This is Richard Valeriani reporting live for CNN...
from the French aircraft carrier Foch...
somewhere in the Mediterranean.
Six days ago, as the rebellion in Chechnya spread to the neighboring Caucas republics...
the Russian president ordered massive bombing strikes against rebel positions...
around Rutul and Belokany.
Appalled at the loss ofhuman life, the President of the United States...
joined by the French president and the British prime minister...
suspended all foreign aid to Russia.
Ultranationalist leader Vladimir Radchenko...
denounced the U.S. Pressure as an act of war...
against the Russian Republic and Russian sovereignty.
Denouncing his own president as a U.S. Puppet...
he called on the Russian people to join him in revolt.
He said, "This brutish and hypocritical American intervention...
will not go unanswered."
On Tuesday, at 10::00 in the morning Moscow time...
the Russian parliament was suspended and martial law was declared.
With the government in crisis, the Russian Republic...
was entering into what can only be described as a state of civil war.
Then yesterday at dawn, Radchenko and rebel forces...
seized the region around Vladivostok...
including a naval base and a nuclear missile base housing Russian ICBMs.
As regular Russian military forces move in to encircle Radchenko...
allied military forces are in a state ofhigh alert.
These French planes taking off behind me...
have been deployed near the Caucasus since the beginning of the crisis.
And the crisis which started in the Caucasus...
has now spread to the Far East...
and appears to be turning into the worst standoff since the Cuban missile crisis.
This is Richard Valeriani reporting live for CNN...
from the French aircraft carrier Foch, somewhere in the Mediterranean.
- Abracadabra! - I-I-I-I can't hear you.
Abracadabra!
- Ooh! - Oh, he shot fire!
- I need a volunteer... - Me! Me! - From the audience.
- Uh, uh, me, me, me, me, me! - Me! Me! Me!
A brave volunteer.
Me! Me!
Preferably... Preferably somebody who was born...
- on October 18, - Me! Me! Me! - Nineteen hundred and ninety.
- That's you, honey. That's you. - Me! Me!
- Me! - Over here? Over here?
- Ahh, you must be the birthday girl. What's your name? - Robin.
- Russian ultranationalist leader, backed by his rebel army... - Stand up here on the chair.
- Threatened nuclear attack on the United States and Japan. - And turn around.
The threats come as a response to the United States' involvement in Chechnya...
and are not considered idle.
Now, sit on the board and tell me, Robin, do you believe in magic? Good.
- Because if you believe in magic... - Where'd he go? - I'll get him. I'll get him.
- We can suspend you in the air... - Be right back.
- Without the help of a flying carpet. - Meeting in an emergency session...
- Come on. You'll miss your daughter's levitation. - While the President is sequestered...
with theJoint Chiefs of Staff.
That footage was taken yesterday, but half an hour ago...
surrounded by hostile forces, rebel leader Vladimir Radchenko...
- threatened to use nuclear arms... - Maybe it's not as bad as it looks.
On the United States and Japan...
should anyone, including the Russian Army, attempt to move in on him.
Based on the history of this man, this cannot be viewed as an idle threat.
- Sander Vanocur is standing by... - It is.
Commander Hunter.
Annapolis. Five patrols on fast attacks.
Two on boomers: One as X.O.
Hmm. Ayear at...
Excuse me. Harvard.
I talked to your former C.O. He tells me he tried to adopt you.
As you no doubt heard, my X.O. Has appendicitis.
He's the best I ever had.
I need a good man to fill his spot.
- Your name was at the top of the list. - Well, that's good to know, sir.
It was a short list.
Your interests, Mr. Hunter. What do you like to do? Do you, uh...
Do you paint, play ball, play an instrument, ride motorcycles? Wh-What?
- Ride horses. - Horses.
- What's the best horse you ever rode? - Arabian, sir.
An Arabian? Now, that's a powerful animal.
Yes.
- You ever ridden one? - Who, me? Are you kidding?
Nah, I couldn't handle an Arabian. Yeah, just give me an old paint.
Yeah, horses are fascinating animals.
Dumb as fence posts but very intuitive.
In that way, they're not too different from high school girls.
They might not have a brain in their head, but they do know all the boys want to fuck 'em.
You don't have to be able to read Ulysses to know where they're comin' from.
No, sir.
He approves of you.
Jack Russells. Smartest dogs alive.
Name's Bear. Goes every place with me.
Well, welcome aboard the Alabama, son.
- Do me proud. - I will, sir.
- Congratulations, Mr. Hunter. - Thank you.
If one Russian citizen is killed, and I am president...
then I will kill 900,000 of the people who are responsible.
- You'd use nuclear weapons? - Yes, I would hit them...
- Attention! - With nuclear weapons.
- At ease. Be seated. - Sir, such talk is highly inflammatory.
My dear young lady, I do not engage in "talk."
These are serious threats which I hope to be in the position to carry out.
I take it you've seen enough?
Gentlemen, after a nice little vacation, looks like we're back at it again.
I hope you enjoyed the peace, because as of now, we're back in business.
In the good old days of the Cold War, the Russians could always be depended on...
doing whatever was in their own best interest.
But this Radchenko's playing a whole new ball game...
with a whole new set of rules.
Now, I've heard people talk, but I don't think this man's talking...
just to get his picture in the paper.
He seems to have a serious weed up his ass and a legitimate gripe.
Always a dangerous combination.
And I think he's capable of doing every damn thing he says he's going to do.
That's why we have to go out there and give the man a moment of pause.
So ends theory. Thus, let us begin the facts.
We've been informed by the NSA that an entire rebel corps of the Russian Army is involved.
That's four armored divisions numbering 60,000 men.
There seems to be massive defections.
Vladimir appears to be winning the hearts and minds of the Russian soldiers.
Admiral?
Thank you.
They've seized the region by the Chinese and North Korea borders.
That includes a submarine base...
from which they've surged four Akula-class attack subs.
They have acquired a nuclear base at Artem...
that houses 25 hardened silos for Russian ICBMs...
armed with up to ten warheads apiece.
Now, the Russian government has assured us that talks are under way.
They claim that Radchenko forces...
do not possess the launch codes.
But if Radchenko were to crack them...
they could launch against our west coast direct...
or come in over the Pole, take out Washington and New York.
The Commander-in-Chief has directed U.S. Military forces...
to set DEFCON four.
We've been ordered to get under way at 0600 hours...
to assume alert coverage, mid-Pacific, the Far Eastern TVD target package.
Please keep your men informed. Lieutenant Commander Hunter is our new X.O.
Please bring him up to speed on ship's personnel and supplies. Admiral?
- No, that's it. - On your feet.
- Holy shit. - Wow.
- Here we go again, Commander. - Thank you.
You bet. Hey, Bobby. This is Bobby Dougherty, Supplies.
- Pleasure to meet you. - Mr. Dougherty. - Billy Linkletter, TSO.
- Hey. - Mr. Linkletter. - Commander.
- And, uh, you know Darik. - Yes. Westergaurd.
- Hey. - Long time no see. - Yeah. How's Julia? - She's excellent.
- Good. - And, uh, Roy Zimmer, Communications.
- Mr. Zimmer. - Welcome aboard. - Thank you.
- Uh, we served together on the Baton Rouge. - Twice.
That's right. And, uh, we're lucky to have him.
I think his dog gave me the final seal of approval.
He's crazy about that dog. Takes him everywhere.
The Navy looks the other way 'cause he's Ramsey.
The Navy looks the other way 'cause he's one of the few skippers left...
- who've actually seen some combat. - Hey, he took SEALS into Panama in '89.
