 Welcome, Weirdos! I'm Darren Marlar and this is Retro Radio, old time radio in the dark. Here I bring you shows from the Golden Age of Radio but still in the genre of my Weird Darkness podcast. I'll have stories of the macabre and horror, mysteries and crime and even some dark science fiction, like what we'll be hearing tonight. If you're new here, welcome to the show and be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don't miss future episodes. Not only will you hear single episodes, such as what you're about to hear, but several days a week I also post 10-hour-long marathons of your favorite creepy old-time radio shows like The Shadow, CBS Radio Mystery Theater, Inner Sanctum and others. Perfect for binging all day or all night. And if you're already a member of this Weirdo family, please take a moment and invite someone else to listen in with you. Spreading the word about the show helps it to grow. If you're here because you're already a fan of nostalgic audio and print, you'll want to email WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. When you do that, you'll get an instant reply with links to download full-length pulp audio books, pulp e-books and old-time radio shows for free. That's WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. Coming up, it's an episode from DimensionX. When the echoing DimensionXXXXX, when you heard that, you knew you were about to be transported from your mundane, everyday existence somewhere completely different, possibly another planet. DimensionX featured stories from some of the most well-known science-fiction writers at the beginning of their career, such as Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut and Isaac Asimov. The original stories were adapted by script writers Ernest Kenoy and George Lefferts as well as contributing their own original scripts. Before DimensionX, only one other adult-oriented science-fiction show appeared on the radio, 2000+. Another show we have featured here on Retro Radio, but with the well-known writers involved, the show had almost instant credibility with science fiction fans. Radio was an excellent medium for science fiction in the 1950s. It was easy to visit other planets, interact with aliens or fly in a spaceship in your imagination. It wasn't so easy to bring to life on TV in the 1950s. The show first aired April 8, 1950 and completed its run on September 29, 1951, including a five-month hiatus in the middle. There were 50 episodes during the show's run. Tonight, it's the first episode of the show that was ever aired. Plus, it's a story that was so popular it was used more than once, many times actually. After this original airing from April 8, 1950, the recording was broadcast again on DimensionX on September 8 of that same year, as well as on X-1 on November 16, 1955, also suspense on February 15, 1954 and on March 17, 1957. The story script was also used on Escape on February 7, 1950, on Beyond Tomorrow on April 13, 1950 and Beyond This World on February 23, 1950. A similar script was used on Your Movie Town Radio Theater on December 17, 1947. So, yeah, apparently people really liked the story and its concept. Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights and come with me into the Weird Darkness as we listen to DimensionX from April 8, 1950 and the Outer Limit. Predict what will come in 100 years or in 10 or in the next minute. Some people think they can. Nuclear scientists, mathematicians, astronomers, biologists, they'll predict the shape of the future. Why? Because they make the future. Because they see beyond the known dimensions of time and space into the unknown DimensionX. We go ahead now in time to 1965. We're on a vast concrete runway, set in the desert of the southwest. A giant metal ship stands before us, tall pointed for the stars and in five minutes the signal will flash and it will tear up through the atmosphere to the Outer Limit. Five minutes, Steve. I want to go over the procedure again, Steve. Oh, hurry, I got it straight. Just make sure. Okay, I take her up on jets for 50,000 and I cut in the rocket. No law or your tail glass will burn out three counties. I climb four minutes on rockets and start my little bit test. Remember that. No more than four minutes, right? This ship isn't like those spreader rockets you've been testing. She's the first one built for outer space. If she works, she can go clear to the moon. But on that, I'd have got the truth right now on this trip. I'll get this, Steve. You've got power there to clear the Earth's gravitational field. But remember, after you cut in the rockets, you've only got 10 minutes fuel. If you go beyond the outer limit and don't save fuel for the return, I know I won't get down again. That's right, Steve. You will drift off into space. Get that now. 10 minutes fuel, gotcha. As far as I'm concerned, this project is a lot more important than that cosmic ray bomb they're testing out in the Pacific tonight. Well, security commission brass doesn't think so. I don't see any undersecretaries under anything. Don't worry. The long run, our ship will make the CR bomb backpage stuff. But in the meantime, it's