Original subtitles

Since I'm to be escorted to the conference by humans,

I would like to minimize any obvious differences in appearance between us.

They tend to pounce on such things.

Then my priorities seem to be a bit out of order, don't they?

The decision whether or not a disastrous war

is to be declared may well rest with me.

Here I am concerned about meeting a few humans.

That's very understandable, Lord DeVoe.

Thank you, Rolla. But they will be under greater pressure than I.

I hope they realize that if anything prevents me from attending that conference,

the consequences for them will be devastating. As indeed they should be, sir.

I think I will forego the rest of the decorations, Rola.

They might seem a bit pretentious.

And I believe I will wear the cape.

A very wise choice, sir.

Have you ever encountered humans, Rola?

Yes, sir. I saw three of them once.

At a distance. They look remarkably like Zuccarians to me.

Yes, they do.

But with a fundamental difference. They're one entity.

I had that strongly impressed on me when I was a cadet.

We were shown a holographic recording of human reaction

to our simple act of separating head and body.

They were repulsed by it.

Then they know how we differ from them.

No.

I don't think so.

Not anymore.

One can only speculate on the truth of that, of course.

Our contacts with the outside worlds have been limited for decades.

But it does seem a reasonable suspicion based on the fact that

the incident I described was recorded long before I came to be.

To my knowledge, there are no humans alive today

who are aware of our duo entity symbiosis.

Still, sir.

You have every right to be concerned.

Earthlings are very treacherous. They've proven

that time and again. Not all, Roland.

Not all.

There was one earthling, so captivating, so warm and unaffected,

And I think the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen.

A woman?

We were young and alone among strangers.

She was little more than a child.

I was deeply moved by her.

You, sir?

A Sicarian noble affected by an earthling female?

Strange, I realize.

But true, nevertheless.

Have you seen her since then, sir?

No.

But perhaps I shall, and soon.

I've been told she's aboard the searcher.

We're approaching the Earthship that carried your escort, Lord DeVoe.

Very well.

Well, ruler, do I pass inspection?

I've never seen you look better, sir.

The Earthling should be honored by your presence.

Especially, sir.

I'm sure the lady will be pleased.

In the year 1987, NASA launched the last of America's deep space probes.

Aboard this compact starship, a lone astronaut, Captain William Buck Rogers,

was to experience cosmic forces beyond all comprehension.

In a freak mishap, his life support systems were

frozen by temperatures beyond imagination.

Ranger 3 was blown out of its planned trajectory

into an orbit 1,000 times more vast,

an orbit which was to return Buck Rogers to Earth 500 years later.

I would like to oblige you, Doctor, but this mission is entirely too sensitive. Oh,

dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.

How do I make you understand? You see,

a visit to Planet R4 as a scientific opportunity may never occur again.

I implore you. Well, I'll give it some thought,

but now that's all I can promise you, Doctor.

I don't want this to sound like a stupid question,

but does anyone know how you address as I carry an envoy? Hmm, you got me there.

Admiral, Wilma, what about you?

Um, what?

Something on your mind? You seem a little preoccupied today.

Am I?

I'm sorry.

Well, uh, Crichton, what about you? Anything on the Zykarians?

Zykarians are quite human in appearance and very secretive.

And... And...

This is my fault, I'm afraid, my fault.

I take full responsibility for Crichton's failure.

I assure you the minute we get back from the peace conference,

I'll take care of this shortcoming in his memory banks. Very well, good fellow.

Just see that you... get back.

I wasn't aware that we'd established you were going. Oh my,

I hope you're not going to change your mind. You know,

I've always admired your extraordinary ability to make decisions and stand by them.

Yes, sir.

Well, I have always found that indecisiveness was a

dangerous flaw in an officer. He's here. Stand by.

I think just a plain Mr. Ambassador will have to do.

Have you no shame, Dr. Goodfellow?

It's confusing our admiral like that.

