Bradbury Thirteen 84-04-09 (02) Night Call, Collect

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio Episode: Bradbury Thirteen 84-04-09 (02) Night Call, Collect
Release Date: April 28, 2025

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Introduction

In this evocative episode of Harold's Old Time Radio, titled Night Call, Collect, listeners are transported into a haunting narrative adapted from Ray Bradbury's renowned story. Set against the desolate backdrop of an abandoned Mars colony, the episode masterfully blends suspense, psychological drama, and science fiction elements to explore themes of loneliness, identity, and the human psyche under extreme isolation.

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Plot Summary

Night Call, Collect centers around Emil Barton, an 80-year-old man stranded on Mars, patiently awaiting a rescue that has yet to arrive for six decades. The story unfolds through a series of tense and emotionally charged telephone conversations that blur the lines between reality and hallucination.

Initial Desperation

The episode opens with Old Barton sitting alone in an empty Martian town, grappling with the relentless Martian winds and the stark silence that surrounds him. He reflects on his solitary existence:

• "[04:18] Old Barton: Yes, 60 years ago, waiting for a rescue ship to come from Earth."

The Mysterious Call

One night, Old Barton receives an unexpected phone call. Initially believing it's a figment of his imagination, he engages in a perplexing dialogue with the caller, who identifies himself as Emil Barton, a much younger version of himself:

• "[05:08] Old Barton: If I could only warn you... Don't wait. Don't become 80."

As the conversation progresses, it becomes evident that Emil Barton is not merely a hallucination but a replication—an advanced recording designed to alleviate Old Barton's loneliness by simulating human interaction.

The Unraveling of Reality

Emil Barton reveals the grim future awaiting Old Barton, urging him to end his prolonged wait to escape the emotional torment:

• "[05:39] Emil Barton: Impossible, Barton. I don't even have a way to tell if you ever get this call."

Old Barton grapples with disbelief and frustration, realizing the depth of his isolation:

• "[08:02] Old Barton: If only you knew what lay in store for you 50, 60 years down the road."

The Conflict Escalates

As years pass within the narrative, multiple versions of Emil Barton emerge, each representing different ages and stages of isolation, creating an army of Bartons that challenge Old Barton's grip on reality:

• "[15:25] Emil Barton: Barton? I'm lonely. I only live when I speak, so I must speak."

Old Barton becomes increasingly desperate, resorting to drastic measures to silence the incessant calls:

• "[17:45] Emil Barton: It."
• "[17:45] Old Barton: All of the towers in this town will have to come down."

The Climactic Rescue

In a climactic turn, a genuine rescue mission arrives from Earth, embodied by Captain Rockwell of Apollo 48. However, confusion ensues as Old Barton struggles to discern reality from the elaborate simulations his mind has constructed:

• "[21:32] Old Barton: Yes, yes, Emil Barton. Who is this?"
• "[21:39] Old Barton: Rockwell?"

Despite his initial skepticism, Old Barton accepts the rescue, only to confront the harrowing realization that his own mind has sabotaged his chance for salvation:

• "[25:28] Old Barton: You."

The episode concludes with a dramatic showdown between Old Barton and the collective Bartons, culminating in Old Barton's final descent into despair:

• "[26:44] Old Barton: Leave me alone."

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Characters

• Old Barton (Emil Barton): An elderly astronaut stranded on Mars, embodying resilience and profound loneliness. His interactions reveal the psychological toll of prolonged isolation.

• Emil Barton: A multifaceted representation of younger Barton's psyche, each version reflecting different stages of coping with isolation. Emil serves as both companion and antagonist, illustrating the complexity of human survival instincts.

• Captain Rockwell: The embodiment of hope and rescue, Captain Rockwell's arrival introduces a critical juncture where reality intersects with Barton's fractured perceptions.

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Themes

• Isolation and Loneliness: The core of the narrative delves into the debilitating effects of prolonged solitude, highlighting the human need for connection.

• Identity and Self-Confrontation: Old Barton's interactions with multiple Emil Bartons symbolize an internal struggle with self-acceptance and the fear of aging.

• Reality vs. Illusion: The blurred lines between genuine rescue and fabricated interactions underscore the fragility of the human mind under stress.

• Hope and Despair: The oscillation between the anticipation of rescue and the descent into despair reflects the precarious balance between hope and resignation.

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Notable Quotes

1. Old Barton on Loneliness:

   • "[05:08] Old Barton: If I could only warn you. If I could only show you how lonely the years are."

2. Emil Barton on Identity:

   • "[04:44] Emil Barton: Yes, but with one difference. You're 80."

