Voila! Finally, the Deep Impact
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the Morgan Freeman end
of the world movie. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Deep Impact. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
Altair,
Alpha Centauri, Sirius.
Matt Shepherd?
It's just a party,
and he asked me.
He's really nice.
Yeah, to you, maybe.
You guys getting some
good work done over here?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Yeah, sounds like it.
What's the bright one?
Uh...
Mizar.
It's a double star.
Good.
The one next to it?
Uh...
Alcor.
Good, Biederman,
and the one next to that?
Uh...
I don't know.
It's Megrez.
I don't think so.
Well, you just said
you didn't know.
Well,
it's not Megrez.
It's something else.
Look.
It's south
about degrees.
It's probably
a satellite.
Let's take
another picture.
We'll send it
to Dr Wolf.
Yes, sir.
It's Megrez.
Not Megrez.
It is.
It's not.
It is.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Well, hello there,
little fella.
Do I know you?
Where are you going
in such a hurry?
And there.
Come on.
Damn it!
Biederman.
Come on, you miserable
piece of crap.
# Still on the bottom #
# And he can't #
# dig out of the hole #
Come on, come on.
# You're winning now #
# Driving his future #
# Right into... #
You have reached
the Department
of Planetary Sciences.
# The further he goes... #
If you know the extension
of the person you're calling...
# Bottom, but he can't... #
Ow, Jesus!
Press that number now.
Damn it!
This is relating
to the recall
of American troops
from abroad.
Tragedy struck today
as a charter aircraft
carrying an army unit
returning from duty in Japan
crashed this morning...
White House Press Office
says Secretary of
the Treasury Rittenhouse
is resigning because
his wife is sick.
So who passed
Rittenhouse the hemlock?
AFL/ CIO wanted him off the
Council of Economic Advisors
for not supporting
the pension bill,
and the president's going
to need labour next fall.
And State's still fuming
about the trade office
screw-up at the G- .
Pentagon is unhappy with his
readiness reduction proposals.
Greenspan
dislikes him.
Christ, who didn't
this guy piss off?
No wonder
the wife's sick.
She's not sick,
she's a drunk.
How do you know that?
Mike Woodward
over at Treasury.
Mrs Rittenhouse started
drinking a couple of years ago
when her husband
had a series of affairs.
Stepped it up last summer after
their son died of leukaemia.
You want to do something on
the price that wives pay?
Mike Woodward?
Wife, kids?
He's been after me
for months.
So I threw him
a breakfast
and hit him up
about Rittenhouse.
Bob Campbell's leaving,
so midnight Saturday
anchor shift
is opening up.
Why would I want
to give up the White House
for a graveyard weekend...
No, no, no,
not for you, for me.
No.
Beth.
We'll talk
about this later.
Very calm. The president will be
back from Camp David tomorrow.
Business news, Ira.
Just keep working
on Rittenhouse.
Maybe Mike's available
for dinner.
Do the usual research,
background information.
OK, that's it.
Beth, wait.
Listen, Beth, what if
it wasn't permanent?
Oh, God,
Jenny, please.
Honey, this
is how it works.
You've done years
of research.
Now do as
a segment producer.
on air doing
domestic features,
another in some
cholera-ridden hellhole.
And then I'll quit
if they don't give you
a weekend anchor shot.
Hello, Caitlin.
There you are.
Are you protecting me
or just holding me back?
- Yes.
- OK.
Rittenhouse tape and text
on my desk by : tomorrow,
and we'll drop in
the reverses for the .
OK.
At this moment right now...
Thank you...
The pretty little girls
are walking down the aisle.
They're spreading flowers.
The twins.
What are their names?
Emma and Susanna.
They're walking
down the aisles,
and they're dropping
rose petals,
and everyone's
smiling at them,
and now she's walking
down the aisle.
Yes, and she stands
beside him.
And the priest says,
"Dearly beloved..."
Judge.
The judge says,
"Blah, blah, blah."
"Sickness and health,
blah, blah, blah."
"Do you, Jason Lerner, take
Chlorine Whatchamacallit?"
Mom, Chloe.
What did I say?
You said "Chlorine".
Her name's Chloe.
Oh.
Well, it's still
a terrible name.
Jason says, "Lie, lie, lie,
till death do us part,
blah, blah, blah,"
and she says yes,
and he says yes,
and it's kissy, kissy, kissy,
and congratulations.
Jenny, you now have
a new stepmother
who is years older
than you.
The check.
Well, anyway,
as much as I'd like
to stay here
and get silly
with you, Mom,
I can't.
I gotta go.
I know, I know, I know.
I'm sorry about this.
We'll get over it.
I love you.
I love you, too.
Be good.
I was with the secretary
since he's been governor
of Connecticut.
I came to Washington
with him.
I moved here because I was
dedicated to his career.
I trusted the man...
and then he fucked me.
He what?
No, I didn't
have sex with him.
I should say "I" didn't
have sex with him,
but somebody sure did.
It was about to come out,
so he resigned.
But because I was hired from
outside the government pool,
I don't get conveyed
to the next secretary,
so now I'm out a job...
Because he couldn't
keep his hands off women.
Do you have proof?
He thinks he was
being so clever.
He had a private phone line
installed in his office.
Nobody else could answer it.
I picked it up once.
Said hello,
and it's nobody home.
It rings, he shuts the door.
Why not hang a sign?
Do you have a name?
This is what I get
for talking to the press.
I'm selling my soul
right now.
I can feel it.
I can feel it.
I name a name and get
someone into trouble.
So you do have a name.
Just a first name.
Oh, my God.
I'm going to say it.
Ellie.
Ellie. Nothing else?
I think the president
knows about it, too.
Overheard the secretary
talking to him about her.
Isn't Washington sick?
Hi.
How you doing?
Can I help you?
Well, actually,
we're looking
for your mom.
Is she around?
My mom's sick.
She's not here.
Gosh, I love boats.
Are you going on a trip?
Yeah.
That's exciting. Looks
like a long trip, huh?
So, listen, do you know
where you're going?
She's going
back to the house.
Hey, you want to stop that?
Lily, please.
Lily, that's a pretty name.
Lily.
Do as I say.
Go on.
If we could just get
a minute of your time.
What do you want from me?
We'd like to talk
about your resignation.
My wife is sick.
She's in the hospital.
That's why I resigned.
Everybody knows this.
We could talk
about your wife,
or we could just
talk about Ellie.
