" Where did they come from?" " No indication on the scanner." " Still no reply from the planet?" " Nothing at all." "Keep trying." "This is Moonbase Alpha." "They're Mark IX Hawks." " Certainly looks that way." " They're war machines," " and that's enough for me." " Get going, Alan." "Red alert!" "This is Moonbase Alpha, we are from the planet Earth, please acknowledge." "This is Moonbase Alpha We are from the planet Earth." "Please acknowledge" "Attention, alien ships are approaching." "Their intentions are not known." "'Eagle flight One will intercept." "Flight Two move to backup positions." "'Relief crews to launch pad areas, crash units stand by." "'Rescue and casualty Eagles ready.'" "Main motors." "'Priority one to technical section and launch pads." "'Medical Centre, stand by to receive casualties." "Activate meteorite defence screens and seal bulkhead doors." " Still no reply, Commander." " Alien ships approaching at V-14.2." "That's nearly twice the speed of our Eagles." " Get on their tails, Alan." " They have just 30 seconds." " 20 seconds." " 'We're locked on, Commander.'" "15 seconds." " It's an attack, John." " Still no signal?" " Nothing." " 10 seconds." " 'We can't hold them!" "'" " Alpha's wide open." " Five seconds." "Fire!" "Good on you, Alan." "'Lt was too easy.'" "Commander, a new contact." " Position?" " Orbital reference 348." " Flight Two." " On the lift now, Commander." "Flight Two, cut all checks." "Lift-off." "We've got ourselves a war." " You all right?" " Yeah." " 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." "Minimum countdown," "I want to know how long it'll take to get the last Eagle off this rock." "Helena, give me a casualty report." "Apart from the Eagle crews, all technicians on Launch Pad Four, we have eleven other casualties and two unaccounted for." "It's bad, John." "We're at war." "Position?" "Eagles at reference 326, Hawks at 319 and closing." " Interception?" " Laser range in two minutes five." "Alan, they're heading towards you at 319, within range in two minutes." "We'll send you all the help we can, but right now you're our only defence." "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." "All right, here we go." "Right, Eagle Two!" "You're dead." "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 30 seconds." "Paul, Sandra, Kano." "You stay with me The rest of you get below." "You too, Victor." "You all right?" "Auxiliary lights!" "Air leak!" "We've got an atmosphere leak!" "John, do you hear me?" "'John, we've got an atmosphere leak." "'Lt's under control now but I don't know how long it'll hold.'" "Sandra, hold on here." "Paul, Kano, come with me." "Bob, come on!" "We have to get everybody out of here" "Let's go!" "Everybody!" "Here we go." "Come on." "Hurry!" "It won't hold!" " Helena, come on." "Bob, leave that!" "Come on!" " Bob!" "Bob!" " Bob!" " Yes, I know, I know." "It's stopped, it's over." "Paul, Kano, stay here, help out." "Commander." "Well, they're going by the book." "First they eliminate our 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, some way, 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?" " 'Pretty bad." "You?" "'" " 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." " Victor, how are things down there?" " 'We're all right." "What was that?" "'" "Their doomsday weapon." "Alan got in its way." " 'Alan?" "Is he?" "'" " He's all right." "But it's one hell of a mess up here." "Sandra's at the computer, she'll give you a safe route back." "Travel tube to door nine, it is safe to the Commander's office." "All right, Helena, let's have the bad news." "128 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 that didn't..." "There's just..." "no halfway house." "Well, we still have emergency power." "And for the moment the attack's been called off." "Maybe that bomber was their last fling, eh?" "I don't think so anyway, we're alive The question is how to stay alive." "About the emergency power we're running off batteries." "On minimum requirements, they'll be exhausted in eight days." " Main generators?" " Least damaged, will take four weeks to repair." "All anti-gravity units are smashed beyond repair too." "Most casualties were in the Technical department." "The food production and recycling plants are badly damaged." " The water is heavily contaminated." " How long to repair?" "Nine weeks, minimum." "But then it would be two more months before we could begin cropping." "We shall only be within range of this planet for four days." "Beyond that, the nearest star system will be at least six months too far." "Alan, put an unarmed reconnaissance Eagle on a launch pad." "Helena, we're going to that planet." " I don't think..." " Just a minute!" "I thought they were trying to tell us to keep away." "Victor, they've only stopped firing because they don't need to bother." "Alpha is dead." "Now, the only course open to us is to go down there, meet them face-to-face on their 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 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..." "Casualty list has increased to 131." "Why has this happened, Professor?" "The gods using us for their sport, perhaps." "They have the same weapons as ours and 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 enemy ships." "It's beautiful." "Course correction five degrees." "We're veering off." " No computer malfunction." " Correction has no affect." "That's strange, all systems check out fine." "Hello, Alpha, do you read me?" "Come in, Alpha." "This is Koenig." "Lost contact." "Switching to manual." "We're still moving off course." "'Alphans, you are under ground control." "'Relax and stand by for touchdown.'" "What do you make of it?" "I wish someone would show their face or 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 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 bombs." "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." "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 civilisation that has survived for billions of years." "You think we're no more than a virus?" "Since we were blasted away from Earth we've been fighting for survival and we have, though 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 looks very fragile." "John!" "Violence is not the answer!" "I can't accept their judgement!" " Earthman!" " Helena, down!" "Earthmen!" " Still no word from the Commander?" " No." "We should make a start anyway." "Launch Pads 1 and 5 are operational, enough to get the Eagles away." " If that's what we want to do." " Nothing else we can do." "Start Operation Exodus." "No..." "Dr Russell, do not be afraid." " Keep back!" " You will not kill us, Dr 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!" "All personnel proceed to Technical section where the Eagles are loading" "Closedown of services in the residence section in 15 minutes." " All equipment in maintenance..." " I have a contact!" " It's the Commander!" " 'Hello, Alpha?" "Do you read me?" "'" " Commander, we read you!" " 'Paul we could live on this planet but we'll have to fight for it.'" "Quiet, please!" " 'Alan?" "'" " Yes, Commander?" "'Bring out the last laser-equipped Eagle." "'Rendezvous here and I'll transfer to your ship.'" "Right, Commander." " 'Victor?" "'" " Yes, John?" "'Once Alan's gone, 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." "If I'm not there land on open ground and consolidate your position." "Victor..." "Say goodbye to Alpha for me." "'Say hello to the planet.'" "Last Eagle's ready for lift-off." "They just waiting for us." " You have three minutes, Professor." " Thank you, Paul." "Recording now." "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 travelled 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... that 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." "All right, Pete, off you go." " Head for the planet." "I'll brief you as we go." " Right." "It looks like their defence is fully alert." "Force field!" "Closing down main motors!" " Fire retros!" " Full power!" "There's no going back!" "Anti-gravity 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... and 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's 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 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." "'97 minutes of life and then no oxygen." "'Hallucination." "A slow and peaceful drift through dream to real eternity." "'Or just nothing." "The ultimate negative.'" "'Poison and 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!" "Helena!" "Helena!" "Helena!" "Helena!" "Helena." "John!" " Paul, do you read me?" " 'Yes, Commander, we read you.'" "'Turn back, Paul.'" "Turn back?" "!" "'Lf you're gonna die you might as well die on Alpha.'" "20 seconds... 15 seconds." " It's an attack, John." " Still no signal?" " Nothing." " 10 seconds." " 'We can't hold them!" "'" " 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... 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 minds 'by your own fears." "'Our only defence was to make your fears appear real.'" "'Ln a moment of time we have shown you the possible consequences 'of a decision we hope you will not make.'" " I almost forgot..." " Forgot what?" "I can't remember." "I remember a world without fear." "It was very strange." "Beautiful." "We've lost it."