I know it was naughty of me, but Planet R4 is so out of the way,

I thought I might never get another chance.

What have you got on Planet R for, Crichton?

I'm glad you asked, Colonel. Up to now,

this whole thing has been rather humiliating for me.

If you will observe the master screen...

Hark!

I thought you'd gone off on patrol.

I had intended to, but the Admiral's had a sudden change of heart.

It appears that Dr. Goodfellow is now going with you.

That's right.

I am to go along and try to keep him out of trouble.

Oh, yes, well, you're just in time, Hawk, my boy.

Crichton is about to brief us on planet R4.

I have been waiting for some time.

Oh, do get on with it, Crichton. For heaven's sake,

it really can be irritating at times.

Very well, Doctor. You will note that the only civilized

place on the planet is the city of Oasis.

It exists exclusively as a neutral meeting place to negotiate galactic disputes.

This is typical R4 terrain. Before OASIS,

the only use of this planet was as a depository for failed genetic experiments,

going back thousands of years.

One could say R4 is a kind of genetic garbage dump of the Cygnus system.

I just assume one didn't say it.

Sounds absolutely fascinating. Oh, I'd better go and pack. Get ready.

There'll surely be survivors.

Imagine the capacities they might have developed.

Come along, Peaky. Come along. Come along.

Danger!

Ambassador DeVoe, this is Captain Rogers, commander of your escort team.

And team members Hawk and Colonel Wilmer Deering.

Ambassador.

I prayed that I would find you here.

Did you know it would be odd?

I wasn't sure, but I hoped it would.

It's Colonel Dearing now, I believe.

Yes.

May I have my hand back, Ambassador?

Seeing you again has overwhelmed me, I'm afraid.

I believe the Admiral has already introduced our team commander.

Mr. Ambassador?

And this is Hawk.

Well, shall we get underway?

After you, Mr. Ambassador.

Colonel Dearing?

Quite a surprise, Wilma knowing the Ambassador.

Yes, wasn't it?

I have never before seen so regal a personage as the Zykarian Ambassador.

Why, oh why, must we stumble along with so little evidence of

the kind of breeding and refinement he so clearly represents?

It's uncanny.

I know you're older.

You should have changed.

But you haven't.

Except to become more beautiful.

You've changed.

Yeah?

You're, uh, more imposing, I think.

The ambassador and I met at a planetary conference seven years ago.

I was a junior lieutenant attached to the council's office.

Lord Duvaux was kind enough to make things less difficult for me.

You were the one who was kind.

Even allowing me to escort you to the Grand Ball.

I was the envy of every delegate there.

What a lovely coincidence. Do you realize, considering the size of the universe,

it's almost miraculous that the two of you would meet by chance not once,

but twice in seven years?

I believe we thought about it.

And your miracle, if I may say so,

seems to have generously included a bit of good fortune for me.

What good fortune is that, Doctor?

Well, you see, Mr. Ambassador, I'm greatly interested in unusual life forms,

and this trip affords me a unique opportunity to be Close to

and observe who knows what strange evolutionary convolutions.

Reference point A.

Mark.

Oasis must be just below the horizon.

Some terrain, isn't it?

I doubt if horned toads and sidewinders could make it down there.

Buck, look.

The instruments show overload.

Looks like St. Elmo's fire.

It doesn't act like it.

Buck, what is it?

I don't know, but every circle we've got is jammed. Are we in danger of crashing,

Captain? Hopefully we can call in a forced landing, Ambassador. Buck,

it's gonna take both of us to hold her steady.

Right.

My word, I think we've flown into a magnetic storm. Try for that clear area. Right.

Crash positions, we're gonna ditch.

You all right?

All good here.

Anybody hurt back there? I don't think so. You all right, my darling?

Yes, I'm all right. What about you, Mr. Ambassador? Fine, that's all.

I guess we're all right, a bit shaken up is all.

You two deserve a medal for that, don't you?

Captain, I would like an explanation for this forced landing.

It is obvious, Mr. Ambassador.

Certain unknown elements are the cause of this situation.

Indeed, but aren't allowances made for such unknown

equations when one captains a craft such as this?

No, no, no, no, no. There's misunderstanding there, Mr.

Ambassador, I'm perhaps more familiar with unpredictable

radiation clouds than you are.

I do assure you they do exist on this planet.

I was thinking that the delegates at Oasis, not to mention the crew of my own ship,

will be acutely concerned about the delay.

Mr. Ambassador, we have other priorities to worry about right now.

Check the backups.

Nothing.

The ship is dead. Call Oasis and notify them of our situation at once.

Communications are out as well.

The energy core is gone. It's useless.

Surely you must have some recourse for such exigencies.

Without energy, no. The radiation in that cloud

must have wiped this entire ship out.

I can't believe... Regardless of what you believe,

all instrumentation and power on this ship are dead.

Oh, dear, what's happening?

The ship's listing. Abandon ship!

We must be on a ledge of some kind.

Oh, no!

Oh, my goodness! Look at that!

If that ship disappears entirely from sight, we...

We've got additional problems. Trouble? In what way?

The sensors on board the searcher won't be able to tell that we've been grounded,

even if this radiation cloud disperses.

Surely the searcher will send out a rescue ship

the moment they're aware we've lost contact, won't they?

They can't. Why not? The only atmospheric craft

on board the searcher are its fighters.

And the first fighter to enter Oasis airspace during the course

of a peace conference would be blasted out of the sky.

Rather a strange way to promote peace, I'd say.

Not necessary, Doctor.

There are many warmongers and hotheads on both sides of the conflict.

Let's move it out.

One moment, Captain.

How can you be so certain that this is the best direction to take to Oasis?

Because it was in range before the radiation cloud hit us.

The city lies that way.

I suggest we do a bit of scouting about and from higher ground

before we decide which route is the best one to take.

Ambassador, I'm the commander of this mission,

and I don't intend to waste precious time debating direction,

sending out search parties, or anything else.

I will use my judgment to decide which is the best route for us to take.

Indeed.

Suppose I decide to strike out on my own.

I'm afraid I can't let you do that.

You see, it's my job to get you to that conference alive,

and that's exactly what I'm going to do, whatever it takes.

Now, Michelle, will you start?

Still no word on the shuttlecraft.

We know it flew into a magnetic cloud that blacked out all communications.

But no idea what happened behind that cloud.

What I find strange, Admiral,

is their insistence that the ship itself cannot be traced on their scanner.

What about our scanners?

Activated, Admiral.

But the Earth ship may have had anti-scanning devices,

which gave us a negative reading.

You are suggesting that the Earthlings have abducted our ambassador.

I did not say that, sir.

I'm only suggesting that the possibility does exist.

Still no sign of them. Nothing on the scanners, nothing on audio.

Even if they crashed, they should have been able to get some kind of signal to us.

The available data, which is minimal,

indicates a disturbance characterized by charged particles of unknown origin.

Possibly related to the presence of a double star in the same quadrant.

Buck?

What have you got? Footprints.

Specially made. Oh, dear.

Then the creature may be within range of our voices.

Good heavens, there's laughter. There's definitely laughter.

We must try to induce the creature to show itself.

Perhaps if we laugh back. What do you think?

Sorry, Doctor.

What?

We just don't have the time.

You're gonna have to curb your curiosity until we get back to Oasis.

I don't suppose you'd consider leaving me here to investigate, would you?

You could come back for me later. No!

Let's move out.

Well, it was just a thought.

Is the captain always so peremptory?

No, you don't know Dr. Goodfellow.

Once his scientific interest is aroused, why,

it takes drastic measures to get his attention.

Hardly seems to excuse Captain Rogers' dictatorial attitude.

Dictatorial?

No, you don't understand, Buck.

He'd give his life for any one of us.

You call him Buck?

