“Dorzak” is episode twenty-one of season two of Space: 1999.
Commander Koenig is away from Alpha, investigating an asteroid belt for some hope of colonisation, when Alpha received the universal signal warning of a plague ship. The ship has altered course towards Alpha and Tony orders weapons section be ready. They get a transmission from the ship, asking for permission to land. The woman says her name is Sahala and one of her crew is dead and another injured. She’s trying to cope alone and needs permission to touch down. Dr Russell asks about the plague and Sahala says it’s true, but the plague is contained and no threat. Tony speaks to Maya, Alan and Dr Russell before granting permission to land.
Dr Russell and her team return with Sahala and the injured person. There’s a criminal onboard her ship that nearly destroyed their civilisation. They were taking him to exile when he broke loose. He’s the source of the plague but is isolated. When they leave the travel tube and Sahala sees Maya, she uses a weapon on a Maya, who turns stiff and collapses.
In medical, the doctor says that Maya is in some kind of stasis. They then go and look on the other, Yesta, who isn’t doing so well.
Tony and Alan are with Sahala in detention; Sahala attacked Maya because she’s a Psychon and because of what the Psychons did to Sahala’s people. Tony doesn’t want to listen but Alan wants to stay for a bit. Sahala explains to Alan that her people are part of a peace-loving federation. They didn’t even know of the existence of Psychon until the arrival of Dorzak’s spaceship with him and other Psychons, seeking refuge because their planet was about to be destroyed. The Psychons incited violence until Sahala’s people developed a weapon and the willpower to use it. The staser. Maya isn’t dead and Sahala can revive her.
Maya is revived and Sahala is taken back to detention. Tony explains to Maya what Sahala told Alan. She knows of Dorzak; a philosopher and a poet. He wouldn’t change. She wants to see him.
Alan is with Sahala in detention. She thinks he’s kind and the way to repay him is by warning him that Maya will try and free Dorzak. Psychons loyalty to each other transcends all other relationships. Even in stasis, Dorzak is dangerous. Sahala’s crew was selected for their ability to resist Dorzak’s psychological attacks, but Clea was not as strong at resisting. She was on watch when the Moon was detected. She revived Dorzak, telling him they could take over the Moon and use the Alphans. The other two can be killed in the Psychon fashion. Yesta wakes and puts Dorzak back in stasis. Clea acts confused, then hits Yesta over the head, but Yesta puts her in stasis too. When Sahala awoke, Yesta had nearly bled out. Clea told Sahala what happened, then threw herself out into space in guilt.
A guard enters and says that Tony wants Sahala at her spaceship. Sahala says this is the beginning; Maya will free Dorzak. At the ship, she doesn’t want to awake Dorzak as it’s too dangerous. She takes a weapon from one of Alpha’s seriously useless guards, but Alan disarms her.
Clearly, either Sahala or Dorzak isn’t telling the truth. The question is which of them is lying; was Sahala the original prisoner or was Dorzak? Sahala doesn’t trust Maya, but that is because she thinks all Psychons are alike. Maya thinks Dorzak must be innocent.