Speaker 1: Mm hmm, Calm down for blast off x minus five
four three 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, maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Company, in
cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers of Astounding Science Fiction, presents.
Speaker 2: Minus minus.
Speaker 3: One Tonight's Story to the Future by Ray Bradbury. Time
is an interesting phenomenon, a ticking clock, the running sands
of an hour glass. All these have captured the imagination
of men. But time is more. It exists now and
then and in the future.
Speaker 4: Suppose we are in the year nineteen fifty.
Speaker 3: Five, coexistent in time, may be worlds we have never seen,
the worlds of the past and of the future. The
year nineteen fifty five. It was a spring night in Mexico,
Fiesta time. The fireworks shot up into the clear, dark sky,
and the paper machet bull ran about the plaza, chasing
boys and laughing men. Mister and missus William Travis stood
on the edge of the yelling prod smile.
Speaker 5: What is for the bull?
Speaker 4: Here he comes. Good, isn't it now?
Speaker 6: They rid that fire breathing phil It's wonderful. I've never
enjoyed myself so much in my life.
Speaker 4: It's terrific. Fought the ball brov.
Speaker 6: Colo Hell, Philip will go.
Speaker 4: On, I mean not keep it, so don't worry. I've
got enough travelers checks for a lifetime.
Speaker 6: No, but suppose they find you.
Speaker 4: Forget if they haven't a.
Speaker 6: Chance, suppose they do. Suppose they take us back.
Speaker 4: Never find us. Relax, enjoy yourself if it only lasts.
Come on, let's get out of the crowd. You need
a drink.
Speaker 6: Let's try something different this time. I want to try
every drink there is in the world.
Speaker 4: Don't worry, there's no rush. We've got plenty of time.
Now in here, there's a table over there.
Speaker 6: Come on, Bill, don't don't look right away. Will be
your left shoulder right by the end of the bar.
Speaker 4: That man, what is it?
Speaker 6: I saw him this morning in the plaza.
Speaker 4: Take it.
Speaker 6: The town's full of tours a task, Bill, I'm afraid.
Speaker 4: Don't stare at him.
Speaker 6: I know what's the same man. He was wearing the
same white suit.
Speaker 4: Sit down, sir, Come on, dear, smile at match.
Speaker 6: He's been following us. He's a searcher. I know he is.
Speaker 4: Yet here boynor bendicting a brandy to.
Speaker 6: See he's been watching his Bill.
Speaker 4: Put yourself together soon.
Speaker 6: You can't take us back worrying.
Speaker 4: The chances are one in a thousand that they've found us.
It's probably just a coincidence.
Speaker 6: I want to lie down. I think I'm going to
be sick.
Speaker 4: Susan, hang on, will you? If he is looking for us,
we can't run out attracted.
Speaker 6: He must have slipped up and we checked out in
New York.
Speaker 4: What's he doing now?
Speaker 6: Stopped our waiter. He's asking him something.
Speaker 4: May just want a drink?
Speaker 6: Bill. I can't stand it. I've got to go upstairs
and lie down, all right.
Speaker 4: As soon as we finish our drinks. What's he doing now?
Speaker 6: He's nodding at me as if he knows me. He's
smiled Bill. He's coming over here.
Speaker 4: We've got to go right on in front of him.
So here's what we think he is. He wants to
spect it.
Speaker 6: I can't.
Speaker 4: We got to come on. And so I said to David,
that's absolutely ridiculous. What are you, Christian? You did not
pull up your pants leg when you sat down. I'm
afraid you've got the wrong person. My name isn't Chrysler Kristen. Oh,
I'm William Travis. I don't see what my pants like
it has to do with it? Mind if I sit down?
See everyone nowadays pulls up his pants leg when he
sits down like this. See it keeps the trouser from
begging at the knees. But of course, if you're not
used to this style of clothes, I see here, we
don't know you. You don't. I'm sorry, I thought I
knew you. This is our table, if you don't mind,
you see, I'm looking for two friends of mine, a
man and his wife, very much like you. The man
is an atomic scientist, the wife a bacteriologist. Very important people.
