THE SEARCH FOR BRUCE - Written by Rick Merwin SCENE 1 - The Righteous Indignation is flying through what appears to be a completely empty sector of space. DEADEYE Bucky me lad, turn this baby around so's old Deadeye can croak us some toadies! Up in the main bay, there's nothing Bucky can do BUCKY Negative Deadeye, they'll pick us off while we're turning, we're outgunned. Five double bubbles pursue the ship, all firing in its direction. The ship drops and rolls slightly out of range. DEADEYE That's never stopped us before! Bucky turns to Jenny. BUCKY How're we holding up, Jenny? Jenny checks her monitor. JENNY So far, so good. Too bad we can't jump into hyperspace BUCKY That's the truth, we're just too close to that asteroid belt in Sector 2. They are passing huge lumps of brown rocks, and it looks as if they're actually inside the asteroid belt. A thought occurs to Bucky. BUCKY So are they! Jenny also realises what he's thinking,as he tips the ship forward and straight down. JENNY Don't tell me you're going into the asteroid field! BUCKY Ok, I won't tell ya! The Righteous dives into the rock field, ducking and diving through the maze. DEADEYE Good idea Bucky! A few million air strike fragments outght to keep them toads busy! Eat hot rock, ya warty bogsloggers! With his cannons, he blasts the asteroids to pieces, clearing a path for the ship and also creating hundreds of fragments to smash into the toads. In engineering, Blinky is being thrown around as the engines emit smoke and blue sparks. BLINKY Most honourable captain! AFC Blinky reporting! Extra heavy duty ship manouvres are putting most sincere strain on drive mechanism! BUCKY Hang in there Blinky, we're almost clear of that asteroid field! Blinky crashes against the engine and leans there for a moment, with the android equivalent of dizziness. BLINKY Blinky hanging in....somehow Bucky checks out the front screen. BUCKY Yes...we're almost clear. All crew stand by for hyperdrive! He ducks out of the asteroids and flies towards open space. One of the toad ships which hasn't been smashed up has managed to follow it. TOAD We're finally close enough! Fire tracking device! He hits a button and some kind of hook is fired from the toad ship. It clamps itself onto the back of the Righteous, just as Bucky engages hyperdrive. The ship gives a bright flash, and then disappears. JENNY Nice flying Bucky! Bruiser stomps up behind them, also pleased. BRUISER Yeah, real tricky! He high-fives Bucky. BUCKY Thanks. Down in the engine room, Blinky is very relieved that the battle is over, for now. The engines have stopped sparking, although there is still a lot of smoke pouring from them. He fans himself. BLINK Humble andoid almost...lost cool, as Willy would say. He is startled as, in a flash of bright yellow-white light, three stormtoads appear, shouting something that isn't quite understandable. Blinky dives from the room, hiding behind the doorway. He presses the intercom button and crouches next to it. BLINKY Calamity and woe! Stormtoads have invited awful selves aboard good ship Righteous Indignation! Upstairs, everyone is very much surprised. BUCKY and BRUISER Huh? Bucky leaps to his feet, calling for help as he does. BUCKY Deadeye, the engine room! In the engine room, two of the toads have Blinky hanging upside down, one holding each foot and banging him on the ground while the third watches. BLINKY Oh misery and wretchedness! TOAD 3 Alright, bust him into microchips! Then we're going to fry some fur! BUCKY Got any particular fur in mind? The toads drop Blinky as they hear the voice. Bucky and Deadeye step in, guns out. Deadeye fires straight at them, but Bucky grabs his arm. BUCKY Deadeye, no! Deadeye tries to pull himself free. DEADEYE Watcha doin Bucky lad? Let's finish 'em! BUCKY Too dangerous to fire in here We could blow up the photon accelerator. Bruiser comes stomping in behind them, a ferocious look on his face. BRUISER Hey! What're you doin to my buddy?! The