- The expansive Taybor, an intergalactic merchant arrives from hyperspace on his ship, The Emporium. He is offering to sell things to the Alphans. Koenig realizes that if the Taybor sold them his spaceship, it would enable the Alphans to fly back to Earth, but the price the Taybor is asking for this transaction is Maya.—don @ minifie-1
- Several multi-colored variously-shaped sparkling objects have materialized throughout Moonbase Alpha. Two of them are picked up by curious members of Alpha's personnel; one burned and blinded, the other put into a trance. As Commander Koenig orders an investigation, the base receives audio contact by an unseen visitor, sounding friendly, who asks for permission to land. Koenig refuses and orders defense Eagles launched. As the voice insists he's come in peace, swirling colors appear on Command Center's big screen, forming into a colorful cone-shaped ship, materializing on the lunar surface.
Suddenly, an obese humanoid alien with hair resembling a rooster's crest magically appears in the Command Center. He jovially introduces himself as "Taybor's the name, trading's my game". He informs them his ship is called the S.S. Emporium. Wary Alphans draw lasers, so Taybor responds with a twist of his hand, resulting in an enormous tank-like entity appearing on a lunar hill overlooking the Moonbase. The Alphans watch on the Big Screen, observing its massive gun barrel swiveling, aiming right at the heart of the base. However, Taybor amiably assures the horrified Alphans that it's merely an illusion and causes it to disappear. He convinces the distrusting Alphans that he's unarmed and persuades them to lower their weapons. Taybor explains that he's been scanning them for some time, judging that it was perfectly safe for him to come aboard. He informs them that he's traveled the universe trading wares, always in search of beautiful things. When informed that his "gifts" have caused injury, he states that they're simple toys - "memory amplifiers". When Helena mentions that picking them up had detrimental effects, he explains that you're only supposed to touch them and assures them that the injured parties will recover.
Taybor mentions that he's hungry, so the executive Alphans invite him for a meal in the Recreation Area. Sitting next to Maya, he comes onto her, making a physical pass at her under the table. She counters by using her powers to give herself superhuman strength, putting him in his place under the table. When Commander Koenig questions him about his ship's method of transport, Taybor informs him that the Emporium is powered by a "jump-drive" device which submerges the ship into hyperspace, enabling it to appear anywhere in the universe. Indulging in Tony's homemade beer results in the answers to their questions becoming progressively unintelligible until he finally passes out.
After Taybor sleeps it off, he re-enters the Command Center. Now coherently answering their questions, the Alphans become elated to learn that the Emporium is capable of returning them to Earth. However, joy is once again replaced with heartbreak when it's made clear that the task is impossible without exact coordinates to program into the jump-drive. Instead, they become deeply interested in attempting to trade for the jump-drive.
Taybor materializes himself and Koenig onto the S.S. Emporium so the Commander can have a look at it. The ship is jam-packed with articles Taybor has collected over the years; Koenig comparing it to an Art Gallery. Koenig is anxious to adapt the jump-drive to an Eagle and asks Taybor to show him how it works. Taybor admits that he doesn't know how the device works and will allow the Commander to study it if they agree on a trade, but assures Koenig that scrutinizing it will only result in a headache.
Taybor activates the drive, and without warning sends the ship into hyperspace.
Tony Verdeschi becomes alarmed when the ship disappears and sends search teams out to locate it; an Eagle for aerial search and a moonbuggy to the location where the ship had been.
Taybor informs the wary Commander that the ship hasn't budged from its previous position, but they've shifted from ordinary space to this dimension - or a non-dimension to be more precise. Koenig wants to get down to business with discussing a trade for the jump-drive, turning down Taybor's offer of making a quick stop for a drink at a favorite space-port bar of his, so the trader agrees to return to Alpha. Koenig contacts Tony, who frantically orders the moonbuggy to evacuate the area as the ship is returning to its previous position. After the ship has re-materialized and the drive is de-activated, Koenig asks Taybor what he wants in exchange for the jump-drive. Taybor answers "Maya".
Obviously they can't trade Maya, so Helena has moulded a wax figure in Maya's likeness with an internal computer programmed to imitate Maya's voice in which Taybor can converse with. Taybor appears pleased with Helena's handywork and beams a three-sided plastic pyramid covered in various symbols representing the diagram of the workings of the jump-drive into the Command Center. Koenig observes it, doubting they'll be able to make heads or tails out of it. He informs Taybor that several Alphans are anxious to trade wares with him and arranges for the event in one hour in the Recreation Area.
As Taybor prepares for it, Koenig enters the Survey Equipment Room and selects an appropriate limpid transmitter.
While Taybor conducts his trading session, offering valuables from his ship in true showman form, Koenig has donned a spacesuit and is currently out on the lunar surface, affixing the limpid transmitter to the exterior of the S.S. Emporium.
At the conclusion of Taybor's trading event, he presents Maya with a gift for providing his new "companion" with the image of her beauty - a large elaborate necklace. She wants to visit Helena's quarters to show it to her and Taybor offers to accompany her. However, as soon as everyone else has departed the Recreation Area, Taybor twists his hand and the two of them disappear.
Taybor and Maya have materialized aboard the Emporium. Maya's mind has been submerged into a semi-trance state due to her new necklace; Taybor informing her that they'll be departing soon.
When Koenig returns to Command Center, he questions Tony about Maya's absence. Tony explains she wanted to show Helena a going-away present from Taybor, causing the Commander to become suspicious. When Koenig arrives at Helena's quarters, he finds her alone and seemingly intoxicated. She's reveling over a powerful perfume Taybor had given her as she embraces the Commander. He begins to be affected as well, struggling to grasp onto reality. Finally, he snaps out of it, shaking Helena into awareness, informing her that they've been tricked. Unknown to them, Taybor's been observing them on his monitor and realizes he's been foiled.
When Koenig returns to Command Center and contacts Taybor on the Big Screen, Tony becomes frantic to view the real Maya on the Emporium. Koenig demands that he send her back. Taybor seems to relent, but when she materializes, her face explodes, revealing that it's the computerized wax dummy. Taybor evilly rejoices, stating that he never settles for copies - he only collects originals.
On the Emporium, Maya realizes she's under a spell and removes the necklace. Taybor fires up the jump-drive, ignoring her pleas to send her back, then the ship disappears from the lunar surface. When he informs Maya that they are to travel the galaxies together, she becomes disgruntled, transforming into a snarling dog. Taybor is pleased to discover her abilities and twists his hand, causing a type of netting to cover over her. She changes into a ferret and escapes through an opening, but when she reverts to her true form, she finds herself encased in a glass column. Taybor addresses the Commander on his monitor, accusing him of being dishonest by hiding Maya's abilities, implying she was worth more than the jump-drive. He then gives the Commander his goodbyes and cuts off communication.
As they move through space, Maya's demands of being returned to Alpha are in vain. Taybor claims that she's now his prized possession and there's no way she can get back to Alpha, who can't even contact them. However, using the limpid transmitter he installed outside the Emporium, Commander Koenig achieves audio contact with the ship. He addresses Maya, confirming that there's no way they can come after her, but reminds her that she's there because Taybor surrounds himself with things of beauty, hoping she understands his implication. Maya gets it, transforming into a short, rotund, filthy hag, referring to her new form as a female version of Taybor. She taunts the trader, promising she will remain with him forever, but retaining this form. Taybor becomes horrified, pleading with her to change back. She refuses.
The Alphans are joyous when Maya reappears in Command Center. Soon after, reports come in that the Alphans who had attended Taybor's trading session have found that their original possessions have replaced the trinkets Taybor had traded with them, although Ben Vincent's homemade ship-in-a-bottle is now outside the glass. Koenig remarks that it appears Taybor's a sore loser after all.
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