BotP Close-up 068

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Bobkat
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BotP Close-up 068

Post: # 581Post Bobkat »

This week we visit Silent City. I like this ep and it stuck with me for decades especially the part where Keyop jumps onto the cable car and causes all sorts of chaos. His teammates can't even find themselves on the same page on what the little guy should do (I'm looking at you, Mark and Jason!) :D

If that wasn't bad enough, they have to face down a fake Chief Anderson. Another scene that stayed with me for decades was the one where Mark tossed his teammates aside on the aircraft carrier. Whoops! :) Enjoy the plot! :)

The Other Jason's write up is here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep68.html

E68: Silent City

Act One

7-Zark-7 is like a creature in a deep aquarium beneath the sea in Center Neptune. It's Nerve Center for all the galactic security and defenses. Zark is in his helmet and flies to his monitors saying they keep watch over all the friendly planets in the Intergalactic Federation. It's a full-time job and done day and night. He's concerned about planet Exor at the edge of the Milky Way. A fleet of robot planes has gone there to investigate some strange happenings in their largest cities. Zark will keep an eye on them as soon as he's done cleaning his monitor – if he has to see something 10 million light-years away he needs all the help he can get.

As Zark tunes in, the major city on Exor, which sits on an island, is surrounded by a wall of radiation. The robot planes are in place and ready to take off so they can investigate what is going on. The robot planes are outfitted to take readings at and inside the wall as long as they can penetrate the radiation. Three of them take off from a nearby aircraft carrier toward the city. Zark says the city is deserted as people were warned to leave by a mysterious voice/message prior to the massive explosion. The robot planes hit the radiation wall, they incinerate!

Chief Anderson briefs the team, "It was like the old megaton bomb," incinerating the robot planes. Mark adds that he heard it's "dirty" too – highest radiation levels ever seen. Chief Anderson says that somehow a radiation wall has been left around the city but scientists don't know how that was accomplished. When Princess asks who was responsible, the chief says it was Spectra who bombed it but it's their own base! The team is shocked. Jason questions the logic of it all while the chief tells them that it's believed Spectra did it to prove they could even though they have no interest in Exor. Chief Anderson also tells them they should be okay as long as they stay no longer than an hour. Mark says that's a long way to go for such a short time to visit.

The chief continues that they have the ability to pierce the wall by emitting an equal amount of heat. Princess knows that means the Fiery Phoenix with Mark wondering what will happen to them. Tiny answers, "One of two things: we fly through or we fry through!" Keyop tells them, "Drop me a card." Chief Anderson informs them an aircraft carrier will "de-ionize" them before they go in. Mark says they don't have anything to worry about.

The Phoenix launches from Center Neptune and on to planet Exor. Meanwhile, Zoltar and the Luminous One confer about their lasted "rushed" plan. The Luminous One isn't impressed that Zoltar requires more time, but Zoltar says it's only a few hours. The plan is to actually lure G-Force there and Zoltar says the final arrangements are being made to finish the team once and for all. The Luminous One asks, "Did you send them invitations?" Zoltar explains he was able to entice them and they're now on their way to Exor.

The Phoenix arrives at Exor and sees the aircraft carrier. Mark then says they now get sprayed with "some goop" so they can go into the city for an hour. Keyop requests, "olive green," but Mark answers that the goop doesn't come in colors. Jason comments how Chief Anderson wouldn't look them in the eye. Mark counters that they're into something new and the team is the "guinea pigs." Keyop looks shocked as Tiny wonders why there's a sudden switch with the chief. Princess tells them she brought along her mini-Geiger counter. Mark wants her to keep it handy.

Tiny makes a fly-by of the aircraft carrier as the de-ionization process gets underway. The crew stands on deck and waves at the Phoenix as the team goes by. The Phoenix undergoes the procedure and is off toward the city. Jason gets a strong signal "hot as a volcano" from the city. Mark orders Tiny to "button down" and to pull up the city on remote. What they see is no surprise, there's radiation everywhere! Mark isn't all that trusting of the "invisible" coating after Keyop says they've been sprayed. Mark tells the smallest member it'll probably be a good idea to not trust what he can't see either. Keyop reminds him, "The chief said …" but Mark knows what the chief said, but didn’t' like how he said. From the radar station, Jason asks if they should forget the whole thing or proceed on. Mark answers back that he'll "run the ship" and orders Keyop back into his seat.

