War of the Worlds (1988–1990): Season 1, Episode 20 - My Soul to Keep - full transcript

In 1953, Earth experienced
a war of the worlds.

Common bacteria
stopped the aliens,

but it didn't kill them.

Instead, the aliens lapsed
into a state of deep hibernation.

Now the aliens have
been resurrected,

more terrifying
than ever before.

In 1953, aliens started
taking over the world.

Today, they're taking
over our bodies.

And what would your name be?

Woodward and Bernstein
didn't need a name.

You trying to tell me
you're Deep Throat?



They are dying.

And our future dies with them.

Why is this happening?

It is the heat of radiation

from this cavern, Advocate,

left over from human
atomic bomb tests.

Then the same radioactivity
that is a blessing to us

is a curse to our first-born
young on this planet.

To our sorrow.

If these eggs all die,

we must wait nine
more years for mating.

And the Circle of Life

will be broken.

This can not be.



Then we must move the eggs

to a safe environment
we can control.

We hear your command,
Advocate. But where?

Someplace very cold.

A place where our children

may come naturally to life,

as on our planet.

Retrieve the unborn one.

We return thee to Mor'Tax.

In the name of those who come

and those who went before.

To life, immortal.

To life, immortal.

There we are.

I'm gonna meet somebody.

Cash McCullough? Is that you?

No. No, I just use
this guy's cards.

That was a joke.

I just a-kid you.

Number 23.

Gotcha, pappy.

Come in and shut
the damned door.

Sit down, McCullough.

Okay...

What the hell is this all about?

Won't take long.

Hope it's not a
bunch of hot air.

Oh, give me a break,

will you? Just 'cause
Mozart had a funny laugh

don't mean you can
play the piano, wise guy.

Well... A little obscure,
but in the ballpark.

What was the message?

"Big story, big scandal"? So?

So, try a mega-million
dollars last year,

secretly funneled by
the shadow government

into one small,
four-man operation

Nobody's ever even heard of it.

Well, what's this
operation called?

"The Blackwood Project."

Beside this,

Watergate is... bupkis.

How high up does this go?

Try the president.

He may have slipped
out of Contragate,

but this is a hell
of a lot stickier.

Oh, I've got facts,

figures, you name it.

What would your name be?

Woodward and Bernstein

didn't need a name.

You trying to tell me
you're Deep Throat?

You're asking too many
of the wrong questions

and not enough
of the right ones.

Well, Mr. Throat...

tell me, what does this
Blackwood group really do?

They're killing illegal aliens

inside the United States,

making them... disappear.

Death squads.

Here in the U.S.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, hotshot.

You interested?

Sure, but why me?

Why not Woodward and Bernstein?

Oh, don't get me started on
those two ungrateful bastards.

You're good, McCullough
and you're hungry.

Besides the guy who writes
out the checks for this project

is General Henry Wilson.

I believe you
were related to him

for about 20 minutes.

Yeah.

Yeah. About the longest
20 minutes of my life.

That's close enough.

Then this is your lucky day.

It could be worth
a Pulitzer. Here.

Take a look at this.

What the hell is this?

Your ex-wife's a
member of that team.

The rest is for you to find out.

How are you doing?

Cold enough for you?

We like it like that.

Uh, we're not open
today. It's Sunday.

We'll wait.

You plan to wait here
all day and all night?

That's the idea.

I wouldn't do
that if I were you.

Sure you would.

Doc. Just the man I want to see.

Norton, it's 3:00 a.m.

How come you're always
showing up at meal time?

Well, my stomach is psychic.

Is this good news or bad?

Well I'm not sure, Doc.

Look, I've been listening

to the alien transmissions
for over a year now,

and now something
weird's going on,

something different.

Different how?

Well, I'm not sure.

I mean, the aliens
talk and I listen,

and even though I don't
know what it is they're saying,

I can feel how
they're saying it.

I mean, do you understand me?

Something like my
love for great music

even though I don't
know the words?

Right. So?

