"Paul." "What is he doing?" "He doesn't know anything about a computer." "Kano. stop him." "Ted. come away from there." "Commander Koenig!" "Ted!" "Sandra. get security." "Security to Main Mission." "Security to Main Mission!" "Ted." "Ted!" "Help... me." "John." " You all right?" " Yes." "Paul. check out all systems." "This is Main Mission." "All sections report." "Switch on the big screen." "See if we can pick up anything." " You're losing picture." " Picture gone." "Scanner shows that the object is not moving." "I do not understand." "Look at that monitor. it is getting closer to us." "Sandra. are you sure that..." "We're locked in its orbit." "Transmission coming in." "'Earthmen." "'Do not resist." "'You are the captives of the planet Triton.'" "Commander. power failures in sectors G6. 8 and 11." "All transportation out." " What about the main power unit?" " I can't get through to Anderson." "All nuclear generators and reactors are OK." "But running on minimal capacity." "Report from Reconnaissance." "All but four of our Eagles are damaged." "We're defenceless." "Kano?" "Computer unable to make any calculations." "Insufficient data." " Try every possible variable." " Yes. sir." "Why did they not destroy us?" "Paul. try to make contact with them." "Use sound. light. radio wave patterns." "The entire frequency scale." "Tell the Professor to meet me." "Helena. find out what killed Ted Clifford." " That may not be possible." " Make it possible!" "I want to know what we're up against." " What do you know about Triton?" " Nothing." "Their warning was transmitted over every monitor on the base." "I've been to Central Computer." "It has no record of any such planet." "I haven't checked my own charts yet." "If only we could speak to them." " Paul. any contact?" " No response. sir." "They must be receiving." "Ted Clifford wasn't transmitting classified information for nothing." "If they won't talk to us." "We'll just have to pay them a visit." "I don't think it'll be a surprise." "I've got a nasty feeling we're being watched." "We've actually seen it." "At the base of the brain in the cerebellum." "A ball of orange light." "Very weak." "Pulsating." "Then it died out." "There was little brain tissue left." "Most of it had... melted." "Melted?" "The analysis shows that the cerebrum." "Which regulates speech. hearing and importantly. vision. had expanded to three times its normal size." "The neuronal system. which transmits information through the nerves." "Was functioning at 1.000 times its normal speed." "Together they somehow enabled Ted Clifford to see and act as though he were a computer." "Alan." "I want a thorough survey." "Two-zero altitude." "See if a landing's possible." "Get closer if you can. but under no circumstances are you to touch down." "These Tritonians might not appreciate our looking them over." "We shouldn't wait for them to make the next move." "We're taking a look." "That's the next move." "It's the wrong one." "Commander." "They've already killed Ted Clifford." "Those are your orders." "Carter." "Is that clear?" "Yeah." "Perfectly clear." "Commander." "Eagle 3. ready to lift off." " Eagle 3 to Alpha." " 'Koenig here.'" "All systems A-OK." "Range 1-0-5 and closing." "I can see a..." "A kind of a surface." "No sign of activity." "'Range 8-5. closing.'" "Commander. there's a beam of light being projected from the sphere." "Confirmed." "Commander." "I'm going for a 90-degree turn." "It's no go." "Commander." "I can't get away from the light." " What's the range?" " 3-5." "I can't hear you." "Commander." "Range. 2-0 and holding." " Switch to automatic." "Alan!" " The glare is increasing." " It's a force field. divert." " Visibility zero." "Carter!" "Answer me." "It's no use." "They're on a collision course." "They're on manual." "I can't bring them in." "Should land close by." "About 700 metres." "Rescue and medical units stand by." " There's no way to get to him." " We'll walk." "They're down." " 'Commander. this is Morrow.' - 'Yes." "Paul.'" "'I've got their exact location." "North east. 600 metres.'" "'Mathias?" "'" "Donovan is dead." "Commander." "Carter's still alive." "Paul. malfunction in scanner systems." "They have all gone dead." "It's no accident." "Paul." "An attack?" " Commander." " Yes." "Paul?" "'They've jammed the scanners." "They're up to something." "'You better get back here.'" "We're more than halfway there." "We'll go on." "I don't want to risk getting caught in the open." "All right. let's go." "John." "Take cover!" "Helena. stop!" "Helena!" "'Do not be afraid." "Dr Russell." "'Enter.'" " Helena!" " It's all right." "John." "Easy." "Commander." "You'll be OK." "John. er..." "They've taken Helena." " Do we have power?" " Yes. all systems are working." "We've got to get through their force field." "Without knowing their energy source?" "What if we... modify one of our Eagles?" "Double the power of our anti-gravity shields." " Triple it. whatever it takes." " Might work. but no guarantees." " Work on it." "Victor." " All right." " What about Carter?" " He'll make it." "Good." " And copilot Donovan?" " Dead." "They planned it." "John." "They just wanted to get Helena out there alone." "No." "I don't think so." "Why take Clifford?" "There's no connection." "Maybe Dr Russell is a hostage." "For what reason?" "The way they killed Clifford." "The shock wave." "Locking us in orbit." "No. whatever they want from us in return... they could simply..." "just come and get it." "Who are you?" "'We are of the planet Triton.'" "I am from the planet Earth." "'We know.'" "Then you know we mean you no harm." "We need your help." "'No." "Dr Russell." "'It is you who shall help us." "'We are the eyes of the planet Triton." "'Everything that is... 