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Kidnapped

Authors: Sonia Foster
Categories: John/Helena
Episodes: Set after Collision Course
Show Year: Y3
Rating: PG-13
Date: 2004

Story 6 in the "Beula" series +
1 - Synergy
2 - Lud
3 - Beula
4 - Pul
5 - Delivery
6 - Kidnapped
7 - Training, Mothering
8 - This Love
9 - War
10 - She is Mine
They go back to Lud as the Silver Fish is birthed.
Average Rating: 5.0/5 (based on 130 reviews)

Moonbase Alpha's status report: 1530 days after leaving Earth's orbit, Dr. Helena Koenig recording. John and I have taken Isaiah home after Drs. Bob
Mathias and Ed Spencer ran extensive tests on both of us. They have discovered several irregularities within his body structure as well as his brain wave pattern. They have decided to monitor his development. Three women on Alpha are now pregnant, one by artificial insemination.

Isaiah fussed in his bassinet. Helena had just fallen asleep and John had left for Main Mission. She opened one eye and lay still wondering if he would go back to sleep. His fussing turned into whimpers and Helena, though exhausted, got up. She walked over to her son and lifted him from his bassinet.

She felt his diaper and he was wet. "Oh, so that's why you are so restless. I changed you before I put you down and now you're wet. That should not be."

Helena made cooing sounds to him as she changed his diaper. Her mind went back to the evening when her son had healed her. Hours later, John and Helena were on the monitors in every section of Alpha along with Alan
and Alibe's engagement party.

John and Helena were sorry they missed it but later that evening they re-watched it on the monitors. A couple of days later they were out of medical and home.

Helena smiled at him and picked him up. She sat in a comfortable chair in their quarters and breast fed him. As usual she felt the energy from him flow
through her. John too felt the same thing when she breast fed and she thought it was a miracle.

John Koenig looked up from his discussion with Dar, Centy and Ai'son; Helena was breast feeding. Koenig smiled to himself. The men looked at him strangely.

"Well, where were we?" he asked sheepishly. Ai'son stood, he was the tallest man in the room and a little intimidating.

"We need your answer, Commander. We are well aware of the fact that you have a child and that your wife is concerned but you need to understand our position. We cannot tolerate a leader who has not been trained,"
Ai'son said.

Koenig too stood. He was a little distracted he knew, but it had been almost two weeks now and something troubled him. His mind kept going back to Lud and Helena's consent to go there and help the Ludians. Koenig hoped they did not contact them.

"I might as well clear the air," John said, looking at the burly man. "I have a more pressing problem right now."

Dar too stood up at this, "You never mentioned this before, Commander."

Centy stretched his legs under the conference table and had a puzzled look on his face; of the three men he was the most pleasant. He had silver colored hair and fine featured. His complexion was almost golden. He was slender and soft spoken.

"Helena made a promise to the people of another planet some months ago. It is complicated but the gist of it is she is obligated to go back and restore their leader," Koenig said.

"Elaborate, Commander," Ai'son said. He was tall and well built with bluish gray complexion.

"We are at war, Commander, we have to defend our territory. Will this affect your alliance with us in any way? Who are these people?" Centy asked.

Koenig walked to the center of the room and spun around. He looked at them one by one in turn. He was not sure what to say or how much to say.

"It will not affect our alliance or my leadership of this Pentact, but this is something we have to do."

"Who are these people?" Centy asked again.

"I would rather not say but give us some time and I will get back to you," John looked at them they did not look happy with his answers.

Ai'son stepped before him, the Mendalian eyed him. He was not sure what to believe. "We have lost much ground in not starting your training, Commander, but we will give you time. They know you are here, Commander. You have already seen one of our enemies. They are more deadly than that. Call us if you need our help." The Mendalian touched a chain linked to a key on his lapel and vanished from sight. Koenig was startled: the man had come on a craft from Pul.

"You will find him to be a bit abrupt, Commander, but he has the best trained fighters in the Gorin system. Trust us - he is a formidable force. He and he alone could wipe us both out, but he chose to co-operate with us," Centy offered.

"Pul will stand with you, Commander, and all the technology of Coron, too. Right, Centy?" Dar said, approaching the tall, slender man.

"Yes, all the technology of Coron," smiled Centy.

"We will leave now, Commander, but we will speak again soon. I will be expecting the five technicians from Alpha on Pul next week and our Omega experts will be on Beula in a few hours."

Koenig smiled and extended his hand. The men were not quite used to this gesture yet. They left Koenig's hand hanging, not remembering what to do with it.

Koenig escorted them out of his office at Command Center and into Main Mission where everyone looked up at the men. Koenig was aware that he was shorter than the two aliens. Dar led the way. He was dark-haired with green skin. His sharp features stood out. He touched his fleshy sideburns, conscious of the stares from the Main Mission staff.

Centy too was a bit conscious of the stares. He was also as willowy as Dar but he had finer features and a gentle look. He turned to stare on his own at the creature called Maya. Centy liked her and wished to know her better; he would speak to the Commander about her when he got to know them better.

Koenig entered the travel tube with them and saw them unto their craft.

He made a detour home before going on to see Alan and Victor at the testing facility for the new Eagle .

John entered his quarters at 1400 hours. The area was quiet. He entered his sleeping area and saw that Helena was in her favorite chair for feeding their
son. It had been brought up from Beula and was overlaid with a soft feathery material. The structure was more like rubber. The seat was a recliner also.

He saw that Isaiah and Helena were asleep. John heard a sound and began to turn. He felt a hand on his shoulder just before everything went black. He slumped bonelessly to the floor.