Turn the camera off.
If you want to talk to me,
turn it off.
We know everything.
Nobody knows everything.
Well, we know about
the secret phone lines
and the whispered calls
to the president
and about a secretary
of the Treasury
who's kept his entire
department in the dark
about what
he's really doing...
about a cover story
about his resignation
that just fell through.
You want me to go on?
And you're
just gonna break it?
Well, that's what we do
for a living.
Well, congratulations.
You now have
the biggest story in history.
Good luck to you.
Personally...
I think it's a mistake
to run the story,
but hey, what the hell?
Why not?
What difference
does anything make any more?
Look.
I know you're just a reporter,
but you used to be
a person, right?
I wanted to be with my family.
Can you understand that?
OK, Secretary of the Treasury
Alan Rittenhouse
resigns because of a mistress
named Ellie.
The biggest story
in history?
What an ego.
Now, if it was
the president...
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
The president
has a mistress named Ellie,
and Rittenhouse pretends
that he's having the affair
and takes the fall and resigns,
and the president
buys him a yacht?
Son of a bitch.
Oh, shit.
Oh, shit.
Right! OK, OK!
Oh, God. Oh, God.
FBI. If you would,
please, ma'am.
What do I do
with my car?
We'll take care
of your car.
Just step back
to my car.
Get her car here.
Let's go.
Would you
come this way please?
Morton Entrekin, Ms Lerner.
I'm expected
back at MSNBC at : .
I think
I should be there.
People knew about the Manhattan
Project, you know,
and they kept it a secret.
That was just the creation
of the atom bomb.
Hmm.
Ms Lerner, Tom Beck.
I understand you've come
into some information.
Ms Lerner was just expressing
her lack of enthusiasm
for matters
of national security
where journalistic
competitiveness is at stake.
Mr President,
I'm not interested
in using Ellie to
further my career.
What do you know
about E.L.E.?
I know you should have
picked a better cover story
than a sick wife.
See?
What did I tell you?
We'd always thought
the deadline for going public
was the publication
of the budget,
since we've spent
more money than we can hide.
The budget comes out
in weeks.
I don't suppose I could convince
you to sit on this for weeks.
No such thing as weeks
in the news business.
And I can't appeal
to your sense
of what's in the nation's
best interest?
I always thought
the truth
was in the nation's
best interest.
You want to hold her?
What if we go public
in hours?
Now that's doable,
isn't it?
That would be very
difficult, Mr President.
Morton, if she knows,
how long can it be
before CNN or the "Post"
breaks the story?
This was never
gonna be a secret
as long as you wanted
it to be.
Give us days, Ms Lerner.
You'll get second row,
centre,
at the White House
press conference.
Now, from what I know of your
career, that's a promotion.
I want exclusivity.
Now, listen, young lady.
This is a presidential favour.
I'm letting you go
because I don't want
another headache.
And I'm trusting you
because I know what this
can do for your career.
It might seem
that we have each other
over the same barrel,
Ms Lerner,
but it just seems that way.
I want...
Want?
May I...
May I have
the first question?
We'll see you Tuesday,
Ms Lerner.
Come on, come on.
E.L.E., E.L.E.
Paleontology?
Paleontology?
What's paleontology
have to do with anything?
Come on.
Hey.
Hey.
Look who's working late.
How's Rittenhouse going?
No sign of the wife yet.
Is she missing?
No. We're still
working on it.
We'll get there.
I know,
it's a dull story.
Next time we'll get you
something more exciting.
Great.
Are you OK?
Yeah.
Want to come
to dinner with us?
I can't.
I have plans.
OK. We'll see you tomorrow.
Thank you.
Ah, here she is.
Jenny.
Hello.
Hi, Chloe.
Would you like
some champagne, miss?
Martini... big.
I missed you.
I mean we missed you
yesterday.
I must say, I'm...
I'm disturbed that
you didn't come
to our wedding.
Jason, you
promised.
I know I promised,
but it was
a beautiful event,
and I missed her.
You should have been there.
The twins, they were
running around like mad
and throwing flowers.
It was wonderful,
especially Emma.
You know, the little one.
She loves you.
It was beautiful.
She missed you, too.
All right.
This is from us
for you.
Are you not
going to open it?
I knew she wouldn't...
You can exchange them
if you don't like them.
Jenny,
I know this is hard.
I just want you
to be happy.
Happy.
Well,
I would like to propose
a toast to happiness
and to...
Mmm.
Mmm.
Are we going to have
an evening or not?
Jenny, I know
that you hate me.
I know that you have
terrible things
that you want
to say to me.
You have
to get over it.
Life goes on.
Life goes on? OK.
What's so funny?
Life...
We'll see.
What's so funny
about "life goes on"?
Life going on?
I don't think it's funny
that life goes on.
Dad, you need to get
back together with Mom.
She's all alone in the world,
and she needs you right now.
OK?
Jenny.
I just got married.
I know, and I'm sorry.
Chloe, this has nothing
to do with you.
Well, it has
to do something for me,
for Christ's sake.
This is insane.
I have to apologize
for my daughter.
It's not your fault.
I'm sorry.
I have to go.
I know you think
I'm a bad person.
I'm really not.
And I don't hate you.
I just... I gotta go.
'Cause for her, it doesn't...
Excuse me.
Jenny. Hey.
What are you doing here?
Uh, yeah.
Did Stuart send you here
without telling me?
No.
If Stuart thinks he can push
me out of the White House...
Ms Lerner.
Hi, Beth.
Right this way.
I've got you
right down here.
Excuse me, please.
OK.
He'll find you
for the first question.
Then you're on your own.
Hey, how are you?
Ladies and gentlemen.
Ladies and gentlemen,
please.
The president will begin
by addressing the nation.
Please hold your questions
until he's finished his remarks.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the President
of the United States.
Hello, everybody.
- Mr President.
- Hello.
seconds,
Mr President.
.
Good evening.
A few minutes ago
the United States ambassadors
to every country
in the world
told the leaders
of those nations
what I am about
to tell you.
It's a bit complicated,
so it will take some time,
so I hope
you will bear with me,
hear what I have to say.
A little over a year ago,
American astronomers,
Marcus Wolf and Leo Biederman,
working on a mountain top
in Arizona...
Shh.
Nobody say
anything.
Saw something
in the night sky
that caused them
great concern.
A comet.
But the comet was, well...
