The Planet Man! The Planet Man! This is the fascinating story of Dantro, 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 Dantro, The Planet Man, fighting for fair play. In a moment, The Planet Man. The Planet Man and Barrow the Robot. Dantro, The Planet Man and Barrow the Robot were deep under the surface of the graveyard planet in the city of the insect man. Slats and the Mardee fleet trapped in the magnetic field were dropping to the surface of the planet. We find Dantro explaining to Barrow his plan to destroy the generator that sets up the field. Listen carefully Barrow, we haven't much time. We've got to knock that generator out before the Mardee fleet is pulled to the surface of the planet. What is your plan? The only guard on the building that houses the generator is in that copter that's hovering over the roof there. The insect men don't realize that your propulsion units will function in spite of their magnetic field. How does that help us? The guard will be looking for some threat from below, not above. I see it now, you want me to drop down from above and strike from there. Exactly, and to be sure he doesn't spot you coming down, I'll get his attention by kicking up a fuss down here. Do you think that will be necessary? After all, once you are spotted, the insect men will realize that we have penetrated to the city. Right now they don't even suspect it. Listen Barrow, this attempt has to succeed. I doubt that we'll get another chance, and even if we did it would be too late to save Slats and the Mardee fleet. Very well, I think your plan will work. I'll ascend at once. Watch me down here. Get up where you can't be seen directly over the copter. When you see me start to move out of this cavern toward the generator, drop down and take care of the guard. Very well, but promise me you will not take any unnecessary chances. Don't worry, I have no desire to commit suicide. I'll start now, goodbye, and if something goes wrong and we do not meet each other again, I want to tell you that you are a man in every sense of the word. Thanks Barrow, I won't try to tell you how I feel about you. You better get started. At once. Well Roar, there it is. There's a planet that's been causing us so much grief. I can't understand why we can see no signs of civilization. Even our detectors register absolute zero. Yars did too, but Barrow was able to detect some faint signs of radioactivity. Besides, there must be someone down there and someone advanced enough to construct a field powerful enough to lick anything we have. Oh, don't misunderstand me. I know there must be something or someone responsible for what's happening. After all, we did see and destroy those ships. I just can't understand why it doesn't show up on any of our instruments. We'll find out soon enough. Have you advised the fleet of our plans of operation? No, I'd better do that now. Hello, this is Roar aboard the Alpha. The fleet will continue to descend until we are a mile above the surface of the planet. At that point, you will try every unit of power your ships can muster to break the grip of the field. Roar, you better tell them what to do if we can't break out. Alright. If we cannot break out, then we will disperse the fleet over an area of about ten units square, take up battle formation, and prepare to repulse any attempts to force entry from the air or the ground. By any means in your power, avoid having the enemy get control of these ships, even if it means destroying the ships with every member of the crew. I will contact you again after we land, if we land. That sounds good, but what do you think our chances are? Oh, how can I answer you, Slats? I don't even know who the enemy is or what his weapons are. Certainly those ships didn't seem to put up much of a fight. You know, Roar, I've been thinking about that. Those guys didn't seem to know what they were doing. And another thing I noticed when they attacked me before, no two ships were alike, and some of them looked like nothing I'd ever seen. Perhaps they are remnants of other fleets that have been caught in this trap as we have. That is why I gave orders that our fleet must not be taken intact. Yeah. Say, you better keep your eye on the altimeter. We're getting down pretty low. I'll stay here by the communicator. At least they haven't managed to block that. Now, you read off the height to me. Right. Eight miles now. Seven miles. Six miles. Five miles. Four miles. Oh, Slats, you're a long way from home. What was that you said? Nothing. I just got a habit of talking to myself. Three miles. Two miles. Five and a half. Five and a quarter. Take it away! All ships, maximum repulsion power. Here we go! Any luck? Nah. Wasted time and power. We're still falling. Little slower, but we're still falling. Better get a report of the other ships. Hello. Rura aboard the Alpha calling Marge fleet. Keep on full repulsion power for as long as you can. Then descend and follow us. Slats, how much time do you think they can gain? About fifteen minutes. How about us, Slats? The Alpha hasn't got the power your ships have. I give us about ten minutes