Original subtitles

Well, there's plenty of volcanic action down there.

Looks good.

How about it, Wilma? Anything on your readout?

Well, the planet is called Phibocetes,

and my information tells me that it's uninhabited. If Dr.

Goodfellow's theory is correct,

we're almost certain to find Thurbitian crystals in all that lava and ash.

Let's hope the good doctor knows what he's talking about.

Searcher, this is Rogers.

Go ahead, Captain Rogers.

Phibocetes looks promising.

We're gonna touch down and check it out.

How's everything going up there?

Well, the ship is still without power, Buck.

Although we're not drifting anymore, thanks to the retro stabilizers.

But as you know, their fuel supply is limited.

They can't last forever.

Looks like we're coming up on some jungle. Take your end for a landing.

Rogers out.

It's like a fairyland.

Beautiful, but strange.

This must be how the Earth looked before the dawn of animal life.

I will look over there. You in places any?

This entire area is heavily covered with volcanic ash. We must look carefully.

The ground fog may obscure the crystals.

What have we got here?

Therbidion?

Well, we'll see.

Therbidion crystal.

No doubt about it.

I see no more.

Yeah, but at least we know they're here.

Yeah, it's probably under the ash.

We'll set up a mining operation. The camp over here. What's that over there?

Any idea what this is? A mummy.

Whatever it is now, it had to be a humanoid of some kind. Yeah. Once.

Well, we won't know anything for sure until we

get this back aboard the searcher and let Dr.

Goodfellow take a look at it.

Buck?

Look at these.

More therbidium crystals.

Well, that settles it.

Let's get this thing back on board the searcher

and get this mining operation set up.

We can build a travoy out of tree limbs.

That's a good idea. Let's do it.

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.

You imagine how Dr. Goodfellow's gonna react when he takes a look at this.

Yeah, he'll flip.

Flip.

It means he'll be delighted.

Only a century of jargon.

Are you ready?

Do you think the recent volcanic eruptions brought this thing to the surface?

It's a possibility. I'd like to know where this thing came from in the first place.

You don't suppose that poor mummy was an ancient

ruler who chose this planet for his tomb, do you?

I don't know. It could be. Shh.

What is it?

In the trees.

Something moved.

But fibrocytes are supposed to be uninhabited.

I am certain I saw movement.

Let's go have a look.

Did you hear that?

Perhaps my eyes were deceiving me.

I don't think so.

Take a look at this.

It's freshly broken.

Something was here.

Something very shy.

Very cunning.

Whatever it was, it's outfoxed us.

Let's get on back to the shuttle.

What's that?

Unbelievable.

The door's just ripped open.

The mummy's gone.

Someone broke in.

No, the door was forced from the inside.

You know the strength it took to break that door out like that?

It must have injured itself getting out. Look at this.

Blood.

We better take a sample for Dr. Goodfellow.

That's a good idea. Now, maybe it'll give us some kind

of clue as to what we're up against down here.

Hawk, we're gonna need a crew for the mining operation anyway.

Why don't you take these blood samples back to Dr.

Goodfellow and board the searcher? And also the crystals.

They're gone.

Let us go outside and look.

The harness, it's been torn to shreds. Or how?

You are not planning on staying behind while we return to the searcher?

Sure.

That way I can get everything set up and we can get started as soon as you get back.

Look, we don't have time to waste.

The searcher's hanging up there with dead engines.

But Buck, it'll take a full day to get the team and the equipment together.

You'll be all alone.

Not quite.

The thing that tore through the door will be here with you.

Hawk's right.

You can't stay.

Look, I'll be just fine, all right?

Now, um...

Get moving. Well, your time's a-wastin', as they say.

Be aware, punk.

Where'd you come from?

Are you angry because I'm here?

No, no. I'm not angry, just surprised.

Oh. Who are you? What's your name?

What is your name?

My name is Buck Rogers.

My name will be Buck Rogers, too.

Right.

Where'd you come from? How'd you get here?

Look!

