The Testament of Arkadia

Commander Koenig writes in his journal about the recent events on the Planet Arkadia, and how they have made the Alphans reevaluate the accident that hurled the Moon into outer space, as well as their purpose in the cosmos. It started when the Moon was inexplicably
	pulled off course and locked dead in space above the Planet Arkadia. To add to the mystery, their power was also being drained by an unknown force. They had to go down to the lifeless planet to try to find some answers... before Alpha became unable to support life. As
they approached the planet, they could find no traces of civilization or anything capable of causing the problems faced by the Alphans. The planet was desolate, apparently devastated by some sort of holocaust. They set down to find any clues that might help them.
	They could feel the almost palpable presence of the death that had visited this planet as they searched. The first clue was discovered by Anna Davis and Luke Ferro. The trees on Arkadia, though lifeless, are of the same varieties found on Earth! The second clue was found by
Helena and Victor. The planet was not completely lifeless, but locked in stasis, waiting for the bacteria that would restart the cycle of life and death. But the most startling discovery was to be found in a nearby cave... the remains of the last surviving Arkadians. On the
	cave walls was an inscription in what appeared to be Sanskrit, but older. Anna, a trained philologist, attempts to translate the text. "The Testament of Arkadia" told of the destruction of the planet by the Arkadians own hands, and the few people who left taking the seeds of
life to begin again in the distant regions of space. And after an indecipherable passage, an entreaty to make the planet fertile and help them live again. But all these discoveries held no answers to what was holding the Moon dead in space and draining Alpha's
	power. Koenig decided to return to Alpha to begin Operation Exodus, as Alpha would soon be unable to support life. At the same time, Luke and Anna were alone in the cave and they experienced a vision. The Arkadians appeared to them, and something transpired between them
without words. During the trip back to Alpha, Paul reports that the power drain has stopped at 50%. When they returned, Anna went to the Reference Library to finish the translation of the text. At the same time, Koenig learned that they had a greater chance of survival on
	Alpha with a fifty percent power loss than they would have had on the planet, and decided against Operation Exodus. Luke and Anna asked Koenig if they could have supplies to live on the planet. Koenig told them that Alpha could not survive without them in it's
current condition, that it was out of the question. Later, Luke threatened to kill Kano if he didn't give him the combination to the protien stores. He read the combination to Anna who was waiting by the secured area with a stun gun. She stunned the guards and broke in. Luke took
	Helena hostage to force Koenig to let them have an Eagle and the supplies. He told Koenig that they would let her go at a designated rendezvous point in space. Alan was to follow in the unarmed survey Eagle to pick her up, and return to Alpha. Koenig agreed, and they
tool off. Helena tried to reason with Luke and Anna to no avail. They claimed that it was their destiny to bring life back to Arkadia, and if the rest of the Alphans died as a result it was all part of a greater purpose. They released Helena as agreed, and just as Koenig was
	about to send several armed Eagles to retrieve the stolen supplies, the Moon began to move again, and their power started to return. Koenig radioed Alan to tell him to use full power to get back to Alpha before they got left behind. Luke and Anna watched as the
Moon started to move across the Arkadian sky. When Alan and Helena returned, Helena was distressed that Luke and Anna would be left alone on Arkadia. Koenig reponded that it was their choice. But was it really? Writing in his journal, Koenig reflects that the
	seeds from Earth had been returned to their place of origin. And that for them, the myth of Adam and Eve now has a new significance. And while Luke and Anna have found their new beginning, that they must have fatih and believe that for all mankind there is a purpose.

At the risk of offending some people, I have to admit that this is not one of my favorite episodes. While I think the story is a good one, and the premise of the Alphans stumbling upon the place of mankind's origin is a great idea, especially bringing it full circle by bringing the seeds of life back (with a nod to Adam and Eve). My major fault with it is the manner in which life is returned. While it is never made clear whether Luke and Anna are acting under their own will, or guided by external forces, their tactics are those of thugs! I see little difference between how they achieve their goals in this episode, and how Commissioner Simmonds does in Earthbound. I guess it all boils down to... Does the end justify the means? I think not. And especially disturbing, is the fact that they saw nothing wrong with letting the three hundred plus people die to achieve their ends. Only the unexplainable force that released the Moon at the end of the episode guaranteed their survival. Perhaps we are supposed to infer that the Arkadians let them know that this was going to happen. And yet this idea does not lessen the impact of the what I percieve to be malicious acts. But enough on that aspect of the episode.

There are many positve aspects to this episode. There is some strong acting and nice character moments. I really liked the little things like Helena offering John a cup of coffee when he sits down next to her on the Eagle. I really liked when Paul gave up the heating units in Main Mission to transfer them to Medical Centre. And loved the scene where Alan excuses himself when Helena and John are reunited after her kidnapping. I found it interesting that John practices Kendo. I thought it was a visually striking way to start the flashback.

There were also some very nice camera moves in this episode. The pan across the room from the commpost image of the Earth to Koenig writing at his desk and the shot of Kano as his desk was revolving in Main Mission are two that stick out in my mind.

One particularly odd effects shot has the Eagle coming out from behind the sun as it approaches Arkadia,

but the landing site and the sets match up beautifully. Another small goof in continuity was the first time they showed the full cave with the remains of the Arkadians, the picture shows the Alphans lights set up, before they have the chance to do so. And now for another case of....

When the Alphans depart the Eagle, they reused a scene filmed for Another Time, Another Place.

To their credit, they made sure the footage for the show had the actors leaving in the correct order and carrying the same accessories.

Koenig:	"Our struggle to survive in a hostile universe had long erased the memory of the cataclysmic disaster that first hurled our Moon out of Earth's orbit. But the recent events that occured on the planet Arkadia have revived that painful memory and forced us to reconsider our purpose in space."
Koenig:	"We've stopped dead! (VO)The unbelievable had happened, our Moon was locked fast in space."
Kano: Koenig: Kano: Koenig: Kano: Koenig: Kano: Koenig:	"We've completed the tests on the generators, Commander. We can't trace any faults, but..." "But?" "We're still losing power." "How, if there's nothing wrong with the generators?" "Computer puts it down to 'external forces'" "External forces, great! That tells us everything!" "Computer is not a crystal ball, she can only predict on specific data." "Alright, Kano."
Koenig:	"The planet was not dead. It's soil was simply locked in stasis, waiting for the bacteria that would restart the cycle of life and death."
Anna: Koenig: Anna:	"I don't believe it!" "Sanskrit?" "Sanskrit... yes! But different somehow, an earlier form perhaps. But here, a million light years away from Earth, how?"
Kano:	"Don't worry, it can only get worse."
Anna:	the complete translation of The Testament of Aradia (edited)
Luke:	"The Arkadians took the seeds with them. They found a new Arkadia, Earth! Our people originated here, on this planet."
Anna: Koenig: Luke: Koenig: Anna: Koenig: Luke: Koenig:	"Commander, we want to live on that planet." "Well that's completely out of the question." "We belong there, we were guided to that planet." "Now listen to me. Up here we have a chance, a small chance, but a chance, down there we have none at all." "A few of us could survive down there. We could... Luke and I..." "Yes, you'd make out, but you'd have to take half of our supplies with you, which would make life for us virtually impossible up here. No, no, I'm sorry." "But we must go, Commander!" "Just do what I say! Now look, we have enough problems up here. Now please go."
Koenig: Luke: Victor: Luke:	"Ferro, you have no chance of survival on that planet's surface. It's dead, barren!" "No, Commander, we must bring back the seed of life to it's place of origin." "Luke, if you get what your demanding, you'll be condemning Alpha and all of us to certain death." "If it is Alpha's fate to be the sacrificial lamb, so be it! Don't you understand? It was no accident that brought us to that planet. Our destiny is clear, preordained from the moment the Arkadians set foot on Earth."
Anna: Helena: Anna: Luke: Helena: Luke: Helena: Luke:	"Doctor, we're terribly sorry about all of this." "Sorry? You are killing three hundred people!" "Try to understand. Think of all we've had to suffer since the Moon was cast out to roam the wilderness of space. Inexplicably to stop here? Think, Doctor, it gives meaning to all this." "Believe us, there is a purpose." "A purpose... and you believe this purpose of yours justifies destroying Alpha? "Doctor, when the lines of destiny meet, the tools it uses are no longer necessary. Isn't that so?" "Look, even if you could survive, Luke.. Anna... Do you realize what it'll be like... the only living beings on that whole barren planet? You're going to a living Hell." No, Doctor, we're going home."
Helena: Koenig: Helena:	"They're all alone down there." "Yeah, Helena, I know. And there's nothing we can do about it. It was their choice." "Was it their choice, John?
Koenig:	"And so the circle was complete. The seeds from Earth, so carefully stored and nurtured by us, had returned to their place of origin. I believe it is futile to seek answers to the incredible things that happened on Arkadia. All we know is that life has restarted there, and that for us, the creation myth of the first man and woman has a new significance. Our immediate struggle is over. For Luke Ferro and Anna Davis it has just begun. They have found their beginnings, we still wander the emptiness of space seeking ours. We must keep faith and believe that for us, for all of mankind, there is a purpose."
Cue:	Background sound