"Stormbringers" by Fero McPiglet Additions by Rygar First draft - 3/3/10 Second draft - 3/12/10 Final draft - 3/23/10 Edited by Rygar SCENE 1 - DOCK THREE, ORWELL STATION CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE grumbles to himself as he climbs aboard his frigate, The Righteous Indignation. Looking around as he enters, he sees that none of his crew is around. He also notes that the Toad Croaker is missing. Hearing a few soft metallic sounds, Bucky ambles into the engineering bay, where ENGINEER MIKE MARISON is doing maintenance on the mark-5 photon accelerator. BUCKY (stern) Mike. Mike twitches a bit at hearing Bucky's voice. He responds passively. MIKE Hi, Captain. BUCKY Did you forget? Our shore leave starts today. How come you're here? MIKE (shrugs) Just working on some stuff. BUCKY Where's the Croaker? MIKE I dunno. It was missing when I got here an hour ago. BUCKY Hmph. How's the accelerator? MIKE Fine. It's fine. Bucky nods but says nothing. He keeps a wary eye on Mike, who knows he's being watched. The feline finally looks up in nervous exasperation. MIKE Look, I'm sorry, OK? Bucky says nothing. MIKE She came on to me! She showed up at my door and practically jumped on top of me. It's a blur. I barely even remember it. Bucky just nods. MIKE I wanted to stay out of this fight you're having. I really did! I didn't mean to make it worse ... (ears drooping) I'm sorry, Captain. I let you down. Bucky waits another moment before responding. BUCKY It's OK. MIKE (stunned) It is? BUCKY Well ... no, it's not. But it's not really your fault. I brought a lot of this on myself. MIKE So you're not mad? BUCKY Oh, of course I'm mad. I don't blame you, but I'm mad. MIKE ... oh. BUCKY I mean, do it again and there's no telling what might happen, but I figured that went without saying. MIKE Right. Bucky looks Mike up and down. BUCKY Carry on. Bucky turns around and exits. Mike takes a deep breath as he begins to sweat. SCENE 2 - DEEP SPACE CYBERSTORM races through space. The protective null sheath generated by his Exo-Driver protects him from the vacuum and propels him forward. CYBERSTORM Just one more ... I need just one more. Cyberstorm passes through an asteroid field. The floating debris bars his path. The cyborg activates the Geo-Core and wills the asteroids away from him. The rocks spin away and create a small path for the cyborg to slip through. CYBERSTORM I can't be distracted. Most of the space debris scatters, but a few smaller rocks drift toward Cyberstorm. He powers up his Pyro Engine and smelts the ore coming his way. CYBERSTORM It took weeks, but I have four of the five Climate Converter components. A huge rolling asteroid is the final obstacle in Cyberstorm's path. It is too massive to dodge, so the cyborg brings the Hydro Generator into play. Water gushes toward the asteroid and instantly freezes it solid in the vacuum. CYBERSTORM All I need is one more. Then I can go back to the Toad Homeworld. Cyberstorm increases his speed and punches through the now- brittle space rock. The cyborg bursts out of the asteroid field. He gets his bearings and rushes off again. CYBERSTORM Home! I can finally go home! All I need is one more ... (eye sensors narrowing) Then I can face Toadborg ... SCENE 3 - PLANET CHANTEL Chantel is an agricultural world filled with fields and plains. DALLION is walking through one of them. He bends down and examines a blossom swaying in the wind. The lupine cyborg ever so gently plucks a single flower and holds it gingerly in one paw. DALLION (flexing the fingers of his free hand) Slowly ... slowly ... Dallion selects a petal and carefully pinches it with his claw. Sweating under his helmet, he slowly pulls the petal away from the blossom. The cyborg breathes a sigh of relief. He flexes his fingers again and selects another petal. DALLION Careful ... caaaaareful ... Dallion successfully strips another petal off the blossom. His fingers are starting to tremble. After a few tense minutes and several close calls, only one more petal is left on the flower. Dallion reaches for it. DALLION One more ... just one more ... Dallion pinches the last petal with his claw. The tender flesh of the petal tears in the cyborg's paw. Dallion frowns and tries to get take another, gentler hold, but his other paw, the one holding the flower, squeezes the fragile stem too hard. The stem bends, and Dallion, in trying to regain control, ends up crushing the head of the flower. DALLION No! Dallion hurls the ruined flower away from him. Roaring, he lashes out into the flower patch. He rips and tears into the blossoms and the earth beneath it. The red petals scatter and spread on the ground like an expanding crimson stain. Dallion vents his frustrations for a full minute before he stops. He controls his breathing and stares at the devastation he's caused. He singles out a solitary fallen blossom, one unmolested by his rash actions. Dallion picks it up with one paw. Sighing heavily, he pinches a new petal and begins anew. VOICE She loves me ... Dallion hears the whispering VOICE but assumes it is just the wind. He lets another petal fall to the ground. VOICE She loves me not ... Dallion frowns and takes stock of his surroundings. He knows something is wrong. He pulls another petal. VOICE She loves me ... Dallion pretends to pluck at the flower again but suddenly crouches down and tears at the earth around him. A spray of dirt, pollen, grass, and leaves showers his immediate vicinity. He hears a sharp intake of breath and sees the flying particles adhere to an invisible form. He pounces in its general direction and meets nothing but empty air. Dallion flips in midair to land on his feet, but something lands on his back. Surprised, Dallion stands still as an invisible paw pats him on the head. VOICE She loves me not. Dallion growls and rolls, tripping up his unseen opponent. His attacker gasps, and Dallion sees indentations on the ground where paws pushed off to follow through with light footprints, over and over again. The cyborg instantly recognizes the pattern as a series of back flips and acts accordingly. The somersaults continue, but Dallion is suddenly there to block the invisible display with his body. He restrains his transparent opponent. DALLION All right, who are you? Who sent you? VOICE Dallion! Calm down! DALLION (recognizes the voice) Jenny? Jenny, is that you? Jenny slowly fades into view, still caught in Dallion's arms. JENNY Yes, it's me. Now kindly let go, please? Dallion realizes that he's pinning Jenny across her chest. He quickly lets go and puts his paws behind his back. DALLION Sorry, sorry. JENNY (adjusting her armor) I know we're old friends, but that was being overly familiar. DALLION I said I was sorr- (starts up) Hey! Why should I be the one apologizing?! You were the one spying on me! Jenny tosses her hair and brushes debris away from her luxurious strands. JENNY Agreed, that was my fault. I wanted to see if a Sensory Blind spell would shield me from enemies who are half-organic and half-machine, but I got caught up with watching you with the flowers. DALLION (sternly) I am not your enemy. JENNY (bows her head) You know what I meant. But what *were* you doing picking the petals off those blossoms? DALLION It ... was an exercise in control. I was checking to see how sensitive my claws are. (staring at his fists) I have spent the past few months killing any regens who got out of line. I can tear holes through their ships and rip their limbs off, but I don't think I can pick up an eggshell without breaking it. JENNY I see. For a moment there, I thought you were pining after a lost love. Seeing Dallion's puzzled look, Jenny continues. JENNY You must be familiar with it. "She loves me, she loves me not?" DALLION (laughs softly) Love is not in the cards for one such as I. (looks at his clawed, metal paws) The toads have mangled my body and warped my mind. Sometimes, I feel that my only emotion is the hatred I have for them. (looks away) What is love to one such as I? I have resigned myself to the fact that my existence will be a solitary one. That is why I am here on this beautiful but uninhabited planet. To be alone. JENNY Then we walk a similar path today. DALLION What do you mean? JENNY (sighs and picks up a flower herself) Let's just say that love has been cruel to me as well, lately. There are days when I feel the same way as you. Sometimes, my life gets so complicated that I just have to get away from it all. I need to be alone to sort out my feelings. DALLION Why? What happened with you and Bucky? JENNY (smiling wanly) For shame, Dallion. What kind of feline would I be if I were to tell you my secrets? DALLION True. JENNY Besides, this isn't quite as solitary and reflective a sojourn as I desire. One of our tracking stations picked up an odd reading. It's a mixture of living tissue and toad technology. I'm supposed to be on vacation starting today, but I decided that taking this investigation as a solo mission might better help me get away from ... my troubles. DALLION Living tissue and toad technology? Were your stations tracking me by mistake? JENNY When I found you on this planet, I thought that was the case. But no. The readings indicate Climate Converter technology. I figured that the toads were back to their old tricks, and ... There is a loud beeping sound. Jenny brings out a communicator. JENNY There it is again! The signal keeps blipping on and off. I'd better check it out now while it's currently active. Jenny activates a device, and a Toad Croaker descends from the sky. She leaps aboard and is putting on her space helmet when Dallion looms in front of her, also putting on his space helmet. DALLION It's not that I'm questioning your abilities -- far from it. But if strange toad devices are entangled in this ... may I come with you? JENNY I thought you wanted to be alone. (indicating the field of ruined flowers) To commune with nature. DALLION Well, there's something to be said about anger management therapy. In a group session. Especially if it involves toads. JENNY (smiles) All right. It'll be faster if we travel together, so hop aboard. Let us be alone ... together. SCENE 4 - PLANET MAEL Mael is a tropical paradise frequented by visitors as a secondary substitute to the popular vacation world of Warren. Mael is littered with islands with perfect beaches and filled with various resorts catering to those seeking rest and relaxation. There is one island, though, where a monsoon blew in and never left. The vacationers and hotel staff packed up and vacated before the weather got any worse. The storm was strangely confined to that island, its unnatural winds seemingly restricted to one area alone. Since it had no apparent effect on the other islands, the region was declared a washout. It was abandoned and left to be forgotten. The so-called Storm Island is Cyberstorm's destination. The armored toad lands at the shore of the atoll and stares at the boundary of the raging storm. His sensors blaze. CYBERSTORM It's here! The storm takes shape as a rolling mass. Visibility is practically zero. With the dark clouds, the flying debris, and the swaying trees, it moves like a living creature. Cyberstorm hovers and tries to enter the realm by air, but the strong winds toss him away like a rag doll. He lands in a heap. CYBERSTORM No! I will not be denied! The cyborg steels himself. Traction is slippery on the soft ground, but he makes do. He steps boldly into the maelstrom and is lost from view. SCENE 5 - SKIES ABOVE MAEL Jenny and Dallion fly through perfect skies on the Toad Croaker. Jenny checks the onboard instruments while Dallion holds on to the sides, taking care not to damage the craft. JENNY This signal apparently disappears after it enters a planet's atmosphere. This will be the last reading we have. We'll have to scout around ourselves to find the source. This could take a few hours ... DALLION (eyes closed) This place ... it's terrible. JENNY Terrible? What do you mean? (closes her eyes as well) Oh. You're right. DALLION (opens his eyes) You sense it, too? JENNY (her forehead gem glowing faintly) Yes. A disturbance. In the planet's living ecosystem. Aberrant weather. DALLION Climate Converter technology. JENNY (opens her eyes as well) Let's go! Jenny shifts directions and revs the Croaker, and she and Dallion accelerate onward. The pair soon arrives on Storm Island. Jenny lands the Croaker on the shore, and the two step out, removing their helmets. They stare at the pandemonium in front of them. DALLION It's here. The source of the disturbance. JENNY Yes. Primal nature gone wild but unnaturally unleashed. It must be stopped. DALLION So this is the work of a Climate Converter? JENNY If so, this whole world will soon fall into chaos. We can't let that happen. Jenny nods grimly to Dallion as her spell gems start to glow. JENNY Are you ready? DALLION (flexes his claws) Yes. Jenny and Dallion prepare to step into the maelstrom when the winds suddenly die out. Surprised, Jenny and Dallion peer into the destruction. Through the debris, they see the middle of the island nearly swept bare. At the center of it all stands a metal figure, laughing. Dallion stares incredulously. DALLION (furious) Toadborg! JENNY (alarmed) No! That's not Toadborg! That's ... CYBERSTORM (laughing) At last! With the Aero Turbine back in my possession, I, the Cyber Stormtoad, am once again complete! JENNY No! Jenny rushes through the fallen trees while letting loose a magical bolt of fire. The projectile wings Cyberstorm and takes him aback. CYBERSTORM (orients his sensors and sees Jenny) You! Cyberstorm picks up a small tree and hurls it at Jenny. The feline nimbly dodges the first attack but nearly falls prey to an unexpectedly tossed boulder when Dallion tackles her to the ground, saving her. They retreat from view, hiding behind debris. CYBERSTORM (his sensors sweeping the area) Where are you, Jenny, Pilot of The Righteous Indignation? Show yourself! I don't know who your companion is, but rest assured, he'll be dealt with as well! DALLION (whispering) You know this creature? JENNY (whispering) Yes! He's a toad cyborg named Cyberstorm. He was sent to assassinate the crews of The Righteous Indignation and The Indefatigable. He's very dangerous. He has miniaturized components of a Climate Converter and can manipulate the weather to create fire waves, tornadoes, mineral hail ... CYBERSTORM Seismic Quake! Cyberstorm stomps on the ground. The island rumbles, and Jenny and Dallion fall into view. The toad sees them. CYBERSTORM There you are! My receptors heard you talking. I don't just create unusual weather phenomenon. I can combine them as well! Cyberstorm takes another step and causes another quake. CYBERSTORM Here's another Seismic Quake to keep you two off balance, and Ink Mist to destroy your visibility! The quake opens up jagged fissures in the ground, and a black mist issues from the vents. Jenny and Dallion start to choke. Dallion almost falls into a widening chasm, but Jenny pulls him away in time. JENNY He's used these attacks before, but not in conjunction like this! The ground continues to open up as more fissures and chasms riddle the area. The dark mist permeates the air, making each step potentially a lethal drop into a ravine. Cyberstorm laughs again and launches himself into the heavens to stare down at his handiwork. The island has turned into a danger zone. Small mountains grow and mesas form as more and more cliffs and chasms are created. Jenny and Dallion, jumping from one unsafe perch to another, are soon lost inside the spreading black haze. CYBERSTORM Enjoying my SeisMist? (hovers and laughs) Have a nice trip! See you next fall! DALLION (in the haze) Did he always have a same bad sense of humor, too? JENNY (in the haze) Actually, yes. CYBERSTORM (turning) What? Dallion, hovering on his jets, swipes at Cyberstorm with his claws. The cyborg barely avoids getting wounded deeply. Moving backward, he stabilizes his position and stares incredulously at both Dallion and Jenny, the latter levitating in an aura of pink energy. The mammals smile as they remove their protective space helmets. JENNY Ink Mists can't choke us if we both have personal atmospheres in our deep space helmets. DALLION And what good are earthbound dangers when we're capable of flight? CYBERSTORM (surprised) No! Cyberstorm roars and rushes toward the two with his arms outstretched. Jenny moves to the left, while Dallion dives to the right. CYBERSTORM Get back here and die! JENNY (retaliating with a magical fire of her own) No chance of that! DALLION (lunging forward with a fanged strike) But you're welcome to a taste! Cyberstorm parries against his two opponents. He frantically dodges Dallion's deadly physical assault on one side and hastily deflects Jenny's long-distance shots on the other. The two mammals continue their barrage, working as a unit to wear their enemy down. Jenny lights up like a miniature sun, overpowering Cyberstorm's sensors. JENNY Cyberstorm doesn't have his force field! If he hasn't upgraded his chassis in any way since the last time we met, then he still has very little as far as defensive body armor! Dallion almost rips the blinded and vulnerable toad with a devastating kick. DALLION And the way he's been avoiding my attacks, it looks like one good hit would be enough to bring him down! CYBERSTORM (falls back away in time) No! I will *not* be defeated this way! Not again! Cyberstorm turns around and makes off to flee. Jenny and Dallion fly side by side and give chase. DALLION (solemnly) I'm very sorry about this, Jenny. JENNY What do you mean? DALLION I know he is extremely dangerous and all ... (smiles suddenly) ... but I have to admit that I am enjoying myself. The banter, the cooperation ... not to mention an opponent far more interesting than a boring regen. JENNY (smiles) Yes, this actually is a rather pleasant diversion. A bit of distraction, albeit deadly, to take my mind off personal matters. (indicates Cyberstorm's fleeing form in front of them) But as fun as it is, we can't let him have the chance to bring his arsenal to bear. CYBERSTORM Fun? FUN!? Cyberstorm stops in midair, forcing the mammals to halt. The toad starts to fume as the trio hovers over the vast expanse of ocean. CYBERSTORM You think this is *fun*!? (angrily) I had you, your miserable Captain Bucky O'Hare and Commander Dogstar escape my clutches! I botched my first mission and disgraced myself in the eyes of Mighty KOMPLEX! I was deactivated for who knows how long, and it took me practically forever to collect my scattered components, and you consider this *fun*?! (screams) I am the Cyber Stormtoad! I command the elements of the Geo Core, the Pyro Engine, the Hydro Generator, and the Aero Turbine, and I will *not* be denied! SCENE 6 - UAC INTELLIGENCE BASE, BETELGEUSIA Deep under water, this sprawling intelligence base boasts some of the aniverse's most high-tech equipment. In addition to rooms full of surveillance hardware, a few freestanding dry labs allow mammal scientists to work on security technologies of interest to the UAC. One of these labs is overseen by WILLY DUWITT. Willy sits at a desk covered in papers. On one end is the series of blueprints Jenny recovered from Aldebaran during the APES outage. Other papers appear to be rough schematics of toad designs Willy remembers from his time being brainwashed by the toads. Willy scribbles on a piece of paper, an intense look on his face. After a few moments of sketching a diagram, he stops. WILLY No. No, that won't work either. Willy sighs and takes the paper in his hands, then places it atop a stack at the back of his desk. His brow furrowed, he leaves his pencil on the desk and stands up. WILLY I'm not making any progress. There's got to be some way to break through the toads' defenses. Willy stands up and begins pacing. WILLY I just can't wrap my head around it. It feels ... off. (stops pacing) I feel off. Willy looks around at his lab. In some ways, it's his dream. He can finally work on his scientific projects without any fear or restraint. He has whatever resources he desires. But somehow, it feels hollow. Willy feels empty. WILLY Something is missing. I don't know quite what, but ... Suddenly, something dawns on Willy. He looks at the pencil lying on his desk. Concentrating, he closes his eyes and tries to move it with his Aldebaran powers. However, they remain dormant, and the pencil does not budge. WILLY (opening his eyes) I think I need to talk to Jenny about this. SCENE 7 - MAEL A translucent wall of force materializes and slams into Jenny and Dallion. The mammals are pushed back violently before the wall dissipates. DALLION (catching his breath) What was that? JENNY I don't know. I've never seen that before! CYBERSTORM Gravimetric force wall! Courtesy of my Exo-Driver! (gloatingly throws another wall) Here! Have another! Jenny and Dallion hover and dodge as Cyberstorm tosses one force barrier after another. DALLION Looks like he can't hold the gravimetric force cohesive if it's far away from his person. I can't get close enough to tag him, though. Got any ideas? JENNY Yes. Jenny makes a mystic sign in the air, and her spell gems glow. JENNY Distract him for a second. I'm going to try my Sensory Blind spell ... The glow from Jenny's gems suffuses across her body as she fades from view. Cyberstorm stops throwing force walls for a moment to goggle at her disappearance. CYBERSTORM Where did she go? DALLION (snarls and jets forward) Don't look for her! Pay attention to *me*! Cyberstorm immediately erects a gravimetric barrier in front of himself as Dallion pounces. The force wall buckles under Dallion's frenetic clawed assault, causing the toad to involuntarily shield his face. He looks out when he's certain that the blockade will hold. CYBERSTORM (mockingly) You rabid dog! Your attack is useless! Break your fangs against my shield and feel the might of the mighty Cyber ... *what*!? There is a spark as Cyberstorm feels something in his back. He turns around frantically and sees a flicker of a form drift away as the exposed circuits in his back flash with electricity. Almost distracted by the sabotage, Cyberstorm rises up just in time to avoid a slash as Dallion circumnavigates the barrier. CYBERSTORM Shielding yourself from my sensors? That's a good trick! (covers himself in a funnel of wind) It won't save you, though! With the raging wind encircling him, Cyberstorm generates particles of ice in his hands, then lets them explode in a furious burst of deadly icicles aimed in all directions. CYBERSTORM Frost from a Flash Freeze with the power of a raging tornado creates an Ice Cyclone! The dangerous volley of ice projectiles arrows outward and strikes the hovering Dallion. The wolf covers his vulnerable face as the continuous flood of powerful frost bullets adds dings to his armor. He peeks out when he hears a piercing scream. DALLION Jenny! Jenny has blinked into view. There was no way for the Aldebaran to hide from the attack launched in all directions, and she wasn't prepared for the strength of the assault. Her armor, though resistant to most blows, could not withstand the steady flow of icicles launched at devastating speeds. There are rips in the cloth in spaces between her carapace, and one icicle has cut a streak across her face. Jenny starts to fall from the sky. DALLION No! Cyberstorm stops his chilling barrage to laugh as Dallion swoops down and takes Jenny into his arms. He wipes the hair that has fallen on her face. DALLION Jenny! Are you OK? JENNY (stirs) No ... (grimly) But I'll be fine. CYBERSTORM Should have known that cats shouldn't be left out the cold! Ha ha! Dallion holds onto Jenny long enough for her to fly under her own power, then glares at the toad cyborg. DALLION You! (roars) Animal! Dallion ascends toward the cyborg with his claws out for the kill. Cyberstorm quickly erects several gravimetric walls to block him as he retreats, but the barriers break under the lupine's furious rage. Dallion cuts through the last obstacle and slashes across Cyberstorm's face plate, ripping it. The toad is knocked off to the side and hovers unsteadily as Dallion breathes hard and reorients himself for another lunge. CYBERSTORM (sensors narrowing) It looks like you're the animal here. With one hand holding his damaged face, Cyberstorm points the other one to the suddenly darkening sky. There is a rumble as small, glittering pebbles and rocks start to fall from the heavens. Tiny pings sound as the little stones bounce off Dallion's armor. The lupine takes a few into his paw and crushes them. DALLION These specks are nothing to me. CYBERSTORM I can see that, yes. Just as I can see that there is metal bonded to you as well. (raises both hands to the dark heavens) And while the iron particulates of a lightly moderate Mineral Hail might not have much effect on their own, let's see what happens when I add an Electro-Magnetic Pulse Storm to the mix! White energy bursts from Cyberstorm's hands and ascends to the clouds. A heartbeat later, it crashes down again, this time as lightning arcing through the steel bits of the falling metallic ore. The electricity surges through the highly conductive web of iron, bouncing, spreading, and almost immediately invading the half- mechanical body of Dallion. CYBERSTORM Behold! An EMP Hail! Beyond the range of the perilous hail, Jenny sees Dallion spasm as electricity surges through his frame. She hears small explosions inside his body as the unstable energy wreaks havoc in the lupine's mechanical systems and, in conjunction, his biological parts. Each sparking ore and stone from the hail that touches his chassis contributes to the electrical seizure. Dallion is in clear agony, but he grits his teeth and refuses to scream as long as the toad cyborg is present and enjoying the view. CYBERSTORM Won't be long until you're howling at the moon! Jenny dives into the storm, enveloping herself in the glow of her gems just as she is embraced by the sparking particulates. She is unaffected by the small rocks and their deadly charge. In fact, she draws the energy into her protective sheath to add further power to her defenses, leaving only falling pebbles. She flies forward, unafraid, until she reaches the spasming Dallion. The Luporian struggles to speak. DALLION Je-Je-Jenny! Le-le-leave! N-now! JENNY No. (closes her eyes) Electricity is to lightning is to energy is to nature. Jenny lays one paw on Dallion's chest and the other on his forehead. The glowing sheath around her encompasses both their bodies and shields them from the hail. Jenny's gentle touch slowly but surely extracts the unstable energy from inside the Luporian's frame. Jenny moves closer to increase the effectiveness of her presence. JENNY (holding on to Dallion tightly) Nature is to magic is to me. So let me tame the beast! The seizure dies down. The electric surges across the Luporian's frame disappear into Jenny's magical bubble. Dallion's twitching limbs stop shaking, and he begins to regain control. He tentatively thinks of returning Jenny's embrace but then lets go to fly on his own. He refuses to look into her eyes but whispers instead. DALLION (barely audible) Thank you. JENNY (smiles) No problem. Jenny turns to Cyberstorm, and the protective glow around her brightens considerably. Having absorbed enough stray electricity from the hail, Jenny lets it all loose. Her light blazes and cuts through the dark clouds above, ceasing the fall of the deadly particulates. JENNY (shouting to Cyberstorm) Is that all you've got? SCENE 8 - ENGINEERING BAY, THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Mike sighs as he finishes checking up the photon accelerator. MIKE All done. Mike stands up, takes a deep breath, and walks out into the main bay of the ship. He looks up the ladder that leads to the cockpit. MIKE I have to do this. Mike grabs the ladder and climbs up. He gets to the top, then makes his way to the cockpit. He sees Bucky sitting in his usual chair, seemingly lost in thought. An unfamiliar comm rests in his left paw. MIKE Bucky? Startled, Bucky becomes more alert. He hides the comm he's holding. BUCKY Mike. How's the accelerator? MIKE Fine. Are you OK? You seem kinda ... low-key. BUCKY (distractedly) Just got a lot on my mind. MIKE Yeah. That's mostly my fault, I'm guessing. BUCKY Some. MIKE I'm really sorry about what happened. BUCKY I know. I get that. MIKE That's why I'm resigning. Bucky is taken by surprise at this and isn't sure how to react. BUCKY (finally) I didn't ask you to resign. MIKE I know that. BUCKY I need an engineer, Mike. MIKE There's plenty of us out there. BUCKY Dammit ... Bucky gets out of his seat and faces Mike. BUCKY You've been with us for almost a year now, Mike. I know you, and I trust you as an engineer. I need someone who knows this ship and this crew. MIKE Clearly, I know this crew too well. (beat) Captain, I never quite fit in on this ship, but I've really enjoyed my time here. I just ... I screwed up. I should never have gotten involved in this. And now, every time I look at you, and every time I look at Jenny, I'm going to be reminded of this. I don't want to spend my career on this ship always walking on eggshells. Best to just get while the getting's good. Bucky muses over this. BUCKY Where are you going to go? MIKE I think I wanna try teaching. I could write a textbook just based on my time on this ship. BUCKY Mike, I'm not pushing you away. MIKE No, I pushed myself away. I'm sorry, Captain. And thanks for everything. No more words pass between Bucky and Mike. The feline offers one last salute -- one that clearly shows he never got the hang of them. He slowly makes his way back to the ladder and climbs down. Dazed, Bucky sits back in his chair. He gazes out the cockpit, staring at the wall of the dock his ship is parked in. BUCKY Well, shit. SCENE 9 - MAEL The skies above Cyberstorm begin to darken once more. Before Jenny can disperse the gathering clouds, Dallion pulls her aside as Cyberstorm tosses a ring of fire in their direction. The central clouds complete their formation, and rain begins to fall -- wet, black rain. DALLION What is it this time? JENNY (moving backward as the clouds start to spread) It's an oil shower! CYBERSTORM Yup! Slippery stuff! Cyberstorm hovers higher, creating an ever-widening ring of flame. CYBERSTORM Oil Showers are quite a nuisance. They're hard to wash out of fabrics. But imagine how much more deadly it could be when it's ignited by a Fire Wave! DALLION (grabbing hold of Jenny) Dive, Jenny, *dive*! Jenny and Dallion dive into the ocean as Cyberstorm laughs and the world explodes into fire. The drops of oil burn like napalm and fall like delicate blossoms from the sky. Those that reach the seawater continue to blaze merrily over the waves. The heavens bleed their bitter tears as the whole area is painted in colors of deadly red. CYBERSTORM A Reign of Fire? Or Rain of Flame? What is more appropriate? Cyberstorm drops down to hover over the still-burning surface of the ocean. He cups his hands over his mouthpiece as a joke. CYBERSTORM Hello! Can you hear me down there? You'll have to breath sooner or la- (suddenly realizes something) Uh-oh. Jenny and Dallion burst out of the water like demons, sweeping the fire on the surface away from them. The first thing Cyberstorm notices is that both mammals are wearing their helmets. The second is that the feline grabs hold of his left leg while the lupine takes a firm grasp of his right. Then the two dive deep below the ocean, dragging their prisoner with them. Caught off guard, Cyberstorm struggles, but his two captors refuse to let go. He panics as he sees the light from the surface fading away and almost forgets that he, too, doesn't need to breathe. He goes still as he realizes that he can't summon most of the weather elements when surrounded by ocean water but he can control the currents themselves. Cyberstorm starts to spin his body like a top, twirling and creating a whirlpool until the centrifugal force makes the two mammals release their hold on him lest they be torn apart. Cyberstorm lets the power of the funnel shoot him upward, breaking the water's surface and letting him fly back up into the atmosphere. CYBERSTORM I