Dimension X - The Outer Limit

Adventures in time and space transcribed in future tense.

Dimension!

Can you predict what will come in one hundred years?

Or in ten?

Or in the next minute?

Some people think they can.

Nuclear science, mathematicians, astronomers, biologists.

They'll predict the shape of the future because they make the future.

Because they see beyond the known dimensions of time and space.

Into the unknown.

Dimension X.

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.

Prowl pointed for the stars.

And in five minutes the signal will flash.

And it will tear up through the atmosphere to the outer lips.

Attention!

Prepare field for takeoff.

Five minutes, Steve.

All right.

Warmer up, Charlie!

Warmer up!

I want to go over procedure again, Steve.

Don't worry, I got it straight.

You just make sure.

Okay.

Now take her up on you.

I'm going to take a jet to 50,000 and then I cut in the rocket.

No lower or your tail blast will burn out three counties.

I climb four minutes on rockets then start maneuver test.

Remember that.

No more than four minutes.

Right.

This ship isn't like those strata rockets you've been testing.

She's the first one built for outer space.

If she works, she can go clear to the moon.

If I'd have known that, I'd have brought my toothbrush.

Not this trip.

Now 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'll drift off into space.

Get that now.

10 minutes fuel.

Gotcha.

Now 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 under secretaries under anything.

Don't worry.

In the long run, our ship will make the CR bomb back paid stuff.

But in the meantime, it's just as dangerous.

Remember, half the principles in this ship are pure theory, Steve.

Slide rule stuff.

If anything goes wrong, we may have to scrape you off the landscape with a soup spoon.

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 boner.

I know, Hank.

So keep your mic open and keep talking.

If anything goes wrong, we want to know exactly why.

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 fuel lines away.

Okay, Mr. Groves.

Well, I guess that's about all, Steve.

That reminds me.

Look, if Mary calls, I'm just up on a milk run.

I didn't tell her if the day 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 single man on this job.

What, and cut me out of a soft paycheck?

Forget it, Hank.

You know you can't get anybody else who can take 15 Gs acceleration when those rockets cut in.

Yeah, I know.

It's time, Steve.

Yeah.

Well?

Well, see you later.

Don't worry, Hank.

I'll sweat for both of us.

Button her up, shall we?

So long, Hank.

So long.

We'll give you the light from control.

Exit the guard at control.

Are you there yet, Hank?

Okay, Steve.

Got you on the speaker.

I'm ready to go.

Mr. Hanson.

Is everybody on radar, Sergeant?

Yeah.

Mr. Hanson, you better see this.

What is it, Elsa?

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. Hanson?

What?

Oh, yes.

No, wait just a minute.

It's too late now.

You going to tell him?

Maybe he's got enough to worry about.

Hey, what's all he gets up, Hank?

Something in your mind?

No, no.

It's nothing, Steve.

I just wanted to say good luck.

Clear for takeoff, Charlie?

Right.

Okay.

Give him the light.

All right.

That'll do it for now.

All right.

Steve, I'm reading you clear.

On a 20,000.

Airspeed 600.

She's running flying.

Sound proofing works.

This is a third-degree waver of the A.G.Y. pressure.

Got that, Charlie?

Check.

Dead center on radar, Mr. Hanson.

50,000 miles.

Cutting out at five moves.

Cutting out the fourth jet.

Now the starboard.

Off jet.

Airspeed dropping.

Opening the rocket.

Switch.

Thanks a little, Charlie.

Lock the alcohol pressure at 350.

All right.

Now I'm advancing the ignition key.

Here goes rocket one.

Steve.

Steve, you all right?

Yeah.

You might go by something with a sledgehammer.

Airspeed now at 1,200.

Here goes number two.

Hello, Steve.

Elapsed rocket time is now four minutes.

What's your altitude?

Over to you.

Speed 4,400.

Still climbing.

Altitude, 297 miles.

All right.

You're at the outer limit.

Level off for maneuver test.

You've got exactly six minutes fuel left.

Okay.

Starting a three-degree left bank.

It's a little sluggish.

It's all right now.

There's a low vibration someplace.

