BotP Close-up 060

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Bobkat
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BotP Close-up 060

Post: # 555Post Bobkat »

This week is the Giant Space Bat and the mysterious pilot named Jim. Turns out, Jim was accidentally shot down when Spectra tried out their latest mech. It brings some unwanted attention from G-Force.

There is some cool editing in this ep to back up what the characters are telling us. :) Enjoy! :)

The Other Jason's write-up is here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep60.html

E60: Giant Space Bat

Act One

7-Zark-7 is at Center Neptune "deep beneath the serene sea" where they're entrusted with the peace and security of the galaxy. Zark paces, going out of his FOSDIC because the "unthinkable" occurred – he failed his last physical. He's scheduled to have two of his Proto-capacitors worked on and have a Synchro-Servo transplant due to having issues with his memory banks. 1-Rover-1 yips his concern but Zark assures him they do great things with part replacements these days. Zark flies to his monitors but he didn't want and hopes he "can muddle through" until he's fixed.

Zark is determined to keep an eye on planet Spectra, located in the Crab Nebula. This he remembers, but he turns his scanners to Saturn. Zark tries to track down Spectra but there's a mech flying in Earth's skies commanded by a guy with bushy gray hair and wearing a yellow outfit. The commander orders the force ray activated and they take out a mountaintop with it projected from its leading edges. Zoltar watches on a video monitor, pleased by what he sees. He's dreaming of conquering the universe when the commander interrupts. The commander reports they encountered a manned space ship and downed it with the force ray. Zoltar is not amused ordering the commander to attack Metropolitan City at once. Zoltar knows with the downed craft, it will get G-Force's attention but it's worse as anyone on the craft was able to witness the entire test run.

Mark flies his civilian plane over the area where the crash occurred. He reports to Chief Anderson that he's not seeing anything in the mountainous terrain. Chief Anderson tells him to keep looking because they're certain of the location. Mark finally comes across the wreckage noticing the craft was sliced in half by an unknown weapon. Mark talks to himself assessing the scene before calling out to anyone who might have survived. As Mark walks away, he notices something and runs to a lone survivor, a pilot.

The pilot is taken back to Center Neptune and is in the infirmary with the team in their G-Force uniforms surrounding him. Princess wonders why he won't speak and if he can even hear them. The pilot opens his eyes while Chief Anderson says a concussion has been ruled out. Mark suspects the pilot is still in shock unable to communicate. Chief Anderson says he might be trying to unconsciously trying to block the trauma of what happened to him. He says the pilot, Jim, should be able to remember and talk but hopes it doesn't take too long. Chief Anderson has had the wreckage flown to Center Neptune for analysis. But the chief says they really need an eyewitness account.

Later, Chief Anderson is working on the analysis when Mark enters the laboratory. Chief Anderson shows Mark what they've found so far. The projection shows a clean cut on the spacecraft with the chief explaining that whatever was used, there was no resistance to it. Mark wonders if a force ray isn't responsible and the chief adds, "of the most awesome power that you can imagine." Mark asks if the chief believes it's Zoltar again. Chief Anderson has no doubt, but doesn't know when or where the villain will strike next.

The mech is shaped like a bat and flies over Metropolitan City, which had been ordered evacuated into bombproof shelters. The bat destroys several buildings, leaving rubble in its wake thanks to its force ray weapon. Zark is worried because he's unable to contact Chief Anderson or G-Force. He is able to contact defense forces and they have sent up a fleet of robot planes to try to deal with the bat. Missiles are useless against it, even underneath. The force ray incinerates the planes and it appears indestructible.

At a mountain retreat, Chief Anderson and the team have taken Jim to a quieter environment but Jim still isn't talking. He sits by a tree with Chief Anderson saying he sits there for hours "like a zombie." Jim notices Keyop messing around with his bolos and walks to him to ask about them. Jim wants to try and Keyop tosses them to him wrapping Jim's wrist. He says they look like fun and tries them only to bring down a hapless pigeon flying by. Keyop says, "Poor bird" and untangles the pigeon from the bolos. When Princess tells Jim he has to be careful with the bolos and he says he never meant to do harm. He becomes shaky on his feet after Keyop releases the bird "good as new." Jim collapses remembering on the key word of "force" as Princess tells him he's like the bird brought down by a force he can't remember.

Jim is taken back to an infirmary where he's put on a helmet measuring various brain wave activities. Chief Anderson confers with Zark on the phone receiving the reports on Metropolitan City being attacked. The chief tells the team it's up to them now because the force ray destroyed a fleet of robot planes. The team chants, "G-Force!" and take off. Mark stays behind long enough to tell Jim he's going to be okay.

The team launches from Center Neptune without incident. The bat mech flies over what is left of Metropolitan City when the goons see the Phoenix flying towards them. Tiny says, "There it is. That's baby we're looking for." Mark tells the team to be ready for anything because they don't know what they're up against. Jason adds they give back anything they get. Tiny flies the Phoenix to engage the mech with Jason standing by the missile launch. "Wanna play!?" Jason starts pressing the button firing bird missiles at the mech with no effect. After a bit, Jason pounds the console in frustration, "We might as well be throwing snowballs at it!" Tiny can barely retain control due to extreme vibrations. The bat isn't through, flapping its wings and causing severe turbulence. The Phoenix starts bucking wildly and spinning.

