The Ray Bradbury Theater (1985–1992): Season 4, Episode 11 - The Long Years - full transcript
A family of Earth colonists was stranded on Mars twenty years ago when they missed the order to evacuate. Now, after their long wait, a ship from Earth arrives to take them home, but the rescuers notice something odd.
[theme music]
RAY BRADBURY
(VOICEOVER): People ask,
where do you get your ideas?
Right here.
All this is my
magician's toyshop.
I'm Ray Bradbury, and this is--
[music playing]
CORA (FAR-OFF): We've
missed the rocket.
We're all alone now.
JOHN (FAR-OFF): I know.
TOM (FAR-OFF): Someone
will come back, won't they?
JOHN (FAR-OFF): Of
course they will.
CORA (FAR-OFF):
You believe that?
JOHN (FAR-OFF): I do.
Still here.
Waiting.
Will one of you move, damn it?
Not one.
Not one small fire burning.
[beeping]
[shifting]
[beeping]
Everything OK?
Yeah.
It's getting late.
CORA: Time for bed, kids.
John?
I'm all right, Cora.
You're not.
You're thinking about the past.
What else is there
to think about?
You go on back in the house.
I'm going to take my walk.
I thought so.
JOHN: Do you forgive
me for what I've done?
I was very much alone.
You do understand, don't you?
You keep waiting and
waiting, year after year,
and thinking maybe some night a
new rocket may come from Earth.
20 years.
Anyway, goodnight.
[music playing]
It is.
It is.
Dear God, it is.
Cora!
Meg!
Tom!
Come look!
Come, quick!
Come here.
CORA: What is it?
Look, here.
It's a rocket.
A ship.
See it even with the naked eye?
It's coming this way.
We're going home.
We need a million lights.
Brightest stars.
They'll see us from 100 miles.
We're going home.
We're going home.
I thought we had some
strawberries in here.
CORA: Mhm.
TOM: Yeah.
There should be some juice
and nuts in there, as well.
JOHN: Ooh.
Yeah.
Here they are.
Tom, give me a hand.
We're going to need some
chicken, some beans.
We'll have to raid
the big freezer.
Then we'll go down
and meet the ship.
We'll be back soon.
We'd better hurry up.
They'll be landing soon.
Mom, which one should I wear?
That one, dear.
Your father wants
us to look our best.
OK.
Wilder?
Good heavens.
Hathaway.
It's been a long
time, Captain.
I got old.
Who hasn't?
John Hathaway, from my old
crew, the fourth expedition.
Bill Williamson, Elaine Renfroe.
Bill, Elaine.
It has been a long trip.
So much has happened.
I can imagine.
We've made a welcome
celebration for you.
We?
Yes.
Oh, of course.
Your wife.
When they established
First Town,
he came here with his wife.
You had children.
My son, my daughter.
I remember.
They're all here now.
It's a long story.
We can all go in my buggy.
I'm sure that you're
hungry for real food.
Compute our departure
time and follow us.
Right, Captain.
So what happened?
We were out in the mountains.
We got stuck on a dig.
Some old ruins.
We got back to town one week
late and everybody was gone.
I remember that order.
"Forget all the stragglers."
We were the only
ones left behind.
Yes, I think you are.
You are.
We have circled this place
twice and found no one.
It's virtually dead.
It's lucky we saw your light.
Well, I couldn't take a
chance that you might miss us.
What's happening on Earth?
I get Earth radio
once in a while,
but the signal's so faint,
I can't hear anything.
The wars are over.
We're rebuilding.
This is the first expedition
since peace to check out
Mars for survivors.
Will you go back with us?
Are you ki--
will I?
Tom, what do you think?
Do we want to go back to Earth?
[music playing]
Cora, Marguerite, we're here.
Cora, you remember
Captain Wilder.
Yes, of course.
How are you?
Well, thank you.
And this is Bill Williamson
and Elaine Renfroe.
This is my wife, Cora.
You've met Tom.
And this is our
daughter, Marguerite.
Marguerite.
Hi.
Cora, how long has it been?
20 years?
You look wonderful.
Thank you.
I-- I can't get
over this place.
Is that gingerbread I smell?
Fresh baked.
Come and have some.
We raided the
freezer for you guys.
You managed to keep food
in the freezer all this time?
When we realized
that we were stranded,
we moved very quickly to
store whatever we could.
And we saved some for a
special occasion, like this.
We're honored.
No, we are.
[music playing]
More coffee, Captain?
Yes, thank you.
You're not eating?
Oh, we stuffed ourselves
while preparing all this.
Some more chicken?
It's John's favorite, but
I'm sure he won't mind.
Cora, your food is wonderful.
JOHN: She was
always a great cook.
She taught all of us.
There's not really very much
else to do here, you know.
You're a lucky man.
She's talented, beautiful.
She doesn't look a day over 30.
Flattery will
get you everything.
I'll get us some more wine.
Captain, I went to
school with Tom Hathaway.
That was what, 20 years ago?
He should be at least 40.
WILDER: I know.
And the girl.
My cousin dated
Marguerite Hathaway
before they left for
Mars in the year 2005.
She was 17 years old then.
Tom, how old are you now?
21.
And you, Marguerite?
JOHN: Hey, I'm going
to have to take
you guys into town after lunch.
It's got a lot of
surprises for you.
With everybody gone, the
town was a little lonely,
so I brought it back to life.
[children talking]
[jackhammering]
[birds chirping]
You're a brilliant man, John.
And with a town
full of technology,
I can see how you could
do anything you wanted to.
Not everything.
I couldn't build a rocket.
I couldn't get us back
to Earth, not even--
but now we're going back
with you, so it's all right.
[ambulance siren wailing]
[sounds stop]
I told Cora to be ready.
She's always very prompt.
Right.
You go on inside.
I'll join you in a moment.
There's something I have to--
t-- take care of
just before we go.
Thank you.
[music playing]
John.
I'm sorry.
What happened?
It went very quickly.
In a single week
they were all gone.
Tom was the first.
I tried everything
I could think of.
But this is Mars, and
the virus was new to us.
I couldn't identify it.
I couldn't isolate it.
I never did.
You had no medications?
Nothing worked.
Marguerite was next.
My baby.
My poor baby.
JOHN: And the next night, I
heard a whimper in her sleep.
When I reached over to touch
her, she was burning up.
I lost all of them.
One week.
Lost everything.
I prayed to the virus
to take me, too.
I never got sick.
I was alone on the planet.
The entire planet, alone.
All I could think of was them.
I couldn't do my work.
What for?
Their faces didn't get dim
the way they're supposed to.
They got stronger.
The sound of them,
the way they laughed.
And out of all that, an
idea began to take over.
I began to piece together,
bit by bit, the things that
were dear to me.
A brilliant man played God.
I created m--
recreated my family.
I programmed the
new ones with all
the memories of
what they had been
and of what they
could still become.
And now they are my family.
You've been living with
androids for 20 years.
With memories.
My memories.
In the end, that's
all anybody has.
I don't know.
Maybe.
We have to leave soon.
Yes.
How soon?
Within the hour.
That's not very much time.
Uh, I have to prepare
them for the trip.
Hathaway, we
can only take you.
I can't do it.
John, we could leave you
here with them if you wish.
Please, just give me
a few minutes alone.
There are some things
that we've never even
talked about all these years.
We've never talked
about saying goodbye.
Goodbye?
What is goodbye?
Captain Wilder's ship has
to go-- leave very soon.
Oh, God.
They can't take you.
I'm going away.
Going away?
No one has ever gone away.
No, but, uh, it won't be--
No one has ever
gone away before.
Will he go?
WILDER: Not with us.
He, um, passed away.
His heart.
I'm sorry.
How do you feel?
I feel fine, thank you.
He told us this
would happen one day.
But he didn't want us
ever to feel sad or cry.
He said the worst
thing for anyone
was to know how to be
lonely or sad or cry,
so he didn't teach us.
Mr. Hathaway did a good
job on you and the children.
He would have liked
to hear you say that.
He was very proud of us.
After a while, he
forgot that he made us.
In the end, he loved and took us
as his real wife and children.
And in a way, we are.
You were a great
comfort to him.
There's another
thing he couldn't do.
Make us grow old.
He got older and older every
day, but we stayed the same.
I guess he didn't mind.
I guess he wanted us this way.
Maybe we could bury him on
the slope with the others.
I think he would like that.
[music playing]
Goodbye, Cora.
Goodbye, Captain Wilder.
Goodbye, children.
[music playing]
Your favorite, John.
[music playing]
RAY BRADBURY
(VOICEOVER): People ask,
where do you get your ideas?
Right here.
All this is my
magician's toyshop.
I'm Ray Bradbury, and this is--
[music playing]
CORA (FAR-OFF): We've
missed the rocket.
We're all alone now.
JOHN (FAR-OFF): I know.
TOM (FAR-OFF): Someone
will come back, won't they?
JOHN (FAR-OFF): Of
course they will.
CORA (FAR-OFF):
You believe that?
JOHN (FAR-OFF): I do.
Still here.
Waiting.
Will one of you move, damn it?
Not one.
Not one small fire burning.
[beeping]
[shifting]
[beeping]
Everything OK?
Yeah.
It's getting late.
CORA: Time for bed, kids.
John?
I'm all right, Cora.
You're not.
You're thinking about the past.
What else is there
to think about?
You go on back in the house.
I'm going to take my walk.
I thought so.
JOHN: Do you forgive
me for what I've done?
I was very much alone.
You do understand, don't you?
You keep waiting and
waiting, year after year,
and thinking maybe some night a
new rocket may come from Earth.
20 years.
Anyway, goodnight.
[music playing]
It is.
It is.
Dear God, it is.
Cora!
Meg!
Tom!
Come look!
Come, quick!
Come here.
CORA: What is it?
Look, here.
It's a rocket.
A ship.
See it even with the naked eye?
It's coming this way.
We're going home.
We need a million lights.
Brightest stars.
They'll see us from 100 miles.
We're going home.
We're going home.
I thought we had some
strawberries in here.
CORA: Mhm.
TOM: Yeah.
There should be some juice
and nuts in there, as well.
JOHN: Ooh.
Yeah.
Here they are.
Tom, give me a hand.
We're going to need some
chicken, some beans.
We'll have to raid
the big freezer.
Then we'll go down
and meet the ship.
We'll be back soon.
We'd better hurry up.
They'll be landing soon.
Mom, which one should I wear?
That one, dear.
Your father wants
us to look our best.
OK.
Wilder?
Good heavens.
Hathaway.
It's been a long
time, Captain.
I got old.
Who hasn't?
John Hathaway, from my old
crew, the fourth expedition.
Bill Williamson, Elaine Renfroe.
Bill, Elaine.
It has been a long trip.
So much has happened.
I can imagine.
We've made a welcome
celebration for you.
We?
Yes.
Oh, of course.
Your wife.
When they established
First Town,
he came here with his wife.
You had children.
My son, my daughter.
I remember.
They're all here now.
It's a long story.
We can all go in my buggy.
I'm sure that you're
hungry for real food.
Compute our departure
time and follow us.
Right, Captain.
So what happened?
We were out in the mountains.
We got stuck on a dig.
Some old ruins.
We got back to town one week
late and everybody was gone.
I remember that order.
"Forget all the stragglers."
We were the only
ones left behind.
Yes, I think you are.
You are.
We have circled this place
twice and found no one.
It's virtually dead.
It's lucky we saw your light.
Well, I couldn't take a
chance that you might miss us.
What's happening on Earth?
I get Earth radio
once in a while,
but the signal's so faint,
I can't hear anything.
The wars are over.
We're rebuilding.
This is the first expedition
since peace to check out
Mars for survivors.
Will you go back with us?
Are you ki--
will I?
Tom, what do you think?
Do we want to go back to Earth?
[music playing]
Cora, Marguerite, we're here.
Cora, you remember
Captain Wilder.
Yes, of course.
How are you?
Well, thank you.
And this is Bill Williamson
and Elaine Renfroe.
This is my wife, Cora.
You've met Tom.
And this is our
daughter, Marguerite.
Marguerite.
Hi.
Cora, how long has it been?
20 years?
You look wonderful.
Thank you.
I-- I can't get
over this place.
Is that gingerbread I smell?
Fresh baked.
Come and have some.
We raided the
freezer for you guys.
You managed to keep food
in the freezer all this time?
When we realized
that we were stranded,
we moved very quickly to
store whatever we could.
And we saved some for a
special occasion, like this.
We're honored.
