Suspense.
And the producer of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, the master of mystery and adventure,
William N. Robeson.
Man proposes that God disposes.
Always always the question yet to be solved, the horizon yet to be reached, beyond whichever
and ever there are further horizons and never the answer to the question.
Was the wealth of the distant Indies lying beyond the curve of the earth, the answer
to the Spain of Ferdinand and Isabella?
Was Sutter's gold lying beyond the high and forbidding western mountains, the answer to
the America of a hundred years ago?
Is the shiny electronic basketball, the soon to be launched satellite, the answer to mid
century man who proposes without consulting him who disposes?
We do not know or do we presume to guess, but we do make so bold as to give you pause
for thought.
Listen then, listen as Frank Lovejoy stars in The Outer Limit, a tale well calculated
to keep you in suspense.
Zero minus twenty five, zero minus twenty five.
All right men, settle down.
Now let's settle down.
You too Bill, that book you're reading, put it away.
Anything you say Colonel?
No doubt you're wondering why we got you out of whatever warm beds you were in.
Well we've got a reason, a very good reason.
This morning we take the wraps off the RX-3.
Now most of you have heard scuttlebutt that she's been modified, well she has.
She's powered by eight rockets now.
That's what I said, eight rockets, designed to take man into areas of space that have
never been explored before.
Even at a rate of speed to which no pilot has as yet been subjected.
Now Bill Westfall is going to take her up this morning as far and as fast as she can
go.
Joe?
Yes, Colonel.
You'll lead the 102s.
You and your wing men will be Bill's chase planes.
We want observation at 40,000 feet.
Yes, sir.
Okay, here's how it plays.
Pull the curtains on the map Sergeant.
Yes, sir.
Now you see it's circled here.
Your rendezvous point we designated as point X.
Zero hour is 0900.
Joe, you and your red tails will take off at zero minus 15.
Have you got that?
Yes, sir.
You'll make conventional climbs to 35,000 feet rendezvous at point X.
Call into me at control at 40,000 feet.
Right Joe?
That's it, Colonel.
Well, not quite.
Now let's take a look at the weather.
Feet.
Yes, sir.
The weather is very pretty out boys.
All clear, ceiling unlimited.
Winds aloft at 10,000, 80 miles per hour at 165 degrees.
At 25,000.
Hold it Pete.
Major Westphal.
Yes, Colonel.
This is primarily for you.
No, no, don't fret Hank.
I'm getting a...
I just wanted to make sure Bill.
Go ahead Pete.
Ground temperature is 60, estimated at 45 below at 40,000 feet.
We expect no change for three hours.
That's it sir.
Thank you.
Okay Joe, you and your boys go unwrap your 102s and have a nice time.
Oh Bill, stick around.
I want to talk.
How are you feeling Bill?
I feel real good.
How are you feeling?
What about Molly and the kids?
Are you worried Hank?
Don't worry.
Well, I just want to know just how they are, that's all.
An hour ago Molly wiped her hands on her apron, kissed me goodbye and the twins want to be
firemen this morning.
Zero minus 20.
Now what are you...
Zero minus 20.
Okay, okay.
Look Hank, I've flown it a dozen times before.
I know, but never for this speed and never for this altitude and never with eight rockets.
The engineers are hitting, you could break out of the stratosphere in this plane.
Yeah, I heard.
Now get it out of your head, this is just routine.
Look Hank, I've studied the blueprints, I know them like a prayer, my brain is crammed with
detailed specifications, estimated performances and I know all the safety vices to keep me
alive.
You happy?
Alright, come on, let's go, let's get out of here.
I've got to say it, Bill, you know it better than I do, but I've got to say it anyhow.
Alright, you be a commanding officer, Hank, you know, you go ahead and tell me.
Keep your throttles uniform or you'll wind up against the mountains.
Yeah.
Retract landing gear as soon as you're airborne.
Maneuver for maximum rate of climb and a heading of eight, seven degrees, which should bring
you to 40,000 in less than two minutes using JDO, approximately one mile north of rendezvous
point.
From there on you'll be on rockets.
Zero minus 17.
We're going home.
Zero minus 17.
We're doing fine.
Oh Bill, come on outside, let's go to the hangar.
Bill.
Yeah.
You've got ten minutes of rocket fuel.
Now get rid of those JDO bottles before you fire the rockets.
Fire only one rocket at a time.
Now Hank, you did just fine.
