The Ray Bradbury Theater (1985–1992): Season 5, Episode 2 - Zero Hour - full transcript
Eight-year-old Mink plays a new game with the other children in the neighborhood; Invasion. It involves putting together odd devices from kitchen utensils and working out mathematical formulas. When Mink's mother Mary takes an interest, she soon realizes that there may be something more sinister going on then a mere children's game...
[theme music]
RAY BRADBURY: People ask,
where do you get your ideas?
Right here.
All of this is my
magician's toy shop.
I'm Ray Bradbury and this is--
[chatter]
Hey Enid, did
you find anything?
[inaudible]
Not yet.
[inaudible]
It's here.
It's over there.
Let's go look at it.
[bubbling]
Hi, hon.
Fresh coffee's on.
I'm off, half an
hour late already.
Still got problems?
Hope not.
I think I cracked
what they want.
Lucky you.
Back about five.
Happy Saturday.
Bye, Mink, see you later.
Bye, Mink.
Bye, Dad.
Must be some game plan.
[music playing]
Heavens, Mink,
what's going on?
Most exciting game ever.
I'm taking these.
- Hey,
OK?
Well--
Thanks.
What's the name of the game?
MINK: Invasion.
[chatter]
What's with them?
Dumb kids, who cares?
[chatter]
This-- yeah, this.
Don't do that, stupid.
[inaudible]
Why not?
I think it'll go for it.
I think it'll go for it.
This is fun.
What do you want?
Want a hand?
No, you just make fun of us.
Come on, Joel,
let's get out of here.
What's under there?
I won't tell.
Yes, you would.
All you big guys, and you'd
laugh and spoil the invasion.
The invasion?
Fine, Connor,
stay at the babies.
Skyway News, noon--
the World Peace
conference has confirmed
that as of the
beginning of this month,
no nuclear weapons are in
the possession of any nation.
EMD, Earth Mutual Defense,
now holds all weapons
of mass destruction.
In related developments at
the nation's capital today--
[music playing]
Electro-laser oblong rhombus--
How do you spell that?
R-H-O-M-B-U-S.
Mink-- lunch in
five minutes, Mink.
But Mom, who wants to eat
when the world's going to end?
Lunch first, then
the end of the world.
[sigh]
OK, OK, write this.
4, 9, 7, A and B and X. And a
fork and a string and a hex.
Hex-- agoni-- hexagonal?
What's a hexagon?
Hey, I thought I
gave you five minutes?
This is a hexagon, right?
Yes, good.
Hey, what's with the rush?
Drill's waiting for me.
Well, who's Drill?
What a peculiar name.
You don't know him.
Well, is he a new boy
in the neighborhood?
He's new all right.
[music playing]
[airplane sound]
[microwave tones]
[gulping]
Hey, sit back down.
There's hot soup coming.
Hurry, Mom, this is a
matter of life and death.
I know.
I was your age once.
Everything was life and death.
Slow down.
Can't, Drill's waiting for me.
Who is this Drill?
You don't really want to know.
You'd laugh and
spoil the invasion.
Who's invading what?
Martians invading Earth.
Well, not exactly Martians.
They're from up and--
and--
Inside.
Ha!
See?
You're laughing.
You'll kill Drill and everybody.
Oh no, I wouldn't
want to do that.
So tell me, is Drill a Martian?
Not exactly.
He's um, from, maybe
Jupiter or Saturn or Venus.
Anyway, he's had a hard time.
Well, I imagine he has.
He couldn't figure
a way to attack Earth.
We're impregnable.
That's the word Drill used.
Impreg-- well, that--
Hm, that's a big word.
Must be a very
brilliant little boy.
He is.
Drill says you've got
to surprise people.
That way you'll win.
And also, you need
help from your enemy.
The fifth column?
Drill said that too.
Find a way to surprise Earth.
And?
Then one day
they thought of us.
- Us?
- Kids!
And how grown ups are so busy,
they never look under bushes,
hedges, or anything.
Except for snails and fungus.
And then there's
something about dim-dims.
Dim-dims?
Dimens-- dimens--
jimen--
Dimensions?
Yeah, four of them--
Drill says.
And there's something
about kids, under 9,
and imaginations.
It's real funny to
hear Drill talk.
Well, I think that Drill
must be waiting for you,
and that you should put
that down, finish your soup,
and then get this
invasion over with.
And then young lady, you're
due upstairs for a bath.
Bath!
Drill says from
now on, no baths.
MARY: He does, does he?
He told all the kids that.
And we can stay up until
10:00 and watch TV all day.
Well, you tell
Drill that if he
doesn't mind his
P's and Q's, I'm
going to be calling his mother.
Drill says you're
dangerous, you and Dad.
Know why?
Because you don't
believe in Martians.
They're going to let
us run the world.
Mink, that's enough.
I'm going to send
you to your room.
OK, OK.
Mom?
What's logic?
Well, I suppose
logic is knowing when
things are true or not true.
Drill mentioned that.
And what's impressionable.
Why, it's being a child, Mink.
I wish you'd
meet the Martians.
MARY: Mink.
Don't worry, you
won't be hurt much.
Gee, thanks.
[whispering]
Gang way!
Watch it!
I hate you, Eddie Beek.
You're worse than parents.
We'll kill you first.
Yeah, you and
whose army, squirt?
Me and Drill's army.
Who's Drill?
I'm not telling you, because
you don't believe in him.
You're snooty because you're
growing up and you think
you know better, but you don't.
We do.
Come zero hour, you'll be dead.
Come on, Joe.
Let them play their stupid game.
[phone ringing]
HELEN: Hi, Mare.
How are things
on the west coast?
And hello to you too.
I'm fine.
You're not.
Sorry, Sis.
It's this job deadline,
and Mink's super invasion,
and the combination.
You should try it sometime.
No way-- the kids alone
are quite enough for me,
crazier every day.
No peace, no quiet.
Do what I do, just
shut your ears--
only defense.
Hiya Jimmy, how's it going?
[inaudible] Mary.
Mom, this is a hexagon, right?
Yeah, what are you doing
with a cheese grater?
Drill needs it.
HELEN: Drill?
Who on earth is Drill?
Drill, ah, what'll
they come up with next?
Well, whoever this Drill is,
he better stay out of my path.
He's turned my yard
into a garage sale.
Same with Josephine in Chicago.
Her place is a mess too,
because her kids are
wild about some new game in--
Mare?
Earth to Mary Morris.
Huh?
Helen, I'm sorry.
I was just thinking--
[scream]
HELEN: About what?
Uh, look, I'll call you later.
HELEN: Hey, wait a minute--
[scream]
Mink?
What happened to your friend?
She's a scare baby.
We won't let her play now.
I guess she grew
up all of a sudden
Mink, did you make her cry?
Now you give me a civil answer,
young lady, or inside you come.
I can't quit now.
It's almost time.
Time?
Zero hour's five o'clock.
Get ready.
I want to know what made
her scream and run away.
I told you, she's
a scaredy pants.
What's going on back here?
I already told you.
Didn't you listen?
Drill's stuck halfway.
If only we could get him all
the way through, it'd be easier.
Then all the others could
come through after him.
MARY: Others?
What are you talking
about, others?
You go inside the
house right now.
[suspenseful music]
I'm tired of all of this.
You better be inside the house
when your father comes home.
Do you hear me, young lady?
[engine noise]
[suspenseful music]
Hi, Joe, Eddie.
[in unison] Hi, Mr. Morris.
Hey Mink, is that you?
Sh!
Hide and seek, huh?
Mary?
Hi, hon.
How was your day?
They love and hate us
all in half a second.
What?
Children-- do you think
they ever really forgive us?
For what?
Words of command, rules,
failure to understand,
closing our ears.
They must think that
we're out of touch,
tall, silly dictators.
You have had a bad day.
[disruption outside]
Do you hear anything?
Something in the kitchen.
Those kids-- you don't
suppose they have something
electrical out there, do you?
Electrical?
For hide and seek?
[inaudible]
[chatter]
What?
Tell them to stop.
To stop what?
Tell them--
Yeah?
--to put off the invasion.
In-- what?
No zero hour.
