The Outer Limits (1963) s02e09 Episode Script
I, Robot
( man) God looked upon his world and called it ''good''.
But man was not content.
He looked for ways to make it better and built machines to do the work.
''But in vain we build the world unless the builder also grows.
'' (twig snaps) (girl screams) ( man) Come on , boys.
- What happened? - That tin man hurt me.
He tried to kill you , like he did Doc Link.
Dumb, brute savagery.
- Which way did he go? - There! Come on .
You stay with the girl.
Hold it.
Fred, you follow me.
Come on around, boys.
There ain 't gonna be no trouble.
Ugly brute, ain 't it? Thing weighs more than 300 pounds.
How are we gonna get it back to town ? lt's too heavy to carry.
( mechanical voice) That won 't be necessary.
l will go under my own power.
( man) There is nothing wrong with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
We are controlling transmission .
For the next hour, we will control all that you see and hear.
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to The Outer Limits.
Doc built this mechanical man because he's a crack-pot scientist.
- lt got out of control and killed him.
- Frankenstein , killed by his own monster.
- Sheriff, this is the space age.
- Mister, that thing in there ain 't no joke.
- Did you get a signed confession ? - There's no doubt he killed him.
)oc was a ono Nobody c se co u d bave dono t - Sheriff Barclay? - Yes, ma'am.
What can l do for you? (woman) l'm Nina Link.
Miss Link, would you be the Doc's niece from over at Union Town ? Yes.
l'd like to speak to Adam.
Your uncle was a fine man .
- l'm Judson Ellis, St Louis Herald.
- How do you do? Sheriff - lf there is anything we can do - l'd like to speak to Adam Link alone.
Adam? You don 't mean that gadget? But he's nothing of the sort.
He's my my legacy.
You don 't understand the circumstances.
- Your uncle was killed by that thing.
- l don 't believe that.
Adam is kind and gentle.
He was devoted to Uncle Charles.
- You talk like it was human .
- Well, he is almost.
- Let me talk to him.
- l'm sorry.
l can 't do that.
We don 't know what makes that machine work or when it might go off.
When are you going to evacuate the town ? We got smart-aleck reporters right here.
Dreaming up a hoax like this is something l can 't compete with.
lf you want pictures, get 'em now.
When l get an acetylene torch, there'll be nothing left but scrap metal.
You can 't do that! Adam was Uncle Charles' property.
And l'm his only relative.
So now he's my property.
lf you lay a hand on him, l'll have to sue you for wilful destruction .
We'll see what the district attorney has to say.
Dilly! Very good.
You put that clown on the spot.
- Thank you , Mr? - Ellis.
Judson Ellis.
Defender of the Constitution .
''All robots are created equal.
'' Your assistance is appreciated, Mr Ellis.
lt moves, it talks.
lt's human .
- You still think it's a trick? - Certainly.
But it's the best l've run into.
l haven 't spotted the gimmick yet.
Give me an exclusive interview.
But l've got to find a photographer first.
- Don 't let the sheriff dismantle it.
- He's not going to touch Adam.
( Adam) He will destroy me, Nina.
All he needs is a state order declaring me an unlawful weapon .
That's right.
How did you know? l read every book in Dr Link's library.
There was one volume on law.
Wait a minute.
That's what we need: counsel for the defence.
The story of the year: The state versus Adam Link, first all-functional robot.
Thinks, talks, acts accused of murder.
Thurman Cutler! ls he still alive? ls he still around? - l don 't know.
- Find out.
Tell him the whole story.
Don 't take no for an answer.
Now move! The Herald will pay the legal fee, but don 't tell Cutler l sent you .
( Ellis) Stiff upper lip, nerves of steel.
You may end up a skillet, tin man , but l'm going to make you famous.
(dog barks) All right, somebody's coming.
What of it? - ( Nina) Mr Cutler? - (dog barks) l'd like to talk to you .
Please.
lt's very important.
Talk? - Who are you? -Nina Link.
- Are you related to old Doc Link? - His niece.
Pull up a rock.
Hmm.
Your uncle is a dreamer.
One of the worst cribbage players l ever met.
How is he? Didn 't you know? He was killed yesterday.
- Blow himself up in that crazy old lab of his? -No.
They say Adam did it, but it isn 't true.
l don 't care what Sheriff Barclay says.
He couldn 't have done it.
Young lady, if you've come all the way out here to ask for help, you've had a long walk for nothing.
l'm retired from the human race.
Go away.
- What are you waiting for? l said no.
- You don 't have to shout at me.
Your uncle was a fine man .
l'm not lifting a finger for any skunk who killed him.
Adam's a robot.
But it's true.
Uncle Charles built him himself.
But he's almost human .
He thinks and he talks.
He remembers.
Now, wait a minute.
Are you telling me that Sheriff Barclay arrested a mechanical man ? Yes.
And a district attorney wants to destroy him.
( he laughs) That's the first good laugh l've had in 35 years.
l'm sorry.
l meant no disrespect to the Doc.
When you get to be my age, death isn 't all that important somehow.
Barclay never did have brains enough to pour water out of a boat.
And the DA has the taint of ambition , which makes him no better.
A mechanical man .
A robot.
( Ellis) ''A Daniel come to judgment.
'' ''Yea, a Daniel.
'' Any statement for the press, counsellor? Little Judd Ellis, isn 't it? The young man of great promise, and all of it broken .
Still at it, Cutler? Well, for once we're gonna be on the same team.
- And, brother, you'll need me.
- lt seems l didn 't retire a minute too soon .
- With the Herald behind me, l'd be ruined.
- Who do you think sent Nina Link? You came like a shot.
For one last crack at the Philistines.
Wild horses couldn 't have stopped you .
l know you , Mr Cutler.
You're as automatic as that robot.
Are you referring to Mr Adam Link? - The living egg beater.
- Hmm.
''Living''? Yeah, l'd guess you'd call him that.
He thinks and remembers, doesn 't he? And he knows more about the law than Sheriff Barclay.
He talks, so he can 't be animal.
A man -like creature, wouldn 't you say? Practically human .
And therefore entitled to his civil rights as guaranteed under the Constitution .
What's he been charged with? l don 't think Sheriff Barclay has bothered charging him yet.
