"Good Intentions" by Rygar First draft - 1/23/04 Second draft - 2/5/04 Final draft - 2/6/04 SCENE 1 - RESTAURANT, CAPITAL CITY, GENUS CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE, COMMANDER SIRIUS DOGSTAR, and CAPTAIN MIMI LAFLEUR are all sitting at a table near the back corner of The Genus Den, a relatively nice restaurant, eating lunch and chatting away. Bucky is eating carrot stew, Dogstar has fish and chips, and Mimi is wolfing down her salad. DOGSTAR (taking a bite) Ah, yes. This place always did know how to cook cod properly. BUCKY (sighing) Glad you like your meal, Commander. This carrot stew sure isn't that great. Next time, *I'm* picking the restaurant. MIMI (sarcastically) Let me guess. The Cottontail? BUCKY Hey, they make a darn good vegetable stir fry there. I'm sure you'd like it better than those leaves you're inhaling. (beat) So, what were you up to this morning, Dogstar? DOGSTAR Why, patrol, of course. I'm headed back out after lunch. Mimi and I have to keep longer hours now that you're grounded. BUCKY (sighs and eats a spoonful) Never thought I'd miss being on patrol. Anything exciting? DOGSTAR Just empty space, my boy. The toads have been suspiciously quiet. MIMI I'll say. Nothing's happening. Even Dile's getting kind of impatient. BUCKY We did deal them a pretty good blow. DOGSTAR Well, I suppose we shouldn't complain that nothing has been happening lately. MIMI Speaking of which ... Bucky, what was with that disappearing act you pulled last week? You never *did* tell us what happened. BUCKY (suspiciously) I already told you, nothing happened. If you want to read the report, you can. MIMI (prying) Oh, come on. Since when has the brave Captain O'Hare been reluctant to share his tales of derring-do and victory? BUCKY (eyeing Mimi's orange sash and scowling) I said it's none of your damn business! Dogstar and Mimi pause, taken aback. Bucky immediately catches himself. MIMI *Well*! Excuse *me*, Captain O'Hare. I didn't realize that blowing up your ship and sitting around on break gave you an excuse to be an ass. Bucky winces and calms down, apparently apologetic. He looks a little hurt. BUCKY (quietly and a little defensively) I'm getting a new ship soon. DOGSTAR Are you sure you're all right, Captain? You've been mighty jumpy this past week. BUCKY Yeah, I know. Sorry. I guess I'm just going stir crazy without any action happening. MIMI (still a little cross with Bucky) You're not the only one. (beat) I wish I knew what those toads were up to. SCENE 2 - MAIN DECK, TOAD MOTHERSHIP The AIR MARSHAL is standing on the deck of his mothership, chewing out FRIX and FRAX. AIR MARSHAL And *then* what happened? FRIX We, uh ... FRAX We dropped it, sir. AIR MARSHAL *Dropped* it? The most important electronic device on the ship, and you *dropped* it? FRIX We're sorry, sir! We'll get you a new one! AIR MARSHAL (furious) You had better! Without that device, I won't be able to record my favorite TTN shows! And you *know* what happens when I miss my shows ... The Air Marshal scowls menacingly at Frix and Frax, who are visibly panicking. FRAX We're s-sorry, Air Marshal, honest! AIR MARSHAL (sternly) Get out of my sight. Frix and Frax suddenly turn the other direction and try to run, tripping over each other. They stumble and fall, then begin crawling away from the Air Marshal as quickly as they can. Just then, a view screen comes down, and the face of KOMPLEX appears. KOMPLEX I say, Air Marshal. Your attitude has been impressively improved as of late, even if it is often in regards to rather ... trivial matters. AIR MARSHAL (a little nervous) Th-thank you, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX You're beginning to act like you deserve all those medals you've been given. I am curious as to what has caused this increase in competence, however. Trying to make up for Toadborg's absence, perhaps? (beat, eyes narrowing) Or are you hiding something from me? AIR MARSHAL N-no, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX! (salutes, sweating) I live to serve you, sir. KOMPLEX Good, Air Marshal, good. AIR MARSHAL (thinking) KOMPLEX But enough of this chitchat. I have a new mission for you. Our scientists recently deciphered some notes, and it appears there is a mineral on two abandoned mining planets that could be of significant use to us. Neither is in protected space, so this should be a relatively simple mission, even for you. I'm putting you in charge of two mining expeditions. Your first group of stormtoads and mammal slaves is already en route to Demla, and the other stormtoads and slaves will be boarding your mothership shortly. Once they do, go to Pleid III and begin mining immediately. I will send you more details once you are in transit. Not giving the Air Marshal time to agree or salute, KOMPLEX severs the communication, his face vanishing and the screen retracting. AIR MARSHAL (still sweating, to himself) Phew. I can't keep this up forever. (calling) All hands, prepare for immediate departure to Pleid III and await further commands! SCENE 3 - RESTAURANT, CAPITAL CITY, GENUS Bucky, Dogstar, and Mimi are finishing up their meals. BUCKY So who's picking up the tab this time? MIMI I'll get it. (smiles) I mean, it's not like you're on *paid* leave ... BUCKY Knock it off already, Mimi. DOGSTAR I do wish we knew what the toads were planning, though. They certainly must be up to *something*. MIMI Well, the SIA base hasn't picked up any toad activity or communications in weeks. (beat, smiles again) Of course, the auxiliary base doesn't have all the technology that the original base used to have. They could afford to replace the equipment, if all the S.P.A.C.E. money wasn't going towards getting Bucky a new ... BUCKY OK, OK! I screwed up! I'm sorry! Geez. Just then, Bucky's comm begins beeping. A little startled, he reaches down, pulls off his belt, and answers it. The voice of CHAIRMAN FRITZ WARNER can be heard. Dogstar and Mimi listen to the conversation. FRITZ Hello, Bucky. BUCKY Chairman. What are you doing calling me? I don't have a ship, remember? FRITZ Sorry, force of habit. Besides, I knew you were with Dogstar and LaFleur, and I need to see all three of you immediately. BUCKY Really? What's up? FRITZ Well, I have good news, and I have bad news -- or more good news, depending on how you look at it. Just get over here as soon as you can. BUCKY (a bit confused) Yes, sir. The comm signal dies, and Bucky replaces it on his belt. DOGSTAR Sounds urgent, captains. We had best make haste. MIMI Let's go. Bucky reaches down to take one last sip of water. As he does, Dogstar and Mimi get up and begin walking toward the front of the restaurant. Bucky gulps down his last sip, then puts down the glass. BUCKY (thinking) SCENE 4 - TOAD MOTHERSHIP, SPACE ABOVE PLEID III The Air Marshal is standing on the main deck of the mothership, barking commands into a