Space 1999 #5 - Lunar Attack by John Rankine Page A

this reckoning even death was uncertain. He spent a good hour on routine admin. But keeping his mind on it was a problem. The thought of Helena in the medicentre with Mateo was constantly there. He shoved back his chair. He would have to go and look for himself.
    She was working at her console, her blonde hair hiding her face. As he came in she looked up, glad to see him. He could not imagine that any spirit form of hers could be anything but beautiful or for that matter anything but welcome.
    ‘How is he?’
    ‘See for yourself.’
    She went across to an intensive care cubicle and slid aside the hatch. Mateo was lying on the bed, eyes open, staring dully straight ahead. As they watched, a single tear welled from his eye and coursed slowly down his cheek.
    ‘He’s in shock. Close to total breakdown.’
    She slid back the panel and went on, ‘He’s under heavy sedation. But what happens when it wears off, when full awareness returns . . .’
    The statement tailed off. There was no completing it. Koenig said, ‘Victor’s working on it. I can only hope he’ll come up with something. Look after yourself.’
    Bergman was the next obvious port of call and he found him already deeply involved. He had a monitor screen set up and was prepared for a demonstration. Flipping switches on a control panel Bergman sent a line of energy pulses across the screen.
    ‘There you have it, John. This is the wave pattern we picked up when the spirit force was active.’
    He shoved a cassette in a slot and said, ‘Now watch.’
    Separated from the first bright line a new trace glowed on the screen. ‘That’s the same energy source. All I’ve done is to reverse the polarities. Look what happens when they make contact.’
    He operated controls and the top line began to slide down the screen, approaching the bottom line of energy. There was a split second when they were both clear and distinct and then the screen whited out, both were obliterated, cancelled.
    It made its own point. There was nothing to be said. Bergman switched off. He was first to break a long silence, ‘It’s worth a try. But you realise we’ll need Helena’s co-operation. He’s her patient.’
    Koenig took it on himself to clear the lines with his top medico. He was asking her to act against all the principles of doctor-patient trust and was not surprised at her first, shocked reaction.
    ‘Mezadrine! John, that triggers all the most violent, aggressive responses.’
    He said, carefully, ‘I realise that, but that’s just why it’s the only way forward. We have to do it. If we can summon this creature at a time and place of our own choosing, we might just be able to contain it.’
    They looked at each other and she shrugged helplessly, ‘It should work out—but it might tip Mateo over the edge. It could destroy him.’
    ‘That must be my responsibility.’
    She nodded grimly. It was minimum agreement. He went to work before she could change her mind, punching a button on the communications post and called the Main Mission controller, ‘Paul. Withdraw all personnel from Alpha section five and withdraw access for everyone, repeat everyone except Doctor Russell, Professor Bergman, Doctor Mathias and myself.’
    Bergman was ready in his lab and they walked together to the medicentre past a stream of Alphans evacuating the area. Red alerts flashed from communications posts. Bergman had concentrated his equipment in a small case which he carried himself.
    In the medicentre they were met by Helena and Mathias. Bergman said, ‘We’ll need Mateo out of there, Helena.’
    She said, ‘All right. Bob . . .’
    Mathias went into the intensive care unit and Bergman opened his box. He took out four small, identical beacon units and pulled out antennae extensions from their tops.
    Mathias wheeled out Mateo in a reclining chair and Bergman indicated the centre of a clear space. When Mateo was set, looking fixedly ahead of him with dull, staring eyes, Bergman paced around