Harold’s Old Time Radio – Exploring Tomorrow: Desert Object (The Alien)

Air Date: November 3, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode Overview

This episode of Exploring Tomorrow—titled “Desert Object (The Alien)”—dives into classic sci-fi territory. The story centers on a small desert town disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious alien object, raising questions about human nature, communication, and the dangers of assumptions. The episode probes how humans interpret the unknown, often through the lens of their own desires, fears, and ambitions.

Key Discussion Points and Story Highlights

1. Opening Reflection on Alien Communication

• [00:03] The narrator sets the theme, questioning how humans would engage an alien intelligence without shared symbols or subliminal cues.
  • “But we have no system of signs and no code of communication with the alien. How could we tell what the alien was thinking?” — Narrator [00:07]

2. Small-Town Life Interrupted

• [01:22]–[02:38] We’re introduced to Kathy, Abby, Rob, and the mundane yet tight-knit life of Tooth Spring, a wide spot in the desert with big dreams but limited means.
• A shooting star—a possible meteor—sparks excitement.
  • “Lots of shooting stars out tonight and here we sit looking at them...” – Abby [02:09]

3. Discovery of the Alien Object

• [03:29]–[04:47] Kathy and Rob retrieve the object, initially thinking it might be a meteorite or even a beach ball, but quickly realize it’s alive—a mysterious, rubbery entity with a mouth-like feature.
  • “That hole there. Like a mouth. It looks like it’s breathing.” – Kathy [04:32]
  • The alien utters its first words: “Nago. Nago.” – Nago [04:50]

4. Human Reactions: Greed, Hope, and Opportunity

• [04:57]–[06:02] Rob is instantly consumed by the potential for fame and fortune, wanting to keep the alien secret for their benefit, while Abby is more cautious—raising the question of their obligations.
  • “We can get rich off this if we don’t throw it away like dumb fools.” – Rob [04:59]
  • “We’re going to be rich, girl. We’re going to be rich.” – Rob [06:02]

5. Subtle Influence of the Alien

• [06:23]–[08:51] The alien’s effect on people grows apparent. Rob, buoyed by newfound confidence, gets a loan he’d never dared to pursue before.
  • “It was finding that thing in the back bedroom there that did it. It was like a sign. I felt like a new man.” – Rob [07:40]
• Family members wonder about how to care for or “feed” the alien, though its needs remain mysterious.

6. Rob and Kathy’s Late-Night Encounter With Nago

• [09:23]–[11:19] Rob seeks out the alien, driven by an almost magical hope that Nago, as Kathy dubs it, can fulfill dreams of success. Both Rob and Abby are increasingly under the alien’s sway.
  • “When I’ve got it around, I feel I know how to do it... with it, I’m sure.” – Rob [10:47]

7. Kathy’s Resistance—A Battle of Wills

• [11:31]–[12:44] In a pivotal moment, Kathy confronts Nago’s power as it tries to manipulate her self-image and desires.
  • “You can make me feel it, but you can’t make me believe it. Never. Never. There. You see? I won.” – Kathy [11:41]
• Seeing how the alien exploits what people want, Kathy takes evasive action to protect her family by hiding Nago in the desert.

8. Understanding Nago—The Alien’s True Nature

• [13:07]–[16:24] Away from the others, Kathy presses Nago for answers, beginning to realize its actions stem from desperation and maternal instinct, not malice.
  • “Tell me what you were after... What did you want from us? What?” – Kathy [14:38]
  • The revelation: Nago is a mother, trying only to get back to her own child.
  • “We forgot anyone could think of anybody but themselves. She’s a mother, Rob. And of course she’d do anything, promise anything to get back home to her child.” – Kathy [16:33]

9. Closing Reflection on Assumptions and Humanity

• [17:17] The narrator leaves listeners with a meditation on preconceptions, and the dangers of misjudging the unknown.
  • “Trouble with aliens is you tend to start with a preconception... But preconceptions aren’t always right. This time they weren’t.” — Narrator [17:17]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Human Cues and Alien Mystery:
  “How do you know when someone’s angry? Look at him. How do you know when someone’s hurt? He doesn’t say so, but there’s some clue you get. Suppose you were trying to communicate with someone who couldn’t speak but did all their communicating by the subliminal sign.” — Narrator [00:03]
• On Greed and Opportunity:
  “We can get rich off this if we don’t throw it away like dumb fools.” — Rob [04:59]
• On Facing False Promises:
  “You can make me feel it, but you can’t make me believe it. Never. Never. There. You see? I won.” — Kathy [11:41]
• The Revelation:
  “She’s a mother, Rob. And of course she’d do anything, promise anything to get back home to her child.”—Kathy [16:33]
• Final Reflection:
  “Is it a warrior?... Or perhaps a lost child? Or a mother who’s missed a turn and trying to get home to baby? We start with a preconception. But preconceptions aren’t always right.” — Narrator [17:17]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening Reflection on Alien Communication: [00:03]
• Meteor falls and object discovered: [03:29–04:47]
• First contact: Nago speaks: [04:50]
• Rob’s rising ambition and business plans: [06:23–08:51]
• The late-night confrontation with the alien in the storeroom: [09:23–11:19]
• Kathy’s resistance to Nago’s influence: [11:31–12:44]
• Kathy tries to understand Nago: [13:07–16:24]
• Final narration and reflection: [17:17]

Episode Tone and Style

The tone is a blend of classic sci-fi suspense and small-town drama, maintaining a sense of wonder and caution reminiscent of midcentury radio storytelling. Characters speak plainly, their dreams and doubts laid bare against the vast desert backdrop. The arrival of the alien is less about spectacle, and more about how human hopes and fears are thrown into sharp relief by the unknown.

Takeaway

This episode challenges the audience to face the unknown not with fear or grasping ambition but with empathy and humility. Ultimately, “Desert Object (The Alien)” suggests that what is truly alien may simply be misunderstood—and that sometimes, even strangers from across the stars just want to go home.