X Minus One - Mars Is Heaven

Countdown for blast off, X minus 5, minus 4, minus 3, minus 2, X minus 1, fire.

From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tails of new dimensions in time

and space. These are stories of the future, adventures in which you live in a million

could be years, on a thousand maybe worlds. The national broadcasting company presents

X, X, X, X, X minus 1, 1, 1, 1. The night story, Mars is heaven.

When the first space rocket lands on Mars, what will we find? Only the ruins of a dead

and deserted planet? Or will there be life? Intelligent life in some strange form that

we can only imagine? Will we be welcomed with open arms? Or will the Martians treat

us as invaders? Only one thing is certain. Someday, a giant metal ship will take off

from Earth to travel through the black velocities, the silent ghosts of space, to descend at last

into the darkness of the upper Martian atmospheres. And on that day, man will finally know the answers.

The day we first land on Mars.

Now I hear this, now I hear this broaching critical deceleration, fashion, gravity,

and suits, stand by the land. There it is. We've intersected the course vector, sir.

All right, Mr. Lustig, over to manual control.

I, sir, masters, sound general quarters. I, sir.

What do you make of the terrain? There seems to be a heavy ground, Mr. Captain. We won't

be able to use the infrared lights. And we'll have to come in on radar. It's not a little

risky, sir. Landing in the dark. I'd rather run the danger of blind landing, lieutenant,

and come in without the cover of darkness. Remember, we don't know what kind of reception

is waiting for us down there. Airspeed 500, altitude now 4,000.

Bridge to engine room, stand by for deceleration. Fire forward tubes 1 and 3.

Ready as you go, Mr. Lustig?

Yes, he goes there. Airspeed 100, altitude 1,000, radar indicate, level stretch dead ahead,

sir. Skits down. Skits check, altitude 500, 4, 350, 3, up a point now. All right, let's

set her down. Cut the power, masters, white battle stations,

I said, oh, security. Well, gentlemen, gentlemen, we're now on Mars April 20th, 1987,

4, 33, Greenwich time, end of that in the log, masters, I said, well, gentlemen, it's

less than two hours till dawn. As soon as it's light, we'll send out a landing party.

Masters, get me an all over hook up.

Now hear this. All right, man, the smoking lamp is lit. Well, we're on Mars, the first

man in ship to Earth to land here. We don't know what we're going to find or what dangers

we may face. We're 17 men on an alien world, and it's up to us whether we ever get home

again. Next few hours should tell the story, and I want instant obedience to all commands.

I'll port Mars for the first man who doesn't come to when he's ordered. And one other thing,

we may be on Mars, but this is still a United States naval vessel. Officers will conduct

a personal and weapons inspection in one hour. That's all inspection kept. Now, Mr.

Lustig, we've got an hour and a half to sweat out before we find out what's outside that

airlock, and rather have a man worried about his stripes about what's waiting outside on

Mars.

Now, I hear this landing party report to forward airlock. Captain Black, Lieutenant Hinchton,

Lieutenant Lustig, and Dr. Hoss reported me to lead a forward airlock. There's now landing

time minus five. Well, I'm paging us. Are you ready, Dr. Hoss? Yes, Mr. Lustig. As

ready as I will ever be. Come on. Let's get in the lock.

Hinchton Lustig in horse reporting the airlock. Very well, sir. The captain will join you.

Four minutes to go. At least the captain would get here. What difference does it make?

I just want to get it over with, that's all. Anybody got a cigarette?

Yeah, I think you're smoking too much, Lieutenant Lustig. Are you nervous, are you off for

your horse? Wondering what's hidden outside underneath that ground mist? I've been giving

it some thought. It'll be very interesting to find out. A very unusual planet, Mars.

Why?

It has an atmosphere. A wonderful thing in atmosphere. Where you find one, you find life.

You mean, Martians? What do you think they'll look like? Who knows? Intelligent life can

take many forms. You mean they may have green skins and eyes on stalks or something?

