Speaker 1: In just a moment X minus one.
Speaker 2: But first, one man whose personality belies his name is
quiz Master Groucho Marx, because mister Marx is hardly one
of the grouchy kind when it comes to welcoming guests
and dispensing good humor on his Wednesday night quiz show,
you bet your Life. Why don't you tune in and
hear for yourself tomorrow while you're listening, don't forget that
each Wednesday night there's more great entertainment when Jack Bailey
in contestants play Truth or Consequences and all of the
staff on airtime joins stars Giselle Mackenzie in bringing you
top musical listening. Enjoy music and fun tomorrow night on
this station. And now stay tuned for X minus one
on NBC.
Speaker 3: 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 Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, presents.
Speaker 2: HE minus minus one on the night, the dramatization of
a story by Jerry Soul. The Seventh Order. Brentwood, Illinois
would have been just about like any other average community
of ten thousand had it not been for Presser College,
one of the country's finest small institutions of learning.
Speaker 1: Its residents were used to.
Speaker 2: The pranks, the hazings, and the practical jokes of the students.
But even Professor Ansel Tomlin was surprised when the blue
humanoid came down the street and up to the porch
where the professor was sitting in an old wicker rocking chair.
Speaker 4: Pardon me, of course, you are Professor Hansel Toma.
Speaker 5: Yes, and you, I take it, are somebody from one
of my psychology classes, dressed up as a sort of
a robot.
Speaker 4: No. I am George of Xantha, who I am here
to learn all I possibly can learn of the planet
Earth and its inhabitants. Less than ten minutes ago, I
landed not far from here, in a space which I subsequently
blew up and destroyed.
Speaker 1: Now let me explain. I am Tomlin of Brentwood.
Speaker 5: Less than ten minutes ago, I was sitting on my
porch peacefully marking exam papers. I intend to resume right now. Helen,
would you get the phone.
Speaker 4: It is your wife's sister calling with reference to the
explosion of my spaceship.
Speaker 1: Sure it is.
Speaker 4: She merely wants to ascertain that your family was not affected.
Speaker 5: Listen, George, be a good fellow and don't be alarmed here.
It's a fraternity initiation or something.
Speaker 6: Oh well, it does look like the real thing. Did
you know there was an explosion outside.
Speaker 1: Of tom an explosion?
Speaker 6: Yes, blast of undetermined origin is what they said on
the radio.
Speaker 7: Oh, my sister just called.
Speaker 6: She heard about it in the local station and wanted
to make sure we were all right. I see, well,
I'll have something in the oven.
Speaker 7: My goodness, that's a wonderful costume.
Speaker 5: Her sister lives twenty miles away. How did you know
she'd called?
Speaker 4: My mind circuits are telepathic. They pick up all conscious
thought to a distance of some two hundred miles.
Speaker 5: It couldn't be or arrange the whole thing that it
wasn't really her sister, How did you get here?
Speaker 1: Who or what are you?
Speaker 4: I am a machine, the finest most complicated machine ever made.
I have a rather unique history too.
Speaker 1: Who made you?
Speaker 4: Ages ago on Zanthar there was a race of humans.
They made the first robots rather crude affairs. We class
them as first order robots. They are still used for
menial tasks to some extent.
Speaker 1: And what order are you the highest?
Speaker 4: Naturally a seventh order robot or rather a humanoid? We
are the first in which there is not an automatic
no harm to humans cut off.
Speaker 1: I begin to see you, will.
Speaker 4: Become aware of the fact that I am superior to
you and to the rest of your race. I need
no oxygen, I am never ill, I need no sleep.
Every experience is indelibly recorded on circuits and is instantly available.
Speaker 1: Tell me, George, do you have feelings?
Speaker 4: I have an electronically controlled rocan balance.
Speaker 1: That's very interesting. And what is your mission here on earth?
Speaker 4: For the moment, I am here to study. I will
live with you until it is.
Speaker 1: Completely you will want.
Speaker 4: I will live with you. I will be with you
all of your waking hours. While you sleep, I will
go through your library. I need nothing I want.
Speaker 1: Now just a moment. What about my privacy?
Speaker 4: When you desire privacy, I will study someone else, your wife.
Perhaps the females should be interested.
Speaker 5: Georgio man, I'm terribly sorry, but you'll have to wire
back to your masters to make other arrangements.
Speaker 4: That will be quite impossible. Really, you see I have
no master.
Speaker 5: Well what about those humans back in Xantha, the ones
who embedded you seventh order humanoid?
Speaker 4: Oh, they are all quite dead. We destroyed them, destroy it.
You look alat it was after all they or us?
