Buck Rogers in the 25th Century s02e12 Episode Script
Testimony of a Traitor
Here, why don't you have a couple more of these? You could use the tonnage: [Laughs.]
Oh, if only your tact matched your powers of observation: [Mumbles.]
No No offense intended, you know? Mm-hmm: I just can't stand these things: You know, I'm really sorry that we're headed back for Vega quadrant: Stopping off for fuel and supplies on Earth was a nice change of pace: Mmm: [Woman On P: A:.]
Now hear this: The ship has been ordered back to Earth orbit: Oh: All personnel, report to duty stations: Captain Rogers, report to the hangar deck at once: That is all: We just left Earth orbit 12 hours ago: Maybe you won't have to face Vega quadrant after all: Yeah: [Woman On P: A:.]
Attention hangar deck: Prepare to receive Earth shuttle in one minute: What's going on, Admiral? Why are we headed back to Earth? Frankly, I don't know: We received orders to stand by to receive Commissioner Bergstrom of the AllianceJudiciary Council: Bergstrom? The war crimes prosecutor? That's the one: I thought his job was investigating interplanetary aggression and war crimes on a galactic scale: Why is he coming aboard the Searcher? Frankly, I don't know: Any more than I know why he requested that you be on the hangar deck when he arrived: [Woman On P: A:.]
Earth shuttle has docked: [Door Opens.]
Prepare to receive Commissioner Bergstrom and his party: Commissioner Bergstrom: This is indeed a great honor: Although, I must admit, a somewhat puzzling one: To what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting? I'm afraid the meeting will not be pleasurable, Admiral: I'm here on official business of utmost gravity: I see: Well, needless to say, I will do everything I can to assist you: - Captain Buck Rogers? - Yes, Commissioner? Under provisions of the Alliance War Crimes Act, you are hereby placed under close arrest: Captain! Arrest? What are the charges? All in good time: You will escort the captain to the wardroom: Yes, sir: Commissioner, I have a right to know what the charges are: Very well, Captain: TheJudiciary Council of Earth has decreed that you, Buck Rogers, be placed under arrest for suspicion of high treason: [Man Narrating.]
In the year of 1987, NASA launched the last of America's deep space probes: Aboard this compact starship, a lone astronaut, Captain William "Buck'"Rogers, was to experience cosmic forces beyond all comprehension: In a freak mishap, his life-support systems were frozen: : : By temperatures beyond imagination: Ranger 3 was blown out of its planned trajectory: : : Into an orbit 1,000 times more vast, an orbit which was to return Buck Rogers to Earth: : : Commissioner, as commander of this ship, I insist upon being told what this is all about: I don't believe that Captain Rogers could have possibly done anything: : : To warrant an investigation of treason: Everything will be made clear once the proceedings are underway, Admiral: Why don't you take a seat? [Hawk.]
I do not understand: [Bergstrom.]
Everyone please take their places: [Asimov.]
What you've heard is correct, Hawk: I don't understand it any more than you do: [Bergstrom.]
Bring in Captain Rogers: You'll sit here, please, Captain Rogers: - General Arnheim, I believe we're ready to proceed: - Very well, Commissioner: Under the provisions of Alliance law, this hearing is now convened: It is appropriate that this room affords us a view of the Earth: For it is the Earth which is the true plaintiff in today's proceedings: I need hardly remind you of the Earth's fragile beauty, of its tragic and terrible history: We all know that our planet has been scarred far too many times: : : By wars, famines and atrocities for me to have to recount them here: But without question, the most terrible of these tragedies: : : Was the nuclear holocaust of the late 20th century: : : Which reduced our beautiful planet to smoldering embers, laid waste to our gleaming cities and snuffed out the lives ofbillions, plunging our planet into a dark age: : : From which it has taken us centuries to emerge: If the Earth could speak, it would cry out: : : Against the sheer insanity of this wanton destruction, and it would demand that those responsible be identified and punished: But the instigators of Earth's Armageddon: : : Perished along with their innocent victims: So the blame was never fiixed: The scales ofjustice were never balanced: But today, more than 500 years after that horrible bloodletting, we are able to bring to account at least one of those responsible: There! There sits the man who, as much as anyone else, was responsible: : : For the nuclear holocaust which virtually destroyed the planet Earth Captain Buck Rogers! That's the most ridiculous accusation I've ever heard! [Gavel Bangs.]
- The defendant will return to his seat: - I demand to know the basis of your charges! Where's your evidence? I will not repeat myself: Return to your seat: You will see the evidence, Captain, right now: This lead box was recently unearthed in some newly found ruins: : : In what had been, in the late For the United States Air Force North American Air Command: These headquarters were located deep within a mountain: : : In what was then known as the Colorado Rockies: You'll notice that the box is badly charred: This is the result of the intense heat that it underwent: : : When the headquarters were destroyed by the nuclear holocaust: But the contents of the box survived unscathed: It's a videocassette: It was very common in the late 20th century, used to record images much as we do with laser holography today: If you will: [Beeps.]
[People Murmuring.]
- Jim Peterson: - Then you recognize this man, Captain Rogers? He was my best friend: It's November 22, 1987: I'm MajorJim Peterson, United States Air Force: Our country has just undergone a devastating nuclear attack: All major cities destroyed: The U: S: Counterattacked, but radar tells us: : : That the final enemy salvo that will finish us off is only minutes away: As a member of Air Force Intelligence, I've recently come into possession of top secret evidence a videotape that proves the attack was provoked: : : By the treasonous activities of certain fanatical U: S: Air Force officers: This film: : : Was taken secretly: : : By Air Force Intelligence: : : On January 8, 1987: The man who is about to speak: : : Is Lieutenant General Preston C: Myers, Vice Commander of the Tactical Air Command: Gentlemen, we'll make this meeting a brief one, since I think we're all in agreement: : : As to what needs to be done: Send Rogers in: Captain Rogers reporting as ordered, sir: - [Myers.]
Sit down, Captain: - [Buck.]
Yes, sir: By now you've had time to think over the project we mentioned last week: Yes, sir: I have: Good: I don't think I need to remind you that the present civilian administration: : : Has repeatedly backed down in the face of foreign provocations: It's allowed the other side to gain a dangerous superiority in tactical nuclear weapons: I agree, sir: I've given your plan a great deal of thought, General: I'm convinced that a preemptive nuclear strike is the only way: : : We'll ever eliminate the dangers that menace our country and our way of life: - [Myers.]
Then you're with us? - Yes, sir: [People Murmuring.]
There is one problem, however: A preemptive nuclear strike would require the simultaneous launching: : : Of every l: C: B: M: In our arsenal: That could not be ordered without having a master list: : : Of the top secret launch codes: Those codes are available only to the chief of staff and the president himself: Precisely, Captain, and that's where you come in: We want you to obtain those codes for us, so we can launch our strike before the year is out: [People Murmuring.]
How about it? Are you with us or not? - All the way, sir: - Good: You'll proceed at once: Anything you need for thejob will be placed at your disposal: Oh, uh, General Roberts tells me your main ambition: : : Is to fly the next deep space probe for NASA: That's correct, sir: Well, once we have those codes, I think that could be arranged: [Murmuring Continues.]
Thank you, sir: Is there anything else? That will be all, Captain: Colonel Turner will see you out: Thank you, General: I'm ashamed to say that Buck Rogers: : : Was my closest friend until I saw this tape: And the fact that he was lost six months ago, while flying that NASA mission he wanted so badly, may have been God's punishment for his treachery: I only regret that I grieve for him: As for the tape I'm making now, after I sign off, I'll: : : Place it in this box: My hope is that: : : Someday a survivor of this war: : : Or a descendent of a survivor: : : Will find it and learn what really happened that our world was blown to bits by traitors and madmen: [Murmuring Continues.]
These will be the last words I ever speak: Good-bye: And I pray that mankind: : : Somehow survives this insanity: It wasn't that way, Jim: It couldn't have been: General, we have seen incontrovertible proof: : : That Captain Buck Rogers conspired with others: : : To plan the nuclear holocaust which virtually destroyed the planet Earth: I move that this tape recording: : : Be grounds for formal indictment ofhigh treason: [People Murmuring.]
[Wilma.]
I don't believe it: Motion granted: It can't be true: [Arnheim.]
Captain Rogers, you stand charged with high treason: You will be permitted, of course, to offer testimony in your own defense, and defense counsel will be appointed if you wish it: However, I must warn you: If the charges against you are sustained, the law requires a mandatory sentence of death: [Murmuring Continues.]
We shall reconvene at 0900 tomorrow, at which time you may speak in your own defense: [Gavel Bangs.]
Buck? Buck! [Buck.]
Come in: Kind of dark in here, isn't it? Buck If you're here for the standard pep talk, Wilma, forget it: There's got to be a logical explanation for what we saw: Maybe it wasn't you: Maybe it was someone impersonating you: Come on, Wilma: You know me better than anyone alive: You know it was me! What I can't figure out is how it could have been: I do not remember any of those things ever happening to me: I don't remember even meeting those generals, much less being a coconspirator with them: You know something? As much as this charge of treason hurts, something else hurts even more: What's that? The best friend I ever had: : : Died thinking I betrayed him and his country: [Sighs.]
Well Look at me: [Chuckles.]
All broken up over someone who's been dead for over 500 years: [Sighs.]
- It's crazy: - No, it's not: Buck, I want you to know something: No matter what happens, no matter how this thing turns out, there's no man I've ever respected more: Thank you: Now, I am not going to let you: : : Walk into that hearing tomorrow and run up a white flag: We're going to figure out why you don't remember: : : What you saw on those tapes: And if we can do that, then maybe we can explain how those things happened: Terrific: You have any idea how you're gonna do all that? No: But Dr: Goodfellow might: He said he was gonna work on a hypothesis: Why don't we go find out what he's come up with? Oh, yeah, why don't we just take a run down to the lab: : : And talk to Dr: Goodfellow, right? You're forgetting that I'm a prisoner here: I'm the arch villain of the millennium: I can't just go traipsing through the halls of this ship willy-nilly: Well, I talked to General Arnheim and the admiral, and they said you can go anywhere you like on this ship: : : As long as you're accompanied by an officer: And guess what? I'm an officer: [Buck.]
Well, I wish I could share your optimism, Doctor, but: : : Not only do I not remember what was on those videotapes, but a lot of what I do remember is sketchy, to say the least: Well, that's hardly surprising, my dear boy: It was only a few months later you were frozen: : : In your space capsule for 500 years: Your memory of events immediately preceding was undoubtedly affected: : : To a considerable degree: Yes, which makes it a bit difficult to account for my activities: You know, one thing that really bothers me, Doctor, is that, well, the fact that I could be guilty of what they're accusing me of: - Buck, you can't mean that: - I don't know: I don't know: I mean, I find it difficult to believe that I'm guilty of treason: But, well, I was worried about the possibility of an attack on our country: Doctor, isn't there something we can do to help Buck remember: : : What happened during that time? Well, of course there is, my dear: The Optical Engram Imager: After all, it's helped us on other occasions: : : When it's been necessary to probe the recesses of someone's mind: Why not in this instance? I thought evidence obtained through an O: E: L: Was not admissible in court: [Crichton.]
Au contraire, Colonel: Recent amendments to the evidentiary code permit O: E: L: Testimony: : : To be admitted as evidence if the defendant in the case so chooses: Mmm: Well, you learn something new every day: I should certainly hope so, Captain: Why, Twiki, what brings you to my laboratory, eh? Hello, Doctor: Hello, Wilma: I've come to see Buck: This is for you, Buck: Well, thank you, Twiki: What is it? A petition of support: Everyone on the ship signed it from the admiral right down to the gang in the engine room: Well, thank you, Twiki: This means a lot to me: We're all behind you, Buck: We know you're innocent: Let's just hope the O: E: L: Proves that in court tomorrow: There we are then: I think that's it: Is it comfortable for you, Buck? That's fine, Doctor: Good: Good: Switch it on: [Muttering.]
We're ready to proceed, Mr: Commissioner: Thank you: [Bergstrom.]