The comic book conception is possible, of course. Or they may have developed power beyond

us. Perhaps they have a science that can produce weapons far more dangerous than our atomic

missiles. You think we may have to fight our way up? After all, we are invaders.

I am this landing time minus two. All right, all right, we heard this. I'd like to find

outside that airlock. Good old Illinois. Have you ever been there, Lustig? Only Chicago.

You ought to see my hometown. Green lawns, big white houses. Sounds like my hometown.

My grandmother used to have one of the Zion deer on the lawn. Every Halloween, we'd paint

another color. One time we'd paint it in black and white like a whole stone cow.

What is your family lived, Dr. Hust? I have no family. When I was a child, they were

guests of death in the Dachau concentration camp. What's up? No, it has its advantages.

I have no ties on Earth. Nothing to lose now. I met him on the only one on board who was

free to enjoy our present peculiar position. All right, masters, you can button it up now.

Well, gentlemen, check your side-arms. In one minute, we'll be the first men to set foot on Mars.

Quite an honor, right? As long as the metals are not rewarded post-humously.

Still uneasy, Dr. Hust? Captain Black? I've been uneasy ever since I can remember. On Earth and on Mars.

Well, 30 seconds. Give me the intercom phone, Lustig. Yes, sir.

Masters, battle stations are to be manned until we return. If we're not back in two hours,

I want no rescue party sent out. Blast off and say the ship. Do you understand?

All right, five seconds. Four, three, two, one. Lustig, open the outer airlock.

It's for sure. Let's go. All right, now, take it easy. It's too dark to move fast.

Quiet, isn't it? Not even a wind. Can't see anything from this ground, mister.

We don't know what's out here. All right, come on.

What the... Captain, I can swear that. That sounds like a rooster.

I don't hear it anymore. Very homely, but unlikely sound. A rooster crowing on Mars.

Higstling. I see. Set that machine gun 25 yards to the flank. We'll stay here to the ground mislifts.

I see. What do you make of the ground horse? Grass, plain grass. You can see some lodge foliage.

They're with the mists. Stand down. What the...

Wait and hold your fire, you fool. I hear it, Captain. What?

It's a kind of wild animal. I hear it. I can see the traces, but it's still standing.

Come on, Horst. Doctor, where are you?

At the hand. Admiring the wild animal. Careful, Horst. Wait for us.

All right, Captain. It's an iron deer. A lawn ornament.

Well, that's impossible. Hello. Interesting, isn't it?

A whitewashed Victorian iron deer sitting on a lawn in the middle of Mars.

I don't understand. Look around. The mists lifting.

Hey, Captain, what's there? It's a house, a regular old-fashioned house.

What's there? A nurse. Good lord.

I haven't seen curves, scrolls, and gingerbread like that in years.

Look at that port swing. The geraniums.

There. That's where there was a rooster, Captain.

Give me the glasses, Lustig. I want to take a look through that front window.

Well, there's an upright piano. Some sheet music on it.

Lustig, it's, it's beautiful Ohio.

It can't be, sir. Horst, Horst, do you think that civilization of two planets

could be identical? I don't know. That specific variety of geraniums is only 50 years old or not.

Is it logical that they should develop in Mars? How about that port swing in the piano and

beautiful Ohio? Why it's impossible?

Captain Black. This looks like the town I was born in.

Well, it, it looks like my hometown too.

I thought it's something, sir. It's the only solution.

Maybe, maybe we're not the first ship to reach Mars, Homer.

Don't be ridiculous, Lustig. Oh, how else can you explain it?

Let's suppose some scientists got together. They, they, they invented some

spaceship and and planted a colony here. That's the only answer.

That's impossible, Lustig. Been space travel. It couldn't be secret.

Do you have any idea what ships cost? What industrial power is needed?

No, there's got to be some logical reason. I think perhaps we might find out, Captain,

the lights just went on in that hall. Things didn't cover that door with the machine gun.

I see. All right, come on, horse. We're going to ring that doorbell.

There's got to be a scientific answer to all this.

