SPACE 1999: Twin Planets

Chapter 2: First Settlements

The boisterous group on planet A had cleared a few areas of vegetation and piled equipment and erected a volleyball net and a tennis net. The games were loud and rambunctious, the Alphans enjoying fresh air, natural light and the sense of freedom after the confines of their lunar base. Only a few eyes were turned to the sky, where the lunar moon was disappearing from the range of the new solar system.

"The die is cast," John Koenig remarked to David Kano.

"We are here to stay."

"Feels like a wonderful change to me, Commander."

"Yes, but there is still a lot of work to be done. I do think though, that after the non-stop activity and pressure of Operation Exodus, our people can do well with a bit of relaxation."

"Very true," Angela Robinson remarked as she joined the two men. "It seems safe here, and tranquil, and once everyone has refreshed themselves through play, we can start work on our settlement."

"We would need some kind of council, Angela. I would appreciate it if you could come on board to help coordinate and advise."

"I'd be glad to, Commander."

"For now I think we can make do with a passenger eagle pod set up as a medical unit, and use the laboratory eagle Victor prepared for our scientific research."

"I'm good with the eagle pod being used to house computer for now," David Kano interjected.

"We can make some passenger pods available as living areas, as well as our reconnaissance domes," John continued. "I'd like to keep a few eagles operational for Alan and his team, because we need to map our new planet as soon as possible. While I hope our community will remain together, there may come a time when groups might want to start an independent community."

"It might be too early for people to think about that," Angela offered. "I don't know about others, but I feel much safer here with the group. After all, our future is pretty uncertain right now, even though the planet certainly looks to fulfill our every wish."

"Computer will be able to quickly analyze data as we explore," Kano said. "We already know from the exploration group that the plant-like vegetation could offer edible goods. There was life in some of the seeping pond areas, and certainly life that corresponds to bird-life. The building blocks for things on A checked out to be similar to that on earth, and the soil contains almost the same minerals as that of earth."

"We do have a robust hydroponics program. It won't be hard to set it up here. Victor made sure the seed bank was fairly divided once the group sizes were set," Angela explained. "In no time we'll be growing our own food supply here, while we research edible materials on A."

"The power supply is one of my main concerns," John interjected. "While we were able to scale down a power plant similar to Alpha for transport here, and transported some fuel rods, it may become a problem if groups want to scatter. Hopefully there will be a scientific discovery proving A can supply us with fuel and power."

"We certainly will be fine for a while. Several of the power plant technicians assured me that power will not be a problem in the foreseeable future," David said. "We've brought enough materials from Alpha to set up a power plant and link it to as many dwellings we wish to erect."

"The chemical reaction in our new sun seems very similar to that of earth," Angela explained. "It causes continual nuclear fusion that we experience as light and heat. And, as the research party reported, our new planet does not revolve on its axis, therefore we have no night or day now. Much like our moon when it orbited earth, always keeping the same side facing earth. So, our planet has a dark side too, which, no doubt, we'll investigate once we are done with the light side."

"That's the only thing that worries me," Kano observed. "We don't really know what is on the dark side."

"Most forms of life as we know it, and even the new forms of life we observe here," Angela continued, "require some form of energy. I doubt that there could be anything alive on the dark side of A, unless it is a vastly different life form. But our research so far has shown nothing but a dark wasteland."

"That's somewhat in the future," John remarked. "We can focus our initial research on the side of A facing our new sun. After all, that's where we will be setting up our communities and starting our new life."

"Agreed, Commander," Angela reiterated. "Time will come when we can move to explore those unknown dark sides. If nothing else, it might provide some interesting studies. But at the outset I think people will be much more interested in the area we are now living in: what to eat, how to build, what to develop. Once people are secure in their new lives, the curious minds will start thinking about further exploration."

"And we mustn't forget," David smiled. "There are two other planets. No doubt there will be those crackpots who would eventually like to go there!"

They laughed, while before them the Alphans continued their volleyball, tennis, some good natured wrestling and even a makeshift game of soccer. Koenig wondered for a moment about his friends on B, overcome by a feeling of longing so sharp it almost took his breath away: Helena Russell should have been here, by his side. But then he pushed the thought aside, got up and went over to join the soccer game.


The 69 souls on B were gathered around in a makeshift reconnaissance dome after their first period of "night" and rest on B. Chairs from Moonbase Alpha had been dragged in, but some just sat on the ground of their new home. Victor Bergman had asked all to gather after getting much needed mandatory rest, and they were eager to hear what the new day would bring.

There were murmured greetings and silent conversation until Victor arrived.

"Well," he started. "Here we are, on our new home."

"Alpha Nova," Paul said quietly. "That's what we think we should name our new solar system."

There was spontaneous applause. "Oh, I like that!" Victor exclaimed. That was followed with many outcries of agreement, so on B it was decided that they now lived in the solar system of Alpha Nova.

Sandra spoke up quietly. "We also have a name for our planet, better than B."

"Let's hear it then," Victor smiled.

"Berg. B for Berg."

Catcalls and applause quickly showed the approval from the crowd. Victor shook his head, his eyes amused, but Berg it was. Planet Berg in Alpha Nova.

"Do we have a name for the other planet?" someone called out.

There were a few laughs, some outrageous calls, but as the conversation died down, Victor quipped: "We best let them name their own planet. Eventually we can coordinate because the two smaller planets would need names too. Lots of work, starting a new solar system!"

The laughter started up again. Finally, Victor held up his hand.

"Well, citizens of Berg in Alpha Nova, I've called you together at the dawn of our new life so that we can make the most important decision at the start of this new journey. While each one of you is a highly capable individual, as your years of service under most difficult circumstances on Alpha showed, I do think it is imperative that we elect some form of leadership to oversee our endeavor. I'm honored that you chose me to oversee Operation Exodus for our group, but since that is now behind us, we need to be open to new leadership."

There was a long silence before Victor cleared his throat and continued: "We could take nominations that could lead to a vote. Call it our first democratic election," he added on a lighter note.

"I nominate Victor Bergman!" a voice from the crowd shouted.

"So do I," another called. "Me too!" "And I." The calls continued, voices raising in excitement. Eventually Paul Morrow stood up and faced Bergman.

"Professor, there is no doubt in any mind here that you are the most capable and wise person to continue as our leader."

Applause and calls confirmed the truth of Paul's words. "We could certainly call for a vote, Professor," Paul said with a smile. "I bet you will get 68 votes, because we know you would never vote for yourself!"

The group hooted with laughter. Victor studied the people pensively, and eventually a smile formed on his weary face.

"Well, what can I say? I certainly appreciate your trust, and can only promise to do the best for you."

Helena stood up as the group slowly simmered down. "Victor, you have earned more than our trust during the many months on Alpha. You have been a constant source of comfort, encouragement, support and wisdom. Every one of us looks up to you with a great deal of admiration, because we know your heart is for us, the people. Yes, you have earned not just our trust, but also our love."

The spontaneous applause that broke out grew and grew, and one by one people stood up, shouting their agreement to the words spoken by Helena Russell. Every person knew that Victor Bergman had been the one to save Alpha from disaster more than once, and they voiced their love and admiration for the quiet, unassuming professor loudly.

Victor stood, his normally unflappable nature clearly overcome with emotion. "I'm honored, truly honored. Thank you." As the people settled down and took their seats, he glanced at their faces. "OK! You've had your fun! Now, the work starts!"

The emotional tension was immediately relieved as people smiled and groaned.

"We do need a group of leaders," Victor said. "Those of you at the head of your sections, as on Alpha, to help with our transition here on B."

"Berg!" someone called.

"Berg." Victor smiled. "Helena will continue to head up the Medical Unit, and compile a report as to their needs for an efficient medical center. Paul will head communications, establishing contact with A in the course of the first few days. Sandra, data analysis will be yours, as well as setting up our own version of Computer. Kano did allow us a few stray circuits and components…" There were some laughs. "No doubt we can set up some sort of functional computer to take care of the mundane calculations. Mark DeVos and Johan Burger will lead our reconnaissance team, and I hope they'll be training some more of us to be competent eagle pilots. We are fortunate to have Mila Santimuko of our hydroponic unit and Dina Korkova as our geneticist to head up what will be two of our most vital components." Victor paused thoughtfully for a moment. "No one in group A expressed interest when I mentioned our frozen embryos, so, I made sure they were transported here safely for future use. Not many are aware that Dina successfully produced two chickens on Alpha, but I've always followed the work of her team of microbiologists very closely."

There were expressions of surprise. "Chickens?"

"Yes, for a while Alpha had two chickens," Victor replied with amusement. We have several embryos that never had much purpose on Alpha, but now, could be of immense value to us."

"What kind of embryos?" someone asked.

Victor motioned to the young woman. "Dina?"

"We have several domestic animal embryos," she explained. "Dogs, cats, sheep, chickens, cows, pigs and even a few horse embryos. We brought down the laboratory rabbits and rats too, and they will be kept under strict control to prevent cross-contamination with our new environment."

People looked at each other with surprise and excitement. There were certainly elements on Alpha that many were unaware of, elements that now promised to make their transition to their new home even easier.

As Dina sat, Victor continued: "In my opinion, our most important task is to get our hydroponic unit up and functioning. That too will be independent of our new environment, as we don't want cross contamination of the vegetation on Berg. We will use the materials from Alpha to construct a hothouse so that we can begin to grow food within the next few days. While I have no doubt that there will be edible vegetation on Berg, our bodies are used to the nutrition of our earth food, so that should still provide the bulk of our supplies."

"Our main challenge will be to supplement our protein intake," the diminutive Japanese plant specialist, Mila Santimuko, interjected. "Life forms comparable to animal life on earth has been observed on Berg, but I agree with the Professor that our impact on our new home should be as small as possible. Rabbits would enable us to set up a breeding program for food supplies, with the hope that some embryos are viable for gestation and production of some of the species we are used to from earth."

"A power unit should be high on the list," Paul said. "We do have the backup power unit from Alpha for our immediate use, but it won't last forever."

"Solar panels," Victor said. "I supervised the transport of every solar panel from Alpha. They had been used originally when the base was established, before we switched to nuclear power."

"Will it work with our new sun?" Sandra asked.

"The data we've gathered shows very little difference between earth's sun and that of Alpha Nova. Once we've checked the photovoltaic cells in the panels, and overhauled the inverters, I'm convinced we can power our new home entirely through solar energy."

