The Planet Man! The Planet Man! The Planet Man! This is the fascinating story of Dan Troll, the Planet Man. Troubleshooter for the League of Planets organization. The law enforcement body for peace and justice in the celestial world. Whose headquarters and center of operations are situated on the capital of all the planets, Planaria Rex. From Mercury to Pluto, wherever danger threatens the universe, you will find Dan Troll, the Planet Man, fighting for fair play. In a moment, the Planet Man. The Planet Man! You will remember that Billy and Jane had just tricked the two space pirates Blacky and Slick. Knocked them out with an anesthetic gas and regained control of the planetarium. Planet Man and Pat, marooned on the asteroid by the pirates, were saved at the last minute by a prospector who took them aboard his battered old ship. Pat has just been revived by Dan Troll. Pat, this gentleman is one of the prospectors I was telling you about. Of course I'm a prospector. Who'd you think I was, Judge Augustus? Ain't nobody else crazy enough to wander around out here except you two. My name's Rox. What's yours? I'm Dan Troll, Special Agent of the League of Planets, and this is Miss Darrow from Earth. Earth? Ain't heard nothing about them coming into the League of Planets. They must be texting ahead from that oxygen I give you. No, there's been a lot happening. Miss Darrow was on the first rocket to successfully break away from Earth. Don't you get the news over your cosmic contactor? Contactor ain't working. Hasn't worked in years. Ain't nothing worth hearing on the thing anyway. No contactor? Well, how can you get along out here in space all by yourself without a contactor? What would you do in an emergency? Same thing as I always do. Work it out. You don't live long here unless you learn how to take care of yourself. Well, you'll have to take us to the closest League Patrol headquarters at once, then. Don't tell me what to do. This is my ship and I don't take orders from nobody. But you don't understand. The lives of two children are at stake. We've got to get to a League headquarters before it's too late. Don't care what's at stake. I'm a prospect and not a rescue party. I'll get near a League Patrol station in a couple of weeks and then we'll go in. I told you I was a Special Agent of the League of Planets. You can't refuse my orders. The heck I can. I'm refusing. This is my ship and I'll run it the way I like. If you try to take over, I'll fix it so it'll never fly again. And don't bother looking for your blaster. I took it away from you while you were unconscious. I was afraid something like this might happen. I can't make it work. Oh, but you've got to make it work. We can reach the League Patrol. They may have a ship closer to the asteroid than we are. A few hours may make the difference between the life and death of Patton Dantrel. They aren't dead already. I'll try again, Billy. All right, I will, but it's no use. Slick and Blackie must have done something to this cosmic communicator. You can't. You'll fix it. No sense am I even trying. I'll probably wreck it more. Come on, let's get back to the controls and head back. Here we are. Now, let me see. What's the matter? The controls don't work. Oh, are they broken too? No, it's set on automatic. They must have picked the course and set the time control. Can't you turn it on? It's pretty tricky. Once the ship's been set on course and time, you're not supposed to touch the automatic pilot. Instead of turning it off, you can change the direction, but you never know where you'll end up. We might head right out of the solar system. But we can't just sit here. I'm afraid there's nothing else we can do, Jane. From the way they talk, we're heading for Saturn. Maybe we'll be sighted by one of the leaked controls on the way. They're sure to investigate. They still can recognize the planet here. They know it's not supposed to be in this sector of space. There's probably been an alarm out for some time. We should have been on Mercury almost 24 hours ago. But Pat and Dantro are back on that asteroid. We've got to do something to help them. Won't be any help to them if we end up heading for Alpha Centuria. This way, at least, there's a choice of somebody picking us up. We'll try for a few hours more, and if there are no signs of control, then I'll take a chance on trying to switch off the automatic pilot. How can you be so cruel with the lives of two children at stake? I told you before, that ain't my problem. I'm a prospector, and all I care about is finding something worth finding out here in the asteroid. Yep, I'm on the track of something hot right now. The biggest stake in the history of asteroid prospecting. I ain't going to lose it for nobody. Can't you do something, Dantro? Can't you make them listen? What can I say to make you understand how important this is? Ain't nothing you can say to make me change my mind. Tell you what I'll do, though. Are you going to help us? Don't know if you'll consider it helping, but if you want, I'll take you back to the asteroid I found you on. That's not too far out of my way. I only left a little while ago. What good will that do? At least a billion jane managed somehow to get back. They'll find us. Do you think they will? I don't know. I have a lot of confidence in those kids. But suppose they don't come back? That's a bright young lady. If they don't, you'd be out of luck this time. Probably ain't another prospector within a million miles of this part of the asteroid belt. It was just fool-wook when I happened by when I did. A thing like that couldn't happen again in a thousand years. I'll take you back if you want, but I think you'd be pretty silly. Of course, it's up to you. What do you think, Dantro? If it was just me, Pat, I'd take the chance, but I wouldn't want to gamble with your life. You don't think I'll let you stay there alone? Even if you wanted me to, I wouldn't go off without you. Well, that's the kind of girl you are, Pat. I know it. That's why I didn't even mention it. Well, make up your mind. Well, it looks like you're running the show, old-timer. I don't understand a man like you. We have no choice. How long has it been now, Dale? A couple of hours. Are you going to wait any longer? I don't know what to do. Things look bad, but once I start fooling around with that automatic pilot, things may get worse in a hurry. But you said we'd only wait a couple of hours. You sure you're willing to take a chance, Jane? If I make a mistake or touch the wrong gadget, there may be no way of turning back. Well, if we don't do something to try to save Pat and Dantro, I'd never forgive myself as long as I live. Oh, you've got to try it, Billy. You're right, Jane. Here goes. The kids feel they must try to do something to get Dantro and Pat. What will the Planeteer do when Billy tries his hand on the locked automatic pilot? We'll be back in a moment, so level up. When we left Billy and Jane, they were trying to unlock the automatic pilot aboard the Planeteer. Dantro and Pat, in the meantime, are aboard a prospector ship trying to figure out a way of getting the stubborn old prospector to help them. I can't stand just sitting here while Billy and Jane may need us. I know how you feel, Pat, but what can we do? That cranky old prospector can't stay awake forever. He's got to go to sleep soon. I'll go and get him. I'll go and get him. I'll go and get him. That cranky old prospector can't stay awake forever. He's got to go to sleep sooner or later. Maybe when he does, we can jump. He's no fool, Pat. I'm sure he's thought of that. He'll probably lock us in the cargo hold while he sleeps. Do you think he'd really use that blaster if we tried to overcome him? Either that or sabotage his ship. He's a peculiar old coot. There's no telling what he'll do. There's no sense looking for more trouble than we've got already. Why are you two mumbling about over there? Better come over here before we get into trouble. You're thinking of trying another trick? Forget it. I ain't last all these years out here in the asteroids without being pretty tricky myself. Now, if you're cooperative, maybe I'll cut you in on my claim. I'm going to find it any day now. Why do you think you're going to find it now after all these years? Yes, how can you be so sure that you're on the right track? Ain't going to tell you how. I've got ways of knowing, and I know that somewhere right around here there's an asteroid that's pure uranium. Enough for me to buy a planet if I want to. Maybe I'm going to want to. If you don't help us, you may not be in a position to enjoy your money. The League of Planets is liable to deal harshly with someone who refused to help when danger threatened. You can't bluff me that way, partner. I know the rules, and maybe I've got to help a wrecked ship or someone like you two who are marooned, but there ain't nothing in the books that says I've got to go space hunting all over the whole solar system looking for a couple of lost kids. But they're not lost, I tell you. They're in the hands of space pirates. That makes it even worse. Why do I want to go fooling around with space pirates for? I'm too old for that kind of stuff. I'm just going to mind my own business and keep prospecting the way I've been doing. If you don't like it, there's support. Is it all right, Billy? No, in a minute. Here, you hold the switch down while I try the controls. Sure. This one, Billy. Well, that's right. Now, don't let it slip. I just hope I pick the right one. Controls respond. Will do they? Just a second. Jane, Jane, we did it. Throw that switch all the way. We're headed back to the asteroid belt with every ounce of speed this ship's got. Say, if you two help me, maybe I'll find that asteroid quicker, and I'll go to the League Patrol anyhow to get them to authenticate my claim so as I can file it on planaria wrecks. Ain't much of a scientist. Never been able to use that new stuff that got worked out. If you're such a big noise with the League, maybe you can find it faster than me. What do you say, Pat? I hate to do it, but all right. Now you're talking. Come on, look at this asteroid chart. I hate to say it, but I'm afraid this is a hopeless job. Isn't there something we can do? Look, Jane, you saw me. I did everything I know how. We're going to have to look for Pat and Dantro the hard way. Billy and Jane are determined to find the asteroid on which they left Dantro and Pat. Will they find the asteroid? And if so, what will they do when they find out Dantro and Pat are not there? We'll be back in a moment. But first, here is a message from the League Patrol. We'll be back in a moment. But first, here is a message the Planet Man wants you to hear. Tune in again for more Transcribe Thrills and Adventures. Rocket millions of light years into space with Dantro the Planet Man. Rocket millions of light years into space with Dantro the Planet Man. Baa... Planet... Man...
