Force of Life

Quote
"You could accept a freak electrical discharge from space once - but not twice!"

Recap
This episode starts with the recap of the previous episode "Breakaway".

Prologue
A strange ball of blue light approaches the Moon. Koenig and Bergman notice it as it becomes visible from their location on the observation deck of Main Mission. Koenig has Paul run a sensor sweep, but the scanners register nothing nothing in the area. Elsewhere on the base, an alarm call is made to the living quarters of Anton and Eva Zoref. When Eva rouses Anton, he can think of better things to do than get ready for work, but his wife points to the clock, and sends him on his way. As the ball of light continues on its course towards Alpha, Koenig becomes more concerned that it doesn't register on their sensors. He has Paul assemble the section heads foe a meeting. Anton arrives at Nuclear Generating Area 3, relieves Mark Dominix, and begins his shift. Helena arrives in Main Mission, and asks John what the meeting is about. He begins to explain, but doesn't get the chance to finish.

Everyone in Main Mission, and the rest of the base slows to a stop, as if frozen in time... with one exception. Anton Zoref is working in Generating Area 3, and notices that he is suddenly bathed in blue light. He looks out the windows, and sees the ball of light. He tries to contact Main Mission to no avail. He tries to reach anyone at all on the base, and still nothing. The ball of light enters the Nuclear Generating Area, then Anton Zoref. He collapses, and the rest of the base returns to normal. As Koenig tries to recall what he was saying, an alarm sounds in Main Mission. Receiving no reply from Zoref, John, Helena and Victor go to investigate.

Act One
Anton comes round, feeling fine, but has no explanation for why he passed out. He tells Koenig that he'll check out the area, but Helena orders him to Medical Centre. Koenig has Victor check out the Generating Area to make sure it's ok. While Helena is examining Zoref, the monitor he is hooked up to fails. Helena can find nothing wrong with him, besides mild shock, and releases him with restricted duties for a few days. Victor reports a massive energy discharge was recorded in the Generating Area. Koenig asks if it's a fault in the reactor, but Victor tells him it was recorded outside of the reactor. Koenig suggests a radiation leak, but Victor replies that there was no radiation detected. With nothing else to go on, Victor offers to check the scan records for the last twenty four hours. Eva Zoref gets out of the shower, and is grabbed by her husband.

Anton begins kissing her, but is reminded by Eva that Doctor Russell's orders were to rest. She gets up and notices that the heat is turned on full in their quarters. She moves to turn it down, but Anton snaps at her. While she gets dressed, Anton sits down to read a book. He appears listless, and his eyes turn to his reading lamp. He emanates a strange purple glow, and the power is drained from the lamp. He jumps up from his chair startled by what just happened. Eva walks in from the other room, and sees that he is disquieted, and asks if he is alright. He tells her he just feels cooped up, and is going for a walk.

Victor brings Koenig a copy of the scan report showing the energy energy discharge was recorded at the same time Anton Zoref passed out. Having checked that there was no damage or fault with the reactor, Victor tells John that the only possible explanation is that the energy must have come from outside Alpha. As Anton wanders the corridors of Alpha, he finds himself outside the Generating Area. He goes in to visit his friend Mark, but can't keep his mind off work. Mark tells him the compulsive need to work is called ergo mania. Suddenly Anton is freezing cold. He calls to Mark, who brings a coffee to help warm him up. The coffee freezes solid in his hands. Anton starts to collapse, but Mark catches him. Anton begins to glow purple again, and Mark Dominix freezes instantly as the heat is drained from his body. When Anton sees the lifeless body of his friend on the floor, he runs from the Generating Area. Mark Dominix's wrist medical monitor triggers an alarm in Medical Centre reporting his death.

Act Two
Helena tells John that his death appears to be caused by sudden freezing. Koenig is concerned that two bizarre events are linked to such a vital part of the Moonbase, and restricts access to the area. After the announcement is broadcast to the base, Eva Zoref learns from Anton that Dominix is dead. She becomes more concerned when he tells her that he was there, and continually warns her not to touch him. Anton decides that he needs to see Dr. Russell, and asks Eva to wait in their quarters for him. Victor shows Koenig, scans of the Generating Area from the time Dominix died, illustrating that the same energy force was present, and is still on Alpha.

Anton approaches Medical Centre, and appears to be struggling with the force that has taken hold of him, as Orderly Hillary Preston exits. She asks if he is alright, and when she receives no response, goes on her way. Anton follows her. Disturbed by Anton's behavior, she looks over her shoulder as she turns the corner, and heads down the corridor. She sees him following her, and when he drains the power from one of the lighted wall panels, she panics and runs for the Travel Tube, but the doors close before she can reach it. Trapped in a dead end, she watches in horror as he drains the power from the all the lights in the corridor as he approaches. He reaches for her, and she screams as he drains the heat from her body.

The alarm in Medical Centre goes off again, and they find her frozen body in the darkened corridor. Koenig calls Kano to ask what happened to the power in that section. Kano tells him that the power cells were drained of all their energy. Helena theorizes that since both victims froze to death, and light being another form of heat, that whatever the alien force is, it is consuming heat. Koenig tells Sandra to monitor all power levels, and report any fluctuations. Eva Zoref shows up in Medical Centre and asks to see Anton. Helena tells her she hasn't seen him since her examined him earlier. Eva tells her that he is sick, and something happened when he was with Dominix. Helena relays this information to John, who has Kano check, and learns that Anton was with Dominix at the time of his death. Koenig has Paul locate Anton, who has entered the Solarium. Anton lies down under the sun lamps, and begins to absorb the heat. An alarm sounds in Main Mission, and Sandra reports the power drain to Koenig. As the sun lamps start to dim in the Solarium, Tanya and Jane see Anton emitting the strange purple glow. Tanya calls security to send help. When the sun lamps are drained, Anton sees the two women, and begins to move toward them, as Koenig, Alan, Victor and a security team show up. Koenig shoots out the power to the room which stops Zoref in his tracks.

