The National Broadcasting Company delays the start of this program to bring you a special news bulletin. From the NBC newsroom in New York, United Nations troops have begun a breakthrough from their beachhead in South Korea, launching an attack from positions north of Taegu for a drive towards Seoul. The new offensive is timed with a big amphibious assault at Incheon, which is progressing on schedule. Keep tuned to your NBC station for the later news. Space transcribed in future tense. Dementia! Tonight, a story of the future and a star of the future. The story Hello Tomorrow and the star Miss Nancy Olson, the talented young actress who is currently winning critical acclaim for her performance in one of the outstanding pictures of the year, Sunset Boulevard. Tonight, Miss Nancy Olson and her young actor, Miss Nancy Olson, will be the stars of the future. Tonight, Miss Nancy Olson and her young actor, Miss Nancy Olson, will be the stars of the year, Sunset Boulevard. Tonight, Miss Olson becomes the first of a group of the stage and screen's most promising young stars of tomorrow to be invited to appear on the program of tomorrow, Dimension X. It was in the year 1991 that man disappeared from the face of the earth. A mass of red radioactive dust filling the air with gamma rays so deadly that life on the surface was no longer possible. There was only one way out. The few survivors went underground, burrowing their way deep into the earth like hunted moles, hiding from death in huge underground caverns. And it was there in the next 2,000 years that they built the new civilization, a civilization in which the genetic survival of the race came first. And every life and every law was shaped to serve that end. It is to this civilization, in the year of our Lord 4,195 A.D., that we take you now. Yes? I have a call from the director of emotional stability for the third oblong for Professor Lois Burton at the Institute of Genetics. This is Professor Burton. One moment. Go ahead, sir. Lois? Listen, darling, good news. What? The genetic board has approved our application for marriage. Oh, so soon? The tests found our chromosomes perfect. We can marry any time we want. Our offspring should be genetically in the 19th percentile of perfection. What's the matter today? Oh, nothing. I'm just sort of breathless. You are happy about it, aren't you, darling? Oh, of course, terribly happy. I'm coming right over to the lab. I have a surprise. Oh, not now, Walter. What? Well, I mean you'll have to give me some time. Time? What's the trouble? No trouble. It's that genetic survey I've been working on. What about it? Well, I've finally gotten permission to study an actual living case, a specimen of imperfect genetic transmission. Really? Yes, they're bringing him up from the condemned cages on the lower level. You will be careful, darling. The supervisor says there's nothing to be afraid of. The specimen they're bringing is XJ12. It's been studied before many times and is quite well trained. Well, I don't like it. Nonsense, darling. I've been waiting for this opportunity for years. Oh, there's my door signal. I'll have to hang up, darling. See you later. Yes? Professor Lois Burton? Yes? I'm from the Phylogenic Institute, lower level. Oh, then you brought me specimen XJ12. May I come in? By all means. Oh, how? Horrible. It all depends on your viewpoint. I happen to have a twisted leg. My parents were genetically unsound. But then you... Yes. I am specimen XJ12. I see. I hope you aren't shocked. No stable person permits feelings to enter into his work. I will admit to surprise. I was expecting something a little more... abnormal. Sorry, I try to be as abnormal as possible. If I am, the Phylogenic Institute allows me out of the genetic cages every so often, so I can breathe the pure air of the upper levels and mingle with the genetically perfect. You seem quite well educated. I spent the first years of my life here in the upper levels. How is that possible? They segregate imperfects. As a small child, my mother concealed me from the director of selective heredity. I was brought up in secret. My mother actually, dreadful word, loved me. I see. That would explain your obviously low threshold of emotional control. If you choose to call it that. At first you seem to be struggling to repress a few feelings yourself. We will confine ourselves to the impersonal aspects of our work. As you please. I shall require you as a demonstration for a lecture I'm delivering to one of my classes tomorrow. At your service, Professor. Sit here, please. Grip these electrodes tightly. I'm going to calibrate your electrochemical tension. I'm quite familiar with the procedure. I realize it is an imperfect. I'm expendable. But I should hate to be electrocuted. The charge is not lethal. Plus 15 surface tension. You know, you have beautiful hair. Plus 12 at a depth of 4 centimeters. Lovely blue eyes, crystal clear. Plus 10, 7 centimeters. Pretty. A perfect woman. Lovely, expressive hands. And a heart of stone. Like all the rest of you, perfect survival types. Try not to jump, sir, when the current strikes. No feelings under control passed by the director of emotional stability. Shut up! Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you... You have feelings. That will be quite enough. I seem to sense an air of emotional tension. Nothing, dear. This is a specimen XJ12. Oh, I see. An inferior type. Quite. You, specimen. Can you understand me? Yes. Yes what? Tell this dolt who I am, Lois. This is the director of emotional stability for the third oblong. He also happens to be my selected genetic partner. You will address him as sir. Yes, sir. This creature seems quite impertinent. He's only a specimen, darling. We'll use him and ship him back to the cages at the institute. He's probably radioactive. You, specimen. Mr. Director. You will confine your speech to answering only those questions addressed to you. Understand? Yes, sir. Perfectly. Attention. Attention. The next demonstration will be conducted by Professor Lois Burton of the Institute of Genetics. Her topic, the probability of radioactive damage in the chromosome heredity of imperfect non-survival types. Professor Burton. We are very fortunate today in having obtained a specimen of an imperfect genetic type through the good graces of the phylogenic institute. Moreover, this specimen has been trained to tell in his own words about the factors in his upbringing. Specimen XJ12. Thank you. My mother was a psychotechnician in the Fifth Oblong. My father was a historian specializing in the records of pre-atomic surface culture. In the earthquake of 2170, apparently some hard radiation filtered down through the tunnels and penetrated the Fifth Oblong. The effect on my hereditary factors is quite apparent in this twisted leg. I appreciate that you do not laugh. Most audiences seem compelled to laugh. Perhaps you were different. If so, perhaps you can be made to understand somehow what it means to be labeled an imperfect. Perhaps in some way I can penetrate the insulation with which the psychotechnicians, the drugs and the glandular experts have surrounded your emotions. Wait. As director of emotional stability for this Oblong, I order you to confine yourself to the subject. My father taught me in the last days before he was executed that every human personality is born with certain inalienable natural rights. The right of free expression. The right to have feelings. And the right to mature. And above all, the right to be different from every other living organism. Because every organism is different. I submit to you distinguished students that the attempt by this society to abridge these rights is a violation of nature. I say that the imperfects, the mutants, those who are different have as much right to exist and be free as you. I say break open the cages. Free my people. Stop him. Give us back the right to be individuals. Stop him. I say... Professor Burton, take the specimen back to your laboratory and confine him. Yes, Mr. Director. You specimen, go quietly. I warn you. I have nothing but contempt for your warnings. I'll have you destroyed for this. The specimen is unstable. He doesn't know what he's saying. Then get him out of here, quickly. He's an affront to our genetic type. Hold still while I bandage your head. You'll be all right. I suppose you detest me for getting you into trouble. Don't squirm. Not that I blame you. I don't detest you. In fact, I thought you quite magnificent. You what? As you spoke, something began to stir in me. You don't hate me? I've never felt so strange. Tell me what you feel. If I moved you, then I must have moved the others, some of them at least. I don't know quite how to explain it. A strange sympathy? Compassion. For some reason I took pride in what you were doing, seeing you stand up against them. Why do you look at me like that? Because I can't help it. I wish you wouldn't. You're only an imperfect, you know. You have no rights. Please, XJ12. My name is Orrin. Say it. Orrin. Orrin? Again. Orrin. Lois. Orrin. Lois, Lois, Lois. What is it? Why do I feel this way? In the cages they call it love. Love? We have no such concept in the upper level. You've destroyed it. Would it be correct to say, I feel love for you? It would be correct. I feel love for you. Darling, darling. Lois, what about Walter? You're going to marry him. You're genetically suited to each other. I don't care, I won't marry him. There must be some other way. Walter. Very touching. Very tender. Walter, how could you spy? In my capacity as director of emotional stability, it is my duty to spy. Specimen XJ12 