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Relic Radio Sci-Fi (old time radio)
No Contact by The Chase
This week’s Relic Radio Science Fiction features an episode from The Chase. From December 28, 1952, here’s their story, No Contact. Listen to more from The Chase https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/e55e1c7a-e213-4a20-8701-21862bdf1f8a/SciFi918.mp3 Download SciFi918 | Subscribe | Spotify | Support Relic Radio Science Fiction Your support makes this show possible. If you’d like to help, visit donate.relicradio.com for more information. Thank you.
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Relic radio. This is relic radio. Sci fi old time radio science fiction stories from relicradio.com. The National Broadcasting Company invites you by transcription to join the chase. There is always the hunter and the hunted, the pursuer and the pursued. It may be the voice of authority or a race with death and destruction, the most relentless of the hunters. There are times when laughter is hurt as counterpoint and moments when sheer terror is the theme. But always there is the chase. No chase is more urgent than the one man has pursued relentlessly since the beginning of time. The chase to uncover the secrets of outer space. It goes on now. It will continue in the future. The National Broadcasting Company brings you George Leffert's famous story, no Contact. It was in the year of 1982 that advanced pilots of the U.S. air Force, trying to reach the planet Volta, first discovered the Great Galactic Barrier. Five exploratory ships went out and none came back, each in turn disappearing mysteriously at the same vanishing point. It was on June 2, 1987, that the rocket star cloud made ready for takeoff. Now hear this. Condition Green. Two minutes till blast off. Now hear this. Condition Green. Two minutes till blast off. Well, Lewis, this is it. I don't suppose you'll be needing the ship's doctor up here on the bridge during blast off. I think not, Smitty. There's little chance of acceleration bends in these new overdrive ships. I'll be in my office counting vitamin pills if you need me. Only a few steps. Good luck, Lewis. Thank you, Smitty. Lieutenant Collier. Yes, sir? You're relieved. You better get down to navigation control and take over. Yes, sir. Lieutenant. Yes, sir? We've never flown together before. This is your first flight in a space vessel as big as a star cloud, isn't it? Yes, sir, but I was trained in oversized jobs at the Naval Academy. Well, if you're half as good a navigator as your father was, you'll do fine. Did you ship out with my father, sir? I served under him on one of the first rocket runs to the moon. We flew that trip in a tin can, not much bigger than the first guided missile. Yes, I know, sir. I almost went along on his last trip to the Barrier. Too bad about that. Yes, sir. That's all, Collier. Buzz me when you get down to nav control. Lieutenant Pollison, this is Captain Thorson. Get me the ground control tower on the field. I want to talk to Colonel Harrison. Yes, sir. I'll patch in your bridge speaker. Go ahead, sir. Colonel Harrison. Yes, Captain. We're standing by for takeoff in 30 seconds. Good. The field is clear of all personnel. We're trying to re establish radio contact immediately after takeoff. In any event, there'll be a 24 hour ground monitor. Fine. And good luck. Hope you make it. Thank you. Bridge to navigation control. Nav control. Collier. Ready, Lieutenant? We're ready, Captain. The course is in the integrator for takeoff at 1200 hours. All right. Standby for blast off. Bridge to engine room. Fire up your rocket chambers. Take off at exactly 1200 hours. I'll read you off. 20 seconds. 19, 18, 17. Signal condition red. Call it. Revoke all orders. Who turned in that alarm? Uncovered a stowaway, sir. Stowaway? Where? Hiding in sick bay. Dr. Smithson found him. Have him brought up to the bridge. Engine room. Kill your rockets and standby. Dawson, this is Colonel Harrison, the ground control. What's holding you up? Trouble. What's the matter with you? What's the matter with you? There's a stowaway aboard. Yes. I thought your men were supposed to police this base. What's the matter with everybody? Captain, take it easy. You know what this delay can do to us, don't you? One minute later. Takeoff control is a million miles off course. We'll have to reintegrate the whole works. Well, look, how long do you think it'll. Don't bother me for a while. I'm busy. Stupid idiot. Captain Bossman. Come in, Smitty. Here's your stowaway. I'll court martial it. Charlie, can you use a good radio man? Skipper. I see you two have met. Met? The skipper and me made 50 trips to the moon together, didn't we, Captain? Charlie, if you wanted to come along, why didn't you volunteer? I did, skipper. Now they turned me down. What's wrong with it? Acceleration bends. They said my arteries wouldn't stand another trip. Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, but they're wrong. Listen, Captain, I got one more good trip in me. You know, these green kids don't know the first thing about space radio operations. You put a man like me on and I'll be getting your bedtime stories marked. Charlie, you know the regulations as well as I do. I can't take you, much as I'd like to. Colonel Harrison will murder me for this. I'll talk to him by radio once we're underway and fix things up. Yeah, you won't take me, eh, Skipper? I'm sorry, Charlie. I'll have to put your ground. Tell you what, I'll ask Harrison to put you on his ground. Radio contact. It'll Seem as if you're right here with us. He won't do it, sir. He'd better. I'll have him busted to corporal for letting you sneak aboard. You better be off, Charlie. Pollison. Yes, sir. I'm sending this man aground. Give him time to clear the launching platform. Yes, sir. Along, Charlie. I'm sorry. Good luck, Skipper. I thought you were going to have him drawn and quartered. If it had been anyone else, I would have Smitty. But Charlie, well, he's kind of special. He's been with me since my first command, and we began the regular run to the moon. And if he wanted to come along this time, well, it's only true loyalty to me. You know, Lord Si. I didn't realize it before, but you're almost human. All right, Doc. All right. Navigation, Lieutenant Collier, are you there? Nav control. Collier. Lieutenant, how badly are we fouled up? Can you recalculate the course or shall I cancel the takeoff? I've already plotted a new course on the integrator, sir. If we take off in exactly two minutes, we'll need to correct for only one degree deflection. I can do that before we reach the stratosphere. Well, that's quick work. Are you sure? Positive, sir. All right, Kaya, I'm putting it in your hands. We'll blast off on your signal. Louis, isn't that a lot of responsibility for a young green officer? Yes, but if he can't do his job, I'd rather find out now than at the galactic barrier. Bridge to engine room. Prepare to blast off on navigator signal. How we doing, Collier? Coming on the bearing, sir. 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. We've intersected the course vector. Good work, Collier. The course is corrected, sir. Ready to go into atomic overdrive anytime you say. All right, stand by. Now hear this. Now hear this. Prepare for maximum acceleration. Bridge to engine room. Kill your rockets. Rockets out. Fire up number one. Cyclotron number one ready. Fire up number two. Number two ready. Withdraw your dampening rods. Fission chamber ready. Blast tubes cleared. All generators operating at capacity. Right. Go into overdrive on count of zero. Four seconds, Captain. Four, three, three, two, two, one. One, zero, zero. How are we doing, Collier? On course, sir. She's running hot and true. My compliments, Lieutenant. This job would have done your father credit. And he was the best navigation officer I ever saw. Thank you, sir. Sergeant Gyros and put her on robot control. Right. All right. The bridge is yours, Mr. Collier. If you need me, I'll be in Dr. Smithson's office. Yes, Sir. Well, Lewis, I see you got us off the ground. You can thank young Collier for that. Chip off the old block. You knew his father? As a matter of fact, I know him very well. First rate spaceman. Is he the one? Yes. Yes. He was lost in the galactic barrier on the second ship we sent out to Volta. Lewis, just what do you think this galactic barrier is? Hey, your guess is good as mine, Doc. All I know is that five ships have gone into it and none of them have come back out. How about Mistrovic's theory? That it's a time warp in space, that the ships reach in and slip into another dimension? Rubbish. My theory is that the galactic barrier is nothing more than a radioactive layer of some kind. What makes you say that? We know that radar signals bounce off it like they were hitting an invisible glass wall. And we know that it destroys our ships and crews in some way. There's no other logical explanation. What makes you think we can get through it, Louis? Because we're ready for it and the others weren't. The entire hall is completely shielded with lead. We can crack through any radioactive cloud ever detected. Besides, we're equipped with some new UHF radio devices. That should enable us to maintain radio contact with Earth. Nothing can happen. Absolutely nothing. Who are you trying to convince? Myself, I suppose. Then why are we