New Chicago in no way reminded to Buck Rogers of his native, old Chicago, which he once left, thinking that he was leaving for a few months, but it turned out to be for five centuries. A huge metropolis, home to several million people, with fantastic architecture and infrastructure by the standards of the twentieth century, appeared on the ruins of the old world — a world that had survived a nuclear "holocaust" and was on the verge of complete destruction.

Fortunately, the consequences of those terrible times were receding further and further into history, and their visible traces, the wounds on the body of the Earth, were gradually healed, giving way to a new life. And the changes were becoming more and more noticeable: when Buck had left on the Searcher, there had been nothing but barren desert around New Chicago, and now here and there the eye caught the trees and shrubs and hills that were beginning to sprout, green with fresh grass — the efforts of the quods were not in vain.

Though Buck had never fully grown accustomed to life in the twenty-fifth century, the sight delighted his heart, and New Chicago was slowly becoming home in his mind. Rogers even found himself missing the city during the long months he had spent aboard the Searcher. Of course, it was an interesting and productive expedition: they explored many unexplored worlds, received a large amount of valuable information about distant planets and their inhabitants. Earth's scientists will now have plenty of work to do for a long time, and their home planet will be able to benefit from cooperation and trade with the new intelligent inhabitants of this galaxy.

Now it's time to turn his attention to himself. Buck thought more and more that he needed to meet a woman with whom he could spend the rest of his life happily and have children. He was jealous of the Hawk, for whom, as Buck had promised, they had been able to find a planet where some of the bird people had moved. And that meant that Hawks would soon find a new girlfriend and finally find a family — he deserved it.

Of course, for Buck, the most obvious choice was Wilma Deering, his partner on the Searcher, the woman he knew best at the time. A beautiful blonde with the appearance of a fashion model, and at the same time a colonel of the Earth Defense Forces — she was the dream of many men. Who would have thought that at the very beginning of their acquaintance, the girl seriously disliked Rogers and considered him a Draconian spy!

But Buck was tormented by the fact that in all this time he and Wilma had never become anything more than friends, even if they were very good ones. Yes, they kissed a few times. Not as friends. But in the end, it didn't lead to anything. Perhaps, Rogers reasoned, Wilma could not fully accept his way of thinking, some of his habits, some of his views, after all, he and Deering had been separated by five hundred years.

Buck thought of Ardala, too. She was the first woman he met during this time. Although the Princess's behavior and actions towards Rogers and the Earth in general were often unfriendly, Buck did not hate the Draconian Emperor's daughter. Especially after she helped him and Wilma save Pendar, then Ardala's best traits were revealed, and Buck himself announced that the Princess had opened up to him from a new and unusual side. They parted not yet as friends, but no longer as enemies.

He has not heard from Ardala since then. He even wondered how she was doing. She's probably married and is about to take her father's place, becoming the mistress of most of the galaxy—

"Buck, could you come to see me?" It came from a small intercom in the form of a bracelet that Rogers had attached to his left wrist.

The man shuddered slightly, his train of thought interrupted.

"Yes, of course, Dr. Huer. Did something happen?"

"There's someone waiting for you here," came the vague reply.

"Hmm, who could it be? Okay, I'll be there soon."

Buck Rogers walked briskly toward the center of the city, where the administrative quarter was located, including the building of the Ministry of Defense of the Earth. However, as soon as he crossed the threshold of Huer's office, the man froze in surprise again.

Princess Ardala herself was in front of him. "What a coincidence!" Buck thought. "But what is she doing here?" Rogers couldn't help noticing that Ardala's image had undergone some changes: the clothes were more modest, the makeup was not so bright, the look was calmer, and the tone of voice with which the girl said, "Hello, Captain Rogers!"

"Princess! I didn't expect to see you here!" Buck smiled as he came to his senses. "What do you owe? I hope your visit isn't part of another elaborate plan to take over Earth?"

"Buck!" Dr. Huer exclaimed indignantly. "Given the truce between our peoples, such jokes are simply inappropriate! Princess, I apologize—"

But Ardala didn't seem offended.

"It's okay, Dr. Huer! I've always loved Captain Rogers' wit! And, alas, he has reason to think of me that way—" She smiled sadly. "But I assure you that your home planet is no longer threatened by me. I came for a different purpose."

"Is that so? Which one?" Buck asked.

"I—" The Princess hesitated for a moment with excitement. Her voice trembled slightly, "I want to apologize—"

Buck's eyes went to his forehead. Huer also looked astonished, though he tried not to show it too much on his face. Apology and Princess Ardala seemed incompatible. Nevertheless, the men continued to listen without interrupting.

"For everything I've done before. I behaved foolishly and undignified when I threatened the Earth, attacked it with starfighters and the battle pyramid, when I kidnapped you, Buck, and forced you to marry me. Now I've realized how wrong I was—"

Buck tried to tell from the voice, the intonation, the facial expressions of Ardala if she was telling the truth or lying. The Princess's words sounded genuine and touched his soul, but Rogers knew from experience that anything could be expected from a beautiful Draconian.

"Well—" Rogers hesitated, confused, and looked at Huer. He nodded slightly. Ardala waited patiently for an answer: "I don't— We don't hold a grudge against you, Princess. Let what was in the past remain in the past. Especially since Earth and Draconia have made an official truce."

"I'm glad."

"It's strange, but I can't see Kane or your brute Tigerman in the vicinity—"

"That's because I came alone."

"Really? Buck seemed surprised. "And they let you go?"

"I'm a Princess, and I don't have to consult anyone!" Ardala said in a slightly offended tone, but then, pulling herself together, she continued much more calmly.

"At first, I flew to the Searcher, but they told me that you were already on Earth, after which I ended up here.

"But what really brings you here? It's not just the desire to apologize, is it?"

"Buck!" The owner of the office was indignant again at such straightforwardness.

"No, no, Dr. Huer — he's right: there's more—But, I'd like to discuss it with Buck in private, if you don't mind."

"Me? No— uh, unless Captain Rogers himself minded," they both stared at Buck.

"Maybe we should go to my apartment so as not to disturb the doctor," he suggested.

The Princess nodded in agreement.

After saying goodbye to the owner of the office, they both went out the door. Down the corridors of the building, Buck and Ardala walked silently, intelligently not trying to discuss their affairs in public. And there were a lot of them on the way, and everyone watched the Princess with curiosity.

The identity of Draconian Emperor's daughter was all too well known, so the girl was easily recognized. The people of New Chicago also had some idea of her interest in Rogers, and the more conjectures began to multiply about the purpose of Ardala's visit to Earth, and even without an escort.

Finally, the Captain safely led his guest to the door of the apartment he occupied in one of the residential blocks. As the door swung smoothly to the side, Rogers gestured with his hand, gallantly letting Ardala pass first.

"And here— cute," the Draconian said, surveying the uncluttered furnishings of Buck's dwelling.

"Don't give compliments just out of politeness! I am well aware, Princess, that my humble abode cannot compare with the luxury of your chambers."

"Please, let's switch to 'you'! We're like strangers," the girl asked.

"All right, Ardala, why did 'you' come?" Rogers asked bluntly.

"I— I wanted to see you— because I love you, Buck Rogers!"

"Princess, we've been through this before!" The man reminded. "If you remember, I said that love is a sacred feeling, but there is none between us—"

"I haven't forgotten, Buck, but please hear me out! Anyway, I have to tell you what I feel. Then it's up to you to decide!" Ardala's voice was not even appealing, but pleading; Rogers paused involuntarily.

"I've been thinking a lot, I've had plenty of time," she began pacing up and down the room, glancing at Buck from time to time. "I remembered our previous meetings; how I tried to seduce and subdue you; how you have always thwarted my plans, and finally, how we have united against a common enemy. Believe it or not, it was after that that I came to the realization of my own mistakes. I was acting like a complete fool and pushing you away!

But I've been different lately: I've grown up and become wiser. And at the same time, my feelings for you grew stronger and stronger. Remember when I thought you were the perfect man in the galaxy?"

"Yes, I can't forget that!" Rogers grinned slightly. "By the way, Ardala, why me? After all, before you met me, you must have had men more worthy of the hands of the Princess of Draconia than a mere Captain in the U.S. Air Force, who is known only for having spent five hundred years in space frozen. And none of them have a place in your heart?"

The girl said nothing, looking down. This reaction embarrassed Rogers, "Wait, you mean—"

"No, I don't."

"And you even?—"

"You mean, have I ever had lovers? Never! After all, I did not love anyone, but only despised them, reveling in the sense of superiority and exclusivity instilled in me from childhood!" Tears welled up in Ardala's eyes; Buck couldn't help but want to hug her, but he restrained himself.

"As for you, Captain Rogers," the Princess continued, pulling herself together, "I saw in you all the qualities I lacked in the people around me: courage, kindness, nobility, a willingness to come to the aid of friends, and even, if necessary, to sacrifice myself for the good of others. And even though I now realize that I was wrong about your genetic perfection, it doesn't change anything — my heart confidently tells me that I love you, and it's the most sincere and bright feeling I've ever had!"

Now it was the man's turn to be silent. He didn't know what to say in response. Then the Princess herself continued after a moment, "You know, I've learned everything I can about twentieth-century history and the United States to understand you better. I even learned how to pilot spaceships and dressed more modestly to look more like Wilma Deering.

"What does Wilma have to do with it?"

"Really— Don't you like her as a woman?"

"She and I are very good friends—"

"Friends," drawled the Princess thoughtfully.

"Yes, you've gone to great lengths for me," Buck said. "But don't forget the difference in our position: you are the heiress of a powerful empire, and I am a simple soldier—"

"If you reciprocate my feelings, I'll give up my rights to the throne and I'm ready to live here with you," the girl said surprisingly calmly, looking straight into Rogers' eyes.

"I'm sure your father won't be happy about the idea."

"Of course, but he has plenty of choices: any one of my twenty-nine sisters will gladly take the place of heiress. But after that, I can't go back to Draconia." The Princess said sadly.

"Ardala, I have no right to deprive you of the opportunities that a Draconian Princess is born with!"

"It's a conscious decision, and I won't regret anything anyway—" Seeing that Buck wasn't in a hurry to answer, Ardala added, "Well, I've opened my heart to you, Buck. Now it's your turn: if you reject me, well, I'll resign myself and return home to my fate; if you agree, I will immediately inform my father that I am leaving Draconia forever. What have you decided?"

The man's embarrassment intensified. On the one hand, he was tempted to refuse the Princess, because their future together did not seem as bright to Buck as Ardala had imagined. Rogers wasn't quite sure he could love her, even as she had grown up and realized her past mistakes. In addition, the Draconian Emperor can act unpredictably when he learns about the action of his eldest daughter — so there may be war! On the other hand, the Captain couldn't help but admit that he felt a growing sympathy to Ardala. It began after their alliance in the fight against Zarina. Indeed, it was then that Ardala revealed the other side to him —Rogers wasn't lying. After her confession that Ardala had never loved anyone before him, sympathy began to be mixed with sympathy and, no, not pity, but compassion.

If you think about it, the Princess was just miserable for a long time, covering her moral suffering with masks of self-confidence, imperiousness and impertinence. And he, Rogers, can help her finally find happiness and peace. Unless, of course, he finally overcame the prejudices he still had against beauty Draconian. No, Buck couldn't give an answer so quickly!

"I need to think about it, Ardala, it's not the easiest decision of my life. I hope you understand?"

"Yes— I— while I'm in my shuttle—" In order not to unnerve the earthlings with her presence, the Princess headed for the exit.

"Ardala," Buck called out to her, "I'll try not to think too long."

The girl nodded and disappeared behind the door, leaving Rogers thinking.

After about ten minutes, the silence became oppressive, and Buck left the apartment to wander around again. Near Dr. Junius's archives, he met his electronic companion, the droid Twiki, as well as Dr. Theopolis, a circular robot quod that Twiki had on his chest, suspended by two straps from the droid's neck. The pair were reunited again after Twiki's return to Earth from an expedition on the Searcher.

"Hey, Buck!" Twiki's metallic voice was not devoid of a peculiar pleasantness, capable of reproducing many intonations of human speech. The robot even had a pretty good sense of humor, and Rogers cherished it very much — during their acquaintance, Twiki became almost like a friend to him.

"What happened? Why are you so gloomy?" On top of that, the droid was also able to read a person's mood by their appearance.

"I have a decision to make, and I'm not sure what to do. For the first time in my life, I found myself in a real dead end."

"Maybe we can help you. After all, that's what friends are for!" Theopolis reacted.

"Yes, tell us, boss!" The droid echoed.

"Oh well— Did you know that here in New Chicago is Princess Ardala?"

"Yes, Dr. Huer has informed us," the Quod said in his deadpan voice.

"But what is she doing here? This is not an official visit, because she flew alone," Twiki added.

"She came to apologize for her past actions—"

"Hmm— Still, the behavior of people in some areas remains a mystery to me," Theopolis flashed his lights.

"But that's not all: we talked in private, and the Princess confessed her love for me, and even—I'm willing to give up her rights to the Draconian throne for me!" Buck explained.

