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 Street and Smith publishers of Astounding
Science Fiction presents: X Minus 1! Tonight's story: 'Requiem' by Robert Heinlein. On a high hill in Samoa there is a grave. Inscribed on
the marker are these words: Under the wide and
starry sky,
dig my grave and let me lie. Gladly did I live and gladly
die, and I laid me down with a will. This be the verse
you grave for me: "Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from the sea, and the hunter home from the hill". These lines appear in another place
scrolled on a shipping tag from a compressed air container and
pinned to the ground with a knife... It wasn't much of a Fair, as Fair's go. The Trotting Races wouldn't be
held till eight o'clock at night, the
flags and bunting drooped
in the gray afternoon, and the pitchmen seemed discouraged. A large black limousine stood
at the side of the road, 32 cylinders purring quietly, and
over the dust in the clatter of the fair, a bullhorn blasted
the highest pitch... Hurry, hurry, hurry! This way to
the Moon Rocket, the Moon Rocket. See it fly the actual type of rocket
used by the first man to see it fly! Chill, thrill to the romance of space.
You can ride in it for only $25! Hurry. Hurry, Hurry... Hey Ch
arlie. We got that V2 patched?
I welded it, good for maybe an hour. What a crowd! They wouldn't risk
a nickel to see the sun blow up! Oh, Captain. Uh, excuse me, Captain. Uh, oh, yes, sir. 50 cents to
inspect the rocket. One? Could you take a passenger? This trip? You mean you wanna go up? 25 bucks. That's
right. Yes. Right away. Uh, Charlie, take the pitch. Step this way, sir.
Look out for the feed lines. Oh. Yes. I see them. Hey Doc, passenger for a checkup. Okay, Mac. Well, is this necessary?
Regulations. Uh, take
off your coat. Uh, open your shirt. Roll up your right sleeve. Alright.
How are things, Mac? Slow! We're not drawing as
much as the cooch tent. That'll pick up tonight with the tradders. I'm ready, Doctor. Alright. Gimme some room. Alright. Breathe in, breathe, breathe. Uh, sorry Mac. No go Doc? Cardiac condition. I
couldn't certify, I'm sorry. You mean you won't take me up? He's the Doctor? Well, I'd rather expected it. Sorry, between you and m.
we could have used the 25
. Uh. Excuse me, Captain. Yeah. Could you and your engineer have
dinner with me after your flight. Dinner? At my home? My car's over there. That's your car? The limousine?
That's right. You're serious, mac? You want Charlie and me for dinner? Of course. Okay. Okay, Don't see why not? Thanks... Charlie, you've had enough! Lay off Mac. Oh, that's perfectly alright.
Captain McIntyre. Cigar? Thanks. Light? Well, thanks. Yes. It's uh, hard for me to see why any holder
of a Master's ticket would quit
The Earth Moon run. Eh, I didn't like it. Yeah. Yeah. Don't hand us
that. It was rule G washed you up. Alright. Alright.
So I took a few drinks. Tell me, err, gentlemen, are you
satisfied with what you're doing now? Are you kidding? We've been pushing the
old junk heap for a year. Half the time the Sheriff has an attachment on
the ship for a fuel bill. It stinks! Would it help you to get back to the Moon? Well, sure. I could get a
short haul job hopping oil. If
even get back on the run. Would y
ou be open to a
business proposition? Hmm? What is it? You own your own rocket. Barring a couple of loans against it. I want to charter her,
to take me to the Moon. You hear what he said Mac? He wants
us to fly that old heap to the Moon. We can't do it. The old boy's worn out. Why don't you charter
a regular company ship? Oh no, no. I can't do that. Uh, the Company Charter comes up before a
Congressional Committee this year. Uh, they have to follow the. regulations. You can't pass the
physical,
well if you can afford to hire us why don't you bribe a couple of
Cmpny Medics, it's been done before. Yeah, I know but not for me. I'm D.D. Harriman. You own the company?
