 The Mysterious Traveler Written, produced and directed by Robert A. Arthur and David Cogan and starring tonight two of radio's foremost actors Leon Janney and Charlotte Holland in Operation Tomorrow This is the Mysterious Traveler Inviting you to join me on another journey into the realm of these strange and the terrifying I hope you will enjoy the trip and will thrill you a little and chill you a little so settle back Get a good grip on your nerves and be comfortable if you can as we journey with a young scientist Into the unknown future. It's a story I call operation tomorrow My story begins in a scientific laboratory cut out of the solid rock many feet beneath New York City University a midst of maze of the electronic apparatus Professor Wilbur Malcolm a middle-aged pipe smoking man is making methodical tests aided by his new assistant Fred Andrews The main output coils seem to be working the way they should You're ready at the meters Fred. Yes, professor But I wish I knew what we were doing you will in a few seconds my boy Now wind up that alarm clock and put it here on this lead table in the center of the magnetic field This old alarm clock is there All right, it's in the magnetic field Now what now I'm going to turn on the current you give me the readings as we go along right sir. Here we go Readings, please 1000 volts positive main output to 1500 2003 five six seven eight thousand nine Ten thousand all right. We've reached critical voltage now. What's the clock closely Fred the clock? Yes, sir. It's getting a little hazy hard to see Now it's transparent as if it were made of glass What is this professor? Patience my boy watch and observe. That's the scientist motto for the tick is getting fader fading out The clock is disappearing Professor the clock has vanished so it has gone completely, but Where? Don't tell me you've discovered the secret of invisibility or something bigger than that Fred But watch now. I'm going to cut off the alpha tubes now I'll cut in the beta tubes that will give us a negative charge and reverse the magnetic field Ready Fred. Yes, sir. Here we go Readings, please 2000 volts negative 3000 negative 456 789 10,000 volts negative good. I'm holding the field at 10,000 Now watch where the clock was. I'm watching sir. I see a A ghost of a clock there Just a misty outline Now it's becoming clearer and clearer It's transparent Now it's almost solid I can hear it ticking again and there it's back Yes, Fred The clock is back and as you can hear still in good working order, but where was it? Where did it go? Where did it go? It went into the future into The future. Yes, my boy That clock has just penetrated approximately one year into the future You've witnessed the first demonstration of something that up to now has always been considered a fantastic dream Time travel. Good Lord That's enough for today. You're coming home with me Fred when I tell you my plans How did you stumble onto this time travel effect, sir? Well, it came about almost by a sheer accident My main purpose, which is a top secret operation is to develop electronic controls for atomic space ships You mean they've been developed or not yet, but it shouldn't belong now science is making incredibly rapid advances Sometimes it worries me when you travel so fast. There's danger of a collision. Yes, I know We're all of us worried that the world is headed for a gigantic disaster But there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it. Perhaps there is that's what I've been working around to tell you Fred What professor Malcolm? Now this time travel effect that I stumbled on accidentally I've kept it a secret. You're the only person besides myself to know about it. I'm very flattered, sir I know I can trust you and I need your help I am not sure we're really ready for time travel as we were just saying we're going so fast now So many new discoveries that we don't know how to handle for the world's good I hesitate to add one more to the list. I think I understand on the other hand Maybe it can be used for mankind's benefit. I have a wild scheme Fred Very unscientific and yet. What is it professor? Well, it's this I Proposed to send you in a little joint into the future into Future yes, I want you to bring back information I want to find out what's in store for us mortals of the 20th century Fred if it's bad war perhaps Just knowing about it in advance may make it possible to prevent it. Do you follow me? It would be like knowing in advance about a train wreck and then seeing that it doesn't happen. I knew you'd understand That's why I sent for you as soon as we've completed our tests. I propose to send you through time 100 years into the future Oh For days and weeks Fred Andrews and professor Malcolm experiment until they were sure it would be possible to send a human being into the future and Bring him back safely At last they were ready for the big test for the actual transmission of Fred himself through time Professor I'm already why are you hesitating? Well Fred as we've been working Suspicion has been growing in my mind much suspicious, sir I don't think this is going to work Professor we've sent dozens of objects into the future and brought them back even live animals cats dogs Yes, but we've never brought back an object from the future itself. I mean one. We didn't send there No, that's true. I wonder if Well No matter we'll see Now remember gather all the information you can and get back to this spot six hours from now I'll activate the return field then and bring you back to 1950. Yes, sir. I'll do my best. I guess that's all Good luck my boy. Thank you, sir 5,000 volts positive 6,000 volts, how do you feel? I feel fine professor 8,000 volts 10,000 critical voltage you're beginning to move forward into time Getting