"'We're just preparing the charges now.'" "Extraordinary, but there it is." "It doesn't make sense." "Nonetheless, there is an atmosphere source inside this asteroid." "Inside..." "'Latest figures, Commander." "'We're three light years from the nearest star system." "'Lf the asteroid's from there, to get this far at its present velocity 'it's been travelling for 1,000 years.'" "Commander?" " We're all set." " 'Charges in position, Commander.'" "All right, trigger it." "You were right, Victor." "Yeah." "Let's take a look." "An airlock." "Atmosphere breathable." "Could support some other form of life." "No." "No use." "All right, stand clear." "Visors down!" "Victor?" "Excuse me, Jim." "I think we'll need some more explosives." " Baxter, you all right?" " I'm all right." " Sure you're all right?" " Yeah, I think so." "He's in a bad way, Commander." " I doubt if he'll make it." " That explosion ripped him apart." " Still, let's get him back to Alpha as quickly as we can." " Let's go." "Lift!" "Well, John... as far as I could see... there's nothing else here." "It's a one-room world." " Bob, check Baxter out." " Right." "Run a check on Baxter." " All right, Dr Russell." " Oxygen?" " Respiratory's stable." " Vital signs?" "Erratic." "Dressings, please." "Useless." "He's dead." " I'm sorry." " Well, you tried." "What now?" "An autopsy, I suppose." "As I understand it, Mike, the blast hit you harder than the rest of us." "Medical seems to think there might be some damage." "Look, if I'm grounded I want to know why." "Just give them a chance to check you out." "As soon as you're clear you can fly again." "As far as I'm concerned there's no problem, all right?" "Yeah." "If you say so." "John!" "Just a little while ago he was severely injured." "He was mutilated beyond description." "I know because I dressed his wounds." "Yes, he was severely injured and everything indicated that he'd died." "Well, now he's alive and what's more, we can't find any sign of injury," "He is completely healed." "Doctor..." " Have you checked this?" " No mistake." "What is it?" "These figures indicate the rate of the alien cell replacement process." "His body is regenerating cells so fast they don't have time to decay." "There's no cell decay." "His body... is being held in some sort of stasis." "Bob, speed up the rest of the figures, please." "Helena, that asteroid's been out in space for maybe a thousand years." "Now, is it possible that he's been out there all that time?" "Well, these figures are just early indications, but if they're leading us where I think they are, anything is possible." "I'm gonna put two security men outside." "No one is to have access to this room without permission." "This is a rock sample from the asteroid from the atmosphere chamber" "I've bombarded it with anti-matter to break down its molecule structure" "So to all intents it should have ceased to exist." "Like this." "But I switch off the disintegrator... and now look." "Yeah." "That's the same piece of rock." "Somehow reformed, reintegrated, regenerated." "Just like the cell structure of the alien when his injuries healed" "Mind you, it's a long shot, because it's something I haven't come across before." "But my guess is that it's not really a rock at all but a living organism." "You can burn it, scrape it blast it bombard it with anti-matter and somehow it'll regenerate itself." "The question is, is it organic matter or was it created for some specific purpose?" "Yes, of course it's possible that it's something like the... shell of a tortoise, designed to protect the man inside, prevent people like us from getting in." "Or to prevent him from getting out." " How do I look?" " Fine." "You can sit up now." "So, when do I get back to flying?" "Well, we'll have to, er, check the tests first." "Checks, checks, checks." "Goodbye, Doctor." "It was a pleasure." "Grounded." " For good?" " I know what this means to you." "Well..." "What's the story?" "Your optic nerve." "It's been severely damaged." "I'm sorry." "Leave me alone." " Leave me alone." " Yeah." "Commander!" "'The alien's escaped from security.'" " He's in assembly area D." " Security, assembly area D." "Use the kill ray." "No!" "Please!" "Please, I must... talk to you." "My name... is Balor." "I am a citizen of the planet..." "Progueron." "Why did you attack our people?" "Commander, please believe me, I mean your people no harm." "We brought you here because you were injured, to help you." "I understand that now." "But when you blasted your way into the asteroid" "I was hurt, disorientated." "I asked myself "What is happening?" "Why should people do this to me?"" ""What is this nightmare?" and then" "I am attacked by your guards." "I defend myself and then weapons are drawn." "Now... is the time to stop, to talk, to try to understand... each other." " Yes?" " It was fear that made our people react as they did." "Please, do not misunderstand me, you have done me a great service, a service which leaves me deeply in your debt." "I have a question." "I used a full blast kill laser." " I don't understand why you're not dead." " Of course you don't." "My powers are no accident of evolution." "Once, a long time ago, we were..." "mortal, as you are." "Our scientists began to experiment with the... forces of life and death." "They found first... a means to eliminate the ageing process in..." "living tissue." "From there they went on, until they achieved total mastery of cell regeneration." "Until finally... they realised that death was defeated." "That immortality itself..." "was possible." " Your people achieved immortality?" " Yes." "My body... is immortal, and I have lived for over a thousand of your years." "Balor, that asteroid was out in space a very long time." "Why were you inside it?" "I will tell you what happened on my world." "And then, perhaps, you will... begin to understand." "Our people accepted the gift of eternal life offered by science." "With nothing to strive for, our people became... apathetic, corrupt." "Our civilisation decayed, lost its purpose, became negative." "When some of us realised what was happening we tried to reverse the process, we tried to instil in our people the thought that only death gives a purpose to life." "That a full response to life can only be measured against a fear of death." "How can you value life if you do not fear death?" "In any event, my efforts failed." "How can you teach immortals to feel like mortals?" "Our world was in chaos." "Our leaders lacked vision." "They could not accept the philosophy, my philosophy, which offered a way out." "A means to... transcend the limitations of the human spirit." "I persisted, but in the end they turned on me." "I was the enemy." "The cause of all their misfortune." "A prison was constructed out of living rock." "And I was shut in... and cast out, to suffer... eternal solitude for what were considered my crimes." " Can we do anything for you?" " I belong nowhere." "To no one." "My need is sanctuary." "You're welcome to stay with us, at least for the present." "Be our guest." " Paul, show Balor to my quarters." " Yes, sir." "Thank you all." "Victor, Helena." "What do you think, Victor?" "Well, I'm inclined to believe him." "Why?" "What we know about the asteroid, how long it's been out in space." " It adds up." " Does it?" "Helena?" "It makes sense." "Immortality's possible." "If we'd been offered immortality, would we have chosen differently?" "No, but if we found out we'd made a mistake, as the Proguerons did, would we punish the man who offered us a way out?" " What are you saying?" " I don't know." "I don't know." "But why would civilised people punish a man in such a diabolical way?" "And what about the paintings inside the asteroid?" "How do they fit in?" "Terror." "Destruction." "Torture." "Right." "Maybe that was Balor's solution." "Maybe that's what he offered his people." "Can we assume that?" "He was in that asteroid for a long time." "Maybe he painted them himself?" "Or they're to remind him of something." "Something he hasn't told us about." "Kano, run a constant check on Balor's whereabouts." "'Yes, Commander.'" " What do you want?" " I can understand you resenting me" "Can you?" "You take your flying very seriously, don't you?" "Come on, what is it?" "And your... minor disability's taken the joy of flying away from you." " What do you want with me?" " Perhaps I can help you." "'Commander, Balor has just entered Mike Baxter's quarters.'" "Baxter?" "Thanks, Kano." "I'm glad you're feeling better about things." "Balor was here." "What did he want?" "Baxter got the jump on me." "He went completely berserk." "I never stood a chance, he was... crazy, violent." "He was still battering me when..." "when I passed out." "And yet look at me now." "There isn't a mark on me." "I don't know what the hell's going on." " I want a report on the death cause" " We'll rush an autopsy through." "John, that expression, that... attitude of the hands," " where have we seen that before?" " Inside the asteroid." "Those pictures on the walls." "Balor could have regenerated your injuries." "But why?" "What's he up to?" "He's trying to take over." "What other reason could there be?" "Then why didn't he kill you?" "It doesn't make sense." "No." "But it's beginning to." "Paul, locate Balor." "Have him come to my office." " You wanted to see me, Commander?" " Yes." "Did you visit one of our people, a man called Baxter?" "He's now dead." "Is he?" "What did you do to him?" "Look, Balor, I know you went to Baxter's quarters, that you did something to his mind that made him attack me viciously." "You waited until he had almost killed me, then you healed me." "Exact?" "Yes, everything that you say is