The War of the Worlds (2019): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript
No one would have believed in the
first years of the 20th century
that we were being watched by
intelligences greater than man's,
yet as mortal as his own...
... that as men busied themselves
about their various concerns,
they were scrutinised as narrowly
as creatures that swarm and
multiply in a drop of water.
Yet, across the gulf of space,
intellects vast,
cool
and unsympathetic
regarded this earth
with envious eyes.
And slowly
and surely
drew their plans against us.
I think I saw it.
- Oh, really?
- Really?
Yes, it... There.
- Look.
- Do you mind if I... ?
Please.
Good Lord. So that's Mars.
Yes, but did you see a pillar of smoke,
- like a reddish flash around the edge?
- Yes.
May I?
If one of you kind people could, uh...
I hope I can catch a
piece of this in time.
Now, if you would
please hold very still.
Gosh, look at that.
What do you think it is?
A volcanic eruption, perhaps,
along the lines of
Krakatoa, only bigger.
People saw something similar last
time Mars was this close to Earth,
during the oppositions of '94 and '98.
Keep it. It's a present.
Welcome to the neighbourhood.
- Ooh. We're pariahs, you know, George and I.
- Ooh, yes. I'm afraid so.
Welcome to the neighbourhood.
- Find your balance.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- No.
- Easier said than done, actually.
- Try sitting. Sit.
- No, it's actually easier for me standing up.
No, but you wobble when you stand.
Yeah, but it's about trying
to find your momentum, I think.
- At least it's nice to have someone to talk to in Woking.
- Oh, is it really?
No, that must be lovely for you.
- Yeah, thanks very much!
- Stop it, George.
Now, it's the corner that's a worry.
- Speed up.
- I'll race you. Come on.
A race? OK, good.
Some incentive.
Just gliding past.
You're looking at me in a
very meaningful way, George.
Well, you just make me
feel very poetic, Amy.
Are you sure it's poetry
you're thinking about?
- Poetry's pretty passionate, isn't it?
- Yes, but it's brief.
Look, you've got one
from the Socialist Society
for the Abolition of Capital.
They've tracked me down, have they?
- George.
- Yes?
- You forgot something.
- What?
Give me a kiss.
- We won't be stuck here forever. I promise.
- Well, we might.
Bye.
Gentlemen, good morning.
It seems like the fuse we've all
been watching for the last year
may have just been lit.
Six trawlers out of
Hull, 50 miles offshore.
They were fired on and sunk.
12 dead.
- Family men.
- Fired on by whom?
Russian Navy's sailing
south at the moment,
en route to engage the Japs.
Working theory is they mistook
them for Japanese torpedo boats.
What, a bunch of trawlers
5000 miles from Japan?
Either way, Arnold, Britain
will be joining the show,
so response from the Admiralty, please.
They're readying the troops.
The Minister for War is going
to be making a statement.
Get me a decent quote.
You... Russian Embassy. Naval Situation.
- Sir.
- George...
general research.
Very good, sir, but
would you mind awfully
if I went to the Admiralty instead?
It's only I have a source
there, you see, sir,
who I would rather like to speak to.
Your brother?
All right.
- Column and a half by midday; you can be in the finals.
- Very good, sir.
Take Arnold with you, though.
Be rather glorious,
don't you think... a war?
Haven't had a proper one
since, what, Napoleon?
- Tunics and cavalry...
- Listen, Arnold,
why don't you go to the embassy instead?
I'm perfectly capable of
taking care of this alone.
Yes, but he wanted me to cover
the Admiralty, and you butted in.
- What have you, in any case?
- What?
Well, nothing, no. I just have
this contact I'd like to speak to.
Yes, of course. Yes.
Yes, you're not... you're not conducting
personal business on
company time now, are you?
What?
And this is from the Empire range.
We have it in stock down in Weybridge.
Full of rather vivid colours.
Nursery colours, perhaps.
You know, I grew up near the Charminar.
My father was part of the survey.
- How are you finding it in England?
- Oh, rainy.
- Oh.
- When I got off the boat at Dover,
I thought England was the most
grey and cold place
I could ever imagine.
Well, there's something
to be said for the rain.
I know I would find
India rather too warm.
And what does the man of the house do?
- He's a journalist.
- Oh.
Oh.
That's you, is it?
Yes, that's us.
Six weeks at least.
Excellent.
And thank you very much.
You know, we are very much in love, sir.
I'm sure the time will fly by.
In the light of this cowardly and
unprecedented attack by Russia,
it is worth recollecting
that if you ask any man
what nationality he would prefer to be,
99 out of 100
will tell you
that they would prefer
to be Englishmen.
Anglo-Saxon territory is
for the Anglo-Saxon race.
The best, most human, most
honourable race the world possesses.
And any challenge
will be faced and defeated.
We are an empire
on which the sun
never sets.
Thank you.
My secretary will take
your questions, gentlemen.
- What's your response likely to be, sir?
- There's nothing
much to add to what the
Minister said, so, well,
but I shall do my best, if
you need facts and figures.
What are the losses to date, sir?
Good morning, sir. Is this
covered by the Lansdowne Treaty?
And if so, how will the pact
stand if the Russians attack us?
Sir, in regards to the
Lansdowne Agreement,
we are committed to
wade in against Russia
after certain lines have been crossed.
And is this one of those lines, sir?
Yes, well, we... we
don't like to comment
if we are not in full
possession of the facts.
However, in response to the
atrocities in the North Sea,
we are embarking troops.
Army and Navy leave is cancelled.
And that's all I can give you.
Thank you, gentlemen.
- Fred...
- What is it? How the hell did you get in here?
I had a press pass. It's the only way
I can think of to come and see you.
I thought I made myself
perfectly clear...
- I don't want to be seen.
- I, uh...
- I need your help.
- With what?
Oh, no, no. You're...
You're... You're joking, George.
I just know that you've
always been very close to Lucy.
Well, so have you. She's your wife.
Look, just... just
come over to the house.
Come and see us. Come
and meet Amy again.
Spend some time with her.
- We're, um, in Woking, near Horsell Common.
- I know where you live.
Don't you have a deadline
or whatever they call it?
Well, there's a women's
college on Bedford Square.
You could do a Masters of Natural
Sciences, apply in September.
- And how would a woman go about that?
- Well, a woman
would get some letters
of recommendation,
speak to some of the old ladies.
Benny!
Hey!
Stop it!
Benny!
Leave her alone!
Stop!
Now, you were just saying you wanted
to do something with your degree.
It would be a shame to waste
it. It's what you're good at.
Darling, that's very kind, but
there's a rather important
piece of the puzzle
that needs to fall into place before
anyone would give me
letters of recommendation.
What?
George.
What is it?
There's an egg there, Mary.
- From the duck?
- Uh, no, I think it's from the dog!
Mary ignore him. I can do that.
- Thank you.
- What is that?
It's a present. It's a...
- clock that makes tea by distillation. George.
- Yes.
I went to see my brother today.
What did he say?
Nothing good.
What sort of business has
a clock got making tea.
Please tell me. What are
they gonna do... have a...
have a lavatory that
makes bacon and eggs?
George.
Good evening.
Fred.
This is my... This is
my brother Frederick.
- Thank you so much for coming.
- So pleased to meet you.
This is, uh... This
is my... This is Amy.
Uh, can I... ? Mary?
- Can I get you... ?
- Um, I'm not... I'm not gonna
dignify you or this person
by spending any more
time here than I must.
But you asked for my help this
morning, so I'm gonna give it to you.
