"A sun like ours." "planet Ariel with its atmosphere." "It's a perfecty balanced little solar system." "If we go into orbit, what does that do to your sense of symmety?" "If we go into orbit I shan't care about symmety!" "providing the planet proves to be as well endowed as Computer predicts." " 'Main Mission.' - 'Come in, Alan.' planet Ariel's atmosphere looks like pea soup from here." "It is!" "The oxygen content is more than four times that of Earth." "Monitor Eagle surface temperature on entering the atmosphere." "Heat shields at maximum." "Stand by to fire your retros in thirty seconds." "Computer's flight plan for the descent to the surface." " No problems?" " No problems." "put it through the on-board computer, would you?" "Scanner contact." "Alien object approaching." "Alien object closing fast." "It's homing on me!" "It's some kind of missile." "I can't shake it off." "Alan?" "Alan?" "we're alive, Commander." "It hasn't gone off." "It's just attached itself." "Eagles 2 and 7 return to Base." "Evacuate all personnel from Launch pad 1." "Ready Crash Unit." " Approaching now for final descent." " 'All right." "'we won't risk it, we'll bring you in on auto." "'Eagle 7, stand clear." "'Alan, pad 1 is sealed off.'" "As soon as you land, skip touchdown procedures and get clear." "Fine, Commander." "So far it hasn't made a move." "My guess is it won't." "At least not until you bring it home." "All right, paul, bring him in." "'Victor, what do you get on the scanners?" "'" "Nothing." "Can't get any readings at all." "'Density?" "'Radiation?" "'" "The object resists any remote-anaysis technique we have." "'we'll have to bring it in.'" "An intelligent civilisation with an atmosphere like Earth's sees Earthmen approaching and tries to prevent them." "Creating a diversion and continuing mystey does just that, plausible?" "Yes..." "But why?" "Maybe to gain time, to find out more about us." "And to prevent us finding out anything about them." "Let the professor play with it." "Let's not waste more time on that planet." "If we go into orbit, we'll have plenty of time." "we don't know if we're going into orbit, let alone if this is friendy." "Even if it is an invitation card, we'd better play this step by step." " Anything so far, Victor?" " Not much." "weight, 4-28." "Diameter, 86 centimetres." "Temperature, ambient." "Radiation, zero." "Composition... still unknown." " Inert?" " Totaly." "gas!" "Helena, prepare for casualties." "Victor, anayse that gas now." "paul, Red Alert." "Evacuate and seal off Technical Section." "Then open its surface airlocks." "Come on." "Technical Area sealed off and ventilated." "good. kano, can Computer assess the capacity of that object?" "At the present rate of expansion, not less than infinite." "pressure in Technical was up by 80 before we activated the airlocks." "Diameter under a metre." "weight, 4-28." "That's impossible." "So it's made its move?" "Commander!" "we're being invaded." "'john, john!" "'It's air!" "That thing's brought us air.'" "Red sunrise." "Blue sky." "An atmosphere." "we've got an atmosphere." "gravity's increasing." "By the time we go into orbit it'll be like Earth's." "kano, has Computer anaysed my data yet?" "Computer's telling us nice stories today!" " Computer never..." " ..tells stories." "john..." "So far so good." "I can ony test for elements we can identify, there may be things that don't register." "And your concern about ultra-violet?" "The atmosphere thins off rapidy at 20,000." "On Earth, that's not enough to act as a filter." "But here..." "I think we'll be all right." "But the final test is to breathe it, right?" "And live in it." "Attention, eveyone." "Dr Russell is satisfied from her processed data that the atmosphere out there is breathable and safe." "what I'd like is two volunteers to go out and make sure." "Sandra, paul." "Remember, it's the final stage of a scientific test." "It's not a joyride." "However, kano, I'd also like you to run a check on their joy levels." "Airlock pressure equalised with atmosphere." "Confirmed." "You're clear to move out." "You're now breathing more air than oxygen." "The pressures inside and outside your suit are equal." "How do you feel?" " 'I feel fine.' - 'My pulse rate's increasing.'" "Yes, I noticed." "Chalk that up to the excitement." "Smells vey good." " 'Like what?" "'" " Like county air." "Oh!" "we'll have to wory about draughts." "Exchanging one set of problems for another!" "I'm having trouble calculating our seasonal variations, but just instinctivey I'd say it was spring." "Away from Alpha." "Away from sensors, monitors and computers." "we've done the longest tour of duty ever." "we deserve a break." "Not exacty home." "I am happy with anything that gets me out of Alpha." "It makes you look at things in a different light." "Sunlight?" "No, more than that." "If this is the end of one life... we have to start to build a new one." "To live like human beings again." "Do you know which earthy sound I miss most in the silence of space?" "Birdsong?" "In there, cooped up... there are thoughts that we can't allow ourselves to think." "If we go into orbit, this old moon could become our new Earth." "we could build outside Alpha, fertilise the dust and raise crops." " All we need is a rainfall." " we can make that." "The air's so humid we just have to start the cycle with cloud-forming cystals." "It took 25 years to reclaim the Sahara desert." "Out there is a planet that already supports a civilisation." "Our priority has to be to establish whether it can support us." "Tomorrow we'll build a swimming pool." "we'll build a new Alpha!" "The cycle's begun." "The Sea of Tranquillity will become a genuine sea." "All the craters will become circular lakes." "It'll be a beautiful new world." "wait a minute!" "How long will it take?" "How long will it rain?" "Victor." "Those circular lakes will look wonderful but Alpha is built in a crater." "If it rains as hard as you hope it will, at the bottom of one of those lakes will be Moonbase Alpha." "This expedition will be commanded by Dr Russell." "Her brief is straightforward." "we've been combing the universe searching for a new Earth and suddeny, thanks to our mysterious friends, we've found it." "Right here, under our vey noses." "The job for these people is to find the best place in which to live." "So that we may begin our new life, our new future." "I'd like you to wish them good luck." "Yes." "Take care of yourselves." " good luck." "Come back soon." " goodbye." "Nice heavy rain cloud forming over the Taurus mountains." "Fine." "Not much evidence of rainfall." "How are you feeling?" "Airsick." "That's why I opted for the space programme." "This data transmitter's acting like a primitive cystal set." "Computer can't read this." "There's too much interference." "we've used all the filters." "They must be fying in an electrical storm." "The atmosphere's not all good." "It is for me." "Communications are bad." "we're back to the static of Earth." "Now we're realy fying." "Hello Alpha, this is Eagle 28." "There's severe turbulence near the Taurus mountains." "I'm going over the top." "Come in, Eagle 28." "we're not receiving you, 28." "If you can hear me, your orders are to return to Base now." "we're in trouble." "Come in, this is Eagle 28." "Do you read me?" "keep tying." " Come in, Eagle 28." " I want their exact position." "we're losing power." " Main boosters." " Boosters..." "Malfunction." " Back up power." " Malfunction." "All systems out." "Crash positions." "Come in, Eagle 28." "Eagle 28, come in." "Eagle 28, do you copy?" "Eagle 28, come in." "Eagle 28?" "Eagle 28, come in." "Contact lost with on-board computer." "Eagle 28, come in, Eagle 28." "Eagle 28, do you copy?" "Eagle 28, come in." "I want all Eagles fuelled and ready for liftoff." "photographs, eveywhere within 500 miles of their last position." "Divide the sector into 28 zones." " Mathias." " 'Yes, Commander?" "'" "Load Eagle 1 with rescue equipment." "You're coming with me." "Eagle 9 to pad 1." "Eagle 12 to pad 3." "Eagle 24 to pad 5." "Eagle 19 to pad 1." "Lift off Eagle 12." "Elevator locked on pad 4." "Clear to go, Eagle 14." "14 to Main Mission, we have ignition." "And liftoff." "Main Mission to Eagle fleet." "wind is southwestery at 2-1-0 and falling to strength 3." "Dust is still a problem over the search area but...good luck." "No, no." "Let's not move her yet." "She has severe concussion." "with concussion you can never tell." "If there are no complications, she'll be all right." "Evey transistor, evey condenser, all of them are blown." "The lightning must have blown out evey circuit in the ship." "That means we're dependent on Alpha to find us." "paul...why don't you give Alan a hand getting us some air." "She'll be all right." "Look, we've got enough food to last us a fortnight." "About 30 gallons of drinkable water in the tanks." "And there's 27 serviceable Eagles at the Base." "I'll lay you even money finding us is a piece of cake." "Come on." "we're directy over the last point of radar contact." "Not much of a new world, is it?" "Not much of a place to be lost in." "Doctor." " Are you all right?" " Yeah." "Some camouflage, eh" "They're never gonna see us here." "Hey!" "we're here!" "we're here, come back." "Come back." "News?" "They've run out of daylight." "The last Eagle is returning to Base." "Refuel them immediatey." "john." "It's looking promising." "The moon's curving in towards an orbital station around our new sun." "The gravitational influence will increase to a high point which we'll reach in eight days." "with a 50-50 chance of going into orbit, right?" " It's..." " If we don't go into orbit the conditions on that surface will deteriorate rapidy." "Also right." "How many times has a man got to shift before he gets some breakfast?" "protassic acid." "Tanks have smashed and it's eaten into eveything." "Food, medical supplies..." "and the water." "why was it stored near the food?" "It wasn't." "The impact must have carried it into the cargo section." "we're lucky it didn't explode." " Lucky?" "It's..." " Come on, Alan." "Take it easy." "we've still got survival rations." "Oh, yeah." "About half a drop of uncontaminated water. great" "It's 120 degrees in the shade out there." "what will that do to Sandra with a high fever?" "She needs plenty of water." "You make sure the next time they fy over they can see us." "Let's get this gear outside." "we've got to make a marker." "Eagle 15 has grounded, Commander." " grounded?" " Seizure of the lateral stabilisers." "So far five Eagles have reported similar faults." "Look, kano, we can't afford faults." "we drifted through space for ages and those technicians had nothing to do." "Now I need all the Eagles and half of them go lame." "get those technicians moving, kano." "get them moving!" "No Eagle is grounded until I say so." "Now go on!" "They're breaking their necks down there." "So they should." "You have to face it that we may not find them at all." "we've got to find them, Victor." "we've got to." "She'll die out here." "120 degrees by day and freezing by night." "You rooted hard for that crazy idea of settling out here, instead of the planet Ariel." "No one knew you'd fy into a cloud for your kicks." "Come on, let's save our energy." "Make that three." "paul and I will share one." "If we don't survive, Sandra won't make it." "There must be something we can do." "Like walk?" "Nice liftoff, Commander." "No malfunctions indicated." "kano, stop him." "For heaven's sake stop him!" "Bring him back." "Doesn't anything function on this Base?" "well?" "Something we don't know about in the atmosphere coupled with incessant fying through fine particles caused rapid corrosion, the system just seized." "Evey Eagle is affected?" "Yes." "But parts coated with a graphite compound won't corrode." "How long to strip down one Eagle and graphite the parts?" "Three days." "They've started already." "They'll have to do it in two." "I don't know if this is friend or foe but get it out of here." "You're getting better." "You're going to be all right." "I thought we had found our home." "we will. we will." " But..." " Shh, shh." "I'll find you some more to drink." "Here." "Has it rained?" "Yes, it's rained." "paul?" "Sandra?" "where's paul?" "gone to fetch water." "paul!" "paul!" "paul." "paul said it had rained." "He did?" "Oh, yes." "was it much?" "No, not realy. just... more of a promise of things to come." "Home." "The new city of Alpha." "You'll be cooler here when the sun's up." "It gets the breeze." " Thank you, paul." "But I..." " we've found our home." "we're the first Earthmen." "This is our garden of Eden." "To begin the human race all over again." "It's a nice thought, paul." "You're a regular pioneer. where'd you get the steam to be up all night?" "Breakfast?" " what is it?" " Manna." "Food from heaven." "Or perhaps from the people on Ariel, if you prefer." "wait, where did it come from?" "Over there, under the rocks." "It's growing like mushrooms." "we have no way of anaysing it, of testing it. we can't..." "But I've already tested it." "You've eaten it?" " Sandra?" " Not yet. we were waiting for you." "The change in Sandra's condition is born of hope." "But man shall not live by hope alone." "paul." "we have to be careful." "It doesn't seem to have done him any harm." "He put all this up over night, he must have got the strength somehow." "The way I see it is, it's no accident that the moment I lie down to die this stuff literaly appears in front of my nose." "It could be months before they find us out here." "Evey time we clear a signal area, the dust covers it again." "Maybe we'll never even see another Eagle." "Yesterday we were dying without hope, today we not ony have hope but sustenance as well." "I say don't knock it, Doc." "There's no alternative." "we either eat it...or die." "Look, let's stick to the ration cubes for breakfast, while I do what tests I can." "Then if it's all right, and you're still all right," " we'll all ty it." " How long will that take?" "Lunchtime." "Hey, just in case it is Ok, I'm going mushrooming." "john, if you want to look at it that much you shouldn't have moved it." "You don't have to tell me, that phoney cheerfulness tells me." "we're not going into orbit, right?" "Er, well, no." "we should have gone to the planet after all." "Somehow I don't think I'd like the people." " They gave us air." " Right." "which will turn into an icecap when we pass beyond the sun's warmth." "And Alpha will be crushed to death." "what's happening with the corrosion-proof Eagle?" "Ready to go." " 'Nice liftoff, Commander.'" " No problems here, kano." "we're clearing Alpha now on 2-4-0." "And we shall build farms first, then will come the roads and the streets." "Slowy the community will have a heart." "An urban heart of great buildings." "It'll be the capital of our new civilisation." "I'm not sure that it's safe, but I think maybe we should ty it." " Of course!" " I'll test more when we get back." "we're not going back." "we're staying right here to begin our new life." "None of this happened by chance." "we are given an atmosphere." "A freak electrical storm and we're cut off." "A freak dust storm buries us." "Near starvation and food is sent from the heavens." "Oh, no." "The people of that planet have a sense of purpose." "And I believe we have one now." "This land will flow with milk and honey, we will build and settle and raise children, we'll multipy." "Like the people from peru, who spread the human race across the pacific so we will launch forth into space and spread humanity from solar system to solar system." "That was sacred bread, Alan." "That was sent to us in our time of need." "paul, wait a minute... pick it up." "You...would come between me and my destiny?" "No one shall stop me..." "No one." "paul..." "No..." "No." "Look, Dr Russell." "The people from Ariel are here again." "It is a second coming." "Atmospheric pressure's falling rapidy." "I'm not surprised." "Those satellites are back." "Commander, 15 degrees left." "Spacesuits - the atmosphere's thinning fast." "No time." "Take her." "Commander, I'm all right." "It's Sandra, she needs help." "She's in a shack over there." " Sandra?" " Leave her alone!" " There's no time." " I said, leave her." "we have laid the foundation stone of mankind's future." "Sandra and I." "Sandra, come on." "what we have is a food substance amazingy rich in protein and many of the essential vitamins." "we could grow limitless crops, once we've removed all the hallucinating elements." "I'm sory I didn't discover that sooner." "I'm not!" "It wasn't a bad trip." "Except for the ending." "It's times like that you find out who your friends are." "Commander, there's movement on the alien object." "Let's see it." " It's leaving us." " The sooner the better." "'we were neither benevolent nor malevolent, Commander koenig." "'Our absolute need was to prevent you 'from penetrating the atmosphere of our planet." "'So we gave you what you wanted 'in the hope that you would not further disturb us.'" " Can you hear me?" " 'And understand your thoughts.'" "Then you must have known we came in peace." "'we believe your intentions 'but we have been watching the progress of your world 'since the beginning of time." "'Human nature is such that we could not afford to take the risk.'"