Series: Casualties of War Episode 1 of 4: Illusions of Safety by Ben Palazzolo First Draft: 5-19-2001 Final Edit: 8-10-2001 SCENE 1 - TOAD WEAPONS STORAGE AND DEVELOPMENT SILO - RIGUS 3 The Righteous Indignation sits inside of a large hanger. Two toad double bubbles sit empty on either side of the orange S. P. A. C. E. frigate. After a few moments of silence several deafening explosions from somewhere close by shake the hanger violently. A few cargo cylinders tumble out of their storage shelves and roll across the hanger floor. The sounds of MASER fire faintly echo from a large open corridor at the rear of the hanger. The sounds of combat slowly increase in volume, and after a few moments more FIRST MATE JENNY runs out of the corridor into the hanger at full speed. An expression of grim determination is set on her face. Several energy blasts streak out of the corridor barely missing her . She fires her blaster over her shoulder as she sprints towards the Righteous. Soon afterward CAPTAIN BUCKY OÕHARE steps out from the corridor into the hanger. As he deftly backpedals away from the corridor he fires a dozen times at his pursuers. BUCKY (sweat drips down his face as he fires several more times) DonÕt worry about the toads. (dives to the ground to avoid a half dozen more MASER blasts) Just get the Righteous ready for take off. IÕll cover you. Without answering Jenny quickly runs up and into the Righteous. Seconds afterward the ships engine groan as they begin to warm up. Bucky stands and takes cover behind a nearby cargo crate as the intensity of enemy fire continues to increase. Half a dozen energy blasts splatter into the crate and the ground around it. As the MASER fire continues to thicken GUNNER DEADEYE DUCK and BRUISER BABOON emerge from the corridor. A swarm of MASER bolts sizzle past the two fleeing mammals as they run to their ship. DEADEYE I got em Bruiser. (spins and drops to one knee) Chew on that ya slimy fly eaters. Deadeye fires a rapid succession of blasts at the toad pursuers. A slew of toad screams quickly follow. Bruiser continues toward the Righteous, firing frantically back into the corridor as he runs . BUCKY (firing several shots at the horde of storm toads threatening to spill out of the corridor) Hurry up theyÕre right behind you! DEADEYE (with an obvious hint of annoyance) Aye Captain. I couldnÕt tell with all this MASER fire blockinÕ me view. Deadeye stands and begins running toward the Righteous, stopping sporadically to fire at the toads who are beginning to enter the hanger. Bruiser is too focused on avoiding enemy fire to respond to BuckyÕs comment. Another booming explosion shakes the hanger. Bruiser losses his balance and tumbles to the floor. As he slides to a stop a small, metal support strut falls from the ceiling and strikes him on the head. He doesnÕt get back up. Deadeye manages to keep his balance, but he fumbles his two blasters and they clatter to the floor. BUCKY (stands) Bruiser! Bucky leaps over the crate he was crouched behind and runs to help his fallen crew member. DEADEYE (ducking down quickly to retrieve his weapons as MASER blasts sizzle by his head) Arrgh. It doesnÕt matter how many toads I croak Ōcause will all be fish food if we stay here any longer. As Deadeye gets back on his feet a thick metal door to his left slowly lifts opens and a stream of storm toads come pouring out. MASER blasts pepper the ground around Bucky as he frantically drags Bruiser back behind the crate. Deadeye dives behind a fallen supply cylinder in the middle of the hanger. He is pinned down by heavy fire from two sides and is effectively cut off from the Righteous. Inside the Righteous another explosion almost causes Jenny to fall out of her chair. JENNY (pulls herself back upright) We have to get out of here. Why the frell isnÕt everyone on board yet?! Looking out the window she sees that Bucky is pinned behind a supply crate and that Deadeye is about to be overwhelmed. JENNY (bites her lip nervously as she activates the shipÕs weapons) I hope that the automated targeting systems arenÕt as off as Deadeye always says they are. The Righteous MASER cannons charge up. They fire several blinding blasts of energy into the hanger doors filled with toad soldiers. A stack of fuel cells next to the door on the left hanger wall detonates sending Deadeye and bits of toad flying through the air. The discharge from the Righteous and the exploding fuel cells effectively eliminate the attacking toad forces. JENNY (Uses the shipÕs external speaker) Come on, this place is gonna blow!! BUCKY (mumbling to himself as he pulls BruiserÕs unconscious body across the floor) What does she think IÕm doing, taking my time?! Bucky drags Bruiser into the Righteous as several successive explosions rock the hanger. Deadeye picks himself up, grumbles some inaudible curses, and brushes off his signed hat as he runs toward the ship. More explosions shake the hanger as Deadeye scrambles to avoid getting smashed by debris falling from the ceiling. A large metal pylon falls and crushes the toad double bubble to the right of the Righteous. Deadeye reaches the ship and leaps through the main hatch as the toad fighter explodes, showering the surrounding area with shrapnel. The hatch quickly slams shut behind him, and the Righteous lifts off. A wash of flame billows out of the far corridor covering the hanger floor. The Righteous spins in the air to face the closed hanger launch doors. JENNY (braces herself in her seat) LetÕs hope that these codes still work. Jenny quickly enters a sequence of numbers into her computer. The huge launch doors slowly slide open. A rapid succession of explosions fills the hanger with blinding light. JENNY (covers her eyes) PUNCH IT BUCKY!! Bucky slams the throttle to maximum. The Righteous IndignationÕs engines flare at full power and the small frigate rockets into the open night sky just as the roof of the hanger collapses in a roaring ball of fire. SCENE 2 - ABOARD THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Bucky keeps the throttle at full. The crew is on edge. Waiting for any sudden threat to appear they scan there sensors frantically. BUCKY WeÕve cleared the planetÕs gravitational field. JENNY Sensors arenÕt picking up any toad double bubble signatures pursuing us from the planet. Still out of breath from their escape, Bucky and the rest of the crew breath a sigh of relief. DEADEYE (sinks back into his chair) Argh, I hope it be a long time before we accept a mission like that again. I am all for croakinÕ toads, but even the great Deadeye Duck doesnÕt need to be blown ta bits a half a dozen times in one day. JENNY (frowns, speaks in an audible whisper) Hmph, it wouldnÕt have been such a close call if somebody hadnÕt decided to detonate the munitions stockade in that toad base. DEADEYE (eyes narrow) You got something to *complain* about First Mate Jenny?!!! JENNY (grits her teeth) Yeah, you bet I do. Our mission was to destroy the new viral weapon on Rigus III and retrieve any information we could on it. We werenÕt supposed to blow the whole place up while we were still inside Deadeye. DEADEYE (bolts upright in his chair) Are you scared of croakinÕ too many toads or something Jenny? (beat) Besides, I gave us plenty of time when I planted them detonators in the weapons storage bay. We wouldÕve escaped before they went off if you hadnÕt tripped the security alarm while you were hackingÕ into that computer. A half million toads mustÕa attacked us after you set off that blasted siren. JENNY (almost yells over the intercom) You donÕt know what you are talking about! I didnÕt trip any security alarms. For your information the codes I was given by intelligence weren't entirely correct. I had to figure out how to finish hacking into the toad database on my own thank you very much, but I guess that a trigger happy Canard pirate wouldnÕt know much about anything involving finesse. DEADEYE (Slams his fist into his console) How dare ya say that y-- BUCKY (shouts over Jenny and Deadeye) ThatÕs enough! (beat) You both were a little sloppy, but everyone is okay. ThatÕs all that matters. Things could have ended up a lot worse. JENNY (spins to face Bucky) What! (burns a hole through Bucky with her eyes) Who told me that the codes were guaranteed to be correct Captain! DEADEYE (chimes in over the intercom) And who *accidentally* planned our escape route right past the toad barracks CapÕn! Caught of guard, several moments pass before Bucky can respond. BUCKY (defensively) I didnÕt do anything *accidentally*. The intelligence I received was more than a little inaccurate okay. If I had gotten the right information I would have planned our escape differently. JENNY (puts hands on hips) Oh I see. So you received *inaccurate information*, but I was just sloppy huh? BUCKY (raises his voice) Jenny that isnÕt what I meant and you know it. DEADEYE At least you werenÕt almost blown ta bits by the shipÕs cannons. (beat) Sometimes I wonder how much you really care about the rest of us Jenny. Of course there ainÕt no doubt about you beinÕ loyal to all a your cat friends back on Alderberran now is there. JENNY (crosses her arms over her chest) YouÕre full of it Deadeye. DEADEYE Oh am I lass? Why the Cap'n was tellinÕ me just the other day that he thought..... (Deadeye suddenly stops) JENNY (turns to Bucky, her voice is much quieter) What ... What did you say about me the other day Bucky? BUCKY (furious) G*d dam it Deadeye! Do you ever think before you do anything?! JENNY (leans towards Bucky, a pang of desperation in her voice) What was it you said about me? BUCKY (stutters a little) I ... a ... itÕs just that ...w-well ... Jenny. (avoids JennyÕs gaze) Sometimes I wonder what your motivations are for being here on the Righteous. Why you are here fighting I mean. (stares down at the floor) I never feel like I know who or what you are really fighting for. JENNY (on the verge of tears) So you donÕt trust me is that it. (grabs BuckyÕs shoulder) After everything that has happened, all we have been through together, you just think of me as some secretive Aldeberan Witch who is a member of your crew solely for her own purposes? Is that it! BUCKY (shakes her off) Dam it Jenny, it isnÕt that at all! How can you even say that?! (takes a deep breath) ItÕs just that you never explain to me why you do anything anymore. I thought I used to know, but now I am not so sure. (rubs his eyes as they begin to water) Every time I try to understand you all I get is ŅI would tell you if I could Bucky, but I canÕt. You understand donÕt you?Ó Well I donÕt. I can understand why you keep secrets about Alderberan from me, but I donÕt know why you have to keep secrets about yourself. (beat) What am I supposed to think Jenny. How do you think that makes me feel about our relationship. It really... BuckyÕs voice dies in his throat as he is consumed by a storm of conflicting emotions. For several moments, Jenny stares at him without moving. JENNY (her voice cracks as she speaks) Why didnÕt you tell me this earlier. Bucky, I care about how you feel about me and about us. You talk about keeping secrets, but how am I supposed to know how you feel if you never tell me. Before Bucky can respond BlinkyÕs voice crackles over the intercom. BLINKY (unaware of the situation) Oh gracious captain, this humble robot is happy to report tha-- BUCKY (ferociously) What is it Blinky?! JENNY (rolls her eyes) What is it now? BLINKY (shocked by the responses of his crew mates) that ... friend Bruiser has regained consciousness. He seems to have no serious injuries an-- BUCKY (interrupts) Thanks Blinky were in the middle of something right now okay. BLINKY (several moments pass before Blinky answers) Yes captain. This humble robot apologize for the interruption. It wonÕt happen again. The intercom beeps off. The cockpit fills with an uncomfortable silence. Jenny and Bucky avoid looking at each other. For several minutes nothing is said. JENNY (coldly) IÕll set a course for Genus. Without saying anything Bucky nods his head. The Righteous changes direction and heads towards Genus, each member of its crew lost in their own train of thought. SCENE 3 - EARTH - STERLING RESIDENCE In a white, two-story house several blocks away from the DuWitt home, Willy is sitting on the floor in a small, modestly furnished living room . Next to him sits his friend MICHAEL STERLING and MichaelÕs parents. At the moment, everyone is enjoying a game of Monopoly. They all joke and laugh loudly as they play. WILLY (stands up and stretches) I am going to get something to drink, does anybody else want anything? MICHAEL You can just get me a water, thanks. WILLY Cool, IÕll be right back. Willy walks out of the living room and into the kitchen. He chuckles to himself as he overhears Mrs. Sterling poke fun at Michael. WILLY (thinks to himself as he fills two glasses with water from the kitchen sink) Willy leans back against the kitchen counter and sips some water from his glass. WILLY < Yeah, nobody gets along with their parents as well as Mike does. I guess he deserves it though. Mike is a pretty nice guy himself. LetÕs see... > (scratches his head) < IÕve known him for about four or five years, but I have really only been *friends* with him for the last six months. I didnÕt think that seniors were ever friends with freshman, but then again, Mike doesnÕt really fit into many stereotypes. ItÕs too bad that IÕve been so busy with the Righteous and school. IÕm really glad that Bucky gave me the weekend off. Spending the day at MikeÕs house has turned out to be a lot more fun than I thought it would. I definitely have to spend some more time hanging out with him. It would be nice to have a good friend or two that were human for a change. > MIKE (walks into the kitchen) Hey Willy, itÕs your turn man. Michael is a seventeen year old Caucasian male with short, jet black hair and gray, almost silver, eyes. He stands five feet, seven inches tall, and has a compact muscular build. He picks up the glass of water Willy poured for him off of the countertop and begins to drink. WILLY (shakes his head) Huh... oh ... oh yeah. Sorry I took so long Mike I was just thinking. MIKE (drains the cup and begins to fill it up again) YouÕre always *just thinking*. (lightly punches Willy in the arm) I donÕt think I know anybody who daydreams as much as you. Your brain must receive signals from another dimension or something. WILLY (sighs) If you only knew. MICHAEL (with a joking smile) Well letÕs get back to the game. You need to get your turn over with so I can win. WILLY (smiles and pushes Michael ahead of him) Yeah right, you would still lose even if I wasnÕt here to kick your butt. The two teenagers laugh together as they walk back into the living room. The setting sun bathes the interior of the house in a gentle, orange glow. SCENE 4 - ABOARD THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION All is quiet as the Righteous Indignation makes it way toward Genus. An uneasy stillness has embedded itself on the ship. Bruiser is awake, but he lies on the floor of the ship nursing his bandaged head. BRUISER (he massages the bandage on his forehead with both hands) IÕd rather be back fightinÕ dem toadies than lyinÕ here wit dis headache pounding my brain. BLINKY Most courageous friend Bruiser, you are very lucky that your injuries were not more severe. You should be quite relieved. BRUISER (frowns) Tanks a lot dere Blinky. Dat makes me feel a whole lot betta. On the upper deck of the Righteous Jenny and Bucky sit in silence. Bucky pilots the ship, but his mind is elsewhere. Jenny is concentrating on decoding the information recovered from toad base. She is busily typing on the small keyboard in front of her console. The video monitor blinks and the face of CHAIRMAN FRITZ WARNER appears on the screen. FRITZ (grins) Great job Bucky. IÕve heard that your mission to destroy the toadÕs new viral weapon was a success. BUCKY (half under his breath) Barely. FRITZ (confused by BuckyÕs tone) Huh? BUCKY (sighs) Nothing. (lifts his head to look into the com screen) Yeah, we got rid off all the viral weapons at the Rigus base. Jenny is working on decoding the information she copied from the baseÕs main computer right now. FRITZ (frowns) This is a serious threat Bucky. We need to find out how the toads were able to engineer this disease, and if they have any more of it lying around somewhere. JENNY (leans back and breathes a sigh of relief) Finally. (beat) I just broke through the encryption codes. Now will see what the toads were planning to do with their new biological weapon. Bucky and Fritz wait patiently as Jenny scans the data on her computer screen. JENNY (typing furiously) LetÕs see ... it looks like Rigus is the only location where the toads have been storing the virus, and no major shipments of the viral agent were made from the Rigus III facility in the last eight months. ThatÕs a relief. BUCKY The toads had probably just finished making the stuff when we blew up their base. FRITZ (nods) Probably, this viral weapon that the toads have created is a brand new technology for them. Lets hope that we nipped this one in the butt before it got off the ground. JENNY (plays with the keyboard) Hmmm ... wait a sec. A small amount of the virus shipped from the base. Actually, somebody went to Rigus and picked it up. Two weeks ago several vials of the virus were given to some mercenaries. BUCKY (concerned) Does it say who picked up the virus? JENNY Uh, yeah. Some sleazasuar named Tallus Combi. HavenÕt heard of that one before. FRITZ Tallus Combi. ThatÕs the lizard Mimi and her crew have been keeping under surveillance for the past six months. He is an independent mercenary that has been in close contact with the toads recently. Mimi discovered the existence of the Rigus base and the virus by monitoring transmissions heÕs had with them. BUCKY But what does the toadÕs new viral weapon have to do with Tallus Combi? FRITZ IÕm not sure why the toads involved this mercenary with the operations concerning their new virus. (beat) IÕm guessing that the toads wanted to test the effectiveness of the virus on a real target, but didnÕt wanted the existence of the virus to be revealed. Maybe they decided to hire outside help because they figured our intelligence would find out if they used own of their own agents to test the virus. BUCKY (scratches his ear) Hmm. Yeah maybe. JENNY (still hunched over her computer screen) I think you might be right chairman. It looks like Tallus is a member of a small group of mercenaries the toads hired to infect someone with the virus. (cocks her head) That's odd. It says that the leader of the group is a Regen. (beat) Shoot, there isnÕt any more information here about him the rest of the mercenary group. FRITZ ThatÕs not that odd. RegenÕs often hire other cold bloods when they need some extra muscle. BUCKY (frowns) It sounds like an assassination attempt. FRITZ But who is the target. JENNY Just give me a second. I almost got it. Jenny's jaw drops and her breath stops short. She sits without moving, an expression of total shock is frozen on her face. Several moments pass and she does not speak. BUCKY (touches JennyÕs arm) Jenny what is it? Still too shocked to say anything, Jenny rotates her monitor screen so that Fritz and Bucky can see. In small green letters the screen reads: ŅRigus III Viral Development Facility Warehouse LogÓ Date: 12-31-2358 Three vials of viral agent XP-36007 were given to the sleazasuar mercenary group today to facilitate the assassination attempt. It is hoped that this will prove the effectiveness of XP-36007 on a mammalian life form. The target for assassination is A. U. C. officer William DuWitt. Officer William is to be infected with XP-36007 on his home planet of earth. The mercenary team will intercept target at 20:00, 2-26-2359. All witnesses are to be eliminated using any means necessary.Ó Bucky is struck speechless. His eyes dart back and forth as he reads the small computer screen several times. FRITZ (thinks to himself) While Fritz is momentarily lost in thought Bucky and Jenny slowly turn their heads to look at the small digital clock screwed into the surface of the control console. In bright red numbers it blinks the date and time: 19:58, 2-26-2359. SCENE 5 - EARTH - STERLING RESIDENCE It is evening. Willy and the Sterling family are sitting down to a late dinner. Willy salivates over the platters of succulent food Mrs. Sterling has just placed on the dinner table. A large wooden bowl filled with a fresh salad sits next to a smaller ceramic bowl almost overflowing with spaghetti and meatballs. On a large metal platter rests a baked chicken surrounded by sautˇed potatoes and mushrooms. MRS. STERLING (smiles at WillyÕs antics) Go ahead and dig in. WILLY (surprised) But shouldn't we wait for Mike? MRS. STERLING (half chuckles) DonÕt worry. ItÕs MikeyÕs fault for taking too long in the bathroom. Besides, it looks like you want this food a lot more than he does. Willy dishes him self a huge helping of pasta from a large, painted ceramic bowl. The SterlingÕs also begin to serve themselves. They try to suppress their amusement at how fast Willy is piling food onto his plate. WILLY (shovels pasta into his mouth) My mom never cooks food this good. MR. STERLING Well, you should come by more often then Willy. WeÕd love to have you over again sometime. WILLY That sounds gr--- Willy drops his fork onto the table as JennyÕs voice echoes like a freight train whistle. The Sterlings examine him curiously from across the table. MRS. STERLING Willy are you okay? WILLY Huh yeah, will you excuse me for a moment. Willy quickly stands and shuffles into the kitchen. WILLY (presses his spell gem to his forehead) < What is it Jenny? > JENNY < Willy are you okay? Where are you? Are your parents home? > WILLY < Huh, yeah IÕm fine. My parents are gone for the weekend. I am over at a friend's house. WhatÕs going on? JENNY < Just listen to me Willy. You are in great danger. You have to get out of there now. Were having trouble opening the gateway to your world on this end so...