Lights out for the devil and Mr. O. It is later than you think. Turn out your lights, now. We bring you stories of the supernatural and the supernormal, dramatizing the fantasies and the mysteries of the unknown. We tell you this frankly so that if you wish to avoid the excitement and tension of these imaginative plays, we urge you calmly but sincerely to turn off your radio now. This is Mr. O.R. Jobler. In a few moments you're going to hear what might be called happening. I wrote it almost a lifetime ago and yet I know you'll agree with me after you hear it. It's as if I wrote it this very morning. Part of what I wrote over 25 long years ago has already become fact. The rest of the chilling prophecy, well, the happening happens after a word from your station. See? See the leaf? Right here in my hand. Isn't that a new leaf? Yes, it is a new leaf. Here, I'm going to turn over a new leaf. Get it? Leaf? New? What does that mean, to turn over a new leaf? Well, in serious, it means that you're going to have a little change. From what to what? From that to good. Oh really? Yeah. Well, suppose somebody was crying. They could switch from tears to a smile. Suppose they were lonely. They could go from loneliness to having somebody to play with. Well, suppose somebody wasn't loved. Could they turn over a new leaf? They could go from not loving somebody to loving somebody. How do they do that? All they have to do is try to love somebody. Just try? Yeah. It's easy to love people when you try. Love makes all things new again. Hey, what was that? Another sound of love from the Franciscans. And now, if you haven't already done so, turn off your lights now. And listen to Rocket from Manhattan. Rocket from Manhattan Hi Doc, how about joining us? Yes, Doctor. Don't you think it's about time we had a little celebration? There's a great deal of work to be done. Work's over, Doctor. 24 hours more and we're back. Yes, Doctor. We'll be back. We've done it. Completely. In 24 hours. If you're worried about our landing, I'm not. You worried, Reynolds? No, sir. Everything's in perfect order. Sure, Doc. There's going to be a round trip. Anyway, there's 24 hours before we have to worry about that. I'll grant you that our adventure's gone well. Doc, pardon the expression, but you're a gloomy Joe. I am a realist. But, Doctor, the possibilities of anything going wrong are remote. Surely we're entitled to relax a little and relish the fact of what we've done. Yeah, we've done it, Doc. Even if we never get back, we've done it. We've been to the moon and it'll always be there on the books. But we are out of radio contact with the Earth. Yes, sir. But we are on course. Doc, what is wrong? Wrong? What should be wrong with... No, the kid's right, Doc. Ever since we made the circle and started back, all these days you've been acting as if we didn't make it. We've gone 243,000 miles and we're three-quarters of the way back and we're in, Doc. We're in. So what's the matter with you? How old were you, Major, when the Second World War ended? About five. What's that got to do with... And you, Reynolds? You weren't even born. No, sir. I was 21 on that day in New Mexico when they set off the first chain reaction. 21. Doc, you mean to say you were in at the beginning of it? Of course he was. Dr. Chamberlain was one of the original research men in the atomic bomb project back in 45. The only one of them alive today. Well, what do you know? So that's why you wanted to make this trip, Doc. I mean, you... Yes, Major. You wanted it as a substitution for what you missed as a boy, the excitement and glory of war. Oh, Doc. It's true, and Reynolds here is young and idealistic, and the scientific wonder of it was what he wanted. And I... I was there at the birth of an era. Now atomic power is driving me into space, back to the earth where it all began. And I'm thinking... Yeah, Doc? Let's not pertain to any of this. We've no time to discuss our emotions. There's work to be done. Airspeed 23, 486. Airspeed 23, 486. Any radio contact, Reynolds? No, sir. How about that, Doc? Unfortunate, but not very vital. We're definitely on course. How much longer will it be, Doc? Ten hours. Why do you laugh, Major? I was just thinking about how many millions of telescopes have turned in our direction. Yes? What you said a few hours ago. I mean, about my wanting the excitement and adventure. That's true, you know. I'm 60 years old, and I guess I just lived for this chance. If the Army hadn't okayed my going, well, here I am. Once we land, I'll admit frankly I'm going to cash in on every bit of it and have myself a time. You know something? I get the feeling kind of depressed when I think it'll soon be over. Well, there's no reason for depression, is there? I couldn't answer that. You've been wondering undoubtedly why ever since we left the moon I've been acting strangely. That's right. I've never believed in predestination, and yet there's been sort of a motivation of fate in my life. In 21, I was part of that research team trying to adapt atomic power to military purposes. When that first bomb went off over the New Mexico desert, a newspaper man repeated the words, What hath God brought? And no one quite knew. I'd been waiting 55 years for the answer. I think I found it a few hours ago on the moon. And it's an answer full of horror. Oh, Reynolds? Yes, sir. Close the oxygen valve. That's why you're yawning. The mage is sure sleeping. Yes. It's only a few more hours, isn't it? Yes. Before, you spoke of finding an answer on the moon, and then you didn't say any more. Well, I've been thinking about it, and I was wondering if it was something that the major couldn't understand. That's why you didn't speak of it further. And now you want to know. Yes, sir. I haven't lived anywhere as long as you two have, but my life has been built around atomic power. Now, all of a sudden, the way you spoke before, as if all our research has been criminal. Do you mean that? Collision. Radar. Get at it. What's the matter? Object approaching. Where? Fifteen degrees west. There it is. Meteorites. It's a meteorite. That was the closest. It was indeed. At least sardonic indeed to collide with a meteorite at this point in our journey. I use a stronger word than sardonic, doctor. Yeah, like fatal. It's all clear. Well, I'd better get back to my... You know, Reynolds, Reynolds, you asked me a question before, and I want to answer it. You too, Major Russell. I want you to hear this. Sure. Reynolds overheard what I said to you, that I'd found the answer to a very old question on the moon. He said that he felt that somehow I thought all of the research on atomic power had been criminal. No, young man, I don't believe that. Not at all. Criminal to know more about a way of nature? No. The answer I found was something else. I haven't even an answer, perhaps only a theory. When we came within a hundred miles of the moon and then began to de-accelerate, to turn back, what did we see through the observation ports? Well, Doc, we should... No, please, let me tell you what I saw. The craters of the moon. Great gigantic craters. And as we came closer and closer, the look of them was so familiar. Not because I'd seen them through telescopes and in photographs, but for some reason that I couldn't quite understand. Craters of the moon. And suddenly at the very moment when we'd come as close as we dared and our ship swung in an orbit to return, suddenly I knew. It was a memory of another crater I had seen 55 years before in New Mexico from an observation plane high over the ground a few hours after the first atomic bomb had lit the sky with the new sun. Yes. The crater and the crust of the earth that bomb had left was the same as the craters of the moon. Do you understand? The crater our bomb had left on the earth was the same as the craters on the moon. So what? I don't get it. Yes, Doctor, what are you getting at? The crater in that desert was a thousandth of the size of the ones you're talking about. I suddenly began to think. Was it not possible that the moon had gone through the same evolutionary processes as our earth before our earth? Yes. Wasn't it possible that men had come into being on the moon, developed their own civilization, had known scientific progress even as we have, but long before we earthmen had known it? Say, Doc. You do understand. These men of the moon had discovered the secret of atomic power long before we did and then had used it to blast and to tear each other. Yes. And the craters on the moon, that terrible devastation was the record of the destruction of their civilization. A final war which had burned up the very atmosphere and left the moon a dead planet circling endlessly through an airless sky. All right, Doctor. Presuming your theory is correct, that the moon men had started through a war, a chain atomic reaction that they couldn't stop. What of it? It indicates that they were fools. Yeah, that's it. Fools. Are we, anyway, sir? We leave our The Devil and Mr. O's story of Rocket from Manhattan for a short pause. When you've got a family to feed, there are ways to cut high food costs, and we'd like to tell you an economical, tasty way to serve top quality meat dishes. Today's answer is high-protein ham, H-A-M, Crackus and Atalanta imported Polish ham. When you buy Crackus or Atalanta Polish ham, there's no waste, no gristle or bone to throw away, and no water added. It's all lean, flavorful ham down to the last tasty bit. You can even use the small amount of jellied broth to make soups more nourishing or to create delicious gravies, and warm weather is time for relaxing. Feeding your family can be less work, and entertaining will be more fun if you'll get the Polish ham habit. It's great for all outdoor or indoor dining, for snacks, picnics, and for every good food occasion. And Polish ham may just be the most economical answer to hot or cold meals your family and guests will love. It's the easiest food you can prepare because Polish ham is fully cooked when you buy it. So if you wish, just zip open the tin, slice, serve, and enjoy from end to end. And now back to our story of Rocket from Manhattan. Airspeed 2, 482. You'd better cut it down. Right, how much? About 15 percent. Right. You get anything, Reynolds? No, sir. Would you come here a moment? Will you help me with this port covering? Yes, sir. You there. All right. Take a look, huh? Yes, that's it. There she is. Mama Earth. Six more hours, eh, doctor? Or less. Sure we haven't made a mistake and headed for Venus. What are you? That was just a bad joke, doc. Oh, there's no two ways about it. The outline of the continents, we can't make any mistake about that being our home address. I wonder how much they can see of us. What are we, six, seven thousand miles out? You know, this reminds me of a time about 25 years ago. The Army sent me up to a thousand miles to take observation photographs. We remember how the atomic reaction motors were then. We got up about 500 feet and all. Major. What, what? Look down. Look. What? I don't see anything. Look, I tell you. Reynolds, come here. What's the matter? Something wrong? Well, the doctor says there's a... Reynolds, look. Do you see? Yes. What is it? I see it too. Bright lights going on and off. What's going on down there? Doctor, are they signaling us? Are they signaling? It's six thousand miles. Why? Why should they? That's right. There's no such plan. Look at it. It is lights going on and off. But they're all from one area. Can you make out where? North America. Then they are signals. The candle in the window. Your own question. That's six thousand miles? Wait a minute. Are they explosions? Explosions? Major Doctor, is that it? Are they explosions? I don't know. CQ, CQ. Hello, hello, hello. CQ, CQ. I'm sorry, Doctor. I can't raise anyone. Doc, Doc, come here. Yes, what? Look, the closer we get, they are explosions. Three more hours. We'll know. I want to know now. Reynolds, what's the matter with you? Why can't you make radio contact? I'm doing everything I can. Major. Major. Doc, what is it? Craters. Look, Craters. Craters? At this altitude you couldn't possibly... I saw each flash. I do see them. Okay, okay. What does it mean? What are you looking at me like that for? What does it mean? Doctor, something's coming through. What about time? I can only hear it faintly. What? Please, let me listen. United States... What? Reynolds, what is it? Tell us. Boys... I couldn't quite make out. He... He said... Said what? Tell us. War. He said war. Blasting the United States off the face of the earth. Blasting... It's... It's a joke, isn't it? Isn't it? What are they sending now? What now? It began an hour ago. No warning. Projectiles radio controlled. Point of origin unknown. Oh, it stopped again, the transmission. That's enough. Doctor, did you hear it was an attack without warning? The explosions are increasing in frequency. Reynolds, Reynolds, is there anything more coming through? No, nothing. Yes. Yes, they started transmission again. All right, let's have it quick. It's some station in Midwestern. I can't get the call letters. Who cares? He says it's hell. Ground shaking. No bombs landed near, but air reconnaissance. It's so garbled I can hardly make out. Well, well. It started an hour ago. Everything burning. Now it's stopped again, there's nothing. Doctor, doctor in heaven's name, what do you think it's all about? Stop staring out of the window and talk to me. What are they doing? What do you mean what are they doing? They're bombing us, blasting us. It's war, but who? We've got to find out. Reynolds, find out who. What? It's no use, there's no transmission. Doctor, those bombs, where are they coming from? Can't you tell by the trajectory? At this distance? And what difference does the face of the enemy make? It's happening, that's all. Smashed them. I always said we should have smashed them. Exterminated them 50 years ago. They were so peaceful for so many years. The flashes are increasing in frequency. Reynolds, get on that radio. I'll try again. I've got to know who, the devils. We had agreements with everyone, the international devils. The devils, all of them. If I call them devils, I don't even know who they are. Reynolds, you got anything? No, no I don't. Doctor, faster, let's get down there faster. Let's open it up. You know better than that. We're entering atmosphere. Increase speed and we'd burn up like a meteorite. But I'm an army man. All my life I've been trained. Nothing's coming through. What? What? The bombs? Nothing? Nothing can... I can hardly make it out. Keep at it. Panic. Paratroopers. Who? Who? Last message from... United States. Of... It's ended. There is no more. If we'd only get down there faster. Only 500 more miles. Look at it down there. Our air force, protective measures. What happened to them? What happened? Doctor, you, why don't you say something? We'll just sit there for hours watching. This isn't a scientific experiment going on down there. They're blasting us to pieces. Us, us. The atomic bomb, the great secret. Hold it over the world and have peace forever. You said that. Yes, you. I was a kid then, I heard you say it over the radio when they gave you a medal. Hold it over the world and have peace forever. What do you got to say now? We had a wonderful 55 years. What? Everybody had a wonderful time. Reynolds, what's the matter with him? He's gone now. No. Let him finish. First we hung the criminals 55 years ago. And as soon as their bodies stopped swinging, we left the crowd and each went back to his own house and shut the door. You said the peace would hold forever. I, I said it because I thought that when the secret was put away, the people of the world would remember the terror. I said to myself, now. Surely now that they've seen the possibility of the disintegration of their earth, they'll be drawn together once again into the family of men as it must have been in the beginning. I, I forgot what years could do. I forgot how quickly forgetfulness comes. I forgot that in only a few years, Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be only yesterday's sensations for a nation eager for sensations for today. You keep asking me who is sending me to the You keep asking me who is sending those bombs against us. Who? I tell you we're sending them against ourselves. Yes. Because had we made our way of life something more than a confused dream of shiny machines and happy endings, those bombs of hatred and revenge would not be flying at us. I said the peace would hold forever because I thought that out of that war at last men had learned that there was no defense against hatred and revenge but the defense of education for the unity of people. It was a race, gentlemen, against time. And we wasted our last 55 years running backwards on a track of chromium and plastics. And so we've lost forever. No. We've never lost. The blasts are increasing in frequency. There's nothing left. Nothing. We'll start someplace else. We're building... Doctor, look. The color of the blast. Oh, dear God. What? What? Doctor, it's nitrogen, isn't it? Nitrogen? What? The fools, the everlasting fools I warned. The blasts. More and more. They started something. They couldn't end. The color of the blasts. They've set off hydrogen atom. I don't know what... We used uranium, plutonium, and when the initial blast was over, that was all. Hydrogen, that's part of life. One reaction sets off the other like setting off an endless chain until... Look down there. The blast. Faster and faster. They're spreading. The fools. God help the fools. God help the fools. What? It... It happened. The sheet of flame. Around the Earth. Doctor, tell me, what is it? What was it? Tell me. It burned up all the atmosphere. Burned up? Reynolds, what does he mean? The chain reaction burned up all the air. Who? The Major. Major, the left jet. It's all right. It's all right. All right. Where are we going? Can we go down there? There is no air, no life. The moon, the Earth, the same. Good. How much fuel? There is the gauge. Two, three hours? Yes. Yes, I think that's right. Isn't it, Major? Yeah. What? What do we do? You ask that question now. The Major no longer asks it. Do you know the answer, Major? Sure. We'll circle around. Then we'll crash. Come on. Then we'll crash. No, no, no. No, it'll be all right, my boy. My words again. Have peace forever. This is Mr. O.R. Jobler. The play has ended. Just the play. Something out of my imagination, written over a quarter of a century ago. Part of what I imagined then has come to pass. I'm sure you pray with me that the rest of it is a very false prophecy. Let's talk about our next play. There is no prophecy in that one. I was in England. I met a tidal old goat who was very weary. I was a very sweet little wife. And out of that family affair comes next week's play. But first an interlude for a message. This is Red Buttons with a suggestion on how you can help Johnny Horizon and his campaign to clean up America for our nation's 200th birthday and help restore the natural beauty of our land. Why not organize cleanup projects for local parks, recreation areas, or the block where you live? The booklet, How to Conduct a Cleanup Campaign, will help you get started. To get this free booklet, write Johnny Horizon Program, Washington, D.C. 20240. This is Celeste Holm. The formal ceasefire in Vietnam has not ended the suffering. The youngest victims of the war need help from the United Nations Children's Fund. UNICEF has been helping in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia for 20 years, helping them with food, medical care, housing, and education. They must now work harder than ever to rebuild young lives. In Indochina, as in Bangladesh, UNICEF will be there long after the fighting ends. They need your help. Please send your check to UNICEF, New York 10017. This is Mr. O again. To that listener who wrote me from Boston, yes, I recently wrote a novel, and if you shake your bookseller hard enough, you might be able to get a copy of it. Its title is House on Fire and Bertholmeu House Published It. Now about next week's play. It's titled Hollywood Visitor, and for you devotees of horror, yes, that's what it is. Next time. It is later than you think. Thank you.
