August 5, 2024 • 20 mins
Please enjoy Haunted Corpse The a great episode of the legendaryX Minus One radio - A Classic Old Time radio Show - OTR
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is Walter o'keeth inviting you to listen in on
the nightline. M tonight lived the incredible life of ages
yet to come in a time that might be a
million years from now on X minus one now an
(00:27):
incredible story of the world beyond.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
God Dom for blast of X minus five, for We
two X minus one, fire.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
From the far horizons of the unknown, comtails 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 Mayvy Worlds, the National Broadcasting Company,
in cooperation with Galaxies Science Fiction Magazine presents he minus
(01:31):
one to night The Haunted Corpse by Frederick Paul. But
first hear this. Whatever you want things to be, just
right to be it here are there are they are nights.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
You make it Taps because Taps makes it.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yes, Pats makes it perfect, just as we always have
ever since eighteen forty four. So next time you make
it past because papst makes it perfect. America's brewer than
Beer from the Pats Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yes, Taps makes this perfect.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Ah x minus one and the story of the Haunted Corpse.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
We moved in at eight hundred.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
That's pretty good time, considering that Van Pelt turned up
at the Pentagon on Thursday and it took until Monday
morning to go in and see the general. By Tuesday
I had a task force of one hundred and thirty
five men bivouacked around the old man's place. Corporal McCabe,
my orderly reported mission accomplished.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Well, Colonel, there's a whole company dug in down a road,
right calendar and Wensday.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Is all set up lack here like you've done ordered.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
We got a.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Covey as m week time cars from the Cavalry Roman
passion of June bugs quarter in a handkerchief.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
The cave isn't very bright, but he's loyal. Well, about
nine in the morning, the old man woke up. I
suppose the firing at the auxiliary pistol range. I've said,
I've got him out of bed.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Get out of here, Go on, you get those trucks
off my law. Get out, Doctor Horn? What is this
the boy scout chambourree? Are you the scout master, Doctor Horn?
Speaker 5 (03:26):
I am Lieutenant Colonel Windhamer, Sir, My orders are to
establish a security cordon about your laboratory.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Oh what here you are, sir? My copy of your orders?
What the devil is this nonsense?
Speaker 5 (03:36):
You will see they are signed by General Pollensby and
sign No.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
I know that sniveling rat van felt he went to
the army.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Is that it?
Speaker 4 (03:44):
That mountain has ungrateful tub of rantid lard went crawling
into Washington and ratted to some tin.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
Soldier, Sir, General Pollinsby is not a tin soldier?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Is that it?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Did Dick Vantel come to you with some cock and
bull story that chicken livered Wormy's misforgotten offspring, Doctor Horn.
The General asked me to give you his personal assurance
that we will not interfere in your work here.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
But I'm sure you understand the importance of security. Now
you listen to me.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
The horn effect is my personal property, not the governments.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Or the armies.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
What is this creeping socialism?
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Sir? Security My orderly isn't cleared.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Oh that don't make no nerve of mind, Colonel I
don't rightly grasp what he's saying. No hair McCabe, report
to my ken. Oh this one is getting me in
a rangything.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
Now, doctor Horney, I want you to know that I'm
here to help you. If there's anything you want, just
ask me. If you want to go into town, that
can be arranged. Of course, you'd better give us twenty
four hour notice so we can clear the streets and
check out own man.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Yes, sir, you may go to the devil.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Of course.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
He went in to call the Pentagon and protest. He
had a lot of skirt for an old civilian of
about seventy five.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Hello. Hello, this is doctor Eric Horn. I want to
protest an invasion of my primacy.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Of course, doctor Horne, I understand.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
There's an officious young cub scout out of my place
making a pest of himself, a lieutenant.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Something, Lieutenant Colonel Windermere. But I called Washington.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Yes, sir, but our intercept monitor put the call through
to me. We'll take care of any outside calls you
wish to make.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
A folly insufferable.
Speaker 5 (05:23):
Up at about six hundred the next morning, I ran
a surprise whole scale inspection and simulated in filter.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Hey, lieuten you take it's me but tade have you simulated?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (05:50):
Fortunately he was only gray. The wire stream detail worked
all night and we had surrounded the old Victorian house
with triple frand electrified barbed wire with guard towers every fifty.
At fourteen hundred, I paid a call on doctor Horn.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
What are you doing here? Good afternoon, doctor Horn. I
came in for your report.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
By what your daily progress report is in my orders
paragraph eight. Just carry on, sir, carpl McKay will take
your words down. Oh, his clearance came through last month.
You have measure for electronically killing a man without touching him.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Killing Lieutenant, Will you tell me what in the sweet
name of Heaven did I say that gave you that
particularly stupid notion. But I understand you think this is
a weapon. Of course, of course my machine renders humans
in the corpse.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
A chip flint will also do that.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Look you simple it. Don't you realize what my machine
can do. It can separate. That's something which added to
a body produces a man that subtracted leaves a corpse.
I can separate the two things without destroying them. You
understand that I can take the ghost of life out
of a body and keep it unharmed. Try to understand that,
(06:56):
you pig headed, mule eared rabbit face.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
You're listening to the Haunted Corps. The Night's attraction on
X minus one. You know the property value of your
home depends on the well being of your community and
your neighborhood, on things like good lighting for your street,
accessible parks and playgrounds, and cleaning up slums, and what
(07:28):
others are doing.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
You can do.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
In Michigan, a city group launched Operation Bootstrap to rehabilitate houses,
clean up slums, and interest everyone in better living standards.
In Pennsylvania, a local real estate board surveyed every property
in town, got five hundred improved and fifty hopeless slums
torn down. So help clean up slums and keep up
(07:52):
your own home as well to help keep your community sound.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Get into Action.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Action is a national organization designed to help you protect
the well being of your community. For free information on
your particular problem, right to Action Box twenty Radio City Station,
New York twenty, New York. Now back to X minus one.
(08:23):
I am the hearted courts.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
I terminated the interview and went back to headquarters to
prepare my situation analysis. Van Pelt, all three hundred pounds
of him, was waiting for me.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
He was eating a Cannis sea ration with a knife.
Speaker 6 (08:38):
He's a perfectly saying colonel, but he's dangerous, very dangerous.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
You've gotta protect me absolutely, Van Pelt. I want a
straight dope on Horn. Now, what is this ghost? Oh?
That that that's just his way of putting it.
Speaker 7 (08:51):
You see, who would care to join me in the
canabeans no thing? You Well, there's a difference between a
living man and a dead man, and that difference is
what doctor Horn whimsically calls a ghost.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
Call it a life plus intelligence plus soul. If there
is such a word at your election on, colonel, you
mean his machine conjures up?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
God?
Speaker 7 (09:14):
No, no, no, Colonel.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
Doctor Horn is an impossible old vulture, but he's not
a faker. Horn can drain the essence of life from
a body and store it, or if he wishes, he
can replace them in another body.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Uh, would you mind.
Speaker 7 (09:29):
Handing me the can opener?
Speaker 1 (09:31):
This looks interesting, macaroney and beef supperation.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Well, so he had a machine that could take a
mind out of one body and put it in another body.
