"Infiltration" by Rygar Additions by DJ Clawson First draft - 7/25/04 Final draft - 8/18/05 SCENE 1 - ASSEMBLY HALL, UAC AUXILIARY HEADQUARTERS, WARREN Warren, like all five planets other than Genus that form the backbone of the UAC, has a secondary UAC headquarters, complete with assembly hall. Right now, that hall is filled to the brim. Most of the animals in attendance are minor officials, though a few General Assemblymen who were not on Genus when it was invaded sit in the room as well. Representing S.P.A.C.E. are CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE, COMMANDER SIRIUS DOGSTAR, and CAPTAIN MIMI LAFLEUR, who has mostly recovered from the injuries she sustained while escaping from Genus. A proud but obviously uneasy brown hare stands in the front of the room, addressing the assembly. This is PRESIDENT MORELAND, Warren's highest elected official. A few feet beside him stands WIA CHAIRMAN ARCHER, a white-furred hare. MORELAND Chairman Archer of the Warren Intelligence Agency, please present your findings. ARCHER Yes, sir. (clears his throat) My men have done everything in their power to collect information about Genus since its capture by the toads three days ago. Though information has been spotty and many agents have lost their lives, we have managed to collect some data. Archer scans the crowd quickly, looking for a reaction. Though he retains his composure well, it pains him to deliver his report. ARCHER The toad conquest of Genus has proceeded at a heretofore-unknown rate. The Toad Empire has funneled an enormous amount of resources into enslaving the planet and bending it to its will. What they have accomplished in mere days on Genus took them two weeks on Warren and more than a month on Noctur II. (beat) Practically the entire population of Genus has been enslaved and put to work, drilling and building machinery for the toads. As always, some mammals fought back and were killed. It is estimated that no more than 3% of the population of Genus remains outside toad clutches. (beat) As for the UAC Headquarters building, it lies almost entirely in ruin, though the bottom six floors remain somewhat intact and are being used by the toads. Most UAC records have been destroyed or accessed by the toads, though many of them are backed up here on Warren. (beat) Surveillance footage has confirmed the capture of six members of the Security Council: Sanzer Griff of Carno I, Joseph Moreland of Warren ... Chairman Moreland closes his eyes when his brother's name is mentioned. ARCHER (continuing) ... Channoc Fadrigo of Carno I, Marco Gollan of Genus, Falthin Novarr of Canis II, and Daren Miller of Merope. (beat) We have confirmed that Councilman Gabriel Nickerson of Corneria has been slain. An angry murmur circulates through the Cornerians in the audience, though they do not speak out. ARCHER The whereabouts of Chairman Fritz Warner are unknown. No evidence exists pointing either to his capture or to his escape. No traces of his trusted bodyguard, Kadaf Warner, have been found either. (beat) Curiously, we have also obtained footage depicting a slain pig who closely resembles former UAC Chairman Roy Pigton. My men are still investigating that as best they can. Another murmur goes through the crowd, though born more of confusion than of anger. Bucky tenses but does not speak. BUCKY (thinking) (beat) Archer finishes his speech and nods to President Moreland. MORELAND Thank you, Chairman. (to the audience) I, as well as my Cabinet, have done everything in our power to keep the UAC running during this time of uncertainty and turmoil. Not unexpectedly, there have been ... difficulties in maintaining the peace. I urge all present members of the General Assembly to return to their home planets immediately and address their constituents, reassuring them as best you can. (beat) This is a difficult time for all of us, but rest assured that everything that can be done is being done. We must remain strong. With diligence and dedication, we can defeat the toads and reclaim Genus. Very little applause emerges from the audience. Nearly everyone present needs much more than words to convince them that a victory lies anywhere on the horizon. MORELAND If anyone has questions, I direct them to our vice president. I will begin scheduling private appointments beginning next week. President Moreland, not appearing particularly energized or confident himself, strides off stage, presenting the best demeanor he can. The three S.P.A.C.E. captains immediately begin talking to each other. MIMI That's it? Not a single word on how we're going to take back Genus? DOGSTAR I'm sure a plan is being formulated as we speak, Captain, but you can't expect them to have one already. BUCKY No, but we also can't expect them to pull it off without us. We need to talk with President Moreland. DOGSTAR What? Right now? BUCKY The longer we wait, the harder it's going to be to free Genus. MIMI I'm with Bucky on this. (frowns) Do you think he'll listen? BUCKY He'd better. I voted for him. As the audience stands up to leave the room, Bucky, Dogstar, and Mimi begin pushing their way through the crowd, trying to get to the exit as quickly as they can. SCENE 2 - PRESIDENT MORELAND'S OFFICE President Moreland hurries into his office and shuts the door. He sits down at his desk and takes a deep breath. MORELAND (thinking) Moreland looks with fright at the piles and piles of paper on his desk. MORELAND (thinking) Moreland snaps out of it when his desk comm goes off, and his SECRETARY speaks to him. SECRETARY (over comm) President Moreland, there are three people here to see you. MORELAND (into comm) I said no interviews! Turn them away. SECRETARY They're not reporters, sir, they're ... BUCKY (interrupting, over comm) Captain Bucky O'Hare of S.P.A.C.E., here with Commander Dogstar and Captain LaFleur. It's urgent. Moreland leans back, a bit surprised when Bucky's voice comes through the comm. Hesitantly, he replies. MORELAND (sighing) Fine. Come in. A few seconds later, the three frigate captains enter the office and confront President Moreland. MORELAND (rising to shake paws) It's an honor to ... BUCKY (forcefully) It's been three days since Genus was taken over. Why haven't you spoken to us or to a single representative of S.P.A.C.E. yet? Dogstar raises an eyebrow disapprovingly, slightly disappointed by but not surprised at Bucky's impetuousness. MORELAND (defensively) You're right; it's been three days. We're still reeling, still recovering from the immediate aftershocks. MIMI Have you and your advisors even begun to discuss appropriate military action? MORELAND We're getting to it. You have to understand. It's not just that Genus was taken over. The entire aniverse is suffering from what's happened to the UAC ... BUCKY And we have to deal with it. (hitting his palm with his fist) We have to strike back at the toads now, or Genus will be so heavily fortified that freeing it will be nearly impossible. MORELAND (switching tacks) And what do you plan to do about it? You burst into my office and sneer at me, but do you have any ideas? BUCKY Gather all our ships and attack a central location. The toads have to have built a main base somewhere; we take it out and disrupt their communications. My android can reprogram their climate converter, and taking care of their forces won't be too hard if we get the jump on them and hit them on the ground. MORELAND (scoffing) All our ships? You mean every single one stationed all over the aniverse, or the mere two frigates you brought with you? MIMI Three. We have Roedecker's ship. MORELAND I refuse to ally myself with a bounty hunter. Besides, what makes you think he'll fight on our side? MIMI He hasn't left Warren yet. And the toads killed one of his men. MORELAND Regardless, I'll have none of it. And I simply can't summon the UAC's entire military force. We're spread all over the aniverse for a reason. The toads aren't just on Genus. They're everywhere. DOGSTAR If I may interject, sir ... MORELAND (taking a breath) Go ahead. DOGSTAR I am fully aware that the UAC maintains a military presence throughout the aniverse in order to prevent toad attacks on our other planets. However, I would presume that our intelligence has shown the bulk of the Toad Empire's efforts to be centered on Genus in the past few days. That should make the current position of our troops less important, thereby freeing them for an assault on Genus. Moreland considers this for a moment. MORELAND I personally would rather be safe than sorry. We've already lost one planet this week, and I would prefer not to lose more. And even if I could snap my fingers and have all our men here and ready for battle, what's the plan? Just swoop in and attack? That won't work. We need strategy. We need skilled