The Twilight Zone (1959–1964): Season 4, Episode 11 - The Parallel - full transcript
Astronaut Robert Gaines returns from space to a world that is not exactly the one he left from.
YOU UNLOCK THIS DOOR
WITH THE KEY OF IMAGINATION.
BEYOND IT IS
ANOTHER DIMENSION...
A DIMENSION OF SOUND,
A DIMENSION OF SIGHT,
A DIMENSION OF MIND.
YOU'RE MOVING INTO A LAND OF
BOTH SHADOW AND SUBSTANCE,
OF THINGS AND IDEAS.
YOU'VE JUST CROSSED
OVER INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
OKAY, AND THANK YOU FOR CALLING.
YEAH.
WE'LL BE WATCHING.
THAT WAS COLONEL
CONNACHER, HONEY.
HE SAYS DADDY IS JUST FINE.
WILL HE... WILL HE
BE GOING UP SOON?
IN JUST ABOUT AN HOUR.
THAT'S WHAT COLONEL
CONNACHER SAID.
DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO SLEEP?
I DON'T BLAME YOU. I
CAN'T SLEEP EITHER.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.
I'LL MAKE SOME COFFEE FOR ME
AND SOME COCOA FOR YOU.
AND YOU WASH YOUR FACE AND HANDS
AND COMB YOUR HAIR.
AND THEN WE'LL TURN ON
THE TELEVISION SET, OKAY?
OKAY.
BE SAFE, BOB.
BE SAFE, DARLING.
AND COME BACK.
Serling: IN THE VERNACULAR OF
SPACE THIS IS T MINUS ONE HOUR...
60 MINUTES BEFORE A HUMAN
BEING NAMED MAJOR ROBERT GAINES
IS LIFTED OFF FROM THE
MOTHER EARTH AND ROCKETED
INTO THE SKY FARTHER AND LONGER
THAN ANY MAN AHEAD OF HIM.
CALL THIS ONE OF THE FIRST
FALTERING STEPS OF MAN
TO SEVER THE UMBILICAL
CORD OF GRAVITY
AND STRETCH OUT A FINGERTIP
TOWARD AN UNKNOWN.
SHORTLY, WE'LL JOIN THIS
ASTRONAUT NAMED GAINES
AND EMBARK ON AN ADVENTURE,
BECAUSE THE ENVIRONS OVERHEAD...
THE STARS, THE SKY,
THE INFINITE SPACE...
ARE ALL PART OF A
VAST QUESTION MARK
KNOWN AS THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
HUH. PULSE NORMAL?
REASONABLE.
SOMEPLACE BETWEEN
NONCHALANCE AND PANIC.
I KNOW THE FEELING.
I CALLED HELEN. SHE'S FINE.
SAYS TO TELL YOU
THEY'LL BE WAITING.
BLESS YOU FOR THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY
MESSAGES FOR THE ANGELS?
HMM... GIVE THEM A KISS
FOR ME... ANY THAT YOU MEET.
ON MY LAST ORBIT, I'LL LASSO
A PAIR OF GOSSAMER WINGS
AND SHIP THEM DOWN TO
YOU AIR EXPRESS... COLLECT.
KIND OF AN ODD FEELING,
KNOWING I'LL BE MOVING
AROUND THE EARTH FOR A WEEK.
THAT'S PROGRESS.
GUS GRISSOM WENT 302 MILES,
GLENN MADE THREE ORBITS,
SCHIRRA HANDLED SIX.
AND YOU, BOBBY BOY, ARE
GOING TO GO ROUND AND ROUND.
AND, WHEN YOU COME BACK DOWN,
MAYBE WE'LL BE THAT MUCH CLOSER
TO FILING A CLAIM
ON SOME MORE SKY.
GOOD LUCK, BUDDY.
THANKS, BILL. THANKS A LOT.
THIS IS CAPCOM.
TIME IS NOW AT T MINUS
ONE MINUTE AND COUNTING.
BETTER HURRY.
THIS IS CAPCOM.
THE MX TEN COUNTDOWN
IS NOW T MINUS 25 SECONDS.
T minus 20 seconds
19... 18... 17... 16...
15... 14... 13...
12... 11... ten...
nine... eight... seven... six...
five... four...
three... two... one...
zero.
GO AHEAD, TEN. WE READ
YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
ZERO G, AND I FEEL FINE.
SPACECRAFT IS
BEGINNING TO TURN NOW.
ROGER.
TURNAROUND HAS STARTED.
SPACECRAFT IS ALMOST OVER.
I CAN SEE THE BOOSTER JUST
A COUPLE OF YARDS BEHIND ME.
IT'S QUITE A SIGHT.
ROGER, TEN. WE STILL
READ YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
NEXT TRANSMISSION, BERMUDA.
ROGER. UNDERSTAND NEXT
TRANSMISSION, BERMUDA.
Man: Phebus Ten, Bermuda.
CAPCOM Tech on HM.
Man: Phebus Ten, this
is Zanzibar Captech.
We have solid telemetry contact.
Phebus Ten.
Phebus Ten.
Phebus Ten.
Phebus Ten.
CAPCOM calling Phebus Ten.
WE NOW HAVE I.O.S., OVER.
PHEBUS TEN, YOUR
VOICE TRANSMISSIONS
ARE STARTING TO FADE VERY BADLY.
CAPCOM, CAPCOM,
THIS IS PHEBUS TEN.
I'VE LOST CONTACT WITH YOU.
I'VE LOST RADAR
HERE! I'VE LOST RADAR!
WE DON'T HAVE
CONTACT HERE, EITHER.
NO CONTACT AT ALL.
CAPCOM TECH CALLING PHEBUS TEN.
CAPCOM, CAPCOM,
THIS IS PHEBUS TEN.
OPEN THE BLINDS, NURSE.
YES, DOCTOR.
WELL, HOW ABOUT IT, GAINES?
CAN YOU TALK?
SURE.
SURE, I CAN TALK.
HEY, BILLY.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WELL, WE WERE WAITING
FOR YOU TO WAKE
UP TO TELL US, BOB.
TELL YOU?
I CAN'T TELL YOU
ANYTHING, I BLACKED OUT.
WE LOST YOU ON RADAR AND RADIO.
ABSOLUTELY NO CONTACT.
IT BOILS DOWN TO THIS, GAINES...
YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE
WHO CAN EXPLAIN IT.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING.
I HAD AN ODD SENSATION.
LAST THING I REMEMBER
IS THE 15th ORBIT.
AFTER THAT, I DON'T
REMEMBER ANYTHING
EXCEPT THIS BED.
I COULDN'T REACH
THE CAPE AT ALL.
I KEPT TRYING.
WHY DON'T YOU LET
HIM GET SOME SLEEP?
I THINK HE'LL FEEL A
LITTLE CLEARER LATER ON.
I WON'T BE ANY CLEARER
THAN I AM RIGHT NOW.
HOW COULD YOU LOSE ME ON RADAR?
BILL, DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME
EVERY SINGLE TRACKING
STATION BLACKED OUT?
REALLY, GENTLEMEN, I...
JUST ONE LAST QUESTION, PLEASE.
BOB, THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY
YOU COULD HEAD
BACK TOWARD EARTH.
THAT'S JUST TO SPIRAL IN,
AND THEN HEAD FOR WATER.
YOUR SPACECRAFT
WAS FOUND, INTACT,
46 MILES FROM WHERE
YOU WERE LAUNCHED.
INTACT, BOB, ON THE GROUND.
THERE WAS NO
EVIDENCE OF ANY DAMAGE,
NOT EVEN A DENT.
SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, YOU
BROUGHT THAT SPACECRAFT IN,
AND YOU LANDED HER.
TELL ME HOW.
WOULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME
HOW YOU PERFORMED AN
ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE ACT?
I DIDN'T.
I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
I BLACKED OUT, GENERAL.
I SIMPLY BLACKED OUT.
THERE WAS SOME FACTOR UP THERE,
SOMETHING WHICH I
HAD NO CONTROL OVER,
SOMETHING WHICH MUST HAVE...
MUST HAVE TAKEN OVER FOR ME.
HMM. OKAY, UH... WE'LL
TALK ABOUT IT LATER.
THIS WHOLE THING IS
TEMPORARILY CLASSIFIED...
I MEAN EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.
WE'LL SIMPLY MAKE THE STATEMENT
THAT HE REGAINED
ENTRY AND HE LANDED.
HE'S SHAKEN UP BUT
NOT SERIOUSLY HURT.
AND THAT'S THE
FEED. NO EXTENSIONS,
NO ENLARGEMENTS BEYOND
THAT SIMPLE STATEMENT.
AFTER WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO
PROBE THIS THING A LITTLE WHILE,
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME UP
WITH SOMETHING WE CAN LET GO.
BUT, IN THE MEANTIME,
IT'S A ONE-LINE RELEASE.
"HE GOT BACK DOWN." UNQUOTE.
YOU GET SOME REST, BOB.
TALK TO YOU LATER.
YEAH, YOU, UH... SLEEP IT OFF.
THERE'S AN EXPLANATION
FOR EVERYTHING.
WELL, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT NOW.
YOU'RE, UH, ALL DOPED UP,
AND YOU'RE ALSO DEAD TIRED.
YOU SLEEP IT OFF, AND
I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO
ABOUT GETTING YOU A
LEAVE TO GET ON HOME.
SO REST EASY, PAL.
BILL?
ALL ALONG, I THOUGHT
THERE WAS SOME KIND OF
MALFUNCTION UP THERE...
FUEL OR PROPULSION
OR JUST COMMUNICATION.
MAYBE THE MALFUNCTION
WAS CLOSER TO HOME.
MAYBE IT WAS RIGHT UP
HERE BETWEEN MY EARS.
MAYBE ASTRONAUT ROBERT
GAINES WENT OFF THE TRACKS.
MAYBE HE COULDN'T
CUT THE MUSTARD.
LOOK, YOU TALK LIKE
THAT... YOU THINK LIKE THAT...
AND YOU'LL COME
AROUND TO BELIEVING IT.
AND THAT'S STUPID, BOB.
WE'RE DEALING WITH
NINE NATURAL LAWS
PLUS A WHOLE STRING
OF IMPONDERABLES.
AND REASONS ARE
GOING TO COME OUT...
LEGITIMATE, RATIONAL REASONS.
NOW, YOU JUST LIE THERE AND
BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE.
I'LL CALL HELEN AGAIN
AND TELL HER YOU'RE RESTING
AND YOU'LL BE HOME SOON.
WILL I? WILL I BE HOME?
YEAH. UNLESS YOU PERSUADE
ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND HERE
THAT YOU NEED AN ATTENDANT.
DREAM GOOD.
I'LL SEE YOU LATER.
WELL?
OH, IT'LL ALL COME
OUT IN THE WASH.
WILL IT?
LET ME TELL YOU
SOMETHING, COLONEL...
A MAN IS SENT UP INTO
SPACE, AND THEN HE ORBITS.
THERE ARE ONLY THREE WAYS
HE CAN BREAK OFF CONTACT.
ONE IS IONIZATION,
AND THAT DIDN'T OCCUR.
THE OTHER IS SUNSPOTS,
AND THAT DIDN'T OCCUR.
THE THIRD IS THE MAN'S DEATH,
AND HE'S LYING THERE ON THAT BED
BREATHING FIVE BY FIVE.
ALL RIGHT, I'M WAITING
FOR A FRESH ALTERNATIVE,
ONE I CAN TAKE
WITHOUT FLINCHING.
ONE MAYBE I CAN
REPEAT TO THE PRESIDENT
WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT HIM
STICKING ME IN A RUBBER ROOM.
WHAT HAPPENED TO GAINES?
WHERE WAS HE FOR SIX SOLID HOURS
WHEN NOBODY IN THE
WORLD COULD FIND HIM?
HOW DID HE MAKE A REENTRY
WITHOUT BURNING UP INTO A FLAKE?
SOMETIME WE'LL HAVE TO ASK HIM.
GIVE HER MY LOVE.
THANKS FOR SERVICES RENDERED.
I'LL TALK TO YOU LATER.
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
HOME, JAMES.
WELCOME HOME.
WHAT'S THE MATTER, BOB?
IS THAT WHAT YOU DID FOR
THERAPY WHILE I WAS GONE...
PUT UP THAT FENCE?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
THAT FENCE WASN'T THERE
WHEN I LEFT LAST WEEK.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
THAT FENCE WAS THERE
WHEN WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE.
OUTER SPACE DOES THINGS
TO MEMORIES, DOESN'T IT?
YEAH.
YEAH, SO IT APPEARS.
TV Announcer: America's
latest manned orbital spaceflight
ends on a note of mystery today.
With a cloak of secrecy being
placed over the entire project.
Millions were watching
the orbital flight
on television when, suddenly,
the pictures were interrupted
with a terse announcement
that no further coverage
would be forthcoming.
General Stanley Eaton
announced late this afternoon
that further information
would be forthcoming
at a later date
but that, for the moment,
all aspects of
astronaut Gaines' flight
would continue to be top secret
pending further
investigation of data.
YOU GOT ANY MORE
COFFEE OUT THERE?
I'M MAKING SOME.
IT'LL BE BETTER IN A MINUTE.
I'M GOING UPSTAIRS
AND PUT ON A BATHROBE.
I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
DO YOU WANT MAGGIE
TO GO GET IT FOR YOU?
BOTH YOU AND MAGGIE
HAVE BEEN TREATING ME
LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN
AN ECCENTRIC MILLIONAIRE
AND A PIECE OF FRAGILE DRESDEN.
I'LL GET MY OWN BATHROBE, WOMAN.
BE RIGHT BACK.
THAT'S FUNNY.
SOME CHICKEN COLONEL
BACK AT THE BASE
IS GOING TO BE RUNNING
HOME IN HIS UNDERSHIRT.
Helen: BOB, YOUR COFFEE'S READY.
YOU WANT US TO
BRING YOU UP A CUP?
NO, HONEY. I'LL BE RIGHT DOWN.
WANT TO HEAR SOMETHING FUNNY?
I RAN OFF WITH
SOMEBODY'S SHIRT...
A FULL COLONEL'S, NO LESS.
BOB?
WHAT?
ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?
HELEN... WITHOUT
TRYING TO SCARE YOU,
AND WITHOUT TRYING
TO MAKE YOU WONDER
WHETHER I'VE STILL
GOT ALL MY MARBLES,
I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.
WHAT IS IT?
WHEN I LEFT... WHEN I
WALKED OUT OF HERE...
WHAT WAS MY RANK?
YOUR RANK?
WHAT WAS MY RANK?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
WASN'T I A MAJOR?
HAVEN'T I BEEN A
MAJOR FOR 13 MONTHS?
ARE YOU SERIOUS?
NO, I'M PLAYING GAMES WITH YOU.
HELEN, I WANT YOU TO TELL ME.
YOU'RE A COLONEL, BOB.
YOU'RE A FULL COLONEL.
YOU'VE BEEN A COLONEL
SINCE LAST MARCH.
LAST MARCH?
LAST MARCH.
I WANT TO SAY
SOMETHING TO YOU NOW.
I, UM...
I DON'T KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED UP THERE.
I HAVE NO IDEA.
BUT, UH... I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT
TO TALK ABOUT IT...
THAT'S WHY WE HAVEN'T
SAID ANYTHING... BUT, UH...
SOMETHING MUST
HAVE HAPPENED, BOB.
SOME DELUSIONS.
SOME DISTORTIONS.
LIKE THAT FENCE
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE.
I DON'T REMEMBER IT.
AND YET YOU SAID
IT HAD BEEN THERE
WHEN WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE.
AND THAT BUSINESS
WITH BILL CONNACHER.
HE TOLD ME HE CALLED
YOU BEFORE THE FLIGHT.
HE MADE IT A POINT TO TELL ME.
AND THEN, AFTERWARD...
AFTERWARD, HE SAID THERE'D
BEEN NO SUCH PHONE CONVERSATION.
IT'S UNIMPORTANT.
IT'S INSIGNIFICANT, REALLY.
AND YET...
AND YET IT ALL SEEMS TO BE PART
OF SOME SORT OF CRAZY PATTERN.
SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG,
BECAUSE HE DID
TELL ME HE CALLED.
THAT FENCE WASN'T THERE, AND
THOSE EAGLES HAVE NEVER BEEN
ON MY COLLAR BEFORE BECAUSE,
WHEN I LEFT HERE, I WAS A MAJOR.
YOU, UM... YOU TOLD ME ONCE
THAT THERE ARE WHOLE
AREAS OF SPACE MEDICINE
THAT WE KNOW
PRACTICALLY NOTHING ABOUT.
PHENOMENA AND REACTION PATTERNS
THAT CAN ONLY BE GUESSED AT.
I'M SURE THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
I'M SURE THERE'S NOTHING
WRONG WITH YOU BUT A...
COUPLE OF FIXATIONS
THAT ARE GOING TO
GO AWAY WITH TIME.
NOW...
LET'S GO DOWNSTAIRS
AND HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE.
AND DON'T LET A WHITE FENCE
AND A PROMOTION END
THE WORLD FOR YOU.
IF THAT'S AS FAR AS IT
GOES, I'LL TRY NOT TO.
BUT WHAT IF... WHAT
IF OTHER THINGS...?
UM...
I'D LIKE COLONEL WILLIAM
CONNACHER, PLEASE.
I WAS, UH... I WAS JUST, UH...
GOING TO CALL BILL CONNACHER
TO ASK HIM IF HE'D
LIKE TO... LIKE TO WHAT?
COME OVER FOR DINNER.
BOB, I, UH... I JUST CALLED BILL
TO HAVE HIM GIVE ME
SOME REASSURANCE.
I REMEMBER THAT...
THAT HE SAID ONCE
THAT THERE ARE SOME ASPECTS
TO PROLONGED WEIGHTLESSNESS
THAT MAKES...
LOOK, REALLY, LIKE
I SAID, I'M ALL RIGHT.
IT'S YOU PEOPLE
I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
NOW, WHERE'S MY COFFEE?
I'LL GET IT FOR YOU.
DON'T BREAK ANY MORE
SAUCERS, MOTHER'S HELPER.
I'LL TRY NOT TO.
HELEN?
HELEN, I THINK IT'D BE
A WHOLE LOT BETTER...
A WHOLE LOT BETTER... IF WE
DROPPED ALL THE PRETENSES.
IF YOU THINK THERE'S SOMETHING
WRONG WITH ME, JUST SAY SO.
AND HONEY, I'D CONSIDER
IT A REAL FAVOR...
A MAJOR FAVOR... IF YOU
WOULDN'T WALK PAST ME ON TIPTOE
WITH FORCED SMILES
AND "THERE'S NOTHING
WRONG WITH YOU" DIALOGUE.
ALL RIGHT?
ALL RIGHT.
AHH!
I HELPED MOMMY MAKE THE PIE.
YOU KNOW, SOMEDAY, I'M GOING
TO LOSE YOU TO A NAVY ENSIGN
WHO'LL MARRY YOU FOR
YOUR FATHER'S MONEY
AND YOUR COOKING.
NOW, HONEY, YOU KNOW
I DON'T TAKE SUGAR.
MAGGIE... HONEY,
WHAT'S THE MATTER?
NOTHING.
NOTHING'S THE MATTER.
MAGGIE, HERE.
TELL DADDY WHAT'S THE MATTER.
DADDY... DADDY,
YOU'RE DIFFERENT.
WELL, HOW, HONEY?
HOW AM I DIFFERENT?
I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU ARE.
YOU ARE DIFFERENT.
YOU'RE VERY DIFFERENT. THERE...
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG.
MAGGIE!
WHAT DOES SHE MEAN?
I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT DOES SHE MEAN?
WHAT DOES SHE
MEAN, I'M DIFFERENT?
WELL, AM I?
AM I, HELEN?
HAVE I CHANGED SOMEHOW
BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN I LEFT?
I CAN'T...
I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.
I DON'T KNOW HOW.
I HAVE CHANGED, HAVEN'T I?
THERE IS SOMETHING
DIFFERENT ABOUT ME.
THE CHILD SENSED IT.
YOU HAVE, TOO.
YOU HAVE, HAVEN'T YOU?
YES, I HAVE.
HOW?
I...
I DON'T KNOW. I...
I JUST DON'T KNOW. IT'S...
IT'S JUST THAT YOU'RE...
YOU'RE NOT THE SAME SOMEHOW.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO
CALL BILL CONNACHER.
THAT WASN'T NECESSARY.
TOMORROW I'LL TURN MYSELF
IN FOR PSYCHIATRIC HELP.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT
IT IS THAT HAPPENED.
SOMETHING DID.
SOMETHING IS
TEARING US ALL APART.
SOMETHING SO REMOTE, WE
CAN'T EVEN PUT IT INTO WORDS.
SOMETHING... SOMETHING,
UNTIL WE FIND OUT WHAT IT IS,
IT'S GOING TO WRECK US, HELEN.
IVAN, THERE WAS NOTHING
HE COULD TELL YOU
THAT OCCURRED IN SPACE
THAT COULD GIVE US SOME
KEY OR SOMETHING TO ALL THIS?
NOTHING THAT HE
COULD RELATE TO ME.
I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT
HE REMAIN HERE, HOWEVER.
FOR THE TIME BEING, I'D LIKE
TO TREAT HIM AS AN OUTPATIENT.
HAVE HIM COME IN AT INTERVALS,
BUT IN NO WAY SUGGEST
TO HIM THAT HE'S IN
AN ABERRANT CONDITION REQUIRING
PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES
WHERE THE PSYCHOLOGY
OF THE SITUATION
REQUIRES VERY CAREFUL HANDLING.
WE'RE RIGHT BACK
WHERE WE STARTED, THEN.
UH... MRS. GAINES, I DON'T
MEAN TO SOUND CALLOUS.
HE'S AN EXCEPTIONAL GENTLEMAN,
THAT HUSBAND OF YOURS.
I THINK HE'LL BE OUT OF
THE WOODS IN NO TIME.
MY CONCERN HAPPENS
TO BE, VERY SPECIFICALLY,
A SPACE PROJECT, NOT A MAN.
I UNDERSTAND, SIR.