Maybe the cockpit has.

Now I'm straightening out.

Five minutes fuel left.

Now I'm starting a three-degree...

Hey!

What's the matter?

What's wrong?

There's something up here.

Something's shining.

What are you talking about?

There's something above me, Hank.

I'm gonna chase it.

Steve.

Steve, you're at the outer limit now.

I can see it playing now.

Steve, don't go any higher.

You've only got four minutes left.

You've only got...

It's static.

I can't hear you, Hank.

It's better ahead now.

I'm gonna make a pass at it.

Get a good look.

Hey, it's worry to meet me.

It's better ahead now.

It's better ahead.

Hello, hello, hello, Steve

Steve, come in

Nine minutes, fuel gun

Still no sign on radar

Hello, hello, Steve

Steve, what's happened?

Charlie, get out the crash squad

Tell the army squadron to alert their search planes

Right

Nine and a half minutes, God

Hello, hello, Steve

What's happened? Who the devil is he?

Charlie, call for Mr. Hanson

Come in, Steve

We need a search squadron

Come in

No, Mr. Hanson's busy

Hello

Hello, Steve

Ten minutes, Mr. Hanson

At the end of this fuel

How long has it been now?

Ten hours, Mr. Hanson

Nothing more on radar, Sergeant?

Screen's blank

Colonel Corelli called in

Search planes are back

They didn't find anything

There should be some trace

He couldn't have bailed out, could he?

He don't hit the silk at 4,400 miles an hour

He didn't pass the outer limit

Ran out of fuel

Something blew 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

I'll get it, sir

Charlie

Charlie, we've

You know, we've got to figure out what we're going to do next

We've got to figure out what we're going to do next

Something was wrong

All right, I'll tell him

Something must have blown

There's a message from Northside Hospital for Steve

What is it?

Mrs. Weston's fine

It's a boy

Thank you, Elsie

It's a boy, Charlie

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. Hanson?

Ship had to be tested

Yeah, yeah, we'll build another one

And some other flying fool will shoot me

Past the outer limit into space

Oh, I'm getting old, Charlie

You can remember when I used to take them up myself

Now I've got to send other men

It's a job, Mr. Hanson

Now I'm afraid

Every time I hear a jet go off, I jump

Every time I have to send someone up in a new model, I start to sweat

Mr. Hanson

Yeah?

I think there's something on the radar

No flights scheduled in, are there, Elsie?

We have the whole day cleared

It's coming in behind us

Sure, it comes over the building

What crazy junk 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

It's Steve

That's impossible

That's his ship

It can't be

There's no other model like that

It's Steve, all right

It's coming in

Thank God

All right, sit down, Steve

The quicker we get this done, the quicker you get over to see Mary and the baby

Hank

Elsie, give the order to check and refuel the rockets

I don't want anybody in here until I get Steve's reports

Bury any calls

All right, let's have it

Let the devil have it

Hank, does that cosmic ray bomb still go off tonight?

What are you talking about?

Straighten out, Steve

Where have you been for the last ten hours?

Listen, Hank

There's something more I'm coming for you

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 ten minutes' fuel to keep you in the air for ten hours

Now, one thing before I talk

Look, Steve

Have the Geigermen run over the ship before they refuel

What'd you run into?

So help me, Hank

I don't know

We'd better check and make sure it isn't radioactive

Elsie, add a Geiger report on the standard check

Steve, maybe we'd better have the doc look you over, too

No, no, I'll be all right

They said I'd be all right

They?

Look, son, I know you've had a tough time

But we've had...

We've had this field on the alert for ten hours

One of the army boys cracked up looking for you and he's hurt bad

So let's have the story

Let's have it straight

I don't know how to tell you

Hank

I saw something up there

A three hundred mile?

I chased something up there, Hank

And I caught it

Now, don't hand 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 straight for it

At forty-four hundred miles an hour

I thought it was going to be the biggest smash since Hiroshima

And...

I guess I was drinking that bottle

Never mind that, Steve

What happened?

I came to...

Inside their ship

Uh-huh

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

The 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 story

Yes, let's have it, Steve

You woke up inside the ship?

