Speaker 1: M h countdown for blast off x minus five minus
four minus three minus two x minus one Fire from
the far horizons of the unknown, contails of new dimensions
in time and space. These are stories of the future
adventures in which you'll live in a million could.
Speaker 2: Be years on a thousand baby worlds.
Speaker 1: The National Broadcasting Company presents X minus one on the
night story No Contact. It was in the year of
nineteen eighty two that spacemen first discovered the Great Galactic Barrier.
In the past ten years, rocket traveled to the Moon
and the nearer planets had become commonplace, and then men
fixed their sights on a more distant star, the remote
planet known as Bota. Five exploratory ships went out and
none came back, each in turn disappearing mysteriously at the
same vanishing point at an invisible wall somewhere in the
vast outer reaches that became known as the record of
space Ships, the Galactic Wreath. And yet the explorers refused
to admit defeat. It was on June the second, nineteen
eighty seven, that the rocket star Cloud made ready for
takeoff the sixth to attempt to crack the barrier and
win through to Bowl.
Speaker 2: Addition, greatly, addition, greatly. Dog Well, Lewis, this is it.
Speaker 3: I don't suppose you'll be needing the ship's doctor up
here in the bridge during blaster. I think, nuts, middy,
there's little chance of acceleration bends in these new overdrive ships.
Speaker 2: I'll be in my office then, counting vitamin pills. If
you need me.
Speaker 3: It's only a few steps. Good luck, Lewis, Thank you, smiddy.
Lieutenant Collier, yes it you're relieved. You'd better get down
to navigation control and take over. Yes, sir, Lieutenant, we've
never flown together before. This is your first flight in
a space vessel as big as the star Cloud.
Speaker 4: Yes, sir, but I was trained in oversized jobs at
the Naval Academy.
Speaker 3: Well, if you're half as good a navigator as your
father was, you'll do fine.
Speaker 5: Thank you, sir. Did you ship out with my father?
Speaker 3: I served under him on one of the first rocket
runs to the Moon. I see I almost went along
on his last trip to the barrier. Bad about that, Yes, sir,
that's all. Collyer, get me the ground controlsar on the field.
I want to talk to Colonel Harrison.
Speaker 6: Go ahead, sir, I've patched in the bridge.
Speaker 3: Speaker Colonel Harrison. Yes, captain, we're standing by for takeoff
in thirty seconds.
Speaker 7: Good fields cleared of all personnel. We'll try to re
establish radio contact immediately. Have to take off. In any event,
there'll be a twenty four hour ground monitor.
Speaker 2: Fine, good luck, hope you'll make it. Thank you.
Speaker 3: Bridge to Navigation Control have control call you ready, Lieutenant ready.
Speaker 4: Captain of course, is in the integrator for take off
at twelve hundred hours.
Speaker 3: All right, stand by for blastov. Bridge to engine room.
Fire up your rocket chambers. Take off at exactly twelve
hundred hours. I'll read you off twenty seconds. Nineteen eighteen,
seventeen sixteen, hold it, revoke all orders.
Speaker 2: Who turned in that alarm store? We where?
Speaker 3: Have him brought up to the bridge enginerom kill your
rockets and stand by thorson.
Speaker 2: This is Colonel Harrison and ground control.
Speaker 6: What's holding you up?
Speaker 2: Trouble? What's the matter with you?
Speaker 3: What's the matter with you? There's a stowaway of boards. Yes,
I thought your men were supposed to police this base.
Speaker 2: What's the matter with you? You know what this the lake
can do to us, don't you? One minute later?
Speaker 3: Take off can throw some million miles off course, we'll
have to reintegrate the whole works.
Speaker 6: Well, look, how long do you think you'll take?
Speaker 3: You don't father for me, bro while I'm busy, stupid
idious captainwsones commnced Middy.
Speaker 2: Here's your store marshalled. Oh Charlie, can you use a
good radio man? Skipper? Well, I see you two have met.
Speaker 8: Matt Skipper me made fifty trips to the Moon together, didn't.
Speaker 3: With Skipper, Charlie. If you wanted to come along, why
didn't you volunteer?
Speaker 2: I did, Skipper? They they turned me down. And what's wrong?
Speaker 8: Acceleration Benz. They said my arteries wouldn't stand another trip.
Speaker 2: I'm sorry to hear that, but they're.
Speaker 8: Wrong, Skipper. I got one more good trip in me. Listen, Skipper,
you you know that these green kids they don't know
the first thing about space radio operation. Now you you
put a man like me on and out, I'll be
getting you bedtime stories from Mars.
Speaker 2: Charlie.
Speaker 3: You know the regulations as well as I do. I
can't take you much as i'd like to.
Speaker 2: Colonel Harrison will murder me for this.
Speaker 3: And I'm sorry, Charlie. I'll have you put a ground
I'll tell you what. I'll ask Carrison to put you
on his ground radio contact, and it'll seem as if.
Speaker 2: You're right here with us. He won't do it, sir,
Well he'd better. I'll have him busted to corporal for
letting you sneak aboard.
Speaker 3: Look, Charlie, look, you better be off. Poulson. I'm sending
this man of ground. Give him time to clear the
launching platform. Hold on, Charlie, I'm sorry.
Speaker 5: Good luck skipper.
Speaker 2: I thought you were going to have him drawn and quartered.
Speaker 3: If it had been anyone else, I would have smitty.
But Charlie, well, he's kind of special. It's been with
me since my first command, when we began the regular
run to the Moon. And if he wanted to come
along this time, well it's only through loyalty to me,
you know, Lewis.
Speaker 2: I didn't realize it before, but you're almost human.
Speaker 5: Captain does control Collier?
Speaker 3: Oh yes, Lieutenant, how badly are we filed up? Can
you recalculate the course? Or shall I cancel the takeoff?
Speaker 4: I've already plotted a new course on the Integrator's heart.
If we take off exactly thirty seconds. We need to
correct for only a one degree deflection. I can do
that before we reach the stratisfy.
Speaker 2: That's quick work. Are you sure all right? Colier?
Speaker 3: I'm putting it in your hands. We'll blast off on
your signal. Bridge to engine room. Prepare to blast off
on navigator's signal.
Speaker 4: How are we doing, collyer their that's four three two zero.
We've intersected the course. Back to good work. God course
is corrected, sir. Ready to go into atomic COVID drive
anytime you say all right? Stand by yes, sir, Now
hear this, now hear this. Prepare for maximum acceleration. Bridge
to engine room.
Speaker 3: Kill your rockets, rockets out, Fire up number one, cyclotron.
Speaker 2: Number one, Ready, fire up number two, number two.
Speaker 3: Ready, withdraw your dampening rods, patient chamber.
Speaker 2: Ready, last tub's clear call. Generators operating in capacity. Take
it over, sir, Go into overdrive at the counter. Zero
three seconds Mitter collyne.
Speaker 5: Three two two.
Speaker 2: One one zero zero? Are we doing? Collier?
Speaker 5: Course? Sir? She's running hot and true.
Speaker 2: My compliments, Lieutenant.
Speaker 3: This job would have done your father credit when he
was the best navigation officer.
Speaker 2: I ever saw.
Speaker 3: Thank you, sir, starter gyro's put her on robot control.
All right, the bridge is yours, mister Collier. If you
need me, I'll be in doctor Smithson's office.
Speaker 5: Yes, sir, the worst.
Speaker 3: You've got us off the ground. You can thank young
Collier for that chip off the old block. You knew
his father, As a matter of fact, I knew him
very well, first rate space map.
Speaker 2: Is he the worst? Yes?
Speaker 3: He was lost in the Galactic Barrier on the second
ship we sent out to Volta.
Speaker 2: Lewis Just what do you think this s galactic barrier is?
Speaker 3: Ooh, your guess is as good as mine, Doc. All
I know is that five ships have gone into it
and none of them have come back out.
Speaker 2: You think it's a knit?
Speaker 3: How about Mestrovik's theory that it's a time warp in space,
that the ships reach it and slip into another dimension.
Speaker 2: I think that's a lot of rubbish.
Speaker 3: My theory is that the galactic Barrier is nothing more
than a radioactive.
Speaker 2: Layer of some kind.
Speaker 3: Why do you say that, Well, we know that radar
signals bounce off it like they were hitting an invisible
glass wall, and we know that it destroys our ships
and cruise in some way.
Speaker 2: There's no other logical explanation.
