The Cosmic Man

The USAF tracks an unidentified flying object as it streaks over Oak Ridge at 180,000 mph. The white sphere lands in Stone Canyon and hovers about six feet above the ground, drawing urgent attention from Col. Matthews and Dr. Sorenson. They scramble to assess the threat as the craft remains suspended above the terrain.

Under cover of darkness the sphere comes to rest outside Oak Ridge in Stone Canyon, hovering six feet above the ground. An emergency response is mounted and Matthews orders the sphere moved to the airbase for containment. Despite using heavy equipment, nothing can move it as if it is anchored by some unknown force.

Kathy Grant, a widow who runs a nearby lodge, arrives with her disabled son Ken. Ken idolizes Sorenson and watches the scene with awe as the sphere looms overhead. The tense atmosphere deepens as the boy becomes a witness to extraordinary events.

That night the sphere emits a beam of light and a dark translucent humanoid figure emerges. The visitor heads straight to Sorenson's lab at the Pacific Institute of Technology and astonishes the scientists by entering undetected. The encounter confirms they are dealing with a being of far greater intelligence.

The Cosmic Man goes to Sorenson's lab and solves a problem with a proton chamber that Sorenson and Richie could not. He uses insights beyond human capability to provide a solution. The scientists realize that humanity faces a pivotal opportunity and threat in equal measure.

Matthews sees the alien as dangerous and orders the sphere to be moved to the airbase for containment. But even with heavy equipment, the sphere remains attached to nothing and cannot be moved. The incident underscores the limits of Earth technology in the face of extraterrestrial intelligence.

An oddly dressed stranger wearing thick glasses, a fedora, and an anorak arrives at the lodge and asks for a room. Kathy suspects he is Dr. Steinholz and lets him stay after he hints that he knows Sorenson. The mysterious guest adds another layer of tension to a night already full of wonder.

That night Sorenson performs an experiment by shooting an electrical charge into the sphere and it erupts in a massive sonic blast. He warns that with more power the sphere could wipe a city off the face of the Earth. The revelation heightens the sense of global danger should the artifact fall into the wrong hands.

The Cosmic Man appears again at the lodge in translucent form and tells the scientists and airmen that humanity must adopt a new philosophy to join an interplanetary community. He says he will leave in the morning, leaving many questions unanswered. When Knowland demands more, the being departs without answering and the group opens fire in a futile gesture.

Ken shares a chess game with the disguised Cosmic Man, who politely thanks him for teaching him the game and leaves after a brief moment of camaraderie. Kathy remains unaware of the true identity of their guest. The mysterious visitor resumes his hidden role as the night deepens.

The mysterious visitor returns to take Ken in secret, moving with surprising care and calm. Steinholz then aims powerful electromagnets at the sphere, while the Cosmic Man appears with Ken in his arms and lays him on the ground. He tells the assembled to stay well away from the sphere as he leaves.

Steinholz fires the electromagnets and the Cosmic Man falls to the ground, apparently dead. Meanwhile, Ken suddenly stands up and walks to Kathy, no longer paralyzed. The moment marks a turning point as the strange exchange begins to resolve its immediate crisis.

The sphere emits another beam, absorbing the body of the Cosmic Man, and flies away. Ken tearfully says goodbye, and Sorenson reassures the group that the Cosmic Man will be back. Kathy and Ken rejoin the others as the crisis fades for now.