigration."

"Mrs. H. Walker"
"Passenger on Flight 3-2-0 to Mars."

"Report to immigration"

Okay, we're pressurizing.
Take your helmets off.

Listen, I want the main course,
Exactly 90 seconds after blastoff.

Yes Mr. Kemp.

Are we letting him navigate?

He's got a better computer than we have.

Can he use it?

He figures that counting miles per hour
isn't so different than dollars per second.

As long as he remembers he can't
get miles per hour and count it.

Moon Control, Zero Two.

Request take-off clearance.

Round trip. No landing away, as asual.

"Zero Two, you're clear."
"Mars Express due in 20 minutes"

Zero Two. I'll try to miss him.
Out.

Got that course yet Whitsun?

Relative to the elyptic,
I want a course of alpha 3-5-1

Beta 1-7-9. Speed 17,500.

- It sounds as if he knows.
- It does. Doesn't it.

Do you think he means to
swerve off over there?

Oh, more or less I suppose.

I hope it's not too difficult for you.

Not at all Mr. Whitsun.

Well, if you have an orbitograph, I hope
I can make the situation clear to you.

It's over there.

Well it's not new, but I think it works.

The Earth. The moon revolving around it.

Now this year. This week

The asteroid is making its closest approach
to the moon since 1998 on this course.

Our interception course will be just,
just here. 45 hours from now.

You will arrange the engines
on the surface of the asteroid.

We shall fire them four hours later.

The asteroid will change to this orbit.

You will observe that it's speed,
relative to the moon, is quite slow,

but it is only visible from the far side.

The radar stations on their side
cannot see it.

You appreciate the importance of this?

Well if they could, we would be in
jail the moment we got back.

Exactly.

Then after an interval of 3 days,
during this time,

the asteroid will have come
within 10,000 of the moon,

we shall return to it. Take measurements.
reset the engines and fire them again.

The asteroid lands on the moon.

Crunch. I got the picture.

The convoy's in from 5-5-5

Wally.

- Sorry, I thought you were my...
- Wrong number.

Excuse me again, but do
you know Mr. Wallace Taplin?

Wally? Yes, I know Wally,

but not enough apparently.

You a friend of his?

- No. I'm his sister.
- That's a great relief.

That's a great relief.

Was he on this convoy?

Well, if he was, I didn't see him.

Would you like to sit
down, take a drink?

Yes. Just join us. C'mon.

3 more Rocket Fuels please.

- Alright with you?
- Yeah.

And I come to think of it. I haven't
seen Wally in oh, maybe 4 months.

He sent me a cable to meet him here.

- You're just up from Earth?
- Yeah.

Have you tried radioing him?

Of course you can't.
That satellite is out, isn't it.

You'd think they'd have decent
communications here on the moon.

No government ever spent
1 dollar, until they've lost 5.

Yes, 5 of us. They ought to contact
to where we are, around back there.

Hello Miss Murphy.

The lady has lost her brother.

Hmmm... And you plan to spend
the evening consoling her.

Any new Miss Taplin?

Something must have happened to him.

Nobody has seen him for months.

Well, he may have missed the convoy.

It pretty rough compare to Farside 5

Yes, that's what must have happened.

I've never known Wally
on time for anything.

Well, if you have any news or
want any help. Just let me know.

Come on, drink up. And
we'll teach you how to play.

Dealer takes 2.

That was 3 you thieving ditch digger.

A little mistake among friends.

Have 2 good ones, have you?

Contact.

We're gonna use the main
engines for the final approach.

So strap yourselves down everybody.

8 miles relative speed. 300 MPH.

Keep her coming.

4 miles, 150.
Nice. Nice.

2 miles, 100.
Coming up to 1.

Go to 1-G.
1,000 yards.

Three. Two.

Give her the works.
Cut.

A 6,000 ton jewel.

How would you like to meet the broad
who could hang that around her neck?

Where exactly do you want this attached?

On the craddle.

Treat it gently.
This is number three.

It's as liable to go off early as late.

Fasten your safety line Harry.

I'll go down and get the
other leads from the engines.

Now, if each engine is set for exactly
One Hundred thousand pounds thrust,

then, if we fire in uh, 3 minutes
9 seconds and for exactly

- 1 hour and 18 minutes.
- If number three goes off right on time.

If it doesn't, it'll ruin
the whole operation.

I'll rigg it, so when number three goes off,
So will all the rest.

But it must fire exactly on time.

I'll stay here and give it a thump
when you give me the count down.

When they do fire, she
won't make like a space ship,

but she'll be building up fast.

Will you be okay?

Provided I get off in the
first ten seconds, yes.

Alright.

Are you sure you'll be alright Mr. Kemp?

You take care of your calculations.
I'll take care of myself.

Thank you for asking, anyway.

Fifteen seconds Mr. Kemp.

Ten.

Nine

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

You got 5 seconds to get free.

He's off.

What would've happened if he had failed?

He would have ended up in his socks.

- Are you okay bill?
- Yeah Dan.

Only it's a little lonely out here.

Are you walking, or would you like a lift?

I think I'll take a lift.

Maybe you'll make it to the
hotel before you know it.

Try to make it before the bar shuts.

When does 'wonder boy' recon
we should go out again?

Three days. Accoding to his box of tricks.

Want a drink?

Later. I am going to eat.

A double moon flower, please Len.

Buffallo stampede.

There's a lady been asking for you
for the past couple of days.

- What's she drinking?
- Green Mary.

A what?

Rocket fuel.,
and cabbage juice.

Ugh. God.

Which takes the taste from which?

I don't know.
I only serve them.

Hi.

- Find your brother yet?
- No.

Not on the convoy?

Not on two convoys.

And nobody seems to have
seen him in nearly 4 months.

Well, Farside is a big place. You
just don't go visiting someone

when it's a hundred miles of rough
country, and in a Moon Bug, which...

Cheers.

Mr. Kemp. Do you know anything
about moon mining laws?

A little.

Can you explain the 'Two Year' rule?

Well you gotta for claim 2 years,
and if you haven't found anything

at the end of that time, you get thrown off.
Somebody else gets it.

- There's quite a waiting list.
- It seems a bit unfair.

Maybe, but the moon costs
a lot of money to get started,

and they just can't have people just
digging holes and not finding anything.

How long has your brother had his claim?

Two years, and three day's time.

And he hasn't struck anything yet?

But he has. He said so in his cable.
That's why I am up here.

Well, you better tell him to get over
here and prove it before he loses his claim.

- By radio?
- Oh no.

But the convoy is...
No, they wouldn't be quick enough.

Mr. Kemp. Will you fly me over there?

I know I haven't got $10,000 on me now,

but if Wally found something, we'll pay
you back as soon as we're selling it.

I couldn't land on your brother's claim.
It's much too rough country.

But we could go to Farside 5.
It's a 24 hour ride in a bug from there.

You can owe it to me.

Oh, what the hell. I'm nearly rich anyway.
Let's have another drink.

Len, I'd like more of...
uh, whatever they are.

You weren't thinking of taking the young
lady for a ride, were you Mr. Kemp?

I'm a pilot for hire.

You're already hired. Drop her.

It'll only be a 3 day trip.
I'll be back in time.

You're working for Mr. Hubbard.
Drop her.

You seem to have your hand on me.

Mr. Hubbard's hand.

Tell him to keep it on
things he really owns.

If we're gonna play...

...we're goona play by my rules.

Moon Bar, send the police.

1-5-0.

5-2, 5-7.

Touch down in 17 minutes.

Be careful. We just gone weightless.

I know.
Just like the Moon Express.

Though uh,
your ship is different in other ways.

It'll be dark over Farside.

You are in for a nice long night drive
in a Moon Bug. Just built for two

I'll stay with the ship
and give it a sprinkling.

And get some sleep.

Approaching re-entry point.

I haven't seen Wally here in uh...

...oh it must have nearly been
4 months by now.

I tried to radio him a couple of times,

but it's always 'chancy'
in the mountain country.

How about relaying him?

Well, I could ask Nick Hunter to ask
Louis Grenier to ask Tad Connel

to pass on a message, but uh...

Tad's been in the hospital with
kidney troublethe last fortnight.

And I know that Nick went over to
Moon City on the last convoy.

On the otherhand, I might be
able to cntact Bill Wirter.

Oh no, he's off radio for the
next couple of days.

Sorry, there doesn't seem to be any way.

Well, when you didn't hear from him,
didn't you think of declaring an emergency?

The 6 day delay sending a message by convoy.
Hell of an emergrncy that would be.

The satellite has only
been dead for 12 days.

I know that, but uh...

...nobody dies slowly on the moon.
You know that.

- Well, can I take a Bug then?
- One's out.

And I was hoping to do an
overhaul on the other.

I'd need a thousand dollars deposit.

Thank You.

Is it ready?
As ready as she'll ever be.

I guess she'll get you there.

- And back?
- I sure do hope so.

Climb aboard.

Uh-uhh. Mover over.
Unless you want to drive.

Sorry, but this is a part of the moon
that tourists don't usually see

if we pull the wrong lever out here, there's
no guarantee we'll even to be found.

I'm sorry.

But I'm a tourist Mr. Kemp. I am here to
stay and work with my brother.

Fine. Just be careful in here, until
you are used to what's what.

I understand.

How long does it stay dark?

It'll be... sun up in 40 hours.

It must get awfully cold out there.

200 degrees below zero,

and up above boiling point
when the sun's out.

Don't worry. These bugs have
efficient cooling and heating systems.

Always got the moon suits.

I see what you mean about,
we'll always be foreigners.

Why did your brother pick
this end of the moon?

He didn't. It was the only claim
left when he got here.

That figures. What was he mining on Earth?

Gold, some silver. The last thing he
found was copper up in Montana.

Sold out cheap to a big company.

He always thinks there will be a bigger
and better strike over the next hill.

He came over a big hill this time.

Your father?

He blew himself up 5 years ago.

Dynamiting for emeralds in the Andes.
I hardly knew him.

He was always off somewhere always
digging a new hole over a new hill.

You're the "Bill Kemp" who
was the first man on Mars.

- That's right.
- Funny, meeting you like this.

While driving a hired moving buggy?

No. I can remember when we got
the news that you landed on Mars.

I was just a school girl then. And I
wasn't very interested in space travel.

Then the astronomy theacher
showed us Mars one night.

Told us how far it was.

It still is.

I remember your name from then.

The man who flown a
space ship for 14 million miles.

Well, not quite single handed.

Oh, I could still recite you
the names of the crew.

That's more than I could.

Why did you give it up. Exploring?

It gave me up.

After Mars, and Jack Harvey got on Venus,
the corporation decided that

passenegrs was where the money was.

Sure, it would have some money and
new inventions too, to get to

Mercury and Jupiter's moons,
but somebody's gonna to do it.

Anyway, I wasn't a passenger pilot.
So I quit.

- I understand.
- You do?

Always something over the next hill.

- I know.
- And always on borrowed money.

But there is something over the hill.

That's the trouble for a woman.

All space travel is just a big way of
getting out of the house

on a Saturday evening.

Well, if you don't have
anything better to do.

We're within radio range.
Do you want to try?

Please.

Wallace.

Wally. Come in please.
Over.

Try it again.

Wally Taplin. Are you receiving me?
Over.

He might not be switched on.

Don't worry. We'll be there
in a couple of hours.

Can you see anything?

Only your brother's igloo.
No sign of life.

Into the suits. We'll walk from here.

Wally? Can you receive me?
Over.

Wally, are you receiving me?
Over.

Okay. Boots off.

Pretty color.

It's so you show up at a distance.

In different colors too.
So as you can tell who is who.

Alright. Boots and gloves.

Now there are few other things.

Just it's we've got to get out there.

Okay, just take it easy.
We're all foreigners, right?

Let's learn the language.

Now there's heating, air, radio.

Now with your helmet on, you'll be
air tight, and properly warmed up.

If the heating busts,
you won't need to tell me about it.

You quite sure this suit works?

Sure, I'm sure.

Look. I think I found something.

Where are you?

Around the corner.

Don't wonder off.
You've got to stay in sight.

I'm sorry.

You see? He has been mining?
Do you know what this?

A piece of rock.

With a vein of nickel in it.
And a very rich one.

- Wally did find something.
- Are you sure?

I know a little about geology.

Where could have he gone?

Not far, or he would
have taken his Bug Dozer.

Look, there's someone there.

I suppose he just, made a mistake.

He managed for two years without making one.

And he didn't puncture his suit.

He had to have oxygen to look like...

...to go as he did.

One full. One empty.

Just a stupid mistake.

Hold it.

You out there. Identify yourselves.

Get down!

We're on telephone now.
They can't hear us.

But don't say anything on the radio,
they pick it all up.

Come on out, both of you.
I will drill you like a sieve.

Don't shoot. The girl's hurt.

You gotta help me.

There's another way out.

Back in the cave.

Quickly. Give me your brother's pack.

This was your brother's wasn't it?

Yes.

Well, he was murdered alright.
Whatever's in here, it isn't air.

How do we get out of here?
Our Bug's ridden off.

Let's try this one.

Leave the suit on. It's 200
degrees below zero in here.

Can't we turn the heating on?

Oh, it's all shot to hell.

And we've only got power
for about 150 miles,

but not for heating and cooling as well.

We'll have to stay in our suits all the way.

We can't do that either.

The charges won't last
more than a few hours.

A 150 miles.

But it is over 200 miles back to Farside 5.

Yes, by the track, but this thing's
built to go over mountains.

We're gonna have to try a shortcut.

Bill, is nickel very rare on the moon?

You'll find it, but not just lying around.

Is it valuable enough to murder a man for?

You can't price a murder. People have
been killed for their small change.

We're getting put way off course.
How long does this crevasse go on for?

Another mile.

The walls are narrowing.

- We must be nearing the end.
- Are you sure you can read a map?

- Well, there's a way out.
- Will we make it?

There' only one way to find out.

We're going to make it.

This is where it starts.

It'll take a little time yet.

You better turn your insulation
off to save the last of the charge.

we might need it later on.

How far now?

About 80 miles. It looks as
though the worse is over.

It seems pretty flat from here.

Just when we need the shade.

Take off your moon suit.

What are you going to do now?

Now that you're not going
to work with your brother.

Back to Earth?

I haven't really thought.

Any jobs going for good space
shipping cook up here?

Could be.

Thanks.

Bill.

I'm sorry. I dragged you in to all this.

I'm not.

It'd be a bit silly for Bill Kemp
to die just right here.

On the moon.

After all the places you've been, I mean.

It would be a bit silly for Bill Kemp
to die any place, as far as I am concerned.

So sit down, and start telling me
how much farther we have to go.

Is there any water left?

It's damn near boiling.

Well? What's the matter?

Why nothing.

Not a thing.

If it gets any hotter,
I'll have to take the rest of it off.

How much farther?

- Only a few miles.
- How many?

- I don't know. 7? 10?
- Which is it? 7 or 10?

I'm sorry, but 7 means we might make it.
10 means we won't.

Look, we got power for another
couple of miles, then we walk.

We've only got an hour's
insulataion charge left in the suits.

The overheating has melted
the pressure point.

I only hope.

Quick! Into your suit.

Look.

It's Farside 5. Come on.

Alright Bill. You'rs under arrest.

Fine. Now does anybody
got a nice cool drink?

Nothing I could do Bill, she just uh,
suddenly appeared.

She always gets her man, Bill.

Well you've been really been
running up an account this time.

Causing a disturbance, liable to breach
the pressure of an outside room.

Malicious damage to hotel property.

Miss Taplin'd brother has
been murdered out there.

Come on. You can do better than that.

Yes. Well 3 other characters got killed,
but I did that myself.

When you get into trouble,

you really jump off a top board.
Don't you.

Someone better get out there and check.

One thing we can check right now.

Wally Taplin was killed with one of these.

Tell me what you think it smells like.

Go on.

Just one sniff.

It could be cyanide.

Funny, I just took it off my own suit.

Smells like good fresh air to me.

But you thought it was cyanide.

Now you sold him his air bottles.
You sell all air bottles around here.

Why?

You'd better answer him.

They made me.

They wanted Taplin's claim.
It was due to expire.

They said they found something,
and they had to have it.

What for?

To land an asteroid on it.

Mr. Hubbard. They found out about it.
You got to get me off the moon.

So, you've reached the confession stage.

And in front of the bureau of investigation.

I'm glad we got here on time Mr. Kemp,

I was afraid some of my associates might
not realize how essential you are to this

project, and would have disposed of you.

- They tried.
- Really?

- All three of them?
- All three.

I really did under estimate you Mr. Kemp.
So we're three men short then.

Whistun, make a not to engage.

- Mr. Hubbard. You're under arrest.
- I don't think so.

Do you, Harry?

Let me get this straight.

You got that louse to murder my brother,

just so that you could have a
place to land an asteroid?

Not just any old asteroid.

Mr Kemp. Please.
Don't get yourself killed, uneccessarily.

Don't think... I'm gonna be able to get
you out of this one. This time Bill.

Don't talk Liz.

I'm gonna miss you Bill.

Even our, the rousts were good.

We're quite safe sir. None of
the shots pierced the dome.

Yes. well I believe we need to take off
for the asteroid in just under one hour.

If you think I am going to land that
thing for you now you're

But I do.

Whitsun. When was the last time we
abandoned the project without any profit?

- Antarctic oil eight years ago.
- Oh yes, I remember.

But there was no oil there. Wasn't there?

No, but there is sapphire in
this asteroid Mr. Kemp. So...

Harry. Shoot the young lady.

That's better.

Out-course, alpha 2-7-1.
Beta, 0-9-5. Speed 8,500.

50 minutes to contact, Mr. Hubbard.

Good.

It gives me time to finish my dinner.

That really does taste like iron filings.

You wouldn't be trying to poison
me my dear, would you?

I didn't think of that.

I wonder if I could bottle
the taste of caviar.

You're crazy. Did you know that?

To try to bottle the taste of caviar?

Trying to land 6,000 pounds of sapphire.
You won't make a cent.

I don't think you know quite as much
about this as you think you do.

Sapphire is only valuable,
as long as it's rare.

They mine about a ton a year on Earth.

Put 6,000 tons on the market, and it
becomes as valuable as colored glass.

Sounds like Antartic oil again Mr. Hubbard.

He doesn't want it for
jewelery, you stacius.

It's a 'ceramic'.

Tougher than the stuff we have
lining the rocket tubes out there.

It can stand more heat than stainless steel.

2,000 degrees centigrade,
so my experts tell me.

So, if one has 6,000 tons
of it lying around worth,

as Miss Taplin says, "nothing".

Then why not use it to line rocket tubes?

They'll be able to build big engines.

Real big ones.

Which could power the ships from Mercury,

and Jupiter's moons.

And they will be my ships Mr. Kemp.

And anything they find
will be my trade at my prices.

They'll have to invent a
new word instead 'rich'.

They won't let you do it.

They can't stop me.

United Nations Space Charter, section...

- Section 5-C...
- Freedom to explore and exploit.

You've always said,

"If the corporation didn't do it,
somebody else would."

You met the "Somebody".

The first flight to Mercury
will also require a good pilot.

Just like the man who made
the first landing on Mars.

If he hasn't forgotten
too much since then.

And after Mercury, Jupiter's moons,

Uranus and Neptune,

and when that is all over,

I will need good men to govern those places.

Pick your planet Mr. Kemp.

I wouldn't help you put your
dirty little fingers on a lump of...

$200,000.00 in the gem market.

We need a slight tilt before
firing for full retro effect.

We can arrange that
by firing 2 engines early.

One of them will have to be number 3.
Just remember that.

Yes, I had anticipated that

Same system as before.

Number 3 controlling
the firing of the others.

Come out here where the
boyfriend can see you, love.

So it will encourage him in his work.

We have a margin for error here.

If we fire between 4 and 7 minutes,
it'll still land on the plane.

Good. Anything else?

If I am going to stay down here
and thump number 3 again,

I'll need a long line.

Miss Taplin.

They're up in the passenger deck.

- What can I do?
- Into the control deck.

In his chair.

I think that's everything Sir.
It will land 16 minutes after firing.

Excellent timing Whitsun.

Mr. Taplin's claim expired half an hour ago.

No legal problems.

- Are you there?
- Yes.

On your right, two rows of switches.
Bottm row.

- Alright?
- What now?

On your left. The big throttle lever.

Pull it all the way back.

Now!

Cut the throttle.

The engineer must have got free.

But he can't have.

- I handcuffed him.
- What fools, you think?

That girl is flying that thing?

In the maintenance lock up there,
there is a buzz saw.

Mr. Kemp. Can your enginner
land that thing on his own?

No. I don't think so.

Then, he needs you as
much as we need the ship.

Mr. Kaminski.

If you hear me, are you
ready to go home now?

Go get him Harry.

That's right Harry. Come and get me.

- If he'll come Mr. Hubbard.
- I know that. It's your gun.

Now start earning your pay for once.

Be reasonable Mr. Kemp.

We just want to get back to
the moon the same as you do.

So let's have no more trouble. Please.

Watch your head Harry.

Now, let's get reasonable Mr. Kemp.

Come here.

I'm sorry Mr. Hubbard. I forgot
to leave you any cutters.

The whole sequence has started.

Well stop it.

Mr. Hubbard, I can't reach it.
The build up of power. It's late.

Well, they'll be on the
moon before we are.

Seal her up.

We'll follow as far as we can.

Pressure normal. No leaks.

United Nations Space Charter, section 99-B.

No sex is permitted in space.

- Do you make them all up?
- Most of them.

Nobody else has read it either.

They'll reach the moon in exactly 1 minute.

- On target?
- On target.

And whoever takes over from Hubbard,
gets 6,000 tons of sapphire.

That makes you a very attractive woman.

Or we can prove that your
brother was murdered,

and that he had found nickel. And
law does not allow profit by murder.

Five seconds.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Contact.

Well, he made his mark
on the moon alright.

Course for Moon City.

Oh, By the way. What's your
room at the hotel like?

Why don't you find out?