The Invaders (1967–1968): Season 2, Episode 26 - Inquisition - full transcript

Now let's get this
straight, Mr. Vincent...

You say that a member of
the top echelon of government

is involved with these people?

Yes, sir.

Is he one of these,
uh, these aliens

or some sort of
a fellow traveler?

We don't know that yet.

Would you mind
telling me who he is?

Technical advisor

to the National
Security Council.

Arthur Koy?



Arthur Koy has eaten
spareribs at my house.

He's played leapfrog
with my granddaughters

and he skunked me out of $24
at five-card stud last Tuesday.

We happen to have facts.

Nonsense.

In the last few weeks,
our tracking stations

have been picking up evidence

of increased saucer landings.

In every instance,

Arthur Koy happened
to be in the exact area

where these landings took place.

Mr. Scoville, I know
your reputation,

the work that you've
done for the government,

but do you know
what you sound like?



Of course we know
what we sound like.

Do you think this is fun for us?

Mr. Vincent, I have a
lifetime of experience

with people who know that
the enemies of the Republic

are hiding under every bed
and behind every curtain.

You have nothing
to lose if you give us

the benefit of the
doubt, if you listen to us.

If you don't listen to us,

if you don't do
anything about this,

you'll have to live
with your conscience.

Mr. Vincent, don't
you lecture me

on my responsibilities.

You sashay in here with
this outrageous charge

against Mr. Koy, and expect
me to swallow it whole?

Mr. Koy is a loyal American.

I will not subject
him to any witch-hunt.

You and your kind
are the menace, sir,

and I seriously question
whether you are the sort of man

our government ought to
give its defense contracts to.

Good day, gentlemen.

Mr. Vincent, did you
forget your briefcase

in the senator's office?

I didn't have one. Thank you.

Oh, no!

Oh!

Oh, dear God!

Oh, no!

NARRATOR: Starring Roy
Thinnes as architect David Vincent.

The invaders...

alien beings from
a dying planet.

Their destination... the Earth.

Their purpose... to
make it their world.

David Vincent has seen them.

For him, it began one lost night

on a lonely country road

looking for a shortcut
that he never found.

It began with a
closed, deserted diner

and a man too long without sleep

to continue his journey.

(eerie whirring)

It began with the landing of
a craft from another galaxy.

(whirring intensifies)

Now David Vincent knows
that the invaders are here.

That they have taken human form.

Somehow, he must
convince a disbelieving world

that the nightmare
has already begun.

The guest stars
in tonight's story:

Mark Richman... Susan Oliver...

John Milford...

Kent Smith.

NARRATOR: Minutes
after the violent death

of one of Washington's
most beloved senators,

David Vincent and Edgar Scoville

are hustled to the office
of Special Assistant

to the Attorney General...
Andrew M. Hatcher.

Mm-hmm.

I'll be with them in a minute.

Scoville and
Vincent are outside.

Oh, well... Stick around.

I think you might
find this interesting.

You're going to question
suspects in a murder case

and you want me here?

Oh, Andy, what are you up to?

Just trying to throw you a bone.

Thanks.

Have them come in.

Come in, please.

Mr. Scoville, Mr. Vincent...

Mr. Andrew Hatcher.

Gentlemen, have a seat, please.

Who planted that bomb?

Do you have any idea?

No, sir, we do not.

I've been going
through the notes made

by Senator Breeding's
secretary of your conference.

You claim that an advisor to
the National Security Council

is a traitor... or worse.

Have you made these charges

with any other
government agencies?

No, sir, we haven't.

Well, I suggest
that you don't...

for their sakes.

What are you driving
at, Mr. Hatcher?

You make reference to
"our tracking stations."

You say "we" are
trying to stop them.

What is this collective
entity you keep referring to?

A few people like ourselves.

Believers.

Believers?

A group, a small group
of ordinary people.

Ordinary people don't have

tracking stations, Mr. Vincent.

I put my facilities
at the disposal

of the group, Mr. Hatcher.

Who are these people?

What are their names?

Where can we...
where can we find them?

I'm sorry, I can't
tell you that.

How many are you?

I can't tell you that, either.

You don't know?

I can't tell you.

What does your
company do, Mr. Scoville?

Research and development
in advanced electronics.

Laser design, guidance systems.

