Chapter 3: A Big Meeting for Buzz

The sky-cab brought Buzz, Dr. Simonex, and Dr. Miles to a platform extending from the lower part of the Council Building. Once it came to a stop, Buzz and his companions departed and then Dr. Simonex called for a sky-pod to take Buzz's items to a local hotel he had helped him get a room at.

"Jenn and I will be here for a few days as well," said Dr. Simonex as they prepared to enter the building. "We have some reports to make to the Council anyway."

Buzz was intrigued, for he had not known this fact, and he said, "You two work for the Federation government?"

"Yep," said Dr. Simonex. "GloboCorp is responsible for thousands of facilities that help provide for our civilization. Outside of us, there are thousands of free enterprises that also work for the needs and wants of the people while the government oversees the provisions, laws, and defenses of the Federation."

"Basically, we're on the payroll of the Federation," Dr. Miles added.

Buzz would have said more, but he turned his attention to the door which parted in two and allowed the group to enter the building. They walked through a hallway with auburn walls lined with lights that seemed to glow like old-fashioned neon signs. Then the three came to another door, and Dr. Simonex spoke into a security vocoder to explain the reason they were there. The door parted to reveal what Buzz had been expecting to see in the future: a robot. The droid had a human form and was coated in a silver plate covering. It had a generally human-like face with blue lamp-like eyes and a trapezoidal mouth that lit up when it spoke, it had hands with flexible fingers, and its legs ended in mobile treads.

"Greetings," the robots said in a female voice. "I am TX-28 at your service. Follow me, please."

So Buzz, Dr. Simonex, and Dr. Miles followed the robot TX-28 to the right, through another door, and down another hall to a sitting room. Then TX-28 said, "We are most pleased that you have come. Make yourselves comfortable. The Grand Council will see you shortly."

The three friends sat together at a round table and chatted while they waited. It took about thirty minutes, but eventually, Dr. Simonex said, "It's time for your 11:00 session, Buzz. We'd better get ready."

With that, Buzz followed Dr. Simonex and Dr. Miles to an elevator which took them up to one of the floors leading to the council chamber. Dr. Simonex explained to one of the guards at their booth entrance that they were there to meet with the Grand Council and the guards showed them to their seats, which were in a three-seater pod shaped like a half-sphere that could move on repulsor-lifts when needed.

Buzz looked around the chamber and was amazed by what he saw. There were at least two-hundred human delegates from each of the prominent nations around the world as well as hundreds of aliens, and at the wall directly across from where Buzz and the two scientists were sitting, eight different aliens were sitting in a viewer's box that resembled a judges' panel. Dr. Simonex explained that they were the Cabinet: the delegates from the solar system whose planets had founded the Galactic Federation along with Earth.

Then Buzz saw a large two-sided podium bearing an insignia composed of a globe surrounded by a laurel wreath rising from the floor on a circular metallic pedestal. Standing in the middle of the podium was a tall, well-built man with a gaunt face, pale skin, and red hair that began at the middle of his brow and ended at his neck. He was dressed in an ornate blue robe with silver and gold embroidering on the cuffs and a collar that covered his shoulders. On his left was a woman with deathly pale skin, white hair, and red eyes whose lids were discolored, and on his right was a finely-dressed male alien with light-yellow skin, purple hair, and gray eyes. Dr. Miles told Buzz that the two aliens were the President's aide and his chief of staff.

The yellow alien then said to the whole assembly, "All rise for the honorable Grand President Larrs Talbotinne!*"

The council members all applauded as President Talbotinne waved with a smile that seemed out of character for a man who looked so serious. Then the applause subsided as the Grand President addressed them.

"The session will now come to order," he began in the customary manner. "Honorable delegates of the Galactic Federation, you have been summoned here today because we have reason to believe that an unprecedented event concerning an individual believed to be from the past has occurred here."

A soft murmur of surprise spread throughout the chamber before President Talbotinne continued. "Will the person known as Buzz Rogers approach?"

Dr. Simonex activated the repulsor-lifts and brought the pod hovering over to the podium. Buzz felt quite nervous standing before the chief executive of the Federation, but he did his best to rein in his worry and prepared to answer any questions they gave him.

President Talbotinne looked at Buzz in a remarkably kind manner and said, "Mr. Rogers, can you explain to us what events led to your being here today?"

And for the next three minutes, Buzz told the Grand Council his story: how he had been frozen due to the comet collision on his first space flight in 1988 and had ended up trapped in the comet's tail and lost for over four hundred years. When Buzz finished, President Talbotinne said to himself, "Curious. Very curious, indeed."

On the Cabinet's panel, the Martian delegate Ronn Th'urzz; a tall, lank alien with bright green skin and rusty-brown eyes, spoke next. "Your Honor, this tale is surprising to say the least. But the Royal Parliament of Mars asks what evidence is there to prove that this Earth astronaut is from the past? It is not unheard of, but nothing like this has ever happened before."

Then Dr. Simonex displayed a holoprojection of what the security cameras had shown outside GloboCorp Headquarters the night before. When the holo-vid was finished, he said, "You see, everyone, the cameras were untampered and caught everything that occurred the moment Dr. Miles and I went to investigate the capsule. It clearly bore the American flag as did Buzz's spacesuit. I even took a sample of DNA from his hair and the test has determined that this fellow is the real Buzz Rogers."

The delegates all shared impressed glances at this, for whatever doubt they had about Buzz Rogers having survived the comet impact was pretty much gone. But there was still the matter of allowing Buzz the opportunity to find work he would easily be used to. Then one of the delegates from Earth; British delegate Thomas Brighton, said, "Might I suggest that Mr. Rogers be allowed to begin a life in public service to the Federation? Perhaps he would do well to serve in a profession that would be reminiscent of his time as an astronaut and offer him fresh challenges."

The next to speak was Tor Bantorr, a shark-like alien with a broad humanoid body* from Uranus, and he said, "I agree with the honorable Earth delegate Brighton. The Delegation of Uranus recommends that Buzz Rogers be allowed to become a member of the Galactic Protection Unit."

Then Buzz saw a green-skinned alien shorter than him with six eyes on stalks approach the Grand President's podium, and it said, "The Congress of Thalamare concurs with the honorable delegate of Uranus. It would be best if Buzz Rogers was given a position best suited to him as his career in the 20th Century was."

Now there were some among the delegates of the Federation council who were murmuring disagreeably, but most were speaking with their fellow delegates and nodding in agreement that Buzz should be given a chance, or so it was hoped. Then one delegate from the United States offered a motion. "Those in favor of recruiting Buzz Rogers into the Galactic Protection Unit?"

Nearly every delegate in the chamber raised their hands (or in some cases, tentacles) in favor.

"And those opposed?"

Only about fifty delegates voted against the motion.

President Talbotinne didn't need a viewscreen to announce the verdict. He gave a smile and said, "Very well. Buzz Rogers, on behalf of the United States, it gives me great pleasure to reinstate you as an American Citizen. No paperwork required. Furthermore, as your citizenship had never truly expired despite your apparent demise, I officially declare you a citizen of the Galactic Federation of United Star Systems. As for your recruitment into the Galactic Protection Unit, you will need to report tomorrow to Fort Apollo for indoctrination and training."

Buzz was thrilled at the prospect of being able to have a job of two kinds. He had always wanted to help the people around him and now he was going to have the chance. Better yet, he was going to be a spaceman all over again!

"Thank you, Your Honor!" he cried gladly. "I won't let you down!"

As Dr. Simonex piloted the pod back to its place, the Grand Council gave Buzz a standing ovation. Things were getting set up for his first day of training for the best job he could ever hope for.

A/N: I chose a parody name for the Grand President because outside of being Darth Sidious, Chancellor Sheev Palpatine did pull off being an effective leader quite well. Also, Tor Bantorr's design is based off Captain Gantu from Disney's Lilo and Stitch.

Here's the updated cast of the story:

Alvin Seville- Buzz Rogers
Simon Seville- Dr. Simonex
Jeanette Miller- Dr. Jenn Miles
Principal Lawrence Talbot- Grand President Talbotinne

Feel free to rate and review, and enjoy reading. We may see Theodore and Brittany next chapter, plus Dave!