MRS. GAINES, WHAT
ABOUT THAT FENCE?
IT WAS THERE WHEN
WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE.
AND WHEN DID HE SEEM
SURPRISED THAT IT WAS THERE?
THE MOMENT THAT HE CAME
HOME YESTERDAY MORNING.
REALLY A VERY STRANGE
COLLECTION OF DELUSIONS.
A WHITE PICKET
FENCE... A STORY...
HIS OWN RANK...
AND THE LAST THING HE SAID
WAS HE DOUBTED VERY MUCH
IF PRESIDENT KENNEDY
WOULD PIN ANY MEDALS ON HIM.
PRESIDENT WHO?
KENNEDY.
SOMEONE NAMED JOHN KENNEDY.
WHO'S JOHN KENNEDY?
SOMEONE WHO COLONEL
GAINES HAS DECIDED
IS PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
AND I SHARE YOUR BEWILDERMENT.
I NEVER HEARD OF HIM EITHER.
TWILIGHT ZONE WILL CONTINUE
AFTER STATION IDENTIFICATION.
IT ISN'T EASY TO SAY.
WELL... IF IT ISN'T EASY TO SAY,
THEN IT'S BETTER
SAID, SO GET IT OUT.
MAGGIE'S NOTICED IT, TOO.
NOTICED WHAT?
THAT THERE'S SOMETHING...
THERE'S SOMETHING
DIFFERENT ABOUT HIM.
IT'S SOMETHING I CAN'T
PUT MY FINGER ON, BUT...
THERE'S SOME... THERE'S
SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SUGGESTING WHAT?
SUGGESTING NOTHING.
SOMETHING OR EVERYTHING.
WHAT CAN IT SUGGEST?
SIMPLY THAT THERE'S A
MAN IN MY HOUSE WHO...
A MAN IN YOUR HOUSE WHO WHAT?
THE QUESTION IS, A MAN
IN MY HOUSE WHO IS WHAT?
BETTER, A MAN IN MY
HOUSE WHO IS WHO?
I THINK YOU JUST OVERSHOT ME,
UNLESS I'M READING
YOU VERY WRONG.
NO, MAYBE YOU'RE
READING ME VERY RIGHT.
REASSURE ME, BILL.
TELL ME THAT, UH... THIS THING
MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE THIS
ICE-COLD FEELING ABOUT IS WAY OFF.
TELL US THAT WE'RE
JUST BEING CARRIED AWAY
BY HIS PROBLEM.
TELL US...
TELL US...
TELL US THAT THE MAN IN
THIS HOUSE IS BOB GAINES.
HELLO, BILL.
HOW ARE YOU?
FINE.
I JUST DROPPED OVER
TO SEE HOW YOU WERE.
ME?
WELL, THAT DEPENDS.
DEPENDS ON JUST WHAT ARE THE
CURRENT STANDARDS FOR SANITY...
THE ACCEPTABLE OUTER LIMITS.
I'VE BEEN GOING OVER A SET
OF ENCYCLOPEDIAS UP THERE,
AND JOTTING DOWN SOME NOTES.
I'VE UNCOVERED SOME
VERY REVEALING ITEMS.
THERE ARE SOME PRETTY
BASIC HISTORICAL FACTS
THAT SIMPLY DON'T JIBE.
FOR EXAMPLE,
IT TALKS ABOUT A
MAN NAMED ANDERSON
WHO WAS SENT BY THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO SUPERVISE THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE PANAMA CANAL.
SO?
SO, I NEVER HEARD OF
ANYONE NAMED ANDERSON.
IT HAPPENED TO BE A
MAN NAMED GOETHALS.
IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT AN AMERICAN
ACE NAMED EDDIE RICKENBACKER
FROM WORLD WAR I
WHO WAS LOST ON A RAFT
IN THE NEXT WAR AND NEVER FOUND.
THAT'S RIGHT.
HE CRASHED, AND
THAT WAS THE END OF IT.
BUT THAT WASN'T THE END OF IT.
THE RAFT WAS FOUND.
RICKENBACKER WAS SAVED.
HE BECAME THE PRESIDENT
OF AN AIRLINES COMPANY.
I'VE GOT DOZENS
OF ITEMS LIKE THAT.
MEN TALKED ABOUT
WHO NEVER EXISTED.
MEN WHO EXISTED AND
NOT EVEN MENTIONED.
HISTORICAL EVENTS THAT I
KNOW HAPPENED A CERTAIN WAY
SOMEHOW, ACCORDING
TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA,
DIDN'T HAPPEN, OR
HAPPENED ANOTHER WAY.
THE THINGS I REMEMBER
ARE NOT DELUSIONS.
THEY'RE THE LEGITIMATE RECOLLECTIONS
OF THINGS AS I REMEMBER THEM.
BUT SOMEHOW, SOME WAY,
THIS WORLD SEEMS TO HAVE
TURNED UPSIDE DOWN FOR ME.
WELL, NOT IN EVERY
WAY, YOU UNDERSTAND.
UH... BY AND LARGE, THE
PEOPLE ARE THE SAME.
THE NAMES, THE STREETS,
THE MUTUAL
RECOLLECTIONS WE ALL HAVE
OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS.
IT'S AS IF THERE WERE...
THERE WERE ANOTHER
WORLD PARALLEL TO MINE.
AS IF THIS WORLD
WERE ALMOST A TWIN,
EXCEPT FOR SOME
MINOR DIFFERENCES
THAT HAPPENED SOMEWHERE
ALONG THE LINE OF EVOLUTION.
BOB, FOR THE LOVE OF HEAVEN...
DO YOU WANT TO FOLLOW
THAT LINE OF REASONING?
BECAUSE, IF YOU DO,
THERE ARE A COUPLE
OF BUILT-IN CONDITIONS
THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.
CONDITIONS THAT
I DON'T THINK YOU
OR ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO ADMIT.
FIRST AND FOREMOST,
THEY HAPPEN TO BE
THAT IF ALL THIS IS TRUE...
IF YOU SUDDENLY
UNCOVERED A THEORY
THAT THERE ARE TWO EARTHS,
TWO SETS OF PEOPLE,
TWO HISTORIES...
AND YOU SOMEHOW, INEXPLICABLY,
CROSSED OVER TO
THE OTHER DIMENSION...
THEN YOU'RE NOT
WHO WE THINK YOU ARE.
AND WE'RE NOT WHO
YOU THINK WE ARE.
MAGGIE?
BOB!
LET'S GET IT OUT, SHALL WE?
I'M SO SICK OF
TIPTOEING AND WHISPERS.
MAGGIE!
COME DOWN HERE, BABY.
COME DOWN RIGHT AWAY.
HONEY...
THINK THIS OVER
BEFORE YOU ANSWER...
BUT ANSWER.
WHO AM I, HONEY?
TELL MOMMY AND COLONEL
CONNACHER WHO I AM.
BOB, PLEASE.
NO.
NOW, SWEETHEART...
YOU SAY WHATEVER'S ON YOUR MIND.
TELL THEM WHO I AM.
I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
MAGGIE, THIS IS YOUR DADDY.
THIS IS YOUR DADDY.
HE'S NOT MY DADDY.
I DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS.
OH, THAT WASN'T FAIR.
YOU'VE TAKEN A LITTLE
CHILD, IMPRESSIONABLE...
YOU'VE SUPERIMPOSED
ON HER YOUR OWN DOUBTS.
I'VE DONE NOTHING OF THE SORT.
I MERELY LET HER SAY OUT LOUD
WHAT HELEN'S BEEN
THINKING ALL ALONG.
AND, HEAVEN HELP ME,
WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING.
WHAT YOU'VE JUST
TOLD ME IS FANTASTIC.
HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY...?
IT'S INCREDIBLE.
INCREDIBLE.
I HELPED BUILD THAT SPACECRAFT.
I KNOW IT VERY WELL.
AND THIS ONE
IS NOT THE SAME ONE WE SENT OFF.
IT'S ALMOST A TWIN TO IT,
DOWN TO THE VERY
LAST NUT AND BOLT,
BUT IT'S SIMPLY NOT
THE SAME SPACECRAFT.
IT'S A DIFFERENT VEHICLE.
IT'S ALMOST AS IF IT CAME
OUT OF THE SAME MOLD,
BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN...
IN THE WIRING, IN THE CONTROL
PANEL AND IN THE STRUCTURE...
THERE'S A TINY
INSIGNIFICANT ALTERATION.
YOU ADD THEM ALL UP
AND YOU COME UP WITH
ONE VERY IRREVOCABLE FACT:
COLONEL GAINES WENT
UP IN ONE SPACECRAFT,
BUT HE'S OBVIOUSLY
COME BACK IN ANOTHER.
THAT LEAVES US WITH
TWO ALTERNATIVES.
COLONEL GAINES
ACTUALLY BLACKED OUT
AND HAS NO KNOWLEDGE
OF WHAT OCCURRED.
COLONEL GAINES IS
NOT WHO WE THINK HE IS.
COLONEL...
I WANT YOU TO EXAMINE
THIS VEHICLE CAREFULLY.
I WANT YOU TO BE
ABLE TO SAY TO ME,
WITHOUT A SINGLE SHRED OF DOUBT,
THAT THIS IS THE SPACECRAFT
YOU WERE SENT UP IN,
AND THE SPACECRAFT
YOU CAME DOWN IN.
THIS IS OF THE ESSENCE NOW.
Man: Phebus Ten, Bermuda.
CAPCOM Tech M.H.M.
YOU UNDERSTAND ME?
WHAT?
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?
BOB, WHAT THE GENERAL
IS TRYING TO GET AT
IS THAT THERE ARE
DELUSIONS THAT A MAN
CAN SUFFER UNDER STRESS.
NOW, ALL WE WANT TO DO NOW IS
TRY TO RETRACE THE CHRONOLOGY
FROM THE BLASTOFF
THROUGH THE ORBITS.
AND WE WANT YOU TO
CHECK OVER THIS CAPSULE.
I AM TALKING ABOUT A
MICROSCOPIC CHECK, NOW, BOB.
WE WANT TO MAKE
ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN
THAT WE CAN SEPARATE
WHAT IS DELUSION
FROM WHAT MIGHT CONCEIVABLY BE
AN INCREDIBLE SERIES OF EVENTS.
The weather in the
recovery are is excellent.
BOB, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?
Three-foot waves, only
one-tenth cloud coverage,
ten miles visibility.
DON'T YOU HEAR THAT VOICE?
Phebus Ten, Phebus Ten...
CAPCOM Tech, do you read me?
DON'T YOU HEAR THAT VOICE?
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
WHAT VOICE ARE
YOU TALKING ABOUT?
Leave the retro package on
through the entire reentry.
Gaines will have to
override... THAT VOICE.
To 0.05... THAT VOICE!
Retract the scope.
Do you read?
DON'T YOU HEAR THAT VOICE?
Recommend you go
to reentry attitude and...
WE'LL GIVE YOU THE COUNTDOWN
ON RETRO-SEQUENCE TIME, BOB.
YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD.
We have only 50 seconds
to retrograde. Over.
I'LL GIVE YOU A MARK.
45...
MARK.
I am on 8SCS now, and
backing it up manually.
30 seconds, Bob.
CAPCOM, THIS IS PHEBUS TEN.
THE RETRO WARNING IS ON.
ROGER, BOB.
LEAVE YOUR RETRO PACK ON
THROUGH YOUR PASS OVER TEXAS.
DO YOU READ?
ROGER.
Five... four... three...
two... one... fire.
RETROS ARE FIRING.
I'M STARTING MY REENTRY NOW.
I'M GOING TO FLY BY WIRE.
I'M DOWN TO 15% ON MANUAL.
CAPCOM, THIS IS PHEBUS TEN.
IT'S A REAL FIREBALL OUT THERE.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
WHAT'S YOUR GENERAL CONDITION?
HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
I'M FEELING... I'M FEELING FINE.
CONDITION IS GOOD.
THERE'S AN AWFUL
LOT OF FIRE OUT THERE.
CAPCOM...
ONE LAST QUESTION:
GO AHEAD, BOB. GO AHEAD.
WHO'S THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES?
SAY AGAIN, WOULD YOU, BOB?
WE DON'T THINK WE
GOT THAT. SAY AGAIN.
WHO IS THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES?
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE
ASKING WHO THE PRESIDENT IS.
THAT'S PRECISELY THE QUESTION.
I HOPE YOU SAID KENNEDY.
I HOPE YOU SAID KENNEDY.
OPEN THE BLINDS, NURSE.
YES, DOCTOR.
OUR WANDERING BOY IS AWAKE.
BILL.
RIGHT HERE, BUDDY.
HOW YOU FEELING, GAINES?
THAT DEPENDS.
DID YOU HEAR THAT LAST
QUESTION I ASKED UP THERE?
JUST BEFORE REENTRY?
YOU ASKED WHO THE PRESIDENT IS.
WAS THAT SOME SORT OF A GAG?
I DIDN'T HEAR THE ANSWER.
IT WAS NO GAG.
PRESIDENT KENNEDY.
YOU WERE ONLY GONE TWO
DAYS, MAJOR, NOT TWO YEARS.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT SECOND
MORNING, GAINES, ABOUT YOUR 15th ORBIT?
WE LOST ALL CONTACT WITH YOU
FOR A PERIOD OF ALMOST SIX HOURS.
NO RADAR, NO CONTACT AT ALL.
WE COULDN'T FIND OUT
WHAT WAS WRONG HERE.
AND WE ASKED YOU THAT
QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES
AFTER WE PICKED YOU UP AGAIN,
BUT YOU IGNORED IT.
SIX HOURS?
THAT'S HOW LONG IT TOOK.
THEN YOU CAME BACK
IN LOUD AND CLEAR.
I THINK LATER, SIR.
RIGHT NOW, I THINK
HE SHOULD REST.
BILL... SOMETHING...
SOMETHING HAPPENED.
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO BELIEVE THIS.
I'M NOT ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN
THAT I BELIEVE IT MYSELF.
THERE'S ANOTHER DIMENSION.
I DON'T KNOW HOW IT
EXISTS OR WHERE IT EXISTS.
BUT THERE'S ANOTHER
WORLD, PARALLEL TO OURS...
THE SAME PEOPLE,
THE SAME PLACES,
MOST OF THE SAME
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS.
EXCEPT, NOW AND THEN,
THERE'S SOMETHING
A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS?
BECAUSE I WAS THERE, GENERAL.
I WAS THERE FOR ALMOST A WEEK.
THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
WE ONLY LOST YOU
FOR ABOUT SIX HOURS.
WE HAD CONTACT WITH YOU
ALL THE REST OF THE TIME.
I CAN'T HELP THAT, SIR.
DURING THAT SIX HOURS,
I LIVED OUT A WEEK.
DOING WHAT?
LOOKING AT OUR
COUNTERPARTS. LOOKING AT US.
US?
US, AS WE EXIST IN
A PARALLEL WORLD.
ONE THAT EXISTS ALONGSIDE,
BUT WHICH WE CAN'T SEE.
THE WORLD I STUMBLED INTO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW.
SOME KIND OF
SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM,
SOME WARPAGE.
THERE'S A DOORWAY UP
THERE SOMEWHERE INTO IT.
IT EXISTS.
EVERY NOW AND THEN,
I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE
FOR SOMEBODY TO FALL
THROUGH IT, AND I DID.
HOW DID YOU GET BACK, BOB?
I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT.
ALL I CAN REMEMBER IS RUNNING
TOWARD THE SPACECRAFT.
THEN... I WAS UP THERE AGAIN...
AND THEN I WAS BACK HERE.
WELL... BOB, I THINK, UH...
SLEEP ON THIS FOR A
LITTLE WHILE, WILL YOU?
WHY?
BECAUSE...
I THINK, UH... THIS MAY
JUST BE A DELUSION.
DELUSION?
BILL, I CAN RECOUNT
TO YOU EVERY MINUTE
AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED.
EVERY LINE OF DIALOGUE,
EVERY PERSON THAT I MET.
I COULD RECALL TO
YOU THE STREETS,
THE PLACES, EVERYTHING.
THIS WAS NO DELUSION.
IT WAS NO DREAM.
I HAVE NO PROOF.
I'VE TOLD YOU THAT.
MM-HMM.
WELL, UM, OKAY, MAJOR...
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER.
DID ANYBODY PHONE HELEN?
SHE, UH... ASKED WHAT
YOU WANTED FOR SUPPER.
WILL I BE ABLE TO LEAVE?
AT LEAST FOR AN
OVERNIGHT. MM-HMM.
I WANT YOU BACK FIRST THING IN
THE MORNING FOR SOME CRITIQUE.
I WANT TO HAVE A LOOK AT
THOSE PSYCHIATRISTS' FACES
WHEN YOU START TALKING TO
THEM ABOUT PARALLEL DIMENSIONS.
MEANWHILE, GET SOME REST, MAJOR.
ONE LAST QUESTION.
BE MY GUEST.
IF WE EACH HAVE A COUNTERPART,
AND YOU SAW THEM,
WHERE WAS YOURS, BOB?
I DON'T KNOW, BUT
HE WAS A COLONEL.
A FULL COLONEL.
I HOPE HE GOT BACK,
'CAUSE HE HAS A
VERY BEAUTIFUL WIFE
AND A VERY LOVELY
LITTLE DAUGHTER.
I HOPE HE GOT BACK.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
UH-UH.
I DON'T THINK.
NOT ON THIS ONE, SIR.
WHAT KIND OF TRAUMA...?
SOMETHING TO SET
HIM TILT LIKE THAT? I...
CAN WE CALL IT "TILT," SIR?
OH, WHAT ELSE?
ANOTHER DIMENSION?
ANOTHER WORLD PARALLEL
TO OURS? CALL THAT RATIONAL?
UP THERE, WHO
KNOWS WHAT'S RATIONAL
AND WHAT ISN'T?
WE DON'T EVEN
KNOW THE RULES, SIR,
LET ALONE THE FACTS.
WE'RE... WE'RE LIKE LITTLE ANTS
THAT HAVE JUST
MADE IT TO THE DESERT.
NOW WE SAY WE'VE
CONQUERED THE SAHARA
AND WE HAVEN'T
CONQUERED ANYTHING.
WE'RE ONLY STARTING TO
FIND THE MYSTERIES, GENERAL.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN
BEGUN TO SOLVE THEM.
WE'RE GOING TO DO
A LOT OF GROPING
THROUGH A LOT OF DARK NIGHTS,
THROUGH A LOT OF DARK SPACE,
BEFORE WE FIND THE CLUES,
LET ALONE THE ANSWERS.
WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO, SIR.
OKAY.
Man: GENERAL?
THERE'S A MESSAGE
FROM CAPCOM, SIR.
I'LL GIVE IT TO
YOU AS WE GOT IT.
IT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE.
LET ME BE THE JUDGE OF
THAT. WHAT'S THE MESSAGE?
CAPCOM REPORTS TELEMETRY
WITH AN UNIDENTIFIED
SPACE VEHICLE.
WHAT?
YES, SIR. THEY HAD
VOICE COMMUNICATION
FOR ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF.
THE SPACECRAFT IDENTIFIED
ITSELF AS ASTRO SEVEN,
AND THE PERSON IN IT SAID...
WHAT'D HE SAY? WHAT'D HE SAY?
HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS
A COLONEL ROBERT GAINES.
HE ASKED FOR REENTRY DATA.
COLONEL ROBERT GAINES?
YES, SIR.
THEN WE GOT SOME GARBLED
STUFF, AND THEN NOTHING.
AND THEN WHAT?
AND THEN NOTHING, SIR.
WE LOST THE VISUAL
SIGHTING. WE LOST ALL VOICE.
THE THING JUST DISAPPEARED.
GET A TRANSCRIPT OF
EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID.
HAVE IT BROUGHT TO MY OFFICE.
AND KEEP TRYING TO
RAISE, UH... WHOEVER IT WAS.
YES, SIR. WE'RE STILL TRYING.
GOOD. UH... YOU
KEEP ME IN TOUCH.
YES, SIR.
WELL, BILL... YOU
CERTAINLY WERE RIGHT
WHEN YOU SAID WE
HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN.
WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.
WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?
ONE THING. I'D LIKE TO
TELL ASTRONAUT GAINES
THAT HIS PROOF JUST
SHOWED UP ON A RADAR SCREEN,
HOWEVER BRIEFLY.
YEAH. BE MY GUEST.
DO ME A FAVOR, WOULD YOU, HONEY?
TELL ME WHO I AM.
WHAT, DADDY?
THANK YOU, HONEY.
THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW.
WELCOME HOME.
IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME.
Serling: MAJOR ROBERT GAINES,
A LATTER-DAY VOYAGER JUST
RETURNED FROM AN ADVENTURE.
SUBMITTED TO YOU
WITHOUT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS
AS TO BELIEF OR DISBELIEF.
YOU CAN ACCEPT OR REJECT.
YOU PAYS YOUR MONEY,
AND YOU TAKES YOUR CHOICE.
BUT CREDULOUS OR INCREDULOUS,
DON'T BOTHER TO ASK ANYONE
FOR PROOF THAT IT COULD HAPPEN.
THE OBLIGATION'S A
REVERSE CHALLENGE...
PROVE THAT IT COULDN'T.
THIS HAPPENS TO BE
THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
A NEW AUTHOR JOINS THE RANKS
OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE CREW
WHEN JOHN FURIA JR. GIVES US
SEVERAL STUNNINGLY NEW TWISTS
TO A CLASSIC CHARACTER
IN "I DREAM OF GENIE."
JOIN HOWARD MORRIS, PATRICA
BARRY AND LORING SMITH
AS THEY TAKE THEIR TRIP
INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
WHO... WHO... WHO...?
WHO WERE YOU EXPECTING?
WHO...?
I'M A GENIE IN A
LAMP. THAT'S WHO.
ALADDIN, MAGIC, THE WHOLE BIT.
IF... IF YOU ARE THE GENIE,
THEN I MUST BE THE
MASTER OF THE LAMP.
BIG DEAL. MASTER OF THE LAMP.
ALL RIGHT, YOU GOT
YOURSELF A FREE WISH.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
ANYTHING I WANT IN
THE WHOLE WORLD.
ANYTHING.
BUT ONLY ONE WISH.
WITH THE KEY OF IMAGINATION.
BEYOND IT IS
ANOTHER DIMENSION...
A DIMENSION OF SOUND,
A DIMENSION OF SIGHT,
A DIMENSION OF MIND.
YOU'RE MOVING INTO A LAND OF
BOTH SHADOW AND SUBSTANCE,
OF THINGS AND IDEAS.
YOU'VE JUST CROSSED
OVER INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
OKAY, AND THANK YOU FOR CALLING.
YEAH.
WE'LL BE WATCHING.
THAT WAS COLONEL
CONNACHER, HONEY.
HE SAYS DADDY IS JUST FINE.
WILL HE... WILL HE
BE GOING UP SOON?
IN JUST ABOUT AN HOUR.
THAT'S WHAT COLONEL
CONNACHER SAID.
DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO SLEEP?
I DON'T BLAME YOU. I
CAN'T SLEEP EITHER.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.
I'LL MAKE SOME COFFEE FOR ME
AND SOME COCOA FOR YOU.
AND YOU WASH YOUR FACE AND HANDS
AND COMB YOUR HAIR.
AND THEN WE'LL TURN ON
THE TELEVISION SET, OKAY?
OKAY.
BE SAFE, BOB.
BE SAFE, DARLING.
AND COME BACK.
Serling: IN THE VERNACULAR OF
SPACE THIS IS T MINUS ONE HOUR...
60 MINUTES BEFORE A HUMAN
BEING NAMED MAJOR ROBERT GAINES
IS LIFTED OFF FROM THE
MOTHER EARTH AND ROCKETED
INTO THE SKY FARTHER AND LONGER
THAN ANY MAN AHEAD OF HIM.
CALL THIS ONE OF THE FIRST
FALTERING STEPS OF MAN
TO SEVER THE UMBILICAL
CORD OF GRAVITY
AND STRETCH OUT A FINGERTIP
TOWARD AN UNKNOWN.
SHORTLY, WE'LL JOIN THIS
ASTRONAUT NAMED GAINES
AND EMBARK ON AN ADVENTURE,
BECAUSE THE ENVIRONS OVERHEAD...
THE STARS, THE SKY,
THE INFINITE SPACE...
ARE ALL PART OF A
VAST QUESTION MARK
KNOWN AS THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
HUH. PULSE NORMAL?
REASONABLE.
SOMEPLACE BETWEEN
NONCHALANCE AND PANIC.
I KNOW THE FEELING.
I CALLED HELEN. SHE'S FINE.
SAYS TO TELL YOU
THEY'LL BE WAITING.
BLESS YOU FOR THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY
MESSAGES FOR THE ANGELS?
HMM... GIVE THEM A KISS
FOR ME... ANY THAT YOU MEET.
ON MY LAST ORBIT, I'LL LASSO
A PAIR OF GOSSAMER WINGS
AND SHIP THEM DOWN TO
YOU AIR EXPRESS... COLLECT.
KIND OF AN ODD FEELING,
KNOWING I'LL BE MOVING
AROUND THE EARTH FOR A WEEK.
THAT'S PROGRESS.
GUS GRISSOM WENT 302 MILES,
GLENN MADE THREE ORBITS,
SCHIRRA HANDLED SIX.
AND YOU, BOBBY BOY, ARE
GOING TO GO ROUND AND ROUND.
AND, WHEN YOU COME BACK DOWN,
MAYBE WE'LL BE THAT MUCH CLOSER
TO FILING A CLAIM
ON SOME MORE SKY.
GOOD LUCK, BUDDY.
THANKS, BILL. THANKS A LOT.
THIS IS CAPCOM.
TIME IS NOW AT T MINUS
ONE MINUTE AND COUNTING.
BETTER HURRY.
THIS IS CAPCOM.
THE MX TEN COUNTDOWN
IS NOW T MINUS 25 SECONDS.
T minus 20 seconds
19... 18... 17... 16...
15... 14... 13...
12... 11... ten...
nine... eight... seven... six...
five... four...
three... two... one...
zero.
GO AHEAD, TEN. WE READ
YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
ZERO G, AND I FEEL FINE.
SPACECRAFT IS
BEGINNING TO TURN NOW.
ROGER.
TURNAROUND HAS STARTED.
SPACECRAFT IS ALMOST OVER.
I CAN SEE THE BOOSTER JUST
A COUPLE OF YARDS BEHIND ME.
IT'S QUITE A SIGHT.
ROGER, TEN. WE STILL
READ YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
NEXT TRANSMISSION, BERMUDA.
ROGER. UNDERSTAND NEXT
TRANSMISSION, BERMUDA.
Man: Phebus Ten, Bermuda.
CAPCOM Tech on HM.
Man: Phebus Ten, this
is Zanzibar Captech.
We have solid telemetry contact.
Phebus Ten.
Phebus Ten.
Phebus Ten.
Phebus Ten.
CAPCOM calling Phebus Ten.
WE NOW HAVE I.O.S., OVER.
PHEBUS TEN, YOUR
VOICE TRANSMISSIONS
ARE STARTING TO FADE VERY BADLY.
CAPCOM, CAPCOM,
THIS IS PHEBUS TEN.
I'VE LOST CONTACT WITH YOU.
I'VE LOST RADAR
HERE! I'VE LOST RADAR!
WE DON'T HAVE
CONTACT HERE, EITHER.
NO CONTACT AT ALL.
CAPCOM TECH CALLING PHEBUS TEN.
CAPCOM, CAPCOM,
THIS IS PHEBUS TEN.
OPEN THE BLINDS, NURSE.
YES, DOCTOR.
WELL, HOW ABOUT IT, GAINES?
CAN YOU TALK?
SURE.
SURE, I CAN TALK.
HEY, BILLY.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WELL, WE WERE WAITING
FOR YOU TO WAKE
UP TO TELL US, BOB.
TELL YOU?
I CAN'T TELL YOU
ANYTHING, I BLACKED OUT.
WE LOST YOU ON RADAR AND RADIO.
ABSOLUTELY NO CONTACT.
IT BOILS DOWN TO THIS, GAINES...
YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE
WHO CAN EXPLAIN IT.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING.
I HAD AN ODD SENSATION.
LAST THING I REMEMBER
IS THE 15th ORBIT.
AFTER THAT, I DON'T
REMEMBER ANYTHING
EXCEPT THIS BED.
I COULDN'T REACH
THE CAPE AT ALL.
I KEPT TRYING.
WHY DON'T YOU LET
HIM GET SOME SLEEP?
I THINK HE'LL FEEL A
LITTLE CLEARER LATER ON.
I WON'T BE ANY CLEARER
THAN I AM RIGHT NOW.
HOW COULD YOU LOSE ME ON RADAR?
BILL, DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME
EVERY SINGLE TRACKING
STATION BLACKED OUT?
REALLY, GENTLEMEN, I...
JUST ONE LAST QUESTION, PLEASE.
BOB, THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY
YOU COULD HEAD
BACK TOWARD EARTH.
THAT'S JUST TO SPIRAL IN,
AND THEN HEAD FOR WATER.
YOUR SPACECRAFT
WAS FOUND, INTACT,
46 MILES FROM WHERE
YOU WERE LAUNCHED.
INTACT, BOB, ON THE GROUND.
THERE WAS NO
EVIDENCE OF ANY DAMAGE,
NOT EVEN A DENT.
SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, YOU
BROUGHT THAT SPACECRAFT IN,
AND YOU LANDED HER.
TELL ME HOW.
WOULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME
HOW YOU PERFORMED AN
ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE ACT?
I DIDN'T.
I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
I BLACKED OUT, GENERAL.
I SIMPLY BLACKED OUT.
THERE WAS SOME FACTOR UP THERE,
SOMETHING WHICH I
HAD NO CONTROL OVER,
SOMETHING WHICH MUST HAVE...
MUST HAVE TAKEN OVER FOR ME.
HMM. OKAY, UH... WE'LL
TALK ABOUT IT LATER.
THIS WHOLE THING IS
TEMPORARILY CLASSIFIED...
I MEAN EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.
WE'LL SIMPLY MAKE THE STATEMENT
THAT HE REGAINED
ENTRY AND HE LANDED.
HE'S SHAKEN UP BUT
NOT SERIOUSLY HURT.
AND THAT'S THE
FEED. NO EXTENSIONS,
NO ENLARGEMENTS BEYOND
THAT SIMPLE STATEMENT.
AFTER WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO
PROBE THIS THING A LITTLE WHILE,
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME UP
WITH SOMETHING WE CAN LET GO.
BUT, IN THE MEANTIME,
IT'S A ONE-LINE RELEASE.
"HE GOT BACK DOWN." UNQUOTE.
YOU GET SOME REST, BOB.
TALK TO YOU LATER.
YEAH, YOU, UH... SLEEP IT OFF.
THERE'S AN EXPLANATION
FOR EVERYTHING.
WELL, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT NOW.
YOU'RE, UH, ALL DOPED UP,
AND YOU'RE ALSO DEAD TIRED.
YOU SLEEP IT OFF, AND
I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO
ABOUT GETTING YOU A
LEAVE TO GET ON HOME.
SO REST EASY, PAL.
BILL?
ALL ALONG, I THOUGHT
THERE WAS SOME KIND OF
MALFUNCTION UP THERE...
FUEL OR PROPULSION
OR JUST COMMUNICATION.
MAYBE THE MALFUNCTION
WAS CLOSER TO HOME.
MAYBE IT WAS RIGHT UP
HERE BETWEEN MY EARS.
MAYBE ASTRONAUT ROBERT
GAINES WENT OFF THE TRACKS.
MAYBE HE COULDN'T
CUT THE MUSTARD.
LOOK, YOU TALK LIKE
THAT... YOU THINK LIKE THAT...
AND YOU'LL COME
AROUND TO BELIEVING IT.
AND THAT'S STUPID, BOB.
WE'RE DEALING WITH
NINE NATURAL LAWS
PLUS A WHOLE STRING
OF IMPONDERABLES.
AND REASONS ARE
GOING TO COME OUT...
LEGITIMATE, RATIONAL REASONS.
NOW, YOU JUST LIE THERE AND
BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE.
I'LL CALL HELEN AGAIN
AND TELL HER YOU'RE RESTING
AND YOU'LL BE HOME SOON.
WILL I? WILL I BE HOME?
YEAH. UNLESS YOU PERSUADE
ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND HERE
THAT YOU NEED AN ATTENDANT.
DREAM GOOD.
I'LL SEE YOU LATER.
WELL?
OH, IT'LL ALL COME
OUT IN THE WASH.
WILL IT?
LET ME TELL YOU
SOMETHING, COLONEL...
A MAN IS SENT UP INTO
SPACE, AND THEN HE ORBITS.
THERE ARE ONLY THREE WAYS
HE CAN BREAK OFF CONTACT.
ONE IS IONIZATION,
AND THAT DIDN'T OCCUR.
THE OTHER IS SUNSPOTS,
AND THAT DIDN'T OCCUR.
THE THIRD IS THE MAN'S DEATH,
AND HE'S LYING THERE ON THAT BED
BREATHING FIVE BY FIVE.
ALL RIGHT, I'M WAITING
FOR A FRESH ALTERNATIVE,
ONE I CAN TAKE
WITHOUT FLINCHING.
ONE MAYBE I CAN
REPEAT TO THE PRESIDENT
WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT HIM
STICKING ME IN A RUBBER ROOM.
WHAT HAPPENED TO GAINES?
WHERE WAS HE FOR SIX SOLID HOURS
WHEN NOBODY IN THE
WORLD COULD FIND HIM?
HOW DID HE MAKE A REENTRY
WITHOUT BURNING UP INTO A FLAKE?
SOMETIME WE'LL HAVE TO ASK HIM.
GIVE HER MY LOVE.
THANKS FOR SERVICES RENDERED.
I'LL TALK TO YOU LATER.
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
HOME, JAMES.
WELCOME HOME.
WHAT'S THE MATTER, BOB?
IS THAT WHAT YOU DID FOR
THERAPY WHILE I WAS GONE...
PUT UP THAT FENCE?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
THAT FENCE WASN'T THERE
WHEN I LEFT LAST WEEK.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
THAT FENCE WAS THERE
WHEN WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE.
OUTER SPACE DOES THINGS
TO MEMORIES, DOESN'T IT?
YEAH.
YEAH, SO IT APPEARS.
TV Announcer: America's
latest manned orbital spaceflight
ends on a note of mystery today.
With a cloak of secrecy being
placed over the entire project.
Millions were watching
the orbital flight
on television when, suddenly,
the pictures were interrupted
with a terse announcement
that no further coverage
would be forthcoming.
General Stanley Eaton
announced late this afternoon
that further information
would be forthcoming
at a later date
but that, for the moment,
all aspects of
astronaut Gaines' flight
would continue to be top secret
pending further
investigation of data.
YOU GOT ANY MORE
COFFEE OUT THERE?
I'M MAKING SOME.
IT'LL BE BETTER IN A MINUTE.
I'M GOING UPSTAIRS
AND PUT ON A BATHROBE.
I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
DO YOU WANT MAGGIE
TO GO GET IT FOR YOU?
BOTH YOU AND MAGGIE
HAVE BEEN TREATING ME
LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN
AN ECCENTRIC MILLIONAIRE
AND A PIECE OF FRAGILE DRESDEN.
I'LL GET MY OWN BATHROBE, WOMAN.
BE RIGHT BACK.
THAT'S FUNNY.
SOME CHICKEN COLONEL
BACK AT THE BASE
IS GOING TO BE RUNNING
HOME IN HIS UNDERSHIRT.
Helen: BOB, YOUR COFFEE'S READY.
YOU WANT US TO
BRING YOU UP A CUP?
NO, HONEY. I'LL BE RIGHT DOWN.
WANT TO HEAR SOMETHING FUNNY?
I RAN OFF WITH
SOMEBODY'S SHIRT...
A FULL COLONEL'S, NO LESS.
BOB?
WHAT?
ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?
HELEN... WITHOUT
TRYING TO SCARE YOU,
AND WITHOUT TRYING
TO MAKE YOU WONDER
WHETHER I'VE STILL
GOT ALL MY MARBLES,
I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.
WHAT IS IT?
WHEN I LEFT... WHEN I
WALKED OUT OF HERE...
WHAT WAS MY RANK?
YOUR RANK?
WHAT WAS MY RANK?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
WASN'T I A MAJOR?
HAVEN'T I BEEN A
MAJOR FOR 13 MONTHS?
ARE YOU SERIOUS?
NO, I'M PLAYING GAMES WITH YOU.
HELEN, I WANT YOU TO TELL ME.
YOU'RE A COLONEL, BOB.
YOU'RE A FULL COLONEL.
YOU'VE BEEN A COLONEL
SINCE LAST MARCH.
LAST MARCH?
LAST MARCH.
I WANT TO SAY
SOMETHING TO YOU NOW.
I, UM...
I DON'T KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED UP THERE.
I HAVE NO IDEA.
BUT, UH... I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT
TO TALK ABOUT IT...
THAT'S WHY WE HAVEN'T
SAID ANYTHING... BUT, UH...
SOMETHING MUST
HAVE HAPPENED, BOB.
SOME DELUSIONS.
SOME DISTORTIONS.
LIKE THAT FENCE
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE.
I DON'T REMEMBER IT.
AND YET YOU SAID
IT HAD BEEN THERE
WHEN WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE.
AND THAT BUSINESS
WITH BILL CONNACHER.
HE TOLD ME HE CALLED
YOU BEFORE THE FLIGHT.
HE MADE IT A POINT TO TELL ME.
AND THEN, AFTERWARD...
AFTERWARD, HE SAID THERE'D
BEEN NO SUCH PHONE CONVERSATION.
IT'S UNIMPORTANT.
IT'S INSIGNIFICANT, REALLY.
AND YET...
AND YET IT ALL SEEMS TO BE PART
OF SOME SORT OF CRAZY PATTERN.
SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG,
BECAUSE HE DID
TELL ME HE CALLED.
THAT FENCE WASN'T THERE, AND
THOSE EAGLES HAVE NEVER BEEN
ON MY COLLAR BEFORE BECAUSE,
WHEN I LEFT HERE, I WAS A MAJOR.
YOU, UM... YOU TOLD ME ONCE
THAT THERE ARE WHOLE
AREAS OF SPACE MEDICINE
THAT WE KNOW
PRACTICALLY NOTHING ABOUT.
PHENOMENA AND REACTION PATTERNS
THAT CAN ONLY BE GUESSED AT.
I'M SURE THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
I'M SURE THERE'S NOTHING
WRONG WITH YOU BUT A...
COUPLE OF FIXATIONS
THAT ARE GOING TO
GO AWAY WITH TIME.
NOW...
LET'S GO DOWNSTAIRS
AND HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE.
AND DON'T LET A WHITE FENCE
AND A PROMOTION END
THE WORLD FOR YOU.
IF THAT'S AS FAR AS IT
GOES, I'LL TRY NOT TO.
BUT WHAT IF... WHAT
IF OTHER THINGS...?
UM...
I'D LIKE COLONEL WILLIAM
CONNACHER, PLEASE.
I WAS, UH... I WAS JUST, UH...
GOING TO CALL BILL CONNACHER
TO ASK HIM IF HE'D
LIKE TO... LIKE TO WHAT?
COME OVER FOR DINNER.
BOB, I, UH... I JUST CALLED BILL
TO HAVE HIM GIVE ME
SOME REASSURANCE.
I REMEMBER THAT...
THAT HE SAID ONCE
THAT THERE ARE SOME ASPECTS
TO PROLONGED WEIGHTLESSNESS
THAT MAKES...
LOOK, REALLY, LIKE
I SAID, I'M ALL RIGHT.
IT'S YOU PEOPLE
I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
NOW, WHERE'S MY COFFEE?
I'LL GET IT FOR YOU.
DON'T BREAK ANY MORE
SAUCERS, MOTHER'S HELPER.
I'LL TRY NOT TO.
HELEN?
HELEN, I THINK IT'D BE
A WHOLE LOT BETTER...
A WHOLE LOT BETTER... IF WE
DROPPED ALL THE PRETENSES.
IF YOU THINK THERE'S SOMETHING
WRONG WITH ME, JUST SAY SO.
AND HONEY, I'D CONSIDER
IT A REAL FAVOR...
A MAJOR FAVOR... IF YOU
WOULDN'T WALK PAST ME ON TIPTOE
WITH FORCED SMILES
AND "THERE'S NOTHING
WRONG WITH YOU" DIALOGUE.
ALL RIGHT?
ALL RIGHT.
AHH!
I HELPED MOMMY MAKE THE PIE.
YOU KNOW, SOMEDAY, I'M GOING
TO LOSE YOU TO A NAVY ENSIGN
WHO'LL MARRY YOU FOR
YOUR FATHER'S MONEY
AND YOUR COOKING.
NOW, HONEY, YOU KNOW
I DON'T TAKE SUGAR.
MAGGIE... HONEY,
WHAT'S THE MATTER?
NOTHING.
NOTHING'S THE MATTER.
MAGGIE, HERE.
TELL DADDY WHAT'S THE MATTER.
DADDY... DADDY,
YOU'RE DIFFERENT.
WELL, HOW, HONEY?
HOW AM I DIFFERENT?
I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU ARE.
YOU ARE DIFFERENT.
YOU'RE VERY DIFFERENT. THERE...
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG.
MAGGIE!
WHAT DOES SHE MEAN?
I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT DOES SHE MEAN?
WHAT DOES SHE
MEAN, I'M DIFFERENT?
WELL, AM I?
AM I, HELEN?
HAVE I CHANGED SOMEHOW
BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN I LEFT?
I CAN'T...
I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.
I DON'T KNOW HOW.
I HAVE CHANGED, HAVEN'T I?
THERE IS SOMETHING
DIFFERENT ABOUT ME.
THE CHILD SENSED IT.
YOU HAVE, TOO.
YOU HAVE, HAVEN'T YOU?
YES, I HAVE.
HOW?
I...
I DON'T KNOW. I...
I JUST DON'T KNOW. IT'S...
IT'S JUST THAT YOU'RE...
YOU'RE NOT THE SAME SOMEHOW.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO
CALL BILL CONNACHER.
THAT WASN'T NECESSARY.
TOMORROW I'LL TURN MYSELF
IN FOR PSYCHIATRIC HELP.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT
IT IS THAT HAPPENED.
SOMETHING DID.
SOMETHING IS
TEARING US ALL APART.
SOMETHING SO REMOTE, WE
CAN'T EVEN PUT IT INTO WORDS.
SOMETHING... SOMETHING,
UNTIL WE FIND OUT WHAT IT IS,
IT'S GOING TO WRECK US, HELEN.
IVAN, THERE WAS NOTHING
HE COULD TELL YOU
THAT OCCURRED IN SPACE
THAT COULD GIVE US SOME
KEY OR SOMETHING TO ALL THIS?
NOTHING THAT HE
COULD RELATE TO ME.
I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT
HE REMAIN HERE, HOWEVER.
FOR THE TIME BEING, I'D LIKE
TO TREAT HIM AS AN OUTPATIENT.
HAVE HIM COME IN AT INTERVALS,
BUT IN NO WAY SUGGEST
TO HIM THAT HE'S IN
AN ABERRANT CONDITION REQUIRING
PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES
WHERE THE PSYCHOLOGY
OF THE SITUATION
REQUIRES VERY CAREFUL HANDLING.
WE'RE RIGHT BACK
WHERE WE STARTED, THEN.
UH... MRS. GAINES, I DON'T
MEAN TO SOUND CALLOUS.
HE'S AN EXCEPTIONAL GENTLEMAN,
THAT HUSBAND OF YOURS.
I THINK HE'LL BE OUT OF
THE WOODS IN NO TIME.
MY CONCERN HAPPENS
TO BE, VERY SPECIFICALLY,
A SPACE PROJECT, NOT A MAN.
I UNDERSTAND, SIR.
MRS. GAINES, WHAT
ABOUT THAT FENCE?
IT WAS THERE WHEN
WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE.
AND WHEN DID HE SEEM
SURPRISED THAT IT WAS THERE?
THE MOMENT THAT HE CAME
HOME YESTERDAY MORNING.
REALLY A VERY STRANGE
COLLECTION OF DELUSIONS.
A WHITE PICKET
FENCE... A STORY...
HIS OWN RANK...
AND THE LAST THING HE SAID
WAS HE DOUBTED VERY MUCH
IF PRESIDENT KENNEDY
WOULD PIN ANY MEDALS ON HIM.
PRESIDENT WHO?
KENNEDY.
SOMEONE NAMED JOHN KENNEDY.
WHO'S JOHN KENNEDY?
SOMEONE WHO COLONEL
GAINES HAS DECIDED
IS PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
AND I SHARE YOUR BEWILDERMENT.
I NEVER HEARD OF HIM EITHER.
TWILIGHT ZONE WILL CONTINUE
AFTER STATION IDENTIFICATION.
IT ISN'T EASY TO SAY.
WELL... IF IT ISN'T EASY TO SAY,
THEN IT'S BETTER
SAID, SO GET IT OUT.
MAGGIE'S NOTICED IT, TOO.
NOTICED WHAT?
THAT THERE'S SOMETHING...
THERE'S SOMETHING
DIFFERENT ABOUT HIM.
IT'S SOMETHING I CAN'T
PUT MY FINGER ON, BUT...
THERE'S SOME... THERE'S
SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SUGGESTING WHAT?
SUGGESTING NOTHING.
SOMETHING OR EVERYTHING.
WHAT CAN IT SUGGEST?
SIMPLY THAT THERE'S A
MAN IN MY HOUSE WHO...
A MAN IN YOUR HOUSE WHO WHAT?
THE QUESTION IS, A MAN
IN MY HOUSE WHO IS WHAT?
BETTER, A MAN IN MY
HOUSE WHO IS WHO?
I THINK YOU JUST OVERSHOT ME,
UNLESS I'M READING
YOU VERY WRONG.
NO, MAYBE YOU'RE
READING ME VERY RIGHT.
REASSURE ME, BILL.
TELL ME THAT, UH... THIS THING
MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE THIS
ICE-COLD FEELING ABOUT IS WAY OFF.
TELL US THAT WE'RE
JUST BEING CARRIED AWAY
BY HIS PROBLEM.
TELL US...
TELL US...
TELL US THAT THE MAN IN
THIS HOUSE IS BOB GAINES.
HELLO, BILL.
HOW ARE YOU?
FINE.
I JUST DROPPED OVER
TO SEE HOW YOU WERE.
ME?
WELL, THAT DEPENDS.
DEPENDS ON JUST WHAT ARE THE
CURRENT STANDARDS FOR SANITY...
THE ACCEPTABLE OUTER LIMITS.
I'VE BEEN GOING OVER A SET
OF ENCYCLOPEDIAS UP THERE,
AND JOTTING DOWN SOME NOTES.
I'VE UNCOVERED SOME
VERY REVEALING ITEMS.
THERE ARE SOME PRETTY
BASIC HISTORICAL FACTS
THAT SIMPLY DON'T JIBE.
FOR EXAMPLE,
IT TALKS ABOUT A
MAN NAMED ANDERSON
WHO WAS SENT BY THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO SUPERVISE THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE PANAMA CANAL.
SO?
SO, I NEVER HEARD OF
ANYONE NAMED ANDERSON.
IT HAPPENED TO BE A
MAN NAMED GOETHALS.
IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT AN AMERICAN
ACE NAMED EDDIE RICKENBACKER
FROM WORLD WAR I
WHO WAS LOST ON A RAFT
IN THE NEXT WAR AND NEVER FOUND.
THAT'S RIGHT.
HE CRASHED, AND
THAT WAS THE END OF IT.
BUT THAT WASN'T THE END OF IT.
THE RAFT WAS FOUND.
RICKENBACKER WAS SAVED.
HE BECAME THE PRESIDENT
OF AN AIRLINES COMPANY.
I'VE GOT DOZENS
OF ITEMS LIKE THAT.
MEN TALKED ABOUT
WHO NEVER EXISTED.
MEN WHO EXISTED AND
NOT EVEN MENTIONED.
HISTORICAL EVENTS THAT I
KNOW HAPPENED A CERTAIN WAY
SOMEHOW, ACCORDING
TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA,
DIDN'T HAPPEN, OR
HAPPENED ANOTHER WAY.
THE THINGS I REMEMBER
ARE NOT DELUSIONS.
THEY'RE THE LEGITIMATE RECOLLECTIONS
OF THINGS AS I REMEMBER THEM.
BUT SOMEHOW, SOME WAY,
THIS WORLD SEEMS TO HAVE
TURNED UPSIDE DOWN FOR ME.
WELL, NOT IN EVERY
WAY, YOU UNDERSTAND.
UH... BY AND LARGE, THE
PEOPLE ARE THE SAME.
THE NAMES, THE STREETS,
THE MUTUAL
RECOLLECTIONS WE ALL HAVE
OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS.
IT'S AS IF THERE WERE...
THERE WERE ANOTHER
WORLD PARALLEL TO MINE.
AS IF THIS WORLD
WERE ALMOST A TWIN,
EXCEPT FOR SOME
MINOR DIFFERENCES
THAT HAPPENED SOMEWHERE
ALONG THE LINE OF EVOLUTION.
BOB, FOR THE LOVE OF HEAVEN...
DO YOU WANT TO FOLLOW
THAT LINE OF REASONING?
BECAUSE, IF YOU DO,
THERE ARE A COUPLE
OF BUILT-IN CONDITIONS
THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.
CONDITIONS THAT
I DON'T THINK YOU
OR ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO ADMIT.
FIRST AND FOREMOST,
THEY HAPPEN TO BE
THAT IF ALL THIS IS TRUE...
IF YOU SUDDENLY
UNCOVERED A THEORY
THAT THERE ARE TWO EARTHS,
TWO SETS OF PEOPLE,
TWO HISTORIES...
AND YOU SOMEHOW, INEXPLICABLY,
CROSSED OVER TO
THE OTHER DIMENSION...
THEN YOU'RE NOT
WHO WE THINK YOU ARE.
AND WE'RE NOT WHO
YOU THINK WE ARE.
MAGGIE?
BOB!
LET'S GET IT OUT, SHALL WE?
I'M SO SICK OF
TIPTOEING AND WHISPERS.
MAGGIE!
COME DOWN HERE, BABY.
COME DOWN RIGHT AWAY.
HONEY...
THINK THIS OVER
BEFORE YOU ANSWER...
BUT ANSWER.
WHO AM I, HONEY?
TELL MOMMY AND COLONEL
CONNACHER WHO I AM.
BOB, PLEASE.
NO.
NOW, SWEETHEART...
YOU SAY WHATEVER'S ON YOUR MIND.
TELL THEM WHO I AM.
I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
MAGGIE, THIS IS YOUR DADDY.
THIS IS YOUR DADDY.
HE'S NOT MY DADDY.
I DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS.
OH, THAT WASN'T FAIR.
YOU'VE TAKEN A LITTLE
CHILD, IMPRESSIONABLE...
YOU'VE SUPERIMPOSED
ON HER YOUR OWN DOUBTS.
I'VE DONE NOTHING OF THE SORT.
I MERELY LET HER SAY OUT LOUD
WHAT HELEN'S BEEN
THINKING ALL ALONG.
AND, HEAVEN HELP ME,
WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING.
WHAT YOU'VE JUST
TOLD ME IS FANTASTIC.
HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY...?
IT'S INCREDIBLE.
INCREDIBLE.
I HELPED BUILD THAT SPACECRAFT.
I KNOW IT VERY WELL.
AND THIS ONE
IS NOT THE SAME ONE WE SENT OFF.
IT'S ALMOST A TWIN TO IT,
DOWN TO THE VERY
LAST NUT AND BOLT,
BUT IT'S SIMPLY NOT
THE SAME SPACECRAFT.
IT'S A DIFFERENT VEHICLE.
IT'S ALMOST AS IF IT CAME
OUT OF THE SAME MOLD,
BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN...
IN THE WIRING, IN THE CONTROL
PANEL AND IN THE STRUCTURE...
THERE'S A TINY
INSIGNIFICANT ALTERATION.
YOU ADD THEM ALL UP
AND YOU COME UP WITH
ONE VERY IRREVOCABLE FACT:
COLONEL GAINES WENT
UP IN ONE SPACECRAFT,
BUT HE'S OBVIOUSLY
COME BACK IN ANOTHER.
THAT LEAVES US WITH
TWO ALTERNATIVES.
COLONEL GAINES
ACTUALLY BLACKED OUT
AND HAS NO KNOWLEDGE
OF WHAT OCCURRED.
COLONEL GAINES IS
NOT WHO WE THINK HE IS.
COLONEL...
I WANT YOU TO EXAMINE
THIS VEHICLE CAREFULLY.
I WANT YOU TO BE
ABLE TO SAY TO ME,
WITHOUT A SINGLE SHRED OF DOUBT,
THAT THIS IS THE SPACECRAFT
YOU WERE SENT UP IN,
AND THE SPACECRAFT
YOU CAME DOWN IN.
THIS IS OF THE ESSENCE NOW.
Man: Phebus Ten, Bermuda.
CAPCOM Tech M.H.M.
YOU UNDERSTAND ME?
WHAT?
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?
BOB, WHAT THE GENERAL
IS TRYING TO GET AT
IS THAT THERE ARE
DELUSIONS THAT A MAN
CAN SUFFER UNDER STRESS.
NOW, ALL WE WANT TO DO NOW IS
TRY TO RETRACE THE CHRONOLOGY
FROM THE BLASTOFF
THROUGH THE ORBITS.
AND WE WANT YOU TO
CHECK OVER THIS CAPSULE.
I AM TALKING ABOUT A
MICROSCOPIC CHECK, NOW, BOB.
WE WANT TO MAKE
ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN
THAT WE CAN SEPARATE
WHAT IS DELUSION
FROM WHAT MIGHT CONCEIVABLY BE
AN INCREDIBLE SERIES OF EVENTS.
The weather in the
recovery are is excellent.
BOB, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU?
Three-foot waves, only
one-tenth cloud coverage,
ten miles visibility.
DON'T YOU HEAR THAT VOICE?
Phebus Ten, Phebus Ten...
CAPCOM Tech, do you read me?
DON'T YOU HEAR THAT VOICE?
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
WHAT VOICE ARE
YOU TALKING ABOUT?
Leave the retro package on
through the entire reentry.
Gaines will have to
override... THAT VOICE.
To 0.05... THAT VOICE!
Retract the scope.
Do you read?
DON'T YOU HEAR THAT VOICE?
Recommend you go
to reentry attitude and...
WE'LL GIVE YOU THE COUNTDOWN
ON RETRO-SEQUENCE TIME, BOB.
YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD.
We have only 50 seconds
to retrograde. Over.
I'LL GIVE YOU A MARK.
45...
MARK.
I am on 8SCS now, and
backing it up manually.
30 seconds, Bob.
CAPCOM, THIS IS PHEBUS TEN.
THE RETRO WARNING IS ON.
ROGER, BOB.
LEAVE YOUR RETRO PACK ON
THROUGH YOUR PASS OVER TEXAS.
DO YOU READ?
ROGER.
Five... four... three...
two... one... fire.
RETROS ARE FIRING.
I'M STARTING MY REENTRY NOW.
I'M GOING TO FLY BY WIRE.
I'M DOWN TO 15% ON MANUAL.
CAPCOM, THIS IS PHEBUS TEN.
IT'S A REAL FIREBALL OUT THERE.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
WHAT'S YOUR GENERAL CONDITION?
HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
I'M FEELING... I'M FEELING FINE.
CONDITION IS GOOD.
THERE'S AN AWFUL
LOT OF FIRE OUT THERE.
CAPCOM...
ONE LAST QUESTION:
GO AHEAD, BOB. GO AHEAD.
WHO'S THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES?
SAY AGAIN, WOULD YOU, BOB?
WE DON'T THINK WE
GOT THAT. SAY AGAIN.
WHO IS THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES?
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE
ASKING WHO THE PRESIDENT IS.
THAT'S PRECISELY THE QUESTION.
I HOPE YOU SAID KENNEDY.
I HOPE YOU SAID KENNEDY.
OPEN THE BLINDS, NURSE.
YES, DOCTOR.
OUR WANDERING BOY IS AWAKE.
BILL.
RIGHT HERE, BUDDY.
HOW YOU FEELING, GAINES?
THAT DEPENDS.
DID YOU HEAR THAT LAST
QUESTION I ASKED UP THERE?
JUST BEFORE REENTRY?
YOU ASKED WHO THE PRESIDENT IS.
WAS THAT SOME SORT OF A GAG?
I DIDN'T HEAR THE ANSWER.
IT WAS NO GAG.
PRESIDENT KENNEDY.
YOU WERE ONLY GONE TWO
DAYS, MAJOR, NOT TWO YEARS.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT SECOND
MORNING, GAINES, ABOUT YOUR 15th ORBIT?
WE LOST ALL CONTACT WITH YOU
FOR A PERIOD OF ALMOST SIX HOURS.
NO RADAR, NO CONTACT AT ALL.
WE COULDN'T FIND OUT
WHAT WAS WRONG HERE.
AND WE ASKED YOU THAT
QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES
AFTER WE PICKED YOU UP AGAIN,
BUT YOU IGNORED IT.
SIX HOURS?
THAT'S HOW LONG IT TOOK.
THEN YOU CAME BACK
IN LOUD AND CLEAR.
I THINK LATER, SIR.
RIGHT NOW, I THINK
HE SHOULD REST.
BILL... SOMETHING...
SOMETHING HAPPENED.
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO BELIEVE THIS.
I'M NOT ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN
THAT I BELIEVE IT MYSELF.
THERE'S ANOTHER DIMENSION.
I DON'T KNOW HOW IT
EXISTS OR WHERE IT EXISTS.
BUT THERE'S ANOTHER
WORLD, PARALLEL TO OURS...
THE SAME PEOPLE,
THE SAME PLACES,
MOST OF THE SAME
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS.
EXCEPT, NOW AND THEN,
THERE'S SOMETHING
A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS?
BECAUSE I WAS THERE, GENERAL.
I WAS THERE FOR ALMOST A WEEK.
THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
WE ONLY LOST YOU
FOR ABOUT SIX HOURS.
WE HAD CONTACT WITH YOU
ALL THE REST OF THE TIME.
I CAN'T HELP THAT, SIR.
DURING THAT SIX HOURS,
I LIVED OUT A WEEK.
DOING WHAT?
LOOKING AT OUR
COUNTERPARTS. LOOKING AT US.
US?
US, AS WE EXIST IN
A PARALLEL WORLD.
ONE THAT EXISTS ALONGSIDE,
BUT WHICH WE CAN'T SEE.
THE WORLD I STUMBLED INTO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW.
SOME KIND OF
SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM,
SOME WARPAGE.
THERE'S A DOORWAY UP
THERE SOMEWHERE INTO IT.
IT EXISTS.
EVERY NOW AND THEN,
I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE
FOR SOMEBODY TO FALL
THROUGH IT, AND I DID.
HOW DID YOU GET BACK, BOB?
I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT.
ALL I CAN REMEMBER IS RUNNING
TOWARD THE SPACECRAFT.
THEN... I WAS UP THERE AGAIN...
AND THEN I WAS BACK HERE.
WELL... BOB, I THINK, UH...
SLEEP ON THIS FOR A
LITTLE WHILE, WILL YOU?
WHY?
BECAUSE...
I THINK, UH... THIS MAY
JUST BE A DELUSION.
DELUSION?
BILL, I CAN RECOUNT
TO YOU EVERY MINUTE
AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED.
EVERY LINE OF DIALOGUE,
EVERY PERSON THAT I MET.
I COULD RECALL TO
YOU THE STREETS,
THE PLACES, EVERYTHING.
THIS WAS NO DELUSION.
IT WAS NO DREAM.
I HAVE NO PROOF.
I'VE TOLD YOU THAT.
MM-HMM.
WELL, UM, OKAY, MAJOR...
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER.
DID ANYBODY PHONE HELEN?
SHE, UH... ASKED WHAT
YOU WANTED FOR SUPPER.
WILL I BE ABLE TO LEAVE?
AT LEAST FOR AN
OVERNIGHT. MM-HMM.
I WANT YOU BACK FIRST THING IN
THE MORNING FOR SOME CRITIQUE.
I WANT TO HAVE A LOOK AT
THOSE PSYCHIATRISTS' FACES
WHEN YOU START TALKING TO
THEM ABOUT PARALLEL DIMENSIONS.
MEANWHILE, GET SOME REST, MAJOR.
ONE LAST QUESTION.
BE MY GUEST.
IF WE EACH HAVE A COUNTERPART,
AND YOU SAW THEM,
WHERE WAS YOURS, BOB?
I DON'T KNOW, BUT
HE WAS A COLONEL.
A FULL COLONEL.
I HOPE HE GOT BACK,
'CAUSE HE HAS A
VERY BEAUTIFUL WIFE
AND A VERY LOVELY
LITTLE DAUGHTER.
I HOPE HE GOT BACK.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
UH-UH.
I DON'T THINK.
NOT ON THIS ONE, SIR.
WHAT KIND OF TRAUMA...?
SOMETHING TO SET
HIM TILT LIKE THAT? I...
CAN WE CALL IT "TILT," SIR?
OH, WHAT ELSE?
ANOTHER DIMENSION?
ANOTHER WORLD PARALLEL
TO OURS? CALL THAT RATIONAL?
UP THERE, WHO
KNOWS WHAT'S RATIONAL
AND WHAT ISN'T?
WE DON'T EVEN
KNOW THE RULES, SIR,
LET ALONE THE FACTS.
WE'RE... WE'RE LIKE LITTLE ANTS
THAT HAVE JUST
MADE IT TO THE DESERT.
NOW WE SAY WE'VE
CONQUERED THE SAHARA
AND WE HAVEN'T
CONQUERED ANYTHING.
WE'RE ONLY STARTING TO
FIND THE MYSTERIES, GENERAL.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN
BEGUN TO SOLVE THEM.
WE'RE GOING TO DO
A LOT OF GROPING
THROUGH A LOT OF DARK NIGHTS,
THROUGH A LOT OF DARK SPACE,
BEFORE WE FIND THE CLUES,
LET ALONE THE ANSWERS.
WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO, SIR.
OKAY.
Man: GENERAL?
THERE'S A MESSAGE
FROM CAPCOM, SIR.
I'LL GIVE IT TO
YOU AS WE GOT IT.
IT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE.
LET ME BE THE JUDGE OF
THAT. WHAT'S THE MESSAGE?
CAPCOM REPORTS TELEMETRY
WITH AN UNIDENTIFIED
SPACE VEHICLE.
WHAT?
YES, SIR. THEY HAD
VOICE COMMUNICATION
FOR ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF.
THE SPACECRAFT IDENTIFIED
ITSELF AS ASTRO SEVEN,
AND THE PERSON IN IT SAID...
WHAT'D HE SAY? WHAT'D HE SAY?
HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS
A COLONEL ROBERT GAINES.
HE ASKED FOR REENTRY DATA.
COLONEL ROBERT GAINES?
YES, SIR.
THEN WE GOT SOME GARBLED
STUFF, AND THEN NOTHING.
AND THEN WHAT?
AND THEN NOTHING, SIR.
WE LOST THE VISUAL
SIGHTING. WE LOST ALL VOICE.
THE THING JUST DISAPPEARED.
GET A TRANSCRIPT OF
EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID.
HAVE IT BROUGHT TO MY OFFICE.
AND KEEP TRYING TO
RAISE, UH... WHOEVER IT WAS.
YES, SIR. WE'RE STILL TRYING.
GOOD. UH... YOU
KEEP ME IN TOUCH.
YES, SIR.
WELL, BILL... YOU
CERTAINLY WERE RIGHT
WHEN YOU SAID WE
HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN.
WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.
WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?
ONE THING. I'D LIKE TO
TELL ASTRONAUT GAINES
THAT HIS PROOF JUST
SHOWED UP ON A RADAR SCREEN,
HOWEVER BRIEFLY.
YEAH. BE MY GUEST.
DO ME A FAVOR, WOULD YOU, HONEY?
TELL ME WHO I AM.
WHAT, DADDY?
THANK YOU, HONEY.
THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW.
WELCOME HOME.
IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME.
Serling: MAJOR ROBERT GAINES,
A LATTER-DAY VOYAGER JUST
RETURNED FROM AN ADVENTURE.
SUBMITTED TO YOU
WITHOUT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS
AS TO BELIEF OR DISBELIEF.
YOU CAN ACCEPT OR REJECT.
YOU PAYS YOUR MONEY,
AND YOU TAKES YOUR CHOICE.
BUT CREDULOUS OR INCREDULOUS,
DON'T BOTHER TO ASK ANYONE
FOR PROOF THAT IT COULD HAPPEN.
THE OBLIGATION'S A
REVERSE CHALLENGE...
PROVE THAT IT COULDN'T.
THIS HAPPENS TO BE
THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
A NEW AUTHOR JOINS THE RANKS
OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE CREW
WHEN JOHN FURIA JR. GIVES US
SEVERAL STUNNINGLY NEW TWISTS
TO A CLASSIC CHARACTER
IN "I DREAM OF GENIE."
JOIN HOWARD MORRIS, PATRICA
BARRY AND LORING SMITH
AS THEY TAKE THEIR TRIP
INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
WHO... WHO... WHO...?
WHO WERE YOU EXPECTING?
WHO...?
I'M A GENIE IN A
LAMP. THAT'S WHO.
ALADDIN, MAGIC, THE WHOLE BIT.
IF... IF YOU ARE THE GENIE,
THEN I MUST BE THE
MASTER OF THE LAMP.
BIG DEAL. MASTER OF THE LAMP.
ALL RIGHT, YOU GOT
YOURSELF A FREE WISH.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
ANYTHING I WANT IN
THE WHOLE WORLD.
ANYTHING.
BUT ONLY ONE WISH.