Why, that's illegal detention .
l'm shocked.
Shocked at Sheriff Barclay's disregard for the law.
- They're saying this creature murdered Dr Link.
- That is yet to be proven .
- May l quote you , counsellor? -Naturally.
Excuse me, l have to consult with my client.
( Adam) No robot can equal the human body for efficiency.
lt required a billion years for nature to develop it.
Dr Link had only 20.
- You mean you have certain limitations? - ( Adam) Yes, Mr Cutler.
For instance, l cannot see colours.
Nor do l have the sense of smell or taste.
What about feelings? ( Adam) Feeling is nature's method of protecting a fragile body.
My body is not fragile.
That's not what l meant.
How do you feel about being in here? Would you like being in a cage, Mr Cutler? - l have thought of leaving.
- And how do you propose to get out? l see now why people think you killed Doc Link.
You gave yourself up.
Why? For the same reason l did not resist being brought here.
l don 't want to hurt anyone.
- What happened with Doc? - lt was an accident.
- Did you kill him? -No.
He was my creator.
My emotions are the same as his.
Why should l kill him? When he died, l felt sorrow.
Mr Cutler! Mr Cut Mr Cutler l heard you were back in town for the first time in 1 2 years.
Now, what's this nonsense with Doc Link's robot? ( Cutler) Hello, Tom.
You've come a way in the world.
A matter of knowing and using the law, as you used to say.
That's why l'm here.
You're withholding property that belongs to my client, Miss Nina Link here.
Not withholding it.
We're going to dismantle it.
( Cutler) Oh? l don 't recall that my client received an order depriving her of her personal property.
That's an engine of destruction .
An engine of destruction ? He committed a crime? - ''lt'' committed a crime.
lt killed Doc Link.
- But that's a murder charge.
Then that's what it is.
Murder.
Wanton , savage murder.
- But denied.
- What? l'm simply repeating your charge, and entering a plea of ''not guilty''.
Are are you suggesting we put a robot, a computer, wires, electrodes, and what all else, on trial for murder? Not a bad idea, but you said this was a civil case.
lt is.
Not when the defendant is locked up in jail on a charge of murder.
Mr Cutler, l've always known you never had much use for us.
But are you trying to make this city a laughing stock? There's always the alternative of a civil suit.
Which you could make equally ridiculous with appeals and more appeals.
True, and that's why l like your shortcut.
A simple hearing without a jury.
Closed to the public, closed to the press.
Just to ascertain the destructive abilities of the robot? Mm-hm.
You'd accept the judge's decision as final? - lf it's all right with my client.
- l'll do whatever you say.
Ah, it's mad.
lt's ludicrous.
l'd do anything in the pursuit of justice.
You'd better draw up those papers before l think of something else.
Well Deputy.
l almost forgot to ask if this is all OK with you .
Let one thing be understood: This is a court of law.
That the circumstances are bizarre, l might say outrageous, does not alter the facts.
As you yourself said, Your Honour, this hearing will be conducted on strict procedure, and on the highest level.
l believe Mr Cutler has more on his mind than the defence of a pile of iron .
- Object.
- Sustained.
Please limit yourself to your opening remarks, Mr Coyle.
The state contends and will prove that the defendant murdered Dr Link.
The state contends that a verdict of guilty is mandatory to protect the people of this community against the mindless violence of a destructive machine.
Mr Cutler? Your Honour, the defence will not make its opening statement.
But we do have a motion .
We move this case be dismissed on the grounds it is manifestly impossible that the defendant is guilty.
ln his deposition , Adam Link swore he did not kill Doc Link.
Since he is a robot, he can only repeat information which is programmed into him.
Ergo, he cannot lie.
Therefore, under refutable testimony, he is innocent.
Your Honour, it is true that a computer can answer only what has been programmed into it.
But if it's been told white is black, and it responds that white is black, isn 't it telling an untruth? No, Your Honour, a computer is capable of lying, on this score and on another, which the prosecution will take up at the proper time.
Motion to dismiss denied.
Proceed, Mr Coyle.
The state calls Mrs McCrae.
- What was your relation to Dr Link? - We weren 't related.
l was his housekeeper and nothing more for the past nine years.
l'm only trying to establish that you were well acquainted with his work.
Of course.
Cleaned out his lab every week.
You must have been one of the first to see the robot the defendant.
l saw him when he was nothin ' but nuts and bolts.
(buzzing) There you are, Mrs McCrae.
l'd thought you'd forgotten about lunch.
Then why have l been screaming at you for two hours? Was that you? l thought it was a barn owl.
You shouldn 't bring that all the way out here from the house.
You'd starve if l didn 't.
l don 't mind the work.
Mrs McCrae, just wait till l get Adam here assembled.
He'll do all the hard work.
You're badly fooling yourself if you think that mechanical man will ever move.
lt's against nature.
( laughs) No better man ever lived.
But it was the devil's toys he was playing with.
The next time l saw it, it was all together.
(gasps) (screams) - Mrs McCrae, you found another mouse? - That that thing lt it moved! lt's staring at me! lt's alive! There wasn 't a week passed that l didn 't drive over to have dinner with Uncle.
There wasn 't a week passed that l didn 't drive over to have dinner with Uncle.
- l watched him give Adam his lessons.
- He was training him? He taught him, just as you would teach a child.
He even had to learn how to walk.
l built a three-dimensional spirit level into the brain .
lt will tell him what's horizontal, vertical and oblique.
Now, when l turn on this switch, he should walk, l hope.
(whirring) Well that's that.
Back to the drawing board.
l was so certain it would work.
Look, Uncle! He's crawling like a baby.
That's it! Come on .
Good boy.
Crawl over this way.
Crawl to me.
- Why do you suppose he? - Uncle! A baby has to crawl before it can walk.
-Nonsense.
l never crawled.
- Oh! Chair.
( voice echoing) Chair.
Table.
Table.
Generator.
Generator.
My hand.
My hand.
No, this is my hand.
This is your hand.
My hand.
Your hand.
Yes, yes, but gently, or it won 't be a hand at all.
''See Johnny run .
'' ''Run , Johnny, run .
'' ''See Sally run .
'' ''Run , Sally, run .
'' '''Take some more tea', the March Hare said to Alice very earnestly.
