Countdown for blast off. X minus five, four, three, two, X minus one, fire. From the far horizons of the unknown come 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, the reluctant heroes by Frank M. Robinson. Only Chapman was awake. The others sprawled on bunks 20 inches wide with clearance of 24 inches between layers. They breathed heavily, taking in air that had been breathed for 18 months, subject to certain modifications to remove carbon dioxide and replenish oxygen by the catalytic action of the Harcourt King unit on silicon dioxide. Outside the single courtside port, the lunar dawn was breaking. The dead black shadows moved across the crater as the green haze of earthlight gave way to the blinding white of the Sun. The telegraph key, which linked the research bunker to the space station in orbit around Earth, chattered as Chapman copied the message into the log pad. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. In a pig's eye. Miserable, no good. What do they want? They want me to stay until the next relief ship lands. Go back to sleep. It's my turn for breakfast. You gonna stay? Sure. Three years on the moon, they figure I'll be glad to stay for more. Just raise my salary or give me a bonus. Every man has his price. They probably figure I like it here. Chapman, you found a home here on the moon. Sure. Can coffee, can beans, can pills, and can't air till your insides feel like they're plated with tin. The little scientific home of tomorrow. Ten steps in any direction, a charming place where you can't take a shower, you can't brush your teeth, and your insides don't even work right. Why did you tell them? No. You kept it short. Check the oxy cycle before you turn on the stove. What's the matter? You sore or something, Chapman? Why shouldn't I be? All they're trying to do is get a good man to stay on a job a while longer. Well, they got a fat chance. They figure you found a home here, right, Dole? Why don't you guys shut up till morning? Some of us have to stay here, you know. Some of us aren't going back today. All right, all right. You might as well get up and get a day's work today before the relief rockets do. I got the coffee ready. Coffee? It's been in a can so long I can taste the glue on the label. Why don't they send up an oil can? These elbow joints make me feel like the tin woodman in the Wizard of Oz. You can't lubricate vacuum seal joinings. Let it squeak. At least it doesn't leak air. Get that back dug for me, will you, Donnelly? Lean over, you fat slob. You put on three more pounds, you won't get off the moon. You won't get through the airlock. Yeah, yeah. Hey, Chap, do you think we ought to radio the space station and see if they've left there yet? I talked to them on the last call. The relief ship left 12 hours ago. They should get here in about six and a half hours. Chap, you know what I'm thinking? You've been here twice as long as the rest of us. What's the first thing you're going to do once you get back? I don't know. I guess I was trying not to think about that. I haven't been here three years like you have, but I've got plans. What are you going to do? Well, I'm going to rent a room in a hotel aster over Times Square and just sit at the window and watch the people on the street. And I think I'll see somebody. Watch somebody? Oh, just somebody. What are you going to do, Donnelly? Well, I'm going to do something practical. First of all, I'm going to turn over my geological samples to the government, and I'm going to sell my life story to the movies. And I think I'll get drunk. How about you, Julius? Well, first, I'll get rid of my allocations to the expedition. Then I think I'll go home and see my wife. Then I'll take off my space suit. I thought all members of the groups were supposed to be single. They are, and I can see the reasons for it. But who could pass up the money the commission was paying? If I had to do it all over again, me. Give me a hand, and be a fishball. You know, chap, it won't seem like the same old moon without you on it. Like the Santee Army, you never had it so good. You'll find a home here. All right, button up, and remember to check your suits for leaks and check the valves of your oxygen tanks. I've gone out at least 500 times. You've checked me every time. And I check you 500 more. It only takes one mistake. And watch out for blisters under the pumice crust. You go through one of those, and that's it, brother. Okay, okay, I'll check. Klein, I never knew you were married. There wasn't much sense in talking about it. You just get to thinking, and there's nothing you can do about it. You talk about it, it just makes it worse. She let you go without any fuss? No, she didn't make any fuss. I don't think she'd like to see me go either. At least I hope she didn't. You got a girl back home? Yes. Now, you never mentioned that either. For the same reason you didn't mention your wife. You get to thinking about it. You got to get married when you get back? Yeah. Hurry up, will you, Klein? I'm sweating. Somebody ought to build in underarm sprays and spacesuits. Chap, why does somebody have to stay here for stopover? Lots of reasons. You can't get a whole relief crew and let them take over cold. They have to know where things are, how things work, what to watch out for. Then, because you've been here for a year and a half and you know the ropes, you have to watch them to