Lights, please: According to the evidence that we saw yesterday, the treasonous activities that you are accused of: : : Were planned in January of 1987: I want you to concentrate: Think back to that time: Show the court what you remember of that period: Uh, nothing: : : Out of the ordinary: - Everything seems pretty routine: - Concentrate, Captain! We are interested only in those memories relevant to the charges: Mount Rushmore? I don't know why that flashed through my head: I've never even been there: Come, you'll have to do better than that, Captain: It was you who asked to testify through the O: E: L: So far, your memories haven't touched on the case: : : Or even on anything that might prove your innocence: Wait a minute: Wait a minute: Something's coming: Good morning, Colonel: Morning: You got the things I need? Yeah: Here it is: It's fully automatic, with an infrared flash: You can take pictures in total darkness if you have to: Undetected: Nothing but the best, huh? Anything for a good cause: And this little gem: : : Gets you into the safe: It's computerized, with a digital readout: You just twirl that combination knob and this baby does the rest: What'll they think of next? Have you figured out how to get into that crypto room yet? I'm working on it: I should be able to come up with something by next week: I'm glad you're with us: General Myers couldn't have picked a better man: Good luck: Thank you, sir: - I don't remember any of that: - You don't remember meeting that colonel? - Well, l l I think I knew him, but - You knew him:! What I mean is, I seem to remember knowing him, but I don't recall ever having a meeting like that: But isn't it possible, if you knew him, that such a meeting might have taken place? Yes, it's possible: This farce has gone on long enough, General: Captain Rogers has convicted himself with his own memories: I demand that a verdict be rendered: I repeat, General: The prosecution demands that a verdict be rendered: Commissioner, I must remind you that the defendant has a right: : : To continue testifying if he so chooses: Captain, although you may continue if you wish, I hardly need to point out that your O: E: L: Testimony: : : Is hurting your case rather than helping it: - Do you want to proceed? - Yes, Your Honor, I do, in the hopes that further testimony might help explain what we've already seen: If nothing else, I owe it to my friends aboard this ship who believe in me: Very well, Captain: Proceed, Doctor: All right, Captain: Once again, I'm going to ask you: : : To think about those weeks in January, allowing your mind to settle on images: : : Which somehow might relate to the matters at hand: Try to give us something relevant, Captain: No, nothing yet: Wait a minute: Wait a minute: I'm getting something: I feel like I've been walking guard duty all night: [Man #2.]
Relief should be here in 10 minutes: [Man #1.]
No kidding: - [Alarm Wailing.]
- What was it? Sounded like a grenade! Check the perimeter! [Alarm Continues.]
[Man On P: A:.]
Code blue: Code blue: Security has been breached: Repeat Someone's been inside the area: They blew up a jeep: Secure the perimeter: Yes, sir! [Man On P: A:.]
Code blue procedure is now in effect: [P: A: Continues, Indistinct.]
All other personnel, report to alert stations: All other personnel, report to alert stations: This is not a drill: Automatic se Code blue: Code blue: [Coughing.]
Code blue: Security has been breached: [Coughing.]
All personnel, report to alert stations: [Alarm Continues.]
Automatic security measures now in effect: This is not a drill: Levels "A" through "Z," initiate fire retardant procedures: I repeat, Levels "A" through "Z," initiate fire retardant procedures: All fireproof doors are to be closed and exhaust fans deployed: All fireproof doors are to be closed and exhaust fans deployed: We are in a code blue situation: Repeat, this is a code blue situation: [Coughing.]
All personnel, report to alert stations: All personnel, report to Air police! Open up! [P: A: Continues, Indistinct.]
Are we under attack, sir? Sir, this room is off limits: Can it, Sergeant: Everybody out: This building may go any second: I'm sorry, sir: I have my orders: This code room cannot be left unattended: Sergeant, I have my orders as well: They are to evacuate this building before anyone is killed: Now, do I have to arrest you to accomplish that? [Sighs.]
No, sir: Let's go: [P: A: Continues, Alarm Continues.]
Move! [Man On P: A:.]
All personnel will don protective masks as required: All personnel will don protective masks as required: Code blue: Code blue: Security has [Ticking.]
[Door Opens.]
[Camera Shutter Clicking.]
[Clicking Continues.]
We will recess for lunch: The hearing will be reconvened at 1400 hours: [Gavel Bangs.]
Doctor, I have absolutely no memory: : : Of any of those things ever happening to me: None of them! Is it possible that that machine could be wrong? I'm sorry, Buck, truly sorry, but the possibility of the O: E: L: Being wrong is absolutely nil: All right: Thanks anyway, Doc: Good luck, my dear boy: Well, looks like it's all true: - Apparently I am a traitor: - I still find that hard to believe: - As do l: - Yeah, well, I don't know what I believe: Buck, I'vejust spoken with General Arnheim: The judges feel that no further testimony is necessary: They intend to announce a verdict when we reconvene in an hour: Well, that's it then: I'm sorry, Buck, truly sorry: That's all right, Admiral: I understand: Well, um, I guess I'd better be getting back to the bridge: Buck, are you all right? I don't know: I just: : : Had a sharp image of: : : Mount Rushmore: It was like when I was hooked up on the O: E: L:, only: : : The image was so powerful that it it actually hurt: Buck: I just had it again: A sharp, clear image of Mount Rushmore: I don't understand: Wait, wait, wait: These mental images of Mount Rushmore They must mean something: - But what? - [Hawk.]
I do not know: They began when the O: E: L: Was probing Buck's mind, displaying memories so suppressed, you did not even know they were in your brain: Hawk, you've got a point: What if somehow, somewhere those images of Mount Rushmore tie in with the other images? It could be the key to them all: The answer is obvious: You must go to Mount Rushmore: Your presence there could trigger a full recollection: : : Of what happened, of what the images mean: You can take Wilma with you as a witness to what you discover: Hawk, we'd never get there: Once we left the ship, we'd be pursued and caught in no time: Permit me: : : To take care of that: [Buck.]
So far so good, Wilma: There's no sign of pursuit: [Wilma.]
For both our sakes, I hope Hawk's theory is right: There's a starfighter on our tail: It's mine: [Man On Radio.]
Captain Rogers, I have orders to shoot you down: : : If you don't return to the Searcher at once: [Buck.]
I'll try to outrun him: He's getting closer, Wilma: He's zeroing in: [Beeping.]
Starfighter, this is Hawk: Release your controls, or I'll rip your ship apart: - Controls released: - Hawk, what took you so long? - We almost had our tickets punched: - I had to deal with some marines: : : Who seemed to object to my taking off: I will take this one to a safe landing spot and release him: I do not think he will trouble you further: Buck, good luck: [Buck On Radio.]
