The Mark of Archanon

Alan Carter and Andy "Bluey"
Johnson are searching for
dylanide crystals in a cave below
the lunar surface. They discover
something unusual in the rock,
and investigate. While cutting
into the rock they unearth a glass
chamber with two bodies sealed

within. Alan thinks he sees
movement, and moves to look
closer. He touches the glass and
receives a shock the causes him
to collapse. Helena comes to
treat Alan. Tony and others come
to investigate the bodies in the
chamber. Close examination

reveals that they are alive but in
some sort of stasis. The control unit
for the chamber is uncovered, but
the resulting cave-in threatens
the lives of the Alphans, as well
as the two aliens. There is an
explosion that deactivates the
protective energy field around

the chamber. The two aliens
are rescued, revived, and brought
back to Alpha to recuperate.
Helena tries to contact John and
Maya, who are caught in a
meteor shower while on a survey
mission. They manage to get
through and apprise them of

of their current situation. As
they tell John about the alien
visitors, the two aliens arrive in
Command Center. Pasc explains
that Archanon systems break down
sedatives more quickly than mans.
Maya recognizes the name
Archanon as the "Planet of

Peace", just before their signal
is lost. Pasc introduces himself and
his son Etrec. He explains that they
were on a mission to teach other
races that evil could be replaced
by good, but met with total
failure on Earth, saying his crew
was infected with the humans'

"madness" and, led by his wife
Lara, they mutinied against the
only two unaffected, Etrec and
himself. They were imprisoned in
a stasis chamber and left behind.
Etrec faints and is brought back
to Medical Center. When Alan
goes to check on him, Pasc

picks up a pair of scissors
and raises them behind Alan, but Etrec intercedes, saving him
without his knowledge. Raul
and Helena discover a virus
in Pasc's sputum. When they
compare it against Etrecs, they
find that it is dormant in the

boy. The power unit and what
was left of the stasis chamber
have been brought to Techlab 3.
Alan and Etrec go there and find
Tony trying to figure out how to
operate the power unit. Etrec
says that Pasc would know how,
but when he arrives, he tells

Tony that Etrec's confidence in
him is somewhat exaggerated.
Tony asks if he can at least open
it. Pasc does, and they find a
transceiver used to locate the
Archanon landing party.
Helena calls and asks Tony to
send Pasc and Etrec to

Medical Center. They leave,
but head for the embarkation
area. Pasc knocks out the pilot
who is on standby to launch in
case Koenig and Maya need
assistance. Before they can get to
the waiting Eagle, a security
guard finds them. Pasc says

they are lost, so he leads them
back to Medical Center. On the
way they pass Techlab 3, where
Alan discovers a recording on
the power unit. Johnson sees
them in the hall and calls them
in to look at it. Pasc attacks
Johnson and Carter, then

grabs Etrec and runs. Tony arrives
and calls Helena and tells her Pasc assaulted Johnson and Carter.
She grabs a medical kit and
stungun and heads to Techlab 3 to
assist. As she approaches, Pasc
grabs her and takes her weapon.
Etrec runs to Alan who has

recovered. Pasc threatens to
kill Helena if they do not clear a
path to Eagle 3. Tony complies.
Pasc calls Etrec over to him, but
Etrec refuses. Pasc threatens to
kill him, but cannot. He takes
Helena to the waiting Eagle,
while Alan leaves Etrec to

calm down in the Rec Center.
Tony deactivates the launch pad
so that Pasc cannot lift off. Pasc
contacts Tony and tells him he
will trade Helena for Pasc, but will
kill her if the launch pad is not
reactivated. Helena tries to pass
on a message to Raul but

Pasc cuts the transmission short.
Raul thinks she wanted to get a
sample of Etrec's blood to see if a
serum could be developed. Tony
asks Alan to get the sample and try
to convince him to go with Pasc.
Etrec has since become infected
with the killing sickness. He

moves to attack Alan, but can't.
He takes the knife and cuts the
mark from his head, offering his
blood to Alan. An Archanon ship
signals Alpha to warn them of
the danger they are in and asks
permission to land. Tony agrees,
then is called to Medical

Center where Etrec has been
brought, Alan shows Tony the
recording on the power unit,
brought at Etrec's request, so
that he can see Lyra's message
which tells the story of why Pasc
and Etrec were left in stasis on
the Moon, awaiting a cure for

the killing sickness. It is patched
through to Pasc in Eagle 3. After
watching Lyra's emotional
recounting, Pasc wants to know
where Etrec is. Raul tells him he
is dying, because he is unable
to replace the blood that he has
lost. With nothing left to keep

him on Alpha, Pasc threatens to
kill Helena if the launch pad is not
reactivated. Helena convinces Pasc
to give Etrec a transfusion of his
blood treated with a serum. It
works, saving Etrec, and freeing
him of the killing sickness. Maurna
arrives as Helena learns that

Pasc is not recovering. He asks Maurna, a descendant of Lyra, to
take Etrec back to Archanon. She
tells him she cannot because he
has the sickness. Helena explains
how they cured him. Lyra informs
her that no Archanon can give that
amount of blood and survive.

