The Outer Limits (1963) s01e03 Episode Script

( hissing and buzzing ) Emily! Emily! (cries out (screams) ( man ) 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 you see and hear.
You are about to participate in a great adventure.
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to The Outer Limits.
ln the course of centuries, man has devoured the Earth itself.
The machine age has dried up the seas of oil, industry has consumed the heartlands of coal.
The atomic age has plundered the rare elements: uranium, cobalt, plutonium, leaving behind worthless deposits of lead and ashes.
Starvation is at hand.
Only here, in the void of space, is there a new source of atomic power.
Above us in the debris of the solar system, in the meteorites and asteroids, are the materials needed to drive the reactors.
Yet in their distant, silent orbits, these chunks of matter are beyond the reach of man .
Beyond the reach of human hands, but not beyond the reach of the human mind.
Driving along a country road in an ordinary car is a modest man , Harold J Finley.
Quiet and profound.
( horn blares) ( horn blares) - Move over a bit, can 't you? - Turn around and go the other way.
- That takes me 1 2 miles out of my way.
- Then just wait till we're finished.
( horn blares) Are you looking for trouble, Mac? ( hissing and buzzing ) Harold! lt's twenty minutes past eight.
There are no classes for me this morning.
l've got somebody filling in for me.
l'm driving over to Readsville.
Don 't tell me you're pestering those space people again .
You tried to get a job last year.
They told you they need good research scientists.
- l have more to offer now.
- Yes, you're a year older.
Sometimes a man tries to climb out of a rut.
- l'm sick of teaching at a second-rate college.
- Did you fix the bathroom faucet? Yes.
Yesterday, when you asked me to.
Dear, l really mustn 't stand here talking.
Harold? Harold! Stop at the supermarket and return these bottles, will you? - They're waiting for me.
- Oh, Harold.
What could they use you for? An astronaut? l've already seen one of their most important men .
He's having me meet with his entire staff.
They think l may be able to save one of their most important projects.
(car engine starts ) The asteroid belt is located between Jupiter and Mars.
All shapes and sizes, thousands of them.
Sometimes they collide, shatter and rain down .
The particles weigh thousands of pounds.
Most are a crude metal structure, like iron .
But the big ones contain rare earths.
The fissionable series.
Uranium, titanium, in tremendous quantities.
No use if you can 't get to it.
Space capsules can 't crack an asteroid, break off hunks of it.
We're working on it, and making progress.
l realise how hard you have worked, but Washington is closing you down .
You'll be transferred to more practical projects.
They can 't! This project could pay for the entire country.
For defence costs, schools, highways.
For the whole Federal budget.
We could abolish taxes! Your last report admits you have not developed any mining devices heavy enough to do the job.
Your space capsules can 't generate enough power to deflect an asteroid mass out of trajectory towards Earth, much less control them on the way.
Gentlemen , you've met Mr Harold J Finley.
Mr Finley's a college professor.
He's been studying the electromagnetic field phenomenon .
He and l have been working together on a solution .
l want you to see this.
l think he's discovered a means of gravity control, far beyond any power we know.
This fragment was found near Redlands, Texas.
A metallic structure has been fused and compressed to a weight of over half a ton .
Mr Finley.
Tell them how you do it.
l have developed a link gate .
.
complex enough to regulate the forces of the field energy surrounding us.
These waves are all around us now, like, you know, radio waves, television channels, X-rays and so on .
The entire electromagnetic flux.
l have no actual power myself.
By using my brain patterns as a sort of focusing device, l'm able to direct electromagnetic field energy into a discrete beam.
lt's rather as though my brain were a lens, focusing light waves into a sharp line.
l'd like to see the actual device.
- Device? - The link gate, amplifier, whatever it is.
l'm afraid that's not possible.
You see, l had to have a special operation .
lt's embedded here .
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directly in the frontal lobe.
( low steady beeping ) Did you see it? lt's embedded below the fissure of Rolando.
Six months ago, Mr Finley showed me the link.
He persuaded me to authorise an extraordinary operation .
- You? - Yes.
We knew there'd be risks.
- lt was the toughest decision .
- l insisted that l wanted it done.
And frankly, we were on a spot here.
We needed a miracle.
No one was offering us any but Finley.
l've been running some pattern tests.
lf he can control the power, we'll have one of the space crew undergo a similar operation .
A massive power control built into one of our astronauts? The perfect solution .
Asteroids and meteorites slowed down to boarding speed, mineral fragments smashed off, all by the concentration of force fields directed by conscious thought.
Forget about that cancellation .
l have a report to make.