radio. Various other toad PILOTS and STORMTOADS fill the rest of the deck. AIR MARSHAL How much longer until we touch down? TOAD PILOT #1 Fifteen minutes, sir. AIR MARSHAL (turning to the miners) And how long to set up camp and begin mining? STORMTOAD #1 Maybe an hour after landing, sir. AIR MARSHAL Unacceptable! We have to secure the mineral as quickly as possible. Make it no more than forty-five minutes. Hear that? STORMTOAD #1 Yes, sir! AIR MARSHAL Excellent. And you have your instructions from KOMPLEX? STORMTOAD #2 We sure do, sir. We know exactly what to look for and how to get it out. AIR MARSHAL You had better. How are the mammal slaves? STORMTOAD #2 Spirits thoroughly broken, sir. AIR MARSHAL Well done. The Air Marshal turns around and walks up to one of the pilots on the deck. AIR MARSHAL Put me in contact with the other expedition. TOAD PILOT #2 (flipping switches) Y-yes, sir! The Air Marshal taps his foot as a view-screen activates to show the face of another TOAD. AIR MARSHAL Report status! TOAD (saluting) We've just landed on Demla, sir. Our stormtroopers have forced the mammals to begin setting up the mining equipment, and we should begin drilling within a few minutes. AIR MARSHAL And you have your orders? TOAD Sir, yes, sir! AIR MARSHAL Then get to it! TOAD (saluting) Sir, yes, sir! The Air Marshal severs the communication. AIR MARSHAL (thinking) (beat) (beat, frowning) (out loud) I'm going to go, uh ... retire to my chambers. Alert me when the mining has begun, and not before. STORMTOAD #2 Sure thing, Air Marshal. The Air Marshal grins cruelly, then turns around and exits the deck. Once he's out of sight, his stern demeanor vanishes, and he lets out a deep breath. AIR MARSHAL Phew. Suddenly, KOMPLEX appears on a view screen on the wall beside him. KOMPLEX Going somewhere, Air Marshal? AIR MARSHAL KOMPLEX! (quickly regaining his composure) Simply, uh, getting some papers to work on while we're setting up, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX I trust both teams know their orders, and the troops are being supervised? AIR MARSHAL Oh, of course. KOMPLEX Well, how can you be supervising them when you're out in the hallway, Air Marshal? AIR MARSHAL I, uh ... (beat) I'll go back out on the deck immediately. KOMPLEX Good. See to it that you keep an eye on your men at all times. I still don't trust you, Air Marshal, but I trust them even less. KOMPLEX out. KOMPLEX vanishes, leaving a frustrated and tired Air Marshal. AIR MARSHAL (thinking, upset) (beat) SCENE 5 - WILLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM, WATERSHIP HOSPITAL, GENUS ENGINEER WILLY DUWITT lies unmoving in his hospital bed, still attached to electronics and an IV. FIRST MATE JENNY sits by his side on a chair, reading a magazine to pass the time. Every now and then, she glances at Willy or at the electronics' readings, hoping to see a sign of change. None ever comes. Sighing, Jenny puts down the magazine, reaches over, and takes a little bit of Willy's hair in her paw. She plays with it very gently. JENNY (softly) Come back to us, Willy. (looks at his face) Come back. SCENE 6 - CHAIRMAN WARNER'S OFFICE Bucky, Dogstar, and Mimi are all standing around Chairman Warner's desk. Fritz is standing on the other side of the desk, between his chair and his desk. Papers lie strewn about the top of the desk next to a half-empty coffee cup. At the back of the room stands KADAF WARNER, stern and unmoving, in his usual black attire. He is leaning against the back wall. FRITZ You all got here pretty quickly. Not bad. (gestures to the empty chairs near the three) Have a seat. Bucky and Dogstar comply and sit down promptly. Mimi glances at an empty chair quickly, then faces Fritz again and remains standing, her arms crossed. FRITZ (smiles slightly) All right. First, the good news. Over the past few days, I've negotiated a deal with one of the best contacts I had ... MIMI Contacts? FRITZ (ignoring Mimi) ... and I'm proud to say that we may have found Captain O'Hare a new frigate. BUCKY (excited) What? (stands up quickly) When can I see it? FRITZ (holding up his paws in a "stop" gesture) Slow down, Captain. First of all, it's still with the contact, so it would be a few hours before it can be transported to Orwell Station. Second, well ... it costs a little more than the Council wants to spend. We intend for it to be temporary, and in order to have funds for a new ship ... BUCKY Dammit, Fritz, please don't beat around the bush. FRITZ Well, the Council would rather see whether you actually *need* a temporary frigate before we go ahead and purchase one for you. BUCKY *What*?! Of course I need a frigate! How much longer do you expect me to sit on my ... DOGSTAR (stopping Bucky) Ahem! If I may speak, Chairman, it is my opinion that it is certainly within the best interests of the United Animals Coalition that Captain O'Hare be supplied a new frigate immediately. Having only two ships ... FRITZ (interrupting) Would be temporary at most. We fully intend to construct a new and improved frigate for Captain O'Hare. However, with the toads lying low and money tight, the rest of the Security Council is not convinced that buying a stopgap frigate would be in our best interests. BUCKY Then let me speak to the Council! I've convinced them before, and I'll convince them again! (beat, softer) C'mon, Fritz. We're friends. You can't do this to me. FRITZ (his demeanor less rigid) Bucky, believe me when I say that I'm doing the best I can. Bucky sits back down, out of arguments. Mimi looks at him briefly, pity just barely visible on her face. FRITZ Now, for the bad news -- which *could* be more good news. The SIA recently intercepted a toad transmission. They're on the move. MIMI (looking back at Fritz) Finally! DOGSTAR (eagerly) What are the toads up to, Chairman? FRITZ It seems they've sent mining expeditions to two abandoned planets. I want the three of you to disrupt those missions and free the mammals being used for slave labor. MIMI That's it? We have to stop them from digging up rocks? BUCKY Wait. Why do you need all three of us if there are only two mining expeditions? FRITZ It's a test, Captain. I'm splitting your crew up between The Indefatigable and The Screaming Mimi on this mission. (leans toward Bucky ever so slightly) And, as per the Council's decision, the results of this mission may impact whether or not you get this temporary ship. BUCKY (catching on) All right ... DOGSTAR Wait one moment, please, Chairman. How exactly do you intend to implement this plan? Our frigates aren't big enough for two crews, and Captain LaFleur and I have full teams already. FRITZ Just bear with me, Commander. If nothing else, it's a good chance for you to all let off some steam. (beat) Captain O'Hare, you and your first mate will join the crew of The Indefatigable for this mission. Your cunning and her intelligence