Original subtitles

Outwards, stretches the quest for truth.

Stars without end.

Timeless infinities.

A billion, billion galaxies.

Man's imagination reaches out.

And out.

While betimes the farthest reaches of knowledge.

Are found in the smallest places.

Is it sealed?

Well, yes, hermetically.

Same climate, same atmosphere as the planet.

Yes, and density and gravity

and soil and temperature.

And as accurate as biometry and

spectography and radiography,

and a dozen other sciences, can make it.

You see that light?

That sun?

Looks as though its on steady, doesn't it?

Well, actually it's blinking so fast that you can't see it.

One blink,

one day, in there.

Well this whole thing is really fantastic.

Now, as I understand it, uh,

your Grant from the Dundee Foundation

was for the purpose of gathering information

about the planet in the star system of wolf 359.

Hmm, yes, that's right.

Ah, but then instead of writing up a report,

you used the information

to create in your own laboratory,

in the middle of the desert,

a piece of a planet.

Actually an authentic piece of planet 8 light years away.

Yes, that's right.

I've taken the Liberty of calling it "Dundee" planet,

in your honor.

Well, not after me of course, after the foundation.

Why not?

After all we've spent so much money on this project,

we could buy that planet.

Oh, what about that, uh, lichen?

Is, uh, is that what it is, moss?

Ah, yes, yes, I... I introduced

the D.N.A. Factor in there several weeks ago.

That's the basic component of life.

And there's actually plant life growing in there,

just as it's growing on the planet, in wolf.

Speeded up, of course, by the miniaturization.

The attachment's hooked up, professor.

It's much better.

Much better? What...

It's tremendous.

This new attachment and your camera

are going to make all the difference in the world.

Here, take a look.

Yeah, it's fascinating, professor.

You've actually started an evolutionary process.

Yes, yes, under that planet's conditions.

Whew!

John, do you suppose...

Do you suppose that some form of

animate life will develop in there?

No, no, I wouldn't even dream of anything like that.

Well, it's a great achievement.

Thank you.

No wonder Mr. Dundee was so excited on the trip out here.

Well, within a decade,

we'll be on our way to Planet Dundee,

within the star system of wolf 359.

There is nothing wrong with your television set.

Do not attempt to adjust the picture.

We are controlling transmission.

For the next hour,

we will control all that you see and hear.

You are about to experience the awe and mystery.

Which reaches from the inner mind to...

The outer limits.

Well, you're both welcome to stay overnight.

Peter never uses that spare room.

He drives into town overnight.

Yeah, he wants a little social life.

I can't say that I blame him.

He is a bachelor, isn't he?

Well, if he isn't, he acts like one.

Oh, thank you, dear.

Oh, who was it that said the Martini was the only civilized drink?

I think it was a reformed bourbon man, wasn't it?

It was Devoto wasn't it, who wrote an entire book about the Martini?

Hmm.

And John... Mmm-hmm.

That attachment that we brought this afternoon.

Why, what... what does it actually do for you?

Well, it, uh, gives us a magnification

of over 200,000 diameters,

which means a chance to examine all the extraordinary things

going on in that green house.

In one of your taped reports which was sent to the foundation,

you mentioned something to the effect

that one second of our time equals

11 and a half days on the planet.

Yes, you see there's...

There's a tremendous evolutionary speedup.

For instance, uh... Uh, suppose it rained,

uh, on that section of forest that you looked at.

Suppose it rained, say uh, oh, half an hour.

Now what would you see in our time

if that lasted for less than a 500th of a second?

Oh, nothing. Exactly.

Well, now that's what the, uh,

the new attachment in the camera are for.

We've noticed that

there are odd changes taking place in there.

There's, uh, seasons and floods and volcanoes.

Of course, while we can't see

what's happening while it's happening,

afterwards we see the result.

Um, but the camera can take a picture while it's going on.

Right, right. It can stop the action.

Uh-huh.

Well, at least that's the theory.

Well, we should get some results pretty soon.

How long, darling?

Oh, uh, tomorrow, I hope.

The steaks?

Oh, no, no, 3 or 4 minutes.

Oh.

Time is relative.

You know, quite apart from the fact

that you're industrious and dedicated,

you're a very lucky man, John.

I mean, to have a woman like Ethel here,

to follow you like this into the middle of a desert, hmm?

Keep telling him, Mr. Dundee.

Well, perhaps we're all lucky with our project.

We have men spread out from Maine to Southern California,

each one working in seclusion.

And each one giving far more

than the foundation could possibly hope for.

You see, at first all we wanted

was to take part in the space pioneering effort.

But now, I think we're going to make a major contribution to science.

