Buck Rogers in the 26th Century

Episode 221x "Minus Negative: Part 1"

Written by: Erin Weinstock 


I don't hold any of the copyrights in this story, and this story was made without profit.


Teaser:

ext: Space:

The camera is focused on the image of an alien planet.

Slowly a space ship's bow comes into view, making its way in from behind the camera.

Then the camera cuts on to the ship approaching the planet. It's a Scientific Research Directorate 
ship. Its shape is something like a mutated gourd with at one end puffs from it that have windows 
that provide more than a decent view into the space it's moving through. The stern end has the 
same type of engine we last saw on the Searcher only these engines are at full power and nothing 
is stopping them from performing their job of flaring out their thrust in a glow as their containment 
ring spins. 

After a beat, the ship emits three objects from a slit facing the camera: two probes of the 
type we've seen this Directorate use in the past, used for making observations, and a ship meant 
to carry a single person for observations machines can't carry out in making judgments through 
organic eyes. This ship is vertical with two compartments, one at its bottom in which we see a 
man standing with unseen to us, a control board in front of him, and the second one is a spear 
that when one climbs from the standing compartment to this one, they can use motion controls 
within it to turn in 380 degrees to change viewpoints over the matter being observed. And it's 
with that note, I'm going to note in this description, yes, the occupant does wear a seatbelt 
while performing this rotating act.

V.O. a female voice from inside the large ship, Project Lead: "Anything out of the ordinary so 
far?"

As this line is being said the camera cuts from being outside the one man ship to being inside 
the one man craft, being right beside its occupant. Researcher (shocked): "The reports are right. 
It has mass but somehow it doesn't appear to be existing in this dimension."

V.O. Project Lead: "So much for going back home for lunch. Do you think it's safe to move in 
closer to the anomaly?"

Researcher: "With how we've been cut off from communications with the whole population of the 
planet that used to," [beat] What's going on really has the man frazzled, Cont: "And should still 
be there. [beat] I'm willing to risk my life to find out what is going on."

The camera cuts to being outside in space again and we see the Scientific Research Directorate 
holding its place, while the one man ship gets closer to the planet which now we find seems flat. 
It's a wall of wavering gas.

The two probes zoom away from the one man craft, out of camera view, as the Researcher stares 
outwards in awe.

Cut to:

int: One Man Craft:

The camera's POV right now is that of the Researcher. He's looking at computer screens before 
him, their display are their findings of the "planet". Longitude and latitude, points in space 
to be located factors dubbed X, Y, and Z. Every readout which comes every other second displays 
the sphere of a planet, flattened after the probe at that location has taken a reading of it.

The camera cuts off the Researcher's POV and shows him looking down at the controls and screens 
before him, the screens still relaying new information, every few seconds, the information from 
the probes the same as shown before only now moving on to new locations. Cont: "I'm going to 
send the probes in." And off screen he works away at the controls that will tell the robot ones 
beyond his ship what next action they should take.

Cut to:

ext: Space:

>From high above the one man craft, we watch the two robot probes disappear into the gas image 
of the planet.

As this line is said the camera pans on to the one man craft, V.O. Cont: "I've lost contact with 
the probes. Do you guys have any readings on them?"

V.O. Project Lead: "Negative and there aren't any more on board the Von Braun."

After a beat, V.O. Researcher: "I'm going in."

As the jet rocket engines on the one man craft kick in V.O. Project Lead: "We can lose probes 
but we can't lose you, you're not going in."

V.O. Researcher: "I don't think it's dangerous." His ship is almost at the border to the gassy 
image.

The camera cuts to being a sideways view of the one man craft, nose to nose with the image of 
the planet in gas. V.O. Project Lead: "Bruce!"

The one man craft slowly enters the gas and out of view.

The camera cuts backwards from the image of the gassy planet and a beat later in a flash of light, 
the one man craft emerges from it.

V.O. Project Lead: "Bruce? Bruce? Are you OK? Can you hear me?"

After a beat, V.O. Researcher: "I can hear you, [beat] I'm fine."

V.O. Project Lead: "Report."

V.O. Researcher: "The planet is gone, [beat] whatever that is that replaced it, it should be 
continued to be studied."

V.O. Project Lead: "Did it present any kind of danger to you?"