Hey, what are you giving us? I own a large percentage of the company but the other directors won't permit
me to jeopardize the franchise. Can You tie that Mac? A guy with half the
money in the world and he is up a creek. Shut up Charlie. Why do you
want to go to the moon so bad, Mr. Harriman? Well, it's the one thing I
real
ly wanted to do all my life. I'm maybe 50 years older
than you. When I was a kid, nobody believed we'd
really reach the Moon. You've seen rockets all your lives. When
I was a boy they laughed at the idea, but I believed. I wanted the Moon. Then, I used to stand in the
backyard and stare at it... How far away is it Mom? The Moon? Far enough. Why don't people fly to the Moon? They can't. Why not? They just can't, but not now anyway. Someday I will. What? Fly to the Moon. Sure. Sure. Now come on d
own. Inside it's way past your bedtime... There wasn't enough money for college. So I worked Stockpoint, the old
Ford plant in Detroit. Account Credit Manager for a mail order
house, then New York and Wall Street, and then transportation. The monorail
line between New York and Chicago, the Atlantic Pressure Tunnel, and then Harriman Rockets... Dell, Dell, I want to talk to you. I'm working Charlotte. You talk to me now Dell, or you may
not get another chance. What is it? Fred Lock was in. You've
sold out again. I run the business Charlotte. Well, I'm fed up with it, up to here!
I married you because I love you. I still love you, but I'm fed up Now what is it Charlotte? We are not young anymore. Fred tells me you've bought into
a bankrupt engineering firm. Sunk every nickel in it. Well, they own the Schwartz Miller
fuel injector patents. I need them. How many times do we
have to start over? I'm tired. I'm not asking for millions, just
a little life for the two of us... I didn't know abo
ut the
divorce for a month. I lost the papers under a stack
of blueprints and stock prospectus. That night I walked through the park, watching the full moon move
across the sky. My old friend. I could recognize the wrinkles. Crissian, Mare Fela Artis, Maree Twin Calatis, the Luna Upper Nines... It took two fraudulent
bankruptcies and an investigation by the Securities and Exchange
Commission before we did it, the Moon! There were three injunctions on
the rocket before it blasted off, I was going
on the second trip, but my considerate board served a
court order on me. You can't go there! Fred, I'll break you! If
it's the last thing I do... Dell, you've got a bad heart. That's
no secret. No. If you die out there, the whole card hous comes down. Now
we've got an equity in this corporation. We're going to see it protected. You've
sucked us in on this wild scheme, and now that it paid off, you're going to sit right down here on
Earth and see that the dividends come out on time. You're not g
oing
to the Moon Dell. Forget it!... I never went. By the time my lawyers
shook off the restraining orders the first cargo rocket had crashed
in the Pacific and Congress rushed through the Space Precautionary act. My heart kept me earthbound and now I'm old. I've lived longer than I should, but I would not let myself die. I will not until I have
shut foot on the Moon. There, Captain McIntyre. You asked
why I wanted to go to the Moon. Well... You'll find a ship Mr.
Harriman, and I'll drive you. Y
ou'll hit the moon. Alright then,
we can get down to business. I'll have contracts drawn up for you.