will be a natural complement for Commander Dogstar and Lieutenant Wolf, and the rest of his team serves as solid backup. (beat) The remainder of your crew will be onboard The Screaming Mimi. Deadeye's shooting skills, Bruiser's strength, and Blinky's ... well, his being a droid on a ship without one will assist Captain LaFleur's crew should they need any help. Mimi looks as if she's about to say something, then bites her tongue. FRITZ The coordinates of the two mining planets are with my secretary. Let me know how things go. (beat) This is serious. It may not seem like a big mission, but it is. MIMI Good to hear. How so? FRITZ Let's just say we don't want a certain mineral getting into toad paws. Good luck. Bucky and Dogstar stand up, and they leave the room, with Mimi following closely behind. Kadaf stops leaning on the wall and takes a step toward Fritz. KADAF Yeah, put Bruiser on The Screaming Mimi. They sure need someone strong on *that* frigate. FRITZ Shush, Daf. (beat) This has better work. If it all goes well, Bucky will get his ship, and the toads won't get their paws on what they want. KADAF Why didn't you just tell them what the toads are after? FRITZ Because no one in this dimension knows what plutonium is used for. (beat, shakes his head) How much information did you give the toads, Willy? Kadaf does not respond to Fritz's rhetorical question. Instead, he begins fumbling for something in his pocket. Suddenly, he reaches up and puts his paws on his forehead. KADAF Nng! FRITZ (concerned) What? What's wrong? KADAF Nothing ... nothing. Don't worry about me. Just a headache. FRITZ (raising an eyebrow) A headache? KADAF Yeah. Been getting them more often lately. Don't worry about it. FRITZ (uneasily) If you say so. But let me know if you keep having them. KADAF Yeah. Kadaf goes back to fiddling in his pockets, and Fritz sits down at his desk and reaches for his coffee cup. SCENE 7 - WILLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM, WATERSHIP HOSPITAL, GENUS Jenny is reading the magazine, still sitting by Willy's side. She checks her watch, then goes back to reading. Suddenly, she hears a knock on the door. JENNY Come in. The door swings open slowly, and BRUISER walks through. BRUISER Uh, heya, Jenny. JENNY (smiles) Bruiser! I didn't expect to see you here. BRUISER Yeah, I, uh ... (scratches the side of his neck nervously) I know I ain't come ta visit Willy yet, an' I felt bad. I figured I really oughta come check up on da li'l' guy. JENNY That's really nice of you, Bruiser. I'm sure Willy appreciates it. Bruiser just nods, then slowly walks up to Willy's bed and looks at the unmoving human. BRUISER Aw, man ... Bruiser just stands there silently for a moment, then closes his eyes and turns away. He opens them to look at Jenny. BRUISER Have th' docs said anythin' new? JENNY (looking down) I'm afraid not. BRUISER Oh. (beat) Lemme know if they do, OK? JENNY Of course, Bruiser. I'll let everyone know. Dr. Lurie's keeping a close eye on him. Just then, Jenny's comm-link activates, carrying Bucky's voice. BUCKY Jenny, tell the crew to meet at Dock Four of Orwell Station in twenty minutes. JENNY (picking up the comm and speaking into it) Aye-aye, Captain. (shuts off the comm) We'd better see what's up. BRUISER Yeah. Jenny walks out the door. Bruiser turns and begins to follow. Right before walking through the door, he looks over his shoulder at Willy one last time. BRUISER Hang in there, li'l' buddy. Bruiser walks out of the hospital room. SCENE 8 - DOCK FOUR, ORWELL STATION, ORBIT ABOVE GENUS Bucky, Jenny, GUNNER DEADEYE DUCK, AFC BLINKY, and Bruiser are all gathered in the empty dock. BUCKY Good news, folks. The toads are up to something, and we get to go stop 'em. DEADEYE Ha hah! 'Bout time, Bucky me boy. My trigger fingers been gettin' itchy -- all four of 'em! JENNY But how can we do that without a ship, Bucky? BUCKY Fritz has ordered us to split up and join the crews of the other frigates for this mission. Jenny, you and I are going with Dogstar. The rest of you will be accompanying Mimi. DEADEYE Whatever it takes to croak some toadies! (beat) But can we do it differently, Cap'n? I'd feel better watchin' yer back. Bucky is about to respond flippantly when he realizes that Deadeye's suit is bright orange. His eyes narrow slightly. BUCKY No, Deadeye, and that's an order. DEADEYE (unaffected) All right, Cap'n. BUCKY Good. Jenny, The Indefatigable is in Dock Seven. The rest of you, report to Dock Eleven. The toads have just sent expeditions to two abandoned mining planets. We need to capture them and free their slaves. (beat) And if things go the right way, we may get a new ship out of this. BRUISER How do ya mean, Cap'n? BUCKY The Security Council thinks we don't need a temporary ship until they can afford a brand new frigate for us. I'd like to convince them otherwise, and to do that, we have to pull this mission off *just right*. Bucky places unusual emphasis on his last two words. The rest of the crew nods, trying to catch Bucky's exact meaning. BUCKY All right. Let's go. The crew splits up. SCENE 9 - DOCK SEVEN, ORWELL STATION, ORBIT ABOVE GENUS Bucky and Jenny enter the dock to find The Indefatigable there, ready to fly. Dogstar is standing outside the ship, waiting for them by the ship's open hatch. DOGSTAR (saluting) Greetings, Captain O'Hare and First Mate Jenny, and welcome aboard The Indefatigable. BUCKY Thanks, Commander. Everything set to go? DOGSTAR It is indeed. Digger and Pete are readying the artillery, and Wolf has already keyed in the coordinates for Pleid III. Once we get there, we'll see exactly what it is that the toads are up to. JENNY I hope we won't get in the way, Commander. DOGSTAR Don't worry, my dear. My frigate may be a bit small, but I prefer to think of it as cozy. (beat) Now, I'd ask you both to be in the piloting bay with me, but I'm afraid there simply isn't enough room for four people. BUCKY Jenny's a better pilot. Let her ride up there with you. I can work with the rest of your crew on our strategy for once we get there. DOGSTAR Sounds sensible. (turns around) Well, then, all aboard! Dogstar climbs into the ship. Bucky and Jenny follow, and the hatch closes behind them. The dock's doors open, and The Indefatigable's rockets fire and launch the frigate into space. It speeds away from Orwell Station for a moment, then jumps into hyperspace. SCENE 10 - DOCK ELEVEN, ORWELL STATION, ORBIT ABOVE GENUS Deadeye, Blinky, and Bruiser walk up to the docked Screaming Mimi and enter. In the main bay, they see GUNNER HARRY CALLAN sitting on a chair against the wall, talking to the standing FIRST MATE JONATHAN WEISSMAN. Jonathan hears the others coming and turns around. JONATHAN Hey, guys. Mimi and Dile are on their way, and then we're headed to Demla to stop the toad mining expedition. A moment later, Mimi and ENGINEER DILE O'CROCK enter through the hatch. MIMI Ready for some action, boys? DILE Greetings, comrades. It will be most enlightening to work with you on this particular mission. BRUISER Heh heh. Thanks. MIMI (looking around) Hmm. This is going to get kind of cramped. Hopefully, we can make it to Demla pretty quickly. (beat) Deadeye, I want you manning the masers. You could show Harry a thing or two. DEADEYE (tipping his hat) It's me pleasure, Cap'n. HARRY Aw, c'mon, Mimi! MIMI (smiling) Deadeye's the best, Harry, and you know it. HARRY (glumly) Yeah, yeah. MIMI Bruiser, once we get there and scope things out, we're going to drop you off near the toad's encampment and have you attack it. The ones you don't catch, just herd towards our ship, and we can take them out. Got it? BRUISER (saluting) Yes, sir, uh ... ma'am. MIMI And Blinky, you ... (looks the android over) Um. Do you make coffee? BLINKY Negative, Captain LaFleur. This humble robot is not programmed to prepare caffeinated drinks internally. MIMI No big deal. Just lay low; I'll tell you if we need you. BLINKY Aye-aye, Captain. MIMI We're all set, then. Let's go! Mimi and Jonathan climb up the ladder into the ship's piloting bay. Deadeye and Harry walk toward the gunner's chambers, with Harry begging Deadeye to let him at least get a few shots off. Dile, Bruiser, and Blinky enter the engineering bay. BRUISER How long 'til we get to da planet, Blinky? BLINKY Estimated time of arrival and safe landing: twenty minutes. BRUISER (to Dile) There any bananas on dis ship? DILE I am afraid not. Mimi likes having the ship remain neat and clean, and therefore, we are rarely allowed to bring food onboard. BRUISER Man, dere's gotta be some way ta pass da time. (beat) Hey, Blinky, ya still got dat game I used ta play? It was called, uh ... "Crazy Combat," or somethin'. BLINKY Friend Bruiser is referring to "Combat Chess Craft." BRUISER Yeah, dat's it! DILE (excited) You like "Combat Chess Craft," too? That has always been one of my favorite games. There is time for at least one round. Would I be permitted to join? BRUISER Heh heh. Sure. I already know how ta beat Blinky's AI half da time. BLINKY Engineer Dile will prove formidable opponent, no doubt. Loading program ... Dile and Bruiser sit down in front of Blinky as The Screaming Mimi hits hyperspace. SCENE 11 - THE DUWITT RESIDENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH DR. DAVID DUWITT and MRS. SUSAN DUWITT nervously sit next to each other on a couch in their living room. Dr. DuWitt fumbles with where to place his hands, while Mrs. DuWitt fidgets with a handkerchief. She's obviously been crying. Sitting across from them in a chair is a POLICE OFFICER, taking notes. POLICE OFFICER So the last time you saw him was the day you left for India? DR. DUWITT That's right. POLICE OFFICER And that was how long ago? DR. DUWITT Almost two months, exactly. POLICE OFFICE I see. Have you talked to his friends? MRS. DUWITT Willy never ... DR. DUWITT (interrupting) We did. They didn't know anything. Neither did Dr. Green. POLICE OFFICER Dr. Green? DR. DUWITT One of the teachers at Willy's school. He used to go over there after class and work on a project with him. I don't know what, exactly, but he spent a lot of time there. POLICE OFFICER (giving Dr. DuWitt a funny look) Uh-huh. And how about his boss, Captain, uh ... MRS. DUWITT O'Hare. He doesn't exist. POLICE OFFICER (writing that down) But you said you met him. DR. DUWITT We met someone who claimed to be him. But we checked with all the marinas around here. There's no Captain O'Hare at any of them. We also called all the O'Hares in the city. Nothing. POLICE OFFICER Huh. (jots down a few sentences) So, you think he ran away? Mrs. DuWitt tears up again. MRS. DUWITT Why would he run away? He never said anything ... DR. DUWITT Willy never really took much of an interest in us. That is, he was always so science-minded. I used to be a scientist, myself, but it was everything to Willy. He never could really see anything beyond the machines he'd work on. We tried to show him the more spiritual side of life, but he wasn't interested, and we didn't want to force it on him. MRS. DUWITT We're not bad parents! We just ... we didn't want to smother Willy. We wanted ... excuse me ... Mrs. Duwitt begins crying again. Dr. Duwitt puts his arms around her and consoles her. The officer looks unmoved -- he sees this all the time. POLICE OFFICER I think I've got all the information I need. We've processed your missing person report, and we've started investigating, keeping an eye out for him. (starts to stand up) One last thing before I go. Could I search his room? With your permission, of course. DR. DUWITT (still focused on his wife) Of course, Officer. The officer nods and walks over to the stairs, then begins walking up to Willy's room. SCENE 12 - MAIN BAY, THE INDEFATIGABLE Bucky is pacing back and forth while talking to ENGINEER DIGGER, ASC RUMBLEBEE, and PITSTOP PETE, who are standing in a horizontal line facing him. BUCKY From what I understand, we'll be better off forming an aerial assault than a ground one, as we'll simply be outnumbered on the ground without shields. I sure wish Bruiser were here. (beat) OK, here's what we're going to do. Once we get near the planet, Pete will take the Croaker and head off alone. (to Pete) You'll land near where the toads are, but you'll stay hidden. Once we've got the toads distracted and hopefully running, you can slip in and free the mammals. You also need to make sure the toads don't get away with the stuff they're mining for, whatever it is. Got it? PETE Yup. DIGGER But sir, won't we need him manning the torpedoes? There's gonna be a lot of double bubbles around. BUCKY (looking at Digger and Rumblebee) I think the two of you can handle them. Besides, we need someone on the ground to make sure the toads don't get what they want. (beat) So, you'll have your bazooka, Digger, and Rumblebee has the gunner's chamber. Anything else I need to know? RUMBLEBEE No, Captain. Bzz bzz. It is a simple but effective strategy. Bzz bzz. BUCKY Then let's go with it. (thinking) Bucky walks up to the wall and presses a button, then speaks into a wall-mounted intercom. BUCKY (into comm) Where are we, Commander? DOGSTAR (over comm) Just entering the Pleid system, Captain. We should be over Pleid III in a minute or two. WOLF (over comm) Wait a second. My sensors are picking up something big. JENNY (over comm) It's a mothership! BUCKY (into comm) A mothership? Are you sure? JENNY I've seen enough to know. BUCKY (into comm) Why in the world did they send a mothership? (beat, thinking) (into comm) How many double bubbles are there? WOLF About two dozen. DIGGER Piece of cake. BUCKY (into comm) That's not too bad. OK, here's the plan. Digger and Rumblebee will keep the double bubbles off our tail, and Pete will take the Croaker and free the slaves