This brought another buzz of excitement as people conversed with one another about the new knowledge imparted to them. Victor sat down, giving them time to digest it all. The combination of a new planet, the absence of everything they had grown familiar with on Alpha, and an exciting but uncertain future was overwhelming, and he realized that while most were still operating on the adrenaline of Operation Exodus and the euphoria of finally finding a new home, they needed time to digest everything bombarding their minds and senses. When the conversations started dying down, and people began looking at him again, Victor concluded:

"Why don't we break up for the rest of the day. Explore your new home without going too far. Get together in small groups and draw up your own lists of priorities. What do you need first? What do you fear most? What would you most enjoy doing? What do you need to create our settlement? Let's get together tomorrow at 10:00 to plan our first few weeks. For now, we'll use lunar time to coordinate, and our earthbound calendar to make things easier. Use the passenger eagle pods for rest areas, or set up your own temporary shelters if you like. Most of all, find some time to relax!"

As the people started drifting off in small groups, Helena Russell joined Victor. She sat down next to him, reaching out to rub his arm affectionately.

"I have no doubt, Victor, that we are blessed with the most capable leader to make a success of our settlement. You underestimate yourself and your power to lead."

He reached for her hand. "Together, Helena, we can all make a success."

"Yes," she whispered, as their eyes locked. "Together. We are together." Then she rose and turned, leaving him staring after her in wonder and surprise.


Alan Carter led the group of three eagles slowly flying a grid over the unfamiliar terrain of A. In the passenger module of each eagle, technicians were monitoring the data streams gathered on the eagle's journeys, ascertaining that a continuous stream of photographs of the surface was recorded and saved. Now and then, as a new and unique feature appeared, there were exclamations of awe and surprise. The mandate was flyover, but more than once remarks were made on areas where a future landing had to be scheduled.

After several grueling hours of slow, low flying, the group of eagles returned to their new base. After confirming with Kano that data transmission had been successful, Alan went in search of Commander Koenig. The settlement area had been vastly changed in the few days they had inhabited A. Several domes had been set up, and eagle pods lowered in areas to create a village of sorts. Thick power cables snaked overhead on tall tripods, and a few pipes along the ground carried water from a spring to vital areas. There was the drone of pumps and machines powering the new structures, and everyone was focused on the tasks assigned to them.

Alan found Koenig in the laboratory pod, in conversation with Angela Robinson. He motioned to John, and after concluding his conversation, John Koenig strode over to his chief pilot.

"Well, Alan?"

"Our mission was successful, Commander. We mapped most of the quadrant of A closest to our base, within a radius of 500 km. There were no great surprises, but some amazing things to see, Commander!"

They walked around the settlement together.

"There are areas with huge amounts of trees. Well, we don't know that they are trees in the true sense, but they look like trees," Alan grinned. "No mountains yet, but certainly some areas that appear as hills. You know, Commander, there are very few rocks on this place. It's very colorful… the plants… if that's what we call them: Blue, yellow, green, red, purple, but very little brown, black and white. It seems to be a place of so much light, everything is bright."

"Angela has established the fact now that the water on A is all underground. There is no sign anywhere that rain has ever fallen here. Nor does there seem to be wind. The aquifers bubble up in certain areas as springs, in other forming lakes or ponds that are still, but remain fresh and clean. Like water on earth it consists of hydrogen and oxygen, with a slightly higher concentration of dissolved minerals. Surprisingly, these minerals are almost identical to those found in the soils on earth. Angela has a group of hydrologists currently working on a total analysis of the water here, but so far they are amazed at how similar it is to earth."

"Hmmm. As long as I can drink the stuff, I'm happy," Alan smiled. "For us to have found this place, in the entire universe, is just amazing!"

"Commander! Commander!" A young communications specialist came trotting up, waving his arms. "Berg! We have contact with Berg!"

With a look of confusion at each other, John and Alan trotted after the young man. "What on earth is Berg?"

The young man turned around. "The others. That's what they call their planet! B, for Berg."

John smiled. "I wonder if Victor had any say in it. Somehow, I doubt it." He turned to Alan. "Well, Alan, what do we call our planet?"

"I don't know, Commander. Koenig?"

John shook his head. "I have a task for you, Alan, while I take this. Get back to me with a good name for A."

David Kano, Angela Robinson and Bob Matthias were already in the communications pod. They gestured him closer.

"Paul, we have Commander Koenig here." Kano said, then in an aside to John. "No visuals yet, but great sound."

"Commander!" Paul came through. "David assures me you are all fine and very busy."

"Yes Paul, we've had an interesting few days. How are you all on B?"

We're great, Commander. And we call our planet Berg now. And our solar system Alpha Nova."

"Great Paul, that's a great name. Yes, we'll certainly adapt that name too. We still need a name for A. Alan is working on it now."

Paul laughed. "Lots of little things one never thinks about, Commander. We had a debate yesterday about the concept of time in our new solar system. While we still use lunar time on Berg, and the earth calendar, there was lively conversation on how to, and if, we should change to Alpha Nova time. I can tell you the women don't like it. With a shorter year, they'll age much faster!"

Everyone laughed at that. "How's Victor, Paul? Helena? Sandra? You are all well? No problems found?"

Everyone is great, Commander. We're designing houses now. Professor Bergman is overseeing the setup of our solar power plant right now."

"Did you say solar, Paul?"

"Yes, Commander. The Professor salvaged all the old solar panels from Alpha. Most of them seem to be in great working condition. It looks as if we'll be able to run on solar power."

"That's great, Paul!" John looked at his companions. "At a later stage we'd certainly like to learn from you how. It sounds like a much better alternative."

"Certainly, Commander. The Professor did say to draw up detailed plans to share. He was also keen to know what you've been up to."

"We've got our biggest team working on setting up the hydroponics unit, Paul. Alan and his team have been mapping our new planet. David has Computer running day and night analyzing the huge amounts of data coming in."