see that they stay alive in spite of themselves. Why wasn't you on the first trip? You're not a scientist. No, I was the pilot on the first ship. When it occurred to us that someone was going to have to stay over, I volunteered. I thought the others were so important that it was better they take their samples and data back to Earth when the first relief ship came. You wouldn't do it again, though, would you? No. You think Dole will do as good a job as you did? He volunteered. Yeah, he volunteered because he thought it would make him look like a hero. I've lost three years up here and I don't intend to lose any more. Okay, okay. Check your valve. All right, check. I checked Geiger, CR, Oxy and Cintilla readings. Everything okay. You packing, chap? Yeah. Oh, listen, Dole, I've got three or four shirts here that are a little too big. I got them from Drives Bank in the first group. You want them? Chap, do you think they'll ever have relief ships up here more often than 18 months? I mean, considering the advance of... No, I don't. Not for 10 years. Fuel's too expensive and the trip's too hazardous. Why, on freight charges alone, you're worth your weight and platinum when they send you up here. It won't be so bad. There'll be new men up here. You'll pass a lot of time just getting to know them. Yeah. Listen, chap, I'm engaged back home, you know. Nice girl. You'd like her if you knew her. Right here. Let me show you. This is a picture of Alice taken at a picnic when we were together. See, it's a kind of bad angle because she's really got a better figure than that. But, well, we expected to get married when I got back. I never told her about stopover. She thinks I'll be home tomorrow. I kept thinking that somehow I... You want to trade places with me, don't you? You thought I might stay for stopover again in your place. Well, chap, I know you want to go home, but I couldn't ask any of the others. You're the only one who was qualified. Look, you know my father's pretty well fixed. Chap, we could make it worth you a while. It wouldn't mean 18 more months, but they'd be well-paid months. Forget it, Dole. You're staying and I'm going home. Boom. Klein. Hey, Klein. Yo. Where are you? About 10 yards off the trail. Come out of the shadow. I've got a meter jammed over here. You know the regulations. Chapman will kick like a steer. Keep inside at all times. It'll only be a minute. I've got a short circuit in my instrument. Time for a 10-minute check. I've got my hands full. My valves are all right. I know it. You know it. But the book says valve and leak check every 10 minutes. Hey. Come out. What? You see a flash? Where? Past camel's hump. There. What is that, northern light? No. No. Come over here, you fat geologist. What's the matter with you? That's the relief rocket. Come on. Hey, where are you going? I'm going over the ship. Breeze some air that's a little less used. You think we ought to? Chapman's had to stay. Forget Chapman. We're going home. I want to see that beautiful ship. Come on. How about the 10-minute check? Just a formality. Forget it. This is Christmas and Fourth of July rolling to one. Okay, let's go. I can just taste some clean, fresh air. We gotta see it when we top the hump. Maybe we've got to check. Wait a minute. I'll swing my gauge up. Donnelly. Yeah? How long have we been out? Oh, about a half hour. Yeah? Well, look at your gauge. Oh, what are you? Oh. If we'd started for the rocket, we never would have made it. We would have strangled halfway down the hump. Come on. We better get back to the bunker. Check the lock seal. Okay. Okay. All right. Open the inner door. Close the lock. Get me out of this fish bowl. It's down. The relief rocket, it's down on the other side of Camel's hump. Oh, what a beautiful looking ship. What a beautiful ship. They must be on their way over here now. Chap, they're on their way. We're going home today. Get your RA unit out of that suit and into the dryer. All right. All right. Okay. What's eating you, Dole? Listen, just because the relief rocket lands, it doesn't mean your RA unit is going to dry up by itself. That goes for you too, Donnelly. Okay. Hey, Chapin. Yeah? He's taking it pretty hard. He volunteered. Yeah, he volunteered. What a beautiful, beautiful ship. Hey, listen, what happened to the fifth person in series? That's all I want to know. Washington. I'm half dead still teaching at the university. Who took over a seminar at the 80s? Hey, hey, look what we got here, Chap. Come here. What's the matter? Hey, look what this one's got, a box. Yeah? Look inside, dirt, ordinary dirt with grass. Grass. Hey, hey, hey, fellas, it feels like grass. That's right. It's real grass. Yeah, and real valuable. Do you realize that current freight rates up here, it's worth about $10 a blade? Oh, shut up. Hey, bud, you mind if I chew a blade? Mr. Chapman. Yes? Oh, Mr. Chapman. My name's Everline, captain of the relief ship. I understand you're in charge here. Yeah, you might say so. They didn't have a captain on the first ship, just a pilot and crew. Dole, turn up the oxy cycle on the hardcourt unit. Well, things have advanced somewhat, huh? Look, Mr. Chapman, is there any place where we can talk together privately? Well, come around the corner of my locker. It's about as private as we can get. Oh, good. What's on your mind? I've always wanted to meet the man who spent more time here than anybody