Adventures in time and space transcribed in future deep.
The National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith,
publishers of astounding science fiction, bring you Dimension X.
The rocket drove through space like a silver fish in an endless tank, the stars in black velocities swirling by.
Inside her case, tiny, finite specks of humanity controlled the tremendous power that entailed her so relentlessly toward the other galaxies.
Who were these men? What mad, fantastic need and desire that caused them to abandon Mother Earth
and venture to the ends of the universe.
Captain Hollis.
What is it Stone?
Magnetic storm dead ahead sir.
Any aperture?
About a hundred mile gap between elements sir but shifting rapidly.
Switch on the radar screen, let's have a look.
Yes sir.
There are asteroids in it Captain.
I see that. Thank you Stone.
Sir?
What?
Any change in course?
What for?
For start sir.
If I decide to change course I'll issue the order.
At the rate we're approaching it'll be too late to issue an order.
Mr. Stone do I need to remind you who's master of this ship?
Look sir there are 25 other lives to be considered beside their own. Those asteroids shipped out are our courses.
That's enough Stone.
It's not enough Captain.
Return to your post.
Captain for God's sake don't be pig headed about this. There's a magnetic storm dead ahead.
Are you going to risk the lives of all of us just so you can hang your hat on some lousy interplanetary weapon?
We know this means a lot to you.
Sure you can be fleet admiral if you beat those asianic ships to Venus.
That's fine but we value our lives.
I happen to value my life just as much as any man aboard this craft Mr. Stone.
But I wasn't brought up to be a lily livered dare nothing.
Now get back to your post or I'll have you court martialed.
Well Mr. Stone?
Okay.
Okay what Mr. Stone?
Okay sir.
Imprudent young chick.
Maybe he's right with us.
You stick to being ship's doctor. You're good at that. I'll navigate this dish.
Really Captain?
Surely I'd hate to pile up on some little asteroid especially when a simple thing like changing course.
A simple thing?
Do you know what a changing course would mean?
The slightest deflection would throw us a million miles off at this speed.
It'd take days to get back on the vector.
By that time one of the asianic ships would have landed on Venus and claimed the whole blasted planet.
We're in a race Charles.
Well I suppose they did claim Venus. There's nothing but rocks and jungle anyway.
It isn't that. It's the idea of someone beating it.
You know Lewis, I always get a little bit jittery when men are willing to die.
The symbol.
You're a cynic.
Get Morlis. Get Morlis.
Morlis? What is it Master?
The radar tracking shows a foreign object dead ahead.
What?
Check your screen sir.
Good lord the whole blasted storm has shifted dead on.
Answered room.
Mission chamber.
Fire up your starboard cyclotron.
Aye sir.
You can't make it in time Lewis.
Listen to that radar. Now, shut up.
Now hear this. Now hear this.
Condition red.
Pass in your space suits.
Over cyclotron at capacity.
Over the vision chamber. Emergency blast.
Aye sir.
We're taking it on.
Repeat off.
You think we'll make it?
We've got to make it.
Suppose one of those asteroids decides to shift.
Will you shut up?
It doesn't sound good Lewis.
Another five seconds.
Four.
Three.
Two.
There was a meteorite. Good god.
Look out!
Hello.
Hello anyone.
Can you hear me?
I can see you floating out there. Can you hear me?
For god's sake, answer if you can.
I don't want to just float out here alone.
Stone, is that you?
Who is it?
Captain Hollis.
What happened?
We struck an asteroid. Ship blew up.
Is anybody else alive?
I don't know.
I can see some space suits floating in space not far from me, but I don't know if they're alive.
Maybe they just don't hear us.
Their radios are working, they do.
Hello?
Hello somebody.
Doc, is that you?
Lewis?
Yes.
Thank god. Anybody else alive?
Stone.
Hello doctor.
Oh, are you alright?
Okay so far.
That's three of us anyway.
Lewis.
Yes?
We, we seem to be moving away from each other.
See that's right. I can hardly see you now.
It's the momentum. We were all thrown in different directions.
If there's no friction, we'll pick up speed.
Isn't there some way we could stick together at least?
I'm afraid not.
If there's no friction, then there's nothing to stop us.
That's right, Stone.
But then we'll, we'll just keep falling. Maybe forever.
Not forever.
You'll fall until you get into one of the gravitational fields of some planet.
After that you'll fall toward the planet.
Mother in heaven, what a way to die.
Nobody's going to die.
Those Asiatic ships will be along this way. We can radio to them when they get in range.
Aren't you forgetting something, Lewis?
Eh, what's that?
The commanders of those other ships may not be quite so willing to run through a magnetic storm.
They may have altered course.
If they have, they won't come within a million miles of us.
Well, that's to take our chances on that.
It's a long way down.
A long, long way down.
Let's have no talk of that kind, Stone.
I don't want to die.
Stone, I said can it.
Can it yourself.
What?
You heard me.
This is a mutiny of one.
Don't try to put your ink on me now, mister. You'll be ten thousand miles away in another hour.
So help me, I'll have you caught, Marshals, when we're picked up.
Let's not kid ourselves.
Nobody's going to be picked up.
I've got a few things to get off my chest before we lose contact with each other.
No, when I drop this...
Let him talk.
Thanks.
Your ship was a bad ship, and you were a bad captain.
I hope you break when you hit the moon.
Thanks for the goodwill, Stone.
That isn't all.
I believe there are different kinds of deaths, Captain.
John says there are different kinds of lives.
Yours should be pretty interesting because you've been dead for years.
Stone!
Let him.
When was the last time you had an honest human feeling, Captain?
Oh, but you don't even remember when.
I don't think you're capable of any kind of strong feeling.
Do you have a wife, Captain?
I'll bet she won't miss you one bit.
Children?
I have a son, a little boy.
Maybe he'll grow up to be a hero like his daddy.
A tin hero with a piece of stone where other men have hearts.
Are you quite finished?
I've said it.
Well, so long, Doc.
So long.
I'm headed for the sun.
Somehow I don't like the idea of falling into the sun.
I'm going to take a quicker way out.
No, Stone, don't be a fool.
I'm going to smash the base plate on my helmet and let the oxygen escape.
Stone, don't do it.
We're going to be rescued.
Stone!
See you all in some other universe?
God have mercy.
He was headed for the sun.
I can barely see him now.
Looks like mercury for me.
How about you, Lewis?
I'm headed for Earth.
Funny, isn't it, that I should be going back to Mother Earth this way?
I'm nothing but a human meteor, Charles.
When I hit the Earth's atmosphere, I'll burn like a match.
Charles?
Charles, can you still hear me?
I can hear you.
It's getting fainter now.
We must be several thousand miles apart.
We should be able to talk for another 20 minutes or so at the speed we're falling away from each other.
What are you thinking about, Lewis?
I was thinking about Stone, what he said.
Don't let it get you.
You know, in a way, he was right.
He was insane.
Shock knocked him off balance.
No.
Each of us dies in a different way.
Each of us has his own life to look back on.
Huh?
What's that?
I don't know.
It sounds like...
Lester?
Hello?
Hello, Lester?
Can you hear us?
I don't think so.
It's possible the sending unit of this radio is working, but the receiving unit is damaged.
Singing goons tend to keep up their nerve.
Hello? Hello? Anybody alive?
This is Engineer's mate, Addy Lester.
Hello?
Mother of Heaven, ain't there somebody that talked to me at least?
Lester, Lester, can you hear me?
Hello? Listen, anybody?
If you can hear me, this is Engineer's mate, Addy Lester.
We had an accident.
We were...
Oh, what's the issue?
He doesn't even know we can hear him.
Poor devil may have forgotten to switch on his receiving unit.
Well, there are three of us again anyway.
There isn't much comfort. Maybe...
Maybe Stone's the way he is best.
Don't be a fool. They're going to be picked up.
I doubt it.
They must. I must.
I have too much to accomplish in life to die like this.
Fellow like Stone or Lester become a dime a dozen.
I was in line to be commander of the whole fleet.
You know what that means, Charles?
Commander of the hemisphere.
No, I don't know what it means.
I never wanted to be commander of anything but myself.
And I never even came close to that.
Helen was counting on it.
Stevie too, in his own little way.
And hard as for Helen.
Seeley's too young to understand.
He'll know.
