by Tony Attwood
TELEPORT – System of dismantling organic molecules, transporting them across space and then reassembling them. Non-organic molecules that were closely associated with organic molecules (eg, items of clothing) were also automatically teleported. The teleport system on Liberator worked on medium frequencies, but it was possible to adjust the teleport to work on omicron pulse length when there was interference on the medium band. Bracelets had to be worn to make the system work. On Liberator these were very fragile indeed and had clearly been designed for use by the Alta of the System. They included sensors which warned of the presence of poison gas or radiation. Scorpio’s bracelets were much sturdier and became the personal property of each crew member. They were made of titanium and had chips set in a rack with a keyboard so that the landing site could be programmed into the bracelet.
TERMINAL – Artificial planet built by a consortium of scientists 411 years before the Liberator was destroyed within its vicinity. According to official records, Terminal was supposed to have broken up many years prior to that. Terminal was sprayed with organic materials in the hope that it would naturalise and eventually create and sustain life. Originally positioned in solar orbit near Mars, it was somehow moved to a totally new location. Despite apparently being egg-shaped, the planet retained a breathable atmosphere and Earth-type gravity level. The question of how much of Terminal was colonised remains unresolved. Servalan merely occupied what appeared to be a few rooms underground, although there were further signs of habitation and building elsewhere on the planet. These may, of course, have been built by the Links before they evolved into the aggressive creatures that were met by the crew of Liberator.
VILA RESTELL – Native of Earth, and brilliant picker of locks. He met Blake whilst waiting for transportation to Cygnus Alpha and promptly stole his watch. Despite the fact that he acted like a fool, Vila had a very high IQ and claimed to have bought his Delta grading in order to avoid becoming a Space Captain and hence killed. He was first sent to a penal colony at the age of fourteen, but the transportation ship was hit by a meteoroid and he escaped. Although Vila was in many respects a coward, he would not leave another member of the crew to die unless the action was out of sight, the odds against him high, and the bottle close to hand. Hence he risked his own life rescuing Tarrant on Terminal, but failed to help Cally on Obsidian. The nearest he ever came to having a true friend after he became connected with Blake was in Gan, whose straightforward bravery and strength he trusted. However, despite the contempt with which Avon and Vila regarded each other’s characters, they subsequently became the closest of all crew members, each recognising the other’s exceptional skills and abilities. This was seen as its clearest in episodes such as ‘Killer’ and ‘Gambit’ in Series B.