Speaker 1: Count down.
Speaker 2: We're blast off x minus five minus four minus three
minus 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 presents
xxx minus minus one the Night's story Mars is Heaven.
When the first space rocket lands on Mars, what will
we find only the ruins of a dead and deserted planet,
or will there be life, intelligent life in some strange
form that we can only imagine. Will we be welcomed
with open arms, or will the Martians treat us as invaders?
Only one thing is certain. Someday a giant metal ship
will take off from Earth to travel through the black
velocities the silent gulfs of space, to descend at last
into the darkness of the upper Martian atmospheres. And on
that day man will finally all the answers. The day
we first land on Mars.
Speaker 3: Now hear this, NA, hear this approaching critical decceleration, fastened
gravity suits stand by the land.
Speaker 1: There it is. We've intersected the course vector, Sir, all right,
mister Lustick, over to manual control. I sir, masters sound
General quarters. I say, what do you make of the terrain.
There seems to be a heavy ground, miss Captain. We
won't be able to use the infra red lights and
we'll have to come in on radar. There's not a
little risky, sir, landing in the dark. I'd rather run
the danger of a blind landing, Lieutenant, and come in
without the cover of darkness. Remember, we don't know what
kind of reception is waiting for us down there.
Speaker 3: Air speed five hundred altitude now four thousand, Bridge to
engine room, stand by for deceleration, Fire forward tubes one
and three.
Speaker 1: Steady as she goes, mister Lustick, as she goes.
Speaker 3: There as speed one hundred altitude one thousand.
Speaker 1: They don't ready to get all level of stretch. Get
a headset, skits down, get checked altitude five hundred four
three fifty three up a point now, all right, let's
shut her down. Cut the par master's white battle stations,
I said, all secure.
Speaker 3: Well, gentlemen, gentlemen, we're.
Speaker 1: Now on Mars April twentieth, nineteen eighty seven, or thirty
three Greenwich time ended up in the log message. I said, well, gentlemen,
it's less than two hours till dawn. As soon as
it's light, we'll send out a landing party. Masters, get
me an all over hookup, road set up. I'll hear
this all right, man, the smoking lamp is lit. Well,
we're on Mars, the first man in ship from Earth
to land. We don't know what we're going to find
or what dangers we may face. We're seventeen men on
an alien world, and it's up to us whether we
ever get home again. Next few hours should tell the story.
And I want instant obedience to all commands. I'll court
marshall the first man who doesn't come to when he's ordered.
And one other thing. We may be on Mars, but
this is still a United States Naval vessel. Officers will
conduct a personal and weapons inspection in one hour. That's
all inspection, Captain. Now, mister Lestig, we've got an hour
and a half to sweat out before we find out
what's outside that airlock. I'd rather have a man worried
about his stripes about what's waiting outside on Mars.
Speaker 3: Now I hear this landing party report to forward air
lot Captain Black, Lieutenant Hinston, Lieutenant and doctor Horse report
immediately the forward air lock. It's now landing time minus five.
Speaker 1: Hell paging us? Uh you ready, Doctor Heist, Yes, mister Lustic, as.
Speaker 4: Ready as I will ever be. Come on, let's get
in the lock. Aink s Elastic and Horse reporting in
the air lock very well.
Speaker 1: So the Captain will join you. Four minutes to go,
at least the captain would get here.
Speaker 5: What difference does it make?
Speaker 1: I just want to get it over with, that's all.
Anybody got a cigarette?
Speaker 6: Yeah?
Speaker 7: I think you're smoking too much? Lieutenant Plastic, Are you nervous?
Speaker 1: I offer for your horse?
Speaker 7: Wondering what's hidden outside underneath that ground missed? I've been
giving it some thought. It'll be very interesting to find out.
A very unusual planet, Mars. Why it has an atmosphere,
A wonderful thing, an atmosphere where you find one who
find light in Martians.
Speaker 1: What do you think they'll look like?
Speaker 5: Who knows? Intelligent life can take many forms.
Speaker 8: I mean they may have green skins and eyes on
stalks or something.
Speaker 7: The comic book conception is possible, of course, or they
may have developed beyond us. Perhaps they have a science
that can produce weapons far more dangerous than our atomic missiles.
Speaker 1: You think we may have to fight our way up, After.
Speaker 5: All, we are invaders. I am this landing time minus two.
Speaker 4: All right, all right, we heard this, and I'd like
to find outside that air lock.
Speaker 1: Go over Illinois. Ever been there?
