Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Buzz, an audio drama for iHeart Podcasts starring John Lithgow
and Jeffrey Arrand as buzz Aldron. This series is based
on real events, However, certain characters, names, incidents, locations, and
dialog have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Chapter ten.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
This is Walter Cronkite at Cape Kennedy. Neil Armstrong and
buzz Aldrin have lifted off the Moon in the lunar
module Eagle, and all is moving smoothly as they're about
to dock with the command module Columbia for the return
trip to Earth. Their rendezvous. In lunar orbit, some nine
(00:39):
miles above the Moon. Traveling at fifty five hundred feet
per second, Eagle will navigate to Columbia through deep space
using a computerized gyroscope comprised of rotating rings called gimbals.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Houston, any change in gimbal lock.
Speaker 5 (01:00):
A negative Eagle.
Speaker 6 (01:02):
Oh, this is flight. You've only got fuel and oxygen
for one shot at manual docking. If you don't make it,
he'll be unable to recapture.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Don't sugarcoated, Houston. Give it to me straight.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
We're the three Musketeers boys.
Speaker 7 (01:18):
I'm not going home. Without porthos and aramis.
Speaker 8 (01:22):
I wrote my doctoral thesis on orbital rendezvous procedures to
address this exact contingency, human skill succeeding when technology falls short.
Did my confidence border on arrogance? No, it crossed that
border years before. I also knew that if I failed,
Mike would return to Earth alone. An Eagle might circle
(01:45):
the Moon forever, spending eternity with Neil Armstrong in an
orbiting mausoleum was not why I joined the space program.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Houston, ready to begin manual docking procedure. I'll rotate by
sight and get into position. Mike, Translate forward for capture.
Speaker 7 (02:05):
Translating forward, Eagle.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
We're thrusting to get closer to you.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Roger.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
That burn complete, read burn complete.
Speaker 9 (02:18):
I'm not going to do a thing, Mike. I'm leaving
her an attitude holder.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Okay, moving forward, Eagle approaching lights aligning for dockage. Thrusters firing.
Speaker 7 (02:34):
You, okay, Mike, Roger, Eagles getting closer, slow and steady.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Buzz, Roger docking lights no longer in alignment. We need
to fire thrusters again, Houston, how are we on fuel?
Speaker 6 (02:52):
Remaining?
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Roger docking lights realigning.
Speaker 6 (03:02):
If you're getting closer both twenty seconds of fuel remaining.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Eagle Roger.
Speaker 6 (03:10):
Here within reach. Eagle fifteen seconds closer, ten seconds Eagle.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Roger connection made. The Eagle and Columbia are in hard.
Speaker 7 (03:29):
Dock safety thrusts B three and C four Roger, Eagle.
Speaker 6 (03:36):
Nothing like going down to the wire. Columbia. Are you
pumping cabin pressure?
Speaker 7 (03:40):
Roger Houston.
Speaker 9 (03:42):
Lunar module hatch has passed its integrity check.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
I'm gonna go ahead with a tunnel leak check.
Speaker 7 (03:47):
Roger, Columbia. Cabin pressure pumping and looking good.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
Moving through the lunar module tunnel into Columbia.
Speaker 7 (03:54):
Now, I left the light on for you.
Speaker 8 (04:04):
Neil and I shared a harden with Mike, who said
he used my absence to his culinary advantage.
Speaker 7 (04:10):
If you think there's any shrimp cocktail left, forget it.
Speaker 8 (04:14):
We laughed, but there were tears in his eyes. I'm
Buzz Aldron, and this is the story you think you know,
but you don't.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Ignition frequent far five four.
Speaker 6 (04:37):
Nonna with a gay babe here the angle planted a
one Paul tramp for man one diam.
Speaker 8 (05:00):
You're listening to Buzz. This is the story of my
greatest achievement Chapter ten.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Like how does it feel to have company again?
Speaker 7 (05:18):
Damn good, I'll tell you it'd be nice to have
a couple million Americans.
Speaker 6 (05:21):
Up here, Roger, they're with you in spirits.
