The Outer Limits (1963–1965): Season 1, Episode 11 - It Crawled Out of the Woodwork - full transcript

There is nothing wrong
with your television set.

Do not attempt
to adjust the picture.

We are controlling
transmission.

We will control
the horizontal.

We will control
the vertical.

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.

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...

His name
is Warren Edgar Morely.

For the past 6 months,
he has guarded this gate

from 8:00 in the morning
until 6:00 at night,

at which time
he is replaced

by another
just like himself.

These are the last
few moments of his life.

Hey, Stu, the kids ain't
too friendly on this Block.

Let's not move in.

Name, address,
positive identification,

reason for loitering
outside of NORCO.

I'm Stuart Peters.

Professor Stuart Peters.

I begin working here
tomorrow morning.



We just drove
across country,

my brother and I.

We haven't even found
a place to live yet,

but the professor here...
Heh...

Couldn't wait
to get a look at that.

OK.

But look fast.

Nobody's allowed
to hang around here.

Hey!

Have you got
a cigarette?

Yeah.

Thanks.

I didn't tell!

I didn't say anything!

Please...

Don't!

Don't, please!

I didn't mean to! I...

I didn't!

Miss Gaby Christian?

Uh, you don't know me,

and you probably have
a dinner date anyway,

but we have a mutual friend
in Kingston, New York,

whose name is of
no importance here,

but he suggested
that I call you

the moment I arrived
in L.A.

Harvey Miller.

He went to school
with your brother.

Well, I'm, uh, heh,

I'm not as young as I sound,
miss Christian.

Anyway, I think old.

No.

But only because I haven't
met the right girl yet.

Ha ha.

I will be most happy
to marry you, miss Christian.

If it turns out
you're the right girl,

we'll marry in haste.

Ha ha.

Meanwhile, shall we...

Shall we repent in advance
over a leisurely dinner?

Right. All right.

8:30 at the Trosdivrick
coffee house.

Oh, you'll recognize me,
yeah.

I'll be wearing you
in my heart.

All right.
What did I do now?

Where'd you get these?

Are they mine?

You took 'em
out of your pocket

and threw 'em at me.

They're not mine.

Well, think hard.

Ha. OK,
I'll think hard.

That guard
gave 'em to me.

Read the inside.

"Don't come back.
NORCO doomed."

Well, they must have been
meant for you, my friend,

since I would rather
marry miss Christian

than be caught dead
working in a place

like NORCO.

You treat everything like
a magazine in a doctor's office.

You know what's
worrying me, Stu?

No, Jory.
What's worrying you?

Miss Christian. I never
told her my name,

and she's having dinner
with a man

she's never seen before,

and she didn't remind me
to tell her my name.

Listen, uh, you mind
if I stay out late?

No.

All night?

Sure.

Some brother's
keeper you are.

One of our guards
gave you this,

professor Peters?

The one
at the main gate.

Miss Celser,

get me the main gate
at once, please.

He's not there today.

Never mind, miss Celser.

There's a new guard
on duty today.

We have a problem here
at NORCO, professor Peters.

As a matter of fact,
we are slaves to it.

We accepted
your application...

The first in 6 months,
incidentally...

Because we believe
it will be

one of you new, fresh,
young physicists

who will be able
to help us with our problem.

I'm very glad you did not
take this message seriously.

Well, I didn't say that.

And yet you are here,
bright and early, on the job,

doomed or not?

Will you talk
to the guard

who was on duty
yesterday?

In responding
to our interest,

you stated that
you are not married

and you have
no other dependents.

That's right.

And yet you came west
with, uh,

I believe you said,
a younger brother?

Well, I didn't plan
to have him come along.

As a matter of fact,
I thought our separating

would be good
for him, but...

Well, he doesn't like
being on his own,

so he dropped out of
school to stay with me.

How old is he?

20.

I couldn't refuse
or make him stay behind.

We have no parents
or other relatives.

Is he given
to practical joking?

Well,
as a matter of fact,

his humor
is fairly mature.

Scary notes scribbled
on the back

of a book of matches
wouldn't be his style,

if that's
what you're thinking.

You are to report
to professor Linden.

So I hear.

Yes. I arranged it
myself.

The professor
could use someone

with a fresh
approach.

Yes?

Dr. Block
is bringing in the new man.

Professor Linden?

Your new
collaborator,

professor
Stuart Peters.

I hope I'll be able

to help you
with your problem.

I have to him
that we are slaves

to a problem of
grotesque proportions.

