Original subtitles

OK.

It's gonna work this time.

Here we go. Here we go.

Polarity condensers at 75%.

Close enough.

I hope it's gonna work.

Come on.

No!

And it overloads again.

How was the last diagnostic?

We still have a 10-second targeting-system delay.

- - Acceptable, but barely. - - My concern is containment.

If that solar flare's a B class, we'll have to shut it down.

Great. We have an untested system

and we're giving demonstration to the president.

No pressure.

Are we ready, Dr. Whitlow?

I would feel more comfortable if we had another month.

We're over budget and out of time.

This is our one last shot.

Thank you, Brian. Good luck.

Mr. President,

Vice President Crane.

Been looking forward to this, Brian.

- - Let's start the show. - - Yes, sir.

Please, have a seat.

Today, we unveil the world's most advanced

global defense system:

A space-based interceptor

armed with unlimited energy.

Dr. Jane Whitlow is gonna take us through a demonstration.

Thank you.

In 2010, our high-frequency disruptor program

made an incredible scientific breakthrough.

We discovered how to use high-frequency pulses

to affect the Earth's magnetosphere.

To eventually combat

global warming by affecting weather patterns.

But the potential didn't stop there.

We also discovered we could affect the sun's magnetosphere

and use it to harness incredible power.

We will start by sending

an extreme high-frequency pulse into the sun.

How safe is this, Dr. Whitlow?

VEN-

The pulse will disrupt a localized area

in the sun's magnetic field,

releasing an A-class solar flare

with zero threat potential.

Peter?

We're up.

Activating.

Five, four, three, two, one.

The sun's released energy will now be collected

by our satellite and then redirected

as a focused beam to destroy targeted space objects.

Tracking trajectory.

Activating solar array.

We're in position.

Energy collection in five, four,

three, two, one.

We're at maximum capacity. Containment is holding.

Mr. President, the unlimited power of the sun

has now armed us against any oncoming threat,

be it a rogue missile, satellite, or asteroid.

For the purpose of this test,

we've chosen one of our decommissioned communication satellites.

Peter, fire when ready.

Target is locked.

Ion beam initialized.

Yes! All right!

That's what I'm talking about.

That's the stuff.

Congratulations. Congratulations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

you've just witnessed the future of global defense.

Stuck my neck out to keep this alive.

I'm glad I did.

Excellent work, Dr. Whitlow.

- - Thank you. - - Very impressive.

Thank you very much.

We're in the clear.

Well...

We just made history.

And our next round of funding.

So, can I breathe now?

What's happening?

Peter, what just happened?

Massive system failure.

The satellite's emptying its energy banks.

Where? What's it targeting?

The sun.

Shut it down! Now!

What the hell's going on?

Our satellite just triggered a solar storm.

- - How big? - - Peter, status!

Oh, hell! Looks like the first solar flare is an X-class.

How bad is an X-class?

Satellites, power grids,

electronics, navigation system...

They'll all be affected.

When?

Approximately 10 minutes.

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say or do can and will

be held against you in a court of law.

- - You have the right to speak to an attorney. - - Easy, huh?

If you can't afford one, one will be appointed you. Do you understand?

- - Yeah. - - Do you wish to call a lawyer?

You'll pay for the legal fees, right?

Ah!

Davis, not a half-bad takedown.

Houston, your pat search was terrible.

You didn't properly handcuff the felon.

So you both fail.

Fail?

Yeah. As in you just screwed up.

Your partner makes a mistake, you both pay the price.

So pack up.

I wanna see you both back at the academy in half an hour.

Yeah.

I guess if that was a real situation,

you probably would've saved my life.

Yeah. But I think I would've preferred a pass.

The dinosaurs were everywhere.

They roamed the land, flew through the air,

and swam in the seas.

But 65 million years ago,

something happened that totally killed them off.

Does anyone know what caused the extinction of dinosaurs?

The ice age. Even my baby brother knows that.

Thank you, Sam.

Extreme climate change is a possibility.

But it also could've been asteroids

or global volcanic eruptions.

Some scientists even think the dinosaurs died off

because of several huge disasters combined.

So where's the guest speaker?

He should be arriving shortly.

Peter, what's our status?

One minute to impact.

Right here is why I volunteer to do this every week.

Now, the 2nd reason? Exercise.

Let's pick up the pace and work those glutes! Come on!

Watch your step.

- - I was getting worried. - - The traffic was terrible.

I'm not that late anyway, am I?

- - You're ten and a half minutes late. - - Ten and a half minutes?

Guys, it's my pleasure to introduce acclaimed scientist,

Dr. Michael Ranger.

OK...

I'm here today to talk to you about what it is that I do

and why science is such a great profession.

Did you feel that?

Is that a tremor?

Earthquake!

Whoa!

Get off the street!

We're gonna exit the building,

nice and calm. Stay calm.

Exit the building!

Guys, hang on!

Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth.

OK.

Call 911!

We'll look for survivors!

Thank you for saving my life.

That's all right.

Don't worry about it.

- - Are you all right? - - Yeah, I'm OK.

Yeah. OK.

Dad, I can't get a signal.

Neither can I.

That was no ordinary earthquake.

We just got hit by a solar flare.

Guys!

Help me get this off him.

It was a 6.5 magnitude earthquake.

For a Class X.9 solar flare, it could've been worse.

How the hell does a solar flare cause an earthquake?

Its impact on the outer atmosphere

had the energy of 1 billion megatons of TNT.

It literally wobbled the Earth on its axis.

Dr. Whitlow, what exactly have we done?

Like hurricanes, we have categories

for global catastrophic threats.

Global economic impact.

A breakdown of infrastructure in society.

The destruction of the human race.

The destruction of the planet.

This may qualify as a Category 5.

No, we need time to assess this situation.

What happened here today is a matter of national security.

Mr. President, we are the only ones who know

what caused this thing.

And for the good of this country,

I believe it's important that it stay that way.

I agree.

I can't allow this government to be undermined

with an environmental scandal

when we have a population to protect.

Understood?

I am declaring a nationwide state of emergency.

I want all U.S. planes grounded but for military flights.

I want all military sectors on high alert.

Get me FEMA, Homeland Security.

I want the director of Central Intelligence

in the Oval Office in 20 minutes.

Listen. I'm sure everybody's family is fine.

As soon as the cell phones start working,

Karen will call your parents and let them know you're OK.

Look! There you go.

- - Hello? - Michael...

I'm trying to reach Karen. Is she OK?

No, no. She's fine. Don't worry.

Please tell her I'm OK.

Cell signals are totally out of whack.

I think it was a solar storm that caused this.

It must be wreaking havoc on everything electronic,

including cell signals.

Bev, what's wrong?

I just watched a passenger plane

fall out of the sky.

I'm sorry.

It's a mess here. I'm waiting for fire and rescue.

Listen, Bev,

you can handle this.

Just go home.

Karen and I will meet you there as soon as we can.

Thank you, Michael.

I mean that.

All right. Bye.

Is Mom OK?

Yeah. She's just a little shaken up.

OK.

All right?

OK. Let's call your parents first.

All right, go ahead, tell me the number.

There are widespread communications

and power disruptions throughout the country.

Death tolls are trickling in.

At the moment, it stands at 140,

but that does not include the 3 passenger planes

that are currently unaccounted for.

What about the rest of the world?

The solar flare struck the Northern Hemisphere.

Europe should be comparable to us,

same with parts of Central America.

We've been in contact with Canada,

the UK and France, and their damages seem to be

only to their power grids as well.

How long will this last?

This is the largest solar storm we've ever seen.

It could last a couple of days or it could last a week.

The region of the sun that was hit is still very volatile.

That's true, but I think the key here

is to avoid feeding panic.

We're going to have the power grids

up and running in all major cities by tonight.

Military and government communication

has not been affected.

I think it's safe to say that

the worst is behind us.

Well, at least that's something.

Let's work that into the national address.

And what if the worst isn't behind us?

Well, with all due respect, Vice President Crane, it is.

My fellow Americans,

today, at 10:12 a.m. Pacific Time,

the Northern Hemisphere was struck by a Class X solar flare.

This unprecedented event triggered a series

of global earthquakes, disrupted our power grids, communications,

and transport systems.

This solar flare is the first wave of a geomagnetic storm

that will plague our planet for the next 48 hours.

But there is no need to panic.

Our government and military infrastructures

remain unaffected.

Everything is under control.

Yeah, right.

You just know when they say that everything's under control,

the crap has hit the fan.

Texting Tim?

When that earthquake hit, I... I kept seeing his face.

If I ever lost him...

Why don't you like him?

It's not that I don't like him. It's...

Look, I know it's none of my business,

but I've been doing some research.

What kind of research?

Dad? Spit it out.

Statistically,

75% of marriages to police officers end in divorce,

19% in domestic violence.

Are you kidding me?

Well, the stats don't lie.

That means you have a 6% chance

of a successful marriage.

Dad, will you stop with the stats? I love Tim.

And he's the nicest, most respectful man on the planet.

OK. All right.

I just worry about you.

You don't need to worry.

I can take care of myself.

- - Are you OK? - -Yeah. You?

I'm fine. I couldn't reach your grandfather.

- - I'll check out back. - - I'll check by the lake.

OK.

Governor?

Governor?

Governor?

Governor...

There.

Looks like you cut your head.

Why the heck do you keep calling me Governor?

I haven't been a governor for 20 years.

All right. From now on, I'm gonna call you Willie.

Dad?

He's up here! In the study!

Dad!

- - He's gonna be all right. - - Oh God!

Don't stand there gawking, help an old man up, huh?

There you go.

All right.

Mr. President, Brian has got a very good reason

to downplay the solar storm.

It was his program that got us into this mess,

and he is simply trying to protect his ass.

I'll take your opinion into consideration.

That's all I ask.

Come in.

Sir, you have a call.

It's the NASA administrator. It's urgent.

President Duncan.

When?

Is this an isolated event?

Thank you.

We may have another situation.

The second you get back, you send all your data to NASA.

Brian, this is spiraling out of control.

The HFD program never should've been rushed.

It was a calculated risk, meant to meet a deadline.

That's it.

A risk without proper simulations.

You forced my team to ignore protocols.

Mistakes were made, but we've gotta move forward.

We're gonna fix this.

I hope we can before more people die.

Did you feel that?

Yeah. We just got hit by another solar flare.

When's this gonna stop?

Hi.

Jack! I'm so glad you're home.

It's gonna be OK.

What's the inside scoop, Jack? It's a solar storm.

A bad one, but we've seen it before.

48 hours tops and everything will be back to normal.

A solar storm that hits that hard and this fast

doesn't disappear in 2 days.

It's being downplayed to avoid panic.

Your ex sounds like a conspiracy nut.

And you sound like a typical senator's lackey.

Whatever it is, hopefully we're through the worst of it.

I'm sorry, William.

This is just getting started.

We got magnetic fields going haywire.

Birds are dying, planes are falling from the sky.

- - Conjecture. - - Jack, what I saw today was...

Was a terrible tragedy and a horrible coincidence.

If this solar storm is as bad as Michael says it is,

why aren't there hundreds of planes dropping out of the sky?

Because right now, the pockets of electromagnetic pulses

are random and dispersing quickly.

Eventually, the atmosphere will become oversaturated,

affecting everything electrical.

Maybe we're overreacting.

The most important thing is that we're prepared.

We need to stockpile food and water for at least a month.

For a 2-day solar storm?

Seriously? Who should we believe?

The president of the USA, in consultation with

the greatest minds in the world, or a disgraced scientist?

I rest my case.

Come on, Michael. I'll help you get those supplies.

Have fun shopping.

Jack Hillcroft.

Yes, Senator, we're back online.

Jack's a senator's aide.

He knows what's going on.

Yeah, well, my father's a scientist

with a doctorate in solar physics.

I think he knows what he's talking about, Mom.

What's going on?

This keeps getting worse.

DOD just placed us on satellite watch.

The solar flares?

They're knocking satellites out of orbit. Fast.

Five seconds to impact.

An M-class solar flare.

We might feel this one.

Great.

NASA's requesting coordinates for any satellites at risk.

They're desperate.

How many satellites are designed to

burn up completely upon re-entry?

Smaller ones will disintegrate,

but the average communications satellite weighs 5 tons.

The bulk of that will stay intact.

Almost 3,500 satellites are at risk of becoming fireballs?

Over 10,000 if you include non-operational.

Contact the Space Station.

- - Let's see what they know. - - I'm on it.

What's the trajectory of that one?

It's dropping right above London.

- - Dr. Whitlow. - You've been updated?

Just now.

We're about to have satellites striking populated areas.

We may have underestimated this thing.

You think we may have overreacted just a little?

Trust me, Governor.

In a couple days, you'll be grateful.

Hi, Governor!

We're making the rounds,

checking on the neighbors after all that chaos.

Greatly appreciate it, Jeffrey.

- - But please, call me William. - - Of course.

- - Edna. - - Hello.

What's with all the supplies?

Well, best to be prepared.

That storm's gonna get worse.

Make sure you have a lot of dry goods and water.

Listen to him, Jeffrey. The man's a scientist.

Sounds good. We're gonna check on Miss Swanson.

Let us know if she needs anything.

We're pretty well equipped.

Hey, Dr. Ranger, Governor.

Tim.

Officer Davis.

Uh, what's with all the stuff?

Why don't you make yourself useful?

Sure.

I'm sorry I lost my cool with Michael.

That guy gets under my skin.

Jack, after what I saw today...

It put things into perspective, you know?

Life's too short to be holding grudges.

You gotta let it go.

I know. You're right.

- - Hey, Tim. - - Hey!

- Your folks OK? - - Yeah, they're good. Hey.

- What's the matter? - - I need you all to see this.

It's a clip from London.

- - London'? - - Yeah.

Oh, my God!

It was some kind of fireball.

It totally destroyed Big Ben.

It's not a fireball, it's a satellite

knocked out of its orbit by the solar storm.

- - Is this gonna keep happening? - - Yep.

- - Why didn't they see it coming? - - They should've.

They can forecast these things days in advance.

- - Something's happening. - - Like what?

I won't know until I analyze the solar data,

but we need to move quick.

Let's unload the truck.

I'll pick up a generator and some more supplies.

I'll get my radio out of the garage

and dig out the emergency kit.

Jack, what do you know about

the special routing arrangement service?

SRAS. It's a secure government communications network.

It uses shielded military satellites.

We're gonna lose Internet and cell phone service soon.

That hardware could keep us connected.

I'll go to the office now and sign out an access key.

- - I was so worried. - - Me too. You OK?

It's getting scary out there.

I'll protect you.

Tim, what are you doing?

Nothing, I wasn't doing anything.

No, I don't mean that,

I mean what are you doing right now?

- - What... whatever you need. - - Good.

I need you to help me pick up a generator and more supplies.

Sure. Done.

- - I think I've been drafted. - - It's OK. He doesn't bite.

Are you sure?

- - Hey! We don't have all day! - - Yeah.

I just spoke with NASA.

Cloudsat and Terra just went down.

They can't get through to the Space Station.

Any ideas?

Try skipping the signal off a satellite

in the upper orbit.

Anik E1 is still operational.

Contact at the Space Station coming up now.

Well, that's strange. It's a live transmission.

That thing is the only portable

high-frequency disruptor in existence.

High-frequency disruptor?

It sends EHF pulses into the magnetosphere.

- - Why? - - To manipulate the weather.

Hopefully to reverse global warming.

Is that you?

Karen drew that when she was 5 years old. Give it to me.

Thank you. Gas cans are in the corner.

The generator's in the back next to the manure bags.

- - Of course it is. - - Mm-hmm.

Oh, my God.

- - Son of a... - - Is everything OK?

The satellite picked up a high-frequency pulse

that was targeted at the sun.

It triggered the solar storm.

You have your own satellite?

Sort of. Technically, it was decommissioned.

Who would target the sun?

This is bad. This is really, really bad.

It originated at the HFD facility outside of Boston.

Wow. Who else knows about this?

I'm the only civilian monitoring EHF pulses.

This had to be the government. They're covering it up.

Pick up, Jane.

All right, change of plans.

Let's load up. We're going someplace else.

To do what?

You ask a lot of questions.

- - I'm a cop. - - You're a cadet. Let's go.

London's a mess.

We've got the UN saying it was an isolated incident.

We now have 18 "isolated incidents."

What about telling the truth?

Cause more mass panic? No thanks.

We're dealing with it.

All the satellites in lower-to mid-orbit

are shutting down, including the Space Station.

It's the size of a football field, Brian.

That should disintegrate upon re-entry.

It was designed to deorbit in a controlled manner,

with its debris shower aimed at the ocean,

but with this compromised electromagnetic field,

it's gonna hit the Earth like a nuclear blast.

Oh! Jack!

Good timing.

We lost cell phone and landline service.

Karen, give this to your father.

- - It's the key. - - How does it work?

Plug it into a USB port.

- - It'll connect automatically. - - OK.

My fellow Americans,

the unexpected size and intensity of the solar storm

is disrupting lower orbital satellites.

Some are burning up as they enter the atmosphere.

Some are making their way back to Earth

with destructive results.

Today's devastating strike on central London

has been traced to a malfunction in outer...

Ah, lost him!

I have to get back to the office. It's chaos.

- - OK. Be careful. - - I will.

Mom...

Where are they?

- - Can I see your ID, please? - - Yeah.

I'm a civilian scientist.

Dr. Whitlow is a personal friend.

This is my associate.

- I'll be right back. - - Yeah.

OK. What am I getting myself into?

Just relax.

Dr. Whitlow was my partner when I worked in Alaska.

Isn't that where you sabotaged your own research 3 years ago?

Karen must have said something about that to me.

It was an ethical decision.

Let's just leave it at that.

Thank you.

There are no scheduled appointments with Dr. Whitlow.

What does that mean?

Please leave the premises immediately.

No. You listen to me.

That solar flare is a threat to the entire human race.

Sir, I'm not gonna ask again.

Come on, Dr. Ranger.

Let's go. Come on.

Let's go home. Everyone's expecting us.

I can't just drive away.

I'm the guy that made the HFD program

that created this mess.

You heard him. They're not letting us in.

There must be another way.

If we can just get past those guards.

- - W-we? Yeah. - - I can't do this alone.

You're asking me to break the law? I'm a police cadet.

Listen, in a few days, there might not be any law.

Do you know how crazy you sound right now?

I do!

But this is getting worse.

And we've gotta do something.

Now!

Come on!

That's it.

See, that wasn't hard.

Till someone gets electrocuted.

What now?

We find Dr. Whitlow.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

- You two! Halt! - - Oh, crud!

Halt! Hold it right there!

Hands in the air, come on!

Get down!

Down! Down on the ground, come on!

- - We're here to see Dr. Whitlow. - - On your knees now!

Hands behind your head.

We have 80 incoming satellites.

I need trajectories and impact estimates.

We can't calculate that many.

Then prioritize.

Urban strike zones first. Guesstimate if you have to.

Jane. Two intruders have been captured.

One of them is Michael Ranger.

Tell security to detain them.

I'll deal with Dr. Ranger later.

OK.

Detain them. Dr. Whitlow will be with them later.

We've had reports of falling satellites

hitting Athens, Cairo, Mumbai...

And our own missiles couldn't stop strikes on Maui and Texas.

Can anyone explain that to me?

Anyone?

The solar storm has intensified

to the point that our military systems

have been compromised, sir.

- - Did we get China on board? - - Yes, sir.

Along with Russia, Great Britain,

France, Canada, Australia.

But their anti-missile arsenals are being affected as well.

How many satellites are gonna drop on us?

Hundreds.

We're at Category 6 threat level.

And we can't stop these things from crashing into us?

I'm sorry, sir.

The Space Station...

It's started re-entry. Where and when?

Tracking.

Come on, Peter, I need the location!

It's gonna fall on Chicago.

I wanna speak with NATO and the UN Security Council.

Brian Lee.

Put her through.

Brian, in 52 minutes,

the Space Station's gonna hit Chicago.

Its blast radius is gonna wipe out the city.

We have to evacuate government officials.

Government officials?

In less than an hour,

2.7 million people are gonna die, Brian.

There's nothing else to do.

It's too late.

I never should've let you talk me into this.

I'm gonna be charged for trespassing,

breaking and entering...

Can't have a record.

They'll kick me out of the academy.

Yeah, you'll be doing yourself a favor.

How could you say that?

This is all I've ever wanted to be!

What have I ever done to piss you off?

I don't want my daughter marrying a cop.

Why do you want to be a cop anyway?

My dad was a police officer for 30 years.

I'll admit it was hard.

He worked long hours, it was dangerous,

but he always had this quote he'd tell me all the time.

"All it takes for bad people to prevail

"is for good people to do nothing."

Even as a little kid,

I could remember my dad sticking up for the little guy.

There will never be a big parade for him

or the key to the city,

but he helped people any way he could.

And that made a real difference in the world.

And I want to do the same.

That was a big one.

30 seconds to impact.

At 7:00 p.m. eastern time,

a falling satellite

laid waste to several city blocks in Boston.

It comes on the heels of the biggest disaster

ever to be unleashed on American soil,

the total destruction of downtown Chicago.

Mom, it's been 4 hours.

Something must have happened.

Maybe they had engine trouble.

Your father's truck is not exactly reliable.

He's right, and your father drives me insane,

but he's also the most resourceful man I know.

And he's with Tim. Those two can handle anything.

I know.

But still, I can't just wait.

You're exhausted.

Get some sleep. We'll do shifts.

OK... I'll try.

I'll wake you in a few hours.

Jane, this isn't your fault.

Oh no...

What?

Ah... it's the sun.

See that black patch on the sun's surface?

Yeah.

That's the sunspot we created with the ion beam.

It's now 100,000 km from end to end.

Four times bigger than the Earth.

So what's it gonna do?

Emit another X-class solar flare?

No, it's gonna be

a giant cloud of magnetized, radioactive particles.

The biggest coronal mass ejection we've ever seen.

Hey, Grandpa.

Can I come in?

Sure.

Have a seat for a minute.

Ah...

I wanted to give this to you.

Your grandmother gave me this compass

during my very first campaign.

We were still dating at the time, but, you know,

Jen already had me figured out.

She told me it was a reminder to, you know,

always choose the right path and never compromise my beliefs.

I kept this compass with me ever since.

It's been a reminder to always follow my heart.

Because that's our true compass.

Hmm?

Anyhow...

I figured it's time to pass it on.

Think of it as a... as a good luck charm.

Thank you.

We'll get through this.

OK. Try to get some sleep.

I will.

Calculating trajectory.

Direct hit on the Northern Hemisphere,

ETA 7 hours, 22 minutes.

Get out that data now!

And get NASA

working on impact simulations.

How could this possibly be getting worse?

Forget the storm, forget the satellites.

We have a coronal mass ejection heading for Earth.

We're gonna need some response scenarios for the president.

The HFD may be an option.

Peter, bring up Dr. Ranger.

Dr. Ranger?

He's already here.

I swore if that man ever stepped foot

on a government facility, I would have him shot.

He's still the smartest man I know.

Brian, this CME could wipe out all life on this planet.

The brightest minds in the world are trying to figure out

how to stop it.

We do not need Michael Ranger.

Now excuse me,

but I've gotta go contact the president.

Hello, Michael.

You've been busy.

Who's your friend?

My daughter's boyfriend.

Tim Davis.

What are you doing here?

What do you think I'm doing here?

It was the HFD program

that created the solar flare, isn't it?

We're doing everything we can to fix it.

How's that going?

I need your help.

Really? You need my help?

Can you just take a look at this?

That's the largest CME ever recorded.

And it's heading straight for Earth.

That sounds bad.

VEN-

The impact will be catastrophic.

All thanks to Jane and her weapon of mass destruction.

It was a weapon that caused this, right?

I knew it.

You knew why I destroyed that program,

and you went ahead and created a weapon.

- - Didn't you? - - Are you done?

For now.

Look.

You still know more about this than anybody else.

Help me use it to stop this.

Dr. Ranger has nothing to offer us,

except an admission that he destroyed an HFD facility.

Mr. Secretary, I don't like you,

I don't like what you do,

and I don't like what you represent.

But Jane is right.

You need me.

So I'm at your disposal.

Yes, you are.

Dr. Whitlow, the president needs a briefing.

We have another option.

I'm sorry.

Me too.

Now, Dr. Whitlow.

That went well.

What do we do now?

In 6 hours, the coronal mass ejection will reach Earth.

It will ignite parts of our atmosphere

and burn off our ozone.

Unless we're deep underground, we won't survive.

Mr. President, global threat level is now a Category 7:

the imminent destruction of all human life.

Oh, my God.

There may be a way to stop it before impact, Mr. President.

A deep-space military satellite

with a nuclear reactor, heavily shielded.

We can reposition it in the path of the CME and detonate.

NASA thinks that the blast will disperse the plasma.

Brian, I'm authorizing you to make this happen now.

We'll coordinate that from here, sir. I'll see you shortly.

Get your team to work.

NASA needs that repositioning data immediately.

Dad? Tim?

- - Karen, you OK? - - Yeah.

Where have you been all night?

I was locked up with your father.

What?

It's a long story. Did Jack get you that SRAS key?

Good. Come on, we've got a lot of work to do.

Detonation in 10 seconds.

Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

What's the status?

2.4% reduction in mass.

No change in trajectory.

It absorbed the blast.

There must be some other option.

I'm sorry, sir. Nothing in the present time frame.

My fellow Americans,

our world is about to face its greatest threat.

In approximately 3 hours,

our planet will collide with a coronal mass ejection,

which is a massive solar cloud released by our sun.

Its impact could potentially destroy our ozone layer.

Leaving us vulnerable to lethal levels of UV radiation.

I want to assure each and every one of you

that everything possible is being done

to avert this disaster.

At the very best, to minimize its impact.

There are measures you can take to protect yourself

during this unprecedented event.

Seek shelter in basements,

subways, anywhere that's underground.

Take with you as much food and water as you possibly can.

And above all... keep your loved ones close.

We will face this threat together.

We are Americans,

we are brave, we are strong,

and we will prevail.

God bless each and every one of you,

and God bless these United States of America.

Thank you.

If the world's gonna end, let's just do it.

Let's get married.

Are you serious?

Yeah, right now.

- - You made it? - - Yeah.

I wish it could've been nicer.

I think it's beautiful.

I, Timothy Davis,

hereby take you,

Karen Ranger, for my wife,

to have and to hold, from this moment on...

till death do us part.

I, Karen Ranger,

hereby take you, Timothy Davis,

for my husband, to have and to hold,

from this moment on, till death do us part.

Wow...

We're kinda married.

Operation Haven is a top-secret project,

years in the making, designed for a crisis such as this.

It's a network of underground facilities throughout the US,

connected directly to the White House bunker,

which will also serve as Haven's communication center.

There's only room for 150,000 people -

key government and military personnel,

as well as a select group of professionals and tradespeople

necessary for a society to survive.

If you are in this room, you're on the list.

Gather your families, quickly.

Beverly? Bev?

Beverly!

Pack your bags, fast.

Only the essentials. We're leaving.

What do you mean, "We're leaving"?

- - Operation Haven. - - What's that?

A network of government underground shelters.

I never thought I would live to see it used.

Go get Karen.

What about our neighbors

and our friends?

They're not on the list.

There's no time to discuss this!

- - What about Michael and Tim? - - Come on!

Karen!

Karen's gone. We have to go look for her!

Bev, we don't have time!

She's my daughter. I'm not leaving without her!

Go find her! I'll stay here in case she comes back.

40 minutes, if we can't find her in 40 minutes,

we come back here, get William and we leave.

Jack, you find her. You don't come back for me.

- - William! - - You give my place to Tim! Go!

You were right

about the high-frequency disruptor.

- - It can stop this. - - It's too late.

The facility's been shut down and evacuated.

No, there's still a chance.

The key is to use the high-frequency disruptor as a shield.

What are you talking about?

I've been running simulations.

The CME are negatively charged particles.

If we use the disruptor to negatively charge

the Earth's magnetic field,

it'll be like 2 similar magnetic poles repelling one another.

The Earth can deflect it!

The HFD can't do that

with a negatively charged frequency pulse!

It's too localized.

Unless it's an uninterrupted beam.

It'll spread exponentially.

The system wasn't designed for that.

- - It'd have to be reconfigured. - - Well, I'm willing to try.

My system password is Whitlow 2464.

Security code is Alpha 6832.

Got it.

Michael, you only have 2 hours.

Don't worry about it. I'll be fine.

This way!

Load up. We're moving out.

W-what was that?

Tim taught me.

What? She wanted to learn how to handle a weapon.

I don't even wanna know.

[Tin]!

Tim, are you home?

Mr. Davis! Mrs. Davis!

We'll try the barn. Maybe she's with Michael.

- - Bev! - - Do it, Jack!

What the hell was that?

I don't know, but it's getting worse.

There's a solar flare!

That might have been an X-class.

Why are we stopping?

I don't want my spark plugs

to get ruined by that EMP blast.

"What's hap ' .. Hang on! Penmg?

Jack!

Bey!

Bev, Bev, come on.

I think it's over.

Yeah.

You gotta be kidding me!

The solar flare must have killed it.

Or you should have bought a new battery.

We'll have to jump-start it.

Put it in 2nd. Pop the clutch.

There's one coming!

It's gonna be close.

Whoa! Push!

Pop the clutch!

- - There's another one! - - Pop the clutch! Pop it now!

Almost!

How long has she been like this?

Maybe an hour. We were in a car accident.

All entrants, please proceed

to Station A for processing.

Blast doors will close in one hour.

Pupillary dilation is normal, no swelling from the injury.

Mr. Hillcroft, do you have any more family coming?

Mr. Hillcroft?

No. It's just my wife and I.

Let's go to the DMA.

Thank you, Jane.

Come on, come on!

OK.

That's it, we're in.

How much time before impact?

- - I don't wanna know. - - 40 minutes.

And hypothetically,

10 minutes to negatively charge the ionosphere.

Hypothetically?

They still have one satellite connected.

It's monitoring the CME.

Headsets!

What do I do?

I want you to keep us posted on the countdown.

All right, I'm setting the target.

Wide dispersal in the ionosphere, 1000 km,

maximum intensity.

OK.

Now...

we override the safety systems,

bypass the polarity condensers.

We'll hardwire the generators together

right into the antennae array.

It'll give us one continuous, negatively charged beam

instead of an oscillating pulse.

How do we hardwire the generators?

Very quickly.

All right. Tim, grab your tool bag.

I really hope you know what you're doing.

Piece of cake.

All right, here's what we're gonna do.

We passed a rack of black cables when we were coming in.

I want you to take them

and daisy-chain each of those generators together.

- - Can you do that? - - Daisy-chain them?

Yeah. We're gonna connect all the generators

and create one massive generator.

- - Got it. - - Move!

Operation Haven has been completed.

This bunker's now linked with all of our other facilities.

And the CME?

24 minutes to impact.

Seal the bunker!

How's it going?

We're attached to the array conduit.

Now we just have to hard-wire the generators.

The insulation ring is stuck.

We better get it unstuck pretty quick!

It won't budge.

Come on!

Dad, you have 30 seconds

before the frequency beam starts!

There's too much static! I can't hear you!

Why is it humming?

Because it's already initiated.

It's gonna release a gigawatt of power

whether we're connected or not!

Dad, if you can hear me,

the frequency disruptor has commenced countdown!

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,

- five, four... - Quick!

Three, two, one.

Dad! Dad, can you hear me?

Come on, let's go!

Dad, say something!

Come on! Go! Go! Go!

It's working! One continuous beam.

- - Can the system sustain that? - - Hopefully.

Well, this is it, William, old man.

Come on.

Show me what you got.

The ionosphere is negatively charging.

23%, 42%...

- - Please work. - - Will it be enough of a shield?

It's gonna be close.

Listen, you two have to get out of here.

What? Why?

The beam needs to be uninterrupted

right till the end.

The impact of the CME will cause

a reverb effect down the beam to its source.

Dad, what are you saying? You mean feedback? A power surge?

It's going to destroy the array.

I'll stay and maintain the beam.

But you two have to get out of here. It's too dangerous.

No way in hell am I leaving you! We're in this together!

Karen, we gotta go.

No! I'm not leaving you!

Listen, Karen,

I'll be right behind you.

I'll make it.

But you never make it on time!

You're always late for everything!

I will, this time. I promise.

You have to leave!

It's been an honor to serve with you, Mr. President.

It's been a pleasure to serve with you.

CME impact in five, four,

three, two, one.

Here it comes.

Wow!

Jack!

Where's Karen?

Dad!

What happened with the CME?

Solar radiation at 12%.

Penetration of the thermosphere holding at 150 km.

Any casualties?

No. The atmosphere is still intact.

Oh my God! We survived!

- - We made it! - - Thank God!

Hallelujah.

OK.

Dad...

Dad?

You're OK.

Hey... The explosion must've knocked me out.

Help me up.

Yeah.

- Whoo-hoo! - - Oh!

You did it! You saved the whole world!

Yeah, I kinda did, didn't I?

My calculations worked!

I don't think the Defense Secretary's gonna be too happy.

Yeah, well... better get you home.

You're hurt.

I'm OK. I'm so glad you're home.

You brought our baby home.

Yeah. That's a bad cut. What happened to your head?

We had a close call, but we made it safe and sound.

- - Thank God... - - Oh! Oh...

Are you OK? You look like you've been through a war!

Oh, it's nothing that a good hot shower can't take care of.

Dad saved the world tonight.

Oh!

Come inside for a drink. Let's celebrate.

Thanks, I gotta get back to the lab.

I couldn't have done it without you.

Both of you.

Thanks.

Good night. Get some rest.

Oh, I'll bring you guys a generator.

Thanks!

Well, let's have that drink.

Yeah, yeah, sure.

- - Come on. - - Yeah.

Yes, indeed.

My fellow Americans,

we witnessed a miracle tonight, and disaster was averted.

The coronal mass ejection which threatened our very survival,

was deflected by the Earth's ionosphere.

As our sun settles,

the solar storm will diminish over the next 2 days.

We are safe.

The damage will be repaired. Homes will be rebuilt.

New satellites will be launched.

Our great nation will rise again, stronger than ever.

Together, with our friends and allies,

we will all face a better tomorrow.

I guess we kind of jumped the gun on getting married, huh?

You mean how we skipped the proposal

and went straight to the wedding vows?

We can slow down.

Make it all official.

I would love to make it official.

Get you a proper ring.

This one's growing on me.

Hey...

Check it out. Your compass has gone haywire.

That's weird.

Oh. my God!

- - It was you, wasn't it? - Listen...

The calculations worked, but when the CME was deflected-

It compromised the integrity of the magnetosphere.

Reports are trickling in but we're still

dealing with the effects of the storm.

We're working with 10% of our normal resources.

I'll analyze what I can on my end. In the meantime-

- - Ah! - - Michael?

- - Get off me! - - What's happening?

Michael!

No! What is this?

Let go of me!

Where are you taking me?

Michael?

Michael!

It's still spinning.

I don't like this.

Something's going on.

What the hell is that?

Wow!

It's beautiful.

This is all wrong.

That's a huge aurora borealis.

Tim...

This isn't over.

Statistically, you run a higher risk

of breaking your hand...

than you do my face, you realize that, don't you?

Dr. Ranger...

Why are you doing this to me?

You destroyed a $300 million government facility.

You're an enemy of the state.

But I think destroying the HFD program was worth it, don't you?

I mean, after all, it saved the world.

Sadly, we can't find any data to back up that assertion.

You gave me a giant headache 3 years ago

with your little malfunction,

and it's not gonna happen again.

The country's a mess

and you're living out a personal vendetta?

You need to learn to prioritize, Mr. Secretary.

Ah!

You need to get used to your surroundings, Dr. Ranger,

because I have the power to detain enemy combatants

indefinitely... without a trial.

My fellow Americans, I stand before you

proud and humbled by your strength and courage.

Citizens across this great nation

rallied in the face of danger

beyond anything we've ever seen before.

Friends, family,

neighbors, strangers

came together with one goal in mind...

survival.

Sadly, lives were lost, homes destroyed,

but we are rebuilding as I speak!

Will it happen again?

I've been assured that the chances of a solar storm

of that magnitude happening again are one in a trillion.

It's over.

And as promised,

refugee centers across the country are getting

food, water, shelter, and medical aid.

Now, what I need from you...

I need your patience and your understanding.

You think you guys can give me some of that?

100% behind you, sir!

Wow, sure is hot out here.

Stand proud. Wear your courage like a badge of honor.

I salute you! God bless!

Everyone calm down! Stay calm!

This is just an aftershock!

It will pass!

What can I do for you, Jane?

Brian, why aren't you returning my phone calls?

I've been trying to get a hold of you.

I'm busy, we've all been busy. What's on your mind?

I got a phone call from Dr. Ranger a few hours ago.

He's worried about the magnetosphere and he's right.

It's deteriorating.

What are we talking about here?

Communication, navigational failures.

Long term... we'll be bombarded by solar radiation.

- - Are you sure about this? - - I am.

And... And there's something else.

When I was on the phone with him,

I heard somebody attacking him. I think he's been abducted.

- - He's been taken into custody. - - What?

He destroyed a government facility.

- - He's an enemy of the state. - - He saved the world last night!

We have no proof of that. We got lucky.

No way in hell did we get lucky, and you know it!

Brian, we need his expertise. Where is he?

I don't trust him,

so I am keeping him somewhere where I can watch over him.

Yes.

Oh no...

Has the vice president been told?

No, no.

I'll do it.

What?

There's been an accident.

President Duncan has been killed.

It's hotter than hell out here.

- It's beyond hot. - - Maybe this will help.

I'm glad we moved the cars into the shade. Yeah.

Anything? Nothing. He's not answering.

Maybe the remnants of the solar storm.

I don't think so. I'm getting through, he's not picking up.

- - This isn't like Dad. - I'm sure he's fine.

Probably just cooped up in his barn.

No. Something's wrong. I'm going over there.

- - I'm coming with you. - - I'll come.

Thank you, Grandpa, but we'll take the motorbike. It's quicker.

Call us when you get there. We will.

What's all this about, Brian?

Alice...

What? What is it?

President Duncan is dead.

How?

There was a localized tremor at the speech today.

He was killed by falling debris 10 minutes ago.

Notify the chief justice and the joint chiefs of staff.

Dad?

Dad, you in here?

- - Looks like there was a struggle. - - I don't understand.

There's a lot of footmarks. Must have been a few of them.

- - Dad's phone. - - Check who he called last.

Jane Whitlow.

I'm calling her.

Michael.

No, it's Karen, Michael Ranger's daughter.

Is this Dr. Whitlow?

Yes, it is, but I... I can barely hear you.

I'm calling about my dad. He's missing.

We're in his lab. It looks like there was a struggle.

I think I know where he is.

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute

the office of the president of the United States,

and will, to the best of my ability,

preserve, protect and defend

the Constitution of the United States.

Madam President.

Thank you.

- - Congratulations, madam. - - Thanks very much.

- - Congratulations. - - Thank you.

- - President Crane. - - Thank you.

The country needs a strong vice president.

As the new commander in chief,

you should issue an executive order

appointing someone immediately.

I've already talked to Governor Maxwell of Michigan.

Madam President. Congratulations.

Thanks so much. Thank you.

I'm not in the mood for entertaining,

so unless you've come to offer up an apology or set me free,

I've got nothing to say to you.

Seems like your little stunt

with the high-frequency disruptor

is causing the magnetosphere to deteriorate.

The CME caused that.

The frequency disruptor saved the planet.

All you did was postpone the inevitable.

What's this?

We are running out of time, so let's just get to the point.

The Earth is heating up.

Our scientists can't agree on a reason why.

Well, it's possible that

when the coronal mass ejection was deflected,

it stalled the core's rotation.

Look, there's a lot of energy down there.

The Earth's core could be overheating.

So if we can restart the core,

we can reverse the deterioration of the magnetosphere?

That's what I'm saying.

How do we restart the core?

Let me out of here and I'll show you.

No, no, no, no. I need you right here.

Listen, I have no intention of helping you.

Oh yes, you do, because you are not the kind of man

who's gonna stand by while everybody else dies...

while his own daughter dies.

Don't you dare touch her.

Read the file. I'll be back.

Meteorologists are issuing

extreme weather alerts.

The temperature is climbing to record highs

with little relief in sight.

Are you telling me that we just barely escaped one disaster

only to be threatened with another?

Yes, Madam President, except this time, it's not the sun.

This time, it is the Earth itself.

We confirmed this morning

that the deterioration of our magnetosphere

is being directly caused by a stoppage of the Earth's core.

Without that iron core spinning,

the magnetic field around the Earth can't sustain itself.

Dr. Whitlow...

Hologram up.

Along with the magnetic field issues,

the red sections are warmer plumes

rising directly from the Earth's core

causing a global heat wave.

And how will this affect us?

In the next 24 hours,

heat-related illnesses will increase a hundredfold.

Firestorms, glacial melting,

and volcanic eruptions will become rampant.

We'll have 7, maybe 8 days until the Earth becomes...

uninhabitable.

We'll have multiple response scenarios ready within the hour.

Are we in contact with Europe?

Partially.

Most countries are still recovering from the solar storm.

Well, the rest of the world should know about this.

Still no reception?

No.

Where's Karen?

Somewhere out there looking for her father.

What's going on?

Why didn't you tell me?

So you could do what, Jack?

Go and find her?

Bring her safely home?

Pretend that your stepdaughter means something to you?

Hey, don't say that! You know I love Karen.

Why did you leave her?

I didn't leave her!

We couldn't find her.

You made a choice, Jack.

You left Karen to die. You left my father to die.

Beverly, you were unconscious.

You needed medical attention, I had to get you to Haven.

No, you had to get yourself to Haven!

Karen means everything to me.

She is my flesh and blood.

She is... she is my baby.

How could you do that to them?

How could you?

Seven more hours to Virginia.

I hope Dr. Whitlow knows what she's doing.

She gave us her key card.

I trust her.

It's the secretary of defense I'm worried about.

You think he's behind my dad's disappearance?

When we were in the HFD facility,

it was pretty obvious he hates your father.

Dad was always so busy.

When I was 12,

he finally found the time to take us camping.

Turns out it was a trip to Alaska

to collect data on the aurora borealis.

Mom was so mad.

It was more like a science expedition than a vacation.

- - I bet he put you to work. - - Yeah, that's my dad.

Instead of Barbies for my birthday,

I got chemistry kits and laser range finders.

I think he figured if I was busy enough,

it'd keep me out of trouble.

I always managed to freak him out, though.

On that camping trip, I climbed a tree, trying to get this photo

of the aurora borealis over the valley.

Ten feet of the ground and he treats it

like I'm dangling over the edge of a live volcano.

After 3 nights of everyone getting on each other's nerves,

we finally saw this amazingly intense display.

It was cool.

But it wasn't like this.

- - Whoa! Look out! - - Hang on!

- - Step on it, Karen! - - I am stepping on it!

Dr. Jane Whitlow.

I'm here to retrieve the information

Dr. Ranger prepared for the defense secretary.

I'm sorry, ma'am, we can't do that without authorization.

Do you see the likeness?

Yes, ma'am.

Do you see the security code clearance?

Yes, ma'am.

Open the door, soldier.

I'm losing my patience.

Oh, my God, Michael,

what happened?

Courtesy of the Department of Defense.

Brian did this?

He's out of control.

So where am I?

Beneath the Pentagon.

I'm gonna get you out of here.

Well, good luck with that.

Listen, I think I found a way to reboot the Earth's core.

Zapolyarny, Russia. Kola Superdeep Borehole.

The race to the center of the Earth.

Exactly, in 1994, the Russians stopped drilling at 12,000 meters because...

it was too hot to proceed. - - Exactly, but was it?

They went further?

It's the deepest man-made hole on Earth.

If we could stick a nuclear bomb at the bottom of that hole,

the electromagnetic pulse could kick-start the core.

- - How big a blast? - - A big one.

- - Have you ever heard of an MK-80? - - No.

Well, it's the world's largest nuclear bomb.

It's never been tested for obvious reasons.

Are you sure this is gonna work?

Right now, it's all I got.

Thank you.

Jane.

Thank me when it works.

I'm ready to leave.

Madam President,

you have not been in office for more than 24 hours,

and already, you are placing strain on our relationship with these demands.

What I am asking for, Mr. President,

is simply your cooperation.

There will be no cooperation.

Detonating what you admit

is the world's most powerful nuclear weapon on Russian soil,

is not going to happen.

The detonation will happen

at the bottom of the Kola Superdeep Borehole.

Russian lives will not be in danger.

So you say.

I still have no proof that this will fix the core problem.

Let me be clear, Mr. President.

While we argue, the world is dying.

Every option must be explored, every attempt must be made,

and that includes sending the MK-80 down the Kola Borehole.

This will be done with or without

your support, Mr. President.

You have 5 minutes to respond.

You better be right about this.

I'm worried about Karen, Dad.

I still can't get through to her.

She's with Tim. She's fine.

It's the 2nd time she's taken off to find him.

It always happens.

Michael sticks his neck out,

not realizing he's sticking her neck out, too.

- - She adores him. - - I know.

At least I know Michael will do

whatever it takes to protect us.

So will Jack.

I don't know, Dad... not after Operation Haven.

The heat!

She passed out!

Dad, help here!

My God... Oh, my God, Edna!

Easy, easy. 9353!-

- - Easy now. - - It's OK.

OK. In you go.

- - Let's get her to the couch. - - OK.

- OK. Here we go. - Got her.

- - That's a lot of blood, jeez. - - Got her, Dad?

Yeah. OK, down she goes.

- Oh... - - There you go.

I'll get water and the first aid kit.

Jesus, Jeffrey. OK. All right.

Over here, over here.

Sit yourself down. OK...

OK...

Didn't know where else to go, Governor.

You came to the right place.

Please... call me William.

Madam President, Vice President Maxwell, we're ready for you.

Have the Russians been cooperative?

Very. Excellent diplomacy skills, I must say.

The Russians have just launched the cruise missile.

Ten seconds to impact.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Dr. Whitlow...

Did it work?

No change to the core.

The borehole wasn't deep enough.

Due to the overheating core,

64% of the planet is already at Death Valley temperatures.

We're at a Category 8 threat level.

If it doesn't start spinning in the next 2 to 3 days,

the planet will be torn apart by the building pressure.

With all due respect, there are several top scientists

who disagree with Dr. Whitlow assessments,

both the timeline and this theoretical pressure buildup.

What? This is the first time I hear about this.

'Cause you're not in the loop.

Sorry, this presentation is premature.

Brian, you can't deny what's happening out there.

We need consensus, and we need it now.

You don't think we should go public?

Absolutely not! Look what happened with the CME.

The more we kept that thing under wraps,

the more infrastructure we were able to maintain.

We cannot implement a prevention scenario

in the middle of a global panic.

The problem is we do not have another prevention scenario.

Madam President,

the videoconference with NATO is in 5 minutes.

Thank you.

We're working with the brain trusts

of China, the UK, and Canada, there will be options.

We only need one, Brian. One that works.

We can't have any more mistakes.

We need to talk.

I visited Michael in his cell, Brian.

- You weren't authorized. - - He's been beaten.

He's a rogue. He's dangerous, Jane.

But I admit that his research could be useful.

Of course it's useful!

He's a brilliant scientist who could be working alongside

the smartest minds in the country.

You have to stop this!

Perhaps I made this personal.

Yeah. That's exactly what you did.

Release him, Brian.

The latest sonograms are in.

What's the pressure around the core?

About 450 gigapascals.

It's exactly what we estimated.

Distribute this immediately.

Dr. Whitlow.

How can I help you?

I have orders to escort you from this facility.

Your services are no longer required.

Excuse me?

- - There must be some mistake. - - No, ma'am.

These orders came straight from the Pentagon.

Of course they did.

What's going on?

I stepped on the wrong toes.

Peter, you're in charge now.

- - Continue with our work. - - But what about you?

I'm not giving up.

Damn it!

Are you sure this is where she said?

Yeah, this is it.

Still no signal.

The lightning's getting worse.

Electrical buildup from the deteriorating magnetosphere.

You made good time.

Had a good reason.

You said you know where my father is.

He's being kept in a holding cell at the Pentagon.

- - Secretary of defense. - - Yeah.

So how do we get him out?

I'm gonna forge a release order from the White House.

Back up a minute.

We're gonna bust Dr. Ranger out of the Pentagon?

Yeah. That's exactly what we're gonna do.

Come on.

Release order for Dr. Ranger.

One moment, please.

Excuse me, who are you calling?

- - My supervisor. - - It's not necessary.

It'll just take a moment, ma'am.

I'm calling to confirm a release order for Dr. Ranger.

Don't move!

You won't get away with this!

If we don't, we're all gonna die soon, anyhow.

Key card.

- Karen'. - - Dad'.!

Are you OK?

What are you guys doing here?

We're getting you out of here!

Your research, grab what you can. Let's go!

Come on! Go, go, go!

Run!

Freeze!

Drop it! Now!

Good... Now kick it over to me.

Looks like we got ourselves a little jailbreak.

Please, you have to let us go, there's too much at stake.

She's right. We're talking about saving the human race.

It's not my call.

And I'm gonna need you to follow me.

Dad!

Thanks for busting me out of there.

I couldn't leave you.

Why did you do it, Jane?

After I left,

why did you rebuild our HFD program with him?

The truth?

- - I sold out. - - You were manipulated.

No...

No, I was selfish.

Brian offered me my own program...

50 times the budget.

No more working off my laptop,

no more waiting for government handouts.

I convinced myself that building Brian's weapon

was better than building nothing.

Well... there's still time to change your path.

Yeah...

The path I chose cost me my partner...

and my friend.

I'm so sorry, Michael.

I'm sorry for everything.

Where are we going, anyway?

My grandfather's cabin.

They won't find us.

Pause it.

Find them, Carver. No mistakes.

This is really starting to scare the crap out of me.

Dad, what's causing this?

When the CME hit, it overloaded

the Earth's magnetic field with ionized particles.

And that caused the Earth's core to stall.

It's really bad, isn't it?

Yeah, 'cause it's not sustaining

the magnetosphere anymore.

What's a magnetosphere?

It means it's gonna get hot really fast.

The Earth's gonna start opening up:

volcanic eruptions, boiling oceans...

the end of life as we know it.

Thanks for painting such a rosy picture.

We have to restart the core.

Come on, let's get to work.

There's a bed upstairs Karen and I can share.

That works for me.

Tim and I will bunk down here. Won't we, Tim?

- - Yes, sir. - - Yeah.

There's a generator in the storage

beside the driveway. - - OK, we'll get it started.

No...

This is nicely familiar.

- - Yes, it is. - - Uh-huh.

Um...

Well, we should get to work.

- - Yes, we should. - - Yeah.

Yeah.

I hope my mom's OK. I wish I could call her.

I'm sure she's fine.

Nothing's fine, Tim.

The human race could be extinct in a few days.

I can't even comprehend that.

We're talking about our entire existence.

Unless my dad and Dr. Whitlow come up with a master plan...

it all ends.

Don't say that.

But it's the truth.

No more dysfunctional family dinners,

or stargazing off your roof,

or road trips, or...

or just dreaming of a future with you.

It's over.

We're done.

Listen.

This is a nightmare.

But we're together.

I'm with my fiancée.

The world would end right now...

there's no place I'd rather be.

What do you think is keeping them so long?

- - Maybe I should... - No.

- - You shouldn't. - - Well, what would you do?

Nothing.

Are you having trouble letting go?

It's just that...

When she was born, she had a high fever.

Before I could even hold her, they took her to the ICU and...

for a week,

all I could do was stare at my baby through a sheet of glass.

When they finally let me hold her...

I looked at her big beautiful eyes and I swore to myself

that I would never let anything happen to her again.

You know she'll always be your daughter.

Yeah.

That doesn't make it any easier.

Due to the Earth's damaged magnetosphere,

cell phone, Internet, and power disruptions,

along with the global aurora borealis,

will continue over the coming days.

There is still no official explanation

for the mysterious heat wave

that has resulted in thousands of deaths across the US.

The nationwide state of emergency continues

as temperatures reach a staggering 122°F, 50°C.

Countries worldwide are also reporting massive casualties

as temperatures continue...

On the ground! On the ground!

Do it! Now!

- - Who the hell are you? - - Bev, just don't talk.

These 4 fugitives are suspected terrorists.

- - Have you seen them? - - Oh, my God, Karen...

Have you seen them? Hey, we're American civilians!

Get that gun out of my wife's face!

Easy! Easy! Listen to me!

We haven't seen Karen and Tim since this morning.

They went looking for Michael.

Sir, if you are caught harboring or aiding

these fugitives in any way, you will be prosecuted.

- - Do you understand that? - - Yes.

Sweep the area.

Go. gulls-

Jack...

- - Vibration. - - Vibration?

Vibration!

The Earth's core is nickel and iron alloy.

One high-frequency pulse targeted at the core

would create ripples vibrating through the nickel and iron,

creating a chain reaction until...

Until the whole core is vibrating with energy.

High-frequency pulse

that would jump-start the Earth's core.

Exactly, we just need an EHF pulse

that matches the core's resonant frequency.

- - I have an HFD prototype. - - You have a prototype?

When I realized the DOD was taking over our program,

I made copies of all our research.

You continued with our work?

Of course I did.

I didn't become a scientist

because I wanted to build weapons.

I wanted to do things for the betterment of humanity.

So did you.

Yeah...

I miss working with you, Michael.

I miss working with you, Jane.

You stayed true to yourself.

Yeah...

A lot of good that's done me.

We should work.

The answer may be the replication

of the coronal mass ejection impact on the magnetosphere.

A shock stopped the Earth's core.

It's conceivable an identical shock could start it.

How?

We calculated the necessary blast.

It requires simultaneous detonation

of 40 neutron bombs in the magnetosphere.

What about the fallout?

Significant.

Both from neutron activation

and from the fission primaries in the missiles themselves.

Begin your simulations immediately.

Sir, Dr. Whitlow has accessed the SRAS system

using her old access key.

We've tracked her

to a remote forest location in West Virginia.

Send in your best team.

Carver...

Shoot to kill.

Yes, sir.

Dad was right.

There's geothermal activity under this lake.

What does that mean, exactly?

My best guess, gases are leaking up

from a fault line and superheating the water.

That was a guess?

That was my first term paper on lake formation.

Jane and dad need to see this.

Wait.

You hear that?

Come on.

Let's go.

- - Soldiers! - - Gotta move!

- - How many? - - Four up on the main road.

Hold.

This feels like an earthquake.

Jane...

Jane...

She's breathing.

Outside. Quickly.

Get in the car!

Hundreds have been reported dead

from the Ironwood Mountain eruption

which has destroyed much of Monterey, Virginia.

In Japan, Italy, and Mexico,

there were dozens of volcanic eruptions.

Death tolls are in the tens of thousands.

Exactly what Dr. Whitlow predicted:

pressure buildup from the core.

Where is she?

Why isn't she here?

She is feared among the dead in Monterey.

Madam President?

And what are we hearing from the Chinese Academy of Sciences?

Nothing solid.

- - And Russia? - - Same.

But our scientists are working

on a possible solution to restarting the core.

It involves fortifying the atmosphere

with neutron detonations.

I want to see a report as soon as possible.

Dr. Whitlow estimated we would have between 2,

possibly 3 days,

to solve this, and I believe her.

Everyone's dismissed.

- - Thank you, madam. - - Thank you, madam.

Brian.

What... what was Dr. Whitlow doing in southwest Virginia?

Visiting a family cabin. She needed a break.

The world's falling apart, and she takes a break?

Frankly, ma'am, she was falling apart.

She blamed herself for this crisis.

You don't seem too upset.

Excuse me?

You and Dr. Whitlow have been working together for some time.

She might be dead.

And it doesn't bother you.

I would never let my personal grief

interfere with my duty to this country.

Indeed.

Don't let me keep you.

Do you believe him?

I wish I could, Madam President.

I know.

Here we are in the middle of a global crisis

and we have a secretary of defense who cannot be trusted.

It could be the pressure cap.

If it's leaking, that would explain

the cooling system malfunction light.

Aren't you a little car mechanic.

Get me a water bottle out of the trunk.

Oh, and duct tape from the tool bag.

- - Don't move. - - Ow!

A volcanic ash plume continues to grow

above Ironwood Mountain

after a devastating volcanic eruption.

Communities within a 100-mile radius are advised

to evacuate immediately.

Repeat, communities within a 100-mile radius

of Ironwood are advised...

Those soldiers... I think they were black ops.

They must have tracked us when we used my old access card.

No more SRAS. How's the engine?

We'll get a few more miles. Don't push it, though.

Let's go.

Bev? Hon?

What are you doing out here? It's too hot.

I couldn't take being inside anymore.

It felt like the walls were closing in on me.

Your mother loved this view.

She used to come here when she needed to think.

I do, too.

Dad, Karen is out there.

I know.

And she's coming home.

Any moment now, her, Michael, and Tim will drive up.

Preferably with some new high-tech cooling contraption.

Everyone will be safe under one roof.

Do you really think so, Dad?

I do.

And you and Jack, you two will work it out.

He had to make a tough decision.

Come on back inside. I could use your help.

Let's just... let's just stay out a little longer, OK?

OK.

One, two, three, go!

Thanks.

Guys, I want you to drink this water, all right?

OK. Thank you.

Go home soon. - - Yeah.

- Thank you. - - OK.

How's Edna?

She's going to be OK. Jack's taking good care of her.

I have been worried sick about you!

Where have you been?

Dad was kidnapped

by the defense secretary.

- What? We broke him out - of the Pentagon.

You broke him out?

Listen, you can't stay. They're looking for you!

Soldiers were already here.

I'm not staying. I'm just picking up some supplies.

We just needed to know you were OK.

OK.

I think we should all hear this!

A giant fissure, 10 miles long

and hundreds of miles deep has opened

outside of Springfield, Massachusetts.

This is the latest in a recent global epidemic of heat waves,

earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Although there's been no official government statement,

the scientific community has linked this growing disaster

to the CME strike of 3 days ago.

There is a growing speculation

that the strike stalled the Earth's core,

and these disasters will worsen over the coming days.

World panic...

According to my predictions.

It's not a matter of days.

We have less than 24 hours.

Till what?

Till the heat and the pressure buildup tear apart the planet.

Here comes another one.

Looting and violence is rampant

in all urban centers.

With compromised communications and nationwide blackouts,

there is no clear death toll, but observers speculate

it may be in the hundreds of thousands.

The fissure in Springfield could work.

Is it deep enough?

Could be. If I build the right delivery system.

I'm trying to wrap my head around this.

You're going to send a frequency pulse

to the center of the Earth using your HFD?

That's right.

A frequency pulse that matches

the resonance of the Earth's core.

You lost me.

It's the same way an opera singer can shatters a wine glass with a high note.

When the pulse hits its surface,

the same kind of thing will happen.

The vibration will jump-start the core.

- - Does your prototype work? - - Basically.

- - Basically? - - It needs a few adjustments.

We'll need a way to get it to Springfield.

I know a place we can get a flatbed truck.

As a reminder, you're all fugitives.

Can I get a pen, paper and envelope?

You have a White House clearance, right?

- Yeah. - - OK.

You'll deliver this to the president.

- - Are you kidding me? - - No.

She needs to know we have a plan to start the core.

Jack, you need to do this.

I'll do what I can, but how am I going to get there in time?

It's an 8 hour drive.

I can pull a few strings. A friend owns a Cessna.

What about the black ops? They're still after us.

I've got an idea.

SRAS is back online. We're locked.

Let's go!

There's only a 13% chance that this will work, Brian,

and the nuclear fallout will wipe out

half the population of the United States.

I think, under the circumstances,

this is an acceptable risk

Killing 150 million people is not acceptable

under any circumstances.

We need more options.

There are no more options, Alice.

Look, we can't save everybody.

Sometimes, people have to die for the greater good.

This is one of those times.

No. No. I do not believe that. I will not give up.

And wait for time to run out and then everybody dies?

You're gambling with the planet.

Dr. Whitlow said we had 2 to 3 days

before things became irreversible.

If she's wrong,

then we'll have stood by and done nothing!

You have to make a decision right now.

I just did!

We're not doing it.

Dad! Where are you going?

I'm leaving and you're not coming with me.

What do you mean I'm not coming?

I want you to stay here with your mother.

- - She needs you. - - She's safe here.

You need me.

It's too dangerous.

I-I could never live with myself if something happened to you.

You'd still be locked up if it wasn't for me.

The world's at stake and you can't do it alone.

You can't protect me forever.

Yes. I can.

I know you love me

and I know you'll always be there for me...

but if you fail,

there will be no more world to live in.

Please, Dad.

Get out of the car!

Hands up where I can see them!

Step aside.

Step aside!

She's a decoy.

Global reports

of volcanic eruptions and heat waves continue to grow

along with civil unrest in all urban centers.

We will keep...

We lost the signal.

I think I prefer not hearing it.

How much further to the truck depot?

Another 5 minutes.

This is real bad.

And it's only gonna get worse.

Michael?

I see it.

Now!

It's a trap!

Get out of the car! Come on! Give me that!

Open that door! Go around the other side.

Open that door! She's got a gun!

- - Back off! - Let's get out of here!

Get in the car!

The temperature is rising 50% faster

than we previously estimated.

But it might not be the heat that kills us.

The pressure from the core.

It keeps building.

Since this morning, there have been 345 new volcanic eruptions.

Fissures are now being reported on every continent.

The Earth is breaking apart.

How long do we have?

Well, the reports are conflicting.

I mean, it's impossible to say.

Well, unless there's a miracle,

we'll have to implement Brian's plan.

I'll make that call within the hour.

Miracles do happen.

Yes, they do.

But I'd rather the fate of the world didn't hang

in that possibility.

Let's use the crane to get that satellite dish off.

How much time do you think the decoys bought us?

Not much. Let's get busy.

Wow. You actually do work here.

Yeah, I enjoy the privacy.

It works. It just needs a little love.

You can access the high-frequency generator from here.

OK.

You think he could have found an easier place to mount this.

Michael!

What the hell was that?

It's a buildup of steam pressure.

The aquifers beneath our feet are heating up.

If it's happening here, it's happening everywhere.

All right, let's get back to work.

We got a lot to do.

This is the secretary of defense,

ID 5443275.

Launch Operation Phoenix.

Sir, this wing is off-limits.

Listen to me, it is important

that this letter is given to the president.

The survival of the planet depends on it.

Sorry, you must go through the proper channels.

- - She has to read this! - - I understand that, but the fact rem...

Take me to the president!

We need to escort you from here.

OK. I'm sorry. I'll contact her office.

- - Halt! - - Madam President!

Hold it right there!

I have a letter from Dr. Jane Whitlow!

She knows how to restart the core!

I wanna hear what he has to say.

Dr. Whitlow is dead. What are you talking about?

She's alive, Madam President.

Please, read the letter.

Let him go.

And get me the secretary of defense immediately.

Thank you.

OK. EHF pulse is calibrated.

How are those polarity condensers?

I've got it set at 75%,

but that's when the system overloads.

You're holding it too long for copper polarity condensers.

Patch it directly into the wave harmonizer.

That's a great idea.

All right, I think that any other adjustments,

we can make it at the fissure.

Yeah.

It's another one. It's another one.

- - Everyone out of the house! - - Come on, guys. Go! Go!

- - Come on! - - Let's get out of here!

Are we still on track, Dr. Winters?

It's risky.

The latest simulation calculated a less than 6% success rate.

Will the president be joining us for the launch?

Sorry, doctor, but we're on our own.

Seal the bunker, please.

Mr. Secretary, we may have a possible lead.

So, what do you think?

That's pretty damn deep.

Don't get too close.

It seems pretty solid.

Until the next tremor.

Hey! Do you have to do that?

Considering we're gonna park a flatbed truck next to it, yes.

OK, come on, we only have a couple of hours.

Jeffrey?

Over here!

Dad! Oh, Jeffrey!

How bad?

Feels like my ribs are broken.

Let's get this off him.

OK. Careful, Dad.

"OK.

All right. All right.

Hang in there, Jeffrey.

Hang in there, Jeffrey. Hang in there.

Beverly, go get the first aid kit.

OK.

Thanks, Governor.

You're welcome.

The bunker's in lockdown. There's no way in.

He's gone rogue.

He'll try the neutron strike on our magnetosphere.

He can't. He doesn't have control of Missile Command.

Contact General Stinson now.

General, key in authentication code:

Alpha-4-3...

3-5-3-5-8.

Thank you, General.

You've done your country a great service today.

Done.

In 10 minutes, we launch a wave of neutron missiles.

Mr. Secretary, has the president authorized this?

Let me make my position perfectly clear to you,

Dr. Winters.

I'm the secretary of defense.

I have a sworn duty to protect and defend

the United States of America.

We're on the brink of global annihilation

with a president who can't make the right decisions.

She gave me no choice.

All right, take it up!

OK, almost there!

We're fully extended!

You know we'll only get one shot at this.

Two minutes to impulse release.

Sir, all launch sites are now online.

Awaiting your order.

Proceed with the launch.

They found us!

45 seconds!

- - Hold them off, Tim! - - I'm trying!

30 seconds!

- - Everybody down! - - Down on the ground!

Get on the floor! Right now! Let's go!

It's malfunctioning!

The pulse hasn't released!

Ah!

Ah!

- - Michael! - - Dad!

I'm OK.

Listen, we need to connect

the power relay to release the pulse.

Get it right or you'll fry the whole machine.

Remember, the connections are color coded.

Make sure it's still powering up.

- - OK. - - Ah'.!

Karen! Watch out!

It's starting to overload! Hurry!

Let's power it up! Do it now!

What is the status?

Three seconds to pulse!

We're back online!

Get off! Get off of me!

Get off! I'm doing the right thing here!

Status! Status!

Thirty seconds to launch.

We're patched straight into missile command.

Type in this abort code.

05452387.

Damn it, Alice! Let it launch!

Launch has been aborted.

You just signed the death warrant

for the entire human race.

Get him out of here.

I just... I just pray to God it was the right decision.

You did. You did.

Madam President,

reports are coming in from China, Russia, Germany.

The Earth's core... it appears to be spinning again!

It's spinning.

She did it.

She did it!

Dr. Whitlow did it.

Oh. my God!

You hear that?

It's quiet.

And that's not all.

We saved the world today.

What a beautiful day.

Today marks the end

of a global catastrophe.

It is a day to be thankful, because it has created a bond

that transcends borders, religion, and race.

We are citizens of humanity and today we have prevailed.

Can I get everyone's attention, please?

I would like to officially announce our engagement.

Dr. Ranger, I love your daughter. Very much.

And I promise to be a good husband.

Do you, now?

Beverly, what do you think about this engagement?

I think Karen and Tim know exactly what they're doing.

I'm all for it.

Jack?

If he makes Karen happy, that's all that matters.

Governor?

I like the boy.

You have anything else to say?

I wanna be a police officer, Dr. Ranger.

And a good one.

I just hope you can see past that

and see me for who I really am.

Karen.

You have grown up

to be beautiful and remarkable young woman.

These past 3 days,

you have definitely proven

that you can take care of yourself.

It will be my honor

to have you as my son-in-law.

Thanks Dad.

I wanna propose a toast!

Thank you.

To Karen and Tim.

- - Cheers. - - Cheers.

It really is a beautiful world we live in, isn't it?

Yes, it is.

I am so honored to have met you, Michael,

and eternally grateful for what you and Jane have done.

We're just a couple scientists.

We had nothing to lose.

Ha! You're too modest.

You overcame incredible odds

with unparalleled ingenuity and determination.

Yes, I read the report.

And Michael, there's a senior position open for you

to help run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Your expertise on climate change

would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Madam President.

It's the least we could do. See you soon.

See you soon.

I thought you were gonna ask for a new barn or a new truck.

I should've asked for a new barn!

Or that flatbed truck.

I really liked that flatbed truck.

Anything else you forgot?

Hmm? I could've asked for a boat.

We could go fishing.

- - Do you like fishing? - - No.

How about a house?

You know, to get you out of that trailer.

I like my trailer.

- - Really? - - Really.

I have everything I need...

right here.