Ignoring doctor's orders, the Commander flies back down to Retha to save Helena and the other transformed Alphans from Carter's wrath. During this, the cave-wife and her entourage have been skilfully evading Carter in the maze of tunnels. She returns to the main cavern in time to see that her posse has re-captured Sandra and are tying her spread-eagled to a frame used to dry animal skins. She howls in triumph. Carter follows the noise, and finds the vengeful cave-wife preparing to murder Sandra with a crude obsidian blade. Ignorant of her true identity, the astronaut sets his gun to kill, takes aim—and is pole-axed by Koenig's stun-blast.