Cut to:

int: One Man Craft:

Researcher, smiling: "No, it was the most amazing place I've ever seen, but I think it was watching 
me, listening to me."

Cut to:

ext: Space:

Our view of the scene is as it was in the last shot of it.

V.O. Project Lead: "Return now."

With a blast of thrust from the one man craft, we can see the Researcher is complying with his 
order to return to the Von Braun, the larger ship from the Scientific Research Directorate.

Pre-Credits:

End of teaser:

Beginning of Act One:

int: Defense Directorate / Main Entrance: 

The scene here begins where that last episode left off: Buck eager to make his way further into 
the Defense Directorate only being blocked by the efforts of not only the welcome Guard to the 
building, but also now added, Major Dantin accompanied by Lt. Jade and a Vireis series ambuquad 
hovering by him.

Buck to Dantin: "Is this some sort of revenge for the black tea?"

Dantin: "What?"

Buck: "Replacing your food disks with dog stack treats? Changing your lesson plan at your latest 
class session with the trainees so that you thought you had to be in Death Valley for it? Getting 
Theo to blast 'the Sex Pistols' into your office during your last important meeting?"

Dantin: "Are you on drugs or anything?"

Buck: "You don't remember any of that?"

Dantin: "Even if it did happen sir, I'm glad it didn't."

Buck turning to Jade: "Jade?"

Jade: "I suppose you're going to tell me, you know me as well and have done all sorts of bad 
things to me also?"

Buck: "Well yes, we do know each other but you're normally my partner in crime against him," 
he states pointing a thumb at Dantin.

Dantin: "I can have you arrested. Please leave now."

Buck going into a more panicked state of shock than he's been in: "No."

And with that having been said he proceeds to quickly make his way past his confronters and 
through the Phasoft-door that leads into the further interior of the Defense Directorate.

Dantin with only a look to Jade, tells him his orders.

Jade turning to the Vireis series ambuquad : "As many of your pals that are available right now," 
pointing towards the door, Cont: "After him."

Cut to:

int: Hallway:

In a walk that Buck keeps speeding up and slowing down, reason being he's trying to make contact 
with the various people walking through the hallway, he is truly puzzled by people's behavior 
towards him.

Buck to Person One: "Excuse me, do you know if it would be feasible for me to gain access to a 
Directorate Shuttle? I've been separated from my superior, Colonel Deering, she's -"

Person One, giving Buck an odd look moves quickly on her way past him.

Buck to Person Two: "Hi, I was wondering if you could help me -"

Person Two, pointing forward: "Classroom one is down that way, second door on the right."

Buck: "I'm not a trainee."

Looking him over, Person Two: "Yes, too old I should have guessed. But you don't look like you're 
visiting here for some diplomatic function. [beat] We don't have the need for pest control support, 
we have our own internal employees for that."

Buck: "I'm a captain."

Person Two, leaving Buck: "Sure you are."

Now Buck simply halts Person Three. Buck: "And I bet you've never seen me before either, have 
you?"

Person Three: "Sorry, I don't watch Channel Five."

Buck: "What?"

Person Three: "Well, you're asking if I've seen you before? You don't work here, so you must 
be one of their reporters, here for a story, except -"

Buck looks expectantly at Person Three for his reply during this beat.

Cont: "They're dressing their staff in gag clothes, or you're here to do some work you couldn't 
pay me to do."

Buck: "I'm not an exterminator. [beat] You know if I "really" don't belong here, this is very 
uncharacteristic of Major Yogurt not to pursue getting me to leave this place."

Person Three: "I - I need to leave now." And with that having been said, Person Three moves away 
from Buck.

Buck (to himself): "Strange."

Catching Buck's attention and everyone else's in the corridor as they quickly move aside, some 
even ducking, a swarm of Vireis series ambuquads, seven of them, are rounding a corner at a speed 
that looks to spell danger for whoever they must be in pursuit of.

Cont: "Oh that adds a cherry to this." And while that last line is carried out, Buck breaks into 
a run.

As Buck runs out of the camera's range, further in the direction he's been heading, we see that 
the Vireis series ambuquads are staying in hot pursuit of him.

