'The Thargon Menace' (2 Parts) by Roger Price

When a small spaceship crashes into the Pacific Ocean region on Earth it causes an Earthquake, which is felt in the Tomorrow People’s Lab. The spaceship is piloted by two Thargons, Flyn and Sula, who have escaped from the fleet’s main ‘Thick Ship’ in a short-range ‘Slim Ship’, which they have deliberately crashed into the Earth in order to bury it, and so escape detection from space. Believing the crash to have been caused by a meteorite, Tim traces the impact point to the island of Tarpin, part of the Melosean chain of islands. Mike and Hsui Tai jaunt to the island, but when Flyn and Sula decide to raise the ship to the surface, Hsui Tai is blinded by the engines. Back at the Lab, John repairs Hsui Tai’s eyes. A military airplane spots the ‘Slim Ship’, and its pilot reports back to the dictator General Papa Minn, who orders Major Marcos to investigate with troops. John, Mike and Hsui Tai return to the island and meet Flyn, Sula and Thing, the ship’s computer, and are told by the aliens that they are on the run from the ruthless Thargon Overlords for opposing the massacre of their slaves. Flyn warns the Tomorrow People that the Thargon Overlords will destroy the Earth when they find Flyn and Sula there; they offer to build a Ripper Ray to defend the Earth, but the Tomorrow People decline. John and Hsui Tai return to the Lab while Mike stays with Flyn and Sula. But Major Marcos arrives and knocks Mike unconscious. Meanwhile, the Galactic Federation have found the two ‘Thick Ships’. Flyn and Sula accompany the Major to see General Papa Minn. John jaunts to the Thargon ‘Thick Ship’ to confront the Captain, who tells him that there are no slaves and no Overlords on their planet, and that Flyn and Sula are criminals. Flyn and Sula offer to show General Papa Minn how to build a Ripper Ray and use it to rule the Earth. After Mike regains consciousness he is told by Thing that the Thargon Overlords have re-captured Flyn and Sula, and so he returns to the Lab. Flyn, Sula and the General return to the ‘Slim Ship’, and the two aliens begin building the Ripper Ray. The Tomorrow People return to the ‘Slim Ship’ but are seen by soldiers; John and Mike jaunt back to the Lab, but Hsui Tai is shot. Flyn, Sula and the General prepare to launch the ‘Slim Ship’ so that the General can deliver his ultimatum, but John and Mike rescue Hsui Tai just before the ‘Slim Ship’ lifts off, its blast destroying the island. The General forces Flyn and Sula to allow him to broadcast his demands, and to fire the Ripper Ray. The blast is detected by the Thargon ‘Thick Ship’, which heads for Earth.



Nicholas Young (John), Elizabeth Adare (Liz), Michael Holoway (Michael Bell), Misako Koba (Hsui Tai), Philip Gilbert (TIM), Olu Jacobs (General Papa Minn), Michael Audreson (Flynn), Jackie Cowper (Sula), Eric Roberts (Major Marcos), Graham Lines (Captain), Norman Beardsley (Puppeteer), David Graham (Puppet Voices)

Directed by Peter Yolland

TX:
'Unexpected Guests' - 19th June 1978
'Playing With Fire' - 26th June 1978

Notes:
*Featuring John, Elizabeth, Mike, Hsui Tai and Tim