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The Time Machineby H.G.Wells Part 1 ANNOUNCER: Tired of the every day routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you...ESCAPE! Escape with us now, to the year one-hundred-thousand and eighty (10080); and a world where beauty and terror live side-by-side. As H.G. Wells describes it in his immortal story, "The Time Machine". The story opens with a conversation between two men, George Wells and David Filby. DAVID: George, you must be mad! A Time Machine?
GEORGE: Yes, my friend, a time machine. DAVID: This thing? GEORGE: This very thing. DAVID: This contraption ? This is the result of three years hard work? GEORGE: I promise you, David, that on this machine, a man can go wherever he likes in time. By working these controls, a man can choose his century, his year, his very day.
DAVID: Oh for. . .really, you're not serious, old man. GEORGE: Time is only a kind of space. If we can move around in all the other dimensions of space, why not in time too? DAVID: Oh, it's impossible. Out of the question. GEORGE: Well, what of the journeys I've already taken on this little contraption? DAVID: I'm afraid you've been having a bad dream. GEORGE: Very well, you shall have proof, my friend. DAVID: How? GEORGE: Just climb on , David. Sit in the seat beside me, face these dials, and I'll take you for a little journey. DAVID: Well, you, you mean right now? GEORGE: Right now.
DAVID: Aren't there things we need to do first? GEORGE: Any preparations? No David. You won't need any luggage on this trip, not even a toothbrush. You'll be back here in my laboratory in less than a minute. [GEORGE AND DAVID GET INTO THE MACHINE] DAVID: Alright, I'm on . Now what? GEORGE: Hold on tight. I'd hate to lose you. DAVID: Don't worry . . . I can't be frightened, George. GEORGE: Then you're braver than I am. Tell me, what time is it? DAVID: It's ... um ... just twelve-noon. GEORGE: Before we start I want to change this control a bit. [THE MACHINE MAKES SOME STRANGE NOISES] GEORGE: Hmm DAVID: Is, um, is everything okay? GEORGE: Tell me, did you notice anything, just then? DAVID: Only a noise, a humming noise, nothing else. GEORGE: And what time is it? DAVID: You just asked me old man, it's twelve ... that's odd, my watch says eleven o'clock. I was sure it was noon a moment ago. There must be something wrong with it. GEORGE: It's only that I touched the lever to test it, and we've gone forward a full day. Twenty three hours, at any rate. DAVID: Yes, but, George. . . GEORGE: (INTERRUPTING) Now, do you believe me, David? DAVID: Yes, yes, I think I do. GEORGE: Then hold tight, this will be the real journey. DAVID: I'm ready George. GEORGE: Good man. Well, say goodbye, David. Say goodbye to eighteen-hundred and ninety-nine (1899).
[DAVID DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENED NEXT] DAVID: The walls of Dr. George's laboratory suddenly disappeared. Night was speeding after day. I saw the sun, racing across the sky ... going from sunrise to sunset every second. And every second was a day.
I saw the moon spinning from new moon to full moon, all in a blink of an eye. Trees grew and blossomed like puffs of smoke, and then passed away. And all this time we were going faster and faster. Now our pace was a year a second. And still we went faster, into the future. GEORGE: (YELLING OVER NOISE) How do you feel, DAVID? DAVID: Very weak, very dizzy. GEORGE: Don't let go, don't fall off! DAVID: Where are we? How far have we come? GEORGE: We're in eight hundred and two thousand, seven hundred and one (802701)!
DAVID: That's enough! Stop it! I can't stand it any more. Stop it! [GEORGE SLOWS THE MACHINE AND STOPS] GEORGE: DAVID, you alright? DAVID: Yes, I. . .I believe so. No broken bones. What happened. GEORGE: I'm not sure. I must have stopped too suddenly. DAVID: Where are we, George? GEORGE: Look around for yourself. A wide lawn, a beautiful, vast garden. . .
DAVID: I meant, where are we on earth? GEORGE: Just where we were when we started. Where my laboratory stood ... but the year is 802701. [DAVID DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENED NEXT] DAVID: It seemed absolutely incredible. A dream. And a pleasant one, for the garden in which we found ourselves was beautiful and summery, with an unexpected perfume in the air. In the distance we could see a large and important looking building, and everything was quiet and peaceful.
But almost too quiet and peaceful. It was all so strange. So very, very strange! GEORGE: Eight hundred and two thousand, seven hundred and one . David, do you want to go back? DAVID: Yes. I think I do. GEORGE: Okay, let's go back to our own place and time. [THERE IS A STRANGE NOISE] DAVID: George! GEORGE: From over there, in the bushes. DAVID: It sounded human. GEORGE: Come on ! [GEORGE AND DAVID RUN OVER TO WHERE THEY HEARD THE SOUND] DAVID: Why, it's a child! Seems to be a young girl!
GEORGE: There's been an animal here of some kind that struggled with her--look at the marks on her arm. DAVID: (speaking to the girl) Now, my dear, you'll be alright now, we won't harm you. DAVID: (speaking to George) Of course she wouldn't understand English. GEORGE: She's motioning us to go with her. DAVID: What about the animal? Did you see it? GEORGE: No, I didn't. It was too fast for us. DAVID: Perhaps we'd better go back, George. The girl seems to be alright now. GEORGE: Do you think that we should leave her like this? DAVID: Yes, yes, I've had enough. GEORGE: Well they haven't old man, because they're here, all around us.
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