“Earthbound” is episode fourteen of season one of Space: 1999.
In the commander’s office, Commissioner Simmonds, who was unlucky enough to arrive at Alpha in “Breakaway” just as the Moon was blasted out of orbit, is complaining to the staff that they are not making a serious effort to return to Earth. Sandra reports from Main Mission that a powered object is approaching. Koenig has Alan get two Eagles on to pads. As the object, a spaceship, isn’t responding, he orders both Eagles launched.
Computer says the ship is going to orbit, but Alan reports its flight is unstable and its going to crash. It does, though not badly. The commander orders Dr Russell and Victor join him and rescue crews at the launch pad. But not Simmonds; he doesn’t need a politician. Alan flies them to the crash site in an Eagle, connecting the passenger pod then dropping it off and returning to Alpha in the Eagle. There’s no atmosphere inside the ship and lunar gravity. Koenig opens the hatch and there are people inside in transparent pods. Possibly in suspended animation. Koenig orders Paul to activate gravity control and atmosphere.
Simmonds is complaining in Main Mission. Dr Russell reports she can find no evidence of life with the person she’s working on, but can’t do any more without breaking the seal. When she does, though, there fire and smoke inside and the person is turned to ash. A mechanism activates and the other people start to move, leaving the pods as they open. One looks at the ash, then at the Alphans, who defend themselves; they thought the person was dead. The occupants surround the ash, and get the Alphans to do so as well, enacting some kind of ritual.
Simmonds is fretting when Koenig contacts Main Mission; the ship is going to fly to Alpha under half power. It lands and descends into the maintenance bay. The commissioner rushes to meet the aliens and demands that Koenig introduces him. Koenig says the alien is Captain Zantor. Simmonds welcomes him on behalf of Earth authority and says those responsible for the loss of the captain’s crewmember will be brought to account. The commander takes responsibility and Simmonds says he should. But Zantor says that ignorance, not malice, caused the death, and he doesn’t need judicial revenge. After Dr Russell escorts the aliens to quarters, Simmonds warns Koenig they may not be as friendly as they seem.
In the commander’s office, the aliens, Keltorians, offer gifts from their homeworld. Their planet was dying and they sent out many ships, one to each planet they believed could support their type of life. Their ship was programmed to orbit Earth’s Moon, then descend to Earth. Simmonds asks if the Keltorians can find Earth. They can. It’s their prime directive. Simmonds thinks it should be the Alphans’. The Keltorians would integrate if welcomed; if not, they would undergo voluntary reduction. Suicide. Koenig says Dr Russell will check them out and Victor will check out the ship. Once everyone else is gone, Simmonds tells Koenig they should seize the ship. The Keltorians are expendable.
The Keltorians have room to take one person. It will take 75 years in suspended animation. Commissioner Simmonds believes that person should be him. If it was just up to Koenig, he’d be perfectly willing to get rid of Simmonds, but that isn’t fair on everyone else. Simmonds doesn’t want to take his chances with everyone else.