1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,960 In just a moment X minus one. But first, if you're planning to 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,599 join the family for this holiday weekend, remember you have a friend who will 3 00:00:07,679 --> 00:00:11,279 keep you company through the long hours on the road. That friend is your 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:15,199 car radio, and it brings you a full weekend of the most stimulating variety 5 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:20,000 entertainment when you tune in to NBC's Monitor. Yes, you set your dial 6 00:00:20,199 --> 00:00:24,839 just once for hours and hours of refreshing variety news as it happens, sports 7 00:00:24,879 --> 00:00:30,239 coverage everything from baseball to skin diving, interviews with the stars, plus lots 8 00:00:30,239 --> 00:00:34,520 of the relaxing music you like to hear. It's all on Monitor this weekend, 9 00:00:35,119 --> 00:00:43,960 and I'll stay tuned for X minus one on NBC. Come down for 10 00:00:44,039 --> 00:01:18,120 blast off X minus five, four three two X minus one. Fire from 11 00:01:18,159 --> 00:01:23,439 the far horizons of the Unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and 12 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:27,799 space. These are stories of the future adventures in which you'll live in a 13 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:33,239 million, could be years, on a thousand, maybe worlds. The National 14 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:52,760 Broadcasting Company, and cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine presents HE minus one to 15 00:01:52,920 --> 00:02:05,560 Night Story A Pale of Air by Fritz liber It was pretty quiet in the 16 00:02:05,599 --> 00:02:08,719 nest. Paul was just sitting by the fire, staring into it like he 17 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:14,199 does these days. And Ma was asleep. That's why it was so quiet. 18 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:17,479 Well, I has some pretty bad times when she just screams and screams 19 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:23,479 and huddles back against the blankets that line the nest chis was looking at herself 20 00:02:23,479 --> 00:02:25,919 in the mirror that hangs next to the bookshelf. I don't know what she 21 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,680 finds to look at so long, but then she's a girl. She just 22 00:02:30,719 --> 00:02:35,719 looks at herself. Saturdays, when Pap puts a couple of extra lumps of 23 00:02:35,719 --> 00:02:38,879 coal on the fire and we take a bath, she looks at herself in 24 00:02:38,879 --> 00:02:43,719 the mirror, and sometimes she cries. I dropped the book I was reading, 25 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,960 and I guess that woke mau hah, what pick up the book? 26 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:53,520 But I'm sorry, Paus, come back, hasn't it, Afreed, It's 27 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:55,719 come back? It was just Bud, he dropped his book. Come back. 28 00:02:57,479 --> 00:03:00,840 Wait. It's out there now, isn't it. I feel a lot 29 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:06,120 warmer now, Ethel. It's up there in the sky, just the way 30 00:03:06,159 --> 00:03:10,919 it always was. I know I had a dream, Alfred. I know, 31 00:03:12,039 --> 00:03:15,240 dear Sis, melt your mother a cup of water. I'm combing my 32 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,759 hair. Sis. Oh, all right, got to get up. I 33 00:03:20,479 --> 00:03:27,039 know it's there. There'll be crocusses and the spring bulbs and daffodils. What 34 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,639 are daffodils? Ma, Well, buddy there. Oh they're a flower and 35 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:37,800 they're very pretty yellow on a tall green stalk. Oh. I want to 36 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:39,919 go out. I want to take the children out, all right now, 37 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:44,879 ethelt here's some water. Come on, children, we'll all go out and 38 00:03:44,919 --> 00:03:47,719 you can play in the sun. Sure, Ma, here drink the water. 39 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:53,719 Ma, it's cold. You wrap on the pipes and make that super 40 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:58,719 send up some more. What's a superpa? It doesn't matter, bud. 41 00:03:59,599 --> 00:04:03,759 There aren't any anymore, Oh, Pa. The pails running low. But 42 00:04:04,319 --> 00:04:06,879 you better get into your things and go out and get an extra pail of 43 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:10,599 air. There are a couple of pails behind the first blankets. Go on, 44 00:04:10,759 --> 00:04:15,000 get into your things. It isn't back, is it. No? 45 00:04:15,639 --> 00:04:21,120 It isn't. There's no sun in the sky, No sun is there? 