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2000 Plus - "A Veteran Comes Home" (1950) · Old Time Sci-Fi Radio | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Mike has come back to Earth after five years in
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: the Martian War, where the memories of combat do not
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: easily yield to the routines of home. On July 5th, 1950,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Mutual Broadcasting System aired episode 17 of 2000 Plus, A
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Veteran Comes Home. Bill Griffiths stars as Mike, with Joan
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Shea as Mary, Charles Smith appears as Ted, and Lon
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Clark as the Commander. While Mary and their young son
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Billy await the reunion, Billy's eager picture of military life
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: meets the reality Mike carries home from Mars. And now,
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: we return to the original broadcast.
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: Transcribed. Story of a soldier and a war beyond the moon.
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: A G.I.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: In the years beyond 2,000 plus. 2,000 plus! Science fiction
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: adventures from the world of tomorrow, the years beyond 2000 A.D.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: 2000 Plus presents A Veteran Comes Home.
• 1:28
  Speaker 4: I want to see rocket ship Luna arriving from moon
• 1:34
  Speaker 4: at rocket cradle 4, east section.
• 1:40
  Speaker 5: Mommy, is that it?
• 1:41
  Speaker 6: Is that the one with Daddy on it?
• 1:43
  Speaker 7: Billy, I told you before, Daddy's spaceship arrived here several
• 1:46
  Speaker 7: hours ago.
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: The spaceship from Mars has been here since 11 o'clock.
• 1:51
  Speaker 6: Why don't I see my daddy?
• 1:52
  Speaker 7: Because, darling, all the soldiers have to go through quarantine
• 1:55
  Speaker 7: and army regulations and all sorts of things.
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: Boy, my daddy's a space soldier.
• 2:01
  Speaker 6: I'll bet he had all sorts of adventures. I'll bet
• 2:04
  Speaker 6: he had.
• 2:05
  Speaker 5: Attention, please.
• 2:07
  Speaker 6: Quiet, Billy.
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: Listen.
• 2:09
  Speaker 4: All relatives of military personnel of.
• 2:13
  Speaker 8: Rocket ship militant flight 82 from Mars holding blue cards
• 2:20
  Speaker 8: Report to case five.
• 2:23
  Speaker 5: Oh, Billy, that's us.
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: The soldiers are going to come out in a few minutes.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: Come on, darling, come on.
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: Will he know me, Mama?
• 2:31
  Speaker 6: Will Dad know me?
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: Will I know him? Watch where you're walking, Billy. Of
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: course he'll know you, dear. He'll see me first, and
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: then he'll see you. All I ever saw was his picture.
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: Stand by that rope, Billy. We can see Gate 5
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: from here. Boy, he'll tell me all about the war
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: on Mars. Oh, Billy, it's so good to have him back.
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: Five years. Five long years.
• 2:56
  Speaker 6: Can I see the spaceship later, Homer?
• 2:58
  Speaker 5: Later, maybe?
• 3:00
  Speaker 8: Relatives of military personnel of Spaceship Millicent.
• 3:05
  Speaker 4: Please do not cross the white line.
• 3:10
  Speaker 6: They're starting to come out now. Look, that man there
• 3:13
  Speaker 6: in the white uniform.
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: He's an atomic gunner. My picture book tells all about them.
• 3:18
  Speaker 7: Eleven weeks on the spaceship getting to Mars. Eleven weeks coming.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: Back to Earth.
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: And more than four years fighting on Mars.
• 3:28
  Speaker 6: Five years.
• 3:31
  Speaker 5: Billy, stand back.
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: Don't cross the white line.
• 3:34
  Speaker 8: Flight seven, rocket ship crater.
• 3:38
  Speaker 5: From Earth to moon will.
• 3:40
  Speaker 8: Blast off in eight minutes from rocket crater.
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: Nine, west section.
• 3:47
  Speaker 9: Clear area.
• 3:50
  Speaker 10: Clear area.
• 3:52
  Speaker 5: Oh, look, Mommy, a band.
• 3:54
  Speaker 11: They're going to play music.