Speaker 7 (05:26):
Neil and Buzz look like a couple of chimney sweeps,
and the lunar dirts like the finest sand I ever
saw gets on everything. Well, it's not getting on my
instrument panel. Lose the boots and helmets.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Let's take care of it. Is it.
Speaker 9 (05:38):
Clean up the cockpit so there's room for all our trash.
Speaker 7 (05:40):
We've only got room for the moon rocks, soil samples,
and film canisters. Everything else gets left an Eagle. Advisors, overshoes, gloves,
everything dirty.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
That's a lot of history you were leaving behind.
Speaker 8 (05:54):
Not to mention stuff that would have brought a fortunate auction.
We jammed all of it into Eagle and prepared ourselves
to say goodbye to the craft that kept us safe
and got us home.
Speaker 6 (06:07):
Prepared a jedtison Eagle in Program forty seven, a station
keep before maneuvering for transfer of.
Speaker 7 (06:13):
Injection over sending by for pyro arm.
Speaker 6 (06:17):
Here, go for pyro arm and go for Eagle.
Speaker 8 (06:20):
Jedtison Mike pushed a button eagle detached from Columbia. She
may have crashed into the lunar surface as we might have,
or fifty five years later she could still be in orbit.
Speaker 10 (06:36):
No one knows.
Speaker 8 (06:38):
Neil and I watched her drift away. She was a
good ship for Neil. That was the equivalent of an
emotional orgasm.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
You okay, why you're looking at me?
Speaker 10 (06:54):
Funny?
Speaker 9 (06:57):
It did a hell of a job, but.
Speaker 10 (07:00):
I owe you my life.
Speaker 8 (07:05):
That's when tears came to my eyes. As the moon
faded from view, so did the euphoria of what we'd accomplished.
I thought of doctor Ludwig, who had wanted to ground me.
She said it'd be bad for me if Apollo leven failed,
but if it succeeded, it'd be worse. What does an
(07:28):
explorer do when there are no great unknowns left? In
my case, he moves his wife and family to California.
He drinks, so does she. He gets divorced twice, and
after eight years he's working at a Cadillac dealership in
West la.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
This is a seventy seven Coupe Deville, mister Ennis. It's beautiful, beautiful,
top of the line straight from the factory. I'm throwing
in an end of the month discount, extended warranty, spoke wheels,
an autograph picture of myself that's bound to become a
collector's item. I mean, what the hell else can I do?
Speaker 10 (08:17):
I don't like to be rushed.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Rushed.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
If we go any's slower, bud.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
The car will be used.
Speaker 11 (08:25):
Well, I don't like your attitude.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
You don't like my attitude.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I'm Jack Murphy, general manager.
Speaker 10 (08:30):
What seems to be the problem.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
So this guy's been nickel and diming me for the
past three hours.
Speaker 11 (08:35):
He expects me to roll over just because he was
an astronaut. Well, there are other dealerships in town.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
If I make the deal he wants, it'll be below
our cost.
Speaker 6 (08:43):
You know what.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Tell this bozo to walks bus take it.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Someone else. Help you step into my office and I'll
take care of it.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
God damn it us.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
We're in business to do business, so I don't have
to kiss the customers at Yes, you do, you do,
but from now on, do it somewhere else. You're saying,
pack your stuff. That's it.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
You're firing buzz Aldron.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I'm firing a guy who should be the leading producer
in the dealership. You've been here six months. You haven't
sold a goddamn car. For Christ's sake, Buzz, you were famous,
famous as anyone ever one giant step for man. I mean,
I watched you on the moon putting up the flag.
You were a hero. What happened?
Speaker 10 (09:44):
They came back.
Speaker 8 (09:51):
The good thing about not selling cars is you don't
miss it. By then, I was drinking at a joint
in Silver Leg where I'm like, nobody knew my name,
but I noticed a woman staring at me from the
other side of the bar. I knew the look. She smiled.
Instead of smiling back, I went into the men's room
(10:14):
and called Joan for old times.
