October 3, 2004 - 771230 - The Ninth Volume

[Fizzlestix]

This week's Show of the Week is generously presented for us by Draegerman:

<font color=orange>771230 - The Ninth Volume</font color>
<font color=gray>written by Percy Granger; starring Michael Wager</font color>

Enjoy the show! ~ Fizz

[ 09. April 2005, 01:17 AM: Message edited by: Fizzlestix ]

[Draegerman]

This particular episode is a sentimental favorite of mine because it was the very first CBS RMT show that I had the pleasure of listening to.

At the ripe ol' age of ten, I stumbled upon this episode while playing around with a brand new AM transistor radio that was given to me as a Christmas present from my father. I had no idea what the creaking door noise was suppose to be but thought it might be worth checking out. As soon as E.G. Marshall began with the opening monologue, I closed my eyes and began listening very intently as the plot unfolded. It wasn't long into the story before I found myself completely immersed in it, setting the wheels in motion that would later create the lifelong fan that I am today.

In the story of the Ninth Volume, oil drillers stumble upon a subterranean cavern several billion years old that contains modern trappings and a library of great literary works, including eight volumes of a history of the world up to the present time. The ninth volume is missing, but should (presumably) record the future as evident by the eighth volume, that covers historical events through the year 2000 (it's 1998 in the story's setting). The problem is that time is not on their side in their quest to find the ninth volume. The oil rig has a deadline to meet and it's drill is headed directly towards the cavern which will destroy everything in it's path. As the desperate men make their way back to the cavern, you find yourself right there along with them, hoping that they're successful because the final volume parallels our future and will enlighten us as to what lead to mankind's demise.

And so the story goes...

The Ninth Volume is simply a wonderful sci-fi story. Well, at least for me anyways as I'm certain that most will agree here that it makes an excellent choice if you're a first time listener.

[Texas]

I've always wondered if this episode was inspired in part by a "Quiet, Please" radio show called "The thing on the fourbleboard", which also took place on an oil drilling rig. (Much bloodier tale, though, and different plotline.)

I give it a "5-"...it was a tale that should have been able to have been told in two hours rather than one, but I loved it nonetheless.

Heading out to church now so I'll try and post more later.

[walterk9,II]

This is a major favorite of mine.
While re-listening to it today, I was struck by a curious thought. It was produced in 1977. It's set in the year 1998, which was 21 years in the future for the show's original audience. They had a 'cushion' of two decades between the events of the episode and their own present-day. For today's audience, 1998 is just a few years ago. Having this episode set in our recent past made it seemed more immediate to me, more suspenseful. The 1990's setting, which would have seemed 'unreal' to the 1977 audience, is more 'real' to today's fans than a show set in the 1970's. It is for me, anyway, and I do remember 1977.

We're living in [i:c72f163ad1]the future[/i:c72f163ad1]. :shock:

[Fizzlestix]

This is one of my favorite RMT shows. One of my first recollections, too.

I think the most poignant dialogue comes in the exchange between Milo ( the drilling foreman) and the Professor:

[color=gray:7b7bb3cb2d]The Professor:
"You can't keep drilling! Don't you understand that by drilling, you might destroy an invaluable clue to our past?"

Milo:
"I don't care about the past, Professor, I only care about the &lt;i&gt;future!"[/color:7b7bb3cb2d]

And Milo's future concern was only in regard to retreiving the oil. How funny was that line to have in there, only to be unveiled later in the episode exactly as such.

But, what interested me most, was what would John have done with the information contained in Volume 9 if he were able to present it to the public? Who would have believed him, first, but secondly, the whole conundrum of "if you know something's going to happen so you try to change it, by changing it you could be triggering the event to happen anyway!" It's a paradox. Very sci-fi.

Regarding the episode, I kept thinking how it would make a great movie. When they make films such as Sphere, which, in my opinion, was both a mediocre book and an even more mediocre movie, I wonder why these episodes never made it that far. Legality? Copyright? Lack of interest? who knows.

I gave the show a big 4.8. An excellent selection and a great on to listen to again.

[Texas]

Just listened to it again (thanks for the excuse, draegerman). My thoughts:

- I remember my business communication teacher in college talking about how in the 60s many corporations began moving away from a linear way of thinking toward a more circular "two-way" (or however many levels of management there were) way of thinking. Those of you who went through business school probably remember "Theory X" (linear), "Theory Y", "Theory Z" and so forth.

This change in the 60s came about when eastern religions such as Buddhism began to be seen as an influence. Such a religion saw history as cyclical as opposed to linear, exemplified by Christianity. (For those interested, there appears to be a reversal of the trend in modern-day China among a growing number.) (http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/aikman200312220001.asp)

Looks like the author of this took a story that indeed saw history as cyclical. Which meant in a few billion years there was likely going to be ANOTHER drilling rig, which was going to strike the roof of ANOTHER subterranean ranch house, etc.

- I mentioned the "Quiet Please 'Thing on the fourbleboard' " episode. Relistening to this makes me believe even further that this show was an influence on "Ninth volume".

Quick summary of "fourbleboard"...a few guys on a remote drilling rig dredge up (without knowing it) a hideous, invisible, half-woman (?) creature from the earth's depths which is pulled up by the drill bit and deposited on the "fourbleboard" (platform on the fourth level) of their rig. One of the first clues that they've brought something horrendous up is that the geologist (I believe) finds a finger, wearing an ornate filigreed ring, in the mud. When he wipes the mud off the finger is invisible.

Apart from the modern touch of the ranch house (like the modern (?) ring in the other episode) in "The ninth volume" there was that red mud/clay which disappears on contact with air. Similarity to "fourbleboard"? Could be, but not worth much pondering on.

- I loved the combination of Court Benson, Robert Dryden and Michael Wager. I also loved it when Benson's drill boss character "Milo" said, mockingly, "But, he went to [i:b6f7c5f64a]college[/i:b6f7c5f64a]."

- On first listen, was there anyone else besides me who thought something or someone very creepy was going to pop out of that underground ranch house's basement and devour one of the characters? Don't know, but I would have been a lot more uneasy about poking around down there than Wager's character was.

- I also wondered how feasible it was that a drilling bit that far underground was able to be found by one blast through a wall of a deep cave, but then, that's central to what made this story. Impossible by physics or not (and maybe it wasn't) it was still forgivable and enjoyable.

Wonderful RMT...again, too bad it couldn't have lasted longer, though this is the first listen where I've actually felt the limited amount of time it took to tell this tale was justified.

[Kizer Sosay]

When this one was suggested I was surprised that it had not already been SOTW, because I have heard it several times... that's pretty much a sign that it's a personal favorite!

I liked the surrealistic underground house with the naugahyde recliner and collection of great literature. The concept was captivating and the story flow held my interest throughout. The urgency of the deadline, the danger of the treks to the center of the earth, the strong, identfiable characters, the betrayal, the near miss, the disappointment... a very richly developed tale.

I give this episode a rating of five, one of the precious few I have rated so highly.

[Texas]

In honor of you I'm listening to this again.

I, too, am surprised this hasn't made SOTW earlier. It's an excellent show. Thanks again for the suggestion.

BTW, two other things:

1. Another great line from Court Benson as "Milo": "So what if that stuff down there acts weird? If I was down there, [i:2b6226b94d]I[/i:2b6226b94d] would act weird."

2. In real life, oil well drilling is dangerous work, and men can make a lot of physical sacrifices (read: lose fingers) doing it. In old time parlance, the oil drillers were called "roughnecks". My wife's great grandfather was one, though he worked high up building the rig towers. He was one of those guys who isn't afraid of any height, kind of like those mohawk construction workers in New York City who can run along girders eighty stories above the city streets.

A riddle I was told by a man who used to work with drilling rigs (He was in some sort of engineering position):

[quote:2b6226b94d]

Q: "What's this?" (Holds up his index and pinky fingers with all other fingers pointed into the palm of his hand, kind of like the University of Texas "hook 'em, horns" sign.)

A: "A roughneck ordering 5 beers."

[/quote:2b6226b94d]

[Bard]

I really loved this show.I like the sci-fi feel and the way each probable reaction was represented. Beside being drawn into the story, I found myself justifying just about each character's position. I think each differing stance was valid to a greater or lesser degree. I could see wanting to know the future and not wanting to know it. I could see the science's quest for answers and even the business side.

But, being caught up in the story line was the best part! I could really imagine what it was like in the caves. There was a make-up tycoon that built an underground house in Las Vegas and that was how I imagined the house in the story to be.

Great story. I give it a 5!

[Kizer Sosay]

LOL! Nice roughneck joke, Texas!

[brian1984_2001]

I also gave this one a five. I thought the script idea was incredibly original and the story was well paced . It was a little light on character development, but that's a minor detail in a plot-driven story.

I never saw the end coming. Better yet, I really couldn't predict how it was going to end.

I'm not a big Court Benson fan. I don't mind it when he is doing his straight voice (which he does in this episode), but the guy can't do voices worth a damn. He does come through in this episode.

Robert Dryden usually can lift an episode to another level with his acting and he does not disappoint in this episode.

[Texas]

I hadn't heard this in 30 years (a high school / elementary school buddy had it) but I just found and downloaded "The thing on the fourbleboard". (http://music.msn.com/album/?album=41086386#)

Again, I'm guessing this helped inspire "The Ninth Volume", but boy, is this a different kind of tale... :eek: :eek: