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X Minus One - "No Contact" (Old Time Radio, 1955) · X Minus One | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Five exploratory spacecraft have disappeared at the galactic barrier, and
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: in 1987, the Star Cloud becomes the sixth ship sent
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: toward the planet Volta. That is the departure point for X-1,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Episode 1, No Contact, first broadcast by NBC on April 24, 1955.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Captain Lewis Thorson leads the mission as the crew faces
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: uncertain communications and unexplained illness while a ground radio operator
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: awaits word from Earth. The program revisits a story by
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: George Lefferts and Ernest Kenoy, previously heard on Dimension X
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: in 1950, with Matt Crowley, Wendell Holmes, and Donald Booker
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: in the cast. And now, we return to the original broadcast.
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: Countdown for blastoff. X minus 5, minus 4, minus 3,
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: minus 2, X minus 1.
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: Fire.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: From the far horizons of the unknown come tales of
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: the future. Adventures in which you'll live in a million
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: could-be years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: Company presents X minus one.
• 1:27
  Speaker 3: Tonight's story, No Contact.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: It was in the year of 1982 that spacemen first
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: discovered the great galactic barrier. In the past ten years,
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: rocket travel to the moon and the nearer planets had
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: become commonplace. And then men fixed their sights on a
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: more distant star, the remote planet known as Volta. Five
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: exploratory ships went out, and none came back, each in
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: turn disappearing mysteriously at the same vanishing point, at an
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: invisible wall somewhere in the vast outer reaches that became
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: known as the wrecker of spaceships, the Galactic Reef.
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: And yet, the explorers refused to admit defeat.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: It was on June 2, 1987, that the rocket Starcloud
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: made ready for takeoff, the sixth to attempt to crack
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: the barrier and win through to Volta.
• 2:51
  Speaker 4: Now hear this. Condition green. Two minutes to blast-off. Condition green.
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: Two minutes to blast-off.
• 3:00
  Speaker 5: Well, Lewis, this is it.
• 3:01
  Speaker 6: I don't suppose you'll be needing the ship's doctor up
• 3:03
  Speaker 6: here on the bridge during blast-off?
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: I think not, Smitty.
• 3:05
  Speaker 6: There's little chance of acceleration bends in these new overdrive ships.
• 3:09
  Speaker 6: I'll be in my office then, counting vitamin pills if
• 3:11
  Speaker 6: you need me. It's only a few steps.
• 3:14
  Speaker 4: Good luck, Lewis.
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: Thank you, Smitty. Lieutenant Collier.
• 3:17
  Speaker 6: Yes, sir?
• 3:18
  Speaker 4: You're relieved?
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: You'd better get down to navigation control and take over. Yes, sir. Lieutenant.
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: Yes, sir?
• 3:24
  Speaker 6: We've never flown together before. This is your first flight
• 3:26
  Speaker 6: in a space vessel as big as the star cloud. Yes, sir,
• 3:29
  Speaker 6: but I was trained in oversized jobs at the Naval Academy. Well,
• 3:32
  Speaker 6: if you're half as good a navigator as your father was,
• 3:34
  Speaker 6: you'll do fine.
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: Thank you, sir.
• 3:38
  Speaker 6: Did you ship out with my father? I served under
• 3:40
  Speaker 6: him on one of the first rocket runs to the moon.
• 3:42
  Speaker 5: I see.
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: I almost went along on his last trip to the barrier.
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: I'm too bad about that. Yes, sir. That's all, Conyer.
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: Lieutenant Paulison.
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: Get me the ground control tower on the field. I
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: want to talk to Colonel Harrison.
• 4:00
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir.
• 4:02
  Speaker 8: Go ahead, sir.
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: I've patched in the bridge speaker. Colonel Harrison.
• 4:06
  Speaker 7: Yes, Captain.
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: We're standing by for takeoff in 30 seconds.
• 4:08
  Speaker 9: Good.
• 4:10
  Speaker 7: Field's cleared of all personnel. We'll try to reestablish radio
• 4:13
  Speaker 7: contact immediately after takeoff. In any event, there'll be a
• 4:16
  Speaker 7: 24-hour ground monitor.
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: Fine.
• 4:18
  Speaker 7: Good luck.
• 4:19
  Speaker 9: Hope you make it.
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Bridge to navigation control.
• 4:23
  Speaker 9: I have control, Collier.
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: Ready, Lieutenant?
• 4:26
  Speaker 9: We're ready, Captain.
• 4:27
  Speaker 7: Course is in the integrator for takeoff at 1,200 hours.
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: All right.
• 4:30
  Speaker 6: Stand by for blastoff. Bridge to engine room. Fire up
• 4:35
  Speaker 6: your rocket chambers. Takeoff at exactly 1,200 hours.
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: I'll read you off. 20 seconds. 19. 18. 17.
• 4:45
  Speaker 9: 16. 17.
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: Hold it. Revoke all orders. Who turned in that alarm?
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: We've uncovered a stowaway.
• 4:54
  Speaker 4: Stowaway? Where?
• 4:57
  Speaker 6: Have him brought up to the bridge. Engine room, kill
• 5:00
  Speaker 6: your rockets and stand by.
• 5:02
  Speaker 7: Thorson, this is Colonel Harrison in ground control. What's holding
• 5:04
  Speaker 7: you up?
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: Trouble. What's the matter with you? What's the matter with you?
• 5:06
  Speaker 3: There's a stowaway aboard.
• 5:07
  Speaker 9: Stowaway?
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: Yes, I thought your men were supposed to police this base.
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: What's the matter with you?
• 5:11
  Speaker 5: All right, Captain, take it easy.
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: You know what this delay can do to us, don't you?
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: One minute late, a takeoff can throw us a million
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: miles off course. We'll have to reintegrate the whole works. Well, look,
• 5:19
  Speaker 3: how long do you think it'll take? Don't bother for
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: me for a while. I'm busy. Stupid idiot.
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: Captain Thorson?
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: Yes, come in, Smitty. Here's your stowaway. I'll court-martial the... Oh, Charlie.
• 5:31
  Speaker 4: Charlie. Can you use a good radio man, Skipper?
• 5:34
  Speaker 5: Well, I see you two have met. Met?
• 5:37
  Speaker 4: Skipper and me made 50 trips to the moon together.
• 5:39
  Speaker 4: Didn't we, Skipper?
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: Charlie, if you wanted to come along, why didn't you volunteer?
• 5:44
  Speaker 4: I did, Skipper. They turned me down.
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: What's wrong with you?
• 5:48
  Speaker 8: Acceleration bends. They said my arteries wouldn't stand another trip.
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: I'm sorry to hear that.
• 5:52
  Speaker 4: But they're wrong, Skipper. I got one more good trip
• 5:55
  Speaker 4: in me. Listen, Skipper, you.
• 5:58
  Speaker 8: You know that these green kids, they don't know the
• 6:00
  Speaker 8: first thing about space radio operation. Now, you put a
• 6:03
  Speaker 8: man like me on, and I'll be getting you bedtime
• 6:06
  Speaker 8: stories from Mars.
• 6:07
  Speaker 6: Charlie, you know the regulations as well as I do.
• 6:10
  Speaker 6: I can't take you much as I'd like to.
• 6:12
  Speaker 4: Colonel Harrison will murder me for this.
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: Well, I'm sorry, Charlie. I'll have you put aground. I'll
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: tell you what.
• 6:19
  Speaker 6: I'll ask Harrison to put you on as ground radio contact,
• 6:21
  Speaker 6: and it'll seem as if you're right here with us.
• 6:23
  Speaker 4: He won't do it, sir.
• 6:24
  Speaker 3: Well, he'd better. I'll have him busted to corporal for
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: letting you sneak aboard. Look, Charlie, look, you'd better be off. Polison.
• 6:34
  Speaker 10: Yes, sir.
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: I'm sending this man aground. Give him time to clear
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: the launching platform.
• 6:37
  Speaker 10: Yes, sir.
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: So long, Charlie. I'm sorry.
• 6:42
  Speaker 4: Good luck, Skipper.
• 6:46
  Speaker 5: I thought you were going to have him drawn and quartered.
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: If it had been anyone else, I would have, Smitty.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: But Charlie, well... He's kind of special. He's been with
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: me since my first command when we began the regular
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: run to the moon.
• 6:58
  Speaker 6: And if he wanted to come along this time, well,
• 7:01
  Speaker 6: it's only through loyalty to me. You know, Lewis, I
• 7:03
  Speaker 6: didn't realize it before, but you're almost human.
• 7:07
  Speaker 9: Captain Dawson, Nav Control, call you.
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: Oh, yes, Lieutenant.
• 7:10
  Speaker 6: How badly are we fouled up? Can you recalculate the course,
• 7:12
  Speaker 6: or shall I cancel the takeoff?
• 7:13
  Speaker 10: I've already plotted a new course on the integrator, sir.
• 7:15
  Speaker 10: If we take off in exactly 30 seconds, we'll need
• 7:17
  Speaker 10: to correct for only a one-degree deflection.
• 7:19
  Speaker 5: I can do that before we breach the stratosphere.
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: That's quick work. Are you sure? All right, Collier, I'm
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: putting it in your hands. We'll blast off on your signal.
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: Bridge to engine room. Prepare to blast off on navigator signal.
• 7:32
  Speaker 9: How are we doing, Collier?
• 7:47
  Speaker 4: Coming on the bearing, sir.
