Chapter 4: The New Guy

The next day, Buzz dressed up in a light-blue futuristic shirt and self-adjusting jeans with business boots. When Dr. Simonex and Dr. Miles arrived at the hotel he was staying at, he took his suitcase and went with them to the sky-bus station. Once they were on the sky-bus, Buzz asked, "So where are we going now?"

"Well, Buzz, we are on our way to the World International Spaceport," replied the young scientist. "You will take the first shuttle to the Moon heading for the GPU installation at Fort Apollo for your training."

Then Dr. Simonex handed Buzz a holographic card and said, "If you need help while you're at GPU headquarters, here is my card. I help keep the Galactic Protection Unit running in our section of the solar system. Feel free to call if you need advice from me."

"Thanks, Doc," said Buzz with a smile. He shook hands with Dr. Simonex and with Dr. Miles, then turned his attention to the enormous spaceport that was now rising into view. When he and his two friends disembarked, Buzz took in the scenery once more. The spaceport was four times bigger than when it was the BWI Airport, with docking bays instead of terminals. Sky-ships were used for flights to other countries and for transportation to other planets, huge flying saucers resembling the Space Needle were utilized.

Getting through security was no problem since Buzz was given a government-issue ticket and security checks were now done through a full scan done with micro-scanner technology. Once they were in, Dr. Simonex and Dr. Miles said goodbye to Buzz and then headed to Shuttle Bay 18 for their sky-bus to their Washington headquarters.

Buzz headed to Docking Bay 19 for his flight to the moon. He didn't have to wait very long as the saucer was preparing to leave in ten minutes. When it was time to board, Buzz showed the desk agent his government ticket and was allowed to board first-class. Here, he found that mobile walkways allowed passengers to board the huge flying saucers in a manner similar to escalators.

Inside the saucer, Buzz found that the seats were arranged in a circular formation and window seats were available all around. Flight attendants would bring drinks and meals which made airplane food of the past dull by comparison, and instead of life jackets and breathing masks, there were oxygen helmets and escape pods in case of emergencies. The safety checks were handled effectively, the flight attendants explained the emergency procedures, and then it was time for the saucer to make its way to the moon.

"Moon flight 069 preparing for liftoff," came the announcement from the control tower. "Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one!"

There came the telltale roar of rockets igniting, and in an instant, Buzz felt the ship taking off at a speed greater than any rocket he had ever known. In only a minute, Buzz could see the sky growing darker outside as the saucer climbed higher into the atmosphere. Eventually, the blue of the sky was gone, and Buzz could see the stars illuminating the blackness of outer space.

The flight moved so quickly that it seemed no time had passed even though Buzz could clearly see the time was 1:15. He ordered a drink of Martian cola for the ride and simply sat there to enjoy the scenery of space. No sooner had he finished his drink then the pilot announced their arrival. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen. We'll be landing on the moon shortly, where the local time is 1:54 PM. Please keep all safety belts fastened until the shuttle has docked. Thank you."

Buzz braced himself for the landing along with the other passengers, but much to his surprise, the landing was quite gentle for a flying saucer that moved so quickly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived at West Lunar Interplanetary Spaceport," came the pilot's voice. "Please apply oxygen tanks and helmets before exiting the shuttle and be sure to have your clothing's micro-therm tech units on 'cool' as the current temperature on the light side is currently 236º F. Thank you, and have a stellar day."

Buzz did as the announcement requested, then took the walkway into the spaceport, which had walls of polished white metal inset with solar lamps to brighten the halls. Buzz would have liked to check out the various futuristic spaceport stores, but there was no time. So he headed for the ground level, where he noticed a neon sign that read GALACTIC PROTECTION UNIT RECRUITS- EXIT C.

With that, Buzz got his government-issue ticket ready and approached the desk agent, and after signing in and having his ticket scanned, he was escorted aboard a hover-jet with several other recruits. This above-ground flight took little more than five minutes, and then Buzz and the other recruits were looking at their base and business residence: Fort Apollo. The outer wall was the span of a football stadium, made of silvery metal and thick enough to withstand meteor impacts. Several buildings tall and short stood behind that wall along with outdoor training fields and roads, with the whole complex protected by a huge dome of carbon-glass alloy.

