Sci-Fi Film Fiesta: The Phantom Planet (1961)

A fun sci-fi film with minimalist production values and special effects, both matching its budgetary constraints but with interesting ideas such as anti-gravity and magnetic fields. Unfortunately, it fails to launch far enough away from the world of 1950s film sci-fi and take the viewer into the brave new world of the future. Phantom Planet will, however grow on you after a couple of viewings, especially the colourised version.

Directed by William Marshall
Screenplay by William Telaak, Fred De Gorter, Fred Gebhardt
Story by Fred Gebhardt
Produced by Fred Gebhardt
Cinematography: Elwood J. Nicholson
Edited by Hugo Grimaldi
Music by Leith Stevens
Production company: Four Crown Productions Inc.
Distributed by American International Pictures
Running time: 90 minutes

Cast

Dean Fredericks as Capt. Frank Chapman
Coleen Gray as Liara
Anthony Dexter as Herron
Francis X. Bushman as Sessom
Jimmy Weldon as Lt. Webb
Dolores Faith as Zetha
Richard Weber as Lt. Ray Makonnen
Al Jarvis as Judge Eden
Dick Haynes as Col. Lansfield
Earl McDaniels as Capt. Leonard
Mike Marshall as Lt. White
Richard Kiel as The Solarite
Merissa Mathes as Juror
Angelique Pettyjohn as Juror

Trailer

Will the real Captain Frank Chapman please stand up!

There has been a great deal of thought being devoted to the increasing use of artificial intelligence technology in recent times. On the one hand, A.I. is viewed as a useful assistive tool able to accurately handle and direct complicated and time-consuming tasks thereby freeing us to concentrate our energies on more meaningful endeavours. On the other hand, such technology is increasingly being seen as posing a potential threat to our very existence as it becomes a more pervasive fact of life in our lives.

Take the recent development of Chatbot gpt. On the surface, it’s capacity to learn, interact with users and generate relevant material is quite astounding, not to mention its potential applications. However, such technology raises the spectre of blurring the lines between what is accurate, true or factual and what is quite plainly, ‘fake.’ As it becomes more sophisticated, how will we be able to tell the difference? This may have profound implications for our very system of democracy, learning and education, the provision of news and information, and so on. Could we in fact over time become intellectually lazy (if we’re not already there) by being over-reliant on such technologies? Will we fail to detect the human-generated mistakes and biases that could gradually creep into the technology and wind up governing the way we live our lives and see reality?

If we are not careful, we may be setting the stage for our own demise as a species as our own technology simply by-passes us and views humans as being an irrelevant irritant or nuisance that needs to be replaced, superseded….eliminated! At the very least, we may be faced with a new kind of technological and algorithmic dictatorship or tyranny.

Anyway, to lighten things up and generate a bit of thought on the matter, I have included below four journal entries written from the point of view of the protagonist, Captain Frank Chapman after the events depicted in the film, The Phantom Planet (1961.) This task will require a knowledge of the film’s plot and an exercise of imagination. One version has been written by me, a human being more or less, while the other three were composed by Chatbot gpt. Just for a bit fun, can you guess which one is the product of a human mind? No. 1, 2, 3 or 4? The answer will appear at the end of this post. (If you know the film it should be pretty obvious)

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No 1: Journal Entry: May 10, 1961

Captain Frank Chapman,

It's been a day since the astonishing events that unfolded on our mission to the mysterious Phantom Planet, and I find myself struggling to put into words the extraordinary experiences we encountered. The cosmos has never ceased to amaze me, but this mission has taken me to the very edge of my understanding.

We set out on this journey with hopes of exploring an uncharted asteroid, but little did we know that it held the key to a hidden world beyond our wildest imaginations. The Phantom Planet, as we came to call it, was a realm of unknown dimensions, filled with wonders and perils that stretched the boundaries of human comprehension.

Our spacecraft, the MR-1, was enveloped by a strange energy field upon entering the planet's atmosphere. It became apparent that we had been miniaturized to a microscopic size, and our entire crew found ourselves in a surreal new reality. The planet was inhabited by a race of invisible beings, who guided us through their invisible cities and taught us the secrets of their existence.