• 7:49
  Speaker 5: That's four, three, two.
• 7:54
  Speaker 10: Zero.
• 7:56
  Speaker 3: We've intersected the course vector. Good work, Carter.
• 7:59
  Speaker 4: Course is corrected, sir.
• 8:00
  Speaker 5: We're ready to go into atomic overdrive any time you say.
• 8:03
  Speaker 3: All right. Stand by. Yes, sir. Now hear this. Now
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: hear this. Prepare for maximum acceleration. Bridge to engine room.
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: Kill your rockets.
• 8:18
  Speaker 7: Rockets out.
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: Fire up number one cyclotron. Fire up number two.
• 8:34
  Speaker 4: Number two ready.
• 8:35
  Speaker 3: Withdraw your dampening rods.
• 8:39
  Speaker 4: Mission chamber ready.
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: Blast tubes cleared. All generators operating at capacity. Take it over, sir.
• 8:48
  Speaker 3: Go into overdrive at the count of zero. Three seconds, Mr.
• 8:51
  Speaker 7: Collier.
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: Three, two, two, one. Zero.
• 8:55
  Speaker 5: Zero.
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: How are we doing, Collier?
• 9:03
  Speaker 4: On course, sir.
• 9:04
  Speaker 10: She's running hot and true.
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: My compliments, Lieutenant.
• 9:07
  Speaker 6: This job would have done your father credit when he
• 9:09
  Speaker 6: was the best navigation officer I ever saw.
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: Thank you, sir. Start your gyros. Put her on robot control.
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: All right, the bridge is yours, Mr.
• 9:17
  Speaker 4: Collier.
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: If you need me, I'll be in Dr. Smithson's office.
• 9:19
  Speaker 10: Yes, sir.
• 9:32
  Speaker 6: Now, Lewis, I see you've got us off the ground.
• 9:34
  Speaker 6: You can thank young Collier for that. Chip off the
• 9:37
  Speaker 6: old block.
• 9:38
  Speaker 5: You knew his father?
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: As a matter of fact, I knew him very well.
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: First-rate spaceman.
• 9:42
  Speaker 5: Is he the one who.
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes.
• 9:43
  Speaker 6: He was lost in the galactic barrier on the second
• 9:46
  Speaker 6: ship we sent out to Voldemort.
• 9:48
  Speaker 5: Lewis, just what do you think this galactic barrier is?
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: Oh, your guess is as good as mine, Doc.
• 9:53
  Speaker 6: All I know is that five ships have gone into it,
• 9:55
  Speaker 6: and none of them have come back out. You think
• 9:57
  Speaker 6: it's a nit? How about Mestrovich's theory that... it's a
• 10:00
  Speaker 6: time warp in space, that the ships reach it and
• 10:03
  Speaker 6: slip into another dimension?
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: I think that's a lot of rubbish. My theory is
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: that the galactic barrier is nothing more than a radioactive
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: layer of some kind.
• 10:11
  Speaker 5: Why do you say that?
• 10:12
  Speaker 6: Well, we know that radar signals bounce off it like
• 10:14
  Speaker 6: they were hitting an invisible glass wall, and we know
• 10:17
  Speaker 6: that it destroys our ships and crews in some way.
• 10:20
  Speaker 6: There's no other logical explanation. What makes you think we
• 10:22
  Speaker 6: can get through it, Lewis? Because we're ready for it.
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: The others weren't.
• 10:26
  Speaker 6: The entire hull of this ship is completely shielded with lead.
• 10:29
  Speaker 6: We can crack through any radioactive cloud ever detected. Besides,
• 10:32
  Speaker 6: we're equipped with some new UHF radio devices that should
• 10:35
  Speaker 6: enable us to maintain radio contact with Earth.
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: Nothing can happen. Absolutely nothing.
• 10:38
  Speaker 5: Now, who are you trying to convince?
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: Myself, I suppose.
• 10:43
  Speaker 6: Lewis, you've had your share of glory. First skipper to
• 10:46
  Speaker 6: reach the moon back in 1962. You could have retired.
• 10:50
  Speaker 6: Why are you risking this trip? Five ships are missing.
• 10:53
  Speaker 6: Men like Prentiss, Margatson, young Collier's father. I'm tired of
• 10:58
  Speaker 6: seeing good men fed into.
• 10:59
  Speaker 3: That meat chopper.
• 11:00
  Speaker 5: Then why are we going to Volta?
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: We haven't any choice, Smitty. We're in a race, the
• 11:03
  Speaker 3: kind of race where men and ships are expendable. According
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: to the Interspace Code, the First Nation to reach Volta
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: can claim it. Well, personally, I want no party. Now, Doc.
• 11:11
  Speaker 6: I'll have to play physician, morale builder, and mother substitute
• 11:14
  Speaker 6: for 112 slightly nervous men.