just as dangerous. Remember, half the principles in this ship are pure theory, Steve. Slide rule and stuff. If anything goes wrong, we may have to scrape you off the landscape with a soup scoop. You have a charming sense of humor. Here's what I'm getting at. We're risking your neck in this test. If anything blows, we don't want to have the next man pull the same boat. I know, hey. So keep your mic open and keep talking. If anything goes wrong, we want to know exactly what, and we won't be able to ask you. Let us know before you pull every switch, before you do anything. You got that? Yeah. Even if you only have to blow your nose. All right, get those two on the way. Okay, bro. Well, I guess that's a good old stupid thing that reminds me. Look, if Mary calls, I'm just up in a milk run. I didn't tell her today was it. How is she? She's okay, but she's due about now, and I don't want her to be nervous. Hey, I didn't know the baby was that close. Yeah. Steve, I really ought to be sending a singly man on this job. I didn't cut me out of it, so play check. Forget it, Ag. You know, you can't get anybody else who can take 15Gs acceleration when those rockets get in. Yeah, I know. It's time, Steve. Yeah. Well, see you later. Don't worry, Hank. I'll switch for both of us. Button her up, Shelley. Come on, Hank. So long. We'll give you the life from control. Hey there, Steve. Got you on the speaker. I'm ready to go. Mr. Hansen. Ready on the radar, Sergeant? Yeah. Mr. Hansen, you better see this. What is it? Message sent for Steve. Mrs. Weston just left for the hospital. What? Hello, Steve. Yeah. Stand by a minute. Shall we hold the takeoff, Mr. Hansen? What? Oh, yes. Wait just a minute. It's too late now. You going to tell him? Maybe he's going to have to worry about it. Hey, what's falling yourself, Hank? Is something in your mind? No, no. It's nothing, Steve. I just wanted to say good luck. Clear for takeoff, Shelley? Right. Okay. Give him the light. All right, Steve. I'm reading you clear. 2400, still climbing. Altitude, 297 miles. All right. Okay. Starting at three degree left bang. It's a little sluggish. That's all right now. A little vibration someplace. Maybe the cockpit hat. I'm straightening out. I'm starting at three degree right. Hey, there's something up here. Something shiny. What are you talking about? Something above me, Hank. I'm going to chase it. Steve, stop. I can see a plane now. Steve, don't go. It's better head now. I'm going to make a pass at it. Get a good luck. Swerving to meet me. It's better head now. It's better head. Hello, Steve. Steve, come in. Nine minutes. You're gone. There's no sign on radar. Hello. Hello, Steve. Steve, what's happened? Charlie, get out of the Christ squad. Tell the Army squadron to alert their search planes. Right. Nine and a half minutes, Doc. Hello. Hello, Steve. What's happened? What the hell is going on? Hello. Come in, Steve. We're here to search squadron. Come in. No, Mr. Hansen is busy. Hello. Hello, Steve. Hello, Steve. Ten minutes, Mr. Hansen. It's the end of the storm. How long has it been now? Ten minutes, Mr. Hansen. Nothing more on radar, Sergeant? Screen's blinded. Colonel Corelli called in. Birch point's back. He didn't find anything. Should be some trace. Couldn't have bailed out, could he? He only hit the soak at 4,400 miles an hour. Even when past the outer limit, ran out of fuel. Something blue and we'll find the pieces scattered from here to the coast. Why does it have to be the best man, always the best man? Charlie, Charlie, we, you know, we've got to figure out what was wrong. Something, something must have gone wrong, yeah. There's a message from our side house, sir, for Steve. Oh, what is it? Mrs. Westing's fine. It's a boy. Thank you, Elsie. It's a boy, Johnny. Oh, fine. Fine. It's a boy. He didn't even know she went to the hospital. How am I going to tell Mary that? Wasn't your fault, Mr. Hansen? Ship, I had to be testing. Yeah, yeah, we'll build another one. And some other flying fool will shoot past the outer limit in the space. Oh, I'm getting old, Charlie. You can remember when I used to take him up myself. Now I've got to send other men. It's a job, Mr. Hansen. Now I'm afraid. We're going to hear a jet go off. I jump. Every time I have to send someone up in a new model, I start to sweat. And Mr. Hansen, I think there's something on the radar. No flight scheduled in, are there, Elsie? We have a handbag cleaner. It's coming in behind us. Here it comes over the building. What crazy job is buzzing the field like that? Is that an army plane, Charlie? I can't see. It's turning. Charlie, alert the field. I know that engine. Steve, that's impossible. What? That's a ship. It can't be. There was no other model like that. It's Steve, all right. It's coming in. I'm done. Done. The quicker you get over to see Mary on the baby. Hank, Elsie, give the order to check and refuel the rockets. I don't want anybody in here till I get Steve's reports. Barry, any calls? All right, let's have it. What the devil have with you? Hank, does that cosmic raid bomb still go off tonight? What are you talking about? Straighten out, Steve. Where