Zero hour?
Tell them.
What?
No zero hour.
Mary, the kids are
playing hide and seek.
No!
Quick, no!
[zapping sounds]
[scream]
- What?
What?
Mary, calm down.
MARY: Henry, come now.
Mary, what's wrong with you/
MINK: Too bad, Joe daddy.
Told you you'd be first.
HENRY: Mary!
[inaudible]
All this will be lost.
We've got to be safe.
Safe!
Lost!
HENRY: Mary!
MARY: Lost!
HENRY: Mary!
Mary!
Mary, what is the problem?
You'll see.
[inaudible]
MARY: Come in!
Come in!
Come in!
Mary, for God's sake,
this is my own attic.
Lock it!
There, it's locked.
It's no use anyway.
It's too late.
How could I have
been such a fool?
I just sat around and watched
them and listened to them.
Drill, zero hour,
Mink, the kids--
are you sure that it's locked?
Yes, it's locked.
[glass shattering]
[crying]
It's-- it's all right.
We're gonna get out of here.
We're gonna be safe
until midnight.
And then we're going to sneak
out and we're going to escape.
What?
How can we?
You threw the damn key away.
I did?
Find it.
[inaudible]
No, don't leave me.
I'm only going six feet.
You're crazy.
I'm not crazy.
It's dark over there.
Please stay here.
I can't know where to go.
Sh.
OK, [inaudible]
come up and find us.
They?
Who's going to find us?
Damn.
Sh.
[ringing]
I don't give a damn.
[breathing heavily]
[ringing]
Do you hear that?
That's Helen.
That's Helen calling.
Do you know what
she's calling about?
[ringing]
She's calling about that.
That is happening
in her house too.
Helen!
Helen!
[ringing]
Run!
Run!
Helen!
No!
- We--
[ringing]
[glass shattering]
What the hell?
[breathing heavily]
[ringing]
Who's coming into our house?
Hey!
Who's tramping
around down there?
Sh!
They'll hear you!
[ringing]
- I want them to.
Hey!
No!
[engine noises]
MINK: Come on, here, this way.
[ringing]
Mom, Dad, where are you?
What?
Make them go away.
MINK: Mom, Dad?
[inaudible]
[crying]
Peek-a-boo.
[end theme music]
RAY BRADBURY: People ask,
where do you get your ideas?
Right here.
All of this is my
magician's toy shop.
I'm Ray Bradbury and this is--
[chatter]
Hey Enid, did
you find anything?
[inaudible]
Not yet.
[inaudible]
It's here.
It's over there.
Let's go look at it.
[bubbling]
Hi, hon.
Fresh coffee's on.
I'm off, half an
hour late already.
Still got problems?
Hope not.
I think I cracked
what they want.
Lucky you.
Back about five.
Happy Saturday.
Bye, Mink, see you later.
Bye, Mink.
Bye, Dad.
Must be some game plan.
[music playing]
Heavens, Mink,
what's going on?
Most exciting game ever.
I'm taking these.
- Hey,
OK?
Well--
Thanks.
What's the name of the game?
MINK: Invasion.
[chatter]
What's with them?
Dumb kids, who cares?
[chatter]
This-- yeah, this.
Don't do that, stupid.
[inaudible]
Why not?
I think it'll go for it.
I think it'll go for it.
This is fun.
What do you want?
Want a hand?
No, you just make fun of us.
Come on, Joel,
let's get out of here.
What's under there?
I won't tell.
Yes, you would.
All you big guys, and you'd
laugh and spoil the invasion.
The invasion?
Fine, Connor,
stay at the babies.
Skyway News, noon--
the World Peace
conference has confirmed
that as of the
beginning of this month,
no nuclear weapons are in
the possession of any nation.
EMD, Earth Mutual Defense,
now holds all weapons
of mass destruction.
In related developments at
the nation's capital today--
[music playing]
Electro-laser oblong rhombus--
How do you spell that?
R-H-O-M-B-U-S.
Mink-- lunch in
five minutes, Mink.
But Mom, who wants to eat
when the world's going to end?
Lunch first, then
the end of the world.
[sigh]
OK, OK, write this.
