Space: 1999 s02e17 Episode Script

(Helena) 'Moonbase Alpha status report, '2,308 days after leaving Earth.
Dr Helena Russell recording.
' We're travelling through an area of deep space which we have named the Peace Zone.
No nearby stars, no space storms, no possible dangers of any kind.
All should be well on Alpha, but it isn't.
We're troubled by sporadic disturbances and petty irritations.
One of these irritations has to do with the matter of discipline.
Medical technician, Sally Martin, has repeatedly failed to complete her stores inventory.
As a result, she's been ordered to complete this work during her recreation period.
is a hard-hearted witch.
Erase that.
(Wind blowing) (Screaming) (Woman) 'You killed me, John Koenig.
'You left me to die.
'You killed me 'You killed me.
'You killed me.
' (Buzzer) Yes, Helena? John, come to Medical immediately.
We have a casualty.
Be right there.
What kind of force did that to her? The same kind that did this.
- It's not a laser cut.
- No, it's too jagged.
- Must've been ripped out.
- Did you check perimeter defences? Yeah.
Nothing broke in or left.
Something got in! May still be here.
What killed her? You might have an idea.
Not at this stage.
I have to conduct an autopsy.
Why don't you? Tony, I want a complete dossier on the girl.
- Get it to me as soon as you can.
- Yes, sir(!) (Interference and bleeping) I don't know.
It just doesn't make sense.
- Still getting malfunctions? - Minor bugs, false signals, ghosts.
Just get rid of those bugs, OK? - Commander? - Yeah? I think I may have found our problem.
(Koenig) What is it? Some sort of space phenomenon.
I'm not sure what.
(Maya) It's filled with electrically-charged particles.
Is that the best you can do? They seem to be affecting our sensors.
All the sensors? No, but I assume we'll get more malfunctions as we get closer.
It's pulsing at a fairly low level.
- It's too slight to harm anyone.
- Another assumption? I can only go by my instruments.
I assume they are less fallible in their read-outs than humans.
Mate.
I won! (Computer bleeping) - You did it again.
- Just luck, George.
- Let's call it a day.
- Sit down! - That makes 17 games, Carl.
- Just a lucky streak.
This is a game of chance, right? Sometimes I win, sometimes you win.
Only mostly I win.
How come I don't win anymore? I'd just as soon stop.
I'm due back on shift soon.
Oh, no.
One more! I want to know more about this lucky streak of yours.
I want to see how long it goes on.
- George, please.
- One more.
(Beeping) Play.
(Bleeping) Youpunk! You lousy two-bit cheat! You've been cheating! - Easy, George.
- Break it up.
Right, what's all the noise about? He thinks I was cheating.
It sounds crazy, but I can't lose.
Oh, boy! You better stay out of games of chance.
You're too lucky for your own good.
As for you, if you can't take losing, don't play.
Now, get lost.
- You were really brave.
- (Both laugh) - Sorry to interrupt you guys.
- Hi, Tone.
Look, I hate to lay it on you just straight like this, but Sally Martin is dead.
- Oh, no.
- Sally, dead? Yeah.
We heard there'd been an accident.
But no one knew the full story.
No one knows the full storyyet.
The Commander wants to ask you both a few questions.
Maybe you can help.
Sure.
Anything? How did Sally die, Tony? No cuts or bruises.
No blast burns.
No sign that any weapon at all was used.
But her body was shattered internally.
John.
I have Mark Sanders and Carolyn Powell outside.
Let's talk to them separately, Sanders first.
I'll check these findings with the lab.
- Mark, sit down.
- Thank you, sir.
I'm pretty shaken up over what's happened.
Yes, so are all of us.
Whatever I can do to help.
Mark, you and Sally.
There was talk that you were getting married.
- But you split up.
- Why? That's a little personal, don't you think? Yes, it is.
But our circumstances are unusual, to say the least.
And we have to find answers.
All right.
Where were you when Sally was in Medical Stores? I was in Carolyn's quarters.
Because, let's say, Sally and I had our differences.
Picking up where Sally left off? That's my business.
And security on Alpha is my personal business, OK? Now word was that Sally went around saying some un-ladylike things about you after you broke up.
Are you trying to tell me I killed Sally just to shut her up? You said that, not me.
(Powell) I'll admit I was jealous of Sally.
But I did nothing to get her away from Mark.
When he began seeing me, she was furious, and left the quarters we'd been sharing.
- She blamed you for the break-up? - I tried to explain, but she wouldn't listen.
We had a terrible fight over it.
Carolyn, we picked up rumours thatyou weren't particularly fond of Sally.
I didn't hate her, but sometimes I wished she was dead so Mark could be free.
I didn't kill her and I don't know who did.
You're experimenting on something in the labs.
- Yes.
- You haven't submitted reports yet.
I have an open-end priority on research.
I don't have to meet the Science Board until I'm ready.
Just exactly what results are you hoping for? Frankly, I don't know.
I'm just experimenting.
And now, if the harassment's complete May I go? Yeah.
Well? If she's perfected a device that can exert tremendous internal pressure She's too smart to do something so stupid.
Nobody ever accused a jealous woman of being rational in love.
Only jealous men are rational? She's holding back I can feel it.
Tony, don't let prejudice cloud your reasoning.
Yeah, well, that goes with my being head of security, Commander.
Did you hear from Alan? - I saw that.
- Sabotage? Could be.
Alan's checking it.
What gives you the right to touch this device? Murder.
I would like this device explained to me! I don't have to explain until I've completed this experiment.
You said that.
I'm not the Science Board.
No.
Just the one trying to humiliate me with your evil ideas! - Why don't you just leave me alone?! - Oh, I will, baby, if you'll tell me about the principle of this device! Questions like, "can it commit murder?" Is that it? Is that it?! Well, here's your answer! Stop that! I said stop that! Now you can't blame the device for the next murder.
- Are you expecting the next murder? - Aren't you? I've worked with Eagles all my life.
I'd sooner cut my granny's throat.
It's on record.
Every time a job's come through you we've had a malfunction.
I'd be risking my own neck.
I'm an Eagle test pilot as well as an engineer.
- You were grounded after your crash.
- That was nothing.
- What, no after-effects? - No.
I was cleared by Doc Russell.
I'm fully operational.
You know that.
Well, if it's not you, what is it? I swear, I don't know.
Have a look at this.
One starboard atomic booster motor in 100% perfect condition.
On the bench she runs like a dream.
In the Eagleshe's dead.
So I take her out of the Eagle, put her back on the bench and test her.
There's nothing wrong.
So you tell me what's happening.
(Comlock beeps) Chief Engineer Garforth.
(Man) 'Report to Maintenance please.
Urgent!' They're playing my song.
I've gotta go.
I have to report to the Commander myself.
- See you.
- Yeah.
(Humming) (Beeps) (Humming intensifies) Command Center! Command Center! (Maya) The electrical pulse is getting stronger.
Computer read-out? Nothing like it has ever been recorded.
It could be a life form, couldn't it?! Who knows? Our sensors can't give us a proper reading.
- 'Maintenance.
' - Send Alan Carter down.
'He was in my workshop.
Said he was coming to you.
- 'Didn't he get there?' - No.
Thanks, Pete.
If that thing might be affecting our sensors and the instruments on the Eagles, it might have something to do with what happened to Sally.
It's remotebut possible.
Tony, you and Maya go to Medical.
Check on those autopsy reports.
OK.
(High-pitched humming) (Beeps) Alan! Is that you in there? Command Center! Command Center! (Banging on door) - Alan! - Alan, can you hear us?! - Alan! - Tony? Get away from the door! There's an atomic motor about to go up in here! Evacuate the area! (Rising hum) We've gotta break in there.
(Snarls) (Roaring - Hey, still in one piece? - Yeah.
Oh.
Maya, you sure play rough, honey.
What the hell went wrong this time? Well I had the motor switched off, and it came on again by itself.
No matter how I tried, I just couldn't get it to go off.
Even the connections were seized.
Yeah, well, I'd call that sabotage.
Some unknown force kills Sally.
Instruments go haywire, Eagles malfunction.
An atomic engine starts by itself and won't stop.
All of this has happened since the appearance of that thing.
- (Bleeping) - (Maya) Commander I'm getting new readings.
Lambda waves, Or something very like them.
- Lambda waves? - No, that's the lambda variant.
That'svery strange.
Normally, the human brain swings between alpha waves and beta waves.
Sometimes lambda waves are thrown off.
Rarely, very rarely, the lambda variant.
It was discovered during research on ESP powers.
If it is sending off the lambda variant It could affect our people? - Oh, yes.
It could.
- How do we find out? Well, I could conduct some experiments.
All right, go ahead.
Right.
(Koenig) Lambda waves Mark, sit down.
Now, just relax.
Each of these cards has a symbol on it a triangle, square, circle, cross, stars.
I want youto tell me - How? I can't see the cards.
- Exactly.
Oh, I see(!) Well, it beats me, but whatever you say.
Cross.
Another cross? Circle.
I have to move the ball without touching the box? That's right.
- How? - It's easy.
Just by concentrating.
Very good, Mr Renton.
I can tell you now, this is not gonna work.
I'm an engineer and I know metals.
To bend this strip, you need a vice and a wrench.
There's no way I'll affect this by Mark I was waiting for you.
Yeah, I'm sorry, I got tied up.
Anyway, I knew I'd see you here.
- I've got to talk to you.
- Sure.
- We're doing these tests now.
- I've got to talk to you.
Yes.
We'll speak later.
Carolyn.
Will you be next, please? It would be a pleasure, Dr Russell.
(Woman whispering) 'You killed us, John Koenig 'You killed us, John Koenig 'You left us to die.
' No.
No, no.
No, no, no.
- (Man) 'You left us to rot.
' - No.
(Woman) 'With Venusian plague.
' (Man) 'You left us to rot.
' No! John? I know it's late, but Come on in.
I wasn't asleep.
I've got the preliminary test results.
They're fantastic.
Over 90% of subjects tested showed a significant increase - in paranormal powers.
- They do? There are three groups.
The first shows a minimal increase.
The second, the largest group, show a large increase over a wide range.
- John? - Go on - I'm listening.
The third group - here's where the results get exciting - I call them "the sensitives".
I've found three so far - Carolyn Powell, Carl Renton and Pete Garforth.
Look, John, you need a good night's sleep.
- Take two of these - No.
No.
John? Helena do you think the lambda variant could have anything to do with the way I'm feeling? I don't know that, but I know you need some sleep.
I can't sleep.
That's why I want you to take these.
HelenaI'm afraid to sleep.
What is it, John? Tell me.
I told you part of it.
A long time ago, when I was an astronaut cadet, we had to abandon some scientists on a Venus space station.
I remember.
You said they caught some Venusian disease.
Yeah.
Something for which there was there was no antidote.
We couldn't bring that disease back to Earth, an epidemic would've killed millions of people.
Before we discovered the disease two of our crew were on that space station - an advance party.
Sam and Tessa.
We left them to die with the others.
There was no choice.
And nowevery time I close my eyes, I I see them standing there, accusing me.
It's a dream, John.
Just a recurring dream.
Helena, Sam was my best friend.
We went through astronaut school together.
He and Tessa were gonna be married.
You did what you had to do.
Don't you think I keep telling myself that? - But it doesn't do any good! - You can't go on without sleep.
You'll begin hallucinating and break down completely.
If I DO go to sleep, I'll go mad! That's an interesting problem, isn't it, Dr Russell? How do I command this base if I'm losing my mind? What happened about that test Helena was conducting? Very interesting but nothing definitive.
What is this thing? It's a force field, to block out the lambda variant.
Good.
That'll upset that whirligig thing.