They work on government business. What are you talking about?
And when I find my friends, I'm going to take
them home with me. Look here, mister, mister Simms, that
will do for now. Look, I understand you thought you're newest,
but you see you're mistaken. I feel excuses. My wife
and I were just going up to our room. We
have to make an early start in the morning. Oh,
going for a trip like a pool code. Perhaps, Oh,
a lovely spot. I don't mind where we're going, Yes, yes,
of course you don't like crowds. Tourists probably like to
get off the beaten path. You know. I have a
vacation folder here that might interest you.
Speaker 6: Please let's go.
Speaker 4: It's it's put out by an outfit that calls itself
travel in Time Incorporated.
Speaker 6: Travel in Time.
Speaker 4: Yes, they've come up with a rather intriguing idea. Here,
travel in Time Incorporated can costume you put you in
the crowd at any place and time in history. We
guarantee to teach you any language you need to move
freely in any year without risk of detection. This summer,
why not escape from the warries of our modern world
take your vacation in time. That's impossible, of course, Ah,
but think what it would mean. A chance to escape
all the tensions of an unpleasant life, war insecurity, fear.
Suppose you were a scientist working on a dangerous bomb
project or you, missus Travis, Suppose you were a bacteriologist
working on disease cultures, and you had a chance to
escape all that, to take a vacation two hundred years
in the past. It would be wonderful woudn't it to
escape to a more peaceful world, a trip back to
nineteen fifty five, nineteen fifty five. But you said a
vacation in the past, so I did. But you see,
nineteen fifty five is the past if you'll come from
the year twenty one fifty.
Speaker 6: Five, twenty one fifty five.
Speaker 4: Yes, terrible times, most unpleasant, a war raging, an atomic
bacteri logical war. Terrible times with none of the little
comforts we enjoy today, like this fine havana cigar.
Speaker 6: Well, I want to go upstairs, I want to lie down.
Speaker 4: If you were living then, think of how wonderful it
would be to take a vacation in time back to now.
Suppose a young couple like yourselves took a trip to
ninety fifty five and didn't want to come back. Do
you know what would happen? The government sends a searcher
back to look for them. This is all fantastic now.
The searcher finds them and brings them back back to
that miserable, insane, stark, pleasureless world of twenty one fifty five.
A pity, isn't it? Look here, sims, well, do you
think I shall find my two friends.
Speaker 6: Mister Travis, Bill, please take me upstairs.
Speaker 4: I don't feel Oh is the lady feeling a bit ill?
How unfortunate linker. Ah, well, shall we drink a toast
to twenty one fifty five to the future? Sorry? Sorry, quick?
What are you doing shutting a chair under the Doorknom.
Speaker 6: He knows he's been following us. He's a searcher.
Speaker 4: Look, keep quiet.
Speaker 6: So what you're going to take us back?
Speaker 4: It isn't over yet. I've got a headache.
Speaker 6: I'll get you an aspirin us.
Speaker 4: I don't know something slipped. Something must have slipped, but
we were so careful. Searchers are trained to watch for detail.
Things like not pulling up my trousers started them thinking,
there's a man who isn't used to ancient clothes. I
could kill myself for giving it away.
Speaker 6: No, no, it was my walk these high heels here.
Speaker 4: Thanks the nerve of that's sim sitting there looking us
up and down like animals, smoking those stinking cigarettes.
Speaker 6: No, that's how I first noticed him, a Tasco. He
had four bottles of the Quurs and a pile of chocolate.
Speaker 4: Yes, he still hasn't gotten over that first green hunger
We've got to look out for that. It's the sure
sign of somebody from the future trying to make up
for a lifetime of shortage just by stuffing yourself sick.
Remember our first night.
Speaker 6: No, I can't stand it. We've got to get out
of here. What are you doing packing the suitcases up?
Speaker 4: It's no use.
Speaker 6: What do you mean we can get to Alca Polco
by morning?
Speaker 4: Don't you think he's watching?
