Breakaway (event)

Summary

Details

• Area One already blew itself out in a magnetic subsurface firestorm. Area Two is starting to show precursor signs of a similar event, but it is 140x the size, and fear is of a far more disastrous event.
• The Alphans are, at Victor's suggestion, trying to break up the concentrated pile of nuclear waste at Area Two, which itself continues to show some signs but is holding somewhat steady.
• Abruptly, electrical discharges start shooting out, and a series of explosions begin, which proceed over the course of 20 seconds to involve Area Two and beyond, killing at least four pilots in two Eagles.
• The explosions go critical, creating a single, far more massive explosion which in a minutes-long burn acts like a massive nuclear engine and proceeds to propel the Moon out of orbit, causing moonquakes (and earthquakes), throwing people about and then pinning them to the floor.
• Alan Carter, previously ordered to observe proceedings from orbit, sees much of this. He is perhaps pulled along with the Moon, but also has to struggle to keep up, even as he calls Alpha, with more and more concern as they do not respond initially, while also reporting on the effects.
• Alpha's artificial gravity (AG) is able to start compensating when the Breakaway acceleration slows to 3G.

Timing

(Starts at 40m30s mark in the A&E copy of the episode. All times shown below are relative to that point. Timing reflects what is literally shown on screen, which may or may not reflect "true" timing. The Editor will use it as if it is the "true" timing, however.)
• 0m00s: Area Two starts "going up."
• 0m08s: an Eagle, struck by electromagnetic discharges, explodes.
• 0m14s: Koenig starts ordering an abort to the Area Two mission. Paul starts relaying the order.
• 0m17s: the "immediately" in Paul's "... return to base immediately...."
• 0m23s: first true non-Eagle explosion at Area Two.
• 0m28s: early stages of forming blasts catches up with another Eagle.
• 0m30s: blasts reach the Area Two Monitoring Depot.
• 0m42s: blasts already visible as a very bright spot on the Moon's limb from Alan's perspective.
• 0m44s: blasts abruptly go critical into one massive blast that forces Alan, in space, to shield his eyes.
• 0m48s: false dawn of huge blast rises above Alpha's horizon.
• 0m49s: moonquakes hit Alpha.
• 0m50s: Paul orders all sections to be sealed.
• 0m52s: Quake causes damage, starts hurling people about.
• 1m04s: Moon visibly starting to leave Earth orbit.
• 1m10s: People pinned to the floors.
• 1m27s: Victor realizes, "We're moving!"
• 1m39s: Meta Probe and an Eagle thrown from their lunar orbit space dock.
• 1m43s: That space dock explodes.
• 1m48s: Carter being pulled along and/or pursuing the Moon.
• 1m52s: Carter starts trying to raise Alpha.
• 2m02s: Carter reports to Alpha that the Moon is leaving orbit.
• 2m18s: Koenig starts struggling over to a console.
• 2m25s: Earth already shrinking behind the Moon.
• 3m22s: Koenig contacts Carter.
• 3m30s: Koenig reports there are (still) tremendous G-forces.
• 3m36s: Koenig reports they seem to be decelerating.
• 3m45s: People are able to start picking themselves up.
• 3m58s: Main power returns as people get to their feet.
• 4m04s: Victor reports they're down to 3G's and that artificial gravity is compensating.

Conclusions

• The first true explosion isn't until 0m23s. It doesn't go critical and turn into the truely massive explosion until 0m44s. Once that happens though, the Moon is accelerating for at least 3m20s, until the 3G point, and presumably for at least several more seconds -- if not longer.

Speculation

• Acceleration may have still been occurring after the 4m04s mark, but was apparently fast declining and likely didn't last much longer.
• The human body can take up to about (needs verification) 7-10G before falling unconscious. If artificial gravity (AG) was having a subtractive effect during this crisis, Breakaway acceleration could have been as high as 10-13G(?).
• Other pilots helping break up Area Two were running cycles between Area Two itself and drop-off points away from the immediate area, and were probably not all in the immediate Area itself. If the others immediately started fleeing then, or even on sight of the first blasts, perhaps they had time to escape before the blasts went critical. That close to the Moon, they probably got pulled along.
• If most or all of the others did not escape, that would have been a huge hit to Reconnaissance Section at the start of their journey.
• The lunar space dock is destroyed. Another space dock was hurled out of Earth orbit, apparently leaving Earth unable to mount any rescue attempt (the Alphans have already concluded they themselves cannot make a return attempt).

Statements

• The Editor considers there to be "only" four Verifiable Losses due to the Breakaway event, namely the four pilots mentioned at 08 and 28 seconds.

Results

• Moon with 300+ people propelled out of Earth orbit and the solar system altogether.
• At least four pilots dead in at least two destroyed Eagles.
• A space dock in lunar orbit is destroyed, presumably with loss of life. The Meta Probe and other Eagle, docked there, were hurled away moments before (perhaps destroyed too?).
• The abrupt movement of the Moon out of orbit triggers earthquakes along the San Andreas faults in the United States, and in Yugoslavia and southern France, causing "enormous damage to life and property."

• Some damage to Moonbase Alpha.
• Simmonds sustains a head laceration. Lew (not Picard) is knocked unconscious in Main Mission. Almost everyone was hurled about, presumably causing at least bruising in many. All (except Carter) were pinned to the ground for a time.
• All prior relationships with people still on Earth were permanently severed. Note: There were some illusionary get-togethers in "Bringers of Wonder".
• Everything else that follows within the Space: 1999 series.

Episodes

• "Breakaway"

Threads

• Dec. 1995: Why No Collision With Earth?