Original subtitles

(dramatic music)

- Okay, Venus.

- Okay, Steve.

- Right, let's go.

(hover bikes whir) (dramatic music)

(rocket whizzes)

(rockets boom)

(upbeat invigorating music)

(gentle music)

(sphere gently whirring)

Say, how much longer, Venus?

- Almost through, Steve.

- Is it necessary to do this every day?

| feel fine.

- You know what the regulations say, Steve,

you have to have a medical checkup every day

during your tour of space duty.

- Okay.

You're the doctor.

(knob clicks) Ouch!

- A-okay, Steve, all reactions normal.

- Thanks for nothing.

Say, that reminds me Robert's about due for a checkup.

| must have a word with Professor Matic.

(steam hisses)

No need to blow your top, Robert.

| have a checkup, you have a checkup.

- Say, Steve, | picked up a lone satellite ahead

on the spacemograph.

It's very strange.

- Let's see if | can spot it.

- Well I'll leave you two to your stargazing.

| must make out my report.

- [Steve] Can't see a thing, Matt,

could it be a space probe?

- Suventa is the nearest planet

and we've had no news of any activity from there.

Wait, | have it.

It looks like some type of spaceship.

Why it's a fuel tanker from Earth.

- I'll try to contact it by neutron transmitter.

Fireball XL5, come in, EF 24. (dramatic music)

No reply.

Let's take a closer look, this could mean trouble.

(dramatic music)

Venus, prepare thruster packs.

We're close enough to cross to the tanker.

- Roger, Steve.

- Okay, Robert, she's all yours.

Keep her on free float, seven, one, five, zero blue.

- [Robert] Roger, free float, seven, one, five, zero blue.

(bright lively music)

- While you're gone I'll report to Space City.

- A-okay, Venus.

All set, Matt?

Let's go.

- Don't forget your oxygen pills, Steve.

- Okay, Venus.

About to enter ejection room.

- Good luck.

And to be careful, Steve.

- Roger that, ready to eject.

(dramatic music)

- | sure hope they'll be all right.

(Matt whooshes)

(jazzy music)

Tanker entrance located, Matt.

Opening now.

(door whirs)

We're entering the tanker now, Venus.

- Roger, Steve, and please be careful.

- Ship's lighting system isn't operating.

Turn on your flashlight, Matt.

- Roger, Steve.

(jazzy music)

Boy, it's cold in here, all the power must've failed.

- Yeah, sure feels like it.

Here's the control room.

(light jazz music)

| have a feeling we're not alone, Matt.

(dramatic music)

- He's a, he's alive.

What's wrong with him, Steve?

He's just staring, like he's in a trance.

- | don't know, Matt.

Let's get the poor guy back to Fireball.

This place gives me the creeps.

(bright music)

- He's in bad shape, Steve, but | think he'll live.

He's in a deep state of hypnosis.

- Yeah, but how could it have happened?

Where's the rest of the tanker's crew?

- | diagnose he's been in this hypnotic coma

for several days.

- Well, we'll get the tanker back to Earth,

maybe they'll come up with some answers.

(upbeat music)

How's the patient, Venus?

- Well he's still in a deep trance, Steve.

How's Robert making out?

- Just fine.

You'd think he'd been flying tankers all his life.

- [Robert] Steer tanker one, seven, five, Zero green,

one, seven, five, zero green.

(radar ticking)

- Fireball XL5 entering Earth's atmosphere, Commander Zero.

- Roger, Lieutenant Ninety.

All systems go.

Captain Zodiac, report to the control on touchdown, please.

- Landing procedure four, seven, three, 10 minus zero.

Standby, everyone.

Systems are a go.

(ship whirring) (upbeat music)

Well, that's the story, Commander Zero.

- Yep, Steve, it all figures.

You know, this is the fourth tanker we found abandoned

in the past few weeks.

They were all on the same route,

delivering fuel to Granvinia,

but we haven't come up with any answers yet.

- Well, I've got news for you, gentlemen.

The tanker pilot isn't going to come up

with any answers either.

He's still in a state of deep hypnosis.

- Venus, can't you, um,

can't you give him a shot to bring him out of it?

- | daredn't, professor.

The shock would kill him.

We'll just to wait.

- Things sure are against us.

But I've got another idea.

(dramatic music)

Tanker EF Z5 Spaceborn, all systems go.