So you're gonna
think I've lost it,

but, in my best educated,
underpaid opinion,

I think these recent
alien transmissions

sound like baby talk.

Baby talk?

What do you mean?

I don't know, and it's
driving me crazy, Harrison.

I mean, I can't
sleep, I can't eat.

Tragic.

Look, I'm falling apart, Doc,
and you've got to help me.

Well, fortunately, Norton,

you've come to a man
who knows everything.

Doc? What is it Doc?

It's middle "C," Norton.

Middle "C"?

Uh-huh. Now,
about this other stuff,

I don't have a clue...

but the kitchen is that way.

For crying out loud.

I don't even know why
I bother to talk to you.

You know, I start to
think I'm going insane

and then I look at you and I
know I'm saner than you are.

Boy, you burn your
eyes out all day long...

Mail call.

I'll take one.

Present company
excluded, of course.

Excuse me?

Oh, Paul. Why is it my jokes
always send you into denial?

Am I missing something
here, Suzanne?

Mail, please.

That was the plan.

Well, surprise, surprise.

A gift subscription
to Sports Illustrated?

Worse. A call to our outside
switchboard from my ex...

The one and only
Cash McCullough.

The muckraking reporter.

He would prefer to be
known as a journalist.

But, after the divorce, I
just called him absent.

It's been nearly two years now.

I wonder what he wants.

What does he want, Suzanne?

Oh. I get it.

That's why the
personal delivery service.

You're worried about publicity.

Well, your husband's
profession...

My ex-husband, Paul.

Your ex-husband's profession

makes any inquiry by
him a matter of security.

This mission is top secret.

Well, don't worry.

I'm not going to tell
that person anything.

I know that. Debi might.

Okay. I'll have a talk with her.

Then I'll have a talk with him.

Is that enough?

I'll just need a report

following any contact
with your ex-husband.

Security procedure.

Thank you, Suzanne.

Mom, is that Daddy?

Yes, it is, honey.

Now, you remember
the talk we had.

Yeah.

Better late than never.

Hey, pretty.

Daddy!

Maybe you can
tie this skate, Cash.

I can't do it.

I'll give it a whirl.

Oh, boy, how you've grown.

What you been
eating? Super Grow?

No. Do you want to see me skate?

I'm really good.

That's what I'm here for.

Show me your stuff.

'Cause, when you get back,

I've got some presents for you.

Don't appear out of the blue,

spoil her and disappear.

I don't get to see my
kid that often, Suzie.

It's not my fault,
Cash. It never was.

And don't call me Suzie.

You know how my job is,

Suzanne.

It's almost two years, Cash.

Not a call. Not a letter.

Not even a card on
your daughter's birthday.

Do you have any idea
how that made her feel?

Oh... I've been back
all of two minutes,

and you make it sound like
the Nuremberg war trials.

What do you want,
Mr. McCullough?

I just wanted to see my kid.

And it's good to see you.

How are you?

I'm okay. You?

Oh... I'm tired.

Tired of running
around the world

looking for bad news.

Tired of competing with
those Idiots Four on TV.

And I'm tired of being alone.

Alone? Cash McCullough?

The big man who never
slept alone in his life?

Well, I'm... I'm not
that guy anymore.

I'm sorry I ever was.

And people change.

I wish I could believe that.

Well, let me prove it to you.

I'm in town for a
couple of days...

Following up on a story...

And, if it's not much of a
problem, I'd like to spend

as much time as I
can with you and Debi.

What for?

Well, lunch, dinner,
movie... You know. Whatever.

Sounds pretty dangerous, Cash.

Well, you just trust me.

Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy!

What do you think?

I think Dorothy Hamill

had better move over.

Oh!

Last load.

Good.

Excellent.

In four days, we will be many.

We are in control, Advocate.

The Circle of Life
must not be broken.

We hear your command.

To life immortal!

They're safe here at
this steady temperature.

We only need 72 more hours

before the embryos reach birth.

You looked good.

That was so much fun.

Can I see Dad again
tomorrow? Please.

Oh, honey, I don't
know. We'll see.

