War of the Worlds (1988–1990): Season 1, Episode 22 - The Raising of Lazarus - 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.

After we evacuate,

this facility will
be like Chernobyl.

Bud, you're not
going to believe this!

You telling me this
thing is a flying saucer?



Give me a break!

You tell me. It's down there.

Have a look up here.

My God! What is it?

I'm telling you

it's from outer
space or somewhere.

I dug up a freaking
flying saucer!

Dr. Blackwood, Lieutenant
Colonel Manning.

Hi. Dr. Suzanne McCullough.

Lieutenant Colonel Ironhorse.

Let's get inside!

Right this way, gentlemen.

It's just down the hall.

They certainly are
isolated up here.



I hope this is worth the trip.

This is incredible!

It's incredible!

I'll have my personnel
out of here by 1600 hours.

I'm leaving a couple of
computer techs to run the place.

I'm doing that only
for appearances.

The place damn near runs itself.

How many people know about this?

The people who
found it... a few others.

We've told them it's top secret.

There won't be a problem.

Can I ask you one thing?

Where's that thing from?

From someplace very far away.

Thank you very much, Colonel.

It's in absolutely
perfect shape, Norton.

My guess is a scout pod or a
single man surveillance unit.

We've certainly never seen
anything like this before.

Are you sure it's our aliens?

Well, it's got triangular plates

just like the ones
on the hatches

of the big warships,

and we can see an
alien inside. How's that?

Good enough for me.

Now, the big ships have
magnetic locking devices.

This appears to be different.

Fire up the computer, Norton.

Find out what we have

on portals, locking
systems, et cetera, et cetera.

I really want to
get inside this thing.

I'm looking for
Dr. Harrison Blackwood.

I'll call you right
back, Norton.

I'm Harrison Blackwood.

Colonel Frederick Alexander,
United States Air Force.

Sir, I'm afraid I'm going

to have to ask you to leave.

Colonel Ironhorse?
This is for you.

Harrison... I'm afraid Colonel
Alexander here is in charge.

The Pentagon has assigned

this operation to Project Nine.

What the hell is Project Nine?

That's need-to-know, Doctor.

Your orders are to
assist me in every way.

I'll expect your
full cooperation.

Sergeant... Sir!

Secure the area.

Yes, sir.

We'd better cooperate, Harrison.

Let's go, please.

That diamond bit didn't
even make a scratch.

How long to set up the laser?

About an hour.

Then do it.

Even if I were

to guess how this little
adventure was going to turn out

I never would have imagined

that we would be
in this computerized,

nuclear-driven tin
can, stuck out here

in the middle of nowhere.

I resent being treated this way!

I mean, why weren't we

informed of this?

I think we just were...
by Colonel Alexander.

And since when is someone
else working on the alien problem?

Harrison,

doesn't this bother you?

It makes me absolutely crazy.

Hello.

Harrison.

Norton!

Your Dr. Forrester was amazing.

Now I know where
you get your head from.

As close as I can make out,

he was analyzing
the sonic frequencies

that the alien warships produced
when they fired their death ray.

Did the file say why?

Well, apparently, he was hoping

he could knock out
the power source

on the alien warships
by feeding back

a variation of their tones.

No power. No
magnetic field. Yeah,

theoretically that's possible.

Dr. Forrester abandoned his work

when he couldn't figure out

how to reproduce
the alien sounds.

But with today's technology?

Exactly.

You've got some
work to do, Norton.

I'll speak to you later.

I understand.

General Wilson's hands are tied.

It looks like we're
going to have

to work for this
Air Force clown.

Well, let's just see how
far they get without us.

Okay, that's it.

Stand by.

Start at point 18.

The first assault by the laser

reflected off the
object like a mirror.

The metal... or whatever
it is... Isn't even warm.

This material of
unknown composition

seems to be impenetrable.

I guess we all came
up here for nothing.

Let's pack this thing
up and get out of here.

Wait a minute.

Don't you think that's
just a little premature?

That's a hydrogen
fluoride laser.

It can cut through ten
feet of steel in five seconds.

We'd like to try sound
waves; ultrasonic and sonic?

Unless you have a better idea.

The good news is these
sonic waves could get us inside.

