02x21 - Eruption

[bunniefuu]

(Stringfellow) That thing's
like a big champagne bottle.

We had to get hauled in just
when it's gonna blow its top.

Bowden was with her. He took the ledgers.

Get on the radio, bring the choppers in. Now!

[expl*si*n]

[screaming]

Oh, mother of God!

[chopper blades whirring]

(Newscaster) The big
story here in the Northwest

continues to be the eruption
watch at Mount Catherine.

The long-dormant volcano

has been showing signs of returning
to life for sometime now,

sending out columns of steam and
rocking the earth with tremors.

Scientists are using the
latest seismological equipment

and are excited about the awesome
opportunity to observe nature close up.

You be sure and keep your eyes glued
to that external temperature gauge.

[scoffing] I'd rather not end
up fried to a crisp either.

Not in the name of science.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

(Stringfellow) That thing's
like a big champagne bottle

that nature's been shaking for
the last million years.

We had to get hauled in here just
when it's gonna blow its top.

Speaking of which, here it comes.

[machines beeping]

(Dominic) There she is, in front of you.

She's about to blow, That
thing's gonna go any minute.

[speaking in Italian]

What did you say?

It's from Dante.

Literally translated, it means,

“Abandon all hope ye who enter here.”

It was written over the entrance to hell.

Okay String, I've got a vent
just down the hill a bit.

(Stringfellow) How many samples
do we need to get, anyway?

(Dominic) Oh, a couple of dozen, at least.

Gas and steam from vents
at different elevations.

Oh, we're gonna be here for a little while.

Well, I sure hope it's worth it.

Well, if the University's
analysis program works,

we'll know the old mountain's
next move before she does.

[laughing]

Okay. I'll settle her in
just as close as I can.

There's got to be an easier
way to make a living

for a guy with a helicopter than this.

Survey One to Base, how was that placement?

Right on the money, Survey One.

Looks like that copper ore goes on forever.

She's about miles out of town.

I got one of the units giving
her a real nice escort.

Everything's all set up.

Good.

The only thing I don't understand is

why we bother to do this every year.

She don't even control the company anymore.

Thanks.

We bother with this little feudal
ceremony every year, Chief,

because the name of the company is Davenport,

and she's the last one of those around.

People need symbols.

You give 'em a queen, they'll forget about
the dirt under their own fingernails.

So today,

with the dedication of New
Gideon Pit Number II,

we further fulfill the promise
of my late husband, Albert,

to supply the world with copper

and give work to the best group
of miners ever assembled.

[clapping]

So, that despite the ebb and
flow of economic conditions,

Davenport Mines will still flourish

and provide a fair…

Mrs. Davenport!

Mrs. Daven…

[grunting]

[people murmuring]

You know,

it seems that when my husband was still alive

we were down here much more.

Holidays, weddings,

births, and the sad times as well.

But today, it appears that the distance

between Denver is much further

and I'm afraid that

without this, I couldn't make it at all.

But we're family,

my only family.

And I did so much want to be here with you.

All secure?

Sorry about that, John. We jumped
on it real fast. She never saw.

Okay.

I'll see the old lady into
her limo and out of here.

Then at the next shift change,

we're into a chopper for a
little R & R at the lodge.

May I help you to your car?

Thank you.

It was an excellent speech.

Are you sure you won't spend
the night, Mrs. Davenport?

We have a suite of rooms reserved.

No, I…

Thank you, I think not.

An old person needs her own bed.

Well, we're sure glad you came.

It's something we always look
forward to and you were a big hit.

Not as big as in years past, I fear.

But then times change.

As you say, times change.

Safe home.

Oh, I have one last little present for you.

There will be copper and
miners here for years.

Thank you.

[car engine starting]

[country music playing]

[cash register dinging]

But Mr. Cove, what if I need
to consult with someone?

You're taking all the senior men with you.

We're leaving Officer
Hadene here to back you up.

Let's see if you can handle it.

[bell jingling]

[machine beeping]

How are we doing, Dom?

Well, that's it, String.

We got all the samples we need.

Now, as soon as I've entered all the data…

Yeah, and let the program run…

[expl*si*n] And in a couple of minutes…

[screaming]

What was that?

[alarm blaring]

kiloton expl*si*n at a range of miles.

Oh, mother of God!

Hang on, Dom.

[expl*si*n]

[glass shattering]

[windshield shattering]

Dom, we're over-heating real bad.

We might have to set her
down. Give me a reading.

Are you kidding? I can't get a thing.

I got somethin'. There's a blue light.

[expl*si*n]

Oh, thank God. We're down.

Now what?

I suppose we just wait it out.

[expl*si*n]

Mamma mia!

Hey, this looks like the surface of the moon.

There's the light we saw.

Let's go check it out.

This poor fella's had it.

You know, this New Gideon ought
to be close by here someplace.

We better take him in.

You mean carry him?

These lights are still working.

Maybe we can fire this thing up.

Let's give it a try.

(Newscaster on radio)
In a huge area of the state,

from Johnstown and Cold River,
and as far north as New Gideon,

rivers and streams continue to flood

and dust fills the air after the
violent eruption of Mount Catherine.

The blast was equal to the detonation
of Hiroshima-size bombs.

We will continue to broadcast not knowing
whether our signal is getting through.

[thunder rumbling]

(Dominic) Mamma mia, look at this.

Now, that's spooky.

(Stringfellow) Yeah.

Spooky or not, looks like it's gonna be home

until we get the lady back in the air.

[exclaims]

(Bowden on radio) Officer Hadene,
this is Bowden.

Please respond. Is there anyone out there?

Hey, look.

[chattering]

Police! It's the police!

(woman) Run! Everybody run!

(woman) Just take the heater. Come on. Come on.

Hey, wait a minute!

- (man) Fred, come on. Get out of here. Run!
- (Dominic) Whoa!

Wait, we're not…

They think that we're…

Hey!

They're looters.

(Stringfellow) Hey! What're you doing?

Who the hell are you?

I'm the one asking the questions.

Yeah? What's that supposed to mean?

It means that if you don’t own that box,

you'd better stop prying on it.

Come on, Ken.

What are they?

Heaters, kerosene heaters.

(Bowden) Have they gone?

Is it safe?

Officer Hadene?

No sir, I'm afraid that he's dead.

Well now, who are you?
You're not from New Gideon.

No, we're pilots.

We were forced down by the eruption.

And we'd sure like to be on
our way again. So if you know…

No, no. No, no, no, no. You can't leave.

Didn't you hear me on the
radio? You've got to help me.

You see, we've got valuable property here.

Davenport Mining property.
And it's got to be protected.

It would seem to me

that the first priority would be to see
if there's anybody injured or hurt.

Oh,

well, yes, that too, of course. But…

And have a place with lights.

And heat.

You need an emergency facility.

We can use this room, wait here.

[locking door]

There's a generator in back, follow me.

[bell jingling]

Did you get the Officer buried?

- Yeah.
- Okay.

Now wish me luck. Let me give it a try.

[motor starts]

[electricity surges]

[static on radio]

I can't raise a thing on this radio.

Must be all that dust in the air.

You know String, I've been lookin' around,

and I got a funny feelin' about this place.

I don't know. I just can't quite figure it out.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

What do you say we make a run through town,

and announce that we've got
power here for the people.

Man, anything. Let's go.

There's light and heat available
at the Company Store!

Anyone needing assistance,

come to the Company Store!

There's light and heat available.

You know, I think I'm talking to myself.

(woman) Excuse me officers, wait a minute.

Who are you?

You're not Police Officers.
I know all my husband's men.

Is your husband the Chief of Police?

No.

John Cove, General Manager.

Off huntin' with his drunken
friends when we need him the most.

Where?

I don't know, in the woods.

Now look, minutes ago,

one of them miners broke into
my house and stole my heater.

What?

Yeah, Nick Cranovich, bold as brass.

While I stood there and watched, he took it.

Now I'd like to know, just
who does he think he is?

Well, do you know where he lives?

Right down there in Number .

Now you just bring that
heater back to my house

once you get him locked up.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes?

Mrs. Cranovich?

Yes.

We have a report that that heater is stolen.

Do you know Mrs. Cove?

We all know Mrs. Cove.

Look, these trailers are heated by electricity.

My neighbors are freezing.

I can't afford to do that.

Would you let us take you down to
the Store? They have heat there.

Take the damn heater back to her.

I'll put on another sweater
and walk the floor all night.

[exclaims]

Look, please…

Let's take you where it's safe.

[buzzer sounding]

Ah! Here you are.

Thank you. Good night.

Say, you've got heat, huh?

I'll take it, thank you.

Well, if you got heat,
what do you need this for?

Good night.

(Cove) What's the estimate now?

Hey, Mr. Cove,

you're the boss and all,

but if you keep asking me that every
minutes, I'm gonna up and leave you here.

Okay, okay.

You're just damn lucky that none of these
machines was in the air when it blew.

So, what do you want?

machine in the air in hours, or in ?

in for the Chief and me.

Can't stay away from the sheep too long.

They forget who's the shepherd.

So tell me, how is our lady?

Well, it looks a lot worse than it really is.

We lost a couple of hours
on those turbine blades,

but, once we clean off
those jets and fuel lines,

we should be on our way home.

What about our weapons?

Well, no guarantees there.

Hawke, Santini, this is Bowden.

This is Bowden.

Mr. Hawke,

Mr. Santini, hello, is
anybody out there, please?

Please, does anybody read me? Mr. Hawke?

Mr. Santini, this is Bowden.

Yeah, this is Hawke.

This is Bowden. Please come to
the station. Come to the station.

Please, quick.

(Bowden) [stammering]
He was… he was one of the looters.

- Easy, easy, easy.
- He was one of the looters.

What's your name?

- Nick Cranovich.
- Let me have that.

I was not looting.

Once the eruption came, I ran
to the emergency lockers

for blankets and food and lights.

But they hadn't stocked
‘em. They ripped us off.

That's what those people
were taking from the Store.

Blankets and food,

what was rightly theirs.

Is that true?

Well, is it?

I don't make the rules, Mr. Hawke.

You brought my wife here.

She's asleep.

Yeah but first, what about that heater?

The company never gives
enough electricity to heat.

We have to buy the heaters
from the Company Store.

And then if you're sick, or your
quota drops, they take ‘em back.

Never mind that it's cold,
or your wife's pregnant.

They take ‘em back and they sell ‘em again.

At a special price, to one
of the special people.

Like the wife of the General Manager.

Nick?

Look, arrest me if you want.

But let me see her for a few minutes.

We'll talk about it later.

Well,

what about it?

Repossession? In the middle of winter?

Yeah, that's the way it is up here. I…

I don't like it.

That makes of us, Mr. Bowden.

We need Dr. Fisher.

Where is he? I'll get him.

Did you check the jail?

Jail?

Yeah, they arrested him
yesterday, at the ceremony.

If he's not in his office, he must be there.

Well, I checked the jail. It was empty.

Oh, no.

Those people that were arrested yesterday,

they wouldn't put ‘em in the jail,

just in case Mrs. Davenport
wanted to inspect it.

What're you talkin' about?

Where did they put them?

Well, I heard one of men say
something about Number .

My God!

What? What's Number ?

A tunnel condemned a year ago.

It could never stand these
tremors. You show ‘em where!

I gonna get the rest of the miners.

All right. Come on. Come on.
Come on. Come on. Come on.

This is it.

Anybody in there?

Anybody in there?

Hand me that iron bar.

Here, take this.

Whaddya see, String?

It's caved in. Completely sealed.

Hey, anybody in here?

Is there anybody in here?

It's totally blocked, fellas.

It's hopeless.

(man) You can sure tell
you're not a miner, pal.

That's a word we don't know around here.

(Dominic) String, you watch yourself, you hear?

[muffled shouts]

(man) Better hurry…

(man) Get some timber over here. I got
a weak spot coming on right now.

[panting]

[expl*si*n]

String!

String!

String!

[choking and coughing] String!

String!

(Bowden) Nick! Nick, can you hear me?

Can anybody hear me in there?

Hey you guys, get in here. We found ‘em!

Cranovich!

[coughing and choking]

(Dominic) Come on!

What about you?

Go! Go! Go!

All right, everybody. Come on.

Everybody, let's go, here we go.

Everybody out.

I got it. Get the hell outta here. Get goin'!

Hey, are you okay?

I never did find a chance to thank you

for saving our lives in that horrible place.

Don't thank me. Thank
String and Nick Cranovich.

They're the ones that did the saving, Mrs…

Miss Mary Avery.

I am grateful like I say, but
there’s somethin' I gotta ask.

Just where do you come from
and whose side are you on?

You know, Miss Avery,

Dom and I, we just sort of
backed into this situation.

I think we'd like to ask you a question.

Just what was it that you did
that got you put in jail?

I drive a -ton ore truck for Davenport.

