DECEMBER, 1983.
THE NERID, A BRITISH ATOMIC SUBMARINE
TOKYO BAY, JAPAN
Last deck's footage: three miles offshore now, sir. -Very good.
Stop together. -Stop together.
Keep 56 feet. -Keep 56 feet. -Keep 56 feet.
Stand by to take an air sample.
Launch surveillance drone. -Launch surveillance drone.
Receiving video transmission now, sir.
Where is Yoshizumi?
I think he's asleep, sir. He was up all night working on that theory phase.
That earthquake predictional? -Yes, sir, I believe so.
What a crock! We read about a massive disaster, is it?
We'd better give him a call. I don't suppose he'd be seing this sight again.
Yoshizumi to control room. Yoshizumi to control room.
Yoshizumi reports in. -Keep him a clod.
I'm pregnant.
But it's of no matter to you.
Farewell.
Any more positive, nut-gab?
Let's not get too damn heavy about this.
Japanese seem to have licked their smog problem at last, don't they?
That would be quite enough, major Carter.
I am sorry.
Look here, major. What are you riding him for?
We have no room for that sort of thing down here, you know?
Jones, you haven't got room for a whole hell of nothing down here!
Pardon! Pardon! Captain!
Well? -Captain, the analysis of the air sample...
from the outside enviroment is complete.
Result? -Positive. The virus is still quite active.
Retreive the drone. Eject the air sample. -Captain!
I ask of you: do not eject the sample! -That's impossible, doctor Letour.
You want us to keep that... that thing with us? Take it back?
It's quite out of the question. -I beg of you! Reconsider, captain!
You're thinking only of the short-term risk?
I like to think of no risk at all.
With a little time I can study its characteristics.
There is no danger as long as we keep it isolated.
They shall not have you isolate a virus aboard the submarine, doctor.
Captain, this submarine... it is powered by a nuclear reactor.
Is there no danger to us from the radioactivity as a call?
Of course not. We are completely shielded from it...
I accept your expertise at this matter. Will you not accept mine?
Captain, what choice do we have but at least to try?
Retreive the drone. Secure air sample in isolation.
Retreive drone. Secure air sample in isolation.
That's it. Go home.
And for home...
It'd differ if we have home to return to now, wouldn't it?
And for Antarctica it should be.
9000 miles.
Except there are no homes. It will be Christmas by the time we get back.
Christmas...
IN THE FALL OF 1982, MANKIND DIED OUT...
LEAVING ONLY 863 PEOPLE ALIVE ON ANTARCTICA.
HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?
VIRUS - RESURRECTION DAY
IN 1981...
ALL GENETIC ENGINEERING EXPERIMENTS...
TO CREATE NEW VIRUSES...
WERE BANNED INTERNATIONALLY.
HOWEVER, ONE YEAR LATER...
FEBRUARY, 1982
LEIPZIG - EAST GERMANY
MILITARY BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH CENTER
Professor!
Close that or the coffee gets cold. I've got to drive 60 kilometers today.
I'm sorry, professor. It's pretty bad weather.
I have no choice. My sister is sick.
I am sorry. Please drive carefully. -Thank you.
Professor! How nice to see you! Dreadfully cold, no?
Here. Warm yourself.
I trust everything is in order.
It is critical. The content is to be delivered directly to dr Leisenhau...
at the Viral Research Institute at Zurich.
Transport it exactly as it is.
Under no circumstances take off the dry ice pecking.
Under no circumstances allow the dry ice to run out.
Insert perfectly. Absolutely clear.
I understand, professor.
You seem relieved. Is that the right word?
Dr Leisenhau is in my opinion the leading authority in the world today
on the subject of viral infections.
And the test data? The documentation?
I had enough trouble getting the specimen out of the lab.
You expect me to take this to dr Leisenhau with no proof...
no idea of its characteristics, its properties?
"Here, dr Leisenhau, here is a germ, fix it, please"?
It is more than a germ. It is a weapon! MM-88 is an accident.
It is a Frankenstein monster, mascaraded as a virus!
MM-88? -Soon after it was found we could take DNA apart...
and reassemble it in different ways,
the American geneticists developed this MM-88
and when heard of its characteristics, we decided to borrow some of it.
What characteristics? -Essentially, it is a mimic. -A what?
A mimic attaches itself to existing viruses,
such as polio, influenza, etcetera...
increasing both the toxicity and the reproductive level of the host desease.
In other words, it hits so hard and multiply so fast,
it simply overwhelms any vaccine known.
If you excuse me...
You have a cold? -Oh, it's nothing.
If I were to open this ampula to the air,
you would've been dead within three days.
It is no laughing matter!
Men, women, children... Livestock as well.
Birds, dogs and cats even...
All vertebrate life on Earth with no exception is susceptible.
Unless a way is found to neutralize this monster,
we are left with a doomsday weapon.
Which means the weapon that will never be used. -By a rational man.
And the history can tell you that the rational mind...
is not always a prerequisite for a position of power.
Very good, professor. You've done well.
In five days a bank account will be opened in your name in Brazil.
Fifty thousand pounds will be deposited to that account.
Do you think I did this for money?
I want you to get this virus to dr Leisenhau, nothing more!
You are certain professor Krauss was hit? -Yes.
Just as well I suppose.He wouldn't have been very happy if he'd found out...
we were not representing the good dr Leisenhau after all.
We gotta go higher! There's too much turbulence!
No! We'd be picked up by radar!
Keep hugging it close! -It's not safe! We're too heavy!
Don't worry. We have plenty of ballast to get rid of if we have to. -Noooooo!
MARCH, 1982
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, UNITED STATES
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH CENTER
Come in!
Director Roger. -Dr Meyer. You have a visitor.
How are you, Ed?
You're busy? -No, no, I just... I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow.
I came by to check on your progress. -I have a few things to do, gentlemen,
so if you'll excuse me.
Did you get it back? -No.
A scientist named Krauss was making a discreet increase to the Swiss,
about something that sounded like MM-88.
I sent him some of my people posing as Swiss,
they never came out. -Well, send then some more, damn it!
It's vitally important to find out who stole that virus!
My only link was Krauss. East Germans are saying that he comitted suicide.
So, MM-88 is still out there.
And we don't know where.
That's why it is imperative for you to develop a vaccine immediately.
There is not a vaccine in the world that can stop it.
Not liked it to be one, either.
At extremely low temperatures the virus is completely dormant.
But at minus 10 degrees Centigrade, it begins to reproduce itself.
By minus 3 degrees Centigrades,
its reproductive rate is increased by a factor of 100.
Above zero it starts growing in a horrendous rate,
reaching its peak infectivity.
At above 5 degrees Centigrade,
at which time its reproductive rate (the speed in which it multiplies)
reaches massive proportions.
Its reproductive rate is now something of the order of 2 billion times greater
than what it was at minus 10.
Look at this!
And look at this!
And look at this.
I'm scared to death of this thing.
It's not just a vaccine you wanna develop from this little monster is it?
I don't know what you're talking about. -I know how this system works, colonel!
You develop a part of the weapon here, another part over there,
the trigger some place else again,
and nobody involved knows what the hell they're working on
until it's all put together!
Go on. -Militarily, a vaccine would be a very useful defensive element.
And that's all you've been asked to develop. -Come off it, colonel!
Why is Columbia being asked to study MM-88's resistance to extreme heat?
You are developing a weapon system based on MM-88, aren't you?
You are a fool. -For God sake, why?
Ed... At this moment...
we do not have a creditable deterrent in the USA ourselves.
At this moment we are capable not only of reducing each other to rubble,
but of reducing the rubble to rubble!
We were. Before we installed the automatic reactions system, the ARS.
So how does that leave us defensless?
The Soviets installed the same system!
Now neither side can employ their missiles even if they want to!
So this... this so-called Disarmament Treaty of President Richardson's...
is more of his political show bugging!
We are back to square one, unless we can develop a new weapon system fast!
Oh!
Christ, not again!
Why can't you people have to leave it be?!
Are the Russians gonna leave it be?!
What's with him?
We're in trouble.
He has figured it out. Take a look.
My God!
He's gonna blow the whistle to Senator Barkley's Defense Overside Committee.
What do you propose to do?
I think...
We should send him over to Letterman this afternoon.
For a... routine physical.
No, no, no! I'm not crazy! No, no!!!
I'm not crazy!!!
APRIL, 1982
SOVIET UNION - REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
ITALY - MILAN
ITALIAN FLU RAGES THROUGH THE COUNTRY
GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES ARE CONCERNED
ITALIAN FLU - IS IT A NEW VIRUS?
MAY, 1982
SOUTH POLE - SHOWA STATION
Leader, it's a message from the capital.
"We hope to have the Italian Flu under control soon.
Please calm down and continue your observations."
A superficial response, as usual.
Doesn't calm me down.
Let's pin it up in the cafeteria.
It should make everyone feel better.
Yes, sir.
Hallo? This is Aye Jaywan Aller. I copy you.
What is your code sign? Over.
This is BK-0-CC. A-Have proportion station. Over.
It's that Australian group from next door.
Hello?
What communication you had from outside? Over.
Just for a couple of minutes to some doctor in Uganda.
He said, whatever it was, the Central Africa was hit bad.
Not just the people. Most of the wild life as well. Even the elephants. Over.
Wild life too? -Yeah.
Imagine an elephant with a flu. One sneeze can break its neck, I reckon.
Let me speak.
Hallo? This is doctor Yamochi speaking.
Could you please explain, if it's possible...
..the characteristics the Ugandan doctor described. Over.
All he said was it started out like a simple cold, or flu mostly.
And then quickly turned to pneumonia.
And there were symptoms of other diseases as well...
but he didn't think it was any of those things.
He thought it was something else.
Something else?
Can an unknown disease like that...
really exist?
How should I know?
All I know is that the whole world's in a panic.
Matsuo! Connect the electricity!
Roger!
You amaze me.
Doesn't it bother you at all?
Hey.
He's got a girlfriend.
She's my wife's friend. She's really beautiful.
What do you think?
Huh?
I won't say anything bad.
Why don't you ask about her by telegraph sometime?
We broke up.
Broke up?
She probably couldn't put up with me.
- But you... - Matsuo!
- Let's do this. - Hey!
I'm pregnant.
The child will be born while you're at the South Pole.
I'm lying.
But even if it were true...
it's of no importance to you.
No matter what happened to me...
you'd still go, right?
That's right.
Earthquakes and the South Pole...
are all you care about, right?
Let's break up...
after all.
You and I.
Banzai!
I didn't think you'd come.
As far as the child goes...
I told you it was a lie.
Either way...
it doesn't matter to you.
I'm sorry.
I hadn't planned to say something like this.
In truth...
I wanted to see you off with a smile.
Go in good health.
Farewell.
JUNE, 1982 - TOKYO
- Move aside! - It's an emergency!
- Out of our way! - Let us through!
- It's an emergency! - Let us through!
Excuse me!
Miss Noriko?
Miss Yoshiko.
What's wrong?
You're so pale!
Nothing's wrong.
I'm just a little tired.
Akira, what's wrong?
Do you have a cold?
Vaccinations.
It was hard...
so early in the morning.
Miss Noriko!
You're awake.
You stayed with me?
I'm so sorry.
What are you saying?
More importantly, are you okay?
Yes.
They couldn't save it?
The baby.
Recently, I've been so busy...
I overexerted myself.
Did Mr. Yoshizumi...
know about it?
I did something cruel.
I thought I could raise her myself.
The raging epidemic of the Italian flu
so inseeds fear and panic throughout the world.
A severe shortage of vaccine of every kind...
is reported in almost all countries.
Everywhere there are ugly confrontations...
WHITE HOUSE - THE OVAL OFFICE
...martial law is the order of the day. Civil disorder has escalated...
with widespread damage to private and public property,
and rising death tolls in number of countries.
In the United Kingdom...
Spain...
France...
West Germany...
...and Japan.
The USA is no exception.
For the past several days on Capitol Hill in Washington DC
mass demonstrations of tens of thousands of people are daily events.
This morning the National Guard and the police...
attempted to restore order,
only to inflame the angry move of the vast crowd
demanding effective vaccines.
Reports of bloody encounters continue to stream in.
The President Richardson's television appealed to the nation...
asking for calm and restraint, has no appreciable effect.
Noone dares to say when order can be restored.
Even now, in Washington, authorities cannot maintain order.. -That's enough!
..and everywhere in the country there is confusion, chaos... -Turn it off.
What vaccine?
All right.
How long will it take you to... manufacture this vaccine in quantity?
Mr. President, we have not even been able to isolate the cause.
The virus, if it is a virus, is like the common cold,
it is everywhere, it is nowhere.
I'd like to say at this point, Mr. President, that HHS...
might have been in a better position to develop the crash program...
if its budget hadn't been slashed... against the specific wishes of Congress
Damn it, senator, I don't have to hear that from you!
What do you mean? There is no vaccine?
Then what's it that we're giving to the police and fire department personnel,
the essential services, the military alert cruise, if not a vaccine?
It's just that we don't have enough for the general populus, isn't that right?
We had a vaccine of sorbose and we put together a soup
of every fluor-rated vaccine we know.
Its effect leaves something that we desired.
In fact, it's more of a placebo than anything else.
You gave me a god-damn placebo?! -We are doing our best!
Mr. President, my apologies for being late.
But, I have been gathering the latest death tolls estimates in our situation.
And? -This shows when the Italian flu first broke out.
And the rounds in which it has spread.
Here we have a break on the victims.
Alive - yellow, dead - black, according to region.
As of this morning, Mr. President,
I would like to point out the very real possibility
that we might not have just an epidemic on our hands,
we may have a case of germ warfare!
From where? What source?
Every country on this chart has massive casualties. Can you explain that?
As far as we know. Some of our information is quite sketchy.
Still, the most suspect country should be obvious.
You have any hard evidence to support this theory? -We are working on it.
In the meantime, Mr. President, as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff,
I must request that we go out to the stage 1 alert,
including the activation of the ARS network.
A nuclear strike, general? The Stage 1 alert, if it makes you feel any better,
but the Automatic Reaction System aimed at the USSR and noone else,
leaves us no flexibility at all.
How flexible are we going to be when the Soviet missiles are incoming?
The only thing that is incoming are germs, general.
The Soviets must be made aware of the fact
that they cannot take advantage of this situation!
All right. That's the point to consider.
Yes? One moment. Mr. President. The Kremlin.
This is President Richardson.
What?
Yes... Um... Yes, I... I understand.
Well, the... message was brief enough.
Their Chief of State died this morning. Of the Italian flu.
As far as we know. -Five star fool.
JULY, 1982
MARTIAL LAW IS INSTITUTED IN ALL OF JAPAN
When did this start?
He was coughing last night...
but he suddenly went limp this morning.
You, take him to a room quickly!
We have to examine him now.
Take a lung biopsy. His heart is weak, too.
Will he be okay?!
We must take him now!
But Doctor, my husband is in the hospital...
and I have a 101 degree fever.
All the hospitals are full, and I've been waiting!
Please calm down.
After the flu test, he'll get better.
