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X Minus One - "Knock" (Old Time Radio, 1955) · X Minus One | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Earth has fallen to the Zans, and Walter Phelan, an
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: associate professor of anthropology, awakens, apparently the last human being left.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: A literal minded visitor from the invading race begins to
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: explain the circumstances confronting him. From the NBC Radio Network,
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: This is X minus one, episode five Knock, first broadcast
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: on May twenty second, nineteen fifty five. Ernest Kinnoy's radio
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: adaptation of a Frederick Brown short story, directed by Fred
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Wyhee and produced by William Welch. Alexander Scarby stars as.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: Walter Phelan, with Louri Marsh as Grace and Lewis Van
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Rutten as the Zan. The story was previously adapted for
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: Dimension X in nineteen fifty and Brown's original appeared in
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: Thrilling Wonder Stories in nineteen forty eight. Here is the
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: original broadcast.
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: Count down for blastorf X minus five minus four minus
• 1:04
  Speaker 3: three minus two X minus one. Fire from the Far
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: Horizons of the Unknown Come transcribe tales of new dimensions
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: in time and space.
• 1:22
  Speaker 4: These are stories of the future.
• 1:24
  Speaker 3: Adventures in which you'll live in A million could be
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: years on a thousand would be worlds. The National Broadcasting
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: Company presents X minus one Tonight, the science fiction classic
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: not by Frederick Brown.
• 1:58
  Speaker 5: The Night.
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: We have a screen story to tell, A sweet, blood
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: curdling little story that is really only two sentences long.
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: The last man on Earth sat alone in a room.
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: There was a knock at the door.
• 2:16
  Speaker 4: M what's that?
• 2:29
  Speaker 6: Good morning? Man?
• 2:31
  Speaker 5: What?
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: Who are you?
• 2:34
  Speaker 6: You every gained consciousness?
• 2:36
  Speaker 4: Who are you?
• 2:37
  Speaker 6: I am Zen?
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: I'm still asleep. I must speak.
• 2:40
  Speaker 6: You are not asleep.
• 2:41
  Speaker 4: Maybe if I close my eyes it will go away.
• 2:43
  Speaker 6: I will not go away, man.
• 2:46
  Speaker 4: M I guess I'm awake. Who what are you?
• 2:51
  Speaker 6: I am a Zen?
• 2:52
  Speaker 4: What's that?
• 2:53
  Speaker 6: A Zan is intelligent life?
• 2:54
  Speaker 4: But I don't know what happened? Where are you from?
• 2:57
  Speaker 6: From?
• 2:57
  Speaker 7: Planet seven in the third Galaxy, in the fourth quadrant
• 3:00
  Speaker 7: where it is not necessary to repeat information which is
• 3:03
  Speaker 7: correct in the original.
• 3:04
  Speaker 4: Statement, Planet seven? But you mean I'm not on Earth?
• 3:08
  Speaker 6: You are still on your planet?
• 3:10
  Speaker 4: What are you doing here?
• 3:12
  Speaker 6: The Zans have annexed your world.
• 3:15
  Speaker 4: You mean you've conquered Earth.
• 3:17
  Speaker 6: Yes, that is correct. We will now prepare your planet
• 3:21
  Speaker 6: for habitation by the Zan.
• 3:22
  Speaker 8: How about the people? What about the population of the world.
• 3:26
  Speaker 6: You are the population of the world.
• 3:31
  Speaker 4: Now Wait a minute, I can't. I don't understand what's happened.
• 3:35
  Speaker 6: The Zan have landed on your planet.
• 3:37
  Speaker 7: We have removed the lower life forms to prepare for
• 3:39
  Speaker 7: colonization by the Zan.
• 3:41
  Speaker 4: When did all this happen two days ago?
• 3:43
  Speaker 6: You will have been unconscious until now.
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: You really mean I'm the last man on Earth?
• 3:49
  Speaker 7: That is correct? Identify yourself now? What kindly provide data
• 3:54
  Speaker 7: as to your position in the elementary social order of
• 3:56
  Speaker 7: your planet?
• 3:57
  Speaker 4: Oh?
• 3:59
  Speaker 8: I'm Walter Phelan, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Nathan University.
• 4:05
  Speaker 4: How do you speak English?
• 4:06
  Speaker 7: We have deciphered your written and recorded records. It is
• 4:09
  Speaker 7: not difficult to reconstruct your language. It is a primary
• 4:12
  Speaker 7: type of auditory communication. Oh, is there anything you want
• 4:17
  Speaker 7: to complete your natural habitat?
• 4:19
  Speaker 4: You mean I'm a prisoner, that is correct?
• 4:21
  Speaker 6: What would you want further in your room?
• 4:24
  Speaker 4: Do I have to stay here? Yes, the rest of
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: my life forever. You better bring me my books.
• 4:30
  Speaker 6: There will be done.
• 4:31
  Speaker 8: That's rather considered of you. You know I've got to
• 4:34
  Speaker 8: call you something. Do you mind if I call you George?