I'm going to fly that baby higher and faster than anybody ever did before, just like you
said.
I'm going to take it up and bring it back.
And then you come home and have dinner with me, huh?
Yeah, sure, I'd like to.
There she is, Bill.
Yeah.
She's real pretty, isn't she?
I'll be listening in at control.
I won't bother you until you're airborne.
It'll be between you and the tower until then.
See you later.
Good luck.
Zero minus three.
Good morning, Colonel.
Oh, Mr. Hargrove, you'll be here at control with me?
It's all right with you, Colonel.
Well, I wouldn't have it any other way.
You checked the communications equipment, Sergeant?
Yes, sir.
Major Westfall has been assigned a special radio frequency of 3970.
Good, good, good.
You'll take good care of it, Sergeant.
We don't want it to poop out or anything like that, do we, Sergeant?
Oh, yes, sir.
Yeah, well, no, sir, sir.
Hargrove, I've got a thing on my mind.
That boy on the plane you geniuses assigned, he's my best boy.
It's our best plane, Colonel.
It better be.
Well, now it's your turn.
What have you got on your mind?
Everything's in proper order, Colonel.
The electronic brain, the recording equipment, the television cameras in the cockpit, everything.
Every known scientific device, even some unknown.
They've been...
We're talking about a man.
That's all I really want to get back out of this.
What about the man?
There may be one difficulty.
Well, tell me about it.
I'd like to know.
The takeoff with all that load, the jets, the rockets, all at maximum fuel capacity.
It's never been tested that way before.
Go on, Mr. Hargrove.
It's just that Major Westfall has only 10,000 feet to get his ship airborne.
If he accelerates from zero to 300 knots in 10,000 feet,
he should be airborne in less than seven seconds.
Seven seconds.
That makes it zero plus G.
Yes, Colonel.
Beyond zero plus G, beyond that we don't know.
We just don't know.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you for everything, Mr. Hargrove.
Sergeant, flip your switch on Major Westfall.
I hear he's got a swell program.
Flip him off, Sergeant.
Yes, sir.
From RX-3, any change in weather?
RX-3 from tower, barometer reading 29.7.
Set your altimeter accordingly.
Roger.
Wind 15 miles from south.
Zero minus 130.
Seven, got it.
Control from RX-3, over.
Control to RX-3, go ahead.
Control to RX-3.
This is just for your hand.
Cabin pressure, OK.
Oxygen pressure, OK.
Hydraulic flight control, OK.
Fuel pressure safety lock.
All right, all right, all right.
Get off the dime, kid.
Take a mils.
Zero minus one.
Wind chief from RX-3, over.
Go ahead, RX-3.
I am ready to fire.
Hold it.
OK.
All set to fire.
Clear?
Clear.
Starting starboard jet.
Starting port jet.
Zero minus 30 seconds.
RX-3 from tower.
Come in, tower.
Western Airlines Flight 303 reported over San Jose southbound.
Navy interceptor on home leg in San Diego.
United Airlines eastbound 4-0-10 at 18,000 over Salt Lake City.
No other aircraft aloft in the area.
Zero minus 11.
Tower from RX-3.
Nine.
Ready for takeoff.
Eight.
RX-3 from tower.
Seven.
Clear to takeoff.
Six.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Zero.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
They'll lift it.
Lift it.
Eight.
I made it.
They'll make it, Mr. Hardrow.
Eight.
Control from RX-3 control tower.
Control from RX-3 control from RX-3.
This is control.
Go ahead, Bill.
Everything's great, Hank.
She's a doll, baby.
You were kidding with that takeoff, weren't you?
It took that long to get it off.
That makes it a takeoff, Hank.
How fast are you climbing?
Airspeed 690, approaching Mach 1.
She's buffeting some.
Bad.
I'm still flying her.
Hank, Hank.
Yes, Bill?
I just went through Mach 1.
The speed of sound straight up.
She's shaking bad.
Not a shudder.
Boss waste is a big help.
She's a doll, baby, Hank.
A living doll, baby.
How do you feel?
I like it here.
Control from Red Town 1.
Control from RX-3.
RX-3, RX-3, RX-3.
Control from RX-3.
RX-3, RX-3.
Control from RX-3.
Redtail 1.
Go ahead Redtail.
RX3 over Ronigold Point at 50,000.
He's ready to turn Colonel.
On schedule Joe.
On schedule.
Control from RX3, control from RX3.
