Nearing the edge of the domes, Sally Harrington called to her daughter for what felt like the hundredth time. She watched as her daughter climbed out of a grove of bushes and stood, then reached down to help another little girl up. The other girl looked three or four years older than Sonja but only stood a full head taller. She was dressed in animal fur and she wore little fur shoes. Sally looked around herself and seeing Tony and Victor talking she called them over.

They both watched as Sonja and the little girl came across the field. "Who's that?" Tony asked Sally.

"I don't know. I was hoping that you could tell me." She answered.

Tony rubbed his chin in thought then snapped his fingers. "She looks like some of those natives we saw on the other side of the planet. If there's a tribe nearby John's gonna flip."

Sonja reached the trio and stopped. Saying something to the other girl, she let go of her hand and stepped forward to her mother's side. "Mama, Mr. Koenig, Mr. Verdeschi." Sonja spoke like a true dignitary. "This is Noya." Then Sonja spoke to the little girl strangely, apparently in her own language.

The adults stood dumbfounded as Sonja conversed with the strange little girl. Sally placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Who is this child, Sonja?"

"I told you, it's Noya. Her mom and dad were stranded here when a storm blew their boat off course and they couldn't get home. They're dead now and Noya lives in the house all alone." Sonja stepped back beside the child and took her hand. "She knows how to fish and hunt and make clothes and everything. Her mama and daddy taught her before they died."

Tony finally found his tongue and knelt down to be eye level with the two girls. "Are there any more of your people here on this side of the water, Noya?"

Without being asked Sonja translated for him. Noya looked at the ground and shook her head. Sonja turned back to Tony. "She says `No'."

A small laugh escaped and Tony smiled at her. "Thank you, Sonja." He stood and looked at the others. "I'm not real sure what John would want us to do, but I suggest that we take her to the medical tent and have some test run before she integrates too much." The other two nodded their agreement.

"Would you take them over please Sally and make sure that they are both checked out?" Victor asked.

"Sure. Come on." Sally took her daughter's hand and led the girls away. "Let's go see Dr. Vincent and get Noya something to eat."

When they were out of earshot Victor Koenig let out a heavy sigh. "I'd better call my father and let him know what's happened." He started to walk away when Tony grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Don't tell him yet."

"Why not? He's going to want to know." Victor protested.

Tony ran a hand across the back of his neck. He had become used to Alpha's controlled environment and the heat was starting to get to him. "Yea, I know, but I think that we should tell him in person. When I go back to Alpha tonight I'll explain the situation and see what he wants to do about it." The two men headed back toward the camp. "In the meantime, I'll find out as much as I can about her and her people so that John has all the facts."

The two men parted then, Victor heading for the Eagle crews to oversee their departure, and Tony for the medical tent.

Working with the barest possible skeleton crew, Moonbase Alpha's empty halls shook slightly as the next to the last fleet of Eagles lifted off and headed for the planet. The largest collection of crew members could be found in Life Support.

Having completed the moving of the entire Medical Center to the planets' surface, Dr. Helena Russell stood at the Life Support Supervisor's desk. "If we leave that unit, what are the chances that we'll need it in the future?"

"I couldn't possibly predict that, Helena." Supervisor Lou Smith straightened up. "What I do know is, if we take it now we risk a system failure and shutdown before we make it to the launch pads."

Helena ran her fingers through her hair and checked her papers one more time. "What if we replaced the..."

"Mother!" Catie walked quickly toward her. "We're having too much difficulty dismantling the oxygen recycling unit. Some of the parts will go, but the rest is attached to the main life support."

Helena sighed loudly. "I'll go and speak to the Commander."

Personnel in Command Center consisted of John Koenig, Sandra Benes"Carter and Maya Verdeschi. They were putting the finishing touches on the dismantling of the room.

"John." The hollowness of her own voice almost shocked Helena as she walked into Command Center. Koenig met her halfway into the room. "It seems so cold and empty in here now."

He smiled and put an arm around her. "But the planet is warm and hospitable. How's it going in Life Support? We're nearly finished here."

