The 27th Day

How do you like it, Eve?

Lovely. What is it?

My impression of the coastland of Cornwall.

Oh, Harry darling, you painted

the entire coastline of England.

I've yet to see anything that looks like a wave.

Never mind. Keep on trying. I'm going for a walk.

You have certain no appreciation for modern art.

Miss Wingate

Come with me, please.

- Three sugars? - Three.

I like your style, Pete.

Some day, You'll be the boss of the Los Angeles "Record Telegram".

Thanks for the compliment. That's 20 cents.

My mistake, some day you'll be the treasurer.

- Keep the change. - Thanks.

Mr. Clark

Yeah?

Who's that?

My name is of no importance, Mr. Clark

But I must ask you to come with me.

Su Tan

Come with me, Su Tan.

Well, I'm ready.

At least I remember to take my notes with me to America.

Coblenz has been honored by your invitation to the conference.

Ah,the honor will be to witness the launching of the satellite.

They mark the beginning of a new phase in the progress of mankind.

Perhaps the greatest single step

toward achieving communication between the planets.

Professor.

Your plane to America. 3 o'clock.

It will be difficult to get there without it. Huh?

Well, professor,

have a nice trip. And we'll hear from you soon,uh?

- Thank you, Dr. Schimidt .Goodbye - Good bye.

Professor. Professor Bechner.

Did someone call me?

Professor, I'm afraid

you'll have to interrupt your departure for America.

Interrupt?

But why? I'm afraid it's not quite that simple.

- Ivan. - Who goes there?

You are in no danger, Ivan Godofsky.

Halt, or I'll fire.

Your gun will not help.

Excuse me. aren't you Professor Klaus Bechner?

But what are we doing here? Where are we?

I don't know. I was writing a column

in the office of a Los Angeles Record Telegram

Somebody spoke to me, now next thing I know I woke up here.

Los Angeles? I was in England.

And I, my dear, was in Coblenz.

But how?

The how I suspect we may never understand.

What interests me now is why.

It's pretty obvious where you're from, my dear.

Are you a soldier?

People of Earth.

Permit me to explain your presence here.

Each of you is hearing my words in his

or her native tongue.

Who are you?

Since I'm a stranger to each of you, perhaps it

would be simplest to call me 'The Alien'.

Where are you from?

The name of the planet I come from is unknown to you.

One of many worlds in a nearby universe.

- Where are we now? - In space.

I don't believe it.

If you please...

It's the Earth.

Don't be frightened.

You'll be sent back to Earth absolutely unharmed.

Furthermore, no measurable time by earthly standards

will pass while you're here

Is such a thing possible?

You're travelling at almost exactly the speed of light.

At such a speed, time as you know it, does not exist.

Theoretically, but in actuality...

Why have we been brought here?

If you'll kindly be seated I'll try to explain.

You five, are here in effect as representatives.

Not of your particular countries

but as representatives of the human race.

Then, you have come to Earth to establish contact?

No, professor

We are here to help you save your beautiful planet.

You talk as if the earth were about to be destroyed.

That danger exists.

Your entire history is one of self-destruction.

You have now what you believe to be the ultimate weapon.

The H bomb.

If you destroy yourselves,

You'll also destroy the Earth.

And that we can not permit, for it is needed.

Needed?

The universe in which my world exists is dying.

Soon, our sun will be going into nova and explode.

Therefore your people will need a new world.

Within 35 days.

Then you're going to invade us.

Oh,no, No, our moral code does not permit us to invade,

nor to destroy any form of intelligent life.

We are prepared to lend you a weapon.

A weapon which will permit you to destroy yourselves.

Without harming your planet.

This weapon affects only human life. Nothing else will be harmed.

It will belong to you, for 27 of the 35 days remaining to us.

If at the end of that time,

Midnight of the 27th day, Greenwich time,

you've not used it

The weapon will automatically become harmless.

You are under no compulsion to make use of the weapon.

Yet you think we will?

We cannot hope for disaster, we merely expect it.

Say your wrong. Say that 27 days go by

and we don't use the weapons.

What happens then?

Your race will live. Mine will die.

Who are you gonna give the weapons to?

The weapons one apiece will be given to each of you.

You may of course turn them over to your governments.

But the decision is yours. The weapons are yours

to do with as you wish

Not yet, professor

I can understand your curiosity.

But they're protected by a force field.

Each of the boxes is tuned to the electrical impulse of its owner.

Now, professor

The one to your left is yours.

Ivan Godofsky, the next is yours.

Eve Wingate, the next is yours.

Su Tan, you,too.

The last is yours, Jonathan Clark.

Each of you holds in your hands

the power of life and death.

Each box contains 3 capsules. They are the weapon.

They surpass by many times the power of anything your race is yet created.

Each of the capsules has a diameter of lethal radiation.

Which is exactly 3000 miles.

There is then, in the combined capsules,

more than enough power to wipe out all human life on your planet.

To use the capsules, you remove the spindle.

Place the capsule down speak loudly and clearly

the latitude and longitude in the center of the target area.

The energy thus launched takes only human life.

Damages nothing else.

It cannot be opened by ordinary means, professor

Only your own thought waves will activate the release mechanism.

No other force on your earth is capable of opening the box.

But once it has been opened,

Anyone can pull the spindle.

And any voice can launch them to their targets.

What if we die?

If any one of you is called by death

The capsules will become ineffective immediately.

One more question, please.

Do we have your solemn word

that if we succeed in keeping the peace for 27 days,

earth will be free of invasion? You have my word, professor.

27 days...

You ask us to learn in 27 days

What has escaped the world for thousand of years?

You ask us to practice peace or die.

The choice is not new, professor.

Only the weapons.

Now, if you'll forgive me, time is short.

Will you be glad enough to return to your

seats and you'll be sent back to earth.

Jonathan, I forgot your last name. Where do you live?

Clark. Los Angeles, California.

Professor

Professor.We have to hurry to catch the plane.

Yes, of course.

You fired that shot? Yes, sir..

What happened? I thought I saw something.

You saw something?

I guess I was mistaken.

City room Clark

Mr. Jonathan Clark? Yes.

Just a moment, Mr. Clark I have a paid

call for you from Cornwall, England.

Cornwall, England?

All right. I'll take the call.

Your party is on the line. Go ahead, please.

Mr. Clark? Yes.

Mr.Jonathan Clark? That's right.

This is Eve Wingate.

Do you remember me?

Why, yes. Of course I do.

How did you know where to find me?

Well, I remembered you said you were working,

so I took a chance of telephoning you.

Look, I'm going to come to California.

Now, be sensible, Miss Wingate,

stay where you are.

No, I can't. I made reservations on the midnight plane to London...And

And... I'm coming anyway. I'm leaving tonight.

- Now, wait a minute. - I can't go back.