Bucky O' Hare 
In
Revenge
By Andrew Norris

SCENE ONE
Genus Control Centre, Night
CORPORAL NASS is trying to make radio contact with someone over his 
radio, but as there is a thunderstorm outside, he is finding it 
difficult to do so. After a few moments of radio scanning, he makes 
contact.

NASS: Can you read me, Benny, over?

BENNY: (On radio) Roger that, Corporal. We're on A-Deck now.

NASS: Is Robert with you, over?

ROBERT: (Gruff voice on radio) Yeah, I'm here, over.

NASS: OK guys; just move your way from the bow to stern as Chairman 
Warner instructed. Watch where you step, as she might be brittle.

ROBERT: It's my back I want watching! It's (BLEEP) ...ing spooky!

BENNY: OK, Corporal. Robert's just going down to the Wireless Room, and 
I'll check the Swimming Pool. 

ROBERT: Holy (BLEEP), this is real spooky, man! I don't even think that 
we should be here!

NASS: I don't like it anymore than you do, Robert, but we have to 
follow orders all the same. 

BENNY: I'm at the Swimming Pool, and the doors are shut tight. I can't 
move them if I tried!

Over the radio, CORPORAL NASS becomes frantic at the blurred sound of 
what he believes to be gunshots.

BENNY: (Shouts) I can hear gunfire inside! I'm going to try and break 
in!

ROBERT: What the (BLEEP) is all this?

NASS: Robert, what's the matter?

ROBERT: (Yelling) There's fresh (BLEEP)...ing blood all over the walls! 

BENNY: Nass, there's loads of bodies around the pool! They look like 
they've been here for a week now! 

ROBERT: Holy (BLEEP)! This is madness!

BENNY: Nass, these bodies are Stormtoads! 

NASS: (Confused) Benny, say that last part again. 

BENNY: There's lots of dead Toads around here! They must've gotten here 
first!

ROBERT: What the hell are you? Keep away from me! 

VOICE: (Ghostly, over radio) We warned you not to come.

ROBERT: (Shrieking) You can't be real! You can't be real!

NASS: Benny, get down to Robert, stat!

Suddenly, there is the garbled screaming from BENNY and ROBERT, with a 
strange grating sound faintly audible in the background, followed by 
silence. 

NASS: (Quieter) Benny? Robert? Can either of you hear me?

He receives only radio static, and the patter of raindrops on the 
windows. Suddenly, there is a crash of thunder followed by the groaning 
of metal, as the Genus Control Tower falls to the ground after being 
hit by lightening. 

IN THE MORNING...
The Tower has fallen and landed into a field of debris over a wide area. 
Luckily, the spaceships were facing away from where the tower fell, and 
are safe. Outside are CAPTAIN SHIRLEY SQUIRREL, COLONEL RAUL MEW, BUCKY, 
JENNY, DOGSTAR, MIMI and FRITZ. An Ambulance nearby has its back doors 
open, where CORPORAL NASS is sitting down with his right arm in plaster 
and a bandage around his forehead.

MIMI: Of all the places for lightening to strike, it would have to be 
here!

SHIRLEY: I think we're thankful that there was only Nass in the 
building, and even more thankful that he survived!

FRITZ: The Tower can be rebuilt, but what worries me is how we are 
going to operate radio communications until then. 

BUCKY: I'm more worried at how that storm came about so quickly. 

DOGSTAR: Bucky has a good point, after all, Meteorology was compulsory 
at Graham in my day, and I've never known a thunderstorm to develop so 
rapidly. 

FRITZ: Indeed, but I'm certain Corporal Nass can tell us what was going 
on. 

They all walk up to CORPORAL NASS, who is drinking some hot soup that a 
paramedic has just given him. RAUL is the first to speak. 

RAUL: Corporal, we need to ask some questions.

NASS: (Puts soup aside) What would you like to know, Colonel?

FRITZ: What can you remember doing before the Tower was struck?

NASS: Well, I was radioing two salvagers hired by the UAC for the 
little...

