* Summoned by the commotion that could be heard in an adjoining corridor, Dr. [[Theopolis]] and [[Twiki]] make their way into the room to see Danton have the final word—dismissing his cadets after ordering them to report to the hangar at 0800 the next morning—after tackling Rogers and forcing him into a rack of helmets, pinning Rogers underneath its bulk.
* Summoned by the commotion that could be heard in an adjoining corridor, Dr. [[Theopolis]] and [[Twiki]] make their way into the room to see Danton have the final word—dismissing his cadets after ordering them to report to the hangar at 0800 the next morning—after tackling Rogers and forcing him into a rack of helmets, pinning Rogers underneath its bulk.
* After Danton and his cadets disperse, Dr. Theopolis reacts to the display: "Two grown men fighting. How disgusting." As Rogers extricates himself from under the rack, he meekly explains that he was giving a demonstration.
* After Danton and his cadets disperse, Dr. Theopolis reacts to the display: "Two grown men fighting. How disgusting." As Rogers extricates himself from under the rack, he meekly explains that he was giving a demonstration.
"Planet of the Slave Girls" is the third and fourth episodes of the 1st season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
Synopsis
The majority of Earth's Defense Directorate pilot corps becomes incapacitated after consuming poisoned food discs. Capt. William "Buck" Rogers, Col. Wilma Deering, Maj. Duke Danton and Maj. Fields fly to the distant planet of the food's origin, Vistula, returning Governor Tabor Saroyan's son there to recover. While on the planet Vistula, they find that Kaleel has been building up a mass of brainwashed followers alongside a fleet of Scorpion fighters in secret, planning to use them against Earth's weakened defense forces in order to conquer the Earth. With Earth's defense force now heavily outnumbered 10-to-1, Rogers decides that he must destroy the attack fleet and rescue Deering, who has become trapped in Kaleel's mountain fortress.
Plot
His father is Tabor Saroyan, the governor of Vistula. I suppose I should notify him personally.
Just how serious is his condition?
It's his nerves controlling his voluntary muscles and motor coordination. They're deteriorating, just like all the others.
Others?
Yes. The Computer Council has ordered that a definitive statement to the general public not be made just yet. But so far here in New Chicago, 25,000 case have been reported.
When did all this start?
Three days ago, while you and Buck were gone. And another thing: this disease, or whatever it is, has cropped up in other cities on Earth, but here in New Chicago it's much, much worse... You see, what the Computer Council is trying to keep secret is its effect on our defense squadrons, for they've been hardest hit of all.
Capt. William "Buck" Rogers and Col. Wilma Deering perform a training flight run in a Thunderfighter, call sign Earth Recon One, returning to Earth via Stargate 4. Rogers feels disoriented after exiting the space warp, and Deering notes that it is a normal reaction to those who've experienced the space warping for the first time.
Scout Three's leader, Maj. Duke Danton, admonishes Saroyan for lagging behind and instructs him to engage in evasive maneuvers while the rest of the Scout squadron loops back for him.
From Earth Recon One, Rogers shares his belief that Scout Three won't make it, and Deering agrees with the assessment. Between Rogers' piloting skills and Deering's shooting, they are able to fend off the attack, saving Saroyan at Danton's chagrin. Rogers surveys Scout Three's damage, noting that he sustained a hit on his starboard side.
After Danton and Rogers get into a verbal tit-for-tat, Danton challenges Rogers to repeat his statements regarding "Funk & Wagnalls" face-to-face in New Chicago's flight bay. Rogers agrees while Deering, recognizing the voice, smirks silently.
The pilots make their landings, and Danton grills Saroyan, who is clearly clammy and feverish. Rogers is quick to note this, and catches Saroyan before he face-plants into the hangar floor.
After Saroyan is taken away to the Directorate clinic, Danton identifies Rogers as being the one who interfered with a Directorate training mission. Before they get further into it, Deering arrives. Danton corrects himself after calling her by her first name, and in the ensuing conversation she confirms that Rogers had her permission to interfere
After Deering formally introduces Rogers to the chagrined Danton, the conversation switches the subject to Rogers' status as a member of the Defense Directorate. Deering makes the suggestion that Rogers head up one of Danton's defense-technique training sessions, and after Danton becomes incredulous at the suggestion, Deering's tone shifts: she orders Danton to introduce Rogers to his class, so that he may instruct them on 20th century battle strategy.
