Kano was just making the final connections of the modified converter to the life support system, when Paul entered quickly.

"Kano?"

The computer tech shrugged as he snapped the final ring around the metal, tightening it. "It's anyone's guess, Paul. What about the Commander?"

Morrow let out a long breath of air, "I'm afraid he took off in an Eagle with Dr. Russell as a hostage."

"Did you send someone after him?"

"Not yet. Our more immediate problem is fixing life support. If we don't, none of it will matter." He looked at Kano. "Are you ready?"

"It's either going to work, or it isn't, there's no sense in prolonging it."

Paul pressed a button on his commlock. "Okay Sandra, restart the life support system."

The already dim lights in life support flickered. And nothing happened.

"Kano....."

David rechecked the converter configuration, and all the physical connections, but he could find nothing awry. "I don't know, Paul. According to everything we know, this should work."

"Well it isn't." The two men stared at each other, then Paul pat Kano's shoulder. "Do what you can. I'll be in Main Mission."

Kano nodded as Paul turned and left the room. If only the Professor were there to help him.

Helena stared at the massive crystals protruding from the walls, ceiling and floor of the bright room. Under any other circumstance, it would have been beautiful. She involuntarily shivered as Koenig turned to look at her, stretching his hand out toward her.

"Don't be afraid, it won't hurt."

Her voice held a sharp edge to it, "No, it'll just kill me."

A frown creased his brow. "Is there nothing I can say?"

"You aren't John Koenig. Let me speak with him."

Natarak smiled with John's lips. "No."

The booming voice filled the room, although Helena wasn't sure if she actually heard it, or only felt it. "Natarak, let her speak with him."

"Why, Zentor? It serves no purpose."

A soft feminine voice answered, "Natarak, you are too young to understand. The beings known as Koenig and Russell are much as Zentor and I were in their forms. Our way has never been filled with cruelty. Let them speak to each other once more. It will harm nothing. They are not strong enough to resist us. Let them have one last moment together."

"But Peratha--"

Zentor's voice interrupted her, "--Enough Natarak. Do as you are instructed."

Helena could feel the sting of tears in her eyes as Koenig turned toward her, a familiar look in his large blue eyes. She held her arms out to him.

"John...."

He stepped close to her, pulling her tightly against him. "Shh, Helena, it's all right."

She gripped him hard with her hands, crying into his chest. "Oh John, I thought I'd lost you."

He kissed her head. "I'm so sorry, Helena. I didn't want.... I couldn't stop it."

She looked up into his face and saw the large tears forming in the crystal blue of his eyes. "It wasn't your fault, John, I know that."

Koenig placed both of his hands on either side of her face, pulling her up to his lips. He kissed her deeply, and then embraced her as though he would never let go. Helena whispered against him.

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

He leaned closer to her. "I honestly don't know, Helena. Natarak knows my thoughts as I think them...." Even as he said it, a seed entered his mind. He shoved it from consciousness. Koenig turned to look toward the large crystals encased in the middle of the chamber. "Zentor..... I am meant for you, is that true?"

"Yes, John Koenig, that is true."

"And Helena is meant for Peratha, correct?"

"Yes, that is also true."

"And all of you once lived as humanoids?"

"Yes, thousands of your years ago. We abandoned the form so that we could devote ourselves to other pursuits, unencumbered by our bodies."

"You and Peratha.....love each other?"

"Yes. And in that way, you and Dr. Russell will still be together."

"How could a society as obviously advanced as yours be content to steal bodies, murdering those who currently exist in them?"

"You do not understand, John Koenig."

"Then explain it to me."

As Zentor spoke, John moved out of Helena's embrace, and slowly walked around the room, as though studying its composition.

"Our race must survive, John Koenig. We are not immortal, and in our current forms, many of us are dying. As beings of light, we are unable to reproduce ourselves. Every two thousand years we must return to a humanoid form in order to create young Bintossians."

"So this is not the first time you have stolen lives?"

"A first for this generation. You see, we are born and die in humanoid form. But we exist for two centuries as light in between. For billions of years, Bintoss has survived in this manner."

Helena's voice shook with anger, "It sounds very selfish to me."

Peratha answered, "But it is not, Dr. Russell. While we exist in the forms of light, we can travel to any distance, learn things we would never know otherwise; our culture is as advanced as it is because of this ability, and we share this information freely with any beings who ask. But, as we grow old, we gradually lose the ability to project our light beyond the confines of these crystals."

"Natarak can...." Koenig commented.

"Yes. She is still young enough to do so; most of us cannot, which is why we require your people to come to us. Your colleagues did away with the only other Bintossians who could still project themselves beyond this chamber. A few hundred humanoid lives every two centuries is a small price for the universe to pay for all of the knowledge that we accumulate and give out freely."

Koenig nodded, "Yes, I can see that."

Helena looked at him sharply, "John, how can you say that?"

He walked over to her, taking her by the arms, "Don't you see Helena, we have an opportunity here to be a part of something bigger than ourselves."

Shocked by his words, Helena pushed slightly away from him. "Have you taken leave of your senses, John? Do you know what you're saying?"

"Yes, yes I do. We can be together, Helena, like we've always wanted, but will probably never have...."

Russell backed away from him further, believing that Natarak had taken him back. "You can't mean it, John. What about everyone on Alpha?"

"Zentor, I will give of myself willingly to you. I only ask that you take me first. I....I can't bear to watch Helena....."

Helena felt sick, unable to accept the words she heard from Koenig's mouth. She felt tears flowing down her cheeks, but her emotions inside were beginning to numb.

"Prepare yourself, John Koenig. You will make an extraordinary Inferon. Natarak, you must leave him now and return to your crystal."

As Natarak fled the body and mind of John Koenig, she felt something. It was an idea, a seed of a plan. And it caused her to panic.

"No! Stop him!"

But it was too late. As soon as Koenig felt Natarak's influence leave him, he grabbed the laser gun still attached to his belt, and fired a broad beam through the chamber. Crystals begin to explode into hulks of burnt masses, and he kept firing. Helena covered her ears as the ethereal screams of the Bintossians filled the small room. Koenig continued to fire, until there was nothing left but darkened, melted masses of smoking husks. He saw the spark ignite from the middle of the room, and as the massive explosion began, he grabbed Helena, and ran for the Eagle.