'Sarcophagus' by Tanith Lee

When the Liberator crew detects a small derelict spacecraft drifting nearby, Avon, Vila and Cally teleport across to investigate. Inside they find a mysterious mushroom-like device and an ancient corpse wearing a jewelled ring, which Cally unconsciously takes. An alarm sounds, and, fearing that the craft is about to explode, the trio attempt to teleport out, but only Cally’s bracelet seems to work. By linking hands with Avon and Vila, Cally is able to ensure that they teleport out of the craft just before it explodes. Back on Liberator the crew begins to act strangely: Cally becomes withdrawn, while Avon and Tarrant become increasingly hostile towards each other. When Cally activates the device that they brought across, she becomes possessed by the alien entity that inhabited the corpse. It uses her energy to create a form for itself, fashioned after Cally; it then informs the crew that they are to become her slaves, and will take her to her home planet. Vila and Tarrant are overwhelmed, as is Dayna after her attack on the entity fails. Avon realises that the entity has not only taken over Cally’s form, but has also absorbed her consciousness; he forces it to try to kill him, gambling that this will provoke Cally to fight to prevent his death. She does, and while she mentally struggles with the entity, Avon destroys the ring, the source of her power, killing the creature and freeing the crew from its influence.

Paul Darrow (Kerr Avon), Michael Keating (Vila Restal), Jan Chappell (Cally), Josette Simon (Dayna Mellanby), Steven Pacey (Del Tarrant), Peter Tuddenham (Zen / Orac)

Directed by Fiona Cumming
Produced by David Maloney

TX:
3rd March 1980 @ 7.15 pm - 8.10 pm

Notes:
*Featuring Kerr Avon, Vila Restal, Cally, Dayna Mellanby, Del Tarrant, Zen and Orac