S2 E3: L.M.O.E.

brothers and big sisters who can hear mothers. It's Helen Huntley's Christmas is just around the corner. It can't be. I've got an idea. Why not create a major scene. It is whatever scraps of paper or pipe cleaners or any items you might have hand. She's talking about shelter and getting through this. The power of the Christ Child is in his story, not in the decorations. Tell that story to your family. It is good to hear her voice again, isn't it. If you're one of our Jewish

families here in New Cannan. I know you're listening to Helen Huntley is a lie. Of course she is. She's here in New Canaan. I'd like to thank the Civil Defense and Conald Rad for allowing me to give anything to watch a cartoon right now, unexpectedly here. I hope

to spend more time with you in the hours ahead. Okay, I just know it to the time when this is all over, and I can come into your homes just like I used to, and we can have a cup of tea, share a laugh for two, and go back to building the perfect home for ourselves and our families. Give her ten seconds until next time. Ready, norm May you be held within the protective embrace of our creator. Three and cut nor. The following is an emergence. We are states away, American and we will see you back

here into the today. Governor Shelton federal government officials within a secure bunker at an under closed location and provided them with assurances that the State of Alabama, while devastated by the unprovoked atomic attack, was continuing to function through the proper reallocation of its resources and the efforts of state and local public servants as well as civilian volunteers. Reports continue to come in from public shelters, with new names being added to the list of survivors every hour

and transmitted via teletype or radio every six hours. Stay tuned to this station for regular updates. November Golf niner Romeo India Tango zero one niner one. We will have the latest atmospheric report at the bottom of the hour. For the next twenty minutes, we will observe radial silence to obstruct Soviet efforts to track the location of our transmitter. If nothing lives on this planet, are you ghosts if you wish to cause that. My name is quasar One.

Welcome Quaid our one. If only you had come sooner. I came as quickly as I could. He didn't expect the end of the world to come so uckly. Who could have predicted the fools with with their cook guns They couldn't wait to use them. Do you have guns? No, you were the scientific minds like you. Our mission was to preserve life. That they would not listen. They'd never listen. I wish there was something I could do to help. Well, if you must know there is, tell me we must

turn off your radio. But why because they must not know what it is we want you to do. If they heard the shift, they would never allow it, and maybe I shouldn't. It is a desperate mission. Never restore life into Helios three. You, I will restore life to Helios three, not just people, but the animals. The plans you will leaves, sire, And if you want to to hear, you must turn off your communicator. Are you hearing this? Yes? And you are instructed to turn around, to get back

in your ship and prepare for return launch. I should at least hear them out. Look around you, quays or one, you are the only living creature on their planet. I forbid you to turn off your radio. Return to your capsule. Now tell her zeptron zeptron any time. Aren't you even a little bit curious? That settles it? No, do not turn off your communicator. Pois are one? Do you hear me? I forbid you to turn off for I will do as you ask, if you will reveal the mission to me.

In Emergency operating centers M some time is itytions. There are no more than two thousand centers almost ten fighters to go back to sleep. They're called authorities all the civil defense activities. Yes, it's him, and everybody want to Yes, will be the focal point for gathering all civil defense information and more controlling and direct Miss Langford actions I'm here, basics, Why are you sitting in? Becky was taking a nap and I didn't want to waste candles. It's okay, sweetie,

just stay here. He still don't let him see your scared. Get back outside, rass. I'm sorry about that. He's not used to my having lady visitors up here. Don't be scared, Becky. He just needs a little more time to get to know you. He's half German shepherd, half pussy cat. I promise you that. How are things in town? Not good? Getting worse? I'm afraid? But is someone with you? Yeah? I thought you too much like a little company. Uh? This here is a low rang Hello Lorraine. And I

told you wouldn't be about yourself up het. I mean this here's miss Langford. But but you can call her Dory right of course. That's her little girl over here, Rebecca. Nice to meet you, clean honorable women. Ain't that right? Miss Langford? M yes, you want you want to sit? Huh? Don't? Don't you want to sit? And she's a she's still a little shook up. What happened to her? Do you know? Not exactly fellas she was in the car with he he was killed, but I wasn't there when it happened.

