 Countdown for Blastoff. X minus five, four, three, two, X minus one, fire. 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 presents X, X, X minus one, one, one. Crime difference, but first hear this. This is Bill Goodwin. You know someone once said humor is the true democracy and that's why we Americans can smile when we tell the stories of the legendary heroes who helped to build our country's great institutions and industries like transcontinental transportation. Ever hear of Wind Wagon Smith? Well, in the early pioneering days most of the traveling was done by ox team and if folks covered 15 miles a day they were doing good. That's about the time Wind Wagon Smith showed up with his prairie clipper. The clipper was a wagon without any animals to pull it, but with a sail sticking up from the middle of the wagon. When the wind caught the sail the wagon took off and that's where Wind Wagon Smith got his name. He figured he might be able to cover as much as 70 miles a day with the clipper and folks began to figure it might be a good thing when Wind Wagon pointed out how fast the country was growing and how more transportation was needed to haul people and goods. Then he invited the United States Secretaries of War and the Navy to ride on the clipper's maiden voyage, but disaster struck. The clipper got out of control, the Secretary of War rolled out and the Secretary of the Navy landed in a cactus patch but Wind Wagon and the clipper kept going and never stopped. As transportation grew in America, people all over the country claimed to have seen Wind Wagon Smith. He was in the pilot house of the first steamboat to sail up the Yellowstone. He held the Golden Spike when the first Transcontinental Railroad was completed and when the first Transcontinental plane roared out of Kansas City it was Wind Wagon Smith, the spirit of American transportation who waved the pilot on his way. Yes, it is a democracy which lets us tell stories of such legendary heroes with a twinkle in our eyes and a chuckle in our throats. And so long as we continue to laugh together as people, ladies and gentlemen we will live together as a nation. Now X minus one and prime difference. I suppose every guy reaches a point once in his lifetime where he gets 140% fed up with his wife. Understand now I've got nothing against marriage, marriage is great. A good red-blooded American institution, only it's so permanent especially when you're married to a woman like March. Ah, she was a dream to look at tawny hair and sulky gray eyes and a shape that could set your teeth chattering. But she had a tongue like a number 10 wood rasp and a list of grievances long enough to paper a ballroom. Why do you always upset me in the morning when I've got a headache? I'm not trying to upset you. Now you deliberately... I'm trying to have my coffee so I can go down to the office and earn a living. A living? Go ahead. Run away. That's all you've done all our married life. Whenever there's something unpleasant to be faced you run away. I'd even forgotten what the unpleasant something was. Well then I'll remind you, it's your own selfish indulgent nature staying out till after midnight when I was here waiting and suffering. I was working. I was at the office working. I know you were at the office dear. I phoned, remember? Then what in blaze? No, you weren't working. You're breathless. Oh, listen, listen. I fired Miss Carver. She was okay but I fired her for you. It was her last day. We all had a couple of drinks. That's all. Maybe we just weren't meant for each other. I don't know. If we'd been living back in the blissful fifties I might have divorced her but this was 1974 and what with the Family Togetherness Act of 68 and the Agreed Spouse Compensation Act of 69 I'd have been an outcast and a pauper for the rest of my life. So you can't really blame me, can you? For looking for another way out, I mean. Oh, come. Oh, hi, Harry boy. Say, George, I just dug your new secretary out in the waiting room. Oh, is she here already? Oh, boy. I tell you, if I had a secretary like that the first thing I'd do is go out and get myself an ego prime. A what? An ego prime. A duplicate of myself to send home to the wife evenings. You know that strictly against the law, Harry. Speeding but everybody does it. Well, anyway, I wouldn't think of it. It's indecent. Just joking, Georgie boy. Just joking. Still, it's fun to think about, huh? Freedom from wife. Absolutely safe and harmless. Not even too expensive if you have the right contacts. Come in. Mr. Faircloth? Yes. I'm Jerry Lamont. Your new secretary. What did I tell you, Georgie boy? Oh, Harry, if you don't mind I'd like to get right down to work with Miss Lamont. Excuse us. Why not? Don't forget what we were talking about, huh, Georgie? I happen to know a fellow with just the right contacts for that deal. Yeah, sure. So