have had *enough*! Jenny and Dallion likewise burst from the ocean and hover close by. JENNY (makes a mystic ward with her paws) We've handled everything you've tossed our way so far. DALLION (cracks his knuckles) So give us your best shot! CYBERSTORM No. No more games! (raises his arms to the heavens) I'm going to summon everything I've got and destroy you! Destroy you for good! With an Armageddon Wave! The clouds gather once again. A cold wind blows through. Lightning arcs through the sky. Water spouts start to rage. Hunks of rock levitate from the ocean floor to the sky. Both ice and fire materialize within the gathering darkness as Cyberstorm is surrounded by the maelstrom. CYBERSTORM Wait! This isn't right ... (panicking) Not like this! Not again! SCENE 10 - COCKPIT, THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Resigned, Bucky presses a few buttons on the console, activating the ship's comm. The voice of CHAIRMAN SIRIUS DOGSTAR pipes through. DOGSTAR (over comm) Bucky? BUCKY (into comm, weakly) Hey, Dogstar. DOGSTAR What's the matter, old boy? You don't sound yourself. BUCKY I don't feel like myself. Listen, I need a favor. DOGSTAR Hmm. Well, that depends on what it is, of course, but I will try to accommodate you. BUCKY I need you to allow Blinky to act as my engineer. Only silence escapes from the comm for a moment. DOGSTAR But you have an engineer, Bucky. What happened to Mike? BUCKY He just quit on me. DOGSTAR Really? For what reason? BUCKY Long story. DOGSTAR Hmm. He tried to quit once before, you know. While we were all on the run. BUCKY (raising an eyebrow) Really? I did not know that. DOGSTAR I stopped him that time. Sorry to hear it couldn't be stopped again. (beat) We can have you a new engineer in no time, Bucky. There's a list of ... BUCKY No. I don't want a new hire. I don't want to end up with a sleazasaur or a timid kid. I don't want to train someone. I don't want to have another crewmember who will just bail on us in the future. I want Blinky to do it. DOGSTAR You know it's against the law for androids to serve as engineers. BUCKY That law is written for ASCs, and you know it. Blinky is an AFC, and he was programmed by Willy. He's more capable than any hire you could throw at me. Dogstar thinks about this. DOGSTAR I'll give it two weeks. At the end of that time period, I want a full report. If it's not to my satisfaction, I will assist you in hiring a new engineer. Is this understood? BUCKY It is. Thanks, Dogstar. I owe you one. DOGSTAR Indeed you do, Captain. This is most unusual, and I must express my displeasure with the situation. Dogstar out. The comm falls silent. Bucky leans back in his chair, frustrated and tired. BUCKY Jerk. SCENE 11 - MAEL Cyberstorm disappears into the storm as Jenny and Dallion look at the pandemonium. DALLION (daunted) He's summoning all and every type of weather phenomenon and concentrating them into one spot. But he's lost control! JENNY (nods) An unstable Armageddon wave. He did the same thing as a suicide attack in our last encounter. It pretty much blew a huge chunk out of the planet we were on. DALLION Are you feeling suicidal? JENNY No. But I won't let this abomination to nature continue on. DALLION Likewise. JENNY (holding out her paw) Will you join me? Dallion gently takes Jenny's paw without closing his fingers over hers. DALLION Of course. Jenny and Dallion steel their resolve and soar into the chaos. They disappear into the clouds. Inside, they can barely see through the disordered mess of ice, fire, lightning, particulates, debris, and water. Jenny lights the way with her glowing gems while Dallion bats away any floating obstacle in their path. DALLION How much time do we have before this thing blows? JENNY Not much. We have to get to the heart of the problem. Jenny and Dallion see Cyberstorm curled up into a ball in the center of the maelstrom. He is surrounded by a shifting wall of gravimetric force that Dallion rips through with some effort. Cyberstorm doesn't notice or doesn't respond to the intruders. His sensors are shut, and he's mumbling to himself. DALLION Looks like he's out of it. (bares his claws and prepares to strike) I wonder if he'll feel a thing ... JENNY No, stop! (quickly halts Dallion) Something's wrong here. You can't just strike him down. DALLION (exasperated) And why not! Just because he's helpless and defenseless right now? JENNY It's not that. (concentrates) I sense that this whole tampering of the weather is linked with the natural order of the planet's lifecycle. Only more destruction will be wrought if death is brought into the equation. DALLION Death *is* part of the natural order of life! JENNY *Life* is the natural order itself! DALLION (looks at the chaos around him) We don't have time for this! JENNY I agree, but we can't take any chances! Jenny approaches the toad cyborg and holds out her paws. JENNY I know you're angry at the toads as a whole, but killing him won't solve our problem. (frowning) I have to break the unnatural cycle and let nature flow back into its proper order. Do you understand? DALLION (takes a deep breath) All right. But this is wild power, nature unbound. Don't let it overwhelm you. JENNY I won't. I mustn't. As Jenny touches Cyberstorm, she hears him mumbling. CYBERSTORM I ... I don't want to die again ... but ... but ... (whispers softly) Toadborg. This is for you, Toadborg! That is the last thing Jenny hears as she is drowned in a flood of emotion. The bitter feeling of disappointment and failure buries her under the weight of anger and self-loathing. The hate cuts her like a knife, and she draws her paws back as if physically hurt. JENNY (almost to herself) So much emotion. From such a cold-hearted individual. Jenny is almost afraid to touch the toad again, but she knows that if the cyborg's feelings build up to the breaking point, the Armageddon Wave will be released. She can't let that happen. She takes a deep breath. JENNY (laying one paw on Cyberstorm) Feelings is to emotion is to the heart. (laying her other paw) The heart is to nature is to magic is to me. (shouting her command) Let me tame the beast! Cyberstorm screams. The negative feelings rush out of the toad cyborg like a torrent and inundate Jenny. She gasps for air as she is overwhelmed by rage, self-pity, loyalty, and pain. Her emotional barriers are torn down like paper. She starts to scream along with Cyberstorm. Dallion knows something is terribly wrong. Jenny's eyes