{"id":1477,"date":"2016-05-28T07:25:55","date_gmt":"2016-05-28T12:25:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1477"},"modified":"2016-06-01T07:27:53","modified_gmt":"2016-06-01T12:27:53","slug":"buck-rogers-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1477","title":{"rendered":"Buck Rogers – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buck Rogers<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n

Part 1<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The spaceship floated in space near orbit of Earth as Captain William \u2018Buck\u2019 Rogers went through the check list making sure everything was ready for the test flight. The first test of an experimental warp engine which, hopefully, would take him to the orbit of Mars in a couple of minutes.<\/p>\n

Buck felt nervous, yet excited at the same time at the flight, something he had trained for the past five years. He looked over a few more gauges to make sure everything looked good.<\/p>\n

\u201cSet engines to maximum power,\u201d mission control said.<\/p>\n

Buck flipped the switch watching the power readings. \u201cEngine power set to maximum, all systems green,\u201d Buck replied back to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cConfirmed Enterprise,\u201d mission control replied. \u201cMission is a go in five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cConfirmed Houston,\u201d Buck said back, continuing with his pre-flight checks and controls. If he wasn\u2019t so busy he might have taken a moment to look at the beautiful sight few had ever seen, and in a few minutes he hoped to see something no human had ever seen, the view of Earth from Mars, or he would be scattered across the cosmos and the first astronaut killed in space.<\/p>\n

Normally there would be more people on board a ship but the risk was too great this time to send more than one and the work he had to do was almost too much for one person. The ship\u2019s computers would do the rest.\u00a0 He ignored the scientists who thought the warp drive wouldn\u2019t work, or even worse.\u00a0 He knew the only way to actually advance science was doing something, theories were fine to an extent.<\/p>\n

\u201cT-minus one minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck looked over at the digital countdown knowing it was almost time and he had no time to be sick over what might happen in less than a minute now. He blinked seeing an abnormality in the system.<\/p>\n

\u201cHouston, thought I had a slight surge in the power readings,\u201d Buck said wondering if they saw the same thing in their readouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cReadings show normal, abort is your call captain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck thought about it for several seconds knowing that an abort would mean many weeks, months, years or even the scrapping of the mission. It was something he did not look forward to if he did decide on such a course of action.\u00a0 No, looking at the readouts things looked fine, he would continue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll keep an eye on it, but everything\u2019s good Houston,\u201d Buck replied back keeping an eye on the sensors and making the final adjustments to the equipment before things became automatic.<\/p>\n

\u201cFifteen seconds,\u201d mission control said. \u201cTen, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck activated the engines as they went to full power and the ship accelerated pushing him into the seat, something he had not expected and called upon his air force training to deal with high g-forces. The monitors spewed forth information indicating everything seemed fine when he spotted another problem and one which concerned him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAborting the mission,\u201d Buck said over the intercom wondering if Houston even heard him as he reached over to shut down the engines.<\/p>\n

He froze for a second when he realized nothing happened when he pushed the button. Pressing it again the ship continued to accelerate though the g-forces had lessened allowing him to move around easier.\u00a0 He continued to push the button hoping his life wasn\u2019t about to end.<\/p>\n

Back in Houston the workers in mission control realized something had gone wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cMission control to Enterprise come in,\u201d the controller said, pausing before repeating the query as several seconds ticked by.<\/p>\n

\u201cVisual of Enterprise has been lost,\u201d another person said causing some to look up.<\/p>\n

Everyone felt the tension rise as the time without an answer stretched out. Some looked at their clocks watching as the time passed when they should have contact with Captain Rogers once more.\u00a0 The head of the department looked over at the rest of the group as the controller tried once more to get in touch with the Enterprise without success.<\/p>\n

They watched as the controller made his way out of the control room and they all realized the mission had probably ended in failure. It was a crushing blow to the agency, one which might doom it for any future flights.\u00a0 There would inquiries and other things before a decision would be made, but some would question any such test flights ever again.<\/p>\n

Many realized they probably would never know what happened, only a theory of could have happened. No one looked forward to the days to come.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Buck heard the engines finally power down, and felt glad he was still in one piece and looked at the systems again hoping to find everything was all right, and to his relief the reports came back negative to any damage to the ship, either the engines or the integrity of the ship. Now all he had to do was establish contact with mission control to let them know the flight appeared to be successful.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnterprise to mission control, come in,\u201d Buck said knowing it would take a while for a reply to come back and settled in to go back over the check list and prepare for the flight back while taking a look at the fuel. His heart sank when he noticed the fuel gage was almost empty and he had no way to return back home.<\/p>\n

He looked up and froze at the image in front of him. Instead of a red world, which he expected to find, the planet in front of him was full of shades of blue, green and brown.\u00a0 He blinked but the image in front of him never wavered.\u00a0 Something moving caught his attention causing him to turn away from the planet to see a large object approaching him, what looked like some sort of ship he would expect to see on a sci-fi show.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnknown human ship, you are to surrender at once, you have invaded Rizonian Space,\u201d a voice said over the intercom surprising Buck. He wondered if they were talking to him even as the message was repeated and the large ship continued to close in on him.\u00a0 He really had no choice in what to do, he was out of fuel, no idea where he was, or who these Rizonians were.<\/p>\n

He keyed his communications system hoping to make a good impression on the aliens as he was probably the first one to ever each their world.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Captain Rogers of Earth,\u201d Buck said wondering what type of reply he would get.<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain Rogers, you are ordered to surrender at once, any attempt to leave will be met with deadly force,\u201d the voice replied back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, their real friendly,\u201d Buck said to himself, \u201cand it\u2019s not like I can get away, I\u2019m out of fuel.\u201d He made a quick decision and key the communicator again.\u00a0 \u201cI surrender, I won\u2019t make any moves.\u201d He said, knowing it was the truth, the Enterprise could probably still turn around, but anything else was beyond its ability right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will bring you on board, once aboard you will receive additional instructions from the ground crews,\u201d the voice said back, not as hostile but anything but friendly in Buck\u2019s view. Perhaps that was how they normally talked he mused.<\/p>\n

He looked out the window while leaning back in the chair watching the ship approach the Enterprise before coming alongside. He wondered briefly how it would get his ship into the other ship when he spotted a large door opening on the side of the ship close to where he was.\u00a0 Two large crane arms swung out and clamped down on his ship jerking it slightly as it locked on.<\/p>\n

The clamps maneuvered his ship into the large opening which he noticed reminded him of a hanger on some sci-fi show he used to watch. The clamps released the ship and he felt a jerk as the ship crashed down onto the deck and was glad he was still bucked into his seat.\u00a0 He released the straps while looking outside the window.<\/p>\n

Several beings stood surrounding the ship holding what appeared to be weapons. Buck wondered what they expected, a large invading army inside this ship?\u00a0 Standing up and heading to the exit he knew this did not look good at all for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuman, step out of your craft,\u201d he heard a voice say.<\/p>\n

Taking a breath he opened the door and stepped out with his arms raised not wanting to give any indication that he might be hostile in any way. Two approached and roughly searched him before turning back to the others and another one approached.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollow us,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

Buck looked around but followed and was led down several corridors to a room and he was almost tossed in as the door closed making him wonder what exactly had happened and why was he so rudely treated?<\/p>\n

He went over everything which happened then recalling they knew he was human, and spoke English, which now surprised him as he thought about it for a few seconds. How did they know the language?\u00a0 He had a lot of questions now and no one to answer them at all.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Colonel Wilma Deering walked off the transport and onto the hanger of the Rizonian warship, a place she never expected herself to be earlier that day. The Chancellor, Ellas Huer, had summoned her to the council room informing her they needed her to escort Doctor Theopolis and Twiki to the Rizoninan Empire on a special diplomatic mission to prevent war.\u00a0 Wilma had no idea what might have happened, nothing she knew about would warrant such a mission.<\/p>\n

Walking out she noticed a Rizonian waiting for her as Twiki walked down with the doctor around his neck. She looked back at the Rizonian realizing he was their \u2018escort\u2019 to whatever meeting was about to happen and mentally prepared herself for the rudeness of the Rizonians<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, the Earth Alliance ambassadors have arrived,\u201d the Rizonian said to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cColonel Wilma Deering, Earth Advisor Doctor Theopolis and his escort Twiki,\u201d Wilma said introducing the two robots.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis way,\u201d the Rizonian said gruffly not introducing himself, not that she expected a name.<\/p>\n

She followed them down several corridors and kept an eye out for any trouble which might happen, but was relieved when nothing happened and their escort opened a door allowing them inside.<\/p>\n

The room held a table, several chairs and the Rizonians were already sitting down waiting for them. She didn\u2019t bother to wait and sat down as well as Twiki placed the doctor down on the table and stood nearby.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been a serious breach of security from the Earth Alliance not long ago,\u201d one of the three in front of her said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can assure the Rizonian Empire that any breech was not sanctioned by the Earth Alliance, or any other government on Earth,\u201d Doctor Theopolis replied to the comment as Wilma waited to see what might happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cTypical response by those who are guilty,\u201d the Rizonian replied and Wilma wondered if he even listened to Theopolis said or if they as typical, rushed ahead with the stubbornness that the Rizonians were known form.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what is it that the Alliance is to have done?\u201d Theopolis asked getting down to the real question at hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sent a probe to our homeworld to spy on us,\u201d the Rizonian said.<\/p>\n

Wilma sat up at that bit of news, she had not expected such an accusation and if it was true could mean war to both sides. She looked over at Doctor Theopolis to see how it would handle this bit of news.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo such operation was ever sanctioned, do you have proof of this operation?\u201d Theopolis replied back with his question.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the ship and pilot who was on board, he even identified himself as from Earth,\u201d the Rizonian stated which made Wilma frown wondering if someone did something so foolishly on their own.<\/p>\n

\u201cI take it you have this pilot, I would like to see him,\u201d Theopolis replied back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat can be arranged.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rizonian turned to one of the guards and gave a signal to him who left the room.<\/p>\n

End part 1<\/p>\n

Continued in part 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buck Rogers by AJ Marks Part 1 The spaceship floated in space near orbit of Earth as Captain William \u2018Buck\u2019 Rogers went through the check list making sure everything was ready for the test flight. The first test of an experimental warp engine which, hopefully, would take him to the orbit of Mars in a […]
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