Yes, and, uh

The place was jammed with machinery

Dials, blinkers

I couldn't recognize it

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 that?

Yes

You mean they spoke English to you?

No, no, they didn't

It'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

How?

With our atomic explosions

Hank, that's why you've got to stop that bomb test tonight

I'll give up

Look, you've got to believe me, Hank

Oh, how can I make you understand?

Maybe I can help this to it

Would you submit to narco-psychometry?

What's that?

Under proper drugs, I can put you back in this, uh, ship

By suggestion

Then we can get a playback record of your memory pattern on the audio circuit

How long will that take?

Half an hour

We'll have to go over 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 ten

Ten

Nine

Eight

Seven

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

He's under

Now we attach the headplate electrodes

The cortical pickup

Look out for that wire, Mr. Henson

Three-oh setting

Thirty-one point three

Now throw that switch, Mr. Henson

I have to start him off by suggestion

All right, Steve

You're in your ship now

You're in the rocker

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 there

Something shiny

It's his memory pattern

We're picking it up electronically

There's something above me, Hank

I'm going to chase it

It's piped 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 swerving to meet me

It's not a pass at all

It's not a pass

No one

This is where he blacked out

There's no telling how long, minutes or hours

What's that noise?

I don't know, quiet

Where?

How did I get in here?

What?

Who are you?

Is he seeing things?

Intergalactic patrol

What's that?

What are they saying, Steve?

What are they saying?

It's about nuclear power

Nuclear fission

They know about it

They know the danger of it

Long ago they had wars that almost destroyed them

But finally they learned

Now 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

Quarantined?

They've isolated the Earth

Because we don't know how to control ourselves yet

Until we learn

We'll 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

The end?

Wait, wait

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?

Blacked out again

I guess that's all

What does all that mean?

It's what he remembers

You don't think that really happened?

No, no

Narcosychometry 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 pilots snap

Steve is the best I've known

How bad do you think he is?

Frankly, outside of the presence of this

Well-organized hallucination

There's no sign of unbalance

May not be too serious

If he had a more plausible story

I'd be inclined to believe him

Why?

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 hold your sleep down

You don't believe me

Now, take it easy, Steve

There's a test tonight

They're setting off to see our bomb

Hank, what time is it?

Eleven-twenty

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 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, Hank

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 hospital

Hank, you've got to believe me

Yeah, 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 committee

And postpone that test

Now, you know I can't do that, Steve

My neck would be out a mile

Besides, this is 1965

Not 45

Twenty countries have atomic bombs now

What's the use of stopping just this one?

The rest will keep right on

Popping them

Well, we'll have to call

An international conference

Can't you understand, 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 with us 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 kids

Sure

Look at the ship under the floodlights

Pretty, huh?

You'll be flying her again soon

Don't you worry

Yeah

I guess so

Uh

What you doing out on the line?

May, uh

Refuel her?

Yeah, we got Clausewitz coming in

Tomorrow from Denver for another test

Figured we'd give you a day off

That's good

That's fine

Steve

Steve, come back

Come on, Donald

Steve

Steve, wait

He's heading for the rocket

Look, there he goes

That crazy fool

He can't get out of here now

That covers armor glass

He's waving

Yeah, towards control

It's the radio

He means the radio

Come on

I should have gotten help

Another radio still hooked up here

Hello

Hello, Steve

Listen to me, Hank

You gotta call Washington now

Come out of that rocket, Steve

I'll call my bed

Don't try anything, Hank

They refueled the rocket for tomorrow

Take it easy, Steve

Listen, you know what'll happen

When I fire the rocket tubes down here?

Steve, don't

It'll burn out every building for five miles

All of us in one big blast

Steve, what do you want?

You've gotta stop that bomb

You gotta call Washington right now

They won't believe me

If you make that call

Or I cut in the rocket

Now, I mean it, Hank

Now, hook my screen to yours in parallel

I wanna see exactly what you're doing

All right, all right

Just don't fire those rockets

Get going, Hank

You got 12 minutes to make that call

And stop that bomb

All right, I'm making the parallel hookup right now

Donaldson, you think he'll really blast?

I don't know

Up to now, I'd almost say he was normal

But now he's liable to do anything, Hank

Steve, Steve, there

You getting it on your screen?

Yeah

Now, put that call through

All right

Operator

Visit screen to Washington

Steve, visit screen to Washington

Screen circuits are busy, sir

If you'll try again in half an hour

This is security commission priority

Break in, get me a line

Yes, sir

Just a moment, please

Ten minutes, Hank

Listen, Steve, I'm trying

Ready to take your call, sir

Washington, security 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?

Eleven fifty-one

Do you think he'll fire those rockets?

He might

Washington

Visit screen three

Mr. Herbert Ames, please

That is a coded exchange

I cannot accept your call without clearance

Get it through

Hang

Listen, Washington, put it through

This is Mr. Hanson 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

And it bonkers off at twelve

Will you be reasonable, Steve?

Your call has cleared, San Marco

Washington, visit screen three

Herbert Ames, please

Security commission, Ames

Listen, Ames

Hello, Ames

Ames, you've got to get me to the chief

Are you kidding?

He's at the test control room

Yes, I know, but get him for me

What's up?

You look lousy

Or is it a bad circuit?

There's no time

I've got to get him before the test

It's about the CR bomb

I can't take that responsibility

Get that through, Hank

Right away

What's going on there?

Ames, my project has a high enough rating

This is a priority A call

What?

Okay, it's your neck

I'll try to get him for you

He's in the control room

So you'll have to switch off your screen and speaker

And go on earphones

Too much going on in there

Security ruling

You hear that, Steve?

I've got to cut the incoming screen

All right, but don't try anything

Eight minutes, Hank

Hello

What?

You got him, Hank?

Yes

This is Hanson 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

Until you see them

Look, I've worked on contracts for the commission for ten years

Yes, yes

I have complete confidence in my information

You can record that

All right, I'll call you back immediately

Bye

Hank?

He's agreed to cancel, Steve

The bomb won't go off

All right, boy

You can come down out of that ship

He's opening up

Here he comes

All right, Steve

Come on down

Sure, Hank

Just a second

Hank

I was scared

I was plain scared

Easy now, it's all over

The bomb won't go off

Thank God

Look, I want to see Mary and the baby

I want to see Mary and the baby

Can you get me transportation now?

Wait a minute, it's almost twelve

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

Give you a good night's sleep

All right, roll up your sleeve

Yeah, here

There, that'll make you sleep

The sergeant will find you a bed

Yes, sir

Come on, Mr. Weston

Okay

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 all to Kingdom Come

Yeah

Quite a stunt, getting the Ray-Ban test called off

It isn't called off

But the chief said

James couldn't get the chief

I was talking to a dead circuit

The bomb goes off in a couple of minutes

Oh

Poor Steve

He was one of the best

He was the best

One in ten million

Some story of his, poor guy

For a while he almost had me believing that quarantine

That's a very common delusion

End of the world

Yeah

I suppose so

Ah, it's a nice night

Never saw the stars so bright

We'd better be getting in

That wind is cold

The 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 ten hours

With only ten minutes' fuel?

The End

You have just heard another adventure in time, space, and the unknown world of the future

The world of

Dementia

Next week, a star of the future appearing on the program of the future, Dimension X.

Next week, Miss Nancy Olsen, the talented young actress whose performance in Sunset Boulevard

marks her as one of Hollywood's most promising young actresses,

becomes the first of a group of rising young artists of stage and screen

who have been invited to make an appearance in this series.

So listen then for Hello Tomorrow, starring Nancy Olsen on Dimension X.

Tonight, Dimension X has transcribed The Outer Limits,

written by Graham Dorr and adapted for radio by Ernest Canoy.

Featured in the cast were Wendell Holmes as Hanson,

Joseph Julian as Steve, and Joe DeSantis as Donaldson.

Your host was Norman Rose.

Music by Albert Berman, engineer Bill Chambers.

Dimension X is produced by Van Woodward and directed by Edward King.

The Outer Limits is a production of the U.S. Embassy in the United States of America.