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: And your morale doesn't sound too good, Doc.
• 11:18
  Speaker 6: As morale officer, I can state without fear of contradiction,
• 11:21
  Speaker 6: it is terrible. And something tells me as we approach
• 11:24
  Speaker 6: that galactic barrier, I'm not going to be alone.
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: The End Hello, Earth. Hello, Earth. Captain Thorson of the
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: Star Cloud calling Earth.
• 11:43
  Speaker 6: Hello, Star Cloud.
• 11:45
  Speaker 9: Hi, Captain.
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: Charlie. Well, I see they haven't court-martialed you yet.
• 11:48
  Speaker 7: No, sir.
• 11:49
  Speaker 9: Thanks to you.
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: Well, it's good to hear you. You can read us
• 11:52
  Speaker 3: the funny papers on Sunday morning.
• 11:53
  Speaker 9: Right.
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: Now, how's our signal?
• 11:55
  Speaker 7: Strong.
• 11:55
  Speaker 10: Clear as a bell.
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: Now, here's our log report for Colonel Harris. You ready? Shoot.
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: June 2nd, 1987. Four weeks out from Earth. Running through.
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: No radiation. Operation normal. still making our approach to the
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: galactic barrier. That's all, Charlie. See you later.
• 12:12
  Speaker 11: Good luck, Captain.
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: I sure wish I was with you. How's the morale, Smitty?
• 12:29
  Speaker 5: The men know we're getting closer to the barrier. They're
• 12:31
  Speaker 5: beginning to show a little tension, Lewis.
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: How's their physical condition? Any sickness?
• 12:36
  Speaker 5: About half the crew has come down with space blues.
• 12:39
  Speaker 9: I was afraid of that.
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: Are they bad? Same as usual.
• 12:43
  Speaker 6: Lips and hands with a bluish cast. Eyes are sensitive
• 12:46
  Speaker 6: to infrared.
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 12:48
  Speaker 6: When I first started flying these tin cans, nobody ever
• 12:51
  Speaker 6: heard of space blues. Well, now there's a theory it's
• 12:54
  Speaker 6: caused by the terrific acceleration of atomic overdrive.
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: Change in gravity affects the circulation. What do you think?
• 13:01
  Speaker 5: I think it's psychosomatic. I've noticed that the.
• 13:04
  Speaker 6: Same men who get space blues under tension on a
• 13:06
  Speaker 6: ship tend to get blue coloration back on Earth when
• 13:10
  Speaker 6: they're upset. I guess it's just an occupational disease of
• 13:14
  Speaker 6: space nerves.
• 13:15
  Speaker 9: Uh-huh.
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: You think it's just nerves, then?
• 13:18
  Speaker 5: Well, young Collier's got a bad case. I think it's
• 13:24
  Speaker 5: tension from overwork.
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: Maybe he needs some vitamins.
• 13:27
  Speaker 6: Lois, when will you realize that vitamins are not a
• 13:30
  Speaker 6: panacea for all the troubles of mankind?
• 13:40
  Speaker 4: Sir, I understand that you've relieved me from duty.
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: Well, Dr. Smithson says you aren't looking very well, Collier.
• 13:49
  Speaker 3: I'm giving you a rest.
• 13:50
  Speaker 4: Sir, I feel perfectly able to continue.
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: Your lips are as blue as Minnetonka.
• 13:55
  Speaker 5: Captain, I'd like to remain at my post.
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: Don't be foolhardy, Lieutenant.
• 14:00
  Speaker 10: I'm not being foolhardy, sir. I have a special, personal
• 14:06
  Speaker 10: reason for wanting this expedition to reach Volta.
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: Your father?
• 14:12
  Speaker 10: Yes, sir.
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: You think he might still be alive?
• 14:16
  Speaker 5: I have to find out what happened, sir. I.
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: I think I understand. Very well, Collier. Report back to duty.
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: What's the reading policy?
• 14:40
  Speaker 8: We're getting a plus five radar bounce now. Coming off
• 14:44
  Speaker 8: the barrier almost as fast as we sent it out.
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: What's the interval? Two seconds. Shortening steadily. At this rate,
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: we'll hit the wall in the next few minutes.
• 14:52
  Speaker 9: All right.
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: Alert the crew. Sound general quarters. Now, hear this.
• 14:59
  Speaker 12: Condition read. We are now approaching the galactic barrier. All
• 15:04
  Speaker 12: hands to stations. All radiation detectors to be fully manned.
• 15:09
  Speaker 12: Full security will prevail until further notice.
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: That is all.
• 15:14
  Speaker 10: Pauluson.
• 15:15
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir?