once the ground troops are distracted. DOGSTAR Shouldn't we just take them all out in the air first? The captives aren't going anywhere. BUCKY (into comm) Better safe than sorry, Commander. DOGSTAR (after a moment) Well, Captain O'Hare, I would prefer to call the shots on my own missions, but I trust you know what you're doing. We're nearing Pleid III now, so Pete should make haste. PETE Yup. Pete puts on a space helmet, grabs a handheld maser blaster, and takes off on the ship's Toad Croaker. BUCKY (into comm) He's gone. Now, get us as close to you can to the toads while keeping us safe. Bucky severs the comm connection. BUCKY Digger, at my signal, start attacking those double bubbles. You, too, Rumblebee. RUMBLEBEE Pardon my insolence, Captain. Bzz bzz. Why not shoot at toad mothership? Bzz bzz. It is a much better target. Bzz bzz. DIGGER Yeah! I bet I could punch a whole in that thing. BUCKY The double bubbles are the more immediate threat, both to us and to Pete down there. Less questioning and more firing, OK? DIGGER (grumbling) All right. RUMBLEBEE Enemies in sight. Bzz bzz. SCENE SHIFTS TO SPACE As The Indefatigable draws very close to the double bubbles and the mothership, it begins firing. Rumblebee's shots hit most of their targets, but they don't do as much damage as the maser cannon on The Righteous Indignation used to. Still, a few double bubbles explode and toss their pilots' capsules into space. Digger's shots hit far less often, but the ones that do find their mark cause more damage. Some of the double bubbles begin firing back immediately. A few shots bounce off the frigate's shields, while most whiz harmlessly by. The other double bubbles swarm around the frigate but await further orders. Onboard the mothership, The Air Marshal and a number of pilots man the main deck. TOAD PILOT #3 Sir, we've got activity. AIR MARSHAL What? What's happening? TOAD PILOT #3 It's the mammals, sir. Looks like The Indefatigable. They're shooting down our double bubbles. AIR MARSHAL So, that flea-bitten mutt has come to play, eh? Fire back! TOAD PILOT #4 (over comm) All double bubbles, return fire! Mothership gunners, begin firing! The rest of the double bubbles join the fray, though they add little success to the toads' onslaught. The mothership begins firing, but its poorly aimed shots hit a few double bubbles and barely come near the S.P.A.C.E. ship. SCENE SHIFTS TO MAIN DECK OF TOAD MOTHERSHIP The Air Marshal begins getting impatient. AIR MARSHAL Well? What's happening? TOAD PILOT #3 They're holding us off, but they're not destroying too many of our ships. (beat) Actually, sir, this mothership is hitting more of our men than they are. AIR MARSHAL (irked) *What*? Then quit firing! TOAD PILOT #4 (over comm) Mothership pilots, cease fire! AIR MARSHAL Idiots. I'm surrounded by idiots! (beat) Have we hit The Indefatigable yet? TOAD PILOT #3 A few times, sir, but their shields appears to be holding. AIR MARSHAL (miserably) That sounds about right. (beat) How are our shields doing? TOAD PILOT #3 Actually, they haven't shot at us yet -- just at the double bubbles. AIR MARSHAL (confused) Really? In the piloting bay of The Indefatigable, Dogstar, LIEUTENANT WOLF, and Jenny are surveying the fight. Most of the double bubbles are now just doing their best to avoid the frigate's fire and protect the mothership. DOGSTAR Hmph. Not bad, but not good. We need to go after that mothership. WOLF I agree, Commander. JENNY (into comm) Bucky, we've got them on the run. Tell Digger and Rumblebee to go after that mothership. BUCKY (over comm) No can do, Jenny. The first thing they'll do is send reinforcements to Pleid III. If we go down there and fortify the planet, they'll retreat. WOLF Huh? BUCKY (over comm) Trust me on this. Toads are stupid. JENNY (into comm) And so is your plan, Bucky! (catches herself) Sorry, Captain, but why not take out that mothership when we have the chance? BUCKY (over comm) Because we've got some slaves to free and some minerals we don't want the toads to get. Dogstar? DOGSTAR (shaking his head) I'm only doing this because I trust you, old boy. (to Wolf) Take us down, Lieutenant. WOLF What? Sir, you can't be serious! DOGSTAR (upset, though not really at Wolf) That's an order. WOLF (growls) Aye-aye, sir. SCENE SHIFTS TO DECK OF TOAD MOTHERSHIP The Air Marshal's irritation has turned to nervousness. AIR MARSHAL Have you heard from the stormtoads on the planet? TOAD PILOT #1 Not since the slaves began mining about twenty minutes ago, sir. (turns on the comm) Mothership to Pleid III, do you copy? STORMTOAD #2 (over comm) Help! The mammals are free! And they've got pickaxes! Help! AIR MARSHAL (frustrated) I don't have time for this! Did they get any of the plutonium? TOAD PILOT #1 (into comm) Did you acquire the target mineral? STORMTOAD #1 (over comm) We got a little, sir, but our double bubbles won't start! Someone smashed the engines! PETE (faintly, over comm) Yup. The stormtoad yelps, a crash is heard, and the comm signal degenerates into static. AIR MARSHAL We've got to get that mineral, or KOMPLEX will have my hide! Send more troops! TOAD PILOT #3 Sir, it looks like The Indefatigable is heading toward the planet. AIR MARSHAL What? Why would they ... (beat) We'll never recover that base if they land! TOAD PILOT #4 What should we do, sir? AIR MARSHAL I ... I ... (beat, sweating) Order the men to retreat. TOAD PILOT #4 But why, sir? AIR MARSHAL They've got to be up to something, or else they would have shot at this ship. Besides, the other expedition can still get the minerals. Get us out of here, before we lose any more troops. (beat, knowing the fate that awaits him) At least it wasn't Bucky O'Hare this time. TOAD PILOT #4 (into comm) All double bubbles, return to mothership. Repeat, return to mothership. The double bubbles following The Indefatigable pull back, confused, then head back toward the mothership, which opens its main bay to let them land. Once they all do, the mothership slowly begins to turn around. Bucky stands in the main bay of The Indefatigable, smiling. BUCKY Cowards. Just then, Jenny quickly climbs down the ladder into the main bay, then turns and faces Bucky. JENNY (trying not to sound too irritated) Captain, I've never seen you act like this before. I won't question your orders, but please tell me you know what you're doing. BUCKY (grins) You want a new ship, don't you? Jenny just looks at him, perplexed. SCENE 13 - MAIN BAY, THE SCREAMING MIMI Bruiser and Dile have just completed another round of "Combat Chess Craft." DILE And that ends the round. I am the victor again. The score is now six- zero. BRUISER (frustrated) How come ya keep beatin' me so fast? DILE I have honed my skills on this game to near perfection. Very few people can beat me at it. If you would like, I could teach you a few of my tricks. BRUISER Yah, that'd be great. (beat) You're