- l'm Dr Hindeman , project psychiatrist.
- Yes.
Dr Hindeman .
Tell me, what made you take the chance? Why risk your life in a major brain operation ? Because l wanted to work with you people here on the project.
You are aware the brain contains more than just scanning waves, axions, synapses? Yes, sir, l'm very well aware of that.
These mechanical aspects contain the human mind, the emotions, our hates and fears.
lt holds dark secrets locked in the closets of our memory.
Strange urges, strange drives that our conscious egos are not even aware of.
What will happen ? They too begin to get control over massive amounts of electromagnetic power.
They actually want to pay you? Twice the salary l'm getting at the college.
They want me to join the research team.
Don 't they want to catch up with the Russians? Happily not everybody has your exalted opinion of me.
l don 't get it.
l bet you're making it up.
You've been acting funny ever since that brain operation .
Vera, l never told you the truth about the operation .
You see, l've invented an energy link, sub-miniature, controlling a cosmic voltage - You're not listening.
- You know how technical talk bores me.
You were saying, your operation .
Doesn 't matter.
We'll have to sell this house.
- What? - Yes, if we're moving over to Readsville.
l'm not moving over to Readsville.
You want me to stay a worm, don 't you? An unimportant, unproductive classroom worm.
Some women take their husbands' hands and say, ''Together we'll climb to the stars.
'' But not you .
-Never you .
- (shears snipping ) l'm going to see Dean Radcliffe, to arrange about a teaching replacement.
l'd like to say yes, but l'd be a poor administrator if l didn 't give first consideration to the welfare of the school.
Your contract is until the end of the semester.
- You could get a replacement.
- But l'm counting on you .
A replacement will be without experience.
Time would be wasted in teaching him procedures, familiarising him with techniques and students.
But l'm needed on that project.
lt's vital, important work.
Nothing is more vital than teaching the young.
We have a responsibility to the future.
We can 't turn our backs on work half-done and go off in search of adventure.
You won 't object to my working at the space centre in my spare time? l'm sorry, Harold.
You've given me your promise to serve on this faculty.
We ask full-time, we need full-time.
No other member splits his concentration into other fields.
You have a commitment and l must hold you to it.
l don 't want to replace you .
l can 't replace you .
The answer is no.
The answer is no.
(typewriter keys tapping ) l'll be at the faculty (screams) ( low hum ) - Ready? - All ready.
l won 't register full force this first time.
Keep it down to half.
All right Now full concentration .
Just make sure you don 't crystallise your thoughts toward a specific task.
All right, you can relax now.
According to these field equations, you're controlling a force of half a million kilowatts.
lt increases each time we do it.
l seem to be able to concentrate more deeply.
Yes, your control is becoming more effective every time.
Right now, you can channel a force strong enough to power .
.
a medium-sized aircraft carrier.
All right, gentlemen , that will be all for today, thank you .
We're asking an awful lot of you .
Putting you through these tests, examining you .
l hope you're not trying to carry your work at the college.
No, sir.
l've let that go.
This is all l want, just to be of some use in something really important.
You won 't regret it.
One day, one of those presidential citations will probably read, ''Harold J Finley.
'' Mr Finley, have you got a minute? - Yes.
- My name is Steve Crandon.
l volunteered for the operation .
l don 't know whether they'll pick me, but whoever they select, you're going to be in that capsule with them.
- ln spirit, l mean .
- That's very gratifying.
lt's very gratifying indeed.
l'm honoured.
No, sir.
We're the ones that are honoured.
You risked your life.
You were first.
You astronauts have brought a new vitality to bear on the business of living.
There's been nothing like you since the old pioneering days.
You make up for all the miseries, disappointments, failures and kicks in the teeth we have to bear.
Failure? You? Just do me one favour.
Don 't wait until my age to make your mark.
Do it while you're young, strong and vigorous.
Do it right now.
- l hope you don 't mind this fatherly advice.
-Not at all, sir.
- Don 't let them crush you .
- Crush me? - Are you married? -No, sir.
Not yet.
- But l have the proverbial girl back home.
- What does she feel about your work? - She thinks it's fine.
- Good.
Mr Finley? - Are there any after-effects? - What? Oh, you mean the operation .
A few headaches, naturally, but they soon disappear.
A fascinating concept, the human brain acting as a control centre, having enough cosmic energy to blow half the world off the map.
Pow! - lt's a good thing we're peace-loving citizens.
- Yes! Are you free for dinner? (car door closes) Hello, Vera.
l've brought somebody home with me.
Meet SSteve C ra ndon Ve ra ? - We're working together on the project.
