An appropriate title for this episode which involved the most chilling of all equations, weighing up whether or not someone should die. The story is quite simple, a rocket ship laden with emergency medical supplies is bound for a distant planet. Shortly after take-off Captain Barton, the pilot, is informed that the craft is overloaded. A search finds a teenage girl stowaway, Lee Cross. She is desperate to see her brother who is stationed on the destined planet. However, there is a problem. The cargo load and required fuel are calculated to the last gram and millilitre. Lee's additional weight, seemingly insignificant, will cause the ship to crash on landing. Policy is to jettison any excess weight. She pleads with Barton. He increases speed so that they are travelling faster than the brain can react, but it is to no avail. The order comes through that she must be jettisoned. As a final act of compassion Barton contacts Lee's brother and lets her say goodbye. Then, she steps into the airlock trembling as she awaits her fate.
I was very young when I watched this but vividly recall the horror I felt at the thought of someone being jettisoned into the vast pitiless coldness of space. I felt cheated in a way, thinking that some way would be found to save the unfortunate girl. It left a lasting impression on me as did many of the episodes in this fantastic series. I understand that some suitably qualified people have questioned the idea that a rocket would be launched without a safety margin for load and fuel but, this is after all, fiction. And all sorts of implausible things happen in the telling of a good story. Just don't try to stow away on the next NASA mission!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews