{"id":1522,"date":"2016-06-22T07:20:44","date_gmt":"2016-06-22T12:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1522"},"modified":"2016-06-25T07:27:01","modified_gmt":"2016-06-25T12:27:01","slug":"buck-rogers-part-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1522","title":{"rendered":"Buck Rogers – Part 8"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Part 8<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Buck sat in the transport with Dave as they rode to another city to give another interview. He was scheduled for a couple of days, and then after that to return back to Earth.\u00a0 He looked over Dave a bit wondering what he thought of the Draconian Empire, and probably felt it was normal, like many other things.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, how\u2019d you get in this line of work Dave?\u201d Buck asked, not really wanting to sit in silence, as the more he say the more it was harder to get out what he had done last night.<\/p>\n

\u201cCollege, and then was recruited by the kings recruiters, they are always in the colleges and universities looking for new talent,\u201d Dave said. \u201cThey liked my paper on history, and the way I could naturally organize.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow old are you?\u201d Buck asked. \u201cI\u2019m technically thirty-two, but every things mixed up now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I can only imagine, but I\u2019m only twenty-eight,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the princess?\u201d Buck asked, wondering how young she was.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty-five,\u201d Dave said, his mouth twitched and Buck had the feeling he wanted to say more, but prevented himself from saying it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny other children?\u201d Buck asked, for some reason Ardala didn\u2019t seem a good candidate to take over.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe the youngest, had three older brothers,\u201d Dave replied. \u201cMark is the oldest and slated to be the heir to the throne.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, yeah, makes sense, Ardala doesn\u2019t seem to take things seriously, youngest child syndrome,\u201d Buck said but noticed Dave didn\u2019t agree or disagree with him and realized the cab was probably bugged as well. Well anyone who listened probably already knew that.<\/p>\n

Buck turned to look out the window at the passing terrain below them, traveling at close to two hundred miles an hour made things go by in a blur, but he saw buildings and other things in the distance. Things looked much more like he remembered back on Earth instead of the large buildings which housed everyone.<\/p>\n

He looked back over at Dave wondering how he might be able to get him to actually talk about things. The princess seemed to have little inhibition to talking about whatever she wanted, others were more careful in what they said.\u00a0 He figured it had to do with the fact she was a princess and others were only worker bees in the hive.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do you do when not escorting people around?\u201d Buck finally asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI work as part of the staff making sure that the royal family doesn\u2019t overbook a meeting or other such things,\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic relations, okay, that I can understand,\u201d Buck replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts much more though,\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s a term from where I come from, you manage the appointments, getting the people there, accepting or denying the invitations and such,\u201d Buck said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s just some of what you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlong with press conferences, scandals, and other things,\u201d Dave said, and Buck had the impression that he dealt with things quite often, probably mostly to do with the princess.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I\u2019ve met the princess, what about her brothers?\u201d Buck asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are easier to be around,\u201d Dave said. \u201cI mostly work with the middle brother, Harold, he isn\u2019t the heir, but still has a lot of important meeting and people to greet,\u201d Dave replied back as Buck noticed some buildings in the foreground where they were headed and passed another transport heading in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must like it?\u201d Buck said, wondering if they even had a choice in what jobs they had.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s better than some jobs, and what I could find outside of this job, its very nice,\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe king rules as a king, or is there a council?\u201d Buck asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is the king,\u201d Dave said, and Buck wondered how they had managed to keep control for so long. Dictators like this usually only lasted a short time.\u00a0 Liam either wielded his power absolutely or he was generous.\u00a0 Another thought came to him, the people were content, working and could get what they wanted that would make people more at ease as well.<\/p>\n

Buck watched as the landscape started getting crowded with buildings, he even thought he spotted some vehicles much like what he had been used to.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have cars?\u201d Buck asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething like them, electrically powered vehicles for local transportation,\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

Buck nodded familiar with that and wondered if they would need one of those to get around to wherever he was headed for his next interview. He felt a good having gained some information about the attitude of the empire and compared it to the NAA.<\/p>\n

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

Buck looked on at the banquet set out in front of him tugging on his shirt hoping things would go smoothly. He was meeting the royal family tonight, and he had a feeling everything was being put on for his benefit, trying to show him the best of the empire he was a visitor in.<\/p>\n

He had only met the princess and king, the other two he had yet to meet, but everything he had heard was carefully generated probably to prevent any problems. He walked on seeing the table nicely decorated.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, our honored visitor,\u201d he heard the king say and looked over to see Liam walking towards him with a smile on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cKing Liam, um, William,\u201d Buck said forgetting for a second.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink nothing of it,\u201d he replied dismissing the slight as if it was nothing. \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019ve met either of my sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck looked over to see two men who bore a strong resemblance to the king, both with short dark hair, dark eyes, though both were a bit shorter than the king, and one had a goatee while the other was clean shaven.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not yet, met your daughter,\u201d Buck said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I am aware of that,\u201d the king said indicating he knew more than others and Buck wondered if he had been briefed on the fact she had spent the night with him. He did not seem too upset by the fact, and wondered how often it happened.\u00a0 For now he focused on the two in front of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my oldest son, Victor,\u201d he said indicating the clean shaven man. \u201cAnd this is Harold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pleasure to meet you both,\u201d Buck said unsure what the protocol was, no one had thought to inform him on how to act, and he doubted how Ardala acted would be in his best interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe man from the past,\u201d Victor said, sticking out his hand which Buck returned shaking his hand, then Harold\u2019s hand. \u201cSo, how do things compare between here and the NAA?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, interesting, but I really have no idea,\u201d Buck replied back. He had not been in either society long enough to really compare the two.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always thought the NAA as stuffy,\u201d Harold said, as they relaxed slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d another voice said, making them turn to see Ardala making her entrance into the room, wearing a sexy black dress as she walked right up to Buck, almost draping herself on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cArdala!\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck felt her take a breath before moving away. \u201cFine poppa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t control yourself at all sis,\u201d Herold said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI prefer excitement, not being boring and stiff like you two,\u201d Ardala replied not backing down a bit in front of her brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome, let us enjoy a feast fitting of a king,\u201d Liam said to them.<\/p>\n

