Moonbase Alpha Status Report: 2308 days after leaving Earth
orbit
Moonbase Alpha is travelling through a peaceful area of space
and all should be well. However, Alpha is troubled by sporadic disturbances and petty irritations. One of these
irritations has to do with the matter of discipline.
Medical Technician Sally Martin has failed to complete her
stores inventory on time, and has been ordered to do so by Helena Russell in her recreation period. Sally is in
the middle of her inventory when a sudden wind begins to blow, tossing objects
all about her. She shuts herself in a store cupboard but the door is ripped apart, and she screams as the wind
exerts tremendous pressure on her, rendering her unconscious.
As
he tries to sleep, John Koenig is disturbed by a dream in which a woman accuses him of killing her. The medical buzzer
sounds and Doctor Helena Russell summons the Commander to the Medical stores where they have a casualty; Sally Martin.
In Command Centre, Maya's sensors detect a space phemomenon, and an irritated John Koenig presses
her for an explanation. Maya tells him that the phenomenon is filled with electrically charged particles which appear
to be affecting their sensors.
In the recreation room, Tony Verdeschi finds Sally Martin's ex-fiance, Mark Sanders enjoying
a game of chess with his new girlfriend Carolyn Powell, who was once Sally Martin's room mate. He breaks the news to
them that Sally Martin is dead.
Doctor Helena Russell completes her autopsy on Sally Martin and tells John
that Sally's body was crushed by some force and shattered internally.
John Koenig and Tony Verdeschi interview Mark Sanders and ask him about his breakup with Sally.
They then interview Carolyn Powell and ask her about her relationship with Mark Sanders and Sally Martin. Carolyn becomes
hostile when Tony questions her about the research she is doing in the laboratories, research which requires the use of a
pressure device.
Maya's sensors pick up Lambda waves, but Helena Russell identifies them as the Lambda Variant, which was
discovered during experiments on ESP and other paranormal powers of the human mind. Helena tells John that she can conduct
experiments to determine whether this is affecting the Alphans.
Helena Russell begins to test the Alphan's ESP and other paranormal
powers, and on completion of her tests she goes to John Koenig's quarters to report her findings. She tells him that she
found three sensitives; Carolyn Powell, Carl Renton and Pete Garforth.
Helena notices that John is irritable and hardly listening to what she is saying, and she prescribes
him something to help him get a good night's sleep. John refuses her pills saying that he is afraid to sleep.
He tells Helena that when he was an astronaut cadet he had to abandon some scientists on a Venus space
station because they had developed a Venusian disease. There was no antidote for this disease and if they had brought
the disease back to Earth it would have killed millions of people. John tells Helena that there were two of their crew
on that space station, his best friend Sam, and Tessa, the woman Sam was going to marry. He left them to die and everytime
he closes his eyes he see's them accusing him.
Mark Sanders tells Carolyn Powell that he can't shake the feeling that she had something to do
with Sally Martin's death, and tells her that he wants to break off their relationship. Shortly after, Mark is walking
along a corridor when the lights go out one by one, and he is suddenly overcome by a powerful wind which crushes him.
Carolyn Powell watches as he dies, a smile on her face.
Sandra Benes is about to tell John Koenig that Helena is concluding her tests, when she finds him
staring at the 'ghosts' of Sam and Tessa. John rushes out of Command Centre and heads for his private quarters,
where he is pursued by his ghosts.
In the recreation room Doctor Helena Russell and Maya are testing Carolyn
Powell's paranormal abilities. Carolyn is able to emit the Lambda Variant even when shielded inside a booth constructed
to block out the Lambda Variant.
Sandra Benes advises Helena Russell that Commander Koenig has locked himself
in his quarters. Helena, Tony Verdeschi and Maya break into John's quarters, where they find him collapsed on the
floor. Helena immediately rushes him to Medical Centre where she diagnoses catatonic withdrawal. She tells
Tony and Maya that she will use narcosynthesis in order to allow John's mind to jump all the barriers it has built up.
Carolyn Powell makes her way to Command Centre and takes her position in
the Commander's chair. When challenged she immobilises the staff of Command Centre. Tony Verdeschi arrives and
is forced by Carolyn to kneel down and address her as Commander. Soon after, Maya rushes in and Carolyn forces her to
transform into various creatures against her will.
In the Medical Centre Helena Russell forces John Koenig to face his ghosts;
to finally reaslise that he had no choice but to leave his friends Sam and Tessa on the planet surface and that he was not
to blame for their death. Once he has recovered, Helena tells John that his ESP potential is the only one equal to Carolyn
Powell's, and that is their weapon. She warns John that Carolyn is very dangerous.
John and Helena arrive in Command Centre and Carolyn Powell advises John
that she is now in command of Moonbase Alpha. John tells her that he knows what she wants; she wants them to hate her
and attack her so that she can use the energy of their minds to build her strength. He says it won't work, because
they don't fear her or hate her.
Helena asks Carolyn to use
her power for the good of Alpha. Carolyn immobilises her. She orders Koenig to hate her, but he resists,
saying that there is no hate in them for her. Carolyn screams her hatred at Koenig but he does not respond. Suddenly
a fierce wind begins to blow in Command Centre, and Carolyn collapses, screaming.
The space phenomenon over Alpha disappears and Command Centre staff are
returned to normal. For Carolyn Powell everything has gone, her powers, her speech, and her memory.
Episode synopsis copyright Jeannine Hochet
