BotP Close-up 039-040

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Bobkat
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BotP Close-up 039-040

Post: # 486Post Bobkat »

Another 2-parter: The Fierce Flowers.

This is such a gut-wrenching ep for me and shows in the cold light of day how tight the Battle crew really are. It becomes clear Princess is the glue that keeps her team together. While they fight on, it is with heavy hearts until she signals the commander! There is hope and they jump all over it. This ep is evidence why I love Battle so much. :)

The Other Jason's write-up is here and here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep39.html https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep40.html

E39-40: The Fierce Flowers

****Part 1****

Act One


7-Zark-7 is keeping his constant watch over everything and he's not alone. He notes that Susan assists "from distant planets." Susan calls and reports a UFO that was launched from the Crab Nebula. She triangulated the launch from one of Spectra's moons. She tells Zark she will continue to track it as Zark turns to his monitors but he is unable to find it. Zark says Susan is "a valuable part" of their surveillance network.

Spectra, led by Zoltar and Captain Morlak, give Earth "flowers." Millions of little blossoms are falling to Earth during the day and no one thinks much of them except that they're pretty. That night, a large rainstorm turns the blossoms into giant monster plants. They are free moving and like attacking people. Zark says they are carnivorous.

Princess is helping run a snack bar that night. Jason reads the newspaper that says the flowers are attacking people. Princess blows it off as a "reporter's wild imagination." Keyop promised to help her out but backs out even if he was able to eat a whole apple pie! Mark decides to go out for a walk with Tiny joining him. Tiny complains the place doesn't serve space burgers. Since Mark is leaving, everybody follows suit, leaving Princess in the snack bar alone. She laments her promise of helping out her friend Jill but the only customers all night just left!

Princess hears the door open behind her and sees it's one of the giant flowers! She jumps out of range as the flower attacks. Outside, she's surrounded by a group of them. She jumps on the roof and transmutes. She fights back blowing up one of the flowers with her yo-yo weapon.

The team meets with Chief Anderson who shows them slides of magnified flower cells but the cells are not of ordinary flowers. He notices the flowers have the power to regenerate their cells, making them virtually indestructible. Chief Anderson also says they believe the tiny nodules may hold the key to figuring out how they work. Scientists have not been able to crack the mystery yet. They know the flowers thrive in water and "are carnivorous in this environment." Conventional weapons won't work against them but Zark has managed to create a "protective shield" that works well on "females." Chief Anderson tells Princess she will be outfitted with "a second skin" because they need someone to get into the flowers and stay alive.

The next night, Princess decides to take off to bait the flowers as she wears the second skin. Keyop is determined to follow and after Princess tells him to stay put, he does just that. As the rain continues, the flowers grow and seem to multiply. Princess rides her motorcycle into a park and is ambushed by a large group of them. Her cycle crashes as she is caught by one of the tentacles. Keyop arrives in time to see here eaten alive but one of the flowers attacks him and turns over his buggy!

Act Two

Zark paces because Princess has disappeared. He declares that Chief Anderson's plan has backfired. With the rain stopping, the flowers have shrunk back "to harmless buds." Rover is worried about Princess too. Zark is sure that the rains are being caused by Spectra in order for the flowers to do their dirty work.

G-Force arrives at the scene where Princess disappeared finding her crashed motorcycle. Tiny can't believe the story that a flower ate Princess but Keyop stands by his story. Jason says it wouldn't have happened if they had been with her but Mark reminds him that she wanted to go alone because the second skin works best on women. In a huge field, Princess is still trapped. While Keyop feels terrible, he did everything he could and his teammates back him up. Mark plucks a small bud from the ground; as the team is ready to follow his orders. Mark says they should wait for Zoltar to tip his hand.

Aboard his command ship, Zoltar awaits a report from Captain Morlak who reports they have secured a water source: "the main reservoir." Meanwhile, Zoltar orders motorized units to intercept G-Force in Sector C.

