Helena stared at him as if he were mad, "You yourself brought into question John's rationality when he said there was an entity in his mind, and now you're telling me that you not only believe it's true, but that John asked you to kill him to escape this entity, and you were going to do it?" She stood up and paced the length of the coffee table, "How do I know you haven't been taken over by one of these 'Bintossians'?"
Victor's voice was quiet and factual, "You don't."
She glared at him, "That's terrific...."
He stood and approached her gently, "Helena, I'm asking for your trust, as John asked for mine. He needs our help, and if what he told me is all true, if we don't help ourselves, none of us will survive." He looked at the floor, "If you had seen the agony he was in....."
Helena could hear Victor's emotion for John in his voice, and reached out gently, touching his arm.
"At least he's not in pain anymore." Victor looked up at her, so she continued, "He checked out fine this morning, no more pain, no fever, steady pulse."
To her dismay, instead of relief, Victor was agitated, "Did he go back on duty?"
"Well of course, he's fine."
Victor paced away from her, running his hands over his head, "Then we've got to move fast..."
She walked over to him, "Victor, what are you talking about?"
He turned to her, gripping her arms with his hands, "Don't you understand what this means? He's lost his fight against them completely. That isn't John Koenig anymore, it's an entity inside him that's going to make sure all of us go down to that planet one way or another. Helena, we have to stop him."
Helena searched his eyes, and knew that he believed what he was saying, but she reminded herself that it wasn't her rational Victor who was speaking; Victor would never hurt John, and last night she had seen him attempt murder with her own eyes. He wasn't sane; he couldn't be. Whatever sickness had plagued John, now had Victor in its throes. She broke from his grasp, and took his hands in hers.
"Victor, I want you to come with me to Med Lab."
He felt the despair of loss as he looked into her eyes.
"You don't believe me then....all will be lost."
Helena allowed his hands to slip from hers.
"I believe that you believe it. And I know that you thought you were helping him last night--"
Victor turned away, anger coloring his tone, "--I haven't lost my mental faculties, Helena. I'm as sane and rational as I was yesterday, as I was last night." He turned to face her, tears filling his eyes, "I would sooner give my own life than take John's, but he begged me to help him escape from the hell he was in." He swallowed hard, "He was in agony Helena, and still he fought it to tell me that by ending his life, Alpha stood a chance to survive." His voice grew quiet as he recalled the horror of the night before, "He pleaded with me, and I argued," he looked deeply into her eyes, "but in the end, I couldn't bear to see him in such torment any longer...."
Helena felt a lump in her throat and tried to swallow it down. She did not question that Victor loved John like a son; but was this impossible sounding tale the truth? Her own words from the day before, when it had been John in question, echoed in her mind mocking her judgment: she needed to consider the impossible, no matter how improbable. But, for her own peace of mind, she needed proof. Helena looked into the sorrowful eyes of Victor Bergman, and her hand lightly stroked the side of his face.
"Can you offer me any kind of proof that anything you've said is true?"
Victor searched within for an answer, and then an idea hit him.
"The landing party...."
"What about them?"
"If what John said is true, then none of them is who he appears to be--"
"--You're saying that these Bintossians have taken over Alan, and my med-tech Lucas Washington, along with the rest of the team?"
Victor shrugged slightly, "Yes. Look, you saw for yourself that John ordered Operation Exodus to the fourth planet before we were even in scanning range of it, insisting that it was 'the paradise we've been looking for' I believe were his words. When the survey Eagle returned, Alan Carter used a similar turn of phrase, insisting that it was perfect for us to settle there, even though the team had performed only preliminary tests, the data unanalyzed by computer." He took her hands in his, "If I'm right, Helena, the members of that landing party are not only no longer Alphans, they're going to work with John to push Alpha into evacuating to that planet as soon as possible."
"Are you talking about sabotage, Victor?"
He shook his head slowly, "Yes, I think it will come to that if we don't move quickly enough for the Bintossians." He smiled wanly at her, "And keep your eyes on John; he might seem normal for the moment, but I'm guessing that it won't last. Whatever's left of him will fight the mind control, if for no other reason than to tip us off that he isn't in command." He squeezed her hands, "We must help him, Helena.....if you had seen his eyes....."
She moved away from him, considering all of it. What Victor suggested made sense in and of its own context. However, for the moment, she would have to leave him confined, and see if any of what he said proved out; and then she would have to bring Paul Morrow into it. Helena turned to Victor once more.
"All right, I'll watch for anything suspicious from the members of the landing party, or John; but for now, Victor, I'm afraid you'll have to remain here."
He nodded, "I understand, a fair chance is all I ask."
She looked at the food tray, then back at him, "Eat something, Victor, you won't help Alpha or John if you don't."
She smiled slightly at him, and he returned it, although it never reached his eyes. Helena turned and walked out the door, sealing him behind it. Victor took up his pacing once more. He needed to speak to John, alone, but exactly how he would manage that, he yet did not know.