Countdown for blast off. X minus five, four, three, two, X minus one, fire. From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future, adventures in which you'll live in a million could-be years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine presents X minus one. Tonight's story, Colony by Philip K. Dick. The existence of Planet Blue, the fourth in orbit around a G-type sun somewhere in the Aldebaran sector, was predicted by spectroscopic analysis and spatio-mathematic equations some fifty years before an exploring mission was dispatched to it. The research team under Commander Stella Morrison of the Colonial Administration went into orbit around Planet Blue at 0700 standard to dirial time. Authorized procedures were followed. Aerial photography completed, Commander. Anything show on the plates? Well, Masterson was suspicious of these lines towards the poles, but the angles seem to be coincidence. They are not artifacts. Glacial fogs. Geological survey reports no volcanism. The launch is back. Dodge has a landing site pinpointed. Preliminary atmospheric tests look good. There's a 0.7 bulge in oxygen, but it's just enough to make you feel good. Looks like an open air job. No pressure suits or condenser masks. Well, that's precisely what they thought on Centauri 1. And the whole expedition was wiped out by spores. Of course, I was assuming a favorable bio check. Preliminary photographic survey, Mr. Wood. Thank you, Dodge. Do you want them played back here? We haven't transcribed the tapes. If you please, Lieutenant. 393. Al, wipe the photo tapes up here on 324. Hmm. Looks like a green world, all right. Punch up the tape if you please, Lieutenant. All orbital checks prove positive. The atmosphere and gravity earth normal to three places on the Grayson scale. And the exploratory research ship lowered itself by the Meyerson-Lay atmospheric skip method, came into a stalled tail landing just before sunset on a day marked in the logs as Planet Fall Zero. The hatches remained sealed as a two-mile perimeter was scanned by direct instrumentation. Major Lawrence Hall of Biosurvey reported EEG sweeps to the bridge. Of course, it isn't conclusive. We've run into life forms that didn't broadcast a brain wave at all. The Grylodon lizard on Ganymede. Skull acted as an effective shielding due to a heavy lead constituent in the body chemistry. Major Hall, I am not interested in a lecture on extraterrestrial zoology. Is there, or is there not, life within the range of your instruments? Well, I'm sorry, Stella. The readings show no electrical brain activity whatsoever, and that covers life down to the level of invertebrates. There may be a few worms turning out there, and unless they are thinking awfully hard about something, we wouldn't pick them up. Thank you. I want preliminary drones out for sampling. How long do you think that will take? Well, a thorough job. Take about two weeks. I have a schedule, Major. How long do you think you can give me a protective schedule C clearance? Two days. Then I ought to check airborne spores and microorganisms. Carry on, Major. All right, Stella. I'll let you know if I turn up any special diseases on Planet Blue. Drone sample missiles were dispatched at sunrise. Air scoops, ground samplers, and vegetation choppers returned to base, and the bio team instituted full prescribed tests. Immediately identifiable airborne dangers were ruled out. Outside of the possible allergenic action of pollens, Planet Blue was ruled safe for normal exploratory procedures, and the real work of the survey was gotten underway. Here's the morning report, Commander. Foreign sick bay, tree ordered to light duty. What happened? Last night was liquor ration. Oh. Survey teams out in the field. Bio crew under Major Hall. Agronomy, ecological, geological, and deep map teams out. Any reports back? Deep map seems to think there's petroleum over to the north, and agronomy reports if you dropped a seed in this soil, you'd have to jump back to keep from being knocked over by the plant. Sounds pretty good. Commander, Blue is about as likely a spot for colonization as has been turned up since Harvey's planted in 27. Well, they'll be glad to hear that in Central. How long do you think until we can send back a clearance? I've checked with department chiefs. They all estimate about two or three days more until they're satisfied. All except Bio. Why is Major Hall dragging his feet? I don't know. Well, find out. And in the meantime, I'm going to call a staff meeting. Every day we can save on our report is important. If Blue is suitable for colonization, I don't want to waste a minute. By planet fall, plus three weeks, all departments had reported favorably except biology. Ecological survey pointed out the difficulty involved in the necessity of importing animal life. But this problem had already been met in the colonization of Gamma 2 and 3, when an entire ecology had been transported in frozen gene banks and fertilized and incubated on the site. Biology however still withheld a favorable report. Look, Larry. What is the secret, Stella? Cold, formality on the bridge, and Larry when you're in my lab. Well, I'm serious. Well, I've just gotten an official query from Central. They want a Fisher-cut bait on Blue. Your department is the only one holding it up. We're two weeks behind schedule. And the first colony on Vishnu was right on schedule and 7,000 died of green spots. That was before the full bio-check technique was worked out. My dear, do you know how many different microorganisms there are in a cup full of dirt? I'm not a freshman student of biology. Oh dear, and I was hoping I could tempt you into some field work. Someday, Larry, you're going to make some remark in front of some junior officers or even enlisted personnel, and I'm going to have to call you on it. Afraid for your dignity, my dear? Look, I'm in charge of this expedition. My dignity happens to be a function of command, and as such it's a survival factor. Ah, well then you had better take it easy at Officer's mess. You know, I saw two biomates watching you climbing the ladder to the bridge. Do you know what their affectionate name for you is? Oh, I'm serious. I want a bio-clearance as soon as possible. And you will get it. As soon as possible. And when will that be? When I'm satisfied. Are the bugs here so dangerous that you're afraid of them? No, on the contrary. We have yet to find the harmful life form. Well, you didn't report that. If there are no harmful life forms... No life. No diseased germs, no malignant virus. Well then what are you waiting for? There should be. There should be at least one little fellow who could give you a common hold. Look, sociology section found no native narcotic plant life, and inasmuch as there is no humanoid life, there is no bootlegging, gambling, immorality, and pornography either. By analogy, that would be a good reason not to colonize. Is that the idiotic logic you're following? Microbiology is a little different, Stella. Anyway, what is the rush? Blue is something different. There's something peaceful in the air. Why rush to bring picnickers who drop candy wrappers and fill the pools up with empty beer cans? Larry, I have a planned board conference in ten minutes. If you don't bring in some kind of a report by then, I'll have to supersede you under a section 23. Ah, yes, that's what happened on Vishnu, isn't it? Followed by Greenspot and the wagons that dragged the corpses out of the colony streets. Never mind that, Major. I want a report. In the biology section lab, Major Lawrence Hall continued to examine tissue samples from lower fauna and flora samples brought in from Planet Blue. He settled a container of prepared slides and flipped the switch on the electron microscope. Major Hall slid the first slide on the stage of the microscope and adjusted the focus knob. Come on, come on, come on. There you are. All right, come on, kid. Eat something. The microorganisms, a form of rotifer, displayed none of the characteristics of ferocity and aggression which were normal on several dozen other planets. Presently, however, Major Hall stopped whistling. Inasmuch as the two eyepieces of his microscope twisted suddenly around his windpipe and started to strangle him. Hall tore at him, but they dug relentlessly into his throat, steel prongs closing like the claws of a trap. With a convulsive effort, he managed to break free and fling the microscope from it. Oh, that's crazy. I don't let go of my leg. He kicked the microscope loose and drew his blasters. As the microscope scuttled away rolling on its coarse adjustment knobs, he fired. The microscope disappeared in a cloud of metallic particles. The plans board of the research team was assembled in the officer's library. Commander Stella Morrison was outlining plans on a detailed aerial survey map. This long flat area is ideal for the actual city. It has an adequate watershed in the hills here and weather conditions very sufficiently to give the settlers something to talk about. There are large deposits of various