are open and are bursting with energy. Around them, the storm intensifies and grows stronger. Dallion reaches for the Aldebaran and hesitates. He's afraid of crushing her with his paws. Dallion shakes his head. He stares again at Jenny and closes his eyes before he touches the feline's shoulder. Jenny throws her head back and shrieks louder. JENNY (screaming) BUUUCKY! Dallion is caught up in the emotional storm. He is torn between two powerful forces in a mixture of unresolved feelings. He recognizes the blind hate and self-loathing emanating from Cyberstorm and identifies with his own issues of anger and loss of self-control. He screams. Before Dallion is swept away, he is drawn to the more familiar aspect that belongs to Jenny. He immerses himself in feelings of jealousy, abandonment, and selfishness that are similar to his own. He is almost lost to it, but he focuses on the facets of friendship, camaraderie, love, and even lust. Just like that, Dallion knows what he really wants. What he hopes for. He composes himself. DALLION (whispering) I am ... the heart of the beast is to love is to nature is to me again. A complete cycle. (opening his eyes) I am. Myself. To me! (shouting his command) Let me tame the beast! Dallion wills all his powers of self-control into the flood of emotion. He separates the miasma of two powerful factions and quells the tides. The rage quiets down. The passion subsides. The skies clear of all heavenly obstruction as ice, fire, and lightning dissipate into the rays of the sun. Floating particulates, debris, and water disperse and drop down into the sea. The Armageddon Wave disappears. All that is left in the sky are three figures, one of whom is holding the other in a tight but gentle embrace. Then, all three fall into the ocean depths. SCENE 12 - DARKNESS Dallion dreams that he is enfolded in the comforting arms of a loved one. He warns the other of his cold metal frame, of the unyielding rigidity of his skin. But the other doesn't care, and Dallion willingly loses himself in feelings of devotion and love. VOICE Dallion. DALLION Mmrr-mm. VOICE Did you just purr? Dallion opens his eyes and stares at another pair gazing back at him. Jenny smiles her perfect smile back at him. DALLION Jenny? JENNY Glad to have you back, big guy. (pulls Dallion up) Oof, you're heavy! Dallion stands up and takes stock of his surroundings. DALLION Where are we? JENNY Back at the island where we found Cyberstorm. Looks like we didn't really go very far, and the shoreline was left untouched by his quake. DALLION (tenses up) Cyberstorm! Where is he? Jenny lays a paw on Dallion's shoulder to calm him down. JENNY Gone. I think he took the Toad Croaker. He must have been too damaged from the encounter to fly under his own power. I don't think he'll be able to summon any more weather patterns or attacks. DALLION (settles down under Jenny's touch) What do you mean? JENNY It's what you did. His Climate Converter technology stems from an inner storm, elements of nature disrupted and not at peace. Linked together as we were, your self-control extended into his own and calmed the unbounded energy. In that state, he won't be able to access his climate control abilities anymore. (lays a paw on her chest) Your mastery let me face some of my own unresolved feelings as well. (lays the other paw on Dallion) Thank you. DALLION (looks down) No problem. There is a moment of silence between the two. Then, Dallion suddenly takes Jenny's paw into his own. DALLION (taking her into his eyes) Jenny, I do like working with you. I enjoy your company, and I value your spirit. Do you think that ... if ever ... Dallion can't finish what he had to say. Mercifully, Jenny understands. She shakes her head gently. JENNY Dallion, I'm sorry. In another time, in another place, in other doors opened or unbeaten paths taken ... yes, it would have been possible. Gladly so. Jenny looks far away as the sun starts to set on the tropical paradise. JENNY But here and now, my heart belongs to another. For better or for worse. DALLION (drops Jenny's paw) I ... understand. Dallion faces away and bends down to pick up a fallen flower from the sands of the beach. Jenny watches closely as he carefully and confidently picks out the small pieces of debris and broken leaves from the blossom until it is perfect again. With great precision and mastery of control, Dallion places the flower on the Aldebaran's hair. DALLION (smiling) Still, one has to strive for something, after all. JENNY (smiles back) True. Jenny looks around and sighs. JENNY Well, with the threat disposed of, I guess vacation time is over. Without my Toad Croaker and no communications, how am I going to get back to Genus? DALLION (scoops up Jenny into his arms) You forget that I'm spaceworthy. I'll get you home in no time. I am in no hurry to return to the regens' sector. (activates his helmet) Hold on tight. Jenny puts on her own protective gear and drapes her arms around Dallion. JENNY Likewise. The two head off into the night as the stars start to twinkle in the darkening sky. SCENE 13 - DEEP SPACE Cyberstorm is strangely at peace. He had woken up first from the ordeal at Mael and had seen that he and his opponents had all washed up on the original island. He was all set to dispose of the mammals with a quick lightning bolt but was surprised and afraid to find that he could not even summon a small breeze. Terrified of his loss, he found the nearby Toad Croaker and launched off into space. CYBERSTORM (mumbling) Toad Homeworld ... Cyberstorm felt calm as he flew into space. He was finally heading home. The toad scientists could fix him up again. It might be an extremely painful process, but after what felt like forever, he would finally be among his own kind again. He smiled at the thought. CYBERSTORM (muttering) Oh Mighty KOMPLEX ... Cyberstorm was certain to face the wrath of his master, KOMPLEX, for failing to complete his original mission. He would accept any punishment willingly because he knew he would be accepted back into the ranks to serve as he was always meant to. He's happy to belong. CYBERSTORM (whispering) Toadborg. There was one burning, shining thought in the forefront of Cyberstorm's mind. The long-kept secret. The cause of it all. The turmoil and the chaos. The heart of the matter. From his final thought when the first Armageddon Wave was triggered, to the reason he hunted for the missing Climate Converter components instead of simply just returning home. Cyberstorm flew on. SCENE 14 - TOAD OUTPOST TOADBORG strides into the room, his metal frame glinting in the artificial light and his presence dominating the cowering toads in the control room. A TOAD SENTRY walks up to him, nervous. TOADBORG What is the meaning of this? I am not scheduled to be here. I am due at a planning session with KOMPLEX. TOAD SENTRY Sir, I ... TOADBORG Be quick. TOAD SENTRY Sir! We tracked a spacecraft heading straight for the Toad Homeworld. Analysis showed it to be a small mammal vessel. The automatic defenses took it down, sir. TOADBORG And this is of significance, why? The mammals have been sending test craft at us in increasing numbers lately. TOAD SENTRY (gulping) The vessel was heavily damaged, and, well, it crashed on a small asteroid nearby. We took a scan of the wreck, and, sir, we thought you should see this ... Toadborg leans across the computer screen. His sensors narrow as it focuses on the figure crawling out of the smoldering wreckage and widens when it recognizes the hulking frame similar to his own. TOADBORG My memory banks indicate that we are seeing the Cyber Stormtoad. TOAD SENTRY (babbling) We ... we didn't know what to do, sir! We didn't know what to make of it! We're not sure if it's a mammal trap or something else! TOADBORG Be quiet. Tell every sentry to stand down but be on alert. (strides out of the room) I will attend to this matter. SCENE 15 - ASTEROID Cyberstorm is sprawled out on the cold surface of the asteroid. The toad defense system did its job well. His legs are a mangled wreck, and one arm has been completely torn off. He had just managed to crawl a few feet away before the Croaker exploded. He lay on the ground, breathing hard, when he sees a figure approaching from the afar. Cyberstorm's sensors widen as Toadborg lands in front of him. Thrusters powering down, the toad general approaches him. CYBERSTORM (struggling to pull himself up with his stump of an arm) Toadborg! Toadborg pauses, reaches out with a hand outstretched, then pulls back to take the stern demeanor of a commanding officer. TOADBORG Cyberstorm, your last signal with the Toad Homeworld had you committing a suicide charge on the crew of The Righteous Indignation and The Indefatigable. This indicates a failed mission. A report is mandated. Cyberstorm is too dazed to realize that something is off about Toadborg. CYBERSTORM I-I ... (levers off a salute with his good arm) I'm sorry for my failure to succeed ... I was deactivated for the duration, a-a-and I spent time reassembling myself. I encountered resistance in collecting my component parts ... TOADBORG Parts? The experimental miniaturized Climate Converter components? CYBERSTORM (his systems starting to spark) Yes. I ... I acquired them all back, but they might have been neutralized by the mammals I encountered. And I'm so tired ... (breaks down further) But I'm so glad to be back! To be home again after all this time! With you to grace me with your presence, oh mighty Toadborg! Cyberstorm's body screeches with metallic agony, but he reaches out imploringly with his free hand toward Toadborg. Toadborg hesitates, then kneels down and grasps the fallen toad's hand. Cyberstorm is visibly shaken by this gesture. He would have shed tears if he were capable of it. CYBERSTORM (continuing despite his difficulty) You were my idol, Toadborg, my hero ... you were the reason I sacrificed my complete being into the mechanization process. I wanted to be like you, to be in battle by your side, to be with you. (his speech starting to slur) I'm sorry Commander Dogstar escaped my trap. I'm sorry Captain O'Hare broke through my force field. I'm sorry they and their crew failed to be annihilated by my Armageddon Wave. I don't know how and why it activated by itself, but I would have done it anyway. For you, sir, for you. (his lights starting to dim) I'm sorry for my failures, Toadborg, sir. I'm so sorry. Toadborg's processors whir. TOADBORG You are still of use to the Empire. Despite Cyberstorm's systems slowly shutting down, his sensors brighten at hearing these words. CYBERSTORM Th-thank you, sir. Cyberstorm tries to pull himself closer to Toadborg but fails. CYBERSTORM I ... I have one more thing to say, sir. I need to make peace with myself and with you. Toadborg, sir, I ... I l- TOADBORG (quietly) There is nothing more to be said. Your time is now. Rest. Cyberstorm's sensors shine brightly in gratitude. The steady mechanical whirr about him winds down. The lights about his person wink out one by one, leaving his metal chassis stiff and lifeless. Cyberstorm's damaged, mangled body lies prone on the unforgiving surface, his hand still outstretched and clutching his commanding officer's grip. Toadborg waits until the fallen toad's electrical spark has finally and completely died out before he disengages his grasp. TOADBORG (to himself) He appeared unaware that I was the one who sabotaged his force field and triggered his self destruct mechanism. Toadborg hides the blaster he had trained on Cyberstorm and turns away from the wreck. He activates his communicator. TOADBORG (into comm) Send in a cleanup crew. They have a mess to clear up. These parts will be useful, so salvage them as best you are able. I must return to KOMPLEX. SCENE 16 - LABORATORY, TOAD HOMEWORLD The AIR MARSHAL enters the room, trying to look focused and impatient. Several scientists stand at computer consoles. PROFESSOR GLUTGRAVE stands in the center. AIR MARSHAL Glutgrave! GLUTGRAVE Thank you for coming, Air Marshal. AIR MARSHAL This is your last chance. I'm not giving you another extension. Is the project ready? GLUTGRAVE Indeed it is, which is why I called you here. Perhaps you would care to do the honors? Glutgrave stands aside, allowing the Air Marshal full view of a large glass cylinder on a hydraulic platform. An inky black, yet well- defined, shape rests inside the cylinder. It shakes and jitters slowly. Glutgrave leads the Air Marshal to a nearby command console. He points at a button. GLUTGRAVE Everything is ready. By pressing this button, you will open the canister. AIR MARSHAL And then we can get on with Phase Two? GLUTGRAVE Absolutely. A bit nervous, the Air Marshal reaches out and presses the button. With a click, the lid of the canister slides slightly, releasing a pressurized gas that hisses as it escapes. The air finally clears. The Air Marshal's eyes go wide as the canister opens. THE END