Spacemens Luck

 

Where Tom Corbett, Captain Video, CMDR Corry and Other Spacemen Still Live

X-1 Classic Science Fiction Radio Show

Premiere episode for the X-1 Radio Show series. In the far distant future of 1982, when trips to the moon, Mars and beyond are common place, spaceships are encountering a barrier of some kind that the Earth ships keep crashing into, or so they think. Six expeditions have been lost trying to cross it and their fate is a mystery, apparently no signal can pass through the barrier and radar signals bounce back, no one has ever heard from the spacefarers again.

Now, it is 2 June 1987, there is to be sixth attempt to breach what has become known as the wrecker of spaceships, the Galactic Reef, or the “Great Galactic Barrier.” The spaceship, Star Cloud has been selected for the latest mission and prepares to launch on it’s mission to breach the “Great Galactic Barrier.”

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Just as the Star Cloud is in countdown to launch they discover a stowaway. The stowaway turns out to be the Captains old crew mate Charlie a space radio operator. The Captain puts him ashore and asks Colonel Harrison the ground control officer to use him as the ground control space radio operator.

After launch and the ship has gone into Atomic Overdrive the crew settle into routine spaceflight. The Captain and the ships Doctor, Dr. Smith discuss the “Great Galactic Barrier” and why they keep trying to breach it. There is a race (it is not clear who with) to get to the Planet Volta because the Innerspace code says the first to reach the Planet Volta can claim it.

We also learn that back in 1962 the Captain was the Commander of the first space mission to the moon. The Doctor also reports that some of the crew are coming down with “Space Blues” an unexplained condition where the lips and hands turn blue and the eyes are sensitive to ultra-violet light when exposed to low or no gravity while in Atomic overdrive in space.

When they approach the “Great Galactic Barrier” they begin to get ever increasing bounces back from their radar signals. When the bounced signal is continuous they consider they have reached it. They then pass through and nothing happens.

Now that they have penetrated the barrier they begin getting strange radiation readings. After a scan for the source of the radiation they learn that it is originating from within the ship.

To learn how this episode ends you can listen below to X Minus One Episode 01 No Contact. Or I want to know how the story ends.

Review:

An enjoyable story written by future Emmy-award winners Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts and a terrific performance by Luis van Rooten as the Captain. The surprise ending is one of the best I’ve heard in a radio show.

Broadcast Date: 55-04-24

Cast:
Captain Louis Dawson – Luis Van Rooten
Lieutenant Collier – Donald Buka
Charlie – Wendell Holmes

Other Cast:
Bill Griffis, Bill smith, Matt Crowley, Ken Williams

Other Credits:
Written By: Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts script by George Lefferts
Directed By: Fred Way
Announcer: Don Pardo

Space Age Gizmos:
Innerspace Code – A set of regulations governing spaceflight and one of its rules says the first to reach a planet (the Planet Volta for one) can claim it.
Integrator – Spaceship’s Navigation computer.
Overdrive Ships – Spaceships that are equipped with Atomic overdrive engines that allow great speeds (faster than light? Not known).
Space Blues – A unexplained condition where beings from the Planet Volta’s lips and hands turn blue and thier eyes are sensitive to ultra-violet light when exposed to low or no gravity while in Atomic overdrive in space. Otherwise they appear as normal humans.

Space Ships/Ports/Stations This Episode:
Spaceship Star Cloud

Listen below to X Minus One Episode 01 No Contact:

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List of X-1 Episodes: