"Commander, we're getting a reading." "Eagle 1 in orbit and holding." " 20 seconds to visual contact." " Link up with on-board computer." " Fifteen seconds to visual contact." " Eagle 1 holding." " Eagle 1 breaking orbit now." " Punch in long-range cameras." "Vital signs normal." "Alpha to Eagle 1, do you copy?" " Alpha to Eagle 1, do you copy?" " Keep trying, Paul." "Eagle 1, are you receiving?" "Come in, Eagle 1." "Preliminary results from on-board computer coming through." "Good." "'Subject :" "Planet" " Designated Code Name T erra Nova'" " " T erra Nova"." "New Earth." " Just what we' re looking for." "' Resources to sustain human life... unlimited. '" "Looks good." "' Eagle 1 to Alpha." "You won't believe it but I think we made it this time. '" "I've seen rivers and trees, lakes, mountains, valleys..." "It's just like Earth!" " 'Any intelligent life?" "'" " That's it..." "'The planet seems empty." "It's just waiting for us. '" "Eagle 1, this is Alpha." "Do you copy?" "Are you receiving me?" "Come in, Eagle 1." "Contact lost, Commander." " Vital life signs?" " Not registering." "Eagle 1, this is Alpha." "Do you copy?" "Are you receiving me?" "Eagle 1, come in." "Commander, flight pattern shows Eagle 1 on course and closing." " Systems functioning." " Vital signs normal." "Emergency touchdown procedure." "Y ellow alert." "Eagle 1 on final approach." " Flight pattern?" " Normal." " Still on automatic." " Emergency red." "Set?" " They' re alive." "John!" " I thought this was only a two-man crew." " It was." "What is it?" "It's my husband." " You' re absolutely certain it's him?" " Y es." " It doesn't make any sense." " No." "it doesn't make any sense, but John, I know my own husband." "He's been dead for five years." "Y es, he has, he's been presumed dead." "We' ll be in Dr Russell's quarters." "If there's any change, let us know." "Y es, Commander." "Wasn't he on the Astro 7 mission?" "The Astro 7, yes." "The mission failed." "What?" "They got locked in orbit around Jupiter." "Something like that, they lost contact." "As I remember, it was radiation." "The ship burned up." "I" " I don't know, they just lost contact around Jupiter." "Helena, we' re billions of miles from Jupiter." "John, we may be billions of miles from Jupiter, but Lee is here." "He is here." "Many things have happened since we broke away from our solar system." "Unexplainable things." "But this time, we might get some answers." " I mean if he is your husband..." " Y es?" " 'Something strange, could you come to the care unit straight away?" "'" "Y es." " Checked the equipment?" " Y es, it's functioning perfectly but it's still not recording his vital signs." " How is he?" " Normal." "Then why aren't the instruments recording?" "I don't know." "Let's find out." "Kano, what does the computer have on Russell?" "Checks out." "It's him, Commander." "Ah, just a minute." "John...the only information we have on Russell comes from his wife's file." "Now, that's too limited." "Analysis of the data does suggest that the planet is just right for us." "Commander, the accident to the probe pilot puts phase two behind schedule." "Paul, how much time do we have for phase two?" "Twenty hours." "Phase three?" "A total evacuation of Moonbase Alpha will take 48 hours." "Kano, if we cut phase two in half, how will that leave us?" "We could do it sir, but only just." "We' ll postpone phase two by 1 0 hours to give us time to check out Russell." "People are wondering why phase two is not taking place now." "Captain, I' m not gonna jump the gun on this." "I' m not going to endanger the lives of any more pilots." "Sir, it can't be Russell." "It just can't be!" "I repeat, until we know what's going on, we do not go down on the planet." "Lee, can you hear me?" "Uh, are..." " Are... you..." "Helena?" " Y es, it's me, Lee." "What... is this... place?" "Lee, you' re in a hospital room, we' re on Moonbase Alpha." "Helena, I came...to... you." "I came... because..." "Victor, what do you think of it?" "I don't know, but I' ll have a guess." "What?" "Our instruments are designed to respond to human biological stimuli as we know them." "But assuming Russell was on T erra Nova for five years, then perhaps some aspect of that planet's environment caused him to adapt in some way which our instruments can't record." "Victor, that's good, but it doesn't answer my immediate questions." "How did he get onto that Eagle?" "Did he have any affect on our pilots?" "Can he be of help to us?" "What does he know about that planet?" "You want me to bring him out of it with metrazene?" "I must talk to him." "There are things about his condition that we don't understand." " Can it wait?" " Wait?" "A little longer, at least." "In three days, we' ll be out of range." "Every hour that passes lessens our chance of finding a decent home." "There are 300 lives, Helena." "Can you or I deny them that chance?" "All right." "That's the maximum, sir." "I can't give him any more." "I'm Commander Koenig." "I've got to speak to you." "Helena." "It's all right, Lee." "I'm right here." "Commander Koenig is a friend, he's going to ask you some questions." "I must speak...to Helena." "It's important to all of us." "How did you get on that planet?" "Planet..." "What's there?" "Think." "T ry to remember." "Helena... called me." "The planet, is it safe?" "Just..." "Helena." "Only..." "Helena..." "It hasn't worked." "Helena, you try." "I' m sorry, John." "He's got to rest." "All right, but you stay with him." "Lee?" "This place, Helena." "T ell me." "T ell you what?" "This place..." "Where is it?" "We' re on Moonbase Alpha, Lee." "There was an accident." "The moon was blown out of Earth's orbit." "What do you want?" "We think we've found what we want." "A new world, someplace to live." "Your planet, we' re going to colonise it.We could be together." "Kano, what's the latest time prediction on phase two?" "Hasn't changed." "We've peaked your optimum take-off time." "In two hours we must abandon phase two." " You said we had an emergency." " Did I?" "I must have been mistaken." "Sandra, no bad news for me yet?" "Nothing." "Almost too good to be true." "That's nice." "Oh, Commander." "We are going down, aren't we?" "What's going to stop us?" "'Commander, could you come to Dr Russell's quarters, please?" "'" "Y es." "What happened?" "I found her on the floor of the care unit." " You all right?" " Oh, I' m fine." "I've checked her over." "There's no damage." "Thank you, Doctor." "I must have passed out." "Helena, it's not like you to just pass out." "Now, what's wrong?" "I don't know." "Lee and I were talking..." "What?" "He talked?" " Y es, a little." " What did he say?" "Not much." "It was just before I fainted." " Did he talk about the planet?" " I don't remember." "No, I' m sure he didn't." "I would remember." "Helena, you' re sure, really sure he's your husband?" "Y es." "I'm sure of that." "It just doesn't make sense, I mean..." " How do you feel?" " Just a little tired, that's all." "John, we are going down there, aren't we?" "When we' re sure it's safe to do so." "These are some thermographic scans I did of Lee Russell." "Normally, they'd have been passed to Helena for analysis, but Mathias was worried that they might upset her." "You' ll see why in a moment." "Now, as you know, these plates respond to body heat." "There you are." "Lee Russell." "And from this, he seems to be perfectly normal." "You can see the areas of body heat: brain, vital organs, and the cold areas, yellows." "All just as it should be." "Oh, that hand at the bottom of the picture, that's Helena's." "But now, look at this." "I don't get it, Victor, it's not a living being." "Exactly, nothing there." "No body heat, no reds at all, just yellow." "And yet, when this scan was taken, he breathed, his heart was beating." "And now, look at this." "See, normal again." "Is Lee Russell dead or alive?" "I don't know." "According to that picture, he's alive." "And that one says he'd dead." "T ake your choice." "Course, this may be a symptom of his adaptation to living on that planet." "I don't go for that, Victor." "He was on that planet five years." "It takes billions of years for a human being to adapt that radically." "So we've always thought, on Earth." "But we' re a long way from home." "We' ll have to start thinking differently if we' re to come to terms with space." "Victor, where was Helena for the second scan?" "Not in the care unit." "So she's with him for the first and the last scan, and they' re normal." "Then she leaves him..." "and this happens." "That's right." "Very strange, isn't it?" "Whatever life force sustains him, he's drawing it from some outside source." "F rom Helena." "Mr Russell, please." "You should be in bed." "I...want..." "Helena." " You' re not well." " I want Helena!" " Y es, in a moment." " No!" "Lee Russell." "Stop him!" "Lee!" "Lee, it's all right." "It's time we talked." "T ake him to my office." "Lee, try to help us." "Help us to understand." "Helena, stay away from him." " But why?" " Stay away." "I know why you brought me here." " Good." " Then will you help us?" "That's why I' m here." "T o help you." "Where's Helena?" " It's best not to see her." " What are you doing on Alpha?" "I... had to come." " Where did you come from, Mr Russell?" " The planet." " How did you get there?" " That's not important." " How?" " Commander, I don't know how I got there, how long I've been there." " How'd you board our ship?" " You' re wasting time." "Then help us, Mr Russell." "T ell us what you know." "I... know... you' re in danger, all of you." " F rom what?" " Is the planet inhabited?" "No." "Y es." "Not in the way you think." "You must not go near that planet." "Mr Russell, we' re marooned." "We can't survive indefinitely." " You cannot go down there." " That's our decision to make." "You face power beyond your understanding." "It will destroy you." "What is this power, this danger?" "Your... opposite." "It will annihilate you." "Our calculations show that planet is perfectly suitable for human life." "You... don't believe... do you?" "What can we believe?" "You appear, and we don't know how." "You seem to be human, but are you?" "You' ll... go...to that planet whatever I say." "Isn't that so?" "Doctor" "He's dead." "Victor, we' re running out of time." "At least wait till we find out why Russell died." "'Commander Koenig." "' Essential we have flight coordinates for Phase Two probe. '" "Not yet available." "Stay on standby." " 'We' re cutting it very fine, sir. '" " I know how fine, Kano, thank you!" "Victor, we've gotta go." "We've gotta find out about Russell." "For the sake of the mission, we must wait." "Mathias' ll rush the autopsy." "But I' m not waiting for the results." "I' m starting phase two." "OK, but let me have an hour." " For what?" " T o run some skin tests on Russell." " Well, all right." " John..." " Has Helena been told?" " She knows." " ' Helena. '" " Come in." "Helena, I..." "I've already said it all to myself," "John." "I don't blame anyone." "My interrogation could have something to do with it." "Could have." "We simply don't know." "The autopsy should give us some of the answers." "As a doctor, of course, I' m interested." "As Lee's wife, I'd rather forget." "The first time I lost Lee, I thought I'd never survive it." "Now that it's happened again, I' m just numb." "I guess I never really had him back." "I' m all right." "Reconnaissance section reports Eagle 2 on standby," "All equipment checked and loaded." "Planetary data programmed into on-board computer." " Fine." "Kano?" " Y es." "Have you made a new flight plan?" "We must leave in 30 minutes." "Though it will cut our surface operating time to zero minimum." "o. k." "We need a definite time for phase two launch, Commander." "John..." " Victor, I've made my decision." " This is about Lee Russell." " Lee Russell is dead." " The skin tests..." "Whatever he was, wherever he came from doesn't matter." "His influence on us has gone." "Don't you agree?" "In that sense I'd have to, but please, listen." "But nothing stops us from going?" "Just hear me out." "I put the skin data through the particle analyser." "Now, his skin structure was normal while he was alive." "But since his death, the atomic structure of his body is changing." "There are signs of reversed polarity." "And it's becoming more pronounced, more complete." "Reversed polarity?" "That's just speculation." "Y es, but reversed polarity is the first step towards anti-matter." "As soon as that process is complete, it means annihilation." " It's just a theory." " Y es, a theory so far." " But if..." " Sorry, it's not enough." "That's your decision." "Y es, it is." " Alan." " Sir?" " Phase two Eagle lift-off, 1 5 minutes." " Right, Commander." "Paul, activate Operation Exodus, maximum alert." "If phase two works, I want evacuation in minutes." "They' ll be ready." "Y es, we' re going down to T erra Nova." "Now, we don't know what we' ll find there." "There's an awful lot about the planet we don't understand." "At best, it's a calculated risk." "But there's a chance." "A chance to find a place to live, to raise families, to start again." "Now, the landing party." "Many of you qualify." "But this is my choice." "Captain Carter, we need a pilot." "Paul Morrow." "Analyst Sandra Benes." "Dr Russell, will you come?" "Y es." "The landing party is under my command." "We will rendezvous at assembly point 3 at 1 3 : 25 lunar time." "Thank you." "Victor." "Victor, I'd like you to stay back here." "If things don't go too well, I'd like you to take over my command." "All right." "Good luck, John." "All pre-flight checks complete." "Countdown continuing." "20 seconds to take-off." " 'John, something very serious. '" " Eighteen seconds." " 'The autopsy on Lee Russell. '" " What's happened?" " Sixteen seconds." " ' His body's vanished. '" "Vanished?" "'John, abort the mission. '" " On what grounds?" " ' Lee Russell's warning. '" "Seven seconds." "'Anti -matter - the risks are tremendous." "Five seconds." "What do we do, Commander?" "'John, please." "Reconsider. '" "Sorry, Victor, we' ll just have to face those risks." "All right, Captain, lift off." " It looks good." " Y es, it looks good, the computer agrees." "Atmosphere 22 parts oxygen, 7 1 parts nitrogen, outside temperature 23 degrees, gravity similar to Earth." "Please don't approach animal life, no matter how harmless it appears." "Don't eat any vegetation without carrying out the appropriate tests." "Paul, you and Sandra cover this hilly area to the right." "Helena and I will take this wooded area to the left." "Carter, you stay on the ship." "Leave it under no circumstances." "The rest of us will rendezvous here at 1 8 : 00 hours." "If we' re not back, it means we' re in trouble." "Right." "As long as you keep your locator beams on, we' ll find you." "Well, here we go." " The breeze." " The flowers." " Hey, Commander." "Good luck." " Thank you, Carter." "Look!" "Commander..." "Water?" "Let's find out." " No impurities." "Data readout normal so far." "' Have a drink on me, John. '" " Will you join me?" " I'd be delighted." "'Clear, fresh water. '" "Edible!" "'Sorry, that's it, we' ll call you back in ten minutes. '" "All right." "I haven't enjoyed a picture that much for a long time." "Main Mission standing by." " Paul, how are you doing?" " ' Nothing dangerous so far. '" "OK, Paul, keep in touch." " Come in, Alpha." " 'John, we've got trouble." "'Atmosphere seals are weakening.'" " All the seals?" " 'All of them." "'lncluding the plastics on your Eagle, get Carter to check it out.'" " Carter?" " 'Y es, sir.'" "What's your situation?" "'Well, the insulation's beginning to act up a bit, doesn't seem serious.'" "Maybe not, but I' m recalling the landing party." " Get ready for lift-off." " 'Y es. '" "Helena, we' re going back to the Eagle." "What's wrong?" " Paul?" " 'Y es, sir?" "'" " You two get to the Eagle." " ' But, sir. '" " Do as I say." " 'Y es, sir. '" "' It's worse than we thought, John." "The plastic seals are melting." "'Atmosphere screens are burning up. '" " We could use another Eagle." " ' Difficult." "Can't vouch for them. '" " Carter." " 'Commander?" "Smoke is pouring from the instrument panels.the seals are all melting. '" "Punch in on -board camera." "Carter, get out of there!" "' I can't get out!" "All the systems have failed!" "'" "Carter!" "We' re on our way." "Let's go." "Paul, Sandra, quickly!" "His laser exploded." "Let's get rid of it." "Easy." "Easy, Paul." "He's dead." "Come on, come on." "Here we go." " OK, it's all right." "It's OK." " I cannot see." "Helena, you stay with her." " l' m blind!" " Okay." "Come in, Alpha, this is Koenig." "Moonbase Alpha, come in, Alpha!" "'The situation is deteriorating  have gone in various areas  evacuated..." "'We have many unaccountable technical troubles... '" "John!" "John!" "Are you all right?" "Where's Sandra?" "We..." "We almost made it." "You... and I." "Lee." "You?" "I tried to stop you coming here." "Help me, please, Lee." "How is this possible?" "The Astro 7 mission." "You remember?" "We were drawn into close orbit around Jupiter." "Our heat shields burned up and we were affected by an unknown form of radiation, I suppose." "It transformed us, scattered us into deep space." "And I became...what I am now." "Ended up here, on this planet." "But you died." "No, nobody dies." "Matter never dies." "It only changes its form." "There are many forms of life in space and many forms of death, too." "I' m... the image and mirror, the opposite of myself." " Anti -matter?" " If you like." "But I couldn't survive in your world." "And you can't survive in mine." "That's why you must leave, now." "You've seen what can happen here, it will get worse, much worse!" " You must leave, now." " How?" "I' ll give you the strength." "See what you want to see." "We cannot stay here, John." "' Paul and Sandra are waiting in the Eagle, as instructed. '" "Stand by." "' Fifteen minutes to lift-off, John." "'Operation Exodus ready when you give the word. '" "Cancel Operation Exodus." "You know those feasibility programs we've been running?" "Y es?" "What about them?" "Our present trajectory will take us past about ten million planets." "It means we should pass near to 3, 600 Earth-type planets." "Statistically, that's ten Earth -type planets for everyone on Alpha." "And how much older will you be by the time we reach the first?" "Not very much." "Relatively speaking, that is." "More to the point, how much older will you be when we reach the last?" "2, 543 years old, to be exact, sir." " Just thought you'd like to know." " Thank you, Kano."