I've gone out to this venture.
- Fred.
- Go back to Lucy. She'll forgive you.
I will forgive you, and then
perhaps life can continue.
If you do not, if you
persist in your folly,
then I guarantee you
that you will be ruined.
I guarantee you'll have
no life to speak of.
It's a selfish, cruel pursuit,
and it cannot help but
bring forth the most...
unpleasant consequences.
Unless you do as I suggest,
then this is the last
you'll ever see of me.
- *
- Fred.
I'm the only brother you'll ever have.
And there's the tragedy of it, George.
Good evening.
So Greaves asks me
for a column and a half,
and I give him the article,
and he puts it in the
paper, but he puts it in
under Arnold Henderson's name.
Why don't you just leave if
they won't print your stuff?
Amy, but if I'm just gonna leave,
then what are we gonna live on?
- I have the legacy from my father.
- But that's not very progressive, though, is it?
It's perfectly progressive.
I don't need to be kept.
I should never have put
you in this situation.
You didn't put me anywhere.
This was my choice too.
We'll make it work.
Do you think so?
I wouldn't be here if I didn't.
Nuts to them, George.
Come on.
You're supposed to light.
Now, let's see what it is.
What is that?
Well, so you think it's come from space,
like Halley's Comet or something?
Well, they have
elliptical orbits decaying.
It might take thousands of years,
perhaps even go clean
out of our sun system,
and then suddenly one day,
they're back, and bang.
Yeah, but I thought those
things burnt up in the sky.
At thousands of miles an hour,
perhaps even thousands
of degrees of heat.
It's through here.
What could this be?
Well, somebody's got
some clearing up to do.
So, if it was... if it was, um,
thousands of degrees,
yes, why... why would it not
have burned all of this down?
I think it got so hot it
just flashed out for a second,
scorched everything, and then burnt out.
So, is it a shooting star?
That's right, Mr Thing. Shooting star.
Imagine what would've happened
if this had hit London.
Another couple of
seconds, it probably would.
Careful, Amy.
You said it sounded like a bomb.
Do you think it could be a bomb?
How big would the gun have been?
- Mr Thing, who would've fired this?
- The Russians, perhaps.
- George, how big would the gun have been?
- All right.
Don't you think we
should inform the Army?
Why?
Just seems that in situations such
as this that you inform the Army.
No, I telephoned to
the Astronomer Royal.
This is common land.
We're perfectly entitled to be here.
The last thing we need is a lot of
rough men in tunics
clogging the place up.
- George, you should wire your paper.
- Yes, I think I probably should.
The telegraphs are out.
What, all of them?
Went down when I called.
Right. Well, then, you've got to go in.
There's no way they won't print
this. Just show them the photographs.
I think you have a rather
high opinion of my employers.
And we'll be all right here, won't we?
- Keep it warm till you get back.
- All right, just don't... I mean it ...
don't touch that until someone...
- George, I promise I'm not going to touch anything.
- All right.
- OK. Well, be safe.
- Hurry back.
Hang on. Turn around.
Let's get a quick...
One, two...
... three.
Well...
shall we?
If we don't break out this story, sir,
- then another paper will.
- George,
we clearly have bigger
fish to fry at the moment.
Wait for a local to
file it on the agency.
- I'm local, and I'm filing, sir.
- Your news...
- there's hardly anything on these photographs.
- With all due respect, Mr Greaves,
you haven't put anything of
mine in now for six weeks, so...
Well, go and talk to your brother again.
- We need more on the Russian mystery.
- What, so you can promise me a byline,
- and then give it to Arnold?
- It's not me.
It's His Lordship.
I'm sorry.
- His Lordship has views.
- No, I'm sorry, sir.
Are we pretending His
Lordship is perfect now?
George, you cannot expect
to do what you've done
and have no consequences.
You're very lucky to have retained
- any sort of job at all.
- Oh, sod that.
Really...
sod that.
George.
And sod His Lordship.
Get back to work.
Oh, it's a gossipy place, Woking.
I wouldn't worry.
Should hear what they say about me.
Why? What do they say?
Well, gentleman bachelor
of advancing years,
likes to keep himself nicely turned out.
Well, um,
George was married to his cousin.
They were somewhat manoeuvred
towards each other by
his family... well, his brother.
They were betrothed when they were 15.
Ended up despising each
other; no one was happy.
Then you appeared.
We met at a society for free thinkers.
Well,
I'm sure it was worth the joining fee.
So, what do you think?
Do you think it could be from Mars?
What, the eruptions, you mean?
Wouldn't think so.
I mean, something can't erupt from Mars
and end up in Surrey.
Well, at least...
it's a million to one against.
How long have you been married?
Um...
So that's the other funny thing. Um...
Rather afraid we're not.
Oh.
All right. Stand back there.
Hello.
I hope no one's been
munting about with this.
- Stent. Astronomer Royal.
- Ah.
- Ogilvy.
- Yes, sir.
Thought you were a
chemist, not an astronomer.
Jack of all trades.
Put a tablecloth on it, Cyril,
- and the other stuff, and a pot of tea, please.
- Right away, sir.
Good Lord.
Bigger than the Cape York one.
This might be the biggest
meteorite every found.
Come in. Let's have a snap.
Come on, chaps.
Are you going?
Harold, on my right. The rest of
you, try not to get in the way.
This is going to make some
fellow very well known indeed.
Good afternoon, Lucy.
- Good afternoon.
- I trust that you're well.
What do you think?
Why are you here?
Have you come back?
Sorry.
Then why in hell are you here?
I'm here to ask you...
if you will sign the papers.
Are you not ashamed?
- I'm very sorry.
- Of course you're not sorry.
I am.
Of course I am extremely
regretful for any pain
that I may have caused you.
But what was I to do?
I agonised over the decision,
and I had no other choice.
She's selfish, mark my words,
that girl with the red hair.
That girl will do whatever it
takes to make sure she gets on.
It's nothing to do with getting on.
Lucy.
Amy and I are in love.
We fell in love.
Just as I hope that you
one day will fall in love.
I didn't intend for this to happen.
But can you really say
that you were happy, Lucy?
You're a coward.
That's your character.
Your brother says the same thing.
You're too afraid to face
up to your responsibilities.
I'm sorry, Lucy, but I think
this is about the only brave thing
- that I've ever done.
- I couldn't give you children,
so you left for someone younger
and prettier.
My father had the
measure of you all along.
I left because we made
each other miserable,
because we had no
conversations often for weeks,
because we shared no
interests or views or friends.
Even if there was the remotest
chance of having children,
then I wouldn't want
them to be born into such
an unhappy situation. Lucy, please.
Please will you sign the papers?
And sacrifice myself for
the altar of your sickness?
No, George. I will be
the spectre at your feast.
You deserve every bit of
pain that is coming to you.
And mark my words, pain will come.
If you want to marry again,
you may do so when I'm dead.
That's my last word.
Put off that music,
Cyril. Use your noddle.
There's something inside.
- Sounded like clockwork.
- You'd need a devil of a big key.
It's expanding.
George needs to see this.
Madam, who are you?
- Is this a place for a lady?
- She's my assistant.
Ah, Mary.
- Is the mistress at home?
- Been out all day, sir.
On the Common?
What about this bomb, then?
Well, it's not a bomb. Is it?
May I go up? My sister's there,
- and I should like to before it's...
- Mary, would you mind waiting in the house.
In case the mistress returns. Thank you.
What's going on over there? What's that?
Keep these people back.
Where's you mama, boy? Huh?
Amy!
Amy!
Excuse me.
What's happening?
It's moving.
Something's...
It's opening.
Where's Amy?
Back. Back. Go on. Move. Move.
Back. Back, I say.
Amy!
- Come on!
- George!
Mary!
- What on Earth was that? George,
- I don't know.
- what happened to Ogilvy?
- Well, I...
- Mary!
- What on Earth's happening?
- We don't know.
- Did you find your sister?
- She didn't come back.
- Well, let's find her, then we'll look for Ogilvy.
Jane!
Jane!
- Jane!
- Jane!
- There she is.
- Oh!
Jane!
I can't think what caused
a reaction like that.
Maybe there was some
kind of chemical in there,
like a phosphine, maybe something
that combusts with the air.
- Well, do you think perhaps it's burnt itself out by now?
- Oh, no.
Where's Benny? Where's... ?
Where's the dog?
Ogilvy!
Ogilvy!
No one's allowed over the Common.
Sir, I'm, um...
just trying to find my friend.
There's no one alive down there,
- only more like these poor sods.
- Right.
Attachment of three, please.
- You two. Him.
- Yes, sir.
The second one landed
in the lake at Byfleet.
After we clean up this
mess, we'll join you there.
- Yes, sir.
- King's Royal Artillery,
move on!
Are you West Surrey?
West Surrey Artillery, that's right.
What, is there no one here from London?
It was a forest fire, that's all.
Sorry, this isn't a forest fire.
This wasn't a forest fire.
I'm sorry, but something falls
down from space, it's boiling hot,
all that gorse, people go and
look, get themselves killed.
We're gonna fence off the second
one before the same thing happens.
Get a move on, bombardier.
- Get home, mate. It's all in hand.
- This wasn't a forest fire.
Ogilvy?
Ogilvy?
He's not made contact this morning?
I'm sorry. He hasn't, sir,
but we're not entire sure
he didn't resign yesterday.
Here's his desk.
We can let you know
as soon as he arrives.
Where is he, in
relation to what went on?
Uh...
what exactly did go on, sir?
We're hearing a lot of very odd
things about this story, sir.
Shooting star hits Horsell Common,
crowd gathers, then
some sort of explosion.
No one seems to know anything for sure.
Well, there was a forest
fire. The West Surrey went in.
They haven't asked for enforcements,
so whatever it is, it's in hand.
There.
That's where George said it landed.
That's where the fire was.
And that's his house.
- Did you find him?
- No. No sign. You?
No.
So, the other one's come down
in the woods near Byfleet.
- What?
- Yes.
That's so close to the first.
- That can't be a coincidence.
- No.
I need to tell you something.
I, uh... I went to see
my wife yesterday...
to ask her to sign the divorce papers.
And?
Do you think we've been selfish?
George.
Life is selfish;
love even more so.
Silly to pretend otherwise.
Well, she said that
she would let us be
married when she was dead.
Clear these houses! Clear these houses!
You two, over there! You two, there!
- What's going on?
- Something's moving.
Clear out now. You're in range!
Clear these houses!
- Mary!
- Mary!
Mary!
Mary!
George, get help! Quick!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa.
We can't help her. She's dead.
Amy, come on!
- I can't leave her!
- Get on the bloody horse!
Come on. We'll go to the Admiralty.
What? You're joking.
Look, if anyone's doing anything
about this, it'll be my brother.
- If we get separated, we meet there. All right?
- All right.
Har! Come on!
George, it's Benny. Stop! Please!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- George.
- Benny!
Wait there.
Benny! Benny, come here!
- George.
- Benny.
George!
Amy!
George!
Amy, go!
George!
Amy, go to my brother!
I'll meet you there!
Go!
There's more here. Over here.
Something else is occurring
to the south of London...
Hampton Court, Weybridge, near
the site of the first impact.
I don't know what to
make of the reports,
but there are bodies
floating down the river.
- We'd have them fetched up.
- Yes.
Commandeers and
porters. We're not having
- corpses decorating the Thames.
- Mm-hm.
- Where's your brother now?
- Well, among this lot, I hope.
The refugees from the towns
and villages around the event.
You trust what he said to his paper
- about the shooting star.
- I don't know, Minister.
Makes as much sense as
anything else we've been told.
- They're not printing anything about...
- Not until there's confirmation, sir.
- Where is the King?
- Sandringham,
with the Prince and Princess of Wales.
There is nothing to suggest
that it's not just an act of God.
Great piece of rock falls from space.
What are we hearing on the wires?
- Well, the local telegraphs stopped yesterday...
- Stopped?
... and the Trans-Atlantic
cables burnt out this morning,
so we have no information.
What does that mean?
Does that mean it's happened
somewhere else, not just here?
What the hell are we looking at?
There's no chance this is the Russians?
I honestly don't know, Minister.
The prime minister's in Scotland.
We're unable to contact him.
Until we know what this
situation turns out to be,
- I am taking charge.
- Yes, Minister.
Sir, one of the Surrey
people wants to speak to you.
- Where? Where? Where is he?
- Have you seen my husband, George?
He's tall. He might have a dog with him.
Have you see George?
Please tell me you've seen George.
I was supposed to meet him here.
I'm afraid I haven't.
When did you last see him?
The horse I was on bolted.
It carried me off down
Mayberry Hill towards Weybridge,
and I lost George
somewhere near the house.
He'd gone to rescue our dog.
He shouted at me to leave, and I...
I did try and get back to him, I
did, but the fire was so intense.
- And that was the last that you saw of him?
- Yes.
Something, maybe the side of
a house... something fell down.
I just saw him swallowed by this smoke.
- And he shouted at you that you should go?
- Yes.
You did so?
- Yes!
- It was impossible for me to get back to him.
So, did your horse bolt or
did you just ride it away?
It was impossible for
me to get back to him.
Well...
maybe he managed to find a
way out near Horsell common.
That's all you can say?
George has been my brother for 36 years.
When he was born, my mother allowed me
to carry him in to meet our father.
And I looked after him on
his first day of school.
He was scared, and he'd
forgotten his pocket handkerchief,
and I think he was crying for
it, and I gave him mine and...
He was my baby brother.
My baby brother. I was there.
Until you came along.
He still is your baby brother.
Or perhaps devoutly to be wished.
I'm going to have his child.
Is he here?
I'm afraid not.
We'll just... keep on looking.
Come on.
_
- How long is this for?
- A week.
A week?
We all pull together.
We'll be right as rain.
- Shall we get you that?
- Mm.
What was the great victory like?
It was hard. A lot was lost.
Celebrate what we have.
Celebrate the miracle.
Yes, of course, but, uh...
the difficulty is if one
knows in one's heart that
God delivers miracles...
then one must also accept the
thought of divine retribution.
To be frank, I find that
very difficult to bear.
God is good, not difficult.
Your husband will come back.
Yes, of course.
Amy?
Amy?
Where are ya?
I know you're there.
Come out here!
I know you're there.
I saw you.
Where is everyone?
I don't know.
Fled.
Dead.
You're not stayin' here, are ya?
Would you, uh...
Would you mind awfully just
waiting for me? Just, uh...
Just for a moment.
Excuse me, Miss. A man with a
border terrier... have you seen him?
- No, I'm so sorry.
- Amy!
Amy!
Amy, the refugees have stopped coming,
there's not a single one
from Horsell or Woking.
The fire must have died down.
Maybe he's just hurt.
If he doesn't turn
up, then I'll go back.