I cannot adequately describe the awe-inspiring sights we witnessed. The Phantom Planet was a tapestry of vibrant colors, floating islands, and ethereal landscapes. Every step we took brought us face to face with a breathtaking vista, as if we had been transported into a cosmic dream. The rules of physics seemed to have been rewritten, with objects defying gravity and time losing its meaning.

But amidst the beauty, danger lurked at every turn. We faced colossal beasts, hostile forces, and treacherous terrains that tested our courage and resilience. The invisible beings, who had initially aided us, became divided in their intentions, and we found ourselves caught in the middle of a conflict we barely understood.

Through it all, I relied on the unwavering loyalty and bravery of my crew. Lt. Ray Makonnen, Dr. Andre Ferneau, and Lt. Webb Sherwood stood by my side as we navigated the unknown. Their unwavering commitment to the mission and their unwavering belief in the power of discovery fueled our determination to survive against all odds.

In the end, we managed to restore harmony to the Phantom Planet and find our way back to our own dimensions. We emerged from this incredible adventure forever changed, with a renewed sense of wonder and a humbling respect for the mysteries that lie beyond our reach.

As I pen these words in the quiet confines of my cabin, I am filled with a mix of emotions. Relief, certainly, that we made it through the ordeal unscathed. But also a profound sense of gratitude for the opportunity to be a witness to something so profoundly extraordinary.

The Phantom Planet will forever occupy a special place in my heart and mind. It serves as a reminder that there are countless uncharted territories awaiting exploration, both within ourselves and in the vast expanse of the universe. And as long as there are dreams to chase and stars to guide us, humanity will continue to journey into the unknown, seeking answers to the questions that define our existence.

Captain Frank Chapman, Mission to the Phantom Planet

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Read on for more......

No 2: Journal Entry: May 9, 1961

It's been quite some time since the events that unfolded aboard the spaceship Cyclops, and yet the memories continue to haunt me. Today, I find solace in pouring my thoughts onto the pages of this journal, hoping that it will provide some release from the weight of the experiences I've endured.

We embarked on a journey like no other, a mission that took us to the far reaches of the universe, beyond anything I could have ever imagined. As the captain of the spacecraft, it was my duty to lead my crew through the unknown, navigating the treacherous cosmic currents that lay ahead. Little did we know the magnitude of the challenges that awaited us.

The discovery of a rogue planet, Rheton, held the promise of immense power, a force that could shape the destiny of our world. As we landed on its desolate surface, we encountered a civilization of beings known as the Therons, ethereal creatures living in a state of suspended animation. They possessed knowledge beyond our wildest dreams, and we became pawns in their timeless struggle.

The Therons pleaded with us to help them save their dying planet by transmitting our life energy to rejuvenate it. The weight of that decision rested heavily upon my shoulders. Was it our place to interfere with the natural order of the universe? But the Therons' desperation tugged at our hearts, and we made the choice to assist them, unaware of the consequences it would bring.

In the process, our bodies became intangible, existing in a state between the physical and the spiritual. We became ghosts, invisible to the world we once knew. It was a disorienting and surreal experience, as we struggled to comprehend the nature of our existence. We traversed time and space, witnessing the wonders and horrors of the cosmos, clinging to the last remnants of our humanity.

As we ventured further into the void, we encountered other phantom-like beings, doomed souls who had lost their physical forms in the pursuit of power. Their haunting presence served as a grim reminder of the dangers that lurked beyond the bounds of comprehension. Our very identities were at stake, threatened to be consumed by the vastness of the universe.

In the end, we managed to restore balance, allowing the Therons to revitalize their planet and finding our way back to the material world. But the scars of our journey run deep, etched into our souls forever. We returned as mere mortals, forever changed by the knowledge and experiences we gained during our extraordinary sojourn.

Now, as I sit here, penning these words, I can't help but wonder if it was all worth it. The wonders we witnessed, the terrors we faced, and the sacrifices we made. The line between heroism and folly feels blurred, as if we were swept up in a cosmic dance beyond our control.