going? We haven't any choice, Mitty. We're in a race. The kind of race where men and ships are expendable. According to the interspace code, the first nation to reach Volta can claim it. Well, at least it won't be boring. I'll have to play physician, morale builder and mother substitute for 112 slightly nervous men. Your morale doesn't sound too good Document. As morale officer, I can state without fear of contradiction, it is terrible. And something tells me, as we approach that galactic barrier, I'm not gonna be alone. Hello, Earth. Hello, Earth. Captain Thorson of the Star Cloud calling Earth. Star Cloud to Earth. Can you read me? Hello, Star Cloud. Hi, Captain. Charlie. Well, I see they haven't court martialed you yet. No, sir. Thanks to you. Well, it's good to hear you. You can read us the funny papers on Sunday morning. How's our signal? Strong. There's the bell. Here's our log report for Colonel Harrison. June 2, 1987. Four weeks out from Earth. Running true. No radiation, Operation normal. Still making our approach to the galactic barrier. That's all, Charlie. See you later. Good luck, Captain. I sure wish I was with you. How's the morale, Smitty? Well, the men know we're getting closer to the barrier. They're beginning to show a little tension. Louis, how's their physical condition? Any sickness? About half the crew has come down with space blues. I was afraid of that. They bad? Same as usual. Lips and hands with a bluish cast. Eyes are sensitive to infrareds. I don't know. When I first started flying these tin cans, nobody ever heard of space blues. Well, there's a new theory. It's caused by the terrific acceleration of these atomic overdrive ships. The change in gravity affects the circulation. What do you think? I think it's psychosomatic. I've noticed that the same men who get space blues under tension on a ship tend to get blue coloration back on Earth when they're upset. I guess it's an occupational disease of space navigators. You think it's just nerves, then young Collier's got a bad case. Yes, I think it's tension from overwork. Maybe he needs some vitamins. Lewis, when will you realize that vitamins are not a panacea for all the troubles of mankind? Sir, I understand you relieved me from duty. Dr. Smithson says you aren't looking very well, Collier. I'm giving you a rest. I feel perfectly able to continue, sir. Your lips are as blue as Minnetonka. Captain, I'd like to remain at my post. Don't be foolhardy, Lieutenant. I'm not being foolhardy, sir. Don't you understand? I. I have a special personal reason for wanting this expedition to reach Volta. Your father? Yes, sir. You think he might still be alive? I have to find out what happened, sir. I think I understand. Very well, Collier, report back to duty. What's the reading, Pollison? We're getting a plus five radar bounce now. Coming off the barrier almost as fast as we can send it out. What's the interval? 3/10 of a second. Shortening steadily. This rate will hit the wall in the next few minutes. All right. Alert the crew. Sound general quarters. Now hear this. Condition Red. We are now approaching the galactic barrier. All hands to stations. All radiation detectors to be fully manned. Full security will prevail until further notice. That is Allison. Hi. Sir, the radar bounce is up to plus six. We'd better try to make final contact with Earth. Is Spark still trying to raise the base? Yes, sir, but he's not having much luck. There seems to be some interference that he can't. There's a radio room now. Yes. You've got him. We'll cut in on the bridge Speaker. The captain will take it from here. I'll cut out the beeper speaker. We got him. Hello, Star cloud to Earth. Can you hear me? Earth? Hello, Skipper, I can barely read you. We're getting heavy static from sunspots. That's not sunspots. We're right on top of the galactic barrier. Getting a plus six. No, no, no plus seven. Radar bounce. Expect to hit the barrier almost any second now. Look, Charlie, stick with us, will you? We're switching to the automatic sender now so you can track us in. Okay, if we crack the barrier and come through still in one piece, I'll try to get back to you on the high frequency band. Gotcha, Skipper. Don't worry. I'll be waitin'. So long, Charlie. Turn on the beeper speaker. We must be getting awfully close now, Captain. Echo's bouncing back so fast, it's almost beating the signal. When they coincide. Hold on to your hat. That's when we run into the wall. Any second. Hold on. Here goes nothing. Here it comes, Captain. Nothing happened. We. We made it. We made it, Captain. No radiation, no time warp. No nothing. We made it. Crew's gone crazy, sir. Let em. They earned it. Say, Doc, can you break out a few bottles of snake bite serum for medicinal purposes? I sure can. Lord, this calls for a celebration. How's your morale? Loud. Couldn't be better. How's yours? Couldn't be better. Condition red. Condition red. Radiation detected. Condition red. Radiation detected. Holy mackerel. Look. Look at the needle. I see it, Captain. We're picking up radiation like crazy. What's it like? It's a strong impulse. What kind? I don't know. It's too long for a cosmic ray. Too short for uhf. Ship is lousy with it. Man battle stations. Track it down. Triangulate it. Make it fast. I want a directional fix. Engine room. Yes, sir. We're picking up radioactivity. Is it the fishing chambers? No leak here, sir. Check your gauges. Nothing here, Captain. Must be coming from outside. Damage control. Yes, sir. Is our lead shield leaking radiation? Haven't found anything yet, sir. Keep at it. Paulson. How you doing? I've got a fix, Captain. What is it? Well, I'll have to recheck my figures. Hurry up. The angle is correct. Come on, man. For Pete's sake, where's the radiation coming from? It's coming from inside the ship. Well, that's impossible. No, sir. I've checked it twice. It's got to be the engines. If it is, we're finished. Engine room. Engine room. Yes, sir. That radiation must be in the Overdrive pile? No, sir. It isn't here, sir. Are you certain? Yes, sir. All right, keep checking. Well, there's only one thing left to do. Paulison, get a Geiger counter. We're going to start combing the ship inch by inch. Yes, sir. Turn it on. Yes, sir. All right. Ready, Captain. We'll check the atomic guns first. Come on. We'll cut through the officer's quarters to ordinance through here. Wait a minute, sir. What is it? The signal's slower here. Yeah. Let's go back. Hold. It seems faster right about here. That doesn't make sense. Whose cabin is this? Lieutenant Conyers. Conyer? Oh, he's down in nav control, sir. Try the door. It's not locked, sir. It's in here, all right. Listen to that counter. It's fastest over here. Shut off that Geiger counter. Yes, sir. Open that wall cabinet. It's locked. Smash it. What do you make of this, Paulson? It looks like some sort of portable transmitter, sir. Must be foreign manufacture. I don't recognize the calibration symbols at all. I've never seen anything like it. Which raises a small question. What is Lieutenant Collier doing with a transmitter in his cabin? I don't know, sir. Well, I intend to find out. Paulison, get down to Nav control and bring Collier up to the bridge on the double. Wouldn't we better find some way to shut this thing off first? I know a weight. Lieutenant Collier, I'm going to ask a few simple questions, and I want a few simple answers. Yes, sir. What were you doing with the transmitter in your cabin? Transmitter, Captain, you know nothing about it. No, sir, I don't. Do you recognize these calibration symbols? No, sir. Can you think of how it might have been placed in your cabin without your knowing it? Mo Sir? Unless someone came in while I was on duty, would that have been possible? I suppose so, if someone had a key. I found your cabin door unlocked. Well, I'm at a key to the wall cab. I didn't say the wall cabinet. Well? Well, sir, I, I. You what? Lieutenant? How could you have known it was in the wall cabinet? Well, sir, I, I just. Collier, I find it hard to believe you would lie. Having known and respected your father and having observed the way you handle your job. However, I intend to get to the root of this thing. May I have your wristwatch, Lieutenant? Sir? Your wristwatch. Yes, sir. Wallacen, turn on that Geiger counter. Yes, sir. Hold this watch next to it. Yes, sir. That's all, Lieutenant. If you hadn't any close contact with that transmitter. How do you explain the radioactivity of this watch? I. I don't, sir. Well, I think you'd better. To whom are you sending those signals? Condition Red. Condition Red. There's your answer, Captain. What is this, Collier? Alien spaceship approaching. Alien spaceship approaching. Sound battle stations. Kaya, who's aboard that ship? All right, now, talk. Very well, Captain. My mission seems completed. Your mission? Are you admitting that you're an agent of a foreign power? I am stating it. What nation? No nation, Captain. What? I am an agent of the Voltan government. What? The government of the planet of Volta. You're crazy. Are you so stupid that you think that your people are the only ones who can invade another planet? What do you mean? We have had agents operating on Earth since 1955. I don't believe you. What do you think happened to those five ships, Captain? Where do you suppose we got our information? Your language, your culture, family background? What's your appearance? You look like. Like Commander Collier. Is that so surprising, Captain? We had a living model. I ought to kill you. That would be very foolish, Captain. I would advise you to surrender without delay. Alien ship now coming into ordnance range. I'll deal with you later. Kier P. Yes, sir? Put this man in irons. Take him away. Don't worry, sir. We'll take good care of him. Carpenter. Rob. Take your hands off me. What's the range? 