Victor Milson Quotes in 2010 (1984)

Victor Milson: This is a most... difficult announcement. As you know, things have not been going well back home. Well, it's gotten worse - a lot worse. Yesterday, a Soviet destroyer challenged the blockade. Several warning shots were fired across her bow; she did not respond. A second volley was fired, there still was no response - none. The nuclear destroyer USS Cunningham launched two of her Falcon missiles. Both struck the Soviet vessel amidship. She broke in two and sunk. Eight hundred of her crew were lost. This morning, an American surveillance satellite was struck by a Soviet laser fired from the Sergei Kirov space station. The American satellite was destroyed. The United States has broken off diplomatic relations with Russia. All ambassadors have been recalled. The Soviet ambassador has been expelled, along with the entire staff. All American air defense and satellite defense forces are on full alert. Premier Ulanova made a televised address and said that technically, a state of war exists between our two countries. All American personnel are ordered to leave Soviet territory immediately or they will be placed under arrest. All Russian personnel are similarly ordered to evacuate American territory. As a result, by direct Presidential order, the three of you must leave the Leonov. No Russian citizen is allowed to remain on or is allowed to enter the Discovery; this order is effective immediately. The launch window for re-entry is 28 days. The Discovery has enough fuel for a low-consumption trajectory. HAL appears to be reactivated and is functioning well enough to operate the onboard systems. The Leonov has enough fuel for a low-consumption trajectory that will arrive 12 months earlier. The launch windows are critical for both spacecraft. Only communications of an emergency distress nature are allowed between the Leonov and Discovery. I know you people are caught in the middle of this; in a sense, we all are. I wish there was something I could do. The only thing left for us is to pray: pray for the safety of our families, for our countries, for our planet. May God forgive us... and protect us.

Victor Milson: So, here we are on your actual brink. My agency's going to become a part of the military, I've got a president with his finger poised on the button, and you want me to walk across the park and tell him we want to hitch a ride with those very same Russians. Have I missed anything?

Heywood Floyd: That's about it.

Victor Milson: You've checked this? Please say you haven't... You aren't saying anything, Floyd.

Victor Milson: Millson to Floyd: It's been twelve hours since I made my request for information! I need a reply - all hell is breaking loose down here! I have enough problems without you pulling some kind of a stunt! I just hope there's an Earth for you to return to! Make that report I asked for and make it immediately!

Victor Milson: 'Course, there's one good thing about a reactionary President, he's not into health foods. Last one, we didn't have lunch, we grazed.

Victor Milson: I didn't want your job, you know. I'm not the one who forced you out. I didn't blame the whole thing on you. So if this is your plan to try and get me killed, you got the wrong guy.

Victor Milson: The President addressed a joint session of Congress yesterday. He said he wasn't gonna back down on the blockade. I don't know which was scarier, the speech or the Congress cheering it. He evoked Lincoln. Whenever a president is gonna get us into serious trouble, they always use Lincoln. I honestly don't know if we're gonna be at war or not - it's terrifying to hope that the Russians are less crazy than we are, when they are clearly crazy. Right now, I think you're in a safer place than we are. I just hope that there is an Earth to return to.