the culprit is meglos, the last zolfa-thuran, a cactus creature who has remained hidden below the surface of his planet in a secret structure. he has summoned a band of space pirates called gaztaks to help him in an audacious plan. meglos wants to steal the dodecahedron back from tigella, as it is a zolfa-thuran energy source of immense power. to aid him, meglos uses an earthling captured for him by the gaztaks to occupy and take on humanoid form: and the humanoid form he chooses is the doctor, whom he has trapped in the bubble. while the hysteresis persists meglos gets the gaztaks to take him to tigella, and infiltrates the city in his new identity. zastor greets “the doctor” warmly as an old friend, asking him to examine the dodecahedron, but others are less sure, especially lexa.