" Velocity's increasing." " Main scanner." " Intense gravitational forces." " Computer identification." "Our velocity readings are off the clock!" "All sensor equipment malfunctional." " Paul. you all right?" " Yes. and you?" "Check all internal Moonbase systems." " Helena. you all right?" " Everybody?" "Regina?" " Dr Mathias." " 'Yes." "Commander.'" " How are things down there?" " 'Nothing too serious.'" "Get a medical crew to Main Mission." " Alan. you all right?" " Yeah." "Check with reconnaissance." "see if any of the Eagles are damaged." " Right." " Sandra." "I want emergency repair crew on standby." "Kano. check all sensors and scanners." "Victor...what the hell hit us?" "I have no idea." "I just know we're not where we ought to be." "We've changed our position in space." "And she's not responding to treatment?" " No." " Shock?" "Headaches?" "Double vision?" "We all experienced the same symptoms." "And we're recovering." "Except Regina." "Her condition seems to be deteriorating." "But her condition can be diagnosed." "understood." "What's happening to us in space is beyond explanation." "Another solar system." "Well. well. well." "Looks as if we've done a bit of travelling." "Some travelling - billions of miles in a matter of seconds." "Seconds?" "Maybe our sensors can tell us something." " How are the repairs going?" " We're still working on them." "The sensors won't tell us how we got here." "No." "but they will tell us what planets are out there." "Regina." "It's all right." " I was up there again." " Where?" " There were two Moons!" " Take it easy." "Everyone was there - Alan. the Commander. everyone." "Must have been a dream." " Of course it was a dream." " Yes." "because they're dead." "Alan and the Commander. they're dead." "No!" "No. they're not dead." " No. no." " Regina!" "They're not dead." "No." "No. they're not." "Isn't the sun hot today?" "Tell me about the sun." "Regina." " Artificial gravity?" " Positive." " Velocity instrumentation?" " Not working." " Data systems?" " Activating." " Sensors?" " Repaired and checked." " Meteorite screens?" " Operational and on automatic." " Output link-ups completed." " Link up." "You can see she actually has sunburn." "She believes she's living on a planet in open air with sun. wind. trees." "Something like deja-vu." "You know that feeling of I've-been-here-before?" " It's a common enough experience." " No. it's deeper than that." "If it were classic regression I could deal with it." "but she's convinced she's living another life." "Her life on Alpha no longer seems to exist for her." "You told here we're in a new solar system?" "No." "The only thing she relates to is this fantasy existence." "The most troublesome part of it for her is that she's in mourning." "Mourning?" "She thinks both you and Alan Carter are dead." "Why should this only happen to Regina?" "I mean. all of us went through the same experience." "I don't know." "I'm looking for a connection between that experience and her condition." "Well. it seems we've been travelling faster than the speed of light." "which means time might be affected." "So Regina might be living a past life... or perhaps even a future life." "But...feeling it now." "Commander." " Checked all this?" " It checks out." "Computer confirms nine planets around that sun." "Aim scanner on the third planet." "Kano. see what Computer has to say about the third planet." "'Third planet." "Distance from the sun. 93 million miles." "'Diameter 7.926 miles." "'Axial rotation." "23 hours and 56 minutes." "'Third planet is the third planet of our solar system." "'Planet's name is Earth." "'Moon velocity easing." "'Moon going into Earth's orbit.'" "'Come in." "Earth." "Moonbase Alpha calling Earth." "'Moonbase Alpha calling Earth." "Come in." "Earth.'" "We're not receiving you." "Earth." "Possibly you can hear me." "Computer forecasts that we shall re-enter Earth orbit in 45 hours." "Gravitational forces compensating steadily." "Shock wave conditions not expected." "Great." "We can take an Eagle down for a look now." "We're getting no response to our signals." "Something's wrong!" "Oh. come on." "Let's cut the talking and get going." "Damn it!" "What is keeping the Commander?" "We've guessed at all kinds of disasters." "Mm." "And we're still guessing." "We can't calculate what might have happened to the Earth since the Moon went out of orbit." " 'Still no contact.'" " Keep trying." "Open all frequencies and set to automatic." "'Yes. sir.'" "Victor. a space phenomenon we don't understand shifts us billions of light years across space." "As incredible as that is." "I accept it." "But to put us precisely in the exact orbit we occupied around Earth..." "I know less and less about this universe." "Victor." "But that's got to be more than chance." "Yes." "There's a logic to it somewhere." "John." "There is some frame of order." "We may make all