And what's to be done if he never does?
- What?
- What's to be done about this child?
That is not your concern.
Well, if anything has
happened to George,
- I rather think it is my concern.
- I don't need your help.
Neither of us need your help!
Well, perhaps he's
gone back to his wife.
Oh, is this the
punishment you had in mind?
Is this the wages of our sin?
It's between us and the town.
That's where she was headed... my wife.
It's no kindness, the right sort
of wife, to make her a widow.
She's expecting a child, actually.
I'm going to be a father.
I was...
buried
under half a ton of earth, felt like.
Except it wasn't earth. It was, uh...
bodies.
My pals.
Dead horses.
- Oh God. It's...
- We have to find the baby.
It's coming from one of those houses.
Come on.
What are you doing?
- We need to take cover.
- Where's it coming from?
- It's over there. It's over there!
- No!
Leave it, for Christ's sake.
- Come on!
- We need to get the baby.
We need to get the baby.
- Oh no.
- Be quiet.
There was an eruption from Mars
midnight every night
for the last few days.
When did this chap take
the last photograph?
Friday, and that's not to
say it's the last explosion.
The belief is that he was kill at...
at Horsell.
How far away is Mars?
Uh, oh, it's thousands of
miles. Hundreds of thousands.
It's about 35 million at the moment.
Then by that logic,
dear lady, in 10 days,
the thing must have travelled, what?
Hmm?
150,000 miles per hour.
Does that really sound likely?
Well, none of it sounds likely, does it?
Well...
And she saw what actually
occurred at Horsell?
She was there with your brother?
Yes, the...
the thing came up into
the air, apparently.
It didn't explode. It
didn't cause a forest fire.
It sent out a pulse of some kind
that burnt people to death.
Next day, something came
out of the ground and
burnt down all there was between
Mayberry Hill and Weybridge.
- And what happened in Weybridge?
- Well, people were trying to escape.
They were trying to get on
trains or get down the river,
and then... then this...
then this thing came up
over the brow of the hill.
It seems to be some kind of...
some kind of creature. Like a,
um... a machine.
It just let out this...
this... this fire storm.
The regiments at Weybridge
have 12-pounders... old ones.
No shots fired, apparently.
The second one came down at Byfleet,
and that's where most of
these refugees are from...
from the impact.
We need to send in some
of the London battery...
- some of the bigger guns.
- Isn't that responding unduly?
- I mean to say, we haven't...
- If it's an undue response
to try and stop one of these
things from getting here
and slaughtering everyone in London,
then, by all means, don't do it.
She is...
quite sure of this creature?
Yes, sir, she is.
She's not the only one, sir.
- Uh, where's the Sergeant Major?
- He's just there. He's that one.
Thanks.
Just the two of you?
- Where have you come from?
- Oh, Horsell.
Has anyone else come
up from that direction?
I'm reporting for duty, Sergeant Major.
I was with Captain Cartwright,
West Surrey Artillery.
He's dead,
along with the rest of the company.
Whatever got us, sir,
it's back there still.
I need to find my wife.
We were separated on Mayberry Hill,
- and she was headed in this direction.
- We've got a 12-pounder coming up.
Orders are to go to
the woods at Byfleet,
where the second thing landed,
bombard it before it opens.
- Can you handle a weapon?
- No. Have you seen her?
She has red hair, and she's 25, and
she was coming from Mayberry Hill.
- Mayberry Hill!
- Listen. Listen.
We were wiped out.
We didn't get a shot off.
The only thing that came
down Mayberry Hill was death.
She said that we should...
She said that we should meet
in London, you see, so...
I'm asking for volunteers, sir.
- There's no road to London clear.
- She's pregnant, you see.
She... She's pregnant,
so... so that's that. I re...
I really must find her.
Stay and do your duty,
like an Englishman.
Make your child proud
of you when it comes.
Did Daddy fight?
Yes, of course.
Was he a soldier?
No, he was...
very brave.
What does this word say?
Read the letters.
'We-ah'...
'We-ah-pons.'
Weapons.
Weapons are quite
useless, my dear Sergeant.
- There's the target, men.
- Good.
Good, flat ground.
Be like shooting fish in a barrel.
Sir! Sir!
Just think...
I don't think to fire on this
thing is a very good idea, sir.
Number one gun, ready?
- Yep.
- H-E. 400 yards.
- 400.
- Set.
- Bring us a shell.
- Look, sir,
- I've seen what these creatures can do.
- Shut up and do as you're told!
- Shell.
- Which one's the shell?
- There!
- Use delayed five seconds.
- Loaded.
- I'm trying to set the damn thing right.
Come on.
OK.
- Focus on the job.
- Cartridge! Cartridge!
Come on, come on, come on!
Ready!
Fire!
Damn.
Right. Number one gun... load it.
Sir, this is a mistake.
Have you seen it?
- Have you seen it?
- We destroy this damn thing first, sir,
then we can all go. All right?
Are you set?
- Fire at will!
- Shell!
Shell, sir. Shell.
Ready?
Fire!
All right.
Wade in.
We see what we can retrieve,
take it to the top brass.
Come on.
You're not done yet.
Ladies and gentlemen,
if I may say a few words.
It seems that something
has arrived in England,
something has, perhaps,
been brought into the world.
It has completely destroyed
Weybridge Railway Station
and massacred an entire battalion
of the West Surrey Artillery.
Christ.
Formidable as it seems,
the visitor, or visitors,
has scarcely moved from the
area into which it has fallen.
Whatever the power of this
thing may turn out to be...
Hold your fire!
... we might rest assured in
the thought of our brave soldiers
facing the threat head on.
The great British Army are rivalled
- by neither man nor monster.
- Parley.
Do you understand?
We parley.
This is nothing for anyone
to be concerned about.
You are in Great Britain.
We are the masters of warfare.
Our cavalry,
our cannon
are the best in the world.
Give us your hand!
- Give us your bloody hand!
- Sorry! I'm sorry!
And so for anyone feeling
troubled by these reports,
please remember one thing...
there cannot be more than two of them...
... against our millions.
♪ Scatter his enemies ♪
♪ and make them fall. ♪
♪ Confound their politics. ♪
♪ Frustrate their knavish tricks. ♪
♪ On Thee our hopes we fix. ♪
♪ Oh, save us all. ♪
Hello.
- Kiss for a hero.
- I'm a married woman.
- It's a sodding curtain ring.
- And you're drunk.
Amy!
Run!
Minister! Come on!
- Down here!
- Are you sure?
There are tunnels.
Sir!
Minister!
Come on!
Frederick. Frederick, close these doors.
Close them!
Let me in, please!
- Don't!
- But we can't abandon him.
My God.
What were you before?
Scientist?
No, just an amateur.
I sometimes wonder
if we hadn't advanced ourselves so far
whether they wouldn't have
come for us in the first place.
Who knows?
It's easy to lose
yourself in remembering.
You must.
It's our duty to raise
the spirits, hope.
Yes, well, I wasn't much
use at that before, so
I'm certainly not now, believe me.
I tried. It doesn't work.
You've a lot to be glad of.
You're the only one with a child.
Yes.
You're right. I'm sorry.
You're from Woking, aren't you?
Was...
briefly, in another life.
Well, there's a chap from
Woking on the church lists.
Horsell Common.
You're down as his next of kin.
Just came through this morning.
The church lists are for living people.
So they are.
He's travelling all
the way from Worcester.
He'll be here in the morning.
Now, if that's not to
be classed as a miracle,
I don't know what is.
first years of the 20th century
that we were being watched by
intelligences greater than man's,
yet as mortal as his own...
... that as men busied themselves
about their various concerns,
they were scrutinised as narrowly
as creatures that swarm and
multiply in a drop of water.
Yet, across the gulf of space,
intellects vast,
cool
and unsympathetic
regarded this earth
with envious eyes.
And slowly
and surely
drew their plans against us.
I think I saw it.
- Oh, really?
- Really?
Yes, it... There.
- Look.
- Do you mind if I... ?
Please.
Good Lord. So that's Mars.
Yes, but did you see a pillar of smoke,
- like a reddish flash around the edge?
- Yes.
May I?
If one of you kind people could, uh...
I hope I can catch a
piece of this in time.
Now, if you would
please hold very still.
Gosh, look at that.
What do you think it is?
A volcanic eruption, perhaps,
along the lines of
Krakatoa, only bigger.
People saw something similar last
time Mars was this close to Earth,
during the oppositions of '94 and '98.
Keep it. It's a present.
Welcome to the neighbourhood.
- Ooh. We're pariahs, you know, George and I.
- Ooh, yes. I'm afraid so.
Welcome to the neighbourhood.
- Find your balance.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- No.
- Easier said than done, actually.
- Try sitting. Sit.
- No, it's actually easier for me standing up.
No, but you wobble when you stand.
Yeah, but it's about trying
to find your momentum, I think.
- At least it's nice to have someone to talk to in Woking.
- Oh, is it really?
No, that must be lovely for you.
- Yeah, thanks very much!
- Stop it, George.
Now, it's the corner that's a worry.
- Speed up.
- I'll race you. Come on.
A race? OK, good.
Some incentive.
Just gliding past.
You're looking at me in a
very meaningful way, George.
Well, you just make me
feel very poetic, Amy.
Are you sure it's poetry
you're thinking about?
- Poetry's pretty passionate, isn't it?
- Yes, but it's brief.
Look, you've got one
from the Socialist Society
for the Abolition of Capital.
They've tracked me down, have they?
- George.
- Yes?
- You forgot something.
- What?
Give me a kiss.
- We won't be stuck here forever. I promise.
- Well, we might.
Bye.
Gentlemen, good morning.
It seems like the fuse we've all
been watching for the last year
may have just been lit.
Six trawlers out of
Hull, 50 miles offshore.
They were fired on and sunk.
12 dead.
- Family men.
- Fired on by whom?
Russian Navy's sailing
south at the moment,
en route to engage the Japs.
Working theory is they mistook
them for Japanese torpedo boats.
What, a bunch of trawlers
5000 miles from Japan?
Either way, Arnold, Britain
will be joining the show,
so response from the Admiralty, please.
They're readying the troops.
The Minister for War is going
to be making a statement.
Get me a decent quote.
You... Russian Embassy. Naval Situation.
- Sir.
- George...
general research.
Very good, sir, but
would you mind awfully
if I went to the Admiralty instead?
It's only I have a source
there, you see, sir,
who I would rather like to speak to.
Your brother?
All right.
- Column and a half by midday; you can be in the finals.
- Very good, sir.
Take Arnold with you, though.
Be rather glorious,
don't you think... a war?
Haven't had a proper one
since, what, Napoleon?
- Tunics and cavalry...
- Listen, Arnold,
why don't you go to the embassy instead?
I'm perfectly capable of
taking care of this alone.
Yes, but he wanted me to cover
the Admiralty, and you butted in.
- What have you, in any case?
- What?
Well, nothing, no. I just have
this contact I'd like to speak to.
Yes, of course. Yes.
Yes, you're not... you're not conducting
personal business on
company time now, are you?
What?
And this is from the Empire range.
We have it in stock down in Weybridge.
Full of rather vivid colours.
Nursery colours, perhaps.
You know, I grew up near the Charminar.
My father was part of the survey.
- How are you finding it in England?
- Oh, rainy.
- Oh.
- When I got off the boat at Dover,
I thought England was the most
grey and cold place
I could ever imagine.
Well, there's something
to be said for the rain.
I know I would find
India rather too warm.
And what does the man of the house do?
- He's a journalist.
- Oh.
Oh.
That's you, is it?
Yes, that's us.
Six weeks at least.
Excellent.
And thank you very much.
You know, we are very much in love, sir.
I'm sure the time will fly by.
In the light of this cowardly and
unprecedented attack by Russia,
it is worth recollecting
that if you ask any man
what nationality he would prefer to be,
99 out of 100
will tell you
that they would prefer
to be Englishmen.
Anglo-Saxon territory is
for the Anglo-Saxon race.
The best, most human, most
honourable race the world possesses.
And any challenge
will be faced and defeated.
We are an empire
on which the sun
never sets.
Thank you.
My secretary will take
your questions, gentlemen.
- What's your response likely to be, sir?
- There's nothing
much to add to what the
Minister said, so, well,
but I shall do my best, if
you need facts and figures.
What are the losses to date, sir?
Good morning, sir. Is this
covered by the Lansdowne Treaty?
And if so, how will the pact
stand if the Russians attack us?
Sir, in regards to the
Lansdowne Agreement,
we are committed to
wade in against Russia
after certain lines have been crossed.
And is this one of those lines, sir?
Yes, well, we... we
don't like to comment
if we are not in full
possession of the facts.
However, in response to the
atrocities in the North Sea,
we are embarking troops.
Army and Navy leave is cancelled.
And that's all I can give you.
Thank you, gentlemen.
- Fred...
- What is it? How the hell did you get in here?
I had a press pass. It's the only way
I can think of to come and see you.
I thought I made myself
perfectly clear...
- I don't want to be seen.
- I, uh...
- I need your help.
- With what?
Oh, no, no. You're...
You're... You're joking, George.
I just know that you've
always been very close to Lucy.
Well, so have you. She's your wife.
Look, just... just
come over to the house.
Come and see us. Come
and meet Amy again.
Spend some time with her.
- We're, um, in Woking, near Horsell Common.
- I know where you live.
Don't you have a deadline
or whatever they call it?
Well, there's a women's
college on Bedford Square.
You could do a Masters of Natural
Sciences, apply in September.
- And how would a woman go about that?
- Well, a woman
would get some letters
of recommendation,
speak to some of the old ladies.
Benny!
Hey!
Stop it!
Benny!
Leave her alone!
Stop!
Now, you were just saying you wanted
to do something with your degree.
It would be a shame to waste
it. It's what you're good at.
Darling, that's very kind, but
there's a rather important
piece of the puzzle
that needs to fall into place before
anyone would give me
letters of recommendation.
What?
George.
What is it?
There's an egg there, Mary.
- From the duck?
- Uh, no, I think it's from the dog!
Mary ignore him. I can do that.
- Thank you.
- What is that?
It's a present. It's a...
- clock that makes tea by distillation. George.
- Yes.
I went to see my brother today.
What did he say?
Nothing good.
What sort of business has
a clock got making tea.
Please tell me. What are
they gonna do... have a...
have a lavatory that
makes bacon and eggs?
George.
Good evening.
Fred.
This is my... This is
my brother Frederick.
- Thank you so much for coming.
- So pleased to meet you.
This is, uh... This
is my... This is Amy.
Uh, can I... ? Mary?
- Can I get you... ?
- Um, I'm not... I'm not gonna
dignify you or this person
by spending any more
time here than I must.
But you asked for my help this
morning, so I'm gonna give it to you.
I've gone out to this venture.
- Fred.
- Go back to Lucy. She'll forgive you.
I will forgive you, and then
perhaps life can continue.
If you do not, if you
persist in your folly,
then I guarantee you
that you will be ruined.
I guarantee you'll have
no life to speak of.
It's a selfish, cruel pursuit,
and it cannot help but
bring forth the most...
unpleasant consequences.
Unless you do as I suggest,
then this is the last
you'll ever see of me.
- *
- Fred.
I'm the only brother you'll ever have.
And there's the tragedy of it, George.
Good evening.
So Greaves asks me
for a column and a half,
and I give him the article,
and he puts it in the
paper, but he puts it in
under Arnold Henderson's name.
Why don't you just leave if
they won't print your stuff?
Amy, but if I'm just gonna leave,
then what are we gonna live on?
- I have the legacy from my father.
- But that's not very progressive, though, is it?
It's perfectly progressive.
I don't need to be kept.
I should never have put
you in this situation.
You didn't put me anywhere.
This was my choice too.
We'll make it work.
Do you think so?
I wouldn't be here if I didn't.
Nuts to them, George.
Come on.
You're supposed to light.
Now, let's see what it is.
What is that?
Well, so you think it's come from space,
like Halley's Comet or something?
Well, they have
elliptical orbits decaying.
It might take thousands of years,
perhaps even go clean
out of our sun system,
and then suddenly one day,
they're back, and bang.
Yeah, but I thought those
things burnt up in the sky.
At thousands of miles an hour,
perhaps even thousands
of degrees of heat.
It's through here.
What could this be?
Well, somebody's got
some clearing up to do.
So, if it was... if it was, um,
thousands of degrees,
yes, why... why would it not
have burned all of this down?
I think it got so hot it
just flashed out for a second,
scorched everything, and then burnt out.
So, is it a shooting star?
That's right, Mr Thing. Shooting star.
Imagine what would've happened
if this had hit London.
Another couple of
seconds, it probably would.
Careful, Amy.
You said it sounded like a bomb.
Do you think it could be a bomb?
How big would the gun have been?
- Mr Thing, who would've fired this?
- The Russians, perhaps.
- George, how big would the gun have been?
- All right.
Don't you think we
should inform the Army?
Why?
Just seems that in situations such
as this that you inform the Army.
No, I telephoned to
the Astronomer Royal.
This is common land.
We're perfectly entitled to be here.
The last thing we need is a lot of
rough men in tunics
clogging the place up.
- George, you should wire your paper.
- Yes, I think I probably should.
The telegraphs are out.
What, all of them?
Went down when I called.
Right. Well, then, you've got to go in.
There's no way they won't print
this. Just show them the photographs.
I think you have a rather
high opinion of my employers.
And we'll be all right here, won't we?
- Keep it warm till you get back.
- All right, just don't... I mean it ...
don't touch that until someone...
- George, I promise I'm not going to touch anything.
- All right.
- OK. Well, be safe.
- Hurry back.
Hang on. Turn around.
Let's get a quick...
One, two...
... three.
Well...
shall we?
If we don't break out this story, sir,
- then another paper will.
- George,
we clearly have bigger
fish to fry at the moment.
Wait for a local to
file it on the agency.
- I'm local, and I'm filing, sir.
- Your news...
- there's hardly anything on these photographs.
- With all due respect, Mr Greaves,
you haven't put anything of
mine in now for six weeks, so...
Well, go and talk to your brother again.
- We need more on the Russian mystery.
- What, so you can promise me a byline,
- and then give it to Arnold?
- It's not me.
It's His Lordship.
I'm sorry.
- His Lordship has views.
- No, I'm sorry, sir.
Are we pretending His
Lordship is perfect now?
George, you cannot expect
to do what you've done
and have no consequences.
You're very lucky to have retained
- any sort of job at all.
- Oh, sod that.
Really...
sod that.
George.
And sod His Lordship.
Get back to work.
Oh, it's a gossipy place, Woking.
I wouldn't worry.
Should hear what they say about me.
Why? What do they say?
Well, gentleman bachelor
of advancing years,
likes to keep himself nicely turned out.
Well, um,
George was married to his cousin.
They were somewhat manoeuvred
towards each other by
his family... well, his brother.
They were betrothed when they were 15.
Ended up despising each
other; no one was happy.
Then you appeared.
We met at a society for free thinkers.
Well,
I'm sure it was worth the joining fee.
So, what do you think?
Do you think it could be from Mars?
What, the eruptions, you mean?
Wouldn't think so.
I mean, something can't erupt from Mars
and end up in Surrey.
Well, at least...
it's a million to one against.
How long have you been married?
Um...
So that's the other funny thing. Um...
Rather afraid we're not.
Oh.
All right. Stand back there.
Hello.
I hope no one's been
munting about with this.
- Stent. Astronomer Royal.
- Ah.
- Ogilvy.
- Yes, sir.
Thought you were a
chemist, not an astronomer.
Jack of all trades.
Put a tablecloth on it, Cyril,
- and the other stuff, and a pot of tea, please.
- Right away, sir.
Good Lord.
Bigger than the Cape York one.
This might be the biggest
meteorite every found.
Come in. Let's have a snap.
Come on, chaps.
Are you going?
Harold, on my right. The rest of
you, try not to get in the way.
This is going to make some
fellow very well known indeed.
Good afternoon, Lucy.
- Good afternoon.
- I trust that you're well.
What do you think?
Why are you here?
Have you come back?
Sorry.
Then why in hell are you here?
I'm here to ask you...
if you will sign the papers.
Are you not ashamed?
- I'm very sorry.
- Of course you're not sorry.
I am.
Of course I am extremely
regretful for any pain
that I may have caused you.
But what was I to do?
I agonised over the decision,
and I had no other choice.
She's selfish, mark my words,
that girl with the red hair.
That girl will do whatever it
takes to make sure she gets on.
It's nothing to do with getting on.
Lucy.
Amy and I are in love.
We fell in love.
Just as I hope that you
one day will fall in love.
I didn't intend for this to happen.
But can you really say
that you were happy, Lucy?
You're a coward.
That's your character.
Your brother says the same thing.
You're too afraid to face
up to your responsibilities.
I'm sorry, Lucy, but I think
this is about the only brave thing
- that I've ever done.
- I couldn't give you children,
so you left for someone younger
and prettier.
My father had the
measure of you all along.
I left because we made
each other miserable,
because we had no
conversations often for weeks,
because we shared no
interests or views or friends.
Even if there was the remotest
chance of having children,
then I wouldn't want
them to be born into such
an unhappy situation. Lucy, please.
Please will you sign the papers?
And sacrifice myself for
the altar of your sickness?
No, George. I will be
the spectre at your feast.
You deserve every bit of
pain that is coming to you.
And mark my words, pain will come.
If you want to marry again,
you may do so when I'm dead.
That's my last word.
Put off that music,
Cyril. Use your noddle.
There's something inside.
- Sounded like clockwork.
- You'd need a devil of a big key.
It's expanding.
George needs to see this.
Madam, who are you?
- Is this a place for a lady?
- She's my assistant.
Ah, Mary.
- Is the mistress at home?
- Been out all day, sir.
On the Common?
What about this bomb, then?
Well, it's not a bomb. Is it?
May I go up? My sister's there,
- and I should like to before it's...
- Mary, would you mind waiting in the house.
In case the mistress returns. Thank you.
What's going on over there? What's that?
Keep these people back.
Where's you mama, boy? Huh?
Amy!
Amy!
Excuse me.
What's happening?
It's moving.
Something's...
It's opening.
Where's Amy?
Back. Back. Go on. Move. Move.
Back. Back, I say.
Amy!
- Come on!
- George!
Mary!
- What on Earth was that? George,
- I don't know.
- what happened to Ogilvy?
- Well, I...
- Mary!
- What on Earth's happening?
- We don't know.
- Did you find your sister?
- She didn't come back.
- Well, let's find her, then we'll look for Ogilvy.
Jane!
Jane!
- Jane!
- Jane!
- There she is.
- Oh!
Jane!
I can't think what caused
a reaction like that.
Maybe there was some
kind of chemical in there,
like a phosphine, maybe something
that combusts with the air.
- Well, do you think perhaps it's burnt itself out by now?
- Oh, no.
Where's Benny? Where's... ?
Where's the dog?
Ogilvy!
Ogilvy!
No one's allowed over the Common.
Sir, I'm, um...
just trying to find my friend.
There's no one alive down there,
- only more like these poor sods.
- Right.
Attachment of three, please.
- You two. Him.
- Yes, sir.
The second one landed
in the lake at Byfleet.
After we clean up this
mess, we'll join you there.
- Yes, sir.
- King's Royal Artillery,
move on!
Are you West Surrey?
West Surrey Artillery, that's right.
What, is there no one here from London?
It was a forest fire, that's all.
Sorry, this isn't a forest fire.
This wasn't a forest fire.
I'm sorry, but something falls
down from space, it's boiling hot,
all that gorse, people go and
look, get themselves killed.
We're gonna fence off the second
one before the same thing happens.
Get a move on, bombardier.
- Get home, mate. It's all in hand.
- This wasn't a forest fire.
Ogilvy?
Ogilvy?
He's not made contact this morning?
I'm sorry. He hasn't, sir,
but we're not entire sure
he didn't resign yesterday.
Here's his desk.
We can let you know
as soon as he arrives.
Where is he, in
relation to what went on?
Uh...
what exactly did go on, sir?
We're hearing a lot of very odd
things about this story, sir.
Shooting star hits Horsell Common,
crowd gathers, then
some sort of explosion.
No one seems to know anything for sure.
Well, there was a forest
fire. The West Surrey went in.
They haven't asked for enforcements,
so whatever it is, it's in hand.
There.
That's where George said it landed.
That's where the fire was.
And that's his house.
- Did you find him?
- No. No sign. You?
No.
So, the other one's come down
in the woods near Byfleet.
- What?
- Yes.
That's so close to the first.
- That can't be a coincidence.
- No.
I need to tell you something.
I, uh... I went to see
my wife yesterday...
to ask her to sign the divorce papers.
And?
Do you think we've been selfish?
George.
Life is selfish;
love even more so.
Silly to pretend otherwise.
Well, she said that
she would let us be
married when she was dead.
Clear these houses! Clear these houses!
You two, over there! You two, there!
- What's going on?
- Something's moving.
Clear out now. You're in range!
Clear these houses!
- Mary!
- Mary!
Mary!
Mary!
George, get help! Quick!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa.
We can't help her. She's dead.
Amy, come on!
- I can't leave her!
- Get on the bloody horse!
Come on. We'll go to the Admiralty.
What? You're joking.
Look, if anyone's doing anything
about this, it'll be my brother.
- If we get separated, we meet there. All right?
- All right.
Har! Come on!
George, it's Benny. Stop! Please!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- George.
- Benny!
Wait there.
Benny! Benny, come here!
- George.
- Benny.
George!
Amy!
George!
Amy, go!
George!
Amy, go to my brother!
I'll meet you there!
Go!
There's more here. Over here.
Something else is occurring
to the south of London...
Hampton Court, Weybridge, near
the site of the first impact.
I don't know what to
make of the reports,
but there are bodies
floating down the river.
- We'd have them fetched up.
- Yes.
Commandeers and
porters. We're not having
- corpses decorating the Thames.
- Mm-hm.
- Where's your brother now?
- Well, among this lot, I hope.
The refugees from the towns
and villages around the event.
You trust what he said to his paper
- about the shooting star.
- I don't know, Minister.
Makes as much sense as
anything else we've been told.
- They're not printing anything about...
- Not until there's confirmation, sir.
- Where is the King?
- Sandringham,
with the Prince and Princess of Wales.
There is nothing to suggest
that it's not just an act of God.
Great piece of rock falls from space.
What are we hearing on the wires?
- Well, the local telegraphs stopped yesterday...
- Stopped?
... and the Trans-Atlantic
cables burnt out this morning,
so we have no information.
What does that mean?
Does that mean it's happened
somewhere else, not just here?
What the hell are we looking at?
There's no chance this is the Russians?
I honestly don't know, Minister.
The prime minister's in Scotland.
We're unable to contact him.
Until we know what this
situation turns out to be,
- I am taking charge.
- Yes, Minister.
Sir, one of the Surrey
people wants to speak to you.
- Where? Where? Where is he?
- Have you seen my husband, George?
He's tall. He might have a dog with him.
Have you see George?
Please tell me you've seen George.
I was supposed to meet him here.
I'm afraid I haven't.
When did you last see him?
The horse I was on bolted.
It carried me off down
Mayberry Hill towards Weybridge,
and I lost George
somewhere near the house.
He'd gone to rescue our dog.
He shouted at me to leave, and I...
I did try and get back to him, I
did, but the fire was so intense.
- And that was the last that you saw of him?
- Yes.
Something, maybe the side of
a house... something fell down.
I just saw him swallowed by this smoke.
- And he shouted at you that you should go?
- Yes.
You did so?
- Yes!
- It was impossible for me to get back to him.
So, did your horse bolt or
did you just ride it away?
It was impossible for
me to get back to him.
Well...
maybe he managed to find a
way out near Horsell common.
That's all you can say?
George has been my brother for 36 years.
When he was born, my mother allowed me
to carry him in to meet our father.
And I looked after him on
his first day of school.
He was scared, and he'd
forgotten his pocket handkerchief,
and I think he was crying for
it, and I gave him mine and...
He was my baby brother.
My baby brother. I was there.
Until you came along.
He still is your baby brother.
Or perhaps devoutly to be wished.
I'm going to have his child.
Is he here?
I'm afraid not.
We'll just... keep on looking.
Come on.
_
- How long is this for?
- A week.
A week?
We all pull together.
We'll be right as rain.
- Shall we get you that?
- Mm.
What was the great victory like?
It was hard. A lot was lost.
Celebrate what we have.
Celebrate the miracle.
Yes, of course, but, uh...
the difficulty is if one
knows in one's heart that
God delivers miracles...
then one must also accept the
thought of divine retribution.
To be frank, I find that
very difficult to bear.
God is good, not difficult.
Your husband will come back.
Yes, of course.
Amy?
Amy?
Where are ya?
I know you're there.
Come out here!
I know you're there.
I saw you.
Where is everyone?
I don't know.
Fled.
Dead.
You're not stayin' here, are ya?
Would you, uh...
Would you mind awfully just
waiting for me? Just, uh...
Just for a moment.
Excuse me, Miss. A man with a
border terrier... have you seen him?
- No, I'm so sorry.
- Amy!
Amy!
Amy, the refugees have stopped coming,
there's not a single one
from Horsell or Woking.
The fire must have died down.
Maybe he's just hurt.
If he doesn't turn
up, then I'll go back.
And what's to be done if he never does?
- What?
- What's to be done about this child?
That is not your concern.
Well, if anything has
happened to George,
- I rather think it is my concern.
- I don't need your help.
Neither of us need your help!
Well, perhaps he's
gone back to his wife.
Oh, is this the
punishment you had in mind?
Is this the wages of our sin?
It's between us and the town.
That's where she was headed... my wife.
It's no kindness, the right sort
of wife, to make her a widow.
She's expecting a child, actually.
I'm going to be a father.
I was...
buried
under half a ton of earth, felt like.
Except it wasn't earth. It was, uh...
bodies.
My pals.
Dead horses.
- Oh God. It's...
- We have to find the baby.
It's coming from one of those houses.
Come on.
What are you doing?
- We need to take cover.
- Where's it coming from?
- It's over there. It's over there!
- No!
Leave it, for Christ's sake.
- Come on!
- We need to get the baby.
We need to get the baby.
- Oh no.
- Be quiet.
There was an eruption from Mars
midnight every night
for the last few days.
When did this chap take
the last photograph?
Friday, and that's not to
say it's the last explosion.
The belief is that he was kill at...
at Horsell.
How far away is Mars?
Uh, oh, it's thousands of
miles. Hundreds of thousands.
It's about 35 million at the moment.
Then by that logic,
dear lady, in 10 days,
the thing must have travelled, what?
Hmm?
150,000 miles per hour.
Does that really sound likely?
Well, none of it sounds likely, does it?
Well...
And she saw what actually
occurred at Horsell?
She was there with your brother?
Yes, the...
the thing came up into
the air, apparently.
It didn't explode. It
didn't cause a forest fire.
It sent out a pulse of some kind
that burnt people to death.
Next day, something came
out of the ground and
burnt down all there was between
Mayberry Hill and Weybridge.
- And what happened in Weybridge?
- Well, people were trying to escape.
They were trying to get on
trains or get down the river,
and then... then this...
then this thing came up
over the brow of the hill.
It seems to be some kind of...
some kind of creature. Like a,
um... a machine.
It just let out this...
this... this fire storm.
The regiments at Weybridge
have 12-pounders... old ones.
No shots fired, apparently.
The second one came down at Byfleet,
and that's where most of
these refugees are from...
from the impact.
We need to send in some
of the London battery...
- some of the bigger guns.
- Isn't that responding unduly?
- I mean to say, we haven't...
- If it's an undue response
to try and stop one of these
things from getting here
and slaughtering everyone in London,
then, by all means, don't do it.
She is...
quite sure of this creature?
Yes, sir, she is.
She's not the only one, sir.
- Uh, where's the Sergeant Major?
- He's just there. He's that one.
Thanks.
Just the two of you?
- Where have you come from?
- Oh, Horsell.
Has anyone else come
up from that direction?
I'm reporting for duty, Sergeant Major.
I was with Captain Cartwright,
West Surrey Artillery.
He's dead,
along with the rest of the company.
Whatever got us, sir,
it's back there still.
I need to find my wife.
We were separated on Mayberry Hill,
- and she was headed in this direction.
- We've got a 12-pounder coming up.
Orders are to go to
the woods at Byfleet,
where the second thing landed,
bombard it before it opens.
- Can you handle a weapon?
- No. Have you seen her?
She has red hair, and she's 25, and
she was coming from Mayberry Hill.
- Mayberry Hill!
- Listen. Listen.
We were wiped out.
We didn't get a shot off.
The only thing that came
down Mayberry Hill was death.
She said that we should...
She said that we should meet
in London, you see, so...
I'm asking for volunteers, sir.
- There's no road to London clear.
- She's pregnant, you see.
She... She's pregnant,
so... so that's that. I re...
I really must find her.
Stay and do your duty,
like an Englishman.
Make your child proud
of you when it comes.
Did Daddy fight?
Yes, of course.
Was he a soldier?
No, he was...
very brave.
What does this word say?
Read the letters.
'We-ah'...
'We-ah-pons.'
Weapons.
Weapons are quite
useless, my dear Sergeant.
- There's the target, men.
- Good.
Good, flat ground.
Be like shooting fish in a barrel.
Sir! Sir!
Just think...
I don't think to fire on this
thing is a very good idea, sir.
Number one gun, ready?
- Yep.
- H-E. 400 yards.
- 400.
- Set.
- Bring us a shell.
- Look, sir,
- I've seen what these creatures can do.
- Shut up and do as you're told!
- Shell.
- Which one's the shell?
- There!
- Use delayed five seconds.
- Loaded.
- I'm trying to set the damn thing right.
Come on.
OK.
- Focus on the job.
- Cartridge! Cartridge!
Come on, come on, come on!
Ready!
Fire!
Damn.
Right. Number one gun... load it.
Sir, this is a mistake.
Have you seen it?
- Have you seen it?
- We destroy this damn thing first, sir,
then we can all go. All right?
Are you set?
- Fire at will!
- Shell!
Shell, sir. Shell.
Ready?
Fire!
All right.
Wade in.
We see what we can retrieve,
take it to the top brass.
Come on.
You're not done yet.
Ladies and gentlemen,
if I may say a few words.
It seems that something
has arrived in England,
something has, perhaps,
been brought into the world.
It has completely destroyed
Weybridge Railway Station
and massacred an entire battalion
of the West Surrey Artillery.
Christ.
Formidable as it seems,
the visitor, or visitors,
has scarcely moved from the
area into which it has fallen.
Whatever the power of this
thing may turn out to be...
Hold your fire!
... we might rest assured in
the thought of our brave soldiers
facing the threat head on.
The great British Army are rivalled
- by neither man nor monster.
- Parley.
Do you understand?
We parley.
This is nothing for anyone
to be concerned about.
You are in Great Britain.
We are the masters of warfare.
Our cavalry,
our cannon
are the best in the world.
Give us your hand!
- Give us your bloody hand!
- Sorry! I'm sorry!
And so for anyone feeling
troubled by these reports,
please remember one thing...
there cannot be more than two of them...
... against our millions.
♪ Scatter his enemies ♪
♪ and make them fall. ♪
♪ Confound their politics. ♪
♪ Frustrate their knavish tricks. ♪
♪ On Thee our hopes we fix. ♪
♪ Oh, save us all. ♪
Hello.
- Kiss for a hero.
- I'm a married woman.
- It's a sodding curtain ring.
- And you're drunk.
Amy!
Run!
Minister! Come on!
- Down here!
- Are you sure?
There are tunnels.
Sir!
Minister!
Come on!
Frederick. Frederick, close these doors.
Close them!
Let me in, please!
- Don't!
- But we can't abandon him.
My God.
What were you before?
Scientist?
No, just an amateur.
I sometimes wonder
if we hadn't advanced ourselves so far
whether they wouldn't have
come for us in the first place.
Who knows?
It's easy to lose
yourself in remembering.
You must.
It's our duty to raise
the spirits, hope.
Yes, well, I wasn't much
use at that before, so
I'm certainly not now, believe me.
I tried. It doesn't work.
You've a lot to be glad of.
You're the only one with a child.
Yes.
You're right. I'm sorry.
You're from Woking, aren't you?
Was...
briefly, in another life.
Well, there's a chap from
Woking on the church lists.
Horsell Common.
You're down as his next of kin.
Just came through this morning.
The church lists are for living people.
So they are.
He's travelling all
the way from Worcester.
He'll be here in the morning.
Now, if that's not to
be classed as a miracle,
I don't know what is.