But why didn't he say so straightforwardly, instead of beating
around the bush like a Savilian.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Of course, he was a Savilian, which might explain it.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
Next morning, I went to the laboratory with carpl mckabe
and insisted on demonstration.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
All right, this way, gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Please, Corporal the cave is an enlisted man.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
At this pole, we have a cocker Spaniel and over
here a Rhode Island red.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
That's all right, perky looking chicken. Duh.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
If you will kindly stay clear of the terminal.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Areas, I will activate the field.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
What's happening field is vibrating at the psychloid rate set
on the crystals.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
All right, it's ready for discharge.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Now well, watch you're over your boy here, boy, Hey,
that ain't no hand. That's the chicken. I know you're over. Well,
I'll be sickle for a nail, fat little chicken. He's
trying to wag his tail. And over here.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Here chick chick, chick, chick chick chickie you chiek, it's
all gone. I never did tree like that.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
A flop heeard, honest to see dog you're trying to
pet corn.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Guy.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
At a private conference with the old man later, under
Section K and my security regulations, I moved on my
own initiatives. Well, lieutenant lieutenant colonel, there is a slight difference. Well,
and now can you do this with people?
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Indeed, I can but the filly law's covering these things.
They won't let me.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I've tried.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Imagine a simple exchange, a man dying of.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Terminal cancer and a feeble minded youth.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Put the sound mind into the sound body and let
decayed parts lot together.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
But will they let me? No, No, you've never tried
the machine on people.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
No, but you're here a military man, m very brave.
All I need is a volunteer. That coward van Pelt's refuse.
That's why sneak off to you.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
But a brave soldier like you.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
Negative, sir, nate lieutenant, negative sir. Besides, I am not
a lieutenant. I'm a field grade officer. I don't believe
you appreciate the investment of services made in my training.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
However, you need volunteers. The army has a way of
obtaining volunteers, sir. We'll see what we can do.
Speaker 5 (12:27):
Actually it was easy. First there was a boy from
Maine awaiting court martial on an a wall charge. Second,
he volunteered when I pointed out he could get up
to a year at hard labor.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
And then the cave.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Oh no, sir, I ain't to volunteer in.
Speaker 5 (12:43):
Time in the cave, I have been asked to recommend
a non com for infantry assignment in the Aleutian Island Infantry. Yes,
advance rifle platoons scout the illusions in the winter.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Colonel sir, I begs to.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
Report you have found of volunteer, namely I.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
Doctor Horne had arranged the terminus of the machine polls
to be tapped into metal.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Helmets, which were adjusted on the head of the two men.
But this yere reminds me of playing left tackle.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Ready, Lieutenant, I ready for curonelsor maybe I better not
try this? Well, I mean I cancel my g I
insurance the illusion.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Yes, the colonel sir, well, goodbye. The past is an
anti climact. It worked. McCabe, that is, McCabe's.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Body reported himself as Private Ethan Coffin in a broad
down East dialect.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
I had horns switched them back, and then I went
back to my tent and put through.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
A call Crash Priority jenneral fallens beyond a scrambler's circuit.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Colonel say, all right, now, leaves mckaid. It's just top secrets.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
They don't never tell me nothing.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
I swear it's worse and great now.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
General Van Pelt. What's the idea of barging in? I'm
making a topsy you what horn make?
Speaker 2 (14:21):
His testured to the ouse. Van Pell's out, But that's
all he's We're waiting for you.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
Gotta listen to Babe, your escort, Mister van Pel's out.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I was floating on a cloud of pure joy. I
could see my egos within my grasp. Is even a
full star? I told the general my plank. Are you
still there, sir?
Speaker 4 (14:48):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Well, you see, we use the device for intelligence.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Suppose someone way up top in there government should visit
the United States, we switch him, put our own man
in his body, you see, Or in wartime, take a
few prisoners and put arm in inside their bodies. Yes, sir, Yes, sir,
I can be available for a staff meeting at all
nine hundred, Yes, sir, General Windermere, Lieutenant General Windo.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Here, Oh why not, General of the Armies. But it
is in Micada that mister van Tael.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
Listen, Michaida next time I'm on the top secret scrambler
to the Pentagon. Don't you dare let anybody into the
command tent.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
No, sirn sir, but this here, van Pail.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I don't want to hear about him and cool its
heels awhile.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Well he ain't that is he leah good. But he
carried on something frightful. He kept saying, mister Horn wanted
to live forever white screwel.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
He ain'ty, that's what he's saying.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
He said all Horn was waiting on was to make
a test on human beings. He said that he's gonna
grab the first man who runs into and steal his body.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I think he is drunk or something.