Speaker 3: What makes you think we can get through it, Lewis,
Because we're ready for it.
Speaker 2: The others weren't.
Speaker 3: The entire hull of this ship is completely shielded with lead.
We can crack through any radioactive cloud ever detected. Besides,
were equipped with some new UAHF radio devices that should
enable us to maintain radio contact with her it. Nothing
can happen, absolutely nothing.
Speaker 2: Now, who are you trying to convince myself?
Speaker 3: I suppose, Lewis, you've had your share of glory, first
skipper to reach the moon back in nineteen Team sixty two.
Speaker 2: You could have retired. Why are you risking this strip?
Speaker 3: Five ships are missing, men like Prentice Margaretson, Young Collier's father.
Speaker 2: I'm tired of seeing good men fit into that meat chopper.
Speaker 3: Then why are we going to voter? We haven't any choicemoy.
We're in a race, the kind of race where men
and ships are expendable. According to the Interspace Code, the
first nation to reach voltic conclaim it.
Speaker 2: Well, personally, I want no part.
Speaker 3: Not I'll have to play physician, morale builder and mother
substitute for one hundred and twelve slightly nervous.
Speaker 2: Men, and your morale doesn't sound too good. Dog.
Speaker 3: As morale officer, I can state without fear of contradiction,
it is terrible. And something tells me as we approach
that galactic barrier, I'm not going to be alone.
Speaker 2: Hello Earth, Hello Earth, Captain Thorson of the Stark Cloud
calling Earth.
Speaker 8: Hello Star Cloud High Captain.
Speaker 3: Charlie, Well, I see the having court martial gere yet no, sir,
thanks to you. That's good to hear you. You can
read us the funny papers on Sunday morning. How's our
signal strong? Here's our log report for Colonel Harrison. You
ready shoot Joan Second nineteen eighty seven, four weeks out
from Earth, running through no radiation operation normal, still making
our approach.
Speaker 2: To the galactic barrier. That's all, Charlie, see you later,
Good luck, Captain.
Speaker 6: I sure wish I was with you.
Speaker 2: How's the morals, middie. The men know we're getting closer
to the barrier. They're beginning to show a little tension
of us.
Speaker 9: Now.
Speaker 2: How's their physical condition? Any sickness? About half the crew
who has come down with space blue? Ah, I was
afraid of that. Are they been same as usual?
Speaker 3: Lips and hands with a bluish cast eires are sensitive
to infrared. I don't know when I first started flying
these tin cans. Nobody ever heard of space blues. Well,
now there's a theory. It's caused by the terrific acceleration
of atomic overdrive. Change in gravity affects the circulation.
Speaker 2: What do you think? I think it's psychosomatic.
Speaker 3: I've noticed that the same men who get space blues
under tension on a ship tend to get blue coloration
back on Earth when they're upset. I guess it's just
an occupation, the disease of space.
Speaker 2: Now do you think it's just nerves? Then, well, young
Collier's got a bad case.
Speaker 3: I think it's tension from over Maybe he needs some vitamins, Lois,
When will you realize that vitamins are not a panacea
for all the troubles of mankind?
Speaker 5: Sir, I understand that you relieve me from beauty.
Speaker 3: Well, doctor Smithson says you an't looking very well, Collier.
I'm giving you a wrist, Sir, I.
Speaker 5: Feel perfectly able to continue.
Speaker 2: Your lips are as blue as Minnetonka. Captain.
Speaker 3: I'd like to remain at my post don't be foolhardy, Lieutenant.
Speaker 2: I'm not being foolhardy, Sir.
Speaker 5: I have a special personal reason for wanting this expedition
to reach Bolt your father.
Speaker 3: Yes, sir, you think he might still be alive. I
have to find out what happens, Sir, I think I understand.
Speaker 2: Very well.
Speaker 3: Collier, report back to duty.
Speaker 2: What's the reading policy?
Speaker 10: We're getting at plus five rdar bonds now coming off
the barrier almost as fast as we send it out.
Speaker 2: What's the interval?
Speaker 10: Two seconds shortening steadily. It's right, we'll hit the wall
in the next few minutes.
Speaker 3: All right, alert the crew, sound General Quarters, now.
Speaker 11: Hear this condition red. We are now approaching the galactic barrier.
All hands to stations, All radiation detectors to be fully manned.
Full security will prevail until further notice.
Speaker 2: That is all policy.
Speaker 3: Yes, the radar bounces up to plus six. We'd better
try to make final contact with Earth.
Speaker 2: The sparks still tried to raise the base.
Speaker 10: Yes, but he's not having much luck. Huh, seems to
be some interference. That's the radio room now.
Speaker 2: Yes, you got them well, cut in on the bridge speaker.
Captain will take it from here. Hello Star Cloud to Earth.
Can you hear me? Earth?
Speaker 8: Hello, Skipper, I can barely read you. We're getting heavy
static from Sunspot.
Speaker 2: That's not Sunspot's Charlie.
Speaker 3: We're right on top of the galactic barrier, getting a
plus no plus seven radar bounce. I expect to hit
the barrier almost any second.
Speaker 2: Now. If we crack the barrier and come through.
Speaker 3: Still in one piece, I'll try to get back to
you on the high frequency band.
Speaker 6: Got you, Skipper, don't worry.
Speaker 2: I'll be waiting so long, Charlie, so long. Stark Cloud
must be getting off with close now, Captain.
Speaker 5: It goes bouncing back so fast it's almost beating the.
Speaker 3: Signal when they go inside. Hold onto your hat. That's
when we run into the wall. Any second, hold on,
here goes nothing. Here it comes, Captain. Nothing happened.
Speaker 2: We made it.
Speaker 5: We made it, Captain.
Speaker 2: No radiation, no time warp, no nothing. The crew's gone crazy, Sir.
Let them they've earned it.
Speaker 6: Doc.
Speaker 3: Can you break out a few bottles of snake bite
serum for medicinal purposes?
Speaker 6: Sure?
Speaker 7: Can.
Speaker 2: Let's go for a celebration. How's your moral?
Speaker 3: No, it couldn't be better condition?
Speaker 11: Red condition radiation detectex condition red radiation.
Speaker 2: Holy mackerel.
Speaker 3: Look at the needle on that indicator, Allison Hollison, Yes,
I see it.
Speaker 2: Captain picking radiation like crazy? What's it like?
Speaker 5: What's a strong impulse?
Speaker 2: What kind? I don't know.
Speaker 10: It's too long for a cosmic ray, too short for
UHF whatever it is, Sir.
Speaker 2: The ship is allowsy.
Speaker 3: We'll track it down, triangulate it and make it fast.
I want a directional fix. Yes, the engine room, we're
picking up radioactivity. Who's the fission chambers? No, cacer, check
your gauges.
Speaker 2: Nothing here, Captain must be coming from outside damage control.
Is our leg shield leaking radiation? We'll keep at it. Allison,
how are you doing?
Speaker 5: I've got to fix the captain?
Speaker 2: Well, what is it?
Speaker 5: I don't have to recheck my figure.
Speaker 2: I'll hurry it up. Angle is correct, but I can
one man, for Pete's sake. Where's the radiation coming from?
Sirds It's coming from inside the shift. It's impossible, no, sir,
I've checked the twelve. It's not to be the engines.
Then it is, sir. We're finished engine room.
Speaker 6: Yes, sir.
Speaker 2: That radiation must be in the overdrive pile. Oh, sir,
it isn't are you certain?
Speaker 3: Yes?
Speaker 2: All right, keep checking. There only one thing left to do,
Paulus and get a guy your counter. We're gonna start
calmbing this ship inch by inch, yes, sir, all right,
turn it on, yes, sir, all right, ready, captain, we'll
check the atomic guns first. Come on. We'll got through
the officers quarters here to ordinans. I'll turn here. Wait
a minute, sir, what is it? The signal is weaker? Now, yeah,
let's go back. Hold it. Hold it seems strongest right
about here. Doesn't make sense. Whose cabin is this? Turning?
Speaker 10: Carliers here? Oh, he's done, and that I'll try the door. Alright,
it's not locked, sir, it's in here, all right. Listen
that counter strongest over here? Open that wall, cabinet, it's lot.
Speaker 2: Let's fashion and shut off that Giger college.
Speaker 10: What do you make of this, polisy It looks like
some sort of portable transmitter, sir. It must be foreign manufactured.
I don't recognize the calibration symbols at all. I've never
seenything like it, which.
Speaker 2: Raises a small question.
Speaker 3: What is Lieutenant Collier doing with a transmitter in his
cabin I don't know. Well, I intend to find out.
Poulson get down and have control and bring Collier up
to the bridge on the double.
Speaker 10: Haven't we better find somewhere to shut this thing off first?
Speaker 6: I know a.
Speaker 2: Way, Lieutenant Collier.
Speaker 3: I'm going to ask a few simple questions, and I
want a few simple answers. Yes, sir, what were you
doing with a transmitter in your cabin?
Speaker 2: Transmitter?
Speaker 5: Captain?
Speaker 2: Oh, you know nothing about it?
Speaker 5: No, sir, I don't.
Speaker 3: Do you recognize these calibration symbols?
Speaker 2: No, sir?
Speaker 3: Can you think of how it might have been placed
in your cabin without your knowing it?
Speaker 5: No, sir, unless someone came in while I was on duty.
Speaker 2: Would that have been possible?
Speaker 5: I suppose so if someone had a key.
Speaker 3: I found your cabin door unlocked. When I met a
key to the wall cabin, I didn't.
Speaker 2: Say the wall cabinet.
Speaker 3: Well, I you what, Lieutenant, How could you have known
it was in the wall cabinet?
Speaker 2: Well? I just assumed, Sir, Tenant Callier.
Speaker 3: I find it hard to believe you would lie, having
known and respected your father, having observed the way you
handled your job. However, I intend to get to the
root of this thing. May I have your wristwatch, Lieutenant, sir,
your wrist watch, yes, sir Pollison. Turn on that Geiger collar, yes, sir,
pull this watch next to it, yes.
Speaker 2: Sir, that's all. Lieutenant.
Speaker 3: If you hadn't any close contact with that transmitter, how.
Speaker 2: Do you explain the radioactivity of this watch? I don't, sir.
Speaker 3: I think you'd better to whom were you sending those signals?
Speaker 2: There's your answer, captain?
Speaker 5: What is this collier?
Speaker 2: Call your who's a board that ship? All right? Now?
Speaker 12: Talk very well, captain. My mission seems completed.
Speaker 2: Your mission? Are you admitting that you're an agent of
a foreign power? I am stating it's what nation? No nation? Captain?
What I am an agent of the Voltime government?
Speaker 6: What?
Speaker 2: The government of the planet of Voltime? Crazy? Are you
so stupid? Captain?
Speaker 12: Do you think your people are the only ones who
can invade another planet?
Speaker 2: What do you mean?
Speaker 12: We've had agents operating on Earth since nineteen one hundred
and forty five.
Speaker 2: Don't believe you?
Speaker 5: What do you think happened to those five ships?
Speaker 2: Captain?
Speaker 12: Where do you suppose we got our information? Your language
or culture, family background, appearance. You'll you look like like
command to Collier, Well, is that so surprising, Captain?
Speaker 5: You see, Captain, we had a living model.
Speaker 2: I ought to kill you.
Speaker 5: It would be very foolish. Captain. I would advise you
to surrender without delay.
Speaker 3: I'll deal with you later. Call your polison. Yes, what
this man and irons take him away?
Speaker 5: Don't worries, so I will take good care of him.
Speaker 3: Governor, Gunnery Connery Richardson, what's the range?
Speaker 6: Ten thousands?
Speaker 2: The closing fast? But your guns on? Radar tracking?
Speaker 6: Tracking? Coming on the bearing?
Speaker 2: Fire? Fire? Richardson, Richardon, did you hear me?
Speaker 13: Fire?
Speaker 2: What's the matter down there? Did you hear me? Richardson?
Speaker 3: Anthomy, it's no use to shout, Captain Collier, how did
you get loose?
Speaker 2: Where's Paulison?
Speaker 5: Lieutenant paulis and he is dead?
Speaker 2: Pulse stations. Lieutenant Collier has escaped.
Speaker 12: Seasy men, don't waste your breath. Your men can't hear you.
Speaker 2: Captain?
Speaker 5: What those still alive?
Speaker 2: My man done?
Speaker 12: No, Captain, every ship that has ever left Earth was
controlled by a Voltan cruise.