He understands that his assignment was confidential between him and 
FRITZ, and tries to describe it without letting BUCKY etc know. 

NASS: ...task you asked me to perform, Benny Sansei and Robert Denier. 
They both suddenly became scared and I lost contact. After I tried to 
re-establish contact, the Tower was hit. When I came to, a paramedic 
was getting me free of the rubble. You know the rest by now. 

FRITZ: (Ponders) Hmm, thank you Corporal. 

He walks to one side, with the others keen to know what is going on. 

FRITZ: Mimi, Dogstar, Bucky, Raul, a word in private please? As for the 
ladies, why not grab a cup of coffee?

They all walk off, while the five get into a huddle. FRITZ makes sure 
that no one is listening before he continues. 

FRITZ: (Sighs) I was hoping to keep this between Nass and me but I 
guess I've no other alternative. What I'm about to tell you, I don't 
want you to discuss with anyone else except your crews, understood?

They nod, and MIMI speaks up.

MIMI: So, what's this all about?

FRITZ: A few months ago, we sighted a shipwreck in the Lobster Nebula. 

BUCKY: There are many space-shipwrecks in the Aniverse, but why is this 
one so important? 

FRITZ: It was reported missing Junetember 12th 3211 with a set of 
confidential. S.P.A.C.E. battle plans on board. There were no survivors 
recovered or picked up, and we've been attempting to salvage it for 
several years. It's as precious as Titanic II my friends, and we need 
to salvage it for the reason why it disappeared, recover the plans, and 
try to determine what happened to the passengers and crew.

DOGSTAR: Is it still there?

FRITZ: Yes, the first salvagers left a beacon so it could be picked up 
by the UAC. It's a Noctur 4 Luxury Spaceliner, the type introduced in 
3205. The schematics are all in the Fearless' databanks.

RAUL: I'll have duplicate files sent to the other frigates before we 
get going.

FRITZ: Good, and I'll have the XL6 on standby if it's needed. Good luck 
to you all. 

They salute and wait in their ships for the other crews. FRITZ walks 
off. 

SCENE TWO
The Lobster Nebula
The four frigates, Righteous Indignation, Indefatigable, Screaming Mimi 
and Fearless are all heading in the same direction across space. The 
crews are all conversing with one another as they continue their 
journey. 

BUCKY: Any ideas on the ship's name, Colonel?

RAUL: I'm afraid not, Bucky. But from what data I have here is just 
what I'm all too familiar with back home. 

MIMI: Well, what have you got?

RAUL: (Reads the data on a screen) Type 32-V. Before the invasions, the 
panthers couldn't compete for speed unlike the hares, so we built 
spaceborne art galleries instead.

DOGSTAR: That doesn't tell us a lot, my lad.

RAUL: On the contrary, it tells us a lot, Commander. Having been in the 
UAC for so long, I've learnt to read between the lines. The Type 32-V 
was the last Noctur 4 liner to enter service before the disruption of 
trade by the Toads. It's roughly twice the size of Titanic II, with as 
much room for 6,000 passengers and 500 crew on board.  

MIMI: (Surprised) That's...big. What about emergency equipment?

RAUL: One entire deck was filled with escape pods for 70 people at one 
time. As there were 120 Escape Pods, there were more than enough for 
all aboard. Emergency Spacesuits were also equipped with a homing 
device built in and 1 weeks supply of oxygen for each suit. 

DOGSTAR: Homing devices or not, I'm not picking up any signal from that 
beacon!

As the Righteous Indignation is right in front, and BUCKY is busy 
speaking to the others, JENNY is the first to notice a large wall of 
rusting metal appear from the darkness. All the frigates stop alongside.

JENNY: Is this it?

DOGSTAR: Only one way to find out!

They all switch on their searchlights, and a large shape, like that of 
a 1960's ocean liner, emerges from the darkness. It has a single funnel 
with neon discs around it like the Titanic II, and has rusted 
throughout. A large hairline crack runs along the bottom of the hull 
and up to the lower decks, whilst the windows on the bridge are all 
cracked.

BUCKY: By the Great Mother, she's beautiful!

They all trek silently across the ghostly hull, and on the side of the 
bow are a small hole where an anchor should be, and the words "ALPHA 
GRAZA" cast on the side.

RAUL: (Jollily) My word, it's the Alpha Graza!

MIMI: So, you know her Raul?

RAUL: (Ecstatic) Only in my dreams, Mimi! She's the mother of them all! 
She's so precious that every space captain in the Aniverse has been 
searching for her ever since! I never knew that she'd been reported 
missing!

BUCKY: Any idea why she'd suddenly disappear?

RAUL: None, I'm afraid. I suggest we have a look at her, and see what 
shape she's in before we start looking for answers.

SCENE THREE
Foredeck, The Alpha Graza
All the crews have helmets on and are searching the rotted deck. The 
anchors are gone, and the shield generators are all damaged so much 
that it is impossible to breathe out on deck. BUCKY shines his torch 
towards the bridge.

BUCKY: She must've taken a beating over the last 15 years!

DOGSTAR: One wonders how she stays together!

MIMI is scanning the walls of the ship, when she thinks that there is a 
figure watching her, but there is no one there when she turns around.

DEADEYE: (Impatient) C'mon! Let's get this rust-bucket going!

BUCKY: Easy, Deadeye. We have to search the ship for any signs of 
distress and find those documents.

RAUL: I don't think you'll find any signs of distress.

JONATHON: What makes you say that?

RAUL: According to the report, there wasn't a sign of a problem; it 
just vanished after it was reported missing in orbit of Toxus II.

DOGSTAR: But that's in Sector 7, about 1,620 light-years from here!

JENNY: And with nobody at the helm, it is quite disturbing.

BUCKY: All right! Here's what we'll do! Dile, Digger, Bruiser and 
Blinky will all guard the ships. Raul and I will take the upper-decks. 
Dogstar, Wolf and Jenny will take A-Deck. Mimi, Deadeye and Jonathon 
can check B-Deck, while Pete, Rumblebee and Larry can check the Escape 
Pods and Storage. 

LARRY: (Shivers) Bucky, I...I don't think splitting up is a good idea. 

MIMI: Chill, Larry! The quicker we go in, the quicker we get out!

They split up, going their different ways. None of them notice a figure 
watching them from a porthole window. 

SCENE FOUR
Captain's Cabin, The Alpha Graza
BUCKY and RAUL enter the room with their torches on. The room has 
changed a lot over the years. The wooden panels have almost rotted away 
completely, and several mouldy magazines and books lie littered across 
the room. 

RAUL: (Picks up one magazine) This can't be right, Captain!

BUCKY: What is it, Colonel?

RAUL: This is a copy of "Mercenary's Monthly", and this wasn't first 
published until 3220. 

BUCKY: So we're not the first people to have found the ship, but so 
long as we find them papers, then we may actually get somewhere.

BUCKY notices a moth-eaten Captain's hat lying on the desk, with dust 
all over it. RAUL then picks up a bottle of liqueur on a small coffee 
table on the other side of the room.

RAUL: I see the Captain was a heavy drinker.

BUCKY: That could've been anyone's liqueur, sir. Perhaps the previous 
visitors left it here.

RAUL: Look again, Bucky. (Points to a label) This bottle was designated 
especially to the captain of this ship. 

BUCKY: (An idea pops in his head) Yes, and supposing the captain, being 
unfit for duty, perhaps sold his crew and passengers off to the Toads 
and left his ship adrift. 

RAUL: Maybe, let's go and see if there's anything else on the other 
decks. 

They go, but do not see the liqueur in the bottle change to a blood-red 
colour and smash from the inside.

SCENE FIVE
Bridge, The Alpha Graza
JENNY, WOLF and DOGSTAR are inspecting the rusted, decaying bridge, 
will all features covered in grime and dirt. The helm and the ship's 
telegraph stand amidst the empty room, with a single storeroom for 
paperwork on the far side of the bridge.  

JENNY: (Inspects helm) The rudder isn't responding. She must've been 
missing for so long that her controls just died.

