Original subtitles

I have lived without life for 15 years, all because of Elias Hewer.

Buck's birthday party becomes a setting for murder when a

man with a touch of death plots a terrible revenge on Dr. Hewer.

What you're afraid might happen to me is something like this.

Buck, what is going on?

Trigger, you're alive.

I can do it when we get away from it.

You want me, hero? You come and get me.

The year is 1987, and NASA launches the last of America's deep space probes.

In a freak mishap, Ranger 3 and its pilot, Captain William Buck Rogers,

are blown out of their trajectory into an orbit which freezes his life

support systems and returns Buck Rogers to Earth 500 years later.

How's that, Tweaky?

A little to the right. All right.

Is that better?

Solid.

Well, as someone said.

Never more nostalgic than for the things you once knew and have no more.

Who said that? Me. Hi, Buck.

Good evening, Buck. Hi, Wilma. Dr. Hewer.

Oh, say, what's this?

Just a change of scenery.

These four walls, it was beginning to feel like solitary confinement around here.

Well, why don't you say something? We could have had some windows put in.

Why bother?

All looks the same.

The city's climate control, nothing ever changes around here.

Now, I feel sorry for you people.

You'll never know the joy of discovering a sunset that just happens.

A pale hint of mauve.

Everything is programmed, even your climate.

You know, no fall, no spring, no rain, no snow, no nothing.

It's always the same.

I went outside today, I couldn't believe it was January.

It is January, is it?

Yes, January 7th.

Uh, Buck, Dr. Hewer and I were on our way to see the new holographic dance troupe.

Would you like to join us?

Hm? No, no. No, thank you, Wilma. I, uh, think I'll pass.

I don't feel like going out tonight.

Well, good night.

Oveon immigration patrol to Terran starfighter. Decelerate immediately. Repeat,

decelerate immediately. Acknowledge.

I do not read, patrol.

Lieutenant Traeger, you're under arrest.

Your departure from Oleon was unauthorized. Surrender or be destroyed.

And destroy me. I've spent 15 years on your stinking planet,

and the only way I'm going back is in a box.

Traeger out.

For good.

For good.

Come on, old bucket, get me through that stargate, and then you can quit on me.

Break off pursuit and return to base. He could be

a million parsecs away by now, and probably is.

You'll do.

Survey vessel.

Attention. Attention, survey vessel.

This is a priority blue distress code. Repeat, priority blue.

My starboard defense shield is down. My star drive is dead. Can you assist?

Starfighter, this is Capellan Survey Ship 077.

I'm locking you in on a tractor beam.

Prepare for docking.

Buck's been moping around like that for days.

I've done everything short of kidnapping him to get him out of his apartment.

Well, I'm afraid Twiggy was right.

He's depressed about his upcoming birthday.

But I don't understand what's bothering him. We all get older.

Why, he's in better shape than a man half his age.

There are no men half his age.

But then again, his birthday is probably making him

feel more homesick than ever for the 20th century.

Technically speaking, this birthday is his 534th.

It's an unfortunate way to be reminded of just how displaced in time he really is.

Well, good evening, Theo. How are things on the front hold? Home front. Home front.

Whatever.

A message from Lieutenant Garth at Security Directorate.

He's coming over from the new Detroit complex.

He seems to think it's quite urgent.

Lieutenant Garth thinks everything is urgent.

Every time they perceive even the slightest hint of danger to my well-being,

and they expect me to live my life behind a force field.

Nonetheless, he should be here momentarily.

Of course, of course.

Well, be that as it may,

What are we going to do about Buck? How about a surprise party?

That's not a bad idea.

A party would make him feel a little less alone and more part of our world.

Indeed it might. Well, you know most of his friends.

Why don't you make the necessary arrangements?

Yes, let's see. Now, there's Jen, Joella, Marla, Allison, Tangie, Felina, Miss Cosmos.

I do believe that there is a pattern emerging here.

Hmm.

Apparently.

Lieutenant Garth has arrived. Well, let's get this over with.

Three days ago, this man, the Capellan ship captain,

was found under restraint in the storage compartment of his ship.

In a new Detroit spaceport, he was delirious due to systemic poisoning.

Remained alive for about 12 hours after he was found.

As you may know, Dr. Hewer, all capellans are crew telepaths.

And this one must have found out something he wasn't supposed to know.

And the persons whose mind he read killed him for it.

Most of what he said was unintelligible.

But one thing was clear.

Whatever attacked him is also planning some sort of action against you.

Who, Lieutenant?

Someone claiming to be the ship's captain who brought the

vessel back to port and disappeared without a trace.

And we believe that he's responsible for the real captain's unique condition.

Well, what exactly is his condition?

Captain Queller seems to experience a bizarre form of molecular transmutation.

Half of his body has been changed to pure silicone.

And I take it, Lieutenant,

that what you're afraid might happen to me is something like this.

Well, I sincerely appreciate your concern,

but I hardly think the ravings of a delirious alien are any cause for alarm.

Now, let's be reasonable. I don't even know any Capellans.

Why would one try to kill me?

May I help you?

I would like to see Dr. Bayless.

Do you have an appointment?

No, but I'm certain she would want to see me.

I'm sorry. The doctor's schedule is full for the day.

The earliest an appointment can be arranged is one week from tomorrow.

I'm afraid that's not convenient.

What do you think you're doing?

This is Dr. Bayless.

Please sit back.

Take a deep breath, sit back, and relax.

Take a deep breath, and relax. Doctor, I have a new job with added responsibility.

I'm afraid to leave this planet. I think of these dreams I've been having, Doctor.

They depress me terribly.

You want to go on with that, Miss Bennett? Well, in these dreams,

my mother's still alive, and she's always telling me I was an accident,

that I surprised her and Daddy. What do you think that means, Doctor? Doctor?

Who are you? How did you get in here?

You'll find that your reception quad has malfunctioned, Doctor.

I took advantage of the opportunity.

Who are you?

I'm surprised, Delora.

After all the time we spent together.

Of course, it's been a long while, a very long while.

What are you talking about? I have never treated a capellan before in my life.

And it's Dr. Bayless, if you don't mind.

Traeger, Cornell Traeger.

But they said you were dead.

No, almost, but not quite.

Where have you been, Cory?

What brings you back here after all these years?

I had to see you, Delora.

I need some information about Elias Heuer.

When I left, he was with the science directorate, the space exploration division.

He's with defense now.

He's in charge of the entire directorate.

Oh, is he really?

Oh, that's good. That's really good.

What else?

Cory, I don't believe this.

It's been 15 years.

Not a word from you.

After all, you were only a patient.

I don't have time to play games, Delora, so I won't.

You have quite a few patients in the government, don't you?

Yes, but what does that mean?

You have all sorts of ways of extracting information

from their minds without their knowing about it, don't you?

Extortion.

Is that it, Corey?

It's obvious you didn't come back for further treatment.

How much?

15,000 credits?

I spend that much in a week on incidentals.

Here.

It's yours.

If you forget we ever knew each other.

Same old Delora.

Always more interested in money than anything.

I see you've finally put your psych skills to more lucrative use.

How nice.

Looks like androcyte, diamonds, elysium.

There must be millions there, but how do you...

The little trick I picked up on Ovia, that's where I've been staying.

Trick?

That's nothing less than matter transmutation.

Molecular reorganization.

Call it what you like.

So long as you understand the implication,

I can do the same to organic as well as inorganic material.

We'll be hiding in Buck's apartment.

He'll come home, turn on the lights, and we'll yell, surprise!

Except you'll find the entire apartment complex

swarming with security directorate agents.

I don't know why I ever agreed to this extra security in the first place.

You didn't have a choice.

Yes.

But I think it will undermine the element of surprise in Buck's party.

The directorate guards are very discreet. Not only

will you not see them, but neither will Buck.

Now, our problem is that we've got to figure some way to

keep Buck out of his apartment for at least two hours.

Uh, Dr. Huard, it'll thrive. All you need is the right kind of plant food. I see.

Oh, hi, Bonnie.

Oh, hi.

Well, Dr. Huard?

Uh, there's a rumor floating around the directorate.

It happened to do with an attempt on your life. Is there anything I can do to help?

Oh, no, no, thank you, Buck, very much, but it's being taken care of.

The security directorate is handling it.

Actually, we're just making up a schedule of my itinerary for the next two weeks.

It'll be delivered this afternoon by an IAC.

That's an interagency courier.

And then the security directorate will deploy a group

of bodyguards to guard me around the clock.

Cora, you've changed.

It's not just the power.

When I treated you as a patient, I thought I understood you thoroughly.

But you, you're different.

Of course I've changed. No one could go through the

hell that I've been through and not be changed.

And it's all because of Elias Hewer.

See, shortly after I joined the exploration division, Hewer sent me into space.

A routine space exploration mission, he said.

But I was shot down over a planet no one ever heard of,

and there was a reason for that.

The hostility of the natives to outworlders was frightening.

They found me guilty of espionage, locked me away,

Twelve kilometers below the surface, eventually they forgot about me.

You wonder why I wear these?

It's because I've lived without light for 15 years.

You can't imagine what that's like.

But you survived.

Yes, because I lived like an animal.

I became like one of them.

There must have been some natural element that gave

them the power in the water or the atmosphere.

The ovians could change things, too.

Whatever they touched would become whatever they wanted it to be.

And after a few years on their world, I could do it, too.

And you use the power to escape, to come back here.

Yes, for my justice. Is there any wonder after 15 years that I would want that?

When I realize how full Hewer's life has been, and how really empty mine has been.

All the years that he stole from me.

Oh, I can change credits into gemstones.

Can't change the past. Nothing can do that.

But I can change Hugh's future. I can take it away from him.

You are going to help me do it.

Ah, Miss Merritt, right on schedule.

Reporting for briefing, sir.

Raylene Merritt, this is Buck Rogers. How you doing?

Hello.

The mind implantation procedure will take place at 1600 hours.

Colonel Deering here will supervise. After the implantation is completed,

you will go to the security directorate headquarters at the new Detroit complex.

Implantation?

Captain Rogers is new here.

Oh, well, you see, Captain Rogers,

top-secret data is implanted directly into an IAC subconscious.

Then when I arrive at my destination,

security extracts it from my mind with a psych probe.

I never know the nature of the information.

Which makes it very difficult to get out.

Cute.

What is?

I mean...

Interesting.

Uh, Buck, you said you wanted to help.

Would you mind escorting Miss Merritt into the new Detroit complex,

just to doubly ensure her safe arrival?

Really, Dr. Hewer, I don't think that's necessary.

I've handled dozens of assignments on my own.

I realized it's an irregular procedure, but under the circumstances,

it would make me more comfortable.

Well, if you insist. Please excuse me, then. I'll go prepare for the implantation.

Do you know how to find the laboratory?

Buck, would you mind showing Miss Merritt the laboratory?

No, not at all, Doc.

That was the sneakiest thing I have ever seen.

Yes, thank you.

But at least now we know he won't be in his apartment for a few hours, don't we?

Mm-hmm. He may not show up at all.

You don't actually expect me to help you kill Huer.

Need I remind you of my special abilities, Delora?

I can either kill you or make you very rich. The choice is yours.

You've already treated several key directorate personnel.

You must be able to tell me something.

He knows his life is in danger.

What?

But he doesn't know you're the danger.

Must be the compelling captain. He lingered on longer

than I'd anticipated. You're certain of this?

It comes from a very secure source.

The security directorate is sending an IAC to pick up Hewer's itinerary.

Once they get that, he'll be guarded 24 hours a day.

Actually, that makes things simpler for us.

You can't get close to Hugh or Corey.

Not unless you know where to find him.

Has been modified.

This one examines the subconscious.

Like a psych probe?

Not as sophisticated, not as fast. But it works on the same principle, yes.

I can anticipate Hugh's every move.

I can eliminate him at whatever time is most convenient,

because we can extract the information about his schedule from the IAC's mind,

just as the security directorate would do.

Exactly.

Then all we have to do is intercept that courier.

Data for day 13 assimilated. OK, let's finish up then.

Implantation completed. Good, we're finished.

You okay?

I told you I've done this dozens of times. I'm used to it.

I certainly don't need to be chaperoned by Captain Rogers.

All we're asking you to do is to bring Buck back to

his apartment when your assignment's completed.

Think of it as a favor to the directorate,

one for which we'd be glad to pay you generously.

Look, Colonel, I'm a government courier, not a... That's all we're asking.

Besides, I think you'd enjoy Buck's company.

I understand from your personnel file that you used to work at the Earth Archives,

and you have an interest in history,

so you and Buck should have a lot to talk about.

What, Captain Rogers is an historian?

Yes, in a manner of speaking.

Let me explain.

All set.

Good.

Miss Merrick, you'll be escorted to the Security Directorate

headquarters by two of their men,

Marsden and Niles. They'll contact you at the restaurant

on the Federal Concourse in 1,900 hours.

They'll come to your table and identify themselves as security escort detail.

The code identification will be Blue 11.

Any questions?

No, sir.

After you, Ms. Merritt.

Ray Lynn.

We can make it to the Detroit complex in time for dinner.

You'll love the restaurant, but... Did she agree to bring him back to the apartment?

Well, she was a little resistant at first, but once I explained why,

talking her into it... It was a piece of cake.

Corey, these are my assistants, Rorvik and Carew.

Cornell Traeger.

My informant has confirmed the news. They're sending Raelynn Merritt,

their most experienced courier. She's due here within the complex within the hour.

Will she be a problem?

Not for us.

Are you certain of your information?

Corey, you worry too much.

My man works inside the communications office of the

security directorate itself. He's totally reliable.

You have your uniforms.

Good.

The men you're posing as?

Niles and Marsden.

We meet the Merritt woman in the restaurant,

escort her to the Turbolift in the Federal Building.

Only we take her to the sub-level.

Corey will meet you there.

Excellent.

Here are your synthaflesh masks.

They've been prepared to duplicate Niles and Marsden's faces exactly.

If there's nothing else, let's get to work.

You know, Ray Lynn, when Dr. Hewer first asked me to go along with you,

you didn't seem exactly thrilled with the idea.

What changed your mind?

Well, before I joined the IAC Corps, I used to be a record keeper with the archives.

I heard you were from the 20th century.

Oh, you know about that, huh?

Yes, Colonel Deering told me something about it.

Anyway, I've always been fascinated by that era.

It seemed like such an exciting time to live in. Prohibition,

the first moon landing, Milton Berle, Benny Goodfellow.

A man.

What?

Benny Goodman.

Oh?

Then you're putting a lot of things together that happened at different times,

most of them before I was born.

Well, I'm told our records aren't very accurate.

Oh, I see. So that's it.

You just decided to pick my brains a little, huh?

Pick your brains?

Um... Get some first-hand information.

Well, maybe at first, but, um... You know.

Yeah.

Well, you're helping me get my head in a better place, and for that I'm grateful.

Sweet of you to say that, Burke, but I don't see that I'm really doing anything.

Sure.

Miss Merritt, Agents Marsden and Niles. We're to escort you to security. Who's he?

I'm just a friend.

Well, we may be a while.

It's all right. I'm a slow eater.

OK.

They'll come to your table, identify themselves as security escort detail.

The identification code is blue 11.

Wait a minute. There was an identification code. Blue 11. Where's your code disc?

Who are you guys?

Get her into the turbolift.

She knew.

Some guy she was with came after us. Idiot, you should have been more careful.

You think he followed you?

I don't know. Well, be ready for him if he has.

Make them like they used to.

See? No weapon.

You want me, hero?

You come and get me.

Just you and me.

Halt!

Halt or I'll shoot!

You're just kind of thick around here.

Don't move.

Oh, great.

Get up slowly. I got news for you.

It's the only way I can get up. Here.

Let me just show you my ID.

You're with the defense directorate? No, not really.

Just gave me that card in case someone started asking questions. And the woman,

she was an IAC? Yes, she was.

And those people that took her are plotting to kill Dr. Hewer.

How do you know all this? I'm psychic.

I don't have time to explain.

Call your head of security and tell them that the courier's

been intercepted. I don't know what to do.

One of them must have dropped it. What is it?

It's a de-locking disk.

A de... Oh, you mean a key.

Why do people always make things so complicated?

Looks like it's color-coded. You know what part of the complex it goes to?

That's the med wing. Those numbers on the bottom will tell you what office.

37042. That sounds like Dr. Bayless's clinic.

She's a psych med. Pretty famous. A lot of her patients are very important people.

Hmm.

Information is locked in her subconscious, so they use a shrink to get it out.

Shrink?

Hey, I can get a security unit up to the med wing.

Fine, I'll meet him there.

Sorry, but you're not telling anybody anything.

Your men are incompetent.

That sub-level was crawling with security people.

What did you do? What happened?

I stopped one of them. I didn't have a chance to finish him off.

Rorvik and Carew can take care of that as soon as they check in.

If they check in. Our plans are in jeopardy, Delora. We've got to move faster.

How soon before you have something here?

There's nowhere to say exactly. It depends on her.

It could be a half an hour or longer.

Your man in the information office.

If he is as reliable as you say he is,

you can get him to forge a priority one communique, can't you? I suppose I could.

Then have him send an intra-directorate memo cancelling the blue code alert.

He'll say the assassin has been caught, Huard is safe,

and there's no need for the IAC after all.

I'll have him do it immediately.

But you know... They'll start suspecting something's gone wrong sooner or later.

Yes, but by then it will be too late, particularly for Hugh.

Colonel, uh... Oh, the party favors.

You can put them right there.

Where do I put this, babe?

Babe?

Thank you, Tweaky.

I'll take that as a compliment.

You can leave it right there.

That way, when Buck comes in, it'll be the first thing he sees.

Uh, why don't you say these were...

Party favors. At least that's what Dr. Junius called them.

He had the manufacturing center make them up, exactly like some old photographs.

I'm almost afraid to ask, but what is this?

A balloon.

A balloon?

Yeah.

Watch.

Well, I take it there's some peculiar purpose in that.

They're for decorating.

And this?

A party hat.

You wear it on your head.

I most certainly will not.

Oh, Dr. Hewer.

Colonel, there will soon be dozens of security directorate agents swarming

through the building and guarding the entrance downstairs.

Perhaps it's academic, but if by some small chance

an assassin does get into the building after me,

I will not be murdered wearing a blue and white plastic cone on my head.

It's positively undignified.

Party pooper.

Party pooper?

Well, I'm not certain, mind you, but we probably have one of those here, too.

And...

Yes, Carew.

Trouble, Doctor.

The new Chicagoan? The one that was with the courier. He's one of Hewer's people.

What did you do with him?

There's nothing I could do.

Doctor, he knows you're in on this.

I must have dropped my delocking disc when I fought with him, and he found it.

A security agent told him about you.

I took care of the agent, but that guy must be on his way to you now.

Find Rorvik and get back here as soon as you can.

Right.

Isn't there some way you can speed up that process, Delora?

Not without causing extensive neural damage, no.

What difference does that make?

You don't think I'm gonna let her live now, do you?

There are alternatives. I could tamper with her memory.

For God's sake, Cory, I'm no murderer.

No.

And I suppose you weren't selling quadrillion

when we first met on Regulus IV, either.

How many people died of radiation poisoning back then, Delora?

That was different.

Well, being an accessory to murder doesn't bother you, does it?

It's just the act itself you have no stomach for.

Give it up, Corey. This whole thing is coming down around our ears.

You're going just too far to settle an old score.

I wish that's all it was!

The data's coming in.

What's happening now, tonight? Where's Sewell?

Spending the evening with friends in an apartment occupied

by somebody named Rogers, William Anthony Rogers.

The address is here.

They aren't dropping in on old friends, is there?

His eyes, you blinded him.

He's been underground for 15 years. He can't stand bright light.

Touch her and you die.

Turn down the lights!

It's getting late.

Hugh has waited long enough.

I want them dead.

Understand?

Yes.

See to it.

What are you doing?

You got what you want from her.

Not entirely.

This device has been adapted for sonic hypnosis.

I can wipe out every memory she has of being intercepted and brought here.

And substitute new ones.

And then you let her go, and she thinks she's done the job she was supposed to do.

Mm-hmm.

Rather intelligent for Neanderthal.

But Traeger said we... Mr. Rorvik,

any payment for the miserable job you two have done will come from me, not Traeger.

Remember that.

You're hurting her.

She can't feel it.

But you don't believe me, do you, handsome?

Well, you'll find out for yourself.

You're next.

Put him down over there. Stop repairing your mask.

You two are going out in a little while.

Good news, Dr. Hewer. The code blue alert's been lifted. Evidently, you're safe.

Well, that certainly is good news, but where's Buck?

Well, maybe he convinced Raylan that they should celebrate his birthday alone.

I thought you said she agreed to bring him back here.

She did, but Buck can be very persuasive.

Ah, you're awake.

We'll be ready for you in a minute.

Where's Ray Lynn?

Where she would be if things had gone as planned.

Thank you for your assistance.

Just doing our job, Miss Merritt.

I won't remember you after this, will I?

No.

I guess I should say my goodbyes now.

All his life, Corey has left a trail of corpses in his wake.

I don't intend to add another.

That's a comfort.

Corey was a decent man once, but he's changed,

and I've got to get away from him off this planet.

I'll start all over again, somewhere else. But first I have to cover my tracks.

Starting with you.

And everything you know.

Where were you? I looked all over the restaurant for you.

I thought you said you were a slow eater.

You really don't remember a thing, do you?

Remember? Remember what? Buck, what is going on?

Never mind, I'll explain later. Look,

you wouldn't happen to know the record flying

time doing here in New Chicago, would you?

No, why?

Because whatever it is, we're gonna break it. Hang on.

Everyone, please, can I have your attention? Someone is on his way,

and since the code blue alert has been canceled, it must be Buck.

So find your places and light the cake.

Surprise!

Who on earth is that?

Gatecrasher.

Oh my goodness.

Cornel Traeger, you're alive.

Yes, Elias.

Still alive.

Despite your best efforts.

What do you mean, my efforts?

You were lost in a routine exploration mission.

Why, everyone thought you were dead.

Who sent me on the mission, Elias?

Hmm?

Who?

You volunteered.

You knew the risks.

Who do you think you are, barging in here like this?

You have no right to disrupt this party! Stay out of this!

I'm warning you.

Next time I touch you... It was you.

You killed that capellan.

And now me.

That's right, Elias.

Now you.

Finally.

Oh, no, you don't.

Dr. Hewer, will you get away from him?

What happened?

He fell on his own hand.

He's pure silicone.

Why'd you take off so fast?

I was... Well, at the very least, Dr.

Bayless will never practice psychomedicine again.

I suspect, however, the Computer Council will find her guilty of

offenses meriting a much more complicated correctional procedure.

Which reminds me, we have to contact the Education Board.

Brief them on the rather bizarre details of this case, Colonel. Wait a minute,

don't run off. I haven't even got my presents yet.

Well, happy birthday anyway, Buck.

Even if things didn't turn out the way we wanted them to.

Well, you know, Wilma, there's an old saying.

It's the thought that counts.

It's true.

I really appreciate it very much.

Well, maybe we'll get it straight next year.

To tell you the truth, Wilma, after all that's happened today,

I could do without birthdays for at least a decade or two.

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