"You are children...
"...who still believe in monsters!"
The Control Voice: The great unknown: Limitless heavens crowded with sparking mysteries, challenging Man's curiosity. But the heavens are not oceans. Man cannot push a boat into its currents and set sail for the next horizon. The heavens are a mystery only science can solve, as it penetrates the unknown.
Six people participate in a simulated voyage to planet Antheon, while an entity watches them.
The Control Voice: Panic button pressed. Passengers returned. One side always in the sunlight, the other always in darkness; the known and the unknown. Frightening to each other only when they are both unknown... and misunderstood.
"You are tropers who still believe in monsters!"
- Dramatis Personae: Done at the end of the episode, as each member of the main cast gets a credit.
- Energy Being: The Antheon alien is a floating ball of light throughout most of the story. This is presumably its native form.
- The Film of the Book: Like "The Invisible Enemy", this episode was based on a short story by Jerry Sohl. Unlike "The Invisible Enemy", Sohl did not work on the script, so this adaptation is even looser than the previous one.
- Humans Are Flawed: And the alien uses those flaws to pit the passengers against each other.
- In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves: Referenced in the confrontation between the alien and the humans.Keith Ellis: We're a simple people. Given a chance, we'll destroy ourselves. Why do it for us?
Antheon alien: Because you'll destroy us, too, if we let you. You do not know us, we have never hurt you, yet you come to attack, to conquer. We will not allow this. - Jerkass: Joe Dix is an ill-tempered loudmouth who's motivated by Greed.
- One-Word Title: Also a Non-Appearing Title, since (unlike the source material) it's not mentioned within the episode itself.
- Stop Motion: Used to animate the plant monster as it feeds on another plant, then crawls toward the passengers. It was The Outer Limits' first use of the technique since "The Zanti Misfits".