long, Harry. So long. Bye, Miss Lamont. Bye. Well, I'm glad to have you aboard, Miss Lamont. Wow. Miss Lamont is so formal. Mr. Blickendorf called me Jerry when I worked for him. Oh, Hank, uh, Blickendorf? Mm-hmm. You must be the girl he, uh... You must have accompanied him on his business trip to Rio. Yes. Well, he spoke very highly of you. I'm sure we'll get along just fine. Well, I feel the same way. I prefer working for a younger man than Mr. Blickendorf anyway. When I came home to dinner that night, Marge was waiting with a full barrage. She let me get my first bite of dinner halfway to my mouth and then opened up. I hear you've got a new secretary today. Oh, uh, yeah, yeah. I also hear she's five-eight and tapes out at 38, 25, 36, and likes men. That's quite a spy system you've got there. She isn't much of a secretary either. She's a perfectly good secretary. No, that isn't what Marley Blickendorf said. I don't care what Marley Blickendorf said. Now, where are you going? I have to make a business call. I forgot. I realize it's supposed to be too much to expect you to do your work at the office with that miss... Harry? George Faircloth. Listen, Harry, you know that conversation we had this afternoon? Could you put me in touch with your friend? It's as soon as possible. The following evening, I found myself at the door of a dingy office in an ancient warehouse up near 14th Street. A little rodent of a man answered. Yes, brother? I'm George Faircloth. Harry sent me. Oh, yes. Step inside, brother. I've been told that you can supply me with... Yes, brother. It might be possible. We get quite a few busy executives who are in a hurry. Can't be bothered with licensing a utility prime. Mister, if I wanted an ordinary utility prime, I wouldn't have hiked up here. I'd have picked up the phone and ordered it. I want a Super DeLuke's ego prime with all the circuits open. In short, a carbon copy of me, George Faircloth. Well, just step back here, brother. Fine. These domestic situations can be awkward. You understand. If the feds find out about this, you're in as much trouble as we are. I'm more worried about my wife finding out. He's your mind, brother. We've never had one yet. Except for that little shut-off control in the hair behind the ear. These ego primes are identical with living humans. Now, if you'll just step back into the lab and take your clothes off, we'll start. I spent a busy two hours under the NP MicroPogs. The artists worked outside, taking casts and impressions while the technicians worked inside, feeding all my brain patterns into a Hunyadi pantograph. I came out of it pretty woozy, but I shot a happy old fix that. Then I waited in the recovery room until the salesman walked in, followed by a tall, sandy-haired man with tired blue eyes wearing a business suit, who looked remarkably like me. Mr. Faircloth? Yes. Meet Mr. Faircloth prime. So, this is me. Shake, George. What? He even talks like me. I ought to. I've got a dozen Hunyadi tubes in my cranial vault with your speech patterns on them. I'll be gone! Nice job, eh? That's fantastic! Now, the shut-off mechanism is behind his right ear. Now, bring him in every two months for the regular two-month refill and pattern accommodation. Let me get a few things straight. How do we change places? George Prime has remote recall. You just signal him with this transmitter, and he'll come to you wherever you are. Good. Suppose I call you GP for George Prime? Okay, with me, George. Right. Now, there's the matter of the check. Oh, yes, right here. Yeah, all made out. Good. Thank you. And good luck. Okay. Well, let's go, GP. I'd like you to meet the little woman. Half an hour later, George Prime put my pipe in his mouth and walked into the house. I stayed out in my workshop in the garage and listened. Five minutes later, they were fighting. This sound is so familiar. I laughed out loud. Then I caught a cab and headed uptown toward Jerry's place. We had quite an evening, and I rolled in just as George Prime was starting the car, business suit and briefcase, ready for work. I slipped into the garage. Hey, hold it, hold it. Oh, you're back. How'd it go? Well, you didn't tell me you were married to a female Bengal tiger. Well, she didn't suspect it, she. Oh, of course not. Well, what'd you do? Well, fought till about 1 a.m., then went to our respective corners and sold. You think you can handle it? Listen, she's really a sweet girl underneath. Now, I'll be so attentive and sweet, she'll soften up. You wait and see. Well, don't overdo it. She is my wife, you know. Naturally. Now, you're sure you understand the recall signal? Perfectly. When you buzz the recall, I wait for the first logical opportunity to join you, and then you take over. Right, right, right. Now, climb into the trunk here, and I'll shut you off and lock you in. Right-o. Well, I'll see you tonight, old