No more than that.

Just enough to whet
his appetite.

Oh, I see.

Welcome.

Show him about
a bit, Stephanie.

Tell him the rules.

Strict rules don't
sound so strict

when they come
from the lips

of a beautiful
woman, hmm?

You'll want a desk.

Shall I call you professor,
professor Linden?

Now, will this
be all right?

Yes. Fine.

Forgive me,
professor Peters.

I've gotten
into the habit

of not answering
questions.

A victim of automation.

We're all getting used to
letting the computers

do our answering for us.

Yes.

Well, shall we
get started?

Uh, professor Linden.

Stephanie.

Stephanie,

just what is this
grotesque problem?

Well, Dr. Block has
a misplaced sense

of word value.

It's not an ordinary
problem, but...

But it... it isn't grotesque
either, right?

No.

Merely insoluble.

They're the kind
I hope to specialize in

when I grow up.

We understood
you've already created

quite a stir
solving the unsolvable.

Making fools out of
foolish lawmakers.

Well, all but one:
Nature.

Perhaps because nature
doesn't make foolish laws.

Well...

I'll show you around.

Stephanie.

Problem?

We have to find a way
to break or change

the conservation
of energy law.

Oh?

You don't think
we'll succeed?

Well, the law states

that energy can be
changed in form,

but it can't either
be created or destroyed.

We have to find a way
to create it.

It might be easier
to destroy it.

No.

We tried. We can't.

We really have to get
started now, professor.

Stuart.

Go ahead.

I'll be with you
in a moment, Stuart.

Stephanie?

Professor Linden.

Who is it?

A witch.

Let me in.

I think
I'm being followed.

Heh heh. Hello.

Hello.

Hey.

Are you mad at me?

What for?

Knocking on your door.

No.

Where have you been
all day?

I was asleep...

All day.

Hmm.

You know, I, um,
I enjoyed dinner last night,

and I thought I would
enjoy it again tonight

if you were with me.

Jory,

what's wrong?

I never sleep
during the day.

I never sleep
in the daytime.

Did you sneak
by the desk just now?

No, I walked by.

The clerk
was on the telephone.

And she didn't see you?

Of course not.

Clerks never see witches.

I'm sorry.
You're not in the mood

for seductive humor,
are you?

That means that just anyone
can come to this door.

Gaby, do you know
what I think?

Uh-uh.

I think something malevolent
is going on here.

"Malevolent." oh,
I don't like that word.

When I came back here
this morning

after apartment-hunting,

I smelled something sweet,

something deadly sweet,

and I had the feeling

that somebody was here
in this room.

But I just had
to lie down.

Something deadly sweet.

And I slept until...

Until just
a few minutes ago.

And while I was asleep,

somebody cleaned up
the room.

The maid.

No, not the maid.

They said the maid
didn't get here today.

Your brother?

I don't think
he'd come in

without
waking me up.

Hmm.

Hey.

I'm sorry.

Heh heh. Why?

Last night, you said I was
the first guy in years

who hadn't poured
his neuroses all over you.

Here I am, pouring
my neuroses all over you.

There's nothing neurotic

about smelling something
deadly sweet in the air.

That's just plain spooky.

You're not really neurotic,
are you?

The summer I was 8,

I looked out
our beach house window

during a storm.

I watched our boat get
thrashed against the rocks.

My father was in it.
So was my mother.

Stu was away at school,
and...

When he came back
for the funeral,

he asked me how come
I hadn't gone sailing

with mom and dad.

I told him the truth.

I said that
I'd done something wrong,

and dad was punishing me.

But I always had the feeling

that Stu meant I should've
been in that boat with them.

And I stay with Stu
as much as I can.

I even dropped out of school
to come out here with him.

The only time that I feel
he doesn't mean that

is when I'm with him,
and I...

I see him looking at me
with that nice smile.

He took a long time.

Some people
are long-time dying.

Stephanie?

I'm all right.

Did he seem interested
in our problem?

Yes.

You must get over

this repugnance
for death, Stephanie.

For you to hate death

is as foolish
as for a live person

to hate life.

I know.

You should be grateful
to me, Stephanie.

Because of me,
you have faced

the most terrifying
experience of all

and gotten it over with.

Now you must rise
above bitterness

and try to enjoy
the life I've given you.

You?

I...

With the help
of science, of course.

Professor Linden here.

Dr. Block,
I'm sorry to disturb you,

but there's a young man

insisting that
his brother works here.

A professor Stuart Peters?

