Captain Frank Chapman
Background
Frank Chapman is a pilot and captain in the United States Space Exploration Wing. He is preparing for the Mars Project.
During the events of The Phantom Planet (1961) played by Dean Fredericks
Frank Chapman is ordered to report by the Communications Officer and when he arrives, he is ordered by Colonel Lansfield to go on a reconnaissance mission. The next day Chapman and Lieutenant Ray Makonnen blast off from Lunar Base 1 in Pegasus IV. Lansfield contacts Chapman and tells him to stay on course and report anything if he sees anything. 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 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. He regains consciousness and looks for Makonnen, before realizing Makonnen must be dead. He records a message and says that he is being drawn towards a planetoid. Pegasus IV crash lands on the planetoid and Chapman leaves Pegasus IV and wanders around before collapsing. A group of tiny people walk towards him, but run away when he regains consciousness. Chapman starts to walk around again, but collapses once more. The tiny people walk towards him again and Chapman begins to shrink. One of the tiny people approaches him and Chapman 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 Chapman what his name is and what his occupation is. 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, which is called Rayton. 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. Chapman objects, but Sessom tells him he will not be permitted to leave. Liara tells Chapman no harm will come to him and she takes him to his new quarters. As they are walking she tells him that the planetoid's atmosphere has caused him to shrink and if he returned to Earth the oxygen would restore him to his original size. Sessom calls for Chapman and tells him they must discuss his future and asks him to help keep Earth spaceships from landing on Rayton. He tells Chapman he wants him to become accustomed to their ways and later to take a wife, and offers Liara or Zetha as options. Liara tells Chapman Pegasus IV was sent off the planet while he was sleeping. Chapman demands to speak with Sessom and asks to learn about their gravity control. Sessom then shows Chapman their gravity control and shows him how it works. As Chapman is walking around he comes across Zetha in her room. He asks her to take a walk and they walk to Chapman's space suit. He then tells her that he likes her and as they are walking away, Herron walks out from Chapman's space helmet. Herron demands a duel with Chapman and Judge Eden explains the rules to Chapman and shows him the effects of standing on any of the two gravity plates, which causes evaporation. The duel begins and Chapman emerges victorious, and he spares the life of Herron. Chapman wakes up to Herron holding a knife to his face and Herron tells Chapman the if he helps him then he might be able to help him get off of Rayton. As Herron is telling Chapman his plan, an alarm goes off. Liara shows Chapman The Solarite prisoner locked behind a force field. Chapman and Liara return to the main room and look in awe as a large group of Solarites attack Rayton. After Sessom is attacked, Chapman goes to look for the Solarite while Herron and Liara help Sessom. The Solarite attacks Chapman, but he manages to destroy it with the help of of Herron by pushing it onto a gravity plate. Herron tells Chapman tonight is the best time to get him back onto his planet and tells him his plan. Zetha goes to Chapman and tells him the trauma of the Solarite fight must have caused her voice to come back and they kiss. He tells her he has to leave and she tells him she loves him and she knows he must leave. Before he leaves, Zetha gives Chapman a stone from Rayton as good luck. Chapman wishes Herron happiness with Liara and then he walks away from Zetha and gets into his suit. He grows and is found by Lieutenant White who brings him back to his spaceship. Chapman starts to wonder if he was imagining Rayton when he pulls out the rock Zetha gave him. He then admits to himself that no one will believe him and the rocket leaves Rayton.