There was a remote possibility
that the comet was on a path
that could bring it into
direct contact with the Earth.
Now...
we get hit all the time
by rocks and meteors,
some of them the size of cars,
some no bigger than your hand.
But the comet we discovered
is the size of New York City.
From the north side
of Central Park to the Battery.
About miles long.
Put another way,
this comet is larger
than Mount Everest.
It weighs billion tons.
Now, chances are...
Astrophysicists, geologists
and climatologists.
Where the hell
is Science?
Check with Tokyo, Tel Aviv.
I want everybody.
The Hale-Bopp stand-ups.
Graphics!
I need graphics!
Comets begin
far out in space.
They're what's left over
from the creation
of the solar system
after the planets were formed
billions of years ago.
These chunks
of space debris
are in an elongated orbit
around our sun,
but every now and then
one of them gets bumped
like a billiard ball
on a pool table
and is knocked
into a different orbit.
If this comet continues
on its path around the sun
and keeps
its present course,
sometime on August
roughly a year from now,
there's a chance
that we might have impact.
So for the past months,
the United States and Russia
have been building the largest
spaceship ever constructed.
It's being built in orbit
around the Earth.
And we call it the "Messiah".
Right now a team of American
astronauts and one Russian
are at Cape Canaveral
in Florida.
In months, they will leave
on the shuttle "Atlantis"
to board the "Messiah".
This is the crew
that will stop the comet.
I'd like the world to meet
some extraordinary people.
First is Mission Commander
Oren Monash.
Commander, would you introduce
us to your team?
I'd be honoured, sir.
Pilot Andrea Baker.
Medical Officer
Gus Partenza.
From Russia,
nuclear specialist
Colonel Mikhail
Tulchinsky.
Navigator
Mark Simon
and Rendezvous Pilot
Spurgeon Tanner.
Hello,
Mr President.
Captain Tanner,
you flew shuttle missions.
You were the last man to walk
on the moon, weren't you?
Yes, sir,
but Oren here
will be doing
most of the flying
on this one.
I'll just
be taking us down
to the comet's
surface.
Well, it's good to know
we're going to have
your kind of experience
up there, Captain.
Thank you, sir.
Godspeed to you all.
We're counting on you.
Thank you, sir.
Got Beijing, Rome,
Sao Paulo, Cairo, Berlin!
Does anyone know how big
the one was
that killed
all the dinosaurs?
Something majestic, mysterious,
with a fanfare for the intro
and a theme
for the longer promos.
You want it hitting
the goddam Earth?
Well, that's what he's saying.
Bring that up again.
It'll scare the shit
out of them.
We will not tolerate any
disruption of our way of life.
Our society will
continue as normal.
Work will go on.
You will pay your bills.
There will be no hoarding.
There will be
no sudden profiteering.
I'm freezing all wages,
all prices.
What a bottle of water
cost you yesterday...
it will cost you tomorrow.
Now we'll take
a few questions.
Mr President!
Ms Lerner.
Ahem.
Ahem. Uh, Jenny Lerner,
M... MSNBC.
Jenny Lerner?
Son of a bitch.
Um, Mr President,
why wasn't this announcement
made sooner?
Well, until we knew
we could build the rocket
and the comet
could be intercepted,
we saw no reason
to alarm the planet.
- Sir!
- Mr President!
Do you have another
question, Ms Lerner?
Yeah. Um...
Is... Is there a connection
between the comet
and the recall of American
troops from abroad?
Our fighting men
and women are coming home
because we felt it prudent,
in light of domestic
security concerns,
to have them available.
Although I certainly hope
we don't need to use them.
Next question.
Mr President!
Actually, Mr President,
if... just one final
question, sir. Um...
MSNBC has learned that
Secretary Rittenhouse
did not leave
for the reasons
announced by
your administration.
In fact,
isn't it true, sir,
that not everyone
in your administration
is convinced that the
"Messiah" will save us?
Secretary Rittenhouse served
his country with full devotion.
He resigned
for personal reasons.
Now, I can promise you this,
Ms Lerner, all of you,
everyone in this room and
everyone listening to my voice,
that at some point
over the next months,
all of us will entertain
our worst fears and concerns.
But I can also
promise you this.
Life will go on.
We will prevail.
Mr President!
Please!
Sally.
Sir, what is
the comet's name?
The scientists
who found the comet
were killed in a car crash
while racing from their
observatory to alert the world.
So we named it for them.
Wolf-Biederman.
Leo Biederman,
they said it again.
Shh!
Leo, is he talking
about you?
He is, isn't he?
Can you get that,
please?
Janie, get the door.
Well, we have the
technology to build the ship.
They have the technology
to make it go.
There's someone at
the door for you, Leo.
You've been
watching live coverage
of President Tom Beck...
I can't believe this.
This is so weird.
Dr Wolf
from Astronomy Club?
Yeah, I guess so.
I think
it's really neat.
Nobody on our block
discovered the world
was gonna end before.
He's still
very much alive.
He's still alive, everyone.
He's right here,
and he's still alive.
OK?
Hey, Leo, cool!
As far as we know,
what happened was
that Doctor Wolf
saw the comet
in my photograph,
so he shared
the discovery with me,
and then he was killed
in that crash
and everything got
mixed up in Washington,
so the president
thought I was dead, too.
- Leo!
- Leo!
Jasmine.
How does it feel
having your name on it?
I don't want anyone to think
that I'm trying to take
something away from Dr Wolf,
because I'm not,
but it's kind of cool.
- Leo!
- Leo!
Jason.
You know, you're gonna
have sex a lot more now
than anyone else
in our class.
Don't listen. Don't.
Really?
Thank you for your sexual
insight, Mr Thurman.
You can sit down now.
Famous people always
get sex, Mr Perry.
That's the main reason
it's good to be famous.
Fruit... a reactor,
bottle... a rocket, OK?
A nuclear reactor
in space?
Yes.
Isn't that dangerous?
No, no, no. This is
all Russian design.
Russian science.
Uh, the same people
who designed Chernobyl.
Chernobyl?
Chernobyl almost worked.
# Fly me to the moon #
So what happens
after you plant the bomb?
Well, we have hours.
We're gonna put the
bombs inside the comet.
I'm gonna follow
these two.
I don't trust
that combination.
After hours,
the -hour rotational cycle
of the comet spins.
We're gonna get married.
