Buck Rogers in the 25th Century s02e08 Episode Script
The Crystals
There's plenty of volcanic action down there: Looks good: How about it, Wilma? Anything on your readout? The planet is called Phibocetes: My information tells me that it's uninhabited: If Dr: Goodfellow's theory is correct: : : We're almost certain to find Therbidian crystals in all that lava and ash: Let's hope the good doctor knows what he's talking about: Searcher, this is Rogers: Go ahead, Captain Rogers: Phibocetes looks promising: We're going to touch down and check it out: How's everything going up there? Well, the ship is still without power, Buck, although we're not drifting anymore thanks to the retrostabilizers: But, as you know, their fuel supply is limited: They can't last forever: Looks like we're coming up on somejungle: Taking her in for a landing: Rogers out: [Wilma.]
It's like a fairyland beautiful, yet strange: [Hawk.]
This must be how the Earth looked before the dawn of animal life: I will look over there: [Buck.]
As good a place as any: [Hawk.]
This entire area is heavily covered with volcanic ash: We must look carefully: The ground fog may obscure the crystals: Over here: Oh: Wonder what we've got here Therbidian? Well, we'll see: Ha: Therbidian crystal: No doubt about it: I see no more: Yeah, but at least we know they're here: Yes: Probably under the ash: We'll set up a mining operation uh, camp over here: What's that over there? What in the world? Any idea what this is? A mummy? Whatever it is now, it had to be a humanoid of some kind once: Yeah: Well, we won't know anything for sure until we get this back aboard the Searcher and let Dr: Goodfellow look at it: Buck, look at these: More Therbidian crystals: Well, that settles it: Let's get this thing back onboard the Searcher and get this mining operation set up: We can build a travois out of tree limbs: That's a good idea: Let's do it: [Soft Growling.]
[Man Narrating.]
In the year 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: : : Can you imagine how Dr: Goodfellow's gonna react when he takes a look at this? Yeah: He'll flip: Flip? Means he'll be delighted: Twentieth-century jargon: Are you ready? [Grunting.]
Do you think the recent volcanic eruptions brought this thing to the surface? It's a possibility: I'd like to know where this thing came from in the first place: You don't suppose that poor mummy: : : Was an ancient ruler who chose this planet for his tomb, do you? I don't know: It could be: Shh: What is it? In the trees something moved: But Phibocetes is supposed to be uninhabited: I am certain I saw movement: Let's go have a look: [Twig Snaps.]
Did you hear that? [Raspy Breathing.]
[Soft Growling.]
Perhaps my eyes were deceiving me: I don't think so: Take a look at this: It's freshly broken: Something was here: Something very shy: : : Or very cunning: Yeah: Well, whatever it was, it's outfoxed us: [Sighs.]
Let's get on back to the shuttle: All right: What the [Buck.]
It's unbelievable: The door's just ripped open: The mummy's gone: Someone broke in: No: The door was forced from the inside: You know the strength it took to break that door out like that? It must have injured itself getting out: Look at this: - Blood: - We better take a sample for Dr: Goodfellow: That's a good idea: Maybe it'll give us some kind of clue as to what we're up against down here: Hawk, we're gonna need a crew for the mining operation anyway: : Why don't you take these blood samples back to Dr: Goodfellow on board the Searcher: : : And also the: : : Crystals: They're gone: Let us go outside and look: The harness it's been torn to shreds: How? You are not planning on staying behind while we return to the Searcher: Sure: That way I can get everything set up: : : And we can get started as soon as you get back: Look, we don't have time to waste: The Searcher is hanging up there with dead engines: But, Buck, it'll take a full day to get the team and equipment together: You'll be all alone: Not quite: The thing that tore through the door will be here with you: Hawk's right: You can't stay: Look, I'll be just fine, all right? Now, um, get moving, will ya? Time's a-wastin', as they say: Be aware, Buck: - Where'd you come from? - Are you angry because I am here? No, no: I'm not angry, just surprised: Oh: Uh, who are you? What's your name? What is your name? My name is Buck Rogers: My name will be Buck Rogers too: [Chuckles.]
All right: Uh, where'd you come from? How'd you got here? [Gasps.]
Look! Aren't they beautiful? Do you like them, Buck Rogers? Yes: They're very pretty: I give it to you: Thank you: What do I do with them? Look at it: All right: Now you can look at it as much as you like: Ah: That's very pretty, but you still haven't told me how you got here or where you came from: I do not know: You mean you don't remember? Oh, it's all right: Just, uh, why don't you tell me what you do remember? I remember walking through the trees: : : And how cold I was when it was dark: I found some berries! Do you like berries, Buck Rogers? [Chuckles.]
How long have you been here? Can you remember that? - Two days: - Two days, huh? You are displeased with me: No, no: No: No, of course not! No, no: No, it's just, well, you had two days with no memory of them: Uh, it sounds a little like amnesia: Now, look, um, maybe you crashed on this planet, and you you walked away from the wreckage before you had regained your senses, huh? - That is what happened: - You mean you remember now? I remember as you tell me how it was: That pleases you, does it not? [Chuckles.]
Well, I was just guessing: Now that we have found each other, you will tell me many things, Buck Rogers and I will listen and learn, for that is the way it is ordained: You know, I can't go around calling you "Buck Rogers" all the time: I'm gonna have to find a name for you: How about "Laura"? Yes! Laura! [Chuckles.]
Right: How about "Susan"? I bet you like that too, right? Yes! Susan: You're gonna have to choose: Now which is it gonna be, Laura or Susan? You choose for me: I want the one you choose: All right: Um: : : Laura: Oh, thank you, Buck Rogers! Ask me what my name is: [Clears Throat.]
What's your name, stranger? My name is Laura: Isn't it a beautiful name? [Chuckles.]
It's the prettiest name I ever heard: [Dr: Goodfellow.]
Remarkable:! Look: Isn't that amazing? [Wilma.]
I can't even read it: The patterns are changing so fast: Precisely the point, my dear: Do you know, at first, I thought the mummy creature's blood: : : Was simply a genetic variant on human blood: But not so: Not so at all: It's fairly exploding with evolutionary development: But at that rate of change It doesn't seem possible: Indeed: But the hemokinesis behind that rate of change is astounding: - Oh, Crichton: - Yes, Dr: Goodfellow? Would you kindly do something for me? Interface with the ship's archives: : : And research the distant past of the planet Phibocetes: Oh, really, Doctor: That section of the archives is like an old, dusty attic, electronically speaking: All that ancient material stored away in binary code so cumbersome! He's his usual miserable self this morning: Crichton! Oh, very well, Doctor: Doctor: Huh? What kind of creature would display such a rapid rate of genetic change? Oh, I have no idea, Hawk, but it's going to be fascinating to find out: Launch bay, how's the loading coming? [Man.]
All mining equipment has been stowed, Colonel: The field lab is being loaded now: You can launch in three minutes: We're on our way: We'll keep in touch, Doctor: Thank you: Thank you: [Chirping.]
I wish I could go with 'em: Oh, my dear fellow, we need you to keep Crichton in line, so to speak: - He does listen to you on occasion: - But very few occasions: He's far from an obedient son: Obedient son? Oh, yes: I see: Yes: Good for you, little fella: So, have you been able to remember anything else? I'm trying: I'm sorry, Buck Rogers: There's no need to be sorry: [Raspy Breathing.]
Give it some time: You'll get your memory back: Oh: I'm so happy: Now that we are together, everything will be wonderful: [Chuckles.]
I think I've created an optimist here: [Growling.]
[Growling Continues.]
[Growling Subsides.]
What on earth? Laura, this is Wilma and Hawk: Hello: My name is Laura: Buck Rogers gave it to me: I think she has amnesia: She doesn't remember who she is or how she got here nothing before two days ago: She was who you saw in the woods yesterday: - What about the mummy? - Oh, we heard it last night, but we haven't seen it: If she does have amnesia, maybe we can help: Hawk, would you mind taking the shuttle back to the Searcher: : : And asking Dr: Goodfellow to assemble an optical imager: Optical imager? Yes: It's an instrument that will help us probe her memory: - Yeah: All right: - [Hawk.]
Consider it done: But I am not at all sure I like leaving you here: We'll be fine, Hawk: We have a small army here: We're all armed: We can cope: Very well: I will also ask the admiral to run a verification on ships lost in this area: Good idea: [Wilma.]
I know it's scary not being able to remember, but you really shouldn't worry: Amnesia is almost never permanent, Laura: At least that's what I remember from my medical courses at NavCom: NavCom? It's a school where astro-officers are trained for space flight: We all have to depend on one another in so many different situations, some medical knowledge is a must: But let's talk about you, your family: - Family? - Yes, your family: They must be terribly concerned about you: But what is a family? Well, how's the checkup coming? Uh, so far, so good: I've taken a blood sample: : : And we should have an analysis in a minute: Mm: How about you, huh? How's your memory? Has it come back? Uh, not yet, but once we do an O: E: L: On Laura, we should pretty well know who she is and where she comes from: O: E: L:? Oh, hey: There's nothing to be afraid about: O: E: L: May sound terrible, but the worst it can do is give you a bit of a tickle: Mm: Smile now: [Beeps.]
Excuse me a second: [Softly.]
Is, uh, something wrong? Um, I'm not sure, Buck: The results of the analysis Hey:! Stop:! [Mummy Growling, Laser Blasts.]
What happened? It tried to grab me jumped at me from behind: I spotted a cluster ofTherbidian crystals, bent down to dig them up, and something grabbed me: What did it look like? I never saw its face, but it's grotesque: Whatever it was, I sure don't want to see it again: It ran off that way: All right: Wilma, take Laura back to her tent, make sure she's well guarded: Johnson, come with me: Well, Crichton: Crichton Now, what's the matter with you? Crichton! Listen to me: Have you made any progress? I've got to report back to Buck and Colonel Deering: Really, Doctor: I am sifting this mountain of moldy minutiae: : : Just as fast as possible: This is exacting research and as such, it must not be rushed: Well, there's no need to be officious about it: Humans! Hmph! You really do try my patience at times: [Buck.]
Nothing: Just a few broken branches: How's everything around here? Quiet? Mm-hmm: Okay: I want an armed guard around the perimeter of the camp at all times: Lee, you start first: Yes, sir: - Hall, you feel like going back to work? - I'm okay: Let's go: Okay: By the way, how are you getting along with Laura? Well, I can't seem to reach her: You do seem to be her favorite: Well, I've known her longer: And don't worry: You'll win her over: Yeah: You were gonna tell me something about this analysis before all that happened: [Exhales Deeply.]
I don't know: I can't seem to accept what I find here: Now, why is that? Well, Laura's blood sample and the creature's they analyze precisely alike: What? Well, you better have that analyzer fixed: There's no way that Laura's blood and that creature's could be the same: [Wilma.]
The analyzer's fine: Their characteristics they're identical, right down to the D: N: A: Structure: [Buck.]
If that's right, then Well, then how could Laura look different than the creature? I don't know: Technically, it shouldn't be possible: Dr: Goodfellow has Crichton searching the archives: Maybe they'll come up with something: [Chattering.]
[Chattering Continues.]
[Raspy Breathing.]
[Laughs.]
It's true: [Growling Softly.]
[Raspy Breathing.]
[Growls.]
[Raspy Breathing.]
[Low Growl.]
[Laura Screaming.]
[Creature Growls.]
[Screaming Continues.]
Wait:! Don't shoot:! You might hit the girl:! - [Growling.]
- Come on! Keep after him: Move! You're all right: You're all right: [Sobbing.]
You're safe: Okay: I'll take you back to camp: Johnson! You all right? I think so: That thing some kind of of monster: Let's get him to the medical tent: Here we are: This will help calm you: Drink it up: That's enough: He was out, Captain: That thing almost crushed him: [Hall.]
He may have some broken ribs: Hall, we need two men on alert from now on: - Right, Captain: - Take him over there: Wilma: [Man.]
Captain:! The crystals are gone: It took the box: All of'em we'd mined? Yes, sir: Every last one: [Sighs.]
All right: All right, get back on guard duty: Yes, sir: [Man.]
Admiral Asimov: Yes? Should I call Captain Rogers? No: If he has any news, he'll call us: The retrostabilizers are beginning to waver: They're going to give out, and we'll be drifting again: Even if they worked forever, Admiral, without the crystals, we would still be hanging here, dead in space: I know, Hawk, I know: We've got to have those crystals: Oh, does Dr: Goodfellow have the optical imager assembled yet? He predicts by morning: Tsk: Uh, let me see how far he has progressed: Yeah: [Raspy Breathing.]
I don't understand: The monster let her go, but took the crystals: Why? Look at the risk it took: It's almost an obsession: Hmm: [High-pitched Whining.]
Sir: Yes? The Federation Tracking Command reports no lost ships anywhere in the vicinity of Phibocetes: Well, then how could the girl have gotten there? She had to come from someplace: And records for the last three centuries show Phibocetes to be uninhabited: [Clears Throat.]
Now hear this: I have a significant announcement to make: I have discovered a lost race on Phibocetes: We should simultaneously transmit what I am about to show you: : : To Captain Rogers and Colonel Deering, since it bears directly on their situation: Lieutenant Martin: I'll raise them: Yeah: [Admiral.]
Buck? Colonel Deering? - Yeah, Admiral: Go ahead: - Crichton has a report to make: I have uncovered evidence of a lost race on Phibocetes: Observe: You are looking at a Phibocetes male: : : Of an indeterminate period preceding the 22nd century: : : Taken from ancient microtransparencies: This is the first of two stages ofhis devolution: The second stage: : : And the final: A remarkable catagenesis through which they degenerate: It looks exactly like the creature that invaded our camp: It is possible the degeneration is produced: : : By a factor peculiar to Phibocetes a virus, perhaps: Crichton, if these people disappeared from Phibocetes over 300 years ago, how do you explain this one apparently coming back to life? I do not have that information: Well, then would you please go back to the archives and get it? We need all the information we can on this planet: I hear: I obey: Is there anything else either of you want or need from the Searcher? Yes: When is the O: E: L: Arriving, sir? It is being assembled, and Hawk will no doubt arrive with it first thing tomorrow morning: Oh, and incidentally, Buck, there have been no ships lost in your area: [Buck.]
Okay, Admiral: Thanks: Rogers out: [Exhales Deeply.]
So Laura didn't crash here, and her blood matches the other creature's: Does that mean she's gonna change too turn into some kind of monster? What about us? If it is a virus that's responsible, are we going to catch it? Degenerate into a thing like the one out there? [Raspy Breathing.]
There's nothing to be afraid of: This is an electronic scan that's going to help us bring your memory back: Isn't that wonderful? Oh, Buck Rogers: I'm glad you are here: Well, so am l: I wouldn't miss this first step toward getting your memory back for anything: Wilma will take very good care of you, and I'll be sitting right over there, okay? Okay: You all right? All right: We'll get started now: Here we go: [Beeps.]
Think about the very first time you saw each of us: Very good, Laura: And now, later on: Now, let's go back to the day before our ship first arrived: Fine, Laura: Fine: And three days before that? Now think of people you went to school with: All right, Laura, um, try thinking about someone you were very close to when you were a little girl, um, like a friend or a sister: [Wilma.]
How about your mother? [Laura.]
My mother? Yes, that's right: The lady who took care of you when you were a little girl: [Gasps.]
Why are you all looking at me like that? Get them out of here: All right: Let us go: Let us go: Don't worry about it: It was just a malfunction of the machine: It's okay: There's nothing nothing wrong: It's all right: [Chattering.]
Laura, no! [Grunting.]
Let go of it: Laura, let go of it: - What happened? - She tried to attack Hall with this: [Wilma.]
She seems to be in some kind of a trance: I don't think she's conscious of what's going on: [Buck.]
Take her back to your tent, Wilma quickly: - Hall, you all right? - Yes, Captain thanks to Hawk: Take those crystals to the shuttle, all right? Yeah: Get those crystals back on board the Searcher as quickly as possible: [Sighs.]
Is she all right? Well, she fell asleep instantly not even aware of what she tried to do: What are we gonna do with you, Laura? What are we gonna do? I don't understand how the crystals could exert such an influence over her: I don't think the crystals have anything to do with it: They don't affect us that way, and we're exposed to them every day on the ship: Buck Rogers? How do you feel? I feel strange: What is happening to me? I think you know something about me that I don't know myself: I am frightened: You are the one to tell me: I have no one else: - Please? - Laura, don't be frightened: We'll help you: I heard you talking before about my blood: And those men talking Is it true, Buck Rogers? Am I the same as that thing in the trees? Is it ordained I am to become like that? No! Oh, Buck Rogers, I will lose you if I become one of them! I can't bear to lose you! I won't let it happen! I won't! I'd rather die! Laura! Laura! [Sighs.]
[High-pitched Whining.]
Sir, Crichton, uh, said he's on his way up: He has something important to say: Crichton considers everything he says to be important: I just can't believe he's my son: [Chirping.]
What's the matter, Crichton? Cat got your enunciator circuits, hmm? Twiki, what I am about to say will be humiliating enough: : : Without having to endure your feeble attempts at wit: Skip the preamble: What is it you wanted to tell us? I have made a mistake: I don't believe it: I reversed the evolutionary process of the Phibocetes male: The images which I screened for you were in reverse order: You mean they start out as a sort of monster and then evolve to the normal man? Precisely, Admiral: You see, I discovered that the colony established on Phibocetes 400 years ago: : : Came originally from Earth: An Earth colony? That is correct: Genetic engineers altered the D: N: A: Structure of the colonists: : : And used light refracted through Therbidian crystals: : : To activate their life force: - But why would they do that? - To ensure an efficient means of reproduction: : : That would do away with such vulnerable stages: : : As pregnancy, infancy and childhood, Admiral: Twiki, see if you can find Dr: Goodfellow: We need him up here at once: Yes, sir: Laura! [Laura Sobbing.]
[Sobbing Continues.]
Laura! I won't turn into that creature, Buck Rogers! I won't! I'd rather die! Hush: Now, hush: Now, just take a look at yourself: Look at yourself: Look at your hands: Look at your body: You're beautiful: And you'll always be beautiful: But the machine said Never mind what that machine said: You once said it was ordained: : : That whatever I told you, you'd listen: Well, I'm telling you something right now: Everything's gonna be all right: Mm? Come on: Come on: Mm? [High-pitched Whining.]
Oh, I see: Then it was a massive volcanic eruption that destroyed the colony, not the genetic engineering? That is correct, Doctor: Oh, no: Crichton, I've got an idea: Show us those transparencies again if you please: Yes: And get them in the right order this time: [Crichton.]
This was the early stage of their existence: Since they had superhuman strength and tended toward violence, during this phase they were intended to be supervised: This is the final form in which they remained throughout their life span: They were fabricated, full-sized, from D: N: A: : : : With all cultural information encoded in their genes: They were packaged, so to speak, in this form: : : To await activation by light from the Therbidian crystals: Did you hear that, Admiral? You know, that exactly matches Buck's description: : : Of the mummy they found their first day on Phibocetes: And that also explains why the creatures want the crystals: Crichton, how long could it survive in that form? Indefinitely: - 300 years? - Easily: Raise the mining camp: Buck and Colonel Deering must know about this: [Growling.]
Buck Rogers, watch out! [Growling Continues.]
Buck Rogers, look out:! Buck Rogers, he'll kill you:! [Grunting.]
Stop! Stop it! You'll kill him: Buck Rogers, wait:! Don't hurt him, please: Please, don't hurt him: Please, don't hurt him: Crichton had the pictures in reverse: He is evolving into a man: - What? - The mummy is just the beginning, not the end: Crichton had it backwards: Don't be afraid: I'll help you: We are of the same race, you and l: We belong together: It is ordained: It was programmed into our being a long, long time ago: I didn't know until I saw you changing, but now I know it is all as it should be: Everything will be fine: I knew it would be: I am an optimist: You told me so, didn't you, Buck Rogers? The admiral informs me the fusion reactors are operating full power: This last load of crystals will serve as surplus for future emergencies: That's wonderful, Hawk: In a way this reminds me of Adam and Eve: Adam and Eve? Yes, uh, the beginning of the human race, according to some beliefs: According to Dr: Goodfellow, we're witnessing the awakening of a race of people who've been slumbering for over 300 years: We are remembering with each passing minute: Forgive me for being violent: That's all right: You couldn't help yourself: Every instinct programmed into you told you that those crystals were essential to the existence of your people: Excuse me for a second: Here: I just wanted to say good-bye, Laura: Buck Rogers, my name was not to be Laura: Oh? What was it meant to be? But I think I will keep the "Laura" to remember you by: Okay: Bye-bye: I must say you look awfully pleased for a man who's just been jilted: Who, me? Well, of course, it must've been very hard on Laura to give you up: Oh, yes: Well, I hated to do it to the kid, really, but, uh, well, she has her newly evolved friend to keep her company, and besides, I didn't have the heart to deprive certain, uh, others of my companionship: [Imitating Laura.]