Mm-hmm.

Armaments and munitions?

Yes, sir, that, too.

I presume that's what
the senator meant

when he said that...

"I seriously doubt whether
you are the sort of man

our government should
give its defense contracts to."

Before you get carried
away, Mr. Hatcher...

I'm just trying to be
logical, Mr. Scoville.

Now surely you
couldn't be unhappy

over the death of
a powerful enemy.

I didn't consider him an enemy.

He was an honest
and dedicated man

who saw the truth
differently from me.

He was a man who could
have ruined your business,

exposed and destroyed you

and in your terms, open the
way to an invasion of the Earth.

Now wasn't it your
duty to eliminate him?

You making an accusation?

What do you think, Mr. Vincent?

You're looking for a scapegoat.

Not a scapegoat,
Mr. Vincent... a murderer.

I hope you find him.

Thank you for coming
down, gentlemen.

You'll be available
if we need you?

Of course.

All right, Andy.

I have a documentary
record of the brilliant assistant

to the attorney general at work.

Or was it play?

Do you want me to print this?

That's up to you.

I thought I was
doing you a favor.

I'm never sure whether
I can afford your favors.

The way I see it is

that you're building
yourself a case...

A case without much evidence,

but with a great deal of outrage

over the death of
a beloved senator

and you want me to help you
make that case, don't you, Andy?

Now come on, Joan.

Aren't you being a
little... a little bit cynical?

Yep.

But then I have
good reason to be.

One little incident.

I'm sentimental that way.

That one little incident
nearly wrecked two careers.

One of them was mine.

Sayonara.

Get hold of John
Donnelly at NSA.

And have him send
over the security file

on Edgar Scoville.

Make that a rush.

(knocking)

Come in.

I just spoke with the lab.

They'll have the report
on the bomb fragments

and the briefcase
this afternoon.

How'd it go with
Laurel and Hardy?

About what I expected.

They had the motive
and the opportunity

and they're hooked up

with some kind of a
underground organization.

If those lab reports
give us anything at all,

we go to the grand jury.

Don't move.

Straight ahead.

Sit down.

Did you come
here with a warrant?

That's not my line of work.

What is your line of work?

My name is Joan
Seeley. I'm a reporter.

I saw you taking notes in
Hatcher's office this morning.

He invited me to stick around.

He thought it'd
make a good story.

You want us to believe
that the press was called in

while he was questioning us?

You may not
understand it, Mr. Vincent,

but yes, I want
you to believe it.

Ask her how she
knew about this place.

Senator Breeding's secretary.

You telephoned his
office before the meeting

and left a call-back number.

I had it traced.

But don't worry, I
have no intention

of letting Hatcher know.

Why not?

He wants to hang you.

I just want a story.

Oh, you want us to share
our secrets with you?

I know you don't trust me,
but you're going to have to.

Why?

Because you are in trouble.

You come into Senator
Breeding's office

ranting about... about
invaders from outer space.

You accuse an advisor to
the NSC of being one of them.

You even have an organization

set up to combat these aliens.

Hatcher could hang you
from a... from a sour apple tree.

We'll worry about him
when the time comes.

You better worry about him now.

While you're out
shadowboxing with ghosts,

you're about to be
clobbered by a man

who has a very large
talent for this sort of thing

and an ego to match.

I still think Hatcher sent her.

Let's give her a
story to take back.

Come with us.

Our control room.

We gather intelligence
on the aliens here.

We track their space
routes and their landings.

We try to break their codes.

Plan our own actions.

It's impressive.

But not convincing.

You know what Andrew
Hatcher could do with this?

Why, he'd have
front page headlines

all over the country.

"Secret group led
by mad industrialist

in a plot to overthrow
the government."

Jim?

Hmm?

You want to run that
new film for Miss Seeley?

Yeah, sure.

Sit here, please.

This is a film we got back
from the lab an hour ago.

Arthur Koy.

He just had a two-hour session

with the National
Security Council.

Koy's companion is an alien.

Oh?

What's he giving him?

A report on the
latest developments

in communication
interruption devices.

Why that?

We don't know yet.

We're working on it now.

They've had four meetings
with him in the last two weeks.

This is the first time
they've given him something.

Money?

Koy has no need of that.

My guess is it's an
operational plan...

Something that Koy would be
in a position to program for them.

Well, what would a journalist
have to say about that?

Why, that a top
government advisor

and a childhood friend
exchanged letters.

We've seen the man before.

He's an alien.

Can you prove that?

(phone rings)

Yes?

When?

All right. Do whatever
you can to hold it up.

We'll get there as
quickly as possible.

Koy just made

a 10:00 P.M. plane
reservation for Paris.

That means we have to move now.

Will you take me with you?

You've seen enough.

You can go back to Hatcher now.

Listen to me, I am trying
to tell you something.

Andy Hatcher and I grew
up in this town together.

Three years ago, he
leaked a story to me

about the impending
federal indictment

of a United States
Congressman, one George Neely.

The day after I
turned in my story,

all the other
papers picked it up.

Yes, I remember that.

I was in Washington at the time.

Well, then you also remember
that the story wasn't true.

The indictment was never sought.

Hatcher's real target
was a group of lobbyists

close to the congressman

and he leaked the story to
me just to try to scare them off.

Now, gentlemen, you
are his steppingstones.

David?

All right, stay with us.

We'll, uh, move at 7:00.

(door opens)

Lab report just came in.

The bomb was made

from a new type of explosive
charge called caldonite.

There's only one
plant in the country

that produces
caldonite... Scoville's.

They'll say it was stolen
from them or purchased.

We need more than that.

We have something
more... A witness.

Dr. Frederickson, I'd like
you to meet Mr. Hatcher.

Dr. Frederickson, I understand

you have some
information for us.

Yes, sir.

Up until today, I was a
member of the believers.

I want to tell you about them.

Don't move.

Put the envelope on the floor.

David!

Hi, there.

Your receptionist
is out to lunch

and so I took over.

I can see that.

More material for
your monthly ax job

on the ruthless and ambitious
Andrew Hatcher, hmm?

Did I say that?

(chuckles)

I don't know.

Who writes your column?

Oh, Andy.

We used to be friends
once, remember?

I remember very well.

Joan...

Yes, Andy?

Why did you really
come down here?

You are beyond saving.

I mean, why did you come here?

Because, Andy, I like you.

Because I want to stop
you from doing something

that's going to
end up hurting you.

(chuckles)

Such as, hmm?

Prosecuting Edgar Scoville.

Oh, that.

Well, it isn't just Scoville.

I'm going to nail all of them.

Even if they're
telling the truth?

It's a lie, Joan.

On the face of it, it's a lie.

I have evidence.

What evidence?

Does your evidence
encompass Arthur Koy?

Because on Tuesday,

Scoville and Vincent charged
Koy with conspiring with the aliens

and on Wednesday,

he ticketed himself
on a flight to Paris.

Which he never took.

Well, I can draw

several inferences from that.

I can make a couple of others

that might not match yours.

Joan, you are
chasing the wrong fox.

Won't you at least
listen to them?

Won't you let them come here

and show you their evidence?

That would only
prejudice their case.

The grand jury meets
one hour from now.

If they return an indictment,

they'll have ample opportunity
to defend themselves.

And, uh... you will
have ample opportunity

to put on your usual
vaudeville show.

(chuckles)

So, what else is new?

I'm sorry, Andy.

I really came here
meaning to be friends.

Oh, yeah, sure.

It sounds like it.

Can we?

You mean, can we
recapture the past?

Well, um, rediscover it maybe.

What are you doing tonight?

I'm going to be at
The Tiki Club at 6:00.

And if you think
that we can stop

slugging each other
for an hour or two,

I'll buy you a drink.

All right.

(phone ringing)

Hello.

David, this is Joan.

He's going to the
grand jury in an hour,

but I did set up
the other thing.

You didn't mention Koy, did you?

No. That's up to you.

All right. We'll be ready.

And you were at this meeting

with "Edgar Scoville

"David Vincent, James
Bolin, Anne Lampierre,

"Alexander Goldman,
Bonita Morrow

and John Merritt"? Yes, sir.

Was some decision
reached at this meeting...

Some decision regarding
Senator Robert Breeding?

Yes, sir. It was decided

that Vincent and Scoville
would go to Senator Breeding

and demand that he
take action against Koy.

I see.

And if he failed, was
there a contingency plan...

Some plan to be carried out

in case Scoville
and Vincent failed?

