Alpha Scorpio

Lore & Background

The series follows university students Andrew (Peter Hepworth) and Steven (Kevin Wilson) who, while camping at Aireys Inlet, begin to witness strange phenomena. Andrew's seismograph records unusual events coinciding with voltage dips in the local power grid, and Steven observes an albatross mysteriously vanish mid-flight. They befriend an old fisherman named Mirny (Kurt Ludescher), who is later revealed to be an alien from the planet Antares (or Alpha Scorpii). At the climax of the story, it turns out that Mirny is actually a member of an extraterrestrial race sent to Earth to procure deuterium oxide to use as fuel for their dying star which is Antares (or Alpha Scorpii to use its Bayer designation).

Reader's Guide

The Antarians have come to Earth to procure deuterium oxide to fuel their dying star, Antares (Alpha Scorpii). They have modified the local lighthouse into a transmat beam to steal deuterium oxide from passing cargo ships, and a more powerful transmat beam is set up in a well near their underground base. The weaker seismic events correspond to beaming deuterium oxide from ships to the lighthouse, while the stronger events occur when the substance is beamed back to the Antares system as the star passes overhead. In the final episode, Mirny and his colleagues use the high-powered transmat to return home, destroying the device and flooding the base. Steven and Andrew return to university, keeping the secret.

Did You Know?

• The series was filmed in color with primitive lighting and sets due to a low budget.
• Only three episodes are known to survive in the National Archives of Australia.
• The albatross that disappeared flew into an operating transmat beam during a deuterium oxide transfer.