The team takes their stations and transmutes into the Fiery Phoenix to pierce the wall. They fly through the wall of radiation to enter the city and successfully break in. Everything looks good even though Keyop wound up on the floor. Princess reports they're "in the eye" while Jason confirms everything is clean in the city. Mark is thankful for the change and orders Tiny to land. Tiny sets the Phoenix down in a town square.

All five team members disembark to find an abandoned city. Keyop calls it "spooky" while Princess finds it "unbelievable." Tiny likens the sight to someone taking a big eraser and blanking everything. Jason feels like he's going to be jumped at any second with Mark backing him, "and not by anything human." The more they look, the more nothing they find. Tiny comments, "They sure have the traffic problem licked here." Mark wants Princess to take a reading and she pulls out her mini-Geiger counter. Princess takes some readings and surprisingly finds all the radiation is out in the belt around the city! Mark is shocked. Jason says, "And you thought Chief Anderson was sending us on a bad trip." Mark defends himself saying something didn’t' sound right. Keyop wonders if they'll stay longer but Tiny isn't having it. "Longer than an hour in a creepy place like this? I'll be in and out and give you 45 minutes change." Keyop calls Tiny "chicken" before he sees an abandoned trolley car.

Keyop goes to check it out the "free ride." Keyop pretends to ring the bell making "ding" sounds and Tiny says, "You're a ding ding" because the car isn't going anywhere. Mark warns Keyop not to fool around with anything until they can check it. Just as Mark gets the warning out, the car starts moving on its own! Keyop hangs on screaming as Princess yells, "Keyop, look out!" Mark yells at him, "Jump! … Get off that thing!" Jason yells the opposite, "Don't jump! Hang on!" Keyop eventually jumps, "Whee!" and the car stops. The teammates run to him and the car. Mark asks if he's okay as Jason and Princess look over the car. Jason tells Keyop he's lucky the car stopped. Keyop says he didn't start it but Jason wonders who did. The city clock, showing 5:00, starts chiming in an eerie manner and echoes off everything.

The team stands and stares with Keyop seeking comfort from Tiny who turns the tables, "Now, look at the one who's being chicken?" They're both scared when the clock tower's façade begins melting. Jason realizes what's happening and asks what the Geiger is reading now. Princess doesn't even get out of the pouch when it picks up radiation. Princess says they're "hot" and surmises it's drifting in from the belt. Mark agrees saying it's drifting fast as other buildings meet the same fate as the clock tower.

Mark orders the team back to the Phoenix because if it loses de-ionization, they'll never escape! The team runs to their ship with Tiny saying their hour isn't even close to being up, but Princess has had enough. Mark adds that Chief Anderson was wrong! Meanwhile, parts of the buildings melt then coalesce into a Spectra machine shaped like a beetle with huge metal claws! The Phoenix goes airborne.

Act Two

Zark stands in the middle of the control room in his helmet giving Zoltar what for. He feels Zoltar has tricked them "once too often" and throws his own boomerang around the room. Zark is officially in dreamland asking Zoltar if he was surprised to have the poison knocked out of his so expertly. As Zark works at his monitors, they spark back due to him not realizing his on strength. He claims he was only brushing up on his G-Force tactics in case they might need to be used in the future. He tries to tune in to Exor because something very strange is happening in that "silent city."

On board the Phoenix, the team watches the mech form. Keyop calls it a "giant crab" with Tiny commenting, "Yep, and I'd say it's fresh from Zoltar's fish market!" Mark adds, "I knew this was a bad scene." He orders Tiny to go in on it with the scanner and the thing magnifies on the view screen. Mark is hoping to figure out how they programmed it. Tiny warns of an imminent attack and the Phoenix is rocked.

Mark climbs back into his chair telling Tiny to climb out but he can't, no matter what the pilot does. The mech has the Phoenix in its claws! Mark tells Tiny to "shake it loose!" Tiny manages to free the Phoenix by literally ripping out of the claws but the claws melts and begins eating at the Phoenix's skin! Mark pulls up the damage on his closed circuit video and sees a big hole in the skin!

There are smaller copies of the mech eating their way into the Phoenix. Keyop comments, "Fish dinner." The mech grabs the Phoenix again dispersing more gunk onto the Phoenix containing the smaller mechs. Tiny tries to keep the Phoenix airborne asking for ideas while the mech bites onto the Phoenix's nose. He tells his teammates they're "not going anywhere fast." As well, more holes are being put into the Phoenix leaving Mark with only one way out: Fiery Phoenix! He gives the order to transmute.