In a few seconds, Buzz was making his way toward the enormous fortress and then through the double-doors to the interior. All around, he saw transport carriers bringing crew members and supplies, mechanics and deck crews, and several robots as well. But Buzz had to focus on the medbay that was his first stop: before being introduced to the service, he had to go through his medical examination. After an exhaustive half-hour of examinations, Buzz came out with a clean bill of health and in another minute, he was in an white cadet uniform with red boots and a mini-jetpack strapped on his back. Buzz was then shown to his quarters on Level 2 of Company Gamma.

After he was settled in, Buzz had to report to the chief officer of the base. On his way, he passed the indoor training deck and saw something that caught his eye. He saw a girl cadet with red hair drawn up in a ponytail, clad in a white leotard that left only her hands and feet bare. She was sparring with a burly man and easily overpowering him while the other cadets looked on in wonder. The girl judo-threw her opponent before applying make-up to her cheeks, then grappled the man in a headlock while brushing her hair, and even pressed down on his neck while polishing her toenails.

"She's beautiful," Buzz said to himself. "And she's strong. My favorite kind of girl."

Buzz continued on his way through the base, but he still had no idea where the main office was. However, he noticed a young medical assistant dressed all in green and approached him, asking, "Excuse me. Do you know where I can find the head of this base?"

"Sure. I just came out of it," the assistant replied. "Just go down the hall and to the right. The Commander's office is at the end of the hall."

"Thanks," said Buzz. "What's your name?"

"Teddy Metropolis, Medical Officer," he replied. "Who are you?"

"Buzz Rogers. New recruit."

Buzz and Teddy would've stayed to chat, but Buzz had to report to the Commander, so he shook hands with Dr. Metropolis and followed the directions given until he reached the door signed COMM. DWIGHT McRADION. Taking a deep breath, he entered the room where he found the Commander: a fair, dark-haired man in a deep-green uniform with chest armor and techno-gloves and boots, speaking to the red-haired girl Buzz had seen on the training deck.

"Luna, your training record has proven you fit to serve in the Galactic Protection Unit so far," Commander McRadion was saying. "Now your next few training sessions will determine if you'll be able to work alongside your mission partner."

"Partner?" the girl Luna repeated. Then she gave a smirk and said, "Is he cute?"

"Take a look for yourself," the Commander replied with a very humored grin.

Luna turned and saw Buzz there, and she smiled in spite of herself. "Oh! Hello."

"Hello," replied Buzz with a grin. Then he said, "I believe the Commander was saying I was training to be your new partner."

The two shook hands and Luna introduced herself first. "Call me Luna. Luna Silverstar."

"Buzz Rogers at your service."

Then to their own surprise, Buzz and Luna were exchanging compliments.

"Love your ponytail."

"Nice outfit."

Commander McRadion had to disrupt their pleasant conversation with a smile. "Okay, you two. Let's get to business here. Buzz, today's your first day of training, but since you've already been through standard Air Force and astronaut training from your own time, you're actually going to be starting off in the one-on-one training course. Luna will be training with you to determine what rank you will receive upon officially completing your training."

Buzz was very surprised. He had achieved the rank of Captain a year after training due to exemplary ingenuity and performance above and beyond the call of duty, but this was completely new to him, so he was suddenly quite nervous. But Luna was giving him a teasing smile.

"C'mon, Buzzy," she said playfully. "Not afraid of a little girl, are ya?"

"Okay, beautiful. You're on!" replied Buzz in a smug manner.

...

The first day of training for Buzz saw him and Luna going through an obstacle course filled with simulated traps and training robots and finished with a mechanized climbing wall. The two did a few warm-up stretches and then they were off and running. Luna was ahead at first, but Buzz had gone through some exercises at GloboCorp Headquarters before his meeting with the Grand Council and he was keeping pace with her quite fairly.