Alan Carter stood in his flight suit going over the last of the checks on the new Eagle. The Centarian from Pul had just finished running the checks on the new fuel system. It was a natural gas found on Coron and Peel in there system. The Centarians had perfected the fuel for long distance flying and they were now going to test it. Alan nodded his head in approval to the final changes and checks made on the super Eagle.

Victor Bergman exited the Eagle as Alan approached. "Well, Alan, she is beautiful. The charts are in place and also the Cateri fusion system is in place. It is similar to a jump drive so it should be able to take you anywhere in this system. Our refueling ability, though, will be a problem."

Alan smiled. He and the professor were fascinated by this new ship. Commander Koenig was, also. "I know, professor, if not we might be able to get back to Earth, wherever Earth may be."

"I am so proud of the work you did on it, Alan. Both you and the engineers should be proud of your achievements."

Alan nodded and hung his head as he walked on. It came up and he strutted some. They both turned around as inner doors to the catacombs opened. They expected to see John Koenig. Another Pul engineer and physicist came in.

"Where the devil is John?" Victor asked a little agitated. "Didn't he say an hour ago he would be here? That meeting is running long. I hope they have not convinced John to leave right away." He looked a little worriedly at Alan. The Centarian walked over to the men. He handed Alan the charts and nodded. Alan looked at Victor.

"All systems are a go. We only need the Commander to show up," Alan said.

Victor took out his comlock and buzzed John. He was puzzled when there was no response. Victor checked with Main Mission. "Tony."

"Yes, Professor," Tony's face appeared on the screen.

"Is John's meeting over yet?"

"He left here twenty minutes ago," Tony answered.

"Ask Kano to locate him," Victor was a little more worried now. There was no way John would have missed this event.

He heard Tony give the order and they waited. "He is in his quarters, professor. He must have stopped by to see the baby on his way," Tony offered.

"If that is so, why isn't he answering him comlock?" Victor asked.

Tony looked at his scheduler and called his security men on that corridor. "Locate the Commander. Try his quarters," Tony commanded.

Tony walked around until the men came back online.

"He is not responding to our call, Sir." The man reported.

"Kano, override the security code on the Commander's quarters."

"Done," he said turning in his chair. They waited.

Minutes later the call came.

"The Commander and Dr. Koenig are not here, Sir. Only there comlocks are here in their quarters."

"Computer, locate Commander and Dr. Koenig," Tony spoke in to his console.

COMMANDER JOHN KOENIG AND DR. HELENA KOENIG ARE NOT ON MOONBASE ALPHA.

A hush went all over Main Mission.


Moonbase Alpha's status report supplement: 1532 days after leaving Earth's orbit, Dr. Bob Mathias recording. John and Helena Koenig along with their newborn, son Isaiah have vanished from Alpha. Alpha's Second-in-Command, Tony Veredeschi has enlisted the help of Dar and the people of Pul, Coron and Mendali to find them.

Professor Bergman entered the chart room. He looked across at the five men gathered around the viewer.
They were looking at the various star systems.

The news he had for them was not good. They all looked up at him when he approached. Their faces were grim and they saw that the professor had no more good news than they did. The star charts flashed before them as
they looked for a likely place.

Dar was looking at location and capability. "Hold! There!" he said looking at the charts. You have an X here. What does this mean?"

"Uncharted area for our computer," Tony said.

The professor stood with them and brought up his own charts and added it to the viewer before them. Other areas were found. The men did the same and brought in the star charts from their planets as located on their ships that were now docked on Moonbase Alpha.

The door opened again and this time it was Bob Mathias. Ai'son looked at him. He had a file in his hand. The door opened again and Drs. Spencer and
Vincent entered. All the men stopped and looked at the doctors.

"What's the matter, Bob?" Bergman asked.

"We have been analyzing the Koenigs' blood for some time now. From the moment they got it we did not stop monitoring it. We did not want to discover something about it that was fatal and would be too late to stop if they ever developed an illness," Bob said.

"Yes, I know that, I have been monitoring it with you. What did you find?" The professor approached them and took the file Bob handed to him. He read it. The other men moved forward and the floating star charts vanished into thin air.

They were all interested in the findings.

Bergman turned to face them a sour look on his face. The three doctors looked worried.

"Well!" Veredeschi and Centy gave out at the same time. Bergman heaved a sigh.

"The findings show that Helena Koenig was mortal a month before her delivery and she still is. John also. That means Helena can be killed during this period. We have got to find them," Bergman stated.

"This explains the heavy bleeding and the flat-lining. She is vulnerable now," explained Ed.

The men stood stone-faced in the room. Alan Carter started pacing back and forth behind the men. He was livid and did not know what to do with himself.

"Tony, we have to find them now. Does anyone have any idea who might have taken them?" Victor asked.

"I think I figured that out, too. Did Helena not have to go back to that planet to heal that man?" Bob questioned.

Tony Veredeschi thumped himself in the head. "Right, Lud - they are on Lud!" he exclaimed.

The three men - Dar, Centy and Ai'son - looked at each other and exclaimed, "Lud!"

The Alphans turned to them.

"Have you heard of Lud?" Victor asked. The three men moved off and sat on the contour chairs in the room. The Alphans turned to them.

Centy spoke, "Lud is the fifth planet in our Pentact."

"What!!!" They all shouted.

"It is our ace in the hole so to speak - our secret weapon. We do not talk much about them but they are a vital part of our system, very vital."

Tony threw his hand up in the air and sat down also. Alan's hand went to his forehead. A buzz came from the console. Victor looked at it.

"Not now, Sandra," he said, and closed the communication.

"If Ludin and Raghin are at the center of their disappearance, there is nothing we can do," Dar stated flatly.