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: They're welcoming the soldiers home, Billy. First soldiers home from
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: the war on Mars.
• 4:01
  Speaker 9: More soldiers are coming out, Mommy.
• 4:05
  Speaker 7: Oh, Billy, I'm so excited.
• 4:07
  Speaker 5: Do you see him yet? Hey, Mom, that's a rocketeer
• 4:10
  Speaker 5: with a green uniform.
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: Oh, boy, he shoots rocket guns.
• 4:13
  Speaker 5: I don't see him.
• 4:15
  Speaker 6: I don't see him yet.
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: So many men, so many. Can I have a drink
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: of water, Mama? I'm thirsty. I don't see him yet.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: I still don't see him. I want a drink. Billy,
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: not now. Oh, look.
• 4:29
  Speaker 5: I think that's Daddy.
• 4:32
  Speaker 6: No.
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: No, it's not. Oh, Michael. Michael, where are you?
• 4:37
  Speaker 11: I'm going to show my Daddy my toy gun. We'll
• 4:40
  Speaker 11: play Space Soldier together. We'll have fun.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: Billy.
• 4:44
  Speaker 10: Billy, I see him.
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: I see your Daddy.
• 4:47
  Speaker 5: Where? Which one is he?
• 4:49
  Speaker 6: Wave to him, Billy.
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: He's looking around to see if we're here.
• 4:52
  Speaker 6: Billy.
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: In the yellow uniform over there.
• 4:56
  Speaker 5: Michael! Michael, darling, here we are, Michael! Jesus, Mommy! He's
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: running to us!
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: He's pushing the other people away!
• 5:04
  Speaker 6: Oh, you look so wonderful.
• 5:05
  Speaker 5: What a tired.
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: Michael!
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: Michael!
• 5:11
  Speaker 6: Mommy, why are you crying?
• 5:14
  Speaker 5: Because he's come home, dear.
• 5:17
  Speaker 6: Michael's come home.
• 5:20
  Speaker 5: Hey, Daddy! Here we are! Yoo-hoo! Hey, Daddy!
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: Here he comes!
• 5:27
  Speaker 5: Oh, Michael!
• 5:28
  Speaker 6: Mary.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: Mary, darling.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Darling.
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: Oh, so long since I've held you. But, Michael, you've
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: got to meet your son.
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: Hello, son.
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: Hello. Is that all you've got to say to your daddy?
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: He doesn't have to say anything. Just let me look
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: at him.
• 5:55
  Speaker 7: Oh, you've got forever to do that now, darling.
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: Because you're home.
• 6:01
  Speaker 6: Our soldier has come home. It's three o'clock in the afternoon, Mom.
• 6:24
  Speaker 6: Why is Daddy asleep?
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: He was tired, Billy. He wanted to rest.
• 6:28
  Speaker 11: He didn't talk much when we came home, did he?
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: No, but he will. You and he will have a
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: lot to talk about.
• 6:35
  Speaker 6: Hey, I think I heard him getting up.
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: We'll open the door carefully and peek in. Now be
• 6:42
  Speaker 3: quiet in case he's still asleep.
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: It's all right. I'm awake.
• 6:50
  Speaker 6: Oh.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: Well, you've slept two hours.
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: I haven't been asleep. I'm just lying here.
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: Is something wrong, Michael? Do you feel all right?
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: Oh, sure, sure. Just can't get used to being home.
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: I'll make a snack for you.
• 7:05
  Speaker 6: Billy, now you.
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Can talk to your father.
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: Come here, son. Sit on the bed. Okay, Dad.
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: I'll call you when everything's ready.
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: Oh. What do you want to tell me, Billy? I
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: don't know. But your mother said....
• 7:25
  Speaker 6: Do you like me?
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: Well, of course I like you. Will you play with me? Well,
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: I'm a little tired, son, but... I guess it can
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: be arranged. What do you want to play?
• 7:37
  Speaker 6: Soldiers.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: Space soldiers. You're a soldier. Play something else. You don't
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: like me. Just... Just play something else, that's all.
• 7:47
  Speaker 11: All the kids think it's wrong my dad's a space soldier.
• 7:50
  Speaker 11: Nobody else in my gang has a dad who's gone
• 7:52
  Speaker 11: to Mars. I told him when my dad came home,
• 7:55
  Speaker 11: he'd show me how to play real soldier and we'd
• 7:57
  Speaker 11: have fights.
• 7:57
  Speaker 5: Stop talking about it.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir. Don't say yes, sir, to me. I don't
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: ever want to hear you say that. Stop crying. Men
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: aren't supposed to cry. Space soldier. 200 years, the world
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: hasn't had a war. For 200 years, the human race
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: finally got peace. Federated world in the years after 2000.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: Science flourishes. Civilization grows. Then we learn how to travel
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: in outer space. First the moon for scientific observations. Then
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: we go on to other planets.
• 8:44
  Speaker 5: Mars.
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: The one planet we know is capable of sustaining human life.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: And all the 200 years of peace gets rotted away
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: because the Earth wants to explore Mars and the Martians object.
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: New worlds to conquer with the Columbuses of 2000 plus.
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: And the interplanetary war begins. We have to fight for
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: every canal, every inch on Mars. Well, I don't want
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: any son of mine thinking it's so great.
• 9:18
  Speaker 8: I hate it.
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: Hate it.
• 9:21
  Speaker 6: I was going to play space soldier with you.
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: Space soldier?
• 9:24
  Speaker 10: What do they do?
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: Fill you full of the romance of Mars, the mysteries
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: of the unknown?
• 9:30
  Speaker 7: How can you or.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: Anybody on this particular world know what it's like in
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: that unhuman place called Mars? Play, space soldier, play! I
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: remember the patrol. Patrol into the red grass. Blades sharp
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: as swords and covered with that sickening ooze of the
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: Martian vegetation.
• 9:54
  Speaker 6: We went on.
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: Patrol, 14 of us. I was the patrol leader. All right,
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: let's stop a minute.
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: Halt!
• 10:09
  Speaker 6: Halt!
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: Halt! Again, what again? You see anything? Just the red grass.
• 10:14
  Speaker 10: Wait, about a mile and a half over there, a
• 10:17
  Speaker 10: sand belt.
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: Give me your glasses. Thank you. Yeah, that's right. Whenever
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: the grass meets the sand belt, we've got to be careful.
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: Those sand spiders are more dangerous than a cobra. One
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: bite and you're dead in half a minute. Men are
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: all wearing shin boots.
• 10:33
  Speaker 10: We'd better put on our masks and gloves, too. Sometimes
• 10:35
  Speaker 10: a spider crawls up the clothing.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: Okay. Masks and gloves, protective gear. Protective gear.
• 10:42
  Speaker 7: Oh, no.
• 10:44
  Speaker 10: It's too quiet.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: I've always got the feeling the Martians are around when
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: it's this quiet. I know what you mean. We'll go
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: on now. Leo, you take four men and cover the left.
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: Use electric rifles.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: Yes, sir.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: Admiral Roney, take four men and cover the right. Torpedo pistols.
• 10:57
  Speaker 10: Yes, sir.
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: Ted and I will take the other men and move
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: straight on. Ted, we'll use atomic shell clips in our guns.
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: If we meet opposition and have to blast them, Leo's
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: and Mulroney's groups can cover us as we move around
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: the area we've radiated. Better keep our belt Geiger counters handy. Okay, Captain.
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: Let's move.
• 11:19
  Speaker 10: This slime from the grass sticks to everything.
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: Careful. Careful of those sharp rocks.
• 11:29
  Speaker 10: There certainly aren't any Martians on that sand belt.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: We'd see them.
• 11:32
  Speaker 10: If they're around here at all, they're between us and
• 11:35
  Speaker 10: the sand belt.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: Hiding in this red grass.
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: Look out!
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: Jump away! Don't step on it!
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: Good Lord, I didn't see it.
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: A tooth flower. Those flowers are hard as ivory. It's
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: a carnivorous plant. If you walk too close to it,
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: it'll bite your leg in half. Mars. The nightmare planet.