• 4:36
  Speaker 6: It is immaterial. I will be back Associate Professor of Anthropology.
• 4:40
  Speaker 4: Oh, that's a right George. Just call me water very.
• 4:43
  Speaker 6: Well, Walter, I will be back with your books.
• 4:47
  Speaker 4: All right, George, I'll be saying you around.
• 4:49
  Speaker 6: You will not be around, Walter, you will be here.
• 5:08
  Speaker 4: And then hello, George.
• 5:12
  Speaker 6: Hello Walter.
• 5:15
  Speaker 4: Wait a minute, You're not George. You're different somehow.
• 5:17
  Speaker 6: It makes no difference. The sun are many and they
• 5:21
  Speaker 6: are one.
• 5:22
  Speaker 4: Then I'll call you George. Two, I'll call you all George.
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: What can I do for you?
• 5:25
  Speaker 6: Point one? You will please henceforth sit with your chair
• 5:29
  Speaker 6: facing the other way.
• 5:31
  Speaker 8: Ah ah, I thought, so, George, that plain wall is
• 5:33
  Speaker 8: different from on the other side.
• 5:35
  Speaker 4: Isn't it.
• 5:35
  Speaker 6: That is correct? It is transparent.
• 5:37
  Speaker 8: Yeh, that's what I thought. I'm in a zoo, right,
• 5:40
  Speaker 8: that is correct. How many other animals do you have
• 5:43
  Speaker 8: in the zoo?
• 5:43
  Speaker 4: George?
• 5:44
  Speaker 6: Two hundred and sixteen?
• 5:47
  Speaker 4: Not complete, George. Even a bush league zoo could beat that.
• 5:50
  Speaker 4: Did you just pick at random?
• 5:52
  Speaker 6: Yes?
• 5:52
  Speaker 7: All species would have been too many, male and female
• 5:56
  Speaker 7: each of one hundred.
• 5:57
  Speaker 8: Eight kinds male and female of all the animals.
• 6:02
  Speaker 6: There is a female of your species among.
• 6:04
  Speaker 4: The collections, anyone I know? Never mind, it doesn't matter anyway. Well,
• 6:09
  Speaker 4: what do you feed us? Allee for carnivorous species.
• 6:11
  Speaker 6: We make synthetics.
• 6:13
  Speaker 7: Flora was not hurt by the vibrations which destroyed animal life.
• 6:16
  Speaker 8: Oh nice for the flora. Well, George, you started out
• 6:20
  Speaker 8: with point one. I deduced there is a point two
• 6:22
  Speaker 8: kicking around somewhere.
• 6:24
  Speaker 4: What is it?
• 6:25
  Speaker 7: Something we do not understand. Two of the other animals
• 6:30
  Speaker 7: sleep and do not wake. They are cold.
• 6:33
  Speaker 8: Don't worry, George, it happens in the best regulated zoos.
• 6:37
  Speaker 6: What is wrong with them, Walter?
• 6:38
  Speaker 4: Nothing much. They're just dead.
• 6:42
  Speaker 6: That means stopped. But nothing stopped them. Each was alone.
• 6:46
  Speaker 8: Maybe they just died of old age old I do
• 6:50
  Speaker 8: not understand. You don't. How old are you, George?
• 6:54
  Speaker 7: Your planet went around the sun about seven thousand times
• 6:57
  Speaker 7: since I.
• 6:57
  Speaker 8: Was born seven thousand years. I am still young, Yeah, babe,
• 7:01
  Speaker 8: and arms. Look, George, you've got something to learn about
• 7:05
  Speaker 8: this planet you've hijacked. Here on Earth, we've got somebody
• 7:08
  Speaker 8: you don't know where you come from, an old man
• 7:11
  Speaker 8: with a beard and an hour glass and a scythe
• 7:14
  Speaker 8: Your vibrations didn't kill him.
• 7:16
  Speaker 6: What is he?
• 7:17
  Speaker 8: Oh?
• 7:17
  Speaker 4: Old man? Dead?
• 7:18
  Speaker 8: Down here are people and animals live until somebody, the
• 7:22
  Speaker 8: grim Reaper stops them.
• 7:24
  Speaker 6: He will stop more, and he gets us.
• 7:26
  Speaker 4: Old George, with your life span, it won't seem like
• 7:28
  Speaker 4: a minute and will all be gone. Looks like you
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: made a mistake, George, and I don't think as much
• 7:34
  Speaker 4: you can do about it.
• 7:35
  Speaker 7: That is not correct. The same is a logical being.
• 7:40
  Speaker 7: We will take action.
• 7:52
  Speaker 4: Oh, George, where are you taking me?
• 7:54
  Speaker 6: We will be there shortly. We will bring your books
• 7:57
  Speaker 6: and your chair.
• 7:57
  Speaker 4: You mean my lease is up? Not understand it's moving day.
• 8:02
  Speaker 6: That is correct. We are here now. You will live
• 8:06
  Speaker 6: here now, Walter.