Speaker 6: We could get away.
Speaker 4: No, no, We've got to sit tight. Maybe he isn't
sure of us yet. Maybe we can still figure out
some way to escape. Come on now, we'll need our strength.
We better try to get some sleep.
Speaker 7: No, no, I won't go back security, puet, Mom, cute it?
Speaker 4: No, well, all right away, calm down, honey. We're still
in nineteen fifty five. It's all right.
Speaker 6: Oh nightmare, Oh Bill, it was awful. We were back
there twenty one fifty five. We won't go back there,
will we ever?
Speaker 4: Tell? Sleep? Honey, it's all right. We're in Mexico nineteen
fifty five and we're going to stay here. So I've
been lying awake here thinking he's still testing us. He's
not absolutely certain he's got all the time in the
world and stay here as long as he likes, and
bring us back to the future sixty seconds after we
left it.
Speaker 6: They can't make a scene, can they. They don't dare
come out in the open.
Speaker 4: No, No, it might change the future. They're afraid of that.
Speaker 6: If we could only tell, somebody ask for Hill.
Speaker 4: We can't. That's why we had to submit to the
psychological block treatment before they okayed our vacation. We couldn't tell.
If we tried. The block's too strong.
Speaker 6: Maybe we can break it.
Speaker 4: What's the use darling who believe a crazy story like ours?
Who'd believe we come from twenty one to fifty five?
We can't tell, and they'll have to get us alone
to put us in the time machine to send us back.
Speaker 6: Then that's it. Bill will never be alone. It's still
Fiesta tomorrow. It'll be easy to stay in the crowd.
Speaker 4: Yes, yes, that's the only chance. We can't let him
get us alone. He won't get us back to that
war in that insane world. Till could be the room
clerk at three.
Speaker 6: In the morning.
Speaker 4: I'd better answer, don't.
Speaker 6: Bill, don't.
Speaker 4: I've got to hello hello, mister Travins. That's the idea
it's three in the morning.
Speaker 8: Yes, yes, I just wanted to remind you rabbits may
hide in the forest, but a fox can always find them.
Speaker 6: What was it, Bill?
Speaker 4: Bill? Never mind, come on, let's get some sleep where
we can. Hm. When as the senor, senor? Morning, Senors,
I trust you are spending pleasant days in my hotel. Yes,
that time is the best. Yes, you were a especial table.
He's all ready for breakfast.
Speaker 5: I weren't pleasures the hotel? You buster? Where's the hotel?
Speaker 4: And this?
Speaker 5: God? For a second sake, hold of the one horse town,
all the planet.
Speaker 9: Deserts and the.
Speaker 6: What is it?
Speaker 10: If they come we fall trucks and movie motion picture
company from wood.
Speaker 4: Down here they make the pictures of the background. That
the fat man, the one with the most colorful shirt, he.
Speaker 5: Is the chief. Where's the manager coming, Senor? He would
excuse me.
Speaker 4: I hope they're satisfactory, coming coming, Senor. This is a
break so that that movie company will draw crowds and
that helps us.
Speaker 6: When can we leave?
Speaker 4: Not today?
Speaker 9: He'd be okay, Yes, under the line, show you're not
Maxwell and lay off the pepper.
Speaker 6: I got announcer there sims across the dining room.
Speaker 4: You can't do anything. I'm not with these actors coming in.
Speaker 5: Here's it next to Papa Max. Make sure nobody mortgage
with the trucks of the gear.
Speaker 2: We have to eat at this crumby joint. Joe, cheer up, sweetie.
Your mayor presence makes this chasings and truck.
Speaker 5: Roll in the world.
Speaker 2: Not this early in the morning, Joe.
Speaker 10: I couldn't.
Speaker 2: Okay, okay, anything you want, laddies, it's not a dear
old expensive.
Speaker 6: Look happy, don't.
Speaker 4: There's an idea. Maybe I could hire two of them.
I could say it was a joke. You could dress
him in arc clothes, have them drive off in arcau
sometime when sims couldn't see their faces.
Speaker 6: Where would that games?
Speaker 4: With him off on their trail, we might make it
to Mexico City. It takes years to wait.
Speaker 6: Coming over.
Speaker 5: Excuse me, you folks are Americans, aren't you?
Speaker 4: That's right?
Speaker 6: Boy?
Speaker 2: Am I glad to see you. I'm so sick of
hearing Spanish. I could kiss you. Hey, come on over
and eat with us.
Speaker 4: Hat well, I uh, I don't think we should intrude.
Speaker 5: Oh, come on, come on.
Speaker 2: Misery loves company. I'm Misery and that's the company. Were
from Hollywood sounderstand Yeah?
Speaker 5: Yeah, boy? Would I like to be there? Oh? I'm
Joe Melton, I'm the director.
Speaker 4: I'm William Travis. This is my wife, susan mutual. Come
on over, kids, join the party, cheer us up. Only
know Tomaly's. I burned out three kidneys on to Molly's since.
Speaker 5: I come over the border.
Speaker 2: Eh, boy, come on over, hey, kiddies, I got no
blood brother.
Speaker 4: Yes, just a moment, mister Travis. I thought you might
be breakfasting with me alone. Sorry, I got him first, Mac.
Speaker 5: Do you want to join us?
Speaker 4: No? No, I've already ordered, mister Travis. I think you'd
better talk with me.
Speaker 2: Jay Jesus guy giving you trouble, It's all right, And
I say.
Speaker 5: The word, I'll have Max pitch him out on his ear.
Speaker 4: It's all right. We'll be right over. Mister Meltourn. We'll
talk to mister Sims. Mister Melton, you sort of keep
an eye on us, eh, after all, you found us first.
Speaker 5: Yeah, sure, well, come on over soon. Cheers.
Speaker 4: Uh, sit down, mister Travis. I hope you slept well,
did you well? I'm not used to spring mattresses, but
in our compensations. I stayed up half the night trying
new cigarettes and foods, a whole new spectrum of sensation,
these ancient vices. We miss something in our world, don't we,
And when we could get back here, we try to
cram it all in a few short days.
Speaker 6: We don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker 4: Still acting, eh, But it's no use. You can't stay
in crowds all the time. I'll get you alone soon enough.
I'm immensely patient. However, let's come to the point. You know,
we can't let you get away with this escape. Other
people in the year twenty one to fifty five might
get the same idea and do the same thing, and
we need people to fighter wars. Well, it's all right, Susan.
We can talk on his terms. Now he's got us.
We can't escape at last. Really, you know you've been
incredibly romantic, running away from your responsibilities.
Speaker 6: Running away from horror.
Speaker 4: Oh nonsense, only a war only with half the world
dead and the other half dying. Yes, but we can't
have you escaping here while we drop off a cliff. Dying.
People love to know that others died with me.
Speaker 5: Yeah, break it up. We're waiting on you.
Speaker 4: The longer you keep me waiting, the harders will go
on you. What do you mean we need you on
that bomb project? Return now, and no torture. Torture, yes,
you see later we'll force you to work, and after
you've finish the bomb, we'll try a number of complicated
new devices on you. As you say you can't escape.
We have all the time in the world here, Sims.
I'll make a deal with him. I'll come back now
if my wife stays here alive, safe away from that war. No, well, Sims,
you need me for that bomb. You can duplicate her work. Hmm.
It exceeds my authority. But all right, meet me in
the plaza in ten minutes. The cap the car good.
We'll drive out into the country to some deserted spot
and I'll have the time travel machine pick us up. No,
I won't let you argue. Dear it settled, Sims. There's
one thing. Yes, last night, instead of calling you could
have broken into our room and got us. Why didn't you?
Shall we say that I was enjoying myself. Take this
new fine cigar for example, wonderful, wonderful. Do you know
that I have twelve boxes up in my room, and
because Craye the month Benedictine crained, the coca and so
many others, and the wine. I've got the closets full
of them, and I shall so hate to leave it.
Speaker 7: All.
Speaker 4: Well, I'll meet you in the plaza in ten minutes.
Your wife may stay here as long as she wishes.
All right, Sims, it's a deal. Don't try anything now,
And I know when I'm deep. We just want a
few minutes to say goodbye. I shall be seeing then.
Speaker 6: Let you do it. I won't let you. I'm going
to tell the truth. I'm going to get help.
Speaker 4: You can't the psychological.
Speaker 6: We've got to try. It's our last chance.
Speaker 5: Hey, join us.
Speaker 6: I've got something to tell you, and you've got to
believe me.
Speaker 4: It works.
Speaker 6: I've got to try. I go ahead, kids, You've got
to understand. You see, we really bill my head. I
can't think my head.
Speaker 5: You need a bromo. Honey works.
Speaker 4: So the block's too strong. We better get the car.
Speaker 5: Breakfast. No time for people to cry.
Speaker 2: What in the world could a good looking kid like
you find a cry about.
Speaker 4: I won't let you do it.
Speaker 6: Let me go back with you. We'll get through somewhere.
Speaker 4: I'd let you go back to that war, so please stop.
Speaker 6: It was so wonderful here Bill.
Speaker 4: There he is smoking those Turkish cigarettes, waiting for it.
Speaker 6: There must be some way, some way we can both
stay here. Maybe there is, Bill, What are you going
to do?
Speaker 4: Answer? When I tell you, Bill, you're heading right for it.
He's not going to get either of us now, damn
so dumb.
Speaker 7: Bill.
Speaker 4: It's all right, it's all over. Johnny. This is the
mayor signor. Your husband has beneficially cleared in this most
unfortunate affairs.
Speaker 3: It is obvious this senor seems died of an unavoidable accident.
Speaker 6: Oh yes, yes, of course a.
Speaker 4: Your senor signor.
Speaker 6: Will they want to see you again?
Speaker 4: No? Clear? Oh lost control of the car. That's the
way it stands. So I hated to kill him. I've
never wanted to do anything like that in my life.
Speaker 6: Where shall we go?
Speaker 3: Now?
Speaker 4: Mexico City cars in the repair shop won't be ready
to look before and we'll get out.
Speaker 5: Hey there, Travis, it's that movie man.
Speaker 1: Bill.
Speaker 6: He was very good to me when they had you
in there.
Speaker 5: Hey, I heard what happened. They sprung you? Eh? Great, great, Yes,
it was an accident. Lucky you didn't get hurt yourselves.
Speaker 4: Everything okay, now, yes, yes, I think so.
Speaker 2: It's fine and fine, but you're both look a little rocky.
Say hey, you want to get your mind off your troubles?
Way through for the day Clouds follow up our shooting schedule.
We're gonna put a head on it up at the hotel.
Gloria's cracking the ice.
Speaker 4: Now maybe we will join you, But first I've got
to check up on the car.
Speaker 5: Ill don't miss the party, kiddies see upstairs.
Speaker 4: I don't relax, honey, We've got the break now. Simms
is dead before they can put another searcher on our trail.
We'll have time to make a clean getaway. How about
the car be ready till four. We got a couple
of hours to kill.
Speaker 6: I'm so tired.
Speaker 4: Janda is a little excitement. We rate a celebration, honey.
Speaker 6: Well, I guess it would be nice to un what.
Speaker 4: Sure, We'll go up to Melton's room, have a couple
of drinks, a few laughs. Don't worry, honey, it's all over,
but we can relax. Well. Well, well, Kenny, we thought
were great.
Speaker 9: Great, call me your Gloria. Yeah, get to the car
we a company?
Speaker 1: You are you kids?
Speaker 5: Rate a drink?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 5: That was a pretty messy business. But it's all over now.
Speaker 4: Yes, it's all over.
Speaker 5: Time to unlike scrab a glass. Honey, thank you? Hey, hey,
quiet everybody? Ye ye, by ahead.
Speaker 9: How about to toast my guests?
