The Guardians

Buck and Hawk are surveying the surface of a planet which they hope will prove to be suitable for colonization. A freak windstorm forces them to seek shelter in a cave, where they are amazed to find another human being, and an empty grave whose headstone reads “Janovus XXVI.” This, presumably, is the elderly man they have found – but nothing explains the fact that the man knows who Buck is, and appears to have been expecting his arrival. Janovus pronounces Buck the chosen one, and entrusts him with a glowing container which Buck is to pass along to the correct person at the correct time…though he has no idea who or when that will be. The old man then dies. That night, Buck falls asleep and then finds himself back at his family’s house in the 20th century. He continues on through a detailed dream that only ends at the point in his Ranger 3 mission when he was plunged into suspended animation – at which time Hawk awakens Buck. Back aboard Searcher, Crichton can’t penetrate the box with his sensors, and Dr. Goodfellow analyzes some scrolls that belonged to Janovus, discovering references to Guardians of space and time – presumably the ones to whom Buck must deliver the box. Other members of the crew, including Hawk and Admiral Asimov, experience intense hallucinations not unlike Buck’s memories of home – and close proximity to the alien box seems to be the only common factor. The Searcher’s new cargo may drive its deliverers mad before that can rid themselves of it.

written by Paul Schneider & Margaret Schneider
directed by Jack Arnold
music by Bruce Broughton

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Colonel Wilma Deering), Thom Christopher (Hawk), Jay Garner (Admiral Asimov), Wilfred Hyde-White (Dr. Goodfellow), Felix Silla (Twiki), Jeff David (voice of Crichton), Harry Townes (Janovus), Rosemary DeCamp (Mrs. Rogers), Paul Carr (Lt. Devlin), Barbara Luna (Koori), Felix Silla (Twiki), Shawn Stevens (Boy), Dennis Haysbert (Helmsman), Vic Perrin (The Guardian), Howard Culver (Mailman)