You two will have to buy me a ship. I can't do it openly of course, my dear board of directors would
find out and slap a court order on me. Well, we can't get credit. Oh, don't worry. I'll
supply the cash in advance. Pick some ship that can
be fitted for the jump. Apply for a Strato license. Then after it's issued, you
move to a piece of desert. I'll find a strip and buy it. You mean fit her out
there? Yes. Yes. We'll install extra fuel tanks. Change the injectors and
timers for space flight. Charlie! You think you can manage the
changeover without a dock yard and shops. Well, I'll have to have a load
of power tools and lot of time. It'll be hay-wired and spot-welded. Just so it doesn't blow up when I
slap the keys! It won't blow. Well, that's what you said about the last ship! Oh, cut it out will
you? I ask you Mr. Harriman, that last ship was a
junk heap and we knew it! Now this one,
this'll be different. We're
gonna spend some dough and do it right. Ain't we, Mr. Harriman. You spend all the money you
want. I'll see that you get it... 132 shares of Apex Holding
at 60% of par. Okay. 52 preferred space waste fuel. 50%
of par. Check. That's the list. Oh, Mr. Harriman. There's a
process server outside. Yeah. What is it? I don't know sir, but I
think it's a subpoena. Oh, I was expecting that. Ashley,
get Mr. Caymans on the phone. I think it's time for my lawyer... May it please y
our honor,
council representing Mr. Harriman's relatives contend that his
behavior for the past few weeks gives clear indication that a mind,
brilliant in the world of finance, has become senile. They petition you to declare
him incompetent and to assign a conservator, to protect
his financial interests. And those of his heirs. May I suggest that in the last few words, my opponent gave away his entire thesis. It is evident that the petitioners
believe that my client should conduct his affairs in
such a way as to ensure that
his nephew's, nieces and their issue will be supported in unearned
luxury for the rest of their lives. Therefore, we pray this court will confirm my client
in his right to do what he likes with his own. Deny this petition and
send these meddlers about their business... Well, name and scoop? It could go either way. He might rule against me? He might, we'll know tomorrow... Here it is. Eccentric millionaire
disappears. Yes. You eccentric Mr. Harriman? Well, they used
to call me crazy, but
that depends on your credit rating. A bench warrant, under contempt
proceedings, has been issued. They won't find me out here.
How is the work going Charlie? My end's in pretty good shapes. Well, Are you ready to go? My nephews will
have detectives out looking for me. Well, I could run those calibration
tests tonight. Take unti midnight. After that it's up to the Commodore here. There. There she is Mr.
Harriman. That's the job that'll take you to the Moon. It's a good ship
. Isn't it? Mac, stop the car! Yeah. Alright... He's out! Look at him. What? His
Madison vest pocket. Yep. Break the glass.
Hold it under his nose. He Looks lousy. Yeah, there, he's breathing easy. He'll come around soon. Mac, we ain't gone through with
this. Why not? It's murder. He'll never stand up under the
initial acceleration. Maybe not, but that's what he
wants to do, you heard him. I don't like it. He's an okay old buzzard. What do you wanna do with
him? Send him back to Kansas City so t
here's no good nephews can shut
him up in the cellar! No, but... OK then, now get out there and make it set
up for those test runs. Get that ship ready to fly... Hey! Hey, you, you! Me? How many other people are there
out in this desert? What can I do for you? You James McIntyre? Hey Mac. What's the matter, Charlie? You McIntyre? Yeah. I'm the Deputy Federal
Marshall in this district. I got a warrant for your arrest. What charge? Conspiracy to violate
the Space Precautionary act. I suppose your
Charles Schwartz,
I got one for you too. Thanks. And a man named Harriman. I got a court
order to put seals on your spaceship. We haven't gotten any spaceship. What's that? A kiddy car? Strato yard. Yeah? Well, I'll put seals onit until
a spaceship shows up. Where's Harriman? In the shed. What shed? Oh, my knuckle. That's the
one I broke playing football. I'm always hurting that finger. We gotta hurry. Get Pop into the cabin
and strap him into his hammock. Right. So long Deputy. Oh my knuckle...
. She's warm Charlie.
Everything's set back there? How do I know? I didn't
have time to run tests. Tough. You all right Mr. Harriman? I think so. But these straps are tight. Have to be when we blast off. All
set Charlie, give me control. Check. Test keys... One bank. Check. Two bank.. No auxilary. Yeah, we don't need it.
