"The Discontented"

[1]

They understood the pain, although they knew not why it affected humans as it did. Still, did not teacher Yur - who was once the same as the Earth people - tell them feelings were important to their growth if ever the Tagleon race hoped to break out of what many of their kind considered a stagnant cycle? And these earth-moon people were a fairly new race of beings, catapulted into deep space, unready and not knowing what to expect, yet up for the challenge. This excited Yur. Therefore, it excited the Tagleons as well. The Alphans' emotional make-up confused many. The loss of and beginning of life, as it was being experienced by these humans, was merely biological to Tagleons but if they, what Yur termed Children of the Universe were to ever understand emotions such as love, hate and hurt they would need to be educated and explore.

And they needed to make decisions of their own and act on them.

Moonbase Alpha seemed a good place to start.

"You are stepping over a line." Yur told them, "You will experience both tempered and explosive emotion and this is a good thing. The temptation will be too great. You will help beings, starting with these humans on Alpha, and you will feel good about it."

To some it might have appeared an experiment but the Tagleons hearts were in the right place, Yur knew. He allowed them the choice of who it was they wished to help on Moonbase Alpha, an individual, and their decision and plans seemed odd to him. Yet, sometimes a teacher had to leave students alone with a problem and just watch. And that was exactly what he was going to do. Watch and learn along with his pupils.

[]

"Helena Russell, if it were anyone else I'd be bringing you up on charges!"

"Please, John." Her tone was dull, "Do not shout like that. I have a throbbing headache and just don't feel up to it. If you think you must, you can take your anger out on me after I'm better."

Koenig stood there, inwardly anguished and outwardly severe. He towered above Helena as she lay on the bed in her quarters. His arms were folded nearly patronizingly over his uniformed chest. John was furious and did not have the temperament to stop what he started. "Just what were you thinking, Helena?"

In one sense, Doctor Russell could not fault him. She had acted in a marginally irresponsible manner, not checking with their Commander, and jumped feet first into an experiment that could have waited for his approval. However, she was the head of their medical department and life support. Some independent experimentation was necessary, whether their Commander liked it or not. Being a man open to discovery, Helena thought John would understand; especially when it came to the well-being of the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha. After all, she was not a child and who better than their Chief Medical Officer as the recipient of their first test?

Koenig once told Helena, as they lay together after an evening of passionate intimacy, that he had fallen in love with her not only because she was beautiful and wise but because she took risks - as he did - in both her personal and professional life. 'We're more alike than either of us is willing to admit.' John had verbally pressed with a smile, her head pillowed on his shoulder.

There had been conflict in the beginning of their relationship, verbal cat and mouse games, and their physical relationship hadn't come for almost a year after the Moon left Earth behind. But that mental connection - a feeling of oneness - was there from the start.

In the present he paced. "You could have killed yourself." Koenig continued with a charged whisper. The Commander wasn't a cruel man but something was driving him to pursue the matter. "I'm disappointed, Helena. Bitterly disappointed." and personally hurt he wanted to add. Then, with an uncontrollable stab: "You put the entire base in jeopardy. Even the children."

Eyes half-open, Helena stared at him calmly and did a slow burn. He knew better than that. Now he was just being vindictive. Helena painfully pushed her head into her pillow, attempting to muffle the sound of his ire. She'd already told John her illness wasn't contagious but he was having a difficult time believing this fact. "It's a manufactured flu, John." Helena murmured again, as she had five minutes before. "If those cultures had contained anything more dangerous I would have destroyed them on the spot."

Why wasn't he picking on Professor Fairfax? The venerable scientist had been more into this probe than she. As a matter of fact, it was he who encouraged Doctor Russell to inject the flu virus into her bloodstream in the first place. They, all in Alpha's science department, needed to see if the inoculation cured and who better than an accomplished doctor to clearly analyze what was happening? Helena knew what to look for and it seemed logical. Perhaps Fairfax just reminded John too much of Professor Bergman for him to berate the old man. Even after all of these months John was still deeply affected by his friend's passing.

Still, he was right. She should have informed the Commander before experimenting. But - as always - John was busy and everyone in the lab was so anxious to get started ... And, in retrospect, they knew Helena had the eyes, ears and heart of Commander Koenig. There was always an off-chance he would say NO to their request but Helena … She could smooth it over in the aftermath and ...

As she thought about it, Helena began to feel a little used. Perhaps she had taken advantage of John and her relationship, both professionally and personally. But had the others, including Fairfax, taken advantage of her for that same reason?

Helena, her eyes closed, sighed when she heard nothing from the John for a few moments. "If my calculations are correct, I will be out of bed in about eight hours."

"Eight hours too long." He murmured.

