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In December 1974 (two years
after the Apollo 17 mission), the crew of the cancelled Apollo 18 mission
is informed that it will now proceed as a top secret Department of Defense
(DoD) mission to deliver a classified payload. Commander Nathan Walker,
Lieutenant Colonel John Grey, and Captain Ben Anderson are launched, at
night, toward the Moon to place an early warning detector for ICBM attacks
from the USSR.
Grey remains in orbit aboard the Apollo command module Freedom while
Walker and Anderson land on the South Pole of the Moon in the Apollo Lunar
Module Liberty, on December 25. While planting the ICBM detector, the two
take rock samples which Anderson describes as feeling "strange". In the
background, the camera captures a rock moving in a nearby crater. After
returning to Liberty, they hear noises outside and the motion sensor
camera captures a small rock moving nearby. Houston claims the noises are
interference from the ICBM detector. The next day, Anderson finds a rock
sample on the floor of Liberty despite having secured the samples. During
their ICBM detector set-up, Anderson discovers footprints that lead them
to a bloodstained and abandoned (but still functional) Soviet LK lander.
Anderson explores a nearby crater, describing the ground as "feeling
softer". Inside the crater, he finds a dead cosmonaut as well as a broken
space helmet. Walker queries Houston about the Soviet presence, but he is
told only to continue with the mission. While they are sleeping, Walker is
awakened by strange noises and something bumping into the lander.
The following day, they find that the flag they had planted is missing.
Having completed their mission, the duo prepares to leave, but the launch
is aborted when Liberty suffers violent shaking. An inspection reveals
extensive damage to the module. Walker finds their shredded flag nearby;
the motion sensor camera is also missing, and the rover tipped on its
side. He then finds non-human tracks outside Liberty, and cites them as
evidence of extraterrestrial life. Walker feels something moving inside
his spacesuit and is horrified as a spider-like creature crawls across the
inside of his helmet; he disappears from view and Anderson finds him
unconscious outside of Liberty. Walker later denies the events. A wound is
discovered on his chest, and Anderson removes a Moon rock embedded within
him. After having removed the rock, Walker smashes it with a hammer,
contaminating the ship. They find themselves unable to contact Houston or
Grey due to increased levels of interference from an unknown source.
Anderson speculates that the true purpose of the "ICBM warning device" is
to monitor the aliens, and that it is the source of the interference.
Anderson and Walker attempt to switch the device off, only to discover it
has been destroyed, with the same non-human tracks surrounding it. Walker
shows signs of a developing infection, such as vein discoloration
(possibly caused by necrosis) and blood-shot eyes, and he becomes
contentious and paranoid. The mission cameras capture a rock sample moving
around in the interior of Liberty, revealing that the aliens are
camouflaged as Moon rocks. Increasingly delusional, Walker attempts to
destroy the cameras within Liberty with a hammer, but he accidentally
damages other controls, causing Liberty to depressurize. Realizing the
Soviet LK lander is their only source of oxygen, the pair travels to the
LK lander in their Lunar rover. Walker becomes agitated, believing he
should not leave the Moon because of the risk of spreading the infection
to Earth and causes the rover to crash. As the rover crashes, the camera
catches glimpses of the large space rocks, which begin to grow legs
similar to that of spiders.
Anderson awakens and tracks Walker to a crater. Walker is pulled into the
crater by the creatures. Anderson gives chase, but he is confronted by the
aliens and flees to the Soviet LK and uses its radio to contact USSR
Mission Control who connect him to the Department of Defense. The Deputy
Secretary informs Anderson that they cannot allow him to return to Earth,
admitting they are aware of the situation and incorrectly believe he is
also infected. Anderson, while waiting, plays a recording of his son Ryan
and wife. Anderson repeatedly rewinds and plays one particular part, 'I
love you.' Anderson manages to contact Grey and they make arrangements for
Anderson to return to Freedom. Anderson prepares the lander for launch,
but Walker arrives, revealing that he survived the alien encounter and
demanding to be let in. However, he is now completely psychotic and when
Anderson refuses to let him in, he tries to break the lander's window with
a hammer. Before Walker can enter the vehicle, he is swarmed with rock
aliens which break his helmet open and kill him; his body is dragged away
by a much larger alien rock.
Anderson launches, but the DoD tells Grey that Anderson is infected and
orders him to abort the rescue or ground communication (without which the
CSM will be unable to return to Earth) will be cut off. The lander's
engines shut off as it enters orbit; while it is in free fall, small rocks
within the craft float in the air, some of which reveal themselves to be
rock aliens. Anderson is attacked and infected by the rock aliens,
preventing him from controlling the vehicle. Grey warns Anderson that he
is approaching too fast, and the footage ends abruptly, implying that the
LK and Freedom collided.
The film concludes with a statement giving the "official" fate of the
astronauts, describing them as having been killed in various jet accidents
that left their bodies unrecoverable. An epilogue notes that many of the
hundreds of rock samples returned from the previous Apollo missions, given
to dignitaries, are now missing. |
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