toads scream in fear and drop Blinky.Backing awaty, they fire on Bruiser, who easily avoids it. Bucky and Deadeye back away from the fire as well. BUCKY Get their weapons before they do some real damage! DEADEYE Nothing like a little "hand to hand" combat! Before either of them can do anything, they hear a toad voice above their heads. In the hatch above them, three more toads are holding Jenny. TOAD 2 Make one move and the cat gets it. For the last time, tell the baboon to back off Just then, a translucent shape morphs into the room. Bucky rubs his eyes. EVERYONE Bruce? Distracted, Bruiser turns. BRUISER B-Bruce? BRUCE You's got a tough problem, I'll fix it Suspicious, Deadeye steps forward to touch Bruce, but as he does, the baboon disappears. DEADEYE Fry me feathers! SCENE 2 - On a moon, a high tower crackles with electricity. Toads are working in a large lab, with some kind of machinery in it. There is a big, blue cylinder, with a bolt of electricity contained inside it and everything sparks. Toads are walking round, pushing a large wheel connected to the bottom of the cylinder. It seems like an enormous dynamo. TOAD SCIENTIST Preparing to teleport the next group of storm troupers. Powering up for transport.10....9.... A group of toads are standing in a row along one wall, guns at their sides, each on an individual platform. Just as one of the techs goes to activate the machine, the image of Bruce appears and advances on them threateningly. BRUCE You guys is bovering my buddies out there in space! Yank out them wires! Now! Frightened, the techs pull out fires, sending sparks flying. BRUCE Ok, now beat it! The toads abandon the lab. On the Righteous, Jenny is suddenly free as the toads holding her disappear in a flash of light, as do the ones Bruiser is chasing. BRUISER Hey! We're dey go? BUCKY - That's a question I think we ought to put to Willy. JENNY - I'll contact him with the memory stone . She leans her head back, closes her eyes and her forehead gem glows. JENNY *Willy, come quickly! We need you!* In an instant, Willy's door appears and he opens it and walks in. WILLY You guys called? He looks around at the smoke and chaos. WILLY Woah, what's going on in here? JENNY We were hoping you could tell us, that's why we called you. Besides, we missed you. Willy blushes. SCENE 3 - The Air Marshall marches two of the techs back into the lab. AIR MARSHALL So show me! Show me where's your big scary ghost beserker huh? Look for the last time, there is no such thing as a ghost! Bruce glides out of a panel. BRUCE Boo! The toads panic and scatter again. The Air Marshall dives underneath one of the panels and lets the flap close on him. Komplex appears on the enormous screen on the wall. KOMPLEX Air Marshall, why has the attack been aborted? Maybe you need a little jolt...... A spark goes from the screen down to the panel and the Air Marshall tumbles out onto the floor in front of Komplex. KOMPLEX Ah, there you are. Do I have your undivided attention now? The Air Marshall gets up quickly and brushes himself down. AIR MARSHALL I saw him, O mighty komplex, a ghost beserker baboon, right here inside the toad transfer control room...I...I.. KOMPLEX I know all about your so-called ghost and I know how we may use this mysterious baboon to our advantage. We could knock off two mammals. One beserker baboon and one green hare. Lingering behind the giant dynamo, Bruce growls at this. SCENE 4 - Most of crew are in the engine room, repairing the damage. JENNY We've got some kind of sub-space transmission coming in Bucky BUCKY Who is it? Things are a mess down here! JENNY No ID, just priority code. BUCKY Transfer it down here Bucky goes over to the video screens and switches one on. Bruce appears on it. BRUCE You guys just can't get along without me, can ya? BUCKY Bruce! We thought we'd lost you for good when the photon accelerator blew up! Hearing this, the others come over to join Bucky. BRUISER My brudder! DEADEYE Hi matey! BLINKY Honourable former engineer! WILLY What happened to you?! BRUISER Where's you been huh? BUCKY What's the story Bruce? BRUCE (laughs) I'll fill yous guys in later on. Just get that bumper to Quadrant 15 and gimme a life home, ok? BUCKY You got it Bruce! Jenny, set course for Quadrant 15! Hyperdrive! In a flash of pink light, another translucent Bruce appears behind them. BRUCE 2 Banana oil! Hearing his voice, everyone turns and jumps. EVERYONE Bruce! BRUISER If dis is you, den...who's dat? They all look from Bruce to the screen. DEADEYE Yeah, this is gettin confusin mateys! How do we know who's who? The translucent Bruce hits his chest. BRUCE Dis is me! Listen, dat Bruce dere is comin from.... BRUISER Who cares! My brudder Bruce is back He springs forward to hug his brother and as soon as they touch, they both disappear. BUCKY Did anybody else see what I just saw? WILLY Some kind of spacial displacement phenomenem. Kinda like a matter transporter. DEADEYE Yeah, but it doesn't tell us who called in the subspace commlink. Old Deadeye smells a toad trick! Bucky turns to go upstairs, but pauses at the ladder, one hand on it. BUCKY Maybe, but we're going to Quadrant 15. It's the only clue we've got to finding Bruce and Bruiser. SCENE 5 - The Righteous swoops into Quadrant 15. JENNY Quadrant 15 Bucky! BUCKY There's nothing here but that dead moon. In a flash of light, several toad ships appear, firing at the Righteous. JENNY And a squadron of toad fighters! Bucky leans over his console, furious. BUCKY Ambush! Several toad ships are firing on the ship, the fire bouncing off the bubble around it. JENNY The shields can't take much more Bucky! She flies the ship out of range, but they chase it. Deadeye is obviously enjoying himself. DEADEYE Don't you worry, old Deadeye's frying warts! He takes out two double bubbles with one shot. BUCKY Good shooting Deadeye! Wish I had ten of ya! SCENE 6 - The Air Marshall creeps back into the lab, looking around nervously. AIR MARSHALL Anybody here? Any..ghost baboons? Now pay attention! Bucky O'Hare is in my trap and if you don't stop haunting my toad transfer machinery, I'm going to destroy him! I'm going to destroy him anyway, but one thing at a time! Hello? This is my final warning! Get your stupid ghost self out of my machinery or I'm going to pulverise that mangy, flea ridden hare! Got that? Bruce appears in front of him. BRUCE Yeah! The Air Marshall screams, turns and runs. Straight into Bruiser. He falls down on the floor. BRUISER Hey brudder Bruce! Did you hear that? Bucky's in deep bananas! Come on! Both baboons leave quickly. The Air Marshall opens his eyes and sits up, a little disoriented, trying to figure out what's going on. AIR MARSHALL What happened? Those Beserker baboons ran away. THat'll teach them to mess with the Toad Air Marshall. Now to get those toad techs back in here and make sure that rabbit gets fricasseed! SCENE 7 - It seems to be night time on the moon. Two toads are guarding several double bubbles when the baboons appear. BRUISER Let's take one o' dem piles o' junk over dere. The toad guards see them, and panic. STORMTOAD B-b-b- Beserker baboon! STORMTOAD2 Run! Bruce and Bruiser don't even look at them as they run away. They climb into one of the double bubbles, Bruiser in the pilot's seat. BRUCE Here we comes, Bucky! In the silence of space, Bruce turns to his brother. BRUCE Just like old times, eh, Brudder? Bruiser laughs BRUISER Yeah. But where you bin? BRUCE Did Bucky tell ya about dat toad attack, when the photon accelerator went splooey? BRUISER Yeah. So? Go on BRUCE Well, dat's when I got zapped across da aniverse. He sees a dusty looking planet, with a river winding across the northern hemisphere and large palm-type trees and treehouses. BRUCE But - I landed in baboon heaven, brudder. There are small monkey and brightly coloured birds in the trees. BRUCE I started working on a transporter machine. I missed yous guys and wanted to come for a visit. Bruce