minerals. The colonists can set up their own factories. They won't have to do any importing. Over here is the biggest forest on the planet. If they have any sense, they'll leave it, but if they want to make newspapers out of it, that's not our concern. Now, all reports are in except bio, and I think that before long we'll be getting- Stella. Major Hall, may I remind you that when the consul is in session, no one is permitted to interrupt- Will you come to my lab? Look, Hall, if you're not feeling well, you look a little sick. Yes, well I should be. My microscope just tried to strangle me. What? Oh? Oh, I see. It almost got me, but I blasted it. But that's not the worst. It isn't? No. The microscope is still there. After I blasted it, I found it under the lab bench, untouched. Look, Major, you sure you don't need a psych test? I don't know. I suppose it does sound a little- You look post-traumatome. Huh? Oh. What have you written? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Commander. Put Major Hall on cycle report. I think we'll have to proceed to order colonization here without him. Major Hall proceeded to psych center and inserting his ID card in the robot neo-Rorschach machine, he placed his hands on the contacts and activated the search in Gestalt circuits. Presently, the green light flashed indicating tentative diagnosis. Major Hall hit the response key. Severe disturbance. Instability ratio above 10. And that's over danger, isn't it? Yes. Eight is danger. Ten is unusual, especially for a person of your index. Your norm is four. Yeah, I know. I require more data to determine whether this unusual instability ratio is an aberrant reaction or is normal survival oriented. Well, I can't tell you anymore. It is illegal to hold back information during a robo-psych test. You will deliberately distort diagnosis, which is punishable by six months forfeiture of pay and allowances, or such other penalty as a court-martial may direct. Thanks a heap. Look, do you record a high degree of unbalance for me? There is a high degree of psychic disorganization, but what it signifies or its etiology, I am unable to determine without further data. Okay, well just take a tip from me. Stay away from homicidal microscopes. That is an interesting Freudian slip. You undoubtedly mean homicidal maniacs, not microscopes. This indicates a possible maladjustment in the area of your specialty. Why don't you go greasier, Ed? I will consider that suggestion. Major Hall returned to the bio section lab and tested the atmosphere near the place where he had fired his blast gun at the microscope. The analysis showed a high density of metallic particles colloidally suspended in the air. In a state of confusion with an emotional distress quotient of at least 0.742, he stripped off his uniform and entered the shower. Oh. Oh, well you can't expect anybody to believe a story like that. I must be off my rocker. Major Hall stepped out of the shower, reached for one of the towels on the rack. The towel wrapped around his head and yanked him against the wall. Rough cloth pressed over his mouth and nose. He fought wildly, pulling away. All at once, the towel let go. Major Hall crawled out of the shower and proceeded to dress. His belt, heavy canvas with reinforced metal links, tried to get him around the waist and crush him. The belt, being a heavy duty issue, was strong and they rolled on the floor until Hall was able to reach his blaster. He threw himself down in a chair to regain his breath. The arms of the chair started to close around him, but this time he was ready. Major, I don't believe you were announced. Oh, Commander Stella. You're armed. You know that regulations... I'm sorry, Stella, this is important. Well, what do you want? I have a report here from the Robo Psych Tester. It says you've hit a ratio of 10 within the last 24 hour period. We've known each other for a long time. Larry, what's happening to you? Stella, I told you. A little while ago my microscope tried to strangle me. Then when I was getting out of the shower, a bath towel tried to smother me. I got by that and while I was dressing, my belt... Wood, in here on the double. And I finally blasted that and then an armchair beside... Yes, Commander. Stand by a moment. Stella, will you listen to me? This is serious. Ordinary objects suddenly turning lethal. Maybe this is what we've been looking for. Maybe this is... Your microscope tried to kill you. I told you, its stems got me here around the windpipe. No one else saw this happen. No, I blasted it and then I found it again perfectly alright. I see. Wood. Yes, ma'am. Get two guards and take Major Hall down to Captain Taylor and Sickbay. Have him confined until he can be sent back to Terra for examination. Listen, Stella... Sorry, Major. You can't prove this story and we'll just have to assume it's a psychotic projection on your part. And we can't afford to have any psychotics running around loose on this planet. Carry on. You'll be alright, Hall. Back on Earth they can clear a thing like this up in a few weeks. Yeah, maybe you're right, Wood. Maybe I'm just out of my mind. Here we are. Captain Taylor. Captain Taylor. He should be in. Captain. The hatch isn't locked. Taylor. What's the matter? That scatter rug is choking me. Put a grip before he's crushed. Grab that rug. Now hear this. Now hear this. General alarm. General alarm. Emergency stations. Emergency stations. Condition read. Sidearms will be issued to all personnel. General alarm. Captain Taylor tells me the rug came from Terra. His grandmother braided it. That's what I was trying to tell you. It was not the rug that attacked him. Then what was it? Something that looked like this rug. And it was something that looked like a microscope that went for me. And the towel and the belt. You mean there's some life form that can imitate anything? Yes, it seems so. And it's deadly. Hey Charlie, general alarm. Get up out of that sack. Hey, what did you do with my gloves? Oh. Hey, where did I get two pair? Well, maybe, maybe, might. No. One pair of gloves is the same as the other. Hey, these gloves are moving. How do you like that? These fool gloves are going for my blast pistol. Charlie, is this one of your crazy electronic gags? Did you rig my gloves? Hey, look out for that pistol. Look out! Commander, there's another casualty. Lieutenant Dodds. What happened? I don't know. He seems to have shot himself. Oh no. Stella, Stella, I think that I have something. Dodds is dead. Look, we know that this thing can camouflage itself. It can imitate any object that leans up against it. All right now, listen to this. Larry, we've got to... This is the answer. It's a tape from Captain Gault. He was out on biosurvey. He had a throat mic on. He was talking to the operator at base. Now listen to this. Head for home now. What's this emergency about? Our glass Stella having hysterics? That's funny. I swear I parked my bucket over by those trees. Well, it's here anyway. Heat up some coffee for me. I'll be in in a couple. That's funny. There's another bucket over by the trees. Where'd this one come from? Let me out. The thing's stuck. It's folding up around me. Joe, Joe, get a squad out here. Joe, that's it. That's it. I can't get out it. It's digestive fluid. Get somebody out here before... His transmission just stopped. All right, now we're up against some organic form of life and there should be some way to destroy it. We've already blasted a few, but we don't know how many more there are. Maybe it's an infinitely divisible substance, some kind of protoplasm. We've had over 12 casualties reported and there's still five teams out in the field. All right, it's a lethal life form. Now that explains why we found everything else harmless. Nothing could compete with this. We have mimic plants of our own, the twisty slug on Venus, but nothing that goes this far. It can be killed though. You said that yourself. If it can be found. You can't tell clothes, rugs, drapes, chairs. We can't tell which is which. We've got to try to find some poison, some spray that will destroy them wholesale. Oh no. What's the matter? In the corner. I never noticed two briefcases over there before. There was only one, I think. How are we going to know? Shortly after the final casualty report of 30 dead and 12 wounded, Major Hall sealed off the bioquarters and moved in with a team from Chem section, all dressed in corrosive resistant suits. Well, I'll make sure that you've got a tight seal on the neck joint. What are you going to do, Major? I've got a combination of hydrogen and arsenic under pressure, arsine gas. That'll give us an idea of how much they've infiltrated. Arsine is deadly to humans, so check your helmets. Now, Sergeant, I don't want any panic blasting. Arsine is inflammable. All right. Release the valve. As the gas filled the room, the first to go was a filing cabinet, which melted and oozed to the floor, garrison test tubes. The lab was sealed off on a meeting held in Commander Morrison's quarters. Well, it's protoplethomorite. You could see that when the mimic shape melted. It was just as big as your hand. It may resemble the simple unicellular protozoa, gigantic in size compared to microorganisms. Can we spray them? Arsine disturbed them, and I suppose enough might kill them, but we haven't got that much. We can't flood the planet. We wouldn't be able to use our blasters, and it's lethal to humans. We'll have to pull out. Stella, I'm afraid you don't quite understand. We can't take the chance of carrying them back to the system disguised as a boot or a towel or anything. And they seem to multiply by binary fission. It wouldn't take long to overrun Earth and the rest of the system. If we stay here, they'll pick us off one by one. We could have Arsine brought in or some other poison, but that would destroy most of the other life on the planet along with it. Then we'll have to burn the planet clean. Wood? Yes, ma'am. Set up a call to System Monitor. I'm going to get the unit off here out of danger. After that, we can work out the best way of cleaning off this planet. You'll run the risk of taking them back to Terra. Can they imitate higher lifeforms? Can they masquerade as humans? Apparently not. They seem to be limited to inorganic subjects. Then we'll go back without any inorganic materials. But our clothes, they can imitate the synthetic fibers, belts, gloves, boots. We're not taking our clothes. We're going back without anything at all. Oh. Oh, I see. Get me a beam to Central Monitor immediately. The nearest cruiser was two light hours away, Captain Daniel Davis commanding. Tight beam communication was established after coordinates were flashed from Central Monitor. This is Captain Davis. Can you read me? I read you. Commander Morrison here. Captain, you are to make a planetfall as soon as possible at coordinates to be supplied to. We are going to board your ship naked. Naked? That's right. That's, uh, well. When will you land? At about 1,500 hours, I'd say. Captain, would it be possible for, for your men to, uh... I'll have my crew below decks. We'll land on robot control. Thank you. Wood, sign off the transmission. Yes, ma'am. There was some objection among the enlisted personnel, particularly in the women's quarters. The ship landed at 1,200 hours, three hours sooner than expected. All hands, disrobe immediately. All personnel report to field, ready to embark. So soon? I didn't hear the ship land. It's there, all right. We'd better go. Larry. Larry, you go ahead. I'd rather get ready alone. Parked in the center of the landing field was a cruiser, its hull pitted and dented by meteor strikes. It lay motionless, with no sign of life aboard. A crowd of naked people was moving across the field, blinking in the bright sunlight. Commander Stella Morrison, without any sign of rank apparent, paused on the ramp and spoke to Major Lawrence Hall beside her. Larry. Yeah, what is it? I'm scared. Why? I don't know. Psychological reaction. Forget it. It's a reaction to nudity carried over from early childhood. Come on, we're holding up the line. Larry, I want to go back. Stella, look, now at least Dave has kept his promise. There are no enlisted men lining in the hatches to enjoy the view. You see, it's dark in there. There's nothing to worry about. Come on. Up you go. The last of the research team filed into the interior of the ship, and the hatch closed behind them. At exactly 1500 hours, Captain Daniel Davis landed his ship in the center of the field. Automatic relays opened the main lock hatch and lowered the ramp. Davis and his staff sat in the control cabin waiting. Well, how do you like that? Where are they? Why make me the whole fool thing as a joke? We've waited an hour already. They waited. And waited. But no one came. Music You have just heard X-1 presented by the National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, which this month features Double Dare by Robert Silverberg, which demonstrates that pride can lead to much worse than a fall. It can put a man out on a limb and keep him there. Galaxy Magazine, on your newsstand today. Tonight by transcription, X-1 has brought you Colony, a story from the pages of Galaxy written by Philip K. Dick and adapted for radio by Ernest Canoie. Featured in the cast were Frederica Chandler, John Larkin, James Stevens, Larry Robinson, Bill Quinn, and Alan Bergman. Your narrator was Norman Rose. Your announcer, Fred Collins. X-1 was directed by Daniel Sutter and is an NBC Radio Network production. Music Hear music in the Morgan Manor. Russ Morgan, live weekday morning on NBC Bandstand.