He'll know his daddy went out with his ship.
Like a man.
They'll give him a medal.
Lewis, I'm beginning to think that maybe Stone was right about you.
What?
What do you mean?
Oh, nothing.
No, no, Charles. I want to know.
We've shipped together a good many years.
You never told me what you really think of me.
Whether or not you've envied my success.
I'd like to know now.
We've nothing to do but talk anyway.
I have never envied anything except the fact that you're falling back to Earth, Lewis.
I've admired you as I admired some sort of perfect machine.
But that's where it stopped.
You know the trouble with you, Lewis?
Well?
You can't cry.
What?
You can't cry.
Well, men don't cry. Only children.
That's what I mean, Lewis. You can't cry.
I don't know what the devil you're babbling about.
I'll skip it.
No, no, look here. There's one thing...
I had a wife on Mars.
I had a wife on Jupiter.
And I had a wife on Venus.
Everyone had met money and treated me well.
What's he babbling about?
I don't know. He seems to be rambling about his life.
I had some nice times, I guess.
Oh, it's Roxy.
He didn't know about any of their mothers.
Roxy.
Managed fifteen years and she still looked like a schoolgirl.
And there's a boy, too.
I don't know what he's doing now.
Oh, Roxy's heart is so mixture.
I don't know what I can smoke a bar.
I'll tell you what I said.
Now, my son, take good care of your own heart and don't get fresh with a girl.
You'd frighten me if you didn't wink at me and smile at women's smiles of his and say,
Oh, Dad, take care of your combat well.
All in all, we miss you terribly much.
Oh, well, Eddie, mister, you can't complain.
You've had the best of it and sound despair.
Simple as that, Will.
Too simple.
I am, Will.
Why?
Because he has all that to hang onto.
Women always tried for me, a handful.
Always wanting them and jealous of men like Lester for having them.
And jealous of him for being able to spend money without fear.
For as much happiness as he could have in his own wild way.
Haven't you ever wanted that?
Don't be a fool.
The difference between us and Lester is that he lives in the present.
He gets into the experience of the moment.
You and I, Lewis, we live in the past and in the future, but never in the present.
Could we change the subject?
I thought you wanted to talk.
Well, let's talk about something else.
Hmm.
Charles?
Charles, are you there?
Charles, answer me!
I just switched my auxiliary battery. I'm sorry.
Well, don't...don't do that.
Huh, afraid to be alone?
I've never been afraid of anything in my life, but you know it.
I wonder.
Why doesn't he shut up?
Lewis.
What?
Lewis, I...I got myself into a meteor swarm.
Some little asteroids.
Meteors?
I think it's that marmadone cluster that goes out past Mars and swings into Earth once every five years.
I'm right in the middle of it now.
It's like a big kaleidoscope.
All kinds of colors and shapes and sizes.
God, it's beautiful, all that metal.
I'm going with them.
They take me with them.
Well, happy dog on.
Remember when you were a kid, Lewis?
Telling a kaleidoscope to your eye, gave it a twirl.
That's what I'm part of now.
Keep talking. I can barely hear you now.
They're taking me off, Lewis.
Charles.
Charles, don't leave me alone like this.
Charles!
Lester?
Lester!
Lester, can you hear me?
Hello!
Lester.
Why don't you shut up?
It's all over, Lester.
Just as if it never happened.
You've no regrets, really.
What good does it do you, you fool?
When a thing's over, it's not good anymore.
You're no better off than me.
Look at what I've accomplished.
Rox.
You floating there languishing over some skinny, misbegotten slut of a wife.
Rox.
My wife is beautiful.
Understand? Beautiful.
Like marble.
Like chiseled marble.
You'll find yourself another man.
She'll have some more good times.
No, no, she won't.
She'll be faithful to my memory.
Helen.
Helen, you will be faithful, won't you?
You'll never forget me.
I won't listen!
I'll switch off my radio!
There.
There, that's better.
You're alone now, Captain Hollis.
Alone with yourself and your thoughts and your memories.
Going back to Earth like a human rocket and remembering.
I'll never forget you.
Lewis.
Lewis, is that you?
Yes, Helen, it's me.
I missed you.
Have you?
Didn't you know?
But I thought...
I mean, we quarreled.
Oh, I've forgotten about that.
I, uh...
I had some trouble, Helen.
We won't talk about it.
You're home now.
That's the important thing.
Stevie is so excited.
Stevie, where is he?
Stevie?
Daddy!
Hello, son.
You're going to stay with us this time, aren't you, daddy?
You're going to stay at home and we'll go fishing and play pool together, just like you promised.
Well, Stevie, you...
I'm collecting seashells, dad.
I've got a whole collection of them.
All different colors.
Would you like to see them?
Yes, I would, son.
I'll go up and get them.
I've got them in my room.
Don't go away, dad.
I'll be right back.
I won't.
I won't go away.
He's, uh, quite a little guy, isn't he?
I'm glad you're finally getting together with him.
What?
What do you mean, Helen?
You've always been so...
Well, detached from him.
Stevie's a ten-foot little creature.
All he ever wanted from you really was just a little affection and respect, you know?
Just a little respect for the things he's done and wanted.
I've been a good father.
Nobody can ever say I haven't been a good father.
Certainly not you, not after what happened.
Don't get defensive, Lewis.
Please, that's time to bring us a little closer together.
I've given him everything a boy should have.
Toys, boxing gloves.
I've taught him to hunt and take care of himself.
Yes, you've done all those things.
Well, then.
It's just...
Well, some times when he's come to you, he feels so alone.
All he wants is for you to put your arms around him and reassure him, that's all.
He's going to be a man.
I don't want him to be soft.
What is it, Lewis?
What is there about being soft that you despise?
Just he's a soft.
Christ was soft.
Now, don't start that business again, will you?
I'm trying to make you understand.
Please.
I understand what you're trying to do.
You're like all of them.
They want to make you a woman, like them.
They want to drain you of your manhood so they can control you, manipulate you.
You won't understand, will you?
You won't trust me or anybody else until you're yourself.
Now you're talking belly wash again.
Oh, let's not build that wall between us, Lewis.
Not this time.
I had it all planned when you came back.
We'd get out on the beach.
Remember the spot where we used to swim?
In the moonlight you can see the water all luminous and green.
And then we could have picnic supper there.
Just you and Stevie and me.
Stevie could sleep on the plank and we could go for a swim.
Maybe, maybe we could recapture it, Lewis.
It wasn't always like this.
Maybe if we went back.
I'm sorry, Helen.
I'd like to, really.
But, well, I'm shipping out tonight.
Tonight?
I've got a new command.
A new ship.
Having lunch with the admiral this afternoon.
But you said you'd stay.
This is an important thing, Helen.
This is the most important thing that ever happened to me.
More important than going for a swim.
You don't get a chance of being fleet commander every day.
You can go for a swim any time.
Yes, but we never do.
Now look, honey.
Ever since I was a cadet, I've been pointing toward this job.
It's big.
If I have a success, you can name your own ticket.
Big house up in Connecticut.
Shoford.
Find a school for Steve.
I want you, Lewis.
Now don't be unreasonable.
Don't you be unemotional.
What?
I said don't be unemotional.
I don't understand.
No, I don't suppose you ever will.
Let's not quarrel.
Why do we always end up quarreling?
Well, it's almost time now.
Lewis, let's try once more.
Goodbye, Helen.
Say goodbye to the boy.
All right, Lewis.
Goodbye.
Helen.
Where are you, Helen?
Helen.
Oh, no.
I must be going out of my mind.
The whole thing was nothing but a dream.
If only I had someone to talk to.
Captain?
Captain Hollister, is that you?
Leifster?
Yes.
No, it's just another part of the same nightmare.
Captain Hollister, can you hear me?
Why must I be torched with like this?
If you can hear me, for heaven's sake, don't, sir.
I found a tube loose in this receiver.
I can hear you talking to yourself.
Leifster?
Leifster, is it really you?
Yes, sir.
Thank heavens, Captain.
Oh, any of the others still alive?
Stone went to the sun.
Dr. Carter went off with a meteor swarm.
The others are scattered all over the universe by now.
I'm headed right for Earth.
I'll be in the orbit soon.
It's good to hear your voice, sir.
I was going insane all by myself here.
Seems like I've been singing and talking the whole bloody night.
We heard you.
I'm glad we can reach one another.
We can reach you, sir.
Are you really glad, Leifster?
I should think you'd hate and despise me.
Why, sir?
I could have saved us all by changing course.
Well, the way I see it, Captain, you did what you believed in.
That's the way each of us has to do.
Thank you, Leifster.
How long have you figured we got, sir?
Not long, I'm afraid. At least not me.
It's a terrible thing, isn't it, Captain?
I mean, knowing you're going to die and not being able to do anything.
At least you've got pleasant memories.
Me, sir?
No, never mind the way other beings.
I should think you'd have some good thoughts to remember yourself.
I? I never lived, Leifster.
Sir?
It's true, I never lived.
But you were why?
We were strangers. We never knew each other.
A son?
A son.
Leifster, would you believe it if I told you I'd never put my arms around a boy
and let him know how much I loved him?
Oh, that's hard to believe, sir.
It's true.
It's odd, the way you talk about this, Captain.
I was envied you, your position. You were commander.
I thought so, too, but I know better now.
My whole life was nothing but a running away from my own feelings.
I had everything I really wanted.
All I had to do was reach out my hand.
There was Helen, Stevie, Pleasures.
And I turned my back and looked at the stars.
When they came to me filled with their love and their warmth, I ran.
I fled to the stars and to the ends of the universe.
It was all so wrong.
How did things like that happen to us, Leicester?
I don't know, sir.
We were going to be divorced, Helen and I.
Oh?
Stupid, idiotic.
Well, maybe you'll be picked up, Captain.
There's lots of spaceships taking off from Earth.
Maybe one of them will reach you before you hit the atmosphere.
I dare to hope.
We aren't that lucky, Leicester.
Not many get a second chance.
Well, keep hoping.
I can see her now, Leicester. Mother Earth. Big and green and rich.
It won't be more than a few minutes at this rate.
Oh, there was something.
Captain, are you sure, eh?
Yes, I can feel the friction starting now.
I'll burn in a minute.
I'll be scattered like ashes all across the land.
Funny, that's a useful act, isn't it, to help other things grow?
Oh, I don't talk like that, Captain.
I'm sorry, Leicester. You're a good man. I hope they rescue you.
Well, I believe you are a good man, Captain.
Maybe, Leicester, maybe I am after all.
Oh, yeah. You just got a bit twisted, sorry. That's all.
No, no, it wasn't my blame.
Funny.
Yes?
I feel a sense of calm now. Almost relieved.
Did you ever get out of a cold shower and feel like a new man?
Clean and ready for breakfast on a new day?
I have a feeling like that.
It's a beautiful old Earth, Leicester.
Good to go home.
I wonder if anyone will see me.
Eh, eh.
What's the matter?
Why don't you come down to the beach tonight?
I don't know.
I just wanted to see the ocean and the stars.
Are you cold?
No.
Mom?
Yes, darling?
When's Dad coming back?
I don't know, Steve.
I don't know.
Mom?
Hmm?
What's the matter between you and Dad?
Nothing.
Oh.
Nothing you'd understand.
Don't you love each other?
I suppose in the way we do.
It used to be quite different.
Long ago when you were a tiny, tiny baby,
your father and I used to come down here and swim at night.
I was the first girl he ever loved.
And then somehow
something happened and he got frightened or something and
we sort of lost each other.
Oh.
Come here, Steve.
What's wrong, Mom?
I'd just be a little chill.
Perhaps we'd better be getting back. It's almost your bedtime.
Okay, Mom.
Mom, look up there. A falling star.
Yes, I see it.
Just down right this way. Did you see it, Mom? A falling star.
Make a wish, son.
Make a wish.
You've just heard another adventure into the unknown world of the future.
The world of...
The Amazon.
Dimension X is presented transcribed each week by the National Broadcasting Company
in cooperation with Stephen Smith,
publishers of the magazine Astounding Science Fictions.
Today Dimension X has presented Plotoscope,
written for radio by George Lefferts from the story by Ray Bradbury.
Featured in the cast were George O'Tamter as the captain,
Liam Jenner as Lesby, and John Alexander as Helen.
Your host was Norman Rose.
Music