of the abduction is revealed—unable to navigate the terrain outside, it needs Koenig to board the larger ship and retrieve the fuel core. Brian believes it is immortal; its goal is to roam the universe forever. The mother ship carries enough nuclear fuel to last a billion years. Helena will remain aboard Swift to insure Koenig's cooperation. Clad in protective gear, the Commander walks toward the other craft. As he proceeds across the alien moor, he encounters corpses of the Star Mission crew strewn about. From their appearance, he realises the atmosphere is poisonous. Circling around to the far side of the ship, he loses contact with the Swift. The longer Koenig is away, the more agitated Brian becomes; hoping to distract the machine, Helena engages it in conversation. Brian fondly relates how it was constructed and educated by Captain Michael. Displaying candid photos of the man it calls 'Father', it demonstrates affection for the captain as a child would for a parent. Boarding the mother ship, Koenig is pleasantly surprised to find Verdeschi and Maya waiting for him. While the other Eagles returned to base, theirs travelled to Planet D at full thrust, arriving before the Swift. On the command deck, they find Captain Michael sitting at his desk, dead. A check of the ship's computer reveals it, too, has been blinded. This explains why the crew willingly disembarked into a toxic atmosphere and how Captain Michael was left without life-support. Not only is Brian mad, but a homicidal maniac as well. On an adjacent work bench, they spy a half-assembled construct that bears a striking resemblance to Brian. With this final piece of the puzzle revealed, Koenig now knows how to defeat Brian—by breaking its mind. For this psychological assault, he will need Maya's assistance; as a mouse, the metamorph will be smuggled aboard the Swift in Koenig's pocket. On returning to the other ship, an impatient Brian insists the Commander insert the core into the fuel store immediately. When the transfer is complete, the robot giddily celebrates. As Koenig removes Maya from his jacket, the Swift lifts off. The revelry ends when Brian feels the Maya/Mouse biting its antenna. Koenig states the mouse has come bearing a message from Captain Michael: 'Revenge.' Confronting the unstable robot, the Commander accuses it of having killed its master. When a flustered Brian denies the allegation, Koenig reveals the truth: Brian