Speaker 1: Mm hmm.
Speaker 2: Contdown for blast off x minus five for 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 Street
and Smith, publishers of Astounding Science Fiction, presents he he
minus minus minus one one one Woe to Night's story
zero Hour by Ray Bradbury.
Speaker 3: It was a perfect summer day in the year nineteen
eighty five. Sunlight illumined the suburbs, and the town drowsed
on the tide of warm, sunlit air on the lawns.
The children played, and in the homes, busy mothers prepared
for the evening arrival of their husbands.
Speaker 4: Excuse me, mom, good heavens man, what's all excitement.
Speaker 5: We're playing a.
Speaker 6: Game, mommy, the most exciting game ever.
Speaker 4: What are you doing in that cabinet?
Speaker 6: I need some tools from daddy's kit. Your father may
not take good care of the mom, I promise.
Speaker 4: Very well, dear, don't lose anything. Or what's the name
of the game. Mink invasion, invasion? What will they think
of next?
Speaker 6: This and this and this and this? Put that over
there and bring that over here? No, uniny, now get
back while I fix this. They want it this way.
See sure, just let me fix this. We'd better talk
to Drill and get some more instructions.
Speaker 4: Are where is Drill? Drill?
Speaker 6: Hey, Drill, Drill, he's in the rose bush. I think
I'll talk t myself and you write it down on
the pad. Okay, Drill, Drill, Okay, Drill wants you to
write down triangle?
Speaker 4: What's a triangle?
Speaker 6: Never mind? Drill will tell us when he wants us
to know. It helps the invasion. Well, how do you
spell it?
Speaker 5: Drill?
Speaker 4: How do your sush mink?
Speaker 6: Here's your mother looking out the window.
Speaker 4: Men, Who are you talking to the rose bush?
Speaker 7: Mom?
Speaker 6: Only it's not really a rose bush. That's Drill.
Speaker 5: Who's Drill?
Speaker 6: He's planning the invasion?
Speaker 4: What an imagination. You'd better come India and clean up
for supper.
Speaker 6: In just a second, mom, Art, did you write down
what Drill just said?
Speaker 5: Yup?
Speaker 8: Four nine seven and A and B and X and
the fork and the string and the hex hex agony
hexagonal droopy.
Speaker 4: Oh I'm in mink suffers in ten minutes.
Speaker 6: Okay, Mom, just a minute. I have to tell Drill.
I wish we didn't have to eat though it holds
up the invasion.
Speaker 4: Man, for heaven's sake, slow down, you'll choke on that soup.
Speaker 6: I can't, Mom, it's a matter of life and death.
Speaker 7: What's a matter of life and death?
Speaker 6: The invasion?
Speaker 7: What invasion is that?
Speaker 4: Oh? Just some silly game the children have been playing.
Speaker 9: Well, whatever it is, make it'll wait until you finish
your supper, I'm sure.
Speaker 6: But Drill is waiting for me, Daddy.
Speaker 7: Oh, who's drilled?
Speaker 3: You?
Speaker 7: Boy in the neighborhood.
Speaker 6: He's new, all right, Only you can't see him, not yet.
He hasn't come through yet.
Speaker 7: What do you mean you can't see him?
Speaker 4: He lives in a rose bush in our backyard imagination, Henry.
Speaker 7: Well, while you're at it, tell me more about this
new game.
Speaker 6: It's Martians in vas eating Earth, Dad, Well, not exactly martians, Dad,
they're from I don't know, from up.
Speaker 4: And from the inside of that little head of yours.
Speaker 6: You're laughing, Drill said you would. You're killed Drill and
and everybody.
Speaker 4: Well, I didn't know you could kill a Martian not.
Speaker 6: Really a Martian, ma'am. Maybe he's from Jupiter or Venus.
Even imagine they couldn't figure out a way to attack
the Earth. So the kids are helping the Martians.
Speaker 7: Pretty slick, those Martians using the kids for a fifth.
Speaker 6: Column they're Drill says after the invasion, we can stay
up as late as we want, no more baths either,
Oh is that so? And we can watch all the
grown up televisor shows.
Speaker 7: Well, I don't wonder this invasion is caught on among
the kids.
Speaker 6: Some of the kids are giving us trouble, like Dale
Britt's and Pade Jerrick. They're growing up so they won't
believe in the invasion. They make fun worsh than parents.
Even I hate them worst. We'll kill them first.
Speaker 4: I hope you're saving your father and me for last.
Speaker 6: Drill says, you're dangerous. Know why why? Because you don't
believe the Martians ought to let us kids run the world.
But I think they'll let me keep you because I'm
helping so much. I'll talk to Drill. Maybe we won't
have to kill you.
Speaker 9: Eh, Mary.
Speaker 7: I think this nonsense is going far enough.
Speaker 6: Can I go out now?
Speaker 4: Please run along, dear, don't worry dad.
Speaker 6: I won't let them hurt you.
Speaker 4: Televisor oh, would you please connect me with missus Helen
Rogerson on channel seven two Z, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Speaker 5: What is your channel?
Speaker 4: Please? Eight seventeen X New Rochelle, New York.
Speaker 1: Thank you just a moment, go ahead, you can see
your now, I says, how are things in New York?
Speaker 4: Fine? Helen? How are things in Pittsburgh? You look tired?
Speaker 1: Oh, I've been having a terrible time with the children.
Speaker 5: Sick, No, just underfoot.
Speaker 1: They've got a new game that's got me just about crazy.
It's called Invasion.
Speaker 4: Did you say Invasion? Isn't it strange? My Mike is
playing it too.
Speaker 1: My boy Tim is all involved with some imaginary fellow
named Drill who's running.
Speaker 4: The Invasion must be a new password Manke likes him too.
Speaker 1: How do you suppose these games start? My backyard looks
like a scrap drive. They've got every conceivable kind of
macmachanical gadget out there. I talked to Josephine Schiller in Boston.
She says her kids are wild about it too. It's
sweeping the country.
Speaker 4: I can't understand it, Helen. Do you suppose what?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 4: Nothing, just a wild thought that crossed my mind. Oh say,
the reason I call is that black and white cake recipe?
Speaker 5: What was that?
Speaker 4: I don't know. One of the children might have hurt himself.
I'll have to run and see deer. Call me back tonight,
will you'd marry by men?
Speaker 5: What is it?
Speaker 4: Who is that who screamed Peggy Ann?
Speaker 5: What happened?
Speaker 6: She got scared and ran home?
Speaker 5: Did you hit her?
Speaker 6: Nope, she just got scared. She's a scared baby.
Speaker 4: Anyway, Now, miing, tell me why she screamed. No, I
can't mink you'll answer me or come inside this instant.
I've had enough nonsense.
Speaker 6: I can't quit now. Mom, it's almost zero.
Speaker 4: Then tell me what frightened Peggy Ann.
Speaker 6: Okay, she saw drill. He almost came through through what
those pipes and things we set up. She looked into
one of the pipes and screamed. I guess she saw
drill and no one hit her?
Speaker 4: No, Mom, very well, min I'll call Peggyann's mother and
see how she is.
Speaker 6: If we could only get drilled through, it would be easy.
Then all the others could come through after him.
Speaker 4: I'm going in now, ming. I'll call you in for
your bath in half an hour. Your father and I
want to go out tonight.
Speaker 6: You won't be able to go out, Mom, Why not? Zero?
It's five o'clock mark, Hello, dear, Oh you're home early, Henry.
Speaker 7: I thought i'd relax a little before we went to
the theater. Where's the little one out back? Same game?
Speaker 4: Same game. They've got a stack of pipes and hammers
and spoons them out high out there?
Speaker 7: Children? Why do we have them?
Speaker 4: They are strange creatures. Aren't they even mink? She's a
part of us. Yep?
Speaker 9: Yeah, Look, dear, I like to discuss this with you,
but we do have a theater date. And it's almost
five o'clock. Now, Say what's happened to the kids? They're
so quiet. When children are quiet, you know there's some mischief.
Say what's that sound?
Speaker 7: I don't know. Those kids aren't playing with anything electrical,
are they?
Speaker 4: I'm sure they aren't. At least Henry ask them to
put off the invasion?
Speaker 7: Good lord, what's that? Mary? Look out the window, Henry?
Speaker 4: What is it?
Speaker 7: Where the children? Mary? Why are you shaking? What did
you see?
Speaker 4: Henry?
Speaker 5: Quick up to the attic.
Speaker 4: In the attic, Yes, yes, the attic.
Speaker 9: Quick, Mary, come back here, Mary, don't go up They
aren't up there, Harry, are you one of your mind?
Speaker 7: There's no one up here.
Speaker 4: Wait, shut the door, lock it, lock it.
Speaker 7: There's nothing up here. What is wrong with you? Now? Mary,
come to your senses, Henry, and.
Speaker 5: We've got to stay here and hide.
Speaker 7: Are you talking about it?
Speaker 5: I saw it through the window, Henry. It was horrible.
They weren't making believe it is an invasion.
Speaker 9: Oh, Mary, for heaven's sake, let's get down out of
this attic and talk this over.
Speaker 4: So.
Speaker 7: I want to find out if make us all right?
Speaker 5: She's all right. I saw she was leading them around
the corner of the.
Speaker 7: House, leading the kids. Listen, there's nothing.
Speaker 5: Listen the front door. They're coming.
Speaker 7: Good Lord, those kids sound like fifty men with boats.
Speaker 4: Hun No, not then, Oh, please God, to let them
find us, don't let them, Please God.
Speaker 7: I don't understand this. Who's there?
Speaker 4: Don't shut there here?
Speaker 7: Who's down there? I demanded to answer me.
Speaker 5: They're coming. The whole house is shaking.
Speaker 7: Who's there?
Speaker 5: Please be quiet? They might go away, Henry.
Speaker 6: Henry, Yeah, are you in the attic?
Speaker 5: Henry.
Speaker 7: Listen, let's make We've got to save her, Henry.
Speaker 5: Don't you understand she's leading them, She's leading them. She's
on their side. Henry. Oh, please, God forgive them. On
their side, she told us, but we wouldn't believe her. Listen,
coming up.
Speaker 6: Oh God, mam, Dad, we know you're in there. I
guess you better mount the lock.
Speaker 5: Drill Henry, the lock. It's molting the door.
Speaker 6: Oh you God, mom, Dad, Oh I see you. Now
take a book.
Speaker 7: You have just heard.
Speaker 2: 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 Zero
r by Ray Bradberry, as adapted for radio.
Speaker 7: By George Lefferts.
Speaker 10: Featured in the cast were Nina Reader, David Feffer, Peggy Lubin,
Les Damon Raleigh Bester, Bob Hastings, and John Lockin. X
minus one was directed by Daniel Sutter and as an
NBC Radio Network production, and now next week, The Vital
Factor by Nelson Bond, the story of a man who
sought to rule the universe and then discovered that this
formula for gaining that power was minus one.
Speaker 7: Precious ingredient.
Speaker 2: You'll hear it on X minus one.
Speaker 7: It's groomed for your interests. Weekday NBC Radio