In the Year 2889

---

American International Television

But the day of the Lord will come

as a thief in the night,

in which the heavens shall pass away

with a great noise.

And the elements shall melt

with fervent heat.

The Earth also,

and the works that are therein,

shall be burned up.

IN THE YEAR 2889

The geiger counter here in the studio

reads 632 Renchens. That's six times more than enough to kill a man.

Down through the ages, the prophets

have forewarned us that in one day

thousands of years of

accomplishments could be

wiped away by the destructive hand of power.

Now that day has come.

All communication with the outside world has stopped,

just 15 hours after the first nuclear bomb fell on Formosa.

The whole world has been silenced,

annihilated by nuclear bombs.

Three billion people murdered by a thousand nuclear bombs and the lethal fallout.

Maybe there's no one left to hear my voice,

no living human being to record the end of the world.

Now, this is Ted Johnson for K.B.G.E. - Radio.

He didn't come, Dad. Larry didn't come.

He's lost. They're all lost.

Not a sign of life:

New York, Paris, Moscow... All's quiet now.

Look, Joanna! It's holding at 47!

Why, we may be saved! Just as I planned it.

I'm not sure I want to, Dad...

not without Larry.

I'm sorry, honey. I'm afraid he didn't make it.

But there's always hope. Come, let's go inside.

I planned it right, Joanna.

Our house out here, miles from any city. The cliffs.

The updrafts of air to fight back the radiation.

And provisions for the three of us for months.

There's only two of us now, Dad.

Honey...

I couldn't very well order Larry to come out here and stay with us, even though you are engaged to him.

There's someone at the door, Dad. It's Larry, he's made it!

- Wait! Don't open that door until you're sure it's Larry!

- It is Larry! He's hurt!

- He'll contaminate us!

- Larry! Larry!

- Don't! Don't open that door. We can't take the chance!

- Let me go!

I've got to open that door!

Wait! Don't touch him!

He's red-hot with radioactivity!

It's not Larry!

- We've got to help him, whoever he is.

- Wait.

We'd better check the geiger counter.

740 Renchens? And he's still breathing!

Why, he should be dead!

But he's still breathing! Nobody can take that much and still live.

Don't touch him. He's my responsibility.

- Who are you?

- I'm Steve Marlin.

He's my brother.

Better keep away from him.

Granger?

It's OK, it's OK.

God, he's still alive.

- Don't know why, but he's still alive!

- He must be dying.

The counter showed 740 Renchens.

Where are the bedrooms?

- Upstairs. Come with me.

- No.

They can't stay here!

- Yes, they can, Dad.

- But they're contaminated.

It's too late for them. But not us.

I'll get you some water and clean clothes.

- Get out of here or I'll kill you.

- Don't shoot! There's a girl out here.

Throw your weapon on the floor.

I warn you.

- This gun's loaded!

- OK, OK!

Stop it, Dad! Don't!

Move on into the room, here. Come in where I can see you.

- Are you all right?

- Yeah, I guess so.

- Is... is it OK if we stay?

- Of course you can't stay!

- I've got provisions for only three people.

- Mac, we're staying, so forget the sob story.

Please, mister, help us.

You can't stay here! It isn't the way I planned it. I have provisions for three people only.

I'm Joanna Ramsey. Please, bring your suitcase upstairs and I'll get you some fresh water.

Wait!

I didn't mean nothin'.

I was just looking to see if anyone was alive in the house.

What's your name?

I'm Tim Henderson. I'm a rancher. I live up on the cliff.

- Sorry I roughed you up.

- Sure.

Come on!... How'd I knock you down?

- Come on up the house.

- No!

He can't stay!

Oh, let the worthless old coot stay. We're all gonna die anyway.

It looks like we're stuck with each other, so let's understand the rules.

Now, I'm the ranking officer, I mean, person. I'm in command.

If we're votin', I vote for me.

- Oh, don't be funny. This is serious!

- Shut up, Jada.

My second-in-command will be Steve.

This counter is registering 47 Renchens

of radioactivity now.

50 is considered dangerous. 500, fatal.

But that depends on the individual. Different people have different absorption rates and capacities.

We may live, and we may not.

There's a lot we don't know about it.

Some of us may be dying now.

- Well, how long before we can leave this museum?

- Yeah.

I've got some things working for me in L.A., big things. So how long before we can get out of here?

There is no Los Angeles.

No Los Angeles? You're kidding.

I don't believe you.

There are no radio signals, long or shortwave, from any city in the world.

She's right.

The six of us in this house may be the beginning of a new era.

A new civilization.

Seven. My brother's still alive.

But not for long, I'm afraid.

But be that as it may, I've spent ten years getting ready for this day.

I'll brief you as to why we're still alive.

This is my house, with its own generators and food supply.

These cliffs, surrounding the house on three sides,

are full of lead-bearing ore that acts as a barrier against radioactivity.

The lake here on the fourth side is heated from an underground heat source,

probably an old volcano

or maybe a crack in the Earth's crust.

Anyway, the warm air from the lake's waters creates an updraft.

And it's strong enough, I might add,

to carry radioactive contamination out of the valley.

As long as it doesn't rain. If the rains come too soon,

we'll all be contaminated and die.

That is, if we don't let other forces destroy us before that time.

What other forces?

Never mind that now.

But make no mistake about it: You're not welcome here.

This was planned for just three people. That's how much food we have.

If we divide that among the six of us, we'll soon have empty stomachs and rebellion.

I have the keys to the storeroom.

I, and I alone, will say when and how much food we eat.

Any argument about that, and I'll settle it with this.

Oh, you're a big man, packin' that gun.

Just don't you let go of it.

I don't intend to.

Where are you going with that?

- My brother.

- Save the food.

Your brother's a casualty, face it.

Take it to him.

Dad, I've never seen you like this before.

We can't become animals. We're still human, and we've got to act like it!

That's just what I'm afraid of. We're all human.

Granger? How ya doin'?

I'm not gonna die.

I thought I was, but I'm not. I know I'm not, now.

Well, it's a miracle. You soaked up 700 Renchens.

I don't understand it, but I'm glad.

- Here. Try something to eat.

- I don't want that.

I need fresh meat. Raw meat.

Well, I'll put your order in with the chef.

I don't know, but... I think it'll do me good.

- Well, why don't you wash up and get into some clean clothes, huh?

- No. No water.

Just let me rest.

I'll be OK just the way I am.

You didn't tell me how you two happened to be near this valley yesterday.

Uh, we're not exactly on the main highway.

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