'' '''l've had nothing yet', Alice replied in an offended tone, 'so l can 't take more'.
'' ''The characteristic spectrum produced by the atom of a given element, either in emission or absorption , is determined by the aggregation of possible energy levels of the atoms of that element.
'' ''The ratio between the powers of emission '' - Do you think he understands it all? - l don 't know how to answer that, Nina.
Certainly he remembers everything he reads.
Not only that, he makes cross references which produce logical conclusions.
Then he has a mind? A human mind? Well, basically, yes, l suppose he is human .
l'm teaching him to think, to reason , to perform.
But he's still a creation , a machine.
lf he has any emotional responses, they're the ones he acquired from me.
- That means he's going to be a woman -hater.
-Not true.
l just don 't want to be caged up.
l want to be free.
Then l take it, Miss Link, you consider the defendant a creature of high intelligence? Well, he's a lot smarter than l am.
( Coyle) You stated that the defendant read voraciously.
Yes.
He never had to sleep, so he read at night.
Hundreds of books.
Every book in your uncle's library? Yes, and more that l brought from the public library.
Miss Link l hold in my hand a volume containing Dr Link's book plate.
Since it came from his home, may we assume the defendant read it? - Yes, most likely.
- Would you read the title, please? t's a nove ent t ed Fr rankenstte n ( Coyle) The premise of which is that a created man , lacking a soul, must turn against his creator, against humanity.
- But that's only a novel.
And it's not true.
-No more questions, Miss Link.
l work for Doc regular.
You know odd jobs.
Like that crate l built to ship the robot in .
Had to be mighty sturdy.
Oh, this'll do just fine, Fred.
Try it out, Adam.
- You want me to get in there? - That's right.
l wish you could sit in the Pullman with me, but the other passengers might not like it.
Adam's making his debut.
l'm taking him to Chicago next week.
- That right? - He's the first of his kind, but not the last.
ln the future, Adam will be the greatest aid to man and civilisation since What are you waiting for, Adam? Try it out for size.
l don 't like being locked up.
They were still arguing when l left about three o'clock.
- Arguing? - Sure, they had arguments.
Differences of opinion , some people might say.
There were some things that that robot just couldn 't understand.
Like what? The idea of his strength, for one.
How to use it.
- The ethics of using it, as Doc would say.
- Oh? There was times that Doc thought about taking it apart and startin ' all over again .
l guess he was right.
That afternoon l heard the argument, l went to town to cash my cheque and l found out Doc hadn 't signed it, l guess he was absent-minded, so l went back.
Doc? Doc, you forgot to put your John Henry on my )oc ? )oc ? What have you done to him? You crazy monster.
You killed him! No.
lt was an accident.
You put that thing down .
You're in enough trouble.
l'm gonna call the law.
We knew Doc had built a mechanical man , but how could we figure it'd turn on him? When we got the report, we went out looking for him.
That's when we ran across Evie Cooper near the pond.
- And you were out playing? - Yes.
- Where were you? - By the edge of the pond.
By the edge of the pond.
And then you heard something? - Yes.
- And what was the first thing you saw? - The big tin man .
- Yes? - And what did he do? - Pushed me in the water.
- He did? - Yes.
What else did he do? He grabbed me by the arm and hurt me.
- He hurt you? - Yes.
Broke your arm.
Then he pushed you in the water and wouldn 't let you out? Yes.
Maybe something else he couldn 't understand .
.
that a human being can drown .
He's the one, the tin man ! ( Cutler) Professor, you have an impressive string of degrees after your name.
Would it be proper to say that you're one of the leading figures in your field? Possibly.
l'm not impressed with ratings.
- You knew Dr Link personally? - lntimately.
- What kind of a man was he? - A wonderful man .
- Gentle? - Kind.
- Shame he met such an untimely death.
- lt's a loss to the entire world.
You worked with him scientifically.
You've done some outstanding work in the field of electronic brains? Computers, yes.
- Would you say the defendant is a computer? - He's a true robot.
He was constructed to perform manual tasks, much in the manner of an automated industrial plant.
However, Dr Link succeeded in creating a very advanced type of computer brain .
- A really marvellous creation .
- He functions as a human being? Physically, l'd say he could outperform any human being.
- ls he capable of human emotion ? - Ah, well, that's something else again .
l would suggest he would adopt some, but not all.
lf he was taught to love, he would not automatically learn the opposite was hate? ln my opinion , that would be impossible.
- Where would he derive his emotions from? - From environment, from his programmer.
ln this case Dr Charles Link.
Would you say Dr Link had the emotions of a murderer? No.
l've already described the sort of man he was.
Oh, yes.
So you did.
l'm through with the witness.
Tom, you wish to cross-examine? Yes, Mr Cutler.
Tell me, Professor, isn 't the defendant animated by electricity? Yes.
There's an electronic power source in the chest.
- What would happen if he were to leak or rust? - lt would cause a short circuit, l suppose.
Now l ask you , Professor Hebbel, what would be the result? lt would damage some of the cells, l suppose.
l really can 't say.
( Coyle) ln other words, he would be disrupted? Thrown out of kilter? Or, in human terms, go berserk? Well, the analogy is not completely far-fetched, l suppose.
Would it be possible to simulate such a damage to the cells of this creature's brain ? Yes, l could switch off the sensory wires leading to a portion of his iridium memory bank.
l ask the court's indulgence.
Object! Your Honour, this type of theatrics went out with vaudeville.
This is not germane.
Overruled.
l think it is germane.
And l think the prosecutor has laid the proper foundation .
And l am interested in the experiment.
However, Mr Coyle, could this be dangerous? Under some conditions, yes, Your Honour.
But l've taken some precautions.
Adam Link, will you step forward? Mr Cutler? Let him do it, Adam.
l will no longer be responsible for my actions.
We just had a ruling.
Let him do it.
Shall we, Doctor? Have you a screwdriver? Thank you .
Ready, Professor? We have here, Your Honour, Dr Link's remote-control unit.
All right Go ahead.
(whirring) (spectators screaming) Stop! No! ( man) Get the control box.
Have you got it? ls he safe now? He's safe now, Your Honour.
Thank you for the demonstration .