Cut to:

int: Hallways of the Defense Directorate:

Buck is being pursued by the swarm of Vireis series ambuquads. Staff and people dressed in civilian 
clothes move aside as quickly as they can to avoid the bots, some even yelping in shock at the 
sight of them. The camera trying to keep pace with the action, cuts from corridor to corridor 
in watch of the chase.

Buck having lost them for a moment tries to catch his breath.

Hearing the buzzing of their wings, he knows they'll be back in sight again in another second.

He furrows his brow; he has an idea of what to do next, and continues to hold his ground.

The Vireis series ambuquads come into view now that they've caught up to him more.

Buck, trying to look fierce, growls at them as best he can.

His plan has failed, his growl has done nothing to denture their pursuit of him.

He re-continues running and in doing so passes the room labeled to contain the Computer Council.

Then having a new idea strike him, Buck backs up and goes into the Council room.

Catching up, one of the swarm of Vireis series ambuquads begins to interface with the access 
pad to the Council room.

Cut to:

int: The Computer Council Forum:

The vines are still coating the floor outside the walkway which Buck is running along, towards 
the circle shape at its end.

Buck shouts into the dimly lit room: "I have information regarding an alliance that will soon 
take place between the Houten and the Draconian Empire!"

Reaching the circle shape at the end of the walkway, the Computer Council quickly envelopes Buck 
into their "Onion Room". This room's sudden appearance is an unwelcome sight to the swarm of 
Vireis series ambuquads that have just made their way into the main room.

Cut to:

int: Onion Room:

Buck is leaning up against its curved wall, smiling as the Council looks on at him expectedly.

Cont: "Now I fully understand why De-Pas named his, Nuisance. You know you have to love their 
low tolerance for the cold."

Computer One: "Refrain from leaning against us and reveal the intelligence you have gathered on 
the future alliance between the Houten and the Draconian Empire."

Buck: "Leaning against you?"

Computer Four (muffled): "You are pressing into my face."

Buck, surprised, takes to being in the center of the room, looking at the face he was squashing.

Buck: "Tell me, I've never been in your, um -." Looking around himself, Cont: "Construct, your 
presence using -er faces. Which one of you is Theo?"

Computer Two: "What is Theo?"

Buck: "Doctor Theopolis."

Theopolis: "I am Doctor Theopolis."

Buck: "Good, um -"

Computer Eight: "Relay your information to us."

Buck: "What? About the Houten and the Draconians? I don't know a thing that isn't already well 
known to other Directorate staff."

Computer Five: "Then leave."

The Onion Room begins to untangle its twisted vines and the room beyond starts to come into view, 
and to Buck's horror, he sees the now somewhat slowed down swarm of Vireis series ambuquads.

Buck: "Theo, please listen to me. Remember me."

Theopolis: "Through relayed information given to me by these ambuquads, I know you are the intruder 
security is after."

Buck: "Fine then fine, somehow you and everyone else here somehow doesn't know me! But tell me 
this -" Speaking fast, Cont: "How can I know about Wilma Deering's whereabouts right now? Tell 
me that! How can it be I know she was and should still be on an asteroid in the Zed colony!?"

A beat as the swarm of Vireis series ambuquads moves in closer towards Buck.

Computer Three: "Confirmation."

Computer Two: "Major Dantin did send Colonel Wilma Deering to Zed colony at 6 hundred hours this 
morning."

Computer Seven: "You have made a further breach into the Defense Directorate than first acknowledged."

Theopolis: "You have bypassed my sensor circuits and have retrieved internal information of staff 
activities."

Buck thinking, then after the beat: "I've done a crime and must answer for it. Please, with your 
permission, let me explain my actions to Doctor Huer. Let him decide what must be done with me."

Computer One: "The ambuquads here will escort you to him."

Buck: "But they want to -!"

Theopolis: "They will not harm you unless you sway out from the path they will give you."

Buck in a look of not too happy contemplation accepts the deal.

End of Act One:

Beginning of Act Two:

int: Huer's Office:

Doctor Huer and Lt. Jade stand nearly side by side behind Huer's desk. Both men look skeptical 
at Buck who is standing in front of the desk, never breaking away for having eye contact with 
either of them.

Huer: "There is no record of you, "Captain" Buck Rogers, having ever worked for the Defense 
Directorate. The populace database states that yes you do live in New Chicago and you work for 
a company dealing in the pest control of evasive alien species. That you weren't found and brought 
out of stasis by Rick Fox, but by a team of student researchers."

Buck: "I'm sorry but none of that is right and I have no idea how this has happened? I have an 
idea but it's like something out of total science fiction."

Huer: "And what might that idea be?"

Buck: "Just before Wilma and I got separated, the man that was helping us leave, sorry but I never 
got the planet's name. The man said he'd never performed Stock Transport before. Maybe he somehow 
"bounced" me into this, another dimension." As Buck said that last line he was using motions 
to relay his words better.

Huer, who is still looking at Buck as if he has more than a few screws loose: "Ah."

Jade: "Your behavior towards the Vireis series ambuquads?"

Buck: "What about it?"

Jade: "In report, [beat] you GROWLED at them."

Buck, almost blushing with a tad of embarrassment: "Well it never worked for De-Pas towards his, 
but it certainly worked when his daughter would do it. Then again it halfway let her treat it like 
a rag-doll." Making a small laugh, Cont: "It worked on Hawk."

Jade: "Your knowledge on the series?"

Buck: "Nuisance doesn't like the cold, and Doctor Goodfellow doesn't know when to quit talking."

Jade: "Nuisance? De-Pas? De-Pas and his daughter? A hawk? What are you talking about?"

Huer: "Doctor Goodfellow has been missing now for over ten years. You couldn't know him."

Buck: "I don't like this dimension."

Theopolis: "Doctor Huer, by order of the Computer Council, security personnel has been ordered 
to take Buck Rogers off the premises. They are awaiting permission to -"

Huer moving to sit down: "Let them in."

Now sitting, and under his breath while folding one hand over the other, his elbows resting on 
the desk, Cont: "This man is insane."

A man and woman, appearing to be Human, come in through the door behind Buck. 

The new arrivals take hold of Buck, one to each side of him. 

Buck looks to each member of the security personnel. 

Buck, looking to Huer: "You don't know me here? I haven't seen a face yet here I don't know." 
As best he can with both his arms being gripped, pointing to his handlers, Cont: "These guys 
I've never seen before."

Huer looking at his desk: "You I've only known for the span of a few minutes. Dimensional travel? 
You have no real proof, just a wild story. [beat] Costh and Raycor, I've known for years."

At force but accepting it, Buck is led out of the room by, at one side the man named Costh and 
the other, the woman named Raycor.

Jade: "Sir?"

Huer looking to Jade in a slow motion: "He's not our concern, [beat] never was."

Cut to:

ext: Defense Directorate Entrance:

Moving Buck forward with unneeded force, Costh and Raycor near throw him off the sidewalk and 
into the street.

After having fully regained his balance and catching the pair before they re-enter the Directorate, 
Buck: "How did you meet? How do you know Doctor Huer?"

The pair stop in their tracks and turn to face Buck.

Cont: "I met a man, an alien, that looked to be Humdos of ancient times. He was something near a 
god, his name was Costh."

Costh: "Stay away from the Defense Directorate, you're not needed there anymore. Soon you'll be 
back in your beloved 21st century."

Buck: "Well I with recent events have considered going back in time. But not that far, just the 
last two years. But using, and if Doctor Huer can ever forgive me for mentioning it, the time 
machine in Locker Janus. Broken but worth a shot."

Raycor: "Soon you will have never cared for anything and anyone in this century."

Buck: "What do you mean by that?"

The camera cuts to being across the street on a man watching the trio. Ice couldn't look colder 
than the stare he's giving them.

Then the view cuts to just the man and the immediate of what surrounds him on his side of the 
street.

Being consumed by light a few people around the man disappear into nothingness, each one looking 
briefly at him, if only for a second.

With not even having blinked once the whole time the camera has been on him, the man moves forward 
and out of the camera's range.

Cut to:

ext: Defense Directorate Entrance:

Our attention is now on the trio of Buck, Costh and Raycor. 

The camera in focus favoring Costh now: "The universe on this plane is a complex and ever changing 
field of interlocking integers, elements that all serve their time in directing planets and galaxies 
towards their intended destinies. [beat] You weren't meant to be of this time, William "Buck" 
Rogers. You were born in the 20th century. You were meant to and should have remained in the 
21st century. And whether you were meant to be a survivor of Earth's last great internal war 
or killed in it, we don't know. But we do know a variable such as yourself should never have 
played a part in the lives of anyone in this era."

With the camera cutting on to Raycor, Raycor: "History has been changed, Captain Rogers. It is 
only a manner of time before it comes to reclaim you."

The camera pans swiftly on to Buck. Buck: "And history is even re-writing itself as we speak. 
The life I never lived in this century. The Defense Directorate not remembering me and knowing 
who I am. [beat] But you told me you can't travel through time. Costh, remember saying that?"

And now the camera returns to a view that lets us better see the trio on conversation. Costh: 
"We Jenka cannot, but they're races capable of such a task and other abilities you mortals could 
never imagine possible."

Buck: "But I've helped so many in the 26th century, how can you truly justify this!"

Both Costh and Raycor at once, keeping their tone just as flat as ever: "Balance."

Costh is shot by a stun-gun and falls in reaction. The look on his face is one of total shock.

Buck in shock at this, manages to confront the attacker. The man last seen across the street.

With just the look of confusion and anger prompting on Buck's face for an answer, the Strange 
Man: "The Jenka and all alike must not interfere in the lives of mortals anymore."

Raycor not sure what to do next is bent down over Costh, worried. Costh seems for the first time 
in his life to be in pain.

Buck forcefully takes the stun-gun from the Strange Man.

Strange Man: "That will not help matters."

Buck fires the stun-gun on the Strange Man, the effect of which being nothing that seems to faze 
him, his only reaction being what could be either veins or nerves bulging on him in a ripple 
for a second.

Raycor in her flat but now added to it, worried tone: "What are you?"

Strange Man: "Your end."

Buck: "Not good."

Both Raycor and the still fallen Costh, close their eyes.

The camera cuts on to Raycor: "We can't leave."

The eyes of both Jenka flicker in and out of showing their natural look of bright TV static.

Buck to Raycor: "Conjure up some blasters."

Raycor, lifting Costh to his feet: "We can't and why even would we want to?"

All three look to the Strange Man who has just begun to darken into a shade of deep red and is 
starting to thin out, as if he's forming into a wall.

Buck: "That's why."

Costh to the Strange Man: "You hurt me? How?"

The Strange Man, now no longer looking Human, but just a sheet somehow standing upright with a 
vague impression of a face on it: "We are your end."

And like the crashing down of an ocean wave, the Strange Man falls down over the trio, so fast 
they can't properly react to it in time. The sheet of Strange Man as it touches them, is consuming 
them from sight. And like the people seen with the Strange Man on the other side of the street, 
the trio has seemed to disappear into nothingness.

Cut to:

int: The Nerve Plane:

It's a world of grays, gasses moving over one another in fogs. No ground is visible but somehow 
Buck seems to be on tiptoe in a standing state. Winds of steak colored air wisp around, appearing 
and disappearing through this place, acting when visible to be alive. Screaming can be heard: 
the two Jenka.

Buck looks around for Costh and Raycor, which he locates off camera, below him to one side.

Then Buck bends over looking down at them, wondering how he can reach them, and he starts to walk 
against the ground which isn't there.

The Nerve Plane, as if taking Buck's thoughts to reach the Jenka as a command, allows Buck in 
walk to make his way to the Jenka who are acting as if this environment is torture to them. Buck's 
movements not of his own doing appear to us to be missing steps, like the video of it is missing 
frames.

Taking hold of Raycor, Buck motions to her what direction he's going to lead them in.

She takes this in only with blind faith and lets Buck drag her off, the odd motion of missing 
moments taking place again which it should be noted always happen here when highly noticeable 
movement is happening.

In running, Buck and Raycor disappear. After watching this, Costh follows them, wondering where 
they have gone off to.

Costh now disappears from view.

End of Act Two:

Beginning of Act Three:

ext: Defense Directorate Entrance:

The trio of Buck, Costh and Raycor, from thin air, fall a couple feet into this familiar place. 
Their landing at least for Buck and Costh, puts them on the very edge of the sidewalk. Raycor, 
however in stumbling during the fall a little, lands almost totally in the street.

This surprises the driver of a car, hovering less than an inch from the ground. In a side swinging 
motion, the driver avoids hitting Raycor as Buck noticing the danger Raycor is in, grabs her by 
one arm, back on to the sidewalk.

