In just a moment X minus one. But first, there's a certain water
commissioner who's interested in the ladies, sometimes overshadows his interest in civic affairs.
His name is a familiar one, Throckmorton, p. Guildersleeve, and he'll
pursue his adventures tomorrow night, when NBC Radio presents another comic episode of the
Great Guilder Sleeve. So when you hear the familiar voice and hearty laugh of
the Water Commissioner from Summerfield tomorrow, why stay tuned and enjoy another romatic scramble
with the one and only the Great Guilder Sleeve on this NBC station. And
I'll stay tuned for X minus one on NBC com down for blast off X
minus five four three two X minus one. Fire from the far horizons of
the unknown, come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These
are stories of the future adventures in which you'll live in a million, could
be years, on a thousand, maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Company,
in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction magazine, presents HE minus one tonight's story The
Sea Shoot by Isaac Asimov. We were on our way home to Earth when
it happened. Six of us coming home as passengers aboard the Merchant spaceship Starfire
at the start of the second interstellar War, the one between Earth and the
planet Chloral. And then it happened. Now hear this condition red. Condition
red, we are under attack from a Chlorine battle cruiser. All hands forward
to battle stations. Passengers will remain confined to the after cabin. Condition red.
We are being attacked. The interception by the Chlorine cruiser, the murderous
running jewel of energy blasts and force field defenses. We huddled in the passengers
after cabin, terrified, not knowing how the battle was going. We could
hear the desperate bursts of steam through the steering tubes as a Starfire and maneuver
to dodge the enemy attacks. And then now what the beginning of the end
you might call it? Well, what does it mean, Stu, It
you were the space pilot. It means our generators have been drained of energy.
We can't fight back. But I don't worry. They won't destroy us.
They need our ship too badly. They simply bored us and take over.
But what about the crew crew, Colonel, if they have any sense,
they'll surrender if they choose to fight their now they're coming aboard. Not
be very still, but in Heaven, help still, if only those fools
will surrender without a struggle. They are fighting. Ye see, we've gotta
help him, all right. Don't open that door. We just can't let
them. Can't help him going. They stop him all right, his city.
Shut the door quickly, my brother, that poor fool. Get them,
my brother, I swear to you, what get them? You better
cover his body. The brutes, the monstrous green skin brutes, are normal
brutes than we are. Colonel. This is a war. Are you defending
them? I'm merely pointing out the facts. You might not save it for
the Chloros I will, I promise you I will. They're probably deciding right
now what to do with us. You might as well settle down and wait.
We sat there, for five of us, and listened while the Chloran
invaders killed off the members of the starfires Crew. Among us was Colonel Anthony
Wyndham, an old Colonel Blimp type with a lame leg. Wyndham had spent
his life in the militia back on Earth, but had never seen a babble.
There was Demetrius Poliarchits, who had just watched his brother being killed by
a carbonizer. Paully was a huge man. He and his brother had tried
truck farming an arc tourists and given it up after two seasons. Then there
was LeBlanc, a sensitive, frightened young man of twenty two, and Randolph
Mullen, who looked like somebody's caricature of a bookkeeper, a mild, bawling,
milk toast little man. And there was myself, John Stewart. I
was the only one who'd ever had contact with the Chloro people. I had
a pair of artaplasm hands to prove it. It is quiet now, Yeah,
they finished with a crew. Who, mister Stewart, Yes, mister
Mullen, What do you think will happen next? Well, I'll put a
prize crew of two aboard and take us to one of their home planets as
prisoners of war. Only two of the Chloro's will say aboard. The two
is all I'll need. Why, colonel, you're thinking of leading a gallant
raid to retake the ship? Simply a point of information, as you know.
Then let me give you another point of information. If you want to
commit suicide quick, just open that bulkhead door. Three steps inside you'd fallen
your face. But why don't you smell anything the blank? Get close to
the door. It smells like gas. It is gas, chlorine gas.
They breathe it like we breathe oxygen. They've chlorinated the whole cruise compartment.
One big whiff of that and we'd all be dead. So just forget about
rushing the chloros. How do you know so much about their habits, Stewart,
I lived on a chloro planet for six months. You see these hands.
They were mangled in the oxygenating machinery of my own quarters. They grew
these artaplasm things and operated. They're weak, but at least I have hands
again, missus Stuart? Yeah, well they will they kill us. No,
why do you say that, because in their own way they're gentlemen.
Probably we'll be interned for the duration. You call them gentle men? After
they kill my brother in cold blood? You call them gentlemen? You know,
Stuart, you sound more and more like I've blasted greene sympathizer, blusted
man. Where's your patriotism and loyalty? How loyalty is where it belongs with
honesty and decency regardless of the shape of the being it appears in. This
is a ridiculous war. Why are we fighting these people? We can live
only on planets with oxygen, and oxygen is poisoned to them. They can
live only in chlorine atmosphere, which is deadly to us. Yet we're fighting
them over a bunch of worthless asteroids that neither of us can live uncomfortably.
It's a matter of principle, it's a matter of stupid pride and greed.
I can't try what you say, mister. Why not because you talk too
nice about these greeny scamp They're good to you, Eh, well, they
weren't good to my brother. They killed him, and I think maybe I'll
kill you, you rotten. I can't break his hole. They are coming.
Let him go. They saved your life this time with the name finished
with dead. I think they're opening the lock. Who didn't get between us.
Only don't lose your head. They'll kill us all I greet you Earthman.
The Chloro was not a pleasant sight to anyone unused to him. He
was about the height of an earthman, but the top of him was just
a green stalk with eyes. He was still wearing a spacesuit to protect him
from the oxygen in our compartment. In one of his tendrils, he carried
a chlorine gun. As he stood in the doorway, I could see Polliokeitha's
eyes begin to glisten with rage. Then, with a bellow like a huge
bully, threw himself at the chloro He is not dead, temporarily paralyzed.
You five will remain together as prisoners of war. We expect to reach our
own planet within several weeks. Your time there, you will be in turn
for the duration of the war. If any of you attempts to leave this
compartment, we shall be forced to destroy you. That is all I have
to communicate. Hadn't we better do something for mister Polly archidies. Oh,
he'll be all right, Just hoist them up on the cot by Polly.
Can you hear me, you stupid brute? His voice is coming back now.
I know what's going on in that thick scull of your Polly. You
think that when the paralysis wears off, you lease your feelings by slamming me
around some more. Well, if you do, it'll be curtains for all
of us. How do you mean, sir? None of you know the
Chloros the way I do. Unlike us, they assume automatically that any group
of earth men they find together comprises of biological grouping, like an ant colony.
The result is that they consider the group as something well, something holy.
Now, they'd never break us up, and if one of us did
any harm to another, they'd have us all executed as a bunch of Chloro
type perverts, a non functioning group. So call all the names you want,
but keep your hands to yourself, or we're finished. My little speech
had a sobering effect on the group. For the next twenty four hours we
did little besides eat our rations and things. I tried to evaluate them.
The colonel I had figured for an old windbag. Poliarchidas was a hate filled
brute. The blank would crack first. It was like a frightened child.
Mullen. Mullen was a non entity, a mouse instead of a man.
Everything he did seemed precious. His voice had the quality of furtively rustling underbrush.
How long did you say the trip would take, mister Stewart well,
le Chloro said about two weeks. Gentlemen, If I may interrupt, Colonel,
now it has occurred to me that perhaps you know of some weakness that
might enable us to overcome these Chlorals. The only weakness they've got is that
they can't stand oxygen. But there must be some way to get the best
of the man. After all, there are only two four, I answered,
colonel, I have to know your motive. Is it to save your
own skin or help Earth win the war? Oh? Dash, it'd meant
to help us side. Of course, what we're looking for is the way
to save the ship for Earth without losing our lives. Yes, all right,
let's take a boat, then a blank. I have a wife waiting
on Earth. Mister Steward, I do not want to die. Hero number
one, what about you, Mullen? I don't see how we could accomplish
it? Well, Hero number two, Well, Paula Ketis. When I
kill Chloris, it will be with my bad hands on the planet. I
will kill dozens, I promise you. Ah three down, Well, colonel,
don't you want to march to glory an old militia man like you?
Your attitude is very cynical, and I'm becoming slice sea. Well then I'll
have to blow the ship up myself to it. Don't worry, Colonel,
I don't intend to be a dead hero. Of course, there is a
way we might do it. What did you say, mister Molon. There's
a spacesuit and magnetic boot stored in that locker over there. We might be
able to reach the control room from the outside of the ship. The outside,
But how would we get outside? This compartment has a sea shoot,
it must what is a sea shoot? A sea shoot, my boy,
is a casualty shoot. It doesn't get talked about much, but all the
main compartments have them. They're just little airlocks down which you slide a corpse
burial in space. Oh, plastic melon. I suppose you did get outside.
How could you re enter the ship through the steam tubes? The ones
they used to guide the ship. Wait a minute, Mula, what do
you know about steam tubes? I thought you were a bookkeeper. Well,
on Arcturis, I got interested in spaceship models. I studied all about them
on my own time, of course, yeah, naturally, At any rate,
I learned that the steam tubes have an access vent directly to the control
room for repairs and so forth, and the close they are in the control
room. H what do you think, Stuart, Well, it's a video
sort of idea, But it might just work. We could get permission from
the Chlorus to open the sea shoot and bury Pol's brother, and one of
us could slip into it, work forward and climb up through the steam tube,
the question being which one. Well about you, you, with your
loud talk and your sneeze. I'm no hero. I've already said that my
object is to stay alive the steam tube let go while you were in it.
You'd be broiled like a lobster. I'll at the colonel here. If
I were younger, blessed, I troublet you, you know very well,
with my injured leg, of course, not to mention my artificial hands.
Well, now, what unfortunate deformities do the rest of us have, pally,
You just keep talking, mister big Martin. Pretty soon we'll kick your
teeth. Of course, that's your standard reply to everything, isn't it the
blank? Will you do it? I cannot not even to get back to
Denise. Please, I I can blank and even go I'll do it?
What? After all? It is my idea? Wait a minute of you
serious? Mullen? Yes, well I don't understand why why you Well,
it seems no one else will do it. But that's no reason, man,
I can't think any other. Look here, really intend to go through
with it, sir, Yes, I suppose I do. Well. Daesh
it, man, let me shake your hand. You're you're an earthman by
heaven. You do this thing, and we know die. I'll bear witness
for you. It was quite a moment, mull and the mouse had suddenly
turned into a man. He just stood there awkwardly while the colonel pupped his
hand. All your Kita seemed stunned. Le Blanc was wide eyed, and
I well, I was in a peculiar position, one which I rarely found
myself. I had absolutely nothing to say that ought to bring them. I
hear one, what is an earthman? One member of our unit is dead.
As you know. We request permission to jettison his body out of the
casual is shoe. You may do so. You'll have to open the shoot
lock from the control room. I will do so. Is there anything else?
No? Nothing else? Thank you? Oh boy? Yeah? All
right, come on now we'll have to work fast. Mulling, get into
a spacesuit from the emergency locker. Holy help, mama, those magnetic boots.