> WILLY (interrupts) < Wait a sec. What are you talking about Jenny I... > A load crash from the living room interrupts WillyÕs train of thought. Abruptly cutting off his connection with Jenny, he slips his spell gem back into his pocket and runs back into the dining room. Mr. Sterling has stood up from the table. MR. STERLING (walks quickly toward the living room to the front door) What was that?!! As Willy and the Mrs. Sterling stand anxiously, Michael appears at the top of the staircase holding his stomach. MIKE (thinks to himself) < Ugh, I shouldnÕt have eaten all of those bean burritos for lunch. > (yells down at his parents) What the heck was that noise? No one answers Michael's question. Mr. Sterling walks out of sight and into the living room. After a few moments of silence Mr. SterlingÕs voice is heard. MR. STERLING Who the--- The sound of MASER fire abruptly answers Mr. SterlingÕs question. He stumbles backwards into the dining room and falls onto the dinner table. Mrs. Sterling runs to his side. MRS. STERLING (screams as tears roll down her cheeks) NO JOHN!!!! WILLY (backing away toward the wall in shock) Oh my G*d! Mike falls to his knees as he watches what happens below him. He tries to call out, but he cannot speak. He is cemented to the floor, unable to move. Two figures in black robes walk into the kitchen from the living room. Smoking pistols are in their paws. They both point them at Mrs. Sterling. WILLY (reaches out) No, donÕt! MRS. STERLING (tears streak her pale face as she shields Mr. SterlingÕs motionless body with her own) Please donÕt hurt us!! Without speaking the two hooded figures fire repeatedly into Mr. and Mrs. Sterling with their blasters. Bolts of energy rip through their bodies and into wooden dining table. Mrs. Sterling lifeless body lies still on top of her husbandÕs. Still unable to move or make a sound, Michael buckles and slowly crumples forward. The two hooded figures begin to laugh as they to pull back there hoods. They have taken no notice of Michael. HOODED FIGURE #1 (laughs) This was too easy. HOODED FIGURE #2 Yeah, now that weÕve gotten rid of the witnesses we can take care of the target. The two figures reveal themselves to be sleazasaurs from the aniverse. One is dark brown and stands at height of about five feet. The other lizard is a very dark shade of blue and stands at well over five foot ten. The taller sleazasaur keeps his blaster pointed at WillyÕs chest while the other sleazasaur removes a large duffle bag from over his shoulder and rummages through it on the floor. WILLY (stunned with disbelief) You did all of this ... just to kill me? SHORT SLEAZASAUR (talks while rummaging through the duffel bag) Big surprise. So many people in the aniverse want you dead kid that I am amazed you stayed alive this long. TALL SLEAZASAUR (smiles cruelly) We have a something special for you human. The smaller sleazasaur pulls out a large metallic rifle from the duffel bag and points it at Willy. SHORT SLEAZASAUR (slowly squeezes the trigger) Say hello to Bucky and your pals for us. Unable to bear anymore. Michael is finally able to stand. In a blur he leaps down the staircase and dives into Willy. MIKE (slams into WillyÕs body) NO! With a quiet click the rifle fires a small dart out of its slender mussel. The dart sails through the air and sticks into MichaelÕs shoulder, missing its intended target. MIke and Willy both tumble to the ground several feet to the left of the two mercenaries. WILLY (shakes his head clear) Mike! Before Willy and Mike can get to their feet the two sleazasaurs are standing over them, their faces set in a evil sneer. TALL SLEAZASAUR (clenches teeth) Where did you come from! SHORT SLEAZASAUR We need to ice him quick, hit DuWitt with a dart, and get the hell out of here. MIKE (glares at the two sleazasaurs with absolute hatred, tears stream down his face) You bastards! You killed my parents. They begged for mercy, and you killed them without hesitation. SHORT SLEAZASAUR (smirks) Yeah, well you made friends with the wrong human punk. Now itÕs your turn. The short sleazasaur aims his pistol at MichaelÕs head. The tip of the muzzle is only a few inches away from his forehead. Michael stares up at him with unblinking eyes. MASER bolts sizzle through the air. The short sleazasaur falls to the floor. A bloody stump is all that is left of his head and neck. BUCKY Drop your weapon and hit the floor lizard scum!! The crew of the righteous stands underneath the archway between the kitchen and the living room. All of their weapons are pointed at the sleazasaur that is still standing. TALLER ALLIGATOR (dives behind the dining table as he hurls a small metal sphere at Bucky and his crew) Eat this! BUCKY (leaps into the air and kicks the metal sphere into the kitchen) Grenade! The grenade sails into the kitchen. Bruiser runs to the kitchen door and slams it shut. Several seconds later the grenade detonates. The sound of burning wood is audible through the closed door, and it is rapidly increasing in volume. DEADEYE Argh, that sounds like a napalm grenade. This whole place is gonna burn down in a couple a minutes. We need to get outta here. Willy watches in shock as the taller sleazasaur crouched behind the table vanishes in a bright flash. The crew of the Righteous crew runs to surround the dining table. WILLY (walks forward to in front of the table) He disappeared. I think he was a Regen. JENNY (runs up to Willy and grabs his shoulders) Are you hurt Willy? WILLY (stands and stares blankly back at Jenny) No ... IÕm fine. JENNY (quickly hugs Willy) Thank G*d. BUCKY What the hell happened? WILLY (speaks quietly) Those lizards. (beat) I think they were Regens. (beat) They came in and killed MikeÕs parents. (beat) Then they were going to shoot me with some kind of dart gun, but Mike jumped in the way and saved me. Everyone turns to look at Michael. He is next to the dining table leaning over his parentsÕ motionless bodies. A large puddle of blood has formed underneath them. Small red droplets start to drip onto the hardwood floor. Jenny stifles a gasp as she surveys the gruesome scene. MIKE (begins to shake as he puts his hands through his motherÕs dark hair) Oh G*d. You canÕt be dead. Mike collapses on top of his parents bodies. He shakes uncontrollably as tears flood from his eyes. Willy walks up to Michael and places his hand on his shoulder. WILLY (stares at the bodies on the table) Mike I am so sorry. I... Willy is too saddened by MichaelÕs despair to continue. JENNY (notices the dart still stuck in MichaelÕs shoulder) The virus! WILLY (turning to Jenny) What *virus*? Jenny walks up to Mike and quickly pulls the dart out of MichaelÕs shoulder. Michael takes no notice of her. She pulls a small, silver case out of a concealed pocket in her body armor and places the dart inside. Then she walks to the duffel bag the sleazasuar pulled the rifle from. After fishing around inside of it she pulls out to small vials. JENNY (places the vials in two other concealed pockets in her body armor.) Well, that takes care of the virus. DEADEYE Hey if none of yaÕs noticed, this whole place is burninÕ down. BRUISER (wipes his forehead) Ya, itÕs gettinÕ too hot in here. Remembering the grenade, everyone but Michael spins around to examine the state of their surroundings. The kitchen door is gone, burnt to cinders. Red flames have crawled out of the naked doorway and consumed the whole wall of one side of the dining room. They are slowly beginning to inch toward the dining table. BUCKY (walks up to Michael) DeadeyeÕs right. We need to leave. MICHAEL (still staring down at his parents) I am not leaving them. WILLY Come on Mike we have to go, now. Mike doesnÕt respond. He stares silently at his parents. Flames have begun to lick up the back legs of the dining table. Bucky places his hand on MichaelÕs shoulder. BUCKY (firmly) LetÕs go. Michael shakes Bucky off violently causing Bucky to stumble back into Bruiser. He spins around to face everyone. His face twists itself into a vicious grimace. The scarlet light of the fire flickers wildly across his contorted visage. MICHAEL (clenches fists) I said IÕm not leaving them! Everyone stares at Michael for a moment, stunned by his sudden outburst. Several more moments pass and no one takes a step toward Michael. The crackle of the burning wood is the only sound in the house. Drawing his weapon, Bucky flips a switch on his MASER pistol and aims it at Michael. It slowly hums to life. Willy stares at Bucky in disbelief. WILLY What are you doing? BUCKY (levels the pistol on Michael) IÕm sorry. I have no choice. A flash of light leaps out of BuckyÕs pistol and into Michael. He is immediately knocked unconscious and falls forward. Willy catches him before he hits the floor. WILLY (yelps in horror) Bucky you shot him! BUCKY (holsters his blaster) No. I just stunned him. (turns to Bruiser) Bruiser, grab the kid and letÕs get out of here. BRUISER (taking MichaelÕs body off of WillyÕs shoulder. You got it CapÕn. (as he shoulders MichaelÕs limp body) Ugh. This kidÕs even heavier than Willy. Willy gazes sadly at Michael. He lifts his head and studies the destruction around him. The fire has spread to more than half the dining room. The rear of the dining table is completely engulfed in flame. The tips of Mrs. SterlingÕs long black hair have begun to smoke. BUCKY (points toward the archway leading into the living room) All right. LetÕs leave while were still able to. DEADEYE Aye. WerenÕt we doinÕ this earlier. JENNY (shakes her head) Shut up Deadeye. Everyone dashes out of the burning dining room, pressing themselves against the far wall to avoid the flames. They scramble through the living room and out the back door into the cold, winter air. Flames shoot out of the upper story windows of MichaelÕs burning house. Bucky and his crew run silently through empty backyards. They donÕt stop until they are in WillyÕs room and safely through the secret door in his closet. SCENE 6 - EARTH - ST. MICHAELÕS PUBLIC CEMETERY It is midday. A peaceful stillness lies over the humble cemetery nestled closely between two green hills. A small circle of people dressed in black stand around three marble graves. Willy is among them. He stands between his parents dressed in a black suit coat and black slacks. A priest stands behind a wooden podium placed directly behind the three gravestones. He is in the middle of giving a eulogy. As the he priest speaks and everyone else listens, Willy stares at the gravestones silently. WILLY (thinks to himself) < I still canÕt believe it. MichaelÕs parents were killed right in front of him. I never thought that anyone here on earth would get hurt because of my involvement with the aniverse. My experiences with Bucky and everyone else have always seemed like a fantastic adventure. Something out of a storybook where good always wins over evil, and nobody innocent ever gets hurt. > (beat) < If those assassins had tried to kill me on any other weekend I would have been home with my parents. > (looks up at his parents) < What if my parents were hurt, or killed by someone who was trying to get to me. I donÕt think I could handle that, but MichaelÕs parents were killed and he didnÕt even have anything to do with Bucky, or the Toad Wars, or anything else. > (blinks his eyes as they start to water) < IÕve been such an idiot. > PRIEST (reading from a sheet of paper on his podium) The Sterlings were a kind and generous family. All of their neighbors thought nothing but the best of them. The friends of the Sterling family considered themselves to be lucky and...... WILLY (ignores the priest as he continues to think to himself) < Thank G*D the police bought that story about the gas line under MikeÕs house blowing up. I was lucky that I could get back here before they arrived at his house. > PRIEST ...and unfortunately, this was the last living branch of the Sterling family. Yet another bloodline of one of humanityÕs better strains has now fallen to dust. It is hard to believe that only several days ago they were still happy and alive. This reminds us that nothing is permanent. We should all be thankful for... WILLY (thinks to himself) < Everyone here believes Mike died in that fire, but he might as well have. > (clenches his fists) < He never woke up after Bucky stunned him. The doctor on Genus said the virus from that dart had infected his body. It's only a matter of two or three days before it'll kill him. (rubs his eyes as his vision begins to blur) Even though we were friends for only a short while, Michael was always kind to me, and I cost him everything. I should have been the one to get infected with that virus. His whole life was destroyed because of me! > Overcome with guilt and sadness, Willy begins to cry. His mother notices WillyÕs tears and pulls him close to her. Willy doesnÕt resist as he sobs loudly. MRS. DUWITT (patting WillyÕs back) There there honey, donÕt worry. Michael and his parents are one with the cosmos now. Their spirits are free to drift about the universe without pain or suffering. Willy doesnÕt pay much heed to his motherÕs words, but he takes comfort in her gentle embrace. The image of MichaelÕs bent form over his parentÕs dead bodies replays itself in his mind. The priest finishes his eulogy, and the coffins are lowered into the earth. Several men dressed in black begin to shovel dirt into the open graves. SCENE 7 GENUS Š OFFICE OF CHAIRMAN WARNER Fritz sits at his desk alone in his office. It is very late and the lights are dimmed. Papers cover the chairmanÕs desk and a good portion of the floor surrounding it. He leans back in his chair with his arms crossed. FRITZ (thinks to himself) < I donÕt understand it. Chameleons swore that no more assassination attempts would be made on Bucky or his crew, but the mercenaries who attacked Willy had to be Regens. Only Regens could have traveled to WillyÕs dimension. Did Chameleous go back on his word? Was I a fool to trust him? > (speaks aloud) Well there is only one way to find out. Fritz leans forward and taps a button on a flat monitor screen mounted on his desk. The screen flashes to life and Fritz begins to type onto a small keyboard in front of it. He waits for several moments as the computer processes his commands. Then an angry picture of CHAMELEOUS appears on the screen. CHAMELEOUS (simultaneously surprised and enraged) How in FrithÕs name did you get the frequency for this location? What is the meaning of this? FRITZ (ignores Chameleous's questions) Does that name mean nothing to you? Have you forsaken it? CHAMELEOUS (taken a back) What?! How dare you say that. What are you babbling about now? FRITZ I think you know what I am talking about. You broke our agreement. CHAMELEOUS (furious) Liar! None of my agents have had anything to do with Bucky or is puny crew. FRITZ Then how do you explain the fact that two nights ago Willy DuWitt was attacked by two lizard mercenaries. CHAMELEOUS Really Fritz, they could have been working for anyone. FRITZ Willy was attacked on his home planet in his own dimension. Explain how that would be possible for any mercenary besides a Regen. We both know that only Regens can teleport to other dimensions. CHAMELEOUS (after a moment) Are you serious about this Fritz? FRITZ Dead serious. Also, from what information I have been able to gather, these Regens were hired by the toads. CHAMELEOUS (concerned) That isn't possible. I am aware of all interactions between our kind and the toad empire. I have heard nothing of what you speak. FRITZ (smiles) It looks like somebody is working behind your back. CHAMELEOUS (frowns as he rubs his snout) Yes, in this instance you may be right. This is as much of a problem for me as it is for you Fritz. Insubordinates working in secret are unacceptable. I will see to this matter personally. If there is any pertinent information I think you should know I will tell you, but donÕt hold your breath. The screen abruptly turns to static and Fritz shuts of the monitor. He leans back in his chair and thoughtfully tugs on one of his ears. An expression of worry slowly spreads itself across his face. FRITZ (thinks to himself) < This is worse than I thought. I have ways of finding out what Chameleous up to, but if there is a free agent behind this whole thing then there is know way for me to tell what his plans are or what heÕll do next. > Several moments pass in the dimly lit office of the chairman. He slowly rocks back and forth in his chair trying to put the puzzle pieces together. A small red light on his desk suddenly begins to flash. FRITZ (groans) Huh, who could be calling at this hour. I hope this isnÕt more bad news. Fritz turns is monitor back on and the face of a older, blue rabbit in a white lab coat appears. FRITZ This is the Chairman. Who is this? DR. SERIMEN (grins nervously) Uh, this is Doctor Serimen. The doctor that was assigned to the care of the human named Michael Sterling. FRITZ Oh yes, I remember you. (beat) How is Michael doing? (without giving Dr. Serimen an opportunity to respond) Poor kid. If it wasnÕt for him DuWitt wouldn't still be alive. Does he have much time left or has the virus already finished him? There isnÕt any contamination is there? DR. SERIMEN (frazzled by all of FritzÕs questions) Well, yes. I mean no. I mean thatÕs just it. Michael isnÕt dead yet. In fact, he seems to be recovering. FRITZ (perplexed) What?! IsnÕt that impossible. DR. SERIMAN Yes it should be, but some aspect of his immune system has brought the virusÕs progress to a standstill. It may be possible to treat him with some slightly radical treatment. FRITZ (skeptical) What kind of *radical* treatment. DR. SERIMEN Well, we would expose his body to very low amounts of a certain type of radiation. In theory, it should negate all of the active agents of virus material in his body without damaging any of his vital tissue. However, it has never been tested before and there may be some unforeseen side effects. FRITZ (after a moment of thought) Do it Dr. Serimen. DOCTOR SERIMEN Yes sir, right away. If it is possible to save Mr. Sterling we will find a way. FRITZ ThatÕs what I like to hear. Good luck Doctor. Fritz turns off his monitor and stands to get a drink form a small concealed bar in the wall by his desk. A clear brown liquid pours into the small glass in his paw. He tips the glass back on his lips and swallows the liquid in one loud gulp. FRITZ (speaks aloud) Things might have been a lot worse if it werenÕt for WillyÕs friend. He is the one who has suffered the most from this whole thing. He deserves all of the help we can give him. (wipes his mouth clean) Plus, maybe heÕll be able to help us figure all of this out. Fritz walks over to the door and turns out the light. He puts on his jacket and walks out of his office, closing the door behind him. The sounds of traffic slowly hum on through the night. SCENE 8 ABOARD THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION The Righteous slows to a stop as it begins to enter the upper atmosphere of Genus. Bucky and his crew are returning from a reconnoissance mission concerning the toad viral weapon XP-36007. BUCKY (massages his temples) ItÕs been a week since Willy was attacked. I canÕt believe we havenÕt been able to find out anything about the toad virus or the assassins that attacked Willy. JENNY (focused on a small screen in front of her on which is displayed a picture of a horse in a red uniform) This is First Mate Jenny of the S. P. A. C. E. frigate Righteous Indignation requesting permission for clearance through the Genus planetary defense shield. Transmitting authorization codes. Several quiet beeps sound from the computer as it transmits the highly encrypted authorization codes to the surface of Genus. The military officer on the small monitor in front of Jenny examines a display, verifying the codes. He presses several buttons and then looks back up at Jenny. AIR CONTROL OFFICER Identity and security codes verified First Mate Jenny. The Righteous Indignation is cleared for passage through the defense shield. Hold on a sec while I find a place for you to land. The horse steps out of the view, and Jenny begins to tap her fingers on the control console as she waits for his return. BUCKY We investigated all of the leads from the information we