My gracious, she must be in shocked. Yeah, I bet you're right. Maybe hearing friendly ladies voice will make you feel better. Speaking of which, we heard Helen Huntley on the radio today. Do you watch Helen Huntley? Lorraine? Um, Mom, I don't think she watches Helen Huntley. No, uh, Becky, I'm sorry, Angel Blondie didn't mean to scuse you know. It's fine looks so I'm heading back. You're going back again? And then, please, you gotta get some rest. Can I

get you a cup of coffee? It's only freeze dry, but it's pretty good. They got coffee and food at the guard station, so I can always swing by there if I, you know, if I need to be careful noon. And I know you want to be everybody's hero, but sometimes you need to take care of yourself. Okay checks mss lame for Dory, Dory, Thank you for you can. You're quite welcome. We may run short of supply from time to time, but kindness is one thing we should

never run out of. Mr Langford, Yes, oh please Wayne, come in, have a seat. I wanted to apologize for my little show of emotion back there. I'm sorry the staff had to see that. I'll be fine for my next broadcast. No more tears, and you won't see a spectacle like that again on or off the air. We're gonna get through this, I give you my word. It's difficult to remain hopeful not knowing how long this might go on or how much worse it could get. Surely

you're not hopeless, your Helen Houtley. Oh, I can hang a happy face on just about anything, but hearing those words coming out of my mouth words I had trouble believing. Well, you may be in a shelter, don't take that to mean that we're down for the count. Consider it more of a standing eight, standing eight. What's that you see? I'm an idea man. I've developed a number of programs that have more strategic value than mere survival. Well, I'm

not sure I understand. It was my dream to take something that would seem to represent defeat and turn it into a symbol of strength and resilience, to weaponize the shelters. You're going to you're going to tell me about this weaponized shelter concept. Better than that, I'm gonna show you several days past and still Nightingale received no communication from Quaisar one, marooned on the lifeless planet known as Helios three until one day, Capsule and open your highness. Someone

is climbing in the quaiser wise consul? Is it her? I still unable to reach her space suits communicator? Once, she sayside, she should be able to hear me through the ship's radio. Quaisar one, can you hear me? Nightingale to Quasar one, Please respond, I hear you, mother, It's her exeptron. Assume remote navigation now, Quaisar one. We thought you were dead. What happened to your suits communicator? It's been reprogrammed by home, by the ghosts of Helios three.

Have you gone mad? It's a miracle you survived. Strip yourself in and we'll bring you home. Uh er, what is it? Remote navigation appears to be disabled, quays Are one. I'm not coming home, mother, not coming home. I will eventually after I've completed my mission. But my dear you arrived too late. You did everything you could. Now there's one more thing I can do. And what is that? Answer me? Quays are one, Just a little detour control panel to change the course of Helios creal. Where are

they sending you? Not where? When I your reaers in return for no plays are one? No no, no. Time is not blast. You cannot reshape it to satisfy yours. So the arrangements have already been made. It won't take long. I'm going back to Helio's three, before the devastation. I won't permit you to throw your life away to save a planet too foolish to save itself. It's so side. I'm sorry, mother. The decision is mine and it's been made. Think for a moment. If you're going into the past,

how can you possibly return? You might be going to a time when the technology does not yet, when the planet is saved, I can modify my ship to relaunch and return to the present. They programmed all the technology into my space suit. Wait, you allowed them access to your suit? Yes, stand by. That's not good. They killed an entire planet, and now all they can think of doing is killing one more. Mother. They explained everything to me. I trust them completely. Everything made sense. I want to

make you proud, mother. Prompt ready for launch, Come home quais are one? Simply aboord the launch. Stay inside the capsule with the hatchet closed. I'm sure within an hour or two Zeptron will have figured out a way and allow my first mission to end in failure. I don't want your life to end in failure. Quais are one? Do you hear me? Abort the launch? Hi? Quais are one? Please do everything you can. Try to reach the capsule. If we can get access, we could reprogram everything while

she's in flight. How long will her journey take? She's already there, already there, well, she never left Helios three. She's there now. She um she got there two d fifty years ago. We can still talk to her a quarter millennium in the past. How it has to do with the protonic energy It would take me too long to explain it. I recommend we just try to reach her now, go ahead. Nightingale to quais are one our communicators, and I've often wondered if we could one back in time?

Can you hear me? We just had no one on the other hand to talk to? Huh, Quais are one? This is Nightingale. Come in, Quais are one? Nightingale to quays are one? Can you hear us? Will ways are one successfully traveled back in time? And if So what will she find when she travels to the helios three of the past. Can she affords the destruction of life on the planet, will she ever be able to return to Nightingale? Or the answer to these and other questions.

