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X Minus One - "The Outer Limit" (Old Time Radio, 1955) · X Minus One | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Ernest Kenoy adapted Graham Dorr's short story for this NBC presentation,
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: directed by Daniel Sutter and produced by William Welch. On
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: November 16, 1955, X-1 brought listeners episode 25, The Outer Limit,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: with Bob Hastings, Frederica Chandler, James Dukas, Joe DeSantis, Joseph Julian,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: and Wendell Holmes. The setting is 1965, where an experimental
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: high-altitude rocket plane vanishes from radar during a flight expected
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: to last only 10 minutes. Ten hours later, the pilot
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: returns with an account that reaches well beyond the test program.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, X-1. Now, back to the golden age
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: of radio.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: Countdown for blastoff.
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: X-5, 4, 3, 2.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: X minus one, fire.
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: of the future, adventures in which you'll live in a
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: million could-be years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with Street & Smith, publishers of
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: astounding science fiction, presents X-Minus-One. Tonight's story, The Outer Limit
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: by Graham Dorr. We go ahead now in time to 1965.
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: We're on a vast concrete runway set in the desert
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: of the southwest. A giant metal ship stands before us, prow.
• 2:17
  Speaker 4: Pointed for the stars.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: And in five minutes, the signal will flash and it
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: will tear up through the atmosphere to... The Outer Limit.
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: Attention! Attention!
• 2:40
  Speaker 5: Clear field for takeoff! Clear field! Five minutes, Steve.
• 2:46
  Speaker 6: Right.
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: Warmer up, Charlie!
• 2:50
  Speaker 5: I want to go over procedure again, Steve.
• 2:52
  Speaker 4: Don't worry, I got it straight.
• 2:54
  Speaker 5: We'll just make sure.
• 2:56
  Speaker 7: Okay, I take her up on jets to 50,000, then
• 2:58
  Speaker 7: I cut in the rocket.
• 2:59
  Speaker 5: No, Lord, or your tail blast will burn out three counties.
• 3:02
  Speaker 7: I climb four minutes on rockets, then start maneuver tests.
• 3:05
  Speaker 5: Remember that, no more than four minutes. This ship isn't
• 3:07
  Speaker 5: like those strato-rockets that you've been testing. She's the first
• 3:10
  Speaker 5: one built for outer space. If she works, you can
• 3:13
  Speaker 5: go clear to the moon.
• 3:14
  Speaker 4: If I'd have known, I'd have brought my toothbrush.
• 3:16
  Speaker 5: Not this trip. Now, get this, Steve. You've got power
• 3:19
  Speaker 5: there to clear the Earth's gravitational field, but remember, after
• 3:22
  Speaker 5: you cut in the rockets... You've only got ten minutes' fuel.
• 3:25
  Speaker 5: If you go beyond the outer limit and don't save
• 3:27
  Speaker 5: fuel for the return, you won't get down again, ever.
• 3:30
  Speaker 5: You'll drift out into space. Get that now. Ten minutes' fuel.
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: Okay.
• 3:36
  Speaker 5: As far as I'm concerned, this project is a lot
• 3:37
  Speaker 5: more important than that cosmic ray bomb that they're testing
• 3:40
  Speaker 5: out in the Pacific tonight.
• 3:41
  Speaker 7: The Security Commission brass doesn't think so. I don't see
• 3:43
  Speaker 7: any undersecretaries under anything.
• 3:46
  Speaker 5: Don't you worry, Stephen. In the long run, our ship
• 3:47
  Speaker 5: will make the C.R. bomb back-paid stuff. But in the meantime,
• 3:50
  Speaker 5: it's just as dangerous... Now, remember, half the principles in
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: this ship are pure theory, slide rule stuff. If anything
• 3:56
  Speaker 5: goes wrong, we may have to scrape you off the
• 3:58
  Speaker 5: landscape with.
• 3:59
  Speaker 4: A soup spoon. You have a charming sense of humor.
• 4:01
  Speaker 5: Here's what I'm getting at, Steve. We're risking your neck
• 4:04
  Speaker 5: in this test. Anything blows, we don't want to have
• 4:07
  Speaker 5: the next man pull the same boner. So keep your
• 4:10
  Speaker 5: mic open, keep talking. If anything goes wrong, we want
• 4:13
  Speaker 5: to know exactly why. And we won't be able to
• 4:16
  Speaker 5: ask you. Let us know before you pull every switch,
• 4:19
  Speaker 5: before you do anything.
• 4:21
  Speaker 6: Got that?
• 4:22
  Speaker 5: Even if you only have to blow your nose.
• 4:24
  Speaker 6: All right, get those steel lines away.
• 4:26
  Speaker 5: Well, I guess that's about all, Steve.
• 4:28
  Speaker 4: Hey, that reminds me. If Mary calls, I'm just up
• 4:31
  Speaker 4: on a milk run.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: I didn't tell her today was it.
• 4:33
  Speaker 4: How is Mary?
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: She's okay, but she's due about now, and I don't
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: want her to get nervous.
• 4:37
  Speaker 5: Hey, I didn't know the baby was that close. Steve,
• 4:41
  Speaker 5: you know, I really ought to be sending a single
• 4:43
  Speaker 5: man on this job.
• 4:45
  Speaker 4: What, and cut me out of a soft paycheck? Forget it, Hank.
• 4:48
  Speaker 7: You know, you can't get anybody else who can take
• 4:49
  Speaker 7: 15 G's acceleration when those rockets cut in.
• 4:52
  Speaker 5: Yeah, I know. It's time, Steve.
• 4:55
  Speaker 8: Yeah.
• 4:55
  Speaker 4: I'll see you later.
• 4:57
  Speaker 8: Don't worry, Hank.
• 4:58
  Speaker 4: I'll sweat for both of us. Button her up, Charlie.
• 5:01
  Speaker 8: So long, Hank.
• 5:02
  Speaker 5: So long. We'll give you the light from control.
• 5:18
  Speaker 8: X-2 JTR to control. Are you there yet, Hank?
• 5:20
  Speaker 6: Okay, Steve.
• 5:21
  Speaker 5: I'm ready to go.
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: Mr.
• 5:22
  Speaker 4: Hanson.
• 5:23
  Speaker 5: Ready on radar, Sergeant?
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: Jack.
• 5:24
  Speaker 6: Mr.
• 5:25
  Speaker 5: Hanson, you better see this.
• 5:26
  Speaker 4: What is it, Elsie?
• 5:27
  Speaker 5: Message sent up for Steve.
• 5:28
  Speaker 9: Mrs.
• 5:28
  Speaker 5: Weston just left for the hospital.
• 5:29
  Speaker 6: What? Hello, Steve.
• 5:31
  Speaker 8: Yeah.
• 5:32
  Speaker 5: Stand by a minute.
• 5:32
  Speaker 4: Shall I hold it up, Mr. Hanson?
• 5:34
  Speaker 8: Yes.
• 5:36
  Speaker 5: No, wait just a minute. It's too late. You going
• 5:39
  Speaker 5: to tell him? Maybe he's got enough to worry about.
• 5:42
  Speaker 8: Hey, what's holding us up, Hank? Something on your mind?
• 5:44
  Speaker 5: No, no, there's nothing, Steve. I just wanted to say
• 5:47
  Speaker 5: good luck. All right, Charlie. Give him the light.
• 5:50
  Speaker 6: All right, Steve.
• 6:03
  Speaker 5: I'm reading you, Claire.
• 6:04
  Speaker 7: I'm at 20,000. Airspeed 600. It's running fine. Soundproofing works.
• 6:12
  Speaker 7: There's a three-degree waver in the AGY pressure.
• 6:14
  Speaker 5: Got that, Charlie?
• 6:15
  Speaker 7: Check.
• 6:15
  Speaker 6: That's center on radar, Mr.
• 6:17
  Speaker 7: Hanson.
• 6:17
  Speaker 8: 50,000 now. I'm cutting loose the port jet. Now the starboard.
• 6:25
  Speaker 8: I'm off jets.
• 6:26
  Speaker 7: Airspeed dropping. I'm opening the rocket ports. Switch sticks a little, Charlie.
• 6:34
  Speaker 7: Oxy alcohol pressure 350. All right, now I'm advancing the
• 6:39
  Speaker 7: ignition key.
• 6:41
  Speaker 8: Here goes rocket one.
• 6:44
  Speaker 5: Steve. Steve, you all right?
• 6:46
  Speaker 10: Yeah.
• 6:48
  Speaker 7: Looks like somebody slugged me with a sledgehammer. Uh, airspeed
• 6:52
  Speaker 7: now 1,200.
• 6:52
  Speaker 8: Here goes number two. She's okay, Hank. Running like a
• 7:01
  Speaker 8: Swiss watch. She's okay.
• 7:03
  Speaker 10: Hello, Steve.
• 7:15
  Speaker 8: Elapsed rockets time is now four minutes.
• 7:18
  Speaker 11: What's your altitude?
• 7:19
  Speaker 8: Over to you.
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: Speed 4,400. Still climbing. Altitude 297 miles.
• 7:26
  Speaker 8: All right.
• 7:26
  Speaker 5: You're at the outer limit.
• 7:27
  Speaker 8: Level off for maneuver tests. You've got exactly six minutes
• 7:31
  Speaker 8: fuel left.
• 7:33
  Speaker 4: I'm starting at three degree left bank. He's a little sluggish.
• 7:38
  Speaker 7: There, it's all right. There's a low vibration somewhere. Maybe
• 7:43
  Speaker 7: the cockpit cover. My view screen's a little fogged. I'm
• 7:48
  Speaker 7: straightening out.
• 7:49
  Speaker 8: Five minutes to a left.
• 7:51
  Speaker 4: I'm starting a three degree right.
• 7:53
  Speaker 8: Hey. What's the matter?
• 7:56
  Speaker 11: What's wrong?
• 7:57
  Speaker 4: There's something up here. Something shining.
• 7:59
  Speaker 8: What are you talking about?
• 8:00
  Speaker 4: There's something above me, Hank.
• 8:01
  Speaker 8: I'm going to chase it. Steve.
• 8:03
  Speaker 5: Steve, you're at the outer limit now.
• 8:05
  Speaker 4: I can see it plain now.
• 8:06
  Speaker 8: Now, Steve, don't go any higher. You've only got four
• 8:09
  Speaker 8: minutes left. You've only got.
• 8:12
  Speaker 4: I'm getting static. I can't hear you, Hank. It's better
• 8:14
  Speaker 4: ahead now. I'm going to make a pass at it
• 8:16
  Speaker 4: and get a good look. Here goes.
• 8:19
  Speaker 5: Hey, it's swerving to meet me.
• 8:21
  Speaker 8: It's set ahead now. Look out, it's set ahead.
• 8:32
  Speaker 4: Hello.
• 8:32
  Speaker 5: Hello. Hello, Steve. Steve, come in.
• 8:35
  Speaker 4: Nine minutes fuel gone.
• 8:36
  Speaker 11: Hello.
• 8:37
  Speaker 5: Hello, Steve. What happened? Charlie, get the crash squad out.
• 8:40
  Speaker 5: Tell the army squadron to alert their search plane.
• 8:42
  Speaker 12: Right.
• 8:43
  Speaker 4: Nine and a half minutes gone. Hello.
• 8:45
  Speaker 6: Hello, Steve.
• 8:46
  Speaker 5: Steve, listen to me. What's happened?
• 8:48
  Speaker 4: Where the devil is he?
• 8:49
  Speaker 6: Hello?
• 8:50
  Speaker 4: Come in, Steve.
• 8:52
  Speaker 8: Steve, come in.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: Hello?
• 8:55
  Speaker 8: Hello, Steve?
• 8:56
  Speaker 6: Hello?
• 8:57
  Speaker 8: Hello, Steve?
• 8:58
  Speaker 4: Ten minutes.
• 8:59
  Speaker 5: That's the end of the fuel.
• 9:01
  Speaker 13: How long.
• 9:11
  Speaker 5: Has it been now?
• 9:13
  Speaker 4: Ten hours, Mr. Hanson.
• 9:14
  Speaker 5: Nothing more on radar, Sergeant?
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: The screen's blank.
• 9:16
  Speaker 4: Colonel Carulli called in.
• 9:17
  Speaker 5: The search planes are back.
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: Couldn't find anything.
• 9:19
  Speaker 5: Should be some trace. He couldn't have bailed out, could he?
• 9:22
  Speaker 5: You don't hit the silk at 4,400 miles an hour.
• 9:24
  Speaker 5: We either went past the outer limit and ran out
• 9:27
  Speaker 5: of fuel or something blew and we'll find the pieces
• 9:29
  Speaker 5: scattered from here to the coast. Why does it have
• 9:31
  Speaker 5: to be the best man? Always the best man. Charlie,
• 9:35
  Speaker 5: we've got to figure out what was wrong. Right. Something
• 9:38
  Speaker 5: must have blown.
• 9:40
  Speaker 4: Mr. Hanson, there's a message from Northside Hospital.
• 9:44
  Speaker 5: What is it?
• 9:45
  Speaker 9: Mrs.
• 9:45
  Speaker 4: Weston is fine.
• 9:46
  Speaker 5: It's a boy. Thank you, Elsie. It's a boy, Charlie.
• 9:50
  Speaker 6: Yeah.
• 9:51
  Speaker 5: Fine, fine. It's a boy. You didn't even know that
• 9:54
  Speaker 5: she went to the hospital. How am I going to
• 9:56
  Speaker 5: tell Mary that?
• 9:57
  Speaker 4: No, it wasn't your fault, Mr.
• 9:58
  Speaker 8: Hanson.
• 9:58
  Speaker 4: The ship was tested.
• 9:59
  Speaker 8: Yeah, yeah.
• 10:00
  Speaker 5: We'll build another and some other flying fool will shoot
• 10:02
  Speaker 5: past the outer limit into space. Well, I'm getting old, Charlie.
• 10:06
  Speaker 5: You can remember when I used to take them up myself.
• 10:08
  Speaker 5: Now I've got to send other men.
• 10:10
  Speaker 11: Look, it's a job, Mr.
• 10:11
  Speaker 6: Hanson.
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: Now I'm afraid.
• 10:12
  Speaker 5: Every time I hear a jet go off, I jump.
• 10:15
  Speaker 5: Every time I have to send somebody up in a
• 10:16
  Speaker 5: new model, I start to sweat.
• 10:17
  Speaker 9: Mr.
• 10:18
  Speaker 4: Hanson. Yeah?
• 10:19
  Speaker 5: I think I've got something on the radar. No flights
• 10:21
  Speaker 5: scheduled in either, Elsie?
• 10:23
  Speaker 4: No, the whole day's cleared.
• 10:23
  Speaker 5: He's coming in behind us. Here he comes over the building.
• 10:29
  Speaker 5: What crazy jockey is buzzing the field like that? Is
• 10:32
  Speaker 5: that an army plane, Charlie?
• 10:33
  Speaker 4: I can't see.
• 10:34
  Speaker 11: Here he comes back again.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: I know that engine.
• 10:40
  Speaker 6: Yes, it's Steve.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: That's impossible.
• 10:42
  Speaker 5: Look, that's his ship. It can't be. It's circling back
• 10:44
  Speaker 5: for landing.
• 10:45
  Speaker 4: Charlie, clear the field. He's coming back in. Mr.
• 10:50
  Speaker 5: Hanson, there's not another ship in the world that looks
• 10:52
  Speaker 5: like that. I tell you, it's got to be Steve.
• 10:54
  Speaker 5: Thank God.
• 10:57
  Speaker 13: All right, sit down over.
• 11:10
  Speaker 5: There, Steve. The quicker we get this done, the quicker
• 11:14
  Speaker 5: you get over to see Mary and the baby. Elsie,
• 11:18
  Speaker 5: give the order to check and refuel the rockets. I
• 11:21
  Speaker 5: don't want anybody in here till I get Steve's reports.
• 11:23
  Speaker 5: Bury any calls. All right, Steve, let's have it. What
• 11:29
  Speaker 5: the devil happened to you?
• 11:31
  Speaker 4: Hank, that cosmic ray bomb, does it still go off tonight?
• 11:35
  Speaker 5: What are you talking about? Straighten out, Steve. Where have
• 11:38
  Speaker 5: you been for the last 10 hours?
• 11:39
  Speaker 4: Listen, Hank, there's something more important.
• 11:40
  Speaker 5: Now, come on, come on. I've got to get a
• 11:42
  Speaker 5: report on the screen to Washington. So let's have it,
• 11:43
  Speaker 5: will you? I've got to know how you stretch 10
• 11:46
  Speaker 5: minutes fuel to keep you in the air for 10 hours.
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: One thing before I talk. Now, look, Steve. Will you
• 11:50
  Speaker 4: have the Geiger men run over the ship before they refuel?
• 11:53
  Speaker 5: What did you run into?
• 11:54
  Speaker 4: So help me, Hank, I don't know. We better check
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: and make sure it isn't radioactive.
• 11:59
  Speaker 5: Elsie, add a Geiger report on the standard check. Steve,
• 12:03
  Speaker 5: maybe we better have the medics look you over, too.
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: No, no, no, I'm all right. They said I'd be
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: all right.
• 12:09
  Speaker 5: They? Look, son, I know you've had a tough time,
• 12:12
  Speaker 5: but we've had this field on the alert for 10 hours, boy.
• 12:15
  Speaker 5: One of the army boys cracked up looking for you,
• 12:17
  Speaker 5: and he's hurt bad. So let's have the story. Let's
• 12:19
  Speaker 5: have it straight.
• 12:21
  Speaker 4: I don't know how to tell you, Hank. Hank, I
• 12:27
  Speaker 4: saw something up there.
• 12:28
  Speaker 5: At 300 miles?
• 12:29
  Speaker 4: I chased something up there, Hank, and I caught it.
• 12:31
  Speaker 8: Now, don't hand me that. Listen.
• 12:34
  Speaker 12: I was cruising along, just starting the right bank, when
• 12:37
  Speaker 12: I spotted something. It must have been going about half
• 12:39
  Speaker 12: my speed.
• 12:40
  Speaker 4: It was egg-shaped and smooth. I made a pass at it.
• 12:45
  Speaker 12: I came back for another, and then there was a
• 12:47
  Speaker 12: humming sound.
• 12:48
  Speaker 4: Humming?
• 12:48
  Speaker 12: Sort of a vibration. And then I blacked out. I
• 12:52
  Speaker 12: was headed straight for it at 4,400 miles an hour.
• 12:55
  Speaker 12: I thought it was going to be the biggest smash
• 12:56
  Speaker 12: since Hiroshima. Listen, Hank, is there a drink in that bottle?
• 13:02
  Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, sure.
• 13:05
  Speaker 6: Well?
• 13:09
  Speaker 5: What happened?
• 13:11
  Speaker 4: Hank, I came to inside their ship.
• 13:16
  Speaker 5: Steve, this whole thing has been a devil of a
• 13:19
  Speaker 5: strain on you. I'm going to call Major Donaldson from
• 13:22
  Speaker 5: the Army base, ask him to sit in.
• 13:25
  Speaker 4: The psychiatrist?
• 13:29
  Speaker 12: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea.
• 13:32
  Speaker 12: Let him run his tests. He'll tell you I'm not kidding. Because, Hank,
• 13:36
  Speaker 12: unless I miss my guess, I've just been tipped off
• 13:40
  Speaker 12: to the way the world ends.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: You should be getting drowsy now. Count backwards from ten.
• 13:56
  Speaker 9: One.
• 13:56
  Speaker 6: Nine. Eight.
• 14:00
  Speaker 9: Seven.
• 14:01
  Speaker 6: Eight.
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: He's under. Now we attach the head plate electrodes. And
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: the cortical pickup. We'll look out for that wire, Mr.
• 14:23
  Speaker 4: Hanson.
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: 3-0 setting and 31.3. Now, uh, throw that switch, Mr. Hanson.
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: I have to start him off by suggestion. All right, Steve.
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: You're in your ship now. You're in the rocket. You're
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: in the rocket. You're in the rocket, and you've just
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: sighted something strange.