I don't like games,
Dr. Blackwood.

And the bad news is once inside

this alien could jump
out and eat our faces off.

Or we can microwave
it while it's still in there.

Thanks for the science lesson.

We'll proceed, unless
you have a better idea.

It's all yours, Norton.

Nothing's happening, Norton.

I'm going to
crank this thing up.

Easy does it.

It seems as if your
Dr. Forrester's research

is a little spurious.

We'll proceed
with our using caps.

Let's be very careful.

This is amazing.

This is a rare opportunity.

We've never had an
intact alien to study before.

Congratulations, Doctor.

I suggest that we
restrict access to this area

and post a 24-hour guard.

What for? It hardly
seems necessary.

This thing isn't
going to go anywhere.

They've come back
to life before, Colonel.

Organize your watch schedule.

Yes, sir.

I'd like to talk with you

and your people about
the priority of experiments.

Playing this a little fast
and loose, don't you think?

Relax. He's posting a guard.

We understand the...

Yes, it's all so fascinating.

Ah, Colonel.

Thank you, Doctor.

Sherman.

It's taken you six hours

to find out who Alexander is?

Norton, I'm personally hurt and
disappointed, to say the least.

Here I am, I'm telling people

what a great
computer whiz you are.

Harrison, that information
was buried so deep

in the Pentagon
computers that finding it

in six hours was a miracle
of modern computing.

What's the big mystery?

Alexander's Project
Nine reports directly

to the Joint Chiefs,
Phoenix Mountain Project.

Phoenix Mountain?

Shadow government
time at the highest level.

You know, the president
is need-to-know.

They're into everything,
from training dolphins

to deliver underwater
bombs... I love this.

To managing all alien
artifacts for the government.

Hangar 15?

Hangar 15.

From the files, my guess
is that Alexander's unit

is charged with trying
to adapt alien technology

for military purposes.

Too weird, it's
just too intense.

Okay, thanks, Norton.

I'll talk to you later.

Alexander's been
grilling Suzanne.

Yeah, what about?

The man is a sponge.

He wanted to know everything
about the chemical makeup

of the aliens, all
of our cellular work,

the aliens' life cycle, how
they take over our bodies,

you name it.

Did you learn anything from him?

Just that he works out
of Houston. And that's it?

That this guy has got access

to all of our information,
all of our computers...

I wonder what he's up to.

I really couldn't get any
sense of what he's up to.

Fact: each cell contains
all the genetic material

for the entire organism.

Fact: the aliens' ability
to blend with humans

indicates the cells
are compatible.

Question:

would implanting alien
cells in a human host

give him the
ability to understand

the aliens' thought process?

Toughest thing about this
assignment... staying awake.

See you.

I want you two
men on the exterior.

You two, room-to-room.
It's shoot to kill, gentlemen!

Ah, Colonel.

I hadn't realized
that you'd taken over.

It appears the alien was
taken out the venting system.

Well, the worst-case
scenario, sir, is that this thing

has come back to
life and climbed out.

That's how we've got to proceed.

If you'll excuse me, sir.

And nobody tried to hide this.

Colonel Alexander!

There's something
you should see.

We also found this.

Looks like he came in up there.

All green vegetables.

Peas, green beans, broccoli.

All high in chlorophyll.

Looks like we've got a
live alien on our hands.

It is imperative we
recapture that alien.

How dangerous is it, sir?

Damn it, Sergeant,

the last thing we
want to do is terminate.

There's so much work we can
do with it, so much potential.

Strict instructions
here, Sergeant.

I want it alive.

Yes, sir.

When we recapture that alien,

we're gonna make history.

Global history.

I'm not sure I understand.

Remember to set up a time-lapse
video camera to record all the effects.

I'm going to need
your assistance

to monitor all my reactions.

I'm going to absorb some
alien cells into my own body.

Colonel,
self-experimentation is...

Is what's called for.

We're doing
groundbreaking work here.

It's incredibly exciting.

Colonel, I realize
that scientific literature

is filled with researchers
who used themselves

as guinea pigs, but you
and I both... The situation

calls for it.

I don't know, sir.

There's no question about it.

I'm absolutely sure.