I can't seem to find his name
anywhere on the directory.

Oh, I see.

Sure thing. Good-bye.

He just started today

is the reason his name
wasn't on the directory.

Well, can I see him?

He went out
with a field crew

to inspect some generators
north of the valley.

When will he be back?

Well, Dr. Block said
in about a week, maybe more.

Well, can I talk
to Dr. Block?

You know what
you ought to do, son?

You and the lady ought to get
back into that car

and scoot on down to L.A.
and go dancing.

She's got nice legs.

Girls with nice legs
ought to be seen

on a public dance floor.

Come on, Jory.

Now wait, I...

I didn't mean
anything improper.

I want to talk
to Dr. Block.

Get out. Go on.

I don't want
to start anything.

You just ring him

and you tell him that
I want to talk to him!

Now you know why a big man

won't take on a little boy.

Don't push me too hard.

I don't like
depending on these.

Main gate.

Yes, sir.
He went away.

No, sir.
No trouble at all.

I told him what you said,
and he just left.

Good night, Dr. Block.

Stu, I didn't
hear you come in.

How are you, Jory?

Jory, you don't look
glad to see me.

Stu, I've been worried.

Taking care of yourself?

I kept thinking
you'd call.

It's almost a week now.
I thought you'd call.

I was involved
in an experiment

at the lab.

You wouldn't
understand.

I slept and ate
in the lab.

Well, didn't you think
I'd be worried?

I told someone
to call you.

Didn't anyone call?

No. No messages.

I thought you went up north
or something.

Your tub's
gonna run over.

Stu?

The, uh,
creation of energy.

According to natural law,

it can't be created
or destroyed,

only changed in form.

Well, we're trying
to break that law.

We need more energy
than we can legally

or scientifically
get our hands on.

As time goes on,

we'll be needing
more and more.

I warned you
you wouldn't understand.

This girl Gaby,

she thinks I ought
to go back to school.

So do I, Jory.

She's out of her mind
about me.

Naturally.

I thought
I'd try to enroll

at the university
here.

No, Jory.
Go back to Kingston.

Why?

Well, it means my job.

Well,
how's that, Stu?

One of the conditions.
No dependents.

Well, I'm just
your kid brother.

I'm not dependent
on you.

Aren't you?

Oh, not so's
anyone would notice.

Well, I notice.

Do you, Stu?

Look, Jory.
You're way past the point

where young boys are required
to become young men.

I don't want you
to lean on me anymore.

Make your own decisions
for a change.

Gee, can't we
be friends?

I'm serious, Jory.

Yeah, I know.

Leave today, Jory.

I'm moving
to the center anyway.

I've got a girl
here, Stu...

There are girls
in Kingston.

Well, not this one.

This one knows I'm
independently wealthy

and she loves me anyway.

Hey,
come to think of it,

I am independently
wealthy.

I can live any place
I please.

Get out, Jory!
Pack up and leave!

What is it, Stu?

I want you to go,
that's what it is.

That's all it is!

You're a liar, Stu.

I'm sorry you think that.

I suppose it's easier
than facing the truth.

Well, you tell me the truth
and I'll face it.

I'm tired of you
hanging on to me.

I'm tired of telling you
"it's all right"

when you wake
out of those nightmares.

I'm tired of pretending
I think you're funny

when I know you're just
a terrified little boy

with a big broken heart.

It's time you grew up
and acted like a man!

Now get out, Jory!

When was the last time
I hit you?

You never hit me.

Well, I feel
like hitting you now.

Be a real man, Jory,

not a pair of fists.

Stu,
what's the matter?

Pack up, Jory!

What's that?
never mind!

Aah! Aah!

Stu.

Stu.

Stu.

Stu! Stu!

Stu!

Stu.

I wasn't
gonna hit him,

but he must've
thought I was.

Then he pulled
away and he...

And he slipped back.

And he exploded.
Something exploded.

I went to the water...

And I pulled him out.

He was dead.

Just like that,
he was dead.

And they've
taken him away.

I'm, uh,
detective Sergeant

Thomas Siroleo,
Mr. Peters.

You didn't
push him, did you?

No, I didn't push him.

The water in the tub
was for you?

Yeah, I was
gonna take a bath.

I... what happened
to Stu?

The coroner thinks

the mechanism
was defective.

And the water shouldn't have
caused a short circuit.

What mechanism?

You mean that thing
strapped to his chest?

A cardiac pacemaker.

Didn't you know
he wore one?

No, I don't even know
what it is.

