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X Minus One - "The Last Martian" (1956) · Old Time Sci-Fi Radio | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: A newspaper reporter is sent to investigate an unsettling bar
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: patron who insists that he is a Martian living in
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: an Earthman's body. As the stranger recounts a catastrophe on Mars,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: the reporter must decide whether he has met a human
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: interest oddity, a man in distress, or something more alarming.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: On August 7th, 1956, NBC's X-1 presented episode 63, The
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Last Martian, adapted by George Lefferts from a short story
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: by Frederick Brown. Santos Ortega, Elliot Reid, Mandel Kramer, John McGovern,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Patricia Weil, and Ralph Bell are heard under Daniel Sutter's direction.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Brown's story first appeared in the inaugural October 1950 issue
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: of Galaxy Science Fiction, whose partnership with X-1 had begun
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: earlier that year. Here is the original broadcast.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: In just a moment, X-1, but first....
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: Now there's a melody you'll recognize, Opus No. 1 in
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: the inimitable Dorsey style. And there'll be lots more of
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: your favorite tunes, old and new, on NBC Bandstand all
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: this week. The Dorsey Brothers will appear in person, and
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: you'll also enjoy some of the sweetest music this side
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: of heaven, by Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadian. Wayne
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: King and Freddie Martin come along, too, together with bright
• 1:21
  Speaker 3: personalities like Bert Parks and Johnny Mercer. It's wonderful live
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: music weekday mornings with NBC Bandstand.
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: Now stay tuned for X-1 on NBC. Countdown for blastoff.
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: X minus 5, 4, 3, 2, X minus 1, fire.
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: of new dimensions in time and space.
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: These are stories of the future.
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: Adventures in which you'll live in a million could be
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Company,
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, presents X.
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: Minus 1.
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: Tonight, The Last Martian by Frederick Brown. It was like
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: any evening, but duller than most. I was back in
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: the city room. I'd just covered a boring banquet, and
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: the food had been so bad that I felt cheated,
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: even though it cost me nothing. Now, just for laughs,
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: and my job... I was writing a long, glowing account
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: of it.
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: City desk, Corrigan. Yeah? You want? Mm-hmm. Yeah, sure, why not? Okay, Bonnie.
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: Uh, Bill?
• 3:39
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: You finished typing that banquet story yet? Uh-uh. Finish it, huh?
• 3:43
  Speaker 5: 30.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: Okay. You know Barney Welch, don't you? Barney's bar? Of
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: course I know him. I know you know him. It's
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: just a rhetorical question. What about him? He just phoned.
• 3:59
  Speaker 4: So?
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: He's got a guy down there. Who?
• 4:01
  Speaker 6: Claims to be from Mars. Is he drunk or raving
• 4:03
  Speaker 6: or both? Barney doesn't know. But he said there might
• 4:06
  Speaker 6: be a gag story if you want to come over
• 4:08
  Speaker 6: and talk to the guy. Drinks on the expense account?
• 4:10
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: You got a deal.
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: There wasn't a Trib reporter who didn't know Barney well
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: enough to borrow money from him. I made for the
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: bar like a Saint Bernard makes for a fallen traveler
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: and ordered a quick one with water on the side.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: Keep the bottle handy, Barney. Which one is the Martian?
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: You see the tall, dismal-looking guy sitting alone there in
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: the booth? Over there? That's him. What's his story?
• 4:42
  Speaker 6: He says he just got in from Mars two hours
• 4:44
  Speaker 6: ago and he's trying to figure it out.
• 4:47
  Speaker 7: Claims he's the last living Martian.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: Does he know I'm a reporter?
• 4:53
  Speaker 7: But he'd talk to anybody who'd listen to him.
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: What's his name?
• 4:56
  Speaker 7: He says it's Yangon Dow.
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: I'll talk to him. Listen, Bill. Yeah?
• 5:01
  Speaker 7: Don't get him violent or anything. I don't want no
• 5:04
  Speaker 7: trouble in my place.
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: Oh, now, don't worry, Barney. Look, dish up two beers
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: for us, and I'll take them over with me.
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: ¶ ¶.
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: Barney drew two beers and cut off their heads. He
• 5:19
  Speaker 3: rang up 60 cents, gave me my change, and I
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: went over to the Martian.
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: Mr. Dowell?