- How do you do, Mrs Finley? - (sullenly) How do you do? - ( Harold) Steve is an astronaut.
Speaking of the space centre, Dean Radcliffe dropped in .
- Oh, yes? - He wanted to see you .
He seemed angry.
Said you were neglecting your classes.
You can 't say l didn 't warn you , Harold.
Oh, well, there's no use letting a little bad news spoil our dinner.
l've eaten .
l left some things on the stove for you to heat up.
You said you would come home early and help wash windows.
You didn 't, naturally, so l can 't stop now.
l seem to have barged in at a wrong time, Mr Finley.
l'll catch a bus back.
No, wait a minute.
Steve.
We'll have to make it another time.
- That's all right.
- You'll like Vera when you get to know her.
(conversation drowned by hissing and buzzing ) (screams) ( Vera yells and sobs) - Vera.
- lt touched me.
Electricity, crawling all over my face.
lt pushed me! - There isn 't anything here.
- (she sobs) Dangerous things, ladders.
The number of people who fall off them.
l didn 't fall.
l felt something, ugly and crawling.
But you were alone on the ladder.
- You lost your balance.
- Something pulled at me.
- lt threw me down .
- Vera, it's your imagination .
You were alone.
How could anything have pulled at you? - l don 't know.
- l'll send over a nurse tomorrow morning.
Good night, Mrs Finley, Mr Finley.
Send for me if you have any trouble.
(phone rings) - Hello? - That you , Harold? Dean Radcliffe here.
- Did Vera speak to you? - You wanted to talk.
You've broken your word to me, Harold.
You promised to devote yourself to teaching.
You signed a contract.
But look please.
Hello? - Hello? - l'm here, Harold.
- l want to give you a chance.
- lf you knew the importance of what l'm doing Harold, l'm aware of the importance of space research, and atomic research, and the diplomatic corps.
Those are fields for specialists.
You belong in the field of education .
lt's your life work.
Don 't throw it away.
Listen , can l come over and talk to you right now? l'm in bed, Harold.
lt's 1 1 .
30.
Well, first thing in the morning, then .
lf you want, but l don 't see what l can do about it at all.
The man 's a nobody.
Ano-talent, ineffectual nobody.
Precisely the kind who gets all the undeserved grace.
- Good night, Emily.
- Good night, dear.
Sometimes l wish Find an extra pillow and put it behind my back.
Yes.
Here.
l almost wish ( hissing and buzzing ) Emily! Emily! (cries out (screams) ( Emily) lt was like a force, a weird shape, as though it had life.
lt pulled me out of the bed.
lt was like a thousand crawling sparks all over me.
And it threw me against that door.
No noise, no explosion? No, nothing like that.
I'm not even sure I was awake.
Anyhow, l came to out in the hall.
And l looked in here and l saw a thing.
Hard to describe.
lt was like a piece of a storm.
Snakes of lightning striking in all directions, stabbing and burning.
lt gave off a sound like ripping cloth, electricity snapping and tearing.
No sign of your husband? No, he's gone.
He said, ''Good night, Emily,'' and l put out the light and that's the last l He's just gone.
lt doesn 't make sense.
Everything else is wiped out except where you Yes, sir? What are you doing here? l had an appointment with the Dean .
.
this morning.
Tapping in on more and more power.
lt's like a cosmic reservoir.
There's no limit to the amount that can be fed into the link gate.
lt won 't be long before we can direct it into the city system.
We won 't need power plants, not even atomic reactors.
Pure power.
Pure and perfect.
Controlled by the mind of man .
That'll be enough.
You can relax now, Harold.
You know l don 't want to sound prophetic but .
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we're close to becoming gods.
What about Steve? - Did they select him? - Yes.
He'll be operated on in the morning.
- Mr Finley, come in .
- Dr Hindeman .
Do you mind if l ask you a theoretical question ? -Not at all.
- This cosmic energy that l control We've measured it, we've been testing it - And it seems to be - Sit down .
Thank you .
lt seems to be related to the substructure of space.
lt has certain electromagnetic properties but it's related to the inertia field.
lt's as if it were the universal radiant of all the stars in all the galaxies.
Now, you, as a psychiatrist, would you say that it's possible that my emotions could change the character of these waves? That's the point l made the first day you were here.
The force is constant but it can be misguided.
Since the beginning of time, men have believed in the possibility of projecting evil thoughts.
Now we know that the thought process can exercise control over an electromagnetic force.
And this control can use these powers to evil ends.
Then we can project destruction .
Very possibly.
But not if l didn 't want to, not subconsciously.