Speaker 5 (15:59):
Kada call a condition red alert. Don't argue, won't ever mine.
You go up to the laboratory and take doctor Horn
into custody. I'll give the alert now.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Move.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I could say it all immediately.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
I grabbed my side arm and buckled it on, and
I threw the swift that signaled a red alert throughout
feeling just what you would expect from a selfish civilian
like Horn. He'd take an invention like this and use
it to steal other people's bodies to prolong his own
nearly senile existence in a younger body. If that happened, there,
(16:39):
it goes my general star, because he'd surely smash the
machine and we'd never be able to trace him or
switch him back, and we wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Know which body he's told. I was held up with
the inner perimeter.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
For five precious minutes while some idiot in says or
a password I just happened to credit, although I had.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Issued it in the morning.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
Luckily, while I was slurring at him, I actually hit
the right combination and let me crow Hell could go
on in the laboratory. I knew that probably to try
to stop the old man, but the effect would be
to supply him with a body he'd have to swap immediately.
He couldn't take the chance of a heart attack. I
ran in the laboratory.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
My sight, I'm drawing, darn, doctor Horn, my twifter? Were
you and body still worn?
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Doctor Horn? His cast off cocoon abandoned, And then in
front of me, I saw him Ben Pelly too. Wait,
oh wait, listen, Oh McKay, what happened to you?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
He sludged. He wait, no, wait, go smash the machine.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Van tells, I know it's really you, Doctor Horn, and
Van Pell's body, and I'll put down that gun shop.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Don't stick the machine. Listen, doctor Horn, I'll help you.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
I'll see you got a good healthy body as long
as you wanted, doctor Horn. Think of the safety of
our country, think of security.
Speaker 7 (17:51):
No, no, I'm not doctor.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Who shut McKay. Put that pistol away you.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
Foo o corn, doctor Horn, speak to me now I
know at you and Van Pel's body.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Now, now speak to me, doctor Horn. Babe.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
Oh he's dead, McKay, you simple minded? Why did you
kill him?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (18:15):
Everything is gone, my general star, Everything all right, McKay,
bro part to your quarters. You'll get a court martial.
It'll make your hair curl. And I sat there in
(18:36):
the wrecked laboratory and I almost cried. Everything gone, the machine,
the brilliant mind that knew its secret. And I looked
at the corpse of Van Pelt, that held the mind
of doctor Horn before that idiot McKay but put a
bullet through the brain and killed both. I can almost
feel cheerful because I thought, as the court martials come.
(18:57):
It was at that moment the sergeant Old Hair came
in to tell me that McKay one on the other telephone.
I picked it up and waited to hear the miserable
rat crawl and plead for mercy.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Colonel service is corpor McKee.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
McKay, There is no use pleading for mercy. I trust
you have managed to find your quarters.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
You're under arrest. That's what I thought.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
I don't think I'll stay for the court martial, Lieutenant
say bore.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Me, okay with the voice doctor Horne.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Precisely, Lieutenant, precisely. Goodbye. Now, if a body meet a body,
come and suse good bye, Lieutenant. Thanks for the body.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Fred Collins. Again, I'll have another word about X minus one.
In a moment, the National Safety councils all out can
backed the attack on traffic accidents.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
That's only.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
You have just heard X minus one, Presented by the
National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Galaxy science fiction magazine,
X minus one has brought you The Haunted Corpse, a
story from the pages of Galaxy, written by Frederick Pohle
and adapted for radio by Ernest Cannoy. Featured in our
cast were Leon Jenny, Jim Bowles, Joseph Bell.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
And Rhys Taylor. This is Fred Collins.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
X minus one was directed by Daniel Sutter, and it's
an NBC Radio Network production. We pause now for station identification.
(20:56):
We pause now for station identification.
This is Walter o'keeth inviting you to listen in on
the nightline. M tonight lived the incredible life of ages
yet to come in a time that might be a
million years from now on X minus one now an
(00:27):
incredible story of the world beyond.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
God Dom for blast of X minus five, for We
two X minus one, fire.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
From the far horizons of the unknown, comtails 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 Mayvy Worlds, the National Broadcasting Company,
in cooperation with Galaxies Science Fiction Magazine presents he minus
(01:31):
one to night The Haunted Corpse by Frederick Paul. But
first hear this. Whatever you want things to be, just
right to be it here are there are they are nights.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
You make it Taps because Taps makes it.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yes, Pats makes it perfect, just as we always have
ever since eighteen forty four. So next time you make
it past because papst makes it perfect. America's brewer than
Beer from the Pats Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yes, Taps makes this perfect.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Ah x minus one and the story of the Haunted Corpse.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
We moved in at eight hundred.
Speaker 5 (02:32):
That's pretty good time, considering that Van Pelt turned up
at the Pentagon on Thursday and it took until Monday
morning to go in and see the general. By Tuesday
I had a task force of one hundred and thirty
five men bivouacked around the old man's place. Corporal McCabe,
my orderly reported mission accomplished.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Well, Colonel, there's a whole company dug in down a road,
right calendar and Wensday.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Is all set up lack here like you've done ordered.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
We got a.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Covey as m week time cars from the Cavalry Roman
passion of June bugs quarter in a handkerchief.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
The cave isn't very bright, but he's loyal. Well, about
nine in the morning, the old man woke up. I
suppose the firing at the auxiliary pistol range. I've said,
I've got him out of bed.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Get out of here, Go on, you get those trucks
off my law. Get out, Doctor Horn? What is this
the boy scout chambourree? Are you the scout master, Doctor Horn?
Speaker 5 (03:26):
I am Lieutenant Colonel Windhamer, Sir, My orders are to
establish a security cordon about your laboratory.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Oh what here you are, sir? My copy of your orders?
What the devil is this nonsense?
Speaker 5 (03:36):
You will see they are signed by General Pollensby and
sign No.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
I know that sniveling rat van felt he went to
the army.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Is that it?
Speaker 4 (03:44):
That mountain has ungrateful tub of rantid lard went crawling
into Washington and ratted to some tin.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
Soldier, Sir, General Pollinsby is not a tin soldier?
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Is that it?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Did Dick Vantel come to you with some cock and
bull story that chicken livered Wormy's misforgotten offspring, Doctor Horn.
The General asked me to give you his personal assurance
that we will not interfere in your work here.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
But I'm sure you understand the importance of security. Now
you listen to me.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
The horn effect is my personal property, not the governments.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Or the armies.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
What is this creeping socialism?
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Sir? Security My orderly isn't cleared.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Oh that don't make no nerve of mind, Colonel I
don't rightly grasp what he's saying. No hair McCabe, report
to my ken. Oh this one is getting me in
a rangything.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
Now, doctor Horney, I want you to know that I'm
here to help you. If there's anything you want, just
ask me. If you want to go into town, that
can be arranged. Of course, you'd better give us twenty
four hour notice so we can clear the streets and
check out own man.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Yes, sir, you may go to the devil.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Of course.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
He went in to call the Pentagon and protest. He
had a lot of skirt for an old civilian of
about seventy five.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Hello. Hello, this is doctor Eric Horn. I want to
protest an invasion of my primacy.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Of course, doctor Horne, I understand.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
There's an officious young cub scout out of my place
making a pest of himself, a lieutenant.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Something, Lieutenant Colonel Windermere. But I called Washington.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Yes, sir, but our intercept monitor put the call through
to me. We'll take care of any outside calls you
wish to make.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
A folly insufferable.