3. Old Barton’s Desperation:

   • "[08:40] Emil Barton: Leave me Alone, Go where I am."

4. Emil Barton's Revelation:

   • "[07:23] Old Barton: Yes, it's really me."

5. Captain Rockwell’s Arrival:

   • "[21:32] Old Barton: Yes, yes, Emil Barton. Who is this?"

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Production Credits

Night Call, Collect is a meticulously crafted adaptation featuring:

• Cast:

  • Morgan White
  • Mike McDonough

• Music:

  • Roger Hoffman
  • Greg Hansen

• Production Team:

  • Patrick Mead (Production Assistant)
  • Jeff Raider (Associate Producer)
  • Mike McDonough (Creator, Producer, Director)
  • Dean Van Itert (Executive Producer)
  • Paul Fries (Narrator)

The episode showcases exceptional audio production techniques, immersing listeners in the eerie and desolate environment of Mars. The use of sound effects, ambient noises, and strategic silence effectively conveys the solitude and tension that permeate the narrative.

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Conclusion

Bradbury Thirteen's Night Call, Collect is a captivating installment in Harold's Old Time Radio series, offering a profound exploration of human emotion and resilience in the face of overwhelming isolation. Through its intricate storytelling and compelling performances, the episode stands as a testament to Ray Bradbury's enduring legacy in capturing the human condition within the vast expanse of space.

For aficionados of classic radio dramas and science fiction enthusiasts alike, this episode promises an unforgettable auditory experience that resonates long after the final call.

Transcript

[Nicole Byer]

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[Emil Barton]

Wayfair. Every style, every home.

[Ray Bradbury]

This is Ray Bradbury. Join me for the next 30 minutes on a tour through time and space. Come along to the far future. Follow me into a strange past with stories that almost could be, or might have been real or unreal. This is Bradbury, 13.

[Narrator]

He sat silently. He sat, a man, 80 years old. He sat in an empty house, on an empty street, in an empty town, on the empty planet Mars. He sat as he had sat for 60 years, waiting. Outside, the Martian wind raged, shaking the telephone poles and causing the wires to sing in court. Inside, on the table in front of him, lay a telephone that had not rung for a long, long time. Until now. Ray Bradbury's night call. Collect.

[Old Barton]

The wind, that infernal wind Never stops, never leaves me. A night's peace blowing through the wires all over town. It can't be. It's impossible. No. No. I'm alone in an empty house on an empty planet.

[Emil Barton]

Barton? Barton, are you there?

[Old Barton]

Barton? Why? Why, that's me.

[Emil Barton]

Barton.

[Old Barton]

What?

[Emil Barton]

Barton? Barton.

[Old Barton]

No, it can't be. It can't be. There. It's done. No, not. Not again. It's not possible. Who's there?

[Emil Barton]

Martin?

[Old Barton]

Yes. Yes, this is Martin.

[Emil Barton]

Well, well, do you know who this is?

[Old Barton]

What do you mean, who? The first call I've had in a lifetime, and you want to play games?

[Emil Barton]

I'm sorry. How stupid of me. Of course you wouldn't recognize your own voice on the telephone. Nobody ever does. It's like the first time you heard your voice recorded on a tape recorder. You were disappointed in the nasal affected quality. You heard.

[Old Barton]

What are you talking about?

[Emil Barton]

Barton, this is Barton.

[Old Barton]

What?

[Emil Barton]

Well, who did you think it was? A rescue party from Earth? Did you think we'd finally missed you and came all the way back to get you?

[Old Barton]

No. No.

[Emil Barton]

What's the date?

[Old Barton]

The. The date?

[Emil Barton]

Yes. What year is this?

[Old Barton]

It's July 20, 2097.

[Emil Barton]

2097? Good grief. 60 years. Have you really been sitting there that long, waiting for a rescue ship to come from earth?

[Old Barton]

Yes.

[Emil Barton]

Yes, 60 years ago. Think now, old man. Do you know who I am?

[Old Barton]

Yes. Yes, I. I remember. I remember. We are one. I am Emil Barton and you are Emil Barton.

[Emil Barton]

Yes, but with one difference. You're 80.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Emil Barton]

And I'm only 20.

[Old Barton]

20 years old. Listen to me. Are you listening?

[Emil Barton]

Of course.

[Old Barton]

If I could only warn you. If I could only show you how lonely the years are. Listen to me. End it. Kill yourself. Don't wait. Don't become 80. If you knew what it is to change from what you are to the thing that is me, today, here and now. To come to this end.