commanders. BUCKY You've got skilled commanders right here. MORELAND You? You keep one ship going. BUCKY (scowls) Last I remembered, Warren had a little more faith in me. MORELAND Captain O'Hare, we do have faith in you. It's just ... Moreland pauses, mulling something over. Finally, he loses a bit of his composure and speaks. MORELAND Listen. Through some absolute miracle, all three of you were able to escape Genus. That's our best advantage -- really, our only advantage right now. I *need* you, all of you. I *refuse* to let you run off half-cocked with some cheap plan and potentially get yourselves all killed. That's not what we need right now. MIMI What *do* you need right now? MORELAND Information. We need more information on what the toads are planning. We have scraps, but it's not enough. We can't fight an enemy if we're in the dark. Somehow, we have to get on that planet and establish some surveillance. If they've begun storing important data somewhere, we need that, too. BUCKY (grumbling) At least that's something. When do we leave? MORELAND What? You can't just walk out of here and fly onto Genus, Captain. They're already reprogrammed the defense shield. We need a plan for how to get through it. BUCKY (confidently) I've already got one. SCENE 3 - GENUS Hazy gray fog defines the new atmosphere of Genus. The planet, which once boasted both fertile grasslands and gleaming blocks of skyscrapers, now consists of swamps and ruins. Stormtoads wander the landscape with impunity, harassing mammals in electrified slave pens or beating them into working faster in factories. The climate converter that robbed Genus of its original ecosystem stands, its towers crackling with power, next to the dilapidated UAC Headquarters building. The two are connected, forming a unified base of operations for the Toad Empire on the planet. What's left of the UAC building has already been stabilized and refitted in toad steel. Much of the original architecture and technology remains, though, so the toads can analyze and appropriate it. On the first floor of the building, in what used to be a large commons area, sits CAPTAIN SMATA, reclining in his large chair. The room has toad equipment in every nook and cranny, and a huge screen looms in front of Smata. The screen fires to life, bringing TOADBORG into view. TOADBORG Captain Smata. KOMPLEX requests a report. SMATA Of course, Toadborg. Things are going even better than planned. We believe we have ferreted out all remaining free mammals, as small insurgency attacks against our troops have ceased. All the mammals are now being put to work in factories or mines, or are being held prisoner until we can find a use for them. TOADBORG And the officials? SMATA We're still torturing the members of the Security Council. They've held firm, but I'm certain some of them are about to crack. They're only mammals, after all. TOADBORG Excellent. What information have you recovered from the UAC's files and computers? SMATA A fair amount, though not as much as we'd originally anticipated. The mammal encryption scheme is rather convoluted, meaning we've been able to gather little information from their computers. Their files are a different story, though the most important files, which were in the Chairman's office, are mostly written in a language we've never seen before. TOADBORG (huffs) You disappoint, Smata. SMATA (sneering) Oh, and I'm sure you could do better. That's why KOMPLEX chose you to oversee Genus instead of me, right? TOADBORG Take that tone of voice with me again, Captain, and very little of you will live to regret it. SMATA (sarcastically) Oh, no, I'm so scared! (beat) Please. You can't do anything. I'm doing a fabulous job of running Genus, and you know it. I have nothing else to report, so go back to farming for plutonium or whatever it is you're doing. TOADBORG I have no time for this wretched excuse for conversation. The screen's image vanishes. Smata smiles and leans back again. SMATA What a dork. (sighs) I need something to do. (yelling) Guards! Bring in a prisoner! A couple of stormtoads rush out of the room and return minutes later escorting a limping, brown-furred hare in an orange jumpsuit. It's GUNNER HARRY CALLAN, though he's certainly seen better days. His left arm is in a sling, his face is covered with bandages, and his right foot drags when he walks. SMATA I don't want this one! He's already all beaten up ... (realizing) Oh, wait. I recognize you! You're one of those mongrels from S.P.A.C.E., aren't you? Harry doesn't answer, partly because he doesn't want to dignify Smata with a response and partly because he doesn't care what happens to him. SMATA Not gonna answer me, eh? (grins) That's fine. I can have fun with you anyway. In a smooth motion, Smata draws his plasma pistol and shoots Harry in his right knee. The hare screams and collapses in pain, writhing on the ground. SMATA Feisty little mammal, isn't he? Smata aims and shoots again, hitting Harry in the left shoulder. Harry screams again and then passes out. SMATA (frowning) Well, there went my fun. (waving his paw dismissively) Take him out of my sight. Patch him up, and put him back to work as soon as he can see straight. The stormtoads salute and drag Harry out of the room, leaving a thin, smeared trail of blood behind. SCENE 4 - PSYCHIATRIC WARD, UCSF MEDICAL CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH DR. DAVID DUWITT and MRS. SUSAN DUWITT sit in the office of DR. JASON MATTHEWS, having a conversation. Dr. Matthews is at his desk, holding a few sheets of paper. MATTHEWS I still say it's too soon. DR. DUWITT No, it's not. You asked for a few days, and we gave you a few days. You said so yourself; you think Willy's getting better. MATTHEWS Yes, Willy has been insisting these past few days that his dream world is indeed a fabrication. (beat) It's just so sudden. Usually, it's a long, slow process. They don't suddenly realize the truth. It comes gradually. MRS. DUWITT Do you think that his ... attempt could have caused this? Maybe it's helping him see things more clearly. MATTHEWS Possibly. (removes his glasses) It's also possible that you're all in this together. You could have told him to play along so that you could get him out of here as quickly as possible. The DuWitts eye Matthews warily. They can't really rebuke his claim, since it's essentially true. Finally, Dr. DuWitt speaks. DR. DUWITT Whatever your theories may be, Doctor, we're Willy's legal guardians. You can't keep him here without our permission. And we want him to come home with us. MRS. DUWITT You know how badly he wants to come home. We're convinced it'll do him a world of good. Dr. Matthews sighs and shakes his head. MATTHEWS Fine, I'll sign the release papers. But don't think I'm happy about this. (reaches for Willy's file) If he gets any worse, I want you to call me immediately. You may not think I know what I'm doing, but I do. The DuWitts, feeling a little guilty, watch as Dr. Matthews signs the papers for Willy's release. SCENE 5 - CONFERENCE ROOM, UAC AUXILIARY HEADQUARTERS, WARREN Bucky, Dogstar, and Mimi sit next to each other on one end of the long table in this room. Also present are President Moreland, WIA Chairman Archer, VINCENT ROEDECKER, and LANCE MAXWELL. ROEDECKER (sneering) I still don't see why I have to be a part of this. MIMI Oh, shut up, Roedecker. If you didn't want to help us, you would have left Warren days ago. You want to get the toads back for killing your partner just as badly as we want to get them for taking Genus. Roedecker bares his fangs but does not speak. BUCKY If you two are finished ... (stands up) OK, here's the plan. We have to get onto the surface of Genus, and there's practically no way to get past our defense system. The toads would only let any mammals through if those mammals were carrying something valuable -- like a bounty. Roedecker and Maxwell perk up, catching Bucky's drift. BUCKY Roedecker, you're going to act like you captured Mimi and me. That'll get us onto the surface. We can handle ourselves from there. ROEDECKER You really think it'll be that easy? BUCKY Even though they've taken Genus, I'll bet the toads are angry I got away. They'll let you through. (to Archer) I assume you have devices we can use to tap into the toads' computer systems? ARCHER Of course. BUCKY Good. Go get them. ARCHER Right now? Bucky nods. Archer turns and looks at Moreland, who shrugs. ARCHER I'll be back in about twenty minutes. Archer gets up and leaves. MAXWELL OK, so you two heroes sneak into the toads' base. How will you escape? BUCKY Depends. Roedecker, if you can stall for time and stay on the planet with your ship, that's great. Otherwise, we can commandeer a double bubble and escape that way. MORELAND Captain O'Hare, I don't know if I can accept this plan of yours. DOGSTAR (nodding) I'm afraid I agree with the President, Bucky. (glances at Roedecker and Maxwell) I don't trust these two space scum farther than I can throw them. ROEDECKER What's that supposed to mean? MIMI (stands up) OK, boys, calm down. (puts her paws on her hips) This may not be the cleanest plan ever, but it's about all we've got. We can't get onto Genus any other way without causing a big mess. This'll be nice and quiet. We can do what we want, and then we can get out of there. With any luck, we can even cause a little mayhem on the way. I say we do it. BUCKY (impressed) Thank you, Mimi. ROEDECKER (stands up as well) Well, it's pretty clear to me that you two are up to something. MIMI We're up to taking Genus back. ROEDECKER I don't like it. If I'm gonna be a part of this, I want some insurance. BUCKY Insurance? Against what? ROEDECKER Against you two. (nods to Maxwell) Maxwell's going with you. MAXWELL Huh? BUCKY What? ROEDECKER There's no way you two can handle the toads on your own. Plus, this'll make it seem like less of a trap. I'd accompany you two myself, but your nice little plan made sure that couldn't happen. MORELAND This is ridiculous! BUCKY I agree. But it's all we've got. (reaches out his paw to Roedecker) You ready? ROEDECKER (returns the pawshake) Let's see if you really deserve that reputation of yours. DOGSTAR Once again, I must voice my disapproval ... MIMI Let it go, Dogstar. DOGSTAR Hmph! Well, I do suppose you two know what you're doing. MORELAND (shakes his head) I don't like this one bit, but I'm afraid I don't have any better ideas. When are you leaving? BUCKY As soon as possible. MIMI I can be ready in half an hour. I just have something to do first. SCENE 6 - HOSPITAL ROOM, WARREN GENERAL HOSPITAL A little later, Mimi steps into the room and sees ENGINEER DILE O'CROCK, asleep and heavily bandaged, lying in his hospital bed. Sitting next to him is FIRST MATE JONATHAN WEISSMAN, who stands when Mimi enters. JONATHAN Captain. MIMI (smiles weakly) Hi, Jonathan. (looks at Dile) How's he doing? JONATHAN No change so far. He's been sleeping a lot. The doctors say we just have to wait and let the wounds heal. Mimi says nothing but walks up to Dile. She looks at the engineer. At first, she smiles weakly, thinking about how friendly Dile always is and how pleasant he is to have around the ship. Then, she frowns as she remembers why Dile is injured in the first place. A tear runs down her cheek. MIMI (touching her paw to his, softly) I'm sorry, Dile. Mimi turns around and faces Jonathan. MIMI Thanks for staying with him. JONATHAN Of course. MIMI I know this isn't the best time, but ... do you know what happened to Fritz? Jonathan pauses. JONATHAN I honestly don't. The other Warners don't, either. They have their ideas, but I didn't really want to get involved in it. I'd be lying to you if I said I cared, but ... (shoulders slumped) I know how you feel about him, Mimi. It's wrong of me to say that you shouldn't, but you just don't know him. If you had any idea ... MIMI Would you tell me? JONATHAN (earnestly) Do you really want to know? Mimi hesitates. MIMI I ... (sighs) No. Thanks, Jonathan, but I want to hear it from him. (looks at Jonathan) But just tell me, why do you hate him so much? JONATHAN Because he's a liar. He misrepresents himself to everyone so badly, it's disgusting. MIMI Jonathan, he's a politician. What do you expect? Jonathan pauses. MIMI You came to the aniverse with him. I don't know what's happened between you two, but is it really so bad that you have to *hate* him? Jonathan mulls this over and sighs. JONATHAN I would say that if you knew what I knew, you'd see things differently, but that's not really fair. (beat) I just don't want you to get hurt, Mimi. And if you keep this up, you will. MIMI But it already hurts me! I know you don't approve of our relationship, and that hurts. You're not just my first mate, Jonathan. You're a good friend, a trusted friend. I'm not saying I want your approval. It's just ... (sighs) This is such a mess. JONATHAN (chuckles very slightly) It really is. Mimi takes a deep breath, looks back at Dile, then looks at Jonathan again. MIMI I have to go. Bucky and I are going to try and infiltrate Genus. JONATHAN Wait a sec. What? Are you sure that's a good idea? MIMI (grins) Probably not. But it sure beats sitting around and moping. I'll let you know when we get back. Mimi exits the room. Jonathan stands alone for a moment, lost in thought. JONATHAN Dammit. (closes his eyes) Fritz, wherever the hell you are ... you'd better come back to her. SCENE 7 - DOCKING BAY, WARREN About an hour after the meeting with Moreland and Archer, Bucky, Mimi, Roedecker, and Maxwell stand outside The Wraith, prepared to board the ship. MAXWELL (whispering to Roedecker) I still don't like this. ROEDECKER (whispering back) I don't, either. But if it helps us get back at the toads for what they did to Blade, I'm up for it. (beat) Besides, imagine the reward we'll get if we really do help these idiots free Genus. MAXWELL Reward? Stop taking about rewards! There's not gonna be a reward, Vince! Didn't you learn anything from the Greeman job? You keep thinking about simoleans and not about anything else. That's what got Blade killed, and that's what's gonna get both of us killed, too. Roedecker gets visibly upset at this. ROEDECKER How long have we worked together, Lance? MAXWELL Three years. ROEDECKER And after all that time, you still don't trust me? MAXWELL (pausing a bit) I trust you. ROEDECKER Then get moving! Maxwell frowns as he steps into the ship. MAXWELL (to himself) I swear, if you're doing this to try and impress Mimi ... Noticing Maxwell, Bucky and Mimi board The Wraith as well. Roedecker follows them, shutting the hatch behind them. The four now stand in the ship's main bay. Roedecker reaches into a compartment and pulls out three pairs of aniversian pawcuffs. ROEDECKER Here. Put these on. Maxwell can get you out of 'em once you're free of the toads. Bucky glances at Maxwell, who nods. A little wary, Bucky steps forward and turns around, his arms outstretched behind him. Roedecker snaps the cuffs on him. Mimi is next, and Maxwell is bound last. Roedecker then walks toward the ladder leading to piloting bay. ROEDECKER We should reach Genus in about twenty minutes. Sit tight. Roedecker disappears up the hatch. A few moments later, the ship rumbles as it comes to life and launches off Warren. Bucky sits down, and Mimi follows his lead. Maxwell remains standing and keeps his eyes on the other two. MIMI (breaking the silence) Bucky, any word from ... MAXWELL Shut it. MIMI (surprised, turning to Maxwell) What? MAXWELL I said shut it. Don't talk. MIMI (indignant, standing up) And why not? MAXWELL Because I don't wanna hear it. My ship, my rules. MIMI This is Roedecker's ship. MAXWELL It's my ship more than it is yours, foxy. Now pipe down. Mimi glares at Maxwell, angrily. She doesn't feel like challenging him, though -- she wants to save all her energy for what lies ahead. MIMI Don't call me foxy. Mimi sits back down next to Bucky. BUCKY (whispering) What, you thought this was going to be a pleasant ride? MAXWELL (growling) I said shut up! Bucky rolls his eyes, and Mimi sighs. The rest of the trip takes place in silence. SCENE 8 - WILLY'S ROOM, PSYCHIATRIC WARD, UCSF MEDICAL CENTER WILLY DUWITT sits in his bed, absentmindedly watching TV. There are no books by his bedside, and a curtain divides the room down the middle. As soon as Willy hears the door swing open, he looks up. A happy grin spreads across his face as he sees his parents enter, followed by Dr. Matthews. WILLY Mom! Dad! DR. DUWITT (smiling) Hey, son. MRS. DUWITT It's good to see you again, Willy. MATTHEWS (transparently) And they've got good news, too. You're all set to go home. WILLY Really? DR. DUWITT Dr. Matthews just signed the paperwork. WILLY That's great! (looking at Dr. Matthews) Um ... thanks for your help. I think I'll be able to work through a lot more of my problems at home. MATTHEWS I certainly hope so. DR. DUWITT Are you ready to go? WILLY (climbing out of bed) One sec. I wanna tell Scott. (pulling the curtain back) Hey, Scott ... Willy blinks in surprise when he sees that the bed on the other side of the room is empty. MATTHEWS Scott checked out this morning. His aunt took him back in. WILLY (dispirited) I thought he was just sleeping. I ... I didn't even get his phone number. He left his ... Willy reaches for the book by his bedside, then realizes it's gone. WILLY ... oh. (frowns, to Dr. Matthews) Can you give me his last name? Or his aunt's name? MATTHEWS I'm afraid not. That's confidential patient information. WILLY (shoulders slumped) Oh. MATTHEWS (carefully) It's not your fault Scott