Yet, despite the uncertainties and the lingering sense of unease, I am grateful for the opportunity to have ventured into the great unknown. It is through such journeys that we truly come to understand our place in the universe and the limits of our own existence.

Captain Frank Chapman, Former Commander of the Spaceship Cyclops

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No 3: Journal of (former) Captain Frank Chapman (USAF Space Exploration Wing)

“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 advance 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 their intellect have reached a scientific level far above man's dreams?

What then will the future reveal” should the story I am about to set down here somehow finds its way into the public domain, is believed and constitutes “only the beginning?”

Humanity had been drifting on a cloud of smug self-satisfaction since the first manned moon mission at the end of the 1960s. Since then we had established lunar bases and at the start of the 1980s we were on the eve of a mission to Mars. Suddenly just over a year ago things started going wrong.

On 16th March 1980 Pegasus 3 while on its last day of space reconnaissance research flight 361 for the US air force Lunar Base One and at 21 000 miles from the base, encountered a large planetoid object on a direct collision course with the ship. The uncharted planetoid had somehow failed to register on the ship’s long-range sensors. After Captain Leonard reported having lost control of the Pegasus, his ship seemed to have just mysteriously disappeared. Another spacecraft had inexplicably vanished seemingly without a trace and without a reason.

As rumors began to spread involving space monsters and phantom planets, I together with my navigator Lt. Ray Makonnen were ordered to investigate. Well, for me there went the Mars project for which I had been preparing!

All that was known was that there were two ships on routine missions both with flight controls and rockets in order having gone missing in less than a month with nothing within thousands of miles of their position. Despite all this, they somehow managed to crash into something that appeared suddenly on our radar big enough to be a planet and then the next instant it disappeared “against all theories of space.” This mysterious planet seemed to come and go at such speeds it was impossible to track.

There was nothing for it but to conduct a reconnaissance for “something out there that isn't supposed to be.” Otherwise, if this Phantom planet mystery wasn’t cleared up and the rumors surrounding it dispelled, there wouldn’t be any Mars project for me or anyone else to be on.

Lt. Ray Makonnen and I soon began our search aboard Pegasus 4. Our mission involved us charting the same course Pegasus 3 took. At 18 000 miles out at 270 degrees azimuth and 47 degrees ecliptic with our speed at 4.6 miles per second, we felt that we weren’t getting anywhere considering the fact that this mysterious phantom planet was dashing about all over the place. We therefore decided to change course. After all, “lightning never strikes twice in the same place” and all we could do was be patient even though we ran the risk of going nuts just waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly the electrostatic meters started going haywire. Lunar Base One then informed us that we were completely off course. We had entered a heavy magnetic field resulting in several instruments failing and with others about to fail.

With all this happening and despite an impromptu course change, Pegasus 4 sustained damage from a meteor shower, requiring Lt. Makonnen and I to go outside our ship to make repairs.

It was a fairly routine procedure to effect the required repairs, but as luck would have it a micro meteor struck and pierced my suit’s air hose rendering me unconscious.

Lt. Makonnen managed to repair the hose, but as we were at the entrance to the airlock hatch, he must have been fatally struck by a similar micro-meteor. Before being propelled into deep space, it seems that Lt.,... Ray had somehow managed to push me inside the ship and close the airlock hatch.

When I came to I found Ray gone and try as I might, I discovered I was unable to communicate with the lunar base. I then decided to record a log entry outlining what had happened and what course of action I would take now that Pegasus 4 was completely out of operation and that I was unable read my position.

The only choice I felt I had was to make a forced landing on a near-by asteroid that was somehow exerting a force on Pegasus and pulling the spaceship in towards it.

Having successfully landed on the asteroid and still feeling the effects of the EVA accident, I donned my spacesuit and exited the ship. I literally couldn’t believe my eyes for as I began to collapse I observed what appeared to be tiny six inch humanoids warily approaching me. Once my helmet visor was opened, I found that I could breathe but what happened from this point on although hazy and unclear at first, set me on a path toward a destination where I now find myself committing my experiences to paper before they dissolve into the realm of fantasy and dreams.

When I came to my senses, I discovered that I was no larger than any of the inhabitants of this planetoid which I found out is called Rheton. Even more disconcerting was the fact that my ‘welcoming party’ had dragged me off to the caves in which the diminutive inhabitants dwelt to appear before their elder ruler Sessom and their highest juridical authority, Judge Eden. I was there to face criminal charges!

I suppose you’ll wind up thinking that my story sounds like something out of Gulliver’s Travels, but I tell you it’s true! In this alien land of Lilliput, I had no trouble understanding what was said to me as they apparently had the ability “to translate all languages through voice tone waves,” whatever that meant.

Although only six inches in height, the inhabitants of Rheton are physically the same as human beings in appearance. I know this fact doesn’t help my case in terms of my story’s believability, but who’s to say what alien life has to look like or that intelligence must be determined by size?

There I stood accused of causing injury to one of their people, even though “I thought I was being attacked and I defended myself” and that I didn't even want to come to their world. I tried to explain that I had lost control of my ship and that it was like being pulled toward their planet by an enormous gravitational force.

Sessom explained to me that though my craft was brought down safely by their gravitational tractor beam, they had not been able to do same with the other Earth spaceships which were completely destroyed when they strayed too close and crashed on Rheton's surface. It was explained to me in terms of managing just in the nick of time to control my landing by releasing the pressure in their “space warp’ – whatever the hell that also means!

It soon became pretty clear enough that my real offense was that of being an outsider for which I was duly found guilty with no penalties being lodged against me ….and get this…..sentenced to be made “a free citizen of Rheton!” I was not permitted to leave so that their security would be assured, but at least I would be accorded all the rights of a citizen of Rheton. Great!

In the meantime, as I slept my spaceship was sent into space to keep Rheton's existence secret, along with their world's gravitational technology which allows them to navigate their world through space.

I guess if there was a saving grace from my forced stay on Rheton it would have had to be a couple of beautiful women, one of whom I could marry once I became accustomed to living on Rheton. One of the Rhetonian females was called Liara who was Sessom's daughter. Boy, was this gorgeous blonde broad self-confident to the point of being smug and cocky! A real spoilt brat type of gal. The other woman whose name was Zetha was the complete opposite. She was shy and gentle and uncommonly quiet, that is until I discovered that she was in fact a mute. But there was something about her that really attracted me to her.

I learned that Rheton’s atmosphere, together with some acceleration from the Rhetonians’ gravitational control, had reduced me to ‘normal’ size, at least from their perspective. It seems that there are other worlds out there that have “creatures larger or smaller according to the size of their world.”

I also learned that the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere would restore me immediately to my regular size. At that stage a rather mute point considering I was never to see my world again.

As I was later informed by Sessom, I was expected to accept my fate of being a permanent resident of Rheton and to set about finding a way of being productive.

I also got a bit of a history lesson on Rhetonian civilisation. Despite possessing technology and knowledge hundreds of years ahead of our science, their mode of living appears on the surface to be relatively primitive.

It turns out that the Rhetonians once had machines do all their work for them to the extent that they became “completely free of all labor” and “practically of all responsibilities” with the consequence that they “became soft and lazy.” It was soon apparent that they “did not know how to cope with their free time” and so they then “started to fight amongst themselves.”

As a side note, with all our automation, technology and artificial intelligence one can’t help but notice that “people on earth are beginning to face the same problem: too much free time….too little work.”

In order to solve this apparently universal problem, the Rhetonian forefathers decided to return to ‘primitive ways’ and to toil for their living. As a result “they became much stronger, much happier, much more valuable.” However, they did not forsake all of their scientific achievements. They retained the secret of the gravity control for their survival in space along with the secret of their food production for their survival on their barren planet.

Whatever the case, I was set the task of becoming acquainted with the ways of Rheton whether I liked it or not. I was soon to find out that would not be smooth sailing for the inhabitants of Rheton were so alike human beings not just physically but also in many ways emotionally and psychologically.

I spent quite a bit of time interacting with Liara who it turned out was one of two females I was expected to choose for my (for want of a better word) wife. The other was the enigmatically silent, Zetha.

I did manage to learn from Liara that the Rhetonians make their food chemically as nothing grows on Rheton. The physiology of the inhabitants is such that they require very little food due to the nature of the air they breathe.

No matter which way you look at it, as a stranger in a strange land I was in fact a prisoner despite the assurances given to me that I was free to go anywhere on Rheton. As already alluded to, even if I had wanted to I could not return to my ship as it was no longer on Rheton, having been sent off into space while I was asleep.

Unknown to me at the time, but quietly suspected and hoped for, a rescue ship had been dispatched from earth to discover what had happened to Pegasus 4 in the interests of the crew’s safety and for future space missions. It seems that Pegasus had eventually been located adrift in space and that my recorded message was heard.

Later while in a state of frustration and feeling the need to know more about the Rhetonians’ gravity control, I learned from Sessom the predicament his people faced. He informed me that the high density of their planetoid made it possible for them to advance gravity and that the atoms on Rheton “have narrower electronic orbits than the atoms on most other planets.” The smaller they become the easier it is for them to control and take advantage of positive and negative gravity. Apparently this is why Rheton was becoming smaller. The planetoid was “slowly using up the energy that holds the atomic particles together” with the result that Rheton could very well disintegrate into nothing.

The more immediate danger for Rheton was that sudden bursts of concentrated heat directed by their enemies toward the planetoid “might suddenly speed up the process of time.” These enemies of the Rhetonians are called the Solarites who would like nothing more than to possess their knowledge. The Rhetonians are always in a constant state of alert in expectation of an attack by the Solarites.

Danger of a more personal nature soon came my way in a rather familiar human-type dilemma. After Liara had been interacting with me for quite a while, she declared her love for me but I admit that I didn’t feel the same about her. Besides, I was too preoccupied with finding a means of returning to Earth.

I later managed to spend some time with Zetha, even though the conversation was somewhat one-sided. She struck me as being “more different than the others” in terms of being “warmer...more sensitive.”

Yet another side was added to this complicated emotional triangle in the form of an individual called Herron, who it turned out was in love with Liara. He lied to Sessom by accusing me of imposing myself on both Liara and Zetha. As far as he was concerned this constituted an insult to Liara whom he loved, a direct insult to himself as well as a crime against the people of Rheton. As a consequence, Herron demanded Sessom’s permission to challenge me to a duel…..to the death.

Herron never liked me from the get-go and always seemed to be strutting about with a surly expression on his face. For two-bits I would’ve loved to have hung one on him. As it was, an opportunity seemed to afford itself in the form of this “duel of bravery” which to my way of thinking “might clear the air a little.”

Well, for starters there were no rapiers or pistols at 20 paces involved. Instead, we had a form of combat where opponents holding on to a rod between them aim to push each other on to gravity plates set on such a high intensity that they will cause immediate disintegration when touched. The rules: no quarter can be called and no quarter given. “The fate of the victim is in the hands of the victor.”

Nothing in my sporting endeavours or military training could have adequately prepared me for the sheer intensity and difficulty of this kind of combat. Fortunately I did have the necessary skill and luck on my side to manoeuvre Herron onto a plate, but I just couldn’t bring myself to kill someone for no good reason. At the last moment, I let Herron go.

You know something? While Herron and I were fighting for our lives, I had the distinct impression that Liara was quietly enjoying the fact that she and her honour was a factor in his duel between one man she loved and another who obviously loved her. It was clear that Liara was simply “waiting to see which one of us won and then take the one that was left over.” I tried to make her understand the fact that “you can't make someone love you. It's got to come naturally; you can't force it.”

Speaking of love developing naturally, that was definitely the case between Zetha and me. Totally out of the blue and unexpected.

Equally out of the blue and unexpected was Herron’s offer to help me escape. His plan centred on the fact that my space-suit’s oxygen tank contained air from earth which meant that I could revert back to my ‘normal’ size once I had inhaled it. The other part of the plan was based on the probability that my own people from earth would be searching for me and would eventually zero in on Rheton.

Two nights a week Herron was left alone in complete charge of the master control centre. On those nights while Sessom slept, Herron would manoeuvre Rheton within a distance of the earth's moon resulting in an investigation by earth and with me being eventually located.

