ANNOUNCER:

The Planet Man!

SOUND:

SPACESHIP ENGINE STARTS UP ... SHIP TAKES OFF

MUSIC:

CHORD ... FOR PUNCTUATION

ANNOUNCER:

(SLOWLY, WITH INCREASING ECHO) The... Planet - planet - planet - planet... Man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man!

MUSIC:

MARCH THEME ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER--

ANNOUNCER:

This is the fascinating story of Dantro, The Planet Man, troubleshooter for the League of Planets Organization, the law enforcement body for peace and justice in the celestial world, whose headquarters and center of operations are situated on the capital of all the planets, Planeria Rex.

MUSIC:

UP FOR ACCENT ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER--

ANNOUNCER:

From Mercury to Pluto, wherever danger threatens the universe, you will find Dantro, The Planet Man, fighting for fair play.

MUSIC:

UP AND OUT

ANNOUNCER:

In a moment, "The Planet Man."

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

MUSIC:

ANOTHER MARCH ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER, WITH INCREASINGLY INTENSE ACCENTS AT [X]

ANNOUNCER:

You'll remember that Planet Man, Pat, and Slats are deep in the ancient tunnels beneath the palace of Marston, evil ruler of Mars. They have what they believe to be just six hours to thwart Marston's plans to conquer the Earth and throw the solar system into war. [X]

Billy and Jane, held as hostages by Marston, have disappeared. [X]

Back on Planeria Rex, Judge Augustus and Professor Darrow hope for some miracle to stop Marston before the deadline set by the other planets to strike -- actually, only four hours away. [X]

In the meantime, Dantro, Slats, and Pat are desperately seeking a plan to stop Marston and save Billy and Jane.

SOUND:

ANCIENT TUNNEL BACKGROUND ... WATER SLOSHES, ET CETERA

DANTRO:

Whatever we do, Slats, we must be right. It'll be tough, but if we can only eliminate Marston, we'll throw the whole campaign into confusion. That's the weakness of dictatorship, Slats. When something happens to the dictator, no one is trained to think for himself.

SLATS:

Yeah, I guess you're right, but--

PAT:

(OFF, CALLS) Dantro?! Slats?!

SLATS:

What?

PAT:

(OFF, CALLS) Come here! Hurry!

DANTRO:

Something's wrong. Let's go!

SLATS:

Yeah.

SOUND:

DANTRO AND SLATS' HURRIED STEPS TOWARD PAT ... IN BG

SLATS:

(CALLS) Hey, where are ya, Pat?

PAT:

(OFF) Up ahead of you -- here.

SOUND:

STEPS OUT BEHIND--

DANTRO:

What's wrong, Pat? Are you hurt?

PAT:

Oh, I'm all right. But look at what I found. I was just sort of exploring while you two were talking, and I leaned against the wall here and a whole section of it disappeared. There's some kind of a room in there with machinery in it.

SLATS:

Boy, oh boy! Look at that stuff! That gadget looks big enough to be almost anything! What is it, Dantro?

DANTRO:

It's one of the ancient machines. Seems to be in perfect condition. We've found them before, but they've always been wrecked or damaged.

PAT:

Will it help us? Maybe we can use it against Marston.

SLATS:

Can ya operate it?

DANTRO:

I can try. Let's see. This looks like a power switch. We'll throw it and find out.

SOUND:

SWITCH THROWN ... MACHINE WHIRS TO LIFE ... CONTINUES IN BG

PAT:

You've done it! You've done it! How wonderful!

DANTRO:

Eh, not so fast, Pat. That's just the power. Do you realize how remarkable this is? This machine is at least forty thousand years old and it works as though it were built yesterday.

SLATS:

(SLIGHTLY OFF) Hey, what's this stuff over here?

DANTRO:

Uh, don't - don't touch anything, Slats. Until we've had a chance to figure out the way the different parts work, we may destroy it or ourselves.

PAT:

It does look something like your - your cosmic communicator. See? There's a kind of a screen.

DANTRO:

You're right, Pat. Here, let me try those dials. Easy now.

SOUND:

DIALS TWISTED ... THEN MACHINE WHIRS AND BUBBLES, IN BG

SLATS:

Hey, look. The screen's lighting up.

PAT:

Something's forming on it. What is that, Dantro?

DANTRO:

It's a picture, all right, but I don't recognize anything. Wait, let's try some different adjustments.

SOUND:

ADJUSTMENTS ... ELECTRONIC NOISE, IN AGREEMENT WITH--

PAT:

I recognize that! It's the jungle outside the palace. See? That's one of the ruins we passed. Remember that - that funny-looking tower?

DANTRO:

Right you are. I think I've got the hang of it now. Let's look in on a few friends and enemies and see what's been going on.