No, we are.
[music playing]
More coffee, Captain?
Yes, thank you.
You're not eating?
Oh, we stuffed ourselves
while preparing all this.
Some more chicken?
It's John's favorite, but
I'm sure he won't mind.
Cora, your food is wonderful.
JOHN: She was
always a great cook.
She taught all of us.
There's not really very much
else to do here, you know.
You're a lucky man.
She's talented, beautiful.
She doesn't look a day over 30.
Flattery will
get you everything.
I'll get us some more wine.
Captain, I went to
school with Tom Hathaway.
That was what, 20 years ago?
He should be at least 40.
WILDER: I know.
And the girl.
My cousin dated
Marguerite Hathaway
before they left for
Mars in the year 2005.
She was 17 years old then.
Tom, how old are you now?
21.
And you, Marguerite?
JOHN: Hey, I'm going
to have to take
you guys into town after lunch.
It's got a lot of
surprises for you.
With everybody gone, the
town was a little lonely,
so I brought it back to life.
[children talking]
[jackhammering]
[birds chirping]
You're a brilliant man, John.
And with a town
full of technology,
I can see how you could
do anything you wanted to.
Not everything.
I couldn't build a rocket.
I couldn't get us back
to Earth, not even--
but now we're going back
with you, so it's all right.
[ambulance siren wailing]
[sounds stop]
I told Cora to be ready.
She's always very prompt.
Right.
You go on inside.
I'll join you in a moment.
There's something I have to--
t-- take care of
just before we go.
Thank you.
[music playing]
John.
I'm sorry.
What happened?
It went very quickly.
In a single week
they were all gone.
Tom was the first.
I tried everything
I could think of.
But this is Mars, and
the virus was new to us.
I couldn't identify it.
I couldn't isolate it.
I never did.
You had no medications?
Nothing worked.
Marguerite was next.
My baby.
My poor baby.
JOHN: And the next night, I
heard a whimper in her sleep.
When I reached over to touch
her, she was burning up.
I lost all of them.
One week.
Lost everything.
I prayed to the virus
to take me, too.
I never got sick.
I was alone on the planet.
The entire planet, alone.
All I could think of was them.
I couldn't do my work.
What for?
Their faces didn't get dim
the way they're supposed to.
They got stronger.
The sound of them,
the way they laughed.
And out of all that, an
idea began to take over.
I began to piece together,
bit by bit, the things that
were dear to me.
A brilliant man played God.
I created m--
recreated my family.
I programmed the
new ones with all
the memories of
what they had been
and of what they
could still become.
And now they are my family.
You've been living with
androids for 20 years.
With memories.
My memories.
In the end, that's
all anybody has.
I don't know.
Maybe.
We have to leave soon.
Yes.
How soon?
Within the hour.
That's not very much time.
Uh, I have to prepare
them for the trip.
Hathaway, we
can only take you.
I can't do it.
John, we could leave you
here with them if you wish.
Please, just give me
a few minutes alone.
There are some things
that we've never even
talked about all these years.
We've never talked
about saying goodbye.
Goodbye?
What is goodbye?
Captain Wilder's ship has
to go-- leave very soon.
Oh, God.
They can't take you.
I'm going away.
Going away?
No one has ever gone away.
No, but, uh, it won't be--
No one has ever
gone away before.
Will he go?
WILDER: Not with us.
He, um, passed away.
His heart.
I'm sorry.
How do you feel?
I feel fine, thank you.
He told us this
would happen one day.
But he didn't want us
ever to feel sad or cry.
He said the worst
thing for anyone
was to know how to be
lonely or sad or cry,
so he didn't teach us.
Mr. Hathaway did a good
job on you and the children.
He would have liked
to hear you say that.
He was very proud of us.
After a while, he
forgot that he made us.
In the end, he loved and took us
as his real wife and children.
And in a way, we are.
You were a great
comfort to him.
There's another
thing he couldn't do.
Make us grow old.
He got older and older every
day, but we stayed the same.
I guess he didn't mind.
I guess he wanted us this way.
Maybe we could bury him on
the slope with the others.
I think he would like that.
[music playing]
Goodbye, Cora.
Goodbye, Captain Wilder.
Goodbye, children.
[music playing]
Your favorite, John.
[music playing]