Mark tells Tiny to get out of it and Tiny retorts, "I've got a tiger by the tail." The bat uses its force ray taking out the Phoenix's rudder. Jason tells them they have to use the Fiery Phoenix. They're on a collision course with the bat mech when they transmute to the Fiery Phoenix. Mark tells them "This is gonna smart." The bat uses the force ray on the Fiery Phoenix forcing them out of the transmutation early as the ship cracks. The Phoenix falls into a canyon smoking with Spectra believing they have defeated G-Force.

Act Two

Zark says that due to anti-impact buffers were installed, at his insistence, the team was uninjured. Zark goes on saying their pride was hurt and he has to get busy rebuilding the Phoenix. He flies to his monitors, this time like he wanted due to the parts being replaced that he spoke about earlier. Zark laments that humans can't be fixed so easily and shifts his focus onto Mark and Jim Reeg who are out riding motorcycles. Zark decides to keep an eye on them because Zoltar may figure out how important Jim is.

Mark and Jim ride along with mountains on one side and water on the other. Above them, Spectran helicopter appears and Mark jumps from his bike to the back of Jim's. Mark's bike crashes into the rock and explodes but the pair keeps riding on the road. The helicopter doesn't let up as a goon shoots at them. While he's controlling the bike, Jim grabs Mark's sonic boomerang and throws it at the goon slicing his gun in two. Mark catches it as Jim looses control. The bike crashes but Mark lifts Jim off the bike and they dive into the water. The helicopter hovers long enough to see Mark's white wings on the water's surface then takes off. Mark surfaces putting Jim on his wings after the helicopter leaves. Jim tells Mark he remembers the crash!

Mark takes Jim back to Chief Anderson where Jim tells him and G-Force what happened. Chief Anderson treads carefully telling Jim that whatever was blocking his memory is now gone. Jim recalls being taken on board the Space Bat and hypnotized. Mark says that's why Jim couldn't remember anything. Chief Anderson is desperate for answers and Jim tries to help but everything is in a fog. Mark suggests trying to get Jim on board but the pilot is afraid, which isn't surprising knowing what he went through. Mark says it's up to him on whether to get back on board and Mark promises he'll back him all the way including being by his side. Jim decides to go but tells them he's doing this for him as much as for them. Chief Anderson says the new Phoenix is ready to go and Keyop can barely control his excitement. Princess tells him to stay calm but she can't wait either challenging her teammates to a race. They all run out to board the Phoenix. Chief Anderson tells them to take care of it and each other but they're already gone.

The Phoenix flies on seeking out the Space Bat as Zark natters on about the phoenix myth rising from the ashes. Jason calls out the location where Zark said the Space Bat would be. Princess sees a blip on the radar screen, right on target. Tiny flies the Phoenix into position with Jason adding if done right, Mark and Jim can fly right into the hatch. Mark and Jim get ready to go into the bubble as Tiny moves. The team wishes them well and Jason wants them to stay in contact, if they can.

The commander is incensed at seeing the Phoenix again. He orders the force ray used and Tiny avoids it bringing the Phoenix in behind the Space. Mark and Jim glide down to the open hatch on the top. Upon landing inside the Space Bat, they take out a goon and look for the control room. Outside, the Space Bat turns around to engage the Phoenix but Tiny avoids it the best he can but rocks the team in the process. However, Tiny can't hang onto it asking Jason for help. Jason struggles to get up front to engage the Stabilizer but they're under the bat and it's flapping the wings.

On the Space Bat, Mark and Jim make it to the control room surprising the commander. Mark reveals Jim who the commander thought was dead. Mark agrees that Lotak left him for dead but "you're not too thorough" for which he's grateful. Lotak pulls a pistol and Mark aims his sonic boomerang telling Lotak to drop his gun. Lotak isn't cooperative as he jumps on Jim shoving the gun into his hand. Lotak tries to put Jim under his control to shoot Mark. Jim fights the suggestions but still aims the gun at Mark.

Outside, the Phoenix tries to outrun the Space Bat but is still being buffeted but the team is hanging on. The Space Bat closes in on the Phoenix as the standoff continues between Mark and Jim. Jim becomes shakier as time passes. Mark tries to talk Jim down but Mark makes a desperate move to stun Lotak with his boomerang. At the same time, Jim makes the move to shoot Lotak who collapses onto Jim forcing them both onto the floor. Unfortunately, the boomerang hit Jim as well. Jim says he'll be okay and asks for the boomerang. He slams open a panel revealing a bomb that he planted before being hypnotized. It's set to blow up three minutes after the panel is opened. Jim gets his wind back and Mark helps him.

On the Phoenix, the rest of the team is about to shake apart as the Space Bat moves above them. Keyop is waiting for the end, calling Princess his "best friend." She looks toward the view screen and sees Mark and Jim leap from the Space Bat. Tiny flies right under them for the pick up just before the Space Bat explodes into ruin. It crashes into a mountain range as the Phoenix makes its way home with all the team and Jim on board preventing another "dastardly" attack from Zoltar and Spectra.

Zark is in the shower singing badly as Rover stands by with his towel. He says the anti-rust gets the grid plate tingling. He decides to take a ten second oil break so he doesn't overtax his new Proto-capacitors and Synchro-Servo. Susan calls from Pluto saying she only peeked with one eye as Zark took a shower, thus she's "an one-eyed Susan." Zark pulls up his towel in shock but Susan wanted him to know his new Proto-capacitors are "just beautiful." They hang up and go about their days.

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