Speaker 5 (05:23):
Up at about six hundred the next morning, I ran
a surprise whole scale inspection and simulated in filter.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Hey, lieuten you take it's me but tade have you simulated?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (05:50):
Fortunately he was only gray. The wire stream detail worked
all night and we had surrounded the old Victorian house
with triple frand electrified barbed wire with guard towers every fifty.
At fourteen hundred, I paid a call on doctor Horn.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
What are you doing here? Good afternoon, doctor Horn. I
came in for your report.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
By what your daily progress report is in my orders
paragraph eight. Just carry on, sir, carpl McKay will take
your words down. Oh, his clearance came through last month.
You have measure for electronically killing a man without touching him.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Killing Lieutenant, Will you tell me what in the sweet
name of Heaven did I say that gave you that
particularly stupid notion. But I understand you think this is
a weapon. Of course, of course my machine renders humans
in the corpse.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
A chip flint will also do that.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Look you simple it. Don't you realize what my machine
can do. It can separate. That's something which added to
a body produces a man that subtracted leaves a corpse.
I can separate the two things without destroying them. You
understand that I can take the ghost of life out
of a body and keep it unharmed. Try to understand that,
(06:56):
you pig headed, mule eared rabbit face.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
You're listening to the Haunted Corps. The Night's attraction on
X minus one. You know the property value of your
home depends on the well being of your community and
your neighborhood, on things like good lighting for your street,
accessible parks and playgrounds, and cleaning up slums, and what
(07:28):
others are doing.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
You can do.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
In Michigan, a city group launched Operation Bootstrap to rehabilitate houses,
clean up slums, and interest everyone in better living standards.
In Pennsylvania, a local real estate board surveyed every property
in town, got five hundred improved and fifty hopeless slums
torn down. So help clean up slums and keep up
(07:52):
your own home as well to help keep your community sound.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Get into Action.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Action is a national organization designed to help you protect
the well being of your community. For free information on
your particular problem, right to Action Box twenty Radio City Station,
New York twenty, New York. Now back to X minus one.
(08:23):
I am the hearted courts.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
I terminated the interview and went back to headquarters to
prepare my situation analysis. Van Pelt, all three hundred pounds
of him, was waiting for me.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
He was eating a Cannis sea ration with a knife.
Speaker 6 (08:38):
He's a perfectly saying colonel, but he's dangerous, very dangerous.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
You've gotta protect me absolutely, Van Pelt. I want a
straight dope on Horn. Now, what is this ghost? Oh?
That that that's just his way of putting it.
Speaker 7 (08:51):
You see, who would care to join me in the
canabeans no thing? You Well, there's a difference between a
living man and a dead man, and that difference is
what doctor Horn whimsically calls a ghost.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
Call it a life plus intelligence plus soul. If there
is such a word at your election on, colonel, you
mean his machine conjures up?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
God?
Speaker 7 (09:14):
No, no, no, Colonel.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
Doctor Horn is an impossible old vulture, but he's not
a faker. Horn can drain the essence of life from
a body and store it, or if he wishes, he
can replace them in another body.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Uh, would you mind.
Speaker 7 (09:29):
Handing me the can opener?
Speaker 1 (09:31):
This looks interesting, macaroney and beef supperation.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Well, so he had a machine that could take a
mind out of one body and put it in another body.
But why didn't he say so straightforwardly, instead of beating
around the bush like a Savilian.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Of course, he was a Savilian, which might explain it.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
Next morning, I went to the laboratory with carpl mckabe
and insisted on demonstration.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
All right, this way, gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Please, Corporal the cave is an enlisted man.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
At this pole, we have a cocker Spaniel and over
here a Rhode Island red.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
That's all right, perky looking chicken. Duh.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
If you will kindly stay clear of the terminal.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Areas, I will activate the field.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
What's happening field is vibrating at the psychloid rate set
on the crystals.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
All right, it's ready for discharge.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Now well, watch you're over your boy here, boy, Hey,
that ain't no hand. That's the chicken. I know you're over. Well,
I'll be sickle for a nail, fat little chicken. He's
trying to wag his tail. And over here.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Here chick chick, chick, chick chick chickie you chiek, it's
all gone. I never did tree like that.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
A flop heeard, honest to see dog you're trying to
pet corn.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Guy.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
At a private conference with the old man later, under
Section K and my security regulations, I moved on my
own initiatives. Well, lieutenant lieutenant colonel, there is a slight difference. Well,
and now can you do this with people?
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Indeed, I can but the filly law's covering these things.
They won't let me.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I've tried.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Imagine a simple exchange, a man dying of.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Terminal cancer and a feeble minded youth.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Put the sound mind into the sound body and let
decayed parts lot together.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
But will they let me? No, No, you've never tried
the machine on people.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
No, but you're here a military man, m very brave.
All I need is a volunteer. That coward van Pelt's refuse.
That's why sneak off to you.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
But a brave soldier like you.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
Negative, sir, nate lieutenant, negative sir. Besides, I am not
a lieutenant. I'm a field grade officer. I don't believe
you appreciate the investment of services made in my training.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
However, you need volunteers. The army has a way of
obtaining volunteers, sir. We'll see what we can do.
Speaker 5 (12:27):
Actually it was easy. First there was a boy from
Maine awaiting court martial on an a wall charge. Second,
he volunteered when I pointed out he could get up
to a year at hard labor.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
And then the cave.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Oh no, sir, I ain't to volunteer in.
Speaker 5 (12:43):
Time in the cave, I have been asked to recommend
a non com for infantry assignment in the Aleutian Island Infantry. Yes,
advance rifle platoons scout the illusions in the winter.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Colonel sir, I begs to.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
Report you have found of volunteer, namely I.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
Doctor Horne had arranged the terminus of the machine polls
to be tapped into metal.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Helmets, which were adjusted on the head of the two men.
But this yere reminds me of playing left tackle.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Ready, Lieutenant, I ready for curonelsor maybe I better not
try this? Well, I mean I cancel my g I
insurance the illusion.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Yes, the colonel sir, well, goodbye. The past is an
anti climact. It worked. McCabe, that is, McCabe's.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Body reported himself as Private Ethan Coffin in a broad
down East dialect.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
I had horns switched them back, and then I went
back to my tent and put through.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
A call Crash Priority jenneral fallens beyond a scrambler's circuit.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Colonel say, all right, now, leaves mckaid. It's just top secrets.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
They don't never tell me nothing.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
I swear it's worse and great now.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
General Van Pelt. What's the idea of barging in? I'm
making a topsy you what horn make?
Speaker 2 (14:21):
His testured to the ouse. Van Pell's out, But that's
all he's We're waiting for you.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
Gotta listen to Babe, your escort, Mister van Pel's out.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I was floating on a cloud of pure joy. I
could see my egos within my grasp. Is even a
full star? I told the general my plank. Are you
still there, sir?
Speaker 4 (14:48):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Well, you see, we use the device for intelligence.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Suppose someone way up top in there government should visit
the United States, we switch him, put our own man
in his body, you see, Or in wartime, take a
few prisoners and put arm in inside their bodies. Yes, sir, Yes, sir,
I can be available for a staff meeting at all
nine hundred, Yes, sir, General Windermere, Lieutenant General Windo.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Here, Oh why not, General of the Armies. But it
is in Micada that mister van Tael.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
Listen, Michaida next time I'm on the top secret scrambler
to the Pentagon. Don't you dare let anybody into the
command tent.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
No, sirn sir, but this here, van Pail.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I don't want to hear about him and cool its
heels awhile.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Well he ain't that is he leah good. But he
carried on something frightful. He kept saying, mister Horn wanted
to live forever white screwel.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
He ain'ty, that's what he's saying.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
He said all Horn was waiting on was to make
a test on human beings. He said that he's gonna
grab the first man who runs into and steal his body.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I think he is drunk or something.