Maybe, if you get your
homework done, okay?

Okay. Night, Mom.

Okay. Night, Debi.

Night, Colonel.

Good night, Debi.

So?

Well? What did you
and Cash talk about?

Family.

Come again.

Family.

He said he was on
assignment in the Soviet Union,

covering the
Armenian earthquake,

when it suddenly hit
him that he was all alone.

That if he should
die right there,

that nobody would know
and nobody would care.

No family?

No. Just Debi and me.

So he decided to
get in touch with us.

Get in touch with his family.

Do you believe that?

Too strong.

Let's just say I
accept what he said.

He's in town on a story.

I know. Here's his file.

His file? What are
you talking about?

What is this?

You have a need
to know, Suzanne.

General Wilson requested

that I check him out
for security reasons.

Uncle Hank and Cash

were enemies on contact, Paul.

For good reason,
from what I can see.

You know, that
Cash... He must think

he's the Errol
Flynn of journalism.

Well, that's the boy's style.

Looks like he hasn't
changed much.

What story is he
working on, Suzanne?

He didn't say. And, you know,

he did not ask me one
question about my work.

Not one?

Well, one.

He wanted to know when
I would be free for dinner.

Your answer was?

Tomorrow night.

You know, it's
the strangest thing.

While my mind was saying "no,"

my mouth was saying "yes."

He always had that effect on me.

Stavrakos, I'm going to need
an ear for tomorrow night.

You see? Baby talk.

Have you been listening
to these transmissions

a little too long, Norton?

I know that, Doc.

But, you've got to admit,

we've never seen anything
like this before, right?

Right.

I've been trying to get a fix

on their location since

last night when
they stopped moving.

And thank you, genie. Yes!

Which is where?

Well, triangulated
to the tenth power,

I'd say somewhere in
our own industrial quarter.

Get me some specifics.

I'm gonna tell Ironhorse
we're heading into town.

Okay.

Looks pretty quiet to me.

That's what they'd
like us to think,

but I'm not buying.

What do you see?

Pieces of a puzzle, Blackwood...

which add up to trouble... here.

Okay.

For a company that
sells ice, there's enough

passive security there
for diamonds at Tiffany's.

They have sensors,
electronic locks,

cameras up there on the roof,

and my favorite: the
guards with skinrot.

Yeah, whatever

they're doing, they certainly

don't want any company.

What the hell would aliens
want with an ice house?

Nothing makes me more curious.

I'm gonna have the Omega
Squad button this place up.

And then you and I are
gonna go on a little recon patrol.

High security.

An ice house.

Refrigerator trucks,
not the usual ice trucks.

And alien transmissions.

Urban location.

It's a big chance
they're taking.

What is going on
that's so important?

Norton says it's been
total radio silence

for the last few hours.

Given what we know of the
alien home planner from Quinn,

it's possible that they

are using the ice house

to replicate the colder
conditions back in Mor'Tax.

But even if you're
right, to do what?

Hi. Any new information
on the ice house?

I-I said anything new?

Is something wrong?

Uh, n-no.

Uh... you look terrific.

You're a knock out.

Well, thank you...

Paul, Harrison.

But my fashion reviews aside,

is there anything going
on at the ice house?

Well, it's quiet for now.

We're working on a theory.

Yeah, everything's
under control.

Um, don't worry about a
thing, and have a great time.

Yeah, well...

I'll settle for a good dinner.

See you later.

All under control, Doc?

It's just a figure of speech.

Well, as I see it,

all we have is a
known enemy base

with an unknown enemy mission.

Ticking time bomb.

Our job to make sure
that it doesn't go off.

What now?

Well, first we find out
what kind of a bomb it is...

and then we
terminate the aliens.

As I said,

everything's under control.

Well...

here's to family...

Wherever we may find them.

You know, uh, Debi
was remarking today

how much she wished that
we were all together again.

How do you feel about that?

Well, having had...

five years since our
divorce to think about it... no.

Well... I said I was sorry.

Sorry?

Cash, we needed you.

Debi needed a father.

