here!
There, uh...
There was a plane crash.
And, uh, your granddaughter
was the only survivor.
Oh, my God!
Our son, Heather's father, and his wife?
I'm very sorry.
I tried to warn them.
Tried to get 'em to join us here.
You said Heather is where?
There's, um, there's something else.
Heather survived the plane crash, but...
she's changed.
Did you work out there?
Not only worked out there.
I, sir, am responsible for it.
There were two of us.
My partner's name was Ossoman, Victor.
We were members of
the physics department at Florida State.
Undistinguished, neither of us tenured.
Just teaching.
Victor's brother-in-law worked
laying deep ocean cable. South Atlantic.
He called Victor one day.
Seems whenever they'd hit
a particular stretch of ocean...
the cable
would suddenly be sheared in two.
But each time they recoiled the cable...
it was somehow
several hundred feet shorter.
So, as a favor, Victor and I went out there.
We discovered
what was shearing the cable.
Oh, boy, did we discover it.
Exotic matter.
You, uh, you discovered exotic matter?
A window onto it, yes.
What's exotic matter?
Some sort of super matter.
It's what U.F.O. kooks theorize
that Martians make their ships out of.
It's a truly phenomenal power source.
Victor and I went back to the school.
Spent sixteen months worrying the data,
fought like cats and dogs.
Oh, God, Victor could be such an ass.
Anyway, we were just about to publish,
when the navy showed up.
Someone there had gotten wind of
what we were about to reveal to the world.
They prevailed upon us not to publish.
Instead, Victor went to work for them.
- You didn't?
- No.
So how'd you end up way out here?
I mean, why did...
Because of what I suspect is coming.
I'm a coward.
You should be about done.
We didn't stop for lunch today.
I think it's time we get back.
- We have to do this.
- Do what?
Collect full data. We'll need it.
- Did you see that?
- Come on.
I think it's time we headed back in.
If you insist.
Victor and I started out
just trying to discover something.
To prove something
that the world only knew as a theory.
But the navy, oh, no, no.
They wanted it to have a function.
They wanted something
that they could use.
It was all just a theory!
What do you mean,
something they could use?
What? Use for what?
They're the navy, the military. What
do you think they'd want to use it for?
So, doctor, what's going to happen now?
What are you and your wife hiding from?
I'm not certain.
Maybe nothing. Maybe...
If it comes, it will be, I expect...
electromagnetic in nature.
At least to begin, but it won't stop there.
Electromagnetism is the force
underlying all matter, all space, all time.
We, humanity, exist only
by a quite remarkable courtesy.
Even the slightest upset
in any number of basic laws...
or fundamental constants,
and all of this could all just cease to be.
You're... overstating, exaggerating.
You have to be.
Everything you've described to me,
including what happened to Heather...
it all fits.
Victor and those with him
are playing chicken with all creation.
They could win, or...
Listen, doctor,
your granddaughter is alive.
She is scared beyond words.
She's surrounded by strangers.
Now, don't you want to be there
with her now?
Come back with us, please.
Please.
Why isn't it getting any better?
It seems to be getting worse!
The farther we get from the cell,
the energy should dissipate.
Should, but entropy doesn't want
to apply out here, remember?
We can... We can outrun this thing
though, right?
Right?
Hello.
Let me talk to Dr. Bruce Geller, please.
How about Dr. Patterson?
No. No, no message.
Well, yeah, yeah. I'll leave a message.
Please tell him
that Howard Thomas called.
Yeah, I'm coming in...
and I'm bringing with me a man
who may have some information.
Hold on. You're breaking up.
Hello?
Yeah, tell him we should be there
in about three hours.
Three hou...