Tune in for the next exciting episode a Marakulk production. This is the communications room at the e o C where someone sits at the short wave radio twenty four hours a day, usually in three shifts. Hi, what's your name on Broadney Blundin's And what do you do when you're not operating the radio? I work in a hardware store here in New canaan Ham. Radio is just one of my hobbies, so when they were looking for volunteers, it was pretty easy for me to get the job. Now,

is the radio your only responsibility, No, ma'am. I also manage our educational materials. Now what sort of materials would that be? Some of the equipment, like the decimeters, have their own operations manuals. Plus there's a shelter operations manual, and there are some sound recordings as well. UH music if we need to calm our nerves, some nursery rhymes for the children, and UH instructions for some of the more advanced shelter functions. Could I hear one of those?

Of course? I just place the disk here. M H. Wind the gramophone? Now why is it hand cracked instead of electric? So it can still be played if we lose electrical power. Collect here, I'll play a little Civil Defense audio disc series c h A V disc two side A mother goose rhyme Old King Cole was a merry old soul, and a merry old soul was he. He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl, and he called for his fiddler. Three. So these are records for children with me? This one is, but not

all of them. King Cole was a merry old soul, and a merry old soul was he. He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl, and he called for his fiddlers. Do you have any Elvis Presley or rolling stones in there? No? Nothing like that, Thank Heaven can excuse me. And she's doing such a good job, isn't she ever thought I'd see her working in person? So here's one of the records for adults, Conflict resolution and compromise. Oh that sounds terribly interesting. Some of the

fens audio instructions. Can I get the keys to the EOC storage room. Oh it's unlocked. No need to prop out the vent under the circumstances. But do you have the key to lock it? But the storage room is mentor in limited? Sorry, I have the key topics. I have it for the proper management of I suppose is there some reason you don't have key? Please? Okay, well here, I'll take the key off and you can return it.

It is important that ideas be shared in a calm, rational way and that there be an impartial arbitrator to help settle these disagreements. Fascinating, just fascinating. Thank you for taking the time to show us your office. It's been a pleasure. The communications office is only one of the many ways that the Civil Defense is keeping our community

united and functioning during these uncertain times. In my next segment, i'll find out what's for dinner as we meet the crew in charge of keeping the shelter residence well fed. Thank you again for allowing me into your home, and I look forward to spending more time with you, whether it's here in the shelter or once we're safely back at home. And now I returned the microphone to Connell Rad for the latest bulletins and advisories. Hello, can you hear me? You don't have to wake up if you

don't want to. We just need to make sure you're okay. Mm hmm, Mom, she's looking at me. Hi, Lorraine, I'm Rebecca. This is my mom, Doris. We we just wanted to say hello and make sure you're okay. Okay? Are you injured? All ranna truck off the road? Do you need to go to a hospital? I just came from the hospital. Is that how you came to meet Mr noon In? Come on, mom? What well you're in the hospital? They s tissed me up. I said, it wasn't serious concussion

And your boyfriend she's stole there. I guess did he survive? Beky? I think so. Nobody's told me other wise. I never saw him once we were inside this morning. They told me I needed to leave the hospital because I had to get ready for all the wounded, all the wounded from this war or whatever it is. Did you see any wounded? Was it people from the outlaw? I told me I needed to go to a shelter, and Noonon was there and he volunteered to take me. Volunteer to

take you to a shelter. Yes, and he brought you here instead. That's right. The shelters are too crowded. Listen that I need to sleep. You're sure you okay, I'm sure, I'm okay. I just really need to close my eyes. I guess it's okay, mom, Sure, thank you? So Mr Langford, do all government idea men keep their secret weapon hidden in the supply closet? Should I be concerned about what skip it? So? These are core supplies, backups of backups, and when I'm looking for is usually placed in a

box in the deepest corner. So it's one of the last boxes opened. And what is inside this secret box? If you whould be able to work my way all the way acts should be? Yes, there it is right where I told them to put it, all right here. I lift it out and you pull okay, sure, just slide it over there. Okay? Can we open it? And it won't hurt us to take a look. Now I'm allowed to see it. It was put there so it would eventually be discovered to open it to see what's inside.

