 Which will broadcasting system present The Mysterious Traveller, written, produced, and directed by Robert A. Arthur and David Cogan. And starring tonight, two of radio's foremost actors, Ralph Bell and Robert Dryden, in The Last Survivor. This is The Mysterious Traveller, inviting you to join me on another journey into the realm of the strange and the terrifying. I hope you will enjoy the trip, that it will thrill you a little and kill you a little. So settle back, get a good grip on your nerves, and be comfortable, if you can, as we journey into the unknown, in the story I call The Last Survivor. In a small six-by-ten-feet radio compartment, a man sits sprawled in the transmission operator's chair. His hair is unkempt, his face bearded. He stares at the panel board before him, with vacant bloodshot eyes. Now and then, as though in a dream, and as if for the thousandth time, he leans forward and picks up a wireless radio phone. Calling base, San Augustine. Come in base, San Augustine. Over. Calling base, San Augustine. Come in, San Augustine. Over. They don't answer, do they? No, Connors, I'm afraid not. How do you feel? I'm all right, Colonel. Why, why don't you try another channel? I've tried them all. I haven't been able to make contact. Have you checked the equipment? Yes, to the best of my ability. As far as I can see, it seems to be in working order. Maybe if you were to help me to my feet, I could double-check it for you. No, no, no, Connors. Lie where you are. Don't try getting up. Take it easy. But, but I'm a radio man. I know the equipment. Later, Connors, later. Is there anything I can get you? Food, water? No. No, thank you, Colonel. It's strange. Just the two of us out of here. Like this. Yes. What will you do when you're alone, Colonel? Alone? I can't live much longer. Oh, nonsense, Connors. You're going to be all right. You're going to be all right, are you here? Who are you kidding, Colonel? Me or yourself? It's a strange way to end up, isn't it? A strange way to end up? Yes. I remember that day so long ago. So very long ago. I feel as if I were looking back on another age, and perhaps I am. What year was it? 1947? Yes. It was a year like so many the world has known. It was a year of war and peace, of fear and hope, of feast and famine. And I... I was stationed at the Army Air Base at San Augustino, Mexico, Chief of the Experimental Rocket Section. It was in the spring of 1947, May 8th, to be exact, that I was ordered to report to General Farnsworth's office. Come in. Kind of worthy of reporting, sir. Come in, Dick. Have a seat. Thank you, sir. Orders have just come through for you to report to the Chief in Washington. Washington? That's right. Have you any idea what it's about, sir? Yes, I was speaking to the Chief just a few minutes ago. It seems they're interested in those spaceship plans you submitted to them. My interplanet rocket ship plans? Yes. The Chief and his technical staff seem to think you did an excellent job. It started a certain amount of activity. But, sir, I clearly stated in my accompanying report that a flight into space is impossible at this time. The fuel just doesn't exist. It can power an interplanet spaceship. It seems that you're wrong, Dick. Wrong? Yes. According to Professor Marais, atomic power could make your interplanet ship practical. And if anyone should know, it would be Professor Marais. He helped develop the atomic bomb. You mean he's interested? So I understand. The Chief's going to ask for an appropriation of $20 million for the development and construction of an atomic powered spaceship. You and Professor Marais are to work on the project jointly. As soon can you leave? I'll be ready in an hour, sir. There'll be a plane at your disposal. Luck. Thank you, sir. I've looked forward for some time now to meeting you, Colonel. Thank you, Professor Marais. Why did you become interested in my plan, sir? As you know, I am one of the scientists who helped develop the atomic bomb. It was a terrible responsibility. And we scientists must answer to a great extent for its use. I'm hoping that through a successful spaceship mankind will turn to peaceful uses of atomic energy. I understand, sir. I've studied your plans with my new care. And the ship you've blueprinted is a masterpiece of design. Thank you, Professor. Oh, not at all. We deserve praise for your work. Now, as for the fuel problem, I'm convinced atomic energy is the answer. But Professor, what about the irradiation danger, if it were you? We would have to design and construct an engine that would be a complete unit in itself, and completely sealed off from the rest of the ship. Now, according to my calculations, there are very rough calculations at the moment, the ship would have to achieve an acceleration of 4H to reach a velocity of 8 miles a second, at which speed it could attain enough length of a width. A little over two years later, the completed XIP-1 was wheeled from its hangar in San Augustino, Mexico. Its towering cylindrical body rose 240 feet into the air, and its silver nose pointing skyward gleamed under the strong sun. The field was cleared of all personnel, and from a concrete observation-controlled tower two miles away, Professor Murray and I prepared to send it on its first test flight. Well, Dick, this is it. The culmination of all our years of work. There's the XIP out there ready for flight. Yes. Well, the next few hours will tell all. It feels been cleared, Professor, where ready to proceed. Then take over, Dick. I'll stand by, keep an eye on the observation radar and control crew. Sound flight warning signal. Sound flight warning signal. Switch on control panel. Switch on control panel. Switch on tower receiver. Switch on tower receiver. Switch on XIP flight radio center. Switch on XIP flight radio center. Cut in nuclear jet number one. Cut in nuclear jet number one. The ship is hovering, Dick. Yes. Cut in nuclear jet number two. Cut in nuclear jet number two. Rate of flight, 500 miles per hour. Altitude, 1,000 feet. 2,000 miles per hour. Altitude, 90,000 feet. Rate of altitude, 4,000 miles per hour. Oh, we traced the flight of the XIP through space. When night came, the ship's flaming tail became visible to the naked eye as it traveled further and further into the infamy. At dawn after the XIP had flown well over a million miles, electronic light signals were sent out to reverse the ship's cause and directed back toward Earth. 12 hours later, the XIP landed safely at the San Augustine base. It was that moment. It was the beginning of a new age. The age of interplanet travel. A year passed, and the XIP made test flight after test flight, flying greater and greater distances on automatic radio instrument control. And finally, the day came when we were ready, ready to consider the first human flight into space. Well, Dick, after weeks of discussion with our leading scientists, our objective has been selected. What's it to be, Professor? The planet Mars. Oh. Oh, why Mars? Oh, for a number of very excellent reasons. Mars is the closest planet to us. Furthermore, it's the planet that we know the most about, as little as that may be. Mars, that would be a flight of approximately 50 million miles, one way. Yes. How soon do you think the XIP can be prepared for such a flight? Oh, I should estimate 30 days. 30 days. All right, Dick. We'll set September 15 as flight day. Ready for flight, sir. The crew are at their station. Thank you. Is there anything, Professor, you want to say before we take off? No, Dick. Everyone's been thoroughly briefed. Well, and the moment's arrived. Standby for flight orders. Standby for flight orders. Sound warning signal. Sound warning signal. Pass and safety belts. Switch on flight vision screen. Switch on flight vision screen. Establish contact with base. Establish contact with base. Cut in nuclear jet number one. Cut in nuclear jet number one. Cut in nuclear jet number two. Cut in nuclear jet number two. Flight velocity, 600 miles per hour. Flight distance covered, 80,000 feet. Time, nine seconds. Flight velocity, 2,000 miles per hour. Switch passing second, the XIP gained speed, carrying as ever faster towards the edge of the Earth's gravitational field. All were silent in the command room, except for the voice the control officer reading the instrument panels. As the eighth minute flight mark approached, we reached the scene of our speed, the Professor blacked out. Held from falling only by a safety belt. One by one the technicians with crew members lost consciousness. And then I too found my vision failing. And all became black. When I regained consciousness, I found other members of the crew already recovered and at their stations. The Professor was slowly coming to as I got to my feet. Instrument reading. Flight distance covered, 15,000 miles. Time, 27 minutes, 30 seconds. Flight velocity, 26,000 miles per hour. How do you feel, Professor? Oh, my heart's acting up a bit, but I can't expect too much from it at my age. Everyone else on that? Yes, everyone came through fine. Professor, look at the flight vision screen. You can see the Earth, 16,000 miles behind us. As a scientist, I knew what it