"Again in Time"
Written by: Erin Weinstock
Novelization version by: Anthony B.
I don't hold any copyrights to this story, and this story was made without profit.
=========================================================
Introduction
One day, deep in space, an alien spaceship about the size of a space shuttle moved slowly forward through the big black. The ship didn't look like it was built for speed, just for getting up into space. On it's side read the name "Tonto III".
At the helm of the ship is a pilot named Nati. "Day seventy at 16 hundred hours. SAOH, I think this mission you've sent me on might just be a waste of the tax payer's money," she complained.
An alien, an Utto as she was referred to, was at the ship's controls. She had skin coloring like a Siamese cat in where it moves about her, only her skin went gray going into tan instead of black going into white. Her orange eyes were at half mast and she doesn't look at all excited about her journey. Or perhaps it was the fact that the cockpit was cramped in around her with countless buttons and other controls covering it, making it appear that one must be highly trained to control such a craft.
"At this point," Nati continued, "with having seen nothing but the vast blackness of space only broken by stars and the occasional brilliantly colored nebula, I'd say I'm with the skeptics now. There is no life out here besides us in this endless void." Nati closed her eyes, sighing. "SAOH, this is Nati Cosxier signing off with nothing new to report."
She flipped a switch to end her transmission, mumbling to herself "even with my eyes closed, god." She then shook her head, and opened her eyes to find a switch on the side of her seat. Flipping it down, her seat reclined back and down to now look like a bed. She crossed her arms across her chest and closed her eyes again. Before she could get comfortable, the ship violently rattled for a few seconds, causing Nati to open her eyes and briefly form a confused look on her face. Snapping herself up half way from lying down, concern filled her face. At this, the ship takes another jolt of rattling and she fell backwards, lying down again. She picked herself up yet again, and flipped the switch on the side of her seat, returning to being in an upright position.
She then flipped up the ship's transmission switch. "SAOH, something-!" Nati began, although electronic snapping forced her to cut off, before a light by the transmission switch went out. "Not good," she says to herself, as she tried to take a good look out the cockpit's view port. However, when she did, the only thing that could escape her mouth was a sound of astonishment.
What she actually saw was a Z-87 flying far above the ship, which was commanded by none other than Captain Buck Rogers.
"I think we might have damaged the unknown eagle when that Draconian fighter exploded, Wilma," he observed to his partner through the ship's transmission.
Behind "Tonto", Wilma's Z-87 flew by. "The Nightshade just told me it will do anything to help," Colonel Wilma Deering replied. "Buck, are you ready?"
Buck and Wilma's Z-87s move in on Tonto III, each pilot on a separate side. "I just wish we could talk to it first so it knows we're sorry," Buck answered.
Meanwhile, Nati, back at the cockpit, sank into her seat, still taking a look of shock. "Contact with alien life forms and I can't talk to them, and they can't talk to me. What luck..." Nati sighed. After this, Tonto shuddered, causing Nati to look around her to find out why. "Hello?" she asked rumbling of the ship.
What she heard was Buck and Wilma's z-87 hugging Tonto tightly as they moved towards the Ocean class spaceship.
Nati, wide-eyed at this point, decided to react to what she was witnessing taking place outside her ship, with the ships getting closer to Nightshade's loading and unloading bay.
The Z-87s hugged Tonto, now at Nightshade's loading bay, and continued to move forward.
Nati, back at the dock, put her arms in front of her to cover her face, and screamed. Realizing the Phasoft-door outside the ship let the foreign spacecrafts, she put down her arms and let her mouth drop. The ships stopped moving, but Nati could do nothing but stare at them in shock until the sound of a hatch opening was heard, and fear filled Nati's face.
=======================================================
Chapter 1
Nati got up from her seat, looking fearful as she held the wall of the craft. "Is everybody O.K. in here," asked the voice of Buck, although Nati didn't recognize it.
When Buck did come into full view of Nati, she almost had a panic attack. "Only one for a crew?" he continued.
"Only-" Nati began, her voice failing her.
"Are you hurt?" Buck asked.
As best she could, Nati shook her head no in what looked to be quite a spastic fashion. However, Buck knew that something couldn't be right by the look on the alien's face. "My partner and I think your ship might have been damaged in an explosion we caused. Would you mind telling us where your ship is damaged, if anywhere, so we could get it fixed?"
"Part... ner?" Nati repeated weakly.
In response, Buck looked backwards and up from where he entered the craft to summon his partner. "Wilma?" At this, he turns back to the Nati, who now looked like she wanted to faint.
"Yes Buck?" Wilma responded, coming into full view of the alien.
"I think we might have a problem," Buck observed of the Utto.
Wilma went to Nati and touched her on the shoulder. "Are you OK?" she asked.
That was the last that Nati could take. Her panic finally consumed her, and she fainted.
Nati was then taken to the Loading and Unloading bay of the Nightshade, where she lay unconscious on a large tarp that had been moved up around her; at the head behind it it was bundled up to make a make-shift pillow. Buck waved smelling salts by her nose, while Wilma and the captain of the Nightshade, a Rachris, stood nearby.
Nati moaned as she began to regain consciousness. She opened her eyes, and in reaction to those around her, she took in a sharp breath.
"My name is Buck Rogers," she heard. "Her name is Wilma Deering," Buck said as she pointed to her female companion. "And his name is Johas Due," Buck pointed to the third person.
"Nati Cosxier!" Nati replied, speaking quicker than she meant to. "What are you?"
"Buck and I are human," Wilma answered.
"Rachris," Johas explained.
"Utto, I'm an Utto from the planet Satel!" Nati described of herself. "Where I am?" she asked, looking around quickly at her surroundings.
"You're on board the Ocean Class cargo ship Nightshade," Johas answered. "You've been taken here so we can make repairs to your ship."
"That's your interest in me," Nati asked, very surprised.
"That's our interest in you," Johas assured her.
"Wilma," Buck whispered to Wilma as Johas finished speaking, "I think I can relate to what this woman is going through."
"How?" Wilma whispered back.
Buck returned his attention to Nati. "You've never encountered a species outside your own out here, have you?"
Nati, a bit more calm, replied "No, I haven't... You'd be the first." She paused, allowing herself to calm down even more, before she finished, "part of the reason I'm out here."
"To find new worlds?" Buck asked.
"Yes," Nati confirmed. "As far as I know only the ship's communication circuit was damaged."
"That wasn't the only thing," Wilma answered, referring to the area behind Tonto, which was before the group. The ship was dented in a few places.
Later, on the cockpit of the Nightshade, Nati was looking out the window pane, smiling as she stared out into space.
"I'm going to be needing those directions now," Johas ordered.
Johas was sitting at the ship's controls, with Nati two feet to this side, while Buck leaned against the wall at the entrance to the cabin.
"That is important, isn't it?" Nati asked.
"Only if what you're saying is true, that what we need to repair your ship is only on your world," Johas explained.
"Star-struck?" Buck asked, grinning.
Nati turned to look at Buck, before turning back to the window. "Hundreds of other worlds filled with life, over six hundred sentient species, it's hard not to be."
Johas paused for a moment before speaking. "If you'd like to see your planet again, I'm going to need-"
The smile dropped from Nati's face, interrupting Johas. "From the star, high up there 'Punlig', turn your ship into an axis of X minus 10, by Y positive 43, and Z positive 43." As she said this, she pointed up on the window.
However, Johas's face expression matched his sentiment that he wasn't quite sure what to make of what she just said.
"Is there something wrong with how I just said that?" Nati asked.
"In my whole life, I have never heard anyone give directions that way," Johas replied.
"But I have," Buck said. "Captain, if you don't mind?"
Johas got up from his seat. "By all means," he said and paused. "I'll admit when I need help.
Buck sat down where Johan sat, looking at Nati. "It's been a long time but I'm sure I still know how you just started this find, Satel. Tell me, are there any other stars I need to use for this?"
Nati put her arms behind her back, and looked down. "After 30 billion miles I'll have to point out Welp."
"Nati, what was the full purpose of your mission?" Buck asked.
"You want to know?" Nati asked.
Johas turned to leave. "None of my business. Buck, if you need me, I'll be down on deck five."
"I'll keep that in mind," Buck said. He turned back from Johas to Nati, continuing the conversation. "To travel out this far, it has to be important. Something is wrong back home," he said finally as he turned back to the ship's controls and started working on them.
"How could you tell?" Nati said in surprise.
"You stopped smiling when it was mentioned," Buck revealed.
"Those worlds you know," Nati began, "would any of them welcome a colony, a massive colony?"
"Pardon the expression, I know some planets have a different color atmosphere, but your home doesn't have 'shining blue skies', does it?" Buck asked.
Nati laughed in response. "Strangely enough, we do have blue skies back home. But they might not be that way for long... Not with how things were when I left."
Buck finished working with the controls. "The ship has been set on course," he reported.
At this, Buck turns to Nati. "Do you mind if I ask?"
Nati shook her head. "Satel's environmental state has been going downhill for over a century now. Nothing we've done to try to improve it has really worked because there are more people out there that want to pollute it than help it. Plus, a rumor has been floating around for some time that war is coming... If war happens now, it could mean our end." Now Nati was beginning to look fearful. "Buck, we have weapons that could render most of, or even a whole world, lifeless."
Buck stood up, and after a bit of running over what she just said through his mind, he conjured a response. "Could besides a new world, if needed, might outside help, um, help things?"
"This is hitting something close to home for you, isn't it?" Nati asked.
"Sadly, yes," Buck replied softly.
"Anything you think would help, I'll take," Nati said.
"I'll try... Things will get better," Buck promised. He then sat back down at the controls. "At least I hope they'll be."
"Buck?" Nati probed.
However, Buck was too lost in his own world to notice her. "I need to make a transmission," he said blankly, and started to work to on the controls.
-------------------------------------
The name SAOH, which was vertically branded down the side of one building, meant "Space Aeronautics Organization of Hgamions". This building was the largest of five other buildings that were closely grouped together. Down a road from this building, in the distance, lay a launch pad and landing strip close by.
"Nati?" Heneck, one of the workers, asked the transmission.
"You heard me," the voice of Nati responded through the transmission.
Heneck sat before his monitoring controls, wearing a headset and setting down a can of a strange drink by his work. With his other hand, he pressed the headset close to one ear. "At over four billion miles away, I shouldn't be hearing you at all," he observed.
"The mission was a success," Nati's voice reported. "Somewhat. Um, Heneck, what I mean by somewhat is when I land, I don't want any of you boys down there to panic."
"What, did the prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation turn you into a freak?" Heneck joked.
"Very funny, Heneck. Listen, I did find life out there."
Heneck couldn't help but smile. "You're kidding."
"And I'll be back at SAOH in a minute or so."
"Cute."
"You've been wanting to meet aliens your entire life. How about you come out to greet them and me when we land?" suggested Nati.
"Sure," Heneck agreed.
"Take off your headset and go outside," Nati ordered.
Heneck pressed a button on the controls before him and took off his headset. "What a joke", he said to himself. He exited one of the smaller buildings, noticing a shadow that began to grow in strength over everything. "Oh the whole program, what a joke," he repeated. He then took notice of the shadow, and looked up.
As shock began to take over his face, one of Heneka's co-workers, Clor, came out from the building. "Heneck, don't tell me you're really looking for..." Clor paused, looking up at the shadow.
"I owe Agie five dollars," Heneck noted.
"Me too," Clor agreed.
========================================
Chapter 2
Nightshade sat on the ground before SAOH, while Heneck and Clor moved around the ship. Heneck couldn't help but touch the ship.
"I've never seen any design like it," Heneck observed.
"You did say she said aliens, right?" Clor asked.
Heneck jerked his hand away from the ship and looked at it.
"I'm sure you're fine," Clor said.
"I wonder what they look like?" Heneck asked as they moved around to the loading door.
Nati came out of the door, catching Clor and Heneck off guard, and both men nearly jumped out of their skin. "Hi guys," Nati said, smiling.
Clor held his chest while Heneck leaned against the ship without thinking.
"Nati?!" Clor asked.
"Back from my deep space mission," she said.
"You nearly gave me a heart-attack," Clor chastised. "I thought you were an-!"
"The aliens are inside," she said, pointing towards the ship. "And there are more coming," she added, pointing to the sky.
"We've been invaded?" Heneck asked.
Nati flopped to lean against the ship, looking at Heneck. "They're here to help us."
"With what?" asked Clor.
"With making sure we have a future," she replied. Nati then turned away from Heneck, who was busy taking the recent events all in. "I'm going to need help getting Tonto out of this behemoth. Who else is here today?"
"How did Tonto get inside?" Clor asked.
"Two smaller alien ships escorted me in," Nati explained. As she said this, Heneck finally took notice of what he was leaning against, being the Nightshade, and pulled away from it quickly. "Is Tar here?"
Heneck and Clor exchanged looks to each other, as if saying "is this really happening?"
-----------------------------------------------------
"Will you please tell me what's going on here?" Hawk asked back at the Defense Directorate, within Corridor S1.
This halted Fox in his track. Of course, he didn't mind this at all, judging by the smile on his face. Slung over his shoulder was a lightly stuffed Defense Directorate duffel bag. "I don't mind what's going on," Fox replied, "but you might. I'm sorry Hawk, but I need to go." Fox tried to leave, but Hawk reinforced his grip on him.
"That's just it; most of the head staff of the Defense Directorate are leaving and a few pilots like yourself. I'm aware I haven't been here very long and don't know everything there is to know about this place, but this doesn't feel right," Hawk said.
Fox changed his smiling expression to that of understanding for Hawk's problem. "A planet much like old Earth is in need of help right now, Hawk. That's where most of the head staff are going off to, to try to help it."
"And what about you and the other pilots?" Hawk asked. "What role do you play in trying to save this planet of long ago."
Fox paused before answering. "It's like the world Buck came from. The man's told me so much about it, the other pilots and myself, we just have to see it."
Hawk released Fox with a small look of wonder and shock mixed on his face, created from what he had just discovered. "I understand now why you didn't want to tell me."
In reply Fox smiled. "Don't worry, the world Buck comes from, old Earth, isn't the kind of place you think it is." At that, Fox left Hawk in a fast walk.
Hawk. all alone now, said to himself just under his breath, "Thousands died."
------------------------------------------------------
Heneck's living room looked like any old living room within the first decade of the year two-thousand, complete with a television and all. Heneck's kids, a boy and a girl, sat up close to the television, watching the news, which showed a reporter pointing up at the sky. Heneck ran into the room.
"They should be appearing out that way in a moment, I'm told, the aliens," the reporter announced.
The girl took notice of Heneck as he entered. "Daddy, are aliens really coming here?"
Heneck paused, wondering how to tell them. "They are. Kids, are you OK with this?"
"This is amazing!" his son replied, still watching the television.
"They're coming now!" the reporter continued. "I can see them now!"
The girl returned to watching the television, as on it were two Defense Directorate shuttles appearing in the sky far off in the distance. "Why wouldn't we be alright?" she asked.
"I don't know," her father admitted. "I'm just a little freaked out that it's finally happening."
His son, still not turning away from the television, replied "You said they've come here to help us. What' wrong with that?"
"Folks," the reporter unknowingly interrupted the family conversation, "if any of you encounter our new arrivals, I want you to tell them to come down to station VKT 21. Because we'd love to interview them on air for you!"
Heneck had enough of this. "Could you the TV please be off?"
The girl obeyed.
"Hey!" her brother replied. He turned his head to Heneck. "Why'd you want the TV off?! We were going to see aliens!"
Heneck crouched down to the kinds. "I've met a few of them, and they seem nice, kids. It's just while we've all be wanting this to happen, I'm not sure we can trust them."
"Why?" his daughter asked.
"Well-" Heneck began.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Inside the SAOH Runway, the Defense Directorate shuttled alongside a Satel shuttle, which looks like an SUV. Near the launchpad sat the Nightshade and Tonto III. In the distance stood a crowd of reporters and bystanders watching with their vehicles behind them. Doctor Huer, an important looking woman in a suit named June, and another important looking man named Dell, greeted four Uttos who have the same VIP look to them. Buck was looking off at the launch pad while Wilma was standing near the Earth VIPs.
Huer, to an Utto in front of him, took the outstretched hand did the expected motion with it.
"We'll admit when we need help," the first Utto said. "I'm just amazed at where it came from," the Utto grinned, smiling at Huer.
"Um, is there some local custom that I'm not doing now, I should?" Huer asked.
"One tone, you're really interesting to look at," the Utto replied.
Huer took a moment to find words for a response. "Uh thanks, I guess."
At this, June spoke up to ease Huer's discomfort. "We are here to help with some really pressing issues you're facing. I think the time to deal with that has come now. Don't you agree-?" June looked at the first Utto, eager for an answer.
"Maxson, and yes I agree with you," Maxson replied. "But I'm not sure it's such a good idea for us to be where we are right now.". At that, Maxson (formerly Utto one) looked towards the reporters in the distance.
Wilma turned her attention to Buck. "Buck, is everything alright?" she asked him.
"I wonder what this planet's Illinois is like?" Buck whispered back, hedging the question.
"You know this isn't Earth and it's not-."
"It's not Earth," Buck agreed. "It's not the 21st century, but it's still freaking me out."
"Buck?" Wilma asked.
Buck turned to Wilma. "With the state that this world is in right now we both know what's about to happen."
Wilma replied. "Neither of us knows what's about to happen. Besides, back home in your day, aliens didn't make contact with NASA in order to help the planet's governments."
Buck looked in a concern manner at Wilma, and then returned his attention to the launch pad. "I need to take my mind on this." Then, turning back to Wilma, he finished "Earth never got help."
He looked back at the launch pad, and Wilma gently put a hand on one of his shoulders. "Doctor Huer, Dell, June and Ira when comes, will fix things. History isn't going to repeat itself, Buck. This world is about to be taken into good hands."
Buck started to walk past the group, and Wilma followed him.
"Where are you two off to?" Dell asked.
"To check out Cape Kennedy," Buck replied.
"What?" asked a confused second Utto.
-------------------------------------------------
The information center had white walls with a glass front, in with reporters leering in at Buck and Wilma, who pressed against the information desk which prevented further entrance into the building. A couple of Uttos stare at Buck and Wilma. Promotional signs stood up on the counter and flat screen TVs hung off the ceiling playing numerous news shows.
"They're not going to leave us alone, are they?" Wilma complained.
"I doubt it," Buck replied.
"Enjoying our little planet?" asked an employee.
"I don't know," Buck replied.
Buck looked to one of the TVs, in which a reporter was reading a story. "The talks aren't proceeding well, but with most of the government backing our President's words, the outcome of this might turn towards the better."
Buck turned back to Wilma. "Doomsday is coming," Buck said.
Meanwhile, behind the desk, a second employee picked up a phone and dials, while the first employee watched.
"You were right about the aliens," the second employee stated. "What do you want us to do with them?"
============================================
Chapter 3
Employee Two opened a waist-high door built into the information desk. "Don't like the reporters, guys?" he asked.
"It's an easy bet, isn't it?" Wilma replied.
Buck headed for the door Employee Two just opened. "Thanks," Buck said. Now through the door, Buck turned around to look at Wilma. "Wilma?"
Wilma went behind the desk and Employee One led them into a room. Employee One drew a gun and pointed it at the window towards the reporters. "It has to be done," he said.
The reporters, at this, lost their energy. Employee one follows up on this by going into the room that Buck and Wilma just went into.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside the Storage Cube, lights from outside here flooded in as Nati made a sliding door move upwards, revealing her possessions inside it. Nati smiled at seeing all her old things. After pausing, Nati looked into the storage cube that she just opened as Clor came up behind her. Many other closed storage cubes were dominating the background.
"We never touched it," Clor told Nati.
Nati turned to Clor. "Please tell me this sentence doesn't' apply to my fish tank?"
"Nessy is still alive," Clor assured her.
Nati went into the storage cube a little and lifted up a book, where began to look over it. "Have you seen Buck Rogers recently?" she asked.
"One of the aliens? Why do you want to know where that one is?"
"I want him to see this," Nati replied.
"Why would you want that?" Clor persisted. "Does it fit into this plan?"
Nati looked concerned at Clor. "What are you talking about?"
"His plans to destroy the world," Clor simply stated.
"Buck Rogers wants to destroy the world?"
"He has said that Doomsday is coming," Clor explained. Nati stared at Clor with a look of disbelief as he continued. "They're planning to kill us all and you invited them here."
Nati then closed her eyes, pausing to take this all in. "May I tell you why I want to show him this?" she asked.
"It isn't part of his plan, is it?" Clor asked.
"Their planet was once like this one over seven generations ago. He is afraid this planet will suffer the same fate his did long ago due to this planet's current state," Nati explained.
"So they're really here to help us?" Clor asked.
"We're not living in a B-movie here," Nati said. "Clor, I just want him to see this stuff so he can compare it with his planet's relics."
Clor went pale with worry and started making noises that accompanied the look well.
"What did you do?" Nati asked.
"Ar-are you positive these aliens are good guys?" he asked nervously.
"Clor, what did you do?" Nati repeated.
Clor looked very bashful. "Some friends I have at SAOH are going to take care of them."
Nati got closer to Clor. "In what way?"
Clor stalled for a moment. "They are going to interrogate the ones named Buck Rogers and Wilma Deering before executing them."
With a mean look on her face, Nati slapped Clor over the head with her book.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Back at where Buck and Wilma are, in the backroom, Buck stared down the barrel of a gun that Employee Two held.
"Is this really necessary? We haven't done anything bad to you guys," Buck reasoned.
"Not yet," Employee Two conceded.
As Employee Two held a gun to Buck's face, Employee One was holding a gun to Wilma's face. The only furniture in the room was a fold-out table, a few chairs of the same type, a soda machine, and a coffee machine. A couple of posters of SAOH Rockets on one wall plus a phone was also attached to it as well.
"We heard you mention doomsday is coming," Employee One said. "We want to know how you're planning to bring about the end before it happens."
Wilma hit Buck in the side, looking very annoyed. "Oh, dear lord," Buck said.
"Is it going to be a weapon of mass destruction? Or are you the first to come here as an invasion?" Employee Two asked.
"Our intentions here are nothing close to foul, I assure you," Wilma assured.
"Your talk of doomsday?" Employee Two probed.
Buck rolled his eyes. "Is something we're hoping wouldn't happen here." Employee Two pulled back on the gun's trigger, making it look ready to fire. Buck's eyes go wide with fear. "Trust us when we say we mean this planet and its people no harm."
At this, the phone rang. "You get it," Employee One ordered to his colleague. However, neither of them moved their trained guns from Buck and Wilma.
"No, you and I have to keep an eye on the male alien," he responded.
The phone rang again. "I'll get it!" Employee One said. As he moved over to the phone, he kept his gun pointed at Wilma. He picked up the telephone and placed it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Who is it?" Employee Two asked.
"It's Clor," Employee One informed him. Employee Two looked to Employee One for a few seconds. "We're doing what you told us we should do for the love of freedom," the employee said into the telephone.
Employee One listened into the telephone again. As this took place, Employee One slowly pointed his gun out near Employee Two without looking at him.
"Uh, um, what is Clor saying?" Employee Two asked. Meanwhile, both Buck and Wilma took notice that both men are distracted.
Employee One lowered his gun, and Employee Two looked quite relieved by the action. Buck and Wilma gave another look to each other that said they were in sync with each other's idea.
"They haven't said anything," Employee One replied.
After a beat (Employee One still had his finger on the trigger, and hadn't loosed that grip the entire time) Employee One fired his pistol at the ground, in a loud bang he shot broken floor tiles and dust up into the air. "Nearly at this part," he replied.
Buck and Wilma then both made their escape quickly as they can while both Uttos are distracted.
Employee Two noticed the two were missing, and shouting to his partner. "Forell!"
Employee One, the man called Forell, was distracted on the telephone. "Are you sure about that?"
"Forell!" Employee Two yelled.
"Harmless?" Employee One talked into the telephone. "I doubt that."
Employee Two started moving around near the door to the room, antsy in look. "FORELL!" He yelled.
"One moment, Clor," Forell said, looking at Employee Two's direction, and in a snap his face went pale with shock. Still looking into the same direction, he reported back to Clor. "Clor, if these aliens are really as harmless as you say, then why did they escape just now." After a bit of listening, he replied, "That does make sense."
-------------------------------------------------------
Back at the information center, Buck and Wilma were surrounded by the reporters as they tried to make their way through the crowd. As they moved, the reporters were shouting questions at them.
"Do you really believe this planet is doomed?" A reporter yelled.
"How far away is your home world from here?" A second reporter asked.
"Are you two mates?" A third reporters asked.
"What do you think of this planet?" A fourth reporter asked.
"I don't believe this," Wilma said quietly to Buck.
"When we get home, I'm going to look up in the archives how Earth first reacted to aliens," Buck promised.
"The Draconians," Wilma clarified.
"Fun way to start off interstellar relations," Buck joked.
As he said this, a very loud noise could be heard, like something was taking off. This grabbed everybody's attention as the object of the noise came into a view. A large missile was moving up in the air. The whole crowd looked up in awe, and Buck in horror.
=========================================
Chapter 4
The rocket began to move higher into the sky.
------------------------------------------------------
Backing away from her storage cube, Nati and Clor watched the rocket on its journey.
"A Preside-50," Clor noticed. Nati glared at Clor. "I had nothing to do with this." He then looked back at Nati. "Nati, you have to remember, we're a society ruled by fear."
Nati returned her gaze to the sky. "I remember, Clor. I just wish it weren't."
-----------------------------------------------------
Back in front of the Information Center, the crowd was beginning to lose interest in the sky.
"I don't see it any more," a reporter from the crowd observed.
"It's going to happen," Buck said.
Wilma turned her attention on the nearest reporter. "Where is that rocket headed," she asked him.
"That's a missile miss," Reporter Seven answered.
"Any number of places," the reporter replied. "Possibly, your planet, Earth, right?"
Buck starts into a run. "We have to stop it!"
Wilma quickly got a hold of Buck and stopped him. "Buck, we can't!"
"Why not!" Buck snapped at her, anger in his voice.
"How would it look to these people for us to cause destruction while we're here?" Wilma reasoned.
Buck relaxed his muscles as he let that sink in.
"We have the story, we know that missile is our," Reporter Seven said. Buck looked at him. "In defense of your planet, or ours we see nothing wrong with you destroying it."
Buck smiled at what the reporter just said. At this, someone from Channel 43 began to film Buck. "Ready to save a planet?" Reporter One asked.
"Can I get a comment from you on that?" Reporter Two asked.
Now, the camera that was focused on Buck changed its view to the sky. "This is it," Reporter Five began, "The Preside-50 missile launched just moments ago from SAOH. Its destination unknown, but not to a good cause I'm sure." The camera then swings to the side of the rocket to see Buck's Z-87 moving towards it. "And here comes the alien space ship. Small thing, and quite a fighter from the look of it to travel all the way here. It's way here to-." The Z-87 then fired and the camera caught sight of the rocket exploding. "It got the missile! It shot the missile right out of the sky folks!"
Cheering could be heard in the background of the camera from the crowd. The camera then tries to track the Z-87 zooming away, which it can't track for long.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside a Government Office, Huer, Dill, June and Dantin and ten VIP Uttos are watching a television with the same camera, only the bottom of the television says Channel 13. They are in an old but finely fashioned room meant for meetings and paperwork.
Reporter Eight was announcing what was going on. "Despite public fear of the newcomers by some, they have helped avert war today in more than one action taken here with our top government and foreign governments, here for a conference planned before their arrival.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in space, another television had the same news camera, only a different reporter was telling what was happening now. "Some of us around the world thought this was our end. We wouldn't live to see another day rather by fault of ourselves or our visitors. But look out there-," the reporter said, as the camera zoomed more into space. "Do you see any end to our existence in sight soon?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside the Locker Deep Black, which was where the Tangata Manu ship of Hawk's was stored. The room was tall, which very little width. As Hawk walked around the ship with a cold look on his face, there was only a couple of feet between him and the wall.
After a while of this, Wilma came through the door, though unseen to Hawk.
"Hawk," Wilma said.
Hawk looked angry, and moved right up to the ship.
"Hawk, we're all back now," Wilma continued. "I was told by Fox you weren't too happy about us leaving." Hawk looked to Wilma with a look of not only anger, but sadness as well. As Hawk pressed himself against the ship with his back looking down now, Wilma asked simply, "Is everything ok?"
=========================================
TO BE CONTINUED...
Return to Earth