of suspended animation. When their instruments register no sign of any metabolic activity, the Alphans consider the possibility the aliens were killed in the crash. Koenig authorises Helena Russell to perform a direct examination. As soon as the doctor begins drilling into a casket, she is blinded by a sudden flare of energy from within and to her horror, the occupant is reduced to ashes. Responding to this destructive act, the central column pulses with light. The remaining five aliens revive, emerging from their hibernacula. Standing nearly seven feet tall, they silently surround Koenig and company. The leader stoically examines the remains of his comrade, then turns to face the nervous Alphans. Koenig and Helena offer sincere apologies, stating they only violated the seal after the equipment indicated the absence of life. Still silent, the leader extends his hand to Helena, drawing her and the others into a ritualistic circle around their dead companion. During this, Simmonds has been impatiently observing from Main Mission. While he complains over the slow progress of events, Koenig calls in. He orders a crash unit placed on stand-by while the aliens fly their ship over to Alpha. Landing safely, Koenig escorts the alien contingent into Moonbase. After rudely pushing his way through a throng of curious onlookers, Simmonds is presented to Zantor, captain of the Kaldorian expedition. As the ranking Earth official, the Commissioner assures Zantor those responsible for the death of his crewmember will be brought to account. The alien captain phlegmatically states that the accident was the result of ignorance rather than malice and that Judicial revenge is unnecessary. Meeting with Koenig and his advisors, the Kaldorians offer the Alphans a token of peace from their home world—the gold-filled eggs of the Libra bird. Zantor explains that they are the product of an ancient and pacifistic culture. With their planet dying, their people dispatched survival ships to every known habitable planet. Bound for Earth, Zantor and his party have travelled for 350 years in stasis. Their ship was programmed to orbit the Moon, allowing the occupants to reanimate before the final descent to Earth. Complications arising from the Moon's extreme change in position led to the crash. As their computers can calculate a new course to Earth, Zantor announces his decision to continue on. If welcome, the Kaldorians will settle on Earth; if not, they will take their own lives. Helena offers