• 14:48
  Speaker 8: Oh, I'm starting a three-degree right.
• 14:50
  Speaker 5: What's that?
• 14:51
  Speaker 8: Hey, there's something up there. Something shining.
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: It's a memory pattern. We're picking it up electronically.
• 14:57
  Speaker 8: There's something above me, Hank. I'm going to chase it.
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: It's tight through the audio circuit.
• 15:01
  Speaker 8: It's static. I can't hear you, Hank.
• 15:03
  Speaker 5: This is where we lost contact with it.
• 15:04
  Speaker 8: I'm going to make a pass at it. Hey, it's
• 15:07
  Speaker 8: swimming to meet me. It's dead ahead now. Look out.
• 15:10
  Speaker 8: It's dead ahead.
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: It's very blacked out. They're telling how long, minutes or hours.
• 15:22
  Speaker 5: What's that noise?
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 15:23
  Speaker 6: Where?
• 15:28
  Speaker 8: How did I get here? Who are you?
• 15:32
  Speaker 5: Is he saying things?
• 15:33
  Speaker 8: Galactic patrol. What's that?
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: What are they saying, Steve? What are they saying?
• 15:39
  Speaker 8: It's about nuclear fission.
• 15:43
  Speaker 7: They know about it. They know the danger of it.
• 15:47
  Speaker 7: Long ago, they had wars that almost destroyed them.
• 15:51
  Speaker 8: But finally, they learned. Now they've outlawed war.
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: Go on, Steve.
• 15:56
  Speaker 8: They patrol space. When their detector picks up an atomic explosion,
• 16:00
  Speaker 8: they send a patrol. They've been observing Earth, and they
• 16:03
  Speaker 8: found wars and rumors of wars.
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: What are they going to do?
• 16:06
  Speaker 8: They've quarantined us.
• 16:07
  Speaker 5: Quarantined?
• 16:08
  Speaker 7: They've isolated all Earth because we're infected with a communicable disease.
• 16:13
  Speaker 7: Because we don't know how to control ourselves yet. Until
• 16:16
  Speaker 7: we learn, we'll be a menace to the whole universe.
• 16:17
  Speaker 5: What is this nonsense?
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: Quiet. How are they going to do it, Steve?
• 16:23
  Speaker 7: They've spread out a layer here of a.
• 16:26
  Speaker 8: I don't know what to call it. It's all around
• 16:29
  Speaker 8: the Earth. It's miles deep.
• 16:32
  Speaker 7: And when there's an atomic explosion on Earth, the radioactive
• 16:35
  Speaker 7: particles will drift up to this layer and set off
• 16:37
  Speaker 7: a chain reaction that'll go around the world in microseconds.
• 16:40
  Speaker 8: And that's the end. Yes. Yes, I understand. You're going
• 16:47
  Speaker 8: to bring back the warning. You're going to put me
• 16:51
  Speaker 8: back in my ship to bring the warning.
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: Now what? Blacked out again. I guess that's all.
• 17:01
  Speaker 5: What does all that mean?
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: It's what he remembers.
• 17:04
  Speaker 5: You don't think that that really happened?
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: No, no. Narco-psychometry circuits produce what he remembers. Just means
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: that Steve believes this happened.
• 17:14
  Speaker 5: I don't like to see this. I've seen too many
• 17:16
  Speaker 5: top pilots snap. Steve is the best I've known. How
• 17:22
  Speaker 5: bad do you think he is?
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: Frankly, outside of the presence of this well-organized hallucination, no
• 17:26
  Speaker 2: signs of unbalance. May not be too serious. If he
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: had a more plausible story, I'd be inclined to believe him.
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: Warning.
• 17:34
  Speaker 8: Warning.
• 17:37
  Speaker 6: Hank.
• 17:37
  Speaker 5: It's all right, boy.
• 17:38
  Speaker 4: Did you hear it, Hank? Do you understand?
• 17:41
  Speaker 8: Sure, sure.
• 17:41
  Speaker 5: We've been quarantined.
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: No, no. Let me give you something to make you sleep, Steve.
• 17:45
  Speaker 4: Don't you understand? They fixed it so that if we
• 17:48
  Speaker 4: set off one more nuclear explosion, we will have had it.
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: Of course, of course. Don't roll your sleeve down.
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: You don't believe me?
• 17:56
  Speaker 5: Take it easy, Steve.
• 17:58
  Speaker 4: But the test they're setting off, the cosmic ray bomb, Hank, tonight.
• 18:02
  Speaker 8: What time is it?
• 18:03
  Speaker 13: 11.20.
• 18:04
  Speaker 4: It's scheduled for midnight. I think we've got to stop
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: that bomb.
• 18:09
  Speaker 5: Let Donaldson give you the hypos.
• 18:10
  Speaker 4: You've got to believe me. I saw them. I got
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: the warning.
• 18:13
  Speaker 12: If we touch off the Q-bomb tonight, we'll be the
• 18:16
  Speaker 12: biggest galactic Fourth of July of all time.
• 18:18
  Speaker 4: The whole Earth will go up like a Roman candle.
• 18:20
  Speaker 4: April 10th, 1965, the end.
• 18:22
  Speaker 5: Look, Steve, you better calm down now. Don't you want
• 18:26
  Speaker 5: to see Mary and the baby? You've got a new son, remember?
• 18:29
  Speaker 4: It's just that I want to see my son. I
• 18:31
  Speaker 4: want him to live. If the bomb goes off, Hank,
• 18:33
  Speaker 4: we've got to stop it.
• 18:34
  Speaker 13: Mr.
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: Hanson, I think we'd better get over to the base hospital.
• 18:37
  Speaker 4: Hank, you've got to believe me.
• 18:38
  Speaker 5: Sure, sure, Steve. Maybe there's something to it. Look, look,
• 18:41
  Speaker 5: it's out of our hands now, Steve. I'll put it
• 18:43
  Speaker 5: in a report, shove it into Washington.
• 18:44
  Speaker 8: In the morning.
• 18:45
  Speaker 4: In the morning? There won't be any morning, Hank. You've
• 18:47
  Speaker 4: got to call Washington now. Get the head of the
• 18:49
  Speaker 4: security commission and postpone the test.
• 18:51
  Speaker 5: Now, you know I can't do that. My neck would
• 18:53
  Speaker 5: be out a mile. Besides, this is 1965, not 45.
• 18:57
  Speaker 5: Twenty countries have the atomic bomb now. What's the use
• 19:01
  Speaker 5: of stopping just this one? The rest will keep right
• 19:03
  Speaker 5: on popping them off.
• 19:03
  Speaker 4: Then we'll have to call an international conference. Can't you understand, Hank?
• 19:06
  Speaker 4: The first one that goes off finishes us. It's the end.
• 19:09
  Speaker 4: They've given us the quarantine warning.
• 19:11
  Speaker 2: Steve, I think you'd better go with us to the base.
• 19:14
  Speaker 5: Look, Steve, we can call up for a detail if
• 19:17
  Speaker 5: we have to.
• 19:20
  Speaker 4: All right. All right, I'll go with you. You don't
• 19:24
  Speaker 4: need a straight jacket.
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: That's the way, Steve. You'll probably feel better by morning.
• 19:29
  Speaker 8: Let's go.
• 19:36
  Speaker 5: Tomorrow I'll drive you over to the hospital to see
• 19:38
  Speaker 5: Mary and the kid.
• 19:40
  Speaker 8: Yeah, sure.
• 19:42
  Speaker 5: Look at the ship under the floodlights.
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: Pretty, huh?
• 19:46
  Speaker 5: You'll be flying her again soon, Steve. Don't worry.
• 19:48
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I guess so. What's she doing out on
• 19:52
  Speaker 4: the line? They refuel her?
• 19:53
  Speaker 5: Yeah, we got Clausewitz coming in tomorrow from Denver for
• 19:55
  Speaker 5: another test. Figured we'd give you a day off.
• 19:58
  Speaker 4: That's good. That's fine. Steve. Let me go.
• 20:01
  Speaker 8: Come on, Donaldson. Steve. Steve, come back here. He's ready
• 20:05
  Speaker 8: for the rocket.
• 20:06
  Speaker 4: That's crazy.
• 20:06
  Speaker 6: Steve.
• 20:07
  Speaker 4: Steve.
• 20:09
  Speaker 5: Get down off of there, Steve. We can't get at
• 20:13
  Speaker 5: him now. That hood is armor glass.
• 20:16
  Speaker 4: He's waving. It's controlled.
• 20:17
  Speaker 5: The radio.
• 20:18
  Speaker 6: Come on.
• 20:19
  Speaker 5: I should have gotten help.
• 20:20
  Speaker 8: Come on.
• 20:22
  Speaker 5: The radio is still hooked up. Hello. Hello, Steve.
• 20:29
  Speaker 8: Listen to me, Hank. You gotta call Washington now.
• 20:31
  Speaker 5: Look, Steve, come out of the rocket.
• 20:33
  Speaker 4: I'll call my men, Henson.
• 20:34
  Speaker 8: Don't try anything, Hank. They refueled the rocket for tomorrow.
• 20:37
  Speaker 5: Take it easy, Steve.
• 20:37
  Speaker 8: Listen, you know what'll happen if I fire the rocket
• 20:39
  Speaker 8: tubes down here?
• 20:40
  Speaker 5: Steve, don't, please.
• 20:41
  Speaker 8: And burn out every building for five miles. All of
• 20:43
  Speaker 8: us in one big blast.
• 20:44
  Speaker 5: What do you want, Steve?
• 20:45
  Speaker 8: You gotta stop that bomb. You gotta call Washington now.
• 20:48
  Speaker 5: They won't believe me.
• 20:49
  Speaker 8: You make that call or I cut in the rocket.
• 20:52
  Speaker 11: I mean it, Hank.
• 20:53
  Speaker 8: You hook my screen to yours in parallel. I wanna
• 20:55
  Speaker 8: see exactly what you're doing.
• 20:57
  Speaker 6: All right, all right.
• 20:57
  Speaker 5: Just don't fire those rockets.
• 20:59
  Speaker 8: Get going, Hank. You got 12 minutes to make that
• 21:02
  Speaker 8: call and stop the bomb.
