Original subtitles

This is Buck Rogers. We're experiencing fantastic turbulence.

All our controls are gone.

A glowing orb may hold the only hope of saving

a peaceful planet from the evil war witch,

Zarina, as Buck and Princess Adala are drawn

through a vortex and into another universe.

If you kill him, he's of no use to us.

They're torturing him.

Shortly, we will enter the vortex.

Princess, I cannot protest this action strongly enough.

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.

Alana?

You sleeping?

Just happy.

And kind of warm all over.

Well, there's nothing like a good weekend in the country to recharge your batteries.

Depends on who's doing the recharging.

Buck, what's that?

I don't know.

I'd sure like to find out.

Earth Shuttle 2293 to New Chicago Control.

Come in 2293.

This is Captain Buck Rogers on approach to New Chicago.

Can you patch me through to the director channel?

You've got it, Captain.

Good to hear from you, Buck.

Maybe, maybe not, Doc. I'm about 20 minutes southwest of New Chicago.

I spotted something very strange.

Strange?

Yeah, it's a large gold ball sitting out here in the middle of the desert.

Be careful. That might be some kind of draconian trick.

We've been having tremendous difficulties with them lately.

Dr. Hewer, our sensors record Captain Rogers' ship,

but no trace of another body in the vicinity. Well, it's here, Doc.

A large metallic object of some kind.

Give us the coordinates, Buck.

Right, Doc.

When I land, we can go out and take a look at it.

100's up.

An intercity shuttle reported it, Buck,

but so far we haven't been able to detect anything on our sensors.

I wonder if it isn't a little surprise from Princess Ardala.

It's a distinct possibility,

considering all the difficulties we've been having with the Draconians lately.

The closest thing to it I've ever heard of is

what we used to call a flying saucer or a UFO.

Do you have any idea what it might be, Doc?

The pilot reported it's saucer-shaped.

Well, we ought to be pretty close now.

There it is.

Look, to the left.

That may have been a saucer before, but look at it now.

Talk about close encounters.

Dr. Theopolis?

Still no sensor reading, Doctor.

But it's solid.

There's no way that our sensors couldn't record something.

Lessa's composition is so different from anything known

that a reading's impossible. Well, it's solid enough.

And seamless.

No apparent ports, then no discernible motive power.

Careful, Buck.

What is it?

A riddle wrapped in an enigma.

Watch the straight arm, Buck.

If they'd wanted to, they could have heard us long before now.

What do you think, Doc?

I think we should take it back to the lab. I think so, too.

Since this does not appear to be a weapon,

our first assumption is that it's a gift of friendship from a life force somewhere.

And if we're correct, it may have something to tell us.

We're attempting to open it with a vibersonic table,

which is an instrument that separates molecules

of matter at their natural interface.

Well, like some kind of sonic diamond cutter.

If I understand you correctly, yes.

At precisely the right tone, the orb should separate.

Look. Somebody must have said the magic word. What is it, Doc?

I don't know.

I'll get the macro magnifier. Looks like a microchip of some kind.

Prepare the macro-magnifier, please.

Very well, start the magnifying process, please.

Cryptographs, with the universal language.

And patternings.

Yes, they're binary patternings.

Very unusual kind.

Dr. Theopolis, we want to put this through the master computer chain. Top priority.

And I want an analysis of these binary codings.

As quickly as possible.

Yes, Doctor.

Doc, look.

That thing's hot to trot.

It's almost as if it knew its mission here was completed.

Yes, with the discovery of the chip.

A bit higher, dear.

A little bit higher.

Ow!

Clumsy.

Princess.

What is it, King?

This is Agent Gontril, my spy at Directorate Headquarters.

Tell the Princess what you saw.

A giant sphere appeared outside New Chicago, Your Highness.

It contained a message in the form of a golden orb.

What message? From whom?

I'm not a Code 5 technician, your highness, so I was not allowed inside the lab.

But rumors, rumors say... Say what?

Spit it out, man.

Rumors say that the orb contained a secret of utmost value to the Terrans.

That will be all.

All of you out.

Get me the orb, Cain.

Your Highness, the truce expressly forbids...

Since when have I ever honored a Terran truce?

Unless it's convenient for me to do so.

Oh, Cain!

By the way, send Tigerman to me.

He's been assigned to one of your sisters.

He's been what?

I have made other arrangements.

Well done, Cain.

I think I'll call you Panther Man.

You're black.

You're beautiful.

Why don't you come over here and let me see your claws?

Dr. Diablos' staff is just decoded, and the results are staggering.

What are they, Doc?

You're both familiar with the vortex theory.

Yes, it has to do with a hypothetical passage from one universe to another.

That's assuming another exists.

In the 20th century, it was called a black hole. Erroneously.

The vortex theory is no longer a theory. It's a scientific fact.

The decoded ship is like a roadmap through the vortex.

Complex, dangerous.

But by all our scientific frames of reference, it's navigable.

So this is an imitation. From an unknown people who exist in another universe.

The staff is reducing the decoded patterns to a computer

disk compatible with Earth space vehicles.

Which means we could plug it into any starfighter's navigation

system and end up in an entirely new universe. Exactly.

Theo, is there any clue as to who sent the orb?

I'm afraid not, Colonel.

But we may have a clue in the cryptograph.

We found a legend that reads the equivalent of six letters of Earth's alphabet.

P-E-N-D-A-R.

Pendar.

You heard of it?

No, I haven't, Doc.

Let the council convene.

Report, please.

Keeper, the Harbinger has fulfilled its mission and returned to Pendar. Good.

Who did you select?

A small, habitable planet in its first quadrant called Terra.

It has precisely the military capabilities we sought. The second?

The second selection is cruder, more malevolent, and completely predictable.

Report on the ZADs.

The ZADs battlecruiser. Now lies 3,600 fetics downside us.

They continue to launch attacks against the defense shield.

The results of the attack?

The shield has not been damaged.

But the recent abduction of CODIS, however, gives us grave concern.

Each day, at a given hour,

he has moved from the second to the fifth level to Zarina's quarters.

The Zad War Witch herself is supervising his torture.

His auric energy reading is very low.

He will not be able to bear such pain for long without telling

the Zads what he knows about our defense shield.

CODIS is a courageous young man.

We must hope that he can hold on until assistance arrives.

Have faith, Shandar.

They will kill him, mother.

No, child.

You'll see.

Judas, your bravery is admirable, but so unnecessary.

Resist me if you wish.

It will only mean I shall be forced to use Spiro here and his unusual talents.

As a transmute, it can disrupt the cellular composition of any part of your body.

A painful experience, wouldn't you agree?

That's enough, Spiro.

If you kill him, he's of no use to us. And I plan to use CODIS in a variety of ways.

Well, good evening, Buck. You still up?

Yeah, Doc, I've got a lot of things running through my mind.

I can well imagine.

Even the notion of exploring another universe. It's mind-boggling, isn't it?

Yes, it is.

I'll say good night.

Good night, Doc.

Technician Gontro reporting for night duty in the lab.

You don't have code five clearance.

Sorry.

My oversight.

Buck, are you all right?

Don't ask.

Who are they, Doc? Draconians.

This is an absolutely unforgivable violation on our dollar's part.

The orb is probably halfway to her cruise ship by now.

Another universe for Adala to try and dominate.

Yes, but her technicians still have to decode the chip

and transfer the information to a computer disk.

I'm having the computer disk installed in a Starfighter.

And Dr. Theopolis' staff is already programming a B-2500 drone to pilot the craft.

You're sending a drone through the vortex?

Yes. Why?

Doc, this is an invitation to us from another universe.

What are you getting at?

Well, this could be the first encounter of peoples from two different universes.

You can't send a drone, you've got to send a Terran.

I'd like to be that Terran, Doc.

You'd like to be it.

At any price? Yes.

Captain Rogers is right, Dr. Hewer.

A Terran pilot will be able to handle unprogrammed

difficulties more effectively than a drone.

Yes, I know.

Very well, Buck.

Go.

Thank you, Doc.

I'm sure you'll want to do the pre-flight yourself.

I'll get started.

Buck, history will record you as an extraordinary mortal,

who have survived the Holocaust, lived 500 years,

and now be the first man to enter a new universe.

It looks like... Kane, what was that crude organic food?

Regulium plover's egg, Highness.

Yes, exactly.

I had the chef executed for insulting my royal digestion, as I recall.

Yes, you did.

Have it analyzed immediately.

Yes?

A transmission on the bit phone from Director Elias Hewer on Earth.

Tell Earth the princess is not ready to respond.

No, Cain, wait.

Let's just see how important this golden plover's egg is to Dr. Hewer.

Hello, Doctor. What can we do for you?

Princess Ardala, on behalf of the Earth Directorate,

I wish to lodge a formal protest.

Whatever are you talking about?

You know very well, Princess, truce provisions have been violated repeatedly,

particularly the recent draconian attacks on interplanetary shipping.

I insist on an audience at once.

That's not possible.

Hewer's transmission tells us one very important thing.

Not so much by what he said, but by what he did not say.

Yes.

He failed to mention the orb.

Exactly. Not one word.

Hurry your technicians, Kane.

We must find out what's so terribly important about this orb.

This is preposterous.

Absolutely preposterous.

The only remedy is a face-to-face confrontation with the Princess.

Do you think it's safe to go to the Draconia?

No, I've already considered the hazards, Colonel.

And I must say they're far outweighed by this most

recent threat to our already tenuous truce.

I'd like to go with you.

Very well, Colonel.

As soon as Buck is safely on his way, we'll pay a little visit to the princess.

I'll arrange for a two-fighter escort. Major Daniels and Lieutenant Wainwright.

Thank you, Colonel.

I'm glad Tweaky and Theo are going with me, Doc.

Why is it the good die young?

Tweaky, why don't you go on ahead? I'll be along in a minute.

What's the matter, Doc?

Something bothering you? Really, I'm just...

I just can't help wondering what it's going to be like for you up there.

I know.

I've been thinking a lot about that myself.

I imagine you have, yeah.

Also... This is probably the most dangerous mission I've ever assigned anyone.

Well, don't forget, Doc, I volunteered.

Oh, yeah, that's true. You volunteered, all right.

Before I started with the directorate,

we were in the process of testing the new Stargates, and I volunteered, naturally,

to be the first person to fly through a Stargate.

It was quite an honor.

Of course, I only flew across the solar system.

It's not quite what you're about to do.

You'd really like to be the one to go, wouldn't you, Doc?

Does it show that much?

Like a sore thumb.

I suppose what I really want to say is that I'm I'm more

than usually concerned about this particular mission,

mainly because since you've come here, you've become like family to me.

Well, I hope you don't decide to take another 500

years before you make your next appearance.

I'll come back, Don.

Don't worry.

Good luck, my friend.

Thank you, Don.

Well, how do you feel?

Snug as a bug in a rug, Wilma.

Well, you're supposed to feel snug.

Uh, I pre-flighted your ship.

I wanted to make sure everything was, um, a-okay.

Thank you, woman.

Well, you didn't think I was gonna let you go without saying goodbye, did you?

No, I was hoping I'd see you before I left.

No, you stop looking at me like that. I'll be fine.

All of a sudden, I don't know what to say.

You don't have to say anything.

No.

No, I won't do.

You're very special.

You've been more than a friend to me.

And I've learned a lot about myself.

About being able to express my feelings.

How to care for someone.

You've shown me a whole side of myself that I never knew existed.

I finally felt like a woman for the first time in my life.

And I'd hate to think what I'd be like if it weren't for you.

Well, you had a lot going for you from the beginning.

You know, I didn't think I was going to like you when I first met you.

But you have a way of growing on a person.

And right now, I don't know what I would do if I lost you.

Take care of yourself.

I will.

And I'm going to miss you.

I'm going to miss you too, woman. You're very special to me.

Well, y'all set to go, Twiggy?

Ready as I'll ever be, Buck. Okay.

Do you have any idea of the enormity of this moment, Kane?

New worlds, new galaxies lie beyond the vortex within reach of my fingertips.

Yes, Princess.

Do you think they'll look like us, Kane?

You mean the men, Princess?

The men, the women, whatever. Yes?

We're tracking a single Terran starfighter in the

18th quadrant at a fraction of their light speed.

Outbound.

Try to pick up their transmission cane.

Time for our last check-in.

Tell them love and kisses.

This is Buck Rogers.

I'm within 15 seconds of entry.

The vortex is directly ahead of me.

Looks like a swirling, condensed aurora.

They're sending Buck through the vortex.

We're experiencing fantastic turbulence.

I left manual control 10 minutes ago.

I'm relying for all drive and directional factors

on a computer just developed from the orb.

All my years of flying, I've never had an experience like this.

The light.

Incredible colors.

It's as if an ocean of energy was flowing through a single floodgate.

We're right in the middle of it.

All our controls are gone. We're tumbling, part of a mad scramble from...

To leave one universe for another.

God help him.

He must be through now.

Right, he is.

Well, Colonel, we have business with Princess Hardala.

Shall we go?

Of course.

Kane, that computer disk that Captain Rogers was talking about,

I want one of those to send the Deconia through the vortex.

The technicians are already working on it, Highness.

Oh.

Well, we made it through, Tweaky. Yeah, just barely.

The perimeter sensors just reported an unknown through the vortex.

Help is on its way.

Mother, it is useless.

No, Shandar.

Our observers say this one is very special.

Yeah.

A different universe.

Doesn't feel different.

That's different.

Surrounded by a gigantic bubble, Tweaky.

Not again. Hold on, Twinkie. Look!

My memory bank has no record of any creatures like these. Yeah? Who are they, Buck?

Whoa there!

Guess they're not all dead. Looks like some kind of spacesuit, Twiggy.

And we didn't bring any peanuts.

They look like stuffed animals.

Look ahead, Twiggy.

That must be Pindar, Twiggy.

I hope they don't mind us dropping in.

We've got an engraved invitation, remember?

Looks like we're being guided in.

Dr. Hewer and Colonel Dearing, what brings you here?

Princess, the incidences involving draconian

violation of Terran space Are intolerable.

Well, I can assure you, Doctor,

I'm doing everything possible to control the actions of these dreadful marauders.

What about the attack on the Directorate Lab?

That was a violation of the highest order, Princess.

Our truce exists to preserve our best interest, Doctor. And in this case,

my best interest took precedence over the truce.

I'm sure had you been in my place, you would have acted accordingly.

I must demand that you return the orb to the Directorate.

Demand, Doctor? I'm afraid you're not in a position

to demand a great deal of anything.

Princess, if you insist on this course of action...

The orb will be returned to you, Doctor.

I have no further use for it.

Yes, that is correct.

Wilma, isn't it?

We've deciphered the cryptography some time ago.

That orb was meant for our use.

An invitation from another culture.

Yes, but I so hate to miss a good party.

And that is your final word?

On this subject, Doctor.

Then you may consider yourself once again on a war footing with Earth.

We'll be leaving immediately.

What is the meaning of this?

You'll be going nowhere, Dr. Hewer.

Draconia is fitted with a computer disk exactly like Captain Rogers.

Very shortly, we will be entering the vortex.

And I will allow no one to interfere with this.

Which is what you would do if I let you go.

Princess, I cannot protest this action strongly enough.

Then don't bother, Doctor. It won't do you any good.

Hello, Captain Rogers.

She knows you, Buck.

I don't believe we've ever met.

At least not in this lifetime.

My name is Shandar.

And if you'll please come with me, the Council and the Keeper are expecting you.

Princess, the monitor indicates we've just entered the vortex.

Well, they could have had the courtesy to warn us about this.

You're very quiet, Captain.

Well, it's been a long trip. And a cuckoo one.

You must be curious about the life field which surrounds Pendar.

You mean that menagerie we passed through?

Yes.

Curious is an understatement.

Eons ago, Pendar was invaded by aliens and nearly destroyed.

Fortunately, we overcame them and placed them

in the life field which you passed through.

Why?

The Pandarans are a life-loving people, Captain.

It would be impossible for us to kill other beings, even those trying to kill us.

I know that must sound very strange to you.

Not strange, remarkable.

Our scientists created the life field as an alternative to killing the aliens.

They've been there for a thousand years, trapped in time and space.

And living?

Oh, yes, forever.

Some people would consider that a fate worse than death.

Captain, the Pandarans do not.

I can't get over how similar Pindar is to Earth, at least the way it used to be.

What do you mean? Oh, the trees, the flowers, the grass.

It's almost exactly the way I remember it.

You mean before the Holocaust?

You know about that, too?

Yes.

Yeah, Earth was beautiful then.

What do you mean, was? It still is.

Tell me, Captain, does everyone on Earth have an automated companion?

Oh, you mean an antiquine?

No, not really.

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

Yeah, we're a real team.

How nice for you. We have automated units also.

Really great.

Twiggy might have a chance to make some new friends while you're here.

Do they play ping-pong around here?

Ping-pong?

I was afraid of that.

Welcome to Pendar, Captain Rogers.

Thank you for the invitation.

Who are you?

I am the Keeper, the sole physical link between

the Master Computer and the Pendaran Council.

We come from two different universes, Keeper,

and yet you speak to me my own language.

And your environment is almost exactly the same as I just left.

It only seems to be, Captain Rogers.

You see, in our natural state, we exist as more subtle bodies, light creatures.

So that we can work together, our entire world appears as you in a baser form.

Work with me?

May the council convene.

Tora, first explain to Captain Rogers the nature of our current

dispute with the war witch Sarina and the planet Zad.

Zad is at a distance from us roughly the equivalent between your Earth and Mars.

It is ruled by a woman.

Who has ravaged every other habitable planet

in the system and now wishes to ravage ours.

She lies two solar days off Pendar in her giant battle cruiser, planning her attack.

We'll never succeed, Zarina.

My people... Are like children, with their lofty concern for the sanctity of life.

To live, one must be willing to die, or...

Kill.

Don't be angry, Codas.

The information you've given me may help spare some of their lives.

For your sake, I hope what you've told me is correct.

It is.

Soon my palates will be penetrating Pendar's energy shield for the first time.

And then onto the computer vault.

Yes.

And we will have you to thank.

Of course, if they fail, we will have you to blame.

If that is all.

Not quite.

I want you here to witness the attack.

I'm sure you'll find it interesting.

Send the fighters in.

Just as Kodus described.

In a strange way, Captain Rogers,

Pendar has become a victim of its own enlightenment.

We no longer have the means to wage a limited war.

To become so advanced that you're vulnerable to

a less developed people doesn't make any sense.

Hasn't that happened on Earth?

Where, for diplomatic expediency, the giant bows to inferiors?

Yes, that has happened.

In our case, we've developed the ultimate weapon.

But if we were to atomize ZAD with it, which is entirely feasible,

our own system's gravitational balance would be destroyed.

Sounds self-defeating at that. Our second weapon is defensive,

an energy shield which has kept us impregnable from ZAD attacks for centuries.

Now that is being threatened.

So you thought that as a Terran, I could fight your limited war for you, huh?

In an oversimplified way, yes.

Perhaps you should have asked me how I felt about

it before I came all this way to Pindar.

You expected a certain amount of resistance to the idea.

That's why we also contacted others.

Others?

We monitored Terran's activities for some time.

Your military exploits with the Draconians have proven both of you Draconians.

Them's fighting words.

Violation of energy perimeter. Sectors S2, N1, N2.

Activation of supplemental beta radiation initiated.

What's going on?

A ZAD attack on the force field.

What are you going to do?

The computer has strengthened the field at the points of attack.

Other than that, there's nothing else we can do.

Energy perimeter maintaining satisfactory integrity.

Electron configuration stabilizing at 22.5 megakillons. You understand that?

Delta alert terminated. Hostile forces have withdrawn. Repeat,

hostile forces have withdrawn.

Does this happen often?

With increasing regularity.

That's why we need your assistance.

Now, wait a minute. Assuming that I want to help.

I can't possibly do it alone.

Arrangements have been made.

Oh?

It better be the cavalry.

Shandar, there's still something about all this that doesn't make any sense.

What is it?

Well, if the defense shield is as good as you say it is, why are you so worried?

Two months ago, the Zads intercepted a Pandaran shuttle returning from Argon.

On board was a man named Kodas, one of our most brilliant scientists,

and the man who created the program which activates the defense shield.

And now the Zads have him, huh?

Yes, he alone knows enough to neutralize the shield.

The ZAD attacks began soon after they captured him.

Oh.

So you think they've gotten the information out of him, huh?

Shandar.

Is CODIS?

We were to be married at the Festival of Life.

I'm sorry, I didn't realize.

Success.

Two of the sharks passed through the force field and landed undetected.

Even now our strike force is approaching the Pandaran capital.

It worked.

Of course it worked.

Now all we have to do is penetrate the computer vault,

destroy the defense shield, and Pendar will be ours.

¶¶