The civilization of the galaxy spread across two hundred million worlds and the black void of space swarmed with the ships of the empire. But far off the trade routes, almost forgotten, lay the dying planet earth. A backwater in galactic culture, a place of exile, a pebble in the sky.
—Opening Narration
First aired on 17 June 1951 and adapted from Isaac Asimov's Pebble in the Sky. This episode was adapted for radio by Ernest Kinoy and directed by Edward King. Norman Rose is the Narrator, describing the premise of the story. The rest of the cast includes Santos Ortega, Susan Douglas, Edwin Jerome, and Leon Janney.
Bel Arvardan (voiced by Ortega) is the main character, who narrates events for the audience as he speaks to the Procurator and the people of Earth. He meets Pola (voiced by Douglas) while she searches for her father in a mall. Dr Arvardan helps her get free and they go to see her father. This unexpectedly draws him into an ongoing web of intrigue, as Earth-born terrorists prepare a biological weapon against the Galactic Empire and he falls in love with the woman he met only a few days ago.
"Pebble in the Sky" contains examples of:
- Adaptation Distillation: In order to fit an entire Novel of Pebble in the Sky into one ~25 minute episode, much of it had to be cut. Schwarz is entirely removed and Bel Arvardan narrates the events like a private eye.
- Adapted Out:
- Joseph Schwarz is removed from this adaptation of Pebble in the Sky. His role in causing Dr Arvardan and Pola Shekt to meet in the mall is given to her father, Dr Shekt. His role in forcing Balkis to be imprisoned by the Outsiders is accomplished by Arvardan's attack against a soldier. His role in stopping the virus from being spread to the Empire? Gone.
- The (unnamed) High Minister is removed from office in this adaptation of Pebble in the Sky. In his place is Balkis, given the title along with the power he already had.
- The Synapsifier, Dr Shekt's device, is removed from the story. Dr Shekt is now one of the scientists who worked directly on the virus, all Psychic Powers are removed from the story.
- Natter, the agent who observes Dr Arvardan on his flight to Chica and helps Schwartz escape the Radiation Fever soldiers, no longer appears in the story, to help cut down on the subplots.
- Age Lift: In the original novel, Dr Shekt is 58, but in this much shorter adaptation, he is 62 instead. This difference is significant because it means he is in violation of The Sixty; mandatory euthanasia.
- Apocalypse How: In addition to Earth's highly radioactive crust, the virus is assumed to be successful, which would wipe out the Galactic Empire and humanity would only survive on Earth.
- Audio Adaptation: An adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Pebble in the Sky, transcription by Ernest Kinoy.
- Book Ends: Robert Browning's poem isn't quoted in this adaptation of Pebble in the Sky, but the title is. First the narrator uses the title to describe how Earth is an ignored backwater planet, then at the end of the episode, Dr Arvardan uses the title to describe how Earth will be the only planet left with human beings.
- Character Narrator: In this adaptation, the third-person omniscient is replaced by making the archeologist, Bel Arvardan, the narrator of all events.
- Downer Ending: Because Joseph Schwarz and the Synapsifier are removed from this adaptation of Pebble in the Sky, the happy ending of the original cannot occur and Dr Arvardan predicts that all humanity will die, except for those native to Earth, and the science needed for interstellar travel will be lost.
- Earth That Used to Be Better: Dr Arvardan, an archaeologist, believes that because Earth is unique, the only inhabited planet with non-habitable radiation, this means that Earth may have been the origin of humanity. Meanwhile, Earth's leadership mandates euthanasia at sixty, large areas of the planet are completely uninhabitable, and rebel elements are plotting a mass viral genocide of other worlds.
- Fake-Out Make-Out: When Bel Arvardan meets with Pola a second time, footsteps are heard to approach them, and Pola immediately suggests they kiss to avoid suspicion.
- Fantastic Racism: Bel Arvardan's unconscious/systemic racism is completely removed in this adaptation due to the need to keep it under thirty minutes, but everyone else's mutual hatred of Earthman vs Outsiders is kept intact.
- Fictional Document: Dr Avardan has been published in the Galactic Archeological Journal, but Procurator Ennis only heard of him from a newspaper article.
- Filling the Silence: There's an almost constant background of music and sound effects in this adaptation, and it grows especially loud during scenes changes.
- On the Next: The end of the episode gives a quick introduction to "Child's Play", next week's episode.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: In order to fit an entire Novel into one ~25 minute episode, much of Pebble in the Sky had to be cut, such as the rotating POV followed in the original book. Bel Arvardan instead narrates the events like a private eye and only the events from his point of view are shown.
- Private Eye Monologue: When Bel Arvaden speaks in an aside to the audience to narrate his opinions and the setting changes, he changes his tone and cadence to fit the classic pattern of a radio detective.
- Synthetic Plague: In a change from the original, Dr Shekt is one of the biologists who created the virus that will kill the Outsiders (humans that aren't Earth-natives). He's motivated to do so because he is older and in violation of The Sixty; mandatory euthanasia.
- Title Drop: This episode uses the title early in the story, describing Earth as an ignored backwater planet, inconsequential to the Galactic Superpower of humanity. It then ends with the title, as Bel Arvardan predicts that Earth will be the only planet left with human beings, describing it as alone and lonely.
