Speaker 1: Count down for blast off X minus five minus four
minus three minus two x minus one. Fire from the
far horizons of the unknown come transcribe 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 would be worlds.
Speaker 2: The National Broadcasting Company presents.
Speaker 1: X minus one tonight, the science fiction classic Knock by
Frederick Brown. The night We have a strange story to tell,
A sweet, blood curdling little story that is really only
two sentences long. The last man on Earth sat alone
in a room. There was a knock at the door.
Speaker 3: M what's that?
Speaker 4: Good morning? Man?
Speaker 5: What?
Speaker 3: Who are you?
Speaker 4: You have gained consciousness?
Speaker 3: Who are you? I am zen, I'm still asleep. I
must speak.
Speaker 4: You are not asleep.
Speaker 3: Maybe if I close my eyes it will go away.
Speaker 4: I will not go away. Man.
Speaker 3: H I guess I'm awake. Who what are you? I
am a what's that?
Speaker 4: Intelligent life?
Speaker 3: I don't know what happened? Where are you from?
Speaker 6: From Planet seven in the third Galaxy in the fourth
quadrant where it is not necessary to repeat information which
is correct in the original.
Speaker 3: Statement, Planet seven. But you mean I'm not on Earth.
Speaker 4: You are still on your planet.
Speaker 3: What are you doing here?
Speaker 4: The Zans have annexed your world.
Speaker 3: You mean you've conquered Earth.
Speaker 6: Yes, that is correct. We will now prepare your planet
for habitation by the Zan.
Speaker 3: How about the people? What about the population of the world.
Speaker 4: You are the population of the world.
Speaker 3: Now wait a minute, I can't I don't understand what's happened.
Speaker 4: The Zan have landed on your planet.
Speaker 6: We have removed the lower life forms to prepare for colonization.
Speaker 4: By the Zan.
Speaker 3: When did all this happen two days ago?
Speaker 4: You have been unconscious until now?
Speaker 3: You really mean I'm the last man on Earth?
Speaker 4: That is correct.
Speaker 6: Identify yourself now, what kindly provide data as to your
position in the elementary social order of your planet?
Speaker 3: Oh? I'm a Walter pheelan associate professor of anthropology at
Nathan University. How do you speak English?
Speaker 6: We have deciphered your written and recorded records. It is
not difficult to reconstruct your language. It is a primary
type of auditory communication. Oh, is there anything you want
to complete your natural habitat?
Speaker 3: You mean I'm a prisoner, that is correct.
Speaker 4: What would you want further in your room?
Speaker 3: Do I have to stay here. Yes, the rest of
my life forever. You better bring me my books.
Speaker 4: There will be done.
Speaker 3: That's rather considerate of you. You know. I've got to
call you something. Do you mind if I call you George?
Speaker 6: It is immateial. I will be back, Associate Professor of anthropology.
Speaker 3: Oh, that's all right, George. Just call me water very well, Walter.
Speaker 4: I will be back with your books.
Speaker 3: All right, George. I'll be seeing you around.
Speaker 4: You will not be around, Walter. You will be here.
Speaker 3: And then hello, George, Hello Walter. Wait a minute, you're
not George. You're a different somehow.
Speaker 6: It makes no difference. The sun are many and they
are one.
Speaker 3: Then I'll call you George. Two, I'll call you all George.
What can I do for you?
Speaker 4: Point one? You will please henceforth sit with your chair
facing the other way.
Speaker 3: Ah. I thought, so, George, that plain wall is different
from the other side, isn't it?
Speaker 4: That is correct?
Speaker 3: It is transparent, That's what I thought. I'm in a zoo, right,
that is correct. How many other animals do you have
in the zoo? George?
Speaker 4: Two hundred and sixteen?
Speaker 3: Not complete, George. Even a bush league zoo could beat that.
Did you just pick at random.
Speaker 6: Yes, all species would have been too many male and
female each of one hundred.
Speaker 3: Eight kinds male and female. Of all the animals, there.
Speaker 4: Is a female of your species among.
Speaker 3: The collection, anyone I know? Never mind, it doesn't matter anyway. Well,
what do you feed us, Allee?
