The Outer Limits (1963) s01e28 Episode Script

Oh, Mr Zeno.
l told you , l don 't want you to tutor my son any more.
- You've come to tell them about me.
- Just keep away from my boy.
Just keep away, that's all.
Stay away! This office will not open till tomorrow morning.
That's too bad.
ln your case, it would have been better never than late.
l don 't think they would have believed you , Mr Turner.
But what you do know about my plans means l must alter them, and that's a great inconvenience.
(whining buzz ) What are you doing? Let me go! Don 't! (whining buzz continues) l don 't wanna jump! No! No! No! My my family! Don 't make me! l don 't want to! No! No! ( Turner screams) ( Z eno ) X enon six, X enon six.
)u e to noa hexposu ro , must abandon this phase of Expectation One on west coast.
Will move operation to east coast and attempt to recruit next subject on list.
( man ) There is nothing wrong with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
We are controlling transmission .
We will control the horizontal.
We will control the vertical.
We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity.
For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all you see and hear.
You are about to participate in a great adventure.
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to The Outer Limits.
(chirping buzz ) ( Z eno ) X enon six, X enon six.
Arrived safely.
Ready to penetrate subject two.
(chirping buzz stops) (doorbell rings) l'll get it, Aggie.
( TV off) Mr Benjamin , l'm Mr Zeno.
l represent the government Educational Enrichment Program of which your son is a part.
- My credentials.
- Won 't you come in ? Thank you .
l realise that this is very short notice.
ln fact, it's no notice at all.
l apologise for the intrusion .
- This is Mrs Benjamin .
Mr Zeno.
- (both ) How do you do? - Sit down , won 't you? - Thank you .
You recall that in the Special Resources Act of 1 957, Congress voted to place the best minds in the same preservation and fostering category as it places wildlife, natural resources, forests.
Yes.
The bright mind of a young boy or girl is certainly worth caring for and nurturing.
The whole future of our country may well be governed by how these minds mature.
Yes, we realise that.
l'm a private tutor and l've been sent to help your son on a special project.
Oh.
Well, that's nice.
l don 't know.
l appreciate the government's interest, but Kenny's carrying quite a load now.
His school work, his music lessons and, of course, there's Little League.
Your son is one of our brightest prospects.
And our records show that his home influence is good.
That's most important to Kenneth's development.
l can say that, well, at one time, we were somewhat concerned about you and Mrs Benjamin .
Our records show that you worked on the Glenridge Atomic Project and were for some time exposed to minor radiation .
The government checked us for ten years.
We showed absolutely no ill effects.
Correct.
As it turned out, you produced in Kenneth a mutation plus.
Mutation plus? A mutation plus is a product of superior quality, an athletic scholarship and so forth.
Well, l would like to talk to him.
Oh, certainly.
Excuse me.
Ken? Kenny? We have a visitor! He's in his room doing his homework.
l had no idea about Kenny being a mutation plus.
Well, l wouldn 't worry about it, Mr Benjamin .
l'd be proud.
Kenny, this is Mr Zeno.
He's from the Educational Enrichment Program.
He's going to tutor you in some special projects.
(chirping buzz ) ( Mr Benjamin ) l don 't mind you taking on extra work, but don 't bite off more than you can chew.
We're certain he can handle it, Mr Benjamin , otherwise l shouldn 't have been sent.
( Mr Benjamin ) How much extra time would this work entail? Only a few hours a week for one semester.
- Ken ? Think you can handle it? - l'll try.
- l would like to talk to you .
- Take Mr Zeno to your room.
- Oh, no, it's just a mess up there.
- Don 't be silly, Aggie.
(chirping buzz continues bleeping ) We'll need the extra seating.
This is an important issue - Home early.
- Yes, Dee, l'm listening.
- You are so right.
We need a new - Kenny, boy! - Roy, please.
l'm on the phone.
- Kenny? - Yes, Dee - Kenny! - Roy, l'm on the phone.
- OK.
- Practice time! - Please! - Hi, Dad.
You're home early.
- Hey, kid.
Thought we'd warm up at the park for a while.
- l'll go get the gloves.
- Good.