left, Willy. MRS. DUWITT (cheerily) Don't worry, Willy. I'm sure you'll find your friend again. WILLY Yeah ... friend. (realizing) He was my friend. Willy can't help but smile at this. Dr. Matthews notices the scene and, intrigued, jots something down quickly on his clipboard. MATTHEWS Maybe the stay here has helped Willy more than I thought. (eyeing the DuWitts) But please call me if Willy starts exhibiting any more signs. You know I'm here to help. (craning his neck) Bye, Willy. Dr. Matthews steps out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. The DuWitts are now alone. DR. DUWITT Willy? Are you OK? WILLY I guess. I just ... I really wanted to say good-bye. MRS. DUWITT Everything will work out. WILLY (looking down) Maybe. DR. DUWITT Are you ready to go home, son? WILLY (takes a deep breath) I am. Dr. DuWitt closes the door. DR. DUWITT (obviously hard for him to say) Have you made a decision about going back? WILLY (looking away slightly) Not yet. MRS. DUWITT Well, you can worry about that later. Right now, let's go home. I think we're way past due for a little family bonding. I've been reading about these new meditation techniques ... Willy turns back to his parents and smiles, though a little weakly. It's good to be back with them, quirks and all. He reaches out for his mother's hand and takes it. Mrs. DuWitt takes a good look at her son. In a way, she can't quite recognize him, but in a way, he looks the same as he always has. She takes him in a big hug, which he readily returns. They stand still for a few seconds, until he finally pulls away. WILLY I'm ready. Let's go home. Still holding his mother's hand, Willy walks out of the room. SCENE 9 - SPACE ABOVE GENUS The Wraith is the only non-toad ship anywhere in the vicinity. Its sleek black frame, contrasted with the bulky orange of S.P.A.C.E. ships, tips off the toads not to shoot this frigate down on sight. Roedecker steers toward one of the defense satellites, which has clearly been worked on by toad technicians. ROEDECKER (into comm) Requesting permission to enter Genus. TOAD (over comm) What? An' why should I let in a filthy mammal like you? It's lots more fun blowin' ya up! ROEDECKER I've got a bounty for you. TOAD Bounty? Who needs bounties? We've got Genus! ROEDECKER But you don't have Bucky O'Hare. The comm falls silent for a moment. TOAD Show 'im to me. Roedecker grabs Bucky and shoves him in front of the comm's video screen. He does the same for Mimi. ROEDECKER Caught 'em both tryin' to hijack my ship. You sure made these guys desperate. TOAD Awright, you're in. Land on our port, two miles east o' the converter. An' see if you can capture that stupid baboon next time. A lotta us wanna get our paws on 'im. The lights on the defense satellite in front of The Wraith dim. Roedecker takes the controls and whizzes by it. The lights turn on again after the ship passes through. Roedecker enters Genus's orbit and steers toward the climate converter. Bucky and Mimi feel a twinge of anger and sadness as they see the state of the gray, swampy planet they used to call home. Spotting the converter, Roedecker pulls east of it and lands on an open-air landing pad a few miles away from it. ROEDECKER Ready? BUCKY Let's do it. Roedecker climbs down the ladder. Bucky and Mimi follow, with a little difficulty, since their paws are cuffed behind their backs. Maxwell, who was waiting in the main bay, joins them. Roedecker draws his blaster, opens the hatch, and motions for his three "prisoners" to disembark. ROEDECKER (shouting) C'mon! Move it, or I'll blow your faces off! The three scurry out of the ship. Eight armed STORMTOADS are waiting outside the ship. They all get excited when they see Bucky O'Hare in cuffs. STORMTOAD #1 Well, look at that! STORMTOAD #2 This is the best day of my life! STORMTOAD #3 (jeering) You dumb mammals thought you could hide from us! One of the stormtoads steps up to Roedecker. STORMTOAD #4 I'm impressed. You got the rodent *and* that stupid fox. (looks Maxwell over) Who's this third freak? ROEDECKER Don't know. I caught him helping them. I figured you'd want him as well. STORMTOAD #4 (looks at Roedecker, then at Maxwell) He looks familiar. Come to think of it, so do you ... (shrugs) Whatever. I can't tell you mammals apart anyway. STORMTOAD #5 (to Roedecker) Hey, ain't I seen the two of you runnin' around? You and the dog? ROEDECKER He looks a little like an old partner of mine. That must be what you're thinkin' about. STORMTOAD #4 (thinking) Old partner, huh? (squints his eyes) I don't trust you. ROEDECKER Hey, I brought you O'Hare and LaFleur, didn't I? I don't care about them, and I don't care about this third bum. Maxwell has said nothing this whole time, trying to look weary and submissive. The stormtoad walks up to Maxwell. STORMTOAD #4 I don't know ... (shrugs again) We don't need him, anyway. The stormtoad swiftly points his plasma rifle at Maxwell's head and shoots. The shot goes clean through, and Maxwell instantly falls over, dead. Bucky and Mimi gasp and take a step back. Roedecker somehow manages not to flinch. ROEDECKER (coolly) Do I still get the bounty for him? STORMTOAD #4 What bounty? I don't even know who that was! Maybe I'll give ya five simoleans for lettin' me kill a mammal. ROEDECKER What about the other two? STORMTOAD #4 (smiles) Oh, yeah. You'll get your bounty. You just wait here by your ship while we take care of 'em. (louder, to the stormtoads) Take the prisoners to headquarters! Captain Smata will want to deal with them himself. ROEDECKER (glancing at the cuffs on Bucky and Mimi) Want me to go with you? In case you need help handling them. The stormtoad quickly points his rifle at Roedecker's head. STORMTOAD #4 Get back in that stupid ship of yours. You're lucky I like you -- for a mammal. Roedecker doesn't protest. He turns around and gets back in his ship, not looking back at Bucky or Mimi. STORMTOAD #4 All right. Let's go! The stormtoads surround Bucky and Mimi, who look more concerned than before. The toads poke them with the tips of their rifles as they march toward a small land transport. STORMTOADS #1 - #8 (in unison) March! Maul! Murder! BUCKY (thinking) Roedecker closes the hatch to his ship. Once he's out of sight, he begins shaking. ROEDECKER (in a rage) Those goddamn toads ... argh! Roedecker kicks at a small piece of equipment lying at the floor, sending it flying. Not really feeling any better, he glances up at the cockpit. ROEDECKER (thinking) (beat) Roedecker makes a fist as he tries to calm down again. SCENE 10 - GENUS The transport lands right in front of the climate converter, and the toad patrol hops off. Bucky and Mimi follow, trying their best to look beaten. The stormtoad that killed Maxwell pulls out his comm. STORMTOAD #4 (into comm) Calling Captain Smata, repeat, calling Smata. We've got a couple prisoners for you. SMATA (over comm) I'm in no mood for games. Who are the prisoners? STORMTOAD #4 Captain O'Hare, and, uh ... that fox captain. MIMI (indignantly) Mimi LaFleur! Is it really that hard to remember? SMATA (sounding happier) Excellent! Bring them to me. STORMTOAD #4 On our way. (to the other stormtoads) Move it! MIMI I guess that's our cue. STORMTOAD #3 Huh? With impressive speed, Mimi yanks open the cuffs. A lock pick can be seen gleaming in her left paw. She jump kicks the nearest storm toad, landing on top of him. She grabs his plasma blaster and begins to shoot at the other toads, who are caught off guard. Bucky reacts quickly, showing aside the toad nearest him and kicking at the rest, his paws still cuffed. He manages to take down a few, though Mimi's doing more good with her blaster. The toads just don't react quickly enough to fight back effectively. Within ten seconds, six of them are down. One pulls up behind Bucky and, despite the excitement and motion, manages to graze the hare's right shoulder. BUCKY Argh! Bucky winces but does not fall, and he spins around and kicks the stormtoad over, knocking him down. Mimi, having just polished off one toad, wheels around to the last toad standing, shoving the barrel of her plasma rifle in his face. MIMI Boo. STORMTOAD #2 Yaaa! The stormtoad runs off, afraid. Bucky walks up to Mimi, grimacing in pain from his shoulder. BUCKY Nice work. MIMI (unlocking Bucky's cuffs) Thanks. It was fun. (looks up at the UAC building) Oh, God. Bucky and Mimi now have a clear glimpse of the toads' central complex on Genus. Their blood runs cold as they see that the lower half of UAC Headquarters now has toad steel and insignias all over it. The toads reinforced the weakened building and seem to be in the process of adding new levels. Attached to the building is the huge climate converter that turned Genus's atmosphere into a swampland. It's still activated, sending arcs of electricity into the air and generating cold, biting winds around it. Before they can say another word, Bucky's ears perk up as he hears a number of stormtoads heading their way. BUCKY Inside! Quickly! Knowing not to argue, Mimi follows Bucky as he bursts in through the main door. The spacious reception area, naturally, is filled with toads. STORMTOAD #9 It's Bucky O'Hare! STORMTOAD #10 And that ugly fox! STORMTOAD #11 Get 'em! Mimi barely has time to begin seething before Bucky grabs her. The two dart left, down the hallway, the stormtoads following behind them. The mammals know the building by heart and, shortly after rounding a corner, duck down another hallway and arrive at a janitorial closet. Mimi tests the door; finding it locked, she picks it, and the two slip inside, shutting the door right before the toads enter the hallway, looking for them. MIMI (whispering) Phew! The room is cramped and filled with brooms, mops, and so forth. The toads clearly haven't had time to revamp everything in the building yet. Bucky is brushing up against Mimi because there's so little room in the closet. He tries not to think about it. BUCKY Ventilation system? MIMI I don't have any better ideas. Bucky pulls out his lightsaber, holds it over his head, where there's open space, and activates it. The room is bathed in a soft green light. While Bucky stands there, Mimi carefully digs through the supplies as quietly as she can and works her way to the vent in the back of the room. MIMI (kneeling) It's big enough for us to crawl through. (pulls out her blaster) I'm not looking forward to it, though. Mimi blasts the cover off the vent and puts it aside. She peers into the dark, foreboding tunnel ahead of her. MIMI Got a flashlight? BUCKY No. And having my lightsaber on inside there is too dangerous. MIMI Great. (steels herself) I'll go in first. BUCKY No, I can take lead. MIMI (smiles, half-kidding) No way. I've got to make a name for myself. I'm tired of being "that foxy chick." BUCKY Hey, at least it's an accurate description. Mimi glares at Bucky. BUCKY What? They keep calling me a rabbit. That's not true. MIMI What's the difference? BUCKY Rabbits are ... (shakes his head) Don't worry about it. Let's get going. Mimi crouches down and wriggles her way into the air duct, grunting as she does. Once she's fully in, Bucky follows next, careful not to rub his injured shoulder against the side of the duct. The two begin crawling. The tunnel is large enough for them to work their way through relatively easily, though they can't move much. They maneuver slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements or loud sounds that would announce their location to the toads. After crawling straight for a while, Mimi feels a fork in front of her and stops. She speaks to Bucky softly. MIMI (whispering) I say we go left. BUCKY (whispering as well) That should lead us downstairs, to the main computers. Go for it. Mimi turns left and keeps crawling, with Bucky right behind her. A minute later, she reaches her paw out to pull herself forward and finds emptiness in front of her. They continue whispering back and forth. MIMI Here's the shaft. How should we get down it? BUCKY Shh. Bucky concentrates, listening intently to everything he can hear. His eyes closed, he scans the sounds around him until completely satisfied. BUCKY (opening his eyes) There aren't any toads near where we're going to land. We should be able to just jump down. MIMI Are you sure the sound won't carry? BUCKY I doubt it. Everything in the sub-levels is soundproofed. They might hear it up here, but then they'll think we're still on this floor. MIMI I know. Just making sure. (takes a breath) Here goes nothing smart. Mimi reaches over the hole in front of her, pulls herself across, gently slides her legs down the shaft, and then lets go. She tries to brace herself against the walls of the duct as she falls, to slow her descent. Still, she lands with an ungraceful thud. MIMI Oof! Bucky gives Mimi a few seconds to crawl out of the way, then does the same thing she did. He can't brace himself as much because of his shoulder, and his landing is a bit rougher than hers. Shaking his head and regaining his bearings, Bucky feels around. This space is a little larger -- both he and Mimi can fit in it -- but there's still not much space for maneuvering. BUCKY I think this qualifies as the tightest spot I've been in. MIMI Heh. Enjoying it? BUCKY (off-put) Not really. MIMI Just teasing. There's an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. MIMI I tried to ask you earlier. Any word from Jenny? Bucky takes a second to respond in the darkness. BUCKY (a little upset) No. There's been no word from her, and no one's spotted The Valkyrie since we escaped from Genus. (beat) All communications to Aldebaran have been severed, though. I'm guessing that has something to do with it. (sighs) I just ... I can't worry about that right now. Jenny can take care of herself, and we've got to get Genus back from the toads. I'm sure she wouldn't want me butting in, anyway. (sadly) She never wants my help when it comes to those things. Mimi doesn't know what to say. She's known Bucky to get emotional before, but she's never before sensed from him the feeling of loss he's emanating. She's no stranger to loss herself, but she puts that out of her mind for now. She reaches her paw out and tries to pat him on the back, based on where she thinks his back is in the darkness. MIMI Hey, everything'll work out. It always does. (beat) I know how you feel. Don't even get me started on how mysterious Fritz can get. Bucky gets a little angry when he hears that name. BUCKY (his whisper growing louder) Fritz. Where is he, anyway? I'm tired of letting everything slide with him. We both know he's got a ton of tricks up his sleeve, but the toads invade Genus, and he suddenly goes missing! MIMI (still whispering) Keep it down! (beat) Maybe the toads captured him, too. Maybe something else came up ... BUCKY Something else? What, something more important than saving the UAC from being overrun? What's Fritz *doing*? There's no way he let the toads capture him. He's up to something, and I want to know what the hell it is and why the hell he's doing it. MIMI (getting upset) Calm down, Bucky. I'm not happy about this either, you know. Bucky takes a moment to relax. BUCKY I know. I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you. It's hard for me, too. Fritz and I used to be such good friends ... (shakes his head) We still are good friends. But too much stuff keeps getting in between us. I almost liked it better when he wasn't Chairman. Things seemed a lot less complicated then. MIMI With Fritz involved, I doubt it. I'm sure he was up to something, even then. (getting a bit more emotional) I should have spent more time investigating him and less time ... dammit! Why did I ever fall for such a two-faced, sleazy ... Mimi struggles to control her breathing pattern. Bucky reaches out and takes her paw in his. BUCKY Now it's your turn to calm down, Mimi. Don't get so worked up over it. You can't help who you fall in love with. MIMI (regaining her composure) I know. I just have a bad track record with men, I guess. BUCKY Like Roedecker? MIMI God, please don't bring that up. BUCKY You know he still likes you. MIMI (rolling her eyes) Yes, Bucky. Women can, in fact, sense these things. (beat) He's probably going to try something, too, now that Fritz is out of the picture. (aggravated sigh) I hate men. BUCKY (feigning being upset) Hey, now. MIMI Sorry. You're scum. It came with the male DNA. Now come on. We've wasted too much time already. Mimi orients herself and begins slinking through another passageway. Bucky sits alone for a second, replaying the conversation he and Mimi just had. BUCKY (thinking) (grits his teeth) Bucky gets back on his knees and follows Mimi down the unlit tunnel. SCENE 11 - ENGINEERING BAY, THE INDEFATIGABLE ENGINEER MIKE MARISON is tinkering around with the mark-5 on Dogstar's ship. No one else is in the frigate. The cat inspects the device, playing around with it but not doing anything serious to it. He pauses when he hears Dogstar step through the main hatch. DOGSTAR I say! I don't recall leaving the hatch to my ship open. Who's in here? MIKE (sheepishly) Uh, it's me. DOGSTAR (walking toward engineering) Who? MIKE Mike. The, uh, engineer. Dogstar steps into engineering and sees Mike. DOGSTAR Ah, yes, Mike. Right. Sorry, lad. MIKE That's OK. We've only met a few times, right? DOGSTAR Indeed. (looking at the accelerator) If I may be so bold as to ask, why are you working on my accelerator? MIKE (blushes a bit) I'm sorry. I should have asked, I guess. I've just never gotten to work on a mark-5 accelerator before. It's amazing. It's every engineer's dream, and now that I had the chance, I just couldn't help myself. DOGSTAR (nods once) I see. (beat) Well, I suppose I'll allow it, so long as you ask my permission in the future. You know, with Willy back on his home planet, Dile in the hospital, and Digger ... (frowns) ... somewhere, you're the only engineer S.P.A.C.E. has got. MIKE (looks down) Well, not really. I quit a few days ago. DOGSTAR Quit! My boy, you can't quit! We need you! MIKE But I don't think things are really working out. DOGSTAR Nonsense! (pats Mike on the back) You seem like a fine young chap to me. You just need to get used to how things work, is all. You're still a bit wet behind the ears. MIKE (avoiding Dogstar's gaze) I guess. DOGSTAR Good, good. (in a pseudo-serious tone) Besides, if you're not on the S.P.A.C.E. roster, you're trespassing on my ship and working with restricted equipment. MIKE Oh. Dogstar smiles a little but still remains stern. DOGSTAR At ease, Engineer. By all means, continue working on my accelerator. I'll probably need you to perform maintenance on it. MIKE (slightly nervous) Sure thing. (quickly) Uh, I mean, yes, sir. DOGSTAR Good lad. Dogstar nods once and leaves the ship. Mike pauses for a second, then runs his paw across his face. MIKE I'm never gonna get the hang of this military stuff. (turning back to the accelerator) Now, let's see what happens if I reconfigure this set of wires ... SCENE 12 - THE WRAITH Roedecker sits in the piloting bay of his ship, seething with anger at Maxwell's death. He wants to go out and get back at the toads, but he reluctantly realizes that his best bet is to stick with the plan. Still unhappy, Roedecker almost doesn't respond when his comm activates. However, he looks at the video screen and sees a lone stormtoad standing outside his ship. STORMTOAD #12 I've got your simoleans. ROEDECKER Took you long enough. I'm coming down. Roedecker grunts as he turns off the comm. He climbs down the ladder and opens the main hatch. He's greeted by half a dozen more stormtoads than he saw on the screen. The one he spoke to sticks a plasma blaster in his face. STORMTOAD #12 Stupid mammal. SCENE 13 - CONTROL ROOM, UAC HEADQUARTERS This sub-level room, once relatively devoid of equipment, now houses a large central computer system set up by the toads. A group of six stormtoads stands guarding it, though they're dozing off from boredom. They don't notice when an air vent cover near the ceiling on one wall begins to jostle slightly. Suddenly, the cover goes flying as Bucky slides out of the duct, kicking the cover out of his way and smoothly landing on the floor. Before the toads can react, Bucky pulls out his blaster and begins shooting. Mimi peeks out from the vent and fires at the toads as well. The six stormtoads quickly succumb to the two mammals. BUCKY (slyly) Good thing those other toads weren't even smart enough to frisk us. MIMI (sliding through the vent) This would certainly have been a lot less enjoyable otherwise. Mimi lands on the floor, then rubs her eyes. Bucky walks up to the computer and looks it over. BUCKY This is probably our best bet, as far as targets go. Bucky reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small metal box, with a few wires and ports sticking out the back. BUCKY You know anything about computers? MIMI (walking up to Bucky) Can't say I do. BUCKY (opening a compartment) Let's hope I know enough not to completely screw this up. Bucks peers into the inner workings of the computer. Looking around, he sees a few small ports hidden among the masses of wires, circuits, and chips. BUCKY (thinking) Bucky reaches in and attaches the device from his pocket to a few of the ports, then gingerly lets go. The box remains in place, and nothing else happens. BUCKY Phew. (to Mimi) Archer said that should be able to process any toad information and relay it back to Warren without being detected. He's just worried his men won't be able to decode any of the information. MIMI That's it? We came all this way just to do that? BUCKY Nope. He gave me another device to hook up to the UAC surveillance system. MIMI That's a few rooms down, right? BUCKY Right. (his ears perking up) There aren't any toads in the hall. We can probably go on foot. MIMI Good. That vent was making me claustrophobic. Bucky and Mimi walk up the door leading out of the room. Listening one more time to be sure, Bucky opens the door and steps into the hall. No one's there. With Mimi right behind him, he darts down the hall, opening the fourth door to his left and stepping inside. This room also boasts a large computer, though there are tons of video monitors hooked up to it. A few stormtoads are keeping an eye on the screens, which are watching over most of the rooms and hallways in the building. They, too, are caught off-guard as Bucky and Mimi mow them down. BUCKY This is too easy. (warily) I don't like it. MIMI Don't start whining on me, now. BUCKY (opening another compartment) Hey, if there's anyone who can smell a trap, it's me. (begins fiddling with the wires) Let's do this and make a break for it. I'm sure ol' Roedecker is getting impatient. Bucky reaches into another pocket and pulls out a second device, which looks a little different than the first. He plugs it into a small port inside the computer. Before Bucky and Mimi can react, the room is bathed in red lights as sirens begin to wail. The monitors fizzle and turn green, combining to depict the towering evil glare of KOMPLEX. KOMPLEX Hello, filthy mammals. BUCKY Oh, frell. MIMI Run! Clutching their blasters, Bucky and Mimi dash for the door. Mimi gets there first, swings it open, and starts running down the red- drenched hallway to the left. Bucky, his ears perked, grabs her. BUCKY (starting to run right) Other way! MIMI (yelling over the sirens) No toads that way? BUCKY *Fewer* toads this way! Bucky and Mimi take off, pointing their blasters ahead of them. The foreboding red lighting makes it hard to see details, but they can tell when a group of stormtoads begins approaching from a distance. They begin firing immediately and take cover in a side passageway when the toads begin shooting back. BUCKY (firing around the corner) How much power do you have left? MIMI (checks her blaster) Maybe 60%. BUCKY I'm at forty-five, but I can use my lightsaber in a pinch. Mimi gets down on her stomach, pokes herself out into the hall, and takes some more shots at the stormtoads in the hall. She squints, trying to make out their numbers amid the bursts of plasma fire. MIMI (ducking back in) That takes care of the ones near us, but I think another group is coming, and we can't handle them all. There's no way to the elevator. BUCKY Then let's head for the stairs. Down the hall, back to back. Bucky and Mimi stand up, their backs facing each other, and duck into the hall. Each begins shooting at the stormtoads facing them. Bucky runs forward, while Mimi runs backward as best she can. The toads are still far enough away that they aren't getting too near Bucky and Mimi, but the mammals aren't having much luck, either. Bucky and Mimi reach another hallway intersection just as the toads are getting in range. They duck to the right. Bucky just barely misses getting shot in the back as the plasma blast flies straight through his cape. BUCKY (listening) No toads here yet. The sounds of stormtoad footsteps echoing ever closer behind them and the wail of sirens everywhere, Bucky and Mimi spring forward and finally reach the stairway. Bucky tries the door handle, but it won't budge. BUCKY The hell? These doors don't lock. MIMI The toads must've sealed them. BUCKY Here. Bucky hands his blaster to Mimi, then pulls out his lightsaber and slices through the door. He runs through the hole and begins bounding up the stairs. Mimi follows, just ahead of toad fire coming down the hallway. They make it up two flights when the sound of angry stormtoads fills the stairwell beneath them. Mimi leans over the railing and shoots at the toads with both blasters. BUCKY We can't outgun them! Just keep ahead of them! Mimi slowly advances up the stairs, though she keeps shooting. Bucky finally reaches the door to the ground level and, not even trying the handle, cuts through it. BUCKY Mimi! MIMI (growling) One second! Mimi eventually reaches Bucky and stops shooting down at the toads, who are gaining. The two mammals enter the hall and begin running. This hall is wider than the one in the sub-level, and it's easier to see down. That means Bucky and Mimi can more easily make out the stormtoads running toward them, though they're only coming from one direction this time. BUCKY Side exit! Bucky and Mimi, both getting a little tired, start running down the hall and away from the stormtoads firing at them. They run about one hundred feet, barely noticing