at the top. Well, I'll man the weapons, Taurus. We'll get down first. And you can bet we'll be ready. Yeah, but if we only knew ready for who, for what? Slats, Rura, and the Marge fleet are really in for some fast action on the insect planet. Can Slats and his friends ward off the insect men? We'll be back in a moment, so level off. When we left Slats and the Marge fleet, they were about to land on the insect planet. Having failed to break away from the magnetic field of the planet. In the meantime, Dantoo and Barrel are proceeding with their plan to destroy the generator of the insect men, which causes this magnetic pull. Barrel, can you hear me? I can hear you, planet man. Do you think it is safe to use communications? I've been using it for some time now. If they were to spot it, I think we'd know it. I guess the excitement of the arrival of the Mardi fleet has turned their attention away from almost everything else. The city's almost deserted. They must be sending every available insect man to the surface to fight. I am almost in position over the copter. Does he show any signs of suspicion? No, he's busy watching the ground. As soon as you're set, watch me. I'll run toward the building that houses the generator. Don't expose yourself unnecessarily. Just enough to be sure he sees me. I don't want him looking up. You're the one that will be exposed. I am ready now. Okay. Here goes. Okay, Barrel, get him. You missed me. You're going to have to do better than that insect man. That's it, Barrel. You hit him dead center. Are you all right? Do not worry, planet man. I am built to take much more than that. Fine. His aim was as bad as his intentions. We'd better get inside that building before someone spots the wreckage of the copter. Come down to the entrance. I'll meet you there. Nice work, Barrel. Now let's see what's inside. Careful, there may be guards in there, too. There are two just inside the door, if I am not mistaken. We've got to get them out of the way. I am immune to their rays. I am certain of that. Let me go in and draw their fire. And while they are concentrating on me, you can take care of them. Okay. I guess it's your turn to play decoy anyhow. Start moving. We haven't much time. Here goes. Here I come, Barrel. I got them both. Come on, the generator must be down this way. Move this door quickly. There may be other guards, and they're certain to have heard the racket we've been making. Look, you were right. There it is, down there. Barrel, look at that massive machinery. That isn't just the generator. That power is the magnetic field. It must be the source of power for the entire planet. That makes it even better. If we can destroy this one machine, we can knock out the entire operation of this underground city. But that's just what we don't want to do. I don't understand. And because you're a robot, and things like air and heat don't matter to you, once these machines stop, anything that isn't protected by a space suit will die. And I doubt that the insect men have left any space suits for their slaves. You are right, Dantro, but what can we do? There's only one thing to do. We must free the slaves and get them to the surface and safety with the Mardi fleet before this machine is destroyed. But that means... Exactly. That means that one of us has to stay here while the other finds the slaves and leads them to the surface. Very well. I will stay here. You go. Why me? Whoever stays here will probably die here. You forget, Planet Man. I am a robot, a machine. I cannot die. Robot or man, I won't let you sacrifice your life. I will not argue with you. I must remind you that it is my people you came down here to save. The fleet of Mardi are your friends. Slats is your friend. You must let me do this. All right, Baril, if that's the way you want it. Have you any idea which way the slave quarters are? I have been sensing the emanations of my people for some time now. They seem to originate from the sector of the city, immediately opposite this building. Yes, I noticed the tremendous barracks over there. It must be where they keep the slaves. You are probably right. I better get on my way. Keep in contact with me as long as you can. I will, Baril, but we'd better have some signal or deadline for the destruction of this power plant. How long do you think it will take you? Well, give me ten minutes to get to the building, ten minutes to free the slaves, and another ten minutes to get them to the surface. About forty minutes should do it. If we're not out of here by then, we probably never will be. How will you get to the surface? There must be a contra-gravity shaft. I'm sure they didn't move that army of insect men to the surface in ships. I noticed the direction they went. I'll go the same way and hope for the best. Very well, forty minutes then, and as you say, good luck. Good luck. Dantro has a mammoth task ahead of him. Will time and luck match his skill for success? 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 transcribed thrills and adventures. Rocket millions of light years into space with Dantro, the Planet Man. The Planet Man.