have you been for the last 10 hours? Listen, Hank, there's something warm. Come on, come on. I've got to get a report on the screen to Washington. So let's have it. I've got to know how you stretch 10 minutes fuel to keep you in the air for 10 hours. Now, one thing before I talk, Steve. Look, have the Geigermen run over the ship before they refuel when you run into them. So help me, Hank. I don't know. We better check and make sure it isn't radioactive. Elsie, add a Geiger report on the standard check. Steve, maybe we better have a doc look you over, too. No, no, I'll be all right. They said I'd be all right, right? Look, son, I know you've had a tough time, but we've had this field on the alert for 10 hours. One of the Army boys cracked up looking for you when he's hurt bad. So let's have a story. Let's have it straight. I don't know how to tell you. Hank, I saw something up there at 300 miles. I chased something up there, Hank. And I caught it. Now don't handle me that. Listen to you. I was cruising along, just starting the right bank when I spotted something. It must have been going about half my speed. It was egg-shaped and smooth. I made a pass at it, and I was coming back for another, and then there was a humming sound. Humming? A sort of vibration. And I blacked out. I was headed straightforward at 4,400 miles an hour. I thought it was going to be the biggest smash since Hiroshima. Hank, is there a thing in that bottle? Never mind that, Steve. What happened? I came to inside their ship. Steve, this whole thing has been a devil of a strain on you. I'm going to call Major Donaldson from the Army base. Ask him to sit in. Psychiatrist? Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea. Let him run his test. He'll tell you I'm not kidding. Because Hank, unless I miss my guess, I've just been tipped off to the way the world ends. All right, Mr. Weston. Suppose you continue your stories. Let's have it, Steve. You woke up inside the ship? Yes. And the place was jammed with machinery, dials, blinkers. I couldn't recognize anything. And you were surrounded by these men from Mars? I didn't say anything about men from Mars. I didn't even say they were men. I couldn't see them clearly. They were just there. Where did they come from then? Another galaxy, millions of miles outside of our solar system. That's all I know. You figure out where they came from. And they came all that distance to find the Earth? Yes. Did they tell you there? Yes. You mean they spoke English to you? No, no, they didn't. That's funny. I hadn't thought. They didn't really speak to me at all. They just planted the thoughts in my mind. You mean thought, transference, telepathy? Yes, that's right. Well, Steve, what brought them here? We did, Hank. We rang their bell. We brought them in. With our atomic explosions. Hank, that's why you've got to stop that bomb test tonight. Look, you've got to believe me, Hank. Oh, how can I make you understand? Maybe I can help, Mr. Weston. Would you submit to Narcosa commentary? What's that? Under proper drugs, I can put you back in this ship by suggestion. Then we can get a playback record of the memory pattern on the audio circuit. And how long will that take? Half an hour. We'll have to go to the lab. Will you believe me if it checks? It will give us an accurate memory picture of what your mind reports. All right, let's go. Hank, you've got to believe me. We haven't got much time. You should be getting drowsy now. Count backwards from 10. 9, 8, 7, he's under. Now we attach the head plate electrodes. The cortical pickup. Look after that wire, Mr. Henson. Three old setting, 31.3. Although that's which, Mr. Henson. I have to start them off by suggestion. All right, Steve. You're in your shit now. You're in the rocket. Back. You're in the rocket. You're in the rocket. And you've just sighted something strange. Now I'm starting a three degree right. What's that? Hey, there's something up here. Something shining. His memory pattern. We're picking it up electronically. There's something above me, Hank. I'm going to chase it. It's packed through the audio circuits. I'm getting static. I can't hear you, Hank. This is where we lost contact with him. I'm going to make a pass at it. Hey, it's warbing the meeting. It's better ahead now. It's better ahead. No one. This is where he blacked out. There's no telling how long, minutes around. What's that noise? I don't know, Claire. How did I get in here? Who are you? Is he seen? Intergalactic patrol. What's that? What are they saying, Steve? What are they saying? It's about nuclear fission. They know about it. They know the danger of it. Long ago, they had wars that almost destroyed them. And finally, they learned how they've outlawed war. Go on, Steve. They patrol space. When their detector picks up an atomic explosion, they send a patrol. What are they going to do? They've quarantined us. Quarantine? They've isolated the Earth because we don't know how to control ourselves yet. Until we learn or be a menace to the whole universe. What is this nonsense? How are they going to do it, Steve? They've spread a layer out here. I don't know how to call it. All around the Earth. It's miles deep. When there's an atomic explosion on Earth, the radioactive particles will drift up to this layer and set off a chain reaction. It'll go around the world in microseconds. And that's the end. Yeah, what's he doing? Wait, wait. Yes. Yes. I understand. I've got to bring back the warning. You're going to put me back in my ship to bring the warning. Now what? Like that again. I guess that's all. What is all it means? It's what he remembers. Don't think that really happened. No, no. Not because a cometry circuits produce what he remembers. It just means that Steve believes this happened. I don't like to see this. I've seen too many top pilot snapper. Steve is the best I've known. How bad do you think he is? Frankly, outside of the presence of this, well organized, this hallucination, there's no sign of imbalance. May not be too serious. If you had a more plausible story, I'd be inclined to bring the warning. Hank. It's all right, boy. Did you hear it, Hank? You understand? Sure, sure. We've been quarantined. Let me give you something to make you sleep, Steve. Don't you understand? They fixed it so that if we set off one more nuclear explosion, that'll be it. Of course. Don't worry, Steve Donald. You don't believe me. Now take it easy, Steve. Look at the test tonight. They're setting off to see our bomb. Hank, what time is it? 11.20. Well, it's scheduled for midnight. Hank, we've got to stop that bomb. Steve, let Donaldson give you the hypo. Hank, you've got to believe me. I saw them. I got the bomb. I saw them. I got the warning. If we touch off that bomb tonight, it'll be the biggest galactic fourth of July of all time. The whole earth will go up like a Roman candle. April 10th, 1965, the end. Now, look, Steve, you better calm down. Don't you want to see Mary and the baby? You've got a new son, remember? Yeah, that's just it. I want to see my son. I want him to live. If that bomb goes off, Hank, we've got to stop them. Mr. Hanson, I think we'd better get over to the base. Oh, Hank, you've got to believe me. Sure, sure, Steve. Maybe there is something to it. Look, it's out of your hands. I'll put it in a report and shove it into Washington in the morning. In the morning? There isn't going to be any morning, Hank. Don't you understand? You've got to call Washington now. Get the head of the security commission and postpone that test. No, you know I can't do that, Steve. My neck will be out of my own. Besides, this is 1965, not 45. 20 countries have atomic bombs now. Of course, the use of stopping just this one. The rest will keep right on popping. We'll have to call an international conference. Get your other stand, Hank. The first one that goes off finishes us at the end. They've given us the quarantine warning. Steve, I think you'd better go over this to the base hospital. Look, Steve, we can call up for a detail if we have to. All right, all right. I'll go with you. You don't need a straight jacket. That's the way, Steve. You'll probably feel better by morning. Let's go. Well, Steve, tomorrow I'll drive you over to the hospital to see Mary and the kid. Sure. Look at the ship under the headlights. Pretty, huh? You'll be flying her again soon, don't you worry. Yeah, yeah, I guess so. What you doing out in the line? They, uh, are you fueling? Yeah, we've got Klausowitz coming in tomorrow from Denver for another test. I figure we give you a day off. Yeah, that's good. That's fine. Steve, Steve, come back. Come on, Donald, come. Steve, Steve, wait. He's heading for the rocket. Look, there he goes up. That crazy fool. We can't get on him now. That covers armor glass. He's waving. Yeah, towards control. There's the radio. He needs the radio. Come on. Eyes should have gotten held. There's the radio still up here. Hello. Hello, Steve. Listen to me, Hank. You've got to call Washington now. Come out of that rocket, Steve. I'll call my men. Don't try anything, Hank. They brief you of the rocket for tomorrow. Take it easy, Steve. Listen, you know what will happen when I fly on the rocket tubes down here? Steve, don't. They'll burn out every flash. Steve, what do you want? You've got to call Washington right now. They won't believe me. If you make that call or I cut in the rocket. I mean it, Hank. I hope my screen to yours is parallel. I want to see exactly what you're doing. All right, all right. Just don't fire those rockets. That's right, Hank. You've got 12 minutes to make that call and stop that bomb. All right, I'm making the parallel hookup right now. Donaldson, you're thinking really black. I don't know up to now. I don't want to say what's normal. But now he's libel to do anything, handsome. Steve. Steve, there. Are you getting it on your screen? Yeah, bro. All right. Operator. Visit screen to Washington. This is secured to commission priority. Break in and get me a line. Yes, sir. Just a moment, please. 10 minutes, Hank. Listen, Steve, I'm trying. I'm ready to take your call, sir. Washington, secure to commission three. This is urgent. I want Undersecretary Herbert Ames. Washington, three. One moment, please. Hurry, will you? One moment, please. What time is it, Donaldson? 