Well, it's
a long-term battery

in a control unit
that sends electric shocks

rhythmically
to the heart muscle,

maintains a beat,

which means
normal life for people

who otherwise
would be dead.

Well, why would
he need that?

His heart was OK.

He never had
any heart trouble.

Hasn't he been in
the hospital recently?

No!

An operation
had to be performed.

The attachment is
inserted directly

into the chest cavity.

I'll know more
after the autopsy, but...

I'd say he'd been operated
on within the last month.

Well, that's impossible.

I've been with him
every day, every day.

No.

Except for a week.

When we came
out here

about a week ago.

He... didn't come
back home to...

The motel, I mean,
for about a week.

Where was he?

I don't know. I...

Went up to the,
uh, center,

and they said he'd gone
on a field trip

up north or something.

He said he ate
and slept in the lab.

I...

I don't know.
I just keep thinking that...

In a minute I'll wake up
and I'll scream.

Can't you
talk to him later?

Where was he?

I mean, this center,
what is it?

NORCO.

The energy research
commission?

Yeah, NORCO.

I'd like to talk to
you later, Mr. Peters.

Where did
they take Stu?

Jory...

No, no, I hate this!

Somebody dies,
somebody you thought

was gonna
be there forever,

and they just come into
a room and they take him,

and you don't know exactly
where they took him.

Now, why can't
I go with him?

Where is he going
that I can't go with him?

His body will be at
the county hospital.

An autopsy will be
performed,

and then you can have
any mortuary in the city

call for his body.

Please.

I've always found
it best, miss.

Nobody appreciates
reality

like somebody who's
gonna have to face it.

In the morning,
Mr. Peters.

We'll help
with the disposition

of your brother's body,
if you want.

Then I'd like
to see you in my office.

About 10:00,
all right?

Where's
your office?

Police headquarters.

Police headquarters?

Do all
beautiful women

react guiltily
when they hear

you are from police
headquarters?

Only the innocent.

He wants
to ask you

about professor
Stuart Peters.

I'd heard
he was killed.

An accident.

Would you excuse us?

He worked here
with you.

Was he your assistant
or were you his?

Well, we worked
together as equals.

He was past being
anyone's assistant.

Was he operated
on here?

Yes. Dr. Block
performed the surgery.

For a minute there,
I thought you were

going to lie
to me, Ms. Linden.

Professor Linden.

Why should I have lied?

Suppose it wasn't
a heart attack.

Suppose it was
some kind of

industrial accident.

Some firms like to
avoid involvement

in that sort
of thing.

Insurance,

bad public
relations, you know.

But it was
a heart attack.

Yes.

You say that as though
you don't believe it.

Well, the coroner's report
was funny, professor.

If a coroner's report can
ever be said to be funny.

Stuart Peters
had scar tissue

as fresh as tomorrow
morning's milk,

so the operation had
to have taken place

after he came here.

And no one said
it didn't.

Hmm. But he had to
undergo

a complete physical

before he left
Kingston, New York.

Your own company
insisted.

Now I've seen those
records, professor.

If he'd been in
any better health,

they'd have given
him a morning show

on television.

A heart attack just
wasn't in the cards

for Stuart Peters.

Well, what do you deduce
from all this, Mr. Siroleo?

Shock... or fright...

Properly induced can
cause a heart attack.

Well... he was working
right beside me

when the attack came.

You suppose I could
shock or frighten

anyone to the point
of death?

What kind of work?

Would you understand?

Heh. Probably not.

Uh, could I just

look around
on my own?

No.

You must be accompanied
by someone who...

I'm not a bad
security risk.

Well, I personally
do not form

or enforce security
regulations at NORCO.

I merely obey them.

You need higher
permission than mine.

Dr. Block's?

He's director-in-chief.

I guess I'd better
talk to him, then.

If you like.

Mr. Siroleo...

Sergeant Siroleo.

We all like our
titles, professor.

Ahem. Dr. Block...

Is not in his office
right now.

You'll find him
in the pit.

The pit?

The energy chamber.
We call it the pit.

Are you all right?

Of course.
Go on, Sergeant.

You... you look upset.

What's the matter?

What is it?

I just can't.

I can't!

Wait a minute!

What was that
detective's name?

Uh, Siroleo.

Is that
a Greek name?

I don't know.

He said
around 10:00.

Yeah, in the morning.

Ohh.

But first there's
a night to get through.

We... could go
for a drive.

Get away from me,
Gaby.