46 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:27,279 No? Mo? What was it like? The sun says, don't get 47 00:04:27,319 --> 00:04:31,920 your mobset. The sun was yellow and so bright you couldn't look at it, 48 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:38,519 burning hot, so hot, But when you stretched out in it made 49 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:44,240 you feel warm all over tingly warm. It's been so long since I've been 50 00:04:44,319 --> 00:04:47,319 that warm. I was warm last year on my birthday when Pap put all 51 00:04:47,319 --> 00:04:51,199 that extra col on, And then every morning it would come out of the 52 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:57,879 east, make the clouds all pink and yellow. The mist would rise in 53 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:04,279 the ground, and then everything would blow warmer, warmer, and then it 54 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:12,959 would be up there in the sky shining warm. Hurry up, Bud, 55 00:05:13,079 --> 00:05:23,639 I'm almost ready for I want the sun. I want the Sumwhere Alfred get 56 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:30,519 me the sun, scar Ethel. There's nothing I can do but Christmas on 57 00:05:30,519 --> 00:05:33,959 my birthday. Go ahead, Bud, take the big pail and get it 58 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,120 full this time. There's no sense in taking the trip for only half a 59 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,439 bucket of air. I spilled it the last time. Dog, God, 60 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,800 Dog, go ahead, Bud strapped down the helmet. Well you, says, 61 00:05:46,319 --> 00:05:49,800 stand up straight, Okay, all right, I'll be right back. 62 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:56,079 Don't hold the blankets open too long, all right, Ethel, They're all 63 00:05:56,120 --> 00:06:00,800 safe. But he'll be right back with another pail of air. It's all 64 00:06:00,879 --> 00:06:11,680 right. I went through the thirty or so blankets Paw hung up to slow 65 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,279 down the air escaping from the nest. Of course, I knew the way. 66 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,160 I've been going out for air since I was a kid. Still I 67 00:06:18,199 --> 00:06:23,120 get a funny crawley feeling every time I go out of the nest. You 68 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:25,839 got to go up to the fifth floor, which is just above the blanket 69 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,839 of frozen air. You see, when the earth got cold, all the 70 00:06:29,879 --> 00:06:32,199 water in the air froze. First. I made a blanket about ten feet 71 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,480 thick or so, and then down on top of that dropped all the crystals 72 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:41,959 of frozen air, making another blanket sixty or seventy feet thick. I came 73 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,519 out of the window we use on the fifth floor and started to scoop up 74 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,279 the air into my pail. I had it about full, but when my 75 00:06:47,319 --> 00:06:58,279 fingers are getting pretty cold. But I saw something. Hey, that's a 76 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:03,759 light, and I kicked over the bucket. There can't be a light moving 77 00:07:03,759 --> 00:07:09,040 around in a window like that. There can't be come on, Pad, 78 00:07:09,199 --> 00:07:12,680 says her back in the nest. I'm up here, and there can't be 79 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:26,800 anyone else. Everybody on Earth is dead except us. I had an idea 80 00:07:26,839 --> 00:07:30,079 how Ma must feel sometimes, the way she sees things. But there it 81 00:07:30,319 --> 00:07:34,560 was moving around in the building across the way. I stood there shaking, 82 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:39,759 and I almost froze my feet, I did froust my helmet so solid on 83 00:07:39,759 --> 00:07:43,160 the inside I couldn't see anything. So I hurried up and scooped up another 84 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,600 bucket of air and headed back for the nest as fast as I could. 