Speaker 1: Mm hmm.
Speaker 2: Come 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
minus minus minus minus minus.
Speaker 3: The Night Story The Embassy.
Speaker 2: Out of the infinitude of stars and planets in the
Solar System and other systems in the universe, it is
almost mathematically certain that other forms of life exist on
other worlds. Someday in the future, in a thousand years
or in the next twenty five minutes, daring travelers through
space will make contact with the inhabitants of another world.
But the question is will we contact them first or
will they contact us? A private detective agency in downtown
New York.
Speaker 4: Mister Grapius, mister Prederick, will see.
Speaker 3: Well, what can I do for you?
Speaker 5: My name is Gerra Grapus of Springfield. I would like
your assistance in helping me locate a Martian embassy.
Speaker 6: Would you say that again?
Speaker 5: Very slowly I came to New York to locate the
Martian embassy.
Speaker 3: I assume you were joking.
Speaker 5: On the contrary, I am completely serious. As it happens,
I am interested only in Martians at the moment I say, okay,
should well, it occurred to me in the cause of
my studies that we hurt people cannot possibly be the
only intelligent form of life in the universe. Since Mars
is older geologically, and since it is also an atmospheric planet,
its evolutionary history could easily be similar to ours.
Speaker 3: You follow me for so far, I can say know.
Speaker 5: If this is true, then they must have been watching us,
observing us for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. You also
know we are a militaristic, warlike race. We might conceivably
set out to conquer and occupy mass some day, in.
Speaker 3: Which case they were trying to get a jump on us. Ah, precisely,
mister Broderick.
Speaker 5: Now, if you were planning to attack an unknown nation,
what would be your first move, mister Broderick.
Speaker 3: Intelligence, find out what the yards are. Ooh, you have
a very logical mind, Sir.
Speaker 5: You would send agents to scout the Earth's centers of
earthly civilization and advancement. Not Cancer City or Equatorial Africa,
my dear sir, but here in New York, the most
technically advanced spot on the earth.
Speaker 7: And you want me to help you prove this theory
of yours precisely.
Speaker 3: The expense doesn't interest me.
Speaker 7: One of this may take a long long time, mister Gravius.
After all, nobody has ever seen the march.
Speaker 3: I assure you.
Speaker 5: They will be very ordinary appear people.
Speaker 3: Very likely they.
Speaker 5: Live together in downtown New York. Most certainly they live
in a private house with no servants to prime their affairs.
Speaker 7: Some ordinary people who live in a private house in
downtown New York. How much as do well look up
Martians and the classified section of the phone book.
Speaker 3: There's one adelite which might help you.
Speaker 8: What's that?
Speaker 3: They would be almost certain to subscribe to every conceivable
type of newspaper, scientific journal, and foreign language publication.
Speaker 6: Now that might be something.
Speaker 3: Okay, mister Grafia, is today excellent.
Speaker 5: I shall contact you tomorrow.
Speaker 4: Boss is an address takes everything from pic magazine to
the Manchester Guardian.
Speaker 3: Here listen to this.
Speaker 4: Here pick look Scientific America, the Daily News and Daily Worker,
the Police Cassette, Journal of Engineering is scientific quarterly American
Psychiatric Joint.
Speaker 3: Let me see that. Yeah, oh dood?
Speaker 7: And sometimes I wonder what is the address on this Well,
it's uh nine West twenty fourth Street, which happens to
be the Harlem branch of the New York Public Library.
Speaker 3: Now listen, noodle brain, what we're looking for is a
private house. Of course, what is his sense of all this?
You know there ain't no Martian embassy in New York.
Speaker 7: This crack pot is paying us one hundred dollars a day,
and we got to keep him happy.
Speaker 3: Do you understand?
Speaker 7: Also, I have a hunch that mister Graphius is not
looking for any Martian embassies.
Speaker 3: He is looking for something quite different.
Speaker 9: So we are going to find it for him.
Speaker 6: Which house is it doing?
Speaker 10: It's right down there in number one oh eight.
Speaker 3: Nobody comes out, nobody gets in.
Speaker 10: I asked a round.
Speaker 7: You haven't been blapping around the neighborhood that we're looking
for the Martian embassy?
Speaker 11: An you?
Speaker 3: So I'm stupid?
Speaker 6: But I ain't that stupid.
Speaker 3: Who'd you talk to?
Speaker 4: I struck up what you might call a casual acquaintanceship
with those two girls standing with the baby carriages.
Speaker 8: Up the street.
Speaker 10: That cute one is real cute.
Speaker 6: Look, dooland don't try to do anything intelligent.
Speaker 7: Just keep walking up and down, Saint check. I'm going
back to the office to meet Graffie.