There's something moving in there. Stand back, horse.

Give me a clear shot. You sure a bullet can stop a Martian?

Steady now. Can I help you? All right.

Well, we, if you're selling anything, it's much to earn it.

No, no, no, wait a minute. What, what town is this?

What do you mean? Are you census takers?

No, no. We're strangers here. We want to know how this town got here.

Is this a game? No, no, it's not a game. We're from Earth.

From where? From Earth. Do you mean out of the ground?

Are you sure you're feeling well?

Madam, we came in a flying ship across space. We're from the third planet Earth.

This is Mars. Now do you understand Mars?

You go away now. You hear? I'll call my husband,

he'll chase you. Go on. But this is Mars, isn't it?

This is Greenlight, Wisconsin, in the United States of America.

Bounded on the east by the Atlantic and on the west by the Pacific.

Now go away. Goodbye.

Horst, if you suppose it's really possible, I've got to find out more about this.

I told you I'd call my husband. Now you go away.

You've got to tell me one thing first. What year is this?

Year? 1928, of course. For goodness sake.

You hear that horse? And we know it's 1987.

And we know this is Mars. Of course, it's a possible that we got fouled up,

made some tremendous blunder circle around and landed back on Earth.

In 1928? Well, maybe some switch in time or dimension.

Could we have shifted somehow? Gone backward in time.

Oh, Horst, this won't hold water. It's not logical.

We checked every mile. We went past the moon out into space.

We're on Mars. Lusting out at point,

Kingston in the rear. Keep that gun at half load.

Nice, sir.

First, there's got to be some cold logical solution.

Captain? Well, that house down the street, the white or the green shutters.

Lusting, what's the matter?

I never thought I'd never thought I'd say thought!

Lusting! Lusting, come back here.

Running for that house.

That crazy fool, after him quick.

Well, I say, stop. Come down over that port.

Sambo! Sambo! Sambo!

Lusting, what the devil do you think you're doing?

Albert!

Grandma, Grandpa is you.

Lusting, what is going on here?

Albert, it's been so many years.

How you've grown, man.

It's so good to see you.

Oh, tenaclastic!

Captain, Grandma, I want you to meet my friends.

This is Captain Black.

Captain, I want you to meet my grandpa.

Howdy, any friend of Albert's is a friend of ours?

How long have you been here, Grandma?

Oh, a good many years.

Ever since we died.

Ever since you, what?

Oh, yes, they've been dead 30 years.

What?

Oh, now, don't you trouble yourself.

It's all right.

We're alive again, that's all.

Do you mean to tell me that Mars is heaven?

Oh, nonsense.

No, all we know is here we're alive again.

And who are we to question God's infinite ways?

Well, I...

Lusting, we're going back to the ship.

But, Captain, I...

I want to talk to my grandpa.

Lieutenant Lustig, I don't like any part of this.

You'll come back with us if I have to club you and carry him.

I see.

Now, let's go.

Heaven only knows what they've run up against back of the ship.

Mars, look at that crowd around the ship.

Looks like we're being welcomed with a celebration cap.

Celebrationly, the event and ship have not poured us open.

No guard said.

You, you masters!

I, Captain, meet my old dead dead, that's Captain Black.

I'm not a bad guy for naught.

I'm a Kingston!

Oh, and what's it?

Bring that band back.

Use force if you have to.

Oh, excuse me, sir, there's my uncle George.

Kingston!

I'll be right back, Captain.

Uncle George, what the devil is going on here?

I don't understand, sir.

They've all found friends and relatives.

They're all here.

Right, Captain.

That's the whole truth out in the crowd.

But I gave orders.

Come in and order.

You don't understand, Captain.

I understand, new to me.

I don't care how many relatives show up.

I'll have discipline.

Johnny, Johnny you old son of a gun.

It's you, Edward.

Yes, it had happened.

Of course it is.

Johnny, Johnny you old.

Edward, Dr. Horst, this is my brother, Edward.

How do you do?

Hello, sir.