• 5:25
  Speaker 8: Yes?
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: You mind if I sit down? Help yourself. It's a
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: free country. I brought you beer. Barney, the bartender, told
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: me something about your problem.
• 5:35
  Speaker 8: Oh?
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: Thanks for the beer. Drink up.
• 5:42
  Speaker 8: Well, I suppose you think I'm out of my mind, but... Well,
• 5:46
  Speaker 8: maybe you'll be right. The bartender probably thinks I've flipped
• 5:49
  Speaker 8: my lid.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: Listen, are you a doctor?
• 5:52
  Speaker 8: Nope.
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: Do you think I'm insane? I'm not a doctor, and
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: I haven't even heard your story yet. How can I tell? Okay,
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: I'll tell you.
• 6:00
  Speaker 8: I'll tell you everything that happened, then you tell me
• 6:02
  Speaker 8: if you think I'm all right. Two hours ago, I
• 6:09
  Speaker 8: was on Mars.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: Two hours? How did you get here? I don't know.
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: That's the horrible thing that All I know is that
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: the others were dead. All of them? How do you know?
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: I saw them. I saw their bodies in the street.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: It was awful. Now, wait a minute. You mean you're
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: the last one? The last Martian?
• 6:33
  Speaker 7: Yes.
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: That's a little hard to believe. Listen, I was there.
• 6:39
  Speaker 8: I was in this room in the city of Scar.
• 6:42
  Speaker 8: I don't know why I was there, but I was.
• 6:45
  Speaker 8: I was locked in. Then I got hungry, and there
• 6:48
  Speaker 8: was nobody to bring me food. So I worked a
• 6:51
  Speaker 8: stone out of the floor and started digging. It took
• 6:56
  Speaker 8: three days. When I got out and reached the street, everyone,
• 7:01
  Speaker 8: everyone was dead, lying in the open.
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: What did you do?
• 7:07
  Speaker 8: I took a Targan, an energy plane, and flew it
• 7:10
  Speaker 8: to Zandar. Zandar is the biggest city, the capital. Every place,
• 7:16
  Speaker 8: it was the same. Hundreds of thousands of bodies lying
• 7:20
  Speaker 8: in the fields, the streets, as if everyone had died
• 7:25
  Speaker 8: at the exact same instant at Xandar in the stadium.
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: I'm listening. In the stadium.
• 7:34
  Speaker 8: There were a hundred thousand of them, as if they'd
• 7:39
  Speaker 8: come there specially to die together. I landed my ship there.
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: In the stadium?
• 7:46
  Speaker 7: Yes.
• 7:48
  Speaker 8: Well, there, in the stadium, they had built some sort
• 7:53
  Speaker 8: of platform. On it was a column made of copper.
• 7:57
  Speaker 8: Copper is a rare metal on Mars. And there was
• 8:00
  Speaker 8: a push button.
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: Where? In the copper column.
• 8:04
  Speaker 8: Oh. And there was a Martian in a blue robe,
• 8:07
  Speaker 8: a priest, right under the button. It was as though
• 8:11
  Speaker 8: he pushed the button and died. And everybody else had
• 8:17
  Speaker 8: died with him.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: Except you.
• 8:20
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: All except me. And then?
• 8:26
  Speaker 8: And then, I was on a Madison Avenue bus, riding
• 8:31
  Speaker 8: to work, here in New York.
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: Oh, now wait a minute.
• 8:35
  Speaker 8: Listen, I know you don't believe me. I know it
• 8:37
  Speaker 8: sounds as if I was stark raving mad, but I.
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: Take it easy, huh? You know what I think?
• 8:41
  Speaker 4: What?
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: You've had some sort of terrible shock. Of course I have.
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: There were three million of us. All dead. I don't
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: mean that kind of shock.
• 8:51
  Speaker 4: Of course.
• 8:52
  Speaker 8: It was a dying world anyway. We didn't have more
• 8:55
  Speaker 8: than two generations left.
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: It was the krill. What was the krill? The disease.
• 9:02
  Speaker 8: It reduced us to one-thirtieth of our population in two centuries.
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: These three million, they died of the krill?
• 9:10
  Speaker 3: No.
• 9:10
  Speaker 8: No.
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: The krill kills slowly. These people died like that. With
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: a push of a button. Why didn't they escape?
