The Phantom Planet

In 1980, the United States Air Force Space Exploration Wing readies a two-member Pegasus crew for a Mars mission. Reports of a second missing Pegasus stir rumors of space monsters and phantom planets. Captain Frank Chapman and Lt. Ray Makonnen are assigned to investigate.

Chapman and Makonnen receive orders to search for the missing Pegasus and investigate the rumors that have circulated since the disappearance. They prepare for a risky mission beyond lunar orbit. The search sets the stage for men pitting themselves against the unknown.

During their journey, the Pegasus is torn by a meteor shower, forcing both crew members to exit the vessel to make repairs. The danger of vacuum and debris becomes immediate. They work quickly, hoping to salvage the mission.

A bullet-sized particle punctures Chapman’s air hose, causing him to lose consciousness. Makonnen manages a repair, but he is fatally struck when an identical particle pierces the airlock as he opens it. Makonnen saves Chapman at the cost of his own life.

Makonnen's last act is to shove Chapman back inside and close the hatch before being killed. Chapman regains consciousness and logs the events, noting he must make a forced landing on an asteroid. He senses Rheton's gravity field pulling their craft into an unknown orbit.

Chapman exits the ship and collapses. He sees tiny humanoids and, once his helmet visor is opened, can breathe. The asteroid's atmosphere causes him to shrink to about six inches tall and he is taken underground.

Sesom, the elder ruler, explains Rheton's solitude and gravity technology. He reveals that their planetary defense prevented other Earth ships from landing intact. Chapman learns he cannot leave Rheton and will become a citizen.

Chapman meets Liara, the bold daughter, and Zetha, the mute healer. Liara answers his many questions and Sesom hints he might one day marry one of them. Chapman is torn between returning home and adapting to Rheton.

Herron, who loves Liara, accuses Chapman of pursuing both women and asks for a duel. They fight on gravity plates that instantly disintegrate anything that touches them. Chapman refuses to kill and lets Herron step back, choosing mercy.

Chapman and Zetha grow closer as she regains the ability to speak when witness to danger. They begin a silent romance, though Chapman remains emotionally bound to his home world. Herron remains a potential ally.

The Solarites, an alien 'fire people' race, attack Rheton to steal its gravitational secrets. Sesom and Herron rally to defend their world using a gravity beam. The planet's survival becomes intertwined with Chapman's fate.

A Solarite prisoner breaks loose in the corridors and abducts Zetha. Chapman and Herron fight to rescue her, with Chapman ultimately defeating the creature by pushing it onto a gravity plate. Zetha's muteness returns as she warns him of the danger.

Earth locates Chapman with a search party. To preserve Rheton's secret, Chapman crawls into his spacesuit and, once re-exposed to Earth's atmosphere, returns to his normal size. He reluctantly accepts that he must leave Rheton behind.

Chapman departs Rheton and returns to Earth, continuing his mission while leaving the miniature world behind. The encounter remains a secret from the broader human world, ensuring Rheton's existence stays hidden.