Seed Of Destruction

Commander John Koenig and Chief Eagle Pilot Alan Carter are carrying out a close reconnaisance of a jewel-like asteroid which has come into range of the Moon. They land on the asteroid and are about to explore when the Eagle's alarm signals a malfunction in the stabilisers. Alan stays on board the Eagle to repair the malfunction whilst John Koenig goes to explore the asteroid alone.

John Koenig enters a cave containing mirrors and some form of dense crystal. A high pitched sound begins to hurt John's ears and he turns to stare at his reflection in one of the mirrors. After he moves away his 'reflection' comes to life and begins to follow John around the caves. The mirror "Koenig" stuns the real John Koenig, then takes a sample of the rock to return to Alpha.

Using Koenig's commlock, the mirror "Koenig" contacts Alan Carter, telling him that he wants to return to Alpha immediately. The mirror "Koenig" realises that the lettering on his jacket is reversed, so he exchanges jackets with the unconscious Koenig.

Maya contacts Alan Carter in the Eagle, telling him that she is getting some strange readings from the asteroid and asking him if he can delay liftoff. Returning to the Eagle, Alan begins to tell "Koenig" that he hasn't managed to repair the malfunction, but just as he says this, the malfunction repairs itself. The Eagle returns to Alpha.

On his return to Alpha, the mirror "Koenig" makes an announcement to the whole Moonbase, informing them that the asteroid poses a very serious threat to Alpha. He says that they are surrounded by a very strong energy screen which, if they do not neutralise it, will render all of their instruments useless. In order to escape from this force they will create an energy beam and direct it at the asteroid, which is like a gigantic crystal. The asteroid will reflect the beam back, cutting through the energy screen and breaking its hold on Alpha.

Maya tells the mirror "Koenig" that she has not had a chance to complete her sensor read-outs and she would like to analyse the rock sample he took. She says there might be another way of breaking through the screen, but "Koenig" tells her that there is no need as he has done his own analysis. When Maya further questions "Koenig's" methods, he confines her to her quarters.

Tony Verdeschi, Alan Carter and Helena Russell are shocked at "Koenig's" behaviour and try to figure out what might have happened. Helena wonders if something on the asteroid could have taken John over, but Alan suspects that something happened inside those caves, which John doesn't want them to know about yet.

Tony Verdeschi visits Maya in her quarters and Tony suggests they take an Eagle to investigate the asteroid themselves. Maya is unsure, reminding Tony that John is still their commander, and what he is suggesting could be construed as mutiny. Tony questions whether John Koenig might be medically incompetent, and they decide to speak to Helena Russell.

Tony Verdeschi goes to see Helena Russell and says if John won't tell them what has happened to him, then how do they stop him. When Helena asks Tony what he would do, Tony tells her that he would take an Eagle and try to find out what happened on that asteroid. He says if they could prove that something has control over John then he could be declared medically incompetent.

On the asteroid, the real John has regained consciousness. As he begins to explore the caves, he is greeted by the Voice of Kalthon. The Voice explains that a Black Sun absorbed all its peoples energy but they managed to survive total extinction by creating a seed, endowing it with the remnants of their energy and launching it into space. It says it needs their stores of energy so that the seed can be reborn.

On Moonbase Alpha the mirror "Koenig" is overseeing the building of an energy reflector which will ensure the transfer of energy from Alpha to the asteroid. Helena Russell visits him to try to find out what has happened to him, and she suggests he has a medical examination because he has been exposed to an alien atmosphere.

When "Koenig" tells her that he hasn't time she tells him that she could order him to undergo a medical examination because although overall command is his, she is responsible for the health and well-being of all those on Alpha. "Koenig" asks her if she really believes he would risk the lives of Alphan's, and she takes his hand. She finds his skin icy-cold, and fights hard to hide her reaction.

Helena Russell tells Tony and Maya about her experience with John. They decide that the answer lies in the crystal, and they must get a sample of it to examine. Maya transforms into an Alphan technician working on the energy transfer, and enters the Observation Area where she obtains a sample of the crystal that "Koenig" brought up from the asteroid.

Maya returns to her quarters where she examines the crystal and tells Tony and Helena that this is no crystal, but a dense, complex type of living matter from which all energy has been drained, but it is not dead, only dormant like a seed. She says she cannot imagine the effect such a substance would have on a human being.

Tony Verdeschi and Maya try to convince Alan Carter that something is wrong with "Koenig", but Alan is convinced that John is only uptight, and maybe John came across something on the asteroid that poses some terrible threat to Alpha that he isn't telling them about. Tony asks Alan to try to get them an Eagle but Alan says that is mutiny, and he is having no part in it.

Tony and Maya take an Eagle and head for the asteroid. When Sandra Benes and Alan Carter report this to "Koenig" he orders Alan to activate the laser gun and shoot it down. Alan Carter tells "Koenig" that he can't shoot down the Eagle because he knows who is on board; Tony and Maya. "Koenig" prepares to fire the laser gun himself, but Helena tells him that firing the laser gun will divert power from the energy beam and put everything off schedule. At the last moment "Koenig" backs down.

The mirror "Koenig" tells the Alphan's in Command Centre that he owes them all an aplogy, he has been withholding information from them. He begins to explain but Helena warns the others not to listen to him as it is not John Koenig. "Koenig" threatens to confine Helena to her quarters for observation, and Helena backs down.

On the asteroid, Tony and Maya find the real John Koenig trapped behind the mirror. They free him and John explains to them that the mirror "Koenig" is trying to regenerate an entire civilisation. Tony tells John that his mirror image is on Alpha and everyone believes it is the real Koenig, only Helena suspects. John tells Tony and Maya to find the Heart of Kalthon and destroy it whilst he returns to Alpha.

As John takes off in the Eagle, Tony and Maya become trapped in a mirror. Meanwhile, back on Alpha the mirror "Koenig" continues to drain Alpha of power, all of Alpha's vital systems have become affected.

The real John Koenig arrives on Moonbase Alpha just in time to countermand an order by "Koenig" to transfer the remaining power to the asteroid. "Koenig" tries to persuade the Alphan's that John is a mirror image projected by the asteroid. It points out the reversed lettering on John's jacket, and asks them which one is the mirror image.

The real Koenig tells them that the mirror "Koenig" switched jackets but he forgot one detail, the part in his hair. Alan Carter shoots "Koenig" but it has no effect. "Koenig" declares that Kalthon lives but the real John says Kalthon dies, and cuts the energy beam, at the same time activating a high pitched sound capable of destroying the crystal.

On the asteroid, Tony and Maya break free of the mirror and on Moonbase Alpha the mirror "Koenig" shatters before their eyes, into a crystal-like substance.