• 8:08
  Speaker 4: It is a larger room, well, but it ever so humble.
• 8:11
  Speaker 4: There's no place like home.
• 8:13
  Speaker 6: Go inside.
• 8:14
  Speaker 4: Oh, be careful with those books, George, don't lose my
• 8:18
  Speaker 4: Oh excuse me?
• 8:20
  Speaker 5: Who are you? What are you doing here?
• 8:24
  Speaker 8: I guess George didn't explain that. George tries to be polite,
• 8:27
  Speaker 8: but he hasn't quite caught on yet.
• 8:29
  Speaker 4: I'm Walter Feeling.
• 8:30
  Speaker 5: My name is Grace Evans, mister Feelan. What's all this about?
• 8:34
  Speaker 5: Why did they bring me here?
• 8:35
  Speaker 8: I think I know why? But let's go back a bit.
• 8:37
  Speaker 8: Do you know just what has happened otherwise?
• 8:40
  Speaker 5: No, not exactly.
• 8:41
  Speaker 8: Well, I've been talking to George. George, Well, that's what
• 8:44
  Speaker 8: I call them, all of them. There's no way to
• 8:46
  Speaker 8: tell them apart anyway. There aren't many of them here yet.
• 8:49
  Speaker 8: They come from outside the Solar system, sort of an
• 8:52
  Speaker 8: advanced scouting party.
• 8:53
  Speaker 5: I saw the spaceship. It's as big as a mountain.
• 8:56
  Speaker 8: Yeah, they're moving in on us. They cleaned off the
• 8:58
  Speaker 8: earth with some kind of vibration and it destroys all
• 9:00
  Speaker 8: sorts of animal life. I don't know whether they did
• 9:03
  Speaker 8: it all at once, or if they had to circle
• 9:04
  Speaker 8: the earth a few times, but they killed everybody.
• 9:07
  Speaker 5: No, I was afraid.
• 9:09
  Speaker 8: The cheerful note is that you and I and two
• 9:11
  Speaker 8: hundred odd other animals were picked up beforehand as specimens
• 9:15
  Speaker 8: for the zoo. You do know this is a zoo,
• 9:17
  Speaker 8: don't you.
• 9:18
  Speaker 5: I suspected it, but I don't remember anything about being captured.
• 9:21
  Speaker 5: I just woke up here.
• 9:22
  Speaker 4: My hunch is they used the vibrations just low enough
• 9:25
  Speaker 4: to knock us all out, and then they cruised around
• 9:28
  Speaker 4: picking up samples at random. When they were all set,
• 9:30
  Speaker 4: they turned the juice on full blast.
• 9:32
  Speaker 5: Oh terrible.
• 9:34
  Speaker 8: Yeah, Well, they solved a lot of problems for US, housing, shortage, wars,
• 9:38
  Speaker 8: even the atomic bomb. I don't suppose the human race
• 9:43
  Speaker 8: you and I have to worry about anything now.
• 9:45
  Speaker 5: It's awful.
• 9:46
  Speaker 4: Only they made a mistake. They underestimated us.
• 9:51
  Speaker 5: I don't understand.
• 9:53
  Speaker 8: They thought we were immortal, that we were what immortal
• 9:56
  Speaker 8: like they are? Oh, they can be killed, but the Zands,
• 10:00
  Speaker 8: I don't know what natural death is. They didn't know
• 10:03
  Speaker 8: anyway until they lost two of us yesterday.
• 10:06
  Speaker 5: You mean there are more than two of us?
• 10:09
  Speaker 4: Oh, not more of our species?
• 10:10
  Speaker 5: Not?
• 10:11
  Speaker 8: These were merely fellow animals, rabbit, m canary, and by
• 10:15
  Speaker 8: the Zan's way of figuring time, the rest of us
• 10:17
  Speaker 8: are only good for a few minutes apiece.
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: The joke on them. They figured they had permanent specimens
• 10:22
  Speaker 4: here in the zoo.
• 10:23
  Speaker 5: Didn't they even know we'd all die eventually?
• 10:25
  Speaker 8: I don't think so, George. That is the second Zan
• 10:29
  Speaker 8: I saw told me he was seven thousand years old,
• 10:32
  Speaker 8: and he's young by their standards.
• 10:34
  Speaker 4: When they learned how quickly we die, they were practically
• 10:37
  Speaker 4: shocked to the core. If they have cores, How can.
• 10:41
  Speaker 5: You talk that way about it?
• 10:43
  Speaker 8: Academic detachment? I learned it at faculty Tea's. At any rate,
• 10:46
  Speaker 8: they decided to reorganize their zoo two by two.
• 10:51
  Speaker 5: Are they going to keep us locked up together in
• 10:52
  Speaker 5: his one little room?
• 10:53
  Speaker 8: Yeah, I'm afraid so. There's plenty of furniture though, and
• 10:55
  Speaker 8: George promised to bring me my chair.
• 10:58
  Speaker 5: We've got to do something.
• 10:59
  Speaker 4: Why, I don't know.
• 11:00
  Speaker 5: It just just seems to me we ought to the
• 11:02
  Speaker 5: human race to do something.
• 11:04
  Speaker 4: Well, perhaps you have a suggestion.
• 11:06
  Speaker 5: There must be some way they can be killed.
• 11:08
  Speaker 8: You said, oh, yes, sir, I've been studying them. They
• 11:12
  Speaker 8: look horribly different, but I think they have about the
• 11:15
  Speaker 8: same metabolic and digestive system as we. I think that
• 11:18
  Speaker 8: anything that would kill one of us would kill one
• 11:20
  Speaker 8: of them.
• 11:20
  Speaker 5: Which you said seven thousand years.
• 11:22
  Speaker 8: I think I figured it out now. George cut his uh,
• 11:26
  Speaker 8: I suppose you'd call it his hand when he brought
• 11:28
  Speaker 8: in my books started to bleed red blood, but I
• 11:32
  Speaker 8: could see the cut closing as he stood there.
• 11:34
  Speaker 4: By the time he left, it was healed.
• 11:35
  Speaker 5: I don't understand.
• 11:37
  Speaker 4: You see, whatever.
• 11:38
  Speaker 8: Factor there is in man that makes him grow old
• 11:41
  Speaker 8: is missing in the zand their regenerative powers must be unlimited.
• 11:45
  Speaker 8: They just don't wear out. They go on and on
• 11:47
  Speaker 8: until they're stopped.
• 11:48
  Speaker 5: Suppose we killed one. There must be some way.
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: What would be the use. They wouldn't even punish us.
• 11:54
  Speaker 8: They just give us our food through a trap door
• 11:55
  Speaker 8: and put up a sign saying beware of the man dangerous.
• 11:58
  Speaker 5: I don't think they'll even have to bother in your case,
• 12:01
  Speaker 5: I don't see anything funny.
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: I'm sorry. Just reminds me of Martha.
• 12:05
  Speaker 5: Martha, my wife.
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: She died two years ago.
• 12:07
  Speaker 8: I'm sorry, not all it was a pleasure. That'll be
• 12:12
  Speaker 8: George with my books? Come in, Oh George, hello.
• 12:16
  Speaker 6: Holder point one, I have brought your books.
• 12:19
  Speaker 4: Point one? What else is on your mind?
• 12:22
  Speaker 7: Another creature sleeps and will not wake, A small feathered
• 12:25
  Speaker 7: one called a duck.
• 12:26
  Speaker 4: It happens, George. I warned you, old man death, the
• 12:29
  Speaker 4: grim Reaper. I told you about him, Walter.
• 12:31
  Speaker 6: The Council of Zan has met.
• 12:33
  Speaker 7: It has been decided logically that a no life form
• 12:36
  Speaker 7: can withstand the full strength vibrations with which we cleared
• 12:39
  Speaker 7: your planet. Therefore, the grim Reaper you spoke out does
• 12:41
  Speaker 7: not exist.
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: Pretty neat, George, what's b be?
• 12:45
  Speaker 7: The only intelligent life to escape the vibrations is you? Therefore,
• 12:49
  Speaker 7: the logical conclusion is you are stopping these animals by
• 12:52
  Speaker 7: some means unknown to us.
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: George, you are off your trolley.
• 12:56
  Speaker 6: You will tell me now how this is done.
• 13:00
  Speaker 4: You've got me, yes, we have.
• 13:02
  Speaker 7: It is necessary to save the remaining specimens as long
• 13:05
  Speaker 7: as possible. If we do not get the information, we
• 13:08
  Speaker 7: may be forced to dispense with your species entirely.
• 13:11
  Speaker 6: This means you, Walter, and the female.
• 13:13
  Speaker 8: Hold on, George, don't go off half cocked. Let me
• 13:16
  Speaker 8: take a look at these animals. It won't wake up.
• 13:18
  Speaker 6: I will take you there. Now, go first, Walter.
• 13:24
  Speaker 9: After you, my dear George.
• 13:34
  Speaker 6: This is the weasel.
• 13:35
  Speaker 4: Now you should have got him in the winter. George.
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: The fur is worth more than it's ermine.
• 13:40
  Speaker 7: This is the reptile cage. Here are the duck. That
• 13:48
  Speaker 7: is the male. The female has been stopped.
• 13:51
  Speaker 4: Lucky girl. It's a matter fella, lonely Walter.
• 13:55
  Speaker 6: You will tell me how you stop the female duck.
• 13:58
  Speaker 4: You got me, George. I didn't do it. Maybe she'd
• 14:00
  Speaker 4: right of the Dutch elm blight.
• 14:01
  Speaker 6: Walter, you are not being logical. We have concluded you
• 14:04
  Speaker 6: are stopping these animals. Tell us know how it is done.
• 14:08
  Speaker 4: I've told you, George, I haven't the foggiest notion.
• 14:10
  Speaker 6: Very well, we will have to take further action.
