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The Beta
Cloud (Year 2 / Episode 14)
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ITC Press Release
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"SPACE 1999" (Series II) Episode Sixteen:
"THE BETA CLOUD."
Original ITC press release.
SYNOPSIS
A mystery illness strikes the Moon. An eerie cloud utters a sentence of death. And
a frightening space creature runs amok.
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Only a handful of Moonbase Alpha personnel escape the mystery illness which hits
the moon when it moves through a cloud of space dust. The victims are incapacitated
through lassitude, depression and loss of will. Commander Koenig (MARTIN LANDAU)
is one of them. Helena Russell (BARBARA BAIN) is stricken later on.
An Eagle, sent to track the storm, has disappeared. When it returns, a week later,
its only occupant is a terrifying, huge space creature. It is completely immune to
laser gun fire.
On the Command Centre screen comes a peculiar cloud which seems to be obscuring some
kind of celestial body, and from the cloud a voice which explains the reason for
the eerie happenings. The mysterious beings are seeking the Moon's life support system.
Handing it over would mean death to everyone on the Moon. In a desperate effort to
keep the space creature at bay, Security Chief Tony Verdeschi (TONY ANHOLT) orders
all doors to be locked, but the creature soon shows that it can crash through them.
An effort is made to trap the creature by decoying it into the Vacuum Chamber. As
Tony offers himself as the bait, Maya (CATHERINE SCHELL) transforms herself into
a mouse to that she can make her way through the air ventilation system. at first,
it looks as though the plan has succeeded, but the creature succeeds in escaping
and launching itself at Tony.
His life is saved by Maya changing herself into a space animal. Even so, she is unable
to overcome the creature. It is Tony's turn to save her by grabbing a high pressure
carbon dioxide hose, but when the creature fights its way through the jet stream
and rips the hose off the wall, Maya and Tony have to flee through the deadly vapour
to the Medical Centre.
The creature continues its search for the life support system. Another plan is tried.
It must be lured into a chlorine-filled Hydroponic Experimental Section, and to do
this Maya transforms herself into a chlorine-resistant creature she remembers from
another planet. But the invading creature still cannot be overcome.
It seems to be foiled, though, by a defensive barrier thrown around the life support
system. It is hurled back in a fantastic display of sparks...but survives. The situation
appears hopeless. Facing almost certain death, Tony and Maya allow themselves for
the first time to express how deeply they are really in love with each other, despite
their usual light-hearted bantering.
They have faced the truth. Now another truth his Maya. The creature is not a life
form. It is a robot. Just one chance is offered. The creature's control centre must
be reached.
Maya transforms herself into an insect which might be able to penetrate the mechanism
through the creature's ear......
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NB. All spelling and punctuation as in the original.
"SPACE 1999" - SERIES II
CAST LIST
EPISODE NO. 16 - "THE BETA CLOUD"
DIRECTOR: ROBERT LYNN
KOENIG - MARTIN LANDAU
HELENA - BARBARA BAIN
MAYA - CATHERINE SCHELL
VERDESCHI - TONY ANHOLT
CARTER - NICK TATE
SAHN - ZIENIA MERTON
FRASER - JOHN HUG
CREATURE - DAVE PROWSE
SPACE ANIMAL/KRENO ANIMAL - ALBIN PAHERNIK
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Episodes
are in production order.
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