This is Nightline, your open door to people and places, and this is Walter O'Keefe. Nightline invites you to listen in on NBC's award-winning science fiction series, X-1. Now escape to a world of the future. Countdown for blast-off. X minus five, four, three, two, X minus one, fire. From the far horizons of the unknown come tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future, adventures in which you'll live in a million could-be years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, presents X minus one. Tonight, Celana by James E. Gunn. But first, hear this. Now, X minus one. Our story, Celana by James E. Gunn. My name is Norman Blake, statistician, first class. At 2.30 p.m. on Monday, October 21st, in the year 2055, I became a deviant. I left my job an hour early. To deviate from the norm was unheard of in a perfectly adjusted society such as ours. Thanks to the great psychologist kinder, we had a society where everybody's job suited his talents and needs, where children were raised scientifically, and where everyone lived happily on an even keel instead of swinging back and forth from gloom to ecstasy. Then I noticed it. The single flaw in the perfect system. Come in. Yes, Norm. Henry, I'd like to talk to you for a moment privately. Close the door. It's rather unusual for me to see one of my statisticians privately, but since we're old friends... Something rather serious has come up. As you know, my duty is to check the computers to make certain there are no deviations. This morning, I ran over the figures for our district. Here is the sheet. The deviation is near the bottom. One million thirty-seven gallons of water purified. One million thirty-seven gallons consumed. Nine thousand three hundred twenty-eight births. Nine thousand three hundred twenty-eight deaths. I see nothing wrong so far, no? Read the next item. One candy bar taken from Baby. Well? Don't you see? A baby can't consent. Therefore, it must have been taken without consent. Henry, that is theft. We haven't had a case of theft in this society for almost twenty-nine years. I see. It's got me so upset, I can't think of anything else. You're a little edgy, aren't you? Well, wouldn't you be if you knew there was an anti-social being walking the streets of your own city? I don't think I'd quite go to pieces like that. Maybe, um, well, this is just a suggestion. Maybe you ought to see an analyst. Perhaps it would help you deal with this problem. I've been analyzed. How long ago? Eight years. Well, unless you're prepared to handle this problem, I'd advise you to get some help. Meanwhile, take the rest of the afternoon off. Off? Deviate from the schedule? As director and as an old friend of yours, I order it. I consider you to be in extreme upset. That's your order? That's my order. I must confess that as I went toward the elevator, a line kept running through my head. Norm has departed from the norm. I was doing something unorthodox, and what frightened me was that actually it amused me. Here I was, leaving work, one hour early. I was so preoccupied that I stepped into the elevator without noticing that someone was already in it. An invasion of privacy almost unforgivable. He was a small, strange-looking man with short silver hair and thick, round glasses. Oops, I beg your pardon. I didn't really know you were in... Perfectly all right, stranger. I'll just step out and... Hold it, brother. You've got troubles. I can see. Well, I... My advice to you is see an analyst. Don't wait another 24 hours. I... Thank you for the advice. That's more than advice, brother. It's a commercial. Here's my card. Andrew C. Rednick, public analyst. Oh, you're an analyst. Freelance. I didn't know there were any. I'm probably one of the few still practicing. My slogan is, don't kid with your id. If life ain't dandy, come see Andy. I... I may be up to see you. You will, I can tell. I put on my public face, the mask we wear on the street, and rode home in the proper manner, my arms and hands folded. When I got home, my wife, Neda, was in her room. I signaled on the intercom in case she was entertaining. She wasn't. She never did. Sometimes I wondered if Neda was quite normal and well adjusted. Hello, darling. Is something wrong? Why are you home so early? I just uncovered a crime wave. A what? A crime wave. A theft. Candy. From a baby. Who does that serious? It threatens the entire structure of our society. We have a delicately balanced mechanism here. We're not ready for crime. We don't even know how to catch a criminal. Listen to an old saying, it takes a thief to catch a thief. It takes a... Darling, that's it. That's the answer to our problem. What is? In order to protect society, I've got to catch the thief. And the only way to do it, obviously, is to become one myself. You're listening to Celana, tonight's attraction on X minus one. Now back to X minus one and Celana. The address on the card was a deserted skyscraper, a pre-analytic building. The elevators were out of order and I had to climb 29 flights of stairs. Only I was in front of a door that read Andrew C. Rednick, public analyst. Grin and come in. Mr. Rednick? It ain't Santa Claus, brother. Who? You wouldn't remember me. Park your ego. Now, boy, what's your problem? I've got to do something and it isn't in my psychological profile. That's the trouble with this society. Nobody's capable of handling the unexpected. Are you saying there's an advantage to being unadjusted? Don't second-guess the analyst, boy. If you mean by advantage, will you be happier? No. But if you mean power, then you've got it. In a country of normal people, the neurotic man is king. You want to be king, boy? Of course not. I'm perfectly happy and well-adjusted except for one little problem. Namely? I've got to catch a thief. So? So I've got to know how a thief thinks and feels, what he does, where he goes. You mean you want to become neurotic? Exactly. This is a rather unorthodox request. I suppose it is. I could lose my license if anyone found out. If you don't do it, it could mean the end of society and civilization. As bad as that, eh? Very well. Aren't at once. Why not? Sit at my desk while I lie down on the couch and tell you about my childhood. You lie down? I'm the one that's supposed to lie down. You forget this is reverse analysis. I'm supposed to make you neurotic, frustrated. Now then, the first thing I remember was an argument between my father and mother. You were living with your own father and mother? Ooh, how unhygienic. What a nasty situation. You aren't very good at this sort of thing, are you, boy? You're supposed to listen, not comment. Now then, when I was 27, I perfected analysis and revolutionized society. What are you talking about, kinder perfected analysis and revolutionized society? He died. Don't second-guess the analyst. You know, I'm beginning to dislike you already. Fine. We're making progress already. You're beginning to experience dislike. Next, we'll achieve hatred and then loathing. In three weeks, you'll be well on the road to becoming a crook. Every day for the next week, Rednick lay comfortably on his red leather couch rambling about his childhood and his problems while I longed to tell him about my own. I grew more and more repressed and my disposition became worse and worse. On the eighth day, something happened at the office that made me realize I had to hurry. Come in. Henry, it's happened. What? The thief has struck again, but this time it's even more serious. What did he take? A million dollars is missing from the first district bank. Great Scott. We've got to find this thief, Henry. We're doomed if we don't. Maybe he's worked out his repressions. After all, what can a man steal after he's stolen a million dollars? I don't know, but I intend to find out. Maybe you ought to drop it, Norm. How can you say a thing like that? It's positively antisocial. Calm down now, you're all upset again. Why don't you take the day off and go home? Spend some time with that lovely wife of yours. She misses you. How do you know? Norm Boy, do I detect a note of jealousy? You'd better watch your step. Jealousy is the forerunner of violence. Are you seeing an analyst, as I suggested? Yes, I am. Well, keep at it, boy. You're in bad shape. I kept at it. By the time the annual status examinations were due, I was a complete wreck. I hated Andrew Rednick with a passion. I was ambitious and jealous. I had even sunk to that basest of all passions. I had fallen in love with my own wife. And still, I had not been able to ferret out the thief. He had not struck again. Ah, you're early, son. So I'm early. You'll have to wait. I have another patient. What? You'll have to wait. I have another patient in the other room. He'll be leaving in a minute. Just sit down. Another patient? I could have killed him. Never occurred to me that Andrew C. Rednick would have another patient. After a few moments, a man emerged from the inner office. He was wearing a silver mask or public face, and naturally I couldn't see his features. As I had my own mask on, he didn't see my features either. But I sensed a certain hostility as he brushed by me. Come in, son. Who is he? Take it easy. We don't reveal the names or identities of patients. I hate him. You're jealous. Jealous? As a matter of fact, I've been thinking of quitting the analysis. Good. This is your last session anyway. My last session? It can't be. The annual examinations are coming up tomorrow. I am not ready. I'll be demoted to a menial job. I doubt it. I told you I'm not ready. What can I do? Have you ever thought of cheating? On the examination? That's horrible. Only a monster could suggest such a thing. What kind of man are you? Who are you, Rednick? Let me close the door. Now look through the glass at my sign. You can read it backwards with the door closed. Andrew Rednick. Rednick backwards. Kinder? You? It's impossible. He's the founder of our whole society. Besides, he's dead. He died in an accident. All staged. I just decided to duck out. Why? Because my friend, I found I had created a Frankenstein, a perfect society. It was like paradise, a garden of Eden. The same silly people, happy, not wanting anything, not going any place, and not changing. So I decided to create a little sin and thereby give the creatures change, growth, misery, ecstasy, and free will. In a sense, I made them creative. Well, son, au revoir. But am I really finished? You're just beginning. Your frustrations are like rabbits, boy. They just keep breeding. I'm the one who's finished. He clapped his hat on his head and walked out, leaving me alone in his office. When I walked over to his desk, I found a gun lying on top of it. I put it in my pocket and returned to my office. The next five hours were spent in statistically predicting the questions I would be asked on the annual examination and in finding out the answers in advance. Then I went home. Darling, how did it go? Neda, take a good look at your husband. See anything different? Well, I've been noticing a change for the past few weeks. You're going to notice a much bigger change, sweetheart. Tomorrow, the new appointments will be made based on the results of the annual examination. Did you do well? Did I do well? Read this card. The enclosed card has a magnetic reproduction of your new psychological profile. It indicates you are in the 99th percentile of leadership with the second highest altruism rating ever scored. Therefore, a new position has been created for you. Beginning tomorrow, you will be deputy mayor of the district. Deputy, darling, it's wonderful. Yes, I dare say it is. Only one thing troubles me. What's that? I can't understand how anybody scored higher than I did. I'd counted on becoming mayor. The following day, I reported to the office of the new mayor of our district, the only person who had scored higher than I on the annual examination. I was ushered in promptly. The new mayor was seated behind a huge desk. He wore his public face mask. Mr. Mayor, I'm Norman Blake, the new deputy. Yes, we've met, you know. Oh, I'm afraid I don't... Let me remove my public face. There. Henry, Henry Foreman. I'm amazed you didn't guess sooner. How? Quite simple. You and I, dear fellow, have unstable patterns. With me, the first break came the day I took that bar of candy from the baby as I was passing the nursery. My own act frightened me so that I sought an analyst. The same analyst you sought. Rednick? Rednick, Kinder, it's all the same. And you were the thief and I never... It takes one to know one, Norm. You cheated on the exam, too. Using the computer, just as you did. Are there any others like us? I don't know. We'll find out, though. We're ambitious, you and I. That means we'll be moving up, heading for the governorship, perhaps even the presidency. And then we'll collide with the others if there are any. As Rednick said, in a world of normal people, the neurotic is king. The only trouble with that is there can only be one king. That's right. And only one mayor. The look he gave me then sent chills up and down my spine. In spite of my high position, I haven't had a moment's peace or relaxation since. Neither, I suspect, has Henry Foreman. There were imbalances in our world which had to lead to the destruction of one or all of us, and we knew it. There was one saying that Rednick Kinder had forgotten to tack up on his wall. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Fred Collins again. And I'll have another word for you about X minus one in a moment. The attention of the nation is focused on Los Angeles and New York, the cities where two long-awaited world championship boxing matches will take place. The ears of the nation will be tuned to Cavalcade of Sports on NBC Radio, the only network that will bring you both these championship bouts. Friday night, Archie Moore versus Tony Anthony for the light heavyweight crown. Monday night, Sugar Ray Robinson versus Carmen Basilio for the world's middleweight title. And you'll hear them both direct from ringside only on Cavalcade of Sports on NBC Radio. Yes, Friday night, light heavyweight champ Archie Moore pits his skill and experience against the youth and stamina of Tony Anthony. Monday night, Sugar Ray Robinson, one of the greatest boxers in history, defends his middleweight crown against Carmen Basilio. Two great championship fights, Friday night, Moore versus Anthony, Monday night, Robinson versus Basilio, both brought to you direct from ringside on Cavalcade of Sports exclusively on the same NBC radio stations. You have just heard X minus one presented by the National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, which this month features Morning After by Robert Sheckley. What was Pearson doing here? Would he live or die? For the answers to these and other questions, he had to keep tuning in on a hangover. Galaxy Magazine, on your newsstand today. X minus one has brought you Solana, a story from the pages of Galaxy written by James E. Gunn and adapted for radio by George Lefferts. Featured in our cast were Walter Black as Norman Blake, David Ross as Andrew C. Rednig, Adele Ronson as Neda, and Guy Rep as Foreman. This is Fred Collins speaking. X minus one was directed by George Voutsas and is an NBC radio network production. There's excitement in the air at night and Nightline brings it to you. Here Nightline with Walter O'Keefe, next on most of these NBC stations.
