Conquest of Space

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This a story of tomorrow,

or the day after tomorrow,

when men have built

a station in space,

constructed in the form

of a great wheel

and set a thousand miles

out from the Earth,

fixed by gravity and turning

about the world every two hours,

serving a double purpose;;

An observation post in the heavens

and a place where a spaceship

can be assembled

and then launched to

explore other planets

and the vast universe itself,

in the last and greatest

adventure of mankind,

a plunge toward the;;;

;;;conquest of space;

Rocket coming up, sir.

It's the transport, right on

schedule, eh, captain?

No, sir, they're Iate,

a minute and 33 seconds.

It's a minute and 34 seconds, captain.

It's not important, of course,

but it could be. In celestial navigation,

one second can be the difference

between Iife and death.

Gee, I hope they don't forget to

bring up the ice cream this time.

I thought I issued an order

to the effect that food

was never to be a subject of

conversation on the Wheel.

- I'm sorry, sir, I forgot.

- There are some men aboard

who are not permitted to enjoy

the food that you eat, corporal.

And unless you're anxious

to share their diet,

- I'd advise you not to forget again.

- I won't, sir.

The moon, Barney. A few days,

a month and we'II be on it.

Do you realize, sir, that I've been up

here a full year without any Ieave?

There are several of us

in the same boat, Barney.

But I'd only been married

for three and a half months.

I'm sure Linda will understand.

She's a sensible girl.

After all, when a girl

marries a soldier...

Soldier!.

Ghost, you mean.

A robot spinning around the world

every two hours on a tin doughnut.

That's what you've been to Mother

for three years

- and what I'm becoming to my wife!.

- Barney!.

I'm sorry, sir.

You built the Wheel, and you're proud

of it. You've got every right to be, but...

...well, why me?

We were happy down there.

A Iittle cottage right on the base,

she was just beginning to furnish it,

and you yank me out of it.

You belong here, Barney.

You're my son.

Space is your heritage.

I formally request, sir, that inasmuch

as service on the Wheel is voluntary

and I have never been accorded

the privilege of volunteering,

that I be granted permission to

return to Earth on the transport rocket.

Colonel, sir, there's a storm

building up in the Pacific.

A real Iulu. Might be a hurricane.

Chart it and notify all weather

stations Iikely to be affected.

Yes, sir.

Permission denied, captain.

Somehow or another, I kind of hate

to see this job get finished.

It's Iike my cousin Seymour...

...he's a plastic surgeon.

He built a face

for an ugly dame once...

...which turned out to be

so beautiful...

...he fell in Iove with her!.

So off she went with

the garbage collector!.

You afraid this beautiful ship

will go off without you, Jackie?

Precisely and definitely the opposite.

Well, frankly, I'm...

I'm frightened of going, but...

...I'm more frightened

of being Ieft behind.

For what you scared?

We build this ship, so we fly it.

And so we get to the moon.

Who's gonna guarantee

we ever get back?

I'm with Pete.

For a fat, solid year,

I been eating birdseed out of this

goofy sombrero with no squawk.

Now, let some other heroes

take it from here;

This little guinea pig ain't going

on no more joy-hops

for the great Colonel Merritt;

And if old space-happy

thinks otherwise...

-...he can take his ship and...

- And what, Sergeant Siegle?

Sergeant Siegle just Ieft, sir.

Roy!. Secure that cable!.

I... I...can't...move a finger.

Careful.

Watch out, the high voltage!.

Grab it.

- Are you hurt?

- No, but I...

What is it, Roy?

What is the matter with you?

I don't know, I'm... I'm...paralyzed.

Let's get him back to the Wheel. Taxi!

We've got a sick man here!

Gotta get him back to the Wheel!

AII set. Shove off!

Are you feeling better, Roy?

I'm all right, I guess.

Yeah, I'm all right.

Let's have the straight of it.

What's wrong with the Iad?

What's the matter?

You sick or something?

- You hurt some place?

- No, I...

I just couldn't move out there, but...

-...I'm all right.

- You couldn't move, you say?

- Why not?

- I don't know, I... I just couldn't.

He's all right, he told you.

Leave him alone! It ain't important!

You know the colonel's orders

with you incubator babies.

Even a pimple is important.

You bluebirds are my responsibility,

and he's reporting to the infirmary.

Come on, Iad, I'II take you meself.

Gee, it'd be worth

taking a trip to the moon...

...just to get rid of that

overgrown babysitter.

What is it, sir? I...

I'm all right, aren't I?

Of course, my boy, of course.

Nothing more serious than a

momentary Iapse of nerve function.

You're fine.

You believe him, sir? I mean,

this couldn't make any difference.

It's been a whole year, sir, and after

all this time, I... I'd hate to wash out.

Well, I'd hate to Iose you, Cooper.

Thank you, sir.

Let's have it, Kurt.

What's really the matter with that boy?

Oh, Cooper's in fine condition, sir.

Why, you gave him a complete

physical examination

only three days ago, major.

A perfect score, remember?

You don't have to worry about

that boy, sir, I assure you.

He was paralyzed out there, sergeant.

He couldn't move.

That's something to worry

about up here.

- What was it?

- Somatic dysphasia,

self-induced inability of the nerves

to transmit brain messages.

In your Ianguage, space fatigue.

- Self-induced?

- Well, not consciously, of course.

Each mind has its own Iimit

of endurance, at which point it rebels.

The result can be anything.

Simple hives, hallucination, headache,

Ioss of speech, paralysis,

total insanity, anything.

AII of us up here suffer from the

same disease to some degree.

It is to be expected.

Man has never before Iived in space.

Fortunately, most of the cases are

so minor they present no problem.

But Cooper?

Cooper will be perfectly normal...

-...as soon as you return him to Earth.

- That bad?

What he experienced

was simply a warning.

If it happens again,

it could be permanent.

I see.

How about the others?

Andre, Imoto, excellent.

As for Siegle, Sanella

and Donkersgoed...

...every day with them, it is

a new set of horrible afflictions.

Some of them completely unknown

to medical science.

Furthermore, they all seem to have

an absolute Ioathing for the Wheel,

its commanding officer, its doctor,

and the Space Corps in general.

Everything...with the possible

exception of good food...

...and women.

In other words, they're normal.

Thank you very much, major.

What's the matter, sir, are you ill?

No.

No, I'm all right.

Carry on.

My Rosie!

Thank heaven science ain't found

no way to put you up in capsules.

The future Mrs. Siegle, Pedro!

How'd you Iike to paddle that

around in your gondola?

- For a wife, too skinny.

- Too skinny?

That's beautiful skin, boy.

Andre, what did they say?

- I'm not out, am I?

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