Chapter 1 - The New Boss

Disclaimers:
Duck Dodgers, Space Cadet, Martian Commander, and all other related items/characters are copyrighted by Warner Brothers
The character of John Dallas Whiskey is copyrighted by me: Timonaholic
With apologies to George Orwell for evident scene steal from his book “1984”

Duck Dodgers’ Saga
By: Timonaholic

Episode 1: The New Boss

A spaceship floated silently through space, for the occupants were in no hurry. The Space Cadet looked over the controls of the spaceship. Even though they were in auto-pilot, he made sure that everything was nominal. Duck Dodgers then entered in quite drowsily, carrying a cup of coffee trying to wake up. The Cadet saluted Dodgers before going back to his work. Dodgers yawned heavily as he sat on the captain’s chair.
“Uh, Duck Dodgers,” said the Cadet, “There is a message from Base Control.”
“Put it on big screen, Cadet.” said Dodgers, yawning once more. The holographic screen turned on, but it wasn’t the normal boss. It was a tall man with dark features. A cowboy hat obscured his face.
“Duck Dodgers, I presume?” the man said.
“Yeah, I am he,” said Dodgers, “And you might be?”
“Call me John,” said John, “Your old boss as been fired, and I have been chosen to take his place.”
“And you got your first mission for me already?” Dodgers asked.
“Yes, I do indeed, Dodgers,” said John, “First, I wish to test you as your first mission. The first test shall be of loyalty. The test will begin tomorrow, Dodgers. Good luck.” With that, the screen went blank. The Cadet looked over to Dodgers, to find Dodgers sleeping with his eyes open.

The next day, Dodgers walked down the corridor towards his own room. Along the way, he got a call on his cell phone. Tacking it out, the Cadet appeared on the screen.
“Uh, sir, the Martians have just surrounded us.” the Cadet said. Dodgers headed quickly to the bridge. As soon as Dodgers sat on the captain’s chair, the Martian Commander appeared on the holographic screen.
“Ah, Duck Dodgers,” the Martian Commander said smugly, “We met again.”
“Yeah, yeah, say pal, this isn’t a good time for me.” said Dodgers.
“Nonsense, Dodgers!” shouted the Martian Commander, “We will battle, or I destroy your Earth!” The screen changed to an image of Earth, where Martian ships were surrounding it. Dodgers gulped loudly and thought fast.
“What say you, Dodgers?” the Martian Commander said. Dodgers smiled back at the Martian Commander.
“I say you underestimate me once again, Martian!” Dodgers said, and without another word went into ramming speed. He rammed head-on into the Martian’s ship. Dodgers then unleashed a hail of bullets so close to the ship. The Martian Commander pulled back. Dodgers let him go, and then sent a wave of electricity onto the smaller Martian ships around Earth. The ships shook for awhile before they all exploded. Earth was unaffected, and the Martian Commander had fled. Dodgers celebrated, and soon there came a call from John.
“Congratulations, Dodgers,” said John, still with the hat low over his face, “You have passed my first test. Now for your second test.”
“Whoa, wait a second, Johnny my boy,” said Dodgers, “You mean to say the Martian invasion just there was all part of your test?”
“Yes, who did you think gave them such a plan as that of which you saw, Dodgers?” asked John.
“What were you thinking, I could have failed!” Dodgers shouted.
“But you didn’t Dodgers. Now for your second test. The test will begin in an unknown time to you. So suspect anything, Dodgers. Good luck.” With that, John disappeared again, leaving the Cadet and Dodgers to their own thoughts.

As Dodgers played a game of chess with the ship’s computer (Dodgers played black and the computer played white. None were in the lead yet), the Cadet steered the ship through space aimlessly. The game of chess with Dodgers and the computer was really heating up. Dodgers had just made a strategical move, and the computer went into deep thought. The computer struck back, making what seemed a suicidal move. Dodgers sat back and took in the board. The move the computer made seemed very dangerous to white (the computer) and yet the computer made the move anyway. Dodgers didn't think much of the play he was to do next, but more of the move the computer made and why the computer had made it. Dodgers sat straight up once more and came back with his own move, completely ignoring the piece the computer had moved. Dodgers’ move checked the computer’s king as well as threatening the computer’s queen.
The computer went into another deep thought. A few minutes later, the computer offered to make the game a draw. Dodgers declined, always wanting to see everything to its end. The computer fell silent, and then made its move quite quickly. The computer had moved its king, of course, leaving its queen open for Dodgers’ knight. Dodgers didn’t take the queen, however; instead, Dodgers put more force on the queen by adding his bishop to the threat. The computer suggested a new game of tic-tac-toe, to which Daffy said no.
The computer decided to ignore Daffy’s threat, thinking it nothing but a bluff. It moved its own bishop, threatening Dodgers’ king in one more move. Daffy then struck quickly by taking away the computer’s queen. The computer now moved its bishop, checking Dodgers. Dodgers had foreseen this and had already been prepared. He took the bishop away, and stared at the computer, even though the computer couldn’t stare back. The computer than made a simple move, allowing Dodgers to check the king once more. The computer moved the king the only place to go, where Dodgers then made the last moved and check-mated the computer. Just then, John came up on the holographic screen again.
“You passed the test, Dodgers,” said John, “One more test awaits you.” With that, he disappeared again. Dodgers looked questioningly over to the Cadet, who just shrugged.

Dodgers stretched from his bed and changed from his pajamas to his space suit. Heading to the bridge, he found that was on the holographic screen.
“Ah, Dodgers, there you are,” said John, “Tell me, how many fingers am I holding up?”
John then held up four fingers. Dodgers looked questioningly to the Cadet, who just shrugged again.
“Four, Johnny.” Dodgers said.
“And if I were to say that it was five and not four, then how many?” John asked.
“Four, Johnny.” said Dodgers, slightly confused by the question. John sighed deeply.
“How many fingers, Dodgers?” John persisted.
“I said four, Johnny.” Dodgers said. This time, Dodgers was struck by an electrical bolt.
“How many fingers, Dodgers?” John asked, more angrily.
“It’s four fingers, John!” shouted Dodgers, receiving a more painful electrical shock than before. The Cadet tried to help Dodgers, but found that he was stuck to the spot by an unknown and unseen force.
“How many fingers, Dodgers?!”
“It’s bloody four, you psychopath!” Another electrical shock, more painful than the other two combined.
“How many fingers, Dodgers!?” Dodgers shook away the pain and looked at John. The hat still obscured John’ face, so Dodgers looked angrily at the hat.
“What is the bloody point of this, John?!”
“It doesn’t matter, Dodgers,” said John, taking down his fingers, “You have failed this test. Two out of three though have made you pass all my tests. I accept the job of being your new boss, Dodgers; though albeit a little reluctantly.”
“By the way, what is your full name, John?”
“It is John D. Whiskey, Dodgers. I shall see you tomorrow.” With that, John’s image disappeared. The Cadet was finally let go from the force and helped Dodgers to his feet.
“Captain Dodgers, that name of his.” said the Cadet.
“Yes, John Dallas Whiskey,” said Dodgers, “The hero of the year 2222.”
“What is he doing as our boss?”
“I have studied this John and how he became the hero of 2222,” said Dodgers, “And this John who is now our boss is not the real John. But he does have the same hat.”
“So his he the real John D. Whiskey, or is he a fraud?”
“I don’t know, Cadet,” said Dodgers, “But I have a feeling we’ll soon find out.”

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