All language subtitles for Project UFO - 1x06 - The Nevada Desert Incident

Ezekiel saw the wheel.

This is the wheel he said he saw.

These are unidentified flying objects
that people say they are seeing now.

Are they proof that we are
being visited by civilizations

from other stars? Or just what are they?

The United States Air
Force began an investigation

of this high strangeness
in a search for the truth.

What you are about to see is
part of that 20-year search.

That's it. That's it.

I saw them, and all I
wanted to do was get to a phone.

You believe me, don't you, Captain?

You know, I've read about UFOs. I've
heard about them. I've never seen one myself.

It's too bad you didn't
have film in that camera.

Well, I thought I bought some
of the BX before I checked out.

Pete?

Lieutenant Stanley, Sergeant
Pete Cochran. Lieutenant? Pete,

I want to crank out a priority
twist to right pat. Project Blue Book.

Yes, sir.

Lieutenant, now let's get all
of our ducks in a row. Now,

you checked out of stead yesterday
evening? I just finished survival school.

I was reporting to Colby Air Force Base
with a delay en route in Los Angeles.

My wife lives there. She works
in admissions at UCLA. All right.

Now, you want to fill this out,
name, rank, serial, the usual?

I still can't get it out of my mind.

That machine, whatever it was,

One, two, three. Make a move.
Sergeant, you're not relaxed.

I'm not.

Now, pay attention. You count.

One, two, three.

Over and out.

Heaven will have to wait,
Sergeant. Story of my life, Major.

Wendy, this is Major Gatlin.

He's my, uh... I work for Harry, Wendy,
and we have an emergency on our hands.

Oh, Harry, you were just getting on to it.

We're hitching a ride to Colby Air
Force Base. Please write Pat in 40 minutes.

You've got such natural ability.

I've never danced with anyone like you.

Well, ain't nice of you, ma'am. Thank you.

Well, I get a special rate
because I passed the entrance exam.

It's $150 for eight lessons.

You heard what she said.
I got natural ability.

Oh, Mr. Keller, you
have such natural ability.

I've never danced with anyone like you.

Does Lieutenant Staless
201 tell us anything?

With the Stanford ROTC program,
communications major. Graduated with honors,

called to active duty upon graduation.

Regular commission? No, reserve.

Goes off active duty in July.

Jet qualified.

Plenty more, Daddy.

Oh, no. Thanks, honey. That's enough.

I keep telling my patients
to ease off on caffeine.

I ought to follow my own advice.

You know, when I was in the Air
Corps, old 930 hours meant just that.

Well, I hope they get here.

I'd like to get this thing cleared up.

Project Blue Book.

Any bets?

Hello.

I'm Major Gatlin. This is Sergeant Fitz,
Foreign Technology Division, Project Blue Book.

We have an appointment
with Lieutenant Paul Staley.

I'm Mrs. Cynthia
Staley. Won't you come in?

Morning, Major. Good
morning. Sergeant. Lieutenant.

Gentlemen, I'd like you
to meet my father-in-law,

Dr. O'Neill. How are
you, sir? Major Gadlin.

How are you, sir? Sergeant Fitz.

So this is going to be
a real debriefing, huh?

Lieutenant Staley's experience
yesterday seemed to warrant it, sir.

I was a flight surgeon, 5th Air
Force, Korea, 1951. Is that so?

Where the debrief became
sophisticated, Sergeant.

Goodbye, Daddy.

Good to see you. Don't get
started on the wild blue yonder now.

Finished.

Gentlemen, have a seat. Thank you.

I trust there are no
objections while I sit with

my son-in-law while you
explore this situation?

Well, actually, sir, there are some
advantages to privacy in these matters.

I anticipated you might say that, Major,

so I phoned my old friend Lieutenant
General Thompson in San Francisco,

and Tommy has suggested, informally of
course, that I be present, professionally.

As a colonel in the reserve, you see,

I've kept up with the
literature of flight medicine,

the psychological aspects of
UFO reports, been a consultant.

If you want to verify
this communication...

I don't think we need any
verification on this, sir,

and I certainly have no objections
as long as the lieutenant doesn't.

I didn't realize you'd contacted
General Thompson about this, Colonel.

I didn't want to bother you, Paul.

Lieutenant, shall we get started?

Right away? Okay.

Lieutenant Staley, who have
you talked to about this episode

outside of Captain
Selbridge at the weather station?

Only my wife. I drove straight through as
soon as I'd reported to Captain Selbridge.

Cynthia was asleep, but she got up
and made me something to eat, and well,

we talked for hours about
that, about the survival

school, but yes, I told her everything.

You haven't talked to anyone else?

No, sir, the communication from
ATIC was very explicit. No one else,

not even Colonel O'Neill.

Curious as I am, of course.

When Paul phoned me to say he'd arrived
home, he did say he had had an encounter,

but that was all. You can appreciate my
interest, personally and professionally.

Let's turn the recorder on.

Yes, sir.

Recording, sir.

Dr. O'Neill, Colonel Air Force Reserve,
Sergeant Harry Fitz, Major Jake Allen.

Before we start, Major, what
is the disposition of these

tapes as far as Project
Blue Book is concerned?

Those tapes are for Air
Force files only, Colonel.

Very good.

Lieutenant...

The Gold Bar Teletype stated you
checked out of stead immediately

after your group had completed its
survival course. Is that correct?

Yes, sir. I was in a hurry
to check out and get home.

I don't know what the others did. I
figured there's no point in sticking around.

I had a car. I figured I
could stop by the side of the

road any time if I got
tired, so I backed my bags.

Hey, come on, Paul. What's
the matter? Stick around.

We're working up to a party here.

Looks like you started already.

48 days with you people in
the middle of nowhere is ample.

I got my traveling orders as of now, and
this kid is traveling. Got my flight bag?

Lieutenant Staley, Major Burnham strongly
recommends that all the men who graduated

with him drink to their outstanding
record of less than 8% war shots.

Sir, Lieutenant Staley kindly
thanks the Major for his recommendation.

Salute.

Salute.

See y'all somewhere, you
guys. If I can survive this

course and this bunch,
I can survive anything.

Nice guy.

And a bright guy.

Why would he want to be a civilian?

I knew it would be easier driving at
night in the desert, so I kept on going.

But it finally caught up with me, I
guess, road hypnosis or just being tired.

And with that, we bring a close
to our evening's broadcast. KKAC,

signing off at 3 a.m.,
Mountain Standard Time.

So, I got smart, pulled off the
side of the highway just for a while.

¶¶

I was stiff, of course, but I'd
had a good sleep considering.

I just wanted to get somewhere to wash,
have breakfast. I was doing 55 or 60,

I guess. Any other cars on the road?

Last couple hours that
night, didn't see one car.

Next morning, definitely not.

I remember I was going around this big
curve when all of a sudden the engine quit.

The radio went off, too. The
whole electrical system went dead.

I knew I wasn't out of
gas. I coasted to a stop,

and I was trying to get it started again.

I was just getting out to look
under the hood when I saw them.

It's funny. The first thing
I thought of, I said, Paul,

you idiot, you're
dreaming. You're not awake yet.

¶¶

And the engine kicked right over.

It was weird. I don't understand it.

You gentlemen know the rest.

There's nothing more I can tell you.

We'd like you to try and draw or sketch
the machines you saw, if you would, sir.

Gentlemen, I'm doing
surgery in an hour. Major,

I appreciate your allowing me to sit in.

I assure you I'll keep it
completely confidential.

Paul, would you walk me to my car?

All right, Major? Certainly, sir.
Sergeant? Sir, there's coffee in the kitchen.

Help yourselves. Thank
you. Thank you very much.

Real nice apartment. Sure is.

How do you want yours?

Black, thanks.

Interesting.

Mage, take a look at this.

Paul, I hate to talk to you
like a father-in-law. Forget it.

We both appreciate everything you've done.

I know you're
considering leaving the Air Force,

just as I strongly
recommend that you do not.

Let's face it, this town is
full of unemployed communications

majors who graduated with honors.

But listen, this is a real opportunity.

I suspect your report will be buried just
as these UFO investigations usually are.

And I'm not ready to present my opinion
on your experience, at least not yet.

But you're going to be the center of Air
Force attention for the next few weeks.

First Lieutenant Paul Staley
will be a name everybody will know.

Capitalize on it.

Cooperate.

Colonel, what happened
to me really happened.

And I'm going to tell it like it is.

Play your cards right.

Use this.

You'd be surprised, Paul,
how far it may take you.

Who knows, maybe you'll find the Air
Force is a full-time career for you after all.

I've got a good chance at a job in Denver.

Have you accepted yet?

No, sir.

Don't.

I have to let them know pretty soon.

Maybe you owe Cynthia a little more
security than a civilian job could give her.

Did you ever think about that, Paul?

I know what you mean.
Neither of us want Cynthia

to be working, and she won't have to.

But look, first, I'm reporting what I
saw, no more and no less. And second,

a great many people have seen
UFOs, and what good has it done them?

Why do you suppose
they'd fly a major out here?

Why clamp this lid of secrecy on you?

Paul, I've been following UFOs
since it was called the Air Corps,

and pilots call those funny
things out in space foo fighters.

But you're something special,

a qualified Air Force
pilot who claims to have

established contact with UFOs on
the ground. Do you realize that?

You're unique, Lieutenant.

I'm transmitting all the sketches
Lieutenant Staley drew for us right now.

And the interview
tape's being transcribed,

and it'll be at
Wright-Patterson in the morning.

All right, sir, we'll carry
through on our end, but why? Oh, I see.

No, I haven't, but I'll be
talking to his wife later today.

All right, sir.

Goodbye, sir.

That was right, Pat.
The base commander out of

Colby is convening a
hearing board next week.

Why?

Lieutenant Paul Staley requested it.

These sketches Staley made,
anything strike you wrong about them?

Nothing that's wrong, like a
zillion others we've seen.

How come the top view?

You lost me, Major.

Lieutenant Staley was specific. He
walked up close to within 50 yards, he said.

Then they flew directly over his head.

Staley didn't give us any view of
the undersides of the machines.

No, sir, he didn't.

How did he know what they
looked like from the top?

Cynthia Staley,
please. Graduate admissions.

Yes, I'll wait.

Yes. Lieutenant Paul Staley,
please. I'm Lieutenant Staley. Personal

and urgent, sir.

Sign here, please.

Thank you, sir.

Oh, yes, sir. May I help
you? Uh, Mrs. Staley busy?

Well, her door was closed when I came
in from duplicating. Let me buzz. Uh,

there's a gentleman here to see
you. May I ask your name, please?

Mr. Staley.

Uh, Mr. Staley.

Yes, ma'am.

You can go right on in, sir. Thank you.

Hi.

I know I'm a bit early.

I thought maybe we... I didn't know
you wanted to talk to Mrs. Staley, sir.

Or even, Lieutenant. We didn't
know you asked for a hearing board.

I thought you did now. How? When
you didn't request it till today?

After Sergeant Fitz and I left?

Well, I'm sure you know
why I wanted the board.

You gentlemen have
investigated a number of UFO sightings.

We have?

I'm sure you know how the majority of
people feel when they read about these things.

They think anyone who reports seeing
a flying saucer is some kind of nut.

First off, Lieutenant,
we're not the majority.

And we do not believe that all
individuals who have sightings are oddballs.

I don't want Cynthia to have
to answer the usual questions.

Does your husband hallucinate?
Does he take drugs? Does he lie?

You probably want to know if our
sex life is satisfactory, too.

Lieutenant, you related an
extraordinary experience

to Captain Selvidge over at Gold Bar.

Now, we may never be able to
prove that you saw what you did.

But we sure cannot prove you
didn't. You were there. We weren't.

Now, we're gonna dig
into it and make sure that

no one's trying to make a fool out of you.

Maybe it's gone beyond that
already. Maybe I already am.

We're early and we'll have to
wait at the bar for our table.

I could use something tall and cool.

We'll be there in time.

That hearing board you
talked about in my office

this afternoon? What's that all about?

I want the Air Force to understand
that I really saw those machines.

And the hearing board makes it official?

Only that I'll be on the record
more officially than I am now.

This thing has really
gotten to you, hasn't it?

You didn't see what I saw, Cynthia.

I doubt if anyone will ever really
believe me, but I'm sure as hell gonna try.

What if they don't?

You don't believe me, do you?

Is it important to you that I believe you?

It's always the way with
us, isn't it, Cynthia?

Your father says it, it's fine with you.

But if I have a problem, as
long as the two of you work

it out to your
satisfaction, everything is okay.

Why do we always have to
go through this, Paul? Why?

I mean, it's no secret that
you've always resented Daddy.

That's not true. I have a
great deal of respect for him.

I just wish he would let
us lead our own lives.

I think he does.

I don't.

Okay, what's next? You
pack up and move to a

hotel again like you did three months ago?

No, not this time, Cynthia.

Look, let's not talk
about it anymore, okay?

Let's just be grateful that we've got some

extra time to spend
together tonight, okay?

I saw those things.
Nothing will ever change that.

Pretty sure this is it?
That's very close, yeah.

The way the road curves over
there and the hills they flew over,

I think it may be a few yards
further down there, Major. All right.

Did you mark anything or leave a pile of
rocks or anything to mark the sighting?

Major, I've never been instructed on what
to do in case I ran into a UFO squadron.

And I didn't take any pictures either.
I already told you that. I couldn't.

There. They were sitting right there.

And the indentation from the landing
gear should be right in this area.

There were three to each,
equilateral triangles, total of 12.

There's the highway. Here's where you
originally marked the landing site.

You couldn't be off more than
a couple hundred yards, right?

More or less. We'll correct that in red.

Lieutenant, it took off
from over here. Then what?

They hovered above the ground a few feet.

I was right over there, and
then they lifted off to about

25 feet and went in
formation right over those hills.

Right into the sun,
which would be 0630 or 0700.

That's correct. What was the undercarriage

configuration, sir,
since it flew over you?

Well, the glare was so bright I
couldn't make out any detail.

How did you know what the upper
surface looked like, the top section?

I'm not too good at making
sketches. I didn't know.

I tried to give you a general
impression, size and shape.

Sir, I didn't see any
traces of landing gear marks.

They were there.

I saw them when the machines were
hovering and again when they lifted off.

This is sandy country.

It's possible when they took off,

their propulsion systems
might have covered the landing

tracks over. No,
Sergeant, they were there.

I know those things
kicked up a lot of sand,

but I saw the marks after they took off.

Wind, maybe. Sir? Well, it is sand.

Desert winds aren't uncommon.
Maybe the marks were drifted over.

Filled in.

Well, that must be it. It's got to be.
It's the only possible explanation, isn't it?

Yeah, I know. No physical evidence.

No fuel residue, no piece of hardware.

Nothing.

How am I ever going to prove this?

What more can I tell you?

He completed the course in excellent
physical condition, mentally alert.

He's one of the best young
officers I've ever trained.

His 201 proves that, doesn't it, Major?

I come up in November.

What I was getting at is,

could you accept the proposition that
this sighting of his might be a hoax?

Well, I don't happen to
believe in UFOs myself.

But if Paul Staley said he
saw some, I believe him.

Just one more question,
sir, and this one's personal.

Is this survival course
really as tough as we hear, sir?

Even in the latrines, Sergeant.

Psychological tests. Complete exposure of
your background file, which, as you know,

is strictly your business
in the military complex.

Yes, sir, I've
considered all that. All right.

Here's the list of the
people on your hearing board.

Any objections?

It's possibly one name.

Dr. O'Neill. Yes, sir.
He's my father-in-law.

We know that.

Well, do you consider that proper?

You tell us.

Well, if his presence will in any way
affect the outcome of the hearing, no, sir,

I don't consider it proper.

Well, we've never made use of Dr.
O'Neill's expertise here on this base,

but his name came up in normal rotation,
and he comes to us highly recommended.

But I repeat, if you have any
objections, we'll replace him. No, sir.

If you have none, then I have none.

Any other names on the list?

No, sir, I don't know anybody else.

Fine. The hearing will be convened
at 1400 hours on the 27th. Yes, sir.

You talk to him, and I'll handle
everything else. I don't like to promise anything,

but I suspect that Paul
can make captain very soon.

Maybe even be stationed
somewhere around here.

You'd like that, wouldn't you, honey?

Of course I would.

But do you think Paul would?

Well, if he wouldn't, he's
simply not using his head.

Although there have been moments
recently when I've had my doubts.

This UFO business, seeing
these things or thinking

he saw them has become
an obsession with him.

I'm really concerned, Daddy.

Cynthia, your mother
never knew how to appreciate

the good things that we finally acquired.

But you do. I want so much for you.

You're entitled. You deserve the best.

And that very definitely
includes a sensible husband.

With the means to give
you lifetime security,

Paul could accomplish all that
with a well-planned military career.

I love you, Daddy.

You're so good to me.

I love you, honey.

And I'm thankful you're not
trying to talk him out of the service.

No.

I think he's doing a pretty
good job of that himself.

You let me handle it.
Handle what? Me again?

I thought we had that out the other night.

Adequately enough, I guess.

What's new, Paul? I
thought you might tell me.

I don't know that I understand that.

The hearing board.

Oh, that. Yes, that.

Well, I...

I meant to tell you when the
notification came and just slipped my mind. Well,

I didn't mean to push it.

I'm sure you both know how important
the hearing is to me. To all of us, Paul.

I wouldn't want to trace it
anything that smacked of dishonesty.

Paul, you know Daddy better than that.

I'm sorry.

Well, anyway, I have some good
news. I talked to Denver today,

and I have that job at
KKAC as a news reporter

if I can be there by
August the 1st, and I can.

It's just about the time when you have to
extend your tour of active duty, isn't it?

It was, but I already told
them thanks, but no thanks.

I've done my seven years.
I want to be a civilian.

You're making a mistake.

Well, I don't think so.

Cynthia will have me. I'd like to
spend more of my life with her.

I can't say I blame you for that.

Well, I'm glad we all agreed then.

It's your life.

Why not?

I know we've almost concluded
this rather lengthy hearing,

but I also know we've
been here for four hours,

and I wonder if a short
break might not be in order.

Colonel, I believe my
evaluation is all that remains,

and I assure you it'll be brief.

In fairness to Lieutenant Staley,

who has certainly been subjected
to a great deal of personal strain,

I feel we should continue.

Just for a few minutes.

Very well, Dr. O'Neill.

The psychological profile
developed by Major Evelyn Lake

unquestionably presents the lieutenant
as an intelligent, reasonable officer.

His record is exemplary. He's just
completed one of the Air Force's

most difficult courses with its
known physical and mental demands.

I refer to the survival course.

In many ways, then,
Lieutenant Staley is not the

typical individual who is
reported sighting UFOs,

just as his encounter on the ground at
close range is far from typical. In fact,

it is most certainly
unique in the many thousands

of cases that have been investigated.

Let's begin with that survival school
course and his completing it on 18 May last.

He had to be plagued with
complete physical and mental exhaustion,

as everyone who completes
the course is. Nevertheless,

Lieutenant Staley decided to drive
straight through, almost 600 miles.

Strange decision, at best in
view of his fatigued condition.

Perhaps that is precisely what
caused his temporary loss of memory.

Example, in his
interview with Major Gatman,

Lieutenant Staley declared he'd had
no drinks, no intoxicants, no alcohol.

Although Major Burnham
reported from the base,

you'll find this on
teletype of 22 May last,

that everybody was
having a couple of drinks.

And Burnham actually gave at least
one to Lieutenant Staley personally.

If the lieutenant forgot one
drink, perhaps he forgot two.

Or even three.

So, completely exhausted,

Lieutenant Staley does not drive a
couple of hours and sleep in a motel. No,

he continues driving until he suddenly
finds himself running off the highway.

A confused mental state, to say the least.

And then, there they are.

Flying saucers.

This officer trained for three
years to recognize dials, gauges,

structural configurations
with better than 20-20 vision.

And all he can recall are a
group of strange machines,

four of them octagonal
in configuration. Oh,

he did recall in some detail what the
top of those space machines looked like.

It's his drawing number seven in AF 112,
although he admits he never saw the top.

I think it interesting that his
descriptions are identical to the

cliche descriptions in all of
the pattern flying saucer reports.

Lieutenant Staley's
account is clearly fraught

with inconsistencies. That he bought film.

But forgot it.

Trained observer, he made no effort
to definitely record his location.

Lieutenant Staley will be eligible
for discharge on 14 July this year.

His academic training and education,

generously supplied by the
United States Air Force,

complete with a degree
in modern communications,

were all directed towards a
television career and on-camera performing.

He has stated that on completion of
his reserve tour in the Air Force,

he will associate himself with a
television station or network.

And if he has kept his thumb
on TV's pulse, and a clever,

ambitious man certainly would,

he knows the great public
interest in flying saucers and UFOs.

The lieutenant's library boasts in
excess of a dozen books about flying saucers,

almost all of them describing translucent
domes, bright metal skins emitting lights.

All without specifics.

I submit to this hearing board
that Lieutenant Paul Staley's

own credibility is far less
than most of these quick-butt,

supercilious authors of the bills
he has cluttered his mind with.

The lieutenant is a
totally unreliable witness.

His so-called sighting is high fiction.

And why?

Because of the lucrative
opportunities and the sensational

interest in his
appearing as a TV commentator,

as an eyewitness who
has seen UFOs up close.

He is aware that there is no better way
to enter his chosen civilian profession

than with a dramatic announcement that
he is the only unimpeachable person.

A qualified observer, an
ex-Air Force pilot to have

seen and actually made
contact with flying saucers.

There may be other motives as
well for this fanciful report.

I am fully aware of the
obvious, crass commercial motives.

I'm sure you are too.

Where you been, sir?

Made a couple of phone
calls. And I made a couple more.

Didn't take them long to
reach a determination?

What other conclusion could they
possibly have reached? Thought of going away,

present, from your father?

I'm sorry.

Are you really?

What's all this business about Daddy?

He couldn't have had
anything to do with the outcome.

Well, you ask him to tell
you about it some rainy night.

He's very good at war stories.
I've had about enough of them,

but you were raised on them.

Paul, I wish you'd
stop talking in circles.

Well, we've been heading in this
direction for quite some time, haven't we, Cynthia?

Now's as good a time as any.

From here on in, who's it
going to be, me or your father?

This is neither the time nor
the place to discuss this.

This is the precise time and
the precise place to discuss it.

You're serious, aren't you?

All right.

If you were faced with a
choice, how would you make it?

I was in that hearing
room today, and I made it.

Well, I can't, and I don't see
any reason why I should have to.

We just have to talk about this.

It all got said in there.

Be right back. Take it to him, Major.

Doctor? Major?

They ought to give you the Academy
Award for your performance in there.

Take it easy, Major Gadlin.
Like you did with Staley?

You've got about as much
objectivity as a shark with an empty stomach.

Easy, Major. I've been involved in
this project for a number of years,

and I've never witnessed a more
thorough job of character assassination.

Now, maybe you don't
think it's important to

people who have these
sightings, but we do.

Some of them tell us they've seen what
they believe are unidentified flying objects.

That's what put us in
business, to try to identify.

You know the ground rules of
Blue Book as well as I do.

Now, I don't know what your
reasons were for that travesty in there,

but I do know that you've
slapped a label on one young man.

He's gonna wear the rest of his life.

Six Air Force officers of high rank made
this determination, Major, and it stands.

We believe Lieutenant Staley tried
to perpetuate a hoax, a pure hoax.

And you're right, I
know my blue book history.

Enough to know you've dealt
with a good number of these.

Only when they were thoroughly
proven to be such, and this one is not.

I'll tell you, O'Neal, we're going to dig
into this, and we'll pull up an answer,

too, as to what motivated you today.

In the meantime, the Air Force won't be
needing your service anymore in this field.

You're making command
decisions now, are you? No, sir.

Headquarters Air Force. Very well,
Major, but I called it as I saw it.

Now, what would you
have done if you were me?

Can I wait a while before I'm used to it?

Well, sir, how do we put it down?

What it really is.

A true unknown. The End

Damn fool. Nobody believe you anyway.