Speaker 4: For carnivorous species, we make synthetics.
Speaker 6: Flora was not hurt by the vibrations which destroyed animal life.
Speaker 3: Oh nice for the flora. Well, George, you started out
with point one. I deduced there is a point two
kicking around somewhere. What is it?
Speaker 6: Something we do not understand. Two of the other animals
sleep and do not wake. They are cold.
Speaker 3: Don't worry, George, it happens in the best regulated zoos.
Speaker 4: What is wrong with them, Walter?
Speaker 3: Nothing much. They're just dead.
Speaker 4: That means stopped. But nothing stopped them. Each was alone.
Speaker 3: Maybe they just died of old age.
Speaker 4: Old age, I do not understand.
Speaker 3: You don't. How old are you, George?
Speaker 6: Your planet went around the Sun about seven thousand times
since I was.
Speaker 3: Born seven thousand years Yes, I am still young. Yeah,
babing arms. Look, George, you've got something to learn about
this planet you've hijacked. Here on Earth, We've got somebody.
You don't know where you come from, an old man
with a beard and an hour glass and a scythe
Your vibrations didn't kill him?
Speaker 4: What is he?
Speaker 3: Oh? Old man? Death? Down here are people and animals
live until somebody, the grim reaper stops them.
Speaker 4: He will stop more he gets us.
Speaker 3: Old George, with your life span, it won't seem like
a minute and will all be gone. Looks like he
made a mistake, George, and I don't think as much
he can do about it.
Speaker 6: That is not correct. The sand is a logical being.
We will take action.
Speaker 3: Oh George, where are you taking me?
Speaker 4: We will be there shortly. We will bring your books
and your chair.
Speaker 3: You mean my lease is up?
Speaker 4: I do not understand.
Speaker 3: It's moving day and is correct.
Speaker 4: We are here now. You will live here now, Walter.
It is a larger room.
Speaker 3: Well be it ever so humble. There's no place like
home inside. Oh, be careful with those books, George, don't
lose my excuse me?
Speaker 5: Who are you? What are you doing here?
Speaker 3: I guess George didn't explain that. George tries to be polite,
but he hasn't quite caught on yet. I'm Walter feeling.
Speaker 5: My name is Gray Evans, mister feelin. What's all this about?
Why did they bring me here?
Speaker 3: I think I know why? But let's go back a bit.
Do you know just what has happened otherwise?
Speaker 5: No, not exactly.
Speaker 3: Well, I've been talking to George.
Speaker 5: George.
Speaker 3: Well that's what I call them, all of them. There's
no way to tell them apart anyway. There aren't many
of them here yet. They come from outside the Solar system,
sort of an advanced scouting party.
Speaker 5: There's spaceship. It's as big as a mountain.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they're moving in on us. They cleaned off the
earth with some kind of vibration that destroys all sorts
of animal life. I don't know whether they did it
all at once, or if they had to circle the
earth a few times, but they killed everybody.
Speaker 5: No, I was afraid.
Speaker 3: The cheerful note is that you and I and two
hundred odd other animals were picked up beforehand as specimens
for the zoo. You do know this is a zoo,
don't you.
Speaker 5: I suspected it, but I don't remember anything about being captured.
I just woke up here.
Speaker 3: My hunch is they used the vibrations just low enough
to knock us all out, and then they cruised around
picking up samples at random. When they were all set,
they turned the juice on full blast.
Speaker 5: Not terrible.
Speaker 3: Well, they solved a lot of problems for us, housing, shortage, wars,
even the atomic bomb. I don't suppose the human race
you and I have to worry about anything now.
Speaker 5: It's awful.
Speaker 3: Only they made a mistake. They underestimated us.
Speaker 5: I don't understand.
Speaker 3: They thought we were immortal, that we were what immortal
like they are? Oh, they can be killed, but the
Zans don't know what natural death is. They didn't know
anyway until they lost two of us yesterday.
Speaker 5: You mean there are more than two of us?
Speaker 3: Oh, not more of us species? Not, These were merely
fellow animals are rabbit, the canary, and by the Zan's
way of figuring time, the rest of us are only
good for a few minutes apiece. It's the joke on them.
They figured they had permanent specimens here in the zoo.
Speaker 5: Didn't they even know we'd all die eventually?
Speaker 3: I don't think so, George. That is the second Zan
I saw told me he was seven thousand years old,
and he's young by their standards. When they learned how
quickly we die, they were practically shocked to the core.
If they have cores, how.
Speaker 5: Can you talk that way about it?
Speaker 3: Academic detachment? I learned it at Faculty Tea's. At any rate,
they've decided to reorganize their zoo two by two?
Speaker 5: Are they going to keep us locked up together in
his one little room?
Speaker 3: Right? So there's plenty of furniture though, and George promised
to bring me my chair.
Speaker 5: We've got to do something.
Speaker 3: Why, well, I don't know.
Speaker 5: It just just seems to me we ought to the
human race to do something.
Speaker 3: Perhaps you have a suggestion there must be.
Speaker 5: Some way they can be killed.
Speaker 3: You said, oh, yes, sir, I've been studying them. They
look horribly different, but I think they have about the
same metabolic and digestive system as we. I think that
anything that would kill one of us would kill one of.
Speaker 5: Them, which you said seven thousand years.
Speaker 3: I think I figured it out now. George cut his
uh why I suppose you'd call it his hand when
he brought in my books started to bleed red blood,
but I could see the cut closing as he stood there.
By the time he left, it was healed.
Speaker 5: I don't understand.
Speaker 3: You see, whatever factor there is in man that makes
him grow old is missing in the zan. Their regenerative
powers must be unlimited. They just don't wear out. They
go on and on until they're stopped.
Speaker 5: Suppose we killed one. There must be some way.
Speaker 3: What would be the use? They wouldn't even They just
give us our food through a trap door and put
up a sign saying beware of the man dangerous.
Speaker 5: I don't think they'll even have to bother in your case,
I don't see anything funny.
Speaker 3: I'm sorry. Just reminds me of Martha, Martha, my wife,
she died two years ago.
Speaker 5: I'm sorry, not at all.
Speaker 3: It was a pleasure. That'll be George with my books.
Come in, Oh, George, Hello.
Speaker 4: Walter, point one, I have brought your books.
Speaker 3: Point one? What else is on your mind?
Speaker 6: Another creature sleeps and will not wake, A small feathered
one called a duck.
Speaker 3: It happens, George. I warned you, old man death, the
grim Reaper. I told you about him, Walter.
Speaker 4: The Council of san has met.
Speaker 6: It has been decided logically that a no life form
can withstand the full strength vibrations with which we cleared
your planet. Therefore, the grim reaper you spoke out does
not exist.
Speaker 3: Pretty neat, George, what's b be?
Speaker 6: The only intelligent life to escape the vibrations is you. Therefore,
the logical conclusion is you are stopping these animals by
some means unknown to us.
Speaker 3: George, you are off your trolley.
Speaker 4: You will tell me now how this is done.
Speaker 3: You've got me, yes, we have.
Speaker 6: It is necessary to save the remaining specimens as long
as possible. If we do not get the information, we
may be forced to dispense with your species entirely.
Speaker 4: This means you, Walter, and the female.
Speaker 3: Oh hold on, George, don't go off half cocked.
Speaker 4: Uh.
Speaker 3: Let me take a look at these animals. It won't
wake up.
Speaker 4: I will take you there. Now go first, Walter.
Speaker 3: After you, My dear George.
Speaker 4: This is the weasel.
Speaker 3: Now you should have got him in the winter, George.
The fur is worth more than it's ermine.
Speaker 6: This is the reptile cage. Here are the ducks. That
is the male. The female has been stopped.
Speaker 3: Lucky girl. It's a matter fella lonely.
Speaker 4: Hm, Walter, you will tell me how you stop the
female duck.
Speaker 3: You got me, George, I didn't do it. Maybe she
died of the Dutch elm blight.
Speaker 6: Walter, you are not being logical. We have concluded you
are stopping these animals. Tell us know how it is done.
Speaker 3: I've told you, George, I haven't the foggiest notion.
Speaker 4: Very well, we will have to take further action.
Speaker 3: Oh what are you going to do? George?
Speaker 4: We will go back now to your room.
Speaker 3: What happened, mister feelin You might call me Walter after
all George does, and we have more in common.
Speaker 5: Please, what happened?
Speaker 3: Well, just a duck at dead duck. George thinks I
killed her by remote control. He wants me to tell him,
how did you look? I'm just an ordinary anthropologist. There's
no telling what those animals died of, just natural causes.
But George can't see it that way. He thinks I'm
holding out on him.
Speaker 5: Good. What at least we can get back at them
some way. At least we can do something to them.
Speaker 3: Why, after all, George isn't a bad fellow. If you
like an ant mentality, How.
Speaker 5: Can you say that they murdered the whole in the
human race?
Speaker 3: I suppose so, but we can't change that now. So
why I think about it.
Speaker 5: We just can't sit here and do nothing.
Speaker 3: I fail to see how we can do anything else.
Speaker 5: At least we could be fighting.
Speaker 3: I can't see the virtue in that. I was more
or less content with my books. And we've got George
to talk to.
Speaker 5: All the men in the world they had to pick.
Don't you want to fight back? Don't you want to
keep on fighting to the end?
Speaker 3: It hadn't occurred to me, But we've got to, Walter. Why.
Speaker 5: I can't really explain it that if there was any
good in man, it was that he kept on struggling
against nature, and in the end, even against himself. He
kept on fighting for what he thought was right. And
where all that's left? What do we just can't end
by giving up. We've got to keep on fighting.
Speaker 3: You know, you do remind me of Martha.
Speaker 5: There is much left for us. We could beat them
in this one small thing. We can pretend there's a
secret about death. We could refuse to tell them anything
there is to tell. But they don't know that. Promise
me you won't give in.
Speaker 3: Well, I suppose the worst they can do is kill us,
all right, Miss Evans, Hello George, Hello Walter, Now.
Speaker 4: You will tell us how these animals are stopped.
Speaker 3: George. This may come as a shock to you, but
I've decided not to tell you.
Speaker 4: Why.
Speaker 3: Oh a romantic attachment to lost causes. My grandfather was
a Confederate officer.
Speaker 4: Walter. You are not being logical.
Speaker 3: Neither was my grandfather. He charged a Yankee battery with
one round of ammunition and a corn cob pipe.
Speaker 4: You are not logical, but that is expected in lower
life forms. He will come with me now, Walter.
Speaker 5: Where are you taking him to the second level?
Speaker 4: Go now, Walter.
Speaker 5: You won't tell them.
Speaker 3: I can't guarantee anything, but as of now, I don't
intend to.
Speaker 5: We've got to fight, Walter. Remember that, we've got to
go out fighting.
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, I think you're right.
Speaker 5: Oh now, Walter, goodbye.
Speaker 3: It's been a place I am waiting. Go now, Walter,
after you, my dear George.
Speaker 4: You will tell us now, Walter, that was the first
level of vibration. There are many more.
Speaker 6: However, we have calculated that none of them ex seed
your threshold of unconsciousness.
Speaker 3: Very clever, George.
Speaker 4: Of course you will tell us now. How do you
stop these animals?
Speaker 3: You will tell us now as of now. No, however,
I'm not very brave. If that encourages you.
Speaker 4: George, you are not being logical, Walter.
Speaker 3: You're telling me.
Speaker 6: We will now use vibration level too, Walter, Walter, you
are still conscious.
Speaker 3: May be alone, George.
Speaker 6: You will tell us now. You will tell us now
how you stop the animals.
Speaker 3: Let me alone, Let me alone.
Speaker 4: We have had vibration levels one and two.
Speaker 6: There are still fifteen more before your threshold of unconsciousness.
Speaker 3: Oh no, no, let me alone, Walter.
Speaker 6: Listen to me. Another creature sleeps and will not weak.
We must know.
Speaker 3: Now it's tough. You gotter start vibrating again, George.
Speaker 4: No, what It would not be logical.
Speaker 6: We have calculated that no further level of vibration will
overcome your irrational psychological block. We conclude you will not
tell let me go. That is correct, sir, real nice
of you, George. I appreciate it. We have calculated that
the resistance of the female of your species will be lower.
Speaker 4: We will now place her under the vibrations.