They entered the obstacle course and Buzz found himself wheeling around trick hammers, ducking shots from goo-firing cannons, and leaping over stunning lasers. Luna had clearly been training longer and her expertise was to be reckoned with, but she did evade some traps narrowly and had to move back to avoid others. Buzz still remembered the old method of analyzing the situation and he found himself moving forward in spite of the traps. Eventually, they reached the climbing wall, which was designed so each portion of it was moving in the opposite direction of the one before. The climb was dreadfully tedious, but Buzz and Luna both reached the top and gave each other playful teasing.

"That wasn't so difficult, was it?" simpered Luna.

"In your dreams, sweetheart," Buzz grinned.

"Well then, why don't we see how good you are next session, hmm?"

"Oh, you're on, Little Miss Space Hero!"

And so Buzz Rogers and Luna Silverstar trained together over the course of a few months. But instead of competing with each other for a better rank, they made their training more like a game, making each other better each time.

The Chipmunks: I get up and nothing gets me down
You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around
And I know, baby, just how you feel
You gotta roll with the punches and get to what's real

Oh, can't you see me standing here
I got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen
Oh, can't you see what I mean?

Ah, might as well jump (Jump!)
Might as well jump
Go ahead and jump (Jump!)
Go ahead and jump!

Oh! Hey, you! Who said that?
Baby, how you've been?
You say you don't know
You won't know until you begin

Oh, can't you see me standing here
I got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen
Oh, can't you see what I mean?

Ah, might as well jump (Jump!)
Go ahead and jump!
Might as well jump (Jump!)
Go ahead and jump!

June 18, 2455 A.D.

In time, the great day came. Buzz Rogers stood tall and proud like a knight who had come home from some heroic battle as he awaited his commanding officer's announcement. Luna Silverstar was beside him along with many other recruits in the great amphitheater who were soon to receive the reward of their months of training. There were some recruits who weren't happy with Buzz being able to immediately take one-on-one training, but others were quite happy to have him beside them and were hoping he would serve the Federation well. Buzz saw Dr. Simonex and Dr. Miles in the audience and gave them a quick wave, which they happily returned. Then Commander McRadion gave his address.

"Congratulations, recruits! You're all officially members of the Galactic Protection Unit!" he declared. "And now, according to the rules, it's time for each of you to receive your rank."

With that, Commander McRadion read off a list of names for each rank, and Buzz and Luna watched as their fellow recruits became privates, ensigns, corporals, and sergeants. The lieutenants were called up next and Luna was among them. Then Commander McRadion said, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to announce our quickest-graduating recruit. In his own time, he was a captain of the U.S. Air Force, but now he is awakened from a frozen sleep though he was thought dead for four hundred years. I give you Buzz Rogers, the newest captain of the GPU!"

Everyone gasped in amazement and then clapped for Buzz as he approached the podium. He received his insignia badge (a winged planet) and then saluted Commander McRadion. Then the crowd gathered at Fort Apollo Amphitheater gave Buzz and all the others a round of applause. Luna gave Buzz a smile which he happily returned. At last, Buzz had the chance to do good for more people than he ever imagined, and when the time came, he would seize that chance. But it would come sooner than he thought.

A/N: I chose to make training in the GPU work in two separate manners because basic training merely tests individuals to see if they qualify to join. Also, the GPU is the parody name for the Defense Directorate of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, of which this fanfiction is based off. Theodore's character is also a parody of the computerized Dr. Theopolis, who is the system of the Defense Directorate, and the rank of Commander is essentially a combination of major, colonel, and general ranks in the Galactic Protection Unit.

Here's the updated cast of the story:

Alvin Seville- Buzz Rogers
Simon Seville- Dr. Simonex
Theodore Seville- Dr. Teddy Metropolis
Brittany Miller- Luna Silverstar
Jeanette Miller- Dr. Jenn Miles
Dave Seville- Commander Dwight McRadion
Principal Lawrence Talbot- Grand President Talbotinne

Song: Jump- Van Halen

Hope you enjoyed this part of the story. Feel free to rate and review, and Chapter 5 will be up soon!