Episode 27: Summit Meeting: Part II - 11/7/67

A reporter describes how five heads of state are meeting at the mountain fortress of the European Allied Command, where the conference host, Premier Thor Halvorsen, will be demonstrating AR-5 that Halvorsen claims will reduce the dangerously high levels of radioactivity present on Earth. As he continues describing how participants began arriving the previous night, a French reporter walks into frame and makes a similar report about the afternoon demonstration in French.

A summit conference in a mountain stronghold, 18 miles from the Baltic Sea. There are two who do not share the high optimism of the other arrivals here: David Vincent and his ally and friend, Michael Tressider, who step off a helicopter and into a moment of history. They share the grim knowledge that this conference was initiated, and is being controlled by alien invaders. 

Tressider is questioned by a reporter from the Continental Press who wants to know if his company has been contracted to manufacture AR-5 for the United States, but Tressider tells him he can't discuss it. He and Vincent arrive at a platform where other arrivals are standing, and it descends below the ground. 

The guests step out of the platform lift and make their way to various places around a registration desk. David Vincent spots Ellie Markham and makes his way over to her, but she tells him they can't be seen together and instructs him to meet her in her room in a half hour. 

The Continental Press reporter observes the interaction and surreptitiously steps behind a wall and whips out a communicator, saying that Vincent, Tressider, and Markham have made contact. 

Starring Roy Thinnes as Architect David Vincent

Guest Stars:

William Windom as Michael Tressider

Eduard Franz as Premier Thor Halvorsen

With Special Guest Star:

Michael Rennie as Vice Chancellor Pierre Alquist

and

Diana Hyland as Ellie Markham

Written by: 

George Eckstein

Directed by: 

Don Medford

Act I

Tressider and Vincent are observed entering the elevator by the Continental Press Reporter alien. Vincent tells Tressider that Markham wants to talk with them and Tressider says David trusts her more than he does. 

They enter Thor Halvorsen's room, where he is meeting with Alquist. Tressider introduces David to them and asks if they could meet with him alone, but Halvorsen says Chancellor Alquist is part of their official family. They are shocked when he tells them that he knows Alquist is a representative of an extraterrestrial body. 

He says he was aggrieved to hear what transpired between the two of them in Washington, and Tressider elucidates by saying he was tortured and practically killed on his orders. Halvorsen states that Alquist reported that he only used minimal force when he became uncooperative. Tressider sits down and composes himself before saying it is a gross distortion of facts. David adds that he's a murderer and Halvorsen says he's using extreme language. Halvorsen says he's trying to preserve the life on this planet while Alquist is trying to preserve the life of his. 

Tressider suggests the possibility that he's being used, adding that they believe that Alquist and his people are trying to take over the planet. Halvorsen doesn't believe it and Tressider asks why they are being so devious, and why they don't just bring AR-5 to the United Nations. Alquist says he's being naive, noting that it would cause panic and chaos if others knew that visitors from outer space were involved. David tells him that they were informed the conference was arranged as a smokescreen to assassinate all the world leaders attending. Halvorsen says it's a melodramatic accusation, but he'll take it under advisement. He excuses himself to prepare to meet with the their president. He lets them know their concern is appreciated. 

Tressider suggests they get in touch with American security. David says they have to meet with Ellie. Tressider doesn't understand why he trusts her and David responds that she saved Tressider's life. He asks him to at least listen to what she has to say, and he agrees. 

Markham is on the phone saying she wants to check the timetable against her notes. The aide she is speaking with puts the phone down to go get it when Alquist enters. He explains that Markham is on the phone and wants to look at the schedule. Alquist says he should let her. Tressider and Vincent enter her room, and she tells the person on the phone she'll be up in a few minutes.  She asks how the meeting with Halvorsen went, and David says that Alquist has him wrapped up. She says she may have a way to unwrap him, but they need to know some things first. Tressider tells her he first wants to know why she's working against her own people. She says that she believes the assassination plan is a mistake and that it will expose their presence, causing warring factions on Earth to unite against them and destroy them. Tressider still doesn't trust her. 

David reminds her that she wanted to tell them something, and she says the warhead on the missile they're testing does not have anti-radiation pollutant, but instead has a deadly gas that can wipe out every speck of life in a radius of ten miles, and that it won't affect her people. David says that Halvorsen saw the AR-5 demonstration, and she says the AR-5 exists, but is only effective at low levels of radioactivity. Tressider says the levels are severe, but she says the current levels are their doing and it took them a year to create the threat. David says they have less than an hour to knock it down. She says they need to get the timetable to Halvorsen so he'll cancel the launch. Tressider asks about the timetable, and she tells him that Alquist has the whole schedule written down which provides every last detail of the plan. She says she just spoke to Alquist's aide about going to look at it and was told it was in the top drawer of the desk. She says there's one guard and David thinks it's worth a try. Tressider believes she may still be lying, but decides to go along. 