Thank you, Hawk: Mount Rushmore, here we come: World's greatest sculpture began in 1928: It's quite a sight, isn't it? Yeah: I also read that, except for the pyramids of ancient Egypt: : : And the Aztec ruins in Mexico, it's the only man-made thing still standing since the holocaust: Hello there: Can I help you folks? Crawford's the name: I'm the caretaker here: Well, Mr: Crawford, we'd like to take a look around the mountain: Would you, really? Not many folks come up here this time of the year: I suppose you wanna see the president's bunker: The president's bunker? Well, most folks haven't heard about it: Back in 1986, the president of the United States: : : Decided he needed a special bombproof headquarters: : : In case a nuclear war broke out: So he had a special chamber built right inside Mount Rushmore, directly below the sculptures of the other presidents: Mr: Crawford, I'd really like to see that chamber: Fine by me, friend: I'll tell you how to get to it: I trusted you, Admiral Asimov: This lapse of security is utterly inexcusable: Need I remind you, sir, you are aboard my ship: If you had put an armed guard on Rogers from the beginning, when I asked you to, he would never have been able to leave this ship! As it stands, not only he and Colonel Deering are gone, but also, your man, Hawk, knocked two of my men unconscious! I don't condone what happened any more than you do, Commissioner, but I'm certain we'll hear from them shortly with an explanation: It's a little too late for explanations: In addition to your fighter that I sent out after them, I've notified all major Earth installations: : : To start a search, both air and ground: They have orders to fire first and ask questions later: The place sure is gloomy in here: Well, that would explain what Crawford said about only coming here: : : From time to time to meet with his military advisors: It's ironic to think that when the holocaust hit, he never had a chance to get here: This is amazing: - Buck, what is it? - I don't know, Wilma: I have the strangest feeling: : : That I've been here before: But you said you never visited Mount Rushmore: I know: I know: I can't explain it: It's just that Buck, are you all right? - What is it? - Wilma, I have been here before: Don't either of you move: Captain Rogers, your unauthorized absence has seriously damaged: : : Your standing in the eyes of the court: Moreover, you have jeopardized two of your colleagues, who will undoubtedly be charged with aiding and abetting your escape: You now claim that some some: : : Hallucination you had: : : While on Earth is relevant to this case: : : And that you should be permitted another opportunity: : : To be tested through the O: E: L: Well, frankly, after having seen the testimony you've already given, I should think you would have had quite enough of the O: E: L: Your Honor, I don't know if further testimony will help to clear me: : : Or only serve to incriminate me further, but I'm convinced that what I experienced down at Mount Rushmore: : : Was a fragment of a deeply repressed memory: I have got to find out what that memory is, no matter how it affects the outcome of my case: General, this request is highly irregular: I move that it be denied: Captain, in view of the seriousness of the charges against you: : : And the fact that they carry a mandatory sentence of death, I will permit you to testify one last time: Thank you, Your Honor: You may proceed, Doctor: Your Honor, I'm not sure what period I should be concentrating on, so I'd like to go back a little further than we did before to the latter part of 1986, just before the meeting in General Myers's office: Very well: Captain, I'm sure you appreciate how serious a threat our country faces: Yes, sir, I do: The security of the entire nation: : : Rests on whether or not your plan succeeds: Precisely: That's why it's so important: : : That you fully understand the dangers involved: Think over our proposal: We're not holding you to any commitment: : : Until you've had some more time to consider it: We'll talk again in a few days: Very well, sir: General, what we've just witnessed is clearly the initial meeting: : : When Captain Rogers was being recruited into the conspiracy: Your Honor, please, allow me to continue: Let me go back a little further, before the conversation wejust saw: Captain Rogers is just stalling for time: - You may proceed, Captain: - Thank you, General: Come in, Captain: Come in: Don't be bashful: Very pleased to meet you, Captain Rogers: Your superiors have had nothing but good things to say about you: It's a pleasure meeting you, Mr: President: Sit down: I know you're wondering why you've been summoned here: I'm not gonna keep you on pins and needles: I'm gonna come directly to the point: Less than a week ago, Air Force Intelligence learned of a plan, or l: : : Should say a conspiracy: : : On the part of several high-ranking air force officers: : : To take control of our country's l: C: B: M: S: As near as we can learn, they intend to launch: : : A first strike against the other side: I see: Needless to say, we've got to learn: : : As much as possible about their plan and as quickly as we can: The best way to accomplish that is to have someone working on the inside, pretending to be one of them: The senior staff has considered several qualified officers for the job, but your name was at the top of the list: - Well, I'll do whatever needs to be done, Mr: President: - That's the answer we expected, Captain: There is one problem though, Mr: President: What? I don't know how convincing I'm gonna be as a fanatical coconspirator: We've already addressed ourselves to that problem, Captain: General Orr, will you fill Captain Rogers in on the details? Yes, Mr: President: In order to assure the realism of your performance, you'll be placed under a form of extremely deep hypnosis, during which time you'll be programmed, so to speak, to play the part of a conspirator: Everything you think, do and say will be utterly convincing: Not only to the people around you, but to yourself as well: Are you telling me that my personality will be completely transformed? Only for a temporary period: When the operation has ended, you'll be brought out of the hypnosis, and you'll not remember anything of the operation or of your part in it: That is for your own protection as well as for security reasons: We don't want the public becoming aware of this plot: : : Since it might trigger panic and hysteria: I understand that, sir: What will I remember of that period? You will be given a set of ordinary, routine memories: : : Through hypnotic suggestion: [President.]
You must understand, Captain, that you've got to stay with the group: : : Until we're absolutely certain we've identified everyone involved: Air Force Intelligence will monitor you every step of the way, filming your clandestine meetings: No worry about support: You'll be backed up all the way: Well, I haven't given you much of a Christmas present, Captain: But in a month or two, we'll have this thing cracked, and then we'll be able to start the new year: : : With a serious threat to world peace neutralized once and for all: Thank you, Mr: President: General: [People Murmuring.]
Commissioner, it would appear that we have come dangerously close: : : To presiding over a terrible miscarriage of justice: Bravo, Buck, my boy: Bravo! [Twiki.]
Nice going, Buck: [Laughs.]
Congratulations, Buck: Congratulations: Thank you: Thank you: Captain Rogers: I certainly would understand if you choose not to take my hand: But whether you do or do not, you have my deepest apologies: : : And sincerest congratulations: Fusion reactors are at full power, Admiral: And we're on course for Vega quadrant: Excellent: Go to plasma drive: Yes, sir: Buck, I thought you were getting some rest: I'm still a little too wound up to sleep, Admiral: I see we're leaving the solar system: Yes, we moved out of radio range almost two hours ago: Oh: You know, it's a shame: I guess we never will know how the holocaust started: At least we know how it didn't start: I always knew you were innocent, Buck: - Oh, yeah? How's that? - Robotic intuition: Robotic intuition? What in the devil is that? Well, it's sort of like feminine intuition, only more mechanical: Oh: You've been hanging around Crichton too long, Twiki:
Oh, if only your tact matched your powers of observation: [Mumbles.]