Looking at Buck, Raycor: "I was fine."

Buck: "They may hover but not that much. Another moment and you would have been FAR from fine."

Costh: "Shows what you know of us, Rogers."

Buck: "Yes, speaking of that, beings of greater knowledge. Where were we? Where did that "thing" 
take us?"

Both Jenka look down and to their sides, looking ashamed. Cont: "Well?"

Costh: "Unknown."

Raycor: "That creature wasn't of our breeding, our rank, counter to yours. That plane it took 
us to [beat] was no passage."

Buck: "And that scares the living crap out of you doesn't it."

Raycor: "What?"

Pointing at them both, back and forth, Buck: "You were screaming in there."

Costh: "Its presence did not hurt you?"

Buck: "Not in the least but then again," Buck walking a circle around the two, Cont: "The alien 
did say, he was your end."

Both Costh and Raycor huddle together and stare outwards at nothing noticeable to us.

And in a snap the two Jenka appear to faint and collapse to the ground and Buck is taken back 
in shock at this.

Buck gives a puzzled noise at this, staring at the two people lying on the ground

He bends down to where Costh and Raycor appear to have fallen, rubbing his chin. Cont: "The only 
people in the world who could shed light on the world have fainted. Great."

V.O. Costh: "We have not fainted."

Moving in closer to the quote unquote body of Costh, Buck: "Um your lips aren't moving and I 
don't hear you in my head. I've experienced telepathy before and you're not doing it bub."

Buck is taken back in a jolt as Costh and Raycor become visible to him again, only now in their 
true form. Shimmering bodies, in white with thick necks and two thick toes on each foot, their 
waists unlike the rest of their bodies look to be owned by extreme anorexics, their eyes showing 
their bright natural static. 

Getting back up to his full height and looking back and forth at the two fallen people, motioning 
as he talks, Cont: "What -er you're not them?"

The two Jenka begin to look around themselves, in eye contact not paying Buck any mind. Raycor: 
"We were using their bodies to look Human."

Buck: "Are they OK?!"

At Buck having shouted the last line, people going about their day-to-day business in the area 
are now taking notice of him. Costh: "We did not harm them, they should be able to regain consciousness 
soon."

Buck: "You didn't harm them? Well what about that strange place we were in? It seemed to be harming 
them, you -" Buck takes note of the people watching him. 

Buck to a woman walking her dog, Cont: "What are you looking at?"

The woman takes a side step away from Buck and in a fast walk, takes the lead over her dog, forcing 
the small animal to run to keep up with her.

Costh: "Only you and those we want to see us can see us."

Buck to himself: "Great, now I am having even more reason running on me for people to wanting 
to put me in a rubber room."

Turning to look again at the pair of Jenka, Cont: "Who do you want to see you? I mean I know 
you're looking for someone right now and I'm sure you want them to see you."

Raycor: "The alien that transported us to that unknown plane."

Buck: "Are you nuts!"

Realizing what he's just done, Buck looks around himself again.

The camera switches to being Buck's POV, panning quickly to looking at people going about their 
business on the streets of New Chicago. Most people aren't looking in his direction. Some are 
looking towards him in wonder, others in worry, one has just broken out a Transmission Bud that 
he's starting to talk into while watching Buck.

The camera going off being Buck's POV and returning to the view it was beforehand, Cont: "Well 
if you want to be fools and look for the one who hurt you, I suggest we leave here."

Raycor: "Why?"

Buck: "Because we might be bigger fools for standing here."

And with that last line having been said they start walking down the sidewalk, the camera following 
in front of them as they move. And it should also be noted, while people take notice of Buck 
moving down the street and move out of his way as need be, no one is moving out of the way for 
the unseen to them Jenka that pass literally through them. Costh: "You fear their judgment of 
you?"

Buck: "Yes and despite much better judgment I have to stay around you two some more."

Raycor: "Why?"

Buck: "For gods you're not much for words you know?"

Costh: "We don't like to be seen and hence do not talk much."

Buck: "I need you guys to fix or try to fix what you've done to my life. Your judgment isn't 
the only judgment in the universe you know, you can be wrong about things and their place."

Costh: "But our judgment and that of others like us is all that really matters in it."