• 21:03
  Speaker 5: All right. I'm making the parallel hookup now. Donaldson, you
• 21:08
  Speaker 5: think he'll really blast?
• 21:09
  Speaker 4: I don't know.
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: Up to now, I'd almost say it was normal. But
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: this Hanson, he's liable to do anything.
• 21:13
  Speaker 5: Steve, there. You're getting it on your screen?
• 21:16
  Speaker 6: Yeah.
• 21:17
  Speaker 8: Now put that call through.
• 21:19
  Speaker 6: All right.
• 21:21
  Speaker 11: Operator.
• 21:22
  Speaker 5: Visit screen to Washington.
• 21:23
  Speaker 11: Visit screen circuits are busy, sir. If you try again
• 21:25
  Speaker 11: in half an hour.
• 21:26
  Speaker 5: This is a Security Commission priority. Break in. Get me
• 21:29
  Speaker 5: a line.
• 21:30
  Speaker 11: Just a moment, please.
• 21:31
  Speaker 8: Ten minutes, Hank.
• 21:31
  Speaker 5: Listen, Steve, I'm trying.
• 21:33
  Speaker 11: Ready to take your call, sir.
• 21:35
  Speaker 5: Washington Security Commission 3. Urgent. I want Undersecretary Herbert Ames.
• 21:40
  Speaker 11: Washington 3. One moment, please.
• 21:42
  Speaker 5: Hurry, will you, please?
• 21:43
  Speaker 11: One moment, please.
• 21:45
  Speaker 8: Chicago.
• 21:46
  Speaker 11: San Marco calling Washington Visit Screen 3.
• 21:49
  Speaker 8: Urgent. Washington 3. One moment, please.
• 21:51
  Speaker 5: What time is it, Anderson?
• 21:52
  Speaker 4: 11-51.
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: Do you think he'll fire those rockets? He might.
• 21:56
  Speaker 8: Washington.
• 21:58
  Speaker 11: Go ahead, San Marco. There's a screen three of Mr.
• 22:00
  Speaker 11: Herbert Ames.
• 22:02
  Speaker 8: That is a coded exchange. I cannot accept your call
• 22:05
  Speaker 8: without clearance.
• 22:05
  Speaker 5: Listen, Washington, put this through.
• 22:07
  Speaker 6: This is Mr.
• 22:08
  Speaker 5: Hanson of Hanson Rockets Incorporated at San Marco Air Base.
• 22:11
  Speaker 5: This is a priority call. I'm coded.
• 22:14
  Speaker 8: One moment, please. I will check your code number. Get
• 22:17
  Speaker 8: it through, Hank. That bomb goes off at 12.
• 22:18
  Speaker 5: Will you be reasonable, Steve?
• 22:20
  Speaker 8: Your call has cleared, San Marco.
• 22:22
  Speaker 11: Washington, Mrs.
• 22:23
  Speaker 8: Green to read. Herbert Ames.
• 22:28
  Speaker 11: This is your call, sir.
• 22:31
  Speaker 8: Security Commission.
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: Ames.
• 22:34
  Speaker 8: Oh, hello, Hanson.
• 22:35
  Speaker 5: Listen, listen, Ames. You've got to get me the chief.
• 22:38
  Speaker 8: Are you kidding?
• 22:39
  Speaker 11: He's at the test control room.
• 22:40
  Speaker 5: Yes, I know, but get him for me.
• 22:42
  Speaker 11: Hey, what's up?
• 22:43
  Speaker 8: You look lousy.
• 22:44
  Speaker 11: Or is it a bad circuit?
• 22:45
  Speaker 5: There's no time, Ames. I've got to get him before
• 22:46
  Speaker 5: the test. It's about the ray bomb.
• 22:49
  Speaker 8: I can't take the responsibility. Get it through, Hank, or
• 22:51
  Speaker 8: I blast.
• 22:53
  Speaker 11: Hey, what's going on there?
• 22:53
  Speaker 5: Ames, my project has a high enough rating. This is
• 22:56
  Speaker 5: a priority A call.
• 22:58
  Speaker 14: What?
• 23:00
  Speaker 11: Well, it's your neck.
• 23:01
  Speaker 8: Okay, I'll try to get him for you. He's in
• 23:03
  Speaker 8: the control room, though. You'll have to switch off your
• 23:05
  Speaker 8: screen and speaker and go on earphones.
• 23:07
  Speaker 11: Too much going on in there.
• 23:09
  Speaker 8: Security, you know.
• 23:10
  Speaker 5: You hear that, Steve? I've got to cut the screen.
• 23:12
  Speaker 8: All right. Eight minutes, Hank.
• 23:16
  Speaker 6: Hello?
• 23:16
  Speaker 8: Hello? Hello?
• 23:18
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir. This is Hanson at San Marco.
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: No, sir.
• 23:23
  Speaker 5: Priority A request to cancel the bomb test. No, look, look,
• 23:27
  Speaker 5: I'm serious. I'm deadly serious. We sent the X2JTR up
• 23:31
  Speaker 5: today to the outer limit, and we uncovered evidence. Yes,
• 23:36
  Speaker 5: on the automatic instruments.