DOGSTAR: So it would seem, Jenny my girl. I'm surprised how the bridge 
has stayed in one piece even though all the windows have cracked. 

WOLF: (Inspecting the ships' telegraph) The ship must've run on full 
throttle until her nutomic reactors went into automatic shut down. 

RAUL and BUCKY arrive from the captain's cabin with interest in their 
eyes.

BUCKY: Any developments here?

DOGSTAR: Just the theory that the helmsman left the ship on full 
throttle until the reactors shut themselves down. 

RAUL: I'm not so sure it was the helmsman. By the look of the captains' 
cabin, he was obviously a drunkard unfit to command his ship. 

WOLF: Looks like we solved the mystery in record time, Colonel. Once we 
hear from Rumblebee, then we can answer some questions. 

LARRY: (Over radio) Bucky, are you there?

BUCKY: (Into radio) We're here, Larry. What's up? 

LARRY: The Engine Room's a mess. The gravity compensator is still 
switched on though, which may explain why we're all able to stick to 
the floor. The reactors look like they've been through hell and back.

BUCKY: Is Rumblebee OK?

LARRY: Sure, he's right...

The radio is suddenly cut off.  

BUCKY: Larry? Larry, are you there? Come in, come in!

He receives only radio static, followed by a ghostly voice. 

VOICE: (Wailing) Raymond Mew...Leave this place now.

DOGSTAR: Raymond?

RAUL: That's my real name, but I changed it to Raul when I was young.

VOICE: 2-2-0 Blue...2-2-0 Blue...

The radio suddenly dies. From outside in the corridor, they hear 
RUMBLEBEE shrieking like a lost soul as he bombards into the Bridge, 
his arms spinning frenziedly as though he has been short-circuited. 

RUMBLEBEE: (Sped-up voice) Help me! Out of control! He is here! He is 
here! He is...

WOLF quickly removes a small disk from behind, and RUMBLEBEE shuts down.

LATER...
BLINKY and WOLF are thoroughly examining RUMBLEBEE, while BUCKY, RAUL, 
MIMI and DOGSTAR all talk to one side. 

MIMI: 2-2-0 Blue, doesn't ring any bells.

RAUL: Perhaps a landmark or a star which has long disappeared?

BUCKY: Maybe, or perhaps it was a course. 

DOGSTAR pulls out a star map, and circles the position of The Alpha 
Graza and 2-2-0 Blue with a pen. 

DOGSTAR: According to this, there's nothing but some asteroids and a 
neutron star. 

BUCKY: (Notices something) Wait a minute!

He pulls out his own pen, and draws a line of trajectory from The Alpha 
Graza to the asteroids. 

BUCKY: The Alpha Graza is caught in an orbit around the star, which 
bisects the Nebula. As it orbits, it has scraped itself along these 
meteors and caused itself some damage. 

MIMI: That would account for the dents along the hull.

BUCKY: (Continued) She was lucky the last time, but if she hits those 
asteroids again, she'll receive a huge gash that'll cause a sudden 
change in pressure and result in an explosion. 

RAUL: So, all we have to do is to try and use the frigates to get the 
Alpha Graza to alter course and break free of the star's gravity. 

JENNY enters through the door.

JENNY: Larry is on the Screaming Mimi now; he was in quite a state when 
we found him.

DOGSTAR: How do you mean?

JENNY: It was as though he'd seen a ghost. His face was like death. 
(Gasps) It was horrible!

BUCKY: I think I'll take a look at the Engine Room myself. 

RAUL: Keep all channels open, Bucky. 

BUCKY: Will do, Colonel.

BUCKY and JENNY make their way down to the Engine Room. WOLF looks 
disgusted at something when BLINKY removes something from RUMBLEBEE.

WOLF: (Disgusted) Of all the saints!

BLINKY: (To Dogstar) Query, Commander Dogstar: What is unidentifiable 
damage to Rumblebee?

DOGSTAR notices two large holes in RUMBLEBEE'S circuitry like teeth 
marks.

