Date: august 7th 2018
George Wells/narrator POV:
next morning i had a phone call from ogilvy that there is a gathering of people arriving at wilmuths farm in grovers mill, i got dressed as fast as i can and made my way over to where the crowd may be going.
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
Daisy Williams: good morning everybody im Daisy Williams...
Sade Barnard: and im sade barnard and here we have with us is the latest bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News. Toronto, Canada: Professor Morse of McGill University and NASA Officials reported sighting of a total of three explosions close to the planet Mars, between the hours of 7:45 P. M. and 10:20 P. M., eastern standard time. This confirms earlier reports received from American observatories.
Daisy Williams: Now thats intersting, and nearer home, comes a special report from Trenton, New Jersey. It is said that yesterday at 8:50 A. M. a huge, flaming object, believed to be a meteorite, fell on a farm in the neighborhood of Grovers Mill, New Jersey, twenty-two miles from Trenton. The flash in the sky was visible within a radius of several hundred miles and the noise of the impact was heard as far north as Elizabeth. We have dispatched a special mobile unit to the scene, and will have our commentator, Carl Phillips, reporting LIVE at the farm of grovers mill after these commercials.
George Wells/narrator POV:
as i was on my way to grovers mill i suddenly notice news and army helicopters hovering towards the destination im reaching and i notice people walking and driving towards grovers mill, i was surprised that ogilvy was right... there were indeed people gathering at grovers mill. i ran to the landing site of where the cylinder appeared but i grew tired and exhausted due to running, but there was a lot of commotion going on at grovers mill and i have get there as fast as possible but then i notice a few police cars driving towards the site and there were groups of people carrying posters and welcome signs in order to celebrate and welcome the arrival of the cylinder that landed.
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
Daisy Williams: we are back and we are taking you live to grovers mill as Charlie Phillips will be reporting in the scene with professor pierson.
Charlie Phillips: thank you daisy and sade, this is Charlie Phillips again, at the Wilmuth farm, Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Professor Pierson and myself made the eleven miles from Princeton in ten minutes. Well, I . . . I hardly know where to begin, and as you can see before your eyes, its like something out of a modern "Arabian Nights." Well, I just got here. I haven't had a chance to look around yet. I guess that's it. Yes, I guess that's the . . . thing, directly in front of me, half buried in a vast pit. Must have struck with terrific force. The ground is covered with splinters of a tree it must have struck on its way down. What I can see of the . . . object itself doesn't look very much like a meteor, It looks more like a huge cylinder. It has a diameter of . . . what would you say, Professor Pierson?
PIERSON (OFF-MIKE): What's that?
Charlie Phillips: What would you say . . . what is the diameter?
PIERSON: About thirty yards.
Charlie Phillips: About thirty yards . . . The metal on the sheath is . . . well, I've never seen anything like it. The color is sort of yellowish-white. Curious spectators now are pressing close to the object in spite of the efforts of the police to keep them back and it appears that among the spectators are groups of people with signs and welcome to earth posters, its as if they think the cylinder is some sort of spacecraft. They're getting in front of my line of vision. Would you mind standing to one side, please? any way we'll be interviewing Mr. Wilmuth, owner of the farm here. He may have some interesting facts to add . . . Mr. Wilmuth, would you please tell our television viewers at home as much as you remember of this rather unusual visitor that dropped in your backyard? Step closer, please. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mr. Wilmuth.
WILMUTH: Well, I was watching my T.V.
Charlie Phillips: Closer and louder please.
WILMUTH: Pardon me! Charlie Phillips: Louder, please, and closer.
WILMUTH: Yes, sir - while I was watching my T.V. and kinda drowsin', that Professor fellow was talkin' about Mars, so I was half dozin' and half . . .
Charlie Phillips: Yes, yes, Mr. Wilmuth. Then what happened?
WILMUTH: As I was sayin', I was watching my T.V. kinda halfways . . .
Charlie Phillips: Yes, Mr. Wilmuth, and then you saw something?
WILMUTH: Not first off. I heard something.
Charlie Phillips: And what did you hear?
WILMUTH: A hissing sound. Like this: sssssss . . . kinda like a fourt' of July rocket.
Charlie Phillips: Then what?
