BotP Close-up 049

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Bobkat
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BotP Close-up 049

Post: # 525Post Bobkat »

Sorry for being late, RL caught up with me last night. But all is good! :) Also, I've run into some technical difficulties, so this plot will be broken up into two pieces - Act One (initial thread) and Act Two (as a reply).

This week "Keyop Does It All"! While checking out a cool sports car, Keyop happens upon a Spectran plot! He tries to communicate with his teammates with varying degrees of success. Meantime, Zoltar has plans to blow up Federation Headquarters! Plans are thwarted and the team reunited. This ep has one of my favorite pictures of the team on a staircase and backlit. It's when the team zeroes in on Keyop's signal. Enjoy!

The Other Jason's write-up is here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep49.html

E49: Keyop Does It All

Act One

7-Zark-7 keeps watch many fathoms beneath the sea at Center Neptune. He keeps a watchful eye out into the universe for any alien invaders. Zark is in his Ready Room on a ten second oil break. He puts some oil on an antenna that eases the tension in his Synchro-Selson and puts pep back into his FOSDIC. He receives a call from Susan who apologizes for "troubling" him but he says it's no trouble, except he never sees her or anyone he works with. She tells him that the G-Force commander will stop by to see him tonight after work. Zark is beside himself about the "private conference" with the top G-Force member. 1-Rover-1 sits by Zark and yips.

Zark rides the vacuum tube down to Nerve Center wondering why Mark wants to see him – maybe a promotion? Zark starts dreaming about working with the team right on the Phoenix – how exciting would that be!? He gets back to business saying that G-Force is standing guard at the building where the Intergalactic Federation is meeting. Zark flies to his monitors to see what's happening at the Federation. He spots a security guard but the guard isn't who he's supposed to be. He takes a case and what looks to be a bomb and puts it in the vault at Federation Headquarters. Zark says he must invetigate.

In another part of the building, Tiny grouses about them baby-sitting "a tea party" as they hang out in a nice lounge. Princess tells him it's no tea party as the "important" attendees are from all parts of the galaxy. Jason asks what they're supposed to be on the look out for with Mark answering anyone or anything out of place or suspicious. Princess adds, "Every galaxy leader is here, what a target for Spectra." Meanwhile outside, Keyop is literally drooling over a good-looking sports car. It has "neat upholstery," a stick shift, bucket seats, two-way TV and an emblem from Spectra! Keyop then hides under the car seeing the security guard walk out of the building. He manages to sneak into the trunk and the car takes off.

Keyop tries to radio his team from the trunk but he's unable to raise anyone. The car continues on arriving at the Spectran base. Keyop escapes the car and investigates the base while trying to contact his teammates, again, with no success. He hears a group of goons behind him and jumps up to avoid them. He stands on a thin cliff above them grateful that he's small. On the cliff, he spots light from the main control room.

In the control room, the commander asks the goon if he's been briefed. The goon reports that Agent K-4's explosive is in place. The commander has a big blond head of hair and says the bomb now sits in the vault of their enemy. They discuss the fact that the Federation has no idea about the bomb and Spectra can strike whenever and wherever they want. The commander says they can either detonate the bomb out right or use it as a threat. The commander then shows the goon that all has to be done is to press a red button on the console and the Federation building will be nothing but a pile of rubble. The goon says, "Boom!" while gesturing with his hands. They don't realize that Keyop has seen and heard all of their conversation. He thinks, "Nice guys." before moving on.

Keyop gets to a point where he is able to contact Mark and he tells the commander a bit about the bomb. However, Keyop is interrupted by a hundreds of goons pointing their guns at him! Keyop tries to play it off but the goons aren't playing wanting to know how he got in. Fortunately, his wrist communicator is still open and Mark knows Keyop has been captured!

