The Phantom Planet (1961)
Aliens enact Plan 9, the reanimation of the dead, in order to stop humans from destroying the galaxy.
Genre
Characters/Groups
Captain Frank Chapman - Dean Fredericks
Lieutenant Ray Makonnen - Richard Weber
Colonel Lansfield - Dick Haynes
Captain Leonard - Earl McDaniel
Lieutenant White - Michael Marshall
Lieutenant Cutler - Mel Curtis
Lieutenant Webb - Jimmy Weldon
Communications Officer - Akemi Tani
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
Detailed Synopsis
"Since the splitting of the atom, only a few decades ago and through his god given genius of science, man at last has succeeded in penetrating further and further into the unknown vastness of space. The moon has become the launching base for advanced exploration. From this pivotal point, astronauts at the risk of their lives set out to conquer nature's mysterious forces. Yet many questions remained unanswered. What is his earth in relation to the inconceivable number of other worlds? Is his speed truly the fastest? His achievements the greatest? Or is he a mere unimportant piece of driftwood floating in the vast ocean of the universe? Could there be life similar to our own on other planets? Is it not possible that atmospheric conditions of relative environments control their shapes and forms? If so would they be giants or could perhaps the opposite be true? Could there intellect reached a scientific level far above man's dreams? What then will the future reveal? In this story you are about to witness is only the beginning."
In March 16th, 1980, Captain Leonard and Lieutenant Webb are traveling in Pegasus III. Leonard makes a log entry on their last day out on their reconnaissance survey. Webb notices they are off their trajectory and sees a planetoid object approaching them. Leonard reports that they have no control of their path and Pegasus III crashes into the planetoid. On Lunar Base 1, Colonel Lansfield tells how incredible it is that two ships would be missing in less than a month and yet nothing was nearby. tells him Lunar Base 2 and 3 reported that the planetoid appeared and then quickly disappeared. The Communications Officer receives a message from General Gibson from Earth Headquarters for Lansfield. Gibson asks Lansfield what is going on and Lansfield tells him he doesn't know what is going on. As they are discussing the matter, the Communications Officer and Radar Officer exchange looks. Gibson then orders Lansfield to send Captain Frank Chapman out on a reconnaissance mission. The Communications Officer then has Chapman report to Lansfield. Chapman walks into the room and Lansfield tells him he is to leave tomorrow for a reconnaissance mission. Chapman and Lieutenant Ray Makonnen blast off from Lunar Base 1 in Pegasus IV. Makonnen tells Chapman that as he gets older he thinks the best is to focus on the good and beautiful. The Communications Officer contacts Chapman and Lansfield asks if he sees anything. Chapman tells him he hasn't and Lansfield tells him to stay on course unless he finds something, in which case he is to report it at once. Chapman tells Makonnen to change course, because he thinks the planetoid wont be in the same place as when Pegasus III encountered it. The Communications Officer contacts Chapman and tells him he is off course and he tells her they have entered a magnetic field and communication goes down. Pegasus IV enters a meteor shower and during it, their thrusters are damaged. Makonnen and Chapman go outside the spaceship in order to locate the damage. While they are repairing the damage, Chapmen's air supply is hit with space debris and he starts to go unconscious. While Makonnen is bringing him back into Pegasus IV, he is hit with space debris and flies off into space before praying to God and dying. Chapman regains consciousness and looks for Makonnen, before realizing what must have happened. He records a message and says that he is being drawn towards a planetoid. Pegasus crash lands on the planetoid and Chapman leaves Pegasus IV and wanders around before collapsing. A group of tiny people walk towards Chapman, but run away when he regains consciousness. Chapman starts to walk around again, but collapses once more. The tiny people walk towards him once more and Chapman begins to shrink. One of the tiny people approaches Chapman and he grabs him before the rest take him away. He is brought before Sessom, Judge Eden and Juror 1, Juror 2, Juror 3, Juror 4, Juror 5, Juror 6, and Juror 7 by Herron. Judge Eden asks him what Chapman's name is and what his occupation is. Sessom tells Chapman that they are able to communicate through voice tone wave translators. Judge Eden accuses Chapman of injuring one of their people, and Chapman tells him he was defending himself and didn't want to come to their planet. Judge Eden tells Chapman that they brought him onto the planet by controlling his ship. The Jury then finds Chapman guilty and Judge Eden sentences him as a free subject of Rayton.