Oh, Buck Rogers! Does that mean that we will be together for always? Well, it does seem to be ordained, doesn't it? [Laughing.]
It's like a fairyland beautiful, yet strange: [Hawk.]
This must be how the Earth looked before the dawn of animal life: I will look over there: [Buck.]
As good a place as any: [Hawk.]
This entire area is heavily covered with volcanic ash: We must look carefully: The ground fog may obscure the crystals: Over here: Oh: Wonder what we've got here Therbidian? Well, we'll see: Ha: Therbidian crystal: No doubt about it: I see no more: Yeah, but at least we know they're here: Yes: Probably under the ash: We'll set up a mining operation uh, camp over here: What's that over there? What in the world? Any idea what this is? A mummy? Whatever it is now, it had to be a humanoid of some kind once: Yeah: Well, we won't know anything for sure until we get this back aboard the Searcher and let Dr: Goodfellow look at it: Buck, look at these: More Therbidian crystals: Well, that settles it: Let's get this thing back onboard the Searcher and get this mining operation set up: We can build a travois out of tree limbs: That's a good idea: Let's do it: [Soft Growling.]
[Man Narrating.]
In the year 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: : : Can you imagine how Dr: Goodfellow's gonna react when he takes a look at this? Yeah: He'll flip: Flip? Means he'll be delighted: Twentieth-century jargon: Are you ready? [Grunting.]
Do you think the recent volcanic eruptions brought this thing to the surface? It's a possibility: I'd like to know where this thing came from in the first place: You don't suppose that poor mummy: : : Was an ancient ruler who chose this planet for his tomb, do you? I don't know: It could be: Shh: What is it? In the trees something moved: But Phibocetes is supposed to be uninhabited: I am certain I saw movement: Let's go have a look: [Twig Snaps.]
Did you hear that? [Raspy Breathing.]
[Soft Growling.]
Perhaps my eyes were deceiving me: I don't think so: Take a look at this: It's freshly broken: Something was here: Something very shy: : : Or very cunning: Yeah: Well, whatever it was, it's outfoxed us: [Sighs.]
Let's get on back to the shuttle: All right: What the [Buck.]
It's unbelievable: The door's just ripped open: The mummy's gone: Someone broke in: No: The door was forced from the inside: You know the strength it took to break that door out like that? It must have injured itself getting out: Look at this: - Blood: - We better take a sample for Dr: Goodfellow: That's a good idea: Maybe it'll give us some kind of clue as to what we're up against down here: Hawk, we're gonna need a crew for the mining operation anyway: : Why don't you take these blood samples back to Dr: Goodfellow on board the Searcher: : : And also the: : : Crystals: They're gone: Let us go outside and look: The harness it's been torn to shreds: How? You are not planning on staying behind while we return to the Searcher: Sure: That way I can get everything set up: : : And we can get started as soon as you get back: Look, we don't have time to waste: The Searcher is hanging up there with dead engines: But, Buck, it'll take a full day to get the team and equipment together: You'll be all alone: Not quite: The thing that tore through the door will be here with you: Hawk's right: You can't stay: Look, I'll be just fine, all right? Now, um, get moving, will ya? Time's a-wastin', as they say: Be aware, Buck: - Where'd you come from? - Are you angry because I am here? No, no: I'm not angry, just surprised: Oh: Uh, who are you? What's your name? What is your name? My name is Buck Rogers: My name will be Buck Rogers too: [Chuckles.]
All right: Uh, where'd you come from? How'd you got here? [Gasps.]
Look! Aren't they beautiful? Do you like them, Buck Rogers? Yes: They're very pretty: I give it to you: Thank you: What do I do with them? Look at it: All right: Now you can look at it as much as you like: Ah: That's very pretty, but you still haven't told me how you got here or where you came from: I do not know: You mean you don't remember? Oh, it's all right: Just, uh, why don't you tell me what you do remember? I remember walking through the trees: : : And how cold I was when it was dark: I found some berries! Do you like berries, Buck Rogers? [Chuckles.]
How long have you been here? Can you remember that? - Two days: - Two days, huh? You are displeased with me: No, no: No: No, of course not! No, no: No, it's just, well, you had two days with no memory of them: Uh, it sounds a little like amnesia: Now, look, um, maybe you crashed on this planet, and you you walked away from the wreckage before you had regained your senses, huh? - That is what happened: - You mean you remember now? I remember as you tell me how it was: That pleases you, does it not? [Chuckles.]
Well, I was just guessing: Now that we have found each other, you will tell me many things, Buck Rogers and I will listen and learn, for that is the way it is ordained: You know, I can't go around calling you "Buck Rogers" all the time: I'm gonna have to find a name for you: How about "Laura"? Yes! Laura! [Chuckles.]
Right: How about "Susan"? I bet you like that too, right? Yes! Susan: You're gonna have to choose: Now which is it gonna be, Laura or Susan? You choose for me: I want the one you choose: All right: Um: : : Laura: Oh, thank you, Buck Rogers! Ask me what my name is: [Clears Throat.]
What's your name, stranger? My name is Laura: Isn't it a beautiful name? [Chuckles.]
It's the prettiest name I ever heard: [Dr: Goodfellow.]
Remarkable:! Look: Isn't that amazing? [Wilma.]
I can't even read it: The patterns are changing so fast: Precisely the point, my dear: Do you know, at first, I thought the mummy creature's blood: : : Was simply a genetic variant on human blood: But not so: Not so at all: It's fairly exploding with evolutionary development: But at that rate of change It doesn't seem possible: Indeed: But the hemokinesis behind that rate of change is astounding: - Oh, Crichton: - Yes, Dr: Goodfellow? Would you kindly do something for me? Interface with the ship's archives: : : And research the distant past of the planet Phibocetes: Oh, really, Doctor: That section of the archives is like an old, dusty attic, electronically speaking: All that ancient material stored away in binary code so cumbersome! He's his usual miserable self this morning: Crichton! Oh, very well, Doctor: Doctor: Huh? What kind of creature would display such a rapid rate of genetic change? Oh, I have no idea, Hawk, but it's going to be fascinating to find out: Launch bay, how's the loading coming? [Man.]
All mining equipment has been stowed, Colonel: The field lab is being loaded now: You can launch in three minutes: We're on our way: We'll keep in touch, Doctor: Thank you: Thank you: [Chirping.]
I wish I could go with 'em: Oh, my dear fellow, we need you to keep Crichton in line, so to speak: - He does listen to you on occasion: - But very few occasions: He's far from an obedient son: Obedient son? Oh, yes: I see: Yes: Good for you, little fella: So, have you been able to remember anything else? I'm trying: I'm sorry, Buck Rogers: There's no need to be sorry: [Raspy Breathing.]
Give it some time: You'll get your memory back: Oh: I'm so happy: Now that we are together, everything will be wonderful: [Chuckles.]
I think I've created an optimist here: [Growling.]
[Growling Continues.]
[Growling Subsides.]
What on earth? Laura, this is Wilma and Hawk: Hello: My name is Laura: Buck Rogers gave it to me: I think she has amnesia: She doesn't remember who she is or how she got here nothing before two days ago: She was who you saw in the woods yesterday: - What about the mummy? - Oh, we heard it last night, but we haven't seen it: If she does have amnesia, maybe we can help: Hawk, would you mind taking the shuttle back to the Searcher: : : And asking Dr: Goodfellow to assemble an optical imager: Optical imager? Yes: It's an instrument that will help us probe her memory: - Yeah: All right: - [Hawk.]
Consider it done: But I am not at all sure I like leaving you here: We'll be fine, Hawk: We have a small army here: We're all armed: We can cope: Very well: I will also ask the admiral to run a verification on ships lost in this area: Good idea: [Wilma.]
I know it's scary not being able to remember, but you really shouldn't worry: Amnesia is almost never permanent, Laura: At least that's what I remember from my medical courses at NavCom: NavCom? It's a school where astro-officers are trained for space flight: We all have to depend on one another in so many different situations, some medical knowledge is a must: But let's talk about you, your family: - Family? - Yes, your family: They must be terribly concerned about you: But what is a family? Well, how's the checkup coming? Uh, so far, so good: I've taken a blood sample: : : And we should have an analysis in a minute: Mm: How about you, huh? How's your memory? Has it come back? Uh, not yet, but once we do an O: E: L: On Laura, we should pretty well know who she is and where she comes from: O: E: L:? Oh, hey: There's nothing to be afraid about: O: E: L: May sound terrible, but the worst it can do is give you a bit of a tickle: Mm: Smile now: [Beeps.]
Excuse me a second: [Softly.]
Is, uh, something wrong? Um, I'm not sure, Buck: The results of the analysis Hey:! Stop:! [Mummy Growling, Laser Blasts.]
What happened? It tried to grab me jumped at me from behind: I spotted a cluster ofTherbidian crystals, bent down to dig them up, and something grabbed me: What did it look like? I never saw its face, but it's grotesque: Whatever it was, I sure don't want to see it again: It ran off that way: All right: Wilma, take Laura back to her tent, make sure she's well guarded: Johnson, come with me: Well, Crichton: Crichton Now, what's the matter with you? Crichton! Listen to me: Have you made any progress? I've got to report back to Buck and Colonel Deering: Really, Doctor: I am sifting this mountain of moldy minutiae: : : Just as fast as possible: This is exacting research and as such, it must not be rushed: Well, there's no need to be officious about it: Humans! Hmph! You really do try my patience at times: [Buck.]
Nothing: Just a few broken branches: How's everything around here? Quiet? Mm-hmm: Okay: I want an armed guard around the perimeter of the camp at all times: Lee, you start first: Yes, sir: - Hall, you feel like going back to work? - I'm okay: Let's go: Okay: By the way, how are you getting along with Laura? Well, I can't seem to reach her: You do seem to be her favorite: Well, I've known her longer: And don't worry: You'll win her over: Yeah: You were gonna tell me something about this analysis before all that happened: [Exhales Deeply.]
I don't know: I can't seem to accept what I find here: Now, why is that? Well, Laura's blood sample and the creature's they analyze precisely alike: What? Well, you better have that analyzer fixed: There's no way that Laura's blood and that creature's could be the same: [Wilma.]
The analyzer's fine: Their characteristics they're identical, right down to the D: N: A: Structure: [Buck.]
If that's right, then Well, then how could Laura look different than the creature? I don't know: Technically, it shouldn't be possible: Dr: Goodfellow has Crichton searching the archives: Maybe they'll come up with something: [Chattering.]
[Chattering Continues.]
[Raspy Breathing.]
[Laughs.]
It's true: [Growling Softly.]
[Raspy Breathing.]
[Growls.]
[Raspy Breathing.]
[Low Growl.]
[Laura Screaming.]
[Creature Growls.]
[Screaming Continues.]
Wait:! Don't shoot:! You might hit the girl:! - [Growling.]
- Come on! Keep after him: Move! You're all right: You're all right: [Sobbing.]
You're safe: Okay: I'll take you back to camp: Johnson! You all right? I think so: That thing some kind of of monster: Let's get him to the medical tent: Here we are: This will help calm you: Drink it up: That's enough: He was out, Captain: That thing almost crushed him: [Hall.]
He may have some broken ribs: Hall, we need two men on alert from now on: - Right, Captain: - Take him over there: Wilma: [Man.]
Captain:! The crystals are gone: It took the box: All of'em we'd mined? Yes, sir: Every last one: [Sighs.]
All right: All right, get back on guard duty: Yes, sir: [Man.]
Admiral Asimov: Yes? Should I call Captain Rogers? No: If he has any news, he'll call us: The retrostabilizers are beginning to waver: They're going to give out, and we'll be drifting again: Even if they worked forever, Admiral, without the crystals, we would still be hanging here, dead in space: I know, Hawk, I know: We've got to have those crystals: Oh, does Dr: Goodfellow have the optical imager assembled yet? He predicts by morning: Tsk: Uh, let me see how far he has progressed: Yeah: [Raspy Breathing.]
I don't understand: The monster let her go, but took the crystals: Why? Look at the risk it took: It's almost an obsession: Hmm: [High-pitched Whining.]
Sir: Yes? The Federation Tracking Command reports no lost ships anywhere in the vicinity of Phibocetes: Well, then how could the girl have gotten there? She had to come from someplace: And records for the last three centuries show Phibocetes to be uninhabited: [Clears Throat.]
Now hear this: I have a significant announcement to make: I have discovered a lost race on Phibocetes: We should simultaneously transmit what I am about to show you: : : To Captain Rogers and Colonel Deering, since it bears directly on their situation: Lieutenant Martin: I'll raise them: Yeah: [Admiral.]
Buck? Colonel Deering? - Yeah, Admiral: Go ahead: - Crichton has a report to make: I have uncovered evidence of a lost race on Phibocetes: Observe: You are looking at a Phibocetes male: : : Of an indeterminate period preceding the 22nd century: : : Taken from ancient microtransparencies: This is the first of two stages ofhis devolution: The second stage: : : And the final: A remarkable catagenesis through which they degenerate: It looks exactly like the creature that invaded our camp: It is possible the degeneration is produced: : : By a factor peculiar to Phibocetes a virus, perhaps: Crichton, if these people disappeared from Phibocetes over 300 years ago, how do you explain this one apparently coming back to life? I do not have that information: Well, then would you please go back to the archives and get it? We need all the information we can on this planet: I hear: I obey: Is there anything else either of you want or need from the Searcher? Yes: When is the O: E: L: Arriving, sir? It is being assembled, and Hawk will no doubt arrive with it first thing tomorrow morning: Oh, and incidentally, Buck, there have been no ships lost in your area: [Buck.]
Okay, Admiral: Thanks: Rogers out: [Exhales Deeply.]
So Laura didn't crash here, and her blood matches the other creature's: Does that mean she's gonna change too turn into some kind of monster? What about us? If it is a virus that's responsible, are we going to catch it? Degenerate into a thing like the one out there? [Raspy Breathing.]
There's nothing to be afraid of: This is an electronic scan that's going to help us bring your memory back: Isn't that wonderful? Oh, Buck Rogers: I'm glad you are here: Well, so am l: I wouldn't miss this first step toward getting your memory back for anything: Wilma will take very good care of you, and I'll be sitting right over there, okay? Okay: You all right? All right: We'll get started now: Here we go: [Beeps.]
Think about the very first time you saw each of us: Very good, Laura: And now, later on: Now, let's go back to the day before our ship first arrived: Fine, Laura: Fine: And three days before that? Now think of people you went to school with: All right, Laura, um, try thinking about someone you were very close to when you were a little girl, um, like a friend or a sister: [Wilma.]
How about your mother? [Laura.]
My mother? Yes, that's right: The lady who took care of you when you were a little girl: [Gasps.]
Why are you all looking at me like that? Get them out of here: All right: Let us go: Let us go: Don't worry about it: It was just a malfunction of the machine: It's okay: There's nothing nothing wrong: It's all right: [Chattering.]
Laura, no! [Grunting.]
Let go of it: Laura, let go of it: - What happened? - She tried to attack Hall with this: [Wilma.]
She seems to be in some kind of a trance: I don't think she's conscious of what's going on: [Buck.]
Take her back to your tent, Wilma quickly: - Hall, you all right? - Yes, Captain thanks to Hawk: Take those crystals to the shuttle, all right? Yeah: Get those crystals back on board the Searcher as quickly as possible: [Sighs.]
