Man and Machine 19
"I don't believe it," Dr. Huer had just turned off the communications monitor and was angrily pacing back and forth in his office, "I just can't believe that Col. Deering and Captain Rogers would betray us like this."
Commander Adama stood in the corner, remaining diplomatically silent, wondering what this turn of events meant for the fleet and his two warriors.
There was an insistent knocking at the door, which opened to admit Admiral Asimov. "Dr. Huer, what is the meaning of this? The Council has placed death warrants on two of my most valuable officers. I can't sit still for this, I won't I can't even get the council to give me a proper breakdown of the charges."
"Don't worry, Admiral," Dr. Huer recovered his companion, "Whatever has happened, we are civilized, we still adhere to due process. The Council has assured me that a detailed account of the charges is forthcoming."
Adama stepped forward. "If I may ask, Gentlemen, if you find this situation so difficult to believe, then just what do you believe?"
"I believe in, Captain Rogers, and in Col. Deering," Dr. Huer said. "The two of them would work tirelessly, tracking down clues and dealing with threats I couldn't even understand. The hardest thing I ever did was letting them sign onto the Searcher mission. I wasn't sure I could get by without them, and it wasn't easy, but even a year away, I know they wouldn't betray this planet, or their people."
"Me too," Captain Asimov said. "No matter what happened, those two were always there to protect us. They always managed to complete the mission and save the day, even after the rest of us had given up hope. If I believe in nothing else, I believe in Buck Rogers and Wilma Deering; and I'm not the only one. Hawk is out there right now, keeping a lookout, hoping to find them before our forces do, to help them any way he can."
"When I was little," Adama said, "my parents read to me the Book of the Word, and told me it was the truth, and as a child I believed it, because I believed them. As I became older, I learned things were more complicated than that. Now, I believe in things, not just because of Faith, I consider the things I have seen and have been shown to be true… those are the things that I believe… and because I believe in them, I have Faith in them. But Faith alone is not enough; if you believe, you must act in support of that faith. That is what allowed me to save my people by leading them on this expedition to a planet most people never even thought existed, but the Book of the Word talked about it, I had uncovered additional evidence to support it, and that fueled my faith enough to lead this fleet of survivors here…
"If you truly believe in these too, if you have faith in them, then what are you prepared to do in support of that faith?" Adama asked.
"I think I will return to the Searcher," Asimov said, "maybe our sensors can spot Rogers first. We can help Hawk find them, at least until we sort this mess out."
"I feel like there is more going on than the Council is telling us," Dr. Huer said. "I am going to demand an audience, and some answers. Maybe there is more to the so-called forbidden zone, than simply high radiation."
-0oOo0-
Apollo stopped the landram and crossed the back compartment, pulling out his pack which had been stowed under a bench. "There is a settlement up ahead," Apollo pulled out an extra blaster, and handed it to Buck.
"I hardly think it could be called a settlement," Dr. Theopolis said, "Nothing lives outside of the domed cities except Mutants."
"Bidi-bidi-bidi, I'm scared."
"Don't worry Twiki," Buck looked over the gun Apollo had given him, noting it's extra weight, "we won't let anything happen to you. Either of you."
"One of those flying drone things took out the shuttle," Wilma said, "our best hope is that we can get some fuel from here."
"You're right," Buck said, "Maybe these mutants are more civilized than the Computer Council is letting on… although I didn't get that impression the first time I met some."
Starbuck opened the door, "Let's go meet the neighbors."