Translators
The Michael Butterworth novelizations were translated by two people: Dr. Ingrid Rothmann and Leni Sobez. Rothmann worked on books 1 and 3 while Sobez worked on books 2, 4, 5 and 6.
While Rothmann provided a near word for word translation, with just a few alterations, Sobez translated a little more loosely.
Below are examples of both works, using several paragraphs from the beginning of book 1 and the end of book 6. Most notable about book 6 is that the ending has been altered into one that is bleak - in order to more directly lead into the original adventures that followed.
Planets of Peril from Alpha Ð The Lost Station by Dr. Ingrid Rothmann
CHAPTER ONE
It was a weird, alien landscape of sullen, smoking volcanoes
and buckled folds of igneous rock.
Once, millennia ago, its surface teemed with life. Where now
lurid, polychromatic veins twisted and turned in the frozen rock
faces there had once existed the softer, warmer colors of trees
and flowers and blue skies ... in a world of plenty and happiness.
Commander Koenig, Doctor Helena Russell, Simon Hays
and other Command Center personnel sat watching the emo-
tive scene in stunned silence as it was broadcast to them over
the Big Screen. Its strange colors played over their faces and
bathed them in a beautiful aura.
As they watched, the camera in the Eagle ship zoomed in
over the tortured, magical landscape, enabling them to share the
experiences of the two Eagle pilots, Bill Fraser and Ray Torens.
In close-up, the planet's surface features held a magnetic
attraction that the silent observers found disconcerting and
inexplicable. But they did not try to understand the mystery,
hoping only that the Eagle ship would succeed on its mission to
find Tiranium - the precious and universally rare mineral that
they so desperately needed to repair damaged life support
Systems.
Helena Russell ran her hand distraughtly across her forehead,
pushing back her attractive platinum hair that had fallen
out of place. She was still shaky from the effects of the space
warp. Without warning the Moon had plunged into one of the
unstable doorways through time. It and Moon Base Alpha had
been whisked hundreds of light-years from their previous position
in space. It was the second warp they had entered in as
many years, and they were now deeper in space than they had
ever been before, impossibly lost in an unknown and totally
uncharted part of the universe.
I.
It was a weird, alien landscape, full of dark, smoking volcanoes
and frozen folds of igneous rock.
Once, millennia ago, its surface teemed with life. Where now
in the rigid rock face ghastly, multicolor veins wound and curved,
had once shone the softer, warmer colors of trees, flowers, the
blue of the sky. . .
Commander Koenig, Doctor Helena Russell, Simon Hays
and some other crew members belonging to the Command
Center, sat there stunned and silently observed the disturbing
scene, which was broadcast to them over the Big Screen.
While they sat there and watched, the camera built into the
Eagle ship swiveled over the violated, cursed landscape and
made it possible for them to participate in the experiences of
the two Eagle pilots Bill Frazer and Ray Torens.
In close up the planets surface-features held a magnetic
attraction, a situation which disconcertingly and inexplicably
affected the silent observers. They did not try to understand
the mystery and hoped only that the EagleÕs task - of finding
Tiranium - would be fulfilled. Tiranium, a precious and rare mineral,
which they so desperately needed for the repair of the damaged
life support Systems.
Lost in thought, Helena Russell drew a strand of platinum blond
hair from her forehead. She still felt a little shaky from the effects
of the space warp. Without any warning the Moon had plunged
into one of the unstable stairways through time. It - and on it Moonbase
"Alpha" - had been whisked hundreds of light-years from its previous
position in space. It was the second warp which they had gone
through in as many years, and they were now deeper in space than
ever before, completely lost in an unknown and totally uncharted
part of the universe.
The Edge of the Infinite from Fight for the Future by Leni Sobez
But it was too late.
In front of them, before their eyes and beings, the
creature that was the most powerful and most terrible
and most unknown being that had existed at any time
- the creature that moreover, was perhaps capable of
giving the most goodness of any being, fell away into
oblivion, a victim of its own innate love.
The cold wind blew away and the sun smiled and
the world was beautiful again.
Cold, unwelcoming space beckoned them back to
the Moon and their runaway home.
They stood by the cave entrance watching Frazer's
lean figure walking bouncily toward them from the
parked Eagle Three. He was waving and smiling
broadly at them. He had come to take them back to
Alpha.
"Ready to go home?" he asked. But the question
needed no answer. It answered itself.
His Eagle was intact and sound - its metal had
suffered no fatigue or decay.
The fruits and waters of the planet were now edible
and refreshing to eat.
Verdeschi, who had been visited by the benevolent
being just before it had died, had been healed, and he
was the first to step forward to greet Frazer.
There did not seem to be much wisdom in returning
to a world which was hostile to their existence, to a
Moon condemned to wander the highways and
spaceways forever, to the infinite deep that stretched
from the shore of the galaxy and would surely devour
them.
As Verdeschi and Frazer embraced one another
warmly, the others looked around, curiously, testingly,
to see whether, after all, they could settle on the new
world.
But it was too late.
In front of them, before their eyes, they heard the
creature go out of existence. This creature, which was
perhaps the most powerful, most terrible and most
unknown that had ever lived; this creature, that
would have perhaps been able to bring goodness to
each being; it had become a victim of its own awkward
love. The cold wind rose to a storm, the sun, which
had stepped out from behind the mountainous clouds,
faded again.
The Alphans had to return to their Moon again, to
their homeland, which was nearing its end.
They stood depressed at the cave entrance and
awaited Frazer, who alit from the parked Eagle Three
and fought forward to them. He waved excitedly. He
had come in order to fetch them back to Alpha. Dust
veils whirled up by the storm occasionally hid his
shape.
Koenig gave an indication to the others. There was
really no point in making a foothold on this world.
Because it was still hostile to humans. The forces of
the creature had not been sufficient to reconvert it into
its paradise-like condition.
But its efforts had caused something.
The ship was intact. The metal showed no rust, no
decay, no premature fatigue symptoms.
The creature had wanted to give them another
chance, without even suspecting that Alpha stood before
its demise.
With lowered heads, Koenig and the others started
moving toward the ship.
It was a way without return.
Inexorably Alpha moved outward from the edge of
the galaxy.
Only a miracle could still save the station and its
crew. . .
END
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