BotP Close-up 017

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Bobkat
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Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:30 pm

BotP Close-up 017

Post: # 353Post Bobkat »

Oh dear, Keyop is kidnapped! Can the team save him and the other kids!? :)

Enjoy!

The Other Jason's write up is here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep17.html

E17: The Alien Beetles

Act One

7-Zark-7 paces in Nerve Center because there are no alien invaders to report. He even states that things are "too quiet." No one likes the "inaction" – it makes Zark nervous and G-Force stir-crazy. Keyop is the one craving the most action and Zark sent him out on a wild goose chase for a "Mariposa Rubarosa" butterfly was spotted in the city. It's a rare butterfly and Keyop has a rare specimen collection. Keyop jumps on the chance to find the butterfly. Zark then flies to his monitors to peek in on the rest of the team in their Ready Room.

In the Ready Room, the team is up to their usual: Princess playing guitar, Tiny eating space burgers and Mark and Jason playing ping-pong. Tiny asks Princess about doing "a little rock" after he's done eating four more burgers. Jason says Tiny will be "a ton of rock" after eating the burgers. Zark calls on the video monitor and Tiny only looks at it but they pretty much ignore Zark because nothing is going on. Zark decides to track down Keyop starting in Quadrant 9, Sector 4.

The city is pretty quiet as three boys hang out at a construction site. They're going stir-crazy too with nothing to do and "nowhere to go." The boys find some big, weird looking beetles. They pick them up and take off with them. As soon as the boys leave, Keyop sits on a pile of pipes lamenting the wild goose chase. He chews out Zark while talking to himself. While doing do, a beetle finds Keyop and like the boys, Keyop decides to keep it and take it home.

That night, Keyop is sleeping with the beetle in its own cage under his pillow. The other beetles are in similar situations throughout the city with the other boys. However, the beetles grow exponentially with only Keyop waking. The beetle hypnotizes him, takes him on board, and blasts off. There is a bunch of noise that wakes Princess but she goes back to sleep not realizing what's happened. She attributes to a dream and goes back to sleep.

The four beetles have managed to hook into the boys' brain waves and become very destructive. They tear apart several buildings and structures in Capitol City. Zark sounded the alarm and the citizens are sheltered but the damages mount. Meanwhile, Zoltar is pleased and asks the captain if all the boys have been captured. The captain tells him that the boys are undergoing "electro-generation" as ordered. Zoltar then reports the progress to the Luminous One who tells Zoltar this is a way to save their dying planet. The Great Spirit considers humans "very expendable" and a source of energy for Spectra. Zoltar says that no one, including the families, will miss the four boys they have snatched. Zoltar vows to continue the attacks.

Princess knocks on the door to Keyop's room but doesn’t get an answer. She walks in with "breakfast from my place" but when she goes to the bed, Keyop is missing! She then notices the window is smashed to pieces and wonders what happened. She then finds his wrist communicator on the floor and he would never leave it behind.

The beetles wreak more havoc by destroying more and more buildings and structures. Meanwhile, Mark flies his plane to get a closer look. He's in civilian mode and calls into Zark saying he's on the tail of one. He can take it out but Zark doesn't authorize it because his scanners have detected Keyop on board without his communicator. Mark is surprised at the news and they know Keyop could be in serious jeopardy if the craft is Spectran. Mark is determined to free Keyop but must first verify the readings of Zark's scanners Mark plans to use the "sub-infra x-ray beam" to scan the mech. Mark transmutes into his G-force uniform and his jet. He approaches the mech and scans it, verifying the readings. Mark reports back to Zark, who is "sorry, I'm always right."

Mark decides the best course of action is to follow the bug. He contacts Jason and tells him that he has set a homing signal on the bug and wants the gunner to follow it. Jason complies by racing through the city. Princess follows as well on her bike with Tiny joining in with the Phoenix. The team follows the beetles to their base in the mountains where it appears to be an abandoned stone coliseum. Tiny wonders where they are as Mark says he doesn't care because this is where Keyop is being held and "that's good enough for me!"

Act Two

Zark is at his monitor having a tough time keeping his Random Access Memory Tubes focused with Keyop missing. As Zark muses about Keyop being the smallest member, Chief Anderson calls in to report that G-Force has found the site where the bugs landed. He tells Zark he want Sector J-14 "monitored carefully." Zark says he wishes he could trade places with Keyop.

At the base, the beetles discharge their passengers. Keyop is ready for a fight but the other three aren't so sure. The captain arrives with two goons where the boys are and preach at them that they'll do what they're told or else. Keyop doesn't buy it and the boys urge him not to make things worse. Keyop tries to transmute but only then realizes he doesn't have his bracelet! "Uh oh." The boys are put into a pod then dropped into another room.

The captain contacts Zoltar and tells him the boys are no longer useful but Zoltar disagrees. Zoltar has a way to "recharge their ebbing energy" and while "not pleasant" the boys will survive. Zoltar plans to rule the universe using human energy until the source is exhausted.

Outside the base, G-Force confers with Chief Anderson via video aboard the Phoenix. Chief Anderson calls Zoltar's latest plan "fiendish" by powering his machines with every last ounce of human energy. With this plan, he can rule the galaxy. The report doesn't sound good with Mark and Tiny fearing that Keyop is dead. Chief Anderson assures them that Keyop should be fine, at least for now. Chief Anderson reiterates that they don't have much time and Mark says they'll do their best.

Mark and Princess make their way into the base. On a lower level, they find the bugs but notice right away the boys are missing. Meanwhile, the boys are lowered onto a table for an "energy transformation" procedure. As the Spectrans are about to begin, Princess whacks the captain with her yo-yo. Mark joins in throwing his boomerang around the room. Mark admonishes the captain for picking on kids.

As Mark tells the captain he's now dealing with G-Force, Princess frees Keyop and the boys while giving Keyop back his bracelet. Keyop is really happy to see Princess. Keyop transmutes and leads the escape. Mark contacts Jason that they need him and Jason drives into the heart of the coliseum. As Jason keeps the goons busy by running over them, the boys and the other members of G-Force run out of the base. The Spectran captain directs the fight but Tiny manages to pick everybody up.

Just as the Phoenix clears the base, the beetles give chase but Tiny says they don't have enough missiles on board. Out of the blue, a missile hits one of the beetles. It's from Colonel Cronus and his Red Rangers! The Rangers enter the fight taking out the rest of the beetles. The group takes off for parts unknown but Zoltar knows they've been defeated. Zoltar orders Kinatch to demolish the base and that he cannot go back to Spectra. Kinatch must go down with the base. He says, "Oh unhappy day," before pressing the self-destruct button.

As the base implodes, Jason is stuck on the surface driving like a bat out of hell to get away. He jumps his car from the base but is stuck on a Cliffside. Tiny flies the Phoenix to "grapple" Jason's car on board and in the nose. A huge boulder threatens to take them all out but Tiny clears them just in time. Tiny reports to Zark that they're on their way back to the center.

On the way back, Tiny says, "I guess they won't be 'buggin'' us anymore." Mark says Tiny's puns are worse than the bugs but Jason remarks he'll take the puns. The boys are relieved to be rescued and say they want to join G-Force one day. When one of the kids asks Keyop what he wants to be when he grows up, Keyop says, "Tall." Princess laughs and hoped he would answer, "Smart." The Phoenix flies into the sunset as Zark says Earth's children can now play freely.

Zark takes a ten second oil break as Susan calls causing his antennae to stand on end. Susan reports that she has seen a giant, rare bug approaching. She says the "Magna Fantastica" is on its way. When it doesn't compute, Susan confesses she's only joking like what Zark did to Keyop. Zark realizes he got what he deserved because working with G-Force is serious business. Rover salutes the team.

This plot summary Copyright Bobbi Baker ©2021. No reproduction of any kind without permission.
Katblu42
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:56 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: BotP Close-up 017

Post: # 356Post Katblu42 »

Interesting that Jason running over goons made the cut!
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