The Outer Limits (1963–1965): Season 1, Episode 23 - Second Chance - full transcript

Get everybody out!

Get out!
Everybody, get out!

Get out!
Everybody, get out!

Stay.

Stay.
Seat yourselves.

We must not lose
another precious moment.

Tell them.

Please...

I don't know
what this is,

but I'm afraid
it's real.

I'll explain later,
when you're capable



of listening
to explanations.

Do not be afraid.

You have nothing to lose
but your lives.

Stand by for countdown
and launch.

10...

9...

8...

7...

6...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1.



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 minds to...

The outer limits.

When fear is too terrible,

when reality
is too agonizing,

we seek escape
in manufactured danger,

in the thrills
and pleasures of pretending

in the amusement parks
of our unamusing world.

Here in frantic pretending,

man finds escape
and temporary peace

and goes home tired enough

to sleep
a short, deep sleep.

But what happens here
when night comes?

When pretending ends
and reality begins?

And now
in your vis-a-screen,

you can see the Milky Way,

a giant system
of stars, planets,

and clouds of dust and gas

which measure 100,000
light-years in diameter.

Our sun is one of the stars
in the Milky Way,

rotating with it like...

Some chair
on a great Ferris wheel.

Does life exist somewhere
other than this Earth?

There are a billion stars
in the Milky Way

giving light and heat
to its many planets,

and the possibility
of discovering other beings

is no longer fantasy.

Perhaps they will be

even more intelligent
than we are.

Perhaps... perhaps
we can learn from them

not only the secret
of our origin, but...

How to keep from
destroying ourselves.

And now we reverse rockets,

and we're homeward bound

on a true course
to the Joyland space port.

You positively
mystify me.

Why?

Oh, philosophizing

about life
on other planets

for the benefit
of one small boy.

Well, maybe young people
are the only ones

who really listen
and understand.

You can't reach
a closed mind.

Anyway,

I get tired of making
the same old speech.

You know, you
don't belong here.

No, I'm serious.

I mean, who works
in amusement parks?

Drifters,
ex-carnies,

and students during
summer vacation.

And lovely artists.

Oh, yes,

artists who can't
sell their paintings.

But I prefer this
to waiting tables.

Well, I belong
wherever I happen to be.

I am a drifter.

We are reentering
the Earth's atmosphere now.

Stand by for retrorockets.

And there go
the retrorockets.

Breaking procedure
has reduced our speed

from a maximum
24,900 miles per hour

to suborbital velocity.

Stand by for
changeover and landing.

What are
you drifting from?

You know, you have
the occupational disease

of all undiscovered artists...

A, um...

A hyperactive imagination

snooping. Ha ha.

Well, a man
who reads

Kant's Critique
of pure reason

does not belong
where artists

who can't sell
their paintings belong.

Or did I imagine
you reading that...

And in
the original German?

Well, I'm
a compulsive reader.

It might be interesting

to snoop into your life
one of these days.

Well, you can start

the minute we get back
to Earth if you like.

I'm free for lunch.

And there's California
on the lower screen.

Now Los Angeles county
and Joyland.

We're coming in!

And it's a perfect landing.

On behalf of
Captian Crowell and myself,

thank you for joining us
on our trip into space.

We hope that you've
enjoyed yourself

and that you'll be traveling
with us soon again.

I know a little
enchilada stand

next door to a,
uh, roller coaster.

Now, if we walk fast...

Well, that doesn't
sound too seductive.

I accept.

Hey, what is it?

I feel as if
something's wrong.

How?

As if we were
being watched.

From, uh...

Somewhere out there?

From somewhere close.

From everywhere.

Now, that's impossible.

There aren't enough
people in this whole park

to watch us
from everywhere.

Maybe that's it.

An amusement park
shouldn't be as empty

as this one
always is.

It wouldn't be
if the management

knew anything
about management.

Well, um...

Shouldn't we strike
while the enchiladas are hot?

Dave, I asked what
you're drifting from.

I'd like to change that.

What are you
drifting toward?

Well, we were
going to have lunch

so, um, I could
snoop into your life.

Are you looking for
a wife or a girlfriend?

I know what's
watching you, Mara.

You do?

Mm-hmm. The eyes
of your conscience.

Oh. Then I'm not
in any real danger.

My conscience and I
understand each other.

The final facets
of conversion

have been completed.

Achievement
accomplished

without noticeable
modifications.

Humans still see ship
as amusement-park ride.

Human subjects meeting
required specifications

have been psycho-organized
into area

and will enter ship
according to plan.

Will recontact Imperia

when ship is beyond
Earth's atmosphere.

R.J.

Of all the cheating,
miserable contraptions.

R.J.,
it's only a dime.

Ah!

Help yourself,
Sonny boy.

R.J., please.

We came here
for a good time.

I'm having all the fun
in the world

I mean to tell you!

Aah!

Don't be frightened.

I'm as human as you are.

You've taken jobs you didn't
want to take, haven't you?

Well, I wouldn't take one
that would degrade me.

Does the job
degrade the man,

or is it perhaps
the other way around?

These are complimentary.

Tickets for the space ride.

I didn't ask to go
on any space ride.

I don't even know
what I'm doing

in this so-called
amusement park.

Perhaps you were
compelled to come here

by some sleeping need
for unreality.

An escape from reality
is usually costly.

This one is free.

Please take these.

Thank you.

Thank you
very kindly, mister.

May you enjoy the journey.

It... it was nice
of him to pick us.

Probably nobody wants
to go on that ride.

I do.

Well, supposing I don't.

I'm sorry, Sue Ann.

It's all right.

I don't mean to be sharp
with you all the time.

Well, one of these days,

I'll make it up to you.

One of these days...

You know, there's
plenty of opportunity

out here, Sue Ann,
for a man like me.

If I could just find
that one little door

and get my foot into it...

It'll have to be
a big door, R.J.

You got awful
big feet, you know?

Most big men do.

Come on, lady, before
I get too busy to notice you.

Let's go have a look
at that universe.

Buddy, maybe we
ought to go now.

Uh, the luncheon's
in his honor, Denise.

He can keep them
all waiting.

The luncheon's
for the whole team.

Oh, well, yeah, sure.

But, uh, you are
the whole team, buddy.

We'll get there
in plenty of time.

How about taking
these back, huh?

Oh, yeah.

And...

Buy us
some more rides.

Oh, no, no, no.

This is my treat
this time, huh?

Buddy, you've been
acting strange all day.

Well, a football hero

is supposed to be
normal, uncomplicated,

and transparent
as glass.

And, uh, putty in
a pretty girl's hands.

Do you love me?

I'm wearing your pin.

Yeah,
a football hero's pin.

What if I weren't a hero?

Aaaaah!

Forgive me for frightening
the young lady.

I saw she was falling.

I, uh...

I forgot
about the costume.

But as long
as I'm here...

Free. A free ride

through the endless
freedom of the universe.

No, Buddy.

We're late enough
as it is.

Perhaps too late,
in which case,

the universe may be
just the place to go

and start over.

The young lady will
take your tickets.

I hope you enjoy
your journey.

Let's wait inside.
We'll give them to her there.

Welcome aboard.

Good afternoon.

This is
your space stewardess

Miss Matthews speaking.

Your tour officer
is Captian Crowell.

He'll explain,
in authentic space-age ease,

the wondrous sights
you'll see

if you keep your eyes
on the vis-a-screen.

We wish you
a pleasant journey

and request
that all passengers

fasten their seat belts.

Did you hear
that sound?

From the radio unit
upstairs,

a kind of, uh... Voice.

You said my conscience
was watching me.

Maybe yours
is talking to you.

Maybe.

Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome aboard
our space flight.

Our ship is
a single-stage vehicle

using nuclear power rather
than chemical propellants

utilized in
multi-staged rockets.

Our escape velocity will
be 15,000 miles an hour,

and we'll be traveling
in a figure-eight orbit

that will take us
around the moon.

In just a few moments,
after our equipment check,

we'll be ready to blast off.

Stand by for countdown
and launch.

Aaaah!

They put on
a very realistic show.

I'm gravely sorry.

I did not intend
to reveal myself

until you needed me.

Horror is a luxury

the desperate
cannot afford.

Sit down,
Miss Matthews.

Fasten your belt.

Would you be good enough
to fasten your seat belt?

What's going on
around here, huh?

There are rules
in space flight.

Not this kind
of space flight.

Oh, R.J.,
do as he says.

No.

Tell me, why did
you come aboard?

You gave me
a free ticket.

How can you enjoy
the things you get free

if you won't pretend
they're real?

Maybe I don't
like to pretend.

Perhaps you don't,
but you do it.

You do it incessantly,
doesn't he?

Listen, now...

Look at this, Mr. Beasley.

Now he's trying
to hypnotize me.

It's too late
to allow you to leave.

Neither can I allow

your frail body
to be bashed to death

against the sides
of this craft.

I can disintegrate
you, however.

You can?

And leave not a trace
of you for anyone to mourn.

Fasten your belt, R.J.,
and pretend

what all the rest of us
are pretending for a change.

Aaaaah!

Get everybody out!

Get out!
Everybody, get out!

Get out!
Everybody, get out!

Stay.

Stay. Fasten yourselves
in or you'll be killed.

Seat yourselves.

We must not lose
another precious moment.

Tell them.

Please...

I don't know
what this is,

but I'm afraid
it's real.

I'll explain later,
when you're capable

of listening
to explanations.

Do not be afraid.

You have nothing to lose
but your lives.

Stand by for countdown
and launch.

10... 9... 8...

7... 6... 5...

4... 3... 2...

1.

Sue Ann,
I'm scared.

I'm scared,
Sue Ann.

Are we...
Where are we?!

We're in space.

I don't like this,

and I don't stand for
anything I don't like.

Nothing's fun
when it's this real,

nothing in life.

You call it fun when
we actually passed out?!

You call it fun
when we actually

got scared there
for a minute?!

Well, I don't
call it fun,

and I'm not stayin'!

Don't. You can't leave!

Do you want
to kill us all?

Look. Look!

Those
are the stars...

Above you, beneath you,
all about you.

We're in space.

Now, believe it.
It's real.

Why? Why is it real?

Dave.

Come sit down.

He said he'd come down
later and explain.

Mara...

I bid you welcome...

To the universe.

No!

No! It's a mask.
It isn't real!

It's a mask.
Take it off.

It's a fake.
Take it off!

Aaah!

Aaah!

I want to go home.

Shh.

Please let me go home.

All right.
Everything's all right.

Aah.
shh.

We should have gone
to the luncheon.

You were supposed
to be there.

This would
never have happened.

I'd be safe.

Why did we
have to come here?!

Why didn't we just...

Come on.

Is this all there is to it?

Somebody pushes a button,
and we just go sailing

into the universe?
Is that it?

Well, don't we do
anything about it?

You're... you're real swell

at pretending
to be a Captain, Captain.

You speak that space age-ese
like a native, don't you?

Yes, sir. You, Captain,
sure pretend good.

Oh, excuse me.
You sure pretend well.

My dear old dad
is a Captain, too, sir.

You ought
to see him pretend.

Oh, we... we just
call it pretending.

Its real name
is hypocrisy.

It means...

I know what it means.

I know all your words
and how you use them.

Oh.

We've got
an intellectual

on the team, fellas.

Are we gonna let him

take the fun
out of our game,

or are we gonna
splatter him

all over the field?

Splatter him!

Kill him!

Kill him for real!

Come on,
help me, Tommy.

No.
come on!

No. I saw
what he did to you.

Come on, we'll
get him together.

Teamwork, Tommy.
no!

You get him yourself.

Or can't you do anything
all by yourself

except take bribes, huh?

What are you
talkin' about,

Tommy, old friend?

What you and I both know

and the whole world
will find out.