man. I'll see you tonight, George. I could go on at some length about my exploits, but I won't. In the end, it was like buying a three-dimension TV set. After a week or two, the novelty starts to wear off. Well, I got it down to where, Tuesday and Thursday nights, I was informally out while formally in. The rest of the time, George Prime was in the box. Well, Marge didn't suspect a thing. In fact, George Prime was having a remarkable effect on her. Was that you, George? Yeah. Hello. Oh, you look tired. Have a hard day? Well, now that you mention it, I did. Well, why don't you sit down and relax? I fixed a martini before dinner. That sounds like splendid idea. Are you all right? I'm fine. Why? Nothing. What are you looking at? Are you? You've done something to your hair or something. You like it? Yes. You know, I've always thought you were a darn beautiful woman. Well, thank you, Mr. Faircloth. You know, you're not so bad yourself since you... well, since you stopped scowling and snapping. I guess that's a compliment, huh? George, isn't it about time we stopped clawing each other? It's what I've always wanted, Marge. So have I. Well, you've changed so much recently. What changed? You know, you've been less irritable and more considerate and so much more vital. Oh, you know what I mean. Yeah, I'm afraid I do. George. Yeah. Look, let's have dinner and some wine and spend a nice evening together. Like we used to when we were first married. That sounds fine. Always. What time is it? It's 7.30. Why? Listen, I have to run down to the corner for some tobacco. I wouldn't want to spend a relaxing evening without tobacco, you know. But there's some in your hold. Well, I was something fresh. You chill the wine, I won't be a bit... All right, dear, and hurry back. I'd forgotten all about my date with Jerry. Actually, I didn't want to keep it. The idea of spending a quiet evening with Marge was really appealing for a change. But I had to run over and explain to Jerry, so I sent George Prime in to keep Marge company until I got back, which was about midnight. As I walked down the path, I looked in the window. George Prime was there. And he was kissing my wife the way I hadn't kissed her in years. And she wasn't exactly fighting him off either. I almost wore off my thumb on that recall button before he came out to the garage. Are you there, George? It's me, JP. What's about time? I'm sorry, old man. Sorry. Look, I saw what was going on in there. Well, you know, old bean, I am a super deluxe model. I should say you are. The first thing tomorrow, big boy, I'm taking you in to have your circuits rewired. Look, aren't you being a little overly jealous? You know, I mean for a man who wanted to get rid of his wife. I never said that. Well, I could never understand it personally. I... Listen. She's the one who's going to be suspicious if I don't get back there. Now, you give me that dressing gown, you get back in that box. Tomorrow morning, back to the factory. Marge was waiting for me. And one of those flimsy things that I'd given her when we were first married. I must say she looked so charming and lovely that my heart just melted. And still I was overwhelmed with a sense of guilt, and I wanted to tell her what I'd done. You finally got back. I thought you'd never get here. Oh, my, you... You look rubbishy. That's the idea. Marge, listen, I've got to tell you something. And before I do, I... I want you to know that in spite of the... the cat I've been, I do love you. I always have. I know that. And you don't have to tell me anything. Oh, this is important. And it'll shock you. In fact, you may never speak to me. I know what you're going to tell me. You... You mean... About George Prime. Great Scott, you know. Well, of course, George. But you don't think I could be fooled by something out of the lab, do you? You've known all along? All along. Then tomorrow morning, we'll send that stuff dummy back to the factory. And then we'll live the way we've always wanted. Oh, yes, dearest. The way we've all responded. I... I just don't know where to begin. Then why not begin by just kissing me? I kissed her tenderly. And her lips were softer and more responsive than I've ever known them. Yes, she'd certainly changed. I turned out the lamp. I ran my fingers through her fragrant tawny hair. My thumb stopped at a little depression behind her ear. And then suddenly, I knew what had happened. It was a turnoff switch, of course. And I, George Faircloth, was now married to Marge Prime. X-1 has brought you Prime Difference, written by Alan E. Norse, and adapted for radio by George Lefferts. Featured in our cast were Lawson Zerbe as George and George Prime, and Lawring as Marge, Evelyn Jester as Jerry, Merrill Joels as the salesman, and John Thomas as Harry. This is Fred Collins. X-1 was directed by George Hutsas, and is an NBC radio network production.