BotP Close-up 084

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Bobkat
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BotP Close-up 084

Post: # 664Post Bobkat »

This week, a doctor from the team's past causes all sorts of problems. Dr. Strecker even takes a photo of the team in their civilian clothes! He has dollar signs dancing in his head as he plots to trap the tea and sell them to the highest bidder! :o

Alas, this pipe dream is not to be. But there are things to like about this ep. For one, the team shows us just how tight they are when Mark and Jason come to Princess' aid in the middle of a fight. This was another scene that stuck with me for many years and one of the reasons I enjoy Battle so much. :) So, sit back and enjoy "Spectra Space Spider"! :)

The Other Jason's write-up is here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep84.html

E84: Spectra Space Spider

Act One

7-Zark-7 is part of the "watchdog" of the universe to keep note of anything unusual. Right now, Zark has been asked by President Kane of the Intergalactic Federation to look in on Stellar City where a drought has been ongoing. Zark flies to his monitors and would like everything to work like it's supposed to, such as rain when it's meant to and the sun shine when it's supposed to. He discusses the ongoing research into weather modifications to try to, one day, control hurricanes and tornadoes and possibly droughts.

Zark uses his Long-Range Telecon Satellite Signals to zoom in on Stellar City. Something eerie happened with a large spider web in the sky that blocked the rain clouds. Everything has dried up and even the birds struggle to find food to eat. President Kane has declared an emergency in Stellar City and remote controlled cargo aircraft are lifting rations to the stricken city. A small fleet of about five aircraft takes off for Stellar City.

The fleet flies through a fog only to run into a mech with several smaller mechs. Together the ships form a 'Spider web' that blocks anything flying through it. When the aircraft are stopped, they explode. The fleet carrying relief supplies are destroyed. On board the main mech, a man watches the view screen and is delighted by what he sees. He laughs evilly telling Zoltar via video that his "Tronic Web" is impenetrable. Zoltar is pleased and glad Dr. Strecker, who wears a plain eye patch over his left eye, defected from Center Neptune to work with them at a most opportune time. Zoltar tells him Spectra will use Dr. Strecker's scientific knowledge and Zoltar will personally help him get revenge on Center Neptune for dismissing him so easily.

Zoltar wants Dr. Strecker to meet with Security Chief Anderson, who Dr. Strecker detests. Dr. Strecker wants Chief Anderson to pay for what he considers an injustice. Zoltar wants some pictures taken and is willing to pay Dr. Strecker well for the photographs. Zoltar has it completely planned out: he wants Chief Anderson to come alone to meet Dr. Strecker on the island of Zeriba. Zoltar knows G-Force will most likely be in tow because they're not willing to let Chief Anderson go anywhere alone. When they meet, Zoltar wants Dr. Strecker to take photos of the team. After that, Zoltar says Dr. Strecker can "dispose of your old friend Chief Anderson any way you see fit." When Zoltar ends the conference, Dr. Strecker readies a small camera that resides in his eye patch.

At Center Neptune, Chief Anderson holds a cassette tape that just arrived from Dr. Strecker. Chief Anderson says the doctor is now working for Spectra as he loads the tape in the player. The team surrounds the desk as the tape plays with Dr. Strecker spewing venom at Chief Anderson, especially stopping the doctor's work on his Tronic Web and having him fired. However, the doctor claims to have "secret information" on the drought in Stellar City and offers the chief a chance to save the inhabitants. Dr. Strecker makes it clear: the chief is to go alone and meet him on Zeriba Island at 1800 hours. Mark tells the chief it might be a trap but it's a risk the chief is willing to take. Chief Anderson surmises that Dr. Strecker is a desperate man and maybe, just maybe, the chief can talk him back from his defection to Spectra.

Chief Anderson explains the two men used to be close friends and Dr. Strecker one of their top scientists. He goes on to say when he told Dr. Strecker his Tronic Web project was too dangerous, Dr. Strecker took that as a "personal rejection." Chief Anderson is determined to try to turn Dr. Strecker back. As he walks out of the office, Mark and Jason exchange glances – they are NOT allowing the chief to go meet Dr. Strecker alone!

Chief Anderson climbs into his vehicle but, unbeknownst to him, he has five stowaways! As he pulls away in his submarine, the team jumps into the rear hatch in birdstyle. Chief Anderson continues on to his destination, driving a car out of the submarine. The team is in and on the car with Princess and Keyop in the trunk. Chief Anderson drives to the outskirts of an airfield, climbing out and looking around.

As the chief walks, Dr. Strecker calls out while he leans on a light pole. Chief Anderson stops squinting through some strategically placed spotlights. Dr. Strecker explains that after he was fired, he continued with his research but without the proper safety equipment, he lost his eye in a mishap and he blames the chief. Chief Anderson is sorry about the loss of his eye and considers the doctor a great talent. Chief Anderson also says he never fired Dr. Strecker, he simply walked out – without a word. Dr. Strecker doesn't want to hear it and certainly not about the chief's offer to go back. As the men talk, Dr. Strecker lights a cigarette while there's a pinkish blur behind Chief Anderson. Dr. Strecker says it's "too late" before flicking his cigarette high into the air where it brightly flares.

G-Force freezes, knowing they've been exposed. Chief Anderson understands what is happening immediately. He holds his arms and yells to the team to "get under cover fast" because Dr. Strecker is trying to photograph their faces! The team literally jumps into action and away from their spots. Dr. Strecker snaps away knowing he has something. Before he runs away, Dr. Strecker tosses a parting gift toward Chief Anderson saying, "Goodbye, Dr. Anderson!" Mark notices the bomb right away and tackles the chief to safety just in time. Princess and Keyop walk up with her asking if everyone is okay. Jason and Tiny are nearby with Tiny asking, "And that's an old friend of the chief's!?" Keyop adds, "Friends like that, who needs enemies?" As the smoke lingers, Mark explains they decided to tag along, just in case. Chief Anderson is glad they stowed away but worries that Dr. Strecker was able to get photos of the team's faces. If he did, they are now targets for every Spectran spy in the galaxy.

Zoltar is anxious to see the results of Dr. Strecker's efforts. A goon reports the photo is going through "photo-electric rinsing" as they speak. Zoltar is excited to finally have a picture of G-Force out of their uniforms. The photograph spits out face up and Zoltar laughs – he wants another copy. Meantime at Center Neptune, the team is feeling down, especially Mark. Chief Anderson knows this wasn't their fault and that Dr. Strecker knew the team wouldn't be far behind the chief. Tiny says what they did was wrong. Mark beats up himself, for doing a "dumb thing." The chief does his best to console the commander knowing they only meant to help the chief. Princess notes the people who really need help are those in Stellar City.

Zoltar pipes in his video to Chief Anderson and the team telling them he has a great photograph of the team. He says Dr. Strecker is an excellent photographer and continues to taunt saying it belongs in a Rhodes Gallery. Jason cracks, "Keep 'em in your wallet, Zoltar!" Tiny wonders how they can really help, if they can't show themselves. Chief Anderson tells them they'll find a way. Mark adds they need to find Dr. Strecker and fast. The chief says they need a plan.

Act Two

Zark stands by his monitors lamenting the team ignoring his advice that at anytime they're out for a mission they need to be transmuted. He's kind of smug saying maybe they'll start listening. The team considers him a "fuss budget." He goes on to say those photos that Dr. Strecker took are going to be trouble for them. He also says he warned Chief Anderson about Dr. Strecker but the chief ignored him. Zark says he becomes so hot and bothered about things like that, he steams up his monitors and he wipes them down. He has a "hunch" in his Analytical Spectrometer that Dr. Strecker is controlling the weather around Stellar City. The scientist has such a talent for great advances or "deadly evil."

The team prepares to go out. Keyop's Star Buggy is given a special treatment to make it resistant to Tronic energy. Dr. Anderson puts the finishing touches on the vehicle and it has been discovered that Dr. Strecker's Tronic beams have been causing the drought in Stellar City. Chief Anderson briefs the team to not out-guess Dr. Strecker because he's "completely unpredictable and deadly." He tells them directly their mission is to break through the web so the cargo planes can pass through to deliver supplies to Stellar City. The chief knows it won't be easy due to Dr. Strecker's desperation but the survival of Stellar City is on G-Force's shoulders. The team chants, "G-Force!" salutes and leaves.
At a staging airfield, the fleet readies to depart. The tower calls the Phoenix reporting the squadron of remote controlled fighters of " airport squadron" and cargo planes are taxiing for takeoff. The Phoenix leads the fleet. Meanwhile, Zoltar tells off Dr. Strecker, belittling the scientist and gripes about him taking terrible "snapshots." Dr. Strecker says he has better photographs but if Zoltar wants them, it'll cost him. Zoltar is incensed and tells Dr. Strecker that only he, the leader of Spectra, will do the "bargaining." Dr. Strecker then hangs up on Zoltar, which infuriates the leader even more. "You do not fade when I'm speaking!"

Back at the fleet, the Phoenix continues to lead on to Stellar City. Mark asks for a read out on the "Electro-gravity field constants" and Princess answers, "Point oh nine oh seven." Tiny reports a "weird beep" behind some storm clouds with Jason chiming in to stay clear of "that sky web." Mark orders the Ion Drive Capsules activated to give them full thrust. Tiny answers, "Big Ten" and kicks in the capsules. The clouds emit a strange light but eventually clear and Jason says, "Bogey!" as the main mech appears.

Princess says it's Dr. Strecker's "Space Spider" and watches the radar as the remote-controlled fighters move in on the target. Mark orders the team to "batten down the hatches" and send the creepy mech "down the tube." Dr. Strecker breaks in on audio telling the team even their cerebonic superpowers are useless against his Tronic Web. Mark orders Tiny to use the Electron Blast Motors to give them more "drift acceleration." Tiny has them maxed the way it is! Mark then asks for the Fusion Mass Reserves and Tiny does this, willing to "try anything."

The fighters fire missiles that do nothing against the Space Spider. Dr. Strecker is pleased, G-Force is doing exactly what he wants. The fighters are destroyed when the doctor fires Tronic beams at them. The fighters fall to the Earth in bits while Dr. Strecker orders the Tronic Web deployed. He wants G-Force alive and has grand plans to auction them to the highest bidder. With dollar signs in his eyes, he knows they'll bring "a King's ransom." With the Phoenix in the view screen at "nine degrees and closing," Dr. Strecker sets up his smaller ships to properly deploy the web.

On the Phoenix, Mark orders the Turbo Thrust to be used. The web forms as the Phoenix continues to fly forward. As they close in, Mark wants a switch to "Fission Frequencies." The Phoenix shakes while several cracks form on the bridge when Mark tells them to go to "Plan B" and for Keyop "to do your thing." Mark runs off the bridge with three teammates following. Tiny is able to break the Phoenix free of the Tronic web and Keyop moves his Star Buggy into the web and the "spray job" holds.

Keyop begins sawing into the web with Tiny following in the Phoenix. The web breaks apart and the ships close in on the main mech. Tiny rams the Phoenix's nose into the mech where Mark, Jason and Princess leap out of the main bubble. Mark demands Dr. Strecker surrender – his space web has been destroyed. Jason adds, "Give it up!" Tiny sits back on the bridge, noticing some of Dr. Strecker's crew has left the mech. But he notices Dr. Strecker is attempting an escape.

Keyop shows up with the Star Buggy and breaks into the room where Dr. Strecker ran. The team confronts him but in the chaos, Princess' Wrist Activator gets broken and falls off her wrist. She destransmutes for everyone to see and Dr. Strecker is about to snap her photo but Mark and Jason have other ideas! They move fast to spread their wings to hide her! Keyop isn't about to be left out as he throws his bolos to prevent Dr. Strecker to take any other photographs. He collapses onto the console while Princess escapes into the Star Buggy and Jason picks up her Activator. Mark grabs Dr. Strecker by the collar demanding all the photos he took. Mark tells him he's not Chief Anderson who believes he can be rehabilitated. Mark doesn't believe Dr. Strecker deserves the chance.

Dr. Strecker answers Mark that he has nothing left to lose. His career was over when he left Center Neptune and lost his best friend in Chief Anderson. He gives Mark the one surviving photo because Dr. Strecker destroyed all the original negatives. Mark scans it while Dr. Strecker presses the self-destruct button on the Space Spider. Mark tells him it's not too late but Dr. Strecker refuses and Jason tells Mark they need to go because Dr. Strecker pressed a timer on a bomb. Mark leaps out while at Center Neptune, a picture of Chief Anderson and Dr. Strecker falls over.

Tiny rips the Phoenix out of the Space Spider while Zoltar laments his predicament: no decent shots of G-Force, no Space Web and no victory. He's really mad at Dr. Strecker for betraying him to "save his friends." Later, the team stands by the Phoenix watching the smoldering ruins of the Space Spider. Princess puts on her repaired bracelet, feeling like herself again. Keyop hopes Dr. Strecker got his best side when Mark shoves the picture in his face, "Here, Handsome." Keyop looks it over with the rest of the team gazing over his shoulder – the picture is of their feet! The team laughs while Keyop rips up the picture into a million bits and throws it into the air.

The aircraft carrying relief supplies to Stellar City fly overhead leaving three contrails in their wake. Zark says that while Dr. Strecker made some mistakes, at least he didn't turn over the photographs he took of G-Force over to Zoltar. At Center Neptune, Zark is in the middle of an oil shower when Susan calls. He walks past 1-Rover-1 to answer. But she already knows he was "taking a bath." She has Electronic Spectravision like he does, which allows her to see through millions of miles but not through cloth! Zark bids her good night.

This plot summary Copyright Bobbi Baker ©2021. No reproduction of any kind without permission.
Cure DragonEagle 255
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2020 1:43 pm

Re: BotP Close-up 084

Post: # 665Post Cure DragonEagle 255 »

ONE MORE! You can do it!
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