You are much worse than your son , yelling when l'm on the phone.
You're so right, but l've gotta get his nose out of those books for a while.
Well, watch your back.
You're no spring chicken .
l don 't know.
What are you doing tonight? - Whistle.
- (wolf-whistles) - What's the matter, Ken ? - (chirping buzz ) Sorry, Dad.
l have to study.
Mr Zeno will be here in a minute.
Ken? What happened to your ball game? Ken remembered that Mr Zeno was coming.
Again ? He was here only yesterday.
Sure has been coming a lot lately.
The way he drops in unexpected and unannounced.
l didn 't know it was gonna be like that, any time, any day.
- Why doesn 't he tell us he's coming? - He's busy.
Move.
You're in my way.
You're disappointed 'cause Kenny can 't warm up with you .
l don 't know who's the bigger kid, the father or the son .
Our son may be bright, but he sure is sloppy.
- Why can 't he pick his things up? - Because he's a boy.
(doorbell rings) - Hi! - Hi, Joe.
- You're home early.
You get fired? - Just early.
l'm maintaining the good-neighbour policy.
Returning the brandy you loaned me last week.
- Catching up on your homework? - Look at this.
Kenny's compiled all the world's elements.
Some typing job, huh? Each page an element with the information on it.
Specific atomic symbol, number, weight, density, specific gravity and its melting and boiling points.
Now get this, Joe.
To find C, formula: degree F minus 32 times five ninths.
lmagine that kid of mine breaking down - l thought there were just 1 02 elements.
-Not lately.
was su ro 1 02 Crypsiliam One? Crypsiliam Two? - l never heard of them.
- Who has, outside of a laboratory? l can 't get past nitrogen and oxygen , and neither can you .
l may not remember the names, but l know the number.
Check any encyclopaedia.
Your kid's playing Einstein .
He's making those things up.
Let me tell you something, Roy.
l don 't know how good that cluster programme is.
You don 't mind my saying so? - The government's behind it.
- Sure.
lnstant science.
Take any 1 4-year-old kid, l don 't care how bright, and you push him too hard, too fast, and soon he's not 1 4 years old any more.
The other kids won 't play with him.
And the older ones, well, they won 't accept him anyway.
Kenny's well-balanced.
He can handle it.
l wouldn 't let my boy join the group.
l don 't like to be snide, Joe, but your kid wasn 't asked.
My kid wouldn 't do things like this, doctor up his homework.
Those other 23 elements, that's pure fantasy.
lf Ken says there are 1 25 elements, there are 1 25.
- 1 02.
- Wanna bet? - Five'll get you ten .
- You got it.
Ken ! Kenny! Ken , sorry to disturb you .
- How many elements are there? - Elements? Well, there are 1 02 known elements.
- They're there.
- Then there are 1 25.
Well, not really yet.
The balance is in the future.
You wouldn 't understand, Dad.
l do understand the difference between 1 02 and 1 25.
Which one is it? - 1 02.
- Why'd you put down 1 25? Excuse me, Dad.
l've got to study.
Mr Zeno will be here in a minute.
(doorbell rings) l'll get it! - Oh, good afternoon .
- Mr Zeno.
One moment, please.
- l'm a very busy man , Mr Benjamin .
- l know.
l'm not usually home to see you .
But l got home early.
l'd like some information .
- Kenny's doing very well.
- l'm sure of that.
But what l mean is, what is the schedule for the future? First you were here once a week.
Now it's three times with no notice.
l've a great deal of territory to cover and not much time for discussion .
This little colloquy has already cost me two and half minutes.
- Was that Mr Zeno? - Yeah.
- Aggie, what do you think of him? - Mr Zeno? l don 't know.
What is there to think? He's changed a lot since we first met him.
Almost as if he didn 't want us around.
Darling, you know what l think? You wouldn 't like this.
Go on .
Well, you're jealous.
You don 't like sharing your son .
That's very good, Kenneth.
- Are you ready? - (chirping buzz and bleeping ) Proceed.
Very good, Kenneth.
Now, sound waves can trigger weather changes, therefore .
.
element control.
What is it, Dad? Dinner pretty soon .
Sorry.
ln the weeks to come, l'll reveal the role you're to play as a result of your mastery of these lessons.
- Do you think he's ever going to leave? - The roast isn 't ready anyway.
- Did you finish? - Mr Zeno just left.
- Dinner's ready in ten minutes.
- l'll go wash up.
l wonder if we shouldn 't have asked Mr Zeno to stay for dinner.
Maybe he'll talk over dinner.
Mr Zeno! (pulsating buzz ) (pulsating buzz continues) (additibnal buzzing ) Good.
Good.
Now the cold combination .
(pulsating buzz continues) Very good Now roverse the so u nd-wave bate rn s (droning ) (droning and buzzing stops) Excellent.
Well, you're even more receptive then l had dared hope.
l'm very pleased with your progress, especially since time is literally of the essence for me.
- You mean you'll have to go back? - Yes, to recharge, in a manner of speaking.
You see, the major gas in my atmosphere, xenon , is an extremely minor one in yours.
- 0.
09 parts per million .
- Correct.
And l can only exist, well, a limited time before coming up for air.
My a r.
Xeno n Here, let me show you this.
There.
- Just like an amphibian .
- That's a very apt analogy.
You see, l can function for the equivalent of 1 20 Earth days without the need for recharging.
Well, half that time has already gone.
And it's been time extremely well spent in preparing you for what ultimately will be a magnificent destiny.
(footsteps) Kenny.
Kenny.
Don 't pretend you're asleep.
Now , w hat' s go ng on? - What do you mean , Dad? - You know what l mean .
l don 't want to have to force it out of you .
l wanna be told.
Told what? Kenny, isn 't there something you have to tell me? - Something peculiar about Mr Zeno? - Peculiar? l heard a strange noise coming right from inside this room.
- Strange noise? - Stop repeating after me.
Tell me.
No se ? On, su ro l've been working on this climate-control machine.
lt goes sort of bzzz, bzzz.
ls that what you mean ? Mr Zeno brought it for me.
lt's still in the experimental stage, but it can change weather by using sound-wave patterns.
To a limited degree, we do it today: air conditioning, seeding clouds to rain .
Listen to me, Ken .
l know about Mr Zeno and so do you .
- l don 't know what you're talking about.
- Cut it out.
l know what you know.
l just saw him leave.
l just saw him disappear.
Look at me, Ken ! Don 't, Dad.
Don 't tell anybody.
Not yet.
What do you mean , not yet? Don 't tell what? What's happening to you? Tell me, Ken .
- Tell me! - Dad, please.
You'll spoil everything.
Spoil what? What's he doing? Where does he come from? Please, don 't push.
Don 't! - You're gonna tell me or so help me - Leave me alone! Ken ! - What's going on ? - Kenny just had a nightmare.
- ls he all right? - He'll be all right.
He'll be all right.
Go to bed, darling.
Pease ? l'm going to read for a while.
Won 't you come in ? Please sit down .
l presume you're making inquiry as to the progress of your son .
- He's doing fine.
- Good.
- l'd like to ask a question .
- Please do.
- Do you send out private tutors? - l'm not sure l understand the question .
Someone sent out by the government to instruct pupils privately.
No, we want the programme to be as unobtrusive as possible.
We set great store by the normalcy factors in the growing-up stage.
We want a well-rounded person when he matures.
At no time have you ever sent anyone out to tutor my son ? - Absolutely not.
- Have you heard of or known a Mr Zeno? l know of no such person .
Then if someone presented himself as a tutor from this department, he'd be lying? We never go into the home.
We contact each child through the Board of Education .
That is assiduously maintained throughout the country.
OK.
That confirms it! There is a person who did just that.
He isn 't even human .
And right now he's teaching my son .
- Mr Benjamin - He comes and goes.
l mean he comes and goes.
Disappears materialises.
Have you ever heard of a climate-control machine? This man comes from don't know whero ! O u tor ssbace ! - Mr Benjamin - You people know about these things.
- l want the government to step in - lf you please One problem we've given serious thought to is the reaction of parents to gifted children .
The children can handle the programme.
But often parents with misguided pride become carried away.
l know how l must sound to you , but l've got to try and reach you .
l've got to make you understand.
l've got to reach someone.
He'll destroy my son , maybe the government, maybe the whole world! Mr Benjamin , please, you look like a reasonable man .
Thank you for coming.
(chirping buzz ) (chirping buzz ) ( Z eno ) X enon six, X enon six.
First phase complete.
The boy is responding beyond expectation .
He will make admiral puppet to support invasion .
He has no knowledge of use he'll be put to.
As a result of his assimilation , l hope to move soon to the other children selected.
There is one problem, however, an obstacle, as with first target: the boy's father.
l will find a way to eliminate him.
(pulsating buzz ) (buzzing stops) That's the way it is.
lf you want anything done, do it yourself - Aggie, hang up.
Hang up.
- That's why Roy! Never mind all that.
Just listen to me.
The Educational Enrichment Program does not send out private tutors.
l just came from the department.
Mr Zeno is no government representative.
- You're sure? - l'm sure.
What does he want with our son ? Last night, Mr Zeno was with Kenny again .
Aggie He's not one of us.
He's from outer space.
l saw him, with my own eyes.
He disintegrated himself into a beam of light and passed through the hall window without breaking it.
Aggie, believe me.
You've got to.
(pulsating buzz ) That strange noise.
He must be with Kenny right now.
You're spying on me! - You're spying.
- Kenny We want to know what's happening right now.
Who is Mr Zeno? What does he want? l told you ! l told you , you'll spoil everything! Kenny, open the door! Kenny! Ken ! Well, what can we do? Who's going to believe us? Our boy is lost to us.
Not without a struggle.
- Let's call the police.
-No.
The head of the educational programme thought l was a nut.
So would the police.
- Well, what will we do? - l won 't press Ken any further.
But l will have a showdown with Mr Zeno.
No, thanks.
Angel, go to bed.
-No, Roy - Aggie, please.
Please, darling.
(pulsating buzz ) Kenneth, you're not paying attention .
- ls there something wrong? -No, Mr Zeno.
Roy Be careful.
lnoticed that the door was locked.
l think perhaps you'd better Who are you? What are you doing to my boy? - Dad! - Just be quiet, son .
l want to find out everything there is to know.
Look, l don 't know who you are or what you want, but do know yo u ro not who yo u say yo u a ro - You're from out there somewhere.
- Dad, you're interfering.
- You've taken over my son .
- lt's what l wanna do.
A remarkable position has been assigned to me by X enon .
l would betray my unique talents if they were not used by a more appreciative culture.
l look forward to fulfilling my destiny.
You've turned him into a robot.
But l'll get him back.
l've been expecting to deal with you .
n a few seco nds .
.
you will have killed yourself.
(whining buzz ) Stop it.
You can 't make me.
No.
No, l won 't do it.
(pulsating buzz ) Kenneth, what are you ? l'm choking.
l'm withdrawing your xenon .
Change the atmosphere.
You're on my side! l let you think l was until l could figure out how to make this machine work this way.
( Z eno coughs) ( Z eno coughs) He was going to kill you , Father, and anyone else who got in his way.
He planned to use kids as tools.
He figured kids would be easier to influence than grown -ups.
Bright kids especially would be the perfect puppets for their sneak invasion .
But you let me see the evil in you .
- We'd have made you a god here.
- l wanna be just what l am.
Please, Ken , let me go back.
l can 't harm you any more.
(buzzing stops) (breathes deeply) You could have been a god.
Everything's gonna be all right now, Mom.
Dad, l couldn 't let you gum things up.
l had to make it impossible for beings like him to set foot on Earth again .
- l had to do it my way.
- What happens to the machine now? The government will have to expand the principle so that they can repel a whole army, cut off their xenon supply.
You look a little tired, Mom.
You'd better get some sleep.
Guess l'm a little tired too.
Gotta get my beauty sleep, Dad.
Little League starts next week, you know.
( man ) The mould of a man stems from the mind of a child.
Educators and emperors have known this from time immemorial.
So have tyrants.
We now return control of your television set to you until next week at this same time when the control voice will take you to .
.
The Outer Limits.