'has been 'and will be 'is recorded by us." "'For this purpose." "'You are to be our servant.'" "Alan." " How do you feel?" " Oh. fantastic" "What about your instruments?" " Did they indicate anything?" " No. not a thing." "There was the light." "Just kept getting brighter." " It's crazy. a force field of light." " That's exactly what it was." " Lucky for me Morrow brought us in." " Morrow?" "You'd switched on to manual." "He didn't land your ship for you." "You were at the controls." "Me?" "No." "I was in never-never land." " Get some rest." " Commander?" "Where's Donovan?" "The anti-gravity screen will neutralise the force field." "It'll make a sort of tunnel." "Or corridor." "That will allow you to pass through and land." "John?" "I heard you." "But when we hit that light barrier anything can happen." "All set." "Parks?" " I assigned Parks to this mission." " Yeah." "But we changed places." "Besides." "I know the way." " Have they gone?" " Just lifting off." "Turn on anti-gravity shields." "50% power." "Range 1-0-0." "Stay on manual." "Very good. sir." " Scanner reading?" " 'You're clear." "Commander.'" " Anti-gravity shield full power." " 'It's too soon." "John.'" "Velocity 7.5." "Range 5-0." "Range... 3-5." "Velocity 8.3" "Velocity... 8.5" "Victor. it's working." "We're getting through." "They've reversed the force field." "Carter. cut the engine." "Cut the engines!" "Got to switch it... to automatic." "Carter. cut the engines!" "Alan!" " Sandra. anything?" " No visual or audio contact." " How long now?" " A minute five." "They are coming back!" " Any audio?" " No. sir." "Commander Koenig?" " Do you have them on automatic?" " Yes." " Can you get them down?" " I'm switching to remote control." "Eagle 1 under Main Mission control." "Eagle 1 touch down." "Paul!" "Quick!" "The scanner is picking up another object." " What is it?" " No idea." "I feel fine." "Bob." "Really." "I do." "I'm sure you do." "Why do doctors make the worst patients?" "Probably because we know too much." "Blood pressure's normal. 8 over 120." "Bone marrow count. sugar..." "Everything checks out." " You all right?" " I just... felt faint for a moment." "My equilibrium's off." " Did you check my middle ear?" " Yes. it's perfect." "Wait a minute." "How many do you see?" "Two." "I should see four." "Did you check my optic nerve?" "Bob. tell me." "Well." "I can't explain it." "But from all indications..." "you're blind." " Well. obviously she's not blind." " Obviously." "Do you have any explanation?" "Only one." "Ted Clifford." "Ah!" "Another interesting account in the Pyramid texts of the old kingdom." "But here. they're called The Eyes Of Heaven." "Seems our friends get about a bit." "I talked to them." "I told them... we meant them no harm." "And that we needed their help." " You saw them?" " I only spoke to them." "To a voice." "We know one thing about them." "They can decompose atoms." "Reduce an object to its atomical components. pure energy." "Transport it through space and reassemble it in another place." "That's how they got you from here to there." "We've been working on that for years." "With machines." "They do it with light." "Yes. but what sort of light..." "and how?" "When I was in the sphere." "I wasn't wearing my spacesuit." "Oxygen." "The Tritonians might just be humanoid." "John." "They've activated her." "She must be going to Computer." "Notify Paul." "No one's to stop her." "Paul." "Bergman here." "'This is Main Mission Control to all sections." "'Attention all personnel." "Do not approach Dr Russell." "'Repeat. do not approach Dr Russell.'" "Don't touch her. nobody touch her." "What's the computer transmitting?" "Memory cell 371." "The breakdown of our life-support systems." " Can't you stop it?" " Only if we stop her." "The computer's not transmitting." "Helena is." "Now as it is. she has 132 hours." "That's five and a half days." "That gives us some time." "They exhaust the memory cells." "What then?" "They won't need any of us." "They don't need any of us now." "Then why don't they come and get it over with?" "Perhaps they can't leave their sphere." "That's it." "Something's preventing them." "They're limited in some way." "A weakness." "Everything they've done has only shown their advanced intelligence." "No one's actually seen them." "Not even Helena." "We've been thinking of them as people." "What if they're not?" "Simply an intelligence with no physical form?" " They're just as trapped as we are." " No." "More so." "We can move. we can get to them." "We can't blast through their force field." "Maybe we can bend it a little." "There it is." "Commander." "That ball of light." "Just like Ted Clifford." "Except it's stronger. more alive." "The same with her cerebrum and her optic nerve." "Once Dr Russell is activated this ball of light enables her to see. well." "Like a high-speed camera." "They needed her there to implant it." "That's why it didn't work on Ted." "It's their link." "Through Helena." "They're connected to our computer." "A human conductor." "Commander. she can't take much more." "What do they want from us really?" "Information." "Our knowledge. that's all." "They're a sort of..." "reconnaissance team." "Sent out into space to gather information and transmit it back to Triton." "That's all." "We did it ourselves with our Deep Space probe ships." "Then Triton does exist?" "No." "DID exist." "The position of this mythological planet... does correspond to our..." "galaxy charts." "I've checked it myself a dozen times." "Even through a computer." "But Triton is dead." "John." "Blew up. disintegrated." "It's possible whoever programmed Helena and killed Ted." "Doesn't know their planet no longer exists." "If I convince them their mission is obsolete. they may release her." "Unfortunately." "We're running out of time." "Helena's been activated six times in the last 24 hours." "She's not going to survive another five and a half days." "They've miscalculated on their weakest link." "She's not their weakest link." "Victor." "The circuit runs from their computers... to the force field... around us... to Helena." " To Kano..." " And back to their computers." "Right." "So it's all up to Kano to jam Computer." "We can't touch Helena but we can break the chain." " You've tested it?" " Once. but it worked." "When I jammed it. the force field was off for 3.2 seconds." "You won't even get off the ground." "I'll need at least 15 minutes." "13 minutes 10 seconds from lift off to getting the force field." "Which won't be there." " And you can get me 13 minutes?" " Plus 10 seconds." "It's easy." "Three keys locked together isn't the same as locking them all." "When Kano was experimenting he only jammed one circuit." "He's set up enough memory cells to cause an overload in 25 key circuits." "It'll take Computer 32 seconds to clear each circuit." "Which will give us the time we need." "13 minutes." "When the computer jams." "The force field will shut down long enough for me to get through." "Even if it works." "What can you do when you get there?" " How will you get inside the sphere?" " The same way you did." "Helena..." "I don't think they know their planet no longer exists." "If I can convince them of that." "They may release you." "But there's no time pattern." "I'm activated at random." "Helena. please?" "Victor and Kano have worked out the details." "We need you to go through with it." "I don't have any choice. do I?" "'Standby." "The moment Dr Russell is reactivated. we lift off.'" "Commander." "Dr Russell's been reactivated." "Lift off." "Force field 8-0." "7-0... 6-0." "'Force field 4-0.'" " 'How are we on time?" "'" " Any moment now." "'Now." "Kano!" "'" "Visual contact lost." "Commander Koenig?" "Commander?" "This is Main Mission. come in." "Eagle 1 here." " We're inside the sphere." " They're through." "Naturally." " Is it over?" " Not yet." "You'll be reactivated in a few minutes." "But. for the last time." "Paul. information on Triton is in place." "Dr Russell. now you can only transmit what we want them to know." " Computers set. sir." " Right. standby." "I was never one to turn down an invitation." " Neither was I." " No." "Carter." "Stay with the ship." "If we're not back in 10 minutes. 15 at the most." "You blast out of here." "Right. sir." "You won't need that." "All right." "Get ready." "'Welcome." "Commander Koenig.'" "Where are you?" "'We regret the deaths of Clifford and Donovan.'" "Sure you do." "Why don't you show yourselves?" "'We are here.'" " Surely I'm no threat to you?" " 'That is correct." "Commander.'" "You knew we'd jam our computer." "'That is correct." "Commander." "'We have been watching Earthmen for many of your Earth centuries." "'We find them a very primitive intelligence." "'We could easily have prevented you from leaving your base.'" "But you need me." "Dr Russell will not live long enough." "I'm to replace her." "'The death of Dr Russell is also regrettable. but necessary.'" "'If we're so primitive." "Why seek our knowledge?" "'" "'For when Earthmen decide to invade our planet.'" "Triton is two million light years away." "'Time is an illusion." "Commander Koenig.'" "Not to us and not to you." "Because your planet no longer exists." "I can prove it." "Right. standby." "'We do not wish to destroy your men." "Commander. or you." "'We will if it is necessary.'" "It won't be necessary." "I can prove to you that Triton no longer exists." "Victor." "She's sending the computations now." "This is Triton's galaxy." "Do you acknowledge?" "'We acknowledge.'" "This is Triton's star system." "'We acknowledge.'" "This is Triton's universe." "'We acknowledge.'" "This is Triton's sun." "'We acknowledge.'" "The calculations you see now are coming through Dr Russell." "You can check them." " They will prove..." " 'No longer...'" " ...your sun exploded. that Triton..." " '..functional.'" "Triton no longer exists!" "Your function is discontinued." "Release Dr Russell." "'No longer functional." "'Destroy..." "Destroy." "'De... stroy." "Destroy..." "De...'" "'De..." "De..." "Destroy...'" "Follow me. this way!" "What are you waiting for?" "Come on!" "Ready for lift off." "Let's get out of here. move it." " So far. so good." "You all right?" " Yes." " John?" " We don't know if he got out." " The sphere is breaking up." " What about the force field?" " It's lost its power." " Visual contact." "Just want to satisfy my curiosity." " What is it?" " You have a lovely optic nerve." "Thank you." "Dr Mathias." "Why so pensive." "Victor?" "Oh." "I was just thinking about that planet." "Triton." "All that knowledge... and yet..." "Perhaps knowledge isn't the answer after all." "Then what is?"