stole from Rigus, but all we got were a bunch of dead ends. DEADEYE (over the ships intercom) DonÕt worry so much CapÕn. We managed to toast the toadies only major supply of the virus. You can bet that itÕll be awhile before they can make any more oÕ that stuff again. BUCKY (frowns) Yeah, well it only takes one dose to infect someone, and it only takes one person to spread the virus to an entire population. We just got lucky this time. If the toads even get this new virus weapon off the ground the war may be over in a matter of days. DEADEYE (after a moment) I know that. I was tryinÕ ta cheer ya-- BUCKY (interrupting Deadeye) We havenÕt done anything but buy ourselves a little bit of extra time. DonÕt you understand, the toads might finally have a weapon we canÕt beat. DEADEYE (sighs) Aye aye capÕn. JENNY (tries to change the subject) At least Mimi and her crew are having some luck with their assignment. I heard they found the planet where that sleazasaur mercenary, Tallus Combi, is hiding out on. She thinks that theyÕre headquarters is somewhere.... (stops talking as she notices Bucky isnÕt listening to her) BUCKY (holding his head in his hands) We were barely able to stop those Regens from killing Willy, and innocent people were hurt in the process. JENNY (frustrated) Listen, we should be happy that Willy is okay, and that his friend is recovering. At least WillyÕs parents bought his story about *visiting* relatives for two weeks. Now he will be safe with us until this while mess boils over. BUCKY Is he really safe Jenny? We thought he was safe on earth, but we were wrong. If we hadnÕt gotten lucky he would have been assassinated, and the virus could have infected earthÕs entire population. (beat) He watched his friendÕs family get killed. ThatÕs a lot for a kid to deal with. JENNY Your right Bucky. What happened on earth was horrible, but we didnÕt think that the Regens could get to Willy. There was no way we could have prepared for that. Now that we do know we can take precautions to-- BUCKY (interrupts Jenny) What excuse are we going to use when our luck runs out Jenny? What are we going to do if something happens.... (doesnÕt finish) JENNY (confused) Bucky, youÕre going around in circles? (beat) Willy knows the risks he takes by being our engineer. ItÕs his choice. Besides, he can leave anytime he wants if things here get out of control. BUCKY (locks eyes with Jenny) Are you sure? WeÕre all trained soldiers, but heÕs just a kid. He doesnÕt really know anything about war... (looks down at the floor) or itÕs consequences. (looks back up at Jenny) He may have gotten too close to us to be able to make the choice to leave when he needs to. JENNY (stunned) Are you saying that we should just abandon him. Do want to just cut all our ties with him after he has done so much for us. He's like family Bucky. BUCKY (leans toward Jenny) Would you rather bury him Jenny. Would you rather see him reduced to a bloody corpse then let him go. Just because we care about him doesnÕt mean that he is somehow immune to getting killed. Before the argument can escalate further a voice speaks the voice of the air control officer interrupts. AIR CONTROL OFFICER Ahem. Captain OÕHare, First Mate Jenny, this is Genus star port control. You are cleared to land at docking bay 42. Hello? Jenny and Bucky glare at each other for a few moments before Bucky replies. BUCKY (faces his com screen) Roger air control. Proceeding to docking bay 42. Bucky and Jenny land the Righteous on the large docking platform. Without speaking a word they climb down onto the main deck of the ship. The rest of the crew, minus Willy, are waiting impatiently by the main hatch. DEADEYE (to Bruiser) I canÕt wait ta see me boy Willy. We hardly got a chance ta say hello to Ōim after we escaped from that burninÕ house back on earth. BRUISER Ya, I hope he is doinÕ all right. At least his friend is gettinÕ betta. I thought dat if da toad virus got ya sick you couldn't get betta. BLINKY The understanding of this humble robot is that the virus is indeed fatal. WillyÕs friend is quite fortunate that he has been able to recover. DEADEYE (scratches his beak) He is one lucky laddy thatÕs for sure. Do ya think they found a cure or somethin? BUCKY (raises his arms) All right all right, that hasnÕt been established yet. We donÕt know how WillyÕs friend is still alive or why. Fritz didnÕt want to risk any toads intercepting messages about their virus, so he insisted he would tell us in prison. That is why weÕre here. He is waiting for us at HQ right now. DEADEYE But what about Willy? BUCKY (crosses his arms) I know that everyone wants to go see Willy and his friend at the hospital, but first we have to report in. Will have plenty of time to check up on our engineer afterwards. Now letÕs go. We donÕt want to keep the chairman waiting. With more than one sigh of disappointment the crew slowly shuffles out of the Righteous Indignation and across the docking platform. SCENE 9 - OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN Chairman Warner is siting behind his desk reclining. On his right sits Dr, Serimen in a small, wooden chair. They are in the middle of a conversation. FRITZ Are you serious? A vaccine could be made. DR. SERIMEN Well, yes. The antibodies in MichaelÕs body completely nullify the first stage of the virus. It is almost a guarantee that we will be able synthesize a artificial duplicate in the near future. FRITZ (slaps Dr. Serimen on the back) ThatÕs wonderful doctor. Finally, some good news . A red light flashes on FritzÕs desk and the voice of his secretary crackles over the speakerphone. MS. SHEFILED Chairman, Captain OÕHare Bucky and his crew are here to see you. FRITZ (pressing a small button adjacent to his speaker phone) Thank you Claire, send them in. Bucky and his crew slowly file into FritzÕs office. Fritz gestures for them to be seated. BUCKY (sits) Now can you tell us what is going on? FRITZ (chuckles) Not even a hello huh? (turns to the rest of the crew) Is your captain always like this or did he get infected with something too? No one laughs. Dr. Serimen coughs and Deadeye shuffles uncomfortably in his chair. FRITZ (pulls on his collar) Okay then. LetÕs cut right to the chase. WillyÕs friend Michael has made a full recovery. (holds up his hand) But will get to that in a moment. (beat) First letÕs discuss those sleazasaurs that attacked Willy. BUCKY (sheepishly) Unfortunately, we werenÕt able to get any leads using the information we stole form the toad base on Rigus III. FRITZ Well that isnÕt a surprise. I am sure that the toads wanted to keep their virus and all involved with it a secret. However, Mimi and her crew have located the hideout of Tallus Combi. As you all know he is a member of the mercenary group that attacked Willy. BUCKY What about the Regen that escaped from earth? FRITZ Unfortunately, we havenÕt been able to find any information as to his whereabouts. In fact, Combi is the only member of the mercenary group that we know anything about. (beat) I donÕt think our mystery Regen is working for Chameleous. He is more likely an independent, a renegade or something. This makes him even more dangerous. Hopefully, once we get our paws on Combi we will be able to get more information. (beat) As for the virus well, thatÕs what Doctor Serimen is here for. He has been in charge of researching the virus and taking care of WillyÕs friend. DR. SERIMEN (shaking BuckyÕs hand) Thank you chairman. Well, it is a pleasure to finally meet you and your crew Captain OÕHare. My name is Dr. Serimen. BUCKY The pleasure is ours doctor. Were very grateful for all the youÕve done. DR. SERIMEN (sits up proudly) Yes well, I was just doing my duty. DEADEYE What can ya tell us about this virus doc? I am itchinÕ ta find out what the heck is goinÕ on. DR. SERIMEN ItÕs all very complicated, but IÕll do my best. (clears his throat) The toad virus, XP-36007, is extremely advanced. It's engineering it must have required a very high understanding of many specific medical disciplines as well as the best bio-engineering technology. JENNY So you are saying that the toads couldnÕt have done it by themselves? DR. SERIMEN That is what I believe. They must have either stolen some technology for someone, or received help form a mutual enemy of the A. U. C. BUCKY (frowns) Great. DEADEYE So did ya find a cure for the virus doc? DR. SERIMEN Please be patient. There is a lot for me to explain. (beat) When Michael, WillyÕs friend, was brought to us a week ago he was unconscious. BUCKY (shuffles his feet) Yeah, that would be my fault. I was forced to stun him to get him o-- DR. SERIMEN (interrupts) Yes Captain OÕHare Willy told me everything about your predicament on earth. No one here is being blamed for anything . (slight pause) Michael was unconscious. The regular duration of unconsciousness after a standard stun blast is two to three hours. Michael was out for much longer than that. We analyzed the dart that injected Michael with the virus and found that it also contained a large amount of tranquilizer. JENNY So are you saying the assassins wanted to knock Willy out as well as infect him? DR. SERIMEN Precisely. The reason they wanted to do this became apparent after we studied the information on the virus that you stole from the toads. You see, the virus is extremely lethal. The toads took some precautions to make ensure that they could handle it safely. It was designed in such a way so that, in its initial phase, it can only infect a host through injection. JENNY That would explain why the assassin's used a dart gun. DR. SERIMEN (glares at Jenny) Yes, if youÕll please let finish. JENNY (embarrassed) Oh IÕm sorry doctor. DR. SERIMEN As I was saying, the virus must be injected to infect someone. Once in the blood stream it quickly mutates into its second phase. This phase attacks the victims arterial lining almost instantaneously, causing them to bleed from every orifices and quickly die. DEADEYE Argh, that is a mighty gruesome death there doc. DR. SERIMEN Yes quite. In itÕs mutated form the virus becomes airborne. Once the host begins to bleed the virus can easily infect anyone else in the general vicinity. BUCKY So the assassins were going to inject Willy with the virus so he could infect us. FRITZ They probably figured that at least one of you would check on Willy after he was infected and didn't wake up. DEADEYE The slimy, cold-blooded, green skinned...! They next time I get them in my sights IÕll make sure t-- BUCKY (puts his hand on Deadeyes shoulder) Easy there Deadeye. (turns to Dr. Serimen) So is there a cure for