Speaker 3: No, no, George, George, you can't do that. No, listen, George, George,
there is no secret. Can you understand that there is
no secret? Those animals died from natural causes. I'm telling
you the truth.
Speaker 4: That is not a logical answer. We will get the woman.
Speaker 3: I've told you the truth. Can't you understand?
Speaker 6: We must know now the female animal cage next to
the duck has been stopped.
Speaker 4: We must preserve the.
Speaker 3: Survivor the animal animal next to the duck.
Speaker 4: We will bring the woman here. She will tell us
after the vibration.
Speaker 3: No, no, no, no, listen, George, you want the truth.
You want to know how to save the mates of
the animals that have been stopped.
Speaker 4: You will tell us now.
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, I'll headed. I give up, but you've got
to promise to leave the woman alone. You promise, George,
If we receive the answer.
Speaker 4: From you, Walter, there will be no further need for
the vibration.
Speaker 3: Yes, that'll have to do, all right, all right, take
me to that stopped animal. I'll tell you how to
save the mate.
Speaker 4: Very well, Walter, you are being logical. Now we will go.
Speaker 5: Old. Are you all right?
Speaker 3: Just let me catch my breath a minute.
Speaker 5: What did they do? What happened?
Speaker 3: After a while? I told them what they wanted to know.
Oh no, As George pointed out, it seemed to be
the logical thing at the time, But you promised.
Speaker 5: I know it was our last chance to beat them
on even one little thing.
Speaker 3: Perhaps you mind if I sit down.
Speaker 5: You gave up.
Speaker 3: I suppose you could call it that. I'm very tired.
Speaker 5: They've beating us completely. Then there isn't even anything we
can do, the last of the human race. And we
give up. We don't even die fighting.
Speaker 3: Isn't that bad? Something might turn up?
Speaker 5: What did you call me?
Speaker 3: Huh? No, I must have said Martha. Sorry, she was
my wife. She died two years ago. What are you saying?
Speaker 5: Nothing? Nothing, It doesn't matter. It's too late. It's too
late for the whole human race.
Speaker 3: Now, George, the Council of has met. Oh something wrong.
Speaker 4: Jeord Hasan has been stopped.
Speaker 3: What Zan is dead?
Speaker 4: That is correct.
Speaker 3: Well you didn't believe me, George, But you can die.
You can really die. You'll have to get used to
that if you're going to stay here.
Speaker 6: The council has decided, Hey, you have in some way
stopped this, then be you and the woman must be eliminated.
Speaker 3: Walter. Oh, no, you've got it wrong, George.
Speaker 6: The council has decided this time you will have the
full vibration.
Speaker 5: This time, Walter, what did they do to you?
Speaker 3: Oh? They have a rather effective third degree.
Speaker 5: They tortured you, Walter. Yes, no, I thought, Walter, it
was all my fault.
Speaker 3: I wouldn't even have tried without you. I suppose we
have a last chance now to end with some dignity.
Speaker 5: I think you're a very brave man, Walter.
Speaker 3: Oh, not very There isn't much else to do. Do
we go now, George?
Speaker 4: No? Walter, Wait, what's that? I have been told another
zan has died?
Speaker 3: No, now, will you believe me?
Speaker 4: The Council of the Zama meets now.
Speaker 3: Who gone already? And you were with me? George? You
know I didn't kill this one?
Speaker 4: What stopped him? There?
Speaker 3: I told you it's old man death. You came to
the wrong planet. George, Your immortality doesn't go down here.
He can stop you, but you can't stop him, and
you'll all die if you stick around. What now.
Speaker 4: The council has decided this is a place of death.
We will leave your planet.
Speaker 3: Leave you mean you're giving up?
Speaker 5: It is not safe for the zand when leaving, are
really going go on?
Speaker 4: Then?
Speaker 3: George, and uh, don't hurry back.
Speaker 4: It would not be logical to do so. We are
leaving the earth now.
Speaker 3: Goodbye Walter, goodbye George. Oh they're all aboard now, so.
Speaker 5: Wonderful to feel of the sun and the wind.
Speaker 3: And again, yeah, they closed the hatches.
Speaker 5: What is it safest to be out here?