WILMUTH: Turned my head out the window and would have swore I was to sleep and dreamin.'
Charlie Phillips: Yes?
WILMUTH: I seen a kinda greenish streak and then zingo! Somethin' smacked the ground. Knocked me clear out of my chair and it felt like an earthquake started!
Charlie Phillips: Well, were you frightened, Mr. Wilmuth?
WILMUTH: Well, I - I ain't quite sure. I reckon I - I was kinda riled.
Charlie Phillips: Thank you, Mr. Wilmuth. Thank you.
WILMUTH: Want me to tell you some more?
Charlie Phillips: No . . . That's quite all right, that's plenty. there you have it thats our interview with Mr. Wilmuth, owner of the farm where this thing has fallen. here you can see... the atmosphere . . . the background of this . . . fantastic scene. Hundreds of cars are parked in a field in back of us. Police are trying to rope off the roadway leading to the farm. But it's no use. They're breaking right through. Cars' headlights throw an enormous spot on the pit where the object's half buried. Some of the more daring souls are now venturing near the edge and there seems to be more fanatics who have come to welcome our visitor. Their silhouettes stand out against the metal sheen.
Sade Barnard: um charlie sorry to interrupt but we have a helicopter arriving at the scene so we'll be having a skywatch live on stream video online, be sure to watch on youtube live and our facebook page and our viewers will be watching this extraordinary scene live online, back to you charlie.
Charlie Phillips: thanks Sade but im afraid theres more commotion going at the scene, It seems like one man wants to touch the cylinder, but he's having an argument with a policeman. The two policeman are able to keep him back . . . . Now wait a second, there's something I haven't mentioned in all this excitement, but now it's becoming more distinct. Perhaps you've caught it already.
Sade Barnard: wait charlie you say that you hear something but we can't hear anything can you get closer so we can hear?
Charlie Phillips: Do you hear it now guys?
Daisy Williams: a little, but what can you describe what we're hearing?
Charlie Phillips: well daisy it might be a curious humming sound that seems to come from inside the object. I'll move the microphone nearer. (PAUSE) Now we're not more then twenty-five feet away. Can you hear it now?
Daisy Williams: yes! yes! we can hear it.
Sade Barnard: yeah loud and clear charlie.
Charlie Phillips: good and Oh , Professor Pierson!
PIERSON: Yes, Mr. Phillips?
Charlie Phillips: Can you tell us the meaning of that scraping noise inside the thing?
PIERSON: Possibly the unequal cooling of its surface.
Charlie Phillips: I see, do you still think it's a meteor, Professor?
PIERSON: I don't know what to think. The metal casing is definitely extraterrestrial . . . not found on this earth. Friction with the earth's atmosphere usually tears holes in a meteorite. This thing is smooth and, as you can see, of cylindrical shape.
Charlie Phillips: Just a minute! Something's happening!
Daisy Williams: what's happening Charlie?
Charlie Phillips: Daisy, Sade this is terrific! This end of the thing is beginning to flake off! The top is beginning to rotate like a screw! The thing must be hollow!
George Wells/narrator POV:
the crowd's of fanatics, spectators and cars gather around the farm, hypnotised by the unscrewing of the cylinder, people were urgeing to get closer to the cylinder "She's movin'! Look, the darn thing's unscrewing!" on person said until the police man starts ordering his men to keep em back "Keep those idiots back! Keep them back!" shouted the police man while they keept the crowd back, it was like shopping rush with a mass of people. two feet of shining screwing projected when suddenly... the lid fell off.
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
PHILLIPS: Daisy, Sade, this is the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed the cylinder opened but theres a moment of silence in the crowd but . . . Wait a minute! Someone's crawling out of the hollow top. Someone or . . . something. I can see peering out of that black hole two luminous disks . . are they eyes? It might be a face. It might be . . . oh my.
George Wells/narrator POV:
Two luminous disc like eyes appeared above the rim, a huge rounded bulk larger than a bear rose up slowly glistening like wet leather. its lip-less mouth quiver and slattern and snake like tentacles rive as the clumsy body heaved and pulsating.
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
Charlie Phillips: Good heavens um Sade as you can see, something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now it's another one, and another. They look like tentacles to me. There, I can see the thing's body. It's large, large as a bear and it glistens like wet leather. But that face, it . . . Ladies and gentlemen, it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate. The monster or whatever it is can hardly move. It seems weighed down by . . . possibly gravity or something. The thing's raising up. The crowd falls back now. They've seen plenty. This is the most extraordinary experience. I can't find words . . . the camera man and i need some place to see I'll bring this microphone with me as I talk. I'll have to stop here until I can take a new position. Hold on, will you please, I'll be right back in a minute back to you Daisy.
Daisy Williams: um okay... now we'll be back with Charlie Phillips as soon as we can but before that we have reports from NASA that the curiosity rover is on hold, due to the recent events occoring, but also report there are explosions and jets of green mist close to the planet, but are still searching the surface of the planet for eruptions.
George Wells/narrator POV:
as the crowd stared in awe of this disturbing sight of our alien visitor, the crowd suddenly stepped back, until i suddenly notice a familiar face on my right side of the crowd, i saw it was one of my next door neighbors, as he stared at the creature on top of the rim, he mumbled to himself "Good Lord... what an ugly brute!" he said until i notice there were a group of people talking and among them were my teacher ogilvy, prof. pierson and charlie phillips. as walked towards them i caught their attention and started asking them questions until we were interrupted by the police man whom appeared to be the captian. until he began conferring with us, with a way to communicate with our visitor, its a simple one... a small flag post with a white handkerchief attached to it, in other words... the flag of truce.
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
Charlie Phillips: (Am I on?). Ladies and gentlemen as you can see I am at the back of a stone wall that adjoins Mr. Wilmuth's garden. From here I get a sweep of the whole scene. I'll show you the scene as long as I can talk. As long as I can see. More state police have arrived They're drawing up a cordon in front of the pit, about thirty of them. No need to push the crowd back now. They're willing to keep their distance. The captain is conferring with someone with a few others. We can't quite see who. Oh yes, I believe it's Professor Pierson and next to him is one of our journalists. Yes, it is. Now the group parted with the two. The Professor moves around one side with the journalist, studying the object, while the captain, two policemen and pierson's assistant advance with something in their hands. I can see it now. It's a white handkerchief tied to a pole, thats the flag of truce.
Sade Barnard: ah yes! the flag of truce.
Daisy Williams: yeah flag of truce, very touching.
Charlie Phillips: If those creatures know what that means . . . what anything means!. . . Wait! Something's happening!
(HISSING SOUND FOLLOWED BY A HUMMING THAT INCREASES IN INTENSITY)
George Wells/narrator POV:
ogilvy and a few policmen crept closer to the pit, a tall funnel rose, then an invisible ray of heat leapt from man to man.
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
Charlie Phillips: A humped shape is rising out of the pit. I can make out a small beam of light against a mirror. What's that? There's a jet of flame springing from the mirror, and it leaps right at the advancing men. It strikes them head on! Good Lord, they're turning into flame.
George Wells/narrator POV:
then it was bright glare as each was instantly turn to fire, even the cars were targets. every tree and bush became a massive flames at the touch of this savage, unearthly. . . heat ray.
(SCREAMS AND UNEARTHLY SHRIEKS)
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
Charlie Phillips: Now the whole field's caught fire. (EXPLOSION) The woods . . . the barns . . . the gas tanks of automobiles . . . it's spreading everywhere. WHOA It's coming this way. About twenty yards to my right . . .
(CRASH OF MICROPHONE ... THEN DEAD SILENCE)
Daisy Williams: Charlie . . . Charlie . . . okay um Sade could you ask someone to call Charlie back?
Sade Barnard: yeah okay!
Daisy Williams: sorry everyone due to circumstances beyond our control, we are unable to continue the broadcast from Grovers Mill. Evidently there's some technical difficulty with our field transmission and television feeds. However, we will return to that point at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, we have a late bulletin from San Diego, California. Professor Indellkoffer, speaking at a dinner of the California Astronomical Society, expressed the opinion that the explosions on Mars are nothing more than severe volcanic disturbances on the surface of the planet, but officials from NASA say that the Curiosity is searching on the surface of the planet for any sign of activity of the erutions from mars.
Sade Barnard: um Daisy this just got on my table that say the skylive's down?
Daisy Williams: you mean the feeds down?
Sade Barnard: no um not the feed. . . the helicopter
{meanwhile at grovers mill}
George Wells/narrator POV:
herds of people crawled and scrambled their way off the farm and i ran too, i felt like i was being toyed with, but when i was on the verge of safety this mysterious death would leap after me and strike me down, but at last i reached Rabbit Hill and i looks with astonishment of the tranquility of the scene, yet once inside in the dim coolness of my home i immediately made a phone call to my fiance carrie. i took a few seconds to wait for her to respond until i heard her voice. "{hello}" carrie ask while speaking from the phone "{carrie its me george}" i replied to her with fear in my voice "{george oh my goddness are you alright... i saw the news today that there was a fire at the landing site where you and mr. ogilvy found that meteor.}" she said to me as if she were worried about me "carrie listen to me you have to remain in new york, you'll be safe there with your father. . . alright and i will come by to your place by morning. understand?" i told her, untill she replied to me "i understand me and my father will be waiting." after the phone call ended, i wrote and account for my newspaper till i sank into a restless haunted sleep.
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
Sade Barnard: good morning everyone i'm Sade Barnard, I have just been handed a message that came in from Grovers Mill by Iphone along with some shocking images taken at the sight. Just a moment Daisy this was just sent to me, that at least forty people, including six state troopers lie dead in a field east of the village of Grovers Mill, their bodies burned and distorted beyond all possible recognition. here we are going to give you a live message from General Gustave F. Perna, commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command at Trenton, New Jersey.
Gustave F. Perna: I have been requested by the governor of New Jersey to place the counties of Mercer and Middlesex as far west as Princeton, and east to Jamesburg, under martial law. No one will be permitted to enter this area except by special pass issued by state or military authorities. Four companies of state militia are proceeding from Trenton to Grovers Mill, and will aid in the evacuation of homes within the range of military operations. Thank you.
Date: august 8th
George Wells/narrator POV:
i woke to alien sounds of hammering from the pit and hurried to new york to buy the paper. along the way i notice people packing their things and valubles in suitcases and boxs, until i notice a few solders coming and going as always to escourt the evacuateing civillians from their neighborhood houses and suburban areas. i finally arrived at new york city and i came by the subways to buy my news paper.
(News Boys: Morning Paper, men from MARS! Men from MARS!)
George Wells/narrator POV:
news boys explained that one or two adventurous people have crawled near the invaders in the middle of the night... and haven't returned. but as the news of jets of gas close to the red planet was mentioned, the visitors get a name... the battle against the martians has begun. as i came by carries house i informed her of the death of our beloved teacher... ogilvy. carrie then informed me that her uncle is joining the alliance against the invaders of mars. yet around me the daily routine of life working, eating, and sleeping was continueing sueingly as it had for countless years. on grovers mill the martians continued hammering and stiring. sleepless, indefatigable, on work of the machines they were making, now appeared a light like the beam of a warship searchlight swept the farm and the heat ray was ready to follow.
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
Sade Barnard: -further details of the catastrophe at Grovers Mill are coming in. The strange creatures after unleashing their deadly assault, crawled back into their pit and made no attempt to prevent the efforts of the firemen to recover the bodies and extinguish the fire. Combined fire departments of Mercer County are fighting the flames which menace the entire countryside. We have been unable to establish any contact with our mobile unit at Grovers Mill, but we hope to be able to return you there at the earliest possible moment. In the meantime we take you.
Daisy Williams: excuse me Sade just one moment please. this just came on my desk . . . it reads that we have finally established communication with an eyewitness of the tragedy. Professor Pierson has been located at a farmhouse near Grovers Mill where he has established an emergency observation post. As a scientist, he will give you his explanation of the calamity. The voice you'll hear will be that of Professor Pierson, brought to you by direct wire. Professor Pierson.
PIERSON: *Of the creatures in the rocket cylinder at Grovers Mill, I can give you no authoritative information - either as to their nature, their origin, or their purposes here on earth Of their destructive instrument I might venture some conjectural explanation. For want of a better term, I shall refer to the mysterious weapon as a heat ray. It's all too evident that these creatures have scientific knowledge far in advance of our own. It is my guess that in some way they are able to generate an intense heat in a chamber of practically absolute nonconductivity. This intense heat they project in a parallel beam against any object they choose, by means of a polished parabolic mirror of unknown composition, much as the mirror of a lighthouse projects a beam of light. That is my conjecture of the origin of the heat ray . . .*
Daisy Williams: Thank you, Professor Pierson. . . Sade you were saying?
Sade Barnard: oh yes! Ladies and gentlemen, here's our recent report from Trenton. It is a brief statement informing us that the charred body of Charlie Phillips has been identified in a Trenton hospital. Now here's another bulletin from Washington, D.C. Office of the director of the National Red Cross reports ten units of Red Cross emergency workers have been assigned to the headquarters of the state militia stationed outside Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Here's a bulletin from state police, Princeton Junction: The fires at Grovers Mill and vicinity are now under control. Scouts report all quiet in the pit, and no sign of life appearing from the mouth of the cylinder . . . And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a special statement from Mr. Mike Pence, vice- president in charge of operations.
Mike Pence: We have received a request from the militia at Trenton to place at their disposal our entire television news broadcasting facilities. In view of the gravity of the situation, and believing that television NEWS has a responsibility to serve in the public interest at all times, we are turning over our facilities to the state militia at Trenton.
George Wells/narrator POV:
in the afternoon a company of solders from the state militia came though and are pressing on to grovers mill where the cylinder had landed, then they deployed along the edge of wilmuth's farm to form a cordon. as i sat in my living room, i felt my chest pounding and my head starts to sweat . . . its as if i was like in the battlefield waiting for the enemy to make their move. i went upstairs to write in my journal, even though i am a journalist, but this is my journal of my personal life. next to my desk are photographs of my friends and my childhood lover carrie, but as i took a look at the time on my watch. . . something very odd happend, my watch paused as if it were a stand-still. then i felt that the horror . . . is about to begin.
[meanwhile on ABC7 Eyewitness news TV]
Daisy Williams: Good evening everyone, we are ready to bring you LIVE to the field headquarters of the state militia near Grovers Mill, New Jersey.
CAPTAIN: This is Captain sandings of the signal corps, attached to the state militia now engaged in military operations in the vicinity of Grovers Mill. Situation arising from the reported presence of certain individuals of unidentified nature is now under complete control. The cylinder which lies in a pit directly below our forces, we surrounded it on all sides by eight battalions of infantry. with our tanks and adequately being armed with rifles and machine guns. The martians or, whatever they are, do not seem to be appearing above the pit. I can see their hiding place plainly in the glare of the searchlights here. With all their reported resources, these creatures can scarcely stand up against heavy machine-gun fire. Anyway, it's an interesting outing for the troops. I can make out their khaki uniforms, crossing back and forth in front of the lights. It looks almost like a war. There appears to be some slight smoke in the woods bordering the Millstone by campers. Well, we ought to see some action soon. As you can see one of the companies is deploying on the left flank. An quick thrust and it will all be over. Now wait a minute! I see something on top of the cylinder. No, it's only a shadow. Now the troops are on the edge of the Wilmuth farm. Seven thousand armed men closing in on an old metal tube. Wait, that wasn't a shadow! It's some(static) moving . . . so(static)tal . . . kind of shield-(static) rising up out of the cy(static) . . . It's going higher and higher. Wh(static) standing on legs . . . actually (static) up on (static) of met(static). N(static) reaching above the trees (static) searchlights are (static interference)!
George Wells/narrator POV:
that evening there was a violent clash and i realized with horror that my home was now with in range with the martians heat-ray. i immediately took my journals and went downstairs. i heard people screaming and shouting, i even heard sounds of gunshots firing, tanks blasting, then i felt heavy shakes from my feet on the ground, i saw random colors of purple, blue, green and white light flashing from my window. the glass shattered as i taken shelter in my pantry under the stairs and hid there. it felt like two hours since i hid, i crept our the pantry door and saw there were window glass shades on the living-room floor, i even went upstairs to check the damage had been caused and i was in for a shock, there were parts of my house that were wrecked there even was a tank that appeared as if it were tossed over here. at dawn a falling star with a trail of green mist landed with a flash like summer lightning, this was the second cylinder.