DOGSTAR: Good heavens!

SCENE SIX
The Engine Room, The Alpha Graza
The room is a hive of derelict and dilapidated machinery, all of which 
have been gathering rust over the years. JENNY and BUCKY look around 
with their torches switched on, their ears straining at the sound of 
groaning metal. 

BUCKY: Larry was right, this place is a mess!

They continue walking through the rows of twisted scrap metal. JENNY 
shines her torch in the direction of one way, and they both see the 
figure of an elderly DOG wearing an olive-green uniform and an 
officer's cap. The DOG is grey-furred and wears a pair of spectacles. 
BUCKY notices that the beam of lights from JENNY'S torch goes right 
through him. BUCKY and JENNY both recognize the DOG instantly.

JENNY & BUCKY: (In unison) Brigadier Greg Martin!

GREG: (Hoarse voice) The very same.

BUCKY: But didn't Nosferretu kill you?

GREG: He did, and I am indeed dead. 

JENNY: Why exactly are you here, have we disturbed you in any way?

GREG: (Laughs) No, no! It isn't you, my fine friends, you see...

He looks stern as the groaning of metal intensifies.

GREG: (Whispers) He's listening to me, so I'll have to show you with 
your eyes. 

He gently touches JENNY and BUCKY, and an eerie white glow comes out of 
his hands. 

FLASHBACK, THE ALPHA GRAZA, JUNTEMBER 11TH, 3211
The ship is more grandeur in its heyday look, with no sign of rust or 
decay to be found. JENNY, BUCKY and GREG watch as the officer's and 
passengers dance on the foredeck, when a Toad Cruiser pulls up 
alongside, and several Toad agents, mostly HARES and SQUIRRELS, begins 
to mow the surprised civilians down with gunfire. 

BUCKY: (Mouths) By the Great Mother.

Down in the swimming pool, some of the HARES have gathered all the 
recovered. S.P.A.C.E. papers and put them all to one side. They and the 
SQUIRRELS salute when a younger CAPTAIN SMATA arrives.

WHITE HARE: We've recovered the papers, Commander Smata. 

SMATA: (Unaffected voice) Good.

He addresses his STORMTOADS.

SMATA: Deal with them for me. 

The TOADS wipe out the mammals with maser beams. COMMANDER SMATA then 
tosses a lighted match onto the papers and watches them burn. As he 
does so, he doesn't notice the TOADS being hit by several beams of 
energy, which are traced to a cloaked FIGURE standing right next to 
where BUCKY, JENNY and GREG are. 

SMATA: Who are you, and why are you here?

The FIGURE simply shoots some energy beams at SMATA, one placing a 
small slit on his throat. As he bleeds, SMATA makes a hasty retreat, 
while the FIGURE starts going about draining the corpses of their 
energy. 

BACK AT THE ALPHA GRAZA...
BUCKY and JENNY are at first a little dizzy from the trip, but quickly 
come to their senses.

JENNY: (To Greg) Who was that person?

GREG: The same person who caused Rumblebee to malfunction. He is 
gathering strength from the people he kills on board this ship. Like 
the rodent to the mousetrap. 

BUCKY: (Curious) But why are you here, then? I thought you were killed 
on Genus.

GREG: I was, Captain. After life, we spirits are free to roam where we 
please before we are permitted to go towards the light. Unfortunately, 
many of us have tried to answer the calls for help from spirits already 
trapped here and have become trapped ourselves. 

JENNY: Is there no way out? 

GREG: Only one, and I need you to do what I say. 

He suddenly winces in pain, and begins to fade away.

GREG: (Growing fainter) Destroy the ship! Kill the jailer of us souls! 
Kill him...kill N...

Finally, he fades into non-existence, leaving BUCKY and JENNY alone. 
Suddenly, they see the cloaked FIGURE standing behind them.

FIGURE: (Menacing voice) How much did he tell you?

BUCKY: (Rudely) Enough to say that you are responsible for the massacre 
of innocent lives and imprisoning peoples' spirits!

FIGURE: You mean to say you haven't figured it out yet?

