Spurgeon Tanner Quotes in Deep Impact (1998)

Spurgeon Tanner: [about the Wolf comet] Now the outgassing has created a vent a half mile wide and at least two miles deep. Comet gets closer to the sun; sun melts the ice, ice turns to steam. We get a big hole, okay? So, how many nukes do we have left in the back?

Mikhail Tulchinsky: Four.

Spurgeon Tanner: Okay. If we can get the remaining bombs in that vent, there shouldn't be anything left of that comet bigger than a suitcase. Now, we can't do anything about the little one, but you know... it just might give them a chance. Now, without the arming codes, we're going to have to wait to set the bomb timers until we get closer to Earth, to raise Houston.

Mikhail Tulchinsky: We may not have enough life support left to get back into the cargo bay for the nukes. Much less to go down to the comet.

Mark Simon: We sure as hell don't have enough propellent left in the Messiah to maneuver with. How are we supposed to get back off the surface once we've... once we've gotten down there?

[Fish is silent, and everyone's expression changes knowingly]

Orin Monash: We don't.

Andrea Baker: [smiles briefly] Well, look on the bright side. We'll all have high schools named after us.

Spurgeon Tanner: [reading to Oren Monash, blinded and strapped to a bunk in the spacecraft] Well, let's get started. Moby Dick. Chapter One. Call me Ishmael...

Oren Monash: Fish. Why the hell do they call you FISH?

Spurgeon Tanner: Well, Spurgeon... Sturgeon... FISH. Took about 15 minutes my first day at the Naval Academy.

Spurgeon Tanner: We don't have time to talk, Houston. There's nothing we can do about the smaller one, but... we do have a plan. We need the arming codes for the last four nukes.

Otis Hefter: Arming codes? What the hell for?

Spurgeon Tanner: Mitch, we can do or we can teach. What's your pleasure?

Otis Hefter: [sighs, and shouts to his people] Get the arming codes! Get the God-damn codes!

[Gus Partanza is blasted into space by the comet's out-gassing]

Andrea Baker: Oh, God, we're losing one. He's got escape velocity. 1,000 feet and climbing.

[Gus screams]

Spurgeon Tanner: Mark, Mikhail, get the hell out of there!