After Deering is told Regis Saroyan's name by Danton, she leaves. Further exacerbating the tension, Rogers stops Deering after he reminds her of drinks at his place at 1900 hours, she replies jocularly in the affirmative: "You know something, Buck Rogers? I'll be there."
Rogers leaves the flight hangar after sharing a final, rhetorical question: "She's some kind of woman, isn't she?" Frustrated at being emasculated, Danton slaps a boom needle of Saroyan's fighter.
Deering and Dr. Elias Huer visit a feverish and delirious Regis Saroyan in his medical room. Huer shares with her that Saroyan's father, Tabor Saroyan, is the governor of Vistula and notes that he'll contact the governor personally regarding his son's condition. Deering learns that other persons have been affected over the course of the last three days that Deering and Rogers were gone. Over 25,000 people in New Chicago have been affected, including cases cropping up in other cities. Most of all, the Computer Council has held off on a public announcement due to the more damning fact: the sickness has hit the Defense Directorate's pilot corps the hardest out of any other group.
After Deering asks if the sickness might be a deliberate action from an unknown party, Huer brings her to the Science Directorate, introducing her to Dr. Mallory, his assistant Stella Warden and the ambuquadCarl. A haughty Carl retorts that it also finds Huer "less than memorable," obliquely noting that Huer introduced them last.
Mallory reveals that, while an antidote to the poison has not been found, they have found the source of the poison, and have devised a means to test for it. To Huer's surprise, the source of the poison are food discs, consumed daily by millions of Terrans. Deering questions how such a thing is possible, as food production and distribution is highly regulated by the Food Directorate to prevent such things, and Mallory does not have an answer for that. The poisoned individuals, while not deceased and thus have a modicum of health, have not fully recovered.
An exuberantly optimistic Mallory notes that with Carl's help they'll be able to find a remedy and return the pilots to full functioning ability in no time.
Dr. Theopolis: "Two grown men fighting. How disgusting."
Meanwhile, Rogers lectures a class of Defense Directorate cadets, noting the use of [[football] in battle strategies. Danton comedically eggs Rogers on while his own cadets giggle and display incredulous immaturity during the lecture. Despite Rogers approach, the lecture degrades into a physical altercation that upheaves the lecture room, following examples of "sacking the quarterback," "clipping" and other types of tackles.
Summoned by the commotion that could be heard in an adjoining corridor, Dr. Theopolis and Twiki make their way into the room to see Danton have the final word—dismissing his cadets after ordering them to report to the hangar at 0800 the next morning—after tackling Rogers and forcing him into a rack of helmets, pinning Rogers underneath its bulk.
After Danton and his cadets disperse, Dr. Theopolis reacts to the display: "Two grown men fighting. How disgusting." As Rogers extricates himself from under the rack, he meekly explains that he was giving a demonstration.
So, you must read yourselves, my friends! Your moment is at hand! No longer shall you live in a Sea of Stone, while others reap the benefits of our world's lush glory! No longer shall you work to feed the people of distant planets while your own sons and daughters go hungry! Soon you will descend upon the Earth like meteors, like fire, and consume them with the flames of your righteous anger. The only ones who can stop us are those enemies among us. Those who are weak and faithless. Those who do not believe, those who attack me out of fear and jealousy. These are our enemies. Every moment you tolerate their presence among us is a moment lost for you, and your children, and your children's children!
In the evening, Dr. Mallory tells Stella Warden that Carl is running a nitrogen breakdown of the poison sample, and while they wait for the results he will go off to take a break. Warden supports this and agrees to watch Carl's readouts in the interim. After Mallory leaves, Warden plants a device inside of one of Carl's compartments, which begins its overload.
After Warden leaves the premises, Carl calls out for help, and Mallory quickly returns to Carl as he smolders and sparks like a Roman candle. "Too late. Good bye, Mallory." Carl explodes, leaving behind a scorched, smoldering hulk.
In Rogers' apartment, Col. Wilma Deering and William "Buck" Rogers engage in a judo lesson. After being flipped over Deering's back and landing on an unpadded floor, Deering quips that she probably shouldn't have asked Rogers to teach her judo so soon after "teaching" 20th century battle strategy. Both laugh and then make their way to Rogers' living room area, where Deering comes across a picture of a woman and asks about her. Before he can explain further, a message comes in and he stiffly walks to the other side of the room, picking up the call from Dr. Elias Huer.
Huer asks after Deering, who he understands is there, and they are summoned to Dr. Mallory's lab.
Huer consoles a despondent Mallory as Deering and Rogers arrive, with Deering seeing Carl's burned-out hulk. Huer explains the situation, as well as Warden's disappearance, and notes that the sabotage has left the Earth "next to defenseless indefinitely." Huer notes that Rogers should excuse himself, as he is not a formal part of the Defense Directorate, and Rogers obliges -- still overhearing the subsequent conversation (as both Deering and Huer intend) regarding the subsequent discovery of all food discs meant for Directorate housing were contaminated, and that all of the contaminated food discs (regardless of where they had been finally processed) all came from Vistula.
Rogers offers his help, much to Huer's mock surprise, noting that an Earth in the 25th century is better than no Earth at all. Huer then answers Rogers' question about Vistula, noting that it is the source of Earth's vegetable protein. As they leave Mallory's lab, Huer continues to explain the importance of Vistula to Earth.
En route back to Vistula in a stolen Defense Directorate Thunderfighter, Warden uses her subspace radio to radio Vistula Two, the mountain headquarters of Kaleel. Seated in the center command console of the aforementioned headquarters, Galen responds and Warden tells him to communicate the good news to Kaleel regarding the status of the Defense Directorate.
In a large cave-like chamber, a white-robed Kaleel preaches to a congregation of nomads, espousing that their time to strike the Earth is soon at hand and that they will pillage the Earth with a righteous fury. He reiterates that Earth and other planets have plundered their resources, while letting the workers and their children–who endlessly toil to make food for other worlds–go hungry.
As Galen arrives, Kaleel's sermon turns into outing unbelievers. A man casts furtive glances to his wife, Leila, who is fully enthralled with Kaleel. His concern is warranted as Leila publicly declares that her husband speaks ill of Kaleel, sharing his belief in the "dead of night" that Kaleel is the one selling them as slaves and pocketing the money for himself. She feels that her husband is fearful of the future and selfish.
The outed husband begins to flee, but others in his congregation quickly capture him. Kaleel's hands, now glowing red, angrily declares that the unbeliever not be harmed. As Kaleel makes his way into the congregation towards the unbeliever, he explains that his hands are alight in the Touch of Truth, and are a Kiss of God that will determine the unbeliever's true motivations: "If your heart is good and true, you shall live."
Kaleel's finger then touches the fearful, protesting and still-writhing unbeliever, who subsequently dies.
Amid a rising choir of congregants who chant Kaleel's name, he basks in their adulation and rushes back to the stage. A tearful Leila dismisses her husband's death, and adds her voice to the choir.
Kaleel enters the command center with Galen in tow, the chanting continuing outside. He orders two of his sycophants that no one is to leave the hall, and that he will address the congregation in a half-hour.
Galen briefs Kaleel on Warden's report regarding the condition of the Defense Directorate's pilots. Galen is pleased, and notes that they need to cut off its head, Dr. Huer. Galen replies that Warden has arranged Huer's death.
At night, Huer, Deering and Rogers stroll through a small arboretum, while black-clad assassin deploys their assassin's boomerang and layers on a liquid that smokes as it is applied to the blade.
Rogers asks why the governor of Vistula would poison his own son, and Huer surmises that Saroyan may very well be unawares of the situation. Deering advocates that they must go to Vistula to investigate, leading both Huer and Deering to ideate calling Saroyan and sending his son back home to Vistula to recuperate with a Directorate honor guard, even though Huer loathes the idea of sending one given the Directorate's depleted pilot corps.