[Emil Barton]

Impossible, Barton. I don't even have a way to tell if you ever get this call. It's all mechanical. It's electronics and wires and resistors. You're talking to a recording, nothing more. This is 20, 37. 60 years ago. 60. Yes. Today the atomic war started on Earth. It's. It's a worldwide calamity. All colonials were called home from Mars by rocket. And I got left behind.

[Old Barton]

I remember.

[Emil Barton]

Alone on Mars. Not another living soul. First days, then months, then years. Well, who cares? There's plenty of food. There's hundreds of houses to live in, cars to drive, and millions of kilowatts of self sustaining power. And books. Whole libraries full of them. In my spare time, I've made recordings of words. 10,000 words and responses connected to phone relays. Later on, I'll make phone calls. I'll have someone to talk with.

[Old Barton]

Yes, that's right.

[Emil Barton]

60 years from now, my own tapes will ring me up and talk to me. I don't really think I'll be here on Mars that long. It's. It's just a beautifully ironic idea of mine. Something to pass the time. Is that really you, Barton? Is that really me?

[Old Barton]

Yes, it's really me.

[Emil Barton]

I've made thousands of tapes. Thousands of Barton, sensitive to all questions. In a thousand Martian towns, an army of Bartons all over Mars, while I wait for the rockets to return.

[Old Barton]

You waited 60 years. You grew old waiting alone. And now you've become me. And still alone in the empty cities.

[Emil Barton]

Don't spect any sympathy from me. You're like a stranger off in another country. I can't be sad.

[Old Barton]

If only. If only you knew what lay in store for you 50, 60 years down the road.

[Emil Barton]

I can't cry at that. Because not knowing the future, I can only be optimistic. I'm human now. You're human later.

[Old Barton]

It's insane.

[Emil Barton]

Yes, it is.

[Old Barton]

Stop it.

[Emil Barton]

What is it, old man? Your heart.

[Old Barton]

I never knew you were so heartless. Go away.

[Emil Barton]

Leave me Alone, Go where I am. As long as the tapes glide on, I'll be young and cruel. I'll go on being young and cruel long after you're dead. Goodbye, Barton.

[Old Barton]

Wait a morning. I must have. I must have slept here in this chair all night. Oh, the phone. The voice. I must have been dreaming. A nightmare. Yeah, that's what it was. A silly, stupid nightmare. I'm getting so old, I'm. I'm starting to imagine all sorts of things. One of these days I'll probably think that. Hello? Who's there?

[Emil Barton]

Morning, Barton. Mrs. Barton. 7:00. Rise and shine again. You're to go to Marstown at noon, install a telephonic brain. I thought I'd call you up and remind you. Remember, cheer up. That rescue ship might come tomorrow to save us.

[Old Barton]

Yes, tomorrow.

[Emil Barton]

Tomorrow.

[Old Barton]

I'll let it ring. I don't have to answer it. There's no one there.

[Emil Barton]

Bill.

[Old Barton]

Bill. It's like talking to yourself, but difference. Oh, how different. Hello?

[Emil Barton]

Hello, old Barton? This is young Barton. You took your time answering the phone this time, didn't you? What's the matter? You're going deaf? Well, no matter. I've had a birthday. I'm 21 today. How about that? Now I'm legal. In the last year, I put voice brains in over 200 towns all over the planet. I populated Mars with Bartons.

[Old Barton]

Yes, I remember 60 years ago, rushing into hills and valley valleys with truckloads of equipment. Another day, another telephone or two, or three.

[Emil Barton]

Yes, something to do, isn't it? Something clever and wonderful and sad.

[Old Barton]

That young idiot. That sadistic fool. Never thinking that someday I might reap this awful harvest.

[Emil Barton]

Hey, Barton, guess what? Last night, for my birthday, I went to a movie theater in an empty town. I played an old Laurel and Hardy movie. I laughed my sides off. It was called Saps at Sea. Remember?

[Old Barton]

Yes.

[Emil Barton]

Well, anyway, while I was sitting there alone, I got this great idea. I recorded my voice and multiplied it 1,000 times on tape. I put speakers all over town so it sounded like a thousand people. I put motors on doors so they opened, Opened and slammed shut. Had radios playing. I even found some recordings of children singing and dogs barking and horns honking, all run by timers if I don't look out the window. It's. It's a wonderful illusion. I guess I'm getting lonely.

[Old Barton]

That's. That's the first sign.

[Emil Barton]

What?

[Old Barton]

The first time you admitted you were getting lonely.

[Emil Barton]

And you know what else? I've experimented with smells.

[Old Barton]

Yeah.

[Emil Barton]

As I walk down the street, I Smell bacon and ham and eggs and toast, all from empty houses.