4, 9, 7, A and B and X. And a
fork and a string and a hex.
Hex-- agoni-- hexagonal?
What's a hexagon?
Hey, I thought I
gave you five minutes?
This is a hexagon, right?
Yes, good.
Hey, what's with the rush?
Drill's waiting for me.
Well, who's Drill?
What a peculiar name.
You don't know him.
Well, is he a new boy
in the neighborhood?
He's new all right.
[music playing]
[airplane sound]
[microwave tones]
[gulping]
Hey, sit back down.
There's hot soup coming.
Hurry, Mom, this is a
matter of life and death.
I know.
I was your age once.
Everything was life and death.
Slow down.
Can't, Drill's waiting for me.
Who is this Drill?
You don't really want to know.
You'd laugh and
spoil the invasion.
Who's invading what?
Martians invading Earth.
Well, not exactly Martians.
They're from up and--
and--
Inside.
Ha!
See?
You're laughing.
You'll kill Drill and everybody.
Oh no, I wouldn't
want to do that.
So tell me, is Drill a Martian?
Not exactly.
He's um, from, maybe
Jupiter or Saturn or Venus.
Anyway, he's had a hard time.
Well, I imagine he has.
He couldn't figure
a way to attack Earth.
We're impregnable.
That's the word Drill used.
Impreg-- well, that--
Hm, that's a big word.
Must be a very
brilliant little boy.
He is.
Drill says you've got
to surprise people.
That way you'll win.
And also, you need
help from your enemy.
The fifth column?
Drill said that too.
Find a way to surprise Earth.
And?
Then one day
they thought of us.
- Us?
- Kids!
And how grown ups are so busy,
they never look under bushes,
hedges, or anything.
Except for snails and fungus.
And then there's
something about dim-dims.
Dim-dims?
Dimens-- dimens--
jimen--
Dimensions?
Yeah, four of them--
Drill says.
And there's something
about kids, under 9,
and imaginations.
It's real funny to
hear Drill talk.
Well, I think that Drill
must be waiting for you,
and that you should put
that down, finish your soup,
and then get this
invasion over with.
And then young lady, you're
due upstairs for a bath.
Bath!
Drill says from
now on, no baths.
MARY: He does, does he?
He told all the kids that.
And we can stay up until
10:00 and watch TV all day.
Well, you tell
Drill that if he
doesn't mind his
P's and Q's, I'm
going to be calling his mother.
Drill says you're
dangerous, you and Dad.
Know why?
Because you don't
believe in Martians.
They're going to let
us run the world.
Mink, that's enough.
I'm going to send
you to your room.
OK, OK.
Mom?
What's logic?
Well, I suppose
logic is knowing when
things are true or not true.
Drill mentioned that.
And what's impressionable.
Why, it's being a child, Mink.
I wish you'd
meet the Martians.
MARY: Mink.
Don't worry, you
won't be hurt much.
Gee, thanks.
[whispering]
Gang way!
Watch it!
I hate you, Eddie Beek.
You're worse than parents.
We'll kill you first.
Yeah, you and
whose army, squirt?
Me and Drill's army.
Who's Drill?
I'm not telling you, because
you don't believe in him.
You're snooty because you're
growing up and you think
you know better, but you don't.
We do.
Come zero hour, you'll be dead.
Come on, Joe.
Let them play their stupid game.
[phone ringing]
HELEN: Hi, Mare.
How are things
on the west coast?
And hello to you too.
I'm fine.
You're not.
Sorry, Sis.
It's this job deadline,
and Mink's super invasion,
and the combination.
You should try it sometime.
No way-- the kids alone
are quite enough for me,
crazier every day.
No peace, no quiet.
Do what I do, just
shut your ears--
only defense.
Hiya Jimmy, how's it going?
[inaudible] Mary.
Mom, this is a hexagon, right?
Yeah, what are you doing
with a cheese grater?
Drill needs it.
HELEN: Drill?
Who on earth is Drill?
Drill, ah, what'll
they come up with next?
Well, whoever this Drill is,
he better stay out of my path.
He's turned my yard
into a garage sale.
Same with Josephine in Chicago.
Her place is a mess too,
because her kids are
wild about some new game in--
Mare?
Earth to Mary Morris.
Huh?
Helen, I'm sorry.
I was just thinking--
[scream]
HELEN: About what?
Uh, look, I'll call you later.
HELEN: Hey, wait a minute--
[scream]
Mink?
What happened to your friend?
She's a scare baby.
We won't let her play now.
I guess she grew
up all of a sudden
Mink, did you make her cry?
Now you give me a civil answer,
young lady, or inside you come.
I can't quit now.
It's almost time.
Time?
Zero hour's five o'clock.
Get ready.
I want to know what made
her scream and run away.
I told you, she's
a scaredy pants.
What's going on back here?
I already told you.
Didn't you listen?
Drill's stuck halfway.
If only we could get him all
the way through, it'd be easier.
Then all the others could
come through after him.
MARY: Others?
What are you talking
about, others?
You go inside the
house right now.
[suspenseful music]
I'm tired of all of this.
You better be inside the house
when your father comes home.
Do you hear me, young lady?
[engine noise]
[suspenseful music]
Hi, Joe, Eddie.
[in unison] Hi, Mr. Morris.
Hey Mink, is that you?
Sh!
Hide and seek, huh?
Mary?
Hi, hon.
How was your day?
They love and hate us
all in half a second.
What?
Children-- do you think
they ever really forgive us?
For what?
Words of command, rules,
failure to understand,
closing our ears.
They must think that
we're out of touch,
tall, silly dictators.
You have had a bad day.
[disruption outside]
Do you hear anything?
Something in the kitchen.
Those kids-- you don't
suppose they have something
electrical out there, do you?
Electrical?
For hide and seek?
[inaudible]
[chatter]
What?
Tell them to stop.
To stop what?
Tell them--
Yeah?
--to put off the invasion.
In-- what?
No zero hour.
Zero hour?
Tell them.
What?
No zero hour.
Mary, the kids are
playing hide and seek.
No!
Quick, no!
[zapping sounds]
[scream]
- What?
What?
Mary, calm down.
MARY: Henry, come now.
Mary, what's wrong with you/
MINK: Too bad, Joe daddy.
Told you you'd be first.
HENRY: Mary!
[inaudible]
All this will be lost.
We've got to be safe.
Safe!
Lost!
HENRY: Mary!
MARY: Lost!
HENRY: Mary!
Mary!
Mary, what is the problem?
You'll see.
[inaudible]
MARY: Come in!
Come in!
Come in!
Mary, for God's sake,
this is my own attic.
Lock it!
There, it's locked.
It's no use anyway.
It's too late.
How could I have
been such a fool?
I just sat around and watched
them and listened to them.
Drill, zero hour,
Mink, the kids--
are you sure that it's locked?
Yes, it's locked.
[glass shattering]
[crying]
It's-- it's all right.
We're gonna get out of here.
We're gonna be safe
until midnight.
And then we're going to sneak
out and we're going to escape.
What?
How can we?
You threw the damn key away.
I did?
Find it.
[inaudible]
No, don't leave me.
I'm only going six feet.
You're crazy.
I'm not crazy.
It's dark over there.
Please stay here.
I can't know where to go.
Sh.
OK, [inaudible]
come up and find us.
They?
Who's going to find us?
Damn.
Sh.
[ringing]
I don't give a damn.
[breathing heavily]
[ringing]
Do you hear that?
That's Helen.
That's Helen calling.
Do you know what
she's calling about?
[ringing]
She's calling about that.
That is happening
in her house too.
Helen!
Helen!
[ringing]
Run!
Run!
Helen!
No!
- We--
[ringing]
[glass shattering]
What the hell?
[breathing heavily]
[ringing]
Who's coming into our house?
Hey!
Who's tramping
around down there?
Sh!
They'll hear you!
[ringing]
- I want them to.
Hey!
No!
[engine noises]
MINK: Come on, here, this way.
[ringing]
Mom, Dad, where are you?
What?
Make them go away.
MINK: Mom, Dad?
[inaudible]
[crying]
Peek-a-boo.
[end theme music]