the metallic modifications the toads have made to the building's hallways. Still under fire but not yet hit, they reach a large intersection and scramble to the left, spotting a large set of doors two hundred feet ahead of them. They're just barely keeping ahead of the toad fire, which is singeing the carpet and walls all around them. Bucky and Mimi begin running for the doors when another mass of stormtoads begins swarming in from beside them and firing. The mammals spin on their heels and run back the other way. BUCKY (shouting over the sound of toad fire) So much for that! MIMI Think we can get out through the converter? BUCKY I'm certainly out of ideas! Back at the intersection, Bucky and Mimi turn left, running toward where they saw the toads' climate converter attach to the UAC building. The toads are louder now, shouting angrily at their prey. STORMTOAD #13 We're gonna get ya! STORMTOAD #14 Stupid hairballs! STORMTOAD #15 I always wanted a pelt! Even though only the stormtoads in the front of the pack are firing, it's still a lot of fire to dodge. One shot finally reaches its mark, hitting Mimi in the middle of her back. MIMI Argh! Mimi falls over. Bucky hears her cry out and stops running. BUCKY (turning back) Mimi! In obvious pain, Mimi rolls over onto her back and leans up a little. MIMI (enraged) Lousy frelling ... With both maser blasters blazing, Mimi takes aim at the ceiling above the toads and inundates it in fire. Pieces of tile and brick rain down briefly on top of the toads; then, the whole ceiling collapses. The hallways groan at the loss but do not buckle as rubble fills the hallway. For a moment, everything is silent. BUCKY (running up to Mimi) Mimi! Are you OK? MIMI (struggling to get up) I've been better. Ow! BUCKY (grabbing her side) Can you walk? MIMI Yeah, just give me a sec. (throws her blasters onto the ground) I had to set them on full power to knock out the ceiling. They're drained. Just then, an explosion rips through the pile of debris that Mimi caused. A hole opens up, and pissed-off stormtoads climb through one by one. MIMI Well, great. Bucky tries to support Mimi as best he can while the two begin running away from the toads again, going slower this time. The rubble slows the stormtoads down, but they do begin chasing Bucky and Mimi again. After a couple hundred feet, Bucky and Mimi reach the entrance to the climate converter: a large blue tunnel extending into the UAC building through a huge toad-made hole in the hall. No stormtoads guard the entrance, but plenty are shooting from behind, down the hall. Ducking into the tunnel, Bucky and Mimi hear plasma blasts ricocheting off the walls as they head into the main part of the converter. A shot hits the top of the tunnel just ahead of them, causing a jagged piece to fall down. They barely sidestep it and keep moving. Upon entering the main room of the converter, Bucky and Mimi spot the exit, all the way across from them. The huge area contains tons of electronic equipment and an upper level flanked by guard towers. There are a few stormtoads here and there, and some toad scientists on the upper level. Bucky and Mimi, already on the ground floor, begin to run straight ahead until the stormtoads begin firing. Bucky tries to deflect a few shots with his lightsaber, but he's not too good it at. With a frustrated grunt, he pulls Mimi off to the right, behind some equipment. Bucky and Mimi work their way around, behind the equipment and close to the wall of the converter, as best they can. The plasma fire tapers off as the stormtoads wait for their enemies' next move. Ahead, just beyond the equipment they're behind, Bucky sees a ladder. BUCKY (softly, to Mimi) If we get on the upper level, we can make it across. Those scientists can't do anything to us. MIMI (her back still in pain) What? We'll be sitting ducks climbing that ladder! BUCKY Then let's create a diversion. Go for the ladder. Bucky looks around and sees a length of pipe running along the wall of the converter. He cuts it off using his lightsaber and then throws it to his right as hard as he can. It hits the far wall with a noisy clank. STORMTOAD #14 There they are! The stormtoads aim a volley of plasma fire at the spot where the pipe hit. Mimi, nearly underneath the ladder, runs up to it and begins climbing. Bucky runs over to the ladder as quickly as he can and starts pulling himself up it, right beneath Mimi. They're almost halfway up when the toads spot them. STORMTOAD #14 There they are! The stormtoads turn and start firing. Bucky and Mimi keep climbing, pushing themselves to go faster. Just then, a big screen on the other wall of the converter comes to life. Captain Smata appears on it and barks an order. SMATA I want them alive! Shoot to wound! The stormtoads stop firing. STORMTOAD #13 Shoot to what? STORMTOAD #16 What does that mean? STORMTOAD #17 He said shoot, so shoot! SMATA (angrily) No, you idiots! Shoot them but don't kill them! STORMTOAD #16 (scratching his head) How do you do that? Not sure exactly what to do, the stormtoads begin to congregate under the ladder, their blasters pointed upward. STORMTOAD #17 (shrugging) I guess we can shoot them in the feet. Bucky notices the stormtoads below him. Holding on tight with his left paw, he reaches down and cuts the metal ladder below him with his lightsaber. It crashes down with a clang on top of the stormtoads, who panic. BUCKY Idiots. Bucky and Mimi make it to the top just as the stormtoads regain their bearings and, angrier than before, start shooting again. STORMTOAD #14 There they are! STORMTOAD #18 Oh, shut up! Plasma blasts ping off the railing as Bucky and Mimi run across the upper level. A few of the scientists try to get in their way, but the two captains easily dodge them or brush them aside and reach the other end of the platform. Bucky stops and looks down. A ladder leads straight to the main entrance of the climate converter. The shots behind them are getting closer, though, and a few stormtoads are also standing in front of the entrance. BUCKY We're jumping for it! MIMI Jumping?! With one paw, Bucky grabs a flat piece of metal from on top of the computer console nearest him. With his other, he grabs Mimi and pulls her up next to him. BUCKY Grab on my back! Mimi wraps her arms around Bucky's neck, jumps up, and hops onto his back. Grunting from the weight, Bucky hops off the platform, pulls his knees in, and holds the platform below him. They fall toward the stormtoads and strike two of them. The toads make a croaking sound, and Bucky and Mimi dive off the platform and roll toward the door. Bucky gets up quickly and turns to Mimi, who's having more trouble. He reaches down with his paw and pulls her up. The dazed toads recover just in time to see them race out the door. They spin and fire as the mammals run outside. Bucky and Mimi hustle as best they can, though Mimi is starting to lag behind. Stormtoads from both inside and outside the converter begin to close in on them. Glancing around, Mimi notices a pack of bulky, dull green single-passenger transport bikes parked nearby. MIMI Get on the bikes! Mimi begins running toward the bikes. Bucky glances over, sees them, and changes direction, too. He reaches them before she does and hops on one. It's a bit of an awkward fit, since the seats were designed for toads, but he can manage. Searching the front panel, he finds the keys already in the ignition. BUCKY How did these idiots manage to conquer our planet? Bucky turns the keys and feels the bike roar to life. Next to him, Mimi hops on one and starts it as well. MIMI The ship's two miles east, right? BUCKY Right. Not really knowing how to operate the bike, Bucky turns the handles. The bike buckles and jets forward, flying faster than Bucky anticipated. BUCKY Whoa! Bucky tries his best to keep the bike under control. Mimi expertly starts the bike and pulls up next to him. She calls to him over the roar of the bikes' engines. MIMI (yelling) Don't squeeze so hard! Bucky eases his grip, and the bike slows enough for Bucky to get it under control. BUCKY (yelling) Thanks! Just then, plasma shots begin to bounce off the bikes. Bucky looks back and sees stormtoads approach them on their own bikes, rifles blazing. Mimi ducks and accelerates, and Bucky tries his best to copy her. Mimi presses a button on her bike's console, and it starts shooting plasma bursts out its rear end. Bucky looks at his own console and can't make heads or tails of all the buttons. BUCKY (thinking) Bucky glances back to see the toads gaining on them, though Mimi's blasts have taken a few of their bikes out. Mimi, steadily flying a few feet ahead of him, is still looking forward. MIMI Bucky! Startled, Bucky turns back around and looks in front of him. He quickly realizes he's