Of course, he's a friend.

A close friend.

You, um... You used to call me Aram.

You remember?

I haven't forgotten Aram.

Good heavens, good heavens, did you hear that?

I say, I say, won't you please come forward?

We promise no harm will befall you.

Beware, Ezra Houghton.

It speaks. It speaks. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Don't go.

I implore you. Ezra Houghton?

Never heard of it. Hard to be aware of something when we don't know what it is.

Hawk, why don't you take a look in those rocks?

Right.

Captain.

Is it possible that the man in command of the searcher has ulterior motives?

Is planning all this? Ambassador, you certainly are a man of high suspicions.

My question is not without purpose. Admiral Zeit,

in command of the vessel which brought me here,

is a man of very high suspicions, as you put it.

He also has a great many weapons at his disposal.

I get the message.

If we don't get you to Oasis by the deadline,

there may not be a searcher for us to return to.

I thought it worth mentioning.

You see something?

The laughing one is quite elusive.

Let's be on our way, then.

Doctor. Yes, yes. This way. Yes, I know, I know.

It's very kind of you. And I can see, thank you very much.

I can see, Hawk. Why do you have to treat me like a lunatic all the time? I mean,

I do know something about my business. Now, Doctor, we mustn't complain.

I know you're doing your duty, but no complaints.

No complaints.

All right, come on, let's go.

Admiral Asimov, Admiral Zeit requesting visual communication.

Have you reestablished communication with your shuttlecraft?

Unfortunately, I have not.

I see.

We have a problem, Asimov.

I'd like to discuss it face to face right away. The airlock?

At your service, Admiral.

Fine.

In two minutes.

Strange request.

Conferring in an airlock.

Not strange at all.

He wants neutral territory.

At this point, neither of us has enough trust to board the other ship.

Come along.

We are extremely concerned for the safety of our ambassador, Admiral.

Just what measures have you taken to reestablish contact?

I assure you, everything possible has been done. Everything?

Mr. Crichton, explain our findings to Admiral Zite.

Admiral Zite, I have conducted a meticulous

analysis of all available data concerning

the shuttle's disappearance and made a precise extrapolation from the results.

My conclusion is that the frequency and amplitude of ambient energy in that magnetic

cloud was sufficient to burn out every electrical circuit in the shuttle,

including, of course, all communication devices.

I appreciate your explanation for the lack of communication.

But it does not explain why sensors cannot locate exactly

where your shuttlecraft is at this very moment.

I am afraid I have no explanation.

Which opens up the distinct possibility of

underhandedness on the part of Earthlings.

Meaning?

Meaning, I find this situation intolerable, and the longer it continues,

the more intolerable I'm going to find it.

I suggest you locate our ambassador Duval before

I am obliged to take punitive action.

I'm all right, thank you.

You used to like to take my arm when we walked.

Seven years ago, when we parted...

Did you know that I was very much in love with you?

Yes, I knew. And I was madly and hopelessly infatuated with you.

You were the most brilliant and fascinating man I'd ever met.

Nothing else had meaning for me then.

Not the service, not my career, only you.

I would willingly have given up all the rest.

I couldn't let you do that.

You had to become who you are.

Do you realize yours could be the one voice

in the galaxy that could keep us from war?

Perhaps.

Someone has said the seats of power can be lonely places.

I can't tell you how happy I am right at this moment with you,

even here in this god-forsaken desert.

We'll rest over there.

Buck?

More footprints? These are different from the others.

Take a look.

Beware of Sir Horton! Beware of Sir Horton!

Ah, oh, there you are.

Well, well, oh, he's your friend, eh?

Now then, don't let's have any hostilities. Just excuse me a minute, will you?

Why don't we have a nice little chat? Just the three of us. Oh! Oh, oh, my word!

The doctor?

Who else?

Oh, dear, oh, dear.

Oh! No, no, no. Don't go. Don't go.

Don't leave me alone. Please, please, please. Don't go. Don't leave me alone.

Oh, my word. Oh, dear, oh, dear. Oh, what's happening here? Oh, dear, oh, dear.

You must keep shouting. Say something.

Over here, dear boy. Over here.

Dr. Goodfellow, keep shouting.

I'm over here. Doctor?

I'm here.

Doctor, keep shouting so we can find you.

I'm here, in a pit of salt.

Where are you, Doctor? Are you in there? Yes, I am indeed, my boy.

I'm in a trap of salt.

I'll look her up.

Doctor, are you all right?

Not hurt at all, my dear girl.

A little surprised for a bit, but I'm fine now.

I will try to look for that laughing one again.

Dr. Goodfellow, how'd this rock get here?

Some creatures placed it there. I tried to reason with them.

I explained I meant no harm. But they seemed intent on violence, so it seemed.

They're so stupid, these humans. Imagine getting caught by an Atavar.

I am ODX, the Invincible! Release me!

Not a toy of talk, little one.

Let me down!

Here, this may help.

Let me down, you overgrown chicken! Let me down!

This is ODX.

The Invincible.

Invincible?

Doesn't seem like much of a threat to me.

Hasty judgment, human.

It is the voice of the laughing one. Nice trick.

No trick, Earthman.

ODX can be a powerful foe. If he wishes, I will demonstrate.

Be my guest.

Rise! Rise, Stone!

It's good to see the light again! Steady!

I'm not finished.

I don't believe it. I always finish what I start.

I say, what a marvelous sensation.

Well, Captain, what do you think?

I'm going to hand it to you. Pretty good.

Pretty good? Pretty good would have never kept me alive

on this planet of egregious misfits and scoundrels.

How long have you lived here, little one?

About 400 years. You mean you've actually been here for four centuries?

You question the word of ODX?

Oh, no, no, no, no, don't misunderstand me. Quite the contrary.

ODX must stand for Ocular Dynamics Experiment,

the first shipment sent here from Saturn.

But how could the geneticists have discarded such a revolutionary development?

Questions, questions, twiddle, twaddle, and hyperbole.

Are you not going to thank me for releasing you from the pit of the Ativars?

Oh, yes, I forgot. I'm sorry. I thank you. I thank you very much, in fact.

Who are the Ativars?

The Ativars are a rapacious lot. They are also

the masters of Ezra Houghton. Ezra Houghton?

Ezra Horton is guardian of the lair of the Atavars,

the vile rabble who live beneath the sand in the bowels of the planet,

surfacing to plunder and kill,

and then celebrate their evil with odious savage ritual,

and place the heads of their enemies on poles and worship them.

They can't catch me. I'm too clever for them.

Oh, I'm sorry.

It was an accident, Birdman. I seem to slip more often as I grow older.

ODX, we can make no demands on you,

but it would please us very much if you could tell

us if we're taking the shortest route to Oasis.

Of course it's the shortest route, but you will never get there. Why not?

Because the sands of the desert become quick.

That is why not.

A riddle.

Quick sand in the way?

Exactly.

There is only one traversable route to Oasis from here.

You must pass through the Dreadful Cave of the Winds, the home of the Etivars.

If the Etivars live there, will they allow us to go through?

Probably not.

You will doubtless be caught in the first trap you come to, a trap you can't avoid.

Why can't we avoid it?

Because it isn't there, that's why. Pay heed now that it may benefit you.

To reach the paw that frees the lock conscious thought avails you not.

Look, ODX, we're running out of time, and we've got to get to Oasis,

so why don't you just tell us, what is the route to the Cave of the Winds?

You travel straight that way. Maybe.

Mad little creature.

Should we take him seriously?

I think we're going to have to trust him.

It's fine for going by way of that cave.

What about you, Mr. Ambassador?

It seems to me, Captain, that you were determined

that we were all to abide by your decisions.

Have you suddenly lost your taste for command?

We'll head for Cave of the Winds.

Nothing but total, absolute silence.

I know they're all right, Admiral. Luck always comes through.

I wish I could share your certainty, Tweaky.

But I'm afraid the longer we go without hearing from them, the worse it looks.

I realize you are already under great stress, Admiral.

But I feel it my duty to remind you that Admiral Zeit

demanded that something be done.

What will you tell him?

What I've been telling him all along.

The truth.

Admiral, look at this.

It's a warship.

A Sicarian battlecruiser, to be exact.

I never suspected sight would go this far.

It is characteristic of differing organic life

forms to suspect each other's motives, Admiral.

I doubt that anything can be done to alter that fact.

You may be right, Crichton.

That doesn't mean I can't try.

Devlin.

I am inviting Admiral Zeit to dinner.

Perhaps a face-to-face encounter over a good

meal will reduce tensions. Very well, sir.

Two things.

Quietly pass the word that all members are to remain

in battle readiness until further orders.

Battle readiness?

You heard me, kettlebelly.

And Devin, I want you to make the arrangement for the dinner invitation.

See that our table is set with the very finest of everything we've got.

All VIP. Yes, sir.

I'm on my way.

VIP.

Very important person, Dimwit.

Um...

You're an officer on board one of the most advanced

research vessels in this galaxy, any galaxy.

A colonel.

Must be an extraordinarily interesting career.

It is interesting.

And fulfilling?

I suppose it depends on how you define fulfilling.

Have you ever thought of sharing your life with a man?

Of having a home of your own and a family to love and love you back?

Yes or no.

I have thought about it.

It's just

Yes?

I guess I'm not ready for it yet.

I suppose I still have a few good years left.

Unlike an old man like me.

Well, I've always thought of you as a very distinguished figure.

But, uh, hardly old.

You, um, you never married a Rom.

Why?

I don't know. I suppose somewhere in the back of my mind was that wish.

That hope that we would meet again.

I hope so, too.

I knew you'd be a great man someday. I tried to follow your career,

but not much word gets out of the Zykerian quadrants.

We must begin to be less insular.

Otherwise, we'll always mistrust each other.

Wilbur Dubois, watch out!

Oh, my dear, what's happening?

I can manage myself, Captain.

Take cover!

Where's the ambassador?

Oh, dear. I hope the ambassador wasn't hurt.

I'll take a look.

Abbas or Duval?

Hurry.

He's coming this way.

Why do you look at me as if I were some sort of monster?

The Zykarians might well consider you strange and an undesirable

being because you cannot remove your head.

Got no argument with that.

Does Wilma know?

I think, Captain, what transpires between Colonel Dearing and me.

Buck?

Ambassador?

Where are you?

Are you all right?

Yes, Wilma, over here.

Oh, there you are.

We thought you might have been hurt.

Is anything wrong?

Is anything wrong, Captain?

Nothing that can't be remedied.

We must be very careful here, Raka.

You understand?

I understand that very well, sir.

You are in command of this vessel.

My function here is merely to advise you.

This Admiral Asimov.

One does want to believe him.

Of course.

But your decision to call in a battlecruiser was a very wise one.

Perhaps.

But if I were in Asimov's shoes,

I would be more than a little offended by the arrival of a warship off my bow,

particularly if I were simply an exploration vessel

with limited armament and on a peaceful mission.

Supposedly searching for the lost tribes of Earth.

Exactly.

One of the first things you learn as a commander is not to

put a finger on a trigger unless there is no alternative.

Damn it, Rocker, that cruiser is a trigger.

No, sir.

That cruiser is a gun.

Here is the trigger.

Sealed orders?

Why didn't you give me these when you came aboard?

I was instructed to give them to you only if, in my opinion,

the circumstances called for it.

I believe that time has come.

Do you know what is in these orders?

Yes, sir.

If Ambassador DeVoe does not reach the Oasis Conference at the appointed time,

you are to destroy the searcher and launch an immediate attack on Earth.