Yes, sir.

What was it?

Dr. Frederickson.

To kill him.

The witness will be
returned to custody.

Dr. Stanley Frederickson,
we've never heard of him.

He testified

that you planned
Breeding's murder

at a meeting a month ago.

Where is he now?

They're holding him
in protective custody.

He named you,
Scoville, and five others.

They've known
about this all along.

This was a setup.

Kill Breeding, blame it on
us and get rid of us for good.

Problems.

What?

While she's here?

I want her to hear it.

The papers we took from Koy's
safe are in a multiple series.

They're top secret code.

We broke through the
first layer, the easiest one.

I want her to hear this.

They're planning
a general assault.

Wait a minute.

Does it say that specifically?

No. That and the
time and the place

and the method are
buried in the other layers.

We've got to find a
way to crack them.

How did you draw
your conclusions?

We learned some months ago

that they tip a general assault

by withdrawing their
key men from the field.

They've begun to do that.

The stuff we broke consists
of orders for a general pullback.

They've ended their
reconnaissance, David.

They're going to
make an all-out attack.

How soon?

We don't know yet

and we don't know how
they're going to do it.

That's why they
killed Breeding...

To frame us now.

We've got to stay free to
break the rest of this code.

Is there anyone who
can stop this indictment?

Evening, Mr. Hatcher.

George, I'm sorry to
have to break this up,

but Miss Seeley
belongs to me tonight.

Professionally?

Of course.

Let's see, George.

How good's your memory?

Daiquiri for Miss Seeley,

bourbon on the rocks for you.

Very good.

We need you in our
state department.

(pedal-steel guitar
playing Polynesian melody)

Take your coat?

Thank you.

George.

Well...

Well, Andy, how
long has it been?

Much too long.

You're just saying that

'cause I look so sexy tonight.

Indeed, you do.

Whose, uh, whose turn is it?

Let's see now.

Last time was about
three years ago.

Yeah.

In the words of that old song,

"What happened to us?"

I lost you to the
American public.

You became a great man,
guardian of the public weal,

to whom, in his honorable
cause, all misdeeds were permitted.

And you?

Me? I became 30 years old

and I decided it was time
to find a permanent mate.

But you didn't.

That's true.

After you, it was
a little bit difficult.

Then, uh... I couldn't
have been all bad.

You were, but you
spoiled me anyway.

Would you like to
come back to my place?

To a house full of
hidden tape recorders

and the ghosts
of political victims?

Uh-uh.

I have a new place.

We might be comfortable there.

So I said to him,

"No... it only hurts
when I stand up."

Oh, uh, dear, unexpected guests.

Forgive me, Andy.

It's all part of the game.

But I can't help you, gentlemen.

I suggest you get an attorney.

There's no time for that.

Mr. Scoville, you
may have the idea...

Possibly reinforced by
what Miss Seeley told you...

That I have some dictatorial
authority in this case.

Well, I don't.

I don't like having to prosecute

a man of your
stature and reputation,

but I'm charged by
law with doing so.

You're charged by law
with finding the truth.

Not in our system.

Judges and
juries find the truth.

My job is to make a case

and it's your lawyer's
job to make a better one

if he can.

A prosecutor makes
his reputation in court.

Now, if he were to suddenly

send Mr. Breeding's
murderers to prison...

if he were to break a
conspiracy or two along the way

it wouldn't hurt

your political career
at all, would it?

Is there something
wrong with that?

Only that you haven't
found a conspiracy

nor the murderers.

Invaders from outer space?

Yes. Well, you'll have
your chance to prove it.

Now, Mr. Hatcher...

if, uh, we prove it
to you now, here,

will you listen to us?

Go ahead.

And if we convince
you of the danger,

will you kill the indictment?

I'll, uh, listen to
what you have to say.

We took these from
Arthur Koy's safe.

They're copies
of orders, in code.

We broke the code...

Enough to find out that there is
an alien assault about to begin.

What happened to Koy?

I had to kill him.

You won't find a body.

He was an alien; he incinerated.

They're about to
destroy the world.

It could happen
tomorrow; it could happen

before you leave this room.

We can break
the rest of the code

if you'll give us enough time

so please, in God's
name help us stop them.

All right.

And what about the grand jury?

They're not due back
till tomorrow afternoon.

I'll reconvene
them in the morning

and... I'll withdraw the charge.

Andy... uh... thank you.

Good night, Joan.

Praise God.

Well, we may have bought
ourselves a little time,

but we still have
to break that code...

If it's not too late.

Hello, John?

It's Andy.

Well, we have them solid now.

Murder...

and conspiracy to
commit the murder

of Arthur Koy.

Well, I'll tell you how.

Send the lab out to Koy's house.

Vincent's fingerprints will
be all over the living room.

Draft a new indictment

and have those
warrants ready to serve.

I want them all in
custody by tomorrow noon.

"On the charges of murder
and conspiracy to commit murder

"the grand jury declares
that the following

"be brought into custody

"and bound over for
trial: David Vincent,

"Edgar Scoville, James Bolin,

"Anne Lampierre,

"Bonita Morrow,
Alexander Goldman,

John Merritt."

Let's get moving.

I'll get out the
arrest warrants.

Well, what's the rest of it?

That's as far as we can get.

This machine's all
right for simple codes,

but it can't handle this.

You'd better tell the others.

I already have.

How much time is there?

I don't know. I
can't tell from that.

Are you sure this isn't a phony?

I'm sure. They've learned how
to control the ultrasound weapon.

It matches what our own people
have been pointing toward...

A highly sensitive
transmission device

working on an undetectable band,

activated simultaneously
from three different points

with the ability to kill every
living creature on Earth

instantly, without
pain, without sound,

without destruction
of anything but... life.

If we can destroy those
transmission centers...

Any one of them...

We can break the circuit.

But we have to find them first.

Right now, we're at point zero.

(knock at door)

Forgive me.

I had to come.

What is it?

The grand jury is in.

They've returned an indictment.

Hatcher is issuing
warrants for your arrest.

I thought he was
going to stop it.

He never intended to.

He went back to the
grand jury this morning

and he just tacked on your
confession of last night...

Murder, conspiracy
to commit murder.

I'm sorry, David.

Oh, this is just great.

The aliens have a weapon

that can destroy
the whole world.

We'll all die if
they're not stopped.

Doesn't Hatcher understand that?

He doesn't believe you!

We can't depend on
anyone but ourselves now.

We have to find out when
they plan to launch the attack,

where those transmitters are.

We have to break
the rest of the code.

Look, with this machine,
it may not be possible.

There are too many combinations.

What about the new
computer... Would that help?

It might.

All right.

You and David go there.

It's 20 miles north of here

at the new research facility.

It isn't opened yet, so
nobody'll bother you.

I'll try to reach the others.

We'll stay in contact
through the warfield line.

The police will
be looking for you.

I know that.

You're going to
have to get into this.

Step behind the hedge.

Mr. Scoville?

Edgar Scoville?

Halt!

Some day, a lot of
people are going to find out

the most important
fact about you.

Oh? What's that?

You can't be trusted...
About anything.

You are a liar and a cheat.

That should make good
reading in the Times.

Oh... it will.

And it won't hurt
your career any, will it?

Is that what you
think this is all about...

We stand here and trade insults

while the world is
coming to an end?

Why?

Because your little squad
of believers says so?

You've been brainwashed.

I saw them!

You think you've seen them.

Andy, I saw Koy shot and burn up

and turn into ashes in
about one second flat.

I don't believe you.

Tell me something, Andy.

What if you're wrong?

Are you crazy?

Are you?

You were at the
grand jury hearing.

You heard the testimony.

That was a frame-up.

Okay, you're a reporter.

I'm going to give you
a chance to work at it.

Tell Barrows we're
coming right down.

Come on.

Where are we going?

To meet a believer.

I hope these computers
give us a few answers.

They will, they will.

Barrows?

Where's Frederickson?

The bathroom.

You want us to speed him up?

No, finish your hand.

Maybe you better
get him out of there.

Dr. Frederickson?

Dr. Frederickson?

Get somebody up on the roof.

Cordon off the area.

Andy... you're not
going to find him.

Ashes.

Sound familiar?

He guessed why you were coming.

Time is running out, Andy.

Call off the hunt.

Merritt and Morrow
tried to crash a roadblock

outside of Philadelphia.

Merritt's in the jug.

They killed Morrow.

Tell them, Andy.

Tell them to call it off.

Tell them the truth.

Andy, you have got
to tell them the truth.

What truth?

You saw the ashes.

It was a trick.

He escaped.

It was just another trick.

You can't think
about your career

because you won't have a career.

They are going to
destroy the whole world.

Andy, in the name of heaven!

You, uh... hear about
Merritt and Morrow?

Yeah.

There's more.

Bolin and Vincent

were sighted heading
north on Alternate Route 7...

The Meridian-Harpersburg bypass.

That's all seven of them.

I'd like your authority to send
the state police into the area.

You have it.

Ready?

Ready.

Replace line "A," series "B"
with second parallel overlay.

Now cross out AB-6 through CD-4.

CD what?

CD-4.

All right.

Now read it back.

(sighs)

"General withdrawal

"will commence at
0600 hours, March 15,

and end 1200 hours, March 20.

"Control One will assume
command of Red-Eye Facility.

"Control Two will retain
command of the Triangle Facility.

"Control Three will
assume command

of the central transmitter
at Regency Nine."

Regency Nine... let me see...

Regency Nine is
the Wyndham Hotel.

They have the transmitter
in the Wyndham Hotel

right here in town.

Read the rest of it.

"Attack will commence
2200 hours, March 22."

That's tonight.

Five hours from now.

David, the police...

They're on their way up here.

I couldn't stop Hatcher.

Let's go. No, wait.

Listen, let me take your car

and then they'll follow me.

Yeah, that's good.

All right, be careful.

(tires screeching)

Oh, my God... Come on.

Come on!

Hello, Andy.

Hello, Joan.

I never did apologize

for playing that trick
on you at the house.

There's... no need to apologize.

I... I deserved it.

No, Andy.

You deserve better,
but I'm afraid...

it's too late now.

Joan... it isn't late at all.

Listen... we're going to start
all over from the beginning

and do right it this time.

You know...

you're the only man that
ever meant anything to me

and yet it seems that
we did nothing but fight.

I guess, maybe, it's
what we both needed.

People are funny, you know?

But it's too late.

The morning will be here soon.

I wonder if you
could look at it for me.

Joan... you'll
see it for yourself.

I always liked your
confidence, Andy.

Please don't feel bad.

It doesn't matter
anymore, because there's

not much time left for anybody.

It isn't true, Joan.

Yes, it is, Andy.

You know it is.

You knew it when
you saw the ashes.

You knew it...

and you couldn't act.

You were hoping that it
would all prove to be untrue

like a nightmare.

But you and I saw
it, didn't we, Andy?

Help you, gentlemen?

Yeah, the phone company.

We want to check your wire box.

The lines been crossing
the residential lines

in the neighborhood.

That's news to me.

Who did we talk to?

Uh, Haskins, right?

Mr. Haskins.
Want to talk to him?

Haskins went off
duty half an hour ago.

Where am I going to find him?

Well, I don't much care.

Uh, I don't own
stock in the place.

You want to collect yourselves
tomorrow, call us back, huh?

Uh, wait a minute.

Go ahead.

Thanks.

Can I help you, fellas?

DAVID: Telephone company.

Well, the phone
box is out in the back.

This is the generator plant.

What's that?

Oh, this is just an
instrument used

to measure the free
electrical impulses

radiating from the phone lines.

You've got quite a problem here.

Yeah? Well, how come I
never heard of that problem

when I worked for
the phone company?

The high voltage in there...

It's interfering
with the meters.

Last stage.

It's on automatic now.

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

Tell Hatcher...

I'll wait for him in hell.

(high-pitched humming)

She's dead.

(sighs)

She did what she had to do.

I did, too.

You can see that.

Sure, I can see that.

Put a few people in prison,

a few more in hospitals and
a few more in cemeteries.

But you didn't know.

There's no way of knowing

if you were wrong
or if you were right.

I'm sorry. I just...

There's no time for that.

What can I do?

You can help us.

They'll try to rebuild
that transmitter.

You can give us your help.

All right.

I'll do what I can.

NARRATOR: And now, Andrew
M. Hatcher joins David Vincent

in his struggle
against the invaders.

Edgar Scoville will
recover from his wounds

and these three will
be in the vanguard,

leading the fight against
the aliens from space--

Invaders who must be stopped.