85 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,560 Pa Pa, I saw something, and hang those outside close up by the 86 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:03,120 fire, Pa, I saw something, I did. Mother's quiet, Now, 87 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,879 don't upset, Paw. It was a light. Wait till I get 88 00:08:07,879 --> 00:08:11,680 this air next to the fire. Give me the closes, Shall I put 89 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,759 another call on pot? No? No, no, The oxygen from this 90 00:08:15,839 --> 00:08:20,439 bucket will get the fire up when it begins to melt there, Pauh, 91 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,040 I'm trying to tell you I saw something up there. Light. There's lots 92 00:08:24,079 --> 00:08:26,639 of lights stars. I know what stars look like, dope. There are 93 00:08:26,639 --> 00:08:30,600 big, steady white lights in the sky. This was down here in a 94 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,120 building. What is it, Alfred? What is nothing? Nothing? Ef 95 00:08:35,279 --> 00:08:37,960 No? What is this? But well, first I thought it was a 96 00:08:37,039 --> 00:08:41,720 lady, a young lady. I mean it like in one of those old 97 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,200 magazines. I thought I saw it in a window. But then all I 98 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,799 saw was a light. You watched it for some time, long enough work 99 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:50,559 to pass five windows and go to the next floor. And it didn't look 100 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,399 like stray electricity. No, Pa, I know what that looks like, 101 00:08:54,639 --> 00:08:58,720 or a star refracted through an icicle sometimes if you catch it at the right 102 00:08:58,759 --> 00:09:01,879 angle, at Paw. Honestly, I never saw anything like it before. 103 00:09:03,159 --> 00:09:09,240 All right, I'll go out with you and you show me. No, 104 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,320 no, Alfred, you can't go and leave it alone, not both of 105 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:15,840 you. It's all right, we'll be right back. Here's she helmet, 106 00:09:15,879 --> 00:09:18,639 Pad. There's something out there. Well, we've known there was something out 107 00:09:18,639 --> 00:09:22,200 there waiting to get it. Hand me my glove. Something that's part of 108 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:28,480 the cold, hates all warm, wants to destroy the nest and watching us 109 00:09:28,519 --> 00:09:33,559 all this time. Now it's coming after us and it'll get you, and 110 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,679 then it'll come to me. Oh don't go, Alfred, Please don't go. 111 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:43,279 Everything will be all right, Yes, Pa, you come watch the 112 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,120 fire. Keep an eye on that air too. If it gets too low. 113 00:09:46,159 --> 00:09:50,759 It doesn't seem to be boiling fast enough. Get another bucket behind the 114 00:09:50,759 --> 00:09:54,159 blanket. Oh, don't go, I'll take care of it, Pad. 115 00:09:54,039 --> 00:09:58,320 Could there really be anybody out there? I don't see how we heard the 116 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:03,600 last radio voices a year before Bud was born. There hasn't been anything since 117 00:10:03,639 --> 00:10:09,240 then then? What could it be? I don't know, Probably just a 118 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:15,759 reflection, a nice crystal cracking. Come on, buddy, got your helmet 119 00:10:15,799 --> 00:10:26,320 on. It's funny. When I go out alone, I'm not scared or 120 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:30,039 anything, But when I go out with Pie, I always hang on to 121 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,960 his belt like I used to when I was a little kid. Habit. 122 00:10:33,039 --> 00:10:37,159 I guess it's the same no matter what trip we take. On the fifth 123 00:10:37,159 --> 00:10:41,960 floor, we stopped to rest just before we went out. We were in 124 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,840 the room with the frozen people, the lady sitting looking at the door, 125 00:10:46,639 --> 00:10:50,120 the man holding his hands over that funny metal thing Paul calls a radiator. 126 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,720 It was like a fire, I guess, But I don't see any place 127 00:10:52,759 --> 00:11:00,240 for the cold. We put our helmets together so we could talk. Your 128 00:11:00,279 --> 00:11:05,000 breath, son, pauh. Would it be possible, I mean, for 129 00:11:05,039 --> 00:11:09,200 any of the frozen people to come to life like the ones down in the 130 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,039 basement around the furnace when we go for water. No, they're dead. 131 00:11:13,159 --> 00:11:16,320 They were caught too quickly when it happened. Oh pah, how do we 132 00:11:16,399 --> 00:11:20,720 know we're the only ones? We don't. Well, there's a feeling you 133 00:11:20,799 --> 00:11:26,360 get because it's always night There used to be some of that feeling every night 134 00:11:26,399 --> 00:11:31,360 in the old days, but the sun chased it away every morning. You 135 00:11:31,399 --> 00:11:35,320 wouldn't know about that. You weren't born. When the dark star pulled us 136 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:41,879 away from the Sun, you wouldn't know, and less you'd see the sun. 137 00:11:41,879 --> 00:11:45,480 I've seen the sun. It's that big start, the end of the 138 