would look like from this distance. And yet, it's incredible. You can see the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the North and South American continents from pole to pole. I have the world. Yes, by looking down on a small globe of the world. Beautiful, beautiful. Are we holding to our caustic? Oh, yes, Professor. The automatic instrument controls haven't deviated a hairline. We're dead on course. Good. If our calculations are correct, in 76 days, we should reach Mars. The days and weeks passed and each was one of discovery of new knowledge, sites never before seen by human beings. Excitement grew ever increasingly greater as the flight distance to Mars lessened. Crew members would stand for hours before the flight vision screen scanning the planet we were bound for. At dawn of the 76th day, we approached Mars. The nuclear jet engines were cut and as Mars drew us towards her orbit, we prepared to land. Stand by to land on Mars. Attention, crew members. Stand by to land on Mars. How quiet it is. It seems strange not to hear the engines after 76 days. Yes. Switch on radar, sender. Switch on radar, sender. Instrument rating. Rate of descent, 1,000 miles per hour. Altitude, 300,000 feet. The orbit of Mars is exerting a strong pull toward its surface. Yes. Switch on retarding jet number one. Switch on retarding jet number one. Instrument rating. Rate of descent, 500 miles per hour. Altitude, 100,000 feet. The ones we enter Mars atmosphere will have cut down our speed. We should be just about entering it now. Rate of descent, 200 miles per hour. Altitude, 60,000 feet. Entering atmosphere. Pressure, 2 pounds. It's much better. Rate of descent, 100 miles per hour. Altitude, 20,000 feet. Pressure, 5 pounds. Hovering. Altitude, 1,000 feet. 800 feet. 600, 300, 100. Flight completed. Cut retarding jet number one. Cut radar, sender. Cut radar, sender. Professor, we've done it. We've reached another planet. And begun a new age. Yes. Let's hope that as a result of this flight, atomic energy will be used for peace. And not for war. Well, shall we have a look at this planet? Switch on scanning screen. Switch on scanning screen. A moment later a picture formed on the scanning screen. And we saw the landscape of Mars. As far as the eye could see, there was desert. Wide cracks of brown barren soil broken here and there by ugly, thorny desert plants. Now and then a gust of wind would come swirling across this desert, all but obscuring the view. There were no visible signs of life out there. Only great vastness and great loneliness. It's just wasteland. Nothing but wasteland. It reminds me a great deal of the deserts of Tibet. Disappointing, isn't it? Oh, come now. This is only a small part of Mars. Who knows what the countryside may be a few hundred miles from here. Yes, that's true. The Martian canals which we've studied through telescopes on Earth now will be able to see them closer. Yes, it's going to be a great adventure exploring this planet. Well, we'd better proceed with our preliminary test, Dick. We'll ascertain what the air out there is composed of, what the temperature is, and 101 other things. I'll assemble our scientists at once, Professor, and have them go to work. We seem to have accumulated over a thousand pages of scientific notes almost overnight, Professor. Yes, we've accomplished quite a bit. The air out there is composed of 15% oxygen, 83.7% nitrogen, and traces of other gases. Is that sufficient oxygen for us to live out there? Yes, but you'll find yourself constantly gasping for breath. It'll be necessary to carry along pure oxygen and breathe it in now and then. I see. When may we leave the ship? I suggest we start this afternoon. I'll draw up a list of the equipment we need. What's that? A radar alarm. Someone has broken through the radar system. Connors, what zone is this breakthrough from? Zone 5, sir. Zone 5? That means 250 miles away. Connors, can you pick up anything? I can hear something very faintly, sir. Sounds like motors. Well, it looks as if we've learned something else. Not only is Mars inhabited, but it apparently has a highly developed civilization. Yes. They're in zone 4 now, sir. I can pick up the sound of motors quite clearly. Zone 4. That means they'll reach us in another three minutes. Professor, you've seen my orders. For situations such as this, I'm to take off and return to Earth. Yes, I know. It's quite a pity to have come so far and have to return now. I know, but those are my orders. We can't risk the XIP and all the knowledge we've gained. Yes, you're right. Zone 3 has been penetrated, sir. Stand by to take off. Attention crew members, stand by to take off. Cut off radar system. Cut off radar system. Cut in nuclear jet number one. Cut in nuclear jet number one. Cut in nuclear jet number two. Cut in nuclear jet number two. I've traveled homeward. Already we were discussing the second flight we would make to Mars and the other spaceships that would be built to follow the path of the XIP. Well, Dick, there's our own planet, looming larger with each passing hour. Yes. Another 48 hours and we'll be home. I imagine our return will create quite a stir. Yes. I hope it won't delay us too long in preparing for our second flight. Ah, this flight of ours will have a tremendous effect on mankind. And I'm hoping for the better. Mankind can't stand an atomic war. It would be the end of us all. Well, look at the flight vision screen. Certainly, the Earth appears peaceful enough at this moment. Yes, but a weapon such as atomic energy... Professor, what is it? The flight vision screen. Look, huge explosions on Earth. What? Good Lord. One explosion after another. Great fires, mush, foaming up. What is it, a earthquake? No, Dick. Well, then what? Those are atomic explosions. What? Oh, no, no, they couldn't be. I was at Los Alamos, Bikini. I've seen atomic explosions before. Connors, yes, sir? Establish radio contact with San Augustine. Yes, sir. XIP calling base. It's horrible. XIP calling base. One explosion after another. The whole Earth appears to be flames. Over. I don't talk like that, it can't be. Connors, what's wrong? I don't know, sir. San Augustine doesn't answer. All I hear are explosions. Good Lord. Why? Why? Professor, the Earth seems to be disintegrating. Great firing pieces are being blown into space. It is disintegrating. The atomic explosions have started a chain reaction. In a few more seconds, the XIP will feel the impact. You mean, you mean out here? Yes, even out here. Sound the alarm. All crew members, the stations. It's too late, Dick. Nothing can save us. It's the end of the world and us. Any moment now, there'll be a gigantic explosion, which will reach us. I regained consciousness 12 hours later. I was lying in the radio compartment beside Connors. My left arm and a number of my ribs were broken. And I had a slight compression in the brain. I pulled myself to my feet and staggered into the command room. The nuclear engines were silent. The ship shambles. The professors and seven other men in the command room had been killed almost instantaneously. I slowly made my way through one compartment after another. Out of a crew of 42, only Connors and myself were alive. I returned to the radio compartment. Hours later, Connors recovered consciousness. Following his instructions, I repaired the scanning screen and turned on a small auxiliary engine which was still in working order. A moment later, a picture formed on the scanning screen. Is that... is that Colonel? Here's Connors. What's left of it? There are still huge fires burning. Yes. The face of the Earth seems changed. I can't recognize any part of it. Nor can I. Colonel, what do you think happened? I don't know. You and I will never know. Do you suppose anyone could have lived through it? No, Connors, no. No one could have lived through it. I didn't think so. What are we going to do, Colonel? Do? There's nothing we can do. The XIP is disabled. It'll remain here out in space. We have food and water for six months, possibly longer. I wish I had gone with the others. Oh, no, no. Don't talk like that, Connors. What... what would you do when you're alone, Colonel? Alone? I can't last much longer. Nonsense, Connors. You're going to be all right. Who are you kidding, Colonel? Me? Or yourself? It's a strange way to end up. Isn't it? Connors. Connors! I'm alone now. Sitting here, staring at the scanning screen. And as I look at that burning, unrecognizable planet once called Earth, the same question keeps running through my mind. What happened? And why? Why did the Earth explode in fire? Was there anything that I, Richard Werby, might have done to prevent that all-consuming holocaust? And I know that as long as I, the last survivor, live, I'll keep asking myself, why did it happen? Ever again, did you enjoy Earthly? What's that, Madam? It's a fearful picture. I agree. Unfortunately, it doesn't have to happen, and won't happen if we don't want it to. And if... oh, you have to get off here. I'm sorry. But I'm sure we'll meet again. I take this same train every week at the same time. Listen for the mysterious traveler at its new time next Tuesday night at 7...