• 23:39
  Speaker 4: What's that?
• 23:40
  Speaker 5: No, no, this is possible chain reaction. No, I can't
• 23:43
  Speaker 5: tell you the whole story. There isn't time. Yes, I'll
• 23:47
  Speaker 5: bring the readings into Washington in the morning. You've got
• 23:49
  Speaker 5: to postpone the test till you see them. Yes, I
• 23:52
  Speaker 5: understand that. I understand about the press. I'll take complete
• 23:55
  Speaker 5: responsibility for this. What's that? Look, I've worked on contracts
• 24:00
  Speaker 5: for the commission for 10 years now. Yes, I have
• 24:02
  Speaker 5: complete confidence in my information. You can record that. All right,
• 24:07
  Speaker 5: all right. I'll call you back immediately.
• 24:09
  Speaker 4: Goodbye.
• 24:09
  Speaker 6: Hank?
• 24:12
  Speaker 7: Hank!
• 24:14
  Speaker 5: He's agreed to cancel. The ray bomb won't go off.
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: Thank God.
• 24:20
  Speaker 5: All right, Steve. You can come down out of the ship.
• 24:35
  Speaker 8: There he comes.
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: He's opening up.
• 24:37
  Speaker 5: All right, Steve. Come on down out of the ship.
• 24:40
  Speaker 8: Sure, Hank.
• 24:45
  Speaker 4: Hank, I was scared. I was plain scared.
• 24:49
  Speaker 5: All right, easy now. It's all over. Bomb won't go off.
• 24:53
  Speaker 4: Thank God.
• 24:54
  Speaker 5: Hey, look.
• 24:57
  Speaker 4: I want to see Mary and the baby. Can you
• 25:00
  Speaker 4: get me transportation now?
• 25:01
  Speaker 5: Wait a minute. It's almost 12. They won't let you
• 25:03
  Speaker 5: in the hospital now.
• 25:04
  Speaker 4: I want to see the baby.
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: Sure you do, but you've been under strain. I've got
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: a shot here for you, Steve. Give you a good
• 25:09
  Speaker 2: night's sleep. All right. Roll up your sleeve.
• 25:14
  Speaker 4: Sure, sure.
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: Now, that'll make you sleep. Sergeant will find you a bed.
• 25:24
  Speaker 8: Come on, Mr. Weston. Well, good night, Hank.
• 25:28
  Speaker 4: I am kind of beat. It's been a tough night.
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: It sure has. I thought for a minute he was
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: going to blast those rockets and send us all to
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: King and come.
• 25:44
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 25:46
  Speaker 2: Quite a stunt getting the ray bomb test called off.
• 25:51
  Speaker 5: It isn't called off.
• 25:53
  Speaker 8: But.
• 25:55
  Speaker 4: The call.
• 25:57
  Speaker 5: Ames couldn't get the chief. I was talking to a
• 25:59
  Speaker 5: blank screen. Bomb goes off in a couple of minutes.
• 26:04
  Speaker 8: Oh.
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: Poor Steve. He's one of the best.
• 26:11
  Speaker 5: He was the best. One in ten million.
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: Some story of his, poor guy. Wiley almost had me
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: believing that quarantine. That's a very common delusion. The end
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: of the world.
• 26:29
  Speaker 5: Last night. Never saw the stars so bright.
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: Better be getting in. The wind is cold.
• 26:39
  Speaker 5: Bomb goes off in 30 seconds. Poor Steve.
• 26:50
  Speaker 2: You know, Hanson, there's just one thing.
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: It's outside my field, but I'm curious. How did he
• 27:01
  Speaker 2: keep that ship in the air for ten hours with
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: only ten minutes' fuel?
• 27:07
  Speaker 13: The End.
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: You have just heard X-1 presented by the National Broadcasting
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: Company in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers of astounding
• 27:27
  Speaker 3: science fiction. Tonight, by transcription, X-1 has brought you The
• 27:32
  Speaker 3: Outer Limit by Graham Doar, as adapted for radio by
• 27:35
  Speaker 3: Ernest Canoy. Featured in the cast were Joseph Julian, Wendell Holmes,
• 27:41
  Speaker 3: Joe DeSantis, Bob Hastings, James Dukas, and Freddie Chandler.
• 27:45
  Speaker 4: Your announcer, Fred Collins.
• 27:47
  Speaker 3: X-Minus One was directed by Daniel Sutter and is an
• 27:50
  Speaker 3: NBC Radio Network production.
• 28:12
  Speaker 14: You don't have to stop whatever you're doing to listen
• 28:16
  Speaker 14: to your radio. Though you may have a lot to do.
• 28:22
  Speaker 5: Do whatever you've.
• 28:24
  Speaker 14: Got to do. NBC will still get through with music
• 28:29
  Speaker 14: and drama, a live panorama. NBC's always got something brewing.
• 28:35
  Speaker 14: Listen and you'll agree. That there's always a smile from
• 28:40
  Speaker 14: the twist of the dial.
• 28:42
  Speaker 9: To radio NBC.
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: That was X-1 and The Outer Limit. Until we meet
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: again at the radio theater, good night.