The Vital Factor

Countdown for blast off. X-5, 4, 3, 2, X-1. Fire. From the far horizons of the unknown, come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the

future. Adventures in which you'll live in a million could be years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers of astounding science fiction presents, Tonight Story. The Vital Factor by Nelson Bond. I doubt that anywhere on earth there's a man or woman or a child who doesn't know the name Wayne Crowder. I doubt whether there's

a human being who hasn't at one time or another used one of the Crowder products, the can operator or the razor blade or the patented tooth powder dispenser or the Crowder improved slideless fastener. In the magazines which write about men of business, Crowder was described as a man of ice and stone and ink and steel, no warmth to his blood, and a heart to pump,

not feel, human emotion. And he built a battery of buttons into his desk so that when he wanted something, all he ever had to do was press a button, and like Jeannie's springing out of the bottle, the proper personnel would come running.

Yes, Mr. Crowder. Get me my engineers. Yes, sir, right away, Mr. Crowder. Here, your engineer is. Alright, close the door and get out. Now, gentlemen, sit down. Gentlemen, I want you to build me a spaceship.

A spaceship, sir? That's right. I've decided that I am going to be the man who gives space flight to mankind. Any questions? Sir, we can design such a ship. That part isn't too hard, but we've no way of providing the motor to power such a ship.