Synopsis:
Onboard the London, Leyland has Artix transmit a report, to be relayed to Earth, that following a mutiny that resulted in the death of five crewmembers including Raiker, prisoners Blake, Stannis and Avon escaped in a craft of unknown origin.
While investigating the flight deck, Jenna, Blake and Avon discover a rack of powerful isomorphic handguns. Jenna activates a control on a flight panel to no immediate effect but she soon realizes she cannot move her hand. The ship’s onboard computer introduces itself, Zen, and takes the name Liberator from her mind as the new name for the vessel. Blake instructs Zen to set course for Cygnus Alpha at “standard cruising speed.”
As they search the ship, they discover what appears to be a teleport device, but Zen refuses to advise them on how to operate it.
Zen completes the course program bringing the Liberator into stationery orbit, 1,000 spacials above Cygnus Alpha. Realizing they cannot land the ship, Blake decides to risk the teleport. Nearby is a rack containing brown bracelets. In addition to being a communicator, Avon and Blake surmise it is a necessary component of the teleport.
The London departs within thirty minutes despite having been in space for eight months, and then releases the prisoners. Arco threatens Vila, but Gan warns Arco off. Selman is nervous but realizing they have no choice Gan scouts ahead. When he doesn’t reply to calls, Arco leads the others after him, with Vila reluctantly following. They find Gan kneeling in front of a corpse on a cross. Gan is holding a sign he’s found – ‘SO PERISH UNBELIEVERS.’
Snapping a teleport bracelet on his wrist, Avon and Jenna successfully teleport Bake to the surface. Blake uses the bracelet to tell Jenna it has worked, and they are to give him four minutes. On the surface Blake is chased by a group of robed figures who attempt to kill him for being a deserter. Just in time, Jenna retrieves him from the surface of the planet. Having seen what Cygnus Alpha is like Blake doesn’t think the other prisoners will take much persuading to come with him.
In the distance they see a building. Arco reminds the others they need food and shelter but Vila wonders if they need them that badly. With that they are approached by Kara and other robed figures. Kara, introduces herself as the servant of their God, and instructs them to kneel. Following Gan’s lead they do so. Kara then kisses Gan, and leads them towards the building.
Blake teleports back down to Cygnus Alpha, it having been agreed that Jenna and Avon will give him four hours. Blake is teleported close to the building and enters following the sound of chanting. Hidden from view he watches Kara pray, and she tells Vargas when he joins them that the prisoners from the London are showing the signs of the sickness.
On the Liberator, Avon suggests Jenna explore the ship. She’s suspicious that he wants to get rid of her, to which he replies he needs to get rid of Blake first. She makes to leave but not before asking Avon if he could kill someone face to face. When he replies he doesn’t know and asks if she could, she responds, “there’s one sure way to find out.”
Blake manages to sneak passed Laran, the man who tried to kill him earlier, and is able to talk to Gan, who is in a cell with the others. Gan tells Blake they all have the “Curse of Cygnus.” The priests have given them a drug and they‘ll soon be well; they aren’t prisoners just in confinement until they are well. When Blake tells him of the Liberator, Gan explains that they need to take the drug every day to survive and that it’ll be in Blake’s system by now too. Blake intends to try to reason with the priests to obtain a supply of the drug or at least find out how it’s made. As he leaves Blake is knocked unconscious.
In the teleport area of the Liberator, Jenna returns wearing fresh clothing. To her dismay Avon has partially dismantled the teleport console. She suggests he takes a look at where she found the clothes, and that he also look at a room at the far end. Intrigued, Avon leaves.
Vargas is looking out of one of the monastery’s windows; he can clearly see the Liberator in orbit.
Blake is chained to a chair and is interrogated by Vargas. When Blake is not forthcoming, Vargas puts on a teleport bracelet before he begins to destroy the other bracelets that he found. Blake tells him the truth, which Vargas believes.
Vargas’ great great grandfather was among the first group of prisoners sent by the Federation, and the leadership of the society has been passed down to him. He refuses and demands the ship to spread his religion to other worlds. When Blake refuses he is tortured.
Avon, tips jewels out of a bag as he rejoins Jenna. “There must be almost as much wealth in that entire room as the entire Federation banking system,” he tells her. Avon tries to convince her to leave, realizing that Blake will just see the wealth as another weapon against the Federation. Jenna says they’ll give Blake an hour, and if he’s not back by then they’ll leave. This way she can convince herself they gave Blake a fair chance. Avon has no choice but to agree.
A bruised Blake is thrown into the cell with the others, only Gan helps him up. Selman, Arco and Vila keep clear. They explain that unless Blake hands over the ship the priests will withhold the drug and sacrifice one of them. An argument ensues, led by Arco, even when Blake tells them he knows where the drug is kept and that it can be synthesized on the Liberator. Blake tells them they can fight or die, as there is no way he is going to order the ship to land. Gan moves to Blake’s side.
It is the time of sacrifice, and Vargas instructs one of his followers to bring the chosen one to be sacrificed.
Selman, Arco and Vila have joined Gan and Blake, but the other prisoners cower in the corner, unwilling to fight.
Jenna refuses to leave, there is still six minutes. “We wait.”
Hooded figures bring in Gan, and Kara us clearly surprised that he is the one to be sacrificed. As Vargas goes to stab Gan with a sacrificial knife, a disguised Blake shouts to his colleagues to attack and to get to the bracelets.
During the fight Blake reaches the bracelets first, and communicates with the Liberator to bring them up fast, but Avon prevents Jenna from activating the controls. Gan and Vila secure a precious bracelet but Arco can’t quite reach them. Selman is killed, and Kara shouts a warning to Gan as a spear is thrown, impaling her instead. Arco desperately tries to reach the bracelets but he too is killed. Gan, Vila and Blake, hold their attackers off long enough to escape through a door.
As Vila and Gan make a run for the outside, Blake goes back inside for the gun. In the confusion, he loses his teleport bracelet, and just as Vargas is about to kill him, Jenna activates the teleport, and Vargas is teleported away.
Avon leaves to get the ship moving, as Blake grabs his bracelet and shouts for Jenna to teleport him. She retrieves Gan, Vila and Blake, but Vargas is already on board armed with the Liberator handgun.
Vargas laughs when he is told the Liberator is underway and that he is getting further and further away from his precious drug. The illness is simply a mild poison that soon dissipates but the ‘drug’ was a way to control the population. As Vargas rants, he steps back into the teleport area and Blake teleports Vargas into space where he explodes.
On the flight deck, Zen informs them that they have been detected and that Federation Pursuit Ships, no doubt alerted by the message sent by Leylan, are on an intercept course. Blake instructs Zen to take them away from the ships at maximum speed.
When they have full control of the ship, Blake intends to stop running and fight, just as Avon feared.
Cast
Roj Blake – Gareth Thomas
Jenna Stannis – Sally Knyvette
Kerr Avon – Paul Darrow
Vila Restal - Michael Keating
Olag Gan – David Jackson
Zen - Peter Tuddenham
Vargas – Brian Blessed
Leylan – Glyn Owen
Artix – Norman Tipton
Kara – Pamela Salem
Laran – Robert Russell
Arco – Peter Childs
Selman – David Ryall
Credits
Director – Vere Lorrimer
Producer – David Maloney
Writer – Terry Nation
Script Editor – Chris Boucher
Episode Information
Originally Broadcast: Monday, 16th January 1978 on BBC1
Viewer Ratings: 8.5m
RI: 64
Working Titles: Cygnus Alpha, Prelude
Production Dates: 10th October to 8th December 1977
