ALARIC ARKALION: (Who realizes, thanks to the plastic surgeon, he is the youngest looking of all, with red cheeks and peachfuzz whiskers) It is a problem of the intellect. Why seven hundred and eighty days? FIRST MAN: I read the magazine, too, chief. You think we're all going to the planet Mars. How original. ALARIC ARKALION: As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I think. SECOND MAN: Mars? FIRST MAN: (Laughing) It's a long way from Mars to City Hall, doc. SECOND MAN: You mean, through space to Mars? ALARIC ARKALION: Exactly, exactly. Quite a coincidence, otherwise. FIRST MAN: You're telling me. ALARIC ARKALION: (Coldly) Would you care to explain it? FIRST MAN: Why, sure. You see, Mars is--uh, I don't want to steal your thunder, chief. Go ahead. ALARIC ARKALION: Once every seven hundred and eighty days Mars and the Earth find themselves in the same orbital position with respect to the sun. In other words, Mars and Earth are closest then. Were there such a thing as space travel, new, costly, not thoroughly tested, they would want to make each journey as brief as possible. Hence the seven hundred and eighty days. FIRST MAN: Not bad, chief. You got most of it. THIRD MAN: No one ever said anything about space travel. FIRST MAN: You think we'd broadcast it or something, stupid? It's part of a big, important scientific experiment, only we're the hamsters. ALARIC ARKALION: Ridiculous. You're forgetting all about the Cold War. FIRST MAN: He thinks we're fighting a war with the Martians. (Laughs) Orson Wells stuff, huh? ALARIC ARKALION: With the Russians. The Russians. We developed A bombs. They developed A bombs. We came up with the H bomb. So did they. We placed a station up in space, a fifth of the way to the moon. So did they. Then--nothing more about scientific developments. For over twenty years. I ask you, doesn't it seem peculiar? FIRST MAN: Peculiar, he says. ALARIC ARKALION: Peculiar. SECOND MAN: I wish my Congressman.... FIRST MAN: You and your Congressman. The way you talk, it was your vote got him in office. SECOND MAN: If only I could get out and talk to him. ALARIC ARKALION: No one is permitted to leave. FIRST MAN: Punishable by a prison term, the law says. SECOND MAN: Oh yeah? Prison, shmision. Or else go on the Nowhere Journey. Well, I don't see the difference. FIRST MAN: So, go ahead. Try to escape. SECOND MAN: (Looking at the guards) They got them all over. All over. I think our mail is censored. ALARIC ARKALION: It is. SECOND MAN: They better watch out. I'm losing my temper. I get violent when I lose my temper. FIRST MAN: See? See how the guards are trembling. SECOND MAN: Very funny. Maybe you didn't have a good job or something? Maybe you don't care. I care. I had a job with a future. Didn't pay much, but a real blue chip future. So they send me to Nowhere. FIRST MAN: You're not there yet. SECOND MAN: Yeah, but I'm going.