I drove for years before
I committed the ultimate sin,

I questioned company policy.

I asked why the Company Store
rates were so stringent.

I asked why the basic safety and
housing needs of the miners

were being ignored.

They forgave me all that. But when Doc
Fisher and I here discovered that

the health and pension plan was
being systematically ripped off

and planned to tell Mrs. Davenport to her face,

why, that's when John Cove and his private
police force decided we'd gone far enough.

And for that they put you in the slammer, huh?

Yeah, that's right.

'Course they would have
let us go in a couple of days.

No charge, no trial, just,
"Let that be a lesson."

I'm sorry, but I don't get it.

If this is such a hellhole, and you
didn't even get your basic rights,

then why didn't you all pull up
stakes and get the hell outta here?

You should ask Nick that question.

He left, went down to Cold
River, looking for work.

No seniority. No money in the
bank to tide his family over.

And inside of a week he was
back begging for his old job.

You see, mining isn't exactly
a growth industry right now.

Young people, it's easy to split.

But you start a family and they've got ya.

You make waves, you go under.

I can hardly imagine you makin' waves.

Without waves there’s no tide or change.

[car approaching]

What happened?

Let's get her out.

- [groaning]
- Easy.

It took us hours just to get this far.

(Mary) Oh, no.

There are good men and women inside.

I don't want her in there
contaminatin' the place.

Hey, this lady's hurt.

There are a lotta people hurt!

There are a lotta people dead from
accidents and hurry-up schedules.

Listen to me.

Any person that's injured has
a right to medical attention.

I know my friend and I are strangers
here, and we've had some tense moments.

But so far, only one person has d*ed.

Now, if you deny her medical
aid, you all are responsible.

[chattering] (man) That's a fact.

Maybe you should be working for Chief Crammins.

That's a pretty cheap sh*t from
somebody who speaks like a leader.

(Dominic) Here we go. Just let
her through there. That's it.

(Stringfellow) This lady doesn't
feel well. Clear the way.

- Bring her in here. Come on.
- Oh, hold on.

Doc, you wanna give us a hand?

I only ask you not to
deny her medical attention.

I never said you couldn't speak your mind.

Come on.

[people whispering]

Why do you hate me?

Hate you? Woman, I don't even know you.

That's not the way it looked out there.

In church we were taught,
“Hate the deed, not the doer.”

Is the money that important

that the profits must come in the
form of these folks' broken lives?

Miss, uh, Avery?

Avery.

Well, Miss Avery,

my husband was a mine engineer.

And we…

we lived in many small towns such as this.

And he…

we worked very hard to
build up Davenport Mining.

And not on the backs of our employees.

Well, that was then. This is now.

I was locked up and almost k*lled
to keep me from talkin' to you.

Well, you're talking to me now.

Yeah, guess I am.

Mr. Cove.

Mrs. Davenport, I'm so glad
that you're all right.

When that mountain blew up, I thought,
well, you might still be on the road.

I never did get back to Denver.

But when I do go back, I'm taking
some of these people with me.

I'm taking this one, she's under arrest.

Don't you touch her!

I don't know how she got away, but…

I let her out.

We got her out!

From the hole you had her buried in.

Who the hell are you?

Where's Officer Hadene?

He's dead.

He d*ed in the eruption.

Get your hand off me, or
I'll bust you for as*ault.

[exclaims]

(Dominic) Easy.

You're making a mistake, whoever you are.

Chief Crammins is the Law Enforcement
Officer of this township.

Appointed by you.

You're riskin' a felony, All of ya.

We'll let the State Police worry about that.

Yeah, once they look over
this phony's record of…

false arrests and… improper imprisonment,

I don't think they'll mind
a little arm-bending.

Cove…

Outside.

However, what you've been
doing cannot be overlooked.

You've been getting an earful
from the local radicals, I see.

Quite.

I cheat them in the Store, I work
them too hard. Their homes are cold.

There were no emergency supplies.

People survived the eruption, but
almost d*ed because of your greed.

You've been lootin' the pension and health fund.

You're through with this company, Mr. Cove.

And I want you off the
property within hours.

That's… that's it, huh?

You think I'm some mid-level
Denver flunky you can intimidate?

I was raised in these mines, lady.

I've worked as hard as any man in my time.

But I always knew who my boss was.

My boss is the Board of Directors.

And what they see is a
copper mine turnin' a profit

while all the others are going down the tubes.

Now, you try to fire me, you'll
be the one with hours to pack!

Dear thing.

[slapping]

Do you guys want a job? We can talk.

Is he right?

I don't know.

[groaning]

I feel terrible.

What's happened to me?

I used to have nerves of steel.

You're just a little older, that's all.

Oh, that shouldn't matter.

I say

just get in there and start kicking some shins!

Yeah, don't let ’m intimidate you.

When you get back to Denver,

and you're on your own home turf,

that's when you nail ’m.

I…

I hope that's true.

But the company is mine in name only.

My stock and the stock I control
comes to about a third.

And Mr. Cove is right.

They like him back there,
all the profits he's making.

Off of our backs.

I wish you could tell them that.

What, that limo isn't big enough for ?

I'll go.

And I'd be very proud to have you with me.

But, without positive proof,

especially the pension fraud,

I feel just helpless.

Excuse me.

But would there be room
in that limo for more?

Mr…

Bowden, Chief Accountant.

I'll need the extra seat for my books.

[chattering]

- Goodbye.
- Goodbye.

[knocking]

She left back to Denver in the limo.

Let her go.

Bowden was with her. He took the ledgers.

Get on the radio, bring the choppers in. Now!

(Newscaster) Slowly, communications and travel

in the Northwest are returning to normal

after the devastating
eruption of Mount Catherine.

Downwind areas are still
deeply affected by dust,

but even the most remote
areas are reporting in now

with surprisingly low loss of life.

Hey, hey, we're up and away.

We may not have turbo power
but we're flying home.

Good work, Dom.

Don't thank me. Thank her,
baby. She's a sturdy bird.

(Cranovich) Mr. Hawke! Mr. Santini!

Hey, where are you guys?

Can anybody hear me?

Over here. It's me, Cranovich!

- Where are you guys?
- Over here!

Mr. Cove and Chief Crammins,
they just took off.

I think they're trying to stop Mrs. Davenport.

What is that?

That's our aircraft.

Looks fast.

[chuckling]

I hope it's faster than
the Chief's, for her sake.

Come on, Dom. Here, take the car.

Well, let's hope the lady's got enough
juice to get a normal start here.

Come on, baby. Let's go. Come on.

(Dominic) [chuckling] That's my sweetheart.

I knew she wouldn't let us down, String.

These ledgers make for very
interesting reading, Mr. Bowden.

And they prove all of the
accusations against Cove.

No, no, no. Don't go down there.

We got ‘em now. Move in.

It's a trap, we can't turn around

till we reach the bottom of the pit.

(Stringfellow) That limo must
have come along this road.

What if they get caught out in the open?

I've got explosions, a
pair of ‘em, bearing .

Come on, you guys, stop
playin' around. Nail her!

Okay, Mr. Cove. This one is triple bull's eye.

[screaming]

(Bowden) It was against ,

and I mean, you know what
a good pilot Jonesy is.

- And this big black chopper just…
- (Mary) It was stupendous.

We would have been buried at
the bottom of Pit Number I

if it hadn't come along.

I'd certainly like to thank those
gentlemen that flew the plane if…

(woman) Come on over here and look.
Everyone's leaving. Come on!

only I knew who they were.

Hi. We just wanted to say goodbye.

You know, Mrs. Davenport, I bet they
already know how grateful we are.

Say,
how's Nick's wife?

We understand she went into labor.

Oh, we're waitin' for him right now.

And I must get back to Denver.

I have a recommendation
to make to fill Cove's job.

Someone with a working conscience, we hope.

Oh, yes, yes indeed.

You know, my husband had a
good friend who was a miner,

who knew the real condition of things.

And he insisted that that man
serve on the Board of Directors

as a Member at Large.

And everybody listened to him.

And I think it's time for Davenport Mining

to have that type of voice again.

Oh no, wait a minute.

I'm not what you're looking
for. I'm not a manager…

Now please, don't tell me after
all we've been through together,

you still look on me as the enemy.

No, but I…

I couldn't boss people around.

You know very well that you don't boss anyone.

But you can lead them.

[quiet cheers of approval]

Thank you.

(Dominic) Hey, look!

Hey, hey, Nick. What's the
matter? You look a little…

Is everything okay?

How's your wife?

She's fine.

They're fine, they're all fine.

All?

Betty and Laura and Nick Jr.

Triplets?

[laughing]