{"id":1559,"date":"2016-07-23T07:26:49","date_gmt":"2016-07-23T12:26:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1559"},"modified":"2016-07-27T07:24:03","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T12:24:03","slug":"buck-rogers-part-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1559","title":{"rendered":"Buck Rogers – Part 17"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Part 17<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Buck sat as the group continued to theorize over what happened during his test flight.<\/p>\n

\u201cA very interesting theory,\u201d Jeelax stated. \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone has ever heard of such a thing, if it turns out to be correct we\u2019ll have to re-evaluate our theories on the Thu\u2019lue drive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tremendous discovery, but something which will be extremely difficult to test,\u201d the other Rizonian said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fear we\u2019ll never know for sure what the real cause was of your survival,\u201d Jeelax said. \u201cI will state that it appears what happened was because of a series of unexplained and unparalleled decisions and designs upon which were carried out at exactly the right time which ensured your survival.\u00a0 Any deviation of these events would have resulted in your destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, everything was luck,\u201d Buck stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like it,\u201d Wilma said. \u201cYour instincts probably served you well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes it\u2019s better to lucky than good,\u201d Buck stated, feeling as if that meant more than ever before.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure our scientist would love to see this information as well,\u201d Theopolis said to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we can send our finding to them, not like there is anything here which can really be used for anything else, but it might explain more about why the drives fail so much. I also think the galactic scientific coalition would be interested in what we\u2019ve found out here,\u201d Jeelax replied back to them.\u00a0 \u201cI also think we can conclude that everything you said was the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck rolled his eyes at that, of course it was all the truth, what else would he have been doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad we come to such an agreement,\u201d Theopolis said. \u201cEarth has no reason to do such a thing against the Rizonian Empire, we value our friendship too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019ll be sure to inform my government of our results, they\u2019ve been expecting our results for a few days now,\u201d Jeelax said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for your information,\u201d Theopolis said to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a pleasure to work with you,\u201d Jeelax said, standing and leaving the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that was interesting,\u201d Buck finally said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it was, and explains so much about how you managed to get here,\u201d Theopolis said. \u201cCome along, it\u2019s time to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it?\u201d Buck asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, this is how things are done with the Rizonian Empire,\u201d Theopolis replied, as Wilma stood followed by Buck.<\/p>\n

They retreated back to the hanger and with permission took off and headed back to Earth. Buck thought it was all very interesting, and the entire trip took less time than expected.\u00a0 The trip back to Earth would take an hour or so with the very efficient drives.\u00a0 Once back he would be able to relax again, perhaps grab a bit to eat and return back to training tomorrow.<\/p>\n

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

Buck exited out of warp into a jumbled mess around Earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cColonel Deering to Earth command, what\u2019s going on?\u201d he heard Wilma asked over the communicator.<\/p>\n

\u201cMa\u2019am, invasion force, unknown,\u201d the reply came back.<\/p>\n

\u201cSituation?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo attack waves, each targeting the NAA, all fighter squadrons have been scrambled,\u201d the reply came back.<\/p>\n

Buck turned along with Wilma and Twiki towards the planet.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, Buck, we\u2019ll escort Twiki down to the surface then return back up, I assume you\u2019re fuel is still good,\u201d Wilma asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeventy percent,\u201d Buck replied, \u201calthough weapons were only half filled.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll do,\u201d Wilma replied and Buck realized she had the same weapon mounting.<\/p>\n

Buck took a moment to study how they were attacking, noticing that while they appeared to be fighting, they were not pushing much. He wondered what their objective might really be, they were not clearing a path for anyone to head down to Earth in any form.\u00a0 It intrigued him as to what they might be doing.<\/p>\n

Racing though he thought it was strange that none even attempted to block their path<\/p>\n

\u201cWilma, are they acting strange to you?\u201d Buck asked as Twiki broke away for the landing pad.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Wilma asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t appear to have any objective,\u201d Buck said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe you\u2019re not seeing it,\u201d Wilma replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m asking for a second opinion,\u201d Buck said. \u201cFind out their objective and you can block them easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck followed Wilma back up through the clouds and into outer space again to join the combat going on. He would be her wingmate for this battle as there was no time to re-establish normal wingmates in the middle of battle.\u00a0 Now he lined up an enemy fighter, which looked like someone took a flying saucer and stuck a rocket on one edge.<\/p>\n

He quickly lined one up and opened fire, destroying it quickly. All over he noticed similar engagements, the Earth defense force was easily winning which also bothered him.\u00a0 The only thing the defenders had were numbers, but those were being whittled down rather quickly.<\/p>\n

Following Wilma he took a moment to study the battlefield again, this time noticing something very unique. Off to one side was a fighter which seemed to be operating rather erratically compared to the other fighters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWilma,\u201d Buck said, gaining her attention in the middle of battle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee the fighter off in quadrant 36-C?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been operating rather strangely, I\u2019d like to confront it,\u201d Buck stated followed by several seconds of silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure you don\u2019t want an easy kill?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I want to figure out why it\u2019s flying so erratically,\u201d Buck replied, and despite Wilma\u2019s apparent reluctance they turned heading towards the enemy fighter.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long before it appeared the pilot of the enemy fighter appeared to notice them approaching. It turned tail and headed off away from Earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, that\u2019s interesting,\u201d Buck said to himself as they closed in.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting a high burst transmission,\u201d control said. \u201cBe careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Buck and Wilma could close the distance the enemy fighter suddenly jumped into warp leaving the battlefield. Before he could even fathom what happened the rest of the attack group had turned despite still under attack and fled as well leaving the battlefield suddenly empty except for the Earth defenders.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll fighters return to base,\u201d the controller said. \u201cExcept for squadron six, remain on patrol for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck turned and headed towards the surface of the planet and back home. Not exactly how he expected his return to happen, and the odds of them returning in the middle of a battle, he wasn\u2019t sure what the odds were there.\u00a0 He wondered if that ever happened to Wilma before.<\/p>\n

