Speaker 1: M HM.
Speaker 2: Cod down for blast off x minus five or 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 Street and Smith, publishers of Astounding Science Fiction, presents
he minus minus.
Speaker 3: One one one.
Speaker 4: To Night's Story Requiem by Robert Heinlein. On a high
hill in Samoa, there is a grave. Inscribed on the marker.
Speaker 5: Are these words.
Speaker 6: Under the wide and starry sky, dig my grave, and
let me lie gladly? Did I live and gladly die?
And I lay me down with a will? This be
the verse you grave for me. Here he lies where
he longed to be. Home is the sailor home from
the sea, and the hunter home from the hill.
Speaker 4: The lines appear another place, scrawled on a shipping tag
from a compressed air container and pinned to the ground
with a knife. It wasn't much of a fair, as
Fair's goal the trotting races wouldn't.
Speaker 5: Be held till eight o'clock at night.
Speaker 4: The flags and butting drooped in the gray afternoon, and
the pitchmen seemed discouraged. A large black limousine stood at
the side of the road, thirty two cylinders purring.
Speaker 5: Quietly and over the dust.
Speaker 4: In the clatter of the fair, a bullhorn blasted the
highest pitch.
Speaker 7: Hurry, hurry, hurry, this way to the Moon rocket. The
Moon rocket.
Speaker 8: See it fly, the actual type rocket used by the
first man to see it fly. Chill thrills, the romance
of space. You can ride in it for only twenty
five dollars. Hurry, hurry, hurry.
Speaker 7: Hey, Charlie, we got that feed too patched. I welded
it good for maybe an hour. What a craw They
wouldn't risk a nickel to see the sun blow up?
Speaker 3: Captain, excuse me?
Speaker 7: Oh yes, sir, fifty cents to inspect the rocket. One.
Speaker 3: Could you take a passenger this trip?
Speaker 7: You mean you want to go up twenty five bucks? Yes,
right away, Charlie. Take the pitch step this way, sir.
Look out for the fee lines.
Speaker 3: Oh yes, I see them.
Speaker 7: Hey, doctor, passenger for a check up?
Speaker 3: Okay, mac well, is this necessary?
Speaker 7: Regulations?
Speaker 9: Take off your coat, open your shirt, roll up your
right so thinks Mac.
Speaker 7: Slow, we're not drawn as much as the coach ten.
I don't pick up tonight with the trotters.
Speaker 3: I'm ready, doctor, all right.
Speaker 9: Give me a right, all right? Breathing, breathe, breathe. Uh huh,
sorry Mac, no, go down. Cardiac condition. I couldn't certify.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3: You mean you won't take me up?
Speaker 7: He's the doctor.
Speaker 3: Well I rather expected it.
Speaker 7: Sorry when you I mean we could have used the
twenty five.
Speaker 3: Excuse me, captain? Yeah, could you and your engineer have
dinner with me after your flight?
Speaker 7: Dinner at my home.
Speaker 3: My car's over there.
Speaker 6: That's your current, the limousine. That's right, you're serious, man.
You weren't Charlie and me for dinner of course? Okay, okay,
see why not? Thanks Charlie you had enough layoff man.
Speaker 3: Oh that's perfectly all right, Captain mc anddie cigar.
Speaker 7: Thanks, thanks.
Speaker 3: Yes, it's hard for me to see why any holder
of a Master's ticket would quit the Earth Moon run.
Speaker 7: I didn't like it. Yeah, yeah, don't hand us that
it was ro J washed you all right? All right,
so I took a few drinks.
Speaker 3: Tell me, yeah, gentlemen, satisfied with what you're doing now?
Speaker 7: Are you kidding? We've been pushing the old junk heap
for a year after time the sheriff has an attachment
on the ship for a fuel bill. It stinks.
Speaker 3: Would it help you to get back to the moon.
Speaker 7: Sure, I could get a short haul job hopping over.
I kept my nose clean and might even get back
on the run.
Speaker 3: Would you be open to a business proposition?
Speaker 7: What is it?
Speaker 3: You own your own rocket.
Speaker 7: Buying a couple of lians against it?
Speaker 3: I want to charter her to take me to the moon.
Speaker 7: Hear what he said, mac? He wants us to fly
that old heap to the moon. He can't do it.
The old boats want out. Why don't you charter a
regular company ship?
Speaker 3: Oh no, no, I can't do that. The company chotter
comes up before a congressional committee this year. They have
to follow the regular.
Speaker 7: You can't pass the physical. Now, if you can afford
to hire us, why don't you bribe a couple of
company medics. It's been there before.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know, but not for me. I'm d D Harriman.
Speaker 7: You own the company? Hey, what are you giving us?
Speaker 3: I own a large percentage of the company, but the
other directors won't permit me to jeopardize the franchise.
Speaker 7: You tie that mac, a guy with half the money
in the world, and he's up a creek. Shut up, Charlie.
Why do you want to go to the moon so bad?
Mister Hell?
Speaker 3: It's the one thing I really wanted to do all
my life. I'm may be fifty years older than you.
When I was a kid, nobody believed we'd really reached
the moon. You've seen rockets all your lives. When I
was a boy that laughed at the idea, but I
believed I wanted the moon. Then I used to stand
in the backyard and stare at it.
Speaker 5: How far away is it?
Speaker 7: Mom?
Speaker 4: The moon far enough?
Speaker 7: Why don't people fly to the moon? They tied?
Speaker 3: They just can't.
Speaker 7: But not now. Anyway, Someday I will what flight at
the moon? Sure?
Speaker 10: Sure, and come on, dell inside, way past your bedtime.
Speaker 3: There wasn't enough money for college, so I worked stock
boy at the old Ford plant in Detroit, the count
and credit manager for a mail order house. Then New
York and Wall Street, and then transportation the monorail line
between New York and Chicago, the Atlantic Pressure Tunnel, and
then harrim and rockets, Dell, del I want to talk
to you. I'm working, Charlotte.
Speaker 10: You talk to me now, DELI you may not get
another chance. What is it, reredlock was in. You've sold
out again?
Speaker 3: I run the business, Charlotte.
Speaker 10: Well, I'm fed up with it up to here. I
married you because I love you. I still love you.
I'm fed up now.
Speaker 7: What is it, Charlotte?
Speaker 10: We are not young anymore. Fred tells me you've brought
into a bankrupt engineering firm, sunk every nickel in it.
Speaker 3: Well, they only short smell of fuel injector patns. I
need them. How many times do we have to start over?
Speaker 7: I'm tired.
Speaker 10: I'm not asking for millions, just a little life for
the two of us.
Speaker 3: I didn't know about the divorce for a month. I
lost the papers under a stack of blueprints and stock perspectus.
That night, I walked through the park, watching the full
moon move across the sky. My old friend I could
recognize the wrinkles Christian Marry Facandatus Marry Twincolatis, the lunar Apennines.
It took two fraudulent bankruptcy and an investigation by the
Securities and Exchange Commission before we did it the Moon.
There were three injunctions on the rocket before it's blasted off.
I was going on the second trip, but my considerate
board served a court order on me.
Speaker 5: You can't go down red.
Speaker 3: I'll break you if it's the last thing I tell.
Speaker 7: You've got a bad heart. That's no secret.
Speaker 11: If you die out there, the whole card house comes down.
Now we've got an equity in this corporation, we're going
to see it protected. You've sucked us in on this
wild scheme, and now that it paid off, you're going
to sit right down here on Earth and see that
the dividends come out on time. You're not going to
the moondale, forget it.
Speaker 7: I never went.
Speaker 3: By the time my lawyers shook off the restraining orders,
the first cargo rocket had cried the Pacific, and Congress
rushed through the Space Precautionary Act. My heart kept earthbound.
And now I'm old. I've lived longer than I should,
but I would not let myself die. I will not
until I have set foot on the moon. There, Captain McIntyre,
you asked why I wanted to go to the Moon.
Speaker 6: Well you'll find a ship, mister Hammond, an our driver.
You'll hit the moon, all right, Then we can get
down the business. I'll have contracts drawn up for you. You too,
will have to buy.
Speaker 3: Me a ship. I can't do it openly. Of course,
my dear board of directors would find out and slap
a court order on me.
Speaker 7: We can't get credit. I don't worry.
Speaker 3: I'll supply the cash in advance. Pick some ship that
can be fitted for the jumper, strato yachtumn, apply for
strato license, thenfruts issued. You move to a piece of dessert,
I'll find a strip and buy it.
Speaker 7: You mean Feder out there.
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, we'll install extra fuel tanks, change the injectors
and timers.
Speaker 7: For spaceflight, Jollie. You think you can manage the change
over without a dockyard and shops, Well, I'll have to
have a load of power tools and a lot of time.
It'll be haywired and spot welded.
Speaker 6: Just so it doesn't blow up when I slip the key.
It won't blow Well, that's what you said about the
last ship.
Speaker 7: I'll cut it out, will you. I asked you, mister Herman,
that last ship was a junk keep and we knew it.
Now this one, this will be different. We're gonna spend
some dough and do it right anyway, mister Herr.
Speaker 3: Spend all the money you want. I'll see that you
get it.
Speaker 6: One hundred and thirty two shares of Apex holding at
sixty percent of park fifty space based fuel. That's the list. Oh,
mister Haleman, there's a process outside. What is I don't
know so, but I think it's a supena.
Speaker 3: Oh, I was expecting that Ashley get mister Caymans on
the phone. I think it's time for my lawyer.
Speaker 7: May it please your honor?
Speaker 1: Council representing mister Harriman's relatives contend that his behavior for
the past few weeks gives clear indication that a mind
brilliant in the world of finance.
Speaker 5: Has become senile.
Speaker 1: They petition you to declare him incombatant and to assign
a conservator to protect his financial interests and those.
Speaker 5: Of his heirs.
Speaker 1: May I suggest that in the last few words, my
opponent gave away his entire thesis. It is evident that
the petitioners believe that my client should conduct his affairs
in such a way as to ensure that his nephews,
nieces and their issue will be supported in unearned.
Speaker 7: Luxury for the rest of their lives.
Speaker 1: Therefore, we pray this court will confirm my client in
his right to do what he likes with his own
deny this petition and send these meddlers about their business.
Speaker 7: Well, eh, Camen, it could go either way.
Speaker 3: He might rule against me.
Speaker 5: He might will know tomorrow.
Speaker 7: Here it is eccentric millionaire. Disappears you eccentric, mister Herrimont.
Speaker 3: And they used to call me crazy, but that depends
on your credit rating.
Speaker 7: A bench warned under content proceedings has been issue.
Speaker 3: Will find me out here. How is the work going.
Speaker 7: Charlie, mine's in pretty good shape.
Speaker 3: Well are you ready to go? My nephews will have
detectives out looking for me.
Speaker 7: Well, I could run those calibration tests tonight, take from midnight.
After that, it's up to the commodore. Here there, there
she is, mister Harriman. That's the job that'll take it
to the moon.
Speaker 3: It's a good ship, isn't it.
Speaker 7: Mac? Stop the car?
Speaker 6: Yeah all right, he's out.
Speaker 7: Look at him? What matter best? Pocket? Break the glass?
Hold on his nose? He looks lousy. Yeah, yeah, there
he's breathing. Easy, go around soon, Mac we ain't gone
through with this? Why not? It's murder. You'll never stand
up under the initial acceleration. I mean not, But that's
what he wants to do. You heard him. I don't
like it. He's an okay, old buzzard. What do you
want to do with him?
Speaker 6: Send him back to Kansas City so there's no good
nephews can shut him up in the cellar. No, but okay,
then I'll get out there and make it set up
for those test runs.
Speaker 7: Get that ship ready to fly.
Speaker 5: Hey, hey, you you me?
Speaker 12: How many other people that are out in this desert?
What can I do for you?
Speaker 5: You?
Speaker 12: James McIntyre, Hey Mac, what's the matter, Charlie?
Speaker 7: You McIntyre?
Speaker 12: Yeah, I'm a deputy federal marshal in this district.
Speaker 5: I got a warrant for your arrest.
Speaker 7: What charge?
Speaker 12: Conspiracy to violate the Space Precautionary Act.
Speaker 5: I suppose you're child Schwartz. I got one for you too, thanks.
Speaker 12: And a man named Harriman got a caught order to
put seals on your spaceship.
Speaker 7: We haven't got any spaceship.
Speaker 5: What's that a.
Speaker 7: Kiddie car strato yacht?
Speaker 12: Yeah, well, I'll put seals in until a spaceship shows up.
Speaker 5: Where's Harriman in the shed? What shed?
Speaker 7: Oh my knuckle, that's the one I broke playing football.
I'm always hurting that finger.
Speaker 6: We gotta hurry get Pop into the cabin and strap
them into his hammock.
Speaker 7: Right song, Deputy, Oh my knuckle, she's warm, Charlie. Everything
set back there? How do I know I didn't have
time to run tests? Tough you all right, mister Harriman.
Speaker 3: I think so. But these straps are tight.
Speaker 7: I have to be when we blasted off. What's that, Charlie?
Give me control? Check test keys? One bank, check, two bank?
There's knucks, Hilary out. We don't need it, all right, boy,
hang on, let's go. How are you pop? It? Fine?
You couldn't be better. You better stay in your hammock.
I loosened the straps a little. What is it think?
Speaker 3: Just COOEYZ you in that shone.
Speaker 7: You ain't fool of me? On Pop. We got a
couple of busted ribs. There as much I can do
till we till we ground. You take a neo barentol
and I'll wake you when we cut that.