When the Phoenix becomes the Fiery Phoenix, it literally melts the mech and all the gunk that has been deposited upon it. Tiny turns the ship towards the belt and they head out. Mark tells Tiny to get them through that belt! As they continue, Princess reports they're at "maximum heat stress" but they go on. Something happens with the Fiery Phoenix setting off an explosion.

The ocean is a bit stirred up but things are pretty normal. The team was knocked out and Mark wakes up leaning on his console. Somehow, they've managed to land on the carrier after the commander thought they blew up. Mark shares the news with his teammates who are also waking up. Keyop calls Tiny "super pilot" but Tiny has no idea how he did it.

Mark takes three teammates to the bubble so they can meet the crew. Tiny stays behind at the controls of the Phoenix. They leap down onto the deck with Jason completing a back flip. Mark thanks the crew for rescuing the team but a crewmember says the one to thank is Chief Anderson, who is on board! Mark is shocked and they walk in to speak to the chief.

When the team enters, Chief Anderson turns and welcomes them back "from oblivion." The chief goes into something of a mini-rant telling Mark that in the future he should have more confidence in his guidance. The chief tells them the Phoenix is refueled and ready to go back into the city if they feel they've had enough rest. Jason asks if the chief wants to join them but the chief refuses claiming he has urgent business on the ship. He says he'll follow them all the way on the monitor.

As the team walk out followed by Chief Anderson, Mark calls to Tiny to check the fuel gauge. Tiny looks at it and reports back, "We're just about out of space juice." Mark and Tiny go back and forth being sure of the reading and Mark wonders if tiny checked it but he said he figured since the crew told him he was full, he assumed the ship had been refueled.

Chief Anderson wonders what Mark's hang up is. "I gave you a safe hour on that island, and still you don't trust me." Mark claims he was just making a pre-flight check in line with standard procedures. Mark and the others start walking toward the Phoenix with Jason saying he hopes that Mark knows what he's doing. Mark throws his arms out, knocking over his teammates in the process. He knows something is wrong because there was no base on the island. When radiation didn't take them out, they tried drowning. He then throws his sonic boomerang at Chief Anderson striking the man. Mark stands resolute knowing he hit him and taunting him not to pretend because he knows how accurate Mark is with his aim!

'Anderson' holds his face as Mark wants to why he sent them on a "doomsday flight." Zoltar then reveals himself saying he serves a higher power than them! Zoltar knows he's surprised them but there's more! Goons run at them from every direction and they quickly surround the team. Zoltar is nearing the end of his rope wanting to do away with this team once and for all! The fight is on!

The team leaps into action as the goons shoot but they miss the team. Keyop and Princess kick some goons down while Mark and Jason punch and kick their way through. Tiny sits at the Phoenix's controls wondering what's taking the team so long. He looks out the view screen and sees the action happening. Not wanting to miss the action, Tiny joins the fray by landing on some goons aiming for Mark and Jason when he leaps off the Phoenix. Tiny asks them, "Where are your manners?" Tiny tackles a group forcing them overboard and he starts tossing them overboard one by one.

Once the goons are taken care of, Mark asks what happened to Zoltar. Princess answers, "You know what they say, when the going gets bad, the bad get going." Just then, a ship resembling a spinning top emerges from the lower decks. Zoltar isn't happy telling G-Force "farewell" for now but he'll be back and expects a different outcome. His ships warms up and blasts off. Jason asks, "How does that devil always manage to get away?" Mark says Zoltar always keeps them busy while he makes his getaway. Mark is certain one day they'll "nail him." Keyop adds, "Derail him." Tiny comments, "Maybe his pie plate will run out of fuel." He then realizes that the Phoenix needs fuel to get home. Mark agrees, they need to get home and check in with the real chief Anderson.

Zark, still in his helmet, is relieved the team was successful and says he could have alerted the team if he had known Chief Anderson had been lured away from Center Neptune. The Phoenix makes her way home to Earth and Center Neptune. Zark mentions that people don't always keep him informed of their comings and goings, only when they travel to and from Earth. He tells 1-Rover-1 that if he were better informed, they wouldn't have situations like this arise. Rover reminds Zark that he always reports his comings and goings, but he has to – Zark pushes the buttons allowing Rover to move about. But Zark says that's a secret to G-Force before both robots complete the G-Froce salute.

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