Speaker 8: Lasted only Chicago. You want to see my hometown. Green lawns,
big white houses.
Speaker 1: Sounds like my hometown.
Speaker 8: My grandmother used to have one of those ion deer
on the lawn. Every Halloween. We'd paint another color. One
time we painted in black and white, like a allsteined cow.
Where does your family live, doctor Houst, I have no family.
Speaker 9: When I was a child, they were guessed to death
in the Daha concentration camp.
Speaker 5: Tough, No, it has its advantages. I have no ties
on earth.
Speaker 9: Nothing to lose now, I imagine I'm the only one
on board who is free to enjoy our present peculiar position.
Speaker 1: All right, masters, you can button it up now, I said, Well, gentlemen,
check your sidearms. In one minute, will be the first
men to set foot on Mars.
Speaker 7: Quite an honor, right, as long as the metals are
not rewarded posthumously.
Speaker 1: Still uneasy, doctor.
Speaker 7: Horst, Captain Black, I've been uneasy ever since I can remember,
on Earth and on Mars.
Speaker 1: Well thirty seconds, give me the intercom phone listing. Yes,
it masters battle stations. It will be manned till we return.
If we're not back in two hours, I want no
rescue party sent out. Blast off and save the ship.
You understand, all right? Five seconds four three two one.
Lustig opened the outer air lock. I said, it's fresh air.
Let's go.
Speaker 10: Right now.
Speaker 11: Take it easy.
Speaker 1: It's too dark to move fast. Quiet, isn't it? Not
even a wind? Can't see anything from miss groundness. I
don't know what's out here, all right, Come on, what.
Speaker 5: The chips and I can swear it.
Speaker 1: That sounds like a rooster.
Speaker 5: I don't hear it anymore. Very homely but unlikely sound
a rooster crowing on moss.
Speaker 1: Higston, I said, set that machine gun twenty five yards
to the flank. We'll stay here to the ground. Miss Lifts,
I said, what do you make of the ground?
Speaker 9: Horse grass, plain grass. You can see some large foliage
there with the mists thin down.
Speaker 1: Hold you fire, you fool, I hear, Captain, some kind
of wild animal.
Speaker 9: I hit it.
Speaker 12: I could see the tracers, but it's still standing. Come on, Horst,
doctor Berger.
Speaker 5: Off ahead admiring the wild animal.
Speaker 1: Careful, Herst, wait for us. I don't worry, Captain.
Speaker 5: It's an iron deer.
Speaker 1: A lawn on the morn. That's impossible.
Speaker 5: It's hollow. Interesting.
Speaker 7: Isn't that a whitewashed Victorian iron deer sitting on a
lawn in the middle of Mars.
Speaker 1: I don't understand.
Speaker 5: Look around the mists, lifting the captain.
Speaker 12: Look there it's a house, a regular old fashioned house.
Speaker 1: Sir, on Mars. Good lord, I haven't seen carved scrolls
and gingerbread like that in years. Look at that port
swing the geraniums.
Speaker 12: There, that's where it was a rooster.
Speaker 1: Captain, you give me the glasses, lustig. I want to
take a look for that front when there's an upright piano,
some sheet music on it, plastic, it's it's beautiful. Ohio,
it can't be their, Horst, Horst, do you think the
civilization of two planets could be identical?
Speaker 9: I don't know that specific variety of geraniums is only
fifty years old or not.
Speaker 1: Is it logical that they should develop in Mars? How
about that port swing of the piano and beautiful, Ohio,
Why it's impossible, cap and black.
Speaker 10: This looks like the town I was born in. No,
it looks like my hometown too. I thought it something, Sir,
it's the only solution. Maybe maybe we're not the first
ship to reach.
Speaker 1: Marsmar, don't be ridiculous, lusting. Oh how else can you
explain it? I suppose some scientists got together.
Speaker 10: They invented some space ship and planet a colony year.
Speaker 1: That's see the only ends that's impossible, ustic Ben's space trouble.
It couldn't be secret. Do you have any idea what
ships cost, what industrial powers needed? No, there's got to
be some logical reason.
Speaker 5: I think perhaps we might find out. Captain. A light
just went on and then huh.
Speaker 1: Taston cover that door of the machine gun. I say,
all right, come on, horseman, we're going to ring that doorbell.
There's got to be a scientific answer to ales.
Speaker 9: And there's something moving in there. Stand back, horse give
me a clear shot. And are you're sure a bullet
can stop a martian?