Pasc tells Helena it is the final
privilege of the killing sickness to
kill one's self, and expires. Etrec
asks for some time with Pasc. John
returns to find Helena grieving
the death of Pasc. He tells her that
there was no way she could have
known what would happen.

Screenplay......................................................................Lew Schwartz

Director.....................................................................Charles Crichton

Guest Stars

Pasc.............................................................................John Standing

Etrec......................................................................Michael Gallagher

Lyra/Maurna..................................................................Veronica Lang

Additional Cast

Andy "Bluey" Johnson............................................................John Alkin

Dr. Raul Nunez.................................................................Raul Newey

Yasko Nugami.........................................................Yasuko Nagazumi

Bill Frasier...........................................................................John Hug

Carson........................................................................Anthony Forrest

Computer Voice..............................................................Barbara Kelly

I am really torn about this episode. There are aspects of the story I like, and some very fine acting, especially by Michael Gallagher as Etrec. One scene in particular that comes to mind, is when Pasc is telling the Alphans how his wife and crew turned against them and placed them in stasis. Etrec's look of disbelief at these lies is just amazing. He seems to be searching faces for signs that someone else realizes that it is not true.

But on the other hand, I find the story to be a little muddled. It doesn't seem as though they knew where they wanted to go with it... or lost track of where they had been. From the beginning, when Tony and Helena recognize the "flamon" or "death glow" symbol as a sign of danger, warning people of places

where their lives might be in danger, they never seem to take this into account. Even though they believe Pasc and Etrec to be sedated, they never post guards in or around Medical Center. Then let them wander freely around the base.

Also, it seems as though the point that Pasc had the killing sickness had been made quite clear when he holds Dr. Russell hostage and Etrec announces that the mark on his forehead is the sign of the killing sickness. And yet, they seem to be amazed when Lyra makes this same statement later in her recording. And to make matters worse, no one seems to put this together with the virus in both Pasc and Etrec's systems. Speaking of which, I think the "killing sickness" is a bit of a misnomer. Perhaps it should have be called the "threatening sickness". I don't believe one person was actually killed throughout the course of the episode. Not that I particularly want a large body count, but the confirmation of the death of one person might have added a little more tension to the hostage situation. Of the people attacked by Pasc, Eagle 3's pilot only seemed to be knocked out, Johnson was reported as having a "severe head injury", and Alan recovered rather quicky from his strangling/beating.

On a more positive note, I did like the way that Pasc and Etrec were both portrayed in a more sensitive light, rather than as mindless villains. Even Pasc at his most threatening, was still a sympathetic character. John Standing did a fine job of balancing his evil and fatherly sides. He was also particularly effective in conveying a slight clumsiness to his lies as though he were actually thinking on his feet.

Although in a rather minor role, with relatively little screen time, Veronica Lang had some of the most dramatic scenes in the entire episode. When, As Lyra, she spoke of having to place her son in stasis, and hoping that he could one day forgive her, I was deeply moved.

It was also nice to see Alan taking Etrec under his wing. It was a nice follow up to his same fondness for children seen in Alpha Child.

Noticeably absent from the bulk of the episode were Koenig and Maya, who were off somewhere in an eagle caught in a meteor shower. This was

actually a result of the frantic filming schedule of Space: 1999's second season. They were filming Rules of Luton at the same time as The Mark of Archanon.

Despite a somewhat muddled script, there are still elements which save this episode from being a total loss. Any replies to comments made here are always welcome. You can contact me by using the commlock in the
Communication Centre.

	Pasc and Etrec awaken in a strange place.
	Maya recognizes the name of the race of Alpha's new guests.
	Pasc tells the tale of his visit to Earth, and subsequent imprisonment in stasis.
	Helena and Raul discover a strange virus in Pasc's sputum.
	Etrec tells Tony that Pasc can operate the power unit, but Pasc plays "dumb".
	Pasc wants to take Eagle 3 and Etrec tries to convince him otherwise.
	Helena is taken hostage by Pasc.
	Alan has to ask Etrec to give blood but gets a surprise instead.
	Tony plays Lyra's message for Pasc.
	Pasc learns that Etrec is dying.
	Helena convinces Pasc to save Etrec.
	Pasc asks Maurna to take Etrec. And Helena learns that Pasc knew he wouldn't survive.
	John tries to comfort Helena.
	Background sound.