"Where did they come from?" "There was no indication on the long range scanner." "Still no reply from the planet?" " Nothing at all." " Keep trying." "This is Moonbase Alpha calling on all frequencies." "They're Hawks." "They're Mark Nine Hawks." "Certainly looks that way, Alan." "They're war machines." "And that's enough for me." "Get going, Alan." "Red alert!" "This is Moonbase Alpha calling on all frequencies." "We are people from the planet Earth." "Please acknowledge." "This is Moonbase Alpha." "We are people from the planet Earth." "Please acknowledge." "Attention all sections Alpha." "Alien ships are approaching the base." "Their intentions are not known." "Eagle flight One will intercept." "Flight Two move to back up positions." "Relief crews to launch pad area." "Crash units stand by." "Rescue with Casualty Eagles manned and ready." "Main motors." "Priority One to Technical Section and Launch Pad Area." "Priority Two to Medical Centre and stand by to receive casualties." "Activate meteorite defence screens..." " ...and seal primary bulkhead doors." " There's still no reply, Commander." "Alien ships approaching at speed fourteen point two." "That's nearly twice the speed of our Eagles." " Get on their tails, Alan." " They have just thirty seconds, Commander." "Twenty seconds." "We're locked onto them, Commander." "Fifteen seconds." " It's an attack, John." " Still no signal?" " Nothing." " Ten seconds." "We can't hold them, Commander!" " Alpha's wide open." " Five seconds." "Fire!" "Good on you, Alan." "Uh...'s too easy." "Commander." "A new contact." " Position?" " Orbital reference three four eight." " Flight Two?" " On the lifts now, Commander." "Flight Two." "Cut all checks." "Lift off." "We've gotten ourselves a war." " You all right?" " Yeah." "All right." "Back to your posts!" "Let's go!" "All three Eagles destroyed, Commander." "Damage control units to pad four." "Explosive decompression in the end section." "Area sealed off." "I want damage reports on Launch pads and Maintenance section." "Kano, minimum countdown." "I want to know exactly how long it will take... to get the last laser-equipped Eagle off this rock." "Helena." "Give me a casualty report." "Apart from the Eagle crews, we've lost all technicians on Launch Pad Four." "We have eleven other casualties and two men unaccounted for." " It's bad, John." " We're at war." " Positions?" " Eagles at reference three two six." "Hawks at three one nine and closing." " Interception?" " Laser range at two minutes five." "Alan." "They're heading towards you at three one nine." "Within range in two minutes." "We'd try to send you all the help we can, but right now... right now you're all that stands between us and them." "We're relying on you, Alan." "We'll take care of you." "Good luck." "Leader to Flight One." "Select your opposite number." "If any of them get through..." "we won't have a home to go to." "Right, here we go." "Split, Eagle Two!" "Good, Alan." " We've been hit!" " Main motor!" " We're breaking up!" " Reduce power!" "A sitting duck." "Let's hope they take us for a dead one." "I've lost contact with Alan." "The last Eagle?" "Is it ready for launch?" "The lift's still jammed." "Evacuate all non essential surface areas." "Secondary bulkheads will be secured in thirty seconds." "Paul." "Sandra..." "Kano." "You stay with me." "The rest of you get below." "You too, Victor." " You all right." " Yes." "Auxiliary lights!" " A leak!" " Help, help!" "We've got an atmosphere leak!" "John, do you hear me?" "John, we've got an atmosphere leak." "It's under control at the moment but I don't know how long it's gonna hold..." "Sandra, you hold on here." "Paul, Kano, you come with me." "Bob!" "Come on, let's go, we have to get everybody out of here." "Let's go!" "Everybody." "Here we go, come on." "Come on." "Hurry!" "It won't hold!" "Paul!" "Helena!" "Come on!" " Bob!" "Leave that!" "Come on." " Bob!" "Bob!" "Bob!" " Bob!" " Yes, I know, I know." "It's stopped." "I think it's over." "Paul." "Kano." "Stay here." "Help out." "Commander." "Well, they're going by the book." "First they eliminate the fighter defences... then they send in the bombers." "There's nothing we can do." "Nothing." "Alpha's got one laser equipped Eagle left." "If they can get it launched." "Somehow... someway Pete, this one's down to us." "Head up the target display." "Give us all the