And now we will recess, clean up the courtroom, and get on with the hearing.
Adam, what were your sensations? l had no sensations.
- What were your thoughts? - l wanted to destroy.
- Had you ever had thoughts like that before? -No.
- Had you ever wanted to destroy before? -No.
Think back to the afternoon of Doc Link's death.
- Can you remember what happened? - l remember everything, Mr Cutler.
l am incapable of forgetting.
Yes.
Well, that's something l forgot.
Tell us what happened that day.
After Fred the handyman left, Dr Link started working.
l went into my reading room.
( loud crashing) Dr Link, you should not try to fix things.
That is what you have me for.
Wait, l will move it off you .
Are you hurt, Dr Link? You will have to tell me what to do.
l have never seen an injured human being.
Doc, how can a man pay for his beer when you won 't sign his pay cheque? - What's going on here? - Dr Link has been injured.
Please tell me how to help him.
You hit him with that thing.
No, it was an accident.
You killed him! You stay away from me.
Keep back! Dr Link still had not moved.
His head was bleeding.
l had to find someone who would tell me what to do.
( Fred) There he is! There's the monster! (gunshot No, no.
Help Dr Link! And so the posse chased me, armed with weapons, guns and axes.
- And the incident with the child at the pond? - l must have frightened her.
She was playing and tripped and fell into the pond.
- And what did you do? - l lifted her out.
- Why? - l was afraid she might come to harm.
- You lifted her out by the arm? - Yes.
You broke her arm, Adam.
lnever touched a child before.
They are very fragile.
Tell me something You have the strength of ten men .
When you were cornered, why didn 't you fight back? l did not want to injure anybody.
- Afraid of your own strength, huh? - Yes.
How about getting wet? When you waded into the pond, didn 't you give yourself a short circuit? No.
All my wiring is insulated.
Didn 't catch a cold? No rheumatism? No ill effects of any kind? - ( Adam) None.
- Tom, your witness.
Adam, you testified to pulling the little Cooper girl from the pond because you were worried she might come to harm.
- Yes.
- You were worried.
And the reason you didn 't resist arrest was concern over injuring someone? Yes.
And about Dr Link's death, you felt sorrow? Yes.
Worry, concern , sorrow .
.
these are certainly human emotions.
Would you agree they'd arrived from your creator? l am only an extension of Dr Link.
Then you didn 't know that he suffered from claustrophobia, a strong fear of being closed in ? He never told me.
You objected to being closed in that carrying crate, didn 't you? l do not like to be caged up.
But when he insisted, you were carried away by your emotions, your inherited fear of being caged up.
Then you wrenched the angle iron from the wall and stuck him violently over the head! No! No! The generator fell on him.
You must believe that.
lt was an accident.
l find it difficult to believe, considering you're very close to breaking my arm.
There was an old heavyweight l used to like.
A real crowd pleaser when he had it.
But he got tired.
You're tired, Mr Cutler.
You don 't mix it.
You can still put on a flurry at the end of a round, but you didn 't follow up.
How do you think the trial's going? Are you telling me you're worried that tin can will end up in a scrap heap? - Yes.
More than you think.
- Come off it.
All you wanted was another shot at Coyle and Barclay and the entrenched stupidity.
''Entrenched stupidity'', that's not half bad.
Do you find it in big cities too? Sure, but we have a better class of stupidity.
Your Honour, this trial, if we can now call it that in summation , since it is a devisement based on a compact between Miss Nina Link and the prosecution , still is binding on the life or death of Adam Link.
l am not now entering a plea for mercy or extenuating circumstances, because that would imply guilt, and under no circumstances does the defence admit guilt.
Of course, the district attorney is not really trying a robot for murder.
We both knew from the beginning that he is trying all of society on the concept of a robot itself, on progress, on science, on the future, on the ability of society to control what it creates.
lf you find Adam Link guilty, you are convicting society of irresponsibility.
You are telling society to put away its yearning for a better world, its hunger for a better way of life .
.
its reaching for the stars.
M r Coy e ? Yes, Your Honour.
l admit it.
Society is really on trial here society as creator.
Adam Link didn 't commit the murder, we did.
We turned him on and off.
Aren 't we rushing pell-mell, without responsibility, towards some dreadful catastrophe? Wouldn 't we all be better off if science hadn 't exploded its technology in our faces? Now we ro asked, n the ha me o f pr og ross, to control a piece of machinery with a brain of its own .
l don 't think we, society, are ready for it.
lt's an unreasoning piece of destructive machinery, and never will be properly mastered.
l don 't think we should let such a force loose on the Earth.
The judge is still out.
know Shame.
lt was no flurry.
You were swinging from bell to bell.
Pretty good show, huh? All right, l was wrong.
Tell me something lf you care so much about people, why did you retire from the human race? - l could ask you the same question .
- l just got out of town .
- Why did you send that girl to me? - You'd latch on to the meaning of this incident.
One thing you'll learn if you manage to live long as l .
.
there's always more than one man , always more than one hope.
- Go on , write your story.
- l can 't.
Haven 't got the finish yet.
Under normal circumstances, l would find the evidence sufficient to bind the defendant over for trial by jury.
However, under the abnormal circumstances of this hearing, the court is charged with rendering a final verdict.
The court finds the defendant guilty as charged.
-The defendant is to be destroyed? - lt is so ordered.
(bailiff) All rise.
( Adam) You are not surprised, Mr Cutler? No.
lt'll take a long time to change human nature.
And you thought a trial might help? That's what l thought, Adam.
l thought if a robot can understand, maybe in time we mortals will catch on too.
Where's the wagon ? l gave orders to have it waitin '.
- Afraid of a lynching? - Ain 't nobody gonna get near this thing.
( Cutler) lf Adam were going to escape, he'd have done it long since.
There's the wagon .
The tin man ! ( Evie crying) OK, baby.
lt's all right.
Too bad, Sheriff.
Adam just cheated the executioner.
Well, there's the end of your story.
Everybody can sleep easy tonight.
That terrible monster won 't harm anybody ever again .
- He's as dead as old Doc Link's dream.
- lt's not the end of the story.
lt's just the beginning.
( man) Out of every disaster, a little progress is made.
Man will build more robots and learn how to make them better.
And given enough time, he may learn how to do the same for himself.
