Impact (2009) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
Okay.
Take a look.
The Grimaldi Crater? Nice work, kiddo.
I wanna see the man in the Moon.
There's no stupid man in the Moon.
It's a story Mom made up.
Hey, Jake, let her look.
I told your mom those stories, and I didn't make them up.
Hey, professor.
Been here an hour, only seen one.
When's it gonna start? Keep your eye on the skies, Denny.
Anytime now.
This is Hal Boon reporting live, as across the globe people are gathered at all hours of the night for what astronomers are calling the greatest meteor shower in nearly 10,000 years.
The meteor shower is expected to be so intense that the long-anticipated European lunar expedition has been delayed and is now scheduled to launch early next month.
Look, I see one.
We are beginning to see the first meteors now.
People are turning their telescopes to the sky.
Intense streaks of light visible as the meteorites burn out in Earth's upper atmosphere.
It's truly extraordinary.
It's magnificent.
This is absolutely incredible.
Ladies and gentlemen I shouldn't say this but stop watching me, go outside and witness this celestial event for yourself.
Something we will never see again in our lifetime.
Definitely at least five post-cometary meteors in the main field.
Largest: 6 kilometers.
Six months as director of the observatory and you hit the mother lode.
Same job I had at Kitt Peak, Jared.
Just more paperwork.
Give me 4 degrees, 12 minutes.
What's Mount Palomar giving us as a geocentric distance? They're tracking the main field.
Just as we expected, a very safe distance of 2.
7 million kilometers.
If those two bodies collided just a few hours earlier the trajectory of the larger meteors would be in our path.
A few hours.
Fifty million years ago.
It's amazing.
-lt really is just chance, isn't it? -Chance? That we're even here, that we exist.
-There's your proof.
-You're an atheist.
Well, I'm a scientist, Jared.
I think science trumped religion a long time ago.
How can you be sure that science has all of the answers, Dr.
Rhodes? -Data.
-Data.
Could you pass me the 30? It's the big one with the green stripes.
Thank you.
How long will it last? Several hours.
Probably well into the day.
It's beautiful.
The most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Almost.
Don't worry.
I know my place.
Oh, this is fantastic.
There will be hundreds of samples and they will probably contain fragments we have never seen before.
I'm sorry, Martina.
I know the details bore you.
But I'm hoping that seeing this, you will understand why this is all so very magical to me.
I do.
Just don't go looking for all of those pieces at the same time.
We have a wedding to plan, Dr.
Emerson.
I know the details bore you, but it's all very magical to me.
Jared, give me 100 dB aperture gain.
What's the matter? There's something concealed behind the main body of meteors.
What is it? We have a NEO, big.
Check its trajectory.
You're right.
I'm tracking a near-earth object.
Maddie, it's coming right at us.
Dad? What's that? I don't know.
But it's big enough to reflect the Sun.
I thought we could celebrate both events.
Roland? Diameter: 19 kilometers.
That's twice the size of the K- asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.
Geocentric distance: 412,000 kilometers.
Narrow elliptical orbit.
Geometric progression.
It's gonna hit the Moon.
Dad, what's wrong? We're not sure what we've just seen.
The Moon appears to have been hit by a meteor.
Something incredible has happened.
A tremendous explosion on the moon.
There's a great deal of debris now.
Meteors continue to streak past over our heads but something much bigger has happened only moments ago.
Maddie, we have incoming objects.
Large enough to survive atmospheric burn.
-How fast? -This is crazy.
The impact force ejected debris at 6000 kilometers a minute.
-What? -Yeah, that's what it says.
-At that velocity, it's only gonna take-- -Less than an hour.
Hello, this is Dr.
Rhodes.
When the White House was briefed we were told there wasn't any danger from this.
Speak to me.
A large meteor fragment was hidden behind the main meteor field.
Our telescopes missed it.
-Are there any more coming our way? -No.
But we are tracking unusually high-velocity fragments that'll make it through atmosphere and hit Earth in less than an hour.
What kind of damage? If they were to hit a metropolitan area, could be severe.
There's too many to track with any accuracy but we are expecting impact within the United States.
I'll have FEMA call you.
They're gonna relay to their offices.
Keep me updated.
Officials have just issued a statement urging everyone.
Hey, hey, hey, listen.
Debris from the Moon could, and most likely will, make impact.
Authorities cannot determine where these impacts will happen but have confirmed that large debris will survive the atmosphere.
This could pose a significant danger if any large meteorite were to hit populated areas.
Again, for your own safety you are asked to remain indoors and await further instruction.
--the explosions that shook Berlin moments ago are being felt in Cologne.
Windows are being shattered and the fires are spreading.
More than three dozen firemen are battling the inferno which was caused by a meteor fragment ejected from the Moon when it was hit earlier tonight.
Fortunately, most damage occurred in an industrial area where many factories were closed.
We're receiving information that another dozen impacts have occurred in the world.
Hello? Yeah, I'm watching it.
Call Franz and gather the others.
I'll meet you at the institute.
-Ian Wilson.
-Ian.
Quite a bit more than we bargained for, Maddie? I'm uploading a series of recent images from the Jodrell telescope.
What are we looking at? It's a piece of the Moon and a big one.
We've tracked it, extrapolated the course and it's headed towards Earth.
Estimated size at impact: 100 meters.
A hundred meters? That's enough to wipe out an entire metropolitan area.
We're waiting on updated satellite feeds from the Russian Observatory.
We should be able to track the impact to within a hundred-mile radius.
I'll send you the data as soon as we have it.
When is the estimated impact? Fourteen hours.
Thank you.
Lots of debris, as you can see, shrouded in a cloud of dust.
Apparently, the result of a massive-sized meteor that struck the Moon last night.
Ladies and gentlemen I'm afraid we're as much in the dark as you are.
Mr.
President.
--or whether any other will strike Earth.
There's been a new development.
It's not over yet.
It made impact off the coast of Australia.
JPL isn't tracking any other incoming objects.
The Moon is moving at 96 percent normal orbital velocity.
Three-hundred and fifty-one thousand kilometers and stable.
I want every advisory member to see the data.
I want a consensus of as many opinions as possible.
And that, guys, is why Canadian geese fly south.
Dad, Jake said a meteor killed all the dinosaurs and if I don't clean his room an even bigger one is gonna hit us tonight.
Really? Guess who's cleaning your room for the next couple of weeks.
What? We're gonna be fine, okay? Then why are we sleeping in the basement again? Well, it's like when there's a storm, pal.
Just to be sure, okay? Do you think the man in the Moon is okay? I know he is.
-Try and get some sleep, okay? -Okay.
-Good night.
-Night, Dad.
Good night, guys.
I wish, I wish the man in the Moon For health and happiness And laughter soon From morning to night He shines so bright He's always there The man in the Moon Reports are coming in now that the tsunami caused by the 40-megaton explosion hit the coast of Australia and Indonesia.
But thanks to the early warnings, countless lives were saved.
But we are just beginning to understand the magnitude of this incredible event.
I might have known how this was gonna end.
-Lloyd.
-Right in my own home.
Meteorites usually knock before they come crashing into the house.
I don't think we need to lock the door.
You think this is funny, don't you? Exciting.
But there could be more.
Not here, Lloyd.
Not tonight.
Million-to-one, right? Like a plane crash or a car wreck or getting hit by a bus while crossing the street? Well, it happens to someone, somewhere, every day.
Well, you know, there's an old bomb shelter in town if you wanna go.
Better go see how the kids are doing.
What about the Moon? The collision offset the Moon's forward velocity causing it to be drawn in by Earth's gravity.
The Moon is now 30,000 kilometers closer to Earth.
-Closer? -It really is quite extraordinary.
But it has regained gravitational equilibrium.
It is, once again, in a stable orbit.
But what are the ramifications? We're still analyzing all the data, but the distance variable didn't seem to be significant enough to have any major effect.
Most people won't even notice.
Are we in any danger? -Well-- -lt took a hell of a hit.
Werewolves gonna start coming out in the afternoon? I don't know, Dr.
Rhodes.
I'm not a scientist.
But what I don't want is Chicken Little telling people that the sky is falling.
I understand.
From all analysis at this point, the Moon is stable.
General Vaughn, where are we on this? We're watching the satellite tracking from Space Command and NORAD and have come to the same conclusion.
Andrew, let's schedule a presidential address.
Put a few minds at ease.
-Thank you, Dr.
Rhodes.
-Thank you, sir.
Professor Kittner, you have been quoted: "'lf in fact the meteor had hit Earth yes, it would have been catastrophic--"' I'll say.
"'--but let's remember that it didn't, and the chances of another meteor ever coming this close again is a trillion-to-one, if that' according to Dr.
Alex Kittner professor of astrophysics and formerly of NASA.
" -I didn't know you worked for NASA.
-Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
I was part of a team.
A think tank, theory-based applications.
-What kind of work did you do? -Antigravity.
-You're serious? -Ever hear of the levitating frog? Yes, European scientists manipulated gravity using electromagnetic energy and briefly levitated a frog.
We used that same theory and actually built the prototype of a zero-gravity machine which could, in theory, levitate more than just frogs.
-Right out of The Jetsons.
-Why haven't I heard? Probably because, in theory, it wasn't practical.
Particle debris will blanket the atmosphere for a week.
Temperatures will cool slightly, but that will pass.
We don't foresee any noticeable effect on tides.
You know her? Yeah.
We were at NASA together.
I haven't spoken to her in years.
--the aftermath of the meteor that has frayed nerves across the globe.
Now with more on this crisis, back to you, Lisa.
Water levels now receding from most of the affected areas has a welcomed-- Hello, this is Dr.
Rhodes.
Hi, Maddie.
David.
I just saw you on TV.
You look good.
Congratulations.
You know, this isn't really a good time.
Yeah, when was there ever a good time? Look, Maddie, an exclusive on something like this could really help me.
You seem to be someone in the know or maybe you know more than you're saying.
I'm sorry, David, but can you please not call me anymore? I don't think we're going north, Mr.
Lutz.
-I'm reading it right off the compass.
-I know.
But since when does the Sun set in the east? Mr.
Lutz, over here.
Look.
Look at that.
--based upon the limited number of casualties credited to the early warnings.
However, several unexpected tidal surges and new flooding in other parts of the globe, seemed to have experts baffled even as they insist these anomalies are not related to the tsunami.
What appears to be particularly troubling is that these tidal changes are not even remotely close to where the lunar.
There's no global consistency.
These tidal changes are happening in isolated areas.
It's not a normal interaction between the Moon's tidal forces or the effect would cover half the planet.
Something else is causing these intense local anomalies.
-Has NORAD come up with anything? -No.
They're waiting on us.
Nobody's seen anything like this.
That's not enough for several experts now speaking up suggesting that despite what the government wants us to believe the meteor has affected the Moon and its behavior towards Earth.
What exactly that means, nobody knows.
Hey, Lloyd, it would mean a lot to Jake if you came to the game.
Damn dandelions.
I don't get them out today, they're gonna mess up the lawn.
All right, guys.
Let's do it, huh? Will he ever leave the house in our lifetime? Seat belts on.
Piece of junk, runs by computer.
You couldn't fix it even if you wanted to.
-lt must be the battery, I guess.
-You can jump it with the boat.
-You got cables? -Yeah.
They're in my back seat.
All right, just be a minute, guys.
Runs like a car is supposed to run.
You haven't driven anywhere in 30 years, Lloyd.
Look, Canadian geese.
-What do we know about geese, guys? -They taste good.
They fly up to 40 miles per hour, reach 15,000 feet and sometimes migrate south as far as 1500 kilometers.
Congratulations.