this virus doctor? DR. SERIMEN The virus mutates so drastically once inside a host that it would be almost impossible to create a cure for it without more information. Unfortunately, the data you provided contained no real scientific information on the virus or any possible antidote. I doubt that the toads even developed a cure for the virusÕs mutated phase. JENNY (hesitantly) Then why is Michael still alive? DR. SERIMEN (grins) ThatÕs what is really amazing. We were sure that it was only a matter of time before Michael was consumed by the virus. We waited thirty six hours for the virus to mutate into itÕs second phase, but it never did. Somehow, MichaelÕs immune system was able to adapt fast enough to produce a defense against virusÕs progression. BUCKY But how is that possible? Is it because heÕs human? DR. SERIMAN The virus was designed for mammalian bodies specifically so I donÕt think the fact the Michael is human has anything to do with it. Whether his body encountered some similar disease before and built up an immunity to it, or if itÕs something genetic I cannot say. However, somehow his body wiped out most of the virus before it could mutate into itÕs lethal phase. (beat) Unfortunately, a very minute amount of the virus had already mutated. Despite the fact that MichaelÕs body could combat the initial phase of the virus, once the mutated phase reproduced sufficiently he would have no defense. BRUISER (anxiously leaning forward in his chair) So what did ya do doc? DR. SERIMEN (gestures for Bruiser to sit back in his chair) Yes I was just getting to that. (beat) Since Michael arrived we had been conducting tests on samples of the virus. We worked around the clock searching for a cure. Eventually, it was discovered that a rare type of radiation forced the virus into dormancy. This radiation is usually extremely lethal to any organism that it comes into contact with. However, the amount of mutated virus in MichaelÕs body was so minute only a very small dose of the radiation was necessary to stop it. (beat) So, with no other options, and Chairman WarnerÕs approval, I exposed Michael's entire body to the gamma radiation. BUCKY (leans forward) And...... FRITZ (rolls his eyes) Come on doctor, just cut to the chase. DR. SERIMEN (scowls at Fritz) Yes Chairman. (turns back to Buck) All traces of the virus immediately became dormant and Michael regained consciousness several hours afterward. He is now fully recovered and the radiation seems to have no adverse effects on his body. JENNY (confused) But I thought you said there was no cure. FRITZ The radiation isnÕt a cure. If Michael isnÕt treated with it every forty-eight hours the virus will become active and begin to attack his body. The amount of radiation needed to put the virus back into dormancy once it multiplied would kill him. Remember, the radiation is lethal in large doses. Once the virus gets going it would require far too much radiation kill it without killing the host. DR. SERIMAN (smiles) I see you read my report chairman. (beat) Fortunately for Michael, your engineer was able to construct a portable radioactive emitter. As long as he has the emitter Michael can be treated regardless of where he is. BUCKY Good work doctor. At least now Michael can go back to earth. Fritz and Doctor Serimen exchange a troubled glance. Fritz sighs and rubs his forehead. FRITZ Actually, he canÕt. DEADEYE What do ya mean by sayinÕ that? FRITZ Willy made an unfortunate discovery while he was testing the emitter. (beat) If Michael tries to walk through the gateway to his dimension after he has been exposed to the gamma radiation the atoms in his body will rip themselves apart. JENNY (stunned) So are you telling us that Michael can never return home? FRITZ In a nutshell, yes. While he is being treated with the radiation there is no way for him to return to earth. BUCKY Is there any chance that a cure for the virus will eventually be found? DR. SERIMEN I am in the process of synthesizing a vaccine from samples of antibodies taken from MichaelÕs blood stream. Anyone who receives this vaccine will have a permanent immunity to the toad virus. (sighs) Unfortunately, the vaccine is only effective against the first phase of the virus. I am afraid that it will be of no help to Michael. JENNY So he is stranded indefinitely. (beat) How awful FRITZ I know, (beat) but donÕt be too glum. Because of Michael we have a defense against the toad virus. We really lucked out on this one. You should all give yourself a pat on the back. I hate to think how many lives could have been lost if the toads had gotten a chance to use their stores of bio weapons. Thank goodness you blew them up before that could happen. Everyone is quiet as they all imagine what dark fate would have be fallen them had things turned out differently. BUCKY (thinks of Willy and Michael) < Yeah, but what price did we have to pay. > BLINKY (has been silent this whole time) Most honorable chairman, is it possible for us to go visit friend Willy at the hospital. FRITZ (chuckles) Why sure it is Blinky. I think thatÕs everything I wanted to talk about. Dr. Serimen, would you mind escorting everyone to the medical center. DR. SERIMEN Not at all. (stands) If youÕll all follow me. Dr. Serimen stands and everyone but Fritz begins to follow him out of the office. FRITZ Uh, Bucky. Could you stay here for a second? I promise itÕll just take a minute. BUCKY (stops) No problem. (faces his crew) IÕll catch up in a couple of minutes. Wait for me at the hospital okay. JENNY Sure thing Bucky. Jenny, Blinky, Deadeye, and Bruiser follow Dr. Serimen out of the office, and Bucky sits back down in front of FritzÕs desk. SCENE 10 - OUTSIDE OF THE GENUS MEDICAL CENTER In the fading light of the afternoon, Dr. Serimen leads Bruiser, Jenny, Deadeye, and Blinky through the front entrance of the Genus Medical Center. JENNY (walks beside Dr. Serimen) So Willy has been here at the hospital since he got back? DR. SERIMEN (slides his ID tags through slot next to a large metal door) Yes, for the past five days Willy hasnÕt left MichaelÕs side, except of course to build the portable radiation emitter. I must say that your engineer has a brilliant mind. DEADEYE Ya got that right. Me boy Willy is one of a kind he is. DR. SERIMEN IÕd have to agree with you there. While Michael was recovering Willy sat and talked with him for hours. He told him about the toad wars, the aniverse, Captain OÕHare, and you and your crew. JENNY (worried) < I hope that Willy doesnÕt feel responsible for what happened to Michael. A guilt trip is all he needs right now. > Jenny and her crew follows Dr. Serimen through the doorway down a long, narrow corridor. The climb several flights of stairs and stop in front of a small, metal door. DR. SERIMEN (stops in front of the door) Well, weÕre here. Walk right in. Michael and Willy should be inside. The crew of the Righteous walks through the door. Inside the small white room Willy is sitting in a metal chair next to a green hospital bed. His hair is a mess and he looks more than a little haggard. Michael is sitting up in his bed wearing a white T-shirt. His face is slightly pale and his eyes are bloodshot. It is obvious that he has been crying a lot. The two humans are in the middle of a discussion. WILLY (doesnÕt notice Jenny and the others walk in) The fact of the matter is still that those assassins were only after me. MICHAEL (quietly) Listen Willy, I already told you a thousand times that you canÕt blame yourself for what happened. You were a victim too. (beat) Besides, I donÕt think I could have made through the past couple of days if you hadnÕt been here. Willy is about to continue when he notices Jenny and the rest of the Righteous crew standing behind him. WILLY (jumps out of his seat) Oh wow, youÕre here. Willy is almost knocked off feet as his companions embrace him. JENNY (hugs Willy tightly) Willy, I am so glad you are okay. DEADEYE (playfully hits Willy in the shoulder) Aye Willy, that was too close of a close call. Ya need ta be watchinÕ yer back more often now ya hear? I might not be able ta save yer tail next time. WILLY (gasps) Bruiser not so hard I canÕt breathe. BRUISER (releases Willy from a giant bear hug) Sorry Willy. I am just glad ta see ya. Willy WhereÕs Bucky at? BUCKY (walks into the room) Right here Willy. How are you feeling? WILLY (rubs his head) My parents wonÕt be expecting me back for another week. I brought all of the schoolwork I will be missing with me so I wonÕt get behind. BUCKY ThatÕs not what I asked you about. (taps his finger on WillyÕs chest) How are you *feeling*? WILLY Huh? (beat) I am fine I guess. I am still canÕt believe what happened on earth or even that it could happen. BUCKY (taps his foot) And? I know that there is more than that. WILLY I donÕt know. I feel a whole lot of things. I never thought that one of my friends would.... (pauses) Oh man, I totally forgot about Michael. Everyone turns to Michael who has been watching quietly from his hospital bed. Willy walks back over to MichaelÕs bed and gestures for the others to follow. Bucky and his crew slowly crowd around the small hospital bed. WILLY (places his hand on MichaelÕs shoulder) Everyone, this my human friend Michael Sterling. MICHAEL (stands up) Wow. Um hello. As Michael stares at Bucky and his crew with utter amazement, the crew of the Righteous examine him with equal interest. This being the third human they have ever seen, the crew of the Righteous is intrigued by how different Michael and Willy are. WILLY (expectantly) Well? DEADEYE (Grabs MichaelÕs hand and shakes it vigorously) Any mate a WillyÕs who takes a shot for him is a mate a mine. Michael stares at the four armed canard shaking his hand in silent disbelief. BLINKY (bows slightly) This humble robot is pleased to meet you Mr. um... Michael. MIKE (taps BlinkyÕs metal frame) Are you a real android? BLINKY What other kinds of androids are there? Bruiser steps forward eagerly and shakes MichaelÕs hand firmly. BRUISER (bears his massive teeth with a large grin) You gotta be pretty strong ta get betta so fast. MICHAEL Or really lucky. Plus, I had the doctor and Willy to help me out. JENNY How are you feeling? Can you get up and move around? MICHAEL Yeah, the doctor said that I should be able to do whatever I want now. As long as I keep using the emitter. Michael picks up a small metallic device that resembles a handheld vacuum cleaner, shows it to the crew, and sets it back down on the dresser next to his bed. BUCKY Were all very grateful for everything you have done. Things could have turned out a lot