- Tomahawks in the Gulf in '91. - Took out what? Eight or nine X.O. S in '94?
- Ouch. - Last one caught... What was it? Appendicitis?
Yeah, right.
The Enemy Below.
- Robert Mitchum. - And?
- And what? Robert Mitchum. - Incomplete answer.
- What, the German guy with the white hair? - Yeah. What's his name?
- Who was it? - Curt Jurgens. - No.
Right over there!
Bye-bye. I love you!
- Hardy Kruger. - No way.
Robert Shaw in his Nazi period.
Question is invalid. We're even.
- How you doin'? - Hi. I'm fine. Thanks. - Good.
Address me as "sir" when you speak to me! Stand at attention, sailor!
- Is he gonna fit in the sub? - Doubtful.
Who played the German sub commander in The Enemy Below with Robert Mitchum?
- Was it CurtJurgens or Hardy Kruger? - Sir?
Wrong answer! Drop down and give me 20! Now!
- Move! Move! - One. Two.
- Run Silent, Run Deep. - Three.
- The guy with the ears... - Four. - And the little moustache.
- Five. - Cary Grant.
I'm worried about T.
- Why? - She doesn't know what's goin' on.
I think she thinks I'm goin' away forever.
I'll take care of her.
- You will? - Yeah. - You promise?
I promise.
- I love you, Dad. - I love you too, son.
Okay. Um.
- You know I don't know what to say. - Just say good-bye.
See you in my dreams.
Give me a kiss.
Mmm.
- Davis. - How you doin', sir?
Crew present and accounted for, sir!
Little ducks...
there's trouble in Russia.
So they called us.
And we're going over there...
and bringing the most lethal killing machine ever devised.
We're capable of launching more firepower...
than has ever been released in the history of war.
For one purpose alone:
To keep our country safe.
We constitute the front line...
and the last line of defense.
I expect and demand...
your very best.
Anything less, you should have joined the Air Force.
This might be our Commander-in-Chief's Navy...
but this is my boat.
And all I ask is that you keep up with me.
And if you can't...
that strange sensation you'll be feeling in the seat of your pants...
will be my boot in your ass!
- Mr. Cob? - Yes, sir!
You're aware of the name of this ship, aren't you, Mr. Cob?
Very aware, sir!
- It bears a proud name, doesn't it, Mr. Cob? - Very proud, sir!
- It represents fine people. - Very fine people, sir!
- Who live in a fine, outstanding state. - Outstanding, sir!
In the greatest country in the entire world.
In the entire world, sir!
- And what is that name, Mr. Cob? - Alabama, sir!
- And what do we say? Go, 'Bama.! - Go, 'Bama.!
Roll tide!
Chief of the boat, dismiss the crew.
Dismiss the crew. Aye, aye, sir!
Crew! Department heads! Attend to your departments!
Fall out!
Here.
Part of your qualification for command.
Ahh.
My last breath of polluted air for the next 65 days.
Gonna miss it. I don't trust air I can't see.
This is my favorite part. Right here, right now.
Bravo, Hunter.
Sir?
You knew to shut up and enjoy the view.
Most eggheads want to talk it away.
Your stock just went up a couple of points.
Thank you, sir.
Allow me to give you a tiny bit of advice.
If you want your own boat some day...
the very worst thing you can do is worry about yourself or try to impress me.
I can't stand save-asses, and I won't abide kiss-asses.
You keep your priorities straight: Your mission and your men.
How do you like that cigar?
- It's good, sir. - It's your first. - Yeah.
Don't like it too much. They're more expensive than drugs.
- X.O., take her down. - Take her down. Aye, sir.
Control/Bridge: Sounding.
Bridge/Control: : Sounding 130 fathoms.
- Lookouts, clear the bridge. - Clear the bridge. Aye, sir.
Officer of the deck, prepare to dive.
- Captain's down. - Captain is down.
- X.O. Down. - X.O. Is down.
- Submerge the ship. - Diving Officer, submerge the ship.
- Make your depth 150 feet. - Make my depth 150 feet. Aye, sir.
Chief of the watch, on the 1 MC, dive, dive!
Make your depth 150 feet.
Five degree down bubble.
- I don't understand. - What don't you understand?
Radchenko is a fanatic, okay? He's a potential Hitler.
- Somebody should just step up and shoot him. - I have no problem with that.
- Good. - Well, it's fanatics who make history.
- Hell, Patton was a fanatic. - It's what made him great.
You think this guy is Patton?
He's a dangerous lunatic and he's threatening nuclear war, and he means it.
What's that make us, since we're the only nation to ever drop a nuclear bomb on anyone?
It makes us a prime target.
I mean, there's half a dozen other Third World countries with atom bombs...
- who'd love to drop one on us. - That's right. That's why we should drop one on them.
What are you, a communist? You have a problem with us dropping nuclear bombs on Japan?
Shut up, Dougherty.
- You think it was a mistake, Mr. Hunter? - Sir?
Using the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Well, if I thought that, sir, I wouldn't be here.
- Interesting way you put that. - How'd I put it, sir?
Very carefully.
You do qualify your remarks.
If somebody asked me if we should have bombed Japan...
a simple "Yes, by all means, sir, drop that fucker. Twice."
I don't mean to suggest that you're indecisive, Mr. Hunter.
Not at all.
Just, um, complicated.
Of course, that's the way the Navy wants you.
Me, they wanted simple.
Well, you certainly fooled them, sir.
Be careful there, Mr. Hunter.
It's all I got to rely on: Bein' a simpleminded son of a bitch.
Rickover gave me my command, a checklist...
a target and a button to push.
All I had to know is how to push it. They'd tell me when.
They seem to want you to know why.
I would hope they'd want us all to know why, sir.
At the Naval War College, it was metallurgy and nuclear reactors, not 19th-century philosophy.
"War is a continuation of politics by other means."
Von Clausewitz.
I think, uh, sir, that what he was actually trying to say was a little more...
Complicated?
Y-Yes, the purpose of war is, is to serve a political end...
- but the true nature of war is to serve itself. - I'm very impressed.
In other words, the sailor most likely to win the war...
is the one most willing to part company with the politicians...
and ignore everything except the destruction of the enemy.
- Uh, you'd agree with that? - Well...
I'd agree that, uh...
that's what Clausewitz was trying to say.
- But you wouldn't agree with it? - No, sir, I do not.
No, l-I just think that in the nuclear world...
the true enemy can't be destroyed.
Attention on deck. Von Clausewitz will now tell us exactly who the real enemy is.
Von?
In my humble opinion...
in the nuclear world, the true enemy is war itself.
Everywhere I go your face I see
Every step I take
You take with me
- Nowhere to run to, baby - Nowhere to run, baby
Nowhere to hide
Got nowhere to run, baby
Nowhere to hide
I know you're no good for me
But free of you I'll never be, baby
- Look out! - Move!
Move it, move it, move it!
Fire in the galley! Fire in the galley! Chief of the watch, sound the general alarm!
Forward damage control, bring additional fire extinguishers to the...
- Fire's out of control. He's hurtin'. - You hit the kill switch?
Couldn't get to it. Too hot.
Attention, all hands. The fire has been contained.
Damage control party, assess damage and report to Control.
- Initiate weapons system readiness test. - Aye, sir.
All right, station a reflash watch. This thing could flare back up again.
Conn/Radio: We are receiving flash traffic emergency action message.
Recommend alert one. Recommend alert one.
Alert one, alert one. Man battle stations missile for weapons systems readiness test.