Kano laughed. "We have no night anymore, Commander!"

The others joined him. "Eventually our language might change to reflect the new world of Alpha Nova," Paul quipped. "Doctor Russell is investigating the possible effects of constant light on humans. She is of the opinion that a darkened sleep environment might still be best."

"She may very well be correct," John responded.

"Well, Commander," Paul concluded. "We have a communications center up and wanted to test our connection."

"Thank you, Paul. I'm glad we are connected now. Nothing like the sharing of ideas. Keep up the great work!"

"Thank you, Commander. Good luck to you all!"

John followed Kano outside. "Solar power! I should have known. Victor was involved in designing the original Moonbase Alpha. I hardly remember, but I do believe he's fallen back to the perfect solution."

"Could solar power generate enough electricity to run Computer?" Kano asked. "Was it not one of the reasons the power plant was changed to nuclear?"

"Alpha certainly had huge power needs. But it will be required of us now to become inventors for our new worlds too, David. On Alpha we relied on what was provided for us by the Space Commission. During our long, uncontrolled journey on the moon, we learned to adapt, but we still used what was on Alpha. Victor just reminded me that we need to think beyond Alpha now."

"You miss him, Commander?"

"I miss them all. I would have preferred all of us together. But I do believe we have two chances of success. We'll benefit from the group on B… Berg," John chuckled, "and they'll benefit from us. We may be on two worlds, but we are still one people."


The inhabitants of Berg viewed their new construction with excitement.

"That looks like it could be home," someone quipped.

The four roughly pentagonal shapes nestled together represented their first effort at building new dwellings from the salvaged material from Moonbase Alpha. The four pentagonal shapes fitted together, sharing common walls, and facing out from each other in the shape of a cross. At the back, a section of each shape had been cut out to form a central cavity which housed the power unit for the four dwellings. Towering above the power unit was an array of solar panels stretching over the roofs of the new dwellings.

"It looks neat, compact and very efficient," Paul said.

"Good work," Victor Bergman echoed.

"Each unit has a sleeping area at the back with room for two beds, or double bunks if stacked," Sandra read from her data sheet. "The front is a combined living area with a section that can be fitted for food preparation, and a small bathroom on the other side. Windows can be covered in blackout material to create artificial darkness for periods of sleep."

She had opened the door to one of the units, and they all glanced inside. Though the unit was not big, it would be a comfortable space for two, but could house four in a squeeze. Each unit could be somewhat individualized with the placement of furniture and other material.

"So, who gets a house first?" Dina Chang asked.

"We could hold a lottery," Johan Burger, one of the eagle pilots offered. There was general laughter before Paul turned to Victor Bergman.

"We thought it a good idea, Professor, if you took first occupation of a new home!" There was scattered applause, but Victor replied:

"I'm very comfortable in my little dome by the laboratory." He gestured towards the little dome set up next to the laboratory eagle. And now that we have the plan, it won't be long before there are a few clusters of new dwellings. Perhaps, Paul, you and some of the other senior personnel could take the lead."

Paul studied the Professor for a moment. He knew not much escaped the older man's attention. Then he turned to Sandra and pulled her closer to him.

"Sandra and I have been talking," he began. "This is our new home, where our new future begins. I have… ummm… Sandra and I… well… we want to be together. I've asked her to marry me."

A cheer rose up from the assembled group, followed by whistles and shouts of congratulations. Victor pumped Paul's hand enthusiastically, then embraced Sandra. "That is exactly what we need," he exclaimed. "I don't think there will be any doubt that our first official couple get the first housing unit."

Then he looked around the group. Already, within their short stay on Berg, couples have drifted together. Interestingly, the already married couples on Alpha had all opted for the other group. This was their future, he knew. It was difficult for lasting bonds to form in such a small group, with limited choice, but he knew that during the time the groups were forming on Alpha, those attracted to each other had inevitably chosen the same group. As these thoughts ran through his mind, Hector Perez, one of the young security men stepped forward. He held out his hand to a pretty girl, Tanya Lieberman, one of the horticulturists. "We want to be married too, Professor."

More shouts of congratulations followed, and the young couple was promptly allocated a second unit.

"We're good friends," one of the medical orderlies said, gesturing to her two friends. "We could bunk together in a unit."

Victor turned to Helena Russell. "What about you, Helena?"

"I'm good for now. I have an area in the medical unit."

The final unit was eventually allocated to four of the eagle pilots, young men who still saw the idea of bunking together as an adventure. Everyone knew that it was perhaps never final. As their settlement grew and needs became apparent, things could shift and change. They were content for now to enjoy the milestone of their first dwelling, and the exciting news of couples that would assure the future of their new community.

Much later, when Helena returned to the medical pod after a visit with Paul and Sandra, she noticed Victor Bergman wandering some distance from the settlement towards the seepage area they has simple started calling the "lake." She hurried to catch up with him.

"Victor!"

He turned, his eyes filled with pleasure as he watched her approach.

"Great things happened today, Victor." She fell in beside him as they strolled along the edge of the lake on the soft, moss-like ground cover. "Our first houses, and more important, our first families!"

"Yes," he replied softly. "That's the key to our future. We are far from settled or comfortable, but it is encouraging that the young people are already thinking along those lines. Everything else can be made or imagined by the human mind or human hands, but falling in love and starting a family cannot be done artificially."

"You've been doing some deep thinking, Victor."