Of course, it was Herron’s love for Liara that was the main motivating factor behind his decision to assist me in my escape from Rheton.

Of more immediate concern however, was the realisation that Rheton was at that moment being attacked by the Solarites or "fire people," aliens from an unidentified "sun satellite." For generations they had been after Rheton’s universal gravity control because they wanted to avoid being pulled into the sun. Their aim was to attack and destroy Rheton with flaming fighter spacecraft in order to steal the secret of gravitational control. If they weren’t stopped they would eventually attack the earth. This conflict between the alien races also explained Rheton’s seemingly random and erratic movement through space.

Believe it or not, one of the Solarites captured during the last war several years previously was being held prisoner. The presence of the Solarite showed clearly the kind of diversity of life-forms that must exist throughout the universe. It also revealed just how little we do know about what awaits us and how unprepared we really are for what’s out there.

From our planet’s perspective, the creature I saw would’ve stood over 7 feet tall and was immensely powerful. On Rheton, standing at roughly 7 inches tall, this bizarre-looking biped had long thin limbs, a bulbous forehead and bulging eyes. Yet, it was obviously intelligent belonging as it did to a space-faring race that travels on flaming ships and possessing the ability to destroy an entire planetoid, such as Rheton.

There the creature stood smashing rocks against an invisible force-field which instantly disintegrated the rocks when they made contact with it. These invisible prison bars were a product of the gravitational control by which a high magnetic field was used to “lock molecules so closely together that they form a solid wall.”

Without the wall, the Solarite could have easily escaped and killed us all. I’ll come back to the Solarite prisoner a bit later.

Returning to the battle between Rheton and its enemy, the conflict had to be decided then and there once and for all otherwise the Rhetonians would be forced to live in constant danger. They had the gravity control but the greatest danger to their survival was posed by the Solarites’ high intensity heat bombs. They had enough concentrated heat to blow up Rheton instantly.

For a while the battle raged with Rheton being bombarded with heat bombs, but Sessom and Herron positioned Rheton for attack by facing the enemy when it did attack. With a little help from me, Sessom and Herron managed to destroy the enemy fleet using the gravity beam.

Unknown to us during the course of the battle, the Solarite prisoner managed to escape when the gravity barrier holding him failed. As it roamed the subterranean corridors of Rheton, the creature captured Zetha, who on a previous occasion during her childhood had been rendered mute by an encounter with its species.

Sessom himself was then attacked by the Solarite. During a search for the creature,

Zetha's muteness suddenly ended when she saw that I was about to be attacked by the creature and she was able to scream, thereby warning me. After a tense struggle with the Solarite and with the assistance of Herron, I was able to manoeuvre and push the Solarite onto a gravity plate with the result that it was disintegrated.

With the danger averted and now that Zetha could express herself, she was able to declare her love for me. The happiness we felt would be short-lived though for I knew I had to return to my home world, a destiny to be denied to Zetha. There I was on this strange world and I had “found perhaps what I've been looking for all my life” and the cruel irony of it all was that I had to leave despite everything within me wanting me to stay.

The chaos of battle had brought us closer to Earth’s moon than had ever been the case. Rheton would then be slowly and steadily manoeuvred even closer and the travel time would be short. As soon as we would be within range of the moon, Herron’s men were to carry my suit out into the open. Whoever would come from Earth to investigate, would be pulled into Rheton’s gravity and have their landing directed. Meanwhile, I was to enter my suit and seal it up so I wouldn’t be exposed to Rheton’s atmosphere. The air from my own tanks would hopefully enable me to revert to my ‘normal’ size.

A team on a search mission from Earth finally located me and I carried out the plan involving me crawling inside my spacesuit, and after being exposed to atmospheric gases from Earth, returning to my ‘normal’ size.

As I reluctantly left Zetha and her diminutive world behind I remember thinking that no-one would ever believe me if I told them the story of Rheton and what I saw and experienced there. Even with the little piece of her world that Zetha had given me as a keep-sake, no-one would ever believe me. The rock was now little more than the size of a pebble, not even big enough to be paper-weight! The secret of Rheton’s existence would indeed be kept safe.

Perhaps the crew of the rescue ship was right. Had I in fact been dreaming? Was it possible that I was delirious as a result of the shock of the crash-landing on the rogue planetoid? No, this journal and the little pebble I have will give the experience I had a sense of solidity and be a constant reminder of its reality.

I was never the same after my experiences on Rheton and after a series of medical and psych evaluations, I was pronounced unfit for further duty and honourably discharged from USAF. I now do private consultancy work for the private sector.

Yep, there went my Mars mission opportunity alright! Not long after the events I have just described, an unmanned test launch was conducted involving the kind of vehicle to be used for the eventual manned mission to Mars. Unfortunately, he launch was a complete disaster with the spacecraft exploding a few seconds after take-off. And yet, the powers that be classified it as a “success!” So that’s how we now define success! Why? Because it somehow gave us new insights into how to avoid future problems and would help us to better tackle the unknown. They did much the same thing with my own mission to locate the rogue planetoid. We’ve yet to schedule a launch of the first manned mission to Mars, the one I was slated for as commander had I not been reassigned to sort out the mystery of the missing spacecraft and the phantom planet.

Yes, in front of cameras and congressional hearings the political, military and bureaucratic big-wigs talk, spin and act big but they really think small. Children panicked by phantoms. None of them have any clue about the kind of reality that’s waiting for us out there or what to do about it when we eventually confront it.

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No 4: Journal Entry - May 9, 1961

It's been several weeks since my unimaginable ordeal on the rogue planetoid Rheton, and I still find myself struggling to comprehend the surreal nature of my experiences. As I sit here, penning down my thoughts, I can't help but wonder if anyone will ever believe the fantastical tale I have to tell.

My name is Frank Chapman, former Captain of the starship "The Phantom." Our mission was to explore uncharted regions of space, but little did we know the unfathomable journey that awaited us. It was on that fateful day, surrounded by the vastness of the cosmos, that we stumbled upon Rheton, a minuscule celestial body concealed within a mysterious force field.

The moment our ship made contact with the force field, an otherworldly energy engulfed us, distorting time and space. When the chaos subsided, I found myself marooned on the surface of this enigmatic planetoid, utterly cut off from the universe I once knew. The vast emptiness and silence were overwhelming, as if the universe had forsaken me.

But Rheton was far from lifeless. I soon discovered that this minuscule world was home to a civilization of diminutive beings known as the "Phantoms." Despite their small stature, they possessed incredible scientific knowledge and had mastered the art of molecular transformation. They had the power to manipulate matter and change their size at will—a truly remarkable ability.

The Phantoms were wary of me at first, but through gestures and perseverance, I managed to communicate with them. They were a peaceful people, seeking to expand their understanding of the universe through diplomacy and mutual exchange. They shared with me the history of their race, their struggles, and their wisdom.

In time, I grew fond of the Phantoms and their way of life. They showed me the beauty of their world, with landscapes that defied logic, shimmering with colors I had never seen before. They taught me to appreciate the smallest wonders in life and to find solace in the vastness of the unknown.

But as much as I grew to cherish my time with the Phantoms, an insurmountable yearning for home enveloped me. I missed the embrace of gravity, the sight of stars dotting the night sky, and the camaraderie of my fellow humans. I longed to share my incredible experiences, to let others know of the wonders that lie beyond our reach.

Then, one miraculous day, the Phantoms found a way to restore me to my original size and send me back to my ship, The Phantom. The farewell was bittersweet, as I knew I was leaving behind a world that had forever changed me. With a heavy heart, I bid farewell to the Phantoms, promising to share their story and uphold the spirit of their civilization.

As I sit here, aboard my ship, I can't help but marvel at the stars that surround me once more. The journey back felt like a dream, and I fear that soon, the memories of Rheton will fade away. But I am determined to keep my promise. I will recount my extraordinary adventure, hoping that others will find inspiration in the boundless wonders of the universe and the unity that can be found across dimensions.

Captain Frank Chapman, reporting his return from Rheton, signing off.

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