I needed a husband,
not postcards.

I'm sorry, I...

I promised myself I
wouldn't do this tonight.

It's my turn to say sorry.

It's all right.

I deserved it.

But I believe I deserve
a second chance, also.

Do you?

How would I ever know

that you would be there for us?

I'm here right now.

For what, dinner?

I'm talking about
someone we can count on...

Not someone who's
going to disappear.

Disappear?

You mean, like illegal aliens?

What do illegal aliens
have to do with this?

You know exactly what
I'm talking about, Suzanne.

And frankly, I'm stunned

that you'd even be connected
with anything like this.

Like this?

The Blackwood Project.

The Cottage.

General Wilson
and his blood money.

All the endless
streams of slush funds

being funneled through
U.S. dummy corporations

and foreign banks.

And all the dirty little trails

that go right back to a
Dr. Harrison Blackwood

and his merry
little band of killers.

Killers?

Oh, too harsh?

Let's try "executioners."

A little better?

I'd sit down if I were you.

If not for your own sake,

for that of your daughter's.

Now, I don't know
what they're telling you,

but I believe you're being used.

And just exactly what
am I being used for, Cash?

Well, I haven't put all
the pieces together yet

but from what I see,

the Blackwood Project is merely
a euphemism for "death squad."

See, the President makes
his little promise of amnesty...

Poor immigrant Mexicans...

And they come out of
hiding right to the slaughter.

Do you find this funny?

You've got it all wrong, Cash.

Oh, have I?

Well, do you remember
what they did with Abscam?

I'm going to do the
same thing with this,

only much bigger.

And I'm going public
within 48 hours.

And you're either
with me or against me.

What a fool I was.

It was the story you were after.

Well, if you help me,

I know I can protect
you and Debi from harm...

when it all blows.

Now... tell me what's going on.

You have got it all wrong, Cash.

Tell me what you know.

I can't.

And even if I could...

you know that you're
the kind of bastard

that makes a case
for divorce not enough.

The only thing that's
important to you is you.

You would sell your
soul to get a story,

you dumb son of a bitch.

Well, you know me, Suzanne.

I will get the story.

Now... are you coming with me?

You can go to hell!

All units ready, Colonel.

Report back to
your post, soldier.

Let's go.

Are we insured for this?

Of course... by Uncle Sam.

Let's go.

Get down.

Come on.

Have you ever seen
anything like this?

No, I never have.

Whatever they are...
These things are alive.

Let's get out of here.

No! I want one of these.

What, are you nuts?

You don't even know
what that damned thing is.

We have to find out.

That's our job, isn't it?

All right, Blackwood.

You're taking full
responsibility for this.

Don't I always?

Here.

Piece of cake.

What is it, Suzanne?

I don't know.

Some kind of pod or
cocoon would be my guess.

Okay... ready for the side view?

Let's see what
the super-computer

has to say about this.

Come on, Norton.

Well, well, well...

do you have
something to tell me?

Yes.

Dinner was an
unmitigated disaster.

And besides that,

somehow, some way,

Cash seems to
know all about us...

Except that he's got
the story all wrong.

He thinks we're
killing Mexicans.

Mexicans?

Hmm-mm... illegal aliens.

Whoever the leak is,
they don't seem to know

we're dealing with
creatures from another planet.

They think they're from Tijuana.

That's terrific!

What's he plan to
do with that story?

Same thing that made
him famous. Publish it.

Now wait a minute!

I'm just gonna have to
have a talk with this Cash.

Oh, he'd just love that.

He didn't get anything
out of me, though.

I know.

What?

I had your table bugged.

A security procedure, Suzanne.

Need to know.

Has the whole world gone insane?

Yo, guys!

Come and take a look at this.

Huh?

That's fascinating.

If that's what I think it is,

we have a major problem, folks.

So? Well?

From what little we know
of alien physiognomy,

I'd say that's an alien fetus.

An egg?

There were hundreds...

there were thousands
of them in that ice house.

If those things
hatch, we have got

a real problem.

Have you missed me?

You got card?

Yeah.

Numbah 23. Numbah 23.

Funny guy.

It's your nickel.

Thanks for coming.

I won't come here
again. What's wrong?

I need confirmation.

That's your job,
hotshot, not mine.

You want the story told.

I want to tell the story.

But there's not a
station or a newspaper

that would publish
without hard evidence.

And you want me
to get it for you?

It don't work that way, buddy.

What do you know?

I thought this was beginning
to smell like a set up.

Sit down, McCullough.

Exactly what hard evidence

did you have in mind?

You've got to get me
inside the Cottage.

Not possible.

Then they'd have to kill you.

I need you alive.

How reassuring.

Well, you're gonna
have to inform me

of their next move, then.

Why?

So I can film it and
put it on the 6:00 news.

Oh, old General
Wilson, will pop his cork

over that one.

Okay, you've got it, wise guy.

Good.

You know where to find me.

Uh-huh.

I've got to ask you something.

Hm?

Why'd you tip
Woodward and Bernstein?

Hell, one term with "Tricky
Dick" was bad enough.

Two was impossible

But this is personal.

How personal?

Lady business, sonny.

That fat pig Wilson has taken
big bites out of my private pie.

Same mistress?

Uh-huh.

Boy, no wonder you knew so much.

This'll keep him busy, huh?

Nail his butt to the wall.

Be a pleasure.

Is there no
degradation too great?

No sense of morality present
at all on this damned planet?

But we did take every
precaution, Advocate.

Then how could
this outrage occur?

We cannot explain what has
happened to the missing embryo.

You idiots.

It is clear what has happened.

Only humans would dare
to steal one of our firstborn.

But who among the humans
know the eggs are here, Advocate?

Whoever knows will return.

The Circle of Life
is almost complete.

Now it is too late
to move our young.

Then you must defend
the embryos with your lives.

Our future depends on it.

We hear your command.

These humans are treacherous.

We'll be doing a great service

for the entire universe
to kill each and every one

of these revolting human beings.

Death to all humans!

Norton!

Sorry.

No, no, turn it up, now.

What's happening?

I don't know, but
there seems to be

some kind of reciprocal response

to the alien transmission.

Maybe it got too hot.

Low stable temperatures.

That could be a good reason

why they're using the
ice house as a hatchery.

Okay. So what do we do now?

Better call Harrison
and Ironhorse.

If this thing is hatching,

I could be midwife to a monster.

Harrison,

you better get
down here right now!

Oh, my God.

It's... alive.

It's dying.

Yeah. Looks like it.

Let's make sure.

A couple of nine millimeter
slugs ought to do it.

What?

Do have any idea
the tremendous value

this fetus could
be to our research?

I can hardly imagine

what this little
thing could tell us.

Oh!

Hang on! Hang on!

Suzanne, get your
arms out of there!

Come back with me!

Wow.

It's dead now.

A throng of eggs
just like that one

in the ice house which are not.

My plan is ready.

We'll attack tonight.

If it's not too late.

I don't see any of our men.

That's the idea.

This is Red Leader to Omega One.

Synchronize
watches in ten... mark.

Go!

Demolition squad up front!

Now!

Dead.

Get down!

Bring the camera, John.

Let's go.

Cash?

Oh, my God, no!

Cover the guys on the floor.

I got 'em.

Peter, come on, come on.

They're using chemicals
on the poor bastards.

This is great.

What's the score, Stavrakos?

Seven to two, sir. Omega.

They've got that egg
room guarded real well.

Cash!

What the hell is that?

It's that damned reporter.

Cash?

Damn!

You wanted to see

the illegal aliens
we're killing?

Okay, men, we're going in.

Stay here.

Let's go!

My God, Cash.

I'm sorry.

Go!

Down! Get down!

Flamethrowers!

Torch those things!

Okay, let's go!

Now you know.

I don't know anything anymore.

You realize that if you
ever try to tell this story...

What story?

You mean about aliens invading
Earth from another planet?

Who'd believe me.

Hell, I don't even believe me.