Speaker 2: Okay, all right to a very beautiful lady. Lovely enough
for the movie. I'm not kidding. That's why I came
over to you in the first place. I might even
give you a test. Oh, I mean it, Honey, you're
pretty nice.
Speaker 6: I could make you a movie star and take me
to Hollywood.
Speaker 5: Lady, did he get us out of Mexico?
Speaker 6: You're not serious?
Speaker 5: Sure? I am, Gloria.
Speaker 6: About that sounds wonderful, doesn't it?
Speaker 4: Through? Los Angeles is a pretty crowded city.
Speaker 5: Wait till you see the sunset bus.
Speaker 6: You don't really think I could be an actress, do you? You
don't have to cheer me up anymore. I'm feeling wonderful.
Speaker 5: No, No, I'm serious.
Speaker 4: Really, what kind of a film do you think my
wife would be good for?
Speaker 2: I want to do a suspense story, sort of a
war story, you know, Gloria, Poor mister Travison of the
glass a story about a man and a wife.
Speaker 5: You live in a little house. I'm just ad libbing.
Speaker 2: This, you understand, sure, sure, gone. There's a war on see,
a terrible war you see.
Speaker 5: And they live in the.
Speaker 2: Year twenty one fifty five.
Speaker 5: Yeah, now here's the gimmick.
Speaker 2: They escape into the past and they kill a man
who follows them to bring them back. Gloria, honeypot again,
mister Travis, another glass he dropped.
Speaker 5: His well, sir.
Speaker 2: This couple takes refuge with a group of movie people
as safety of numbers, they figure ah.
Speaker 5: But the story goes.
Speaker 2: On, and this couple is terribly important for a new bomb,
let's call it the leprosy bomb. So the searchers figure
out a way that they can get them alone.
Speaker 4: In the hotel room.
Speaker 5: Shove a tear under the datos, Yes, sir, you see.
Speaker 2: The searchers may work alone or in groups of eight,
so that if one of them's killed, the rest carry on.
Don't you think that would make a wonderful picture? H Susan,
don't you bill when he stands still?
Speaker 9: But that god, Travis, who is it?
Speaker 5: The manager? Your car is already?
Speaker 3: Shall I them?
Speaker 4: Like?
Speaker 5: Mate?
Speaker 9: Let's go, let's not make things worse, mister Travis, let
me shots.
Speaker 5: Let me the manager heard the shots. Let's get going.
Let me let me You'll break down the door in
a minute.
Speaker 9: Max, get ready to travel. Take a god look, mister Travis.
Take a good look at nineteen fifty five.
Speaker 5: You won't be saying it anymore. All right, break it down?
Where are they? I was at the door, I heard
them inside?
Speaker 4: They're gone. The windows Nope, the iron bars are undisturbed.
Speaker 5: What happened to them that? They just disappeared? All of them?
Speaker 4: And you?
Speaker 2: I think you had better send for the priest in
the hodio later.
Speaker 4: They just disappeared.
Speaker 5: Look in the closet.
Speaker 10: Battles, hundreds of battles in box is the twenty best.
Speaker 5: Of pure Evan.
Speaker 10: If he was your guys, these crazy Americanos.
Speaker 5: Why would anyone leave all this behind? Never questioned providence.
Speaker 10: Yes, there is enough here to last a sport for
the month. I think we can look forward to a
most happy future.
Speaker 3: You have just heard X minus one, presented by the
National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers
of astounding science fiction. Tonight by transcription, X minus one
has brought you to the future by Ray Bradbury. It
was adapted for it by Ernest Cannoy. Featured in the
cast were Terry Keene, Alexander Scorby, Mercer McLeod, Joe DeSantis,
Guy Sorell, Alan Collins.
Speaker 4: And Stan Early. This is Fred Collins speaking.
Speaker 3: X minus one was directed by Daniel Sutter and is
an NBC Radio Network production. Next week on X minus one,
Ray Bradbury's story Marionettes Incorporated.
Speaker 4: It's Groomed for Your Interests, weekday NBC Radio