| rdfs:comment
| - In the year 1980 (as imagined from 1961), a military space ship is destroyed by collision with a rogue giant asteroid. U.S. astronaut Captain Frank Chapman (Dean Fredericks), blasts off from Lunar Base One to investigate. Richard Weber (from "12 to the Moon") rides along as Ray Makonen, a verbose and whimsical co-pilot. Soon, the spacecraft is damaged by asteroids. During an EVA attempting repairs, Makonen is lost to outer space. The ship is then pulled to the surface of a giant asteroid, called Rheton, by some kind of ray. A Solarite prisoner then breaks out of prison and goes on a rampage.
|
| abstract
| - In the year 1980 (as imagined from 1961), a military space ship is destroyed by collision with a rogue giant asteroid. U.S. astronaut Captain Frank Chapman (Dean Fredericks), blasts off from Lunar Base One to investigate. Richard Weber (from "12 to the Moon") rides along as Ray Makonen, a verbose and whimsical co-pilot. Soon, the spacecraft is damaged by asteroids. During an EVA attempting repairs, Makonen is lost to outer space. The ship is then pulled to the surface of a giant asteroid, called Rheton, by some kind of ray. On the surface, Chapman exits the ship, swoons, and falls to the ground. He then rapidly shrinks to a few inches in size, but his space suit is unaffected. He is then captured by the inhabitants of the asteroid (the Rhetons) and taken to their leader. The Rhetons, who number about fifty, are governed by Sesom (Francis X. Bushman from 12 to the Moon). Everyone lives in dimly-lighted rooms of rough-hewn rock, with stone slabs for beds and stone tables. The Rhetons don't need to eat because, it is explained, the atmosphere takes care of their nutritional needs. Music, dancing, and art apparently do not exist in their society. At a trial, Chapman is convicted of injuring an inhabitant of Rheton by an official (Al Jarvis). He is informed that for security reasons he will never leave Rheton, as their location must never be disclosed. He begins spending with Liara, the beautiful blonde daughter of Sesom, and the lovely mute brunette Zetha. Rheton technology is as advanced as its accommodations are primitive. They can warp space and possess gravity and anti-gravity propulsion capable of instantly moving small planets. They also have tractor beams, force fields, "gravity curtains" and energy weapons, but they employ chalk and slates with which to write. Their main enemies are a tall and, by human standards, repulsive alien race known as the Solarite Fire People who want to acquire their Universal Gravity Control. Sesom divulges to Chapman that Rheton is slowly running out of the strong nuclear force, made worse if Rheton is hit with heat blasts. Chapman becomes increasingly involved in Rheton matters. He finds himself attracted to Zetha, who mysteriously acquires the power of speech. Challenged by the hot-headed Herron (Tony Dexter from Fire Maidens of Outer Space), he fights the shirtless "duel of Rheton to the death". He gradually wins Sesom's complete trust, is designated as his eventual successor and begins to feel ambivalent about returning to Earth. Suddenly, a Solarite space armada launches a deadly attack on Rheton. Rheton is equipped with navigational controls that destroy the Solarite armada. A Solarite prisoner then breaks out of prison and goes on a rampage.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)