Just listened to it again. My thoughts:

- I remember my business communication teacher in college talking about how in the 60s many corporations began moving away from a linear way of thinking toward a more circular "two-way" (or however many levels of management there were) way of thinking. Those of you who went through business school probably remember "Theory X" (linear), "Theory Y", "Theory Z" and so forth.

This change in the 60s came about when eastern religions such as Buddhism began to be seen as an influence. Such a religion saw history as cyclical as opposed to linear, exemplified by Christianity. (For those interested, there appears to be a reversal of the trend in modern-day China among a growing number.)

Looks like the author of this took a story that indeed saw history as cyclical. Which meant in a few billion years there was likely going to be ANOTHER drilling rig, which was going to strike the roof of ANOTHER subterranean ranch house, etc.

- I mentioned the "Quiet Please 'Thing on the fourbleboard' " episode. Relistening to this makes me believe even further that this show was an influence on "Ninth volume".

Quick summary of "fourbleboard"...a few guys on a remote drilling rig dredge up (without knowing it) a hideous, invisible, half-woman (?) creature from the earth's depths which is pulled up by the drill bit and deposited on the "fourbleboard" (platform on the fourth level) of their rig. One of the first clues that they've brought something horrendous up is that the geologist (I believe) finds a finger, wearing an ornate filigreed ring, in the mud. When he wipes the mud off the finger is invisible.

Apart from the modern touch of the ranch house (like the modern (?) ring in the other episode) in "The ninth volume" there was that red mud/clay which disappears on contact with air. Similarity to "fourbleboard"? Could be, but not worth much pondering on.

- I loved the combination of Court Benson, Robert Dryden and Michael Wager. I also loved it when Benson's drill boss character "Milo" said, mockingly, "But, he went to college."

- On first listen, was there anyone else besides me who thought something or someone very creepy was going to pop out of that underground ranch house's basement and devour one of the characters? Don't know, but I would have been a lot more uneasy about poking around down there than Wager's character was.

- I also wondered how feasible it was that a drilling bit that far underground was able to be found by one blast through a wall of a deep cave, but then, that's central to what made this story. Impossible by physics or not (and maybe it wasn't) it was still forgivable and enjoyable.

Wonderful RMT...again, too bad it couldn't have lasted longer, though this is the first listen where I've actually felt the limited amount of time it took to tell this tale was justified.