• 15:16
  Speaker 6: The radar bounces up to plus six. We'd better try
• 15:18
  Speaker 6: to make final contact with Earth.
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: Is Spark still trying to raise the base? Yes, sir,
• 15:22
  Speaker 3: but he's not having much luck. Seems to be some interference.
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: That's the radio room now. Yes?
• 15:28
  Speaker 5: You got him?
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: Well, cut in on the bridge speaker. Captain will take
• 15:32
  Speaker 3: it from here.
• 15:35
  Speaker 5: Hello?
• 15:36
  Speaker 3: Starcloud to Earth. Can you hear me, Earth?
• 15:38
  Speaker 4: Hello, Skipper. I can barely read you. We're getting heavy
• 15:42
  Speaker 4: static from sunspots.
• 15:43
  Speaker 6: That's not sunspots, Charlie. We're right on top of the
• 15:45
  Speaker 6: galactic barrier. Getting a plus... No, a plus seven radar bounce.
• 15:49
  Speaker 6: Expect to hit the barrier almost any second now.
• 15:52
  Speaker 3: Good luck, Skipper. If we crack the barrier and come
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: through still in one piece, I'll try to get back
• 15:56
  Speaker 3: to you on the high frequency band.
• 15:57
  Speaker 4: Gotcha, Skipper.
• 15:58
  Speaker 3: Don't worry. I'll be waiting. So long, Charlie. So long,
• 16:01
  Speaker 3: Star Cloud. Must be getting awfully close now, Captain. It
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: was bouncing back so fast it's almost beating the signal.
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: When they go inside, hold on to your hat. That's
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: when we run into the wall.
• 16:11
  Speaker 5: Any second.
• 16:14
  Speaker 3: Hold on. Here goes nothing. Here it comes.
• 16:28
  Speaker 4: Captain.
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: Nothing happened.
• 16:32
  Speaker 5: We made it. We made it, Captain.
• 16:35
  Speaker 3: No radiation, no time warp, no nothing. The crew's gone crazy, sir.
• 16:41
  Speaker 12: Let them.
• 16:42
  Speaker 3: They've earned it. Doc, can you bring out a few
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: bottles of snakebite serum for medicinal purposes? I sure can, Lewis.
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: This goes for a celebration. How's your morale now? It
• 16:49
  Speaker 3: couldn't be better. How's yours? Couldn't be better.
• 16:53
  Speaker 4: Condition red. Condition red. Radiation detected. Condition red.
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: Radiation detected. Holy mackerel. Look at the needle on that indicator.
• 17:02
  Speaker 4: Hollison.
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: Hollison. Yes, I see it, Captain. Picking radiation like crazy.
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: What's it like? It's a strong impulse. What kind?
• 17:08
  Speaker 9: I don't know.
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: It's too long for a cosmic ray, too short for UHF.
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: Whatever it is, sir, the ship is lousy. Well, track
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: it down, triangulate it, and make it fast. I want
• 17:17
  Speaker 3: a directional fix.
• 17:18
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir.
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: Engine room.
• 17:20
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir.
• 17:20
  Speaker 3: We're picking up radioactivity. Is the fission chambers?
• 17:23
  Speaker 10: No leak here, sir.
• 17:24
  Speaker 3: Check your gauges. Nothing here, Captain.
• 17:26
  Speaker 4: Must be coming from outside.
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: Damage control. Is our lead shield leaking radiation?
• 17:32
  Speaker 4: Well, keep at it.
• 17:33
  Speaker 3: Paulusen, how are you doing? I've got it fixed, Captain. Well,
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: what is it? Well, I'll have to recheck my figures. Well,
• 17:38
  Speaker 3: hurry it up. Angle is correct, but I... Come on, man,
• 17:42
  Speaker 3: for Pete's sake. Where's the radiation coming from?
• 17:44
  Speaker 4: Sir, it's coming from inside the ship.
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: That's impossible. No, sir, I've checked it twice. Well, it's
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: got to be the engines, then. If it is, sir,
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: we're finished. Engine room.
• 17:53
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir.
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: That radiation must be in the overdrive pile. No, sir,
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: it isn't here, sir. Are you certain?
• 17:58
  Speaker 6: Yes, sir. All right, keep checking. There's only one thing
• 18:01
  Speaker 6: left to do. Paulusen, get a Geiger counter. We're going
• 18:03
  Speaker 6: to start combing this ship inch by inch. Yes, sir.
• 18:05
  Speaker 3: All right, turn it on.
• 18:06
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir. All right.
• 18:09
  Speaker 3: Ready, Captain. We'll check the atomic guns first. Come on.
• 18:14
  Speaker 6: We'll cut through the officer's quarters here to Ordnance.
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: I'll turn here. Wait a minute, sir. What is it?
• 18:24
  Speaker 3: The signal's weaker now. Yeah. Let's go back. Hold it.
• 18:31
  Speaker 3: Hold it. Seems strongest right about here. Doesn't make sense.
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: Whose cabin is this? Lieutenant Collier's.
• 18:38
  Speaker 5: Collier?
• 18:38
  Speaker 3: No, he's down in that one, Colson. Well, try the door.
• 18:41
  Speaker 3: It's not locked, sir. It's in here, all right. Listen
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: to that counter. Strongest over here. Open that wall cabinet.
• 18:51
  Speaker 3: It's locked, sir. Oh, smash it. Shut off that Geiger counter. Now,
• 18:58
  Speaker 3: what do you make of this, Pauluson?
• 19:01
  Speaker 8: It looks like some sort of portable transmitter, sir. Must
• 19:05
  Speaker 8: be foreign manufactured. I don't recognize the calibration symbols at all.
• 19:11
  Speaker 8: I've never seen anything like it.
• 19:12
  Speaker 3: Which raises a small question. What is Lieutenant Collier doing
• 19:15
  Speaker 3: with a transmitter in his cabin?
• 19:16
  Speaker 5: I don't know, sir.
• 19:18
  Speaker 3: Well, I intend to find out, Paulison. Get down to
• 19:20
  Speaker 3: nav control and bring Collier up to the bridge on
• 19:22
  Speaker 3: the double. Well, hadn't we better find some way to
• 19:24
  Speaker 3: shut this thing off first? I know a way.
• 19:26
  Speaker 9: Oh!
• 19:38
  Speaker 6: Lieutenant Collier, I'm going to ask a few simple questions
• 19:42
  Speaker 6: and I want a few simple answers.
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: Yes, sir.
• 19:45
  Speaker 3: What were you doing with a transmitter in your cabin?
• 19:47
  Speaker 5: Transmitter, Captain?
• 19:48
  Speaker 3: Oh, you know nothing about it.
• 19:50
  Speaker 4: No, sir, I don't.
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: Do you recognize these calibration symbols? No, sir. Can you
• 19:56
  Speaker 3: think of how it might have been placed in your
• 19:57
  Speaker 3: cabin without your knowing it? No, sir, unless someone came
• 20:00
  Speaker 3: in while I was on duty. Would that have been possible?
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: I suppose so, if someone had a key. I found
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: your cabin door unlocked. Well, I meant a key to
• 20:06
  Speaker 3: the wall cabinet.
• 20:08
  Speaker 5: I didn't say the wall cabinet.
• 20:11
  Speaker 4: Well, I.
• 20:11
  Speaker 3: You what, Lieutenant? How could you have known it was
• 20:13
  Speaker 3: in the wall cabinet? Well, I just assumed, sir. Lieutenant Collier,
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: I find it hard to believe you would lie. Having
• 20:19
  Speaker 3: known and respected your father. Having observed the way you
• 20:21
  Speaker 3: handle your job. However, I intend to get to the
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: root of this thing. May I have your wristwatch, Lieutenant?
• 20:28
  Speaker 5: Sir?
• 20:28
  Speaker 3: Your wristwatch. Yes, sir. Collison, turn on that Geiger collar.
• 20:35
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir.
• 20:36
  Speaker 3: Hold this watch next to it.
• 20:37
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir.
• 20:41
  Speaker 3: That's all.
• 20:43
  Speaker 6: Lieutenant, if you hadn't any close contact with that transmitter,
• 20:47
  Speaker 6: how do you explain the radioactivity of this watch?
• 20:49
  Speaker 4: Well, I.
• 20:51
  Speaker 5: I don't, sir.
• 20:51
  Speaker 3: I think you'd better. To whom were you sending those signals?
• 20:56
  Speaker 3: Condition red!
• 20:57
  Speaker 4: Condition red!
• 20:58
  Speaker 3: There's your answer, Captain. What is this, Collier?
• 21:01
  Speaker 4: Alien spaceship approach! Alien spaceship approach!
• 21:05
  Speaker 3: Collier, who's aboard that ship? All right, now talk! Very well, Captain.
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: My mission seems completed.
• 21:12
  Speaker 5: Your mission?
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: Are you admitting that you're an agent of a foreign power?
• 21:16
  Speaker 3: I am stating it. What nation? No nation, Captain.
• 21:19
  Speaker 5: What?
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: I am an agent of the Voltan government. What? The
• 21:22
  Speaker 3: government of the planet of Voltan.
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: You're crazy.
• 21:25
  Speaker 3: Are you so stupid, Captain?
• 21:27
  Speaker 10: Did you think your people are the only ones who
• 21:30
  Speaker 10: can invade another planet?
• 21:31
  Speaker 3: What do you mean?
• 21:32
  Speaker 10: We've had agents operating on Earth since 1945.
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: I don't believe you. What do you think happened to
• 21:38
  Speaker 3: those five ships, Captain?
• 21:41
  Speaker 10: Where do you suppose we got our information?
• 21:43
  Speaker 3: Your language, your culture, family background. Appearance, you look like...
• 21:49
  Speaker 3: Like Commander Collier? Well, is that so surprising, Captain? You see, Captain,
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: we had a living model. I ought to kill you.
• 22:01
  Speaker 10: That would be very foolish, Captain. I would advise you
• 22:05
  Speaker 10: to surrender without delay.
• 22:09
  Speaker 3: I'll deal with you later, Collier Paulison. Yes, sir. Put
• 22:11
  Speaker 3: this man in irons. Take him away. Don't worry, sir.
• 22:13
  Speaker 3: We'll take good care of him.
• 22:15
  Speaker 4: Gunnery.
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: Gunnery, Richardson. What's the range?
• 22:23
  Speaker 9: 10,000 meters.
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: They're closing fast. Put your guns on radar tracking.
• 22:27
  Speaker 9: Tracking.
• 22:29
  Speaker 5: Coming on the bearing.
• 22:30
  Speaker 7: Fire.
• 22:33
  Speaker 5: Fire.
• 22:37
  Speaker 3: Fire, Richardson. Richardson, did you hear me?
• 22:40
  Speaker 10: Fire.
• 22:42
  Speaker 3: What's the matter down there? Did you hear me? Richardson,
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: answer me. It's no use to shout, Captain. Collier, how
• 22:52
  Speaker 3: did you get loose? Where's Paulison?
• 22:55
  Speaker 10: Lieutenant Paulison is dead.
• 22:59
  Speaker 3: All stations, Lieutenant Collier has escaped. Seize him, men. Don't
• 23:03
  Speaker 3: waste your breath. Your men can't hear you, Captain. What?
• 23:08
  Speaker 10: Those still alive are my men.
• 23:11
  Speaker 3: You're lying.
• 23:12
  Speaker 5: No, Captain.
• 23:14
  Speaker 10: Every ship that has ever left Earth was controlled by
• 23:18
  Speaker 10: a Voltan crew.
• 23:19
  Speaker 3: That's impossible. Those were hand-picked men.
• 23:21
  Speaker 5: Hand-picked by us.
• 23:23
  Speaker 3: I don't believe you.
• 23:24
  Speaker 9: No?
• 23:27
  Speaker 5: Then why not call for help?
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: Carpenter, Robinson, Haley, report. You see, Captain?
• 23:34
  Speaker 5: Cut. Carpenter!
• 23:37
  Speaker 3: Robinson!
• 23:39
  Speaker 5: Haley!
• 23:40
  Speaker 3: It's quite useless, Captain.
• 23:43
  Speaker 10: I would advise you to sit very quietly and do nothing.
• 23:49
  Speaker 3: Very well, Collier. You've beaten us. What now? The ship
• 23:56
  Speaker 3: will be taken.
• 23:56
  Speaker 10: To Volta for, shall we say, further experimentation.
• 24:03
  Speaker 5: I see.
• 24:05
  Speaker 3: Of course, there's one thing you hadn't counted on.
• 24:09
  Speaker 5: Just what is that, Captain?
• 24:20
  Speaker 7: Carpenter!
• 24:20
  Speaker 3: Are you in there, Lieutenant Carpenter? It can't all be dead.
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: There must be one alive.
• 24:24
  Speaker 9: Smitty, Dr. Smithson!
• 24:25
  Speaker 3: Smitty!
• 24:25
  Speaker 9: Smitty!
• 24:26
  Speaker 5: Smitty!
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: What have you done to him?
• 24:32
  Speaker 5: Lewis, I.
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: You dirty... Don't talk.
• 24:35
  Speaker 5: I must lean closer. Not much time. Lewis, space blues.
• 24:43
  Speaker 3: Space blues? What is it, Smitty? What are you trying
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: to tell me?
• 24:47
  Speaker 5: All men with space blues. Voltans.
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: Let me help you.
• 24:54
  Speaker 5: No, Lewis. Get the message back to Earth. Voltan 15.
• 25:00
  Speaker 3: Got him. Watch out for.
• 25:03
  Speaker 5: Space... Oh, Smitty. Oh, Smitty.
• 25:10
  Speaker 13: Captain Thorson. Captain Thorson, you can't hide from us now.
• 25:15
  Speaker 13: Come back to the bridge and surrender. Or my men
• 25:19
  Speaker 13: will come and get you.
• 25:21
  Speaker 9: Hello. Hello. Hello?
• 25:31
  Speaker 3: Starcloud calling Earth.
• 25:32
  Speaker 9: Oh, please, God, let me get through.
• 25:35
  Speaker 5: It's too late.
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: Hello?
• 25:38
  Speaker 4: Starcloud to Earth.
• 25:40
  Speaker 5: Come in, please.
• 25:41
  Speaker 4: Come in, please.
• 25:48
  Speaker 3: Hello?
• 25:49
  Speaker 7: Hello?
• 25:50
  Speaker 3: Starcloud to Earth. Captain Thorson calling. Charlie, come in, please.
• 25:54
  Speaker 6: Hurry.
• 25:55
  Speaker 4: Hello?
• 25:55
  Speaker 5: Oh, hello.
• 25:56
  Speaker 3: Can you hear me, Charlie?
• 25:57
  Speaker 4: Skipper, is that you?
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: Are you getting my signal?
• 25:59
  Speaker 4: It's coming in a little louder now, Skip. Keep sending.
• 26:02
  Speaker 9: My God.
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: Now, look, Charlie, listen to me. Not much time. Get
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: word to Colonel Harrison. Crew mutinied. Most of crew members, Voltons. What? Voltons.
• 26:12
  Speaker 4: Spell that.
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: V-O-L.
• 26:14
  Speaker 4: Voltons.
• 26:15
  Speaker 3: That's right. They're from the planet Volta.
• 26:17
  Speaker 5: Skipper.
• 26:18
  Speaker 4: Skipper, are you all right?
• 26:19
  Speaker 3: Now, Charlie, this is serious. They'll be here any second. Now, listen.
• 26:22
  Speaker 3: They have a fifth column on Earth. They're planning to
• 26:25
  Speaker 3: invade you.
• 26:25
  Speaker 9: You mean it?
• 26:26
  Speaker 3: Of course I mean it. Tell Harrison, posing as humans,
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: you can detect them by space blues.
• 26:30
  Speaker 9: You got that?
• 26:30
  Speaker 3: Only Fultons get space blues. Charlie, did you hear me?
• 26:34
  Speaker 4: Space blue.
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: I got you. They're breaking in, Charlie. I'm defending you.
• 26:37
  Speaker 3: Warn everybody. Captain. They've opened the door. So long, Charlie.
• 26:40
  Speaker 13: Tell Harrison.
• 26:42
  Speaker 9: Captain.
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: Captain Thorson.
• 26:43
  Speaker 11: Hello.
• 26:44
  Speaker 3: Hello, Star Cloud.
• 26:47
  Speaker 4: What's the trouble, Sergeant? I was just trying to raise
• 26:49
  Speaker 4: the Star Cloud, Colonel.
• 26:50
  Speaker 5: I had any luck? No, sir.
• 26:54
  Speaker 9: No contact.
• 26:55
  Speaker 3: No contact, eh?
• 26:55
  Speaker 5: No contact. No, sir.
• 26:58
  Speaker 11: Nearly an hour since they hit the galactic barrier. I
• 27:00
  Speaker 11: don't understand why they haven't tried to get a message back.
• 27:03
  Speaker 4: No, sir.
• 27:04
  Speaker 9: Neither do I. Oh, all right.
• 27:06
  Speaker 3: I'll take over for a while.
• 27:07
  Speaker 4: Yes, you do that, sir. It's all yours.
• 27:12
  Speaker 7: Right.
• 27:12
  Speaker 11: Oh, and Charlie, you better go out and get yourself
• 27:15
  Speaker 11: some coffee. You look a little blue around the gills.
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: Tonight, X-1 has brought you No Contact, written by George
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: Lefferts from an original story of Lefferts and Ernest Kenoy.
• 27:38
  Speaker 2: Featured in the cast were Louis Van Rooten as Captain,
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: Donald Buca as Collier, Wendell Holmes as Charlie, and Bill Griffiths,
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: Bill Smith, Matt Crowley, and Ken Williams.
• 27:52
  Speaker 3: Your announcer, Don Pardo.
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: X-1 was directed by Fred Way and is a transcribed
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: NBC Radio Network production.
• 28:03
  Speaker 3: And now, next week.
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: When you want to take over a world, you naturally
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: look for its weak point, some way.
• 28:11
  Speaker 3: To catch its people off guard.
• 28:13
  Speaker 2: We live in a world where everybody loves a parade,
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: a world of press agents and publicity stunts. But who
• 28:19
  Speaker 2: would ever dream that invaders from outer space would take
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: advantage of that weakness and actually hire a press agent
• 28:26
  Speaker 2: to advertise their coming? Who would believe It was anything
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: but just another publicity gag. At least, not until the
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: terrible moment when it was already too late.
• 28:39
  Speaker 3: The moment of X minus 1.
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: The April 1955 X minus 1 broadcast, No Contact, is complete.
• 28:51
  Speaker 3: Follow X minus 1 for more classic broadcasts.