will be disposed of quite systematically by the state. For the good of the state. For the good of the genetic code. And in the name of emotional stability. Come in, Lois. I wondered how long it would be before you came to my office. Walter, I have to talk to you. Go right ahead. Walter, you mustn't destroy him. Send him back to the cages, but don't kill him. You're destroying an inferior creature as if it were something unethical. Walter, Walter, please, for my sake. Lois, I understand that you've entered a plea for postponement of our marriage at the records bureau. Yes, I... I was too upset to go through with it. It came as a great disappointment to me. If you were married to me, you would be safe from influences such as this XJ12. In which case, I might even be persuaded to send him back to the cages. Instead of having him... destroyed. You see? Yes. I see. Think it over. Well, my dear? When can we be married? Soon. Tomorrow, if you like. The sooner the better. Lois. Lois, you make me very... What about XJ12? Oh, I see. A bargain is a bargain. Let me talk to the custodian, please. Hello. This is the director of emotional stability for the third oblong. I would like you to cancel the execution of specimen XJ12. Yes. Yes, that's right. Turn him over to the security guard. He's to be remanded permanently to the genetic cages. Let me talk to him, Walter. My dear, I don't think that... Please, I want to be sure he's all right. Very well. Hello. Connect a circuit in the cell block. I want to talk to XJ12. Very well, my dear. Very well, my dear. Hello? Oren? Yes. No, I'm all right. How are you? Fine. Oren, I... I've been talking to Walter. He's going to send you back to the cages. Yes. Yes. No. I'm going to marry him. Because I... I want to. I'm not lying to you. I'm very happy. Yes. Yes, I've got to hang up now. Goodbye. Goodbye. And now, Lois? Walter, please. I've got to get back to the lab. Of course. I'll pick you up in, say, an hour, and we'll make plans for the wedding. All right? Yes, yes, of course. Goodbye, Walter. Hello. This is the director of emotional stability again. I want you to cancel that last order. Proceed with the execution, but under conditions of absolute secrecy. No. Don't use the lethal chamber. Take him to the tunnels on the upper level. That's correct. Fine. This way. Why are you taking me? You're being returned to the philogenic institute. Orders from the director of emotional stability. Into the elevator. Very well. Why are we going toward the surface? The cages are on the lower levels. Radiation check. They've never done that before. New procedure. All right. Walk. Huck, stage your business. I'm the custodian for the third oblong. This imperfect is my prisoner. You can't go beyond this checkpoint. There's radioactivity in the tunnels. This is a special mission, if you know what I mean. Oh, I see. Just a moment, I'll open the airlock. Go ahead. You'll find two radiation suits in the chamber. We will need only one. So this is how they get rid of imperfects. March inside. All right. Plan around. Suppose I refuse. It'll be less painful if you cooperate. Before you dispose of me, could I give you a message for a friend? That depends. What is the message? This! Security! Help! Security! What is it? What happened? He struck me. He escaped into the tunnels. If the radiation doesn't get him, he'll starve to death. I could send a robot, but it's not worth the trouble. There's no way back from the tunnels, except through here. Only the other direction he can go is toward the surface. The closer he gets, the hotter the radiation. Now I think you can consider your prisoner dead. More wine, my dear? No, thank you, Walter. You look very beautiful, my dear. Very beautiful. Thank you. The hydroponic fruits are delicious, aren't they? Oh, um... The wedding will just be a small affair. I've arranged for a few friends. The director of endocrine control, the chief of the security guards, one or two assistants to high council members... Walter, did... Yes? Was he returned to the cages? Now why must you spoil this lovely dinner by bringing that up? Was he, Walter? Well... Was he? He had difficulty. Difficulty? Yes, you see... He escaped. Escaped? He struck a guard and ran off into the tunnels. The tunnels? But that's death. He's free to return any time he chooses. When did it happen? Just a few hours ago, as a matter of fact. Walter... Now don't become upset again, darling. You planned it, didn't you, Walter? Is that all I'm to hear from you for the rest of my life? Darling... Here's what I think of stability. Were we not to be married, I'd be compelled to turn you over to the endocrine surgeons for doing that. Well, you can go right ahead, because we aren't going to be married. Checkpoint. This is the director of emotional security. Yes, sir. If Professor