• 14:12
  Speaker 4: Oh, what are you going to do, George?
• 14:15
  Speaker 6: We will go back now to your room.
• 14:23
  Speaker 8: What happened, mister feelin You might call me Walter after
• 14:26
  Speaker 8: all George does, and we have more in common.
• 14:28
  Speaker 5: Please, what happened?
• 14:30
  Speaker 8: Well, just a duck at dead duck. George thinks I
• 14:32
  Speaker 8: killed her by remote control. He wants me to tell him.
• 14:34
  Speaker 5: How did you look?
• 14:35
  Speaker 8: I'm just an ordinary anthropologist. There's no telling what those
• 14:38
  Speaker 8: animals died of, just natural causes. But George can't see
• 14:42
  Speaker 8: it that way. He thinks I'm holding out on him.
• 14:43
  Speaker 5: Good. What at least we can get back at them
• 14:46
  Speaker 5: some way. At least we can do something to them.
• 14:48
  Speaker 8: Why, after all, George isn't a bad fellow. If you
• 14:51
  Speaker 8: like an ant mentality, How.
• 14:53
  Speaker 5: Can you say that they murdered the whole in the
• 14:56
  Speaker 5: human race.
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: I suppose so. But we can't change that now, So
• 14:59
  Speaker 4: why think about it?
• 15:02
  Speaker 5: We just can't sit here and do nothing.
• 15:04
  Speaker 4: I fail to see how we can do anything else.
• 15:06
  Speaker 5: At least we could be fighting.
• 15:07
  Speaker 8: I can't see the virtue in that. I was more
• 15:09
  Speaker 8: or less content with my books, and we've got George
• 15:12
  Speaker 8: to talk to.
• 15:13
  Speaker 5: All the men in the world. They had to pick.
• 15:15
  Speaker 5: Don't you want to fight back? Don't you want to
• 15:17
  Speaker 5: keep on fighting to the end.
• 15:18
  Speaker 4: It hadn't occurred to me, But we've got to, Walter, why.
• 15:22
  Speaker 5: I can't really explain it that if there was any
• 15:25
  Speaker 5: good in man, it was that he kept on struggling
• 15:28
  Speaker 5: against nature and in the end, even against himself. He
• 15:32
  Speaker 5: kept on fighting for what he thought was right. And
• 15:34
  Speaker 5: where all that's left, wal do We just can't end
• 15:38
  Speaker 5: by giving up. We've got to keep on fighting.
• 15:40
  Speaker 4: You know, you do remind me of Martha.
• 15:43
  Speaker 5: There is much left for us. We could beat them
• 15:46
  Speaker 5: in this one small thing. We can pretend there's a
• 15:49
  Speaker 5: secret about death. We could refuse to tell them anything.
• 15:52
  Speaker 5: There is anything to tell, but they don't know that.
• 15:55
  Speaker 5: Promise me you won't give in.
• 15:57
  Speaker 8: Well, I suppose the worst they can do is kill us,
• 16:00
  Speaker 8: all right, Miss Evans. Hello, George, Hello Walter.
• 16:06
  Speaker 6: Now you will tell us how these animals are stopped.
• 16:10
  Speaker 8: George, this may come as a shock to you, but
• 16:13
  Speaker 8: I've decided not to tell you. Why, Oh, romantic attachment
• 16:17
  Speaker 8: to lost causes. My grandfather was a Confederate officer.
• 16:21
  Speaker 6: Walter, you are not being logical.
• 16:22
  Speaker 8: Neither was my grandfather he charged a Yankee battery with
• 16:25
  Speaker 8: one round of ammunition and a corn cob pipe.
• 16:27
  Speaker 6: You are not logical, but that is expected in lower
• 16:30
  Speaker 6: life forms.
• 16:31
  Speaker 5: He will come with me now, Walter, where are you
• 16:33
  Speaker 5: taking him.
• 16:34
  Speaker 6: To the second level? Go now, Walter.
• 16:37
  Speaker 5: You won't tell them.
• 16:37
  Speaker 8: I can't guarantee anything, but as of now, I don't
• 16:40
  Speaker 8: intend to.
• 16:40
  Speaker 5: We've got to fight, Walter, remember that, We've got to
• 16:43
  Speaker 5: go out fighting.
• 16:45
  Speaker 4: Yes, yes, I think you're right.
• 16:49
  Speaker 5: Oh now, Walter, goodbye.
• 16:52
  Speaker 4: It's been a pleasure, Miss Evans.
• 16:54
  Speaker 6: I am waiting.
• 16:55
  Speaker 9: Go now, Walter, after you, my dear George.
• 17:10
  Speaker 6: You will tell us now, Walter, that was the first
• 17:16
  Speaker 6: level of vibration.
• 17:18
  Speaker 7: There are many more, However, we have calculated that none
• 17:21
  Speaker 7: of them ex seed your threshold of unconsciousness.
• 17:23
  Speaker 4: Very clever, George.
• 17:25
  Speaker 6: You will tell us now how do you stop these animals?
