"(tires squealing)" "(whinnying)" "* *" "Hi." "This is Dr. Rogers, Dr. Frederick Rogers." "There's been an accident up on Highway 14." "A woman was thrown from her horse." "No, I'm afraid she's dead." "Yes, uh, her name is Laurie Keller." "K-E- double L-E-R." "That's right." "I'll bring her in, all right?" "All right." "What do you want?" "Let go of me!" "Let go of me!" "No!" "(gasping)" "What are you doing?" "!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Stop!" "Why are you doing this?" "!" "NARRATOR:" "Starring Roy Thinnes as architect David Vincent." "The invaders... alien beings from a dying planet." "Their destination... the earth." "Their purpose... to make it their world." "David Vincent has seen them." "For him, it began one lost night on a lonely country road looking for a shortcut that he never found." "It began with a closed, deserted diner and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey." "(eerie whirring)" "It began with the landing of a craft from another galaxy." "(whirring intensifies)" "Now David Vincent knows that the invaders are here." "That they have taken human form." "Somehow, he must convince a disbelieving world that the nightmare has already begun." "The guest stars in tonight's story:" "Antoinette Bowers," "Jason Evers." "(tires squeal)" "NARRATOR A physician reports the death of a woman." "Two hours later, her husband, a NORAD major, reports her very much alive." "The newspaper account attracted no particular attention, but David Vincent knew that an alien, unconscious, without pulse or heartbeat, might easily be mistaken for dead-- even by a doctor-- and so he arranged to visit" "NORAD's Combat Operations Center, 1,400 feet beneath Cheyenne Mountain, and a natural target for the Invaders." "Over there, please." "Yes, sir." "Robert Davis." "You're a freelance magazine writer?" "That's right." "It'll be just a few minutes, Mr. Davis." "Would you step over there, please?" "Thank you." "Excuse me, please." "You were right about Robert Davis, sir." "He's David Vincent." "Let him take the tour with the others." "Yes, sir." "These tours for journalists are designed to publicize our defensive capabilities." "We want the public-- and our potential enemies-- to know about this facility." "Naturally, you won't see anything that's classified, but I can promise there'll be plenty for you to write about." "(electronics beeping)" "Morning, Major Keller." "General." "How's your wife, Major?" "I read about that accident up in the mountains." "Oh, she's fine now, sir, thank you." "I think she was more concerned about what happened to that doctor than she was by her fall." "Terrible thing." "That's the last of it." "We'll be able to install the new tapes as scheduled at 0900 tomorrow." "(electronics beeping)" "Officially, this is the War Room." "To us, it's the peace room." "What you're looking at now is a composite picture of the aerial activity and the approaches to the North American continent." "Each object in the sky must be identified and accounted for." "The key to the entire operation is the computer section." "On its reliability rests the defense of the North American continent." "Now for a closer look at the big screen." "Naturally, the final decisions are made by men." "Beyond the electronic logic, no matter how advanced, there is always a human brain." "This is the computer section." "As you can see, we'll have to pass it up." "Uh, Captain, are any of the section personnel available for interview?" "You, uh, might be able to arrange something through the Public Information Officer." "Thank you." "* *" "(doorbell rings)" "Hello." "Mr. Davis?" "Yes." "I'm Major Dan Keller." "How do you do?" "Come on in." "Thank you." "The PIO phoned." "Said you wanted to do a piece on the home life of a NORAD officer." "Something like that, yes." "Uh-huh." "My wife Laurie will be down in a minute." "Good." "Drink?" "All right." "Uh, scotch and soda." "No ice, please." "Fine." "Make yourself comfortable." "Thank you." "You'll, uh, forgive me for not joining you, Mr. Davis, but I have to get back to work." "I really don't have too much time." "Here you are." "Thank