Ice Station Zebra

Admiral Garvey: Jim, just how much do you know about Ice Station Zebra? Cmdr. Ferraday: Just what's been in the papers, sir. Drift Ice Station Zebra: British civilian weather station over the North Pole. They're in some sort of trouble, apparently. Admiral Garvey: Trouble, yes. They've been sending out distress signals; but, too weak and garbled to make much sense. Something has gone wrong up there, that's for sure. Cmdr. Ferraday: Those men up there must be pretty important. Admiral Garvey: They're not the reason you're going. They're just the excuse. Cmdr. Ferraday: Well then, what is the reason sir? Admiral Garvey: Oh, I can't tell you that. But I can tell you this: it is important - vitally.

Ice Station Zebra, CC BY-SA 4.0

David Jones: Where were you stationed, Captain, before you were picked up in transit? Capt. Leslie Anders: Asia David Jones: Ah, then you haven't been on the ice before either. Capt. Leslie Anders: No, Sir. A bullet goes just as fast up here as it does down there. David Jones: Not quite. An insignificant difference, perhaps, but I think you'll find the operational characteristics of the M-16 indicate that a bullet will decelerate as much as 40 feet per second per second faster in these climate conditions. It's denser air, you know.

Ice Station Zebra, CC BY-SA 4.0

Cmdr. Ferraday: There's one thing that cannot happen on board a submarine by accident... is both ends of a torpedo tube open to the sea at the same time! David Jones: You cross-connect the hydraulic manifold to the outside door mechanism so that the indicator reads shut when the door is actually open. The same sort of electrical cross on these two panels, and the open position reads green when it should flash red. Then you plug up the inlet to the test cock with chewing gum, sealing wax, anything... just so that it shows a dribble. And then you open the tube, and good night.

Ice Station Zebra, CC BY-SA 4.0

Cmdr. Ferraday: It wasn't sealing wax. It wasn't chewing gum. It was epoxy glue. And all of a sudden you know a whole damn lot about submarines. David Jones: I know how to wreck them, and I know how to lie, steal, kidnap, counterfeit, suborn and kill. That's my job. I do it with great pride.

Ice Station Zebra, CC BY-SA 4.0

Boris Vaslov: It seems almost benevolent. Cmdr. Ferraday: In that state, yes. Confined, controlled, shielded. But it is nuclear fission and it hates being confined even more than you do.

Ice Station Zebra, CC BY-SA 4.0

David Jones: May I ask, Captain, when we expect to reach the ice barrier? Cmdr. Ferraday: Yes, you may ask.

Ice Station Zebra, CC BY-SA 4.0