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 .
.
The Outer Limits.
But man was not content.
He looked for ways to make it better and built machines to do the work.
''But in vain we build the world unless the builder also grows.
'' (twig snaps) (girl screams) ( man) Come on , boys.
- What happened? - That tin man hurt me.
He tried to kill you , like he did Doc Link.
Dumb, brute savagery.
- Which way did he go? - There! Come on .
You stay with the girl.
Hold it.
Fred, you follow me.
Come on around, boys.
There ain 't gonna be no trouble.
Ugly brute, ain 't it? Thing weighs more than 300 pounds.
How are we gonna get it back to town ? lt's too heavy to carry.
( mechanical voice) That won 't be necessary.
l will go under my own power.
( man) There is nothing wrong with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
We are controlling transmission .
For the next hour, we will control all that you see and hear.
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to The Outer Limits.
Doc built this mechanical man because he's a crack-pot scientist.
- lt got out of control and killed him.
- Frankenstein , killed by his own monster.
- Sheriff, this is the space age.
- Mister, that thing in there ain 't no joke.
- Did you get a signed confession ? - There's no doubt he killed him.
)oc was a ono Nobody c se co u d bave dono t - Sheriff Barclay? - Yes, ma'am.
What can l do for you? (woman) l'm Nina Link.
Miss Link, would you be the Doc's niece from over at Union Town ? Yes.
l'd like to speak to Adam.
Your uncle was a fine man .
- l'm Judson Ellis, St Louis Herald.
- How do you do? Sheriff - lf there is anything we can do - l'd like to speak to Adam Link alone.
Adam? You don 't mean that gadget? But he's nothing of the sort.
He's my my legacy.
You don 't understand the circumstances.
- Your uncle was killed by that thing.
- l don 't believe that.
Adam is kind and gentle.
He was devoted to Uncle Charles.
- You talk like it was human .
- Well, he is almost.
- Let me talk to him.
- l'm sorry.
l can 't do that.
We don 't know what makes that machine work or when it might go off.
When are you going to evacuate the town ? We got smart-aleck reporters right here.
Dreaming up a hoax like this is something l can 't compete with.
lf you want pictures, get 'em now.
When l get an acetylene torch, there'll be nothing left but scrap metal.
You can 't do that! Adam was Uncle Charles' property.
And l'm his only relative.
So now he's my property.
lf you lay a hand on him, l'll have to sue you for wilful destruction .
We'll see what the district attorney has to say.
Dilly! Very good.
You put that clown on the spot.
- Thank you , Mr? - Ellis.
Judson Ellis.
Defender of the Constitution .
''All robots are created equal.
'' Your assistance is appreciated, Mr Ellis.
lt moves, it talks.
lt's human .
- You still think it's a trick? - Certainly.
But it's the best l've run into.
l haven 't spotted the gimmick yet.
Give me an exclusive interview.
But l've got to find a photographer first.
- Don 't let the sheriff dismantle it.
- He's not going to touch Adam.
( Adam) He will destroy me, Nina.
All he needs is a state order declaring me an unlawful weapon .
That's right.
How did you know? l read every book in Dr Link's library.
There was one volume on law.
Wait a minute.
That's what we need: counsel for the defence.
The story of the year: The state versus Adam Link, first all-functional robot.
Thinks, talks, acts accused of murder.
Thurman Cutler! ls he still alive? ls he still around? - l don 't know.
- Find out.
Tell him the whole story.
Don 't take no for an answer.
Now move! The Herald will pay the legal fee, but don 't tell Cutler l sent you .
( Ellis) Stiff upper lip, nerves of steel.
You may end up a skillet, tin man , but l'm going to make you famous.
(dog barks) All right, somebody's coming.
What of it? - ( Nina) Mr Cutler? - (dog barks) l'd like to talk to you .
Please.
lt's very important.
Talk? - Who are you? -Nina Link.
- Are you related to old Doc Link? - His niece.
Pull up a rock.
Hmm.
Your uncle is a dreamer.
One of the worst cribbage players l ever met.
How is he? Didn 't you know? He was killed yesterday.
- Blow himself up in that crazy old lab of his? -No.
They say Adam did it, but it isn 't true.
l don 't care what Sheriff Barclay says.
He couldn 't have done it.
Young lady, if you've come all the way out here to ask for help, you've had a long walk for nothing.
l'm retired from the human race.
Go away.
- What are you waiting for? l said no.
- You don 't have to shout at me.
Your uncle was a fine man .
l'm not lifting a finger for any skunk who killed him.
Adam's a robot.
But it's true.
Uncle Charles built him himself.
But he's almost human .
He thinks and he talks.
He remembers.
Now, wait a minute.
Are you telling me that Sheriff Barclay arrested a mechanical man ? Yes.
And a district attorney wants to destroy him.
( he laughs) That's the first good laugh l've had in 35 years.
l'm sorry.
l meant no disrespect to the Doc.
When you get to be my age, death isn 't all that important somehow.
Barclay never did have brains enough to pour water out of a boat.
And the DA has the taint of ambition , which makes him no better.
A mechanical man .
A robot.
( Ellis) ''A Daniel come to judgment.
'' ''Yea, a Daniel.
'' Any statement for the press, counsellor? Little Judd Ellis, isn 't it? The young man of great promise, and all of it broken .
Still at it, Cutler? Well, for once we're gonna be on the same team.
- And, brother, you'll need me.
- lt seems l didn 't retire a minute too soon .
- With the Herald behind me, l'd be ruined.
- Who do you think sent Nina Link? You came like a shot.
For one last crack at the Philistines.
Wild horses couldn 't have stopped you .
l know you , Mr Cutler.
You're as automatic as that robot.
Are you referring to Mr Adam Link? - The living egg beater.
- Hmm.
''Living''? Yeah, l'd guess you'd call him that.
He thinks and remembers, doesn 't he? And he knows more about the law than Sheriff Barclay.
He talks, so he can 't be animal.
A man -like creature, wouldn 't you say? Practically human .
And therefore entitled to his civil rights as guaranteed under the Constitution .
What's he been charged with? l don 't think Sheriff Barclay has bothered charging him yet.
Why, that's illegal detention .
l'm shocked.