headed straight for a patch of trees. BUCKY Whoops! Too stunned to veer out of the way, Bucky does the first thing that comes to mind: He leaps for Mimi's bike just as his flies directly into a tree. He lands on the bike, right behind Mimi, and grabs her tight just as his bike explodes in a fiery ball. The impact jostles Mimi's bike, but she keeps a steady course. The explosion knocks out a few trees, not to mention the handful of stormtoads unlucky enough to be headed straight for it. MIMI Ow! Not so hard! Bucky remembers about Mimi's back and loosens his grip slightly. BUCKY Sorry. MIMI I take it Jenny did all the piloting on your ship? BUCKY Oh, shut up. Mimi keeps piloting the bike as Bucky clings to her. She shifts her weight as she maneuvers the bike to dodge a tree. MIMI Enjoying the ride? BUCKY I'll admit, it beats the time I was clinging to Deadeye for dear life. The Wraith finally comes into view on the horizon. Mimi races toward it, still being tailed by a group of stormtoads. MIMI You know, you had the right idea, just too soon. BUCKY Huh? Weaving away from toad fire, Mimi steers her bike into a path directing it just to the right of the parked frigate. As the bike approaches, Mimi lets go of the handles. MIMI Jump! Mimi waits long enough for Bucky to understand what she means. After he lets go of her, she jumps clear of the bike, and Bucky jumps as well. They land right beside The Wraith. They flatten down in the swampland, keeping low to the ground as the stormtoads in pursuit whiz over their heads, not able to slow down or reverse direction quickly enough. MIMI (muck all over her face and uniform) Blech! Mimi hops up and runs to the main hatch. Bucky gets up, too, and notices seven stormtoads littered around the ship. They're all badly beaten, and some don't appear to be breathing. Mimi bangs on The Wraith's hatch. MIMI Vince! Let us in! The door swings open, revealing Roedecker standing before Mimi. He's bloody and bruised, with a nasty-looking burn mark on his chest. ROEDECKER (angrily) Can we go now? Momentarily stunned by Roedecker's injuries, Mimi recovers quickly and gets in the frigate. Bucky follows, slamming the hatch behind him. He sees Roedecker and Mimi climbing into the piloting bay. ROEDECKER Nice to know we're on a first-name basis again, by the way. MIMI Shut up and fly! Roedecker and Mimi disappear into the cockpit. A moment later, the frigate shakes under Bucky's feet and lifts off. A few stormtoads on bikes have pulled back around and are shooting at the black ship, but the blasts bounce off its shields as it pulls into orbit. Bucky climbs into piloting bay and sees Roedecker and Mimi sitting at the controls. ROEDECKER I assume we can fly out safely? MIMI Unless the toads modified the defense shield to cover that. Roedecker holds his breath as The Wraith approaches the orbital defense system. He lets it out when the satellites' guns don't train on the ship, allowing it to escape into space unharmed. ROEDECKER Made it. Feeling the adrenaline wear off, both Bucky and Mimi collapse, gasping for breath. ROEDECKER (sarcastically) Run into a little trouble? BUCKY (breathing heavily) You might say that. MIMI You did, too, from the looks of it. ROEDECKER Nothing I couldn't handle. (beat) Did you get the surveillance equipment installed? BUCKY Sort of. We got the data interceptor in just fine, but we tripped the alarms when we tried to activate the surveillance interceptor. ROEDECKER Is it working, though? BUCKY (defeated) I don't know. ROEDECKER Well, great. (holding back rage) So we used up a perfectly good ruse, Lance got killed, and I got the shit beaten out of me for a maybe?! MIMI Shut up, Roedecker. You knew the risks. ROEDECKER Yeah, but I didn't know I was working with such amateurs! BUCKY You're welcome to leave us as soon as we get back to Warren. Roedecker pauses. ROEDECKER You think I'm gonna let the toads get away with killing both my boys? You're stupider than you look. MIMI Look, can we just calm down? The mission wasn't a failure. We got at least one piece of equipment installed and we got a good look at what the toads have done to Genus. (winces) You got a med-pack on this ship? They shot me in the back. ROEDECKER (relenting) Yeah. It's downstairs. I'll get it. (to Bucky) Can you fly us back, hotshot? MIMI As long as this thing doesn't handle like a toad speeder bike. Bucky rolls his eyes and takes the controls. Roedecker climbs down the stairs and into the main bay. MIMI I was just kidding. BUCKY (looking out the windshield) I know. Silence hangs in the air for a moment. BUCKY Good job out there, Mimi. MIMI You weren't too bad yourself. Mimi smiles. Bucky turns and looks at her. BUCKY We actually don't make that bad a team. MIMI I don't know. I think I work better with Angus McJump, myself. BUCKY Ha, ha. (beat) But really ... I hate to admit it, but in a weird way, that was kind of fun. MIMI (smiles slightly) I guess. Bucky and Mimi look at each other respectfully for a moment. Bucky opens his mouth to say something when Roedecker climbs up the ladder, med-pack in paw. ROEDECKER Hey, there. No completing hat tricks while I'm around. MIMI (turning to look at Roedecker, confused) Hat trick? ROEDECKER Me, that cheapskate Warner, and now Bucky. I think the word I'm looking for is "loose." MIMI (angrily) What?! Why, you ... ROEDECKER You want this med-pack or not? Mimi glares at Roedecker, fire visible in her eyes. But then, another wave of pain sears through her back. She shudders and reaches for the med-pack. MIMI (weakly) Thank you. Roedecker says nothing. Instead, he eyes Bucky warily, and the hare returns the look. Mimi opens the med-pack and rifles through it. The three of them remain in piloting bay tensely for the rest of the voyage back to Warren. SCENE 14 - COMMAND ROOM, UAC BUILDING, GENUS KOMPLEX is on the huge screen, chewing out Captain Smata. KOMPLEX You imbecile! You had those two worthless mammals in your clutches and you let them escape! SMATA (shaking) I'm s-sorry, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX! It wasn't my fault! It was the stormtoads! KOMPLEX (angrily) Are you trying to divert the blame away from yourself, Smata? SMATA N-no, KOMPLEX! But I did everything I could! I told the stormtoads what to do! They let Captain O'Hare and the other one escape! Everything else is going perfectly on Genus; this is the only thing that's gone wrong! KOMPLEX (eyes narrowing) I entrusted Genus to you, Captain Smata, because you have performed admirably for the Toad Empire in other areas of the aniverse, and because I require Toadborg and the Air Marshal elsewhere. But now, I am questioning your ability to properly manage this precious acquisition. (beat) I am sending more stormtoads to Genus. Hopefully, their support will prevent you from erring so foolishly again. Do not disappoint me a second time, Smata. You know the consequences. KOMPLEX out! KOMPLEX vanishes, leaving Captain Smata wary and nervous. SCENE 15 - WILLY'S ROOM, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Willy is sitting on his bed, talking to his handheld tape recorder. It's been a long time since he's used it. WILLY I don't know why I'm talking to *you*. (beat) I guess I just want to say things and not have anyone talk back for once. Willy lies down and stretches out on his bed, staring at his ceiling poster of the constellations. WILLY I'm tired of people telling me it's going to be OK, telling me it's not my fault. I sort of get it, but I don't want to hear it right now. Willy sighs and closes his eyes. WILLY I still don't want to go on ... to face the things I have to face. My actions under KOMPLEX. My actions since. How I hurt everyone around me. I don't want to deal with it. I'm afraid. Willy opens his eyes. WILLY But I can't just run, either. I thought running away would help me escape my problems, but all it did was cause more problems. Willy lies still for a moment, then sits up. WILLY I haven't told my parents yet, but I've decided. I gave it a lot of thought, and ... I'm going back. I have to. I owe it to everyone to go on. (beat) I can't stay there all the time anymore, though. I want to spend more time with my parents. But I want to spend time with my friends, too. For a brief moment, Willy's conversation with Scott flicks into his mind. WILLY I guess you never really appreciate your friends until you lose them. And I don't want to lose my friends. But I don't want to lose my family, either. (beat) I don't want to lose myself. Willy shifts a little uncomfortably. WILLY I still don't know if this is the right decision. It *feels* right, but it also feels wrong. (beat) But it's worth doing. There are some things so important, you just have to do them. No matter the cost. Willy flips off the tape. THE END