Was that tenderness in his tone? Actually, Helena thought, John's anger was more from worry than genuine resentment. She scared him. Perhaps a little levity was needed. "The lab animals came out of it a bit sooner but I was given a slightly bigger dosage." Helena said, with mild mirth, and opened her eyes. It was an old joke between she and the other doctors. Moonbase Alpha had no laboratory animals to experiment with. "Everything is fine."

He did not return her smile.

Did she really think this was funny? "What good is all of this investigation if the people on Alpha it was meant to help aren't around to enjoy the success of one of your intrigues?"

"Intrigues?" Was he serious? "John!" Did he actually think she was willing to gamble with the lives of Alpha's children? Granted, there were only a few now but any new life was just too important! Helena, closing her eyes again, reached for the pillow behind her head and placed it over her flushed face. She may have been wrong - with regards to her own personal health - but she would never take undo risks when it came to the rest of Alpha. John Koenig knew this. Or, didn't he want to understand? After all, the experiment had been a success!

Why wasn't he congratulating her on a job well done?

If ever a habitable planet was found and the Alphans were given an opportunity to colonize, they would need a medicine to fight against infection until they adapted to their new environment. The children would be especially susceptible to illness. And now, through the miracle of modern science (and medicine), they had it! The inoculation wasn't all things to all people but it was certainly a step in the right direction.

But each success was fraught with minor pains. She was sick; a small thing which would eventually be a mere memory.

And now, she did not want to argue. Helena just wanted to sleep and feel better.

"What is the sense to all of this?" John barked, unable to help himself. He was being unreasonable but she managed to piqué his anger and he just couldn't let it lay. It wasn't just that Helena had over-stepped her authority, going through with the test without his permission, or that he felt she had endangered lives (particularly her own) by working with a live virus - although both occurrences were important enough to make him reconsider the trust he'd afforded his companion over the last couple of years. It was her attitude. A definite air of rebelliousness and something else he could not quite put a finger on.

Helena was exhibiting an odd type of independence lately and it seemed to be entirely at her lover's expense. She wasn't usually one to hold a grudge but she and John had a few rather loud, vocal fights about perspective during the past two weeks and Helena wouldn't budge an inch. Why was she being so difficult and passionate in her beliefs? Not even when she came after him, over a year ago, about allowing births on Moonbase Alpha had the doctor been so unrelenting. But now ... now ... it was as if she was a different woman.

Or maybe he was a different man?

Or ... perhaps their relationship was different?

John wanted to marry Helena. He'd asked her on three different occasions. Always, Helena waved his proposal away, telling him they had plenty of time to make their relationship official. Why rush? But he was of the old school. Maybe that little piece of paper and an officiator didn't mean much in today's world, particularly on Moonbase Alpha, but he felt it important. In retrospect, perhaps it was Helena's lack of immediately wanting what he wanted that bothered Koenig most.

Briefly pondering, as he watched Helena make herself more comfortable, John had to also admit a feeling of neglect. Not long ago she stayed late in Medical Center, experimenting with applications which - in his opinion - weren't as important as she imparted. If it wasn't the monitoring of a liquid chemical compound, it was the diagnosis of an odd and interesting ailment. Being honest with himself, John was beginning to doubt Helena's devotion. Or even more disturbing, he felt she was becoming bored with him. But Koenig couldn't place the blame squarely on the woman's shoulders. It was also possible he'd gotten too comfortable with her, taking his loved one for granted, not showing Helena enough interest, excitement and romance.

Could this be the reason she ducked his offers to wed?

Yet, was this any reason for her to show a complete lack of respect? There were only so many things he could ignore. What did a man, whose heart wasn't made of stone, do when faced with such a dilemma?

Puzzled by unaccountable silence, Helena lifted the pillow off her face and with one aching eyeball, looked in his direction.

John was gone.

She never heard him leave. Helena sat up a little and looked about her. Sighing, she lay back again and - regretfully - felt relief and sadness. Couldn't they talk anymore without arguing or walking away from one another in a huff? There was a time, Helena fondly recalled, when she could hardly wait to see him. The mere sight of John Koenig, especially during those early months of their intimate relationship, caused her heart to beat a little faster and her pulse race. She wanted him with her, passionately and totally. It wasn't an obsessive love, just fresh and, on her part, very much needed. But lately ... lately ...

Helena could not think about it now. She wouldn't admit to herself - although she knew full well - what the problem was. She had to sleep. She had to dream and ... escape.

[]

It was the rocking and Yellow Alert alarm which woke Helena Russell nearly four hours later.

Her eyes opened wide and she steadied nausea while sitting up. With a mighty effort, Helena threw her weakened legs over the side of the bed and struggled to her feet and into soft, fabric slippers. She felt momentary dizziness as she grabbed for her blue robe. Slowly, carefully, the woman activated the door opener on her comlock. She could hear Tony Verdeschi's clear determined voice over Alpha's composts, announcing that his security team should stand ready, as she ran from her quarters to Command Center.

[]

"What's going on?" Helena asked. She came up behind John and gently touched his arm.

He stood near his desk and, as was everyone else in Command Center, stared up at the Big Screen. "Visitors." Koenig answered, firmly. John didn't look at Helena, he was so taken in by the sight before them. But his tone held concern for all when he spoke, "I had Sandra open a communication channel and I think it did try to talk to us. That's when the base began to shake ... but so far we haven't heard anything." The Commander allowed the possibility of danger to merely hang in space. They'd all been here before.

The alien, or perhaps a collection of aliens, appeared to be a bluish mass. It reminded Koenig of an innocuous cloud and he might have mentioned it if enigmatic, pulsating orange lights weren't visible in the middle of the collection of outer space cumuli.

"Commander, I think I've done it." Maya spoke from her console. Pressing a few colorful buttons and appearing somewhat unsure, the lovely auburn-haired alien blinked and breathed in heavily, "Sahn, call to it as clearly and articulately as possible. Their signals should come back to us in English."

Sandra, petite with soft brown eyes, nodded and mentally crossed her fingers, "This is Moonbase Alpha. Please respond."

When there was no immediate reply, Chief of Security Verdeschi glanced at Koenig.

Then: "People of Moonbase Alpha ... we are peaceful. We are a feeling race of beings and wish you no harm." The utterance was somewhat mechanical yet it was also united with a form of warmth. Its inflections were erogenous and combined, as if many were talking at the same time. "We are Tagleons."

"How may we help you?" Koenig asked, uncertain.

"It is we who wish to help you. There is one amongst you who is different than the rest. It is she who needs our help most."

Several sets of eyes focused on Maya. She was alien and she was pregnant.

"In what way?" Helena asked, stepping forward to stand nervously beside Koenig. She saw Maya stiffen, a hand resting on her protruding belly, and thought their resident alien was having flashbacks to the time when sinister aliens came to Alpha. They wanted her unique Psychon brainstem and were willing to kill all who stood in their way. Were the Tagleons aligned with the Dorcons?

"We must be sure ... Please be calm. We will not harm you."

Suddenly, a stream of bright white light from an unknown source penetrated Alpha's defense systems and began to separately bathe each female in Command Center with illumination. Because she was so obviously different than the other women, the light paused on a frightened Maya a bit longer than most. Yet, soon it became clear she was not the female of mention when the probe moved on.

Lastly, Helena was illuminated. The probe lingered awhile, seeming curious, and she was forced to look away when her fever-sensitive eyes could take it no more. "Stop." Helena said and was gratified when the aliens immediately did as requested.

"You are in pain." the alien cloud said, "You are ill in spirit and body. We wish to help you."

Helena glanced up at John Koenig then, a bit puzzled, she said - "Yes." slowly and, "I am physically sick but it is not anything I cannot overcome." She assured, partly to press the point again with her Commander. Curious, Helena moved forward against Koenig's console and asked, "How can you help me?"

"We sense you want something ... need an item of some importance. You want to … go home? Is this true? Will going home to Earth make you well?" The question was asked in a manner which was almost endearing.

Helena paused. Careful. It needed to be worded just right: "Yes. We ALL want to return to Earth. Everyone on Moonbase Alpha."

"May we assist you?"

The Alphans tensed. Were they hearing what they thought they were hearing?

"Can you return us to Earth?" Koenig asked, "Without pain or loss of life?"

"Yes. Shall we?"

Could it really be as simple as that? This was too good to be true.

"Geez," Verdeschi whispered under his breath. He looked over at a wide eyed Maya and smiled. He had plans for her, the mother of his children. Won't Mama be surprised to see who her favorite son married?

Helena, in spite of a fever induced headache and weakness often associated with the flu, felt a sudden surge of adrenaline. If it was real, this could not have happened at a better time. Perhaps now she and John could focus on a life together on Earth, with all of the happiness it could bring, and stop their senseless bickering about Alpha. They - all of them - had more to look forward to than life on the sterile moonbase. And the children ... The children would have a home. "John ..." Helena reached for his hand as a stunned murmur swept through the Center. "Can it be?"

Koenig affectionately eyed Helena and held her close for a moment. Yet, his enthusiasm was guarded. They didn't really know anything about their Earth right now. What condition was it in? Could it be safely inhabited? And what about these generous aliens? Could they be trusted? "Maybe but I want to know more."

"We are awaiting an answer from the female."