The team reports to Chief Anderson with what information they have. They know there's a bomb but they don’t' know where it's planted. Mark tells him that Keyop wasn't able to pass on that bit. Chief Anderson knows Spectra will list demands soon and just like conjuring the devil, Zoltar breaks in on a video communications. Zoltar tells them that he is holding one of them, meaning Keyop, and that a hydrogen-powered explosive in the Federation building that can be detonated at will. The team stands in shock as the clock shows 2:00. Zoltar continues, demanding the designs for the Viper Directional Finder that Zoltar considers a small price for what's at stake: Keyop's life and the Federation building. Zoltar then ends the communications.

Chief Anderson goes to a file cabinet and pulls out a case with the designs. Mark is not happy that the chief would turn over the designs "just like that." Chief Anderson tells him this is a "judgment call" but says if they can save Keyop and prevent a "bombing disaster" without handing over the plans, even better. The chief warns if they can't, then some hard choices will have to be made. Mark says they'll do all they can to hang onto the designs before running out. Chief Anderson calls Mark back at the last second telling the commander nothing is being given away. Mark smiles and salutes before running out.

G-Force launches out of Center Neptune as Zark says they're in a "ticklish" situation. They fly along with Tiny asking where he dives next and Mark says "just ahead, two degrees right." Meanwhile, the commander and goons board their mech shaped as a butterfly and wait until the Phoenix is in range before launching.

At the base, Keyop has been thrown into a cell and his wrist communicator taken from him. The guard stands there taunting him saying he's going to keep the bracelet. Keyop says it's no big deal, he'll use his spare! Keyop pretends to call the team and it freaks out the guard who opens the cell. Keyop takes out the guard! His bracelet falls onto the floor and the noise gains the attention of two more goons. Keyop completes a quick change and tells them he's got no problem when they ask.

The Phoenix and the butterfly mech engage in a fight with the butterfly on the surface and the Phoenix underwater. They launch multiple rockets but Tiny has the Phoenix caught under some rocks. The missiles explode all around them and the Phoenix falls to the bottom. Tiny says the Power Generator "conked out" and they have water "seeping" in. Mark orders the bilge pumps to be activated and needs a really bright idea right about now. Zark says they're in a pickle but he's confident that Mark will pull them through as he has before.

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

Act Two to follow!
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Bobkat
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:30 pm

Re: BotP Close-up 049

Post: # 526Post Bobkat »

E49: Keyop Does It All

Act Two

Zark paces in Nerve Center having lost visual contact with G-Force. At last report, the Phoenix was on the sea floor "under a Spectra torpedo barrage" – the kind of thing that turns robots rusty. He worries he's malfunctioning and that's why Mark is going to stop by. Zark becomes depressed wondering if he's been making mistakes. He leans over with Rover coming over to tap his back. He says he's been feeling short in his Silicone Diodes lately but maybe it's "just the weather." Zark returns to his monitors to try again to contact the team.

Multiple missiles are fired toward the Phoenix and explode around her. Mark tells Tiny they need to move out of the way. "I've had with target practice." Tiny agrees and gets the Phoenix moving. The butterfly mech shoots a beam from its eyes that barely misses the Phoenix. Princess reports, "They're keying in with radiation." Mark says it's time for some cat and mouse and Tiny shuts off the engines. The Spectrans lose their signal and ping for the Phoenix. Mark tells the team not to make a sound. After a few minutes, he tells Jason and Princess that he wants the case with the Viper Direction Finder to use as a decoy. Jason and Princess hop to it.

Keyop moves around the Spectran base in a goon uniform. Keyop shows up to relieve the guard who tells him not to go in, the commander is "boiling." Keyop asks, "Stomach problems?" The guard ignores the question and says it's trouble. Keyop asks if it's bad and the guard confirms it's bad. As the goon walks away, Keyop says, "Good! … Make more trouble!" The commander moves a console and walks to another part of the base. Keyop transmutes and enters the control room finding the button for the bomb. He follows the wiring and rigs one of his mini explosives into the panel. Instead of blowing up the Federation building, Keyop will surprise the Spectrans.

