The Merchandise Guide
Annual 1976

The Commander raced out into the main entranceway. It yawned emptily. He thumbed the comlock, yelling into it. "Victor! Where in the name of creation are you?"    Now a cold sweat broke out on Koenig's face. His mind seethed. The silence of the alien ship seemed to mock him. Feverishly, his eyes searched every corner of that stangely- lit area. And then the high voice of Sandra Benes, lashing at him from Main Mission. "Commander! They're here! Two aliens! They've materialised right here on Moonbase!"    It was as though some force was driving Koenig, against his will. Slowly, he backed through the air-locks. Step by step he returned to his Eagle. He was fully awayre that it was useless for him to search the alien vessel. Almost automatically, he withdrew the flexible link, and turned his Eagle back towards Alpha. "Follow me back to base, Alan!" He was aware that his own voice sounded thick and un- natural.    The two Eagles landed together, and both Koenig and Carter reached Main Mission together. There, standing impassively watching the white-faced members of control, were the two aliens. One of them was the crouching figure Koenig had already seen. Had already witnessed disappearing in front of his own eyes. And the other was a girl! "Look." Koenig spoke grimly, forcing himself to ignore a chill that ran through him--a chill that could not possible have been attributed to the fact that he'd shed the warmth of his survival suit back in the launch area. "Look--who are you? Why did you lure us aboard? What have you done with Professor Bergman?"    The alien man spoke, his voice a thin, metallic sound. "Bergman is a friend of yours, Commander. A good friend."    Koenig didn't reply.    "You would do anything to have him restored to you. I am correct?" The alien smiled--but entirely withour humour. There was no pleasantry in those deep-set, black eyes, the pupils like living coals.    "Make your point!" It was Paul Morrow, the head-strong Controller of Main Mission, who spoke. "You're holding Bergman as hostage, is that it? What do you expect us to do for his safe return?"    The alien girl laughed harshly. "It seems these people are reasonably intelligent, Danrak!" She turned her head to look at her companion. "Tell them."

Between the glass cases, Koenig could see a crouching figure! "Who are you? What do you want from us?"Koenig could sense the evil of the aliens from Barrax-Beta!    The alien--Danrak--shrugged. "Yes, we lured you aboard, Commander. And we, or rather I--diverted your attention so that your comrade could be seized. We would have seized you, except that we know that you are the one who must make decisions here. The two ships you see out there. . ." he gestured towards the video screen, ". . .are not, as you might think, from the same planet. My  ship is from Barrax-Beta, a system at war with Trinion. The other vessel is one of their puny attack-ships. We met and fought. And although we destroyed the whole crew of the Trinion craft,

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