Go ahead Bill.
55,000 Hank.
Still a dial baby.
Still is.
Hank can you hear me okay?
You're coming in clear Bill.
Lock and load.
Okay.
Good luck Bill.
Firing number one rocket.
Fire.
Taking back.
Firing number two rocket.
Fire.
Hey Hank.
Yes Bill what is it?
Bill.
Bill are you receiving me?
back firing number two rocket.
Hey Hank.
Yes Bill what is it?
Bill.
Billy you're receiving me.
RX3 from control come in.
Come in RX3.
Hello Bill come in.
Redtail leader from control Redtail leader from control come in Redtail.
What about it Joe?
RX3 you over headed approximately 70,000 feet maintaining a heading of north northwest.
I can barely make him Colonel.
Try calling.
Roger.
RX3 from Redtail leader RX3 from Redtail leader.
Come in RX3.
Yes Colonel.
Share it with me Mr Hargrove.
Sit here and run your fingers through your hair and wait and think about it and share it with me.
Control from Redtail leader.
Go ahead Redtail.
We've lost him Colonel.
Stay up there Joe as long as you can.
What are we doing now Colonel?
I just told you Mr Hargrove we wait.
You and me.
We wait.
We've lost you Colonel.
You haven't lost me Joe I can hear you.
Stay up there Joe as long as you can.
Hello. Hello Joe.
I will try another frequency.
Redtail from RX3 can you make me?
I still can't get you Joe I will keep sending.
Firing number seven rocket.
Fire. Firing number eight rocket.
Fire.
Oh brother.
This is RX3 broadcasting to whom it may concern to all you people.
This is Bill Westfall approaching 210,000 feet at four times the speed of sound.
210,000 feet that's 40 miles per hour.
That's 40 miles straight up in the air to all you people.
And that's where I am.
You never saw anything like it.
No clouds.
And the color no one ever named before otherwise there's nothing.
There's no sound except my instruments nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing at all.
Wait a minute.
There is something at two o'clock high really something brother and it.
It's not a flying saucer either this one's egg shaped it's huge.
It's spinning like a top and it's coming toward me.
Can you hear me?
Can you hear me? Listen.
Listen something has just happened something a missile something.
A shot.
Maybe through my canopy the pressure is going down something is happening to me.
That egg shaped thing I'm being pulled toward it.
I have lost control of the ship.
The ship I have no control.
I am going to deep in space.
I am going unconscious.
I am blacked out.
In a moment we continue with.
Suspense.
Every Sunday right trance over wrong dramatically in indictment.
The unusual dramatic series that is based on stories of the criminal law with authentic procedures as they are followed by the office of an assistant district attorney.
For the kind of excitement that is generated when justice goes into action here indictment just a few minutes from now and every Sunday over most of these same stations.
And now.
We continue with the outer limit starring Mr. Frank Lovejoy.
A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
We've waited a long time Colonel.
Well we'll wait some more.
There's no point to it.
May I make a suggestion Colonel?
What?
Give it up.
Make your report to Washington.
What about you Hargrove?
To be frank with you Colonel in another 16 months there will be another plane the RX-4 and the Air Force will give us another man to fly it.
Until we're certain about this man and we're not certain.
What do you propose to do?
The things that are in the manual.
We'll organize search parties.
We'll put spotter planes up in the air.
Maybe Bill came down in the ocean.
We'll call the Navy in.
Colonel if the RX-3 came down in the ocean it would sink in five minutes.
It had no life preserver equipment on it.
The added weight.
We'll call the Navy in Mr. Hargrove.
Whatever you say Colonel but my guess is.
What's your guess Hargrove?
My guess is that sometime somewhere on some beach or in some field someone will pick up a ball of cooled metal.
That someone will be holding what's left of the RX-3.
Music
I am Zeglon commander of the patrol ship S2J-3.
You are aboard that ship now and I can tell you can you understand me?
Proceed Zeglon.
There is no matter station that we are in communication with you.
Climb in on a different frequency.
Yes sir.
I am Zeglon.
You are aboard the space patrol ship S2J-3.
Am I in communication with you?
Can you hear us?
Can you hear me?
Can you understand now what I am saying to you?
Yes.
Yes I hear you.
I understand.
Proceed Zeglon.
We have established communication with him commander on frequency X29.
Good.
Proceed as ordered.
Yes commander.
Earthman your brain is in turmoil is it not?
