Original subtitles

Beyond belief, fact or fiction.

Hosted by Jonathan Frakes.

Tonight your challenge is to separate what

is true from what is false.

Five stories, some real, some fake.

Can you judge which are facts and which are fiction?

To find out, you must enter a world

of both truth and deception.

A world that is beyond belief.

The truth is often difficult to recognize.

Take this illusion, hidden among this confusion of lines

is the outline of a bird.

Yet it's impossible to see.

But by simply sliding this glass plate,

our bird begins to fly before our eyes.

This example can apply to our stories tonight.

Remember, some stories are inspired by actual events

while others are totally made up.

But like the bird, their reality may be hidden from sight.

Be on the alert and you may capture truth in flight.

All you have to do is look between the lines.

These are the inner workings of a typical computer.

How can this arrangement of circuits and wires

produce everything from three dimensional drawings to email?

Is this really just hardware?

Or-- as in the world of physical science--

are there some unexplained mysteries in the field

of computer science.

Richard Austin loves computers, but his wife Vicki can't

afford to buy him a new one.

What she does next will have a profound effect

on both her life and the life her husband.

And it's not going to stop there.

I went against my best instincts

on Richard's 30th birthday.

I bought him a previously owned computer.

I knew it would make Richard happy,

but I wasn't so sure about me.

I don't believe this, it's a new computer.

Not exactly, I bought it used.

I hope it's OK.

It's great, Vicki.

Thank you, sweetheart.

Happy birthday, honey.

I'm going to set it up right now.

Right now?

But I made reservations for dinner.

We'll order in.

A special birthday dinner just for the two of us.

I guess I couldn't blame him.

Even though the computer was used

it was much more sophisticated than the one

Richard had before.

My gift was a big hit, but that was just the beginning.

He spent the rest of the day and well

into the evening setting up all his old programs

and a few new ones.

Richard, your food is getting cold.

I can't believe how fast this thing is.

It has so much more power than my old one.

I was afraid he'd become obsessive about it,

and all my fears were coming true.

Wow.

Look at it go.

That night, I prepared to do battle

with my new electronic rival.

Richard, that's enough.

Come to bed, it's your birthday.

What?

Did you say something, honey?

Come to bed.

You've been working on that thing for the past eight hours.

It's got so many new features.

Why would anybody sell this?

This is a great computer.

I just put all my student files on it.

This is going to save me so much time at school.

Honey, That's all wonderful.

Don't be offended if I fall asleep.

Just, give me five more minutes.

Five more minutes turn into hours.

2 AM?

How'd it get so late?

What was that?

The computer came back on by itself.

By itself?

Yeah, I turned it off.

I was coming to bed and it just popped back on.

Try it again.

Well, there must be something wrong with it.

It came with a warranty.

I'll call the store in the morning.

I'll pull the plug.

Richard!

What?

N-- nothing.

Let's just go to sleep.

I should have told Richard

about the pharaoh's face, but I was hoping that I

was just imagining things.

What happened the next morning showed me

I wasn't imagining things after all.

Well, it checks out fine.

There's nothing wrong as far as I can tell.

Of course not.

I knew it wouldn't act up with a repair guy here.

I'm telling you, I turned it off and it came back on twice.

Well, it's staying off now.

Umm, maybe you were doing something wrong.

I wasn't doing anything wrong Aha, see.

There it is.

Maybe you did something wrong.

What's it doing?

I don't know.

I've never seen anything like this before.

Those are hieroglyphics.

What's going on here?

There's mail.

That's weird how can I get mail?

It's probably just junk mail.

It can't be, I haven't plugged the modem in yet.

Your mailbox seems to be working.

You might want to check it.

What should I do?

Find out who it is.

Dr. Statler, that's the guy that sold us this computer.

I remember, he said he was an archaeologist

and he was going away on a dig.

Egypt.

I'm trapped in the Theban's Tomb.

I'm dying, please help me.

We have to do something.

I'll call the State Department and have them get in touch

with the Egyptian embassy.