• 17:28
  Speaker 8: You will tell us now as of now. No, however,
• 17:32
  Speaker 8: I'm not very brave. If that encourages you.
• 17:34
  Speaker 6: George, you are not being logical, Walter.
• 17:36
  Speaker 4: You're telling me we will now.
• 17:38
  Speaker 6: Use vibration level two. Walter, Walter, you are still conscious.
• 17:50
  Speaker 4: Let me alone. George.
• 17:51
  Speaker 7: You will tell us now. You will tell us now
• 17:53
  Speaker 7: how you stop the animals.
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: Let me alone, Let me alone.
• 17:56
  Speaker 6: We have had vibration levels one and two.
• 17:59
  Speaker 7: There are still fifteen more before your threshold of unconsciousness.
• 18:03
  Speaker 4: Oh no, no, let me alone.
• 18:04
  Speaker 7: Walter, listen to me. Another creature sleeps and will not weak.
• 18:09
  Speaker 7: We must know now it's tough here.
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: Better start vibrating again, George, No, what It would not
• 18:18
  Speaker 4: be logical.
• 18:19
  Speaker 7: We have calculated that no further level of vibration will
• 18:21
  Speaker 7: overcome your irrational psychological block.
• 18:24
  Speaker 6: We conclude you will not tell let me go.
• 18:27
  Speaker 8: That is correct, sir, real nice of you, George, I
• 18:32
  Speaker 8: appreciate it.
• 18:32
  Speaker 7: We have calculated that the resistance of the female of
• 18:35
  Speaker 7: your species will be lower.
• 18:36
  Speaker 6: We will now place her under the vibrations.
• 18:39
  Speaker 8: No, no, George, George, you can't do that. Listen, George, George,
• 18:43
  Speaker 8: there is no secret. Can you understand that there is
• 18:46
  Speaker 8: no secret? Those animals died from natural causes. I'm telling
• 18:50
  Speaker 8: you the truth.
• 18:51
  Speaker 6: That is not a logical answer. We will get the woman.
• 18:53
  Speaker 4: I've told you the truth. Can't you understand?
• 18:55
  Speaker 7: We must know now the female animal cage next to
• 18:58
  Speaker 7: the duck has been stopped.
• 19:00
  Speaker 6: We must preserve the.
• 19:00
  Speaker 4: Survivor the animals animal next to the dock.
• 19:04
  Speaker 6: We will bring the woman here. She will tell us
• 19:06
  Speaker 6: after the vibration.
• 19:07
  Speaker 8: No, no, no, no, listen, George, you want the truth.
• 19:11
  Speaker 8: You want to know how to save the mates of
• 19:12
  Speaker 8: the animals that have been stopped. You will tell us now, Yes, yes,
• 19:16
  Speaker 8: south Head and I give up, But you've got to
• 19:19
  Speaker 8: promise to leave the woman alone.
• 19:21
  Speaker 4: You promise, George.
• 19:22
  Speaker 6: If we receive the.
• 19:23
  Speaker 7: Answer from you, Walter, there will be no further need
• 19:26
  Speaker 7: for the vibration.
• 19:28
  Speaker 4: Yes, that'll have to do, all right, all right, take
• 19:31
  Speaker 4: me to that stop the animal. I'll tell you how
• 19:34
  Speaker 4: to save the mate.
• 19:35
  Speaker 6: Very well, Walter, you are being logical. Now we will go.
• 19:51
  Speaker 5: Older. Are you all right?
• 19:53
  Speaker 4: Just let me catch my breath a minute.
• 19:55
  Speaker 5: Would they do what.
• 19:56
  Speaker 4: Happened after a while? I told them what they wanted
• 19:59
  Speaker 4: to know?
• 20:00
  Speaker 5: Oh?
• 20:00
  Speaker 8: No, As George pointed out, it seemed to be the
• 20:03
  Speaker 8: logical thing at the time.
• 20:05
  Speaker 5: But you promised. I know it was our last chance
• 20:08
  Speaker 5: to beat them on even one little thing.
• 20:10
  Speaker 4: Perhaps you mind if I sit down.
• 20:12
  Speaker 5: You gave up.
• 20:13
  Speaker 4: I suppose you could call it that. I'm very tired.
• 20:16
  Speaker 5: They've beating us completely. Then there isn't even anything we
• 20:18
  Speaker 5: can do. The last of the human race, and we
• 20:20
  Speaker 5: give up. We don't even die fighting.
• 20:23
  Speaker 4: Isn't that bad? Something might turn up?
• 20:28
  Speaker 5: What did you call me?
• 20:29
  Speaker 8: Huh? No, I must have said Martha. Sorry, she was
• 20:33
  Speaker 8: my wife. She died two years ago.
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: What are you saying?
• 20:37
  Speaker 5: Nothing? Nothing, It doesn't matter. It's too late. It's too
• 20:39
  Speaker 5: late for the whole human race.