Speaker 11: Steady?
Speaker 13: Can I help you?
Speaker 1: All right?
Speaker 5: Will we?
Speaker 13: If you're selling anything, it's much to earn it?
Speaker 4: No?
Speaker 1: No, no, wait, just a minute, what town.
Speaker 13: Is this What do you mean are you census takers?
Speaker 8: No?
Speaker 7: No, we're strangers here. We want to know how this
town got here.
Speaker 14: Is this a game?
Speaker 5: No, no, it's not a game. We're from Earth.
Speaker 13: From where?
Speaker 5: From Earth?
Speaker 14: Do you mean?
Speaker 13: Out of the ground? Are you sure you're feeling well?
Speaker 1: Madam? We came in a flying ship across place. We're
from the third planet Earth. This is Mars. Now do
you understand Mars?
Speaker 13: You go away. Now you're here, I'll call my husband
from stairs and you'll chase you go on.
Speaker 5: This is Mars, isn't it.
Speaker 13: This is Green Lake, Wisconsin, in the United States of America,
bounded on the east by the Advantage and on the
west by the Pacific. Now go a way, goodbye, Harst.
Speaker 1: Do you suppose it's really possible. I've got to find
out more about this.
Speaker 13: I told you, I call my husband.
Speaker 1: Now you go away. You've got to tell me one
thing first. What year is this year?
Speaker 13: Nineteen twenty eight? Of course, for goodness sake, you.
Speaker 1: Hear that, Horst, and we know it's nineteen eighty seven,
and we know this is Mars. The horse is impossible
that we got pouled up made some tremendous blunder circle
around and landed back on.
Speaker 5: Earth in nineteen twenty eight.
Speaker 1: Well maybe some switch in time or dimension. Could we
have shifted somehow gone gone backward in time? Oh, of
course this won't hold water. It's it's not logical. We've
we checked every mile. We went past the moon, out
into space where we're on Mars lustick out that point
Haaston in the rear. Keep that gun at half load,
I said first there there's got to be some cold
logical solution. Can but that house down the street? The
flight were the green shutters lest like? What's the matter?
I never thought.
Speaker 11: Nothing?
Speaker 1: Let they come back here running for that house. That's crazy,
fool leaprin quick bust.
Speaker 12: They stopped, come down off that port. Never what the
devil do you think you're doing?
Speaker 1: Hell? But, Grandma, grandpa is you last?
Speaker 2: Like?
Speaker 1: What is going on here?
Speaker 11: Elb see it's been so many years?
Speaker 14: How you've grown?
Speaker 11: So good to see.
Speaker 10: Captain, Grandma. I want you to meet my friends. This
is Captain Black. Captain, I want you to meet my grandfather.
Speaker 11: Howdy, any friend of Albot is a friend of ours.
Speaker 1: How long have you been here, Grandma?
Speaker 11: Oh?
Speaker 14: A good many years, ever since.
Speaker 1: We died, ever since you what? Oh, yes, they've been
dead thirty years.
Speaker 14: What oh, now, don't you trouble yourself. It's all right,
We're alive again.
Speaker 1: That's all you mean to tell me that Mars is
heaven own nuns and no, oh we oh is here.
We're alive again? And who are we to question God's
infinite ways? All right, lust, think we're going back to
the ship. Captain, I want to talk to my grand
kind of lusting. I don't like any part of this.
You'll come back with us if I have to club
you and carry you, I said, Well, let's go. Heaven
only knows what they've run up against back of the ship. Horse.
Look at that crowd around the ships like a being
welcome with the celebration cap celebration like abandoned ship and
report is open.
Speaker 15: No guard said you you master?
Speaker 7: Hi?
Speaker 1: You captain? Beat my old dad.
Speaker 5: That's head.
Speaker 1: I'm black.
Speaker 12: I've got a bad guy for not Hatston and what's it?
Speaker 15: Bring that band back?
Speaker 1: Use force of you?
Speaker 11: I have to yeah, oh, excuse me, says my uncle George.
Speaker 9: Hatest will be right back.
Speaker 2: Have an uncle, George, What the.
Speaker 1: Devil's do you understand.
Speaker 12: So they've all found friends and relative that they're all.
Speaker 5: Here right out.
Speaker 12: I founded the whole clues out in the crop, but
I gave orders coming in an order.
Speaker 1: I don't understand, cap I understand new today. I don't
care how many relatives show up. I'll have just one. Johnny,
Johnny e old son of a gun. It's you, Edward, Yes,
could pempy, of course it is Jobby Johnny You Edward,
Doctor Horst, This is my brother Edward.
