Buck the Atomic Ranger - Chapter Four

Buck the Atomic Ranger

Chapter Four

By: Roger Alderman

The staff and residents of the Olympus Mons Retirement Center find themselves in awe at the arrival of their hero, The Atomic Ranger. What starts out as a few random people clapping quickly turns to the roar of applause from hundreds of people saved by Buck’s Father and Grandfather. The Atomic Ranger has saved each of these people time and time again, as the great defender of mankind.

Under his helmet, Buck smiles at the adulation he had been missing since donning the outfit of the Atomic Ranger. He pauses realizing the attention was not truly his rather for the memory of far better men. A doctor with a smile on his face approaches, “Atomic Ranger, tell me what do we owe the honor of your visit?”

“Thank You,” Buck begins, “I am here to see Mrs. Stephanie Tinker.” The doctor cocks his head at an odd angle, “Why?” “It’s a personal visit,” Buck offers. The doctor shrugs and motions for Buck to follow, “Okay? This way Ranger.”

The Doctor and Buck make their way through the long sterile corridors of the Retirement Center. The smell of the cleaning chemical does little to cover up the overpowering odor of death and defecation that wafts from each room they pass.

Buck stops outside of a room watching as medical staff prepares a recently deceased retiree. The doctor turns to Buck, “Sorry I know the odor is rough if you’re not used to it. But I assure you we do our best to clean and sterilize each room. For every human that passes there are two sent here.” “Hard to keep up with demand. Trust me I get it,” Buck gestures for the doctor to continue Mrs. Tinker’s room.

Stephanie Tinker sits in her vintage wooden rocking chair knitting a sweater for one of her numerous cats, “you’ll love this one Ya-Ya.” A black and white short-haired cat nuzzles against her cheek. Ya-Ya turns and hisses at the entrance door to her room.

The doctor and Buck reach the entrance door, “This is her room here.” Buck reaches out to open the door but is startled when a voice echoes from inside. “Come in,” Stephanie’s voice surprises both men in the hallway. The doctor touches the keypad and the room slides open.

Stephanie looks to the entrance door, “It can’t be. Is that you Ranger?” Buck nods and Stephanie slowly walks towards him. Buck puffs out his chest and tried to strike a heroic pose, “Yes, it is me The Atomic Ranger.” “Buck! What are you doing in that? Your dad’s gonna tan your hide,” Stephanie smiles. Buck quickly turns and closes the sliding door on the doctor, “STEPHANIE!” He shushes her.

Stephanie smiles and settles back in her chair and cats. She motions for Buck to sit nearby. Buck does as he is asked and makes his way into a high backed solid dark wood chair, “It seems like it’s been a lifetime, Mrs. Tinker.”

Stephanie nods and cuddles with her black and white cat. “I missed you at the funeral, Buck removes his helmet and sits it on a small end table. Stephanie chokes back her tears, “Buck, I’m sorry but I just couldn’t deal with it. Truth be told I’m still having a problem with it even now.” “I understand,” Buck nods at her response.

Buck reaches out and takes Stephanie’s hand in his gloved hand, “You and dad were always so close.” She nods, but interrupts, “not as close as I would have liked.” Buck chuckles, “I was at Goodfellah’s and he mentioned you helped both create and maintain the Atomic Ranger’s weapons and gear.” Stephanie sits her cat on the floor, “Yes, why?”

Stephanie looks down to her aged hands and exhales, “that was a long time ago. These hands are not what the once were.” Buck stands and gestures to the badly damaged helmet, “I have no idea how to fix any of this. For all, I knew dad made and fixed all this stuff.” Stephanie laughs, “he had the brawn and I had the brains. He would have blown himself up even thinking about working on this stuff.”

Buck lifts the helmet and shakes his head in disappointment, “Well If I can’t do It and you…” Stephanie interrupts, “Jessie.” Buck looks confused. “She’s my daughter and just like me she loved to tinker with things,” Stephanie smiles and pets her demanding black and white cat.

“It’ll be just like my dad and you back in the day,” Buck states enthusiastically. Stephanie raises the controller to her communicator, “Jessie.” The screen flashes and a young woman in coveralls with welding goggles on answers the call, as she takes off her gloves, “Grandma? What’s up.”