"I was hoping you would not say that," Bob stated. The doctors sat wearily. Alan began pacing and Centy stood.

"I have to go," he said nervously.

"Centy, you coward, be seated! At least help us find a way where we can help them without the Ludians finding out!" Ai'son looked furious. Centy sat down, his long white robe with gold embroidery spread to the floor.

"Well?" Tony asked.

The rest who were standing sat. Dar stood and waved his hand in the air. The screen of star charts came back into view. His fingers flicked to a section and it highlighted and zoomed in on the area.

"We are here," Dar said, "and Lud is here, light years away."

"How do we get there?" Alan asked.

"Light speed travel," Ai'son said.

"Our Eagle isn't ready for that yet," Alan reported.

"We have the technology," whined Centy.

"Will you help us?" Victor asked them seriously.

The men looked at each other. Dar spoke. "Professor Bergman, unless we can do this amicably, we cannot interfere. These people are our allies."

Bergman shrugged his shoulders and began pacing. They were between a rock and a hard place, but they had been here before. They would get through this.


John Koenig opened his eyes to a heavily lit room. Everything was white and decorated in feathers and soft cushioned material. He was on a bed of some kind. He sat up. The room was sparsely furnished. Helena and Isaiah were nowhere in sight. The decor looked familiar to him.

It did not take him long to realize why. He was on Lud. Koenig stood up groggily. The room was empty. Helena and his son were not there. Koenig went to their communication post and touched every button he saw on their console. He got nowhere. He got only static waves.

The door behind him opened and Raghin walked in. Koenig looked behind him for any sign of Helena, but he was alone.

Raghin was wearing a ruiel. It was a seamless garment that took the shape of his body and skin tone. The man was as handsome as ever.

Koenig sat down. He knew what was coming. Raghin stood before him.

"Well, Commander, we meet again. Did you forget our little arrangement with Dr. Koenig?"

Koenig sat back in his chair. "I have nothing to say to you unless my wife and son are brought to me."

"Oh, but Commander Koenig, you are our bargaining chip and so is your son. Co-operation, Commander, will go a long way in keeping you all alive."

"My wife, Raghin," Koenig spoke coolly and calmly. He did not falter.

"You may see her on our tracking device. It follows her around." Raghin walked to a view screen and flashed his pendant around his neck before it. It
turned on and Helena was onscreen. Koenig stood.

He walked to the monitors. Helena was in Ludin's domo. She was rocking Isaiah to sleep. Koenig breathed out a sigh of relief.

"What does she have to do so that Ludin can regain his sanity?" He asked.

"You know, Commander."

"She was not intimate with him to get him into that state; why does she have to be now?" The whites of Koenig's eyes were showing.

"Are you sure about that, Commander?"

Koenig had to restrain himself from punching the man in the mouth. "All she has to do is touch him and that should restore him, Raghin!"

"She already has, Commander, and he is still the same. She must have been soiled by Ludin."

Koenig felt his stomach tighten. He looked at Raghin for any sign of lying. Koenig could not tell if the man were lying or not.

"Under no circumstances will my wife and the mother of my child sully herself with your brother!" Koenig was pacing. He felt his face getting hot. He had to get them out of here. They were obviously out of their minds if they thought they could sleep with Helena.

"How are you going to stop us, Commander? Either you comply or we kill them. Dr. Koenig already knows we will kill you."

"I am an immortal, Raghin you can't kill me."

Raghin passed his hand before Koenig's form. "You are no longer immortal, Commander. We have a window of opportunity to work with here. On your last visit we noticed the flaw. You have been mortal for some time now and I do not know how long that will last but I am taking the opportunity now."

Koenig looked suspiciously at him. Is that why Helena nearly bled to death on Beula? Koenig felt the same in his body. He was not sure if the man were telling the truth.

"Get out of here and do not come back here unless my wife and son are with you! We have nowhere to run Raghin. I need to see my wife." Koenig turned his back on the man. Raghin was tempted to kill him there and then but he had one more use for the Commander as a bargaining chip.

Raghin merely shrugged and left.

Koenig turned to the screen. Raghin was by Helena's side. Unless he flew, this man can teleport, Koenig thought. He saw Raghin talk to another woman who turned to Helena. She smiled and followed the woman. Isaiah was wrapped in a white feathery-looking material. John watched their journey. They were floating on one of the escalators. They passed through a beautiful opal city. The white circular buildings sparkled in the Ludian sunlight.

The scenery did not matter to Koenig; his mind was already working on a plan to get them out of here.

Koenig turned away from the monitor. He was sure that if they were indeed mortal they still had the new ability the birth of their son and the healing of Helena had given them.

Koenig was counting on that to save their lives. The door opened a few
minutes later and Helena walked in carrying Isaiah. The door closed immediately. She went to Koenig who ran and lifted her off her feet. He spun her around as she clutched the baby. Helena laughed.

He put her down and she gave him the baby. John grinned down at his son. His hand went to Helena's cheek and their eyes met. Koenig kissed her softly on the lips.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes, they treated us with the utmost care, John. Where have you been all this time? I thought you were on Alpha?" She asked, a little perturbed.

"What do you mean? I just woke up."

Her hand clutched his arm, "John, we have been here for two days now. I thought Isaiah and I were the only ones from Alpha here. I was surprised to find out you were here."

"They must have kept me drugged while they tried to get you to restore that mongrel," Koenig fairly growled out the word.

"John, they said they would kill you if I did not become intimate with Ludin. I told them under no circumstance would I do that," she said firmly.

Koenig looked at her and his eyes narrowed. "If you say you never had relations with him, I will believe you, Helena." His eyes narrowed when they looked at her. Helena saw only hope in the golden/blue eyes.

"I never slept with him, John. The legend was right, Isaiah projected those thoughts and illusions in our heads to keep us apart." Koenig looked at her and his hand went to her face again.

"I believe you. We need to convince them of this and find out what happened that day."

"How do we do that, John?"

"The same way you did it when we went back in time, Helena."

Isaiah fussed in his arms and Helena sat on the cushioned seat. John handed the baby to her and she breastfed him while Koenig looked on.

Raghin sat looking at the screen. His door opened and his wife Sirida entered. She was tall with platinum hair heaped in a tower on the top of her head. Her
complexion was dark and she was known to be the most strikingly handsome woman on Lud. She sat across from him. He finally turned to her and smiled, reaching his hand out to her. She took it.

"What do you intend to do?" she questioned.

"I fear I might have to kill the Commander. They are in agreement that Ludin never had his way with her. I on the other hand am not convinced. I think it is time for Ludin to die and for the Commander to kill him."

Sirida pulled her hand away from him. "I will not help you to kill your brother and harm them."

Raghin's hand snaked out and closed on her wrist. Sirida's eyes opened wide.

"Do not cross me in this or I will kill you also."

"Is the throne of Lud more important to you than your family?" Raghin remembered their last child. He released her and got up and left the room.

Sirida was in a quandary. Her husband was not a sane man in many ways. She wondered how to stop him from bringing down a curse on his family. She looked at the Commander and his wife and child on the screen. The Commander was kneeling before his wife who was breast- feeding the child.

Sirida remembered a time when Rag was that attentive to her. She got up and left for she needed to attend to their four children.

John Koenig was getting used to fatherhood as he held his son over his shoulders to burp him. He was rewarded minutes later. John held him up in the air in front of his face and proceeded to tickle the child. A small white curd from the child's giggling mouth landed on his nose. John wrinkled his nose and handed the baby to Helena to clean up.


Helena took Isaiah while chiding John not to play with the baby just after he had eaten. She cleaned him up and John watched his wife while she rocked him to sleep. He sat beside her and Helena rested her back on him. John rocked them both.

Isaiah was soon fast asleep. Helena laid him on the soft cushioned bed. John took her hand and sat her down. He told her what Raghin had said about their
immortality.

Helena's eyes opened in wonder as John spoke.

"How can we go back in time, John, if we are both mortal?"

"I do not think we have lost our abilities, just our mortality."

"Do we have to be asleep to do this, John?"

"I do not know. Let's try anyway."

John pulled her up from the seat. Their lips met in a gentle kiss as they tried to recreate the event that led them back in time. The ability to fuse their minds had grown and now they could do it at will.

Helena tuned her mind to go back to those many months ago. The scene played in her head. They felt themselves falling back in time and space. They both focused harder.


Tony Veredeschi left the conference area and took Maya aside.

"Maya, we think that Helena and John were taken back to Lud."

Maya was not surprised to hear this. She still had not told Tony what entirely happened.

"Why do you think that, Tony?"

"You tell me. Now, I know you have been keeping something from me but I think it is time you told me what."

Tony saw the tears come to her eyes. She looked anxious. "Maya, whatever it is, I do not hold you at fault. You were under their influence and so were we all."

Maya reached for Tony's hand. She knew that Helena's life might depend on her telling Tony what happened.

"Tony, I think Helena and I might have been intimate with Ludin. Ludin had a seizure. The Ludians cannot touch a woman who is with child, it renders them immobile and robs them of their senses."

Tony felt the effect of what she said in the gut. He felt like a knife twisted there. He knew they were trying to seduce the girls but it did not occur to him
that they had succeeded. No wonder John was so angry back then.

Maya went into his arms. She held him around his waist as Tony just stood there. He tried to clear his head. His anger blossomed but it was not for her. It was for the people of Lud.

"Never mind, we now have a motive. I think they will come for you next. It is obvious that our computer cannot pick up their presence so you stick with me." Tony took her into the meeting.


John and Helena floated into the past. They saw the events of their lives reverse. They focused more. Suddenly they were back in Ludin's domo. Koenig was again looking through Helena's eyes. The two women were naked and so was Ludin. John had to steel himself to not get angry or to break their concentration.

He saw them both kiss Ludin. Maya/Helena gripped his arms as Helena/Maya watched in anticipation. Ludin spread her before him as she purred in his arms. Helena/Maya could wait no longer she was getting impatient. She pulled Ludin away before he could couple with Maya/Helena.

He landed on her with a thud. He saw Ludin go down on Helena's body. Ludin's body went into convulsions as his naked skin touched her stomach.

John broke his concentration with Helena. They stood apart looking at each other. John knew the truth now but with the truth came her thoughts and feelings at the time. He realized that Helena had feelings for Ludin.

Helena too realized she had feelings for Ludin. She did not know what it was but the feelings came back to her powerfully. She turned from John.

John watched her. He invaded her mind. He saw her thoughts. Helena had an image of Ludin's crystal blue eyes in her memory. She realized that John had invaded her thoughts once again she was too late at guarding them.

He spoke to her back. "Well, we know now that you never slept with him. Why didn't your touch cure him? Helena, you remembered just now that you had feelings for him, didn't you?" She turned eyes glistening.

She saw the pain there not unlike the first. She stood where she was, unable to approach him, unable to speak. He saw her dilemma and did not approach her. He did not want to lose her over this, not when they had come this far. He remembered Vana.

"Helena, could it be you had to have those same feelings when you touched him?" He saw her confusion. She turned from him.

Raghin heard the exchange. He did not know what happened. He saw them kiss for a long time, then come away with some knowledge of what happened to Ludin.