else. You mind if I smoke? You better ask Dole. He's in charge now. Oh. You know, we have big plans for the research station here. Oh? I haven't heard of any. Oh, yes. Big plans. Big plans. They're working on unmanned open-side rockets now that can carry cargo, sheet steel for more bunkers like this, enable us to enlarge the unit, have a series of bunkers all linked together, make good laboratories and good living quarters for you people, have a little privacy for change. Well, they could use a little privacy up here. Oh, they could. Well, that's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you, Chapman. The commission talked it over and they'd like to see you stay. They feel if they're going to enlarge it, add more bunkers and have more men up here, that a man of practical experience should be running things. They figure you're the only man who's capable and has had that experience. Is that all? Well, naturally, you'd be paid well. I don't imagine any man would like being here all the time. And they prepare to double your salary, maybe even a bonus in addition. They want you to have full charge. You'd be director of lunar laboratories. Oh, a title, too. Well, the commission said they'd be willing to consider anything else you had in mind. If it's more money... The answer is no. I'm not interested in more money for staying because I'm not interested in staying. Money can't buy it, Captain. Look, I'm sorry. I'm afraid you'd have to stay up here to appreciate that. I'm afraid you don't understand the importance of this. Captain, come over here to the port. Yes? Now, look out there about 100 yards. You mean where that mound of stones? That's right. We made that cross out of condensed milk cans slid over iron bars. When you get out there, you can still see the footprints in the pumice where we gathered around. It's more than 18 months ago, but there's been no wind to wear those tracks away. They'll be there forever. Oh, I see. Well, who was it? Drysback? Or Dixon? Dixon. We never got Drysback out of the crevasse in Tyco. What happened? You want to know? I can give it to you in detail. Sit down and listen. Well, what do you mean? Just wait a minute and I'll show you. Why? What is it? Regulations. When someone goes out of the ship, they're going to be arrested. What is it? Regulations. When someone goes out alone, we have to monitor his radio tape recorded. We had the recorder open when Dixon went out. I want you to hear it. Well, all right. I've got the tape right here. It'll take me a minute to thread it up. Now, look, Chapman, you don't have to... Listen. I want you to listen. Moon, moon, great big silvery moon. Won't you please shine down on me? Moon, moon, great big silvery moon. Won't you please shine down on me? Moon, moon, great big silvery moon. Regulations. He had to keep saying something so we know he was all right. Most of the guys just sing. Gentlemen, I'm getting a lovely sonar radio. I'm getting a lovely sonar reading. If anybody wants to set up a tombstone concession on the moon, this is the spot. Lovely marble, granite, and rock suitable for lobbies here. It's that old devil moon that you stole from me. You should have been making a ten-minute check on his oxygen level. He was a good kid. All wrapped up in science. Being on the moon was the opportunity of a lifetime. He thought so much about it that he forgot a lot of little things like how to stay alive. This was the day before the second group came. All right, gentlemen, I have three or four more readings to take and I'll be right in. I'm doing fine, fine, fine, fine. Little stuffy. It's almost as if... Hey, somebody get a fix on me, huh? How far am I from the bunker? Must have sprung a leak. When... Hey, when did I take the last ten-minute check? How far am I? It's down to 22. We took a fix. He was a half hour out. He couldn't make that. I can't get the valve closed. Listen. Listen, you gotta come out and get me. You gotta. You gotta come out and get me. It's down to 22. Is somebody listening back there? Hey, is somebody listening? I figure I've got ten minutes. Just ten minutes. Listen, you can make it in ten minutes. I'll meet you towards Campbell's Hump. I'll start now. I'll start now. Come and get me, you hear? Come and get me. Chap... Chapman? Are you listening, Chapman? Can you hear me? I'm running. Campbell's Hump, I... Hot. The heat. The RA units overloading. Can't dry it up. Gotta run. Run, run. Run, run, run. No use. I can't run. The unit heats up. Gauge is down to 15. I can't make it. I'm gonna... I'm gonna sit down now. I'm gonna... I'm gonna sit down now. You'll find me at number seven radiation meter, about ten yards off the trail. I'm gonna sit down. Sit down next to a rock. Sit down next to a rock. Sit down next to a rock. Getting... Getting dizzy. Getting dizzy. Hey. Remember, we used to argue, Do you strangle from no oxy, Or pass out? Do you strangle from no oxy, Or pass out from CO2? Keep tuned to this channel, boys. You'll find out. It's that old devil move that you... It's that old devil move that you... Oh, boy, the Earth's going around, and around, and around, and... Jeff? You can't get me, You can't get me, can you? Can you? We didn't have a chance by even 15 minutes. We didn't have a chance by even 15 minutes. We didn't even go out. There wasn't any sense to it. Well... Did you record after that? Yeah, it's on the tape, but you don't want to hear it. We'd never put it back. That's why we want you to stay, Chapman. That's why we want you to stay, Chapman. We don't want any more like Dixon. You don't get the point, Captain. I don't want to be the next Dixon. I'm going home now. Bob Dole is staying for stopover. There's something important about the project ... Alright, alright, mail call. Mail call. Chap, here's one for you. Donnelly? Dole? Dole? Donnelly? Ah, Klein. Dole? Donnelly? I'm sorry, it's an opportunity. I could have had a year's subscription to the ladies' home journal combined with the American farmer all for half price. Alright, men, alright. My departure time is an hour and a half. Hey, my sister had twins! Hey, Chap, aren't you going to read your letter? I read it. It's a short letter. Is something wrong? No, no, there's nothing wrong. Dole. What is it, Chap? Get your stuff and leave with the others. What? What do you mean? What are you talking about, Chap? I'm not going back. What's the matter with you? Did you suddenly decide you don't like the blue sky and the trees? Come on, let's go. Look, Julius, I'm not going back. I haven't got anything to go back for. Or is it the letter? Yeah. Dear Joe, this isn't going to be a nice letter, but I thought it best you should know before you come home. Oh. Isn't very original, is it? Three years is a long time, and a quarter of a million miles is a long distance. You know what, Julius? She can look up in the night sky now and tell him how she was once engaged to the man in the moon. That's a real conversation piece, isn't it? Very funny. Go ahead, Dole, get going. You're doing a much braver thing than you may think, Mr. Chapman. Yeah, sure. Do you like the looks of the moon going away from it, Mr. Dole? It looks a lot better this way. I suppose you'll be glad to get home. I'd rather not talk about it. They were kidding, Chapman, this morning. They said he found a home on the moon. If we'd stayed an hour or so more, he might have changed his mind and left after all. I'd offer him money. I didn't want to stay for stopover. I was a coward and I offered him money to stay in my place. Well, we're all cowards once in a while. But your offer of money had nothing to do with his staying. He stayed because he had to stay, because we made him stay. I don't understand. Chapman had a lot to go home for. He was engaged to be married. I know. We got her to write him a letter breaking it off. We knew that it meant that he'd lost one of his main reasons for wanting to go back. I think perhaps he still would have left if we'd stayed and argued him into going. But we left before he could change his mind. That was a lousy thing to do. We had no choice. We didn't use it except as a last resort. I don't know of any girl who would have written such a letter if she was really in love with a guy like Chapman. No matter what your reasons. There was only one girl who would have. Ginny Dixon. You see, Chapman's girl was Dixon's sister. She understood what we were trying to tell her. That the new shift had to be safe. That there had to be someone who had to take over and keep those boys alive. She understood that. Because her brother died up there. You mean he's the only one? I couldn't have done the job? Oh, look, Dole. Chapman knows how to live on the moon. He's like a trapper who spent all his time in the forest. He knows it like the palm of his hand. He never makes mistakes. He never fails to check things. And he isn't a scientist. He would never become so preoccupied with research that he'd fail to make checks. And he can watch out for those who do make mistakes. He understood that too. All too well. It costs a lot of money to send ships up there and establish a colony. You have to have the best man for the job. You get them even if they don't want to do it. Personal lives and viewpoints are expendable. It's got to be that way. There's too much at stake. It's a cold place, the moon. You're an odd bunch of guys. You and the others in the groups. Few of you, Dole, come up for the glamour. I know. None of you really like it. And none of you are enthusiastic about it. You're all reluctant to come in the first place for the most part. You're a bunch of, well, pretty reluctant heroes. Eighteen months. He'll be up there eighteen more months. Personally, I don't feel happy about that. I don't like having to mess up other people's lives. I hope I won't have to again. Maybe somehow, someway, this one can be patched up. We'll try to. Eighteen months. In the meantime, on behalf of the Commission and myself, I feel like a cheap rotten heel. You have just heard X minus one presented by the National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, which this month features My Lady Greensleeves, a novelette by Frederick Pohl, which begins when a guard smelled trouble and knew it would come because he had been bred that way. Galaxy Magazine, on your new stand today. Tonight by transcription, X minus one has brought to you The Reluctant Heroes, a story from the pages of Galaxy written by Frank M. Robinson and adapted for radio by Ernest Kenoy. Featured in the cast were Mandel Kramer as Chapman, Jim Drummond as Klein, Bob Hastings as Doll, Dick Hamilton as Donnelly, Jim Stevens as Dixon, and Dick Johniver as Eberlein. Your announcer, Fred Collins. X minus one was directed by Daniel Sutter and is an NBC Radio Network production.