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,279 big Dipper. I've seen it. It isn't the same. Come on, 139 00:11:50,919 --> 00:12:01,799 they're wasting time. I don't know what the city looked like in the old 140 00:12:01,879 --> 00:12:05,240 days, but now it's beautiful starlight. Let's you see it pretty well. 141 00:12:07,519 --> 00:12:11,759 We're up on a hill and the plane slopes down away from us. Some 142 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,600 taller buildings push up out of the feathery plane, topped by rounded caps of 143 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,320 air crystals. Some of them are on a slant because a lot of the 144 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:22,200 buildings are badly twisted by the quakes and everything when a dark star pulled the 145 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:26,039 earth away from the Sun. That's why Paul can't seal up the nest air 146 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:31,159 tight. The building's twisted too bad. Besides, we have to keep the 147 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:37,159 chimney open. We touched our helmets together so we could talk. Is that 148 00:12:37,399 --> 00:12:39,679 where you saw it? Sun? It isn't there anymore. Uh huh, 149 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:46,200 But it feels different. I mean as if there's something out here waiting. 150 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,320 Bud. If you see something like that again, don't tell the others. 151 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:56,200 Huh? Why not? Well, you're I sort of nervous these days, 152 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:01,519 and we owe her all the feeling of safety we can give. A Once, 153 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:03,960 it was when your sister was born. I was ready to give up 154 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:09,200 and die, but your mother kept me trying. Another time, she kept 155 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,759 the fire going a whole week all by herself when I was sick. She 156 00:13:13,879 --> 00:13:16,519 couldn't do that now, not the way she is. But you know that 157 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:22,919 game we sometimes play tossing a ball around, Well, courage is like a 158 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:28,679 ball. A person can hold it only so long, and when he's got 159 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:31,679 to toss it to someone else. When it's tossed your way, you've got 160 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:35,559 to catch it and hold it tight and hope there'll be someone else to toss 161 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:41,919 it to when you get tired of being brave. Yeah, I guess. 162 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:45,919 Come on, we'll fill up the pails and get back. But what about 163 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:50,320 whatever it is out here? We'll just have to wait and see. Come 164 00:13:50,360 --> 00:14:05,919 on, before the helmet's frost over. It's pretty hard to hide your feelings 165 00:14:05,919 --> 00:14:09,320 in the nest. I mean, there's just room for the four of us. 166 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:15,240 The blanket overhead just touches when Paul stands up straight. The floor is 167 00:14:15,279 --> 00:14:18,840 all covered with thick, wooly rugs. PA says, it's inside a much 168 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:24,039 bigger room, but I've never seen the real walls or ceiling. Well anyway, 169 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:26,039 Paul laughed and kidded about what I'd seen. He said, I had 170 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:31,000 an imagination, but we could tell he took it serious. It was Sunday 171 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,720 morning, by the clocks that Pau kept all wound up on a shelf, 172 00:14:35,879 --> 00:14:39,440 so it was time for the story. We all sat around in a circle, 173 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:43,120 the way we always do, except I noticed that Pau casually took a 174 00:14:43,159 --> 00:14:48,080 hammer from the shelf and put it beside him. I always liked the story, 175 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:50,679 of course, listen, I know it by heart, but now I 176 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:54,440 mean every Sunday since we were kids. But every once in a while Pa 177 00:14:54,600 --> 00:15:00,480 surprises us by telling it a little different or throwing in some extras. It 178 00:15:00,519 --> 00:15:03,600 starts out with the song My used to sing it, but she forgets the 179 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:11,240 words sometimes and now pass sings it mostly. Oh beauty, for for spacious 180 00:15:11,399 --> 00:15:24,919 guies, for and the waves of grain