My own private slave
gonna tell 'em,

my loyal,
faithful gopher

gonna turn fink on me?

The problem is
you threw the game, buddy.

That's finkship
of the highest.

Buddy.

Oh, it would have been
some luncheon, Denise,

everyone makin' him out
to be the big hero. Big hero.

And him sitting there,
a bigger hypocrite

than his brass star papa!

I'd hate you, Tommy,

but you
can't hate someone

you never liked.

You meant something
to me, buddy.

Shut up!

You meant something
to a lot of people.

Shut up. Shut up!

Aaaah!

To me, to every member
of my race,

the dark aridness
of the universe

was once an endless,
laneless thoroughfare,

unrestricted and harmless.

In some fanciful flight
of evolution,

we Imperions, like the birds
of your own world,

were given the freedom
to soar above our destinies.

And, like the men
of your world,

we chose to discard

a greater part
of that freedom...

To confine ourselves
to a single star,

a planet we call Imperia.

In some of us,

the soaring freedom
still lives

and must be employed
to distract disaster

from the rest of us.

In our solar system,

there is an asteroid
called Tythra.

Its atmosphere is similar
to that of Earth,

and it is a threat to us.

However, properly colonized,

its course
can be redirected

and controlled.

You've abducted us
for that purpose.

The choices
were not as random

as it might seem.

I've been here
a long time.

I've studied
the human specimen.

So many long to soar.

Great expenditures
are directed

toward the leaving
of Earth.

Yet in all the minds
I've probed,

I found not one
genuine desire

for total freedom.

None of you, it seems,

truly wants to leave
this troubled star.

And so, regretfully,
abduction became necessary.

I chose those of you

who would have
the least regret,

who would leave
the least behind,

and who would have
the most to gain

by a new chance in
a new, undistorted world.

I think you've made
a disastrous mistake.

You need scientists,
not discontented...

dreamers.

One scientist
should be enough,

Dr. Crowell.

When do you estimate
the asteroid

will hit Imperia?

In your time scale,
82 years.

Not a second sooner
or later.

That isn't enough time.

That's hardly a minute.

No, it would not be

if we used
only the technology

familiar to you.

But we have
a 4-century advance

upon the scientists
of Earth.

A mind of genius,
such as yours,

should be able to absorb
a 4-century advance within...

7.4 years...

Uh, assuming such a mind
wanted to absorb.

You stopped wanting
to exploit that genius,

Dr. Crowell.

You did not stop
wanting to expand it

for good
and noble purpose.

Sometimes I wonder.

They offered me
prizes and honors

and even
moderate riches.

And all I had to do

was to let them
stand over my shoulder

and make suggestions.

I didn't want that. I...

I wanted to go off
somewhere alone

and unravel the mysteries
I preferred.

The ones that
mystify the heart, not...

Not the defense department.

I didn't know
there was anything on Earth

worth defending.

I'm giving you your chance
to defend all of Earth,

everything
and everyone on it.

I'm giving that chance
to all of you.

Why me? Why us?!

What do your troubles
got to do with me?

My troubles?

The troubles of the universe
are universal, Mr. Beasley.

So is its capriciousness.

You've seen the game
called billiards.

The universe invented it.

An asteroid strikes Imperia.

It's knocked out
of its own solar system.

It, in turn, collides
with another planet.

And the game
cannot be fixed.

If it's going
to collide with Earth,

it will collide with Earth,

and it is going
to collide with Earth.

I wonder what
it's like to...

Play a game
that can't be fixed.

Maybe we're
lucky, Denise.

Lucky?!

To get
another chance.

I don't need
another chance.

How do you know
what I'm leaving behind

and what
I'm not leaving behind?

I had everything
a girl would want.

What did you want?

The admiration of men.

The envy of women.

Are those lovely goals,

or are they just
the hungers of the heart,

incapable
of an honest feeling

for another human being?

I've been in love.

I was even pinned
to Buddy.

Would you shout this
to the world

when it learned
that he accepted a bribe

to lose a game?

Would you love the cheat
as you did the hero?

All of you...
What have you to lose?

Does one of you have something
real and tangible to lose?

Something worthwhile?

Mr. Beasley,
will you mourn the loss

of your shallow,
impossible dream of success?

Will you be sorry to stop
wearing out your shoes

and your wife's soul

in the search of
a nonexistent rainbow?

And you, Miss Matthews.

Will you miss
the loneliness,

the guilt, the regret,

over a love affair
that ended

because it had
no moral right to start?

And Dr. Crowell...

I leave nothing behind...

Except disillusionment
in my fellow man

and hopelessness
in myself.

Well...

maybe we could all
use another chance.

I know I could.

Come then.

We'll begin
to plan the future.

Everyone's future.

Are you all right?

I think
there's something

in the first aid
kit. I'll get it.

Can I help,
Denise?

Leave me alone.

If you love me,
you'll find some way

to stop this
awful nightmare.

Nightmares end
when you stop dreaming.

Take me home, Buddy.

I don't care
what you've done.

I understand.

I still love you.

Just please
take me home.

I don't know how.

Captian Crowell does.

He could take us
back to Earth.

What can we do?

None of us
can fly this.

What about Crowell?

The Imperian said
he was the only one

who could understand
their machinery.

It doesn't mean
he can pilot

a spaceship, though.

He looks like
he wants to go.

That's what
they counted on.

Give him a chance
to be a hero...

Boss us slaves around.

They knew
that he'd bite.

They needed him.

But they missed
one thing.

Take away Crowell,

and the rest of us

wouldn't be
a bit of use to them.

He's the scientist,

and if something
happened to him...

Like what?

Like what happened
to your friend.

It's difficult
for me to understand

human beings.

You're doing
fairly well.

You're willing to go,
aren't you,

even though you may
resent being abducted?

Well, life is
one big abduction.

Yes, uh,
I'm willing to go.

The logic
behind human thought

evades me.

Or the lack of it?

Throughout
your history,

men have
volunteered readily

to fight and die
to preserve a nation

and its people,

yet when
the whole planet

faces destruction,

those people
down there...

It's hard
for human beings...

To do something about
tomorrow's catastrophes,

let alone one
that's 82 years off.

Then you accept
our calculations?

Oh, yes.

I thought
I was the most

cynical person
on Earth.

I believe if
this collision

were going to
happen tomorrow

or next year
or the next,

half the population
of the Earth

would volunteer
to go anywhere

in the universe
to prevent it.

Logic doesn't
get in the way

when there's no time
to be logical.

You, also, have shown
no reluctance

to come to Tythra.

Maybe
it's the company

I've been
keeping lately.

Aaah!

Aaah!

Everybody all right?

You OK?

No one was hurt?

Not yet.

You don't suppose
there's any chance

you might talk him
into taking us

back to Earth?

Well, uh...

I... I couldn't,
even if I wanted to.

We're going?

We're
really going?!

Uh... that's right.

No, young lady.

The answer is no.

R.J...

Put that away,
Mr. Beasley.

Killing you is
the only solution

to our problem.

Killing?

They can't use us
without you.

We'd never survive
anyplace

without some big brain
to lord it over us,

so you've
got to be killed.

Aaah!

Help him, please!

Help Mr. Beasley.

Aah! Buddy, get him!

It's not deep.

How could I be so wrong
about people?

This wasn't
a punishment.

It wasn't
a sentence.

It was
a second chance.

Well, some of us
don't believe

in second chances...

And the rest of us
don't want them.

Take them back.

They can't be
of any use to you.

I hope I can.

How does it feel

to know what you're
drifting toward, Dave?

Well, a little
like it felt

when that shower
of meteors passed.

We were holding
onto each other.

Are you sure this is
what you really want?

No.

When you
take them back,

ask for volunteers,

or I'm sure we'll
start off again

with a whole
shipload full

of illogical
human beings.

And eventually
others will join us,

others who will
come willingly.

I believe I can
trust in that.

I'll reverse
our course.

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...