The Outer Limits (1963–1965): Season 1, Episode 1 - The Galaxy Being - full transcript
Adventurous radio station operator contacts a fellow experimenter in another galaxy. The operator locks in 3D communication, but a DJ who wants to impress his girlfriend with the station's range, boosts the signal all the way up, unknowingly sucking the alien, who's composed of electricity, into the remote desert town.
There is nothing wrong
with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust
the picture.
We are controlling
transmission.
If we wish
to make it louder,
we will bring up
the volume.
If we wish
to make it softer,
we will tune it
to a whisper.
We will control
the horizontal.
We will control
the vertical.
We can roll the image...
Make it flutter.
We can change the focus
to a soft blur...
Or sharpen it
to crystal clarity.
For the next hour,
sit quietly,
and we will control
all that you see and hear.
We repeat,
there is nothing wrong
with your television set.
You are about to participate
in a great adventure.
You are about to experience
the awe and mystery
which reaches from
the inner mind to...
KXKVI is located
on highway 601
just 6 miles south
of Cotterfield,
where the supermarkets
meet the people.
Serving all of
Los Feliz county,
in sunny Southern Cal.
KXKVI is brought
to you good people
at 1820, 1-8-2-0
on your radio dial.
Keep listening now
for your top 10 tunes
brought to you
by your boy Buddy.
Number 6, come rock with me,
an up-and-swinging
vocal offering
by the high lifers.
The shoe store
spots,
Barney's drive-in,
and the news and
weather is on top.
Carol, get Alan. Tell him
to come in here quick.
What's wrong?
Look at that dial.
That needle has just dropped
about 10 points.
What is it?
The power output.
We're broadcasting
on just about half.
Go on, babe. Go get him.
I can't.
What do you mean
you can't?
He knows about it.
How could he know about it?
It just happened.
He's in
the transmitter shed.
Are you telling me he cut down
the power? On purpose?
But, Carol,
that's against the law.
These people pay us to cover
an area of 200 miles.
We guarantee them
over a million audience.
All right,
he's stealing power.
"Stealing power"?
Well, he's been
doing it for weeks.
He steals equipment,
too...
Transistors,
condensers...
We've got bills
up to here.
We can't let him
shut down,
let everything go to pot.
Go tell him, Carol, tell him
that if he doesn't boost us
back on the air,
we're... we're gonna have
our contracts ripped up
by the sponsors.
He won't
open the door.
Phone him.
Come over here
right away.
I want you to
see something.
Said for me
to come over.
He's probably picked up
a program from telstar.
Well,
I'll go humor him.
You watch.
Before he knows it,
he's gonna be
cleaned up,
dressed up,
and ready to go...
Or I'll kill him.
This is Gene "Buddy" Maxwell
bringing you
your Saturday dance parade.
Come in!
Close the door, please.
Carol, look.
What is it?
Well, I thought it was
hydrogen static, but it's...
Static?
Listen.
I'm sure that's hydrogen
and radio waves
coming in
at 21 centimeters.
Except for that
high-pitched tone,
I don't know
what that is.
It puts my teeth
on edge.
I fed it through
the TV monitor,
tried to get
a visual analysis.
What good is it?
Well, it's coming
from out there.
Out where?
Space.
Just space?
Yeah.
Haven't been able
to pinpoint it yet.
It's taken a lot of power
just to get this much.
Yeah, you cut the station
down about half.
Well, I can't help that.
Well, you know we can
lose our sponsors.
This is more important.
More important than
drive-in commercials?
More important than
paying the bills?
The bills will be paid.
Carol...
I want you to see
what I've done.
Allan, do you
even care anything
about your own family?
Sure. Look,
see, that's a 3-dimensional
TV scanner
it's the same as
a conventional television
except it shows the image
in 3 dimensions:
Height, width, depth,
and it shows the sound
you just heard
in 3 dimensions.
See, by scanning it 3 ways,
I'm able to give it solidity.
Solid static.
It's formed
out of microwaves.
Allan, I know
that it...
It makes you angry
when I ask you
questions like this,
but what good is it?
Well, it's interesting.
You have spent thousands
of dollars on...
On transistors,
and... and circuits,
and cathode ray...
You're just
bleeding electricity
out of that transmitter
until there is
nothing left of KXKVI,
but... but... but just
a feeble beep,
and all you can say is
"it's interesting"?
Carol, it's more than
interesting.
It's important.
Do you realize
that every important change
in the world
for the last 30 years
has come out of research
in microwaves?
Radar, television,
even the h-bomb.
But what makes you think
that you can discover
anything?
Who are you?
Nobody. Nobody at all.
But the secrets
of the universe don't mind.
They reveal themselves
to nobodies who care.
Isaac Newton was a nobody.
Michael Faraday was
a bookbinder's apprentice.
Yes, but now... now they
have big laboratories
that... that work
on all those things.
The big laboratories spend
millions of dollars, Carol,
and they work
slowly and surely,
and they get results,
but not the big steps.
Not the breakthroughs...
Those come from
the human mind,
not from the laboratory.
