Discharged from an asteroid near the Earth,
ammonid creatures are growing to monstrous size and power
at the first of the steel pressure domes at Winnerden Flats.
Discovery that the purpose of the vast secret plant, planned by infected human beings,
is to harbour the ammonids in the re-created conditions of an outer planet
leads to an armed riot by uninfected construction workers.
They storm their way into the control centre.
Their actions, on the advice of Quatermass,
result in an interruption of vital gas supplies
and, finally, in the destruction of the creatures in their first colony on Earth.
Escaping from the holocaust,
Quatermass finds that his chief assistant, Doctor Leo Pugh,
has narrowly escaped death from the exploding gases in coming to find him.
But the danger is not passed, but growing.
There is proof that other colonies exist in the world, almost ready for occupation.
Convinced that his own freedom is now limited, Quatermass decides on a desperate throw -
to use the faulty nuclear rocket as an offensive weapon.
But already it seems too late.
The rocket base is under our control.
Set up holding positions.
You two men, with me.
They must have overpowered our security people.
Quatermass to all sections.
Stay where you are and keep calm. These men are British paratroops. We'll sort it out.
Meanwhile, stand by.
I don't want a massacre.
- There. Coming into the lights now. - Dillon?
- Two men with him. The rest stayed behind. - You get out. Go to the radiation bunker.
- I won't leave. - They may be carrying more than guns.
- You've seen those containers. - Yes.
He won't be the same man you knew.
I'm prepared for that and I won't leave you alone to face...
It doesn't matter.
This establishment is under military control.
- Johnny... - What have you come to do?
Here are written orders.
- From the very top. Look at the signature. - Yes.
- If that's genuine... - I've no doubt.
And now... is it our turn?
- When was this issued? - Three hours ago.
Before the explosion.
When those things in the dome were destroyed, the influence...
It obviously made no difference.
Captain Dillon...
It is necessary to speak with you alone.
Tell your men.
Wait outside.
- You must understand... - Take care!
Dillon?
Captain John Dillon.
When you came here four days ago, you brought something you had found.
Remember this? The meteorite?
You thought it might mean danger.
It did. Terrible danger.
It's one of these that has infected you. Are you aware of this?
Can you try to resist?
Even for a short time?
There's a possibility, no more than that, to reach the parent body from which these come.
This is evidently known, or at least anticipated.
If I'm not able to make this attempt, they'll come again in their thousands and their millions.
New colonies are being made ready for them elsewhere in the world.
There they can develop, expand, breed, protected by their victims!
Men like you, Dillon! Guarding and feeding them until they spread all over the Earth!
Until your condition becomes the condition of all humanity!
A subject race forever
or until such time as we have served our purpose and are brought to an end.
Choked to death, perhaps, in a changing atmosphere.
They show no mercy for those they use.
- They'll kill your kind, as they will the rest of us. - No, no!
- I've seen them do it! - Orders... the orders!
- THEIR orders! Break them! - This man may be throwing his life away.
But better that than... the other. Do you understand?
Keep back!
Understand... Understand.
Captain Dillon...
The rocket must go.
Just over an hour, that's all we need.
Your men, are they like you?
Tell them. Give orders. You can speak to them from here.
Get me the firing base.
Is Lieutenant Carter there?
Carter?
A change in plans.
Withdraw all troops from area of rocket.
Stand them down.
Quatermass to all sections. Stand by to resume preparations for take-off.
I repeat, stand by to resume preparations for take-off.
This will be at 0817 hours.
You turn into the orbit of the objective after ten hours seven minutes.
There will be no margin for error.
The last stage depends on the physical nature of the objective.
Try to home onto it and fasten to it. Must you do that?
If this plan is to succeed, yes.
Force-jettison the remaining fuel in Step Two. That should take you about 70 seconds.
Set the nuclear motor into its critical phase.
The nuclear motor. That costly and explosive dud.
Well, maybe we'll be able to give the taxpayer value!
The Australian prototype reached explosion point in 2 minutes 45 seconds.
- There's time to try to get clear. - Under certain circumstances.
And if those circumstances are wrong, there's still time to get clear?
No.
This is no sort of examination at the very last moment.
- How long were you exposed to those gases? - A few minutes.
- And you're over the permissible age. - There's no one else to do what I have to do.
- Must it be him? - We may need changes to our calculations.
He's the only one that can do them.
You understand that under normal experimental conditions, I couldn't pass either of you?
I do.
It's your decision.
Now, wearing these the whole flight is going to increase the strain. Is it essential?
Yes. We may be able to dispense with our helmets at certain periods, but no more.
- You aren't going to leave the rocket? - I've no intention of doing so.
- Then why these? - The rocket may suffer damage after take-off.
You mean retaliation?
I don't think we're going to be...
unexpected.
Firing cable connected!
I'll follow.
- Stay on the control panel. - You know I will.
As long as possible.
Dillon, you'd better get your men clear.
Goodbye, my darling.
Damn these things.
This is Ground Control. Please clear the firing base.
This is Ground Controller speaking. Please clear the firing base.
- Check two tally? - Yes.
All points, please.
Observatory B? Thank you.
Rolling platform, clear the firing base.
Control to Quatermass.
Three minutes to go. Are you set in take-off positions?
Are you set in take-off positions? Over.
Quatermass to Control. Almost.
Thank you. Over.
You all right, Leo?
What's this? This gun. Did you?
- Something you overlooked. - Any excess weight, no matter how small...
- Except... - One minute to go.
Quatermass to Control.
All set. Standing by.
- Over. - 30 seconds to go.
25 seconds.
20 seconds.
15 seconds.
Ten seconds. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Quatermass to Control.
Burn-out of rocket booster just occurred.
Height - 18 miles.
20. 22.
24. Count down. Over.
Control to Quatermass. Correct.
Drop through, sir.
Nuclear motor firing. Over.
And out.
All right so far. As long as we're getting that signal.
- Don't worry. - Not much longer.
By Doppler monitors, their height should be coming up to... 600 miles.
- They'll cut the motor in... - The nuclear motor.
It should be in...
five seconds from now.
It's gone! The signal, it's gone!
No. We were picking up radiation from the motor. They've cut it on time.
- It must be. - Acceleration. They've had to stand over 12Gs.
Control to Quatermass! Information, please. Over.
Quatermass to Control.
Velocity... 32,000 miles per hour.
Course as directed.
We're suffering... G effects.
Give me a few minutes. Over.
Leo. Leo, I...
I'll step up the oxygen.
- Ah, that's better. - Get your feet on the floor or they'll float.
Can you manage? Once the magnetic soles are holding, you'll be all right.
Quatermass to Control.
Speed maintained at 32,100.
Internal pressure, temperature normal.
Nuclear motor cut out cleanly.
No indication of runaway reaction.
Hope we get it when we want it.
Now... check with me every ten minutes.
If anything happens to prevent this, notify me instantly.
Over.
Control to Quatermass. Check and out.
Oh, Leo...
This should have been a great moment.
A crew of fit young men,
bursting through the frontiers of space, and so on.
A magnificent achievement.
Not two old men on a kamikaze flight.
Oh!
Sorry.
Lack of oxygen.
Radar screen shows all clear ahead.
Less than ten hours to go.
Control to Quatermass. Ready for check. Over.
Quatermass... Quatermass to Control.
No change since last check.
Beta deviation zero seven.
- As it should be. - Over.
Control to Quatermass. Course correct by precalculations.
You're getting beyond the range of equipment.
Shall we continue to check with you at the present? Over.
Quatermass to Control.
Yes, keep me informed. I want to know the situation with you. Over.
There's no change. The... military are still here.
But no interference in our work. Over.
And out.
All right, Leo.
I'll take over for a spell.
Have you rechecked all this?
- Yes. - Are you sure?
Yes.
Teacher... at the village school...
"Stand up, Leo Pugh.
"Leo Pugh, multiply...
"12,548,321 by 25 times 35.
"Leo Pugh... divide...
"Leo Pugh... multiply... divide... multiply... divide...
"Leo Pugh, you're a mathematical genius."
"Yes, Miss Williams."
"You have a brain that, when you grow up, will have the power to benefit mankind."
"Yes, Miss Williams."
- What's the matter? - Nothing.
- Are you ill? - No.
- Lungs, chest, any congestion? - No, no.
Better make sure.
Don't want anything to go wrong with you.
As far as my medical knowledge tells me, you ought to get out of this for a bit.
- No. - We've got drugs.
- We don't want any stern endurance yet. - It will not happen.
- I think they were natural. - Yes.
Quatermass to Control. Just gone through a swarm of meteorites.
No damage sustained.
Speed indications here show that they were normal.
Beta deviation now... zero nine.
Over.
Control to Quatermass. You were lucky!
Beta deviation correct for position. Out. No, wait a moment!
Hello? I can't talk loudly. Can you hear me? Over.
Yes. Over.
It's about... Dillon.
He's here in the control room.
A few moments ago, he said something. It sounded like, "They must reach it."
Just that. Over.
Coming from him?
It's probably nothing. Don't worry.
Are you all right? Over.
Be careful. Over and out.
Enemy territory ahead.
Hard, unwinking stars.
No atmosphere to deceive us.
We're seeing them as they really are.
And somewhere ahead... an object.
Constructed,
if it is constructed,
by creatures whose very existence makes us fools.
Somewhere.
Boneless creatures able to make energy at will by changing their mass.
Able to transmit experience.
To maintain power over other creatures.
Time is close now.
Yes.
Very close.
Leo...
Ten hours ago, had that influence weakened or merely changed direction?
- Can't afford these speculations. - Into another channel.
When it touches a very complex human brain,
the effect may be deeper, more complete.
No resistance.
Leo, am I right?
- Right? - You know what I'm saying.
- All attention must be on the controls now. - Leo, tell me I'm making a mistake.
The course is correct! Present position within 14 degrees four five six.
Leo! When did it happen?
Nothing... nothing happened.
When I found you in the car that time, was it the effect of the gases
or had some of them survived the explosion and one of them reached you?
- You're mad! - Is that why Dillon was confused?
- Because the orders were changed? - Stop this!
- Tell me! - Let go!
- Then I'll know what to do! - Do you want to destroy us?!
Control to Quatermass. Check your position. Check your position.
You should now be ready to enter interception orbit. Over.
- See? You wouldn't listen. - Quatermass to Control. Position checked.
No change. They're still getting no reaction from objective.
Is it where we expect? Over.
By our observations, it is. Over.
Quick! Time to change the alignment!
24.
25. 02.
Turn will be completed... in seven seconds... from now.
Manoeuvre complete. We shall make contact within two minutes.
Yes. Over.
Bernard! See!
Against the thing...
We hit it!
I've got the grapples out. There seems to be some sort of rock surface.
Like plates. But we seem to be holding.
Visibility's gone, but there's no doubt. This is it.
I'm going to force-jettison the nuclear fluid
and set it into the critical phase.
Leo!
Leo?
Leo? Where are you? What are you doing? Leo! Come back!
Leo!
Leo! Where are you?
Leo!
Leo! Where are you?
Leo, come back!
Leo!
Leo, where are you?
Leo! Are you there, Leo?
Leo, what are you doing? Give me that gun! Go back to the rocket!
Leo!
Leo, come back...
- We're not going back. - What?
Instead of you, there will be others.
- Others? - Listen.
Listen.
More of them must reach the Earth.
In the rocket.
- It is necessary. - You WERE infected!
I was shown that these things are to happen.
- Don't fire that gun! - You have done as intended.
Now there is no more need of you.
Aaaargh!
Leo? Leo?
Leo!
- Aaargh! - Leo!
There's no gravity.
It was the recoil.
Leo, can you hear me?
Twist in the other direction!
And fire again.
Leo! Hurry!
- Hurry! - Aaaargh!
- They're coming! - Help!
Leo...
He-e-elp!
Aaaargh...
Quatermass to Control!
Are you receiving me? Over.
We are. Over.
They're holding me!
The fuel's gone from the nuclear rocket.
The critical phase has started.
- But Pugh's outside. - Help!
- Never mind.
I think... Yes! Yes, it is!
- At critical point! - Help!
It passed! I'm going to separate the cruise section from the nuclear stage
and fire at the last chemical motor!
There's an even chance I'll get free.
Help!
Leo!
If you can hear me... there's no other way!
Help!
It worked. Nuclear motor abandoned in orbit...
as planned.
It should go up any second now.
Control to Quatermass! You've done it! The trace went completely! You wiped it out!
- Are you safe? Father, can you answer us? - Over.
Yes. Quatermass to Control.
My instruments show the same. Over.
- He's destroyed it utterly! - Captain Dillon! Look at him! The mark!
- It's gone! - Paula...
- If it's the same for the others... - Control to Quatermass! The effect is over!
Finally going! Dillon, talk to him. Let him hear your voice.
Quatermass! Quatermass, this is Dillon. John Dillon.
Are you there? Can you hear me? Can you hear what I'm saying?
Yes.
It's over.