Speaker 10 (10:17):
Sake, Hello, Hello, Hey, are you up?
Speaker 6 (10:31):
Does it sound like I'm up?
Speaker 10 (10:35):
You by yourself?
Speaker 6 (10:37):
Oh? Come on, it's twenty to two bus.
Speaker 10 (10:40):
Yeah. But are you by yourself?
Speaker 6 (10:42):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Yeah, you're lucky that Dodgs just left.
Speaker 10 (10:46):
I thought i'd come over.
Speaker 6 (10:50):
You don't live here anymore?
Speaker 10 (10:53):
Just for an hour.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
No, I'm not drinking.
Speaker 6 (10:56):
I can't be around it. I don't want the kids
around it either.
Speaker 12 (11:00):
I'll leave before they get up. Give my name to
the gate and I'll be over and in and out. Hello, Okay,
so much for old times. In the mirror, I saw
a woman, not the one.
Speaker 10 (11:17):
From the bar.
Speaker 8 (11:19):
It was my mother rather, And it'll be your fault
and not a pure reflex. After you've broken your first
men's room mirror, the rest comes easy, especially when you're
drunk and the woman looking at you blamed you for
her suicide, which wasn't necessary because you already blamed yourself.
(11:47):
Back in the bar, the woman who smiled at me
walked over and introduced herself, Brenda.
Speaker 13 (11:53):
That your drink fust Do I know you?
Speaker 8 (11:58):
Not yet a little later, I was in my car
overlooking the Pacific. A revolver was on the seat next
to me. I looked at the moon, picked up the gun,
and I was dreaming. NASA arranged a Q and A
(12:31):
on our way home, the first televised press conference from
space and Neil, how.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
Did it feel to be the first man on the moon.
Speaker 9 (12:42):
When you say feel, what exactly do you mean?
Speaker 8 (12:45):
Of course feelings For Neil, we're uncharted territory. I have
some thoughts on that, but no one asked the sense
of bitches, which didn't surprise me, but did kiss me off.
I got pissed easy.
Speaker 6 (13:01):
In those days, Buzz was a Follow eleven worth more
than the collection of moon rocks.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
I believe it's an expression of the fundamental human desire
to explore new territories. I view this mission as only
a beginning, and if in the years to come, future
explorers will build on the foundation we've established, then yes,
it was more than Mike.
Speaker 14 (13:26):
It must have been difficult being up in the command
module alone in orbiting the Moon while Neil and Buzz.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
Were actually on the lunar surface.
Speaker 10 (13:34):
It was Yeah, what was the hardest part figuring out
who was who?
Speaker 8 (13:47):
The journey to the Moon was fueled by anticipation. Now
we just wanted to get home. As Mike, Neil and
I flew home at five times the speed of sound,
there wasn't much for us to do. Columbia more or
less fluid itself. We talked for the first and only
time about what our futures would look like after Apollo eleven.
(14:11):
Of course, I was shocked that Neil had his precisely planned.
Speaker 9 (14:16):
I'm going to teach aerospace engineering, and I want to
develop a plan for civilian space flight in the twenty
first century, and I want to travel to some of
the places on Earth that we've seen from space, North
and South Poles, Brazilian rainforest, by a farm where he'sed cattle,
and make sure no one turns one small step into
(14:37):
a cottage industry.
Speaker 7 (14:39):
I want to.
Speaker 10 (14:40):
Strengthen my marriage.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
You and Pat seem pretty solid, more than most of us.
Speaker 9 (14:47):
Speak for yourself, buzz i am.
Speaker 7 (14:51):
If we're solid, it's because of Pat and sacrifices she's made.
Now it's my turn, and once the ticker tape's cleaned
up and the world to are over, I'd like to,
I don't know, start a museum maybe at the Smithsonian,
to get kids as excited about space as I was.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Very admirable, boys, but you're missing the opportunity of a
lifetime will be sought after commodities. Fortune five hundred boards
of directors are gonna want us, and I'm gonna let
them pay for the pleasure of my company.
Speaker 9 (15:30):
You capitalize on what we've done, you.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Bet your ass. First half of my life has been
for my country. The second half will be for my family.
Speaker 11 (15:43):
And me.
Speaker 8 (15:49):
I did the Fortune five hundred thing. The money flowed
in fast and out faster. Neil and Mike were living
the lives, they mapped out. I lived alone, nothing interested.
Me Making decisions was paralyzing. And I'm not just talking
(16:09):
big picture. What do I do now that I walked
on the moon kind of decisions?
Speaker 13 (16:13):
It's up to you, sir.
Speaker 7 (16:15):
Either you want pickles with your quarter pounder or you don't.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Maybe I should uh just get the big mac with cheese.
Speaker 7 (16:24):
There are other guests waiting to be served.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
I'll let him wait. Okay, how many pickles are on
the quarter pounder?
Speaker 7 (16:31):
Let's go pal today, sir.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Either make up your mind or please step aside so
our other guests can make their choices.
Speaker 7 (16:37):
I get hungry kids here.
Speaker 8 (16:39):
He was a big biker type.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
Shut the fuck up?
Speaker 10 (16:42):
What did you say?
Speaker 4 (16:43):
I said, you're an asshole.
Speaker 8 (16:45):
He came at me and I was ready. I took
a swing at him whoa, but missed. He took one
at me.
Speaker 10 (16:54):
And didn't. No.
Speaker 7 (16:55):
Please, whoa, whoa?
Speaker 10 (16:58):
Whoa?
Speaker 7 (16:59):
Sir, sir, can someone help us here?
Speaker 8 (17:04):
I bought quarter pounders for the biker and his kids,
and nobody pressed charges. Then I drove to the house
I lived in when I was married to Joan. We
had a couple of horses, and I saw her at
the corral with doctor Ludwig. After a while, I followed
Ludwig to a diner. Since leaving NASA, she had gone
(17:25):
into private practice. She asked me about my split lip.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
I told her about the fight the Hamburger shop.
Speaker 8 (17:33):
She said, the inability to make decisions, no matter how small,
is a classic symptom of the depression I inherited.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Sometimes I think I would have been better off dying
on the moon instead of living the way I am now.
Speaker 13 (17:54):
And how are you living?
Speaker 4 (17:56):
For the first time in twenty years? Have no structure,
no mission. If I did the depression everything, they'd take
care of themselves.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I'd be fine.
Speaker 13 (18:14):
No, you wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
What if jone's the only one who really knows me?
What if we tried to get back together, She'd never
go for it.
Speaker 13 (18:26):
How do you know I'd tell her not to?
Speaker 10 (18:29):
Why?
Speaker 13 (18:30):
Because friends don't let friends be stupid? Buzz. She's been
working to get sober, and I won't be a party
to her regression.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Neither would I.
Speaker 13 (18:44):
You couldn't help it. And it's not because you don't
want what's best for her and your kids. It's because
you're not what's best for them. And that's because you're
a toxic combination of infla ego and love, self esteem.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
And how the same bullshit we talked about eight years ago,
and look.
Speaker 10 (19:06):
Where you are.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Well, what do you suggest treatment?
Speaker 13 (19:13):
Admit you're an alcoholic and get into treatment. That's the
first step.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
No, the first step is structure. I could go back
to the Air Force. They'd take me in a minute.
I could write my own ticket.
Speaker 13 (19:25):
Go back to the Air Force. Buzz, You've got to
go forward or you won't be going anywhere.
Speaker 8 (19:39):
General Tom Mahoney and I had been classmates at West Point.
I gave him a call at Edward's Air Force Base
and he said the door was always open.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
So what can I do for you, Buzz?
Speaker 4 (19:54):
I want to get back to work. I need a
recommendation from you. You know something I could sink my
teeth into. I mean, what's better than here at Edwards?
Like a homecoming from when I was coming down to
flight training? Uh Will, what's the hesitation?
Speaker 7 (20:14):
No?
Speaker 2 (20:14):
No, it's just you were here less than a year
and there was you know that problem with Bob White.