- Come on. - This way.
Okay, next patient.
Doctor!
I'm fine.
I'm okay.
Please rest a bit.
I'll take over for you.
- Okay, please take over. - Yes, sir.
Doctor.
Please hang in there!
Thank you.
Shall I get you some tea?
I'm fine.
You've got to have something!
We have milk, too.
- Get me some water. - Yes, sir.
Did you hear today's news?
The death toll has passed 30 million.
That many?
The mortality rate...
is 45%!
They say it may keep growing!
Doctor...
how long will this continue?
I don't know.
But we must do everything we can.
Everything must end sometime.
The question is, how will it end?
AUGUST, 1982
CQ, CQ! This is JGX! Polar Station of Japan!
Aye Jaywan, read my transmission!
What is the condition in Japan?
Answer me, someone! Please, answer me! Over.
It's no use!
How many days since we lost contact?
This is the eighth day.
It seems to be a terrible situation.
I don't believe it!
How could Japan be ruined...
in just three months?!
How could that be?!
How could it be?
Tatsuno, that voice!
Are you calling us?
This is Aye Jaywan Aller! -Hello?
Hello? Can anybody hear me?
My name is Toby Anderson.
This is Aye Jaywan Aller, polar station. Toby, come in. Toby? Over.
Can anybody hear me? My name is Toby.
Toby! I hear you! I hear you!!
Can anybody hear me? I'm Anderson, at... outside Santa Fe.
This is daddy's radio.
Can anybody hear me?
It's no use, he's pushing down the mike button!
He doesn't know how to use it.
Daddy told me not to use the radio until I turn 10.
I'm only five. -Toby! Let go the mike switch after you speak!
I asked daddy if I could use the radio just this once, but dad doesn't answer.
He's asleep on the floor and he won't wake up!
Mommy is gone. Is anybody out there?
Toby! The switch! The switch! Let go the switch!
I don't feel good. I want my mommy.
I'm scared... -Toby, the switch! -I'm not a baby, though...
Daddy's gun is right here. I know how to use it. I don't wanna be alone.
Toby! Toby!
You're not alone! Toby! Toby!!
He must have...
gone on to Heaven.
You asshole!
Mr. Tatsuno!
Asshole!
Here we sit, gentlemen...
leaders of the most...
powerful and advanced nation...
on the face of the earth...
Here we sit.
Damn it! There must be something we can do about it!
Something!
Mr. President, has the plague been identified yet?
Senator, we don't know whether we're dealing with one plague germ or six.
We don't even know where it came from or how it is being transmitted.
Maybe we've been looking in the wrong direction.
We have looked in every direction, senator.
Tell me something about the Operation Phoenix, general Garth.
Phoenix?
What is Operation Phoenix?
Just a... just a paper study. -Oh?
One of civil options being studied in purely theoretical terms...
..Mr. President, nothing more.
Maybe a little bit more, general.
What are we talking about?
Operation Phoenix was a top secret military study of a new weapon system.
There are many such studies. It goes with a job. New weapons, new studies...
..new alternatives... -A biological weapon system.
It was a paper study.
It was an active research project..
involving a genetic manipulation of existing pathogenic viruses!
It was theoretical!
New strains were not just study. They were created in laboratory.
Under completely controlled conditions! I assure you, Mr. President!
One strain, MM-88 was stolen and never recovered,
and the President was never told about it.
Now I'd like to know why!
Colonel Renken, get in here this minute!
Colonel Renken, Operation Phoenix was your baby.
MM-88. Was such a strain developed?
Yes, sir.
Was any of it stolen?
No, sir. But it wouldn't have made any difference anyway.
Why not? -MM-88 was a failure.
It was benign. -He's lying.
Senator, I have had enough accusation for one afternoon.
Now I demand to know the source of this horrible slander!
Sir, this man is a paranoid schizophrenic, I can vouch for that!
Well, there you have it. Rumours from the funny farm.
This is doctor Baldwin's report.
Doctor Meyer is incurably sane.
It took us a while to find that out because Col. Renken had put him away.
Colonel, why was he committed?
To keep him from passing information about Operation Phoenix to my committee
Renken, I could have you shot!
You have been relieved of your duties!
Tell me something...
Is this... Italian flu...
actually... MM-88?
I'm sure of it, sir.
Sir. I fully support you in this last ditch effort.
But I must stress the importance of the strong military posture at this moment.
Again I urge a Stage 1 alert, including the ARS activation.
General...
Get out of my sight. -Mr. President... -I said...
..get out of my sight.
Gentlemen, we will place a complete secrecy on this situation.
On the contrary, sir,
we need to enlist the aid of scientist from all over the world.
Out of the question. -But, Mr. President!
Top secret!
Now, what do you need?
Yes?
I understand.
My wife... has come down with the cold.
What do you need, doctor?
What do you need?
SEPTEMBER, 1982
NEW YORK - 7.4 MILLION DEAD
LONDON - 6.9 MILLION DEAD
PARIS - 2.3 MILLION DEAD
ROME - 2.9 MILLION DEAD
MOSCOW - 7.8 MILLION DEAD
TOKYO, 10 MILLION DEAD
Miss Yoshiko.