Is she all right? Well, she fell asleep instantly not even aware of what she tried to do: What are we gonna do with you, Laura? What are we gonna do? I don't understand how the crystals could exert such an influence over her: I don't think the crystals have anything to do with it: They don't affect us that way, and we're exposed to them every day on the ship: Buck Rogers? How do you feel? I feel strange: What is happening to me? I think you know something about me that I don't know myself: I am frightened: You are the one to tell me: I have no one else: - Please? - Laura, don't be frightened: We'll help you: I heard you talking before about my blood: And those men talking Is it true, Buck Rogers? Am I the same as that thing in the trees? Is it ordained I am to become like that? No! Oh, Buck Rogers, I will lose you if I become one of them! I can't bear to lose you! I won't let it happen! I won't! I'd rather die! Laura! Laura! [Sighs.]
[High-pitched Whining.]
Sir, Crichton, uh, said he's on his way up: He has something important to say: Crichton considers everything he says to be important: I just can't believe he's my son: [Chirping.]
What's the matter, Crichton? Cat got your enunciator circuits, hmm? Twiki, what I am about to say will be humiliating enough: : : Without having to endure your feeble attempts at wit: Skip the preamble: What is it you wanted to tell us? I have made a mistake: I don't believe it: I reversed the evolutionary process of the Phibocetes male: The images which I screened for you were in reverse order: You mean they start out as a sort of monster and then evolve to the normal man? Precisely, Admiral: You see, I discovered that the colony established on Phibocetes 400 years ago: : : Came originally from Earth: An Earth colony? That is correct: Genetic engineers altered the D: N: A: Structure of the colonists: : : And used light refracted through Therbidian crystals: : : To activate their life force: - But why would they do that? - To ensure an efficient means of reproduction: : : That would do away with such vulnerable stages: : : As pregnancy, infancy and childhood, Admiral: Twiki, see if you can find Dr: Goodfellow: We need him up here at once: Yes, sir: Laura! [Laura Sobbing.]
[Sobbing Continues.]
Laura! I won't turn into that creature, Buck Rogers! I won't! I'd rather die! Hush: Now, hush: Now, just take a look at yourself: Look at yourself: Look at your hands: Look at your body: You're beautiful: And you'll always be beautiful: But the machine said Never mind what that machine said: You once said it was ordained: : : That whatever I told you, you'd listen: Well, I'm telling you something right now: Everything's gonna be all right: Mm? Come on: Come on: Mm? [High-pitched Whining.]
Oh, I see: Then it was a massive volcanic eruption that destroyed the colony, not the genetic engineering? That is correct, Doctor: Oh, no: Crichton, I've got an idea: Show us those transparencies again if you please: Yes: And get them in the right order this time: [Crichton.]
This was the early stage of their existence: Since they had superhuman strength and tended toward violence, during this phase they were intended to be supervised: This is the final form in which they remained throughout their life span: They were fabricated, full-sized, from D: N: A: : : : With all cultural information encoded in their genes: They were packaged, so to speak, in this form: : : To await activation by light from the Therbidian crystals: Did you hear that, Admiral? You know, that exactly matches Buck's description: : : Of the mummy they found their first day on Phibocetes: And that also explains why the creatures want the crystals: Crichton, how long could it survive in that form? Indefinitely: - 300 years? - Easily: Raise the mining camp: Buck and Colonel Deering must know about this: [Growling.]
Buck Rogers, watch out! [Growling Continues.]
Buck Rogers, look out:! Buck Rogers, he'll kill you:! [Grunting.]
Stop! Stop it! You'll kill him: Buck Rogers, wait:! Don't hurt him, please: Please, don't hurt him: Please, don't hurt him: Crichton had the pictures in reverse: He is evolving into a man: - What? - The mummy is just the beginning, not the end: Crichton had it backwards: Don't be afraid: I'll help you: We are of the same race, you and l: We belong together: It is ordained: It was programmed into our being a long, long time ago: I didn't know until I saw you changing, but now I know it is all as it should be: Everything will be fine: I knew it would be: I am an optimist: You told me so, didn't you, Buck Rogers? The admiral informs me the fusion reactors are operating full power: This last load of crystals will serve as surplus for future emergencies: That's wonderful, Hawk: In a way this reminds me of Adam and Eve: Adam and Eve? Yes, uh, the beginning of the human race, according to some beliefs: According to Dr: Goodfellow, we're witnessing the awakening of a race of people who've been slumbering for over 300 years: We are remembering with each passing minute: Forgive me for being violent: That's all right: You couldn't help yourself: Every instinct programmed into you told you that those crystals were essential to the existence of your people: Excuse me for a second: Here: I just wanted to say good-bye, Laura: Buck Rogers, my name was not to be Laura: Oh? What was it meant to be? But I think I will keep the "Laura" to remember you by: Okay: Bye-bye: I must say you look awfully pleased for a man who's just been jilted: Who, me? Well, of course, it must've been very hard on Laura to give you up: Oh, yes: Well, I hated to do it to the kid, really, but, uh, well, she has her newly evolved friend to keep her company, and besides, I didn't have the heart to deprive certain, uh, others of my companionship: [Imitating Laura.]
Oh, Buck Rogers! Does that mean that we will be together for always? Well, it does seem to be ordained, doesn't it? [Laughing.]