“Planet of the Olingo People”

By Andrew Norris


SCENE ONE - U.A.S. Phoenix, alongside the Righteous Indignation

A small boarding-hatch has been connected to the frigate, and DASH 
DARING enters the frigate, accompanied by LT. VENUS. Both of them are 
wearing gas masks as LT. VENUS does a scan of the environment.


VENUS: Air's good, we can breathe in here.


They remove their gas masks, and check the ship. DASH moves up to the 
bridge, where he finds BUCKY and JENNY unconcious at the controls. 
Immediately, he calls down to VENUS for help.


DASH: Up here, Venus! We're going to need to work fast!


LATER...

Aboard the saucer, BUCKY, JENNY, DEADEYE and the others have all been 
placed in glass tubes filled with translucent liquid. A small monitor 
hums quietly as it watches their pulses and so on. LT. VENUS watches 
over this machine whilst DASH stares out of the cockpit window.


VENUS: It'll probably take another ten minutes before their memories of 
the last half-hour have been completely erased, Colonel. I just hope 
they don't wake up in that time.


DASH: (firmly) I never would have thought 50 years ago that I'd be 
still be keeping that promise in the next century.


VENUS: It isn't your fault, captain, but if they ever knew that the UAC 
had discovered their planet, they wouldn't hesitate to blow any 
spaceship from out of the sky, mammal or toad.


DASH looks down at an orange-coloured planet that both ships are parked 
in orbit around, and his eyes narrow as faint memories return.


DASH: Yes, fifty years ago...


SCENE TWO - The Starchaser, somewhere in the Aniverse, 50 years 
previously

DASH and LT. VENUS are on-board their spaceship "Starchaser", and are 
being chased by a horde of flying-saucers belonging to the Menkrites. 
Although they are few in number, the saucers are attacking the 
Starchaser at every possible angle, making matters difficult for DASH 
and VENUS.


DASH: We've got to hold out just a little longer! We must get Dr. 
Barkov's secret weapon back to Warren!


VENUS: (reads instruments) Our shields are failing fast, colonel! We've 
got only a few seconds before they fail completely!


DASH: (sighs heavily) Then we've no choice, lieutenant. We'll have to 
deploy...the Magno Ray!


A small beacon emerges on top of the Starchaser, and an electromagnetic 
pulse is omitted out at the saucers. Being constructed of metal and 
simple electronics, the saucers quickly malfunction, and their crews 
grow weak. The saucers pull away in defeat, leaving the Starchaser be.


DASH: Phew! It worked! Their instruments were disrupted by the Magno 
Ray and just sent their ships haywire! Looks like our mission's 
accomplished, lieutenant, let's head for home!


VENUS tries to do so, but the controls fail to respond. She looks up 
desperately at DASH as the ship slowly enters a crash-dive over a 
nearby planet.


VENUS: The controls won't respond, Colonel! The damage from the saucers 
must've been greater then we thought!


DASH: We're spinning into a dive. We'll have to make a forced landing 
on one of these planets and make the repairs!


The Starchaser, which has been caught in the gravitational field of a 
nearby orange-coloured planet, continues it's course to the surface, 
but slowly levels out as VENUS regains control of the steering.


SCENE THREE - Procles Major, somewhere in the Aniverse

The Starchaser screams through the sky of this jungle planet, and 
crashes close to a shallow river, scaring away several strange tropical 
animals. DASH and LT. VENUS alight from their ship, and examine the 
surroundings. The entire planet resembles the Amazon Rainforest, but 
beyond a few tropical creatures, there doesn't seem to be anyone about.


VENUS: What is this place?


DASH: (calmer, to Venus) Procles Major, one of the few jungle-planets 
of the Aniverse that is reasonably hospitable. (claps hands once) Well, 
it looks like we can't expect to get any help from the locals. We'd 
best get to work, huh?


VOICE: (firmly) Keep your hands where they are.


DASH turns around slowly, and VENUS looks around the area to pinpoint 
the voice. Within moments, they are surrounded by a band of female 
OLINGOS dressed in skimpy leopardskin bikinis that make them look like 
jungle-women. All of them level their spears at the two off-worlders as 
their delegate speaks.