It's wonderful to see you, Edward.

Look, I've, I've got to get back to my ship.

Johnny, wait.

I almost forgot.

Mom's waiting at home.

Mom.

Yeah, and dad, too.

Mom, dad or alive?

Been, been your real, Ed?

Well, of course, don't I feel real?

How's that, huh?

My Ed, Ed.

We, we've got lunch for you, Johnny.

Mom's making corn fritters.

Dr. Horst, I haven't too found anybody.

Oh, no, Captain.

I have nobody.

Oh, then you come on home with me, right, Ed?

Why?

Sure.

Horst, Horst you wouldn't believe it.

But, but it's been 35 years since I had mom's corn fritters.

I've enjoyed 35 years.

And there's plenty more in the kitchen so don't hold back, Johnny.

You two, Dr. Horst.

Well, Johnny, you're still in the Navy, Ed?

That's right, Dad.

I'm in command of the ship.

We're no Navy family, Dr. Horst.

All three of our boys in the service.

Yeah, Ed was the best pilot in the Pacific, too.

What did happen, Ed?

What's the difference?

I'm here now.

Yeah, but...

You know, it's almost perfect.

All we're missing is your brother, Will.

Then the whole family could be together.

Well, it won't be long, Mom.

Will's in charge of the XR 54.

Next rocket coming out tomorrow.

Well, little Will.

When does he leave, Johnny?

When the takeoff scheduled for September,

but it depends on what we report.

Oh, yeah.

There's no question about that now, huh?

No, I get this.

Christmas together again.

That'll be something to you.

Oh, really? Yes, to me.

Will, uh, this calls for celebration.

How about a little of the old dandelion wine, eh, Johnny?

Now, Father, don't you go giving Johnny too much wine.

He's a big boy now, Mother.

Well, sure.

Well, isn't everything just fine?

Just fine.

Oh, I'll be melancholy at noon.

I played that one again, will you have to show me?

Well, Dr. Horst, what are you doing sitting over here alone?

What do you think of my little family?

Very nice.

You know, I can't understand why you didn't find any folks here, Dr. Horst.

It's just a shame.

Everybody else is so happy.

Well, I never remembered my family, Mrs. Black.

All I know is they were gassed a duck hard during the Second World War.

When I was liberated, I was in Delirium three months.

I cannot remember anything before them.

A psychiatric phenomena.

Well, that's terrible.

Isn't there anything anybody can do?

I don't want to remember.

I have not had a pleasant life.

I prefer to be free of emotional entanglements.

They interfere with a scientific approach.

Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Horst.

Oh, I'll get it.

That's our ring, long and three shorts.

I remember that.

Well, maybe we'd better call it a night.

You must be getting tired, Johnny.

I'd better be going back to the ship.

Not since.

You stay the night.

There, we insist.

I just couldn't rest thinking of you all alone on that ship.

I'll be all right.

Well, good night.

Oh, wait a minute, Dr. Horst.

That phone message was for you.

Me?

Yes, that's right.

A message from Anna.

Anna, I don't...

Well, there she must be an old friend.

Isn't that nice?

I don't...

If she was for me, I don't remember any, Anna.

Well, she asked if you were better.

Perhaps she's someone who knew you at Dachau.

Anna?

She said she's coming over here first thing in the morning.

So you have to stay over.

Yes, but...

Well, that settles it then.

You stay here, Horst.

You can bunk with me in my old room.

Yeah, but, Johnny, we thought you'd like to be with Edward.

So you could talk the way you're used to.

Well, we can't put Dr. Horst on the day, Ben.

I think we'd better share the room tonight.

Be plenty of time for talking, Ed.

Yes, I...

I guess so.

Well, I suppose I better drop back to the ship.

You know, Ed.

Security check.

What...

Why do you have to do that here?

I don't know, Mom.

There's no good reason, I guess.

Well, suppose we skip it tonight, eh?

Well, good night, everybody.

Oh, it's good to have your home, Johnny.

It's good to be home, Mom.

That button?