What, um, what was
the name of that friend

of yours, the one that
told you to call me

when you got
into town?

I don't remember.
I made it up.

Did you really see
all my television shows?

Yeah, I think so.

What made you call me?

Your legs,
your very fine legs.

Someone at NORCO killed
my brother, Gaby.

How'd you get my number?

In the phone book.

Can I borrow your car?

I'll drive.

No, you just stay here.

Are you going
up there?

Yes.

Get out.

Why did you do that?

Why'd you close
the door on me?

Get out quickly.

What in the world
is that thing?

What is it?
Where did it come from?

He'll kill you.

What made you do that?

Who ordered you
to do that?

He'll kill me
for doing this.

It's professor Block.

He'll kill me again.

Professor Block
ordered you to...

No, he's not gonna...

He won't make you
do anything.

Come on. I'll take
you out of here.

Get out, don't worry
about me.

I have already
died once.

Just...

Go.

Go! Go!

Go?

Where?

You have seen it
then, Sergeant?

What is it?

Where does it
come from?

It is pure energy,
Sergeant.

Pure, unadulterated,

un-minimized power.

In the words of
the cleaning woman

who unwittingly
gave it life,

it crawled out
of the woodwork.

You...

Haven't tried
to destroy it?

Why would I want
to do that,

even if I could?

Are... aren't you
frightened of it?

A scientist learns
not to be afraid

of things he does
not understand.

A few members
of my staff

tried to destroy it,

but energy cannot be
destroyed.

So, they decided
to destroy me.

No, we didn't want
to destroy you,

only to protect
ourselves.

Simple heart surgery
brought them to reason.

One by one I terrified
them to death,

and one by one I gave
them back their lives.

Lives they own
only so long

as I do not...

Cut off the power that
makes their heart beat.

You see, I have almost
total control

of that energy force
in there.

It would eagerly
suck the power

out of that pacemaker
if I allowed it.

Is he insane?

I wish he were.

The insane
are forgivable.

Not insane.

At the worst, obsessed.

Think of it.

A small, lifeless thing,

like a... A black bowl
of dust

huddled
against the baseboard

in a dustless corner.

What is it?

Where does it come from?

Why does it
suddenly live

when it is fed
common energy?

Questions like that are
very interesting, doctor,

and they deserved
to be answered,

but not at the cost
of human life.

The wonderful
questions...

Are always answered
at the cost of human life.

Remember how we wondered
about the atom bomb?

Stand clear, Sergeant.

Do you want to go
back, Gaby?

Do you?

I don't know.

What I want to do
is I want to go up

to that guard
and make him let me in.

Punch him in the mouth
if I have to.

But I can't decide

if that's what
I really want to do.

I can't make
decisions, Gaby.

They're hard to make.

Well, Stu's gone.

I'll have to
learn how.

I'll wait here.
Go ahead.

Don't help me.

I'm sorry.

Ohh!

I didn't want...

Want to do that.

It isn't right...

To kill.

I couldn't
leave him.

When...

It first appeared...

He looked at it
as a scientist would.

Curious.

Frightened even.

But he was sure...

Heh! We were all sure

it could be controlled,

Studied.

But if
our control slipped,

even for a second...

It would kill.

If it was loose...

It would kill...

Mindlessly,
indiscriminately.

So we tried

to destroy it.

But he didn't
want it destroyed.

He said it was
his discovery.

He said it was his,

and he would
solve the mystery of it.

Every man...

Wants to solve
one mystery...

Before he dies.

He locked it.

He locked it!
He locked it!

No!

No! No!

No, I don't know
what to suggest.

Tanks?

No. No, you can't
destroy it with guns.

It'll consume
any form of energy.

What?

As long as we stay
in the dark

we're as safe
as we can be.

No, she says there's
no way we can destroy it.

We have to
control it.

Wait a minute.

How?

Get it back
in the pit.

How?

The pit has
its own generators.

If you cut off
all the power

everywhere else,

it'll go back
to the pit.

Cut off the power
in this area.

Quick. I'll kill
as much of it

as I can from in here.

What is it?

What's the matter?

It's... taking...

The power.

It's... under control...

For the moment.

The conservation
of energy law,

a principle which states

that energy can be
changed in form,

but that it cannot
be either created

or destroyed,

and this is true
of all energy.

The energy of genius,
of madness,

of the heart,
of the atom.

And so it must
be lived with.

It must be controlled,

channeled for good,

held isolated from evil,

and somehow...

Lived with peaceably.

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...