You're traveling through another dimension...
A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind, a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination.
Your next stop, the twilight zone.
Come in, come in.
Good afternoon.
Mr. And mrs. Holt, Mr. Vance.
Mr. Holt, how do you do?
How do you do?
Mrs. Holt, welcome. Welcome to new life.
Please, sit down, right over here.
Make yourself at home.
We're so delighted to have you.
Thank you very much.
Very gentle.
Well, now.
Let's see, uh, you're 79 years old, Mr. Holt.
Yes.
And you, Mrs. Holt?
I'm 74.
I was 74 last may.
Mm-hm. Why don't we just take a look at the medical history?
A great deal of sickness, mr. Holt.
Some.
Sorry to hear that.
Are you in pain now?
Some.
He's in great pain.
It's fairly constant now.
It doesn't seem to let up.
Which is one of the reasons the new life corporation is in existence.
We alleviate pain, mr. And Mrs. Holt.
Oh?
We make it a thing of the past.
Do you know what we deal in?
No.
We deal in youth, mr. And Mrs. Holt.
We deal in new life.
New... yes.
Our stock in trade is simply...
Is simply rebirth.
Re... Rebirth?
Could you...
Could you tell us what is involved?
Easily. The process is quick and painless.
We've constructed other bodies... bodies that are perfect in composition, concept, construction.
Physiologically and psychologically, you'll find that you're just as you are now, but in a different body...
A younger body in the prime of health, physically and emotionally close to perfection.
The lifespan of any one of our human receptacles is roughly 112 years.
A hundred...
Tell me, my dears...
How long have you been married?
Fifty years.
A rich life...
A happy one...
A full one, I'm sure, and you don't want this relationship to end.
No, Mr. Vance, it can't end.
Marie is...
She's all I've got.
She's all I care about, you see.
You're quite right, mr. Vance.
It cannot end.
Of course.
Well, now, why don't I show you some of the models we have?
Models?
Yes.
Models?
So that you can select two that appeal to you.
All right.
Come with me.
Let's have a look at the models.
Wonderful.
Now, this is our, um, youth, or, uh, teenage exhibition.
I'm sure you don't want to go, uh...
That, uh, young, because up here, in our young adults, we have several interesting units...
Right up here on the landing...
That I'm sure would be of, uh, great interest to you.
Thank you, mr. Vance.
You're very welcome.
Now, this is our dual special.
This is the physique of a male approximately 22 years of age.
Notice the height and muscular composition, mr. Holt.
The female component...
We'd like to see these two go as a package.
You note how greatly they complement each other?
Now, the female is roughly 21 years of age, three inches shorter than the male but of equivalent health and potential.
In fact, they show great promise.
Excuse me, I don't quite understand.
How would...? What would happen?
Yes, of course, it's very simple.
Now, we put you to sleep, and then we invest in each of these human replicas the prototypes... Memory bank, personality, continuity.
You will awake in these new bodies and live a lifespan never before dreamed of, and live it with health, contentment and purpose.
And there would be no pain?
I mean, I wouldn't have this...
You remember, mr. Vance, down there, you said there would be no pain.
There will be no pain, Mr. Holt.
For the first time, in how long I can only guess, you'd be free of pain.
You'd be a young man again.
And you, Mrs. Holt... You'd be at his side.
Instead of the end, it would be the beginning.
The beginning.
But let me tell you something about the operation.
Yes, please.
It's so simple, uncomplicated.
You'd be quite amazed.
Do tell us, yes.
It's an electronic process, and quite painless, and very fast.
We attach these two...
Mr. And Mrs. John Holt, aging people who slowly and with trembling fingers turn the last pages of a book of life and hope against logic and the preordained that some magic printing press will add to this book another limited edition.
But these two senior citizens happen to live in a time of the future, when nothing is impossible, even the trading of old bodies for new.
Mr. And Mrs. John Holt, in their twilight years, who are about to find that there happens to be a zone with the same name.
The surfers.
Romping at the beach.
And across the hall...
Cocktail hour.
Bachelor type.
Well, that's our stock on display.
Now, if there isn't anything else that you see here...
Mr. Vance, you're wanted on the videophone.
Of course. Would you excuse me?
But feel free to browse.
Any questions, I'll be right back.
Thank you.
John...
It's like a miracle.
Marie, maybe it's alittle...
Too much like a miracle.
You know, there are...
Just the thought of it...
You know, somehow, it doesn't seem real. I mean, to be young again, to live without pain, to...
Have it all...
All over again, Marie, just you and I... The two of us.
Have it all from the beginning.
From the be...
Listen, I'm gonna ask you a question now.
Do you think you can stand me for a... Maybe for another century?
For a century?
For ten centuries!
Till death do us part, darling.
Well, now, have we chosen?
Yes, Mr. Vance, we've chosen.
Right here, these two...
These young ones here.
Excellent choice... Two of our finest.
As a matter of fact, they're all ready to go.
We could begin anytime.
How about tomorrow morning?
Tomorrow morning!
How about if...?
I am an incredibly bad salesman.
I forgot to tell you one of the most important guarantees.
You can have the transformation for one week on approval.
If you're not satisfied, we exhume your old bodies.
For a one-week period, they remain intact, should you decide...
But you'd be surprised how infrequently that occurs.
We've had better than 98% satisfaction in the 12 years that we have been operating.
Uh... Excuse me, mr. Vance, how much would it cost?
Why don't we discuss that in my office, Mr. Holt?
No, let's find out right now.
How much would it cost, sir?
Well, the entire procedure, $5,000 per body.
For you and mrs. Holt, it would be...
$10,000?
But prorating it, Mr. Holt, that is, by figuring it on the basis of cost per year, I might say it's ridiculously low.
I mean, $5,000 per 100 years of lifespan?
You must see it for yourselves.
It's a very economical figure.
Mr. Vance, here we are.
Here are $5,000.
Now, that's all we've got... These $5,000.
Now, we could make a down payment with this and charge the rest?
After all, I'll be young again, and you said I could work again.
You could take it out of my weekly salary.
Mr. Holt, I-I'm sorry but government regulations prohibit any extension of credit.
The transaction must be in cash.
I'm sorry, you don't understand.
You don't understand, Mr. Vance.
Look, this is all we've got... These $5,000.
That's all we've got in the world.
Mr. Holt, I-i am... I am sorry.
Believe me, I am, but...
These are the rules that I must follow.
Rules?
Yes, sir.
We... We could, of course...
Perform the transference with just one of you.
What?
Yes.
Yes, that's the way it should be.
You have it done, john.
Use the money for yourself and have it done.
I can wait. I wouldn't mind waiting.
Keep quiet, Marie. Now, you keep quiet.
I won't do that. Now, you... Please.
I won't do that ever, darling.
Please. Mr. Vance, I'm awfully sorry, but I just can't do that.
You must understand.
It would have to be both of us or neither of us, you see.
We can't be separated. We belong to each other.
We are no good without each other.
Please, here, take...
Perhaps...
Perhaps... Another time.
Mr. Vance.
I'm terribly sorry.
Please.
Come, john.
Come, darling.
John?
From "rabbi ben Ezra," by browning, remember?
"grow old along with me.
"the best is yet to be:
The last of life, for which the first is made."
dear lord
mr. Farraday?
I'm farraday.
Excuse me.
The bartender told me that...
Go ahead, pop. What did the bartender tell you?
He told me that I could gamble in here.
Oh... Oh, yeah, sure.
There's a game now.
Chair for you. Come on in.
Thank you.
Come on in, pop.
Right over there.
I'll join you myself.
Good evening.
Your... Horse come in?
A horse?
I'm not much for gambling, sir.
Oh.
Well, let's start with a little five-card draw, jacks or better.
Excuse me, mr. Farraday, "jacks or better"?
That means I have to have two jacks...?
You have to have two jacks or better to open.
If nobody has them, then you have to have two queens.
Thank you very much.
It all comes back to me now.
Two queens. Thank you.
You cut them, pop.
Thank you.
I'll open... A hundred.
What's the matter, pop?
You sick?
I'll be all... Be all right, mr. Farraday.
I'm out.
Me, too.
Raise you $500, pop.
You got it pretty bad, eh?
How long?
Last... Last several years.
I'm gonna clean you out. You know that, huh?
Yes.
Yes, I know, mr. Farraday, but...
I... I'll be all right in a minute.
Excuse me. I'm sorry to hold up the game.
No, you're not holding up the game, pop, but...
You are taking a big chance.
Why do you need the money?
Mmm.
No, go on, tell me. I'm interested.
You are?
You see, mr. Farraday...
I wanted to be young again.
Marie and... That's my wife...
Marie and I wanted to have new bodies, but it costs $10,000, and we only had half of it, so I thought maybe...
But I botched it.
I'm no good at this, mr. Farraday.
No good at anything anymore.
Just a...
Tired, sick, old useless man...
Not worth anything to anybody.
You're raised, pop.
Your call, mr. Farraday.
What a pot!
Well, there you have $5,000 to take home with you.
I got three big ones, pop.
Bigger than those, mr. Farraday?
Nope.
Be my guest.
Hmm?
You came with $5,000, you leave with $5,000.
You walk away, pop.
The game's over.
Thank you.
I can't help it, I...
I thank you very much.
L... I just can't help it.
Marie will understand.
Marie will...
I just can't live like this.
I can't live, and I can't die, but this pain, I...
She'll understand.
Yes... Marie will understand.
I... I have no choice.
I just have no other choice.
She always understood.
Thank you, and goodbye, gentlemen.
You should be the one.
This is the way it should be.
Marie, darling, please forgive me.
I just... Can't stand this pain any longer.
Yes, yes, of course, I understand.
Mr. Vance?
John is ready now.
He's all ready.
He's ready for his rebirth.
Now, go ahead, my dear.
They're waiting for you.
Are you, Mr. Holt? Are you ready?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes...
I'm ready.
Yes, yes!
Is his wife waiting?
My husband... Is he all right?
Your husband is just fine, mrs. Holt.
He'll be coming out in a moment.
Mrs. Holt, mr. Holt.
Marie!
Look at me!
Look at me!
See what I can do!
And there's no pain, Marie!
There's no pain at all!
Do you know what happens now?
Do you know?
You and I, you and I, Marie.
Now we'll really begin to live.
We'll do everything on earth that we haven't been able to do:
The big things, the little things, the crazy, illogical things that we were too old, too sick or too tired to do. Do you understand?
Every day is going to be a wedding, every afternoon a reception, and every evening a honeymoon.
And every seventh day an anniversary.
Oh, Marie, my darling, you and I are going to begin to live.
We're going to...
mr. Holt?
I have some papers for you to sign.
Would you step back here with me, please?
Sorry to keep you waiting so long, Mrs. Holt.
John!
Marie.
Marie, darling, if you...
If I have to have occasional pain, amen.
So be it.
I wouldn't want it any other way, darling.
But, uh, I...
"grow old along with me.
"the best is yet to be:
The last of life, for which the first was made."
from kahlil gibran's the prophet:
"Love gives not but itself, and takes not from itself.
"love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love."
Not a lesson, just a reminder from all the sentimentalists in the twilight zone.
Rod serling, creator of the twilight zone, will tell you about next week's story after this message.
And now, Mr. Serling.
Next week on the twilight zone, we tell a story that we think might prove a rather haunting little item in the scheme of things.
It tells of a small Mexican boy and a visitor from another planet.
And it tells further what happens when this extraterrestrial traveler is faced with some of the less personable instincts of human beings, like fear, superstitions and intolerance.
Our story is called the gift.
Mental illness is no longer hopeless.
Act now for prevention and cure.
Support your mental health association.