• 9:20
  Speaker 8: We tried to develop space travel, but we couldn't. We
• 9:23
  Speaker 8: couldn't even reach Deimos or Phobos.
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: Where are they? Our moons. Oh, I don't know too
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: much about this stuff. It was horrible. Can I ask
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: you a question, Mr.
• 9:36
  Speaker 8: Down?
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: Anything you like. Well, if the Martians didn't develop space travel...
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: How do you think you got here in New York City?
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 9:46
  Speaker 8: It's driving me wild.
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: I'm Yangon Dal, a Martian. And I'm here in the
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: body of an Earthman. The body of an Earthman? Of course.
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: You don't think Martians look exactly like humans, do you?
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: I'm three feet tall, weigh what would be 20.
• 10:06
  Speaker 8: Pounds here on Earth. I have four arms and six
• 10:09
  Speaker 8: fingers on each hand.
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: Uh, Barney? Yeah? Two more beers, huh, with whiskey chasers? Right. Uh,
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: go on, go on, Mr. Dunn. I don't mean to interrupt.
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: It frightens me. Oh, I can understand that.
• 10:20
  Speaker 7: Here's your drink. You want some help?
• 10:25
  Speaker 4: Uh-uh.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: Thanks, buddy. Drink up, Mr. Dowell. Thank you.
• 10:32
  Speaker 8: By the way, who is this Earthman whose body you've got?
• 10:37
  Speaker 8: Its name is Howard Wilcox. Howard Wilcox. I'll just write
• 10:40
  Speaker 8: that address. It's in the wallet.
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: 45 Amber Court. This is Howard Wilcox, whose body you
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: are in. Does he have a family? It is married
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: to a female of this species. Yes. Well, have you
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: been home?
• 10:59
  Speaker 4: No.
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: Then how do you know? I have all of its memories.
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: I can do everything it could do. I know everything
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: it knows. Oh, I see. I even have its tastes. Beer,
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: for instance? Yes. You have a job? At the Humber
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: Lamp Company, 34th Street. Maybe you ought to call your wife. No, I...
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: It frightens me.
• 11:22
  Speaker 4: Why? I.
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: This body. It loves its wife.
• 11:30
  Speaker 8: Let me buy us a round. There's money in these pockets.
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: It's very good of you to listen to my story. Barkeep,
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: another round, please. Tell me, Mr. Dow, did you ever
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: suspect before that you were a Martian?
• 11:43
  Speaker 8: Suspect?
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: Suspect? I am a Martian. Don't you understand? How did
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: you get in here? I told you I was.
• 11:51
  Speaker 8: I mean, this body was on its way to work
• 11:54
  Speaker 8: on a Madison Avenue bus, and then I was inside it.
• 12:00
  Speaker 8: It was thirsty, so it stopped for a drink. And
• 12:03
  Speaker 8: I thought maybe the bartender could give me some advice.
• 12:07
  Speaker 8: So I started talking.
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: Don't you believe me? Listen, Howard, you should be due
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: home for dinner by now. Now you're making your wife worry.
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: Why not phone her?
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: I'm afraid. What's there to worry about?
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: Whether you're young and dull or Howard Wilcox is a
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: woman sitting home worrying.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: I suppose you're right. Of course I'm right. You're very understanding.
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: Not at all. I.
• 12:29
  Speaker 8: You wouldn't want to come with me, would you? I mean, I'm...
• 12:33
  Speaker 8: I'm sort of afraid.
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: Well, it would look funny.
• 12:36
  Speaker 8: I could tell her you're an old school friend.
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: We could have dinner. And then maybe I could get
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: to know her. You really want me to come? Would you?
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: Let me make a phone call first, okay? Fine. I
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: rang up the Tribune and got Cargan at the city desk.
• 13:09
  Speaker 4: City desk, Coggin.
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: Hi, Bill Everett.
• 13:11
  Speaker 4: Did you find him?
• 13:13
  Speaker 8: Uh-huh.
• 13:13
  Speaker 6: Well?
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: There's something strange about this guy. You think he's insane?
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 13:19
  Speaker 4: What do you mean you don't know?
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Is he or isn't he?
• 13:21
  Speaker 3: Well, he's got the whole story so perfectly organized, he
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: might even convince somebody it's true. He remembers every detail.