Alright, boy. Hang on. Let's go... How are you Pop? I'm doing
fine. Couldn't be better. You better stay in your hammock. I'll loosen the straps a little. Oh! What is it? Nothin
g. Just go
easy on that side. You ain't fooling me none Pop. You've
got a couple of busted ribs. There's not much I can do until we,
till we ground. You take a Neobaritol and I'll wake you
when we cut jets. No. No, no. I'll stay awake. Okay. Just as you say, Pop... She's on automatic Charlie,
how are the tubes holding up? Fine. Tight as a drum. She handles nice. How's
Pop? Alive, he's in bad shape. How bad? Cracked a couple of ribs in the
take off. I don't know what else. You think he'll last th
e trip? His heart was pounding
like an off-time valve. Well, he'll last. He's tough. Tough? He's delicate as a canary. I don't mean that, he's tough down
inside where it counts. Just the same, you better set her down awful
easy if you want him alive. I'll make a full swing around
the Moon and ease her in, in a volute approach curve. It'll
go fine if we got enough fuel... Hey, somebody call me? Something wrong Pop? Oh, I thought somebody was
calling me. Must have been asleep. I swung your hammoc
k around,
we're braking now. There she is ahead. The Moon! I've seen a thousand photographs. There, that's Copernicus, Tyco. You know it alright Pop. Where are you landing? Mare Embrium between Aris
Setis and Archimides. Oh, that's about 40 miles
from Luna City isn't it? Yeah. It won't be easy, landing without
ground approach radar will it? No, I've done it before. Not without a second pilot
to punch the Satometer. Well, you ought have a Mate's
ticket Pop, you know the whole routine. You must ha
ve really studied up. Yes. That's all I could do study,
until now. Oh, look at, uh, the Moon! I feel as if I'm coming home. Yes. Charlie? Yo. I'm taking her in,
cut in full power. Make it good, Mac. Pop can't take a rough one. Shut
up and gimme the power I'll do my best. Okay. Setting, punch... Hang on! Here we go... That was a lousy landing, Mac. About a
meter adrift. How's our passenger? Quiet. I look, I wouldn't make any bets.
That landing stunk. You shut up, I did my best. Hey, Pop. He's ali
ve. There's's blood in his mouth. He's trying
to say something. Take it easy Pop, we're down. Oh, where? Take it easy! Vacuum suits. Where are they? Steady Pop. You
can't go out there yet. We gotta give you some first aid. Give me that suit. What do you think Mac? Might
as well, get the suit outta the locker. Yeah, use the big one. Be more
comfortable. Okay. All okay, Pop, easy now. Hurry. Hurry. Pull it up. Seal these zippers Charlie. Take it easy. Alright the
helmet. The diaphragm set? Check.
Eval? Lift it on him. Don't hurt him. Alright. Come on, Charlie. Get into your
suit and we'll carry him out the back... Easy, easy with him. Okay? Okay. You alright Pop? Outside. Take me outside. Left leg is gone. Get your
shoulder under him.. Right Open the lock. Alright, Pop. Come on. Going out on the Moon... The Moon. Alright. Gonna leave you out here to look around
while we get ready for the hike to town. You alright? The Moon... We have to break out air
bottles and rig a stretcher. It's 40
miles into the dome. Charlie,
prop something behind his head. Okay. You comfortable
Pop? We'll be back soon... Moon. I can feel the pumice dust
and it doesn't hurt anymore. Well, there's the Earth overhead.
The Earth in the sky and green, blue. I'm on the Moon. I'm on the Moon. Dell? Dell? Charlotte? I thought I heard somebody
call my name. Yeah, I'm getting old. My mind wanders. Dell? Dell? Charlotte.. Dell? That is you isn't
it? I made it Charlotte. I'm on the Moon. You didn't
understand. You
were afraid I wouldn't take care of myself, but
I made it I'm on the Moon. Yeah, I'm on the Moon... Come on, Charlie. Better get Pop
going. Here, gimme a hand getting him the stretcher. Never mind the stretcher Mac. What's the
matter? He won't need it. He's dead. Oh, better get out the Pumice
skis and the air bottles. It's a long walk to town.
Yeah. What about him? Looks as if he's resting. Doesn't he?
Propped up, looking out on the pumice. Well, he hit the Moon. Come on. Let's start walking...
You have just heard X Minus One presented
by the National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith
publishers of Astounding Science Fiction. Your announcer Fred Collins, X minus one was an NBC
radio network production.
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