MUSIC:

BRIDGE

SOUND:

BILLY AND JANE'S FOOTSTEPS THROUGH TUNNEL BACKGROUND

BILLY:

Stay close to me, Jane, and don't make a sound.

JANE:

Where are we going?

BILLY:

I don't know, but any place is better than that storeroom Marston had us cooped up in.

JANE:

Well, I'm glad that guard left the door unlocked.

BILLY:

Girls always talk too much. I told ya to be quiet!

JANE:

All right. But I was wondering what happened to Slats. He was going to come back.

BILLY:

We can't worry about that now. We've gotta try and get away from that awful Marston.

JANE:

Do you really think we can?

BILLY:

Will you be quiet?

JANE:

(SIGHS) All right. (BEAT) Look! There's a window or something.

BILLY:

I see it.

SOUND:

BILLY CLIMBS UP TO WINDOW

JANE:

Billy, be careful!

BILLY:

I'm just lookin' out. Hey, come here. Wow!

SOUND:

JANE CLIMBS UP TO WINDOW

JANE:

There must be a thousand spaceships out there!

BILLY:

Gosh, it sure looks bad for the Earth.

JANE:

What d'you mean?

BILLY:

Aw, Jane, you're so dumb. That's the fleet Marston's gonna use to attack the Earth. They won't have a chance. One of those big jobs could probably do it all alone.

JANE:

Billy, don't talk like that!

BILLY:

I can't help it, but it's true. They can just sit up in space where our planes and guns can't reach them, and destroy anything they like. From what I've heard the guards say, just their rays alone can wipe out a city, like New York, in a few minutes.

JANE:

Well, isn't there--? Isn't there something somebody can do? I wish Dantro were here. He'd stop them.

BILLY:

Well, he's not, so it's up to us.

JANE:

Up to us? Billy, what are you talking about? What can we do?

BILLY:

I dunno, but we can't just stand here.

JANE:

If only we could somehow warn the Earth, then people could at least go into air raid shelters and places like that. Even if Marston did destroy the buildings, the people would be all right.

BILLY:

If is right! (INSPIRATION) Hey! Gee, maybe that's an idear!

JANE:

What are you talking about?

BILLY:

Listen carefully. Ya see those little ships right over here near the palace?

JANE:

Sure. What about them?

BILLY:

Ya notice how everybody seems to be busy around the big ones?

JANE:

That's right. There's nobody over with the small ones at all. But what good does that do us?

BILLY:

I'll bet if we tried, we could sneak in to one of them.

JANE:

Well, suppose we did. What good would that do?

BILLY:

Gosh, don't be so dumb. We could take off and fly to Earth and warn the people about Marston.

JANE:

Billy, you're crazy. You can't fly one of those.

BILLY:

I'll bet I can! I've watched Dantro when he was flying the Planeteer, and I'm sure I remember what to do.

SOUND:

BILLY'S STEPS AWAY

JANE:

(ALARMED) Billy! Where are you going?

BILLY:

(MOVING OFF) Down to the field!

JANE:

Billy! Billy, wait for me!

MUSIC:

CURTAIN ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER--

ANNOUNCER:

Will Billy and Jane be able to get into one of the armada ships?

MUSIC:

ACCENT

ANNOUNCER:

And if they do, what then?

MUSIC:

ACCENT ... UP AND OUT

ANNOUNCER:

We'll be back in a moment, so level off!

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

MUSIC:

MARCH THEME ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER--

ANNOUNCER:

When we left Billy and Jane they were trying to sneak aboard one of the Marston armada spaceships. They hoped to take off and warn Earth of the impending attack from Mars. In the meantime, Dantro, Pat, and Slats have discovered a most amazing device in the depths of Marston's palace, which was part of an ancient Martian civilization. As we find them now, they are operating this device.

SOUND:

WEIRD NOISES FROM MACHINE ... IN BG

PAT:

Look! There's the League of Planets fleet. There must be five thousand ships.

DANTRO:

The greatest concentration of power in the history of the solar system, Pat, and it's all going to hit right here if we don't do something.

SLATS:

But what can we do? We've been trying to figure this machine out for an hour and all we can do is look in and listen to people. At least, if we could figure out how to send messages we might be able to tell Judge Augustus and Professor Darrow what's happenin'.

PAT:

And we have two hours less than we thought we did.

SLATS:

Yeah.

PAT:

How much time is left before the deadline, Dantro?

DANTRO: 'Bout two hours now, Pat.

SLATS:

Can'tcha figure out how to work this overgrown pipe organ?

DANTRO:

I'm doing the best I can, Slats. If only I could understand the symbols the ancients used, it would be much easier. But, as it is, I'm just guessing.

SLATS:

Why don't we just pull down all the things at once?

DANTRO: Slats, you're an engineer. You know better than that. I'm sure a machine as powerful as this has some kind of an anti-tampering control built in. We fool around too much, the whole thing will cut off.

PAT:

Leave him alone, Slats. If you keep interrupting, it'll just be just that much longer.

DANTRO:

That's all right, Pat. Sometimes questions like that make you think of things you wouldn't have otherwise.

SLATS:

Okay, okay. I'll shut up. Let's get back to work.

MUSIC:

BRIDGE

BILLY:

This way, Jane. Duck down here next to me.

SOUND:

SOLDIERS MARCHING, APPROACHING FROM OFF, IN BG

JANE:

Billy, I hear footsteps. There's a guard or something coming.

BILLY:

Aw, Jane, I hear them, too. Now, just stay here and be quiet.

SOUND:

SOLDIERS MARCH PAST AND FADE OUT

JANE:

Whew, that was close. Where do we go now?

BILLY:

I think if we go out that door, there's a wall we can follow that'll take us to within a few yards of a ship. Come on.

SOUND:

JANE AND BILLY'S HURRIED STEPS TO WALL

BILLY:

I was right, see? There's a ship over there.

JANE:

We aren't going to go across that open space, are we?

BILLY:

How else can we get there?

JANE:

But someone will see us!

BILLY:

Let's not even think about it. Get ready now. Come on!

SOUND:

JANE AND BILLY'S RUNNING STEPS TO SHIP ... JANE BREATHES HARD ... THEIR RUNNING STEPS ONTO THE METAL SHIP

JANE:

Billy! Billy, we made it!

BILLY:

Let's just hope there's no one on board. The control deck must be up this way.

SOUND:

JANE AND BILLY'S STEPS TO DECK

JANE:

I hope you know what you're doing.

BILLY:

It's too late now to turn back.

JANE:

Look at all those gadgets. Are you sure you remember how to work them?

BILLY:

Sure! Just leave everything to me.

JANE:

What are you doing? What's that for?

BILLY:

That's the switch that turns on the atomic pilot.

SOUND:

SWITCH THROWN

BILLY:

It makes graphite rods slide out. Anyhow, it's somethin' like that.

JANE:

What are you doing now?

BILLY: Will you be quiet? I'm tryin' to concentrate.

SOUND:

BILLY MANIPULATES CONTROLS BEHIND--

BILLY:

I'm sure this thing makes us rise, and then this one is the direction control.

JANE:

I'm scared.

BILLY:

Aw, you girls! You're always scared.

JANE:

Maybe I am, but I'm right here with you anyhow. You think you're fooling me, but you're not. You're just as scared as I am only you won't admit it.

BILLY:

All right, all right. Only, gee whiz, stop gabbin', won't ya? How d'ya expect me to think? Well, here goes.

SOUND:

BANG! SHIP STARTS ... ENGINE WHIRS ... ROCKETS ENGAGE ... CONTINUES IN BG

JANE:

Billy! Billy, we're going up!

BILLY:

What didja think we'd do? Go down?! (TRIUMPHANT) Earth, here we come!

MUSIC:

BRIDGE

ADMIRAL:

(RAPIDLY) Captains, you know our plan. In an hour and a half we strike. Scout ships will move in ahead and pick the targets. You, Captain Tall, will take your Mercurian heat ray cruisers into the left flank and you, Sark, will cover the right with your disintegrators. The Venusian atomic artillery platforms will hover at half a million miles and bombard targets of opportunity. I will be in the center and--

VOICE:

(FILTER) Sir, sir! One of our patrols just reported a Martian scout taking off.

ADMIRAL:

One ship, you say? A scout?

VOICE:

(FILTER) Yes, sir.

ADMIRAL: Gentlemen, this is what we've been waiting for. We will strike now, but first, we must destroy that scout. It may be a trick of some sort. Captain May-tow, take two light cruisers, intercept that scout, and burn it out of space. The rest of you, back to your ships and stand by for the order to attack!

MUSIC:

CURTAIN ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER, WITH ACCENTS AT [X]

ANNOUNCER:

It looks as though the greatly feared War of the Solar System is at hand, and all because the League of Planets squadron doesn't know that the Martian ship which just took off is being piloted by Billy and Jane, who hope to prevent the war by their getaway. [X] What will be the fate of Billy and Jane? [X] What is the fate of the entire planet world?

MUSIC:

ACCENT AND OUT

ANNOUNCER:

We'll be back in a moment, but first, here is a message The Planet Man wants you to hear.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

MUSIC:

SLOW MARCH THEME ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER--

ANNOUNCER:

Tune in again for more transcribed thrills and adventures.

SOUND:

SPACESHIP ROCKETS PAST

ANNOUNCER:

Rocket millions of light-years into space with Dantro, The Planet Man!

MUSIC:

CHORD ... FOR PUNCTUATION

ANNOUNCER:

(SLOWLY, WITH INCREASING ECHO) The - the - the - the - the... Planet - planet - planet - planet - planet... Man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man - man!