Shocked at Sheriff Barclay's disregard for the law.
- They're saying this creature murdered Dr Link.
- That is yet to be proven .
- May l quote you , counsellor? -Naturally.
Excuse me, l have to consult with my client.
( Adam) No robot can equal the human body for efficiency.
lt required a billion years for nature to develop it.
Dr Link had only 20.
- You mean you have certain limitations? - ( Adam) Yes, Mr Cutler.
For instance, l cannot see colours.
Nor do l have the sense of smell or taste.
What about feelings? ( Adam) Feeling is nature's method of protecting a fragile body.
My body is not fragile.
That's not what l meant.
How do you feel about being in here? Would you like being in a cage, Mr Cutler? - l have thought of leaving.
- And how do you propose to get out? l see now why people think you killed Doc Link.
You gave yourself up.
Why? For the same reason l did not resist being brought here.
l don 't want to hurt anyone.
- What happened with Doc? - lt was an accident.
- Did you kill him? -No.
He was my creator.
My emotions are the same as his.
Why should l kill him? When he died, l felt sorrow.
Mr Cutler! Mr Cut Mr Cutler l heard you were back in town for the first time in 1 2 years.
Now, what's this nonsense with Doc Link's robot? ( Cutler) Hello, Tom.
You've come a way in the world.
A matter of knowing and using the law, as you used to say.
That's why l'm here.
You're withholding property that belongs to my client, Miss Nina Link here.
Not withholding it.
We're going to dismantle it.
( Cutler) Oh? l don 't recall that my client received an order depriving her of her personal property.
That's an engine of destruction .
An engine of destruction ? He committed a crime? - ''lt'' committed a crime.
lt killed Doc Link.
- But that's a murder charge.
Then that's what it is.
Murder.
Wanton , savage murder.
- But denied.
- What? l'm simply repeating your charge, and entering a plea of ''not guilty''.
Are are you suggesting we put a robot, a computer, wires, electrodes, and what all else, on trial for murder? Not a bad idea, but you said this was a civil case.
lt is.
Not when the defendant is locked up in jail on a charge of murder.
Mr Cutler, l've always known you never had much use for us.
But are you trying to make this city a laughing stock? There's always the alternative of a civil suit.
Which you could make equally ridiculous with appeals and more appeals.
True, and that's why l like your shortcut.
A simple hearing without a jury.
Closed to the public, closed to the press.
Just to ascertain the destructive abilities of the robot? Mm-hm.
You'd accept the judge's decision as final? - lf it's all right with my client.
- l'll do whatever you say.
Ah, it's mad.
lt's ludicrous.
l'd do anything in the pursuit of justice.
You'd better draw up those papers before l think of something else.
Well Deputy.
l almost forgot to ask if this is all OK with you .
Let one thing be understood: This is a court of law.
That the circumstances are bizarre, l might say outrageous, does not alter the facts.
As you yourself said, Your Honour, this hearing will be conducted on strict procedure, and on the highest level.
l believe Mr Cutler has more on his mind than the defence of a pile of iron .
- Object.
- Sustained.
Please limit yourself to your opening remarks, Mr Coyle.
The state contends and will prove that the defendant murdered Dr Link.
The state contends that a verdict of guilty is mandatory to protect the people of this community against the mindless violence of a destructive machine.
Mr Cutler? Your Honour, the defence will not make its opening statement.
But we do have a motion .
We move this case be dismissed on the grounds it is manifestly impossible that the defendant is guilty.
ln his deposition , Adam Link swore he did not kill Doc Link.
Since he is a robot, he can only repeat information which is programmed into him.
Ergo, he cannot lie.
Therefore, under refutable testimony, he is innocent.
Your Honour, it is true that a computer can answer only what has been programmed into it.
But if it's been told white is black, and it responds that white is black, isn 't it telling an untruth? No, Your Honour, a computer is capable of lying, on this score and on another, which the prosecution will take up at the proper time.
Motion to dismiss denied.
Proceed, Mr Coyle.
The state calls Mrs McCrae.
- What was your relation to Dr Link? - We weren 't related.
l was his housekeeper and nothing more for the past nine years.
l'm only trying to establish that you were well acquainted with his work.
Of course.
Cleaned out his lab every week.
You must have been one of the first to see the robot the defendant.
l saw him when he was nothin ' but nuts and bolts.
(buzzing) There you are, Mrs McCrae.
l'd thought you'd forgotten about lunch.
Then why have l been screaming at you for two hours? Was that you? l thought it was a barn owl.
You shouldn 't bring that all the way out here from the house.
You'd starve if l didn 't.
l don 't mind the work.
Mrs McCrae, just wait till l get Adam here assembled.
He'll do all the hard work.
You're badly fooling yourself if you think that mechanical man will ever move.
lt's against nature.
( laughs) No better man ever lived.
But it was the devil's toys he was playing with.
The next time l saw it, it was all together.
(gasps) (screams) - Mrs McCrae, you found another mouse? - That that thing lt it moved! lt's staring at me! lt's alive! There wasn 't a week passed that l didn 't drive over to have dinner with Uncle.
There wasn 't a week passed that l didn 't drive over to have dinner with Uncle.
- l watched him give Adam his lessons.
- He was training him? He taught him, just as you would teach a child.
He even had to learn how to walk.
l built a three-dimensional spirit level into the brain .
lt will tell him what's horizontal, vertical and oblique.
Now, when l turn on this switch, he should walk, l hope.
(whirring) Well that's that.
Back to the drawing board.
l was so certain it would work.
Look, Uncle! He's crawling like a baby.
That's it! Come on .
Good boy.
Crawl over this way.
Crawl to me.
- Why do you suppose he? - Uncle! A baby has to crawl before it can walk.
-Nonsense.
l never crawled.
- Oh! Chair.
( voice echoing) Chair.
Table.
Table.
Generator.
Generator.
My hand.
My hand.
No, this is my hand.
This is your hand.
My hand.
Your hand.
Yes, yes, but gently, or it won 't be a hand at all.
''See Johnny run .
'' ''Run , Johnny, run .
'' ''See Sally run .
'' ''Run , Sally, run .
'' '''Take some more tea', the March Hare said to Alice very earnestly.
'' '''l've had nothing yet', Alice replied in an offended tone, 'so l can 't take more'.
'' ''The characteristic spectrum produced by the atom of a given element, either in emission or absorption , is determined by the aggregation of possible energy levels of the atoms of that element.
'' ''The ratio between the powers of emission '' - Do you think he understands it all? - l don 't know how to answer that, Nina.
Certainly he remembers everything he reads.
Not only that, he makes cross references which produce logical conclusions.
Then he has a mind? A human mind? Well, basically, yes, l suppose he is human .
l'm teaching him to think, to reason , to perform.
But he's still a creation , a machine.
lf he has any emotional responses, they're the ones he acquired from me.
- That means he's going to be a woman -hater.
-Not true.
l just don 't want to be caged up.
l want to be free.
Then l take it, Miss Link, you consider the defendant a creature of high intelligence? Well, he's a lot smarter than l am.
( Coyle) You stated that the defendant read voraciously.
Yes.
He never had to sleep, so he read at night.
Hundreds of books.
Every book in your uncle's library? Yes, and more that l brought from the public library.
Miss Link l hold in my hand a volume containing Dr Link's book plate.
Since it came from his home, may we assume the defendant read it? - Yes, most likely.
- Would you read the title, please? t's a nove ent t ed Fr rankenstte n ( Coyle) The premise of which is that a created man , lacking a soul, must turn against his creator, against humanity.
- But that's only a novel.
And it's not true.
-No more questions, Miss Link.
l work for Doc regular.
You know odd jobs.
Like that crate l built to ship the robot in .
Had to be mighty sturdy.
Oh, this'll do just fine, Fred.
Try it out, Adam.
- You want me to get in there? - That's right.
l wish you could sit in the Pullman with me, but the other passengers might not like it.
Adam's making his debut.
l'm taking him to Chicago next week.
- That right? - He's the first of his kind, but not the last.
ln the future, Adam will be the greatest aid to man and civilisation since What are you waiting for, Adam? Try it out for size.
l don 't like being locked up.
They were still arguing when l left about three o'clock.
- Arguing? - Sure, they had arguments.
Differences of opinion , some people might say.
There were some things that that robot just couldn 't understand.
Like what? The idea of his strength, for one.
How to use it.
- The ethics of using it, as Doc would say.
- Oh? There was times that Doc thought about taking it apart and startin ' all over again .
l guess he was right.
That afternoon l heard the argument, l went to town to cash my cheque and l found out Doc hadn 't signed it, l guess he was absent-minded, so l went back.
Doc? Doc, you forgot to put your John Henry on my )oc ? )oc ? What have you done to him? You crazy monster.
You killed him! No.
lt was an accident.
You put that thing down .
You're in enough trouble.
l'm gonna call the law.
We knew Doc had built a mechanical man , but how could we figure it'd turn on him? When we got the report, we went out looking for him.
That's when we ran across Evie Cooper near the pond.
- And you were out playing? - Yes.
- Where were you? - By the edge of the pond.
By the edge of the pond.
And then you heard something? - Yes.
- And what was the first thing you saw? - The big tin man .
- Yes? - And what did he do? - Pushed me in the water.
- He did? - Yes.
What else did he do? He grabbed me by the arm and hurt me.
- He hurt you? - Yes.
Broke your arm.
Then he pushed you in the water and wouldn 't let you out? Yes.
Maybe something else he couldn 't understand .
.
that a human being can drown .
He's the one, the tin man ! ( Cutler) Professor, you have an impressive string of degrees after your name.
Would it be proper to say that you're one of the leading figures in your field? Possibly.
l'm not impressed with ratings.
- You knew Dr Link personally? - lntimately.
- What kind of a man was he? - A wonderful man .
- Gentle? - Kind.
- Shame he met such an untimely death.
- lt's a loss to the entire world.
You worked with him scientifically.
You've done some outstanding work in the field of electronic brains? Computers, yes.
- Would you say the defendant is a computer? - He's a true robot.
He was constructed to perform manual tasks, much in the manner of an automated industrial plant.
However, Dr Link succeeded in creating a very advanced type of computer brain .
- A really marvellous creation .
- He functions as a human being? Physically, l'd say he could outperform any human being.
- ls he capable of human emotion ? - Ah, well, that's something else again .
l would suggest he would adopt some, but not all.
lf he was taught to love, he would not automatically learn the opposite was hate? ln my opinion , that would be impossible.
- Where would he derive his emotions from? - From environment, from his programmer.
ln this case Dr Charles Link.
Would you say Dr Link had the emotions of a murderer? No.
l've already described the sort of man he was.
Oh, yes.
So you did.
l'm through with the witness.
Tom, you wish to cross-examine? Yes, Mr Cutler.
Tell me, Professor, isn 't the defendant animated by electricity? Yes.
There's an electronic power source in the chest.
- What would happen if he were to leak or rust? - lt would cause a short circuit, l suppose.
Now l ask you , Professor Hebbel, what would be the result? lt would damage some of the cells, l suppose.
l really can 't say.
( Coyle) ln other words, he would be disrupted? Thrown out of kilter? Or, in human terms, go berserk? Well, the analogy is not completely far-fetched, l suppose.
Would it be possible to simulate such a damage to the cells of this creature's brain ? Yes, l could switch off the sensory wires leading to a portion of his iridium memory bank.
l ask the court's indulgence.
Object! Your Honour, this type of theatrics went out with vaudeville.
This is not germane.
Overruled.
l think it is germane.
And l think the prosecutor has laid the proper foundation .
And l am interested in the experiment.
However, Mr Coyle, could this be dangerous? Under some conditions, yes, Your Honour.
But l've taken some precautions.
Adam Link, will you step forward? Mr Cutler? Let him do it, Adam.
l will no longer be responsible for my actions.
We just had a ruling.
Let him do it.
Shall we, Doctor? Have you a screwdriver? Thank you .
Ready, Professor? We have here, Your Honour, Dr Link's remote-control unit.
All right Go ahead.
(whirring) (spectators screaming) Stop! No! ( man) Get the control box.
Have you got it? ls he safe now? He's safe now, Your Honour.
Thank you for the demonstration .
And now we will recess, clean up the courtroom, and get on with the hearing.
Adam, what were your sensations? l had no sensations.
- What were your thoughts? - l wanted to destroy.
- Had you ever had thoughts like that before? -No.
- Had you ever wanted to destroy before? -No.
Think back to the afternoon of Doc Link's death.
- Can you remember what happened? - l remember everything, Mr Cutler.
l am incapable of forgetting.
Yes.
Well, that's something l forgot.
Tell us what happened that day.
After Fred the handyman left, Dr Link started working.
l went into my reading room.
( loud crashing) Dr Link, you should not try to fix things.
That is what you have me for.
Wait, l will move it off you .
Are you hurt, Dr Link? You will have to tell me what to do.
l have never seen an injured human being.
Doc, how can a man pay for his beer when you won 't sign his pay cheque? - What's going on here? - Dr Link has been injured.
Please tell me how to help him.
You hit him with that thing.
No, it was an accident.
You killed him! You stay away from me.
Keep back! Dr Link still had not moved.
His head was bleeding.
l had to find someone who would tell me what to do.
( Fred) There he is! There's the monster! (gunshot No, no.
Help Dr Link! And so the posse chased me, armed with weapons, guns and axes.
- And the incident with the child at the pond? - l must have frightened her.
She was playing and tripped and fell into the pond.
- And what did you do? - l lifted her out.
- Why? - l was afraid she might come to harm.
- You lifted her out by the arm? - Yes.
You broke her arm, Adam.
lnever touched a child before.
They are very fragile.
Tell me something You have the strength of ten men .
When you were cornered, why didn 't you fight back? l did not want to injure anybody.
- Afraid of your own strength, huh? - Yes.
How about getting wet? When you waded into the pond, didn 't you give yourself a short circuit? No.
All my wiring is insulated.
Didn 't catch a cold? No rheumatism? No ill effects of any kind? - ( Adam) None.
- Tom, your witness.
Adam, you testified to pulling the little Cooper girl from the pond because you were worried she might come to harm.
- Yes.
- You were worried.
And the reason you didn 't resist arrest was concern over injuring someone? Yes.
And about Dr Link's death, you felt sorrow? Yes.
Worry, concern , sorrow .
.
these are certainly human emotions.
Would you agree they'd arrived from your creator? l am only an extension of Dr Link.
Then you didn 't know that he suffered from claustrophobia, a strong fear of being closed in ? He never told me.
You objected to being closed in that carrying crate, didn 't you? l do not like to be caged up.
But when he insisted, you were carried away by your emotions, your inherited fear of being caged up.
Then you wrenched the angle iron from the wall and stuck him violently over the head! No! No! The generator fell on him.
You must believe that.
lt was an accident.
l find it difficult to believe, considering you're very close to breaking my arm.
There was an old heavyweight l used to like.
A real crowd pleaser when he had it.
But he got tired.
You're tired, Mr Cutler.
You don 't mix it.
You can still put on a flurry at the end of a round, but you didn 't follow up.
How do you think the trial's going? Are you telling me you're worried that tin can will end up in a scrap heap? - Yes.
More than you think.
- Come off it.
All you wanted was another shot at Coyle and Barclay and the entrenched stupidity.
''Entrenched stupidity'', that's not half bad.
Do you find it in big cities too? Sure, but we have a better class of stupidity.
Your Honour, this trial, if we can now call it that in summation , since it is a devisement based on a compact between Miss Nina Link and the prosecution , still is binding on the life or death of Adam Link.
l am not now entering a plea for mercy or extenuating circumstances, because that would imply guilt, and under no circumstances does the defence admit guilt.
Of course, the district attorney is not really trying a robot for murder.
We both knew from the beginning that he is trying all of society on the concept of a robot itself, on progress, on science, on the future, on the ability of society to control what it creates.
lf you find Adam Link guilty, you are convicting society of irresponsibility.
You are telling society to put away its yearning for a better world, its hunger for a better way of life .
.
its reaching for the stars.
M r Coy e ? Yes, Your Honour.
l admit it.
Society is really on trial here society as creator.
Adam Link didn 't commit the murder, we did.
We turned him on and off.
Aren 't we rushing pell-mell, without responsibility, towards some dreadful catastrophe? Wouldn 't we all be better off if science hadn 't exploded its technology in our faces? Now we ro asked, n the ha me o f pr og ross, to control a piece of machinery with a brain of its own .
l don 't think we, society, are ready for it.
lt's an unreasoning piece of destructive machinery, and never will be properly mastered.
l don 't think we should let such a force loose on the Earth.
The judge is still out.
know Shame.
lt was no flurry.
You were swinging from bell to bell.
Pretty good show, huh? All right, l was wrong.
Tell me something lf you care so much about people, why did you retire from the human race? - l could ask you the same question .
- l just got out of town .
- Why did you send that girl to me? - You'd latch on to the meaning of this incident.
One thing you'll learn if you manage to live long as l .
.
there's always more than one man , always more than one hope.
- Go on , write your story.
- l can 't.
Haven 't got the finish yet.
Under normal circumstances, l would find the evidence sufficient to bind the defendant over for trial by jury.
However, under the abnormal circumstances of this hearing, the court is charged with rendering a final verdict.
The court finds the defendant guilty as charged.
-The defendant is to be destroyed? - lt is so ordered.
(bailiff) All rise.
( Adam) You are not surprised, Mr Cutler? No.
lt'll take a long time to change human nature.
And you thought a trial might help? That's what l thought, Adam.
l thought if a robot can understand, maybe in time we mortals will catch on too.
Where's the wagon ? l gave orders to have it waitin '.
- Afraid of a lynching? - Ain 't nobody gonna get near this thing.
( Cutler) lf Adam were going to escape, he'd have done it long since.
There's the wagon .
The tin man ! ( Evie crying) OK, baby.
lt's all right.
Too bad, Sheriff.
Adam just cheated the executioner.
Well, there's the end of your story.
Everybody can sleep easy tonight.
That terrible monster won 't harm anybody ever again .
- He's as dead as old Doc Link's dream.
- lt's not the end of the story.
lt's just the beginning.
( man) Out of every disaster, a little progress is made.
Man will build more robots and learn how to make them better.
And given enough time, he may learn how to do the same for himself.
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 .
.
The Outer Limits.