I'm working as fast as I can the arm. All right, give
me the helmet. Okay, Now, Mullen, you better scratch your nose
if you have to, at your last chance for a while. What about
radio content. You can talk to us. We're listening on the helmet set
in one of the other suits. The Chloros won't have their set on the
interphone frequency. Wait a moment, What for DA what's he going to use
for the weapon? He isn't big enough to fight them bare headed? No,
that's true. Well, how about one of those oxygen cylinders. Good
idea, use it to brush them over the head. I give them one
of the cylinders equipped with a reducing valve. Now, look, mullin,
if you're magnetic boots fail and you start drifting away into space, open this
valve. See that you can use it like a miniature jet and try to
blow yourself back to the ship. Understand, I think so. One of
my only hope it works. All right, Here goes the helmet. You
bet to hovey. The light is on over the sea. Shoot, yeah,
all right, that means I'm opened the lock here. How can you
hear me? Leblank can be that other space helmet? Yes, let me
switch on the radio. Can you hear me, Mullen, I hear you.
Fine, well name er, here's okay, Pully open the sea shoot
okay, now help me man already ready, well, good luck close the
shot fully ejective valve. Now he's out, Oh God help him. The
light is out. Yeah, the Chloro's have closed the shoot lock. I
I don't suppose he has much of a chance. Do you think Do you
think he knew it? I don't know. I just don't know. Should
I I try to contact him on the lady? Yes, Wait a minute,
what is it? Listen? The Chloro's coming. Good lord, he
shouted a miss Mullan. Wully, get your brother's body on the cot.
Put a blanket over it. Pretend it's Mullin asleep. Pull me. For
Heaven's sake. Brother, You've got to do it. Man, it's our
only chance. Listen. If Mullin could go out there, well, I
will do it. Earth man, Yes, you have Jennison in the body.
Yes. Good. Is there something further we can do? No?
I we are very tired. Our grief is very great at losing one of
our unit. We would like to rest alone. I will respect your wishes.
I see that one of your units sleeps already. Yes, yes,
mister Mullen was overcome with grief. I leave you, Oh, brother Pauley,
I thought sure you were gonna rush him with that brave little guy out
there. What do you think I am? Anyway? And to think I
laughed at him makes me ashamed. Yeah, I guess. I guess I've
been saying some things that maybe weren't too funny. I owe all of you
an apology. H Do you think it's safe to try the radio? Yeah?
We better. Hello, Hello, Mullin, can you hear me?
Yes, I hear you. Where are you standing on the outside of the
ship? All right? Now? Take care. One misstep and you'll be
marooned in space. Now, can you find the steam tubes? I think
I've found one of them already. I can feel the rim. I just
hope it doesn't let go and I get inside. Be careful. I'm going
into the tube now. I can feel the ladder rungs they used to repair
the inside, and we'll keep in contact. I'm in the tube now,
good lord, they've let go with a blasto. Well, it may be
the starboard tubes, Mullen, Mullen, still here. They use the other
tubes. Fortunately, now if they don't try to correct for over deflection,
keep moving. I seem to be waiting. Yes, so yeah, I'm
at the end of the tube now where it opens into the control room.
Good. Good, Now, look there's a small metal door there. Can
you feel it? Yes? Huh, I'm afraid it's slocked from the other
side. I can't budget well. Well, and listen to me, Steward.
I'm scared. I'm terribly scared. All right, all right, now,
hang on, don't blow up. Listen to me. Are you listening?
Yes, Take the spare oxygen tank. Bang on the metal door that
leads to the control room. The chlorals are bound to hear you. When
one of them comes to investigate, try to hit him with the cylinder.
Now, aim for the stalk on top of his body. Try to blind
him. Will you do that? I'll try well, now go on,
only one can come. The other will stay at the controls. I'll start
banging any luck. No, I wait, I hear something, something's opening
the lock the door. Knock. Ah, Mullin, mullon, what happened?
Mullin? Can you hear me? Mullin, Mullen, Mullen, it's
no use. They must have gotten He was one brave little guy, that
one. But suppose they have just got him in the control room. I
mean, maybe he's not dead. Well, then maybe one of us could
watch them. We could bang on the door and jump the clock. The
first guy would be a cinch to die. I would be willing to take
the chance. You why not? I could try back you. I am
the strongest. I do it now. Listen, Listen to you, chaps.