On the Phoenix, the team gathers some debris and cover it with oil in order to convince the Spectrans they've been hit. Tiny sees hundreds of lobster in front of them. "And I'm starved!" Mark notices they're electronic made to pinpoint their location. In the belly of the Phoenix, Jason is working on something and drops a screwdriver! It's enough to set off the lobster and make the Phoenix a target again! The butterfly mech shoots more missiles and Mark orders to kick in "full power boosters." Tiny moves the Phoenix around stirring up the lobsters and lands again to a full stop. The butterfly mech shoots at what they see producing an oil slick thanks to the team releasing their debris. The case floats to the surface and the goons realize they have the Viper Direction Finder.

The goons celebrate as the commander reports to Zoltar that the Phoenix has been destroyed and they have the Viper Direction Finder. Zoltar is extremely pleased but Keyop has escaped and Zolter orders the alarm to find him. Goons run around the base trying to find Keyop as he keeps out of sight. Keyop sends out a signal because he knows he needs help.

On board the Phoenix, Mark is satisfied that they have accomplished one part of their mission because Spectra thinks they're dead. Tiny is relieved that they stopped firing at them and lounges back waiting for something to break. Keyop's signal comes in on their bracelets. Jason says it's a "crosshatch" signal and Mark tells Princess to decode it. She goes to her console removing her bracelet to triangulate Keyop's position. She says he's "due north on an azimuth of three point three." Mark tells Tiny, "Go!" and they take off.

In the base, the goons use everything in their arsenal including hidden and mobile cameras to find Keyop. As they deploy the cameras, one nearly hits Keyop in the head and he kicks some pebbles off that hit a goon. His position is given away and he fights his way out only to be cornered by everyone in the base including the commander. The commander tells him he'll find it more difficult to escape this time. He plans to put Keyop in a cell not much bigger than the smallest G-Forcer.

As the commander laughs evilly, he's interrupted by Mark who stands with the rest of G-Force in a lighted stairwell. Mark says they already have a home for Keyop! The goons aim for the team but Mark fires his sonic boomerang taking out several guns. The team gets to work with Keyop biting a goon on the head and Tiny tackles a whole bunch in one bulldozer move. When they've cleared enough out, the team makes a quick exit out of the base. They land on the Phoenix and quickly take off putting a long distance between them and the base.

The butterfly mech returns to base and watch the Phoenix leave. The goons continue to the base because they don't have any orders to go after the ship. On the Phoenix, Mark whacks Keyop on the helmet telling him that he should be put on report. Mark tells Keyop he nearly wound up with Spectra permanently. Keyop says, "Sorry." Jason backs up Keyop, pointing out that Keyop found Spectra for them. Princess adds that Keyop showed initiative and bravery. She says he should receive a medal, not a lecture.

At the base, the commander is not happy that the Phoenix got away and chews out his crew. They offer the case that was found in the debris but when the commander opens it, the case is empty! He throws it at the goons. Having enough, the commander makes the last move he can and that is to press the red button to collapse the Federation building. But when he presses the button, it blows up the base! Princess reports from her console that the base has been destroyed. Mark puts his hand on Keyop's head while Tiny calls him "our hero."

The Phoenix starts on her way home after a successful mission. Zark says he's glad, as a big load has been taken off his Capacitors because he was never able to contact them at all. Zark tells Rover it's the "zero hour" and Mark should be arriving at any minute. Zark is worried that Mark will "pull his plug" and turn him off but this should be Zark's proudest hour. He says he has a case of "incurable malfunction" and he didn't even feel it. He pats Rover's nose and the dog licks him as Mark walks in. Zark immediately straightens to include his antennae when Mark speaks and says it's an honor to meet him. They shake hands and Mark tells him why he's there: something that Zark forgot or perhaps slipped his mind. Zark defends everything because he's sure he's about to be shut down. Zark even mentions he has a slight hitch in his Oscillator Relay. Mark assures Zark that no one feels the robot is "washed up" but quite the opposite – they believe Zark's the greatest. It turns out to be Zark's birthday! Princess runs in to wish me a Happy Birthday and even kisses him. Zark nearly loses control blushing from her kiss.

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