Akira!
You're here!
You're alive.
I'm sorry.
You were lonely, right?
Akira...
do you want to come with me to where Papa is?
What about Mama?
Your Mama...
can't come with us.
That's why I'll take you to Papa.
Papa will be happy!
Are you cold?
Please...
drink this.
What is it?
It will stop you from being cold.
What's wrong?
It's nothing.
Akira...
try calling your Papa.
Papa.
Louder.
Papa!
One more time.
Papa!
Is that you, Tatsuno?
Tatsuno!
Hey!
Tatsuno's gone somewhere.
- What?! - Stay here.
Tatsuno!
Yoshizumi!
Hey!
Yoshizumi!
You can't go any further!
Let's search again once the blizzard has ended!
Let me go!
Yoshizumi!
Tatsuno...
has gone to join his wife and child.
If I could, I'd do the same thing!
Tatsuno!
Yoshizumi!
This may be the last sunset we'll ever see.
If we only had a little more time...
..those were doctor Meyer's last words.
God had the entire civilization to sputter out with those words.
As our state founders so proudly have been saying about history...
Those who cannot remember the past...
..are condemned to repeat it.
There are some of us who can.
I wanted my name to be entered into the history books.
But I wanted it to be for something meaningful, something...
..lasting.
What could I have done that would have made the slightest bit of difference?
What could I have done?
Maybe it will snow.
Might give us a little more time.
How?
Meyer said that the virus is dormant in cold temperatures.
Well, it's not going to snow, senator.
It's high and higher is to get.
The damn cold...
Antarctica? -Palmer station!
Come on, there must be someone.
Yes, Mr. President?
Get me the Palmer Station!
There have been snowing all this time.
You're the reason that could not be flown down. It'll be safe there.
We'll make it...
God if willing. -Not we, Mr. President...
..you...
You represent the nation.
The government must continue.
You were my opponent in every political battle...
but you were never... you were never my enemy...
Palmer station, Mr. President.
Palmer station, this is the President of the United States.
This is Admiral Conway here, Mr. President.
I would like the entire American continent to hear what I have to say.
Has the sickness hit your station yet?
No, sir. There is no sign of any illness here.
And the other stations?
There are no reported illnesses at any of the stations...
and we are in more or less regular contact.
How bad is it, Mr. President?
Pass me through to the other Antarctica bases.
All of them, sir? -All of them, admiral Conway.
Right away, Mr. President.
SOVIET UNION'S MIRNY STATION -Attention, attention, all stations!
Please stand by for an important message from the President of the USA.
CHILE'S FREI MONTALVA STATION -All personnel, all stations, must...
...I repeat, must listen to the following message.
Please stand by.
...it is with great regrets and personal sorrow...
..as well as the position of the government of the USA
that I officially confirm what most of you already know.
FRANCE'S D'URVILLE STATION -The world has been beset...
by a horrible claim.
And now we are unable to devise an effective vaccine.
The United States has sustained...
casualties of the greatest magnitude.
No country has escaped the similar fate.
We do know something about this virus.
We know this virus remains dormant under sub-zero conditions.
For this reason you in Antarctica...
have not been affected.
Do not leave your sanctuary.
Do not allow those from the outside to enter.
Under no conditions try to return.
I...
..offer you no solutions...
..no hope...
..other than that somehow you may prevail.
This time try to work it out together, please.
Please.
And may God bless you all.
Mr. President, I form the request that you..
under authority credited by Congress and by the Constitution of the USA...
meeting your responsibility to defend this great land against all enemies
internal and external, give the order
to put our retaliatory forces on full alert, Stage 1..
including the activation of the ARS!
You are a fool, general.
There's nobody left.
General Garth, ZX-34!
This is General Garth speaking. In the interest of national security...
I'm activating the ARS!
NOVEMBER, 1982
Dawn already?
Want me to drive?
I'm alright. Please sleep.
I can't.
Only five days left until the Antarctic Conference.
Until we reach Palmer Station...
we'll have to keep this pace.
Will all 11 countries...
be at the Antarctic Conference?
They should be.
It's a meeting to decide the fate...
of the survivors, after all.
We can't be late.
Wait a second.
Hit it again!
It's no use!
I'm sorry.
It's not your fault.
What should we do?
There's no time!
Shall we walk?
Walk?
We're still 620 miles away from Palmer Station!
Even I couldn't be so reckless.
But since we've come this far...
Norway's station should be close.
We should be fine if we go there.
Hello! Is anyone in there?
Hello!
Is anybody...?
Please, listen to me.
Open the door. We are from the Japanese winter team.
It's all right.
What's happened here?
She's pregnant!
We were just sitting there...
..not talking...
The radio man shot himself...
..then everyone went mad.
My husband pulled out a gun...
..and pointed it at me.
I ran.
But he just came after me...
I closed and locked the door...
..and he just kept banging.
Then someone shot him.
Yoshizumi...
Yes?
Can you stay here with that woman?
Huh?
I have to get to the conference on time.
So there's no way...
I can take a woman about to give birth along with me.
Since you're single, please take care of her.
I understand.
I'll figure something out.