th Perple Mountain, magious jeez above 181 00:15:24,399 --> 00:15:31,000 the fruited planet. Of course, the words don't mean anything. I mean, 182 00:15:31,039 --> 00:15:35,759 the skies are spacious enough, but there aren't any ways of grain, 183 00:15:35,759 --> 00:15:39,960 and a plane is all covered with a blanket of frozen air. But it's 184 00:15:41,039 --> 00:15:45,200 part of the story ceremony, and Karl likes it, says it reminds me 185 00:15:45,279 --> 00:15:52,519 of the old days. After the song pass starts the story. In the 186 00:15:52,600 --> 00:16:00,120 days of my youth, the sun hung above, golden and warm, and 187 00:16:00,159 --> 00:16:03,879 the earth was fruitful and multiplied, and the fields were green, and the 188 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:10,159 day was glorious, and the wind blew across the hilltops, and the air 189 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:19,799 was free and good to breathe. That's the part of the story I liked 190 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:25,320 best about how it was with the sun nice and warm. It's hard to 191 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:30,799 believe Rollo's people living without having to worry about cold and air. They were 192 00:16:30,799 --> 00:16:34,039 waking up, sweating and screaming because he dreamed of fire went out. It's 193 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,759 impossible to believe. But Pa was a good storyteller, and he made it 194 00:16:37,799 --> 00:16:44,720 seem real. And then the dark star came rushing out of space. In 195 00:16:44,759 --> 00:16:48,240 the beginning, they tried to keep the news from the people, but when 196 00:16:48,279 --> 00:16:52,799 the floods and the earthquake started, the truth came out. At first they 197 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,960 thought the dark Star would hit the Sun, and then they were afraid it 198 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:03,519 would strike the Earth itself. But it didn't. It only came close. 199 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,039 Paw tells it like the Sun and the Dark Star fought for the Earth like 200 00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:19,079 two dogs over a bone. I know what he means, because I've seen 201 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:22,759 a picture of a dog in a magazine. And then the dark Star won 202 00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:27,680 and carried us off, but the Sun kept the moon. There were earthquakes 203 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:33,039 and floods. Pat says that mountains fell and oceans slopped over oceans. That's 204 00:17:33,079 --> 00:17:37,839 a lot of melted water lying around loose. It's hard to imagine, Paus 205 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:42,000 says it was. So then came the open question time in the story. 206 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:47,599 Sis asked a question about what girls wore for clothes, and I asked Pa 207 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,160 how people acted in those days when the earth was twisted and jerked almost apart. 208 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:56,839 Well, but I was too busy to notice much. A friend of 209 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,839 mine, doctor Wisebroke, and Kelly, the geophysistant, Walter's the astronomer. 210 00:18:02,319 --> 00:18:04,359 We knew what was going to happen, and we were working to fix up 211 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:08,440 a place with air tight walls and insulation and big supplies of food and bottled 212 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:15,200 air. But the place got smashed up in the earthquakes and they were all 213 00:18:15,279 --> 00:18:18,279 killed. So I put the nest together at the last minute in the living 214 00:18:18,319 --> 00:18:22,559 room of our apartment. It's a four room apartment. You must have seen 215 00:18:22,599 --> 00:18:26,400 some of the people like the frozen ones downstairs at that time, But I 216 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:33,160 only thought of one thing, your mother, and survival. If I had 217 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:37,039 stopped to think, I wouldn't have even tried to make the nest would have 218 00:18:37,039 --> 00:18:41,119 seemed ridiculous. Blankets and a coal fire against the cold and vacuum of space 219 00:18:42,319 --> 00:18:52,759 that I didn't think I survived. I wasn't listening carefully as Paul went on 220 00:18:52,799 --> 00:18:57,519 about the building of the nest. I kept thinking about something else, but 221 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:03,000 that light ain't seen outsir. I kept asking myself, what if the frozen 222 00:19:03,039 --> 00:19:07,039 people were coming to life? What if they were like the liquid helium that 223 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:11,160 curls toward