Lie on the table, Mr. Planetta...
Facedown.
Just a tiny nick...
No more than you might get from the pin of a brooch.
Aah!
There is nothing wrong with your television set.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
We are controlling transmission.
We will control the horizontal.
We will control the vertical.
We can change the focus to a soft blur
or sharpen it to crystal clarity.
For the next hour, sit quietly,
and we will control all that you see and hear.
You are about to participate in a great adventure.
You are about to experience the awe and mystery
which reaches from the inner mind to...
You do not know these men.
You may have looked at them, but you did not see them.
They are newspapers blowing down a gutter on a windy night.
For reasons both sociological and psychological,
these 3 have never joined or been invited to join society.
They have never experienced love or friendship,
or formed any lasting or constructive relationship.
But today, at last,
they will become a part of something.
They will belong.
They will come a little closer to their unrealistic dreams
of power and glory.
Today, finally, they will join the...
I almost said, "the human race,"
and that would have been a half-truth,
for the race they are joining today
is only half human.
Monster!
We are horrid.
We are horrid!
Monster!
Welcome, gentlemen.
The society which you have voluntarily joined
is called "the Invisibles."
It is subversive and illegal.
It is also powerful and large...
And it is ready.
When the Invisibles have become the masters
of everyone and everything
on this planet,
you, the vanguard
of this virile and violent inevitability,
will sit so high
that mankind will come to recognize you
by the lines in the soles of your feet.
You may ask questions.
Are we going to wear uniforms... Sir?
No.
Mr. Planetta?
Will us 3 work together?
You will work alone,
each man in a different city.
You will not see or contact anyone
for any reason whatsoever.
No... No questions, Mr. Spain?
I was wondering
when we were going to see these Invisibles...
And then I realized that if we could see them,
they wouldn't be called Invisibles, would they?
You'll see them, Mr. Spain.
Mr. Castle?
Where did these Invisibles come from, sir?
We were conceived
in the nothingness of space...
Sired by a satyr of cosmic energy...
Formed by the coming together
of sick, nameless nuclei
that waited a billion billion years
for that precise, ungodly moment.
We fell to earth,
and the velocity of that fall
quickened the seed of intellect...
At the same time that it stunted
the evolution of our primitive form.
The Invisibles
are not things for humor, Mr. Spain.
Their victims suffer to the edge of death.
They're never the same again.
Uh, no. I wasn't laughing at that.
I suddenly placed you.
Aren't you the governor of...
I am the ruler of the society
of the Invisibles, nothing less.
Please remove your jackets
and roll up your left shirt sleeves.
Mr. Castle.
Mr. Planetta.
What's that against?
It's a disease virus
from the blood of a host...
That is, a man whose mind and body
have already been invaded.
You see, the creatures will invade and attack
any human being they can get their eager claws into,
except one that has already been invaded.
Since you men are not important enough
to be hosts,
we inoculate you against accidental invasion.
The host must have power, position, influence.
He must be in the heart of things.
At midnight, separately,
each of you will be exposed to a creature.
If your inoculation has taken effect,
the thing will not attach itself...
It will discard you...
But if your body
has resisted the inoculation...
Aah! Mmph!
Spain, what is it?
Who's screaming?
What's happen... shh!
Don't open it.
Shut up.
Who is it? Who's coming?
It looks like Castle.
I guess that's what you look like
when your shot doesn't work
and one of those sick nuclei
gets under your skin.
Spain.
Huh?
Let's run away... You and me!
Oh, man!
You fold up quick, don't you?
No, Spain. Honest!
I just don't want to turn into a thing...
You want to turn into something, don't you,
or do you just want to go on being nothing,
a nobody, a crumb in an empty breadbox?
Hey...
You just wait till those Invisibles take over.
We're the vanguard, right? Huh?
We get our reward.
Yeah, we...
We sit up on top someplace...
Big office, carpets,
ice water...
Oh, and secretaries jumping
whenever you push a button.
Follow me, Mr. Planetta.
Mr. Planetta!
Look, uh...
How about if we go together, him and me,
you know, um... To hold each other up?
We've lost Mr. Castle.
The inoculation failed.
Attachment occurred...
Improperly.
It's not supposed to show...
Like this.
We can't afford to lose another of you...
Certainly not for lack of courage.
Come.
Lie on the table, Mr. Planetta...
Facedown.
Just a tiny nick...
No more than you might get from the pin of a brooch.
Aah!
Johnny, it's more horrible than we could have dreamed.
I heard the screams.
I was afraid it might be you, Spain.
I hated not being able to do anything about it.
Better get that thing out. Let's get started.
Daddy doesn't know I'm out.
Agent number 0021.
Report number... 4.
Time... 4:52 A.M.
14 October.
Arrived at headquarters of organization.
Calls itself "Society of Invisibles."
Head man...
Lawrence K. Hillman,
present governor of this state.
Plan is to invade, to infest key men
in government and industry
with some alien force from outer space that...
That seeps into the human body
and takes over.
Indoctrination classes begin this A.M.
No word where we go, when we go.
I'm zeroing in on neurotic soft spot
of comrade named Planetta.
If I win him over,
you'll hear from him via the kid-brother ploy.
Next report if and when.
Advise you continue "Spain is a leper" routine.
One bad move, and you'll have an invisible in the G.I.A.
Hey, John, you're gonna catch cold in those wet boots.
Take care of yourself.
You'll see pinpointed
the cities in which reside
rulers, subrulers, and directors
of this country's lifeblood.
You'll be sent to one of those cities.
A job has been secured for you
that will keep you
in close and repeated contact
with your target.
Until your opportunity
to perform the attachment arises,
you'll be under constant surveillance.
If you see anyone unknown to us
or contact anyone for any reason whatsoever,
you will be murdered.
We'll meet again at midnight.
Your next class will take place
in the morgue.
There, you will be taught
how to perform
the attachment operation.
It will be a few minutes yet.
We're expecting a new specimen.
You heard references to a procedure
we call "Attachment."
Briefly, it is a plasma physics process
in which two particles stick together
and form a single, complex particle.
A common example is the formation
of a negative ion
from electron attachment to an atom or molecule.
By the same principles, we attach,
or permit attachment,
of an alien, or negative,
to spinal atoms of a human being.
It is a simple procedure,
but it must not be performed carelessly.
A defective attachment can result in deformity.
Ideally, the target
should be lying face downward.
His back should be naked.
A small pin scratch
should be made about here...
And he should be unconscious.
An alien cannot invade a dead man.
We're merely using this corpse
for a demonstration of placement.
Of course, none of these conditions
need be present,
and a successful attachment
can still be made,
either by an expert or by the alien himself...
Or itself, if you prefer.
Hey, what's the matter?
I was thinking about a friend of mine. He...
He got killed once in some war.
That corpse today had on the same kind of boots.
Spain, would you ever lie to me?
I mean, if I was...
Like, you know... A friend of yours.
You could never be my friend.
Why not?
Because when we leave here,
we can never see each other again.
Why can't a couple of buddies
get together and have a few drinks,
meet some girls, laugh it up, you know?
Knock it off.
What's the matter?
Don't act like you like me
when you don't.
No, I like you.
You remind me of my kid brother.
You didn't tell them
you had a brother, did you?
No. They wouldn't have let me join.
Don't you squeal.
Uh-uh. Never.
Look, whatever city they send you to,
you call my brother, see?
You tell him where you are.
Then I'll call him, and he'll tell me.
And I'll knock my target off real fast, see,
if I have to do it in broad daylight.
Then I look you up, we have a night on the town,
nobody's the wiser.
Somebody will be watching us
every minute.
You believe that? Hmm?
Come on. That's scare tactics.
Forget it.
Let's do it, Spain.
OK. Now, remember this number...
184-224-0700.
Right, and when you call, you say,
"is this Spain's kid brother?"
When he says yes,
you tell him where you are.
184-224-0700.
Right. OK.
Let's eat this lousy chow.
In 5 minutes,
one of you will be the first to leave.
This envelope contains the details
of your assignment.
Once outside this building,
the recruiter will read it to you...
Once.
Memorize those details.
We are trusting you with a mission
of incalculable importance.
If our trust seems casual,
if we appear to be the victims
of overfaith,
do not be deceived.
World conquerors sometimes become fools,
but fools never become world conquerors.
Mr. Spain.
Here's your chauffeur's license.
I will give each detail once.
As I speak it, repeat it aloud.
City of assignment...
Who's that?
I just wanted to see if they were...
Wearing uniforms.
City of assignment...
Washington, D.C.
City of assignment...
Washington, D.C.
Name of primal target...
Hillery J. Clarke, General,
chief of advisory board of joint services,
division of U.S. defense department.
Name of primal target...
Hillery J. Clarke, General,
Chief of advisory board of joint services,
division of U.S. defense department.
Home address...
Number 6 Arlington drive, Chevy Chase.
Home address...
Number 6 Arlington drive, Chevy chase.
Thank you, Spain.
Mrs. Clarke,
I haven't met the General yet,
but I was wondering...
Would he receive a request
for a telephone in my room?
Well, I have no idea when he'll be coming home.
Sometime tonight.
Oh. Oh, Spain, would you leave the car?
I may have to go out again... Very soon.
Mr. Spain? Oliver Fair.
I'm social secretary
to General Clarke's comparatively new wife.
I'm in residence here.
Can we talk in your little room?
General Clarke hired you sight-unseen
upon my recommendation.
Oh?
Now can we go in?
Why?
Oh, never mind. We can talk here.
The General will be back about 9:00.
He will have dined, so he'll promptly retire.
His room is connected to his upstairs study.
I've seen it.
I'll keep Mrs. Clarke downstairs until 12:00 or so.
I play fine piano, and I know all the sad songs.
She gets so drunk on sad songs.
Who doesn't?
Mr. Spain...
You'll have an hour or more up there with him,
just the two of you... Alone.
Spain here.
Spain, Mrs. Clarke is ready.
I'll be right there, Mrs. Clarke.
I watch you every minute, Spain.
Am I being a good boy?
So far.
Then I can stay in the club. Hmm?
Can it be fixed?
It's too bad you don't have a telephone
in the car, Mrs. Clarke.
I'll have to hike to the next service station.
But I'm going to be late for my...
My doctor's appointment.
Could I make a call for you
when I get to the station?
No, thank you. It won't be necessary.
0021. This is the first chance I've had to call.
They've been watching me.
Put the chief on, will you?
Chief, did you get the tapes?
Hallelujah.
That means Johnny was clean when they got him.
Any kid-brother calls?
Sforza water & power?
That's here in Washington, isn't it?
That could mean they have quite a few targets here.
Is General Clarke really getting in tonight?
Chief, on telephone: We'd like to stall him,
but we can't take the chance.
Defense department's
peeved at us enough already.
The G.I.A. Isn't supposed to get into
space-age medicine.
Well, I think I'll get another week's grace.
My inoculation runs out tonight,
and when I foul up with Clarke,
they're going to have to give me another shot.
Take care, Spain. No tail on you now.
We never heard of you.
Yeah, I know. Heroes die alone.
Go ahead.
He just made a phone call.
The booth was too exposed.
I couldn't get near enough to hear anything.
He'll be ready tonight, won't he?
He should be ready about now,
but I'll wait until 9:00 or 10:00,
just to be safe.
What is it?
General Clarke?
What do you want, Fair?
What are you doing up at this hour?
It's only after 9:00, sir.
All right, then,
I'll put it this way...
Why are you bothering me?
I thought you'd be eager
to meet the new chauffeur, sir.
Mrs. Clarke seems quite satisfied with him,
but I know how you feel about young men
in responsible positions.
Young?
Spain?
If you'll excuse me, sir, I have to get
back downstairs with Mrs. Clarke.
Come here, Spain.
Friend or foe?
A man doesn't get very far being his employer's foe.
More pay, more friend?
That's life in these United States.
I knew when I married my wife
that I was what the brain boys called
a "Father image."
What I didn't know
is that she hated her father.
Keep a mental record
of every address you drive her to.
Maybe you drive her
to those addresses, General.
You may be right.
Spain...
Don't pity me.
I've helped win wars.
I forgot my cap.
All right, now,
don't panic, don't panic.
General?
I wanted to tell you
that I approve of the new chauffeur.
Spain.
Yes, sir?
Come here.
My wife's social secretary
would never speak to me that way,
would he, Spain?
No, sir.
I'm not going to kill you.
Man may kill those he loves,
but he rarely kills those he needs.
General?
Get the thing. Bring it here.
We suspected what you were
when we recruited you, Spain.
That's why you were assigned to me.
If we were wrong, no harm done.
If we were right...
And we were...
You will kindly remove
your jacket and shirt.
So now we shall have an Invisible
in the government intelligence agency.
Your inoculation's worn off, you know.
I know.
It's all happening so fast...
So much faster than I expected.
All over this rich, great country,
hosts in all the right places...
Men like Senator Springer,
Wilson Greenburg,
Billy...
Men in places so high,
no one would believe how high they are.
Yes!
Yes, Master. Oh!
I know.
I...
I am vainglorious.
I... I say too much!
I endanger us all.
Oh!
Oh...
Spain!
He's killed it.
It's dead!
Oh! Oh!
Oh, I didn't even... I didn't see you!
A hospital...
Help me. Help me!
Help me.
I'll get my husband. I'll get my husband.
No. No!
No! Don't!
Unh...
Aah!
How he killed it
is unimportant, Governor.
What matters is,
we need another, quickly.
Send anyone you like,
just so he gets here quickly.
All right.
Waiting is bad. Spain must be killed.
And kill our chance to infiltrate the G.I.A.?
He'll come to and start screaming.
Nothing is as dangerous as a man in pain.
Who's going to hear him? Only you and I.
My wife.
I control her, General.
Take my shoe off.
All right. Easy.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
Go ahead... ooh!
Oh...
Oh!
Why don't you call a police ambulance?
Can't you?
Mr. Fair has tapes
of private conversations between me
and someone I don't wish to see destroyed.
A friend...
Who loves me.
Hmm.
Put the shoe on.
But the swelling!
The shoe will never go on.
Put it on!
Oh...
Oh!
No!
Planetta?
Planetta!
Is Planetta around?
Down there. Shed 49.
He got here.
Right.
Planetta!
Genero!
It's me... Spain!
Oh...
You were the only one I could trust.
Genero... The nearest one.
I couldn't drive.
Almost hit another car.
Might have killed myself.
Aah!
Oh...
Lie down, Spain.
Tell me later.
Have to get... To Virginia.
Cross bridge.
Genero, get a car.
Rest, Spain.
Who's Virginia, Spain?
Headquarters...
G.I.A.
I'm gonna take your shoe off.
No. No.
No.
No! Aah!
Uhh...
Genero, call Chief.
Tell him to send car to you...
Tonight.
Wait till it's dark.
Oh...
City of assignment...
Washington, D.C.
Name of primal target...
Luis B. Spain, agent,
United States government intelligence agency.
I didn't want to, Spain,
till they told me what you were.
Then I saw you had lied to me, conned me!
No, Genero. No.
I... I was trying to help you.
I didn't want you to do
what they were trying to make you do!
When I like somebody,
when they trick me,
I just want to beat them up...
And beat them up till they're all beat up!
I liked you.
No!
Planetta!
Help me!
Please, help me!
Planetta!
Kill it! Kill it!
There's a phone in the first doorway.
Call an ambulance.
Look the other way, Spain.
We've got a lot of work to do.
They're all over, everywhere.
We'll never get them all.
We'll get them all.
Ooh.
We caught up with Mr. Fair.
He's cooperating.
Let's get out of here.
You do not know these men.
You may have looked at them, but you did not see them.
They are the wind that blows newspapers
down a gutter on a windy night...
And sweeps the gutter clean.
We now return control of your television set to you
until next week at this same time
when the control voice will take you to...