The guys head back to base in Keyop's buggy and Mark riding Princess' bike. Mark stops with the others stopping as well. Mark figures Spectra's goons are following and tells the others to go ahead – he can take care of the goons. Jason tells him "good luck" before they take off. Mark leads the goons on a chase and makes a wreck of them. After handling them, mark jumps back onto the highway to join up with his teammates.

In the laboratory, Chief Anderson tries to study the flowers further but immersing the bud Mark brought back into a tank of water. Chief Anderson has been working non-stop to find answers for days.

Zark contacts Mark who is flying because they have to figure out how to rescue Princess. Zark relays a message that Chief Anderson wants to meet Mark at Cypress Cove. On his way, Mark notices the hillsides are covered with thousands of flowers.

Upon landing, Mark meets with Chief Anderson and the rest of the team. Chief Anderson tells him they need to decide whether or not to firebomb the flowers. The tricky part is that Princess could be among the flowers they plan to set ablaze and thus kill her. Chief Anderson tells them they have to destroy the flowerbeds or Earth will be doomed. The team isn't keen on it and nearly mutinies. But Mark goes against them and makes the decision to firebomb the flowers. Chief Anderson lays out the plan to have Mark empty his fuel tanks over the flowers. As he's doing so, Mark reminisces about Princess and decides to go down with his plane but Jason and the rest of the team pick him up in the Phoenix. After the rear hatch is closed, Jason fires the missile taking responsibility. The firebombing commences but it sends spores flying in every direction making matters worse.

The team watches the fields burn heartbroken that Princess has met her end. Zark is a jangle of nerves but he notes they still have to defend the galaxy. Zark becomes determined to find Princess and destroy the flowers, thus stopping Spectra – no matter what it takes.

****Part 2****

Act One


Zark notifies they will be maintaining Red Alert until further notice. All personnel are to remain in their defensive positions due to the invading flowers making their way inland. The spores have spread thanks to the winds and have wrecked Earth's cities. Havoc and chaos reign as Princess remains missing, presumed captured by one of the flowers. Zark flies to his monitors saying scientists are stumped and what's worse: G-Force is demoralized due to Princess' disappearance.

Keyop sits at the bar of Jill's place thinking about Princess and not caring what happens next. Mark opens the door to look in on him in time to see Keyop cry his heart out. Mark leaves without saying anything. He meets up with Jason and Tiny who spat. Jason bites Tiny's head off when the latter asks how Keyop is holding up. Jason jumps into protective mode over Keyop and is about to walk away but apologizes before doing so. Tiny feels bad too and Mark isn't much better off. He tells Tiny he can't believe he's angry at a bunch of flowers. Tiny asked what happens next but Mark is pretty non-responsive. He blames himself for Princess being gone as the team presumes she's dead after firebombing the field. As Mark walks away, Tiny mentions Mark and Princess "had good vibes."

Chief Anderson is still working away at cracking the flowers – figuring out what makes them tick. The boys show up but they're lethargic at best. Scientists have discovered the spores thrive in water and the reason they grow into people eating monsters. Unfortunately, Chief Anderson has little to offer them in terms of any news except they have discovered the origin of the flowers and believe Spectra has a base on Earth. He also tells them Spectra may be using the flowers in their latest attack.

Chief Anderson informs the team that Zark is continuing his search for Princess while the chief searches for a chemical that could counteract the flowers that appear to be "indestructible." He says the flowers can thrive anywhere on Earth particularly liking slopes of volcanoes and reproducing in swamps. They apparently can survive in the hottest deserts as well due to "hibernating inside those pods." Then the rains cause them to grow. With a solitary flower in the tank, it seems to "lack direction" and is in need of some commands. Chief Anderson doesn't have any solid evidence that Spectra is behind, only speculation. The boys leave one by one leaving Tiny the last. Tiny tells Chief Anderson to not be too hard on Mark because he is "deep shock." Chief Anderson is certain they will hear from Princess because the second skin was meant to protect her from the flowers. He also says she could have been taken somewhere and they just don't know it.