transparent now Can you hear me? Yes, professor very far away. I can't see you any longer I seem to be in the middle of a fog or mist Now I'm just surrounded by blackness. I Can't hear or see He's gone Pray heaven he comes back safely For a long moment Fred Andrews fell as if he was spinning disley through empty darkness Then the feeling passed and he cautiously opened his eyes To find himself standing in an empty room the laboratory which he had just left a hundred years ago Unsteadily he crossed the room and with difficulty opened the door Then he gasped Outside was a maze of corridors and stairways Brilliantly lighted as if a whole city had been carved out of the rock of Manhattan Island As he stood there someone came walking swiftly past him an attractive girl in full military uniform I I beg your pardon. Yes, but can you what are you doing here? This section is forbidden to civilians forbidden to civilians. I I don't get it. How did you get past the guards? Where are your identification papers? I didn't No, no, wait a minute Since when does an American citizen have to carry identification papers ever since the war? Started as you know quite well put up your hands a gun. No, no, no look miss you. You don't have to threaten me I'm harmless dance till I want to see if you're carrying a weapon Well Satisfied the only weapon I have is a fountain pen. What's your name? Frederick Andrews PhD your draft card, please draft card. Look, what's all this about? Ward draft card identification papers all these tunnels that have been dug down here. I I'm a stranger here. I don't know what you're up to but no one can be that ignorant You're coming along with me to see Colonel Phillips Colonel Phillips He's the security officer for this sector, and I certainly hope you have a good story to tell him So your story mr. Andrews is that you come here from the year 1950 you must realize It's a very unconvincing tale completely unconvincing in my opinion Colonel Well, it's the only story I have I was born in 1923 and in 1950 Professor Wilbur Malcolm of City University sent me into the future now. I'm here and oh I Forgot to ask the date. It's April 10th 2050 exactly 100 years Professor Malcolm's calculations were accurate to almost the minute Colonel in my opinion this man is a very clever spy spy But look at that stuff you took from my pockets the the notebook fountain pen my driver's license dated 1950 Those coins and bills are the cigarettes surely they convince you I came from a hundred years ago I think we can settle the question mr. Andrews our technical department can tell whether this currency is genuine and approximately How old it is lieutenant French yes send all these things by dramatic tube to the technical department ask them for an immediate report I'll ever report for you in half an hour when the report comes mr. Andrews I'll know how to handle your case if you are a spy You know the penalty. Well, I'm not worried Colonel now. May I ask a few questions? Are you at war? We are indeed at war and these miles of tunnels I saw carved out of a solid rock this city has retreated underground mr. Andrews No one lives on the surface now. Good Lord. How long has the war been going on? We've been at war mr. Andrews Off and on of course with periods in between in which both sides have rested up for 95 years Well a visitor at last Hello lieutenant French. I'm sorry mr. Andrews that we had to keep you locked up until you were cleared Does that mean you believe my story now technical division says your story is true I'm free now. Oh well not exactly mr. Andrews This is a military sector and you're a civilian, but I am to be your guide for the time being good Then suppose I called you Emily and you call me Fred. All right Fred It's a great deal. I want to see and learn before I go back to 1950 go back You mean you can return of course Professor Malcolm will turn on his gadgets to bring me back at four o'clock. That's only three hours I'll have to report this to Colonel Phillips. Oh after I've reported What would you like to do? I'm anxious to see what's going on And I'd like to collect a number of books with the latest scientific and historical data to take back with me Yes, all right. I'll phone the Colonel then I'll show you around Fred here's the plotting room for the flying bomb attack Good lord, it's as big as a theater and it's dark What's that big board with lights on it? That's the chart board which records every flying bomb within the thousand miles of American territory Missile entering detection that's over Greenland general course South Southwest I have it plotted Send up intercept the rockets when it reaches zone four. Yes, sir Rockets 34 and 35 successfully intercepted that defense zone for I see Fred two lights just went out That means we sent up destroyer rockets which brought the bomb down rocket bombs 29 and 31 have eluded interception at zone three Interception salvo at zone two if they penetrate use interceptor L 100 at zone one L 100 is our new top secret interceptor Fred hardly anyone knows how it works, but it never fails four more lights went out then Here comes the report last four rockets successfully intercepted Roger. Well Fred, what do you think of modern rocket 25 penetrated zone? Interceptor L everybody here now seems to take it so calm You can't get excited when a thing has lasted for almost a hundred years on and off That light number 25. It's still on and moving But it should have been destroyed by now Number 25 has eluded interceptor attack by L 100 Detection base 103 reports number 25 apparently new type rocket non-metallic instructions able to battle sighting mechanism of L 100 Or a technical crew to search for fragments after the hit Send general warning to eastern seaboard area and give plotted strike prediction. Very good, sir All personnel bomb strike you in 10 seconds battery area Bomb strike you in five seconds four seconds bomb strike you in three seconds two seconds one second All personnel bomb strike over All right Fred, I'll take you to the viewing room next You can see for yourself what this city looks like in the year I Ten French reporting back with mr. Andrews, sir. Very good lieutenant Well, mr. Andrews have a good look around. Yes, sir. I Saw the city through the television viewing screens. Not quite the city you left is it hit? It's unbelievable Just acres of twisted steel and fallen stone The skeletons of giant buildings lying across one another rusting It's like the end of the world not quite Perhaps not even the end of civilization Man is an adaptable creature But are we winning sir? Nobody wins a war anymore mr. Andrews We're holding our own and we hope when the end comes there will be peace on earth forever But how did it start sir? We were trying so hard to prevent war back in 1950 in fact One reason for my trip into time was to get information that might help us keep war from breaking out Lieutenant French Why didn't we think of that think of what sir if the world of 1950 knows the truth Maybe it won't happen Either they can prevent the accident that started all this back in 1955 or at least they'll know the truth when it Does happen of course, sir, mr. Andrews can take the true story back with him What story I don't follow you Fred you asked how the war started yes It started because of an accident and an over jittery word. Yes my boy a horrible irony Fred now listen During the 1950s the government established a special Experimental base in the heart of the Arizona desert in a little town called Red Rock Red Rock Arizona Yes, that's right The first space rocket was put into production there and work was pushed on the problem of fuel during the course of experiments an Explosion occurred late in 1955. It was a terrific blast wiped out the whole base The first reports were sabotage that the enemy had blown up the base because they were afraid We were on the verge of getting space fly before the truth became known our newspaper screened for retaliation The enemy became panicky and decided to strike first and Phase one of the war was on when we discovered the blast was really an accident It was too late to stop that's horrible, sir War because everybody was just too jittery, but it doesn't have to be don't you see if you take back the true story Before it happens it won't have to happen Now look I've assembled a dozen books for you the information in them will enable your scientists to prevent that blast at Red Rock base Now Fred you've got to get the facts back to them. You've just got to I will Believe me professor Malcolm and I will see to it this war doesn't start in our time good now come along You've only five minutes more This is the exact spot where I was lying when I came through the time dimension in Colonel Phillips You've only 30 seconds more Andrews Remember impress the lesson of the accident of Red Rock on the world these books hold them close to you So they'll go back with you. Yes, sir. I've got a good grip on it. Yes, Emily Just good luck. Thanks. Maybe I'll pay another trip to 2050 I hope so it's 1600 and professor Malcolm is on time Look Colonel is getting transparent He's disappearing But sir the books they aren't disappearing that they're just as solid as ever Fred Fred Are you still there Emily are you still there the books Fred Andrews you're going back with the books He's appearing he's returning Thank heaven he's safe Fred Fred my boy Fred What's the matter? You're staring at me as if you didn't know me here Fred. Let me help you up. It's I professor Malcolm Professor Malcolm. Yes, don't tell me you don't remember Professor Malcolm. Yes. Yes Fred What's the matter on my head? Feel so funny. I Can't seem to remember Who you are or what's happened to me? What am I doing here? Well Fred, how are you? Oh professor Malcolm it it's good to see you sir I can't tell you how I've been blaming myself ever since the experiment. Oh nonsense. I haven't suffered any harm just a blank place in my mind. I Can't understand it. Do you suppose the experiment failed? You were gone for six hours Somewhere that's all I know Fred if you did get to 2050 Fred. Yes, sir Well, I have a theory that though we can move from past to future It's impossible for anything belonging in the future to move to the past Structure of time itself prevents that I see so if you did try to bring back any books of papers They stayed behind you must be right You can't remember because nothing that you didn't take with you could come back with you Even including sensory impressions on your brain cells the very active returning Wiped out your memories. Maybe if I went again We could find some way around the problem. There must be some way sir now Fred I'm dropping the whole subject for the time being I've been transferred to a new assignment and you're coming with me Well, what is the assignment sir? All spaceship research is being concentrated at a new base now being developed You and I are going out there to help develop a fuel and it'll take a rocket to the moon I see where is the base professor Malcolm some place in the West? I believe they call it Red Rock, Arizona Red Rock the name seems awfully familiar to me. I wonder why This is the mysterious travel Well, time travel doesn't seem to be all it's been painted Especially if you can't remember what's happened when you get back You aren't worried about the future. Are you you know that tonight's story couldn't possibly happen? Or could it? Oh, you have to get off now. I'm sorry But I'm sure we'll meet again. I take this same train every week at this same time