He pulls back his cloak, to reveal that he is NOSFERRETU, with no sign 
of injury on him whatsoever. 

JENNY: (Startled) B...But you're dead!

NOSFERRETU: I *was* Jenny, but as Greg told you, we spirits are free to 
roam where we please after life. 

He grunts to himself, seeing the horror in BUCKY'S eyes.

NOSFERRETU: Because of my sins, I found refuge in here, as I'm 
forbidden to roam freely. I was here before, the last time was when 
this ship was looted, and I used the people on board as my own private 
supply of go-juice. 

BUCKY: And you returned here so you could build enough energy to roam 
the Aniverse freely!

NOSFERRETU: (Smiles) Correct, Bucky. Once I have done so, I'll be able 
to return to Genus and eradicate Van Owlsing as payback for stopping me 
the last time!

JENNY: Not if we stop you!

She fires her maser pistol at him, but it simply goes straight through 
him. BUCKY tries to kick NOSFERRETU in the face, but again, it just 
goes straight through him. 

NOSFERRETU: (To Bucky) Face it, Bucky, our time apart has made you weak 
and made me stronger. 

He clasps BUCKY by the throat, and shoves JENNY aside with his dark 
magic. He smiles as BUCKY chokes.

NOSFERRETU: This time, I win. 

A blast of energy from the other side of the Engine room causes 
NOSFERRETU to release JENNY and BUCKY. Looking up, they see the ghosts 
of several deceased people they once knew, and some from further ago 
than that. The crowd of ghosts includes THE TOAD FLEET PILOT, BRIGADIER 
GREG MARTIN and FIELD MARSHAL SIR EDWARD GAIGH, the former Commander-
In-Chief of the. S.P.A.C.E. 

NOSFERRETU: (Weakly) You shall suffer...I will crush your bones to dust!

FLEET PILOT: (Spookily) You tortured us by imprisoning us.

GREG: Now, we are united as one to make you suffer!

BUCKY and JENNY watch with interest, until FIELD MARSHAL SIR EDWARD 
GAIGH looks up at BUCKY.

GAIGH: (Refined voice) Captain, get yourself and your friends away from 
here and open fire on us. That is an order!

JENNY: (Worried) But what of you?

GAIGH: No one can re-kill a person, can they?

BUCKY and JENNY run off to warn the others, while NOSFERRETU slowly 
begins to break free.

NOSFERRETU: (Stronger) Now, you shall see why Nosferretu will never die!

He knocks the ghosts all to one side, but as he does so, the ship 
suddenly explodes in a massive fireball. 

OUTSIDE IN SPACE...
All four frigates have their crews safely on board, with the Alpha 
Graza up in flames after her rusting hull was pounded with maser fire. 
As the ship explodes, several SPECTRES of the people who died on board 
the evil vessel float out of the wreck and out into space. Each one of 
them, bathed in an eerie blue aura, all wave at the spaceships outside.

SPECTRES: (Ecstatic) Thank you! Thank you! Bless you, friends!

BUCKY notices that even the STORMTOADS are waving at them, having 
broken free of their brainwashing upon their deaths. The radio in the 
Righteous Indignation suddenly springs to life. 

NASS: (Over radio) Corporal Nass to all frigates, come in please, over.

BUCKY: (Cheerful) Good to hear from you, Nass! So, we're back online, 
huh?

NASS: Yep! The insurance money was more than expected, so we were able 
to rebuild the Tower in no time flat! Anything to report?

BUCKY: (Pause) Negative, the ship just disappeared. We've scoured the 
whole Nebula. 

NASS: Ah, well. Better luck next time, return to Genus at once for 
debriefing. Genus Control out. 

As the link is severed, RAUL butts in.

RAUL: Captain, why did you lie to him?

BUCKY: Well, Colonel, it was to pay back a favour for the Brigadier who 
saved us all. May he rest in peace.

JENNY: Amen to that.

Outside, BRIGADIER GREG MARTIN gives a pleased smile, and snaps a 
salute to the ships before disappearing into the unknown. 

THE END