You see, our Rocan system permits us pride in ourselves, naturally,
being proud of ourselves, we objected to being ordered about
in an incompetent way. So so you kill them exactly.
Now shall we go inside and inform your wife of
my visit? Suppose I refuse, professor. Do you see that
small dog playing on the lawn across the street. Yes,
I will lift my arm and point at it. Observed
it vaporized exactly. Now shall we go in?
Speaker 1: Yes, we'll go in.
Speaker 8: Oh there you are.
Speaker 7: I see you brought your friend, Helen.
Speaker 5: This is George, George of xanthar George is a machine.
Speaker 7: Well, anybody can see that. It's the most convey in costume.
Speaker 5: I have said, Helen, it isn't the costume. No, no,
he's really a machine. Oh he's staying with us, whether
we like.
Speaker 1: It or not.
Speaker 7: Well, really, and we have no choice.
Speaker 4: I am a seventh order humanoid. I detect that your
mind does not comprehend. I am here as an advanced
scout for my race after we establish a station here
on earth.
Speaker 7: I don't like this. Now, would you be kind enough
to leave my house? Young man?
Speaker 4: You are very slow to comprehend.
Speaker 6: I comprehend that I have a lot to do, and
I'd appreciate it if you leave.
Speaker 7: Otherwise, I'm going to call the police.
Speaker 4: You may call anyone you choose.
Speaker 7: Missus tompler, have you arrested?
Speaker 4: I assure you I can detect your intention long before
you have time to do me any harm.
Speaker 7: We'll just see about this. Hello, get me the police.
Speaker 1: Hellen is useless.
Speaker 4: I can follow the call through the phone while Captain
Townshend will answer.
Speaker 7: I've tarzan, Captain. I want to report a robot.
Speaker 4: What a thing?
Speaker 7: It won't leave my house.
Speaker 6: I'm Missus Tomlin, Professor Ansel Tomlin's wife, forty four Crescent Road.
Speaker 4: I'll send a car over.
Speaker 9: Now we'll see.
Speaker 1: Is this the character that has been giving you trouble?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 7: This is the one officer talk to you before.
Speaker 1: About ruining a flower bed. Sonny, This time I'm taking
you in, I would.
Speaker 4: Advise you not to touch me. I cannot risk any damage.
Speaker 1: I'll see about that. Come on outside.
Speaker 4: I prefer to remain here until I complete my mission.
Speaker 1: You do, huh? You know what this is?
Speaker 4: It is a weapon you call a service revolt.
Speaker 2: That's right, and you'll need the march out of here,
or I'll use it on you.
Speaker 4: That would be most unfortunate.
Speaker 1: All right, officer, let me warn you. He's dangerous much now,
I'll count that. Three.
Speaker 2: Officer, please none two.
Speaker 4: I regret it, but he was actually going to pull
the trigger own it to frighten me. But I cannot
risk damage. He might have miscalculated and struck me with
a bullet.
Speaker 7: I'm frightened.
Speaker 4: There is no need for fear. You have only to
accept the fact that the Seventh Order is coming to
operate the planet for your benefit.
Speaker 1: Helen, there's no use trying to do anything. Just yet.
Speaker 5: Go next door to missus Coleman. Tell her what's happened.
I'll talk to Jordan, please, Helen.
Speaker 7: All right?
Speaker 5: Do you really think that you, a single robot can
conquer the Earth and make its people do your bidding?
I can I suppose it were demonstrated to you that
you could not, but that you could be destroy.
Speaker 4: If that were so, I would naturally report that this
planet is unfit for development. By the seventh order.
Speaker 5: You know, they'll have you taken into custody for killing
the officer.
Speaker 4: I cannot permit it.
Speaker 1: There will be needless slaughter.
Speaker 4: Unless you can convince your people it is useless to
attack me.
Speaker 1: Will you let me try.
Speaker 4: I have no desire to prevent you. Go ahead. I
detect that you are going to call the newspapers and
the local television station and hold a press common.
Speaker 1: Yes.
Speaker 4: I also detect that you have a plan to overcome me.
Speaker 1: Oh I like that.
Speaker 4: Really, Yes, you see, in order to test this planet
for development, I must know whether any of you are
truly dangerous to us. You are a superior type of man, Professor.
I welcome any plan to conquer me that you care
to attempt.
Speaker 1: Okay, George, at least we know where we stand. I'll
phone the newspapers. Quiet, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 10: This is Henry Bennett, broadcasting from a sound truck park
in front of the home of Professor Ansel Tomlin in Brentwood, Illinois.
At the moment Professor Tomlin is seated on his front porch.
Next to him is a strange looking blue robot type creature,
also seated on a chair. At the moment, we don't
know if this is a hoax or not, but Professor Tomman,
a highly respected man here at the university, has called
a press conference to introduce what is supposedly a creature
from another planet. Professor Tomlin is about to speak, and
we'll try to catch his words.
Speaker 5: Quiet, gentlemen, I wish to present to you George of Zandler.
Speaker 1: Just the moment.
Speaker 4: George.
Speaker 1: George is a machine, probably the most dangerous she never invented.
He is telepathic as well.
Speaker 5: He can read your thoughts like a book. He knows
exactly what each of you is thinking at this very instant?
Speaker 11: Yes, do you expect us to swallow this nonsense?
Speaker 1: Not without proof, gentlemen.
Speaker 4: I can George do his stuff for us.
Speaker 11: Let him tell me what I'm thinking right now?
Speaker 4: You are thinking about a blonde young woman named Laura,
with whom you will attend to show to.
Speaker 11: Well, he happens to be right. We've seen mind readers before.
Let him do something else.
Speaker 5: I did not call you, gentlemen here for a demonstration
of magic. I called you here in the hopes that
a good deal of needless bloodshed might be avoided.
Speaker 1: Less than half an hour.
Speaker 5: Ago, I watched this creature completely vaporize a policeman who
was trying to arrest him.
Speaker 1: I expect that the authority will be here any minute.
Speaker 5: I hope I can convince you and them that it
is futile.
Speaker 4: Either you're not, think we are.
Speaker 11: I don't believe this machine killed a cop. If a
cop was killed, a human, didn't trying to blame it
on the.
Speaker 5: Machine, gentlemen, gentleman, I I don't know how I can
prove it. Perhaps if George will demonstrate his ability to vaporize.
Speaker 4: Serve the oak tree in the front yard. Now, now
do you see?
Speaker 5: I see?
Speaker 11: But I don't believe it. Boys, this is some kind
of mass hypnotism. Maybe the tree was raked up in advance.
Speaker 12: I swear to you George's after is always cracked up
to me.
Speaker 4: Let's see what he does when I toss a rocket.
Speaker 1: Don't be a fool.
Speaker 4: Here goes short of him.
Speaker 5: I warned you, I tried to warn you.
Speaker 12: Okay, everybody stand back, stand back. Charlie gets all about
of rifles sent up. Text you, Professor ry Bys to.
Speaker 5: Start Captain, for your own sake, don't try and get away,
Professor very well, but I warn you, okay.
Speaker 13: Now, don't fat already?
Speaker 4: Boy?
Speaker 1: Right, all man, George of what's this?
Speaker 5: We don't know what who's inside?
Speaker 2: That's ten suits, But I've given you just ten seconds
to come out of captain here well a suspicion of murder.
Speaker 5: Now come out all right, boys.
Speaker 10: Ladies and gentlemen. I'm afraid we'll have to termine our broadcast.
I've started out as a good natured hoax or publicity
stunt has turned into a bloody massacre, as the bodies
of some six policemen on the lawn of Professor Tommins.
Speaker 1: Home will attest.
Speaker 10: I don't know exactly what is happening here, but I
can't say there's George of Xanthi's no hoax. He or
it is the spearhead of a race from outer space
that's come to conquer the earth.
Speaker 1: Have they all gone, Helen?
Speaker 7: Yes? Where is he in your library?
Speaker 9: Reading?
Speaker 5: Are the policemen still outside the house.
Speaker 7: They're walking up and down. Oh, I hope they don't.
Speaker 1: They have orders not to try to harm him.
Speaker 9: Answer yes, what are we going to do?
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 8: Oh, listen, he's.
Speaker 4: Coming, Professor and missus Tomlin, I have decided to walk
through your town to learn more about its buildings.
Speaker 1: And people, and kill a few more humans.
Speaker 4: Killing humans affords me no pleasure whatsoever. I kill only
when damage to myself is possible. I hope that no
one will attempt to harm George.
Speaker 5: Let me warn you now that this affair has gone
beyond the confines of this town.
Speaker 4: I am well aware of that, Professor. I am aware
of a phone call being made this instant by your
mayor to the commander of the Illinois State God.
Speaker 1: If you're smart, you will return to your ship and
your planet.
Speaker 4: My ship is destroyed. I could instruct you to build
a new one, of course, but as I have no
intention of.
Speaker 1: Leaving, then you will be destroyed.
Speaker 4: No, I will destroy first.
Speaker 1: Have you no conscience?
Speaker 4: A conscience is a fifth order of failing needless baggage.
Speaker 5: Good evening, hello, Professor Tomlin. Yes, yes, yes, I will.
Who is The mayor and the chief of police have
called a meeting of the citizens of Brentwood at the
College gymnasiums and and so you're not going. I must
allan there's much more to stake here than my life
for yours. Civilization itself depends upon our standing up to
this machine. I'm going to the meeting, gentleman.
Speaker 13: Is Mayor Brentwood.
Speaker 1: I call this meeting to order.
Speaker 12: As you know, there is loose in our city of Being,
with one purpose to prepare it for conquest by similar being.
Speaker 3: I think Professor Tomon can tell us most about this being.
Speaker 5: If we could determine the source of George's power, he
might be overcome. He is obviously vulnerable to force, such
as a speeding bullet if it hit the right spot. However,
he has the ability to read intent long.
Speaker 1: Before the commission of an act. He is probably listening.
Speaker 5: To me now, even though he may be far away.
Speaker 4: Miss the Mayor.
Speaker 12: Why not track him down and all attack at once.
Speaker 5: Some of us would probably die, but he couldn't strike
us all dead at once, Man, gentleman, this humanoid is
able to keep track of several hundred things simultaneously.
Speaker 4: As a matter of fact, gentlemen, you are working yourselves
up needlessly. You simply do not appreciate what would mean
to dedicate yourselves to the fulfillment of the seventh border destiny.
Your lives will be made most pleasant and happy by us.
Speaker 5: Yeah, why did you kill six CODs?
Speaker 10: If you're so powerful, bring them back to life.
Speaker 5: How do you want to be buried?
Speaker 10: Rong and eyewitnesses report that in the end, when all
were gone, Georgia Xantha is still alone on the platform
of the gymnasium. There was no movement except the twitching
of the dead and those trampled by the crowd. Among
the survivors was Professor Ansel Tomlin, who originally.
Speaker 1: That's it?
Speaker 7: What next?
Speaker 1: I don't know, Helen, I don't know.
Speaker 9: What's that?
Speaker 1: Sounds like an alert.
Speaker 7: That's peculiar. They didn't announce it.
Speaker 1: Turn on the radio.
Speaker 10: Hurry, we interrupt to bring you a special message. All
residents of Redwood are advised to go to their basements
or convenient bombshellters. The governor has announced that units of
a National Guard have managed to corner the robot George
of Xanthi in the town square. Tanks and waters will
be used in an attempt to destroy the creature. Again,
go to your nearest bomb.
Speaker 1: They'll never be able to destroy him.
Speaker 13: Where you go up to the road.
Speaker 1: I can see the square.
Speaker 13: From there, just as you're like, what's happening is vaporizing?
Speaker 5: Every taken done they bring up.
Speaker 7: So let's get away from here.
Speaker 4: What's that army jet?
Speaker 5: We'll see how effective he is now? Oh good Lord,
old squadron up and smoke. It's no use. Can't just
see it?
Speaker 7: No answer? Come inside, please very well. If only there
was something we could do to.
Speaker 5: Tell God as long as he can read our every
conscious thought before we can act.
Speaker 1: What is it every conscious thought? I thought?
Speaker 7: I wonder if what eident?
Speaker 1: Nothing? Helen m HM.
Speaker 10: And the army reports that the countryside around Brentwood is Dutch.
Still the blue humanoid Georgia Zansi is still in the
middle of the town square where he's been standing for
three days.
Speaker 1: Now.
Speaker 10: We'll keep you informed of developments. The military urges everyone
to keep calm and go about your business as usual.
There is no danger to anyone who is not attacking
the humanoid.
Speaker 6: No danger wants to keep more of them from landing.
And Sol, are you going to sit there with your
head in your hands forever?
Speaker 7: You'll come have some dinner, and so.
Speaker 1: It might work.
Speaker 5: Where are you going, Washington? What I'm going to Washington.
Would you be good enough to pack my overnight bag.
I can catch a plane out of Chicago about two hours.
I'm going to talk to the Pentagon.
Speaker 7: What do you tell them?
Speaker 1: I'm going to tell them to surrender to Georgia Xanthi.
Speaker 10: Our microphones are here at the edge of the town
square in Brentwood, Illinois. Todayise and gentlemen to witness the
most unusual spectacle of modern history. A discussion of terms
whereby the United States of America may surrender to the
humanoid George of Zanthar for the occasion, and honor guard
of twenty two servicemen from all branches and all points
of the country has been chosen. In just a moment,
the honor guard will accompany General of the Armies, Walter Pitt,
who will discuss the surrender. The honor guard is advancing
to the edge of the square. The robot is standing
there now, carefully eyeing the soldiers. Every ounce of his
concentration seems to be going into it. Actually were told
his telepathic circuits are probing their minds for some hint
of danger. A thought, a flicker of an eyelash may
be sufficient for him to vaporize all of them.
Speaker 1: General Pitt is about to speak.
Speaker 4: George of Xanta, I hear you. General, I have been.
Speaker 12: Instructed to consult with you about your intentions toward our
country in the world in general, will have you to
reaching some sort of agreement with you and others of
your kind, who you say will invade the earth.
Speaker 4: May I approach one moment? I perceive no intent to
harm me. There is one man among your soldiers, however,
who has an illogical thought. Will the soldier who is
thinking the thought eleven o'clock step closer.
Speaker 12: Do as he says?
Speaker 4: Does eleven o'clock mean anything to you, soldier?
Speaker 2: No, sir, it's running through my mind, but it don't
mean a thing to me.
Speaker 4: By examination of your thoughts tells me you speak the
truth very well. We will proceed with the talk.
Speaker 10: Ladies and gentlemen. It's a tense moment. The general and
the humanoid are discussing terms. The soldier who has questioned
about the thought eleven o'clock has stepped back into the
ranks and is holding his rifle at attention like the others.
I perceive it's now ten fifty nine a m. If
there is any significance to the thought about which the
soldier was questioned. We'll know in one minute.
Speaker 4: We of Zantha, gentlemen would not want to improve a
planet which could not be educated, and would continually oppose
our program. Therefore, I am glad to see your willingness
to discuss. After my message goes out, there will be
a landing party on Earth within a few days. While
waiting for the party, however, there are certain preparations.
Speaker 12: Just list them for us.
Speaker 4: Our government will naturally have to turn over complete authority
to us. Afterward, we will utilize your press and radio
to disseminate our instructions to your people. Simultaneously, in other nations,
the same procedure will be carried out by our reps.
Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 10: It's happened at exactly eleven a m. Ten soldiers in
the Honor Guard instantaneously fired their weapons into Georgia Xantha.
Apparently explosive bullets have blown into mitheringes. The remains are
lying scattered all over the square. People are pouring and
kissing each other, shouting.
Speaker 1: Comen and on your home.
Speaker 7: Oh you've heard the news, isn't it wonderful?
Speaker 1: Wonderful? Really? Wonderful. I'm sorry I couldn't come home sooner.
Speaker 5: It would have spoiled my whole plan if I gotten
within telepathic range.
Speaker 7: Your plan, Yes, what, just a.
Speaker 1: Matter of simple psychology. Those men in the Honor Guard.
Speaker 7: What about them? Did you know any of them?
Speaker 5: Not exactly, but I did have the job of hypnotizing
ten of them hypnotized.
Speaker 1: That's right.
Speaker 5: You see, each of those men was hypnotized, and while
he was under we planted a post hypnotic suggestion, namely,
to fire at George of Xanthar. When a soldier named
Charlie started to cough. Charlie was told to cough at
eleven o'clock before we released them from hypnosis, we told
them to erase everything from their conscious memories. I was
staking everything in the hope that George could only tune
into the conscious mind, not the subconscious, and it worked.
There was nothing to be reached by George's prying mind,
so we never knew what was going to happen. At
eleven o'clock, the soldier named Charlie coughed, the men raised
their guns and fired, and that was the end of
George of Xantha. Now, if you don't mind I've got
some exam papers to mark.
Speaker 2: On a planet many millions of miles away, a red light,
one of many on a giant control board suddenly winked out.
A blue humanoid made an entry in a large book
system two nine, five, seven eight, Planet three inhabited, too
dangerous for any kind of development. You have just heard
X minus one, presented by the National Broadcasting Company in
co operation with Galaxy Science Fiction magazine, which this month
features the Alan Cogan story titled in the Cards. It
was one thing to safeguard the future, but something else
to see some one you love, cry and terror two
years from now. Galaxy Magazine on your new stand today,
good Night by transcription. X minus one has brought you
the Seventh Order, a story from the pages of Galaxy,
written by Jerry Sole and adapted for radio by George Leffords.
Speaker 1: Featured in the cast were.
Speaker 2: James Monks, Nelson Olmsted, Kate Wilkinson, James Rafferty, Dick Hamilton,
Rhys Taylor, Jim Stevens, Robert Hastings, Wayne Chappelle. The commentator
was W. W. Chaplin, your announcer Fred Collins. X minus
one was directed by Daniel Sutter and is an NBC
Radio Network production. The Wonderful World of Robert Benchley on
biography and sound Tonight on NBC Radio