A flower attack commences in some major cities. Evacuations have cleared everyone out before anyone was harmed. As the flowers take over, Chief Anderson calls out a "Code 3304" for an emergency. He tries to contact Mark but the commander is completely unresponsive even taking his bracelet off! New reports come in showing the destruction, which the boys watch at Jill's place. Mark is upset and depressed and goes back to the airfield after snapping at his teammates. Jason watches with concern.

When he returns, Mark receives a signal from Princess. The team gathers to see Chief Anderson immediately afterward. The chief won't clear them because "the flowers are everywhere" and he doesn't want to lose anyone else. Mark tries to override him but initially fails. When Mark tells him that Princess contacted him using "the G-Force secret code," Chief Anderson relents and clears them with the Defense Department.

The Phoenix launches for the city from Center Neptune. They are determined to find their teammate. Colonel Cronus and his team are flying cover for the Phoenix when they go in. Zark is on edge because he still can't find her and says she means a lot to him.

Act Two

Zark paces "his command post" because he's worried that Zoltar has Princess. What's worse, the Federation Council has voted to send military units into the city to destroy the flowers but they make things worse. Zark try to warn them not to use the attack units until Princess is found but the Council is trying to save Earth from the flowers. The military uses flamethrowers, which causes more spores to be spread!

The team lands in the city and watches the action. They discuss the fact that the attack units are only a temporary measure, Princess must be someplace where she can't send any more signals, and the whole affair with flowers is most certainly a Spectran plot. Mark tells the team that as soon as the military leaves, they'll start looking for Princess. He has a feeling she isn't far away.

Meanwhile, a bunch of buildings collapse during the efforts to eradicate the flowers. These activities please Captain Morlak because the invasion is so far successful. He laughs at what is happening because the base is under the city. Zoltar video calls in saying the star ships are ready to launch from Spectra. Captain Morlak proclaims Earth's defenses are "in a panic" and the flowers are still spreading. He also tells Zoltar they have Princess in custody and Zoltar wants to use her as bait so the entire team can be caught.

On the surface, the boys talk about Princess and the fact that the flowers have calmed down. Jason observes, "Like they've been told to lay low for a while." Mark suspects they're waiting for them to make the next move and the flowers are keeping tabs on the team's movements.

In his laboratory, Chief Anderson stares down at the lone flower in the tank. He cuts his hand on broken rail and wraps it. However, it has great consequence for the flower when a drop of human blood drips onto directly. After flailing violently for a few minutes, the flower wilts and dies. Chief Anderson has discovered how to defeat the flowers!

At Spectra's base, Captain Morlak taunts Princess who begins tapping her bracelet. All four receive the signal this time and jump on board the Phoenix. Jason triangulates her position: "Due North, vector C and B, can't miss it!" Tiny flies the Phoenix to the city's old water plant, which Spectra has converted into a base. Tiny rams the Phoenix inside before the team starts fighting Captain Morlak and his men. Tiny frees Princess who immediately transmutes. Captain Morlak begs Mark to spare him, which happens. After Captain Morlak takes off, G-Force is reunited.

Colonel Cronus and his men launch as Mark reports that Princess has been found safe and sound. Chief Anderson informs them that the flowers will be destroyed using chemical bombs that Colonel Cronus and his men will drop. The chemical is from an iron molecule in hemoglobin. When infused with water, creates a toxic interaction in the plants' structures. He warns the team to stay away from the flowers. When the bombs are dropped, it starts raining and the flowers are killed. The remains are washed away. The team watches saying they shouldn't have been removed from their home planet. They wait for the rain to stop before heading home.

Zark is in his command room saying Spectra's plans were foiled once again, but they will be back. He repeats what Princess said about the flowers looking so pretty and being harmless – on their home planet. On Earth, they are an invasive species from hell. Zark tells Rover they solved this just in time due his nerves being jangled. Princess stops in for a visit and Zark is very happy to see her. Princess wanted him to see she was safe and sound. She tells him because the team members are all orphans that it's nice to have someone worrying about them. She tells him she loves him and kisses him before leaving. Zark considers himself the mature type of robot.

This plot summary Copyright Bobbi Baker ©2021. No reproduction of any kind without permission.
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