Aren't they beautiful?

Do you like them, Buck Rogers?

Yes, they're very pretty.

I give it to you.

Well, thank you.

What do I do with it?

Look at it.

All right.

Now you can look at it as much as you like.

Well, it's very pretty.

But you still haven't told me how you got here or where you came from.

I do not know.

You mean you don't remember?

Well, it's all right. Just why don't you tell me what you do remember?

I remember walking through the trees.

How cold I was when it was dark.

I found some berries. Do you like berries, Buck Rogers?

How long have you been here?

Can you remember that?

Two days.

Two days, huh?

You were just pleased with me.

No, no, no, no, of course not. No, no, no, no.

This is...

I've had two days with no memory of them.

It sounds a little like amnesia.

Look, maybe you crashed on this planet,

and you walked away from the wreckage before you had gained your senses, huh?

That is what happened.

You mean you remember now?

I remember as you tell me how it was.

That pleases you, does it not?

I was just guessing.

Now that we have found each other, you will tell me many things, Buck Rogers,

and I will listen and learn, for that is the way it is ordained.

You know, I can't go around calling you Buck Rogers all the time.

I'm gonna have to find a name for you.

How about Laura?

Yes, Laura.

Right. How about Susan? I bet you like that too, right?

Yes, Susan.

You're gonna have to choose. Now, which is it gonna be?

Laura or Susan?

You choose for me. I want the one you choose.

All right, um...

Laura.

Oh, thank you, Book Rogers.

Ask me what my name is.

What's your name, stranger?

My name is Laura. Isn't it a beautiful name?

It's the prettiest name I ever heard.

Remarkable look, isn't that amazing?

I can't even read it. The patterns are changing so fast.

Precisely the point, my dear. Do you know, at first,

I thought the mummy creature's blood was simply a genetic variant on human blood,

but not so, not so at all. It's fairly exploding with evolutionary developments.

But at that rate of change, it doesn't seem possible.

Indeed, but the hemochinesis behind that rate of change is astounding.

Oh, Crichton. Yes, Dr. Goodfellow? Would you kindly do something for me?

Interface with the ship's archives and research

the distant past of the planet Fibocetes?

Oh, really, Doctor?

That section of the archives is like an old, dusty attic, electronically speaking.

All that ancient material stored away in binary code.

So cumbersome. He's his usual miserable self this morning.

Crichton!

Oh, very well, Doctor.

Doctor, what kind of creature would display such a rapid rate of genetic change?

Oh, I've no idea, Hawk, but it's going to be fascinating to find out.

Launch Bay, how's the loading coming?

We're on our way. We'll keep in touch, Doctor. Thank you, thank you.

I wish I could go with him.

Oh, my dear fellow, he needs you to keep Crichton in line, so to speak.

He does listen to you on occasion.

But very few occasions. He's far from an obedient son.

Obedient son. Oh, yes, I see, I see. Good for you, little fellow.

So, have you been able to remember anything else?

I'm trying.

I'm sorry, Buck Rogers.

There's no need to be sorry.

Give it some time, you'll get your memory back.

Oh, I'm so happy.

Now that we are together, everything will be wonderful.

I think I've created an optimist here.

Laura, this is Wilma and Hawk.

Hello. My name is Laura.

Buck Rogers gave it to me.

I think she has amnesia.

She doesn't remember who she is or how she got here. Nothing before two days ago.

She was who you saw in the woods yesterday.

What about the mummy?

Well, we heard it last night, but we haven't seen it.

If she does have amnesia, maybe we can help.

Hawk, would you mind taking the shuttle back to the searcher and asking Dr.

Goodfellow to assemble an optical imager?

Optical imager?

Yes, it's an instrument that'll help us probe her memory.

You're all right.

Consider it done. But I am not at all sure I

like leaving you here. We'll be fine, Hawk.

We have a small army here. We're all armed. We can cope.

Very well.

I will also ask the Admiral to run a verification on ships lost in this area.

Good idea.

I know it's scary not being able to remember, but you really shouldn't worry.

Amnesia is almost never permanent, Laura.

At least that's what I remember from my medical courses at Navcom.

Navcom?

It's a school where astro-officers are trained for space flight.

We all have to depend on one another in so many Different situations.

Some medical knowledge is a must. But let's talk about you, your family.

Family?

Yes, your family.

They must be terribly concerned about you.

But what is a family?

Well, how's the checkup coming?

So far, so good. I've taken a blood sample,

and we should have an analysis in a minute.

How about you, huh?

How's your memory? Has it come back?

Not yet, but once we do an O.E.I. on Laura,

we should pretty well know who she is and where she comes from. O.E.I.?

Hey, there's nothing to be afraid about.

I may sound terrible, but the worst you can do is give you a little bit of a tickle.

Smile now.

Excuse me a second.

Is something wrong?

I'm not sure, Buck.

The results of the analysis...

What happened?

It tried to grab me.

Jumped at me from behind.

I spotted a cluster of Therbidian crystals, went down to dig them up,

and something grabbed me.

What did it look like?

I never saw its face, but it's grotesque.

Whatever it was, I sure don't want to see it again.

It ran off that way.

All right, Wilma, take Laura back to her tent, make sure she's well guarded.

Johnson, come with me.

Crichton.

Now, what's the matter with you?

Crichton, listen to me. If you make any progress,

I've got to report back to Buck and Colonel Dearing.

Really, Doctor? I am sifting this mountain

of moldy minutiae just as fast as possible.

This is exacting research, and as such, it must not be rushed.

Well, there's no need to be officious about it.

Humans.

You really do try my patience at times.

Nothing, just a few broken branches.

How's everything around here, quiet?

Okay.

I want an armed guard around the perimeter of the camp at all times.

Lee, you start first. Yes, sir.

How do you feel like going back to work?

I'm okay.

Let's go.

By the way, how are you getting along with Laura?

Well, I can't seem to reach her. You do seem to be her favorite.

Oh, I've known her longer.

And don't worry, you'll win her over. Oh, yeah,

you were going to tell me something about this analysis before all that happened.

I don't know. I can't seem to accept what I find here.

Why is that?

Well, Laura's blood sample on the creatures, they analyzed...

Precisely alike.

What? Well, you better have that analyzer fixed.

There's no way that Laura's blood and that creature's could be the same.

The analyzer's fine.

The characteristics, they're identical.

Right down to the DNA structure.

If that's right, then... Well,

then how could Laura look different than the creature?

I don't know.

Technically, it shouldn't be possible.

Well, Dr. Goodfellow has Crichton searching the archives.

Maybe they'll come up with something.

That's true.

Shoot, my little girl!

All right, you're safe.

I'll take you back to camp. Johnson!

You all right?

I think so.

That thing, some kind of monster.

Let's get him to the medical tent.

Here we are. This will help calm you.

That's enough.

He was out, Captain.

That thing almost crushed him.

He may have some broken ribs.

Oh, we need two men on alert from now on.

Right, Captain.

Take him over there.

Willman? Captain!

The crystals are gone. It took the box.

All of them we'd mined? Yes, sir. Every last one.

Get back on guard, Eddie. Yes, sir.

Admiral Asimov?

Yes. Should I call Captain Rogers?

No. If he has any news, he'll call us.

The retro stabilizers are beginning to waver.

They're going to give out, and we'll be drifting again.

Even if they worked forever, Admiral, without the crystals,

we would still be hanging here, dead in space.

I know, Hawk.

I know.

We've got to have those crystals.

Oh, does Dr. Goodfellow have the optical imager

assembled yet? He predicts by morning.

Let me see how far he has progressed.

Monster let her go, but took the crystals.

Why?

Look at the risk it took.

It's almost an obsession.

Hmm.

Sir, the Federation Tracking Command reports no lost

ships anywhere in the vicinity of Phibosides.

Well, then how could the girl have gotten there?

She had to come from someplace.