Now come on as your superior officer.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
He was jealous of my celebrity.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Everybody knows that except him and maybe you I don't
deserve that. I got you the goddamn job.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Tom, I need a posting.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
You were the second man on the moon.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
And damnit, how many times do I have to be
reminded of that?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
What I was gonna say is that counts for a lot.
But frankly, Buzz, we've heard your drinking. It is a
little out of control.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
Now that's not true.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
We hear that is what we hear. But I'm willing
to roll the dice again. It's just we've got to
be realistic. Now, listen to me. There may be an
opening at clear it's a radar station.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Where's that Alaska?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
No, seriously, Anderson, Alaska. You put in a couple of
years there, and if there's no issues, then you.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Can come a couple of years in the middle of nowhere.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
At the moments, you're pretty much unplaceable.
Speaker 10 (21:28):
A word from you could change that.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
The words Alaska. Now, if you want to get back
in the saddle, that rning what reindeer?
Speaker 9 (21:38):
You know what?
Speaker 10 (21:38):
Get Tom?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
You know this has always been your problem. You think
the sun shines out your ass. You could take Alaska
and shove it up yours.
Speaker 10 (21:51):
In those days.
Speaker 8 (21:52):
If I was running for election as my own worst enemy,
I'd have won by a landslide. But those were days
I didn't even see coming. As we headed home. In
the command module, everything seemed normal as we programmed coordinates
for re entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
Speaker 6 (22:12):
Upon eleven, Houston stand by and will center state vector
and re entry load. The data uploads are in.
Speaker 9 (22:19):
Okay, sounds good.
Speaker 6 (22:22):
You should know that President Nixon surprised your wife to
the phone call from Air Force one as he flew
out to San Francisco.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
How about that, ah, I'm sure they loved it over cre.
Speaker 6 (22:33):
Entry coordinates are as follows. Area is mid Pacific rule
zero zero zero one five to two zero zero one,
latitude plus one three three to two sextant star four
or five zero one eight nine er lift vector.
Speaker 10 (22:51):
Up roger that Houston, I'll update your.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
Retro times for various altitudes.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
Backup. Cruz standing by to assist you.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
I just want to remind you that the most discicult
part of your mission is going to be reentry over.
Speaker 10 (23:06):
Thank you for that. We didn't know how difficult, but
in Hawaii they did.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Captain.
Speaker 11 (23:16):
The Project thirty five satellite confirms that Apollo Levin's command
module is going to splash down in a hurricane.
Speaker 14 (23:21):
Stop talking, Lieutenant, shut the door. You know better than
to mention Project thirty five. Yes, sir, but access is
code word, and you aren't even cleared to be briefed
on it. And now I hear you've been blabbing all
over operations about it, even to the insigns.
Speaker 11 (23:41):
Sir, I know it's a breach, but Columbia is coming
down into thirty foot swells. The helicopters won't be able
to recover it. Lieutenant will lose that.
Speaker 14 (23:48):
We're running strike packages out of Thailand tomorrow into North
Vietnam based on the data from Project thirty five, a
classified satellite the Communists don't know we have. But if
NASA changes of splash down land inside the North Vietnamese
will know the satellite exists, and sixty of our pilots
will be sitting ducks. Three lives or sixty.
Speaker 10 (24:12):
You do the math with respect, sir.
Speaker 11 (24:16):
They're the first men on the moon drowning like a
sack of cats?
Speaker 10 (24:21):
Will that be our legacy?
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Buzz, starring John Lithgow and Jeffrey Errand, is created by
Stephen Cronish and directed by John Scott Dryden. Chapter ten
is written by Matt Graham and Stephen Cronish. Original music
is by Sasha Putnam. Sound designed by Elouise Whitmore. The
producer is Emma Hearn. The executive producers are Jeremy Fox,
(25:00):
Scott Dryden, Stephen Cronish, Howard Stringer and Jason English. Buzz
is a production of Thoroughbred Studios, gold Hawk Productions, and
iHeart Podcasts.