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: What do you figure you're going to do? Well, I'm
• 13:28
  Speaker 3: going home with him. I'm going to meet his wife
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: and observe them.
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: How many drinks have you had? Oh, I'm sober. Don't worry.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: Me worry?
• 13:34
  Speaker 6: Look, maybe you better come back here and I'll let
• 13:36
  Speaker 6: Vincent handle this stuff.
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: No, that isn't necessary. Just let me tag along a while.
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: Okay.
• 13:40
  Speaker 6: But if you want help, yell and I'll send Vincent.
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: I will, don't worry.
• 13:43
  Speaker 4: What's this guy's name?
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: Yangan... I mean, Howard Wilcox.
• 13:46
  Speaker 4: Address?
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: 45 Amber Court.
• 13:49
  Speaker 4: Okay.
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: Oh, and Bill.
• 13:51
  Speaker 6: Yes?
• 13:52
  Speaker 4: Just remember one thing.
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: What's that?
• 13:54
  Speaker 4: You could be playing with dynamite.
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: Number 45 Amber Court was an apartment down in the village.
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: We were met at the door by a pretty woman
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: in dungarees with a black hair and a ponytail with
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: a red ribbon.
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: Uh, let me handle it, okay? I wish you would. Howard! Howard!
• 14:25
  Speaker 5: I was so worried.
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: This is Bill Everett.
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: I'm an old boyhood chum of your husband, Mrs.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Wilcox. We met, and I asked Howard to have a
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: few drinks, and I'm afraid it's all my fault. Bill
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: is having dinner with us. If it isn't too much trouble.
• 14:39
  Speaker 8: Well, I.
• 14:40
  Speaker 5: No, no, of course not.
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: Well, that's very generous of you.
• 14:43
  Speaker 5: Well, if you'll excuse me, I'd better start dinner.
• 14:47
  Speaker 4: Howard?
• 14:48
  Speaker 7: Yes?
• 14:49
  Speaker 5: Are you all right?
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: Why, yes.
• 14:53
  Speaker 4: Fine. Fine.
• 14:54
  Speaker 5: He didn't kiss me.
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: Oh.
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: Well.
• 15:01
  Speaker 5: That's better. That's the first time in 11 years Howard
• 15:04
  Speaker 5: hasn't kissed me when he came home.
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: Well, we stopped and had a few drinks. It was
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: all my fault, really.
• 15:07
  Speaker 5: Look, just make yourself comfortable. I won't be long.
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: Do you think she suspects? Of course not. I'll have
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: to tell her. You want to wind up in an institution? No,
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: but I can't keep up this pretense. Just set your
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: mind to it. Now, after a while, it'll become natural.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: You'll forget that you ever were a Martian. You do
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: believe me, then, about being a Martian? Of course. Oh,
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: that's good to know. Now, look, whatever you do, don't
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: tell your wife. It would ruin her life. I'll try
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: not to tell her. Try very hard. Now, don't tell anybody.
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: You and the bartender know, of course. I will keep
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: it quiet. Don't worry.
• 15:41
  Speaker 5: Go ahead, then.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: Do you think you can carry it on? I'll try.
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Good boy. Now, I'll tell you what.
• 15:46
  Speaker 3: If you get into any kind of trouble, I mean,
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: if you just have to talk to somebody about it,
• 15:51
  Speaker 3: Give me a call, hmm?
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: Uh, here, at this number. Now, if I'm not in,
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: you leave a message with my boss. His name is Cargan. Cargan.
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: You promise? I promise.
• 15:59
  Speaker 8: Fine.
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: You're very kind. This body... I mean, I... I've never
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: met anybody so kind here on Earth. Forget it.
• 16:07
  Speaker 5: Well, what have you two been discussing so secretly?
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: Just business. Oh, I... I'm sorry about being late, dear.
• 16:13
  Speaker 9: Well, you might have phoned. After all, you were only
• 16:16
  Speaker 9: a few blocks from the house. It isn't as if
• 16:18
  Speaker 9: you were on Mars or someplace.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: Dinner went pretty well.
• 16:32
  Speaker 3: And Elaine Wilcox turned out to be an expert at
• 16:35
  Speaker 3: shish kebab, which is one of my favorites. After dinner,
• 16:37
  Speaker 3: I still had a couple of hours to put in
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: at the paper, so I went back. Cargan came over.
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: To me right away.
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: Well?
• 16:47
  Speaker 8: Well?
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: Is he or isn't he? He's a Martian, all right.
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: No question about that. You're very funny. I have my moments.
• 16:54
  Speaker 6: Would you mind telling me exactly where you've been for
• 16:56
  Speaker 6: three hours and what you've been doing? I talked to
• 16:58
  Speaker 6: Yangan Dao. That's his Martian name. Then we had dinner
• 17:02
  Speaker 6: at his home.
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: Very nice. Shish kebab. What about the story? Oh, yeah,
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: the story.
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: Well, it seems that he was locked in a room
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: in the city of Scar. And he got out and
• 17:10
  Speaker 3: saw all the dead bodies of the entire Martian population.
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: Then he flew to the Capitol and saw a button
• 17:14
  Speaker 3: that a priest had pressed, and the next thing he knew,
• 17:16
  Speaker 3: he was inside an Earthman named Howard Wilcox riding a
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: Madison Avenue bus.
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: Want me to write it up? Is that all you've
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: got to tell me? That's all.
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: Listen, this guy's going to be perfectly all right as
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: soon as he gets used to the idea that he's
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: Howard Wilcox.
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: He is, eh?
• 17:31
  Speaker 6: I suppose you're a qualified psychiatrist? Well, I'm qualified to
• 17:34
  Speaker 6: judge this. I'd better send Vincent over there.
• 17:37
  Speaker 2: There's no need for that.
• 17:38
  Speaker 6: I have a distinct feeling you've let your emotions get
• 17:40
  Speaker 6: into the act.
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: Well, what's wrong with emotions? They don't belong in this business. Look, Cargan,
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: this is a decent enough guy. He's a little bewildered, maybe. Now,
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: why not let him live out his life in peace?
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: He may be dangerous. Don't you trust my judgment? We
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: can't afford to pass up anything important. Oh, you're exaggerating. Maybe. Vincent.
• 17:57
  Speaker 8: Yes, Mr.
• 17:57
  Speaker 4: Cargan?
• 17:58
  Speaker 6: I want you to do a follow-up on a story
• 18:00
  Speaker 6: that Bill has started. A man named Howard Wilcox who
• 18:02
  Speaker 6: thinks he's a Martian... Oh, Bill has the address. Now,
• 18:05
  Speaker 6: if anything happens to this guy, there'll likely be questions
• 18:08
  Speaker 6: and accusations. Vincent can handle that out of it. You
• 18:11
  Speaker 6: want the full treatment on this story, Mr.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: Coggin?
• 18:14
  Speaker 3: If you think the man is a menace, give him
• 18:18
  Speaker 3: the full treatment.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: Okay, Mr.
• 18:21
  Speaker 7: Coggin.
• 18:21
  Speaker 9: The End.
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: I gave Vincent the address, feeling like a murderer, and
• 18:37
  Speaker 3: then I beat it to the nearest phone booth and
• 18:38
  Speaker 3: called Howard Wilcox's home.
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: His wife, Elaine, answered.
• 18:49
  Speaker 6: Yes?
• 18:50
  Speaker 4: Oh, Mrs.
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: Wilcox, this is Bill Everett again.
• 18:52
  Speaker 4: Oh, did you forget something?
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: No, I have something to tell you, and it may
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: sound a little weird, but bear with me.
• 18:59
  Speaker 4: Oh, what is it?
• 19:01
  Speaker 3: A man from my newspaper is coming over. His name
• 19:03
  Speaker 3: is Vincent. He's a big, ugly man with a scar
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: on his lip.
• 19:07
  Speaker 4: He's coming over here?
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: He's on his way now.
• 19:08
  Speaker 4: Well, what for?
• 19:11
  Speaker 2: Well, that's the part you aren't going to believe, Mrs. Wilcox.
• 19:13
  Speaker 4: Well, try me and see.
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: He's going to murder your husband.
• 19:20
  Speaker 4: I'm afraid I didn't hear you.
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: I said he's coming over to murder your husband.
• 19:24
  Speaker 4: You and Howard did do quite a bit of drinking.
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: I'm trying to do you a favor. Now listen to me.
• 19:29
  Speaker 4: I'm listening.
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: Send him away. Tell him Howard had to leave town.
