When Worlds Collide

Narrator: Needles in a heavenly haystack.

There are more stars in the heavens

than there are human beings on earth.

Through telescopes, men of science constantly search

the infinitesimal corners of our solar system,

seeking new discoveries,

hoping to better understand the laws of the universe.

Observatories dedicated to the study of astronomy

often are set in high and remote places,

but there is none more remote than mount Kenna observatory

in this part of South Africa.

If our calculations prove to be correct,

this will be the most frightening discovery of all time.

These two bodies have traveled almost a million miles in two weeks.

Is that Randall?

I hope so.

Stanley, I want Randall to leave as quickly as possible.

All the plates are ready, cataloged and marked for identification.

Here are tonight's plates, doctor.

Good. Include them.

I told professor hendron I'd send as much detail as we had.

Paul, Stanley.

It won't be necessary to tell Randall what he's carrying.

Z-5-m-a-p, Dave Randall from Johannesburg, cabin monoplane.

Request permission to land. Over.

Hello, Randall. This is Russ Curtis, mount Kenna field.

Visibility fine. Take runway three.

Approach from southwest at 500.

There's a car waiting here to take you up to Dr. Bronson at the observatory.

Over.

Over.

Thank you, mount Kenna field.

Hello, Randall. How are you, Stan?

You must have been held up at mount Kenna field.

We knew you arrived two hours ago.

Oh, I had a friend's aunt for a passenger.

I had to get the old lady home first.

I'm Emery Bronson. Hello, doctor.

You've been well recommended to us, Mr. Randall.

You shouldn't have taken much recommendation.

I understand all you want is a package delivered.

Did you bring your passport to the United States?

Yes.

But who gets delivery of what?

Your recommendations said I could depend on a lack of curiosity.

Dr. Bronson, I don't care what you're doing or why.

All I want to know is where do I go, and how soon do I get paid?

I didn't mean to be rude.

It's just that secrecy is very important now.

You'll fly your plane to Lisbon,

then take the transatlantic clipper to New York.

The delivery will be made to Dr. hendron

at the cosmos observatory.

Here are several poses of Dr. hendron.

The delivery must be made to him personally. Remember that.

To Dr. hendron only.

Right.

You'll require this for expenses.

I'm supposed to get paid $1,500 plus the expenses.

Hendron will pay you on delivery.

Time is all that counts.

The money doesn't matter at all.

With me, doctor, money always matters.

Pernaps now,

but the day may arrive when money won't mean anything.

Not to you, nor anyone.

When that happens to me, I'll be six feet under.

Good luck, Randall.

There was another radiogram for you at the last stop, Mr. Randall.

Thank you.

I hope you're enjoying your trip.

Yeah, it's very nice. Thanks.

Honestly, the inspection takes longer than the trip abroad.

I brought Clara a few things. She's so appreciative.

50% duty? I'd rather junk the stuff right here.

I think that's the man,

the one carrying the black box.

I'll see.

David Randall?

That's right.

May I see your passport, please?

Thank you.

Fine.

I'll handle this, Jim. Give him his luggage, will you?

That brown one over there.

Right this way, please.

Here's your man.

How do you do? I'm Joyce hendron,

professor hendron's daughter.

We're to go straight to the observatory.

This is better than having a motorcycle escort.

You'll need a pass to get out of the building.

The pass.

Thank you. You're welcome.

Right this way, Mr. Randall.

Donovan: Mr. ran a all! Mr. Randall!

Mr. Randall, I'm Donovan from the sentinel.

Some other time.

We've raised our offer to $7,500.

Here's a check to your order.

No, thanks. I'm working on a better offer.

Can't imagine how the sentinel

even had a hint about your errand,

but it's difficult to keep secrets from the newspapers.

I'm glad you turned them down. You know what it would mean

if the public had this information prematurely.

Of course.

We've been praying Dr. Bronson is wrong,

that these pictures will show some error in his calculations.

Mmm-hmm.

Don't you find yourself wishing?

Wouldn't you almost rather not know?

On, it's better to know.

I wish I had your courage.

But I'm frightened.

As frightened as all those people would be if they knew.

I haven't the courage to face the end of the world.

Joyce.

I'm glad you waited for me.

Soam il.

Tony, this is Mr. Randall. Dr. Drake.

How are you? How do you do?

Alice, didn't my father know Dr. Drake was here?

I told Alice not to bother him.

He has some people with him.

It's a special meeting of the observatory's trustees.

They'll want to see you right away.

You smoke?

Yeah, thanks. I'll try one.

Have a south African one.

You part of this deal, doctor? This stargazing?

No. No, I confine my gazing to the eye, ear, nose, and throat.

I'm an m.D.

I gather you're not an astronomer, either.

Me? No, I'm just a high-priced messenger boy

who's beginning to have doubts

about the sanity of astronomers.

They ought to stick to making wrong predictions about the weather.

Astronomy is a very exact science.

Maybe so, but when they start telling me

doomsday is just around the corner, we part company.

Who's been telling you that?

Mr. Randall? Come right this way.

Hello, Tony. Come along, if you want to.

Please. One second.

Please, I have people waiting.

I'm supposed to make sure.

Oh, yes, of course.

They check.

Who told you that, about doomsday?

Why, doc, I thought you were practically a member of the family.

Put it on the desk, Randall. Please.

Oh, thank you, dear.

Dr. Bronson said I was to get $1,500.

I'll take care of it.

This is supposed to be COD.

Hold still, please.

Thank you.

Would you mind waiting in the anteroom, Mr. Randall?

He knows all the details, dad.

Dr. Bronson and I have no secrets from each other.

Bronson been at this study a long time?

Iwo years.

But I first heard from him 10 days ago.

He wanted me to check his findings.

Give this data to da.

"D" for differential, "a" for analyzer.

Differential analyzer. Da.

Naturally.

We'll check these through the viewer.

Dr. henaron, the key.

Later, Randall, later.

Sometimes I wish I didn't know Bronson's capabilities so well.

He rarely leaves any margin for error.

This was Bronson's first discovery, bell us, a star,

a dozen times larger than our earth.

Bellus has been approaching earth at tremendous speed.

Bronson's second discovery, a new planet.

Bronson named it zyra,

and his measurements show this new body revolves around bell us

more rapidly than earth revolves around the sun.

Hmm, this is in the constellation of scorpio.

Dr. frye, notice the position of these new bodies.

Yes. Yes, I see.

But here again, bell us and zyra have changed position.

Now, just how fast they've been moving

and their eventual destination

are among the mathematical problems

now being determined by our differential analyzer.

We'll have the results in a few hours.

Zyra is about the same size as our earth.

Both these bodies are coming into our solar system.

If Bronson's readings are correct, they will destroy the earth.

How far away from us are they?

The calculator will be precise.

I would estimate about three billion miles.

Billion?

Let people start worrying 100 years from now.

Mr. Randall, you've been flying ships

faster than sound for many years.