And records for the last three centuries show that Phibosides is uninhabited.

Now hear this.

I have a significant announcement to make.

I have discovered a lost race on Fibo Cities.

We should simultaneously transmit what I am about

to show you to Captain Rogers and Colonel Deering.

Since it bears directly on their situation.

Lieutenant Martin?

I'll raise them.

Buck?

Colonel Dearing?

Yeah, Admiral, go ahead.

Crichton has a report to make.

I have uncovered evidence of a lost race on Phibocetes.

Observe.

You are looking at a Phibocetes male of an indeterminate

period preceding the 22nd century,

taken from ancient microtransparencies.

This is the first of two stages of his devolution.

The second stage, and the final.

A remarkable catagenesis through which they degenerate.

Looks exactly like the creature that invaded our camp.

It is possible the degeneration is produced by a factor peculiar to Phibocetes.

A virus, perhaps.

Quentin.

If these people disappeared from fibocetes over 300 years ago,

how do you explain this one apparently coming back to life?

I do not have that information.

Well, then would you please go back to the archives and get it?

We need all the information we can on this planet.

I hear, I obey.

Is there anything else either of you want or need from the searcher?

Yes. When is the OEI arriving, sir?

It is being assembled.

And Hawk will no doubt arrive with it first thing tomorrow morning.

And incidentally, Buck, there have been no ships lost in your area.

OK, Admiral. Thanks.

Rogers out.

So, Laura didn't crash here, and her blood matches that of the creatures.

Does that mean she's gonna change, too?

Turn into some kind of monster?

What about us?

If it is a virus that's responsible, are we going to catch it,

degenerate into a thing like the one out there?

There's nothing to be afraid of.

This is an electronic scan that's going to help us bring your memory back.

Isn't that wonderful?

Oh, Buck Rogers.

I'm glad you're here.

Well, so am I. I would miss this first step toward

getting your memory back for anything.

Wilma will take very good care of you, and I'll

be sitting right over there, okay? Okay.

You all right?

All right. We'll get started now. Here we go.

Think about the very first time you saw each of us.

Very good, Laura.

And now later on.

Now let's go back to the day before our ship arrived.

Fine, Laura, fine.

And three days before that?

Now think of the people you went to school with.

All right, Laura.

Um, try thinking about someone you were very close to when you were a little girl.

Like a friend or sister?

How about your mother?

My mother?

Yes, that's right. The lady who took care of you when you were a little girl.

Why are you all looking at me like that?

Get them out of here.

All right, let us go. Let us go.

Don't worry about it. It was just a malfunction of the machine.

It's OK.

There's nothing wrong. It's all right.

What happened?

She tried to attack Hall with this?

She seems to be in some kind of trance.

I don't think she's conscious of what's going on.

Take her back to your tent, Wilma. Quickly.

Hall, you all right?

Yes, Captain. Thanks to Hawk.

Take those crystals to the shuttle, all right?

Put those crystals back on board the searcher as quickly as possible.

Is she all right?

Well, she fell asleep instantly, not even aware of what she tried to do.

I don't understand how the crystals could exert such an influence over her.

I don't think the crystals have anything to do with it.

They don't affect us that way, and we're exposed to them every day on the ship.

Buck Rogers?

How do you feel?

I feel strange.

What is happening to me?

I think you know something about me that I don't know myself.

I'm frightened.

You are the one to tell me I have no one else.

Please.

Laura, don't be frightened.

We'll help you.

I heard you talking before about my blood.

And those men talking.

Is it true, Vic Rogers?

Am I the same as that thing in the trees? Is it ordained I am to become like that?

No!

Oh, McRodgers, I will lose you if I become one and out.

I can't bear to lose you! I won't let it happen, I won't! I'd rather die!

Laura! Laura!

Sir, Crichton said he's on his way up. He has something important to say.

Crichton considers everything he says to be important.

I just can't believe he's my son.

What's the matter, Crichton? Cat got your enunciator circuits, hmm?

Tweaky, what I am about to say will be humiliating enough

without having to endure your feeble attempts at wit.

Skip the preamble. What is it you wanted to tell us?

I have made a mistake.

I don't believe it.

I reversed the evolutionary process of the Phibocetes male.

The images which I screened for you were in reverse order.

You mean they start out as a sort of monster and then evolve to the normal man?

Precisely, Admiral. You see,

I discovered that the colony established on Phibocetes

400 years ago came originally from Earth.

Earth colony?

That is correct.

Genetic engineers altered the DNA structure of the colonists and used light

refracted through Therbidian crystals to activate their life force.

But why would they do that?

To ensure an efficient means of reproduction that would

do away with such vulnerable stages as pregnancy,

infancy, and childhood, Admiral.

Tweaky.

See if you can find Dr. Goodfellow. We need him up here at once.

Yes, sir.

I won't turn into that creature, Mark Rogers. I won't. Another die.

Hush.

Now, hush. Now, hush. Take a look at yourself.

Look at yourself. Look at your hands. Look at your body. You're beautiful.

You'll always be beautiful.

But the machine said... Never mind what that machine said.

You once said it was ordained. And whatever I told you, you'd listen.

I'm telling you something right now.

Everything's gonna be all right.

I see.

Then it was a massive volcanic eruption that destroyed the colony,

not the genetic engineering?

That is correct, Doctor. Oh, good Lord. Crichton, I got an idea.

Show us those transparencies again, if you please.

Yes.

And get them in the right order this time.

This was the early stage of their existence.

Since they had superhuman strength and tended toward violence,

during this phase they were intended to be supervised.

This is the final form in which they remain throughout their lifespan.

They were fabricated full-sized from DNA with all

cultural information encoded in their genes.

They were packaged, so to speak,

in this form to await activation by light from the Therbidian crystals.

Did you hear that, Admiral?

You know, that exactly matches Buck's description of

the mummy they found their first day on Fibocetes.

And that also explains why the creatures want the crystals.

Crichton, how long could it survive in that form? Indefinitely. 300 years?

Easily.

Raise the mining camera.

Buck and Colonel Deering must know about this.

Come on, just watch out! Come on, just look out!

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Stop! Stop it! You've killed him!

But, Rogers, wait!

Don't hurt him, please! Please, don't hurt him!

Please, don't hurt him!

Crichton had the pictures in reverse.

He is evolving into a man.

What?

The mummy is just the beginning, not the end.

Crichton had it backwards.

Don't be afraid.

I'll help you.

We are of the same race, you and I. We belong together.

It is ordained.

It was programmed into our being a long, long time ago.

I didn't know until I saw you changing.

But now I know it is all as it should be.

Everything will be fine.

I knew it would be.

I'm an optimist.

You told me so, didn't you, Buck Rogers?

The Admiral informs me the fusion reactors are operating full power.

This last load of crystals will serve as surplus for future emergencies.

That's wonderful, Hawk.

Reminds me of Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve?

Yes, the beginning of the human race, according to some beliefs.

According to Dr. Goodfellow,

we're witnessing the awakening of a race of people

who've been slumbering for over 300 years.

We are remembering with each passing minute.

Forgive me for being violent. That's all right. You couldn't help yourself.

Every instinct programmed into you told you that those crystals

were essential to the existence of your people.

Excuse me for a second.

Come on.

I just wanted to say goodbye, Laura.

Buck Rogers, my name was not to be Laura.

Oh, what was it meant to be?

But I think I will keep the Laura to remember you by.

I must say, you look awfully pleased for a man who's just been jilted.

Who, me?

Well, of course, it must have been very hard on Laura to give you up.

Oh, yes, well, I hated to do it to the kid, really, but, well,

she has her newly-evolved friend to keep her company, and besides,

I didn't have the heart to deprive certain...

Others are my companionship.

Oh, Buck Rogers, does that mean that we will be together for always?

Well, it does seem to be ordained, doesn't it? Ha, ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha, ha!