Speaker 3: I'll see you, lady boss. Are you beautiful?
Speaker 12: Higher flat foot?
Speaker 3: Name is Dolan, Honey, iron Man, Doolan.
Speaker 12: Your line is getting rusty.
Speaker 3: Iron Man, so help me, honey. If I'm feeding you
a line made.
Speaker 6: Of heavens, open up and strike me dead.
Speaker 10: Hey, what's that look?
Speaker 7: I'm sorry to have kept your wedding, mister graff here's
thank you. But I've had Dulan casing our first lead
for a week now. It's a house down in Greenwich Village,
privately rented, number one eight Conklin Street.
Speaker 6: Nobody seems to know anything about who.
Speaker 7: Lives there, except that they subscribe to every paper and
scientific journal put out.
Speaker 3: Also, there's a radio antenna on the roof.
Speaker 5: Oh, you don't suppose your mister Doolan will try to
get inside the house If this place is the Martian and.
Speaker 6: I don't worry. Dolan can take care of himself.
Speaker 7: Start thinking, No, excuse me, hello, yeah speaking Doolan.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he works for me.
Speaker 7: What no, no, I can't think of any Yeah, sure, okay,
I'll I'll be right down. Okay, lieut, yeah, yeah, right away.
Speaker 3: Something the matter?
Speaker 7: Dolan is dead, mister Grants, all right, come on, we
get a cab. I have to identify the body.
Speaker 3: Oh, Lieutenant, I'm Broderick.
Speaker 2: Oh there's your boy, Broderick.
Speaker 6: Anybody see it? The maid pushing a baby carriage. We
can't seem to get any.
Speaker 3: Sense out of it. Do you mind if I talk
to her? Handsome?
Speaker 6: This guy wants to ask the girl a few questions?
Speaker 12: Please, I told you what I saw how many times
I gotta tell you.
Speaker 7: Look, miss, the dead man was a personal friend of mine.
Speaker 6: Would you tell me what happened?
Speaker 12: Helen and I were standing in front of Ratman's candy
store up on the corner. We both had the babies out.
He said hello and choked a little.
Speaker 3: Then what happened?
Speaker 12: It's too awful.
Speaker 6: Please.
Speaker 12: Well, first he squashed and then the stone fell on him.
Speaker 6: Did you repeat that?
Speaker 12: They don't believe me, But Helen saw it too. Kirsty
squashed and then it fell on him. He was matched
flat before they even hit him.
Speaker 6: Look that's the story.
Speaker 13: Please let me alone.
Speaker 12: Let me go home. I told you what I saw,
and I'll let me alone.
Speaker 3: Let me alone.
Speaker 5: Did you learn anything, mister Rodrick, I don't know. May
I ask what do you intend doing?
Speaker 7: Well, as soon as the cops clear out and this
place quiets down, little Broderick is going to pay a
personal call on the Martian Embassy or whatever number one
eight is.
Speaker 11: M hm.
Speaker 6: Hmm, whatever you are, open that door.
Speaker 12: Yes, Oh well, young ma'am.
Speaker 6: Oh excuse me, ma'am. As the lady of the house.
Speaker 12: At home, I'm the lady of the house.
Speaker 7: Oh well, my name is Broderick. I represent the Manhattan
Channel Adoption Center. We're listening funds and clothing for stranded
and unadopted children.
Speaker 3: I wanted to come inside. Well, we don't.
Speaker 12: Usually pronounce, since I'm old enough to be your grandmother. Besides,
my son Lauren is working at home.
Speaker 3: Your son.
Speaker 12: Oh, he's a bibliographer. He writes summaries of articles and
books from scientific journals and publications for libraries and university. Oh,
I see and sit down, mister Bradwick. Let me pour
you a.
Speaker 13: Cup of tea.
Speaker 3: Oh, thank you.
Speaker 14: You know I'm I'm not much of a tea drinker.
It seems to have a strange taste.
Speaker 12: Oh it's my own recipe.
Speaker 3: Well, I think that i'd better be running along now.
Speaker 12: I haven't finished your tea, mister Patrick.
Speaker 6: No, no, really, I feel a little sunny.
Speaker 3: I'll call Lauren. No, no, no, norm.
Speaker 6: Dizzy.
Speaker 12: I'm sure Lauren would like to hear about the adoption center.
I'll call him, but I must besides, you aren't well.
Speaker 3: Tea, Lauren.
Speaker 15: I got to get out, Lauren, Lauren, hurry, look up
my way.
Speaker 12: No, no, you must stay.
Speaker 8: Yes, mother, you drugged my teeth.
Speaker 3: You look my Laurence. But I got to get out
of the front door. Open open.