His fighter landed, and rolled into the hanger where ground crews were already racing around helping out other fighters, some appeared to be damage, others were perfectly fine, and a few were missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome back Buck,\u201d the ground crew said to him as he stepped out handing his helmet to the man before reaching the ground. \u201cThey are having a debriefing in room six.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d Buck said, making his way over to where Wilma stood before they both continued on to the meeting room.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou survived your first combat mission in space,\u201d she said to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery different, yet almost the same as being a fighter pilot back in my time,\u201d Buck said. \u201cThe biggest difference, don\u2019t have to worry about crashing down into the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever thought about it that way,\u201d Wilma replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was odd,\u201d Buck managed to say as they walked down the hallway along with a few others. \u201cHow that one fighter retreated and suddenly the rest retreated as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably the commander,\u201d Wilma said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf so, where was his escort,\u201d Buck replied. No, something didn\u2019t make sense in his mind and hoped they would gain some information useful about who attacked and why.<\/p>\n

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

Sitting in the briefing room he saw a lot of familiar faces, a few were missing and he had a feeling they had been killed in the battle, though some might have been injured as Wilma and another man walked to the front of the room. Everyone quieted down waiting to hear what they had to say as Buck recognized the man as Eric, the head of intelligence.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone performed very well,\u201d Wilma said. \u201cLosses were light, and we have a few who were injured, we\u2019ll be getting reports on them in the next couple of hours from medical staff.\u00a0 If anyone else is injured be sure to have medical personal check you out, no matter how small of a scratch.\u00a0 Now, Eric, what can you tell us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately intelligence has no knowledge of who attacked us, of even why. We\u2019ll be going over the wreckage very carefully to determine who might have attacked us, and contacting our allies if they have any information on who they are,\u201d Eric said.\u00a0 \u201cFor now the Chancellor is stating there is a state of war between us and whoever they are.\u00a0 The ships have been put into our computers, if you see any ship that matches it you are cleared to engaged.\u00a0 Copies of that order have been sent out to our allies, and enemies in case they are also behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buck sat back knowing that such a declaration was serious.\u00a0 Whoever had attacked did so without any warning ether it seemed.\u00a0 Why did the future seem to be so complex?<\/p>\n

\u201cAre there any questions?\u201d Eric asked.<\/p>\n

Buck raised his hand right away. \u201cAny idea as to what their goal was?\u201d Buck asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve analyzed their attack pattern and nothing has come up,\u201d Eric said mirroring Buck\u2019s observation as well. \u201cIt very well could have been a test of our strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn which case, they know exactly what we\u2019re capable of,\u201d Buck stated, uneasy with that.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot entirely, the fleet is still stationed at the moon and did not engage,\u201d Wilma said.<\/p>\n

Buck felt a bit better knowing not everything had been shown, but still uneasy that someone was testing the defensive abilities of Earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did they suddenly leave?\u201d another one asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat, we don\u2019t know,\u201d Eric said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey seemed to leave real quick when Wilma and I went after one particular fighter which was flying rather erratically,\u201d Buck replied back recalling the fighter and he had a feeling it was important.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re going over all the data now, though your observation appears to be correct. We can only assume it was some sort of commander fighter watching and giving orders,\u201d Eric said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce he saw we were coming towards him he turned and ran, and before he jumped there was that message sent out,\u201d Buck said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is something we will focus on, it could be important in the next battle, if they come back,\u201d Eric replied turning to Wilma. \u201cWe\u2019ll have all the data as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you will,\u201d Wilma replied, as they watched him walk off.<\/p>\n

Buck had the feeling the man was going to be very busy for a while because of everything which happened. He really didn\u2019t envy the man\u2019s job to look for something which may, or may not, be there then give a report to your superiors on it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, everyone dismissed,\u201d Wilma said.<\/p>\n

Buck sat back in the chair even as the others walked out. A few walked over asking if he wanted to join them, he politely declined wanting some time to think over what all happened. He went over everything which happened in the battle, going over it trying to find something about the battle which would make any sense.\u00a0 But nothing did and he finally made his way out of the room, deciding it was a long day and headed to his apartment for some rest.\u00a0 Travelling to the Rizonian Empire, learning how close he came to dying then flying back into a battle, it wasn\u2019t on his list of things to do when he woke up this morning.<\/p>\n

End part 17<\/p>\n

Continued in part 18<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buck Rogers by AJ Marks Part 17 Buck sat as the group continued to theorize over what happened during his test flight. \u201cA very interesting theory,\u201d Jeelax stated. \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone has ever heard of such a thing, if it turns out to be correct we\u2019ll have to re-evaluate our theories on the Thu\u2019lue […]
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-1559","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\/1559","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=1559"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1559\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1575,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1559\/revisions\/1575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}