It was a loaded moment and many anxious eyes now focused on Doctor Russell. Helena inwardly gulped, feeling the weight of negotiation fall yet again on her slender shoulders. "I am honored with the gift you have offered us. However, we are people of caution. There ..."

"The female has spoken. We wish her well."

The bright light once again materialized, this time engulfing the whole of Command Center. Most Alphans had to raise hands in front of their eyes to block out the intense glare. A shaking was felt beneath their feet and when it was over many expected to find the moon miraculously brought back into Earth orbit.

However, this was not the case. The alien had heard but misunderstood. The only difference on Alpha was the disappearance of one person.

Helena was nowhere to be seen.

Koenig, horrified, felt her dissolve in his protective arms. He looked again at the Big Screen but there was nothing he could do. The bluish mass was no longer there. The aliens were gone ... and they had taken Helena with them ... to Earth?!

"Commander!" Still stunned, Sandra spoke. "I am getting an odd report from Security ..."

[]

She sat up poker-straight on the sofa. The wind, knocking a hanging planter against a stabilizing column on the balcony, awakened her from a nap. Not her alarm. She set it for five p.m. because Bruce would be picking her up in an hour and she needed time to shower and pretty herself for the cocktail party.

Helena felt a bit of nausea creep up on her as she threw her long legs over the side of the sofa cushions. Was it the result of too much champagne at lunch while celebrating her birthday? Or was it the thought of another of these damnable get-togethers?

No one she questioned really liked Gerald Simmonds, the party's honoree, but he was an influential man, a politician of some note, and if she and her colleagues were going to get the funding from The International Lunar Finance Commission they were asking for, they'd need his support. This Alpha Project, the building of the actual moonbase, was getting more and more complicated and costly as the walls were erected, computers installed and atmosphere added. It was taking shape but as Bruce said: "Money is everything." and he needed her help. Helena was willing. Some day she might even want a position on Moonbase Alpha herself.

She stretched, suddenly wondering why she was so achy. "Not the flu ..." Helena murmured, looking vaguely about her Manhattan apartment, almost as if she was seeing it for the first time. She was sick. No wonder she was having such odd dreams about the moonbase and the people she saw there. Aliens, she mused with a mild smile. To actually come face to face with such a creature ... impossible. And interesting.

Stripping and stepping into a shower, she allowed the water to wash over her in a comfortable tide.

... and she wanted to wear the peach colored night gown because it was one hundred percent cotton and reminded her of Earth and all those soft touches of home. Besides, John really liked it. He said it was sexier than any of those frilly sheer teddies that were so popular at one time and ...

Startled, Helena jumped in the shower. What was that? What gown was she thinking about? Who was John? Certainly not John Koenig, the astrophysicist she'd read about in the newspaper. It was said he was one of ten men who were being considered as Alpha's new Commander. But why was she thinking of him and a night dress?

Perhaps it was his resemblance to Lee that triggered the thought. No, they didn't really look alike. But he was tall and dark like Lee ... and she thought Koenig terribly handsome in a rugged, somewhat unconventional way.

Lee Russell. Oddly, she hadn't really thought about her dear departed for some time now. He was gone, assumed dead nearly a year ago. Helena attempted to stay on in London for the first couple months but could not. They lived together there for many happy years - but North America was home and New York was where she was most comfortable. Helena's one regret was that she and Lee never had children together. Now, she doubted it would ever happen.

Stepping from the shower and towelling herself dry, Helena glanced over at a small flower trimmed calendar beside her cream-colored medicine chest. August 5, 1997. It was another of those days which would live in infamy; an unwanted birthday. That ever-present biological clock was ticking away at an ever alarming rate.

Doctor Bruce Ripperton, her friend and colleague, was determined she join him. He enthusiastically assured Helena she would have a good time, mixing business with pleasure, and he wanted to see her happy and active for a change. Also, he added, it wouldn't hurt if he was seen at the party with an attractive woman at his side. Dear, Bruce. He was a sweetheart but also a total lackey. He would follow and paw over nearly anyone who could give him a leg up on whatever project it was he was working on at any given time. It sometimes bothered Helena but also made her smile.

Helena slipped on a thin robe and was walking to her small kitchen, to prepare a cup of hot tea, when she heard something that caused her to stop in her tracks. She then twisted about and stared into the living room in shock and fear.

"Helena!"

She could hear the echoing cry plainly. It was male and, from the sound of him, he was in pain or utterly devastated. But that was all she heard. Nervous, but knowing she must have imagined the wail, Helena moved once again into the kitchen.

[]

Continue ….

This fiction was a part of SPACE: 1999, ALPHAN QUEST – 3rd in a series of shorts stories. However, it does work well as a stand alone fiction. It was written years ago and has been slightly edited by its original author. Thank you and please let me know what you think. Becky.