Burton tries to pass the checkpoint, I want to take it into custody. Well, Professor Burton just passed, sir. She said... I don't care what she said. Stop her. Send robots after her. Get her back. I'll have you destroyed as incompetent if you fail. Yes, sir. At once, sir. Robot control. Checkpoint to robot control. Order out all televocal robots into the tunnels. Have them bring back any humans. This is a first priority order. Orin? Orin? Orin, where are you? Orin? Hello? Hello? Orin, it's Louis. This way. Behind the rocks. Over here. Oh, darling, darling. Louis, why did you come here? It's suicide. I had to. Darling, are you all right? So far. You've got to turn back. Give yourself up. They'll kill me. You can't stay here. The radiation is plus four at this point. It gets worse as you approach the surface. Go back, darling. What will you do? I'm going to the surface. Not even the robots can survive. At least I'll be the first human in 1,100 years to see what the surface of the Earth looks like. Come back with me. No, darling. Then I'm going with you. Louis. Don't try to stop me, darling. There's nothing to go back to now. Nothing but Walter and emotional stability. Louis, you really want to come with me? Yes. You know what it means. I don't care. Oh, darling, I can't let you go. Orin, I love you. See, I know how to say it now. Say it again. Orin, I love you. Louis. Louis, what's that? Sounds... Orin, it's the robot control. It's looking for us. Come on. We've got to hurry. This way. Hurry. Oh, Orin, wait. It can't be much further, darling. The robot is gaining. Here, let me help you. I can't. I just can't. All right, darling. We'll stop here. We may as well wait for it. Oh, Orin. I mean, I can see its light now. Darling, listen. It stopped. The light's are swinging around. Orin, it sees us. Come on, darling. One last effort. Come on, run. Look. Look ahead. You can see the light's reflecting from something. It looks like a door. It is. No, it's a heavy-lead door. There's a lever. Hurry. Come on through. Lois, there must be some way to close it. Here. Let me help you. It won't get through that. It's solid lead. Orin, where are we? I... I don't know. Look. Up there. A huge round light. Lois. Yes, Orin? That's... that's Luna. The moon. We're on the surface. How red everything looks. How it glows. It's the radioactivity. Quiet. Peaceful. Deadly. Oh, darling. Sit here and rest a while. Put your arm around me. Orin, I'm going to go. Orin, I'm afraid. Orin, we're going to die. Don't think about it. Just think about us alone. The first humans to stand on the surface of Earth in 2,000 years. Lois, that door must have been placed there by the last handful of survivors who went underground after the atomic wars. Those are the lights. The small ones. They must be... stars. Orin, I... I'm so tired. Go to sleep, darling. Put your head on my shoulder and sleep. Hold me, Orin. Hold me very close. Orin. Orin, wake up. What is it? Look, it's light. The whole universe is light. Oh, Orin, how beautiful. Look. By all the laws of nature, we should be dead. Lois, no life could survive this. By all the laws of nature. Orin. What is it? We're not dead. This is Earth and we're alive. We're not going to die. But the radiation. Of what? There is a natural law of adaptation by which an organism will try to adjust itself to its environment by changing. It's called a geotropism. I don't see what that has to do with... All these generations, we've been bombarded by radiation filtering down through the Earth. Each successive generation must have inherited some degree of immunity to the effects of radiation. And you think that... Orin, it can't hurt us. Don't you see? We're immune. We're probably the first generation to inherit sufficient immunity. But if that's true, then... Then we can transmit that immunity. We can pass it along to our children. Come on, darling. We'll have to find food and water. The practical wife. Oh, wait a minute, darling. What are you doing with that rock? I want to scratch something on the outside of this lead door. Lois and Orin. Forty-one... Ninety-five... A-D. Hello, tomorrow. Tonight, Dimension X, the program of the future, has introduced a new star of the future, Miss Nancy Olson. Miss Olson appeared by courtesy of Paramount Pictures and may currently be seen in their production, Sunset Boulevard. Next week on Dimension X, the strange and sinister story of... Dr. Grimshaw's Sanitarium. Tonight, Dimension X has transcribed Hello Tomorrow, written by George Lefferts. Appearing with Nancy Olson were Santos Atega as Walter and Donald Buechler as Orin. Your narrator was Norman Rose. Music by Albert Berman, engineer Bill Chambers. Dimension X is produced by Van Woodward and directed by Edward King. Enjoy Bob Hope and Baby Snooks when they return this fall on NBC.