No No offense intended, you know? Mm-hmm: I just can't stand these things: You know, I'm really sorry that we're headed back for Vega quadrant: Stopping off for fuel and supplies on Earth was a nice change of pace: Mmm: [Woman On P: A:.]
Now hear this: The ship has been ordered back to Earth orbit: Oh: All personnel, report to duty stations: Captain Rogers, report to the hangar deck at once: That is all: We just left Earth orbit 12 hours ago: Maybe you won't have to face Vega quadrant after all: Yeah: [Woman On P: A:.]
Attention hangar deck: Prepare to receive Earth shuttle in one minute: What's going on, Admiral? Why are we headed back to Earth? Frankly, I don't know: We received orders to stand by to receive Commissioner Bergstrom of the AllianceJudiciary Council: Bergstrom? The war crimes prosecutor? That's the one: I thought his job was investigating interplanetary aggression and war crimes on a galactic scale: Why is he coming aboard the Searcher? Frankly, I don't know: Any more than I know why he requested that you be on the hangar deck when he arrived: [Woman On P: A:.]
Earth shuttle has docked: [Door Opens.]
Prepare to receive Commissioner Bergstrom and his party: Commissioner Bergstrom: This is indeed a great honor: Although, I must admit, a somewhat puzzling one: To what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting? I'm afraid the meeting will not be pleasurable, Admiral: I'm here on official business of utmost gravity: I see: Well, needless to say, I will do everything I can to assist you: - Captain Buck Rogers? - Yes, Commissioner? Under provisions of the Alliance War Crimes Act, you are hereby placed under close arrest: Captain! Arrest? What are the charges? All in good time: You will escort the captain to the wardroom: Yes, sir: Commissioner, I have a right to know what the charges are: Very well, Captain: TheJudiciary Council of Earth has decreed that you, Buck Rogers, be placed under arrest for suspicion of high treason: [Man Narrating.]
In the year of 1987, NASA launched the last of America's deep space probes: Aboard this compact starship, a lone astronaut, Captain William "Buck'"Rogers, was to experience cosmic forces beyond all comprehension: In a freak mishap, his life-support systems were frozen: : : By temperatures beyond imagination: Ranger 3 was blown out of its planned trajectory: : : Into an orbit 1,000 times more vast, an orbit which was to return Buck Rogers to Earth: : : Commissioner, as commander of this ship, I insist upon being told what this is all about: I don't believe that Captain Rogers could have possibly done anything: : : To warrant an investigation of treason: Everything will be made clear once the proceedings are underway, Admiral: Why don't you take a seat? [Hawk.]
I do not understand: [Bergstrom.]
Everyone please take their places: [Asimov.]
What you've heard is correct, Hawk: I don't understand it any more than you do: [Bergstrom.]
Bring in Captain Rogers: You'll sit here, please, Captain Rogers: - General Arnheim, I believe we're ready to proceed: - Very well, Commissioner: Under the provisions of Alliance law, this hearing is now convened: It is appropriate that this room affords us a view of the Earth: For it is the Earth which is the true plaintiff in today's proceedings: I need hardly remind you of the Earth's fragile beauty, of its tragic and terrible history: We all know that our planet has been scarred far too many times: : : By wars, famines and atrocities for me to have to recount them here: But without question, the most terrible of these tragedies: : : Was the nuclear holocaust of the late 20th century: : : Which reduced our beautiful planet to smoldering embers, laid waste to our gleaming cities and snuffed out the lives ofbillions, plunging our planet into a dark age: : : From which it has taken us centuries to emerge: If the Earth could speak, it would cry out: : : Against the sheer insanity of this wanton destruction, and it would demand that those responsible be identified and punished: But the instigators of Earth's Armageddon: : : Perished along with their innocent victims: So the blame was never fiixed: The scales ofjustice were never balanced: But today, more than 500 years after that horrible bloodletting, we are able to bring to account at least one of those responsible: There! There sits the man who, as much as anyone else, was responsible: : : For the nuclear holocaust which virtually destroyed the planet Earth Captain Buck Rogers! That's the most ridiculous accusation I've ever heard! [Gavel Bangs.]
- The defendant will return to his seat: - I demand to know the basis of your charges! Where's your evidence? I will not repeat myself: Return to your seat: You will see the evidence, Captain, right now: This lead box was recently unearthed in some newly found ruins: : : In what had been, in the late For the United States Air Force North American Air Command: These headquarters were located deep within a mountain: : : In what was then known as the Colorado Rockies: You'll notice that the box is badly charred: This is the result of the intense heat that it underwent: : : When the headquarters were destroyed by the nuclear holocaust: But the contents of the box survived unscathed: It's a videocassette: It was very common in the late 20th century, used to record images much as we do with laser holography today: If you will: [Beeps.]
[People Murmuring.]
- Jim Peterson: - Then you recognize this man, Captain Rogers? He was my best friend: It's November 22, 1987: I'm MajorJim Peterson, United States Air Force: Our country has just undergone a devastating nuclear attack: All major cities destroyed: The U: S: Counterattacked, but radar tells us: : : That the final enemy salvo that will finish us off is only minutes away: As a member of Air Force Intelligence, I've recently come into possession of top secret evidence a videotape that proves the attack was provoked: : : By the treasonous activities of certain fanatical U: S: Air Force officers: This film: : : Was taken secretly: : : By Air Force Intelligence: : : On January 8, 1987: The man who is about to speak: : : Is Lieutenant General Preston C: Myers, Vice Commander of the Tactical Air Command: Gentlemen, we'll make this meeting a brief one, since I think we're all in agreement: : : As to what needs to be done: Send Rogers in: Captain Rogers reporting as ordered, sir: - [Myers.]
Sit down, Captain: - [Buck.]
Yes, sir: By now you've had time to think over the project we mentioned last week: Yes, sir: I have: Good: I don't think I need to remind you that the present civilian administration: : : Has repeatedly backed down in the face of foreign provocations: It's allowed the other side to gain a dangerous superiority in tactical nuclear weapons: I agree, sir: I've given your plan a great deal of thought, General: I'm convinced that a preemptive nuclear strike is the only way: : : We'll ever eliminate the dangers that menace our country and our way of life: - [Myers.]
Then you're with us? - Yes, sir: [People Murmuring.]
