In just a moment X minus one. But first, when you hear the
hearty laugh and familiar voice of the Great Guilder Sleep Tomorrow Night, you know
you're in for some hilarious adventures. Because whenever Guildy is around, somehow things
never seem to go as planned. It might be his impulsive nature, or
maybe it's his incurable weakness for the fairest sex. But whatever it is,
the Great Guildersleeve is bound to keep you laughing for a full twenty five minutes.
Tune in tomorrow Night and meet Judge Hooker, Nephew Leroy, I'll keep
a Birdie and all the rest of the friendly people from Summerfield as they join
the Great Guilder Sleeve. I'll stay tuned for X minus one on NBC.
Come down for Blast Off X minus five four three two X minus one.
Fire from the far horizons of the Unknown. Come transcribed tales of new dimensions
in time and space. These are stories of the future adventures in which you'll
live in a million, could be years, on a thousand, maybe worlds.
The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers of
Astounding Science Fiction, presents he he he he minus one. Tonight's story time
and time again by h Beam Piper m. It happened during a routine skirmish
in the Great War. Patrols advanced from the defense perimeter under jet cover and
preceded by npalm throwers. The enemy defended in depth and mocked up with guide
that ninety eight fired from forty miles to the rear. The blast area was
ten miles in circumference, and the medics didn't find much to pick up over
five hundred yards in. Come on, I'm back it in here. Look
on this lowsy with mud more now cut laught more, hold it, stretch
it. Come on, travers, get those men out, yes, sir,
get them over, line them up. Come on, easy, easy,
you want to kill them? Okay, take it away. And I
left those joes where they was half a more last of the plank comes.
As long as they're alive, they'll be treated. Get those tags out,
Travers, start taking names. Yes, it's have been a thousand yards in
get his dog, take out a mess here. Hartley Allan, Captain G
five camera search An seventy three D number so two three eight six nine four
oh three dash J. Hartley Allan Hartley. Oh that must be the Hartley
that wrote Children of the Mist and Conquers Road. Never heard of them,
Major, I think maybe he's partly conscious. Had I better give him another
shot? Go ahead, sergeant. There's much else we can do for him.
So rotten shame? Yeah, and it always okay, Captain, let
me have that on. Oh, Alan, Alan, Okadh, get up?
Alan, can't stay in bed all day? I remember that clear as
if it were real, hoping at him, hit the deck, remarkably vivid,
strange. All are you all right? I'm all right? What's wrong
with my voice? Ah ah, it's t Why what are you doing practicing
singing? My voice has changed? Is that all? You're growing up?
Happy birthday? Happy birthday? Hey, wake up, don wake up.
I'm awake. It's impossible. I am awaken. The way you stepped through
that alarm, I'd say it was impossible. Come on out of bed.
I don't understand. You went to better d edition. Now you could wake
up the next morning. Come on, sound breakfast, waiting all the better.
I'll turn it over. All right, all right, it's a dream
maybe, but you're wide awake now I am. I'm awake, well,
half awake, anyway, that's the weir. Let's say, boniface, isn't
it? What day is it? Are you kidding? You? Forget?
Today's your birthday? No? No, no, I didn't forget neither,
did I? Yes, son, happy thirteenth birthday. You won't guess what's
in here? A rifle? A light twenty two rifle. Oh now,
how did you know that? I remembered? Did I spill the beans?
Sometime? I could have sworn it would be a surprise. Well, go
on open it? You like it? Yeah? Yeah, it's perfect dead.
I we'll have to lay down rules about using it, and i'll have
to teach you how to operate it. I don't believe in letting a boy
handle a gun until he really knows how If I let you play with that
thing before I teach you about guns, you'd blow your head off, I
suppose, sir. I'll be shaving. Alan, come down to breakfast when
you're ready. Well, it's a big day today. You're almost a man,
almost, so you're still groggy. Snap out of it, Alan,
I will. It's a dream and it's somewhere, but I'm not sure which
what. Never mind, Dad, I'll be right down for breakfast. What
you're going to do today, Son, I want to do some reading this
morning. That's always a good thing to do after breakfast. Suppose you take
a walk down to the station and get me at times. Didn't it come
well at the times or they don't deliver you a good idea though? Maybe
I'll talk to Sam Ashburn about it. Here's a half dollar Alan, get
anything you want for yourself out of the change. Thanks to finish your milk
before you go dead. Thanks for the money. You're big enough to handle
it. Now, hurry back. I'd like to finish the crossway puzzle before
lunch. Here are allen one times. Tell your father the puzzle the stinker
this week? Yeah, thanks, mister Ashburn. The got with the trucks.
When you cross the highway, I'll go across Elton's a lot. It's
a short cut Elton's. You'll have a hard time crossing there. Son,
there's four buildings on that block. I thought they burned down. I've seen
him this morning, big as live. I guess that didn't happen yet.
What did you say, nothing, mister Ashburn, I was just muttering my
days. Youngsters talked up, Yes, sir by, mister Ashburn, Monday,
August sixth, nineteen forty five. Okanawa one, I mean Japan.
Hey, Hey Alan, Alan Waite out Hey Larry Morton, Hi, Larry
Hi. El you going to Sunday school? No, I have some things
I want to do at home. Oh, get him fancy pants? Talk
things I want to do at home. Go chase yourself around the block.
Oh, jump in a garbage you can go take a flying jet to the
moon. Hey, it's a new one, flying jet to the moon.
You thought up a new one. Al Yeah, I wish I could stay
home from Sunday school when I want to do. How about us going swimming
at the canoe club? After? I wish I could. I got to
stay home. We're expecting company, a couple of ants of mine. Dad
wants me to stay home when they come. Answer a pain. Nothing I
can do. You see the football movie at the Grand Boy. What a
team? Notre Dame. I thought you like Cornell Cornell. They couldn't beat
Fasser. Well you're gonna go to Cornell, aren't you me? Cornell?
Fat chance? I'll bet you do. I wouldn't take your money, Well
you wouldn't, but you'll go to Cornell. All right Cornell, far above
car UGA's waters. There's an awful smell just the same. You all go
to Cornell. Hello, yeah, I gotta go. Well, so long,
Al, I'll see you so long, Larry say you stuck in this
corner? A word that mixing? Mm hmm, see it's fits now.
How how did you know that, Alan? That I read it somewhere.
I guess what's you reading now? Tarzan? Again? No, not not
Tarzan. It's refreshing to see you with a book. Sometimes I think I
order forbid comic books in the house. Hmmm. Yeah, it must be
raising the devil with those bombing raids in Japan. How long do you think
the war in Japan will last? Did? Oh hmm? I'd say the
middle of nineteen forty six, and I'll have to invade those islands foot by
foot. I don't think so dead. I wouldn't be surprised if the war
was over very suddenly. How by magic, There's not a thing on earth
will make those Japanese surrender. You expect somebody to make a pass and it'll
be all over by this afternoon. Something like that. M wish you could
a lot of boys dead in the invasion of Japan, mister Hardley, excuse
me please? Oh hello, mister Goutcha. That's Frank Gotchall dead. That's
right. Excuse me, I didn't mean to disturb you. Mister Hartley's all
right. Lovely day, isn't it, mister Gutcher and mister Hardley. The
Lord's Day is always beautiful, of course, mister Gutcher, mister Hartley,
I wonder if if you could lend me a gun and some bullets. My
little dog's been hurt and it's been suffering something terrible. Oh, that's too
bad. I want a gun to put the poor thing out of its pain.
Of course, how would a twenty gate shotgun do? You wouldn't want
anything heavy. I was hoping you'd let me have a little gun, maybe
so big pistol, so I could put it in my pocket. It would
look right to carry a honting gun on the Lord's Day, and people wouldn't
understand that it was for work of mercy. Of course, I understand you're
a very religious man. The whole world is evil, mister Hardley. Sometimes
it certainly looks like it. Well, I have a cold thirty eight special
from the Auxiliary Police outfit. Well, that's fine, you've got to bring
it right back, mister Gutchall, I might be called out. You'll have
to promise to get it right back. Wait a minute, I just remembered,
remembered what well on it to some contridg just left for the luga.
Then you wouldn't be without the cold. That's right. I haven't got a
German automatic. I could let you have that way I wouldn't get stuck.
You'd have to return it promptly, though. Oh wait that I'll get it
high away the contri careful, well, mister Gutchall. That sure turned out
nice. Hello place headquarters. This is Blake Hartley. Frank Gotcheler lives on
Campbell Street. That just borrowed a gun from me, ostensibly to shoot a
dog. What no, he has no dog. He intends shooting his wife.
Now listen, he'll walk home. If you hurry, you can get
a man there on time. What no, But I wish you'd get my
pistol back to me. It's in the First World War, all right,
All right, then you'll take care of it. Goodbye? There you were?
What kept you allen? I couldn't find the cartridges at first. I'll
show mister gutcher low works. It's all loaded, ready to shoot. This
is the safety. Just push it forward and up. There were eight shots
in. Did you load the chamber? Sure it's not safe. Now you
understand how it works, mister Gutchall. Oh, yes, yes, I
understand. Thank you, mister Hartley, Thank you, Soney, goodbye,
good bye, mister Gutchall. Return the gun when you're done. Yes,
I'll be done with it soon. Goodbye, Allen. You shouldn't have loaded
that gun. I guess it's all over now. I had to keep you
from fooling with it. I didn't want you to see. I took out
the firing pin. You what gotchall didn't want that gun to shoot a dog.
He's a fanatic. He sees visions. Here's voices. The voices probably
put him up to this. I'll submit that any man holds intimate conversations with
disembodied spirits isn't to be trusted with the gun. What are you talking about?
While I was at it, I call the police upstairs. I put
a handkerchief over my mouth and told him I was you you? Oh?
Why did you have to do that? I couldn't have told him? This
is little Alan Hardy thirteen years old, and suppose he really wants to shoot
a dog. What kind of a mess would I be in? Then?
No mess. If I'm wrong, which i'm I'll take the rap for it,
dumb kid, Drick, you know. But if i'm might, you'll
have to front for me, give me a lot of cheap boy hero publicity,
which I don't want. This is crazy, and this is absolutely crazy.
Maybe we'll have the complete returns in twenty minutes, mister Hardley, mister
Blake Hartley, that's right. I'm Detective Sergeant Kuborski from Homicide. Here's your
lugur. Thank you. I don't know how you spotted that guy, but
when you busted and he was pointing that gun at his wife and swearing a
blue streak because it wouldn't go off, I'm man I was able to help.
You know. They may even have some kind of a citation for you,
mister Harley. I don't think that's necessary. In the department, we
figure a little publicity never hurt nobody, even a lawyer. I really would
prefer to who kept quiet. Well, whatever you say, we'll want you
to drop around in the morning for a stay. I'll be glad to well,
goodbye, goodbye son, goodbye sergeant m h Why don't you take the
citation? Dad? Well, you were right. You saved that woman's life.
Now let's see you put back the firing pin. Sure hum, all
right, Alan, suppose we have a little talk. I explained everything you
did not yesterday. You wouldn't even have known how to take this pistol apart.
Today you've been using language and expressing ideas that are outside of everything you've
ever known before. Now I want to know. I hope you're not tying
with the medieval notion of obsession. Would you say I'm changed? When did
you first notice this? Last night? You were still my little boy this
morning? I don't know. You've been strange all day. There's been something,
Alan, What's happened to you? I wish I could be sure myself.
Did you see when I woke this morning, I hadn't the least recollection
of anything I'd done yesterday. August fourth, nineteen forty five. Ooh,
that's serious, Yet, don't a house serious? My last memory was lying
on a stretcher injured by a bomb explosion. I was forty three years old
in the year was nineteen seventy five nineteen seventy five. Let's right, you'll
be forty three in nineteen seventy five, but a bomb. Yes. During
the Siege of Buffalo in the Third World War, I was a captain in
G five Scientific Warfare General Staff Buffalo. You mean Buffalo, New York.
There had been a transpolar invasion of Canada. I was sent to the front
to check on service failures of a new lubricating oil. A week after I
got there, Ottawa fell and the retreat started. We made a stand at
Buffalo and that was where I got it. I remember being picked up and
getting an arctic injection. The next thing I knew, I was in bed
upstairs and it was nineteen forty five again, and I was back in my
own thirteen year old body. Oh, Allan, you just had a nightmare
to end all nightmares, that's all. I thought it might be that at
first, but I rejected it. It won't fit the facts. But it's
ridiculous. All this Battle of Buffalo stuff. You picked up something listening to
the radio. All the comment datas have been going on about another war after
this one. You've just got an undigested hunk of HV Calvienborney. You're subconscious,
That's all. It isn't everything. I remember four years of high school,
four years at Cornell, seven years as a reporter on the Philadelphia Record,
three novels, Children of the mist Rows, of Death, Conqueror's Road.
You think a thirteen year old can dream up all that stuff, But
it's the only possible explanation. Maybe, But I can speak five languages today
that I couldn't yesterday, French, German, Chinese, Russian, and the
little Spanish, although I've got a Mexican accent you could cut with a knife.
But how did it happen? Allan, I can't believe it. All
I know is here I am. I've been reading up on time theories.
Nobody seems to know much about them. Evidently time exists parallel as another dimension,
and I got kicked backwards along it. But how It may have been
the radiations from the bomb or the narcotic injection, or both together. But
the fact remains, I'm here with full knowledge of my future identity. This
this is quite a shock, Ellen, But you do believe me, don't
you? Yes, I suppose I must. You seem so strange as if
you weren't my son. I'm your son, all right, same body as
yesterday. I've just had an educational shortcut. Wait a minute, if you
can remember the next thirty years, suppose you tell me when the war is
going to end, this one against the Japs. I mean, oh,
sure, Well, a Japanese surrender will be announced at exactly seven oh one
pm on August fourteenth. That's a week from Tuesday. Tuesday. Hey,
better make sure we have only a grub in the house by then. Everything
will be closed up title Thursday morning, even the restaurants. I remember we
had nothing to eat in the hospital, some scraps Tuesday. And that's pretty
sudden, isn't it? Not? After today? What do you mean?
What happened today? Plenty? What time is it? Dad? That's eleven
sixteen? Is your watch right? What the second's way? It'll coming exactly
eleven seventeen forty? What will come the radio announcement? What are you getting
at something important on the radio? Well, let's see, Well, don't
bother that it won't work. I remember we had a two brand dot.
There is something wrong. When is this announcement of yours? Now? I
remembered, I memorized it in journalism school in nineteen fifty four. What time
is it? Eleven eighteen? Oplock, we're breaking into the program now.
President Truman has just announced that an atomic bomb has been dropped on the Japanese
industrial city of Hiroshima. The bomb was dropped sixteen hours ago, and the
announcement was delayed to ascertain the results of the explosion. Man named John Howard
Peterson read that announcement from the Washington newsroom with NBC. I don't believe it.
No, listen, but that's the burke Plot factory whistle and the bells
of Saint Boniface. Now next the whistle at the volunteer firehouse. You like
it, then it's true, it's true. Sure. Then Larry Morton came
buy on his bicycle. Hey, hey, al, now you hear you
hear about the bomb and atomic bomb? Yeah we heard boy, atomic bomb.
Oh boy, I gotta go find my Poppey's on the golf course.
Buy out by mister Harley. You knew you knew about it. The next
bomb hit Snagasaki. I thought that stuff about atomic energy was so much fantasy?
Was it was that the kind of bomb that got you? That was
a firecracket to the one that got me. It was a guy that ninety
eight exploded ten miles away, and that's going to happen in thirty years,
I remembered, how about well, how about me? Oh wait, wait,
never mind, I don't think i'd better know when I'm going to die.
I couldn't tell you anyway. I had a letter from you just before
I left for the front. You were seventy eight then, and you were
still hunting and fishing and flying your own plane. But another war and fought
on American soil. Oh well, and I wish this hadn't happened to you.
It happened, I remember it. But if I can help it,
I'm not going to get killed in any Battle of Buffalo. But if you
remember it, if time exists as a parallel dimension, than every tick,
we're getting closer to that Third World War. You know what I remembered when
Gutschall came to borrow that gun. I suppose that you suspected him and more
than me. No, no, no, that wasn't it. The other
time, the first time, when I was really thirteen, I wasn't home.
I'd been swimming at the Canoe club with Larry Morton when I get home
about a half an hour from now, I found the house full of cops.
But if the gun didn't fire, what makes you think it didn't got
you'll talk the thirty eight out of you. He went home, shot his
wife four times in the body, once behind the ear, and used the
six shot to blow his own brains out. That's what you remember. Yes,
the cops traced the gun. They took a very poor view of your
lending it to him. You never got it back, but here it is
not the way I remember it. But I didn't want you in trouble,
so I warned you, Dad. I found out the future can be changed.
One man can't change the whole future. I stopped a murder on a
suicide with thirty years to work, I can stop a world war. I'll
have the means too, the means unlimited wealth and influence. I've got a
good memory, Dad. I want a list out this afternoon, Salt jet
pilot citation ponder middle what is this the horses? That's a list of Kentucky
Derby winners from nineteen forty six to nineteen seventy You sure I learned that list
on a Better the Eye Offices club in Cincinnati in nineteen seventy one, Assault
paid eight to one. You figure out what we can take in. But
gambling, Oh, this isn't gambling. It's a sure thing. When we
get rolling, we'll make the Rockefellers look like Piker's the saw did they do?
M I suppose I quld scrape up five thousand dollars ten years. That'll
make a lot of money. Any other little thing you have in mind?
Ellen, Oh. By nineteen fifty two, we start building a political organization
here in Pennsylvania. In nineteen sixty, I think we can elect you president
president. He's not going a little too far, but why not. Who
wouldn't vote for a politician who was always right? Besides, that's the one
thing we've got to change. In nineteen sixty we had a man in the
White House who was good to his wife and sang a nice tenor and that's
about all. He followed up so completely we ended up at war. I
think President Hardley might be a little more trusted to take a strong line,
but I don't know anything about it. International decisions, I do. I
know all the wrong ones. If we can stop one murder, we can
stop a war. It's worth a try, isn't it. I guess,
So how do I start? As I remember, just after the bomb announcement,
you've got a phone call from the City Fusion Party about the next election.
There's a lot of talk about a reform ticket. What call is going
to be important? Dad, it's the turning point now, you've got to
know there it is. Well, what do I do? We'll answered go
ahead, but don't worry out tell you what to do? Go ahead?
Hello, Yes, this is Blake Hartley, Judge Cribbins. Yes, just
a moment, Allen. He's asking me to run. Oh my Alan?
Oh? Alan, what's the matter Allan? He passed out? Alan?
What do I do now? Alan? Listen to me? Alan, Al
Captain Captain Hartley, Captain Hartley. He was all right, Doctor. I
gave him a shot and he was all right. Well he's dead, all
right, chargeant make out the tag Hartley? Allan captain dead. April eighth,
nineteen seventy five. Alan, Alan, what happened? Alan? Alan?
Allen? Are you all right? I've got Judge Crimins on the phone.
What do I tell him? What? Alan? Are you all right?
You passed out? Sure? All right? Hey, today's my birthday,
isn't it what you give my birthday? Huh? Don't you remember the
Third World War? What? Third World War? Dad? What's the money
you're looking at me? Funny you don't remember. You're back again, aren't
you? Back to thirteen years old? Sure? Thirteen to day? For
corn sake, Dad, you must have died up there. It was only
a mind transfer. That means I'm on my own. I have to do
it myself without your help. Help for what if it's a grass I said
I'd cut it tomorrow. No, no, it's not the grass. I've
got to save your life. Ellen, I can't let you die that way
in nineteen seventy five you're talking about dad? You sound goofy. I've got
to change it all by myself. Change what? Never mind? Alan,
you don't know yet. Come on, let's have lunch? Sure dad?
How about my present? Now? Would you give me for my birthday?
In a minute? Sound go on in? Okay? Well hurry up dad?
Sure? All right? Hm? Now where did I put that list
of horses? You have just heard? X minus one Presented by the National
Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers of Astounding Science fiction Tonight
by transcription. X minus one has Brought You Time and time again, written
by h. Beam Piper and adapted for radio by Ernest Canoy. Featured in
the cast were Jack Grimes, Peter Fernandez, Jodah Santis, Joseph Bell,
Clark, Gordon Herm Dinkin, Dick Hamilton, and James ducas You're announcer Fred
Collins. X minus one was directed by Daniel Sutter, and there's an NBC
Radio Network production