Ask Dr. Statler how much time he's got

left on his laptop battery.

How is that possible?

I don't know.

I don't know anything anymore.

What's wrong?

After I reported the incident,

Dr. David Statler was found and rescued from Theban's Tomb.

There was no computer anywhere in sight.

The rescue of Dr. David Statler has been documented.

But one question still remains.

How was the doctor able to send email without a computer?

Does the mind have enough power to send out a signal that could

be received through cyberspace?

Is there such a thing as ESP-mail?

And how do you explain the hieroglyphics

that appeared on the screen?

Were Dr. Statler's thoughts somehow

being channeled by the spirit of the pharaoh?

And now, the decision is yours.

Did we program the truth in this tale,

or is it merely, garbage in, garbage out.

We'll tell you whether this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, hallucinations of murder haunt an accident victim, on

beyond belief, fact or fiction.

Do you have a favorite method of falling asleep?

Some prefer a cup of hot chocolate or tea.

Others take a warm bath, listen to music, read.

But as you can see by the number of sleep remedies

available at any drugstore or supermarket,

sleep doesn't come easily to millions of people.

Jeff is having lots of trouble sleeping these days

and he can't figure out why.

His dreams are filled with haunting images

of unexplained violent acts.

And his waking moments are about to be filled

with real life nightmares.

I had been living with Katie for about six months.

I was happy and comfortable with our relationship

but nothing prepared me for what was in store for both of us.

I had been in a serious motorcycle accident

and had spent the last two weeks in a hospital

recovering from my injuries.

The doctor said I was going to be fine,

but I noticed a complete turnaround in my personality.

I finally told Katie that I was hallucinating

about a man committing murders.

It wasn't me in these dreams, but they were

so real they left me shaking.

Dwight called.

He said, they will be using that story

you did before the accident in the next issue.

Isn't that good news?

Yeah, great.

Hot tomato soup, good for the soul.

I'm not real hungry.

Jeff, you-- you got to snap out of this.

I'm sorry, Katie.

I know.

I'm trying, I really am.

I know.

I really am.

I love you.

I love you too.

Well, would you try to eat something?

Please?

All right.

Jeff?

Jeff?

Oh, my god, it's happening again.

Jeff?

Jeff?

Jeff!

Stop!

Jeff!

Jeff, it's Katie.

You killed her.

You killed her!

You're here with me now!

It's OK!

It's OK.

It was so real.

Like I was there watching the whole thing.

It was the same man that I saw stabbing a woman with a knife.

It was horrible.

What's happening to me, Katie?

I don't know.

I know this is going to sound strange,

but the hallucinations started right after I

had that blood transfusion.

What does that have to do with anything?

What if there was something in the blood?

Something evil.

And it takes possession of my mind anytime it wants to.

Jeff, that's crazy.

A blood transfusion can't do that.

I know I--

I know.

But something's wrong, Katie.

Something's definitely wrong.

The hallucination didn't come back that night

and I finally got some sleep.

I was hoping that it was over, but it wasn't.

Another woman was murdered last night

a few miles from here.

She was stabbed to death, no witnesses.

There's a picture.

It's her, Katie.

It's the same woman I saw being murdered.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

Something is drawing me to the killer.

And I think it's because I have his blood inside me.

After reading that story in the newspaper,

I became obsessed with finding out who my blood donor was.

I learned a few dirty tricks while I was in college

and one of them was how to hack into databases.

The hospital records were very secure,

but after lots of tries, I was getting close to breaking

into the files.

It was always a challenge to find the right combination,

but I had plenty of time.

I got it.

That's my blood donor.

Lowell Germain, 1201 Norwell Boulevard.

That's less than a mile from here.

I'm scared, Jeff.

We should call the police.

No.

Not until I'm absolutely sure it's the same man.

It's him.

That's the face I keep seeing.

What are you doing?

Call the police, I'm going to follow him.

Jeff! Jeff!

There was a woman walking alone.

Luckily, I was watching Germain's every move.

Germain.

Help!

Help, someone call 911.

Help, somebody help.

Help!

Call 911.

Lowell Jermaine died instantly, stabbed in the heart

by his own knife.

I was called a hero for saving a young woman's life

and stopping a killer's reign of terror.

But I'm no hero.

It was something I had to do, something that was in my blood.

Could the donated blood of a killer cause images of murder

in the recipient's mind?

Certainly the chemical components

of our own blood such as sugar levels

can affect our personalities.

Then again, maybe Jeff was just hallucinating.

But why did those hallucinations start right after his blood

transfusion, and how do you explain the accuracy

of those hallucinations?

Could it have been a mere coincidence?

Is this story of the murderous donor flowing with reality,

or is it just another bloody lie?

We'll tell you whether this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a cemetery is the setting for the unexplained on

beyond belief, fact or fiction.

Observe the tools of the trade, that

is if your trade happens to be carving

headstones for grave sites.

It's an honorable craft, because it honors the memory

of the dearly departed.

It is with these tools that Otto Schenkel has carved headstones

for the past four decades.

And although he's proud of the dignity he's provided

for hundreds of families, he's getting

ready to retire and take a well-deserved rest

from his daily grind.

But his next job is about to prevent

any immediate plans for Otto to spend the rest in peace.

I'd been a stone cutter for almost 40 years

and I took great pride in what I did.

I approached each tombstone as if it were a work of art.

I always tried to satisfy the wishes of my clients,

but you meet all kinds of people in this business

and some of them just don't appreciate fine craftsmanship.

Mr. Schenkel.

Ex-- excuse me, Mr. Schenkel.

Did you find something you like, Mrs. Richards?

Yes I--I believe I have.

This one.

This is exactly what my poor John would have wanted.

Something simple, tasteful, nothing ostentatious.

I looked at her choice,

it was simple, all right.

Well, if I may suggest, perhaps a marble or a granite

will hold up much better than the uh, the cement stone

you chose.

And how much more money would that be?

It's about twice the price for that size stone.

Twice the price, I see.

I think we'll stay with the cement.

My husband wanted a very simple funeral and headstone

and I want to honor his wishes.

All right.

And umm, and how would like that engraved?

You charge by the letter?

Yes, all cutters do.

Well, this isn't about what I want.

This is about what my husband would have wanted.

Just his name and date of birth and death.

Nothing more.

All right.

The funeral is in five days, and Mr. Dunbar,

from the Sunny Hills Cemetery will be

coming by to approve the work.

Thank you for everything, especially in this trying time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I had learned over the years

not to try and figure out why people pick the stones they do,

and Mrs. Richards seemed to know exactly what she wanted.

That's why I was so surprised by what happened next.

You are Otto Schenkel?

Yes, uh, I'm Otto Schenkel, can I help you?

I--I'm here to see about Mr. Richard's tombstone

but it seems I'm a bit late.

You must be Mr. Dunbar from Sunny Hills.

Yes, I'm from Sunny Hills.

I-- I'm sorry, but this just won't do.

It-- it won't do at all.

But it's exactly what Mrs. Richards wanted.

She said, something simple.

She's had a change of heart.

We're going to pay you for all the work you've

completed already, but she's decided

on a more elaborate monument.

I-- I don't understand, she was so certain.

It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind Mr. Schenkel.

She's prepared to pay a lot of money

for a much better tombstone, something

more befitting her late spouse.

I didn't really understand

what made Mrs. Richards change your plans, but like I said,

I never tried to figure out why.

Mr. Dunbar wanted everything first class,

and he spared no expense.

When it was completed,

he was the happiest man I ever saw, and was

gracious with his praise.

He even added a generous bonus to the new contract.

I went to the grave site

the day of the funeral anxious to unveil my work.

It was one of the finest monuments I'd ever created.

I thought it strange that Mr. Dunbar wasn't present,

but the burial proceeded on schedule.

I couldn't wait to see Mrs. Richard's reaction.

As the crowd oohed and aahed, Mrs. Richard

seemed to be speechless.

I was very moved.

This was one of those moments that

makes my work worthwhile, when the family expresses

their personal thanks.

What have you done?

That's not the headstone I ordered.

This is it, I--

I was instructed by--

by your representative to do this--

Mr. Dunbar.

He said you'd had a change of heart.

You authorize this?

No.

I'm Nathan Dunbar and I didn't order any of it.

Mr. Dunbar came to my studio three days ago,

he authorized the work.

Wait, that's the man.

There, that's the man that ordered the new tombstone.

That's Mr. Dunbar.

That's my dead husband, you idiot.

What are you trying to pull?

The signature on the contract for the new stone

turned out to be, not Nathan Dunbar, but John L

Richards, the dead man.

It was examined by a handwriting expert

and found to be authentic.

The contract was predated three days prior to his death.

Mrs. Richards had no choice but to pay me the full price

of the new stone, $48,000.

I guess I mentioned it before, I never try to figure why.

Did John L Richards hire a look alike to carry

out his final instructions?

Or did he have a twin brother that nobody knew about?

Then who signed the contract?

Remember, it was authenticated by a handwriting expert.

Maybe it was the ghost of John L Richards

who showed up to defy the wishes of his loveless wife.

Do you think this mysterious tale

of the grave marker a fleeting lie, or is it carved in stone?

We'll tell you whether this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a single mother is visited by a midnight vision,

on beyond belief, fact or fiction.

The fine art of sewing by hand, once a necessity,

now an example of the highest quality of work.

When you see a label that reads, hand-sewn,

you're assured that care and craftsmanship

went into the final product.

Many people sew at home, comfortable in knowing

that their gifts will be handed down to future generations.

And that way, they maintain a presence

in the lives of their families long after they have passed on.

Olivia Schwab's mother was an expert in sewing.

She passed the skill down to her daughter.

But now, unlike the strong stitches

that hold together her mother's work,

Olivia's life has begun to unravel.

This is what it was like on one

of the saddest days of my life.

I was being forced to move out of the house I had lived

in since I was a little girl.

As I stood there, all the happy memories washed over me, only

to be dashed against reality.

I was a single mother with no job, so it was moving day.

My husband Tim was sick for almost a year.

I sold everything to pay the medical bills.

Things were hard for a long time.

After he died, I moved to a small apartment,

the only place I could afford.

I didn't want my daughter to see it, but I was losing all hope.

I can't sleep, mommy.

Can I sleep with you tonight?

Come over here, sweetie.

You know, I used to love to climb into my mother's bed too.

Sometimes she'd be reading or sewing.

And I'd pretend to be asleep.

Did she ever catch you?

I'm sure I never fooled her, but I

think she enjoyed having me there, just like I enjoy you.

Sometimes she would tell me stories about the family.

We had talks, or just snuggle up.

Just like we do?

That's right, just like we do.

Mom?

Mommy?

I just can't believe that in a few short weeks,

you're going to be married.

I'm so excited.

Do you think we'll be ready?

There's still so much to do.

Honey, even though it's a slip stitch

it has to be done just so.

Just like in life, a stitch--

in time saves nine.

I love the colors you chose.

It will surround you both with warmth.

I hope it gives you a feeling of security and comfort.

Let it remind you of what hard, precise work can bring.

They'll always be challenges, but every cloud

has a silver lining, if you know where to look.

Go, it's the florist.

You've done a beautiful job.

I can see you've learned well.

I'll finish it alone now, after all, it is my gift to you.

Every cloud has a silver lining,

if you know where to look.

With my mother's voice still ringing in my ears,

something pulled me over to our old hope chest.

As my sleep left me, I realized I was looking

for something I hadn't thought of for a while,

until that dream.

Just then, something caught my eye.

That's your wedding quilt. It was

on your bed in the old house.

Grandma and I made it.

Let me wrap you up in it.

Look mommy, a thread is loose.

A whole row of stitches can come off.

Be careful.

Don't pull anything.

I'll get the sewing basket and fix it.

A stitch in--

time saves nine.

What does that mean anyway?

Nine what?

Nine more stitches, silly.

If you fix that right away, you can

avoid doing more work later.

Oh.

It looks like there's more than a few.

Wait, I feel something strange.

Oh, my god, there's more.

These are stock certificates.

Mommy, it's grandma's silver lining.

Oh, no

Please put the table in the dining room, lengthwise,

the way it used to be.

And so it's moving day again,

but this time I'm moving back in.

Thanks mom.

Was it just coincidence that Olivia remembered

the quilt in her dream?

And how do you account for the loose stitching of the quilt?

After all, she had worked on that quilt hand in hand

with her mother.

She knew exactly how carefully it was sewn together.

Did her mother sneak the money in the quilt

sometime before the wedding, or, as little Kally believes,

did grandma's spirit come back in the middle

of the night and plant the money for them

to find in their time of need?

Is this story of the prophetic dream

stitched together by the threads of truth,

or is it merely a crazy quilt of lies.

We'll tell you whether this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a wounded soldier is surrounded

by the ghosts of war, on beyond belief, fact or fiction.

In the military, they call it the uniform of the day.

It's the order of what to wear that goes out

from your commanding officer.

Millions of Americans have proudly

worn a version of this uniform in the various armed forces.

For some, caught in the nightmare of battle,

it is the last clothing they will ever wear.

Kevin Jablonski is one of the lucky ones, that

is if you consider severe injuries

and constant medication lucky.

Kevin is alive.

He has survived a situation that had

him marked for certain death.

And the amazing tale of how he survived

is what our next story is all about.

The year was 1966, and the Vietnam War

was showing no sign of ending.

I'd been assigned to working at the base hospital

for the last six months.

It wasn't easy work, but I felt honored to do it.

I worried about all the men in my care.

A lot of them were my age and some weren't going to make it.

This will help you sleep.

For some reason, I was especially drawn to one

young private, Kevin Jablonski.

I wasn't sure why at the time.

So, do you have a date tonight?

I did, but Captain Bonifield, extended my shift.

No.

No, no, no, no.

Watch out, incoming.

Get over here!

It's all right, your safe.

Where am I?

You're at the hospital.

It's Diana.

You were having a nightmare.

I was in the jungle.

I was out there again.

All--all of them died, and I lived.

Do you want to talk about it.

I want to help you.

You would never believe it.

Try me.

You can trust me, Kevin.

Me and a couple of the guys, Cal and Jimmy,

we were on short time.

Another week and we'd be--

be on our way home.

The unit was doing a sweep for VC.

A couple clicks from the river, we we're in heavy bush

when they opened up on us.

We didn't even see it coming and they were everywhere.

Oh, god, they were everywhere.

Take your time.

It's OK.

Firefight lasted just a couple of minutes.

We took a direct hit from a mortar

and we didn't even have a chance.

When it was all over, my buddies were dead.

Jimmy and Cal and everybody.

I was the only one still alive.

I knew that I was in bad shape,

and I thought for sure that I'd be dead soon.

I was in a lot of pain but I tried to stay awake.

I couldn't feel anything in my hands.

I knew I didn't have much time, I had to get out of there.

The VC were getting closer.

I knew they were cleaning up, making sure we were all dead.

I started thinking about my mom and home,

and how much I missed it.

And then I started thinking about my dad.

He means a lot to you.

He was reported missing in action in Korea, 13 years ago.

I'm sorry.

I was six years old, and I--

I loved him so much.

He was my hero.

I was thinking about him a lot while I was

laying out there in the mud.

And that's when it happened.

What?

I sensed that there was someone standing behind me.

I was sure it was VC.

I reach for my rifle but my hands weren't working,

so I got ready to die.

That's so horrible.

And I heard a voice, and it wasn't VC.

Hello, Kevin.

The- the voice seemed so familiar.

I rolled over trying and look at him.

He was wearing combat fatigues from the 50s,

and he was carrying an m-1 rifle, and then finally I--

I saw his face.

It can't be.

Shhh.

He carried me out of the jungle and into a clearing.

He popped a flare and a medevac chopper came and picked me up.

That soldier saved my life.

Did you ever find out who he was?

Yeah, I did.

I thought that I was delirious and that I had imagined

the whole thing, but I didn't.

That soldier was my father.

Kevin.

It was him and I'm sure of it.

After the medics loaded me in the chopper,

they found something in my fist.

And what was it?

These.

Read them.

Robert Jablonski.

Regular army, 4-2-1-2-9-1-8-9.

They're my father's dog tags.

Kevin, I--

I know.

Do you believe me, Diana?

Yes, I do.

Kevin and I began seeing each other after he was

discharged from the hospital.

We fell in love and eventually got married.

At our wedding, we left an empty space

next to Kevin's mother where we hung his father's dog tags.

What really saved Private Kevin Jablonski?

There have been documented cases of people--

who in extreme danger--

focus their thoughts on a loved one and somehow survive.

Is that what happened to Private Jablonski?

Or was he saved by another soldier

who resembled his father?

But then, what about those dog tags?

How did they wind up in Kevin's hands?

Wasn't his father missing in action?

As you judge the credibility of the story, it's up to you

to declare the victor in the battle

between fact and fiction.

Next, you'll find out which of our stories are fact

and which are fiction.

When beyond belief, fact or fiction returns.

Now it's time to find out which of our stories

tonight are inspired by actual events,

and which ones are totally false.

Let's take a look back at the computer

that seemed to communicate email through telepathy.

Was this one real?

Well, it checks out fine.

There's nothing wrong as far as I can tell.

Of course not.

I knew it wouldn't act up with the repair guy here.

I'm telling you, I turned it off and it came back on twice.

Well, it's staying off now.

Umm, maybe you were doing something wrong.

I wasn't doing anything wrong.

Aha, see.

There it is.

Maybe you did something wrong.

What's it doing?

I don't know, but I've never seen anything like this before.

If you thought this one was too outrageous to be true,

you're right.

It's a work of fiction.

What about the story of the man who seemed to receive

evil blood from a transfusion?

True or false?

Jeff?

Jeff?

Jeff?

Oh, my god, it's happening again.

Jeff?

Jeff?

Jeff!

If you thought this one sounded like it might be true,

we got you.

This one's made up.

How did you judge the story of the dead man

who returned to see that he had a proper headstone?

What have you done?

That's not the headstone I ordered.

This is it.

I was instructed by--

by your representative to do this, Mr. Dunbar,

he said you'd had a change of heart.

You authorized this.

No.

I'm Nathan Dunbar and I didn't order any of this.

You-- you can't be.

Mr. Dunbar came to my studio three days ago.

He authorized the work.

Wait, that's the man.

There, that's the man that ordered the new tombstone.

That's Mr. Dunbar.

Did this one sound like one we might have made up?

Well we did, it never happened.

How about the story of the mother and daughter who

were saved from poverty by a prophetic dream

and a special quilt?

Was this one fact or fiction?

If you fix it right away, you can

avoid doing more work later.

Oh.

Looks like there's more than a few.

Wait, I feel something strange.

If you guessed this one was based on an actual event,

you're right.

Our research shows it happened to a family in Ohio.

What did you make of the story about a wounded soldier

whose life was saved by the spirit of his dead father?

Fact or illusion?

After the medics loaded me in the chopper,

they found something in my fist.

And what was it?

These.

Read them.

Robert Jablonski.

Regular army, 4-2-1-2-9-1-8-9.

They're my father's dog tags.

According to our research, a similar story

happened in South Vietnam.

It's inspired by an actual event.

Were you were able to recognize the truth tonight,

or were you thrown off by lies that were disguised as truth.

We are bombarded by so much deception in our daily lives

that sometimes truth becomes a stranger.

We hope that our stories tonight have demonstrated that very

often, stories that seem like lies

may simply be truth that is beyond belief.

I'm Jonathan Frakes.

The story entitled, "Stitches in Time",

is true based upon firsthand research conducted

by author Robert Tralins.

For Beyond Belief, Fact or Fiction,

this is Don LaFontaine.