Speaker 5: How do you do?
Speaker 1: Hello, sir, It's wonderful to see you, Edward.
Speaker 10: Look, I've I've got to get back to my ship
on Johnny.
Speaker 5: Wait, I almost forgot. Mom's waiting at home.
Speaker 1: Mom, Yeah, and dad?
Speaker 11: Do Mom and Dad are alive.
Speaker 5: In your real head?
Speaker 1: Well, of course, don't I feel real my head.
Speaker 5: We've got lunch for you, Donny. Mom's making corn frits.
Speaker 11: Doctor horse leven two found anybody?
Speaker 1: Oh no, God, I have no Well, then you come
on home with me, right, ed Why sure, Harst, you
wouldn't believe it, But it's been thirty five years since
I had mom's corn pitters, Bye, George. Thirty five years.
Speaker 6: And there's plenty more in the kitchen, So don't hold back,
Johnny YouTube Doctor Horace.
Speaker 11: Well, Johnny, you're stealing the navy.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right, Dad, I'm in command of the ship.
We're an old Navy family, Doctor Horse. All three of
our boys in the service. Ed was the best pilot
in the Pacific two. What did happen? Ed? What's the difference?
Speaker 11: I'm here now?
Speaker 6: Yeah, but you know it's almost perfect. All we're missing
is your brother Will. Then the whole family could be together.
Speaker 1: Well, it won't be long, mom, Will's in charge of
the XR fifty four, our next rocket coming out to Mars.
Speaker 11: Well, little Will. When does he leave? Johnny?
Speaker 1: When? The take off schedule for September? But it depends
on what we report. Oh yeah, there's no question about that. Now,
Christmas together again, that'll be something you will.
Speaker 11: Yes, siree. Well, this call through a celebration. How about
a little of the old dandelion.
Speaker 6: Wine a during No, Father, don't you go giving Johnny
too much wine.
Speaker 11: He's a big boy now, mother, Well, sir, everything does doun?
Speaker 9: Yes?
Speaker 1: I play that one again? Will you help me? Sure?
Speaker 8: Well?
Speaker 6: Doctor Horst, what are you doing sitting over here alone?
What do you think of my little family very nice.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 6: I can't understand why you didn't find any folks here,
doctor Horst.
Speaker 14: It's just a shame. Everybody else is so happy.
Speaker 9: Well, I never remembered my family, missus Black. All I
know is they were gassed at Duckhard during the.
Speaker 5: Second World War.
Speaker 9: When I was liberated, I was in delirium three months.
I cannot remember anything before them, A psychapic phenomena.
Speaker 6: That's terrible. Isn't there anything anybody can do?
Speaker 9: I don't want to remember. I have not had a
pleasant life. I prefer to be free of emotional entanglements.
They interfere with a scientific approach.
Speaker 14: I'm sorry, doctor Horst, I'll get it.
Speaker 1: That's our ring long and three shorts. I remember that.
Speaker 6: Well, maybe we'd better call it a night. You must
be getting tired, Johnny, I'd better be going back.
Speaker 5: To the ship.
Speaker 11: Nonsense, you stay the night, we'd see it.
Speaker 6: I just couldn't rest thinking of you all alone. On shit,
I'll be all right, Well, good night.
Speaker 16: Wait a minute, doctor Horst. That phone message was for
you me. Yes, that's right, a message from Anna.
Speaker 9: No.
Speaker 5: I don't know there.
Speaker 6: She must be an old friend, isn't that nice.
Speaker 5: I don't I should was for me. I don't remember
any Anna, she asked if you were better.
Speaker 14: Perhaps she's someone who knew you at Dahoo.
Speaker 16: She said, she's coming over here first thing in the morning,
so you have to stay over.
Speaker 5: Yes, but that it.
Speaker 1: Then you stay here, Horst. You'll can bunk with me
in my old room. Yeah.
Speaker 11: But Johnny, we thought.
Speaker 14: You'd like to be with Edward so you could talk
the way you're used to.
Speaker 1: We can't put doctor Horse on the day bed. I
think we better share the room tonight.
Speaker 16: There be plenty of time for talking, ed Yes, I
guess so.
Speaker 1: I suppose I better dropped back to the ship. You
know ed security check.
Speaker 14: But why do you have to do that here?
Speaker 1: I don't know, Mama, is no good reason. I guess
it was. Suppose we skip it tonight. Well, good night, everybody.
Speaker 14: Oh, it's good have your home journey.
Speaker 1: It's good to be home. Mom got black? Huh you asleep?
Speaker 4: No?
Speaker 1: No, I've been thinking about what we were expecting green
skinned Martians. All the time. There was only mom and
dad and Edward waiting. That's funny. What tricks your imagination
can play on you? Oh, I guess Mars is heaven horse.
Speaker 5: You know, I've been thinking about Martians too, happen.
Speaker 9: Just suppose suppose there were Martians and they saw us land,
and suppose they thought of us as invaders. What would
be the best weapon they could use against our atom bomb?
Speaker 1: Huh? I don't see what you're getting at.
Speaker 5: I would want to disarm us.
Speaker 9: First, huh, to wipe out all suspicions, to make us
feel at home.
Speaker 5: Suppose this house isn't real.
Speaker 9: Suppose the people are just images stolen from our own
memories by Martians, created for us by telepathy hypnotis.
Speaker 1: That's the craziest theory I ever heard.
Speaker 9: Maybe that's why there was no one for me, because
in all my life there is no happy memory, no
real love person, not even my mother. I don't remember her,
only the piles of rotting compass of Daha. There was
no happy emotion for these people to recreate. About that
phone call Anna, Yes, Anna, I didn't remember who she was,
but I do now. I just remember when I was
freed from Daha, sick, delirious, I raved about a wonderful
kind nurse named Anna that took care of her.
Speaker 5: You were, It's logical she's coming to see you tomorrow.
But there was no Anna. I've been nursed by a man.
Speaker 9: Anna was only and there's only one way they could
have learned about her by reading my subconscious mind.
Speaker 5: That's impossible, Horse.
Speaker 9: Why the whole crew was thinking of home? I suppose
the martians read our mind? Yes, but if there are martians,
if there are, they have a separated each man in
a different house, sleeping, trusting, no one at the guns,
and I left my pistol downstairs. Do you think there's
something to this horse? It's a perfect trap, Captain. Who
would suspect his own mother, his grandparents?
Speaker 5: How easy? Just a knife in the heart of each
sleeping man.
Speaker 1: That's impossible, Horset.
Speaker 9: But we've got to get back to the ship. Listen,
the crickets have stopped.
Speaker 14: Come on.
Speaker 5: We don't know when to be changed back to, but
they really are.
Speaker 11: Where are you going? John?
Speaker 1: Ahead? We we wanted to drink of water. That's that's all.
Speaker 14: Ed.
Speaker 16: You're not mercy, John.
Speaker 5: You don't want a dream.
Speaker 1: Look out, you don't want it. It's changing.
Speaker 5: He's a mass.
Speaker 1: Run, horse, run, you can get away.
Speaker 15: This horse, har fire, Hello, Hello, can you hear me earth?
Speaker 9: This?
Speaker 1: This is Captain John Black the x R fifty three,
calling from Mars. I've blocked myself in the ship, but
they've crippled it. I can't take off a fire of
the guns, and they're coming for me now, the Martians.
I'm all alone here. All the rest are dead, Kinkst
and Lastic. Doctor Horse, Poor Horse, he didn't even reach
the door. Listen, listen. They're trying to break through the
Edward and bomb cast all the folks. But they're changing now,
they're melting and changing back into their Martian Can you understand,
Martian black men? They don't think that Mars was heaven
and we fell into the trap. Can you hear me, Earth,
You've got this out the next rocket listen, tell my brother.
Will tell my brother not the calm, they'll trap him too.
Tell them all, Hello, Hello, can you hear me Arth?
Speaker 5: This is John Black on Mars.
Speaker 14: Hello Earth, This is John Black on Mars.
Speaker 11: Hello.
Speaker 1: Hello.
Speaker 17: Tonight X minus one has brought you the science fiction
classic Mars Is Heaven, written by Ray Bradbury and adapted
for radio by Ernest Canoy. Featured in the cast were
Wendell Holmes as Captain Black and Peter Coppel as Doctor Horst.
Speaker 5: With Bill Zuckard as.
Speaker 17: Masters, Bill Lipton as Hingston, Margaret Berlin as the old Lady,
Bill Griffis as Edward, Ken Williams as Lustic Ethel Everett
his mom, and Edwin Jerome as Dad You're announcer Fred
Collins X minus one was directed by Fred Wayne as
a transcribed NBC Radio Network production.
Speaker 11: Minus one