Buck Rogers in the 26th Century



Episode 212x "The Island"

Written by: Erin Weinstock


I don't hold any of the copyrights in this story, and this story was made 
without profit.


Teaser:

ext: Space:

A lone alien ship drifts forward through the endless black void only dotted 
by the lights of far off stars. Its lights are flickering wildly as also 
the roar of power from its jet-rockets.

V.O. Cogger: "There is no cause for this, Camwat. Everything checked out 
before we left dock."

Cut to:

int: Alien Ship:

Two aliens of a species we've never seen before float above the ships main 
controls, also above the seats they'd be sitting in if the ship had gravity. 
They have dark skin with "X" like shapes defining where their faces are. 
No nose in the center, the lower half of the "X" making an upturned mouth 
and a set of two eyes embedded in each side of the upper part of the "X".

Camwat without pushing off any object floats to being upside down over the 
controls. Camwat: "I'll reset the engines; their malfunction can't be related, 
different system lines."

Camwat presses in a few buttons.

Then both aliens float awaiting a sign unknown to us.

Cogger: "Different system lines, same response it won't release us! It's 
ship wide!"

Camwat: "What won't release us?"

Cogger turning to Camwat: "We are near no star or planet or ship or black 
hole."

Cut to:

ext: Space:

The scene here is just as we saw it last, only now the camera is behind 
the alien ship.

Cont: "That leaves only one last description, Camwat. It has us."

And starting at the bow of the ship the alien vessel disappears into 
nothingness.

Cut to:

ext: City Park:

This isn't the one that promotes the beauty of Earth to new arrivals at New 
Chicago's Shuttleport station. This is one that is a resting place or a 
walkthrough area for people visiting the nearby area for many museums and 
restaurants that line this place. It's wide open with almost no trees and 
massive modern art statues and randomly placed throughout it, that plus 
picnic benches. The sky is gray with sunlight peeking here and there through 
the clouds. The camera is focused on a small seed bird sitting in a nest on 
a statue.

V.O. Goodfellow: "I think my good man, Hawk misses his home."

The camera cuts to showing us more of the scene beyond the bird. Doctor 
Goodfellow and a man that looks to be around ten years older than him, sit 
at one of the picnic benches. Goodfellow's eyes are on the small bird but 
the other man's eyes are on Goodfellow. Other Man: "Is there anything you 
can do to help him?"

Goodfellow breaking his attention from the bird: "I'm afraid not, though I 
have come to the belief one day he might just settle down on Easter Island 
somewhere, [ beat ] it reminds him."

Other Man: "Anywhere can be home if you want it to be so."

Goodfellow briefly points at the seed bird: "As the case can be obvious."

Other Man beginning to stand up "Perry, did you really finish ALL your work 
on unraveling theoretical astro science while living on Throm?"

Goodfellow now getting up: "Haven't I told you this already? I had enormous 
amounts of free time while living there, there wasn't much else to go about."

Both men start walking further into the landscape of the park. Cont: "Doctor, 
there are no more mysteries left in the universe I haven't solved."

Other Man: "Are you sure?"

Goodfellow looks to Other Man with curiosity.

Pre-Credits:

End of teaser:

Beginning of Act One:

int: Research Lab One:

Buck and Goodfellow are here; Buck bent forward to look down at a computer 
monitor. Goodfellow is pulling out scientific instruments off shelves and 
out of cabinets and putting them on the table where the computer sits.

Buck: "Doctor Goodfellow, the place appears to be the deep space version 
of the Bermuda Triangle. Ships have been chronicled disappearing in the 
space for as long as people could travel out that way, for hundreds of 
years. You're not going and there's no way in hell you're going to convince 
me to go." Buck looks to Goodfellow.

Goodfellow settling down a metal box coated in lights and switches: "There's 
so much knowledge to be gained by this venture, Buck, I must undertake it."

Buck: "You undertake it you'll die. No ship has ever returned from this 
mysterious region."

Goodfellow finally looking at Buck: "But we will return from it. Because 
YOU will help me."

Buck: "Doctor, you may be my friend but helping you step into an unknown 
you may well never return from is not something I'm willing to do for you."

Goodfellow: "Boy, I'll give you the reasons why you will. Number one: this 
might be a larger threat than what it appears to be and that possibly must 
be investigated. Number two: I might need protection from an experienced 
protector such as yourself."

Goodfellow crosses his arms and takes on a snobbish look. Cont: "Number 
three: "over half the recording instruments I need for this have already 
been installed to YOUR fighter craft."

Cut to:

ext: Space:

Nothing but blackness and stars can be seen here except for Buck's new Z-87 
zooming through it.

V.O. Buck: "I was just getting comfortable with this new bird, Doctor. Your 
equipment takes away that feeling."

Cut to:

int: Z-87:

Buck is at the ship's controls not looking too happy because boxing him in 
from multiple places are Goodfellow's scientific instruments. Goodfellow 
can barely be seen sitting in a seat behind Buck.

Goodfellow: "They are needed my boy, they are needed. Why how else do you 
expect me to take scientific readings on this journey?"

Buck: "At the max this is only a two person craft."

Goodfellow: "Then we're doing fine on its capacity."

Buck rolls his eyes.

Some of the lights from the instruments go out.

Goodfellow noticing the event that has just taken place: "Something appears 
to be wrong, Buck. [ beat ] Your craft is no longer powering some of my 
monitors."

Buck: "The Z-87 Wolfs weren't designed to be research vehicles, it probably 
just powered them down because they aren't necessary to the function of the 
ship."

Cut to:

ext: Space:

All is how we last saw it out here, only till after a beat when the 
jet-rockets to the Z-87 start shuddering in and out of life.

V.O. Goodfellow: "Now those are a necessary function of the craft. My 
additions have nothing to do with this."

Cut to:

int: Z-87:

Buck fanatically is pushing buttons and flipping switches hoping for a good 
answer from the craft's engines.

Buck: "We can only pray."

And then no movement from outside but drifting, the ship's engines have 
stopped.

Buck and Goodfellow notice the new predicament. Cont: "Aaw no."

Goodfellow: "I think we're here, I believe we've reached Tazodie!"

Buck: "Doctor, I REALLY don't think it's the time or place one should enjoy 
what life has handed us."

Cut to:

ext: Space:

The ship is now slowly spinning towards an unknown destination.

V.O. Goodfellow: "Nonsense, this won't lead to any harm."

V.O. Buck: "The last mission in space you went out on didn't let you return 
to Earth for ten years."

V.O. Goodfellow: "Buck, I have faith in odds, mathematical odds. With how 
densely populated space is I'm certain we won't be a drift for much lon -." 
Goodfellow is cut off by the Z-87 being enveloped quickly into nothingness 
in the same way the alien ship was in the teaser.

Cut to:

ext: Meadow:

The sky looks to be shortly after noon and only a few small clouds can be 
seen in the sky. A breeze ruffles the leaves and oddly shaped berries of a 
bush looming over Buck.

The berries are the first thing Buck really notices as blackness goes out 
of his vision and reality can be seen again. They're shaped like tiny, mini 
Z-87 Wolfs in a flat blueish-gray color.

Buck pushes himself up a little to look at the strange berries, crushing 
some tall dead grass with his hands. The camera POV returning to normal 
from after just having been Buck's.

Off camera, Goodfellow: "What world is this?" Buck turns to look for 
Goodfellow.

Buck stands up and finds Goodfellow holding on to the trunk of a nearby 
tree.

Buck takes in the surroundings of the meadow they're in, which is coated 
in tall grass and a plant that at best resembles wheat, most of which has 
dried out but patches that surround small ponds and puddles. Sparse tall 
trees that look to have had their origin from a forest that can be seen in 
the distance. More of the strange bushes, some standing by themselves, some 
in groups. Not all of them with the berries that look like tiny mock-ups 
of Z-87s, some look to have berries that resemble other ships. One of which 
being the alien ship we saw in the teaser. Buck: "A matter-jumper even alien 
I don't think could have put us here and I feel no headache so we're not 
still in the ship. [ beat ] Doctor I have no clue, we weren't close to any 
planets."

Goodfellow: "I wonder what's become of your craft?"

Buck motioning to Goodfellow to come over to him: "Come take a look at this."

As Goodfellow approaches Buck, Buck crouches to look at the bush he woke up 
to.

Goodfellow crouching down beside Buck and letting a twig of the strange 
berries rest in the palm of one hand: "What a strange evolution of nature."

Buck: "They look like the ship."

Goodfellow plucks one from the twig, Goodfellow: "I wonder what taste they 
have?"

Buck: "Doctor!"

Stopping himself, hand only an inch from his mouth with the berry, Goodfellow: 
"You're right."

Then Goodfellow putting the berry on the ground, Cont: "Hunger has taken 
over my better judgment. [ beat ] I had nothing before we left New Chicago 
this morning; that could have killed me."

A terrifying animal roar as loud as a thunderclap is heard and immediately 
both men react in surprise.

In a snap Buck stands up to look for what made the noise, Goodfellow at a 
slower speed does the same. Buck puts a hand across over his eyes.

