Thursday, May 2, 2013

When Commander Koenig Met Noah


Are you a fan of the old Sci-fi TV show Space 1999?  Are you intrigued by the ways Science Fiction often revisits Biblical stories?  Do you love comic books?  If you answered yes to any of those three questions, then you might be interested in “Return to the Beginning,” a record and comic book set released by Power Records in 1976. 


For those of you unfamiliar with Space 1999, a series of explosions tear the moon out of Earth’s orbit.  Commander John Koenig and the people stationed on Moonbase Alpha watch as the moon repeatedly encounters exotic phenomena that transport them to other planets.  While the moon never locks into orbit over one that’s perfect for human inhabitation, this allows Koenig and company to visit these planets in their Eagles, speak with an alien or two, and have an exciting adventure.

On those rare episodes when the moon doesn’t pass close to another planet, aliens usually visit them.

Although Science Fiction authors has often pondered what life might be like in a moonbase, Space 1999 never explored such potential realities.  Instead, stories featured the strange alien races we might meet, and how humans might react in perplexing, even weird situations.  Space is a dangerous, unforgiving environment, and the TV show embodied that view.  When aliens weren’t seeking to take advantage of the displaced humans, misunderstandings arose that made peaceful coexistence impossible.  Despite all the camp associated with the series, and its implausible settings and ideas, in that way Space 1999 wasn’t as divorced from reality as it often seemed.

In “Return to the Beginning,” Moonbase Alpha is rocked by the space-equivalent of a hurricane.  Personnel are hurled to the floor and lose consciousness.  When they awaken, Professor Victor Bergman muses that they’ve passed through the fringes of a black hole.  Then they discover that they’ve returned to Earth.  


After Alan prepares Eagle One for launch, he flies Commander Koenig, Dr. Helena Russell, and Victor Bergman down to the planet’s surface.  


There, Victor realizes that they’ve arrived in the year 3347 B.C.  But after they hike across tranquil countryside to a quaint village, they find the inhabitants jeering an old man who urges them to repent of their sins.  Otherwise, God will make it rain for forty days and nights, and all of them will be washed away!


At first, I found the combination of Noah and a secular TV program disconcerting, but Science Fiction has often revisited Biblical history and teachings.  Consider how frequently the characters of any given Sci-fi series have met some version of God, or how often SF authors have revisited the Adam and Eve story.  The difference between most such attempts and “Return to the Beginning” is that the author portrays the story of Noah as history, offering scientific underpinnings for what many would consider no more than a fable or myth. 


I gather that many criticized this story when it was released, given the author’s approach to the material.  But like those children who yearned for more Space 1999 stories, I’m delighted to have found another.  When I listen to the accompanying audio track and read the story, it’s almost like watching a missing TV episode.  And you can share that experience too, by following the link below.  That is, if you can spare ten minutes and thirty-six seconds for Commander John Koenig, Dr. Helena Russell, Professor Victor Bergman, and the other residents of Moonbase Alpha.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading off to my local comic book shop, to see if I can secure my own copy of "Space 1999: Return to the Beginning." 

Commander Koenig meets Noah.  Huh.  Who’d have imagined that?

Dragon Dave

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