"We're having too much trouble separating the useful parts of most of the equipment from the vital systems needed for the rest of our stay." The exasperation in her voice told John that she had gone over the problem thoroughly, with no solution.

"Then leave it." Was all Koenig said. He let go of her and walked around to the back of his desk, the only piece of furnishings left in the room.

Helena came around to join him. "John, we could use some of those parts in the future. I don't just want to allow them to be destroyed."

A soft laugh escaped John's lips. "We have gutted this base with such efficiency that we should be able to plan for just about any contingency." He placed his hands on his wife's shoulders. "Leave it, Helena. It won't matter in the long run." He put his arm around her and turned to Sandra in one smooth movement. "Saun, what's our temperature?"

"Twenty"seven degrees Celsius, Commander." She looked up at him. "And rising."

Koenig took a deep breath. "Alright, lower the internal temperature to twenty degrees and keep an eye on it." "Yes, sir." Sandra turned back to the main view screen wall.

Maya called across the room from where she stood with Sandra. "Eagle hangers report that they are fully loaded and ready for departure, Commander."

John gave Helena a reassuring squeeze. "Excellent! You two ladies may go, find the Eagle of your choice and board her for the planet." He spoke in his best military voice and gave them a broad smile. "We'll be right behind you." The two women nodded, smiling back, and made their way out the side door. John turned to Helena. "Call Life Support and tell them to do the same." Helena complied.

When she had finished, Helena turned and faced John. "This is it. The end and the beginning all wrapped up together."

Koenig stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms. "In a way I guess it is, but what a beginning. We've dreamed of this moment for over twenty years. An Earth type planet with all the facilities to handle 300 people. We've managed to extract ninety percent of Alpha for use on the planet's surface and her crew, including the children, are well pleased. I think that this will work out just fine." John held her a little tighter.

Helena molded herself into him, as so many times before. "So many memories here, good and bad." She sighed heavily. "John, I believe I'm actually a little sad to be saying goodbye."

John Koenig lifted his wife's chin and kissed her long and slow. When they parted, they both looked around the room. Each savoring a memory in their own way.

The buzzing of a monitor broke their silence. John turned it on and Alan Carter's happy face filled the screen. "We're all set, John! As soon as you're ready, we can leave." Koenig smiled back. "We'll be right there."

Turning off the monitor, John looked at Helena. "Are you ready, Doctor?"

She laced her fingers in his and smiled back. "Yes, I'm ready, Commander."

As they walked out the door, hand in hand, they both looked back one last time. The doors then closed behind them and they headed for the launch pad.

_* * *

"Medical Status Report, September 13th, year 25, Alpha calender. Dr. Helena Russell"Koenig recording. Twenty"five years since leaving Earth's orbit has found us settling a new planet. We finally have a place to call home. It will be difficult for awhile, but some are already planning for the future. We have enough room here to expand and grow for many centuries. Yesterday, Francis and Jackie Crawford had a baby girl. The first on this new planet. They've named her Cassity Ann. We have also taken in a little native girl who's parents were stranded here then died. She has been very helpful already to our botanists and geologists. We have also made some strict rules regarding the natives. John Koenig hesitates to call laws. However, strict punishment will be administered if the rules are broken. We are all highly optimistic of our new life here on this planet Noya calls BOTALA, which she says means `fertile'." Helena turned off the recorder and went out to join the others.

All of the Alphans had gathered at the lake to watch the setting sun. Within moments the moon was scheduled to crash into their new sun. Maya had predicted that it would do very little, if any, damage. Some weren't so sure, but everyone had come to see for themselves and watch their home of twenty years die.

They all watched as the large orangish mass began to sink behind the mountains. Suddenly a small white flash appeared near the center, then was gone.

Everyone stood still and quiet until the sun had completely disappeared behind the range. From the edge of the crowd, Sonja Harrington's small voice cut the stillness. "Goodbye, Alpha."

Without a sound the newest Botalans headed back to their camp.

Paticia Keister

5 November 1999