They go to the room, but there's no response to her knock. David draws his gun and they enter the room behind him and find no one. They look in the drawer where the plan is supposed to be when two aliens sneak up behind them with guns drawn. They are warned not to move, as Markham disappears from the doorway. One of the aliens goes to close the door and Tressider grabs a vase and strikes him on the head while David shoots the other one, who glows red and vaporizes. They leave the room and Tressider tells David that she set a trap for them, and he suggests that the thugs could have been waiting for her. Tressider says he's going to contact the American Security Officer but David says he's going to look for Ellie and hopefully find the timetable. Tressider says it's dangerous, but David says it won't matter if they are all dead in an hour.

Well, that's it. The whole series could end right now with David Vincent and his allies being wiped out with a deadly gas, along with all the world leaders, allowing the Invaders to finally realize their goal of world domination, but thankfully those foolish aliens have written down all the details of their plans, providing David Vincent the chance he needs to vanquish them. Since we know the series continues, we can expect him to foil the plot, so we are only left to wonder if Markham is truly on their side or not, and who will become casualties along the way. 

 

Act II

Ellie is in her room when David knocks. She lets him in and he enters with gun drawn. When he sees that no one else is there, he holsters his gun. She tells him she's glad he made it. He tells her that Michael thinks she set them up and she asks what he thinks. He asks where she went. She says she didn't know they were going to set a trap and she ran. He tells her there was nothing in the desk, and she says that Alquist has it with him. She calls to Halvorsen's suite and pretends she's calling from the desk, asking if Alquist is there. She tells David he's at the press lounge holding a press conference. They leave the room.

Tressider tries to convince the American Security officer to get the president out, and he asks if he's supposed to tell him that there are space creatures trying to kill him. Tressider says to tell him what he wants and he'll take responsibility, but the officer says the responsibility is his. He says there's nothing he can do. Tressider says he'd rather risk the life of every member of the American mission rather than make a mistake. He tells him he won't live long enough to realize the mistake he's really making and he leaves. 

Ellie and David go to the press room where Alquist is taking questions from the press about the AR-5 loaded missile. They note his briefcase open on the desk with files inside. As he goes to a chart of the missile to provide details, David sneaks over to his desk and takes the briefcase while everyone's attention is diverted. Alquist notices his briefcase is gone just as they leave and ends the press conference, going out into the hall with his aide to look for them. They see David and Ellie enter the elevator and Alquist says they're on their way down to Halvorsen. He picks up a nearby phone to make a call. 

David and Ellie are about to reach Halvorsen's room when they see a man hang up a phone outside the room. He suggests they go around the back way, but there are aliens stationed at the door. She asks what to do and he says they'll get to a phone and call Tressider, saying he'll believe him now. She asks if it's not too late.

Alquist enters Halvorsen's room, saying it's a half hour until launch and ask how he feels. Halvorsen says he feels immodestly proud and very grateful. He asks if Alquist is satisfied and he says he is as long as the heads of state agree to the full terms of the bargain. Halvorsen says the men are realists and will lay down their arms forever to pay the price for their chemical, since they understand they have no choice. He asks if everything is ready and Alquist says it is. He tells him that he's ordered guards to accompany him, explaining that David Vincent approached him again and he's afraid he's irrational enough to try and get to him. 

David is looking through the plan in Ellie's room. She asks what he'd be feeling now if he were one of them, and he says he'd be feeling nothing. 

She asks if that would be better and he says he can't imagine anything worse. He tells her he's involved in something he cares about and she says Alquist will win eventually. 

David gets on the phone and asks that Tressider be paged. He goes to Ellie and says her home must be one big happy planet. She says he's so used to emotion he wouldn't know what to do without it. She asks if he'd like to learn and he says he wouldn't. She says she's sorry for him because he loves but he also hates, he loves peace, but he makes war. She says his way is no better. He asks how she would know since she's never felt love. She says she's also never hated. They seem to be on the verge of kissing, but then the phone rings. 

David picks it up and tells Tressider that he has the timetable. Tressider asks if he's sure and he says he hasn't read the whole thing but that it's all there and details how they will take over after they polish them off there. Tressider tells him to bring it to him so he can get it to Halvorsen. David explains that Alquist knows he has it and has Halvorsen under guard. He asks him to meet him and be sure he's not followed, since they may have someone on him too. Tressider says there is someone who's been breathing down his neck the past hour and David tells him to lose him and hurry. Tressider whispers to a guard before he leaves. When the alien goes to follow him, the guards stop him and say the gentleman he's been following said he was making threats against the experiment and they take him away. 

 

Tressider passes by his room and the guard goes to let him in, but he tells him he has an errand to run and suggests he get a sandwich. He leaves and the guard takes out his alien communicator and follows him. 

Seriously, what kind of hack alien is Alquist to have written down the plans for world domination, and then leave them in an unlocked, unattended briefcase? I think that calls for being vaporized by his colleagues. You'd think with their technology, they wouldn't need to document their plans on paper. Then there's David Vincent, who claims he hasn't read the whole timetable, but somehow knows that all the details for their takeover are in it. Meanwhile, he appears to be attracted to another female alien, which makes it all the more likely she will not survive Act IV. 

Act III

Halvorsen and Alquist enter the observation room where it the Continental Press reporter is announcing that there are 25 minutes until launch, and the delegates from the five great powers are arriving and taking their places in the observation room. Halvorsen is seated and Alquist leaves the room to speak to the Tressider's guard, who tells him that Tressider met Vincent and Markham in the lobby and are now in room E44. Alquist says that Vincent stole a document from him, and instructs him to get it back and liquidate all three of them. 

Tressider is looking through the document and says if it's not a forgery then it's exactly what they need. David says he took it out of the case himself and asks if he trusts him. Tressider apologizes to both David and Ellie. David says they need to get it to Halvorsen right away and Ellie suggests she might have the best chance of getting it to him, since some of them might not know about her yet, but Tressider says she's not going since there will be killing and it will be her people. David asks if she's sure she wants to go, when the guard enters and says that none of them are going. 

He asks them to hand over Alquist's document. David reaches into his jacket and pulls it out and tosses it on the ground in front of the guard. When he bends over to pick it up, David tells them to get down and pulls out his gun to shoot at him, as they all dive under the tables and the guard ducks behind a machine. He hands the gun to Ellie as he moves to the other side of the room. He announces that they're giving up, and raises his hands in the air. The guard comes out and Ellie jumps up and shoots him dead, causing him to glow and disappear. 

David asks if Tressider trusts her now, and he says, of course. David asks how many of them were there and Ellie says there were only ten of them since Alquist thought they couldn't assimilate more. He says there's her, Alquist, the four they saw outside Alquist's office, the one they eliminated in Alquist's room, and the guard they just killed, making eight accounted for. Tressider asks who the others are, and Ellie says there's Alquist's aide, but she doesn't know who the other one is. Tressider asks why she doesn't know and she says Alquist thought it would be better if they didn't know about each other. Tressider says they have seven to go through and asks how much time they have. David says they have fifteen minutes and Tressider gets on the phone to call Halvorsen.

Alquist's aide says that two men are watching Halvorsen and one is screening his calls. Another alien comes out to report that Tressider called Halvorsen and he told him he'd relay the message. He says Tressider wants him to delay the launch until he talks to him as he has proof that the launch will result in disaster. Alquist tells him to intercept Tressider and see that he's permanently delayed. 

David is arguing with Tressider, saying that he can't allow him to do it, that he knows his message didn't get through to Halvorsen and that he's setting himself up like a sitting duck, but he is unable to persuade him. 

Alquist's aide says the countdown starts in ten minutes. Alquist worries that Tressider might get to Halvorsen. He tells his aide to get inside and watch Halvorsen while he waits for them. The aide tells him he wouldn't worry and Alquist says he would. 

David and Ellie are making their way down the hall when they are stopped by one of the guards who politely asks for the document. When David doesn't offer it, he reaches into his jacket, allowing David to grab him and throw him up against the door, and then knock him out. 

He hears moaning and groaning and finds Tressider on the ground with a bloody chest wound.  He tells him they'll get him a doctor, but he says there's no time and it's no use. He asks what they can do and he tells them just to get to Halvorsen. He tells him to call Vanders, but then collapses and dies before he can relay what he wants him to tell him. 

David grabs the gun from Ellie and goes out and shoots the alien he knocked out, who vaporizes. David goes to a phone to call Vanders and tells Ellie it's six minutes to countdown. 

Weren't they just making a big deal about how the aliens have no emotion in the last act and now we see that Alquist is feeling worried. Does that mean he's one of those mutant aliens with emotions? It looks like David Vincent has lost another ally in his fight against Invaders. 

Act IV

Halvorsen is in the observation where it is announced that a ten minute countdown to missile launch will begin in two minutes, and a sharp drop in radiation is expected in ten to fifteen minutes after launch. It is further explained that there is no warhead on the missile, but instead contains the AR-5, which will be released into the atmosphere. An official enters and whispers to Halvorsen and he leaves the room. 

Alquist and his aide are waiting outside the observation room and observe Halvorsen leaving the room. David and Ellie are waiting around the corner for Halvorsen, who asks them what it's all about. David tells him he has evidence of what he and Tressider have been telling him. He shows him Alquist's documented timetable, and Halvorsen suggests it could have been forged by him and Tressider. David tells him that Alquist had Tressider murdered. 

Alquist and his aide approach, and the aide seizes David Vincent, but Halvorsen tells him to let him go. Halvorsen says David claims he had Tressider murdered, but Alquist says he just saw him a few moments ago. The official asks Halvorsen to come with him, and he lifts the sheet to show him Tressider's corpse. 

Halvorsen asks Alquist if it has all been a lie and says the countdown must be stopped. Alquist tells him that they've programmed the launch and he's the only one who can stop it. Halvorsen tells him to do so, but Alquist refuses. Halvorsen says he'll stop it himself, and David pulls a gun and points it at Alquist so that he, Markham, and Halvorsen can escape, leaving the official to be clubbed into unconsciousness by Alquist's aide. Alquist and his aide are unable to access the locked stairwell door they entered and take the elevator in pursuit. 

Halvorsen directs them where to go and apologizes for not listening to them, as Tressider would still be alive if he had. They get in a jeep and zoom off. Alquist and aide arrive just after and get in another jeep to follow. Alquist begins shooting at them, and they duck down to avoid being hit. 

Halvorsen reaches the control room and enters with Markham, while David remains outside for a shootout with Alquist and aide. David handily reduces them to glowing vapors. Halvorsen lets him into the control room.

Halvorsen orders the technician at the controls to stop the launch. He says he can't because the controls are automatic. Halvorsen tells him to deactivate the missile and the technician starts pressing buttons. He says that it won't respond. Halvorsen goes to the control board and presses the emergency launch button. He explains that in one minute and ten seconds, after the missile tries to leave the silo, he'll press the destruct button. The technician says it will destroy the entire area, and David says there must be some other way, asking if he can change the course, but he tells them to leave. The technician bails immediately, but David lingers and Halvorsen says he has 60 seconds, which spurs them to hop in a jeep and beat a hasty retreat as the clock ticks down. 

The missile begins to launch as David and Ellie reach the room where they accessed the jeep. They quickly get out of the jeep and hit the ground as the missile begins to launch and falls back down to the ground in a fiery explosion. David and Ellie get up to see that the tunnel they just drove through has completely collapsed, and she says there's no more danger as everything was buried. David repeats, "Everything," and she remarks that Halvorsen was a good man.

I'm not quite sure I understand how a missile of that size did not destroy the entire complex, allowing David and Ellie to escape unscathed, but at least we got a fiery explosion to end Act IV. 

Epilog

A reporter relates that all that is known for certain is that both Halvorsen and Alquist perished in the explosion, but that they may all be primary victims since the world still faces eventual extinction from radiation poisoning without the AR-5. He adds that Tressider's death remains a mystery. 

David asks Ellie what her people will do about the radioactivity. She says they've already stopped manufacturing it, since a poisoned world is no good to them. He asks what she'll do and she says she'll return. She tells him they've been allies but not friends and that he shouldn't count on her next time. He tells her he didn't count on her this time, saying he would have killed her if she'd made a wrong move. She smiles and says they understand each other, and then says goodbye. He walks to a waiting helicopter.

It is over. A great man's dream lies buried beneath a mountain. The leaders of nations return to their homes, and David Vincent returns to his continuing war to rid the world of the Invader. That is his dream, and he will not see it buried.

Co-Starring: 

Richard Eastham as Carl Vanders

Jay Lanin as Alquist's Aide

With:
Lew Brown

Hank Simms

Troy Melton

Albert Carrier

Lee Farr

Morgan Jones

John Mayo

Don Ross

Director of Photography:
 Andrew J. McIntyre

Invaders Theme by:

Dominic Frontiere

It was certainly a frightening prospect to have Invaders poison the world with radioactivity to assemble the leaders in one place for the purpose of assassinating them, but then they had to go and ruin it all by stupidly leaving their detailed plans out in the open so David Vincent could discover them. This second part left me with the feeling that it may have been better if they'd told the story in just one episode, as they seemed to mostly be doing a lot of running back and forth through hallways. Tressider's death and Halvorsen's sacrifice were noteworthy aspects that make me feel like this episode deserves more pinky ratings than I can give it, but I just wasn't all that into Part II. Call me fickle.  

Tune in next week for a religious experience with Pat Hingle (Batman Forever).