Raghin stood as he decided to join them.

The door to their living area opened and Raghin walked in. They both turned to him. He did not want them to know they were being watched.

"Well, Dr. Koenig, now that you have both had a chance to be together what is your answer?"

"Go to hell, Raghin! My wife will not be intimate with Ludin. She never slept with him in the first place." Koenig advanced menacingly towards him. Helena quickly stood between them.

"John is right, Raghin, I never became intimate with your brother," Helena said calmly.

"Then why did your touch not revive him?"

"I do not know," Helena said helplessly wringing her hand.

Raghin waved his hand in the air and stood back from them. The doors opened and three heavily built men dressed in white armor entered.

Raghin waved his hand towards them. The men raised their hands palm up and Koenig became immobilized. Helena stood before him. She passed her hands before his face but he did not blink.

"Take her to the domo. Get the other creature the same way you got them. We need to find the answer. We cannot force co-opulation."

One man took Helena by the arm and another picked up the baby. She struggled but the burly man lifted her easily and threw her over his shoulder. John watched, unable to move.

Raghin waved his hand outside the door and Koenig was able to move. He closed the door between them. John's mind was working. He had to get to a vessel. He needed to find out how they operated it and where to head for
Alpha or Beula.

John sat down and pretended to rest. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Seconds later, John left his body behind. He went through the doors and followed the men taking Helena.

They went to another building on sailing discs. They opened the doors of a large living area that was extravagantly furnished. It was Ludin's living area.

One placed the child in a big chair while the other deposited Helena unceremoniously onto the floor.

She sat there and watched the door close. John floated in and landed beside her. She could not see him but somehow she knew he was there.

"John," she said, "are you here?" She felt a slight breeze as he lightly touched her cheek.

She knew it was him. Helena looked over at the big chair to make sure her son was safe then she lay back on the plush carpeting and drifted off. She left her
body behind.

John took her hand. She looked away from him and he knew why.

"We have to get out of here. I am going to look around for their sphere and see how they operate them. You stay with Isaiah." Helena nodded as he flew out the door.

She went back to her body and sat up. She stood up carefully; she was still a little woozy. She went over to Isaiah; he was still asleep. Helena picked him up
and entered the huge bedroom. She placed him on the soft cushioned bed and lay beside him. Soon they both slept. Helena dreamed of her night with Ludin.

John Koenig went from man to man as he tried to find where they stored their ships. He finally saw a man exit a dome-shaped crystal building and Koenig went in. He saw a vast assembly area. He watched as each work station attached parts together. Koenig floated through a door to the other side to see the finished product. What he saw left him amazed and bewildered.


"Well, the only way we can know for sure if it was the Ludians that took them is to wait for them to take Maya," Tony said to the group.

Maya stood, her arms folded. "What makes you think they will take me, Tony?"

"I sensed an attraction not only for Helena but for you as well. I do not think we have seen the last of them," Tony smiled grimly.

"My concern, Veredeschi, is your tracking and sensory capability. We need you to upgrade your system. The fact that you did not sense them bothers me. We need to start working on upgrading Alpha as a military outpost. There is no time like the present. I need your best communications officer," Ai'son demanded.

Paul spoke into his comlock. "Alibe, could you come to the conference center, please."

Ai'son added: "I need also your computer expert, science officer and you Veredeschi for security concerns. We will turn Alpha into an impenetrable fortress."

Paul called Kano and pointed to Maya as science officer. The three doctors took their leave. Paul asked them to be on call.

Kano and Alibe came in together. Tony briefed them. Ai'son gathered them around himself and touched the button on his lapel. They all shimmered and disappeared from the room.

Centy and Dar walked over to the Professor and Paul.

"We need a plan of action, Professor, because the Ludians are a crafty set. We have to be prepared. Also they must have no idea that we are involved.

The two men nodded in agreement.

Three hours later, Ai'son was back with all the necessary upgrades for the computer, security and communications. The Alphans set to work improving some of their technology.

Alan Carter entered the conference room with Addent, the Centarian from Pul. He set the new plans before the men.

"This is the new fuel injection system put in by Addent here. We should be able to get to Lud and back without a problem. He rerouted the jump system to use electricity instead of fuel here. The new power boosters and thrusters will ensure a quick getaway if we need it. And our ace in the hole a cloaking device similar to theirs."

Professor Bergman knitted his brows. He put his hand to his forehead and walked around some. He looked at Alan. "Do you trust all these improvements without first checking it?"

"Professor, we ran some simulations. I am sure that if Addent comes with me we will be able to handle it," Alan said.

"Alan, the Professor is trying to say you might not make it back to Alpha or go to Lud if this technology fails," Paul pointed out.

"I am aware of that and I am willing to take the chance," Alan said, a little annoyed.

"What about Alibe?" Paul asked. Alan looked bewildered. He had not thought of Alibe when he volunteered to fly this mission.


Koenig looked at the arsenal before him. This was their weapon section. He saw a line of weaponry he had never seen before, nor would he see it ever again. Koenig realized they were not as peaceful as they said they were.

Koenig floated away and into another room. He saw the spheres lined up along a wall. He counted them, eleven in all. He saw there was a space where one apparently was missing.

The room was empty of Ludians. He floated around looking at the gadgetry. Nothing looked even remotely like anything he was familiar with. Koenig realized he would have to take someone who knew how to operate
this machine captive.

He floated around for a few more hours until he sensed that something was wrong. Koenig floated back to Helena. Isaiah was being attended to by a woman unknown to him. Where was Helena?

Koenig floated to his room. His body was missing.

He floated through the door again. He saw a sphere leave the atmosphere as it dashed away at warp speed. A giant screen appeared overhead. On it Koenig saw his body tied up and dangling over a furnace. Helena was standing on a ledge near him. John read the writing at the bottom of the screen.

YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES LEFT TO RETURN TO YOUR BODY, COMMANDER.

The ticker tape ran over and over again. Koenig rushed around looking for the area. He finally saw a plume of smoke in the distance and headed there.

Koenig entered the building and flew into his body. He jerked himself awake. Raghin smiled as he saw Koenig awaken.

Koenig looked to his right. Helena was crying and he could see the streaks on her cheeks. Koenig could feel the heat of the furnace. He looked into her eyes. He could see she was terrified.

Koenig looked around. It was a smelting plant. He looked at the vat of hot metal below him. Helena saw him writhe from the blast of heat. Koenig could see that her hands were tied behind her back. The ashes from the furnace stung his eyes.

"Glad you could join us, Commander. We were just about to drop you in," Raghin smiled.

Koenig shouted from his precarious position. "Let me down, you mad man! What do you have to gain from this?!"

"Everything, Commander. We are not putting up with your flying around our planet without supervision. The next time you do that, there will be one less Koenig around here." Raghin smiled his wickedest.

Helena took a step towards him and Raghin pushed her to the floor. Koenig struggled harder, seething.

"Leave him there for another hour and take her to Ludin. When that Maya creature arrives alert me." Raghin swung around; he was getting tired of this. He was losing his patience. He stood on a disc and it floated up and away. The guard threw Helena over his shoulders after scraping her up unceremoniously from the floor.

Koenig winced as a flare-up from the furnace scorched his legs.


"RED ALERT," shouted David Kano.

Alibe confirmed it. A sphere was headed into their star system.

"On screen," Professor Bergman ordered. Sandra brought the screen to life and they watched the object.

"How fast is it going?" Bergman asked.

"Too fast to measure," Sandra said.

"Is Alan ready?" Paul asked. Bergman looked at him and nodded his head. Alan Carter was miles away monitoring the situation himself.

"Where is Maya?" asked Paul. Bergman put his finger to his lips and shook his head.

They watched as the object disappeared from sight. "We have lost it. They know we are watching them!" Sandra proclaimed.

"It does not matter," Professor Bergman said.

Maya was in the power plant unit storage facility. Three security guards and Veredeschi himself surrounded her. A tiny sphere appeared inside the locked area. Tony had seen the silent klaxon so he knew they were their. He was not prepared for what happened next though.

The ball sped around the room surveying everyone. Maya had changed form and posed as one of the security men. The sphere came out into the open and they all opened fire. The sphere burst into a million pieces.

They breathed a sigh of relief but the sphere came back, reforming itself. It immobilized them in the process. The sphere them hovered over Maya still in
security form. It grew larger and engulfed her.

It took off at an amazing speed as Tony stood unmoving.

"We have been invaded, Professor, great electrical disturbance coming from Area 3."

The Professor nodded. That was where Maya was hiding. He hoped they were ready and if the first plan failed then plan B would go into effect.

"The object has left the area, Professor, and is moving at light speed," Sandra reported.

Alibe said a silent prayer.

BLEEP! BLEEP!

"Yes, Tony!" Bergman spoke into the communications post.

"They have Maya and we were unable to stop them. Plan B went into effect."

Bergman saw the disappointed look on Veredeschi's face. In light of their less sophisticated technology, there was nothing they could do.

Alan Carter had a fix on the sphere. Maya had a tracking device inserted into her uterus by Dr. Mathias. Carter turned on the device and looked at Addent. Addent smiled, he knew his technology.

The new improved Eagle glowed yellow and faded out as it reached warp speed. Alan felt as though he were standing still. Yet he could see from the monitors that they were moving. He followed the sphere closely as Addent made the adjustments on the Eagle.

Victor and the rest of Moonbase Alpha watched as the Eagle disappeared from sight. Alibe stood at her desk her hands were clasped as if in prayer.


John Koenig felt the chains hoisting him up. He knew he smelt of burnt flesh and smoke. He could feel the chains around his body cut into his flesh.

Hands grabbed at him and landed him, chains and all, on the floor. He lay there gasping in the slightly cooler air. He could hear the men snickering. Koenig was seeing another side to the quiet society of the Ludians.

They rolled him out of the chains and stood him to his blistered feet. Koenig fell to his knees and rolled over in pain. They roughly hauled him up from the floor and carried him between the two of them. Koenig's mind went searching for Helena.

He could not reach her. Two other hands took Koenig and threw him into a cart. They wheeled him onto an escalator and exited the building. They took him to a room where they placed him on a gurney and wheeled him into a huge machine. They covered him and started the machine.

Koenig felt the tingling all over. His scorched flesh was being healed. Half an hour later, the men were back. They hauled Koenig out and threw some clothing at him as his own clothing had been burnt.. He had to undress and put on the new garments before them.

He had on a suit made of some all white material. It reminded him of his pyjamas. The men then hustled him out. Koenig kept picking up signals from Helena as he walked along the corridor. He knew something was wrong. Koenig felt a blow to his neck and he blacked out.

The men threw his limp body into the room and injected him with something. Koenig would sleep for a long time.


Helena Koenig stood at the door. She was back in the room with Ludin. She had done all she knew to do short of sleeping with him but he was the same. Helena did not know what to do; she was told to wait there.

The sphere entered Lud's atmosphere and set down in the hall. The doors opened and out walked Maya. She remembered the place. Two men walked up the ramp and escorted her to Raghin.

The same feelings he had before flooded his being.
Raghin turned and indicated for them to follow. They took her to Ludin. The doors opened and Helena stood back from them. Maya saw her and the women clung to each other.

"Enough! There is no time for a reunion. Get to work in restoring my brother. You will both be here for a long time, if you don't." Raghin turned and stalked
out.

The women looked at each other. Helena told Maya what happened and Maya told her of her ordeal.

"They cannot just take people wherever they wish," Maya complained.

"Maya, I am afraid of what they will do to John if I do not restore this man."

"Helena, I was followed here," Maya whispered. Helena placed her fingers on her lips and shook her head. Maya understood and remained silent.


Alan Carter was hard-pressed to follow the fleeing globe. The speed of the thing was immeasurable. But so was the new Eagle. Alan opened her up and was amazed that he could still follow the sphere. Addent smiled every time Alan whistled or commented on the speed of their craft.

The sphere glowed red and went to another level of speed. Alan realized they must be close to their destination.

When he spotted the planet in the distance he was relieved. Addent checked to make sure they were fully cloaked as the sphere entered Lud's atmosphere. They followed the globe down, undetected.

Alan Carter looked at the fuel gauge; there was not enough left to get them home. The battery-powered section was just about depleted. He had to find other fuel sources.

Alan looked for a place to land where he would not be seen leaving the craft. He set her down behind a dome-shaped building and looked around for any sign of life.

He signaled to Addent to look for fuel while he went to find the Alphans. Addent took his equipment and strapped it to his back. If anyone could find fuel, Carter was sure it was the almost always-silent alien.

Carter jumped from the opening, not wishing to retract the doors and give himself away. Addent did the same and they parted ways. Carter tuned into Maya's tracking device. Its signal was strong and he knew she was nearby.

Helena and Maya walked over to Ludin. His eyes were open as he stared at nothing. Helena passed her hand over his face and he did not blink. Both women touched him. He did not move. Raghin watched from the monitors.

"Maybe we have to be naked, Helena," Maya said. Helena pursed her lips. Memories flooded her as they did Maya. Helena did not know what was true and what had been false. The girls stripped.

Raghin watched. The women hopped into the bed with the unresponsive man and they both kissed him. Both had their bodies pressed to his. Nothing happened.

"Do you think we did more than this, Helena?"

"No, Maya."

"Then why is it not working?" she asked.

"I don't know," Helena looked tired. She had not slept in the last seventy-two hours.

Maya mouthed to her the words 'Alan's following'. Helena understood. She hoped that Alan would be able to get them out of here quickly.

They stood and got dressed. Raghin was not convinced they had done their all. He was angry with himself now. He should have insisted they obeyed him in what they knew he wanted.

The doors opened as the women finished getting dressed as Raghin walked in. They backed up. He went over to the monitors and ran his hand over the screen and it came on. He showed them first John Koenig lying on he floor of his apartment. He was surrounded by water. The level kept rising as they watched. They could see he was unconscious.

"If you both do not comply with my wishes then Koenig dies, now!"

Maya changed in to a leopard in a flash and Raghin backed up. "If you do anything rash he will die in seconds. Do I make myself clear?"

"Maya change form, please!" At Helena's insistence she changed.

"We cannot do that, Raghin. I went back in time with John. I never had any other contact with your brother."

Raghin looked at her. He believed that she was telling the truth. If Koenig could leave his body maybe they could go back in time. Raghin turned and paced. Something was missing. He did not know what.

He stopped to look at them: No matter, they were here and Koenig was dispensable. Raghin ran his hand over the monitor again and this time the waters flowed faster into the room.

Helena screamed and lunged at him. She beat at him with her fist but he threw her aside.

"Think of your child," he said and turned. The doors opened and he exited. Helena wept on the floor and Maya joined her there, comforting her in her arms.

Suddenly Helena remembered something. She called him back.

"Raghin! Raghin!"

He entered the room again.

"I know how to restore your brother," she stated.

"You just said you did not know how to."

"I just realized how." She stood with Maya's help.

"Well tell me how," he approached her.

"John, release him." Raghin did not know what to do. He knew Sirida knew what was going on. If he did not explore all options she could hinder his progress of becoming Supreme Ruler of Lud.

Ludin went to his monitors, he spoke into the communications conduit, "Release the Commander. Wake him up and bring him here."

"I need my baby," Helena stated.

"At a time like this, why?"

"I will show you bring him to me."

Raghin spoke again into the conduit. This time the women guarding the child were told to bring him.

Koenig was dragged into the room half drugged and looking bruised. Helena could see that they had used him as a punching bag on the way over here. Her hands went to his face as she smoothed the hair back from his face. John Koenig stood straighter. He looked back at her.

Helena kissed his bruised face. The women entered with the child and Helena took him. She walked over to Ludin and touched him. A sharp glow highlighted the child and a light shot out from him. It struck Ludin's body. Ludin glowed and the light engulfed all three. When the lights faded Ludin was sitting up and in his right mind.

Raghin fell to his knees before his brother begrudgingly. Ludin demanded to know what had been happening. He was furious as his brother rose from the
floor to inform him of all that had happened.

Ludin stood head and shoulders above them all. The doors opened and Sirida walked in. Raghin nodded to her to keep silent.


Alan Carter rounded the bend and hoisted himself up to the window. He saw as Helena used the baby to heal the man. Carter figured it was Ludin. He turned off Maya's tracking device. Carter decided to wait and see what would come of this.

He heard a sound behind him but it was too late; he fell from the window in a heap on the floor. Addent watched as they dragged Alan away. He had found a fuel store. He had not told the Alphans but he had been here before.

Addent loaded the fuel. He went back looking for Alan and found him being led away. He was not a fighting man and did not know what to do. He called Dar on his built-in communicator, then he followed them.

The door to Ludins' domo opened and Maya and Helena gasped as they saw Alan Cater. They threw Alan down on the floor. Koenig bent to him.

"How did he get here?!" Ludin was furious.

"We do not know, Oh Supreme One," the guards echoed.

"Kill him," Ludin ordered. The men advanced on Alan but John, Helena, the baby and Maya stood in the breach.

Ludin struck Helena as she clutched the baby and slapped her in the face. She spun to her left and John Koenig enraged landed a blow on Ludin that sent him flying backwards. The Ludian's men lunged for John and wrestled him to the floor.

Koenig struggled to get up. Helena held her cheek and clutched her child. She could see Ludin's anger grow as he gritted the teeth John Koenig had almost made him swallow.

"Kill them all!" he roared.


A light glowed and became bigger. Dar, Ai'son and Centy appeared in the midst of them.

Ludin's eyes widened as the newcomers approached them.

"What is the meaning of this, Dar? This is a private matter. Why are you here?"

The men stood Koenig to his feet. Koenig saw that the newcomers were holographic projections but he did not know where the projection was coming from.

"The Commander is the reason why we are here," Dar answered.

"Why is he so important to you? What is this about?"

"The Commander is the new leader of the Pentact; he has the first and final key of the ones that Arra gave to all of us. Mine green, Centy's red, Ai'son blue and yours yellow. His is crystal clear he is our Supreme Commander," Dar explained. Ludin turned from them then turned back. He looked beyond them and saw Addent had projected the image from an instrument on his belt.

Ludin remembered him as a Centarian. He thought it might have been a trick from the Commander. Ludin turned to the images.

"Why would Arra give him the first key?"

"That is her right. She gives the key to whomever she wishes. She can see the future we cannot. We trust her judgment," Ai'son said.

"He is a human," Ludin spat with venom.

"He is immortal!" Centy proclaimed. Ludin was beside himself with rage. He could see that some time must have past since the last time he met the woman with the child. She must have concealed her pregnancy somehow. They knew who they were but he knew what they would become. He could bide his time.

He turned to her now. "What happened to me?"

Helena explained at length. Ludin turned to Raghin at the end of her explanations. Raghin nodded his head.

"Release them!" ordered Ludin. The men surrounding Koenig backed off. Ludin stared at the three men. "We need to talk. This will not work. I will not work with him."

The three turned to each other as this was what they were afraid of. They whispered among themselves.

"Say nothing to each other! This is a betrayal of great proportions! You have not heard the last of this matter!" Everyone in the room was silent.

"Ludin, we stand together or we fall together!" Dar reminded him.

"Stalemate, gentlemen," Ludin turned and walked out of the room.

Koenig turned to Raghin as Dar, Ai'son and Centy spoke to each other.

"We need to get back to Alpha!" Koenig said to him.

"You do not understand, Commander," Raghin turned to the three men, "Explain it to the Commander, Dar."

"Why don't you do it? Is this the Helena you spoke of to us?"

"Yes, she is," Raghin grinned. The three men sighed. Ai'son came forward.

"I am sorry, Commander," he said "but I am afraid Ludin has eyes for Helena and he will stop at nothing to get her. We have in time pass discussed this. Raghin made us aware of the situation. We might have a war on our hands." Ai'son finished wearily.

Koenig remembered the arsenal he had seen. He also realized that there was more than one room in that huge complex.

"Clear the area! Everyone out! Do you have transportation, Commander?" Raghin asked while looking at Alan. Koenig looked to Carter and he nodded. "You need to leave now before we all die and I do mean ALL die."

"Ok, Alan, let's go, Helena," Koenig stated.

"The women stay!" Raghin demanded.

"The women leave!" The men in the hologram said in unison.

"Are you standing with them after our history together?" Raghin asked.

"We must!" answered Ai'son. Ludin entered the room at that moment. He approached Helena who stepped back from him.

Ludin looked into her eyes. He could see the bruise on her cheek. Helena remembered the slap in the face yet she remembered something else. Ludin held his hand out to her. Helena looked into his eyes and saw the look she always saw in John's eyes. A lump came to her throat and she looked at John Koenig.

John was furious with the outcome of things. He remembered the feelings Helena felt while back in time in this very room.

Helena stepped away from Ludin and stepped into the arms of her husband. Ludin stood proud and self assured. He was still not defeated.

"They may all go, Raghin!" Ludin ordered.

"I want Maya!" Raghin proclaimed. Ludin turned to him.

"Though you did all in your power to heal me, do not ever question my decisions. Release them all. This allegiance is over." Ludin walked out again. Raghin looked to the three men in the hologram. The men looked to Addent, then they were gone.

John Koenig, cradling his wife and child, walked through the dome's archway and to freedom. They had fulfilled their end of the promise and now they could
look to the future. Maya and Alan brought up the rear along with Addent.

Soon, Alan led them to their ship. They discovered that it was surrounded by the Ludian guards. They were told to release the ship and Addent uncloaked it.

Koenig was impressed by its sleek form. He had to give it a name, so he called it the Silver Fish. They climbed on board and Alan took off. Helena breast-fed Isaiah during this time.

She realized the child had been strangely quiet during the entire proceedings. Helena noticed also that her son had grown.

Alan engaged the battery power as Addent plotted the course they were going at great speeds. They would be back on Alpha within an hour.

Koenig discussed the new craft with Alan. Helena avoided him and sat in the rear of the elaborate craft.



This is story 6 in the "Beula" series. Previous story - Next story
Copyright (c) 2004. Reprinted with permission.
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Space:1999 is (c) 1976 by Carlton International Media. All stories are the property of their respective authors.
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