Speaker 5 (15:59):
Kada call a condition red alert. Don't argue, won't ever mine.
You go up to the laboratory and take doctor Horn
into custody. I'll give the alert now.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Move.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I could say it all immediately.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
I grabbed my side arm and buckled it on, and
I threw the swift that signaled a red alert throughout
feeling just what you would expect from a selfish civilian
like Horn. He'd take an invention like this and use
it to steal other people's bodies to prolong his own
nearly senile existence in a younger body. If that happened, there,
(16:39):
it goes my general star, because he'd surely smash the
machine and we'd never be able to trace him or
switch him back, and we wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Know which body he's told. I was held up with
the inner perimeter.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
For five precious minutes while some idiot in says or
a password I just happened to credit, although I had.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Issued it in the morning.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
Luckily, while I was slurring at him, I actually hit
the right combination and let me crow Hell could go
on in the laboratory. I knew that probably to try
to stop the old man, but the effect would be
to supply him with a body he'd have to swap immediately.
He couldn't take the chance of a heart attack. I
ran in the laboratory.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
My sight, I'm drawing, darn, doctor Horn, my twifter? Were
you and body still worn?
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Doctor Horn? His cast off cocoon abandoned, And then in
front of me, I saw him Ben Pelly too. Wait,
oh wait, listen, Oh McKay, what happened to you?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
He sludged. He wait, no, wait, go smash the machine.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
Van tells, I know it's really you, Doctor Horn, and
Van Pell's body, and I'll put down that gun shop.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Don't stick the machine. Listen, doctor Horn, I'll help you.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
I'll see you got a good healthy body as long
as you wanted, doctor Horn. Think of the safety of
our country, think of security.
Speaker 7 (17:51):
No, no, I'm not doctor.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Who shut McKay. Put that pistol away you.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
Foo o corn, doctor Horn, speak to me now I
know at you and Van Pel's body.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Now, now speak to me, doctor Horn. Babe.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
Oh he's dead, McKay, you simple minded? Why did you
kill him?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (18:15):
Everything is gone, my general star, Everything all right, McKay,
bro part to your quarters. You'll get a court martial.
It'll make your hair curl. And I sat there in
(18:36):
the wrecked laboratory and I almost cried. Everything gone, the machine,
the brilliant mind that knew its secret. And I looked
at the corpse of Van Pelt, that held the mind
of doctor Horn before that idiot McKay but put a
bullet through the brain and killed both. I can almost
feel cheerful because I thought, as the court martials come.
(18:57):
It was at that moment the sergeant Old Hair came
in to tell me that McKay one on the other telephone.
I picked it up and waited to hear the miserable
rat crawl and plead for mercy.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Colonel service is corpor McKee.
Speaker 5 (19:10):
McKay, There is no use pleading for mercy. I trust
you have managed to find your quarters.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
You're under arrest. That's what I thought.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
I don't think I'll stay for the court martial, Lieutenant
say bore.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Me, okay with the voice doctor Horne.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Precisely, Lieutenant, precisely. Goodbye. Now, if a body meet a body,
come and suse good bye, Lieutenant. Thanks for the body.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Fred Collins. Again, I'll have another word about X minus one.
In a moment, the National Safety councils all out can
backed the attack on traffic accidents.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
That's only.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
You have just heard X minus one, Presented by the
National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Galaxy science fiction magazine,
X minus one has brought you The Haunted Corpse, a
story from the pages of Galaxy, written by Frederick Pohle
and adapted for radio by Ernest Cannoy. Featured in our
cast were Leon Jenny, Jim Bowles, Joseph Bell.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
And Rhys Taylor. This is Fred Collins.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
X minus one was directed by Daniel Sutter, and it's
an NBC Radio Network production. We pause now for station identification.
(20:56):
We pause now for station identification.
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