It has great difficulty in accepting what you see.
Yes that's right.
Accept it.
What you see here exists.
This exists?
It exists earthling.
The spaceship you are on exists.
Those jet dynamos you see before you exist.
Jet dynamos driven by the harness power of a thousand suns.
Listen Earthman.
Listen to them.
Do you know what happened as you listened Earthman?
We have flung ourselves 10,000 miles into space.
What do you say to that Earthman?
I don't know what to say.
It is beyond the conception of your earth brain.
Then conceive this.
Try to move Earthman.
You are not bound in any way.
Try to move.
Don't strain.
It is impossible for you to move.
There is a screen of force aimed at you.
Now you may move about earthling.
Proceed Zeglon.
Yes commander.
Earthman I perceive that your intellect now accepts the fact.
You are aboard space patrol ship S2J3.
I am captain Zeglon of the galactic guard.
The guardian of the galaxy.
The guardian of the universes.
The instrument the brotherhood of worlds has set up in defense
against such a world as yours.
What puzzles you Earthman?
I can't see you.
I can feel that you are here but I can't see you.
There is no necessity for you to see us.
It is sufficient that we communicate with each other.
But talking to you is like, well it is not like talking.
It is as if it is all a game.
It is as if it is all happening inside my brain.
It is.
That is how I am reaching you.
Not through your ears but inside your brain.
Do you remember what happened to you before you blacked out?
I think so that there was a sharp sound like a bullet hitting the canopy.
It was not a bullet.
It was a ray.
It was necessary to stop your flight.
We have so much to tell you.
Well first tell me about my ship.
Is it lost?
No.
It is being repaired.
It will be returned to you.
And you will return to Earth because you are the Earth's only hope of survival.
Hope of survival?
What do you mean?
I will show you.
What you see before you is a panorama of your own universe.
Far greater in scope than any Earth man has ever seen before.
Observe.
Observe where the line is pointing.
Star five, galaxy C, sector K.
Is that the Earth?
That dot, that speck you see revolving in the vastness is your sun.
A star who surfaces 12,000 times that of your Earth.
Your Earth is not even visible here.
How did you know we even existed?
That was our problem.
We first became aware of your planet when we found atomic dust
containing strontium-90 in the upper atmosphere.
We traced it to your Earth.
It was that important to you?
Quite.
We determined that you were setting off thermonuclear explosions.
That's why the Galactic Council has quarantined you.
Quarantine? I don't understand. How?
How are we quarantined?
We have sealed off your planet from the rest of space.
We have surrounded it with a force screen.
When that screen has accumulated enough particles of atomic dust,
your Earth will explode.
Listen to me, Earth man. Listen.
We have had our own wars, wars that almost destroyed our civilisation.
Now we have outlawed war throughout space,
and we have outlawed your world.
If there is another thermonuclear explosion, you will destroy yourselves.
Take this back to your planet.
Warn them, Earth man.
Release him, Zeglon.
Yes, Commander.
Earth man, you will open that door.
There is your ship.
Get into it, Earthling.
Are you ready, Earthling?
Yes, I'm ready.
You will be propelled into space.
Close your canopy.
Open aperture.
Warn them, Earth man. Warn them.
Fire!
TORR from R-X3. TORR from R-X3.
Come in, TORR. Come in, TORR.
TORR the funny man. Are you loaded, kid?
How did you get in on this frequency?
Listen, this is R-X3. R-X3 coming in for landing.
Give me landing instructions.
TORR the funny man. Impossible to draw R-X3.
Get away from the area. The area cleared for interceptor practice approaches.
TORR, this is Major Westwall in R-X3.
Now come on, give me landing instructions.
I am fresh out of rocket juice.
Yeah, okay, Major. In just a minute.
TORR to all aircraft in the base area.
TORR to all aircraft in the base area. We have an emergency.
All aircraft hold present altitude
and proceed on a course of 180 degrees until advised.
Radio silence will be maintained until the emergency is over.
Okay, R-X3, go ahead.
I approximate my position 20 miles north of field at 10,000.
Estimate six minutes to land.
R-X3 from TORR, you are cleared to land.
Runway nine. Wind east, southeast 15.
Roger. Coming down.
Hello, Hank. Give me a hand.
Phil. Phil, what?
Just help me off this plane, will you?
Yeah.
Phil, what happened?
Hank, now listen, you won't believe it, but you've got to.
Before I tell you anything, you've got to promise to believe me.
You've got to.
Look, what did you write in this?
Before anything, Hank. Now promise me.
We'd better have you looked over, kid.
No, no, I'll be all right. Now just listen to me, Hank.
Hank, they said the earth would explode.
They said it was the end for us.
They said that?
Now come on, let's get over to my office.
You don't believe it.
Read it like an order, Bill. My office.
What, uh, they?
What, uh, they are you talking about?
Hank, I chased me a spaceship and I caught it.
Or rather, it caught me.
I was cruising nicely, about 200,000 feet.
That's where I spotted it.
Hank, Hank, listen to me.
Oh, kid, you don't have to tell us now.
No, no, I've got to tell you.
They said I had to tell you.
Don't you understand, Hank?
I saw this thing. I saw it coming at me.
I thought it was going to be the biggest smash and...
It wasn't. I came to.
Inside their ship, Hank.
Hank, Hank, I need a drink.
An awful tall drink.
Well, that can wait too.
I want Major Donaldson to look at you.
Psychiatrist? Well, what for?
To test my jerks?
Uh, yeah, something like that.
Well, that's the story, Major Donaldson.
Hank, Hank, you believe it, don't you?
Just keep flying down there, Bill.
Major, what do you think?
Oh, I'm not sure.
Now, Bill, these men from Mars...
I didn't say they were men from Mars.
Now, did you hear me say that they were men from Mars?
No, no, no, you didn't.
All I'm trying to tell you is this.
Whoever those people were, they know all about us.
Everything. About our wars, about our big bombs.
They've got us...
They have got us quarantined.
Quarantined?
Yes, quarantined.
They've sealed us off from the rest of space.
We have wars.
We're sick.
And we're going to die.
They've seen to it that we will die.
Well, go ahead, Bill.
Well, there's nothing more to go ahead with.
Another H-bomb and that's all.
One more bomb and we're going to have the juiciest
galactic Fourth of July of all time explode.
Like that.
How do you like it?
All right, Bill, roll up your sleeves.
Now, just forget it, Major.
All I need is a couple of drinks.
Sorry, Bill, not right now.
Let the Major give you a hypo.
Hank, I've got a drink coming.
A lot of drinks.
And I want to see my wife.
Yeah, later.
Come on, Molly.
Right now, you've got to get a little sleep.
Go ahead, Major.
Come on, Bill, let's leave.
All right.
All right, if it's in order, go ahead.
There.
You'll be okay in a few hours.
I am okay now.
Sure, sure.
We'll leave you here, Bill.
It's all right if Bill sleeps in here, isn't it, Colonel?
Sure, sure.
But when you wake up, I'll have Molly here
and we'll have that drink together.
Yeah.
Well, maybe she'll believe me.
Maybe you'll believe me then, Hank.
You'd better.
Come on, Major.
He'll be okay by himself, Major.
Well, he's been under a strain,
but he'll sleep for quite a spell.
I see.
Well, we better get some sleep, too.
Right.
Don't worry, Colonel.
He's a strong boy.
Best nerves I've seen in a long time.
I'd say things will be all right.
But delusions like Bill's latched onto.
Well, delusions like this.
Major.
Yes, Colonel.
Major, when you make your charts out for Bill
and diagnose him and treat him
and do all the things that you have to,
when you do that, Major, consider this.
Yeah?
How did he keep that plane in the air for 10 hours?
For 10 hours, Major,
when he had fuel to last him only 10 minutes.
Suspense.
In which Mr. Frank Lovejoy starred
in William M. Robeson's production
of The Outer Limit by Graham Doar.
Listen.
Listen again next week when we return
with another tale well calculated to keep you in.
Suspense.
The Outer Limit was adapted for radio
by David Friedkin and Mort Fine.
Supporting Mr. Lovejoy were Stacey Harris,
Barney Phillips, Jack Crouchon,
Larry Thor, Sam Pierce,
Jane Avello, Hans Conrad and Joe Kearns.
The musical score was written by
Lucian Morrowak and conducted by Wilbur Hatch.
Sound patterns by Tom Hanley and Bill James.
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and Mr. Conklin, the school principal,
badgering her on the other,
our love Lauren School Marm has a tough time
tracking down her favorite male, Mr. Boynton.
But since all of her difficulties are comic,
every episode of Our Miss Brooks,
starring Eve Arden,
offers immediate insurance against the blues.
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