[Old Barton]

That's madness.

[Emil Barton]

No, not madness. Self protection.

[Old Barton]

I'm hanging up now. I'm tired.

[Narrator]

It's.

[Old Barton]

It's too much. I'm being drowned by the past. I've got to get out. Go to town for a walk. Get away from me. The town is dark now and empty. At one time, I. I put the sounds and smells here, but it was all a lie. An electronic, mechanical lie. No, no. Another one. All right, I'm coming. I'm coming. Oh, can't he leave me alone? I'm an old man. I can take this. I'm coming. Can't you hear me here in this house? What?

[Stiles Mackenzie]

We interrupt this program to bring you an important Wayfair message. Wayfair's got style tips for every home. This is Stiles Mackenzie, helping you make those rooms sing. Today's style tip. When it comes to making a statement, treat bold patterns like neutrals go wild like an untamed animal. Print area rug under a rustic farmhouse table. From wayfair.com. this has been your Wayfair style tip to keep those interiors superior.

[Old Barton]

Wayfair.

[Emil Barton]

Every style, every home.

[Nicole Byer]

We interrupt this program to bring you an important Wayfair message. Wayfair's got style tips for every home. This is Nicole Byer, helping you make those rooms flyer. Today's style tip. When it comes to making a statement, treat bold patterns like neutrals go wild like an untamed animal. Print era rug under a rustic farmhouse table. From wayfair.com. oh, fierce. This has been your Wayfair style tip to keep those interiors superior.

[Emil Barton]

Wayfair, every style, every home. Hello, Barton.

[Old Barton]

Oh, what do you want?

[Emil Barton]

Barton? I'm lonely. I only live when I speak, so I must speak. You can't shut me up forever.

[Old Barton]

Oh, leave me alone. Leave me alone.

[Emil Barton]

What is it? My heart. Oh, pity. This is Barton, age 24. Another couple of years gone. Waiting a little lonelier. I've read War and Peace twice. I drunk sherry, run restaurants with myself as waiter, cook, entertainer. Well, tonight I star in a film at the theater. Emil Barton in Love, Sleep, labor, Lost. I play all the parts, some with wigs.

[Old Barton]

Oh, stop calling me or I'll kill you.

[Emil Barton]

You can't kill me. You'll have to find me first.

[Old Barton]

I'll find you.

[Emil Barton]

You've forgotten where you hid me. I'm everywhere. I'm in boxes, houses, cables, towers, even underground. Go ahead, try.

[Old Barton]

I'll kill you.

[Emil Barton]

What'll you call it? Teleside? Suicide.

[Old Barton]

I'll Kill you?

[Emil Barton]

You're jealous, aren't you? Jealous of me? Here. Only 24. Bright eyed, strong, young. Alright, old man. It's war. If that's what you want. Between us. Between me. A whole regiment of us, all ages form against you. The only real one. Go ahead, declare war.

[Old Barton]

I'll kill all of you.

[Emil Barton]

You'll have to find us first.

[Old Barton]

I can still drive this thing. I'll. I'll head south first through the valley. I'll find them and I'll destroy them all. Got a. A pistol, rifles, an old fashioned dynamite. That should do.

[Emil Barton]

It.

[Old Barton]

All right. Where are you hiding in this town? In the poles. In the towers, the boxes, the telephone pole. That's where you are. There. One pole down. Is that where you were hiding? Or maybe you're in the next one, huh? Here, I'll try some dynamite. See how you like. This one, young Barton. Now, all of them. All of the towers in this town will have to come down. All of them. That one. That one. That one. So I got your attention, did I? Hello, Barton.

[Emil Barton]

Handy things, these phone booths. They're all over town. All over Mars. Some of them with underground cables. Just a warning, Barton. Don't try to rip down all the towers and poles in town. It won't do you any good. There's too many of us around. Besides, it would be cutting your own throat.

[Old Barton]

How's that?

[Emil Barton]

Think about it a while. Suppose a rescue ship came down from Earth. After all these years. Suppose it came down tonight? Or tomorrow, next week? What if it landed on the other side of the planet and used the foam to try and call you? Barton, if you destroy them, they'll never know you're alive. Think about it.

[Old Barton]

Here's what I think about it. A rocket won't come. I'm too old. It's too late. But. But what? What if one did come? I'd never know. I'd never know. Great idea young Barton had. Go to the movie. Just a thing to relax and forget. Let's see. Ah, it works. Laurel and Hardy saps a scene. Bring out the buttered popcorn and the juju beans. Excuse me, lady, could you remove your hat? Hey, down in front. Look at those guys, will you? What, again? Now look, can't you leave me alone, please?

