Buck Rogers
by AJ Marks
Part 12
Buck felt nervous, and hungry as he was escorted to meet the President of the UAC and was currently going through security checks. Raising his hands for the pat down he thought it was strange, they did this but he did not have to do this while seeing the king of the Draconian Empire. It felt a bit odd that the group which seemed the most controlling did not require it.
Finally the guard motioned for him to go and he waited for his translator. He might be well known, but he still was unable to speak the native languages on most places on Earth. In a way he felt relieved that English had not changed much.
A short, bald man with a thin moustache, which reminded him of a Chinese master in some Kung-Fu movie, approached him and bowed which Buck returned.
“Welcome to our country, I am President Tin Chin,” the man said.
“Thank you, you’ve been most hospitable,” Buck replied. “I’m very impressed.”
“Thank you, we’re not quite as technologically advanced as the NAA, but we do well,” Tin replied back. “Come, you must try our Sushi.”
“Well, never tried it before,” Buck said as Tin motioned for a server to come forward as another two men walked up and introduced themselves as members of the cabinet, one spoke through the translator as he didn’t speak English.
Buck realized the questions were almost all the same, and his answers almost the same. The how do you feel type questions or how are you adapting to society centuries into the future. Either that or something more specific, like how cities were laid out, or not seeing cars.
“So, do you go by William or Buck?” Tin asked.
“Buck,” he replied. “It was a nickname given to me by a friend in grade school, can’t even remember why anymore. Anyways, he started calling me it, then the rest of my friends, and it stuck.”
Buck couldn’t even remember why his friend started it, but once everyone started to call him that it stuck, even years later as he took a bit of the Sushi.
“How is the Sushi?” Tin asked looking down at the plate Buck held. Buck chewed the bit off food for a few seconds and swallowed before answering.
“Better than I expected,” he answered truthfully. He had some reservations about eating raw fish, but surprisingly it was good.
“Much like life, you never know what will happen next, I never expected to be talking to a man from the past,” Tin said giving a small chuckle before turning serious. “I take it after the attack you were questioned, yes?”
“Um, yeah,” Buck answered.
“Thought so, unfortunate circumstances indeed,” Tin said.
“You don’t think I was involved?”
“Oh no, neither do most of us, such attacks are usually planned weeks or months in advance, not hours,” Tin replied. “Such spontaneous actions have consequences, and for that you need planning or it becomes a foolish endeavor.”
Buck thought it made sense. “There are some which are not as convinced,” Buck said back thinking of one senator in particular.
“Yes, there are those here as well,” Tin stated, then turned saying something to someone else in his native language as Aya appeared next to Buck.
“This way, we’re going to be sitting down for supper,” she said to him.
“Ah, okay, anything I should know?”
“You will be introduced, then walk in, your place is at the head table, you have a name plate, and only the President will be announced after you, there are only two seats open, so you should be able to find it easily,” she told him.
“Okay, hope your right,” Buck said feeling nervous as he was steered towards the entrance and heard his name and was given a slight push by Aya.
Buck walked into the full room, seeing people all over and made his way to the head table smiling at everyone and thankfully saw his name at one empty place and made his way around the table and sat down, hoping it was the right thing to do. His entrance was followed by Tin’s entrance who sat down next to him and then the food was served, with the head table first.
“I didn’t ask, are you enjoying your trip to our nation?” Tin asked.
“Yes, very much,” Buck said. “Always wanted to travel here back in my time.”
Buck had just started to eat when the building shook and a loud explosion type noise echoed throughout the building. The lights flickered, dust came down from the ceiling along with some pieces of it as voices rose in panic. Suddenly people armed whisked in, and took Tin out, he didn’t bother to struggle and Buck hoped they were security and realized something had happened.
He looked around feeling completely out of his element as Aya rushed over.
“This way, it’s not safe in this building,” she said to him.
He followed her out of the building and with some other people, who she spoke with several times before finally heading off down the street and Buck thought he heard gunfire from behind them.
*****
Buck plopped down on the sofa in his hotel room after all the excitement. He had been led from one place to another by security before learning it had been a bombing attack by some terrorist group who was disgruntled with the current administration over how something was being handled. Buck had no clue about the politics and figured he would need time to understand what was going on.
Aya had been somewhat forthcoming about what happened, but aside from that nothing much except a lot of chatter going on. He looked up as a call came in on his phone, something which he had been given before leaving New DC. He stood and walked over to answer it.
“Hello,” he answered, wondering who it was going to be.
“Ah, thank god I finally made it through,” he heard Wilma’s voice say sounding concerned.
“Yeah,” Buck said, flopping back down on the sofa.
“We saw the news but couldn’t get though,” Wilma said.
“It’s been hectic over here, what are they saying on the news?” Buck asked, realizing that sometimes someone far away had a better view of what was going on then what was actually going on, something he learned during a hurricane in his youth. They had no idea but the rest of the nation did.
“Seems that a political group wanted to make a statement and decided to attack while you were there,” Wilma said. “Intelligence is working on what happened along with the UAC over this one.”
“Great, I’m some sort of statement bulletin board,” Buck stated not sure he liked having that target on his head.
“Everyone thinks it was an isolated attack, no other places were hit, which means they were targeting someone, probably the President of the EAA, not the first time in the past year,” Wilma said to him.
“He seems nice enough,” Buck said recalling his conversation with the man.
“His policies are another thing,” Wilma said.
“Anything like that going on in the NAA?” Buck asked, hoping it wasn’t.
“Nothing at the moment, but we are careful to make sure some elements don’t reach our country, especially from the more unstable areas of the world,’ Wilma said.
“Some people in my time would say you’re not being ethical,” Buck said.
“History has taught us that ethical isn’t always the correct path to keeping peace,” Wilma said making Buck wondered what the history was there and added it to the list of things to look up.
“I know the Chancellor is worried, I can contact him and let him know that you’re all right, I’m also sure you’ll get a warning to return back,” Wilma said.
Buck gave that some thought before making up his mind. “I’m not going to let them scare me away. I’m going to stay and complete my engagements, if they are after the President I won’t be a target.”
Silence on the other end for a few seconds before Wilma finally replied. “All right, but stay safe.”
“No problem, I have no intention of dying just yet,” Buck said.
“Talk to you tomorrow, we’ll see if we can get any new information for you,” Wilma said.
“Thanks,” Buck replied as the call ended. He was tired yet wide awake before heading to the shower to wash and hopefully get some sleep.
*****
Buck sat in the transport along with Aya, behind them were a few guards the government had place with him after the attack. The attackers had come out saying the attack was directed at the government, but it seemed they were not going to take any chances with Buck being attacked.
“How are you doing?” Buck asked Aya.
“Still a bit rattled, not the first one I’ve been through,” Aya replied. “The group which struck last night, calling themselves the Golden Dragon, they always seem to find something to dislike about the government, been in two attacks so far.”
Buck stared at her wondering if he could handle it as well as she was.
“I have to say, you’re taking it better than I would, think I would have quit by now,” Buck said.
“I have thought of it, but this job is too exciting to just give up, and usually I’m not part of the policies, only meeting dignitaries, usually from the NAA,” Aya replied.
“How many languages do you speak?”
“Six right now,” Aya said. “I’m training for a seventh.”
Buck stared at her in amazement knowing he couldn’t do that. Somedays it was all he could do to talk in his native tongue. He went to say something when the transport suddenly stopped and the guards were up and moving even before Buck could realize what was going on. The car door opened and gun fire erupted along with screams before several men entered and roughly dragged Buck out of the transport.
“What’s going on?” Buck asked.
“Silence!” one of the attackers said, grabbing Buck’s hands and tying them together. He was then picked up moved to another transport and he heard a car engine start, a bit surprised at that before a blindfold was placed over his eyes. He had no idea what was going on now as they bumped along obviously over a non-paved road.
“Couldn’t have paved roads I see,” Buck mumbled earning a blow to the head.
“I said silence,” the voice said again.
Buck bit back a reply and waited to see where he was going.
*****
Buck felt the car stop and he was dragged out again headed somewhere stumbling trying to gain a footing despite he was being rushed along. Finally he was shoved down into a sitting position and the blindfold ripped off leaving him blinking due to the brightness of the room.
“Ah, Captain Buck Rogers,” a voice said, not the same gruff one from before and Buck heard the authority in his voice reminding him of King William.
His vision slowly cleared allowing him to see the room, surprisingly clean and well furnished, a man sitting on a chair not far away with a Middle East appearance, neatly trimmed beard and black hair looking back at him.
“So glad you accepted our invitation,” he said.
“Not much of an invite, you’re hospitality could use some work,” Buck replied.
“Yes, it’s so hard to find good help these days, but they do the job efficiently,” the man replied back to him.
“And Aya?” Buck asked, he liked the woman and hoped she had been unharmed.
“The instructions were to only bring you,” the man replied back to him. “You understand, this is a private meeting.”
“And?” Buck asked wondering why he had been kidnapped despite the man’s civil tone. He knew such men could snap at any moment and waited to see what the real story was.
“Really, getting to such things so soon,” the man said.
“Well, you did kidnap-“
“Such a strong word, invited you and made sure you couldn’t say no,” the man replied.
“Yeah,” Buck replied looking at him. “Well not from where I’m sitting, from my position you want something and think, somehow, I can help you.”
“See, you’re getting the idea,” the man replied back to him. “I’m sorry but I can’t have you supporting the President, or the EAA at all.”
“And how am I doing that?” Buck said wishing he had done some research on the current political crisis going on around the globe.
“C’mon, its simple, you go around with their protection and their blessing,” he said.
“Thought they were elected,” Buck said. “And you could have killed me.”
“Oh, the bombing, wasn’t done under my orders, the person responsible has been punished,” the man said. “As for the elected, no, they are bought.”
Buck groaned as it seemed things hadn’t changed at all.
“I see you understand now, I knew you would being from the twenty-first century,” the man said. “The corruption of your time is well known. Greedy politicians, money hungry CEOs, and the powerful keeping the poor down.”
“Yeah, heard it all, seems like it didn’t go well when they rebelled,” Buck said unsure if he was even speaking the truth. “As for the twenty-first century, not every fell for that bull.”
Buck noticed a flick of surprise at the comment.
“What, you thought anyone not in power or rich thought that way, if so you’d be very wrong,” Buck said. “A lot of people didn’t think that way, it was the fringe of the liberals who thought that way.”
“I see you’re mistaken,” the man finally replied. “No matter, we have the truth on our side, and you cannot be allowed to continue your relationship with the government.”
Buck shook his head at the man’s stupidity, all Buck was doing was giving interviews before heading back to the NAA, unless, another thought struck him. What if this man was trying to split the EAA and the NAA? IF so he needed information and then, a way to get out of here.
“Take him away,” the man said, motioning to another guard.
Buck was brought back to his feet and led away down a corridor to a small room.
“Typical,” Buck said to no one as he was shoved into the room. They could have undone his bonds, but at least his hands were in front of him. Now, he spent some time looking around the room, he had to escape and then somehow find out where he was.
End part 12