Call 'em inspiration,
call 'em intuition,
maybe blind luck,
maybe it's god saying,
"now's the time."
Well, I'm sorry, Allan,
but I don't like it...
Because every day it
takes you away from me
more and more,
until I hardly know you.
You have friends
who love you,
want to honor you.
We want to see you
and be with you.
Well, I don't have time
for that sort of thing now.
You don't have time
for, uh, friends and...
An everyday life,
but you have all
the time in the world
for a...
A cloud of static?
Well, I'm sorry, Allan.
Don't ask me
to appreciate it,
because I can't.
It's cold.
It... it sounds
like sleet and snow
and it... and it looks
like electricity frozen.
I just...
I... I... I don't like it.
I'm sorry.
Do you, uh...
Do you happen
to remember
that half the town
is turning out
to honor you tonight?
Tonight?
Yes, it's uh... It's
a testimonial dinner.
And they have a scroll
and a plaque.
And you can't
disappoint them.
No, I-i-I'll try
not to let them down.
Allan, you've known
about it for months,
and you can't
hurt people.
You just can't.
No, I... I don't... I don't
want to hurt people.
All right,
does that mean then
that you'll
get dressed
and you'll be
ready on time?
Uh, yeah. Yeah, yes.
Thank you.
Very much.
Who are you?
Can you hear me?
Can you see me?
Where are you?
Solar system.
Sun. Mercury.
Venus. Earth.
I am transmitting
from earth.
Where are you
transmitting from?
Outside
the solar system?
My antenna is
centered on the edge
of the constellation
Pegasus.
Are you beyond?
Do you understand?
How can I communicate
with you? Words?
Mathematics?
Can you translate
your binary pulses
into my computer?
Try to form...
Your thoughts...
Into word patterns
using binary system.
My computer...
Can translate
your pulses...
Into... my language.
Who...
Are you?
My name...
Is Allan Maxwell.
I am transmitting
from a station...
On the third planet
in the solar system.
Earth.
Are... you... receiving...
Dimensional... image?
I am scanning
the microwaves
coming from somewhere
beyond the constellation
of Pegasus.
Hold chart.
Hold image...
Universe.
Point.
Move point due east.
Third quadrant.
Move north.
Stop.
That is transmission point.
The great spiral
Andromeda?
Yes. Transmission
northwest quadrant.
Star system
with 3-1 satellites.
Solar system?
3-1 satellites.
31 planets?
Yes. 3-1 planets.
Do you see me?
Very dim.
You are in... Room.
Electronic room.
Do not increase your power.
Galaxy forbids contact of
planets beyond central system.
We're both
breaking the rules.
I'm not allowed
to use the station
for research.
I am not allowed to use
equipment for exploration.
Do you have a name?
Numbers not same as
your 4-dimension numbers.
What is below eyes?
"Below eyes"?
Holes... in face.
Nose. Mouth.
Why?
Smell.
Eat. Speak.
Smell? Eat? To talk?
Explain.
Molecules
flow through air
to olfactory lobes.
Eat?
Carbon cycle.
Plants, animals,
h2o.
Talk?
Communication.
Is that why mouth-hole
moving?
You hear me,
don't you?
Yes.
Do you have life?
Not the same.
You are carbon cycle.
We are nitrogen cycle.
Where you are,
do you have death?
Repeat.
We have
end of being.
We stop moving...
Stop breathing.
No thoughts.
Nothing.
We call it death.
Death is property
of carbon cycle
in 3-dimension.
No death in our dimension.
Electromagnetic waves
go on to infinity.
Do my brain waves
go on?
Yes.
What about wars?
Do you have wars?
Repeat.
Battles. Atom bombs.
Radiation fallout.
Forbidden.
Reason we are not allowed
to contact you.
You are danger
to other galaxies.
What about god?
Do you have a god?
Explain.
An all-powerful
being...
A force, underlying
everything.
Electromagnetic forces
underlying all.
No, I mean,
an intelligent force.
God.
Electromagnetic force,
intelligence.
Matter, space, time...
All the same.
All the same?
Different names.
Infinity.
Infinity is god.
God infinity.
All the same.
All the same.
You look great, Carol.
Thank you, sir.
Your voice sounds
in good
working order.
Yeah, I use
lemon and honey.
Say, I, uh,
I brought some albums.
I wonder if you'd
check 'em over for clearance?
Uh, no,
take 'em to Gene.
He's waiting
for you inside.
Oh, OK.
I'll see you later.
Allan?
What?
Are you ready to go?
No. I can't.
What do you mean,
you can't?
I can't, Carol.
Something has happened.
I've got to write out
a report.
But you promised.
I- I'm all dressed up.
Gene's waiting...
We even hired
a relief announcer
to take Gene's place.
It doesn't matter,
Carol.
Something tremendous
has happened.
I've made
a discovery.
Well, I don't want
to hear about it.
Well,
come in and see.
No, I don't want to see.
I just...
I just want my husband,
and I want him here. Now.
In this world tonight.
We can't keep the mayor
and his wife
waiting any longer.
I don't care what
you've discovered, Allan.
One evening,
one hour is not going
to make any difference.
It might make
all the difference
in the world.
I'm not going to,
um, ask you to choose
between me and,
uh, whatever that is,
because I would
probably lose.
So I'm going to force you
to accept the honor
that's due an outstanding
member of the community.
I'm going to tell everyone
that you invited them here.
Here?
If you won't come
to your own party,
then I'll bring
the party here.
No, you can't, Carol.
They... they... they
wouldn't understand.
Oh, can't I? I think
they'd just love
to see your workshop
and your experiments.
We can... we can jam
50 people in there
without breaking
too much equipment.
All right. All right.
I'll be there.
I mean it, Allan,
if you don't follow us
in that station wagon,
I'm gonna bring everybody
right back here,
and the mayor can give you
your plaque while you work.
All right.
I'll be there.
Oh, uh...
This needle might give
you a little trouble.
It kind of cuts down
on power
once in a while.
What do I do?
Just leave it alone.
OK. Uh, you want to bring
me on after this record?
Yeah. Yeah. Give me
a voice level.
1, 2, 3. This is
Eddie Phillips,
the voice of Los Feliz,
subbing for
Gene "Buddy" Maxwell.
Fine.
Here he comes...
The slim one, Eddie Phillips.
Great to have you
on board, Eddie boy.
Pleasure to be here,
Gene "Buddy" Maxwell.
Eddie Phillips
will substitute
for the next 3 hours
to bring you the best
in music from KXKVI,
your dancing station,
covering Los Feliz
and Cotterfield.
This is Gene "Buddy" Maxwell
signing off for now.
Please stay tuned for
Eddie Phillips' record revue.
Edward, you've got it.
Many thanks, Gene,
and my congratulations
to your brother Allan
on his testimonial
shindig tonight.
He's made KXKVI the
beacon of the southwest
and all of you
in the Maxwell family
deserve a big round
of applause.
We start off this
evening's celebration
with a musical salute
to the Maxwells.
Brother Allan,
the electronic wizard,
and brother
Gene "Buddy" Maxwell,
your favorite D.J.
In the desert area.
Here we are with
the deuces and treys
singing big time daddy.
Are you ready?
Is he coming?
Yes, or else.
He's gonna follow us
in the station wagon.
Fine.
Nice and easy.
Same to you.
I have to go.
To Cotterfield
center.
If I don't, other
people will come in.
End of transmission.
No. Keep
the channel open.
Danger.
I will keep the
selectors locked.
If your signal
drifts,
it will keep them
centered.
I'll be back
in one hour.
Hour?
Passage of time
it takes earth
to revolve 1/24 of
its circumference.
Do not change power level.
Don't worry.
Your selectors
are locked.
Your channel
is centered.
Keep transmitting.
I'll return
in one hour.
Wait for me.
Thank you,
Deuces and Treys.
Coming up now,
an all-time favorite
selected for you by
yours truly, Eddie Phillips,
the voice of Los Feliz.
I'm Eddie Phillips.
What do you say, Allan?
Hello, Eddie.
Did Carol go on?
Uh, yeah. Gene
drove her on in.
You're supposed to
take the station wagon.
Yeah.
Eddie, this is the
power transmitter control.
This is the output monitor.
Yeah, that's a pretty weak
signal you're putting out.
Oh, yeah,
well, I, uh,
I, uh,
blew some fuses.
Uh, knocked out
half the breakers.
I doubt if you're carrying
over 30 miles.
Yeah, well, that's
exactly where I want it.
No more, no less.
Now, Eddie,
if that needle
creeps to either side,
just keep it centered
right where it is.
Hang on, now,
I'm not an engineer.
No, I don't
expect any trouble,
but if it does move, just...
Just keep it right...
Right there where it is.
Uh, does, um, that knob
boost the power?
Yeah.
How much of a load
will it take?
We're tied
into the substation...
High-tension
substation...
Plus generators.
Uh, I mean,
how far can you carry
with a full load
in case you ever
had to pour it on?
With a full-power
broadcast,
they'd hear you
in Canada,
SHF, anywhere
in the world.
Oh, no wonder
you blew the fuses.
Look, um, Eddie,
don't even touch it
unless you have to.
I'll be back
in about an hour.
OK.
Uh, when they're
toasting you,
have one on me.
Yeah.
On behalf of the young
people and citizens,
to you, Allan Maxwell.
Look, Carol,
I've got my plaque.
The mayor's happy.
The party's fine.
Nobody's gonna notice
if I take off.
I'll notice.
Well, you'll be
the only one.
I've been here
almost an hour,
and nobody's
even said hello.
You've been in cold
storage so long,
nobody knows
who you are.
I could come back
and pick you up
after midnight.
If you leave me,
I'll leave you.
Let's get
a breath of air.
If we have to toast Allan
one more time,
they'll carry me out.
Hello there.
Oh, thank you very much.
Good to see ya.
Yeah. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
You know,
I feel pretty special
sneaking away
with the brother
of a guest of honor.
Well, you are special,
baby.
Cool night air,
cool music,
and the cool lips
of Gene "Buddy" Maxwell
on your fevered brow.
Look, honey, I'm talking
as loud as I can.
They got the power
trimmed down.
Trying to save a buck...
On my time.
You know it.
Before I'm through,
the whole country's
gonna know it.
This is Eddie Phillips
booming out at ya
from here to Canada
and east to the Mississippi.
Keep your set tuned on.
Listen to how it soups up.
Yeah, I'll call you back
on the next record.
You are listening
to the big, big new sound
on KXKVI.
This is Eddie Phillips,
the voice of Los Feliz,
welcoming
all you new listeners.
From here
to Canada and east...
What's he
doing with that?
He's fooling around
with the transmitter.
I'd better tell Allan.
Hey, Allan,
something's going on
down at the station.
The car radio
started to blast,
and then it turned
to solid static.
Solid static?
Yeah.
When did it start?
Couple
of minutes ago.
Yeah, it's way overreach.
He said something
about welcoming new
listeners in Canada.
I told him
not to turn up the power.
Where are you going?
To make a telephone call.
It's busy.
He's probably
taking record requests.
No, I don't...
I don't think so.
Hey, you want to drive up?
What? No, uh,
the phone's quicker.
I, uh,
need to get to him
and tell him to cut
down on that power.
Is there any danger?
Uh, all kinds.
Check the operator.
See if it's out of order.
No, I'll, uh,
I'll call Collins
over at the warehouse,
ask him to run
a message over.
No answer?
No, it's dead.
It's dead.
You're going out
to the station?
It doesn't sound
like 1820, does it?
Frequency cycle.
At least the static's
quieted down.
I'm going out there.
Tell Carol.
What happened?
Babe, come on.
He just probably
took a walk.
He'll be back
in a few minutes.
I don't care
why he went.
Please,
just leave me alone.
Come on.
Carol,
are you all right?
No, I am not.
Listen, Carol,
I don't want you
to get excited,
but something
has happened.
Don't get excited.
The main thing is to be
calm and come with me.
Look out!
Look out! Look out!
Let's get
out of here!
Don't touch us! Radiation!
Don't! You'll burn us!
Follow me back
to the transmitter.
It looked like a man,
but it wasn't.
Read him
the highway report.
"It glowed and flickered
like a person
made out of blue light."
That's right.
It captured your brother
and his wife.
Yeah. When I heard
the screaming, I ran inside.
They, uh, they came by me.
I... I tried to stop it.
Oh!
They found the car
smashed up
in a ditch on 601.
The hood
was crushed,
the wheels broken,
the paint burned
off the front end,
and no survivors.
Put in a call
to the state headquarters.
Request assistance
outside the county police.
Yes, sir.
Did your brother
say anything else?
Yeah. He said, "KXKVI."
Those are the call letters
of our station.
Let's go.
It's all right.
It'll be all right.
Back. Listen,
it's all right.
Listen, I know it
looks different than us,
but he's got a mind
similar to us.
Please let me go.
He didn't
want to come here,
and he made contact
out of curiosity.
Don't you understand?
We brought it here.
I've got to get it back!
Now be quiet,
or we'll all get killed!
What happened?
Waited for you.
Power came on full.
Microwave transmission
caught me.
No way to stop.
No way to get out.
Transmission
of atomic structure.
Transmission of matter.
Can you get back?
Too late.
They know
I have broken laws.
They must destroy me.
Destroy you?
I am danger to my galaxy.
They will come for me.
Aah! Aah!
Your people coming closer.
Carol, take a look.
No.
Tell 'em it's all right!
Go on!
She's dying.
Microwave pattern not moving.
I can feel damage
in base of neck.
Don't touch her!
Stop damage.
Burn with radiation.
Cauterize?
Stop death.
Carol,
are you all right?
Line up on the
transmitter shed.
Don't fire!
Don't shoot.
It's my brother!
Hold it.
We got orders to kill it
by any and all means.
You can't kill a man with it.
Give me that speaker.
You get him out of there.
We'll let him go.
Come out. Make a run for it.
We'll cover you.
No!
I'm staying right here.
Now listen to me.
It won't hurt you.
You saw what it did.
It's using him.
Come out.
This is your last chance.
Come out.
My wife is in there.
She was wounded, but
it has helped her.
It saved her life!
There it is.
Fire.
Stop...
Or you be silenced.
You people
of this planet,
you must not use force.
You do not move.
I do not see you,
but I receive
your brain patterns.
I have told you
not to use force.
Now I warn you,
there are powers
in the universe
beyond anything you know.
There is much
you have to learn.
You must explore.
You must reach out.
Go to your homes.
Go and give thought
to the mysteries
of the universe.
I will leave you now
in peace.
What are you
going to do?
Reduce the microwave
intensity.
Reduce mass.
You'll disintegrate.
There is no death for me.
What will happen?
Unknown.
Unknown?
End... of... transmission.
The planet earth
is a speck of dust,
remote and alone
in the void.
There are powers
in the universe
inscrutable and profound.
Fear cannot save us.
Rage cannot help us.
We must see the stranger
in a new light...
The light of understanding.
And to achieve this,
we must begin
to understand ourselves
and each other.
We now return control
of your television set to you
until next week
at this same time,
when the control voice
will take you to...
with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust
the picture.
We are controlling
transmission.
If we wish
to make it louder,
we will bring up
the volume.
If we wish
to make it softer,
we will tune it
to a whisper.
We will control
the horizontal.
We will control
the vertical.
We can roll the image...
Make it flutter.
We can change the focus
to a soft blur...
Or sharpen it
to crystal clarity.
For the next hour,
sit quietly,
and we will control
all that you see and hear.
We repeat,
there is nothing wrong
with your television set.
You are about to participate
in a great adventure.
You are about to experience
the awe and mystery
which reaches from
the inner mind to...
KXKVI is located
on highway 601
just 6 miles south
of Cotterfield,
where the supermarkets
meet the people.
Serving all of
Los Feliz county,
in sunny Southern Cal.
KXKVI is brought
to you good people
at 1820, 1-8-2-0
on your radio dial.
Keep listening now
for your top 10 tunes
brought to you
by your boy Buddy.
Number 6, come rock with me,
an up-and-swinging
vocal offering
by the high lifers.
The shoe store
spots,
Barney's drive-in,
and the news and
weather is on top.
Carol, get Alan. Tell him
to come in here quick.
What's wrong?
Look at that dial.
That needle has just dropped
about 10 points.
What is it?
The power output.
We're broadcasting
on just about half.
Go on, babe. Go get him.
I can't.
What do you mean
you can't?
He knows about it.
How could he know about it?
It just happened.
He's in
the transmitter shed.
Are you telling me he cut down
the power? On purpose?
But, Carol,
that's against the law.
These people pay us to cover
an area of 200 miles.
We guarantee them
over a million audience.
All right,
he's stealing power.
"Stealing power"?
Well, he's been
doing it for weeks.
He steals equipment,
too...
Transistors,
condensers...
We've got bills
up to here.
We can't let him
shut down,
let everything go to pot.
Go tell him, Carol, tell him
that if he doesn't boost us
back on the air,
we're... we're gonna have
our contracts ripped up
by the sponsors.
He won't
open the door.
Phone him.
Come over here
right away.
I want you to
see something.
Said for me
to come over.
He's probably picked up
a program from telstar.
Well,
I'll go humor him.
You watch.
Before he knows it,
he's gonna be
cleaned up,
dressed up,
and ready to go...
Or I'll kill him.
This is Gene "Buddy" Maxwell
bringing you
your Saturday dance parade.
Come in!
Close the door, please.
Carol, look.
What is it?
Well, I thought it was
hydrogen static, but it's...
Static?
Listen.
I'm sure that's hydrogen
and radio waves
coming in
at 21 centimeters.
Except for that
high-pitched tone,
I don't know
what that is.
It puts my teeth
on edge.
I fed it through
the TV monitor,
tried to get
a visual analysis.
What good is it?
Well, it's coming
from out there.
Out where?
Space.
Just space?
Yeah.
Haven't been able
to pinpoint it yet.
It's taken a lot of power
just to get this much.
Yeah, you cut the station
down about half.
Well, I can't help that.
Well, you know we can
lose our sponsors.
This is more important.
More important than
drive-in commercials?
More important than
paying the bills?
The bills will be paid.
Carol...
I want you to see
what I've done.
Allan, do you
even care anything
about your own family?
Sure. Look,
see, that's a 3-dimensional
TV scanner
it's the same as
a conventional television
except it shows the image
in 3 dimensions:
Height, width, depth,
and it shows the sound
you just heard
in 3 dimensions.
See, by scanning it 3 ways,
I'm able to give it solidity.
Solid static.
It's formed
out of microwaves.
Allan, I know
that it...
It makes you angry
when I ask you
questions like this,
but what good is it?
Well, it's interesting.
You have spent thousands
of dollars on...
On transistors,
and... and circuits,
and cathode ray...
You're just
bleeding electricity
out of that transmitter
until there is
nothing left of KXKVI,
but... but... but just
a feeble beep,
and all you can say is
"it's interesting"?
Carol, it's more than
interesting.
It's important.
Do you realize
that every important change
in the world
for the last 30 years
has come out of research
in microwaves?
Radar, television,
even the h-bomb.
But what makes you think
that you can discover
anything?
Who are you?
Nobody. Nobody at all.
But the secrets
of the universe don't mind.
They reveal themselves
to nobodies who care.
Isaac Newton was a nobody.
Michael Faraday was
a bookbinder's apprentice.
Yes, but now... now they
have big laboratories
that... that work
on all those things.
The big laboratories spend
millions of dollars, Carol,
and they work
slowly and surely,
and they get results,
but not the big steps.
Not the breakthroughs...
Those come from
the human mind,
not from the laboratory.
Call 'em inspiration,
call 'em intuition,
maybe blind luck,
maybe it's god saying,
"now's the time."
Well, I'm sorry, Allan,
but I don't like it...
Because every day it
takes you away from me
more and more,
until I hardly know you.
You have friends
who love you,
want to honor you.
We want to see you
and be with you.
Well, I don't have time
for that sort of thing now.
You don't have time
for, uh, friends and...
An everyday life,
but you have all
the time in the world
for a...
A cloud of static?
Well, I'm sorry, Allan.
Don't ask me
to appreciate it,
because I can't.
It's cold.
It... it sounds
like sleet and snow
and it... and it looks
like electricity frozen.
I just...
I... I... I don't like it.
I'm sorry.
Do you, uh...
Do you happen
to remember
that half the town
is turning out
to honor you tonight?
Tonight?
Yes, it's uh... It's
a testimonial dinner.
And they have a scroll
and a plaque.
And you can't
disappoint them.
No, I-i-I'll try
not to let them down.
Allan, you've known
about it for months,
and you can't
hurt people.
You just can't.
No, I... I don't... I don't
want to hurt people.
All right,
does that mean then
that you'll
get dressed
and you'll be
ready on time?
Uh, yeah. Yeah, yes.
Thank you.
Very much.
Who are you?
Can you hear me?
Can you see me?
Where are you?
Solar system.
Sun. Mercury.
Venus. Earth.
I am transmitting
from earth.
Where are you
transmitting from?
Outside
the solar system?
My antenna is
centered on the edge
of the constellation
Pegasus.
Are you beyond?
Do you understand?
How can I communicate
with you? Words?
Mathematics?
Can you translate
your binary pulses
into my computer?
Try to form...
Your thoughts...
Into word patterns
using binary system.
My computer...
Can translate
your pulses...
Into... my language.
Who...
Are you?
My name...
Is Allan Maxwell.
I am transmitting
from a station...
On the third planet
in the solar system.
Earth.
Are... you... receiving...
Dimensional... image?
I am scanning
the microwaves
coming from somewhere
beyond the constellation
of Pegasus.
Hold chart.
Hold image...
Universe.
Point.
Move point due east.
Third quadrant.
Move north.
Stop.
That is transmission point.
The great spiral
Andromeda?
Yes. Transmission
northwest quadrant.
Star system
with 3-1 satellites.
Solar system?
3-1 satellites.
31 planets?
Yes. 3-1 planets.
Do you see me?
Very dim.
You are in... Room.
Electronic room.
Do not increase your power.
Galaxy forbids contact of
planets beyond central system.
We're both
breaking the rules.
I'm not allowed
to use the station
for research.
I am not allowed to use
equipment for exploration.
Do you have a name?
Numbers not same as
your 4-dimension numbers.
What is below eyes?
"Below eyes"?
Holes... in face.
Nose. Mouth.
Why?
Smell.
Eat. Speak.
Smell? Eat? To talk?
Explain.
Molecules
flow through air
to olfactory lobes.
Eat?
Carbon cycle.
Plants, animals,
h2o.
Talk?
Communication.
Is that why mouth-hole
moving?
You hear me,
don't you?
Yes.
Do you have life?
Not the same.
You are carbon cycle.
We are nitrogen cycle.
Where you are,
do you have death?
Repeat.
We have
end of being.
We stop moving...
Stop breathing.
No thoughts.
Nothing.
We call it death.
Death is property
of carbon cycle
in 3-dimension.
No death in our dimension.
Electromagnetic waves
go on to infinity.
Do my brain waves
go on?
Yes.
What about wars?
Do you have wars?
Repeat.
Battles. Atom bombs.
Radiation fallout.
Forbidden.
Reason we are not allowed
to contact you.
You are danger
to other galaxies.
What about god?
Do you have a god?
Explain.
An all-powerful
being...
A force, underlying
everything.
Electromagnetic forces
underlying all.
No, I mean,
an intelligent force.
God.
Electromagnetic force,
intelligence.
Matter, space, time...
All the same.
All the same?
Different names.
Infinity.
Infinity is god.
God infinity.
All the same.
All the same.
You look great, Carol.
Thank you, sir.
Your voice sounds
in good
working order.
Yeah, I use
lemon and honey.
Say, I, uh,
I brought some albums.
I wonder if you'd
check 'em over for clearance?
Uh, no,
take 'em to Gene.
He's waiting
for you inside.
Oh, OK.
I'll see you later.
Allan?
What?
Are you ready to go?
No. I can't.
What do you mean,
you can't?
I can't, Carol.
Something has happened.
I've got to write out
a report.
But you promised.
I- I'm all dressed up.
Gene's waiting...
We even hired
a relief announcer
to take Gene's place.
It doesn't matter,
Carol.
Something tremendous
has happened.
I've made
a discovery.
Well, I don't want
to hear about it.
Well,
come in and see.
No, I don't want to see.
I just...
I just want my husband,
and I want him here. Now.
In this world tonight.
We can't keep the mayor
and his wife
waiting any longer.
I don't care what
you've discovered, Allan.
One evening,
one hour is not going
to make any difference.
It might make
all the difference
in the world.
I'm not going to,
um, ask you to choose
between me and,
uh, whatever that is,
because I would
probably lose.
So I'm going to force you
to accept the honor
that's due an outstanding
member of the community.
I'm going to tell everyone
that you invited them here.
Here?
If you won't come
to your own party,
then I'll bring
the party here.
No, you can't, Carol.
They... they... they
wouldn't understand.
Oh, can't I? I think
they'd just love
to see your workshop
and your experiments.
We can... we can jam
50 people in there
without breaking
too much equipment.
All right. All right.
I'll be there.
I mean it, Allan,
if you don't follow us
in that station wagon,
I'm gonna bring everybody
right back here,
and the mayor can give you
your plaque while you work.
All right.
I'll be there.
Oh, uh...
This needle might give
you a little trouble.
It kind of cuts down
on power
once in a while.
What do I do?
Just leave it alone.
OK. Uh, you want to bring
me on after this record?
Yeah. Yeah. Give me
a voice level.
1, 2, 3. This is
Eddie Phillips,
the voice of Los Feliz,
subbing for
Gene "Buddy" Maxwell.
Fine.
Here he comes...
The slim one, Eddie Phillips.
Great to have you
on board, Eddie boy.
Pleasure to be here,
Gene "Buddy" Maxwell.
Eddie Phillips
will substitute
for the next 3 hours
to bring you the best
in music from KXKVI,
your dancing station,
covering Los Feliz
and Cotterfield.
This is Gene "Buddy" Maxwell
signing off for now.
Please stay tuned for
Eddie Phillips' record revue.
Edward, you've got it.
Many thanks, Gene,
and my congratulations
to your brother Allan
on his testimonial
shindig tonight.
He's made KXKVI the
beacon of the southwest
and all of you
in the Maxwell family
deserve a big round
of applause.
We start off this
evening's celebration
with a musical salute
to the Maxwells.
Brother Allan,
the electronic wizard,
and brother
Gene "Buddy" Maxwell,
your favorite D.J.
In the desert area.
Here we are with
the deuces and treys
singing big time daddy.
Are you ready?
Is he coming?
Yes, or else.
He's gonna follow us
in the station wagon.
Fine.
Nice and easy.
Same to you.
I have to go.
To Cotterfield
center.
If I don't, other
people will come in.
End of transmission.
No. Keep
the channel open.
Danger.
I will keep the
selectors locked.
If your signal
drifts,
it will keep them
centered.
I'll be back
in one hour.
Hour?
Passage of time
it takes earth
to revolve 1/24 of
its circumference.
Do not change power level.
Don't worry.
Your selectors
are locked.
Your channel
is centered.
Keep transmitting.
I'll return
in one hour.
Wait for me.
Thank you,
Deuces and Treys.
Coming up now,
an all-time favorite
selected for you by
yours truly, Eddie Phillips,
the voice of Los Feliz.
I'm Eddie Phillips.
What do you say, Allan?
Hello, Eddie.
Did Carol go on?
Uh, yeah. Gene
drove her on in.
You're supposed to
take the station wagon.
Yeah.
Eddie, this is the
power transmitter control.
This is the output monitor.
Yeah, that's a pretty weak
signal you're putting out.
Oh, yeah,
well, I, uh,
I, uh,
blew some fuses.
Uh, knocked out
half the breakers.
I doubt if you're carrying
over 30 miles.
Yeah, well, that's
exactly where I want it.
No more, no less.
Now, Eddie,
if that needle
creeps to either side,
just keep it centered
right where it is.
Hang on, now,
I'm not an engineer.
No, I don't
expect any trouble,
but if it does move, just...
Just keep it right...
Right there where it is.
Uh, does, um, that knob
boost the power?
Yeah.
How much of a load
will it take?
We're tied
into the substation...
High-tension
substation...
Plus generators.
Uh, I mean,
how far can you carry
with a full load
in case you ever
had to pour it on?
With a full-power
broadcast,
they'd hear you
in Canada,
SHF, anywhere
in the world.
Oh, no wonder
you blew the fuses.
Look, um, Eddie,
don't even touch it
unless you have to.
I'll be back
in about an hour.
OK.
Uh, when they're
toasting you,
have one on me.
Yeah.
On behalf of the young
people and citizens,
to you, Allan Maxwell.
Look, Carol,
I've got my plaque.
The mayor's happy.
The party's fine.
Nobody's gonna notice
if I take off.
I'll notice.
Well, you'll be
the only one.
I've been here
almost an hour,
and nobody's
even said hello.
You've been in cold
storage so long,
nobody knows
who you are.
I could come back
and pick you up
after midnight.
If you leave me,
I'll leave you.
Let's get
a breath of air.
If we have to toast Allan
one more time,
they'll carry me out.
Hello there.
Oh, thank you very much.
Good to see ya.
Yeah. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
You know,
I feel pretty special
sneaking away
with the brother
of a guest of honor.
Well, you are special,
baby.
Cool night air,
cool music,
and the cool lips
of Gene "Buddy" Maxwell
on your fevered brow.
Look, honey, I'm talking
as loud as I can.
They got the power
trimmed down.
Trying to save a buck...
On my time.
You know it.
Before I'm through,
the whole country's
gonna know it.
This is Eddie Phillips
booming out at ya
from here to Canada
and east to the Mississippi.
Keep your set tuned on.
Listen to how it soups up.
Yeah, I'll call you back
on the next record.
You are listening
to the big, big new sound
on KXKVI.
This is Eddie Phillips,
the voice of Los Feliz,
welcoming
all you new listeners.
From here
to Canada and east...
What's he
doing with that?
He's fooling around
with the transmitter.
I'd better tell Allan.
Hey, Allan,
something's going on
down at the station.
The car radio
started to blast,
and then it turned
to solid static.
Solid static?
Yeah.
When did it start?
Couple
of minutes ago.
Yeah, it's way overreach.
He said something
about welcoming new
listeners in Canada.
I told him
not to turn up the power.
Where are you going?
To make a telephone call.
It's busy.
He's probably
taking record requests.
No, I don't...
I don't think so.
Hey, you want to drive up?
What? No, uh,
the phone's quicker.
I, uh,
need to get to him
and tell him to cut
down on that power.
Is there any danger?
Uh, all kinds.
Check the operator.
See if it's out of order.
No, I'll, uh,
I'll call Collins
over at the warehouse,
ask him to run
a message over.
No answer?
No, it's dead.
It's dead.
You're going out
to the station?
It doesn't sound
like 1820, does it?
Frequency cycle.
At least the static's
quieted down.
I'm going out there.
Tell Carol.
What happened?
Babe, come on.
He just probably
took a walk.
He'll be back
in a few minutes.
I don't care
why he went.
Please,
just leave me alone.
Come on.
Carol,
are you all right?
No, I am not.
Listen, Carol,
I don't want you
to get excited,
but something
has happened.
Don't get excited.
The main thing is to be
calm and come with me.
Look out!
Look out! Look out!
Let's get
out of here!
Don't touch us! Radiation!
Don't! You'll burn us!
Follow me back
to the transmitter.
It looked like a man,
but it wasn't.
Read him
the highway report.
"It glowed and flickered
like a person
made out of blue light."
That's right.
It captured your brother
and his wife.
Yeah. When I heard
the screaming, I ran inside.
They, uh, they came by me.
I... I tried to stop it.
Oh!
They found the car
smashed up
in a ditch on 601.
The hood
was crushed,
the wheels broken,
the paint burned
off the front end,
and no survivors.
Put in a call
to the state headquarters.
Request assistance
outside the county police.
Yes, sir.
Did your brother
say anything else?
Yeah. He said, "KXKVI."
Those are the call letters
of our station.
Let's go.
It's all right.
It'll be all right.
Back. Listen,
it's all right.
Listen, I know it
looks different than us,
but he's got a mind
similar to us.
Please let me go.
He didn't
want to come here,
and he made contact
out of curiosity.
Don't you understand?
We brought it here.
I've got to get it back!
Now be quiet,
or we'll all get killed!
What happened?
Waited for you.
Power came on full.
Microwave transmission
caught me.
No way to stop.
No way to get out.
Transmission
of atomic structure.
Transmission of matter.
Can you get back?
Too late.
They know
I have broken laws.
They must destroy me.
Destroy you?
I am danger to my galaxy.
They will come for me.
Aah! Aah!
Your people coming closer.
Carol, take a look.
No.
Tell 'em it's all right!
Go on!
She's dying.
Microwave pattern not moving.
I can feel damage
in base of neck.
Don't touch her!
Stop damage.
Burn with radiation.
Cauterize?
Stop death.
Carol,
are you all right?
Line up on the
transmitter shed.
Don't fire!
Don't shoot.
It's my brother!
Hold it.
We got orders to kill it
by any and all means.
You can't kill a man with it.
Give me that speaker.
You get him out of there.
We'll let him go.
Come out. Make a run for it.
We'll cover you.
No!
I'm staying right here.
Now listen to me.
It won't hurt you.
You saw what it did.
It's using him.
Come out.
This is your last chance.
Come out.
My wife is in there.
She was wounded, but
it has helped her.
It saved her life!
There it is.
Fire.
Stop...
Or you be silenced.
You people
of this planet,
you must not use force.
You do not move.
I do not see you,
but I receive
your brain patterns.
I have told you
not to use force.
Now I warn you,
there are powers
in the universe
beyond anything you know.
There is much
you have to learn.
You must explore.
You must reach out.
Go to your homes.
Go and give thought
to the mysteries
of the universe.
I will leave you now
in peace.
What are you
going to do?
Reduce the microwave
intensity.
Reduce mass.
You'll disintegrate.
There is no death for me.
What will happen?
Unknown.
Unknown?
End... of... transmission.
The planet earth
is a speck of dust,
remote and alone
in the void.
There are powers
in the universe
inscrutable and profound.
Fear cannot save us.
Rage cannot help us.
We must see the stranger
in a new light...
The light of understanding.
And to achieve this,
we must begin
to understand ourselves
and each other.
We now return control
of your television set to you
until next week
at this same time,
when the control voice
will take you to...