Tales of the Unexpected #98 is an issue of the series Tales of the Unexpected (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1966. It was published on October 11, 1966.
Synopsis for "Half-Man/Half Machine"
A man named Jason Baird wakes up from heart surgery and finds out that his doctor has installed a mechanical artificial heart in his chest to save his life. He is discharged from the hospital weeks later and is shocked to discover that his limbs are turning into mechanical parts. He surmises that the blood that is surging through his mechanical heart is changing his metabolism turning his cells into mechanical parts. He fears that eventually he will turn into one big machine. Baird then overhears his radio as newsman report that two gemini astronauts are scheduled to make an emergency landing but they are not coming down at their expected point. Baird rushes out to the countryside and spots the space capsule as it comes down into an unscalable mountain range. He ventures out to rescue the astronauts using the unique abilities that he has acquired with his mechanical body. He uses his body's unique abilities to travel through the rough terrain while drinking oil to refuel himself. He eventually locates the astronauts but they are located across from a pool of acidized water. He wades across to the other side with his body half dissolved from the acid and shoots off a flare gun alerting rescue teams. Baird is taken back to the hospital where amazingly he discovers that his body is returning back to its normal human self. The doctor explains that by wading into the acid pool, the acid reversed his metabolism which allowed him to regrow his human limbs back.
Appearing in "Half-Man/Half Machine"
- Appearances not yet listed
Synopsis for "The Weird Passenger in Cabin #13"
A bank embezzler named Mark Regan is shunned by his would be fiancé Kitty. She wants no part of the criminal life and bids him goodbye. Regan books passage to South America to escape authorities. Unbeknownst to him he crosses path with a gaseous green mass that is invisible to human eyes but has the ability to change lives. He is assigned to cabin 13 where he is told that he must share his space with a roommate. His cabin mate introduces himself as Conn and invites Regan to join him in the dining area for lunch. As Regan heads to the top deck he runs into a hysterical woman that is screaming that someone has fallen overboard. Regan somehow falls overboard and everyone mistakenly thinks that he is attempting to rescue that poor man that fell into the ocean. He rescues the old man using a lifesaver and Regan is hailed as a hero. He is congratulated by the captain as well as his cabin mate who's mysterious features remain hidden. Regan is then informed that his cabin is on fire. He rushes to cabin 13 and sees that cabin 12 is engulfed and the fire has spread. He rushes into the adjoining cabin in an effort to rescue his money but he finds it is too late. He decides to rescue an invalid woman trapped in the room as long as he is there. He comes out of the fire with the woman and is once again hailed as a hero. The elated captain then invites Regan to join him for dinner later that evening at his table. The crowds cheer as he enters the dining area and Regan begins to contemplate the virtues of living an honest life. As he dines at the captains table the alarm system suddenly goes off. The ship has hit an iceberg and everyone is instructed to board the rescue boats. Regain finds a lone seat in one of the small boats but selflessly gives it up to a mother and her infant child. Regan plays the hero once more as he dives overboard into the water. He is rescued by a man in a small raft and Regan is surprised that the man is an exact copy of himself. The man turns out to be his cabin mate Conn and he reveals that he is really Regans consciousness. His consciousness has been steering Regan to live an honest life. Regan decides to turn himself in to South American authorities. As he does so, he finds out that the ship he was on was named the SS Verdad which means the Truth in English. Authorities decide to dismiss the charges against Regan in light of his actions and his honesty. He returns home to marry his fiancé Kitty as the Green cloud departs from his body.
Appearing in "The Weird Passenger in Cabin #13"
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Synopsis for "Elevator to Nowhere"
Four strangers board an elevator on their way to a unique destiny. Each individual has personal struggles that they are trying to deal with in their lives. An acrobat that lost his nerve and now faces an unknown future, a singer that doubts her ability to land big parts in musicals, a writer whose work has gone stale and is looking for new ideas and an inventor that has been ridiculed for his inventions. All four enter the same elevator and find that they have been transported to another dimension. They step out into a strange land where they immediately encounter a giant creature that chases them into a cave. The writer uses his latest manuscript to build a fire and feels relieved to leave behind his old writing style. The girl then rescues the group by using her high pitch voice to disintegrate large stalactites that are about to befall the four of them. The acrobat uses his skill to venture outside and drops a huge boulder on the monster from a branch spanning across a valley. Finally, the inventor uses his device to locate the elevator which carried them there as they board it to return back to their original location. All four return with renewed confidence that changes their lives.
Appearing in "Elevator to Nowhere"
- Appearances not yet listed
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