Goodfellow: "Do you see anything?"

Buck, obviously seeing something off camera, unholsters his blaster. Another 
deafening animal roar is heard as Buck runs off camera towards the noise.

Cut to:

ext: Meadow Elsewhere:

Boy and girl aliens in their late teens are running at breakneck speed 
through the terrain with satchels hanging off them at the waist, loaded 
down with something that looks heavy. Behind them by a dozen or so yards 
is a beast that closely resembles a Spinosaurus, chasing the two.

The Spinosaurus like animal roars and we now know this is the same thing 
Buck and Goodfellow heard.

The camera cuts on to Buck and follows him as he chases after the beast. 
As he runs he fires his blaster at the animal.

The animal takes no notice of the blows it's receiving from Buck's weapon.

Buck takes disappointment in the lack of response on part of the beast as 
he fires, but after a beat Buck noticing a tall and thick tree ahead of 
them both...

He fires at the tree.

It buckles at the shattering of its trunk wood in the blast and knocks out 
the beast as it starts to make its way by it.

Buck stops running and takes on a broad smile; he's won.

Suddenly and catching Buck completely off guard a strange alien forms 
itself fast from out of a puddle of water with still water surrounding its 
base. All but its colorless face, hands, neck and chest look to be made of 
an odd flimsy fabric. The creature has the sort of body that doesn't seem 
to show much for bones. It looks like a massive jack-in-a-box grown to 
Human size.

Buck in shock doesn't do anything towards the bizarre alien as with one of 
its pointer fingers it touches Buck's blaster with a tap, before losing its 
shape and falling with a splash back into the puddle.

Buck stares with a look of shock and wonder at the puddle, not noticing the 
teenagers approaching him.

Girl: "You must be new here, I'm Storom."

Now Buck looks to the kids, Buck: "I'm Buck Rogers [ beat ] of Earth. What 
planet is this?"

The boy puts out a hand for Buck to shake. Boy: "This is the Island; it 
has no true name because it is not a world. My name is Rostor."

Buck shaking the boy's hand gently: "A colony station?"

Storom: "What is a colony station?"

Buck: "It's a it's an artificial world that's [ beat ] wait I recognize 
your species, one of your kind created the null radiation sun the stations 
use for their plant life." Buck looks a little confused.

Rostor: "We might have been born eons before the Prodall you're referring 
to."

Buck now looks ready to scratch his head in showing more confusion than a 
moment ago. Storom puts one of Buck's hands in both of hers. Storom: "Thank 
you for saving us from the Caforie!"

Buck: "Caforie? You mean that dinosaur, monster thing?"

Rostor opens the satchel on his side and pulls out a good size fruit. Rostor: 
"The Caforie lives where these." The boy shows Buck the fruit by holding it 
up to him.

Cont: "Vegetation Eatable Plant Four, have taken root. Food for our tribe, 
our village, has become so scarce we had to intrude on the beast's territory."

Storom offers out one of the same type fruit from her satchel. Storom: 
"Here, for saving us."

Buck: "No thank you, you need it more than I do, but I have a friend with 
me who's very hungry."

Storom: "Prodall?"

Buck: "No, Human like myself. [ beat ] Tell me have you seen a space ship 
anywhere that looks like a massive cone with wings?"

Storom: "You must really be new here then."

Buck: "What do you mean by that?"

Rostor: "This is your new home, you can never leave. Your ship is gone."

End of Act One:

Beginning of Act Two:

ext: Village:

This place is on the outskirts of the woods and its buildings look to have 
been made from a rough earth-toned cement. Numerous enclosed gardens can 
be seen, but very little is growing in them. People go about their daily 
business, aliens of every form, ones we have seen before and ones we haven't. 
As this scene starts the teenagers from Act One are leading Buck and 
Goodfellow here from the meadow. Goodfellow is eating one of the fruits in 
one hand.

Goodfellow: "Are you sure you don't want some of this, Buck?"

Buck: "I'm fine." Buck turns his attention to the teenagers. Cont: "Rostor, 
what did you mean by you might have been born eons before Duoson Lisoe? 
Have Doctor Goodfellow and I traveled into the past?"

Rostor not seeming to think anything in hard thought of his reply: "From 
whence you came you are not in its past or future. Liner time does not exist 
here."

Buck: "What do you mean? Everybody is immortal here?"

Storom: "We age and die here the same as any living being. We are just 
outside time here."

Goodfellow: "What an interesting -." Storom looks towards Goodfellow as he 
takes one final bite of the fruit as he's now reached its core.

Then Goodfellow tosses the core to the ground, Cont: "Concept, could you 
please explain it to us? I'm a scientist and engineer. I've never heard of 
the laws of natural sentience and quantum physics being bent in such a 
manner."

Storom stops walking and scowls at Goodfellow.

Goodfellow at noticing Storom then in turn stops in his tracks, along with 
Buck in doing the same.

Goodfellow: "Did I say something wrong?"

Rostor now stops to look back at the trio. Storom walks past Goodfellow and 
Buck, looking like she could break something in anger.

Then once reaching its resting spot, Storom grabs the core of the eaten 
fruit and returns with it to being in front of Goodfellow. Storom: "You see 
this?! Tell me what does it mean to you?!"

Goodfellow (taken aback): "It's the inedible core of the fruit I just ate. 
I'm sorry, I should have waited till I saw a trash can?"

Storom staking it in front of Goodfellow's face in anger: "This contains 
many seeds! Seeds my village needs to grow new food! We do not waste anything 
here on the Island because everything serves a purpose!"

As this is taking place four villagers of various alien races are approaching 
where our quartet is. Buck to Storom: "He didn't know but now he does, it's 
all going to be fine."

From the quartet of villagers nearly at the location of our group, Wora: 
"I see we have two more for our company, what seems to be the matter?"

Cut to:

ext: Inter Village:

It's night time now and the sky is clear but not a single star can be seen 
in the sky. We're outside of Wora's home where the tools of her trade can 
be seen and Buck and Goodfellow sit nearby Wora watching her work; she's a 
black smith. 

The alien Wora takes a flaming, yellow hot long rod from a blazing oven a 
couple of yards from her home. Wora: "Tazodie? I haven't heard of that name 
being used on this place in centuries. When do you hail from?"

Buck looks off to the side as Goodfellow says this: "The 26th century."

Grabbing a long slender headed hammer, Wora: "Five hundred years ago; wow 
not as bad as some here." Now Buck turns his attention to the conversation.

Buck: "So we haven't traveled to the future but we haven't traveled to the 
past either? We were told earlier this is a land without time."

Wora looking like she's ready to hit the hot steel with her hammer: "By 
tomorrow you will feel as if you've been living here a very long time. The 
Jackos want this place to feel as if it's been a part of the universe forever 
when the Island becomes a part of the physically normal space we once knew."

 Buck: "The Jackos?"

Wora hits the hot steel with the hammer three times gently in different 
places. Wora: "They created the Island, at least its base."

Then Wora looks over the rod for any imperfections in her work. Cont: "They 
rarely show themselves but they live all around us."

Goodfellow: "What do they look like?"

Wora stares at her rod and then stares at a small pool of water close by. 
Wora: "[ beat ] They don't look real, they come out of the water."

Buck: "I've seen one already then."

Goodfellow: "Why didn't you tell me?"

Buck: "I've gotten used to seeing most strange and unusual aliens, I didn't 
think it was important."

Wora puts the rod in a barrel of liquid to cool, Wora: "You did something 
that violated the land."

Then turning to Buck, Cont: "What did you do?"

Buck: "Nothing bad, I just saved some kids from this giant beast called a 
Caforie by knocking it out [ beat ] possibly killing it with a tree I hit 
with my blaster."

Wora takes the now cooled rod out of the barrel of liquid. Wora: "One of 
the very few animals this place has thanks to a ship that was on a zoological 
transport mission when it got sent here. Jackos don't like the use of weapons 
here and if you kill someone here with one, the weapon either gets disabled 
or you."

Buck: "I guess I was lucky then?"

Wora: "You were."

Goodfellow: "These Jackos, [ beat ] why don't they want us to leave?"

Wora: "Follow me." She starts to head off from her home and towards where 
a cluster of other homes have been built. Buck and Goodfellow have taken 
up following shortly behind by a few feet.

The camera follows them as they move. Cont: "In the beginning this land 
had no life to it. The Jackos may be powerful beings but they are not that 
powerful. So to create their ideal paradise, they created a disturbance to 
encompass the space surrounding the Island. It renders sensors and 
instruments useless due to the want for secretly of this place's existence. 
It neutralizes any power source it encounters so nothing might fight its 
grasp as it swallows ships that penetrate its perimeter. The life taken in 
helps make this place what it has become and what the Jackos hope will one 
day be a land flourishing with life. So no one can leave for we are all 
here to help fulfill their dream."

They reach a large house with an unfinished back section. Wora knocks on 
its door loudly and quickly a light snaps on from inside the home.

An alien once more from a species we've never seen before opens up the door 
to greet Wora. Wora: "20 credit clips, are you ready?"

The new alien produces a handful of credit clips from a marsupial pouch in 
its belly. New Alien: "Stab it in place with the rest."

Wora takes the credit clips from the hand presented to her by New Alien and 
starts moving towards the unfinished section of the house.

Goodfellow: "That rod, the ones here -." Goodfellow points towards the 
unfinished section that has in it many rods of the same type in rows. Cont: 
"What purpose do they serve?"

Wora stabs the rod into the ground in line with the first row of them.

Looking at her work, Wora: "They help support the clay-mixed rock compound 
we use in making new structures."

From off camera a terrified shriek is heard. They all hear the cry but Wora 
seems barely interested. Buck on the other hand reaches for his blaster.

Then Buck stares at the blaster a little puzzled.

Wora: "The Jackos won't let you use it here."

Buck hands his blaster to Goodfellow and grabs one of the steel rods from 
out of the ground, gripping it tightly.

As Buck moves off camera, Wora shouting towards him: "It doesn't help to 
use force here, leave it be!"

Cut to:

int: Family Room:

An enraged Jatra is rampaging through the room with a sack in hand. The 
Jatra is robbing this home and its denizens are still inside it.

The camera cuts to a trio of aliens huddled in a corner. Two children and 
one adult scared out of their wits. These aliens, well this species we have 
seen before but no name was used for them in the last encounter with them. 
These aliens are of the same massive, furry, large toothed, red eyed species 
last seen in Episode Three.

The eyes on one of the two children go wide at a sight off camera. The 
Jatra makes a noise of annoyance.

The "clang" of a hard strike is then heard.

The camera cuts back so we can see a larger shot of the room. The Jatra is 
making sounds of anger, with its two smaller hands gripping the sack, one 
rubbing a shoulder and its final hand balled into a fist as the alien and 
Buck circle ready for a fight.

Buck (sternly and with anger): "Leave here now." Buck then holds the rod 
at ready to strike another blow to the Jatra.

The Jatra starts to make a dash for the open door.

In a snap Buck reacts by dropping the rod and grabbing away the sack of 
stolen loot from the Jatra.

Up through the ground a puddle forms and from out of it arises a Jacko, 
blocking the doorway, The Jatra stops and smiles at the strange being.

Then Jacko puts a hand on the shoulder the Jatra has been comforting and 
lets the Jatra pass to running outside.

The Jacko turns to Buck and glares.

Swaying from side to side it moves towards Buck, like a snake dancing its 
body to move half up in the air. Cont: "I've done nothing wrong, the man 
was a thief!"

The Jacko moves up to Buck's face and without even moving its mouth. Jacko: 
"No acts of violence are permitted here and you my friend have broken that 
rule twice today."

Buck: "That monster was going to eat those kids!"

The Jacko speaking again without moving its lips as it should be noticed 
it always talks: "That was in the animal's nature; it eats meat to survive. 
You as most here are the same but can live off of other sources of food. 
You must never inflict pain on another being again, for if you do -."

Then the Jacko backs a little away from Buck and tapping the steel rod Buck 
is holding, makes the object vanish into thin air.

Jacko looking to Buck: "You will be no more."

And with that said the Jacko; the alien from the watery sub-world, bursts 
into a cloud of water droplets and falls down to the floor then vanishes 
itself, as Buck stares at this with worried disbelief.

End of Act Two:

Beginning of Act Three:

ext: Meadow:

The camera is focused on the horizon; it's dawn time and a fuzzy disk of 
bright orange can be seen in the distance. This is what the Jackos have 
created for lack of a sun to give light and heat to this land.

Buck walks into the camera's range of view, looking like he's just woken 
up after having a bad night and hitting himself lightly on the forehead. 
Buck (fast and softly): "Yesterday was Earth, yesterday was home, this isn't 
right, this isn't right, this isn't right."

The camera cuts to being a wide shot showing Goodfellow walking towards 
Buck. Goodfellow: "She's not going to forgive you for what you did last 
night. [ beat ] She said you'll have to build your own shelter."

Buck to Goodfellow (with a tone of frustration in his voice): "We're not 
going to stay here."

Goodfellow: "But we have no other choice."

Buck stops in his tracks for a beat then heads over to Goodfellow. Buck: 
"I'm not going to lose my life again, Doctor!"

Goodfellow: "I'm sure we won't be stranded here forever, Buck. Someone is 
bound to find and rescue us some day."

Buck: "You and the others getting liberated from Throm, this isn't Throm! 
We need to find help in leaving this place now before we get too used to it!"

Goodfellow: "I know how to except fate when it's handed to me.”This" land 
puzzles me and delights my curiosity."

Buck now looks pissed and turns his attention to a nearby bush.

Then Buck quickly walks to it and with shown force snaps off a little twig 
of ship-shaped berries.

He holds up the twig in the air, Buck: "You see this!? Tell me what it is?! 
Why is it?!"

Buck after briskly scanning the ground while fast walking finds a bog.

Getting on to his knees on the edge of the bog, Cont: "Is it supposed to 
remind us of how powerful you are?! Is it a show in the flaw of what you've 
created?!"

The hand of a Jacko grabs the wrist to the hand Buck is presenting to the 
water.

Then the alien raises itself to its full height, which puts it at 13 feet 
high, all the while still gripping Buck's wrist as Buck winces in pain and 
tries to break free of the alien's grip. Jacko: "This world is your heaven; 
it is your new life free of all that tormented you before coming. It is our 
ever forming puzzle, our mosaic and we hope you live a long and full life 
here."

Buck (in pain): "I thought you didn't believe in violence?"

Jacko: "Will you treat your new home with kindness and only do to it what 
is only needed for you live?"

Buck (still in pain): "Release us."

Jacko: "You didn't answer my question and you're too valuable to lose. Do 
you understand what I'm saying?"

Buck: "I only want to help others." Buck looks like he wants to shout with 
the pain the Jacko is inflicting on his wrist.

Jacko: "And that's all us Jackos want to do for others as well, give peace."

The Jacko lets go of Buck's wrist, letting him fall to the ground as the 
alien sinks down into its resting place. Cont: "I bid you farewell for now 
with hopes we'll never have to meet again."

Buck sits on the ground and tries to soothe his painful wrist while glaring 
at the bog.

With the bog acting like a mirror, Buck sees a bizarre popping of light in 
the sky, like a halo bursting into view in multiple faint rainbow colors. 
V.O. Goodfellow: "Boy, look at the sky, it's fantastic! I wonder what could 
be the matter up there?!"

Buck stands up and now looks at the sky to watch the amazing sight.

Buck (slowly and almost under his breath): "Newcomers."

Goodfellow walking up to Buck: "What makes you say that?"

Buck turning to Goodfellow: "Because I can't think of any other explanation."

A bolt of blaster fire shoots past them and in a snap Buck reacts by forcing 
Goodfellow to duck down to the ground with him.

Goodfellow: "Who the devil is shooting at us!!"

Buck gets up just the slightest bit to take a look at where the weapon's 
fire came. And we see a troop of six Draconian soldiers, one more decorated 
than the rest, he is their leader.

Buck (whispering): "Draconians."

Tear-Daaon, the leader: "The Directorate fighter, he's over there!" And with 
that said Soldier One fires towards Buck and Goodfellow, with the blaster 
fire missing Buck by an inch.

Buck: "Stop shooting at us, we're not your enemy here!"

Tear-Daaon: "You bought us here somehow, this is a trap you let us fall into, 
Defense Directorate!" Tear-Daaon and his troop are now headed for Buck and 
Goodfellow.

Buck: "Earth's Defense Directorate has nothing to do with this place! We 
didn't make it and we're not the ones who have whisked you away here! [ beat ] 
You can't shoot your weapons here! You can't!"

Tear-Daaon and his troop have reached the crouched Buck and Goodfellow who 
get up after a moment. Tear-Daaon as Buck and Goodfellow come to a stand: 
"That sounds like a plea, and in that case only one of two answers could 
solve why you just did that."

Tear-Daaon turns to look all around himself at the meadow: "Either your 
plea to not shoot was true and you have nothing to do with my crew being 
here or -."

Then eying Buck and Goodfellow, Cont: "It's still a trap and you two are 
just pathetic worms put here to deserve us into submission."

Buck: "The first answer."

Tear-Daaon: "And how do you expect me to believe that for a fact?"

Buck looks like he doesn't want to answer for a beat but then caving in, 
Buck: "Shoot me, nowhere that would really hurt me, but this will prove my 
words."

Goodfellow: "Buck, you can't let them!"

Tear-Daaon: "I'd like nothing better than to see you dead Terran. Why should 
I hit you in a spot not fatal?"

Buck: "Because if you kill me the people who have bought us here might kill 
you as well."

Tear-Daaon turns to Soldier Two, Tear-Daaon: "I want you to shoot him."

Soldier Two: "Where?"

Tear-Daaon returning his gaze to Buck: "Are you right or left handed?"

Buck: "I'm right handed, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Tear-Daaon: "It won't be fatal and you won't be able to fire a blaster."

Buck winces his eyes shut with the experience of pain and holds out his 
right hand to his side.

Tear-Daaon: "Fire."

Soldier Two shoots Buck dead center through the palm of Buck's right hand.

Buck then grabs his hand in pain and tries nursing it by putting it to his 
mouth and rubbing it with his other hand. Tear-Daaon throwing his arms up 
in the air: "Nothing bad has happened!"

Soldier Two: "Can I finish him off?"

As this next line is said a Blue Jacko starts forming up beside Soldier Two. 
Cont: "One of the slime that works for Earth's Defense Directorate? Go ahead 
and the old man too."

The Blue Jacko is now noticed by Soldier Two and the other soldiers but not 
Tear-Daaon. Daaon wants to watch Buck and Goodfellow die. Soldier Two: "Sir?"

Tear-Daaon: "Fire, that's an order Soldier." Then Tear-Daaon turns around 
to see his men and the Blue Jacko.

Cont: "What - who is that?"

The Blue Jacko notices Tear-Daaon and touches Soldier Two's blaster. 

Then in a snap does the same upright snake dance we saw earlier to make 
its way over to Tear-Daaon.

The Blue Jacko touches Daaon's blaster then quickly shrinks to the ground 
into a puddle.

Tear-Daaon stares at the puddle looking dumbfounded. 

Goodfellow: "Now - now you try to shoot me."

Looking  eager, Tear-Daaon looks away from the puddle and points his blaster 
at Goodfellow.

Then Tear-Daaon pulls back on the trigger.

The blaster doesn't go off.

Now looking a little frustrated, Tear-Daaon clicks the trigger a few times, 
hoping the blaster he has aimed at Goodfellow will fire, but it won't.

Goodfellow (laughing): "See, you haven't been lied to. You CAN NOT use 
weapons here."

Tear-Daaon to Buck: "Explain what has happened here."

Buck (holding back the pain in his voice a little): "That alien you just 
saw, that's what brought you here. It doesn't want you or anyone else here 
to leave this space island and any acts of violence good or bad they punish."

Tear-Daaon: "So you Terrans of Earth's Defense Directorate are trapped here 
just the same?"

Buck: "I'm sure there must be a way to leave here, but I haven't figured 
out how to do that just yet. So ya, you're trapped with us, which isn't a 
prospect we like much either."

Tear-Daaon: "Tear-Daaon, Commander of the Draconian Nova Fleet." Waving to 
his troop, Cont: "And these men are my crew, my soldiers of Ounot, my ship."

Buck taking on a look of surprise mixed with a little shock, waving to 
Goodfellow: "Doctor Perry Goodfellow."

Then pointing to himself slowly, Cont: "Captain Buck Rogers."

Tear-Daaon: "Have you heard of me? You seemed a little shocked at knowing 
who I am."

Buck: "You were at the battle of Pittsburgh."

Tear-Daaon: "That hasn't happened yet, King Darat gave me orders to lead 
the attack once we reached Earth. How is it you say I "was" at the battle 
of Pittsburgh?"

Buck: "Because it happened hundreds of years ago shortly after the Defense 
Directorate was formed. I've made it a good point to learn all of Earth's 
important moments in history over the last few centuries. There's a way to 
leave here!"

Tear-Daaon: "Because I haven't led the fleet to victory yet, the battle 
hasn't been won!" 

Goodfellow: "Buck, this isn't good, they can't leave this place."

Buck to Goodfellow: "It's OK for them to return Doctor, don't you know your 
history?"

Goodfellow: "[ beat ] War and battles are not in my interest of history, 
Buck."

Buck returning his attention to Tear-Daaon as this next line is said. 
Tear-Daaon, grinning from ear to ear: "Please don't tell me, it will be a 
pleasure for us to see your history of being conquered unfold!"

End of Act Three:

Beginning of Act Four:

ext: Inter Village:

At the construction site of a new dwelling a meeting is taking place that 
looks to have at least half the town's folk gathered at it. Tear-Daaon is 
pacing back and forth looking at the crowd as he talks. He's on top of the 
base of a wall that has its steel rods which go up to four feet in the air, 
nearly covered by the earthy concrete completely. Buck and Goodfellow are 
here too, close to the half constructed wall, surrounded by the soldiers.

Tear-Daaon, beaming with pride: "I found a way or at least I'm going to 
[ beat ] get off this island. Now all of you who have gathered here came 
here because you wish to leave with me."

Standing still, Cont: "Is this true?"

Alien one ( shouting ): "How do we leave?"

Alien two: "What do you know of the Island and the Jackos we don't?"

Alien three: "Why haven't YOU left yet?"

Tear-Daaon pointing towards Alien Three: ""I" am the appointed commander of 
the Nova Draconian Fleet. Known of, I'm told, centuries after my death. 
This will happen for I have battles yet to be won. And when I do find a way 
those that have helped my men and myself here on this land will be rewarded 
with learned passage home!"

Goodfellow speaking softly to Buck: "He will slaughter my ancestors when he 
returns with his troop to Earth. Buck, we can't allow him to return!"

Tear-Daaon who noticed what Goodfellow just said and turning to him and 
Buck: "The two of you smell like dead rats. If you do not leave my presence 
now I'm sure my men can find a way to harm you the Jackos won't mind!"

Buck glares at Daaon and putting a hand on one of Goodfellow's shoulders, 
leads the Doctor away with him into the deep crowd.

Buck: "If I didn't know what took place at the battle of Pittsburgh, Doctor, 
I'd be with you on what to do, but it's nothing we have to worry about."

Goodfellow: "Why not?!"

Buck ( whispering ): "Because in the battle of Pittsburgh the Defense 
Directorate saw its first great victory. Before that we'd only won a handful 
of tiny battles against the Draconians. The Ounot was the first ship to land 
at the site of the battle, Tear-Daaon was killed on the spot."

Goodfellow: "Thank goodness then that you know the history of what happened 
and he does not. "Brilliant military mind"."

The Goodfellow lets out a quick huff and taking a long inwards breath through 
his nose. Cont: "He is right about one thing though."

Buck (confused): "What?"

Goodfellow, closing his eyes as he says this: "We smell like sewer vermin."

Buck lifts one of his arms a little to smell himself.

After a quick beat, Buck: "God he is right, I haven't had a bath or shower 
since yesterday morning."

Buck's face goes blank as a thought strikes him.

Goodfellow: "Is something the matter, my boy?"

Buck taking on a wide grin: "I need a bath."

Looking to Goodfellow, Cont: "You need a bath too, Doctor."

Goodfellow now looks confused by Buck's behavior and stares at him.

Buck still grinning: "We must only do what we need to live "and we must 
keep clean."

Then putting a hand alongside his mouth directing his attention towards the 
crowd, Cont ( shouting ): "Find a puddle, find a pond, let's all get clean!"

Buck strips his shirt off and from the crowd, Wora: "What do you think you're 
doing?! Going into the home of the Jackos will only anger them more at you!"

Slinging his shirt over his shoulder and walking towards the meadow, Buck: 
"We can only do what we must to live, Wora!"

The camera cuts to focus on Goodfellow. Goodfellow: "What a clever scheme." 
And then Goodfellow walks to out of frame.

The camera cuts to Tear-Daaon and his crew; Daaon looks ticked off as the 
crowd disappears from his presence to do what Buck suggested.

Cut to:

ext: Meadow:

Buck is in the foreground making his way over to the edge of a small pond. 
In the distance and scattered through the scene we can see townsfolk from 
the meeting finding their own spots to bathe in the meadow, including 
Goodfellow and the Draconians.

Making his way into the water Buck then proceeds to splash it all over 
himself and rubbing his arms with his hands for lack of a scrub brush. After 
a couple of beats of this scene...

In a snap caught off guard Buck is pulled into the water.

Cut to:

ext: Sub-World:

Buck in dull colors and a few of the townsfolk in the distance are the only 
objects that look fully solid here. They're all floating and Buck looks 
around himself confused at his surroundings, which in the sub-world are 
massive skyscraper-sized Jackos of many colors but all pale. Their bodies 
have a fuzzed out look to them, they look to only exist in a kind of fog, 
their faces flickering like stars in the sky. Below Buck and the villagers 
their bodies almost seem real, but above the town's folk and Buck the Jackos 
images are reflected into looking more ghostly and go off into an infinite 
distance that is consumed in blackness. Once in a while more of the villagers 
are zapped into the distance of the scene.

Random faces of Jackos flash off and on with white light.

Buck puts a hand over his face to shield his eyes.

Cut to:

ext: Sky over New Chicago:

A large commercial passenger shuttle is approaching the shuttleport station.

V.O. Stewardess: "Sir?"

Cut to:

int: Commercial Passenger Shuttle:

It's a loaded ship with Humans and aliens taking up its every seat. Buck and 
Goodfellow are standing in its isle way while a Stewardess stands before 
them; both men look dazed.

Cont: "I can't seem to recall seeing you and your companion boarding this 
ship, but seeing as how we're out of seats we'd greatly like you to find a 
seat on the floor. We're about to land in New Chicago's shuttleport station."

Buck takes on a little smile.

End Of Act Four.

The End. 

Roll Credits.