OLINGO #1: (sharply) This world is the world of the Olingo People; it 
is forbidden for the sky demons to dwell upon it's sacred surface.


DASH: It was not our intention to defile your lands, miss, our ship was 
out-of-control and we had no choice but to land here.


OLINGO #1: We shall leave that for our queen to decide. Come! You must 
be taken before the Queen of the Olingo People!


DASH and VENUS are reluctantly escorted away by the OLINGOS into the 
jungle.


SCENE FOUR - The Olingo city, Procles Major

The Olingo City is a large group of thatched buildings in a jungle 
clearing that has been hacked away to accomodate the extra buildings. 
At the centre of the city is a large roundhouse made from mud and wood. 
Several OLINGOS, mostly female with a handful of male slaves, go about 
their business until they see the procession escorting DASH and LT. 
VENUS arrive before the large roundhouse. Their leader looks at them 
before entering the roundhouse.


OLINGO #1: You will wait here until you are summoned.


She enters the roundhouse, leaving DASH and LT. VENUS look around them. 
All of the OLINGOS have stopped and are looking at the two as though 
they have never seen hares before.


VENUS: (whispers to Dash) Where did all of these people come from, 
Dash?


DASH: (whispers back) I'm not sure. Procles Major has wildlife, sure, 
but never a population like this!


The OLINGO female returns from the roundhouse.


OLINGO #1: The queen will see you, and hurry.


She roughly pushes them inside the Roundhouse, where a large fire burns 
in the centre of the floor. A golden throne stands at the rear of the 
building on a raised platform, and on it rests the OLINGO QUEEN, who is 
considerably grey and tired, with baggy eyes and her arms trembling 
with arthritis. The OLINGO leader speaks to her with an air of 
reverence.


OLINGO #1: O, great leader of the Olingo People, these are the two off-
worlders who defiled our sacred land. What shall we do with them?


QUEEN: (hoarsely) Leave them with me, Feena. I wish to speak with them 
alone.


FEENA exits, and the OLINGO QUEEN delicately steps down from her throne 
and approaches DASH and VENUS calmly.


QUEEN: (to Dash) Tell me, my good man, has Warren changed much these 
past years?


DASH: You know of Warren...your Majesty?


QUEEN: (waves a hand) No need for all that here, either of you. You 
see, we may look savages, but once, we were like anyone else in the 
Aniverse. Strong, wise, cunning... a race of genii.


VENUS: But, what happened to all of you, and how did you end up here?


QUEEN: Our original home, Maranon XII, was threatened by a space-
plague, the same one that exterminated the communists on Rott. Our 
settlements on Maranon X and Maranon XI were also threatened, and so we 
decided to evacuate our three worlds and resettle elsewhere. There were 
1,000 ships launched, of which only ours survived.


VENUS: (shocked) What happened to the others?


QUEEN: They never made it to the new homeworld. We were to resettle on 
Rigel II, but the plotted course took the fleet past a star that went 
supernova during the mass voyage. Our craft was suffering engine 
problems, and we never reached the star in time to be engulfed, but 
some space debris from one of the ruined ships caused us to crash-land 
here on Procles Major. (pause) The rest of the crew reverted to this 
tribal fashion, but as the ship's medic, I kept myself alive using 
life-expanding drugs. Eventually, the generations assumed that my age 
made me their leader, and so here I am.


DASH: (confused) So, you're now trying to rebuild the society of the 
Olingos. I get it, but why haven't you tried to contact the other 
worlds?


QUEEN: (firmly) On a jungle world, young man, technology can be a 
dangerous thing. Our weapons worked perfectly after the crash, but the 
wildlife began to fight back, and it was eventually decided that we 
would live like the noble savage: isolated, inward-looking, and caring 
for survival more than community. If we tried to contact another world, 
we would be put in zoo exhibitions in all of the civilised worlds. That 
is why we frown on off-worlders, but because you arrived here 
unintentionally, just as we did, then I shall release you on one sole 
condition...


SCENE FIVE - U.A.S. Phoenix, over Procles Major, present

The instruments indicate that the amnesia process is almost complete. 
During the time that has passed, LT. VENUS has moved alongside DASH and 
looks down on the planet with him.


VENUS: Our ship was repaired, and we survived to deliver Dr. Barkov's 
weapon, on the condition that we tell no one and allow nobody to know 
about the Olingo People of Procles Major.


DASH: (nods once) Yes, and even if their frail Queen has no doubt 
passed on, I still intend to uphold that condition as an officer and a 
gentleman. (sighs) But still, I would like to know what exactly Bucky 
and his friends were doing over Procles Major. Only, it's so far from 
the ordinary patrol routes, and beyond our little secret, there's not 
really much of interest around here...


SCENE SIX - the Righteous Indignation, over Procles Major, a few hours 
previously

The Righteous Indignation is in a fierce battle with some Toad Double-
Bubbles, echoing the scene between the "Starchaser" and the Menkrite 
saucers. The shields are weakening, and on the bridge, BUCKY and JENNY 
are being flung about like ragdolls as the ship takes a beating.


JENNY: (sternly) If we don't land soon, our shields will give out 
altogether!


BUCKY: If we do give in, Jenny, then the Toads'll get their grubby 
hands on the planets around here, but why go out of the way for two 
measly planets?


A heavy jolt knocks them about, as a Toad cruiser comes into view. The 
damaged Double Bubbles retreat to the safety of it's hangar, whilst the 
remainder stand fast with the protection of the Cruiser.


SCENE SEVEN - Toad cruiser, over Procles Major

TOAD AIR MARSHAL is overseeing the operation as FRIX and FRAX stand 
behind him.


FRAX: Why are we fighting over the Procles system, Toad Air Marshal, 
sir?


FRIX: Yeah, only two measly planets don't seem too much bother.


AIR MARSHAL: I know that, you idiots! But there's a legend that says a 
race of mammals have dwelt there for centuries without anybody knowing! 
Just think of how much slave labour we could exploit from a planet like 
that!


FRIX: But what about Procles Minor, Air Marshal?


FRAX: Yeah, Procles Minor is just a puny little gas giant.


AIR MARSHAL: (impatiently) I didn't say I was going to conquer BOTH 
planets, you idiots! The sooner I get Bucky O'Hare and his crew out of 
the way, the sooner I can get credit for this latest conquest!


STORMTOAD #1: A scouting-party is ready to land on the planet, sir.


AIR MARSHAL: Good. Get the Double-Bubbles to provide covering-fire for 
them as they land. I don't want that trigger-happy duck to get anywhere 
near them!


The Double Bubbles fire on the Righteous as a Landing Craft travels 
down to the planet. DEADEYE successfully destroys the remaining Double 
Bubbles, but the Landing Craft succeeds in passing them.


STORMTOAD #1: All of our Double Bubbles have been lost, sir.


AIR MARSHAL: (grunts) No matter. The Righteous Indignation is too weak 
to be of much of a threat now, and the Landing Craft has cleared them.


STORMTOAD #1: (nods) Yes, sir, but the Righteous Indignation is going 
after the Landing Craft.


AIR MARSHAL: (nervously) Well, err, fall back or something, before he 
comes back! If we get any more casualties because of that persistent 
little rabbit, then K.O.M.P.L.E.X. won't hesitate to hang us out to 
dry!


The STORMTOAD shrugs rather than argues, and obeying the cowardice of 
his superior, pilots the Cruiser slowly away.


SCENE EIGHT - Over Procles Major

Sure enough, the Righteous has gone into a freedive over the planet's 
surface, and is rapidly gaining on the Landing Craft as gravity sets 
in. The land appears before them, and the tribe of OLINGOS can be seen 
down below, watching the event.


BUCKY: (shouts) Give 'em both barrels, Deadeye!


DEADEYE fires, shooting the Landing Craft point blank. It explodes in a 
massive fireball, and JENNY pulls the Righteous out of the dive just 
seconds before the ship can hit the ground. As it flies away back into 
space, two OLINGOS watch as it leaves.


OLINGO #2: The Sky Gods have vanquished the heathens!


OLINGO #3: We have not seen any of the Sky Gods since the day that the 
one known as Dash the Daring visited our world.


OLINGO #2: Do you think that we should inform Queen Freena?


OLINGO #3: (shakes her head) No. Her faith is with the Gods of the 
Forest, she would see us as heretics were we to mention the Sky Gods.


THE END