[Captain Rockwell]

Who's this?

[Emil Barton]

Who's there?

[Captain Rockwell]

Who is it?

[Old Barton]

Hello?

[Captain Rockwell]

Who is this? Where are you?

[Old Barton]

Wait a minute. Wait. This is barton. Who's this?

[Captain Rockwell]

Mr. Barton?

[Old Barton]

Yes.

[Captain Rockwell]

Emil Barton?

[Old Barton]

Yes, yes, Emil Barton. Who is this?

[Captain Rockwell]

This is Captain Rockwell, Apollo 48.

[Old Barton]

Rockwell?

[Captain Rockwell]

Yes, we just arrived from Earth.

[Old Barton]

No, no.

[Captain Rockwell]

Are you there, Mr. Barton?

[Old Barton]

No, it can't be.

[Captain Rockwell]

Mr. Barton, where are you?

[Old Barton]

You're lying.

[Emil Barton]

Lying?

[Old Barton]

It's you, Barton. Making fun of me. Lying to me.

[Captain Rockwell]

Look, this is Captain Rockwell from Earth. We just landed in New Chicago. Where are you?

[Old Barton]

Green Villa. I. I'm. I'm in Green Villa.

[Captain Rockwell]

Where is that?

[Old Barton]

Well, it's about 600 miles from you. Southeast.

[Captain Rockwell]

Look, Barton, can you come here?

[Old Barton]

What?

[Captain Rockwell]

We've got repairs to make. We're exhausted from the trip. Can you come here? Yes, yes, we're at the field outside town. Can you be here by tomorrow?

[Old Barton]

Yes, but. Well, how's Earth? How's New York? Is the. Is the war over?

[Captain Rockwell]

There'll be plenty of time for gossip when you get here. We've got a six week trip back home. We'll be expecting you by sun up.

[Old Barton]

I'll be there.

[Emil Barton]

They're here.

[Old Barton]

After all these years, they've come back for me. I've got to hurry. Got to get to the car. I'll have to. I'll have to stop and pump some gas in this thing somewhere, but I'll make it. That voice, Captain Rockwell. It couldn't be me 40 years ago. I've never. I've never made a recording like that. Or have I? Maybe I did make a false tape of a false landing with a synthesis synthetic crew and. Captain. No, no, I'm. I'm just being a suspicious old fool. This is no time to doubt. I must run with the moons of Mars all night. Oh, what a party. We'll. Oh, it was worth driving all night. Before we leave, I'll make one last phone call. Hello, young Barton? This is old Barton. I'm leaving for Earth today. I've been rescued. What do you think of that? Sun's not quite up yet. Can't see any lights. Guess I'll honk and let them know I'm here. Hello? Anyone here? Hello? Hello? Hello? It's Barton. I'm here. Maybe there's someone in the office. You'd think they'd be. There'd be somebody up if they're expecting me. Hello? Hello? There's. There's no one here. It's deserted.

[Emil Barton]

I wondered if you'd get there alive.

[Old Barton]

You.

[Emil Barton]

How's your heart, old man? No.

[Old Barton]

No.

[Emil Barton]

Well, I. I had to eliminate you some way so I could live.

[Old Barton]

I'm going out now and blow up every pole and wire I see. I don't care what happens to me as long as you're all dead.

[Emil Barton]

You haven't the strength. Why do you think I had you Travel so fast and so far. This is your last trip. How's your heart now, old man? I can hear you breathing hard. You must be in pain. You'll never make it to the other towns. Face it, Barton. The war is over. I've won. You don't sound well. You better sit down. There. That's better, isn't it? What's that? Another phone. Oh. Business is picking up. You better answer it. Barton. Hello? Barton?

[Old Barton]

No, no, no. Leave me alone.

[Narrator]

Leave me alone.

[Emil Barton]

Hello? Barton? Yes, Barton. This is Barton, age 24. Oh, well, I'm 26. We're both young. Yes. What's happened? I don't know. Listen, congratulate me, Barton. This is my 26th birthday. Well, congratulations. I've just had my 24th. Wonderful. I'll call you later. Right. Till then. Goodbye, Barton. Goodbye, Barton.

[Narrator]

Night Call Collect was adapted from the story by Ray Bradbury. Featured in the cast were Morgan White and Mike McDonough. Original music by Roger Hoffman and Greg Hansen. Production assistant was Patrick Mead. Associate producer was Jeff Raider. Bradbury 13, was created, produced and directed by Mike McDonough. Executive producer was Dean Van Itert. This is Paul Fries speaking.

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