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: It will keep moving. And keep your eyes peeled for
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: killer vegetation and enemy Martians. It's getting hot. Always gets
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: like another about this time of day. Leo's group is
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: moving ahead.
• 12:13
  Speaker 10: Apparently they've found nothing dangerous yet.
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: Hello!
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: Hello!
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: Why are you waving? Everything's okay.
• 12:21
  Speaker 10: Don't be too sure.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: Look over there. A sandstorm. Flipping across the sand belt.
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: They come up in seconds, blast by at hundreds of
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: miles an hour.
• 12:29
  Speaker 5: Everybody down! Hit the set!
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: Hey, keep your hands up!
• 12:34
  Speaker 10: Slamming grass.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: Who's all over us? It's grass blades like an Indian
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: picker lying down on a bed of knives.
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: Hug the dirt. Here comes the sandstorm.
• 12:46
  Speaker 5: 200 miles an hour. Can't hear you.
• 12:55
  Speaker 9: Sand.
• 12:56
  Speaker 5: Like moose. Can't see. Air's filling with dust.
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: It's going down.
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: Wait a few seconds. All right.
• 13:18
  Speaker 7: Get up.
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: Seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve. Twelve. Two men missing.
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: Here comes Leo. Two men, Davis and Mark. What happened?
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: They're dead, sir. The wind tore Davis' jacket. Sand spider
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: bit him. Wind carried a swarm of them into the grass.
• 13:41
  Speaker 8: What about Martin?
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: Don't know what caused it, but he's dead, all right.
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: Come on. Let's take a look. There he is, sir.
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: His skin is natural, not blue the way it turns
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: when a sand spider kills you. Let me see. Good Lord.
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: What's the matter? The Martians. Martians? They got him during
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: the sand storm. Must be around somewhere. Look at his
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: back where I opened the jacket. Hit by a sonic beam. Right.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: Super sound wave gadget of theirs. Turns your guts to jelly.
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: The Martians are here, all right. Now warn the men.
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: Right on.
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: Give me your pocket magnet speaker, quick. Here you are, sir. Right. Leo,
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: crawl in your belly over to the boys. Keep low. Okay.
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: Let me know when you get there. Meanwhile, I'll talk
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: on the magnet speaker.
• 14:30
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir.
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: The Martians will hear me. So here's some lingo they
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: won't understand. Now, get this.
• 14:43
  Speaker 8: We got company for tea. You trigger happy and remember
• 14:47
  Speaker 8: the animal.
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: Is Leo there yet? Can't see him.
• 14:53
  Speaker 8: Wait.
• 14:54
  Speaker 10: He's coming on the UHF talkie.
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: Snap on your earphones.
• 14:58
  Speaker 8: Okay, Leo.
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: No sign of the enemy. We're fanning out. We're covered
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: by the red grass. Pass word, shoot first. Good. That's
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: an electric rifle. Enemy sighted. The jelly got one. They're
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: east 200 yards. Let's move in. Give them everything.
• 15:15
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir.
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: Come on, Ted. Right with you. They're trying to crawl
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: through this grass. Torpedo pistols. Our own age group has
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: made contact. Leo... Dale? Yeah? Whoever reaches 100 yards, throw
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: atomic grenades.
• 15:39
  Speaker 6: Right.
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: The Martians haven't returned any fire yet. They're probably waiting
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: to get closer. And they'll fan the area with that
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: sonic beam of theirs. Shedlove's at 100 yards. He's throwing
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: the cookies any second. Plug your ears. Check.
• 16:04
  Speaker 10: I should have cleaned them out.
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: We've got to be careful. We can't go into sea.
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: We don't have any anti-radiation gear.
• 16:10
  Speaker 10: No sound from the Martians.
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: Nothing. Leo. Leo, any report from you? I think we
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: got them. Absolutely no sign of life. Move south a
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: few hundred yards. Then east. Probe their positions.
• 16:25
  Speaker 7: Right.
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: Captain, I'm pretty sure it's all clear. Yeah, you're probably right.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: I just feel conservative right now.
• 16:33
  Speaker 10: I'll be glad when they verify the Martians are cleaned out.
• 16:36
  Speaker 10: This heat, this stinking grass.
• 16:38
  Speaker 5: What a planet.
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: Well, at least the moon is dead. Why weren't we
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: satisfied when we got to the moon? No, we had
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: to go on to this forsaken... Listen. The sonic beam.
• 16:48
  Speaker 10: The Martians are attacking.
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: They must have had a group to the south.
• 16:51
  Speaker 5: They've got someone.
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: They're shattering uptown. Look over there. We can't help them.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: Just hug the dirt.
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: Don't you think I know that? What are two of
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: us against a Martian patrol?
• 17:01
  Speaker 3: Try to reach Leo.
• 17:02
  Speaker 6: Leo.
• 17:02
  Speaker 7: Leo.
• 17:04
  Speaker 5: Leo!
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: Come in, Leo! No response.
• 17:07
  Speaker 3: I've got to get over here.
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: You're staying here. We've got to stay here and try
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: to get out later.
• 17:12
  Speaker 6: But, Leo.
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: Leo's my brother. My brother. Well, here's your snack, darling.
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 17:33
  Speaker 3: I hope you like... Where's Billy? I thought he was
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: in here with you.
• 17:37
  Speaker 2: He went up.
• 17:40
  Speaker 3: To play?
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 17:41
  Speaker 7: Oh, he's been so looking forward to having his daddy back.
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: All the kids in the neighborhood are.
• 17:47
  Speaker 7: Waiting to meet you. We've been boasting about you for months.
• 17:50
  Speaker 7: Ever since we got word that you were coming home.
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I know.
• 17:55
  Speaker 3: Michael, is something wrong? Did you and Billy have a quarrel?
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: He's... He's a stranger to me, Mary.
• 18:04
  Speaker 3: A stranger? Your own son?
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: He was just a baby when I left. I... I
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: can't get used to him.
• 18:10
  Speaker 3: Oh, but you will. You can't help loving him.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: I can't get to know him until he stops this
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: terrible business of reminding me all the time. Reminding me
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: of what I want to forget.
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: But he's proud of you. Of what you've done. Of
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: what you.
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: You know, I told him what it was really like
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: up there. He ran out of here crying.
• 18:29
  Speaker 5: Michael!
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: What do you want me to do? Throw out my
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: chest and brag about being a hero? Michael! Pretend that
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: a planet called Mars that Satan himself with the aid
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: of a few million devils must have created. Pretend that
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: Mars is heaven. That fighting a war so far away
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: it takes months to get there is fun for the kiddies. I'm...
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry, Mary.
• 18:49
  Speaker 3: Just.
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: Just leave me alone.
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: Michael, this isn't like you.
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: How do you know what I'm like after all these years?
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: I hardly know myself at this moment. Five years away
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: from people. Away even from the one world in the
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: universe that contains human beings.
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: But there were other men with you all the time. Hundreds,
• 19:11
  Speaker 3: thousands of them. What do you mean you were alone?
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: You don't understand.
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: Michael, darling, I'm worried about you.
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: A spaceship. Half a mile long. Eleven weeks in flight.
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: Confined quarters. The same blank faces of men torn from
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: their planet, catapulted into infinity... a fleck of controlled cosmic dust,
• 19:36
  Speaker 2: and being alone. And on Mars, the base dug underground,
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: living in plastic shells for barracks, never being able to
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: move except in patrols. All of us men in a nightmare.
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: And being alone in our souls alone. Give me some coffee.
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: All right, Michael.
• 20:04
  Speaker 7: Here you are.
• 20:12
  Speaker 3: Michael, you're home now. And you're not alone anymore.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: It's good coffee.
• 20:22
  Speaker 3: Tomorrow.
• 20:23
  Speaker 9: Tomorrow afternoon and evening, that is.
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: Yes?
• 20:27
  Speaker 3: I'm giving a party for you. At first I was
• 20:29
  Speaker 3: going to have it a surprise for you. But I
• 20:33
  Speaker 3: think you should know.
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: I don't want a party.
• 20:36
  Speaker 7: We've our families here and all your old friends.
• 20:39
  Speaker 3: They want to see you, Michael. Everyone's so happy you're home.
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: Call it off. I don't want to see them. Can't
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: you understand? I don't want to see them. They're smug hellos.
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: They're glad you're back, Cheddar. They're what's it like in
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: another world and how's Mars, old man questions. They wouldn't
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: understand the answers if I could somehow force myself to
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: talk about it.
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: But it won't be like that. They love you.
• 21:05
  Speaker 6: They're happy that you're back.
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: For the last time, no.
• 21:09
  Speaker 7: Darling, you can't go on like this. Fighting the Martians
• 21:13
  Speaker 7: in your memories and fighting the human beings who love you.
• 21:19
  Speaker 7: For your sake, Michael, I am not going to call
• 21:22
  Speaker 7: off the party. Everyone is coming just as I planned.
• 21:25
  Speaker 7: And you've got to meet them and see for yourself.
• 21:27
  Speaker 3: You've got to understand for yourself that you're home again
• 21:30
  Speaker 3: on Earth. And that you have a life to live
• 21:34
  Speaker 3: once more.
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: Do you mean that, Mary?
• 21:37
  Speaker 3: I do, Michael, darling. I do. Because I love you.
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: Well, I'm really a stranger in this house. Not really
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: the head of it. Still alone. A barracks filled with
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: chintz curts. Giovanna. Buffy. All right, Mary. Have your party.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: Without the guest of honor.
• 22:05
  Speaker 5: Michael! Michael!
• 22:25
  Speaker 2: It's good to get out of the house. Walk? I'll
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: walk forever. Sun shining, beautiful and peaceful. Trees, tall trees,
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: green and yellow leaves. No red grass, no red grass anywhere.
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: Just birds. What wonderful sounds they make. Five years, never saw,
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: never heard a bird. The only creatures that ever made
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: a sound up there were the Martian Contolli's. Fat, greasy
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: lizards that screamed like tortured souls. Look. Look at those flowers. Blue, green, red-orange. Clean, white. Sweet,
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: glorious smell.
• 23:20
  Speaker 3: Peaceful.
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: So peaceful in which to be alone. The grass, the...
• 23:27
  Speaker 2: The grass was short, soft carpet like blades. A carpet
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: of green, cool and gentle. I'll just sit on the grass.
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: Lie on the grass and rest. Rest and think. Think. Think.
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: I remember when Ted and I got back to command post.
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: The Martian sky was dark. Clouds up there never looked
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: like these clouds. We hadn't spoken to each other for
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: a long while. How we got away alive from the ambush,
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: I'll never know. And now we were coming to the
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: base under Commander.
• 24:10
  Speaker 9: The End.
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: And that's the full report, Captain? Yes, Commander. That's right, sir.
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: The fourth successful ambush by the Martians in as many days.
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: We're going to have to do something drastic to stop it.
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: Air observation doesn't help. Endless miles of grass and sand.
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: The Martians are small. Hide in the stuff. Take on
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: its coloring like chameleons. If it weren't for their sonic beam,
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: those killing sound waves, we could probably handle them. I know,
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: I know.
• 24:46
  Speaker 10: Can't the Earth Science Council work out a defense, sir?
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: Yes, they're trying to. But even if they do, till
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: we get it up here, we'll all be decimated. I'm
• 24:53
  Speaker 2: thinking of an old weapon. Poison gas. That's an outlawed weapon,
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: isn't it, Commander? Outlawed on Earth, yes. Better not fighting
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: on Earth, Captain. Sometimes I wish they'd never invented spaceships. Well,
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: let's not worry about it now. You may need some rest.
• 25:10
  Speaker 2: Report to the hospital barracks. Take five days there. Yes, sir. Oh,
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: one more thing. Lieutenant, the 12 men in the patrol
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: were lost. One was your brother. Am I right?
• 25:19
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir.
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry.
• 25:21
  Speaker 10: Thank you, sir.
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: Now get to the barracks and get some rest. We've
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: got a lot to do in five days. That's all, gentlemen.
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: The commander is sorry.
• 25:35
  Speaker 9: Now get to the barracks.
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: Don't take it so hard, Ted. No, why shouldn't I?
• 25:40
  Speaker 10: It isn't just because Leo was my brother, but.
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: because he was someone special. Up here on this.
• 25:48
  Speaker 10: Rotten apple called Mars where all people are out of
• 25:51
  Speaker 10: touch with the decent things of our world.
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: Now look, kid.
• 25:54
  Speaker 10: Every man who lives here, lives up here, is in
• 25:58
  Speaker 10: his own vacuum. Can't believe what's happened to him. Finding
• 26:03
  Speaker 10: himself in a place where... Things that are unreal to
• 26:06
  Speaker 10: the human mind are everyday realities. But I had something.
• 26:12
  Speaker 10: I had the one thing that made me a human
• 26:15
  Speaker 10: being up here.
• 26:18
  Speaker 3: I had.
• 26:19
  Speaker 2: I had someone who loved me. And whom I loved.
• 26:24
  Speaker 8: And now he's dead.
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: And I've got no one. I'm like everyone else up
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: here now. I've got no one.
• 26:34
  Speaker 9: Mary?
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: Mary!
• 26:56
  Speaker 6: Mary! Mary!
• 27:06
  Speaker 3: Mommy isn't here.
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: Where is she, Billy? She was crying.
• 27:10
  Speaker 6: She went next door to the neighbors.
• 27:13
  Speaker 11: Why'd you make my mommy cry?
• 27:16
  Speaker 4: You're not nice.
• 27:17
  Speaker 6: I don't like you.
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: I'm... I'm sorry, son. I guess I haven't been very
• 27:25
  Speaker 2: nice at that. Come here, Billy. Son... I brought back
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: a lot of bitterness from the other side of the universe.
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: But a little while ago, I thought back to what
• 27:40
  Speaker 2: another man told me on Mars. And I realized something
• 27:44
  Speaker 2: that I didn't understand at the time. I'll be all
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: right from now on, Billy. You and I are going
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: to be real friends. Real pals.
• 27:52
  Speaker 3: Can we.
• 27:53
  Speaker 9: Can we play soldier?
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: How would you like to play baseball or build model
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: jet planes together?
• 27:59
  Speaker 3: Or go on a hike in the woods? Gee, that
• 28:02
  Speaker 3: would be swell.
• 28:03
  Speaker 6: I'd like that.
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: You didn't care what you did with your dad just
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: so you did something with him, huh? Mm-hmm. And all
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: you could think of was soldier because that's what I did.
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: Just proves how right Ted was. To be together... And
• 28:20
  Speaker 2: to love someone, that's what makes us human beings. Michael. Hello, Mary.
• 28:28
  Speaker 11: Daddy and I have got to play baseball and have
• 28:30
  Speaker 11: a hike and everything.
• 28:32
  Speaker 6: Oh, Michael.
• 28:34
  Speaker 3: Michael.
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: It's all right now, darling. It's all right. You're soldiers.
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: Next week, another exciting and unusual story from the world
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: of tomorrow, from the years beyond 2000 A.D. Be sure
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: to listen. 2000 Plus is produced by Dreyer and Winolson Productions, Incorporated.
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: In today's cast, Bill Griffiths portrayed Mike, Joan Shea was Mary,
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: Alan Shea was Billy, Charles Smith was Ted, and Lon
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: Clark was the commander. The orchestra was conducted by Emerson Buckley.
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: Music composed by Elliot Jacoby. Sound, Walt Shaver and Adrian Penner. Engineer,
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: Bob Albright. This is Ken Marvin speaking.
• 29:24
  Speaker 5: This program came from New York.
• 29:37
  Speaker 2: This program came from New York.
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: 2000 Plus closes with A Veteran Comes Home. Good night
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: and thank you for sharing this visit with Classic Radio.