We've been fighting these
aliens for over a year now.

We've got the edge on Alexander.

We know these things;
we find it, we take it with us

and let that colonel
flyboy whistle in the wind.

Ah, the camaraderie between
the services is so nice to see.

Look, Harrison, I just don't like
the way this guy is treating us.

Where could the alien have gone?

He's already hit
the food supplies.

We should post a guard
there. It's already done.

Then... it could be anywhere.

Harrison, that's
not good enough.

Could there be some form of
communications in that pod?

Why wouldn't there be? Well,
I've already posted a guard

at the pod, too, but

I got to tell you, I'm getting
a little short-handed here.

Have you already
called for reinforcements?

As soon as Omega B mops up

in Northern California,
they'll be here.

Assuming the storm lets up.

There's got to be some
way that we can use

all the high-tech
gear in this place.

Now you're talking, Harrison.

I'm sorry to barge in on you
like this, Doctors, Colonel.

I'd appreciate it if you'd all
remain confined to quarters.

Excuse me?

We're conducting
an intensive search.

I'd hate for anybody
to get hurt inadvertently.

Excuse me, Colonel.

I think we can handle
ourselves, thank you.

I'm sure you can.

You can handle yourself...
Confined to quarters.

I feel...

I'm on the brink
of some precipice,

about to fall into some vast...

unknown, some
vast uncharted area

no man has traveled before.

All of Project Blackwood's data

indicates these aliens
are superior beings.

Faster, smarter, more evolved.

There are unknown
variables, no doubt,

but the research
risks are worth it.

This could be mankind's
watershed moment.

There's something
odd happening here.

Someone is
communicating with me.

The 17th...

ten hundred hours.

I believe I have
just made contact

with an alien.

I'm good.

No... I'm great.

But there's no way I
can get into that computer

and control the
environmental programs.

Do you have a virus in
that computer, Norton?

It took you six hours for
Alexander, and now this?

If this job is over your head...

I'll see you.

Hold on a second.

Colonel.

Colonel, we're
confined to quarters.

It's a matter of
semantics, Harrison.

Quarters to me...

means this entire facility.

Hey, Doc.

Take a look at this model
for getting into the system.

Yeah, that's...

Norton... I have a...

Green floating weirdness?

Green floating weirdness.

What's going on here?

Is there anything...

It's alive.

It's taking information
out of my machine.

It's the alien. It's got to be.

He's accessing
every file we've got.

Disconnect, Norton!

Pull the plug!

He's pulling all the information
on the Blackwood Project.

It's gone.

Mine, too.

It accessed everything.

Such an amazingly
short period of time.

Lieutenant Perry is removing

the distilled alien
genetic matter along with

point eight seven five of
the chemical compounds

given to me by this
being from another planet.

She will then inject two
CC's of it into my system,

sub-lingual, to be
closer to the brain.

All functions slightly elevated,

probably adrenaline pumping.

Okay.

Think of what it knows now.

Norton? Norton? Norton! Norton!

This stops nothing.

I still have a camera
and a tape recorder.

This documentation
will be invaluable.

We've had an energy shutdown.

I'm feeling no effects
from the injection

of the alien genetic matter.

Make a visual examination.

Who is it?! This
lab is off limits.

It's Blackwood. And Tex, Sir.

Looks like the power's off.

Brilliant! Brilliant, Sergeant.

No one is allowed in this lab.

I want everyone out of here!

No one's allowed in here

without permission!

Everything will be
rectified in a few minutes.

Did you try a system re-boot?

No, it still doesn't work.

Try the main panel.

I'm still fritzing around
with this stupid lock.

What I don't understand

is why the backup power
system hasn't kicked in.

You got me.

Well, keep at it.

I'm in.

Let's hope the computer's
backup supply is still working.

Okay...

Retinal blood
vessels on the fundus

appear normal.

He's out there.

I know he is.

How do I reach out?

We were communicating.

If I lose this opportunity...

Sir...

I think under the circumstances

we should tell the others
of this contact with the alien.

Absolutely not.

How do I reach you?

Where are you?

That's big trouble.

This way.

We have to shut this place down.

Isolate it!

Okay, let's move out.

I found evidence of the alien

at the grate where
the capsule was stored.

We should have been smarter.

We should have been
a whole lot smarter.

It knows everything
that we know.

It knows that Earth's
bacteria stopped its kind.

And now it's got the radiation

that's going to
make it invulnerable.

How long until that
backup system is fixed?

We're ready.

Ah, that should get
things back to normal.

Yes, but we still have an
alien at large here, Colonel.

Only temporarily, I'm sure.

With your team's experience,

you should be responsible
for the search operation.

Well, I... I agree, sir.

I am expecting reinforcements.

Well, the storm will delay them,

but I'm sure we're
in good hands.

We're on line again.

Great!

We have to find out

how far the
radiation has spread.

If we go into any
one of those rooms

with that amount of radiation

and it's all over.

Don't worry, we can't.

The facility seals off
all radiation-filled rooms.

Radiation has no
way of seeping out,

and we have no
way of getting in.

And the circle is tightening.

Sir... there are
definite changes.

I know, I can feel it.

It's like seeing
through new eyes.

Everything's clearer.

This is only the beginning.

You see what I mean?

That alien's
progress is non-linear.

It's moving around in
the guts of this tin can,

places we can't go and
don't have schematics for.

We'll keep in
close radio contact.

Keep checking your
radiation meters.

We'll split up.

I'll take the Northern sector.

You take the South, East, West.

He'll let us know
what's happening.

Okay, let's go.

I'm gonna check out the system.

You noticed a change in
our friend, Colonel Alexander?

Suddenly he's dumped this
whole operation in our laps.

There's no more
talk about the alien.

There's all that interest
in what you were doing.

Yet he's a very structured man.

What could be so important

that would make him
change his priorities?

Try to make contact with me.

I've been reaching
out for over an hour.

Shut that thing off.

Contact.

Contact.

It is 1415 hours on the 17th.

I'm about to come face
to face with a being.

It has on its extremities
three long digits

at the ends.

There seems to be
a kind of secretion

on the surface of its skin.

It's in the lab.

Are you getting this?

I am going in peace
to meet with this being.

We will be meeting

as representatives
of two worlds.

I am reaching out.

It understands.

We can communicate.

The experiment
was a total success.

Lieutenant Perry,

you've been a
witness to history.

Colonel Alexander.

Yes?

Just want you to know
we've started the search.

I'm sure your Colonel
Ironhorse will find him.

I couldn't see the whole room.

But if I could just recall.

Memory recall technique.

Did you find anything?

No, sir.

Let me see your weapon

for a second.

Something wasn't right.

I'm sure your Colonel
Ironhorse will find him.

Something was... was wrong.

Something... just... didn't fit.

Nothing.

Alexander's the alien.

He turned the
radiation meter off

or he would have lit that
room up like a Christmas tree.

Then he should be setting
them off everywhere he goes.

Let's track him
through our wall units.

He's shutting us in with
lethal doses of radiation.

Where's Norton when I need him?

Override the
security, reverse it...

Now cover my tracks,
out of batch two.

Reverse that and
patch it into there.

I take it all back, Norton.

You're not great,
you're the king.

Quiet, Harrison.

You're the absolute king.

Yes, I know.

You're doing it.

Of course I am.

The radiation is
right behind me.

It's over.

We're trapped. There's no way
we can get through these walls.

Damn it! He's outside!

He's outside, Norton.

Well, then I've lost him.

No, we can still track him.

Patch us into the external
radiation sensor grid.

Yeah, that'll do it.

Can you locate him?

We can locate him
within a quarter of an inch.

What good will that do?
We're trapped in here.

No, we're not. When you get him,

you let me know.

Harrison, can you read me?

Yeah. I'm here.

Okay, give me those coordinates.

Okay, it's 237 degrees...

10 degrees elevation.

Hold it! Hold it!

241 degrees.

All right, you missed him.

Not to worry.

Make it 245 degrees and
seven degrees elevation.

We're going to
lead him a little bit.

Got him!

All right!

After we evacuate, this
facility will be like Chernobyl...

Unfit for human
habitation for ten centuries.

Wait, wait, what about
Alexander's research?

Frankly, Suzanne,

I don't give a damn.