power we've got, Pete." "Laser at maximum rate." "Sandra." "Take Computer." "Alpha to Eagle One." "Alpha, to Eagle One." "Do you copy?" " Yes, Alpha, we copy." " Alan." "That was terrific." "It was the big one." "I reckon they meant it for Alpha." "I'm sure they did." "Didn't know you were still alive." "We were just playing dead." "How are all of you, anyway?" " Pretty bad." "You?" " Well, we're down to auxiliary power." "I reckon we can make it back to Alpha." "What do you think they've got next?" "We're relying on you to tell us, Alan." "Out." "Victor." "How are things down there?" "Oh, we're alright." "What on Earth was that?" "Their Doomsday Weapon." "It was intended for Alpha but Alan got in its way." " Alan." "Is he..." " He's alright." "But we've got a lot of casualties, Victor." "It's one hell of a mess up here." "Sandra's at the Computer now." "She'll give you a safe route back to Main Mission." "Travel Tube to Door Nine." "Corridor Nine is safe... and from there you can enter through the Commander's office." "All right, Helena." "Let's have the bad news." "Hundred and twenty eight dead." "Mostly there's no trace of them." "Sucked out into space." " Explosive decompression." " Survivors?" "Those that made it below are pretty much all right." "Those who didn't..." "There's just... no half way house." "Well, we still have emergency power... and for the moment at least the attack's been called off." "Maybe that bomber was their last fling." "I don't think so, Alan." "Anyway, we're still alive." " The question is how do we stay alive." " About the emergency power, Commander." "We're running off solar batteries." "With minimum requirements, they'll be exhausted within eight days." "Main generators?" "The least badly damaged will take a minimum of four weeks to repair." "Anti gravity units in all areas are smashed beyond repair too." "Most of the casualties were in the Technical Department." "That is not all, Commander." "The food production... and recycling plants have been very badly damaged." " The water is heavily contaminated." " How long to repair?" "Nine weeks minimum... but then it would be at least... two more months before we could begin cropping." "Ah, we shall only be within range of this planet for four days." "Beyond that, the... um... nearest star system would be..." "at least six months too far." "Alan." "I want you to put an unarmed reconnaissance Eagle on a functional launch pad." "Helena, you and I are going down to that planet." " I don't think you..." " Just a minute." "I'd rather thought that they've been trying to tell us to keep away." "Victor." "The only reason they've stopped firing... is because they don't need to bother." "Alpha is dead." "Now, unless any of you have a better idea... the only course open to us is to go down there... meet them face to face on their own turf... and try to persuade them to talk." "Do you think they'll believe we're unarmed?" "Who knows what they'll believe?" "This is Moonbase Alpha calling on all frequencies." "Please acknowledge." "The ship now approaching your planet is unarmed." "Our Commander, John Koenig, requests permission to meet... and to discuss our situation with your leaders." "We ask for mercy to be shown to the survivors of this base." "This is Moonbase Alpha calling on all frequencies." "Please acknowledge." "Casualty list has increased to a hundred and thirty one." "The ship now approaching your planet is unarmed." "Why has all this happened to us, Professor?" "The Gods using us for their sport, perhaps?" "They have the same weapons as ours, and they fight by the same book of rules." "We've got to show them that they've no..." "need to be afraid of us." "I think they know that already." "Paul." "No response from the planet?" "Still nothing, Commander." "Maybe they're a race of deaf mutes." "Why should they talk." "When they can keep us guessing?" "Compensators at Earth gravity." "As Computer predicted... and there's still no sign of alien ships." "It's beautiful." "We're veering off." " No computer malfunction." " Correction has no effect." "That's strange." "All systems check out fine." "Hello, Alpha." "Alpha, do you read me?" "Come in, Alpha." "This is Koenig." "We've lost contact." "Switching to manual." "We're still moving off course, I can't correct it." "Alphans." "You are under ground control." "Relax... and stand by for touch down." "What do you make of it?" "I wish someone would show a face." "Say a word." "Anything." "The lights." "The colours..." " Maybe they're part of their language." " They spoke to us." "Hello!" "Is there anyone here we can talk to?" "Speak, Earthman." "State your case." " Speak." " Why?" "Why did you attack us?" "Why?" "We've been transmitting messages to you ever since we've been in range." "We wanted to land on this planet." "You refused to answer." "When you did reply you did so with guns... war machines and bombers." "If there's some reason that you don't want us to stay here, some... basic incompatibility, we could understand." "But... we're not here by choice." "We cannot control the course of our Moon." "We're looking for a place to live." "We won't use force." "All we want... is peace." "Answer, damn it!" "You asked me to state my case." "All right, here it is." "We came in peace." "You waited till we were in range... then you launched a surprise attack." "You killed half my people, destroyed my base... and left us without the means to live!" "You cannot stay here." "We cannot live on Alpha!" "You have no place in space at all." " You deny us our future?" " You have no future." "You carry with you the seeds of your own destruction." "You are a contaminating organism." "A fatal virus." "A plague of fear." "Your presence on this planet would destroy a civilization... that has survived for billions of years." "You think we're no more than a virus?" "Ever since we were blasted away from Earth we've been fighting for survival." "We have survived." "Now, how, I don't know." "There's no rational explanation but... what I do have is an absolute faith in the strength of the human spirit... and the belief that someone or something is looking after us." "God, if you like." "And we will survive!" "The death struggle of inferior species... is very often the finest hour of their existence... but the end is, nevertheless, the end." "I refuse to believe we have no future." "Extinction may take a little time." "That is all." "Helena." "This equipment... whatever it is, they depend on it." "It's very fragile." " John!" "Violence is not the answer." " I cannot accept their judgment!" "Earthman." " Helena, down." " Earthman." " Still no word from the Commander?" " No." " I think we should make a start anyway." " Launch Pads One and Five are operational." "At least enough to get the Eagles away..." " ...if that's what we want to do." " Nothing else we can do." "Start Operation Exodus." "No..." "No..." "Doctor Russell." "Do not be afraid." "Keep back!" "You will not kill us, Doctor Russell." "The power of your weapon will be turned against yourself." "Do not be afraid." "In our world there can be no fear." " John." " He was a victim of his own fear." "You can share our power." "Giving substance to your wish that he should live." "Helena!" "Helena!" "All personnel should proceed to the Technical Section... where the Eagles are now loading." "Close down of all services 'in the Residence Section... will begin in fifteen minutes." " All equipment in Maintenance Five should..." " Paul!" " I have a contact." " It's the Commander's Eagle." "Hello, Alpha." "Hello, Alpha." "Do you read me?" " Commander, we read you." " Paul." "We could live on this planet." "But we'll have to fight for a foothold." "Quiet, please!" " Alan." " Yes, Commander." "I want you to bring up the last of the laser equipped Eagles." "We'll rendezvous at this position, then I'll transfer to your ship." "Right, Commander." " Victor." " Yes, John?" "As soon as Alan's clear, I want you to evacuate Alpha." "I can't guarantee what you'll find here, but..." " ...at least..." " It's all right, John." " Everyone's prepared to take the chance." " Good." "If I'm not there to meet you land on open ground and consolidate your position." "Victor." "Say goodbye to Alpha for me." "Say hello to the planet." "The last Eagle's ready for lift off." "They're just waiting for us." " You have three minutes, Professor." " Thank you, Paul." "Recording now." "Ah, umm..." "We... are Mankind." "We came from planet Earth... and we built this base, called Alpha... to learn more about space." "But... human error... blasted this Moon out of the Earth's orbit." "And so, we have traveled the Universe searching for a place to live." "Now, we can no longer live here... and we go to face an uncertain