Ep 206 Mark of the Saurian, February 5, 1981

Director: Barry Crane

Writer(s): Francis Moss

Guest Star(s):
Lieutenant Devlin .... Paul Carr
Ambassador Cabot .... Linden Chiles
Doctor Moray .... Vernon Weddle
Lieutenant (Nurse) Paulton .... Kim Hamilton
Senior Officer .... Stacy Keach Sr.
Major Elif .... Barry Cahill
Technician .... Alex-Hyde White
Willie (Wing Man) .... Alan Hunt
General Kenton (Captain) .... Frank Parker
Crew Member .... Andrea Pile
Red Leader Alpha .... ?
Blue Leader Victor (voice) .... ?
Complete list of Cast and Crew:

Deep in the Delta Quadrant lays a Defense Station. Major Elif radios Red Leader Alpha for a progress report on the Sentry Sweep. It has been completed as ordered. The squadron was making sure that all the Saurian fighter ships had left Alliance airspace per the terms laid out in Armistice. Red Leader Alpha requests permission to enter the restricted zone. Defense Station submits the approval codes. ETA, one minute. Code is 452X(Divsion symbol)CE/C (The computer buttons appear to have come from a calculator). Reentry programmed for 54 seconds. Willie expresses his anxiety regarding the reentry process. They enter the Stargate. Once Alpha Team has cleared the parameter defense they have to contact Docking Control on the assigned frequency. Someone knocks on the door. Major Elif requests the person to display the correct code sequence. Elif opens the door. Surprise! An exact mirror image of Elif shoots the real Elif, vaporizing him and takes his place at the control station. He fiddles with a devise on his wrist, revealing his true reptilian appearance under the human disguise. Blue Leader Victor now requests permission to enter the restricted zone, right behind Red Leader Alpha. The switch is complete.

Shuttlecraft 155 is locked into the tractor beam, and must proceed with normal docking procedure to board the Searcher. Hawk comes in to Bucks hospital room before he goes out on patrol. Buck has Cygnus fever with a temperature scale of 12.6. Dr. Goodfellow is currently working on trying to kill the virus that has infected Buck. It would seem that Buck picked it up while on a planet because he wasn't wearing a respirator. Down on the Observation Deck, Ambassador Cabot greets Admiral Asimov. Asimov calls the Ambassador "your Excellency" while Buck watches the greeting from his room. Watching the action unfold on TV, Buck notices that the Cabot, Moray, and their aides are all glowing green. How strange. Nurse Paulton comes in to check on Buck. Buck asks Paulton to fix his TV to get rid of the green fuzz. Paulton has no idea what Buck it talking about. So, it isn't something that the camera's are picking up, but Buck himself. Even stranger. Could this be due to the virus that is coursing through Buck's veins? Well, Buck has to find out for himself! He sneaks out of bed and heads down to the observation deck to check out the Searchers guests. Nope, even in person, Buck still see's the green glow. It's real! Ambassador Cabot notices Buck and becomes paranoid that Buck must know something!

Asimov is showing off the ships R.S.V. to Cabot. Telling him how light it is, how well it's made, and about its durability. It is powered by a photonic engine. It is also the latest design in the entire universe. The R.S.V is powered by a new proton engine giving it a greater range. Most of this conversation is inaudible.

Wilma escorts Buck back to his hospital room. Also in their room, Cabot and Moray are worried about Buck looking at them funny. They need to take care of it, otherwise they wont be able to take over the Defense Station. Cabot fiddles with a devise on his wrist revealing to the Audience that they are reptilian as well. Could they all be Saurian's? The following day, Asimov continues the tour for the Ambassador and his party. He shows them the Searcher's Navigational Computer Terminal. The computer itself however is on "D" Deck. The Searcher's course is maintained automatically. Dr. Moray requests to see the ships medical bay. Devlin shows Dr. Moray the way. Is this a secrete ploy to check on Buck Rogers and see why he looked at them funny? Dr. Goodfellow allows Moray to see Buck Rogers as he sleeps (what happened to Devlin?). Lt. Paulton comes in with Buck's treatment. Goodfellow orders Paulton to administer just one C.C. (or one millimeter) of chlorzine, probably for his hallucinations. Goodfellow shows Moray the Medical Optical Engram Imager. Just then Lt. Paulton spills Buck's hot meal on him. In pain, Buck looks up, and sees Moray for the lizard man that he really is. Buck runs after Moray and sounds the alarm. "What in the name of Theseus is he doing out of Bed?", Asimov makes another reference to the Greek king. Buck describes seeing the green glow around Moray, but everyone just looks at him like he is crazy. I mean, he must be hallucinating because he is sick, right? I mean, it makes sense that it would be a common side effect for sick people. How frustrating for Buck and the Audience to be constantly dismissed like that. Nothing like no one listening to you or believing you and chalking up your rantings as being delusional.

Moray requests that he be permitted to kill Buck Rogers for being able to see through their image screen. Cabot declines his request. They must proceed with the plan. Their plan is to get into Delta Quadrant Headquarters (Don't they already have a guy there?) and replace the five senior officers who control the entire Alliance Defensive System. In the mean time, they will find out what Buck see's and why. Uh, where they not listing? He see's a green glow or aura around them. I think Buck was quite vocal to everyone what he see's. Only with a blood sample will they be able to find out why Buck can see through their disguise. Moray goes to Goodfellow to convince him to provide that sample of blood. Morary mentions to Goodfellow that he had a similar case on the Planet Librax. Goodfellow agrees, and administers a sedative to Buck. Moray mentions that he forgot his hemofractionizer and asks Goodfellow to get him one. A good excuse to get Goodfellow out of the room. Moray gives him a couple of shots, to counter the sedative and to get a pure blood sample. A side effect to this injection is intense pain. Buck wakes up and see's lizard man again, and attacks. How does Buck know that lizard man isn't a guest on the ship instead of an intruder? Buck tries choking the reptilian, but Paulton and Goodfellow come in and put a stop to it. Buck must not have been very good at choking someone out, or Moray was extremely resilient, because after 20 seconds of choking, Moray was still conscious.

Wilma contacts Hawk while he is out on Patrol. His call sign is Red Boy 1. She requests his immediate return to Searcher. Searcher was headed towards a Stargate, however, is now deviating off course. Using astral scan, they determine their position. Their deviation is 3 degrees off starboard, toward Delta Quadrant. They will arrive in 19 minutes 4 seconds. The ships plasma gyros are unresponsive. They cannot course correct. Why, by "the Hammer of Thor", are they off course? Wilma enters the Medical Bay to check on Buck. It appears that his fever has broken and is no longer seeing the green glow around the impostors. Actually, with Buck's blood sample, Moray was able to determine the frequency to which to set his projector so he and his troop appear normal to Buck. On the bridge, the Technicians have taken apart the control panel to find out what is wrong with the guidance systems, but are running out of time before the reach the Restricted Zone. They are less than 4,000 grids from Delta Quadrants defense zone. Now 3,000 grids. Curious about Buck's description of the green lizard men, Wilma shows him last weeks telecast of the Unconditional surrender of the Saurian Empire to the Alliance. Buck confirms that he was seeing Saurian's, and not hallucinating!

Searcher is now 2,200 grids from the Defense border. They will cross that border in 14 minutes. In five minutes they traveled 1800 grids. So, they were traveling at 360 grids a minute, or 6 gps (grids per second), and have now slowed to 157 grids a minute, or 2.61 gps. Delta Quadrant Headquarters hails the Starship Searcher and requests that it make a course correction before it enters the Defense Zone. Buck, in the lab, tries to convince Goodfellow that when in pain, his adrenaline spikes allowing him to see the Saurain's for who they really are. Where is Hawk? I thought he was supposed to come back from Patrol soon...How far away was he? Moray enters the lab and Buck takes the opportunity to try to prove to Wilma and Goodfellow that he was not hallucinating. Buck intends to inflict pain upon himself so that he would be able to see Moray once again as a Saurian and not as a human. How would this convince Wilma and Goodfellow that Buck is seeing something different? Wouldn't it be more effective if Wilma or Dr. Goodfellow put their arm in the shock devise? Well it didn't work anyways. Clearly Buck is deranged, and a psychopath and belongs in the brig. Somehow, by conducting this little experiment Buck violated diplomatic protocol when he...what, inflicted pain on himself, or accusing Moray to be a Lizard man?

Searcher is now traveling at speeds of 14 gps (grids per second), with 11 minutes away from the defense zone. So, now they are 9,240 grids away when they were only 200 grids three minutes ago? I think the writers need to work on their math. Searcher is now 7 minutes 13 seconds away. 6 minutes. Sound General Quarters! All personal to report to duty stations.

Ambassador Cabot pleads with Major Elif of the Delta Station to disengage the auto-defense. Elif, has to clear it with higher authorities. I guess they have to put on this little show as to not appear suspicious. I mean, what was the point of replacing Major Elif if he wasn't going to deactivate the auto-defense?General Kenton enters the scene and permits the Searchers clearance through the defense zone, on the condition of disengaging their plasma drive and proceed at half speed. With a click of a button, Buck is able to spy..er...watch the goings on the bridge. It's a good thing that Buck turned it on right at that moment to see the video screen of Major Elif glowing a nice healthy green. Apparently he didn't get the memo to change the frequency on his imager. Buck has had it! He grabs his pistol and storms out of bed.

Buck has taken over the bridge of the Searcher, threatening to atomize anyone who moves. Hawk finally makes it back to the Searcher. 'Bout time! The Defense Station has plans now to send a squad of security forces on board the Searcher. They will board in 2 minutes. Buck bangs the video screen  with his fist, causing him pain. He see's through "Major Elif's" imager. Hawk makes it to the bridge just in time to disarm Cabot, who pulled out a concealed pistol. Buck changes the temperature on the bridge to make the environment more uncomfortable for the Saurians. The temperature drops below scale 2, and all the Saurians pass out into a forced hibernation. Somehow, their wrist imagers malfunction, and they are all exposed for what they really are. Buck informs the Defense Station that the Major Elif is also a Saurian impersonator. He is quickly arrested and taken away. Dr. Goodfellow comes to the bridge and acts like he was there they whole time and had quite an experience as security escorts the Saurians to the brig. Had the Saurians succeeded on gaining control of the Defense Station, they could have blackmailed the entire galaxy. Uh, say what Asimov?

Twiki, with his awful voice, is bringing Buck flowers as get well gift. Paulton waves something around Buck checking his temperature. All most back to normal. Twiki enters and presents the flowers, Twiki is happy in bringing them, and everyone is happy again.

Character Facts learned in this episode:

Delta Quadrant Defense Station: The most awesome offensive and defensive station in the entire history of man. Any ship flying withing 2,000 grids without the proper codes is destroyed automatically.
Saurians: Suing for peace. Was a threat to intergalactic peace
Dr. Moray: Chief Adviser to the Ambassador
Ambassador Cabot: Succeeded in negotiating the unconditional surrender from the Saurian's (doesn't sound like much of a negotiation) to the Alliance
Cygnus Fever: No longer affects humans, however, Buck's immune system has not evolved as current human's and gets infected.
General Kenton: Vice Commander of Delta Quadrant

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References to the 20th Century that the 25th does't get: "Top of the morning to ya"
Favorite quotes: "You cannot hallucinate something you've never seen"
Easter Eggs:
Deaths: 6
Searcher's Mission: To find the lost tribes of Earth
Miniatures: (1) Searcher (4) Starfighter (1) Defense Station (1) Shuttlecraft 155