Episodes
Ring Around the Moon (Year 1 / Episode 4)
ITC Press Release
"SPACE 1999"
Episode: "RING AROUND THE MOON"
SYNOPSIS
The moon becomes a prisoner of an alien planet as an eerie new menace grips Alpha in a ring of light and turns Dr. Helena Russell into an involuntary informer with death as her threatened reward.
***
The first indication that Moonbase Alpha is menaced by new and sinister forces comes with the remarkable behaviour of a maintenance engineer who, struck by a bright violet light from out of the sky, suddenly becomes a human computer and meets his death. At the same time, Alpha is hit by a tremendous shockwave. A little later, a huge sphere of red-orange light appears on the large screen in Mission Control, a ring of light encircles the moon, and Commander John Koenig (MARTIN LANDAU) realizes that they have become locked in the strange sphere's orbit. A mysterious voice confirms: "You are captives of the planet Triton".
The computer gives a reading that the sphere is composed of light, is hollow and has a zero temperature. An ominous watch is being kept on Alpha, and the next victim of the mysterious force is Dr. Helen (sic) Russell (BARBARA BAIN) She appears to glide into nothingness and then finds herself in the hovering sphere's void. A streak of light hits her forehead and settles against the base of her skull and when she finds herself back again on the moon it is clear to Dr. Bergman (BARRY MORSE) that her captors have learned the secret of decomposing atoms and reducing any object to its atomical components which can be transported through space and then reassembled.
Bergman also does planetry (sic) calculations which indicate that Triton has not been heard of for thousands of years and further calculations make it certain that it no longer exists. It blew up and disintegrated two million light years away. The sphere is a probe mission which is unaware of what has happened. What is it seeking? One thing is certain: it is trying to obtain information about Earth. Dr. Helena (sic) has been programmed - a human conductor connected to Alpha's computer which turns her into an informer transmitting classified information. Death can be her only reward when the Tritonians have gained everything they want.
Somehow, they have to be convinced that their efforts are being wasted because their planet no longer exists, and in undertaking this hazardous task, Koenig discovers that the Tritonians have been watching Earthmen for many Earth centuries to find means of preventing what they fear may one day be an invasion from Earth. But can they be convinced and, if so, in time to save Helena?
SCREENPLAY BY EDWARD DI LORENZO
DIRECTED BY RAY AUSTIN
with
PRENTIS HANCOCK as PAUL MORROW
CLIFTON JONES as DAVID KANO
ZIENIA MERTON as SANDRA BENES
ANTON PHILLIPS as DR. MATHIAS
NICK TATE as ALAN CARTER
MAX FAULKNER as TED CLIFFORD
NB All spelling and punctuation as in the original.
Episodes are in production order.