- Have you ever been under analysis? -No.
lnever thought it would help me.
There may be a hidden side to your nature, a mass of hostile urges, bitterness, resentment against someone.
You mean l might want to hurt somebody? l might even want to kill him? Or her.
Without my even realising it.
We all suffer the slings and arrows of an outraged subconscious.
- Vera.
- The dean 's secretary telephoned.
Dean Radcliffe's funeral is on Tuesday.
Vera.
- l killed him.
- You what? And you were right about the ladder.
You were pulled off it and thrown down .
- l did it.
- Have you gone out of your mind? You were home when the dean You weren 't near the ladder when l l can be a hundred miles away and still control matter.
lnever told you the truth about my operation , about this brain operation .
lt's given me a terrible power.
l could move mountains.
l could destroy the world.
- Harold? - l'm a decent person , aren 't l, dear? Anything but a violent man .
You've never known me to hate anybody.
The terrible thing is there is a part of me, a piece of my brain , which hates.
lt's like a dark cloud in my subconscious.
lt did that to you , and it blasted Dean Radcliffe to his death, without my even knowing about it.
(phone dial whirring ) Operator, give me the County Hospital.
Vera.
l'm getting an ambulance.
You're in no condition to drive.
You don 't believe a word of it.
You wouldn 't hurt anyone even if you could.
You're not a violent man .
You've never hated anyone, never.
Not to hurt them, no, Vera.
But l have this power.
lt acts whether l want it to or not.
No, Harold, you don 't have any power.
You've always been quiet.
You told me yourself, you're too mild, too meek.
No more! l could split this ceiling open if l wanted! l could crash down these walls, splinter this block into bricks and rubble! Harold, you're a little man .
Anobody.
You don 't have any power.
You've been under a strain , working too hard without sleep.
- You've let your imagination run away.
- Believe me, please! l beg you to believe me.
( hissing and buzzing ) What is it? What's What's happened to you? (splintering glass clattering ) l can 't stop it.
l can 't stop it! Vera.
Don 't hate me.
Please don 't hate me.
- l don 't hate you .
- Don 't kill me, Harold.
Don 't kill me.
- Please don 't say that.
- You're going to, l know it.
Don 't touch me! What do you want me to say? l believe you? Yes, l believe you .
l've been wrong.
You have power.
l've been a bad wife.
l've hurt you .
l've hated you .
l admit it, l've hated you .
- Vera.
- You wanted a child.
l didn 't want to give you a child.
- l didn 't want you to be the father of my child.
- Stop, Vera.
l'll do anything you want.
Anything.
Ask people to the house.
From now on , it'll all be different.
Anything to make you stop hating me.
You've got to give me another chance.
Don 't kill me, Harold.
Don 't.
l don 't seem to be able to help myself.
Please, l must talk to him, alone.
Please.
Steve.
Tell them you want to back out.
- Back out? - You don 't want to be a murderer, do you? - Murderer? - That's exactly what l am.
Believe me, Steve! We weren 't meant to control a force of this magnitude.
Not until the human mind is a whole lot healthier.
Finley, l don 't want to back out.
l'm not afraid of power.
This outer ring contains octohedrite meteors, with carbide structures containing troilite and sulphite.
ln this orbit, the asteroids are more likely to carry strontium, uranium and the uradiate elements.
- (door opens and closes) - Mr Keenan.
l want you to call off Steve Crandon 's operation .
Don 't put him through this.
One person trapped by this is enough.
Calling off his operation means cancelling the whole project.
On what grounds? We're all partly mad.
Power like this makes it total.
Nuclear fission was also powerful.
So was the automobile, the aeroplane, wonder drugs with their side effects.
Did the potential risk ever impede human progress? You realise, if he wants to, he can stop the experiment on Crandon ? Just by concentration .
We regret this, but we must proceed with the operation .
You may stop it today but we will proceed tomorrow.
Nothing will be allowed to stop it, not even you .
)octor? Here's the link, inside this container.
( low steady beeping ) The shot l gave Finley will take care of his conscious opposition only.
What l'm counting on is that subconsciously Finley wants this project to be a success.
( murmurs) ( low steady beeping ) (groans breathes raspingly) No! No (whooshing ) (clattering ) (screaming ) Heaven help me.
lf l have such power .
.
then l don 't want to live.
( man ) Deep behind the kindest, gentlest soul may lurk violent thoughts, deadly wishes.
Some day, men may learn to cope with the monsters of the mind.
Then , and only then , when the human mind is truly in control of itself, can we begin to utilise the great and hidden powers of the universe.
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 .
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The Outer Limits.