worse for us if you hadnÕt of intervened. MICHAEL (barely smiles) I should be thanking you. You saved my life. (beat) And IÕm really sorry about all of the trouble I caused you back on earth. JENNY DonÕt even worry about it. We understand completely. MICHAEL Thanks. BUCKY (changes tones) Now Michael, the chairman has gotten a house for you on my home planet of Warren. There is a medical clinic there that will be able to monitor you, and develop a vaccine to prevent anyone else from contracting the virus. YouÕll can stay there, safely, while we get more information on this virus and the cold bloods that attacked you. (beat) And donÕt worry, weÕll find something. MICHAEL Yeah, the chairmen came in here earlier and told me everything about that. I am just happy that I can do something to help keep others from getting sick. (voice quiets) Well, I guess youÕll be leaving now. It was nice meeting you all. I hope I will get a chance to see you again. (turns to Willy) Take care of yourself okay Willy? And be sure to stay in contact with me. Willy is about to respond but stops. He stares down at Michael, lying in his bed that is too small for him. WILLY (blurts) Hey Bucky, could we take Mike to Warren? He has never been in space before and he really wants to see the Righteous. (clasps his hands together) Please. BUCKY (Bucky looks at Willy and then at Michael) Sure I donÕt see why not. WarrenÕs on the way to the planet that Tallus Combi is hiding out on anyway. Would you like us to take you to Warren Michael. MICHAEL (sits up in his bed) Really? Yeah, that would be great. DEADEYE Aye, we owe ya at least that much. (grins a pirate grin at Michael) BUCKY (smiles) Then itÕs settled. WeÕll leave as soon as your ready Michael. JENNY How much time do you need Michael? MICHAEL (takes a moment to answer as he is still examining the crew with astonishment) We could leave right now. I really donÕt have much with me. It is all in my duffel bag next to my bed here. All I have are some clothes that Willy got me and thatÕs about it. This bag is all I have. (stops suddenly, a wave of intense sadness passes over his face) WILLY (examining MikeÕs face) Mike are you-- MICHAEL (cutting Willy off) Yeah ... ItÕs just that ... I am not used to traveling with this uh ... light of a load, thatÕs all. (hides his face) Excuse me. I have to go get changed. Keeping his hand in front of his face, Michael quickly hops out of bed and walks into the bathroom. He closes the door behind him and turns on the ceiling vent. JENNY I canÕt imagine what heÕs going through right now. BRUISER Ya, losenÕ family is hard, even if ya ainÕt just a kid. JENNY (turns to Bucky) You think he is okay Bucky. Bucky doesnÕt answer. His eyes are on the bathroom door, but his mind is somewhere less obvious. WILLY (under his breath) This is all my fault. BUCKY (snapping out of his trance) What did you say Willy? WILLY Huh, oh nothing. (changes the subject) Why donÕt you all go down to the ship. IÕll wait here for Mike. WeÕll be there in a few minutes. BUCKY (examines Willy) Okay Willy. Will be waiting for you. Bucky and his crew walk out of the small hospital room. Willy watches them as they leave, then looks anxiously at the bathroom door. SCENE 11 DOCKING BAY FORTY TWO GENUS The Righteous sits alone on the large metal platform several stories up. It is one of dozens that branch off of the Genus Military Star port. Beyond the platform stretches the vast concrete landscape of GenusÕs Capital. Out of a large opening, at the rear of the platform, emerge Michael and Willy. Michael is dressed in long, dark gray pants with blue trimmings and a brown, leather like jacket with bright orange shoulders, elbows, and breast pockets. Willy and Michael chat quietly as they walk. WILLY They look like they fit pretty good. MICHAEL (rubs the material of his pant leg with his hand) Yeah, thanks a lot Willy. The fell all right but they look a little a ... strange. WILLY (chuckles) Your just lucky I found you something that fit. They both stop several feet in front of the Righteous. The sun sets slowly behind it and itÕs orange paneling glimmers softly. WILLY (sighs) Well, there she is. Several moments pass as the two humans examine the ship. The wind whistles quietly across the concrete landing platform. Michael studies the ship intently as Willy gazes on in with obvious nostalgia. MICHAEL (turns to Willy) Huh, thatÕs it? WILLY (almost falls over) What do you mean ŅthatÕs it?Ó That ship right there is the fastest ship in the whole aniverse. ItÕs survived more enemy encounters than any other ship in existence. ItÕs defeated entire fleets of toad double bubbles. (steps toward Michael) What were you expecting? MICHAEL (still looking at the ship) Well I donÕt know. It just seems real small for a spaceship. I was expecting something a whole lot bigger, like a rocket or something. How can this little ship fight in space? It looks like it would break a part if I threw a rock at it. WillyÕs jaw drops and he is rendered speechless. MichaelÕs duffel bag slips from his grip and falls to he ground. MICHAEL (picks up the bag and hands it to Willy) Hey you dropped this. Well letÕs go, everyone is waiting right? I canÕt wait to see what outer space is like. Michael walks up to the Righteous and through the main hatch. Willy silently follows him. His jaw still hanging open. SCENE 12 - ABOARD THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Inside the Righteous, Michael stows his duffel bag in a large compartment in the wall. Willy is stands next to him. MICHAEL (shoves the bag back into the wall) There, that should do it. WILLY (gestures for Michael to follow him) Come on Mike. LetÕs go tell Bucky were here, and while were at it IÕll show you around the ship Willy turns to lead Michael around the ship, and he is almost run over by Deadeye as he storms toward the forward weapons bay. The muffled sounds of a heated argument echo from the upper deck. Michael raises an eyebrow at Willy. Willy gestures for Michael to stay put as he cautiously walks toward the ladder leading to the upper deck. JENNY (snaps at Bucky) Well it wouldnÕt be such a problem if he didnÕt let his *pirate ego* get offended all of the time. BUCKY (snaps back) I canÕt believe you just said that. At least DeadeyeÕs pirate connections donÕt force him to keep secrets vital to my crewÕs safety, or permit him to deceive his captain. JENNY (turns away from Bucky) Do you think I enjoy it Bucky? I hate not being able to tell people what is going on, especially you. BUCKY (quietly) I know Jenny. ItÕs just that I feel like iÕm getting mixed messages. You seem so close sometimes and then suddenly you get so ... distant. WILLY (pops his head through the shaft in the floor) Is there something wrong you guys? JENNY Bucky and I were just ... discussing something that's all. WILLY (concerned) I just thought I heard you guys yelling or something. (examines Bucky and JennyÕs muted expressions) Well Michael is on board and were all ready to go. BUCKY (grateful for the change in subject) Great lets get going. (over the intercom) All hands, prepare for launch. MICHAEL (his voice can be heard from bellow) This is going to be so cool. I canÕt believe this is happening. WILLY (grins) Yeah, well you better strap yourself in. IÕll be back in engineering. MICHAEL Well, I am going back there with you arenÕt I? WILLY Sorry Mike. The equipment back there is top secret. MICHAEL (disappointed) Oh right, the whole MARK V thing. Yeah thatÕs okay. I understand. BUCKY (overhearing the conversation) Why donÕt you come on up here Michael? MICHAEL Huh, are you serious. BUCKY Sure. What part of the ship are you going to get a better view from than the helm. MICHAEL (quickly climbs up the ladder) Thanks for doing all of this captain. I really appr-- A loud metal clang echoes through the ship as Michael bangs his head against the ceiling. He rubs his head and groans as Bucky tries to stifle a quiet chuckle. JENNY (concerned) Are you okay? MICHAEL (clenches his teeth) Yeah. I am not used to being so tall thatÕs all. BUCKY (still snickering) Go ahead and strap yourself in behind Jenny. Michael sits down and straps himself in as Bucky ignites the ships engines. BUCKY Get us up Jenny. The Righteous fires its thruster and slowly rises off of the docking platform. Jenny skillfully pilots the frigate off of the docking platform and out over the bustling city. The sun has set and the lights below sparkle like the stars that have begun to appear in the sky above. MICHAEL (eagerly gazes out of the cockpit over JennyÕs shoulder) Wow, itÕs beautiful from up here. JENNY (after a moment) I never really took the time to notice it before. (sighs) But your right Michael. ItÕs breathtaking. (discretely looks over at Bucky) I guess thatÕs how it is with a lot of things. Sometimes you see them so often you forget how wonderful they are. BUCKY (oblivious) all right, Michael are you ready to see outer space? MICHAEL (nods) Yeah definitely. BUCKY (grins slyly) Better hold on. Bucky slams the throttle forward and throws the Righteous into a tight upward spiral. The engines flare brilliantly as the Righteous rockets up through the atmosphere. Jenny and Michael are smashed back into their seats buy BuckyÕs unexpected maneuver. MICHAEL (grips his chair tightly) Shit! JENNY (bangs her head against the back of her seat) Ow! Bucky! The roar of the engines can be heard for miles as Bucky and his crew ascend. As the Righteous increases itÕs altitude the clouds surrounding it catch a glimmer of fire from the setting sun. After several minutes of extreme acceleration the Righteous finally breaks out of GenusÕs atmosphere. Bucky slowly eases the throttle back and breaks the Righteous out of itÕs spiral. BUCKY (grins from ear to ear and turns to Michael) So Michael, how was that? Michael doesn't answer. His eyes are fixed on the view of Genus below. BUCKY (laughs at Michael's response) I think he liked it Jenny. JENNY (crosses her arms and shakes her head, but canÕt help smiling) I swear. YouÕre as bad as a teenager. WILLY (over the intercom) Hey captain, do you mind telling me the next time you do that. I am doing kinda delicate work down here ya know. BUCKY (snickers) Sorry Willy. MICHAEL I canÕt wait to get home and tell dad about this. He-- JENNY (concerned) Michael? Michael doesnÕÕt respond. He is frozen in place, gazing off at something far in the distance. For several moments he remains this way, motionless. Then slowly, he lowers his head and rubs his face with the back of his hand. MICHAEL (almost whispers) I guess that won't work now. BUCKY (looks deeply at Michael's bent form and then speaks) You know, you canÕt really see much from back there Michael. Why donÕt you come up here and take my seat? MICHAEL (looks up) Huh? JENNY (spins around at Bucky) What? BUCKY (stops the ship and gets up out of his chair) Here go ahead and sit down. MICHAEL (sits in BuckyÕs chair) Cool, comfy chair. (peers out into space) There are so many stars out there. BUCKY (scratches his chin) You know, there is this really amazing looking cluster of stars out here, but I think that Genus is in the way right now. Would you mind flying the Righteous around Genus a little ways Michael? JENNY (almost falls out of her chair) WHAT?! MICHAEL (turns to Bucky) Are ... are you serious? BUCKY (casually) Sure, why not. WeÕre not in any hurry. JENNY (raises an eyebrow) Let me get this straight. YouÕre going to let him *pilot* the Righteous in *your* chair because were *not* in a hurry? BUCKY Yeah, IÕll just sit copilot. You donÕt mind do you? JENNY (gets up out of her seat and heads down the ladder) Oh no I donÕt mind at all. I have to make my report to the queen right now anyway. (chuckles) IÕm just wondering who you are and what happened to our regular captain. Maybe Fritz was right. Bucky watches Jenny leave and then hops into her chair. BUCKY (gets comfortable) ItÕs been awhile since I sat here. (places his paws on the controls) Okay, Michael. Just do as ai tell you, donÕt worry. I can take back control of the ship at anytime. SCENE - 13 - ELSEWHERE ABOARD THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION As Bucky slowly familiarizes Michael with the controls, down below Willy emerges from engineering. His face is smeared with black oil, and he roughly wipes it off with a oil large rag as he walks toward the front of the ship. He cautiously enters the forward weapons bay. Deadeye is seething in his chair with his arms folded. WILLY (quietly) Um, Deadeye? DEADEYE (snaps) What do ya want?! Deadeye spins in his chair and glares at Willy. Willy takes a step or two backward. After several moments DeadeyeÕs angry stare melts away into a large sigh. He leans back in his chair and gestures for Willy to come in. DEADEYE (takes a deep breath) Aye, IÕm sorry Willy. Things have just been a little ... difficult lately. WILLY (leans against the wall) Yeah I noticed. WhatÕs up? DEADEYE Well me bucko, Jenny and Bucky havenÕt been gettin' along to well. Ta tell ya the truth, theyÕve been at each otherÕs throats. WILLY (stunned) Are you serious? DEADEYE Aye, but it ain't all their doinÕ. IÕve had me part in whatÕs been goinÕ on around here too, and IÕve said some things I wish I didn't. WILLY Well whatÕs causing you guys to fight so much? DEADEYE (sigs) A whole lotta things I guess. There was a major toad attack a week or two ago against one a the larger canard strongholds. I figure the toads think of us as a part of the A.U.C. now, and I am sure that will be gettinÕ a lot more action soon Ōcause of that. (beat) I donÕt know all the details, but I hear that Alderberan is gonna break out into a nasty civil war. You can be sure thatÕs weighinÕ quite a bit on JennyÕs mind. (beat) To top ot all off, the toads seem ta have a new viral weapon, you were almost assassinated on earth, and yere matey lost his home and his family. (beat) That shook us all up Willy, and we all feel a little responsible. And maybe a little guilty, especially Bucky. HeÕs quite protective of ya me lad. WILLY (shakes his head) I had no idea. (beat) What about Bruiser and Blinky? DEADEYE (chuckles) Those poor lads. TheyÕre in the middle of the storm and they donÕt know which way the wind be blowinÕ. WILLY Well what do you think I should do? DEADEYE Your askin the wrong canard matey. Besides, IÕm not sure that there be much ya can do. All IÕs can tell ya is to give everybody a little distance. (smiles) And donÕt get too mad if one of us grumpy mammals old snaps at ya. WILLY (pats Deadeye on the back) Thanks for keeping me informed buddy. Willy walks back to engineering, whistling as he goes. Deadeye smiles and watches him leave. Above on the upper deck, Bucky slowly coaches Michael as he shifts the Righteous into hyper space. SCENE 14 - ABOARD THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION - JENNYÕS MEDITATION CHAMBER Jenny quietly sits on a small cushion. Her hands rest on her crossed legs with her palms facing upward. She closes her eyes and her spell gem begins to shimmer as she concentrates on contacting her queen. JENNY (inside her mind) < Are you there your highness? > QUEEN < Yes I am here. Report. > JENNY < We have been unable to uncover anymore information on the toad virus. However, we have discovered the whereabouts of one of the members of the mercenary group involved with WillyÕs assassination. > QUEEN < And what of the other human involved? The one who was infected. > JENNY < Somehow he was able to make a full recovery. However, he requires a specific kind of treatment on a regular basis that prevents him from ever returning to his dimension. (beat) The doctorÕs that were treating him believe that a preventive vaccine can be synthesized from his immune system. He is onboard right now. We are transporting him to a clinic on Warren. > QUEEN < Well I am glad he is still alive. Keep your eye on him, and find out how much Willy told him. > JENNY < Yes my queen. > QUEEN < And one more thing. Scan him to see if he has any magical abilities. We now have a chance to determine if all humans are as receptive to magic as Willy is. > JENNY < IÕll get right on it. > (beat) < How are things back home. > QUEEN < I am afraid that things couldnÕt be going much worse here. Cassie and her followers are spreading propaganda throughout Alderberran. Unfortunately, she seems to be gaining support. > JENNY < Is my help needed I could have Captain OÕHare --> QUEEN < No no, my child. As of now it is more important that you keep us posted on the events taking place outside of Alderberan. > (beat) < I wish that things were better here so that you could come back, and maybe we could spend some time together as mother and daughter. JENNY < Uh ... yes. Well, I must go now. Good luck ... mother. > Jenny breaks her connection with the Queen before she can reply. She opens her eyes and sits alone in her dim room for several minutes. Her eyes begin to water, but she blinks the tears away. JENNY (stands and walks toward the door) CanÕt think about that now. I have business here to take care of. SCENE 15 - ON THE HELM OF THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION On the helm of the ship Bucky is sitting back in his chair giving instructions to Michael who seems to be getting the hang of piloting the Righteous. Both are smiling and having a good time. BUCKY (points to a bank of switches above MichaelÕs head) All rgith, now flip those three green switches there back, and slowly pull back on the throttle. ThatÕll take us out of hyper space. MICHAEL (follows BuckyÕs instructions) Aye aye captain. The Righteous smoothly shifts to sub light speed. Jenny watches discretely from the ladder behind Michael and Bucky. JENNY (thinks to herself) < Now is my opportunity. IÕll just give Michael a quick scan and no one will be the wiser. > Jenny focuses on Michael, and the gem in her forehead slowly begins to throb with a dull glow. In her mind, all other noises and distractions fade away, leaving only Michael sitting in front of her. (after several moments) < Hmmm. I am not picking up much. If Michael has any magical abilities they have been dormant for so long that I donÕt think they could ever be harnessed. > MICHAEL (suddenly looks up) Huh? Was that Jenny? (looks behind him) Hello Jenny. I thought I heard you. JENNY (thinks to herself) < Damn it. Even though he doesn't have any magical abilities, it seems he has the same level of receptiveness to Alderberan energies that Willy does. > Seeing that she has been discovered, Jenny climbs up the ladder and plays along. JENNY I was just saying something to Bruiser. BUCKY (confused) ThatÕs funny. I didnÕt hear anything. JENNY (changes the subject) So how is he doing Bucky? BUCKY (gestures toward Michael) HeÕs a natural. In fact, I am positive that if he wanted to he could get a pilotÕs license in no time. MICHAEL (still focused on piloting the Righteous) Hey, IÕm just doing what you tell me. Your a good teacher. (beat) Thanks a lot for letting me do this captain. BUCKY (smiles) ItÕs no problem. YouÕve earned it. ItÕs not like itÕs a major chore for me or anything. MICHAEL Willy didnÕt exaggerate when he talked about you. BUCKY (tries to underplay his reaction) Oh, and what did Willy tell you about me? JENNY (interrupting) He probably told Michael that youÕre a brave and dashing space hero, but that underneath youÕre also very kind and caring. BUCKY (smiles and gazes into JennyÕs eyes) Is that a compliment first mate? JENNY (gazes back at Bucky) Maybe. Many moments pass as Jenny and Bucky stare deeply into each others eyes. Michael continues to pilot the Righteous. Suddenly, a small red light on the control panel begins to flash. MICHAEL Hey, uh there is a little red light flashing over there? (notices Bucky and Jenny staring at each other) Um ... Bucky ... Jenny. (waits for a reaction) Ahem! Both mammals suddenly break out of there mutual gaze and look at Mike. JENNY (blushes slightly) Sorry Michael, what is it? MICHAEL (conceals a small grin and points at the flashing green light) That light is blinking. BUCKY (serious) Toads! (hops out of JennyÕs chair) Looks like will have to cut this lesson short Michael. MICHAEL (quickly relinquishes BuckyÕs chair and moves to his original seat behind Jenny) IÕm glad I was able to do it at all. Are we under attack. JENNY (now back in her seat) In about fifteen seconds. Better hold on to something. (to Bucky) Looks like two squads. Twenty four double bubbles. BUCKY All hands, battle stations. Deadeye, are you ready down there. DEADEYE Aye aye capÕn. I been wiatinÕ to get back at these green skinned goons. JENNY Here they come. Michael clenches his teeth as a dozen MASER blasts streak in front of the Righteous. Two dozen small toad fighters swoop behind the Righteous from above. Jenny loops the frigate around and increases the throttle to bring the Righteous's weapons to bear on the attackers. DEADEYE See how you like this ya green skinned sacs of filth. A dazzling cluster of blasts streak away from the Righteous. At the same time, many of the toad ships fire their weapons. The Righteous begins to roll to to avoid the attack as it flies towards the center of the toad squadron. THE END