"'Our struggle to survive in a hostile universe 'had long erased the memory of the disaster 'that first hurled our moon out of Earth's orbit." "'But recent events on the planet Arkadia 'have revived that painful memory 'and forced us to reconsider our purpose in space." "'And when it started, it was to prove terrifying.'" "Aaaaah-ya!" "'Commander.'" " Yes, Paul?" " 'Emergency.'" "I owe you one." "Return match next week, right?" "All right, Commander." "Well, what is it?" "Sandra, what's our position?" "Eight point five degrees relative." "It is no mistake, our course is altering." "That's strange." "We're nowhere near the gravitational pull of that planet." "Oh, no, it's nothing to do with gravitation, or magnetism, either." "Let's find out what it is." "Activate long-range sensors." "Scanner malfunction." "And there is a power loss." "There's a generator fault, a five per cent power loss across the board." "Power loss now seven per cent." "We're slowing down!" " Check the sensors." " Nothing." "Power loss now... eight per cent." "We've stopped dead." "'The unbelievable had happened - 'our moon was locked in space.'" "Gravity or magnetic forces could affect the course, the speed, of an object the size of the Moon..." "But they couldn't stop us cold like this." "No, no, nothing we know of could do that." "Then there's gotta be a third force." "It must have something to do with that planet out there." "'We've completed the generator tests." "'We can't trace any faults, but...'" " But?" " 'We're still losing power.'" "How, if the generators are OK?" "'The computer puts it down to "external forces".'" "Great, that tells us everything" "'Computer's not a crystal ball." "'She can only predict on specific data.'" "All right, Kano." "Paul, what's the situation?" "'Alpha's feeling the effect of the power loss." "'A kind of, uh... creeping paralysis." "'So far only long-range systems are hit, but it's getting worse.'" "Sandra, how long can we last?" "At the present rate, we have 38 hours." "Phased economies would give us ten hours more." "48 hours." "What's the flying time to that planet?" "30 hours, round trip." "30 hours." "All right, we'll take down a team." "Victor, Scientific." "Helena, Environment." "And two security men." "Kano, I want Computer to select two people with the widest experience to round out the team." "With the systems down we can't rely on Main Computer, so take what we need on the surface." "Alan, provision the Eagle for eight." "Immediate liftoff." "Paul, power economy, starting right now!" "'The planet had already been under routine observation." "'Every indication told us it was devoid of any form of life." "'As the power loss was affecting our long-range systems, 'we would shortly lose contact with Alpha." "'So we set course for the planet." "'Once there, we would truly be on our own." "'With us went the future of our people, 'for if we failed, our existence, like the Moon, 'would come to a full stop.'" "'It's a long ride, so get some sleep.'" "Activate phase three power cut, Sandra." "Did you sleep well?" " Morning." " Morning, John." "We've circled the planet twice with no sign of habitation." "Certainly no indication of intelligent life, but we're still looking." "'We're wasting our time." "'It's just desolation and more desolation out there.'" "All right, Alan, keep looking." "Victor, what have you got?" "Um..." "This was a living world once." "And then, something happened, some kind of holocaust, which obliterated all life." "Then the planet is uninhabitable." " Ah, well..." " No." "The atmosphere is stabilised, the radiation levels tolerable, the planet is as it was before life stopped." "Let's get down there and find some real answers... before life stops on Alpha." "Alan, take her down." "'Overpowering impressions crowded in on us 'as we stepped onto the alien planet." "'A sense of timeless solitude." "'The silent touch of an empty world." "'The total absence of life." "'Death had visited this world, so our data told us." "'And as we moved on, we could feel it closing in around us, 'like a shroud.'" "All right, let's set up camp over there." "There were living things here once." "Birds, animals, maybe even intelligent life." "Yeah." "We're just a few thousand years too late." "Right, that's the lot." " Everything's here, Commander." " Good." "All right." "Now, if you must leave your designated areas, let Security know." "Stay in pairs and maintain communication at all times." "And one more thing." "The fate of Alpha, all of us... depends on the answers we come up with." "All right, let's go." "Strange place, isn't it?" "So barren and solitary." "Any open space would seem like that after being cooped up on Alpha." "No." "No, it's something else." "A feeling that maybe we are intruders." "I don't know, maybe you're right." "Luke!" "What is it?" "Scan those trees." "'The first discovery had been made, 'a link in the chain leading to the inevitable, shattering conclusion." "'Helena and Victor had also forged a link." "'The planet was not dead." "Its soil was simply locked in stasis, 'waiting for the bacteria that would restart the cycle of life and death." "'But that was before the most incredible discovery of all.'" "John..." "How much do you know about ancient Earth languages?" "Earth languages?" "Cos unless I'm very much mistaken, that inscription is in Sanskrit, a basic proto-European root language." "Sanskrit, the mother of tongues." "Are you sure?" "Well, not entirely, but..." "John, Anna Davis is a trained philologist." "What?" "Maybe Computer knew something we didn't." "Anna, get here right away." "Anna..." "I don't believe it." "Sanskrit?" "Sanskrit, yes." "But different, somehow." "An earlier form, perhaps." "But here, a million light years away from Earth?" "How?" "Can you decipher it?" "Without the use of Main Computer, it will take some time, but yes, I think so." "Luke, would you..." "Luke!" "Yes, Commander." "This should warm the game up." "This is controller Paul Morrow." "Attention, please." "Phase four power reductions now operative." "'Until further notice, 'travel tubes between sections one to five are suspended." "'Heating will be reset to number four, 'and lighting systems to half power.'" "'Paul..." "Look, I know you've got problems, 'but without more power, my patients will freeze.'" "Sandra, allocate Medical Section four extra units." "'Thanks, Paul.'" "Now reduce heating in here by four units." "Don't worry." "It can only get worse." "How is it going?" "If only I had access to the reference library." "Yes." "And if they could talk, we'd know how they died." "What have you found out?" "If you give me a chance, I might be able to tell you!" "Sorry." "Oh, I'm sorry." "Don't mind me." "It's just that it's very difficult." "And I can make no real sense of it." "I find it very disturbing." "Yes." "The sooner we get out of this place, the better." "Oh, hello." "Any luck?" "No." "Nothing we've seen could be causing what's happening on Alpha." " Helena, those skeletons." " They're humanoid." "People very much like ourselves." "Bones show that they died of radiation up to 25,000 years ago." "That cave could have been their last refuge." "And those inscriptions could be their last message." ""To you, who seek us out in the ages to come," ""we salute you." ""The desolation you find distresses..."" "No, "grieves we few who will soon die." ""Our civilisation gone, our world..." Arkane or Arkadia," ""poisoned, dying." ""We who happened..."" "Sorry, "caused our own..." something..." "Destruction?" "Yes, destruction." ""No need now to say", no, "tell of the final... event"" " "happening..."" " Holocaust?" "Yes, that fits." "".." "The final holocaust," ""when our world flamed in the inferno of a thousand exploding suns..."" "There's more, but the imagery is difficult." "Keep trying." ""Arkadia is finished." ""But she, Arkadia, lives on in the bodies, hearts and minds of those few" ""who left before the end, taking..." ""..the life, the something..."" "The seeds." "".." "The seeds of a new beginning, to seek out and..."" "Discover?" "No, "begin." Yes, that's it, "to seek out and begin again" ""in the distant regions of space." ""Heed now the teachings," ""testament", yes, "the testament of Arkadia."" "There's a passage I can make no sense of." "I'll need the reference library." "Then it continues..." ""You who are guided here make us fertile." ""Help us live again."" "An Earth language." "How could people from Earth be here 25,000 years ago?" "No." "Earth people didn't come here." "The Arkadians, they found Earth!" "Ask Anna." "She knows." "Tell him, Anna." "The trees." "Tell him!" "We found oak, pine, willow, beech, 40 different varieties of trees, all native to Earth!" "You heard the inscription, the Arkadians took the seeds with them." "They found a new Arkadia" " Earth." "Our people originated here, on this planet." "'Though the discovery in the cave left us shaken, 'it did not explain what was destroying Alpha.'" "We're running out of time, Commander." "We have to get back to Alpha." "'Alpha was freezing and we still didn't understand the force 'that held our moon a static prisoner in space.'" "We could bring life back to this planet." "How long would it take to rejuvenate the soil?" "It would take two years to get the crops growing." "If we brought our people, how long could we last on survival rations?" "There are over 300 people, John." "Six months at the most." " Six months." " But with no power," "Alpha will freeze to death in 24 hours." "So it's a suicide run either way." "But at least down here, we'd be buying time." "Not much time." "But time enough to hope." "For a miracle." "'And a miracle did occur, 'one that even now is beyond our understanding." "'A force, an indefinable intelligence, existed on the planet." "'And Anna Davis and Luke Faro activated it, 'or were chosen as the agents of its will." "'What passed between them, we'll never know." "'But they emerged from the cave 'their personalities profoundly transformed.'" "'We're abandoning Alpha." "Come back.'" "Phase six power cuts now operative." "Heating now automatically reduced to number two." "And that includes Medical." "'All experimental sections are closing down." "'Travel tube facilities on Alpha will cease, effective immediately.'" " Morrow, what the hell's going on?" " There's nothing I can do." "Without heat, you might as well shoot my patients." "There's no way I can give you that power back." "Damn it, those people can't survive!" "If these drops continue, none of us will survive!" "Then it's on your conscience." "'Main Mission, come in Main Mission.'" "This is Koenig, do you read me?" " 'We have you, Eagle 1.'" " What's the situation?" "'Desperate. 50 per cent power loss.'" "All right, listen carefully." "Put Operation Exodus into effect." "We're evacuating." "Details later." "Stand by for an important announcement." "Phase one of Operation Exodus..." "Paul!" "It has stopped." "The power has stabilised." "Check Computer." "Commander!" "'The power seems to be stabilising.'" "Stabilising?" "Are you sure?" "Computer confirms." "Power loss 50 per cent and stable." "We're not losing any more power." "'The power's holding." "Commander, do we still evacuate?" "'" "No." "Wait till we get there." "'The inexplicable had happened again, 'another event that defied logic." "'Was this a sign that our desperate situation on Alpha was easing?" "'That we could hope for a full recovery 'and avoid an uncertain future on a hostile planet?" "'Only time would tell.'" "Helena, check our chances of survival against a permanent half power loss." "Shall I work on the planetary data?" "No, store it for now, we'll deal with it later." "How are we doing?" " No change." " Good." "Paul, inside." "Thank you." " Morale?" " Bad." "But with this situation, what can we expect?" "Our first priority is the lives of our people." " Planet?" " Even worse than here." "'John, if the power situation remains stable, 'our food and essential life support systems can cope." "'It'll be hard, but we can survive.'" "Paul, cancel Operation Exodus." "Right." ""Neither past nor future."" "The future is the past." "And the testament of Arkadia, the link." "They spoke to us, and we listened to them." "You and I, Luke." "There is no mistake." "'Technical and Service sections at loading, stand down." "'Security alerts and reconnaissance patrols no longer operative." "'Main Mission to all sections Alpha." "'Operation Exodus is cancelled." "Repeat, cancelled." "'Personnel are instructed to report for normal duties.'" "Commander, we want to live on that planet." "Well, that's completely out of the question." "We belong there." "We were guided to that planet." "Now, listen to me." "Up here we have a chance." "A small chance, but a chance." "Down there we have none." "A few of us could survive." "Luke and I..." "Yes, you'd make out, but you'd have to take half our supplies." "Which would make life for us virtually impossible here." "I'm sorry." " But we must go, Commander!" " Just do what I say!" "Now, look." "We have enough problems up here." "Now, please go." "The combination of the protein store." "Give it to me." "I'll kill you." "I'll kill everybody here." "Four, zero, nine eight, zero, four, two, eight, end." "Combination correct." "Faro, you must be out of your mind." "Put that laser away!" "I'll kill her!" "Now, do what I ask." "All right." "An Eagle." "Fuelled and ready to take off." "Now release Dr Russell." "Commander, there was an attack on the food store." "Suspect, Anna Davis." "We're looking for her now." "Call them off." "Do it!" "Security, call off the search." "All right, an Eagle." "What else?" "A moon buggy." "Stores and supplies to last us three years." "Do you realise what the loss of those supplies will do to us?" " Be rational." " You'll do it, or she'll die." "Faro, you have no chance of survival on that surface!" "It's dead, barren!" "No, Commander, we must bring back the sea of life to its place of origin." "Luke, if you get what you're demanding, you'll be condemning Alpha and all of us to certain death." "If it is Alpha's fate to be the sacrificial lamb, so be it." "Don't you understand?" "It was no accident that took us to that planet." "Our destiny is clear, pre-ordained from the moment the Arkadians set foot on Earth." "He's asking too much, John." "Luke, you've got a deal." "Paul, order stores and provisions and have them stowed on the Eagle." "Alan, prepare the Eagle for immediate liftoff." "Do it!" "Be warned." "Any attempt to stop us will fail, and bring down upon you the terrible forces of chaos and destruction." "No!" "Let him go." "'Luke and Anna were beyond the call of logic and persuasion." "'They were gripped by a fanatical obsession, 'time bombs ticking away, 'with incalculable results for all of us if we opposed them, 'especially for Helena Russell." "'My first priority was to get her back safely." "'But to do that would put the whole of Alpha in jeopardy.'" "The supplies are aboard the Eagle." "Now, those supplies are vital to us, John, regardless of whose life's at stake, including Helena's." "Don't you think I know that, Victor?" "Is it ready?" "When the ship's sinking, the rats are the first to leave." "Move aside." "They're inside." "Luke." "We've done everything you've asked." "Now release Dr Russell." "Not yet, Commander." "We've kept our side, release her!" "Dr Russell comes with us." "Don't..." "We won't harm her, you have my word." "Huh." "We've heard that one before." "This is what you'll do, Koenig." "Escort us out into space." "Use the unarmed Survey Eagle." "And when we're out of range, then you can have her back." "Alan, do as he says." "Take Survey Eagle 2 and follow them." "Listen, Luke, there's still time." "Release Dr Russell, hand over those weapons, and there's still a place here for you." "There will be no more argument." "I do what I must." "'Don't forget, Koenig, any sign of pursuit and Dr Russell dies.'" "I understand." "There'll be no pursuit." "Survey Eagle, clear to lift off." "Doctor, we're terribly sorry about all this." " Sorry?" " Mmm." "You are killing 300 people." "Try to understand." "Think of all we've suffered since the Moon was cast out to roam the wilderness of space, inexplicably, to stop here?" "Think, Doctor." "It gives meaning to all this." "Believe us, there is a purpose." "A purpose?" "And you believe this purpose of yours justifies destroying Alpha?" "!" "Doctor, when the lines of destiny meet, the tools it uses are no longer necessary." "Isn't that so?" "Look." "Look, even if you could survive, Luke, Anna, do you realise what it'll be like?" "The only living beings on that whole barren planet." "You're going to a living hell." "No, Doctor." "We are going home." "'We were powerless." "'We had no way of knowing what went on out there in space." "'Would they release Helena, 'or would they foist more desperate demands on us?" "'Even Alan Carter, following, was now outside radio contact." "'All we could do was trust the words of fanatics and wait.'" " 'Commander?" "'" " Yes, Paul." "'We've tracked them." "'They're about to orbit the planet.'" "Let me know the second you have radio contact with Carter." " 'Carter?" "'" " Yeah?" "'Stand by for docking." "It's time to part company.'" "Goodbye, Dr Russell." "'We'll have voice contact with Carter in a few seconds.'" "'Main Mission, Carter calling." "Survey Eagle heading for Alpha.'" "Helena?" "'Safe." "But we've lost Luke and Anna.'" " Technical." " 'Commander?" "'" " Everything ready?" " 'No problem." " 'Coming through on frequency 220.'" " Good." " 'Pursuit Eagle 3.' - 'Commander?" "'" " Pursuit Eagle 5." " 'Eagle 5.'" " 'Switch to subspace frequency 220.' - 'Right.'" "Activate." "So, you put a trace on him." "That's right." "To get those supplies back." "Now, get those Pursuit Eagles launched." "Pursuit Eagle 3 and 5." "Ready for launch, Commander." "We're moving!" "The power!" "We are gaining power!" "Cancel the launch." "But the supplies." "We've got our power back, we won't need them." "Alan and Helena." "Alan, this is an emergency." "'Full power." "Alpha's on the move again." "'Hit that throttle or you'll get left behind.'" "Anna!" " All right?" " Fine." "Yeah, we're fine." "Excuse me a moment." "You're sure you're all right?" "I'm fine." "They're all alone down there." "Yeah, Helena, I know." "And there's nothing we can do about it." "It was their choice." "Was it their choice, John?" "'And so the circle was complete." "'The seeds from Earth, so carefully stored and nurtured by us, 'had returned to their place of origin." "'It is futile to seek answers to the incredible events on Arkadia." "'All we know is that life has restarted there, 'and for us, the creation myth of the first man and woman 'has a new significance." "'Our immediate struggle is over." "'For Luke Faro and Anna Davis, it has just begun." "'They have found their beginnings." "'We still wander the emptiness of space seeking ours." "'We must keep faith and believe..." "'..that for us, for all of mankind, 'there is a purpose.'"