future... on the planet that has nearly destroyed us." "You, whoever you are... who find this empty vessel of Alpha... come and seek us out... if we still exist." "Come and teach us all you know, because... we have learned many things... but most of all, we have learned... we still have much to learn." "Goodbye, Alpha." "A penny for them?" "Oh, just wondering." "If there's any future at all." "Am I a prisoner?" "You are free to walk where your mind has the will to take you." "Am I free to walk out of here?" "If your mind can find the way." "John Koenig has taken your Eagle." "He has called to Alpha for reinforcements." "He believes he can rescue you... and win space on this planet by force." "Will he..." " Will he succeed?" " He is very much afraid... that we will stop him." " Will you?" " No." "Right, Pete." "Off you go." "You fly her, Alan." "Head for the planet." "I'll brief you as you go." "Right." "It looks like their defence is fully alert, Commander." "Force fields!" "Closing down main motors!" "Fire retros!" "Full power!" "There's no going back!" "Antigravity screens at maximum." "We can't do it!" "She'll break up!" "We've got to do it!" "It's our only chance!" "She's breaking up!" "Eject!" "Alan!" "You speak of life beyond death." "Yet all around is a world I see... touch, feel." "The tactile world around you now is a brain." "Unlike your human brain, this will never die." "It has been developed over generations... and grows with each life that is lived in it." "But why life and death if the brain is permanent?" "We are not." "We are but tenants of the brain... for a span of a thousand years." "The people on this planet feed the brains with life." "And defend them, with bombers and Hawks like those of the planet Earth." "We have no fighting machines of our own." "Why should we?" "We have no fear." "You do." "You used them to destroy Alpha." "Didn't you?" "Mankind is full of fear." "Come fearlessly into our brain and see." " Did you answer my question?" " Come." "Our world is in perfect balance." "Differences have been resolved." "Restless desires of individual flesh and communal ambition are fulfilled... and accommodated." "They are as spiritual impulses in this great combination of brains... that is our harmonious world." "We have no fear." "It's beautiful." "John?" "Ninety seven minutes of life... and then no oxygen." "Hallucination... a slow and peaceful drift from dream to real eternity." "Or just nothing." "The ultimate negative." "Poison..." "Pain... and yet more pain." "Until nothing." "This body, a piece perhaps... for some future archaeologist to fit into an historical puzzle." "John Koenig from planet Earth... ninth, and last Commander of Moonbase Alpha." "John..." "Come back..." "He has faced death." "He has conquered his fear." "I want him back." "As he was." "I want him here." "I am afraid of death!" "I don't want your world!" "If you bring him back he will have to face the agony of his own fear." "I want him as he was!" "With all his faults and fears!" "He would destroy us all." "We are what we are!" "John!" "John!" "John!" "Helena!" "Helena!" "Helena!" "Helena!" "Helena!" "Paul." "Do you read me?" "Yes, Commander." "We read you." "Turn back, Paul." " Turn back?" "!" " If you're gonna die... you might as well die on Alpha." "Twenty seconds." " Fifteen seconds." " It's an attack, John." " Still no signal?" " Nothing." " Ten seconds." " We can't hold them, Commander!" " Alpha's wide open." " Five seconds." "Four..." "Three..." " Two..." " Alan!" "Hold your fire!" " Commander?" " That's an order!" "Alien contact..." "lost." " Alan?" " Yes, Commander." "Return to base, Alan." "Cancel red alert." "Bob?" "False alarm." "Everybody relax." "John." "I don't begin to understand, but... ah... does this mean we can go down to the planet?" "No!" "We trust you will stay away... because you are so primitive, and unstable... so governed by emotions like fear... that you would destroy our perfect world." "The spaceships that appeared to attack you... were created in your own mind... by your own fears." "Our only defence was to make your fears appear real." "In a moment of time we have shown you the possible consequences... of a decision we hope you will not make." " I've almost forgotten." " Forgot what?" "I can't remember." "I remember." "A world without fear." "It was very strange." "Beautiful." "We've lost it."