I'm an old man. I've got nothing to live for anyway. Suppose
I throw myself at the eragon. Wait a minute, what's going on here?
Twenty minutes ago, there wasn't one of you who'd risk his little finger
to get us out of here, And now you're falling all over each other.
Maybe mister Mullen teaches us a lesson. Eh yeah, uh okay,
poorly, give me the wrench. I'll start banging on the door. They
say that selflessness is contagious. I guess maybe it is. I'd been a
cynic all my life, a man who believed in nothing. Well, I'd
come face to face with four human beings who proved that I'd been living a
lie. I knew what I was going to do now when the Chloro came
to investigate our compartment, I had it all planned, if only my poor
weak hands would hold out long enough. Ready, Ready, here goes that
should bring him. Get wait, wait, listen, shit, he's at
the door. Get ready, and it's opening the lock for poor old Mullin.
Now steady, wait, good lord, it's Mullin. Get the helmet
off, I said, well, wellin, are you all right? I
seemed to be quite all right. Well, the Chloros both dead at least,
I hope soon. What happened? Well, I banged on a steam
tube hatch and a chloro open it. I hit him with a cylinder.
It blinded him, I guess, but didn't kill him. He grabbed me
and pulled me into the cabin. In the struggle he broke my transmitter.
That that's why I couldn't talk to you. Finally I managed to club him
down. What about the other one? The other one almost got me.
It must have heard the scuffle and came into the cabin with a ray gun.
But I did I guess was pure reflex. The cabin atmosphere was chlorine,
of course, and the Greenie didn't have a spacesuit on, so I
just turned on the oxygen valve and that spare tube. It was like bring
an insect with poison. But you're a brave man, Mullin. I'd have
been scared to death. Mullen, what is it? An hour later,
false hands and all. I was at the controls of the ship, headed
for Earth. We'd gotten rid of the chlorinating equipment and restored the oxygen.
Naturally, Mullin was asleep in the cabin under a sedative, or so I
thought, until the cabin door opened. Mullin, for Pete's sake, get
back to bed. No, I'm quite all right now. Really, do
you mind if I watch how you operate the ship? Oh? No,
not at all. Sit down, you know, I guess sir. I
owe you an apology and think too much of you. That's your privilege,
now, it isn't anybody's privilege. Wellin to despise another for years now,
I've abandoned hope of finding any decency in human beings. I owe you a
vote of thanks. You embarrass me, mister Stewart. I didn't do it
for any heroic reasons, I assure you, far from it. Why did
you do it? Mullet That puzzles me very much. Well, mister Stuart,
I'm a bookkeeper. Seventeen years ago I left Earth to work on Arcturis.
I never made much impression on anybody on Earth, although I wanted very
much to have people like me. Well, about a year ago I started
to write to my family again, don't ask me why. And then I
asked for a leave of absence to go home after seventeen years. Well,
I still don't understand. It wasn't patriotism, lovable woman, or money or
any of those things. What was it, mister Stewart? Haven't you ever
been homesick? You have just heard X minus one, presented by the National
Broadcasting Company and cooperation with Galaxy Science fiction magazine, which this month features a
Gun for Dinosaur by l. Sprague de camp, a story of hunters in
the bloodiest and most ferocious arena of all prehistoric Earth, where hunting reptal heavyweights
is no job for human lightweights. Galaxy Magazine on your news stand today tonight.
By transcription. X minus one has brought you The s Shoot, a
story from the pages of Galaxy, written by Isaac Asimonv and adapted for radio
by George Leffards. Featured in the cast were Lyle Soudra, Stan Earley,
Bob Hastings, Mercer McLeod, Danny acoll and John Gibson. You're Announcer Bill
McCory. X minus one was directed by Daniel Sutter and is an NBC Radio
Network production. Next week on a distant planet. In a forgotten colony of
Earth, a man is ordered to commit a murder. Listen to skulking permit
on X minus one next week.