ViewmasterWar Games
ViewmasterThis is the UK story booklet, album number ND 150 E. It was 20 x 21cm card album, opening up to 60cm wide.
Cover.
Back cover.
This fantastic science fiction story shows how mistrust leads to fear, fear which makes men cowardly, weak. unjust, wicked, cruel and hateful. It ends in violence leading to war. Thus it is that on lunar base ALPHA, they imagine they are being attacked. So they attack. With disastrous consequences for both sides. Luckily, all is not lost! The Aliens, with the help of Helena, give the Earthmen a lesson in wisdom and peace...
Opened up.
1 On ALPHA lunar base, established from earth under the command of John Koenig, life is proceeding normally until one day three unidentified aircraft appear on the screen. Clearly, they are heading towards the base. Anxiously Koenig turns to...
2 ... his assistants. "It seems suspicious! What can they want from us? Morrow, contact the nearest planet please." A moment later, Morrow says: "No reply, Sir."
3 Suddenly, Bergman who is concentrating on the screen, exclaims: "They're Hawks! War aircraft!"
4 Alarmed, the men stand up and scan the screen. "Still no reply from the planet, Sir" reports Morrow. "Warn all stations," orders Koenig. And they clear for action!
5 Immediately, three Eagles, aircraft from the base, take off. Koenig calls the flight commander, Alan Carter. "Warning shots," he orders, The unknown aircraft do not acknowledge. "Fire!" shouts Koenig. Three laser jets strike the Hawks which...
6 ... explode. Following this first success by ALPHA, the enemy attacks again. This time all the Eagles are wiped out, except that of Carter whose aircraft flies out of control. The base itself is damaged by a Hawk which flies low to strafe it.
7 Panic in the control room! "Abandon all non-essential surface positions immediately, and come below," shouts Koenig.
The reels. Reel text and pictures
8 In the medical centre, Helena notifies the commander through the television link that a glass partition has cracked, letting out their essential oxygen.
9 "Evacuate the wounded," orders Koenig. Helena and the nurses push the stretchers along the corridor. Unfortunately just as they are fetching the last casualty, the window shatters and the man is sucked out magnetically into space.
Apparently explosive decompression involves magnets.
10 They stand rooted to the spot with horror. Helena, two nurses and two assistants try to calm the wounded. Koenig returns to his post.
11 In the control room, Sandra is scanning the screen, terrified. "Commander, they're coming back! Look, a giant bomber!"
There is no explanation what happens to the bomber here...
12 128 are dead. Oxygen supply for one week. Generators out of action. Food supply contaminated. in this hopeless situation, Koenig decides to go down to the red planet to negotiate and ask for help. He joins Helena in an Eagle.
13 The planet soon appears before them fertile and welcoming. "Isn't it beautiful" exclaims Helena, deeply impressed. Suddenly they hear a woman's voice. "You are now under landing control."
14 On the planet, Koenig and Helena are taken into a brightly lit rotunda. No-one is there! But they can sense human presences. And indeed a man, then a woman are silhouetted in a flash of light.
15 The Alien and the Earthman start talking to each other, but it is as if both are deaf. It ends in complete misunderstanding and violence. Koening, trying to resist, is killed. "John, John," cries Helena.
An odd misspelling of Koenig in this paragraph.
16 Terrified, she tries to defend herself with the laser. But the Aliens manage to calm her and they give her their gift of peace and life. With it, she brings Koenig back to life. The commander tries in vain to take her from the power of the Aliens.
17 Koenig returns alone to Alpha. Half-way, he contacts Carter and orders him to prepare to invade the planet, then to meet him. Soon the two aircraft link up and Carter takes his place beside the commander.
18 Confound it! Just as they are diving down to the planet, their aircraft is destroyed by magnetic impact. Carter is killed, but Koenig, ejected, floats in space towards eternity.
19 On the planet, Helen discusses the universe with the Aliens. Suddenly she sees Koenig's face on a screen. "John," she cries. And he arrives in the flesh...
20 ... rushing into the rotunda, his laser in his hand. He fires. All hell is let loose. Everything is destroyed. But Koenig and Helena are unharmed. "Let's return to ALPHA to die," says Koenig.
21 On ALPHA, everyone is waiting for the end. Koenig, deep in meditation, hears the voice of the Alien. "Earthmen, ALPHA is not doomed. Your fear triggered everything off. Fear of being attacked is a madness that causes war. We wanted to show you the consequences of your lack of trust!"
Contents copyright Martin Willey