Buck steps into the adjoining kitchen area giving Stephanie and her Granddaughter, Jessie, time to speak. Buck looks at a series of old photographs resting near the sink on along her marble countertop. The photos show images of Stephanie and his father together throughout the years they worked as a team. Buck smiles when Stephanie’s voice bellows from the next room, “Buck she’s in she’ll meet you in about ten minutes.”

“While we wait you can help an old lady feed her cats,” Stephanie smirks. Buck grins and nods in agreement. Stephanie joins him in the kitchen and they prepare numerous cat food bowls with fresh kibble and wet food combinations.

Stephanie’s doorbell rings just as She and buck finish feeding the last of her feline companions, “I bet that’s her.” “No, shit,” Buck whispers impatiently. “It’s open,” Stephanie calls out, “Come in Jessie.”

The door slides open revealing the steampunk tinker queen known as Jessie, “Hiya, grandma!” Buck steps forward offering a handshake, but Jessie walks around him. She snatches up the Atomic Ranger Helmet and flops down next to Stephanie on her love seat. Stephanie hugs Jessie, “It really has been too long.”

Jessie examines the helmet and then scowls at Buck, “What have you done to this? This will take hours to fix. Sheesh, you need to take it easy this stuff is antiques.” Buck tries to interrupt but gets cut off quickly by Jessie, “If we’re gonna do this whole fighting evil thing. You’re gonna need all new gear.” Buck stares at her mouth agape.

Buck laughs, as both women glare at him, “we don’t have the time. I still need to find a way inside Doctor Chaos’s organization to get a sample of that Public Pustule Poison. Then get it back to Goodfellah to make a cure or thousands more will die.” Stephanie smiles and looks to Jessie. Buck looks more confused than normal.

Stephanie motions for Jessie to leave the room. Jessie stands and walks into the bedroom of Stephanie’s apartment. Buck starts to say something but is shushed by Stephanie. She motions for him to wait a moment.  Buck shrugs and sits back into the chair he has chosen to sit on.

A moment passes and Jessie walks back into the room carrying an odd-looking watch. She offers it to Buck, “Put it on.” “What is it?” Buck ask in a distrustful and sarcastic tone. Stephanie smirks, “just like old times.” Jessie looks offended at her grandmother’s remark, “it is a portal to my lab where you will send the suit after each use to me to fix it. I can even send you new gear through the portal to test as I create them.” 

Buck seems happy and hugs both woman, “okay now I just need to find some way to get into his organization.” Jessie raises her hand and Buck snicker, “I know where to start.” Buck looks intrigued by Jessie’s potential idea. “There is a place just out past Neptune that is a secret watering hole for bad guys of all kinds. They literally call it the Watering Hole.”

Buck gets very excited. “great so let’s get out there and start busting heads.” Jessie shakes her head, “not so fast hero. The exact location is only known to those who frequent the place.” “So, we need to get hold of one of Doctor Chaos’s men and lean on him,” Buck’s expression turns to worry. Jessie and Stephanie look stumped as well.

Buck’s wrist communicator lights up. He raises it next to his cheek, “Atomic Ranger here.” The voice of Captain McIrish of the planetary Police Patrol blasts, “Atomic we need you we discovered one of Doctor Chaos’s airships. We thought they would be dead or it would be empty, but we were wrong. They got us pinned down. We need you, Ranger.” “I’m on my way,” Buck responds, as his communicator loses the signal.

Jessie stands and hugs Buck, “Perfect time you can try out the new gear grandma and I have been working on for your father.” Buck looks shocked by the revelation, “You guys had already created a backup.” Jessie and Stephanie shake their head at the response, “No this is a whole new suit and gear. All improvements to every aspect of the Atomic Ranger.”

Buck smiles and looks at the new watch, “What do I do?” “One-half spin of the dial clockwise and the uniform will be summoned directly onto your body. One-half spin counter-clockwise enables a new Turbo Mode that will increase your reflexes and fighting skills. Also, that will enable a "faster than light mode" for the new flight pack,” Jessie instructs. Buck looks astonished at all that the new gear can do, “Well no time like the present to test it out.”

Buck raises the watch high above his head and turns the face clockwise, “Atomic Ranger!” A thunderous boom shakes the entire retirement center, as The Atomic Ranger Blast of at the speed of light towards Earth.

“Take care of that boy, Jessie,” Stephanie hugs her granddaughter. “I will grandma. I will,” Jessie respectfully replies. “We got a lot of hurts to undo in him and his worst hurt was our fault,” Stephanie looks at one of the pictures of her and Buck’s father holding each other.