You've got yourself another Trivial Pursuit champion.
Grandpa, you love me.
Admit it.
Yeah.
You're just upset because I know more about geese than you do.
Oh, yeah, Miss Smarty-Pants? Well, answer me this.
If geese fly south for the winter, how come they're flying south now? It's spring, isn't it? Grandpa, why don't you come to my baseball games? It's outside of my domain.
What's a domain? Whatever I can see from right here.
Why don't you wanna go outside your domain? I don't like people.
And I don't like places.
What? It's called social phobia.
-It's a real disease.
-Let's go.
We're gonna be late.
Do you think I'm being overly dramatic? No, Lloyd, I think you're difficult.
Well, why don't you just call me a wuss while you're at it? Why don't you wish Jake good luck? Good luck, Jake.
If I'm a wuss so what? Is your party still joining you? I suspect.
A glass of chardonnay while you wait? No.
Just water, please.
Thank you.
I'm sorry I'm late.
This has been incredible.
We're finding pieces with compounds we haven't had since Apollo.
ESA is gonna fast track the lunar mission.
-Can you imagine--? -Roland.
Slow down.
Right.
I'm sorry.
You said you needed to talk.
I'm all ears.
What is it? You are looking radiant.
Is there some change to the wedding I should know about? Well, not exactly.
Is it about work? Oh, before I forget.
Remember Lukas, the geologist from the institute? Tore his knee out today.
I told him I know the best physical therapist on the planet.
-On the planet? -So I'm told.
He's gonna call tomorrow.
Great.
Roland-- Would you like something to drink, sir? Wine.
White, two, please.
No, not for me.
Thank you.
I'm not drinking.
Good.
I was going to wait until we had a real moment alone but that seems unlikely these days and I couldn't wait, anyway.
Wait for what? Well, I went to see-- Sorry, I just have to take this.
Two more seconds.
I'll be right with you.
Hello? Where? I'll be there in 10 minutes.
Great.
Bye.
You are going to kill me, aren't you? Yes.
It was Franz.
They need me back at the lab.
We just received a new piece.
It could be very important.
If I'm the first to find a fragment from the meteor itself believe me, that would be very good news.
There's nothing like sharing good news with the person you love.
-We can read each other's thoughts.
-Completely.
Thank you.
You have it.
I love you.
We'll talk later.
We're meeting the priest tonight at the church.
Right.
Right.
I knew that.
I'll see you there.
Promise.
Make sure you get everything, huh? Go ahead.
I'm gonna take this.
-Okay.
-Okay.
-Hello? -Alex, it's Maddie Rhodes.
Maddie, hey.
I'm sorry to just call after all this time.
No, it's fine.
I mean, it's more than fine.
It's nice to hear from you.
You're becoming quite a familiar face on TV.
More than I'd like.
I don't think we've seen the end of it.
Yeah, the tides.
Wow, this is really something, isn't it? There's some residual effect since the Moon's shift.
I mean, there's no scientific precedent to explain these things.
I'm afraid I'm a little out of the loop.
Only what's been on the news.
Well, you're the best mind in the field as far as I'm concerned, Alex.
I could use your help.
Well, what can I do? Come to New Mexico.
You know, look over the data, see if there's something we've missed.
I can't get away right now, Maddie.
It's not a good time.
Just for a day.
Amanda died eight months ago and I just-- I can't be away from my kids, you know? Oh, Alex, I'm so sorry.
I didn't know.
No, hey, it's okay.
You know, you could come here if you've got the time.
-Would that be okay? -Yeah.
That's great.
I'll call you tomorrow with my details.
Okay, let me just.
Hello? Hello? -Come on, buddy.
-Come on, Jake.
He's never played well.
Strike! -Keep your head in the game, Jake.
-Come on, Jake.
Come on.
Stay focused, pal.
Way to go, Jake.
Dad, I feel funny.
What is it? Some kind of electrical charge.
Roland, what is with all of this writing? "Roland was here.
" My mother always told me to make a mark in the world.
Here, take a look at this.
Right here.
You're right.
Definitely lunar.
These pieces aren't doing us any good anymore.
We need a sample of that meteor.
I know.
Oh, by the way, we got a call earlier.
A local scout troop found something near Fürstenwalde.
Their description didn't make much sense, but it's worth a look.
So I'll be coming in later tomorrow.
Okay.
Didn't I hear you say something about you and Martina having to meet with the pastor tonight? Oh, no.
Oh, no.
She's not gonna like this.
-Okay.
-Table.
So, Franz.
-Yeah? -See you tomorrow.
Go.
We reserved this church six months ago.
My parents were married in this church.
The pastor in this church needs to approve us as a couple.
I'm sorry, but you know the situation.
Except there's always a situation, Roland.
You missed our last meeting because you were hunting down another important meteorite.
That wasn't my fau-- We had to cancel the meeting with the caterer the week before because you were skydiving.
I need you to start being more responsible and start considering more than just yourself, Roland.
I don't need anyone to approve us.
We are going to get married.
It just so happens that I'm right in the middle of what might be -the greatest geological find-- -I'm pregnant.
Pregnant? We are having a baby.
At least I am.
Yeah! Are you serious? Yes.
A baby? Is it mine? I tried to tell you earlier but you can never stay in one place for more than five minutes.
All these places you go, scribbling "Roland was here" Roland's never here.
I need you to be home.
I need us to do this right, proper, if we are going to be a family.
Roland is going to be here.
I promise.
I promise.
Yes! Oh, I'm sorry.
We are pregnant.
Well, she is pregnant.
I will be a dad.
So sorry.
More than two dozen gas stations exploded almost simultaneously less than an hour ago, all within a 300 miles radius.
Authorities do not believe they are terrorist-related.
Witnesses from as far away as Canada claiming to have felt an unusual charge of static electricity.
But what caused this static surge? That still remains a mystery.
I was standing across the street when everybody's hair was standing on end and you could feel the charge.
My cell phone didn't work.
Nothing.
Then, boom, up goes that gas station.
It was trippy as hell.
-Renee.
-We're working on it.
So far, there's no consensus on what it is.
Get one.
Get it quickly.
I need answers.
What exactly does a meteor hunter do? Meteorite hunter.
-All right.
What's the difference? -ln space, it's a meteor.
If it makes it through the atmosphere, it's a meteorite.
Same question.
Thousands of meteors hit our planet every year.
Less than 1 percent make it through the atmosphere and nearly all of those are so small they're never found.
I track them down and study them.
And someone pays you to do that.
You do.
I work for the government.
It's up here.
Come on.
How can a little piece like that cause so much damage? Can you pass me the etching tool from my bag, please? Didn't know meteors were magnetic.
Meteorite.
They're not.
-Am I assume though, right? -Yeah.
They're all from Cologne.
From here.
Doesn't start again until up here, huh? -Maddie.
-Alex.
Nice to see you.
It's been too long.
Yeah.
I'd like you to meet one of my students.
-Ella Barlow.
-Hi.
Ella, Maddie Rhodes.
-Nice to meet you.
-You too.
So.
We're hoping there's some consistency that can help pin this down.
Washington's breathing down my neck.
They want answers.
Don't we all? This is outside any known scientific parameters.
But there is an explanation.
We just need to find it.
Agreed.
So let's start with what we know.
-When did these anomalies begin? -After the collision.
More precisely after the Moon repositioned its orbit.
The Moon's magnetic influence isn't strong enough to cause these effects.
-Or so we thought.
-So we know.
I mean, astrophysics is an exact science.
Something's happening here that we don't understand but what you're suggesting is impossible.
I don't know.
It wasn't that long ago people thought the world was flat.
If we're gonna make headway here, or if we're gonna get anywhere we need to start thinking beyond what we believe is possible.
Okay.
So why is the Moon causing compasses to spin erratically or cell-phone disruption or massive static charges? It's electrical.
Somehow the collision has altered the Moon's magnetic field.
But only in specific areas.
Random and very isolated surges in the Earth's electromagnetic field that would explain it.
But what about the tides? They've been affected too.
And that's not magnetic, that's gravitational.
True, which would suggest somehow the Moon's mass has been dramatically altered.
Hello, this is Dr.
Rhodes.
Dr.
Rhodes, is it now? Get a promotion and we're no longer on a first-name basis? Roland, hang on one second.
I'm gonna put you on speaker.
Roland, I'm here with Alex Kittner and one of his students, Ella Barlow.
Alex.
How are the kids? How are you? Fine.
Fine, Roland.
Thank you.
How are any of us, really, though? -We're all pulling our hair out.
-I would say, yes.
Have you found anything? Yes.
And it's from our meteor, I'm sure.
Hold on to your socks.
I believe what we have here is a fragment from a brown dwarf.
-A brown dwarf? -What's a brown dwarf? Remnant of a dead star.
There are millions of them floating around.
After a star burns out, it packs itself into very, very compressed matter.
Very, very, very compressed.
Nobody has ever actually had their hands on one before.
Until now.
I believe I'm in line for a Nobel.
Are you sure? With these good looks? About the brown dwarf.
Well, further testing is needed, but, yes, I am sure.
My guess is two of them collided and smashed each other up some time ago sending a good size chunk of it into our neighborhood.
Our Moon got a heavier hit than we thought.
New images are showing deep subsurface fissures.
We believe that a piece of the brown dwarf is still lodged inside the Moon.
-What's its mass? -Doesn't disappoint.
About 12 sextillion tons.
That's twice the mass of Earth.
Oh, that's not all.
This is heavily magnetized.
Not only is the Moon now twice as heavy as the Earth but we have a gigantic magnet floating up there above us.
Well, that would explain the electromagnetic surges.
Roland, can you send me this data immediately? I'll send it right over.
Radial velocity.
When's the last time anyone did a spectrograph -or Doppler reading of the Moon? -JPL, right after the impact.
Moon's achieved gravitational equilibrium.
It can't shift again without another impact or outside force.
If this piece of hypermass is magnetic, Ella is quite right.
That's what's causing these surges in magnetic field.
And if we have a mass of 12 sextillion tons stuck in the Moon it and Earth are gonna start pulling closer.
Now, these anomalies have been getting more intense, right? Why? Let's recheck the Moon's position.
-Roland, stay on the line.
-Okay.
I need your landline.
Thank you.
-This is Jared.
-Jared, I need you to-- Dr.
Rhodes, the phone hasn't stopped ringing.
You need to get back.
JPL, Jodrell, RAS Observatory every amateur astronomer with an RSS feed.
They're all requesting confirmation.
Confirmation of what? The minor axis is now-- The Moon has moved again.
It's now orbiting at 265,000 kilometers.
That's almost 90,000 kilometers closer.
Has it regained equilibrium? Yes, but who's to say it's not gonna move again? What if it keeps getting drawn closer and closer to the Earth? -That's not possible.
-None of this was.
Who's to say it isn't possible? This can't be.
I thought the president was finding new experts to advise him.
He likes you, and he's been told you're the best.
Give him straight answers, speak your mind if you have to but if you don't know, tell him you don't know.
Do not B.
S.
this man.
Oh, and one more thing.
Whatever you do tell him, it has to be right.
-Okay? -Wait.
Do I call him "sir" or "Mr.
President"? Mr.
President.
Excuse me, Mr.
President.
Dr.
Rhodes.
-Mr.
President.
-Thank you for coming.
I prefer face-to-face.
Video screens are not very personal.
-It's an honor, Mr.
President.
-Have a seat.
So? Where are we? The acceleration of an object moving in a near circular orbit is bound by Kepler's third law.
Dr.
Rhodes, I am uneducated in the ways of science.
You need to speak to me in a way I can speak to the American public.
Sorry.
After the initial impact the Moon once again attained what we call gravitational equilibrium.
Which basically means that once an object is in orbit there are certain mathematical laws that dictate it stay in that orbit.
Instead, the Moon has moved again.
Closer to Earth.
You told us the Moon was stable, Dr.
Rhodes.
You said there were no significant ramifications.
I was wrong.
We are still in the process of figuring out why but we believe that the shift is related to the surges in electromagnetic energy.
-ls the Moon moving closer? -No.
Our measurements indicate that it isn't, but it is in an eccentric elliptical orbit.
This is quite significant.
What does that mean, exactly? If you turn to the third page.
The Moon ordinarily is in a relatively circular orbit.
It's now moving on a much longer and narrower axis.
At times, the Moon will be much closer to Earth than we're used to and at other times much farther away.
How will that affect us? The asteroid that hit the Moon was a brown dwarf the remnant of a dead star.
We believe its immense density is what caused the original shift.
We don't know why it shifted again.
But we cannot rule out the possibility of further electromagnetic surges on its return orbit to Earth.
Stronger? Possibly, yes.
Then what do you recommend we do, Dr.
Rhodes? I mean, this is not like some hurricane roaring across the Atlantic.
We're in uncharted territory.
Yes, these events are completely unprecedented.
You need to assemble a team, a think tank of experts utilizing other observatories and agencies around the world.
What do we tell the public? People are scared.
They want answers.
We don't have any answers.
Until we get a handle on this the public can assume it was a one-time anomaly.
All right.
Let's release a statement.
But we stay quiet on any potential danger until we know what that is.
I'll brief the congressional leaders personally.
You'll get whatever resources you need, Dr.
Rhodes.
-Me? -You're gonna head up this team.
I want you here in Washington.
You'll report to Renee Ferguson.
Get some answers.
Quick.
I understand that, Maddie, but there are other people who can help.
No one as good as you.
Look, I need people I can trust.
The kids and I have not spent a night apart since Amanda died.
They're not ready.
I'm not ready.
Look, Alex, I know it's a bad time.
Maybe you could ask them if it would be okay? We are a part of something here that's gonna be written about in the same context as Newton and Einstein.
You know, I know you don't wanna miss out on that.
I don't understand why you have to go to Darmstadt.
We're using the European Space Agency as our point of communication with all of the other teams worldwide and I just can't do it from here.
I need their facilities.
Why you? Because I know more about the Moon than anybody.
Anybody? So I'm told.
When will you be back? -Soon.
-You're lying.
You won't be back until it's finished.
We are going to get married in three weeks, aren't we? Yes.
So I'll make sure that we're done by then.
Promise? In a flash.
Make sure you iron your shirts, Dad.
They're not gonna take you seriously if your shirts are wrinkled like usual.
Okay, Mr.
Wise-Guy.
What's this? My first home run, for good luck.
You're just like your mom, you know that? We've had a rough go, haven't we, Jake? I'm sorry I have to go.
But I want you to know something.
I wouldn't leave if I didn't trust you to be the man of the house, okay? Make sure not to be too long.
Okay, Dad? I won't.
Listen to what your grandpa tells you, but keep an eye on things too, okay? Because sometimes he forgets and puts the milk in the cupboard.
-Okay.
-Okay? Jake, if your little sister wants to believe in the man in the Moon, let her.
She needs it right now.
Come here.
I love you, buddy.
I love you too, Dad.
Hey.
Are you crying? You forgot to say goodbye.
Buddy, I didn't forget.
Mom didn't say goodbye.
Hey.
Your mom never meant to do that.
And I'll make you a deal, okay, pal? I will never leave without saying goodbye.
Okay? Should I make a wish to the man in the Moon that everything will be okay? I think that's a great idea.
-Here you go.
-Thanks.
Thank you.
I wanna talk to your father just a minute.
Alex.
I'm not sure I'm up for this.
I like my quiet, kind of set in my ways.
Lloyd, you're the closest thing they have to their mother.
I need your help.
All right, all right.
But I'm not taking them anywhere.
They're gonna watch a lot of TV right here.
They've got a lot of friends who are gonna help out, Lloyd.
Just be a grandfather.
I guess I can do that much.
Thank you.
-I'll call as soon as I get in, okay? -All right.
Guys.
-Bye, Dad.
-See you, buddy.
Bye, Dad.
Be good to your grandpa.
Okay.
Keep me in the loop, huh? We'll coordinate from here.
We're connected to every major observatory and space agency, both here and abroad.
We're working with teams in Russia, Europe, Japan, China and Australia.
Looks like Battlestar Galactica.
JPL, NASA, European Space Agency the Russian Space Agency and NORAD.
-What's General Vaughn doing here? -Everyone's involved.
He is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff now.
I guess that nasty habit he had of acquiring our work at NASA for the military paid off, huh? Dr.
Kittner, it's been awhile.
We're glad to have you here.
And I was sorry to hear about your wife.
Thank you, general.
Renee Ferguson, Homeland Security.
-A pleasure, ma'am.
-Thank you for doing this.
Excuse me.
Meet Jared.
He's who we were on the phone with last week.
He's our programming whiz and he's developed our tracking software.
Dr.
Emerson and his team will be up in a moment and Dr.
Wilson is on.
Please.
-Hello, Alex.
-Nice to see you again.
Hope to see you in person soon.
London misses you.
So you coerced the great Alex Kittner out of his cave after all.
Yeah, well, I didn't want you having all the fun.
Let me introduce you to Franz Henke.
Alex.
Ian.
Jared.
Dr.
Rhodes.
-Maddie.
-And Miss Ferguson.
Renee Ferguson, director of Homeland Security.
I appreciate the assembly of this meeting.
Thank you, Dr.
Emerson, Dr.
Wilson.
The president is pleased with the cooperation we are receiving from our friends.
We have some new information.
Yeah, we're seeing it now.
I've mapped out where the surge in electromagnetic energy was felt.
As you can see, the Moon's position was at its closest point when the spike occurred.
Something else.
We've measured an increase in the Moon's velocity.
Orbital velocity? Yes, you can see it in the simulation.
It's incredible.
Whatever has lodged itself in the Moon has changed dramatically the way the Moon and Earth's magnetic fields interact.
There's something else-- Yes, that piece of dwarf star would account for not only the changes in magnetism but for the huge change in the Moon's mass.
And if your theory is correct orbital velocity will increase with each pass.
Which is an elongating, elliptical orbit.
English, please.
Miss Ferguson.
Because the Moon is heavier, as it orbits the Earth gravity has a different effect on it-- A slingshot effect occurs, if you will.
--causing the Moon's velocity to increase and its orbit to stretch.
And the orbit will narrow and could bring it closer to Earth on each pass.
Oh, I believe it will.
And on each near pass, electromagnetic surges will get worse.
Grids, computers and anything electrical could be wiped out.
-How soon? -We've.
About 48 hours.
Thank you, everyone.
We will reconvene at a later time.
Thank you.
Miss Ferguson.
It appears I'm gonna be here a lot longer than I had anticipated.
Would it be possible to bring my family? I'd like them close.
Yeah, we'll put someone on it right away.
I'll let you know the details.
Thank you.
I've been told that the explosive destruction of several gas stations as well as hydroelectric power plants may be caused by electromagnetic-- -This is David.
-David, Hugh Kelley.
Hugh, how are you? I assume you've been following all this.
Every minute of it.
Hugh, I'd like to write a piece for the paper.
I'm working an angle I think you'd be interested in.
I heard your ex-wife happens to be head of the advisory team to the president.
I've already tried that route.
Hugh, it's a no-go.
The woman will not talk to me.
This might just be the biggest story in history.
Look, David, I didn't wanna let you go.
I mean, it wasn't my decision.
It's all economics.
Hell, look at the video.
People wanna see this stuff.
They don't wanna read it anymore.
But an inside story, an exclusive that's what makes us journalists.
That's news.
Try again.
You won't be freelancing anymore after this.
Thanks, Hugh.
I appreciate it.
Goodbye.
Hello, this is Martina.
Please leave a message.
Hey, it's me.
I'm sorry I didn't call.
It's been a long day.
-I miss you.
-I miss you too.
I know you, Dr.
Emerson.
Someone has to feed you, and you don't like broccoli.
What a wonderful surprise.
That's such a wonderful surprise.
I'm on my way to see my mother.
-ln Munich? -She hasn't moved, yes.
Why? It's just.
I'd like you to be closer.
There could be blackouts or worse even.
We just don't know.
Should I be worried? No.
No, no.
Everything is okay.
It's the only time I have to see her.
She's excited about the baby.
And not about the wedding? Yes, the wedding too.
She wanted me to marry a doctor.
She just didn't specify what kind.
I'm taking the train, just for a few days.
Wouldn't you rather have me out of your hair? No.
No.
Never.
He has your eyes.
I can feel it.
He? Well, there's a slight 50-percent chance that it may be a boy.
With me, maybe a little bit more.
With you, a little bit more? Grandpa, we're hungry.
There's mac and cheese in the kitchen.
Again? We can order pizza if you want.
-Really? -As long as it's delivered.
Cool.
Grandpa? What, honey? Can you tell us a story about Mom? What story? Dad tells us stories.
He says it keeps her with us.
I don't know any stories about your mom.
-Hello? -Hey, buddy.
-Hi, Dad.
-Everything okay? Yup.
I got another hit yesterday, a double.
That's great, Jake.
I wish I was there.
I sure miss you.
I miss you too.
Hunter took a video.
-I'll e-mail it to your cell phone.
-Can't wait to see it.
-I want the phone.
-Hold on, Sadie's being a freak.
Daddy, when are you coming home? Real soon, pumpkin.
Real soon.
-How's your grandpa doing? -Fine.
He said we can order pizza.
Pizza, huh? Wow, sounds like you guys are having fun.
I guess so.
Can you put your grandpa on the phone? I need to speak to him.
Okay.
Grandpa, my dad wants to talk to you.
Hold your horses.
Off you go.
When the hell are you coming home? I was wrong.
You're a hell of father.
-I can't take it.
-That bad, huh? No, they're all right.
The government is sending a helicopter tomorrow to pick you guys up and bring you to Washington.
-Washington? -I just want them closer, that's all.
This is a bigger deal than what's in the news.
I don't know, Lloyd, and that's what scares me.
You know, we're seeing a lot of things we don't understand.
Be sure to get clothes packed and be ready to go in the morning.
Somebody is gonna call you with the details.
I'm not leaving here, Alex.
And I'm certainly not going to Washington.
-Lloyd-- -I'll get the kids ready.
Don't worry about it.
But I'm staying put.
Look, Lloyd, just make sure the kids are on the helicopter, okay? Please.
I got it.
And, Lloyd, don't say anything about this to anybody, okay? If they ask, it's nothing out of the ordinary, all right? Sure.
Yeah.
Okay.
I need to call you back.
-Hi.
-David, did I not make myself clear? Yes, you did.
So, what are you doing here? You know, don't even answer that.
I know what you want.
-I can't talk to the press.
-Can you talk to your ex-husband? There's a reason things worked out the way they did between us.
I didn't just go out looking for someone else.
I was second to you, second to your career.
Would you stop using that as an excuse? Your career was just as important.
No, mine's not exactly on the same trajectory though, is it? Never was.
Damn it, I need this.
I'm sorry.
Please, this is bigger than anything that happened between you and l.
This is news.
The public deserves to know.
The public deserves to know the facts not what the media wants to sensationalize.
We are still trying to figure that out.
Why don't I believe you? -Hey.
-Hey.
-lf you don't mind, I took the liberty.
-Thank you.
Still merlot? Without apologies.
Great.
-Cheers.
-Cheers.
Pretty extraordinary, when you think about it.
Talking about 1000 years of science being called into question.
Well, I'm not sure I'm ready to question science yet.
That's where you're too stubborn.
Science should always be questioned.
It's how we learn, build from our mistakes.
How are you? It's been so crazy I haven't had a chance to ask.
I'm holding up.
And your kids? Pretty heartbreaking, you know.
They were very close with their mom.
They loved her very much, you know.
They just.
They really miss her.
Sometimes I think they're stronger than me, you know.
Oh, I doubt that.
I really wish I'd called.
Me too.
I mean, I would hear about you through friends and.
-Time got away from us I guess, right? -Yeah.
The next thing you know, it's been too long, and.
You know, maybe we should get back, huh? Dr.
Wilson has been waiting for you.
-Maddie.
-Ian.
Another surge.
It's all over Europe but there's no particular pattern.
You should be online.
Levels are considerably higher than the previous event.
You're probably feeling residual effects where you are.
Jared, get me Renee Ferguson.
Where are we going? -I don't know.
-Isn't he coming home? You'll have to ask him.
-Aren't you coming with? -No.
Go upstairs and get your bag.
-When are we leaving? -Tomorrow.
How are we getting there? Just get your bag and pack.
I don't know any more about all of this than you do, all right? -Grandpa? -What? Can I bring this? I'll wrap it up so it doesn't break.
How's that sound? Okay.
Okay, go get your things.
This image was just sent to us by Dr.
Roland Emerson and his team.
Campers in France.
When asked by authorities how it happened they said they floated.
-Floated? -Weightless.
We're getting reports throughout the European continent.
The same thing, people, animals, things floating up off the ground.
But it's sporadic.
There's no pattern.
The U.
K.
reported over three dozen airplanes unable to maintain altitude.
They were rising.
We lost 83 grids across this country.
What the hell is going on, people? Not sure we have a definitive answer, Mr.
Ranfield.
Then give me a theory, at least.
That's what you scientists do, right? Come up with theories.
Sir, I believe what we're talking about, what we are witnessing are fluctuations in gravity.
-That's impossible.
-I might've said the same thing.
In fact, our entire science as astrophysicists is based on the possible and the impossible with nothing in-between.
But there it is, sir, possible somehow.
I can't answer the questions on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? but I know the Moon is not capable of manipulating gravity at this level.
That's true.
The Moon's mass is one-sixth our own.
It'd have to be close enough to touch the Earth for it to have any effect.
But the Moon's mass changed when the brown dwarf hit it.
Yes, we read your report.
That was the reason for the electromagnetic surges.
But what the hell does that got to do with cars floating into trees? This is not gravity in the traditional sense we're used to.
But if what Dr.
Emerson measured is accurate we're talking energy levels never considered before.
I'm not following.
The basic law of gravity is that smaller mass is attracted to larger mass.
Fifth-grade science, right? That's why my boy's baseball falls to the floor instead of the ceiling.
Why? What is the largest object around? Planet Earth.
Hey there.
Speak English? Come on, everyone speaks English.
Where you headed? I was trying to make a phone call, but I keep losing reception.
I was wondering, actually, if I maybe I could borrow your phone.
I can pay you for it.
Yeah.
That's a pretty cute accent.
All right.
Well, nice to meet you.
Look, if the electromagnetic energy is powerful enough it will override local gravity.
Gravity is a relatively weak force.
A piece of metal will cling to a magnet instead of falling.
Except these fluctuations are isolated pockets, not the entire planet.
Exactly.
Think of what we saw as like a magnetic storm moving across the globe.
As the storm front moves these electromagnetic surges are like lightning strikes.
Within that storm, one object might be affected while another one is not.
If it's magnetic, why isn't it just affecting metal objects? It doesn't make any sense.
As I said before we are all made up of the same electromagnetic energy.
Now, larger objects will more likely be affected.
People, cars, airplanes.
But not an ant or a particle of dust, at least not at these energy levels.
These lightning strikes they'll last anywhere from five minutes to five hours depending upon the interaction between the magnetic fields.
Now, the Moon is presently on a narrow elliptical orbit and has yet to reach its closest point on this orbital pass.
When it moves on, we can expect a reprieve of sorts.
But in the meantime, we can expect another event? Yes.
Worse? Yes.
Have you figured out a way to predict it? Calculating the Earth's rotation against the Moon's orbit Europe is still vulnerable.
It will continue to moving west and then us.
We need to clear shipping lanes, air travel.
What the hell do we tell people to do? Where do they seek shelter? Ground all air traffic.
Keep them out of their cars, indoors.
Wait a minute, the world can't come to a stop.
The economic ramifications alone would be catastrophic.
Unfortunately, Mr.
Ranfield, we have no other choice, sir.
You can't hide from gravity.
Tell the president we'll be there in five minutes.
Make sure you get the rest of the staff in there now.
Sure you have the right people working on this? -They're the best in their field.
-They haven't exactly been right.
They missed the damn asteroid.
Rhodes told us the Moon was stable.
-There was no new danger.
-As did everybody else.
There's nobody to blame.
What we're witnessing is unprecedented.
So they told us.
But I'd feel more comfortable working with our own.
NASA.
They're working with NASA, general.
They're working with everybody around the world.
I don't think we're in a position to question their expertise.
What I question is putting a project this important in the hands of civilians.
It's my responsibility to protect this country.
First rule of the military is you don't put all of your eggs in one basket.
I knew Kittner when he was at NASA.
-He's stubborn.
-He's also very good, general.
If this gets any worse, is there anyone else you'd want? The president likes them.
He trusts Dr.
Rhodes' judgment.
For now.
We'll keep all our options open, if necessary.
-Yeah.
-Lloyd, it's Alex.
What the hell is going on? Listen, the helicopter is on its way.
Whatever you do-- -You're breaking up.
-children on it.
It is not safe.
Hello? Lloyd, can you hear me? Alex, I can't hear you.
Look, listen, Lloyd, whatever you do do not leave the house until I call you.
Do you understand? Alex? Alex.
Although our part of the world at this moment is most vulnerable we must emphasize that the intensity of these gravity spikes duration and exact location cannot be foreseen with any accuracy.
Seek shelter indoors.
Turn off all electronic equipment.
Pad your walls.
Secure all loose objects.
If you have a basement, go to it immediately.
Do not stay outdoors.
Then triangulate these and input them into the formula.
-Anything? -No, we're not getting a thing yet.
I'm bringing it up now.
Listen to me.
I cannot exactly stop the train, Roland.
Or did you want me to jump? This is not funny.
You haven't seen what's happened.
Why is the train operating if there's a danger? The bulletin has just been issued.
They obviously haven't gotten it.
We don't know where it will hit, but please get off at the next stop and get inside a small room somewhere.
Okay, I will.
Bye.
Bye.
For your own safety, seek shelter indoors immediately.
Secure all loose objects.
For your own safety, seek shelter indoors immediately.
Secure all loose objects.
Bruno.
Bruno.
Bruno.
Come on, Bruno.
Where are you, boy? It's starting.
Bruno.
Here, Bruno.
Bruno.
Bruno.
Here, Bruno.
Peter.
Come inside now.
Forget the dog.
-Come.
-Dad, he won't come.
-Dad, help.
-Peter.
We're losing grids across the Northeast and parts of Canada.
Why? It's hitting Europe.
It's secondary static charge.
What's happening in Europe is far worse.
-Dad.
-Hold on.
I've got you, son.
Hold on, Peter.
Hold on to me.
Grandpa? It's okay, it's okay.
It's okay.
What happened? That's all right.
Honey.
We still have the satellite uplink? Jared? I'm working on it.
Let's try and stay focused, people.
Dr.
Kittner.
Yes, what is it? The helicopter en route to pick up your family went down.
Its electrical failed from the surge.
Your family was not onboard.
It went down? We're doing everything we can to pick up your family but the entire area is in a blackout.
Gravity was not affected in that area.
It was just a static surge.
I'm sure they're okay.
We're just now getting the first images.
People are beginning to pull themselves up off the ground.
Oh, it's like a war zone.
Folks, this is an absolute calamity.
Reports are now coming in from England to Germany to Egypt.
Witnesses claiming to have been pull-- Air weightless.
We've not yet gotten any official word from the White House or any European authorities.
I'm just getting this in now off the wire.
The surge, as it is being referred to, has dissipated.
Now, authorities believe the worst is, in fact, over as the Moon is now moving away from the planet.
The Moon is moving away from its closest point.
-It's over.
-No, it's not over.
The Moon is still on the narrow point of its axis.
We can expect these surges this side of the globe at least the next 24 hours.
We're next.
Jared, how long till we get Europe online? Where's Jared? I don't know.
He just said he had to leave.
I saw him step out a few minutes ago.
It's been coming in and out since this morning.
Give it a minute.
Jared? Hey.
You want a drink? I'm buying.
Sure.
I'll take the same.
Thanks.
You know, we're all pretty shaken, Jared.
It's okay to talk about it.
No, I'm all right.
It is what it is.
It's all just chance anyway, right? What happened to faith? Look, I know you think it's foolish, but faith, sometimes it's all I have.
Believe me, Jared, I'm not making fun.
Science has very much come under question these last few days.
But right now, it's all I have.
We don't know what's next.
But I can tell you, there are a lot of people counting on us to figure it out.
I can't do that without you.
Well, it's not just science being put into question right now.
Well, let's hope we're both wrong.
What do you say we go back to work and try and find some answers? -Okay.
-This wasn't a bad idea, by the way.
Thanks for the drink.
Hello? ESA's coming back online.
You're just in time.
Roland's almost up.
Washington, hello? Hello? Maddie, is everything okay over there? Yes, we only felt residual effects.
Static, mostly.
Some blackouts.
You? Not so lucky, some hard-hit areas across the continent.
We weren't hit directly but some of our systems have been badly damaged.
We can expect the same here over the next several hours.
But that's not all, and it's far worse.
Alex, we used your equation on the changed lunar-orbit velocity with the newest data we received from Jodrell.
It's being uploaded to you right now.
Have you received it yet? -I've got it here.
-Good.
What you are seeing is a simulation of the way the orbit will be changing.
What's its new velocity? We were far too conservative in our estimates.
The Moon has moved into an even narrower elliptical orbit.
The hypermass will not escape our gravity and we won't escape its.
We have to forward this information to all of the team members as soon as possible-- Dr.
Rhodes, come with me.
Tell the president I'm on my way with Dr.
Rhodes.
We need to see him immediately.
Make sure that Tom Ranfield and General Vaughn are there.
Homeland Security has issued a new warning now.
They do not feel the event is over.
There may, in fact, be a new threat on this side of the Atlantic.
We're getting new reports now.
Hundreds of people in Germany have been affected.
Witnesses claiming to have been lifted into trees then falling suddenly when the event has ended.
Casualties are mounting.
Similar reports in England and elsewhere and now we're being told the same can be expected here.
If one wants evidence, they simply need to look outside and see how big the Moon looks, hovering like a huge bird of prey.
The world waits, not knowing where another surge might strike.
The Moon hovers huge in the sky, closer than it's ever been before.
Authorities have issued warnings for the entire North American continent.
People continue to take precautions.
But how does one hide from gravity? This is absolutely certain? Yes.
How long? The Moon will make impact with Earth in 39 days.
What happens to Earth? Mr.
President, an asteroid nine miles across killed the dinosaurs.
An asteroid 90 miles wide would vaporize the oceans and sterilize this planet.
The Moon is more than 2200 miles in diameter.
There won't be a planet Earth.
Take a look.
The Grimaldi Crater? Nice work, kiddo.
I wanna see the man in the Moon.
There's no stupid man in the Moon.
It's a story Mom made up.
Hey, Jake, let her look.
I told your mom those stories, and I didn't make them up.
Hey, professor.
Been here an hour, only seen one.
When's it gonna start? Keep your eye on the skies, Denny.
Anytime now.
This is Hal Boon reporting live, as across the globe people are gathered at all hours of the night for what astronomers are calling the greatest meteor shower in nearly 10,000 years.
The meteor shower is expected to be so intense that the long-anticipated European lunar expedition has been delayed and is now scheduled to launch early next month.
Look, I see one.
We are beginning to see the first meteors now.
People are turning their telescopes to the sky.
Intense streaks of light visible as the meteorites burn out in Earth's upper atmosphere.
It's truly extraordinary.
It's magnificent.
This is absolutely incredible.
Ladies and gentlemen I shouldn't say this but stop watching me, go outside and witness this celestial event for yourself.
Something we will never see again in our lifetime.
Definitely at least five post-cometary meteors in the main field.
Largest: 6 kilometers.
Six months as director of the observatory and you hit the mother lode.
Same job I had at Kitt Peak, Jared.
Just more paperwork.
Give me 4 degrees, 12 minutes.
What's Mount Palomar giving us as a geocentric distance? They're tracking the main field.
Just as we expected, a very safe distance of 2.
7 million kilometers.
If those two bodies collided just a few hours earlier the trajectory of the larger meteors would be in our path.
A few hours.
Fifty million years ago.
It's amazing.
-lt really is just chance, isn't it? -Chance? That we're even here, that we exist.
-There's your proof.
-You're an atheist.
Well, I'm a scientist, Jared.
I think science trumped religion a long time ago.
How can you be sure that science has all of the answers, Dr.
Rhodes? -Data.
-Data.
Could you pass me the 30? It's the big one with the green stripes.
Thank you.
How long will it last? Several hours.
Probably well into the day.
It's beautiful.
The most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Almost.
Don't worry.
I know my place.
Oh, this is fantastic.
There will be hundreds of samples and they will probably contain fragments we have never seen before.
I'm sorry, Martina.
I know the details bore you.
But I'm hoping that seeing this, you will understand why this is all so very magical to me.
I do.
Just don't go looking for all of those pieces at the same time.
We have a wedding to plan, Dr.
Emerson.
I know the details bore you, but it's all very magical to me.
Jared, give me 100 dB aperture gain.
What's the matter? There's something concealed behind the main body of meteors.
What is it? We have a NEO, big.
Check its trajectory.
You're right.
I'm tracking a near-earth object.
Maddie, it's coming right at us.
Dad? What's that? I don't know.
But it's big enough to reflect the Sun.
I thought we could celebrate both events.
Roland? Diameter: 19 kilometers.
That's twice the size of the K- asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.
Geocentric distance: 412,000 kilometers.
Narrow elliptical orbit.
Geometric progression.
It's gonna hit the Moon.
Dad, what's wrong? We're not sure what we've just seen.
The Moon appears to have been hit by a meteor.
Something incredible has happened.
A tremendous explosion on the moon.
There's a great deal of debris now.
Meteors continue to streak past over our heads but something much bigger has happened only moments ago.
Maddie, we have incoming objects.
Large enough to survive atmospheric burn.
-How fast? -This is crazy.
The impact force ejected debris at 6000 kilometers a minute.
-What? -Yeah, that's what it says.
-At that velocity, it's only gonna take-- -Less than an hour.
Hello, this is Dr.
Rhodes.
When the White House was briefed we were told there wasn't any danger from this.
Speak to me.
A large meteor fragment was hidden behind the main meteor field.
Our telescopes missed it.
-Are there any more coming our way? -No.
But we are tracking unusually high-velocity fragments that'll make it through atmosphere and hit Earth in less than an hour.
What kind of damage? If they were to hit a metropolitan area, could be severe.
There's too many to track with any accuracy but we are expecting impact within the United States.
I'll have FEMA call you.
They're gonna relay to their offices.
Keep me updated.
Officials have just issued a statement urging everyone.
Hey, hey, hey, listen.
Debris from the Moon could, and most likely will, make impact.
Authorities cannot determine where these impacts will happen but have confirmed that large debris will survive the atmosphere.
This could pose a significant danger if any large meteorite were to hit populated areas.
Again, for your own safety you are asked to remain indoors and await further instruction.
--the explosions that shook Berlin moments ago are being felt in Cologne.
Windows are being shattered and the fires are spreading.
More than three dozen firemen are battling the inferno which was caused by a meteor fragment ejected from the Moon when it was hit earlier tonight.
Fortunately, most damage occurred in an industrial area where many factories were closed.
We're receiving information that another dozen impacts have occurred in the world.
Hello? Yeah, I'm watching it.
Call Franz and gather the others.
I'll meet you at the institute.
-Ian Wilson.
-Ian.
Quite a bit more than we bargained for, Maddie? I'm uploading a series of recent images from the Jodrell telescope.
What are we looking at? It's a piece of the Moon and a big one.
We've tracked it, extrapolated the course and it's headed towards Earth.
Estimated size at impact: 100 meters.
A hundred meters? That's enough to wipe out an entire metropolitan area.
We're waiting on updated satellite feeds from the Russian Observatory.
We should be able to track the impact to within a hundred-mile radius.
I'll send you the data as soon as we have it.
When is the estimated impact? Fourteen hours.
Thank you.
Lots of debris, as you can see, shrouded in a cloud of dust.
Apparently, the result of a massive-sized meteor that struck the Moon last night.
Ladies and gentlemen I'm afraid we're as much in the dark as you are.
Mr.
President.
--or whether any other will strike Earth.
There's been a new development.
It's not over yet.
It made impact off the coast of Australia.
JPL isn't tracking any other incoming objects.
The Moon is moving at 96 percent normal orbital velocity.
Three-hundred and fifty-one thousand kilometers and stable.
I want every advisory member to see the data.
I want a consensus of as many opinions as possible.
And that, guys, is why Canadian geese fly south.
Dad, Jake said a meteor killed all the dinosaurs and if I don't clean his room an even bigger one is gonna hit us tonight.
Really? Guess who's cleaning your room for the next couple of weeks.
What? We're gonna be fine, okay? Then why are we sleeping in the basement again? Well, it's like when there's a storm, pal.
Just to be sure, okay? Do you think the man in the Moon is okay? I know he is.
-Try and get some sleep, okay? -Okay.
-Good night.
-Night, Dad.
Good night, guys.
I wish, I wish the man in the Moon For health and happiness And laughter soon From morning to night He shines so bright He's always there The man in the Moon Reports are coming in now that the tsunami caused by the 40-megaton explosion hit the coast of Australia and Indonesia.
But thanks to the early warnings, countless lives were saved.
But we are just beginning to understand the magnitude of this incredible event.
I might have known how this was gonna end.
-Lloyd.
-Right in my own home.
Meteorites usually knock before they come crashing into the house.
I don't think we need to lock the door.
You think this is funny, don't you? Exciting.
But there could be more.
Not here, Lloyd.
Not tonight.
Million-to-one, right? Like a plane crash or a car wreck or getting hit by a bus while crossing the street? Well, it happens to someone, somewhere, every day.
Well, you know, there's an old bomb shelter in town if you wanna go.
Better go see how the kids are doing.
What about the Moon? The collision offset the Moon's forward velocity causing it to be drawn in by Earth's gravity.
The Moon is now 30,000 kilometers closer to Earth.
-Closer? -It really is quite extraordinary.
But it has regained gravitational equilibrium.
It is, once again, in a stable orbit.
But what are the ramifications? We're still analyzing all the data, but the distance variable didn't seem to be significant enough to have any major effect.
Most people won't even notice.
Are we in any danger? -Well-- -lt took a hell of a hit.
Werewolves gonna start coming out in the afternoon? I don't know, Dr.
Rhodes.
I'm not a scientist.
But what I don't want is Chicken Little telling people that the sky is falling.
I understand.
From all analysis at this point, the Moon is stable.
General Vaughn, where are we on this? We're watching the satellite tracking from Space Command and NORAD and have come to the same conclusion.
Andrew, let's schedule a presidential address.
Put a few minds at ease.
-Thank you, Dr.
Rhodes.
-Thank you, sir.
Professor Kittner, you have been quoted: "'lf in fact the meteor had hit Earth yes, it would have been catastrophic--"' I'll say.
"'--but let's remember that it didn't, and the chances of another meteor ever coming this close again is a trillion-to-one, if that' according to Dr.
Alex Kittner professor of astrophysics and formerly of NASA.
" -I didn't know you worked for NASA.
-Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
I was part of a team.
A think tank, theory-based applications.
-What kind of work did you do? -Antigravity.
-You're serious? -Ever hear of the levitating frog? Yes, European scientists manipulated gravity using electromagnetic energy and briefly levitated a frog.
We used that same theory and actually built the prototype of a zero-gravity machine which could, in theory, levitate more than just frogs.
-Right out of The Jetsons.
-Why haven't I heard? Probably because, in theory, it wasn't practical.
Particle debris will blanket the atmosphere for a week.
Temperatures will cool slightly, but that will pass.
We don't foresee any noticeable effect on tides.
You know her? Yeah.
We were at NASA together.
I haven't spoken to her in years.
--the aftermath of the meteor that has frayed nerves across the globe.
Now with more on this crisis, back to you, Lisa.
Water levels now receding from most of the affected areas has a welcomed-- Hello, this is Dr.
Rhodes.
Hi, Maddie.
David.
I just saw you on TV.
You look good.
Congratulations.
You know, this isn't really a good time.
Yeah, when was there ever a good time? Look, Maddie, an exclusive on something like this could really help me.
You seem to be someone in the know or maybe you know more than you're saying.
I'm sorry, David, but can you please not call me anymore? I don't think we're going north, Mr.
Lutz.
-I'm reading it right off the compass.
-I know.
But since when does the Sun set in the east? Mr.
Lutz, over here.
Look.
Look at that.
--based upon the limited number of casualties credited to the early warnings.
However, several unexpected tidal surges and new flooding in other parts of the globe, seemed to have experts baffled even as they insist these anomalies are not related to the tsunami.
What appears to be particularly troubling is that these tidal changes are not even remotely close to where the lunar.
There's no global consistency.
These tidal changes are happening in isolated areas.
It's not a normal interaction between the Moon's tidal forces or the effect would cover half the planet.
Something else is causing these intense local anomalies.
-Has NORAD come up with anything? -No.
They're waiting on us.
Nobody's seen anything like this.
That's not enough for several experts now speaking up suggesting that despite what the government wants us to believe the meteor has affected the Moon and its behavior towards Earth.
What exactly that means, nobody knows.
Hey, Lloyd, it would mean a lot to Jake if you came to the game.
Damn dandelions.
I don't get them out today, they're gonna mess up the lawn.
All right, guys.
Let's do it, huh? Will he ever leave the house in our lifetime? Seat belts on.
Piece of junk, runs by computer.
You couldn't fix it even if you wanted to.
-lt must be the battery, I guess.
-You can jump it with the boat.
-You got cables? -Yeah.
They're in my back seat.
All right, just be a minute, guys.
Runs like a car is supposed to run.
You haven't driven anywhere in 30 years, Lloyd.
Look, Canadian geese.
-What do we know about geese, guys? -They taste good.
They fly up to 40 miles per hour, reach 15,000 feet and sometimes migrate south as far as 1500 kilometers.
Congratulations.
You've got yourself another Trivial Pursuit champion.
Grandpa, you love me.
Admit it.
Yeah.
You're just upset because I know more about geese than you do.
Oh, yeah, Miss Smarty-Pants? Well, answer me this.
If geese fly south for the winter, how come they're flying south now? It's spring, isn't it? Grandpa, why don't you come to my baseball games? It's outside of my domain.
What's a domain? Whatever I can see from right here.
Why don't you wanna go outside your domain? I don't like people.
And I don't like places.
What? It's called social phobia.
-It's a real disease.
-Let's go.
We're gonna be late.
Do you think I'm being overly dramatic? No, Lloyd, I think you're difficult.
Well, why don't you just call me a wuss while you're at it? Why don't you wish Jake good luck? Good luck, Jake.
If I'm a wuss so what? Is your party still joining you? I suspect.
A glass of chardonnay while you wait? No.
Just water, please.
Thank you.
I'm sorry I'm late.
This has been incredible.
We're finding pieces with compounds we haven't had since Apollo.
ESA is gonna fast track the lunar mission.
-Can you imagine--? -Roland.
Slow down.
Right.
I'm sorry.
You said you needed to talk.
I'm all ears.
What is it? You are looking radiant.
Is there some change to the wedding I should know about? Well, not exactly.
Is it about work? Oh, before I forget.
Remember Lukas, the geologist from the institute? Tore his knee out today.
I told him I know the best physical therapist on the planet.
-On the planet? -So I'm told.
He's gonna call tomorrow.
Great.
Roland-- Would you like something to drink, sir? Wine.
White, two, please.
No, not for me.
Thank you.
I'm not drinking.
Good.
I was going to wait until we had a real moment alone but that seems unlikely these days and I couldn't wait, anyway.
Wait for what? Well, I went to see-- Sorry, I just have to take this.
Two more seconds.
I'll be right with you.
Hello? Where? I'll be there in 10 minutes.
Great.
Bye.
You are going to kill me, aren't you? Yes.
It was Franz.
They need me back at the lab.
We just received a new piece.
It could be very important.
If I'm the first to find a fragment from the meteor itself believe me, that would be very good news.
There's nothing like sharing good news with the person you love.
-We can read each other's thoughts.
-Completely.
Thank you.
You have it.
I love you.
We'll talk later.
We're meeting the priest tonight at the church.
Right.
Right.
I knew that.
I'll see you there.
Promise.
Make sure you get everything, huh? Go ahead.
I'm gonna take this.
-Okay.
-Okay.
-Hello? -Alex, it's Maddie Rhodes.
Maddie, hey.
I'm sorry to just call after all this time.
No, it's fine.
I mean, it's more than fine.
It's nice to hear from you.
You're becoming quite a familiar face on TV.
More than I'd like.
I don't think we've seen the end of it.
Yeah, the tides.
Wow, this is really something, isn't it? There's some residual effect since the Moon's shift.
I mean, there's no scientific precedent to explain these things.
I'm afraid I'm a little out of the loop.
Only what's been on the news.
Well, you're the best mind in the field as far as I'm concerned, Alex.
I could use your help.
Well, what can I do? Come to New Mexico.
You know, look over the data, see if there's something we've missed.
I can't get away right now, Maddie.
It's not a good time.
Just for a day.
Amanda died eight months ago and I just-- I can't be away from my kids, you know? Oh, Alex, I'm so sorry.
I didn't know.
No, hey, it's okay.
You know, you could come here if you've got the time.
-Would that be okay? -Yeah.
That's great.
I'll call you tomorrow with my details.
Okay, let me just.
Hello? Hello? -Come on, buddy.
-Come on, Jake.
He's never played well.
Strike! -Keep your head in the game, Jake.
-Come on, Jake.
Come on.
Stay focused, pal.
Way to go, Jake.
Dad, I feel funny.
What is it? Some kind of electrical charge.
Roland, what is with all of this writing? "Roland was here.
" My mother always told me to make a mark in the world.
Here, take a look at this.
Right here.
You're right.
Definitely lunar.
These pieces aren't doing us any good anymore.
We need a sample of that meteor.
I know.
Oh, by the way, we got a call earlier.
A local scout troop found something near Fürstenwalde.
Their description didn't make much sense, but it's worth a look.
So I'll be coming in later tomorrow.
Okay.
Didn't I hear you say something about you and Martina having to meet with the pastor tonight? Oh, no.
Oh, no.
She's not gonna like this.
-Okay.
-Table.
So, Franz.
-Yeah? -See you tomorrow.
Go.
We reserved this church six months ago.
My parents were married in this church.
The pastor in this church needs to approve us as a couple.
I'm sorry, but you know the situation.
Except there's always a situation, Roland.
You missed our last meeting because you were hunting down another important meteorite.
That wasn't my fau-- We had to cancel the meeting with the caterer the week before because you were skydiving.
I need you to start being more responsible and start considering more than just yourself, Roland.
I don't need anyone to approve us.
We are going to get married.
It just so happens that I'm right in the middle of what might be -the greatest geological find-- -I'm pregnant.
Pregnant? We are having a baby.
At least I am.
Yeah! Are you serious? Yes.
A baby? Is it mine? I tried to tell you earlier but you can never stay in one place for more than five minutes.
All these places you go, scribbling "Roland was here" Roland's never here.
I need you to be home.
I need us to do this right, proper, if we are going to be a family.
Roland is going to be here.
I promise.
I promise.
Yes! Oh, I'm sorry.
We are pregnant.
Well, she is pregnant.
I will be a dad.
So sorry.
More than two dozen gas stations exploded almost simultaneously less than an hour ago, all within a 300 miles radius.
Authorities do not believe they are terrorist-related.
Witnesses from as far away as Canada claiming to have felt an unusual charge of static electricity.
But what caused this static surge? That still remains a mystery.
I was standing across the street when everybody's hair was standing on end and you could feel the charge.
My cell phone didn't work.
Nothing.
Then, boom, up goes that gas station.
It was trippy as hell.
-Renee.
-We're working on it.
So far, there's no consensus on what it is.
Get one.
Get it quickly.
I need answers.
What exactly does a meteor hunter do? Meteorite hunter.
-All right.
What's the difference? -ln space, it's a meteor.
If it makes it through the atmosphere, it's a meteorite.
Same question.
Thousands of meteors hit our planet every year.
Less than 1 percent make it through the atmosphere and nearly all of those are so small they're never found.
I track them down and study them.
And someone pays you to do that.
You do.
I work for the government.
It's up here.
Come on.
How can a little piece like that cause so much damage? Can you pass me the etching tool from my bag, please? Didn't know meteors were magnetic.
Meteorite.
They're not.
-Am I assume though, right? -Yeah.
They're all from Cologne.
From here.
Doesn't start again until up here, huh? -Maddie.
-Alex.
Nice to see you.
It's been too long.
Yeah.
I'd like you to meet one of my students.
-Ella Barlow.
-Hi.
Ella, Maddie Rhodes.
-Nice to meet you.
-You too.
So.
We're hoping there's some consistency that can help pin this down.
Washington's breathing down my neck.
They want answers.
Don't we all? This is outside any known scientific parameters.
But there is an explanation.
We just need to find it.
Agreed.
So let's start with what we know.
-When did these anomalies begin? -After the collision.
More precisely after the Moon repositioned its orbit.
The Moon's magnetic influence isn't strong enough to cause these effects.
-Or so we thought.
-So we know.
I mean, astrophysics is an exact science.
Something's happening here that we don't understand but what you're suggesting is impossible.
I don't know.
It wasn't that long ago people thought the world was flat.
If we're gonna make headway here, or if we're gonna get anywhere we need to start thinking beyond what we believe is possible.
Okay.
So why is the Moon causing compasses to spin erratically or cell-phone disruption or massive static charges? It's electrical.
Somehow the collision has altered the Moon's magnetic field.
But only in specific areas.
Random and very isolated surges in the Earth's electromagnetic field that would explain it.
But what about the tides? They've been affected too.
And that's not magnetic, that's gravitational.
True, which would suggest somehow the Moon's mass has been dramatically altered.
Hello, this is Dr.
Rhodes.
Dr.
Rhodes, is it now? Get a promotion and we're no longer on a first-name basis? Roland, hang on one second.
I'm gonna put you on speaker.
Roland, I'm here with Alex Kittner and one of his students, Ella Barlow.
Alex.
How are the kids? How are you? Fine.
Fine, Roland.
Thank you.
How are any of us, really, though? -We're all pulling our hair out.
-I would say, yes.
Have you found anything? Yes.
And it's from our meteor, I'm sure.
Hold on to your socks.
I believe what we have here is a fragment from a brown dwarf.
-A brown dwarf? -What's a brown dwarf? Remnant of a dead star.
There are millions of them floating around.
After a star burns out, it packs itself into very, very compressed matter.
Very, very, very compressed.
Nobody has ever actually had their hands on one before.
Until now.
I believe I'm in line for a Nobel.
Are you sure? With these good looks? About the brown dwarf.
Well, further testing is needed, but, yes, I am sure.
My guess is two of them collided and smashed each other up some time ago sending a good size chunk of it into our neighborhood.
Our Moon got a heavier hit than we thought.
New images are showing deep subsurface fissures.
We believe that a piece of the brown dwarf is still lodged inside the Moon.
-What's its mass? -Doesn't disappoint.
About 12 sextillion tons.
That's twice the mass of Earth.
Oh, that's not all.
This is heavily magnetized.
Not only is the Moon now twice as heavy as the Earth but we have a gigantic magnet floating up there above us.
Well, that would explain the electromagnetic surges.
Roland, can you send me this data immediately? I'll send it right over.
Radial velocity.
When's the last time anyone did a spectrograph -or Doppler reading of the Moon? -JPL, right after the impact.
Moon's achieved gravitational equilibrium.
It can't shift again without another impact or outside force.
If this piece of hypermass is magnetic, Ella is quite right.
That's what's causing these surges in magnetic field.
And if we have a mass of 12 sextillion tons stuck in the Moon it and Earth are gonna start pulling closer.
Now, these anomalies have been getting more intense, right? Why? Let's recheck the Moon's position.
-Roland, stay on the line.
-Okay.
I need your landline.
Thank you.
-This is Jared.
-Jared, I need you to-- Dr.
Rhodes, the phone hasn't stopped ringing.
You need to get back.
JPL, Jodrell, RAS Observatory every amateur astronomer with an RSS feed.
They're all requesting confirmation.
Confirmation of what? The minor axis is now-- The Moon has moved again.
It's now orbiting at 265,000 kilometers.
That's almost 90,000 kilometers closer.
Has it regained equilibrium? Yes, but who's to say it's not gonna move again? What if it keeps getting drawn closer and closer to the Earth? -That's not possible.
-None of this was.
Who's to say it isn't possible? This can't be.
I thought the president was finding new experts to advise him.
He likes you, and he's been told you're the best.
Give him straight answers, speak your mind if you have to but if you don't know, tell him you don't know.
Do not B.
S.
this man.
Oh, and one more thing.
Whatever you do tell him, it has to be right.
-Okay? -Wait.
Do I call him "sir" or "Mr.
President"? Mr.
President.
Excuse me, Mr.
President.
Dr.
Rhodes.
-Mr.
President.
-Thank you for coming.
I prefer face-to-face.
Video screens are not very personal.
-It's an honor, Mr.
President.
-Have a seat.
So? Where are we? The acceleration of an object moving in a near circular orbit is bound by Kepler's third law.
Dr.
Rhodes, I am uneducated in the ways of science.
You need to speak to me in a way I can speak to the American public.
Sorry.
After the initial impact the Moon once again attained what we call gravitational equilibrium.
Which basically means that once an object is in orbit there are certain mathematical laws that dictate it stay in that orbit.
Instead, the Moon has moved again.
Closer to Earth.
You told us the Moon was stable, Dr.
Rhodes.
You said there were no significant ramifications.
I was wrong.
We are still in the process of figuring out why but we believe that the shift is related to the surges in electromagnetic energy.
-ls the Moon moving closer? -No.
Our measurements indicate that it isn't, but it is in an eccentric elliptical orbit.
This is quite significant.
What does that mean, exactly? If you turn to the third page.
The Moon ordinarily is in a relatively circular orbit.
It's now moving on a much longer and narrower axis.
At times, the Moon will be much closer to Earth than we're used to and at other times much farther away.
How will that affect us? The asteroid that hit the Moon was a brown dwarf the remnant of a dead star.
We believe its immense density is what caused the original shift.
We don't know why it shifted again.
But we cannot rule out the possibility of further electromagnetic surges on its return orbit to Earth.
Stronger? Possibly, yes.
Then what do you recommend we do, Dr.
Rhodes? I mean, this is not like some hurricane roaring across the Atlantic.
We're in uncharted territory.
Yes, these events are completely unprecedented.
You need to assemble a team, a think tank of experts utilizing other observatories and agencies around the world.
What do we tell the public? People are scared.
They want answers.
We don't have any answers.
Until we get a handle on this the public can assume it was a one-time anomaly.
All right.
Let's release a statement.
But we stay quiet on any potential danger until we know what that is.
I'll brief the congressional leaders personally.
You'll get whatever resources you need, Dr.
Rhodes.
-Me? -You're gonna head up this team.
I want you here in Washington.
You'll report to Renee Ferguson.
Get some answers.
Quick.
I understand that, Maddie, but there are other people who can help.
No one as good as you.
Look, I need people I can trust.
The kids and I have not spent a night apart since Amanda died.
They're not ready.
I'm not ready.
Look, Alex, I know it's a bad time.
Maybe you could ask them if it would be okay? We are a part of something here that's gonna be written about in the same context as Newton and Einstein.
You know, I know you don't wanna miss out on that.
I don't understand why you have to go to Darmstadt.
We're using the European Space Agency as our point of communication with all of the other teams worldwide and I just can't do it from here.
I need their facilities.
Why you? Because I know more about the Moon than anybody.
Anybody? So I'm told.
When will you be back? -Soon.
-You're lying.
You won't be back until it's finished.
We are going to get married in three weeks, aren't we? Yes.
So I'll make sure that we're done by then.
Promise? In a flash.
Make sure you iron your shirts, Dad.
They're not gonna take you seriously if your shirts are wrinkled like usual.
Okay, Mr.
Wise-Guy.
What's this? My first home run, for good luck.
You're just like your mom, you know that? We've had a rough go, haven't we, Jake? I'm sorry I have to go.
But I want you to know something.
I wouldn't leave if I didn't trust you to be the man of the house, okay? Make sure not to be too long.
Okay, Dad? I won't.
Listen to what your grandpa tells you, but keep an eye on things too, okay? Because sometimes he forgets and puts the milk in the cupboard.
-Okay.
-Okay? Jake, if your little sister wants to believe in the man in the Moon, let her.
She needs it right now.
Come here.
I love you, buddy.
I love you too, Dad.
Hey.
Are you crying? You forgot to say goodbye.
Buddy, I didn't forget.
Mom didn't say goodbye.
Hey.
Your mom never meant to do that.
And I'll make you a deal, okay, pal? I will never leave without saying goodbye.
Okay? Should I make a wish to the man in the Moon that everything will be okay? I think that's a great idea.
-Here you go.
-Thanks.
Thank you.
I wanna talk to your father just a minute.
Alex.
I'm not sure I'm up for this.
I like my quiet, kind of set in my ways.
Lloyd, you're the closest thing they have to their mother.
I need your help.
All right, all right.
But I'm not taking them anywhere.
They're gonna watch a lot of TV right here.
They've got a lot of friends who are gonna help out, Lloyd.
Just be a grandfather.
I guess I can do that much.
Thank you.
-I'll call as soon as I get in, okay? -All right.
Guys.
-Bye, Dad.
-See you, buddy.
Bye, Dad.
Be good to your grandpa.
Okay.
Keep me in the loop, huh? We'll coordinate from here.
We're connected to every major observatory and space agency, both here and abroad.
We're working with teams in Russia, Europe, Japan, China and Australia.
Looks like Battlestar Galactica.
JPL, NASA, European Space Agency the Russian Space Agency and NORAD.
-What's General Vaughn doing here? -Everyone's involved.
He is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff now.
I guess that nasty habit he had of acquiring our work at NASA for the military paid off, huh? Dr.
Kittner, it's been awhile.
We're glad to have you here.
And I was sorry to hear about your wife.
Thank you, general.
Renee Ferguson, Homeland Security.
-A pleasure, ma'am.
-Thank you for doing this.
Excuse me.
Meet Jared.
He's who we were on the phone with last week.
He's our programming whiz and he's developed our tracking software.
Dr.
Emerson and his team will be up in a moment and Dr.
Wilson is on.
Please.
-Hello, Alex.
-Nice to see you again.
Hope to see you in person soon.
London misses you.
So you coerced the great Alex Kittner out of his cave after all.
Yeah, well, I didn't want you having all the fun.
Let me introduce you to Franz Henke.
Alex.
Ian.
Jared.
Dr.
Rhodes.
-Maddie.
-And Miss Ferguson.
Renee Ferguson, director of Homeland Security.
I appreciate the assembly of this meeting.
Thank you, Dr.
Emerson, Dr.
Wilson.
The president is pleased with the cooperation we are receiving from our friends.
We have some new information.
Yeah, we're seeing it now.
I've mapped out where the surge in electromagnetic energy was felt.
As you can see, the Moon's position was at its closest point when the spike occurred.
Something else.
We've measured an increase in the Moon's velocity.
Orbital velocity? Yes, you can see it in the simulation.
It's incredible.
Whatever has lodged itself in the Moon has changed dramatically the way the Moon and Earth's magnetic fields interact.
There's something else-- Yes, that piece of dwarf star would account for not only the changes in magnetism but for the huge change in the Moon's mass.
And if your theory is correct orbital velocity will increase with each pass.
Which is an elongating, elliptical orbit.
English, please.
Miss Ferguson.
Because the Moon is heavier, as it orbits the Earth gravity has a different effect on it-- A slingshot effect occurs, if you will.
--causing the Moon's velocity to increase and its orbit to stretch.
And the orbit will narrow and could bring it closer to Earth on each pass.
Oh, I believe it will.
And on each near pass, electromagnetic surges will get worse.
Grids, computers and anything electrical could be wiped out.
-How soon? -We've.
About 48 hours.
Thank you, everyone.
We will reconvene at a later time.
Thank you.
Miss Ferguson.
It appears I'm gonna be here a lot longer than I had anticipated.
Would it be possible to bring my family? I'd like them close.
Yeah, we'll put someone on it right away.
I'll let you know the details.
Thank you.
I've been told that the explosive destruction of several gas stations as well as hydroelectric power plants may be caused by electromagnetic-- -This is David.
-David, Hugh Kelley.
Hugh, how are you? I assume you've been following all this.
Every minute of it.
Hugh, I'd like to write a piece for the paper.
I'm working an angle I think you'd be interested in.
I heard your ex-wife happens to be head of the advisory team to the president.
I've already tried that route.
Hugh, it's a no-go.
The woman will not talk to me.
This might just be the biggest story in history.
Look, David, I didn't wanna let you go.
I mean, it wasn't my decision.
It's all economics.
Hell, look at the video.
People wanna see this stuff.
They don't wanna read it anymore.
But an inside story, an exclusive that's what makes us journalists.
That's news.
Try again.
You won't be freelancing anymore after this.
Thanks, Hugh.
I appreciate it.
Goodbye.
Hello, this is Martina.
Please leave a message.
Hey, it's me.
I'm sorry I didn't call.
It's been a long day.
-I miss you.
-I miss you too.
I know you, Dr.
Emerson.
Someone has to feed you, and you don't like broccoli.
What a wonderful surprise.
That's such a wonderful surprise.
I'm on my way to see my mother.
-ln Munich? -She hasn't moved, yes.
Why? It's just.
I'd like you to be closer.
There could be blackouts or worse even.
We just don't know.
Should I be worried? No.
No, no.
Everything is okay.
It's the only time I have to see her.
She's excited about the baby.
And not about the wedding? Yes, the wedding too.
She wanted me to marry a doctor.
She just didn't specify what kind.
I'm taking the train, just for a few days.
Wouldn't you rather have me out of your hair? No.
No.
Never.
He has your eyes.
I can feel it.
He? Well, there's a slight 50-percent chance that it may be a boy.
With me, maybe a little bit more.
With you, a little bit more? Grandpa, we're hungry.
There's mac and cheese in the kitchen.
Again? We can order pizza if you want.
-Really? -As long as it's delivered.
Cool.
Grandpa? What, honey? Can you tell us a story about Mom? What story? Dad tells us stories.
He says it keeps her with us.
I don't know any stories about your mom.
-Hello? -Hey, buddy.
-Hi, Dad.
-Everything okay? Yup.
I got another hit yesterday, a double.
That's great, Jake.
I wish I was there.
I sure miss you.
I miss you too.
Hunter took a video.
-I'll e-mail it to your cell phone.
-Can't wait to see it.
-I want the phone.
-Hold on, Sadie's being a freak.
Daddy, when are you coming home? Real soon, pumpkin.
Real soon.
-How's your grandpa doing? -Fine.
He said we can order pizza.
Pizza, huh? Wow, sounds like you guys are having fun.
I guess so.
Can you put your grandpa on the phone? I need to speak to him.
Okay.
Grandpa, my dad wants to talk to you.
Hold your horses.
Off you go.
When the hell are you coming home? I was wrong.
You're a hell of father.
-I can't take it.
-That bad, huh? No, they're all right.
The government is sending a helicopter tomorrow to pick you guys up and bring you to Washington.
-Washington? -I just want them closer, that's all.
This is a bigger deal than what's in the news.
I don't know, Lloyd, and that's what scares me.
You know, we're seeing a lot of things we don't understand.
Be sure to get clothes packed and be ready to go in the morning.
Somebody is gonna call you with the details.
I'm not leaving here, Alex.
And I'm certainly not going to Washington.
-Lloyd-- -I'll get the kids ready.
Don't worry about it.
But I'm staying put.
Look, Lloyd, just make sure the kids are on the helicopter, okay? Please.
I got it.
And, Lloyd, don't say anything about this to anybody, okay? If they ask, it's nothing out of the ordinary, all right? Sure.
Yeah.
Okay.
I need to call you back.
-Hi.
-David, did I not make myself clear? Yes, you did.
So, what are you doing here? You know, don't even answer that.
I know what you want.
-I can't talk to the press.
-Can you talk to your ex-husband? There's a reason things worked out the way they did between us.
I didn't just go out looking for someone else.
I was second to you, second to your career.
Would you stop using that as an excuse? Your career was just as important.
No, mine's not exactly on the same trajectory though, is it? Never was.
Damn it, I need this.
I'm sorry.
Please, this is bigger than anything that happened between you and l.
This is news.
The public deserves to know.
The public deserves to know the facts not what the media wants to sensationalize.
We are still trying to figure that out.
Why don't I believe you? -Hey.
-Hey.
-lf you don't mind, I took the liberty.
-Thank you.
Still merlot? Without apologies.
Great.
-Cheers.
-Cheers.
Pretty extraordinary, when you think about it.
Talking about 1000 years of science being called into question.
Well, I'm not sure I'm ready to question science yet.
That's where you're too stubborn.
Science should always be questioned.
It's how we learn, build from our mistakes.
How are you? It's been so crazy I haven't had a chance to ask.
I'm holding up.
And your kids? Pretty heartbreaking, you know.
They were very close with their mom.
They loved her very much, you know.
They just.
They really miss her.
Sometimes I think they're stronger than me, you know.
Oh, I doubt that.
I really wish I'd called.
Me too.
I mean, I would hear about you through friends and.
-Time got away from us I guess, right? -Yeah.
The next thing you know, it's been too long, and.
You know, maybe we should get back, huh? Dr.
Wilson has been waiting for you.
-Maddie.
-Ian.
Another surge.
It's all over Europe but there's no particular pattern.
You should be online.
Levels are considerably higher than the previous event.
You're probably feeling residual effects where you are.
Jared, get me Renee Ferguson.
Where are we going? -I don't know.
-Isn't he coming home? You'll have to ask him.
-Aren't you coming with? -No.
Go upstairs and get your bag.
-When are we leaving? -Tomorrow.
How are we getting there? Just get your bag and pack.
I don't know any more about all of this than you do, all right? -Grandpa? -What? Can I bring this? I'll wrap it up so it doesn't break.
How's that sound? Okay.
Okay, go get your things.
This image was just sent to us by Dr.
Roland Emerson and his team.
Campers in France.
When asked by authorities how it happened they said they floated.
-Floated? -Weightless.
We're getting reports throughout the European continent.
The same thing, people, animals, things floating up off the ground.
But it's sporadic.
There's no pattern.
The U.
K.
reported over three dozen airplanes unable to maintain altitude.
They were rising.
We lost 83 grids across this country.
What the hell is going on, people? Not sure we have a definitive answer, Mr.
Ranfield.
Then give me a theory, at least.
That's what you scientists do, right? Come up with theories.
Sir, I believe what we're talking about, what we are witnessing are fluctuations in gravity.
-That's impossible.
-I might've said the same thing.
In fact, our entire science as astrophysicists is based on the possible and the impossible with nothing in-between.
But there it is, sir, possible somehow.
I can't answer the questions on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? but I know the Moon is not capable of manipulating gravity at this level.
That's true.
The Moon's mass is one-sixth our own.
It'd have to be close enough to touch the Earth for it to have any effect.
But the Moon's mass changed when the brown dwarf hit it.
Yes, we read your report.
That was the reason for the electromagnetic surges.
But what the hell does that got to do with cars floating into trees? This is not gravity in the traditional sense we're used to.
But if what Dr.
Emerson measured is accurate we're talking energy levels never considered before.
I'm not following.
The basic law of gravity is that smaller mass is attracted to larger mass.
Fifth-grade science, right? That's why my boy's baseball falls to the floor instead of the ceiling.
Why? What is the largest object around? Planet Earth.
Hey there.
Speak English? Come on, everyone speaks English.
Where you headed? I was trying to make a phone call, but I keep losing reception.
I was wondering, actually, if I maybe I could borrow your phone.
I can pay you for it.
Yeah.
That's a pretty cute accent.
All right.
Well, nice to meet you.
Look, if the electromagnetic energy is powerful enough it will override local gravity.
Gravity is a relatively weak force.
A piece of metal will cling to a magnet instead of falling.
Except these fluctuations are isolated pockets, not the entire planet.
Exactly.
Think of what we saw as like a magnetic storm moving across the globe.
As the storm front moves these electromagnetic surges are like lightning strikes.
Within that storm, one object might be affected while another one is not.
If it's magnetic, why isn't it just affecting metal objects? It doesn't make any sense.
As I said before we are all made up of the same electromagnetic energy.
Now, larger objects will more likely be affected.
People, cars, airplanes.
But not an ant or a particle of dust, at least not at these energy levels.
These lightning strikes they'll last anywhere from five minutes to five hours depending upon the interaction between the magnetic fields.
Now, the Moon is presently on a narrow elliptical orbit and has yet to reach its closest point on this orbital pass.
When it moves on, we can expect a reprieve of sorts.
But in the meantime, we can expect another event? Yes.
Worse? Yes.
Have you figured out a way to predict it? Calculating the Earth's rotation against the Moon's orbit Europe is still vulnerable.
It will continue to moving west and then us.
We need to clear shipping lanes, air travel.
What the hell do we tell people to do? Where do they seek shelter? Ground all air traffic.
Keep them out of their cars, indoors.
Wait a minute, the world can't come to a stop.
The economic ramifications alone would be catastrophic.
Unfortunately, Mr.
Ranfield, we have no other choice, sir.
You can't hide from gravity.
Tell the president we'll be there in five minutes.
Make sure you get the rest of the staff in there now.
Sure you have the right people working on this? -They're the best in their field.
-They haven't exactly been right.
They missed the damn asteroid.
Rhodes told us the Moon was stable.
-There was no new danger.
-As did everybody else.
There's nobody to blame.
What we're witnessing is unprecedented.
So they told us.
But I'd feel more comfortable working with our own.
NASA.
They're working with NASA, general.
They're working with everybody around the world.
I don't think we're in a position to question their expertise.
What I question is putting a project this important in the hands of civilians.
It's my responsibility to protect this country.
First rule of the military is you don't put all of your eggs in one basket.
I knew Kittner when he was at NASA.
-He's stubborn.
-He's also very good, general.
If this gets any worse, is there anyone else you'd want? The president likes them.
He trusts Dr.
Rhodes' judgment.
For now.
We'll keep all our options open, if necessary.
-Yeah.
-Lloyd, it's Alex.
What the hell is going on? Listen, the helicopter is on its way.
Whatever you do-- -You're breaking up.
-children on it.
It is not safe.
Hello? Lloyd, can you hear me? Alex, I can't hear you.
Look, listen, Lloyd, whatever you do do not leave the house until I call you.
Do you understand? Alex? Alex.
Although our part of the world at this moment is most vulnerable we must emphasize that the intensity of these gravity spikes duration and exact location cannot be foreseen with any accuracy.
Seek shelter indoors.
Turn off all electronic equipment.
Pad your walls.
Secure all loose objects.
If you have a basement, go to it immediately.
Do not stay outdoors.
Then triangulate these and input them into the formula.
-Anything? -No, we're not getting a thing yet.
I'm bringing it up now.
Listen to me.
I cannot exactly stop the train, Roland.
Or did you want me to jump? This is not funny.
You haven't seen what's happened.
Why is the train operating if there's a danger? The bulletin has just been issued.
They obviously haven't gotten it.
We don't know where it will hit, but please get off at the next stop and get inside a small room somewhere.
Okay, I will.
Bye.
Bye.
For your own safety, seek shelter indoors immediately.
Secure all loose objects.
For your own safety, seek shelter indoors immediately.
Secure all loose objects.
Bruno.
Bruno.
Bruno.
Come on, Bruno.
Where are you, boy? It's starting.
Bruno.
Here, Bruno.
Bruno.
Bruno.
Here, Bruno.
Peter.
Come inside now.
Forget the dog.
-Come.
-Dad, he won't come.
-Dad, help.
-Peter.
We're losing grids across the Northeast and parts of Canada.
Why? It's hitting Europe.
It's secondary static charge.
What's happening in Europe is far worse.
-Dad.
-Hold on.
I've got you, son.
Hold on, Peter.
Hold on to me.
Grandpa? It's okay, it's okay.
It's okay.
What happened? That's all right.
Honey.
We still have the satellite uplink? Jared? I'm working on it.
Let's try and stay focused, people.
Dr.
Kittner.
Yes, what is it? The helicopter en route to pick up your family went down.
Its electrical failed from the surge.
Your family was not onboard.
It went down? We're doing everything we can to pick up your family but the entire area is in a blackout.
Gravity was not affected in that area.
It was just a static surge.
I'm sure they're okay.
We're just now getting the first images.
People are beginning to pull themselves up off the ground.
Oh, it's like a war zone.
Folks, this is an absolute calamity.
Reports are now coming in from England to Germany to Egypt.
Witnesses claiming to have been pull-- Air weightless.
We've not yet gotten any official word from the White House or any European authorities.
I'm just getting this in now off the wire.
The surge, as it is being referred to, has dissipated.
Now, authorities believe the worst is, in fact, over as the Moon is now moving away from the planet.
The Moon is moving away from its closest point.
-It's over.
-No, it's not over.
The Moon is still on the narrow point of its axis.
We can expect these surges this side of the globe at least the next 24 hours.
We're next.
Jared, how long till we get Europe online? Where's Jared? I don't know.
He just said he had to leave.
I saw him step out a few minutes ago.
It's been coming in and out since this morning.
Give it a minute.
Jared? Hey.
You want a drink? I'm buying.
Sure.
I'll take the same.
Thanks.
You know, we're all pretty shaken, Jared.
It's okay to talk about it.
No, I'm all right.
It is what it is.
It's all just chance anyway, right? What happened to faith? Look, I know you think it's foolish, but faith, sometimes it's all I have.
Believe me, Jared, I'm not making fun.
Science has very much come under question these last few days.
But right now, it's all I have.
We don't know what's next.
But I can tell you, there are a lot of people counting on us to figure it out.
I can't do that without you.
Well, it's not just science being put into question right now.
Well, let's hope we're both wrong.
What do you say we go back to work and try and find some answers? -Okay.
-This wasn't a bad idea, by the way.
Thanks for the drink.
Hello? ESA's coming back online.
You're just in time.
Roland's almost up.
Washington, hello? Hello? Maddie, is everything okay over there? Yes, we only felt residual effects.
Static, mostly.
Some blackouts.
You? Not so lucky, some hard-hit areas across the continent.
We weren't hit directly but some of our systems have been badly damaged.
We can expect the same here over the next several hours.
But that's not all, and it's far worse.
Alex, we used your equation on the changed lunar-orbit velocity with the newest data we received from Jodrell.
It's being uploaded to you right now.
Have you received it yet? -I've got it here.
-Good.
What you are seeing is a simulation of the way the orbit will be changing.
What's its new velocity? We were far too conservative in our estimates.
The Moon has moved into an even narrower elliptical orbit.
The hypermass will not escape our gravity and we won't escape its.
We have to forward this information to all of the team members as soon as possible-- Dr.
Rhodes, come with me.
Tell the president I'm on my way with Dr.
Rhodes.
We need to see him immediately.
Make sure that Tom Ranfield and General Vaughn are there.
Homeland Security has issued a new warning now.
They do not feel the event is over.
There may, in fact, be a new threat on this side of the Atlantic.
We're getting new reports now.
Hundreds of people in Germany have been affected.
Witnesses claiming to have been lifted into trees then falling suddenly when the event has ended.
Casualties are mounting.
Similar reports in England and elsewhere and now we're being told the same can be expected here.
If one wants evidence, they simply need to look outside and see how big the Moon looks, hovering like a huge bird of prey.
The world waits, not knowing where another surge might strike.
The Moon hovers huge in the sky, closer than it's ever been before.
Authorities have issued warnings for the entire North American continent.
People continue to take precautions.
But how does one hide from gravity? This is absolutely certain? Yes.
How long? The Moon will make impact with Earth in 39 days.
What happens to Earth? Mr.
President, an asteroid nine miles across killed the dinosaurs.
An asteroid 90 miles wide would vaporize the oceans and sterilize this planet.
The Moon is more than 2200 miles in diameter.
There won't be a planet Earth.