This could point to the killer.
Whoever still emits the lambda variant in here, could be involved in Sally's death.
(Footsteps) Mark! I need you so badly.
Carolyn, there's something I must say.
What is it, Mark? What's the matter? I've been thinking about us.
Ever since Sally died What about ever since Sally died? I've had a feeling that you had something to do with it.
How can you say that? You lied when you said you didn't try to get me from Sally.
Everything I've done is because I love you.
- It isn't gonna work.
- You loved me! You said so! I'm confused about a lot of things, but not about my feeling for you.
What if I said I needed you? That I needed you now.
You've changed, Carolyn.
Something's different about you.
I don't know what it is.
I'm sorry.
I'll never let you go.
- No change? - It's still covering the base and there's no way to know if we'll get out of it.
Commander! Some sudden burst of energy.
(Wind howling) Open the door! Open it! (Moans) Just like Sally.
That thing didn't do this.
We were watching it.
It was just sitting there, peaceful and cosy.
Maya's instruments recorded a tremendous surge of energy just before this happened.
My vote goes to the human element.
One of Helena's "super sensitives".
- Carolyn? - First Sally, now Mark.
You name a better suspect.
John, I'd like to bring her in for questioning.
Can you hold off until after the next tests? John, we've got three suspects now.
Let me try to pinpoint it to one.
OK.
One more time.
All right, but I wanna be there.
There you go.
Now what? All right.
Step in there, please.
Take this with you and do exactly the same thing.
That rules him out.
I didn't mean to hurt you, Mark.
I told you I needed you, but you wouldn't listen.
You walked out of my life.
You might've been able to save me.
But now it's too late.
It's too late for everyone.
That was just fine, Carl.
- Thank you very much.
- I only hope it helps.
- You wanted to see me? - Yes, Carolyn.
- Please sit down.
- What would you like me to do? We'd like your help with some tests.
Message from Recreation Centre.
Tests will be concluded in a - Commander? What is the matter? - No No! No! No! You can't escape us, John.
We shall always be with you.
You killed us, John Koenig.
You left us to die.
You can't escape us.
No No You can't escape us.
No.
No.
That's just fine, Carolyn.
Perfect score, just like last time.
If you'll take that and step into that booth, please, we'll continue.
All right.
Why not? I'm sorry, Dr Russell, nothing's happening.
Well, it couldn't have been her.
I'll make my report.
Still, let's not give up.
Let me try harder.
(Carolyn laughing) You play a child's game, Doctor.
Did you think I'd be one of your children? Thanks, Helena.
Carolyn, you come with us.
Of course I'll come, Tony(!) (Snarling) Helena, are you all right? - Carolyn? - (Bleeping) (Sandra) 'Commander Koenig has locked himself in his quarters.
' Come on.
John? Stand back.
Emergency medical unit to Commander Koenig's quarters.
Priority one.
Complete catatonic withdrawal.
- Can you bring him out of it? - With narcosynthesis.
It's old-fashioned, but the safest and best method.
It allows the mind to jump barriers that it's built up.
This is a restricted message to security personnel.
Carolyn Powell is to be found immediately.
She is extremely dangerous.
(Wind rushing)) - You're out of place, Carolyn.
- You're out of place, Alan.
Your place is in Flight Control.
Carolyn, please That would be too easy.
Down on your knees, Mr Verdeschi.
Kneel! Kneel! Now I command Alpha.
Call me Commander! (Screeches) Commander! - Imurderedthem! - They were your friends, they knew you.
Theykeep coming back.
Yes, you keep bringing them back.
You keep punishing yourself for something you think they blame you for.
They hate me! Your ghosts hate you.
Your ghosts are a creation of your own mind.
(Koenig) I see them.
They're coming back again - You killed us, John Koenig.
- You left us to die.
I see them You left us to rot away with Venusian plague.
They want me - (Whimpering) - John! - John, look at me! - No! - Stop running away! - No.
Look at me! Johnface your guilt.
Your guilt is creating these ghosts.