You asleep?

No, no, I've...

I've been thinking about what we were expecting.

Green skin margins.

All the time, there was only Mom and Dad and an Edward waiting.

That's funny, what tricks your imagination can play on you.

Oh, I guess Mars is heaven, Horst?

You know, I've been thinking about Martians, too.

Captain, just suppose...

Suppose there were Martians, and they saw us land.

And suppose they thought of us as invaders.

What would be the best weapon they could use against our atom bombs, huh?

I don't see what you're getting at.

They were wanted disarmus, first, huh?

To wipe out all suspicion, to make us feel at home.

Suppose this house isn't real.

Suppose the people are just images stolen from our own memories by Martians,

created for us by telepathy.

Hypnotic.

Oh, that's...

That's the craziest theory I ever heard.

Maybe that's why there was no one for me.

Because in all my life, there is no happy memory.

No real love, person, not even my mother.

I don't remember her.

Only the piles of rotting corpses of Dahau.

There was no happy emotion for these people to...

recreate about that phone call.

Anna, yes, Anna.

I didn't remember who she was, but I do now.

I just remembered.

When I was freed from Dahau, sick, delirious.

I raved about a wonderful kind nurse named Anna that took care of her.

Well, there you are.

It's logical she's coming to see you tomorrow.

But there was no Anna.

I'd been dressed by a man.

What? Anna was only a dream.

And there's only one way they could have learned about her

by reading my subconscious mind.

That's impossible, Horst.

Why?

A whole crew was thinking of home.

Suppose the Martians read our mind.

Yes, but if there are Martians...

If there are, they have a separated.

Each man in a different house, sleeping, trusting.

No one at the guns.

I left my pistol downstairs.

Do you think there's something to this, Horst?

It's a perfect trap, Captain.

Who would suspect his own mother, his grandparents?

How easy.

Just a knife in the heart of each sleeping man.

That's impossible, Horst.

But we've got to get back to the shift, listen.

The crickets have stopped.

Come on.

We don't know when they change back to...

Whatever they really are.

All right, careful.

Where are you going, John?

The head.

We wanted a drink of water, that's all, Ed.

You're not thirsty, John.

You don't want a drink.

Look out.

You don't want a drink.

His face.

It's changing. He's a monster.

Run, Horst!

Run!

You can't get away, John.

This way, Horst!

Horst, where are you?

Hello?

Hello?

Can you hear me, Earth?

This is Captain John Black, the XR-53 calling for Mars.

I've blocked myself in the ship, but they've crippled it.

I can't take off a fire, the guns, and they're coming for me now.

The Martians.

I'm all alone here.

All the rest are dead.

Pinkston, Lustig, Dr. Horst.

Poor Horst.

He didn't even reach the door.

Listen, listen.

They're trying to break through the hole.

Edward and Mom stand.

All the folks, but they're changing now.

They're melting and changing back into their Martian.

Can you understand, Martians?

Black men, they make you think that Mars was heaven,

and we fell into the trap.

Can you hear me, Earth?

You've got to stop the next rocket.

Listen, tell my brother, Will.

Tell my brother not to come.

They'll trap him too.

They'll kill him all.

Hello?

Hello?

Can you hear me, Earth?

This is John Black on Mars.

Hello, Earth.

This is John Black on Mars.

Hello, Earth.

Hello, Earth.

Tonight, X-1 has brought you the science fiction classic,

Mars is Heaven.

Written by Ray Bradbury,

an adapted for radio by Ernest Canoy.

Featured in the cast were Wendell Holmes

as Captain Black and Peter Capel as Dr. Horst.

With Bill Zucker as Masters, Bill Lipton as Hinkston,

Margaret Berlin as the old lady,

Bill Griffiths as Edward, Ken Williams as Lustig,

Ethel Everett as Mom and Edwin Jerome as Dad.

Your announcer, Fred Collins.

X-1 was directed by Fred Wayne

as a transcribed NBC radio network production.

A-1-b-1-b-1-b-1.