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The Gift (The Twilight Zone)
Encyclopedia
"The Gift" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone
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and is wounded by another. When he reaches a village bar, he collapses. A sympathetic doctor operates on him, removing two bullet
s from his chest
.
The alien (who refers to himself as "Mr. Williams") becomes friends with Pedro, an orphan whose job is to clean the bar. Pedro receives a gift from Williams, who tells Pedro that he will explain it later.
Meanwhile, the bartender notifies the army
about Williams' location. Williams attempts to escape, but soldiers and villagers corner him. He tells Pedro to show the gift, but it is taken from him and set on fire, and Williams is shot and killed. The doctor picks up the remains of the gift from the fire. He reads it aloud: "Greetings to the people of Earth: We come.... in peace. We bring you this gift. The following chemical formula
is.... a vaccine
against all forms of cancer
..."
The rest is burned away. As the doctor states, "We have not just killed a man; we have killed a dream."
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
.
Synopsis
A humanoid alien crash-lands outside a mountain village just across the Texas-Mexico border. He accidentally kills a police officerPolice officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
and is wounded by another. When he reaches a village bar, he collapses. A sympathetic doctor operates on him, removing two bullet
Bullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
s from his chest
Chest
The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax or the bosom.-Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids:...
.
The alien (who refers to himself as "Mr. Williams") becomes friends with Pedro, an orphan whose job is to clean the bar. Pedro receives a gift from Williams, who tells Pedro that he will explain it later.
Meanwhile, the bartender notifies the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
about Williams' location. Williams attempts to escape, but soldiers and villagers corner him. He tells Pedro to show the gift, but it is taken from him and set on fire, and Williams is shot and killed. The doctor picks up the remains of the gift from the fire. He reads it aloud: "Greetings to the people of Earth: We come.... in peace. We bring you this gift. The following chemical formula
Formula
In mathematics, a formula is an entity constructed using the symbols and formation rules of a given logical language....
is.... a vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
against all forms of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
..."
The rest is burned away. As the doctor states, "We have not just killed a man; we have killed a dream."