Buck: "I refuse to believe that. [beat] There are things about the universe you can't pass judgment 
over, and that's what's unknown to you. The alien that hurt you. You know nothing of it, and you're 
seeking it out to find out more about it I bet. That's the other reason I need to stay with you."

Raycor: "And how would that be another reason."

Buck: "In case I need to pull your butts out of the fire again."

Costh: "Nothing can harm us."

Buck: "Now why do I have a hard time believing that; listen whatever that thing was it proves 
you're not the only top dogs out there. It can hurt you whether you want to believe that or not. 
[beat] If you're immortals, why, how is it you've never encountered this alien before?"

Raycor: "Some factor unknown to us must have created it."

They stop walking in front of a book store. Buck: "Could changing history for the benefit of your 
peace of mind make a factor happen like that?"

Raycor: "Don't give yourself such credit Buck Rogers, in the long run of eternity, your life is 
nothing more than a single atom lost among countless others."

Buck: "Yes but one atom when split can well make itself noticed among its countless others."

Raycor gives Buck a hard look before heading into the book store, Costh being in the lead before 
her.

Buck, briefly raising his eyes skyward, follows them into the shop.

Cut to:

int: Book Store:

This is a well sized book store but unlike a modern day one, this one contains no books, at least 
what we'd recognize as books. This place on its shelves contains nothing but side stacked data 
chips labeled with the titles of what books they each hold. As this scene begins the camera's 
focus is on a flurry of data chips hovering in the air over a woman who looks just as foreboding 
as the Strange Man. Watching this scene we watch her stare at each chip as it passes a few inches 
over her head. Each chip blinks in and out of sight for an instant before falling through her head 
and body to meet the ground and then zoom off away from her to elsewhere on the floor.

In a montage of scenes only a few seconds at a time of other people throughout the book store, 
every person the camera focuses on has the same dead expression as the last. Each person stares 
blankly at the book shelves, at the data chips. Telekinesis is taking place here. They're all 
making the data chips fly away from them.

With the montage ending on one of these people making a couple data chips fly away from him, the 
camera follows the data chips now, flying towards the woman we first noticed upon entering this 
place with the flurry of them above her.

The camera cuts on to our trio having just entered the shop. Cont: "I'm not sure whether or not 
congratulations are in order here."

Raycor: "What makes you think these beings are the same we're looking for?"

Buck: "This isn't a normal sight for a book store and what we're on the lookout for is nothing 
but normal."

Costh begins to move towards the woman with the flurry of data chips.

Costh, talking to her as he continues walking towards her: "Your kind isn't of our breed. You 
have access to a place outside this that is not a passageway."

Now a foot away from the woman, still appearing to be fully absorbed in her task with the data 
chips, Cont: "What are you and why do you seek to end the Jenka?"

Only the woman's eyes move to look at Costh as she shoots her storm of data chips, out and away 
from them.

Cont: "Answer me, stranger to this realm."

The camera cuts to now being the POV of the strange woman that Costh has been questioning. She's 
looking at Costh, but as she's doing so, the image of him and everything around him is becoming 
distorted by widening in image and turning darker into a deep red.

The deep red of her falls down over him, blackening the scene.

Off the previous POV, Raycor looks horrified at Costh having been taken and Buck boldly approaches 
another of the strange people, one that appears to be taking the place of the woman that just 
left the scene when taking Costh.

Buck, arms spread out, presenting himself to the replacement: "Well?"

The Replacement doesn't pay any attention to Buck but elsewhere in the store people's attention 
has been grabbed but not by him. By Raycor. Some of the strange people have stopped their flow 
of data chips, the focus of their previous attention, and are looking straight at her.

The camera cuts on to Buck, looking impatient at the Replacement when in a snap:

Reality blurs for a moment and Buck is gone.

This change in the scene of Buck's disappearance has now brought on a change in the behavior of 
the strange ones watching Raycor. They're slowly moving towards her now and she is a deer in the 
headlights, unsure of what to do next.

With the strange ones less than a yard for Raycor she finally comes to a frightened decision 
as to her next action.

She closes her eyes and opens them after a beat. Her first attempt to leave has failed.

Now in quick movement, she flees out of the book store.

End of Act Three:

Beginning of Act Four:

int: Chamber:

A dark amber color surrounds Buck as gas swifts around him in this place which is very enclosed 
and leaves Buck no room to really move. His clothes have changed; he's now wearing a pair of 
pants but no shirt.

He looks to be growing more calm by the moment, looking around himself, and that makes him cry 
lightly.

The camera switches to being Buck's POV watching the gas through the deep amber light.

Slowly his eyes close.

Cut to:

ext: New Chicago Street:

Raycor is in a panic and no one walking by her even sees her, some even passing through her in 
front of the book store.

She looks back at the place she just came from and one of the strange ones is starting to make 
his way through the shop's Phasoft-door.

The camera cuts on to the front to a hospital, busy with the action of people coming in and going 
out but in no way as busy as what we've seen elsewhere in this city today. As this scene begins 
Kate Gussy is smiling, running out the front door that in looking like glass, we can see inside 
to see what she's running away from: in scrubs, a young man with a rolled up group of papers in 
one hand and a determined look on his face.

Moving through the door and yelling at Kate, Young Man: "You can't just leave here, these papers 
need to be filled out and signed in full! Working for the Defense Directorate far from excuses 
you from giving us insurance information and your financial information too!"

Kate looking back at him as she walks sideways in a fast walk: "It does excuse me, mac. What, 
are you new here?"

Young Man: "I'm not new and I have seen the file we have on you. The Defense Directorate cut your 
health plan with them a month ago due to your off-the-job activities. You know Astrosled Racing 
is dangerous, that's why it's an almost unheard of sport on Earth."

Kate: "But that doesn't stop the sport on other planets."

The Young Man stops walking towards her and holds on the papers towards her, shaking them gently 
once as a show of inviting Kate to take them.

Raycor still unseen to everyone, well at least every one in this scene, is running into it. Kate: 
"You're wrong, the Defense Directorate loves me. I'm one of their top fighter pilots."

Then Raycor goes into Kate, making Kate/ Raycor fall into a state of temporary dizziness, walk 
a little to her side and almost fall.

Young Man: "You're not fully recovered from that crash. You have to come back here."

Raycor/Kate looks off towards where Raycor just came running in from.

In the distance beyond the hospital, she watches a few of the strange ones walk on by the hospital.

Young Man: "You can't leave, you need help. You're to come back here now."

Raycor/Kate calmly strides towards the Young Man.

Face to face with him, Raycor/Kate: "I need to borrow one of your emergency transport vehicles. 
They do carry resuscitating devices, correct? Stimulants? Nourishment packages?"

Young Man: "That isn't what I meant by helping you. BACK INSIDE THE BUILDING."

Raycor/Kate: "Do you have authorization to lend this hospital's emergency transport vehicles?"

Young Man: "No, but if it's a ride you need once you're done here, I might be able to arrange 
you a ride in one through a friend."

Then Raycor/Kate looks to the papers held in the Young Man's hand.

Raycor/Kate: "Are those papers my business? What you want me to take care of before leaving here 
through your friend helping me?"

Young Man: "Yes."

After a second of staring at them, Raycor/Kate makes the papers the Young Man is holding burst 
into flames.

In shock and pain he drops the fiery bundle and stares at Raycor/Kate.

Raycor/Kate: "My emergency transport vehicle."

Cut to:

int: Cavern Ruins:

The sunlight streaming in through the entranceway to this place as this scene begins gets broken 
by Raycor/Kate poking her head into it, looking almost like a silhouette as all beyond the entrance 
and her trails off into darkness.

She moves into the place, the camera moving with her and as she does we get a better view of what 
is beyond the entrance. Seen beyond some distance away is Raycor/Kate's acquired emergency transport 
vehicle.

The screen cuts to being in total blackness. After a beat of this:

We discover the camera's POV is Buck's. He's opening his eyes and focus has not come to him yet 
for the sight in front of him.

Coming into focus now we see Raycor/Kate bending over him.

The POV of the camera stops being Buck's. Lying on the ground, Buck is looking up at Raycor/Kate 
who has medical labeled boxes and equipment resting beside her. Raycor/Kate: "It's highly possible 
you're right about what dangers my kind being connected to our change to your existence. I need 
your help to return home and find a way to save the Jenka and possibly many more of our breed of 
the higher plane."

End Of Act Four. 

To be Continued ... 

Roll Credits.