The first case contains the instructions heavy instructions another record player. M hmm, you must have gotten a deal, Grandma phone. They were my idea. They run on the spring that crank and instead of electric g amplification, that uses a diaphragm, a dia am in case is no electricity. Yeah, clearly you didn't tune into this afternoon's broadcast. And here's what I've been telling you about. Mm hmm mhmm Elmo l

m o E l m o E pronounced Elmo. Civil Defense Audio Instruction Series disc l m o E A if you were listening to this disk, and what does ELMO do when the l m O Elmo launches full scale nuclear owner attack. This l m o E device only by the highest rank sends every remaining the listric missile in America is the nuclear arsenal and the one way flight over the Iron Curtain then devastated by nuclear attack. You see, l m o E. Project ELMO stands for

last Man on Earth. It is intended for use if you believe you are either the highest ranking or perhaps the only American alive at this moment. You see, the United States is a government. Are you telling me that it's a most important? That's genius of Project Elmo. There isn't just one button there's one in the white huts. Several desks of generals about two spread across the country, so they'll be accessible to the better bid in the event of an emergence. You know what, I'd rather we

didn't open that. It's okay, it's not gonna go off. Still, I'd feel much more comfortable if you see that switch right over there. You have to open on an interval dial in a code number. But once you do that, yeah, that little switch would wipe out the Soviet You are, China, Japan, last, Europe, pretty much every recording. But don't worry. Even if you flip the switch, it wouldn't work. Hold on, hold on, let me try to follow you on this. You have

two hundred missil anchers hidden embasements across the country. That's right, don't work. They weren't worked now, but on the proper circumstances, wipe that. The Eastern Humistry Operations l m o E. The Last Man on Earth program was designed on two points. One did every American should have the authority to launch a full scale retail editory strike if there is no longer an armed forces chain of political command has been a ematicated. This average American would have the right to

make that decision work. Until that's supposed to work, the unit transmits a signal that is picked up by air. Those signals are retransmitted up the existing chain of command. There's military base. If they receive a launch code and know that there's no attack coming, they just kill the signal fells alarmed. But if that base has been hit, then the signal automatically bounces to another military base and

another Everyone has the opportunity to cancel. But if no one cancels, if the network goes down and the signal was allowed to travel all the way to the top, then the missiles well fired. Eventually the missiles will find of the US armed force. What's the second principle if none of these offices is available, that the Russians don't

want to die any more than we do. So if we get bombed in Colorado Springs and Cheyenne Mouth, it's rather saying I'd say you're the acronym will be mutually assured construction personal we prefer the term automatic mutual annihilation. American submarines off the coast of Russia, armed with nuclear warheads will be given the attack order and they will be compelled by duty to carry out the command. What I'm about to tell you is strictly confidential the E

l M. And I'm sharing this information with you. We encourage you because I believe the moment can be industry or in actions and how this information is sharing a prayer and received. The fate of humanity, the average American very well rest in your hands. Yes, what if I told you wish to continue that America has not for instructions on how to m What if I told you that it was all an elaborate exercience designed to test our readiness and expores any weaknesses in our defense. Wait? Wait,

cities have been destroyed. Have you seen it with your own eyes? No, because it's too dangerous to A military plane crashed into Baker's Ridge, a decommissioned B five heavy which the Army was planning to scrap. I convinced them to agree to a controlled crash landing in an unpopulated area. The US Army, Army, Air Force, National Guard, Office of Civil Offense, it goes all the way up. They're all part of this conspiracy exercise, or if you want to

call it by its official name, OPAL. All contained within the valley where the military has set up communications blockade, the first of its kind. My idea, why are you sharing these secrets with me? In three days, we're going to sound the all clear. And since you've become such an impressive communicator keeping the world calm during an apocalypse, we would like for you to continue being the face of civil defense and to continue carrying our messages preparedness,

defense and a means of retaliation. So this, this whole thing is a big commercial for the Last Minute on Earth program. Just think of us as another one of your sponsors. So three days from now, wouldn't you sound the all clear. I'll be the one to stand in front of a camera and explain that it was all an exercise. People will respond to the announcement more favorably if it comes from you. I mean, the character you play, an enterprising woman like you, should welcome the chance to

get out of Eden Valley. What's wrong with Eden Valley? Nothing much. I'm sure there are benefits to being cut off from the rest of the world, But once cable comes over that mountain, New Canaan won't even be a small pond anymore. Time for us to get out the control Group is a production of iHeart Radio, written and directed by Brett Wood, recorded and mixed by Rob Gall, featuring Tess Malice Kincaid, Alexandra Vicken, Hannah Bierman, Minka Wiltz,

Mary Kraft, Tim Habigger and Keith Brooks. Music composed and performed by Rob Gall. The executive producer is Ben Bolen, Supervising producer Paul Deckett.