Speaker 12: What happened the other one?
Speaker 3: That Broderick?
Speaker 11: He was here, I dug his teeth, He got away,
he was suspicious, idiot?
Speaker 12: Go after him?
Speaker 13: Risk another murder on our doorstep? Are you insane?
Speaker 12: But he suspects we will.
Speaker 13: Have to take our chances. We'll have to think of
some other way.
Speaker 12: He goes to the authority, laugh at him. How did
they find out?
Speaker 11: I don't know how, but I am certain someone else
sent them.
Speaker 13: Who I don't know. I'm afraid to let myself think
it might be it just might be.
Speaker 15: Them to get help miss.
Speaker 1: Please, all right, miss, we'll take care of him. Come along, mister,
I'm gonna give you a break and take your back
to the wife and kids.
Speaker 3: No, no, you can't. I'm sick.
Speaker 10: Sick, is it? What's the matter?
Speaker 3: I'm drugged? They drugged me?
Speaker 10: Who drugged you? Number one?
Speaker 3: O egg the Martian? Oh, the martians.
Speaker 16: And waited martian embassy.
Speaker 1: Well I've seen him with pink elephants, rabbits and mice.
But you're the first one that's got martians.
Speaker 8: Oh it's true.
Speaker 3: I tell you. Come along, listen, don't take me back there.
They'll kill me. I've got to make you wonder.
Speaker 10: I'll help you up the stand.
Speaker 15: What was my name?
Speaker 3: My name is Broderick, a private dick.
Speaker 10: We'll find out about.
Speaker 1: This Nonny tricks office.
Speaker 3: Listen. Please, I'll give you any thousand dollars it. Please listen,
for God's sake.
Speaker 12: Listen, listen, Yes, office, Why Broderick, you.
Speaker 10: Know this lesh Rannie?
Speaker 12: Oh, why that's my son, Brodrick.
Speaker 3: Oh, she's Marsham.
Speaker 1: He's in pretty bad shape. You better get him to bed.
Speaker 12: And he was doing so well at the Alcoholic Society.
He must have gotten off again.
Speaker 10: Looks like he's ready to pass out.
Speaker 12: Lauren Laurien, what is your mother, bro your brother brother
has been drinking again.
Speaker 10: Please, he's passed down.
Speaker 13: Oh, I'll take care of him. We've handled this sort
of thing before.
Speaker 10: Can you manage?
Speaker 13: Okay, we'll be fine, Thank you.
Speaker 12: Oh you've been very kind of opposite.
Speaker 1: Nothing at all, Grannie, I know how it is with
these alkis well, I'll be seeing.
Speaker 8: You, Martian Embassy.
Speaker 11: Martian Oh hell, hell, hell, our mister Broderick is regaining consciousness.
Speaker 6: Mother, What.
Speaker 3: What happened?
Speaker 8: I can't get up.
Speaker 13: Do not struggle, mister Broderick.
Speaker 11: It will be impossible for you to rise from that chair.
The pressure from this ray will keep you there.
Speaker 10: Ray.
Speaker 6: Who who you? You've already guessed, mister.
Speaker 8: H You mean this really?
Speaker 13: The Martian Embassy?
Speaker 11: Yes, if you have the honor to be the first
prisoner of the Imperial Government of Mars, first prisoner.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 11: After the invasion, of course, you will all be our prisoners.
Speaker 3: What what sort of nonsense is this nonsense?
Speaker 11: Hence, mister Broderick, as your people will soon find out,
our preparations for invasion are nearly completed.
Speaker 3: Now as soon as we give this.
Speaker 11: Signal, our armed forces will launch a surprise attack, and
then the earth will be ours. Crazy, You're not half
as mad as you, mister Broderick, to come muddling so
foolishly into our affairs. It was a mistake, mister Broderick,
a fatal mistake. So Dolan's death was no accident, assuredly not.
We found it necessary to use a pressurary on your friend.
The block of concrete was an afterthought. We thought it
it might help to divert suspicion.
Speaker 6: All right, So what happens now?
Speaker 11: If you cooperate, you can look forward to a quick,
painless death like your friend, mister Dolan. If not, well,
this pressury has many delicate adjustments.
Speaker 13: It can move a pin, It can crush a boulder.
Let me demonstrate.
Speaker 3: You see, mister.
Speaker 11: Brodrick, is an invisible vice for crushing you.
Speaker 13: What do you want the name of your client?
Speaker 11: We are interested in knowing who is so anxious to
locate the Martian embassy.
Speaker 3: The names of my clients are confidential.
Speaker 11: Well, all right, all right, turn it off, mother. Mister
Broderick has seen the wisdom of speech.
Speaker 17: Oh oh, his name is Graphis.
Speaker 12: Yes, an unusual name for an earthman.
Speaker 6: Describe.
Speaker 3: I don't, I really can describe him.
Speaker 16: You he's tall, the big forehead, it's about sixty where's
thick glasses?
Speaker 3: It's bald, Lauren.
Speaker 12: It sounds like one of them.
Speaker 11: Yes, yes, it does contact the planet. Tell him we
suspect that our plans are non Ask for an acceleration
of the invasion day at once.
Speaker 8: What about me?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 11: I am sorry, mister brother, but I'm afraid you know
too much. Now, in exactly five seconds, you will feel
the full impact of the ray which faces you. I
would suggest that you relax and meet your feet calmly,
hold out, don't wait a minute. You will feel no pain,
just all of force crushing you. Yes, but listen by.
Speaker 3: But you can't do this for this isn't human, he said, no,
we're not human. Free, Yes, but you want to still
no mother in heaven now right it it didn't work.
Speaker 13: Something has happened. The magnetic field is dead.
Speaker 5: Stand back from the pressure. It will not function any way.
I've decontrolled your.
Speaker 12: Fields, Lauren. Lauren is one of them. They've found us.
Speaker 3: Did you think we wouldn't? You are free to move now, mister. Look,
I don't know how you got in here. Graphics. But
stick around.
Speaker 7: These babies are really Martians. Just like you said, they're
planning to invade the Earth and take over. There will
be no invasion, all right.
Speaker 3: You keep these characters covered dog at the police, there
will be.
Speaker 5: No need for the police. I intend to handle them myself.
Speaker 3: But graphs the police will want to not call the police.
I don't get it, you fool of an Aussling.
Speaker 11: Don't you realize with whom you are dealing? The invasion
of earth spy mass would be like child's play compared.
Speaker 5: Ah, Holy mackerel. They just flattened out, like your friend,
mister Dooley. Oh, I did test the use of violence
where the intellect can do.
Speaker 3: But unfortunately, the Martians are a thread.
Speaker 5: To us and must be destroyed so that we can
proceed with our own plans.
Speaker 3: What plans, naturally you wouldn't comprehend.
Speaker 7: Wait a minute, there are some things here that I
do understand. A second ago, that pressure ray didn't work.
Now you're using it like it was a toy. Now
did you get in here anyway? Who are you another
one of these Martians?
Speaker 5: No, mister Broderick, I happen to be a Venusian. A
what he representative of the planet of Venus, look crazy,
not at all. Martian invasion would be like child's pay
compared to ours. The Martians would simply have conquortent enslaved
your people. We Evenusians intend to exterminate you completely.
Speaker 3: And I suppose that you're gonna start by knocking me off.
On the contrary, you are free to leave any time.
You please leave? Yes, are you kidding? I? I know
your plans the invasion? Why can go ahell? The police?
Go ahead? Why don't you try it? Brother?
Speaker 7: Because the men that I turn my back, you're gonna
let me have it.
Speaker 5: Suppose you try it, and see I have no interest
in stopping you. Go ahead, run to the police, tell
them anything you like, all right, poster.
Speaker 3: Uasthus why you let me go?
Speaker 16: Yeah?
Speaker 10: Here, where do you think you're running to?
Speaker 3: Listen?
Speaker 10: Oh it's you again, No one with the march.
Speaker 3: Listen. Listen, that story is true. You've got to believe me.
You've absolutely got to believe me. They're inside that house,
inside number one oh eight.
Speaker 10: He killed them who killed him?
Speaker 1: Raphius, the leader of the Venusian invasion Venotian inverse.
Speaker 3: Look, they're gonna take over the Earth.
Speaker 13: Listen to me.
Speaker 1: Go in that house Martians, now Venusians. Okay, brother, I've
heard enough. Your battery is a bedbug.
Speaker 10: Come along, please?
Speaker 3: Who are you taking me? Love you psychiatric ward, my friend?
Speaker 10: Come on, but you come along.
Speaker 18: You don't understand. Why are you such a fool record
of me? There's going to be an invasion. The Venotians
are going to invade us. Why don't you listen to me?
Why don't you lest.
Speaker 2: You have just heard X minus one Presented by the
National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers
of Astounding science fiction to night by transcription, X minus
one has Brought You The Embassy by Donald A. Wollheim,
adapted for radio by George Lefferts. Featured in the cast
were John Larkin, Taoe Getz, Bill Zuckert, Audrey Blum, Virginia Payne, Clark, Gordon,
Jack Orrison, and Bryce Taylor.
Speaker 3: You're announcer Fred Collins.
Speaker 2: X minus one was directed by Dan Sutter and is
an NBC Radio Network production.