Face them, John! Face them! Sam Tessa You're my friends.
I love you.
I left you to die.
But I had to.
You knew that.
You had to know I had no choice.
You had to know.
I had to do it! You're not Sam.
Tessa.
You are not Sam and Tessa! I am not guilty.
John.
All right now.
All right.
This way.
Come on.
Easy.
Easy as can be.
Come on.
Here we go.
It's all right, John.
Now, crawl, Mr Verdeschi.
Crawl.
Crawl to my feet, like a worm.
San! (Carolyn) Ah, Maya.
Amuse us, my little alien friend.
Show us some of your clever tricks.
One or two shape changes? - No - You will! - No - Change! Change into a monkey! (Carolyn laughs) (Squeals) The results of the sensitivity tests, John.
- Can you? - Yeah, sure.
Go ahead.
The tests show that the lambda variant is acting as a stimulus to certain aspects of the psyche of those people that are in rapport with it.
Carolyn was in rapport, right? Carolyn and you, more than any of the others.
Her ESP potential is very powerful.
So that thing out there wasn't using Carolyn, she was using it? Not exactly.
It seems to be a two-way process.
Carolyn hated Sally and then Mark.
Her hatred was amplified to the point that she wished them dead.
She drew power from it and used that to kill them.
Nowa caterpillar.
Shall I stamp the life out of her? (Tony) No! Please! No! No! Please! No No.
I have a better idea.
Such a pretty creature.
So fragile.
It should become a beautiful butterfly.
Notenough air Suffocate "Not enough air.
Suffocate"? How much air does a caterpillar need, I wonder? Suppose we find out.
We can pass the time by watching Maya die.
So, it boosted my guilt so that I created ghosts.
My own ghosts, in the shape of Sam and Tessa.
You overcame them.
Your ESP potential is the only one equal to hers.
That's our weapon.
She's very, very dangerous, John.
She can take hatred and turn it into violent physical force.
(Buzzer) (Monotone) 'Carolyn Powell has taken over Command Center.
'She wants to see Commander Koenig.
' Commander Koenig will be there.
Two ghosts down, one to go.
You're in the wrong place, aren't you? You no longer command Moonbase Alpha.
Your authority has passed over to me.
- Has it? - From now on, I decide, you obey.
Carolyn, I know what you want.
- Do you? - You want us to hate you, to attack you, so you can use the energy of our minds to build your strength.
It's not gonna work.
We neither fear you, nor reject you.
We ask you to come back to us.
Use your powers for the good of Alpha.
You want to trap me, you want to steal my power.
Carolyn, we I rule Alpha now.
Kneel! You can't harm us, Carolyn.
You see, there's no hate or fear for you to latch onto.
The only one you can hurt is yourself.
- Hate me - We can't do that, Carolyn.
There is no hate in us for you.
Hate me! - Hate me! - I don't hate you, Carolyn.
Helena doesn't hate you.
San doesn't hate you.
Tony doesn't hate you.
Hate me! I hate you! I hate you! (Explosion) (Wind howling) No! (Screams) (Wind subsides) (All groan) It's all right, Maya.
(Tony) Take it easy.
(Maya gasps) Look! It's left us, Carolyn.
It's gone.
It can't hurt you any more.
Move.
Come on, get out of that corner.
(Sighs) Ah, no luck.
Nothing.
Don't fret.
It's the same for everyone else.
Carl's back to losing games and Pete can't bend metal strips.
Just as long as he can fix Eagles.
Right.
Carolyn Well, for her, everything's gone.
Her powers, her memory, even her speech.
She's like a new-born child.
She'll have to grow up all over again.
I'm still not exactly sure why everything happened the way it did.
Well, we were caught in a telepathic web and it increased the powers of our own minds.
So we're back to our un-magical selves.
Can't say I'm sorry.
Well, I am.
Just a little.
Our brains are such incredible instruments.
Just think what we might be able to achieve (Yawning) if we knew how to use them to their fullest potential.