Act Three
Anton collapses at the feet of the two women. To check if it's safe to move Zoref, Koenig puts a flashlight near him, and when it doesn't dim, he slowly reaches out to touch him. Koenig is convinced that he is safe, for the time being, and Zoref is taken to Medical Centre, where after some scans are taken, he is locked in the security wing. Some time later, while Helena is going over some medical records, Anton wakes, and manages to break free of his bonds. He breaks down the door, and drains the power from the room. Helena makes a run for the door, but with no power, she is unable to get out. She calls to the guard posted outside. He shoots the control panel and forces the door open. He enters, and is drained of heat by Zoref. Koenig, who was notified of the power loss, arrives just after Zoref escapes.

Act Four
Koenig makes an announcement to the base warning them that Zoref is dangerous, and to avoid contact, but if he should attack, shoot to kill. Eva hears the announcement and goes looking for Anton. In Main Mission, they track the power drains, and realize that Zoref is heading to Nuclear Generating Area 3. In an attempt to weaken Zoref, Koenig orders Paul to cut all power on the base. It works. Eva finds Anton in his weakened state, and tries to convince him to let them help him. He tries to warn her away, but then the alien force regains control, and tries to approach her. Alan Carter rounds the corner, and pulls Eva away. Zoref continues towards the reactor.

Koenig, Victor, and Helena arrive, and Eva is left in Helena's care as the others follow Anton. They catch up to him at the doors to the Generating Area, but he is too weak to open them. With no other available heat source, he lunges at Koenig. Alan moves between them, and fires his stun gun at Zoref. The charred body of Anton Zoref falls to the floor... but he is not dead. He slowly gets to his feet, regenerated by the energy of the laser and forces open the doors to the Generating Area. Koenig orders Paul to restore power to the base, and closes the door behind what's left of Anton Zoref. They scramble to get as far away from the reactor as possible, before the inevitable happens. Inside the Generating Area, Anton opens the door to the reactor core, and walks inside.

There is a series of massive explosions that rocks the base. When the tremors stop, a blue light forms above the wreckage of Nuclear Generating Area 3, and moves off into space. Koenig has Paul get damage and casualty reports from all sections. As the power stabilizes, and the reports come in that there were no casualties, Koenig tells Victor that they are going to be alright, and that they were lucky that the force hadn't gotten to the other reactors. Victor replies that one was enough for its purpose. When Koenig asks "Purpose?", Victor suggests it could be some sort of creative evolution.

Epilogue
Helena is trying to comfort Eva, who tells her that she doesn't understand. Helena replies that they are living in deep space now, and there are so many things that they don't understand. As they watch the force fade into the distance, Helena tells Eva that they have to try to help each other to understand.

Filming Schedule

 * Wednesday, May 29th - Friday, June 7th, 1974.
 * Monday, July 1st - Friday, July 5th, 1974.

SFX
After investing lots of effects effort in Guardian of Piri, this episode uses just Alpha sets and minimal effects (the blue light passing over Alpha, the revolving radar scanner, Moonbase buildings exploding). Note the nice shot of lights going out over the base. There are no Eagle shots.

Music
Library tracks: "Cosmic Sounds No. 1 and No. 3" composed by Georges Teperino (Chappell Recorded Music Library) "The Latest Fashion" composed by Giampiera Boneschi (Chappell Recorded Music Library) "Videotronics No. 3" composed by Cecil Leuter (aka Roger Roger) (Chappell Recorded Music Library)

Roger Roger was born 1911, and died 1995. The French composer produced a large range of library music used in film and television. He was a pioneer of electronic music, using the Moog synthesizers that first appeared in the late 1960s. He used many different aliases, including Cecil Leuter. "Videotronics no.3" is also used in End Of Eternity. Another track by Roger appears in The Infernal Machine.

Georges Teperino was born 1912, and died 1994. The French musician was another pioneer in electronic music. He usually recorded under the name Nino Nardini. "Cosmic Sounds No. 3" is also used in the audio action adventure It Played So Softly on the Ear.

Science

 * The reactor vessel looks more like a conventional coal furnace; nuclear reactors comprise water tanks in which the nuclear rods are inserted. If anything, they would look like swimming pools.
 * From the exterior shot of the explosion, the reactor is located centrally, close to the Main Mission Tower. For the replacement, they might consider a more peripheral location.

Continuity

 * 4 fatalities, Anton Zoref, Hilary Preston, Mark Dominix, guard.

Alpha Technology

 * The Nuclear Generating Area 3 set reappears in Alpha Child. Note the silo cap from Breakaway on the wall.
 * Solariums are also seen in The Exiles and The Taybor
 * Medical thermographic scans are used.
 * Bergman's artificial heart is used again (it was introduced in Black Sun and used in The Infernal Machine and Guardian Of Piri).

Aliens

 * The life force. Not humanoid.