That... no, no, no, thank you, Ethel.

If I were to have another drink now,

I wouldn't be able to find my way back to the city...

Especially at night.

Well, that was a pretty fair dinner.

Like it? Mmm-hmm.

So did the company.

Do you realize we've had company twice now, in 14 months?

If we keep up this mad entertaining,

I'm going to have to have a social secretary.

Ah, it's been pretty rough on you, hasn't it?

No.

Yeah, but you're a good kid.

Another 3 or 4 months,

it'll all be wrapped up and back to civilization.

Civilization? Mmm-hmm.

What's that?

Oh, bright lights,

and champagne, dress shops.

Hmm...

And diamonds... I like it.

Mink coats, yachts,

Monte Carlo...

Good night, you silly fool.

Those Martinis were good, weren't they?

Mmm-hmm.

Nobody makes Martinis like you.

Hmm.

'Morning, darling.

'Morning.

Um, how did you sleep?

Fine. You?

Oh, I don't know.

I must have had a bad dream.

Hmm?

I know it sounds silly, but...

Oh, I had the funniest feeling...

Oh, uh, Pete's here, already.

I've got to go in.

OK.

Good morning, Pete. We all set up in there?

I'm all ready for you.

Professor, have a look at this.

What am I looking at, Pete?

The first culture of lichen from the planet.

You know, I've been studying it for the past week.

Ah, they're dead.

Yes, sir.

It was thriving when I went home last night.

Well, we can't expect it

to live too long out of it's own atmosphere, Pete.

Oh, sir?

Even the ants.

Yeah, dead.

I noticed them when I came in this morning.

Well, sometimes a whole colony can go at once.

Disease, blight, air circulation.

Let's go.

'Morning, Herbert. Wanna get out?

With the electronic strobe, we should be able to get

one shot about every 15 minutes, of the planet's time.

Mmm-hmm.

Well, we mustn't expect too much the first time, Pete.

Is the dark room all set up?

Yes, sir.

All right,

let's go for our first roll of film.

Hmm, that's odd.

What do you make of that, Pete?

Looks out of focus.

Well it is. But what is it?

I don't know.

Hmm...

Well, I guess it's, uh,

some sort of plant or tree.

Hey, you guys, it's after 6:00.

Oh, Ethel, come here, uh...

What does that look like to you?

The inside of a tiger's mouth, what else?

When are you going to close up shop?

Oh, uh, soon.

We have a few shots left on the roll of film in the camera.

OK. Don't be long.

Pete...

Hmm?

Suppose we were...

We were in too close.

Now, if we were focused on the ground...

Uh, in the middle of the shot,

suppose something...

Something went between the lens and the ground.

Now, it would be out of focus, of course.

Something like what?

Do you mean something moving, life of some kind?

Well, look, look here.

Just... just that part, now look at it.

Now what... What does it look like?

Just... just right there, that line, hmm?

A tooth?

Well...

Now, right here, look at this one, too.

Now, another tooth?

Those teeth would be at right angles.

Yes, they would be, wouldn't they?

Oh, but...

Suppose there were 2 animals of some kind.

Actually, Pete,

doesn't that look like...

Like the open jaws of some kind of prehistoric beast?

It would have to be so huge.

Yeah.

Like our mesozoic age.

Oh, that's fantastic, isn't it?

I mean, to think that life...

Would begin in there...

Like it began on our planet.

Let's, uh...

Let's finish that roll of film.

Uh, it might sound crazy, but,

well, it could be that the evolution

on Planet Dundee is the same as ours...

At least up to this point...

Even without the life forms.

Of course, the atmosphere is pretty high in nitrogen in there.

But adaptation is the basic require...

Pete, look!

What is it?

I don't know.

Whatever it is, it seems...

He knows we're here, professor.

That's...

That's nonsense. How could he know we're here?

I mean, assuming it's a "he."

Uh...

Finish that roll.

Yes, sir.

Uh, get that developed right away.

Come here.

How could he stay in one place for so long?

11 and half days for every second,

it was several seconds.

He seemed...

He seemed to be looking straight up at me.

Nothing.

And this is the last shot, too.

Well, that's impossible,

I took those shots myself. You took 2 of them.

It had to be a living creature.

That's impossible,

we're both seeing something that doesn't exist.

Mmm-hmm. It's real enough, professor.

You know, the only thing I could think is that...

Well, that...

It could be visible only in it's own atmosphere,

not in ours.

You mean, the difference in light refraction,

optical aberrations, and so on?

And we can only see it under the microscope?

Yes.

I don't know.

I don't know. Maybe it was an hallucination.

Oh, uh, Pete.

Yes, sir.

This, uh...

Thing that doesn't photograph,

let's, uh...

Let's keep it to ourselves for a while, shall we?

Until we know more about it, OK?

Of course.

Well I'll...

I'll be finishing up in here.

What's the matter?

You're shivering, what is it?

It's nothing.

Working too hard.

Too late, too.

I should've nagged you.

I didn't hear Peter go.

Uh, no, well, he's, uh,

he's still, uh, finishing up.

John?

You know,

I was frightened.

Of what?

I don't know.

The dark, maybe. Hmm...

No, it was something else.

I don't know.

Don't you think you're working too hard, John?

You know, there's so many extraordinary things going on in there.

There's actually a piece of a planet from a faraway star system,

and it's developing its own evolution,

tremendously speeded up, and we're watching it.

Even though those pictures aren't technically perfect,

it's... it's... it's astonishing the things that we're getting.

I mean, like the one I showed you.

Oh, you mean, the one I said looked like a tiger's mouth?

But, John, I was only kidding.

I know.

But, it did, didn't it? And I've seen more.

They're even closer to what we can call animals or creatures.

Here, look.

Well, it's a lot closer, I must admit.

Why is it you can't see this

when you look through the microscope?

Ah, the world in there is infinitesimal.

A million miniaturizations of a miniaturization.

Everything's happening too fast to see.

Too fast for even the camera to stop completely.

Too fast to stop for dinner.

I know, I should be dressing.

Maybe I should forget it, if you're hungry.

No, no, go shave and shower and dress.

I like you when you're prettied up.

We must keep this our civilized oasis in the desert.

John!

Oh, god!

John!

Ethel?

What's wrong? What happened?

I...

Saw something in there!

What is it, darling?

Oh!

Sir, she...

Shh.

It's all right, dear. Uh, let's... let's go. Hmm?

You'll be all right. All right. Come, come with me.

It's all right, John.

I'm all right now.

You looked through the microscope?

Yes, but I... I didn't touch any of the dials or anything.

Well, I had it focused on a place where I thought I saw something.

I saw it.

What?

I don't know.

I saw something...

Something not human.

And, suddenly, I got a feeling from it.

What is it, John?

I don't know.

Some monstrous thing.

Yes.

Then you saw it, too?

I saw, uh,

I saw a flash of... of...

Something, uh,

a creature, not human.

And, that feeling, I... I felt that, too.

You better destroy it, John.

Destroy it? Destroy what?

The whole thing,

Dundee Planet.

The project?

It's a monstrous thing. It's not of this world.

I don't think you know what we've got.

We're looking at a... at a planet, 8 light years away.

I mean that's so far

that the finest telescopes we have can't pick it out.

We've had to use second-hand information.

We've had to... we've had to make assumptions until now.

But, now, right here in our laboratory,

we can see what's going on up there.

Why, we can... We can watch...

We can watch evolution at work.

Why don't we, uh...

Why don't we take tonight off, hmm?

Let's go into town, have dinner.

Pete can mind the store.

I think it'd be good for both of us, OK?

I'm for that.

Well, you're not the greatest dancer in the world,

but I enjoy it.

Ah, well, I aim to please.

You know something?

You do.

Just the fact that you wanted me to have a change,

and you took yourself away from what you really want to be doing.

I know your work is terribly important, John.

So I won't say anything about it again.

OK?

Not after right now, that is.

You said you've been frightened.

John, I've been petrified.

For a second there, I felt such...

Pure evil,

that...

Creature makes me afraid

in a way I've never been afraid before.

It's the most awful feeling.

All...

Hollow and achy,

like death is near.

A kind of death that has no peace.

We should run from it, just as fast as we can.

It's not the kind of...

I won't say anything about it again.

Tomorrow, I'm going to pack you off back east.

I think 3 or 4 weeks at home is what you need.

Now, come on,

let's have one more dance before we start back.

I told Pete we wouldn't be too late.

Hey, Pete's car is gone. That's funny.

He knows better than to leave the lab unattended.

I wonder where he went.

John?

John.

What happened to him?

He was so alive when we left.

I don't know what's the matter with me. I'm so emotional lately.

Honey, uh, why don't you lie down?

I'll... I'll make you a drink in a minute.

John, will you please tell me what happened in there?

Why do you have to spirit me off at this time of night,

instead of waiting till tomorrow?

What did you see?

Nothing.

I just thought it would be a good idea,

if you're going to go, why not now?

That's what you said before.

Well, it happens to be the truth.

Not all of it.

Of course, all of it... it's the truth.

Look, I don't want to get involved in semantics.

Then don't.

Neither do I.

I've got work to finish.

Good afternoon, professor.

What, uh, happened last night, Pete?

I'm sorry.

And, uh, this morning?

I stayed in town.

Hmm, obviously.

Last night, uh,

here all alone,

I... I got frightened...

Of what?

What frightened you?

Something you, uh...

You saw in there?

I don't know.

So that's why you didn't bother, hmm?

Now, there's nothing wrong with being frightened, Pete.

But there is something wrong in running out

on your responsibilities,

leaving the door wide open, leaving our work unprotected.

I'm sorry.

I won't let it happen again.

No, Pete.

I won't let it happen again.

I'll, uh, send you a check bringing your salary up to date.

And, uh, add a week's pay. Is that, uh, satisfactory?

You're letting me go?

I'm sorry, Pete.

Well, this project has become very important to me.

Working here with you...

Mmm-hmm.

I sent my wife away.

I sent Peter away.

I can't expose them to the dangers of this... creature.

I wouldn't do it myself except that

it appears that the evolution going on,

on Dundee Planet, is the same as ours.

And my observations here

could be of...

Fantastic importance.

There's that... that creature.

Now, I opened the laboratory door,

and went back inside.

The light must've affected it.

It has form and a kind of, uh, a kind of substance.

Yet, it's not like a creature of Dundee Planet.

Not in the sense of being an inhabitant.

Rather it seems to be the... the spirit of the place.

A creature apart from its animal life.

And it appears to be gaining in strength and ability.

Witness its predatory progression.

Insects. Plants.

A bird. Guinea pigs.

Then attacking me.

I'm tired.

I haven't been to sleep.

This, uh...

Creature on Dundee Planet,

must be, in some way, responsible for what I see there.

Violence... death... Destruction...

A place of indescribable malevolence.

A place of death and hate.

A place without a god.

Perhaps that's why the...

The light of day, or any light,

is an anathema to it.

At this time tomorrow,

Dundee Planet will have caught up

with the 20th century, here on earth.

And at that time,

I'll be able to see our future,

by watching it unfold on Dundee Planet...

If I survive.

And now, it's like our medieval times...

Killings... Senseless cruelties...

Even in the normal course of living.

Indeed, brutality is always there.

Professor?

Professor.

Professor!

Professor!

Professor!

What? What is it?

We were worried, professor.

He was here.

Who was here?

He was here in this room.

My... my headlights...

I forgot to turn them off.

What are you doing here, Peter?

I called Mr. Dundee.

Why?

I had to, professor. I... I was worried.

Oh, you fool.

Now, John, I think Peter deserves better than that,

he's terribly worried to see you looking like this.

When was the last time you had any sleep?

When was the last time...

Dundee, I've a request to make. Take Peter and go back to town.

Well, I think...

Don't think! Just go back to town.

Now, I'm near the end of my work. I don't want any interference.

That's why I sent my wife away.

Sir...

No, you sent your wife away

because you were afraid for her.

Jonathan.

Look, you've pushed yourself too far. You're exhausted.

There's nothing that can happen here in the next few hours

that's more important than rest for you.

Go on, go on, go! I don't want your help!

I don't need your help!

Professor, you're out on your feet.

You do need help!

Will you shut up?

Now, how plain do I have to make it?

Will you get out? Both of you! Go on!

Get out!

Go on!

I know you're here.

I'm gonna go on.

I'm going to finish as much of my work as I can.

You're not going to stop me.

19th century.

Where are you?

Where are you?

20th century.

The refinement of evil.

Scientific warfare.

And now it's the present.

The atom bomb.

The ability to destroy ourselves.

And in a few minutes,

the future.

I'm going back to the microscope

and then we'll know what's going to happen here on earth.

John?

Destroy it!

The planet!

Break the glass!

Oh!

It's gone?

Yes.

It's gone.

You destroyed it.

That was kind of a...

A madness, an obsession...

I wanted to see into the future.

Well,

maybe it's just as well I didn't.

How did you know I needed you?

You told me.

How?

You didn't answer when I phoned you last night.

Final report.

Dundee Planet, star system wolf 359.

The experiment is finished.

My planet is destroyed.

My recommendation to the Dundee Foundation,

change the planet selected.

It's not a place we can land our spacemen.

But the... the project is feasible.

A planet can be recreated in a laboratory.

The odds are...

The odds are, Mr. Dundee, that the next time...

The next time, it will be a place of

some love and warmth,

like our planet earth.

There is a theory that earth and sun.

And galaxy, and all the known universes,

are only a dust mote on some policeman's uniform.

In some gigantic super world.

Couldn't we be under some super microscope, right now?

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.