There is one problem, however: A preemptive nuclear strike would require the simultaneous launching: : : Of every l: C: B: M: In our arsenal: That could not be ordered without having a master list: : : Of the top secret launch codes: Those codes are available only to the chief of staff and the president himself: Precisely, Captain, and that's where you come in: We want you to obtain those codes for us, so we can launch our strike before the year is out: [People Murmuring.]
How about it? Are you with us or not? - All the way, sir: - Good: You'll proceed at once: Anything you need for thejob will be placed at your disposal: Oh, uh, General Roberts tells me your main ambition: : : Is to fly the next deep space probe for NASA: That's correct, sir: Well, once we have those codes, I think that could be arranged: [Murmuring Continues.]
Thank you, sir: Is there anything else? That will be all, Captain: Colonel Turner will see you out: Thank you, General: I'm ashamed to say that Buck Rogers: : : Was my closest friend until I saw this tape: And the fact that he was lost six months ago, while flying that NASA mission he wanted so badly, may have been God's punishment for his treachery: I only regret that I grieve for him: As for the tape I'm making now, after I sign off, I'll: : : Place it in this box: My hope is that: : : Someday a survivor of this war: : : Or a descendent of a survivor: : : Will find it and learn what really happened that our world was blown to bits by traitors and madmen: [Murmuring Continues.]
These will be the last words I ever speak: Good-bye: And I pray that mankind: : : Somehow survives this insanity: It wasn't that way, Jim: It couldn't have been: General, we have seen incontrovertible proof: : : That Captain Buck Rogers conspired with others: : : To plan the nuclear holocaust which virtually destroyed the planet Earth: I move that this tape recording: : : Be grounds for formal indictment ofhigh treason: [People Murmuring.]
[Wilma.]
I don't believe it: Motion granted: It can't be true: [Arnheim.]
Captain Rogers, you stand charged with high treason: You will be permitted, of course, to offer testimony in your own defense, and defense counsel will be appointed if you wish it: However, I must warn you: If the charges against you are sustained, the law requires a mandatory sentence of death: [Murmuring Continues.]
We shall reconvene at 0900 tomorrow, at which time you may speak in your own defense: [Gavel Bangs.]
Buck? Buck! [Buck.]
Come in: Kind of dark in here, isn't it? Buck If you're here for the standard pep talk, Wilma, forget it: There's got to be a logical explanation for what we saw: Maybe it wasn't you: Maybe it was someone impersonating you: Come on, Wilma: You know me better than anyone alive: You know it was me! What I can't figure out is how it could have been: I do not remember any of those things ever happening to me: I don't remember even meeting those generals, much less being a coconspirator with them: You know something? As much as this charge of treason hurts, something else hurts even more: What's that? The best friend I ever had: : : Died thinking I betrayed him and his country: [Sighs.]
Well Look at me: [Chuckles.]
All broken up over someone who's been dead for over 500 years: [Sighs.]
- It's crazy: - No, it's not: Buck, I want you to know something: No matter what happens, no matter how this thing turns out, there's no man I've ever respected more: Thank you: Now, I am not going to let you: : : Walk into that hearing tomorrow and run up a white flag: We're going to figure out why you don't remember: : : What you saw on those tapes: And if we can do that, then maybe we can explain how those things happened: Terrific: You have any idea how you're gonna do all that? No: But Dr: Goodfellow might: He said he was gonna work on a hypothesis: Why don't we go find out what he's come up with? Oh, yeah, why don't we just take a run down to the lab: : : And talk to Dr: Goodfellow, right? You're forgetting that I'm a prisoner here: I'm the arch villain of the millennium: I can't just go traipsing through the halls of this ship willy-nilly: Well, I talked to General Arnheim and the admiral, and they said you can go anywhere you like on this ship: : : As long as you're accompanied by an officer: And guess what? I'm an officer: [Buck.]
Well, I wish I could share your optimism, Doctor, but: : : Not only do I not remember what was on those videotapes, but a lot of what I do remember is sketchy, to say the least: Well, that's hardly surprising, my dear boy: It was only a few months later you were frozen: : : In your space capsule for 500 years: Your memory of events immediately preceding was undoubtedly affected: : : To a considerable degree: Yes, which makes it a bit difficult to account for my activities: You know, one thing that really bothers me, Doctor, is that, well, the fact that I could be guilty of what they're accusing me of: - Buck, you can't mean that: - I don't know: I don't know: I mean, I find it difficult to believe that I'm guilty of treason: But, well, I was worried about the possibility of an attack on our country: Doctor, isn't there something we can do to help Buck remember: : : What happened during that time? Well, of course there is, my dear: The Optical Engram Imager: After all, it's helped us on other occasions: : : When it's been necessary to probe the recesses of someone's mind: Why not in this instance? I thought evidence obtained through an O: E: L: Was not admissible in court: [Crichton.]
Au contraire, Colonel: Recent amendments to the evidentiary code permit O: E: L: Testimony: : : To be admitted as evidence if the defendant in the case so chooses: Mmm: Well, you learn something new every day: I should certainly hope so, Captain: Why, Twiki, what brings you to my laboratory, eh? Hello, Doctor: Hello, Wilma: I've come to see Buck: This is for you, Buck: Well, thank you, Twiki: What is it? A petition of support: Everyone on the ship signed it from the admiral right down to the gang in the engine room: Well, thank you, Twiki: This means a lot to me: We're all behind you, Buck: We know you're innocent: Let's just hope the O: E: L: Proves that in court tomorrow: There we are then: I think that's it: Is it comfortable for you, Buck? That's fine, Doctor: Good: Good: Switch it on: [Muttering.]
We're ready to proceed, Mr: Commissioner: Thank you: [Bergstrom.]