Speaker 3: No, No, I'll stay.
Speaker 7: Away, okay, just as you say.
Speaker 6: Pop's that automatic, Charlie, how are the tubes holding up?
Speaker 7: Fine? Drum handles? Nice? How's Pop alive? He's in bad shape?
How bad? Cracked a couple of ribs in the takeoff.
I don't know what else. You think he'll last the trip?
His heart was pounding like an off time valve. Wow,
he'll last. He's tough, tough, he's delicate as a canary.
I don't mean that he's tough down inside where it
counts just the same. You better set her down awful
easy if you.
Speaker 6: Want him a lot, I'll make a foot swing around
the moon and knees her in an unvalude approach curve.
Speaker 7: It'll go find if we got enough fuel. Hey, somebody
call me something wrong? Pop?
Speaker 3: Oh, I thought somebody was calling me asleep.
Speaker 7: I swung your hammock around. We're breaking now. She is
ahead the moon.
Speaker 3: Sheen a thousand photographs there, that's Copernicus tycho.
Speaker 7: You know it all right? Pop?
Speaker 6: Where are you landing marimbrim between Aristellas and Archimedes.
Speaker 3: Oh it's about forty miles from the city, isn't it. Yeah,
it won't be easy landing without ground approach radar will it.
Speaker 7: I've done it before, not.
Speaker 3: Without a second pilot to punch the centimeter.
Speaker 7: You ought to have a mate's ticket, Pop, you know
the whole routine. You must have really studied up.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so I could to study until now. I feel
as if I'm coming home.
Speaker 7: Yes, golly, I'm taking her in. Got in full power.
I get good Mac. Pop can't take a rough one.
Speaker 6: Shut up and give me the power. I'll do my best. Okay,
gotta meet a setting punch. Thank god, here we go.
That was a lousy landing, Max, that'd to me to drift?
How's our passenger?
Speaker 7: Quiet? I look, I wouldn't make any bets. That landing stunk.
You shut up. I did my best. Hey, Pop, he's alive.
He's blood in his mind. He's trying to say something.
Take it easy, Pop, way down, Take it easy.
Speaker 3: Vacuum shoots, where are they?
Speaker 7: Steady? Pop? You can't go out there yet. We got
to give you some first daid. Give me that. What
do you think? Mac? Might as well get the suit
out of the locker. That well, here's the big one.
Be more comfortable. Okay, okay, Pop, easy.
Speaker 4: Now.
Speaker 6: Seal the zippers, Charlie, Take it easy, all right the helmet.
Speaker 7: He diepraam said, Jack Valve said, lifted on him.
Speaker 6: Don't hit him, all right, Come on, Charlie, get into
your suit.
Speaker 7: We'll carry him out the back. Easy, easy with him. Okay, okay,
you all right.
Speaker 3: Pop outside, take me outside.
Speaker 7: His left leg is gone.
Speaker 6: Get your shoulder on right, open the lock, all right, pap,
come on.
Speaker 7: Going out on the moon. The moon. All right.
Speaker 6: I gotta leave you out here to look around while
we get ready for the hike to town.
Speaker 7: You all right? The moon.
Speaker 6: We have to break out air bottles and rig a stretcher.
It's forty miles into the dome. Charlie props something behind
his head.
Speaker 7: Okay, you comfortable, Pop, we'll be back soon. The moon.
Speaker 3: I can feel the pumpus dust and it doesn't hurt anymore.
But there's the earth overhead, the earth and the sky
and green blue. I'm on the moon. I'm on the moon.
Down Den, Charlotte, I thought I heard somebody call my name.
I'm getting old. My mind wanders, Yeah, yeah, Charlotte, Yeah
that is you, isn't it. I made it, Charlotte, I'm
on the moon. You didn't understand. You were afraid I
wouldn't take care of myself, but I made it. I'm
on the moon.
Speaker 7: I'm on the moon.
Speaker 6: Come on, Charlie, we better get pop going here. Give
me a hand getting him on the stretcher.
Speaker 7: Never mind the stretcher, Mac, what's the matter, He won't
need it. He's dead.
Speaker 6: Oh, better get out the pomas skeys and the air bottles.
Speaker 7: It's a long walk to town. Yeah, what about him?
Speaker 6: Looks as if he's resting, doesn't he propped up looking
out on the pumise.
Speaker 7: Well he hit the moon. Let's start walk.
Speaker 13: You have just heard X minus one, presented by the
National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers
of Astounding science fiction.
Speaker 5: Your announcer, Fred Cowens.
Speaker 13: X minus one was an NBC Radio Network production