Relic Radio Sci-Fi – "Out Of Sight" (CBS Radio Mystery Theater)

Date: December 30, 2025
Host: RelicRadio.com
Starring: Julia Mead, Sidney Walker, Ira Lewis, Jack Grimes

Episode Overview

"Out Of Sight" revisits the golden age of radio sci-fi with a tense, psychological tale: the ill-fated flight of Diana 1, starring America’s first woman astronaut. What begins as a mission to Skylab quickly spirals into a surreal nightmare as three astronauts are abducted into the cosmic unknown and forced to confront both alien captors and each other’s darkest fears.

Key Discussion Points & Episode Breakdown

1. Setup: The Doomed Launch

• [00:25] Host E.G. Marshall sets the tone of foreboding. Diana 1’s countdown is delayed due to computer trouble — another in a long series of ominous technical scrubs.
• There’s particular focus on Teresa (“Terry”) Webber, the first American woman astronaut, and her uneasy feeling about the flight:

  “Maybe today was an omen. Maybe I should cut out right now. I've got the strongest hunch this flight is jinxed and I'm the jinx.” (Terry, [04:34])

• Others try to reassure her, blending camaraderie and pressure. A sense of destiny and self-doubt pervades.
• When the mission is suddenly cleared for launch again, Terry steels herself, torn between fear and duty.

2. Lift-Off and Early Space Troubles

• [07:56] The crew — Gordon (commander and Terry’s husband), Luke (co-pilot), and Terry (physician) — enter orbit for what’s supposed to be a routine "milk run":

  “Let's check out the inertial guidance and the boosters again.” (Gordon, [08:34])

• The tension escalates when all communication with ground control suddenly ceases after strange interference.

  “Wouldn't it be awful if we did lose touch completely with Earth?” (Terry foreshadowing, [12:41]) “I can't raise a thing, Skipper... Everything's dead. Every frequency.” (Luke, [14:03])

• The astronauts try to keep calm but are increasingly aware they are "on their own."

3. Encounter with the Unknown

• Attempting manual docking with Skylab, the crew loses control; it feels as if the craft is being manipulated externally.

  “Someone else brought it into lock, not me.” (Gordon, [19:51])

• Suddenly, a disembodied voice introduces itself:

  “How do you do? I am Drakon. I have been waiting for you.” ([20:24])

• Drakon and the unseen presence are revealed as alien observers from Centauri 7. The astronauts are told that, as “specimens,” they will be studied and are essentially prisoners—guinea pigs for alien research.

  “We have selected you as... what is the word you use? Guinea pigs.” (Drakon, [24:43])

4. Alien Experimentation: Psychological and Physical Ordeals

• The trio is placed in a locked, Earth-like suite—no way out, no windows, only vents.
• The aliens test them first with heat and then cold, forcing the astronauts to improvise:

  “Where's that ever loving heat coming from?” (Luke, [27:04]) “This is Operation Cold Freeze.” (Gordon, [28:35])

• Terry, the doctor, recognizes their status:

  “We're guinea pigs. And as a laboratory animal... they're expendable.” (Terry, [28:13])

• They try to break out, using teamwork and intelligence, but their efforts only highlight their captivity.

5. Turning on Each Other: Alien Manipulation

• In a chilling test of psychological limits, the aliens provoke violence between the crew, specifically a confrontation between Luke and Gordon over Terry.
• The segment is tense and raw, with Luke trying to force himself on Terry, only to be interrupted and shamed back by her call for unity and recognition of the experiment:

  “Don't you see? This is just another test... They want to see how far they can provoke us, how much we can stand. They're the ones we have to fight. They're the ones we can't let win.” (Terry, [36:15])

• The humans regain composure, demonstrating self-sacrifice and cooperation instead of succumbing to base instincts.

6. Escape Attempt and Return to Reality

• Facing cyanide gas as the next lethal test, the astronauts try a desperate escape through an air duct, only to end up—cyclically—back where they started:

  “All that for nothing. Right back where we started.” (Luke, [42:10])

• The aliens, having finished their “external examination,” prepare for more invasive study. Terry and Gordon refuse to help, pledging their commitment to each other and to Luke:

  “I love you. And we both love you, Luke. One for all and all for one. I guess we bought it for good this time.” (Terry, Gordon, [43:27]-[43:34])

7. Restoration and Cosmic Judgment

• Abruptly, communication with Earth resumes as if nothing happened; only a few seconds have lapsed for those on the ground:

  “Funny thing. I had a local notion we all did down here. That we lost you for a couple of seconds. Not as far as I know.” (Capcom and crew, [43:44])

• The story closes with the aliens deliberating, ultimately judging the human species worthy of “one final chance”—a thousand-year reprieve—because of the astronauts’ capacity for self-sacrifice and love:

  “There is some hope for them then. We might allow them another millennium to better themselves.” (Ancient One and Drakon, [44:55])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Terry’s Premonition:

  "Maybe today was an omen... I should cut out right now. I've got the strongest hunch this flight is jinxed and I'm the jinx." (Terry, [04:34])

• First Contact, Alien Style:

  "My dear Earthling, I am not hiding. I ain't seen you yet. Nor will you. I am not made like you. Nor are you civilized enough to be able to imagine me." (Drakon, [20:25])

• Human Resilience, Even in Despair:

  "I love you. And we both love you, Luke. One for all and all for one. I guess we bought it for good this time." (Terry & Gordon, [43:27]-[43:34])

• Cosmic Judgment:

  “Observing them close at hand, particularly the female one, I have seen a capability for self-sacrifice and love. There is some hope for them then. We might allow them another millennium to better themselves.” (Drakon & Ancient One, [44:55])

• Twist Ending:

  "Can the eye of an earthling see a bullet? Can it follow the speed of light? They will not remember." (Drakon, [44:55])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Mission Scrubbed and Doubt: [00:25] – [04:51]
• Restored Countdown, Liftoff: [07:15] – [08:37]
• Loss of Contact with Earth: [12:14] – [14:38]
• Docking, Alien Interference Begins: [18:48] – [20:24]
• Drakon’s Arrival and Specimen Status: [20:24] – [24:43]
• Environmental Experiments (Heat/Cold): [26:31] – [28:33]
• Psychological Test (Luke’s Breakdown): [34:10] – [36:43]
• Cyanide Gas and Escape Attempt: [37:06] – [42:16]
• Return, Earth Unaware: [43:44] – [44:41]
• Alien Deliberation, Final Chance: [44:41] – [44:55]

Tone and Style

The episode mixes claustrophobic dread, psychological complexity, brief humor, and classic “stranger in a strange land” motifs, all within the stately, ominous narration of E.G. Marshall. Interpersonal tension among the astronauts is as much a threat as any outer space danger, and the story leans into the existential horror of both human frailty and cosmic insignificance.

For New Listeners

"Out Of Sight" is a must-listen if you enjoy classic, cerebral sci-fi with a Twilight Zone touch. It explores fears—both external and internal—while offering a faint glimmer of hope in the tested but resilient human spirit. The originality and starkness of the audio storytelling make this not only an engaging sci-fi yarn but also an interesting commentary on humanity’s place in the universe.