New Adam New Eve

Plot Summary
A saintly, impressive figure claims to be God, the creator of mankind. He offers Koenig and his companions a new Earth, a new Eden, where life can begin again. But who is he really? What are the fantastic powers he possesses?

Prologue
A strange disturbance causes Alpha's sensors to react wildly, and also causes disorientation, headaches, and fainting among the crew. As the disturbance fades, a being appears on the screen, and when asked to identify himself, he claims to be God.

Act One
He materializes in Command Center, and tells the Alphans that they need not bow down and adore him. Koenig tells him that it is not their style. After trying to convince Koenig that he is who he claims, he destroys an Eagle when Koenig's flippant remarks push him too far. Koenig asks what he wants, and Magus says he wants to give them a second chance on a new Earth. He picks a reconnaisance team for them to investigate the planet. Koenig balks, but Magus tells him that it his team or none at all. Koenig hesitantly agrees, but insists that they take an Eagle when Magus offers to transport them to the planet. Magus concedes, then transports the entire Eagle to the planet, rather than wait to fly there.

Koenig tries to contact Alpha but cannot. Magus suggests that his method of transporting them may have disrupted their communications and that it will come back later. They disembark to investigate the planet. All their readings suggest that it is perfect for them but Koenig wants to bring more people down to conduct a feasability study. Magus tells him that no one else will be joining them. They are to be his new Adams and Eves. Koenig pulls his stun gun on Magus who transports it away and fires it at himself. It appears to make him more powerful.

Act Two
Magus announces that he has decided on the pair bonding of Koenig-Maya, and Helena-Tony. They try to explain that this pairing will not work, as they are not in love with those he has selected as mates. Magus leaves them, as the sun begins to set, with a warning not to leave the glade. They head for the Eagle but it vanishes. They soon learn that Magus has not left his pairing to chance. The four are encased in oppositely charged energy fields, which will shock them when they touch the "mate" not selected for them by Magus.

The Moon rises in the sky and, with Magus' help, seems to have all the romantic powers ascribed to it. Koenig goes to gather wood for the fire, and is joined by Maya. They are drawn to each other, as are Helena and Tony back at the camp. As they kiss, the mood is shattered by the sounds of creatures fighting nearby. They investigate, and find a disfigured humanoid being attacked by a larger ape-like creature. Sensing their presence, it turns and moves to attack them. Koenig stuns it and it falls into the brush.

Helena heads toward the cave the smaller retreated to, and an ape-beast emerges from the brush to grab her. Maya transforms into a creature to rescue her. With Helena safe, they decide to search the cave to see if they can figure out what is going on. Before they can enter, lightning flashes and Magus' face appears in the sky. Angry that they left the glade against his wishes, he forces them back with lasers from his eyes.

Act three
The next morning he appears as they wake. They ask why he reacted the way he did. He tells them that was only trying to protect them. He erects a force field, in order to enforce his wishes, which John experiences first hand. While the others ask Magus what he is trying to hide, Maya moves behind him with a medical scanner. When he leaves, she tells the others that Magus has an implant which is the source of his powers, proving he is no super-being. Koenig learns that the force field has a limited height. Maya turns into an owl to look for a way out of the glade.

Meanwhile, Alan tries to lift off from Alpha with a booster enhanced Eagle. Magus strains to keep him from lifting off. This, along with holding New Earth together against the pull of a disproportionately large Moon, generating the force field, and other jobs taxing his powers, almost proves too much. He catches Maya in owl form but lets her go, not realizing it was her. She returns to the others having found footprints that lead to a cave that was recently sealed with rocks. They blast their way into the cave.

Upon entering, they are immediately met by giant lizards. They are easily stunned, and when Koenig moves ahead he is attacked by the mutant they saw fighting the ape-creature. When he throws his attacker off and grabs his stun gun, it pleads for him to shoot. It explains that Magus, in seeking the secret of creation, has only managed to create mutants, and won't even let them die because he feels he can learn from his mistakes. It points the way out of the glade through the caves. When the four exit the caves, Tony is stunned by Magus.

Act Four
When confronted about the mutants, Magus explains that he cannot solve the mystery of creation alone, and wants their offspring to help him. He threatens to destroy Alpha if they do not agree. John agrees to think about it. Magus says that they can discuss it in the morning, and leaves. John suspects that Magus doesn't like the dark. Maya suggests that the implant she detected might be a light-decelerator, capable of converting light into an almost unlimited power supply, directed by thought.

Koenig says they have to find a way to keep the light away from Magus. While he is on the far side of the planet, they dig a hole, and make blinds out of the vegetation. When morning comes Magus returns and asks if they agree to his terms. Koenig tells him that they have terms he must meet before they can agree: no more experimentation on the mutants. Magus is outraged at the arrogance of the humans. Koenig replies that they are shocked at the horror of his deeds. Furious, Magus marches forward into their trap. They cover it up, and Magus tells them they will all die without him to hold the planet together.

Epilogue
As the planet starts to break up, the Eagle reappears. Koenig sends the others on while he goes back for the mutants. They choose to remain, and Koenig returns to the Eagle, and lifts off as the ground opens beneath it.

Their Eagle barely gets out of range as New Earth explodes. Koenig ponders the possibilities of Magus surviving if a shaft of light had gotten to him as the planet broke up. Tony thinks this is quite the longshot but wouldn't bet against him.