God knows I want
to marry you,
but the day I get back,
the last thing I'm gonna do
is step inside of a church.
I don't do churches well.
'Cause there's only
hours of darkness.
Then the sun starts hitting
the surface of the planet...
These are your orders.
Upon first entering
Earth's atmosphere,
proceed immediately
up the exterior
of the mother ship.
When the sun
hits the surface,
there's gonna be
explosive outgassings
that are
very dangerous...
Gus, he's .
Brittany.
You boys were, what,
and when I went
to the moon?
Yeah.
Now, you saw me go into space
times, didn't ya?
I came back every time,
didn't I?
Yeah.
Your mother and I used to play
a game when she was still alive.
Now, the game was,
if there was a chance
I might not be coming back,
she wouldn't say it,
and I wouldn't say it.
OK?
- Yes, sir.
- Yes, sir.
Hey, Fish.
How about
a beer?
You remember my boys,
don't you?
Steve and Dwight.
Of course I do.
Gentlemen,
welcome to Houston.
Let me steal
your old man for a second.
Can I take your
picture, please?
OK.
Thank you.
So, what do you
think of the crew?
Heroes all.
That's the finest group
I ever had the privilege
of working with.
Yeah, yeah.
Off the record, huh?
Well, they've been trained
in ways I'll never understand.
They're smarter
and in better shape
than we ever were
in the old days.
They're sober, serious.
I guess I'd be a little happier
about this whole thing
if I thought that any of them
were as scared as I am.
Well, they're not
scared of dyin'.
They're just scared
of looking bad on TV.
Now, look, I wish
I'd been to the moon.
I got respect for everybody
who's gone to the moon,
but this mission
ain't going to the moon.
That's right.
Frank Gifford,
he was a great football
player in his time,
but if he played now,
he'd get his ass busted.
That's right.
All I'm saying is,
the moon did not have
a rotational cycle
of hours.
I mean, we only have
hours of dark
when the sun's not up
to land on this thing.
It was light
when he landed.
This is gonna be dark.
We're not gonna
be able to see.
You can't see now, Gus.
Don't worry,
don't worry, don't worry.
We what?
We can do it.
No, no, no. Sit down.
I woke up this morning,
and I realized...
none of you
want me here.
You don't even really know
who I am, which is OK.
I walked on the moon,
but I didn't belong to you.
I belonged to your daddies.
Now, if I ask you
to ask your daddies
what I meant to them,
to explain to you
what I'm doing here,
that's only gonna
make things worse.
So... what do we do?
You haven't trained
for this mission.
We respect you.
I appreciate that.
But you're here... you're here
because the powers that be
think we need a familiar
face on this trip.
You're here
for public relations.
No, no. I'm here because
the powers that be
know that I'm the only
person on this mission
who's ever landed
on the moon.
And I have landings
on aircraft carriers.
We've trained on...
On flight
simulators.
Right?
I mean, this is
not a video game, son.
It really isn't.
It really isn't. No.
We are go
for auto-sequence start.
Atlantis' on-board computers
now have primary control
of all the vehicle's
critical functions.
OK, all flight controllers,
we're at T-minus seconds
and counting.
Let's take a close look.
APUs look good,
LOX and LH
are pressurized.
...
We're go for auto-sequence.
Roger, Jerry.
Good luck
and Godspeed, "Atlantis".
Thanks, Mitch.
.
Propelled by
pounds of liquid fuel,
the shuttle crew heads toward
their initial destination.
When the crew
enters the "Messiah",
they will find a payload
of nuclear devices
that will eventually be
used to blow up the comet.
The "Messiah" itself
will be powered
by an experimental
nuclear propulsion system
that was originally created
for a very
different purpose.
That programme
was called Orion.
Now, with the help
of Russian engineers,
a technology designed to propel
weapons of mass destruction
will power the ship
that will intercept
the greatest threat
our planet has ever faced.
Orion burn...
in
.
OK, Beth,
White House reactions.
Marianne,
the whole world watching.
We have enough
satellite space?
uplinks.
Tim, Mission Control
in Houston.
Ira, the science guys
lined up?
If they got a Ph.D.,
we own them.
All right, this is the most
important story of our lives.
Let's not muck it up.
Stuart,
what about me?
- You're on the anchor desk.
- Whoa!
And you could have
been there a lot sooner.
What are you
talking about?
You know what
I'm talking about.
Don't ever hold back
a story from me again.
"Messiah", Houston.
Transfer trajectory is go.
We'll cancel MCC- .
You're go
to configure for coast.
Roger, Houston, we're
looking good here.
Jesus, that's big.
Holy shit.
Wow.
Sweet mother of God.
All circuit breakers are open.
Master arm is off.
Roger.
And the detonator
system is safe.
"Messiah", Houston.
Stand by for an uplink
of the final mole coordinates.
Confirm when complete.
Wilco, Houston.
Hey, how's it comin'?
Loading
first nuke now.
feet
to stand-off.
R-dot -X, -Y.
feet,
R-dot point ... -X,
point -Y.
Go for auto trajectory.
We're there.
Residuals are nulled.
Disengage Orion.
Orion disengaged.
You're on bi-prop.
This is
a special presentation
of MSNBC News
with Jenny Lerner.
Good evening.
Sometime in the next hour,
the "Messiah" mission will
enter its most critical phase:
The interception
of Wolf-Biederman
and the setting of
the nuclear devices
that will deflect it off
its collision course with Earth.
But first,
Captain Spurgeon Tanner
will have to guide
the spacecraft
through the blizzard
of rocks, sand, and ice
that make up
the comet's tail, or coma.
The crew will have to complete
its work before the sun rises.
Sublimator
looks good, Mick.
Disengaging auto now.
I'm eyeballs out
from here on in.
How come that doesn't
make me feel any better?
I heard that.
Lights on.
Cameras on.
On the Mississippi River
in Mark Twain's time,
there were riverboat pilots
who only knew a few miles
of the river.
I mean, conditions
changed so much,
you couldn't
know the whole trip.
Floods, sandbars,
fallen logs...
It was all a riverboat pilot
could do
was to know his little
piece of the puzzle.
So for the next few hours,
this is my ship.
We start our approach.
...are images from cameras
mounted inside the cargo bay
of the "Messiah".
Now, these images are delayed
by approximately seconds,
due to the distance
they must travel.
OK, you can see that the image
is breaking up a bit.
Uh, Houston is prepared
for this.
They've informed us that
due to the uncertain make-up
of the comet's coma,
they're unsure whether or not
transmission will be possible.
OK, now, now, it ap-appears
we're losing reception here.
OK, we've... we've
lost picture now.
But we will stay on the air.
We'll stay with you
through all of this.
Prop %.
Dap is in descent.
Roger, descent.
Oh, my God.
Look at these.
They're the size of houses.
Yeah, I know.
I see.
Jesus Christ.
Prop, %.
Cabin press, . .
Negative guidance errors.
Whoa!
Use your
primary thrusters.
Primary thrusters.
What's the descent rate?
feet per second. .
Fire tether pitons.
Pitons fired.
She's levelling out.
Depressurizing bay.
Opening
payload doors.
Don't let that little bit
of gravity down there
go to your heads.
OK.
Start the clock.
If all is going
according to schedule,
the astronauts should
now be placing the moles
on the comet surface.
The moles are, well,
they're what they sound like.
They are drilling machines
that burrow
to a depth of metres,
where they wait
to be detonated.
Each one carries
a kiloton warhead.
How's our time?
It's getting tight.
.
It's taking too long.
Yup.
What happens if
they do not get off
the comet's surface
in time?
The sun striking the comet
will cause the temperature
to rise degrees
in just a few minutes
and activate
the high-speed gas jets.
Well, if that happens,
it will be like trying
to work in a minefield.
Mark, what's
your mole readout?
Mole
running true at feet.
Son of a bitch.
What?
It's stuck.
Try backing it up.
Baker: What's your depth?
feet.
Is that enough?
No. That'll just break
pieces off the surface.
That's not
deep enough.
Yeah, Fish, I know
that's not deep enough.
I'm going in.
Oren, no.
No, I'm gonna see
if I can free it up.
Stand by,
tether attached.
All right, I gotcha.
Oren,
suit pressure, . .
Come on, come on.
How's my time?
: .
Another minutes, they won't
have time to get back to us.
Blow the tethers.
Let's go get 'em.
If we go after them,
we may not have enough fuel
to get off the surface.
Blow the goddam tethers.
Mole at depth.
We're heading
your way, Oren.
Calculate exactly
how much prop we need
to get off this rock.
We'll shut it down
when we hit it.
Will do.
It opens up
into a cave down here.
Mole got jammed
against the side.
OK, Fish,
team at location .
Give me your hand.
What the hell happened?
I don't know.
I don't know.
Everything
was going great,
and we got jammed
up at feet.
OK, hold up.
All right,
try backing it up.
Roger that.
- That's it.
- A little more.
Shut it down.
No, they always put
extra in these tanks.
Fish, shut it down.
OK.
Come on, you bastard!
Come on! Time!
: .
Figured we'd better pick
you kids up after school.
Check your
yards.
I think we'd
better hurry, boys.
All right, it's going!
It's going!
Mole's at feet.
The sun's rising behind you.
It's coming up fast.
Face shields down!
Oh, Christ!
Get the hell
out of there!
Aah!
Oren, get
your visor down.
Get your visor down!
Oh! My eyes!
Ohh!
All right, we got him.
Oh, God!
My eyes!
Oh, God,
we're losing one.
He's got escape velocity.
feet and climbing.
Aah!
Mark, Mikhail, get
the hell out of there!
Firing
primary thrusters.
Payload doors
still open.
Close 'em as we go.
Tanner, Over Speaker:
Houston, all moles are at depth.
Nukes hot and ready.
We lost Partenza
to explosive outgassing.
And Monash is injured.
We have to go get Gus.
There's
no time for that.
Repressurize
the cargo bay.
He's going to die out there!
We can still find him.
He has a beacon.
I don't have time
to argue with you.
Just sit down
and be quiet.
Turn on
the fuckin' locator!
We've used most
of our propellant
to get us out
of the coma.
We can't just leave him.
We have to go back!
If we go back for Gus,
we all die.
We can't just
leave him in space!
Sit down, Mick.
Sit down.
It's OK.
The "Messiah" has safely
lifted off the comet.
But sadly,
Gus Partenza has been lost.
Gus Partenza, a native of
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
and graduate of
Carnegie-Mellon University,
joined the NASA
Space Programme
shortly after completing
his medical training
at Duke University.
Dr Partenza was selected
specifically for this mission,
not only for his
medical expertise,
but also for his dedication
to the advancement
of space technology.
Yeah.
With the loss
of Dr Gus Partenza
and with Oren Monash
injured,
Captain Spurgeon Tanner
is now in charge of the mission.
The "Messiah"
has successfully docked
with the Orion-powered
boosters
and is now prepared
to detonate
the bombs planted
on Wolf-Biederman.
The "Messiah's"
exterior-mounted camera
will show us the detonation,
but not before being
temporarily blocked out
by the nuclear blast.
Once again, let me remind you,
there is a -second delay,
so when the picture
comes back to us,
the comet should already
have been knocked off
its present course.
Prepare to remove
safeties and fire.
Safeties removed.
Weapons armed.
...
Now.
So now we're just waiting
for the picture
to come back.
Decompression in area .
Mick!
I'll get the halon!
Aah!
Yes.
I'm still here.
We're live
in seconds.
Cue the president.
Mr President,
...
Hello, America.
It is my unhappy duty
to report to you
that the "Messiah"
has failed.
This computer-enhanced radar
image from Houston
shows how the detonation
succeeded,
however, did not
destroy the comet.
There are now pieces...
one miles wide,
the other,
a mile and a half.
Both are still on a path
towards Earth.
We've lost communication with
the "Messiah" spacecraft,
although we continue
to track it visually.
We don't know
how many are alive.
We don't know
their condition.
Now, we have to make
some decisions together.
What do we do?
You have a choice.
We have a choice...
Right now.
Ever since the comet
was discovered,
we've been hoping
and working for the best,
but we've also been
planning for the worst.
Our strategy
has been twofold.
First, our strategic
missile command
is preparing to coordinate
with the Russians
a massive strike
of Titan missiles
to intercept the comets.
If we can deflect
these comets enough,
they will bounce harmlessly
off our atmosphere
and head on out into space.
Unfortunately, the Titans
cannot be launched
until the comets
are only a few hours away.
And while we are confident
the missile attack will succeed,
it is only prudent that we
now take cautionary steps
to ensure the continuation
of our way of life,
to guarantee that there
will be enough of us left
to rebuild a new world
in the unlikely event that
the comets do strike the Earth.
So, in the soft limestone
of Missouri,
we've been preparing
a network of immense caves,
and they're almost finished.
And we can put
a million people in them.
And that million people can
survive there, underground,
for years,
until the air clears
and the dust settles.
Now, the cave is more
than a dormitory.
It's our new Noah's Ark.
We're storing seeds
and seedlings,
plants, animals,
enough to start over.
On August th,
a computer
will randomly select
Americans
to join the scientists,
doctors, engineers,
teachers, soldiers, and artists,
who have already been chosen.
Other countries
are preparing similar caves
along whatever lines
they feel are best
to preserve their way
of life.
This is ours.
Beginning tonight and continuing
until the crisis passes,
I am declaring a state
of martial law.
The armed forces
and the National Guard
are working
with local law enforcement.
A national curfew begins
at midnight tonight.
Now, wherever you are,
go home.
Stay off the roads
after sunset.
Crimes against persons
or property
will be dealt with
swiftly and harshly.
News stations around the nation
are being faxed copies
of the lottery procedure
as we speak,
and they'll be broadcasting
the details to you
in a few moments.
I wish...
No.
Wishing is wrong.
It's the wrong word
right now.
That's not what I mean.
What I mean is...
I believe in God.
Relax.
I know a lot of you don't,
but I still want
to offer a prayer...
for our survival.
Mine included.
Because I believe that God,
whomever you hold
that to be,
hears all prayers,
even if sometimes
the answer is no.
So, may the Lord bless you.
May the Lord keep you.
May the Lord lift up His divine
countenance upon you...
and give you peace.
And in ...
We now have the details
for the national lottery.
"Those of you
who have been preselected
will be notified
within the next few minutes."
"For the rest, on the night
of August th,
those whose social
security numbers
have been randomly selected
by computer will be notified."
"While some Americans...
over years of age
have been preselected
for the ARK
due to their expertise
in a necessary field of study,
no men and women over
in the general population
will be included
in the lottery."
"The...
The evac... The evacuation
of those
who have been selected
for the ARK
will take no longer
than days,
beginning on August th."
"During this -day period,
no unofficial travel
will be permitted."
"Those selected will be
taken by bus and train
to the underground ARK site
by military personnel."
"Civil defence teams
have been formed in every town
with a population over ."
"They will distribute supplies
and organize group shelters
in underground
parking facilities
and other
appropriate sites."
"Construction plans..."
"Equipment lists,
and locations for securing
the necessary provisions..."
Hello?
Yes, this is
Ellen Biederman.
"...on how to grow
your own food underground
and how to purify water
are now available on
the internet at www..."
We've been preselected.
"...fcda. Gov."
Chuck? Chuck?
Where are you going?
Our phone.
They could be calling.
"...beginning on August th."
"The only phones that ring
will be those
of the people selected."
That's it.
That's all there is.
The interior
camera circuitry is shot.
So, Andy, can we get back
into the cargo bay
to reroute
the video functions?
Starboard cargo
porthole's blown.
We could go in
with the EVAs,
but there's not much left
in the life-support packs.
We should be able
to raise Houston
on the low band
once we get closer.
And the Orion
is still functioning?
System check was OK,
but I don't know about
the radiation shielding.
So, if we fire it up,
we beat the comet
back to Earth,
but we may end up glowing
in the dark. Right?
OK, so, uh...
Anybody?
Let's go home.
OK.
I have to say
it's liberating
knowing that I'm not
going to be called.
I don't think I've
ever been happier.
I've even
stopped smoking.
What are you gonna do with
all that extra money you save?
Do you know
the National Gallery
is saving
all of the art?
They're shipping it
to the caves.
I've given them my beautiful
th-century desk
from New England and
all the Sheraton silver.
I really feel like
I'd protected something
when I gave them.
You should see
my apartment.
There's nothing there.
It's practically
Japanese.
Seems kind of unfair
that I got picked.
You know, I'm not
a doctor or a scientist.
People need continuity.
Everyone knows you.
And they trust you.
But I... can't help you.
Don't worry about me.
I'm gonna be happy
as long as I know
you're going to live.
Mr Hotchner?
Who did I think
I was going to be
when I bought that bike?
Well, every kid on
the block wants one now.
Every parent on the block
hates you for it.
That's the best news
I've had in years.
Um, sir?
Could you give me a hand
over here for a second?
Yes, sir.
I just want to get
these bars up.
Hi, Mrs Hotchner.
A mob
attacked and killed
a Miami rental yard operator
who was charging
$ an hour
for backhoe and
tractor rentals.
Marines intervened
to stop the violence.
Mrs Hotchner?
Sarah's on the hill.
Thank you.
Where were you
today?
I've been looking
all over for you.
Why weren't you
at school?
My dad said
I didn't have to go.
He said there's no point.
I talked to
Civil Defence.
They said if
you and I got married
we'd be family,
and I could get you in.
What about my parents?
They're not your family.
I don't want to go
without my parents.
You don't have to. I'm
the famous Leo Biederman,
and I haven't used
my fame for anything,
but I got them to let
your family go, too.
You... This is your
only chance to survive.
Across the country,
looters continue to set fire
to abandoned stores.
The fires have been left to burn
since many firefighters
have been called
to help prepare shelters.
Throughout Latin America's
major cities,
business districts have been
abandoned to looting gangs...
Airlifts have been ruled out
as too dangerous.
More street fighting
in Moscow
as food and fuel shortages
continue.
Believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
When I was a child,
I spoke like a child,
I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man,
I gave up childish ways.
For now we see
in a mirror dimly,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part,
then I shall
understand fully,
even as I have been
fully understood.
Do you, Leo, take Sarah
to be your wife...
to have and to hold
from this day forward...
for better, for worse...
for richer, for poorer...
to love and to cherish?
I now pronounce you
husband and wife.
Here, let me
help you.
I'll get it.
Yeah.
How you feeling?
All right.
I want to tell you
something.
You children didn't bring
any real books to read,
did you know that?
I brought "Moby Dick"
and "Huckleberry Finn"
and Baker and Simon
had never read them.
Now, I'm afraid
to ask you,
have you ever read
Melville or Twain?
Hmm?
Hey, I'm a child
of the movies, Fish.
OK, I see.
So...
You got a shitty deal,
Oren, you know that?
You really did.
Don't worry about me.
Yeah.
I mean that. Really.
Don't worry about me.
My whole life I...
You know how it is
for guys like us.
You... You and I,
we're the same.
What do you mean
by that?
Gotta be the best.
Oh, I see.
Be... the best.
Sometimes I see
flashes of light...
You know,
like... colours.
Yeah.
I fall asleep...
and I dream.
But there's a part of me
that's always awake.
And I can see myself
dreaming.
I'm seeing things
differently, Fish.
Well, that's good.
Fish...
why the hell do
they call you "Fish"?
Well, I...
Spurgeon, sturgeon,
fish.
Took about minutes
of my first day
at the Naval Academy.
Yeah.
Your kids go there?
Yeah, they did.
They did.
And they're good men,
both of them.
I don't see as much
of them as I used to
when Mary was alive.
You don't have to talk
about it. It's OK.
No, it's OK. It's OK.
You're a married man.
You know what it's like.
Every marriage has its
good years and bad years.
We ended on a great year.
Yeah.
Anyway,
let's get started.
"Call me Ishmael."
"Several years ago, never
mind how long precisely,
having little or
no money in my purse...
...grim
about the mouth..."
"Whenever it is a damp,
drizzly November in my soul,
whenever I find myself...
...knocking
people's hats off,
then I account it
high time
to get to sea
as soon as I can."
Listen up!
Hold it right there!
- Biederman?
- That's us.
IDs, please.
Yeah. Got them
right here.
There's of us.
Lewis?
This is my wife Sarah.
We have a marriage licence.
Um, I have it right here.
OK.
All right. Let's go.
Let's move it out!
Mom? Sir? My parents
are coming, too.
Wait! The Hotchners.
H-O-T-C...
H-N-E-R.
It's not here.
It has to be there.
FCD A sent their names
to the White House.
They're not there.
Check the list again.
They must be there.
Give me
your bag, sweetie.
They're not on the list.
I'm sorry.
Let's go!
Sir! Could you check
it one more time?
I put you on the list.
They said you're on the list.
I put them on the list!
We're not on the list.
I need the
Biedermans on the bus now.
- What?
- I want to stay.
No, no, no, no!
I need to stay
with you!
Sarah! Sarah,
you need to go.
No. I have to stay
with you.
I'm not going anywhere
without you!
Honey,
get on the bus!
Young lady,
this bus is moving out.
On the bus!
Get on the bus!
Chuck, we'll work it out
when we get there.
Jenny? There's
a phone call for you.
Yes?
This is she.
Is Robin Lerner
my mother?
When?
Uh, .
I'll come down there then.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Jenny, do you want us
to do something?
You're too late. I already
took care of everything.
Come. Inside the car.
You're getting sick. Please.
I want to talk to you.
Please, come.
I don't give a shit.
Go home and tell it
to Chloe.
I can't.
She left me.
She's with her mother.
They both got scared.
Come. I want
to talk to you.
I need you.
How does it feel?
I feel like an orphan.
Jenny! Jenny!
Stop.
Welcome to the ARK. I'm
section leader for Orange .
That's where you'll be
calling home the next years.
So gather your things and follow
me to the orientation gallery.
If you have been designated
as a civilian section officer,
report to section Red
upon entering.
Once again, if you
have been designated
as a civilian
section officer,
report to section Red
upon entering.
Leo...
I'm not coming.
Leo, come with us
right now.
I have to go back
for Sarah.
Leo...
Mom, I'm going.
Don, what are you
doing?
Giving him something to trade,
that's what I'm doing.
I want you to take this.
Dad, that's enough.
Goddam it.
You take care
of yourself, OK?
I'm gonna make it.
What about Entrekin?
I don't know. He hasn't
returned my call in weeks.
- Excuse me, Jenny?
- Yeah?
Your father's here.
Hello.
Hello.
I can't stay long.
I'm leaving the city,
but I wanted to show you
something.
I wanted to show you that
you're not an orphan.
I have proof that
you're not an orphan.
Here.
Look.
Where's Mom?
Behind the camera.
She took this?
Mm-hmm.
And this one, too.
She was such an artist,
don't you think so?
You don't remember
when we take them, hmm?
I'm years old. How
would I remember that?
Some people do remember
when they were years old.
It was such
a beautiful day.
All alone on the beach.
And, of course, she would
have been in the picture,
but there was no one else
to hold the camera,
and... she insisted.
You know how she is.
How she was.
Jenny.
It was such a good day
for all of us.
Don't you remember?
Keep them.
Goodbye.
We have now
confirmed the launch
of all the Titan missiles
from their positions in
North Dakota and Wyoming.
The comets are now
approximately hours
outside of
Earth's atmosphere,
and we are told it should
take these missiles
less than minutes
to reach their target.
OK, here's what
we're looking at.
All of the Titans
have been launched.
We still won't know if
they've made a difference.
The comets have
to travel for a while
before the radar tracking
stations can see
if they've been pushed
to a safe course
that'll bypass the Earth.
So, one more time
we have to wait.
Are we on?
We're on,
Mr President.
Our missiles have failed.
The comets are
still headed for Earth...
and there's nothing
we can do to stop them.
So, this is it.
If the world does go on...
it will not go on
for everyone.
We have now been able
to calculate
the comets'
final trajectories,
and we have determined where
they're going to strike.
The smaller of the comets,
Biederman, will hit first,
somewhere along
the Atlantic Seaboard
probably in the waters off
the coast of Cape Hatteras
in just under hours at
: p.m. Eastern daylight time.
The impact of the comet
is going to be...
Well, disastrous.
There will be
a very large tidal wave
moving quickly through
the Atlantic Ocean.
It will be feet high,
travelling at
miles an hour.
That's faster than
the speed of sound.
As it reaches shallow water,
it's going to slow down,
but the wave height,
depending on the depth
of the shelf off the coast,
will be anywhere from
to feet high.
Where the land is flat,
the wave will wash inland
to miles.
The wave will hit our nation's
capital minutes after impact.
New York City, Boston,
Atlanta, Philadelphia...
all will be destroyed.
If you have any means of getting
away from the path of this wave,
leave now.
The impact of the larger comet
will be nothing less than
an extinction-level event.
It will strike land
in Western Canada
hours after Biederman.
Within a week,
the skies will be dark
with dust from the impact
and they will stay dark
for years.
All plant life
will be dead within...
weeks.
Animal life within...
a few months.
So that's it.
Good luck to us all.
Could I bother
everyone for a minute?
Let's take a look
at the big one.
Now, the outgassing
has created a vent
a half mile wide and
at least miles deep.
Comet gets closer to the sun,
sun melts the ice,
ice turns to steam,
we get a big hole, OK?
So, how many nukes do we
have left in the back?
.
If we can get the remaining
bombs in that vent,
there shouldn't be anything
left bigger than a suitcase.
We can't do anything
about the little one,
but it just might
give them a chance.
Without the arming codes,
we're going to have to wait
to set the bomb timers
until we get closer to Earth
to raise Houston.
We may not have enough
life support left
to get back into
the cargo bay for the nukes,
much less to go down
to the comet.
We sure as hell don't have
enough propellant left
in the "Messiah"
to manoeuvre with.
How are we supposed to get
back off the surface
once we've
gotten down there?
We don't.
Well, look at
the bright side.
We'll all have
high schools named after us.
Houston,
this is "Messiah".
Houston,
this is "Messiah".
We were beginning
to wonder
what you were doing
up there.
Admiring
the view, Houston.
Fish, is that you?
Yep. We don't have time
to talk, Houston.
There's nothing we can do
about the smaller one,
but we do have a plan.
We need the arming codes
for the last nukes.
Arming codes?
What the hell for?
We can do or we can teach.
What's your pleasure?
Get the arming codes!
Get the goddam codes!
We have one helicopter.
Holds people.
We can ferry people to
high ground in West Virginia
and take Jenny to the ARK.
Short stick goes.
I thought it was women
and children first.
If you get the short one,
you can give up your seat.
Thank God.
Well, that
makes sense.
I got a stick.
I got a stick.
I'm sorry, Beth.
OK, honey,
here we go.
Let's go now.
Beth...
There's always the road.
We'll be OK.
Come on.
Ah, that's my girl.
OK, that's it.
Sarah!
Sarah!
Where's that key?
Where's the key?
Come on!
Hurry up! Come on!
No, wait.
What are you doing?!
We have to go now.
Come on! Come on!
Beth, what are you doing?
The road was so crowded.
We weren't gonna make it.
I thought if the wave comes,
we should be here
because she likes it here.
And we're on the th floor,
so maybe we'll be OK.
Say goodbye to Jenny...
What are you doing?!
Move! Come on! Go!
Jenny!
Oh, my God! Caitlin!
- Come on!
- Caitlin! Catie!
Come on!
Faster! Faster!
No! No!
Come on! Let's go!
Hang on.
No room for this!
She's going with you!
You're taking my seat!
Come on!
Go! Go!
Jenny,
thank you!
Get her
in there!
That's too many.
I'm not going.
What?
I'm not going, Erik.
Go!
Sarah!
Sarah!
Sarah, look!
Leo!
Leo!
Leo Biederman!
Leo!
Leo!
- Leo!
- Oh!
You don't have any time.
You have to go now.
No! Put this on!
Daddy,
what are you doing?
I want you to take
the baby.
What? No! Mom!
No arguments,
please!
I don't want to go!
Grab his foot,
honey.
Let's go.
Mom? Mom!
Sweetheart, listen to me.
Let go. Put this on.
- I love you, too.
- I love you.
I've always loved you.
I love you.
I don't want to go!
Take care, honey.
Put this on.
I'll see you soon!
I'll see you soon!
Get out of here.
Go to high ground.
When I was I took
$ from your wallet.
When you were a baby...
I once dropped you
on your head.
When you came to the studio
and brought those pictures,
I lied when I said
I didn't remember.
I remember everything.
I remember that we
were right over there,
and that's when Mom got
that picture of the house.
It was a perfect,
happy day.
I came down here
to let you know that.
Thank you.
I've missed you
since then.
I missed you, too.
Biederman.
Daddy.
Hold on!
This is "Messiah".
We're ready to begin our run.
Are our families there yet?
Disengage auto path.
Here we go.
We're at perigee.
Wolf contact in
minutes, seconds.
We'll never be closer to home
than we are right now.
Come on!
"Messiah", we got
some people here
that want
to talk to you.
Wendy, honey...
you promise me you'll keep
doing your church thing,
and I'll be there
right next to you,
haunting you.
You better come back
and haunt me.
I love you.
There's Mommy.
Hello, Mommy.
Hey, you take
care of Daddy for me, OK?
She does
a good job.
She misses
Mommy.
I miss you.
I love you, Mommy.
I love you.
Very, very much.
David.
You know what
I want to say.
I know.
Come on!
Wolf contact in
minutes, seconds.
Oren, Mariette's up
at your folks' place in Utah.
We sent a plane,
but she isn't here yet.
Fish, your sons are
both on active duty.
We tried to get them back,
but we couldn't
get them here on time.
I'm sorry.
Well, Mitch, uh...
I want to say
goodbye to Mary.
I want to tell her
I love her...
and that ever since
we've been apart,
every day,
I think about her.
Mary, I'm coming home.
Coming up
on target, miles.
Range miles.
Wait! Oh, God, wait!
Wait!
I'm coming!
Oren? Oren,
are you there?
Mariette? I'm here.
I can hear you.
Hi, sweetie.
This is your father.
His name is Oren.
I named him after you.
Hello, Oren.
Show him what
you brought him.
He's holding up
a little rocket.
That's a mighty powerful
rocket you got there.
He's laughing.
I can hear him.
I know.
Mariette...
I'm hugging you both
right now.
I'm holding you.
seconds.
Prepare to synchronize
the nukes.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
It's been a pleasure
serving with you, Commander.
The honour's
all mine, Andy.
Be good, Oren.
Be good.
We watched as the bombs
shattered the second comet
into a million of pieces
of ice and rock
that burned harmlessly
in our atmosphere
and lit up the sky
for an hour.
Still, we were left with
the devastation of the first.
The waters
reached as far inland
as the Ohio
and Tennessee Valleys.
It washed away
farms and towns...
forests and skyscrapers.
But the water receded.
The wave hit Europe
and Africa, too.
Millions were lost.
Countless more
left homeless.
But the waters receded.
Cities fall...
but they are rebuilt.
And heroes die...
but they are remembered.
We honour them
with every brick we lay...
with every field we sow...
with every child we comfort
and then teach to rejoice
in what
we have been regiven.
Our planet.
Our home.
So now...
let us begin.