He leaned against one of the tree-like structures, meeting her eyes. "Do you know that these things," tapping against the trunks, "are nothing like the trees on earth? Instead the structure is made up of thousands of very thin tubes nestled closely together to form what we recognize as the trunk. They may branch out to form a few additional sections, but always from the main trunk. No leaves, but this hair-like growth," he took a handful of the thin filaments protruding from the trunk in various places. "Yet they contain chlorophyll and do a process of photosynthesis."

Her eyes twinkled with amusement. "Wow, Victor, talk about changing the subject!"

"There are just so many things about our new world, Helena, which continue to amaze me. And so many things left to discover."

"You know what the most amazing thing is to me, Victor? The tranquility, the peacefulness, the quiet."

"It certainly is a planet without any sign of upheaval at first glance. Of course, we have not explored all of it by far, nor taken any glimpses of the dark side."

"No wind, no rain, no night. I wonder what the long term effects are going to be on our human bodies."

He gestured at the vegetation surrounding them. "No insect life, no need for pollination. The plants reproduce through some form of regeneration. We took some small samples, and in no time they had grown into new organisms."

They stood looking out over the lake. "There is life in here. We just don't know what yet."

"It's strange living in a world we know so little about, Victor. Yet, I am not afraid anymore." She turned towards him, waiting until he too turned to face her. "Victor…"

He stood absolutely still while she held those light green eyes captured in her gaze. Then she reached out to run her hand along his arm, taking his hand in hers. His gaze drifted down to their hands before he maneuvered his hand so their fingers interlocked.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking too, Victor. Walk with me…"

They set off further along the edge of the lake, the settlement receding into the distance. She was aware of the absolute stillness of his hand in hers, the warmth of his skin, the occasional brush of his arm against hers.

"When I first came to Alpha after Lee… after… the Astro 7 disappeared… it felt like my life was over. All I could do was bury myself in my work, studying space medicine… I was lost, Victor." They walked along quietly for a while before she continued: "Yet, you were there and for some reason took me under your wing, Victor. You were always willing to listen, to offer words of encouragement when I most needed it." She stopped, looking up at him. "I've often wondered why, Victor. No… don't answer that…"

She set off again, and he fell in beside her.

"We were so busy developing the original Moonbase. You were working on the main design, the power setup and your scientific investigations. I was overseeing the recreational areas from a medical point of view. I remember when John came aboard, working on the Ultra probe mission… it was a busy time… yet, somehow the three of us grew close… " She trailed off, and for a long time they just walked in silence.

"You supported me during the Meta probe investigations, Victor, when everyone else was whispering about the crackpot doctor who could not get over her husband's death."

"Your findings had merit, Helena. It was foolish to disregard them."

"When John returned to Alpha to get the Meta probe launched, fate had thrown us together again. Then, of course, September 13th happened… and we were cast into space… but somehow, people just assumed…"

She took a deep breath. "You're not making this easy for me, Victor."

This time it was he who stopped to face her. He reached out for her other hand, and she found herself lost in those green eyes again.

"I think I understand what you're trying to say, Helena."

She gave a nervous laugh. "You think…?" But he drew her close to him, his arms wrapping around her, and she rested her head against his shoulder, feeling his hard, trim body against hers. She pulled him closer, just relished standing there with him, silent, entwined. Distant voices and laughter from the settlement drifted towards them, and she closed her eyes and could envision a sunset… a darkening sky… a soft breeze.

"We better get back," he said softly by her ear.

"Yes. Yes." Yet, she relished his embrace a moment longer, before they broke apart and started the journey back to their settlement. Neither spoke, nor did they reach for each other's hands, but she was aware of a tension, a charge that had sprung to life between them. "No," she silently thought to herself, "it had always been there. But with our intellectual, analytical and logical minds, we had never thought to pursue it."


"Set her down, Alan, set her down!" John Koenig exclaimed. They had been searching for days for the signs of animal life the exploration party had spotted before their exodus to their new home, and finally had spotted a herd of the small four-legged creatures that had been evading them since their arrival.

"They're so fast, Commander. They'll be gone before we even get outside!"

"Keep an eye on them, George," Koenig called to his technical assistant. "Photographs, data, make sure David gets it all."

"Yes Commander," George Crato replied, trying to keep the darting and dashing little creatures in view. As they were barely skimming the surface, they young man was hanging half out of the eagle port, trying to keep his instruments steady.

"They look like pigs with long legs," Bill Frazer noted. "Very long legs. And very small pigs."

"Never seen a pig so fast," Carolyn Powell remarked, grabbing hold of a seat back. The eagle was yawing wildly as Carter tried to follow the little herd.

"Commander!" Bill cried out, "It's Crato, he's gone out!"

"Alan! Slow it down, set her down!" John called out, and as the eagle touched down, they rushed back to the stricken technician. He was curled up in a ball of pain, groaning.

"Bob, prepare for an injury," John called out to Matthias on his commlock. With communications and Computer up and running, they've managed to retain their commlocks as a main communication device.

Ben Vincent, who had been on the flight as medical officer, straightened up. "Looks like a couple of broken bones. Let's load him up, and be careful. I'll give him something to stabilize him until we get to base."

They carefully lifted the injured man onto a gurney after Vincent stabilized the affected limbs. The flight back to the settlement was subdued, the four-legged creatures forgotten for the moment.

As Crato was wheeled to the medical pod, followed by Koenig and Vincent, Alan stepped out of the eagle. "I guess our first hunting expedition was a failure," he remarked to Bill Fraser.

"You tell me. I was already envisioning one of those things on the barbeque!" The two men laughed, then strode off to find someone to share their story with.

In the medical pod, a sedated Crato was being attended by Bob Matthias. "Broken tibia and fibula, as well as a couple of ribs," Matthias reported to a concerned John Koenig. "He'll be ok, but it will be a while before he's back in action again."

"Thank you, Bob. Was just one of those freak accidents."

"I know, Commander. We've had a good time so far, it's our first incident since coming to Erath."

John smiled. The Alphans on planet A had finally come up with a name for their new home, a simple anagram of "earth". Yet, he liked the sound and simplicity of it: Erath and Berg in the solar system of Alpha Nova. A new beginning, a new future, yet it tied them to their past, which could never be ignored.

Outside the medical unit, the community had been expanded widely. Domes had been erected and modified to create a large area, where the group could meet. Residential domes were now scattered in clusters as people instinctively grouped together. Some had obtained materials from Victor's group, and had erected more durable structures. The recreation areas had been cleared further and now included a makeshift soccer pitch. A communal food service area had been set up, where the group could still enjoy communal rations prepared in bulk. But their pride and joy was the hydroponics area, where botanists were always hard at work, and the first shoots of tomatoes, beans, peas, carrots, onions and strawberries had made an appearance.

He had spent a prolonged time in the hydroponics area the day before, and had been shown the tiny plants that would soon become apple and orange trees, peach trees and grapevines. Angela Robinson had been excited as she explained to him that by all expectations, the soil on Erath would support their earth-growing vegetation. She had found that even though the vegetation on Erath did not have leaves in the true sense, they still went through a process like photosynthesis. That had prompted their impulsive quest to find the animal life on Erath for investigation. While they still had plenty of supplies from Alpha, a protein source would be a welcome addition. They had hoped to capture one of the creatures, but Crato's accident had put a stop to it.

John joined David Kano in the Computer pod.

"You ever do any fishing, David?" he asked a surprised Kano.

"No, Commander. Fishing? Why that question?"

"We have all these seepage ponds and bodies of water, David. There is life in them, and it would be interesting to investigate. We have nothing that remotely resembles water gear, because it was never needed on the moon, but we may be able to get something by fishing."

"We need to find a fishing rod first," Kano exclaimed.

"Or make one."

"Then hope whatever lives in the water, would take bait."

"True." John pondered that for a moment. "Get Computer to create a list of things we could use to build some kind of water craft, Kano. We can salvage materials from eagles and even moon buggies." The group had transported all the moon buggies during Operation Exodus, and was using them extensively for ground exploration.

"Right, Commander. A boat of some kind will be very exciting!"

"Have you heard anything lately from Berg?"

"No, Commander. The last news we had, was of Paul and Sandra and Hector and Tanya getting married." Kano turned to Koenig. "You think we'll be invited, Commander?"

"Who knows, David. We do have some married couples from Alpha here on Erath, but no one has reported that kind of news here yet."

"Yes, Bill and Annette Fraser is one couple building one of those Alpha structures," Kano offered. Then he smiled. "Getting married is a big step, Commander, even with a brand new future ahead of us. But I'm sure we'll have some weddings of our own."

After a pause, David turned to Koenig. "Who will perform them, though?"

John laughed. "Oh, we'll just have some kind of civilian ceremony. I'm sure Computer can come up with something from the archives we can use."

Kano found that amusing too, and the two men chuckled.

"David, I want Computer to create a report of what is needed to start exploring the dark side of Erath. I know we still have a long way to go setting up our own community and investigating what we can see, but I think we have to have some idea of what lies on the dark side."

"Yes Commander."

"Ask Carter to prepare an eagle for departure in 48 hours. We'll go to the edge of the dark side and stream back some data. I'll feel more reassured if we at least have some information of what lies beyond."

"Right, Commander."

"Keep me informed if you hear anything from Berg," Koenig said as he left. He missed Helena, he missed Victor, Paul, Sandra… he smiled to himself; he even missed Alpha and the periods of intense adventure while their moon had been drifting through unknown space. Yes, Erath may be an idyllic paradise compared to the Moonbase, but once the work was done on their settlement, he feared there wasn't much else to do for a people used to crisis and hectic activity.


On Berg one of the bigger domes had been filled with chairs, and draped with brightly colored streamers that Victor had no idea where someone had come up with them. A meal of some sort was laid out on the tables, and the centerpiece was a handful of tiny strawberries and a small cluster of dandelions harvested from their fledgling hydroponics unit. There was great excitement as people started drifting in. Already some had shed the stark, practical uniforms of Alpha, and exchanged it for their limited civilian wear they had kept on Alpha. A few had even modified their Alpha garments by removing sleeves, lopping off pant legs or sewing on decorations. The weather on Berg was pleasant and mild.

The excitement was the couples getting married today: Paul and Sandra, Hector and Tanya. The young people had felt no need for waiting, and a simple ceremony had been planned.

Victor stood on the small platform. For the occasion he had found a shirt somewhere, which just hung loose over the Alpha khakis. The leadership group had decided that in the absence of true court officials, he would preside over the ceremony.

Helena was making sure the makeshift meal was properly laid out as the dome filled up. People took their seats on either side of an aisle, and as a young man started playing the traditional wedding march from earth on a guitar, the group fell silent.

Paul and Sandra, followed by Hector and Tanya, entered from the back of the dome. There were no fancy wedding clothes, and both couples had elected to just wear their Alpha uniforms. The ladies though, had a small decoration made of dandelions and leaves from the hydroponics unit in their hair.

People stood up spontaneously and applauded. This had never before happened after they left earth. Alpha had not been a place conducive to marriage or families, and while there had indeed been married couples on the Moonbase, there had been a moratorium of sorts on children. While the moon had still been in orbit, couples who became pregnant had been reassigned back to earth. It was therefore a big occasion for the Alphans on Berg.

Bergman gestured for the two couples to join him, smiling broadly. A hush fell over those present.

"Paul, Sandra, Hector, Tanya," Victor began. "Your love for each other has brought us together here today. We are happy to share this special moment with you as witnesses, and our hope for you is that your love will grow stronger as you build a future together. Learn from each other, and grow together in an unbreakable bond. Remember that love requires work; the work of compromise, adjustment, forgiveness and creativity. Know that we all love you, and as your love for each other grows stronger, know too that it will be an inspiration for us all to love each other as a community in the same way: with compromise, adjustment, forgiveness and creativity. May your love create a safe haven for you as you start your journey together, just as we are building this settlement as a safe haven to support you. Listen to each other, help each other, and strive to understand each other's dreams, hopes and even fears. Reach for what is good inside of you to share that with your partner, and know that as we are a small community, we support you with all that is in our hearts."

He turned to Paul and Sandra.

"Do you, Sandra, take, Paul to be your husband for life? Do you promise to walk by his side forever, and to love, help, and encourage him in all he does? Do you promise to take time to talk with him, to listen to him, and to care for him? Will you share his laughter, and his tears, and as his partner, love and respect him as your best friend, and stand by him through the good times and the bad? Do you take him as your lawfully wedded husband for now and forevermore?"

Sandra nodded and whispered a quiet: "Yes." Victor then faced Paul.

"Do you, Paul, take, Sandra to be your wife for life? Do you promise to walk by her side forever, and to love, help, and encourage her in all she does? Do you promise to take time to talk with her, to listen to her, and to care for her? Will you share her laughter, her tears, and as her partner, love and respect her as your best friend, and stand by her through the good times and the bad? Do you take her as your lawfully wedded wife for now and forevermore?"

Paul glanced at Sandra, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Yes, Professor, I do."

"Repeat after me then, Sandra," Victor continued, "while you give to each other a token of your union." Victor held up a small box, where two rings nested on a soft cloth. The rings were simple ornaments fashioned from pieces of platinum found in the scavenged remains of Alpha, and several craftsmen had worked on them diligently.

"I, Sandra, hereby take Paul as my lawfully wedded husband, and I give you this token of my love and devotion. With this ring I thee wed."

Sandra's voice was soft but firm as she repeated the vow, and slipped the ring onto Paul's finger. Victor noticed some of the faces watching, and saw the pent up emotion in many of the eyes.

"Paul, repeat after me: I, Paul, hereby take Sandra to be my lawfully wedded wife, and I give her this token of my love and devotion. With this ring I thee wed."

As Paul repeated his vow and slipped the ring on her finger, his eyes were filled with love, and they never strayed from her face.

"Well, then with the power invested in me by our leadership group, I now pronounce you man and wife," Victor concluded. There were spontaneous cheers and applause, as Paul scooped up his new bride in his arms, kissing her long and soundly. Some of those near the front got up and sprinkled shiny confetti on the shoulders and heads of the new couple. Then things settled down, Paul and Sandra stood aside, and Victor repeated the ceremony for Hector and Tanya.

By the time it was complete, the pent up emotions were ready to explode. People hugged the newlyweds with abandon, shouting and talking excitedly. A great vault from the years of restraint had been opened, and people were ready to vent emotion in celebration of this milestone.

Victor stepped down from the small platform, heading for Hector and Tanya to congratulate them, when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to face Helena.

"That was beautiful, Victor. Who knew a scientist could speak so tenderly about love?"

He had no idea how to reply to her. Instead he gestured at the food tables and the streamers. "Thank you for taking care of the rest, Helena. Who knew that a group of travelers in an unknown new world could come up with a ceremony that is so bright and colorful?"

"I had help, of course," Helena smiled. "Who could have known that several of us had kept streamers and small tokens from graduations, birthdays and other events for sentimental reasons. Today was a perfect opportunity to share those with our community."

Together they congratulated the couples, then joined in with the group helping themselves to the food and snacks. It was no formal meal, people simply stood around eating and celebrating. After a while a group of reconnaissance men started clearing away a few chairs and set up something that looked suspiciously like an old speaker on one of the tables. Soon lively music filled the dome, and people responded happily.

"Brides and grooms!" a voice called out. "It's time to dance!"

There was no hesitation. Paul and Sandra and Hector and Tanya joined each other to open the dance floor to an old, old earth song, "My Wish." People clapped along enthusiastically, and before long a few other couples had joined in.

"This is amazing!" Helena said. "We have some pretty ingenuous folks here on Berg."

Victor offered her a bowl of punch as he came and stood by her side. "We need this," he said. "Alpha was not very conducive to letting off steam…" He suddenly stopped, listening.

"What is it, Victor?"

"They came!" he exclaimed, heading outside. She followed him, and they watched together as an eagle touched down just beyond their settlement.

"John!" Victor ran over to meet the party alighting from the eagle. John Koenig, Alan Carter, Bob Matthias, Angela Robinson and Bill and Annette Fraser greeted their friends enthusiastically. By now others from the wedding celebration had come outside, having also heard the eagle, and the excitement of seeing their old friends again had not been experienced in a long time. There were hugs and handshakes, shouts and tears. John clung to Helena Russell as if his life depended on it.

"We represent Erath," John said once some calm descended over the group. "Everyone sends their congratulations, of course."

"Come, John, join us!" Victor exclaimed, leading the group back to the dome. The music had started again, and soon the area cleared for dancing had to be enlarged by moving aside more chairs.

Victor, Helena and John sat down in a small cluster of chairs and watched the wildly gyrating bodies for a while.

"It's so good to see you all again," John eventually said, clutching Helena's hand. "You look well, and your settlement is just fantastic! We had no idea…"

"We've had dedicated workers, John," Victor replied. "We've hardly started as there is still so much to learn, but we are pleased with our progress."

"I especially like your living units, Victor. You must give me a close up view before we go back."

"Sure, John." The community on Berg had at that point completed three of the cross shaped pentagonal clusters of housing, and work had begun on a bigger structure that would eventually become their medical unit. "Today we are focusing on the new couples though," Victor continued. "It's their special day, so enjoy it with us. We can arrange a visit for more official purposes in the near future."

"Of course, Victor." John put down his drink and held out his hand to Helena. "Join me?" he said and led her off to the dance area.

Victor watched them in silence for a while. His mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. When they had been back on Alpha, John and Helena had always been regarded as a couple, and he knew of their deep love for each other. There had never been much time or opportunity for relationships to grow on the Moonbase, nor had it been encouraged. The precariousness of their whole existence had prohibited it, as professionalism was required in their constant battle for survival. Now, however, things had changed. There had been a shift during the last few months on Alpha, when the Alphans had been besieged by inactivity and hopelessness. Then had come the split to inhabit both new planets… Victor wrung his hands together in frustration before opting to join Angela Robinson for a bit of shop talk about the scientific research on their respective planets. He felt safer with those thoughts occupying his mind.

They were in deep discussion, having zoned out the music and revelry around them, when Victor startled at a hand on his shoulder. He was suddenly aware of the slow rhythm of the music, the desperation of the lyrics as he looked up into Helena's eyes.

She held out her hands. "Come, Victor."

He closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath, then drew her to him as the words of the song washed over them: "I wanna know what love is. I want you to show me. I wanna feel what love is. I know you can show me." Their bodies fitted together, swaying slowly to the music, and for that brief moment Victor's constantly churning mind was empty, his senses just filled with her closeness, her touch, her soft hair against his cheek.

He sighed deeply, completely overcome by the strange emotion that had taken hold of him, then became aware of her eyes on him.

"It's ok, Victor," she whispered softly. "It feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yes." His voice was hoarse, the word barely escaping.

As the music died down and then changed to a livelier beat, he took a step back. His body was wound tight, like a spring ready to contract, and as they walked back to the seating area, he was aware of John's eyes on him.

"Well, Victor, it seems you have talents I'm not even aware of," John exclaimed with a chuckle. But for once Victor realized he had no idea what the strange expression in the eyes of his friend conveyed. All he could do wash flash a brief, embarrassed smile.

The celebrations had been going on for quite a while, and people were beginning to drift away.

"Hey Paul!" Alan Carter called out. "Where you going for your honeymoon?"

That brought laughter. "The dark side!" Paul retorted, Sandra tucked firmly by his side.

John turned to Bergman. "Well, Victor, how about showing me one of your housing units now. We'll be leaving soon. You know about the accident we had with Crato. Bob doesn't want to be gone too long, though the young man is on the mend. And we're busy preparing an expedition to our dark side. We postponed it because of your invitation, but we'd like to get back to it."

Victor led the way to the latest completed living units.

"As you can see, John, the pentagons are arranged in a cluster so they share sidewalls, and the central area houses the power unit and a simple plumbing system for the four units. Power is supplied by the solar panels, and yes, I've set aside some panels and inverters for you, if you'd like to take them. I've checked them carefully, and they are in good working order."

"I think we'll send a freight eagle soon, Victor. We're good on power now. Let's get our exploration to our dark side over first." John ran his hand along the wall of the residential unit. "I do like these. Compact, efficient, simple. I had forgotten that you are quite the designer, Victor."

"It was a team effort, John."

"What do you think we'll find on the dark side of Erath, Victor." The two men headed towards the eagle. "Any idea?"

"No, John. Though, I would expect that in the absence of light and heat, it would be a cold, lifeless place. There would be ice, most probably. We're curious too, but we decided that there is still too much we have to learn about our side of Berg before venturing to our dark side."

"I agree, Victor, but there has been a certain restlessness within our group. Our time on Alpha had conditioned people to action, exploration, the unknown. I don't think it'll hurt to send a small expedition."

"You'll be going, John?"

"Alan, Angela, Ed Spencer, Tony Allen, Ed Collins and myself, yes. We'll just be skimming the edge of the dark side. We'll be looking for a place to set up a base for further, longer expeditions."

"Sounds very tempting, John. You'll inform me of your findings?"

"Of course, Victor. I think it's just routine. We really don't expect to find much." John looked towards the dome. "Well, I need to round up my group. It's time we headed home." He clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Victor. These weddings on Berg was something our communities needed. Another stepping stone to the future."

"Thank you for coming, John. It was great seeing you, hearing your news. I hope we'll share many more visits, and often."

The rest of the Erath party was making their way to the eagle, followed by a cluster from Berg. This first visit had done much for both communities, assuring them of their ability to be in touch constantly, lightening the feelings of isolation from each other. Long after the eagle had lifted off, groups of people were still watching it disappear into the distance.

(To be continued...)