Buck was slightly relieved at being able to move away from Ardala, and noticed she sat on the other side as Buck sat next to the king.<\/p>\n

They had the normal conversations, nothing about politics at all, mostly about ancient sports events, and it seemed Victor seemed especially interested in what was called American football.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been trying to maybe get a league worked up here,\u201d Victor said. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy, we don\u2019t have the stadiums or large sporting events, and getting people who actually know how to play, it\u2019s hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess so,\u201d Buck said. \u201cThough I do have fond memories of sitting on the sofa, fireplace on, and watching the games on TV, then of course there was fantasy football.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFantasy football?\u201d Victor said, leaning forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, as a fan you could pick a team of players, each player earned points for your team based on their performance during the game, and you competed against others,\u201d Buck said. \u201cI played a few times.\u00a0 Some would even bet money on it, another form of gambling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFascinating,\u201d Victor said. \u201cI think it would be a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noticed a small break and had a feeling that Victor and the king had this discussion before.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something I need to look up, see if my team ever won,\u201d Buck said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho was your team?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMinnesota Vikings,\u201d Buck said. \u201cGrew up watching a running back called Petterson, had some trouble off the field, but on the field, he was a beast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would have been interesting to see a live game,\u201d Victor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoring if you ask me,\u201d Ardala replied. \u201cNever understood your interest with sports.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike your interest with sex,\u201d Victor said.<\/p>\n

Buck watched as the two stared each other down as Buck went back to his food, which was very good, some sort of steak and vegetables.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know,\u201d Liam said after several seconds of silence. \u201cYou are welcome to stay in our empire, live like a prince.\u201d<\/p>\n

So here it was Buck though, the offer and he gave it some thought on how he was going to reply.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tempting offer, but one which I think I\u2019m going to have to decline right now,\u201d Buck said. \u201cTo me, Earth is my home and I want to see what\u2019s all changed there.\u201d<\/p>\n

He watched as Liam considered his word before replying back. \u201cAs I thought, but I had to ask.\u00a0 It would have been rude of me not to present you with the choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could make you stay,\u201d Harold suddenly said, giving some voice to a fear Buck had since accepting their offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you would make poor hosts, inviting someone then kidnapping them,\u201d Buck replied back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you he would not stay,\u201d Victor said. \u201cWhy is there even any doubt?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I had little doubt,\u201d Liam said looking at the others then went back to eating.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably spying on us, thanks sis,\u201d Harold said at which Buck coughed by swallowing his food wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally, a spy, he isn\u2019t even part of the NAA, nor does he have any training,\u201d Victor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd spies are much easier to catch,\u201d Ardala stated making Buck wonder how many spies they had caught.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, we have no interest in keeping you here against your will,\u201d Liam said making Buck feel slightly more at ease. \u201cAfter all, it wouldn\u2019t do well with our fragile peace with the NAA and UAC.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck looked on but saw that Liam was no longer even considering this course of conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I take it everyone treated you well?\u201d Liam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, no problems with anyone, and Dave was great, punctual and knew what to do,\u201d Buck replied thinking he should put in a good word for Dave, the guy had worked hard despite the questions Buck asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm, not familiar with him, but if he did a good job, that should be expected,\u201d Liam replied.<\/p>\n

It was an interesting mix, Buck had the feeling that Liam only really cared for the people enough to make sure they didn\u2019t revolt, otherwise, he had a feeling he and his daughter shared some similar feeling in discarding people like a used car when it no longer worked or the joy had worn off.<\/p>\n

He took a sip of the wine, noting the smooth taste and warned himself not to overindulge in drinking, he was no longer in with the boys back home. In a way, he wondered what they might say right now?<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what was life like back in the twenty-first century?\u201d Harold asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, not really much different than today, people going about their lives trying to eek out a living, most cared little for what was going on half way around the world,\u201d Buck said, wishing he had spent a bit more time listening to the news as well. \u201cWe went about our lives, most of us cared more about sports or hobbies than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, the racial tensions and wars of history,\u201d Liam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, haven\u2019t had a chance to read up on such things,\u201d Buck answered. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t surprise me, it seemed like things were headed in that direction no matter what people did.\u00a0 Some had a crazy conspiracy a select group wanted the war to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHistory shows it wasn\u2019t as crazy as you thought,\u201d Harold replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, usually within a conspiracy there is a spark of truth, whether that truth is actually part of the conspiracy or not, that is another subject,\u201d Liam replied.<\/p>\n

Buck wasn\u2019t sure how to respond to that, and had a feeling Liam was talking not only of history, but of current events. He made a mental note to look up any conspiracies when he got back, it might be worth investigating.<\/p>\n

He had a lot of history to catch upon, and by the looks Ardala was giving him, he felt sure he would receive another visitor tonight.<\/p>\n

End part 8<\/p>\n

Continued in part 9<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buck Rogers by AJ Marks Part 8 Buck sat in the transport with Dave as they rode to another city to give another interview. He was scheduled for a couple of days, and then after that to return back to Earth.\u00a0 He looked over Dave a bit wondering what he thought of the Draconian Empire, […]
Continue reading…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[3,66,53,10,67,5,12],"class_list":["post-1522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fanfiction","tag-aj-marks","tag-buck","tag-buck-rogers","tag-fanfiction","tag-rogers","tag-sci-fi","tag-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1522"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1522\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1531,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1522\/revisions\/1531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}