- Spin up all missiles. - What the hell is he runnin' a missile drill now for?
- You're in charge. - Aye, sir.
Man battle stations missiles for weapons system readiness test.
Spin up all missiles. This is an exercise.
Captain's in Control!
I agree. The message is properly formatted.
Sir, we have a properly formatted emergency action message...
for weapons system readiness test, sir.
- I concur, sir. - Where's the X.O.?
- Sir. - Good of you to make it, Mr. Hunter.
- Get the authenticator. - Get the authenticator.
Let's go.
Sir, request permission to authenticate.
Permission granted. Authenticate.
"Alpha, Alpha, Bravo, Echo, Charlie, Zulu, Tango."
- Captain, message is authentic. - I concur, sir.
- I agree. - Message is authentic.
Sir, your captain's missile key.
Set condition 1 SQ for WSRT. This is the captain. This is an exercise.
Set condition 1 SQ for WSRT. This is the X.O. This is an exercise.
- Captain, that fire in the galley could still flare... - Now is not the time.
Make your depth 150 feet. All stop.
Make my depth 150 feet. All stop. Aye, sir.
Weapons/Conn: Simulate pressurizing, all tubes.
Conn/Weapons: : Simulate pressurizing, all missiles. Aye, aye, sir.
- Simulate pressurizing, all missiles. - Simulate pressurizing, all missiles. Aye.
All stations, proceed to 1 SQ. Ready all missiles for launch.
Come on, guys. Let's go!
Weapons/Captain: Report approximate time for 1 SQ.
Captain/Weapons: Approximate time to weapons system 1 SQ:
Fourteen minutes, sir.
Ship is at launch depth. Ready to hover, sir.
- Very well. Commence hovering. - Commence hovering. Aye, sir.
Control/Sick Bay: Chief Petty Officer Marichek is undergoing cardiac arrest.
- We're beginning CPR. - Chief of the watch, on the 1 MC.
Gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?
We've received word that one of our shipmates is experiencing a medical problem.
We're terminating the drill. Mr. Mahoney, take the conn. I'm going below.
- X.O. - Aye, sir. I have the conn.
Clear.
It's okay, Chief.
Thank you, sir. Sorry, sir.
Hiya, boy. Hiya, hiya, hiya.
How ya doin'? Oh, boy. Yeah.
So, Mr. Hunter, do you think I was wrong to run that drill?
- Not necessarily, sir. - Do you think I got that man killed?
No, sir. One thing had nothing to do with the other. It was an accident.
- Would you have run the drill? - No, sir, I wouldn't have.
Why not?
The fire in the galley could have flared back up. I would have seen to it first, sir.
I'm sure you would have.
Me, on the other hand, I tend to think that that's the best time to run a drill.
Confusion on the ship is nothing to fear.
It should be taken advantage of.
Lest you forget, Mr. Hunter, we are a ship of war, designed for battle.
You don't just fight battles when everything is hunky-dory.
What'd you think, son? I was just some crazy old coot...
putting everyone in harm's way as I yelled "yee-haw"?
That was not my first thought, sir.
But there's no excuse. At the time I was fighting the fire in the galley...
I did not agree with your call, sir.
Take a seat.
Just so we understand each other...
I don't have any problems with questions or doubts.
As I said to you before, I'm not seeking the company of kiss-asses.
When you got something to say to me, you say it in private.
And if privacy doesn't permit itself, then you bite your fucking tongue.
- Are we clear about that, Commander? - As a bell, sir.
Those sailors out there are just boys...
boys who are training to do a terrible and unthinkable thing.
And if that ever occurs, the only reassurance they'll have...
that they're doing the proper thing...
is gonna derive from their unqualified belief in the unified chain of command.
That means we don't question each other's motives in front of the crew.
It means we don't undermine each other.
It means in a missile drill...
they hear your voice right after mine, without hesitation.
- Do you agree with that policy, sailor? - Absolutely, sir.
We're here to preserve democracy, not to practice it.
There'll be a memorial service in the enlisted men's mess at 1100 hours.
- Go see to it. - Aye, aye, sir.
Oh, Hunter.
Short of the outbreak of World War III...
the ship sinking or being attacked by a giant octopus...
- I'd like to be undisturbed for the next 30 minutes. - I'll see to it, sir.
By the way, it was Marichek's 300 pounds that killed him.
Not the fire.
Dismissed.
One, two, three, four.
Jab. Jab.
One, two. One, two.
- You okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
Does it make any sense to you to start a drill in the middle of a fire?
- Fire was out, wasn't it? - Yeah, and a man died too.
- Not 'cause of what the captain did. - What?
- Not 'cause of what the captain did. - Weps.
A fire is a serious threat to the ship. Now, where was he? Why didn't he check it out first, huh?
That's his style. He's a hard-ass.
- So what? - So you wanna fight him, go ahead.
You wanna get along, you gotta get to understand him a little bit.
Two schools of thought here.
To him, you're Annapolis, Harvard...
- expert on theory, well-versed in world affairs. - Ha!
He's had his head up his ass drivin' ships for the last 25 years.
He's probably a little paranoid about that.
I mean, Navy's all he's got.
Navy and that little rat-dog of his.
That's why his wife left him.
So what are you saying?
I'm just sayin' watch out, give him a little room.
Let him get to know you.
You do pants too?
Conn/Radio: Receiving emergency action message.
Recommend alert one. Recommend alert one.
Alert one! Alert one! Incoming emergency action message!
Alert one. Alert one. Incoming EAM.
Captain.
Captain has asked me to brief you on the emergency action message we just received.
As you know, before we got under way...
the Russian Army was in position and circling the rebel camps...
and Radchenko started making extravagant threats should anyone move in on him...
that he would launch his land-based nuclear weapons at the United States and atJapan.
The only safeguard was that the Russian government controlled the launch codes.
Intel now indicates that those launch codes have been compromised.
And U.S. Military forces have been directed to set DEFCON three.
The last time we hit this state of emergency was 32-and-a-half years ago...
during the Cuban missile crisis.
So this is what it's all about, gentlemen. It's what we've trained for.
Captain.
The NCA has determined that...
should our satellites detect rebel missiles being fueled...
which means they could be launched in just over one hour...
we'll be compelled to act.
Now, given our patrol sector here in the Emperor Sea Mounts...
it seems clear that our friends in the Pentagon...
are setting us up for a potential preemptive strike.
It's important to remain focused.
Keep your men informed.
Any questions?
Dismissed.
We lost that frying unit, and then, uh, we...
we can't get the same capacity in here any more.
- I'm gonna fuck you up! - Get out! Get...
- Get out of here, man! Get him out! - Motherfucker!
- Fuckin' dirty piece of shit! - Bennefield, you crazy, man?
- Whoa. - All right.
- Rivetti, what's up? - I'm sorry, sir.
- It's just a difference of opinion that got out of hand. - What about?
It's really too silly to talk about, sir. I'd rather just forget about...
I don't give a damn about what you'd rather forget about. Why were you two fighting?
Well, I said that the Kirby Silver Surfer was the only real Silver Surfer...
and that the Moebius Silver Surfer was shit.
And Bennefield's a big Moebius fan, and, uh...
things got out of hand. I pushed him: He pushed me.
- I lost my head, sir. I'm sorry. - Rivetti, you're a supervisor.
You can get a commission like that.
I know it, sir. You're 100 percent right.
- Uh, it'll never happen again, all right? - It better not happen again.
I see this kind of nonsense, I'm gonna write you up. You understand? Do you understand?
- Yes, sir. - You have to set an example even in the face of stupidity.
Everybody that reads comic books knows that Kirby's Silver Surfer is the only true Silver Surfer.
- Now, am I right or wrong? - Y... You're right, sir.
- All right. Get out of here. - Yes, sir.
- Captain. - How can I help you?
Test results from the missile drill.
- This the best they can do? - No, sir, but that's what they did.
- I want this down to five minutes. Train on it. - Yes, sir.
You tell your buddy Weps we're gonna do it again.
We're gonna keep on doing it until he gets it right. Damn.
Feels like the whole crew needs a kick in the ass.
Or a pat on the back, sir.
I just witnessed a fight down in crew's mess. No big deal, but...
I think the men are...
a little on edge with all we're going through.
Morale seems to be a bit low.
Well, you seem to have the pulse of the men.
Thank you, sir.
- May I have your attention, please? - Summer's here and the time is right
- Mr. Hunter has brought it to my attention... - For dancin'in the streets
that morale may be a bit low...
that you may be a bit...
- On edge, sir. - On edge.
So I suggest this:
Any crew member who feels he can't handle this situation...
can leave the ship right now.
Gentlemen, we're at DEFCON three. War is imminent.
This is the captain.
That is all.
Very inspiring, sir.
Come on, Bear. Come on. Come on.
Supe? Come here.
You hear that?
I've got a broadband contact bearing 047.
Assigning tracker sierra in ATF.
Conn/Sonar: We have a possible submerged submarine bearing 047.
Designate contact: Master 28.
Sonar/Conn: Aye. Man battle stations torpedo. Rig for ultra-quiet.
Rig tubes one and four fully ready.
Rig tubes one and four fully ready. Aye, sir.
Man battle stations torpedo.
- All right, what do you got? - Sir, we have a possible submerged submarine...
bearing 049, designate master 28.
Best step for evasion, sir, is 831 feet...
to avoid that sub.
Lieutenant Mahoney, this is the captain.
Increase your speed to standard. Come left to course 270.
Make your depth 831 feet, smartly.
- You find out who that is. - Aye, sir.
Who are you, sweetheart?
Helm, all ahead standard.
- Dive, make your depth 831 feet, smartly. - Aye, sir.
Conn/Radio: Receiving emergency action message.
- Recommend alert one! Recommend alert one! - Recommend alert one.
Alert one, alert one. Incoming emergency action message.
Captain, we have a properly formatted emergency action message...
from National Command Authority for strategic missile launch, Captain.
- I concur, sir. - Get the authenticator.
Chief of the watch, secure for battle stations torpedo.
Man battle stations missile for strategic launch.
Secure for battle stations torpedo. Man battle stations missile...
- Sir, request permission to authenticate. - Permission granted. Authenticate.
"Bravo, Echo, Echo,
Charlie, Alpha, Tango, Alpha."
"Bravo, Echo, Echo,
Charlie, Alpha, Tango, Alpha."
- Message is authentic, sir. - I concur, sir.
I concur, sir.
Message is authentic.
Sir, your captain's missile key.
This is the captain. Set condition 1 SQ for strategic missile launch.
Spin up missiles 1-5 and 20-24.
The release of nuclear weapons has been authorized.
This is not a drill.
X.O., take the conn. I'm going to my stateroom for the launch keys.
X.O. Has the conn.
Set condition 1 SQ for strategic missile launch.
Spin up missiles 1-5, 20-24.
The release of nuclear weapons has been authorized.
This is the X.O.
Conn/Weapons: Estimated time to 1 SQ for strategic launch is 14 minutes, sir.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
Go, sailor, go.
Set condition 1 SQ for strategic missile launch.
- Comin' through! - Spin up missiles 1-5 and 20-24.
- I have the conn. - The captain has the conn.
Passing 550 feet.
Conn/Radio: Sir, we're out of VLF radio range. Full message capacity is cut off.
Radio/Conn: Extend extremely low frequency antenna.
Passing 600 feet. Coming to 831 feet, sir.
Oh, Jesus.
Oh, God, uh... Conn/Sonar: Uh, sir, we have his classification.
Mark that tape. Get the classification on your monitor.
- Rivetti, what the hell is going on? - Sir, the master 28...
is classified as a Russian Akula-class hunter-killer.
Bearing 196, sir! He's close, but I don't think he's spotted us.
- Stay on him! - Aye, sir.
- Captain has the conn. - Passing 800 feet, sir.
Continue to dive. Give me five degree down bubble.
- Continue rigging for ultra-quiet. - Aye, aye, sir.
Five degree down bubble. Rigging for ultra-quiet, sir.
Gentlemen, this is the captain.
We have an Akula-class submarine out there.
We know that Radchenko controls at least four submarines. This could be one of them.
Russian rebels have threatened a launch against our country...
and are fueling right now.
They will have launch capability in 60 minutes.
We also have orders to launch our missiles, which is exactly what we're going to do.
We are rigging for ultra-quiet. All hands be ready.
This is as real as it gets.
We'll presume nothing, defend ourselves at all cost.
If that sub so much as comes around or opens up a tube door, we're gonna take her out.
Passing 900 feet.
- He's gone. - Like hell he is. He's up there.
950.
Conn/Weapons: Missile systems ready to launch in 11 minutes.
Conn/Radio: Receiving transmission on extremely low frequency receiver, sir.
Very well. Mr. Hunter, go to Radio, please.
- Okay, pull up the code. - What do you got?
X.O., incoming EAM on the broadcast...
but we're too deep to receive any radio communication, sir.
- Captain. - X.O.
We got a limited radio transmission indicating an incoming EAM.
- We need to go shallow to reestablish communications. - With that sub still up there?
Mr. Hunter, it's my inten...
- Come up to the conn, Mr. Hunter. - Yes, sir.
- Zero bubble. - Zero bubble. Aye, sir. 1,275 feet, sir.
Conn/Weapons: : Missile systems ready to launch in 10 minutes.
- Sir. - Attention, all hands.
- Ship has been rigged for ultra-quiet. - Captain?
When our missile system is ready, Mr. Hunter, it is my intention...
to rise to launch depth, launch our birds and then get the hell out of there.
Not until then.
- I can't jeopardize the safety of this ship. - Yes, sir.
May I suggest that we float the buoy, sir? We have enough cable.
That should give us enough reach to receive the EAM transmission, sir.
Very well. Float the buoy.
- Chief of the watch, float the buoy. - Float the radio buoy. Aye, sir.
Radio buoy deploying, sir. Tension 2,000 pounds.
Very well.
Conn/Weapons: Estimated time of 1 SQ: Eight minutes, 30 seconds, sir.
- The winch! - Conn/Sonar: We have a sound short from the buoy winch!
Stop the goddamn winch!
The winch is stopped, sir!
Goddamn it.
- TSO, is that sound still out there? - Sonar/TSO: Is that sound still out there?
Sound's gone, sir.
I'm getting something.
- Supe, he's coming around! - Conn/Sonar: The Akula's turning toward, sir.
Conn/Sonar: Torpedo in the water bearing 241!
Conn/Sonar: Second torpedo in the water bearing 242!
All ahead flank! Right full rudder!
Conn/Sonar: 3,000 yards and closing, sir.
Maneuvering/Conn: Cavitate! Cavitate!
- Sound the collision alarm! - Sound collision alarm! Aye, sir!
- 2,500 yards.! - Rig ship for impact!
Hang on to your ass, gentlemen! 2,000 yards!
1,500 yards. Bearing 070!
071.! 1,200 yards.!
1,000 yards and closing fast!
Conn/Radio: : Receiving emergency action message.
Recommend alert one. Recommend alert one.
950 yards.!
Launch a five-inch evasion device. Launch the countermeasures.
- Countermeasures away, sir! - Shift your rudder to left full!
500 yards and closing fast.!
300 yards and closing, sir.!
First, the first torpedo's going after the countermeasures!
They missed! They missed!
Sonar/Conn, Conn/Sonar: Second torpedo incoming! It's gonna be close!
Conn/Sonar: : The Akula's disappeared in the thermal, sir.
All ahead standard! Rudder amidships!
All ahead standard! Rudder amidships! Aye!
All stations.
All stations report damage. Report damage.
Engine room reports number one ASWpump failed.
Control/Torpedo Room: : Three feet of water in the bilge.
Request a team with a submersible pump.
Control/Engine Room: : Request all E-division personnel...
lay to the engine room to assist in ground isolation.
Sonar/Conn: Report hostile contact.
Conn/Sonar: : Uh, we lost him, sir.
- Well, keep looking. He's out there looking for us. - Aye, sir.
Weapons/Conn: Estimated time to 1 SQ.
Conn/Weapons: Missile systems ready to launch in six minutes.
- Very well. - Main seawater pump is out of commission.
Mr. Zimmer, where's that EAM?
- You all right, son? - Yes, sir. - I got it.
- That's it? - Uh, uh-huh. It's incomplete, sir.
- We lost it when the radio buoy cable got severed. - All right.
All right, gentlemen, let's get on with it. All ahead one-third.
Steady as you go.
All ahead one-third. Steady. Aye, sir.
Make your depth 150 feet.
Zero bubble. Up slow and silent to launch depth.
Up slow and silent to launch depth. Aye, aye, Captain.
Captain? Got the EAM.
- What do you think? - I think there's nothing on this.
Yes, sir. It, uh, it got cut off during the attack.
Then it's meaningless.
- Sir, this is an EAM pertaining to nuclear missile launch. - No, Mr. Hunter.
- That's a message fragment. - Because it got cut off during the attack, sir.
The message could mean anything. It could be a message to abort.
- It could be a message that... - It could be a fake Russian transmission.
Which is exactly why we need to confirm, sir.
- All I'm asking for is the time we need to get back on line. - Calm down, Mr. Hunter.
- I am calm. - You don't appear to be calm.
Conn/Weapons: : Missile systems ready to launch in four minutes.
- Step aside, seaman. - Yes, sir.
We have orders in hand, and those orders are to make a preemptive launch.
Every second that we lose increases the chances that by the time our missiles arrive...
their silos could be empty 'cause they've flown their birds and struck us first.
- Yes, sir. - You know as well as I do that any launch order...
received without authentication is no order at all.
- Ye... Captain... - That's our number-one rule. - National Mili...
That rule is the basis for the scenario we've trained on time and time again.
- Yes, sir. - It's a rule we follow without exception.
Captain, National Military Command Center knows what sector we're in.
They have satellites looking down on us to see if our birds are aloft...
and if they're not then they give our orders to somebody else.
That's why we maintain more than one sub. It's what they call "redundancy."
- I know about redundancy, Mr. Hunter. - All I'm saying...
All I'm saying, Captain, is that we have backup.
Now, it's our duty not to launch until we can confirm.
You're presuming that we have other submarines out there ready to launch.
Well, as captain I must assume that our submarines could've been taken out by other Akulas.
We can play these games all night, Mr. Hunter, but I don't have the luxury of your presumptions.
- Sir... - Mr. Hunter, we have rules that are not open to interpretation...
personal intuition, gut feelings...
hairs on the back of your neck, little devils or angels sitting on your shoulders.
- Captain... - We're all very well aware of what our orders are...
and what those orders mean.
They come down from our Commander-in-Chief. They contain no ambiguity.
- Captain... - Mr. Hunter, I've made the decision.
I'm captain of this boat. Now shut the fuck up!
Damn.
Weapons/Conn: Shift targeting...
to target package SLBM 64741/2.
This is the captain.
- Captain, I cannot concur. - Repeat my command.
Sir, we don't know what this message means. Our target package could have changed.
You repeat this order or I'll find somebody who will!
- Hell, no, you won't, sir. - You're relieved of your position.
- Cob, remove Mr. Hunter from the control room. Get Lieutenant Zimmer in here right now! - No, sir. No, sir.
No, sir, I do not concur and I do not recognize your authority to relieve me on the command under Navy regulations.
- Cob, arrest this man and get him out of here! - Captain Ramsey...
under the operating procedures governing the release of nuclear weapons...
- we cannot launch our missiles unless both you and I agree. - Cob!
- What are you waiting for? - Now, this is not a formality, sir!
This is expressly why your command must be repeated.
It requires my assent. I do not give it.
And furthermore, you continue upon this course...
- and insist upon this launch without confirming this message first... - Son of a bitch!
- I will be forced... - Chief of the boat! - Backed by the rules of precedents...
- As captain and commanding officer... - authority and command...
- of the USS Alabama, I order you... - regulation 08150H6...
- to place the X.O. Under arrest on the charge of mutiny! - Of the Navy regulations...
- I say again, I order you to place the X.O. Under arrest... - to relieve you of command, Captain!
On the charge of mutiny!
- Cob! - Captain, please. The X.O. Is right.
We can't launch unless he concurs.
"To the USS Alabama: :
Rebel controlled missiles being fueled.
Launch codes compromised. Dissidents threaten launch at continental United States.
Set DEFCON 2.
Immediately launch ten Trident missile sorties."
They're fueling their missiles! We don't have time to fuck around!
Sir, I think you need time to think this over.
I don't have to think this over!
Captain, I relieve you of your command of this ship.
Cob, escort the captain to his stateroom.
- I'm assuming command. - You're not assuming anything.
Chief of the boat, Captain Ramsey's under arrest!
- Lock him in his stateroom. - Captain, please...
- Now, Cob! - Aye, sir.
Mitchell. Walker. Take the captain below.
You're way out of your league, Hunter.
You're not ready to make tough decisions yet.
What the hell are we waitin' for?
Anybody here disagrees with what I've done...
then you feel free to relieve yourself of duty now.
Anybody?
All right.
- All stations. - Aye, sir.
This is the executive officer.
I've assumed command of this ship under authority granted me by Navy regulations.
I have relieved Captain Ramsey ofhis duties...
for acting in contravention of the rules and regulations...
regarding nuclear weapons release.
It is my intention to delay the missile launch...
maintaining our current state of readiness...
pending confirmation of an emergency action message that was cut off during the attack.
Remain at battle stations missile.
Carry on.
- What the hell are we doin', Fred? - I don't know about you, but I'm pissin' my pants.
Come on, boy.
Conn/Weapons: Russians will have missile launch capability...
in 39 minutes.
Chief of the boat.
Sir?
- Thank you, Cob. - "Thank you"?
Fuck you. Get it straight, Mr. Hunter. I'm not on your side.
Now, you could be wrong.
But wrong or right, the captain can't just replace you at will.
That was completely improper, and that's why I did what I did.
- By the book. - I thank you anyway.
Radio/Conn: Mr. Zimmer, get those communications back on line now.
We're working on it, sir. Aye, aye, Captain.
- Are you ready? - Uh, ready. Go.
- Jesus Christ. - Fuckin' thing. - Come on. This whole system is crashed.
- Radio buoy is severed. What the fuck does he want us to do? - Shit electrons?
- Hey, Vossler, we need communications, not smart-ass remarks. - Aye, sir.
- All stop, ten degrees up. - Ten up. Aye, sir.
All stop. Aye, sir. Enters all stop.
Conn/Sonar: Holy shit, sir! He's right on top of us! He's turning toward!
- Range. - 600 yards.
Conn/Sonar: Torpedoes in the water! Bearing 048, 050!
- Left full rudder! - Left full rudder! Aye, sir! - All ahead full, zero bubble.
Sir, don't you want to fire back? Torpedoes are ready, sir.
No, we're in too close. Our weapons won't have time to arm. All ahead flank!
- Chief of the watch to Maneuvering, give me max speed now! - Maximum speed. Aye, sir!
Sonar/Conn: Let me know when our range to that Akula is open to 1,000 yards!
- Conn/Sonar: Aye, sir! - Goddamn it, let's just shoot this fucker. What's 1,000 yards for?
'Cause it takes 1,000 yards for the torpedoes to arm. Jesus, who'd you fuck to get on this ship?
Conn/Sonar: Torpedoes 150 yards and closing fast, sir!
Bearing 070, 074.!
Launch port countermeasures!
- Countermeasures away, sir! - Rig ship for impact! - Rig ship for impact! Aye, sir!
- They missed! They missed! - Yeah!
They passed astern! They were too close to arm, sir!
Conn/Sonar: Range to the Akula: 950 yards and opening fast!
Go to manual on the arming mechanisms, tubes two and four.
- Snapshot, two and four. - Snapshot, two and four. Tubes fired electrically, sir.
Sonar/Conn: Give me exact ranging and speed on our weapons.
Range: 300 yards at 50 knots, sir!
200 yards, 50 knots.!
100 yards, 55 knots!
75 yards! Weapons ready for arming, sir!
- Steady course 231. - Aye, sir. 231.
Arm torpedoes two and four...
- now! - Torpedoes armed, sir!
We're locked on the Akula!
You got him, sir! You got him!
- Yeah! - Whoo!
Conn/Sonar: Incoming torpedo. They must've got one off before they got hit, sir.
Right full rudder. Launch starboard countermeasures.
- Countermeasures away, sir. - Dive!
- Make your depth 1,200 feet! - Point it down now! Take her deep! Take her deep!
Full dive on those planes! Let's go, let's go, let's go!
Hang on, everybody!
- Is everybody okay? - Yeah!
Open aft the main drain suction!
Start the drain pump! Go, go, go!
All stations make damage report to Control.
- Oh, shit! - Control, this is Bilge Bay!
We've got out-of-control flooding! Request damage control!
- Mr. Mahoney, get a damage control party down there! - Aye, sir.
Forward damage control party, get Lieutenant Hellerman! Flooding in the bilge bay! Get him down there now!
Conn/Maneuvering: We've lost propulsion, sir!
- Chief of the boat, how are we doing? - Sir, we are going down! I need propulsion!
Forward ballast tanks are damaged, sir!
Forward air pressure: Zero!
Maneuvering/Conn: Restore propulsion as soon as possible.
Conn/Maneuvering: Restoring propulsion as soon as possible. Aye, sir!
Control/Bilge Bay: Flooding has slowed!
- I think we got it under control, sir.! - Passing 1,500 feet.
At 1,850 it's all over.
Passing 1,600 feet.
Barnes, get over here! Help me with this loose valve!
Passing 1,650 feet.
- What the fuck's going on? - Take it easy!
Conn/Bilge Bay: Flooding has recommenced!
It looks like three men are trapped!
Bilge Bay/Conn: Try and get those men out of there as soon as you can and seal that bay.
Sir, if we don't seal the bilge bay now, we'll lose the ship.
Bilge Bay/Conn: Can you get the men out?
Sir, there's no fuckin' way! If I go down there, I'll never get out!
Barnes, come on! You gotta come!
Move.! Move.! Barnes, come on, come on.! You can do it.! Move it.!
Bilge Bay/Conn: Seal that bay.
Barnes, let's go! Come on! I gotta close the hatch!
What the fuck are we doing here?
Bilge Bay/Conn: I say again, seal that bay!
Sir, there are men down there and they're gonna drown!
Lieutenant Hellerman, you have your orders.
Now seal the goddamn bay before we all go down!
Barnes! Please get the fuck out!
Barnes!
Come on! Barnes!
Conn/Bilge Bay:
Seawater hatch is sealed, sir!
Very well.
Passing 1,800 feet.
Approaching hull crush depth, sir.
1825.
Conn/Maneuvering: Turbine power restored.
Main seawater cross valve repaired.
And rising.
- Propulsion limit. Ahead full, sir! - Full ahead steam.
- Take us up to periscope depth. - Aye, aye, sir.
Give me five.
All right, we're livin'. We're livin', gentlemen.
- Step aside, Tommy. - I'm sorry, sir.
- The X.O. Ordered us... - Fuck the X.O.!
The ship has been hit, and I'm going in to see my captain.
Now stand aside.
Stand aside!
Captain.
- Sir. - How bad is it, Mr. Dougherty?
It's bad, sir.
I've just been looking at Hunter's file here.
Closest to combat he's been is a policy seminar.
Give me an order, sir.
As quietly as you can, you get to Mr. Zimmer and Mr. Westergaurd.
- How about Linkletter? - Nah, you won't be able to talk to the TSO. He's at the conn.
But you can get to Weps. We gotta have Weps. He's the key.
You get me those men, a small security force, then come back and get me.
- Aye, sir. - Don't get overzealous now and try to recruit the whole ship.
- We'll lead from the top down. - Aye, sir. Right away.
Radio's 50 percent.
Can I talk to you in the passageway?
Right now, Pete. Come on.
- What's goin' on? - We're not gonna let this go down with the X.O. At the helm.
- We're not? - No, we're not. - I been with the captain for years...
and this asshole Hunter shows up, and I'm supposed to follow him 'cause he says so?
You're not supposed to: You've been ordered to.
That's what this is about: Proper orders.
Proper orders? He has proper orders. He won't act on them.
He's in command now!
If they order him to launch, we'll launch, and we'll blow 'em all to hell.
But I'd rather go down myself than get this one wrong.
Look, our procedures are clear.
In the absence of a contravening order, in a situation like this, we follow the orders in hand.
Exactly. You know how many checks we go through to make sure a launch order is authentic?
The X.O. Agreed with those orders.
Now he just wants to throw them away? They don't count?
- He's lost his nerve. - Bullshit!
- I know this guy, Bobby! - You... - Weps, we've been ordered to launch.
Now, why in the world would we do that if they weren't prepared to launch at us?
We don't know that for sure! That's the whole point!
That's why he wants time to confirm the message.
That's the whole fucking point is we don't have time!
Radchenko is fueling his birds. Now, why do you think he's doing that? Why?
You don't put on a condom unless you're gonna fuck.
- Go back to your station. - Excuse me. - Go back to your station and stay there.
Come on, man.
Peter, think about your family, man.
I am. I am!
I mean, what do you... what do you plan to do?
Nothing without you. You're senior officer department head.
- The TSO's with Hunter. - And you have the keys to the small arms locker.
Now, we wanna recruit a few more men, and then we're gonna open up that arsenal.
I just talked to the captain in his room.
He specifically asked for you. He says we cannot go without you.
I don't believe this.
This is a mutiny, Peter. There's only two sides to a mutiny.
Now, your captain is asking for your help.
What are you gonna do?
All right.
Conn/Weapons: Russian missiles will have launch capability in 24 minutes.
You're doing the right thing.
Electrical power has been restored.
All stations prepare to reinitiate the system.
Radio/Conn: Mr. Zimmer, what's the status on that radio repair?
Conn/Radio: All systems are still down, sir. Lieutenant Zimmer isn't here.
- Where is he? - I don't know, sir.
Very well.
Mr. Mahoney has the conn.
- Aye, sir. I have the conn. - Cob. - Sir.
- Send a man to find Zimmer. - Aye, sir.
- Get a side arm. - Aye, aye, sir.
- Chief Young. - Aye, Chief.
Turn around! Move it!
At ease, sailor.
- Sir. - Thank you, Mr. Ince.
- Mr. Westergaurd. - Sir.
- Mr. Zimmer. - Ready, sir.
Let's get on with it.
Stand guard.
All you people return to your stations!
- Mr. Rivetti. - Sir?
- Follow me, please. - Yes, sir.
Is there a problem, sir?
These are the keys to the entire submarine.
Conn/Weapons:
Russian missiles will have launch capability in 21 minutes.
Who's in charge here?
Shit!
Me, sir. Oh, fuck.
- How long is it gonna take? - I don't know, sir.
- Do you know what's going on here? - Yes, sir.
No, I don't think you do. Let me explain it to you.
If we launch and we're wrong, what's left of Russia is gonna launch at us.
There will be a nuclear holocaust beyond imagination.
So it's all about knowing, Mr. Vossler.
We have to know whether or not our order to launch has been recalled or not.
The only way we're gonna know is if you fix that radio. You understand me?
Yes, sir.
You ever watch Star Trek?
- Yeah, of course I seen Star Trek. - Star Trek. You know, Star Trek.
- The USS Enterprise. - Yeah. - The whole... All right.
You remember when the Klingons were gonna blow up the Enterprise...
and Captain Kirk calls down to Scotty. He says, "Scotty, I gotta have more power."
- He needs more, more warp speed. - Warp speed. Exactly. - Yeah.
Well, I'm Captain Kirk, you're Scotty. I need more power.
I'm telling you, if you do not get this radio up, a billion people are gonna die.
Now it's all up to you. I know that's a shitty deal, but you got it. Can you handle it?
Scotty.
Aye, Captain.
- You got anything? - No, Vossler. - Then get on it.
- I have the conn. - X.O. Has the conn.
Chief of the boat, make your depth 75 feet.
- Continue up the periscope depth. - Belay that order!
- Get up! - Jesus.
Okay, okay.
Any of you officers or chiefs feel you've been unjustly caught up in this thing...
you stand with me now.
Sir, propulsion has been restored.
All flooding has been contained.
All communications are still down.
Take them away. Lock them up in the officers' mess.
Come on...
Of all the people.
Weps, return to missile control.
- Mr. Zimmer, you stay with me. - Aye, aye, sir.
The rest of you, return to your stations.
Inform your men directly that the captain is in command.
- I have the conn. - Captain has the conn.
Diving Officer, make your depth 150 feet.
150 feet. Aye, sir.
- 1 MC. - Aye, sir.
May I have your attention, please?
Crew of the USS Alabama...
an attempted mutiny has been put down.
We'll maintain security alert.
Authorize movement only in two-man teams.
In the absence of further radio communication...
on orders from the National Command Center...
we'll achieve launch depth as quickly as we can for strategic missile launch.
We all know what this means.
It's not something one would wish for...
but we have the obligation under authenticated orders issued by our Commander-in-Chief...
to prevent the attack on our country.
Russian missiles will have launch capability in 15 minutes.
Set condition 1 SQ.
Spin up missiles 1-5 and 20-24...
for strategic missile launch.
The use of nuclear weapons has been authorized.
This is the captain. Mr. Zimmer is the new X.O.
Set condition 1 SQ.
Spin up missiles 1-5 and 20-24...
for strategic launch.
The use of nuclear weapons has been authorized.
This is the X.O.
Weapons/Conn:
Confirm target package SLBM 64741/2...
for missiles 1-5 and 20-24.
- Target package confirmation, sir. - This is the captain.
Conn/Weapons:
Confirm target package SLBM 64741/2...
for missiles 1-5 and 20-24.
Aye, sir.
Look, it's not a mutiny. I did everything by the book.
It's not about the book.
But if the Russians are gonna launch, and we sit here and do nothing, who's gonna stop 'em?
Half of me's glad the captain came back.
He could be right, you know.
No orders are valid, Cob, if they're wrong.
- We don't know if they're wrong. - That's true. We don't know.
That's why we have to find out first.
What if Radchenko surrendered and it's over? Hmm?
We launch. They see us. They launch.
Our birds pass each other in the air. Boom!
- What do you got? - Nuclear war.
Nuclear holocaust.
- What are you doing down here? - Jesus, I was just going to the bathroom.
Rivetti, nobody moves alone. Come on. You know the drill.
- What, Bennefield, I need an escort to take a shit? - Shut up!
Now I'm gonna call Control. You stay right there.
- Aw, fuck that. - I mean it, man!
- Okay, Moebius, open the door. - You broke my nose, man.
Shut up, fat boy.
- Mr. Rivetti, I'm impressed. - I never liked him, sir.
Rivetti, go to the laundry, get four sets of coveralls.
- And four caps. - Aye, sir.
Good boy.
Davis. Can I talk to you a second?
Come on.
- Everybody ready? - Yeah. - Let's do it.
- We're with you, sir. - Let's go.
Approaching launch depth.
Very well. Make your depth 150 feet.
Zero bubble. Commence hovering.
Zero bubble. Commence hovering. Aye, sir.
Conn/Weapons: Estimated time to weapons system 1 SQ: 3 minutes, 30 seconds, sir.
Conn/Weapons:
Russian missiles will have launch capability in 12 minutes.
Opening missile hatches.
- Weps. - Weps, this is Hunter. Listen to me.
- Where are you? - Don't worry about where I am.
You cannot proceed. We got other ships out there that can handle this.
Now, you can't be influenced by the captain or anybody else. You gotta make up your own mind.
Conn/Weapons: Estimated time to missile launch, three minutes and counting, sir.
Weps. Weps, listen. Don't do this.
Don't do this. Once you launch, they cannot come back. They cannot come back, Weps.
And you know the repercussions if we're wrong, goddamn it.!
Weps, if we fire now, we'll be firing while we're blind and crippled. Do you understand me?
- Where the fuck are you? - Do not remove that firing trigger.!
Do not open the safe. Weps, it's up to you.
You're the only one that knows the combination. It's up to you, Weps.!
It's up to you.
Mind your fuckin' panel!
- You guys ready? - Just about, sir.
Radio/X. O: Vossler?
X.O. /Radio: Sir.
- I don't know, sir. - Vossler, calm down. Just calm down.
- Take a deep breath. Are you calm? - Yeah, sort of.
Get the radio fixed, Vossler. I could have built one by now. How long is it gonna take you?
I don't know.
Well, how much time do you need?
Shit! Let's go.
Missile tubes 1-5 and 20-24 at 1 SQ, sir.
Ship is hovering on automatic. Dive's at 1 SQ, Captain.
Missiles at 1 SQ. Ready to launch, sir.
Sir, weapons system is at 1 SQ.
- Missiles are ready for launch, sir. - Very well.
- Weapons. - Aye, sir.
Weapons/Conn: Remove the tactical firing trigger.
- 1 MC. - Aye, sir.
Weapons, this is the captain. Unlock the tactical firing trigger.
Weps?
Missiles are ready to launch, man.
Sir.
Shit. Mr. Zimmer.
No one is to touch this key.
- I'm going to launch from missile control. - Aye, aye, sir.
- Westergaurd. - Sir? - Dougherty. Come with me.
- Mr. Mahoney, take the conn. - Aye, sir. I have the conn.
What are you doing, man? We're at 1 SQ. We're ready.
- Mr. Dougherty? - Aye.
- Station your guards fore and aft. - Last two, forward hatch!
First two, aft hatch!
They're gonna fire from missile control.
We gotta get back to the conn and disarm the system. Come on.
We'll travel in the crawl spaces.
Mr. Ince!
Mr. Ince, remove the tactical firing key.
- Sir, it is my duty to... - Son, don't talk to me about duty. Open the fucking safe!
I can't do that, sir.
I'm gonna count to three, and then I'm gonna blow your fucking head off. One.
Two.
Shit!
It does me no good to kill you. You're the only one that knows the combination.
However...
Petty Officer Hilaire...
doesn't know the combination!
Millions of lives are at stake here, Peter! Don't make a dumb decision!
One!
Two!
Sir!
- Cob. - Yo.
You and Hunsicker are going to enter the conn from the bow.
Rivetti, Linkletter and myself will come in through the aft.
Rivetti, you jump right on Zimmer, okay?
Come on. Come on!
- Fire control ready? - Aye, sir. - Launcher ready?
- Aye, sir. - Initiate fire.
- Freeze! Hold it, sir. - Drop the weapon now!
Move forward! Move forward! Move, move, move! Get his pistol.
- Fire one! - Number one did not fire, sir.
Sir, the captain's key has been removed.
Hunter.
- You're a piece of shit. - Son of a bitch.
All right, you and you, man the forward hatches.
- Aye, sir. - Aye, sir. - You, you, man the aft hatches.
- Aye, sir. - We're going up to periscope depth.
We're going to reestablish communications and get that radio message.
Now, anybody got a problem with that? Chief of the boat, make your depth 78 feet.
Aye, aye, sir. Make your depth 78 feet. Five degree up bubble.
Mr. Linkletter, man that periscope.
- Aye, aye, sir. Raising number two scope. - Radio/Conn: Mr. Vossler.
This is Captain Kirk. I need warp speed on that radio.
Yes, sir.
Conn/Weapons: Russian missiles will have launch capability in nine minutes.
- Oh, shit! - What? What happened? - Reattach that lead!
Seventy-eight feet. At periscope depth, sir!
- Mr. Linkletter. - No close contact, sir.
Very well. Chief of the watch, raise the VLF radio antenna.
Raise the VLF antenna. Aye, sir.
VLF antenna coming up!
Five, four, three.
Conn/Radio: Sir. I think she's breathing. We're getting close.
- Halt, sir! - Shoot me. - Shit. Shit.
I got him.
I have the conn.
Give me my missile key.
Give me the missile key, Mr. Hunter.
I'm the commander of this fucking ship! Give me the goddamn key!
Conn/Weapons: : Russian missiles will have launch capability in seven minutes.
Conn/Radio: : Sir.!
- Radio/Conn! - Captain/Radio: Vossler, sir.
She's breathing again. We are really, really close.
- You got three minutes, Vossler. Three minutes and counting. - Yes, sir.
You got three minutes.
Come on.
Come on, Vossler. Come on. Come on. Keep it going. Keep it going.
Speaking of horses...
- did you ever see those Lipizzaner stallions? - What?
From Portugal.
The Lipizzaner stallions.
The most highly trained horses in the world. They're all white.
Yes, sir.
"Yes, sir," you're aware they're all white or "yes, sir," you've seen them?
Yes, sir, I've seen them.
Yes, sir, I'm aware that they're all white.
They're not from Portugal: They're from Spain.
And at birth, they're not white, they're black.
Sir.
I didn't know that.
But they are from Portugal.
- Come on, Vossler. Come on. - Yes! Yes!
Come on. Come on. You got it.
Some of the things they do, uh, defy belief.
Their training program is simplicity itself.
You just stick a cattle prod up their ass, and you can get a horse to deal cards.
Simple matter of voltage.
You're gonna get it. Come on.
- I almost had it. You saw it. - Conn/Weapons:
Russian missiles will have launch capability in four minutes.
There you go. There you go! Aw, shit!
Look, look, look! Look at it, Vossler! There we go. There we go!
Yes!
Conn/Radio: We are receiving flash traffic. Emergency action message.
Recommend alert one. Recommend alert one. Fuck, yeah.!
Alert one. Alert one. Dougherty, Westergaurd, Zimmer.
- Get that EAM. - Aye, aye, sir.
God help you if you're wrong.
If I'm wrong, then we're at war. God help us all.
Sir, we have a properly formatted emergency action message...
from the National Command Authority, sir.
- Request permission to authenticate, sir. - Permission granted. Authenticate.
"Delta, Delta, Sierra, Bravo, Zulu, Delta, Tango."
- Message is authentic, Captain. - I concur, sir.
- Message is authentic.
1 MC.
Crew of the Alabama, this is the captain.
Set condition 2SQ.
Terminate launch, all missiles.
All right! All right!
Mr. Hunter has the conn.
In the early hours of this morning, Russian Army forces moved in...
and met surprisingly little resistance.
There were some sporadic battles...
but, apparently, the specter of fighting their countrymen...
proved too much for these rebel troops, and they surrendered quickly.
And so a crisis that seemed to be escalating beyond the point of no return...
was ultimately resolved with fewer than a hundred soldiers dead.
And the nuclear base captured by Radchenko is now back in government hands.
Reporting live from the French aircraft carrier Foch in the Mediterranean Sea...
this is Richard Valeriani for CNN.
All right, stand there, uh, Lieutenant Commander Hunter. This won't take long.
This panel has convened in order to investigate the events...
subsequent to the setting of condition 1 SQ for strategic missile launch...
on board the USS Alabama on 1 November.
Now, based on the testimony from personnel on board the Alabama...
and, in no small measure, to that of the senior officer, Captain Ramsey...
I'm prepared to make my recommendations to SUBPAC.
- Without my testimony, sir? - You have a problem with that?
- I might, sir. - I have known Captain Ramsey for almost 30 years.
We served together on more than a few occasions.
If he is lying, this will be the first I've heard of it.
Yes, sir.
My primary concern here is the breakdown in the system.
In this instance, the system failed...
because the two senior officers did not work to resolve their differences...
while preserving the chain of command.
Now, you may have been proven right, Mr. Hunter...
but insofar as the letter of the law is concerned...
you were both right.
And you were also both wrong.
This is the dilemma that will occupy this panel, this Navy...
and this country's armed forces as a whole...
long after you leave this room.
Off the record...
you've both created one hell of a mess.
A mutiny aboard a United States nuclear submarine...
violation of nuclear launch protocol.
For the record, it is the conclusion of this panel...
that your actions aboard the Alabama...
were consistent with the best traditions of the Navy...
and in the interests of the United States.
As such, the recommendations of this panel will be to accept...
in a manner reflective of his long and dedicated service to his country...
Captain Ramsey's request for early retirement from active duty.
And based, in no small part, on Captain Ramsey's recommendation...
that Lieutenant Commander Hunter be given his next command...
at the earliest possible convenience.
Unless, of course, you wish to challenge these recommendations.
No, sir.
- Captain Ramsey? - No, sir.
Dismissed.
Captain?
Just wanted to say thank you.
You were right, and I was wrong.
About the horses, the Lipizzaners. They are from Spain, not Portugal.
Yes, sir.