Rogers becomes intensely suspicious throughout the stretch of discussion, and sights the assassin's whirring boomerang, which the trio duck. He tells Deering and Huer to stay down, while Rogers crouches down in an action pose, slowly crossing the arboretum in order to sight their attacker.
Notes
"Planet of the Slave Girls, Part II" title card on the syndicated version of the episode.
Originally aired as a 120-minute episode, but has been formatted as two 60-minute episodes in most subsequent re-airings for scheduling reasons. While many guides list it as a two-parter, its initial airing and release on DVD as one double-length episode should make this the official recognition.
In the scenes where Dr. Elias Huer and Col. Wilma Deering visit Regis Saroyan, and later when they make their way to Dr. Mallory's lab, Deering is wearing a gold wrist watch on her left wrist, over her uniform's sleeve. This fleeting appearance of the 20th century-looking timepiece is never explained, particularly as it is distinctly out-of-place with her entire uniform. It suggests that this is either a costuming error, or part of a sub-plot that was either reshot or discarded during production.
Earth's reliance on outside sources for vital supplies is an Achilles' heel that is continually exploited by enemies.
The fact that Earth has little knowledge of slavery (or indentured servitude) is discordant with facts around this episode, particularly when it seems abundant in the galaxy. It is not only exemplified by the subjects of the Draconian Empire, such as Ardala's handmaidens, but other direct examples of it in various later episodes. For instance:
The illegal arms dealer Roxanne Trent uses Terran slave labor in the form of the deaf-mute Alicia, and goes to note that the only reason Alicia is still "employed" by Trent is because the Terran labor market is depressed (BR25: "Return of the Fighting 69th").
Questions
Where did Wilma Deering get the gold wrist watch she carries, which seems out of place for her uniform?
If you call that interference, there's something wrong with your Funk & Wagnalls.
I don't know what you mean by that, but how'd you like to repeat that in the flight hangar?
I'd love to.
So you're Buck Rogers, huh?
Since the day I was born.
Danton addresses Deering, who is standing next to Rogers. I beg your pardon, Colonel, but, uh, he's no captain.
That's not quite true, Duke. While Buck has formally declined to join the Defense Directorate, he does help us out on occasion.
Danton addresses Rogers. "Declined to join"? Now, why would a big, brave hotshot like yourself do something like that?
[Rogers replies matter-of-factly] I didn't think I'd like the company.
This thing itches like crazy.
Take it off if you don't mind getting third-degree sunburn.
You probably feel right at home wearing yours.
That's right.
I've seen pictures of people and how they dressed in your time.
Yeah, well, your half-baked 25th-century historians got things so messed up, they don't know the difference between a cowboy and a traffic cop.
Hey, nice double-teaming over there, whoever you are.
Gordon's the name. Thanks.
Have we met, Gordon?
I don't think so, Captain. We're from different times.
Gordon, where'd you learn to shoot like that?
I've been doing that sort of thing since before you were born, Captain.
[surprised] You think so, huh?
Young man, I know so.
Careful. Careful. The filament you're soldering is the precise weight and thickness as the one you're replacing. Be careful, Twiki. It was very difficult to make.
Get off my back!
I'm not on your back, Twiki. And please concentrate on what you're doing. If anything, I'm on your front, and I can't get off without your help. Where have you been coming up with such expressions?
My good buddy, Buck.
I should have known. It's hard to believe that Captain Rogers learned to speak on the same planet as the rest of us.
You ready?
Mm-hmm.
Deering flips Rogers over her shoulder How's that?
Fine. Just fine.
Not too hard?
No. Oh, no.
Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to teach me judo until you'd fully recover from teaching 20th-century battle strategy.
I'm in danger! Assistance! Assistance! Danger. I am in danger. Assistance! Somebody come! Please! [Dr. Mallory arrives] Too late. Goodbye, Mallory. [Carl explodes]
If you're listening, Kaleel, the three of us would just like to say we didn't care much for the sauna.
That's Rogers!
Ah, Stella. You're so beautiful when you're angry.