a pretty good guy, fer a sleazasaur. DILE (accustomed to such statements by now) Thank you, Bruiser. And you show impressive adeptness at "Combat Chess Craft" for a berserker baboon. MIMI (over comm) We're closing in, guys. The Screaming Mimi nears the airspace above Demla. Jonathan is doing the actual piloting, while Mimi is looking at the control panel's monitors. MIMI Twenty double bubbles. That's actually fewer than I expected. They may have a lot of men on the surface. (beat) Still, shouldn't be a problem. We'll have those slaves freed before they know it. JONATHAN We're going to be within their radar range real soon, Captain. MIMI Then let's do it. (into comm) Bruiser, use the Croaker to land on Demla near the toads' base. All you have to do is scare them into running away. Once they're in their double bubbles, we can take care of them. BRUISER (over comm) Aw, can't I smash at least some of 'em? MIMI (smiling, into comm) Of course. (beat) How well can you pilot the Croaker? BRUISER (over comm) Uh ... I logged a few hours on a simulator once. MIMI (into comm) That's not too encouraging. Blinky, you go with him and pilot the Croaker. I don't have much use for you on board, anyway. BLINKY (over comm) As you wish, Captain LaFleur. Boarding Croaker now. About a minute later, Mimi and Jonathan hear the Croaker take off. MIMI Polite little robot, isn't he? JONATHAN Yep. Nice timing, too. The toads just spotted us, so we can divert their attention. MIMI Now for the fun part. (into comm) Deadeye, Harry, look alive! DEADEYE (over comm) Ha hah! Music to me ears, Cap'n! HARRY (over comm) But I don't have anything to do, Mimi! MIMI (into comm) Like I said, Harry, learn from Deadeye. I'm sure you missed a few things by skipping half your training sessions. HARRY (over comm) Hey! How'd you know about ... MIMI (into comm) Incoming! A swarm of seventeen toad double bubbles swoops in and starts shooting at The Screaming Mimi. The other three head after the Toad Croaker, firing away at it with no success. The S.P.A.C.E. frigate quickly returns fire, hitting its targets more often than not and disabling three of the toad craft almost immediately. Thanks to Jonathan's piloting skills, The Screaming Mimi remains close to the double bubbles but avoids nearly all fire, and the ship's shields absorb the rest. The stream of maser fire coming from the gunner's chamber continues chipping away at the toads. Deadeye is firing eagerly at the toads, obviously happy for a little action after so long. His bottom left paw holds a piece of chalk, and he's tallying his kills on the wall of the ship. HARRY Hey! This is my maser! The least you could do is not mark all over it. DEADEYE Consider it a goal t' reach, matey. (shoots and hits another toad double bubble) Ha hah! That's an even dozen in one minute! Almost beat me old record. HARRY Watch out! A toad double bubble swoops dangerously close to the chamber's window, but Deadeye gets a shot off just in time. DEADEYE Calm down there, Callan. 'sides, we've only got four left until the rest of 'em show up. HARRY You mean, the toads on the planet? DEADEYE Yep. I'm sure ol' Bruiser'll have 'em headed this way any second. HARRY Shouldn't we just go down to the planet and shoot them before they can get on board? DEADEYE Not my call t' make, Callan. I hope we don't, though. Bigger targets that way. HARRY But if you're so good, why do you want bigger targets? DEADEYE Ha hah! It's more fun to watch 'em blow up, o' course! SCENE SHIFTS TO SURFACE OF DEMLA The Toad Croaker approaches the planet. The STORMTOADS look up from their mammal slaves, who are mining away at the surface and walking into a cave, and quickly begin shooting at it. Thanks to Blinky's piloting, it lands safely, and Bruiser hops out. BRUISER (rubbing his paws together in satisfaction) Oh, goodie. Toads! STORMTOAD #1 B-b-b-berserker baboon! STORMTOAD #2 Run away! STORMTOAD #3 Aah! BRUISER (running toward the toads) I been waitin' fer dis! Bellowing his signature battle cry, Bruiser grabs the first stormtoads in his way and starts bashing them around gleefully. About twenty manage to hop in their double bubbles and escape, leaving the mammals behind. As Bruiser handles the remaining group of toads on the ground, Blinky walks over to the shackled mammals and frees them. They begin rooting for Bruiser as he mangles the last toad. BRUISER (hurling the toad like a shot-putter) Ayooga! SCENE SHIFTS TO THE SCREAMING MIMI Deadeye looks out the window and sees ten double bubbles screaming off the planet. DEADEYE Here they come! You wanna take 'em, Callan? HARRY (anxious) Yeah! DEADEYE Then let's see if ye learned anythin' from ol' Deadeye. Deadeye gets up from the gunner's chair before Harry can counter. The hare quickly hops into the chair and begins firing at the double bubbles that are now approaching. Though not quite as skilled as Deadeye, he manages to take them all out in a reasonable amount of time. Deadeye nods in approval. In the piloting bay, Mimi and Jonathan watch the final double bubbles launch their pilots' capsules in space, satisfied. JONATHAN That's the last of them. MIMI (into comm) Good work, you two! (to Jonathan) Radio Genus for a resort cruiser to pick up the slaves, and then land us on the planet. JONATHAN Aye-aye, Captain. MIMI I just hope the toads didn't get their paws on what they wanted, whatever it was. SCENE 14 - MAIN DECK, TOAD MOTHERSHIP The Air Marshal sits nervously in his command chair in the middle of the deck as the mothership speedily returns to the Toad Homeworld. AIR MARSHAL Radio the other crew and see how they did. TOAD PILOT #1 (into comm) Mothership Two to main camp at Demla. Report status. TOAD #1 (over comm) B-b-b-b ... TOAD PILOT #1 (into comm) What? TOAD #2 (over comm) We had to retreat! They had a berserker baboon! AIR MARSHAL (eyes wide) What? (beat) Did they get retrieve any ore? TOAD PILOT #1 (into comm) Did you secure any plutonium? TOAD #2 No, sir. The baboon attacked us, and The Screaming Mimi shot us down and freed the slaves, and ... AIR MARSHAL The Screaming Mimi has a Betelgeusian Berserker Baboon?! (beat) No, it's got to be O'Hare's stupid monkey. TOAD #1 B-b-b-b ... AIR MARSHAL (upset) One day, we won't have to worry about those mangy baboons anymore. (beat) Ooh, when KOMPLEX hears about this, he's going to ... KOMPLEX I'm going to what, Air Marshal? KOMPLEX appears in a view screen on the right armrest of the Air Marshal's command chair. AIR MARSHAL (weakly, sweating) K-K-K-KOMPLEX! KOMPLEX I do grow weary of your failures, Air Marshal, and I tire of giving you second chances. Perhaps I should give Frix and Frax a second chance, instead. AIR MARSHAL Oh, *no*, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX! I was just, uh ... testing the mammals! That's it! I wanted to see if the UAC was still going strong after we destroyed The Righteous Indignation. And now that we know for sure, we can ... KOMPLEX Silence! (sighs) Without that plutonium, we won't be able to construct the extra-large telescreens we had intended to install in every factory. Their signal won't be strong enough. That means we will have to keep the current, inefficient system of Toad TV broadcasts. (beat) Consider yourself fortunate that this was not a mission of the utmost importance, Air Marshal. And do consider that the thread you're hanging by is growing considerably more frayed. KOMPLEX vanishes, leaving a fearful Air Marshal shrinking down in his chair. AIR MARSHAL I guess that probably wouldn't have been a good time to ask for a medal. SCENE 15 - DOCK SEVEN, ORWELL STATION, ORBIT ABOVE GENUS The Indefatigable pulls into the dock. After the dock door closes, the ship's hatch opens, and Bucky steps out, followed by Jenny and Dogstar. DOGSTAR I still don't see why we let that mothership go, Captain O'Hare. BUCKY Don't worry about it, Dogstar. It'll all make sense soon. DOGSTAR Well, I certainly hope so! In all my years with the UAC, I've never seen a ploy quite as odd as ... Bucky and Jenny walk away from Dogstar, who trails off in the background. JENNY So what now, Bucky? BUCKY We tell the Security Council what happened, and we hope for the best. As if on cue, Bucky's comm goes off. He activates it, and Fritz's voice comes beaming through. FRITZ Welcome back, Captain O'Hare. The Screaming Mimi is due back any minute now. The Security Council wants two representatives from each frigate to deliver an oral report as soon as they do. So, you and Dogstar should head over here at once. BUCKY Yes, sir. The comm falls silent, and Bucky puts it back on his belt. He turns to Jenny briefly, then walks back over to Dogstar, who's still going. DOGSTAR ... and we should at least have tried to determine why ... BUCKY Commander? DOGSTAR ... the mothership was there in the first place, considering that ... BUCKY (loudly) Dogstar! DOGSTAR (startled) You don't have to yell, Captain. What is it? BUCKY (motions toward the exit door) The Security Council wants the two of us to deliver an oral report. We need to head down the Genus. DOGSTAR Oh. Of course. (straightens his barely rumpled outfit, then eyes Bucky) I assume you want to do the talking? BUCKY (smiles) Definitely. The two walk off toward the exit door. SCENE 16 - WILLY'S ROOM, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH The police officer has just finished going through Willy's room. He's checked various piles of paper lying around and has searched all the drawers for anything suspicious. Fortunately, Willy has hidden evidence of his secret life well. A pile of blueprints sits on the floor by the officer's feet. POLICE OFFICER Doesn't look like any clothes are missing. He didn't write anything down about running away. I can't even find anything funny except these weird blueprints. (beat) I don't think this kid ran away. Kidnapped, maybe, but he didn't plan anything. I'd better have a talk with this Dr. Green character. Bet he knows something. The officer reaches down to pick up the blueprints. Suddenly, something embedded in the carpet catches his eye. He reaches down beside the blueprints and picks up a small tuft of green fur. He rubs it between his fingers, then looks at it closely. POLICE OFFICER Kid must play tennis. The police officer turns around and starts to walk out of the room when he spots the photon accelerator. POLICE OFFICER And what in the hell is this thing? The officer walks up to the accelerator, which is in the "on" position but doesn't have any power running through it. He cautiously reaches out and flips the switch upward, to the "off" position. Nothing happens. POLICE OFFICER Must be a model. The officer flips the switch again, back to the "on" position. The reading on the dial flickers for a second, then dies down, and still nothing happens. POLICE OFFICER Cute. The officer jots down a little more information in his pad, then steps out of Willy's room. SCENE 17 - SECURITY COUNCIL ROOM, UAC HEADQUARTERS Bucky, Dogstar, Mimi, and Jonathan are standing before the Security Council. Fritz sits directly in front of Bucky. VICE CHAIRMAN SANZER GRIFF sits directly to his right, and various COUNCILMEN fill the remaining seats in the row that wraps around one half of the circular room's edge. BUCKY (finishing up his report) ... and that's what happened. We were able to stop the toads and free the imprisoned mammals, but we didn't have the firepower to man an assault on the mothership. Our paws were completely full. FRITZ And you think this would not have been a problem had there been two ships present? BUCKY Absolutely. Another ship would have allowed us to double our firepower. As it was, we could only concern ourselves with the double bubbles. COUNCILMAN #1 Do you think you would have been able to destroy the mothership if you'd had another frigate, Captain? BUCKY We would have had a much better chance than we did, considering we couldn't get a single shot off, sir. GRIFF And The Screaming Mimi? How did the other mission go? MIMI About the same, though we didn't have a mothership to worry about. Upon arriving, Blinky piloted the Toad Croaker down to the surface of Demla, with Bruiser in tow. We dispatched the double bubbles, and Bruiser freed the slaves on the planet. It was pretty easy to get the drop on them. COUNCILMAN #1 So you don't think having another ship there would have helped matters? MIMI Well ... (glances briefly at Bucky, who has a pleading look in his eye) We had two gunners, so one of them was always sitting around with nothing to do. And AFC Blinky wasn't much help. We could have simply taken the time to set the Croaker on autopilot, but we wanted something for him to do. The councilmen begin murmuring quietly among themselves. FRITZ (banging his gavel) Order, order. (to the four) That will be all. Thank you, Commander Dogstar, Captain O'Hare, Captain LaFleur, and First Mate Weissman. I expect a full written report by tomorrow morning. (directly to Bucky) Captain O'Hare, I will contact you shortly with the Council's final decision. BUCKY (nodding) Thank you, Chairman Warner. FRITZ Dismissed. The four turn and walk out of the room. After they take a few steps into the hallway, Jonathan walks up to Bucky and begins matching steps with him. JONATHAN (voice tinged with anger) Why did you just lie to the Security Council? BUCKY (surprised, under his breath) How could you tell? JONATHAN I've gotten pretty good at spotting lies. Why'd you do it? BUCKY I had to. It was my only shot at getting a ship. (with a hint of regret) Don't make me feel worse about it than I already do. JONATHAN (still upset, but willing to let it go) Doesn't matter. Fritz'll let you get away with it. BUCKY And what makes you say that? JONATHAN He's a liar, too. (beat) It's his job. He's a politician. MIMI And a good one at that, if he can get Bucky a new ship. (beat) I'm just glad we finally got to do something other than go on patrol! DOGSTAR Agreed. Well, I suppose I should begin writing my report. Would you like to help, Captain O'Hare? BUCKY No, I trust you, Commander. (winks) After all, it's your ship. Bucky, Dogstar, and Mimi go their separate ways, with Jonathan following Mimi. SCENE 18 - LOUNGE, ORWELL STATION, ORBIT ABOVE GENUS Bucky is sitting by himself at the bar, nursing a glass of orange juice and looking around. He appears to be killing time just for the sake of killing time. All around, people order food and mill about, while Bucky occasionally takes sips from his glass and looks down at his comm-link. Suddenly, the comm-link activates, and Bucky grabs it before a voice can even come through. BUCKY (into comm) Fritz? FRITZ (over comm) A little eager, aren't we? BUCKY (into comm) Just a little. What was the Council's decision? FRITZ (into comm) Well, after carefully reviewing the matter, Captain O'Hare ... (beat) The Council recommended purchasing and commissioning a new frigate for you to command until funds become available to ... BUCKY (ecstatic, into comm) Great! When can I see it? FRITZ (over comm) I had the owner go ahead and pilot it to Orwell. It's in Dock Two. When can you meet me there? BUCKY (into comm) Three minutes. I'm already at Orwell. FRITZ (over comm) I figured as much. I asked Mimi and Dogstar to be on hand as well. BUCKY (into comm) I'm heading over there now. Excited, Bucky turns off the comm and replaces it on his belt, tosses a few simoleans on the counter, and jumps off his barstool. He sprints directly for the exit. SCENE 19 - DOCK TWO, ORWELL STATION, ORBIT ABOVE GENUS Bucky bursts through the doors and into the dock. Fritz, Dogstar, and Mimi are all waiting for him. They're standing in front of the dock's airlock. FRITZ (smiling) Not even two minutes. You really wanted this ship, didn't you? BUCKY (anxious) You know I did! Let's see it! FRITZ All right. (turning around) I've got to warn you, it's a bit ... out of date. But it's the best I could do. Captain O'Hare, I give you ... Fritz presses a button, and the inner airlock door begins to rise. FRITZ ... The Righteous Indignation! The airlock door finishes rising and stops with an echoing clang. Bucky's look of excitement turns to one of shock and disappointment as he sees the rundown ship in front of him. Its metal hull is full of dings and dents, and small patches of rust dot the surface. It's even smaller than the original Righteous was. The windshield is smudged, the maser cannon only has one barrel, the radio antenna is bent, and the ship sits unevenly on the floor of the dock, tilting slightly to one side. BUCKY I ... (at a loss for words) Is this a joke, Fritz? FRITZ (trying to appear optimistic) I told you we didn't have much in the way of funds, Bucky. This is the best we could do. BUCKY But ... but ... (beat) You can't even call this a ship! Dogstar and Mimi, who both appear unsure how to react, turn from staring at the ship and look at Bucky. DOGSTAR (properly) I'm sure you'll do a fine job with it, Captain O'Hare. Any vessel you command will be a boon to the UAC in the fight against the toads. MIMI Yeah, Bucky, it's ... great. I mean ... you have a ship now, right? BUCKY Yeah, but I ... (sighs) This is really the best thing you could find? FRITZ It's not like there are tons of people just hanging out with a top-of- the-line military frigate waiting for the UAC to approach them, you know. Bucky shakes his head, then walks up to the ship and tries the hatch, half expecting it to fall off the ship. It opens easily, however, and he steps inside. The other three follow. Once inside the frigate, Bucky looks around the drab interior, spotting defects left and right. BUCKY (getting more and more ticked) There's hardly any storage space ... the intercom looks busted ... the freaking ladder to piloting bay is missing a rung! How in the world do you lose a *rung*? FRITZ Look, Bucky, I'll see if I can use a little of my own money to make repairs. But please, you have to ... Bucky's eyes grow wide as he looks into engineering. BUCKY I don't believe it. (shaking his head) Fritz, this ship has a mark-2 photon accelerator! A *mark-2*! *I'm* younger than this thing! FRITZ Bucky, the ship isn't even ten years old. Calm down. BUCKY I don't even want to look into piloting. Does this thing even fly? FRITZ (impatiently) Yes, Bucky, it flies. I'm not stupid, OK? Getting you this was no easy task, and I really don't appreciate this. If you don't want it, I can try to return it, but I can't snap my fingers and make your old ship reappear. MIMI (puts her paw on Bucky's shoulder) Don't worry, Bucky. We've got your back. Besides, it's only temporary, right? BUCKY (glumly, simmering down) Right. Just a few months in this thing, right, Fritz? FRITZ (cocks his head to the side) Well ... that's a best-case scenario, actually. Bucky looks down at his feet for a moment, then looks around the ship again. BUCKY I'm not calling this piece of crap The Righteous Indignation. My old frigate deserved that name. All this thing deserves is a proper burial. FRITZ Well, the previous owner called it The Valkyrie. BUCKY The Valkyrie. (beat) That's a better name than this thing deserves. (shoulders slumped) I guess the name'll play well on the newsfeeds, at least. I'd better call my crew and tell them to come check it out. There's a moment of silence as no one moves or speaks. DOGSTAR Indeed. Anyway, I'm afraid I have business to attend to, Captain. MIMI And I've got to finish my report. (heads toward the door) Good luck, Bucky. And hey, you're halfway there. All you need now is an engineer, and you're back in business. BUCKY Hell, if this thing just had a damn mark-1, I wouldn't even need an engineer. (beat, exhales) Sorry. Thanks, Mimi. Fritz, Dogstar, and Mimi exit the ship and walk out of the dock. Still trying to take in the situation, Bucky listens to the three as they walk away, his keen hearing allowing him to eavesdrop even after they've left the dock. DOGSTAR I say, Chairman, wherever did you find that piece of junk? MIMI I'm with Dogstar on this one, Chairman. Even the name's stupid. I mean, The Valkyrie? (beat) If it were my ship, I'd call it The Screaming Deathtrap. FRITZ (annoyed) I did the best that I could, you know. You think being Chairman is easy, *you* try it. And at least I *got* him a ship. It's what he wanted ... Bucky sighs and stops listening in. He looks back over at the mark-2 accelerator, then at the space on the ladder missing a rung. He thinks about what he had to do to convince the Security Council that he needed a ship. BUCKY This is what I wanted ... Even though the ship is cramped, Bucky suddenly feels like a very small person in a very large space. THE END