Space: 1999 "The Hope of Mankind?" Short story Space: 1999 #2 B&W comic magazine published by Charlton Publications Writer unknown January 1976

The Alphans come to the realization that they may be the last hope of humanity in the cosmos.

 

NOTES FROM THE SPACE: 1999 CHRONOLOGY

 

This story is hard to place in the chronology, as it seems to span across a fair amount of time within itself. It opens with a description of the Moon having been blown out of Earth orbit (in "Breakaway"), then has Bergman telling Koenig and Russell that they may be the last hope of humanity, then has the personnel of Alpha seemingly aware that they are being bounced through many star systems by some mysterious unknown force and may find a habitable world to settle on along the way (as suggested in "Matter of Life and Death"). That is why I have chosen to set this story after "Matter of Life and Death", where Kano calculates that they will pass millions of planets on their current trajectory. 

 

DIDJA KNOW?

 

Though I've chosen to list this as a short story, it's a bit of an odd mix between an article and a story. There's not really a plot to it so much as speculation by the author and the main characters of Moonbase Alpha that Earth may be dead in the long run and Alpha is now the last hope of mankind. 

 

CHARACTERS APPEARING OR MENTIONED IN THIS STORY

 

Commander Koenig

Dr. Russell

Professor Bergman

computer programmer (unnamed female)

unidentified Alphan

 

DIDJA NOTICE?

Page 1 of the story states that when the Moon was hurtled away from Earth and into the limitless abyss of outer space (in "Breakaway"), some of the finest minds ever developed in the entire history of humankind went with it..."the very cream of the human race...carefully chosen for mental and physical superiority." This seems like a bit of hyperbole, but maybe we can accept the author's statement, "Each member of the Alpha population excelled in some way."

Page 1 of the story repeats the statement seen on the back cover of the 1975 Space: 1999 - Breakaway novelization from Pocket Books that Moonbase Alpha is self-sufficient, with solar power and built-in systems for recycling air and water. Page 2 mentions fresh-grown vegetables from Alpha's own scientifically-created farm. I can buy that the base was more-or-less self-sufficient for power, air, and water before the catastrophe as stated, but the idea of a farm at this time seems overstated. The "Awe" adaptation of "Breakaway" shows a hydroponics lab with plants growing, presumably some of which were edible, but its implied to be small and experimental, not adequate for feeding the 300+ inhabitants of Alpha for any length of time. "Breaking Ground" has particularly established that Alpha was never meant to be self-sufficient and when the final shipments of food from Earth are exhausted, they would need another means of sustenance. That story has the Alphans beginning to take steps to rectify that plight.

Page 2 of the story has Bergman telling Commander Koenig and Dr. Russell, "I think Earth will now begin to die. As we all know, the ecology of our planet was always delicately balanced. Anything which man did to upset that balance resulted in ecological chaos until the condition was changed." He goes on to say that with the Moon gone, "There will be no tides. Tidal marshes will vanish. Wildlife that existed in these essential marshy areas will become extinct. Species of fish which deposited eggs in the sheltered shallow bays will vanish from the seas. The food chain will be broken. It will take many, many years but I think the people of Earth are mourning for the wrong people. They are mourning us. I think, instead, we should be mourning for them!"

I like to think that Bergman's speech above occurs shortly before the meeting he has with Commander Koenig, Dr. Russell, and Dr. Mathias in "Earthbound" (span across a fair amount of time within itself) where they discuss digging catacombs under the moonbase to inter deceased Alphans and use the decomposing bodies for fertilizer (see also "Breaking Ground").

After coming to the conclusion that Earth was likely doomed and that the Moon was "certain" to find another world capable of supporting human life sooner or later, the Alphans plan for a bright future. One might say that's an overly optimistic concept of the future, given the following quotes from Alpha personnel: 

Dr. Russell indicates that many of the young men and women of the base have indicated their intention to marry. She also mentions two young wives who are going to have babies in a few months. Commander Koenig responds to her, "We have people of every race and nationality, Helena. I think our children, our children's children, and all who come after us will be finer and wiser than those who went before."

The Alphans' conviction they will find a habitable world suggests that this story ends sometime after they have become aware of the space warps, etc. that some mysterious unknown force has seemingly been guiding the Moon through in order to enter new star systems and encounter new worlds and alien civilizations.