sorts of blunders." "wander off the path now and then." "but ultimately... we belong where we belong." "On Earth." " I always peel." "Awful. isn't it?" " It's not bad." "Oh." "I hate being ill." "I hate being inside so much." " You're getting better now." " Yes." "I think it's because he's come back." "Who's come back?" "My husband." "Your husband?" "Yes." "Alan." "It's been so long." "Why have they been away so long?" "You've been ill and time gets all mixed up." "They are back now. aren't they?" "Don't upset yourself." "You want to get better." "He is here. isn't he?" "Alan is here. isn't he?" "He is here?" "Yes. he is here." "Why doesn't he come to see me?" "He will soon." "You will ask him?" "He will come." "Please ask." "All right." "I'll bring him to see you." "In orbit there'll be time for reconnaissance." "If you go now. and we don't go into Earth's orbit. we'll lose you." " Forever." " Computer confirms entering orbit." "Computer can't even explain why Earth doesn't answer." "That's another reason why we should go there now." "Not until we're in orbit and have studied the situation." "'Alan Carter. please.'" "Yes." "'Could you come to the medical unit?" "'" "I'm on my way." "Go ahead." "Alan." "While you're there." "get something to cool your blood." "Alan." "Alan!" "You're here." "You are!" "You're here." "You're here!" "No..." "No..." "No!" "No!" "No!" "You're dead." "No. you're dead!" "You're dead. you're dead!" "No." "No!" "What the hell was that all about?" "I'm sorry." "Alan." "She needed to see you and I thought shock might have a positive effect." "Me. why me?" "You're the shock." "She thinks you're her husband." "Oh." "I'll try to explain it as best I understand it." "Regina believes she's in another place in some future time." " Living in the future?" " Yes." "Somehow she thinks of it as her past." "This is her world." " Anything." "Paul?" " Nothing. sir." "Commander. beyond normal radio and magnetic disturbance." "there is no source of control signal. none at all." "Signal or not. we must tell the people on Alpha the situation." "We do know there have been major geological changes on the Earth." " To what extent?" " We'll soon find out." "We're making a detailed radio map of the surface." "Attention. all sections Alpha." "This is Commander John Koenig." "'The Moon's velocity has stabilised 'and we're moving into a holding orbit around the planet Earth." "'We may shortly activate the first phase of Operation Exodus." "'our reconnaissance probe of the Earth's surface." "'This is scheduled as soon as the Moon is safely in Earth orbit." "'Earth orbit..." "Earth orbit..." "'Earth orbit..." "Earth orbit.'" "Ten seconds." "'Earth orbit... 'confirmed.'" "Somebody help me." "Please." " Regina. please. give that to me." " No." "Alan. help me!" "Easy." "Regina." "No!" "Give me the gun." "I knew you didn't die." "I knew." "No." "Leave her." "Well. the Earth's axis has moved between five and six degrees." "That much?" "Climatic conditions - totally different." "I've got the radio map ready for you." "In Europe there's a completely ice-age climate." "Here in North America." "large areas of desert." "You can see." "All these latitudes are just radioactive ash." "What about cities?" "Civilisations?" "Is there anything left of them?" "About the only place that looks as if it might be able to support life is this area here." "place called Santa Maria." "Is there any indication of life?" "We just have to hope that some people made it." "Regina?" " I thought her condition was mental." " I did. too." "Victor." "Two brains." "'Commander." "Emergency." "Main Mission.'" "The scanners have just picked it up." "Let's see it close up." "Seems we've found another Moon." " That sounds familiar." " It should." "It's our own navigation signal." "Another Moonbase." "Somehow we've caught up with ourselves." "Alan. prepare for lift-off." " We're taking a look at that Moon." " Right." " We have no boarding tube." " Then we'll have to walk." " Total evacuation." "Operation Exodus." " Where to?" "I can guess." "How did they...they die?" "Their Eagle crashed on the Moon about five years ago." " They were both killed on impact." " Five years ago?" "The space vacuum preserved their bodies." "The rest of the Alphans could have made it to Santa Maria." "If they're still alive..." "and I believe they are." "I think that's what Regina was trying to tell us all along." "Well. we'll soon find out." "Why. are you going down there?" "I'm about to activate the first phase of Operation Exodus." " Wait." "John." " Helena. we can't wait any longer." "Please. consider this." "You saw what happened to Regina as soon as we came into Earth orbit." "It's possible the closer we get to Earth." " and those other Alphans..." " Our other selves." "What happened to Regina could happen to all of us." "Bigger. please." "Run that through. please." "Thank you." "It's moving faster." " You gotta be joking." " It is." "And it's closing on us rapidly." "If that other Moon keeps up its present speed. we'll collide with it." " How long?" " 48 hours." "That still gives us time for a close look." "You'll have ten hours on the surface." "We need 24 for evacuation." "Paul. activate phase one." "John..." "If we don't leave this Moon." "we'll all perish." "Under the circumstances." "only you and Alan should go." "Your other selves are dead." "If our people are to go down." "the medical implications have to be studied." "Like you." "John." "I have no alternative but to go." "Eagle on course for Santa Maria." "ETA. 2200 hours Earth time." "'Good luck." "Alan.'" "They are going home." "And heading back into future time." "It's an interesting thought." "There are signs of habitation below. sir." "'We've seen it. too." "Looks great." "Pick your spot and set her down.'" "Well. looks kinda different out there." "Good landing." "Alan." " All set?" " Yeah." "You two check the other end of the settlement." "I'll work down from here." "It's happened." "You've come back." "No!" "Kano." "Paul." "Commander Koenig." "This is the Earth." "but not the world we knew." "It's an Earth where perhaps we never existed." "Or perhaps we have yet to be born." "But apart from us. it's empty now." "A civilisation once flourished here." "Another Atlantis. perhaps." "There are relics of them everywhere." "Where are the rest of the Alpha people?" "For economic reasons we had to disperse." "They are scattered in groups like ours through the valley." "Hey!" "Hello!" "Hi." "What frightened them?" "They've never seen a living ghost before." "They don't understand." " They look like fine kids." " They are." "Our finest achievement." "Whose are they?" "Sandra's and Paul's." "Yes. the children are our future and as our situation improves." "of course." "there will be more." "That's a tremendous challenge." "To bring back life to a dead world." "Yes." "And it was not easy." "It meant the total sacrifice of all our resources." "Eagles. life-support systems." "fuel sources." "That was why you couldn't contact us." "Yes. we've had to use everything to make this place habitable." "It seems to be working." "Oh. it was a choice." "A decision that had to be made at the very beginning." "If this community had failed." "there could be no going back." "I think it was a wise decision." "You should know." "You made it." "There was a terrible phenomenon." "like comets fighting in the sky." "Regina was affected by it." "Six days later she was dead." "That was when we came into orbit." "Our Regina died. too." "Both at the same time." "Hardly a coincidence." "I was expecting you." "Come in. please." "I had to see you to talk." "Do you understand what's happening to us?" "All I know is that we were the same person once." "Somehow we became two different people." "And now we're here in the same time." "We have no alternative." "We have to come down here." "Seeing you was a shock." "For both of us." "I accept it now." "Did you know I married?" "Yes." "You married John Koenig." "There was so much to do." "Even after he died." "Now that you're here." " there's nothing more left for me." " John Koenig..." "He's here. isn't he?" "Don't be frightened." "my time here is finished." "No. we could help each other." " It's my own decision." " You mustn't die." "It's not death." "It's returning." "To you. to myself." "And through you finding all those I love." "Including John." "Goodbye." "John." "We'll look after her." "John." "Commander Koenig." "Bring your people down here and what happened to Regina." "to Helena. will happen to all of us." "We have no choice but to come here." "If we don't evacuate that Moon." "we'll perish." "You cannot do it." "We have children. a future." "We will not let you destroy it." "We'll build in another place." "We have what you had to start with." "Go back to your own place." "There's nothing for you down here." "except destruction." "Paul. there's no time to argue." "Let's get to work." "It's our decision. not theirs." "Wait." "All of you." "Paul is right." "You cannot live here." "Or anywhere on this planet." "If you were to come here." "there would be chaos and disaster." "We know that Regina died when she confronted herself in her mind." "Our Helena died when she confronted herself in the flesh." "We are trapped in different times." "But when those two Moons collide." "time will correct itself." "Normality will return." "There will be one Moon." "one community." "one time." "You must go back." "Back to what?" "Certain death?" "If you are not back on your own Moon when time does correct itself." "you will have nowhere to die." "John. take us back." "Our place and our time is on Alpha." "It's over." "We are in different space." "I wonder if the others made it." "If they survived." "Did they ever really exist?"