"Wow, Buck!" Twiki exclaimed, masterfully feigning surprise, and at the same time adding his famous "Beedee-beedee-beedee."

The meaning of these signals was known only to himself, and perhaps to Theopolis.

The latter asked, "So what's the problem? In the past, you did not hesitate in your attitude towards Princess Ardala."

"Yes, but it's changed. However, Ardala has changed. And not only externally. It seems that she has truly realized her mistakes and no longer dreams of dominating the entire galaxy."

"Are you sure, Buck?"

"How can I tell you, Twiki? I rely only on my intuition, and it has never deceived me. And besides, I want to believe her," Rogers sighed deeply.

"Are you afraid of harming the Princess or our planet?"

"Both to her and to the Earth. Ardala must not be deprived of her legal rights because of me, and besides, the Emperor may attack in retaliation for her daughter's actions."

"Don't worry about the latter!" Quod hastened to reassure the man. "During the time that you, Wilma, and Twiki were on the Searcher, Earth's defense system was greatly strengthened. In addition, the government has made several military alliances, so in the event of aggression, we should not be left alone."

"I'm glad to hear that," Rogers smiled faintly.

"By the way, Buck, what will happen to Wilma if you reciprocate Ardala's feelings?" Twiki asked.

"I guess I'll go find her and talk about it frankly," the man avoided answering directly. "Thank you for listening, friends! See you later!"

Buck made his way down the corridor to the flight hangars where the fighters were based, and Wilma Deering was usually present at this time. As soon as he walked away, Theopolis spoke, "I have to admit, Twiki, that this time you and I were not up to the mark and could not really help Buck in any way. The questions of human love are too complex to be logically analysed."

" Beedee-beedee-beedee," the droid squeaked, looking after Rogers as he walked away.

Wilma was not to be found among the flight hangars, and no one could tell Buck exactly where she was going. He walked around a few places before he realized that the girl might be in her apartment. And so it turned out.

"Come in. Would you like a drink?" Wilma suggested as soon as Buck crossed the threshold.

The girl tried to smile, but Rogers could see that she was sad.

"N-no, thank you—Actually, I've come to talk about something— But maybe I'm out of time?"

"It's all right. I guess it's Princess Ardala."

"Did you see her?"

"Yes, we— We talked—" Wilma hesitated, "about you."

"And what did you discuss?"

"She told me that— How are you— In general, about everything."

"What do you think?"

"Well, that's for you to choose. But it seemed to me that the Princess had really changed. I don't know what happened to her."

"Wilma, I've always thought that you and I—"

"Yes, I thought so too— that just a little bit more, and our friendship will finally become something more— I imagined how happily we would live, how we would have children—"

"But?" Seeing that the girl couldn't muster up the thoughts to continue, Buck nudged her.

"We've known each other for more than a year, we've been together for so long— And the feelings that could arise between us are still missing. I think you'll agree with me. I'm very good to you, Buck, but I guess we're not made for each other," Wilma looked into Rogers' eyes.

"I think you like Princess Ardala deep down, and maybe you'll find happiness with her. You're both entitled to it," Wilma's voice trembled visibly.

"You're right: I like her. But this is also frightening: it is not possible to completely defeat prejudices. Somewhere inside, a small voice asks if this is part of a new plan that surpasses all previous ones in cunning. "

"I didn't think she was pretending or lying, and women are usually good at feeling things like that," the girl drawled thoughtfully.

"All right, I guess I'll go. Thank you for your words! It was important for me to know your opinion, Wilma."

"Wait, what have you decided?"

"I'll think about it a little longer—"

They hugged each other as they said goodbye. Tight, but like friends.

Buck wandered around the city for a while, then his legs carried him to the hangars, where the Draconian Princess's personal shuttle was stationed away from the crowd. There was no need to knock, for as soon as Rogers arrived, the hermetically sealed door slid aside — no doubt Ardala was waiting for him.

The Princess stared silently from the doorway, waiting for an answer as if it were a sentence. But when Buck wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her to him, Ardala made a timid attempt to smile.

"So I can stay?"

"I don't know what's going to happen, or if we're going to do anything at all, but let's give us a try, Princess. Perhaps this is our fate."

"And I believe that everything will definitely be fine!" The girl beamed.

Several of the technicians servicing the fighters at that moment were involuntarily distracted from their work and were surprised to see Captain Buck Rogers and Princess Ardala standing in their arms and kissing.