To give birth at the South Pole in such times as these.
I hope she's born alright.
We are, almost certainly, all that has left, the sole survivors.
855 men and 8 women.
We have supplies to last us for 2 years at the present levels of consumption.
But we must work together,
pulling our scientific knowledge so we can survive until the virus dies out.
And that is the purpose of this meeting,
to devise a plan to enable us to deal with our present situation.
We are not completely isolated here, are we, admiral? Not after the fall?
What do you mean, doctor Tarovish? -You have an ice-breaker...
that was not able to make it out before the last freeze,
and it's been here all winter, so...
we could, in fact, go back, if we so elected.
To what purpose go back, doctor Tarovish?
To what purpose stay, admiral Conway?
There are some who might choose to go back and make the best of it,
instead of spending the rest of our lives here, marooned.
There is no best of it to make, doctor Tarovish.
The question before us is how best to organize the resources at our disposal.
I do not have to listen to you any more Borodinov. You have no tanks here!
Gentlemen, gentlemen, we must not allow this to degenerate to personal levels.
But Borodinov is absolutely correct. We must establish our priorities.
Admiral Conway! Representative of the Soviet Union whose rank is not clear...
All my life I have waited to tell the representatives of the Soviet Union
and the United States, how tired I am of listening to them
lecture the rest of the world what is best for all of us!
So at this time with your kind indulgence
I would like to do just that!
Not now, Lopez. -Exactly what I would expect from Argentina!
Gentlemen! Gentlemen!
If you people wanna hurt each other, I suggest you use this.
It's a lot more effective.
You Americans have a certain directness.
As though we needed another method of killing ourselves.
Mr. Nakarishi. -Yes?
Thank you.
May I have your attention, please?
I've just received a notification from my courier that a Norwegian survivor...
has just given birth to a baby girl.
Rather unfortunate being born in this situation.
Not necessarily, doctor.
Death will be after us.
There is still a world out there.
I'd be a father by now.
Has she chosen a name for the child?
Grae.
I like the sound.
Grae in Norwegian is a word meaning: The First Light of the Sun.
The Dawn of a New Day.
Yes?
You have a message. -A message? From whom?
From the Federal Council of Antarctica.
I've never heard of them. -Neither did any of us before today.
We are here. We must have a government.
One of the first of our official actions was to issue a proclamation...
welcoming Grae to the new world...
and wishing her every happiness.
Every happiness? -Also...
...they want to know if the Council can serve as a collective godfather.
How nice of them.
The rape is rape! The fact is Sylvia was attacked...
and it cannot be allowed to happen again!
My dear...
I'm sure noone wishes to minimize the seriousness of what happened.
However, we are dealing with human animals...
..natural reaction to the threat of extinction...
..which is to reproduce, to propagate the species.
It is regrettable...
..but inevitable. -This is not the point!
If this Council cannot take care of their eight women,
well, then, gentlemen, this whole thing is just a joke!
Of course there's truth in what you're saying, we must protect our women.
I... -Oh, let's face it.
What we really need is a completely new attitude toward human sexuality.
In a community of 855 men and 8 women...
conventional one-to-one relationships between men and women..
will not be possible.
Well.. That may be so.
But I agree with doctor Latour that we should be concerned...
with the instinct for survival, and think of brothers and sisters...
for little greed. -Indeed.
The question now must be: How do we go about it?
Doctor Allich?
Well...
We really do not know how to go about it just yet.
Although the problem itself is certainly clear enough.
Women have become our most valuable natural resource.
And as it has been just pointed out...
..one-to-one relationships are no longer possible.
This means that each woman, however reluctantly...
will have to... accomodate more than one man.
Of course, we will have to go against deep personal feelings.
And this is an extremely serious matter.
But somehow we must find the will to suppress our instincts.
And that is what troubles me the most:
Can we?
Can we control our instincts with reason?
Unless we can, there is no future.
The human race will die out.
It's so much! How can we live like that?
Sylvia... From the bottom of my heart...
I wish that I could answer your question.
Admiral? Sorry, sir.
We've just picked up a submarine distress signal.
Sir, they're on their way here and they ask permission to disembark.
Palmer Station? -No, sir, the Soviet Station.
We received the message is that Soviet sub T-232...
they are requesting the emergency assistance, sir.
And their condition?
This is ensign Smirnoff speak.
Active captain of Soviet submarine T-232.
Ensign Smirnoff, this is Admiral Conway,
Chairman of the Federal Council of Antarctica.
We understand that some of your men are injured.
No injuries, admiral.
We have illness.
Our men need provisions and medical attention.
What is the nature of the illness?
Italian flu.
In that case it is my duty to inform you...
with great reluctance, that the Federal Council of Antarctica...
refuses your permission to land.
What are you telling me?!
Ensign Smirnoff, this is doctor Borodinov,
commander of the Soviet Antarctica winter team.
Ensign Smirnoff, doctor. Request the permission to land.
Smirnoff, it is not possible that you should land.
You would infect us all. You must understand.
Doctor Borodinov, my men must leave this boat!
We need rest. We need medical attention.
Can you hear me? Doctor, can you hear me?
We will land! -You will not land.
Who is this speaking? -Her Majesty's nuclear attack submarine Nerid.
Captain McLoud at your service. -This is not your concern, English!
We have the most profound sympathy for your situation, ensign Smirnoff,
but surely you realize you cannot be allowed to disembark.
I have a responsibility to my men!
You have a higher responsibility.
There is nothing more to say, captain McLoud.
Captain McLoud, what is your present position?
Sufficiently close, I should say.
Then, captain...
do what you have to do.
Target range: 6000 yards.
Set! -Fire!
Your tight little island remains secure for now, admiral Conway.
Farewell.
Captain McLoud...
we owe you our thanks.
Where will you go?
Like the Flying Dutchman, we'll just sail on.
You chaps still have a god shot on it. Don't let us down.
Captain McLoud. -Yes, sir?
How long have you been on station? -Since February.
That's winter back there.
Captain, I want you to answer this next question very carefully.
Are you or any of your men infected? -No, sir, we're not.
It must be unanimous.
Captain McLoud, would you care to come aboard, sir?
Yes, sir, I believe we would.
Good.
We look forward to it.
Stand by to surface! -Stand by to surface!
Stand by to surface!
ONE YEAR LATER, VIRUS MM-88 CONTINUED TO OCCUPY EARTH.
MANKIND REMAINED HOLED UP ON THE ICY CONTINENT.
Doctor Letour is not joining us this evening?
No, he went back to his laboratory to work on the vaccine against the virus.
Was I wrong, I wonder, to allow Letour to bring that virus sample...
here to our sanctuary. -That's hard to say.
Mind you if a vaccine can be developed, doctor Letour is the man to do it.
He told me so himself.
Surely they must have tried it out there.
They must have tried.
Let's see what we can do with this big fellow.
Hey major, could you tell us something? Who the kid looks like, him or me?
Me, you twit, it's obvious, innit?
Come on, major Carter, which one, basically speaking?
What is it, the boy or a girl? -What difference does that make?
Because if it is a boy, it will partly look like you.
And if it is a girl? -Then it will partly look like its mother.
Now would you two please leave me alone? Thank you.
Ohh, she's beautiful.
Excuse me.
Merry Christmas.
From Grae. -From Grae?
Why do you think it is for me? -Ask her yourself.
What's the matter? Don't you like children?
There's was a time perhaps when I did not.
I don't understand.
Sometimes I cannot express myself very well.
Marit? -Yes?
I believe we have an appointment.
I could come back later if you like. -No, there's no need to come back later
You sent for me, admiral Conway? -Yes, doctor Yoshizumi.
Would you come in, please?
It appears we may have a small problem here.
Would you mind explaining what this seismic map means?
I did it in my own time. -Yes, of course, but would you please explain it
in layman's terms?
Well...
Out here is the Baltimore Canyon...
where offshore oil drilling has recently started.
In my field of earthquake prediction, I became extremely interested...
in this situation. -But, that is not an earthquake prone area.
You're right, captain Lopez. I was concerned about what might happen...
..when tapped oil in this area was brought out...
the tremendous weight of the sea pressing down, it could lead...
to a tectonic movement of a great magnitude.
In this particular area there are various deep rabbit...
between the Baltimore Canyon and the Aleutan formation...
which could result in a very critical condition.
What is the expected magnitude of this earth tremor if it occurs?
Between 8.6 and 9 on the Richter's scale.
You placed the epicentre here? -Yes, within 100 miles radius from that point
That means that Washington DC could be severely affected? -Yes.
Doctor, let me ask you. Could this shock be as great as nuclear explosion?
Well, the rapid vertical movement of the shock pattern...
would be like the shock wave of a nuclear explosion. Yes.
I should emphasize, however,
this earthquake will occur in the eastern seaboard area,
not here. -When do you expect this earthquake to hit?
Within a month.
Major Carter, I think it's time everybody to be told what...
you already told me. Gentlemen, by way of explanation,
major Carter is a former staff member with the Defense Intelligence Agency.
He acted as a liaison to the Joint Chief of Staff.
The USA has in place the retaliatory system called the ARS.
Automatic Reaction System.
An earthquake of the magnitude indicated by doctor Yoshizumi...
would trigger the ARS.
The United States military...
was very closely coordinated with that of the United Kingdom.
Captain McLoud, sir?
Major Carter is quite correct, gentlemen.
About a year ago, in September, while on station,
we indeed received the activation signal.
Rather surprising, I might add, because we assumed...
there was noone left alive in Washington to send it.
I think it's imperative that you, gentlemen, hear some cold facts...
From my Soviet colleague.
Captain Nievsky?
What?
The first missile to hit Russian soil...
will set off our entire retaliatory force.
Our system was activated over a year ago.
But that's not all, I'm afraid.
What do you mean?
The opinion was held at one time...
that the USA was planning the construction of a secret base...
here at Palmer Station.
I believe that Palmer Station was targeted. -What?
That is insane!
The United States have no particular monopoly on idiots.
This is... impossible!
How long are we to be haunted by our past?
There is one thing we can do.
Send someone to Washington to disarm the damn thing.
But...
What about the virus?
If you're right about the earthquake, what choice have we?
Admiral, this is stupid.
Yes, this is stupid!!!
Admiral, I'm going myself.
Excuse me.
It's all right, doctor.
Major Carter is correct.
It must be him.
He will need help.
Major Carter!
You are not going, pal.
You cannot do this alone.
If I was gonna take someone with me, which I'm not,
it's sure as hell it wouldn't be you.
Why?
Doctor, have you ever handled explosives? -Yes, many times.
As an earthquake experiment.
Well, even if you had handled explosives...
you'd slow me down.
No.
I don't wanna hurt your feelings, doc,
but you're not physically tough enough for the job.
I'm sorry.
No!
You're gonna go back home now, you understand? Now get up!
I suggest you get out of my way and get on home. -No!
God damn it!
Jesus Christ, you beat me.
Life is wonderful.
Hey, Yoshizumi, how do you say "Life is wonderful" in Japanese?
Gentlemen, a toast is in order.
You'll leave early in the morning to your success. -Success. -Success.
How quickly the few last days have gone.
If only we could turn back the clock.
How many days would it take to reach Washington?
Ten days, I should say.
Eight women and children and a skeletal crew will get on their way...
in an ice-breaker first thing in the morning.
If worst comes to worst...
they should still be out of range when the missiles hit.
Assuming the missiles are accurate enough to hit the base.
There is no question of our missiles not hitting the target.
That's very reassuring.
And what about the rest of you?
The rest of us will hope for the best. -Sure.
Major Carter, I have been saving this for a very special occasion.
I really shouldn't take it, sir, and drink it by myself, but I will.
If Carter's going to get drunk tonight,
you don't wanna be in the same room with him.
Here's my room. -No. -Please.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
Please forgive me.
Yoshizumi...
Bon jour. -Doctor. -I trust you will forgive this last minut intrusion.
But, without going into boring detail...
I believe... I believe, mind you,
that I have developed a vaccine against the virus.
But, how? -Well, to simplify...
it appears that high level of radiation introduced into a living virus cell...
create an effective antibody.
Of course, I cannot force anyone to become a Guinea pig.
But, under these circumstances...
What the hell.
The effect should be immediate.
To minimize the danger to the crew,
do not inject yourselves until just before you leave the submarine.
If it does not work...
please report your symptoms...
as long as you can.
We will do our best.
Oh God, make him come back!
You chaps are all right? -Fine, thank you.
He certainly sleeps a lot, doesn't he? -I too sleep a great deal.
We were speaking of it yesterday. We have never slept so much before.
I know. -Oh, come on, captain.
When do we get to Washington? -You've got five days more to sleep, major.
That long? -Still within your deadline, is it not?
Yes.
But... earthquakes do not always occur on schedule.
Maybe we should try to force it.
You got any more surprises for us, doctor?
UNITED STATES - POTOMAC RIVER
Nothing to it.
Washington DC, gentlemen.
Take a look.
Major Carter... Everything you need has been launched with life boat.
Thanks, lieutenant commander Jones.
Okay. It's gonna be all.
Good luck. -Thank you.
And save a couple of beers for us. -Real or a medic?
I don't care as long as it's cold.
May God go with you.
What the hell! Is this it? -I don't think so.
Not just yet. -I hope you right, doc.
Watch out.
Here, take cover.
Are you afraid of heights? -Sometimes.
Well, can you handle this? -I must. We're running out of time.
All right.
Let's go.
Can I do anything for you?
Major Carter!
Go!
It's too late.
Major Carter, it's too late!
Yo...shizumi...
How do you say...
life is wonderful...
in Japanese?
Life is wonderful.
Life is...
wonderful.
Wonderful.
Nerid? Submarine Nerid? This is Yoshizumi speaking. Over.
This is Nerid. Over.
We were too late.
Save yourselves if you can. Order the Palmer Station to evacuate.
We tried. We tried.
We know you did, Yoshizumi.
There's just one more thing. Tell doctor Letour...
his vaccine seems to have worked.
in case that still matters.
THE WORLD DIED AGAIN.
SEVERAL YEARS LATER...
WHAT ARE YOU DOING...
ALONE IN A PLACE LIKE THAT?
YOU WON'T ANSWER ME?
THEN, KEEP SLEEPING THERE FOREVER.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
MY FRIENDS AND CHILD ARE SOUTH OF HERE.
CHILD? IS IT YOURS?
NO, BUT I LOVE HIM VERY MUCH.
IT'S NO USE. THERE'S NO ONE LEFT.
BUT I'M HEADING SOUTH ANYWAY.
Don't you understand? Winter is coming.
We have very little food left.
We should head north now.
What's the point?
The virus would kill us anyway.
We've all had injections of my vaccine against the virus.
Which is why we preserved the last for you.
Besides, with all the radiation released by the bombs...
virus is probably no longer a threat.
It doesn't matter.
My child is dead.
I'm tired.
It doesn't matter.
Yoshizumi...
Yoshizumi!!!
Yoshizumi... You are alive! You are... You are!
He's alive! -It's a miracle! It a genuine miracle!
Alive...
Life... is wonderful.