We'll rendezvous Fireball XL5.

(thruster booms) (ship whirs)

- Let's hope our plan works.

If we escort the tanker along the same route as the others

we could learn something.

- It could be very dangerous too, Steve.

We don't know what's out there.

- We'll soon find out.

We'll be approaching a location where we found Tanker 4

very shortly.

Hey, I'm getting an unidentifiable radio beaming pulse

on the radnascope, Steve.

- [Steve] This could be it, Matt.

Try to get a reading.

(gentle music)

- Steve, there's something out there.

That light it feels strange.

It's almost hypnotic.

Peaceful.

Soft.

Restful.

(gentle suspenseful music)

- Steve, this is it.

This is the cause of the tanker pilot's hypnotic trance.

- [Hypnotic Voice] You are all feeling tired.

Very sleepy.

There is no escape.

You will soon be at peace.

- Where's that voice coming from?

It's all around us.

Matt? (Matt grunts)

- The voice is coming through

all the electronic instruments.

Let me see.

My readings show that the sphere is unmanned.

There no sign of life aboard.

Oh, it's making me feel very tired, Steve.

- [Hypnotic Voice] It is pleasant not to have to think.

Relax.

You are drifting, gently.

It is so easy to obey.

Forget your cares.

- Steve, we've been hypnotised.

| can't fight it.

Nothing can.

- Wait.

There must be something.

| must try to think.

Zodiac snap out of it.

- [Hypnotic Voice] Change course.

It is far easier to obey than resist.

Fly five, one, seven, zero red.

Relax, you are in my power.

- Change course, five, one, seven.

What am | doing?

Robert, you've got to help.

- Change course, five, one, seven, zero red.

(gentle music)

- The tanker, it's changing course.

Keep on course.

Keep on course.

- [Robert] Roger, keep on course.

- [Hypnotic Voice] Relax, come to me.

It is peaceful here.

- Change to course five, one, seven, zero red, Robert.

- [Robert] Roger, changing to course,

five, one, seven, zero red.

- No, Robert, keep to present course!

- [Robert] Keep present course.

- [Hypnotic Voice] You must obey.

Change to five, one, seven, zero red.

- Five, one, seven, zero red.

- [Robert] Five, one, seven, Zero red.

- No, no, Robert keep present course.

(gentle suspenseful music)

Change to course five, one, seven, zero red.

(dramatic music) (steam hisses)

(Steve grunts)

- [Robert] Keep present course.

Keep present course.

(suspenseful music)

- [Brain] | have failed.

The Earth patrol ship has escaped me.

How?

My system is foolproof.

But wait, all is not lost.

They will collide with Mirana, the planet of fire.

They are doomed. (dramatic music)

- [Robert] Keep present course.

(dramatic music)

Keep present course.

(suspenseful music)

- What happened?

Ouch, my head.

(dramatic music)

| remember now.

The voice.

Robert must've steered us clear.

But where's that heat coming from?

(dramatic music)

That's the planet, Mirana, and we're headed straight for it!

(dramatic music)

Okay, Robert, I'll take over.

I've got to pull her up and fast.

(dramatic music)

Made it.

That sure was a close call.

- The voice, it's gone.

We are out of the influence.

- You bet we are, Venus.

Guess we only had a mild dose of that hypnotic treatment

or we'd be in a coma like that tanker pilot.

- Come on, Professor Matic, you're out of the trance now.

Wake up.

- [Steve] Are you okay, Matt?

- It's all right, Steve.

I'll be thinking straight in a minute or two.

| feel such a toot, passing out like that.

- Yeah, | feel kind of tootie too.

Will you come in here, Matt?

Tell you, it's a pity you can't give us any information,

Robert.

- But he can, Steve.

Have you forgotten?

Robert records everything at all times.

- Of course, we can play it back,

then discover the route that voice tried to make us follow.

Robert replay from 15:00 hours.

(recorder whirring)

- [Brain] Change course.

It is far easier to obey than resist.

Fly five, one, seven, zero red.

Relax.

- Okay, Robert, that's enough.

Course five, one, seven, zero red.

Why doesn't the voice affect us when we hear it again?

- The soft alternation of the light

would induce the hypnosis, Steve.

The voice just gives the commands.

- You mean the light alone could hypnotise us,

or at least put us to sleep?

- That's right, Steve.

If we have to go back there, we must destroy that sphere.

- But if we destroy the sphere we'll reveal our suspicions.

Let's follow it back to its base.

(light trilling music)

- [Brain] Have you unloaded the cargo into my storage tank,

Earthling pilot?

- It is done.

| must obey.

- [Brain] Good.

You will fly the tanker into space and stay there.

| do not want your useless machines cluttering my planet.

Ah, all the fuel | need what come from the next tanker

to come under my influence.

Then | can send my hypnotic spheres to every planet.

| shall be master of the universe.

(dramatic music)

- All ports and windows are blacked out, Matt.

Guess that should stop that light from the sphere.

- Now all we have to do it cut out electronic systems

and the hypnotic voice won't be able to get through to us.

- | guess you'll have to fly blind, Steve.

- Yeah, Venus, I'll have to sense the attitude of the ship.

- It's what they call flying by the seat of your pants.

But don't worry, Steve,

I'll work out the necessary calculations

to keep Fireball on course.

- [Brain] So it appears that the Earthling escort spaceship

did not crash into Mirana.

They shall not escape me a second time.

| will launch the sphere again.

(sphere whirring)

But the hypnotic signal will be much stronger.

Relax.

Drift.

You are in my power.

Relax.

It is so.

- Sure is a good thing we don't have to rely on electronics

to propel the ship, Matt.

- | calculate we should be in the area of sphere, Steve.

You better start following the instructions

from Robert's recording.

(gentle music)

Prepare to land, Steve.

| calculate we are in Suventa's atmosphere.

(ship whooshing)

- Hey, Steve.

More spheres.

There must be 30 of them.

- Looks like a regular invasion fleet.

Standby for action.

Going into land.

- We'll hear that voice as soon as we step out.

Let's play along.

- Yeah, Steve, then we can find out where it comes from.

- Okay, let's play it cool.

(ship whirring)

Right.

Wait for it.

- [Brain] You are under my power, Earthling patrolmen.

Come towards the door.

- Play along with him.

- [Brain] Ah.

Welcome to my domain.

You are in time to see me conquer the universe.

Thanks to the fuel from the Earth tankers,

| shall be able to hypnotise the universe.

- I've heard enough, Matt, this thing must be destroyed!

(weapon blasts)

- [Brain] You cannot win, Earthman.

| am superior.

| am all brain, you see?

- What can we do, Matt, Venus?

He's got us cold.

- Cold!

That's it, Steve.

The temperature in this place would drop in no time

if the heating system was damaged.

- [Brain] You are right, Earthling.

| am delicate and the cold would kill me.

But you cannot fight me.

Relax.

You will soon be at ease.

- Steve, fire your gun at heat system.

I'm, I'm, so tired.

- [Brain] You cannot lift your arm.

Zodiac, you are feeling tired.

- | must do it.

Gee, I'm sleepy.

| must destroy the heat.

- [Brain] Put down your gun, Earthman.

Relax.

Sleep.

Do not fight against me.

Relax.

It is easier to obey.

- | must fight this drowsiness.

| must destroy heat.

(weapon blasts) (dramatic music)

I've done it!

I've done it!

The hypnosis, we're out of the hypnosis.

- He died with his master, thanks to you, Steve.

And that means the tanker pilot will be okay too.

- We'd better leave at once before we all freeze.

- [Robert] Steer for other course, three,

two, one, zero green.

- How are the tanker crewmen we found on Suventa?

- They're out of the hypnosis, Steve.

THey'll be fine in an hour or two.

- Well that's great!

Well, | guess that calls for a celebration.

What do you say, Joe?

- Yep, we sure have something to celebrate.

Thanks to you, Steve Zodiac.

(upbeat music)

~ 1 wish | was a spaceman S

~ The fastest guy alive

< I'd fly you round the universe f

f In Fireball XL5 I

~ Way out in space together J

~ Conquerors of the sky

My heart would be a fireball

A fireball

f Every time | gazed into your starry eyes f

S We'd take the path to Jupiter

~ And maybe very soon J

¢ We'd cruise along the Milky Way ¢

¢ And land upon the Moon Jf

¢ To a wonderland of stardust J

¢ We'd zoom our way to Mars f

My heart would be a fireball

A fireball

~'Cause you would be my Venus of the stars