• 20:45
  Speaker 4: Now, George, the council has met. No, something wrong, George,
• 20:50
  Speaker 4: hasan has been stopped. What Zan is dead?
• 20:54
  Speaker 6: That is correct.
• 20:55
  Speaker 8: Well you didn't believe me, George, But you can die.
• 20:58
  Speaker 8: You can really die. You'll have to get used to
• 21:00
  Speaker 8: that if you're going to stay here.
• 21:01
  Speaker 7: The council has decided, Hey, you have in some way
• 21:04
  Speaker 7: stopped this Zan be you and the woman must be eliminated.
• 21:07
  Speaker 9: Walter.
• 21:08
  Speaker 4: Oh, no, you've got it wrong, George.
• 21:09
  Speaker 7: The council has decided this time you will have the
• 21:12
  Speaker 7: full vibration.
• 21:13
  Speaker 5: This time, Walter. What did they do to you?
• 21:16
  Speaker 8: Oh? They have a rather effective third degree.
• 21:20
  Speaker 5: They tortured you, Walter. Yes, no, I thought, Walter, it
• 21:25
  Speaker 5: was all my fault.
• 21:26
  Speaker 8: I wouldn't even have tried without you. I suppose we
• 21:29
  Speaker 8: have a last chance, none to end with some dignity.
• 21:34
  Speaker 5: I think you're a very brave man.
• 21:36
  Speaker 8: Walter, No, not very. There isn't much else to do.
• 21:39
  Speaker 8: Do we go now, George? No, Walter, wait, what's that?
• 21:48
  Speaker 8: I have been told another Zan has died?
• 21:51
  Speaker 4: No, now, will you believe me?
• 21:52
  Speaker 6: The Council of the Zan meets now.
• 21:54
  Speaker 4: Too gone already? And you were with me, George. You
• 21:56
  Speaker 4: know I didn't kill this one.
• 21:57
  Speaker 6: What stopped him?
• 21:58
  Speaker 9: There?
• 21:58
  Speaker 4: I told you it's all man there. If you came
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: to the wrong planet, George, your immortality doesn't go down here.
• 22:04
  Speaker 4: He can stop you, but you can't stop him, and
• 22:06
  Speaker 4: you'll all die if you stick around. Right now, the.
• 22:13
  Speaker 7: Council has decided this is a place of death. We
• 22:18
  Speaker 7: will leave your planet.
• 22:20
  Speaker 4: Leave you mean you're giving up?
• 22:21
  Speaker 5: It is not safe for the zand Walter than leaving?
• 22:24
  Speaker 5: Are really going?
• 22:25
  Speaker 4: Go on then, George, and don't hurry back.
• 22:28
  Speaker 6: It would not be logical to do so. We are
• 22:31
  Speaker 6: leaving the Earth now.
• 22:33
  Speaker 4: Goodbye, Walter, goodbye George. Oh they're all aboard now.
• 22:51
  Speaker 5: So wonderful to feel the sun and the wind again.
• 22:55
  Speaker 4: Yeah, close the hatches.
• 22:56
  Speaker 5: But is it safe est to be out here?
• 22:58
  Speaker 4: Yes? They're not interested in any longer.
• 23:00
  Speaker 8: They only want to get away, And I want to
• 23:03
  Speaker 8: see this Grace, the Zan leaving earth forever blasting off.
• 23:17
  Speaker 8: There they go, Yes, it's all over now, Well I
• 23:23
  Speaker 8: suppose you might as well go back in.
• 23:27
  Speaker 5: I still don't understand world of what made them.
• 23:30
  Speaker 8: Go I I just told them the facts of life,
• 23:34
  Speaker 8: of death, you mean of life? After all, I thought
• 23:37
  Speaker 8: George was old enough to know it's seven thousand years.
• 23:39
  Speaker 8: He was going to be a pretty big boy.
• 23:41
  Speaker 5: I wish you'd stop joking and tell me what happened.
• 23:43
  Speaker 4: I just pick out on step.
• 23:45
  Speaker 8: Well, you remember when the first animals died, the rabbit
• 23:49
  Speaker 8: and the yeah and their mates just started to pine
• 23:51
  Speaker 8: and waste away. Yes, well that worried the Zan. They
• 23:55
  Speaker 8: wanted to keep the last specimens alive if they could.
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: So. Finally I broke down and told them about affection.
• 24:01
  Speaker 5: Affection.
• 24:02
  Speaker 4: Yes, and then I introduced Donald Donald.
• 24:05
  Speaker 5: Who's that?
• 24:07
  Speaker 4: Here we are, Grace, meet Donald Walter.
• 24:09
  Speaker 5: Please, what does the affection have to do with it?
• 24:12
  Speaker 8: That's what the Zen wanted to know. I told him
• 24:14
  Speaker 8: it was love that made the world go round, that
• 24:17
  Speaker 8: having lost his mate, Donald would die immediately unless he
• 24:20
  Speaker 8: had affection and constant petting, petting.
• 24:24
  Speaker 4: I even showed him how yeh, come on me. I
• 24:28
  Speaker 4: held Donald in my arms and I petted him a while,
• 24:31
  Speaker 4: and then let the Zen take over with the animal
• 24:34
  Speaker 4: in the next cage.
• 24:35
  Speaker 5: What animal?
• 24:36
  Speaker 4: Take a look you mean this cage? Watch up, don't
• 24:41
  Speaker 4: go too close.
• 24:42
  Speaker 5: Walter is a snake.
• 24:43
  Speaker 8: Yes, their metabolism made it impossible for them to die
• 24:47
  Speaker 8: of old age.
• 24:47
  Speaker 4: But I had a hunch that they could be poisoned.
• 24:51
  Speaker 5: And it was the snake that killed the two Zen.
• 24:54
  Speaker 4: They never even knew what bit them.
• 24:56
  Speaker 5: Then you are witted them, Walter. Well, I suppose I
• 24:59
  Speaker 5: thought you just give enough water. I'm so ashamed.
• 25:02
  Speaker 8: You don't have to be I had given up. I
• 25:05
  Speaker 8: probably wouldn't have thought if you hadn't pushed me. Well,
• 25:09
  Speaker 8: we've got a world to plan, a new world, Grace.
• 25:14
  Speaker 8: I know, we'll have to decide which animals to let
• 25:17
  Speaker 8: out of the zoo and which one's.
• 25:18
  Speaker 4: It to be safer to keep in. But first there's
• 25:21
  Speaker 4: a bigger problem. What's that the human race. Oh, we've
• 25:27
  Speaker 4: got to make a decision about that pretty important one. Yes,
• 25:31
  Speaker 4: it's been a nice race, even if nobody wanted.
• 25:35
  Speaker 8: Of course, it may go backward for a while until
• 25:37
  Speaker 8: it gets its breath, but we can save the books
• 25:39
  Speaker 8: and all the most important things and get it started
• 25:42
  Speaker 8: ahead once more. No, it's the Garden of Eden all
• 25:47
  Speaker 8: over again. But Eve, you'll have to watch out for
• 25:50
  Speaker 8: that snake.
• 25:51
  Speaker 5: Now, John, don't be ridiculous.
• 25:53
  Speaker 8: Water funny. You even blush like Martha, only you're stronger
• 25:58
  Speaker 8: than she was.
• 26:00
  Speaker 4: Prettier too.
• 26:01
  Speaker 5: I wish you'd forget about Martha.
• 26:03
  Speaker 4: I think I will, my dear, if you'll give me time.
• 26:06
  Speaker 5: Now, Walter Field, and you listen to me, if you
• 26:08
  Speaker 5: think for one minute that.
• 26:09
  Speaker 4: I thought it would never happen to me again. But
• 26:12
  Speaker 4: it is love that makes the world go around, So grace,
• 26:16
  Speaker 4: if you could only.
• 26:17
  Speaker 5: No, I wouldn't marry you if you were the last
• 26:21
  Speaker 5: man on earth.
• 26:22
  Speaker 4: If it's exactly what I am, I don't care.
• 26:24
  Speaker 5: I don't even want to talk about it. I'm going out,
• 26:28
  Speaker 5: all right, my.
• 26:29
  Speaker 4: Dear, But think it over and please come back. You see,
• 26:44
  Speaker 4: I told you it wasn't really so horrible. Our story,
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: Remember how it goes. The last man on Earth sat
• 26:56
  Speaker 4: alone in a room, and then there was a knock
• 27:01
  Speaker 4: on the door. Come in, Come in, grace, my dear.
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: You see, it wasn't horrible at all. In just a moment,
• 27:32
  Speaker 3: a word about next week's adventure. Tonight by transcription, X
• 27:40
  Speaker 3: minus one has brought you Knock by Frederick Brown, adapted
• 27:45
  Speaker 3: for radio by Ernest Knoy. Featured in the cast were
• 27:49
  Speaker 3: Alex Gourby as Walter, Laurie Marsh as Grace, and Louis
• 27:53
  Speaker 3: Van Ruten as the Zaan. X minus one was directed
• 27:56
  Speaker 3: by Fred Way and is an NBC Radio Network production.
• 28:13
  Speaker 3: And now next week A strange and chilling story from
• 28:25
  Speaker 3: the Bureau of Missing Persons, the story of what occurred
• 28:31
  Speaker 3: when they accidentally intercepted a short wave message a cry
• 28:37
  Speaker 3: for help from a missing atomic scientist who told them
• 28:41
  Speaker 3: the fantastic.
• 28:43
  Speaker 4: Story that he was now the man in the Moon.
• 28:49
  Speaker 4: How did it happen? You'll hear next week at.
• 29:00
  Speaker 5: One on one.
• 29:07
  Speaker 10: Join the Abbots on another baffling mystery tonight over most
• 29:10
  Speaker 10: NBC Radio stations.
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: That was X minus one's May nineteen fifty five presentation
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: of Knock. Follow X minus one for more classic broadcasts.