you." "Donna, my first wife." "She died six months ago." "It was a heart attack." "Oh, yes, I realize you're running short on time." "Just a couple of questions." "Uh, the second Mrs. Keller, Laurie?" "Is that right?" "Mm." "Good." "How long have you known her?" "Three months." "What does that have to do with anything?" "Well, I thought the PIO explained to you that..." "No, the PIO said you wanted to know about my home life." "To me, that means meals, hobbies, schedules." "You want to know about my personal life." "Why?" "Major, I'm not a journalist." "I'm trying to find out about a plot against NORAD involving the computer section." "I can assure you, Mr. Davis, our security is excellent." "But not foolproof." "Why don't you talk with A2;" "Intelligence?" "I intend to talk to them, but I wanted to talk to you first." "Why?" "There are a couple of things I wanted to find out about the second Mrs. Keller." "What exactly are you getting at, Mr. Davis?" "My wife." "Hello." "Hello." "I thought I'd make you both some lunch." "Mr. Davis was just leaving." "Excuse me." "I'll see you again." "What was all that about?" "Oh, this guy really came up with quite a story." "He..." "Oh, never mind." "It's... nothing." "(honks horn)" "(honking horn)" "(honking)" "(honking louder)" "(honking)" "(tires squealing)" "* *" "* *" "These so-called aliens of yours, why hasn't NORAD spotted their spacecraft?" "Major, I don't know, but they've been moving single saucers without detection, and this could involve something much more important." "(intercom buzzes)" "Send him in." "Thank you for coming down, Dan." "I thought I'd find you here, Mr. Davis." "His name is not Davis." "It's David Vincent." "That's right, the one with the UFO theories." "I knew who he was this morning, Dan." "I didn't interfere with him because I wanted to know what he was doing at NORAD." "Well, you don't buy his stuff, do you?" "Look, Dan," "I spent five years in UFO investigation." "There are plenty of unanswered questions." "Sit down." "Dan," "Mr. Vincent has a theory that..." "Laurie may not be what she seems to be." "Oh, well, you know her so well, Mr. Vincent." "What does she seem to be?" "Maybe you could explain why Dr. Rogers called the state police to tell them that Laurie was dead." "Well, she was unconscious." "He made a mistake." "A doctor with 30 years experience?" "Is that likely?" "More likely than flying saucers." "And right afterwards, Dr. Rogers drowned." "Oh, I can't explain coincidences, Mr. Vincent." "Then let me try." "Suppose there are aliens here on Earth without pulse or heartbeat." "One of them is knocked unconscious after a fall from a horse." "Now, you can see how a doctor mistakenly would..." "Just a minute, mister." "Mr. Vincent, are you saying that Laurie has no pulse or heartbeat?" "Ask the major to bring his wife to the base." "Have your own doctors examine her." "Pete, I'm tired." "We're programming tomorrow." "Major Keller." "What was your wife doing alone at dawn in the mountains?" "She grew up with horses." "She likes to ride." "Well, you said you have an open mind." "Bring her in." "I don't have the authority to do that." "And I can't force her to take a medical examination." "Okay." "I'll see you later." "(door opens, closes)" "(laughing)" "What's so funny?" "That guy that was here today?" "Mr. Davis." "Oh..." "His name's not Davis." "It's Vincent, and he goes around the country preaching about aliens from outer space with no pulses or heartbeats." "I don't think that's funny." "I think it's rather sad." "Hmm?" "Huh." "Do you know what he said about you?" "You... are an alien being." "(laughing)" "(laughing)" "Yes, he did." "You are a heartless alien being." "* *" "* *" "We were talking about the area southwest of Alaska." "Southwest of Alaska." "That is within the NORAD defense perimeter." "For 3000 miles." "Which reels of tape are programmed to detect objects entering the airspace over the islands 1,000 miles southwest of Alaska?" "Reel nine." "Only reel nine." "How could that tape be reprogrammed so as not to see 20 spacecraft approaching those islands?" "Objects entering airspace at one degree in fixed trajectory at 2,000 feet per second per second..." "* *" "* *" "Reprogram this." "What?" "Laurie?" "!" "Laurie?" "(groaning)" "We've put in the blind spot." "Will you be able to get this to NORAD in time?" "My husband will see to it." "Is the attack still scheduled for tomorrow morning?" "10:22." "* *" "(groans)" "(men approaching)" "(engine starting)" "Dan?" "I'm over here." "Why aren't you in bed?" "For one thing, I've got a headache." "Well, I have something to fix that." "Where were you?" "Well, I hope I didn't worry you, darling." "Of course I was worried." "It's 4:00 in the morning." "Is it really?" "I just couldn't sleep, and I thought I'd try my old standby-- a ride in the mountains." "Here." "Take this." "You'll feel much better." "It was so beautiful up there tonight." "The air was so clear." "The stars were so bright." "I think I'll pass." "I feel drugged already." "Drugged?" "I had a nightmare." "Part of the human condition." "And I felt as though my brain were being scooped out of my head." "I looked all over the house for you." "You weren't there." "Well, I'm here now." "Come on." "Let's get some sleep." "Laurie, I don't want you to go out riding again in the middle of the night." "Dan, I've done it all my life." "Well, you'll stop doing it now!" "Why is it suddenly so important to you?" "Do you think I'm meeting a man out there or something?" "I'm going to bed." "Laurie." "I want your word!" "My word for what?" "That you won't go out riding again alone." "What do you think you're doing?" "Is that what's on your mind?" "Do you think I'm what he said I am?" "Some sort of creature?" "!" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry, Laurie." "It's just... just sitting here in the dark..." "Sorry." "You had a nightmare, darling, that's all." "A nightmare." "Don't let's fight anymore." "I'll be back in a minute." "And, this time, I won't leave you." "I promise." "Thanks a lot." "David Vincent." "Then I cut cross-country." "I got to the highway, hitched a ride here." "If there's anything up there, our patrol will find it." "(intercom buzzes)" "Oh, yes." "Send him in." "Morning, Dan." "What's he after now, Pete?" "I think you'd better hear him out." "General Winters?" "We've installed the new tapes." "Thank you, Captain." "What makes people like you so dangerous, Mr. Vincent, is that there's always a grain of truth in what you have say." "Obviously, you went driving last night, and you happened to see Laurie." "Well, then she was out?" "Well, I don't know what time she left the house, but she came back at 4:00." "Surely you have enough now to bring her in for questioning." "(intercom buzzes)" "Yes?" "Oh, yes." "Tell him to come right in." "Excuse me, sir." "The patrol just reported back." "Oh, yes." "Go on." "The shack was empty." "Dusty." "No sign that anyone had been near it for years." "This doesn't prove anything." "They're experts at this kind of thing." "All right, Captain." "Thank you." "Yes, sir." "Sorry to have bothered you again, Dan." "Major." "Look." "You're an Intelligence officer." "In any other case, you'd try to consider every possibility." "All I'm asking is that you try to do that now." "I'll bring her in, Pete." "If you want to, Dan." "It would help clear things up." "I'll see you in a half an hour with Laurie." "Major?" "If she knows why you're bringing her in, she won't come." "She'll be here, Mr. Vincent." "You should take a detail of air police with you, Major." "I don't intend to arrest my own wife." "Laurie." "Dan." "What are you doing home at this hour?" "How would you like to see the inside of COC?" "Today?" "Uh-huh." "Right now." "Whatever brought that on so suddenly?" "Well, actually, I thought the two of us might have a talk with Pete Stanhope." "The Intelligence officer?" "Whatever for?" "It's not about that alien thing again, is it?" "Oh, Dan, I hope you didn't tell Pete I was coming." "Well, I didn't think you would object." "It's not Pete Stanhope at all, is it?" "It's you." "Something's troubling you." "That argument last night..." "Is it Donna?" "Do you feel guilty about marrying me?" "You think that I trapped you into marriage with some sort of witchcraft?" "Oh, Dan, I love you." "(sobbing):" "Do aliens cry?" "Oh, Laurie, I'm sorry." "Forgive me, darling." "I don't know what I was thinking about." "If it means that much, I'll come with you." "I just don't want you to worry." "I don't want you to worry at all." "Come get me." "(phone rings)" "(ringing)" "They must be on their way." "Maybe." "(groaning)" "He'll be here." "Unless they finished with him." "Unless... unless he served his purpose." "Conners, I'm coming right over." "I want a complete rundown on everything Major Keller did since he arrived at the base this morning." "Laurie?" "I only saw him for a minute, sir." "Then he went to your office." "Did he say anything to you?" "He instructed me to replace the computer tapes." "That was a routine replacement?" "Yes, sir." "It's been scheduled for three weeks." "What time did he arrive here at the computer section?" "I'd say... 8:58." "He entered the vault at 8:56 and stayed about a minute and a half." "It takes a few seconds to walk here from the vault, so that accounts for the time." "Except for what he did while he was in the vault." "I'm sure he was checking on the tapes." "We hadn't completed them when he left last night." "Last night, Mrs. Keller brought something out in a saddlebag from that shack." "Could it have something to do with the tapes?" "Laurie..." "What happened to me?" "Nothing, darling." "You just fell asleep." "Whe-where are you going?" "Going for a little trip." "We talked about it." "Don't you remember?" "No, Laurie." "I..." "I don't want you to... to go." "(breathing hard)" "It's... true." "(sighs)" "It's true." "Why?" "We need a base here, an island." "At 10:22, we'll have it." "(gunshot)" "* *" "** *" "Major..." "Stanhope." "Just a second." "It's Major Keller." "Yes, Dan, what is it?" "Reel... (door opening)" "...nine." "Dan!" "Captain, take a detail and get over to Major Keller's house fast." "I think he's been shot." "Yes, sir." "What did he say?" "(door closes)" "Reel nine." "A computer program." "Is there any way a reel can be altered to make things look normal even if they're not?" "I don't understand." "Can a computer be fixed?" "Can it be made to ignore a specific phenomenon and nothing else?" "Yes, I suppose so." "How?" "An instruction could be added to a tape." "All it would take would be one extra card in the right place." "Then you'd get something on the memory bank like..." ""If objects approach at a certain speed" ""on a certain course, forget it." "Don't project it."" "Could that be it?" "Major Stanhope here, General." "We may have discovered an error in the computer programming." "Thank you, sir." "They're switching to the backup computers." "(warning tone)" "What's happening?" "We've got an automatic Condition:" "Red." "(Klaxon blaring)" "(warning tone)" "Whatever they are, they're not air-breathing engines." "(warning tone)" "There should be visual contact within two minutes." "We have to intercept them." "(warning tone)" "They were warned." "* *" "Major Stanhope, please." "(telephone ringing)" "Stanhope here." "Oh, yes, Captain." "No, Captain, that's all." "Major Keller is dead." "What about Laurie?" "She left a "Dear John" note." "(knocking)" "Come in." "Oh, thank you for dropping by, Mr. Vincent." "I've been trying to make some military sense out of what happened," "Just personal speculation you understand." "Yes, sir." "Some of it's pretty hard to swallow and still keep your peace of mind." "The general's preliminary report on the Condition:" "Red." "He explains the UFOs as natural phenomena." "It's says nothing here about the changes in the computer tape." "The general feels that Major Keller was worried about his private life, and that he, uh..." "simply made a mistake." "And how do you feel?" "There was some talk around the base that Dan married Laurie too soon after his first wife died." "I suppose you could say he did make a mistake." "Good luck, David." "Stick with it." "I plan to." "For my peace of mind." "So long." "NARRATOR:" "The Invader has lost a battle, but David Vincent knows that somewhere in space new strategies are already being devised... for the war has only begun."