heat when it should be frozen solid. What if something were coming 224 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:17,240 from the dark star to get us, Something making the frozen people move, 225 00:19:18,039 --> 00:19:22,359 not by themselves. That would fit with what I'd seen. A young lady's 226 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:27,079 face and the moving light. They sat there and shivered, thinking of the 227 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:33,799 frozen people with minds from the dark star creeping, crawling, snuffing their way, 228 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:38,960 following the heat to the nest and then over from beyond the blankets, 229 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,559 I thought I heard a tiny noise, so I asked myself, Then, 230 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:49,319 what's the use of going on? Why prolong a doomed existence of hard work 231 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:55,759 and cold and loneliness. The human race is done, the earth is done. 232 00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:00,799 Why not give up, I asked myself. And then I did hear 233 00:20:00,839 --> 00:20:04,400 the noise flouder, this time, a kind of shuffling tread, coming closer. 234 00:20:06,559 --> 00:20:10,599 And then I got the answer. The Earth's always been a lonely place, 235 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,960 millions of miles from the next planet. No matter how long the human 236 00:20:15,039 --> 00:20:19,920 race might have lived, the end would have come some night. Those things 237 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:26,880 don't matter. What matters is that life is good. There's a lovely texture, 238 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:33,519 like some rich cloth of fur, or the petals of flowers, crocuses, 239 00:20:33,519 --> 00:20:41,039 daffodils, or the fire's glow. And that's as true for the last 240 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:47,200 man as the first. Still, those steps kept shuffling closer. Pa was 241 00:20:47,279 --> 00:20:51,640 talking, and Ma was dreaming with her eyes closed, and Sis was looking 242 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:55,799 at herself sideways in the mirror, and I was the only one who heard 243 00:20:55,799 --> 00:21:00,880 the noise, a noise outside. So right then and there, I told 244 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:04,359 myself that I was going on as if we had all eternity ahead of us. 245 00:21:04,839 --> 00:21:10,359 I'd have children, and I'd teach them all I could. I'd get 246 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:15,559 them to read books, try to enlarge and seal the nest. I'd try 247 00:21:15,599 --> 00:21:19,640 to keep everything beautiful and alive. I'd keep alive my feeling of wonder, 248 00:21:21,559 --> 00:21:29,680 even at the cold and the dark and the distant stars. Pah, pah, 249 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:33,240 I hear. I know what is it, Alfred? What is it? 250 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:38,279 What's going on? I've got to tell me, Pa, I'm scared. 251 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:48,759 Quiet, but you heard it kind of shuffling coming towards the nest. 252 00:21:48,279 --> 00:21:56,599 Sis. Take care of your mother. I'll take the hammer, you take 253 00:21:56,599 --> 00:21:59,519 the hatchet. What is it, Pa, what is it? I don't 254 00:21:59,559 --> 00:22:11,000 know. Listen, it's closer. Mush, pah, the blanket is moving, 255 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:18,440 ready with your ex Hello, who's there is? There's somebody in there? 256 00:22:21,039 --> 00:22:26,160 Come in. It's all right. They're alive, alive. Who are 257 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:38,519 you? Alfred, Alfred Hutchinson, Doctor Alfred Hutchinson. You can take off 258 00:22:38,519 --> 00:22:42,000 your helmets in here, but we have air and we bring it in in 259 00:22:42,079 --> 00:22:49,599 pails. Come on, Ralph, let's take off the helmets. It's impossible. 260 00:22:51,799 --> 00:22:56,519 Where are you from. We thought we were the only ones Los Alamos, 261 00:22:56,519 --> 00:23:00,400 the nuclear laboratory. Yes, that's right. We get our power from 262 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:07,680 the reactor, using the stockpile of bombs for fuel. Then there are others. 263 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:18,680 There are there are other men, There are other bird pack Is it 264 00:23:18,759 --> 00:23:22,359 all right? Should I put the acc down? Yes, yes, it's 265 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:25,359 all right, you can put it down. You mean you come from another 266 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:27,960 nest. It's a little bigger than this. We've got a small air tight 267 00:23:29,039 --> 00:23:33,559 city with air locks. We generate our electricity food from hydroponics. I can't 268 00:23:33,599 --> 00:23:37,759 believe it. I can't. I can't believe this. It's impossible. You 269 00:23:37,839 --> 00:23:42,559 can't maintain an air supply without hermetic ceiling. It's impossible. No, No, 270 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,359 it's simple, as long as you keep the fire going to melthy air 271 00:23:45,559 --> 00:23:48,839 and enough air boiling to keep the fire burning. How did you come here? 272 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:55,039 Why? Well, we keep scouting around for survivors. There are a 273 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:59,319 number of colonies, Brookhaven, oak Ridge and Harwell in England, and the 274 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:03,839 Argon Lapratory in France. We didn't expect to find anything in this city, 275 00:24:03,839 --> 00:24:07,519 though, but our detectors picked up a heat tray, so we tracked it 276 00:24:07,559 --> 00:24:11,599 down. Alfred, you're forgetting your manners. We have company, of course, 277 00:24:11,799 --> 00:24:15,920 of course, Sis. Throw a handful of coal on the fire. 278 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,680 Pah, a whole handful. It doesn't matter now, and but bring out 279 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,759 another pail of air. It's incredible, and you have laboratories and transport. 280 00:24:26,039 --> 00:24:29,240 We only have a two seated scout. But if we rip out the bulkhead 281 00:24:29,279 --> 00:24:30,759 to the storage compartment, we can make it all right. We can have 282 00:24:30,799 --> 00:24:37,200 you back at Los Alamos in four hours. What's the matter? I guess 283 00:24:38,079 --> 00:24:42,960 we really hadn't thought about it that way, but uh, I wouldn't know 284 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:48,880 how to act there and decides I haven't any clothes. Just doesn't seem right 285 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:56,079 to let this fire go out. It's been eighteen years burning every minute. 286 00:24:56,359 --> 00:25:00,759 But you can't stay here, ral But after all, Ralph, oh, 287 00:25:02,519 --> 00:25:07,680 look, doctor Hutchinson. We'll go out of the ship and bring back a 288 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:12,960 small power heater. I know this is very sudden and upsetting to you. 289 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:23,519 You need a chance to just we'll be back in a few minutes. It's 290 00:25:23,759 --> 00:25:33,720 incredible. Fucker's here, well, they didn't think the nest smelt so good. 291 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,759 I could tell she had a wave in earlier. Did you see that? 292 00:25:38,079 --> 00:25:45,559 And lipstick? I suppose we have to decide what to do, Pah, 293 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,480 at Lost, Los Alamos and those other places. There will be lots 294 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:52,720 of people, won't there. Yes, I mean not just your father or 295 00:25:52,720 --> 00:26:00,559 a brother. That's right, boys, I suppose so. But somehow I 296 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:10,920 feel a little empty of Offred. It's different now that we no others are 297 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:17,519 alive. You don't have to feel the responsibility for keeping the human race going. 298 00:26:18,799 --> 00:26:23,160 Poh, I'd like to see those rockets and laboratories, wouldn't you, 299 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:30,559 poor, I suppose. So it won't be easy leaving the nest. I 300 00:26:30,599 --> 00:26:36,279 mean, it's just riding. There's only four of us. It's kind of 301 00:26:36,279 --> 00:26:40,759 a scary idea big place with a lot of strangers. You'll get over that 302 00:26:40,839 --> 00:26:45,640 feeling, son. The trouble with the world was that it kept getting smaller 303 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:49,240 and smaller till it ended with just the nest. Now it'll be good to 304 00:26:49,319 --> 00:26:56,799 have a real huge world again, the way it was in the beginning. 305 00:27:06,559 --> 00:27:11,000 And so we're gonna leave the nest in the morning. By pause clocks. 306 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:17,799 We've got the power heater going now. It seems funny to be this warm 307 00:27:17,839 --> 00:27:22,559 when it isn't Christmas or somebody's birthday. But still it's hard for me to 308 00:27:22,599 --> 00:27:26,880 realize that this is the last time I'll go out of the nest, through 309 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:42,359 all the blankets to get a pail of air. You have just heard X 310 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:48,720 minus one, presented by the National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction 311 00:27:48,799 --> 00:27:55,680 magazine. Your announcer, Fred Collins. X minus one was an NBC Radio Network production