10,000m. They're closing fast. Put your guns on radar. Tracking. Tracking. Coming on the bearing. Fire. Fire. Richardson, did you hear me? Fire. What's the matter down there? Did you hear me? Richardson, Answer me. Collier, how did you get loose? Where's Paulison? Lieutenant Paulison is dead. All stations. Lieutenant Collier has escaped. Seize him. Don't waste your breath, Captain. Your men can't hear you. What? Those still alive are my men. You're lying. No, Captain. Every ship that has ever left Earth was controlled by a Voltan crew. Commoner, Robinson. Haley, report. Commodore. Robertson. Haley, report. You see, Captain, it is quite useless. I am in command now. Very well, Collier. Of course, there's one thing you hadn't reckoned on. And what is that, Captain? This. Carpenter, Are you in there? Lieutenant? Carpenter. Carpenter. They can't all be dead. There must be one alive. Smitty. Dr. Smithson. Smitty. Smitty. What have they done to you? Lois? I was dirty. Don't talk. I must. Not much time, Louis. Space blues. Space blues. What is it, Smitty? What are you trying to tell me? All men with space blues. Voltent. Let me help you. SP no. Who's getting message back to Earth. Volt and Fifth Column. Watch out for Space Blue. Smitty. Smitty. Captain Thorson. Captain Thorson. You can't hide from us now. Come back to the bridge and surrender or my men will come and get you. Hello? Hello? Star Cloud calling Earth. Please, God, let me get through before it's too late. Hello? Star Cloud to Earth. Come in, please. Come in, please. Hello? Hello? Star Cloud to Earth. Captain Thorson calling Charlie. Come in, please. Hurry. Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Charlie? Skipper, is that you? Are you getting my signal? It's coming in a little louder now, Skip. Keep sending. Thank God. Charlie, now listen to me. Not much time. Get word to Colonel Harrison. Crew mutinied. Most of crew members. Volton. What? They're Voltans. Spell that. B, O, L. Voltan. That's right. They're from the planet Volta. Kipper, are you all right? Charlie, this is serious. They'll be here any second. Now listen. They have a fifth column on Earth. They're planning to invade you. You mean that? Of course I mean it. Tell Harrison posing as humans, you can detect them by space blues. You got that? Only bolt ons. Get Space Blue, Charlie. Did you hear me? Space Blue. I get you. They're breaking in. Charlie. I'm depending on you. Warn everybody. Captain, they've opened the door. Shut up, Charlie. Tell Harrison. Captain. Captain Thorson. Hello? Hello? Star Cloud. Come in. What's the trouble, Sergeant? I. We're just trying to raise the star cloud, Colonel. Had any luck? No, sir. No contact. No contact? No, sir. Nearly an hour since they hit the galactic barrier. I don't understand why they haven't tried to get a message back. No, sir. Neither do I. All right, Charlie. I'll take over for a while. Oh, yes, you do that, sir. It's. It's all yours. Right. Hey, Charlie, you better go out and get yourself some coffee. You look a little blue around the gills. In the animal world, there is the hunter and the hunted. Hound and fox, hawk and sparrow, Cat and mouse. We in the topmost species have also joined the hunt. But who is to judge precisely which of us are hounds or foxes as we enter the chase? The Chase was created and written for the National Broadcasting Company by Lawrence Clee. Today's script was written by George Leopards. Featured in the cast were George Petrie, Bill Smith, Donald Buer, Bill Griffiths, Matt Crowley and Cameron Prudam. The Chase is directed and transcribed by Fred Way. Fred Collins speaking. Next week, a wealthy widow is pursued by an unscrupulous heel with a taste for arson in the ch. Tonight, it's Adventure with Counterspy Dragnet and Barry Craig on NBC. That's the show for this week, but don't forget, there are thousands more like it at relicradio.com horror, strange tales, science fiction, crime, all available for free like donate to Relic Radio and help keep it all free. You can do that through the website as well. Visit donate. Relicradio.com to find out more and to see the special downloadable sets that are available. My thanks to those who have donated and thanks for listening today. Talk to you again next week.