Speaker 3: It's impossible. Those were hand picked men and picked by us.
Speaker 2: I don't believe you know.
Speaker 5: Then, why not call for help?
Speaker 3: Carpenter Robinson Hailey, report you see, Captain cut Carpenter Robinson Hailey.
Speaker 5: It's quite useless.
Speaker 12: Captain, I would advise you to sit very quietly and
do nothing.
Speaker 2: Very well. Caughtier you beateness?
Speaker 5: What now the ship will be taken to Volta for
shall we say, further experimentation?
Speaker 2: I see, of course there's one thing you hadn't counted on.
Speaker 5: Just what is that, Captain.
Speaker 2: Carpenter? Are you a lieutenant Carpenter?
Speaker 3: You can all be dead. There must be one alive.
Marry doctor Smithson, Sperry, Smedy.
Speaker 2: What have they done to you?
Speaker 9: Lewis Arlie, I don't talk, I must lean lean closer.
It's not much time, Louis, Space blues.
Speaker 2: Space blues?
Speaker 6: What is it?
Speaker 2: Smitty? What are you trying to tell me? Men with
space blues?
Speaker 13: Voltime Hell, let me help you out, Louis, get message
back to Worth Voltime fifth column watch out for it space.
Speaker 14: Smith smy and and you can't now come back by
the brain m horender my men will.
Speaker 2: Hello Hello Star cloud calling Earth.
Speaker 3: To please can't let me throws too lay Hello Stark
loud to Earth come in, please come.
Speaker 2: In breath.
Speaker 3: Hello, Hello Star clattering Earth Captain Thawson calling Charlie, come in,
please hurry Hello.
Speaker 6: Can you hear me? Charlie?
Speaker 2: Skipper? Is that you?
Speaker 6: You kidding? My signals?
Speaker 2: It's coming in a little louder now skip keep sending.
Speaker 6: God Now look, Charlie, listen to me. Not much time.
Get word to Colonel Harrison.
Speaker 3: Crew mutant, most of crew members PHOTONSA Fulton's.
Speaker 2: Spell that feed O L Fultons.
Speaker 6: That's right. They're from the planet photo.
Speaker 2: Skipper, Skipper, Are you all right, Charlie?
Speaker 6: This is serious. They'll be here any second. I'll listen.
They have a fifth column on Earth. They're planning to
invade you.
Speaker 5: You mean, of course?
Speaker 6: I mean it.
Speaker 3: Tell Harrison posing as humans, you can detect them by
space Bruce, you got that?
Speaker 6: Only phultons get space Blue, Charlie. Did you hear me?
Speaker 2: Space Blue? I got you? You get Charlie.
Speaker 6: I'm reading a you for everybody.
Speaker 2: C're open the door, so chary happen? Captain Thawson, Hello, hello,
star Cloud. What's the trouble, Sergeant? I was just trying
to raise the star Cloud.
Speaker 7: Colonel had any luck, no no contact no contact ee,
no sir. Nearly an hour since they hit the galactic barrier.
I don't understand why they haven't tried to get a
message back.
Speaker 2: No, sir, neither do I. Oh right, I'll take over
for a while.
Speaker 7: Yes, you you do that, sir. It's all yours right.
Oh and Charlie better go on and get yourself some coffee.
You look a little blue around the gills.
Speaker 1: The night X minus one has brought you No Contact,
written by George Leopards from an original story of Leopards
and Ernest Kenoy featured in the cast where Louis van
Ruten as Captain, Donald Bucher as Collier, Wendell Holmes as Charlie,
and Bill Griffiths, Bill Smith, Matt Crowley and Ken Williams.
Speaker 2: You're announce it, Don Pardow.
Speaker 1: X minus one was directed by Fred Way and is
the transcribed NBC Radio Network production.
Speaker 2: And Now next Week.
Speaker 1: When you want to take over a world, you naturally
look for its week point, some way to catch its
people off guard.
Speaker 2: We live in a world where everybody loves.
Speaker 1: A parade, a world of press agents and publicity stunts.
But who would ever dream that invaders from outer space
would take advantage of that weakness and actually hire a
press agent to advertise their coming. Who would believe it
was anything but just another publicity gang, at least not
until the terrible moment when it was already too late,
The moment of
Speaker 2: X minus one,