is sitting in a chair, working on something and eating a purple- skinned banana. He throws the peel over his shoulder. Back to reality, he and Bruiser fly the double bubble across space. BRUCE But dem toads got their own machine going... and I guess it sorta, homed in on mine and made it go haywire! So now I'm sorta stuck, halfway between both worlds. Bruiser growls. BRUISER I'm gonna pulpate them toads, brudder. SCENE 8 - Around the Righteous, toads teleport in, fire on it, and then disappear. One teleports right into the main bay of the Righteous. JENNY Bucky, look out! Bucky turns and throws himself at the toad. He pins him to the ground, and then the toad disappears, leaving Bucky kneeling on the floor, feeling for it. BUCKY I really hate it when that happens! SCENE 9 - The toad, still lying on its back, teleports at the Air Marshall's feet. AIR MARSHALL You incompetent newts! Keep them on the ship! The toad disappears again. The techs look nervous. TECH But the teleporter's still experimental, it keeps slipping out of temporal alignment. AIR MARSHALL Enough excuses! He kicks two of the techs away. AIR MARSHALL Frix, Frax! Faster, you slugs! Frix and Frax are now pushing the giant dynamo. AIR MARSHALL We must teleport more stormtoads! Those hairy creatures are within my grasp. They must not escape. SCENE 10 - Bruce and Bruiser's double bubble approaches the Righteous, which is surrounded by toads and toad ships. BRUCE Hey, dere dey are. But look at all dem toadies! BRUISER Let's pulpate them! As the double bubble gets closer, both baboons leap out and hang in space. BRUISER Yeah! I'm gonna- BRUCE No! Don't shoot! You could destroy deir ship. BRUISER Oh yeah. Good thinking. Mudda always said you were da smartest. On the top of the ship, two of the toads are trying to pull a pole off. BRUCE You guys lookin' for something? TOAD Beserker baboon! Bruiser grabs them by the throat and swings them around. BRUISER It's back to your swamp - air mail! He lets go and they soar across space. BRUCE Good arm, brudder. BOTH B- B- B- Bananas! They do a kind of war dance. On the side of the ship, two toads are trying to open the main hatch with crowbars. STORMTOAD Stand back, I'll blast it open! We'll drag those filthy mammals out of there. BRUCE Someone say something about filthy mamammals? The toad looks up to see Bruce hovering just above him. TOADS Berserker!! Bruiser grabs them and squishes their heads, before catapulting them into space too. BRUISER This is more fun than squeezin' bananas! Bon voyagee! In the main bay, several toads are attacking the front screen. BUCKY Can't shake 'em! JENNY Toad Air Marshall must be teleporting every stormtoad he's got! TOAD Prepare to suck space, mammal! Bruce appears behind them. Bucky's eyes light up and he points victoriously. BUCKY Bruce! The toads spot him too. They turn and flee TOAD Beserker! Let's get out of here! All the toads realise they're not going to win and they fly away quickly. Bruce and Bucky exchange thumbs up. SCENE 11 - The Air Marshall screams at his troops. AIR MARSHALL Attack! Attack, you snivelling cowards! FRIX But they got two beserker baboons! AIR MARSHALL No beserker baboon's going to cost me my biggest medal ever! It's time for desperate measures. Frix and Frax pause and lean on the bars in front of them. FRIX I thought we were already pretty desperate. AIR MARSHALL Back to work! I don't like losing! Frax gets fed up with the whole thing. FRAX You should be used to it by now. The Air Marshall ignores him. AIR MARSHALL I'll teleport every toad fighter ship in the aniverse if I have to! SCENE 12 - In the Righteous, Jenny, Bucky and the baboons grin at each other. JENNY Radar's clear. I do believe we've improved the neighbourhood. There is a flash of light and one by one, double bubbles appear around them. JENNY Wait, what's that? And that! And that?! BUCKY Looks like the toads are having a little trouble with their toad transfer machine. DEADEYE Singe me