absolutely correct." "Why?" "A demonstration, Commander." "A foretaste of what is to come." " You're not sane, Balor." " Who are you to judge?" "I failed my own people because they were like myself, immortals." "But here it will be different." "Here I have found... the perfect models, geared for my precise purpose" "With only one change, you will follow my way." "My philosophy will prevail here now." "You see, Koenig," "I have plans here." "When you released me from my isolation, you..." "left something there very precious to me." "My paintings." "Of course you noticed them." "Scenes of terror and torture." "Chaos." "Destruction." "Yes." "I know now that they were put there to remind you of what you did to your people." "Right again, Koenig." "And a thousand years of reflection have convinced me..." "I was right." "And now I have found a golden opportunity to prove it." "With you." "Accept the challenge, Koenig!" "Surrender to the exquisite forces of pain and suffering and you... will... transcend your limitations!" "You're evil, Balor, and what you offer is evil." "We will resist you and what you stand for." "Oh, please, don't make me kill you." "I have to be careful with mortals." "You have the release of death." "Baxter was too lucky." "No, I want you alive." "You, Alpha, your people." "You belong to me." "And I will do with you as I wish." "And you will come to accept..." "what I have to offer." "You'll see." " No." " How will you stop me?" " Kill me?" " We'll find a way." "Somehow." "So you will not do as I command?" "You'll have to kill me first." "I offered your commander a choice." "He refused." "There will be death and destruction on this base until he agrees." "A killer who can't be killed." "It's insane." "He can do what he wants and he knows it." "Commander, damage reports are coming in." "Balor's tearing Alpha apart." "But he wants Alpha, Paul." "He won't destroy us." "Not yet." " But can't we do something?" " Yes, hold out." "We've got to find some way to fight him or we're finished." "That's good, Bob, nice and easy." "Dottor Russell, you've heard of my powers of healing?" "Your medical functions here are now obsolete." "I am in control of this unit and I shall determine whether or not my function is obsolete." "Believe me, you are." "This equipment, though, has possibilities." "Possibilities that will amaze you." "And may even... interest you." "Get out of here." "Every time that I ask for your help and you deny it" "I will inflict pain." "And it will get worse." "But I will not kill you." "Paul, the situation?" "Communications hardware in section C is wrecked, damage to the research labs - do you want me to go on?" " He's destroying everything." " 'John?" "'" " He was just here." " Go on." "'One of our orderlies." "Balor is a cold-blooded killer.'" "Evacuate the medical centre and get over here." "Where is he now?" "Reported heading towards area B." " Get our people out of there." " Wait Paul." "Balor's gonna hear that" "Right." "I'll put it through the comlocks." " Main Mission to area B." " I think there's a way we could slow him up." "How?" "We can isolate him on one of the sections and then depressurise it, turn the whole area into a vacuum." "Better still... we get him off Alpha, out into space." "He won't go near an airlock, not now." "Not unless we forced him to." "Paul, get him on the screen." "'Balor!" "'" "You agree to my terms?" "'No psychopath is going to dictate terms to us, Balor.'" "'You will show me respect, Koenig!" "I will... '" " Is B section clear yet?" " Yes, sir." "I'm going in there." "Seal all doors behind me." "When I'm clear, depressurise." "You crazy?" "You can't fight him!" "Alan, I know that!" "Do you want me to invite him to leave?" " You know what to do." " He'll kill him, Victor." "I know!" " What's happening?" " He's in there to take Balor alone." " Ready here, Paul." " Check, Commander." "Door." " What are you doing here, Koenig?" " Thinking." "Thinking about accepting my offer?" "Maybe." "But I need more time, Balor." "You haven't got any more time, Koenig." "Look, I need a little more time." "I'm going to make you suffer, Koenig." "I need more time, Balor." "All right, Koenig." "All right." "Time's up, Koenig." "You forget, I've already waited..." "a thousand years!" "I want your decision NOW, Koenig!" " He'll kill him!" " Alan!" "We gotta help." "Is this helping you to think Koenig?" "I'm trying not to kill you, Koenig." " I need you on Alpha." " Never!" "Now!" " Are you all right, Commander?" " Yeah, Paul." " 'Ranging now.'" " In your own time, Alan." "Well, we're lucky we survived." "It was our fault, we unleashed him." "We interfered with another people's justice." "We must learn to leave some things alone." " But he could have given us immortality." " No." "Price was too high." "All right, let's get this place into shape!" "Let's go!"