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: Do you hear me? Please, Mrs. Wilcox, if your husband
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: means anything to you.
• 19:38
  Speaker 4: Of course he does, but why not call the police?
• 19:40
  Speaker 3: They'll laugh at you. I'm coming right over. I'll explain
• 19:43
  Speaker 3: when I get there. And remember, your husband's life depends
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: on this.
• 19:46
  Speaker 4: THE END.
• 19:54
  Speaker 3: I didn't know whether I'd convinced her or not. It
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: all sounded so terribly melodramatic. Anyway, I hopped into a
• 19:58
  Speaker 3: cab and told him to use a heavy foot on
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: the gas pedal, and about 15 minutes later, I arrived
• 20:01
  Speaker 3: at 45 Amber Court.
• 20:07
  Speaker 5: Oh, it's you.
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: Was Vincent here?
• 20:09
  Speaker 5: There was a man here from the Tribune, yes.
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: Did you do as I told you?
• 20:13
  Speaker 9: Well, I got Howard out of the house. I sent
• 20:16
  Speaker 9: him out for some mozzarella cheese and gave him a
• 20:18
  Speaker 9: couple of places that don't carry it.
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: What'd Vincent say?
• 20:20
  Speaker 5: I told him Howard wouldn't be back in town till tomorrow.
• 20:23
  Speaker 5: He said he'd be back.
• 20:25
  Speaker 2: Did he say what he wanted?
• 20:26
  Speaker 5: Just that he had some good news for my husband.
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: Some good news. May I come in?
• 20:31
  Speaker 5: I wish you would. I want to know what this
• 20:33
  Speaker 5: is all about. Sit down.
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.
• 20:39
  Speaker 5: Now, would you mind explaining?
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: You won't believe me.
• 20:42
  Speaker 5: You keep saying that.
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: Okay, Mrs. Wilcox. Your husband, Howard, is a Martian.
• 20:52
  Speaker 5: A Martian?
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 20:54
  Speaker 5: I see. And when did you discover this about my husband?
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: This morning.
• 21:00
  Speaker 5: Would you mind telling me just when he arrived? From Mars,
• 21:03
  Speaker 5: that is.
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: This morning.
• 21:05
  Speaker 5: You don't say.
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: Told you you wouldn't believe me.
• 21:07
  Speaker 5: Oh, I haven't said that yet. You're sure Howard is
• 21:11
  Speaker 5: a Martian?
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: Yep.
• 21:12
  Speaker 3: He claims to be the last Martian. Look, see if
• 21:14
  Speaker 3: I can make it clear. There was a plague sweeping Mars.
• 21:18
  Speaker 3: They devised a means of transporting their intellects through space
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: to Earth. Their dead bodies remained behind. Howard, your husband,
• 21:25
  Speaker 3: was confined in an institution so he didn't get to
• 21:27
  Speaker 3: go with the other Martian souls. He dug his way
• 21:30
  Speaker 3: out and went to the capital city where the energy
• 21:32
  Speaker 3: machine was located. I guess there was enough left to
• 21:34
  Speaker 3: send his intelligence down here where it landed in the
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: body of one Howard Woodcock.
• 21:39
  Speaker 5: How did you find this out?
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: He told me. Mr.
• 21:44
  Speaker 9: Everett, if you don't mind, I'm rather tired. First you
• 21:46
  Speaker 9: tell me someone's going to murder Howard, then you tell
• 21:48
  Speaker 9: me he's the man from Mars.
• 21:50
  Speaker 5: I'd like to get some rest, if you don't mind.
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: I'm trying to convince you your husband is in danger.
• 21:55
  Speaker 5: If Howard is a Martian, just why does your Mr.
• 21:59
  Speaker 5: Vincent want to kill him?
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: Because Mr. Vincent is a Martian, too.
• 22:05
  Speaker 5: I suppose the editor of the Tribune is also a Martian?
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: No, not the editor, just the editor of the City Desk.
• 22:10
  Speaker 5: And you, Mr. Everett, are you a Martian, too?
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: Matter of fact, yes.
• 22:16
  Speaker 5: Good night.
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: Just won't see it, will you?
• 22:18
  Speaker 5: Good night, Mr.
• 22:19
  Speaker 4: Everett.
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: Okay, I tried my best.
• 22:23
  Speaker 5: Martians, indeed. Howard, thank heavens.
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: I couldn't get the mozzarella.
• 22:37
  Speaker 5: It doesn't matter. Tell me, Howard, are you a Martian?
• 22:42
  Speaker 4: What?
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: Why, yes. How did you know?
• 22:46
  Speaker 5: Oh, woman's intuition. It's terribly late, dear. Let's turn in.
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: No, not yet. I want to know how you knew
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: I was a Martian.
• 22:53
  Speaker 5: Howard, please. I've had just about enough of this nonsense today.
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: It isn't nonsense to me.
• 22:59
  Speaker 8: Only this morning I was Yang Gandhal, a Martian. Now
• 23:02
  Speaker 8: I'm in the body of your husband.
• 23:04
  Speaker 5: Is this a joke you and your friend Mr. Everett
• 23:06
  Speaker 5: invented to torture me?
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: Because if it is.
• 23:08
  Speaker 2: It isn't a joke. It's the truth.
• 23:11
  Speaker 5: Howard, I just can't stand much more of this. I'm
• 23:13
  Speaker 5: beginning to wonder if it's me. How could that be
• 23:17
  Speaker 5: at this hour?
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: I'll answer it. Yes? You are Mr. Howard Wilcox?
• 23:25
  Speaker 8: Yes?
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: My name is Vincent. I'm a reporter from the Trib.
• 23:30
  Speaker 4: Yes?
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: May I come in? Yes.
• 23:35
  Speaker 4: Who is... Oh, Mr. Vincent.
• 23:39
  Speaker 6: I see your husband has unexpectedly returned from out of town, Mrs.
• 23:43
  Speaker 7: Wilcox.
• 23:44
  Speaker 5: Now, look here.
• 23:44
  Speaker 2: Would you mind telling me why you lied to me?
• 23:47
  Speaker 5: Yes, I would.
• 23:49
  Speaker 6: Does it have anything to do with the fact that
• 23:51
  Speaker 6: you know your husband's secret?
• 23:53
  Speaker 5: What secret?
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: That he is Yangan Dao, a Martian.
• 24:00
  Speaker 5: I don't know what you're talking about.
• 24:02
  Speaker 2: I think you do. Why is there such concern? I
• 24:05
  Speaker 2: am Yangan Dao. I am a Martian. The last Martian,
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: as far as I know. That is where you're wrong, Mr. Wilcox. Wrong?
• 24:15
  Speaker 2: You see, there are many of us. Many? Like me?
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: Hundreds of thousands.
• 24:22
  Speaker 6: We were teleported to Earth during the Great Migration and
• 24:25
  Speaker 6: found ourselves, like you, inside human beings.
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: But then I'm not alone. You do understand my position. Perfectly.
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: I can establish contact with... We can remember our old home. Unfortunately, no.
• 24:41
  Speaker 2: I don't understand.
• 24:43
  Speaker 6: Sadly enough, young and dull, you were considered mentally ill
• 24:46
  Speaker 6: on Mars. Ill enough so that you were institutionalized.
• 24:51
  Speaker 4: But.
• 24:51
  Speaker 6: Here on Earth, a person like you represents a distinct
• 24:54
  Speaker 6: threat to us.
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: How do I threaten you? You're unstable. You may give
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: us away. That would spoil it. Spoil what? Our plan.
• 25:08
  Speaker 4: Plan?
• 25:12
  Speaker 7: You.
• 25:14
  Speaker 2: You have not heard of the plan? I heard of
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: no plan. I was in an institution. Yes. You are
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: certain now? Of course. What plan?
• 25:30
  Speaker 6: If you knew, I would have been forced to destroy you.
• 25:36
  Speaker 6: You've just saved your own life, young and dull, and
• 25:38
  Speaker 6: that of Howard Wilcox as well.
• 25:41
  Speaker 5: What are you going to do?
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: Nothing. Nothing at all.
• 25:45
  Speaker 5: Aren't you afraid that I'll do something?
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: Such as?
• 25:50
  Speaker 9: Tell people my husband is a Martian.
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: Really, Mrs.
• 25:54
  Speaker 6: Wilcox, you know better. You'd be laughed at or sent
• 25:58
  Speaker 6: to the nearest psychiatric clinic. No, we aren't at all
• 26:01
  Speaker 6: concerned with the fact that People will betray our presence
• 26:05
  Speaker 6: here on Earth. I'm sure you can appreciate the reaction
• 26:08
  Speaker 6: if you were to phone the police and tell them
• 26:10
  Speaker 6: that the Trib reporters are all Martians.
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: Not all.
• 26:15
  Speaker 5: Just the city editor and yourself and Mr.
• 26:19
  Speaker 2: Everett. How did you know that?
• 26:24
  Speaker 5: Perhaps I'm one myself, Mr. Vincent.
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: It is impossible. Why not?
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: Are you.
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: Tell me where you were born. What city?
• 26:37
  Speaker 5: I was born in Undanel, near the dead canal of Krila.
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: Your name?
• 26:41
  Speaker 5: Zanat Kri.
• 26:43
  Speaker 2: You are.
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: You are part of the plan?
• 26:47
  Speaker 5: The plan to take over the earth?
• 26:50
  Speaker 2: Of course. Your husband, young and dull. Why did you
• 26:54
  Speaker 2: not inform him?
• 26:55
  Speaker 5: For the same reason you did not. He is unstable.
• 27:00
  Speaker 5: But there is no need to worry. I will care
• 27:02
  Speaker 5: for him.
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: Amazing.
• 27:06
  Speaker 5: Now, would you mind leaving us alone? We have many
• 27:10
  Speaker 5: things to discuss.
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: Of course. Amazing. Positively amazing.
• 27:31
  Speaker 3: I was standing in Barney's bar having a double scotch
• 27:33
  Speaker 3: in the rocks when Vincent came in looking like a
• 27:35
  Speaker 3: man who spent the last three hours in a KitchenAid
• 27:37
  Speaker 3: mixer with the dial on fluffy. He came over and
• 27:40
  Speaker 3: ordered without so much as look at me.
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: Here it is, Mr.
• 27:46
  Speaker 7: Vincent.
• 27:46
  Speaker 6: Thanks.
• 27:48
  Speaker 7: You okay?
• 27:49
  Speaker 2: Sure, sure.
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: By the way, did you fellas take care of that
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: crackpot that was in here this afternoon, the one who
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: thought he was a Martian?
• 27:57
  Speaker 4: Hmm?
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: Uh, sure, sure. Just a drunk, huh? Yeah, that's right.
• 28:04
  Speaker 2: Wouldn't you say so, Bill? Oh, definitely.
• 28:07
  Speaker 6: Well, here's to you, Barney. Sometimes you can't tell the
• 28:12
  Speaker 6: Martians from the Earthmen.
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: You know?
• 28:16
  Speaker 7: It's getting to be that way, Mr.
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: Vincent. Right, Bill? That's right, Barney. Integration. That's what it is.
• 28:31
  Speaker 3: I gave Barney a sly wink and lifted my glass
• 28:34
  Speaker 3: along with Vincent.
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: Of course, Barney understood. You see, he's one of us, too.
• 28:42
  Speaker 3: You have just heard X-1, presented by the National Broadcasting
• 28:46
  Speaker 3: Company in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, which this
• 28:50
  Speaker 3: month features Alan Kogan's story, Nothing But the Best, which
• 28:55
  Speaker 3: tells about a strange mix-up in time and place Galaxy Magazine,
• 29:00
  Speaker 3: on your newsstand today. Tonight by transcription, X-Minus One has
• 29:04
  Speaker 3: brought you The Last Martian, a story from the pages
• 29:07
  Speaker 3: of Galaxy written by Frederick Brown and adapted for radio
• 29:10
  Speaker 3: by George Lefferts.
• 29:12
  Speaker 2: Featured in the cast.
• 29:13
  Speaker 6: Were Mandel Kramer, Elliot Reid, Santos Ortega, Ralph Bell, John McGovern,
• 29:19
  Speaker 6: and Patricia Wheel.
• 29:20
  Speaker 2: Your announcer, Fred Collins.
• 29:23
  Speaker 6: X-Minus One was directed by Daniel Sutter and is an
• 29:25
  Speaker 6: NBC Radio Network production.
• 29:39
  Speaker 3: Go to the conventions with NBC Radio beginning Monday, August 13th.
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: The signal fades on X-1 and The Last Martian. Good
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: evening from Radio Science Fiction Hours.