11.51. Do you think you'll fire those rockets? They might. Washington. Visit screen three. Mr. Herbert Ames, please. That is a coded exchange. I cannot accept your call without clearance. Get it through, Hank. Listen, Washington, put it through. This is Mr. Hansen at San Marco Air Base. This is a priority call. I'm coded. One moment, please. I will check your code number. Get that through. Hank, let's block us off at 12. Will you be reasonable, Steve? Your call has cleared, San Marco. Washington, Visit screen three. Herbert Ames, please. Security commission Ames. Listen to Ames. All along. Ames, you've got to get me to the chief. Are you kidding? Is it the test control room? Yes, I know. But get him for me. What's up? Your circuit. There's no time. I've got to get him before the test. It's about the CR bomb. I can't. Ames, my project has a high enough rating. This is a priority A call. I'm through. You hear that, Steve? I've got to cut the incoming screen. All right. Don't try anything. This is Hansen at San Marco. No, sir. Priority A request to cancel the bomb test. No, no. I'm serious. This is deadly serious. We sent the X2 JTR up today to the outer limit. We uncovered evidence. Yes, on the automatic instruments. What's that? No, possible chain reaction. No, I can't tell you the whole story. There isn't time here. Yes, yes. I'll bring the readings into Washington in the morning. You've got to postpone the test till you see them. Look, I've worked on contracts for the commission for 10 years. Yes, yes. I have complete confidence in my information. You can record that. All right. I'll call you back immediately. Bye. Act. He's agreed to cancel, Steve. The bomb won't go off. All right, boy. You can come down. I'm about to shoot. He's opening up. Here he comes. All right, Steve. Come on down. Yeah, Hank. Just a second. Hank. I was scared. I was plain scared. He's in the house all over. The bomb won't go off. Thank God. Look, I want to see Mary and the baby. Can you get me transportation now? Well, wait a minute. It's almost 12. They won't let you in the hospital now. I want to see the baby. Sure you do, but you've been under a strain. I've got a shot for you here, Steve. I'll give you a good night's sleep. All right. Well, if you sleep, you're here. Yeah, I'll make you sleep. Sergeant will find you a bed. Yes, sir. Come on, Mr. Wilson. OK. Good night, Hank. I'm kind of beat. It's been a tough night. It sure has. I thought for a minute he was going to blast those rockets and send us home to Kingdom come. Yeah. Quite a stunt getting the Ray Bomb test called off. It isn't called off. But the chief said games couldn't get the chief. I was talking to a dead circuit. Bomb goes off in a couple of minutes. Oh, Steve. He's one of the best. He was the best. One in 10 million. Some story of his poor guy. For a while he almost had me believing that quarantine. That's a very common illusion. And of the world. Yeah. I suppose so. Ah, it's a nice night. Never saw the stars, so bright. We better be getting in. That wind is cold. Bomb goes off in 30 seconds. Poor Steve. You know, Hanson, there's just one thing. Yeah. It's outside my field, but I'm curious. How did he keep that ship in the air for 10 hours? With only 10 minutes fuel. You have just heard The Outer Limit by Graham Dore. An adventure in time, space, and the unknown dimension. About next week. Have you ever heard of the Mach 3, the amazing electronic brain at Harvard that instantly solves the most complicated scientific problems? Suppose you had a mechanical brain like that in your house. A robot that was always at your service so that you could just sit with folded hands and relax the rest of your life. That would be nice, wouldn't it? Perfect. That's what they thought when it happened in the year 2006. But they were wrong, terribly wrong. Ah, I'll tell you next week. Tonight's story transcribed on Dimension X. The Outer Limit by Graham Dore was adapted for radio by Ernest Canoy. Featured in the cast were Joseph Julian and Steve, Wendell Holmes as Hank, and Joe DeSantis as Major Donaldson. Your host is Norman Roll. Music was by Albert Berman, sound designed by Sam and Roll. Edward King directed. Tomorrow here's Sam Spade, now it's Truth or Consequences on NBC. Shows like CBS Radio Mystery Theater, The Shadow, Inner Sanctum, and more. You can find retro radio, old time radio in the dark at weirddarkness.com slash retro radio. That's weirddarkness.com slash retro radio. Or look for retro radio, old time radio in the dark wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you like what you just heard, please share this episode with someone you know who also loves old time radio and pulp audio. If you want to hear even more, drop an email to weirddarkness at radioarchives.com and get an instant reply with links to download full-length pulp audio books, pulp e-books, and old time radio shows, absolutely free. That's weirddarkness at radioarchives.com. Weird Darkness is a registered trademark. Copyright Weird Darkness. I'm Darren Marlar, and I'll see you next time for Weird Darkness' retro radio, old time radio in the dark.