Synopsis:
Picking up immediately after The Way Back, Blake, Jenna and Vila are onboard the prison ship London, which is en route to Cygnus Alpha; a journey that will take several months.
The captain – Leylan – instructs his second-in-command Raiker to use the highest level of suppressants in the prisoners’ rations as he likes them docile. Leylan also mentions to Raiker that he has noticed that there is a woman prisoner on the manifest and warns Raiker to be “discreet.” Jenna incurs Raiker’s wrath when she rejects his advances.
Blake meets fellow prisoners Olag Gan, Nova, and Kerr Avon, who was convicted of computer fraud.
Not willing to spend the remainder of his life on Cygnus Alpha, Blake devises a plan to take control of the London. This would require Avon’s cooperation however, and eventually Avon agrees to help. The majority of the prisoners have continued to eat their food, so are still in a drug induced state of docility.
Avon escapes from the prisoners’ quarters by crawling through a service channel between the inner and outer hull. He reaches an exit hatch that leads into the computer room. A technician is working on the computer and a fight ensues.
Blake and the other prisoners are waiting for Avon to open the doors, but it is taking too long. Nova volunteers to follow Avon, and Blake agrees. After Nova enters the crawl space the London is hit by meteors. Three puncture the outer hull right by Nova who tries to cover them with his hands. The entire section is closed off and filled with sealant killing Nova.
Avon finally opens the doors and disables the scanners, having overpowered the technician. Blake and Jenna manage to join Avon in the computer room, but the other prisoners are captured. In control of the London’s computer, Blake seemingly has the upper hand. Leylan gives Raiker complete authority, and Raiker begins shooting unarmed prisoners, forcing Blake to surrender much to Avon’s disgust. After they surrender, Raiker kills another prisoner.
Soon after the London’s crew detect a huge alien battleship adrift in space, seemingly undamaged. When attempts at communication fail, Leylan, at Raiker’s urging, decides to send a skeleton crew across, aware that the craft would be worth millions of credits if they could salvage her.
A transfer tube is extended from the London to the craft which dwarves the prison ship. Contact is soon lost with those sent across, but Raiker convinces Leylan to send over Blake, Jenna and Avon as they are expendable. Leylan promises Blake a pardon if they succeed, but Blake looks dubious, as it’s unlikely Leylan has that authority.
After crossing to the ship through the travel tube, they make their way to the impressive flight deck. There they are attacked by the ship’s automatic defense mechanism, a glowing hovering sphere, which uses their memories of their families to lure them to their deaths. Jenna sees her mother, and Avon his brother, but Blake knows his family are dead and is able to resist long enough to destroy the device.
Blake instructs Jenna to get the ship under way, and asks Avon to help her, while he goes to close the airlock to prevent anyone from following them.
Raiker decides to cross over to the craft in case Blake and the others decide to stay onboard. As Raiker is crossing in the travel tunnel he sees Blake trying to close the airlock manually and shoots him in the shoulder. As Blake lays wounded on the floor, Jenna initiates the drive systems and the ship moves off. The airlock automatically closes, and with the travel tube no longer attached to the alien craft, Raiker is sucked into space.
Back on the flight deck, Blake tells Jenna to follow the London to Cygnus Alpha so they can free the other prisoners. With a full crew, they can start fighting back.
Cast
Roj Blake – Gareth Thomas
Jenna Stannis – Sally Knyvette
Kerr Avon – Paul Darrow
Vila Restal – Michael Keating
Olag Gan – David Jackson
Leylan – Glyn Owen
Raiker – Leslie Schofield
Artix – Norman Tipton
Teague – David Hayward
Krell – Brett Forrest
Nova – Tom Kelly
Dainer – Michael Mackenzie
Garton – Bill Weston
Wallace – Clinton Morris
Credits
Director – Pennant Roberts
Producer – David Maloney
Writer – Terry Nation
Script Editor – Chris Boucher
Episode Information
Originally Broadcast: Monday, 9th January 1978 on BBC1
Viewer Ratings: 7.3m
RI: 65
Production Dates: 18th October to 2nd November 1977
