X Minus One: Cold Equations (August 25, 1955)

By: Tom Godwin, George Lefferts - adaptation

Narrated by: Fred Collins

X Minus One premiered in April 1955 on NBC and ran until January 1958. Like its predecessor series, Dimension X, X Minus One featured stories by the greatest names in modern science fiction: Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Robert Bloch, and many more.

Public Domain (P)2012 BN Publishing

Great read! and the voice actors are amazing!!!

Hands down a tragic shirt story but the voice actors were super amazing! they made it feel so real, great performance

Recognizably from the '50s, but well done.

The characters are -to be polite - out of date. (Yeah, ironic in science fiction, isn't it?) it is worth remembering, though, that choice, sacrifice, and unavoidable death are with us today. That's why, despite its weaknesses, this story still resonates.

Engaging Sci Fi Irony!

Barton is a pilot of an EDS, Emergency Dispatch Ship. These are specialized rescue units used to make the emergency trips when and where no one else can. Barton has been assigned to deliver life-saving serum to a work force of 16 men who have already become ill. Time is of the essence and the trip is planned with precise detail to make the mission successful.

As his ship settles into its journey Barton notices an unexpected heat signature. He discovers a stow-away who turns out to be the lovely wife of one of the men on the planet. The couple have been apart for a number of years and she snuck on board to make a surprise visit. How can Barton handle this when the trip doesn’t factor in another person?

This is a wonderfully engaging and ironic, if sad, short story. I saw the dilemma and appreciated Barton’s compassion. The solutions are limited. I held my breath a bit as I waited to see what would happen.

Best 48-cents I've ever spent

Short, sweet, excellent production values. A dated radio drama, but doesn't stray from the original sorry story.