feathers! It's working well enough to bring the whole croakin' toad fleet to our doorstep! The ships are all firing on the Righteous at once. It ducks and dives out of the way, while Deadeye blasts them to pieces as fast as he can. They're obviously fighting a losing battle. BRUISER Banana oil! Soon as we blast 'em, dem toads just send more. BRUCE Yeah. We gotta bust up dat toad teleporter machine. The ship is rocked by a violent blast outside. BUCKY I'm all for that, any ideas how? BRUCE Yeah! Get down to dat moon! He points down to the moon. Bucky hits the comm . BUCKY Deadeye, cut me a path through those toad ships! DEADEYE Music to me ears, Bucky lad. Eat hot ions, you scum-swilling slimeballs! He blasts the toads away, as the ship swoops down to the land on the moon. They circle around towers and poles and land in the middle of the machinery. The hatch opens and the crew jumps out, leaving it open and unguarded. Toads with machine guns are sitting around the walls and they fire on the crew, who run through it, a gun having already been knocked from Bucky's hand. BUCKY If we don't destroy that toad ship, we're dead meat. Nothing in the aniverse will be safe from those wart brains. He pauses in a doorway to point a gun around, then everyone dives through. SCENE 13 - The Air Marshall is watching them on screen from the lab. There is an alarm going. AIR MARSHALL So. The stupid mammals think they can attack the toad transfer machine, huh? They don't know that I'm in control. I can bring toad firepower from anywhere in the aniverse! He teleports a group of toads into the middle of a passageway, all shouting and chanting together. The crew emerge from an airlock, check around, then run down the passageways. One of the toads stops. TOAD Hold it. I hear footsteps. Prepare to ambush. They all duck, guns ready. BRUCE Da control room's dis way. TOAD Ready? Aim. Before any of them can fire, the crew rounds the corner, Bruiser leading. TOADS Baboon! A second group teleports in, just in time to see the first group running away. TOADS 2 Where they going? What's happening? Then they see what's happening too. They turn and run, straight into a third group.The Air Marshall watches on his screen as the toads run. AIR MARSHALL Fools! Cowards! Well, I have something that doesn't need a bunch of cowardly tadpoles to run it! More power! Frix and Frax are now struggling to push the dynamo. AIR MARSHALL Let those mammals face the Voidroid! SCENE 14 - Bruiser finishes squishing a group of toads, clears the way and they all run on. Bucky stops dead. JENNY Oh my stars. A Voidroid. In front of them is enormous green machine, with huge jaws and metal teeth. DEADEYE Ah, me and Willy knows how to deal with this kind of beastie.. Blast it with your special weapon, lad! Willy fires a water pistol into its mouth. The water splatters harmlessly on the cogs. WILLY It's not working this time! I guess the toads have improved their technology! DEADEYE I'll get it! Eat hot ions! They all blast at it, but the Voidroid doesn't seem to even notice. It fires back and they all run and hide behind the pipes in the passageway. BUCKY We'll never get to the control room at this rate! Jenny suddenly notices the Voidroid rolling over a grate in the floor. JENNY Just might work... If I can pull it off. She opens up the grate and jumps down it. The others are still firing on it from behind the pipes. BUCKY If we stay down here much longer, we'll have to start paying rent! Jenny creeps along under the floor to the next grate. She waits for the Voidroid to go over it, then opens it and climbs out. JENNY All the witchcraft of Aldebaran can't stop this beast with a frontal attack. She springs from a crouched position and lands easily on top of it. JENNY But just perhaps, a key part could be severly damaged. She closes her eyes and her forehead jewel flashes. JENNY That's it! The central control circuit! She twists the top open and sends a blast of magic down inside the Voidroid. Smoke pours out, then the whole thing explodes. The rest of the crew emerge from their hiding place, puzzled. BUCKY Must be some kind of... malfunction. SCENE 15 - The toads left in the control room are starting to get worried. FRIX It's about time we got out of here! AIR MARSHALL No. They're not going to destroy my machine! I'll teleport a whole battalion of storm toads in! He climbs up onto the transporter platform and the machine starts to activate around him. AIR MARSHALL And... and teleport myself out! Frix and Frax abandon the dynamo and jump up with him, terrified. FRIX Wait! FRAX Don't leave us! AIR MARSHALL Get away! Get away! You'll disrupt the teleporter field! All three disappear in a flash of light. SCENE 16 - Meanwhile, the crew have reached the entrance to the lab. BUCKY Bruiser, the door, if you would. With a grunt, Bruises smashes the door down. Bucky and the baboons go in. BUCKY Cover us from here, Deadeye. DEADEYE All right! Let's set up a barricade! Bruce shows Bucky the machine. BRUCE That's the spot there Bucky. Blow that and powey! This whole thing's scrap metal. Bucky holds out his blaster and turns to the machine. BUCKY With pleasure. Bruiser leaps in front of him. BRUISER No! Don't shoot, Bucky! BUCKY What? BRUISER Well, I just... figured it out. You blows the machine and Brudder Bruce... he disappears. BRUCE Aw brudder, get outta da way! SCENE 17 - Outside, Jenny, Deadeye, Blinky and Willy have pipes and crates stacked in front of them and are firing at the toads, who are firing back. DEADEYE Think you guys can hurry it up in there? Bruiser stares at Bruce. BRUISER No way. You're my brudder. BUCKY Bruiser, if we don't destroy this machine, the toads could rule the aniverse with it. A stray bolt from a toad gun outside hits a pipe. A section of it falls out and hits Bucky. He collapses to the floor, unconscious. BRUISER Bucky! BRUCE Brudder, it's up to you now. Do da right thing. Bruiser considers this. BRUISER Hmm. OK. He pulls pieces out of the machine, bashes it and throws part of it across the room, destroying it completely. BRUCE I knowed you had you had the right stuff brudder, I knowed it! BOTH B- B- B- Bananas! They do their war dance again. BRUISER Brudder! BRUCE Don't be sad, I'll be back. He disappears. BRUISER That's the second time them toads lost me my brudder! He storms along the corridors, squashing every toad he can find. SCENE 18 - Bucky, still lying on the floor, wakes up as Jenny puts a hand on his shoulder. BUCKY Seems like Bruiser's really gone berserk this time. SCENE 19 - Somewhere on a rocky planet... FRIX Where are we? FRAX Oh no! Not a swamp anywhere! Not even a mud puddle! As the Air Marshall stomps around in front of them, they hug each other for protection. AIR MARSHALL You had to jump into the transporter beam! You had to disrupt the field! You incompetent bug-brained idiots! He collapses on the floor, sobbing. SCENE 20 - The Righteous flies across space. BRUISER I miss my brudder all over again. BLINKY But now honourable Bruiser knows brother is well. He produces a bunch of bananas. BLINKY Humble android have recording of brother's parting words. He projects a hologram in front of Bruiser. HOLO-BRUCE I knowed you had the right stuff brudder, I knowed it! Don't be sad, I'll be back, BRUISER Aww, that's really nice, Blinky. I just hope he's ok. SCENE 21 - On Bruce's new planet, he is working on his inventing when a monkey approaches with a bunch of bananas. BRUCE So what if these bananas is purple? They taste great! See, maybe this transport machine's gonna work one of these days! SCENE 22 - The Righteous flies away from a large moon. WILLY Don't worry. We'll find him. Or, he'll find us. Bruiser lifts up both Blinky and Willy. BRUISER Ma woulda been real proud of brudder Bruce. BUCKY And of you too, Bruiser. Deadeye makes disgusted noises. DEADEYE Can we not talk all this mushy, molly-coddling, sloppy, bilge-washing stuff and go croak some toads? END .