Lights, please: According to the evidence that we saw yesterday, the treasonous activities that you are accused of: : : Were planned in January of 1987: I want you to concentrate: Think back to that time: Show the court what you remember of that period: Uh, nothing: : : Out of the ordinary: - Everything seems pretty routine: - Concentrate, Captain! We are interested only in those memories relevant to the charges: Mount Rushmore? I don't know why that flashed through my head: I've never even been there: Come, you'll have to do better than that, Captain: It was you who asked to testify through the O: E: L: So far, your memories haven't touched on the case: : : Or even on anything that might prove your innocence: Wait a minute: Wait a minute: Something's coming: Good morning, Colonel: Morning: You got the things I need? Yeah: Here it is: It's fully automatic, with an infrared flash: You can take pictures in total darkness if you have to: Undetected: Nothing but the best, huh? Anything for a good cause: And this little gem: : : Gets you into the safe: It's computerized, with a digital readout: You just twirl that combination knob and this baby does the rest: What'll they think of next? Have you figured out how to get into that crypto room yet? I'm working on it: I should be able to come up with something by next week: I'm glad you're with us: General Myers couldn't have picked a better man: Good luck: Thank you, sir: - I don't remember any of that: - You don't remember meeting that colonel? - Well, l l I think I knew him, but - You knew him:! What I mean is, I seem to remember knowing him, but I don't recall ever having a meeting like that: But isn't it possible, if you knew him, that such a meeting might have taken place? Yes, it's possible: This farce has gone on long enough, General: Captain Rogers has convicted himself with his own memories: I demand that a verdict be rendered: I repeat, General: The prosecution demands that a verdict be rendered: Commissioner, I must remind you that the defendant has a right: : : To continue testifying if he so chooses: Captain, although you may continue if you wish, I hardly need to point out that your O: E: L: Testimony: : : Is hurting your case rather than helping it: - Do you want to proceed? - Yes, Your Honor, I do, in the hopes that further testimony might help explain what we've already seen: If nothing else, I owe it to my friends aboard this ship who believe in me: Very well, Captain: Proceed, Doctor: All right, Captain: Once again, I'm going to ask you: : : To think about those weeks in January, allowing your mind to settle on images: : : Which somehow might relate to the matters at hand: Try to give us something relevant, Captain: No, nothing yet: Wait a minute: Wait a minute: I'm getting something: I feel like I've been walking guard duty all night: [Man #2.]
Relief should be here in 10 minutes: [Man #1.]
No kidding: - [Alarm Wailing.]
- What was it? Sounded like a grenade! Check the perimeter! [Alarm Continues.]
[Man On P: A:.]
Code blue: Code blue: Security has been breached: Repeat Someone's been inside the area: They blew up a jeep: Secure the perimeter: Yes, sir! [Man On P: A:.]
Code blue procedure is now in effect: [P: A: Continues, Indistinct.]
All other personnel, report to alert stations: All other personnel, report to alert stations: This is not a drill: Automatic se Code blue: Code blue: [Coughing.]
Code blue: Security has been breached: [Coughing.]
All personnel, report to alert stations: [Alarm Continues.]
Automatic security measures now in effect: This is not a drill: Levels "A" through "Z," initiate fire retardant procedures: I repeat, Levels "A" through "Z," initiate fire retardant procedures: All fireproof doors are to be closed and exhaust fans deployed: All fireproof doors are to be closed and exhaust fans deployed: We are in a code blue situation: Repeat, this is a code blue situation: [Coughing.]
All personnel, report to alert stations: All personnel, report to Air police! Open up! [P: A: Continues, Indistinct.]
Are we under attack, sir? Sir, this room is off limits: Can it, Sergeant: Everybody out: This building may go any second: I'm sorry, sir: I have my orders: This code room cannot be left unattended: Sergeant, I have my orders as well: They are to evacuate this building before anyone is killed: Now, do I have to arrest you to accomplish that? [Sighs.]
No, sir: Let's go: [P: A: Continues, Alarm Continues.]
Move! [Man On P: A:.]
All personnel will don protective masks as required: All personnel will don protective masks as required: Code blue: Code blue: Security has [Ticking.]
[Door Opens.]
[Camera Shutter Clicking.]
[Clicking Continues.]
We will recess for lunch: The hearing will be reconvened at 1400 hours: [Gavel Bangs.]
Doctor, I have absolutely no memory: : : Of any of those things ever happening to me: None of them! Is it possible that that machine could be wrong? I'm sorry, Buck, truly sorry, but the possibility of the O: E: L: Being wrong is absolutely nil: All right: Thanks anyway, Doc: Good luck, my dear boy: Well, looks like it's all true: - Apparently I am a traitor: - I still find that hard to believe: - As do l: - Yeah, well, I don't know what I believe: Buck, I'vejust spoken with General Arnheim: The judges feel that no further testimony is necessary: They intend to announce a verdict when we reconvene in an hour: Well, that's it then: I'm sorry, Buck, truly sorry: That's all right, Admiral: I understand: Well, um, I guess I'd better be getting back to the bridge: Buck, are you all right? I don't know: I just: : : Had a sharp image of: : : Mount Rushmore: It was like when I was hooked up on the O: E: L:, only: : : The image was so powerful that it it actually hurt: Buck: I just had it again: A sharp, clear image of Mount Rushmore: I don't understand: Wait, wait, wait: These mental images of Mount Rushmore They must mean something: - But what? - [Hawk.]
I do not know: They began when the O: E: L: Was probing Buck's mind, displaying memories so suppressed, you did not even know they were in your brain: Hawk, you've got a point: What if somehow, somewhere those images of Mount Rushmore tie in with the other images? It could be the key to them all: The answer is obvious: You must go to Mount Rushmore: Your presence there could trigger a full recollection: : : Of what happened, of what the images mean: You can take Wilma with you as a witness to what you discover: Hawk, we'd never get there: Once we left the ship, we'd be pursued and caught in no time: Permit me: : : To take care of that: [Buck.]
So far so good, Wilma: There's no sign of pursuit: [Wilma.]
For both our sakes, I hope Hawk's theory is right: There's a starfighter on our tail: It's mine: [Man On Radio.]
Captain Rogers, I have orders to shoot you down: : : If you don't return to the Searcher at once: [Buck.]
I'll try to outrun him: He's getting closer, Wilma: He's zeroing in: [Beeping.]
Starfighter, this is Hawk: Release your controls, or I'll rip your ship apart: - Controls released: - Hawk, what took you so long? - We almost had our tickets punched: - I had to deal with some marines: : : Who seemed to object to my taking off: I will take this one to a safe landing spot and release him: I do not think he will trouble you further: Buck, good luck: [Buck On Radio.]
Thank you, Hawk: Mount Rushmore, here we come: World's greatest sculpture began in 1928: It's quite a sight, isn't it? Yeah: I also read that, except for the pyramids of ancient Egypt: : : And the Aztec ruins in Mexico, it's the only man-made thing still standing since the holocaust: Hello there: Can I help you folks? Crawford's the name: I'm the caretaker here: Well, Mr: Crawford, we'd like to take a look around the mountain: Would you, really? Not many folks come up here this time of the year: I suppose you wanna see the president's bunker: The president's bunker? Well, most folks haven't heard about it: Back in 1986, the president of the United States: : : Decided he needed a special bombproof headquarters: : : In case a nuclear war broke out: So he had a special chamber built right inside Mount Rushmore, directly below the sculptures of the other presidents: Mr: Crawford, I'd really like to see that chamber: Fine by me, friend: I'll tell you how to get to it: I trusted you, Admiral Asimov: This lapse of security is utterly inexcusable: Need I remind you, sir, you are aboard my ship: If you had put an armed guard on Rogers from the beginning, when I asked you to, he would never have been able to leave this ship! As it stands, not only he and Colonel Deering are gone, but also, your man, Hawk, knocked two of my men unconscious! I don't condone what happened any more than you do, Commissioner, but I'm certain we'll hear from them shortly with an explanation: It's a little too late for explanations: In addition to your fighter that I sent out after them, I've notified all major Earth installations: : : To start a search, both air and ground: They have orders to fire first and ask questions later: The place sure is gloomy in here: Well, that would explain what Crawford said about only coming here: : : From time to time to meet with his military advisors: It's ironic to think that when the holocaust hit, he never had a chance to get here: This is amazing: - Buck, what is it? - I don't know, Wilma: I have the strangest feeling: : : That I've been here before: But you said you never visited Mount Rushmore: I know: I know: I can't explain it: It's just that Buck, are you all right? - What is it? - Wilma, I have been here before: Don't either of you move: Captain Rogers, your unauthorized absence has seriously damaged: : : Your standing in the eyes of the court: Moreover, you have jeopardized two of your colleagues, who will undoubtedly be charged with aiding and abetting your escape: You now claim that some some: : : Hallucination you had: : : While on Earth is relevant to this case: : : And that you should be permitted another opportunity: : : To be tested through the O: E: L: Well, frankly, after having seen the testimony you've already given, I should think you would have had quite enough of the O: E: L: Your Honor, I don't know if further testimony will help to clear me: : : Or only serve to incriminate me further, but I'm convinced that what I experienced down at Mount Rushmore: : : Was a fragment of a deeply repressed memory: I have got to find out what that memory is, no matter how it affects the outcome of my case: General, this request is highly irregular: I move that it be denied: Captain, in view of the seriousness of the charges against you: : : And the fact that they carry a mandatory sentence of death, I will permit you to testify one last time: Thank you, Your Honor: You may proceed, Doctor: Your Honor, I'm not sure what period I should be concentrating on, so I'd like to go back a little further than we did before to the latter part of 1986, just before the meeting in General Myers's office: Very well: Captain, I'm sure you appreciate how serious a threat our country faces: Yes, sir, I do: The security of the entire nation: : : Rests on whether or not your plan succeeds: Precisely: That's why it's so important: : : That you fully understand the dangers involved: Think over our proposal: We're not holding you to any commitment: : : Until you've had some more time to consider it: We'll talk again in a few days: Very well, sir: General, what we've just witnessed is clearly the initial meeting: : : When Captain Rogers was being recruited into the conspiracy: Your Honor, please, allow me to continue: Let me go back a little further, before the conversation wejust saw: Captain Rogers is just stalling for time: - You may proceed, Captain: - Thank you, General: Come in, Captain: Come in: Don't be bashful: Very pleased to meet you, Captain Rogers: Your superiors have had nothing but good things to say about you: It's a pleasure meeting you, Mr: President: Sit down: I know you're wondering why you've been summoned here: I'm not gonna keep you on pins and needles: I'm gonna come directly to the point: Less than a week ago, Air Force Intelligence learned of a plan, or l: : : Should say a conspiracy: : : On the part of several high-ranking air force officers: : : To take control of our country's l: C: B: M: S: As near as we can learn, they intend to launch: : : A first strike against the other side: I see: Needless to say, we've got to learn: : : As much as possible about their plan and as quickly as we can: The best way to accomplish that is to have someone working on the inside, pretending to be one of them: The senior staff has considered several qualified officers for the job, but your name was at the top of the list: - Well, I'll do whatever needs to be done, Mr: President: - That's the answer we expected, Captain: There is one problem though, Mr: President: What? I don't know how convincing I'm gonna be as a fanatical coconspirator: We've already addressed ourselves to that problem, Captain: General Orr, will you fill Captain Rogers in on the details? Yes, Mr: President: In order to assure the realism of your performance, you'll be placed under a form of extremely deep hypnosis, during which time you'll be programmed, so to speak, to play the part of a conspirator: Everything you think, do and say will be utterly convincing: Not only to the people around you, but to yourself as well: Are you telling me that my personality will be completely transformed? Only for a temporary period: When the operation has ended, you'll be brought out of the hypnosis, and you'll not remember anything of the operation or of your part in it: That is for your own protection as well as for security reasons: We don't want the public becoming aware of this plot: : : Since it might trigger panic and hysteria: I understand that, sir: What will I remember of that period? You will be given a set of ordinary, routine memories: : : Through hypnotic suggestion: [President.]
You must understand, Captain, that you've got to stay with the group: : : Until we're absolutely certain we've identified everyone involved: Air Force Intelligence will monitor you every step of the way, filming your clandestine meetings: No worry about support: You'll be backed up all the way: Well, I haven't given you much of a Christmas present, Captain: But in a month or two, we'll have this thing cracked, and then we'll be able to start the new year: : : With a serious threat to world peace neutralized once and for all: Thank you, Mr: President: General: [People Murmuring.]
Commissioner, it would appear that we have come dangerously close: : : To presiding over a terrible miscarriage of justice: Bravo, Buck, my boy: Bravo! [Twiki.]
Nice going, Buck: [Laughs.]
Congratulations, Buck: Congratulations: Thank you: Thank you: Captain Rogers: I certainly would understand if you choose not to take my hand: But whether you do or do not, you have my deepest apologies: : : And sincerest congratulations: Fusion reactors are at full power, Admiral: And we're on course for Vega quadrant: Excellent: Go to plasma drive: Yes, sir: Buck, I thought you were getting some rest: I'm still a little too wound up to sleep, Admiral: I see we're leaving the solar system: Yes, we moved out of radio range almost two hours ago: Oh: You know, it's a shame: I guess we never will know how the holocaust started: At least we know how it didn't start: I always knew you were innocent, Buck: - Oh, yeah? How's that? - Robotic intuition: Robotic intuition? What in the devil is that? Well, it's sort of like feminine intuition, only more mechanical: Oh: You've been hanging around Crichton too long, Twiki: