[eerie music]
(male presenter, off)
There is a
Fifth dimension
Beyond that
Which is known
To man.
It is a dimension
As vast as space
And as timeless
As infinity.
It is the middle ground
Between light and shadow,
Between science
And superstition,
And it lies between
The pit of man's fears
And the summit
Of his knowledge.
This is
The dimension
Of imagination.
It is an area
Which we call
The twilight zone.
Witness, if you
Will, a dungeon
Made out of mountains,
Salt flats and sand
That stretch to infinity.
The dungeon has an inmate--
[honking horn]
James A. Corry--
And this is
His residence:
Metal shack.
An old touring car
That squats in the
Sun and goes nowhere,
For there is
Nowhere to go.
For the record,
Let it be known
That James A. Corry
Is a convicted criminal
Placed in
Solitary confinement.
Confinement, in this case,
Stretches as far
As the eye can see
Because this
Particular dungeon
Is on an asteroid
Nine million miles
From the earth.
Now witness, if you will
A man's mind and body
Shriveling in the sun--
A man dying
Of loneliness.
(Corry, off)
Entry, th day,
Sixth month, year four.
And all the
Days and the months
And the years are the same.
There'll be a supply ship
Coming in soon, I think.
They're either
Due or overdue.
And I hope it's
Allenby's ship
Because he's a decent man
And he brings things
For me.
Like he brought in
The parts for that
Antique automobile.
I was a year
Putting that
Thing together,
Such as it is.
A whole year
Putting an
Old car together.
But thank god for
That car, and for
The hours I used up,
And the days
And the weeks.
I can look at it
Out there, and I
Know that it's real.
Reality is what I need.
Because what is there
Left that I can
Believe in?
The desert and the wind?
The silence?
Or myself?
Can I believe in
Myself anymore?
Allenby?
Allenby!
Allenby!
Allenby!
How are
You, Corry?
All right. You?
Quite a place
You've got here.
Glad you
Like it.
I didn't say
I liked it. I
Think it stinks.
You don't have
To live here.
No, but I have
To come back here
Four times a year.
That's eight months
Away from earth.
Sometimes my
Kids don't even
Recognize me.
But you, you've
Got it made here.
Yeah, this makes
For simple living,
Doesn't it?
, miles
From north
To south,
, from
East to west,
And all of it
Just like this.
(Allenby)
All right, Adams,
Cut it out.
Now, we've only got
A -minute layover.
No one's checking
On your schedule
Way out here.
We can play a
Couple of games
Of cards.
If we delay our
Time of departure,
It just places
Us in a different
Orbital position.
We'll never make
It back to earth.
We would
Have to stay
Here at least
days before it's
In position again.
Oh, days!
I got some
Beer saved.
We could play
Some cards.
I wish we could
But, like I said,
We've only
Got minutes.
What's a
Few minutes?
Hey, we could
Play chess.
I built
A chess set
And everything.
Let's go in.
Allenby, only
Two minutes
Are gone.
Two minutes have
Passed already.
We've only
Got left.
I don't want
To foul up
Your schedule,
But how about
One game of cards?
We just don't
Have the time.
We've been here
Two minutes already,
And he
Hasn't asked
About the pardon.
How about
It, Allenby?
You're out of luck,
The sentence reads
years.
And they're not
Even reviewing
Cases of homicide.
You've been here
Four years now,
So that makes
more to go,
So make yourself
Comfortable, huh?
Corry, we don't
Make the rules.
We deliver supplies
And pass on information.
There's been pressure
Back home about this
Kind of punishment.
A lot people
Think it's
Unnecessarily cruel.
They may
Change their minds
And alter the law,
And imprison
You on earth
Like the old days.
But--
Who knows what the
Next couple of years
May bring?
Years?
Every morning,
When I get up,
I tell myself this is
My last day of sanity.
I can't stand
This loneliness
One more day.
Not one more day!
By noon, when I can't
Keep my fingers still,
And the inside of my mouth
Feels like g*n powder
And burnt copper,
Down deep
Inside my gut
I get an ache that's
Just pulling everything out.
Then I force myself
To hold on for one
More day.
Just one more day!
But I can't do that
For another years.
I'll go right
Out of my mind.
You're breaking
My heart.
Adams, you and
Carstairs go get
The supplies.
Mr. Corry got
A broken leg?
You go
Do what
I tell you.
(Allenby)
Now.
That big crate?
You know, the
Big one?
You treat
That one gently.
Brought you
Some paperback books.
Thanks.
Corry, I brought
You something
Else too.
It'd mean my job
If they ever suspect.
It'd be my neck if
They found out
For sure.
Look, Allenby.
I don't
Want any gifts.
I don't
Want tidbits.
Makes me feel like
An animal in a cage,
With an old
Lady out there
Who wants
To throw
Peanuts at me.
A pardon, Allenby.
That's the only
Gift I want.
I'm not a m*rder*r.
I k*lled
In self-defense.
There's still a lot
Of people who
Believe me.
It happens to
Be the truth! I
k*lled in self-defense!
I know. I
Know all
About it.
And I doubt if
This will be any
Consolation to you, but--
This isn't an
Easy assignment
To handle--
Stopping here
Four times a year
And having to look
At a man's agony.
You're right, Allenby.
That's very
Little consolation.
I can't bring
You freedom.
All I can do is try
To bring you things
To help keep
Your sanity.
Something to--anything
So you can just
Fight loneliness.
(adams)
Hey, captain!
You wanna open up
This big crate?
No. Not yet.
Uh, stay out there.
I'll be right out.
We got to go now.
We'll be back
In three months.
Look, when
You open up
That crate
There's nothing
You need to do.
The item's
Been vacuum-packed.
You'll need
No activator
Of any kind.
The air
Will do that.
There will be
A booklet inside
That will answer
Any of your questions.
Corry.
They don't know what
It is I've brought,
So I'd appreciate
Your waiting unti I
We get out of sight.
Have a good
Trip back.
Give my regards
To Broadway.
Sure, Corry.
I'll see you
In three months.
Allenby?
I don't
Much care
What's in it,
But for
The thought--
For the decency--
Thank you.
You're quite
Welcome, Corry.
Captain.
Captain?
Captain, what's
In the big
Crate, huh?
I'm not quite
Sure, really.
Maybe it's just
An illusion.
Maybe it's
Salvation. I
Don't know.
[sigh]
Let's go.
"You are now
The proud possessor
"Of a robot built
In the form of a woman.
"To all intent and purpose,
This creature is a woman.
"Physiologically
And psychologically,
"She is a human being
"With a set of emotions
And a memory track,
"The ability to reason,
To think and to speak.
"She is beyond
Illness and, under
Normal circumstances,
"Should have a lifespan
"Similar to that
Of a normal human being.
Her name is Alicia."
[robot-like]
My name's Alicia.
What's your name?
Get out of here.
Get out of here!
I don't need
No machine.
Go on! Get
Out of here!
My name's Alicia.
What's your name?
[playing big band swing]
I brought you
Some water.
Put it over there.
It'll get warm
Just sitting there.
[scoffs]
How would
You know?
I can feel thirst.
Yeah? What else
Can you feel?
I don't understand.
Can you
Feel heat?
Yes.
And cold?
Yes.
And hunger?
How about pain?
Can you feel pain?
That, too.
How?
You're a machine,
Aren't you?
Yes.
Why would--
Why didn't they build you
To look like a machine?
Why didn't they build
You out of metal
With bolts and wi res
And electrodes
And things like that?
Why'd they
Turn you
Into a lie--
Cover you with something
That looks like flesh--
Give you a face?
A face
That if I--
If I look at long
Enough, makes
Me think--
Makes me
Believe that--
It's a lie!
Corry?
Corry.
You mock me,
You know that?
When you look at me,
When you talk to me,
I'm being mocked.
I'm sorry.
You hurt
Me, Corry.
Hurt you?
How can I hurt you?
This isn't real flesh.
There aren't
Any nerves
Under there.
There aren't
Any muscles
Or tendons.
You're just
Like this heap--
A hunk of metal
With arms and legs
Instead of wheels.
But this heap
Doesn't mock me
The way you do.
It doesn't look at me
With make-believe eyes,
Or talk to me with
A make-believe voice.
Well, I'm sick
Of being mocked by
The memory of women.
And that's
All you are--
A reminder to me
That I'm so lonely
I'm about to
Lose my mind.
I can feel
Loneliness, too.
Oh, Alicia, I'm sorry.
(Corry, off)
Alicia's been with
Me now for months.
It's difficult to write down
What has been the sum total
Of this very strange
And bizarre relationship.
Is it man and woman?
Or man and machine?
I don't really know myself.
But there are times
When I do know
That Alicia is simply
An extension of me.
I hear my words
Coming from her,
My emotions.
The things that she
Has learned to love
Are those things
That I've loved.
I'm not lonely anymore.
Each day can
Now be lived with,
And I love Alicia.
Nothing else matters.
(Corry)
And that's the star
[unintelligible].
That's in
The constellation
Of [unintelligible].
And there's
The Great Bear.
See it with it's
Pointer stars in line
With the Northern Star?
And there's the
Constellation Hercules.
God's beauty.
That's right, Alicia.
God's beauty.
That star, Corry.
What's that star?
That's not a
Star, that's
A ship.
A ship?
But it can't
Be a ship.
There isn't one due
Here for three months.
You said after the
Last time, not for
Another three months.
It must be
Allenby's ship.
He's the only
One that ever
Comes close.
They stop at
The other asteroids,
Then they come here.
That means
We'll see them
In the morning.
We'd better
Get back to
The house then.
No.
(Allenby)
Corry!
Corry!
(Allenby)
Corry!
Corry, we've got
Good news for you.
All the sentences
Have been reviewed.
You've been
Given a pardon!
We're taking
You back home
On this ship,
But we've got
To take off
From here
In minutes
And we can't
Wait longer.
We've been dodging
Meteor storms.
We're almost
Out of fuel.
Any longer
Than minutes,
And we'll have passed
The point of departure,
And I don't think
We'd make it back.
Allenby, what
Did you say?
A pardon!
Corry, they've
Granted you
A pardon!
But it won't do
Us any good
Unless you
Get ready
To move out.
We picked up
Seven other
Men off asteroids.
We only have room
For pounds
Of stuff.
Pick up what you need
In a hurry, leave
The rest behind.
pounds?
[laughs nervously]
pounds?
I don't have
Pounds of stuff.
All I have is a shirt,
A ledger book,
A pencil
And a pair
Of shoes.
That car
They can keep.
That'll be
For the next
Poor devil.
Aw, there won't be
Any "Next poor devil."
Good.
Good. I'm
Glad of that.
Alicia and I will
Climb into that
Ship of yours.
And we'll look
Out the port,
And we'll give
It all a big
Kiss goodbye.
Who, Corry?
Oh, my dear god,
I forgot her.
He's out
Of his mind.
Who's Alicia?
A robot.
She's a woman.
Corry, she's
A robot.
She's a woman!
She's gentle
And kind.
Allen by, she
Kept me alive.
Why, if it wasn't
For her, I'd have
Been finished.
I'd have given up.
That's the crate
You wouldn't let
Us look at.
We can't
Let this
Be a problem.
Problem? There's
No more problems.
There's no
More problems on
Heaven and earth.
We'll just climb
In that ship
Of yours
And when we hit that
Big, beautiful
Green earth--
pounds.
Oh, wait
A minute.
You'll have
To throw out
Some equipment.
Alicia--she
Weighs more
Than pounds.
That's exactly
The point, now.
Our ship is
Stripped now.
We only have room
For you and that
Ledger and pencil.
Leave that robot.
She's not a robot!
She's a woman!
You leave
Her behind,
That's m*rder!
Wait a minute.
I haven't got any
Choice. Understand?
No, you don't
Understand! She's
Not a robot!
She's a woman!
Alicia! Alicia!
Corry!
Alicia!
Alicia!
Alicia?
Alicia!
Come on, Corry.
(adams)
We just want you to
Get your gear packed
And get out of
Here. We've got
Minutes, captain.
I'm not leaving
Without her!
Corry!
(Corry)
Alicia!
Alicia!
Alicia! Alicia,
Show them!
Talk to them!
Show them!
(Corry)
Talk to
Them, Alicia!
Show them!
Alicia, show them!
I don't have
Any choice.
I have
No choice
At all.
(Alicia, softly)
Corry?
No!
No!!
(Alicia, robot-like)
Corry. Corry.
[winding down]
Corry. Corry.
[lower in pitch]
Corry...Corry...
[silence]
(Carstairs)
We've got to go
Now, captain.
(Allenby)
We will
Go now.
Come on, Corry.
Time to go home.
It's all
Behind you
Now, Corry.
It's all
Behind you.
It's like
A bad dream--
A nightmare.
When you wake up,
You'll be back
On earth.
You'll be home.
Home?
That's right.
All you're
Leaving behind
Is loneliness.
I must
Remember that.
I must remember
To keep that
In mind.
(male presenter, off)
On a microscopic piece of
Sand that floats through space
Is a fragment of
A man's life,
Left to rust
As the place
He lived in, and
The machines he used.
Without use,
They will disintegrate
From the wind and the sand
And the years that act
Upon them--
All of
Mr. Corry's machines,
Including the one
Made in his image,
Kept alive by love
But now obsolete
In the twilight zone.
( nd male presenter, off)
Rod Serling, the creator
Of twilight zone
Will tell you about
Next week's story
After this word from
Our alternate sponsor.
And now,
Mr. Serling.
Next week, a
Distinguished actor
Lends us his talents
As Mr. Burgess Meredith
Stars in "Time Enough
At Last."
The story
Of a man who
Seeks salvation
In the rubble of
A ruined world.
We hope you'll share
This very strange
Experience with us.
Thank you.
And good night.
[eerie music]
( rd. Male presenter, off)
Be sure to see the
Fun-filled family life
Of one of America's
Greatest entertainers.
The Danny Thomas show,
Monday nights
Over most of
These stations.