Speaker 3: Yes, they're not interested in not any longer. They only
want to get away. And I want to see this grace,
the Zan leaving earth forever. They're blasting off.
Speaker 5: There they go.
Speaker 3: Yes, it's all over now. Well, I suppose you might
as well go back in.
Speaker 5: I still don't understand. Well what made them go?
Speaker 3: I just I just told them the facts of life,
of death, you mean of life? After all, I thought
George was old enough to know at seven thousand years
he was going to be a pretty big boy.
Speaker 5: I wish you'd stop joking and tell me what happened
and forgot the step.
Speaker 3: Well, you remember when the first animals died, the rabbit
in the dot yea and their mates just started to
pine and waste away. Yes, we worried the Zan. They
wanted to keep the last specimens alive if they could,
so finally I broke down and told them about affection. Affection, yes,
and then I introduced Donald Donald dos that here we
are Grace meet Donald.
Speaker 5: To Walder, Please, what does affection have to do with it?
Speaker 3: That's what the Zen wanted to know. I told him
it was love that made the world go round, that
having lost his mate, Donald would die immediately unless he
had affection and constant petting, petting. I even showed him
how Yeah. I hed Donald in my arms and I
petted him a while, and then let the zan take
over with the animal in the next cage.
Speaker 5: What animal? Take a look you mean this cage?
Speaker 3: Watch out, don't go too close, Walter is snake. Yes,
their metabolism made it impossible for them to die of
old age, but I had a hunch that they could
be poisoned.
Speaker 5: And it was the snake that killed the two Zen.
Speaker 3: They never even knew what bit them.
Speaker 5: Then you outwitted them, Walter. Well, I suppose I thought
you've just given up water. I'm so ashamed.
Speaker 3: You don't have to be I had given up. I
probably wouldn't have thought if you hadn't pushed me. Well, well,
we've got a world to plan, a new world, Grace.
I know we'll have to decide which animals to let
out of the zoo and which wants it to be
safer to keep in. But first there's a bigger problem.
What's that the human race? Oh, we've got to make
a decision about that pretty important one. Yes, it's been
a nice race, even if nobody wanted. Of course, it
may go backward for a while until it gets its breath.
But we can't save the books and all the most
important things and get it started ahead once more. No,
it's the Garden of Eden all over again. But Eve,
you'll have to watch out for that snake.
Speaker 5: Now, John, don't be ridiculous, Walter funny.
Speaker 3: You even blush like Martha, only you're stronger than she was.
Prettier too.
Speaker 5: I wish you'd forget about Martha.
Speaker 3: I think I will, my dear, if you'll give me.
Speaker 5: Time now, Walter fel and you listen to me if
you think for one minute that I thought.
Speaker 3: It would never happen to me again. But it is
love that makes the world go round, so grace, if
you could only.
Speaker 5: No, I wouldn't marry you if you were the last
man on earth.
Speaker 3: If that's exactly what I am.
Speaker 5: I don't care. I don't even want to talk about it.
I'm going out, all right, my dear.
Speaker 3: But think it over and please come back.
Speaker 1: You see, I told you it wasn't really so horrible.
Our story, Remember how it goes, The last man on
Earth sat alone in a room, and then there was
a knock.
Speaker 3: On the door. Come in, Come in, Grace, my dear.
Speaker 2: You see, it wasn't horrible at all. In just a moment.
A word about next week's adventure.
Speaker 1: Tonight by transcription X minus one has Brought You Knock
by Frederick Brown, adapted for radio by Ernest Kennoy. Featured
in the cast were Alex Gorby as Walter, Laurie Marsh
as Grace, and Louis Van Route as the Zian. X
minus one was directed by Fred Way and is an
NBC Radio Network production.
Speaker 3: And now next week.
Speaker 1: A strange and chilling story from the Bureau of Missing Persons,
the story of what occurred when they accidentally intercepted a
short wave message a cry for help from a missing
atomic scientist who told them the fantastic story that he
was now the man in the moon. How did it happen?
You'll hear next week at minus one one one one
joined the Abbots on another baffling mystery Tonight over most
NBC Radio stations
Speaker 3: Mm, hmm,